Chapter 1: Book 2: Chapter 61 - Lost Red Pearl; Inadvertent Eyes Red with Desire (Part 2)
Xie Lian pulled at his earlobes, "One of the earrings is gone."
The people of Xian Le believed that the pinnacle of cultivation was the harmony of 'Yin and Yang', the unity of male and female. The form of the gods were ever-changing, and naturally unbound by gender restrictions, shifting to men or women as they will. Thus, this belief was woven into the design of the God-Pleasing costume. Throughout history, every God-Pleasing Martial Warrior had donned adornments and accessories that possessed the form and details of both sexes, such as earrings, bracelets, etc. When Xie Lian was preparing for the role, he pierced his ears and put on a pair of earrings.
It was a pair of brilliantly deep red coral pearls, lustrous and smooth, radiant and opulent, rare and sublime. However, when Xie Lian was minding his hair just then, only one of the pair of red coral pearls was left.
The moment he said it was lost, Mu Qing's relaxed expression froze again, but the other two did not notice at all. Feng Xin looked all over the chamber first, inside and out, but returned empty handed. "You're so scatterbrained, even something worn on your ears can be lost. I didn't find it in the Pavilion of Xian Le, so I'll go out and look on the roads. Pray to the heavens you didn't lose it during the parade."
Xie Lian was puzzled too, but didn't care for it much, "Maybe. If that's the case then there'd be no way you'd find it. If it's lost, it's lost."
Mu Qing on the other hand, brought out the broom he usually used to sweep and said quietly, "That pearl is too precious; we should at least try and look. Maybe it rolled under the bed or a shelf." He then started sweeping, and Xie Lian responded, "Then why don't we call for a few more hands to help?"
Feng Xin casually said, "There are too many people. If we can't find it, someone might steal it and hide it."
Mu Qing was quietly checking under the bed, but when he heard Feng Xin's words, he halted, rose to his feet in a fit, and CRACK, the broom in his hands broke into two. Xie Lian was startled.
Ever since they left the Great Martial Hall, Feng Xin was filled with complaints about Mu Qing, but the words never left his lips. Now that he saw Mu Qing blew up first, he got angry too, "What are you doing, breaking things so suddenly? Who pissed you off now?"
Mu Qing replied coldly, "Why don't you tell me straight what it is you want to say, instead of casting shadows where there are none? I have nothing to do with the lost pearl."
Feng Xin had always been a straightforward individual, and this was the first time hearing someone accuse him of 'casting shadows where there are none', and puffed a laugh from anger, "Why don't you tell that to yourself! What did I say? I didn't say you stole it, but you got all flustered. What, feeling guilty?"
Xie Lian broke out of his shock and sat up on the bed, feeling dread, "Feng Xin, that's enough!"
A few veins popped instantly on Mu Qing's forehead. Feng Xin really didn't think much of it, and asked in confusion, "What?"
It really wasn't the right time for Xie Lian to explain, so he could only try and pacify Mu Qing, "Don't misunderstand, Feng Xin's comments were offhanded, he wasn't directing them at you."
Mu Qing's clenched his fists tight then loosened, but at last did not continue to blow up. However his eyes were growing red, and he turned to Xie Lian, enunciating each word as he stared at him, "You... don't keep your promises."
"No! You're wrong!" Xie Lian cried.
Mu Qing closed his mouth and inhaled a few times, threw a furious stink eye at Feng Xin, then without another word, ran out the door. Xie Lian jumped off the bed and was about to give chase, but was stopped in mid step.
"Your Highness, you haven't even put on shoes! It'd be a disgrace going out with your hair down and in a mess!"
"Help me stop him!" Xie Lian ordered.
"At least put on your shoes first and tie up your hair." Feng Xin said, "And leave him be. He's always weird like this, who knows what nerve we touched now, going mental out of the blue."
Mu Qing was long gone by then and Xie Lian saw he wouldn't be able to catch up, so instead he grabbed for a hair tie to fasten his hair in a rush, "He wasn't going mental, you just accidentally said the wrong thing."
