XH 150
A delicate-looking eight-year-old boy clothed in black sulkily dragged his tired short legs to follow behind his paternal grandfather up a mountain.
Fortunately, the mountain tracks were not hard to climb, or else it would be taxing. They had been walking for days and he was getting tired, but his pure stubbornness and bitterness clinging over him helped him to silently endure it all. Fortunately, they did stop for mealtimes, but even so, the duration was lesser than an hour.
His Imperial mother quickly passed him to his Imperial grandfather after discovering he tried to kill the cruel man that was still a boy now. No matter how innocent that boy was presently it did not change the fact that he was still heading straight down the path to destroy the Long family.
It was five days ago when Long Zhu woke up in fear and bitterness but when he noticed where he was currently, he was so happy to be given a second chance to make things right this time. But now his plan was disrupted by his own mother, who immediately consulted with grandfather. That was how the idea of sending him far away to learn from his grandfather's friend came from.
He does not need lessons. He only needed to kill Long Shan and his irrational Liu Chu Chu to keep his family safe.
But right now he was just an eight-year-old little prince, with no power or strength. In the past, he had not bothered to cultivate seriously, preferring to study instead, and so his body strength was extremely lacking.
It was a late night with a full moon high up, lightning up their path. They finally stopped when they reached the top of the mountain and Long Zhu could spot an average-sized wooden house that screamed commoner life in the middle of the large space. That sight immediately dropped his evaluation of the new teacher.
There was a person who was waiting for them in front of a large field of plants, with his back facing them. His long, black as ink hair was teased by the wind and the moonlight cast over his body, giving him a glowing, dreamlike appearance.
"Bai Chuan! I've brought my favourite grandson to meet you!" The 19th Emperor of Guilin announced with an energetic voice, shattering the quiet and peaceful feeling that surrounded the mountain. For someone in his sixties, his youth was still burning fiercely alike to a young adult.
With a turn of his face, Long Zhu could see this man was the most stunning person he had ever met. Not even his mother, whom he firmly believed to be the most beautiful woman, could win against him.
"Long Yuen," Doctor Bai greeted calmly, already used to his long-time friend's animated greetings.
When he shifted to look at Long Zhu, his bright eyes showed tenderness, which surprised him. It was as if this man knew him before, which was impossible.
"The dragon's pearl," Doctor Bai mused. "It's a name that fits you well."
Long Zhu frowned darkly. "How so?" He asked rudely.
He had heard what people said about his name behind his back, about how feminine it was, and how it matched his feminine appearance. He never minded about his looks that he had gotten from his Mother Empress, but after listening to the sickening words the evil duo had told him before forcing him to drink poison as an act of mercy killing, he grew to hate his appearance.
'This face of yours is seductive and drove one to infatuation. You are so used to making use of your face and feeble character to appeal to people to pity you.' Liu Chu Chu sneered. 'Pity, I hate people like you the most, who willingly stays lazy and use people to your benefits.'
Those words stung his heart, for he had been using his face to survive and remain underestimated. He had thought no one would want to harm him if he was submissive, but it does not matter in the end.
Long Shan wanted to kill all Long family members, even the submissive Long Zhu and the innocent Long Lian that would never have the chance to stop him from getting the throne. At that moment, he experienced the greatest betrayal from the man he had respected as his older brother and the woman that makes his heart move for the first time.
"I found it hard to believe you do not know the great meaning of your name," Doctor Bai said. "Or did your belief has been crushed under the murmurs of jealousy?"
Long Zhu sneered. "There are many that are jealous of me and not for my face alone, yet I never minded it. It is you that are burdened by murmurs of jealousy for your face, don't you?"
Doctor Bai smiled, his eyes twinkled with amusement. "You look better than I do."
Long Zhu snorted in disbelief, certain that Doctor Bai was only mocking him. "Grandpa, why do you bring me here? This is just a waste of time to meet a deranged old man."
"You brat!" Long Yuen smacked Long Zhu's back of his head, effectively shocked his grandson into silence. This was the first time Long Yuen had hit Long Zhu, so the shock was not illogical. "This deranged old man you called is the greatest doctor in the whole world! Show some respect!"
Long Zhu just huffed and crossed his arms after looked away with a stubborn pout.
Doctor Bai chuckled. "Look at me, Long Zhu."
