The Princess And The Lord

Zhao Li Xin did not refute the dragon as he agreed he was a fool. Lory being a Princess was as clear as day. One only needed to look at her elegance and poise. She was eloquent and her superb demeanor tended to leak out once in a while.

She was smart and wise. Although she used to be quiet, she was never timid in front of others who seemed to be above her status. This was especially true when she talked to the Huang siblings or the Third Princess and her noble fanboys. Lory never looks inferior when she talks with them. Lory had an undeniable noble air around her.

Zhao Li Xin had guessed she was from a noble family, but he never imagined she was royalty. This was because Lory was warm and kind-hearted. She was never aloof with anyone, not a simple maid or people like Bei Li Yan and Jin Hao. She treated them all the same. Such behavior was unusual for a Princess as they tended to have a strict and revered upbringing inside the palace. Zhao Li Xin could testify on such treatment.

Lory also didn't have any problem taking care of herself. She made her own bed, took a bath, and dressed up alone. She did not fuss when she was slightly uncomfortable, she was not a picky eater, and most of all, she able to live comfortably in the wilderness.

It made Zhao Li Xin believe she was growing in this kind of life. He had quickly assumed she came from a fallen noble family, however, it didn't cross his mind that she was a Princess. Because is not make sense for a Princess to have the ability to survived the way she did.

"What happened to her?" Zhao Li Xin's curiosity rose.

"Something bad…very bad…" The dragon both pitied and admired the girl.

Zhao Li Xin's heart raced. He remembered her bitter smiles and the lonely eyes she tries so hard to hide, "Was she…hurt?"

Huo Long nodded slowly, "...Like no human should…"

"What happened?" Zhao Li Xin demanded strongly. His eyes were filled with anxiety and his breathing became heavier.

Huo Long raised a hand, "It's not the right time...yet. The only thing you need to know now is there's something lurking in the darkness for her soul. This entity is not human or beast… It's something else… something sinister… you could never win against it, not with your current power anyway. Heck, you will die before you have a chance to save her."

Zhao Li Xin clenched his hands. He was not scared about dying but he was more concerned about his inability to save her. The power that was always admired and envied by others turned out to be too weak to kill the mysterious entity. It seemed the entity was very powerful, and the chances of his little savior surviving it was small. There was only one conclusion in his mind, he couldn't lose her!

"You may not have a chance to save her...in the end. This may be her fate!"

"No, it can't be! There must be away, you must know something, tell me what I should do?" Zhao Li Xin pleaded with desperation but Huo Long was unfazed. He seemed reluctant to help Zhao Li Xin. It was not because he didn't want to help Zhao Li Xin but the risk was too great. Zhao Li Xin might not survive it…actually, they both might not survive it.

Zhao Li Xin fell on his knee. He kneeled before Huo Long as he cupped his fists tightly then he begs wholeheartedly, "I'll do anything… Please…"

This was the first time Zhao Li Xin had ever begged anyone. He never kneeled or begged anyone before, even when he was sick and at the brink of death. He always lived by the rule which was, 'It was better to be broken than to bend'. The rule was his code but for her, he would kneel on the floor and beg with his whole heart.

Huo Long was stunned as he did not expect Zhao Li Xin to beg. Although the cold and indifferent boy before him had changed, the dragon never would have guessed his change could be that big. The dragon froze as he didn't know how to react. Huo Long only recovered his sense after a few moments had passed. He rubbed his forehead with an inexplicable expression.

"Okay! First things first…" Huo Long was still perplexed. "Stand up! Don't kneel in front of me for God's sake!"

Zhao Li Xin rose from the floor slowly. His face remained stern as he only had one goal.

"You will need to raise your cultivating. Being at the Sovereign level is not enough. I, myself, can kill a dozen of Sovereign Level cultivators. This means the entity can do worse," Huo Long stated. 

"You need to reach the Sage Level after which I will teach you another cultivation level above it. It is called Divined Cultivation. People usually need to be about a hundred years to reach Sage Level and it would even take more time to reach the Divined Cultivation. Unfortunately, you don't have this luxury nor does she."

The air around Zhao Li Xin's lungs turned cold. He clenched his fists until they were white as many thoughts swirled in his head. How much time did he have to be able to save her? What would he do if he failed…? Was he going to lose her for good? No! He couldn't let it happen! He would rather die than let anything bad happen to her.

"This means you can't be stubborn anymore," Huo Long continued. "You will need to use every cheat and opportunity to raise your power. Don't get me wrong… I'm not asking you to depend on pills and elixirs as you are right about them. Taking too many of them is not good for anyone. What I mean by 'cheats' is the use of this ring's power. You should use this space to the maximum to increase your power, master your arrays, and armament skills. All these things might be useful someday!"

