Everyone shielded their eyes as the brightest white glow blinded them. Lan Zhan blinks and when his eyes adjust to the now dimmer light in the room, he bows.
For, right in front of them, the Immortal Goddess Chang'e is here.
She is wearing glowing white robes of gossamer silk, dazzling and bright. Her lovely hair is blacker than the night sky, tied back with a silver butterfly pin leaving the rest of her hair wild and loose, cascading down her back.
She bows to Lan Zhan in return.
But she's looking upset, and when she sees Wei Ying, in his red underrobes lying on the bed, her tears begin to fall. These tears too, are nothing ordinary, they are the brightest, most luminescent pearls they have ever seen.
Everyone is bowing.
"He has been poisoned. Here." She hands a small vial to Lan Zhan. "Quickly, give him one drop. Keep the rest for your daughter, when you next meet."
"Our healers have given him something…will it affect this?" XiChen asks.
Lan Zhan is ignoring him and doing what the Goddess Chang'e told him to do. He suspects the Goddess is right because Wei Ying’s lips are looking blue. He's cold to the touch too, and that is more alarming.
Once the medicine enters his system, the colour returns to his face, but Wei Ying is not awake yet. Lan Zhan activates a drying talisman for his robes, hoping that whatever they have given him, works fast.
Meanwhile, Chang'e is speaking.
"Your healers cannot cure him. There are only two antidotes in the world for the Curse of Flower Demon, and one of them has just been administered." She looks around the room. "I am sorry that it has come to this. You… none of you deserve this… or what is to come." Her tears haven't stopped and there is the sound of pearls falling. When they hit the floor, they roll to the furthest ends of the room.
"Wei Ying said…you warned him of his being poisoned. How do you know about it?" Lan Zhan asks her. His tone is barely respectful… he cannot function while Wei Ying is like this.
Chang'e comes closer and sits on the edge of the bed. She takes Wei Ying’s hand in hers.
"This goes way back into the past. Do you remember the Book of Prophecies that lies in your possession?" She says to him.
Lan Zhan nods. "We do not know how to dispose of it. It is a liability." He confesses.
Wei Ying has been worried about having that book with them since he learned how to open it.
"Then you understand why no one will readily accept the responsibility of protecting it. Yes, you are correct in that it is a liability. But it is also the greatest weapon in your arsenal. His connection to the Book cannot be denied. It was part of the deal he made with the Keeper of Heavenly Treasures." Chang'e sighed. "I think he was desperate then."
"When did this happen? Why was he desperate?" Lan Zhan asks her. He doesn't know about this, any deals that were made, and certainly he has no knowledge of this Keeper of Heavenly Treasures. And while Chang'e is here, Lan Zhan intends on finding out as much as he can.
"It is not my story to tell." She says sadly. "I came to help him, and warn you of the dangers ahead."
"The Flower Demon, why is she after us?" Lan Zhan changes his line of questions then.
When Wei Ying wakes up, he will want their children back first. Lan Zhan is going to make that happen.
"It is important to know your enemy; therein lies victory. If you can find out what she wants, and I believe she spoke to him before this happened." Chang'e gestures to Wei Ying’s current state. "But, she lies undefeated. None of the Celestial Warriors have managed to capture her, because she is as elusive as time. Whenever they get close, it seems that she somehow knows and slips out of their fingers. No matter how secretive they are."
Her words have given Lan Zhan a glimmer of hope. And he has an idea of what to do next.
"May I say something? I have a question for the Goddess." Hui Gai says, in a low voice.
He isn't sure how Chang'e will react to his presence; after all, she's one of the Celestial Immortals, and he is the King of the Nether world…they are sort of total opposites. But he tells himself that, what's the worst that could happen? At worst, she would reject him, and at best, she might actually be able to help them.
"Mn." Lan Zhan approves.
Hui Gai feels much better at this silent support. He steps forward and bows.
"Welcome Goddess Chang'e. We need your help in another matter too." He tries not to sound nervous.
She nods at him, giving him her permission to ask. There is a small smile on her beautiful face.
"As you probably know, I am always refining my powers. But I cannot find Li XiWang and Rumi. I have spread out my awareness until it encompasses the whole world…and there is…nothing." This is the first time Hui Gai is genuinely terrified.
He tries not to show it because his friends are relying on him. But his powers have never failed him yet, and this is the most frightening thing, more so because the children, his children are in danger.
"Hmm…that is strange." She closes her eyes, too.
There is complete silence in the room.
They watch as her glow brightens as she sends out her awareness.
Everyone is hoping she will be more successful than Hui Gai about finding the children.
Ten minutes later, her beautiful eyes open and she looks confused.
"I cannot sense them, either." There is distress clearly on her face. "She…she wouldn't have -"
"No." Lan Zhan says immediately.
He is going to shut down that type of thinking. He refuses to let them pursue that avenue of thoughts.
To think those terrible thoughts…it was the same as giving up and that's the one thing, Lan Zhan won't do.
YOU ARE READING
WangXian Forever Book 9: The Flower Demon
RomanceThings have settled down for our favourite couple and they're just getting used to living in the domestic bliss that Wei Ying always dreamed of. However, there is still the question of Jiang Cheng and his mysterious curse, the JingLing that can't re...
