Chapter 22: More statues ^_^

Four statues of the moon gods lined the gardens of the temple, a single pedestal remained empty. Taking in this beautiful scenery a sound of awe lefts my lips subconsciously at the sight of beautifully detail statues.

"We are almost at the exit" Angel stated, I tried to get a good look at his facial expression but his long blonde hair covered his features perfectly hiding his face from my view. I felt the urge to stay here more but Angel turned around and picked me up before opening his wings.

He flew into the air with ease and flapped his many wings out of the temple through a large entrance that is on the ceiling. Above the moon temple, I could see a building swallowed by the soil surrounding it and at some point looked to have been flipped over to one of its sides.

The ruined temple lay lifelessly in the ground around the temple were many trees covered in frost making the surroundings look like a winter wonderland. Angel kept on flying back toward the city with me in his arms in a princess carry.

He landed behind a large boulder and placed me down he then proceeds to smear dirt onto my skirt, raising an eyebrow I asked "What are you doing Angel?" feeling genuinely confused about his actions. Many questions flooded my mind "Child you have been missing for 3 days" Angel informed me of my situation.

The royal family is convinced that I have been kidnapped to behold for ransom, they found out about my disappearance after some guards that were patrolling my pavilion that night came rushing inside to check up on me. The pavilion looked like a typhoon passed through my pavilion or that is what Angel said.

Sighing I walked wobbly towards the city gate with dirt on my clothes and my hair a mess from angel flying at high speeds that nearly made me go deaf. The guard faces soon go pale upon witnessing my current appearance "Miss what happen to you?" one of the guards spoke with sympathy laced in their tone.

The other one scoffed with a look of disdain "Identification papers" the aloof guard asked emotionlessly, I took my pendent out and gave it to the guard his brows furrowed as he inspects the pedant he even used his cultivated qi.

He immediately started to kowtow "Please forgive this lowly guard for not recognizing your highness" he banged his head onto the gravel road serval times asking for forgiveness. Mixed feelings erupted from deep inside of me.

"Get off the filthy ground help me back to the palace, I'll make sure they will reward you handsomely" ordering the once rude guard he banged his head onto the gravel road once again "Shu Bai greatly thanks to her highness" he quickly got off of the ground and dust himself off.

The other guard on duty stood off to the side slack-jawed in surprise "It's the princess?!" his voice went high for a man who is fully grown. Shu Bai escorted her by carriage up the palace, the eunuchs that protect the front gates stopped Shu Bai from entering.

Shu Bai gave them my pedant he has yet to return to me, the eunuch's eyes widen "Princess Gho is in that carriage?" the whole palace knew that I have gone missing the only one who didn't know was the city civilians. All guards were told to report right away if they have found any trace of Qaihong Gho.

Since Qaihong Gho is an eighth princess and has no use besides political marriage, this kind of news wasn't announced to the public since who would care about a powerless eighth princess?

It was a miracle that someone would even consider marrying her despite knowing she doesn't have close ties with the majority of her family.

The eunuchs let them in soon after arriving at my pavilion I was forced by the maids to the bathtub to get all of the dirt and grime off of my body after that they got me dressed and made me look presentable to be in his majesty presents. A tiresome sigh escaped my lips. Angel watched on the sidelines with an amused look in his eyes.

They roughly brush out my hair after they were done putting part of my hair into a braided bun with the rest of my hair down they pushed me out of my pavilion and back into the carriage throughout the whole exchange I didn't utter a single word.

They roughly brought me to the throne room without a word and pushed me inside dozens of gazes piercing through my soul glared at me with hostility; very few looked kindly on me. These dozens or so people were the commanders and generals of the Qaihong army.

The one thing that all of these men and women have in common is their high cultivation base that's slightly inferior to the emperor himself. Straightening up my spine I walked toward the throne where emperor Qaihong gazed upon me, his eyes grew cold.

"Dismissed!" his thunderous voice echo throughout the throne room all of the generals and commanders bow at least once towards his highness before leaving. They scoffed in my direction. One by one they filed out of the throne room leaving me alone with this old scourge.

"Come" he made a beckoning gesture for me to come closer and so I did I walked up to his throne. He grab a hold of my slightly plump face, tears streamed down his cheeks yet he shows no emotions on his face the tears betrayed emperor Qaihong.

At this moment I felt that the right thing to do was hug my father and so I did. I wrap my arms around the emperor and let him cry who would've thought that the cold-hearted emperor would care so deeply towards a useless child.

He shakenly wrapped his arms around me "Gho Gho what happen? Who were the bastards that kidnapped you?" warmth filled his usually condescending tone, he sounded angry but relieved at the same time.

"Father I managed to escape from my kidnappers and ran straight back here, luckily they didn't run off with me too far" crocodile tears slide down my cheeks and I started sniffling, making up an insane story. "Father I couldn't see how they look but they are most definitely cultivators" I finished my explanation and backed away from my father.

My father loyal eunuch walked inside the throne room and took out a box of tissues from his uniform. Emperor Qaihong cleaned himself up well "Qaihong Gho I have decided to give you your piece of land. I can only give you one of the barren lands, I hope you understand" Emperor Qaihong announced.

The shock I felt deeply shocked did this old man smack his head onto the throne too hard this morning? At the same time, I felt confused "Why are you giving me land out of nowhere?" I asked the pressing question that weighed on my mind.

Emperor Qaihong pinched my cheeks "It's to get you out of this cursed Palace, you can take who you want to bring to your new manor" he stated plainly I swear he was going to tear the flesh off of my cheeks for a moment.

He withdrew his rough hands from pinching my face cheeks "What about my seamstress store?" I asked and lower my bottom lip into a pout. Emperor Qaihong shifted in his throne in discomfort "I'll get a formation expert to make a teleportation rune to your store from your manor" he replied as he remembered his daughter's excitement about starting up this business.

Nodding my head in satisfaction I asked more questions "When will I be leaving?" it would be great to know when I'll be leaving it would give me enough time to prepare some stuff and my renovations should be done.

"In ten days" he replied sharply before I could ask more he waved me off in dismissal, sighing I walked back to my palace to see what has survived the moth invasion. Maids and Eunuchs scurried about cleaning every single room of my pavilion.

Every time one of my servants saw me staring at them their faces pale considerably before rushing off to their next task. My shoes clicked every time I strode forward and enter my office, slamming my door open I saw someone.

"Who are you?"