It was lovely. Flowers of various colors bloomed around the valley; huge plants swayed to the rhythm of the wind as if they were dancing. Bright sunlight shone through the large branches and several small children played in the field. They were all dressed in silken, fine clothes and had long, iridescent hair. "Hua Ming!" They called out to their friend who was lying free under a nearby tree.
"Ah-Ming come and play with us," said a little girl, slowly running up to him.
"I'm sleepy." Sitting down, Hua Ming said with a sigh. His eyes were very beautiful. It looked like a rainbow in his eyes. "You're always sleepy. Come and play." The girl nodded.
"I don't have time to play." Hua Ming said as he stood up and dusted off his cloak. "I need to practice."
The girl looked for a while at her younger brother who was walking away with his back turned. "Ah-Ming, you don't have to work so hard, you know?" she said. With a smiling face, Hua Ming turned back and waved his hand at her.
"I must work hard." He said. "I will definitely become a mountain god, then no one can trouble our clan, right Jie Jie?"
Having said that, he left.
A little smile appeared on the girl's face. "Becoming a mountain god isn't easy you know?" She muttered as she watched her little brother walk away. As the other children spoke to her again, she got out of her thoughts and went out to play again. Hua Ming, on the other hand, started his training.
"Hua hua, why don't you go and play a little?" said his mother, bringing him something to drink. She had long light purple hair and long eyelashes. Hua Ming thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world. "I have a duty as the prince." Seeing Hua Ming say that with a serious face, she smiled. He was still only seven years old, but he was already working very hard.
"My son, you still have time. And do you know that whether you are a mountain god or not, you are still our son?" She said ruffling his hair. "I want to be like Lord Cheng Xin." He said jumping into her lap and leaning his head against her body.
"Lord Cheng Xin?"
"Mm-hmm... I want to become a skilled mountain god, like Lord Cheng Xin. Then I can protect our clan, right Mother?" he asked.
His mother just smiled and shook her head. It's no secret that the seven-colored peacock clan falls prey to hunters as well as other demons. It was a fact spread all over the world that their blood contributes to the polishing of spiritual energy. They lived all this time on the run, more concerned with defense than attack.
"You know, Mother," said Hua Ming, bringing her back to her senses. "Lord Cheng Xin started training when he was four years old."
His mother pretended not to know. "Oh, is that so?"
"Mmm hmm!" Hua Ming said, shaking his head up and down rapidly like a doll. "Since Lord Cheng Xin is no more, I am going to take over his job."
"Mm, Mom," Hua Ming asked, looking off into the distance. "Fire somewhere?"
Black smoke was rising from the field. In a few moments, there were ear-piercing screams and the peacock guards rushed toward Hua Ming and his mother. "What's going on!" she asked in alarm.
"It is Phoenix Clan, we are being attacked! Queen, please hide."
"Jie Jie," Hua Ming shouted. "Jie Jie was over there! Mother Jie Jie!"
The Peacock Queen stared at Hua Ming with wide eyes. "Ziyu, is there?" Her body was melancholic as if the blood had drained. "Gaurd Ji!" she screamed.
"Please take care of the prince,"
"Mom! No, don't go!" Hua Ming shouted, pulling her hand. "Do not go!"
He was so weak that all he could do was scream and watch as the guard dragged him away. "Mommy, Daddy, Jie Jie!"
Flames roared across the valley. The King of the Phoenix Clan led his army forward, destroying everything in sight. The Peacock King Hua Zi Jin stood before, protecting his clan. He was completely the elder form of Hua Ming. His Rainbow Barrier was gathering like a kaleidoscope of light. "Take children and run!" He shouted to the crowd gathering behind him.
"We are not leaving you, our king!" They shouted in unison, making way for the women and children to escape.
"Xiao He!" Zi Jing shouted at the Phoenix King. "Do you want to go this far? Aren't you already stronger than all of them!"
The Phoenix King unleashed another powerful fire attack, and the barrier was shaken from its foundation.
"Run!" Zi Jing shouted.
"I won't leave you!" The Peacock Queen said, transferring spiritual energy to him. Her power, a brilliant purple color, flowed into her king, strengthening the legendary barrier that shone around them.
But the Phoenix Clan's attacks were as relentless and terrifying as the tidal waves. Xiao He, the Phoenix King, a man with molten gold feather armor and eyes like flames, his laughter echoed with cruel happiness. "Your precious barrier won't last!"
A flame of blood, hotter and more concentrated than any before, tore through the air. It hit the rainbow barrier, and it lit up for a moment. Zhi Nuo, the peacock queen, gasped.
