[The Princess's Poison]
Princess Si Yirou stood by her window, her gaze like frost. "Princess," a maid whispered, "the rumors have spread to every district. Stories of the Saintess and the Five Yao sharing beds and engaging in 'indecent acts' are everywhere. They even cite 'forehead-to-forehead embraces' as proof."
Yirou smiled, a cold, sharp expression. "The people don't believe in fate; they believe in scandal. I want her to lose the trust of the heart and the purity of her reputation. I want the world to see her not as a Saintess, but as a temptress who ruined the five virtues of the Yao-world."
[The City Aflame with Scandal]
By dawn, the capital was a mess of whispers. Storytellers exaggerated tales of the Fire Yao embracing her and the Earth Yao guarding her bed at night. Vulgar tabloids featured "sketched illustrations" of Gu Xingyu and the five men in suggestive poses with headlines like: "One Woman, Five Puppets: Is the Yao-World Falling?"
The Five Yao were the first to hear. Lin Lie crushed a newspaper in his hand. Luo Ye was red with rage, ready to hunt down the printers. Cang Yuan and Sang Qi realized this was a calculated political assassination. Li Yan's eyes turned to steel.
Their first instinct? "Don't let Xingyu see this. Protect her from the filth."
[The Night of Five Vows]
But the truth couldn't be hidden. In the quiet guest courtyard, Xingyu sat on the stone steps, trembling with indignation after hearing the rumors from a sympathetic servant. "To destroy me with lies... this is crueler than a blade," she whispered.
Then, footsteps approached.
Lin Lie stood before her. He didn't offer pity. Instead, he handed her an old, worn mechanical part—his grandfather's first invention. "True value isn't given by others; it's built by yourself. I believe in you. If you walk, I follow. If you retreat, I defend."
Luo Ye rushed in next, offering a small jar of spice candies. "I nearly turned those liars into dumplings!" he huffed, his voice softening. "I'm not good with words, but the most serious thing I've ever done is wanting you to be happy. I choose you because you are you."
Sang Qi strolled in, his usual smirk replaced by a piercing sincerity. "I've seen many wounds, Xingyu. Some heal, some just need a companion so they don't rot. You're the one who stands with us. If you want to curse the world, I'll be your voice."
Cang Yuan leaned in, his voice a silken thread. He handed her a water-patterned ring. "You asked why I'm always laughing? It's my armor. But for you, I'll take it off. This isn't just a gift; it's my choice."
Finally, Li Yan stepped forward. He did the unthinkable—he removed his battle vambrace, the armor he had never taken off since his days at war, and placed it in her hands. "I thought I came to guard the Yao-world," he rasped. "But now I know, the one I want to protect is you."
Standing amidst the five of them, Xingyu's eyes welled with tears, but her heart was emboldened. "You didn't choose me because I'm a Saintess," she said softly. "I choose to be a Saintess because you chose me."
She stepped into the center of their circle, her resolve hardening. "Now, let us find the one who spread these lies. Let the world see that a Saintess cannot be destroyed by words—and the Five Yao are no one's puppets."