Following his father's murder, Wu Ling's mother returned to the life of a courtesan, disguising her young son as a girl to take refuge in the Bamboo Silk House, a women's only sect dedicated to the arts. Now, as his powers awaken, he'll find himself torn between protecting his family and the goals of powerful cultivators who see him as a means to an end. "Wu Ling, I've accepted a marriage proposal on your behalf," the bewitching Hall Master of the Bamboo Silk House declared. "When you enter the Inner Sect, you'll enter under the name 'Hua Qianhu', fiancee of a young lord of the Liang family." "Hall Master, that's impossible!" Wu Ling protested. "Even if you ignore my relationship with Meifeng, I might have dressed well enough to hide as a mortal woman but I could never..." "So you truly didn't realize what you were doing," the Hall Master said, a dark smile on her lips. "Little Ling, you're a natural-born Shapeshifter. I'll teach you what you need to know," she said, her features shifting until she looked like a mirror image of the stunned Wu Ling. "As long as you follow my arrangements and learn my techniques, it isn't impossible for you to reunite with Meifeng..." "But you should consider Young Lord Liang carefully," the Hall Master added. "His affection for you is genuine. Perhaps, one day, you'll even feel the same for him..."
In a sitting room on the opposite side of the main hall from the one Fang Lin occupied, Su Yao, Su Xiang, and Wu Ling had barely sat down to enjoy artfully prepared tea before the doors opened again to admit two graceful young women in matching gray and white robes marked with the pattern of a crane in flight.
"Tang Qianqian, Chu Dieyi," Su Yao greeted the two newcomers eagerly. "I'm so glad you could both join us. Cousin Su Xiang, Aesthete Wu Ling," she continued providing introductions. "These two are my good friends from Primary School. They've been at the Silver Wing Pavilion since awakening last year."
"Su Xiang," Chu Dieyi, the taller and more forward of the two said, bowing slightly. "Your cousin has been bragging about you to us since we were in school together. I'm glad to finally have a chance to meet you."