Heaven's Forbidden Bloodline

The first rays of dawn spilled gently over the Endless Azure Mountains, painting the horizon in soft hues of amber and crimson. Layers of mist drifted lazily between the ancient peaks, veiling the dense forests below like flowing silk. From somewhere deep within the woods came the cheerful songs of birds greeting a new day, while the cool mountain breeze carried the scent of pine, damp earth, and wildflowers across the valley. Nestled at the foot of those towering mountains lay Willow Creek Village. It was a place so remote that traveling merchants often joked it existed only because someone had forgotten to erase it from the map. Fewer than two hundred families called it home. Their lives revolved around the changing seasons—planting crops in spring, gathering herbs in summer, hunting before winter, and praying every year that the mountains would remain generous. For the villagers, peace was not a luxury. It was simply life. Long before the village had fully awakened, a lone figure could already be seen climbing down a narrow trail from the forest. A woven basket rested comfortably against his back, filled almost to the brim with freshly gathered herbs. Though sweat dampened the collar of his coarse linen shirt, the fourteen-year-old boy walked with an easy rhythm, occasionally stopping to examine unfamiliar plants growing beside the path. He had no idea that the sun had barely risen. Nor did he seem to care. "Hmm..." He crouched beside a patch of tiny white flowers growing beneath an old oak tree. "They weren't here yesterday." Carefully brushing aside the surrounding grass, he studied the delicate petals for a moment before smiling. "So that's where Grandma Liu's missing medicine has been hiding." He dug up only three of the flowers, leaving the rest untouched. "Mother always says taking everything today means having nothing tomorrow." Satisfied, he gently placed them into his basket before continuing toward the village. His name was Chen Shu. "Brother Chen!" A group of children came running down the dirt road the moment they spotted him. The youngest, a seven-year-old boy with dirt smeared across both cheeks, threw himself forward so enthusiastically that he nearly tripped over his own feet. Chen Shu caught him before he could fall. "You'll hurt yourself one day." The little boy scratched his head sheepishly. "I was excited." "So excited that you forgot how to use your legs?" The nearby children burst into laughter. Even the embarrassed boy couldn't help grinning. One little girl tugged gently at Chen Shu's sleeve. "Brother Chen... did you really see a white deer in the mountains yesterday?" Chen Shu pretended to think seriously. "I did." The children's eyes widened. "It looked at me for a long time." "What happened then?" "It decided I wasn't interesting enough and walked away." "...That's all?" "That's all." The children groaned dramatically. "You always tell boring stories!" Chen Shu laughed. "I thought you wanted the truth." "We wanted an exciting truth!" He reached into his basket and handed each child a bright crimson mountain berry. "There." "Compensation." The little group instantly forgave him. Watching them happily argue over whose berry was the largest, Chen Shu shook his head with an amused smile. Children truly were easy to please. As he entered the village proper, familiar voices greeted him from every direction. "Morning, Shu!" Old Blacksmith Han waved from his workshop, sparks dancing behind him. "Morning, Uncle Han." "Still collecting herbs before sunrise?" "The mountains are quieter." "They're also full of things that enjoy eating boys your age." "I've never tasted very good." The blacksmith barked out a hearty laugh. "Fair point!" Further ahead, Grandma Liu sat outside her cottage, carefully weaving a bamboo basket. When she noticed Chen Shu approaching, her wrinkled face immediately brightened. "You found them?" Without a word, Chen Shu knelt beside her and presented the three tiny white flowers. "I only took what you needed." The old woman accepted them with trembling hands. "I searched for these all week..." "You shouldn't be climbing those slopes anymore." "And what if I don't?" Chen Shu smiled. "Then I'll keep climbing them for you." Grandma Liu reached out and gently pinched his cheek. "You spoil this old woman too much." By the time Chen Shu reached the edge of the village, the morning sun had risen high enough to bathe the small wooden cottages in warm golden light. There, standing beside a vegetable garden, was a woman watering young bean sprouts. Her long black hair was loosely tied behind her back, and despite wearing simple village clothing, there was an unexplainable grace in every movement she made. She looked up the moment she heard approaching footsteps. "You're late." Chen Shu rubbed the back of his neck. "I met the children." "And Grandma Liu." "...Maybe." Lin Yue sighed, though the smile forming on her lips betrayed her. "I made breakfast nearly half an hour ago." "I know." "And?" "I may have underestimated how persuasive a group of children can be." "They convinced you to tell another one of your terrible stories?" "They asked." "So you admitted seeing another white deer?" Chen Shu looked genuinely surprised. "How did you know?" His mother laughed softly. "Because you've been telling that same story for three years." "I like the white deer." "I know you do." She stepped forward and brushed a loose strand of hair from his forehead. The gesture was so natural that neither of them seemed to notice it anymore. "Go wash your hands." "Your father has been pretending to sharpen the same axe for the past twenty minutes while waiting for you." Almost as if on cue, a deep voice called from behind the house. "If breakfast gets any colder, I'm eating his share." Chen Shu immediately quickened his pace. "Father!" A broad-shouldered man emerged carrying an axe over one shoulder. His face was weathered by years beneath the mountain sun, and the faint lines around his eyes deepened whenever he smiled. "You finally remembered where home is." "I brought herbs." "I noticed." "You also brought half the mountain." Chen Shu looked at the overflowing basket. "...Maybe I got carried away." Chen Tian chuckled and rested a heavy hand on his son's shoulder. "Good." "Better to carry too much than come home empty-handed." For just a moment, the three of them stood together beneath the warm morning sunlight. A simple house. A simple family. A simple life. None of them knew... That before this day ended, everything they cherished would begin to change.