A Thousand Lotus

Not long after, a huge smoke and fire could be seen from somewhere and anyone would doubt that the fire would cease from spreading, eating away everything it touches.

.....

Falling from a 187 meter high water fall, Jiao Yu felt like it would take forever before she reaches the water below, so she didn't really have to rush and drown herself so the only thing she could do midair was wait.

The pain from the impact of the fall and the water didn't make her feel any much better as Jiao Yu's body was slowly sinking down and exerting more effort to get her out of the water was extremely tiring. Though, she'd told herself that she knew how to hunt and live all her life doing things to survive the day, no one can deny that she's still after all, a young girl at the age of 13.

The throbbing pain she felt in her head increased making her brows furrowed and eyes struggled to stay open, then darkness slowly took over her vision.

....

Rain start to fall a little from the skies and since the Yan Chi river was lit up by the bright lights from the moon in the sky.These kind of beautiful scenery of the moon was seldom seen even in the previous years' of Ghost Festival andthere will be a few sightseeing boats floating in the middle of Yan Chi river and only the riches would be able to afford an exquisite boat to course its way in the river but no one knew can see clearly who were inside the boats as the rain starts to pour heavily making the sightseeing boats unnoticeable.

From a far, it seemed as though a sightseeing boat was just leisurely floating downstream of the Yan Chi river but the more it floated downstream, the further away it courses from the city and seemed to not stop until it bumped into something, making the people inside the boat to wobble.

"What happened?" A gentle voice sounded inside the boat.

"Daren, it seemed that we bumped unto something." Another voice can be heard but sounded polite.

"I can clearly see and felt that." This time a slightly irritated replied.

The two people on the boat was wearing silk and looked very righteous. Both of them head over andstood at the head of the boat, bending over to look at the thing that bumped their boat and what they saw shocked them, it was a body. The two immediately scooped the person in the water to put it on board the ship. They clearly didn't think things thoroughly first but considering that this person was unconscious and have a very high temperature, one would doubt that this person could even lift a finger to try and sneak an attack.

The two of them gently but anxiously turned the body over to see the face of the person and at this moment bothof them felt surprised and couldn't believe what they just saw and thought that maybe because of the impact of the boat they dazzled their eyes.

In front of them a young girl was lying unconsciously on the wooden floor, two gentle straight with a slight curve brows, long and soft lashes extended from the unopened eyes of the girl, prominent bridge and small nose and a thin cherry red lips but because of having stayed too long in the river, her crystal white skin looked paler, nevertheless, two words could only describe this type of woman, a peerless beauty.

A long silence transpired between the two of the them and then the gentle voice older man with a growing beard spoke with warning, "Tie Yi... you saw nothing, heard nothing and one should never speak of this to anyone even after death, do you understand?"

The younger man called Tie Yi, felt chills as his forty-three years old master had never acted like this before, speaking with threatening aura, even when he's angered by something he wouldn't speak like this to anyone, even to his subordinates. "This lowly one understands, master."

"Let's go back."

With that one order, Tie Yi immediately obeyed his master without asking, he clearly understands that as a servant, one should never doubt nor disobey orders from their masters yet, he could not help but to give the girl another look, confused what would his master do to this little girl.

....

The gold incense burner were hung in each corner of the bed, emitting a costus root scent. Inside a room, two maids were carefully fanning the person on the bed.

"It has been four days already yet, young lady has still not open her eyes." An orange clad maid anxiously said as she fanned, keeping up with the pace of the other two maids.

"What can be done, she had been suffering from a very high fever for several days and Jing Chu why are you calling her young lady?" The other maid clad in green said.

"When master came back after the Ghost Festival, he brought an unconsciousyoung girl back here, calling old Pei to treat her and have us all here to take care of her, doesn't that mean that young lady came from a noble family?" Jing Chu looked at the girl lying on the bed but because she had aveil on her face, they didn't get to see the young girl's face this past few days.

When the words were spoken, the person lying on the bed moved, uttering some words but because they were not near her, they were not able to hear it.

"Young Lady is awake! Quick, tell the master that the young lady is awake." Jing Chiu called out in surprise and quickly run towards the bedside to see the young female staring at her with startled eyes, while the green clad maid immediately ran outside to tell their master the news.

"Who...." Jiao Yu mumbled.

