"Do you think she is alive...?"
"She looks dead..."
"She almost drowned..."
"Hey! look at the mark on her forehead she is so beautiful...."
Cold...it so cold...She shivered to curl up in a ball and suffered another fit of cough, but at least the ache in her chest was gone, she wrapped arms around herself as another shiver shook her spine, she opens her eyes but the sun blinded her...
"Look...
"Look...
"She is breathing..."
"She is awake!" Several voices at once reached her senses, the first thing next she notices was the scent of the damp earth and her own soaked cloth, the realization that she drenches from head to toes made her shiver again, her vision cleared. She saw several people towering over her, she frowned. This doesn't feel like she is in the peach forest, she blinked and the unfamiliarity of her surrounding made her heart pond in anxiety.
"Are you alright miss?" A kind lady helps her get up, Hong Liu looks around with confused eyes, she was by the riverside and a few minutes ago was laid down on the rock.
"She almost drowned! of course, she is not fine, maybe we should take her to the village physician," An elderly man said
"First we should look for someone who knows her..." Another man said.
"Yes...yes...maybe someone she looking for her...?"
Villagers started to argue what should they do around the young woman they just pulled from the shores of the river, they almost thought she died from drowning in the river but thank god she was fine. Hong Liu mind yet to make a coherent thought as she looks around with frown then at her feet that were covered in mud, white robes she seems to wear was cover in mud too, Hong Liu stumbles some caught her before she falls, she felt so cold and nauseous.
"Stop arguing, first take the poor girl to physician...." A wise old lady scolded everyone.
"You are right! let's go,"
Hong Liu felt pulled to a direction and she followed unable to gather her thoughts, where is she? And who are these people...? The crowd took her and they enter the village market street.
"Zhou Feng! Zhou Feng! Zhou Feng is that you?"
A young woman in light grey robes broke her way through the crowd to her, her small circular face laced with worry, she reached her and her brown eyes widen in shock.
"What happened to you? I have been looking for you the whole morning! Are you alright? and why are your clothes wet? Thank god, you are fine I was worried," the girl hugged her and Hong Liu sense come back a little as she felt the warmth, clearly, this girl was happy to see her.
"Aye! Shi Shi! do you know her?" a middle-aged man asks the girl in the grey robes.
"Yes, I know her, old Fan. She worked with me at the eatery, what happened?"
"We just pulled her from the riverside she almost drowned, it's better if you take your friend to the physician," The old Fan, the village baker said. Hong Liu was now completely back to her senses trying to remember what the last thing she did as the girl name Shi Shi who apparently knows her pulled away from the crowd but then they all have stopped in the middle of the street as the guards on street announced.
"The Royal Cartridge is coming this way!"
Hong Liu moaned in pain as her back ached, but it also helps her get her full senses back she breathe and look around the crowded street now, she blinked still leaning on Shi Shi.
"Why this cartridge has to come now?" Shi Shi huffed. Hong Liu took her surrounding in and her lips parted in shock, she looks at hands that were caked with mud and touches her face she flinches realizing it hurts move her hand, there was a gash on the back of her hand, she was bleeding and she blinked seeing that such small injury didn't heal itself faster, she clutches and unclutches it to make sure of it. Her heart skipped a beat in anxiety as she realizes, she is in a mortal body. It's not her original one. She bent down and gasp in shock.
"Are you alright? Zhou Feng just holds on for a few minutes, let the Royal carriage pass," Shi Shi rubbed her shoulder.
She must be a good friend to this girl she seems to be inhabiting the body of, Zhou Feng? She said, didn't she? Hong Liu thought.
"It's fine, I just...I just feel a little cold," Hong Liu wrapped her arms around her, shuttering. Shi Shi gave defeated sigh at her friend's misfortune.
The carriage comes to their view and almost passed them that it stopped.
The stone-cold black eyes of the man in the carriage noticed the bent white figure in the crowd from the carriage small curtained window, the young woman was shivering and her wet hairs covered her face, the man can't be sure why but that made him order the carriage to stop. His general coming close to the carriage step and asked.
"What is it, your majesty?" The general inquired bowing.
"Look, what happened to the girl over there?" The Emperor's big lean hand pointed towards the girl in white, his cool voice was commanding.
"As you wish your majesty," General Yang bowed and look for the girl his king was asking for, his eyes landed on her then to her friend.
"What happened to her?" He asked Shi Shi. Shi Shi for a second was shoked a little by being address by General Yang, he is so handsome. Shi Shi blinked and shook herself from her trance, her Best Friend almost died.
"She is my friend, she fell in the river I am taking her to see the physician, It would be really kind of you if you move the carriage little further," Shi Shi said the last part was little accusing.
How dare she? General Yang thought but then let it be, she must be worried about her friend. He went report to his king, the Emperor nodded and picked the heavy blue robe that was laid down beside him handing to General Yang and waved his hand.
General Yang bowed to his silent command and gave to Shi Shi who immediately wrapped it around Zhou Feng.
"This is Captain Guo, he will escort you and your friend safely to the physician," General Yang introduces them to his junior. Captain Guo nodded in greeting.
"Thank you, its kind of you," Shi Shi nodded.
"Say thanks to the Emperor," General Yang walked away as Captain Guo helped the two ladies to the physician.
Shi Shi can't help but squeal inside as she tightens the blue royal robe around her friend.
"Emperor Zhong was in the carriage, he even gave you his royal robe! You are so lucky!"
Hong Liu blinked to Shi Shi frowning at her exciting brown eyes, sometimes mortal is so strange. Her friend almost died, Hong Liu thought and tighten the robe around her breathing in, the robe had the familiar scent of sandalwood that soothe Hong Liu nerves immediately.