Prologue

It was a cold bleak morning on the island of Shang-Yi when the king of the island, Du Hui, summoned Yuxi to his presence.

Shang-Yi, unlike the other islands on the map, was off a wayfarer’s charts – it was even said that if a person’s heart was sincere enough, his prayers alone would take him to the island. However, half a century ago, a curse befell the island. It was said to be the result of a controversy between the late king, Du Hui’s grandfather, and his concubine Xima, who turned out to be a witch.

With her dark powers, Xima cursed Shang-Yi, vowing that as long as she lived, the island and its citizens would suffer. Her minions were a pestilence, aggravating and instilling fear to travellers if they passed the darkest spots of Shang-Yi, Xima's territories.

Eighteen-year-old Du Hui rose to the throne after his father abdicated. He swore to his citizens to restore peace to the island and eradicate evil. Two years have passed since Du Hui has been assembling his forces, waiting for the right time to strike.

Qian Yuxi was the youngest daughter of the Imperial Advisor, Qian Muyi. The position of advisor was passed down from generation to generation, until it reached her father who had no male successor. Qian Yuxi one day, like her father and grandfather, would inherit the position and serve King Du Hui.

Word also had it that a strange phenomenon had happened when Yuxi was only ten years old. She had fallen into the river and almost drowned. But following her near-death experience, she had transformed into a completely different person. The shy and introverted Yuxi had turned into the bold and optimistic Yuxi overnight, insisting she went by another name, Qian Xin.

Since young, Yuxi accompanied the young Du Hui in becoming his study companion. She lacked an interest in martial arts and preferred isolating herself from others as she took an interest in embroidery. But after her transformation, she suddenly insisted on taking on martial arts. She even impressed the young Du Hui, who was initially dismayed about her loss of memory of the past.

Now at nineteen, she stood with her shoulders arched up as she took large, confident strides while entering the king's court. Her long dark hair, with a tinge of red marked her uniqueness. As she passed the other officials in the court, a few junior officials let out a gasp upon noticing her unsurpassed beauty.

Yuxi possessed large round eyes, resembling that of her late mother. While they added to her attractive features, they lacked emotion. Yuxi never knew what love was, not that she needed it.

A smile spread across her face as Du Hui allowed her to take the seat next to him, shocking all those present as Du Hui had yet to trust anyone else in that way. Yuxi allegedly left for the mountains to practice martial arts under a master with profound insight. Two years had passed since, and the instant she returned, Du Hui had summoned her.

She knelt on one knee, her long eyelashes coming into sight as she blinked.

"Citizen Qian Yuxi, pays her respects to the King."

"Get up," the king instantly replied. Yuxi stood up and curtsied.

She had a slim waist and long legs, and would have made a great dancer. In her free time, she loved to dance, merging her martial art stances in her dance moves.

Du Hui firmly addressed her as the youngest member of the Qian household. Yuxi learned that until she came of age, which was two years later, she wouldn't be able to take on the post of Advisor. In the meantime, Du Hui appointed her as the Imperial Guard, which was a role similar to the constables of the island. She accepted the appointment with glee, trying to hold off her excitement and act as solemn as possible in court.

With that, Du Hui dismissed the court. Yuxi stretched her arms, hearing idle chatter among the officials after the king departed. She had expected it all, since she was the only woman who Du Hui had allowed in court. Rumours would spread quickly, but she had no time for such. What the others didn't know was that Du Hui had entrusted her with a mission.

There were fifteen evils, not including the old witch Xima, spread all over the island, and her duty was to uncover and put an end to their torment. A normal person wouldn't be able to subdue them easily, but what the officials didn't know was that she was born on the fifteenth of the ghost month, and she had a very resilient horoscope.

Other than being a descendant of the sword-wielding Qian family, she was also the daughter of Su Ying, a psychic gypsy who caught Qian Muyi's attention and immediately became his wife. Her abilities weren't limited to just seeing visions, but her resilience gave her an edge on fighting the evils. Being the unordinary person she was, she knew it was just a matter of time before she set on her tasks, ready or not.

The shaman's voice rang in her ears, "Xiao Xi, you know what you are born for. But for you to unlock your power at full potential, you need to undergo a number of tests. And the first of the tests is the test of love. Until you learn how to love, you cannot ascend to your next level."

That wasn't all. Not only did she need to know how to love, she needed a partner of the opposite sex. This man was the key to her unlocking her powers, so he had to be someone like her. Someone who was born with an unordinary fate and horoscope. She had to work with this person. In return, both of them would have their powers enhanced to a higher ability, merging with each other.

The shaman also told her that the prophecy had said that a woman and two men would come to save the island, but was she the woman in the prophecy?

Her journey had just begun.