Author Angel Chua
Adapted from Princess Agents drama series and original novel by Xiao Xiang Dong'er – Chu Qiao Chuan Biography
Rebuilding an Empire (edited 05.16.2021)
In the crown prince palace garden, drops of dew hanging on the bamboo leaves, a stream of water dripping down from the Yin and Yang fountain, yellow to auburn leaf brushed the ground, birds are chirping in the air, and a god-like figure is meditating quietly.
Foggy and mists stained with grayish smoke spirally rose from the valley, from a fresh morning air, he took a deep breath.
Life here is beautiful and peaceful amidst the surrounding unrest of Qinghai Empire and not far is the Chu Jing kingdom where its repository of mysteries thrives.
Raindrops started to pour under the heavens, and the dew-washed on earth issued a blessing of comfort that lightens loads of his shoulders. He continued to sit there a sense of calmness from the sound of raindrops falling, left his ears a timeless piece for a short suspended time.
Yuwen Yue saw a vision of two celestial bodies, two bodies in the sky performing a moon set the fading of moonlight as the light shines, the sunrise appears in the horizon that gives daybreak its sunlight.
After his meditation, he came to a table and smelled the aroma of the tea boiling beside his study area where he is about to start reading the gold book, he just finished the blue book last night.
He did not have any hard time understanding the terms, but the royal blue book is a compilation of the Chu Jing Kingdom where everything was not left to any chance of speculation.
A knock from the door of his office was heard, then a eunuch's voice said: "Prince Ra Zheng came and wants to have a tea ceremony to the crown prince."
Yuwen Yue gave a hand signal to Zuo and Zuo opened the door, the Prince Ra Zheng came in while Yuwen Yue is preparing two cups of tea and suddenly the two heard the whistling sound of the boiling tea-pot.
Yuwen Yue on his coldness, expressionless calm face, he did not look at his brother already walking towards him but without any other hands to help, he executed the perfect pouring of tea to the two small jade teacups.
The refreshing aroma gave a warm comfort from another cold prince in front of him and an after rain company is another good way to escape the cuts like a knife cold season.
"Ra Yue, anything you wanted your brother to talk about?"
"Like what?" Yuwen Yue coldly answered him back
Ra Zheng smiled and said: "About the secret princess from the moon kingdom."
"Thank you, brother, I am not interested."
"Are you single, taken or building an empire? What is your status?"
With a hint of joyful muse from Ra Zheng Yuwen Yue replied him back doing the same thing on his face with a slightly raised soft voice and said: "None of the above?"
Ra Zheng about to react but Yuwen Yue followed up and said: Or maybe I'll pick the one with building an empire?
Ha..ha..ha..
Ra Zheng laughed out loud, said: "The fact that you are here with Poe Yue Jian sword, the entire empire was already rebuilt. You just have to run it and expand it to the ends of Ximeng.
Yuwen Yue took the cup of tea and sipped it feeling a little bit relaxed with his brother's laughter.
Ra Zheng being impatient waiting for his brother's reaction he followed up, said: "What do you have to build? Our empire is just waiting for its crown princess. The stars already shined too long and the seventh moon not interested to appear in its dark skies?"
And Ra Zheng still on his joyful muse, drank the tea slowly.
Yuwen Yue thinks maybe he can source more information without getting so obvious inquired: "How can we breach the moon kingdom?"
"There are secret paths my brother."
"secret paths?" Yuwen Yue's ears hearing the words makes him excited but likes to joke more.
"Apparently the blue book did not list it all, you have to read the codes and pass the stratagems around it. Reading is different from walking in it."
"Looks difficult, spine-chilling, creepy and hair-raising paths?" Yuwen Yue still not getting too serious about it.
"Oh feel the rush!" Ra Zheng flashed a short laugh and said: "Not to mention the secret princess has the most powerful sophisticated martial arts was called the Kungfu of Ice."
"Kungfu of Ice?" Yuwen Yue raised his brows and got a little bit interested and started to listen.
The last time I checked, the powerful leader from the Afterlife camp spies in Liang State got a taste of it and learned a hard lesson in this life.
Yuwen Yue did not add more words but in the inside was like a fire that lit his instincts.
