Wei Ying and Lan Zhan travel beyond the known world of Cultivation, feeding their spirit of adventure while standing with justice and living with no regrets.
Meanwhile, Lan Zhan sat across Chieftain War Dena Guna at the headquarters of the Avian Bird Force. A brilliantly plumed Parakeet bowed to Lan Zhan and sat at a desk and began pecking out communiques on tree bark with a steady rat-tat-tat. Ignoring the noise, the Chieftain said, "We have been concerned for the past few months about the foreign investment in our mines. The demand for gemstones from overseas has trebled this year!"
"Any unrest?" asked Lan Zhan, following the Chief's line of thought.
"Just the disappearance of the Da Ni over the past year."
" I wonder if these two are connected" suggested Lan Zhan, watching the Chief's expression carefully.
"Let's adjourn to the War Room in the Palace," said the Chief.
"See you in the War Room," thought Lan Zhan rubbing his ring*.
"Was coming there myself," replied Wei Ying, through his own ring.
Unsheathing Bichen, Lan Zhan gestured for the Chief to get on to the sword. "This will save time," he said.
The Princess found the Chief, SaMi, and both Oriental guests deep in discussion in the War Room. Maps, books and scrolls lay on the marble top and while SaMi was explaining the special characteristics of different gems in terms of frequencies and output, Wei Ying was simultaneously examining frescoes on the walls. The Chieftain was marking shipping trade routes on a map in front of Lan Zhan, while Lan Zhan was drawing in wind patterns onto the same map.
A small bubble of hope arose in the Princess' heart at the sight of this activity and reached her lips as a smile. "Let's adjourn for the day," she suggested "and reconvene in the morning."
That night in the guest chamber, Wei Ying lay sprawled on Lan Zhan's lap, recounting his experience while standing in the Haili Ba. Lan Zhan listened with growing alarm and his fingers in Wei Ying's hair tightened till he yelled out, "Ouch, Lan Zhan, I am fine! Let go my hair!"
Snapping back, Lan Zhan rapped Wei Ying's head smartly. "No unnecessary risks, you promised! If WY feels any after-effects of the Haili Ba..",
"Wei Ying will tell you!" he promised.
Though he was tucked securely into the crook of Lan Zhan's neck and cocooned in several blankets, Wei Ying simply could not sleep peacefully. Summoning Wangji, Lan Zhan played Rest until Wei Ying's eyelids drooped and he fell asleep mid-sentence. Dismissing the guqin, Lan Zhan closed his eyes, holding Wei Ying close.
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The Prince's fins were bound and chains dragged at his feet and tail. He looked haggard and mud was drying in patches on his blue-green body. His jewels and royal robes were missing but it the Emerald glowed fiercely on his forehead. The sun beat down on heaps of newly-turned dark soil that formed hillocks on either side of a muddy channel the Prince was being pulled through. He stopped breathless and leaned tiredly against the trunk of a shady tree. Flowers fell around him. Looking up, he saw fruit shaped like cannonballs. Desperately, the Prince looked around for something, someone to help him and his eyes locked on to Wei Ying's. With a start, Wei Ying awoke. He opened his closed fist, to find a Sara flower emitting a strong and refined perfume.
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Thinking for a second, Wei Ying scrambled off the bed and ran into the War Room with the frescoes, Lan Zhan following closely. "Look," he cried, pointing to a panel behind the Throne Troughs. Lan Zhan looked up to see a portrait of the Prince and the Princess in royal robes, jewellery, wearing crowns and carrying royal sceptres and other insignia. The Princes' crown featured an apple-sized Emerald front and centre, while the Princess' tiara featured an orange-sized Topaz. The Prince stood gazing lovingly at the Princess, who was admiring a flower that she held. A majestic tree stood behind them shedding more flowers around them. There were some strange fruit that look like wooden cannon balls* that grew from the trunk of the tree.
"Is this the same Emerald Wei Ying saw?" asked Lan Zhan.
"Yes, yes," said Wei Ying, and look at this flower!"
"Let us speak to the Princess tomorrow," said Lan Zhan and summarily carried Wei Ying back to their bedchamber.
Dawn was just breaking as both guests got ready to meet the Princess. Wei Ying narrated his strange dream of the night before that somehow left a real flower in his hand. Lan Zhan picked up the flower and walked to the portrait of the Prince. "Well? said Wei Ying, expectantly.
Lan Zhan peered at the tree in the picture nodded "Mn!" The two exchanged a look and took their places, awaiting the Princess.
She splashed in, wearing a worried look and red-rimmed eyes, wringing her fins wretchedly. "What's the matter, Princess?" asked Wei Ying kindly.
"More Da Ni have disappeared!" she cried out, tears springing to the purple-fringed eyes.
"Where?" asked Lan Zhan.
"From the mines" she said.
Exchanging a look with Wei Ying, Lan Zhan pulled out a chair and the two sat opposite the Princess' trough. "Please start at the beginning," said Lan Zhan kindly, handing Wei Ying his white handkerchief. Wei Ying blankly looked at it before realization hit and he passed it on to the Princess.
"I told you that several of the Da Ni have gone missing over the past few months. These disappearances have been from different cities and villages. None of the persons were related to each other. Both male and female Da Ni have disappeared. Some were adults, others youth, and some young mothers."
"Did they have anything in common?" asked Wei Ying.
"ShuiTa SaMi" announced an attendant.
"I just realised the answer to that question," said Sami.
"Ratnapura?" said Lan Zhan raising an eyebrow in question.
"How did you know?" asked the Princess.
Wei Ying wordlessly place the Sara flower, the flower of the tree bearing the fruit that resembled cannonballs, that had appeared in his hand, in front of the Princess.
"Proof lies in the fact that Wei Ying saw the tree that bears this flower near some mines in a vision last night. This tree," Lan Zhan pointed to the painting behind the throne trough.
"Yesterday, during a discussion, Chieftain War Dena Guna mentioned new mines in the city of Ratnapura, hence my conclusion."
There was a loud gasp and the Princess fainted, falling inelegantly into her trough!!
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A/N:
* Lan Zhan and Wei Ying exchange rings that are infused with energy from their own cores and these can be used for communication. This first appeared in 'The Red Rose' by WangXianLovingLotus.
* Cannonball tree : Couroupita guianensis, a softwood tree found in tropical countries. The flowers and fruit grow directly from the tree trunk. Flowers are distinctive in appearance and strong pleasant smell and are called Sara Flowers.
