25th Chapter:
The First War of Heaven and Earth
The father of the water demon… Zhu Rong the fire god…
Zhang ran these two identities in his head for several days now, feeling as if he knew both from somewhere but is eluding him. Earlier, he had asked Yu Gui about it, but all he knew was what he told Akiko. Undaunted, he went asking the scholars, but had said the same thing. Feeling that it was still not enough, he had asked for the history of the ancient war of heaven and earth, but it only told of the battle in which Zhu Rong partook in saving the world from his son and won; the details were not clear…
He was feeling rather useless, for he was the defense minister yet the information he needed eludes him. To keep himself on those thoughts, he kept on wandering aimlessly through the palace grounds, and Akiko got wind of it and asked Liu, Zhang’s frequent companion.
“What’s gotten Zhang always on foot and never in one place?” Akiko sounded concerned.
“I wish I knew,” Liu replied. “He’s been like that since the day you revealed the task ahead of us.”
He also asked Yu Gui about it, and had provided a much clearer answer.
“It might be because of Zhu Rong,” Yu Gui had answered. “He kept on muttering about it whenever we pass each other.”
“Why would he be interested in a matter that we already know?” Akiko’s curiosity got piqued.
“Well, I think you should ask him yourself,” Yu Gui replied with a knowing smile. “He sometimes keeps things to himself and would not reveal it until he fully knows what’s bothering him.”
Taking the advice, Akiko had invited Zhang one morning in her chambers for some tea.
Zhang had arrived whilst Akiko was in the midst of arranging some of her things to make her room presentable for her guest. There was a knock on her door.
“It is I, priestess,” said Zhang’s voice.
“Come in,” Akiko said, and in Zhang went, and he looked gaunt from the days of being in deep thought.
“My goodness,” was Akiko’s greeting rather than some cheery remark. “Have you… slept at all these past few days?”
“Uh, yes… why do you ask?” Zhang replied, his eyebrows contorting in confusion.
Akiko didn’t answer, but instead, she pushed Zhang in front of the mirror that was beside her table. Realization then came into Zhang’s mind as he saw the sunken cheeks and eye bags on his face.
“Oh… I’m sorry…” Zhang said, laughing sheepishly. “I just can’t sleep properly because of something…”
While he was saying this, Zhang was avoiding Akiko’s probing eyes.
“I see…” Akiko said, confirming what both Liu and Yu Gui had said. “Anyway, why don’t we have tea while you tell me all about it.”
Zhang wanted to avoid the conversation, but Akiko had already pushed him into a seat with a steaming cup of tea in front of him. Having no choice, he took the cup and sipped a little of the warm tea. It calmed him a bit.
YOU ARE READING
For the One I Love: the Legend of the Four Priestesses of Heaven and Earth
FantasyA thousand years into the past, the water demon Gonggong had sought the seize the throne of heaven for himself. His father, Zhu Rong, fought him to stop his ambition from happening. Gonggong was defeated, but being undaunted by his defeat, he sought...