Ra Zheng continued: "I heard, from where you came, the Western empire, father hid you in your mother's homeland, what a smart move and no one ever have known about the Poe Yue Jian sword because father ordered to burn down the only poor town in Wei who knows about its story and forgotten in time." Ra Zheng in waiting for a confirmation.
Yuwen Yue picking critical information from his brother's words he replied: "You have a perfect spy."
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Ra Zheng straightened his shoulders and said it boldly: "It's only a tip of the iceberg, more is coming."
Yuwen Yue replied: "I can only guess, like the spy that has a long whip that belongs to the underworld."
Ra Zheng said: "to the stars who listens, you read a lot."
"I only not read about it, I may have met someone somewhere maybe she is the secret spy to the mysterious princess, indigo scarf, angelic faces, lips like hell?"
"Did you see the face of the lady wearing the indigo scarf? Good thing you are still alive!" Ra Zheng slightly raised his voice and gave eye contact to Yuwen Yue, grinned and shake his head from left to right.
Ra Zheng came closer and said: "You took off her scarf! As far as I know, you cannot come close to the secret princess if she is wearing her indigo scarf, it's either you come close then die. I am sorry, there are not so many options for you my brother."
Yuwen Yue was getting beef up with more information, but the conversation remains coded he replied: "I took it off accidentally and I just had a glimpse of her eyes."
"So brave of you! Congratulations!" Ra Zheng loudly cheered and continued to shake his head from left to right.
From this conversation, Yuwen Yue confirmed without doubts he encountered the secret princess.
The only puzzle piece left on his mind was how did the secret princess get his Poe Yue Jian sword?
Did she steal this sword or something when he was fighting with his life in the Frozen lake? Does she know about Xinger?
As far as he can recall, Xing'er was the last person who used his sword to defend him.
And why did she abandon it on site?
And how is he supposed to understand that automatic instinct of protecting her from an arrow shot by one of his cold warriors?
Yuwen Yue in the middle of feeling strange and familiar, two feelings that shouldn't have been present at the same time but this time it did.
And those eyes, it's as if deja vu, he is sure of himself he had already seen those eyes but cannot confirm if it was.
He remembers but like a blind spot he cannot affirm at the moment.
Ra Zheng suddenly felt bored, he said: "I must go, or we won't end this topic until the evening comes, and I am so sorry not much of any help, but if there's anything, you know where to find big brother,"
Ra Zheng stood so handsome on his white Hanfu dress, he turned his back and walked outside and the eunuchs and servants waiting.
After three steps, suddenly a masked ninja like an unknown entity came from nowhere and like cold air blowing throw three needles suddenly an ear-splitting sound heard towards Ra Zheng's chest.
Yuwen Yue on his cold, expressionless face, suddenly took his unsheathed sword and swiftly put a fast counterattack sliding slow-motion horizontally straight using his unsheathed sword as the thin shield in front of his chest.
All three needles thrown to the ground.
Yuwen Yue stopped it in front of his brother and tapped the shoulder of Ra Zheng, sharp eyes, a gentle but cold force applied but Ra Zheng fell down and one of his hand touched the ground.
Ra Zheng suddenly flew tumbling on air and landing on the other side facing distant from Yuwen Yue.
Zuo suddenly came and jumped and twirled in one of the palace walls and flew in the air then pursued the masked ninja and suddenly found himself all alone.
Like the wind, all gone.
Yuwen Yue picked up the needle and Zuo came back and went closer to look at it while Ra Zheng was still on his fight stance position. He stood straight and as if nothing happened came closer to Yuwen Yue and said: "Did I died? What's the fuss, my brother?"
Ra Zheng looking at the needle suddenly shattered like desert sand then just like ash to his palms.
Yuwen Yue survived hundreds of assassins, threats, traps, and ambush. He also met his end at the freezing icy lake but then with the help of some crepuscular light, his end became his new beginning.
As one story ends, so is the new one began. Yuwen Yue saw that unblinding light, magical, silverish passing clouds circling around a woman and a very fast-paced trickling light all over her body and the flower tattoo at her back.
How can he forget when he even called her name three times: Xinger, Xinger, Xinger. At the third call, he heard a voice, and then his vision faded.
Yuwen Yue said: "A sand drizzle needle. It'll freeze you then kill you."
Ra Zheng replied: "sand drizzle needle!"
Yuwen Yue asked: "Why not? The book has a record of how it works."
