The strong vibrations from the ground made the villagers of Yusheng Village panic, now the Shenli sect gathered to find a way to stop this vibration.
"How to stop all this, teacher?" asked a young man, let's call him Guoshu.
"The birth of a woman who is destined to awaken the demon Luo Yian." Wangyuan spoke softly while lamenting the current chaotic situation.
"It's too late, it can't be stopped." he continued.
"The only way, find a newborn baby girl. Now!" the sect leader ordered quickly. Just call him Master Fuyi.
"Yes, teacher."
--
The night wind in Qianxi Village rustled strangely, as if carrying invisible whispers. In a small, crumbling and shabby hut, a baby's cry was heard.
A young woman was shivering, hugging her newborn baby girl tightly. There were scratches on her face, and her eyes were full of fear.
"Why... did this vibration appear at the same time as the birth of my child?" she whispered.
From a distance, a figure in a black robe watched. Her face was covered, and her eyes glowed a faint red. She didn't make a sound, just stared as if waiting… or watching.
Meanwhile, in the Shenli Sect…
"Master, we found five baby girls born tonight around Yusheng. But… there's one that isn't registered in the official birth records, In Qianxi Village." Guoshu reported breathlessly.
Wangyuan's eyes narrowed. "That's it. The baby born without a name… that's the bearer of the devil's destiny."
A few hours later…
Guoshu and the elders of the Shenli Sect returned after searching the entire village.
"Master! We found a house that fits the description, but—" Guoshu stopped, shocked by the sight before him.
The mother's body was lifeless. A strange cut cut through her chest. But even more terrifying…
"The baby is gone…" one of the elders murmured.
Wangyuan stepped forward slowly, staring at the empty, blood-stained bed.
"It's started…" he whispered. "The devil has marked her first."
A few miles from Qianxi Village…
The night wind blew past an old figure in a gray robe who was holding a tiny baby tightly in his arms.
His face was familiar to the history of the martial world—he was the former elder of the Jiuhua Mountain Sect, a sect that had once chosen to isolate itself to avoid the bloody conflict between sects.
He hurriedly carried the baby deep into the forest, to an old house hidden at the foot of the mountain.
"Forgive this world, little one… May you grow up without resentment."
He named her An Jua, a name given to her by ancient records meaning "peaceful shadow."
Meanwhile, in the Shenli Sect…
"I don't understand, Master… how could the demon be faster than us?" Guoshu lowered his head, feeling like a failure.
Wangyuan stood with his back to his disciples. "It's not a demon… it's its messenger. Lingyun was never truly destroyed."
Master Fuyi's gaze sharpened. "Then… the only way is to track them down before the baby grows up and merges with the demon's power."
"How about... we just kill him before anything happens?" said one of the elders.
But Wangyuan glared at him.
"The baby has been marked. Killing him now will only hasten Luo Yian's awakening."
18 Years Later
An Jua grew up to be a quiet, solitary girl, often immersed in the old books given to her by her grandfather.
Their small house was on the edge of the Jiuhua mountain forest, far from the hustle and bustle.
"You should go down the mountain, An," said the grandfather as he brewed herbal tea.
"It's time for you to meet the Lingyun people. There... maybe you can live a better life."
An Jua looked at her grandfather for a long time. She had heard whispers from the villagers when she went down to the market, Lingyun was a demonic sect. Cruel. Forbidden.
"Why go there, Grandpa? Aren't they... evil?"
The grandfather remained silent. His face held a secret that was never spoken.
Although An Jua always obeyed her grandfather's words, for this matter she clearly did not dare. Moreover, he already understood that the one who killed his mother was the Lingyun people.
"Grandpa, who actually killed my mother?
Mo Chenghai was silent, what should he explain to this girl.
However, the girl continued to press him.
"That night, the moon turned red. Yusheng Village was shocked by the tremors that almost destroyed it. Your mother was on her way from Yusheng Village to Qianxi."
"Then what happened?" The girl pressed.
"That afternoon, I received a mysterious letter, taking me to Qianxi. I found your mother lying lifeless, I couldn't help her anymore. So, I only brought you."
An Jua was silent, would she never know who killed her mother? Why did she have to live in the shadow of fear in this life.
Mo Chenghai did not lie, he did receive a mysterious letter and did not know much about that night.
---
Seven Days Later…
An Jua woke up early in the morning, her breath was short. She looked at her trembling hands.
The atmosphere in the room felt strange. She touched her face, feeling something strange.
"Why am I here…?"
The door opened. The grandfather came in carrying the potion.
"An, are you okay?" he asked worriedly.
But the girl stared at him for a long time. Her breath hitched, and from her lips came a sentence that surprised herself
"I… Su Luwi… This… what is this…"
The voice did not belong to the quiet An Jua. Her gaze changed. As if… another soul had awakened in the girl's body.