It was a pleasant night. A pleasant full moon night, the kind that poets might write sonnets about and painters might ruin by trying too hard. The moon hung fat and luminous in the sky, spilling its light over Mount Hua like a generous drunk with a bottle of the good stuff.
Li sipped his tea, a slow, deliberate gesture that mirrored the steady rhythm of his thoughts. The droplet of tea bloomed on his tongue, the intricate flavor unfolding like a delicate mana-infused flower. Plum Blossom Tea, Mount Hua's signature blend, brewed from leaves so rare they could bankrupt small nations if auctioned.
He savored it. Not just the tea, but the quiet. A moment to himself.
Which, predictably, did not last.
"Uncle!" Seraphina's voice cut through the serenity like a blade through silk. The door slid open with a sharp snap, and she marched in, arms folded, her silver hair catching the moonlight as it fanned behind her.
