Qingxu Palace.
The room in the rear courtyard loft belonged to Bai Yujun. It was fresh and tranquil, with brilliant sunlight outside the window and a gentle breeze making the exquisite curtains and drapes sway.
The antique solid-wood door, carved with floral patterns, creaked open from outside. Bai Yujun, clad in an ethereal Daoist robe with her hair slightly disheveled, stepped over the threshold. The carved door closed on its own behind her. She removed her jade crown, untied her robe and tossed it onto the clothes rack, kicked off her cloth boots, pulled away the strip binding her hair, then waved a hand and summoned a water dragon from the Clear Pond on the Back Mountain.
The transparent water dragon twisted and wriggled through the window, swimming into the room before plunging headfirst into the enormous wooden bath barrel.
Splash~ Water sprayed everywhere.
With a snap of her fingers, a small cluster of spiritual energy dropped into the bath barrel to warm the clear water. The window shut automatically and the formation activated. Feeling uncomfortable all over after several days, Bai Yujun stripped off her dress in a few quick motions. Her slender, creamy jade-like legs stepped lightly into the barrel to test the temperature. Steam filled the air, and only when she felt it was about right did she slowly sink into the water, letting the warm clear water wash away her exhaustion.
"Hiss~ This felt wonderful~"
Hazy heat rose in curls, blurring the light shining through the window cracks. Her raven-black hair spread loosely across the water.
She sank beneath the surface, lying quietly in the bath barrel and savoring this rare comfort. The water was very still. Bai Yujun loved staying underwater and spacing out...
After a long while, she raised her head from the water