Chapter 7 — Nine Lives as a Living Potion

The floodwaters that had long submerged the coastal fishing villages vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving behind countless fish and shrimp flopping upon the exposed earth. From that moment onward, the vicious rumors branding me as an ill-fated spirit born of the grave dissolved into nothingness.

On the day of my coming-of-age celebration, the gifts bestowed upon me by the Empress Mother filled the Hall of Radiance to the brim. For the very first time in my life, I came to understand what it truly meant to be cherished as a daughter, and how beneath the warmth of such affection, one's days could blossom into ever-deepening happiness.