A peaceful day.

It truly was, not just a wishful thought that Yu Ruyi hoped for. Her mind wandered back to her time at the frontline, where her day began before the sun woke and ended after the moon was high above her head.

Days spent mulling over strategies and ways to minimize losses. She wanted to keep as many soldiers alive as possible while also not prolonging the war, as that would only result in more casualties in the long run. Those were the days she hoped she would never have to live through again.

But it was wishful thinking, of course.

They had been at war for decades before Ruyi herself could even hold a sword, and now she held the highest authority in the military of the Youling Clan. Unfortunately, she had only been at the absolute frontline a few times and not for a prolonged period.

To the Youling Clan, she was a precious gem, a once-in-a-century talent. They were willing to risk every elder and youngling if it meant she would be protected from harm. Now, however, things were different. Perhaps they understood that Ruyi was stronger than most, or maybe she had become an elder herself, not just a younger member.

She had led her self-trained cavalry once in the previous war, and on that day, she forced a stalemate, which had both positive and negative consequences

Positive that none of the soldiers were needed to go to war anymore. Negetive, because the war was always withdrawn whenever the Yun He Kingdom wished it to be. The Youling Clan was too focused on saving as many lives as possible, not to just save people, that reason was too much like a fairytale in the real world of war. They simply didn't have enough people to be the aggressors. A prolonged war would result in the death of all the youth.

After all, the Youling Clan was just a clan with a population of at most seventy thousand. They couldn't truly go to war with a kingdom that had millions upon millions of people. The population difference was too great. By the time they could claim victory, the Youling Clan would be reduced to mere thousands. The victory would mean mutual destruction.

Yu Ruyi had wanted to march forward and enter the royal capital of the Yun He Kingdom to end this farce once and for all. However, the Clan head had stopped her. He said, "If killing the royal family was all it took to end this war, then it would have ended in the first year. No, we've already tried that once, and it only prolonged the war to its current extent.”

“Once the royal family dies, the closest noble in rank takes over, and they will use us as fuel to further the conflict and maintain their reign on the throne. Peace is the only thing we can hope for, and it is the only thing we strive for. We are not a kingdom, and Yun He is not so weak as to fall that easily. You will never venture forward into their territory. That is the condition on which I'll allow you to take part in this war."

From that day, every word spoken still echoed in her mind. Yu Ruyi couldn't shake off the feeling that if they couldn't end the war with their own might, then they would need the might of someone else, and that someone was Vritra. It meant that this perpetual war would never come to an end. Every Youling born would willingly plunge themselves into the abyss and seek their help, rightfully so, before taking help from Vritra. She herself was no exception to that.

Ruyi's wooden sword sliced through the air, her sweaty hair clinging to her forehead. Dampness seeped into the wooden floor beneath her. Clad in a fitting white tunic that reached her thighs. Her loose, moistened pants stuck to her legs, bearing witness to her rigorous training. With a huff, she relinquished her grip on the wooden sword. It fell on the wooden floor.

Ruyi trained in an open, polished wooden hall, secluded atop a mountain near Youling City, surrounded by high hills adorned with various greenery. The air echoed with the harmonious symphony of scampering critters, while the first rays of the morning sun pierced the horizon, painting the sky with hues of gold. It signaled the conclusion of Ruyi's practice. This was only place from her inheritance that actually held any value.

Ruyi walked over to the mat where her fresh clothing was placed. Adjacent to the wooden hall was a small waterfall, where Ruyi would take a bath after her training sessions.

Ruyi walked back into the hall and spotted a white lion lying at the entrance. Over the past few weeks, the white lion had become her companion, more like a steed, but she knew not to mention it as such to avoid breaking its heart. On its back was her breakfast, secured with a rope.

"Come inside, Sol," Ruyi called to the lion. The lion eagerly rushed towards her, and Ruyi affectionately ruffled its mane. She had noticed that its mane had become softer after each time she had done this in the past week.

"You're such a good boy. Thank you for bringing my breakfast. I promise to take you on a walk this evening if you behave," Ruyi said as she unfastened her breakfast.

Ruyi ate her breakfast in silence, with Sol sitting by her side and flicking its tail. The lion had first approached her in her office. She had initially thought it was ready to engage in another battle and had come to test its strength. However, to her surprise, it simply sat at the entrance of her office the whole afternoon.

Feeling tired from all the paperwork, she found it amusing to have a lion bring her food and jokingly ordered it to bring her lunch. The lion left and returned after a while with a meal. When she asked how it managed to acquire the food, it pointed towards the town plaza. She assumed that the guards must have provided it with the meals.

Since then, the Sol took it upon itself to bring her three meals daily, always in a timely manner, for which she was grateful. It helped her ensure that she didn't miss any meals, as she often did due to her busy schedule.

"Let's return to the city," Ruyi said as she stood up. She had noticed that riding Sol was surprisingly comfortable, almost as if the lion was meant to be her steed. She mounted the lion and felt no discomfort as it skillfully maneuvered through the uneven road downhill.

Upon reaching the city, she rode Sol to the Plaza. His shelter had been upgraded once again. It was now entirely made of bamboo, with the floor covered in soft animal furs. Ruyi dismounted the lion and sat in front of the Solstice, the Glaive, a seemingly unassuming Ruler Key.

