Ice Fantasy Chapter 1 – My Name Is Ka Suo

Many years later, I stood on a rock near the coast, facing the ocean, facing my kingdom,
facing my people, facing the hustling of the mortal world, and facing the flying snowbird
in the sky. My tears couldn’t help but came streaming down my face.
My name is Ka Suo. I grew up in the snow fog forest. The person, who has always been
by my side, was an old lady. She was an old spiritualist whom no one could even
remember her age. She told me to call her granny, but she called me prince, the
firstborn of the Empire of Snow. Besides the old granny, I also grew up with my younger
brother and his name’s Ying Kong Shi. The two of us are the only remaining illusionists
left in the Empire of Snow.
On the Code of Illusion, my name means the black city, and my brother’s name is
translated as mirage. We have different mothers but of the same father, who is also the
ruler of the Empire of Snow. My father is the greatest king in history because he is the
one who led the Ice Tribe to victory during the holy war with the Fire Tribe. But this is
also the war that caused an irreparable impact to our royal family – three of my older
brothers and two of my older sisters died in this decades-long war. This is also why Shi
and I are the only illusionists left.
This soul-stirring battle had scarred many people’s memories, but in my memory, the
entire earth was filled with sharp icicles and burning flames. The sky was icy white and
the earth was flaming red. At that time I was in the palace with my parents. I saw my
father’s solemn face and the frown on my mother’s face. Whenever someone came back
to report on the death count, I could see my father’s burly body trembling slightly, and
my mother would be sobbing quietly in one corner. The fiery red flame has become the
most vivid memories of my childhood picture. And my siblings’ cries of desperation had
become the background music of the picture. It was the music that I could never forget,
and it never stopped entering my dream. Everytime I struggled to wake up from these
nightmares, granny would always use her rough yet warm palm to stroke my cheek,
smiling at me and said, “My prince, they will wait for you at the front. You will get to
meet them in the end.”
I asked her. “Does it mean I will die as well?”
She just smiled and told me. “Ka Suo, you are the future king. How can you die?”
—
That year I was 99 years old; I was still too young to even qualify as a spiritualist and
many years later my memory of that holy war had also become blur. Everytime if I were
to ask granny about the war, she would always reply with a smiling face, “My dear
prince, when you become a king, you will know everything.” As for my brother, he
almost has no memory about the war. Whenever I mentioned about the holy war, he
would flash an innocent and sweet smile at me, saying. “The winner takes the crown, the
loser get vilified. This has been the rule, you don’t have to be sad.” With that he would
lean over to kiss my eyebrow.
Shi and I were sent to exile to the mortal world for 30 years, and that was after the end
of the holy war. I remembered at the end of the war, the Fire Tribe had already reached
the bottom of Ren City of Snow. I saw the flaming red hair and red eyes of the Fire
Wizards, I saw the dispersion of the fire and I saw countless ice spiritualist got killed in
the fire. And I remembered I was standing on the tall tower when wind from all
directions filled my robe. I asked my father. “Father, will we get killed?” He didn’t reply
me immediately; his face was full of coldness and arrogance. In the end he just shook his
head, his action was slow and the expression was firm.
—
Soon Shi and I were being escorted out of the city by 40 great spiritualists. I
remembered I couldn’t stop looking back at the city, and suddenly tears just came
streaming down. As the tear fell, I heard a sad wail over the pale sky. I recognized it as
the cry of my sister’s unicorn. Shi was holding his snow fox cloak tightly, staring at me
and whispered. “Brother, will we get killed?”
I looked at his eyes and lugged him for a hug. “No. We are the best and strongest god
race.”
The 40 great spiritualists that were in-charge of escorting us were all killed on our way
out of the city. Dead bodies of the fire elves and wizards were seen lying on both sides of
the roads. Among them, I saw Ji Quan, a cute little girl whom grew up with me in the
snow fog forest, being nailed on the black cliff with a red tricot sword on her chest. She
was born with a strong spiritual power but in the end she got killed in the war as well.
The wind was blowing at her silvery-white hair and white magic robe lightly as if they
were dancing. When the carriage went past the cliff, I could see still see her eyes. From
her glistening white pupils, I could hear her telling me. “Ka Suo, my dear prince, you
have to stay strong and live.”
Hector, the last great spiritualist, my father’s trustworthy guard, was the last to fall. I
remembered when Shi and I got down from the carriage; the unicorn that was pulling it
fell as well. Hector knelt before me, stroking my face and pointed to the horizon ahead
of us. “Ka Suo, my dear prince. That is the entrance to the mortal world. I am sorry that I
cannot protect you anymore.” He looked up and smiled at me. His young and handsome
face was covered with snowflakes. I looked down at the wound on his chest where the
blood couldn’t stop flowing and fell to the ground drop after drop. I could see the light in
his eyes dying when he mumbled his last words to me. “Ka Suo, Ka Suo, the future king.
You have to stay strong, my dear prince, Ka Suo…”
I stood on the snow-filled ground, hugging Shi in my embrace. All of a sudden I felt an
unprecedented fear until I felt Shi holding my face with both his palms, asking. “Ge, will
we get killed?” I looked at his innocent young face and said. “No, ge will protect you and
you will always live, to become the next king.”
 Ice Fantasy 2 – The First Killing In My Life
It’s already winter and the Empire of Snow has its first snow fall. The winter in Empire
of Snow would last a decade. And it would snow everyday during this decade-long
winter. I looked up at the sky filled with falling snow, and the sight made me thought of
the snow fog forest. Snow fog forest was a place that would never snow; the weather in
snow fog forest would always be like end spring and early summer. The sunset was
always like a warm glow shining throughout the whole forest.
The chirping of the birds snapped me out from my trance; I turned around to see Ying
Kong Shi standing under the cherry blossom tree. All the leaves and flowers had already
fallen off from the tree, leaving the sharp withered twigs piercing the pale blue sky, and
the sight made Shi looked even lonelier. He was staring at me smilingly; his hair has
grown so long till they had touched the ground while the length of my hair was only at
my ankle. The length of the hair measured the spiritual power of the Ice Tribe
illusionists. This would mean Shi possessed better capability of using his illusion skill.
Since young, he has been a highly talented child.
Shi looked at me with a bright and innocent smile and said. “Ge, it’s snowing. This is the
first snowfall of the winter.” Snowflakes were all over his hair, his shoulders and his
young and handsome face. But for me, there wasn’t one on me. “Shi, why don’t you use
your magical shield to block off the snowflake?” I asked him, holding my hand up over
his head to activate the magical shield. He raised his left hand, curling his ring finger up
and withdrew my magical shield over him, facing me. “Ge, why do you dislike having
snowflakes on you so much?” He looked at me and I could see the hidden sadness in his
smile. Then he turned away to leave, watching his back and my heart couldn’t help but
to feel sad. This is the strongest illusionist with the longest hair of the Empire of Snow.
This is the only person who would not use his magic shield to block the snow. He is my
one and only brother, whom I doted the most – Ying Kong Shi.
—
During these 30 years of exile in the mortal world, I have not learnt any illusion magic. I
could only turn water into animal ice sculptures and sold them to make a living. And we
could never stay at one place for too long, we have to run from the pursuit of the Fire
Tribe. There was once, a man took all my ice sculptures away without paying, and Shi
stood in front of that man to block him from leaving. He bit his lip and stared at the man
without uttering a word. The man pushed Shi to the ground. So I went to pick up a bowl
of wine, walked to his front and handed the bowl to that man. The man smiled grimly at
me and said. “Little rascal, are you trying to poison me with the wine?” Upon hearing
what he said, I took a sip of the wine, and told the man. “So you are afraid of death.” That
man got pissed by my words and took the bowl from me, emptying the content in it and
said. “I’m not afraid of you fucking little bastard!” Then he died. Right before he died
with his eyes staring at me widely, I told him. “You’re wrong. I’m not a bastard. I have
the purest blood.”
I merely turned the wine into ice in a shape of a trident and pierced through his chest.
That was my first time killing someone. It was also my first time to find the blood of
mortals was different from us. It wasn’t white in colour, but hot bright red. I suppressed
the fear within me and when I turned to look at Shi, I couldn’t understand why was
there a cruel and evil smile on his face. But that smile disappeared very quickly.
Just when the man fell to the ground, the sky started to snow again. I held Shi in my
embrace, standing in the middle of a heavy snow. Shi looked up at me and said. “Ge,
we’ll never be killed by others anymore. Right?”
“Yes, Shi. No one can kill you, I will protect you with my life because if I die, you will
become the future king.” I said.
When I was 139 years old, I met Li Luo – the youngest and greatest sorceress of the
Empire of Snow. At the age of 130, all royalties would become an adult so when I was
holding the under-aged Ying Kong Shi, people would mistake me as his father. No one
knew that we were the remaining princes of the Empire of Snow. I still remembered the
time when Li Luo appeared; the snow on the ground got swept up into the air, blocking
the sky and the sun. Everyone started to flee, while I continued carrying Shi and stood
there because I didn’t feel any murderous aura from her. At the end of the snow, Li Luo
was standing on a unicorn with snow falling around her. She got down from the unicorn
and made her way towards me. Once she got to me, she knelt before me with both arms
crossed. “My king, I am here to fetch you home.”
—
That winter was my last winter in the mortal world, the snow was like willow. Willow
was my favourite plant during my stay in the mortal world because its flower was just
like the snow in Ren City, the snow that lasted a decade.
Seven days later, when I stood at the bottom of Ren City with Shi and Li Luo, I burst into
tears all of a sudden. The time when I left home, I was still a kid, but now I have become
a tall and handsome prince just like my older brothers, the future king of the Snow
Empire. The new wall around the city was more majestic than before, and I saw my
father, mother and other sorcerers and astrologers standing on the wall, looking at me
with a smile. I could hear them calling Shi’s name and me. Shi was hugging my neck and
asked me. “Ge, are we back at home? The red people will not kill us anymore?” I kissed
his eyes and said. “Shi, we are back home.”
As the city door opened slowly, I heard the cheers of the entire city. I held Li Luo’s hand
and said. “I love you. Please be my princess.”
Many years later, I asked Li Luo. “Li Luo, seven days after I met you, I fall in love with
you. What about you? When did you fall for me?” Li Luo knelt before me and looked up.
“My king, when I came down from the unicorn and knelt before you, I have fallen for
you.” Then she smiled at me, and numerous white cherry blossoms began to fall,
covering her hair with pollen on her eyelashes. Li Luo’s hair wasn’t purely silvery white,
but slightly bluish white. That’s because she wasn’t a pure blood, and she could only
become the best sorceress but never be able to become an illusionist. But I don’t mind.
When I reached 200 years old, I spoke to my father. “Father, I want to marry Li Luo.”
The moment I finished my words, no one in the palace made a sound. One month after
that meeting, Snow City had its first unprecedented heavy snowfall and that was when
Li Luo disappeared in that snow.
After that my mother told me everything in tears. My father would never allow a half-
blood to be my wife. My wife could only be the mermaid from the sea palace.
I remembered when I charged into my father’s chamber; he was sitting high up in his ice
throne, I used all my powers and defeated him. Seeing him on the floor, then I realized
how old he had become. He was no longer the one who won the holy war and the
ultimate ruler of the world but just my old father. At that moment, I couldn’t help but
cry. My father didn’t say a word. My brother was standing by the side with his arms
folded, watching the whole scene. In the end, he let out a chuckle and turned away to
leave.
—
Someone told me Li Luo had gone to the mortal world, while some said she gave up her
powers and repatriated to the Magic Snow Mountain. But Xing Jiu told me Li Luo had
been buried deep down in the Sea of Ice.
Then Shi came to ask me. “Ge, have you ever thought of finding her?”
“Find her? Maybe she is already dead.”
“Just a maybe. Maybe she is still alive.”
“Nope. What’s the point of finding her back? Eventually I still have to take over the
throne and become the king of the Snow Empire. As for Li Luo, she can never become
the queen.”
“Ge, do you like being a king so much? Why can’t you just leave with her?”
“How am I supposed to leave father, mother, my people and you just like that?”
“Ge, if I love someone, I am more than willing to give up everything.” Having said that,
he turned around to leave. And myself, I continued to stand in the middle of the snow.
This was the first time in my life that I didn’t use my magical shield, and the snow fell on
us, covering our shoulders.
That night, I dreamt of Li Luo. Just like what Xing Jiu had told me, she was being buried
deep underneath the Sea of Ice. She was smiling and calling my name. She said she was
waiting for me and kept calling my name, Ka Suo, Ka Suo, Ka Suo…
She got down from the unicorn, kneeling before me with both arms crossed. She has a
bluish white glow around her and she looked up to me, saying. “My king, I am here to
fetch you home…”
—
Xing Jiu was the youngest and greatest astrologer of the Snow Empire, he was also the
one who managed to live even after reading Ying Kong Shi’s future. After Shi had
attained his adulthood, he had the same silvery white hair just like me. But inside his
hair, there were several strands of flaming red hair. Father had once gotten seven
astrologers to read Ying Kong Shi’s future, and the first six died in the middle of the
reading. All six of them vomited blood and died. Xing Jiu was the seventh one and I only
remembered him staring intensely at Shi for some moment before a smile crept across
both faces. The kind of smile that looked evil and strange at the same time.
After that Xing Jiu walked to me and knelt down, saying. “Ka Suo, my young king. I will
protect your safety with my life.” Once finished, he turned his head to look at Shi and left
after that. He didn’t tell anyone about the result of what he had read.
Some time later, Xing Jiu told a palace maid to send me a painting. The painting depicted
a huge black rock situated at the coastal shore and next to the rock; the shore was filled
with flame lotus. Above the lotus, there was a gigantic white bird hovering in the sky.
When Shi came to my chamber, he saw the painting. His eyes, suddenly, were filled with
snow; he turned to leave without saying a word. The wind began blowing from
nowhere, blowing onto his white robe.
—
I took the painting with me and made a trip back to the snow fog forest. Those tall
ancient trees continued to provide shade in the forest, sunlight pierced through the gap
in between the leaves and shone onto my eyes. There were deer and children playing
along the stream. They were all pure bloods. Some of them are astrologers, some were
sorcerers but there wasn’t any illusionist. The illusionist has now grown up and brought
a painting back.
I stood before granny, looking at her wrinkled face and said. “Granny, I am Ka Suo.”
She came over and raised her hand to stroke my face. She smiled. “My king, you have
grown up and you look just like your father. Tall and handsome.”
“Granny, can you tell me the meaning of this painting?”
“Yes, my young king. That coast is called Offshore and the black rock is called the
Punishment Rock. If anyone were to violate the taboos of the Snow Empire, he / she
would be tied to the rock eternally.”
“Granny, what about the bird?”
“That is a snow bird. This bird will only appear near the end of winter and the beginning
of spring. Their voices can melt snow and ice.”
“Then why didn’t I see such bird in this forest?”
“Ka Suo, my young prince, that’s because there isn’t winter and snow here.”
“Granny, what about the flame lotus? What do they represent?”
“I don’t know, Ka Suo. Maybe Xing Jiu is able to tell you, but I can’t. I’m old. I once
remembered an old king told me about the flame lotus, he said the flame lotuses will
open forever. They symbolize despair, broken and love at all costs.”
“Granny, Shi and I had passed the highest test for illusionist.”
“Really? How’s the result, Ka Suo? What’s the remaining number of cherry blossoms?”
“Granny, none. None remains.”
I saw a warm smile spread across granny’s wrinkled face and the laughter of the
children traveled into my ears, making me realized that I have not heard Shi’s laughter
for a long time.
 Ice Fantasy 3 – Granny, I Don’t Want To Grow Up
Luo Ying Hill was a holy place of the Magical Snow Mountain; the entire hill was covered
with white cherry blossoms and they would never wither. This was where Shi and I
passed our final test to become the top illusionists. We have to use every piece of
snowflake to hit the petals of the cherry blossoms and replaced the cherry blossoms
with snowflakes. I remembered that day our father, my mother and Shi’s mother, Lian Ji,
were particularly happy because we have created a miracle in the history of the Snow
Empire. There wasn’t even a petal left on the tree. But the only difference was that when
Shi’s last petal fell to the ground, I still have a lot of snowflakes flying in the air.
When it’s time to leave, granny sent me out all the way to the border of the forest. I went
to give her a hug, and I realized her back had become a little more hunched, and she was
only at my chest level. In the past when I was still a kid, I loved sitting on her laps.
“Granny, to be honest to you, I didn’t want to grow up.”
“Ka Suo, you are the future king. So how can you not grow up?”
“Granny, I used to think the king is the superior one, and has everything except one
thing. And that is freedom. I love freedom so much. In fact, I wanted to leave this castle,
leave the snow kingdom. In fact, the 30 years in the mortal world was the happiest days
I ever had. I witnessed the hustling and bustling of the mortals’ lives. And also Shi.
During these 30 years, I protected him with my life, and I felt that he’s my world, my
everything. Granny, you have been living in the forest, you don’t know the moment
when the snow falls, everything become cold. Let alone the castle in the snow, where the
snow will continue for ten whole years.”
After saying that I left the snow fog forest. Just when I was about to step into Ren City of
Snow, I heard granny’s ethereal voice, she said. “Ka Suo, my young king, the red lotus
will blossom soon, the twin stars shall gather, and the wheel of fate has begun. Please
wait patiently…”
—
When Li Luo died – I always thought that she was dead, buried in the depths of the Sea
of Ice – I always had the same dream, in the dream Shi and I were walking on a deserted
street in the mortal world. It was snowing heavily, Shi turned to me and said. “Ge, I’m so
cold! Hug me.” I untied my robe and pulled him towards me. Then I heard the sound of
snow-crushing footsteps ahead of me, and then I saw Li Luo She came over, crossed her
arms and looked at me. “My king, I am here to bring you home.” Then she turned to
leave, I wanted to chase after her but I couldn’t move at all. I could only watch Li Luo
disappeared into the heavy snow, and never come back.
There was always one man who would appear at the end of the dream - silvery-white
hair, unruly handsome face, tall physique, snow white magic robe – he looked just like
my father in his younger days. He came over, knelt before me and kissed my brow. He
said, “Ge, if you do not want to go home, then don’t go back. Please be free…”
Then I felt a sudden chill, and that person would always ask me. “Ge, are you cold?” I
nodded. He then curled his left index finger up, and began chanting a spell. Lotus-liked
flames began dancing around me, I used to be exceptionally afraid of the fire of the Fire
Tribe, but I felt sincere warmth instead. When I looked up to see his face, his image
would become blurred, and then gradually dispersed away like the mist.
Since young, I have always been a quiet kid. I never liked talking to others except Shi.
Ever since the return from the snow fog forest, I have been suffering from insomnia.
Every night I would stand on the palace roof, watching the moonlight dancing on the
tiles, listening to the breathing of the northern snow fog forest, and smiled dazedly with
lonesome moonlight on my face.
I didn’t want to be a king, when my older brothers were still alive, I hoped when I grew
up I could go live in seclusion at Magic Snow Mountain with Shi after we grew up. When
I told Shi about my wish, I remembered his smile was exceptionally bright and happy.
He told me. “Ge, you have to remember. You must remember.” However, the moment
my older brothers died in the holy world, I never spoke a single word about that wish to
Shi anymore and he also never mentioned anything about it.
After that I met Li Luo, the two of us sat on the roof the whole night. Staring at the
dancing starlight, watching the falling snow, covering the entire territory of the Snow
Empire.
After Li Luo’s death, Xing Jiu gave me a dream that he wanted me to enter. In the dream,
I saw Li Luo in white, and she was standing high up on the unicorn. I heard her saying.
“A long time ago, I was a simple and fortunate person. Everyday I would have very
sweet and deep dreams until I met Ka Suo. Every night was a sleepless night to him, and
so I would accompany him to sit on the vast empty palace roof, watching the starlight
dancing on his silvery-white hair…”
On my 240-year-old birthday feast, my father seated on his high icy throne, smiling at
me and said. “Ka Suo, I announce you as the next king of the Snow Empire. I will hand
the whole empire to you on your 250th birthday.” Then I heard the cheers from the
sorcerers and astrologers, worshipping me but I just stood in the centre with an
expressionless face, my empty heart was filled with the sound of the wind.
“Father, maybe I am the better candidate to be the king.” Shi stood next to me, smiling,
but said firmly.
“Shi, what are you talking about?” Father looked at him and the whole court of sorcerers
as well.
“I said, maybe I can be a better king than Ka Suo.” Then Shi turned to me and smiled. He
leant down and kissed my eyebrow, saying. “Ge, my hair grows longer than yours.” I saw
my mother sitting next to my father, looking at me with concerns. And Lian Ji, Shi’s
mother, had an eerie smile in her eyes.
I remembered that day a highly respected sorcerer, Fa Ta, stepped out and helped to
end this embarrassing situation. He looked up at my brother and said. “Young prince,
the king is not just someone with the strongest spiritual power, so you cannot replace
your brother.”
Then Shi walked over, touching his hair and said. “Sorcerer Fa Ta, but if someone like
you whose hair is only at the length of the knees becomes the king, and that someone
wants to kill you, what should you do? How long can you stay as the king? Sorcerer Fa
Ta, I want to kill you, what will you do?” Then Shi turned around to leave the hall, his
smile was unpredictable and evil. I heard his unbridled laughter echoing everywhere
within the city. Three days later, Fa Ta was found dead in his sorcery room, clothes
intact, but his body has melted into water completely, just like death caused by the fire
magic of the fire elves.
The death of Fa Ta caused the entire city to sink into dead silence. People were
wondering if the Fire Tribe had sneaked into the territory of the Snow Empire, and even
Ren City of Snow.
I once asked Xing Jiu. “Do you know how Fa Ta died?”
“Yes, but please forgive me, my young king. I cannot tell you.”
“You can’t even tell me?”
“Yes even your father too. You should know that astrologers of Ren City of Snow have
the freedom to read the stars and to interpret dreams, but also the right to remain
silent.”
“Fine, I’m tired now. I don’t want to know anymore now. Let me ask you one last
question, is there someone from the Fire Tribe in Ren City of Snow?”
“My king, the answer is no. If there is one, I’ll tell you and I will protect you with my life.
My king, as long as there is someone that threatens you, I will protect you with my life.”
“Then did Fa Ta die under the fire magic?”
Xing Jiu turned his back to me, and left without saying a word. Snow fell and covered
Xing Jiu’s shoulders. I wanted to go over to shield him with my magic shield, but I didn’t
in the end. I turned and left. As I walked back to the palace, I heard granny’s ethereal
voice piercing through the snow, saying. “Ka Suo, my young king. Red lotus is about to
bloom, twin star will eventually gather, the wheel of fate has begun. Please wait
patiently…”
—
Three months after Fa Ta’s death, the city suddenly went ablaze, everyone’s face was
reflected in the red firelight. This was the second time I saw the red ablaze sky after that
holy war and my father’s cold solemn face. The place on fire was Mirage Sky, Ying Kong
Shi’s palace.
When I arrived the Mirage Sky, the fire had already engulfed the entire palace. I saw the
palace maids dissipated into the fire and eventually turning into white mist, just like
how the sorcerers of the empire died in the holy war. I thought of Shi, suddenly I saw his
smile in the sky. I curled my ring finger and called upon the snow. With snow swirling
around me, I burst into the burning palace. Shi was lying on the ground, surrounded by
very little residual snow to protect him. I picked him up from the floor and shielded him
with my snow barrier. I saw his hand over his eye; glistening white blood couldn’t stop
gushing out from his fingers. That moment I was so devastated, was he the world that I
would protect with my life? Was this how I protected Shi?
Shi looked at me with one eye and smile, then he fainted. Right before he went out of
conscious, he said something to me, one word, just one word. “Ge.”
I held him in my embrace and told the unconscious Shi. “Shi, no matter who wants to
hurt you, I will tie him into pieces. Because you are my world.”
—
Xing Jiu was standing on the altar at the Magic Snow Mountain in the fog.
“Xing Jiu, do you anything about the fire at Mirage Sky?”
“I know, my dear king. Your father asked me the same question as well. But please
forgive me, I can’t say anything.”
“Let me ask you. Is it the fire from the Fire Tribe that hurt Shi?”
Xing Jiu walked over and knelt in front of me with his hands crossed, saying. “Ka Suo, my
future king, no one will hurt Ying Kong Shi, believe me. But king, some things are not as
simple as you think. Ka Suo, my young king, the red lotus is about to bloom. Twin stars
will gather eventually, the wheel of fate has begun, please wait patiently…”
After that fire, Shi lost his sight of one eye. Seeing him wearing an eye patch, my heart
couldn’t help but to feel sad. But he always told me it’s fine, smiling sweetly.
He leant over and kissed my eyebrow, calling me. “Ge.” Cherry blossoms never stopped
falling from the tree, falling all over our shoulders.
After so many things had happened, my father began to worry about the safety of the
empire, and he seemed to consider handing the throne to Shi. However the end result
was never made known, but everytime I walked past Lian Ji, I would always see her
eerie yet bewitching smile. For once, father had asked Shi when at the grand hall. “Shi,
you really want to be a king?”
Shi said. “Yes, I want to be the king. Gege wanted freedom, please give him his freedom.
Please give me the throne.”
Lian Ji’s smile became wider, bewitching the whole city, bewitching the whole country.
One day under the cherry blossom tree, I asked Shi. “Shi, you really want to be a king so
much?”
“Ge, do you want to be a king?”
“No. I want to go back to snow fog forest where there is no snow, warm like spring, and
there’s granny – the first person who taught me sorcery.”
“Ge, since you don’t want, then just let me be the king.” Cherry blossoms fell like
snowflakes; I heard the sound of the snowbird, snow started to melt. The bewitching
smile of Lian Ji.
—
Another winter was here. The little princess of the Sea Palace had finally grown up. I’ve
heard from many people were talking about her beauty, and also her having the purest
blood. The concubines for the royalty were all from the Sea Palace, my mother was one,
and so was Lian Ji. Before 130-year-old, they were in their mermaid look. And once they
hit 130-year-old, they would the most beautiful woman and entered the city.
“This little princess will become your wife, Ka Suo. She will be the future queen.” Father
led the mermaid princess, Lan Sang, who was in her human form towards me. I saw Lan
Sang’s beautiful face and smile. She knelt before me with both hands crossed, and said.
“Ka Suo, my future king.” At that moment, I thought of Li Luo all of a sudden, she was at
the deepest level of the Sea Palace too. I wondered if she would become the pure blood
mermaid in her next life. I looked at Lan Sang, I almost thought she was Li Luo, their
faces were almost similar. She came to take my hand, and tiptoed to kiss my brow. Then
I heard Shi’s evil and cruel laughter.
“Father, maybe Lan Sang would choose me. Why must you let her and Ka Suo be
together?”
Shi came up to me and pulled Lan Sang to him, stroking her and said. “You hair is pure
silvery-white, you must have the purest blood in you. Marry me, I will protect you from
any harm.”
Lan Sang said with a smile. “Shi, my dear young prince, the one I love is your brother.
You are just a little brother in my heart. In fact, when I was still a mermaid, I’ve already
known your brother. Because I love him, I want to be his bride. I believe he can protect
me, letting me grow old together with him.”
“Is that so?” Shi suddenly leant closer to her ear and said softly. “But Ka Suo isn’t the
strongest illusionist. For example I want to kill, what will you do? And what else can he
do?”
With that he turned away to leave, his weird and creepy laughter filled the entire place,
every single place where the snow fall.
One month later, Lan Sang died under the cherry blossom tree. When she died, her
lower body transformed back to her mermaid tail.
Both my parents remained tight-lipped on this matter; no one in the palace was allowed
to talk about this. But many people were saying that Lan Sang died from suicide. Only
Lian Ji’s smile continued to creep around me.
“Granny, why Lan Sang’s lower body turned into a tail when she died? Hasn’t she
already become a human?”
“Ka Suo, the mermaid tribe has always been marriage partner for the royalty, because of
their noble status, and their ability to control water, so the combination of the royalty
and the mermaid tribes will produce the descendants with the strongest spiritual
power. This is the reason why Li Luo cannot become the queen of Snow Empire.
Mermaid tribe will become human at the age of 130, but if she were being humiliated
before being officially married to the prince, she will then revert to her mermaid form.”
“Granny, do you know who humiliated Lan Sang?”
“I don’t know.”
“Granny, did she die from suicide?”
“I don’t know. Ka Suo, I am not an astrologer, Xing Jiu may be able to tell you.”
—
“Xing Jiu, can you tell how Lan Sang die?”
“Suicide, all internal organs were being pierced by water within the body.”
“Why would she commit suicide?”
“Because her chastity has been tainted, and so her lower body has turned back to a fish
tail because she felt humiliated and was too shameful to see you. She loves you very
much.”
“Tell me who did that to her?”
“My king, I’ve always told you I can’t tell you anything, but this time, I would like to
show you a dream. It’s your dream and there is a secret within this dream. Not sure if
you could see it or not, but if you could, all your problems or questions would be
solved.”
The dream that Xing Jiu gave me was the scene where Shi and I were having our final
illusionist test. Shi and I got our left ring finger curled up, chanting the spell, sweeping
the snowflakes off the ground. I walked in and out the dream, but I couldn’t understand
why Xing Jiu gave me this dream. I just couldn’t interpret it.
Until near the end of this winter, father solemnly declared that I would be the next king.
That night I entered that same dream again, and I found the answers to all my questions.
In that dream, when Shi and I casted the spell at the same time, my left ring finger was
curled up, while Shi’s right index finger was also moving unknowingly.
This gesture belonged to the Fire Tribe. I saw this action while I was on my run from the
Fire Tribe.
—–
“Xing Jiu, tell me what you know. When did you know Shi’s secret?”
“The moment when I read his fortune. I did a check on the six astrologers, and from
their bodies, I found their cause of deaths.”
“Why did they die?”
“Very simple, because Shi uses illusion magic to kill them. A very simple illusion magic,
and that is turning the water in their bodies to ice, piercing through all their internal
organs. Just because Shi is the prince, no one will suspect him, let alone those six
astrologers, so he could do it very easily.”
“Then what about you, Xing JIu?”
“When Shi tried to cast the magic, I broke it secretly. It’s a simple trick to me. But at the
same time Shi knew that I became wary of him. On that day, when everyone left, he
came over and told me. “Xing Jiu, you are a great astrologer, if you can forget about what
you had read today, then you can continue to live on. If not, you will experience the
greatest illusion magic.” Then he gave me an eerie smile.”
“Why didn’t he let others read his fortune?”
“Because he didn’t want others to know about him knowing illusion skills of the Fire
Tribe.”
“What about Fa Ta’s death?”
“It’s Shi who killed him.”
“The fire at Mirage Sky?”
“It was Shi who did it.”
“Then… Lan Sang’s death? It was Shi again?”
“He raped her, and then she committed suicide out of shame.”
“Xing Jie, what is the meaning of the painting that you had given me earlier?”
“My king, there are some things that I can’t tell you right now. And do you know? In fact,
when Shi turned adult that year, he told me to read his stars. I was the first who read his
stars. That time, I gave him a dream, it was a dream that I have never seen it before.
Eerie but beautiful. Someday I will give this dream to you, because you are also the
owner of this dream.”
“Xing Jiu, can you tell me the dream now?”
“Cannot. But there is a dream that I can give you now, and that is the dream before Lan
Sang’s death.”
After much talking Xing Jiu left and made his way to the Star Sacrificial Altar. As for me, I
stood in front of the city door, looking around. Snow enveloped the entire black earth
land; I watched the greenery of the Snow Fog Forest stretching across the horizon, and
my heart felt sad. In my daze, I heard the water dripping sound during Fa Ta’s death, I
heard the collapsing sound during the Mirage Sky’s fire, I heard Lan Sang’s night song
when she died, then I heard Shi calling out for me during the fire. “Ge,” My tear streamed
down and dropped onto the white marble step, turning into ice.
Xing Jiu’s ethereal voice traveled across the vast land and said. “Ka Suo, my young king.
Red lotus is blooming soon, twin stars will gather, and the wheel of fate has begun.
Please wait patiently…”
That night I sat on the roof of the palace, under the clear bright moon, I entered Lan
Sang’s dream. In the dream, I saw the younger Lan Sang, she was swimming in the ice
sea near the city. She was swimming in the sea, lithe like a butterfly. At the same time, I
heard her inner voice; her beautiful voice was just like the legendary mermaids’ singing
voice.
“I know the man on the roof. His name is Ka Suo, the future king of the Snow Empire.
Every night I will always see him sitting on the roof, his eyes sparkled like the stars. The
night wind was blowing on his and his snow-white robe; his hair flew like smooth satin
in the wind. I don’t understand why isn’t he sleeping. I only know after seeing him, I will
continue to come back to the same place, imagining myself being together with him
under the same starry sky.
“Granny told me I am the most beautiful child from the Sea Palace, I will become the
future princess. When I turned adult, I will become his wife. Ka Suo, my future king. I
will accompany him to sit on the roof every night, watching the stars. Ka Suo, my future
king, please wait for me. Wait for me…”
 Ice Fantasy 4 – Past Life
When I saw Shi, he was standing by the fountain at Mirage Sky, a clear reflection of him
appeared on the water. The cherry blossom tree next to it was covered with snow, and
the fallen snowflakes caused multiple ripples on his water reflection.
“Shi, your eye still can’t see anything?”
“Yes, ge. But it’s okay.” His smile was so innocent and sweet like a little kid.
“Such a beautiful eye, you bear to burn it?”
Shi looked at me without saying a word, and after a long time, he spoke slowly. “Ge,
what did Xing Jiu tell you?”
“Nothing, but I want to see your eye. Now. Remove your eye patch.”
“What if I say no?”
“You don’t have a choice because I am the future king and you are not.”
“Well, maybe everything will come to an end.” Shi slowly took off his eye patch, then I
saw his uninjured glistening eye, but with a fiery red iris.
“Shi, why? Why did you learn the skills of the Fire Tribe?”
“Because it’s powerful.”
“Why do you need such powerful skill for?”
“For the greatest wish in my life.”
“To be a king? Is this the greatest wish of yours?”
Shi looked at me, not saying a word.
I asked. “Shi, did you kill Fa Ta?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he stopped me from becoming a king.”
“What about Lan Sang?”
“She died because of me. Because she chose you and not me, and her decision will affect
father’s judgment.”
“Shi, I didn’t expect you to become like this just because of the throne.”
“Ge, you can say that. I’ve once told you, I have a wish, and to realize this wish, I won’t
hesitate to sacrifice everything. No one can stop me, no one.” Shi touched his hair and
said to me. “Ge, you look at my hair. It’s so long, so no one can stop me.”
When Shi finished his sentence, I pierced his chest with the ice sword in my hand. He
looked at me and said. “Ge, I never expect you to kill.” Then he leant over with a smile,
and kissed my brow. “Ge, after I died, please be free…”
Then he closed his eyes slowly and peacefully. Lying in my arms, he looked like a
sleeping baby. His glimmering white blood flowed out from his chest, spreading on the
snow ground, and red lotus started blooming. Snow fell from the sky, falling all over our
bodies.
My hair grew very long all of a sudden, as if Shi’s hair was now growing on me.
I turned around and saw granny standing behind me, her smile was still as peaceful and
warm like before. The way she called me was just like the past when I was still a kid, she
said, “Ka Suo, my dear prince.” I walked over and hugged her tightly like a kid, crying
sorrowfully.
—
At snow fog forest, I was in granny’s house, the place where I grew up and Shi’s laughter
seemed to linger around on the roof. Granny was combing my hair and said. “My king,
your hair is so long.” Suddenly I thought of Shi’s hair, and then I felt a burst of grief
across my heart. I saw Shi’s tiny figure running in the snow. I saw the man whom I killed
in the mortal world pushed Shi down. I saw myself carrying the younger Shi swaying
along the road in the mortal world. I saw the trace of us growing up together in snow
fog forest. I saw myself stabbing the sword into Shi’s body. I saw Shi closing his eyes
slowly. I saw Shi’s blood all over the ground. I saw blooming red lotuses covering the
snow ground. The place with full-bloomed red lotuses was warm like spring.
I told granny everything; she looked at me and smiled quietly. “Ka Suo, Shi left you a
dream. He wanted me to give it to you.”
The dream that granny gave was more realistic than what Xing Jiu gave me, I didn’t
know why, maybe because of the lengthy dream, or because Shi and I shared the same
blood. In Shi’s dream, I forgot my identity as Ka Suo but only remembered myself as the
young prince of Snow Empire, Ying Kong Shi.
I am the second prince of Snow Empire, my name is Ying Kong Shi. My brother and I grew
up in Snow Fog Forest. My brother’s name is Ka Suo, black city. My brother and I were on a
30 years exile in the mortal world. This 30 years had been my happiest days in life. He used
his limited illusion skill to maintain my living in the mortal world. The first time my
brother killed someone was because of me as well. When I saw his cold solemn face, I felt
exceptionally warm.
Everytime when it started to snow, my brother would always hold me in his arms, with his
clothes to shield me from the snow. This was why I’d never used my magic shield to block
off the snowflakes; I hope that my brother would hold me in his arms all the time. But after
we returned to Ren Xue Cheng (Ren City of Snow), he no longer hugged me. We lost our
freedom upon our return to the city. But I remembered my brother once said that the one
he loved for the whole of his life was me, and the other was freedom.
I would always see him sitting on the roof alone watching the stars, looking at the falling
snow. I felt sad everytime I saw his lonesome figure on the roof. Especially after Li Luo’s
death, he had never smiled again. In the past, he always flashed his eye smile at me with
his pearly white teeth and his long hair hanging down, covering my face.
Because he has to be a king so Li Luo must die, he didn’t even resist. But I knew his heart
was crying. He once told me he never wanted to be a king, what he wanted to do was to
live in Mystical Snow Mountain and enjoyed this freedom with wine and songs.
I made a vow; I must give Ka Suo freedom, even if it was to sacrifice everything, so I have
to become the king. With the power I have, I’m able to give him the freedom he wanted. I
know this is a destructive move, and even Ka Suo would never agree, but I couldn’t care
less. Fa Ta, Lan Sang, my Mirage Sky palace, were just nothing to me, only Ka Suo’s
happiness, was the only belief in my life. From the day I could remember thing onwards, he
has become the one and only god in my heart.
When brother pierced the sword through my chest, I felt extremely dejected, not because of
my dying life, but because I still couldn’t give him the freedom he yearned for. He was still
imprisoned by the responsibilities of a king. The moment I fell, he hugged me once again.
This was his first time hugging me ever since our return, so I smiled happily. I wanted to
tell him. “Ge, please fly freely.” But I didn’t manage to finish my words. I saw his hair,
shoulders and face were covered with snow, I was afraid that he may feel cold so I curled
my index finger up, chanting the spell. Turning my blood in fiery red lotuses that surround
him.
“Brother, please be free…”
When I woke up from the dream, tears were streaming down my face uncontrollably. I
jumped up to hug granny the moment I saw her face and cried out loud.
The moment when I hugged her, I accidentally hit her hairpin and her silvery-white hair
fell down, spreading all over the floor. I have never seen such long hair in my life.
“Granny, your hair…”
She just smiled, and then I heard a calm voice from behind. “She is the top illusionist of
the Snow Empire. She is the mother of your great grandfather and also the top
illusionist and best astrologer. This is why she can give you the best dream scenario.”
I turned around to see Xing Jiu in white. He smiled and said to me. “Come with you. I will
bring you to a place and give you another Shi’s dream, which is also your dream.” He
went on to say. “Before he died, he told me that if one day he were to die, you must have
been the one who killed him because you are the only one who can kill him so easily. He
instructed me to pass all his spiritual power to you upon his death and give you this last
dream of his.”
My hand went up to touch my long hair, not speaking a word.
Xing Jiu brought me to the shore of the Ice Sea, and it looked so familiar to me. Black
cliff, white waves, bubbling foam and the flying snowbird.
“Xing Jiu, what is this place?”
“Offshore. The place in my painting.”
“Why did you bring you here for?”
“To tell you about your past life.”
“What is my past life?”
“Go into this dream and see it yourself.”
