Abnormal?
How could she be abnormal?
Wangshu reached up and touched her forehead, but felt nothing out of the ordinary. Chu Daixi held up a small mirror in front of her, and only then did Wangshu see clearly that a mark had appeared between her brows.
At first glance it looked gold, but when the mirror was brought closer, she could see it was made of countless fine particles like specks of dust, swirling into a golden brand that resembled both flame and smoke.
Wangshu touched the mark. She felt nothing at all.
“What is this?” Wangshu asked.
“It’s called a Soul Mark,” Chu Daixi answered as she lifted Wangshu out of the Spirit Pool. Once she was standing on the ground, the others could see Wangshu even more clearly.
The Grand Elder’s gaze could hardly leave Wangshu’s brow. She checked again and again before slowly letting out a breath and saying solemnly, “It truly is a Soul Mark. No mistake about it.”
Chu Daixi used her fingers to tidy the damp strands of hair at Wangshu’s temples. With no hair in the way, the mark was even more visible. She explained, “You should know by now that spirit seeds and the innate divine abilities that come with them are all creations of heaven and earth. But even creations vary—in measure, in depth. That’s why spirit seeds have grades in the first place.”
Wangshu nodded.
“There is a tiny fraction of extremely rare divine abilities that touch the very essence of creation. Those who possess such abilities often bear outward manifestations, and the most obvious of these is the Soul Mark.”
“But by all logic, a divine ability that manifests a Soul Mark is rarer than even a gold-grade spirit seed. It’s nearly unheard of for a purple-grade spirit seed to awaken an ability that carries a Soul Mark.”
“Could this be a mistake?” Wangshu’s small face turned serious. “I don’t feel like I’ve grasped any divine ability.”
She had already carefully examined every change in her body. Aside from discovering the presence of the spirit seed and finally feeling like she’d “eaten her fill,” there was truly nothing different from before.
Wangshu had already begun to suspect that this whole thing might be a huge misunderstanding.
But Chu Daixi burst out laughing, poking Wangshu’s puffed-out cheek. “Didn’t you get to the lessons about divine abilities in class?”
What did that mean? Wangshu stared at Chu Daixi, her dark eyes fixed and unblinking.
Chu Daixi stifled her laughter—the child was too easily teased. She explained, “Normally, spirit seeds awaken at five years old, and divine abilities awaken at ten.”
“Divine abilities come from your spirit seed, and spirit seeds need to be nurtured too, you know. Nothing starts out strong. Chu Xiu probably didn’t tell you because you’re still so young.”
So that was it. Wangshu nodded and said coolly, “Since I haven’t awakened any ability yet, we can’t say this Soul Mark is from an ability. At least not for certain.”
Chu Zhiyuan watched the child lay out her reasoning so methodically, utterly astonished. Was this how a normal three-year-old talked? Or was the clan leader’s child just especially exceptional?
“Little one,” Chu Zhiyuan spoke up curiously. “Even if we can’t be completely certain, the source of your Soul Mark is ten to one tied to a divine ability. That means you’re remarkable. Why aren’t you happy about it?”
Wangshu’s gaze shifted over. Chu Daixi raised a faint eyebrow, also curious to hear her answer.
Wangshu looked at Chu Zhiyuan and said with serious eyes, “Because it’s not confirmed yet.”
“What isn’t confirmed doesn’t belong to me.”
If I claimed this so-called “extraordinary” and everyone started celebrating, and then one day in the future you all discovered I wasn’t—what would you think of me then? Would you still think I was remarkable?
Rather than a fleeting joy, rather than the disappointment that follows a fleeting joy, Wangshu thought it better to wait until all the “extraordinary” was truly and solidly realized before she celebrated properly.
Bamboo grove, evening breeze. Wangshu’s young and earnest voice carried through the rustling leaves.
No one was unmoved by such a child’s words.
The three elders, and Chu Daixi as well, all looked at Wangshu and thought:
This truly is an extraordinary child.
-
Seven days later, Wangshu was dressed up in grand style.
Chu Daixi had specially commissioned a child-sized ceremonial robe for her—bright red, with a slanted collar, and auspicious round patterns embroidered on the fabric in gold thread.
In addition to the robe, she wore a long-life lock pendant that Chu Daixi had given her, a gold bangle on each wrist, and her sparse, soft hair was barely tied into two small buns, pinned with tiny golden cicadas, with crescent-shaped hair combs tucked at the corners of her temples.
Wangshu leaned extremely close to the mirror. Her thick lashes fluttered, but they weren’t curled so much as straight, casting a small shadow at the corners of her eyes when she blinked.
Arched brows, apricot-shaped eyes. Wangshu looked again at the mark between her brows—a pale gold Soul Mark like scattered stardust, echoing around her features, adding a vivid spark of spirit to her fair face, red lips, and white teeth.
I’ll probably be pretty when I grow up.
