Pingjing

***ARTEMIS***

Two days later, July thirty-first, it was finally Lei and Chen's birthday. True to his words, the party only consisted of a few close friends; the Guardians members, me, Bai, Liu Fen, Pingjing and Uncle Wu Fen. Although Uncle Wu Fen did not stay for long since he was busy. Chen was supposedly busy assisting Uncle Wu Fen but his father let him stay with us since it was his birthday. Bai was supposed to have a class that day, but he said he took a leave since he was the coordinator. Liu Fen closed his shop.

The theme was a bit of a western one, with cakes, pizzas and colas, so the rest of the Zhang Clan didn't really come. Although, I'm pretty sure Bai didn't invite them in the first place.

We sang a birthday song to the twins, and then gave messages and gifts. I gave him a bow that resembled Katniss Everdeen's bow in the Hunger Games movies. He did mention that he liked archery so I had Liu Fen help me in creating it. As for the arrows, he just had to draw the string and arrows made of magic would solidify. Yes, it was a magic bow.

Bai gave him a book about Chinese history. I wasn't sure why but the college student kept snickering when he gave it.

Guardians also gave their own gifts, but Lei said the fact that they were there for his brother and him was more important.

We drank and ate, and even played games. It was a really fun night. Memorable even.

I had to sit out on one of the games though so I just watched then in the sides.

It had also been two days since I started studying western magic and I noticed that unlike the eastern one, it actually came to me quite easily. The two magic were quite similar, in a sense, and both were difficult.

I know, confusing.

In eastern magic, you have to understand that energy is one with nature and to wield it one had to understand how nature and its elements work. Eastern magic uses arrays or formations to invoke spells and you can also tweak it a little depending on the caster's desired effect.

Western magic mostly uses magic and imagery, and the latter is definitely important. It was a lot like Harry Potter's magic, minus the wand and incantation, so I suppose it's more like Merlin's?

I was studying it as much as I did when I studied medicine and when I took the medical license exam. It was stressful.

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted when Pingjing suddenly sat next to me.

"Uhm…"

"Eldest young master brought you to late mistress' secret chamber." he said all of a sudden in Mandarin.

I glanced at the young man who held a stoic expression.

"What do you-"

"That place is off limits, but he brought you there anyway."

"How did you even know that?" I asked.

"I know everything that happens in the manor, no, the entire estate. You should use your real eyes. You can see other's aura, right?"

I swallowed the non-existent lump on my throat. And wondered how he knew such a thing.

'Is he a wizard? Wait, what is the Chinese equivalent of a wizard anyway?'

I focused some energy in my eyes, just like how Liu Fen taught me on how to discern if someone has a few 'extra' skills or something. I looked at Pingjing and saw the enormous aura around him. Oddly enough, that same aura coated the manor's structures.

"Wait… you have the same color of aura as the house! Why does the house have an aura in the first place?"

A memory suddenly flashed in my mind. The previous day, I was flipping through the photo albums of the Zhang main family, and now that I thought about it, I saw Pingjing in a lot of pictures, even those that were still in black and white.

"What are you?" I asked.

"I am this estate's guardian spirit. The moment you and the young masters' friends stepped inside, I have found out about your… exceptional gifts. You in particular are quite powerful."

I immediately put my guard up.

"No need for that. I am loyal to the master of the house and I'm not bound to any other person. I am even more loyal to the people that helped me exist." he gave me a sweet child-like smile which made his already small eyes seemed to disappear. If I wasn't only on my guard, I would've been fangirling at it.

"Helped you exist, your creators?" I inquired, confused at his words.

"Hmm… more like my benefactors, I suppose."

"You're a nature spirit, then you became a house deity." a dawn of realization dawned on me. "You have become this land's local god!"

"You are quite smart." he paused. "My benefactors were three people; Wang Riya, Zhang Li Er and Liu Qing."

"Those three again?" I deadpanned, not believing I was hearing those three names again.

"You're the Maiden of the Moon of this generation right?" I nodded. "You look a lot like her. Lady Riya I mean. Plus, young masters Lei and Chen also look a lot like the fourth prince and Master Li Er. So I suppose I'm more… what's the word...? More familiar with you than Lord Wu Fen."

"Oh. So about Lei and I sneaking into his mother's secret room-"

"Will remain a secret, unless Lord Wu Fen asks and you want me to answer."

"Everything's just full of surprises huh."

"I suppose."

"So, a nature spirit?" I questioned with a smirk on my face.

"It's a long story." he answered. he sounded a little nervous and unsure.

I glanced at my watch that read it was already quarter to ten, and then to the boys who was still having fun. I saw Kai writing his name using his butt. Was it some sort of punishment?

"It's a long night." I said, my gaze returning to the house deity sitting beside me.

And so, he started his story...

Two thousand years ago, the plot of land the Zhang Estate currently stood, was a vast mountain forest. Pingjing was a land spirit born from the undisturbed energy that pooled in that very mountain. He said that one day, three people; two men and one woman, visited him, no, woke him up. They made a deal that the area would be protected as long as he maintained it. Years later, the three came back and built the new main Zhang estate, and he became its guardian spirit. The Zhang Family grew into power, their territory expanded and Pingjing became even more powerful. He was currently in-charge of the defenses of the property as well as Uncle Wu Fen's butler/right-hand man.

"Do the clan members know?" I asked.

"They forget about me the moment they step outside the estate. Only Lord Wu Fen remembers since he's the clan leader."

"How about the elders?"

"Hmm… They don't do much. But they know the consequences if they do babble about it to outsiders." I could see a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"So I'll forget about you once I get out of here." I said in realization.

"Hmm… I'm not sure. I mean you're the Maiden of the Moon, and back then Lady Wang was the one who set up that very spell formation. So..."

I just nodded. The rest of the time, we just talked about Lei's and Chen's toddler and childhood days. Some I already knew and some I just found out. I had some laughs at the twins' cheekiness.

The next day, half of the boys woke up with hangover. That included my brother and the two maknae's, Kai and Seth, who only recently turned twenty. And it was their first time drinking.

For breakfast, it included hangover soups and aspirins.

"Stop shouting!" the youngest, Seth, yelled. "I'm never drinking again."

"Inside voices please." I heard Coby murmur. He was pressing his temples as well.

Pingjing, who was serving our breakfast, was chuckling at the antics of everyone. All of a sudden the land guardian toppled over, spilling the hangover soup on Blake, who screamed because of how hot it was, and clutched his chest.

"Pingjing-ge!" Chen called and immediately went to Pingjing's side.

As the doctor – do spirits even need human medical attention? – I immediately went to him and checked on him.

"Hey! What's wrong? What do you feel?" I asked. He looked pale and I could somehow see wisps of black smoke around him.

"Poi…son!" he replied between breaths. I could see he was having trouble breathing.

"Poison?" Lei questioned. "But-"

"Call… Lord… Wu Fen! Dan…ger…"

Even with such cryptic words, Kyle bolted out of the room to get Uncle Wu Fen. We settled Pingjing down to the floor and I immediately checked his pulse. I also sent Chen to get my tools back in my room.

While attending to the fallen land guardian, I noticed Bai staring at nothing with an empty look on his face.

"Bai?" I heard Seven call. I guess I wasn't the only one who noticed it.

"It changed." Bai muttered. "It has become worse. No, they're – It's too late. They're here."