Author Angel Chua
Adapted from Princess Agents drama series and original novel by Xiao Xiang Dong'er – Chu Qiao Chuan Biography
Back to the Frozen lake (edited 06.11.2021)
The passing rain stopped and the sky giving away some of its thin and soft blue sea colors settled the after rain smell of fresh forest with its mossy grasses absorbed its water, dews like that of the morning started to appear.
Viper saw He Xiao from a distance and can feel his pain even if it wasn't her subject to think about. Looking at He Xiao hanged in the pine tree a day after today, she intervened, thus, revealing their presence with her Mimi Gongzhu.
He Xiao although lost hope at those crucial moments of his life, Viper came to fill it and renewed it today.
She came to Chu Qiao and said: "Mimi Gongzhu, why don't we change course? Let's help this man first and see his army of dry bones before their souls go to the underworld."
Viper also looked at He Xiao, and He Xiao wiped his face and somewhat not wanting to share his private moments, he turned around to them and went back to their small firepit Chu Qiao created earlier.
Chu Qiao standing still not blinking her eyes was staring vast snow-capped mountains from the other side of the horizon.
A glistening blue-black lake mirroring the grayish rainmaker clouds surrounded it like an umbrella to the lake.
Chu Qiao suddenly moved to look at Viper's side and asked: "Is this the direction going to the frozen lake where you found me?"
Viper said: "Yes, but we can have the shortcut route."
Viper was willing to help she offered the shortcut path.
Chu Qiao replied: "Maybe a thousand caves cannot help recover my memories at all and the after rain of frozen lake can help me get back my memories. To be honest, I don't feel, I was their leader, this Amry of dry bones. Because if it were, I must have been very foolish to make them suffer and let them be where they are today. I feel lost and responsible."
Viper feels Chu Qiao's burden as she sees her Mimi Gongzhu staring so far and she could not help herself but look at her with some heaviness in her heart she replied: "If we start to ride with our horses to the shortcut path we will arrive there by dusk."
Chu Qiao nodded then said: "We must help the ailing Army of dry bones and find out what happened to them that I may also find what are the missing pieces to the frozen lake. Xinger, Yuwen Yue, Prince of Yanbei?"
Viper silent, not wanting to make things complicated for the Mimi Gongzhu just nodded and turned her back to prepare their horses and palanquin.
She took some weapons from the royal Palanquin, the indigo scarf of Chu Qiao wrapped into a brown canvas cloth to conceal, mounted the black horse to the Palanquin, dislodged its two brown horses and its two saddlebacks firmly in place, she whispers to the black horse ears.
The horse suddenly runs with the royal Palanquin riding back to the Chu Jing Palace.
He Xiao was just looking at Viper taking the rein of the horse when the horse strolling towards him, the horse got down on its knees.
Suddenly Viper strangled He Xiao's dress on his shoulders and put him on her back. The horse stood up with its knees and waiting for Viper's signal.
He Xiao on her back cannot keep still, Viper gave her a punch in his stomach. He Xiao is growling in slight pain.
He Xiao said: "Wait! Where are you taking me? Aw..aw.." and then some grumbling to himself, said: "this bat girl will get me killed in seconds than a thousand armies."
Viper said: "Feed you to the crocs. So hang on, it'll be a path full of thorns and glimpse of the underworld."
He Xiao with his big deep eyes widen and violently reacted: "No! Definitely, I am not going there. I am good with the crocs, but to the underworld, I don't think so!"
Viper seems to be enjoying her company's callow attitude said: "If you do not keep still and obey me, you would wish that being hanged in the tree was more comfortable than riding the horse with me."
Chu Qiao finishing her plans in her mind and what will be her reaction if she sees the Xuili Army is still a question to her.
It'll be her first appearance after a year of hibernation.
And if there is an army, it means there is a war at hand. She is not going there to be a muse, or pass by just like the wind, she is going there to reinforce an already dying army which to her knowledge is really wrong to abandon a brave army fighting all their life and serve the order of the Yanbei prince.
And who is this Yanbei prince? Is he the one Zhong Yu and Viper fought about? Who is Yan Xun? What is their status before the frozen lake?
Questions linger in her mind, but she already made her decision to help an army she once led, that she once protected, that she once fought for them.
While they were escaping Chang'an and made Yan Xun still a pretty royal prince in their sight.
Making them believe Yan Xun orders were to let her come back for them and did not abandon them. Chu Qiao turned her back from the breathtaking view as the rain clouds started to slowly show its thunders and lighting on the side of the mountaintops she called in her horse and quickly climbed in it.
Then she turned to the two, who is ready for their short course adventure.
Viper began their journey through her hands, she got some desert sands in her little pouch and blew it to the path, suddenly He Xiao holds her tight and closed his eyes, took off his stars being the General of Xuili army for a while and became a simple man for this underworld joyride.
After a few seconds, the hourglass sands like suspended in time is suspended on air.
The three went to a trance-like dream, same mossy forest but Viper's display of power came when she slowly took the scattered suspended hourglass sands on the air.
Every time she does touch them the desert sand forms spiral whirling sand and goes back inside her pouch. No one is unable to speak only witness the power of sands in their eyes.
And then the hunting wind blows, their hairs lifted as the winds quicken their journey, He Xiao was tightly holding Viper's waist. Chu Qiao on the other hand quickly took her indigo scarf, and the wind accepted it, formed a spiral and slowly went down to Chu Qiao's face settling it in her neck like a beautiful drape that covered her entire face up to her neck.
