The Mysterious Man

The next day, Li Juan woke up even before the alarm. She was excited to meet the head monk, so she quickly got freshened up and went to wake Tang Wei Sheng who was sleeping next door.

"Good morning." Li Juan greeted him.

"Good morning, sweetheart." Tang Wei Sheng flashed his radiant smile. "Did you sleep well?

"Yes. How about you?"

"I couldn't sleep properly." Tang Wei Sheng replied with a dispirited voice.

"Why?"

"Well, I am not a rock or metal. I'm a man with blood and flesh and of course with a lot of feelings. How can I sleep peacefully when a beauty sleeps next door?" Tang Wei Sheng smiled mischievously and Li Juan's face immediately turned into a deep shade of red.

"Give it a break," she shyly told and hid her face from him. "Head monk allowed us to meet him at 7.30 am. So get ready soon."

"Yes, ma'am. " Tang Wei Sheng replied as if he received a military command.

Li Juan couldn't help but smile at his reply and ruffled his hair.

Why he is so cute?

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Li Juan and Tang Wei Sheng waited in the courtyard in front of the meditation hall. The sun has risen but the monastery and surroundings were still cold. Since they were near the mountain ranges, there was an immense drop in temperature.

Even though the atmosphere was not clear, the outline of Tu mountain ranges was vaguely visible from the courtyard.

Li Juan looked at the huge mountain range not so far away with great enthusiasm .

If they couldn't find the map, they have to climb that giant mountain to enter into the lost city.

"Just imagine climbing the mountain without any proper route? It will be a Herculean task."

Suddenly they were called inside to meet the head monk.

The head monk, a man in his eighties was sitting in the balcony which faced the mountain. Even though he was silent, his moist eyes and soothing smile gave him a welcoming and kind appeal.

Tang Wei Sheng and Li Juan bowed before him and introduced themselves.

"Please take a seat. "

Both of them sat on the floor mat as per the orders.

"Xiao Li." Head monk addressed her Li Juan after a moment's silence.

"I thought you will come here with the other man."

As soon Li Juan heard it , she looked at him and Tang Wei Sheng with a bit of confusion and suddenly remembered that he mentioned her professor.

"Oh, Professor Han. Sorry, master, due to some unavoidable work, he was unable to visit you." Li Juan apologised politely. She never thought that a grandmaster like him would actually pay attention to her trip details.

"So you are looking for the route map to Jade land." Head Monk was calm as he spoke to her. When Li Juan figured out that cIt was not a question, but was a statement, she was definitely shocked.

She never mentioned about the route map, yet the monk already knew that she came for it.

"Yes. " Li Juan replied clearly.

"It will be a pleasure for me to give you the map." He stopped for a second as if he was examining her, "But before that let me make sure that you are eligible for having it. "

Li Juan was expecting something similar. She knew that it was not an easy task to gather the map from the monastery. The head monk was planning to test her knowledge.

"Yes, master." Li Juan replied in a steady voice.

"What made a young lady like you to get interested in searching for the lost Jade land?" Head monk's question was simple and direct and a calm smile appeared in Li Juan's face as soon as she heard it.

"I saw a dream."

An unknown silence filled in between them as soon as Li Juan replied. Only the whistling of a mountain wind was an exception.

Though the head monk appeared rather content with her answer, Tang Wei Sheng was in utter disbelief.

She was leading her research on something that she saw in her dream?

"On my 18th birthday night, I had a dream." Li Li Juan remembered the fragments of that dream. "And I saw a queen."

Li Juan stood alone on a battlefield that was filled with dead bodies of men and animals.

The ground was red and wet by the spilt blood and black soot and the smell of burning flesh permeated the entire field.

She was desperately searching for a way out and she heard someone calling her.

At the end of the battlefield, she saw a linear silhouette.

Li Juan ran towards it as it was her last resort to escape.

It was a woman.

Li Juan looked at the woman who stood before her.

What a beauty!!!

Like a white lotus bloomed in the murky water, she stood in the gory battlefield filled with dead bodies.

In a gust of wind, her long black hair was fluttering all around making a perfect contrast with her pure white Hanfu. On her hair, she wore a jade hair ornament with five coloured gemstones and a phoenix.

A phoenix, the symbol of the Queen.

In a flash, a red flower bloomed where her heart is situated and it started bleeding as if someone stabbed her. The white Hanfu immediately turned red and it dripped blood.

She was injured and sinking to the ground.

Li Juan tried to help her. But some invisible barrier seperated her from the queen.

"Save mmm…" those were the final words of the queen.

