Chapter 1

The Phoenix Arrives in Germany

September, 1992

The airplane slowly descended through layers of gray clouds.

Seated beside the window, seventeen-year-old Wu A-Ning watched the unfamiliar landscape appear beneath her.

Germany.

The country she had dreamed about for years.

The country where she would study medicine.

The country where nobody knew who she was.

A small smile appeared on her lips.

For most of her life, people had known her as the daughter of an influential family.

The treasured younger sister of Wu Xie.

The beloved niece of Zhang Qishan.

The cousin of Zhang Qiling.

Everywhere she went, her family name followed her.

But here?

She was simply Wu A-Ning.

A medical student.

Nothing more.

The thought made her strangely happy.

When the airplane finally landed, passengers began gathering their luggage.

A-Ning waited patiently.

As always.

Her grandmother often said she possessed the patience of a saint.

Her brother claimed she only looked patient because nobody had ever seen her training.

The truth was probably somewhere in between.

A few minutes later, she stepped into the airport.

The moment she appeared, heads turned.

A-Ning didn't notice.

She was too busy looking for her uncle.

Several travelers slowed their steps.

A businessman walking past accidentally bumped into another passenger.

A young woman stopped in the middle of a conversation.

Even airport staff found themselves glancing twice.

It wasn't merely beauty.

It was presence.

A-Ning looked like she belonged to another era.

Her long dark hair flowed like silk down her back.

Her skin was flawless and remarkably pale.

Her brown eyes were soft and bright beneath delicate lashes.

Instead of following modern fashion, she wore an elegant cream-colored Republican-era coat over a modest dark green dress.

Simple.

Refined.

Graceful.

Like a character who had stepped out of an old photograph.

And unlike many beautiful people, she seemed completely unaware of her appearance.

"Uncle Bill!"

A-Ning's face lit up immediately.

The smile transformed her entire appearance.

William Llewellyn nearly laughed.

Every year she became prettier.

Every year he worried more.

"Welcome to Germany."

A-Ning hugged him.

"I missed you."

"I missed you too."

After greeting each other, they headed outside.

A black luxury car waited near the entrance.

A-Ning blinked.

"Did you buy another one?"

Bill coughed.

"Maybe."

"You already have six."

"Seven."

"Uncle."

"Eight."

A-Ning sighed.

Some people collected books.

Some collected paintings.

Her uncle collected vehicles.

Cars.

Motorcycles.

Anything with wheels.

And unfortunately, she had inherited the same interest.

The drive to Arvis Estate took nearly two hours.

The scenery gradually changed from city streets to beautiful countryside.

Golden fields stretched beneath the autumn sun.

Ancient forests covered distant hills.

Small villages appeared occasionally along the roadside.

A-Ning watched everything with fascination.

Germany felt different from China.

Quieter.

Slower.

Peaceful.

Eventually enormous gates appeared ahead.

The Herhardt Estate.

A-Ning stared.

The gates alone were larger than some buildings.

As they entered, the landscape expanded endlessly.

Gardens.

Lakes.

Forests.

Stone roads.

Elegant mansions.

It looked less like a private estate and more like a small kingdom.

"Uncle."

"Hm?"

"How rich are the Herhardts?"

Bill laughed.

"Very."

That was not reassuring.

Bill's residence stood near the eastern side of the estate.

Although everyone referred to it as a small mansion, A-Ning considered the description ridiculous.

The building was enormous.

Servants greeted them at the entrance.

The moment A-Ning stepped out of the car, silence briefly fell.

Several maids stared.

One nearly dropped a tray.

Another forgot to speak.

A-Ning immediately became worried.

"Did I do something wrong?"

The head housekeeper recovered first.

"No, Miss Wu."

"Are you sure?"

"Very sure."

The older woman secretly thought:

Good heavens, she's beautiful.

After unpacking, A-Ning decided to explore.

The mansion was beautiful.

But something else quickly captured her attention.

"Meow."

A-Ning froze.

"Meow."

Another appeared.

Then another.

Then another.

Within seconds, six cats surrounded her.

A-Ning gasped.

"UNCLE!"

Bill immediately knew what had happened.

The cats had found her.

He sighed.

There was no hope now.

A-Ning crouched down.

A tiny orange kitten climbed directly into her lap.

The battle was over.

Later that evening, she discovered the garage.

And immediately forgot about everything else.

Motorcycles.

Rows of motorcycles.

Vintage motorcycles.

Sports motorcycles.

Touring motorcycles.

A-Ning's eyes sparkled.

Bill watched from behind.

"No."

"I didn't ask anything."

"You were thinking about it."

"I was appreciating them."

"No."

A-Ning smiled innocently.

Bill was not fooled.

Growing up among the Nine Gates had given A-Ning a very unusual childhood.

Many people assumed wealthy young ladies spent their time attending parties.

Learning etiquette.

Shopping.

Preparing for marriage.

A-Ning had done some of those things.

But she had also learned:

Martial arts.

Survival training.

Traditional medicine.

Herb identification.

Swordsmanship.

Motorcycle riding.

Within the Nine Gates, capability mattered.

Male or female.

Young or old.

Everyone was expected to develop useful skills.

As a result, A-Ning never considered herself unusual.

Other people disagreed.

Strongly.

The following morning, she woke before sunrise.

The habit had been drilled into her since childhood.

After changing clothes, she quietly left the mansion.

The estate remained silent.

Most people were asleep.

The cool autumn air felt refreshing against her skin.

Following a narrow trail, she entered the nearby forest.

Birdsong echoed through the trees.

A-Ning smiled.

This was her favorite part of the estate.

Nature.

Peace.

Freedom.

Deep within the forest, she found a secluded clearing.

Perfect.

Nobody was around.

Carefully placing her coat on a nearby branch, she took a deep breath.

The transformation was immediate.

The shy medical student disappeared.

The warrior emerged.

Her posture straightened.

Her eyes sharpened.

Her breathing became controlled.

Focused.

Years of training awakened naturally.

A-Ning began moving.

Step.

Turn.

Strike.

The movements flowed like water.

Fast.

Precise.

Beautiful.

Deadly.

If anyone from university could see her now, they would never recognize her.

The gentle girl who apologized when someone bumped into her had vanished.

In her place stood someone trained by the legendary Zhang Clan.

Someone who could break bones with her bare hands.

Someone carrying secrets older than most countries.

An hour passed.

Then another.

Finally, A-Ning stopped.

A light sheen of sweat covered her forehead.

Warmth spread through her body.

Beneath her skin, hidden beneath her clothing, faint crimson lines briefly flickered across her back.

The Phoenix.

The tattoo quickly faded again.

A-Ning never noticed.

She had long since become accustomed to it.

Looking upward, she watched a group of birds flying between the trees.

A smile returned to her face.

Gentle.

Soft.

Completely harmless.

At least, that was what everyone believed.

Far away, another airplane was descending toward Germany.

A young man with gray eyes sat silently by the window.

Recently graduated.

Future Duke of Arvis.

Matthias von Herhardt was finally returning home.

Neither of them knew it yet.

But within days, their paths would cross.

The hunter would meet the phoenix.

And nothing would ever be the same again.

End of Chapter 1 🦚🌸🦅

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***