6 CHAPTER THREE

Wang Zunyan was in his room, his hair was down and he was wearing a simple grey robe, he ran the comb through his hair and froze when he realized something.

"He....he stole my first kiss"

Li Xiwang made his way into the Xiangyun Pavilion, the robe he was wearing for the Prince's banquet making him stick out like a sore thumb. He kneeled down before the sect leader.

"The Prince accepted the gift, friendship was formed"

Madam Li Na smiled hearing that, seeing her son dressed like this made her even more proud, he went there to show off like she had planned.

"Very good, you can go rest"

"Thank you"

He closed the doors and he sighed, his father smiled seeing him back home.

"Ah Xi, you're back, how was the banquet?" He asked. Li Xiwang's mind took him back to the field of flowers.

"It was good, I should go rest now, see you in the morning" he said quickly. Li Jie watched his son walk off, his blushing face however made him think if anything else happened while they were there.

"Did he meet a girl?"

Zhang Wei got off the boat, after the Prince went missing during the banquet he had roamed around the palace and saw the two males kissing in the field of flowers, at first he was shocked but then he saw the other male apologizing so it made him feel it was a mistake, yet he couldn't help but feel....jealous, he doesn't know why though.

"So you're back, how was the banquet?" Zhang Yong asked once he had seen the white tiger run off into the forest.

"It was....interesting" he replied with a pause between words. Zhang Yong rose a brow.

"What happened? Did he not like the gift?"

"No it's not that....its...it's nothing, good night"

Zhang Yong frowned, his son was starting to keep secrets from him. Zhang Min smiled and softly patted her husband's back.

"He should have a secret or two for himself, he's a man after all who knows maybe he found a lady there, you know how these things happen" she said. Zhang Yong chuckled. She did have a point.

"Okay okay, I'll be less nosy next time"

The following day Li Xiwang woke up early, he was at Yuecheng lake practicing his water channelling spells, since he was a toddler he was taught to wake up early to do this to make his memory good to memorize the events during the day. In the distance, the bell of Divinity started to ring signaling the beginning of the day in Li Shizu.

"It seems you beat me once again" Li Qiang said walking up to him. Li Xiwang smiled and relaxed his hands, the water splashed down into the lake.

"You should know by now that you can't beat me" he says teasing the man. Li Qiang chuckled

"I agree....there's something I have to tell you" he said. Li Xiwang looked at him, his serious expression made him feel uneasy.

"Anything wrong?"

Li Qiang took a deep breath, how would he explain that he fancied the young master, that since he was toddler he had started to feel something for him, it will make him sound like....like a pervert.

"I...I...."

Li Xiwang frowned.

"You....?"

"I like....Y....Yang"

Li Xiwang gasped.

"You like Liu Yang? This is great, but why are you telling me, you should tell her instead" he said quickly. Li Qiang wanted to slap himself, why would his mouth say that.

"I asked because.....I wanted to have your permission to be with her"

Li Xiwang chuckled, it seems Li Qiang is taking his job too seriously.

"Okay you have my permission however if you break her heart, I'll kill you"

Li Qiang nodded.

"I wont, I promise"

Just then bubbles formed on the surface of the water, Li Xiwang frowned looking at it, it looked like the water was boiling, fish started to float to the surface of the water, they were dead, their dark blood staining the lake water.

"Go call my mother, we have a problem" Li Xiwang instructed, he sat in the lotus position and closed his eyes, his energy focusing on finding the source of the disturbance.

Madam Li Na and Li Jun ran to the lake followed by inner disciples their sword drawn ready for battle.

Li Na walked to her son, his eyes were closed and a blue glow was forming on his forehead.

"You said in the lake?" She asked. Li Qiang nodded and pointed to the dead fish, She frowned and pointed her sword to the lake, her eyes closed and opened again, she gasped.

"There is something in the water, we have to destroy it before it leaves the lake"

The disciples formed a formation spell behind her, their fingers glowing with blue glows at the tips, their swords aimed at the lake.

Li Xiwang opened his eyes.

"Now!"

More bubbles formed on the water and something jumped out, it's eyes were glowing red, it's skin seemed like it was melted off, the teeth sharp and bloodied and it's stench was awful, it smelled like fermented rotten fish on a sunny day.

The disciples charged at the creature, their spell bringing it down to it's knees. Madam Li Na aimed the tip of her sword to it's neck.

"What is this thing?" She asked, the creature roared and sent her flying backwards, she landed on her side knocking her unconscious. Li Xiwang was lost for words, panic ran over him and he turned to the disciples.

"Use the protection against evil talisman!"

"Yes!"

Their drew their talisman and quickly slapped it against the creature's skin, with a loud roar the creature dropped to it's knees again. Li Xiwang channelled the water, he formed a water orb around the creature and placed it in the water, his eyes glowed blue shocking everyone and he started to levitate, his hair flowed as if he was underwater.

"Return to where you belong and no one will harm you" he told the creature, it seemed to have understood him as it slightly nodded. Pushed the orb further into the water and it was quiet. His feet landed back on the ground.