"Majesty." Li Juan called her and banged herself at the invisible wall.

The Queen looked at her with agonizing eyes as she succumbed to death.

Gradually the whole battlefield became blurred before Li Juan.

"No, no!!!!"

Even though Li Juan woke up from the nightmare, she found herself profusely sweating and panting. It was just a bad dream- but the queen's voice rang in her ears " save".

"After that, I saw the same dream numerous times, and every time she asked me to save her." Li Juan explained her dream to the men before her.

"Did the Queen ask you to save her?" There was a bit of surprise in Head monk's voice.

"Hmm, every single time I've tried, I've always ended up failing. I was unable to save her and that regret left me agitated for several days.

I couldn't forget her request.

I was curious to know why I saw a dream like that or whether it had any connections with me.

I wanted to know, who was she, so I began to search various history texts." Li Juan explained enthusiastically.

"I didn't know where to start, the only thing I remembered was that jade hair Pin.

It had five coloured gemstones – white, yellow, blue-green, red and black- which represented the five elements of nature.

The phoenix, the symbol of the queen. It gave me a direction to start. I began to search kingdoms that worshipped nature. I almost swept through all the history texts in the library. But I couldn't find anything.

After 3 years, I met Professor Han Guang who was studying about a lost city. I shared my thoughts with him and gradually we concluded that the crown might've belonged to the Jade land queen." Li Juan stopped for a moment and looked at the monk who silently listened without questioning the rationality of her words.

"I still don't know why I saw a dream like that, but I wanted to know what happened to Jade land and its Queen."

"So that's what made you search for Jade land?" Monk smiled in satisfaction and signalled his assistant, Mu Hong. Mu Hong left the room silently upon order.

"Are you going to save the queen?"

"It was a dream." Li Juan replied with a confused look.

"Yes. It was. But dreams have connections with your unconscious mind.

Did you remember the queen's face?" Head monk asked her.

"I am not sure about it. But I saw myself as the queen." Li Juan said with a low voice.

"Yes. It is." A satisfactory smile spread on monk's face. "Dreams symbolise the repressed feelings of your unconscious mind. Or they may signal something going on your real life.

So, why don't you figure it out? What exactly is happening in your real life?"

Mu Hong came back with a small box and gave that to the head monk. It was a small palm-sized box made up of white jade and in the centre of it, 5 coloured gemstones were arranged.

Looking at the box, Li Juan was astonished to notice the five gemstones on the box. It was similar to the stones she saw on the Queen's hairpin.

"It is a map drawn by a Jadeland princess for the man she loved, an outsider." Head Monk said as he handed over the box to Li Juan, who accepted it politely.

"Jade land people were one of a kind. Their rules of living, beliefs everything was different from mainland. They were considered as a sacred clan and discouraged mixing up their blood with others." Head Monk began to explain the story behind the map when he noticed Li Juan's dubious expression.

"But the princess fell in love with a man man from another kingdom. And all she could do was to ask her man to find her and earn the permission of her people."

"But why did she make a map? She could just propose an alliance with him instead of making him look for her." Tang Wei Sheng had a valid doubt.

"Yes, it's possible, but in mainland. Jade land people treated their women as treasure, you cannot simply acquire a treasure, you must earn it. In order to marry a Jade land woman, despite her status, the men need to prove themselves worthy and seek permission before the people. So, the princess made a map for her lover, asking him to seek an alliance according to their rules and traditions.

Also, it is a map only in the right hand, for others, it is a puzzle which will test the owner's intelligence.

I hope you can solve it." Head Monk concluded his words as he looked at Li Juan hopefully.

"I will take a look and give it back to you." Li Juan assured him.

"No need, you can keep this. After all, you're the one who is going to save our queen."

Li Juan felt like she was receiving an award or something.

For her, the moment that box handed over to was the second-best moment of her whole life. And the best moment in her life was nothing but when Tang Wei Sheng accepted her feelings.

"Xiao Li, let this bring you towards your destination or maybe the man whom you are waiting for." Head monk blessed her.

Li Juan looked at Tang Wei Sheng for a moment and thanked the monk.

The man she waited for a long time, he has finally found her.

"Thank you so much, master." They both bowed in front of the head monk to show gratitude.

"I wish both of you, nothing but success and happiness."

Tang Wei Sheng and Li Juan were practically on cloud nine when they left head monk's room. They bid farewell to the monks and left for the mansion in the Xi city.

"What do you think, sweetheart?" Tang Wei Sheng asked the excited girl sitting beside him.

"I'm just happy, senior Tang... absolutely happy. I thought I have to return the map. But he said I can have it."

