The Withering Plant called Huanjing

The carriage where Fan Yusheng, Niao Yi, and Yemaozi sat rocked back and forth, but it was not enough to make any of them dizzy. Fan Yusheng looked out of the window of the carriage, seeing how the skeletal trees lose their leaves to the wind. They were on their way to the Huanjing castle, and they were greeted by the harsh winds coming from the West.

However, these winds had nothing on their transport service. Their carriage was brought by a gigantic bird demon who could not transform into a smaller form, or communicate with humans. Then again, he could lift tons of weight, earning his post as the transport service of the bird clan. His claws held against a bar connected to the carriage's roof; instead of clawing the carriage itself which could cause destruction and harm to both parties. The only set back was that the carriage rocked along with the force of gravity and the winds.

The wielder whimpered at the sight of the supposed dark forest surrounding the demon nations. Instead of lavish crimson leaves, all that she saw were twisted trees in search of sunlight and water. There were some who had died in malnutrition, while the rest continued to battle the winds against their leafless branches. The few remaining leaves flew from their homes, forced by another surge of nature.

Pity flowed from her heart into the tears at the corners of her eyes. The land around Huanjing was worst than Hongtu. Life looked nothing less of a sweet dream the creatures would see in their sleep as they pass away into another lifetime. Fan Yusheng pulled herself away from the window, drying her eyes with the sleeve of her hanfu.

"Your cosmetics will wear off if you dab it that way, Yusheng." The owl demon baron noticed her action. He then peered out the window without moving from his seat. "What do you see outside?"

"It's dying. The whole forest is dying." Fan Yusheng answered as she casted her brave look at Yemaozi. "Do you think- I can help save it while playing consort? I can't just... let them wither away like this..."

"Your heart is your weapon, Yusheng. Also a big weakness." Yemaozi could only chuckle darkly. "You only have to do one thing in our deal, young lady. Everything else will be up to you." He then looked up at the roof, his brows furrowed deeply in suspicion at the sound of familiar cooing.

Before Fan Yusheng would ask, Niao Yi opened his mouth and spoke. "Tai Da spotted an entourage ahead. They seemed to be stuck-"

Tai Da, the giant bird, suddenly banked to the right as if making the carriage evade something that could have damaged it. Because of this, Yemaozi slid to his right, while Fan Yusheng and Niao Yi fell to their left, the male getting squashed by the female. The carriage soon stabilized as Tai Da stopped banking.

"A palanquin?" Yemaozi hummed as he listened to Tai Da's cooing.

Fan Yusheng, who pulled away from her guard, patted the creases of her dress. She heard about a palanquin, but she knew Yemaozi would not elaborate. She turned to Niao Yi, who was consoling his head which hit against the carriage's wall. "What is Tai Da saying?"

"He said the winds just threw a palanquin at us. Sorry for dodging." The male bird answered without sparing a glance at Fan Yusheng. He looked out of the window from his side, only to spot a group of demons making a barrier out of their bodies, protecting a maiden from the blast of the wind. He looked to the side to see Fan Yusheng looking out from her window as well. However, her anxious whimper told him she was not able to see any notable figures at a distance.

Niao Yi then turned to Yemaozi. "Yemaozi, I think the entourage Tai Da saw was the one from the tailed demons. The palanquin must have for the consort they are sending today."

Yemaozi only looked at him in interest.

"What!? We should help them!" Fan Yusheng looked at Niao Yi after hearing what he just said. "These winds are too harsh to be endured by their own bodies. Can't we go" -she brought her gaze to Yemaozi- "and pick them up?"

"Why are you helping your enemies, Yusheng?" Yemaozi asked in a flat tone, as if asking for curiosity rather than ridicule. "They might assault us once they ride the carriage."

"Then we'll fly." Fan Yusheng furrowed her brows a little, instead of biting her lips in uncertainty. "If they attack us, then make Tai Da let go and we'll fly out. If they don't fly, then they'll be hurt for their insolence."

"You're still trying to be human while trying to be a demon." Niao Yi let out quite a confusing remark. He only pinched his forehead lightly while earning a whimper from the woman. He then looked at Yemaozi. "What should we do? Are we going to help them?"

"Let the consort learn from her actions. She's the one without wings." Yemaozi chuckled, implying that Fan Yusheng would be in trouble if Tai Da let go. He caught her squinting at his direction. "She knew nothing about demons after all."

Without much hesitance, Tai Da banked again to turn back and flew towards the group of tailed demons. He placed the carriage down and stood behind it, spreading his wings to calm the wind hitting the other demons. Once they noticed someone was there, Fan Yusheng opened the door of the carriage and showed half of herself.

