Bai Hua had been staying at Prince Dong Chen’s Manor for some days now. The next round of competition was drawing nearer and the sixth prince had been busy getting ready for the next contest. Xiao Lok had visited him often, keeping him company. And today she had come first thing in the morning again.

“Mr Hua, would you accompany me outside the imperial city today? There is a poppy field just beyond the south gate. And it has started blooming. I wish to paint it for elder brother. I have not given him any presents for a while now.”

When Bai Hua first saw her in the theatre house he had believed her to be frail and delicate though he knew that she was intelligent. He had observed her for the past few days and had seen that she was mischievous when Dong Chen was around but was polite to everyone else including him. But she seemed to like his company as she had been regularly visiting the manor introducing new things to him every day. And today it seemed it was painting.

“Is it for your elder brother Ran, the one whom you are so fond of?”

“Yes. He has always bought presents and gifts for me. Even the tea leaves that you had the chance to drink with me when we first met were also a gift from him.”

“Oh, he was the one who had thoughtfully got you those tea leaves,” he said serenely, and thought “the one who wants you gone.”

“He’s coming back to the kingdom soon. He had been away in another kingdom handling father’s affairs. So I must prepare him a gift before he gives me one. Please bring your zither as well. I feel that I will be more inspired by you playing while I paint.”

They took a carriage and left the manor towards the direction that she had mentioned earlier. Bai Hua alighted from the carriage while Xiao Lok was helped by her maidservant who had been travelling with them. They went up-hill followed by the manservant who was carrying all the instruments for Xiao Lok to paint.

“We’ll be able to see once we reach the top of this small slope,” she said enthusiastically.

And after she said that the meadow just below the slope appeared. It was covered with an endless sea of poppies that went on and on as far as the eye can see.

It was Xiao Lok who gasped when she saw the scenery as well. She had led Bai Hua here yet it was her whose breath was taken away by the scene.

There was even a small pavilion on the other side of the meadow. They walked towards it and settled down. Xiao Lok seemed to have come prepared as her servants had brought out small stools and tables for her. She sat down and began preparing to paint the scene that was unfolding in front of her.

The sun was slowly climbing the heavens and the shade of the red poppies flickered with the brightness of the sun. The sky was partially covered with clouds flaked across the sky like white waves over a blue sea.

Bai Hua was enjoying this experience. He sat down and pulled out his dark zither from the cloth wrapping. He strokes a few strings and started playing a tune that made one feel happy to be alive. It was a morning tune, a tune that praises the sun for not forgetting to wake up the fortunate souls from the struggles of mournful night.

Bai Hua knew that Xiao Lok would have died by now if she had not met him. So, he was actually playing the tune for her. It was an ode to her life.

Xiao Lok will never know what she was supposed to go through but the music that Bai Hua was playing soothed her, it made her heart warm. She too felt happy to be alive, to have seen this marvellous scenery today, to be breathing on this glorious day.

Xiao Lok started painting and she became so absorbed that she even didn’t hear her maidservant reminding her to eat lunch. Bai Hua already said he had eaten his fill in the morning and left to explore the field.

He wandered around the field until the pavilion was no longer in sight. He walked aimlessly and sat down under a tree. He muttered under his breath and with a ‘pop’ sound an old man in brown robes appeared with a wooden staff in his hand.

The old man looked around as if searching for his summoner quietly ignoring the presence of Bai Hua. The old man clearly couldn’t see his summoner and so he moved as if to disappear but was stopped by Bai Hua.

“Greetings, local land deity.”

The old man turned swiftly towards Bai Hua and pointed at himself and asked, “You can see me, mortal?”

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“Ah, I am not a mortal.”

“An immortal, then? Say, did you see anyone else here?” the old man asked suspiciously.

“No, I did not see anyone else. I was also quite surprised when you appeared out of nowhere.”

“Strange, I definitely felt someone summoning me. I am sure it was a higher god,” the old man muttered to himself. He thought deeply for a moment and said, “Wait a moment, how did you know that I was a local land deity? You’re just an immortal. You shouldn’t be able to identify a god if I don’t release my aura.”

“Ah, but you did. Your aura is surrounding you even now.”

“Huh? When did I do that?” he checked himself and like Bai Hua had said his aura was surrounding him.

The old man looked confused. “I am sure I didn’t do that purposely,” he muttered again.

“O, land deity. Since you have appeared I will take this as a good sign and opportunity. I would like to extend gratitude to you for taking care of this field of poppies. It has made me very happy.”

“Ah,” he stroked his long beard and smiled widely, “at least I was not disturbed unnecessarily. Young immortal, you have fine eyes. You know what to appreciate and whom to appreciate.”

