1.23 AuYeung LaiSan - He Returns

Six days have passed since the festival and the city was buzzing. The talk of the town was news that the caravan from the border was reaching Zhong City this evening and a banquet will be held tomorrow night.

The Princess from BeiGao would be arriving and the engagement with the Crown Prince will be officially set and the wedding will be held at this time next year.

There was also news that the convoy was attacked by bandits while crossing the mountain. It was said that many soldiers were hurt but the General and his men were able to protect the Prince and Princess, so they were unharmed. But the loss of some supplies and horses had not made it an easy expedition.

Many citizens were planning on waiting by the gate to welcome the convoy. There would surely be food vendors and trinket sellers that would take advantage of this gathering to sell their goods. I was also planning on going to join in on the celebration.

As the sun started to set in the early evening, Jo-Yi and I set off to the gates. I traveled by sedan chair. It stopped in the alley from the main road so it did not block the street. I had stepped off and just as I thought, it was like a mini celebration. The streets were crowded with families enjoying a walk and picking up snacks along the way, pop up food vendors were everywhere.

I was enjoying the atmosphere and had just taken a few steps onto the main road, when the sounds of gongs rang throughout the street. Soldiers were rushing into the city banging gongs and asking citizens to make way for the convoy. A large exquisite carriage was seen far behind two lines of about twenty soldiers. Right there in front entering the city gates was the General on his black horse.

Except, he was not alone. Sitting in front of him was a young girl about my age. Her clothes were stained with blood and her left arm was bandaged, but she was fully awake. She even smiled as she saw the crowd welcoming the convoy.

I stared at her and then at him, he had no expression, stoic and calm. But I wondered who this girl was, that he was so intimate with, even sharing a horse. Suddenly there was a pang of pain in my heart, which had me toppling over. Jo-yi supported me and slowly helped me leave the crowded streets, heading back to the sedan chair that was waiting at the side alley. The two servants that carried the sedan, opened the curtain so that I could sit down.

"Miss, are you okay?" Jo-yi asked as she handed me the canister of water that she had brought with her. She stood in front of me with the curtain open and after I took a sip of water the pain subsided. I rubbed my chest with the heel of my palm as I looked up just as the General rode by. Our eyes met but I looked away first as the pain once again came back. I winced in pain but could not help but to still glance up, but all I saw was the horse's tail disappear from view.

"Jo-yi, let's go back," I said quietly. Without missing a beat, she had already gestured for the two servants to carry the sedan chair back to the mansion.

Once back, I dismissed Jo-yi and told her to rest. I was very tired and was also going to bed soon as well. She started to protest, but I gave her another look and she quietly walked to her room. I entered my own room and plopped myself in front of the desk, looked in the mirror and saw in the reflection the tub, lazily turned to look at it and saw the steam coming from it. So instead of immediately going to bed, I thought I would rather enjoy a warm bath. I undid the hairstyle Jo-yi had done for me and gathered up all the rest of the hair, holding it in a ponytail. Then I saw the purple hair stick, so I used it to put my hair in a messy bun to keep it out of the water while I bathed.

Oh, the warmth of the water immediately relaxed my shoulder muscles. I didn't even realize I was tensing up until they relaxed in the water. I placed a warm towel on my forehead and leaned back to enjoy the water lapping over my chest. Taking deep breaths as I tried to relax even more, soon it became rhythmic and I closed my eyes.

After a while, I heard the sound of water splashing and it felt warmer. Without even opening my eyes, I said, "Jo-yi, I told you to rest, you don't have to serve me. I'll be getting out soon. Thank you but please go back and rest."

"I would but you summoned me," a male voice said.

Startled, my eyes popped open, and screamed, "ZhiHin! What the hell are you doing in here while I am bathing?

I flailed around, trying to cover myself with my hands, I screamed, "Get out! Close your eyes and get out!"

Then I realized, when I touched my body, I felt material. When I looked down I confirmed that I was actually fully dressed. Then I looked around, I saw I was sitting under the blazing sun outside by a creek. "What the hell? Where am I?"

"You're in your dream. And I am in your dream," ZhiHin answered.

Still feeling a bit self conscious, I was tugging and readjusting my clothing as I asked, "What? Again? Why are you popping up all the time now?"

He explained, "Well the purple jade hair stick I placed in your hair is actually a communication device that I found while cleaning the storage room. Thought it would come in handy if you needed to contact me."

Astonished that it was not just a hairstick, I asked, "So how does it work?"

"The hairstick has already been imprinted by you from your touch. Last night when you examined it, you must have placed your fingers on top of the butterflies and it recognized you as their master."

"Okay, but how does it work?" I asked.

"All you have to do is think about me and one of the butterflies will travel across to the underworld to get me. I can talk to you by communicating through these two butterflies from the underworld at any time. But to see me you must be unconscious, because I can only come into the mortal realm in your dreams," he said as he played with the translucent purple butterfly that swirled around him.

"Okay, how about if it is you who needs to speak with me?" I questioned.

"Oh, I have a similar hair stick", he said as he waved an emerald green hair stick in front of me. "So if you see an emerald green butterfly fluttering around, you should understand that I am trying to contact you. It will be very similar to how you spoke with MeiMei, when you two shared a body."

"Okay, I get it. But why are you here now?" I asked.

"You are the one that thought about me and summoned me here," he said.

"No, I did not. I wasn't even thinking about you. I wasn't thinking about anything at all," I protested.

"Well this butterfly came to find me, so you must have," he said proudly as he looked at the butterfly that had landed on his finger.

"Well I didn't and don't appreciate being interrupted while I am bathing, so please go away!" I tried shooing him away.

"Haha, well next time don't think of me while you are bathing," he guffawed.

Heat travelled from my neck and up my face, from his teasing.

I opened my mouth to try to protest but it was too late and he was already gone. I woke up in the tube, looked around the room to orient myself. Then I noticed the water had turned cold, so I quickly got up and dried myself off.

After putting on a robe, I sat back down at the desk, pulled the hair stick out, letting the hair all cascade down my back. I stared at the hair stick and made a mental note to be cautious of whom I think about from now on.

I placed it down on the table, blew out the oil lamp and went to bed.