It looked just as unassuming as the day she first saw it, yet she always found herself drawn to it. Her uncle's stories had instilled in her a longing to catch a glimpse of the majestic shine that made Raina, the greatest blacksmith in history, begging to become a student of the Mountain Hermit.

After spending another day fruitlessly watching the Glaive, Ruyi turned her attention to the military compound. Today was a better day as she didn't have to wade through piles of paperwork, but instead, train the young recruits in the Art of Shadows. The sect master had asked her to demonstrate a few spells in front of the new entrants.

For some reason, Ruyi found herself idolized by everyone who had taken the entrance exam this year. It was a good thing as the sect needed more individuals who aspired to master the Arts of Shadows, rather than those who sought shallow grandeur like the majority of the elders.

In the northern yard of the Youling sect, the new entrants had gathered early in the morning, filled with excitement and anticipation. Some had arrived too eager to sleep and had walked in ahead of their designated time, while others followed suit. Conversations buzzed among the newly formed group.

"Did you hear? Elder Yu will be our instructor today," one student exclaimed.

"Yes, I heard. I wonder what she will teach us," another responded.

"How to do makeup, obviously. That's the only thing she's capable of," a boy sneered in an arrogant tone. His face seemed to be permanently adorned with a sneer. He was the eldest son of the Jiang household and the nephew of Commander Jiang, the same person who had clashed with Yu Ruyi in the plaza.

"What did you say?!" another hot-headed boy retorted. He belonged to the Ying family, the family of the current sect head.

"I said Elder Yu is a sham. She never once left her tent during the war and stayed hidden. My uncle was there, he saw everything," Jiang Li replied.

"Your uncle is a liar. He saw nothing. I bet he was so scared that he shat his pants and hid in the dump for the rest of the war," Ying Min mocked.

"What did you say?!" Jiang Li took a step forward, standing chest to chest with Ying Min. The air suddenly turned tense and fearful, replacing the previous excitement.

"Both of you back down, or you'll have to answer to Instructor Zun," Xiuqin interjected, asserting herself. She was a civilian girl who had passed the entrance examination with the highest marks.

"Stay out of my matter, little girl," Jiang Li sneered at Xiuqin.

"One more time, Jiang Li, say it one more time, and you'll regret it," Xiuqin warned, her frown deepening. Ying Min backed away and joined the other side, while Jiang Li bit his tongue and stepped back, not wanting to face the consequences of Instructor Zun's lecture. Xiuqin smiled as she returned to her position. She was an enigma among the pre-established group, as she didn't know anyone there.

"I didn't know a civilian had such backbone to stand against an elder family's heir," Ying Min remarked, walking over to Xiuqin's side. His hot-headed persona had faded, and he spoke in a gentler tone.

"I couldn't care less about elder families. They are just a bunch of pricks who've settled into their seats," Xiuqin replied bluntly.

"And you will usurp that seat?" Ying Min asked, a faint smile on his face.

"No, I will be the sect head one day, and then the elder seats will be reformed. If you behave, then I might let you have one," Xiuqin stated matter-of-factly.

Ying Min chuckled. "Are you not a little too full of yourself?"

"Time will tell, but I have as much chance at the head position as Jiang Li does," Xiuqin retorted.

"And he has a chance inversely proportional to yours," Ying Min taunted, finding himself more entertained than he had anticipated when he decided to come to the sect.

"You know what I mean. Of course, if someone like Jiang Li had a chance at the sect head position, then this clan would be doomed. On that note, who are you? I haven't seen you in any of the exams or classes until now," Xiuqin said, suspicion evident in her voice.

“Are you sure you simply didn't overlook me?”

"No, the chance of missing a single person in a batch of 50 when I can clearly remember others' faces is close to nonexistent. I would rather wager on the higher probability, which is that you never took the exam," Xiuqin spoke, her tone growing more confident.

"Haha, yes, this is my first day in this class. I'm Ying Min."

"I'm Xiuqin... wait, Ying, you're from the current head's family!" Xiuqin shut her mouth, trying to lower her voice.

"Yes, his son to be exact."

"What!! Wait, does that mean the sect head's son gets a free spot?" Xiuqin exclaimed before controlling her voice.

"No, I just live here. Remember, the sect head and his family are supposed to live in the sect, right?" Ying Min questioned. Xiuqin nodded her head, her eyes wide with surprise.

"Today Sister Yu was going to teach, so I decided to meet her. But I didn't think I would meet someone so promising here. Farewell, Xiuqin," Ying Min said as he walked away without looking back. Xiuqin bit her tongue, suddenly regretting her words. Why did she say all that to the head's son? "I am an idiot. I just hope you don't vanish from this place like a ghost," Xiuqin thought to herself.

Her thoughts were cut short as an ethereal figure walked onto the podium. It was Elder Yu, accompanied by the sacred white lion. To Xiuqin, seeing Elder Yu walking into the courtyard with the white lion by her side was like witnessing an immortal fairy descending upon the human realm. Xiuqin felt an urge to go down on her knees and greet Elder Yu with the reverence she deserved. However, Xiuqin held back since no one else was doing anything, and she didn't know how to behave in front of elders. She didn't want to be in the bad books of Elder Yu. But everyone stared at her, dazed and confused.

In the end, it was Ying Min who cupped his hand and bowed down, and everyone else followed suit.