"Are you on your way to Huanjing? Are you the tailed demons?" She asked the demons eying at her and the giant bird before them.

A woman with notably long hair and a ruined headdress peeked from the gaps of the demons' arms. She then stood to see Fan Yusheng, and the tailed demons entered a defensive stance. The soft-looking creature smiled at her. "I am Cao Daimeng of the tailed demon clan! Are you sent by the Demon King to save us?"

Fan Yusheng returned the girl's sweet smile. "No! I'm Fan Yusheng of the bird clan! I was wondering if you want our help. Crossing the forest like this isn't going to get you anywhere." She reached out a hand. "Do you want to join us?"

"But my servants won't be able to stay with me! Can you bring them back to the edges of the forests after our arrival in Huanjing?" The girl named Cao Daimeng started walking towards the carriage with her servant demons surrounding her.

"Our transport bird needs to go home, too, afterwards. I guess they can drop your servants off before leaving the demon nations." Fan Yusheng smiled at the sweet girl she just welcome aboard the carriage. She also noticed how the tailed demons latched themselves on the carriage itself. She let Cao Daimeng sit between her and Niao Yi. Fan Yusheng gestured to her companions. "These are my guard, and the head of my house."

"My, what an honor. Meeting the head of the bird clan." Cao Daimeng gave a deep bow as she was let inside the carriage. She also panicked as the giant bird took off and continued on his way towards the castle. She grabbed onto Fan Yusheng's arm in fear. "We're not going to fall, are we?"

"No, we've been traveling like this the whole time. It's safer than taking the road." Fan Yusheng liked the energy she could feel from the maiden. Although it was blurry like mudded water, it gave off a warmth found in gentle creatures. Being the wielder of magic that gives way to life, she could feel energies of living creatures around her.

"I see. We should have sought help from our neighbors..." Cao Daimeng's voice trailed a little, and it started the silence.

It did not take them another hour to reach the Huanjing castle. Cao Daimeng had fallen asleep against Fan Yusheng's shoulder during the flight, and Niao Yi was uneasy by the familiarity Fan Yusheng was giving to a probable rival. They knew nothing of Cao Daimeng, as the tailed demons knew nothing of Fan Yusheng... aside from her openness.

The bird was received in the courtyard by a few demons stationed in the castle. Fan Yusheng and Cao Daimeng got out as soon as Niao Yi gestured to them. Yemaozi took a different door from them and stood at the old courtyard. Instead of seeing a wonderful place, he saw a deteriorating beauty. Neglected was an understatement, while trashed was not a perfect word.

Fan Yusheng laid her eyes on the broken slates that made up the floor of the courtyard. She could imagine the countless battles it had gone through since the last time they changed slates. The same with the weathered walls and pillars, along with the walkway and ornaments surrounding the open space. It was a good thing that the harsh winds had died down kilometers away from the castle, or else it would have been wiped out just like the tailed demons' palanquin.

She brought her gaze at the demons who welcomed them. Most of them were from the armored demon clan, based on the weird bones covering their skin at some places. There were those from the horned demon clan as well. She also saw some winged demons and tailed demons. She could feel their energies were as dirty as a water puddle filed with loose soil, but that was only expected from demons. However, they were warm, and not cold like the criminals she once met in their human kingdom's main castle dungeon.

The servants and the baron walked with the two consorts ahead of them, and the soldiers led them towards the throne chamber. The insides of the castle were nothing better than the courtyard. Fan Yusheng could only cringe at the level of battery they let the castle endure. Cao Daimeng was also busy looking around, familiarizing herself with the hallways of the castle... as well as the cracks on the floor. Many a times, Fan Yusheng had to look after her before she visibly stumbles, or tears her gold hanfu as it gets caught with the jagged edges of the flooring.

Through the only shining door they saw was the throne chamber where a young man was seated on a polished throne. Like in the paintings, he wore dark robes over his obsidian plate armor. His skin was grayed a little, but not to the point of obvious discoloration. His hair was dark and unkempt for a king, and his horn curled clockwise twice atop his head. His fingers were clawed, but they were not sharp as if it would need force for them to pierce through the skin.

There were three women waiting, and another group that seemed to be an entourage as well. Cao Daimeng almost run towards the three maidens, dragging Fan Yusheng behind her like best friends. The clumsy maiden bowed before the young man, and stayed until she noticed Fan Yusheng was not doing the same. She tugged on her before the oasis wielder complied and copied her.

