Wang Li Xun, the Crown Prince, goes out hunting for the Celestial Flower to save his mother from a terminal illness. When he nearly dies from the attack of a mythical beast, he is saved by a mysterious boy who lives in the mountains.
To repay his ki...
When Long'Er returned back to her house, she found a beautiful woman awaiting her return.
Dressed in an elegant white dress robe embroidered with pink cherry blossoms, she perched on the veranda, playing her flute.
Many were often fooled by her youthful appearance. At first glance, she may appear human, but in fact, she wasn't exactly one. She wasn't as young as she looked, even older than the 1st Emperor himself. And right now, the current reign was being ruled by their 23rd Emperor.
A deity was what she was. Or to be precise, she was the guardian of the Great Heavenly Lake.
Regardless of her identity, this woman adopted her and played the role of her godmother. Her guardian. Her teacher. And even her friend. They might not have blood ties, but she was the only family that Long'Er had in her life ever since she lost her mother.
Long'Er greeted her. "Mother."
The woman smiled brightly and patted the spot beside her. "Someone came by earlier?" she asked curiously.
Of course she would know. Nothing ever escaped her notice.
Long'Er settled down next to her, pulling off her mask and keeping it aside. "Yes," she replied. "A fight broke out near the barrier. He was in trouble, so I brought him in."
"That's my daughter," her godmother beamed. "And he's a man from the palace? I notice that he dresses like one of them."
"I believe so."
And Long'Er began telling her how Li Xun attempted to recruit her as his bodyguard, before she politely declined the offer. The woman nodded her head approvingly and her eyes lit up in mischief. "He has taken a liking to you," she remarked amusedly. "And he doesn't seem like a bad person."
A deity's perception of people was never wrong. If her godmother said that Li Xun was a good man, he was one. Moreover, getting through the barrier of the Great Heavenly Lake would require a pure heart, and he had passed that test too.
"How about you, my dearest child?" she nudged Long'Er. "How do you find him? Isn't he quite a handsome lad?"
Long'Er groaned inwardly. Sometimes, she wondered if her godmother had lied about her real age because she often behaved like an immature young girl. "Mother," she scolded lightly. "I don't think he realises that I'm a woman!"
Her godmother simply chuckled at her embarrassed reaction. "Oh, I'm fairly certain he would be very thrilled once he realises it."
"Well, he won't find out because we won't be meeting again."
Her godmother's enthusiasm faded into a serious, thoughtful expression. "Sweetheart," she said, "we've discussed this a couple of times before. Since you were born, you have spent the past eighteen years here, in this little hut, away from your kind. I think it's time for you to go back to human civilisation, make new friends and explore the world outside of this cage. And right now, the opportunity has presented itself to you. Don't you want to grab onto it, spread your wings and fly out of this place?"
Long'Er bit her bottom lip. Her godmother was right – she always wanted to learn what the outside world was like. Even though her godmother would bring her to the nearby villages to shop once in a while, it was never enough to satisfy her craving to learn.
However, a part of her knew that she didn't have the courage to leave this place that she called home.
And her godmother... How could she even survive without her family by her side?
She shook her head hard, rejecting the very idea of leaving. "No, Mother. I'm satisfied with the way that I'm living now. You're all I need."
Her godmother gently smoothed Long'Er's hair and ran a hand over her cheek lovingly. "My child, do you not wish to return to your roots?" she asked. "To find your remaining biological parent?"
Long'Er opened her mouth to protest. "You're the only mother that I ever need–"
"Silly girl," her godmother scoffed, ruffling her hair playfully. "Of course, I will still be your mother. I've claimed this spot a long time ago and I'm never giving it up. But I don't want to deprive your family members from showering you with the love that they should have given you since you were born."
Long'Er sighed loudly. "But I'm scared of my past, meeting new faces, everything..." she admitted. "Without you, I don't know if I can do it."
Placing a hand over hers, her godmother gave her a reassuring look. "You can do it. After all, you're the daughter that I raised over the years. You're brave, strong and beautiful at heart," she said proudly.
"And fear nothing, for you aren't alone," she continued, her eyes shining brightly. "After all, you have a friend on your side, right?"
She was referring to Li Xun, but Long'Er was still reluctant. Peering at her godmother through her lashes, she asked meekly, "You're certain that he can help me?"
In return, her godmother stared at her hard for several seconds, her eyes twinkling with mirth.
"Yes, child," she winked. "I'm very certain about that."
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