Wangshu looked at the mirror, and the corners of her mouth curled up in secret.
“What’s the matter, dazzled by your own reflection?” Another figure in the same bright red walked into the mirror.
It was Chu Daixi. She wore a robe of the same fabric, same embroidery, same style as Wangshu’s—just Wangshu scaled up.
When they had ordered Wangshu’s clothes, Wangshu had tugged at her sleeve and whispered, “Mother, wear the same as me.”
Chu Daixi had paused to imagine it—her announcing Wangshu’s identity at the clan assembly, the two of them standing before everyone in matching robes… Ah, she was instantly dazzled by the image and immediately ordered the same robe made for herself.
Now, Chu Daixi looked at the mirror. One big and one small, one tall and one short—two bright red figures. Wangshu wore golden cicadas and gold bangles; Chu Daixi wore a gold crown.
They both looked at the mirror, both with the corners of their mouths slightly lifted.
Who would dare say this child wasn’t her own flesh and blood?
Chu Daixi was insufferably pleased with herself.
Wangshu couldn’t help but reach for her forehead again. “Mother, should I cover this up?”
Chu Daixi raised an eyebrow. “Cover what? It looks great!”
That was true too. Wangshu nodded, lowered her hand, and Chu Daixi took it naturally.
“Let’s go. The auspicious hour has come—time to meet the rest of the Chu family.”
-
In the Grand Council Hall, the upper echelons of the Chu clan had all gathered.
Chu Yan barely counted as upper echelon, having squeezed into a middle position in the hall. As for Chu Xiu… in theory, he had no standing to attend a clan assembly, but due to his special circumstances, Chu Daixi had allowed him a spot at the very back of the hall.
Standing at the front of the hall were the five elders of the Chu clan. Among them, the Third Elder and the Fourth Elder were ones Wangshu had never met before.
Third Elder, Jingyuan, and Second Elder, Zhiyuan, were siblings—the Second Elder was in charge of the mining region, and the Third Elder oversaw spirit plant cultivation.
The Fourth Elder was a man with a somewhat scholarly air, fond of white robes, who managed the Chu clan’s shops and market districts.
The Fifth Elder, Chu Mingyan, handled the coordination between the children’s academy and the Dao school. She was Chu Yan’s direct superior, which was also why Chu Yan had previously sought Chu Mingyan’s divination on Wangshu’s talent.
The Grand Elder had the highest cultivation among the elders and seldom concerned herself with mundane affairs. Clan Leader Chu Daixi held supervisory authority over all matters of the Chu clan.
At this moment, the elders had gathered together to discuss just one thing.
“The clan leader really gave birth to a daughter? And she’s already three?” Third Elder Jingyuan was extremely curious. He had also sensed the disturbance from the clan’s treasure vault that day, but he had been outside the clan’s territory and hadn’t been able to hurry back in time.
"Indeed." Once she started on the topic, Chu Zhiyuan couldn't help but marvel. "You have no idea—that child is extraordinary, like a tiny grown-up."
"She awakened her spiritual seed at three years old, and it was purple-grade."
Purple-grade. Chu Jingyuan nodded in approval. The Chu family had few descendants in this generation; only the Grand Elder's granddaughter was purple-grade. Having another gifted junior like this was truly uplifting news for the clan.
He said, "Then she should be brought back, to properly honor her ancestry."
He harbored not a shred of doubt about Wangshu's identity, assuming she was born to the clan leader outside the clan... those men, dispensable as they were, but a child—she was definitely one of theirs. Now that she'd awakened such excellent talent, bringing her back was entirely reasonable.
Chu Zhiyuan wore a faint smile, watching her foolish brother nod in agreement, and said nothing to correct him.
The clan leader ruled with an iron fist; she had no intention of crossing her.
The Fourth Elder straightened his sleeves and said with an honest face, "The gift I prepared is two thriving shops in the southern city of Yingzhou. Is that too shabby?"
At the mention of gifts, the Grand Elder recalled the embarrassment of fumbling around her person that day and finding nothing to give, and said flatly, "She's still young. Two thriving shops are already a generous gesture. When she's older, you can give her something even better."
The delicate-featured little girl standing beside the Grand Elder lifted her head. "Am I finally getting a little sister? Is she very talented?"
The Grand Elder's expression softened, and she smiled as she nodded. "She's five years younger than you."
Five years younger. Chu Qinghe quickly did the math in her head—that meant the girl was only three now.
Three, a bit young, but not too late. Chu Qinghe gave a small nod, a glint of something no one could decipher flashing in her eyes.
The murmured conversations in the great hall were kept extremely low. Chu Mingyan gazed at the palace doors and said calmly, "The auspicious hour is almost upon us."
Gradually, silence fell. Everyone clasped their hands together and turned to look toward the entrance as one.
At the exact appointed time, the great doors slowly swung open, light tracing a clear, luminous silhouette—it was Chu Daixi.
