11 First Impression Do Not Always Last

A young boy hidden in the shadows caused by the moonlight listened to the conversation of the palace guards. "We are so dead! Two intruders have entered the imperial palace. General Fanfan will surely have us killed if we cannot locate and capture them before they could wreak havoc.". Immediately after hearing the conversation of the guards, the young boy changed his form and flew into the sky.

The young boy landed on the corridor and headed to the waterfall at the center of the Crystal Palace. A silhouette of a young lady and a child can be seen through the mist from the waterfall. "Mother". "Where have you been, Yin? Fei and I are almost done taking our bath". "The palace guards are saying intruders have entered the imperial palace", the young boy reported. "Yin, how many times do I need to tell you to stop spying on the people from the imperial palace. It could put you in danger!". Zhen Mei angrily scolded Yin."Then should we just leave great-grandpa in danger?", the young boy asked. Zhen Mei let out a sigh and gave up. "Alright! You can go and protect him". "But if I'll go who will be with you mother?", worried, Yin asked. "I am untouchable as long as I'm inside this palace and Fei is with me. Come here for a moment". Zhen Mei called the young boy and place a seal on his chest. "This will activate once you'll have a sudden change in your emotion. When that happens, immediately I'll be right by your side. Go! Be brave and fear not, my child. Protect your great-grandpa discretely". "Understood. I'm leaving mother". The young boy turned into a dragon and flew into the imperial palace.

Same with Yin, Zhen Mei placed a seal on Fei's chest. "Fei, go to mother and father and protect them". "Who's gonna be with you, mother?", the young girl asked. "As long as I'm inside this palace, I'll be fine. Get ready and go! Be careful!". "I don't want to leave your side but if you say so then I'll go, mother". The young girl left the water and flew into the sky. Me too. I must start preparing just in case something bad really happens, Zhen Mei thought to herself.

As Zhen Mei was about to leave the water, a young man with long red locks of hair suddenly revealed himself. "Hold it there, young lady! Please stay in the water, unless you want to show me your body", the young man teased which left Zhen Mei puzzled. "You can see me?", she asked. The young man suddenly turned pale and had a horrid expression on his face. "Oh crap! Is she a ghost?", the young man thought. "I must be tired from all the hard work. I must be going crazy. I don't want to see my naked body", the young man laughed, pretended to be crazy, and continued to talk to himself. "Hey Mr. Apple! Stop pretending. You can see me right? Why?".

Already at his wit's end, the man continued to have a discussion with himself in his mind. "Crap! A ghost is asking me why I can see her. Should I say because I have a third eye or something that I just discovered too? I'm so creeped out to the point of I'm biting my own dirty nails! But if she is a ghost that lives in here then maybe she knows the location of the medicine". After his discussion with himself in his mind, he came up with the plan to threaten the ghost first. "Before I answer your question, you must answer mine, first!". "How brave of you to say that in my territory", Zhen Mei threatened. The young man got scared of the ghost's fury but continued to act brave for the sake of keeping up a front that he is a man. "Not only will I answer your question but I will also help you go to heaven", the young man pretending to be confident and brave, offered. "Send me to heaven, do you mean you want to kill me?", the young girl asked in confusion. "Huh? You're not dead, my lady?". "I'm not yet, Mr. Apple. Answer before I'll dye your body with the color of your hair".

Suddenly magic seals appeared everywhere. "Hold your horses! Thank the heavens! For the first time, I wasn't happy with my acquired ability. I almost thought I was cursed to see ghosts throughout my life!", the young man exclaimed. "You are odd!", Zhen Mei said blatantly. "That hurts! To be honest you are too pretty to believe to be alive. Actually, I had second thoughts whether you are a fairy or an angel but its night time, so the idea of you being a ghost won over". The young man burst into laughter and carelessly smiled. " I guess first impression do not always last, my lady".

"Zhen Mei! Zhen Mei! Honey baby!". The young girl gasped and woke up from her daze and saw a large gate in front of her. "I didn't know you liked being called honey baby" the crown prince teased. Zhen Mei still in a bit of trance remained silent. "Not biting back huh? Daydreaming?", the curious prince asked. "More like reminiscing", Zhen Mei answered and turned to the prince. Unconsciously letting out a genuine warm smile of a girl in love. The prince got caught off guard and said, "I hope it's not about your first love or affairs with another man". The young girl smugly replied, "not telling". Irritated, while sitting on the kirin, the young prince pulled her closer and menacingly whispered "Hearing about another man from you doesn't sit well with me. Please refrain from doing it again". Cold sweat began to drip from the young girl as she trembled from the young prince's threat. "Anyway, welcome to Yuan Wei!, my lady".

As the gate opened, true to its reputation, the flora was everywhere and the streams were crystal clear. No wonder why some people say that it's as if the city was a reflection of a paradise on Earth.