Chapter 8 : The East Gates of Green Forest

"We have to do something," Huan Ling said looking at the pitiful figure of his nephew coming back from the Green Forest, he was denied the entry again and he looks depressed. Its been three months and he goes there every day getting refused over and over again. They were sitting by the Imperial Lotus pond looking at his nephew as he passed them without looking at anything, headed straight back to his palace.

The First Lord gave a bored sigh resting his head on his hand and his elbow on the table and looking back at the lotuses, it reminded him of a girl with a red lotus mark on her forehead. When he thinks of it he thought fate has a true sense of humour. After all this time...

"Maybe it was a bad idea to let Hong Liu take little Li, I initially thought he would eventually become a bridge between those two but now..." Huan Ling mused. The First Lord didn't react to his musing.

"You help Hong Liu why won't you help me?" Huan Ling said.

"Why would I?" The First Lord asked, inexpressive as ever.

"Why wouldn't you? I am your friend and Hong Liu was a girl you just met," He said.

"I admire Hong Liu," He said with an unchanging expression. That made Huan Ling stop in his tracks.

"Are you telling me the ever aloof The First Lord Dong Hai is interested in a woman, you have been enchanted by her beauty?" He asked.

"I also admire the ability of you spitting nonsense," He said sarcastically.

"If that's not the case then what is in her that you admire?" He asked, tabbing his fan on the table.

Dong Hai smirk internally, ah! the question he needed for him to ask him.

"Why would I tell you?" He straightens his frame from his lazy position and picked the scroll he was currently reading, standing up.

"Come Now! Tell me!" Huan Ling walked after him as The First Lord leave.

"First Lord! Dong Hai!" He called but Dong Hai didn't react just kept walking. It was when he sighs in defeat that Dong Hai turn.

"A little Butterfly barged in Nine Heaven's gates and demanded justice for her aunt, You are here the Second Prince of Nine Heavens, High God on his own right whose nephew is depressed because he can't meet his son and you are waiting for me to help you?" He raised his eyebrow at Huan Ling.

"He is not that depressed because he can't meet Li he is depressed because..." But then it finally struck him. Damn! Of Course! He hit his head from his closed fan, 'I am a fool!' He thought.

Dong Hai turn and left with a cold half-smile.

An idea rooted itself in Huan Ling's mind that was created by Dong Hai's taunt and he teleported, disappearing in his yellow travel light and appearing on the East gates of Green Forest.

The boundary of the green forest was rounded by the dense trees so dense and strong that nobody can't see beyond they were strong, big and there dark brown trunk of was wide, the gates were attached to the two ancient trees, they were so tall that they seem to touch the sky, their roots were bulging out of the earth and roots were also falling from its branches intervening themself making a huge gate, from roots branches, leaves what is Huan Ling lived a long life in his own right and have seen and travel the realms this might be one of the few places he never been and what he never saw is golden-yellow shining flowers, adorning the East Gates of Green Forest and when he went look closer the yellow flowers were big enough to cover his palm was sparkling with something inside them, it was silver and definitely valuable. He was enchanted and curious he went to touch it.

"Beautiful things kill you faster," A voice comes out from the other side of the gate and the roots part themself slowly making a lazy cracklings sound, making Huan Ling pull away consciously as Hong Liu steps out of the gates that just release the roots just enough so she could step out, she grabbed the skirt of her red robes, pulling it up a little so it won't her way as she stepped out, her raven wavy hairs were pulled up in freestyle, read Lillies decorated her hairs, some curls fall down and framed her face. 'Yes, she is definitely a beauty,' Huan Ling thought.

"Is the flower is lethal?" He asked.

"It depends on the intention who is touching it," She said.

"Bai Hong Liu greets the Second Heavenly Prince may I ask why the east lands of the green forest are having the pleasure of your presence?"