Chapter 42: Back Home.

"Zhong Li, require permission to enter, my lord,"

A man in blueish grey robes bowed standing on the threshold of the First Lord's private pond, his hairs were tied in a high bun and he had an oval face with little darker complexion then pale. Dong Hai was looking at the red lotuses with harder expression and he nodded hearing his chief steward request. Zhong Li straighten his back and walk towards the First Lord with definitive steps, he stopped.

"I got the herbs you have asked for, my Lord" Zhong Li extended his hand, one had was blue colour pouch the other was red. Dong Hai turns looking at it and he picked the red one, losing the strings around it. Touching it and then taking its scent and then he did the same with the blue one.

He nodded in approval and materialize a white pouch, he tied it with a white pouch and handed it back to Zhong Li.

"Pack a jar of honey from the Kunlun mountain with this one," He ordered.

"As you wish, my lord," Zhong Li nodded.

"And brew this for me," He pointed to the blue one. Zhong Li put the pouches back in his sleeves.

"My lord, If there is nothing else I will go and prepared the medicine for you," Zhong Li bowed in permission.

Dong Hai gave a curt nod looking back at the pond, Zhong Li eyes to wondered it and manage to hide his surprise as he turns to leave, last time he checks the eternal red lotus had disappeared and now it was full of it, he pressed his lips. His master also seems to be lost in thoughts more than normal but he thought it was only normal considering that he has the most significant duties in all the realms and now it all of it come to test again, Master wants to find a way out of the goblet of blood fire but he is acting strange since the Young Princess of Green Forest had entered the Ocean Of Bliss Palace. There are things about the First Lord Dong Hai that are too hard to understand.

Hong Liu had safely turned in to Green Forest without getting caught, she deemed it prudent to go to High God Ren's hut in the Peach Blossom forest before going to her aunt's Cocoon. Only the Supreme Lord knows what is waiting for her there. But what if Aunt is in Ren's hut? the thought crossed her mind and she hit her head at her stupidity, she pouts at her own misfortune but what else she could do? She can't walk any longer, whatever energy was left was gone still she walks passing the Peach Blossom Forest, she paused for a second at the place she found her aunt unconscious and then she went to Nine Heaven's barge in the courtroom meeting the First Lord for the first time, she sighs. Now she thinks of it his majestic aura had already had left a deep impression on her, who knew this would end like this. With a one-sided affection.

She manages to shook herself out of her thoughts when she saw the Ren's hut, she took a deep breath letting the sweet scent of peach blossom wash over her and she exhales blowing out her breath from her mouth, she repeated her action over and over again until her sunken heart didn't come back to its place and stop itself from dwelling in sadness.

There now, It fine or it's going to be fine. One day you won't feel like this anymore, she tries to comfort herself. She stepped up to the porch of Ren's Hut, she was about to knock on the wooden door then she stopped, first she should assess the situation inside if its just Ren and Yi Tai then it fine her aunt should not be here, at least not for now before she could think of her words of apology. So she stepped down from the porch and went to the other side of the hut, reaching the back veranda, she sighs as she saw the wood railing, the hut was made on a wooden platform, therefore, making the back of hut a little higher and the lowest railing was on the hight of Hong Liu. She sneaked in from here so many times but she always used her wings the hight was irrelevant now she can't open them, she scratches the back of her neck and a shiver of uneasiness passed her. 'Alright, I danced on the trees of green forest, I can climb up the few railings' she thought.

She grabbed the lowest one and pushed herself up climbing, she yelped as she almost slipped on the second railing but she manages to balance herself, she sighs in relief as her feet hit the floor of the veranda. Ha! Who says I can't do anything? She patted her back internally, she didn't notice her irregular heartbeat or the cold sweat that was starting to break and her lips that were losing its colour by the second. In her adrenaline rush she just she bent her frame to peek through the window, there was no one in the logging area.

A woman in a cream colour robes come out of the back door of the hut entering the veranda, her straight caracole hairs falling to her hip in straight lines, her soft curved pointed chin turn as her dark blue eyes landed on the red robe little butterfly fairy who was spying through her window, her eyes twinkle at the sight. She slowly walks towards Hong Liu without making any noise and her trail of her tobe brushing the ground as she walks.

The woman mimicked Hong Liu action on the window.

"So you have finally come back and hear I thought you married yourself to Nine Heavens," She whispered.

Hong Liu let out a yell startled, her heart pounded in her ears as she stumbles back.

But Yi Tai grabbed her before she falls. Hong Liu finally gathers wits around when she saw who it was.

"Aunt Yi Tai! You scared me to death!" Hong Liu swallowed only to find no saliva swallow it was then she realizes the dryness of her mouth. Yi Yai's teasing words sink in her heart and felt like stabbed in her stomach, Hong Liu's face was screwed up in pain. Why can't she stop thinking about him? Why does it hurt so much?

Yi Tai eyes finally focus on Hong Liu's face, which was being drained of blood as they speak and her lips were completely pale paperwhite, the twinkle in her eyes vanished as concern replace them. She frowned.

"Xiao Liu, what happened? Why are you so pale?" Yi Tai touched her forehead now drenched in a cold sweat. Feeling familiar comforting warmth of Yi Tai's hand, Hong Liu went lump hugging her and Yi Tai caught her.

"Xiao Liu! Xiao Liu open your eyes!" She shook her, Hong Liu eyes were rolled back and Yi Tai's voice seemed a million miles away.

"Ren! Ren!" Yi Tai called her husband panicked.

"Why do I like him so much?" Hong Liu murmured as her words vanished in her breath.