The next morning, Fu Shui Jin and Fai Zhen reached the Huo Palace. Fire Lord, Mofeng, and his son, Daisung greeted them. "Yue is still getting dressed. Please follow me this way," said Fire Lord when Ying Yue came running there.
"Father, I am ready." Ying Yue said and then ran towards him. Fai Zhen and Daisung smiled at Yue's excitement while Mofeng appeared a bit concerned. Dongmei, Yue's mother, was also walking behind her when Ying Yue started to run. "Yue, do not run. You might injure yourself," Lady Huo said in her soft tone.
Bao Li ran after her Miss to stop her from running through the stairs. But Ying Yue didn't pay any heed to them. She stopped when she reached nearby the Fire Lord, Mofeng. She greeted Shui Jin with a "Hi" when Daisung asked her to behave. She nodded and gave a formal greeting to Fai Zhen and Young Lord Fu.
Dongmei stood beside her husband and asked Ying Yue to take proper care of herself. "Do not worry, mother." Ying Yue assured her. Dongmei caressed her head and then hugged her. "I still do not know how you will be able to live there. Decide again, Yue. There is no compulsion on you from our end," stated Lady Huo.
"Mom- mother, we have already talked about this at night. Trust your daughter, okay." Ying Yue said and pulled away. Dongmei kept caressing her head when Fire Lord said, "Why do we not talk inside?"
"Fire Lord, we would love to halt here and take some rest here but the journey is quite long and we have to reach there within two days." Fai Zhen asserted. Mofeng nodded. "Yue, Let's go then," said Fire Lord politely. They all came outside the palace where a horse carriage was present.
"Can I use the horse instead?" Ying Yue murmured which reached the ears of her brother, Daisung.
"What? Yue, you do not know how to ride a horse. Get into the cart and Bao Li will be with you. I shall be going along with you," stated Daisung.
"What an annoying elder brother!" Ying Yue thought and made a face. Fire Lord and Lady Huo were talking with the Jin brothers when Daisung gestured to Ying Yue to get into the horse carriage. Ying Yue nodded and stepped inside the carriage.
"Young Lord Fu, Yue is your responsibility. Never once have I let her away from my eyes so please protect her in every situation," said the Fire Lord.
"Fire Lord, Miss Yue will be alright so you do not need to worry. My elder brother will be going as well, therefore her safety is well assured. Please, do not worry," asserted Shui Jin. Fai Zhen too assured them. After talking for a while, they climbed on their respective horses while some ten-foot soldiers followed them.
"Bao Li, take care of Ying Yue," Dongmei said with teary eyes.
Bao Li slightly bowed her head. "Lady Huo, do not worry. I will take care of Miss Yue." The cart started moving, Bao Li too followed it. Inside the cart, Ying Yue felt very excited. She opened the book which Shui Jin gave her the other day. "Let's see what is inside of this book?" Yue murmured.
As she opened the book she saw figures: some of them depicted images resembling meditation; some of them depicted martial arts and hand to hand combat; while some depicted the art of music along with the pictures of musicians. Ying Yue kept flipping through the pages of the book. "I don't get a single thing that's here. What strange book Fufu has given me?" Ying Yue murmured while looking at the difficult written texts which she was not able to interpret.
Her eyes started to feel heavy and soon enough got into deep sleep. Daisung was beside Ying Yue's horse cart while Fai Zhen and young lord Fu were way ahead of them.
"Fu Shui Jin, what do you think? You have brought Miss Yue out of her palace but are you certain that she can master the arts of cultivation? I observed her during the duel with you and as far as I could tell, she is not made for the cultivation," said Fai Zhen.
"Elder brother, I do think she has the ability. Indeed she failed to show that in the duel but I am certain that with proper guidance and training she can master it," asserted Shui Jin.
"She is the only key to uplift this 'cicatrix of the death' curse. Are you also planning to stay in the academy? I do not think it will be appropriate for you to stay there. Many questions will be raised on you and Miss Yue if you are to be around her all the time," opined Fai Zhen.
