Churan sat anxiously by Mimi's bedside, her heart heavy with concern. She had hoped that the injuries were minor, but as she observed Mimi's condition, a pang of guilt shot through her. "There's no need to act like grown-ups," she thought. "You should just stay this little silly girl. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you like I promised."
Churan called her maid, instructing her to fetch her as soon as Mimi showed any sign of waking up. With a final glance at Mimi, she left the room, deep in thought.
Churan emerged from the room and made her way to Aunt Mo's quarters. "Don't worry about Lexin," she assured her. "He wasn't badly hurt."
Aunt Mo asked, "What about Mimi?"
"Luckily, Eugene took care of her quickly, so the injuries weren't severe. Mimi should be waking up soon," Churan explained, forcing a reassuring smile. "So, please don't worry."
Nana, who was present, chimed in. "You seem quite skilled in fighting. It's hard to believe you've learned all those skills in such a short time."
Aunt Mo looked at Churan with a worried expression. "Are you sure you're alright? You didn't get hurt, did you?"
Churan reassured Aunt Mo, "Don't worry. I'm perfectly fine. Please focus on your own health, as well as Lexin's. I should be going now."
As Churan prepared to leave, she found herself face to face with Nano. The maid looked worried; her voice tinged with urgency.
"Miss," Nano said, her tone grave. "I have something very important to tell you, but it's not good news."
Churan clutched her heart in a melodramatic display of exaggerated shock. "Is there anything worse than what happened today?" she exclaimed. "Can't you give me some good news for a change?"
Nano's expression remained solemn. "Unfortunately, there's no good news this time," she replied, her voice grave. "The king has issued an order, requesting the attendance of the four individuals involved in the accident at the palace. The guards are waiting outside, ready to escort you."
Churan's face turned serious, her features hardening with a mixture of determination and anger. "I see," she said curtly, her eyes fixed on Nano.
There we go, thought Churan, our first meeting will happen in this way
Churan said, her voice firm. "Lead the way."
Nano nodded and led the way, walking in front of Churan, guiding her through the place corridors. The sound of their footsteps echoed through the halls, the air heavy with anticipation and uncertainty about the impending meeting with the king.
As the four individuals arrived at the king's presence, they bowed in respect. Important politicians, generals, and even the royal family filled the room, witnessing the unfolding scene.
Churan maintained a pleasant, cute facade, concealing her true emotions. The king stood before them, his gaze sweeping across the crowd.
"So, let's see who you are," the king began. "Ziyi and Lingjie are among the city's finest generals, Minghao is from one of the most esteemed families in traditional medicine...and what about you?"
Churan stepped forward confidently. "I am Zhuo Churan"
This was her first time knowing more about Minghao, she knew the king wasn't an easy one.
The king chuckled heartily upon hearing her name. "Ah, so you're the sickly daughter of the Zhuo family, aren't you? It seems you've got quite the fighting skills! Are you thinking of becoming a general too? Or perhaps a soldier? Your father would be truly proud to see you now."
The room filled with a mix of hushed whispers and curious glances as the king's words hung in the air. Churan, ever composed, replied with a polite smile.
Churan responded calmly, her voice steady. "Your Majesty, I must clarify that I am still inexperienced and far from the level of a general or soldier. It was my companions who handled the situation with the criminals.
The king fell silent for a moment, contemplating her words. Then he asked, "I've heard that the criminals targeted you specifically. This wasn't the first time you've encountered them, was it?"
Churan met his gaze, her expression turning somber.
As the king's words hung in the air, Minghao stepped forward bravely, bowing in respect. "King, she had no involvement in any of this. The bad guys attempted to harm me, and as a friend, she tried to help."
The king's expression darkened as he responded in a stern tone, "If that occurred, you should have informed the royal palace. Interfering with such individuals is perilous and forbidden. You must exercise caution and remain in your own world. Why did you venture into the forest knowing the risk, and alone, no less?!"
Churan stood silently, her thoughts racing. She internally acknowledged the king's true colors, revealing their concern for their own benefit. Meanwhile, Minghao, ever the diplomat, interjected, attempting to explain. "Your Majesty, we were only seeking medicinal ingredients."
The king looked at Minghao, his expression stern. "Medicinal ingredients? In the depths of a dangerous forest? Don't you have more secure and reliable sources for such items?"