I went into the dream that Xing Jiu gave me, and found myself still standing at the shore
but Xing Jiu wasn’t there anymore. I looked around aimlessly, then I saw the huge Lian Qiu
Shi, black and sturdy rock standing at the shore. As I went closer, I saw a person being tied
to the rock. His messy hair was fluttering in the sea breeze, and he looked just like my
father. On his shoulder, there stood a huge snowbird.
“Birdy, do you know what I want the most?” I heard the person said.
“Actually freedom is all I want. I want to push the rock down, even if I were to fall into the
sea in pieces, I just don’t want to be imprisoned and lose my freedom.”
That person paused for a moment and laughed, he shook his head and said. “What’s the
point of telling you? You won’t even understand.” He looked at the snowbird and said.
“Birdy, do you know? I wish I could become the prince of the Snow Empire in my next life. I
don’t want to be a king, but because of that, I can have the superior power and grant
myself the freedom I yearned for. Freedom is what I wanted most in my next life.”
The snowbird soared up to the sky suddenly, then started diving towards the piece of rock
and hit the rock repeatedly. In the end it died on the rock, blood splattered on the black
rock, just like bright fiery red lotus blooming on the rock. And the chain that tied the man
was broken; the man let out a smile and fell from the cliff, right into the fierce ocean.
Then I saw Xing Jiu again; sea breeze was blowing against his white robe.
He raised his right hand up and I followed the direction of where his finger was
pointing. It was the huge black rock.
I touched the bloodstain on the rock. The blood has almost disappeared, only a little
dried blood left in between the crevices that would remain there forever.
“Ka Suo, that sorcerer got imprisoned for violating a taboo and that was actually your
past life.”
“Xing Jiu, you said this is a dream that Shi gave you. Then where is Shi?”
“He is also in the dream. He is the snowbird that died for your sake.”
All of a sudden I felt a sharp pain across my chest, I opened my mouth and I saw
glistening white blood surging out from my mouth. Drop after drop, it hit the black
shore and soon the black shore was covered by full-bloomed red lotuses. A giant
snowbird flew past the sky. When I looked up, it let out a loud cry and flew up higher.
“Ge, please be free…”
 Ice Fantasy 5 – 350 years old King of Snow Empire
I’ve finally become the king of Snow Empire at the age of 350 years old. I stood at the
great wall of Ren Xue Cheng (Ren City of Snow), and I saw the crowd below. I heard
their cheers and they were all calling for me. “Ka Suo, our great king.” These people have
never seen a successor with such long hair, but I was the only one that knew about it.
That was the continuation of Shi’s soul within my life. Silvery-white hair flying in the
cold wind, and somehow I heard Shi’s soul singing high up in the sky. I heard him
whispering softly. “Ge, please be free…”
I could feel the trace of loneliness that Shi’s hair had left on my body, and their owner
had died a long time ago under my sword. The white bloodstain, the outstretched
fingers, the blooming lotus… Everything was just like stars of an astrological chart, but
no one was able to understand how much despairs were being buried, Xing Jiu wasn’t
able to and so was I.
Whenever I looked at the sky, I would see the snowbird flying past hurriedly. Its hoarse
cry sounded so depressing that it would make one tear. I could see Li Luo standing tall
on the unicorn. I could see her manipulating the snow happily. I could see Lan Sang
swimming in the sea as swiftly as a butterfly, and I could hear the mermaids’ night
singing throughout the entire Snow Empire. I could see the naughty Shi when he was
still a child; his smile was handsome yet evil and his hair were flying loosely. I could see
his left hand holding a mass of dancing snow, while his right hand was holding a mass of
flicking fire and there were countless blooming red lotuses at his feet.
My younger brother loved me the most, but he loved too tragically and he was like a
totally naïve kid. Despite the fact that he has the perfect feature of a mature man, his
heart was just like a kid that has never grown up – stubborn and vulnerable. His
spiritual power may be stronger than mine, but he just died under my sword without
any resistance. When he was dying, he was still smiling but there was sadness in that
smile. It was because he couldn’t give me the freedom I yearned for; he couldn’t stand
with me on the great city wall, and enjoyed the wind blowing into our robes. He couldn’t
be together with me to return to snow fog forest, to return to the very beginning.
Li Luo was the greatest sorceress who was being buried in the depth of Ice Sea by my
father, and also the beautiful woman that accompanied me to sit on the roof when I was
having my insomnia. And also Lan Sang, the girl that loved me so wholeheartedly. When
I saw her tail, I clenched my fist tightly to control my emotion till my nails cut deeply
into my palms. Once the crowd dispersed, my tears fell down uncontrollably onto her
glistening white hair.
However they were all dead now, I could only reach out my hand towards the pale blue
sky. Holding on to the nothingness in the air.
The palace maids and guards were all saying that I was the loneliest king in the history.
In the daytime, I would be holding the lambskin illusionist code, leaning against the
cherry blossom tree, learning the ancient and rare illusion magic. And when it’s
nighttime, I would sit on the roof and watch the stars, occasionally there would have
cherry blossom petals blowing from afar falling onto my shoulders, which I would put it
into my mouth and chew it. Sometimes I could hear the laughing of the children and the
breathing of the snow fog forest, and that was when I laughed lightly and looked up at
the sky.
Cold wind blew past; it blew past fiercely.
Days went past peacefully like that as well.
One day I remembered the time when I was still living in snow fog forest time, granny
would always rest her head on her palm and stroked my hair delicately, saying. “Ka Suo,
when you becomes the king of Snow Empire, your life will become as calm as the river
water suddenly for thousand years, for ten thousand years, they will pass by quietly.”
I was a lonely king. According to the practice of the Snow Empire, after abdication, the
king could no longer stay in the city, and that would include the queen and concubines.
They have to move to Mt. Huan Xue and lived there in seclusion. This was why I would
always hear my lonely footsteps in the huge palace. It’s because I didn’t have a queen or
a concubine, because I couldn’t forget Li Luo and Lan Sang, those kind and affectionate
girls. I would always dream of Li Luo getting down from the unicorn, kneeling before me
with both arms crossed in front of her and said to me. “My king, I’ve come to bring you
home.” Her smile was so warm, making me not to afraid of the snow. I always dreamt of
Lan Sang over and over again of her dying under the cherry blossom tree with her body
curled up and tears streaming down from the corner of her eyes.
Sometimes I would go to snow fog forest to play with the children there, teaching them
some illusion skills and granny was always by my side, watching me. A boy came up to
me and told me this. “You are the best king. Can I become your guard in future?”
I replied him yes. “Then your hair has to be very very long. Your spiritual power is not
strong enough, and it’s okay the positions of my four chief guards are still unfilled.”
Looking at the boy just reminded me of Shi when he was still a kid. His eyes were big
and transparent, just like a girl and the way he laughed was like a blooming cherry
blossom, clean and bright.
After some time, granny came to tell me. “Ka Suo, you’re always like a kid. Watching you
sitting among the kids, your lonely smile made my heart ached so much.”
Yes, I’m a kid but I had grown up during my 30 years of exile in the mortal world,
carrying my brother walking in the earthly dust. Shi had already disappeared into the
sky, and now I was wearing the phoenix robe and Xue Lan crown, sitting on the mystical
ice throne overlooking at my people, becoming the God that shone in their heart. But
how many of them would know the loneliness in the heart of the god?
There were times when I wished I could just lie on granny’s knees like several hundred
years ago. In the past I could bun up my hair because they were short, but now my hair
was so long that they covered my phoenix robe, scattering off the ground. “Ka Suo, your
spiritual power is getting stronger.” Granny said.
“Granny, what’s the use of having such strong spiritual power? It is almost like a person
guarding a beautiful landscape without any one with you. I have no one that I wanted to
protect. Granny, besides Xing Jiu and you, I barely talk to anybody else. I found that I
didn’t want to talk to any one; I’ve never felt how empty and vast the city was. It was
like a huge and glorious grave.
“Granny, I want to see my parents.” Then I felt her hand, stroking my hair, stopped
suddenly.
“My king, you can’t. Mt Huan Xue is a forbidden place. No one from the city is allowed to
step into the mountain except the astrologers who can go the Star Sacrificial Altar to
read the stars.”
“Why? I just want to see my mother.”
“Ka Suo, after been through so much, you should have understood that there isn’t a
reason to certain things. It’s just an imperial rule of the Snow Empire. We may be the
superior gods in the mortals’ hearts, but god is being imprisoned as well. Ka Suo, you
know, the people from the royal family used to have wings on their backs, snow-white
wings with soft feathers. Though the royalties may be able to use apparition freely, no
one was able to fly now.”
“Granny, why can’t my mother come to see me? I miss her so much.”
“Ka Suo, it’s not that your mother doesn’t want. It’s just that she can’t.”
“Why can’t she?”
“Ka Suo, some things are not supposed to be known, you will understand when the time
is right.”
“Then I will ask Xing Jiu.”
“Xing Jiu will not tell you because he is like me, being the greatest astrologer of the Snow
Empire, we have the freedom to read the stars and interpret the dreams. No one can be
forced. Xing Jiu knows what to say, and what he cannot.”
I looked up at granny’s wrinkled face; her smile was warm yet blurry, like a full-
bloomed lotus covered by thick fog. It’s like a distant illusion and I seemed to see Shi’s
soul among the clouds, smiling.
A huge snowbird flew across the sky, its cry torn the pale blue sky. My eyes started to
hurt slightly.
—
A few months later I went to Mt Huan Xue, because there was once when I was admiring
the withering cherry blossoms at Cherry Blossom Hill, I saw a palace maid who had
served Lian Ji before and her hair was ankle long. This would mean she was better and
stronger than any sorcerers in the city. But this was almost impossible.
There were too many hidden secrets about Mt Huan Xue. I have to find out.
 Ice Fantasy 6 – The Illusionist of Ren Xue Cheng
When I saw my mother, she was standing by the edge of the spring water pool. Her hair
scattered around her feet softly, unable to estimate the length of her hair, probably
longer than mine and there was a white unicorn standing by her side. Cherry blossoms
falling one after another onto her hair and the light on the water was reflected onto her
face.
“Mother.” I called out gently.
She turned and saw me, saw her son in his phoenix robe, the current king of the Snow
Empire.
Then her facial expression started to change and she looked terrified, she stumbled a
few steps back and scattered the cherry blossoms that she had collected in her hand.
She shook her head and told me. “You have to go back quickly, go back…”
“Mother, don’t you want me to visit you? Mother, I miss you. I’m so lonely in the city.
How have you been?”
She was still shaking her head; it’s just that her tear was also falling down like raindrop.
Just when I was about to go over, suddenly there were footsteps behind me, very light
footsteps, just the crashing of snow under the feet. But I heard it and my mother also
heard it. Before I could turn my head around, mother has already locked her ring finger
with her thumb, pointing at the spring water and then pointed at me. I have yet to get a
clear view, I found myself being surrounded by the water from the spring pool and I lost
conscious very quickly. A short moment before I blanked out, I heard the voice of the
person behind me, it’s Lian Ji.
“Who has been here just now?” Lian Ji’s voice was still the same like before, so sharp
and cold like ice.
“No one, I am just looking at the falling of cherry blossoms.”
“Then why did you use the water spell?”
“I don’t see the need to report whatever I do to you. I can even use the water-killing
curse on you freely, do you believe it?”
“Using water-killing curse in front of me? Who do you think you are in Magic Snow
Mountain?”
Then I felt a sharp cold invading my bone rapidly and went upward to my brain, causing
me to lose consciousness. The last picture I saw was my mother crying, cherry blossoms
falling just like the winter when Shi died.
—
Snow fog forest has always been warm; sunlight was running around the forest and the
gorgeous wildflowers were everywhere. I woke up to find myself sleeping in granny’s
house; fragrance of the burning wood emitted from the fire stove and granny was sitting
by the bed, her smile was so serene and calm. Xing Jiu was standing against the light at
the door, and bright light outside made the outline of his silhouette exceptionally
clearer. I saw his hand holding the fallen star staff and I knew that belonged to granny.
“Granny, your staff…”
“My king, I have given the fallen star staff to Xing Jiu because he is now the best
astrologer in Snow Empire and I’m already so old.” Granny said, stroking my hair gently.
“Then can the best astrologer have the right to say whatever he wants to say?” Suddenly
Xing Jiu turned around and looked at granny. His expression was so cold and stiff, just
like the cold basalt at the Star Sacrificial Altar. I have never seen Xing Jiu used such
expression to talk to granny before.
“Cannot. As long as I am here, you are not allowed to do that.” Granny’s tone sounded
colder and I’ve never seen her looking so serious before. I could even see her fingers
moving. It’s obvious that she was gathering her energy secretly. Wind gushed in from
the door, filling Xing Jiu’s robe and granny’s hairpin has also fallen. Her silver hair was
flying in the wind, and I could sense the murderous aura.
Very carefully, I walked in between the two of them so that I could stop their fight in
time.
“Granny, why not tell me everything? I am the king of Snow Empire, I have the right to
know.”
“You won’t be happy if you know about it and you will definitely be destroyed by it.”
“Do you think he hasn’t been tortured enough? He will be alone for the rest of his life,
there will only be his footsteps in the city. What is the difference with him and living in
the tomb? You and I would die one day, how is he supposed to continue living on?
Because there are a lot of things that I cannot say in the past, so I have to give him vague
hint but what’s the result? He killed his beloved brother. Granny, isn’t that enough?”
“Xing Jiu, if you don’t tell him, he will just live his life alone. But if you tell him
everything, he would not have lived.”
“Granny, is Yuan Ji so scary?”
“Yes. For people, who have never seen her before, can never understand a person can be
so scary to that extent.”
I heard every single of their words, but I still couldn’t understand and so I turned to ask
Xing Jiu who was Yuan Ji. “Yuan Ji is…”
“Shut up! One more word from you, I will make sure your existence will become the
history of Snow Empire!” Granny raised her left hand and there was a tiny snowstorm
swirling around her fingertips.
I saw granny’s face turning pale blue suddenly, and I knew if this continued on, Xing Jiu
would die for sure. I stood in front of her and protected Xing Jiu with my shield
protection. “Granny, your skill can never surpass mine. I don’t wish to lfight with you.
And I don’t want to fight you as long as you don’t hurt Xing Jiu.” I told her.
Granny was staring at me for a long while; I could see the radiant glow in her eyes. I
seemed to see the younger her being all-powerful, but the light in her eyes went dim in
the next instant, then I saw the unspeakable old age on her face.
Suddenly I felt so bad, I felt I have went too overboard. The person standing in front of
me was the one who raised me, the one who doted on me more than the world did.
Granny looked down and whispered. “Yes, my skill may not surpass you, Ka Suo. I know
you won’t use your skill…”
The moment she said the word ‘use’, she struck as quickly as lightning, and then her
finger moved along my arm, causing it to be stiff like frozen ice. Totally incapacitated.
Then I saw Xing Jiu got seduced by granny within 3 moves and fell straight down like a
fallen tree.
Granny was indeed the best illusionist of the Snow Empire.
The moment when she sank down to the floor, she looked so much older and she said.
“Ka Suo, I still lost to you. I thought my illusion skill is better than yours, Ka Suo, you
have really grown up.”
I looked at her, not saying a word. From the day Shi’s hair started to grow on me, I had
mastered the magic of the Fire Tribe. When granny tried controlling my left hand, she
didn’t even have her guard on my right hand so I used the easiest fire magic and
defeated her.
Granny got up and walked to the door with her back facing Xing Jiu and I. “It might be
the act of god. Xing Jiu, if you want to say, just say it then.” A shiny trace flowed past
granny’s wrinkles. I lowered my head, afraid to think what was that.
Xing Jiu came to me and said, “My king, you must have seen your mother.”
“Saw her.”
“Have you seen the magic she used?”
I suddenly remembered, the magic that mother used was something I have never seen
or heard of at all. I didn’t know how was it possible for her to manipulate liquid water,
and that had violated the Code of Illusion. I grew up learning magic that required the
water to be frozen before being able to manipulate them.
“That one is the water-trough curse, it is even more powerful than apparition.
Apparition is only about action, but the water-trough curse is more of manipulating
water to move anything.”
“Why isn’t it recorded in the Code of Illusion?”
“Code of Illusion? That was just a joke created by the oldest emperor for the later
generation.”
Xing Jiu walked out of the house and stood at the open grassland, looking at the pale
blue sky. Wind was blowing at his robe making it look like a rustling flag.
“In fact the city is only a part of the Snow Empire, but it is only a very small part. In this
city, the sorcerers, swordsman, astrologers are having a quiet and happy life. This is an
ideal world, no one will invade others just because they have stronger spiritual power,
and the fight between the weak and the strong will never exist so the king is not the one
with the strongest spiritual power. The day when I became an astrologer, the most
important person in my life told me that she has always felt the world of the Ice Tribe is
unstable. There is something that buried under the context of peace, lively street, happy
crowd, strong relationship and bustling prosperity. Everything is just like a water
reflection, so alluring. I have never doubt whatever that person had said, never ever.”
“My king, you know why I could become the greatest astrologer of the city at this young
age?”
“I don’t know. Your talent?”
“Not really. I grew up with a person, the one with high spiritual power. We have always
wanted to discover the secret of the city and this is why I always frequent the Sacrificial
Star Altar but we still unable to know what we want to know. But because of this, my
star-reading power got stronger day after day, and eventually surpasses everyone in the
city. It was only until one month ago when granny handed the fallen star staff to me, I
have finally understood the messy star signs.”
“One month ago?”
“Yes, my king. You have been in coma for a month.”
I could hear granny sighing near the fireplace, and I saw the reflection of the flickering
flame jumping on her face. She said, “I didn’t expect you have such strong spiritual
power to break the secret magic of the city and in turn discovering the great secret
behind it. This is why I handed the staff to you. This is god’s right. But, Xing Jiu, I still
don’t understand, your power isn’t that strong enough to discover the secret.”
Xing Jiu didn’t answer, and his back view seemed to dissolve into the waning light just
like fog.
“Xing Jiu, tell me, what is the secret of the city?” Somehow I have this feeling that things
were not as simple as I thought.
“The secret of the Snow Empire is: Huan Xue Shen Shan (Magic Snow Mountain) is the
real Snow Empire, the city is merely a toy palace.”
“Then what does it got to do with my destruction?”
“Let me tell him.” Granny gradually stood up and looked at me. I felt extremely upset
when I saw her wrinkled face. “Do you think that your mother’s magic illusion skill is
strong and powerful in the past?”
“Maybe it’s about the same as Li Luo.”
“And now?”
“Probably there isn’t anyone who can win her except for you and me.”
“That’s right.”
“Granny, I’m getting more and more confused with what you’ve said.”
“Then I’ll give you a dream. I’m not the creator of this dream; my power isn’t that
powerful to create such a realistic dream like Shi’s dream that granny had given you.
This dream is given to you by your mother.” Xing Jiu told me.
—
I entered into my mother’s dream, just like what Xing Jiu had said, the dream was so
vivid and real. I didn’t know when did my mother possess such powerful ability that
transcended Xing Jiu’s power of dream interpretation. In the dream, my mother was
talking to me. I stretched my hand out and surprisingly I could touch her face. Despite
the fact that it was only an illusion, I still behaved like a kid, tearing up.
I looked up and the sun above the horizon began sinking down aimlessly.
Dusk set in.
“Ka Suo, I’ve finally saw you wearing the phoenix robe. Handsome and ethereal just like
your father. When you were standing at the high city wall, I was so happy that I couldn’t
even say a word.”
“But I was destined to leave you. Although I couldn’t bear to leave you, I still left without
any burden because I knew you have grown up. But the moment I entered the mountain, I
felt extremely terrified and I have expect the Snow Empire to have such a secret. I would
have thought that with your strong spiritual powers, no one would be able to hurt you. But
I realized I was wrong, I’ve discovered that the power of the palace ladies was almost
comparable with yours.”
“And there is something in the mountain that you bound to have contact with, and that is
the hidden lotus.”
“Yuan Ji is the ruler of the Snow Mountain, no one had seen her before. Everytime a person
enters the mountain; Yuan Ji will instruct her palace maids to bring the hidden lotus soup
for that person and after consumption, the spiritual power of that person will increase five
times than before.”
“Moreover, the biggest function of the hidden lotus is for revival. I’m afraid you will know
about this. Because I know if you can make Ying Kong Shi and Li Luo to come back to life,
you will give up the whole world. This is why I told granny not to tell you this secret. But in
the end I still saw you at the mountain, I was very upset and I seemed to see the end of your
life filled with while falling snow.”
“Ka Suo, I know I cannot stop you from entering the mountain, but you must understand,
the people here possessed superior spiritual power. Especially Lian Ji, I can’t stand 30
moves from her.”
“Ka Suo, my child. Please continue to live happily, you are the only one that I care the most
in this world…”
—
I still decided to go to Huan Xue Magic Mountain, just like what granny had foreseen.
She told me the moment I got to know the truth; she knew she couldn’t stop me.
I announced my decision to the officials of the city and no one spoke at the grand hall of
the city, silent like at a grave. Although they were surprised by my decision, no one was
against me; no one would object the king because of this normal trip. Xing Jiu was the
only one who didn’t speak a word, he was standing down there and his eyes were filled
with snow. He knew the truth behind this normal trip was something extremely
dangerous.
Suddenly I remembered granny’s sad expression when I told her my decision.
I asked her. “Granny, how can I meet Yuan Ji? How do I get the hidden lotus?”
The answer to these two questions was impossible. Her voice was filled with sorrow.
I went over to hug her and told her. “Granny, I know it is a joke to fight with Yuan Ji with
my spiritual power. But for the sake of Shi, Li Luo and Lan Sang, I am willing to believe
that miracle still exists in this world.”
I felt sudden warmth at my neck; it was granny’s tear and they were falling drop by
drop onto my phoenix robe.
When all officials dispersed, Xing Jiu was still standing there, looking at me. “Xing Jiu, tell
me what you know, everything about this world.” I told him.
“The world is like a jungle, the one with the stronger power will dominate the world.
Don’t think that Huan Xue Magic Mountain is very small; in fact, it is overlapped by a
number of infinite worlds together, and all the worlds would operate at the same time.
It’s very complicated. For example, you saw the fountain at your mother’s side; the
reflection of the palace in the water is real and not just a pure reflection. For example
when you don’t see a way out of the valley, but in actual fact you will see another world
after the cliff that was at the end of the valley. A huge empty space can also be concealed
in a small cherry blossom flower and this cherry blossom will be the entrance to this
world. My king, do you understand what I am saying?” Xing jiu said.
“Understand. Xing Jiu, what do I need to bring anything there?”
“My king, you don’t need anything but you need people who can go with you. It’s
impossible for you to go see Yuan Ji alone. In fact with lot of people, you still have to
wait for a miracle in order to see Yuan Ji.”
Xing Jiu came over and took out a roll of parchment from his robe. I spread it out and I
saw his handwriting on it.
Pian Feng, Wind Tribe Spirit, specialized in wind summoning.
Yue Sheng (Lunar), Ice Tribe, abandoned white magic, specialized in black magic,
assassination and attacking.
Wang Tuo, Shaman Tribe, abandoned black magic, specialized in healing, King of Witch
Shaman Tribe.
Chao Ya, Music Shaman Tribe, specialized in witch music and inherited the legendary
soundless zither, Ruler of Music Shaman Tribe.
Liao Jian, Ice Tribe, Swordman, specialized in attacking, son of the East guardian Liao
Que.
Xing Jiu, Ice Tribe, Astrologer.
Looking at the scroll in my hand, I remained silent. I knew all these people that Xing Jiu
had arranged were from everywhere of the city and they possessed extraordinary
power, but at the same time Xing Jiu had also made me understand how terrifying Yuan
Ji was.
“No.” I said.
“My king, these are the strongest people in the city. Although not all of them are from
the Ice Tribe,I can guarantee with my head that they are absolutely loyal to you.” Xing
Jiu said.
“Xing Jiu, I’m not talking about this. I mean you cannot come with me. I still need
someone to stay back to rule the city even if it’s just a toy palace.”
“My king, you don’t understand, if there isn’t an astrologer with you, you guys won’t be
able to find the way, and not to mention without an astrologer, you can’t even pass the
North Guardian.”
“North Guardian?”
“Yes, my king. Huan Xue Magic Mountain is the same as the city; they also have their
four guardians. But they are different from the four guardians of the city; the mountain
has four guardians of four different forces. East Guardian is about combat, North
Guardian is about astrology, South Guardian is about music and the strongest and
scariest West Guardian is about assassination. No one has seen the West Guardian
before, and no one knows the gender, it can be a spirit, beast, or a stone, a flower. West
Guardian is the only one who has free access to Huan Xue Mountain and the city besides
Yuan Ji. Before meeting the four guardians, we have to meet the grand priest, Feng Tian.
Her power would not lower than any illusionist you’ve ever seen.
“No and no. Xing Jiu, you have to stay. You can pick someone from the Astrologer Tribe
to go with me. You are someone whom I would feel assured in handing the empire to.”
“My king, you don’t understand, I’m already the strongest astrologer within the
Astrologer Tribe, no one…”
Then I saw Xing Jiu closed his mouth, his eyes looked lost dissociate and sad. I stared at
him, not saying a word. After a while, Xing Jiu turned his head around and said. “My
king, I have to go back to ask my father.” And then he left the grand hall.
The moment he walked out, I used my power of invisible apparition and caught up with
him then I saw Xing Jiu’s hair hanging all over his face. There were two streams of tear
flowing down down his face.
 Ice Fantasy 7 – The Secret of Huan Xue Mountain
That night, I was at the roof and the starlight was exceptionally beautiful. Those
scattered starlight was like butterflies and flowers falling slowly onto my shoulders. I
looked at the bluish-black sky, chanting Shi’ name softly and I seemed to see his face in
the sky above, so high and shallow and transparent, so faraway, so untouchable.
Then I saw Xing Jiu standing high up at the city walls; the wind was blowing his robe
like a torn flag, as if there was a gust of wind rising from his feet, making his hair fly. I
saw his lips moving constantly, and I knew he was chanting a spell. I still vaguely
remembered seeing granny using such magic, it seemed to be used by the astrologers
for communication purpose. But I saw Xing Jiu’s expression, so sad so depressing, I’ve
never seen Xing Jiu like this. The Xing Jiu in my memory was cold and solemn just like
the sturdy Millenium Ice. But the next morning when I asked Xing Jiu where was he last
night, he told me, “My king, I was at my palace reading the stars, hoping to know more
about the secret of Huan Xue Mountain.”
I could see his fingers curled up because of anxiety and so I didn’t question any further. I
just couldn’t understand why did he have to lie to me. I stubbornly wanted Xing Jiu to
stay, and I stubbornly wanted to go to Huan Xue Mountain. The time when I told Xing Jiu
this, he didn’t speak for a long time. Then he laughed, this was my first time seeing him
laugh. It’s like the ice has started to melt, his smile was like water spreading across his
face slowly. His mouth formed a gentle arc and the smile was beautiful. He said, “My
king, you are just like a little kid.” Then I saw his tears streaming down. He knelt before
me and said to me. “My king, in the name of the next king of the Star Tribe, I hope you
can come to Huan Xing Palace.” It was my first time to visit Huan Xing Palace. Arriving at
the finest imperial palace of the Snow Empire, the palace was like a while eagle ready to
take off and I saw the hexagram pattern on the floor in front of the hall. Xing Jiu’s
parents and everyone of the palace were waiting for me at the door. Their hair were all
pure silvery white, flying along with the wind. Although I had heard about the strong
spiritual power of the Star Tribe, I had never expected their hair colour to be so pure.
For one moment I thought of Li Luo, if not for her hair bluish white hair, she would have
become my princess and I would have gotten my happiness and Shi wouldn’t have died.
I looked up at the pale blue sky, staring at the ever-moving clouds, and I saw the souls
singing on the clouds. I saw the emptiness within my heart.
Xing Jiu walked out from the door; he was holding a girl in his embrace. Her haird was
long to the floor and shiny silvery white. Xing Jiu made used of his illusion skill and
created a protection barrier with wind and snow to protect the person in his arms. Xing
Jiu’s looked exceptionally gentle when he was looking at the person in his arms, his eyes
were fixated on that person and spoke to me without lifting his head. “My king, this is
my sister, Xing Gui.” I’ve finally realized that Xing Jiu has a younger sister, but this sister
was wound of the heart of the Star Tribe, just like the holy war many years ago, too
reluctant to talk about, too reluctant to touch it. “When Xing Gui was born, she had
already possessed a thousand years of spiritual power. Her long hair was wrapped
around her and the entire Star Family was extremely proud. My parents were so happy
till they cried because Xing Gui has become the greatest astrologer in the family. Not just
that, she even becomes the greatest astrologer of Huan Xue City as well. However when
my father held the first star reading session for Xing Gui, the entire family sunk into
depression. It’s because her star sign had been disrupted, and her life span is only 250
years. Moreover, she doesn’t have any resistance against the outer world. Even a small
danger can also constitute a threat to her.”
“Right after her birth, Xing Gui has been staying at the bottom of Huan Xing Palace for
the sake of the Star Tribe. The time when I was helping your brother, Ying Kong Shi, to
read his star, it was also Xing Gui that asked me to check on the bodies of the dead
astrologers and beware of Ying Kong Shi. But the entire family remains tight-lipped over
the existence of my sister, because if the king were to know about my sister, he would
want my sister to become the imperial astrologer. There is no one to protect her in the
palace and she would die any time, so the family has to keep it a secret. The spiritual
power of my sister is higher than anybody and the time when I’ve gotten granny’s fallen
star staff, I handed it to my sister and so I got to know about the biggest secret of Ren
Xue City. In fact granny didn’t estimate my spiritual power wrongly, it’s just that she
isn’t aware the fact that I have the best sister in the world. That night when I was at the
city wall exchanging information with my father, I was asking whether he allows Xing
Gui to join you in your journey to the mountain. In the end he asked me to make the
decision. So I’ve decided to trust you, my king.” I saw Xing Jiu lowering his head, kissing
Xing Gui’s pale face. She opened her eyes and looked at Xing Jiu smilingly, calling him
softly. “Ge.” That moment I felt my whole world spinning, the several hundreds years of
shared memories of Shi and I were gushing to me at the same time. Tiny bits of sorrows
were cutting through my heart.
“My king, I shall hand Xing Gui to your hands and I hope you will use all your strength to
take care of her. She can give you the most accurate direction when you are in Huan Xue
Mountain. I believe in my sister. But she is too weak and she cannot be subjected to any
harm.” I carried Xing Gui over and her body couldn’t stop trembling. She’s such a pitiful
child. All of a sudden I thought of the time in the mortal world when I was still carrying
little Ying Kong Shi walking along the snow-filled street. The day, when I set off for Huan
Xue Mountain, was the start of winter; the winter in the city would last for a decade. I
stood before the city’s entrance and looked at grand city wall, not wanting to say a
word. No one would believe that this great empire was only a toy palace.
The first time I met Yue Shen, the one that Xing Jiu kept mentioning to me, her face
seemed to be carved out of ice, so cold and without any expression. Her left hand was
glowing faintly, and I knew it was her weapon, moonlight. The kind of light would melt
into a sharp blade under Yue Shen’s hand, even sharper than the sharpest ice blade. Her
hair was long and it’s the same as Li Luo, they both have a tint of glowing blue hair and I
suddenly felt so familiar. But Xing Jiu told me the hair colours of Li Luo and Yue Shen
were two completely different cases. Li Luo was due to her blood impurity, but Yue
Shen was because of magic imparity - she grew up learning dark magic assassination.
She was wearing a pale blue long robe and when I saw her, she was leaning against the
two towering cherry blossom trees. My father enchanted the two trees so that they
could grow infinitely upwards, to be closer to the sky. Yue Shen looked up to the sky;
skylight from the pale blue sky fell and dissolved into her crystal clear eyes. Liao Jian –
in the past, I have seen him at the centennial city festival. At that time both of us were
still a kid. My father invited Liao Jian to have an illusion test with me, because he was
the son of the East Guardian, Liao Que. I could still remember the piercing look on his
face; he was a kid with strong character. The moment when I defeated him, he
continued to stare at me with gritted teeth, not willing to accept his defeat. My father
then told Liao Que, “Your son will be an excellent East Guardian.” And now, a hundred
years had passed, the tough and stubborn kid was now standing before me with a
straight and stiff expression, his eyes filled with fighting spirit and his hair were tied up
with a black string, flying in the wind. “My king, I will protect you at all costs.” He said.
Huang Tuo was three hundred years my senior, his face has no longer had the
unruliness and surliness of a teenager, but only with calmness and poise. He was
wearing an all black robe and his silvery white hair looked so pure under the contrast of
the black hair band. He bent down before me with both hands crossed in front of his
chest, not saying a word. But his hands have created a transparent ball suspended in the
air, and I knew it was a magical enchantment from the white magic. He knelt down and
raised his left hand before me. “My king, as long as I am still alive, this enchantment will
never be broken and no one will be able to harm you.” I looked at him; his eyes seemed
to have endless cloud gathering and dispersing, ever-changing. His glimmering aura was
totally incomparable. Pian Feng and Chao Ya were standing silently at a distance; the
wind was blowing their robes. It was the most beautiful picture with their flying robes,
involving the young Pian Feng and beautiful Chao Ya. A smile spread across their faces
like falling flowers from the sky. Chao Ya flung her long sleeve down, causing the petals
of the cherry blossoms to fly off the ground. As for Pian Feng, she was moving her index
and ring fingers, creating a sudden gust of wind making those petals swirled up right
before me and scattered them around my feet. And I knew, they are the strongest
candidates in the city. I told them everything about Huan Xue Mountain, I didn’t want to
hide anything from them and the moment I finished the last word, and all of them knelt
down before me. “My king, our lives are together with you.” Xing Gui was lying in Lian
Jian’s arms, I saw her smiling at me and from her eyes, I could see what she wanted to
tell me. “My king, don’t be afraid.” Then I turned to Xing Jiu who had come to send us off.
“Xing Jiu, is there any other thing that you want to tell me?”
“My king, Huan Xue Mountain is a cruel world, please don’t believe any one inside, and
those extremely powerful magic can only be inherited instead of imparting.”
“Cannot be imparted? What does it mean?”
“It means that if your mother wanted to teach you, she would no longer be able to use it.
My king, actually you should be very familiar with it, have you forgotten about Shi’s
powers that are within you? The long hair of Shi is another way of inheritance.”
“Can you tell me about Yuan Ji?”
“No, my king and my sister cannot tell you too. Everytime when we tried to read Yuan
Ji’s stars, the weather will be in chaos all of a sudden. You just have to find out all about
Yuan Ji yourself.”
“Then did you try reading the star about our trip to the mountain?”
“I did.”
“What is the outcome?”
Xing Jiu looked at me and said. “My king, sometimes fate can be changed just like how
the legendary astrologer can change the track of the star to manipulate the fate.
Sometimes death is the greatest rebirth.”
“Xing Jiu, I don’t understand.”
“My king, in fact, I don’t know as well. At first if all the star signs contain dead ends and
death cliff, I would feel that it’s very natural to have all these, but the entire star sign
reveals that there are hidden survival chances within it and every survival chance will
have a death door behind it. My king, it all depends on you now. You are the greatest
illusionist of our empire, please bless my sister and bless every single person.” Xing Jiu
knelt down before me with both hands crossed in front of his chest.
I nodded, holding him by his shoulders and said. “Don’t worry. I will treat Xing Gui just
like how I treat Shi.” When we have walked a distance away, I turned my head around to
look at my empire – the empire I earned in the expense of my freedom and sacrificial of
Shi and Li Luo. Xing Jiu was still standing at the city gate; I saw his robe flying in the
wind endlessly.
 Ice Fantasy 8 – The Bound To Lose Battle
Xing Gui was indeed very weak, she didn’t even have the strength to walk. Most of the
time she would be lying in Liao Jian’s arms, and she looked as if she was sleeping. Even
when the snowstorm got a little bigger, Huang Tuo had to protect her with his invisible
shield. But when danger was near, she would open her eyes and tell us how to avoid it.
Xing Gui. Xing Gui’s spiritual power was indeed very extraordinary and she didn’t even
need to use the star-reading stuff, she would still be able to know when the danger
would be coming.
For example when we entered the mountain, Xing Gui told us to make a left turn and
hide behind the trees, and then we saw several palace maids walked past our right side,
their hair were so long that they were dragging along the ground. There was once we
went into a valley, and when we were in the middle of it, Xing Gui struggled to get up
and screamed loudly suddenly, telling us to back out of the valley. The time when Yue
Shen was the last one to get out of the valley, the snow on the hilltop collapsed, burying
the entire valley. Amidst the loud snow crashing sound, Xing Gui’s rapid breathing went
weak as if it was going to break soon. She was just like a crystal butterfly that could not
even survive a snowstorm.
When we were about to go into Huan Xue Mountain palace, we almost met Lian Ji, if not
for Xing Gui telling us to stop, we would have bumped into her. The moment we came to
a stop, Lian Ji was walking past us and for a moment she stopped to turn to our
direction. Then Pian Feng summoned a strong wind, sweeping off the snow from the
ground and covered the cherry blossom forest where we were hiding.
Huan Xue Mountain was filled with precious herbs and deadly poisons. Huang Tuo
would always tell us which herbs were for detoxification, and which we should avoid.
There was once Chao Ya was about to pluck a tiny flower, Huang Tuo told us the
flower’s name was Shang Yao and the poison made from it was slow yet lethal, when the
time has come, the diffused toxins would gather together and traveled straight up to the
head, becoming a toxic. When Huang Tuo was talking about these herbs, he looked so
gentle and quiet as if talking about their most beloved person.
“This poison is something that we often used in assassination.” Yue Shen said.
We have finally reached the central entrance of Huan Xue Mountain after thirteen days.
It looked so ridiculous when the words “Ren Xue Cheng” (Ren Snow City) were written
on the majestic city gate.
I had once imagined the mystery and prosperity of this empire for a million times, but
when I entered the city, there wasn’t a single man or magnificent-looking houses. The
entire place was covered with a thick layer of snow and a long straight street leading to
somewhere afar.
“My King, you will meet Feng Tian at the end of the long street.” Xing Gui said softly.
I walked over to Lian Jian, leant forward to look at Xing Gui and asked. “Is there any
possibility for me to win Feng Tian?”
Xing Gui closed her eyes but I could see the hidden tears in it. Despair was written on
her expression.
I stroked her hair and whispered. “Xing Gui, don’t have to worry about me. I know it’s
hard to defeat her but I will still try my best to protect you.”
“My king, it’s not like this.” Xing Gui shook her head and tears came streaming down.
Wind. Strong wind.
The snow was being swept up from the ground, just like the time when Li Luo appeared
before me, and then I saw the legendary great priestess at the end of the snow. Feng
Tian.
I’ve finally known why Xing Gui’s expression was so sad.
It’s because at the end of the long street, I saw an extremely familiar and dependent
face, my granny.
If it was someone else I could still use the fire magic to assassinate him or her, because
no one would not be aware of my right hand but granny already knew about my fire
magic and I have no confidence in defeating her with my ice magic.
This would be a battle that we would lose.
A kind smile flashed across her face when she looked at me. “Ka Suo, when you were
born, I have read your star and knew that one day we would be going against one
another. It seems like fate is acting in accordance to what had been set.”
“Ka Suo, my child, just go straight and at the end of it, you will see the East Guardian’s
Mie Tian Bai Hu palace. The name of the East Guardian is Qing Ren.
I looked at granny and her hair has become as short as a teenage boy. I felt my throat
being choked with something and I couldn’t speak. She had transferred all her spiritual
power to me. I looked down to my hair circling on the ground and looked back to
granny. Snow began falling from the sky, falling onto her shoulders. I walked over to
give her a hug and activated my invisible shield, sheltering her from the snow. Granny
could no longer win a young sorcerer now. I hugged her and cried like a kid.
When I bade farewell with granny, she held my hands with hers. I could feel her
wrinkled rough hands and she was holding them tightly in hers, I could feel the stinging
pain so I knew she was worried about me.
