Chapter Thirteen
1062 Words
Morning arrived with an unfamiliar sound.
Laughter.
Real laughter.
The usually solemn Jade Palace was decorated with thousands of floating lanterns made from glowing spirit crystals.
Golden ribbons drifted through the sky.
Immortal musicians played elegant melodies from the cloud pavilions.
Even the cranes wore tiny jade ornaments around their necks.
Lingxi blinked in surprise.
“… Did I wake up in the wrong palace?”
A young maid giggled.
“Today is the Festival of Falling Stars.”
“The entire Jade Palace celebrates it every thousand years.”
Lingxi looked around excitedly.
“So everyone actually knows how to smile.”
The maid quickly covered her mouth.
“Please don’t let His Majesty hear you.”
Lingxi grinned.
“I doubt he’ll come.”
Far away…
Mo Xuanyuan stood in the Hall of Military Affairs.
Three heavenly generals knelt before him.
“The festival security has been doubled.”
“The Heavenly Barriers are stable.”
“No traces of Ye Wushang.”
Mo Xuanyuan nodded once.
“Remain vigilant.”
One of the generals hesitated.
“My Lord…”
“There is one more matter.”
“What is it?”
“The Jade Emperor requests your attendance at tonight’s celebration.”
Silence.
“I decline.”
The general sighed inwardly.
He had expected that answer.
Meanwhile…
Lingxi wandered through the festival.
It was unlike anything she had imagined.
Immortal children chased glowing butterflies made of starlight.
Phoenixes flew overhead, leaving trails of golden feathers.
Spirit beasts wandered freely among the guests.
There were games.
Music.
Food.
For the first time since losing everything…
Lingxi smiled without forcing it.
“This place isn’t so bad.”
“Careful.”
A familiar voice called from behind.
Before she could react—
A glowing spirit rabbit jumped directly into her arms.
She stumbled backward.
The rabbit looked up at her with enormous sapphire eyes.
It sneezed.
Tiny golden sparks exploded everywhere.
Lingxi laughed.
“You startled me.”
Feng Yan appeared carrying three skewers of candied spirit fruit.
“I rescued you.”
“You absolutely did not.”
“I witnessed the attack.”
“It weighed less than two kilograms.”
“It had murderous intent.”
She rolled her eyes.
“You are unbelievable.”
“So I’ve been told.”
For the next hour…
Feng Yan showed her every corner of the festival.
She learned how immortals wrote wishes upon floating lanterns.
How celestial chefs made moon flower pastries.
How phoenix chicks loved stealing shiny jewelry.
She laughed harder than she had in weeks.
For a little while…
She forgot she was broken.
High above the palace…
Mo Xuanyuan stood alone on a quiet balcony.
From there…
He could see the entire festival.
His gaze found Lingxi almost immediately.
She was laughing.
Running after a tiny phoenix chick that had stolen Feng Yan’s hairpin.
For a brief moment…
He simply watched.
A heavenly attendant quietly approached.
“My Lord.”
“The celebration begins shortly.”
No answer.
“My Lord?”
Mo Xuanyuan spoke without taking his eyes off Lingxi.
“When was the last time…”
“…she laughed like that?”
The attendant frowned.
“My Lord?”
Realizing what he had said…
Mo Xuanyuan fell silent.
The attendant looked confused.
Who was “she”?
Lady Mingyuan appeared beside him.
“You should go.”
“I have no interest in festivals.”
“You don’t.”
She smiled knowingly.
“But she does.”
His gaze remained below.
Watching Lingxi.
Watching her smile.
Watching the joy return to her eyes.
Lady Mingyuan sighed softly.
“You’ve spent one hundred thousand years protecting her from the shadows.”
“Perhaps…”
“It’s time she saw the light instead.”
As dusk fell…
The main celebration finally began.
Thousands of immortals gathered beneath the Celestial Star Tree.
Its silver branches stretched across half the palace.
Every thousand years…
One star would descend from Heaven.
Whoever caught it…
Would receive Heaven’s blessing.
The Jade Emperor himself appeared.
Every immortal bowed.
Only after the ceremony began did Lingxi realize someone was missing.
She looked around.
“Where’s…”
She stopped herself.
Why am I looking for him?
She frowned.
“I must be losing my mind.”
The Jade Emperor raised his hand.
“The Festival of Falling Stars…”
“…shall begin.”
The heavens darkened.
Countless stars illuminated the sky.
One by one…
Golden streaks began falling toward the palace.
The immortals cheered.
Children laughed.
The entire Jade Palace glowed like a dream.
Lingxi reached out instinctively.
A tiny star drifted toward her fingertips.
Just before she touched it—
The world stopped.
The music disappeared.
The laughter vanished.
Everything froze.
Except…
Her.
And someone was standing behind her.
“You can see this?”
A calm voice asked.
Lingxi slowly turned around.
Her breath caught.
Mo Xuanyuan.
But something was different.
His black robes shimmered with faint silver constellations.
His jade-green eyes reflected the stars.
Around them…
Time itself had stopped.
She looked around in shock.
“What’s happening?”
Before he could answer—
A little girl appeared beneath the Star Tree.
She looked no older than eight.
She wore ancient crimson robes.
Her silver hair reached the ground.
Most unsettling of all…
Her eyes contained entire galaxies.
She looked directly at Lingxi.
Not Mo Xuanyuan.
Lingxi.
Then the little girl smiled.
“I finally found you.”
Lingxi stepped back.
“Who are you?”
The child’s smile slowly faded.
“I…”
“…am Time.”
Mo Xuanyuan’s expression darkened instantly.
“You should not be here.”
Time tilted her head.
“I know.”
She looked back at Lingxi.
“But if I don’t tell her now…”
“…there won’t be another chance.”
The child raised one tiny finger.
She pointed directly at Lingxi’s heart.
“The person who stole the Chronicle…”
“…isn’t searching for your past.”
Lingxi’s heartbeat quickened.
“Then what are they searching for?”
Time’s expression became solemn.
“They’re searching…”
“…for the version of you that never died.”
Silence.
The stars above flickered.
Even Mo Xuanyuan’s composure faltered.
Because he understood exactly what those words meant.
And if Time herself had come to warn them…
Then the future had already begun to unravel.
- Writer
