The Butterfly which broke from its shell 4

"The Country of Daxia is situated over in the north of Jian continent. Neighboring it is the Qi nation on its eastern front, the Jing country in the north, and Xia state in its west – flanking into the sea of the south, it opens just a few miles frontier with the small nations of Wu, and Samhan in its south. The neighborly ties with these various nations and Daxia have always been amicable at best, having suffered through the ages various transgressions, yet with best possible repose it has remained open for negotiations of peace. As of now, in accordance with the last battle fought in the eastern deserts of Dayu which with the brave sacrifice of the brave men there, and additional support of the Temier clan – which has the best force possible in the region in terms of pre-emptive attack strategies and tactical strength, we have secured a treaty for arms down extending up to half a century, with trade open in both the fronts which can aide in increasing mutual interactions between these two nations, and create better understanding of each other's cultural differences. The western front, since the crown prince of Xia had married into the royal family of Daxia, there has been increased incentives to bring two huge neighborly countries on similar note on various fronts. The north where country meets the Jing nation, there had been several battles for territory since the establishment of Daxia, two hundred years ago. The royal family of Jing state claims they trace their linage to remnants of erstwhile Sheng and Xi states which were unified under the sword of Founding Emperor of the Daxia. Due to these conflicting claims, the ties remain fraught with tension. Majority of countries forces and most generals are usually sent towards north to protect the northern frontier from any transgression of the Jing nation. In the south, for decades few skirmishes have often occurred needing constant attention – yet, only this region has never played any serious conflict of region. But the space of action in the south sea is a different topic, with every party extending their claim right into Daxia's land."

"For thousands of years, it was believed that there was no other continent save, Jian, because the water surrounds it in all fronts and ancients found any travel across these waters a trial of death. For men, embarking on aforesaid journeys was a sign of growing up and maturing – there are still many nations in the Jian continent who continue to follow these ancient traditions and send off their young chieftains and men of big repute off into cold waters of the oceans. Later, quite recent too as the author has come to know of, there had been noted signs of ships and artillery ridden huge ships sightings around the northern oceans. And quite a few, strange red necked and huge headed men and women, found their home to our continent. They have brought with them their unique customs and inventions, which are pretty dear to many female friends, as they are among children and young men in the capacity of their amusement. The world is quite huge, as it has been told to us by the ancients – and it is still more is still untouched, undiscovered and hidden under our plain sight."

Wei Zhiruo flipped the pages of the newly printed book, still wafting off a strong smell of warm ink, and pages feeling smooth on touch, persuading the fingers to continue slipping through them; her eyes, looked through the lines running in a strange script. It was new for Wei Zhiruo, and she finally sighed in ease – yes, this place is a whole new region of its own. There might be, in fact, no overlap with her previous place, appearing to be here in this world as if she had just woken up from a reverie. It really took a while though, to get to know the new script. It has finally been a week since she opened her eyes here. There was nothing new. She was under care of a maid named Daiyu – no, more like her underling a maid who says she used to work in the kitchen-compound before coming under her service. There was no new sighting of any weird creature that shouldn't be met, or any foul breath apart from the thing living here already. But it was expected as she had been staying inside the chamber, under watchful eyes of several maids that have been newly appointed here.

Wei Zhiruo flipped another page, showcasing the hand sketched map of various places. She wasn't interested in anything of this sort, but this was a necessity and she had to do it. She suddenly placed her head over the newly printed book, while her legs not reaching the ground, swung merrily, as she hummed a rhythm. She didn't know where she heard it, perhaps it was the bird which sang it to her, just this morning. It must have been a well-researched tune; the bird must have spent his life creating it. Because it felt like that. Rife with time, and freedom from the clutches of time.

She liked this smell, this ink felt like a long-time friend. Wei Zhiruo kept basking in the sun in the quaint looking corner beside the latticed window, a huge lantern-stand with brass polish, standing overarching the chair and table, hanging a beautifully crafted lantern attached to it, blowing in the wind coming from the window, looking pretty on first sight. From the position Wei Zhiruo sat with her head laying over the table she could see it floating over her head. On the chaise besides her there were few fabrics spread without care. She had been tasked to chose the thing that she liked, supposedly, the winter wears were going to be made. Yes, there was also a cloak. The color, the pattern, the feel of the fabric looked good, but on the first sight one could tell that it was some leftovers. It has reached her through several hands and her choosing actually didn't matter.

