Chapter 55: The World Within the Paper

The Fourth Princess's final words made Gu Yi's scalp tingle with fear; he wondered why she sounded so ruthless when he had done nothing to wrong her. It was as if there were some deep-seated national enmity or family feud between them.

He was about to say something when, upon taking a closer look at his surroundings, he was utterly dumbfounded.

He stood upon a vast, gently sloping expanse of white snow. The slope was wide but not steep. But when he looked ahead, what he saw left him even more astonished: it was a city—a modern city blanketed in snow!

The air was thick with car exhaust, factory smoke billowed black into the sky, and that familiar scent of smog struck him with nostalgia. The green forests were, in truth, wilderness, while the intersecting asphalt roads exuded the true spirit of modernity.

Beside him, the Seventh Princess slowly stood up, clutching her arm. But to Gu Yi, there was nothing of a beauty beside him—only tears in his eyes, an indescribable shock, and an excitement he scarcely dared believe.

The Seventh Princess, too, was frozen in place as she looked up. In her eyes, the slope below was an endless autumn day, cloudless for thousands of miles. The cool autumn wind stirred the golden waves of ripened wheat. She saw the joy of her people after a bountiful harvest, peace and prosperity, a land where every subject had enough to eat and wear.

Gu Yi ran forward, cheering, but no matter how hard he ran, he could never get closer.

The Seventh Princess laughed, wishing to share in her people's happiness, but no matter what she did, she could never reach them.

"We were wrong. This is a dream… This paper, it's dream paper," Gu Yi whispered, unable to hide his disappointment.

Still, curiosity took hold of him.

"Seventh Princess, what do you see?"

"I see a year of abundance and a healthy, peaceful populace. I see Xu and Li laying down arms. I see my father cherishing my mother."

So this is the real Seventh Princess, Gu Yi thought.

With a stomp, a surge of spiritual energy rippled outward, recoloring the world around them. Regardless of its previous hues, everything turned green. There were snowy slopes, but now atop snow-capped mountains. There was a river, not the turbid Luyang, but a winding jade stream.

"Welcome to the League of Derai," Gu Yi announced.

Not one for lingering melancholy, his earlier emotions had already dissipated, and now he was back to his playful self.

The Seventh Princess gazed at the endless peaks. "Where did you say we are?"

"Oops, I misspoke. Welcome to the Plateau Sea of Trees!"

Gu Yi started down the mountain, his voice fading as he went.

The Seventh Princess felt a sudden clarity. She recalled being drawn in by a scrap of paper, and then seeing this scene. What on earth was happening?

"Gu Yi, wait for me! Where exactly is the Plateau Sea of Trees, and how did we end up here?" she called as she hurried after him.

It was more comfortable being with him—far better than the Fourth Princess.

"You’re the Seventh Princess of Xu, and you don’t know where the Plateau Sea of Trees is?"

"I’ve never heard of it. Wait a moment…"

"I have only one question, but I know you must have many," Gu Yi said with a smile.

"Of course I do! What are those two pieces of paper?"

"The Eight Notes of a Rainy Night—they’re relics left by those who came before us. As for exactly what they are, I don’t know much either. That’s why I wanted to come in and take a look."

"Who are you?"

"Gu Yi."

"I know your name is Gu Yi, but who are you really?"

"That’s not important. Next question."

He led her quickly down the mountain; the peak he sought was not here.

"When can we leave?"

"When the time is right."

"What exactly is the Plateau Sea of Trees?"

A good question.

"That’s a complicated one, not easily explained. If we’re lucky enough to see it for ourselves, then it will be easy to understand. If we never find it, then it’s not worth explaining. Try another question."

"Fine." The Seventh Princess walked ahead, then turned to face him. "Why did you bring me into this world inside the paper?"

"Two reasons. The immediate reason is that you were willing to save my life from your Fourth Sister. I thought, if we spent more time together, you might be even more willing to help me. The deeper reason is that it would be unbearably dull to come here alone—there’s not a soul to talk to."

She gave him a look of disdain. "You really aren’t very modest. How do you know I would want to save you? Even if I wanted to, when my Fourth Sister decides to kill someone, none of our sisters can stop her!"

"I’d be even less able to. Though she cares for me, she’s always been strict with her punishments. Don’t think a few words from me could save your life—it’s not within my power."

The sunlight forced Gu Yi to squint. "Truly impossible?"

"Impossible. Even if I threatened her with my own life, it wouldn’t work. You’re bold, sneaking into the Compendium Pavilion like that."

"And what about He Xian? She helped me a little—will she be implicated, too?"

"Probably." The Seventh Princess’s tone softened. "Though she belongs to the Daoist Lord, bringing an outsider into the Compendium Pavilion is a serious offense. Even if she isn’t beaten or scolded, she’ll be locked up for years."

"Is it really that serious?" Gu Yi was taken aback.

"My Fourth Sister is exceedingly strict. You’re only realizing this now? She listens to no one but our father."

Troublesome woman.

He Xian had only helped him out of kindness. When he got out, he would have to find a way to rescue her. The person before him, the Seventh Princess, would be his greatest help in this.

"Feeling guilty? Do you regret what happened to He Xian?"

Gu Yi didn’t answer, only wondering how to persuade the Seventh Princess to help him.

The Seventh Princess thought she had guessed his feelings. She smiled, "I knew you weren’t as bad as my Fourth Sister claimed. I know He Xian’s character; if you were truly a villain, she would never have helped you like that."

"Let’s just get down the mountain first."

"Alright, but let’s fly—it’s faster." The Seventh Princess seemed to be more advanced than he was; shrouded in spiritual energy, she leapt and shot downward at great speed.

Hm?

Halfway down, Gu Yi caught sight of a group of three at the foot of the mountain.

"Who are they?" The Seventh Princess had spotted them too. "Their clothing is strange—are they barbarians?"

Two men and a woman—the woman’s hair was done in small braids, and the men wore braids too. All three had exposed arms and legs, and feathers tied to their clothing.

The Seventh Princess stopped, but forgot for a moment about Gu Yi, causing him to lose his strength and plummet rapidly. He was startled—must he always make such a dramatic entrance?

Fortunately, the Seventh Princess had quick reflexes. She swooped down, caught him, and they landed safely.

"They’re people of Xu!"

"They’re Xu people!"

The two dark-skinned men across from them shouted and drew their blades.

"They’re so dark," the Seventh Princess couldn’t help but remark. "What kind of people are they?"

Even the lone woman had a brownish-black complexion.

Gu Yi explained, "This is a plateau region—high altitude, thin air, strong ultraviolet rays. The skin gets burned by ultraviolet light, so it’s natural for them to be darker."

Ultraviolet rays? The Seventh Princess’s gaze was filled with questions.

But there was no time to ask more—the three people before them were preparing to attack.

"Three days ago, the Peak Lord was besieged and killed in Luyang. Kill them to avenge the Peak Lord!"

With a shout, the two men raised their spears. Though they looked primitive, the spears glimmered with spiritual energy, and the two figures vanished like ghosts.

The Seventh Princess’s expression turned serious—these were no ordinary soldiers.

Gu Yi, on the other hand, was baffled.

Did they say… three days ago?

Three days ago, in Luyang—was there really such an event as the ambush and murder of a Peak Lord?