I took both Shi and granny’s power with me, and then I heard granny’s voice coming
from behind, saying. “My king, don’t trust anyone in Ren Xue City and you don’t have to
apply any fairness or justice to anyone. Winner takes all, loser takes the fall.”
When we were standing before the White Tiger Temple, Liao Jian spoke suddenly. “My
king, do you know that my father, Liao Que the East Guardian for your father, has been
very strict to me when I was a kid. In his eyes, I have to become an upright person and I
grew up learning combat, strength, fight, there’s many that I fainted in the snow due to
the strong impact of all these trainings. Everytime I woke up lying next to a warm stove,
surrounded by the refreshing fragrance of the wood and a bowl of hot soup. Although
my father had never told me, I knew he was the one who carried me back to the room.
His face may always look serious all the time, but I knew he cared a lot about me. This
was why I swore to become the best East Guardian. But my father passed away before I
turned adult, a fire spirit killed him during the Holy War. My father wanted me to
become the best god of war, and I hope I can do it as well.”
“Liao Jian, what are you trying to tell me?”
“My king, I hope you allow me to deal with Qing Ren.”
“Liao Jian, I know that you are strong, but…”
“My King, please let me try.” Liao Jian knelt before me.
Looking at his determined look, I have no way to reject but I couldn’t see if the end of his
fate was covered with snow or not.
 Ice Fantasy 9 – Fighting with Liao Jian
I was surprised when I saw Qing Ren, I thought Qing Ren was a burly and rough-looking
man like Liao Jian’s father, Liao Que. But no, the moment when I saw Qing Ren, I almost
thought I saw my brother, Ying Kong Shi. They have the same delicate features and
distinct profile, flowing long hair, so unrealistically beautiful. He has a scar in between
his eyebrows, like a blade. It’s in faint ivory colour. I knew that was where all the
spiritual powers gathered, just like cherry blossom petal mark between Ying Kong Shi’s
eyebrows. I have a lightning mark between my eyebrows; Yue Shen has the mark of the
moonlight while Xing Gui has the mark of a hexagram. Qing Ren’s hair were scattered
gently down, his eyes looked drifted away and free-spirited, his smile looked evil and
innocent. I wasn’t sure what kind of power was hidden under this appearance, making
him the East Guardian.
Wing Ren seated on his throne, smiling at me. “You are the king of that ridiculous castle,
Ka Suo?”
“Yes.” I said.
He laughed and some of his hair fell and scattered over his eyes. “All of you can come
together, I don’t want to waste my time.” He said.
“The one who wanted to kill you is Liao Jian, not me. Liao Jian is the real Eash Guardian.”
I said.
“Real East Guardian? Haha! Don’t make me laugh. All of you just come all at once.”
I used the Ice Tribe’s illusion skill to freeze my left arm and said. “Liao Jian will kill you, I
won’t do it.”
Yue Shen said. “My king, granny told you not to pay attention to equality…”
“Yue Shen! This is my decision. I don’t want Liao Jian to disappoint his father.”
Then I heard the sound of Liao Jian’s footsteps coming from behind. He said, “I’m Liao
Jian, East Guardian of Ren Xue City.”
Qing Ren’s gaze became extremely cold all of a sudden; I could feel the murderous aura
surrounding us. He said, “Ren Xue City only has one and it’s this one, there’s also only
one East Guardian and that’s me.” Before Qing Ren could finish his sentence, Liao Jian
went forward to attack Qing Ren. But this sneak attack didn’t pose any threat to him.
I’ve finally witnessed Qing Ren’s incredible power; Liao Jian didn’t even fight ten rounds
with him. But Qing Ren still lost the battle; he has lost it since the beginning. Because he
underestimated Liao Jian and I, and he shouldn’t even believe in us.
When Liao Jian made his first attack, he bent down and retreated suddenly before Qing
Ren could touch him, and I charged forward quickly with fiery curse dagger in one hand,
stabbing it straight through his heart. When Qing Ren fell before me, his eyes were wide
open; he couldn’t believe that someone outside of Huan Xue Mountain has defeated him.
During the last moment of his life, his handsome face still has the unbelievable
expression on it. Liao Jian and I didn’t say a word when we saw Qing Ren turning into a
puddle of snow water.
We had never thought that we could defeat Qing Ren so easily; we expected either Liao
Jian or myself would be seriously injured and we have also gotten Huang Tuo to get
ready with his healing enchantment to send us in if we got hurt. But surprisingly both of
us remained unharmed.
But the scars appeared at the invisible places, only at the time when the sun fell onto the
horizon.
Liao Jian was walking alone ahead of us, not talking at all, his back view seemed so
isolated. I knew he was sad because he abandoned the expectation that his father had
on him. Giving up one’s dignity was somehow worse than death, and I knew the
sacrifices made by Liao Jian for me. If it weren’t for the journey ahead of us, Liao Jian
wouldn’t resort to using assassination.
That night we settled on a hillside filled with cherry blossoms for the night, the bright
moonlight was like water splashing on the ground. I woke up in the middle of the night
and I saw Liao Jian standing at the highest point of the hill with his back facing me, the
moonlight was flowing down his hair and robe, I could sense his despair from his back
view.
That night it was my first time hearing Liao Jian singing, it was the kind of song that
would be sang repeatedly in the barrack at the battlefield, sad and desolate, his loud
broken voice resounded high above the clouds. I recalled the time when I was young, I
repeatedly heard this song during the holy war, and the warriors would always sing this
song in the sorrowful nights. They would continue singing without any rest.
Then Yue Shen went up to Liao Jian’s side, I heard their conversation.
Yue Shen said, “Liao Jian, sometimes a person has to give up a lot of things, because
there must be another thing that worth us doing that. For example, you have someone
that you want edto protect, something you wanted to accomplish, waiting for the chance
to realize a dream. Liao Jian, you know, I have been looked down on when I was a kid,
because I only knew assassination skill. Despite having the highest spiritual powers
among the kids of the same age, my parents still looked down on me, they said I’m a kid
that brought shame to the family. When I have yet to reach adulthood, the older kids
loved bullying me. There were times when the boys would push to the floor, pulling my
hair and manipulating ice to throw on me. Everytime I would hug myself, not saying a
single word, waiting for them to get tired of me and then I would pat myself clean before
heading back home. My mother was a beautiful woman; she would get angry everytime
when she saw my dirty look. She didn’t even ask whether I was being bullied, she would
only say I’m a kid that upset the family.”
“Yue Shen, why do you learn black magic instead of white magic, and only learn
assassination?”
“When I was still very young, my older sister, Yue Zhao and I were learning witchcraft
together, we were very well-behaved and our spiritual powers grew stronger day by
day. My father would always stroke our hair, telling us that we would become the best
illusionists after the royal family of Ren Xue City. At that time, my father’s face was very
gentle looking, snow was falling around us but they didn’t fall on us because my father
would always shelter us under his protection barrier. I knew the meaning of warm at a
very young age. But one day, my older sister was being killed, died so suddenly on her
way home, I remembered I was still pointing at the cherry blossom tree by the roadside
telling her how beautiful the cherry blossoms looked on the tree. Yet when I turned to
look at her, her pupils had already went blank, I saw her dazed expression on her face
then I saw her robe being blown by the wind before she fell straight down in front of
me. I was too scared to say anything, the cherry blossom petals in my hands scattered
all over the ground… M family came out to look for us, by the time they found us, my
sister was already dead, and I fainted next to her. The time when I woke up, I found
myself sleeping on the snow fox fur. Later, my people came to tell me for a long period
of time I could only speak one phrase and that phrase was, “Sister, don’t scare me! Wake
up…”
“That was when you started learning assassination skill?”
“Yes, because I do not wish that in future when I want to protect someone, I just stand
there powerlessly and watch the person die before my eyes.”
The sound of the snowbird echoed throughout the sky. I looked the sleeping Xing Gui
next to me, she curled up in the enchantment created by Huang Tuo, looking so peaceful
as if she was lying in a huge egg safely.
The back views of Liao Jian and Yue Shen were exceptionally clear that night; they stood
high up the hill with the robes flying in the air.
I turned away and continued sleeping, then I dreamt of my brother, dreamt about the
winter when I killed him. Snow filled the entire city.
 Ice Fantasy 10 – The Assassination of Die Che
I’ve finally found how huge and incredible about Hua Xue Mountain when I was
standing on the territorial water that was as vast as the Ice Sea. Xing Gui told me this
was the territory of South Guardian, Die Che and behind this territorial water, it’s the
Southern Palace Bo Tian Zhu Que.
Apparition was the only way for us to get past the territorial water. I hooked up my
finger, getting ready to summon the snow.
“No, my king.” Xing Gui’s breath was weak but rapid. “My king, this is not any ordinary
lake. There are ten enchantments superimposed on this lake, there might be more
enchantments that I couldn’t sense. In other words, someone may just fall into another
world if you are not careful enough. And what kind of worlds would there be, I couldn’t
determine. Maybe it’s a world filled with sharp ice blades, or a vast land of roaring fire,
or maybe a beautiful hill planted with cherry blossom trees, or you may just skip the
South Guardian region, and we might even meet Yuan Ji directly. So, my king, please
don’t use your magic so easily because the union of the spiritual power could cause
turmoil within the enchantment, changing its entrances and exits.”
I stood in front of the territorial water, the messy sunlight reflection on the water were
now shining on everyone’s face.
I said, “Xing Gui, then how should we go over?”
Chao Ya came up to me and said, “My king, use my Wu Yin Qin (soundless zither).” Then
she removed a hairpin from her hair and the hairpin became bigger immediately,
forming a huge black ancient zither.
I’ve finally got to see the imperial zither used by my father. Its entire body was black
with white crystal strings and the end of the zither was charred.
Chao Ya said, “This zither was used by my mother and during the holy war, the end of
the zither got burnt by the fire spirits’ magic. During the holy war, my mother had spent
several years in the mortal world; the people there were amazed by my mother’s zither
playing skill. Then my mother left a replica of Wu Yin Qin in the mortal world; from then
on, it became the famous zither in the mortal world generation after generation and
they named it Jiao Wei. Wu Yin Qin can change its size freely without any magic to
support, so we don’t have to worry about changing the distribution of the enchantment.
We can use this zither as something, which they called boat in the mortal world, to cross
the sea.
When we stood on the zither’s body, moving slowly across the water, Chao Ya laughed.
“My king, I have never thought that zither could be used in such a way.”
At the other side of the sea would be Bo Tian Zhu Que Palace, the entire palace looked
just like a zither. When we went towards the door, a melodious sound of a zither was
coming from the inside, as if it was piercing down from the sky directly, like waves in
the heart coming one after another. The snow on the ground swirled up from the
ground all of a sudden, cherry blossoms petals began falling off, and those petals fell
neatly at our feet forming a petal trail. The air was filled with floral scent; everyone was
standing in the middle of the petals, waiting. Huang Tuo created an enchantment to
protect Xing Gui, we stood back to back forming a hexagram lineup and I could vaguely
feel that Die Che would appear soon.
But when all the petals had fallen, Die Che has yet to appear and the music became more
melodious than before.
I noticed the expression on Chao Ya’s face and asked her. “Chao Ya, what’s wrong with
you?”
Chao Ya said. “My king, if you want me to compete with the master of this zither, I don’t
think I have any chance of winning.” I saw the dejected expression on her face.
But when I turned around, I saw the despair on Xing Gui’s face. Then Xing Gui opened
her eyes, and said a sentence slowly, then I saw the tears in her eyes. That sentence
made every single one of us to stood on the spot motionlessly; cold winds blowing, and
cherry blossom flowers kept falling uncontrollably.
Xing Gui said, “The person playing the song is only a palace maid of Die Che.”
Po Tian Zhu Que and Mie Tian Xuan Wu were two totally different palaces; Xuan Wu
Palace was grand and majestic, the towering city walls were standing high up in the sky,
and weapons like three spines swords, ice blade and magical staff were all displayed in
the palace. All the people in the palace were tall muscular men. The entire palace
seemed like a place filled with male power.
But inside Bo Tian Zhu Que Palace, everything has a soft contour; the sky roof has a thin
layer of ice on it, letting the daylight sprinkled lightly into the palace and the entire
palace was floating within some kind of pale blue light. Music could be heard from
everywhere of the palace; smiling palace maids could be seen everywhere in the garden
with zithers in their hands, cherry blossoms were falling slowly around them, just like
those flamboyant dreams.
Die Che was reclining on the throne, barefooted and her hair was falling along her body.
She looked at me, not speaking at all, but I could see from her crystal white pupil talking
to me, she said, “Ka Suo, you’ve come.”
I have been seeing countless beauties in Ren Xue Cheng, concubines in the palaces and
the beautiful mermaid tribe. But I have to admit that the beautiful look of Die Che was
something I have never seen before; this kind of look had never appeared in the most
flamboyant dreams before. I could feel the surrounding air becoming faint when I
looked at her. Her eyes continued to talk to me, saying. “Ka Suo, you’ve come.”
I got snapped out of my trance when Yue Shen patted my shoulder. She leant forward
and whispered at my ear. “My king, she had just used soul capturing spell on you. Be
careful.”
I looked at Die Che, and her smile was so alluring and attractive.
Yue Shen went up and looked at Die Che, saying. “You better don’t use your
assassination spell in front of me, they are not even up to one tenth of my skills.”
“Then you can kill me completely.” Die Che’s speaking voice didn’t carry any emotions; it
was slow and misty like a dream, so blur and unreal, as if the fog has been lingering over
the lake for a long time.
I saw the light had already appeared at Yue Shen’s hand, I knew it was a sign that she
would be using her magic.
“No, Yue Shen.” Xing Gui’s voice came from behind.
“Why.” Yue Shen turned and looked at Xing Gui.
Xing Gui said, “Even if you managed to kill Die Che, we still wouldn’t be able to pass Po
Tian Zhu Que Palace.”
Xing Gui came down from Liao Jian’s arms, and walked to my side, holding out her weak
arm and pointed at the end of the grand hall, telling me. “My king, you see that wall?”
I followed the direction of her arm and looked towards the end of the palace, it was a
tall and delicate wall that reached the top of the palace. There were a lot of figures
engraved on it, there’s a beautiful woman in the centre, and that would be Die Che who
was seated on her throne, surrounding her would be countless of musicians holding
their ancient zither. But on that wall, Die Che was the only one with expression, the
expression on the other musicians was hollow and confused, and they have no eyes. The
only expression on Die Che’s face would be her arrogant yet attractive smile.
Xing Gui said, “It was a wall of sigh.”
Then I heard Chao Ya’s rapid and heavy breathing. She walked to the wall, held her hand
out to touch the corner portrait of a musician on the wall with her head hanging low, not
speaking at all. It was only after some time then she turned around and said, “This is my
mother. Chi Lian. The old emperor’s imperial musician.”
“It’s true that this wall actually exists in this world. I thought it’s only a legend within
our music sorcery tribe.” Chao Ya said.
“Chao Ya, why can’t we get through this wall?” I asked.
“My king, this is not any other ordinary wall, no blades or illusion magic can has any
effect on it. Only the most wonderful music of precision is able to touch the heart of the
wall. In the past, there are countless of musicians that wanted to touch the heart of this
wall, but to no avail. There’s only one person who managed to touch the wall since the
ancient times, and she has become the guardian of this wall. She is Die Che, the
legendary woman with rare beauty. So, even if we were to kill Die Che, we still couldn’t
get pass Bo Tian Zhu Que shrine.
Chao Ya walked and stood before Die Che, saying. “In the eyes of the people from the
music sorcery tribe, you are indeed our God. I wish to hear your music, I want to know
what kind of melody can touch the heart of the wall of sigh.”
“Forget it! I’m afraid that you will hit yourself to death on your Jiao Wei when you hear
my music.”
Chao Ya’s face went pale, her body was shaking slightly, and I knew she was holding
back her anger. Anyone could hear the disdain Die Che has against Chao Ya’s wu yin qin.
But Chao Ya didn’t say anything, she walked over and knelt on one knee and said.
“Please play a song for us.”
Die Che looked at Chao Ya and let out a sigh. “Forget it, you will never be able to learn
my music no matter how many times you listen.”
Chao Ya continued to kneel before her. Die Che stood up and said. “Fine, as your wish.”
I’ve finally saw Die Che’s huan die qin (magic butterfly zither), that zither was in fact not
a zither. Die Che stood up, with both arms outstretched, fingers open, and then she
quickly spread her arms open. Five shiny green chords appeared in between her ten
fingers. When she used her white jade-liked finger to strike the green chords, I could see
countless butterflies with green glow flying out from the chords. The melodies actually
formed into a butterfly fluttering into the air. I got so immersed into the music; those
past memories came pouring back, just like a flash of white cherry blossom petals flying
over the four walls of memories. Shi planted a kiss on my brow, Li Luo standing up tall
on the unicorn, Shi fell during the fire at the Mirage Palace, Lan Sand died under the
cherry blossom tree, a dream where Li Luo was buried under the deep ice sea, the snow
bird killed itself from hitting onto the huge cliff rock, the blossoming of fiery red
lotuses…
Then I felt a sensation of pain hitting my body all of a sudden, and by the time I
recomposed myself, I saw those green butterflies kept flying into my body and melted in
my blood, traveling all over my body. I’ve finally understand Die Che’s music was
another way of hidden assassination, but when I wanted to resist, it was already too
late, my arm could no longer move. The view before my eyes started to get blur, only Die
Che’s smile remained the same like the wind of spring spreading around, so alluring so
attractive.
When my willpower was dissipating slowly, I saw Liao Jian and Xing Gui already lying
on the floor, their silvery white hair were all over their sides, Pian Feng was curling his
ring finger up, summoning a wind blast to surround him and those green butterflies
were finding the loopholes to get into his body. I knew he was going to crumble soon.
Yue Shen and Huang Tuo were the only ones that remained unharmed; Die Che’s
assassination posed no threat to Yue Shen and Huang Tuo’s white protection
enchantment was also something the butterflies could not penetrate.
Then I heard Chao Ya’s voice, she said, “My king, I cannot play something to surpass Die
Che’s music because my feeling isn’t as much as hers. My intuition tells me that there’s
an unforgettable memory in her heart, if not she won’t be able to play such soulful
music. My king, I know there is a lot of buried feelings within your heart, broken yet
intense, please send these feelings to me via the form of dreams, I need to borrow your
emotions to destroy the wall of sigh.”
I could no longer distinguish where Chao Ya was when she was talking to me, there was
a huge patch of green butterflies appearing before my eyes, and so I began to weave my
memories into a dream – those days when Shi and I were together, I carried him around
while we were in the mortal world, the day when I saved him from the fire at the Mirage
Palace, the day when I killed him with my sword and him smiling at me, and then I lost
my consciousness. It was a very strange feeling, as if I have entered into a dream, but
there was nothing in the dream except pure pale blue colour, just like the sky colour in
Snow Empire when spring was about to arrive.
 Ice Fantasy 11 – Nightmare . Die Che . Yan Po
When I woke up, Huang Tuo was healing Pian Feng, Liao Jian was sitting weakly on the
floor and Xing Gui was still sleeping his his arms. Chao Ya stooped down on the floor,
blood was flowing out from her mouth onto the floor, just like the snow melted into cold
snow water. And Die Che fell onto the floor in a daze, her face had seemed to grow old
for several hundreds years within one instant. Yue Shen had already leveled her moon
blade at her neck.
The wall of sigh has collapsed into pieces, dust flying everywhere, and then gradually
settled down.
Die Che kept shaking her head, saying. “It’s impossible. How can someone, who comes
from the outside of Huan Xue Mountain, destroy the wall of sigh?”
Yue Shen put away the moonlight blade and said. “I don’t think we need to kill her
anymore. She’s already dead.”
Before we left Po Tian Zhu Que Palace, Chao Ya told me. “My king, in fact within our
music sorcery tribe, Die Che is the best goddess of beauty and kindness. My king, if you
are proficient in tune or melody, you would have understand that for someone who can
play such a beautiful music is definitely not a bad-hearted person.”
Yue Shen said, “That’s why I didn’t kill her. My king, actually she didn’t use the most
powerful assassination spell, if not Liao Jian and Xing Gui would have been dead by now.
When I actually fought with her that time, then I realized her skill isn’t anywhere lower
than mine.”
I turned around, the temple has lost the pale blue sheen, I knew Die Che has already
withdrawn her spiritual power, the entire palace has become a huge yet magnificent
ruins. I could see many palace maids coming out and I knew Die Che was the one who
asked them to leave. Because when we were about to pass through the wall of sigh, Die
Che said, “Ka Suo, I can no longer guard this palace anymore because I have always
thought my feelings were the greatest and most noble feelings in the world, so strong
yet despairing. But I found another feeling that has the power to surpass mine, so
there’s no point for me to guard this palace anymore. I guess I will make a trip to the
mortal world, playing zither, singing songs, to make the mortals also remember my
magical butterfly zither, just like how they remember Chao Ya mother’s wu yin qin.”
Then I saw her smile, the flowery and warm smile, that beautiful lady was no longer the
arrogant and powerful South Guardian, but an ordinary woman, embracing her zither,
playing a sad piece of music.
I bowed at her with my status as a king; I did not know what kind of person was she in
the past, hurrying through the trajectory of her life and left, but that short span of time
was her remembered after so many thousand years later. Die Che gave me a dream, she
told me that dream has the appearance of that person; she has been having this dream
every night, a dream that she has had for a thousand year. In that dream, there was a
courtyard covered with cherry blossoms and snow, there’s wind blowing the cherry
blossom flowers off from the ground like the falling snow, a man was standing in the
middle of the snow, his smile was so gentle and bright, thick eyebrow, sparkling eyes.
He walked up to Die Che, bent down smiling at her; his smile was as bright as the sun
then the wind came, the cherry blossoms on the ground flew up in the air, and they
turned into blood red in the midair, his hair and robe were flying up at the same time,
creating the rustling sound. Then the image went still, everything disappeared slowly
like fog.
My name is Die Che, born in the music sorcery tribe. My mother told me when I was born,
Zhuo Yue Xing just rose to the highest point in the sky, those cold moonlight dispersed
among the dark night sky, and finally falling into my eyes and became the crystal soul.
I have been a kid with strong spiritual power, my hair was longer than my older brothers
and sisters, they doted on me a lot, always carried me on their shoulders. They would
always call my name, Die Che, Die Che, Die Che.
My favourite brother’s name was Chi Mo, he was the youngest boy among our music
sorcery tribe, and his hair was soft like silk. We grew up together.
My brother was just like me, a kid with strong spiritual power, he taught me all sort of
magic, he taught me how to control the chords created by illusions, gentle-looking eyes
and smiling lips.
When we were still children, Chi Mo would always bring me deep into the snow fog forest
to see the huge birds whistling through the shadows of the forest, the desolated and
broken cries pulled invisible scars across the pale blue sky. Brother would always look at
those panicky birds and said to me, “Die Che, have you ever thought of flying up in the sky
to have a good look at it? I want to know if there’s cherry blossoms above the cloud or are
they occupied by the souls.”
Whenever Chi Mo said that to me, I would always see those sun dappled shadow of the
trees falling into his crystal clear eyes. For many times I thought his eyes were black, like
Corydalis ink so pure yet creepy black, embracing everything, enveloping everything. I
always felt fearful, but everytime when Chi Mo smiled at me, that clean and beautiful smile
was like those bright sunlight debris turned in crystal flowers blossoming on his face.
I always believed that my brother’s body would have the scent of flower blooming. Just like
how I believed his clothes would have the essence of flower.
That moment of fragrance, but they could go on eternally.
Chi Mo was older than me by ten years, when I was 120 years old; my favourite brother
was already 130 years old. In that particular morning, I was about to run out of the house
to look for Chi Mo that time, I saw him standing in the middle of the snow, my adult
brother. The moment he turned his head around, I could hear the sound of blooming
cherry blossom flowers.
Chi Mo was standing in front of me, tall and straight, his long cloak was like a floating
cloud sketching his long slender figure. Chi Mo was more handsome than my father and
other brothers, his eyebrows were as straight as slanting blade flying into the hair on the
temple, his eyes were bright like the stars in the sky, his face has the sharp profile as if
crafted by the cold wind. He was facing me, corners of his mouth curled up, revealing his
white teeth, I saw the bright smile of my brother.
Cherry blossoms were blooming presumptuously behind him.
He walked in front of me, bent over to face me and said. “Good morning, Die Che.”
Ten years later, I have become an adult as well, I stood in front of Chi Mo and smiled at
him just like how he smiled at me ten years ago, Chi Mo squinted his eyes to look at me, his
eyelashes were long and soft, he said, “Die Che, you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever
seen. Even more beautiful than my mother.”
Chi Mo’s mother was a concubine of my father; she had died a long time ago, and her death
was because of some unknown reason that was being concealed, no one knew about it
except my father and my mother.
Chi Mo grew up as a kid without a mother, but he has been quiet and kind, gentle and
stood aloof from the world. He’s still the same even after he’s an adult. He would smile just
because of a flower blossoming; he would also smile when he was looking up the sky. Every
evening he would sit on the highest city wall in the palace to play his zither, countless of
birds would hover above his head, feathers fell down and covered his eyes turning them
into dove grey, and the shape of the clouds were just like intoxicated red flowers.
This was how he has been living for the past hundred years and everytime I would ask him,
“Ge, aren’t you lonely?”
He looked at me and said, “I will never be lonely because I have Die Che.”
Chi Mo and I were the ones with the strongest spiritual power among the family, I was the
pride of my father, but not Chi Mo, and my father did not like him. When I was still little,
everytime my father saw me with Chi Mo, he would come over and pick me up and put me
on his shoulders, walking away, leaving my brother behind. But Chi Mo was never upset, he
would always stand behind me and watch me, everytime when I turned my head around, I
would see his bright cherry blossom-liked smile, he would stand on the horizon line and
watch me walk away.
Once I had asked my father the reason for not liking Chi Mo, it was my first time asking
and also the last time. Because his warm expression turned cold suddenly just like ice. Then
he stroked my hair and said, “Die Che, then day when I grow old, you will become the new
king of the music sorcery tribe, you will stand at the centre of the grand hall and play for
our noble king, your music will be heard throughout the entire Snow Empire. You are my
pride.” And I looked up, I would always see my father’s god-liked face and he would stroke
my long hair, smiling at me. His smile was as somber as dusk.
I have never blamed my father, but when I looked at my brother I would feel so sad so
depressing. Because I adored my father, he was the greatest musician in the history of the
music sorcery tribe. Chi Mo also worshipped him, and everytime if he were to mention
father, his eyes would sparkle and his expression would look exceptionally respectful. But
my father didn’t like like, I would always feel sad for Chi Mo.
My father was the imperial musician of the Snow Empire, and also the only man that was
very well versed in music, in the past most of the kings of the music sorcery tribe were
women, and their music was soft and gorgeous. But my father’s music was just like a
gushing sun, like the roaring snowstorm, I have not heard my father’s performance when
he first became the imperial musician. I only heard from my family, they told me on that
day, the soul and spirits of my father’s music were wafting above the entire Snow Empire,
all the birds from everywhere flew high up into the sky and their chirps lingered long over
Ren Xue Cheng.
I am my father’s pride, everytime when he brought me to attend the various ceremonies in
Ren Xue Cheng, he would carry me high above his head and told all the sorcerers,
swordsmen and astrologers, “This is my daughter, the best musician from the family.” I
leant down to my father’s head and I saw the smile on his face. A whistling wind blew
across the grand hall, my hair and robe spread out in the air and I saw the faces of those
around me, they were smiling at me but I would always think of Chi Mo’s face. I wanted to
know whether those tiny petals have fallen onto his long eyelashes or not.
Everytime when I left the palace for Ren Xue Cheng, my brother, Chi Mo, would always
stand at the gate to send me off, he would always lean down and tell me, “Die Che, I’ll wait
for you to come back.”
When I left the palace, I would always turn back to look at my brother, watching his robe
flew in the wind, seeing his soft smile was as if the starlight that was guarding the city
gate, so blurry yet light. Around us, tiny snowflakes continued hitting the black city wall,
just like a tragic yet gentle suicide.
And everytime when I came back, I would always see Chi Mo sitting on the highest city wall
to wait for me, he would have his zither on his knees, his long slender fingers would start
running across the chords creating melodious music. Those flying birds would always
hover above his head, their feather came rustling down, I saw my quiet and impressive-
looking brother, I always wanted to cry.
When Chi Mo and I grew up and left snow fog forest, we have never go back since then. Chi
Mo has no longer bring me to the end of the woods to see those birds flying through the
shadows of those tall trees. But occasionally we would stand at the highest wall of the
palace, watching the other side of the ice sea.
My brother’s eyes would always feel the stinging pain from the wind, but he would insist
not to close his eyes until they started tearing. I asked why didn’t he close his eye and he
turned to reply me, “Why can those birds fly freely in the sky while I have to be so weak in
the wind?”
I looked at my brother, not knowing how to answer him, but he smiled in a blink of eyes, he
said, “Die Che, don’t need to think, some things do not have an answer to it.” With that, he
smiled at me, the smile that filled with the scent of flower.
Chi Mo always asked me, “Die Che, do you know what is on the other side of Ice Sea?”
I told him father had once told me before, the fire tribe was living at the other side of the
Ice Sea, it was the evil race.
Chi Mo always looked at the other side of Ice Sea for a long time and not saying a word, his
back was against me, I couldn’t see his eyes, but I could imagine, his eyes were definitely
filled with the shadows of the flying birds in the sky.
The wind at the sea was always strong, everytime my brother would ask me, “Die Che, are
you cold?” Then he would walk over and untie his robe, enveloping me into his embrace, I
could smell the scent of blooming flowers. I knew the spirits of the flowers have started to
dance.”
Chi Mo was the only male musician that was of the same level as me, none of my other
brothers had passed the musician test; it’s almost a fact that there barely has any male
musician in the history of the music sorcery tribe, so the time when I saw Chi Mo wearing
the musician’s beautiful black robe that has gold trimming, I felt so faintly blissful, so slow
and vague yet very touching.
But I could still hear my father sighing behind my back, and when I turned around, I saw a
drop of tear rolling down from the corner of my father’s eyes, this was the first time I saw
my father cry.
My brother never liked to talk to people since he was a kid, he’s always stay in one place by
himself, quiet and ordinary.
This was a sentence that he always said to me, “Die Che, do you want to leave with me?”
At that time I didn’t understand his meaning, then I asked him, “Leave? Chi Mo, do you
mean we leave the palace of the music sorcery tribe?”
Chi mo looked at me, his eyes looked sad like a panic sunset, he came over and grabbed my
shoulders, leaning down to look at me. “Die Che, I want to take you with me, we can go to
the other side of Ice Sea, we can leave this place, will you come with me?”
I looked at Chi Mo’s face; the painful look on his face was like a deep scratch.
I said, “Ge, I will go to wherever you want me to go.”
Then Chi Mo rested his head on my shoulder, he didn’t cry out loud, but I could feel his tear
flowing down my neck drop after drop, I didn’t know the tear of our tribal people could be
so hot to the extent that it almost burnt me.
Chi Mo whispered to me, “Die Che, I don’t want you to go anywhere, you should live happily
in the music sorcery palace and become the new king for the tribe. Don’t forget you are
father’s most beloved daughter.”
The snowbird flew past hurriedly; crying came one after another, it was hoarse wound
appearing one after another.
When I was 190 years old, my father has officially announced that I have become the next
king of the music sorcery tribe. That day at the open palace, my father’s voice was
exceptionally loud and his voice lingered around the palace for a long long time. I stood at
the centre of the grand hall when the win from an unknown direction started blowing my
hair, covering my eyes. I wanted to see Chi Mo’s smile, then I wouldn’t feel so flustered, but
I could only see Chi Mo’s smile vaguely from the gap of my messy hair. I could only see his
white teeth and straight brows, like a torn sunrise smile hiding behind the water vapour.
But I still managed to calm down suddenly, because I smelled the scent of blooming flower
around me.
At the end of the ceremony, I saw the king of the Snow Empire; he came to attend the
ceremony. He was just like my father, tall and mighty, but he has an inviolable aura of
divine glory around him. He walked and stopped before me, smiling. “Die Che, I know you
are your father’s most beloved daughter, I give you this zither, give me your palm.”
When I held my palm our, I felt a sudden pain at the tips of all my ten fingers, then the pain
disappeared in the moment. I looked up at the king and he smiled at me, saying. “Die Che,
try your spiritual power.”
When I read the spell, I saw ten flashing green chords emitted from both of my hands, then
it enveloped the entire grand hall in a moment. And when I plucked the chord gently, I
heard a melody that I had never heard before.
The king sat on his high throne and smiled at me, saying. “From today onwards, this zither
shall be named Huan Die Qin.”
Then the rest of my tribal people and I knelt down, I heard the worship and prayer my
people have towards the king.
But when the king walked out of the hall, he stopped suddenly before my brother, Chi Mo.
Chi Mo was kneeling on the ground with his head hanging low, not saying anything.
I saw the sudden change in the king’s expression; his eyes have countless of swirling snow,
he turned around to look at my father. I saw the horror on my father’s face; an icy blue
murderous aura could be seen on the king’s face, and I felt a heavy pressure smothered on
my body. This was when I realized how insurmountable was the king’s power.
I heard my father’s hoarse voice, saying lowly. “My king, I know what to do.”
I watched the king left the hall; wind filled his phoenix robe, flying lightly like a heron’s
wings. The time when he left the grand hall, my brother fell onto the palace ground
suddenly, his eyes were closed, his hair scattered down his robe and glistening white blood
kept gushing out from his mouth.
Father came over and carried him up, then left the hall. When he was at the door, he
turned to me. “Die Che, from now onwards, you are the king of music sorcery tribe, you
carries the fate of the entire tribe.”
After father left, everyone also left. I was the only one left at the centre of the hall, not
knowing where should I go. I looked up at the high dome, tearing streaming down like
rain.
From that day onwards, I have never seen my brother, Chi Mo, anymore.
From that day my brother left me onwards, I kept having the same endless dream, in the
dream it’s full of Chi Mo’s smile, he was standing high up on the city wall in his white robe,
imposing. He was waiting for me to come home, countless of flying birds gathered and
dispersed in the sky just like those ever-changing clouds, feathers falling down, cherry
blossom flowers blossoming, my brother’s robe flying in the wind. My brother was playing
the zither, his fingers were dry yet agile, his music was broken and bright, like tearing
sunrise. I always heard my brother talking to me, telling me his longing for a desperate,
broken and selfless love. At the end of the dream, those dancing cherry blossom flowers
turned red in a moment, fresh red like the sun melted in the water turning into the light
and colour of an illusion. Then everything disappeared, my brother’s smile appeared and
disappeared within the dissipating mist.
I always asked my father where did Chi Mo go, was he alright, why didn’t he come and see
me.
My father would always stay silent; he would just point at the flying snowbirds in the sky
and said. “Die Che, you see those birds, so carefree.”
Suddenly I remembered the past, Chi Mo brought me to the snow fog forest to see the
shadows of the flying birds, watching the shadows of the trees fell into his eyes that turned
into creepily black. But time flew past so quickly and a hundred over years had passed.
Thunders rumbled across the sky, just like the pounding drums resounded throughout the
entire Snow Empire.
Chi Mo died at the age of 200 years old, that’s also then year when I became the king of my
tribe at the age of 190.
I was the one who killed my brother, my beloved Chi Mo gege, the brother that has the
scent of blooming flower, the brother that doted me the most, the brother who would say
“As long as Die Che is around, I will not be lonely anymore.”.
One month after the disappearance of my brother, I had a dream, in the dream Chi Mo was
locked underneath an altar, so dark and damp, he was being nailed on a wall, his head
hanging low and his hair was covering his handsome face. I couldn’t see his face but I knew
my brother must be very painful.
I went to look for my father, then my father told me about my brother’s stuff. My father’s
narration was slow and illusory, just like a vague dream with clear feelings and when I
woke up from the dream, I was already in tear.
My father told me Chi Mo’s mother was the woman that he loved the most; his mother has
fire red pupil and flaming red long hair because she was from the Fire Tribe. The time
when father married her, she possessed the face of a woman from the Ice Tribe, but when
she was 200 years old that time, her hair and eyes turned fiery red all of a sudden.
Chi Mo’s mother gave birth to Chi Mo for the sake of my father, and the time when Chi Mo
was born, she used the ice sword to cut open her stomach and countless of sparkling fire
rolled down to the floor; Chi Mo appeared within the flame, looking so serene. Then the
flames were put out gradually, Chi Mo’s hair and pupils changed back to the same colour
as my father, but father knew the time when Chi Mo turned 200, he would revert back to
the look of the Fire Tribe.
That day when the king walked past Chi Mo, he discovered that Chi Mo was the descendant
of the Fire Tribe, so he instructed my father to make Chi Mo disappear, and to use the cruel
punishment. So my brother was being nailed on the wall by five ice swords for fourteen
days, and then letting him bleed to death slowly.
When I heard that, my tear couldn’t stop flowing down and I thought of my brother’s thin
body.
I’ve finally got to see Chi Mo at the underground dark room underneath the altar; he was
being nailed on the thick basalt walls with several ice swords, red blood was trickling
down his pierced chest, spreading onto the icy floor. I saw his hair and pupils had become
bright red like the flame.
I went to his feet and he leant forward to look at me, his hair was covering his face; he
didn’t show any pain or resentment on his face, still so calm and grateful.
He said to me, “Die Che, you’ve already known everything right?”
I looked into his red eyes and nodded. “Yes, I know, xiao gege.”
He said, “Die Che, don’t be sad. I’ve never hated father but I liked you more. I’m already
very lucky to be able to come to this world. Please take care of father and everyone in the
tribe.”
The time when I went there, the third ice sword pierced through his chest, I could hear the
sound of the bloody flesh, heavy like viscous magma gurgling down.
I saw his brows knitting tightly together and it made my heart hurt.
Chi Mo looked at me and said, “Die Che, don’t be sad. There’re still two more icicles. Then I
will be able to sleep.”
“Gege, why must the king be so cruel to you? I don’t approve.” I said.
Then I walked over and summoned the sword, piercing it through his throat.
Chi Mo lowered his head; his hair covering my face and his tear fell onto my eyes. I heard
his raspy voice in his throat and he said. “Die Che, why are you so silly? Why did you break
the Code?”
I replied, “Ge, how can I see you suffer like this?”
Chi Mo’s blood streamed down the ice sword and then towards my robe, dying my entire
music sorcery robe.
Because I went against the king’s punishment order by killing Chi Mo, the king was furious
with me. When I looked into my father’s eyes, I could only see sorrow and pity, I walked
over to hug him and wrinkles on his face spread like fast-growing vines.
He said, “What are you going to do?”
I said, “Father, I’ve prepared not to be the king of the music sorcery tribe anymore. I will
leave this palace and find a place to retreat, spending the rest of my life there.”
My father didn’t say anything; I only heard the cry of the flying bird in the sky. I looked up
and remembered those falling grey feathers and the eyes of Chi Mo, a flash of sadness,
attractive and alluring.
The time when I was preparing to leave the palace, I met a lady at the bottom of the huge
city wall. She told me her name was Yuan Ji and she asked me whether I was willing to see
if my feelings towards Chi Mo could touch the heart of the wall of sigh. I turned around to
see the palace of my tribe, feeling it was so insignificant like a crystal garden.
Yuan Ji said, “That’s right. It is a crystal garden.”
I turned away suddenly and asked her. “How did you know what I’m thinking about?”
Yuan Ji didn’t answer me. She said, “I know you are a musician with strong spiritual power,
are you willing to take a look at the legendary wall of sigh?”
I lowered my head and thought about it. I’ve realized there’s nothing in Ren Xue Cheng
that I couldn’t bear to part with and so I nodded.
The moment when I nodded, I saw countless of flowers blooming in the surrounding air,
countless of flower spirits. That wasn’t an illusion because I saw Yuan Ji’s finger moving
and the magic she used.
