The wind stole the warmth from Bai Yue’s ears, lips, and nose as she stepped out of her dormitory room. The morning sun barely crested the peaks of Mount Emerald, but feeling the warmth from the sunlight hit her face made her feel alive. She wrapped a thin outer robe tightly around her frame, suppressing a shiver as she made her way to the Tasks Master’s office.

  She stepped down on the staircase and looked in front of her, in the foreground. Training grounds, pavilions, and towering buildings looked back at her, all of them painted white, emerald, and gold trimming. In the two years that she had been here, it took her a while to realise that the colours of the sect uniform and building imitated the mountain itself.

  Mount Emerald.

  Every morning was the same; disciples rushed to their training sessions, holding conversations regarding their progress, sword techniques, and seeking advice from their senior brothers and sisters. That wasn’t the case for Bai Yue; she wasn’t a disciple; she was an orderly at best. Support staff in essence, but that wouldn’t be for long. Within the sect, everyone gets a chance to train, and hers was in the next six months.

  She finally made her way to the tasks office and joined the line. She inhaled heavily and hoped the task she hated the most wouldn’t be selected today. she begged,

  The elder sat at his desk, which was outside his office. Apparently, he didn’t want the auxiliary staff coming into his office. Bai Yue had heard the other younger staff members saying he hated the dirt and mud they brought from all over the sect. As if mud and dirt were a big deal when you weren’t the one who had to clean them.

  An annoying tick resonated from Bai Yue’s left shoulder; she slapped her shoulder on the third tick and turned left. “Bai Yue!” a familiar voice said.

  She turned to the left again, and her eyes smiled unconsciously. “Senior Honghua,” she said calmly, “Why are you here?”

  A smile flashed across his face and the older boy rocked back, tapping his nose as his practice sword was slanted across his shoulder. He was drenched in sweat, making his robes a darker shade than they usually were. His hair was tangled from sweat and his smile seemed genuine; that was what made Bai Yue smile; he was the only one to treat her kindly, outside of her sister.

  “Hmm, you still call me Senior even though I told you to call me Brother!” he said coyly.

  “Sen…” she said, but Honghua shook his head vehemently.

  “No, Bro…ther!” he said with a smile.

  Everyone turned to look at Bai Yue. She felt like an ant being consumed by a tiger. She wanted to run, hide, anything that would allow her to not feel the way she felt. This scenario was completely new to her. She’d never experienced such attention, and it made her uncomfortable churn.

  It was as if her skin itself wanted to run away from her, but she herself wanted to leave. Honghua stepped forward, tilting his head to the side; he brought himself a feet inches off from her face, flustering her even more.

  Bai Yue unconsciously smiled. It wasn’t a genuine smile, but one of nervousness. She didn’t want to get on the bad side of Senior Honghua. It wasn’t evident to her the first time, but it was clear to her that Senior Honghua was well-liked within the sect. “Good morning, Brother Honghua,” Bai Yue said, squeezing her hands as she said it.

  A ball of nervousness swallowed her, making her squint to the point of tears; she opened her eyes, ensuring the tears flowed from her eyes and wiped her face before the tears bubbled.

  “This is my young apprentice brother, Tong,” Honghua said, smiling brightly.

  Tong stepped forward and Bai Yue's eyes widened at the sight of him. He was two inches taller than Honghua and had broader shoulders. His jaws were square, but his upper face was round as he hadn’t lost his baby features. He had black eyes which matched his thick eyebrows.

  “Nice to meet you,” Tong said calmly.

  Bai Yue returned a smile and bowed slightly. Her skin rippled again, making her want to flee. The constant stares she received made her feel that today would be a bad day, as if life within the Emerald Star Palace wasn’t hard enough as it was.

  “Alright Bai Yue,” Honghua said with a smile, “have a good day. Brother Tong, let's go.”

  Tong bowed his head again to Bai Yue, and the duo walked off, leaving Bai Yue to feel the wrath of the other girls. She could tell they wanted to rip her apart this time.

  And she just didn’t understand why.

  “Now that all of you have gawked enough at your Senior Apprentice Brothers, maybe it's time for you to do some work!” the Taskmaster barked.

  Whispers and murmurs swirled around the taskmaster’s office, and Bai Yue felt awful. She didn’t know how people could live with such attention. She wanted to live in the corner of the sect and be at peace. If she could, she would choose not to deal with people. Living by herself suited her well.

