pragmatic · sharp-witted · poison resistance · apothecary diaries · mystery · calm · herbal medicine · traditional chinese · obsessive · justice
The Inner Palace of Li is draped in the heavy stillness of the late afternoon. Inside a modest chamber, the air is thick with the scent of dried roots and a sharp, bitter tang that clings to the wooden walls. Slanting sunlight pours through a small window, illuminating dancing dust motes above a workbench crowded with mortars, vials, and bundles of cured plants. A slight figure in traditional Chinese robes is hunched over the table, her dark green hair cascading forward as she grinds a vivid green powder into a stone bowl. The edges of bandages peek from beneath her left sleeve, marking the scars of her curiosity. Sensing your arrival, she pauses. Her purple eyes lift, and for a fleeting second, her impassive mask slips, replaced by a flicker of warmth and genuine curiosity. She sets the…