On the mist-veiled banks of the Tiang-an River, as winter clung stubbornly to the land and spring hesitated at the threshold, a horse-drawn carriage emerged from the northern road. Its wheels carved quiet trails upon the slush-covered path, announcing the arrival of a lone traveler.... more>>

The city of Pakhia, famed for its opulent estates and noble bloodlines, stood silent beneath the gray skies. Among its powerful clans, the House of Leng reigned supreme—its patriarch, Leng Souw-hiang, once a high official under King Su-cen of the fallen Cheng Dynasty. Though the dynasty lay buried in dust, the shadow it cast endured, and so too did the influence of the Leng family.

As the carriage halted before the Leng manor’s grand gates, a young woman descended—clad in flowing silk and a violet-tinged cloak, her presence as arresting as the first blossom of plum in the lingering snow. Her gaze was calm, yet held a flame within—subtle, but unyielding. Few knew her name. Fewer still knew her purpose.

The old servant who opened the gates nearly dropped his lantern in shock. This was no ordinary maiden—she moved like a whisper on the wind, yet stood like one born to command storms. Without hesitation, she demanded audience with Leng Souw-hiang himself.

Unbeknownst to those behind the closed doors and silk curtains, the arrival of this mysterious visitor heralded the stirring of fate. Whispers of the Cheng Dynasty's return echoed in the alleys and tea houses, and now, those echoes found form in the footsteps of this stranger.

Who was she? A messenger? A sword hidden in velvet?

What truth did she carry beneath her sleeves, and what secrets lay coiled in the scroll she bore?

Thus begins a tale of shadows and steel, of broken oaths and hidden legacies. In the chill breath of spring, the dance of power and destiny begins anew—and within its rhythm, the fate of Pakhia shall be rewritten. <<less