章 16: The monastery in the Tu valley

After four hours of journey, Tang Wei Sheng and Li Juan reached the main town in the foothills of the Tu valley, a famous spot for the sales of gemstones.

The Town appeared lively and colourful with numerous gemstone shops and bustling streets filled with tourists and local people. Both of them had lunch from a local restaurant and decided to continue the journey. Since they were supposed to reach the monastery before evening, they didn't think about going shopping or sightseeing in the town.

"Do you need anything, sweetheart?" Tang Weird Sheng asked Li Juan, whose eyes stuck to the Jade stones displayed across the roadside stores.

"No." Li Juan nudged with a faint smile. "I don't need anything."

"I think we have a half-hour journey to the monastery. Are you tired?"

"Not a bit. What about you? Should I drive?" Li Juan worriedly asked him. Even though he loves to drive, the journey was quite tiring and difficult.

"No. Not today. I will give another chance to drive." Tang Wei Sheng replied as he drove his car to the almost empty mountain path, leading to the outskirts of the town.

After another hour of rough terrain ride, they've finally reached the monastery in the top of the largest foothill.

The Tu monastery was one of the oldest monasteries in the country with a legacy spanning over centuries. Even though the monastery was situated in a wide area, only a small part of it was open to the public. Since the visiting hours were already over, the monastery and it's surroundings looked calm and serene.

As soon as they reached the main entrance, Tang Wei Sheng informed the gate keeper that they were here to meet the monk named "Mu Hong", the person in charge of the library and its resources.

Once they got the permission, the duo were directed to a small courtyard outside the main building.

Tang Wei Sheng and Li Juan bowed down to pay the respects when Mu Hong, a monk in bright cinnamon red clothes welcomed them and introduced themselves.

"I'm a research scholar working with Professor Han Guang at Jing City University." Li Juan began to explain their purpose of the visit. "Professor Su Wu..."

"Yes, Professor Su Wu has informed us that his junior wants to know something about the Tu monastery." Mu Hong said as he examined the two young people who stood before him. Professor Su Wu was Han Guang's senior and he was one who gave them the information about the monastery and even arranged a meeting with the main priest.

"I'm sorry, master. Professor Han had an important conference to attend, so we came instead of him."

"Hmm, what are you exactly looking for?" Mu Hong cut the chase as soon as Li Juan shared Han Guang's apologies on behalf of him.

"We have been working on a project to find the lost Jade land mentioned in our ancient texts." She excitedly began.

"As per the texts, there was a legendary kingdom situated somewhere inside the Tu mountain ranges. And the myths say that the land is the home of Jade emperor on earth."

Mu Hong gave her an agreeing nod and let her continue.

"Well, the kingdom is not mythical and it did exist. Few thousand years ago, it was the biggest repositories of gemstones in the entire mainland."

"Yes." The monk reaffirmed as he keenly listened to her.

"We have found the ruins of the ancient city using various technologies. But we don't have any evidence to prove that the ruins belong to the Jade land. I have read that, this was the only monastery that had connections with the jade land. So I thought you might have some information which will be helpful for us." Li Juan stated their purpose of visit, convincing enough to obtain required information from the monastery.

"I am glad to share our resources with you." Mu Hong smiled as he continued.

"You and me, we both are seekers of truth. Our destination is same but the paths we chose are different. You seek truth by knowledge. And we seek truth through spirituality.

But right now, I am not the right person to guide you in this journey."

"Master, we...."

"Our grandmaster would be the wise choice to guide you since he is the one who keeps the authority of ancient texts. What can I, a mere keeper of library can possibly offer you?" Mu Hong sounded humble as he erased Li Juan's worry by suggesting a better option.

"Can we meet him?" Tang Wei Sheng who remained silent till now, asked on behalf of Li Juan who was left speechless. Receiving an invite to meet the grandmaster of the oldest monasteries in the country was nothing but a miracle beyond their comprehension.

"I am afraid that you cannot meet him today." Mu Hong apologetically said. "Grandmaster is meditating."

"We will wait until he completes his meditation." Tang Wei Sheng suggested as he didn't want to lose the opportunity.

"It is three days and night long meditation. But you are lucky, I must say. Grand master's meditation concludes today. As soon as he completes it, I will inform him about you." Mu Hong tried to cheer up Li Juan who appeared disheartened.

"Thank you so much, master. We are extremely grateful to you. But when should we come back?" Tang Wei Sheng asked the monk.

"Tomorrow morning will be better."

"We will take our leave now." Both of them bowed and walked outside.

Li Juan seemed sad and dispirited.

"What happened sweetheart?"

"We came all the way and got nothing." Li Juan said in a gloomy voice.

