Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Dongyi, Diqiu.

It was said to be the dwelling place of the heavenly gods.

Ever since Pangu split heaven from earth, gods and humans had lived together upon this land. Yet gods were born of heaven and nurtured by earth, their divine power endless-nothing mere mortals could ever hope to rival.

And so, when a group of Dongyi People surrounded our territory, my mother, who had always been brave and decisive, could only stammer, “You have nothing but empty claims. How can you just seize someone else’s child?”

The youth at the head of the crowd wore a cloak of feathers. He smiled coldly.

“A god’s child naturally shows divine signs in the womb.”

Then he glanced at me with open contempt. “Do you mean to say that from yesterday until now, this woman has felt nothing at all?”

Of course I had felt something.

Ever since I stepped into that footprint last night, my face had been flushed, my heart pounding, my emotions surging. Worse, my belly had swelled at a terrifying speed, the skin itching so fiercely I could hardly bear it. In a single night, I had bloated up as if I were already heavily pregnant.

But I could not say that.

Because I needed this child too.

Seeing me clench my teeth and refuse to yield, the youth nodded toward the gathered members of the Youtai Clan. “The child of Di Ku, conceived by Heaven’s will, must not be left to wander outside. We will take her with us.”

At that, the clanspeople led by my mother all objected at once.

“Jiang Yuan is beautiful and valiant. Between the Jing and Wei Rivers, thousands of warriors admire her!”

“Exactly. You Dongyi People think you can take her away with just a few words?”

“Ha. Dream on!”

Struggles between tribes had always ended only when one side was dead.

The Dongyi People prided themselves on being envoys of the gods and had always been arrogant. Naturally, they could not bear being mocked to their faces. One by one, red surged over their cheekbones, their eyes bulging, and it looked as if they would attack on the spot.

“There is no need for that.”

The feather-cloaked youth lowered his hand, his voice light yet threatening. “Our Gaoxin Clan is favored by Heaven and stands foremost among the tribes. How could we commit the vile act of forcibly stealing someone’s child?”

“The Divine Lord wants Jiang Yuan and is willing to offer goods in exchange.”

“Exchange?”

My mother was silent for a long while before she finally spoke coolly. “Jiang Yuan is my eldest daughter. When I die, she will become the leader of the Youtai Clan. What could you possibly exchange for that?”

“Then we will offer one bronze cauldron, one hundred black swine, one thousand pairs of pottery jars, and ten thousand measures of millet. A blizzard is coming. With these preparations, your entire Youtai Clan will have enough to survive the harsh winter. How does that sound?”

The youth’s casual promise plunged everyone into a terrible silence.

Seeing this, the other side tugged faintly at the corner of his mouth.

“Very well. Heaven’s will cannot be forced.”

At that moment, the Youtai clanspeople looked at one another. His expression turned subtle. With a flick of his flowing sleeve, he seemed about to turn and leave. My mother hurried forward in one swift step and caught the hem of that fluttering, many-colored feather cloak.

“Divine Envoy!”

“…Add more.”