I DON'T KNOW IT

A faint snoring sounded from the bedroom. Janice’s figure was sprawled across the bed, faintly letting out a snore as she ventured into the dreamland. I waved my hands across her face to ensure that she was deeply asleep. 

“Yes.” I let out a low sound of jubilation the moment I got no reaction from her. ‘It looks like my plan for tonight is going to be successful’. I gently tiptoed out of the room and quietly shut the door behind me in order not to arouse Janice from her deep sleep. 

The first mission cleared. 

Now here comes the big part. Since this was an immortal palace, I was afraid that there would be some guards patrolling around the place. But it seems like I’d been worrying all for nothing. I didn’t come across any patrolling guards from the moment I started walking. 

Instead, there was a deadly silence around me with my footsteps being the only sound that echoed in the surrounding. My body instantly felt a chill from the blowing wind. 

‘Don’t tell me there are actual ghosts residing in this place?’ My pace hurriedly quickens.

‘How am I supposed to find my way to the Emotionless Palace?’ This thought came to my mind but I didn’t dare slow down my stride. I kept walking towards the desolate area of the palace, in the hope that where I was looking for would be there. 

Sure enough, I came across a majestic building that looked even more grandiose than the other buildings I’d seen. The whole building seems to be enveloped in a golden hue. Above the grand entrance was the imposing word that says ‘EMOTIONLESS PALACE’. 

“Wow.” I stared at the view in marveled. After getting out of a trance, my expression became determined. “Let's put an end to this crazy situation of yours, Belia.” I walked into the grand entrance and then came across a huge gate. I reached out my hand to push open the gate. But before I knew what was happening, I found myself flying directly into the air. 

“Ahhh!” My whole body crashed to the ground with a loud thud. “Aww.” I fell a snap below my waist and burst into a cold sweat. I tried to look around my surroundings but my sight was met with a total blankness.

‘Huh-huh. Why can’t I see anything.’ I let go of the pain below my waist and rubbed my eyes frantically but still couldn't see a thing. “Oh no! What happened to my eyesight.” I cried out. ‘Don’t tell me that I’ve become blind just from a fall’.

“So, it’s a girl.” Amid my panic cry, a thick male voice floated into my ears.

“Hello. Is someone there? Can you help me, please? I can’t see a thing. Are you the immortal lord Vagamound? Please save me.” My hand searched around the ground as I tried to pinpoint his direction. 

“Oh, I thought it was some rat from the fire realm. You're too weak to be the spy they sent. You couldn't even contend against my enchantment before you were thrown out.” There was a bit of mock in the man’s tone as he said.

“Please! Please save me!” I begged as tears streamed down my cheeks.

“Ha-ha.” A low chuckle rang out from his mouth. “And why would I save you? You entered my residence without permission. Didn’t you read the words written above the entrance? I cultivate in the path of the emotionless. Any ties of emotions in the human heart have all been severed by me. So, why do you think I will rescue you from your dilemma when you’re just suffering from the aftermath of your actions.”

“I...” I couldn’t find a way to refute his sentence. “I’m so sorry. Please forgive me. I promised to never come near this place again. Please!” 

Vagamound stares at the crying lady before him. His icy blue iris flickered under the night sky. He lifted his foot and slowly walked towards her.

“You must be among the maidens brought in from the mortal world, right?” He leaned before the girl, his white robe grazing across the floor due to his actions.

“Yes, yes. I am.” I nodded anxiously at his question the moment I felt his presence before me.

 “Hmm.” His tone dragged. “Fine, I'll help you this once.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much. I'll always remember your kindness in my heart.” I lowered my head to the ground in gratitude.

“You won't be able to remember anything even if you want to.” 

Before I could realize what he meant by that, I felt a solid tap on my forehead and my whole consciousness became blank.

===

Inside the dreamland world, I felt a heavy weight pressed against my chest, almost like a huge mountain crushing my entire body. 

My breathing became difficult, and I felt as if I was about to pass out from lack of oxygen.

No, this isn’t a dream. I’m really about to suffocate to death. 

My closed eyelids instantly flipped open. 

