This is the first draft, so excuse the grammar and inconsistencies, while I try to piece my ideas together. Been trying to write this story for quite a while, but never quite finished.

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3rd reign of the Jin dynasty. It was said that the founding father of the Jin dynasty murdered his lord and seized the reins of the empire into his own. Being a manipulative and speculating weasel by nature the Jin emperor ruled with an iron fist hold on its people. Spies ran abound in the city and no secrets were unknown to the emperor just as no life is safe from his vengeful sword. As with any unholy empire, the Jin’s hold faltered and by the 3rd reign cries of revolution rang from all four corners of the central plain. Rebellious armies sprang forth like wildfire, waiting for only a single spark to ignite a full scale revolution. In this age of war and intrigue, where dashing heroes and stunning maidens rose to the occasions stories of great love and great betrayals resounds to this day.

Temptress music sang through the walls of Duke Yao’s fortress. After several failed attempts at Duke Yao’s head, his fortress has been reinforced into a military stronghold. Guards stood at every entrance, so strictly enforced that not a soul passing the gate of Duke Yao’s fortress evades dectection. Men patrolled every corner of the fortress with the single order to kill all who is deemed suspicious.

But as with everything in life there is bound to be exceptions. Thus no matter how strong a military stronghold built by man is, it could be breeched by man, or shall we say woman.

Drunk with the success of his recent campaigns, Duke Yao has arranged for rare party to entertain the various lords at court. The lords marveled at the ingenuity of the designs of the singing grounds as well as the beauty of the dancers. It was fabled that the beauty of the Six kingdom era was so great that even the sound of her footsteps were music to the ears. Her lord later built her a hallway singing at her every step to listen only to her footsteps.

In the times of Wei, Duke Yao used the same concept as a defense against assassins. For no man could pass the singing floors alive without alerting attention. But today the floor was used wondrously as the music blended with the steps of the dancers. As the dancers steps flied across the face of the floor the music intensified and the dance took on a life of its own. Its pulse rang in the heart of all the lords, each men entranced with the beauty of grace of the dancers.

The dancers converged in the center of the hall, forming a circle. Their fragrance saturated the hall as they spun around in a circular fashion. Faster and faster they spun. They tilted their heads backward and out of thin air a mysterious maiden emerged from within their circle. The dancers all spun out towards the fringe of the hall, leaving the mysterious maiden in the center.

A thin mask of white feathers shields her complete face from view. Adding a tinge of mystery to her beauty, which was obvious from her porcelain skin down to her curves. A red plum blossoming among snow, the mysterious maiden danced evermore sensuously, capturing the soul of all its onlookers. Every step she took, every facial expression, every slight of hand further evoked the desires of the various lords.

The duke raised a cup of wine to his lips, studying the mysterious maiden silently. Desire gripped his heart like a vise. A sword sprang from the hands of the mysterious maiden. The light of the cold moon reflected off the blade and shimmered brilliantly within the hall.

Shocked at the appearance of a weapon, the guards moved forward to disarm the dancer and halt the performance. Mesmerized with the mystical beauty of the maiden and drunk with arrogance from his recent victories the Duke motioned for the guards to retire, while silently beckoning the maiden to continue.

The maiden smiled and moved closer to the duke, her fragrant sleeve brushing gently against the duke’s hand. Retreating to the center of the hall, the maiden continued as she displayed dance moves that were soft and pliant, while her sword sliced the winds. The coldness of the blade contrasts the sensuality of the wielder. Duke Yao drank in heavily the fragrance of the mysterious dancer.

The intensity of the music soared, and every note rang pulsated through the hall into the hearts of the lords. As the performance reached its heights, the hall plunged into darkness. Silence fell like a heavy cloak. After the initial shock, chaos shattered the cloak of silence and screams of terror pierced the night. Frantic orders rocked the hall, amidst the deadly melody that sang of the crossing of the singing grounds.

Flames lit up the hall. Gasps and silence flooded the hall, as a headless duke overlooked the room. A single white feather remained; floating gracefully along the hands of the wind. The feather fell down on the singing grounds and a single note resounded through the night. Rocking the very bedrock of the Jin dynasty.