"Don't worry," Zi Jing said, his voice surprisingly steady despite the hell around them. His hand reached out to wipe away a pearly tear rolling down her cheek.
Fate seemed to have its own signs. A particularly ferocious phoenix soldier fell with a shriek that tore through the din. When he hit the barrier and exploded himself, it left a small, but significant dent on the Rainbow Barrier. In a heartbeat, Xiao He seized the opportunity. A fire spear ignited in his hand, fueled by his own hateful ecstasy. He threw it with a thud, not at Zi Jing, but undoubtedly at Zhi Nuo.
Zi Jing's eyes widened. As he watched in painful slow motion, time seemed to slow: the fiery spear creeping toward his wife, the flash of surprise on her face, the realization too late.
With a scream that ripped raw from his throat, Zi Jing lunged forward in a desperate attempt to protect Zhi Nuo. But it was in vain. The spear pierced through her heart and exploded causing a huge explosion. Zhi Nuo's life was snuffed out in a single, brutal moment. The Rainbow Barrier crumbled, and Zi Jing silently fell to his knees as the Phoenix Community launched its invasion.
"It is finished, Your Majesty!" Xiao Hai's deep voice sounded from behind him.
As it did, Hua Ming reluctantly ran away with Guard Jin. Hot and salty tears continued to fall from his eyes, blurring the already horrific scene behind him.
At the same time, Jin, his faithful protector, collapsed at the foot of the giant oak, a red liquid seeping through his armor. His once vibrant beautiful feathers are now scattered around him like fallen petals. Hua Ming could hear the loud laughter of the Phoenix soldiers. Their voices were full of cruelty.
"Please, stop!" A cry from his mouth, a wounded sound, tore through the forest. Help! Someone Help! A desperate plea for someone, anyone to hear. But the forest was silent, its usual symphony of dry leaves replaced by the cool silence of death.
He felt a cold, yet familiar touch. "Ming," Hua Ziyu stayed by his side. Her voice was tired, and each word seemed to be said with difficulty.
"Ji-Jie Jie!" Hua Ming choked, his voice breaking. "Jie Jie!"
Hua Ziyu slowly squeezed his wrist. "It's all right," she said, cradling Ming's head to her chest. "Ah Ming, you should run," she whispered. "This forest knows you, it hides you."
"You expect me to leave you?!" Ming screamed in pain.
"Little fool," she muttered, smiling awkwardly and ruffling Hua Ming's hair. "You'll be a mountain god, won't you? I'll always be here watching." She said, running her fingers over where Hua Ming's heart was.
"Zi...Ziyu, Jie Jie! What's wrong?"
A gasp escaped her lips as her once-strength posture collapsed and she stumbled. It was then that Hua Ming noticed the large crimson stain on her chest. Hua Ming caught her weight before she completely fell to the ground. The chill on her warm body sent a new wave of fear through him.
The sound of the Phoenix soldiers could be heard nearby. "Don't leave me, Jie Jie!" Hua Ming shouted, blurring his vision.
A faint smile touched her lips, beautiful even in pain. The color in her emerald purple eyes was slowly fading. "Promise… that you'll live…. Please be… the best mountain… god."
She pushed him away. An amazing energy flashed in her fading form. Covered in a purple glow brighter than any phoenix flame, her form became a shimmering purple, swaying peacock figure. She, like her mother, was a purple peacock.
"Run! Ming…" Her last words echoed through the forest. As the phoenix soldiers withered away in her purple fire, it covered the entire province like a blanket.
Hua Ming rushed away with clenched hands. He could not allow their sacrifice to be in vain. The price of his life was the lives of his entire clan. "Run!" He screamed at his feet. He ran forward as the tears floated in the wind. "I will revenge," his small fist clenched. "I will get revenge!"
Breathing fast, Hua Ming woke up drenched in sweat. He ran, he didn't remember how long. Covering his head with an old rag, he wandered every street looking for food. There were times when he had to eat even small beetles in the forest when there was no food. He shrank as his stomach screamed for food. Every night for five years, the dream terrified him even more. "Ah, damn it." He whispered, hugging his stomach with his own hands.
"You… Hua Ming?" Someone spoke, and Hua Ming flashed with fear. Could they be the Phoenix Clan? Are they here to catch him? "You look hungry, would you like some?" said the other man, handing him a bag full of baozi. Hua Ming did not dare to look up, and no matter how much he wanted to accept the food, he was filled with doubt.
"They're perfectly fine." The other person said, taking one and eating it as if to clear Hua Ming's suspicions.