The time when I left Ren Xue Cheng, my mind has numerous pictures emerging out, I saw
my brother standing in the middle of the snow smiling down at me; I saw the shadows of
the flying birds in his eyes like the colour of the night sky, the disillusionment in his eyes; I
saw Chi Mo standing at the city gate waiting for me to come back and his eyes sparkled
like the stars in the sky, the colour of the flower spirits running around his robe; I saw my
brother sitting on the highest city wall playing his zither waiting for me to come home
with wind blowing his hair and his robe was always so clean and elegant; I saw my brother
being nailed on the wall, his tear falling onto my face and also his blue robe, the big water
stains on his robe were like blooming lotuses…
—
Thunder rumbled behind my back, it was so loud as if the entire city has collapsed.
I looked up and smelled the scent of flowers blooming everywhere. The spirits of the
flowers.
Xiao gege, xiao gege, my beloved Chi Mo has finally disappeared before my eyes.
“Ge, please forgive me. I have to leave, leave this troubled palace, leave this illusion city
that buried my happy times. Perhaps at the end of the sky, I would see your soul and that
time, please smile at me, just like the bright smile that torn the sun, so that I could end my
crying with a smile, and then let me hear you sing freely.”
—
Because Xing Gui has been sleeping, so we couldn’t hit the road to continue with our
journey. Because ahead of us was the territory of the North Guardian, Xing Zhou’s
territory; without Xing Gui, every step we took was an unpredictable purgatory.
Zong Tian Xuan Wu shrine was at the highest point of a snow mountain; we could still
see it just by standing at the territory of the South Guardian, that white majestic palace
was like the sharpest three spines sword stretching towards the pale blue sky, so
strange yet gorgeous. During those few nights when Xing Gui was sleeping deeply, we
could see the stars above Zong Tian shrine, they were changing their positions in
accordance to a very strange trajectory. Occasionally the shrine would emit a dazzling
white light and they would form a huge hexagram when the white lights shone onto the
dark sky. It was like the mark on the middle of both Xing Jiu and Xing Gui’s eyebrows.
Xing Gui woke up suddenly three days after her coma, but she went back to sleep
instantly, in the moment when she was awake, white blood kept gushing out from her
mouth and she grabbed Huang Tuo’s robe with a painful expression, saying, “Bring me…
back… to…. Po Tian… Shrine…” Then she slipped back to sleep, never woke up again.
Once we brought Xing Gui back to the ruined Po Tian Shrine, she began to wake up, still
feeling weak like all her spiritual power was being drained. Huang Tuo kept her within
the white enchantment, and then Xing Gui started to get better day by day.
 Ice Fantasy 12 – The Magic of Xing Zhou
So we spent nearly half a month in Po Tian Shrine, when Xing Gui could finally stand up.
Xing Gui told me that there was a restriction among the astrologers, that was when the
astrologer with stronger spiritual powers was able to suppress the weaker astrologer,
and could even control or kill the weaker astrologer. This astrologer tribe’s oldest trend
has started since ice age time; no one could escape this restriction, so it was a pretty sad
thing for an astrologer to be in the weaker side. In other words, the moment we stepped
into the boundary of Zong Tian Shrine, if the North Guardian Xing Zhou were to do it,
Xing Gui wouldn’t be able to cast any spell or worse, Xing Zhou could kill Xing Gui easily.
And Zong Tian shrine was situated at the highest point on the snow mountain, so the
area that Xing Zhou could control was even bigger.
I asked Xing Gui, “Is Xing Zhou’s power that powerful?”
Xing Gui turned around and said. “My king, very powerful. My king, you know granny is
a very good astrologer right? In the past those dreams that she gave you were so
realistic that my brother couldn’t even create it. But the staff that granny used is the
fallen star staff while Xing Zhou’s staff is the vertical star staff. You can see the stars
above her shrine; they are changing their positions constantly, Xing Zhou is controlling
the track of the stars to a certain extent. This isn’t that simple that an astrologer can
reach so easily.”
I lowered my head, not saying a word.
Huang Tuo came over and carried Xing Gui up just like carrying his own daughter, he
smiled at Xing Gui and said. “You just need to stay within my protection enchantment
when we reach the territory of the North Guardian, don’t come out at all. I can
guarantee that you won’t get killed by Xing Zhou.” His smile was so calm and firm, it
made me thought of my father suddenly – that time when the Fire Tribe attacked Ren
Xue Cheng, he has that expression, firm like the most solid ice jade.
“Huang Tuo, what about you? You don’t know anything about the black magic, what
would happen if someone were to attack you?” Yue Shen said.
Huang Tuo chuckled. “It doesn’t matter.”
“It’s alright. I will stand beside Huang Tuo to protect him. And there’s Liao Jian, I think
other than the North Guardian, no one can fight with both Liao Jian and myself.” Pian
Feng added.
The next days Xing Gui would stand at the highest slopes to read the stars, I saw her
raising her fallen star staff at the sky constantly, those stars would gather into a bunch
of bright lights, enveloping Xing Gui in it and everytime there would definitely be a
strong wind. Xing Gui’s hair and robe were flying in the wind, I could feel the faint
shaking of the ground.
This was my first time seeing such a long star reading ceremony that was so full of
strength. All of us were standing at the bottom of the hill, not speaking at all, on the
third day when Xing Gui ended her star reading session, the starlight in the sky has
condensed into a beam of light and shattered into pieces, falling all over Xing Gui’s feet, I
saw Xing Gui started falling backward and her robe fluttering. Huang Tuo went up to
catch hold of her before her body touched the ground. He put her in the enchantment
that he had created long ago. Within the transparent light globe, I saw white blood
coming out from the corner of Xing Gui’s mouth, just like how she fainted when we were
at the Northern territory.
During these three days, Xing Gui managed to find a detailed route to Zong Tian Xuan
Wu shrine, including where to stop, where to continue the journeys in the nights, Xing
Gui has depleted her spiritual power totally; Huang Tuo created a healing enchantment
and put Xing Gui in it. Then all of us took off with her. Because the moment we entered
the territory of the North Guardian, Xing Gui would have to stay in Huang Tuo’s
enchantment, if not she would be easily killed by Xing Zhou.
The route chosen by Xing Gui was very complex and tortuous, passing the forests, lakes,
swamps, stone forest; because of Xing Gui’s precise star reading skill, we’re always able
to avoid the astrologers from the northern territory without creating any direct conflict;
Xing Gui has been using her spiritual power to suppress those astrologers other than
Xing Zhou, so that we wouldn’t have to use up too much of our power in fighting before
we could even meet Xing Zhou.
After walking for ten days, we were all standing on the peak of the snow mountain, Zong
Tian Xuan Wu shrine was standing before us. The palace was so high up, almost nearing
the sky; the city wall seemed to have a thousand blades on it, extending upwards. Xing
Gui told use the distribution of the shrine; it was decorated in accordance to the
position of hexagram, every corner of the hexagram has a very tall tower, the top would
be the best place for star reading, and Xing Zhou’s grand hall was at the centre of the
hexagram; and Xing Zhou’s Zong Xing throne was sitting at the centre of the grand hall.
The throne was made of basalt from Huan Xue Shen Shan, whereby Xing Zhou has given
the throne unlimited spiritual power that embraced her spiritual powers and making up
for each other.
We stood at the doorway of Zong Tian Gong and Xing Gui said to me. “My king, we can
go in now. Xing Zhou may not know that we are here already, if Yue Shen were to
assassinate her now, it should be successful.”
Yue Shen walked over, holding onto the transparent circular enchantment and said,
“Xing Gui, don’ worry, I will use my assassination skill to kill the person that makes you
suffer.”
Then all of a sudden we heard an ethereal voice, that voice said, “Yue Shen, you better
come see me directly, if not you will be like your older sister, dying without even
knowing the reason. Ka Suo, I respect you as a king, in order not to let you get lost, I will
tell you the route you can take to see me. At where all of you are standing, it is Xuan Lei
Star Sacrificial stand, you just need to walk straight, turn left at the second intersection
and you will see me. My king, I am waiting for you…”
Then a sharp and broken laughter began to ring throughout the surrounding, it’s useless
even if they were to cover their ears, that kind of laughter just entered the mind with
ease, ringing back and forth in the mind, making one feeling extremely uncomfortable.
And when I went back to check on Xing Gui, I knew the reason why Xing Zhou was
laughing, because Xing Gui was lying unconsciously in the protection enchantment,
blood was gushing out from her mouth staining her robe. Blood was also flowing out of
Huang Tuo’s mouth; he was kneeling on the ground on one knee, both his arms
stretched behind his back like a flying snowbird. He was using all his strength to
maintain the protection enchantment, which Xing Gui was in. But the enchantment has
already started to shrink in size, I saw the frown on Huang Tuo’s face getting tighter,
and his body started to shake.
But that laughter disappeared suddenly, just like how unpredictable it was the time
when it started.
That voice said, “Ka Suo, come and see me. I am the Xing Zhou that you are looking for,
the North Guardian, the greatest astrologer of Huan Xue Shen Shan. I am waiting for you
at my Zong Xing throne…”
“It seemed like Xing Zhou was already aware of our actions clearly, we have
underestimated Xing Zhou’s ability.” Pian Feng was looking at the towering Xuan Lei
Star Sacrificial stand and said. The wind is coming from all directions from Zong Tian
shrine, our hair and robes were being blown like a flag fluttering in the wind.
“Our actions are in Xing Zhou’s control, I guess we have no other choice but to listen to
her.” Yue Shen said.
Inside the enchantment, Xing Gui lifted her head and said to me. “My king, I didn’t
expect Xing Zhou’s power is so strong and powerful, and it isn’t something that I can
fight against. My king, I am sorry…”
Liao Jian walked over and knelt down with his face on the enchantment around Xing
Gui, and said to her. “Xing Gui, no one is blaming you. Just sleep tight, I will not let
anything to happen to you.”
When Xing Zhou appeared before us, Xing Gui and Huang Tuo have already collapsed
onto the ground, Huang Tuo’s enchantment was gone and only the shattered pieces
were left. As for Xing Gui, she was already on the ground, unconscious. When we walked
from Xuan Lei Star Sacrificial platform to Zong Xing throne, Xing Zhou’s spiritual power
started to grow stronger, it affected Xing Gui even more, and Huang Tuo could no longer
support the enchantment. Xing Gui was fighting back with the tearing pain she had, her
lips were bitten so badly till it bleed and I saw Liao Jian clenching his fist so tightly until
I could see the white bone.
“Ka Suo, you are here.”
The time when Xing Zhou talked to me, I could not see her lips moving, I could only hear
her voice coming from an unknown place within the vast and empty hall, so faintly just
like a dream. I could only hope that Xing Zhou was not manipulating the dreams to
control them, because I could see Pian Feng and Liao Jian were already in trance. But
Yue Shen was not affected by it in any wau, because she could easily deflect those
assassinations skills. Yue Shen’s expression was solemn and murderous; I saw the
moonlight gradually forming into an ice sword in her hand.
Xing Zhou’s voice appeared again and she said. “Yue Shen, I know you want me to see
the moonlight in your hand, I also know the real weapon is not that ice sword in your
hand, you will attack me with your ice sword, and then you will make sure of the time
when I blocked the ice sword and used the poison from the peacock’s gut, adding it to
the illusion to control the snow storm to surround me. Like this I won’t be able to move,
because the moment I touch the snow around me, I will be poisoned. And if I can’t move,
you will use your moonlight blade to kill me. Did I say it correctly, Yue Shen?”
I saw Yue Shen’s calm expression, but panic in her eyes could not be hidden.
Xing Zhou’s face was still strange and faint, misty like a dream.
This was the first time I felt forlorn. From the start of entering Huan Xue Shen Shan,
from Feng Tian, Qing Ren, till Die Che, I have never felt so hopeless before. Xing Zhou
was able to read everyone’s mind, which would mean all attacks were useless on her. I
did not know how to beat her anymore.
I looked at Yue Shen, and she looked at me. I knew she wanted me to join forces with
her, so I nodded my head.
But soon I realized even if we were to join forces, we still could not defeat Xing Zhou.
Everytime if we were to attack her, she would be able to predict our position, illusion
skills and even the speed.
Yue Shen and I were stooped down on the ground, Xing Zhou’s smile was still so faint
and misty, like a black Mandala flower in the mist, having a scent that could make one
sink into a trance but it was dangerous and deadly.
“Ka Suo, you can never revive your brother. You can’t even pass Zong Tian Xuan Wu
shrine, let alone the West territory. I shall let all of you die here and it will increase the
spiritual power of Zong Tian shrine.”
Then I saw the phantasmagoric light ball in Xing Zhou’s hand, I knew that was the
unique dream of the astrologer tribe, Xing Jiu and Xing Gui had used it before. I knew
the moment Yue Shen and I entered that dream, we wouldn’t be able to wake up.
But I have no strength to fight against it; my spiritual power was dispersing as quickly
as the mist under the sun. I looked at Yue Shen and she was looking at me on the
ground, I saw despair in her eyes.
Just when I was about to fall into the dream, a sudden burst of piercing cold wind came
from behind and countless sharp icicles flew across my shoulders and then I heard the
low flesh piercing sound.
I looked up to see Xing Zhou’s mouth agape, her eyes have an unbelievable expression in
them, but fresh blood continued flowing out from her chest and down the icicle,
dripping onto Zong Xing throne.
I turned around to see Pian Feng standing behind my back with his eyes closed, tear
flowing out of his eyes. Huang Tuo was sitting on the ground, and Xing Gui was lying in a
pool of blood in front of him, hair scattered out, both eyes were open, staring at the sky
about Zong Tian shrine. There was no expression on her face, so empty and numb.
Suddenly a strange and weird smile appeared across Xing Zhou’s face, her voice was still
so faint and elusive. She said, “You may have crossed the Northern Zong Tian Shrine, but
you can never cross the west territory, because the West Guardian…”
Before Xing Zhou could finish her words, those icicles that ran through her chest grew a
long sharp barb and I heard the shattering of Xing Zhou’s body. In actual fact it wasn’t
Po Kong ice sword that defeated Xing Zhou, it was Jian Ci magical ice curse. After the
first attack those ice swords would have new ice swords growing out from them and
they would launch the second attack, this kind of magic would only be used on people
with stronger spiritual power, because this illusion magic was too power consuming. It
would mean to perish together in a way. I couldn’t understand why Xing Gui, as an
astrologer, would know the most powerful magic of the ice tribe illusionist.
In fact I wanted to let Xing Zhou to finish her words, but she didn’t manage to say it, she
fell onto the ground; her facial expression was still so strange and blurry, I could
vaguely feel that she knew something, but I just couldn’t get the exact answer of it.
 Ice Fantasy 13 – Xing Gui buried at the hill full of cherry blossoms
I buried Xing Gui at the back of Zong Tian Shrine whereby the hill was covered with
cherry blossom flowers and iris flowers. Liao Jian used his sword to dig Xing Gui’s tomb.
Although he didn’t say a word, I could see his tear dropping one after another into the
black soil. When the tomb was done, Liao Jian’s sword has lots of chipped edges on it
because of the rocks in the soil. He carried Xing Gui up and put her into the hole gently,
then he used his hands to scoop the black soil to cover Xing Gui’s body. Looking at the
soil burying Xing Gui’s thin body, my heart seemed to have a big hole, falling
indefinitely, my mind was in pain; my temple seemed to have a thin and bright ray of
light poking it, aching.
Yue Shen stood the furthest away, under a cherry blossom tree; the wind was blowing
her hair and robe; Huang Tuo was standing next to her, not saying a word; Chao Ya was
sitting in front of Xing Gui’s tomb, playing the requiem music. I knew this was the
greatest piece of music from the music sorcery tribe; only the past emperors were
eligible to have this piece of requiem music being playing during the funeral, because
the requiem music depleted a lot of the spiritual power of the musicians, and people
who listened to this music could have an immortal soul after death.
That night I heard Liao Jian’s desolation and forceful voice again, it sounded so broken
as it hovered around the sky above the shrine. Many astrologers came out and they
were all standing at the various towers of Zong Tian shrine, looking at us not saying a
word. I knew them; they were the astrologers that came to Huan Xue Shen Shan for
seclusion. They stood high up in the sky, their robes flattering in the wind like beautiful
white lotuses. No one talked except Liao Jian’s voice and Chao Ya’s music hovering in the
clouds above.
That night just when I was about to sleep, I thought of Xing Jiu all of a sudden, I
wondered if he was reading the stars at Ren Xue Cheng and knew about his sister’s
death, or he was still unaware of it and praying for her safety, looking at the direction of
Huan Xue Shen Shan everyday, missing Xing Gui’s quiet smile. I suddenly felt very sad,
but I couldn’t say it out. I could only fall into a deep sleep, waiting for the dusk to come.
I indulged myself in the darkness, not wanting to wake up. I wasn’t sure if I cried that
night, I just knew I felt repressed in my dream, sadness gushed inch by inch out from
deep down my throat; Xing Gui was lying on the ground before my eyes, lying in a pool
of white blood.
I’ve finally known the reason behind both Xing Zhou and Xing Gui’s deaths. Pian Feng
didn’t kill Xing Zhou; the person who killed her was actually the weak Xing Gui. Pian
Feng said when he entered the centre of the shrine, he heard Xing Gui talking to her. She
said. “Pian Feng, while you are trying to protect your spiritual power, please act like you
are unable to resist Xing Zhou and wait till I created the icicles in the air, then please use
the fastest wind to pierce it through her chest. It’s because she will think that I’m still
under her control and have no strength to fight against her, so she won’t waste her
strength to predict my moves and she will only know about Yue Shen and king’s moves.
Pian Feng, you must help me because this is our last chance of getting out Zong Tian
Shrine.”
Pian Feng told me, “That moment I didn’t know when Xing Gui said the only chance to
get out was to sacrifice herself, because Xing Gui couldn’t have any strength to resist
Xing Zhou’s control. She has to make sure of her spiritual power and her attack would
deplete majority of her spiritual power because she would be using the illusion attack
skills that astrologer tribe didn’t specialize in. I got too excited with the idea of defeating
Xing Zhou, but I have totally forgotten about Xing Gui. When I saw ice sword pierced
through Xing Zhou’s chest with multiple spines growing out from it, I was so happy. I
smiled and looked towards Xing Gui, then I saw her lying in a pool of blood, two eyes
staring at the sky without any expression like she has infinite words to speak. I only felt
the wind in my hand has no longer listening to me, going all over the place and
dispersed away. I opened up my palms and shed a tear.”
I gripped tightly on my phoenix robe, and snowflakes kept falling onto my head. Ever
since my brother died, I have never used the magical protection barrier to shield myself
from the snowflakes, snowflakes felt umpteen times onto my body but this time I could
feel the coldness of the snowflakes that fell onto my body. I didn’t’ want to talk and grip
onto my robe tightly, just like a stubborn kid.
When it’s time for us to leave the Northern territory, Huang Tuo gave me a dream and
told me that Xing Gui had left a total of four dreams; the first one could only be given to
me when I left the Northern territory; the second one would be when we were in the
Western territory; the third one would be when we have no clue and direction on where
to advance, and lastly the forth one would be when I met the West Guardian.
The first dream was gorgeous and beautiful; it’s beyond all my imagination, just like the
most spectacular fireworks blooming in the deep blue sky.
In the dream, Xing Gui has been running freely, though she has never been able to run so
freely in her life before, her smile filled every single cherry blossom petals on the snow
ground. Xing Gui just kept running with flower petals flying behind her slowly…
“My king, forgive me for not being able to continue this journey with all of you even though
I’m very reluctant. My birth has been a mistake; I have been a problematic child since
young when my family has to worry about me; my parents would always cry for me, and
when I saw their faces, I would always feel sad deep down in my heart. And there’s my
brother, Xing Jiu, he’s the greatest astrologer; he has a great mind and gentle smile, and he
would shower endless indulgence and pampering on me. But it has been fated for my star
sign to be interrupted; my life would end in the morning at somewhere filled with the scent
of cherry blossom or in the night at somewhere encompassed in the moonlight. So I want
to die without any regrets. I always needed all your care and concern throughout the
journey; I needed Liao Jian to carry me; I needed Huang Tuo to create the protection
enchantments that deplete his spiritual energy; I needed Pian Feng to control the wind to
disperse the dark clouds in the sky. For umpteen times, I wanted to become more powerful
so that all of you wouldn’t have to worry about me but I have no choice because I couldn’t
even have the strength to walk properly.”
“My king, I have been staying at the bottom of Huan Xing Palace since birth to predict
fortune for the entire family. I have never seen the quiet desolation of the withering cherry
blossom and moonset. I have never heard the weak sound of a blooming flower. I really
want to go out to take a look of the world; I want to feel the wind out there blowing my
hair and robe. My king, I am grateful that you let me out of the darkness of the altar,
giving me a chance to stand under the sun. I see the majestic wall of Mie Tian Shrine; I
heard Chao Ya’s music that touched the heart of the wall of sigh; I saw Xing Zhou, the god
of astrologer; I have no regret despite dying in her hands.”
“My king, I could understand your feelings towards your brother, Li Luo and Lan Sang, so
strong and deep; when you gave those dreams to Chao Ya at Die Che’s palace, I can totally
feel the surging emotion within you. My king, I hope you can follow your wish to live
happily and freely. I hope for one day, the resurrection of Shi could kiss your eyebrow, and
call you brother just like what I used to do to my brother, Xing Jiu. It’s just that I could no
longer kiss my brother anymore. My king, please take care of him for me.”
“My king, for the road ahead, I can no longer read the stars for you, please walk the road
bravely. In fact, the time when I was in Die Che’s palace, I’ve already known that I would
die in Zong Tian shrine and I didn’t tell any of you about it because fate could not be
changed and I could only accept it with a smile.”
“My king, I have read the stars about the west guardian’s territory for you before entering
Zong Xing shrine, but the star sign was something I’ve never seen before; I don’t know is it
because of the strong powers of the West Guardian or the uniqueness of the west territory;
I could only tell you the west territory is an independent enchantment out of Huan Xue
Shen Shan, the entire enchantment was supported by the illusion power of the West
Guardian. I couldn’t predict how that world look like, may be it has the majestic palace like
the other guardians; maybe it’s a piece of ice land or even the world of the fire tribe. Before
you kill the West Guardian, his spiritual power would be dissipated and the world would
disappear along with him then you would see Yuan Ji, the ruler of Huan Xue Shen Shan.”
“My king, I have to go now. All of you must continue to live well and I love every single one
of you. My king, please don’t tell my brother about my death because he loves me too much
and I don’t want him to be sad. The moment I think of his sword-liked eyebrows, my heart
is in pain like it has been cut off inch by inch.”
“Just like what your brother said, my king, please fly freely…”
 Ice Fantasy 14 The Territory of the West Guardian
On the day when we were about to leave Zong Tian Shrine, I received a letter from Xing
Jiu that he had written from Ren Xue Cheng; the wind bird sent it. This was what the
letter said, “My king, I had read from the stars that all of you had already passed Zong
Tian Shrine of the North Guardian. I’m feeling exceptionally consoled and I hope all of
you can come back soon. My king, please take care for Xing Gui for me. The stars seem to
show that she is going to a faraway place alone. Please don’t let her walk the journey
alone. She has always been afraid of loneliness so please stay by her side.”
My hand couldn’t hold the letter while the wind came; blowing the paper away, flying
towards the pale blue sky; flying towards the unknown world, drifting in the direction
of the west territory.
I had a vision in my heart about thousands of possible appearance of the west territory,
but when I set foot in the west world, I was still shockingly speechless. Because of what I
saw, it was actually in the look of a mortal world.
When we entered the territory of the West Guardian, the sun has just risen; the scent of
the mortal world was exceptionally strong, a little girl was carrying flower baskets;
basket was filled with fresh jasmine flowers that was stringed up in bunches, she was
walking along the dew-filled green stone road, selling her jasmine flowers. Bustling and
hustling of noises were coming from the roadside taverns. The roadside peddler, selling
pancakes, was smiling at every crowd to sell his pancakes and his cheap smile. There
was a young man with sword standing behind him and his hair was bundled up, his eyes
were sparkling bright and arrogant. There was another young lady standing at the
bridge; her hair was black in colour and it looked exceptionally light in the wind.
But what really surprised me was that when we entered the city, no one seemed to be
panic or stunned when they saw several silvery white haired persons. They just
maintained a calm smile on their faces and the waiter of the tavern ran out to ask if we
needed an accommodation to rest. I looked back at Yue Shen; now that Xing Gui was no
longer with us, we could only rely on Yue Shen’s killer ability to avoid all the possible
dangers ahead of us.
“My king, this is not an easy mortal world because I can feel a lot of murderous aura
here.” Yue Shen said.
“I understand. A normal person won’t have no reaction when they see us.” I replied.
We moved forward carefully, being so focused to the extent that we could even
distinguish the shattering sound of the snow under our feet. Yue Shen joined me by the
side, whispering to me that some of the hawkers were professional killers, which
grannies were highly skilled illusionists with unpredictable high spiritual powers and
which beggars were the real beggars.
When we walked to the end of the long street, we saw a luxurious inn and there was a
little pretty looking boy with dark black eyes playing with a white ball that was almost
like a snowball. I walked over and squatted next to him. “Little boy, can gege playing
with you?” The little boy smiled at me, like the clearest spring water, so clean and calm.
He handed me the ball and my face changed when the ball was in my hand. It’s because
the ball was a real ball and that’s to say everything in this mortal world was real. I’ve
never thought that the spiritual power of the West Guardian could be so powerful to the
extent that it could materialized everything in this mortal world. I let out a sigh, wanted
to tell them to stop and continue tomorrow.
When I turned my head to tell them that time, I saw Liao Jian’s empty eyes. He was
looking at me without any expression, his face was showing a strange blue, and then he
fell dead all of a sudden, dying at the place where we first entered the West territory.
I did not give any response when Liao Jian went down, and Pian Feng has already taken
a step forward to catch hold of him. But it was already too late; Huang Tuo went on to
check his breathing and his hand stopped stiffly, unable to move.
Huang Tuo curled up his left ring finger and traced down Liao Jian’s body, running
above his skin then he raised his head to look at me with a stern look and said. “My king,
Liao Jian died from poisoning, chronic poison.”
Huang Tuo told me that the person must be a master assassin because he had already
predicted that Liao Jian would die the moment he entered the West territory. But the
incubation period of this chronic poison was very long, and it would have meant that
Liao Jian had been poisoned even before we entered the West territory.
Suddenly I saw a faint and creepy light flashed past Huang Tuo’s eyes, but he
recomposed himself back to his calm and almost cruel expression very quickly, saying.
“My king, who has the best chance to poison Liao Jian during our earlier journey?”
The look on everyone’s face changed, and I knew they all understood Huang Tuo’s
meaning, but no one spoke.
I spoke after a long time. “Everyone has a chance to poison him. Yue Shen, Chaoya, Pian
Feng, you and myself.”
“Huang Tuo, you shouldn’t suspect any one of us.” Pian Feng said.
“If I were to kill him, he would die a perfect death and you wouldn’t even have a chance
to see the cause of his death.” Yue Shen replied coldly.
Chaoya did not speak, her head was hanging low; the wind blew past and her tangled
hair flew, covering her face and making her looked extremely weak. I knew she had
depleted quite a lot of her spiritual power during her battle with Die Che so it’s
definitely not Chaoya.
“I didn’t suspect anyone. I was just saying a fact, and I believe that none of us here will
assassinate Liao Jian. I just want everyone to know that the assassination technique of
this person is superb.” Huang Tuo told us.
That night we stayed at an inn, and that inn has particularly luxurious décor and
architecture; pavilions, bridges, streams; the few of us were staying at Ting Zhu Xuan.
They were several delicate wooden houses that were situated in the midst of the dense
bamboo woods. There were accumulated snow on the green bamboo leaves, and when
the wind came, these snowflakes would fall down one after another like flowers among
the bamboo.
Chaoya liked this place a lot; she said Ren Xue Cheng only has tall and majestic palaces,
towering basalt pillars and those impossibly high zeniths. Never seen such small little
house before.
Liao Jian was buried at the ground behind the house; at first Chaoya wanted to play a
soul resting song for him, but her spiritual power could no longer do it anymore. She
smiled at me and I could sadness in her smile.
Chaoya went straight to sleep the earliest after dinner. I watched her walk into her
room and I could see the tiredness from her back.
That night I lied on my bed, unable to sleep; my mind kept repeating the scene when we
entered Huan Xue Shen Shan to the present picture, one after another, kept emerging
from the darkness and disappearing into the night. I have to admit that the West
Guardian was the most powerful opponent that I have never met before; we didn’t even
have the strength to fight back his attacks. Suddenly I realized that assassination
technique was the most difficult skill to fight against among the illusion skills.
I rolled over to face the window, watching the moonlight shining into my room through
the window. Then I got up from my bed all of a sudden, and went towards the back of
the window.
Because I saw Yue Shen appeared at the back of my house suddenly, the moonlight
made the contour of her face to be exceptionally clear. Yue Shen’s back was against me,
standing at the open space behind the house, standing in front of Liao Jian’s tomb. I
couldn’t imagine what was Yue Shen doing at Liao Jian’s tomb at night. Suddenly the
cloud drifted across the sky and hid the moon behind it, the moonlight went dim all of a
sudden when I saw the moonlight in Yue Shen’s hand. I wasn’t sure what illusion skill
Yue Shen would be using, there wasn’t any enemy around here and not even a single
soul appeared.
Just when I was wondering, Huang Tuo appeared quietly behind Yue Shen. With the cold
wind blowing, Huang Tuo’s robe didn’t seem to move at all and I knew he has planted a
defensive enchantment all over him.
But Yue Shen could still feel his presence, she cried out “who” in a muffled voice and
turned around quickly. Her moonlight blade shot out and stabbed obliquely at Huang
Tuo. From the time she spoke and turning around to attacking, it was less than a second.
I have finally known about Yue Shen’s assassination’s speed and strength. I have been
underestimating her in the past.
But Huang Tuo seemed to know that she would attack, so he used his hand to block off
her attack calmly.
Yue Shen retreated her head and said, “It’s you.”
“Why can’t it be me? What are you doing here?” Huang Tuo asked coldly.
“Then what are you doing here as well?” Yue Shen sneered.
“It’s none of your business.” Huang Tuo replied.
“It’s none of your business too.” Yue Shen said and turned around to leave after that.
Just before Yue Shen left the open field, Huang Tuo spoke with his back against her. “Yue
Shen, there’re only a few of us in Ting Zhu Xuan. Is it necessary for your to use such
powerful attack?”
Yue Shen stopped on her spot, but she didn’t turn around. She stood there for a moment
and left the place without saying a word.
Huang Tuo stood under the night sky; I looked at his back and his defensive
enchantment has been removed, the wind filled his robe and his silvery white hair was
flying in the moonlight.
That night I did not sleep; I got up and went to Liao Jian’s tomb again. I didn’t know
when but Huang Tuo has already gone back and there’s nothing at the open field except
moonlight.
The next morning, I opened the door of my room to see Yue Shen and Chaoya already
up; Yue Shen was standing in the bamboo forest, Chaoya was sitting on the stone bench,
playing her zither. I saw their silhouettes among the snow and bamboo; their long robes
and hair were flying in the wind, it was like a piece of beautiful picture. I could see many
men were already at the attic afar, looking at them. I knew their beauty was something
rare and stunning in the mortal world, no women in the mortal world could be
compared with them at all.
Huang Tuo and Pian Feng came out of their rooms as well. The look on Yue Shen’s face
when she saw Huang Tuo remained the same, and so did Huang Tuo. It was as if there
was nothing happened between the two before and I didn’t ask them as well.
Huang Tuo walked towards me and said. “My king, we seem to have forgotten about one
important thing.”
“What is it?” I asked him.
“Xing Gui’s second dream.” He replied.
When I entered into Xing Gui’s second dream, I discovered Xing Gui’s dream was
exceptionally simple because there wasn’t anything inside, it was surrounded by thick
grey fog and there’s only Xing Gui’s voice. She kept telling me to look for someone with
the nickname called Tai Zi (prince) and his name was called Shang Lie.
I asked the waiter if he knew anyone called Shang Lie, he scratched his head and smiled
back at me, shaking his head. “Then what about Tai Zi?” Then I saw his eyes showing
this fearful expression.
“Why are you looking for Tai Zi?” There’s a man in the lobby with straw hat asked. His
straw hat was very peculiar in a way that it covered his face and I could only see his
bright eyes through the gaps of his straw hat; I could see a sharp light flashing past and
he was wearing a dark grey robe, eating his bowl of noodles.
“You know Tai Zi?” I said.
“Yes.” He replied.
“What kind of person is he?”
“He is an inhumane human.”
“Then he is god.”
“You can say that too. Because he is the god of this city.”
“Why?”
“Because his status, wealth, illusion skills, looks, and intelligence are something that no
one can surpass.”
“Can you bring us to him?” I asked.
“Cannot.”
“Why?” Pian Feng asked.
“Because I’m unhappy.”
I was about to walk over when Yue Shen touched my back and told me to keep a
distance of six feet from that man. I look at Yue Shen; she kept staring at that man, I
knew her feeling would never be wrong because I could also sense the unusual aura
from that man.
Yue Shen walked over, leant down and whispered something to the man’s ear then she
smiled at the person; the person looked at me and said. “Fine. I’ll bring you there.”
“Why are you willing to bring us there now?” Pian Feng asked.
“Because I’m happy.” He said.
With that he turned around and left the inn, so we followed him out. “What did you say
to him?” I asked Yue Shen.
Yue Shen smiled and said, “I had my moonlight blade on his back and I just told him if he
didn’t bring us there, he would see the blade going through his chest.”
That man walked very briskly on the street of the mortal world, and now I had finally
realized he wasn’t a normal man because his speed was amazingly fast; no matter how
fast we moved, he was still able to keep a distance ahead of us.
He led us through a number of streets; some were bustling and hustling with people
walking around while some were eerily cold and he seemed to know every place very
well.
After walking for some time, a huge manor appeared before us and the man turned to
tell us. “Enter this main door and walked all the way straight to the end, you will be able
to see Tai Zi.”
I looked inside the door and there was a long green stone path extended to the far end;
the stone path was covered with snow and at the end of the snow, there was an
exquisitely crafted heavy door with bronze buckle and ring on them.
“Tai zi is in there?” I turned around to ask him.
But the man had disappeared.
“When did the man teleport away?” Pian Feng asked.
Yue Shen replied. “That man can’t teleport because when I entered the West Territory
that time, I had tried teleporting once but it seemed like this world had sealed our
ability to teleport.”
“Why did he disappear suddenly?”
Yue Shen’s expression darkened suddenly, saying. “Because his speed is fast enough.”
 Ice Fantasy 15 – Who Is Shang Lie
That was a big courtyard, the snow on the stone floor was white and no one seemed to
have stepped on it so the place must have just snowed. The surrounding was so quiet
that we could hear the crushing of snow as we walked on the stone floor.
Pian Feng hit the bronze ring on the door and that scarlet red door gave off a deep and
thick sound, but there didn’t seem to have any sound inside.
“Did the man just trick us?” Pian Feng asked.
Right after Pian Feng finished his words, the doors opened on its own and there were
seven people inside.
The doors closed on their own the moment we went in. Just like how they opened on
their own.
“Who is Shang Lie?” Pian Feng asked.
No one answered.
The room has a window and from that window, we could see the scenery outside; that
was a courtyard filled with snow, there were blooming red plum flowers and the snow
on the flowers made them looked extremely cold; when the wind blew past the tree, all
the snow would fall slowly down. There was a young man standing by the window. He
has a white jade hanging on his waist, and next to the jade was a black sword. Other
than that, he did not have other expensive items on him. He just stood there without
saying a word and not moving at all, it’s only his long robe flattering as the wind blew
into the window. He just looked like a sharp sword and he didn’t seem to be affected by
our five extra presences.
Next to him and that was the far corner of the room; there was an old man with silvery
white hair sitting there. His white hair did not mean that he was a pure blood but he
was actually a mortal. His outfit was extremely elegant - purple long robe with golden
stitched dragon on it. His gaze was exceptionally scornful, I could see despise in his eyes
and he was trimming his nails leisurely. Anyone could see that his nails were his handy
weapons because they were sharp and hard like they were ten compact swords.
On the other side of the room, there was a middle-aged woman in flamboyant clothes.
She still looked pretty charming despite her age. Her hair was all bun up and there were
many tiny hairpins on her hair bun. But I knew those weren’t any other ordinary
hairpins, those accessories could become her killing weapons easily. Suddenly my gaze
was shifted to her hand because she was wearing a pair of thin transparent gloves and
without any hesitation I deduced she was a poison expert.
In the centre of the room, a lady was playing a zither and the sound of the zither filled
the room inside. She looked very young but there’s an mismatching vicissitudes on her
face and there were wrinkles sighted at the corners of her eyes. While I was observing
the lady, I noticed Chaoya was also looking at her. I saw Chaoya turning at me to give me
a smile, and I knew what she meant immediately.
There was a couch near the lady and there were three persons on it - a tall burly man
sitting on the left and his clothes was open, revealing his bare chest even during this
cold weather. On the right was a beautiful yet arrogant looking lady in fine clothing, and
then a servant was kneeling by next to her feet, massaging them.
I turned to see Yue Shen looking at me and then she nodded her head, I knew she shared
the same deduction as me.
I walked towards the young man with sword and he turned to face me. “You have
foresight to actually know that I am Tai Zi.”
“You are not.” I said.
The expression on the young man turned embarrassed. “Why can’t I be Tai Zi?”
“Because you are not relaxed enough, you looks tensed. You pretend not paying
attention to us when we entered the room but you are afraid of people seeing your
flustered look, so you faced your back towards the window.”
That young man stepped away without saying a word and I could see resentment in his
eyes.
Yue Shen walked to the old man and the latter let out a sigh. “Seems like you guys had
seen through me. You are right, I’m Tai Zi.”
Yue Shen smiled and told him. “You are definitely not the one.”
“Why?” The old man asked but his face was twitching uncontrollably.
“Because you are more flustered than the young man and you are trimming your nails to
hide your feeling of being lost but little did you expect this to even expose your true
feeling further. You pretended to be the elegant one here by way of your outfits and
despised gaze, but if I didn’t guess wrongly, you are of the lowest position in here.”
The old man’s face turned purple because of aggravation.
Then I continued to walk towards the woman with hairpins. “Don’t tell me I am not as
well?” She smiled and asked me.
“You are not.”
“Why?”
“If I’m not wrong, you are a poison expert.”
“Correct.
"Then you are not Tai Zi.”
“Why?”
“Because the hearts of people who use poison are not pure, and even if they can be the
best assassin, they can never become a leader. If Tai Zi can rule the whole city, it will
mean he doesn’t even need to resort in using secret poison weapon to get to his motive.
Even if Tai Zi was proficient in using poison, there’s no need to have so many hairpins
on the hair bun and show us the gloves so obviously. This is originally a good idea to
make us believe that people with better assassination skill would have higher status
since this is the territory of the assassin guardian. But when I was still a child, my father
had once told me that a person could never attain the highest status if he or she isn’t a
big-hearted or noble person.”
Chaoya walked towards the lady who was playing the zither and told her. “You can rest
now.”
That lady looked at Chaoya without saying a word.
Chaoya smiled and said, “Other than Die Che, no one can understand music more than
me. Your music is filled with the softest and most delicate emotions, it means your heart
is the same the music you just played. It’s impossible for Tai Zi to possess such delicate
state of mind, and even if Tai Zi were to be a lady, she must have possessed a tough and
unyielding inner thoughts.”
Then Chaoya sat down, telling the lady. “Let me play a song.” And then the room was
filled with beautiful music, the kind of music that was able to touch the heart of the wall
of sigh.
Yue Shen went to the centre of the couch and told the man. “Come down, you are not fit
to even take this seat.”
The man went silent for a while before he came down from the couch. He looked at Yue
Shen as if he was asking how did she know that he wasn’t the one.
“Your build is too burly but that doesn’t mean anything. Do you believe that Chaoya, the
one who is now playing the zither, can beat you easily?” Yue Shen said.
