“Lian-er! What are you doing? The crown prince has finally come back from defeating the Mo’s army!” A spirited young girl dressed in bright pinks and reds hurriedly ran to the banks of a pond. She-- with her lovable expression and distinct flowery fragrance-- could only have been Mei-er, the plum blossom spirit who had always accompanied Lian hua, heaven’s lotus fairy.
“Mei-er, why should I go if I would only end up becoming like those love-stricken goddesses and fairies whom were seduced by a mere glance of his Majesty, the oh-so-perfect crown prince?”
Lian Hua was a lotus fairy who always wore dresses of white and light pink. However, despite having such an innocent appearance, her usual temperament and manners often betrayed the impression that her looks gave her. She sat up and went back to her pond, deciding to go back to cultivating after Mei-er had finally given up on persuading Lian Hua after seeing Lian Hua’s bored deadpan face. Lian Hua was a spirit that had recently ascended to heaven after cultivating for a few hundred years in an isolated lake. When she first ascended, she had been very shocked. She was formerly a lotus who could only sense the bare necessities of life: water, sunlight, and pain. Yet, when she became the lotus fairy, she could take on human form and consequently, had the ability to feel complex emotions.
Lian Hua sat in the lotus position, absorbing Heaven’s spiritual energy and distributing it with the use of her 6 meridians. Cultivating had been a slow process when she was a still a regular lotus flower, but when she was able to take on human form, she had found it to be easier than ever. She had obtained a celestial immortal body now, and had no other desire except to live her life peacefully in Heaven.
…
*Rustle rustle*
Lian Hua paused in her cultivation and stood up, looking towards the vermilion maple forest nearby. She thought that she had heard someone approaching, perhaps it was a young fairy who wished to greet her but was too shy to make the first move.
“Little brother or sister, it’s alright to come out! I promise I won’t bite.”
Unfortunately, whoever was hiding from Lian Hua in the sea of maple trees did not wish to make an appearance. Lian Hua waited for a bit before deciding that her little guest had left and resumed with her cultivation. She once again sat down in the lotus position and took in the spiritual energy of Heaven along with the moon’s yin essence. If one were to look upon her current image, they would be stunned by the utter beauty of her serene figure that shined in the moonlight. Her light garments made her out to be the epitome of a pristine and pure being, they were loose and drifted around her on top of the pond’s clear waters. The moon’s illumination gave her appearance an ethereal feeling and simultaneously served to enhance her gorgeous visage. The young man hiding within the sea of maple stared at the scene with interest. He had been taking a walk through one of his favorite places in Heaven, seeking refuge from the noisy banter of the city. This young man had spent years on the frontlines, fighting to eliminate the evils that were threatening his kingdom and wanted nothing less but to seek the peace and quiet of the solemn maple forest. Never did he imagine that he would be able to witness a scene of what seemed to be the Bodhisattva’s reincarnation on Heaven. The woman’s image lingered in his mind for a while before disappearing.
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…
In the Celestrial Emperor’s Outer Court, a dashing gentleman clothed in embroidered silver robes knelt on his right knee and proceeded to give a formal greeting to the yellow clothed man standing imposingly in front of him.
“Rise, rise! The crown prince is filial and has made us proud of his accomplishments.”
“This official-son thanks father-emperor. If father-emperor has no other requests, this official-son shall request temporary leave from military affairs for a few days.”
“Alright, there aren’t any pressing issues at the moment. You must be tired after all the cleaning up you did at the border. By the way, have you met anyone who has caught your eye yet?”
Lin Fang hesitated for a moment, but recovered quick enough before his father—along with the other court officials in the room—noticed. “Father-emperor, this official son has been away for many years and did not have the time to spare for other matters. This official-son apologizes for disappointing father-emperor.”
The emperor, Lin Zhang Wei, sighed. Although he had plenty of other capable sons who could also do a fair job of governing the country in the future, none of them were as outstanding as the one before him. Lin Fang was birthed from the late empress and had held the emperor’s favor from birth. Lin Fang had spent many years guarding the border between the Heavenly Kingdom and the Unholy lands, on the battlefield one’s heart would be hardened and tempered. This resulted in Lin Fang’s apathetic attitude towards women and the lack of an heir. The emperor wished to retire soon and Lin Fang’s heir-less situation would become a problem if something were to happen. He decided to put the matter aside for now, “Go rest, we wish for you to choose a suitable consort soon.”
“…Yes, father-emperor.”
Lin Fang left the Outer Court in a state of slight distress. Although he didn’t dislike women, he didn’t particularly like them either. They either always cried or always complained, annoying him to death. However, there was that one woman. The woman he saw the night before seemed different. Her unique temperament, alongside her unrivalled beauty, caught his interest. Lin Fang had originally forgotten about her, but thought of her once more when his father had asked about his love life. The corners of Lin Fang’s lips curved up. She… should be there again, tonight right?