Li Na woke up to see the disciples standing around Li Xiwang making her smile, it seems it was time. She was then carried off to the Pavilion by the disciples.

"What was that thing?" Li Qiang asked once everyone had left.

"It's a siren, they're supposed to be in the western part of the world so I think it was just lost, hopefully he won't come back again" he said.

Li Qiang nodded and they headed inside.

"Zhang Wei!"

He jumped off the bed and quickly put on his shoes and grabbed his sword, once he opened the door he froze, there stood his spirit tiger waiting for him.

"You...you called me?" He asked the beast, it purred and rubbed its scent against his legs. He chuckled, it seems he had been tricked. He walked around the palace to find his parents.

"Did you hear about what happened at Li Shizu sect?" A maid said to the other, he froze.

"Yes, I heard Li Xiwang was so powerful, he didn't even use a sword to defeat the monster" the other maid replied. Zhang Wei chuckled to himself and continued his journey, it seems people really underestimated Li Xiwang.

He opened the Palace doors and saw his parents at the throne, they were kissing. He cleared his throat.

"Zhang Wei? What do you want and don't you know what time is it?" Zhang Yong said. Zhang Min blushed and fixed her robe.

"My son, next time have the guards announce your arrival hmm" she said. Zhang Wei shrugged.

"Why? Your are my parents you don't need to feel shy when I catch you kissing, unless you are planning on...." he dragged his sentence. Zhang Yong gasped.

"You! You get out now!"

Zhang Wei laughed making his way out, he joined his friends who were eating under the trees.

"Look who decided to wake up" Zhang Shao wen teased.

"Future sect leaders should wake up before us common people, such a disgrace" Zhang Jing joined.

"As long as he's still ugly I'm okay" Zhang Xiu Ying said. Zhang Wei rolled his eyes and joined them.

"So tell me about what happened at Li Shizu sect"

"Childe Zunyan, you have been in the field of flowers since morning, your parents are starting to get worried" Wang Min said in worry.

Wang Zunyan remained silent as his eyes looked around for a bright red hand fan, his hands were muddy and his nails were dirty, his eyebrows had a thick layer of sweat, this was the first time he had worked so hard without even doing any work.

He gasped and stood up, the red hand fan in his hand making him smile in victory, Wang Min gasped seeing this, since he had started to be a personal guard for the Prince he had never seen a smile or a hearty laugh, only a hum.

"I found it!" He exclaimed, he opened the fan and frowned, the cloth was torn.

"You spent all that time for a broken fan? We could make you a new one"

"No.....this...this isn't mine" Wang Min gasped again, he nudged the Prince on the shoulder with the sheath of his sword.

"You found a lady friend hey" he wiggled his eyebrows, Wang Zunyan huffed and pushed him down the small hill of flowers.

"Nonsense"

Li Xiwang walked around the sect with a flower basket, his mother was not feeling well so he decided to help make some herbal tea for her.

"You shouldn't be doing this you know, we have maids for a reason" Li Jie said. His son only laughed shaking his head.

"If we get used to having people do things for us then how will you defend yourself"

Li Jie remained silent, his son's words had struck him to the core.

"You're something else you know"

Li Xiwang only smiled and picked a stem of a mint plant. He looked at his basket.

"We got everything, Sect elder Liu Wei will find this helpful"

They walked back to Xiangyun Pavilion, Madam Li Na was sitting on her chair, the doctor who was kneeling down on her left side placed two fingers to her wrist, he nodded to himself and stood up.

"Your Qi is intact so you will be fine by sunset"

She nodded and sighed, it seems like her body cannot take any blows, how will she then protect her sect and her people.

"Mother we found the herbs elder Liu Wei needed" Li Xiwang said once he entered the Pavilion.

"Good, good, I'll go make you some herbal soup" the doctor said and bowed before he left. Li Jie held his wife's hand.

"Are you alright?" He asked. When the creature emerged Li Jie was at the market with some disciples to teach them how the traders interacted.

"I'm okay, Ah Xi, there's something I have to tell you"

"Oh what is it?" He asked once he sat down besides her.

"You should take over the sect in a few months, my body....my body is weak"

Li Xiwang and Li Jie gasped.

"What about my father, he should take charge while I finish my training" he said. Li Na shook her head in refusal.

"Your father is not a master of the elements, he's just a cultivator of the heart"

Li Xiwang looked at his father who nodded, he sighed. He was left with no choice.

"Very well then, I'll take over once you're ready"

Wang Zunyan walked out of his room, this time he was wearing a less dramatic robe, the simple golden robe made his skin stand out more.

"Childe Wang Zunyan, the fan you wanted to be repaired has arrived" He smiled making the maid gasp.

"Take it to my room"

He walked to the WangShi jaizu palace and opened the door, his face turned cold.

"Father, mother, you sent for me?"

Wang Jun smirked.

"Yes, someone told me they saw you with another person kissing in the field of Yuqiong flowers, who was it?”