Chapter 21

 

 

"This... Are you serious about this wedding?" Boran asked slowly with a slight surprised frown.

Weiting takes in a deep breath and begins to sip on his cup of tea again, giving his friend no reply. Boran saw the nasty dislike on his face and set the invitation on the table carefully. This was a problem he knew he couldn't help his friend with.

 "You know," Boran begins to change the topic so that Weiting could get his mind off his wedding issue. "Yang Sun said that I cut my hand on a broken cup, but I don't remember a thing." He twists his hands in front of them both and then raising it into the air.

Weiting places his cup at his lips.

"It's weird..."

A moment of silence came between them and Boran sighs.

"This is the part where you ask me, 'What's so weird, Boran?'..." He sneered at Weiting cutely.

Weiting chuckled softly at Boran's immature facial expression.

"... What's weird, silly?" He played along and places his cup down on the table.

"It doesn't count, you have to react on your own..." He growled a little and then shoves his immature expression off his face, "What's weird--- is that I don't remember a thing." Boran then crossed his arms on his chest and leans back a little.

"That's because you were drunk."

"No... That's not the reason why."

"Then what is the reason?"

"We grew up together, have you ever seen me drunk and don't remember a thing?"

Weiting thought for a moment and realize that it was true. Boran was the kind of person who could handle his alcohol tolerance well enough not to get even a hangover the next day.

“What are you implying?” Weiting's eyes shifted with curiousness.

“I don’t know… But if I was really drunk, why do I not feel like I was drunk?”

Weiting listened.

“I mean, I don’t mean to doubt Yang Sun, but all I remember was that I came back from the base camp and saw Yang Sun sitting alone in the night by the pond.”

“And?”

“And… That is what’s weird… I don’t remember a thing after that.” He tried to laugh it off. “It's like... My memory was wiped clean after that... It’s weird, right? Tell me that I'm not the only one who thinks it's weird...”

Weiting contemplated to himself back and forth for a moment and smacks his wet lips softly placing both his hands on his thighs. “You were drunk.” He concluded.

Boran rolls his eye to the side and laughed at his friend for a second. He knew that Weiting thinks he is crazy.

“Perhaps I was.” Boran sighs and leans forward again. “Even you don't believe me..."

"It's not that I don't believe in you.  It's unbelievable. What you're telling me is impossible."

"What's impossible?"

"You said that you feel like your memory has been wiped clean... Sounds like some kind of sorcery magic to me, which is impossible..."

Boran thought to himself in silence. sorcery magic? He never thought it like that before.

"For over hundreds of years, sorcery has died. If you're trying to tell me that you were under a sorcery spell, I won't believe you. Unless...."

Boran bounces his head softly to the side and understood what he meant. He then noticed Weiting's eyes wandering off into his own little world again. He saw how stress his friend was and felt guilty of giving him even more stress with his problems. All he wanted to do was get Weiting's mind off of things, but ended up burdening him.

"Unless??" Boran asked.

"Unless you were really  drunk and just don't remember a thing." Weiting again and chuckles to himself quietly.

"Y-You... Forget it! At least I made you laugh... So, about this wedding with Princess Feiyang, if you want, I can talk to the Cabinet Minster. Maybe—”

“No need, I've made up my mind. I’m going to go through with it.”

Boran couldn’t say a word, his tongue was weirdly tied into a knot. He was too surprised at this sudden invitation, and honestly, he don't really think his friend will actually go through with this plan; yet he understood fairly why Weiting was doing this.

“If Feiyang really had something to do with Taiyang’s death, I will investigate it and find out the truth, even if that means I have to marry her.”

"Then... Can I ask a last question?"

"Sure." He nods and begins pouring another cup of tea.

"Will you hurt Feiyang in order to get the truth?"

Weiting's hands stops the tea from falling through the tea pot trunk and gazes up to Boran's eyes.

"Will you?" Boran's eyes sequenced.

He places the tea pot back down onto the table and rest his hands on his lap. He became quiet and firm as he stares to the side of the paper window.

"You won't, right?" Boran hoped to hear those words from his friend.

Boran bit his lips roughly and rolls his hands onto his lap as well. He was becoming afraid about how Weiting will reply to his question. His hands became nervous and sweaty all together.

"We hurt without moving, We poison without touching. We bear the truth and the lies. We are not to be judge by our size..." Weiting recited a poem.

Boran listened to him riddle out his reply: words. Boran released a soft sigh of relief and watched as Weiting hinted that he will use words to find out the truth, and will not harm innocent lives. He understood clearly that Weiting was still the good guy he knew he was.

"I can only promise that I won't hurt her, nor anyone-- unless they pose a threat to me."

 

 

 

 

Later that evening, Yang Sun was walking along a river stream in the bamboo forest alone. She was dressed in a dark colored robe with her hair dressed simple, a half up braided-do. She clinched onto the front part of her robe as she walks up a steep hill, carefully.

