Miraculous: Tales of a New Realm

Prologue

Bells caroled throughout the street as the red-hanfu clad woman traipsed through. Her long, silken black hair flowed behind her like a gentle river and was pinned in place with a shiny golden hair pin. Her eyes darted from left to right to survey the onlookers, face concealed by a red veil. A long time ago, a man had tried to pull it off, just to get a glimpse of the famed matchmaker. When he touched it, however, he pulled his hand back quickly only to see it turn red and burn like hot coals. No one ever tried to figure out her identity after that. So, onwards she walked, her destination of the center square in sight.

Soon enough, per routine, the oldest man deemed fit enough to move went up to her and knelt to his knees. He held out a bundle of red threads. Offerings, they called it. To name a suitor. The woman carefully touched the end of each of the threads, but shook her head at each one. "I am sorry," she conveyed. "I cannot make any matches at this time." The old man looked devastated, grabbing the bottom of her hanfu before she could walk away. "Please, the other matchmakers turn my daughter away. They say there is no hope... surely you must know of someone who will take her!" The matchmaker wrenched her foot away angrily, glaring down at the old man. "I am not a servant for your arrangements, if no one will love your daughter now, then I cannot compel anyone to do so. May the xian look down on you favorably for your troubles." She walked off quickly before the old man could protest further.

As soon as she was out of the city limits, she leaned against a tree to catch her breath. Her mother told Piáo Chóng that her skills were a gift from the divine. Sometimes, Piáo Chóng wondered if she had been cursed instead. People treated her more like an animal than a person: gentle if she behaved per their expectations, and angrily if she didn't. If her powers were such a blessing, why was it rarely treated as such? Her thoughts were interrupted by the melodic tunes of a flute, and Piáo turned her head to face the direction of the sound. Mythical creatures, born from dust and drawn to the music pushed Piáo forward and soon she was met face-to-face with a familiar figure. "Qingfu," she breathed out softly.

The old man opened his eyes and smiled brightly when he saw the matchmaker. "Piáo Chóng, it is good to see you."

"Likewise. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see you, of course!" Piáo raised a skeptical eyebrow at that statement. "I am just an ordinary citizen, why would you wish to see me?"

"Ah, but you've done some extraordinary things, child."

"Yes, for everyone but myself," she responded bitterly.

"It would do you well to appreciate the role you've served for others, but I shall not avoid the topic further. We need your expertise." Piáo faltered, carefully observing the man's facial expressions for any sign of a joke. Seeing none, she asked hesitantly, "What would they need help with?"

"I'm sure you've heard the rumors..."

"Only bits and pieces."

"Times are changing, child. We are too old to keep up with it, and this is a truth Qiongqi knows."

"So it's true, he is not a myth?"

"What makes you think he ever was? He's as real as when you first spoke to him." Piáo's eyes widened in shock.

"I have?"

"It is why we need your aid. His acquaintance with you runs rather... sour. We believe that with your aid, we will be able to lure him out of hiding with the temptation of revenge."

"You wish for me to be a pawn?" Piáo grumbled, aghast at this turn of events. "What about my 'extraordinary capabilities'?"

"Your capabilities are exactly why we can only ask this of you. Do you honestly believe Qiongqi only holds resentment for one person at a time?"

"What do I do after he captures me? Wait for the benevolent creatures to release me from suffering?"

"You won't be captured," Qingfu affirms confidently.

"If I am?"

"I advise you to not, the other xian and I will be busy restoring power to the creatures, and those 4 will be attacking the other perils. You'd be trapped."

"So there's no backup? That is supposed to make me consider your offer more heavily?"

"I never told you there'd be no backup at all, some friends of yours from the past village have already agreed to assist!"

"What."

"They seemed quite excited for the adventure," the man remarked bemusedly. Piáo glared at him with anger before she removed the veil to project more directly. "How dare you— they are just children!"

"Age is an obstacle, not a dead-end."

"This plan of yours could fail, and then we will all die as a consequence!"

"Tut tut child, you catastrophize too much. This plan could succeed and then no one will die." Piáo tried to stare down the old man, but after a few minutes of silence she sagged in defeat. "Alright, I will do it. But promise me that at the very least you will protect Feng and Húdié from harm."

"We cannot guarantee-"

"Not the xian, you. You promise me you will look out for them." After a few seconds the old man nodded slowly. "I will keep watch."

"Good. Now, where is Qiongqi?"