Leng Jin Yu sat in Hong Bao's room, a hand at his forehead and his face scrunched up, not sure what to think. "Hong Bao …"
"Yes? Do you have an idea already?"
"First of all, tell me — and please take a moment to think deeply about this — the things you just told me … Are they exactly like the fate's scribe told them to you? Nothing omitted, nothing added, nothing exaggerated?"
"Why would I do something like —"
"I said to think about it a moment."
"Oh." Hong Bao shut up and remembered her conversation with Shun Tao. It seemed … she had told Leng Jin Yu all of it? "It really was everything. I didn't forget anything."
"And you didn't add anything?"
"Why would I —"
"Nothing you thought he might have implied?"
"No. He said all of that."
"Exactly like that?" Leng Jin Yu lifted his brows. He didn't really trust her on this. Hong Bao was a little … too creative with her mind.
Hong Bao nodded. Why is he asking me this? Of course, this is what Shun Tao said!
Leng Jin Yu sighed. For the moment, he could only accept, what she had said. "So, the gist of it should be, that the fate's scribe was responsible for the crown prince's trial in the mortal world, but someone tried to thwart the prepared fate and so the crown prince still wasn't able to finish any trial as of now?"
"Mn!" Hong Bao nodded again.
"And the fate's scribe didn't go to the heavenly emperor immediately, but instead waited a whole week, because he wanted to catch the culprit?"
"Yes. That's what he said. That was why he monitored the gods in the courtyard."
Leng Jin Yu clasped his hands over his face. Damn. I shouldn't have gone with her. I shouldn't have listened to this! I don't want to be part of this mess!
"What is it? Is it a difficult problem? Do you also not know how to help him?" Hong Bao scurried to the place next to him and gripped his arm, shaking it as if an idea might just tumble out of his sleeve if she did.
Leng Jin Yu dropped his hands and turned around to her with an even more serious face than normal. "That isn't the problem!"
"How is that not the problem? This is about Shun Tao's life!" Hong Bao sprang to her feet, her hands clenched into fists. "I shouldn't have told you!"
"Hong Bao." Leng Jin Yu leaned forward and stared into her eyes. "Tell me honestly: Do you know what a grave issue those trials are?"
"Of course I know, that they're serious! Why would the gods go do them if not?"
Leng Jin Yu slumped in his chair. "When did you say you came to the nine heavens?"
"Mn … It's been some years here. So it should be around a millennium in the mortal world?"
Leng Jin Yu's head made contact with the table. "I've only been here for a few weeks and I know more than you. With which of your qualities do you think the fate's scribe would fall in love?"
He was mumbling into his sleeve, so Hong Bao didn't quite catch, what he was saying. But she did manage to hear something about 'fate's scribe' and 'love'. Happily, she sat down opposite Leng Jin Yu. "Did you just say, you have a way to save my love?"
Leng Jin Yu lifted his head and looked at her with a deadpan expression. She really doesn't understand. Why am I even surprised by that? "Hong Bao, you do know about the laws of heaven, don't you?"
"Of course!" Hong Bao replied, as if it was a matter of course.
"Really?" He drew his eyebrows together, unsettling her for a moment.
"That … aren't they the laws that govern all living things?"
"They are."
"Then why are you asking after that? Everyone knows them!" Hong Bao shook her head disgruntled. "You better think about how to help Shun Tao!"
"I am helping him through educating you."
"You —" Hong Bao pressed her lips together and thought for a while to find a good cussword, but came up with nothing.
"Yes, yes, I know. You don't like me saying that. Back to the topic: If you know heaven's law, then do you know the law of balance?"
"What balance?"
Leng Jin Yu breathed deeply. So she has heard of the laws, but has no idea whatsoever what they are about. "Then let me tell you about it, because this is exactly the reason, your crush is in so much trouble right now."
"Because of some stupid law?! I thought it was because of the crown prince!"
"Who's the stupid one here! Those two things are more or less the same. Now listen!", he said and lifted his index finger to prevent her impending interruption. "The law of balance basically says that for every good thing there has to be a bad thing, too. For every power one has there has to be a weakness. The gods, the demons, the dragons … This law concerns all of them. And because of their considerable powers they have strong weaknesses, too. For the gods, this weakness are the trials they have to face. Some scholars said, that it would teach the gods compassion, if … Whatever." Leng Jin Yu stopped explaining, when he noticed how Hong Bao got impatient.
"The thing is: These trials have to be completed because of the heaven's laws. No god is able to circumvent that. The god of war completed these trials, your fate's scribe did and even the heavenly emperor had to do it. Naturally, the same applies to our crown prince."
"So those trials are important. I get it." Hong Bao waved his explanation away. "That's really interesting, but I don't understand what that has to do with Shun Tao."
"He is the one who picked the trials for the crown prince and wrote a fate, that enables him to pass them. But now this fate won't come about. The crown prince can't pass his trials and if he doesn't …" Leng Jin Yu shook his head, the look in his eyes full of worry. "He could very well lose his life."