And then Yue Shen walked to the front of the woman and bowed. “Tai Zi, nice to meet
you.”
But when Yue Shen lifted her head, she was actually staring at the maid. “Tai Zi, you can
rest now.”
I smiled happily because Yue Shen’s deduction was the same as mine. The true Tai Zi
was actually the maid.
Then the maid stopped whatever she was doing and stood up, looking at us. “How did
you know that I am the one?”
“Because we have already eliminated the lady and you are the only one left.”
Tai Zi looked up and I could see her face, it looked so refined yet the gaze was so
inviolable. “How did you know that it isn’t her but me?”
“At first I have never thought about you, and she did not have any improper action. Then
suddenly I thought of something, when your maid was massaging your leg, you would
never sit so formally unless the one massaging your leg was actually your master. And
when Tai Zi was massaging her leg, you have revealed quite a number of secrets, your
strength was extremely precise and everytime your force would be the same. Your
fingers were more agile than many others so no matter what secret weapons or
summoning skills you used, the power would definitely be greater.”
Tai Zi told all his men to leave the place and just like what Yue Shen had predicted, the
old man was of the lowest status among the group because he was the last one behind
the group.
When Tai Zi has changed into his own clothes and appeared before us, he was a
handsome man just like my brother, Ying Kong Shi and the East Guardian, Qing Ren.
They were extremely good looking men. He didn’t have any other action, but he was
able to give others the feeling of being pressurized and he has this spurious smile on his
face that looked so mysterious and vague.
When all of his men were out, he turned to us and said. “Why are you here?”
“I don’t know too. Xing Kui gave me a dream and told me to look for you.” I said.
“Xing Kui?” Shang Lie’s voice seemed to tremble a little. He may have hidden it well but
it still couldn’t escape Yue Shen’s eyes. He knew it was impossible to hide so he let out a
cough and said. “Yes, I know her.”
After that Shang Lie told us, he had stayed in Ren Xue Cheng before. Xing Kui had once
saved his life because one day while Xing Kui was reading the stars, she realized there’s
predestined fate among Shang Lie’s star sign so she warned him via dream. During that
time, Shang Lie was an illusionist from the Ice Tribe that was about to retire so up till
now, he was still grateful to Xing Kui for all the helps that she had given to him.
“Since Xing Kui told you to come here, then you are allowed to ask seven questions. I can
answer you any question. You may start asking now.” Shang Lie said.
“Is this the normal mortal world?”
“No, this is an enchantment created by the spiritual power of the West Guardian. Some
of the people here are mortals while some are professional assassins that are followers
of the West Guardian. The biggest group in this world is called Qian Yu (thousand
feathers) because the names of all these people are related to birds and the two most
powerful persons are Feng Huang (Phoenix) and Wu Ya (crow). Between these two, Wu
Ya is the strongest and the leader of this group is none the other than the West
Guardian.”
“How can we leave the West territory and see Yuan Ji?”
“Find the West Guardian, kill him or her and then this enchantment will be gone
together with him.”
“How do we find the West Guardian?”
“Wait.”
“What for what?
"Wait for him or her to find you.”
“What if he or she doesn’t come?”
“Continue to wait.”
“Who is the West Guardian?”
“Don’t know.”
“Who will know?”
“No one. Ka Suo, you have already asked seven questions, you can leave now. However if
you are willing to stay, you can stay here and I can guarantee the rooms here are better
than those you found out there.”
I was about to accept his accept but Yue Shen cut me off and said. “It’s okay. We will go
back to the inn.”
I couldn’t understand why Yue Shen refused to stay here but I believed in her
judgement, so I nodded my head without any objection.
 Ice Fantasy 16 – Assassination
When we got back to the inn, we realized the main hall has seven more people sitting
there and I saw Tai Zi turning his head to smile at me. “We are staying here as well.”
“In this world, professional assassins are everywhere. Feng Huang and Wu Ya are the
most powerful among them but no one know about their true identity. My subordinates
and I will be staying around you so if you have any problems or need any help, you can
come find us or get my subordinates to do it. Our illusion skills may not be as good as
yours but it is good enough for us to survive in this world. We don’t segregate the strong
and weak based on their spiritual powers.”
We saw the little pretty boy, who was playing with the ball, in the inn again. The waiter
told me he was the son of the owner and because the owner was away for business, he
entrusted his son in his care. When I saw the boy, I have never expected him to
remember me. He walked over and talked to me. “Gege, can you play ball with me?”
When I heard him calling me gege, I thought of several hundreds years ago when I have
already become an adult and Shi was still a kid. I was carrying him in my arms, walking
along the snow-filled road. He was sleeping in my arms, looking so peaceful and warm.
It’s because he trusted me and I was his God in his heart. But the God he trusted most
had killed him with a sword, letting his blood flowed onto the snow-filled ground.
I was hugging the boy so tightly in my arms and for one moment I have a hallucination,
thinking that I was holding the child-form Shi. “Okay. Shi, gege play with you.” I said
softly.
I felt my tear rolling down, dropping into my hand.
—
That inn was much bigger than what we expected. The place, where we were staying,
was only a small part of the inn. Within the inn, there was a little stream, a bridge and
also a peach blossom garden. There was another garden with all sorts of plants in the
mortal world behind our rooms. There were red plum flowers and also my favorite
willow tree but there wasn’t any catkin on it so there wasn’t any sorrow of withering.
It’s already evening time. It seemed like nighttime came exceptionally faster in the
mortal world and there wasn’t any light in an instance. When it was nighttime at Ren
Xue Cheng, the snow on the ground and the white palace were able to reflect the gentle
light of the moon or starlights. But it was not the case at this inn, the darkness was able
to give one a pressurized feeling; there were only a few red lanterns hung at the
entrance of the courtyard, and those lanterns were swinging in the air like the fire
inside was going to go off anytime. Other than all these, the next source of light would be
the oil lamp in our individual room.
The waiter gave us five rooms in a row at the southern wing. When I entered into my
room, the sky was so dark to the extent that I couldn’t even see the things in the room so
Huang Tuo came over to light up the oil lamp. Just when Huang Tuo was lighting the
lamp with his back against us, Yue Shen crept behind me and wrote four words on my
back. I looked up at her to see her expressionless face. By the time Huang Tuo has
already turned back to face us. “My king, you should sleep early. Do you need me to set a
protection enchantment over your room?”
“It’s okay. You just need to protect yourself well.”
I sent them out and watched all their lamps lit up before I closed my door.
I wanted to calm myself down because too many things had happened for the past few
days. From Liao Jian’s death to Shang Lie, I have a feeling that the West Guardian had
already started taking action but I couldn’t find a way to start my defense.
Chao Ya’s room was on the left side of mine, Huang Tuo was on the right and the other
two sides were Yue Shen and Pian Feng. Shang Lie and his men would be staying at the
North Wing, Qian Cao Tang. There was a seventy to eighty feet wide land with a lot of
evergreen conifers and huge rocks in the middle of the land.
I fell asleep very quickly that night but I heard footstep on my roof all of a sudden or
maybe I should say I have a sense that someone was above my room. It’s because the
movement of that person was very careful and delicate, there wasn’t any sound at all. It
was my sixth sense that told me there’s someone at the rooftop of my room.
Just when I was about to get up from my bed, the oil lamp in my room went off. My eyes
couldn’t adjust to the sudden darkness in the room and then I heard the sound of the
wind and several lights appeared before my eyes. I leapt ten feet away from the bed and
those lights flew past my robe. They were so close to me that my skin could actually feel
the bone piercing coldness of them. I must admit that I almost died under those lights
and they might be those sharp icicles or sleeve swords or even those poisonous needles.
But no matter what, they were good enough to almost kill me just now.
When I was moving to the side, I raised my hand up and an ice blade soared up to the
ceiling. I heard the cracking of the tiles and the sound of sharp blade cutting the skin and
then someone fell off from the roof.
I charged out of the room and saw Huang Tuo standing at the middle of the land. He was
walking briskly towards the North Wing. “My king, did you see the man in black? He just
leapt off from your rooftop.” He asked when he heard my opening my room door, but
throughout his speech, he did not turn back to look at me.
“Don’t let the man run away.”
And then Huang Tuo zoomed off like a flying snow sleet bird. I have never expected his
illusion skill to be so powerful and I always thought he only specialized in white magic.
Suddenly I thought of something and made my way towards Chao Ya and Yue Shen’s
rooms.
Just like what I’ve expected Yue Shen wasn’t in the room. But it puzzled me more when I
saw Chao Ya’s empty room. Where could she be? Or did she get murdered by the West
Guardian’s men or the West Guardian?
Coldness started creeping up my feet slowly.
Pian Feng appeared behind me. “Follow me to the rooms at the North Wing. That
person, who tried to assassinate me, is in there.”
By the time I reached the rooms at the North wing, Huang Tuo was already there. There
was a cut across on his robe across his chest.
He turned around to tell me. “My king, the person was wearing the night walker suit and
I exchanged blows with him or her. He or she seems to specialize in using ice sword, he
or she is the one who cut my my robe and disappeared into one of the rooms here.”
“Whose room?”
“I didn’t see clearly. But the person dropped his sword here.”
He held his hand out and I saw an ice sword in his hand. Anyone could tell that it’s
definitely not something from the mortal world. That was a sword created by illusion. It
was extremely sharp and there was spiritual power on it.
But when I took the sword from Huang Tuo, I noticed something strange. There was
something on the hilt that made it extremely greasy. This was one of the taboos in
swordsmanship because if someone couldn’t even hold a sword properly, he or she
wouldn’t be able to execute the best sword moves. But he or she was able to attack
Huang Tuo; it would mean that person possessed pretty strong swordsmanship.
While he was talking, the people from the North wing all came out from their rooms and
walked towards the corridor.
Shang Lie was the first to come out because he didn’t sleep at all. He was still wearing
the same clothes like he wore in the day and his hair was still neatly combed, emitting
an imposing aura and a flowery scent. His eyes were exceptionally bright in the dark
like the shiniest star in the sky.
“What happened?” He asked.
“Someone was at the rooftop above my room and tried to assassinate me.” I said.
I saw a change in Shang Lie’s expression.
He turned to look at the people and then he turned to talk to Huang Tuo. “Are you sure
that the person is wearing the night walker suit?”
“Absolutely sure.” Huang Tuo replied coldly, looking at the people at the corridor.
“Then how long did you take to chase the person to this place?”
“Not very long.”
“Not very long means how long?” Shang Lie asked.
Suddenly I realized what Shang Lie meant, then I helped him ask the question he
wanted to ask. “Is it enough for a person to change into a new set of clothes?”
“Definitely not enough.” Huang Tuo replied one word after another.
Standing next to Shang Lie was the young handsome man with sword, and his name was
Ya Zhao. Just like Shang Lie, he was wearing a white night robe and inside the robe, it
was a set of white pyjamas. He was barefooted and his hair was messily falling on his
shoulders.
The old man by the name Tong Die was wearing a white fox fur cape and he was
wearing a blue silk pyjamas with green dragon embroidery on it. Looking at the green
dragon, it reminded me that I was currently standing on the territory of Qing Long, who
was the West Guardian of this world. Now that I was facing such weird and clueless
problems, I felt so helpless that I didn’t even have the ability to fight back.
The woman I saw this morning at the couch was not asleep as well. Her name was
Yizhao and the burly man was also beside her. Shang Lie told me his name was Yu Po
but he was obviously already asleep and the commotion wakened him up because I
could see from his bloodshot eyes and his messy hair. He looked like he had a pretty
heavy drinking session earlier on. I could understand how angry a drunken man would
be if he got awakened from his sleep so I didn’t ask him any question.
And that woman wearing transparent glove was there as well. Shang Lie said he didn’t
even know her name as well, he only knew her nickname and her nickname was only
one word and that was Zhen (needle)! She was wearing a pure black pyjamas and
strangely, she was still wearing the transparent gloves. I wondered if she was wearing
them when she was sleeping as well.
I asked Huang Tuo. “Did you say that the assassin was in black?”
“Yes.”
“Then could it be here?” I pointed at Zhen and asked Huang Tuo.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because the person was wearing a tight-fitting suit but Zhen was wearing a loose and
soft long robe. This kind of clothes is extremely inconvenient for action and it would
create an extremely heavy sound. An experienced assassin would never wear such
clothes for action.”
“So you are the biggest suspect here.” I turned to look at the girl who was playing the
zither in the day. Shang Lie told me her name was Hua Xiao; she was once a zitherist in a
brothel.
“Why?” She asked.
“Because you are the only one wearing such a loose grey long robe. I want to see what is
under the robe.”
“What you do think it’s under it? The night walker suit?”
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
Then I saw a change in Hua Xiao’s expression. “What if I say it’s not?” She asked.
“Then you will die here immediately.” Shang Lie said but I knew whatever he said would
have a certain weight and they were definitely effective. If someone were to be at his
level, you have to speak with caution because with one wrong word, it might become a
mistake that could never be corrected. One mistake would mean death.
Hua Xiao lowered her head, biting her lip. I wasn’t sure what was she thinking, I saw
Huang Tuo already prepared for an attack because there was a faint glowing silver light
at his light hand. I have also curled my left ring finger up, preparing to stop Hua Xiao if
she were to make a run or attack.
But she didn’t run or attack; she just removed her grey robe.
I felt regretted the moment she removed it because there wasn’t any nightwalker suit
inside. She wasn’t even wearing anything at all.
Hua Xiao was biting her lip and I saw tear in her eyes.
I turned my head around and apologized to her. “I’m sorry. I’ve made a mistake. You can
wear your clothes back.”
“Where are Yue Shen and Chao Ya?” Shang Lie asked me.
“They were not in their rooms.”
“Then why didn’t you suspect them?” Shang Lie looked at me and his gaze was
exceptionally sharp and cold like shiny pointed needle.
“Definitely not Yue Shen.” I said.
“Why?” This time it was Huang Tuo who asked.
I looked at him and thought of that particular night when Yue Shen confronted him. I
knew there’s a secret between the two of them. It’s just that the two of them didn’t tell
me about it, so I asked Huang Tuo. “Why did you suspect Yue Shen?”
“I don’t suspect Yue Shen. I’m suspecting everyone here.”
“Then let me tell you well. When I entered into the room that time, Yue Shen wrote five
words on my back - Be careful of the oil.”
“Oil lamp.”
“When you lighted the oil lamp, didn’t you notice there’s very little oil left? The person,
who poured off the oil, must have calculated the amount of oil was good enough to last
till the time for him or her to assassinate me. It’s because a person’s eyes are unable to
see a single thing when the environment went into a sudden darkness.”
“Then what about Chao Ya?” Huang Tuo asked.
“I don’t know. I don’t know why isn’t Chao Ya in the room. She should be in the room
because she has yet to recover from the earlier battle.”
“I guess everyone should go back to their respective room first. We shall talk about it
tomorrow.”
“What about Yue Shen and Chao Ya?”
“No choice but to wait.”
 Ice Fantasy 17 – Liao Jian Died From Poisoned Needle
That night I didn’t sleep at all, my mind kept thinking about what happened just now.
Somehow I could guess some of the things but they were still blurry to me; I knew I
must have missed out something but I couldn’t think of what was that something.
That night seemed to pass by very quickly and there’s nothing happened after that.
I got up the next morning to see Shang Lie already standing outside my room.
Surprisingly, Yue Shen and Chao Ya were also standing outside; Chao Ya was playing her
zither and her smiled was calm and tranquil.
I walked over to ask her. “Chao Ya, yesterday night…”
“Chao Ya, did you sleep well yesterday?” Shang Lie cut me off.
“Very good. I did sleep well and had a dreamless sleep all the way to daybreak.”
“That’s good. You should rest since you are still weak.” Shang Lie smiled and his smile
was so calm but there’s already a drop of sweat in my palm. Why did Chao Ya lie?
“Yue Shen, what about you?” Shang Lie continued.
“I wasn’t here. I went out.”
“Where did you go?” I asked.
She looked at me. “My king, I discovered something last night. I shall come over to your
room tonight to tell you.” I could tell Yue Shen didn’t mean to be so secretive, she must
have discovered something.
“My king, I have something to tell you tonight as well.” Huang Tuo looked at Yue Shen
and told me.
That night Huang Tuo told me Liao Jian didn’t die from chronic toxic because he dug out
Liao Jian’s body to do a thorough check after that, and then he discovered a tiny needle
on top of his head am with hair covering it and it was coated with lethal poison.
“My king, do you still remember when we first entered in the West territory, are there
any suspicious people around us?” Huang Tuo asked.
Yue Shen did tell me that there were several top killers there but they didn’t make any
move because Yue Shen was there and no one dared to attack before her.
“My king, did you still remember when Liao Jian went down, Pian Feng was the first to
rush over to hold him like he knew that he is going to fall. I could still remember Pian
Feng was holding Liao Jian’s head.”
“Huang Tuo, what do you want to say?”
“My king, I just want to let you know that I have discovered something we had missed
out earlier on. You can have your own judgment, my king.”
Just then Yue Shen was already at the door, she didn’t say anything when she saw
Huang Tuo in my room:
Huang Tuo glanced at Yue Shen and turned back to me, saying. “My king, I shall go back
to my room first.”
That night Yue Shen told me the same thing, she told me on the night when I got
assassinated, she was out checking Liao Jian’s body. Yue Shen said the grass around the
tomb was all withered and that’s because there’s poison in Liao Jian’s body and there’s a
tiny needle hiding in his hair.
I didn’t tell Yue Shen that Huang Tuo was already aware of this matter. I just asked Yue
Shen. “Who do you is the one who killed Liao Jian?”
Yue Shen didn’t suspect anyone among us. “My king, you remembered the lady with
needles on her head?” She asked.
“Zhen?”
“Correct. I want to see if the needle on her head is the same as the one on Liao Jian’s
head.”
When Yue Shen was about to leave my room, she turned back to face me suddenly. “My
king, don’t you find the incident weird?”
“You mean…”
“Huang Tuo is the only one who saw the black figure and discovered the person running
into the rooms at North Wing. He said everything himself and the cut before his chest,
have you ever wondered if it was your icicle blade that cut his clothes?”
I looked at Yue Shen, fear and coldness started piling up in my heart.
Yue Shen had removed the needle from Liao Jian’s body. It was a silvery white needle
unlike those usual silver needles, it was harder than the silver ones and the tip has a
creepy green glow under the light. Obviously, it was coated with lethal poison on it. The
top of the needle was bright red and it was exceptionally striking. When I took a closer
look at the needle, I discovered the red part was actually a crafted Phoenix head.
“Feng Huang (Phoenix)!” I gasped.
Yue Shen looked at me, nodding her head.
I was about to take the needle when she stopped me from doing so. “My king, this
poison is very strong and even if there isn’t any open wound, the poison can still sip
through the skin. Although it isn’t lethal, it is good enough to sustain serious injuries
from it.”
I looked at that needle, not saying anything. Suddenly I thought of something from both
Huang Tuo and Yue Shen’s words.
Nothing happened that night and I slept pretty well, but dreams came one after another.
Maybe I have been at the mortal world for too long, I suddenly dreamt about Ren Xue
Cheng. I felt everything was an illusion like the reflection in the water, a few hundreds
years just went by with swing. The days I once had with Shi could never be back, I could
only see the handsome and stubborn Shi in the dream. He looked so murderous when
he had his cold expression on, but when he was happy, his smile was sweet like a child,
so stubborn and strong. My brother, Ying Kong Shi, was now singing a sad song in the
sky. I wasn’t sure if his soul would feel cold or not; was he still as stubborn as before and
refused to open up his protection barrier to shield himself from the snowflakes, letting
them fall onto his shoulders his hair and eyebrows like the cherry blossom petals. There
wasn’t any dispute on the dream, no throne, no segregation in blood purity, no killing
and betrayal. There was only the two of us, standing at the high city wall with our hair
flying in the wind. Snowflakes and cherry blossom flowers flying past our hair and
robes; our fluttering robes were like blooming thousands ice lotus, so pure and so
transparently white. One thousand years, ten thousands years, Shi and I just stood
there, overlooking at the entire Ice Kingdom, overlooking at our people; overlooking at
the Ice Sea and also the blooming fire-liked red lotuses opposite of the Ice Sea.
A huge snow sleet bird flew past from the city wall, and then countless of snow sleet
birds flying over our heads. I could hear the fluttering sound of their wings in the wind;
those huge white birds had filled the infinite sky and the pale blue sky continued to
show the faces of the people that I missed the most - bluish white haired Li Luo, the
courageous Lan Sang, my siblings and the others from the Ice Tribe who had died from
the holy war. Their smiles were all over the sky and disappeared slowly like the fog.
At the end of the dream, I was standing alone in the ten years long snow at Ren Xue
Cheng. There wasn’t anyone or any sound except the howling sound of the wind in my
ears and then Ren Xue Cheng collapsed behind so silently. Dust was flying all over,
covering the sun and the sky.
My tear started to flow; it just kept flowing until the end of the dream, kept flowing till I
sat up from the bed, kept flowing till I woke up from the dream.
I hugged my knees and sat on my bed with my head leaning on the wall and I heard
myself whispering. “Shi, how have you been? Ge misses you a lot…”
When I woke up in the morning, the snow had already stopped. The bamboo leaves still
have some remaining snow on them. When the wind blew, they started falling down bit
by bit.
I walked to the main hall of the inn and I noticed Yue Shen and others were already
there, eating. Other than Hua Xiao, everyone was present at the main hall. The weird
part of the entire place was that Yue Shen was sitting with another person at the same
table and that person was the woman that specialized in poison, Zhen.
I walked over and sat next to Zhen. The waiter came over to ask for my order and just
when I was about to order, Zhen told me something. “Ka Suo, please come to my room
tonight.”
I looked up at her confusingly, unsure about her action.
She smiled at me and that smile was so mysterious and vague. “My king, I know that
your friend died from a poisoned needle. I will tell you about that needle tonight.” She
said.
I looked towards Yue Shen. She didn’t say anything and just lower her head to drink her
tea, so I turned back to Zhen and relied, “Sure. I’ll come find you tonight.”
That night I called Yue Shen to my room and told her. “Yue Shen, accompany me to
Zhen’s room.”
“Yes, my king. Please be extra careful.” Yue Shen said.
Yue Shen and I waited till everyone was asleep then we left our rooms, but when we
were outside of Zhen’s room, the room wasn’t lighted and there wasn’t any sound.
There was only total darkness.
I curled my ring finger up and a snowy whirlwind began flying around me and it has
gotten more congregated because I was afraid that countless of poisoned needles would
come flying at me the moment I opened the door. I turned back to look at Yue Shen, she
had already raised her left hand above her head and the moonlight on her hand has
already enveloped her in it.
Yue Shen went on to open the door, and when the moonlight on Yue Shen shone into the
room, we saw Zhen. She was right opposite us, sitting on the chair and smiling at us; the
smile was creepily indescribable. Just when we were about to enter, Yue Shen let out a
yell and backed away immediately. I followed suit because I’ve already saw the cold
glow on Zhen’s hand.
She had already removed the needles from her hair and they were on her hands, ready
to attack any moment.
But Yue Shen and I waited for a long time outside her room, and she has yet to make a
move. We strengthen the defense around us and walked back into the room. Zhen’s
smile was still as creepy as before and I’ve finally realized the reason why was her smile
so creepy. It was because her smile had already been frozen and there wasn’t any
change at all.
“She’s dead.” Yue Shen said as she dispersed the glow in her hand.
The second morning we buried Zhen’s body at the empty land behind the inn, everyone
was standing in front of her tomb and the new dug out soil looked exceptionally striking
among the snow. Her poisoned needles were also buried together with her. We knew
that there wouldn’t be any green grass over her tomb because the poison on the needles
would spread to the soil and this would be an evidence to show that she was a highly
skilled assassin.
“So she is Feng Huang.” Chao Ya said with her hair flying before her eyes, covering her
face. But it still couldn’t conceal the tiredness and helplessness on her face.
I turned back to look at Huang Tuo and he remained expressionless but the sparkle in
his eyes was still there. I wasn’t sure what was he thinking again; he just stared at
Zhen’s tomb, not saying anything.
The inn has reverted back its usual peace a few days after Feng Huang’s death. People
continued coming in and leaving the inn. It’s only me that I wasn’t sure what should I be
waiting for. Maybe just like what Shang Lie had said, I could only wait for the West
Guardian to come without any ability to defend. Yue Shen was always missing in action;
Huang Tuo was always in the house; Pian Feng and Chao Ya would always be playing
with the owner’s son. As for me, I would always standing in the bamboo forest, looking
at the snowflakes falling down from the bamboo leaves, falling onto my hair, shoulders
and melting into my eyes.
 Ice Fantasy 18 – Looking For the Person Who Got Poisoned
Something happened three days after that and that incident made everyone sank into a
state of panic because Feng Huang wasn’t dead at all.
That time the owner’s son came crying at me, pulling my hand and telling me that his
favorite flowers had withered and then he brought to the back of the inn. When I came
to that place, I went silent all of a sudden. Yue Shen and Huang Tuo came after me and
their expressions were just like as serious as mine.
Because that huge patch of grass behind Ting Zhu Xuan was all withered like a scar.
“There’s problem with the soil beneath.” Huang Tuo said.
Yue Shen came over and slashed her moonlight blade at the ground, and then the
ground split open. I could see there were huge amount of needles through the crack and
they were all coated with lethal poison. This was why the grass was all dead. But the top
of those needles didn’t have the head of a Phoenix.
“We need to look at Zhen’s body again.” Huang Tuo said.
Once again, we dug out Zhen’s body from the grave.
“My king, look at her fingers.” Huang Tuo pointed at the blood clot on her fingers.
“Why are there blood clots?” I asked Huang Tuo.
“Because her body had already stiffened after her death, but someone moved her body
and also tried prying her fingers open.” Huang Tuo replied.
“Because the time when the person tried to kill Zhen, Zhen was already holding the
needle in her hand but she didn’t manage to use it and the person had already killed.
After that the person tried to replace the needle in her hand with the needle that Feng
Huang used, making us think that Zhen is Feng Huang.” Yue Shen added.
Shang Lie didn’t say a word; his expression was serious all the way. He finally spoke
after a long time. “Bury her and don’t touch her anymore.”
—
The next morning I wast eating at the main hall, Huang Tuo walked over and sat down
next to me. He told the waiter what he wanted to order and didn’t say anything after
that except opening his palm at me. I saw a piece of white paper on his palm and there
was a needle, which was dug out from the ground.
I took a good look at those needles because I knew Huang Tuo wouldn’t ask me look at
these things for no reason. After looking at them under the light for a long time, my eyes
went wide and then I saw Huang Tuo smiling at me. He knew I have already discovered
the secret.
There was blood on one of the needle and it would mean that the needle had pricked
person, who replaced the needle from Zhen’s hand, and so he or she would have been
poisoned.
“To neutralize this poison, it requires several rare medicines.” Huang Tuo said.
I saw his eyes sparkled brightly and then I understood what he meant. “We just need to
know who in the inn is buying these medicines and then we will know who is being
poisoned.” I said.
Huang Tuo nodded. “Then we will know who is Feng Huang once we know who got
poisoned.”
Everyday there would be a delivery cart parked outside the inn, and the owner and
waiter would go collect those stocks that the inn required. Of course there would be
medicines. If any customer in the inn were to order any stuff, the deliveryman would
send it directly to the customer’s room.
We noticed that everyday there would be medicines being delivered to the inn from all
medicinal halls of various cities; majority of them were were required by the inn for
their menu while the other portion was delivered to Yi Zhao’s room.
When Huang Tuo and I told Shang Lie about it, Shang Lie just shook his head and said.
“Definitely not Yi Zhao.”
Shang Lie told us that Yi Zhao has been taking such medicine because her injuries have
yet to recover and she would have someone to send her these medicines everyday while
she was staying at Tai Zi’s residence. But now that she has moved to the inn, they could
only send the medicine here.
“The medicine that Yi Zhao are is to recover her spiritual power and it’s definitely not
those poison neutralizing medicine.” Shang Lie said.
When we left Shang Lie’s room, Huang Tuo told me this. “My king, we should go check
out Yi Zhao’s medicine.”
—
Luo Cao Zai was the biggest medicinal hall in this city and the deliveryman for Yi Zhao’s
medicine was the worker from the medicinal hall. We went into the medicinal hall to
look for the doctor and then asked him for her prescription.
The doctor smiled but I could still see the inadvertence in his smile. He told us it was
against the patient’s privacy so he couldn’t reveal it to anyone.
“If you agree to show us the prescription, I can help you to cure three persons any time.”
Huang Tuo went up and told him that.
That doctor gave us a despising kind of smile and said. “I am the best doctor in the
whole city. Why should I let you cure my patients?”
Huang Tuo gave me a look and I walked up to the worker next to me and swung my
hand with an ice sword pierced through his chest suddenly. I saw the fluster look on the
doctor’s face when he saw the blood of his worker flowing down to the floor. Huang Tuo
and I turned around to leave with a smile and when we were about to step out of the
main door, we heard the doctor’s trembling voice. “Please stay.”
Huang Tuo stroked his glowing hand on the worker’s chest and then the wound began
to heal on its own, leaving his skin scarless like there wasn’t any injury before. That
doctor was already sitting on the ground and his eyes were filled with fear and horror.
We have already gotten the prescription, and there were three rare herbs written at the
end of the prescription.
“These herbs are the best poison neutralizers,” said Huang Tuo.
I looked at him and his eyes sparkled with a special yet exceptionally attractive glow. I
knew what he meant.
—
When we went back to the inn, I saw Yi Zhao at the courtyard of Qian Cao Tang; she was
wearing a long black robe, so gorgeous yet mysterious. Her expression was cold,
arrogant and mysterious, just as creepy as a blooming black Mandala flower. But when
she saw me, a smile crept across her face so suddenly like wind blowing on the frozen
lake; her smile was like those small and beautiful ripples spreading out on the lake
surface. “My king, Ka Suo, how are you?”
“I’m good. I’ve seen you taking medicine everyday. Are you okay?” I said.
She brushed her head away from her forehead and smiled. “I’m fine. Those medicines
are for my injuries. Thank you for your concern, my king.”
—
That night Huang Tuo came to my room. “Ka Suo, we should pay a visit to Yi Zhao’s
room.”
“For what?” I asked.
“To see if her medicines are truly tonics or not.”
“We should get Yue Shen as well.” I told him.
Huang Tuo looked at me for a while before he spoke. “Why must we get Yue Shen?”
“If Yi Zhao were Feng Huang, Yue Shen would be the only one who could fight her with
her assassination skills.” I said.
Huang Tuo looked out of the window and then nodded his head.
That night when the three of us were at the door, we knew that Yi Zhao was already
asleep because there wasn’t any light in there.
Just when I was about to push the door open, I have this weird feeling all of a sudden. It
was like the same scene had happened before; I turned to look at Yue Shen and her
expression was the same. We looked at one another for a moment and then we knew
what happened, so we pushed the door open but it was still too late. Yi Zhao was lying
on the floor; her face staring at the ceiling and the twisted expression on her face was
filled with fear and disbelief. There was a tiny cut on her throat and it was caused by a
lethal sword move. The person, who killed Yi Zhao, must be someone whom she would
never think of because she didn’t even have a chance to fight back. If not because she
was caught off guard, the person wouldn’t even have the chance to attack her because
Shang Lie had once told me before that Yi Zhao’s spiritual power was already at the
level of an illusionist.
Yue Shen lighted up the lamp in Yi Zhao’s room and then we saw the cabinet next to her
bed; the cabinet had already been opened before but was never shut back. The cabinet
was full of medicines but Huang Tuo told me that those three herbs for poison
neutralizing were missing.
“It would mean Yi Zhao isn’t Feng Huang and the real Feng Huang is the one who killed
Yi Zhao. She came to steal the herbs but Yi Zhao discovered her and so she killed Yi
Zhao. With our sudden arrival, she didn’t have the time to close the cabinet before she
left.” Yue Shen said.
“Who do you think is Feng Huang?” I asked Yue Shen.
“We should go to the room to take a look.” Yue Shen said.
There wasn’t anyone in the rooms; everyone was gathered at the main hall except Chao
Ya.
Shang Lie was sitting at the centre; Pian Feng was next to him; Hua Xiao was sitting at
the side of the main hall but she wasn’t playing the zither, she just sat there quietly; the
young handsome swordsman, Ya Zhao, was at the other side and next to him would be
the old man, Tong Xie, and the muscular man, Yu Po.
“Was there anyone not around just now?” I asked Shang Lie.
“Everyone has been here drinking since the sky turned dark, only Ya Shao and Yu Po
who did step away for a moment.” Shang Lie said.
“Is the time enough to kill one person?” Yue Shen continued asking.
Shang Lie’s expression turned serious. “Not enough. Definitely not enough.”
Ya Zhao shot Yue Shen a cold look and said. “Not even enough to kill a chicken let alone
a person.”
“Who died this time round?” Shang Lie asked me softly.
“Yi Zhao.” I replied.
Just then I heard Huang Tuo’s gasp. “We have actually missed out one important thing.”
With that he rushed out of the hall. Yue Shen and I followed after him and I could
roughly sense the direction that Huang Tuo was heading to.
By the time we arrived at Luo Cao Zai, the place was already on fire. Standing in front of
the burning place, I felt myself going back to Ren Xue Cheng; the day where Mirage Sky
was on fire, Shi’s lean body was lying on the floor and his eyes were crystal white.
“How did you know about this?” I asked Huang Tuo.
“Because we have missed out one important thing. My king, do you still remember those
three herbs?”
“Yes.”
“My king, do you know that these three herbs are only available in Huan Xue Shen Shan
(snow mountain) and Ren Xue Cheng? How will a normal doctor in the mortal world
know that these herbs require spiritual power to grow?”
“Then that doctor…”
“Yes, someone disguised to be the doctor.”
“We should ask Chao Ya where did she go tonight?” Yue Shen said slowly.
—
The second night everyone gathered at the main hall of the inn right after we buried Yi
Zhao’s body. That night Hua Xiao has yet to come out, Shang Lie told the waiter to serve
the dishes and the dishes that day were extremely sumptuous but none of us has the
appetite; no one was able to have good appetite after so many deaths happening these
few days. When the waiter was done with the serving, Hua Xiao has yet to come out as
well so Shang Lie told the waiter to leave while we continued to wait for Hua Xiao.
When we almost thought that Hua Xiao had been assassinated, she appeared in a casual
outfit and there wasn’t any make-up on her face. She looked pale.
Both Shang Lie and I didn’t ask anything and everyone started eating.
After some moments, I saw the murderous aura around Yue Shen. I have never seen
such murderous expression on her face before and then moonlight appeared on her
hand when she charged out. When the door was open, Yue Shen saw the owner’s son
hugging the pillar at the corridor. He looked scared; his mouth was open and his eyes
were looking towards Ting Zhu Xuan. Everyone was affected by the fear in the boy’s
eyes and Yue Shen charged towards Ting Zhu Xuan.
I could somehow sense that Feng Huang had already appeared. I was worried for Yue
Shen and so I went after her but a sudden pain hit my stomach. And then countless of
illusions started to float up the sky, I turned back to see everyone falling down to the
ground. This was when I realized that someone had spiked the food. Only Huang Tuo
and Chao Ya were still standing up in the black wind, the wind was blowing their robes
and then my eyes went black before I fainted. Just when I fainted, the last image made
me wanted to shout because Huang Tuo had already shot his attack at Chao Ya. His
protection enchantment was activated and Chao Ya’s soundless zither was out. I saw
countless white butterflies forming above the chords and I knew she had already
mastered Die Che’s assassination skill. It’s just that I would not know who would be
killed. I was so weak and darkness came crumbling down, burying me in the depth of an
abyss.
 Ice Fantasy 19 – The Real Feng Huang
When I woke up, I was still at the main hall and people around me started waking up as
well. Huang Tuo was taking care of those who were poisoned and the strangest thing
was – Chao Ya was also beside him. Yue Shen had already come back and she was
standing at one corner of the hall, not saying a word.
I was about to ask Huang Tuo what happened, he gave me a look, telling me not to
speak. I looked at his expression and felt that everything has started to become more
and more unpredictable.
Yue Shen walked over and knelt before me. “My king, I’m sorry for not protecting you.”
“Yue Shen, I’m glad that you are fine. Did you manage to get that person?” I said.
“No. I kept chasing until I found the murderous aura getting weaker and weaker then I
realized someone must have tricked me to get out of the inn. By the time I came back,
you were already unconscious.”
—
The next few days were snowing very heavily and the atmosphere in the inn was very
depressed because people kept dying. Sometimes I could even hear the souls of the
dears singing in the sky; those kind of despair, fear, destiny, betrayal, assassination,
warm, blood, cherry blossoms and all other illusions were covering the black land
together with the snow.
I had already gotten sick of the dark and heavy feeling that death brought and that
feeling was so suffocating and fearful. But death didn’t stop happening in the inn. And
this time the person, who died l, was actually Pian Feng.
It was twelve in the noon when Pian Feng died. When we heard Pian Feng’s scream,
Huang Tuo was in my room and then we rushed out at the same time. Just when we
were outside his door, Hua Xiao had also rushed down from Qian Cao Tang. “I heard…”
She panted.
She didn’t complete her sentence because she had already seen the solemn look on
Huang Tuo’s face and I believed I have the same look like him as well. But when we
pushed Pian Feng’s door open, we found that the door was locked and it was locked
from inside.
“The killer is still inside.” Huang Tuo said, looking at me.
Then I saw Hua Xiao staggered a few steps back. “You may want to step behind.” I
turned to tell her.
And then Huang Tuo summoned a defensive enchantment that enveloped the two of us
in it. When we tried breaking the door open, there wasn’t any response inside. I have
already prepared to take the attack but the room was as quiet as a graveyard. In actual
fact it was already a grave. Pian Feng was lying on the floor, his face looked twisted and
frightened, just like the expression on Yi Zhao’s face when she got murdered.
Because Pian Feng’s room was right at the corner, there wasn’t any window and the
door was the only exit. Obviously, the killer was still inside of the room.
“My king, let’s go find people.” Huang Tuo told me suddenly and turned to Hua Xiao.
“You stay here and guard the exit so that the killer cannot leave the room.”
With that Huang Tuo pulled me out of the room, I wanted to ask him why did he leave
Hua Xiao alone in the room but he showed him a weird hand sign when he pulled me
out of the room and then I knew what was his intention. Hence I left the room with him.
But when we were at the corridor, he stopped walking all of a sudden and he told me to
watch silently.
From that angle, I could only see Hua Xiao’s upper body and her lower body was
blocked by the fences. But we could still see her walking over, opening the room door
and she has this creepy and mysterious smile on her face, but nobody walked out of the
room. But when Hua Xiao turned her head over to look at the far end of the corridor, it
seemed like someone had already come out of the room and disappeared around the
corner of the corridor. I turned to look at Huang Tuo; his expression was as cold and
firm as before. For that moment, I suddenly remembered a lot of things.
—
The wine of this inn was pretty famous and Shang Lie was someone who loved
enjoyment, this was why he loved holding banquets at the main hall. Of course the
waiter loved entertaining such customer so everytime when he served the dishes, his
smile would be exceptional happy. No one would be angry over the fact of getting richer.
Huang Tuo, Yue Shen and I were sitting at one table; Ya Zhao, Yu Po and Shang Lie on
another table and Hua Xiao has yet to arrive.
Huang Tuo drank a cup of wine and turned to Shang Lie. “I can tell you who is Feng
Huang now.”
Then I saw the cup dropped to the floor from Shang Lie’s hand, that shiny porcelain cup
was shuttered into pieces and the wine was spilled all over the floor. Ya Zhao and Yu
Po’s faces darkened as well.
“Who is Feng Huang?” Sheng Lie asked.
Huang Tuo activated his protection enchantment; Yue Shen’s moonlight elongated into a
light saber and I have already summoned all my spiritual power with countless of icicles
circling around me; Chao Ya’s music had started to get sharper and countless of white
butterflies kept flying out from the chords, filling the entire hall.
