Prelude

"Long ago, a great war was declared between the Heavens and the Earth. The Immortals were discontent with the humans' chaos and wrecked havoc upon the land to force them into submission. But, this was not a war that could be fought with swords: the humans retaliated with music, the only creation that could not be imitated by the emotionless Immortals."

"Did the humans defeat them then, Uncle?" a little girl asked the old man narrating the legend. The other children surrounding him waited intently for his answer.

The old man chuckled wistfully. "Not quite, young one. Infuriated, the Immortals broke all of their instruments and terrorized the humans yet again."

The children grumbled in disappointment.

"But, one brave hero sacrificed himself and weaved pipa strings from his heart. The instrument was indestructible, and he sent the Immortals back to the Heavens once and for all."

Cheers erupted from the crowd; Li Qin laughed lightly at their pure reactions and continued strolling down the central street.

Jiang Hua Zhen, Li Qin's servant and confidant, tossed roasted peanuts into her mouth as they walked. "If only such a pipa actually existed, I wouldn't have to repair your strings every week, young master."

Li Qin hummed in response, his eyes drifting over the wares of the market stands crowding the street. The bustling avenues of Jinling was the closest thing Li Qin could call home. The whistles of candied hawthorn sellers, the bartering between customers and shop owners, the chatter among reunited old friends were all music to his ears.

"Qin gege, Qin gege!" the same little girl called to him, "Can you play your pipa for us like the great hero?"

Li Qin patted the girl's hair lightly and settled on the stairway in front of a cake shop. "A-Zhen," he beckoned.

Hua Zhen stopped mid-chew and huffed exasperatedly. She pulled Li Qin's pipa from the bag strapped to her back.

As Li Qin strummed the pipa gently, children swarmed around his feet like butterflies to sweet flowers. People from every corner of the street wandered over to watch his performance. His fingers caressed the strings like dancers upon a stage, the melody twirling through the warm spring air. In his periphery, a mysterious figure lingered by the edge of the crowd. The man was dressed plainly, in simple black robes and a cloth concealing his face.

Li Qin was accustomed to the attention: his delicate grace seemingly illuminated through the rough disarray of the streets. Yet, the mysterious man's piercing gaze unnerved him even as he played the final note of the song.

Hua Zhen's voice broke his thoughts. "Aren't you going to at least acknowledge them, young master?" She pointed her chin to a group of young ladies at the front of the crowd, gossiping in hushed whispers but their seductive eyes never leaving Li Qin's face. He had long learned that those stares were never innocent but nonetheless sent them a soft smile, causing a torrent of giggles behind flower-painted fans.

"Will you prepare the piece I have been practicing, A-Zhen?" Li Qin asked, to which Hua Zhen rustled through her bag to find the sheet of music.

Before she could hand it to Li Qin, a book appeared before him, an unusual melody adorning the open page. Li Qin traced the extended arm to its owner, the mysterious man whose eyes were now obscured by the shadow of his wide straw hat. He did not utter a word, but there was something demanding about his looming presence.

Li Qin took the book in his hands, the yellowed pages so worn, they nearly disintegrated with his careful touch. He began to play, slowly plucking the unfamiliar notes. The mysterious man still hovered in front of him, seemingly entranced by his performance. Li Qin peered at him from beneath his eyelashes but could not distinguish an expression on the man's face.

Suddenly, shouts pierced through the budding song, causing Li Qin's fingers to falter from the strings. The crowd that formed before him quickly dispersed, joining the frenzy. Li Qin did not need to search far for the source of the commotion, as a dozen horses trampled through the central street. Their leader crashed into a jewelry stand by the steps where Li Qin performed, and the wooden poles slowly teetered before falling toward him.

He braced himself but was only met with the warm touch of arms encircling him. The mysterious man held Li Qin firmly against his chest, and Li Qin caught a glimpse of a gash on his shoulder that began to ooze blood and could smell iron cutting through his musk-scented perfume.

The mysterious man raised a sword that was hidden in the folds of his robes to the assailant atop the horse, and an assembly of guards in golden armor fell into formation by his side, their swords too pointed at the assailant. But, the attacker did not pay the blades any mind. His jade-like eyes leered at Li Qin with disdain; his searing gaze followed the slope of Li Qin's exposed neck to the mysterious man's grasp on Li Qin's shoulder.

Li Qin laid a gentle hand on the mysterious man's extended arm, and the man lowered his sword hesitantly, his guards following suit. Facing the man on the horse, he cast his eyes to the ground and bowed deeply.

"Welcome home, Zhang Jun Feng."