Looking down below my neck, I sighted Janice's two legs lying comfortably over my chest. 

No wonder I felt as if I was going to die from lack of oxygen.

Groaning, I pushed the two heavy burdens sideways and sat upright on the bed.

‘What happened to me last night? Did I sleep off while waiting for Janice to fall asleep? Dammit, I couldn't sneak into the emotionless palace at the end.’

The early morning bell reverberated through the entire courtyard. Soon, the instructor's loud voice followed.

“Wake up, girls! It's time to wash up.” The instructor moves around from door to door, waking up the slumbering ladies.

“Ugh, can I sleep a little bit more?” Hearing the loud call, Janice lifted the pillow beside her and pressed it above her head.

Unfortunately for her, she still had to get up under the instructor's command.

By the time everyone was done dressing, the sky outside had already turned bright. We then had a sumptuous breakfast in the dining hall before heading to the gathering hall.

Everyone stood straight in a horizontal line, facing the female instructor who was standing on the high platform.

She then began. “The first stage in choosing the destined bride of the legendary lord will be based on your appearance. As the future queen of the seven realms, you must be naturally endowed as a woman.” 

Her eyes kept moving around as she spoke. “That is, there should be fat where the fat should be and lean where the muscle should be. You mustn't be too fat or too skinny. As a result, this stage would be focused on eliminating those who don't fit in that category.”

The female instructor then started to point out. “You, you, you. Out. And you too, out.” She pointed at several people in a second. 

My heart began to race as I witnessed this unfold. 

Seeing the instructor's gaze landing on me, my whole body was instantly filled with perspiration. I felt breathless at that moment.

Thankfully, it was only for a slight moment before she moved her gaze away to the other ladies.

'Phew.' That was a narrow escape. I flicked away the drops of sweat that had formed a cluster on my forehead.

“That was close.” Janice also patted her chest and breathed out a sigh of relief, seeing that she had also passed the first trial. “I thought she was going to eliminate me.” Her finger trembled as she thought of the cold look of the instructor.

The elimination process took about an hour since the number of participants brought back from the mortal realm was numerous.

“Those of you that I pointed out today are the ones that fail to pass through the next round. Outside, a designated carriage has been arranged for each one of you, with several guards seeing to your protection on your journey back home.” The instructor spoke.

“Since the immortal lords are very benevolent, they've decided to reward each one of you with a bottle of cleansing pills. As for what effect the pill has, you'll find out once you swallow one. That's all I've to say to you.” The instructor finished with her speech.

“What? Are we going home? That's unfair. We walked a long way before we could reach here. Don't tell me all that stress is for nothing.”

“We've only been here for a day. Is this how the immortal realm treats its guests? This is so demeaning of them.”

“That's right. She eliminated me for being too fat. I'm not even that fat. I can't believe the so-called body-shaming also existed in the immortal realm.”

“She said I looked too skinny, and there wasn't flesh where there was supposed to be flesh. You tell me, isn't this flesh? What do you mean by there's no flesh on me? Why don't you just call me a skeleton instead.” 

“Damm. Even that ugly thief, Zanillia, passed through the next round. I don't believe that there isn't a conspiracy going on behind closed doors. We demand an explanation.”

“That's right. We demand an explanation for why she wasn't eliminated!”

The ladies clamor.

Hearing my name being dragged into their conversation, my face twisted into a frown.

'These people. They're indeed a devil in human skin.' 

Seeing that they were eliminated, they want to drag me down into the abyss with them, not under my watch.

But before I could open my mouth to counter them, a roar suddenly shook the whole ground.

“Enough!” Instructor Mu was truly angered this time. 

“Where do you think this place is? Do you think it's the lowly mortal realm you people came from? 

The immortal lords are very benevolent to grant each one of you a bottle of cleansing pills, yet you dare to malign them. 

Do you people even know how precious a cleansing pill is? Yet, you're here clamoring for an injustice. What freaking injustice?

If you aren't satisfied with my result, you can head over to the second lord and lodge your complaint to him. By then, I've got no idea whether you can salvage your life from the claw of death by then.”