Jing Chu smiled as she put her palm on Jiao Yu's forehead. "Is young lady feeling better? Does young lady want some water?" She handed a cup of water over.

Jiao Yu looked somewhat puzzled as she looked at the three maids and the things around her. She felt alienated and confused at what she's seeing, wasn't she drowning after jumping from a waterfall? Then why is she here? Where is this place? But she knew that this is not the time for pondering over this thing as she might get the answers she's looking for sooner or later.

After a moment, Jiao Yu smiled bitterly at them and tried to speak with a composed voice but because of the veil covering her face they were not able to see a tiny change from her expressions. "How long has it been since I was brought here?"

"Answering to young lady's question, it has been four days and a half since the master has brought the young lady here."

Closing her eyes, Jiao Yu slowly calmed herself. Four days had passed since then, she's gone and done it already; the people of the village, her father, and the place where she lived her entire 13 years of life, it's all gone. It was never easy to forget something especially when that thing is so special to youbut in just 6 hours of that night, Jiao Yu would remember it wherever she goes. It will haunt her and will be lesson to her foolishness.

A second of carelessness almost costed her, her life.

.........

In the most inside of the courtyard of the Count of Wen Yi, Liu Sheng Xiao took off his robe and sat down on his couch.

He didn't know what possessed him to bring the girl in his manor, he didn't know her and probably her parents must be looking for her but he couldn't keep from asking why was she left in the middle of the Yan Chi river injured and almost to the brink of death.

Liu Sheng Xiao recalled that when he first saw the girl he was undoubtedly shocked to see her face but it was not the reason he brought her with him but it was because of the pain that he felt in his heart as he saw his deceased daughter in her. It has been 2 years since he lost his daughter after dying from being accidentally pushed and drowned in the pond. He was not there when that happened but he wished from the heavens every single day that they let him see her or be with her when the tragedy happened so he could protect and save her.

LiU Sheng Xiao wa totally absorb in his thoughts that he almost jumped when the door of his room was opened with a 'bang'. The maid standing at the door, shook as she realized what conduct she had done so she could only hang her head low as she nervously said. "Master... please punish this lowly one-"

"What happened that made you come in my room unannounced and almost breaking my door." Liu Sheng Xiao didn't get angry but only furrowed hi brow as he remembered that this maid was one of the three he appointed to take good care of the girl. "Has she awaken?"

"Ye.. Yes Master, master's guest has awoken and-" The green clad maid said and as the words barely finished, she saw her master stand up and grab his robe as he strode towards the door.

Inside the room where Jiao Yu was in, the costus scent coming from the incense burner grew stronger, so as the atmosphere inside, three girls were standing inside the room while two of them blocked the veiled faced one.

"Young lady, please wait a little longer as master will be here soon." Jing Chu tried to persuade the girl standing in front of her, when suddenly the door opened and the green clad maid and an older man head in. Jiao Yu took a second look at Jing Chu and pondered, if she had an ability to predict.

Standing in front her was an elderly man around his forties to fifties, he was wearing a blue silk robe with intricate patterns, a growing beard and can be considered handsome but because of his age, it gradually reduced to decent looking. She didn't know why but the way he looked at her made her remembered the way her mother looked at her when she saw her wounded after hunting a rabbit and because of that she was not allowed anymore to hunt even after her mother's death.

................

On top of a mountain, there stood a black steed. The coat of the horse was created specifically for the steed making it look bright and smooth and with one look, anyone could tell it was a good steed that was worth thousands of gold. The horse slightly kicked forward haughtily as his elegant body made the other horses feel intimidated

But in the end it was not as blinding as the person on the horseback.

The youth looked at the once green and beautiful land that turned into a waste land as he sat on the horseback, wearing a purple robe adorned with patterns, on his lapel was embroidered withwisps and lines of golden thread and his long hair was tied into a ponytail. Both of his hands where folded in front of his chest and his features were sharp and handsome. The corner of his lips were slightly hooked up, smiling gently like a jade but it didn't reach his eyes as they were very cold and on closer look one would see that coldness from his eyes.

"Investigate what exactly happened to this waste land." His voice sounded melodious and sleek but thick, perfect for a man. Holding the reins, he started to saunter with his black steed.

A black clad man cupped his hands in front of him. "Yes, master."