Feng Xin brought out Xie Lian's usual white training garb from the closet and threw it at him, "What did I say wrong?"
Xie Lian replied as he slipped on his boots, "I can't tell you. Anyway come with me to go find him, and tell him it was all a misunderstanding, and that you weren't accusing him of anything,"
Feng Xin frowned, "What is there you can't tell me?"
Xie Lian's lips were sealed tight. Feng Xin was becoming more suspicious, and thought back on Mu Qing's furious expression, and spoke up suddenly, "He didn't actually steal from you before, did he?"
Xie Lian immediately waved vigorously, "No! No!"
Seeing him like this, Feng Xin was even more sure. "So that's it! No wonder his temper flared, it's because he was guilty! So when did he steal?"
"Not so loud!" Xie Lian hushed anxiously.
Feng Xin lowered his voice, "Something like this happened and you didn't tell me?! Tell me now!"
Xie Lian saw that Feng Xin was already suspicious, if he continued to lie then it'd be found out either way, so he had to relent woefully, "It doesn't really count as stealing, but... sigh, I'll start from the beginning. You remember, right? Two years ago when I first entered the Huang Ji Pavilion, there was once I lost a leaf of gold foil?"
Hearing this, Feng Xin's eyes widened and he slapped his thigh, "THAT TIME?!"
Three years ago, Xie Lian begged and pleaded in all manners of ways until finally his parents relented and permitted him to enter the Huang Ji Pavilion for training before the age of twenty. A year later the Pavilion of Xian Le completed construction. Xie Lian could at last move in and he did so in great excitement.
When Xie Lian first moved in, he really didn't bring a lot with him. Only two carriages full of books, and two hundred treasured swords. But the queen loved her son dearly and was afraid the training life would be too quiet and boring, so later she ordered for twenty servants and four large carriages full of trinkets that the Crown Prince loved to be sent to Mount Taicang, the mounting caravans impressive and dramatic. Included in this was a set of the one hundred and eight leaves that make up the Golden Foil Palace.
Building a palace out of golden foils was a popular game enjoyed by the Xian Le nobility. At the time, to have so much luxury enter the mountain caused a small wave of complaints. The Huang Ji Pavilion comprised of serious cultivators who weren't quite familiar with the prince's character just yet, and although they couldn't say much publicly, behind his back there was much chatter: did His Highness the Crown Prince come to train, or did he come play? What can this son of the royal family cultivate if he only came for fun?
When Feng Xin heard those grievances, he had the mind to dispute them but Xie Lian told him not to worry about it and smiled, "It's only natural they should think that way. They'll know after a while that I'm not here to play games, and also, who's the number one in this generation of trainees."
However, not long after, something happened.
Xie Lian was trying to send away as much of the four large carriages and servants the queen gifted him as possible, but when he counted inventory, he found that in the one hundred and eight leaves of gold foils one was missing.
That set of gold foils were packed in the carriages, and once at Mount Taicang it had never left the Pavilion of Xian Le. If it wasn't lost on the road, then it was stolen. Nothing was found on the road, so Xie Lian brought it up offhandedly to the Guoshi. However, when the Guoshi thought it might have been stolen, he became enraged at the idea that someone within the Huang Ji Pavilion would commit this crime under the allurement of golden foils, so he was determined to recovered the golden leaf no matter what. If it should be found on the person of anyone, the punishment would be utmost severe. Thus, all three thousand and more disciples of the entire Mount Taicang stopped what they were doing, got dragged into forming teams to search room after room, chamber after chamber of every single training hall.
It was a huge fanfare, tiring out everyone, yet unexpectedly, halfway through the search Xie Lian suddenly corrected himself, apologized for causing everyone trouble, and said he suddenly remembered that he seemed to have already lost a leaf from that set of gold foils while he was still at the royal palace. Meaning, there should only be one hundred and seven leaves total after all.
