Vermillion Bird had never imagined that she would one day share a man with another woman, much less compete with her side by side. If someone had suggested such a thing to her years ago, they would have undoubtedly faced her wrath and ended up torn in half.2

But if she had to accept someone, if there was no other choice, perhaps it could only be Lady Three.0

After Xia Chichi’s mother died, Lady Three became Vermillion Bird’s closest friend… her only friend, in fact.0

When Vermillion Bird first debuted in the world, she was just a young girl. At that time, Lady Three was already an experienced woman, skilled in martial arts and full of stories. She was a spirited, carefree figure who had seen much of the world. Her laid-back demeanor and readiness to defy convention made her instantly appealing to Vermillion Bird.0

Back then, the leadership of the Four Idols Cult was utterly inadequate. The primary reason for this was that most of their members were remnants of an overthrown dynasty. They were a ragtag collection of exiles. The cult was in a state akin to the remnants of the failed Southern Ming dynasty[1]. Xia Chichi’s mother, a former princess, was merely above average in terms of ability and intelligence, yet that had been enough to make her a pillar of the cult.0

Vermillion Bird, however, was different. Huangfu Yongxian, her father,...0