Hearing her last sentence, those whose voices had been louder instantly kept mum. Perhaps they soon realize that here in the immortal realm, they were powerless mortals whose lives could be taken in an instant.

These pampered ladies, who had been enjoying all sorts of care their entire lives, suddenly felt afraid at that moment.

Seeing their frightened expression, I sneered in my heart.

'Tut, tut. Look at them. They're just like a drenched cat.'

Seeing that the situation had been properly contained, instructor Mu turned her gaze to those who passed the first stage. “The twenty of you, follow me to the main hall.”

“Twenty!” Janice sucked in a cold air when she heard the number mentioned. “From a thousand to twenty. I don't think we will survive the next round if we're being eliminated like this.” 

“Mhmm.” I nodded, agreeing with her. I sincerely hope that the lady luck I had on me today will stick with me till the end of the trial.

The twenty of us began to move, following after the instructor who had stepped down from the platform.

===

Inside a big hall, six men were seated on the golden seats on the high platform. Before them were twenty young ladies with a middle-aged woman leading them.

“These are contestants who passed the first stage, my lords.” Instructor Mu bowed as she relayed to the six men. 

“Good.” One of the men which Janice has said to be lord Eason was the first to speak. “Then let's commence with the second round now.”

At Eason's word, the other lords had no disagreement with it. 

Eason's mouth began to move. “Already, being one of the lords of the seven realms is a huge responsibility. However, as the destined bride of the legendary lord, you'll have to bear a greater burden, tantamount to carrying the weight of the whole seven realms on your shoulder. Among your duties is to protect the seven realms from the eye of evil enemies. To be qualified for that position, you must be fearless, strong, ruthless to your enemies… as well as being pretty.” At his last sentence, his lips curled up into a smile as he cast his sight at the beautiful princess.

The latter began to blush when she caught his intense gaze.

I almost coughed out blood, seeing them blatantly flirting in front of the crowd.

“Could it be that the second lord is interested in the princess? Hmph.” Janice grunted, seeming displeased with the scene before her. 

“As a result, we will test your IQ. This will help us determine how fast you're to react to drastic situations and how keen you're to grasp an insight.” As he spoke, several maidservants entered the main hall with loads in their hands. 

Some were carrying books; others were carrying desks and some chairs. 

The maidservants who were carrying the desks and tables arranged them on the ground in a neat row and columns.

There were twenty desks and chairs in total, seeming to be meant for us. The other maidservants who were carrying the books approached us and began to hand each one of us a book.

Eason began to explain. “The book in your hands contains the principles and fundamentals to be followed in and outside the seven realms. As the future queen, you must be conversant with what is going on inside and outside your scope.”

“What are we going to do with the book?” One of the ladies questioned. 

Hmm. My brow creased a bit as I noticed that she looked quite familiar. 

Oh! I remember now. She is Xinger. The lady who saved me from those bullies.

“You're to memorize the content inside within an hour,” Eason answered with a calm expression.

“What? One hour!” Janice didn't know when she exclaimed out loud. She immediately apologized. “I'm sorry. I just think that an hour is… too short.”

“Hmm.” I nodded in support. 

The book in my hand was as thick as a dictionary. 

How can anyone finish memorizing all that within an hour? I haven't even finished memorizing the 12x timetable.

 Damm, it looks like the lady luck on me wouldn't be able to save me from disqualification today.

“You have a free will to leave if you think you can't do it. Your time starts now.” Eason flicked his finger, and the burning timer stick in the corner of the hall was instantly lit. 

Jeez, it looks like there's no way out of this.

Janice could only open up the book given to her. She was soon stunned when she saw the content written inside the book. “What kind of language is this?”

“Oh! I forgot to add something.” Eason then spoke out. “The content inside the book is written in an ancient language. Only those with high mental levels or immortals who had reached the foundation stage of cultivation would be able to comprehend the words written inside. But do not despair, your task is not to comprehend the words inside but just to memorize the shape of the word characters. You can just take it as a big challenge.”

“What the heck,” I swear I could feel the metallic taste of blood up in my throat. 

Big challenge? Why don't you just throw us into an alien world instead?

My lady luck. Please, I need you right now. I definitely must not fail this stage.

