On this day, a month after his arrival in Yujing, he was practicing swordsmanship in the back garden.
A silhouette turned the corner, graceful and poised, holding a food box in her hand.
Hou Niao had long been aware of someone approaching; he was conscious of every inch of the northern courtyard.
He had given instructions not to be disturbed, so no one had dared to come near; in Yujing, no one dared ignore the requests of a cultivator.
When the woman hesitated at a distance, unsure whether to advance or retreat or even greet him, Hou Niao ceased waving his sword and turned his head.
Standing at a distance was an extremely charming woman, with a mature grace that retained its allure; her dressing and bearing were elegant, evoking no sense of blame.
"Who are you?"
The woman walked over gently, placed the food box on a nearby stone table, and crouched with a curtsy, the picture of grace.