The atmosphere has become exceptionally intense, wind kept swirling within the room
and everyone’s hair and robe were fluttering crazily in the wind. The light in the hall
was flicking non-stop, even the floor was shaking because everyone was gathering
spiritual power respectively. Shang Lie and gang had already known that a major war
was going to start, so they curled their ring fingers up and summoned their respective
weapons. Ya Zhao’s one was a narrow glowing purple ice sword; Yu Po’s one was an
ever-changing three-spines sword; Tong Xie’s one was a icy blue summoning stuff and
Shang Lie’s weapon was a fire bow, the red bow and arrows were the forbidden weapon
in the legend of the Ice Tribe.
The waiter was too scared to say anything, he sat on the floor weakly and he wanted to
crawl out of the hall but his body couldn’t exert any strength because of fear. He could
only move at an extremely slow speed and kept mumbling non-stop. “Don’t kill me…
Don’t kill me…”
Huang Tuo suddenly stepped out to block his way. “Don’t worry. I won’t kill you so
easily because you have killed many people so I won’t let you off so easily, Feng Huang.”
And then the expression on the waiter’s face became exceptionally calm, as if he has
changed into another person. His gaze has become sharper and firmer, and starting to
emit murderous aura from him.
He turned around to look at me, Yue Shen and then Chao Ya. “How did you know that I
am Feng Huang?”
Chao Ya chuckled. “Please allow us to play a song for you, Hua Xiao.”
Feng Huang’s face darkens upon hearing that. “You even know that I am Hua Xiao?”
Shang Lie looked exceptionally shocked. I knew that no one would think of Hua Duao.
This was supposed to be a perfect assassination plan and a concatenated assassination
plan as well.
Feng Huang turned around to face the window and said softly. “Wu Ya, you can come
out now.”
Just when she finished her sentence, everyone turned to look at the window but there
was only the dark night sky and then I heard the sound of a robe flying past. By the time
I turned around, Feng Huang had already flown towards the window. I know she
wanted to charge out of the hall because she didn’t have the ability to fight against the
people inside.
But when she fell down all of a sudden when she got nearer to the window, she turned
around to look at me angrily.
I walked over to her side and said, “I have already predicted that you might want to
escape so I have already transformed the wall to ice including the doors and windows.
No one is allowed to step out of here without my dispelling the spell.
The glow on Feng Huang’s face faded away and she had aged a lot.
"When did you start to suspect me?” She asked me.
“From the first day when you tried to kill me from the roof.”
“How did you know it was me?”
“Because you didn’t wear anything underneath your grey robe. Huang Tuo said the
assassin wouldn’t have anything to change so it would be faster to strip out than to
change into a new set of clothes.”
“That’s how you started to suspect me?”
“Not just that. I only thought that it’s weird that’s all. After that you killed Zhen.”
“How did you know I killed Zhen?”
“At that time I wasn’t sure if you killed Zhen or not, I was only suspicious towards the
waiter because I wasn’t that you are the waiter at that time.”
“Why?”
“Because that morning when Yue Shen and I told Zhen that we would be meeting her at
night, she got killed right before our meeting and that day only the waiter was beside us
to hear our conversation so from then on we started to suspect the waiter. After you
killed Zhen, you put your needle in her hand and then you removed all her needles to
bury into the ground. You just want to make us think that Zhen is Feng Huang. At first
we did believe that but you have missed out the poison on the needle - those lethal
poisons that could cause the grass to wither and die. Hence we deduced that Zhen isn’t
Feng Huang but the person that killed her. It’s because when you tried removing those
needles from her hair that time, you forgot to put on the gloves so your hands have
gotten the poison but you didn’t want anybody to discover it so you have stopped
playing zither from then onwards.”
“You needed to neutralize the poison but you cannot go get the medicines so openly so
you’d decided to kill the doctor from the medicinal hall and then you disguised yourself
as him to look for the rare herbs, putting them into his medicinal hall. And then you
tried distracting us to another suspect so you changed the last three medicines in Yi
Zhao’s prescription to those three poison neutralizers but this made me suspect you
even more.”
“Why?” Feng Huang asked me.
“Because a doctor in the mortal world will definitely not know about the three rare
herbs that have the effect of neutralizing poison. Hence Huang Tuo and I knew that the
doctor isn’t any ordinary person and Yi Zhao is definitely not Feng Huang.”
“And then?”
“And then you went to steal the medicine but got discovered by Yi Zhao so you killed
her.”
Feng Huang laughed. “If I were the one who killed Yi Zhao, how was it possible for me to
be drinking with Shang Lie at the main hall?” I saw the sarcasm in her eyes.
“I almost doubted my own deduction when I saw you at the main hall. Chao Ya wasn’t
around at that time so I thought of two possibilities: first one - you have been at the
main hall and the person that went to steal the medicine was the waiter and I thought
that the waiter was Wu Ya; second possibility would be Chao Ya and I have to admit that
your way of making Chao Ya absent at that time was very clever and it did make us shift
our suspicion to her.”
“Then why did you believe Chao Ya again and started to suspect me again?”
“I have to admit that your plan is very good. On that day, you told Wu Ya to lure Yue
Shen away because with Yue Shen around, she would have known that the food was
being drugged the moment she touched the food. But after she left, everyone was
poisoned. At first your plan of pretending to be poisoned was a smart move but it was
also flaw because Huang Tuo had already checked the food right before they got served
but he didn’t say it out, he just went on to prepare the antidote, wanting to see who did
not get poisoned and that person would be the one who drugged the food. Accidentally,
Chao Aya didn’t eat the food so she wasn’t poisoned and you pretended to be poisoned
so Huang Tuo concluded that Chao Ya was the one.”
“Why didn’t he continue to suspect her?”
“Because you ate his antidote.”
“Everyone ate it so why didn’t he suspect everyone?”
“Because my antidote is actually a poison, the face of person that wasn’t poisoned would
turn blue without knowing it. When I was about to attack Chao Ya, I saw the change in
your face so I knew you were the culprit.” Huang Tuo answered.
I continued on. “That was also when we stars to believed Chao Ya again. We went to ask
her why wasn’t she in the room during those incidental nights but she told us she was
sleeping in the room and she insisted that she hasn’t left her room at all. So that night,
we were hiding in Chao Ya’s room, and then you came during midnight, drugged and
moved the unconscious girl underneath the bed before you left the room. This was why
we finally understood why was she not around everytime when things happened( she
has been sleeping underneath the bed instead of being away from the room. When it’s
near to dawn time, you came back to move her back to the bed so Chao Ya would say
that she has been in her room all the time. She would look like she was lying and hence
causing us to suspect her. Your plan is indeed thorough and well-planned.”
“So you have been suspecting me since then on?”
“Yes, but we aren’t quite sure until Pian Feng got killed then we are certain that you are
Feng Huang.”
“That day you guys purposely left me there?”
“Yes, we had witnessed how you opened the door to release the killer at the corner of
the corridor. We may not have seen anyone coming out, but I was sure that someone has
been there before when I was in the room no matter if he was using any invisible skill or
other method to hide his existence.”
“Then how did you guys know that I am the waiter as well?”
“We had once thought that the waiter was Wu Ya but we discovered that you and the
waiter are the same person. First of all, you will always be absent when the waiter is
around and if we wer o wait for you, you will have to wait for the waiter to leave the hall
before you join us and everytime your face will be free of make-up, looking pale and
that’s because you had to remove the disguise of the waiter from your face. When we
went to look for Zhen and Yi Zhao that time, it was only the waiter that was with us and
he was the only one who could hear our conversation. And that night when Huang Tuo
picked the sword up, the hilt of the sword was oily and then I discovered that that
wasn’t any other thing but cooking oil and it was only the waiter would have such thing
on his hands. After that incident, I did take a good look at your hand; they don’t belong
to a zitherist. A zitherist’s hands would never be so oily. Take a look at Chao Ya’s hands;
they were so clean, soft, tender and dry. This has been a mandatory requirement to be a
zitherist.”
Huang Tuo then walked to my side and said, “When we knew that the waiter has been
you all the time, we could guess that Wu Ya would be someone else because when Yi
Zhao got killed that time, you were indeed drinking with Shang Lie so the person who
killed Yi Zhao would be Wu Ya and on the day when Pian Feng was killed, the room was
locked and you were with us so the killer would be Wu Ya as well.”
Feng Huang looked at me and sighed. “I’ve always thought that you are a useless, stupid
and cowardly king. I’m wrong. You may not be talking all the time but you know
everything better than anyone. Is there anything else that you want to ask me?”
“Yes. First we didn’t see Wu Ya walking out of the room, did she make herself go
invisible? But in this world, all spells have been blocked, how did she manage to use it?”
“Secondly, who is Wu Ya?”
Feng Huang looked at me and smiled creepily. “You will never know about it. You still
don’t understand, I will never tell you.”
“You have nothing to fight back.”
“Even if I were to tell you, you may spare my life but Wu Ya will definitely kill me. I
cannot fight against her illusion skis but if I chose to keep quiet, Wu Ya may save me
because…”
But before Feng Huang could finish her words, I saw her face had turned creepily blue
but she was still unaware about it. “Hua Xiao, your face…”
“What happen to my face?” She looked as if she didn’t know that she had been poisoned
and it was the kind of poison that one would never know.
And then Hua Xiao let out a yell all of a sudden, finally realized what happened. She ran
towards the bronze mirror and started yelling crazily. “Impossible! Wu Ya will never kill
me…”
But it was already too late, her voice started to get softer and weaker and then she fell to
the floor. Huang Tuo rushed forward to catch her and asked. “Tell me who is Wu Ya?
Quick!”
“Wu Ya is… is…”
But Hua Xiao didn’t finish her sentence and she would never get to finish it.“
Wu Ya would never believe in anyone, she would only believe in the dead. Only the dead
were able to keep the secret.
 Ice Fantasy 20 – Happiness of the Mortal World
The snow has not stopped for a day before and in a blink of eyes, it was already the new
year day in the mortal world. I remembered those few decades when I was still living in
the mortal world; I had never truly enjoyed this festival at all. The inn was filled with
red lanterns and snow kept falling non-stop from the sky, covering the ground. The
swaying lanterns looked like warm light in the wind.
Kids were running around the snow-filled ground and they looked exceptionally clumsy
in their thick clothing, but they looked extremely happy. This was the purity and
happiness all kids would have. Sometimes Yue Shen and Huang Tuo would stand at the
door, and out of curiosity, the kids would come over to look at them. It’s because their
hair was pure silvery white and they flees down their robes like mercury. Yue Shen and
Huang Tuo would always squat down to play with the kids. Looking at the warm smile
on their face, it’s hard to imagine these two adults were the most powerful characters in
Ren Xue Cheng, especially Yue Shen. But when I saw the smile on Yue Shen’s face, I felt
warm all of a sudden. I have never seen her smile before and have never expected her
smile to be so gentle and soothing.
Chao Ya loved playing with the owner’s son and everytime I looked at the boy, he would
remind me of Ying Kong Shi when he was still a kid. While we were on exile, I always felt
like I was Shi’s father because when I reached adulthood that time, Shi was still a little
kid. His eyes were big and beautiful like girls. I would always carry Shi in my arms and
walked on the street one after another. I would smile unknowingly when I saw his
excited look. Many years later, when we were back in Ren Xue Cheng and when Shi has
become a handsome prince that time, he came to tell me, “Ge, actually the thing I missed
most would be your smile when we were still in the mortal world. Your eyes were
narrowed when you smiled and your eyelashes would be filled with snowflake; your
teeth were sparkling white and the arc of your smile was so gentle yet tough.” And then
he would lean forward to kiss my eyebrow with his hair covering my face.
—
The customers in the inn started to get lesser and lesser because many of them had
already set off for home, or even if they didn’t have a home, they would find somewhere
that was homely enough for them to settle down. If not, it would be very lonely and
empty to stay in the inn especially when you woke up to a snowy night.
For me, I was already used to such lifestyle for several hundreds years; I would be
pacing around the grave-liked city; sitting at the roof to watch the stars; sitting by the
Ice Sea to listen to the young singing mermaids and reminisce the past.
The inn has a new waiter joining and he was an ordinary and honest man who grew up
in the mortal world. He was in a shock when he saw people with such long silvery white
hair.
Since new year was jus round the corner, the smile on everyone’s face has become
calmer and warmer. I was able to feel the kind of calm happiness. When we were in
good mood, the few of us would stand at the empty land in front of Ting Zhu Xuan to
display our illusion skills: Chao Ya would use her zither to summon countless of
butterflies to hover above the inn; Yue Shen would break her moonlight into pieces and
hung them around the bald tree branches, making them look like stars hiding within the
tree. And I would also sweep the snowflakes up from the ground and turned them into
pink cherry blossom petals. The waiter was stunned by our skills but he enjoyed
watching us. He even brought his wife and kid over to see us. In their eyes, these few
person/ in white robe were the greatest gods.
This was the first time I felt such simple and bright happiness; I’ve realized that illusion
skill not only would it bring killing, death, blood but also hope, righteousness and
dignified soul.
But the night when new year arrived, the shadow of death continued to loom over us.
Those painful memories got triggered back again and they were like a never-ending
nightmare to us.
That night, we were sitting at the table in the main hall and we heard Ya Zhao’s scream
coming from outside of the house. Both Yue Shen and Huang Tuo’s faces darkened at the
same time. “Wu Ya.” Huang Tuo said.
But when all of us rushed out that time, Ya Zhao was standing in the middle of the
courtyard; his hair was messy, his eyes were eerily blue and he was topless; his hand
was holding his unique purple ice sword and the smile on his face was like an eerie
shadow.
Shang Lie took a step forward to ask him. “Ya Zhao, what are you doing?”
Ya Zhao didn’t reply; his eyes were filled with infinite snowflakes but they still couldn’t
hide the blue shadow in them.
Just when Shang Lie was about to walk over, Chao Ya’s voice came from behind, so airy
and empty. She told him to step backwards because Ya Zhao has been controlled by a
dream and she was the only one who could manipulate dream.
Chao Ya’s music was rapid and intense. In a split second, countless of silvery white lines
started flying all over the place and then numerous butterflies started materializing
from those lines. I knew Chao Ya was trying to manipulate the dream; she has to lead Ya
Zhao out of the scary dream to the one she created.
Ya Zhao’s hair flew upwards all of a sudden like there was a strong wind swirling
around him but when I looked back at Chao Ya, she has already started to have blood
gushing out from her mouth and when the white blood hit the black ground, they turned
into countless of broken butterflies. Huang Tuo quickly rushed over to put her within
his protection enchantment.
Chao Ya started to zone out. “My king, it seems like I cannot control the dream because
the creator is too strong.” This was what Chao Ya told me before she went unconscious.
Ya Zhao’s death was a tragic; he held his purple ice sword up and stabbed it through his
chest. The moment when the cold ice sword went through his chest, I could hear the
sound of tearing of flesh and then his eyes turned from shadowy blue back to white, I
knew he had already come out of the dream. But when he was out, he has to face his
death.
He started to fall backwards and right before he fell to the ground, he looked towards
Shang Lie and I. “My king, Taizi, please be careful of icy blue…”
But he didn’t manage to finish his sentence and his eyes were already looking at the pale
blue sky, losing all expressions from his face.
New Year has arrived in a mournful way.
I have never felt so cold before.
Snow has started to fall, one after another, filling this entire world.
A lamp was on the table; the light from the oil lamp traveled gently throughout the
house, and it has greatly reduced the depression of this winter.
Chao Ya was still in bed and Huang Tuo’s protection enchantment was still covering
over her.
Yue Shen was standing by the window. The wind came by and blew her hair up.
“My king, what do you think about Ya Zhao’s death?” Huang Tuo asked.
“I could only say that it’s done by Wu Ya.”
Yue Shen turned around. “Not necessary. Maybe the West Guardian has already
appeared.”
“Then who could he be?” I asked Yue Shen.
“Anyone can be possible.” She said. She looked towards Chao Ya and back at me. “My
king, can you step out for a moment?”
The winter in mortal world was much colder than that in Ren Xue Cheng. Even though it
was New Year, those naughty kids had already gone home after a day of playing. The
street has become exceptionally quiet and cold with all remaining of fireworks and used
lanterns.
Yue Shen stood in the wind and said. “My king, I have to tell you this seriously. Firstly, I
suspect Chao Ya; secondly I suspect Huang Tuo. One of them is the West Guardian.”
My body felt weak all of a sudden. “Why?” I asked weakly.
“Let me ask you. Right after the fight with Die Che, what do you think about Chao Ya’s
skill of dream manipulation?”
“She has already surpassed the spiritual power of the top astrologer.”
“How about when it’s being compared to me?”
“To be honest, her skill should be above yours.”
“Correct. Chao Ya’s ability to create dream is already higher than me and in other words,
she has already become an outstanding astrologer. Dream manipulation is one of the
dark assassination skills that I had learnt and Ya Zhao did die under such skill. But my
king, do you know that I could easily break the dream that Ya Zhao was in? It’s just that
Chao Ya has already started to take action; I thought it would be a piece of cake for her
so I didn’t do anything. But little did I expect her to be injured by the dream and when I
wanted to take action, Ya Zhao was already dead.”
“You are saying…”
“I am saying…” Yue Shen looked up at me. “that Chao Ya totally has the ability to break
the dream but she didn’t save Ya Zhao and she pretended to be hurt.”
“Then what about Huang Tuo?”
“Since Chao Ya is faking her own injuries, Huang Tuo would have discovered it but he
didn’t say anything. It’s obvious that he is acting with her. Moreover there are a lot of
unexplainable things on Huang Tuo, I cannot tell you specifically because it’s just my
intuition.”
The wind blew from Yue Shen’s back and it was like sharp ice sword, cutting my face
one after another. I looked at Yue Shen, feeling the kind of despair that I had never
experienced before.
I have to admit that this West Guardian had been the most formidable opponent that I
had ever met. He didn’t even need to appear physically and he was able to kill the
people around me with ease. And I could only stand in the middle of the snow ground,
watching them die one after another.
That night when I went back to the inn, the lights in both Chao Ya and Huang Tuo’s
rooms were out.
I lied on my bed, unable to sleep because nightmare came pressing on me one after
another. Those, who had died, were talking at my ears, smiling and feeling upset. The
memories of the past came gushing at me, taking over the peace that I could have in the
dream. Everything got shattered and came collapsing down. And I was standing among
the ruins, standing on those withered cherry blossoms, crying.
At the end of the dream, fire red lotuses started sprouting out from the ground just like
the time when Shi died several hundreds years ago. The sky started raining red lotuses
like lava. In the end, it drowned everything and anything.
Fire soared up to the sky…
—
The second one who died from dream manipulation was Yu Po. Just like Ya Zhao, he
used his three-spines sword and stabbed through his chest. It was still the same eerie
blue eyes and shadowy smile.
When we reached Yu Po’s side, he had already pierced the sword through his chest. No
one came in time to break the dream, not even Yue Shen or Chao Ya came in time to help
him.
After that, the third one was Tong Xie.
Shang Lie didn’t say a single word while looking at Tong Xie’s body. He just kept looking
at the sky. After a long while, he finally spoke something. “All my men are dead. The next
one will be me.”
New Year was finally over but this new year was filled with too many death news. We
didn’t tell the new waiter about the deaths because he’s a pure and simple person and in
his life, he would never encounter such weird death or eerie assassination. He was just a
simple and blissful mortal who was satisfied with his life till the last day on earth.
Sometimes I really wished to live like him and not a powerful king who has indefinite
locks on him, living in loneliness forever.
The waiter was as busy as before and the owner’s son continued playing with his icy
blue ball, and asking us to play with him. The mortal world continued operating in its
routine without any unusual event.
But the death aura was still looming over our heads like thick heaving dark clouds. They
would never get dispersed.
No one knew how did Ya Zhao and Yu Po got controlled by the dreams and judging by
their spiritual powers, they shouldn’t be controlled so easily unless they had let down
their guide at the very beginning and then falling into the dream, unable to get out. But
after so many strange deaths, Ya Zhao and Yu Po should have been more alert unless the
person who killed them was someone they would never suspect before. This was what
Yue Shen told me after everything, and I didn’t say anything. Neither did Huang Tuo
because we weren’t sure of what to do. We have lost our direction and we could only
wait for Wu Ya and the West Guardian to continue killing people.
“My king, do you all still remember Xing Gui’s third dream?” Huang Tuo asked suddenly.
Yue Shen’s eyes brightened suddenly. “Of course. Xing Gui told us to open it when we
have no clues to our current situation.”
That dream was a long yet extremely simple dream because it’s about my brother, Ying
Kong Shi. In the dream, Shi was running from somewhere far away. Cherry blossoms
and snow kept falling on the track that he just ran by. He was reverted to his child look
and he was standing on the horizon line, smiling at me. Snow was falling into his hand
and forming into a snowball, and then I heard his voice traveling from afar. “Gege, are
you happy?”
I didn’t understand why did Xing Gui give such a dream to me, was she trying to make
me recall about Ying Kong Shi? Or was there another meaning? If she just wanted me to
remember Ying Kong Shi, why would she tell us to open it when we were all clueless?
Suddenly I remembered the dream that Xing Jiu gave me in the past; that was the dream
where my brother and I took our illusion test and this dream may be the same as that
one. We may have missed out something.
Hence I went into the dream again and observed every single detail in the dream and at
the end of it, I’ve finally discovered the secret that Xing Gui wanted to tell us.
The snow had already stopped except the green bamboo leaves still have thick layer of
snow on them. They would scattered to the ground like falling flowers as the wind blew.
Chao Ya was playing her zither at the courtyard; Huang Tuo and I were in the room, not
speaking to one another.
After that we heard Chao Ya’s scream suddenly, I could see Chao Ya’s eyes turning blue
from the corner of my window. Her hair and robe flew upwards all of a sudden and her
zither was hovering above her head with her spiritual power when countless of white
butterflies were forming from the chords, surrounding her.
“Same as what you have predicted, my king.” Huang Tuo nodded at me.
When Huang Tuo and I came to the courtyard, Chao Ya’s hair was in a mess and the
colour of her eyes have turned darker blue. The owner’s son was standing beside her,
crying. “Jiejie, what happen to you?”
I walked over and knelt before the child, touching his hair. “Nothing is wrong with jiejie,
it’s just that you have controlled jiejie with your dream.”
The boy looked at me, not know what was I talking about. “Gege, what are you talking
about?”
I raised my hand suddenly and a sharp and short ice blade flew out, cutting the black
string tied around his hair. And then his hair fell to the ground; his hair was extremely
long, even longer than all the people in this world, including Shang Lie. As compared to
the boy, Shang Lie looked more like a kid.
Chao Ya’s hair fell peacefully back down, flowing smoothly along her robe. Her eyes had
reverted back to white colour. “Little boy, I’m fine. I merely got controlled by your
dream that’s all.”
After that the kid’s face changed from confused to arrogant, he looked at me without
saying anything but from his eyes looked cold and sharp.
“Wu Ya, you can stop now.” I said.
Wu Ya looked at me and said. “It’s impossible that you will know I am Wu Ya.
Impossible.”
“Right. It’s impossible but I still know it.”
Wu Ya looked at me and then to Chao Ya. “You guys have been acting. Chao Ya was never
controlled by my dream?”
“Yes, I was just acting. But I have to admit that you are the best dream manipulator that
I had ever met. I almost got drowned by your dream and if I didn’t prepare myself for
your attack, I guess I would have strangled myself to death by the chords.” Chao Ya
replied.
“How did you get suspicious of me?” Wu Ya asked, looking at me.
“When Yi Zhao died that time, Feng Huang was in the main hall drinking with Shang Lie,
so the person who killed Yi Zhao is definitely not Feng Huang Hua Xiao and the West
Guardian will not do it personally so Wu Ya is the one who killed Yi Zhao.”
“Then how did you suspect that I am Wu Ya?”
“Because we saw the wound on Yi Zhao’s throat, the wound was cut from downwards to
upwards and it would mean the killer is much shorter than Yi Zhao and is also someone
whom she would never think of.”
“And then?”
“For Pian Feng’s death, Huang Tuo mentioned that the killer was still in the house. We
hadn’t seen anyone coming out from the room, but in actual fact there was someone that
came out of the room and that person was you. Because you are very tiny in size, we
didn’t manage to see you since the fence blocked you off. When we watched Hua Xiao
from that angle, it would look like an invisible man walking out of the room.”
“So this is why you know that it’s me?”
“No. We just thought that it’s something strange but what made us suspect you more
was because of what Yue Shen said.”
“What did she say?”
“Do you still remember the day when all of us were being poisoned, and someone was
there to lure Yue Shen out? That day when we opened the door, you were at the
corridor, looking towards the direction of Ting Zhu Xuan in a shock; Yue Shen went out
for a chase but when she was going towards that direction, she said the murderous aura
faded out and then I thought of you all of a sudden. The aura came from you when
you’re at the corridor; you are a professional assassin so creating such aura is an easy
task for you. By the time Yue Shen came back, you withdrew it and then no one would
be suspicious of you.”
Wu Ya looked at me with an angry and hateful expression. “Continue.”
“And then it would be Xing Gui’s dream, the dream’s about Ying Kong Shi and he was
still in his child form, just like you. He was holding a ball in his hand but its colour was
white unlike yours. At first I didn’t know what it mean, but after that I’ve finally
understand. I remembered when I first met you in this world, the ball in your hand was
white but now, your ball had turned to icy blue and then I remembered what Ya Zhao
told me before he died. ‘My king, please be careful of icy blue…’ That time I didn’t know
what he meant by that, but now I’ve final understand. He wanted me to be careful of
your icy blue ball. After that I asked Chao Ya, she told me that a powerful dream
manipulator was able to materialize a dream into a shape and that would be your ball.
Anyone, who touched the ball, would be swallowed by the dream so we told Chao Ya to
give it a try. In the end, it was as per what we have predicted, the ball is indeed the
dream that you used to kill others.”
Wu Ya looked towards Chao Ya. “So you weren’t even controlled by my dream, you have
been acting all along.”
Chao Ya nodded. “Yes, Huang Tuo had already casted an enchantment on me so no
illusion skill is able to enter my body and don’t forget, I am also a dream manipulator.”
Wu Ya stood among us with his head hanging low. He looked just like an obedient little
boy and no one would expect him to be a professional killer right after the West
Guardian.
Huang Tuo’s enchantment had already frozen the entire surrounding and Chao Ya has
also summoned her zither chords out; Wu Ya just stood in the centre, I wasn’t sure what
was he thinking about but the colour of his eyes kept changing non-stop.
Moments later he smiled and walked towards me. “Ge, can you hug me?”
Right at that instant I felt my surrounding air started stirring; for one moment I saw
Ying Kong Shi standing before me, his crystal white hair was scattered to the ground
and his cute obedient face was smiling at me just like the sleeping child in my arms
several hundreds years ago. I started seeing big white halos appearing before my eyes
and my whole mind was filled with my brother’s voice. “Ge, can you hug me? Please hug
me, okay?”
And then Shi tiptoed to touch my face with his outstretched hand, but the moment when
his hand was about to touch me, the enchantment that Huang Tuo had set on me
appeared all of a sudden. I got enveloped into a crystal clear ball and Shi was sprung
away by the enchantment. He was lying on the ground, crying out loud. “Ge, why are you
ignoring me?”
My heart hurt so much like a knife was cutting it open. “Shi, don’t be scared. Ge is always
by your side.” I walked over, wanting to carry him up.
The moment I bent over, Shi changed to Wu Ya sudden and the illusion around us
disappeared. I saw Wu Ya’s eerie blue face and a icy cold white light appeared in his
hand. And then in a flash of lightning, he aimed the light at my throat. It was too late for
me to dodge and I just went frozen at that moment.
But just before Wu Ya’s sharp ice blade appeared in front of my throat, the smile on his
face went frozen all of a sudden and his ice blade could no longer come any closer
because I saw a ray of moonlight came piercing through his chest. I looked up to see Yue
Shen standing behind him; her face was cold and glowing with light.
After that I saw Wu Ya fell slowly to the ground in front of me, and right before his body
touched the ground, I heard his whimper. “Ge, why don’t you hug me? Why?”
Suddenly, huge cherry blossoms came falling down from the sky and the surrounding
turned into red colour just like the blood of a mortal. I heard the rumbling of the ground
like low and heavy sound of the thunder in the sky.
I looked up to the sky and my tear slid silently down my face. I heard Shi’s voice from
the sky. “Ge, please be free…”
 Ice Fantasy 21 – The Lonely King
Two more graves were added behind Ting Zhu Xuan; the bodies of Feng Huang and Wu
Ya were arranged to bury next to one another. I wasn’t sure when would spring arrive
and whether the soil above them would have green grass growing from that patch of
soil. But I knew that there was a cherry blossom tree next to their graves and it would
be a beautiful in the coming flower season.
In actual fact cherry blossom tree was the cruelest tree of all because the more bodies
were buried underneath the tree, the more beautiful it would grow. Just like the
beautiful setting sun.
Yue Shen and Huang Tuo were standing in the wind; their expressions looked tired yet
tough and their robes were fluttering loudly in the wind.
It’s only Chao Ya’s expression that looked exceptionally sad. On the day of Wu Ya’s
death, Chao Ya came to tell me this. “My king, I may leave this troubled world after this
mission.”
“Why?” I asked.
“There are way too many killings and bloodshed happening in this world; there are too
many souls resting up in the cloud, singing non-stop every day and night; their black
song always hit me right at my heart, making me unable to fight against it. I may go to
the mortal world like Die Che, find a man that loves me. He doesn’t have to know any
illusion skill or be proficient in music. I just need him to have a bright smile and strong
chest and I am willing to give up my immortality to grow old together with him. My
king, you know about my mother right? She is your father’s royal musician. In actual fact
she had passed away long time ago because she had gone to the mortal world and she
passed away with a smile on her face. Her husband, who was already an old man, was at
her deathbed, crying and accompanying her till the last moment. This was the last
dream that my mother left for me and I would always get upset by this dream. In actual
fact, I have been feeling upset because why must I be a god in imprisonment?”
“Several hundreds years ago, I was also upset by this issue as well. Because of my
freedom, I lost my beloved brother.” I told Chao Ya.
Chao Ya turned around and a cloud floated past our heads. It floated so silently past us.
—
New Year was finally over.
Days just flowed by like a river. Sometimes I would lie on the branch of the cherry
blossom tree, admiring the sun.
Just like what granny had said before, I’ve finally become a lonely king, only waiting for
time to pass.
But the West Guardian has yet to appear, the four of us were still trapped in the illusion
world.
I had once written the situations here on a lambskin parchment and sent it to Xing Jiu,
asking him for advice.
But when I received his reply, he only told me to wait. It was the same answer that
Shang Lie had given us when we first met him.
Shang Lie had already left; the day when he left, the snow had stopped. He stood before
us, looking as imposing and dignified like before. He’s still the greatest man in this
mortal world.
“My king, this is the best that I can help you to accomplish. To be very honest, I didn’t
really help you much; now that Feng Huang and Wu Ya are dead, the West Guardian is
someone that I cannot fight against. Please be careful, my king.” Shang Lie told me.
After that he knelt before me, looking up at me with a warm smile. “My king, you are the
youngest yet noblest ruler of the Ice Kingdom that I had ever seen; if you need my help
in the future, you just need to send me a message. Even if I’m dead, my descendants will
definitely come help you without any hesitation.”
I nodded and watched him left. His back view started to shrink from my view and then
finally disappearing into the end of the long street, disappearing into the place where
the snow melted.
I could imagine Shang Lie walking down the burst ling and hustling street in his
imposing and dignified self. Even if one person lost everything in his life, he or she
wouldn’t lose the spirit within him and this spirit was able to make that person an
invincible god. Shang Lie was such a person.
I turned around to see Yue Shen and Huang Tuo; the two of them were standing
together, their hair were soft and long to the ground like a piece of peaceful image. After
going through so many fights, their spiritual powers had gotten even stronger; the
length of their hair were longer than any illusionist in Ren Xue Cheng, even surpassing
Xing Jiu and Xing Gui.
Chao Ya was standing behind them with her head hanging, I could see the tear in her
eyes.
And then I heard a piece of beautiful music, soaring up the sky. The air around us has
transformed into butterflies flying above us; the passerbys were stunned and their
attentions were on Chao Ya, looking at the beautiful white-haired lady, totally
speechless.
—
Three days after Shang Lie left; his body was discovered, he was lying by the side of the
road outside the city gate. By the time we reached him, snow has started to fall once
again, covering his body bit by bit. His body was already frozen and his expression
looked twisted and in shock.
I stood beside his body and looked at the cloudy sky; I heard the cracking of my bones
and I could even see the cracks like white lightning striking one after another.
Chao Ya didn’t say anything but I could see the tear in her eyes.
Huang Tuo was examining Shang Lie’s body and Yue Shen was standing by his side.
I walked over to ask Huang Tuo. “How did he die?”
He didn’t reply me, he just removed his clothes to reveal his chest and there were three
bloody holes on it; the flesh was brutally torn away and those white blood was already
frozen. The expression on Shang Lie’s face looked dazed and frightened, his eyes were
looking at the sky and it seemed like he had lost the ability to speak. I couldn’t bear to
look at his body anymore so I turned my back against him and then I saw Chao Ya had
already backed away, vomiting.
“My king, look at his hand.” Yue Shen told me.
I thought of something strange when I saw his hand because his left hand formed a
weird sign and it was actually the hand sign for a astrologer when using his illusion
summoning power.
“My king, do you know if Shang Lie was an astrologer in the past?”
“I don’t know. He didn’t tell me anything.”
“Then why did he still try to read the stars even when he’s going to die? Or was it
because he had discovered something while reading the stars and that’s why he got
himself killed?” Yue Shen asked, looking at me.
I looked at the sky, unable to answer Yue Shen’s question. I just thought that I saw the
face of the West Guardian appearing vaguely in the sky but I could see that face very
clearly. The only thing I knew would be that despising smile on the West Guardian’s
face; those cold lights from his eyes were like sharp knives stabbing through my body.
—
The inn continued welcoming new customers and the mortal world was as lively as
before. But no one knew that there were many painful memories behind this liveliness.
No one knew about the pain and how much killings had been done during these periods.
It’s only I knew that I have been washing my face with my tears.
Everytime I would take a stroll at the courtyard at Ting Zhu Xuan and every step I took,
it felt so pathetic and sad. This place was once so happy place that filled with laughter.
But now that the people were gone, everything has become so different. No one would
come and greet me anymore, I could no longer find those heartwarming smiles anymore
- Xing Gui, Liao Jian, Pian Feng, Zhen, Ya Zhao, Tong Xie, Yu Po, Yi Zhao, Shang Lie and
even Feng Huang and Wu Ya. All their faces had become so vague just like indispensable
fog, blurring out everything.
The cherry blossom tree has started blooming once again, making one feel hopeful with
the green leaves on the bare branches. Chao Ya would always sit under those big trees
to play her zither without using any of her spiritual power at all; she was only playing
an exquisite piece of music. Chao Ya’s beauty and talent dazzled the customers in the
inn, but she would just close her eyes just like what she would always do at Ren Xue
Cheng, totally ignoring the din around her. After the fights with Die Che, Feng Huang and
Wu Ya, Chao Ya had already become the best musician; her hair was as long as Yue Shen
and Huang Tuo. But her sorrowful eyes always made me feel upset.
Everyday she would stay under the shades to play her zither, she would cry as she
played her zither and then she would keep playing until the sky turned dark before
retreating back to her room.
I was standing at a place, watching her from afar. Watching her lonesome back made my
heart hurt with all the invisible cracks appearing one after another. I looked up at the
setting sun, finally realized we have been staying in the mortal world for months.
I walked towards Chao Ya but stopped after two steps because I saw Yue Shen
appearing behind her back. She was wearing a pure black long robe with blue starlight
prints on it. That was Yue Shen’s best illusion robe and those starlights were actually
the scattered spiritual powers, they could help to enhance the owner’s power while
using their powers.
Yue Shen was standing behind Chao Ya and shouted. “Stop right there!”
Chao Ya turned around, looking calm like usual. She just looked at Yue Shen without
saying anything.
“Chao Ya, is the dream that killed Ya Zhao a very powerful dark assassination skill?”
“Yes, the spiritual power of that creator of that dream is much higher than mine.” Chao
Ya said with her head hanging low.
“Then do you think you dream interpretation skill is higher than mine?”
Chao Ya turned around to look at Yue Shen. “I don’t know. Maybe we are of the same
level.”
“Then can you tell me why am I able to break that dream easily?”
When I heard what Yue Shen just said, I knew what she was trying to do.
Chao Ya turned her head back and the sunlight flowed down her hair like sparkling
stream water. It’s just that the wind around her started moving rapidly like invisible
ripples in the air.
Yue Shen stood opposite of Chao Ya, looking cold, but I saw the flashing light in her
hand. It was sharp and cold like icicle.
And then Chao Ya took a seat down, started playing her zither quietly. The song was
smooth and melodious even the birds started hovering above her head like they were
dancing. I could feel the turbulence in the air. Chao Ya’s voice sounded blurry and
distant. “Yue Shen, you have been suspecting me all along.”
“Because you are suspicious.” Yue Shen said.
Chao Ya smiled and those white butterflies started gushing down like snow, and Yue
Shen has also made her moves; her lights struck across the sky like lightning and the
shattered butterflies rained down like snow, falling heavily down to the black soil,
melting into the snow. When the last lightning struck across, everything stopped
momentarily and then I heard the snapping of the chords on Chao Ya’s soundless zither;
countless of moonlights stabbing through Chao Ya’s body and she fell straight down
before Yue Shen. The focus in her eyes began to fade away.
My tears came rushing down my face. It seemed like something was strangling me and I
couldn’t make a single sound.
Yue Shen turned around and saw him, she looked a little shaken but recomposed herself
back very quickly. “You are here, my king.”
“Yes, I’m here.” Those were the only worlds that I could say.
“My king, if I didn’t guess wrongly, Chao Ya is the West Guardian.”
“What if your guess is wrong?” My voice was so weak and soft.
“There’s always right and wrong in this world and sometimes some mistakes are
inevitable. If you want to accomplish something, you have to sacrifice something. Isn’t it
the way, my king?”
I turned around, not saying a word. Just when I was about to enter my room, I told Yue
Shen something. “Yue Shen, if Chao Ya were the West Guardian, do you think you are
able to kill her so easily?”
—
I was standing by the window and I heard the hoarse crying sound of the crows falling
onto my head. It sounded so depressing, making one feel fearful.
I stretched my hand towards the moonlight, I moved my left finger and then my
brother’s face appeared in the sky. He called me. “Ge.” His expression kept changing;
sometimes his smile was like sunshine; sometimes he looked cold like ice; sometimes he
was looking at me with despair during the time of his death. But everything was an
hallucination, I have been using this illusion skill - memory image to brace myself
through the lonely time. For now who else could be so trustworthy as Shi? Who could be
happy for several hundreds of years because of my smile?
“Shi, do you know that if you call me ‘ge’ for one more time, my year will come
streaming down non-stop?”
—
People continued coming to the inn but only two persons were there to eat with me,
Huang Tuo and Yue Shen.
When I was about to start eating the rice, Yue Shen held her hand out to stop me. “Don’t
touch the food.”
“Why?”
“Because the food has poison.” Yue Shen said and then she looked towards Huang Tuo.
“Aren’t you the one who is in-charge of the food? Why can there be poison?”
Huang Tuo didn’t look up and said calmly. “You are suspecting me, Yue Shen?”
“Yes!” And then her moonlight exploded into a light blade and aimed right for Huang
Tuo’s throat. I used my ice sword to cut off Yue Shen’s moonlight. “Yue Shen, enough!
Stop suspecting one another.”
“Impossible!” Yue Shen moved to Huang Tuo’s back in a flash of light.
Huang Tuo was trapped under Yie Shen’s aggressive attacks; I ran over to use the snow
to freeze Yue Shen’s light and at that instant, Yue Shen stared at me with surprise as if
she couldn’t believe that I would attack her and that expression was the last expression
I saw on her face. Huang Just when I froze Yue Shen’s light that moment, Huang Tuo
attacked her on her throat and I turned around to a creepy and eerie smile on Huang
Tuo’s face.