"Who told you that we got nothing? I got you and you got me." Tang Wei Sheng took her hands. "For me, this is valuable than finding the lost city." Li Juan gave him a beautiful smile as a reply.

"I was praying that the monk does not recommend us to stay here today. I was planning something for the night." Tang Wei Sheng smiled "you know what I meant "smile.

"You don't have any patience, don't you Tang Wei Sheng?" Li Juan wanted to ask him, but instead of that, she kept in her mind.

"I have waited 10 years for you and I don't want to wait for another day to make you mine." Tang Wei Sheng touched her blushed cheeks.

"Child," Mu Hong called them from behind.

"I think you have a long way to go. Why don't you stay here for a night?" Mu Hong asked them.

"You will be able to meet the head monk early in the morning."

Li Juan looked at Tang Wei Sheng and tried to control her laugh.

"It will be a pleasure .thank you master." Li Juan accepted the offer before Tang Wei Sheng says something.

"Did you bring any luggage?" Mu Hong asked them.

"Yes." Li Juan always kept a small bag packed with her basic things. It contained a pair of clothes and toiletries and some paper money.

"I thought you only had a laptop?" Tang Wei Sheng exclaimed.

"We will go and get them." Li Juan told the monk and pulled Tang Wei Sheng with her.

Tang Wei Sheng unlocked the car and opened the storage space, there were two bags in it.

"I told assistant yang to pack an emergency bag with your necessities." Li Juan told him.

"Sweetheart, you are the best." Tang Wei Sheng gave her agreeing applause.

Li Juan smiled and took the bags. "Let's go."

Mu Hong led them to guest quarters. It was small but clean building with adjacent rooms and courtyard.

"Usually, we do not allow others to stay here. Since you are here with professor Su Wu's recommendation, we will treat you as an exception.

If you need anything please inform me." The Mu Hong told them.

"Master, can I take a look at your library?" Li Juan requested.

"Yes sure. If there is nothing else, I will leave."

"Thank You, master,"

As soon as Mu Hong left their eyesight, Tang Wei Sheng pulled Li Juan to his side.

"Senior Tang not here." Li Juan tried to slip away from his embrace.

"Yeah, I know. You just lost us an opportunity." Tang Wei Sheng pinched her cheeks and released her from his embrace.

"Why should we worry about missing an opportunity? It will come again." Li Juan patted his shoulders and gently kissed his cheeks.

"Don't get me started." Tang Wei Sheng warned her and went outside with a smile.

Li Juan was busy all evening. She was searching through the monastery's library. The library contained a thousand of books as well as ancient texts. Li Juan was sitting in the middle of different stacks of books and immersed in reading.

On the other hand, Tang Wei Sheng was completely bored. History wasn't his favourite subject and he hated thick books.

What else he can do?

Tang Wei Sheng kept his eyes on Li Juan, observing her mannerisms and gestures.

Upon seeing her dedication to work, he decided to help her by examining some small texts and wrote down some information that may help Li Juan.

The sky has turned dark when Li Juan stopped reading. She closed the books and saw Tang Wei Sheng's sleeping face opposite to her.

He kept his head on the stacks of books and was sleeping silently.

Yesterday's flight and today's road drive must have made him tired.

Li Juan gently stroked his soft hair and looked at the admiring view. His perfectly sculptured face resembled the Greek gods. However, looking at him Li Juan ended up remembering their kiss in the flight.

"Oh, you do have an interest in Greek mythology." Tang Wei Sheng said without opening his eyes.

"I …I was just." Wait a minute Li Juan was startled. "How did he know her thoughts?"

"How did you know that I was thinking about Greek gods?" Li Juan's eyes were filled with amusement.

"I can hear you." Tang Wei Sheng casually told her.

"Do you want me to tell you, what is in your mind right now?" He asked her in a challenging tone and mischievous eyes.

"No. not," Li Juan immediately stood up from the seat and grabbed the books to return it to their respective shelves.

Whether he heard her thoughts or not, she doesn't want to talk about the incident that happened in flight.

Tang Wei Sheng followed her with the remaining stacks of books.

"You were thinking about kissing me? Again, just like the way you did in flight." Tang Wei Sheng teased her.

Li Juan avoided looking at him. She didn't want him to find out that she was indeed thinking about their kiss. While thinking about it, Li Juan mistakenly placed some books on the wrong shelves.

"Sweetheart, you placed these in the wrong place." Tang Wei Sheng reminded her and put them into the right place.

Li Juan was continuously avoiding his eyes and the clumsiness of her actions made Tang Wei Sheng realize that his guess was correct and she did remember about their kiss.

"Did you find anything useful?" He changed the topic.

"Yeah. I found some important information about Jade land." Li Juan kept the last book into the shelf and dusted out her hands.

"What is it?" Tang Wei Sheng asked her.

