Xianan's father, Bai Ye, was not her biological father.
Her parents had died of illness when she was only two.
Alone in the world, with neither wife nor children, Bai had taken her in by chance. From then on, the two of them made a humble living together in Peach Blossom Village, deep within the Soil Realm.
The Soil Realm lies far beneath the earth. To survive, its people carve countless tunnels and caverns, turning darkness into something they could call home.
Bai made his living growing cave grass and brewing it into tea.
There is no sunlight in Soil; the air is thin, and the heat oppressive. Yet it is precisely this harsh environment that allows certain rare plants to thrive—cave grass among them. When brewed, it produces a rich yet refreshing tea, said to restore vitality and calm the mind, like ginseng.
However, cave grass is notoriously difficult to cultivate. It requires constant care and yields very little.
To save for Xianan's education, Bai worked tirelessly day after day. Even so, he never forced her to study, allowing her to grow as she pleased.
By nature, she had always been carefree—almost idle. Though intelligent, she rarely applied herself, spending her days wandering about the village like a stray, drifting in and out of neighbors' homes.
Her teacher in Peach Blossom Village often tried to reason with her.
"Xianan, you must study hard. Only by entering Golden Academy can you leave this place. Otherwise, do you intend to stay in Soil for the rest of your life?"
In Soil, education is a luxury. Beyond paying tuition, students must pass multiple rounds of selection just to qualify. Everyone works relentlessly, seeing admission to Golden Academy as the highest honor.
The academy stands in the Golden Realm, divided into eastern and western branches. Each year, it admits only fifty students—twenty-five per branch. Those who succeed can remain in Golden and escape the dark, sunless world below.
Although Soil regularly sends goods and produce to Golden, and letters can be exchanged, most have never set foot there. To them, it is a distant, almost mythical place—radiant, prosperous, and filled with the elite.
Xianan, however, only smiled when she heard such words.
"What's so bad about Soil?" she said. "My father says money and status are just empty things. What matters is living well."
Her teacher sighed, shaking his head. "Is this kind of life—confined to this small world, repeating the same days—truly enough?"
He seemed to be asking her, yet also asking himself.
Xianan nodded silently, yet nothing changed. She continued to drift through her days, idle and unhurried. She never understood why everyone was so eager to reach the Golden Realm, nor what meaning there was in remaining there. Studying, to her, held little appeal.
She had never truly considered leaving Soil.
She had seen other places before. Once, she traveled with her father, Bai, to the Wood Realm to sell cave grass tea.
Unlike the endless heat of Soil, the world above had distinct seasons. It was abundant—filled with forests, rivers, and mountains—far more lively and open.
In spring, especially, it was breathtaking: distant peaks wrapped in mist, nearby blossoms, and clouds drifting lazily across the sky.
And yet, even then, Xianan had never felt that Soil was lacking. If anything, she felt freer here. She loved visiting households with newborn children, and joining in whenever there was a wedding or celebration. To her, even this dim, shadowed world was full of life.
And yet—
She would leave the Soil Realm,
whether she wanted to or not.
A few days after the fair, when her injuries had mostly healed, Xianan went to see Jin.