A Flower Without Rain

Chapter 16

It's been a while since he's been in the palace. With the recent disappearance of his son's wife, everyone has been on edge. All he could do, was pray that she was alright and no harm came her way.

Standing before the gates of the place where the divine tree rests, a deep breath filled him. It was not just once, but every time that he came before the presence of the divine tree that he turned nervous. To just look at it, felt like gravity was pulling him down to kneel.

Hands on the gate, he pushed the grand doors open and left to that sacred place.

Walking along the pavement, the eternal beauty that none other possessed soon entered his vision. There stood the magnificent tree where everything began. Those black leaves he once spoke of were now concealed by the pink blossoms that rained.

An ethereal sight indeed.

Reaching the tree, he placed his bag on the green grass that surrounded. Walking around it, he could see very faintly that the bark was peeling. It wasn't noticeable but it was still concerning.

Taking note of this, he wrote it down in his notebook where others lied. Every time he saw the divine tree, something new appeared and it was only horrible. The poison was slowly weakening it, and could be years before its life comes to an end. He feared that a future filled with tragedy awaited them.

Coming down to his knees, Lian Gen shut his notebook where a frown then came upon his face and eyes lowering. He was frustrated at himself, knowing he couldn't do anything but watch it die. This reminded him of that person, brining upon the scars that will never heal.

Placing his hand on the tree, his expression dimmed. "We should've known earlier that you were being targeted." conveying his guilt. "We were even warned but in the end........we were too late."

It was a day he will forever regret.

"I beg you," a short pause, "Your Divine Goddess Xifeng, please protect my daughter, Lian Yu." He couldn't loose anyone else dear to him. "Save her from this horrible future that may come upon us."

She's suffered enough.

Walking along the Rue River, Lian Zhong and his men were looking for those that had not yet returned from the search just a few days ago. Gesturing his men to split into pairs of two to cover more ground, the Commander continued along his path.

The ground was rough with rocks that poked through the surface. At every step, the sound of rubble grinding against each other filled the air as no one spoke. Then, one of the men in the group looked to the Young Master.

"Young Master, there's a very faint voice," bringing it to his attention.

At the mention of those words, everyone's movements came to a stop as they listened carefully. Those seconds they waited felt like forever until it came again.

"HELP!!!!"

Immediately, did Lian Zhong break into a sprint as the men followed. He knew the owner of that voice was just ahead along the river. Once he reached that location, he was faced with a cave filled of horror. Before him, rested the lifeless bodies of the men who did not return and dried blood that covered the ground in every corner.

With help finally here, the man who gave those grueling calls was elated at last. Coming to the man, the Young Master could see just how pale, weak, and wet his skin was. The wound he had tied to prevent anymore loss of blood, however, couldn't do anything. Without any proper care the blood he lost was already too much.

A whistle blowing, one of the men did so as to call the group back together before returning inside the cave to begin covering the bodies of the men whose life came to an unfortunate end.

"What happened?" his voice calm as to not overwhelm the man.

Rapid breaths, he spoke, "Lady Yuan Li.....we found her, but we were attacked."

"Do you know who was behind it?"

Eyes shutting and opening, the man's hand came over his abdomen where his wound rested. "Him," a sharp breath as he looked to his Young Master with widened and shaking eyes. "He's coming!" no other words were able to be voiced as his body went numb and eventually limp.

The Commander didn't know what to do. A distraught look, he looked around and could only see the tragedy and not the answer.

"Who is he?"

And when will he be coming.

In the chambers of her Peach Palace, Crown Princess Lian Yu sat at her desk with an ink pen in hand and paper before her. Sometimes, she would write short poems and it only ever happened when a sudden train of thought passed through her. As she finished writing the last phrase, she read it to herself.

"Without wavering,
The fleeting blossom soars through the air,
No need to be afraid,
As the peering eyes will never cut,
Instead the rain will cease the loss,
Everything is bound to return,
And yet in the end,
One shall not return"

Lian Yu did not know where or how this sort of passage came to be, and in a way she knew exactly what it meant but at the same time she did not.

Setting her pen down, a frown came upon her lips. The thought of Yuan Li entered her mind and it worried her greatly. She prayed that she was alright and found as soon as possible. It was also this moment, that her sister invaded her thoughts.

A sigh, her gaze shifted to the floor. "I'm sorry for mentioning your name when I spoke back at mother........" speaking of that day. "Maybe in the end I was fed up. I always hated being compared to you when I am my own person and you, your own."

Not too long after, she broke out into a cry. Her trembling lips turned downward, as hands covered her face. "I truly did not want to cry at the announcement of your death or funeral, and instead held it in...." her voice shaken. "Now, I can no longer contain the sorrow that eats me inside..... Why did you have to leave? Why couldn't it have been me instead?"

Just outside her doors, was Xin Hua listening. Ever since that day her mother visited, he couldn't help but come by to know how she's doing. This day however, was blue. Hearing her speak those words tore him apart inside.

Holding back those tears, his brows pressed together as a painful expression overcame him.

"To wish yourself to have left instead, is a sorrowful thing to say."
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