Zuo asked: Your Highness, how?
Yuwen Yue said: "It is used to attack an enemy from every direction. Once it flies, the sand needle may land in a chakra making the subject unable to move then it is possible to initiate an attack without any blind spots. Often used as a lure in battles, a distracted opponent will be left vulnerable to attack one from below. For this to work, the enemy is first surprised to face upwards, then almost at an instant bringing their attention under their offensive attack, and a quick, bold move is made from underfoot."
Ra Zheng replied: "You read a lot, my brother! You saved the day for your big brother just do not spoil me, or I will make you do it again."
Ra Zheng came closer to Yuwen Yue and whispered: "in short, I owe you, my brother," and he patted Yuwen Yue's shoulder.
Then loudly Ra Zheng said: "til next time"
The face is squinting, left with the servants following his hems of his royal robes.
"We are in prison with no walls, looks like we are free but in reality we are not," said the flashing spear ranking brother then tried to throw his weapon, and it cannot pass through.
Looking outside the prison of no walls has an invisibly thin layer of creeping plant extended to its atmosphere that makes the creepy walls not visible to the eyes.
Chu Qiao was busy in her usual daily training schedule when she just finished another round of sword fight with the Skyshadow woman.
They are about to retire for the day when all of a sudden an unknown masked ninja flashed on their sight and threw three needles to the Skyshadow woman, and she turned into a shadowless entity to defend itself while Viper quickly runs towards it and used her whip and caught it.
However, Viper unable to control her whip as the masked ninja blew sand from its hands and went to Viper's eyes. Viper was momentarily blinded.
Chu Qiao had to come to rescue she took her indigo scarf to protect Viper and herself while the masked ninja just went out of sight.
Chu Qiao asked: "Viper are you okay?"
The Skyshadow woman turned in herself on her usual fashion of beggar dress with its black hood covering almost her entire face.
The Skyshadow woman handed over to Chu Qiao the three needles, and suddenly it melted into grain of sand gradually faded away into ash.
Chu Qiao asked: "is it the sand drizzle needle?"
"I am afraid it is. This type of weapon has not been used since the last celestial warfare battle, and it was utilized well, but it was all countered by the master Archer Yuwen Hao who brought the Chu Jing kingdom with its crossbow and devastated it with missile-like powers called Bing arrows (ice arrows)."
"These arrows shattered the entire Chu Jing palace and put everyone into slaughter and shutdown of the underworld headquarters. "
Viper is regaining back its sight suddenly talked: "Mimi Gongzhu, there can only be one assassin who mastered this lure and have the martial arts to combine this type of weapon."
Chu Qiao asked: "Who can it be?"
He is the direct disciple of the late Queen Luo He your mother, her assistant. He fought bravely until we saw her fall in a cliff defending the underworld spies including Trailkoya and me. We never knew he survived until today, I cannot be mistaken. He is called the master of Chasing sand drizzle.
Chu Qiao suddenly remembered her last standing on the mountain cliff and said to Viper: "I can recall the man whom I fought in the cliff, was the man who slaughtered our entire kingdom and my mother, Luo He? The man with the long spear? I summoned the four winds, but he can't be defeated by some spiritual means. I changed my course, by might and strength I broke his bones and gave him the gentle touch of death. His heart went out and fallen from the cliff and then I went blackout. The might is too strong my power almost killed my body because I used my physical strength instead of my inner source."
Viper was somewhat excited as Chu Qiao recovered back her memories of her old self, Chu Qiao remembers their last parting scene before everything happened in a flash.
Chu Qiao suddenly remembers again and asked: What happened to Trailkoya?
Viper turned her back, and suddenly her eyes are heavy and did not answer back Chu Qiao's inquiry the sky shadow woman said: "He sacrificed his life to save you both."
"He is the master of trails, my personal advance party body and knows all of the maps and courses of journey."
Chu Qiao suddenly feeling heavy she said softly: "Trailkoya can't be dead.. he cannot be defeated just like that it was too easy.." The eyes are letting go of tears.
The Skyshadow woman said: "If the opponent is too strong by physical means and its presence can divide like a blade in the face of underworld power and attacks by day, it is a sure win. Remember our powers only works half by day and full by night."
