Prologue
“Star Monarch! It’s terrible! Fairy Yao Ji is here!” a voice, the loudest he’d ever heard, shrieked.
Dressed in white, the Star Monarch sat at his table, his face etched with exasperation.
“Fairy,” he said, “it’s not that I wish to be difficult, but the Book of Destinies governs the very cycle of reincarnation. I simply cannot give it to you.”
Seeing the young woman’s crestfallen expression, he softened his tone. “Please, Fairy, listen to reason. I understand your distress at General Fei Guang’s banishment, but he lost the Demon-Subduing Seal. By law, his soul should have been scattered. Now, through reincarnation, he still has a chance to return to the Heavenly Palace. Why must you sacrifice yourself to follow him?”
The young woman was, of course, the Fairy Yao Ji. Barely sixteen, she was like a flower bud on the verge of blooming. Even though she hadn’t yet reached her full splendor, her beauty was captivating. Even the Star Monarch, accustomed to the sight of celestial maidens, couldn’t help but acknowledge that the Emperor’s youngest daughter was indeed the most beautiful in all the realms.
Yao Ji’s voice was soft. “Star Monarch, as the one who governs destinies, you surely know that when we deities undergo reincarnation in the mortal realm, each cycle dilutes our divine essence. When that essence is completely gone, we can never return to the Heavenly Palace.”
The memory of Fei Guang falling from the Heavenly Gate sent a pang of pain through her heart. “I have obtained Father’s permission to aid Fei Guang. If I can help him remember his past life after descending to the mortal realm, even if he hasn't recovered the Demon-Subduing Seal, Father will allow him to return.”
“Oh?” The Star Monarch was surprised. It was said that the Emperor favored his youngest daughter, Yao Ji, above all others. It seemed the rumors were true.
Fei Guang, the guardian general of the Hong Yuan Pavilion, had lost the precious Demon-Subduing Seal during a battle with demons, allowing it to fall into the mortal realm. The consequences were dire. In his fury, the Emperor had initially intended to scatter Fei Guang’s soul, but later changed his mind, decreeing that Fei Guang must be reborn into the mortal realm and remain there until he recovered the seal.
Upon hearing the news, Yao Ji had rushed to the Heavenly Gate, but Fei Guang had already descended. She then went directly to the Star Monarch's palace, begging him for Fei Guang's Book of Destinies so she could find him. The Star Monarch, of course, refused. After months of this, he hadn’t expected the Emperor to actually consent to Yao Ji's seemingly reckless plan.
“Very well. Since it is the Emperor’s will, I will not refuse.” The Star Monarch rang a bronze bell on his table. “Boy, bring me Destiny Book number 182.”
“Thank you, Star Monarch.” A smile bloomed on Yao Ji’s delicate face. She curtsied gracefully, her long black hair cascading down her robes like a flowing river of stars.
The Star Monarch watched her for a moment, then asked, “If I may be so bold, Fairy, why do you go to such lengths for Fei Guang?”
A blush colored Yao Ji’s cheeks. “Fei Guang and I grew up together,” she murmured. “Now that he faces such hardship, I must help him. It is simply to repay our bond of friendship.”
“Oh.” The Star Monarch’s reply was noncommittal. He was a keen judge of character. One glance at the shyness in Yao Ji’s eyes and the blush on her cheeks told him the rumors were true—Fairy Yao Ji had long held affection for General Fei Guang.
Just then, the boy returned with the Book of Destinies, a faint luminescence emanating from its pages. He presented it to the Star Monarch, who then passed it to Yao Ji. “Here you are, Fairy. This is Fei Guang’s Book of Destinies.”
The boy looked at the Star Monarch in surprise, opening his mouth as if to speak, but then closing it again. Yao Ji, clutching the book as if it were the most precious treasure, didn't notice this brief exchange.
Yao Ji was determined to help Fei Guang regain his memories. Unlike a deity banished to the mortal realm, she wouldn’t have to endure the cycle of reincarnation. However, to attach her soul to a mortal body, she would lose her divine powers. To find Fei Guang quickly, she needed his Book of Destiny, which would guide her to his reincarnations in each mortal world.
“I have a gift for you, Fairy.” Yao Ji was about to leave when the Star Monarch produced a small compass from his sleeve. “This is a Destiny Compass. When you open the Book of Destinies and activate this compass, you can attach yourself to someone close to the book’s owner, someone whose soul resonates with yours.”
Yao Ji looked at the Star Monarch in surprise. He had clearly disapproved of her descent to the mortal realm, so why was he helping her now?
“Having set you on this path, I might as well see you through,” the Star Monarch said. “Now that you have the Book of Destinies, I hope for your safe return.”
Yao Ji bowed deeply to the Star Monarch once more, then left with the book and compass. After her graceful figure disappeared beyond the palace doors, the boy finally voiced his confusion. “Star Monarch, the book you asked me to retrieve… wasn't that the Book of Destinies for the Divine Lord Feng Jun? Why…?”
The Star Monarch lifted his jade cup and drained the remaining wine. “My dear boy,” he said, “some things… are best left unsaid.”