The Bride Of The Water God Wang Su

Chapter 20

Days, similar to one another, passed slowly in the Kingdom of Heaven, not disturbing its peace. The consistently clear sky, cheerfully singing birds, and green grass did not please Lee Soo at all.

"It's all the same. I'm tired of it! I would prefer cold wind, snow, or rain," she complained to the head maid while aimlessly looking out the window or embroidering silk scarves.

Kooi agreed with everything her mistress said, shook her head sympathetically, and brought the best delicacies. No one else forced the guest of the Heavenly Kingdom to improve her knowledge, but Lee Soo suddenly realized that reading allowed her to temporarily forget about the bitterness and emptiness in her heart. She often visited the wise Teacher, whose library was renowned throughout the Heavenly Kingdom. Ancient books and manuscripts were collected there, many written at the time of the creation of the worlds. Lee Soo spent hours wandering among the endless stacks of manuscripts, no longer doubting Kooi's claim that there were slightly more books in the library than stars in the sky.

Crossing the wooden bridge, the young lady looked at the curved roofs in the distance, with clay figurines of dragons on the slopes. Today, the red maple leaves in the Master's abode blazed brightly, and the pine trees, as if seeking warmth, stretched their branches to the south. This signified that there were no guests in the house, and she could visit the library without fear.

Inside, the quiet rustle of paper, the aroma of sandalwood, and the trembling carved shadows of branches on the light walls created a tranquil atmosphere. The owner, who preferred privacy, sat at a low wooden table, carefully writing something.

"Greetings, Teacher," Lee Soo bowed politely.

The old man, momentarily distracted from his work, nodded affably in response to his guest.

Not wanting to bother the owner with idle chatter, but tormented by a question for several days, Lee Soo hesitantly asked, "Teacher, two years ago you managed to save me and take me from the human world. Perhaps... would it be difficult for the wisest to bring me back?"

"Do you know what will happen to you if you return to the people?" the old man asked, setting his brush aside.

"I will live as before," Lee Soo replied, not entirely confident.

"Several centuries ago, one of the sacrificed girls managed to escape. The river's current carried her to the shore. What do you think people did when they found her?" the Teacher asked.

"They were very happy" Lee Soo suggested.

"They killed the girl," he replied.

"But why?!" she exclaimed in shock.

"They decided that the God of Water did not like the bride and returned the gift, meaning the people's request would not be fulfilled. Since then, they chose the most worthy and, for safety, tied a stone to the victim's feet."

"But I will tell everyone the truth and ask Wei An to ensure that..." Lee Soo stopped mid-sentence. "The Heavenly Lord doesn't care about me." Sadness was reflected in the young lady's eyes.

"Child, don't be sad. The kingdom of Heaven is the best place of all possible worlds," the Teacher slowly stood up from his chair. "I have prepared a gift for you. Perhaps it will please your heart," the old man said, pointing towards one of the rows of bookshelves.

The young lady thanked the owner and hurried to discover what surprise awaited her.

On one of the shelves lay the works of earthly poets. Lee Soo definitely did not expect such a gift. Now she could find out how the story about the forbidden love of a beauty from the north and a brave general ended, or re-read her favorite poem "The Fairy's Dream," and perhaps discover completely new books.