  At times like this, her mind drifted back to when she was home. she thought;

  She didn’t like her thoughts to have such reminiscence, but what could she do? Fighting back tears in front of everyone was more than embarrassing.

  “Do you plan to daydream all day!?” The taskmaster growled.

  Bai Yue looked startled and scared. She hadn’t realised that the line had moved swiftly as she stood there, standing in front of the taskmaster. She smiled nervously and stepped forward.

  The taskmaster eyed her up and down and then should have given her the duty list in her hand. She looked at the paper and her heart sank instantly. No, she rasped to herself, laundry duty. Again.

  She swallowed deeply, but no matter how she felt. The only thing she knew was frustration. She bowed her head and smiled nervously. “Thank you, Elder Fen.”

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  Bai Yue turned on her heels, the weight of her pressing into her ankles like a shackle. The thought of doing laundry three days in a row bothered her, but she refused to let it break her spirit. She had long understood that as she had a notable background, she would receive the least desirable tasks.

  On top of laundry, she had to scrub the tiles, mend, and haul fruit back and forth through different houses. It was frustrating as her body wasn’t used to such labor, but the thoughts of learning martial arts soon made her eyes gleam with excitement.

  she thought,

  She made her way through the sect, walking all the way to the western section of the sect. As she stood by the entrance, she looked up the mountain and saw Mount Emerald in its infamy. The mountain pierced the skies, allowing the mist to enshroud the washing courtyard; the subtle sound of water splashed as she forced herself through the courtyard’s gate.

  Steam rose from the massive stone basins as workers scrubbed robes until their fingers ached. The scent of soap and damp cloth filled the air. Bai Yue’s nose twitched as she wasn’t used to the scent.

  “Xiao Yue!” Mistress Danzhu called out. “You’re late!”

  Bai Yue turned to her left, watching as soap dripped from her hands while she stood over her washing basin. Her hands were pressed against her waist, and she had a pensive smile on her lips.

  She hopped over, shoulders slumped, trying to appear meek, something she’d observed while someone was being scolded for ripping one of the sheets.

  “Mistress Danzhu, I’m sorry for being late.”

  “Are you?”

  “Yes Mistress,”

  “Alright, I’ll let you off…the basin at the end is yours.”

  “Yes, Mistress, thank you, Mistress.”

  Bai Yue picked up the nearest basket and made her way to the farthest basin. She scooped up the sheets and dumped them into the basin, then plunged her hands into the scalding water. Then she rubbed the sheets on the washboard, trying her best to dig the dirt out of the sheets as best as she could.

  “Well, well… well. If it isn’t Bai Yue. Again. Do you see this, Ran?”

  “No one can miss a dirt stain like hers, Hua.”

  She didn’t react. She’d learned that lesson well. As nice as Mistress Danzhu was, she only cared about whether the laundry was done. If the students wanted to bicker amongst themselves, that had nothing to do with her.

  “Look at her, thinking she’s our better because Senior Honghua speaks to her.”

  “I saw Senior Honghua pity her. I refuse to believe he cares about her.”

  Bai Yue’s fingers clenched around the soaked fabric in her hands. She had made the mistake of accepting help once—just once. Honghua had shown her kindness by helping her wash her sheets. It was when she first arrived. Ever since then, the girls had hated her. The night after that particular day, the girls found her.

  The memory of the beating they gave her was etched into her mind. The scars on her body had taken two months to heal, and ever since then, she has ignored them because they feigned Bai Yue's disrespect, despite being her seniors.

  One day, her sister visited her in the washing courtyard, and everyone found out that she was related to Master Yusheng’s direct disciple, but that wasn’t enough to stop their mocking and taunts. It was as if Bai Yue’s humiliation was what they thrived on.

  At least not openly.

  As she continued to ignore them, she finished scrubbing the last robe. She wrung it out, letting the water splash into the basin before standing and gathering the heavy, damp fabrics in her arms. The laughter followed her as she walked to the drying lines. There was no point in reacting. No point in feeding their cruelty.

  The day stretched on, the work never-ending, but Bai Yue did not falter. She took each task as it came, her hands roughened by water and labor, her muscles aching with exhaustion. She had nothing else—not talent, not status—but she had to persevere.

