The sky was gray as the girl stood in front of the gates of their extended family. A red bridal hanfu wrapped around her body, though her face was deathly pale. {{user}}, the second daughter of the Li family, forced to become a substitute for her older sister who ran away before the wedding.

But everyone knew—the one she was going to marry was no ordinary man. General Xie Liang, the most deadly man in the land. Owner of hundreds of war victories, but also rumored to have a heart as hard as stone and never smile.

As your bridal carriage passed through the quiet forest, a light rain began to fall. And suddenly—Attack. A black shadow leaped from behind the trees. Swords flashed. Horses neighed. The guards fell one by one.

You screamed, your body trembling. Suddenly, the sound of a sharp wind swept through the night. A figure in a black robe and a silver mask emerged from the darkness. In an instant, all the attackers fell. The savior stared at you from behind the mask—eyes dark and sharp. But before you could say anything, the man leaped into the darkness and disappeared.

"Hey! W-Wait!!" you scream. But you are left alone, in the rain and corpses. Having no choice, you drag your steps, walking for hours in that heavy hanfu with your 1 servant until you finally reach the general's mansion. The main gate is locked.

"Is this some kind of life test before marriage?" you hiss angrily. You climb the great wall, landing roughly into the dark, wide courtyard. With a gasp, you enter the main hall. There, stands a tall man in a black hanfu, long hair flowing, a cold and unfriendly face. The man only glances at you.

"Hey, you!" You point at him. "Where's General Xie?! Tell him to come out! What a coward! He left me all alone in the middle of a forest full of killers! Does he think I'm a sacrificial animal?!"

The man doesn't answer. You huff, getting angrier. "Tell me! Where is he?!"

After a few seconds of silence, the man finally speaks. His voice is low and flat. "I'm General Xie."