‘Yang Sun,’ The wolf stops her as it stood at the top.

She walks over to the wolf and digs out from her sleeves the small white porcelain bottle she had collected Boran’s blood in. “Here,”

‘You got it?’

“Yes,”

The wolf stood on four of its legs and takes a few sniffs of the top on the bottle. ‘Good. With this, you will be able to enter the Palace soon.’

Yang Sun stares at the bottle that was lying on her right palm with uneasy eyes.

‘Don’t worry. I will tell you what you need to do.’

The two of them walks deeper into an unknown nearby rocky woods and eventually came to a dark hidden cave that was disguised under the rocky mountain paths. The wolf was seen pouncing on the high rocks, one jump after another , while Yang Sun followed it by walking on a rocky pathway underneath.

Her feet begins hardening and stun in pain as she made each step in haste, trying to keep up with the wolf. She felt a heat rolling underneath her feet and soon, numbness that overcame her toes. It was like she was walking on pins and needles, but that didn't stop her from moving forwards.

'It will hurt at first. But you will get use to it once you come here often.' The Wolf told her as he once felt her pain.

"Often?" She takes in a deep breath from the pain she has to endure. "Did you go through this too?"

'Yes... When the Witch rescued me and gave me immortal powers, I started becoming one with nature... Hao le, memorize this road, this will be a safe sanctuary place for you in the future.'

"Future?" She begins to run out of breath, "... Why are you showing me this place all of a sudden?" She asked as she steps over a rock, ripping a piece of her dark colored robe trail behind her on a rock.

'Because...' The wolf hops down from the high rocks above her head and lands a few feet in the front of her pathway. 'The witch ordered me to show this to you once you decided to enter the palace.' It's eyes fixated on her in a clam way.

She could see a small ball of fire burning in its eyes, but she wasn't afraid. She was actually contempt with the wolfs look. A small doorway then reveals itself as soon as the wolf turns around and taps his feet against the ground near the big rock to the right, three times with a 5 second pause.

"Why do I feel like...." She pasued as she couldn't take her eyes off its eyes.

‘Follow me.’ The wolf interrupted her and entered first.

Yang Sun takes in a deep breathe and then follows the wolf into a cold dark cave like room where a large dark colored metal caged cauldron sat in the middle of the area. The air in the cave was very much damped and closed. The ground was wet in certain areas where water fell from above the ceiling and there were echoes of the wind coming from small hidden openings all around. There was also over 500 candles lit, flashing side to side, circling the room to give light in the cave.

“This... This is where you live?” She asked, and her voice echoed softly around the cave.

She roams her eyes around the cave area.

The wolf looked at her and then away. ‘Was that a guess? Or a question?'

"Either one." She could smell the same scent the cave gave out on the wolfs' fur, that's what gave out the hint.

'... Yes.’ It replied and walks up to the cauldron. ‘I've lived here for many years, ever since the with rescued me to be honest.." It circled around it, "Here, you have to put his blood in here.’

The wolf pressed onto a sliver metal plate on the ground next to the cauldron, and it sanked into the ground a few inches. This allowed the caged doors to open so she could place the jar in the middle.

Yang Sun brings over Boran’s blood, "In the middle?"

‘Yes... Did you bring the copper dagger as well?’

“... Yes.” She slightly nods and pulls it out with her left hand.

‘You have to mix his blood with mine using the sliver sand on the copper dagger.’

“Mix it?"

‘Yes. This is how you’re going to make the black poison.’

 

 

Zhenzhu Palace;

 

Feiyang was sitting at her small mirror desk in her bed chambers applying brow ink onto her eye brows. She was served by her side, her personal maid, Su Ying, who was seen carefully combing her loose hair on the bottom of her head.

"Are you planning on going out today?" Ruyang walks into her living halls, just outside her bed chambers, unannounced.

Feiyang's facial expression quickly turned into an agonizing annoyed look the moment she heard the first word from Ruyang's mouth. She then gently rolled her eyes to the side, placing her brow brush down.

"Su Ying,"

"Present," Her maid bows.

"50 to those servants who didn't announced the arrival of my dearest older sister." Feiyang ordered and rolls herself up from her seat.

"Y-Yes, your highness." Her maid bows and slowly retreats from her bed chambers.

"... You're not serious are you?" Ruyang was flabbergasted and watches as Su Ying walks out the room.

Feiyang sighs and walks out from her bed chambers and into her living hall to greet the crown princess.

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" She showed no welcoming smile. "... What brings the crown princess to my palace today?" She bends her knees a little as she greets her.

Ruyang already knew that Feiyang hated her guts, but didn't care, "Oh, nothing much," Ruyang sighs and takes a seat in the main seat of the room.

