While Ye Mingzhi was lost in his mysterious dream, Chu Xiyue wandered through the grand imperial library of the Chu Empire, a place that housed countless ancient scrolls and secret texts. As the youngest princess, doted on by the Emperor himself, she was granted free access to explore the restricted archives.
She was searching for martial techniques and herbal knowledge to enhance her skills. Yet, after scanning the shelves, she found the selections surprisingly ordinary and uninspiring. With a soft sigh, she turned to leave—but a faint shimmer from the darkest corner caught her eye.
There, buried under dust and time, lay a black-covered book, worn with age. Curious, she picked it up and flipped through its pages. The contents immediately captivated her—elegant strokes, profound insights, and techniques far beyond the ordinary.
On the final page, a strange message was written in elegant yet haunting ink:
> "Congratulations, seeker. If you've found this, perhaps you are my destined one, in this second life. Use what lies within wisely—for the future depends on it."
And then, a name leapt from the page like a whisper from a forgotten lifetime:
> "Ye Mingzhi."
She froze.
Her heart skipped a beat, and her fingers trembled as she traced the characters. "Ye Mingzhi… Could it be him? Were we connected in another life?"
A flood of questions surged in her mind, but she shook them off, muttering, "Not now. I need to focus."
Turning her attention to the techniques within, she practiced the sword movements described—fluid as water, silent as the wind. In just a few hours, her understanding grew. The moves offered both subtle defense and deadly traps.
She also studied the herbal notes penned by a legendary alchemist—formulas that enhanced physical strength, concoctions to paralyze enemies, and rare antidotes said to cure even the deadliest poison.
By the end of the day, Chu Xiyue had not only uncovered a strange name from the past but also gained valuable experience—and a quiet curiosity about her own fate.