Wei Zhiruo shifted her eyes from that place over to the book once again. Now the page was introducing the important crafts from several nations. She turned the page. Here it was about some king's reign. She sifted it once more. A kingdoms downfall. She sifted it again and finally came upon something that actually did interest her.

"Since the ages of the ancients the various nations of Jian continent have believed that there are gods in the heaven who set the destiny of each creature. The existence of the ancient God blessed Emperors and Great Conquerors having led the nation to prosperity, is proof of the destiny of a man's birth. The poor, the rich have been given that place since their birth. There have been many teachings which have fortunately reached us regarding fate, which originated in the wise sages of Samhan who slept under the fig trees and prayed to the ancient gods seeking their guidance through stars. From them we know, the world is but a cycle. Ever eternal, with each soul traversing a cycle of birth and rebirth. There is Nirvana in the right deeds from all the misery of worldly poor and richness, from all the strife and peace. The people of Samhan call the life an illusion, and the pain and anguish but trials and tribulations one is 'fated' to overcome. This was the ancient teaching before the teachings of Sakyamuni, the compassionate Bodhisattva, was born in the holy land of the western Jian. In the reign of Buddhism, the fate was but another line that tied a human being in the great world of suffering and should be strived to overcome. Our own sage Confucius has taught us this value of 'Ri'. Our whole life should follow the old precepts, in constant search of knowledge, following the good teachings of our ancestors – always aware of their blessings on us and doing unto them the duties they deserve. In doing so, we acknowledge the super-imposed 'fate' of a man, in his life as he stands in a position (likely birth) and then form his attitude to the various relationships. There is yet, another path, that still originates in the river of time, from where we know not. But Taoism speaks of the seeking of true path, amongst the myriad of paths that lead us around, we must seek the Tao – prove oneself to the world and prove one's worth to the self. It claims that the thousands of roads lead to the same goal. And both following the pre-destiny and opposing and defying the heaven imposed destiny - all are but the different paths taken to prove one's Tao.

These ancient teachings have washed down to us through the wear and tear of ages and through the common mistakes of human mind. What one learns by themselves from the classics is one's own – but what comes of the mouth of other, who speak in others stead can be always taken with a grain of salt. But through the ages, the virtues remain the common ties uniting each heart as a human – as a human, shall by all means act as a human, with the consciousness of being aware that he is capable of better than he ever thought of and abstain from worse things than he ever himself believed he was capable of. This is but the recent need, the awareness – because the ancient knew the values deeply and always stood true to their selves. Unlike the growing new faiths in the country, some of them claiming to have brought the new order – the so called Holy Order from their own gods directly – one can never be too careful in his readings. The teachings of old books have always been varied, never stressing on one truth – like the sect of Holy order that heralds the coming of the new world order, where everyone could cultivate like the ages of our ancestors in ancient past."

"Ah! Finally, a worthy mention. We have found the rat! How amusing! After sifting through for so long, my head aches, my hands hurt, I wish there was still my lovely little attendants here, present to massage all this tiredness off of me. But before that, should I call for lunch?" Talking aloud to herself Wei Zhiruo glanced outside the window. Her feet dangling in the air felt a slight trace of something brushing up. But Wei Zhiruo simply kept shaking her legs back and forth as if there was nothing out of order. Now she had learned that ignoring the extra-ordinary elements around the world was the best respite and the most amusing response she could give. If she didn't know what could the world do to her, kill her for her ignorance? Then she will die an ignorant and near blissful death. Such a great deal, to die having fun, who doesn't agree that such death is worthy for her fun loving heart.

Just like at this moment, there was a hungry ghost lurking at her feet. She could feel its filthy touch up her knees, but since she didn't want to alert too many eyes by her strong reactions she remained pretending as ever. She shall be pretending like this forever if it worked – but the disgusting touch was full of unknown mucous, leaving disgusting tactical feeling over her skin, she was disgusted more than annoyed. But she should endure, as a good roommate who made it easy for her roommate to dwell with all the ease of any regular creature, she wouldn't do anything to it for some while. She once again rejoiced at her growing generosity! How much big has her heart grown over the years!