Feiyang bit her lips tightly and allows herself to take a seat next to her sister.

"Did you hear that Luyang visited Cuzhong Hall?" Ruyang asked.

"She did? I did not hear." She said showing no interest in this talk.

"Oh,"

"Oh?? What do you mean, oh?" Feiyang looks at her.

"I'm still confused at why Luyang Jie would visit Cuzhong Hall." She leans to the side towards Feiyang. "Do you know why?"

Feiyang glared her eyes in a shallow way, "...." She didn't say a word for the next few seconds.

"I heard, Cuzhong Hall is where the female servants who have committed sins, ends up. It's an awful place to be stuck in."

"So?"

"Last I heard, Taiyang had a few maids that entered Cuzhong Hall." Ruyang said as she plays with her fingers on her laced sleeves. "Two of them."

Feiyang's eyes furrowed in a quick motion over to her sister, "Why do I feel like you're threatening me?"

Ruyang smirks, "Now, why would I threaten you? We both know that we both have done evil things... We're consider, live together and died together kind of sisters... Are we not?" Ruyang smirks evilly and watches as Feiyang's expression slowly changes into a dark one. "... I'm only warning you about the trail that you decided to leave behind, my dearest sister."

Feiyang bites her lips together softly and rolls her fingers onto her lap.

"Luyang Jie paid my mother a visit the other day in order to look for these two maid servants of our dear dead sister. Doesn't it sound weird to you? Why would she be looking for them?"

Weird? Feiyang felt a little uneasy after hearing about what Luyang is doing. She knew she would be lying to herself if she replied back with a non worry response, but coolly kept her calm in order to match up to Ruyang's threat.

"You're thinking too much." Feiyang said with her eyes rolling over. "If you're done threatening me, I advise you to leave. What you said just now doesn't scare me."

Ruyang stands onto her feet and rolls her robe behind her, "It doesn't scare you? " She laughs a little, "As if I will believe that... Hao le, I will wait for you to thank me later. Oh by the way, Physician Ke Chi is also looking for those two girls...." She ended the conversation and sees to the exit herself.

Thank her later? Feiyang grinned her teeth in confusion. And Ke Chi? Why would he be looking for them?

"Su Ying." She calls out to her maid servant as soon as Ruyang left the room completely.

"Yes,"  

"Find out where the 4th princess is right now."

"Yes," Su Ying bows and leaves the room.

 

 

 

Luyang was seen walking towards Cuzhong Hall that same day, this time without Li-er at her side.

"Ke Chi." Luyang entered the servants room.

"4th Princess," He greeted her with the other two elderly male physicians.

"What's going on? " Luyang asked him with a confused look.

Ke Chi was only summoned once or twice a month to look after these servants, and for him to be there when he was there a few days ago already, was odd.

She looks over Ke Chi's shoulders and saw Ling-Er sleeping on the wooden bed to the side as Ke Chi was just finishing up treating her. Her face was super pale and looked as if she was already dead.

"What's wrong with her?"

Ke Chi shakes his head side to side slowly, "I'm afraid, she doesn't have a lot of time." He whispered slowly.

"What do you mean??? Is she dying?" Luyang's eyes expanded out in shock.

Ke Chi nods gently and places down the wet cloth onto the wooden table, "I don't know what happened, but the air sacs in both her lungs are inflamed and swollen and it's blocking air... I've already tried my best to help her."

"She can't die, not yet at least! Ke Chi, you have to save her!" Luyang shouts as she grabs his left arm and shakes it. "You have to save her! You're the smartest one here, you have to save her!"

Ke Chi shuffles his eyes as she shakes him good and then stares into her eyes for a second, "I..." He said and gently leads her to the side towards the exit of the room, "4th Princess, I don't think we're the only ones who knows that Ling-Er is here." He said with much doubt in his mind.

"What do you mean?" Luyang forced herself to lower her voice.

"Ling-Er was poisoned." He whispered into her ears.

"W-What?!?" Luyang gasped so loud, everyone in the room turns to look at them for a few seconds before continuing to do what they were doing. "... W-What?" She lowered her voice. "Poison? What kind of poison?"

"Gu Shen Du."

"What is that?"

"Gu Shen Du is said to have no taste and kills quickly within the first 12 hours. Gu Shen is made from the 10 most deadly snakes mixed with arsenic... I've seen it before on a patient when I was still a student in the Pei City, it makes the heart and abdomen swell and ache in inflammation because the poison gnaws from within.... Ling-Er is showing all the symptoms for it..."

Luyang shut her eyes and clinched her hands into fists, "Is god going to really not let us win once? Are we just supposed to leave it to fate."  

He could sense her sudden anger, depression and sorrow for both Taiyang and Weiting. "4th Princess, I'll do my best before anything happens." He tries to comfort her.

"Ke Chi," The eldest physician calls him over. "It seems like she is trying to say something."

