We landed at the footsteps of the Western Palace, where Empress Vesper lived. It was located on the westernmost edge of Shenjie, situated above the Kunlun Mountains. Although the view was phenomenal, I definitely did not want to live in such a desolate area.

The guard bowed to Barette and Shangtian only.

As we walked up the steps, Barette said, “Her majesty manages all internal affairs of Shenjie. Her schedule is actually fully booked for three months. Exceptions can be made only for the Supreme Ones.”

I nodded. I didn’t realize that it would be so hard to see Empress Vesper.

“How could we even present Ziyan to her majesty?” Shangtian asked.

“I’ve got it figured out. Tea-time is comparatively laid-back. That’s the best time that I think Ziyan could speak with her today.”

“But only we and a few fairies are allowed then,” objected Shangtian.

“Ziyan can take Anemone’s place to serve tea.” Barette replied. She turned to me. “When the opportunity arises, quickly speak with her majesty. Make sure to follow all rules of etiquette. You know, no slouching or breathing too loudly.”

“And what do I say?” I asked.

“Just follow my lead,” Barette replied.

When tea-time arrived, I was hurried into a room, forced to rinse my mouth, wash my hands, and change into the proper uniform. The air was musky with scents of rare fragrances that I didn’t recognize. I stood behind a chair holding a phoenix feather fan and quietly waited for the arrival of the empress. I only had a few glimpse sof Empress Vesper at the championship and was curious to see her again.

Music preceded the entrance of a crowd of fairy servants. Barette and Shangtian dropped to the ground. One fairy laid out a rug. Another plumped up the pillows in Empress Vesper’s chair. Empress Vesper appeared, in short brisk steps. A senior fairy helped Empress Vesper into the chair, and then tip toed out.

“—Forty fairies, in two shifts each for the night shift. Twenty to solely look after peaches. Roll call will be at Mao, half a shi earlier. If you find anyone late, you have my orders deal punishment accordingly. We will be overworked preparing for the festival this year, but everything needs to be perfect. I will personally make daily tours of inspections,” Empress Vesper ordered.

"Yes, your majesty.” Someone answered out of view. There was a brief silence as Empress Vesper cleaned her hands. Once she settled into her chair, she began asking few questions about Barette and Shangtian’s training.

Blocked by the large chair, I shifted for a better look. The next thing I knew, I was upside down in the air staring into the stern face of Empress Vesper.

“Who is this?” Empress Vesper demanded. Even on an ordinary day, Vesper was dressed in the most grandiose fashion with jewels and golden embroidery sparkling in the light.

“Your majesty, her name is Ziyan. She is Shangtian’s sister,” Barette answered respectfully. Blood rushed to my face. I tried to curtsy upside down, but my arms flung helplessly.

“Shangtian, are your visiting hours too short?” Empress Vesper asked coldly.

“Your majesty, no, but—”

“—Then your sister shouldn’t be hiding in my palace like a thief,” Empress Vesper finished.

“Your majesty,” Barette answered. “Ziyan needed to speak with you. This is the only way we could think of for her to meet you without distracting you from official duties, of which you have so much.”

Shangtian agreed with vigorous nods.

“You should have notified me in advance. I might have ripped her legs off by accident.” Empress Vesper waved her hand, and the invisible hoist gently released me onto the silk rug.

Barette took the chance to return Empress Vesper’s tea to her hands. “Your majesty, you are benevolent to do that. Plus the Shenjie Champion isn’t that fragile.”

“The Shenjie Champion?” Empress Vesper repeated slowly. She took a good look at me, and her eyes narrowed in recognition.

“Ziyan greets your majesty, the Benevolent and the Wise, Mother of the Three Realms,” I spoke. I curtsied nine times, as required by etiquette.

Empress Vesper acknowledged me with the slightest nod.

“How are your studies under Huayu?” She asked after a sip of tea.

“I am no longer under his tutelage,” I mumbled, even though I was sure she already knew.

“That’s too bad,” Empress Vesper murmured, lips curling.

“Your majesty, forgive my interruption, but Ziyan is working at the Hall of Terrestial Descent,” Barette said.

“The Hall of Terrestial Descent,” Empress Vesper repeated slowly.

“Yes, she is a Fatewriter. And she used to be a mortal.” Barette was looking at Empress Vesper with bright eyes. Unspoken words seemed to exchange between them.

I glanced at Shangtian. She seemed as confused as me.

Empress Vesper raised her hand, and the horde of fairies left the room. When only Shangtian, Barette, and I remained, she stood up.

Empress Vesper circled me several times.

“I offer you a mission,” she said, looking up and down.

“A mission?” I blinked in surprise and looked towards Barette. She nodded encouragingly.

“My friend, Madame Biguonia, approached me a couple of weeks ago. She is concerned for her daughter, who is serving her sentence in the mortal world.”

Bells of warning rang in my head.

“Uh, her daughter isn’t Sylvestris, is she?” I asked slowly.

“Precisely,” Empress Vesper said. “Sylvestris was sentenced to three lives of suffering in the mortal world and has already completed her first two mortal lives. As Biguonia was crying to me, in her first life she married a poor scholar. He treated her well at first but turned into an alcoholic after failing the imperial exam. He beat her until she went crazy.”

I shifted awkwardly, thankful that I didn’t write that script.

