13. Origin of Qianqdia.

The next morning.

Lu Shui Hua took slow gentle steps down the spiral stairs as his eyes hovered everywhere, with the oversized pajamas he wore swiveling with every step he took. This was the first time he stepped out of the room he was held prisoner in, And for the first time since he got here, he smelled life.

The smell of freshly baked bread and broiled stewed pork belly filled the air and he wondered where that came from. As he stepped down from the last stair, his attention was called by the voice that strolled towards him from the left.

"You didn't come down last night, turns out you weren't as famished as I thought".

It was the same person from yesterday.

"Come have breakfast, you need energy". He ordered but Lu Shui Hua only looked at him with curious eyes before taking wary and hesitant steps towards the table.

"Go ahead, take a sit". He welcomed him to the table cautiously with a warm smile on his face, and Lu Shui Hua sat on a sit opposite him. His eyes strolled around the table, grasping in the goodness of the delicacies only one man had prepared and his mouth began to water. On the table were Roasted Ducks, Sweet and Sour pork, Dim Sum, Dumplings, Char sui, Chow Mein, and Rice. He began to wonder how much time and effort he put into this, as another question popped into his head.

When did he wake up?

There had to be a helping hand or some sort of explanation or something.

"It takes years of practice to achieve perfection". Huo Nüshén said simply with a polite smile. "try it".

He took his eyes from him to the meal, picked up a pair of chopsticks in front of him, and picked on the meat. With wide eyes, his expression went from neutral to astonishment as he tried more dishes.

"Woahhhh, this is so good".

It was at that moment he knew how hungry he was. He picked up the bowl of rice in front of him and began with it, adding meat and vegetables, taking a mouthful with excitement in his eyes as he craved more. He ate like a child that was being pampered by his mom.

Seeing the sight in front of him, the side of Huo Nüshén's lips lifted, watching him with satisfaction.

"Is it that good?"

"Mmm". He replied absentmindedly, completely focused on the meal in front of him.

"Your tastes never changed... my master ordered me to prepare your favorite dishes".

Lu Shui Hua was taken aback. He paused, taking his eyes up from the meal. Immediately, he came back to his senses, placing the pair of chopsticks down and diverting his attention from the meal.

His eyes were directly on Huo Nüshén. As his lips parted to speak, he chewed slowly emptying his mouth. "Your Master?"

At that moment, Huo Nüshén breathed in. He knew it was inevitable now, there was no more escape, and no more hiding the truth as his master had already ordered him to tell him everything he wanted to know. There was no going back now. Lu Shui Hua has asked so he must give him an answer.

After a sigh and a moment of silence between them, he picked up the pair of chopsticks in front of him, picked a piece of meat from a single dish, and extended his hands, placing it on Lu Shui Hua's meal.

Lu Shui Hua's gaze never left his face and as his eyes followed his hand and his kind gesture, he waited for his response.

"Mmm". He responded simply.

With confused eyes, Lu Shui Hua furrowed his brows, not satisfied with the response he got, but before he could ask furthermore, Huo Nüshén began.

"Shui Hua," He called him casually and Lu Shui Hua swallowed. "Have you ever heard about the story of the abandoned infant who laid beneath corpse of his own mother?"

Lu Shui Hua furrowed his brow, wondering how that story was related to anything they had just said before opening his mouth to speak. "Origin of Qianqdia". He said deadpan.

He could remember this story any day and anywhere, even in his sleep.

~Never be the bringer of Qianqdia~ They would sing, "You are orphans because you were the less fortunate ones and you carry the curse of Qianqdia". They would say...

They would read this story to them every day and night in the orphanage where he was raised so much so that he knew every single parable word for word.

"I see". was all Huo Nüshén said sipping from a tiny tea cup.

Lu Shui Hua watched him, the question just at the tip of his tongue. "What does that have to do with your master? Obviously that is just a superstition, a folktale told to kids to keep them away from doing bad things".

Huo Nüshén smiled for the first time in a long time. "A superstition?" He inquired with a look of disbelief. "And yet a mythological creature sits right in front of you?"

Lu Shui Hua said nothing, staring at him at a loss for words as he suddenly remembers his ill reality.

"Nothing is a superstition, Lu Shui Hua". He continued with a strict expression. "Everything... everything written in the books, everything history retains, has a long line of existence in a different world, and a different time zone... that is why it is called The Legend".

Lu Shui Hua's eyes never left his. His expression was void, smitten with terror to accept this theory.

"Each stories are like sharpened edges of a thousand spears, glistening in attraction, ready to pierce into the flesh of our curiosity". His eye was on the cup he placed on the table after taking a tiny sip.

"And human minds are like the easiest gateways to the thickest flesh. They are so naive and ignorant". His eyes were dark as he spoke. They only believe in what they can understand. And what they cannot understand, they call it 'Qianqdia' ".

Lu Shui Hua could only just stare, watching the pain in his eyes as he spoke further.

Hun Nüshén inhaled before he continued.

"The story of the infant found in the carcass of his mother, was just the story of a mother that risked her life to save that of her own son as he was being hunted by an entire community".

Lu Shui Hua furrowed in disbelief. his eyes wide open with confusion.

"He laid beneath her corpse for seven days and seven nights, cold, yet gentle and did not make a sound as he held onto her lifeless decaying body. He was weak... he was helpless, and he was alone".

"I- I just don't understand... Why would an ordinary innocent child, incapable of doing any evil be hunted? by an entire community?" He inquired, suddenly drowned in this conversation.

Huo Nüshén lips lifted to his words.

"Innocent? Yes he was. Incapable of doing evil? That is also correct. But that child, was no ordinary child". He paused.

"That child held the power of the entire universe".

His eyes never Left him as he spoke and so did Lu Shui Hua's. He was speechless, trying to wrap his head around everything that had just been aired out.

"H-How do you know so much about this?"

Huo Nüshén smiled again.

"Because I picked him up, I raised him... Because he is my master".