The other ladies also murmured among themselves in dissatisfaction, but they had no choice but to follow the command. 

'How am I going to pass this stage?' I'm not even good at memorizing. I stared at the alien writing and could almost feel my sight going blurry. 

'Oh no. You're going to fail, Belia.'

Although it seemed long, the one-hour time was instantly up.

“Time up.” Instructor Mu announced. 

Everyone closed their books and handed them over to the maids before walking towards the seats arranged in the hall.

We were soon seated.

“Here is the rule of the test. None of you are to make use of your inner strength. That's for those who had cultivated their inner strength. Furthermore, to qualify for the next round, you must be able to at least write down a page or more from what you have just memorized. Okay, that's all. Let's commence with the test.” 

The ladies soon picked up their pen brushes and began to write. Well, apart from me. 

Just like the blank paper in front of me, my brain was completely empty. I couldn't even recall a single character from what I'd just memorized.

How am I supposed to meet lord Vagamound in this situation? He's the only chance for me to find a way out of this strange world.

If I do not meet him, I might be stuck in this place forever.

'Sigh.' I picked up the pen brush and began to write.

===

Eason began to inspect the scripts the moment the test rounded up.

“Who wrote this?” He turned the front page of a script he had just inspected.

“I did.” Xinger took two steps forward to make her figure known.

“Great.” Eason nodded in acknowledgment before praising, “You did pretty well. You wrote down five pages, and all characters are perfectly right. That's truly aspiring.”

“Thank you for your compliment, my lord.” Xinger lowered her body in a slight bow.

“What's your name?” Eason couldn't help but ask.

“Xinger.”

“You passed the second round, Xinger. Congratulations.” In a smile, Eason reached out for the next paper. 

However, his expression soon undergoes a huge transformation the moment he sees the content written inside. “And who wrote this?” He turned around the front page of the paper.

Everyone could see the big writing on the paper that said, 'I DON'T KNOW IT.' 

Some ladies even let out a burst of laughter, seeing the ugly calligraphy skills of the writer. They also want to know who had such ugly handwriting.

“It was me.” Although feeling a bit embarrassed, I lifted my hand in answer.

Eason's brow furrowed as he set his eyes on the young girl before him. “Why did you write these words on it?”

“Because I don't know it.” My gaze wavered in shame as I answered.

“That's not an excuse.” Eason became angry at the girl's answer. “You were given an hour to memorize the book. Tell me, isn't that enough for you to memorize them all.”

“Enough?” I didn't know where I found the burst of courage to retort back at him. “Did you just say enough? You people are immortal, while I'm just a normal mortal being. Tell me, how can a mortal comprehend stuff only immortals can? How do you expect me to memorize a language I haven't seen in my entire life within an hour? Do you take me as a superhuman being? Don't you think that you're being harsh on us by giving us such an impossible task to do?”

Eason was surprised by the girl's outburst. Still, he calmly said. “If the task I gave you was impossible to do, then the others should have voiced out their complaints like you've done. No one forced you to participate in this round. It's already an arduous task to oversee the affairs of the seven realms. If this bit of bottleneck can make you give up without even trying your best, then you shouldn't have come here in the first place, young lady. This round was meant to test your courage, and you've already failed it woefully.”

“I… I did try my best. At least I was being honest about my answer.” I didn't want to give up the chance to explain myself.

“If the whole realms were in danger, and let's say, you're the ruler, would you give up without trying to protect it?” Eason puts forward.

“Of course not.” I shook my head. “However, if the enemy's strength is greater than mine, it's better to run than die trying to fight an already lost battle.”

“You--.” Eason's face went livid in anger. He flung the paper in his hands onto the ground. “I'm going to--.”

“Okay. Calm down, Eason.” One of the lords cut in, trying to calm Eason's anger.

“Did you listen to what she just said? She is going to give up the whole realms if she were to be in place of the ruler.” Eason turned to look at the man who had just spoken.

“Okay. Just calm down for a moment.” The man got up to his feet, his long robe sprawling across the ground in the process. 

As he turned in my direction, I was sucked in by those ethereal, beautiful eyes of his. 