“Her second life was even worse,” she continued with a sigh. “This time, Biguonia couldn’t stand by and watch her daughter suffer. She intervened and had her daughter born as the only daughter of a high-ranking minister. Her childhood was good, but when her human father lost favor with the emperor, all the females of the compound were sold into slavery. She ended up in a brothel. It was quite a horrible ordeal for a mother to witness.”

I was quite impressed by how seriously the Punishment Fatewriters took their jobs.

“In her third life, she was reincarnated as a snake that eventually becomes a yao. Biguonia doesn’t dare interfere again, but Sylvestris is destined to fall in love with a human, and subsequently be caught by a yaoguai-slaying monk. He will lock her in a magical tower for thousands of years. Because the tower is a non-mortal setting, one year stops equaling one day in Shenjie. So instead of being away from Shenjie for only nine months as previously planned, Sylvestris will now be gone for thousands of years if this occurs.”

Empress Vesper took a deep breath and gazed at me.

“I need you to make sure Sylvestris does not delay her return to Shenjie.”

“Thank you, your majesty, for thinking of me for this task,” I said slowly. “But couldn’t you ask any of the Fatewriters to simply change Sylvestris’s life script?”

“Sylvestris’s punishment has already been stamped and sealed. Any supernatural alteration, as you have heard, will only worsen her fate.”

“Then how can I help?” I asked increduously.

“I’m not asking you to edit her life script, I’m asking you to manually change the events of her life. You were a mortal, so you are familiar with the mortal world. You are also a Fatewriter, so you are familiar with mortal life experiences. And lastly,” she drummed her fingers as if trying to think of something, “you caused Sylvestris to be punished by Chila. Sylvestris will be indebted to anyone else who helps her, but not you. That’s why you are perfect for this mission.”

“But I—”

“Upon successful completion of this mission,” Empress Vesper interrupted. “I shall grant you one thing that you wish for. Anything.”

Anything I wished for?

“I accept,” I said.

“Excellent!” Empress Vesper exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “I will make arrangements for you to descend immediately. Sylvestris will meet the mortal man any day now. There is not one moment to waste.”

Shangtian and Barette bade me goodbye as a fairy escorted me to the Hall of Terrestial Descent. With Empress Vesper’s hand-written documentation, I was able to cut the line (others looked at me with envy) and file a permit for descent with no issues. I only expected to be gone for an hour at most, given the time difference between Shenjie and the mortal world. Nevertheless, I retrieved the time Fu that Tudi had given me for the ceremony. As I dug out the yellow paper, I saw the Pillowbook lying on my bed. Every deity in Shenjie had his or her own page. I flipped through it to find the one specifically about me.

[Madame.HisHighness] Have you heard? This year’s Shenjie Champion is writing life scripts at the Hall of Terrestial Descent!

[huayuforeternity] No!!!!!!!!!!!!

[GoddessofGodesses] Yes! My fairy saw her there today.

[HisHighnessNo1Fan] I knew she didn’t deserve her win. His Highness must have realized her lack of talent and retracted his bid.

[Madame.HisHighness] She was totally drooling his highness at the ceremony. Just because she is pretty, she thought she could aim for the moon!

[GoddessofGodesses] Well, the higher one tries to climb, the harder one falls. She certainly learned her lesson… a fatewriter, HA!

[TrueGoldWillShine] She will never compare to the Goddess of Flower.

The words burned into my eyes. Before I even realized, I had written “Goddess of Flower” on a blank page. At once, black strokes branched across the white paper and blossomed into words. My eyes traveled up and down the sentences proclaiming the beauty, wisdom, and kindness of the most perfect woman that ever lived. Something screamed painfully inside me. I wanted to stop reading, but I couldn’t, until I saw one line.

…if the Goddess of Flower hadn’t passed, their unborn child would now be able to run…

I gasped. The Pillowbook slipped from my hands. Was the Goddess of Flower pregnant when she died? No wonder he stared at me that way when I pretended to carry his child. No wonder the page dragged me out.

I ran out of my room. Two incenses of time later, I reached the backdoor of Azure Vault Palace. After a while of knocking, the stoic page who had dragged me last time stepped out. The little brat still owed me a shoe. Brand new, only worn once!

“Will you let me in?” I asked sweetly.

“I cannot allow entry to unauthorized personnel,” the page said, staring straight ahead.

“I need to speak with his highness,” I pleaded.

The page stared straight ahead.

“Just a few words and I will leave,” I negotiated.

The page continued to stare straight ahead.

I let out a string of words that I had not used since leaving the village. The page was unfazed.

There was only one solution left.

I lunged at his sword. He pushed me away as I hoped. I hit the ground with a loud thud.

“Ow!” I screamed loudly, forcing tears out of my eyes. “You hurt me!”

“You attacked me first!” The page sputtered.

“Let his highness be the judge,” I said, grabbing his wrist, and pushed open the door.

“You can’t come in! Don’t grab me. I’m going to use chi if you don’t let go! Stop! How are you so strong?”

Who was he kidding? I thought. Even without chi, I had muscles from years of plowing land. I trudged on, pretending that I was dragging a bushel of resistant potatoes. The trees flanking the courtyard thinned to reveal the powerful building I had seen earlier. The doors were wide open. I increased my grip on the page and—

A force hurled me back down the steps. I landed painfully, squashing the unfortunate page.

“Is my palace for anyone to roam freely, Obe?” A deep voice asked.

I untangled my head from the page’s arm and found Huayu staring down at us.