Suddenly the bell for evening prayer rang.

The prayer hall was near to the library and monks were already coming.

"Come let's leave," Tang Wei Sheng grabbed her hand and walked towards their quarters.

When they reached the quarters, the atmosphere went into pin-drop silence and only feeble chanting of prayers heard.

Li Juan felt a thrumming pain in her temples. She pressed her temples with fingers.

"What happened to you, sweetheart?" Tang Wei Sheng was worried.

"It is just a headache."

"Is it serious?"

"Not really. Maybe it is because of too much reading." Li Juan gently massaged the pressure points in her hands.

"Well, there are chances for that. You were completely immersed in reading and didn't even blink once." Tang Wei Sheng came closer and massaged her temples. His warm hands were soothing.

"It will be okay if I take a hot bath."

"Okay then. You go ahead and take a bath I have to make a call," Tang Wei Sheng walked towards the courtyard.

When Tang Wei Sheng returned to his quarters, he saw Li Juan in her quarters, drying her hair with a towel. Her long curly hair reached her slender waist and it was dripping wet.

Tang Wei Sheng immediately took his cell phone and took a candid shot of her.

"Oh, you've returned." Li Juan's eyes sparkled upon seeing him. Tang Wei Sheng put his mobile into his pocket and walked into the room.

"How are you now?"

"feels better," Li Juan replied.

Tang Wei Sheng came closer and grabbed the towel from Li Juan.

"What is he doing?"

"Why did you wash your hair, if you can't dry them?"

Tang Wei Sheng pulled her to his side and dried her wet hair with the towel.

Li Juan was startled for a moment.

"Why does this scene feel like a Dejavu?"

"When did someone help her to dry her hair?" Li Juan used to have short hair.

It was only two years ago that she decided to try long hair.

"Are you alright?"

Li Juan snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Tang Wei Sheng.

Li Juan was well aware of Tang Wei Sheng's kind personality. His physical appearance and behaviour always give him an eminent aura of a ruler. And everybody treated him like a mighty king, but the truth was he was indeed a down-to-earth person.

Li Juan felt blessed – that she got an opportunity to watch his different side. Her eyes were filled with love and gratitude.

"Now it is alright." Tang Wei Sheng looked Li Juan, with the towel on her hair she looked like a cute Maltese puppy cuddled by its owner.

Tang Wei Sheng smiled and adjusted her bangs. "Let it dry naturally."

He moved aside and looked at her.

Li Juan was looking at him with those big black eyes. She was not wearing any makeup or skincare products- it was just her plain face, but it looked pure and innocent.

"Sweetheart, you look pretty." Tang Wei Sheng told her.

Li Juan smiled at his praise.

"Even prettier," He came closer and tried to lock his lips with hers.

But before he could proceed, Li Juan put her index finger on his lips and stopped him.

"Go and take a bath, you look tired as hell." She recommended.

"I am tired, but let me have my energy booster," Tang Wei Sheng leaned towards her.

Li Juan slid away from his reach.

"No, go, water will turn colder." Li Juan pushed him towards him to his room.

"Hmmm, you rejected me. Girl, you are going to regret this." Tang Wei Sheng warned her jokingly and went inside to his quarters.

Li Juan took her mobile and went outside. The atmosphere was silent, even the crickets sounds were not audible. She looked around the courtyard filled with many trees and plants.

In one corner of the garden, there was a lone magnolia tree with flowers. Li Juan walked towards it and sat under it.

With the crescent moon on the rise and countless stars, the sky appeared breath-taking. Li Juan looked at the sky and watched the astonishing view of the night sky. Far away, the dark outline of the Tu mountain ranges appeared as ink-wash painting.

Somewhere beyond the majestic Tu mountain, lies the mysterious Jade land.

What would have made Jade land into destruction? Li Juan was lost in thoughts.

If we look at history, a kingdom is destroyed only when there as a natural calamity or through war.

Looking at the huge mountain range, it is evident that the chances for natural calamities are high. But the ancient texts which Li Juan read today, depicted the Jade land citizens, the Yu clan-the worshipped nature.

They give importance to the mountain since it provided their livelihood and protected them from enemies.

The other option- it was meaningless. Who dared to touch the sacred land?

Li Juan could not obtain any conclusion from her thoughts.

Jade Land followed a strict matriarchal rule and the queen held the ultimate power. She was treated as the mother of the Yu clan. the entire Yu clan including men, women, young and old was nurtured by a woman.

A kingdom lead by a woman!

If the royal reign has still existed, who would've been the queen?

Li Juan's thoughts were wandering.

Suddenly a breeze passed by and the flowers in the magnolia tree fell on Li Juan.

A sudden shiver went down her spine and Li Juan felt goosebumps.