Backlit, her features were hard to make out, but that hardly mattered. Her tall, confident bearing, the loose sleeves falling gracefully at her sides, and the solemn, resplendent golden crown proclaimed her identity beyond any doubt.
Chu Daixi stood at the threshold but did not step forward. Instead, she extended one hand slowly, smiling as she looked to the right.
The gazes of everyone in the hall followed the gesture, and they saw, from behind the right side of the doorframe, a small hand reach out.
Wangshu's figure appeared fully at the entrance—clad in the same flowing crimson robes, like a miniature version of Chu Daixi.
Under the eyes of all, Chu Daixi took Wangshu's hand and, openly and with full legitimacy, walked into the main hall.
It was a stretch of path neither long nor short, and Wangshu walked it with perfect composure.
When they reached the highest position, Chu Daixi lifted Wangshu up and turned to face the assembly.
"Honored elders and kin, allow me to formally introduce you—this is my daughter, three years of age, born under the full moon. I have named her Wangshu. As of this day, she shall be officially recorded into the Chu family genealogy. Does anyone object?"
It was only when Chu Daixi lifted Wangshu to face them that the gathering could truly see her.
She was a crystalline, adorable little girl, as if carved from jade, with dark, pure eyes that carried a calm far beyond her years, quietly regarding the crowd without a hint of nervousness.
Most striking of all was a golden mark upon her brow, which, together with her clear, fearless gaze, gave her an almost awe-inspiring, otherworldly quality.
The Third and Fourth Elders, who had never seen Wangshu before, were both startled by the golden imprint on her forehead, squinting at it with expressions of shock and uncertainty.
"That—that is—" Chu Jingyuan sent a telepathic message to his sister. "A phase seal? Am I seeing things? Or is it a birthmark? But no birthmark looks like that."
"You're not mistaken." Chu Zhiyuan said coolly, "That is indeed a phase seal that appeared for reasons yet unknown. As for why it formed, there's still no conclusion."
What else could cause a phase seal but innate divine ability? Chu Jingyuan's bewildered eyes were full of confusion.
Chu Zhiyuan curved her lips slightly and said, "That child doesn't want us to speak of it—says it hasn't been confirmed yet."
"Such... such..." Chu Jingyuan found it hard to comment further.
Meanwhile, the Grand Elder was savoring the name Wangshu. The goddess who drives the moon. The Grand Elder could taste the blessing and hope carefully hidden within that name.
She let out a silent sigh.
She thought, it truly is a wonderful name—and that child is worthy of it.
No one voiced any objection. The fact that Wangshu had awakened her spiritual seed at three years old was already known to those with sharp ears, and the golden imprint on her brow was all the more intriguing.
Wangshu. Chu Wangshu. The Chu family truly needed such a beacon of hope to lead them to new heights.
Chu Wangshu looked at the many complex gazes below the platform, and what came to mind was the scene where her mother had given her the name.
Since Wangshu was still a tiny illiterate, the task of naming her had fallen entirely to Chu Daixi.
Chu Daixi had spent days flipping through that dictionary, scratching her head in frustration, until one day she excitedly sat Wangshu on her knee, opening the book to a certain page.
"Before me, Wangshu drove on as my vanguard..." Her finger traced lightly across the line, and she looked into Wangshu's eyes, speaking seriously: "The historical records of the Tianheng Continent once mentioned a goddess called Wangshu. She drove the moon as she traveled, a herald and pioneer of light."
"And you were born under the full moon. Your mother feels this name was made for you."
"I only hope my child is free, ambitious—farther than the moon, swifter than the wind."
Wangshu stared blankly at that line, her mother's gentle yet strong voice ringing in her ears.
Herald and pioneer. Farther than the moon, swifter than the wind... So this name could carry such a beautiful meaning after all.
Wangshu had always been called Wangshu.
When the orphanage director had picked her up, her swaddling had contained only a crumpled slip of paper with two crookedly scrawled characters—"Wangshu."
And so the director had called her Wangshu.
For eighteen lonely years in her past life, Wangshu had wandered this world without ever finding the prefix to that name.
In this life, Wangshu had changed a little. She had a surname—Chu—and she had a mother.
Wangshu met Wangshu's eyes. She was still the same Wangshu, and yet a brand-new Wangshu.
Seeing that Wangshu remained silent for so long, Chu Daixi felt a flicker of unease. She was skilled with blade and spear, not with words and letters. Naming a new life—she had never once done such a thing in her life.
There were so many meanings she'd wanted to pour into the name, but this one didn't fit, that one wasn't right. It was only after much deliberation that she had settled on Wangshu.
Clearing her throat, the Chu clan leader said with a touch of awkwardness, "Well then, does my dear little one like it?"
Chu Wangshu snapped back to the present, turned her head, and looked into those eyes that always made her feel safe.
She said, with absolute sincerity,
"Mother, I love it."
