Red Snow

Chapter 3

The trip didn't go as Bai Qian expected. In fact, the whole thing had derailed completely the moment they set foot in the ghost realm.

Other than the childhood home she barely remembered. Bai Qian had never left the mortal realm before. When she asked her aunt why. She just said, " The celestials are weak. They care too much about not interfering with the mortals' lives. They would try to minimize collateral damage. And that's how we exploit their weaknesses, "

A day in the immortal realm is a year in mortal one. Yan Zhi had explained to her. Her aunt never told her that. That would have meant the decades of peace they had was just a few days for them. The brothers never once rested or let them go easy. They were just plotting strategies up in the heavens.

That would mean it only five days had passed in the Nine Heavens. Three days for a funeral and two days for Ye Hua to plan his revenge. Bai Qian was counting her days. Without her aunt's guidance, Bai Qian couldn't last a day fighting Ye Hua.

The soul she devoured not long ago should give enough energy boost to fight. If all else was lost, she could always run again.

Maybe a change of scenery would be best for her. Perhaps in the Ghost Realm, he couldn't find her. Or Ye Hua would think twice before barging into other people's domain.

Bai Qian had expected Yan Zhi to take her to a humble little house on the outskirts. Instead, she guided her to a magnificent palace in the city.

"This is the Grand Purple Palace, " Yan Zhi explained as they stood a distance away from the gates, "This is my home, "

Bai Qian's jaw dropped. "You're joking, right?"

She shook her head. Apparently, she was hiding from her too.

"You're royalty?" She asked.

"Pretty much, " she said casually, "I'm third in line to the throne, "

Her eyes widened even more, "A Princess?"

She quickly tried to form a courtesy. Yan Zhi stopped her immediately. "You don't need to do this. You see that's the reason why I never told anybody, people would start treating me differently, "

"Then how should I treat you?" Bai Qian asked.

"Privately, the same as usual, " Yan Zhi explained, "In public…"

She showed her the proper way to bow in the Ghost Realm as well as a few etiquettes she needed to follow. "Every realm has its own custom. This is how we do it here, "

"What about the celestial realm?" Bai Qian found herself asking.

"Why do you want to know about the custom in the celestial realm?"

Bai Qian's cheeks redden, "Never mind, "

Yan Zhi eyed her and gave her a quick costume change into a maid's uniform. 

"I'll introduce you as my new servant, " she said in a cheery voice.

"So you're saying: No matter where we go. You're still my boss, " she concluded.

Yan Zhi smiled, "Exactly. Now you are getting the hang of it, "

She sighed, "Sometimes I hate you,"

"You don't," Yan Zhi insisted, "You like me,"

She did not deny it.

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Yan Zhi bowed down in front of the throne. Bai Qian quickly followed her lead.

"Your humbled daughter greets you, father, " she said. And then she bowed to the left and right, "Da Ge, Er Ge, "