Chapter 13: Once So Close, Now Walking The Path of Strangers (Part 1 of 2)
 

   Three or four stems of green bamboo, two sections of banana leaves, one gra.s.s curtain. Who would have thought that the backyard of the Four Stars Palace* was only a half bigger than the yard in the Water Boundary. I let out a sigh, pulled out a bamboo stool and sat down.

(*It"s Xuan Ji in chinese which indicates the first four stars in the Heavy Dipper).

  On the stone table, there was a paper declaration that was held down by a crystal pi xiu (a mystical beast that is considered a protector) that was prostrated, the paper flew up and down in the night wind, it could not escape, like a b.u.t.terfly that was extending its wings, I decided to save this declaration, I picked it up and looked at it. It turns out that it was a marriage contract, below there were three names, the two words "Tai Wei"**  were vigorous and forceful, the two words "Luo Lin"*** floated elegantly, then there were the words "Ren Yu"**** which were like the smooth pa.s.sage of the clouds and flowing waters, but revealed a trace of loftiness and strength.

**Tai Wei is probably the Heavenly Emperor.

***Luo Lin is probably the Water G.o.d (Luo is a name of a river, and Lin means the continuous heavy rain).

****Ren Yu is Night"s first name.

  "This is the promise made by Father and the High G.o.d," The silver light of the moon descended, midway it was blocked by a thick banana leaf, and a shadow fell across Night"s face, revealing a blurry warmth, "Four thousand years ago, this was signed at the High G.o.d"s wedding, now we only need Jin Mi to sign her name."

  I picked up a writing brush and bit its head, thought for a while and wrote down my name.

  When I was writing, Night lowered his head and was watching intently the small red stove next to me that was boiling a pot of tea, in the midst of the bubbling it was not clear what he was thinking. His white robes shone under the moon light, it was so white that it made my teeth itch and in my heart rose a feeling to want to stain it, so I dipped into the ink slate, and while Night was distracted, I drew a flower at the end of his robe sleeve.

  When he regained awareness, the wood has already been made into a boat, I blinked at him. Night smiled when he looked at his sleeves, he wasn"t angry, he poured a cup of tea for me and said gently, "This flower is drawn very lively, Night has many plain robes, in future I must bother Jin Mi Immortal to add some colour for me." Night is truly someone with a good temper.

  "Good, good," I squeezed the writing brush and nodded my head continuously.

   Tonight after leaving the Heavenly Emperor"s Nine Mist Clouds Palace, Night invited me to his Four Stars Palace for a short visit, saying that the Beauty Night Scent Flower***** that I had given him had just started to sprout, he did not know if it would bloom tonight. Dad had glanced at us, he did not say anything, so I happily agreed to follow Night back.

  The Four Stars Palace was very different from Phoenix"s Qi Wu Palace, the walls were white, it was simple and low-key, besides a few small immortal attendants at the door and a bunch of Nightmare Beasts who could not speak, there was no shadow of anyone else, the night was a sheet of silence.

  A small Nightmare Beast, barely about a month old, was timidly lying at Night"s feet, its round eyes stared warily at me. I magicked a white cabbage leave in my hands, bent my waist and tried to seduce it, "Be obedient, come and try it." Good habits must be groomed from young, a picky eating Nightmare Beast is not good, who knew that my good intentions were not appreciated by the Little Nightmare Beast, it disdainfully turned its head away.

  Night smiled and touched its ears, the little beast turned its head back towards me, it moved slowly in front of me, it hesitated for a while, then as if looking straight at death at the bunch of leaves it swallowed them straight into its stomach, I happily stroke its head and praised it, "How obedient, very obedient."

  "Night has no precious items to give to Jin Mi, only this Nightmare Beast, if Jin Mi Immortal likes it, then let it follow you from now on, after two months when it becomes stronger, you may ride on it. I only hope that Jin Mi will not find it a bother."

  I happily responded, "Thank you, thank you." Riding a deer was much more stable than riding a cloud, if I wasn"t careful I might become squashed meat.

  The little deer stiffly laid down at my side, the stomach twitched and it let out a cabbage burp.

  I stroke the short fur at the back of its neck, I carried a cup of tea and squatted down next to the pot of Beauty Night Scent Flower that stood in the middle of the garden, although the flower bud has sprouted, but after waiting for most of the night, it was still hiding its face and refused to forthrightly open, it truly was not giving me face.

  Behind me was the sound of light footsteps, Night was also squatting next to me, he carefully looked at the flower and was silent.

   After the timing of a pot of tea, we had drank finished the tea and I was preparing to replenish it, when I heard Night softly say, "Night is poor, for one lifetime I have only the Night as company, I have no important position, very little relatives. All I have is but a few little beasts and a simple house.... if one day, Jin Mi Immortal marries and becomes my wife, you will have to suffer with me, even so, would Jin Mi Immortal disdain it?"