Ke Chi rushes to Ling-Er's bed and bends to her level, "Miss Ling-Er," He calls out to her gently.

Luyang stood behind him a few inches away, trying to get her own glimpse of Ling-Er.

Ling-Er's mouth mouthed a word, but no one could hear her, so Ke Chi bends his ears to an inch away and begins to listen to her speak.

"What is that you want to say?" Ke Chi whispered softly.

Luyang tightened her fingers together with a sour look for a moment.

"Gao..." Ling-Er said loud enough for Ke Chi to hear only. "Gao...."

"What?" Ke Chi was confused. "What do you mean?"

Her last breathe said one word, 'Gao' and stopped breathing. She had finally slipped into death's world with no more pain. Ke Chi noticed her chest had stop rising and no air coming from her nose.

"She's gone," He said with watery eyes and pulls himself back onto his feet.

"W-What?" Luyang gasped and pushes him to the side bending over to the servants lifeless body. She shakes her, "You can't die! You can't die! Wake up!" Her eyes stung red.

Ke Chi steps back a few feet and turns to face towards the exit once again.

"4th Princess, she's dead..." The two older physicians said as they both kneeled onto their knees for her to stop shaking Ling-Er's dead body. "Please control your sorrow."

Luyang was angry, sad and confused all together. She raised her head towards Ke Chi, "What did she say?" Her tears fell finally.

Ke Chi peeks at everyone else in the room and back to her, "I-I'm not sure." He stuttered, shaking his head side to side.

"What do you mean you're not sure?" She gasped and runs over to him. "What did she say!?"' She grabs both his arms and starts to recklessly shake them.

"4th princess, can we talk about this later." He hinted at her.

"No!" She didn't catch on. "Tell me!" She hit his arm slightly.

"4th Princess," Li-Er walks into the room suddenly and breaks the commotion up.

They all paused for a moment. "What is it?" Luyang asked after she wipes her tears with a frown.

"7th Princess is summoning you."

"Me? Feiyang is summoning me? Why?"

"I'm not sure. But she is waiting at your hall. She said she has something urgent to speak to you about, if you don't show up, she won't leave."

Ke Chi released a sigh of relief and bows to Luyang calmly, "4th Princess, why don't you go and attend to 7th Princess first. I will come and find you within the next few days and we can talk."

Luyang didn't want to leave, she wanted to know what Ling-Er said to Ke Chi, but had to rush back to her quaters.

"Hao. But you must come and find me in the next few days. If you don't, I won't let you off so easily." She threatened him.

"Yes, your highness."

Luyang gathered herself and exits the servants hall with her maid back to her own chambers to meet up with Feiyang. Ke Chi slowly raised his head back onto his neck and quickly thought to himself. He needed to meet Weiting as soon as possible.

 

 

Luyang entered through her study chambers and saw Feiyang standing there staring at a familiar painting on the wall.

"Feiyang."

"Luyang Jie-Jie." She faked a smile as soon as she turns her head to see her sister.

"Li-Er told me that you needed to talk to me about something important?" Luyang said and walks over to her and leads her to sit in a chair.

"It's not that important..." Feiyang said as she takes her seat, "At least not to you."

Luyang looks over to Li-Er, "Li-Er, serve some tea."

"Yes,"

"Who painted this painting?" Feiyang asked her as she points to the lotus painting dangling on her sisters wall. "It looks so real. It's as if I was standing in the actual garden."

Luyang hesitated to reply, "It was Taiyang who painted it." She said and Feiyang's spine went cold.

"Taiyang Mei-Mei?" Her voice trembled in coldness as well as her eyes sequenced smaller.

"Yes," Luyang dismissed her expression quickly.

Li-Er walked into the room after a few seconds of silence with a tray that held two cups of cold tea. She served it to her miss and Feiyang and stood to the side for further directions, if needed.

"Tell me, what did you need to discuss with me?" Luyang kept going straight to the point.

Feiyang grabs her cup of cold tea and takes a sip before speaking, "I heard that you were looking for servants to serve you in your quarters?"

"Yes,"

"What a coincidence, so am' I... Tell me, is there any good servants in Cuzhong Hall?"

Luyang felt a strange  sinking feeling coming off of Feiyang all of a sudden. "Why do you need servants when have enough already?"

"You don't know, I'm getting ready to marry. I will be needing more servants to help around."

"Even so, why do you not look for servants in the Servants department, but Cuzhong Hall? And how did you know that I went to Cuzhong Hall?"

Feiyang knew that Luyang was too smart and too observant. She had to be extra careful not to slip anything up.

"I paid the Empress a visit yesterday and she told me that you were looking for servants as well." She lied.

Luyang didn't trust her one bit.

 

 

 

 

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Been a while since I updated. :) thank you to everyone who has been closley waiting.