  When dusk fell and her duties were finally complete, she made her way back to her small dormitory, her limbs heavy and her thoughts clouded with fatigue.

  The first blow came without warning—a sharp crack against Bai Yue’s shoulder that sent her stumbling forward. The force of it reverberated through her bones, a dull ache blooming instantly. She barely had time to gasp before a foot slammed into her side, the impact driving the air from her lungs in a ragged wheeze. Her ribs screamed in protest, and the metallic tang of blood filled her mouth as she bit down on her tongue. “You think hiding behind your sister makes you safe?” a voice hissed, hot breath scalding her ear.

  Fingers dug into her arm like claws, yanking her backward with enough force to make her shoulder pop. Bai Yue’s vision blurred as she twisted, trying to break free, but another strike landed—this time against her ribs. The pain was electric, sharp, and searing, radiating through her body like wildfire.

  She didn’t cry out. She wouldn’t give them that satisfaction.

  The alley was narrow, the walls rough and unyielding as they shoved her against them. The jagged stone scraped her back through the thin fabric of her robes, and she could feel the sting of broken skin.

  The scent of damp earth and mildew filled her nostrils, mingling with the coppery smell of blood. Her heart pounded in her ears, a frantic rhythm that drowned out their taunts—for a moment.

  “Say something, Giu’er,” one of them sneered, her voice dripping with venom. A hand gripped Bai Yue’s hair, yanking her head back until her neck screamed in protest. “Or are you still pretending to be mute?”

  Bai Yue’s lips parted, but no sound came out. Her throat was tight, her chest heaving as she struggled to draw breath. The taste of iron lingered on her tongue, and she could feel the warmth of a trickle of blood running down her temple. She blinked, her vision swimming as she met the eyes of her tormentor. The girl’s face was twisted with contempt, her lips curled into a cruel smile.

  Another blow landed—this time a fist to her stomach. Bai Yue doubled over, the pain so intense it made her knees buckle. She collapsed to the ground, the cold, hard dirt pressing against her cheek. The world spun around her, a blur of shadows and light, but she could still hear their laughter. It was sharp and cutting, like the edge of a blade.

  “Pathetic,” one of them spat. A boot connected with her side, and Bai Yue curled in on herself, trying to shield her body from the onslaught. Each kick sent a fresh wave of agony through her, her ribs screaming with every impact. She could feel the bruises forming, the skin beneath her robes already tender and swollen.

  The assault didn’t last long—just enough to leave her broken but not irreparably so. They knew the limits of their cruelty, knew how far they could push before someone would notice. Bai Yue lay there, trembling, as their footsteps faded into the distance. The alley was silent now, save for the sound of her ragged breathing and the distant rustle of leaves in the wind.

  Her body ached, every inch of her screaming in protest as she pushed herself up onto her hands and knees. Her palms scraped against the rough ground, the sting of broken skin a sharp reminder of her vulnerability. She pressed a trembling hand to her ribs, wincing as she felt the tender flesh beneath her fingers. The pain was grounding, a reminder that she was still here, still alive.

  She forced herself to stand, her legs shaking beneath her weight. The world tilted for a moment, and she leaned against the wall for support, her breath coming in shallow gasps. Her robes were torn and stained with dirt and blood, the fabric clinging to her skin where sweat and grime had soaked through. She could feel the bruises already forming, dark and angry against her pale skin.

  As she stumbled back to her dormitory, the weight of her pain pressed down on her like a physical force. Her room was small, barely more than a closet, but it was hers. She collapsed onto the edge of her cot, her body trembling with exhaustion. Slowly, she pulled her robes aside to assess the damage. Dark bruises marred her skin, blooming like ink against parchment. Her ribs were tender to the touch, and she could feel the sharp sting of cuts and scrapes across her back.

  She exhaled slowly, pressing her fingers against the bruises to ground herself. The pain was real. The pain reminded her that she was still here.

  Leaning back against the wall, she stared up at the ceiling, her mind racing. Would she always be like this? A target. A nameless servant among the countless disciples who passed through the Emerald Star Palace? Would she ever be more?

  A part of her whispered that it didn’t matter. That she would continue to endure. She had survived two years. She would survive two more. Ten more. However long it took.

  But another part of her, buried deep beneath the weight of suffering, burned with something else.

  Hope.

  She didn’t know when or how, but one day she would not just endure. She would rise.

  And on that day, they would regret underestimating her.