In order to investigate the whereabouts of the missing gold foil, that night at the Huang Ji Pavilion was complete chaos, utter pandemonium, and right when everyone was sweating with exhaustion, to have His Highness the Crown Prince suddenly make such an announcement to drop everything, it was inevitable for many to feel aggrieved. Thus, for the longest time there were a lot of noise behind his back, saying things like, well he was the Crown Prince so he got to call the shots, and hopefully next time his memory would be better and remember the important things before calling for an investigation, etc. Feng Xin was furious listening to them, but Xie Lian still told him to let it go, and let time pass quietly.
Sure enough, after that Xie Lian was indeed able to change things around completely, rising to unashamedly become the number one trainee of the Huang Ji Pavilion, over all three thousand and some disciples. Because he was truly friendly and easygoing and not at all dependent on his background, gradually his reputation improved amongst the others.
Feng Xin wasn't one to remember the petty details, so he had forgotten this had happened. Now that it was brought up again, it dawned on him, and he was shocked and angry, "IT WAS MU QING WHO WALKED AWAY WITH THAT GOLD FOIL???"
"Shh!" Xie Lian hushed him and looked around to make sure no one was around, "That gold foil leaf fell out of the rattling carriage while coming up the mountain. Mu Qing was passing by while carrying water, and found it in the bushes. He kept it under his bed and hadn't figured out what to do with it, but that very night the Guoshi suddenly struck, ordering everyone to search rooms. I didn't know him at the time, and only saw an errand boy who looked distraught. Later while I was sitting outside he came up to serve me tea and admitted everything. That's how I found out."
"Taking without telling is stealing!!! So you helped him bury this matter and told everyone that gold foil was lost in the royal palace???"
Whilst they were talking Xie Lian had finished dressing, and head out the door, "That's how it is."
Feng Xin was going to die from rage. He followed after Xie Lian, "Your Highness, did you know, that when you first came to the Huang Ji Pavilion, just how much people talked shit about you?"
"Keep it down." Xie Lian said, "He really did look quite distraught at the time. Pale as a ghost. People here at the Huang Ji Pavilion already dislike him, if I had said anything, his life here would be over. Our places in life are different, and we stand on different vantage points in this matter, so consequences can't be compared."
Just then, a few young trainees approached them, and courteously bowed, their faces full of smiles greeting them, "Your Highness!"
Xie Lian smiled back, and the two parties brushed past each other. He said to Feng Xin, "See, I told you to give it time. Now I get along with everyone, who'd dare say anything bad about me?"
The two of them entered Mu Qing's bedchamber but didn't see a soul, so they exited again to keep searching. "I already thought it strange at the time, since I'd never known you to have lost any leaves at the palace." Feng Xin said, "But I can't believe you didn't tell me about this for two years, and even told me that you met him when he was sweeping!"
"Later he asked me not to tell anyone," Xie Lian said, "Since I agreed, of course I wouldn't tell, not even to you. But now that you know, I'm the one who went back on my word. But you mustn't tell anyone else."
"How does that even count as going back on your word?" Feng Xin said, "It's not like you told me anything, it's his own guilty conscience making him freak out that gave himself away."
"No, no. You promise me right now that this stops here. Otherwise I'll break up my relationship with you, and you'll be cursed to never find a wife!" Xie Lian threatened.
Feng Xin "pfft"-ed, "You, break up with me?! The day after our breakup everyone in the Kingdom of Xian Le will know one thing: His Highness the Crown Prince fainted from overly tight suspenders while dressing himself–!! —FINE! I won't say a word! Who gives a shit about gossiping anyway."
After a pause, he still decided to comment, "I bet he thinks I'm always picking on him because he thought I knew about the gold foil business, but really, I just don't like people like him. A grown up man thinking too much about this and that, he must've suspected you having told me a long time ago. Even concubines in a harem don't have thoughts and moods as twisted as his, so annoying!"
