Dragons
Pretty and Brainless? Perfect.
My family has one enormous, very public secret.
Ever since she was born, my mother has been bound to a system: the Beauty System.
Apparently, if she ever drops out of the top three on the Beauty Ranking of the Four Seas and Eight Realms, she will die.
At first, neither of my parents was remotely worried.
With Mother’s looks, holding her place for another few hundred thousand years would be no trouble at all.
But sometimes the unexpected arrives without the slightest warning.
When my parents joyfully welcomed their first child, a floating Beauty Ranking of the Four Seas and Eight Realms appeared out of thin air beside the bed.
And there, in first place, was my eldest brother, whose name had only just been decided: Zhou Yi.
My parents were a little bewildered, but didn’t think much of it.
Until they had their second child.
My parents and big brother once again greeted the new baby with delight.
Once again, the ranking appeared in midair.
First place changed hands again.
It now belonged to my elder sister, Zhou Er.
That was when Father panicked.
He moved out of their bedroom that very night.
For several years afterward, he didn’t dare set so much as one foot inside after sunset.
Every evening, they would hold hands in the corridor, gazing at each other as they lingered over their farewell.
Then my brother and sister would each take one of them by the hand and escort them to their separate rooms, with my parents looking back every few steps.
They pined so badly their eyes practically glowed green, but at least Mother’s life was safe.
Paper Shadows, a Cold Flame
I had studied immortal arts under my master since childhood.
A sharp pair of scissors and a sheet of white paper could bring anything in the world to life.
With that gift, I cut out ten thousand swallows and sparrows when locusts ravaged the fields.
In moments, they devoured the swarm and saved an entire town.
The townsfolk bowed to me as an immortal maiden.
The county magistrate offered to submit a memorial on my behalf.
I waved him off.
“I hear someone in this town once slew a snake demon.
I would marry that man and bring a thousand pieces of gold.”
Fang Liang emerged from the crowd in filthy rags, reeking of wine.
He grabbed my hand and grinned, baring a mouthful of yellow teeth.
“Little immortal, don’t you go back on your word.”
I looked at him and smiled, with a coldness beyond words.
My master had been a snake immortal.
Mortals had tortured him to death as a demon and used him to make a secret elixir of everlasting life.
Blind and arrogant creatures.
How could they know whether the woman they took home was an immortal—or a monster?