A handsome, almost angelic figure rose to speak, addressing the king as 'father'. "I should have met Minghao that day, but unforeseen events prevented me from doing so. We sought medicinal herbs, which we discovered grew in that location. It was my mistake."
Churan, caught off guard, observed him with a mix of surprise and curiosity. She tried to conceal her reaction, but her widened eyes betrayed her intrigue. When their gazes locked in a moment, she quickly averted her gaze, looking down at the ground. It became clear that he was the prince, and Churan's thoughts raced, trying to decipher something familiar about him.
Churan watched as the king responded to his son's. "I forgive them, but I will be keeping close watch over you both," he said, his tone stern.
Just as they were preparing to leave, a servant rushed in, shouting urgently. "King, it seems that the people of the city of Ho have turned traitor! They are plotting something nefarious, and if not stopped, they will destroy the city and all surrounding cities with their witchcraft!"
The king's expression darkened as he questioned the servant, "What exactly happened?"
The servant's voice trembled with anxiety as he replied, "We received information from our informant who was with the generals. It appears that the reports of corruption among the rulers in the city of Ho were a deception. It was a trap set to capture hostages, and our informant managed to escape to tell us this. It seems that witches are involved in this. They have taken control of the minds of the rulers, capturing the entire city!"
The room fell into a tense silence, the implications of the servant's words sinking in. Churan's mind raced as she tried to process the information. She couldn't help but feel a sense of dread as she realized the gravity of the situation to everyone around.
The king's face was creased with worry, and then Ziyi spoke up in a firm voice, "King, please allow me and my soldiers to go. We will ensure the safety of everyone involved; I assure you."
Lingjie added determinedly, "I will also accompany my soldiers."
Haoran, the prince, spoke next, "Father, you can rely on me to go with them and guide the army."
Minghao chimed in, a hint of uncertainty in his voice, "Although I may lack experience, I will also go to provide medical assistance."
The king listened to their fervent pleading, his expression softening slightly. "There is no need for such zeal under typical circumstances, but if you are so adamant, each one of you may take a few companions."
(Damn, why are they all acting so recklessly? Are they all insane? Fortunately, I'm not bound to follow suit. I don't need to go with them, so it doesn't matter.)
Churan couldn't help but feel a pang of envy mixed with disbelief as she witnessed the determination in the eyes of the young individuals. It seemed like they were ready to risk their lives for a cause they believed in, while she stood there, feeling detached and unconnected.
"So you are, chu? xuyi? Ahh Churan! go with them"
Churan was caught off guard by the king's command, her eyes widening in surprise. "Me? Why me?" she protested, her voice a mixture of confusion and protest. "I'm still young and unwell, why should I have to go?"
The king looked at her earnestly, his eyes fixed on her. "Your family is in danger, along with the future king Haoran. Don't you care about them?"
Churan bristled at the king's words. (Damn, why should I even care? Am I a babysitter or what?)
Before she could object further, however, she was abruptly pulled back by Minghao and Lingjie, who had grabbed her just as she was trying to flee and pout about the situation.
Frustrated, she twisted and struggled to break free from their grip, but their hold on her was firm. Churan cast a glare at them, her eyes a mix of annoyance and resignation. "Let me go!" she protested; her voice edged with irritation.
Due to the tense situation, they had to pack up and leave immediately, with time being of the essence. Though Ho City wasn't far, they would reach it quickly if they rushed. They mounted their horses and packed their belongings, unsure of when they might return or if they would return safely.
Churan dressed in black attire with a red line in the middle, her long black hair pulled back, leaving her bangs framing her face.
Ready to depart, a man's voice halted her. It was Lexin, coming to bid her farewell. He spoke with a tinge of sadness, saying, "Mimi woke up. I thought you'd like to know..."
Churan looked at Lexin, a warm smile curving her lips. "After I'm gone, stop loving things that are far away, like the moon. You can start loving things closer, very close, right by your side," she said gently.
He responded with a sad smile, "After you're gone, the person I love won't be around."
"Whenever I read a romance novel, I always wanted the main character to come back and confess 'I love you'," she shared. "But we're not the main characters, and this isn't a romantic novel. It's not anyone's fault. We're not meant for each other. You'll stop loving me soon, don't worry. When you realize there's someone wonderful by your side, please keep Mimi's feelings in your heart," Churan continued.
"I will pray for you, to return safely, and then drink wine for you" Lexin said, his voice tinged with concern.
"You should drink wine for someone else instead of me," she replied with a small smile.
