Chapter 1: Gentle Song on Lotus Lake

In the early morning, a faint mist, as light as gauze and cotton, slowly gathered and dispersed over the still, jade-green waters of Lake Jumo. The distant, melodious sound of a G instrument drifted closer, as a small boat sliced through the emerald water, leaving behind a trail of rippling waves, weaving its way among the swaying lotus leaves.

This expanse of clear, blue-green water, stretching for dozens of miles, was known as the Emerald of the Northern Frontier in the Great Wu Dynasty. It bordered the empire, the demon realm, and the natural barrier of Fengxuan Kingdom, adjacent to the Kunlun Demon Domain where great demons roamed, and the Gobi Desert plagued by bandits.

“...Lotus leaves green, lotus stems long, lotus seeds bitter, lotus flowers fragrant, willow-leaf boat, drifting in the lake’s heart, picking white lotus root for my beloved...”

A little girl sitting at the bow of the boat casually plucked a pink lotus flower, dipping her tender, lotus-root-like hand into the cool lake water and stirring it gently. Her cheeks were rosy, mirroring the dewy lotus in her hand. Gazing at the endless expanse of lotus leaves that seemed to meet the sky, she sang softly in a sweet, childish voice—like a fledgling phoenix’s first song, enchanting to hear.

The Great Wu Dynasty was prosperous and open-minded, unbound by rigid, harsh codes of etiquette. Even a girl this young could sing folk tunes about “sweethearts” without reproach, easily evoking thoughts of youthful longing.

Moreover, on this misty lake, there were naturally no gossipy old women to meddle. The girl’s song flitted like a bird among the lotus flowers and leaves.

As a passenger and listener, the young man wore a faint smile. The little one before him was just like the lines from “Ode to the Lotus”: “Unstained by the mud from which it grows, washed by clear water yet not seductive.”

Behind him, the little girl’s father—a burly, dark-skinned man built like a tower—would use his bowl-sized fists to teach any unruly scoundrel the meaning of “admired from afar, not to be profaned.”

The young man even maliciously speculated that perhaps the great Zhou, who wrote the immortal “Ode to the Lotus,” was raised under the tutelage of such heroic figures, forced to switch from the unskilled trade of flower-thief to expressing his sour grapes through words. After the rise of Neo-Confucianism, the famous Zhuzi, that old rascal, carried it forward, until a certain Wang Yangming openly declared “unity of knowledge and action,” and only then did Confucianism finally unlock the long-desired skill tree of wooing women. “The Plum in the Golden Vase,” “The Oil Seller Monopolizes the Courtesan,” “Mistaken Love: Lady Jia Scolds Her Daughter,” “Dream of the Red Chamber”... and all sorts of professional jargon for “fairy battles” emerged in turn.

“Brother Xiaobai!”

The girl’s song abruptly stopped. Her jet-black eyes looked over, her clear voice soft and easy to sway.

Huh?!

“Ahem! Xia—Xiaobai?”

The young man suddenly felt the mood shift.

What the heck is Xiaobai?

The little girl tilted her head, her twin braids swaying, looking a bit puzzled.

“Call me brother, or The Thompson Brother!”

Of course, the young man wasn’t about to explain that “Xiaobai” was the exclusive name of a certain mischievous kid’s pet dog who liked to show its butt.

“Okay, brother! This flower is for you, brother!”

Far from being upset, the little girl was delighted, handing over the lotus flower in her hand—upgrading from lotus root to lotus flower on the spot.

In her mind, “brother” was naturally a more intimate term than “Brother Xiaobai.”

The young man was momentarily stunned, his expression turning awkward. He was actually being given a flower by a girl—an indescribably embarrassing situation.

Girl! With moves this natural, does your father know how good you are at flirting?

He gave a couple of awkward laughs and said, “This lotus flower suits Emily best—her beauty rivals the lotus in bloom.”

The young man shamelessly plagiarized and altered the phrase.

A hearty laugh sounded from behind, the man’s powerful lungs making the boat tremble. The muscular, dark-skinned father didn’t seem to mind if his daughter and the young master of the prominent The Thompson Family from Xiyan Town got a little closer.

The young man’s compliment, along with the father’s laughter, seemed to make the little girl Emily realize something. Her cheeks flushed red, and she shyly lowered her head.

A fair, well-bred young man—what girl wouldn’t be smitten?

The laughter in the young man’s ears was full of the malice of a big bad wolf eyeing a little white rabbit. He secretly rejoiced that he wasn’t a reckless person; otherwise, he’d be competing with the fish and shrimp in the lake for an Olympic swimming gold medal. With his turtle-like paddling, his chances of reaching the shore were probably lower than picking a winning stock.

“Young master! How did you end up at the foot of Kunlun Mountain, where demons roam? Even the boldest hunters wouldn’t dare go there.”

Mr. White seized the opportunity to steer the conversation away from his daughter’s budding feelings—truly a clever father.