He never knows why he would follow what he said, but something in the older man's voice compelled him to do so. Long Zhu reluctantly raised his head and had to blink a few times to confirm what he had just seen. "You...you look different."
"I've concealed my aura and energy," Doctor Bai clarified. "This is how I actually look like."
The current Doctor Bai could not be said to be gorgeous, but it was not an average face either. It was the face of a good-looking man but his previous out of ordinary gorgeousness was missing.
"How..."
"How we carry ourselves as well as our aura plays a strong role in shaping how other people view us." Doctor Bai revealed his aura and once again cloaked with a gorgeous looking appearance, yet this time Long Zhu could see him properly. It was as if he could not unseen what he had seen previously.
"Bai Chuan, do you want to keep him for a few weeks?" Long Yuen asked. "If not I will just let him follow me to travel around."
Doctor Bai shakes his head. "It would be best for Long Zhu to stay here with me. Traveling will be hard for him to focus on his troubles."
Long Zhu stared at Doctor Bai suspiciously. His words would sound normal but to Long Zhu, it felt as if the doctor knew about his past. Perhaps he was being sensitive and the doctor only meant about his attempt to murder his 'brother'.
"Alright, then I will leave Long Zhu in your care." Long Yuen rubbed Long Zhu's head fondly. "Long Zhu, listen to Doctor Bai. He will not lead you astray or your grandpa will kick his ass for you."
Doctor Bai let out a chuckle. "Can you do it?"
"Hmph! All these time I just let you win! If you bully my precious grandson, I will kick your ass no matter how pitiful looking your crying face is!"
"I know, I know," Doctor Bai said as if humouring a kid.
It took hours to finally send Long Yuen back to his travels, after leaving Long Zhu a promise that he would visit once in a while. The sun would rise soon and Long Zhu wanted to sleep, but Doctor Bai has other plans.
"Tell me what your name means."
Long Zhu shot Doctor Bai a dirty look. "You know what it means."
"Do I?" Doctor Bai gave him a smile. "Perhaps I do, but do you?"
"Of course I do!" Long Zhu gave Doctor Bai a look that told him he was being stupid.
"Then humour this silly old man, and tell me why your parents would give you this name."
"This is a waste of time!" Long Zhu huffed and turned to walk away.
"Why would you hate your name, if you truly know the meaning of your name?" That question had Long Zhu halted his steps.
When the young boy did not reply, his head hanging low and surrounded by depressed air, Doctor Bai smiled in an understanding manner. "Do you think your name is too heavy for you to carry, Long Zhu?"
"I'm a prince."
"Hmm, yet your name holds more power compared to your eldest brother."
Long Zhu tightens his fists. "Eldest brother has a powerful and symbolic name."
"Long Qian. It means a thousand dragons under him... or he could be one of the thousand dragons under the great dragon."
Long Zhu abruptly turned around to glare at Doctor Bai aggressively. "He will be the great dragon! No one will make him obey them! He will survive and become the 21st Emperor!" Long Zhu could feel his throat closing up from resentment as he could still remember clearly how his eldest brother had died. He may not have a close relationship with him and at times disliked him, but that person was still his blood brother.
His blood shared brother!
"Then help him."
Long Zhu's head snapped up so fast they could hear a slight crack, but the boy himself felt no pain from it. "How?"
Doctor Bai smiled in eternal patience, willing to guide this young boy from the depression and darkness hunting his very soul. "Tell me, what your name means."
֎֎֎
The soft rustle of the curtain was loud enough to wake up the light sleeper Third Prince. He could afford to sleep deeper in his own residence, surrounded by his trusted blackguards, but he was currently in the midst of a war zone.
Sounds of clothes shifting filled the small camp when Long Zhu sat up. He did not reach for his sword beside his pillow as his senses already told him the intruder was Da Liu. "Speak."
"Master, I apologize for disturbing your rest, but we have good news."
Long Zhu's slightly tense shoulder loosens and his fingers comb his hair back from his face. "Tang Guan's troops are retreating?"
"You guessed right, master."
After four months in South Guilin Village, it was the first time Long Zhu smiling so happily. "That's good."
He misses his little flower.
֎֎֎
"Wisdom, prosperity, power, and ... immortality. That was what Mother Empress said to me. But now, I will be the pearl to help the eldest brother to secure the throne!"
Doctor Bai gave the young boy a smile filled with pride. "It is truly a fitting name for a person that will pave the way for a brighter future."