"Niuniu, you can come inside, bring the tea and some snacks. I am starving! But be quick with your feet." She called out to the maid who was working on some clothes-mending in the antechamber. Such a close distance allowed the poor maid to hear the call of the mistress as she rushed leaving her work in complete disorder, first to confirm the instructions with great ordeal, heavy gasps of understanding and finally running past the courtyard door into the passage leading to main kitchen to bring the food herself.

There was no sign of a person named Daiyu in the whole of the ninth lady's courtyard. Only the cowardly maid Yunxi, calling herself Niuniu remained to take care of her. Wei Zhiruo observed these things silently. Her feet dangling on the chair as if teasing the fish to catch the line. It was an interesting fun-time play she had created in her head, seeing how much time it would take for that thing to lose the last thread of its patience and attack.

Wei Zhiruo once again sifted through the book, one hand placed on her cheeks while the other changed the pages, she was losing interest as she looked deeper. Nothing left of worth, she wasn't in a hurry to know anything about this land. But the Holy-order sect? What else could it be, but a group of mongrels playing big with a monk supporting them from behind the shadows; unaware of their death that had been already sentenced – or perhaps some of them have been given the knowledge of the portal leading to the immortal realm, already. She could try looking further into the holding of these dogs then!

What's the use of all the preparation? It is finally going to be my dinner in the end. After knowing the benefits of cultivating blood in chaos energy, Wei Zhiruo had decided to find several of these places and refine them. She was pretty sure, there must be more than this pond in the Wei's backyard. But finding it in Jinghai will not do, she had personally drain the functioning array and it will take a while for the artefact to start - if it could without a trace of spiritual energy left to use. She might take some time, finding the other places such atrocious enchantment has been laid, but what did it matter? She had a whole year to herself, before the marriage of her elder sister, or the deadline of all this atrocity. No one could track her when she didn't want herself to be tracked. And with the traces leaving her body, the last of her inhibitions had faded into thin wisps of the air. She wanted fun. She wanted more and more interesting game then teasing this rat out of its hole!

Wei Zhiruo felt the tactile sensation sweeping over her naked hands and feet more clearly, she even felt the foul breath coming from over her shoulder but she kept dancing her feet and humming the strange tune that was bestowed on her through time – a lovely song that she liked and would like to use in one of her performances with zither or lute. No, lute sounded better! Her hand was being groped and a sticky feeling came over from her back. Illusion. It didn't dare step over here itself – she could bet with all her being.

She has read about this kind of soul changing enchantments. The souls that needed to be interchanged needed a complex process of rules strictly defining the dos and don'ts. One of them being the close contact, in the case of soul replacer, the more it came to the body and soul intact – more it lost the chances and affinity of overtaking it since it was beginning to be perceived as intruder or a body outside the boxy, the body itself will reject the foreign soul on the onset of charm. If so, why should it stay so close to herself? Obviously to cultivate a connection at close place, the imprint in the mind and sea of consciousness that will act as a bridge and introduce the new soul inside the new body, her body.

Wei Zhiruo could feel the thing spinning the spell continuously trying to cast a link and imprint on her, but always unable to succeed. See, it even started groping for the best place to leave physical imprint now, after several unsuccessful attempts.

"It's a beautiful day, isn't it Niuniu, a pleasant day to go into the gardens and sing to the birds. I have changed my mind, please let all these foods remain packed, and let's go into the peach orchard in the north garden besides the pond – it's a pleasant place to watch all the naked trees and the blue, blue sky. Such pleasurable autumn days should be spent in the arms of pure nature, what good is staying here inside molding. Let's go, and please Niuniu will you bring me my lyre – I think it was probably placed in the utility rooms, where all things unused are placed, yes, and then we can go outside to enjoy the pleasant sunny day. Such whether makes me so happy, pretty all over. Let me dress in the brightest shade I have too! Come give me a hand here first, then you can go and fetch me my lyre. I will sing to you today, such pleasant tune just sprung today in my mind, as if it were a gift from the birds, or the winds –