  I turned back, but saw that Night was still maintaining his previous position and gazing at the Beauty Night Scent, his look of concentration was as if the words did not come from him, but the flower I have painted on his sleeves was in his palm, his fingers were stained with some of the ink.

  Since Night asked me, I seriously considered this issue, I heard that mortal girls after reaching a certain age must all marry someone, since this was so, and I had to marry someone, I must as well marry Night who I am familiar with. What"s more, Night"s powers are strong, if I mutually cultivate with him in future, my own strength may improve. What could be more important than divine strength? So I replied, "I do not disdain."

  His grasp loosened on his sleeves, the ink flower on his sleeves dropped to the floor, Night slowly raised his head, his eyes that gazed at me glistened like a line of starlight gliding through the waters.

  I squatted down again, and asked him seriously, "When shall we mutually cultivate?"

  Night"s body froze, after a while, his cheeks turned red.

  In the night wind, I suddenly felt a strong scent attack my nostrils, I followed the direction of the wind, under the moon the Beauty Night Scent Flower was pa.s.sionately blooming, the light purple petals unravelled fold by fold, under the moonlight it appeared especially charming and gentle. I cried in surprised joy, "It finally opened!"

  Behind me a light but warmth breath glided past my neck, "From this day on, I shall call you Jin Mi. Is that ok?"

  I said half-heartedly, "Naturally it"s fine."

  When I turned around, Night gave me a warm smile, the redness in his face had faded, he said, "I heard that this flower is also called the Scent of the Moon, it truly is beautiful, but I think it is not as beautiful as the frost below the moon."

  I confusedly looked at my surroundings, but I did not see any descending frost.

  At night, I stayed at Water G.o.d Daddy"s Luo Xiang Manor, I had a good night"s sleep, and only woke up when the sun was at the third bamboo. After combing my hair, I naturally placed Phoenix"s feather on top of my head, I suddenly remembered Phoenix"s command yesterday to go to the Liu Zi Pond today to meet him, my heart jolted, it was almost time. I hurriedly rushed to the Qi Wu Palace. 

  The little deer Night gave me was quite obedient, it followed me to Qi Wu Palace, as I almost reached the Liu Zi Pond, I suddenly heard a crisp voice, "Which Jin Mi?"

  Ah? It sounds like someone is calling me, I stopped my movements and turned to where the voice was coming from.

  At this moment, I heard another voice, "Which other Jin Mi can it be. It"s the book boy that followed the Second Highness for almost a hundred years at Qi Wu Palace!"

  "Ah! It"s that beautiful sprite! I turned over and took a glance, indeed, her looks are truly a sin! Amitabha, luckily she is engaged to his First Highness, if not her looks will cause disaster to many people, I heard the attendants say that Second Highness almost lost his heart to her."

  I was shocked, first, I have never killed anyone, second I have never released fire, how would I cause disaster to people?

  "Speaking of his Second Highness, I heard yesterday that he gave his great phoenix feather treasure to Jin Mi."

  Hearing this, the other G.o.ddess auntie sucked in a breath of cold air, "That is truly atrocious! The Great Phoenix Feather Treasure is the top treasure in the Phoenix Tribe, it is a weapon that protects the body, the Heavenly Empress" father gave the Great Phoenix Feather Treasure to the Heavenly Tribe as a gift to the previous Heavenly Emperor for sacrificing his life in battle during the war against the demons, the Heavenly Empress then gave it to the Heavenly Emperor as a love token, the Second Highness by this action..."

  Someone gave a cold cough, the two G.o.ddess aunties who were hotly discussing the issue suddenly froze, they suddenly respectfully said, "We greet his Second Highness."

  Since it was Phoenix, and hearing the two G.o.ddess aunties pay their respects to Phoenix and him coldly dismissing them, I hesitated in the Willow Forest, from his voice, I could tell Phoenix"s mood was not good, I might as well return home and avoid this danger.

  As I was prepared to evacuate, Phoenix suddenly appeared before me, he gave me a shock and I broke the willow stems next to me into half.

  I looked at Phoenix"s expression and clumsily placed the willow stems into the Nightmare Beast"s mouth, coaxing it, "Be obedient, be obedient."

  "I heard that this flower is also called the Scent of the Moon, it truly is beautiful, but I think it is not as beautiful as the frost below the moon."

  I confusedly looked at my surroundings, but I did not see any descending frost.

  This perfectly captures one of my favourite chinese sayings, , literally it translates to as far as the ends of the sky, but actually is just right in front of you.

  What you are looking for might appear to be very far away, but is actually right in front of you.

  How true is this of love and life!