"It's not as bad as you say." Xie Lian said, "The Huang Ji Pavilion had never lost anything before, meaning this was his first time, and at the end of the day it was for his mother... uh, anyway he already assuredly promised that he would never do it again, so giving him another chance isn't wrong. And he kept his word. Besides, today when that little kid fell, if Mu Qing didn't cooperate with me, the parade wouldn't have ended so smoothly either."
Feng Xin clicked his tongue, "You're already going down in history for only three rounds around the capital, of course he won't do anything else to you. Your Highness, I'm gonna say this right now, I don't believe a word of anything he said at the Great Martial Hall. Who here in the Huang Ji Pavilion didn't know when the Guoshi played cards he hears and sees no one? He had to pick that time to pass on the message, and stubbornly refused to clarify under whose orders he was sent, as if he's purposely trying to screw things up."
Xie Lian shook his head and said gravely, "Actually, in regards to this, I might have been indelicate too. I knew Mu Qing is disliked, so originally I wanted him to run more errands for me, let people know that he's my personal attendant so they'd be nicer to him. I didn't realize they're already nasty to that point. Not only did things mess up, he got bullied too. If you think about it from his perspective, you'll find he's moody for a reason."
Feng Xin disagreed wholeheartedly, "Why is it your fault that he's moody? You're the Crown Prince; how did you end up owing anyone anything for promoting them? Your Highness I really don't understand why you think so highly of him."
Xie Lian grinned, "Feng Xin, did you know, there are so many people in this world that are nothing but rocks in my eyes."
Feng Xin didn't understand. Xie Lian walked with his hands behind his back, "Rocks are everywhere, but precious jades are hard to come by. When it comes to martial arts, I've only ever seen two people who could be called jades. One is you. The other, is him."
He suddenly stopped in his step, turned his head around, his eyes shining brightly, "I truly think that Mu Qing is extremely gifted. Such a precious jade, how can it be sat to let dust collect and hide its beauty just because of backgrounds and temper?"
Xie Lian looked determined, "No! I think that's wrong. You ask why I think so highly of him? It's the same reason as why I think so highly of you. Ones that are destined to shine, I must let them shine. Besides, I don't believe that good will brings bad returns."
Feng Xin stopped too. After listening to Xie Lian's speech, he scratched his head, "As long as you know what you want. How you do it is your business."
"Yea. So. Where did Mu Qing run off to?" Xie Lian said.
Just then, another couple of young trainees approached them, a basket in their hands, playing around. When they saw Xie Lian, they called out to him in unison, their voices happy, "Your Highness!"
Xie Lian responded with a smile too. The trainees came up to them and thrusted the basket before the two, saying happily, "Will Your Highness have some cherries? They've been washed in the springs already, very clean, and very sweet!"
The basket was full of vivid red little round cherries, looking rather precious. Xie Lian and Feng Xin picked out a few to eat, and they were indeed juicy and sweet. One of the young trainees asked, "When we walked over we heard Your Highness asking about Mu Qing. Were you looking for him? I think we saw him when we passed through the cherry woods."
"Is that right? Thanks for letting me know." Xie Lian said.
Thus, the two walked hastily towards the cherry woods. Atop Mount Taicang, other than the abundant wild maples, there were also many fruit trees; peaches, pears, oranges, and among the many fruit trees were also cherry trees. The fruit trees were nourished by springs, bathed in the mountainous mist and sunny dew, bearing fruits filled with spiritual aura. Other than offering them as tribute to the palace, the rest were only reserved for the disciples in the pavilion who can munch after a day's hard work. Outside the Huang Ji Pavilion, even a hundred gold pieces would be hard to buy just one.
The cherry trees stood row after row, and within the fresh new leaves hung beads after beads of red pearl-like cherries, looking delightfully enticing. Xie Lian and Feng Xin walked for a while looking for Mu Qing in the woods, but soon after, they heard quarreling voices coming from just ahead of where they were, and they unconsciously slowed to a stop.
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● This Lang Ying is not the same one as the Lang Ying from the present; the character for 'Ying' is different.
● "Guoshi" means State Preceptor
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