"That's right. I am a descendant of the original Emperor of this place. I came here to get the treasure that my ancestors left for me," Ming Ru Yi's face couldn't hide the glee she felt.
"Once I get the power, I will become the strongest person in the Kingdom and I will even strengthen my Kingdom more than ever," Ming Ru Yi glanced at Zhao Li Xin as she said this. She thought he would change his opinion of her once he heard this. Sadly, Zhao Li Xin did not even look at her. He was busy stroking Lory's arms gently while his chin rested on Lory's head.
?
Her shameless self-proclamation was met with silence. The overwhelming feeling they had from the epic story dissipated instantly once the stupid princess opened her mouth. The princess made the story sound like a joke to them. Bei Li Yan and Jin Hao made a 'for real?' expression to the heavily embarrassed General Fu.
"Her highness is that man's descendant? It is no wonder you always look different from the other girls," Her first fanboy praised her.
"Yes, your highness is so beautiful and talented. How could she be ordinary?" The second fanboy didn't want to miss his chance too.
"Our Kingdom's future would be as bright as a sun with her highness as the leader," The third fanboy exaggerated.
Ming Ru Yi acted like she was embarrassed by all the flattery but her smug smile couldn't hide her real feelings. The others were now skeptical about the whole story more than ever.
'Bright my ASS!' General Fu hid his annoyed face. The Emperor only asked him to take the tree to the Imperial Palace. The princess decided to tag along when she heard about the story and the General's mission. The Emperor never said anything about giving her the power of the tree.
General Fu did not believe the tree existed when he first got the order. He only decided to go to the ruins because it was his Emperor's order. He changed his mind after he saw the mural and the ruined palace as there was a high chance the tree was inside the tomb. The mural also made him have second thoughts about digging out the tree from its current location.
The fact that the tree was real could also mean the deity was real. Having a deity involved made the matter more serious as it could also mean misfortune could easily befall his Kingdom once again. General Fu thought the Emperor's ancestor hid the old Kingdom and tree for a reason. He wondered if the current Emperor knew the consequences of abusing the tree's power.
Bei Li Yan sympathized with Fu Xiao Jin for being saddled with a stupid princess. He thought it was a miracle for General Fu to make it to the ruins without going crazy. Bei Li Yan would have thrown the stupid princess to the fire monkeys if he was in General Fu's shoes. Bei Li Yan snickered. Watching the Third Princess was like watching a monkey dance. It was amusing and hilarious.
Jin Hao rolled his eyes at Ming Ru Yi's antics. He had met many stupid girls in the past but the Third Princess managed to make to the top three on his stupid girls' list.
_________________________________________________________________________
Early Morning came but the sky was still dark. Zhao Li Xin opened his eyes after his meditation to find an empty mattress where Lory was supposed to be. Zhao Li Xin frowned and left the tent. Mong Ki and Mong Yi, who were guarding the tent entrance, bowed at Zhao Li Xin when they saw him.
"Where is she?"
The Mong brothers knew Luo Ri Yi was the only she in their lord's life. Mong Ki responded, "She is standing before the mural, milord."
Although Zhao Li Xin remained expressionless, his heart was uncomfortable with this answer. He worried she would get agitated once again. He never wanted to see her broke down as she had before. He took long strides as he headed towards her.
A small figure illuminated by the dim light from a torch stood before the mural. Her body was like a statue as her eyes were glued to the painting. The long shadow beneath her feet cast a lonely figure when you looked at her from behind.
"Why aren't you resting?" Zhao Li Xin calm voice woke her from her daze.
Lory turned to face him with a loving smile, "I have rested enough, thanks to you."
"You always make me worry," Although his mouth complained, his hand gently tucked her hair behind her ear. His gentleness always gave her comfort. She felt lucky for meeting him in this world.
"Sorry…" Lory's smile became tender.
Zhao Li Xin sighed deeply. Lory's smile stopped Zhao Li Xin for reprimanding her further. He once saw a man give in to his wife and he had seen the man as weak and stupid. He recently got to learn he was no better than the poor man.
"General Fu told us the story about the painting. Do you know it too?" Zhao Li Xin was certain she was disturbed by the painting.
"No…" Lory answered quietly.
Her simple answer didn't bother him. He asked, "Do you want me to tell you?"
"If you don't mind," Lory gave him a quick nod.
"Of course…" Zhao Li Xin smiled warmly.
Zhao Li Xin repeated General Fu's story to Lory. She listened quietly without comment. However, she would knit her eyebrows once in a while and stare at the mural in silence. Her unusual silence worried him more. He couldn't tell what she was thinking when she stared at the mural solemnly.
"Your silence worries me," Zhao Li Xin eventually said what was on his mind.
"Hm…?" She averted her gaze from the mural and looked at him.
Zhao Li Xin's mesmerizing handsome face was are hair's breadth away from her face as he stared at her deeply. He gently cupped her face with both palms. It was like he was touching a frail glass, "Tell me what you are afraid of…"
His warm hands calmed her nerves. She touched his palms and said softly, "Fate. I'm afraid of what it has in store for me. I can't run… I can't hide nor can I ignore it. When fate chooses you, the only thing you can do is fail or prevail…"
Her vague answer confused him, "You fear uncertainty?"
Lory sighed, "When she is involved… Something would certainly happen...eventually…"
"She?" His eyebrows furrowed.
"She..." Lory's eyes shifted to the first mural of the silver-haired deity. She first met the deity when she was seven or eight years old. The second time they met was when Lory was twenty-six or twenty-seven years. Lory's life would change, either for the best or the worst, every time she met the deity. Lory could not predict the outcome but all she knew that their encounters meant a great change was coming.
"You know her? How?" The painting had been there for a few thousands of years but Lory was not more than twenty years. The thought of them meeting seemed inconceivable. The woman shouldn't have lived that long even if she was to become a Sage Level cultivator. Unless...unless the woman in the mural was not human. If she was not, what did it also mean about Lory?
"We called her a seeress. She is someone blessed by the Gods to glimpse into the past and the future. She is to give guidance to the chosen ones if they are lucky. The chosen ones are a few people who can change the course of the fate of their world. She would visit them in their dreams sometimes to give them a message or guidance. This is the reason why some of us call her a Dream Walker."
"Us?" Zhao Li Xin wanted to ask more but he clenched his jaw and become quiet.
"You don't want to ask me more?" Lory tilted her head and gave him a teasingly smile. "Or you are scared of me now…"
"How could I be afraid of a small woman like you?" Zhao Li Xin scoffed. He pulled her close and embraced her tightly. "I'm scared you would disappear if I ask more… I at times feel you will disappear before my eyes someday and there is nothing I could do about it."
Lory rested her head on his chest. She smiled bitterly as she wrapped her hands around his waist, "I can't promise to stay with you forever but I can promise to be with you for as long as it is possible."
Unbeknown by Lory, Zhao Li Xin fiddled with the black ring on his thumb with a glint in his dark eyes. He pursed his thin lips as his expression change. He quickly made a resolution. He would take a risk this time around. He had not dared to do so before because the risk at the time exceeded the expectation. He also did not have a reason to put himself in such a situation. This was now different this time around as he now had a good reason to do so.
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