And then Yue Shen fell to the floor, I saw sadness in her eyes, and I saw a tear sliding
down the corner of her eyes.
 Ice Fantasy 22 – Nightmare of The West Guardian
Yue Shen and Chao Ya were buried behind the inn, together with Liao Jian and Pian
Feng. The soil of Yue Shen and Chao Ya’s tomb were still black in colour while Pian Feng
and Liao Jian’s tombs already have green grass growing above them. Huang Tuo and I
were standing in front of the tombs when a cold gush of wind blew past, making our
robes fluttered loudly in the wind.
“Huang Tuo, why did you kill Yue Sheng?”
“Because she wants to kill me.”
“But didn’t you see that I have already made my move to stop her? She won’t have a
chance to kill you in any way.”
Huang Tuo didn’t say anything but he still has that strange smile on his face. “My king, I
think it’s time for us to go the separate way.”
“Separate way? You mean…”
“I’m saying that I want to go back Ren Xue Cheng. Even though you see that as a toy
castle, my entire tribe was still waiting for me there. I am their God.”
“You mean you want to give up on the remaining journey?”
“My king, do you think there will be journey after this? This is a journey that I cannot
see a destination and I’m already very tired. My king, I wan to leave.”
“You are the real West Guardian right?” I asked.
“Ka Suo, there’s no point in asking this question anymore. Do you think there’s hope for
you to even pass the West territory? You can’t even win the Weat Guardian, how is it
possible for you to win Yuan Ji?”
When Huang Tuo was about to disappear into the fog, I ran to block him and my sword
was pointing at his throat. “If you are the West Guardian, I will not let you leave.”
Huang Tuo just looked at me with a smile. “Will you believe if I were to tell you that I’m
not the West Guardian?”
In the end he still died under my hand, his blood was flowing down my sword. I heard a
mumble from him. “My king, you don’t have to imprison yourself anymore. Just be
free…”
The place, where I killed Huang Tuo, was the end of the mortal world created by the
West Guardian; it was a huge patch of wheat field. I could vaguely see snow falling down
and I know once I reached the end, I could go back to Ren Xue Cheng, going back to the
lonely life where I could only hear the shattering sound of life. And then I would stay on
that way for another several hundreds or thousands years.
Huang Tuo fell onto the wheat field and his face as still hanging the same smile that Yue
Shen had when she died. His hair was like mercury to the wheat field, flowing up and
down along with the wheat wave and his robe was already soaked in blood.
I looked up at the pale blue sky when a flock of birds flew past my head. They were
hovering about the wheat field, not wanting to leave just like me. They were as lost as
me. It’s because I have lost my direction.
I have never thought that I would be left alone; the moment when I thought of the
people around me, dying one after another; their white eyes and robes disappearing
into the air; when I heard the soul soothing song once again, all the dead were standing
up on the sky, looking down at me through the clouds, I couldn’t help but to feel upset
when I looked up to see the sky above me.
I still didn’t know who’s the West Guardian, just like one who could never get out of his
or her nightmare. Also, I wasn’t sure if the others died because of my mistrust and
inability. Maybe the real West Guardian was smiling at me behind my back.
I bade goodbye to the waiter of the inn. Even if I were to complete the journey alone, I
would still do it.
That waiter didn’t say anything when he sent me off that time. He was just a simple
mortal, just like my people back on the city. The only difference was the fact that he did
not know that I was the almighty god in my city.
I left the place without turning back because my year has already started to fall.
Images after images came flashing past - I saw Liao Jian standing in front of his father,
telling him. “Father, I have become the best East Guardian.” I saw Yue Shen'stough yet
lonely look, but her occasional smile was like wind of the spring, so soothing and warm.
I saw Xing Gui’s weak and tiny body lying in a pool of blood, telling me to look for my
happiness. I saw Pian Feng controlling the wind happily; I saw Chao Ya playing her
zither with lots of butterflies dancing around her; I saw Huang Tuo casting his
protection enchantment over me; I saw the horrible death of Shang Lie…
I just felt something started to shatter within my chest, shattering into sharp pieces…
—
I was already very far away from that prosperous town; I have not seen any mortals
around me anymore. I lay on the grass with the warm sunlight shining on me gently.
The scent in the air smelled like spring was arriving soon.
When I sat up to think about what I should do, I saw a vortex appearing above the
horizon line afar. I knew a person with strong spiritual power was going to appear
because I could feel the ground rumbling and it started to snow. It was just like the time
when Li Luo appeared. My memory started to shake like a bunch of messy reflections.
And then an unbelievable sight appears before my eyes when the snow had stopped
falling.
Xing Gui was standing high up in the sky, descending slowly. The wind was blowing
from her feet upward, making her hair and robe fly.
The moment she landed on the ground, she made her way slowly towards me. I saw that
blur and strange smile on her face and it looked like an illusion to me.
“My king, how have you been?” She asked, looking up at me.
I could feel my strength leaving my body slowly as if I have lost the strength to even
stand properly.
“Xing Gui, weren’t you dead while you were at the North territory?” I asked her.
Her voice appeared in the air around me but I didn’t see her lips moving. The strange
smile was still on her face. “Do you think Xing Zhou can kill me with her power?”
“Then you…”
“I am the West Guardian that you have been looking for. Xing Gui.”
I couldn’t say anything; all I could do was to watch her smile becoming creepier and
creepier. “How can Xing Gui be the West Guardian?” I couldn’t stop asking myself.
“My dear king, do you still remember the last dream that I had given you? I told you to
look at it when you meet the West Guardian. Have you forgotten?”
Xing Gui’s smile was like a charm
In that dream, she was exactly the same as what was before me. That blurry smile and
strange creepy voice. She told that this was all her game.
“My king, you are my brother’s most trusted person, so I know you are not that simple.
Hence I have to try my best to help you to get past the first three guardians, because if
you were to die in their hands, it wouldn’t be interested ting anymore. Those people
couldn’t even fight with a finger of mine. I want to play a game with you; a game of
killing others and being killed by others. You are a worthy opponent and because my life
has been so boring, I wouldn’t want to miss such interesting thing in life. I want to see if
you are able to find the true West Guardian but I think my brother believe in the wrong
person. Your thinking is much simpler than I thought that you would have. Ka Suo, this
is a great chase and kill game. I would kill every single person around you and when all
the people around are dead, I would appear to tell you that I am the true West Guardian.
Mainly because you couldn’t do anything to me and you would never win me with your
spiritual power even if you have inherited your brother’s power.”
“My king, I have already set the route for the star. Please follow me to play this
interesting game…”
When I struggled to get out of Xing Gui’s dream, her smiling face was still in front of me
but the surrounding has become clearer and I could see the grass and sunlight, but my
heart was enveloped in a snow storm.
Xing Gui stood before me and I saw her hand holding a weapon that I had never seen
before. Countless of black ribbons were surrounding her fingers like they were dancing
in the wind. The air around me seemed to be frozen, giving one a suffocating feeling. I
heard Xing Gui’s voice floating above my head. “Ka Suo, you are alone now. I’ll see how
are you able to get past me!”
I felt so tired all of a sudden. “You think so? Then you should look what is behind you.” I
said slowly.
Because Chao Ya, Yue Shen and Huang Tuo have already appeared behind Xing Gui.
They were my most trusted people.
Xing Gui looked calm but when she looked at me that time, I could see the sparkle in her
eyes. “So they did not die at all.”
“Right. They didn’t die. I would rather see myself die than them because they are the
most outstanding people of Ren Xue Cheng. And this includes Pian Feng, Liao Jian and
Shang Lie who died in your hands as well. They are the most outstanding ones.”
“You know that I’m the one who killed Liao Jian? Since when did you start to suspect
me?”
“I did not suspect you at that time.”
“Then how did you know that I am the West Guardian?”
“From many areas, first one is Liao Jianms death. Because found a needle with lethal
poison in his head, so we fell into the trap that you had set for us. You made us think
that it was that poison needle that killed Liao Jian but it wasn’t the fact at all. After that
Huang Tuo discovered that the poison congregated at his head was a lethal poison caller
Shang Yao, a chronic flower poison and it would mean that Liao Jian was already
poisoned way before we entered the West territory. And at that time, he has been the
one carrying you the whole, so you’re the one closest to him and no one would expect
you to be the one who would poison him.”
“Correct. I am the one who killed Liao Jian and Shang Yao is the poison used. And then?
Don’t tell me you know that I’m the West Guardian from this simple deduction?”
“Nope. Besides Liao Jian’s death, it would be your own death.”
“My death?”
“Yes, your plot to kill yourself was a very well-planned one. No one would suspect a
dead person. Because Huang Tuo had casted the most powerful enchantment, it’s where
his life was and if he were to survive, the person within the enchantment would have
survived as well. If not, the person, who would die, would be Huang Tuo himself if the
enchantment were to be broken. But you still died in the end. At first Huang Tuo and I
thought that it’s because your weak body constitution and the restriction force between
astrologers, so we were upset. Upset over your death. After that your brother gave me a
letter, he said he saw it from the stars that you had gone to another place and he told me
not to let you be alone. At that time I thought Xing Jiu was referring to you being at the
underworld. But in actual fact, you have gone to the West territory to wait for our
arrival. Because you were afraid that your brother would tell us about the news that
you’re still alive, you told me not to tell him about your death news.”
Xing Gui’s gaze started to get colder. “Continue.”
“And then while we were fighting with Xing Zhou that time, you could kill her easily.
Before she died, she was about to tell us who is the West Guardian because she found it
a joke to see you among us. But you didn’t give her a chance to speak up; you killed her
with your power again. That time we thought you were using one of the ice skill, and we
were wondering how did you, an astrologer, know about such complicated dark magic
because only the best illusionist and dark sorcerers would know about this spell.”
“And then when we entered into your territory, you and your men created a series of
death to distract us from your questionable behavior. It was only until Ya Zhao’s death
then I started to suspect you again.”
“Why?”
“Because of Yue Shen’s suspect towards Chao Ya. Both of them possess the ability to
dispel that dream, but the weirdest part is Chao Ya’s ability to interpret dream is much
stronger than Yue Shen and yet she cannot even dispel that dream spell. This shows that
there is an astrologer, who is much stronger than Chao Ya, around us and you are the
most powerful astrologer. At first you wanted to make use of Chao Ya to make us
suspect her instead, but you have forgotten one thing - it’s impossible to have two West
Guardians at the same time. If Chao Ya pretended to be injured, why would Huang Tuo
help to cover up for her? So I told Yue Shen that the both of them are not the West
Guardians.”
“So all of you faked your own death to lure me out?”
“Not really. I was only suspecting you but the thing that confirmed my suspicion would
be Shang Lie.”
“Shang Lie, how did you know that I was he one who killed him?”
“Because of the hand sign when we found his body. That is the frequent hand sign that
astrologers would use so we all thought Shang Lie is an astrologer but Chao Ya said she
could detect any dream interpretation or astrology related spiritual power from him.
Hence it showed that the person, who killed Shang Lie, is an astrologer and is a powerful
one because it’s totally impossible for a normal person to kill Shang Lie so easily.”
“So you guys pretended to start killing one another to lure me out?”
“Yes. It is a risky move because if you were to read the stars on our actions, you would
definitely know that we are all acting. But I know you are way too arrogant and self-
conceited, so you tend to underestimate all of us. Moreover everything has been
proceeding in accordance to what you have predicted, so you would never thought of
this secret plan and also, you would not read the stars to know about our actions.”
Huang Tuo stood behind Xing Gui and said, “We have been staying by the king’s side,
waiting for you to appear. It is because we know you are an arrogant person, you will
never see anyone in your eyes and you will definitely appear in front of Ka Suo when
he’s alone. Because you don’t see him as your opponent, you want to see his shocked
and confused look but our king isn’t as useless as you think.”
Xing Gui looked at me with a confident and despising smile. “Ka Suo, do you believe that
I can kill you without even moving my hands?”
I just looked at her without saying anything.
“I know you won’t believe it. Remember your beloved granny? Do you still remember
the time when she transferred all her spiritual power to you? Do you remember when
her rough skin is pricking your hand like needle? Have you not suspected her before
that she may be pricking you with needle?” I heard her presumptuous laughter.
I started to daze out all of a sudden, feeling my heart falling downwards.
And then Xing Gui attacked me suddenly, her black ribbons came charging at me like
lightning strike. But I dodged her attack easily.
She stared at me with anger in her eyes. “Why didn’t you feel flustered after hearing the
truth?”
I stared at Xing Gui and told her. “Because I believe in humanity. I believe this world still
has something that worth me believing in, like the love granny has for me. I have no
reason in suspecting it.”
Xing Gui didn’t say anything and her long robe fluttered around her. She finally spoke
after some time. “Ka Suo, it seems like my brother isn’t wrong after all. You are smart
king but I dare to say that even if I may not win all of you, I am still certain to tell you
that I have enough power to soak this grassland with your blood before I die.”
The black ribbon started flying rapidly in the air like the speed of the wind, separating
the four of us. While I was trying to dodge her attack, I saw the three of them being
separated and they were defending themselves on their own with Xing Gui in the centre.
She was riding on the wind, overlooking us from above and she has that creepy smile
shining brightly on her face. “The climax of this game has finally arrived. My king, you
are a worthy opponent, Let’s continue…”
The black ribbon wrapped Yue Shen’s moonlight, and the light darkened because of it. I
could hear Yue Shen’s breathing rapidly; her robe and hair were flying in the air as she
jumped around. Xing Gui’s black ribbons had also wrapped Chao Ya’s white shiny
chords together and they looked a black and white dragon fighting one another.
Countless of white shattered butterflies started falling down to the ground like crushed
snowflakes, and Huang Tuo was trying to protect everyone with his enchantments while
Xing Gui’s black ribbons kept hitting the transparent wall, creating sharp and clear
sound from it like lightning striking across the sky.
I have already summoned a number of ice swords and those ice swords were hovering
above Xing Gui, but it was hard to get past her defense and the black ribbons shattered
the ice swords into million pieces.
 Ice Fantasy 23 – Nightmare. Xing Gui. Snow
Everything went quiet all of a sudden; Chao Ya and Yue Shen leapt into the air, thinking
that there’s no black suppression above them anymore; Yue Shen’s moonlight
brightened up the place once again because Xing Gui had withdrawn all her black
ribbons suddenly.
And then I saw the sad smile on Xing Gui’s face, just that innocent child when I first met
her.
She looked at me and said. “Ge.”
I turned around to see Xing Jiu standing behind me, looking so dignified and stern in his
astrology robe. His hair was flying in the wind, strand after strand.
“Ge, how did you get here?” Xing Gui asked softly, looking at Xing Jiu. At this moment,
Xing Gui was like a gentle and obedient girl; like the fragile little girl whom Xing Jiu
carried out of the Mystical Star Palace.
“You don’t need to know how did I get here. Xing Gui, tell me. Are you the West
Guardian?”
Xing Gui didn’t say anything, and I saw a glow flashed past her eyes very quickly. “Ge, if I
were to say yes, would you forgive me?” She asked, lowering her head.
“No.”
“Why?”
“I have told you before. Ka Suo is a king that I respect the most; if anyone were to hurt
him in any way, I would not forgive that person. Moreover you had already killed so
many people, do you not hear the voices of the souls in the sky when you sleep?”
“Ge, I don’t care about those people. I just care about you. Do you really not want to
forgive me?”
“Yes, I will not forgive you.” Xing Jiu turned his back against Xing Guo and I saw big drop
of tear rolling down his face, falling onto the grass.
“My king, let’s end this.” Xing Jiu told me.
“Xing Jiu, that is your younger sister…”
“I don’t have this kind of sister.” Xing Jiu cut me off.
“Ge, you really want to fight me?”
“Yes.”
“Am I not your younger sister?”
Xing Jiu looked at the sky and sighed. “My sister, Xing Jiu, is a kind and pure girl. She will
lie in my arms and fall asleep peacefully but she’s already dead now. She died in my
memories and she will not appear anymore.”
And then I saw Xing Gui’s tear like some shattered lights.
“Ge.” Her voice sounded like still water, feeling so calm yet one could still hear the
despair in it. “Ge, if I were to know that you would not forgive me, I wouldn’t choose to
live a few more hundreds of years. Maybe it would have been a good ending if I were to
die in the palace at the age of two hundreds. Because you wouldn’t hate me forever.”
And then I heard the tearing sound of flesh, I saw those black ribbons went through her
chest like black waves and Xing Gui fell to the ground with a thud. “Ge, ge! Why didn’t
you forgive me?”
“Why didn’t you forgive me…”
The place, where Xing Gui died, has a crystal ball. That was the dream she left for her
brother.
Xing Jiu stood high up at the cliff with Xing Gui lying in his arms. They looked just like
the first time when I met them. Snow was falling onto his hair and shoulders and he had
opened his shield to protect Xing Gui; his gaze was as warm as the lake water during
spring.
“Xing Jiu, why did you come?
"Because I have been praying for my sister and you, and then I sensed that my sister is
in a danger. I sensed that there are several powerful people attacking her, so I came all
the way here until I saw the four of you and Xing Gui standing in the centre. At that
moment, I know the truth. She is the West Guardian.”
“Xing Jiu, I thought you doted on her a lot. But why…”
“Ka Suo, all I can say is, the love I have towards my sister isn’t anyway lesser than your
love towards Yong Kong Shi. So… Please don’t talk about this anymore because
everytime if you were to mention it, I feel like I’m going to die.”
“My king, I will leave you because my sister is already dead and I have no one that I
want to protect now. As for you, you have become stronger and there’s no need for me
to protect you anymore. I may live in the snow mountain in seclusion, staying by Xing
Gui’s grave and when the grave is filled with cherry blossom flowers that time, it will
also be the time when I will cry non-stop.”
“My king, you are the most respected king in my eyes. I shall pray for you forever, but
for now, please let me leave.”
I couldn’t say anything when I looked at Xing Jiu’s face.
And then Xing Jiu and Xing Gui disappeared in the snow, I could vaguely hear Xing Jiu’s
singing voice from afar.
—
Nightmare. Xing Gui. Snow
“My name is Xing Gui. My father doted me the most. My father is the best astrologer in
Ren Xue Cheng.”
My father was the toughest man that I have ever seen; I have seen the look of him when
he was standing at the highest tower of the palace, reading the stars. He looked so
serious and dignified just like the black basalt Star Sacrificial altar at the snow
mountain. Wind gushed upwards from his feet like a tsunami roar; his astrology robe
was fluttering in the wind like a pair of black wings. He would always look like a soaring
eagle to me.
Many years had passed and time flew past like water flowing past his body and I
believed this would not cause any change to him because he’s still as strong and
determined as ever.“
But everytime when he saw me, sadness would appear on his face and this was when I
saw my strong father shed a tear for me.
"Because I am a kid that makes everyone worries.”
When I was still a kid, my mother told me tearfully that my star sign had been disrupted
and I could only live till 250 years old. Once I was over 250 years old, my life would start
to have an unpredictable trail because there’s a possibility to die anytime. After that I
saw tears started streaming down my mother’s face, dropping into her pure red long
robe, forming tiny flower pattern on it. I stretched my hand to wipe her tear away,
telling that I would continue to live my life happily even if there’s only two hundreds
years for me to live on.
And then I saw my mother burst into tears.
When I was born, the whole family was very happy with my arrival because my
newborn body had already possessed a thousand years of spiritual power in it. My
mother told me that when I was born, my hair was already longer than her and those
crystal white hairs were wrapping me within it tightly while I slept soundly in it.
My father cried out of happiness.
But I was a child that made others worry.
My father held a star reading ceremony for the newborn and my mother told me he was
exceptionally happy on that day. His smile was as bright as the sun in the sky, and
everyone in the family was being influenced by his happiness because they have never
seen my father smiling like this before.
But when the star reading session was halfway through, the whole alter went silent all
of a sudden and everyone could see the shattered star sign above my father’s star staff.
My father wobbled for a moment before he fell onto the icy cold basalt rock.
“I am a broken child and I shouldn’t be born at all.” This was what I have been thinking
while I was at the dungeon of Mystical Star Palace.
My body was getting weaker and even a gush of wind was enough to make me vomit
blood. That day when my father carried me down to the underground dungeon, he cried
again. “Xing Gui, my dear daughter, you will be absolutely safe and sound when you stay
here. Father is the best astrologer so I will change the star track for you. Father will not
let you die.”
I looked at my father and nodded. “Father, I believe in you. You are the greatest
astrologer.”
And then I closed my eyes. But I knew it’s impossible to change the position of the stars
even with my spiritual power, let alone my father.
My brother, Xing Jiu, is also a child with strong spiritual power except that he didn’t
possess such strong power and weird destiny like mine.
But I loved my brother because he has been the one comforting me. “You made me want
to be a better person.”
Because of this sentence, I fell into his arms to cry.
Before I reached 130 years old, I was a lonely child that lived in an underground
dungeon within the palace. I have never seen the real star sign before except those on
the star staff. I have never seen the snow falling on the cherry blossom trees before nor
did I experience the snow falling on my shoulders as well. Never seen my own palace
before, the lightest palace of the Ice Kingdom.
I could only manage to imagine these images when my brother told me about it. The
more I thought about it, the more upset I got.
My brother always told me with a determined look that he would become a better
person and I wouldn’t die when I reached 250 years old.
When I saw his young look, I knew I liked my brother a lot.
When my brother reached adulthood, he came to look for me after his ceremony. For
one moment I thought I was looking at my father.
My brother has become a persevered astrologer like our father. I saw his pure white
astrology robe and his flying long hair as he walked into the dungeon.
“Ge.” I called him slowly and blissfully.
Xing Jiu walked over to carry me up and put me on his laps. “Xing Gui, I’m getting
stronger each day. Wait for me.”
I nodded and I saw my brother’s warm smile scattering all over me.
“Xing Gui, gege won’t let you die. I will change the track of the stars and then you can
stay by my side. Because you are the person that made me stronger. You are my
everything.”
“You are my everything.”
My brother didn’t know that I have been very upset over his words, and I kept thinking
what if I were to die one day, would my tough brother cry if he didn’t find me in the
dungeon?
My brother always told me about the things happening outside, including who was the
king of the Ice Kingdom, who was the best illusionist and he would always mention Ka
Suo’s name because my brother viewed him as the best prince in the kingdom. He’s
gentle, kind and dignified. My brother always said that he’s great man and he would
become the greatest king.
My brother told me that one day he would become very powerful that he could change
one’s destiny and then he could bring me out of this dark prison, giving me a chance to
stand on the majestic grand hall to pray for Ka Suo as I was the best astrologer.
When I saw my brother’s happy face, I thought it was for real for one moment but I
knew it was just a beautiful dream; a dream that could comfort my brother and myself. I
knew the last day of my life would happen either on the morning or blood red evening,
but I was still grateful for my brother for giving me the hope to live on. I still felt painful
and upset, it’s not for myself but for my beloved brother, Xing Jiu.
I possessed a body constitution that others not have because I was still in my child form
even when I reached adulthood and this was when I knew I would never grow up.
That day I didn’t want to see my brother because I would cry the moment I thought of
him. My brother was already a handsome adult but I was still a kid. I didn’t want my
brother to be upset when he saw me.
But it seemed like he was aware of it. He stood in the dark and spoke in his gentle voice.
“Xing Gui, I know about your situation but ge has not changed in any way. I still like Xing
Gui because Xing Gui is still Xing Gui, no matter how much you have changed, you are
still Xing Gui.”
I was at the other end of the darkness, looking at my brother. His face was so gentle, his
hair was so soft and I saw his black astrology black robe with illusionary blue hexagram
prints on it. And then Xing Jiu turned around and he saw me, so he walked over to carry
me up, putting me on his laps. “Xing Gui, father gave me this astrology robe because I
have predicted a disaster accurately. I am getting stronger, you just have to wait for me.”
With that he leant down to kiss the hexagram mark on my forehead. “Xing Gui, you
make me want to become a better person.”
Staying in the dungeon made me forget about the liveliness of the outside world, it just
looked like I was waiting for my time to come in silence.
There was a period of time when my brother didn’t come to visit me because that was
the time when the Holy War started. It just caught everyone off guard.
I stood in the dungeon, looking up at the black roof, imagining the world above me in
fire and wondering if the icy blue clouds were being burnt into red lotus flowers.
I kept reading the stars, praying for the kingdom because my brother was at the war. I
could always imagine him standing high up in the cliff, raising his star staff and
observing the star signs. I could see his perseverance that was exactly the same as our
father.
For the long period of time, my father had replaced my brother’s role and he would
come to accompany me, putting me on his laps just like the time when I was just born.
I would always ask him about the holy war and my father always told me. “Xing Jiu, you
don’t have to worry because our king is the greatest king ever.” My father told me that
my brother was the youngest astrologer in that war and his achievement was very
outstanding. I believed in my brother because he was the greatest person in my heart.
My father would always let out a sad sigh everytime he saw my smile because I knew he
got reminded about my life, short like a meteoroid. I would always touch his face to
console him. “Father, please don’t worry about me because gege will change my
destiny.” I said, using the lie that I didn’t even believe to console him.
“Rights. You should continue to live happily.” He said, and then he turned his head
around, but I could still see the tears brimming in his eyes.
I wasn’t sure how long had passed when my brother was finally back to see me again. I
knew the holy war had ended. My brother had won the war because he has officially put
on the royalty robe of the astrology tribe. I felt so happy for him.
He came forward to carry me with a bright smile on his face. It was just like the shining
sun in the sky that warmed me up.
“Xing Gui, I have finally become the king of the Star Tribe. I will become stronger.”
I saw his serious look and nodded my head. I’ve started to believe in the dream that he
had created for me.
But it was still a dream after all, and it would disperse away like illusion in the water.
And I have never expected it to come so quickly.
“It seemed like my life was going to end earlier than expected.” I thought.
When I was 190 years old, I felt a piercing pain in my chest all of a sudden. I fell to the
black basalt floor with white blood gushing out from my mouth.
When I woke up, I was still alone, lying on the floor. I sat up slowly and wiped the blood
on the floor with my sleeve. Tears kept streaming down my face as I wiped the floor; I
have never felt so upset before. It’s not because of the pain or the arrival of death; it’s
just that I suddenly thought of not able to see my brother’s smile that made me sad. I
continued sitting on the icy cold floor, thinking of my brother.
That night when Xing Jiu came to visit me, I didn’t tell him about the earlier incident
because I was afraid that he might get sad over it. He continued telling me stories about
the beautiful world outside. A moment of sadness hit when I admired his handsome face
because it reminded me that I wouldn’t get a chance to see this face again in future.
Subsequently it has become more frequent for me to vomit blood and my health started
to deteriorate but I didn’t let anyone know about it. I would always smile when I was
with my brother and father, I didn’t want them to be sad because they were the two
men that I loved the most in this world.
It was only until one day when I woke up from the black floor, cleaning the blood on the
floor, I saw a lady standing in the darkness. She looked at me and told me her purpose
without any hesitation. “I can give you eternal life.”
“I can give you eternal life.” I wasn’t sure who was this lady before me.
“I am Yuan Ji.”
“How did you know about what I am thinking? Are you an astrologer?” I asked fearfully.
“I am not an astrologer. I am the god above everyone.”
“If you are willing to be my West Guardian, I can give you eternal life. You can go to and
fro between the Snow Mountain and Ren Xue Cheng. You can live wherever you want.”
She said.
“So I can stay by my brother’s side forever?” I asked.
“Yes, but you have to come to me when I need you.”
“Okay, I agree.”
“Don’t you think it’s a little too fast for you to reply me? Why didn’t you ask about the
role of the West Guardian?”
“I don’t want to ask as long as I can stay by my brother’s side. I will do whatever you ask
me to do.”
“I guess it’s better for me to tell you because the West Guardian is the cruelest guardian
and this role takes charge of killing and you will be despised by everyone.”
“As long as you don’t ask me to kill my brother and my family will do. I don’t care about
what the others will think about me.”
“Very good.” Yuan Ji said and then she disappeared into the thin air like an illusion. For
one moment I thought there’s no existence of such person at all, but my health started to
get better and the frequency of vomiting blood reduced gradually until it stopped
completely.
My brother stood before me, bending down to look at me. “Xing Gui, you make me want
to be a better man.”
I cried when I saw my brother’s face and hugged him. I told myself. “Ge, I can finally be
with fm you forever.”
 Ice Fantasy 24 – The Invincible Yuan Ji
The entire West territory started shaking after Xing Gui’s death; mist started rising from
the ground, filling the whole sky and earth. The enchantment was going to disappear;
these were the signs of the crumbling of the illusions in the West territory. The moment
the mortal world collapsed, the god realm appeared before my eyes once again.
I have never seen such huge and majestic realm before. I turned back to see Yue Shen
and Chao Ya’s astonished gasp.
There was a flight of stairs in front of us; it just led up to the sky infinitely. Amidst the
mist, there seemed to have a glowing palace behind it.
I heard a voice; that voice sounded cold and arrogant. “Come up, Ka Suo.”
The stairs seemed to be leading to infinity, we almost felt like giving up as we walked on
it because we didn’t seem to be get nearer to the palace at all.
No one talked and the surrounding was so quiet that it made one feel scared.
I knew I could see Yuan Ji right at the end of the stairs, that legendary god who was
above everyone.
When we’ve finally stood at the tallest point of the stairs, the mist dispersed away and a
majestic palace came into view. As compared to this palace, the one in Ren Xue Cheng
was like a sandcastle built by kids. Energy glows were flowing around the palace and
Yue Shen told me those were spiritual powers just like those on my phoenix robe. The
music from the palace was much melodious than the one that Chao Ya played at the wall
of sigh.
A huge face appeared in the sky, above the palace, covering the whole sky. The face
looked exceptionally blurry on the sky, and I just have this feeling that I have seen it
before. “Come on in, Ka Suo.” A creepy smile appeared on the face.
The palace was much bigger than we had expected and the feeling was like climbing the
long flight of stairs as well. At the end of the palace, there was a courtyard and a lotus
pond was situated in the middle of the courtyard; I knew the lotus that I have been
looking for was in that pond. Looking upwards, there was a person lying on the couch
and that must be Yuan Ji.
But when I advanced to the middle of the courtyard, I felt my legs wobbling because I
saw Lian Ji’s smile.
Her smile was so alluring and attractive.
“You are Yuan Ji?”
“Yes, I am Yuan Ji.” I could hear her voice clearly even though I didn’t see Lian Ji’s lips
moving.
“My king, you know her?” I heard Yue Shen asking me.
“Yes, I know her. She is my father’s concubine, Lian Ji.”
After that I heard their astonished gasps.
“Ka Suo, you have surprised me but if not because of Feng Tian and your brother’s
powers, you would have died halfway.” Lian Ji said.
“I want to revive, Shi, Li Luo and Lan Sang.”
“You want, but do you know if I want or not?”
“You definitely want.”
And then I heard Lian Ji’s eerie laughter. “Ka Suo, no one dare to talk to me like this.
Don’t even think that you can be so rude to me in front of these few useless people here.
I can crush you to death anytime I want.”
“Isn’t Shi your son? Don’t you love him?” I asked Yuan Ji.
“Your father is just an ordinary king, he isn’t eligible for me to bear a son for him. I only
created Ying Kong Shi with a cherry blossom petal, a red lotus petal and a feather of the
snow sleet bird. So why should I be upset over his death?”
Suddenly I remembered Lian Ji’s eerie smile when Shi was fighting for the throne with
me. I’ve finally understood everything; she has been watching this game silently
because she was the one controlling it.
“Ka Suo, you are right. This is a game I played. I am the one who manipulated the star
sign and created the link between your brother and you. Do you know what star staff I
used? I am using the Dan Xing staff, I create all stars and the problems in the world are
games in my hands.”
I didn’t want to say anything and I just told her my request. “Please let me revive them.”
Lian Ji smiled at me and that smile looked exceptionally despising.
I attacked all of a sudden and I gathered the spiritual power from my robe to my left
hand to summon the snow while the right to summon the fire; at that moment, I used all
my spiritual powers to attack Lian Ji.
Just when I first started my attack, Ye Shen was already one step ahead of me and her
moonlight was now glowing in blue; Chao Ya had already seated on the floor with her
Wu Yin Qin activated when countless of chords went flying towards Lian Ji, and Huang
Tuo had already casted a perfect enchantment to protect us while he stood there like a
defenseless child.
This was the last battle without any leeway.
But Lian Ji only needed to move her index finger and the protection enchantment over
us was shattered. All our attacks were shot back to ourselves with blood gushing out
our mouth.
When the four of us had fallen to the floor, Lian Ji was lying on her couch leisurely. I
have finally understood what granny said was true: Yuan Ji was invincible.
She walked to me and looked down at me. Chao Ya, Yue Shen and Huang Tuo were
already unconscious and they were lying in their own blood.
“Ka Suo, have you realized how tiny are you now?” She said to me.
I didn’t say anything but despairs were filling my heart and I could see was a black
rushing river.
“Ka Suo, don’t feel so hopeless. I can help to revive them.”
“Why?”
“Because my game isn’t going to end soon.” She looked down at me and smiled.
And then when she swung her sleeve, countless of red lotuses started blooming out
from the pond.
I’ve finally seen the invisible lotus.
Lian Ji told me the invisible lotus was able to revive a person but it could restore the
memories of his past life. The invisible lotus was the most powerful plant in the god
realm because you could revive a person to the one you wanted him or her to be and
when the revived person met the one who revived him or her, the memories would be
restored at that time. Before the memories got restored, the person would have vague
feeling that he or she had come to the place before or did certain thing before and this
would lead to the person meeting the one who revived him or her.
“Can I know how will they become after they are revived?”
“No, only when they see you, then their memories will be restored and then they will tell
you who they really are.” And then Lian Ji smiled. “Ka Suo, this is only the beginning of
the game.” With that she disappeared into thin air before me.
—
When I left Yuan Ji’s palace, I stood at the stairs and looked up at the sky. I saw Shi, Lan
Sang and Li Luo’s faces appearing in the sky and disappearing after a while.
I knew this world has three newborns and they were my younger brother and the
persons I loved. They were living innocently in one corner of the world.
I just didn’t know whether I still have the chance to hear Shi calling me ‘ge’.
 Ice Fantasy 25 – 100 Years Later
After leaving the snow mountain one hundreds years later, I have become a lonely yet
satisfied person.
Because I have hope, and once a person has hope, he or she would be able to leave
peacefully for a thousand years or ten thousands years, facing the passing of time and
life and death with a smile.
I knew Shi, Lan Sang and Li Luo were growing up at one corner of the world. They
would become an adult one day and I hoped they could live happily and blissfully in this
world, admiring the sky with a smile.
Actually I always wanted such life, simple and satisfied, the palace maids have started
saying that I was a warm king because I always have a smile on my face. I would stand at
the empty land in front of the grand hall, looking at the sky and smiling at the sight of
the flying snow sleet birds.
I would always think of the dream that Xing Jiu gave me several hundreds years ago. In
the dream, I was the sorcerer, who had violated a taboo, being tied to the rock; my
brother, Ying Kong Shi, was that snow sleet bird that sacrificed its life to give me
freedom. In the past I would always cry because of the dream, but now I could face it
calmly with a smile. Because I knew that Shi was now living in this world like me. He
would still be the beautiful boy and he might have an older who loved him just like I did
in the past while we were in exile.
Xing Jiu had already left Ren Xue Cheng; I did not know where did he bring his sister. He
told me to stay strong because there’s someone waiting to reunite with me.
When I went back to Ren Xue Cheng, I went to the Mystical Star Palace to meet Xing Jiu’s
father. When I told him about Xing Gui’s death, he couldn’t stop crying.
He told me maybe it’s a relief for Xing Gui except the part that Xing Jiu refused to forgive
her even when she’s dead. It was a sad thing when the one you loved hate you. The
feeling was worse than dying and even if her loved one had already forgiven her, there’s
no way for her to know the truth.
He told me a lot of things about the siblings. I could tell that all the past memories were
flashing back in his life again. It was as if I saw the young Xing Jiu, seeing him and Xing
Gui smiling happily together. Suddenly I thought of the back view of Xing Jiu when he
carried Xing Gui away, it felt so sorrowful.
I walked towards him and hugged him. His body had shrunk. He was no longer that
tough king of the Star Tribe anymore.
When I was about to leave the Mystical Star Palace, Xing Jiu’s father knelt down before
me with both arms crossed before his chest. “My king, my honourable king, you have
been the kindest king I had ever met. On behalf of my tribe, I would pray for you. I hope
you can stay strong for this world and also for that someone that is waiting to reunite
with you. You possessed all of their memories with you…”
Just like Xing Jiu, granny had also left Ren Xue Cheng. Her hair was as short as before
and it’s impossible for her to recover her spiritual power anymore. I felt sorry for her
when I touched my hair.
“Ka Suo, you are a noble king. You are much nobler than your father. Your father had
defeated the entire Fire Tribe and brought prosperity to the Ice Tribe but I think that
you are much nobler than him, because you possessed a great heart. I will leave the city
and head back to the snow mountain. I’m already very old but your trail of fate has just
starter. One day, your beloved ones will return to you one day. My king, please wait
patiently.” Granny told me before she left.
I watched her diminishing back disappeared before my sight. I thought of the days when
Shi and I were still a pair of naughty kids in the snow fog forest. We would always sit on
granny’s lap and hear her calling us prince. With a blink of eyes, several hundreds years
had passed and I was now wearing the Phoenix robe standing on the highest city wall,
hearing my people calling out for me. And that granny, who would always carry me and
call me prince, had aged gradually.
When I saw granny’s back view disappearing into the snow, the sky darkened all of a
sudden and I heard the wind blowing from afar.
Huang Tuo and Chao Ya had also said goodbye the moment we came back to the city. I
knew Ren Xue Cheng was my Ren Xue Cheng and I still have to continue living in this
place alone.
—
The first revived person I saw was Lan Sang. She was still a little mermaid when I first
met her. She was swimming happily in the sea. I saw her pure silvery white hair,
shimmering like stardust under the sun.
I went to the deep sea palace to visit this little mermaid and the ruler of the palace told
me her name was Jian Tong. She was born one hundred years ago and no one knew
about her background. She was wrapped in a bunch of seaweeds when they found her.
When they peeled the seaweeds open, they saw her beautiful sleeping face. I was sure
that she’s Lan Sang.
I stood in the palace, admiring the swimming Jian Tong and thought of Lan Sang several
hundreds years ago. I’ve finally felt relieved to see her being able to live happily in the
sea again.
The ruler told me Jian Tong would always mention that she wanted to marry me. When
they asked her why, she always said ‘she doesn’t know’ and she would have a lost look
on her face. But she would continue to say that she want to marry the king in Ren Xue
Cheng.
From then on I would always sit on the roof to watch her but she woukd never notice
me. Suddenly I recalled about the past when I used to sit at the roof to admire the
dancing starlight, Lan Sang would always hide at one corner of the sea to watch me
silently. And now, it was my turn to do the same to her.
I felt like this was a kind of repayment but I was more than willing to do it. I hoped to
watch her grow up and then I would bring her to the palace, not letting anything or
anyone to hurt her again.
—
When Jian Tong was 130 years old, she has become a beautiful woman and everyone
from the sea palace was shocked because she looked exactly the same as Lan Sang.
The day when she reached adulthood and her fishtail slouched off, I brought her back to
Ren Xue Cheng and announced that she was my concubine.
The day when I married Jian Tong, the whole of Ren Xue Cheng was exceptionally
excited and happy because this was the first time I married a woman ever since the day
I became the king.
I was sitting on my throne when all the astrologers, sorcerers and swordsmen were
sitting along both sides of the aisle, waiting. At the end of the aisle, I saw Jian Tong and
she looked lost. She looked like an injured beast standing on the middle of a road.
I stood up and waved at her with a smile. “Jian Tong, don’t be afraid. Come here.”
As she made her way to me, the people on the two sides started kneeling down with
both hands across their chest. I heard their greetings ringing throughout the grand hall.