"I cannot be mistaken, I saw the son of the man who slaughtered my entire family and Trailkoya. He is here, and there is the band of brothers." Chu Qiao fiercely looked at the prison with no walls and got angry.
Viper asked: "Who? The man whom I fought?"
Chu Qiao said: "No, it's the man who held me in his arms and made me abandon the Poe Yue Jian sword."
The Skyshadow woman said: "The man is the son of Yuwen Hao?"
"Yes," Chu Qiao said.
Then the old woman asked again: "How did you know it's him?"
Chu Qiao with a blank stare she said: "I seemed to remember those cold, sharp eyes, his strong arms, his fast moves, his bold presence, his god-like face. I cannot be wrong, He is Yuwen Yue fourth master of Yuwen household. He is the master of the eyes of God."
"Then we are all dead if we won't be able to take back the Poe Yue Jian sword," said Viper.
"What do you mean?" Chu Qiao annoyingly asked then said again, "He owns the Poe Yue Jian sword, the local townsfolk knows this well."
"No, the Poe Yue Jian sword belongs to Qinghai empire, your father swore and guarded his life with it along with the Canhong sword, can't you recall?" Viper looks at her and helping her recover her memories.
"I can only recall the man owns it, and he even gave me another sword which means the broken moon, the Canhong sword but I lost it at the battle in the Frozen Lake." Chu Qiao uttered it with heaviness in her heart.
Suddenly Chu Qiao remembering it all, stunned even herself at her own revelations if an object comes to life she remembers it all.
On Chu Qiao's hindsight, she said: "It can't be! Viper you said, the owner of the Poe Yue Jian sword is the son of the Qinghai King."
"If I recognized he owned it before the battle at the Frozen lake, then it means he is the lost son of the Qinghai King, and I am Xinger who used the Poe Yue Jian sword and fought his last stand at the Frozen Lake?"
Viper on top her heart suggested: "Mimi Gongzhu, we need the spiritual healer to fully recover all your memories, and the Skyshadow woman can help us find him."
"I will help you find him." Tonight we go at the thousand caves, said the Skyshadow woman.
"Wait how about my Higanbana at my back, you said that the petals flowers would bloom on fall?" said Chu Qiao with some worry on her face.
Viper added: "the Higanbana flower will have its full power this coming winter it means when the mortal body is weak the spiritual body will become strong.
The spiritual healer will not be able to help you recall your mortal body of memories. I am sorry Mimi Gongzhu."
"Is there any way we can stop this power that happens only at winter until summer? asked Chu Qiao.
"Only the spiritual healer can tell. He knows all the secrets from start to end," said the Skyshadow woman.
"Then we have to meet him and inquire. For now, I can recall only the man, I hate him and looks like I wanted to kill all those brothers who are with him," said Chu Qiao with an angry face.
The Skyshadow woman rebutted: "If you hate the son of the man who killed your family and slaughtered Chu Jing Kingdom, why did you fight to save him at the Frozen lake?"
"That is why I need the spiritual healer, I don't still recall everything but to be honest often times, some flashbacks come to my head, and now I am convinced I was that woman called "Xinger" who bravely fought for that man Yuwen Yue." said Chu Qiao
Viper interrupted, said: "And it is where I found you and saw the Poe Yue Jian sword floating in the lake. My hands were also burned when I took you out of the lake. Because your powers are overwhelming the first time I saw you again at the Frozen lake, but there was no other body found other than you Mimi Gongzhu."
Chu Qiao confirmed: "Yes I can recall when I first see you and myself near the frozen lake, after it, I cannot recall any why I was at the Frozen Lake. I really think whenever my dark powers are used to battle an extreme situation, my mortal body suffers, and the Higanbana flower collects all of these memories and empty my body and ships them to where? To save someone? Is my memories the powerful tool to save someone? Why does it always happen every time I encounter the Yuwen blood?"
"Well, I can see the difference," said Viper then continued: The first time was you killed Yuwen Hao, and the last time was you saved Yuwen Yue, was that the name of the fourth master of the Yuwen household?"
"Yes, so strange. I killed one and saved one. How can that happen?" Chu Qiao is thinking deeply and said: "whatever the cost I must see the spiritual healer, and regain back my mortal memories before the winter season comes."
"Then you take a rest, you need mortal strength later," said the Skyshadow woman.
