My name is Han Ji, just an ordinary boy from a family that owns a small restaurant in the center of our city — Silver Lotus City,
one of the largest cities in the Silver Waterfall Region.
Every day, people from all walks of life come to our restaurant — from the rich to the poor, from the strong to the weak.
One of those days, as usual, I was doing my job — delivering food to our dear customers.
While carrying a bowl of noodles, I overheard a conversation:
> — Hey, did you read the news?
— No, what happened?
— They say the strongest sects of the South have started a full-scale war.
— Why would they do that again? Another dispute? Which sects this time? There are too many to count.
— The Heavenly Whirlpool Sect and the Divine Fist Sect. From what I heard, they were fighting over an ancient artifact said to grant absolute power.
But in the middle of the battle, the artifact vanished without a trace — and no one's found it since.
> — Where's my noodles?! I'll complain to the owner and won't leave a single tip!
— Coming! Coming right up!
After that, I decided to ask my father — maybe he knew more.
> "Father, I heard that the great sects of the South started a war over some artifact. Do you know anything else?"
He sighed and replied:
> "Son, the matters of immortals are none of our concern. Even if we talk about them, nothing will change.
Our duty is to cook and serve food. We're far too weak to interfere in their affairs.
Now stop wasting time and get back to work — the food won't serve itself."
He turned back toward the kitchen, and I continued working, still thinking about what he said.
After all, he was right — we were too weak to do anything.
When the day finally ended and the last customer left, he forgot something on the table.
Besides the payment, there was a strange item — I couldn't tell if it was a pendant or a charm.
I thought he might have forgotten it, so I ran outside to catch him —
but the streets were completely empty.
No birds, no barking dogs, no cats chasing rats.
Not a single person in sight — which was unheard of for such a big city.
That only happened on royal holidays, or when the Emperor himself visited.
I didn't think much of it then…
But that night became the dividing line of my life — the moment everything changed.
Returning to the restaurant, I went up to the third floor where my family lived.
There were only three of us: me — Han Ji, my father — Han Renfeng, and my mother — Han Lingyue.
Our family could have been larger, but due to difficult childbirth, my mother could no longer bear children.
Her health worsened day by day — the doctors said it was a miracle she was still alive.
But I always believed that one day she would recover.
After dinner, we went to sleep.
But in the middle of the night, I woke up to a loud crash.
When I opened my eyes, everything in my room was floating in the air —
and in the corner, I saw that same pendant glowing faintly.
Then, in a flash, it shot straight toward me —
and instead of hitting me, it merged into my forehead.
Overwhelmed by fear and pain, I blacked out.
My father rushed in, saw me asleep, and quietly left,
thinking the noise was just thunder or fireworks.
When I woke up the next morning, I noticed a strange mark on my arm —
a symbol shaped like a sword.
I hid it under a cloth band and went about my day.
But something else was strange —
I felt incredibly strong and refreshed, unlike my usual exhausted self.
After breakfast, I took the first delivery order and began working as usual.
The day passed peacefully, but the streets were livelier than ever —
the market was bustling with life.
Laughter, chatter, fireworks, dancers — the city was full of joy.
I decided to take a break and enjoy it all.
Borrowing a bit of money from my father, I went for a walk.
> "Fresh fruits! Two for the price of one — only today!"
"Jade amulets that ward off spirits — cheap, cheap!"
The air was thick with the scents of fruits, roasted meat, and spices.
After about half an hour, I saw it —
a delicate dessert, soft as a lotus, red as a rose.
A perfect pastry with white cream inside and a glaze of raspberry jam.
My favorite combination of flavor, aroma, and beauty.