Zhao Li Xin nodded. He would do whatever it took to save Lory.

"And… You need to also find the Crimson Lightning sword as it could be the only thing in this world that can kill that entity," Huo Long raised his eyebrow to assured Zhao Li Xin.

Zhao Li Xin's eyes glinted with a resolution as Huo Long words gave him hope. He would use all his power to find the weapon, even if he needed to go to the end of the world.

"Now go… She needs you now," Huo Long carelessly shooed Zhao Li Xin away. "Remember, boy… The entity doesn't only want to kill her as it also wants her soul. Dispersing her soul might be the only option should you fail!"

"I won't fail!" Zhao Li Xin said before his figure disappeared into thin air. He did not wish to look at the alternative. 

Huo Long sighed once the boy left. He glanced to the side as a woman appeared next to the open window behind him, "I hope you are right this time…Arthea!"

The woman's silver hair flowed down her shoulders. Her clear grey eyes blinked once as she lazily leans on the window frame. She smiled sweetly, "Who knows! Everything had been on a downward spiral since Lorenna died!"

"The Queen?" Huo Long asked.

"Uh-huh," Arthea answered. There was no anger on her face even as she complained, "The woman was born under the star of chaos… It is all chaos. I can barely foresee the future anymore!"

"Maybe it is because you are old?" Huo Long teased.

"Shut up, old lizard!" She chided.

"What are you if I am old?" Huo Long rolled his eyes.

Arthea pouted as she propped her chin, "Unveiled the future has become too tiresome. So many things have changed… There are so many possibilities… Everything grows like a branch on the tree… They keep growing without an end!"

"Maybe you should stop being a peeping tom!" Huo Long grinned.

She smiled brightly, "Maybe I should!"

Huo Long scoffed, "You would have stopped a long time ago if you had the choice."

Arthea giggled. She had no regrets, sadness, or hatred. She lost those feelings a long time ago. A Seeress cannot function well if she dwelled on such emotions. She moved away from the table. "It doesn't matter... Guiding a Lucient is my destiny! I will go on as long as the Lucient line continues..."

"Immortality... Even I could never have imagined it" A celestial creature like him was blessed with longevity, but he would eventually die like any other creature in the world.

Arthea gazed at the ocean beneath her and smiled calmly, "No, you can't…"

_____________________________

It took the Mong brothers and the other shadow guards two days to get Ming Yue Yin out of the palace without anyone noticing. It was quite an achievement as the security around the Imperial Palace was tight. They sent a message to General Fu once this was done as he was to return to Jing An City the day after he was sure Ming Yue Yin's safety was guaranteed. He, unfortunately, came bearing bad news for the Emperor.

Ming Yue Yin was placed in a guest room next to Lory in Zhao Li Xin's manor. Lory asked everyone to leave her alone with Ming Yue Yin. Girsha watched them from the round table close to Ming Yue Yin's bed.

[Trinity seems quite fond of her…] Girsha commented.

[He is] Lory agreed.

[Aren't you jealous?] Girsha teased her.

[Shut up! She and her ancestor have protected Trinity for so long. I've got nothing but gratitude towards them] Lory said genuinely. She also felt regret for what happened to Ming Yue Ying's ancestors since Trinity played a major role in their downfall.

Girsha chuckled lightly [Yeah, I know]

Lory opened her palm. A soft purple light lay within. She gently said [She will be the last descendant to accept this Gift]

The purple light transformed into a purple leaf that floated above her palm. The whole room was illuminated by the purple light, a small remnant of Trinity's power that resided in the tree. Lory moved her hand slowly above Ming Yue Yin's chest and carefully turned her palm. The leaf gradually broke into many pieces of light and fell towards Ming Yue Yin's chest before it gradually disappeared.

Ming Yue Yin's chest rose after a moment. She exhaled faintly as her eyelashes fluttered. Her eyeballs moved underneath her eyelids. It was like she couldn't wait to open her eyes.

"Slowly…" Lory said gently.

Ming Yue Yin became calm at Lory's voice. Her tense body relaxed and her fingers twitched. Lory held her hand and whispered in Ming Yue Yin's ear, "Don't be scared… I'm here, brat."

Tears fell from the corner of Ming Yue Ying's eyes as she slowly opened her eyes. She could see a different canopy of an unfamiliar bed. The bed was a bit smaller but the sheets were soft and the blanket warm. She realized she wasn't in an ordinary family house. She moved her head to the side and saw a woman with beautiful big eyes staring back at her.

"Wake up, sleepyhead! You want some dumpling?" Lory grinned

Ming Yue Yin froze for a second before her mouth curved upwards, "Hey, aunty…"