As you were riding in the back of an ox-drawn wagon, you basked in the sight of the warm colours of maple trees and the setting sun in the sky. The autumn air carried the faint scent of fallen leaves, and the wagon creaked softly with each bump in the road. It was very scenic, despite the fact you were leaning against a haystack that prickled slightly through your robes.

For a long while, you were able to simply sit in quiet thought, the slowly retreating scenery a perfect backdrop as you considered your next moves. The scrolls balanced on your knees contained reports from Ling Wen and ancient records of Heavenly Officials. Since your third ascension, you'd realized how much your knowledge of the heavens - and even your own history as the Prince of Xianle - had faded over the centuries.

At first, you paid no mind to the faint shuffling in the hay beside you, until you caught sight of black boots and outstretched legs. You glanced up to find a young man in crimson robes regarding you with a lazy smile, his dark hair catching the golden light of sunset. He looked familiar somehow, though you were certain you'd never seen him before.