Hua Ming slowly raised his head. The person had bright golden eyes and golden hair mixed with yellow. Hua Ming timidly accepted the meal as he did not look like a fierce man even tho he was dressed in luxurious clothes. "Eat slowly," said the other man, offering water to Hua Ming, who was quickly gulping it down. "I have a job for you, are you interested?"
Hua Ming shook his head as he stuffed the food into his mouth. "Oh, then it's simple." Said the kind person. "I have a new life for you, Hua Ming. But I need your help. I'll tell you about that later."
Hua Ming, who was extremely hungry, did not question. "Well, you should change your name starting today because you seem to like it." The man said, smiling at Ming who was quickly swallowing the Baozi. "You are no longer Hua Ming. You are the Third Young Master of the Shen Family of Yuxu from today, Shen Ming!"
Three years later in Yuxu,
"Young master Ming!" The servant shouted in panic. Shen Ming, who was concentrating on his painting, was startled by it. "What?!" He shouted angrily, giving a death glare to the brush stroke that dragged across the painting.
"Someone wants to see you," the servant said. "You must go to the pavilion in the flower garden."
"What am I going for?" Shen Ming huffed angrily. "If they want to see me, tell them to come here!" He yelled at the innocent servant in an angry voice. The servant smiled awkwardly and tried to control Shen Ming's anger. "That person said you promised to help them."
"I didn't make any promises to anyone! Why did I-" He stopped as if frozen. "Did he have golden hair?"
"Um no, that's a woman."
Shen Ming said "....?"
Abandoning his pride, he hurriedly walked to the pavilion, blowing fumes in anger. "I only promised that man—who is this woman," he muttered to himself. When he went there, a tall woman was sitting on a bench enjoying tea. She had long silky black hair and hazel eyes. Dressed in bright green, she smiled at Shen Ming. "Here you are," she said with a smile.
For some reason, she seemed to have Shen Ming's form. Black hair and brown eyes were what he used to hide his true self.
"Who are you?" he asked, moving closer to her. "I'm here to ask you for a favor," she said, pouring the tea. "I don't remember promising you. I don't know you." Shen Ming said anxiously. The woman looked at him for a while. She seemed to be supervising him. "I thought you liked Baozi, so I brought some." She said placing a smoking wooden box on the table.
"You-?!"
Her eyes glowed gold for just a few moments before it faded. "Are you a woman? I thought—"
"This is a disguise. You see my true form draws a lot of attention." She said, praising herself.
'This is even more,' Shen Ming stopped those words being said awkwardly as he looked at her large chest.
"So what is it?" Shen Ming asked as he took a seat.
"First…" she asked, offering him a cup of tea. "How is your life?"
Shen Ming stared at the teacup for a while and drank it in one gulp. "Get straight to the point." He said.
"Tch, kids are so mean these days." She snorted. "What do you think about becoming a cultivator?"
Shen Ming's second cup of tea went out of his throat. "A meditator!" he shouted. "Are you kidding... Knowing who I am?"
"Don't shout so loud." She said covering her ears with her hands. "I've sealed away most of your power, so don't worry about getting caught."
"Even so, I can't do it!"
"You promised, did you forget?" The woman's voice was firm and direct.
"But why do I have to be a meditator?!" Shen Ming asked.
She looked at Shen Ming with shining eyes while listening to the chirping of the birds. "You don't have to be a meditator. I only want you to enter the Wen sect."
Shen Ming ".....?"
"I know it's a powerful Anti-Demon Sect. I just want you to find someone and protect that person."
"What kind of person needs the protection of a demon? It's like you're asking me to kill myself!" Shen Ming growled in a low voice. "I don't want to die, you understand?"
"Find him and become his spirit beast. Hua Ming, trust me… once you're attached to him, he will protect you with his life."
"You are asking too much. Even tho I find him and protect him, I won't become his spirit beast. I, the last seven-color peacock... I am not a toy."
The woman smiled. "You definitely will do it," she said softly. "In your dreams!" Shen Ming snorted.
"Now whatever, since I promised to help, I will pay back what I owe to you. So who is this person?"
The woman took another sip of tea in silence. "You'll know when you get there."
Shen Ming "...???"
"At least tell me who he is. Are you playing with me?" Shen Ming huffed angrily, slamming down on the table. The woman stood up after finishing her cup of tea. "I have already made all arrangements for you. Please do well in the exams."
Having said that, she stepped out of the pavilion. "Wait!" Shen Ming said. "Who in the world are you? Why are you helping me? What do you really want to do?"
The woman answered without looking at him. "I'm someone who works to right the wrongs of the past." She said in a cold, emotionless voice. "Remember, once you find him, protect him with all you have. He in return will protect you with all he has."
She said that and continued walking.
"That's how I raised him,"