Chapter 23: Reborn

Let me start over again.

Forget all the pain and misery

Huang Jing Er

***

Eight Years later

Huang Jing Er thinks that she have been died long time ago. But what is it? She rubs her chest and she can feel the sword still pearced over there. Huang Jing Er can feel it through her heart. This time, Huang Jing Er don't want to open her eyes because this world was too cruel for her.

"Let me sleep in my rest in peace… but…."

Huang Jing Er's lungs are starting to breathe. Exhale and inhale the air. She tries to open my eyes and then she finds that She was surrounded by the lotus flowers that wrapped all over her body. Actually Huang Jing Er doesn't feel the pain anymore except a bit hurt in her pierced chest. The lotus on her back gradually pulled the sword out from her chest. The sword is flying before her eyes but she is not afraid. Huang Jing Er knows that she have to awake now. Step by step the lotus flowers unwrapped her and expose her bare body.

Red smoke lifts Huang Jing Er's body up and flies with a stand up position and with this position, she could reach the sword in her palm. Actually, the injuries had been healed, just the sword remained a scar on her chest. Huang Jing Er was still surrounded by the red smoke then it became mist and then disappeared before her eyes after her feet touched the ground.

"Welcome back Lady!"

'Who are they? I can see a lot of girls surrounding me.'

They bring a red dress for her. The favorite color of Huang Jing Er. Actually, Huang Jing Er still doesn't understand but she come closer and one of them who stands in the front comes closer to take the sword and lets another girl behind that girl to keep the sword. That girl helps her to wear the undergarments and then tie layer by layer to cover her bare skin.

"Lady, Xiao Ran so happy that I can see Lady again. Huang Manor was always waiting for the Lady and now, Lady has come back."

"Where is it?" Huang Jing Er asked them.

"Lady, we are in the Huang Manor at the northeast of the capital city." Xiao Ran told her.

Huang Jing Er remember what had the lotus told her when she had slept.

Her name is Huang Jing Er. She is a descendant of the Huang family. She was lived here and she have to protect them all. She knows their name by name because the lotus tells her so. Huang Jing Er's eyes fixed on the beautiful sword. The sword is so manly and at the same point has a feminine impression.

'Why I don't remember anything about how the sword stabbed my chest. I take the sword again. Feel it in my grip. It's so stable. But who is the owner? Am I?' She thought.

"Lady, you slept for eight years. What do Lady want to do?" Xiao Ran asked her.

"Xiao Ran, I want to go outside." She said while looked at Xiao Ran calmly.

"Lady, don't you want to take a rest?"

"Xiao Ran, I have been sleeping for eight years so I don't need to take a rest anymore."

"Xiao Ran understood."

Xiao Ran took a bow and let Huang Jing Er walk to lead them. Huang manor in the Northeast that is so quiet at dawn. The raging rain made for an atrocious atmosphere so Huang Jing Er decided to delay going outside and stay here for few days later.

"We can't go outside right now."

"Yes, Lady. Xiao Ran will accompany Lady to your chamber."

Xiao Ran led her into a chamber but Huang Jing Er doesn't have any memory about this place before but she got used to it. The chamber looks so tidy and beautiful, decorated with the artistic paintings, the porcelains and the clays. The white curtains give a pure impression on this chamber.

Huang Jing Er sit on the wooden chair in the center of the bedroom. She lets Xiao Ran sit beside her so she can see her face clearly.

"Xiao Ran, let me know what's happened during these eight years."

"Lady had been sleeping for eight years."

"I know about that so tell me about another thing. Tell me about the sword."

"Xiao Ran didn't know about the sword when we arrived here eight years ago, Lady had been sleeping at the lotus pond with the sword on Lady's chest. We could not come nearer to you because the lotus did not permit us." She explained seriously to her.

"I understand. The lotus healed my injuries and that's why they didn't let you come closer."

"Yes, Lady. Xiao Ran understands."

'Li Jun Jie.'

'Why is that the name always in my head?' Huang Jing Er's thought.

"Tell me who is Li Jun Jie?"

Xiao Ran looks startled but she manages to calm herself.

"Li Jun Jie is the fifth son of General Li Jun Yang but the general committed sin to rebel. Xiao Ran still don't understand if that's the truth or a trap but all over this country know about this news. If they still live then they must be sentenced to death. Lady Huang Jin Er married with his second son but they were dead already. General Cheng Sheng Lin's armies killed them when they wanted to escape. Now all of the Li family had been dead."

Huang Jing Er doesn't understand why her heart felt the huge pain inside when she heard about this tragedy. Perhaps it's because Huang Jin Er is her older sister and that's make her become curious about Cheng Sheng Lin.

"So my older sister was killed by Cheng Sheng Lin's armies?"

"Yes, Lady."

"So how about Li Jun Jie? Is he really dead?"

Xiao Ran's cold facial expression makes Huang Jing Er can't read what is in her mind.

"Xiao Ran, tell me." She said.

"I think so. Xiao Ran hears no one from the Li family still alive as General Cheng Sheng Lin reports to King that he had killed Li Jun Jie Why Lady so curious about Li Jun Jie?" Xiao Ran asked her curiously.

'I don't know why hearing about Cheng Sheng Lin makes me feel uneasy. I think he is a cruel man who killed my sister and all of Li family.' She thoughts.

"I don't know. I just feel something fishy must have been happened. Eight years ago, I think I have to investigate the truth behind this."

'I don't know why I am so interested with Li family's matter even I don't have any relationship with them. Or am I? Why the name of 'Li Jun Jie' still stuck in my mind?' She thoughts.

"Lady, this is too dangerous." Xiao ran said. She looks so worried about her Lady.

"I understand. Xiao Ran, we have to be more careful." Huang Jing Er takes a deep breath. " I decide to leave Huang Manor because I will investigate this matter. Tell Aunty Gong and Old Man to stay here." She give an order.

"Lady, you are the successor of this family if something happens to you, how can we live? We will follow wherever Lady go!"

Huang Jing Er was startled when Xiao Ran kneeling in front of her. Her body bowed and all the girls following her and it makes her heart feels so uneasy.

"Xiao Ran, what are you doing!"

"We will bow like this until Lady considers our words. This is too dangerous. Please bring us with you!"

At this point Huang Jing Er doesn't know what should she does. They have strong hearts but how can she bring them all on her journey? Huang Jing Er just want to make sure that they will be alright if something bad happens to her at the capital city.

"Lady, we beg on you."

"Xiao Ran, you know my reason why I can bring all of you."

"Xiao Ran know. Lady must want to investigate Li's family case. Xiao Ran understood but it's still too dangerous even though eight years had passed. The investigation about the Li family is still dangerous. Please consider it again and let Xiao Ran follow Lady this time."

"Let us follow Lady!"

Indeed they have a strong heart to follow their Lady until Huang Jing Er cannot refuse their heart. Huang Jing Er never thought the Huang people are so loyal. Their lotus gives her their messages into Huang Jing Er's mind.

"Alright, we will move together but let me tell all of you. We have to keep it a secret. We will be going to the capital city. So from now on. We have to do preparation. If something happens we will come back here."

"We understand, Lady."

Huang Jing Er still doesn't know what will happen when she is looking for the truth but she knows that something is waiting for her over there.