Lexin responded seriously, "but she's good at drinking wine, I'll drink wine for you, and she'll drink wine for me," causing them both to laugh.
She looked at him one last time, her smile bittersweet. "I wish you happiness,"
she said, before mounting her horse and refraining from looking back.
"Don't make it look like goodbye..."
Without another glance, she rode her horse, disappearing from view, leaving Lexin behind with a heavy heart and a mixture of emotions swirling within him.
He stood there, watching her figure disappear into the distance, his mind filled with a swirl of emotions. The weight of her words and the finality of their farewell hung heavily in the air.
The words "Don't make it look like goodbye" echoed in his mind, a plea to hold onto hope and believe in her safe return. But deep down, he couldn't help but worry that this was goodbye for good
___
Upon reaching the camp situated between Hu City and the capital, they all decided to set up camp there to devise their plan. Haoran, the Crown Prince, summoned a soldier to gather information about the situation in Hu. The soldier informed them that one of the people they had sent reported that the gates of the city were open to people, but noone seemed to be leaving, and everything appeared normal, as if there was no problem.
Haoran then asked, "What about the type of magic?"
The soldier responded, "Well, we don't know...," but Churan interjected, her demeanor changing, as she spoke up: "Is there a black shadow surrounding the city? I recall seeing something resembling this." Her tone was no longer veiled, and her words seemed more upfront.
The soldier looked at the Crown Prince, who nodded to confirm her statement. "Yes, he said that there is a black cover outside the city."
Churan responded with a smile, "It must be the 'King' magic." Then, she looked at Haoran with a knowing glance.
Everyone present was taken aback by her words, and Churan quickly explained, "I was so bored that I was reading some magic books, not really learning it, just reading for fun..."
"What do you mean?"
"Alright. I read that this magic is called the king, because he controls everyone in the city, the owner of this magic sets some laws that the magic implements himself. People do things outside their will, but they don't even know it, it's like they're dead only their body moves, they eat and sleep and live like a normal person but magic controls them, we can't stop it, and if we go in maybe we will be like them"
"Is there a way to stop the magic? Doesn't that mean the magician himself must come and put a curse on us, if he doesn't, we will be normal"
"Logically, even if there is a secret to stop this magic. It would be another magic, would you do some meditation to make it disappear or what, even if I knew how I wouldn't do it I don't want to die for using magic."
Haoran:" If you have a solution, even if you use magic. I will protect you. So do it"
"This is the king's decision; you can't easily break it. Even you can't save her." ziyi Said.
(She's right, but I must say the son will look like his dad for sure, both cunning)
An intense and chaotic conversation erupted among the group, each voice vying for a chance to be heard.
"Don't you want to save your father?" Haoran protested with fervor, but a louder and more authoritative voice interjected.
"Shut up, everyone," Churan said. "If we enter, this person could control us. The informant could go and say in front of everyone, 'The Crown Prince has rebelled and become a traitor.' You know, the informant is from within the city. We lost from the start; we were deceived..."
Lingjie chimed in with agreement: "Right! They must have just decided to make him say that to us, not that he's smarter, but that he's in their hands."
Churan added her own thoughts, her voice cutting through the cacophony. "Right. So, we must not let anyone get out of there and go to the capital. Whatever happens, we must send them and tell them that we will spend this period in secret, and they must wait without sending anyone."
Haoran, caught in the midst of the heated discussion, stepped forward and issued orders to some of the guards nearby. "Go and tell the king not to send anything," he requested, his voice firm and resolute.
"Actually, this is also a trap. There is another magic called the magic of dolls, whoever enters his feet into the city will become a human puppet, aware of everything around him, hear and see, but cannot move, he moves but is trapped, if his body is cut into pieces he will not die, he will feel all that pain! It makes sense to use something like that if he really wanted to destroy the city, but instead choose something that would not harm anyone, whatever happens to those people now. They will feel nothing. But on the other hand, there is one benefit, which is that if you were a puppet, no magic would apply to you, but at the moment if we entered, any kind of magic. it will hit us."
The tension in the air thickened as Churan's words were met with a mix of surprise and concern. Haoran, however, remained resolute. "So, let's go in and try our luck. We're doing it for the country," he stated firmly.
Churan's face hardened, her jaw clenching. "I'm sorry but that's just stupid. It is courage to run away from danger, not to go inside a lion's cage and say I'm brave!"
