Prologue
Prologue
The image of clear sun reflects on the peaceful water of the lake filled with lotuses, purple, pink, white; of many kinds.
Small and big, many children wearing purple, laughing and running around, joking and chasing each other. Amidst this lively scene stood a young child, looking no more than 13, at the bank of the lake filled with lotuses. His lean and tall figure unmoving, gaze locked onto his own reflection.
On the surface of the clear water, present was a face, delicate yet not quite so, sharp features, thick sword brows, a pair of delicate peach blossom eyes and thin bow lips; giving the young boy a look of juvenile delicacy.
But the carefully concealed sharp light in his eyes meant that he was nowhere near the naive juvenile people might make out of him, but then again the sharp light was carefully concealed.
Amidst the clear blue cloudless sky and translucent marine speckless water bodies, on the land stood the young man carrying a dull faraway look in his eyes, as the slow breeze blew his ebony black hair.
Carrying black robes with red inner accents on his frame the boy stood, looking a little out of place among the greenery of the pier, and splash of pink from floras around.
He didn't seem to belong here, neither did he feel he belonged here.
In his beautiful silver eyes, dullness looked a mismatch; but he was long used to it. Hiding his tired self behind an awkward veil of bright smile. What stood beyond that mask, no one could see or rather they didn't wish to see. Too preoccupied with their own grievances, misplaced anger, pointless jealousy or was it the pain of being forced to grow up too soon because the parents couldn't gather their acts together.
He didn't know, he didn't wish to know.
As the breeze blew his hair, hitting his face, the boy closed his eyes, no longer willing to look at his reflection, or was it to hide the anguish within them?
Tilting his face upwards, facing the sky, eyes closed as if asking the heavens, what did he do to deserve this? What? But could the heavens answer him? No, it cannot if it could, it could have done a long ago, after all what do the gods above have to do with the problems of the mundane world below?
What can the heavens answer him? Could they answer why they took away the people responsible for his origin? No, it cannot.
It's the heavens who forced him to live a life where at every moment, he had to be vigilant, in order to survive. Survival was the only goal, from the moment they left him on his own device.
Even the heavens cannot defy what is already written in the scroll of fate, the fate they have to face. But if he even got the chance he would do anything in order to change his fate.
The boy let out a long sigh, it appeared to be suppressed for a long time finally let out.
"A'Xian!"
Fixing his expressions, he put on the usual veil of smile, "Shijie!"
Came running a gentle young girl, she herself appeared of a ripe age of 16.
"A'Xian! Where were you? I and A'Cheng were searching for you all around the pier.", said the girl donning expensive looking purple and lilac robes, on her delicate person.
"Shijie, I was here all along, by the lake", came the answer from Wei Wuxian.
One day you'll have to search for me no longer, for one day I'll eventually follow the path my parents went down. That day, no one will ever have to take care of me, for I will be capable enough to take care of myself.
With a smile Wei Wuxian said, "Then let's go to Jiang Cheng, shijie."
Away went the two figures, one tall and lean, the other delicate as a lotus, far from the placid blue lake, unaware of the awaiting future.
Bright sun, shining in the clear sky, illuminating the day, but could it illuminate the lonely darkness in one's heart?
The darkness, the gloom radiating from one's heart to one's abode.
The cacophony of crows echo in the gloomy city. The market bustles with people yet the lonely gloom isn't any less. People seemed happy but their sovereign didn't seem so.
Away from the hustle and bustle of city market stood a palace, large and gloomy, dark and lonely, alone atop the raised plateau, at the gate rested the plaque "Sun Palace''.
Standing were two guards, doing their job with diligence.
Inside of the palace was red, gloomy and regal, luxurious yet not flashy. Servants walking in the corridors, head a little bowed avoiding walking too close to a room.
Beyond the close doors stood three people, facing front, yet eyes casted down, some others sitting in the same courtroom had faces pale as paper, some had sweat on their foreheads. Sat in front of them, on the marvelous throne, a man who had a stoic face expressed nothing, betraying none. His aura is powerful enough to make the people standing close by suffocate.
He was a man of power, a man who had a heart, a man who cared for his people, a man powerful enough to stand alone against thousands; but the same man was made out to be a monster by the people who feared his power.
The man sat on the throne, donning red inner robes and white outer robe red flames made at the hem. His flowing sleeves, gathered at his wrist affixed by the wrist guards, preventing it's further fall.
His handsome side profile, showed his mesmerizing features, thick sword brows, deep set ruby red eyes containing sharp and ruthless light, his thin down-turned lips, tugged into a slightest upward curve, his handsome visage shrouded in coldness, as he watched his sect elders, break into cold sweat.
How amusing, he thought. These old clowns think they can overrule or undermine my authority? What a joke! Do I look like a fool to them?
He removed his face from his palm and lifted his elbow from the throne's armrest and held it out to the audience, "Enough. Leave, this instant."
All the present elders trembling like leaves cupped their hands into a salute bowed deeply, ignoring the cold sweat on their backs, said in a nervous quivering tone, "Yes, Your, Your Exe..excellency." and turned around making a hasty retreat.
The doors of the room closed, plunging it into a gloomy silence for a few moments, before it was broken by a cruel, deep, dark and desolate laughter.
"Increasing the taxes? When the time to harvest the seasonal crops hasn't come yet? Do they take me for a fool?" The man laughed, the laughter dying as abruptly as it came.
A hesitant knock resounded in the room and a nervous voice called, "Wen-zongzhu?"
The man or rather Wen Ruohan, quietly cleared his throat "Qing'er?"
"Yes, Wen-zongzhu." responded the voice. It was truly admirable how this little girl of the age 16 was able to keep her calm, when even the most experienced people failed to do so.
Wen Ruohan especially liked this distant niece of his, what a marvelous daughter his cousin his got, if not counting the skittish younger brother of hers, but in Wen Ruohan's eyes, that young boy can be developed into a good cultivator under suitable guidance.
"You may come." Wen Ruohan said.
The doors opened and the young girl made her entrance, her visage beautiful, in her eyes glimmered prde and self-respect. That's what he liked the most about her, she knew how to be proud but she knew to bow down to the one she is weak to face.
"State your business, Qing'er."
"Your Excellency, this one came to remind Your Excellency that, this coming month
it's..it's..late Madam Wen's birthday and for the celebrations as Your Excellency is aware, that late Madam Wen loved lotuses, so this time the elders have proposed to bring lotus seeds to the Nightless City.
The elders also proposed that if Your Excellency is willing then they can send someone else to bring back the seeds, Your Excellency can personally go and pick some seeds and bring them back to the Nightless City."
"Oh? Is that so? And where are good quality lotus seeds available?" Wen Ruohan asked, finding this entire situation quite amusing.
"To answer Your Excellency, according to the survey conducted by a group of Wen disciples, the best quality lotus seeds are available in YunMeng, which falls under the territory of Jiang Sect." Wen Qing answered monotonously.
"Oh, okay. Prepare...oh wait, on second thought don't prepare anything, I'll inform you what you have to do. You may take your leave." Wen Ruohan said in a low voice, stood up and strided away from the courtroom to the Fire Pavilion.
Hope you like the prologue!!
It was going to be posted on Wattpad originally and it's going to be crossposted there too, although idk when. Hehe
With love ♥
— Seamless Sky