I saw Jian Tong’s eyes began to get brighter and brighter and the lost look on her face
started to fade out as well. I knew she has begun to regain her past memories.
When she stood before me and looked into my eyes that time, her eyes were bright and
clear and I knew she had regained all her memories. Hence I tried calling her, Lan Sang.
And then she cried. She knelt down with her tear falling onto my robe. “My king, I’ve
been waiting for you for a long time.”
I held her by her shoulders, looking into her eyes. “Jian Tong, let me take care of you for
the rest of your life. I want to give you happiness.”
She smiled and the entire hall cheered.
But I saw sorrows between her brows; I thought she needed time to wipe away the
sorrows from the past life.
—
Ever since granny left the forest, the kids had lost the warmth they usually got from her.
And everytime I went to visit that place, the kids would pull my robe and asked, “My
king, where is granny? When will she be back?”
I bent down to stroke their faces. “Granny will be back soon. I will be here to accompany
all of you so you don’t have to be afraid.” Smiles spread across their faces upon hearing
that.
I always loved lying on the grass in the forest, letting the sun to shine on me because the
warmth it gave off was able to make one feel safe and secured. I kept looking and
thinking if I was able to find reincarnated Li Lip here. I wanted to see her younger self
and watched her grow up myself.
Finally, I got to see her once again. The woman that I had loved for hundreds of years
and also the woman I would continue to love for the rest of my life.
She was still a child when I saw her but I knew she was going to reach 130 years old
soon because she determined look of an adult on her face. She was like an agile little
unicorn when she first appeared before me; she was wearing a pair of black boots and
her agility was almost like Yue Shen. Her hair was like before, with a tint of icy blue.
She has a strange look on her face when she saw me, and I knew there was a face like
mine that appeared in the deepest part of her memories. I just smiled at her, not saying
anything. I was waiting for her to remember me.
She continued to stand there, looking at me without saying anything and I saw the lost
look on her face. “Can you tell me your name?
She just looked at me, not saying anything. My heart ached when I saw Li Luo’s face. I
leant down and told her, "Don’t be afraid. I have to go now. I’ll come visit you when you
are 130 years old.”
After that someone told me that girl’s name was Li Jing and she was born mute. She
wasn’t a pie blood illusionist but she was a smart kid with strong spiritual power.
 Ice Fantasy 26 – First Wife Li Jing
When Li Jing was 130 years old that time, I went back to snow fog forest. I saw the adult
Li Jing at the entrance of the forest and she was standing on the unicorn. Snow was
falling slowly down and I looked at her like time had reversed - the first time when I saw
Li Luo at the end of the long street like the beautiful cherry blossom flower.
I walked over and Li Jing came down from the unicorn, kneeling before me with both
hands crossed before her chest. She looked up at me; even though she wasn’t speaking, I
seemed to hear her voice in the air like what Li Luo said several hundreds years ago.
“My king, I’m here to bring you home…”
I went over to hug her and started crying like a little kid. “Li Luo, I miss you so much.”
—
Li Jing became my wife, the queen of Ren Xue Cheng. On the day of our marriage, the
entire city was bathing in happiness. I had seen too much deaths and killing, and when
this kind of happiness came so suddenly at me, I felt so lost and flustered.
I stared at the firmament outside of the window; I couldn’t help but to wonder whether
fate was playing a joke on me. I didn’t mind sinking further into this current state of life
even if it was just an hallucination.
The happiness that I have been wishing for has begun to materialize, my heart was
crying in happiness.
But something still bothered me because Li Jing has the same sorrow in her eyes just
like Jian Tong. Maybe the several hundreds years of waiting has been too long and it
almost made them want to give up waiting.
Both Li Jing and Jian Tong were by my side, because Jian Tong was from the sea palace;
her spiritual power was outstanding, so she would always help with the matters
relating to the city and I was impressed by her way of handling things. I would always
see her tired figuring running around, reading all the dreams that the astrologers had
given her and she would always tell me what’s happening within the kingdom and I
would tell her what she supposed to do after that.
There were a few times when I saw Jian Tong sleeping in my palace, my heart hurt when
I saw her exhausted self. Everytime I would carry her back to her palace, and then I
would stay to watch her sleep. I had once told her not to tire herself so much but she
just smiled at me. That bright smile was just like Lan Sang’s sunshine smile. “My king,
I’m not tired. It’s a bliss to me to be able to help you in managing the kingdom.”
—
And Li Jing has been the one giving me all the tender loving care.
Everytime I went back to my palace, I would always see Li Jing standing at the door,
waiting for me with a red lantern in her hand. I saw her hair flying in the wind; her face
looked so gentle and peaceful and I seemed to hear her voice in the wind. “My king,
please follow me home…”
Every night seeing Li Jing holding the lantern, waiting for me, I would tell myself no
matter how tired I was, there’s still Li Jing waiting for me back at the palace. This tiny
action of hers was good enough to make me feel warm. That weak light in the dark
allowed me to know the way home, making me know that there’s someone waiting for
me at home.
I told Li Jing not to wait for me in the wind, as that made my heart ached but she just
shook her head with a smile every time. And then she buried her head into my chest; I
could smell the scent of her hair.
It seemed like I have gotten the happiness I wanted but was it true that I wouldn’t feel
regretted?
I looked at the sky, forgetting to speak.
Deep down my heart, there’s still someone that I have been thinking about the most but
he has yet to appear in my life. Li Jing and Jian Tong were aware about it - I have been
waiting for my brother’s news but he seemed to have disappeared from this world. Or
was this a joke that Yuan Ji played on me?
Everytime I looked at the sky, Shi’s face would appear in the sky and when the snow
sleet bird cried and flew past the sky, I would always hear Shi’s voice. “Ge, how have you
been? Are you happy? I miss you…”
One night, I struggled to wake up from a dream and then I started crying. I hugged Li
Jing and cried because I suddenly realized that I may not be able to see my brother
anymore.
Suddenly, I thought of Yuan Ji’s words: the revived person would become what that
person wanted to become in the past life.
If Shi still wanted to become my brother, it would mean I wouldn’t be able to see him
anymore. Because my parents had already gone to the snow mountain, it was
impossible to give birth at that place.
That night I kept sitting in the dark; everything related to Shi came gushing out once
again. Those that had buried down in the heart came gushing out like blood from the
wound.
Li Jing just sat by my side, not saying anything. Her hair fell on my shoulders as she
wrapped her arms around my waist. “Li Jing, I miss Shi a lot.”
But one month later; I didn’t have much time to think of Shi anymore. I could no longer
stand at the shore to admire the rock for one whole day anymore.
Because the Fire Tribe had trespassed the Ice Sea and their fire had already burnt the
land of the Ice Tribe.
It seemed to have gotten back to the period of the Holy War; the sky was filled with
sharp icicles and the land was filled with fire. I was still sitting in the grand hall but I
was no longer that little kid that was wrapped within the thousand-years fox fur
anymore. I have become the ruler of Ren Xue Cheng just like my father that time,
standing high up in the grand hall, wearing the phoenix robe and the face was cold like
the hardest ice in the snow mountain.
But I kept receiving news about the death of the warriors, I could imagine the picture of
the soaring fire at the war; countless of sorcerers dying in the fire just like how Tuo Ke
died before me and how Ji Quan died on the cliff with a three-spines sword pierced
through her body.
Astrologers continued sending the war situation to us with dream and I knew why was
the Fire Tribe so powerful. Because their Prince was strong and in the dream, I could
see him straightening his right fingers and then the greatest sorcerer of the Ice Tribe
died before him. It was almost like the time when Yue Shen and I fought against Yuan Ji
despite the difference in strength.
Astrologers told me that the Prince of the Fire Tribe was by the name Li Tian Jin. I saw
his face in the dream - short red hair like jumping fire, evil yet handsome looking face,
red swords in both hands and the creepy glows in his eyes.
In one of the dreams, I saw Li Tian Jin killed one of my sorcerers easily. I was shocked.
Even if it were me, I wouldn’t be able to kill a sorcerer with such simple move because
that was the best sorcerer in Ren Xue Cheng.
The number of sorcerers in Ren Xue Cheng has started to decrease, and in the end, I
have decided to go to the war myself. Some officials agreed while some disagreed, but I
have decided.
When I was about to leave for war, Li Jing and Jian Tong were standing behind me. They
have changed into their illusion robes. I didn’t say anything because I knew they would
follow me to wherever I went.
When I was at the black tall city gate, there were a few people waiting for me there.
I saw Yue Shen, Huang Tuo, Chao Ya and Die Che. I saw their smiles and they knelt
before me. “My king.”
Die Che told me she knew about the war while she was in the mortal world. Because this
war was much greater than that one during my father’s time and in addition, the Fire
Tribe’s prince, Li Tian Jin, seemed to possess invincible power.
When we were at the battlefield, we stood at a high cliff and I saw the battling of the Fire
and Ice Tribe. I saw many of the white illusion robes disappearing into the flame like
dispersing fog.
Chao Ya and Die Che sat down with the zither chords in the air - Chao Ya’s one was
white while Die Che’s kne was green. Countless of butterflies came flying out and
zoomed down like lightning strike at the Fire Tribe fairies. And then I saw those fairies
being surrounded by the butterflies when the butterflies started penetrating their
bodies like spikes and in turn shattering their red bodies.
Die Che and Chao Ya have to use the deadliest assassination skill among the music
sorcery skills because Die Che told me the spiritual power that encompassed each
individual fire fairy came from Li Tian Jin himself.
And then I saw the sorcerers from the Ice Tribe turning back, looking at me. He pointed
and shouted to the rest. “Look! That’s our king.”
Everyone got motivated and soon the white robes started moving like the flying snow
sleet birds, chasing the red flame away from our land.
I looked back and saw Die Che and Chao Ya’s smiles. They were indeed the strongest
musicians in the Ice Kingdom.
But immediately, I saw the smiles being frozen on their faces. I asked them why but they
didn’t reply me. But I’ve already known the answer; I looked back and saw the
butterflies being consumed by flames. Every single butterfly was shattered and then it
started falling down from the sky.
I saw a red-haired man standing at the cliff afar. He was standing at the sharpest and
steepest rock. There’s a look of despise on his face and he held his right hand up. I could
see him curling up his index finger.
Li Tian Jin has appeared.
“My king, you go back to the camp first. We will take care of everything here. Just go
back first.” Chao Ya and Die told me at the same time.
I didn’t agree but all of them insisted me of doing so. Huang Tuo came and knelt before
me. “My king, please stay strong because there’s someone who is still waiting to reunite
with you. You possess their memories in you.”
I dazed out all of a sudden. I have been listening to this for countless time and I only
have Shi’s memories in me. But, would I get a chance to see my brother again?
 Ice Fantasy 27 – Huang Tuo’s Death
When I went back to the army camp, the sky has darkened very quickly. I sat on the
basalt rock and looked at the messy starry sky, dazing out. The swordsmen were singing
and it made me think of Liao Jian, I had once heard him singing the sad song while we
were at the snow mountain. I looked at the black cloud in the sky, wondering if his soul
was there or not.
I looked at the tired faces of the swordsmen around me, and then I looked at all the
scattered ice swords, ice shields and star staffs.
Someone came back with his body full of blood, his hand was still holding on to a dream.
He was being carried towards me and handed me the dream before his hand fell down
forever.
“Bury him.” I said.
Chao Ya and Die Che died in Li Tian Jin’s hand. They created that dream.
In the dream, Chao Ya and Die Che had recorded every single illusion move of Li Tian Jin
and I knew they were trying to know more about him. But in the dream, I could see how
perfect his illusion skills were. Other than Yuan Ji, I have never see such accurate and
glorious powers. It was like a soaring phoenix in the sky.
At the end of the dream, I saw those shattered images - Die Che and Chao Ya were lying
on the ground and Li Tian Jin was standing in front of them. I saw him stepping on Chao
Ya’s face, and I cos feel a tearing pain in my eyes. My palms were bleeding because I was
clenching my fists so tightly that my fingernails cut my skin till it started to bleed.
And then he just moved his right hand when Chao Ya and Die Cha’s bodies just turned
into ashes, dispersing into the wind.
I started to tear and my tears turned to ice very quickly.
—
The entire army was split into two - one to be led by Yue Shen and Huang Tuo, the other
was led by Li Jing, Jian Tong and myself.
Right before we went our separate way, Huang Tuo and Yue Shen came to me. “My king,
no matter what happen, you must continue to be strong.”
But three days after our separation, I received a dream that Huang Tuo was killed.
Yue Shen was the one that gave me the dream; she told me Huang Tuo died because he
was protecting her. Their army was defeated after facing Li Tian Jin. When they were
fighting against Li Tian Jin that time, Huang Tuo was being carried high up to the sky in
flames and he disappeared into the sky after being dragged for a distance high up.
Yue Shen told me that Huang Tuo wouldn’t have died if he didn’t cast all the protection
enchantment on her. I could see Yue Shen crying in the dream; I have never seen her
being so emotional before, it just made me feel so bad.
—
Nightmare . Huang Tuo . Yue Lian
“Yue Shen, I know that I’m about to leave because I can feel my spiritual power leaving
my body.”
“It just that I’m so worried about you because you haven’t been a happy kid.”
“Please forgive me for calling you a kid because I am so much older than you. In my
eyes, you are a person that deserves to be cherished. No matter how cold you look on
the outside, I know you are soft on the inside.”
“I know that you learnt assassination skill is because of your older sister. You love her
very much so you wanted to protect the people you love in future.”
“I’m just like you so I give you all the protection I have.”
“Because I like you.”
“Do you know why did I know about your sister? Because my tribe has the longest
relation with your tribe and your sister was engaged to me in the first place but your
sister passed away before I could give her happiness. When I became an adult that time,
your sister and you were still a kid. I always felt very happy when I saw the two of you
because both of your smiles were so innocent and bright just like the brightest cherry
blossom flowers of Ren Xue Cheng.”
“But I didn’t like you because of your sister. Because you are Yue Shen, you are who you
are. Hence I like you. No one can replace anybody, you are the one and only Yue Shen.”
“But I didn’t dare to tell you that I like you because I feel that I am not good enough. I am
so much older than you. I feel thar you should find a young man that can give you
happiness and also protect you so that you don’t have to use your cold appearance to
fight against the danger out there.”
“By that time, I know you should be smiling happily like the time when you’re still a kid,
so innocently bright.”
“Do you know that the period when we are all at the snow mountain was the time that I
misses most? I always get see your smile, your serious look while you are in deep
thought; I always suspect you are one of them from the snow mountain but you are not,
you are the Yue Shen that I doted the most.
"I hope you will continue to stay strong for the rest of your life. I cannot take care of you
anymore. I have already planted a protection enchantment on you so whenever you are
in danger, it will open automatically to protect you. This is the only thing that I can do
for you.”
“Yue Shen, please forgive me for not being able to protect you anymore.”
“I had once heard from others that the souls would live on the clouds and I guessed I
would be up there as well. The only thing that I wouldn’t know is whether I would get to
see you everyday or not. If it’s possible, I guess I wouldn’t be afraid of death anymore
because I still get to witness you finding your own happiness.”
“Yue Shen, don’t seal yourself away from others. Your indifference is another layer of
lock to you. I need you to break free. I want you to break free.”
“Yue Shen, please stay strong and carry on my life for me. You cannot be unhappy
anymore.”
“Yue Shen, I have to leave… I’m very very sad because I have to leave you. I like you
because you are the one and only Yue Shen. I like you because you are who you are…”
I couldn’t estimate the limit of Li Tian Jin’s power because his powers seemed infinite
and invincible. I couldn’t help but to feel sad when a large amount of lands had fallen
into enemy’s occupation.
I looked towards the sky and thought of my father; if I were to die at the battlefield, how
was I supposed to face my father? If Ren Xue Cheng were to collapse in my reign, how
was I supposed to face my lineage?
The strong wind blew past with snow came falling down and when they touched the
ground; they couldn’t get accumulated because the entire land was burning in fire. I
could even foresee Ren Xue Cheng being swallowed by the flame with women and
children crying, the unicorns’ sad cries and the snow sleet birds’ crowing…
I stood on the cliff, looking at the sky. I thought of my brother all of a sudden, I saw his
face appearing in the sky. “Shi, maybe gege won’t be able to see you again.”
—
The next one to die was Yue Shen. The power of the Ice Tribe has crumbled.
the remaining army was led by me but they were decreasing as well and we had almost
retreated back to Ren Xue Cheng. Suddenly I thought of the holy war during my father’s
times, when the Fire Tribe had attacked all the way to the city wall.
But would it mean that Ren Xue Cheng was going to collapse this time round?
In the dream that Yue Shen had entrusted the soldier to send to me, I saw her peaceful
and gentle smile. In the past her face was always full of murderous aura and she barely
smiled. But now, her smile was as beautiful as the cherry blossom flower in the city.
“My king, I know that I will die because Li Tian Jin’s skills are something that I cannot
fight against. I have never seen such powerful skills before; he is even more powerful
than you, my king. But I’m not upset at all because I know Huang Tuo’s soul is waiting
for me up in the clouds. He once told me to continue living happily but I had
disappointed him. However I am still happy in a way. In the past, there has no one been
so concerned about me before because I specializes in assassination skill and I have
been a bad kid so everyone just looked down on me. I have never wanted them to love
me as well. I always have this stubborn thought I never needed their love because I only
loved my older sister. But Huang Tuo made me realized the nobleness and selflessness
of love. I have had Huang Tuo’s protection enchantment over me and everytime if I were
to meet with any danger, that enchantment would be activated to protect me. It made
me feel warm and I know Huang Tuo’s life energy is within me, but I failed to keep our
lives together. When Li Tian Jin’s crushed Huang Tuo’s enchantment, it was like a flame
sword cutting my throat. I heard the sound of my blood flowing out. I looked at the sky
and thought of Huang Tuo. He must be very upset. He said I’m the one and only Yue
Shen; he likes me and he will watch over me but in the end I fail him.”
“My king, please stay strong. Huang Tuo wanted me to tell you this and this is also what
I wanted to tell you as well. Because there’s someone in the world waiting to reunite
with you. You possess their memories in you.”
 Ice Fantasy 28 – Nightmare . Li Jing . Tale of A Fish
I stood at the cliff, watching the soaring fire below me. I could see nothing but sorrows
and despair.
I could vaguely hear the rumbling of thunder in the sky; I could feel the ground
trembling under my feet. I wasn’t sure if it were the flame gushing up underneath the
ground.
When I turned around, I saw Li Jing standing behind me with a red lantern in her hand.
She was looking at me like she was telling me, “My king, I’m here to bring you home…”
That moment I cried, maybe I could finally behave like a kid in front of Li Luo because
she would always give in to me and give me warmth.
The wind was blowing Li Jing’s hair and in the wind, I could see the purest blue strand
within them. I walked over to hold her hand. “Let’s go back.”
“My king, I hope you can go back to Ren Xue Cheng. Li Jing and I will stay to guard this
place because the city and you are the lifelines for the entire Ice Kingdom but not us.”
Jian Tong said softly, looking at me.
“How can you say that?” I walked towards Jian Tong. “I have already lost many
important people in my life. Jian Tong and you are my everything. The two of you are
the most important persons in my life so I will not go back.”
“My king, you have to go back because you have to defend the city and it is also the
safest place.”
“Since it’s safe, the two of you should go back with me.”
“It’s impossible, my king. If we were to retreat back, it will give the enemy a chance to
catch up with us. Li Jing and I will stay here to defend so that you can go back safely.”
“No way! If we want to go back, we will go back together.”
“My king…”
“Don’t need to say anymore.” I turned around, wanted to leave when I saw Li Jing.
“Li Jing, I will not leave the two of you here. I will stay by your side. Okay?”
And then I saw Li Jing’s gentle smile, and she nodded head.
I left the place with her; I could hear Jian Tong’s sigh behind me.
Just when I walked past Li Jing, I felt someone hitting my right shoulder. I felt a sharp
pain before losing my consciousness. Right before I fell to the ground, I saw the tear in
Li Jing’s eyes.
—
By the time I woke up, I found myself being sent back to Ren Xue Cheng.
I stood at the highest city wall and saw the fire glowing not faraway from the city. I
knew that Li Tian Jin had already led his fire elves over. But where would Li Jing and
Jian Tong be?
I walked back to the grand hall and saw several people there. A young sorcerer told me
that many people had escaped. None of them would think that this war was be
victorious. Even I didn’t think that it would be a victory. I could see Li Tian Jin’s skills
from many dreams; they were something that I could never fight against.
The sound of footstep could be heard from outside, and then I saw a soldier full of blood
running into the grand hall. I saw the sad expression on his young face. He opened his
hands and I saw two dreams on his palms.
Giddiness hit me and I fell to my throne.
I knew that Li Jing and Jian Tong were gone.
—
Nightmare.Li Jing.Yu Yuan
“My king, I thought I could never see you again but when I saw you at the snow fog
forest, I almost cried. Those past memories came rushing at me like flying snow and I
had forgotten the speech. I remembered the flying starlight in the sky; I liked hiding at
the shore of the Ice Sea, watching your lonely figure on the roof, watching the starlight
dancing on your hair like silk laces. I liked seeing your long robe flying in the wind like a
beautiful lotus.”
“But my king, the name that you called me was actually Li Luo. I am Lan Sang, the Lan
Sang who committed suicide because of you.”
“At that moment, I was so upset so my tear couldn’t stop flowing down.
But I know this is all my fault because I cannot become the woman that you loves the
most in the past life.”
“My king, when I was still Lan Sang, I kept thinking about your face when I commit
suicide; I wanted to become the woman that you love the most in life but I know you
met Li Luo first and she’s kind and beautiful. I feel so sad everytime I thought of her
being buried at the deepest part of Ice Sea. She is such a kind person.”
“I don’t blame Ying Kong Shi because I know he love you just like I did because his love
had surpassed simple kinship love and it was so strong and desperate. Just like how his
favourite cherry blossoms wither at the end of spring.”
“After my reincarnation, I knew that my wish had been fulfilled - I have become the
woman that you loved the most in the past life. I looked exactly like Li Luo but I wasn’t
sure if I was lucky or unlucky. I only knew that I was very sad when you called me Li
Luo.”
“Every night I would always wait for your return, I like waiting for you in the night.
When I saw you appearing out of the darkest night, I felt so blissful and happy because I
made you feel that there’s someone waiting for you.”
“And it is a kind of happiness when you know that there’s someone waiting for you.”
“I always have this silly thought that this is happiness because Ka Suo has been waiting
for me for several hundreds year and he was still waiting for me to grow up in this new
life. I am such a blissful person.”
“You may think this it is funny but I hope that you can be happy because you are such a
kind and faithful person but you are always surrounded by sadness and sorrows. My
king, do you still remember what your brother told you? ‘Ge, please be free.’”
“My king, when you were asleep, I could always hear your low breathing sound but your
brows were always knitted together. It made one feel that you were a child being hurt.”
“You are always so strong and determined in front of others but before me, I could see
your soft side. I would always see your teary eyes and it made me feel sad.”
“This is why I can only wait for you to be back, waiting for your warmth.”
“My king, my past life may be the mermaid from the deep sea palace and my ability to
manipulate water may be strong but I never like any of them. Instead, I think being a
half-blood woman like Li Luo is able to give you the warmest love. This is why I rather
become a woman like Li Luo than a powerful illusionist because I can give you the
warmest love.”
“My king, I was unable to talk this life so I was unable to tell you that I am the little Lan
Sang that has been waiting for you for several hundreds. years; I was unable to tell you
how sad was I when you call me Li Luo. But even if I were able to talk, I wouldn’t tell you
that I am Lan Sang. If I had done so many things and given you so many hints, you still
wouldn’t know who was I. Hence I see no point in telling you.”
“But I still have to leave, my king.”
“The moment when I died in Li Tian Jin’s hand, I was sad not because of my diminishing
life. I thought of something - I could no longer hold the light for you, would you be sad?”
“Because there isn’t any light in the dark; I’m worried that you will be liked a kid, being
lost in the dark.”
“My king, if there’s next life, I still want to hold the light to wait for you to be home.”
“My king, I have to leave now but can I request you to continue to stay strong because
there’s someone waiting to reunite with you. You possess their memories in you.”
—
Nightmare.Jian Tong.Invisible Mist
“I’ve finally become a pure blood woman, becoming a mermaid with strong spiritual
power.”
“But I’ve lost Ka Suo’s love.”
“During my last life, I didn’t manage to live together with Ka Suo because I was the lowly
half blood sorceress. I didn’t have the strong powers of a mermaid from the deep sea
palace so I was unable to produce powerful descendants for him and it was also why I
was being buried at the deepest part of the Ice Sea. That cold place that no fish would
even appear. I could still remember how bone piercing the coldness was to my skin; my
life was flowing away bit by bit and I could feel the fear of my soul leaving my body.”
“I looked at the sky above the water when the weak sunlight sipped through the water, I
tried calling out for king but I knew he wouldn’t be able to hear me nor would he know
where was I. I thought of Ka Suo’s face when sorrow was always hanging on it and he
would continue to live on, following his destiny.”
“And then my life disappeared into the Ice Sea. Just when my life was about to
disappear, a large group of deep sea fishes came surrounding me and I could see their
glowing scales.”
“My name’s Jian Tong. This is the name of my reincarnated self. When I got discovered
by the elders from the deep sea palace, I was being wrapped within thick seaweeds. The
moment they started opening the seaweeds, they found me sleeping within it.”
“They didn’t know why and neither did I know why until many years later. The place
where they found me was the place that I got buried within.”
“I’ve finally understood the cruelty of the unpredictable life.”
“When I was still a little kid that time, my mind was always on Ka Suo. I’ve always heard
a voice telling that I have to become Ka Suo’s wife. I want to marry the greatest king of
Ren Xue Cheng.
This voice just kept appearing in my dream and life like an irresistible summon.
But when I reached adulthood that time, I’ve finally realized the meaning of this
summon because it wanted me to get closer to Ka Suo. To get closer to the man that
possessed my several hundreds years of memories on him and also to get closer to the
warmth that I yearned the most in my past life.
I’ve finally gotten closer to him, standing in front of him, tearing. But he called me Lan
Sang instead.
I cried.
I guessed he must have forgotten about the Li Luo that stood at the end of the street,
kneeling before him. "My king, I’m here to bring you home.”
After that I became his concubine. My spiritual power was definitely much stronger
than my past life and I could easily read the dreams that the officials had brought back. I
could interpret the dreams and tell them what to do next and I could lighten Ka Suo’s
burden as well.
Actually I felt tired but everytime when I saw Ka Suo’s beautiful smile in my dreams, I
felt happy because he was a sorrowful guy. A guy that would worry for the entire world
but not him. The palace maids told me that he would always sleep on his desk in the
grand hall.
I always wanted to do something for him because I didn’t manage to accompany him in
the past life. I needed to make up to him.
Everytime he would smile at me and told me gently. “Jian Tong, don’t overwork
yourself.”
I would just smile back at him and I could see my silvery white hair in his eyes. Swinging
in his eyes like ripples on the water, it was like the snowing day when I first met him in
the past life.
Several years after I married Ka Suo, he married another woman and she became his
first wife. She possessed the same look of my past life and I heard Ka Suo calling her, “Li
Luo.”
I stood among the crowd, feeling extremely sad. Big drops of tear came falling down
onto the red carpet that they walked past hand in hand.
The bells chimed and I heard people giving their blessings to the couple and cheers
were roaring above my head. I was like lying underneath a stream, leading the flowing
water above my head so quietly.
From then onwards, I have been staying in the grand hall alone, helping Ka Suo to settle
those long and miscellaneous dreams, listing to all the officials’ requests and depleting
my spiritual power. On the other hand, Ka Suo would go back to his palace because Li
Jing would be waiting for him to come home. He said he was afraid that she would be
cold while waiting in the wind.
I looked at his diminishing back and felt so upset because I didn’t know what to say. I
could only continue to read the dreams and deplete my spiritual power. I just wanted to
become a powerful woman that could lighten Ka Suo’s burden.
But I wasn’t sure if Ka Suo ever thought about me being cold and alone in this big grand
hall or not.
I guessed the whole of my life would be given to Ka Suo because I loved him. Because he
deserved all the happiness he should deserve. Everytime if I were to see his sorrowful
face, I would think of his smile. It was like sunshine, so clear and bright.
In the end I still died for Ka Suo, dying in the hand of the new Prince of the Fire Tribe. Li
Tian Jin’s power was much more powerful than I could expect. I always thought the
mermaids were powerful people but now I’ve discovered that no matter how much
power I used, I would never be able to win Li Tian Jin. He’s born to be the pet of the
heaven.
Right before I died, I saw his smile. It was so blurry and evil like the everlasting red
lotus of the Fire Tribe. He just held his hand up towards me and then I felt my body
rising into the air like there’s a hand lifting me up from the ground.
I saw the red light flashing past Li Tian Jin’s eyes as he told me this. “Jian Tong, the
clouds are full of souls.”
He closed his fingers and then I felt a tearing pain in my body. At that moment I saw my
head flying up into the sky, I saw my mutilated body lying all over the place. Pure white
blood was spreading across the black earth like melting snow.
The entire surrounding started to get blurry; I saw Ka Suo’s face in the sky, it was still so
sorrowful like before and he was still calling me, “Lan Sang, Lan Sang.”
I wanted to tell him that I was Li Luo. That Li Luo that brought him home several
hundreds years ago. Sorrows came gushing up my chest. “Ka Suo, why didn’t you know
who am I even when I’m dying? Don’t you have any feeling?”
Ka Suo’s face disappeared and then I heard the sound of my head dropping to the
ground.
I wanted to talk to Ka Suo but I couldn’t talk anymore.
I wanted to tell him, “No matter what happen, please continue to stay strong because
there is someone waiting to reunite with you. You possess all the memories of that
person in you.”
 Ice Fantasy 29 – The End
I stood on the high city wall of Ren Xue Cheng when the strong wind was blowing at my
face. My Phoenix illusion robe making cotton-tearing sound in the wind.
I looked down at the black territory land, that thick and deep earth; I saw countless of
ice sorcerers and fire elves fighting above it; the red and white colours intertwined one
another. The red and white blood and desperate cryings were mixed together with the
strong blood stench, shooting up the sky and amidst this was the cryings of unicorns
and snow sleet birds as well.
Suddenly I thought of my siblings that died several hundreds years ago, their unicorns
had also died during that holy war and then several hundreds years later, their younger
brother had become the new king, he was the only one in the history that led the entire
kingdom to its doom.
My heart was like a desolate setting sun with warm sunlight of despair but it would
soon sink into forever darkness.
I let all these dreams float around me and cried when I saw the glow around these
glowing balls.
Ying Kong Shi, Jian Tong, Li Jing, Huang Tuo, Yue Shen, Chao Ya, Die Che, plus all those
who died - Pian Feng, Xing Gui, Liao Jian, and those who left me - granny, Xing Jiu and
my parents. The moment when I looked up, I saw their faces appearing in the night sky
and disappeared like smoke.
Thunder sound could be heard from the horizon line like rapid drum beat hitting on the
entire Ice Kingdom.
I saw the white sorcerers’ robe being burnt into pieces and the fire was spreading
rapidly to Ren Xue Cheng; I saw the people running all over the places within the city
walls; I heard the children crying and women screaming.
And hen I saw the thousand-year-old Ren Xue Cheng collapsed before my eyes. That
moment when the thick black city walls collapsed, I heard my heart shattered at the
same time.
I closed my eyes and the tear slid down because I saw my father’s face. He didn’t say
anything; he just looked at me disappointedly.
I have never thought that Ren Xue Cheng would be destroyed in my hands.
I saw Li Tian Jin on the black chariot charging towards the city wall, his red hair was like
red flames. I saw his smile and it reminded me of my younger brother. I looked towards
the sky, calling out. “Shi!”
I heard footsteps behind me and I knew it belonged to Li Tian Jin.
I chanted a spell, curling up my ring finger and then countless of ice swords pierced
through my chest. I saw my own blood running down the sharp blades, dripping onto
the black city wall drop after drop.
At that moment I heard Liao Jian’s sad singing voice; it was those songs that the soldiers
would sing at the battlefield. The wind brought the song here so that everyone could
hear it - those young children in the snow fog forest, those people trying to escape out of
the city, those powerful people from the snow mountain, those beautiful mermaids from
the deep-sea palace. The singing voice was like smooth and dedicate silk, flying high up
in the night sky.
My vision started to get blurry; I didn’t know if by ending my life was right or wrong, I
just knew that I have to give myself the freedom at the last one moment of my life. I have
to do according to my own will and maybe because I lived my life with too many
burdens, so this was why I felt like I was being imprisoned. But now that the important
people in my life were all gone, I did not see the need to live one anymore. I thought
about the beautiful legend of souls living in the clouds. I thought I may be able to see Shi
again.
I fell and just before I hit the ground, I saw Li Tian Jin. I saw his red eyes started to get
clearer until they became bright like fire. After that this pair of eyes were filled with tear
and the expression was a kind of sorrow that I had never seen before.
And then I heard his sorrowful voice. “Ge, why did you leave me? Why did you leave
me…”
I’ve finally understood everything but I have no more strength. I fell to the ground and
held my hand out to the brother that I missed the most but my fingers didn’t even have
the strength to grab his hand anymore. I should have known that other than Shi, no one
would have such evil yet sweet smile of a child.
The surrounding darkened in an instance and I slipped into an eternal dream of
darkness.
My body felt warm all of a sudden as there were countless of red lotuses blooming
around me.
“Shi, forgive me for not waiting for you.”
—
Nightmare . Li Tian Jin . Shatter
I’m Li Tian Jin, youngest Prince of the Fire Tribe. But my spiritual power had surpassed
any one of my siblings.
Every time they saw me, they would hide far far away from me because they were afraid
of dying unknowingly in my hands. Because I’d never felt that life has something that I
should respect at all. Life was just a fragile dream. As long as I’m happy, I could crush it
anytime I want.
My father doted on me a lot and I could get whatever I want within the Fire Kingdom.
My father always told me that to be a successful person, you shouldn’t be bothered with
all those nitty gritty stuff in life. Hence I have grown up to become a rebellious man.
I was the most handsome man within the Fire Tribe and there’s no one in the tribe that
have such delicate look of mine. My father had always seen me as his biggest pride and
he always told me this. “Jin, you will become the greatest king of the Fire Tribe.”
My father loves bringing me to the highest mountain situated at the border of our
kingdom to overlook at the land below us. He told me this would be my kingdom in
future. When I saw the black land giving off a orange fire glow, my heart felt empty and
desolate. I turned to him. “This isn’t my dream. This is a piece of barren land. Father, did
you see the other side of the Ice Sea? Did you see the white land and palace? I will mark
that piece of land with our Fire Tribe sign.”
My father gave me an awe-inspiring look. “You are just like me when I was young. So
wild and rebellious.”
I wasn’t sure why did I have such strong urge to destroy that white palace. I just knew
that majestic palace was just like a prison. I wasn’t sure what was being imprisoned in
it, I just knew that I must break it.
I was born with super powerful spiritual power. No one in the Fire Tribe’s history was
able to control such illusion skill. Even before I reached adulthood, I had already
defeated all the people from my family, including my own father. The whole family was
fearful towards my power except my father, who’s proud of me. I could still remember
when I’d defeated him that time, he didn’t say anything and after some time later, he
laughed all of a sudden. That laughter was so desolate and hoarse. “You’re indeed my
son.” He looked towards the sky and yelled. “My son is the greatest illusionist in the
history of the Fire Tribe. Li Tian Jin.”
I never liked any of my family members; I would always stand in the wind alone with
my long robe fluttering in the wind like flame. I like that lonely Zhuo Yan Niao; they
would always fly individually and never seem to be with the other birds at all. It’s just
that I always felt that this lonely huge bird was looking for something; it was able to stay
lonely for hundreds of years just to look for the thing it wanted.
I liked this kind of bird because it could forgo everything for its own dream.
I would always hold my finger out at them so that their shadows could transform my
finger, I saw the glows from my fingers and I knew I possessed the most powerful
illusion skills and spiritual powers but I did not know what I really wanted.
I just felt that I must destroy the kingdom at the other side of the Ice Sea.
Hence when I reached adulthood, I’ve finally done it. I’ve finally stood on the snowy
white land at the other side of the Ice Sea, lighting the entire sky with flame. Filling the
whole black land with fire.
Killing those white-robed Ice sorcerers didn’t really need much of my strength; my
spiritual power was hundreds times above theirs. I remembered killing two beautiful
musicians and another two beautiful women; it seemed like they were the wives of the
king of the Ice Tribe. One of them transformed into a mermaid after death, the sight
looked so familiar to me like it had happened many years ago. A dead mermaid tearing
and there’s a vague memory of falling cherry blossom flowers.
I raised my red sword and called all the fire elves to advance foward( I saw Ren Xue
Cheng standing no faraway from me, I saw those high prison-liked walls and then
there’s their king standing on the city wall.
My mouth tore open into a smile like a bright lotus flower.
I guessed my dream was coming true soon; I shall destroy the palace in no time.
I walked towards the city wall and saw the king of Ice Tribe but a moment of pain hit my
chest like earthquake creating cracks to the ground. A beautiful and gorgeous nightmare
flashed past my mind when all the memories came flashing past my eyes. I had regained
all my memories. I was the second Prince of the Ice Tribe, Ying Kong Shi.
Before I died, I saw my brother’s sad face and I still couldn’t give him the freedom that
he deserved. This city would definitely imprison him for life; he would never be able to
live the life he always wanted.
So I thought if there were next life, I would want to become a person with strong
spiritual power. I have to destroy Ren Xue Cheng, the jail cage that had imprisoned my
older brother for several hundreds years. I wanted to see my brother’s carefree smile
under the sun because I had seen that smile before while we were in the mortal world.
That smile was so warm and handsome.
That could make me cry and it’s worth sacrificing my life to exchange for that smile.
I wanted my brother to hug me once again, walking on the street in the snow, killing the
person who bullied me with his illusion skill because he told me I was his world.
I wanted to kiss his eyebrow because there’re always sorrows on his brows. I felt sad
everytime I saw him like that.
My brother should be a dragon flying freely in the sky.
This life, I have become someone with the strongest spiritual power. I have become the
youngest Prince of the Fire Tribe.
When I stood at the highest wall of Ren Xue Cheng, I saw my brother, Ka Suo. But I could
believe the sight before my eyes, I saw a sharp ice blade pierced through his chest and I
saw his blood flowing down the blade.
And then he fell to the ground.
The one and only God in my heart had fallen; it was as if I heard the collapsing of the
whole world.
Just when he fell to the ground that time, I cried. “Ge, why did you leave me?”
His gaze was as warm and gentle like before, full of sympathy, and I knew( he has been
missing me for the past several hundreds years. His lips moved but there wasn’t any
sound coming from it except some blurred hissing sound. I knew he wanted to call my
name, Shi.
I walked over to hug him in my arms; he was lying on my laps with his arm
outstretched, wanting touch my face but it fell to the ground all of a sudden, and then I
saw the glow disappearing from his eyes.
“Ge, why didn’t you give me a hug? Why did you leave me?”
I looked up and my brother’s bright smile appeared in the sky. That was the look when
he attained adulthood in the mortal world; that morning when I woke up, I was lying in
my brother’s arms; I was still a kid while Ka Suo had grown up into a handsome prince
like our father. He looked at me with a smile and that was the most beautiful smile I had
ever seen.
I recalled the time when my brother killed a person because of me; recalled about the
time when he carried me, walking on the street in the mortal world; recalled about the
time when he held me in his robe so that I wouldn’t be cold in the snow; I saw how my
brother saved me from the fire in Mirage Sky; I saw the sorrows on my brother’s face
and also, I saw the countless of souls above the sky.
Pain came hitting me time after time and my chest felt like it had been torn apart,
flaming red blood came gushing out my mouth, staining my brother’s and my robes red.
At that instance, blood turned into red lotuses and the entire place felt warm like spring.
“Ge, you will never feel cold as long as I’m around.”
“Please be free and sing…”