The view from the top is breathtaking. From walking in the middle of busy streets, there was no way to know how big the capital city was. However, from the roof of the Red Palace, Chang’an seemed like just a small town. They could even see the entirety of the Imperial Palace and its perimeters in the distance, almost as if there were no secrets to hide from the Red Palace.

No wonder her second brother loved this watch tower. Anji had no idea if the design was deliberate, but the mechanisms installed were definitely not an afterthought. Every pillar, roof tile and floor had been planned meticulously numerous times. In Anji’s eyes, the Red Palace was an architectural miracle of its own. It was both a bunker and a weapon in the same building, serving many layers of purpose.

"Welcome to Chang’an, the capital city and land of commerce," Hong Nian Niang smiled and rejoined Anji with Yihao behind her. "That’s the Forbidden City, where royalty resides, not that it’s stopping the Red Palace from visiting freely."

Unsure how to react to such a bold claim, Anji opted for nervous laughter. The law might have long arms, but the Red Palace had longer arms if the Imperial Palace was somewhere they could easily waltz in and out of whenever they wanted. To make matters worse, Hong Nian Niang announced a guest joining them for dinner later.

"My sworn sister, Noble Consort Liu, wants to greet both of you later. She’ll be arriving incognito as the previous Sect Leader of the Heavenly Phoenix Sect instead of an imperial concubine, so you don’t have to be so stiff around her."

The Mystical Qilin Sect was a place full of mystery but after visiting the Vermillion Bird Sect’s headquarters, Anji could say they were at least on par with her shifu’s sect in terms of secrets. Where there was smoke, there was often fire. She should have seen it coming when people made comments about how the Red Palace was supported by the Noble Consort herself. Anji only thought the connection was made because Noble Consort Liu was known to love the colour red so much that nobody else dared wear it in the imperial palace to compete with her. Who would have thought she was a secret patron of this place as well?

Pointing in general directions, Hong Nian Niang gave the siblings a brief overview of Chang’an’s layout. The main street was something that could not be missed, as it was the only wide path connecting the Imperial Palace to the main gate of the city. There were four main entrances into the city, but the one facing east was the biggest and busiest. Meanwhile, the Red Palace was in the southern district. Anji understood the reason for their positioning as the Vermillion Bird is a guardian for the south in legends.

"If you are ever lost in the city, just look up to where the Red Palace is," Hong Nian Niang advised. "There are eight main pillars for the palace, and each faces a different direction. We hang up different coloured lanterns for each directional face so you can easily tell where you are in the capital city."

With Hong Nian Niang’s clear explanation, even Zhao Yihao was able to understand the basic survival guide easily. Truthfully, he did not need to remember all the different coloured lanterns. All he understood was the importance of locating the Red Palace. Given his ability to run across rooftops, all he had to do was target the Red Palace when he was lost and run towards it in a straight line. Anji nodded in agreement. For her brother, this was the most crucial thing. However, she personally noted the lantern colours because they would be useful for reporting things she might come across in the capital city that would help her second brother. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Sitting on the granite tiles that were warm from the afternoon sun, Yihao and Anji enjoyed their first sunset in Chang’an with Hong Nian Niang, who sent a message to the kitchen to prepare dinner for her guests. Work had been so busy lately that giving the children a tour was the first real break she had.

As Anji enjoyed the golden sun enveloping the city, she thought back to Hong Nian Niang. The last time they spoke, she suffered severe depression from her miscarriage and tragedy. Meeting her again, Anji could see just how strong Sect Leader Hong was. Although there were traces of melancholy, she did not let those feelings stop her. If anything, they became fuel for her actions. Like the Vermillion Bird, Hong Nian Niang danced on fire regardless of danger. She blazed through difficult times and kept the flame of hope alive so that others could gather around her like a lighthouse.

The sun set quickly, and when it was gone, Chang’an looked very different almost immediately. At first, it seemed as if all life had disappeared. However, instead of peace, the hustle and bustle was quickly replaced with noise as people celebrated a day’s work with food and alcohol. Houses were still brightly lit, and a different crowd appeared.

Instead of sweaty labourers, businessmen and well-fed officials roamed the streets. Pretty dancers called out to patrons instead of waiters, and the street for horse carts was now replaced with colourful pop-up shops. The mood changed from hardworking to playful almost at the drop of the hat, and Anji wondered if this was the norm or the influence of the Red Palace.

Compared to the researchers and librarians in the Mystical Qilin Sect, whose only joy in life was to work all day, or the Celestial Dragon Sect, who practised mindfulness after a hard day’s work, the capital city’s culture was very different. It was almost as if they worked hard just to afford the luxury of fun. On the surface, it seemed like a logical choice. However, Anji quickly identified just how unhealthy this cycle of addiction was. Without even knowing it, the people in the city were rotting away in mind, spirit and body without ever truly understanding the meaning of life.

How terrifyingly tragic.