His mouth began to move. “I think you have gone too far, young lady. The bride selection competition isn't something to make a joke of. Moreover, the matter of the safety of the realm isn't something you can sputter out in light regard. If we are to go by the rules, you ought to be beheaded right away.”

“What!” My whole body shook in fear at the mention of being executed. 

Damn. What a big mouth of mine. I almost got myself killed due to it.

The man continued. “However, there's something that makes you different from the others. And that is your honesty.”

“What are you doing?” Eason was quite surprised at the man's words. “Are you also agreeing with her?”

“No, and yes.” The man answered. “Honesty is one of the characteristics a good leader should have. Likewise, it's a good idea that one should retreat backward rather than die trying to fight a lost battle. As long as you can live for another day, you can build back up your defeated army and fight back your enemy to regain your lost victory. I think the young lady definitely has a point right there.”

Hearing this, my eyes lit up in joy. Does this mean that I won't be disqualified? 

But in the next moment, the second lord Eason's sentence poured down cold water into my wandering thoughts.

“The passing votes would determine whether she's qualified to stay or not.” Eason's expression was currently unpleasant. He didn't expect his brother to side up with this young girl instead of him. This was the highest level of betrayal one could get. But instead of taking his anger on his brother, he decided to lay it on the girl.

…

~Some minutes after ~

“Here are the names of candidates who passed this round. Number one, Xinger. Number two, Natasi. Xiao Wu. Ava. Janice. Lia. Matilda. Dia. Callie. And… Zanillia.” Eason's gaze settled on me as he uttered the last name on the list. 

“Count yourself lucky this round, young lady.” His gaze only lingered on me for a slight second before it was shifted away. 

“The next round of the competition would be focused on your combat skill. To make it fair, you'll be given a three-month interval to practice your martial arts skills. Or do you think the time frame given is too short for you, young lady?” Eason darted his question at me.

By this time, the courage in me was already waning. Hence, my voice trembled as I answered, “No- not at all.”

Seeing my reaction, Eason's mouth hooked up into a sneer.

“Good to hear that. As to those who fail to pass through to this stage, you will be sent back to your home along with the previous departing group. Instructor Mu would oversee the gifts that will be rewarded to each one of you. And that will be all. You can all disperse.” He waved his hand, ordering us to leave.

Everyone began to move. The moment I took a step outside the hall, I felt as if I had just been released from an intense court session.

“That was terrifying.” I let out the big sigh that had been lodging up in my throat.

“You…” Janice sneakily ran over to my side and held my hand. “Why are you so brash? You could have lost your life back in there, do you know that?” She seemed more worried about my outcome than I was. “It's due to luck that you were able to pass through this round. Don't be so forward next time. This is the immortal realm. Our lives aren't even worth as the grass growing up in their gardens.”

“I know. I'll be careful next time.” I assured her. 

Indeed, Janice was right. If it weren't for the other lord who stepped in time, perhaps I would have been turned into a fertilizer for the soil.

===

Once the hall was empty, Eason turned back in anger at the six men seated behind him.

“What do you all mean by this? Why did you cast your votes for her? And you, San. How dare you stand up for her?”

San's brow furrowed upon facing Eason's harsh word. “She is a mortal, Eason. She probably doesn't know the rules here.”

“Yeah. I do agree with San's statement.” Kris spoke out. “And also, among the characteristics of a good leader, honesty is one of them. Her candid reasoning stood out from the others, so why can't we decide to cast our votes for her?”

“Honesty?” Eason felt as if he had just heard a joke. “Don't tell me you've fallen in love with her, Kris?”

“You!”

“Enough of your gibberish nonsense, Eason!” Frand expression became cold.

“How could you have such a licentious thought in your head? Besides, weren't you the one blatantly flirting with the princess in front of our faces.” Gia also opts in.

“I wasn't flirting with her.” Eason tried to defend himself. “I was just complimenting her looks.”

“And so was San defending the girl's opinion.” Gia retorts back.

“You all…” Eason didn't expect everyone to gang up on him, all just for a girl. “Fine! I guess I'm not needed here anymore.” Saying that, he stormed out of the hall.