One of the maidens then walked in front, acknowledging the entourage of each with a smile. She then looked at the three maidens who were bowing to the king. "Rise, consorts. For some reasons, the Demon King refused to sit through all the formalities." She watched the three stood straight, their gazes on the man on his throne. "I am Cheng Lamei, the first consort of the Demon King. You all shall address me as Lady Cheng, as I would address each of you in the same manner." She gestured to each of them with a reached out arm. "Lady Lu Tianshi from the multiple-eyed demon clan. Lady Cao Daimeng from the tailed demon clan. Lady Fan Yusheng from the bird demon clan.

"You can now go ahead and present yourselves." She walked back to her previous spot, next to the lady they all knew as Zhao Mouye.

"I'll go first then." Lu Tianshi took a deep breath and walked forward to attract the Demon King's attention. She swayed her arms as if strutting the gorgeous design of her green hanfu with white brocade of what seemed to be eyes. "I am Lu Tianshi from the clan of the multiple-eyed demons, my king. As a gift from my people, I shall present to you a dagger..."

Fan Yusheng twitched at the sight of her presenting a gift. She turned to Cao Daimeng who was polishing something with the sleeves of her hanfu. The wielder turned to the baron who just gestured to the king, and the guard who was lost. They did not prepare for a gift, and Yemaozi seemed to have Fan Yusheng make one impromptu.

The female pouted for a moment before moving her head to the side with force, but not too obvious to others. One of her hairpins dropped on the floor, but because it was not smooth or marbled anymore, the pin made no sound. She sat on her heels as if collecting it, but she was actually digging underneath the broken slate flooring. There was nothing but sand, so she had to dig further to get a bit of moist earth. Just a handful will be enough.

"I am Cao Daimeng from the clan of tailed demons, my king. We have traveled far to come see you. As a gift from my people, I present to you this trinket." She knelt and raised it by holding the chain. The ruby on its middle made the king's eyes glint a little, making her sigh in relief. She got up and walked to him, slowly placing the trinket over his head and neatly letting it rest on his chest. Cao Daimeng bowed again before retreating away from the king. Then again, she slipped down the steps that elevated the throne stage, and rolled her way to the lines of the maidens. However, she was just happy that the Demon King was musing over the ruby, so his eyes were on the trinket rather than the accident.

Fan Yusheng would have helped Cao Daimeng, but she was busy digging enough earth from the ground. She gently rose from her seat and hid the dirty hand under the sleeve of her hanfu. She then presented herself. "I am Fan Yusheng from the clan of bird demons. We traveled from the deserts for a chance to meet you in person, my king. May I come near to bestow my gift?"

The Demon King only placed the trinket down and called her with hand gestures. Fan Yusheng got up the stage and knelt before the king. She asked him to put out his left hand, which he did in curiosity. The wielder then smeared the earth under his wrist and cupped her fingers for it to hold still. Soon, plant roots grew and held the earth around his arm, making a woven bracelet at its place. Then a white flower bud rose and flowered on top. The petals turned dark, and the visible veins were streaked with crimson. Even the edges of the petals had turned into blood red.

"That is a camellia, my king. And it shall never die like our clan's loyalty to you." Fan Yusheng retreated her hands, but she stayed kneeling.

However, she lifted her face a little as she noticed that the Demon King took a hold of the flower and crushed it with his other hand. Along came with the shock inside her mind were the maidens' gasps at his reaction. But since it was magic, the petal regenerated and reformed itself like earlier. Only the blood that came from the veins was left on the king's hand.

The Demon King then smiled at it in amusement, raising the camellia to his eye line. "A camellia, huh." He stroked at the newly grown petals. "And it doesn't get destroyed..." He brought his hand down and looked at Fan Yusheng as if waiting for something.

Fan Yusheng then bowed and quickly retreated back to her place. She did not even walk backwards; she just stood and spun on her heels to get away fast. She made it to her spot and bowed like the rest of the maidens.

After accepting all their gifts, the Demon King just got off of his throne. "Lamei, take Tianshi and prepare the kitchen for a feast. Mouye, walk Daimeng to the infirmary. Yusheng, come with me." He then walked out of the stage, his robe moving around as if it was hovering around him instead.

Shock had conquered even Cheng Lamei, the most composed of the ladies. She then cleared her throat to get words out fast before any of them leave. "The Demon King knows what happens around him even though he seldom shows attention. Don't underestimate him. Now we all have roles to play." She eyed at Fan Yusheng. "And you. Serve him well."