Tang Wei Sheng patted her shoulders as he was proud of her achievement.

"I am happy for you."

On the way to the hillside mansion in Xi city, Li Juan called her colleagues and informed them about them the map and shared the good news.

Tang Wei Sheng also felt good that they have finally obtained some solid evidence.

When they reached the H town, Tang Wei Sheng stopped the car.

"Sweetheart?"

"Yes. What happened are you okay?" Li Juan was concerned about his health.

"I got some business here. I think we have to part our ways here." Tang Wei Sheng said in a disappointed voice.

"Manager Zhang is on the way to meet me."

"I can drive you home but..." Tang Wei Sheng looked concerned.

"There is no need. It will be wasting your time. I can drive." Li Juan suggested.

"Should I call a driver?" Tang Wei Sheng took his phone.

Li Juan stopped him before he could make a call.

"No, sweetheart. It's dangerous; I don't want you to drive to Xi city. You sit back and enjoy the view." He kissed her palm and called Manager Zhang to arrange a driver. After fifteen minutes, manager Zhang Zi Zhong came with his driver. He greeted Tang Wei Sheng.

"CEO Tang, you could've told me to arrange a room to stay. You didn't have to stay at the monastery." Manager Zhang complained as soon as he saw his boss.

"It was a great experience. I swear it was the best night I've ever had." Tang Wei Sheng was true about his words.

It was the best night he ever had. When compared to his bedroom the cottage wasn't even spacious and there wasn't any heater or proper bed. Nor do any fancy lights. He stayed in a small room, ate simple meals and slept in a futon and shared meaningful moments with the woman he loved.

He was satisfied beyond his heart's content.

"I will come back as soon as possible. Have a safe journey." Tang Wei Sheng patted li Juan's shoulder and led her to the car. And even opened car's door for her.

"Call me when you reach there." Tang Wei Sheng bid farewell as he closed the door.

"CEO Tang, what do you want to buy?" Manager Zhang asked as soon as Li Juan's car left their eyesight.

Last night, Tang Wei Sheng asked him to come to the H town and look for a souvenir shop.

"Manager Zhang, I need a ring. A green jade ring, to be exact." Tang Wei Sheng told him what he want.

"All you need is a ring?" Zhang Zi Zhong was speechless when he heard his boss's demand.

Well, he couldn't complain, H town was famous for being the repository of Jade. But why Tang Wei Sheng called him and asked to come to this town – that too help him to find a ring; H town's gemstones are available all over the country.

CEO Tang is certainly eccentric.

"It's for my girlfriend." Tang Wei Sheng brushed his hair as his face got immediately flushed red.

"I am going to ask her hand in marriage."

"Congratulations, CEO Tang. " Zhang Zi Zhong was overjoyed to hear the good news.

"Let's go to Bai Jewellers, they are the best when comes to gemstones."

While Tang Wei Sheng was busy looking for the perfect engagement ring, Li Juan's car was in the traffic signal.

It was an intersection where the calm and quiet H town meets the buzzing streets of Xi city entrance. The roads were bordered with plum blossoms and the sidewalks and parks filled with people who came to take a look at the beautiful view.

Li Juan looked at the overwhelmed expressions of the onlookers. All of them appeared happy.

Suddenly Li Juan's eyes met with someone. It was a man. In the middle of happy faces, he looked different.

His tall stature made him distinguishable from others. Even though his body covered in a black trench coat, one could easily identify his well-built physique.

He stood there on the sidewalk, gazing at Li Juan while a mysterious cold aura surrounded him.

He was definitely good looking. His striking face had messy stubble which made him oddly attractive.

If his eyes weren't blinking, Li Juan would have believed that he was a perfectly crafted statue.

However, his exceptionally attractive features contrasted with his enigmatic face. His obsidian eyes contained a longing expression.

Even though both of them were separated by 50 m distance from each other, Li Juan felt uneasiness spreading her mind.

Why those eyes look familiar?

Does he know her?

Did she meet him before?

He was a random pedestrian, but why does he look so familiar?

Where did she meet him? Li Juan immersed herself in various questions. All of a sudden,

she remembered the dream she had on the flight to Xi city.

It was him, the man who shot an arrow at her,

the man who tried to kill her.

A cold wave embalmed Li Juan as the hairs rose on the back of her neck, and her mouth ran dry.

She did not dare to look at him.

Fortunately, the traffic lights turned green and the driver started the car.

Li Juan sighed in relief and took a glance at the Mysterious man for the last time.

There was no one in the place where he stood, only pink Plum petals whirling down in the wind like snow.