An alarm began to blare as what was happening became more obvious. I rushed through the hall, desperate to find the boys and make sure they were safe. I left the building and saw the black pagoda doors were open! Numerous whisps of dark smoke came flooding out! I began to panic, worrying about the boys!
"Feng Xin?" I called out as everyone was panicking and running. "Mu Qing?! Xie Lian?!"
I didn't see them until Xie Lian was running and looking around frantically.
"Brother!" I called to him, as I was partly relieved. Once he was close enough, I hugged him tightly. "Where's the other two? I thought they would be with you by now."
"I don't know where they are, sister; I just came out here; right now we must check the black pagoda." Xie Lian said this before he pulled me towards the black pagoda. I ran with him inside. The black pagoda's scandalous wood walls were many different sizes piled on top of one another unevenly, with clay jars in each gap, porcelain vases, and jaded boxes among many other objects. Each container was securely in place until now. The red covers were stuffed firmly in place with yellow talismans and red spells to keep these spirits from escaping and causing harm. Now they are all shattered, and so many more continued to drop and break after wobbling in place.
"Brother, I must close the doors and lock them!" I told Xie Lian as we both ran out the door to reach the other side of the door. "now!"
on point, we kicked the doors shut. I was about to relock the chain when I saw the broken steel. Xie Lian unsheathed his sword and began drawing a combination of characters before plunging the blade into the earth. The blade plunged into the earth, which was now what sealed the doors shut. The ghosts and spirits inside could be heard howling and rioting, trying to get out. I looked around and realized the spirits were swarming the Xianle Pavilion!
"Feng Xin! Mu Qing!" I cried as I bolted towards the Xianle pavilion, whose corner was now aflame.
"Xie Mei Mei!" I heard Xie Lian call after me, but I didn't stop. i couldn't. not while Feng Xin and Mu Qing could have been in danger. The kids were with them, so if they are okay, then so should Honger and Chun. I didn't stop running. Others were trying to get answers. those who tried to stop me from asking, I leaped up to their shoulders to lung further ahead in order to get closer to the pavilion. I have to know if everyone is okay! I practically shoved my way past the cultivators and students who were trying to put out the flames. I still didn't see the boys. I rushed past everyone as a blue light surrounded my body, protecting me from the flames. I couldn't see past the smoke. but I could feel two silhouettes ahead. it's them. I know it is.
"FENG XIN! MU QING!" i called again, desperate to hear their voices.
Sure enough, Feng Xin's voice rang out. "YOUR HIGHNESS, DON'T COME IN! THIS BOY IS STRANGE, ALL THOSE SPIRITS WERE COMING FOR HIM!"
The kids are here with them, which is good.
"It's not him!"
"IT'S NOT ME!" both the kids shrieked as they huddled together from what i can sense.
"Stop holding on. Let it go!" i heard Xie Lian call from behind me. I looked back, and I saw a golden glow. This tactic I created myself. My brother learned it from seeing me use it.
Mu Qing's voice cried back, "We can't let go! If we do, those things will go crazy! Let me find the most –"
Xie Lian however cut him off, "NO FEAR. LET GO. NOW!"
The resentful spirits screeched and began going erratic. I sent a wave of white and blue power. The smoke cleared for a moment. giving me the perfect view. Feng Xin, Mu Qing, the kids, my brother beside me, and a rather large whisp
"I got you," I said, as the smoke swarmed again. At least, it did, until I struck my hand out faster than an ordinary princess. I locked my hand around the whip. It was squeezing in my fist. The spirits began to halt in their swarm. This whip is the leader. Without a leader, the swarm will falter. Choking out the leader is the best chance. To make certain of this, I used some mana, and I began to freeze my hand and the whisp. Snow white lines traced cracks in my fingertips leading to my wrist. The whisp shrieked as frost began to cover it, turn it to ice, and shatter. The cold wind filled the Xianle pavilion with snow and caried in said winds, putting out the many flames. That is when I could see clearly again, while the other five in the room were slow to react.
