Bo Xi guided the carriage forward, the wheels creaking softly against the stone road. The farther she traveled from the wilderness, the more she felt how quickly everything around her was changing—and how easily she was accepting it. It was as if the world itself had already decided her place within it.
She was certain the entity calling itself the Creator had something to do with that.
The memory of the voice still echoed faintly in her mind. It did not frighten her anymore, but it left her with a strange sense of being watched, as though invisible strings were quietly guiding her steps.
Soon, tall city walls rose in the distance. They were built of dark gray stone, towering high enough to block out the sky. Flags fluttered above the gate, embroidered with the emblem of the prefecture. Soldiers in polished armor stood at attention, spears planted firmly into the ground as travelers lined up to enter.
Bo Xi slowed the ox and joined the queue.
Merchants, farmers, and scholars waited patiently, each presenting their travel permits. Since unrest had increased along the borders, the government had tightened movement between regions. Without stamped documents, even stepping inside the city would be impossible.
When her turn came, a woman in guard armor raised her hand.
"Name? Purpose?" the guard asked briskly.
"Bo Xi. Scholar. I'm relocating to prepare for the imperial examination." Bo Xi handed over her papers.
Another soldier behind a desk took the documents, flipped through them carefully, and wrote her name into a large ledger. After comparing the seals, he nodded.
"What is in the carriage?" the guard asked.
"Clothes and books," Bo Xi replied calmly from the driver's seat.
"Five copper as an entrance fee. We will search the carriage."
Bo Xi silently took out the coins and handed them over. The guards lifted the cloth covering the cart, poked through the boxes, and even tapped the wooden boards beneath. When they found nothing suspicious, they stepped aside.
"You may enter."
Bo Xi let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. With a light tug on the reins, she guided the ox through the gates and into the bustling streets beyond.
The city was alive.
Vendors shouted, customers bargained, and children ran between stalls. The smell of roasted meat, herbs, and incense filled the air. Compared to her former village, this place felt like a different world entirely.
Her village had been too poor to support her studies, and the nearest academy had been days away. Leaving had been her only choice. Now, standing here, she felt the weight of that decision—but also its hope.
She parked her carriage near the government office, a large compound with red-painted pillars and carved stone steps. Inside, clerks rushed back and forth carrying stacks of documents, stamping and sealing papers with practiced speed.
Bo Xi approached a woman sorting files.
"Sister, where do I go to buy land and transfer my registry?" she asked.
The woman pointed toward a door without looking up. "There."
Bo Xi knocked and entered when a voice said, "Enter."
Inside, a formally dressed woman sat behind a desk, writing.
"What is the matter?" she asked, still focused on her work.
"I'm here to buy land and transfer my residency," Bo Xi said.
"Documents."
Bo Xi handed them over. The officer finally looked up, scanning the pages.
"Scholar… hmph," she muttered. "Everything is in order. The fee is five taels."
"Yes, sir." Bo Xi paid immediately.
The officer pressed several intricate seals onto a registry sheet, the red ink forming elegant patterns, then added the official stamp.
"You wish to transfer to Han Village?" she asked.
"Yes. I heard it is peaceful."
"It is. For land and housing, see Officer Li. Door to the left."
Bo Xi thanked her and entered the next room. Several desks were arranged neatly, each marked with a nameplate. Officer Li, a woman with kind eyes and a warm smile, looked up when Bo Xi approached.
"Officer Li, I'd like to buy a house and land."
"Which village?"
"Han Village. I heard you're familiar with it."
Officer Li's eyes lit up. "Then you're in luck. There's a blue-brick house available—three rooms, a kitchen, a private well, and good land nearby."
"That sounds perfect," Bo Xi said. "What's the price?"
Officer Li hesitated before lowering her voice. "The house once belonged to a landlord who offended a noble. People consider it unlucky. It would normally be four hundred taels, but now it's three hundred. The land is fifty."
Bo Xi nodded. It matched her inherited memories.
"I'll take it."
Officer Li smiled brightly and processed the papers. Bo Xi paid, discreetly pulling money from her space while pretending it came from her purse.
"Can you hire three villagers to clean it?" Bo Xi asked. "I'll pay five coppers each."
"Of course," Officer Li said. "I'll notify the village chief."
With everything settled, Bo Xi returned to her carriage, stored the deeds in her space, and set off to buy what she would need for her new life.