Dear in Her Heart
Zhou Ziyun and Li Yuechan stepped out of the tower and arrived in the wide courtyard. A large horse carriage with an impressive array of eight colorful horses had been prepared. Two familiar faces were also waiting for them.
"Good morning, Miss Zhou, Miss Li." Qu Jing greeted.
The man was wearing a black leather outfit. This along with wild red hair gave him a brooding, vigorous aura, especially amidst the morning fog on the mountain. Any casual woman might have swooned at the sight. Dark, handsome, and dangerous; Qu Jing could be considered an enemy of all men.
Beside him, Qu Rong also made her greetings. She was short and unattractive. She was wearing some kind of heavy makeup that made her seem like a circus performer. It wasn't clear what she was trying to accomplish but she failed at it anyway.
"Good morning, Sir Qu, Miss Qu," Zhou Ziyun and Li Yuechan returned the greeting.
Compared to Qu Rong, the two of them were like fairies that had descended from the sky.
Zhou Ziyun had chosen a white outfit with white wolf fur accents. It had thick tufts of fur around her wrists and around her neck. She also wore a large hood that hid her features from stray eyes. She looked like a noble lady about to take a stroll in the depths of winter.
Li Yuechan wore an intricate purple outfit with embroidered flowers and soaring dragons. It was extremely elegant and exuded class with every layer. Her long black hair flowed down her back like a waterfall. She could have said that she had just stepped out of a painting and everyone would have believed her.
Qu Jing couldn't take his eyes off her. He stared with an intensity that bordered on impropriety. His gaze drifted from her perfect, symmetrical features to the swell of her chest and then to the arousing curves around her narrow waist and wide hips.
Zhou Ziyun coughed, "Shall we go?"
"Brother Jing, we should get going." Qu Rong added, unable to hide tinges of unhappiness in her voice.
The four of them went into the carriage. Qu Jing went to the front to act as the driver while the three ladies sat inside.
"Jia!" He whipped the horses and the carriage started to move.
They soon left the eagle lord's castle and proceeded down a wide avenue toward the festival grounds.
Today was the Liu Wu Festival, a tradition within the Beast God Sanctum that started five hundred or so years ago when the sect first started. It was held to celebrate the summer rainy season as well as to celebrate the six kings that fought over the eastern wilderness. Even though the snake lord had fallen, it was still called the Liu Wu Festival out of honoring history.
Li Yuechan was curious about the event. She had gotten the basic information from Zhou Ziyun but it lacked detail. She glanced out of the curtains of the carriage at the city passing by outside. The streets had been decorated to match the festivities. There were paper lanterns of six different colors as well as paper cutouts of tigers, eagles, snakes, toads, mantises, and monkeys. It was a celebration of the six kings, three humans and three beasts that were the absolute rules of this region.
"Miss Li," Qu Jing called out after a short while of silence, "Do you want to sit up front? You'll be able to see more of the city."
Li Yuechan pulled her head back from the window and hid a blush. She looked toward Zhou Ziyun for assistance but Zhou Ziyun only gave her a sly smile and small push.
"Sister, Sir Qu is being a gracious host, we can't be too rude."
Li Yuechan silently complained but resigned herself to the mission at hand. She put up a friendly smile and moved to the front of the carriage. She took a seat directly behind Qu Jing so that she could see over his shoulder as he drove the horses.
"Miss Li, do you know why we honor the three beast kings as well as our own?" He asked.
"Why?" She asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"The three beast kings and their hordes are our enemy but we also would not have developed so well without them. They kill humans but we also kill beasts and some of their demon underlings. Both sides get stronger and more numerous. We are intricately bound to each other. The Beast God Sanctum is a sect that respects beasts. Even though we fight them, that principle has never changed."
Li Yuechan nodded along. She had heard a slightly different story from Jasmine. But this version was also good. At least, the mortal people were simply doing their best to cultivate and fight for survival. Whatever sins Jasmine had to avenge, they were perpetrated by the immortals. She hoped that the innocent could be spared in the upcoming conflict.
Qu Jing continued to speak, excitement filling his words, "The festival today will have a very exciting event that many look forward to. It is called the Fox Volant of Beast Mountain."
"Fox Volant of Beast Mountain?" Li Yuechan asked, "I have never heard of such a thing. What is it?"
Qu Jing smiled handsomely, "You should know that our Beast God City has a small obsession with foxes. It is the most popular pet among the noble families. It is said that a fox once saved the three lords during a vicious battle with the three beasts. The three lords had fallen into a trap and were about to lose their lives when a stray fox distracted the beasts enough to make an escape."
"To honor this event, the Fox Volant of Beast Mountain is a two-sided battle between three people who will play the part of the three kings and three people who play the part of the three beasts who will fight over a prized fox. The winning side will receive the fox as a reward."
"Sounds… interesting." Li Yuechan sounded less than convinced.
Qu Jing laughed, "Even if you are not so interested in the prize, there will be many strong disciples and senior disciples that compete. To be able to win is often seen as a great honor. And plus, we of the eagle lord's faction often compete directly against the lion lord's faction. You'll be able to meet the opponents of your master directly and beat them into submission."
"…"
The carriage continued to roll down the mountain. Seeing that Li Yuechan wasn't so talkative today, Qu Jing didn't say too much and focused on the road for a while. But eventually, he couldn't help himself and brought up another topic.
"Miss Li, yesterday on the flying boat, I had asked a question. I wonder if I may ask it again."
"Hmm?" Li Yuechan remembered the scene and some level of discomfort arose in her heart.
Without waiting, he continued, "Miss Li, what kind of person does Miss Li hold dear in her heart? I, Qu Jing, am very interested in the answer and if it is possible someone like me can fight for a spot alongside that person."
"I…"
She squirmed in her seat, not wanting to entertain him with an answer. She looked towards the other two women in the carriage but they seemed to be busy with their own conversation.
"Sir Qu…" She almost wanted to say something rude.
This charade was too much for her and she really wished that her master had chosen someone for the mission. She especially didn't want to do anything that would sully her master's name.
Just as she was in the midst of an internal struggle about what to say, a gentle wave of spiritual energy from the Ageless Ice Sword. A warm breath and a soft voice entered her ear.
"Yuechan, relax. I'm here for you. Don't worry about Qu Jing, he is harmless."
Hearing Chen Wentian's voice, all the tension left her body and she felt reinvigorated.
"Master…"
"Good disciple, look at Qu Jing. Tell me, what do you see?"
She did so and coincidentally, Qu Jing also turned toward her. Their gazes met. His eyes were an ordinary brown but there was also the briefest flash of blue light, blue like the dragon flames she was so familiar with. He smiled and recognition hit her.
"Ah! I… understand. Thank you, master!" She whispered and then straightened her posture, "Sir Qu, if you must know, the person I hold dear in my heart is my master. There can be no one else and there will never be anyone else."
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