"Elder brother, I am not planning to stay there. She is the Fire spirit and being around her will raise many suspicions. I shall not do any such mistake which can potentially endanger her life," stated Shui Jin.
Fai Zhen turned his face to Shui Jin. "You are going through all this trouble just for the sake of removing this scar. I am assuming that no other feelings are associated with it". Fai Zhen inquired.
"What are you indicating, elder brother?" Shui Jin asked.
Fai Zhen averted his gaze. "I mean you are marrying Miss Yue just to remove this scar? Do you not like her?" Fai Zhen questioned.
"Why would I like her?" Shui Jin asked and looked at his elder brother.
"Shui Jin, I think that it is for the best that Miss Yue insisted on not getting married. Over time you will learn these things, gradually," said Fai Zhen. Shui Jin nodded and they continued their journey.
~~~~~~~~~~~
In the night they stayed in a village which falls nearby Mt. Lunebase. They took shelter in a rest house there. As Bao Li opened the door of the cart, she found out that her Miss was sleeping peacefully. "Miss Yue, please wake up. We are in Shandon village", Bao Li shook Ying Yue softly. Ying Yue rubbed off her eyes before opening them.
"We have arrived?" Ying Yue asked.
"No, Miss Yue. We are in the village of Shandon. We will stay in the rest house today." Stated Bao Li. Ying Yue nodded and then got off the cart with Bao Li. After she stepped out of the cart she saw the cheerful ambience of the Rest House. "Whoa, it is like a historical drama!" Ying Yue murmured, looking around.
"Historical, what?" Daisung asked.
"Nothing brother. This place is indeed beautiful," Ying Yue said with a smile.
"This is your first time coming here, that's why," stated Daisung.
"Let's go in, Miss Yue, Young Dai," said Fai Zhen. Ying Yue nodded and stepped inside the rest house. "It is like a hotel. Just that in my era, people have advanced," thought Ying Yue while looking around when Shui Jin came near her.
"Miss Yue, you must be hungry. Let us have our meal before we head up to our designated chambers," said Shui Jin politely.
"Yes, I am hungry. What will we order then?" Ying Yue asked.
"Yue, you do not order. Go over that table with Bao Li. We are coming," said Daisung. Ying Yue nodded and left with Bao Li to the table. After a while the trio came there and took their respective seats around the table.
"What is this Mount Lunebase? Since I am going there, I should have been aware of those people and their things. Am I right?" Ying Yue asked curiously.
"Our meals will take time to prepare. Till then I can answer Miss Yue's queries," stated Fai Zhen. Ying Yue smiled and got attentive to listen to Fai Zhen. Fai Zhen started explaining about Mount Lunebase and the sect which resides there.
"Miss Yue, In Mount Lunebase resides the just cultivation Taiyi Sect. The Emerald Green color of Taiyi Sect symbolizes balance and harmony. Not only has that it represented the tranquillity and calmness of its Sect people. For many years, The Taiyi Sect is known for its cultivation training in the earth realm and constitutes the biggest cultivation academy which taught almost 10000- 12000 disciples.
The snowy peaks of Mt. Lunebase made its sect people reside downhill while the training academy is situated uphill which provides the perfect ground for the training. Its Sect leader, Rui Hongchang is said to have practiced more than 600 years to achieve immortality which can depict how difficult it is to be a true cultivator.
At the young age of 10, when he left his house to be a cultivator he found his master in the hills of Mt. Lunebase, which is why he decided to stay there. By maintaining a good discipline all his life he was able to achieve immortality through 600 years of hard work and now is training for achieving the Golden Core State which will open his path to the celestial realm." Fai Zhen rested his words after the last sentence.
"Immortal? Celestial Realm?" Ying Yue murmured.
"Miss Yue, you do not need to think about all this for now. Once you will undergo the training, you will gradually and eventually learn everything that confuses you at this point," asserted Fu Shui. Fai Zhen and Young Dai agreed with him. Soon enough their meals were ready and were served to them.
"Yue, eat. Then take a good rest," said Daisung, giving her the wooden chopsticks. Ying Yue smiled and thanked him.