I was born in the Month of Crimson, but the day I came into the world was far from joyous. The palace erupted like a fire flower, with enemies attacking from every direction. The sun blackened, the sky burned red, and the earth trembled as lakes and seas sent giant waves that swallowed everything above their surface.
Everyone thought it was an external assault—but my mother, Liú Wàngluó, the Empress, knew the truth. It was a disguise for my father, Piáo Huángyáng, the emperor, to kill us so he and his mistress could seize the throne.
Immediately after I was born, she gave me to her most trusted maid, Lǐ Míngfēi, to flee with me to Mófǎ zhī dì. Using all her spiritual power, my mother created a baby clone to fool my father into believing I had died during the attack.
We were crossing the border when suddenly my mother's life-force bracelet broke. At that moment, I knew I would never see her again.
I started crying—not from sadness, but because my back was burning. Lǐ Míngfēi quickly undressed me to check and discovered a tattoo-like birthmark: a black dragon with crimson eyes, surrounded by a dark aura. She instantly understood the prophecy—and why my mother had named me Liú Zāinán, the Drifting Calamity.
After a week of traveling, we finally reached Mófǎ zhī dì. It was exactly as my mother had described when speaking of the six realms.
A strange thing had happened during my mother's pregnancy: starting from her third month, I gained the ability to hear and see everything she experienced—though she could never hear my inner voice, no matter how hard I tried to speak to her. Eventually, I stopped trying.
When we arrived, we entered a grand mansion so lavish it was obvious the family was wealthy beyond measure. The gates opened, the carriage rolled inside, and all the servants bowed, welcoming us.
"The servants welcome the wife of the general," they said in unison, bowing deeply.
What the hell? I thought. Lǐ Míngfēi is the general's wife? Why had she been my mother's maid?
My thoughts were interrupted by a child's voice calling out to her.
She had a husband and a fifteen-year-old son but chose to become a palace maid? Why?
Again, a deep voice cut through my thoughts—it was her husband, Lǐ Dōngfán, the general.
"Is this her?" he asked, reaching out to pat my head.
"Yes, Father. This is my baby sister, Liú Zāinán. Isn't she pretty?" the child said, pinching my cheeks and making a funny face. I couldn't help but laugh at how silly he looked.
"She is very pretty. I think she likes her big brother too. Head maid, please take the young mistress to her room to rest," the general said as he reached to take me from Lǐ Míngfēi's hands—only to be stopped by Lǐ Xùyáng.
"I can take her," he said, taking me instead. Everyone was surprised by how possessive he was. He acted like an overly protective brother to a timid baby sister.
On the way to my room, I overheard the maids gossiping about how the general and Lǐ Míngfēi met—and why she had chosen to remain a palace maid despite her wealth. It turned out she had been a maid before becoming the general's wife.
They met when my mother visited for the first time. A small gate to Dìyù had opened, and the general was on a mission to kill the demon and close it. He succeeded but was badly injured. My mother and Lǐ Míngfēi found him on the roadside and treated him—and that's when he fell in love with her.
They married and had a son, but the general insisted she stay close to the empress and visit occasionally—perhaps sensing the danger the empress faced.
When my mother was six months pregnant, she discovered my father's plan and arranged with the general to protect me. That was why we crossed the border so easily.
It was dinner time, and Lǐ Xùyáng took me to eat. He was very caring, constantly checking on me, just like a first-time father making sure his baby was comfortable and well-rested.
In the blink of an eye, five years passed. We were now in the backyard, training with the vice general.
The fight between Lǐ Xùyáng and the vice general grew intense. Lǐ Xùyáng stood in the center, sword angled down, blood dripping from its edge. His robes were torn and streaked with crimson. Across from him, the vice general gripped his curved blade tightly, his obsidian armor gleaming under the moonlight.
He lunged forward fast, leaving Lǐ Xùyáng no chance to predict his move.
"Ice blade!" he shouted. Lǐ Xùyáng dodged but was scratched.
"That's enough!" I said, stepping in front of him.
"No way! That was Bái Sè's special technique. How does she know it?" the vice general said in disbelief, looking at me.
The general rushed in, sensing a powerful aura coming from the backyard.
"Nán Nán, calm down! They're just playing. It's not serious," he said, trying to calm me before things escalated.
"How is it just playing when he made my brother bleed? He'll bleed just like he made my brother bleed," I said coldly, staring him down.
My eyes changed to ocean blue, the tips of my hair turning pure white. The temperature dropped sharply; the ground beneath us froze solid.
"Ice Blades!" I shouted.