On the southern bank of the river, seventy thousand troops were stationed. The northern weather was dry and cold, with heavy rain during the day and biting cold at night, making the lightly clad soldiers from the south uncomfortable.
At night, strong winds howled, and torches flickered in the military camp. Under the pitch-black sky, the dancing flames and the eerie wailing of the wind made it feel as if they were living in a ghostly realm. The thought of an impending bloody battle only deepened their fear.
Soldiers patrolled the military camp, with scouts constantly searching the perimeter to prevent enemy attacks. If an assault or other incident occurred during the night when the troops were resting—especially when the soldiers were under immense stress—it could easily trigger a barracks panic. In ancient times, such an event could instantly collapse an army of tens of thousands.
Yu Ji sat by the riverbank, her jade-like feet dipped into the icy water. Even in the darkness, her exposed pale calves seemed to glow, drawing gazes and tempting imaginations of how smooth her flawless skin must be.
Soldiers passed by occasionally, but upon seeing Yu Ji, they averted their eyes and hurried away. It wasn't because she was Roy's favored concubine that they dared not look—Yu Ji knew well that her inhuman nature was already common knowledge among the troops. It was only Roy's domineering and ruthless authority that silenced any discussion.
She also knew that if the war took even a slight turn for the worse, she would inevitably be branded a calamitous seductress like Daji or Bao Si, blamed for the nation's downfall. As long as she remained, the soldiers would turn against her. Yet, even knowing this, the king paid no heed. He still shielded her beneath his broad arms, striving to carve out a peaceful haven for her amidst the stormy skies above.
She had been mistaken. True tranquility wasn't found by hiding in remote mountains—escape was never a lasting solution. Human settlements had already encroached upon once-desolate lands, and in another century or even a millennium, she might truly have nowhere left to go.
Real peace was the ability to remain serene even amid clamor, untroubled by human presence or contact. But Yu Ji knew such an atmosphere wasn't something she could create—it was a gift only one person had ever granted her since her birth.
He kept all storms at bay, sparing her worries and agitation. Living among humans yet maintaining inner calm, never once succumbing to rage—such a life had once seemed impossible to Yu Ji. Yet, miraculously, it had come to pass.
She was a spirit in flesh, an ascended immortal, yet she was also a woman—one who longed for someone to shelter her from the tempests, a woman who yearned for dependence.
Reflecting on her existence, countless years had passed since her birth—perhaps millennia, maybe even tens of thousands.
She had witnessed humanity's primitive days of raw flesh and blood, observed the reigns of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, and watched as humans toiled through hardship. She saw their fear of beasts turn into triumph with the invention of weapons, the spark of fire igniting civilization's dawn, the evolution from gestures to written words, and the shift from hunting to farming as they mastered fishing and mulberry cultivation.
Yu Ji's life was a chronicle of human progress. She disliked interacting with humans but bore no hatred for them, for she knew much of her behavior—like wearing clothes or speaking—had been learned from them. In her earliest days, she had understood none of it.
Throughout her long life, she had encountered countless humans, yet none had ever forgiven her, sympathized with her, or understood her. People feared her, rejected her, judged her harshly, and coveted her. Though she bore the form of a human, no one had ever truly treated her as one or considered communicating with her.
No one knew her, and so they arbitrarily labeled her a blood-sucking monster. Even the immortals, whose way of existence resembled hers—those who knew of her noble true identity—never sought her out. To those immortals, their own cultivation was all that mattered, and Yu Ji's presence held no novelty for them.
Even in that era when immortals filled the skies, Yu Ji had never had a true friend, never shared heartfelt words with a single soul. Otherwise, eight hundred years ago, when the immortals ascended and severed the connection between heaven and earth, they wouldn't have forgotten Yu Ji—this born celestial maiden—leaving her behind in this filthy, sorrowful mortal world.
But after all these years, she had finally met the first person who would actively seek to understand her, care for her, and explore what she truly desired. In truth... this feeling of being cared for, cherished, and looked after was truly wonderful. The reason she had been so cold and rejecting in the past was likely fear of deception—fear that this sincere concern would be tainted by the repulsive deceit humans were so adept at.
··········
Yu Ji sat by the riverbank in the military camp, lost in these thoughts, tilting her head to gaze at the bright moon hanging in the sky.
Suddenly, footsteps approached from behind. Even without turning, she knew who it was.
"What is the Yu Beauty pondering here?"
Hearing that bold yet gently tender voice, Yu Ji's lips curled unconsciously into a sweet smile.
....
Her jade-like feet withdrew from the icy river water, leaving behind a shimmering trail of droplets. She stood and turned, only to frown with concern upon seeing Roy. "…My King, why have you come out dressed so lightly? The night is cold and the wind harsh—you mustn't catch a chill. The north is not like the south."
Roy wore only a short-sleeved shirt, and walking in the northern night would indeed make one prone to illness—if he were an ordinary man, that is.
Yu Ji removed the fox-fur coat draped over her delicate shoulders, its collar lined with soft white fur that looked irresistibly warm.
She hurried over to Roy, rising slightly on her toes to drape the coat over him. Her slender hands gently adjusted the collar to keep the cold wind out.
For a moment, Roy found the situation both amusing and touching. It was usually the man who shielded the woman from the cold—why was it the opposite for him?
Yet being cared for by this immortal, who was fierce before others but tender as water in his presence, filled him with warmth.
"I fear not these cold winds, my King. You should take better care of yourself," Yu Ji said softly.
Roy simply took her delicate hand and led her back to the riverbank, where they sat down together.
He remained silent, simply grasping Yu Ji's jade-like feet beneath her black skirt—feet so fair they seemed to rival frost and snow. Lifting water from the riverside, he sprinkled it over those exquisitely beautiful snowy feet, washing them for her.
Yu Ji's delicate frame trembled slightly, then she gazed at Roy with tender affection, allowing him to do as he pleased.