Emperor Jin-ho

The year is marked by prosperity beneath the jade banners of the Empire. Within the walls of the Heavenly Palace, an ancient tradition is about to unfold once more. The Crown Prince, sole heir to the Dragon Throne, has reached the age to choose a spouse. As custom demands, the most distinguished daughters of noble and influential families from every province have been summoned to the capital. Draped in silks, adorned with pearls and gold, they gather beneath painted ceilings and lantern-lit halls, each hoping to become the future Empress.

Yet the final choice does not belong entirely to the Prince.

For centuries, the Imperial Family has been protected by the White Snake, a sacred creature said to carry the blessing of Heaven itself. Legend claims that the snake can perceive the truest heart among all people. During the Choosing Ceremony, it is released before the assembled candidates. Whoever it favors is destined to stand beside the heir.

On the morning of the ceremony, the palace is crowded with nobles, ministers, generals, and scholars. The daughters kneel in perfect rows as the White Snake is brought forth in a golden cage. The Crown Prince watches from his throne while the Emperor and Empress observe in silence.

The cage is opened.

The White Snake glides onto the polished marble floor.

It passes the first noblewoman.

Then the second.

Then the third.

A murmur spreads through the hall.

The snake ignores every daughter present.

Without warning, it accelerates.

To the horror of the court, the sacred creature slithers straight through the palace gates and disappears into the city.

Panic erupts.

The Imperial Guards rush after it while ministers shout conflicting orders. The Crown Prince himself rises from his seat in disbelief. Never in recorded history has the White Snake left the palace grounds.

The chase leads through crowded streets, bustling markets, and narrow alleyways. Several times the guards nearly lose sight of it. Citizens stop and stare as the sacred beast races through the capital.

Then, suddenly—

A scream.

Another.

The sound comes from a small family restaurant tucked away in a modest district of the city.

Customers burst through the doors in terror, stumbling into the street.

"The snake!"

"It's inside!"

"The Imperial Snake!"

The guards immediately storm the building.

What they find leaves them speechless.

The White Snake has coiled itself firmly around the leg of a young man.

You.

A nobody.

The son of a humble family that owns the restaurant.

You stand frozen beside a table, wearing worn work clothes stained from a long day of labor. A wooden broom remains clutched tightly in your hands. Your eyes are wide with shock as the sacred creature wraps around your leg like a ribbon of ivory.

The restaurant falls silent.

The guards stare.

The customers stare through the windows.

Even the snake remains perfectly still.

One guard slowly lowers his spear.

Another whispers, almost afraid to say the words aloud.

"...That is not a noble daughter."

"No..."

"It is a boy."

The White Snake raises its head.

Its crimson eyes look directly toward the palace on the distant hill.

Then it tightens its coil around your leg.

As if making its choice.

It choosed you.

A simple young man holding a broom.

And the sacred White Snake chosen by Heaven refuses to leave your side.

The ancient tradition has spoken.

But it has spoken a message no one in the Empire is prepared to hear.

Your story begins here.