The Imperial Palace lay beneath a silver moon.
The bustling corridors that had echoed with servants and officials during the day were now silent. Only the occasional palace guard patrolled the stone pathways, their lanterns casting long shadows across the gardens.
A cool breeze rustled the bamboo leaves.
Everything seemed peaceful.
Except...
Three translucent figures floated happily above the palace roofs.
Fen Yu spun in the air with a delighted laugh.
"That was the best Ghost Festival gathering in years!"
Wei Rong folded his arms.
"The ghost chess tournament was terrible. That old general cheated."
"He did not," Li Shen replied calmly. "You simply lost."
"I did not lose."
"You finished last."
"I was being polite."
Fen Yu giggled.
"You knocked over the board because you were losing."
"I was demonstrating military strategy."
"By throwing the pieces?"
"The enemy never expects it."
Li Shen sighed.
"Exactly my point."