Her voice was laced with frustration, clearly struggling to get her point across to Haoran. Despite her protests, Haoran was unwavering in his determination, his eyes blazing with a mixture of determination and a hint of recklessness.
Churan knew that Haoran was a passionate and driven individual, but this time his insistence was bordering on foolishness. She needed to find a way to make him see the risk and stupidity of what he was suggesting.
"What do you think we should do?"
The silence that followed Minghao's question was palpable, everyone grappling with the decision at hand.
"Of course we should just go back!" Churan exclaimed, her concern evident.
"We can't use magic, but they know fighting and magic! They are far ahead of us. If we enter our skill will be of no use, because there is no war inside! THERE'S SOMEONE TARGETING US" She continued, her voice filled with frustration.
Despite her impassion, Churan knew that her words were falling on deaf ears. Haoran's determination was unwavering, his decision to enter the city set in stone. She couldn't help but wonder at the enigma of his motivations. Was it a matter of misplaced kindness, or did something deeper and darker drive him to sacrifice everything?
She watched him intently, his eyes fixed on a distant point, his mind seemingly far away. Whatever the reason, Churan couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that something darker lay beneath the surface of Haoran's determination.
They stood before the imposing city gates, the weight of the situation heavy on their shoulders. The air was thick with tension as Churan voiced her last words of warning. The black shadow magic was a mystery, but the Doll magic was still a cause for concern. As they looked up at the sky, the sight of five stars arranged in a vertical line caught their attention, a harbinger of the end. Despite the ominous sign, Churan forced a smile, mentally bracing herself for what lay ahead.
As they entered the city through the gate, something was instantly amiss. The surroundings appeared normal, but the sight of the city governor greeting them sent a shiver down their spines. The governor informed them that a small palace had been allotted to them, adding yet another layer of mystery to their situation.
Once inside the palace, the group spread out, their focus centered on finding a way to solve the perplexing situation that lay before them. It was as if they were trying to piece together the puzzle pieces of an intricate puzzle, each element adding to the complexity of the problem at hand.
The palace, which should have been a place of refuge and respite, now felt like a maze they had to navigate. The group was determined to find a solution, but it seemed that every step they took only led them deeper into the labyrinth of uncertainty.
Churan felt as though her brain would explode, overwhelmed by the cacophony of voices ringing in her ears. Haoran's attempt to speak to her was swallowed up by the noise, leaving her trapped in a world of her own.
Lingjie's concerned voice cut through the chaos. "What happened to her? How can magic affect just her?"
Suddenly, Churan awakened, gasping for air. "Don't worry, I'm fine," she assured them, clutching her head. "Damn, my brain is going to explode. I warned you; we shouldn't have come in here."
Ziyi approached Churan and asked: "What happened to you? Couldn't you hear us?"
"No, it's not like that," Churan explained, her voice strained. "I could hear you talking, but that voice inside my head told me not to move or say anything. It felt like I was drowning."
Haoran approached her, concern etched on his face. "Is this the king's magic?"
Churan looked down at the ground before raising her head and spoke in a sharp tone, her words filled with urgency: "This... this is shadow magic. She told me she would come again. We need to be careful."
Churan stepped outside to catch her breath, her eyes fixed on the rainy sky.
"How fast, the clear sky turns to rain," she muttered.
Minghao joined her, commenting on her sky-watching habit. "You must love the sky so much, always looking at it."
Churan glanced at the stars before turning to him, pointing upward. "Do you see those stars? "
"Oh, there are two stars, they are very bright," Minghao observed.
Churan nodded in agreement, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Yes, you're right. Looks like this person will finally visit us soon."
Minghao, puzzled by her cryptic words, inquired: "Do you mean...?"
Churan simply chuckled, not providing an answer, leaving him bewildered as she walked away, immersed in her own thoughts.
Her cryptic words left Minghao puzzled, his mind racing to make sense of her statements. The mention of the stars and the imminent arrival of someone had ignited his curiosity, but Churan's secretive nature made him frustrated.
He stood there, watching her walk away, wondering what secrets she held and what significance the stars held in her mysterious prediction.
Meanwhile, Churan continued to gaze upward at the stars, her eyes reflecting a mix of unease and anticipation. Her thoughts were filled with unspoken secrets, her mind fixated on the impending encounter they had been expecting.
The rain continued to fall, adding an air of melancholy to the surroundings. The weight of the situation seemed to grow heavier with each passing moment, and Churan felt the responsibility of being the only one privy to the shadow magic knowledg