Zhu Zhuyun then came back to her senses, took a deep breath, glanced at Zhu Zhuqing, and replied. "Teacher Xin, this is what happened: In the Soul Master Competition, Zhuqing defeated us, and Dai Mubai lost to Tianshui Academy. After the competition, Dai Weisi dispatched his secret guards to capture Dai Mubai and bring him back to the Star Luo Empire. However, he didn't kill him; instead, he crippled one of Dai Mubai's hands, turning him into a disabled person with one eye and a broken arm."
Her voice remained steady at first, but there was an undercurrent of tension beneath it. The memory was still fresh, the humiliation and cruelty of the Star Luo royal struggle etched deeply into her mind. Even now, recounting it in the calm and peaceful environment of the academy felt surreal.
"As a result, Dai Mubai has almost completely lost his right to contend for the throne. But they are, after all, brothers, and facing a brother with no competitiveness, Dai Weisi softened. I found out that Dai Mubai harbored resentment towards Zhuqing and made a condition to Dai Weisi."
As she spoke, her gaze flickered slightly toward Zhu Zhuqing, a complicated mixture of guilt and concern surfacing in her eyes. The bond between sisters, once distant and strained, had quietly begun to mend—but the consequences of the past still lingered.
"Dai Mubai swore that he would be willing to guard the frontier and never return to the imperial capital, on the condition that he immediately marry a direct descendant of the Zhu family to accompany him."
"Dai Weisi advised the Star Luo Emperor, and the Star Luo Emperor agreed."
"A date was set: Dai Weisi would be confirmed as Crown Prince and marry me, while Dai Mubai would marry my Third Sister, Zhuyu. The Zhu family was powerless to resist."
The words fell heavily into the air, like stones sinking into still water. The arrangement was clear, cold, and absolute—an unchangeable decree that reduced lives and futures into mere bargaining chips within the imperial game.
"I knew that Dai Mubai had been humiliated by Zhuqing, and his insistence on marrying my Third Sister must have been with ill intentions. I was afraid that Third Sister would have a miserable life after marrying him, and I myself…"
Zhu Zhuyun spoke, her voice catching. What she didn't say was that ever since she had seen Teacher Xin and witnessed Zhuqing's performance during the Soul Master Competition, she herself had begun to waver about her fate. Should she truly marry Dai Weisi like this?
Her fingers tightened unconsciously at her sides. For years, she had accepted her destiny without question. Marriage, duty, alliance—these were things she had been taught to embrace without hesitation. But something had changed.
On one hand, there was her reawakened sisterly affection; on the other, the entanglement of her family's destined marriage. This led her to make the most astonishing decision of her life.
She would escape the Star Luo Empire with her Third Sister and come to Heart of Fire Academy to seek refuge!
The choice had not been made lightly. It meant defying the royal family, abandoning her predetermined path, and stepping into an uncertain future. Yet, for the first time in her life, it was a decision she made for herself.
"Dai Mubai!"
After Zhu Zhuyun finished explaining the whole story, it turned out that all of this was Dai Mubai's doing, and it was caused by him!
Zhu Zhuqing's expression grew colder, her slender fingers tightly clenched. A faint chill seemed to spread from her, subtle but unmistakable. She had believed that by severing ties during the Soul Master Competition, she could leave the past behind.
But reality proved otherwise.
The chains of the Star Luo Empire were not so easily broken.
Upon hearing this, Xin also sighed softly. This was the helplessness of being born into an imperial noble family; from birth, a woman was destined to be a sacrifice for her family.
Though his expression remained calm, there was a trace of understanding in his eyes. He had seen too much of such things—ambition, power, and the quiet suffering hidden beneath them.
"Teacher Xin, we have already defected. We have nowhere to go. The Star Luo Royal Family won't let us go, and our family won't lightly disturb me and Third Sister. I know this request might be very difficult for Teacher Xin, but we truly have nowhere to go."
Zhu Zhuyun's voice trembled slightly now, no longer able to maintain its earlier composure. The weight of her decision, the uncertainty of the future, and the vulnerability of standing before someone who could decide everything—all of it surfaced at once.
"Teacher Xin, can you take us in? Zhuyun doesn't ask to be your disciple. Even if it's just serving as a maid for Teacher Xin here, pouring tea, fetching water, and cleaning, that would be fine. I believe only Teacher Xin might be willing to shelter us."
Her words were sincere, stripped of pride or pretense. For someone of her status, such a plea was no small matter—it was the complete lowering of herself, placing her fate into another's hands.
Zhu Zhuyun's exquisite and dignified face was disheveled from the overnight journey, her dark hair curved like spider silk on her jade skin, and tears welled up in her eyes. She fiercely kowtowed several times to Xin, looking pitiful.
Each bow was firm and resolute, her forehead touching the ground without hesitation. The soft rustle of cherry blossoms seemed to echo her movements, the peaceful surroundings contrasting sharply with the desperation in her actions.
Beside her, Zhu Zhuyu hesitated for only a moment before following suit, kneeling and lowering her head as well. Though she didn't fully understand everything her sister carried, she trusted her completely.
Silence fell over the courtyard.
The previously lively atmosphere faded, replaced by a quiet tension. The Heart of Fire disciples, seated among the blossoms, watched the scene unfold with softened expressions. Even they, who admired their Teacher deeply, understood the weight of such a request.
At the center of it all, Xin stood beneath the cherry tree, unmoving.
Petals drifted past him, brushing lightly against his robe before falling to the ground. His expression remained unreadable, his gaze resting calmly on the two sisters before him.
For a brief moment, it felt as though time itself had slowed—waiting for his answer.