Anhe City, the Su Mansion.
Mrs. Su was humming a little tune as she personally prepared dinner for her family.
'That girl, Ling'er... I wonder how she's doing at Qingxu Temple... Come to think of it, it's been a long time since I've seen the venerables from Qingxu Temple. I wonder if I can ask someone to deliver a message...'
As she was lost in thought, she picked up a freshly ladled bowl of hot soup to carry to the table. The moment she turned, something tripped her.
"Ah!" she cried out as the porcelain bowl slipped from her hands.
CRACK! The shattering sound was particularly jarring in the quiet kitchen. Soup splashed all over the floor, and the bowl broke into countless pieces.
Mrs. Su winced and crouched down to clean up the shards. Just as she picked up the largest piece, its edge cut her fingertip.
A bead of blood quickly welled up and dripped onto the porcelain shard, a shocking splash of red. She stared at the cut on her finger, stunned.