The old man looked at the field of poppies and smiled wistfully, “I once helped a flower deity and she thanked me with a poppy seed. These flowers have kept me company for centuries. Mortals come here sometimes to see the poppies but I have never met an immortal who had appreciated my poppies like you.”

“They must be blind then,” Bai Hua offered.

“Hahahaha... young immortal, it seems you are new here. Our kingdom’s immortal would not have come to see my poppies as you did. After they had become immortals they left for other kingdoms. This kingdom had produced a total of 6 immortals. I know since I am the oldest land deity in this kingdom.”

Bai Hua had been right to summon the local deity. He knew more than what the history books had recorded. There was mention of more than 20 immortals in the kingdom with only 4 current immortals from the kingdom. Others were dead or had remained out of the memories of the mortals. Mortals, after all, died too soon to remember anything.

“O great land deity, can you tell me how many immortals are here in this city at the moment?”

“That’s easy, excluding you, there is only one immortal in this city,” he said proudly.

So, Bai Hua was right. There was just one immortal in this city. The one he had met must be the only one. The other one was clearly a fake one. One could live for hundreds of years through cultivation but to achieve true immortal was rare.

“Wait a moment, young immortal, why are you asking me this? Is he your enemy?” he asked suspiciously again.

“You have me wrong, O great deity, I am just a young immortal from another kingdom who is just travelling to gain experience. My cultivation is still low. That was why you didn’t detect me when you first saw me.”

The old man seemed to have believed Bai Hua’s story and nodded his head profusely. He didn’t want to think that Bai Hua was fooling him but accepted his explanation. Bai Hua did look young and he did look weak. The local land deity felt proud to have met a young immortal from another kingdom and felt more happy to have his poppies appreciated.

He stood straight and said grandly, “Young immortal, I wish you blessings on your journey. Sorry to have startled you with my appearance,” and saying this, the local deity disappeared with a pop.

“Six, you say. But I am sure it is going to be seven soon,” Bai Hua muttered and smiled.

He got up from the tree and walked back towards the pavilion.

Xiao Lok was painting again. She had left out the sky and focused on the flowers. Seeing that Bai Hua was looking at her painting she commented, “I am waiting for the evening sky. It will make my painting more beautiful.”

He sat down and went to play his zither.

They only went back to the manor when it was nearly dusk. She had poured her heart into the painting and Bai Hua appreciated her sincerity but pitied at the fact that it was for a man who was after he lived. He was sure that it was her brother who had poisoned her. And now he was also anticipating his return as well. He wanted to see the prince’s reaction when he finds Xiao Lok hale and hearty.

When they reached the manor, there were already lighted lanterns hanging inside the manor. It was getting dark.

And even before Bai Hua reached the inner courtyard, he could hear Xia Feng’s voice.

“I visit him after a long time and he’s not even here? What’s taking them too long? That Dong Lok is trying to snatch brother Hua from me. I shouldn’t have let you make him stay here, big brother Chen. You’re all conspiring against me!”

Xia Feng was ranting for sure and both Bai Hua and Xiao Lok had heard the subject of his displeasure.

“Xia Feng, you give me too much credit. I have never been called a thief.” Xiao Lok entered holding her painting. She had insisted on carrying it herself.

Xia Feng pointed at her and said loudly, “You! You’re not only a thief but an eavesdropper as well!”

“I was not only me who heard it but Mr Hua as well. Your voice was quite loud. The whole manor must have heard your childish voice proclaiming me as a thief.”

“Ah, Feng’er and Xiao Lok, keep your bickering aside. You make me embarrassed in front of brother Hua,” Dong Chen winced.

“Big brother Chen—“

“Big brother Chen—“

Both Xia Feng and Xiao Lok started and Bai Hua couldn’t help it but laugh at their childish behaviour.

“Hahahahaha... Both of you are so childish.”

“I am not!”

“I am not!”

They said simultaneously again.

“Come now, why don’t you show your painting to everyone. You did exert yourself today.”

Xiao Lok shot a glare at Xia Feng And then unrolled the painting on the table.

Everyone gasped at the beauty of the painting but it was Xia Feng who gasped the loudest.

Xia Feng laboriously muttered, “ Bl....ood!”

Xiao Lok was annoyed now, “Calling me thief was one thing, but now you’re even insulting me?!”

But Xia Feng ignored her and continued to mutter, “Blood. Bood all over the field. I see blood, a bloody battlefield.”

Only Bai Hua understood what he was saying. Only Bai Hua understood the meaning behind the word “Blood”.