Feng Xin and Mu Qing were half kneeling on the floor in shock. The kids were huddled together, while Chun held Honger's head. I could hear others enter from behind Brother and me.
"You four, okay?" i asked as i rushed to them and looked over them.
"We're fine," Feng Xin said. all while he and Mu Qing were covered in soot.
"Where did that child come from? Feng Xin said all the resentful spirits were going after him? What's going on?" the state preceptor asked.
"That's the child who had fallen from the city wall during the ShangYuan Heavenly Ceremonial Procession." the Guoshi were taken aback, but that was short lasted before they demanded.
"Why did you bring him here?"
"I beg your pardon?" I asked with venom.
"What did he do to attract all the resentful spirits of the black pagodas?" Feng Xin rose to his feet beside Mu Qing.
"I don't know what he did! But once he entered the mountain, soon after coming inside the Xianle Pavilion, all those black things suddenly flew over from all over the peaks and broke in, swarming around him, gathering more by the minute, and we couldn't get out." Xie Lian and i looked around the room seeing how much of the walls and pillars were scorched with crisp burn marks.
"Then what's with the fire?" Xie Lian asked.
"We couldn't leave so we had to draw an array to defend. Those resentful spirits kindled the candlelight and burnt the curtains, hoping to force us out." Mu Qing said as he tried to wipe away the soot on his face.
"Thank goodness Your Highness came swiftly and immediately seized their vitals! Otherwise if it kept burning we'll all be dead along with the array!" Hearing his words, Mu Qing closed his eyes and lowered his head.
i turned to the kids, Honger hid behind Xie Lian while Chun was blocking the view of him.
"Guoshi, is there anything the matter with that child?" Xie Lian asked. he shook his head,. great, he doesn't know ether.
he then asked asked, "What's your birth date, month, year, and time?"
Honger only stared at Guoshi. understandably. he is skittish.
Xie Lian encouraged gently, "Just tell him. Guoshi only wants to tell your fortune for your own good."
"...June 10... i was born the same day, but the next month roughly the same time." Chun spoke up. she was still shielding Honger. Guoshi knitted his brows, then calculated something on his fingers. i watched his as his expression grew dim. somethings wrong. Mei Nianqin is young for a wise man, but he does know more than a fair bit about something to do with ghosts, and what a birth time could mean. Fortune telling is a big factor to his fame, since he has predicted everyone with good and bad fortune on point this far.
"No wonder... no wonder... no wonder he ruined the Heavenly Ceremonial Procession; that the spirits of the black pagodas grew excited from sensing him; that the Xianle Pavilion was burnt too... This... This... This is truly..." he mumbled as cold sweat began pouring down his forehead.
"Truly what?" Xie Lian asked. Guoshi wiped his sweat and suddenly backed a meter away. what did you find out?
"Your Highness, you really picked up something you shouldn't have up the mountain! That small child is toxic! His sign is borne of the most ominous star, the Star of Solitude, destined to bring misfortune and destruction, the kind that evil loves the most. Whoever touches him will have misfortune befall upon them, whoever gets close will lose their lives!" Before he even finished, there was a loud scream. Honger! he ran towards Guoshi trying to hit him while Chun was trying to stop him and failing, while the Guoshi kept blocking him and backing away before yelling. for a moment, i saw something bright crimson flash on the right of Honger's face. was that his eye?
"MAKE HIM LEAVE THE MOUNTAIN, HURRY! Don't touch him, I mean it! That fortune is too toxic, don't touch him!" i looked to him before baring my teeth with a growl leaving my throat.
"I'm not! I'M NOT!! I'M NOT!!!!" Honger screamed as Chun began to cry. i rushed to Chun and wrapped her in a hug. while Hongers screaming came to an end. Xie Lian was hugging him from behind. i looked over, and saw him holding Honger from behind, as the little one was shocked for a moment, with tears still trailing down his face.
"You're not. I know you're not. Don't cry, now. I know you're not." Xie Lian said, as the boy bared his teeth again, before turning in my brothers arms, grabbing onto his white sleeves, and crying into his chest.