The horses still running until the mossy forest slowly darkened and getting darker as the horses even on the fast run.
The forest grew darker, and the fogs around became heavier with its trees having gigantic to large thorns, a human would not be able to live if accidentally bumped one of these silent creeps that belong to the underworld.
The skies above them are grey, no sunshine not even moonlight. No living things saw only three warm bodies riding across its paths, and when they were already trailing the end of the black forest, another glimpse of the underworld came to their sight.
Viper showing a little bit of concern she looked at her side to the man who is firmly grabbing her waist with his closed eyes and defined angled face, he became the most gorgeous, athletic and spruce man in her sight.
Viper self-talk to herself: "Viper do not get lost, or he gets in the dark."
A sound of slowing down hooves was heard. When the three bodies go uphill, on a very steep and narrow road between a mountain highland sides and a valley down below.
The horse hooves cracking some rocks rolling down creates that horrible echo noise below.
One would feel chills to the bones. Chu Qiao pristine and calm looked below, and finds the a dark bottomless pit of nowhere, then all of a sudden reached the top of this suicide spiral mountainside. They had a short glimpse of the underworld headquarters.
All dark with a little bit of moonlight shying away from the clouds was tall newly built Chinese architecture buildings. Some were still dilapidated and decrepit house structures shabby and unkempt, quite unique never been seen prefectures under the earth where the magical underworld birds flying around it.
Literally, a horrific underworld structure that lies beneath Chu Jing kingdom is the suicide shortcut to mountaintops of the frozen lake.
Viper let He Xiao see a glimpse of it, though Chu Qiao wasn't really her first time.
Viper said: "The danger is gone, you may open your eyes to enjoy the view."
But really how can He Xiao enjoy the underworld scene when he said: "Enjoy the view?"
He opened his big eyes.
Even his eye bugs got bigger looking around, his eyes catching some beautiful things here but there is all just darkness. And when he turned his head, his eyes framed Viper. His beautiful curse.
In a hoarse voice, he said: "Am I dead now and came here to pay for my sins? This is an open hells mouth, and the worst of my nightmares!"
Chu Qiao laughed and said: "welcome to the underworld headquarters, and there is the forgotten river where the Higanbana flower grows. The scent takes away your memories and pass from death to the afterlife."
He Xiao said: "General, let me pay my sins on earth and do not let me rot in here."
Viper replied: "This is a place not for you, only the elite underworld spies are permitted to have access and stay here.." she calmly said.
While the cold wind blows to her face she threw him canny smile.
He Xiao did not bother to answer. He feels creepy and goosebumps on the skin shows, an average person cannot stay here for long and will soon feel its doom.
In split of seconds, Viper suddenly scooped a handful of sand again from her pouch.
She recited some ancient oracles, and He Xiao shouted: "Oh no not again!"
Suddenly an unblinding light came to them and brought them out of the frozen lake, reason for the man pinching the body and face, he said: "Did the tour on hell ended?
Am I back to earth?"
He Xiao stomping his feet to the icy lake and sees all blue around as the twilight embraces the daybreak.
Lake-in-the-snowy-mountains
Chu Qiao smiling like a child came to him and said: "You will be alright, I will help you erase that memory, split of seconds nightmare in the underworld. Then you go back to your normal life."
Viper took out his hands on her waist and said: "You only have the chance to hold me there because if you don't, you may have not survived another day in your life."
And as bossy, as she is to He Xiao, she said: "Move!"
He Xiao realized his savior is waiting, suddenly came to his senses and took off his hands on her waist and gently went down from the horse.
Then on his knees, he kneels down.
On the side of the icy lake, he felt some frostbite, sharp pain but didn't mind it along.
He said: "I owe my life to the batgirl."
He Xiao formally introduces himself to Viper he said in a low bass male voice:" Thank you for saving your gorgeous hero."
"I am He Xiao, Deputy General of Xuili Army, a native from Hong Chuan city. You have just arrived at the land of my ancestors."
Chu Qiao smiling at the two, said: "Well, both of us, lets welcome Viper!"
Chu Qiao feeling good winked at He Xiao.
He Xiao smiled back to her.
Viper still on her not so happy mood she said: "Pay me back when you take out the Xuili army out of their dry bones."
He Xiao replied: "I do honor my words when the time comes, do no hesitate to ask for it."
Although it is autumn, the lake remained on the ice, cold and freezing, there were some tiny cracks and water beneath the surface of the crystal clear ice can be seen.
Not far from a distance is a mighty black horse and the handsome man standing in the surface of ice not wanting his escorts to come near to the perimeter, he came down from his horse and walked alone.
He is dressed on his casual purple robes, with intricate hems of gold, wears his cold face and sword eyebrows, a handsome and gorgeous prince slowly came on his black bear-skin boots and offered some flowers, incense, and burned paper snows to the site.
He arrived earlier than last year to commemorate the icy lake incident, he knelt on the ice and a tear almost forcing itself to come out of his eyelids, and his regrets came once again, feeling so heavy, he let go of that tear.
Only one tear dropped on the ice, and suddenly the lake became foamy.
Suddenly, Chu Qiao feeling some pain at her back, looks pale. The entire Ice lake started to create a steamy foam. Viper and He Xiao need to evacuate her immediately as the ice blocks begin to melt around them.
Viper said: "Mimi Gongzhu, are you feeling cold but too hot in the inside?"
Chu Qiao felt a drastic change in her temperature but could not speak it out and just nodded.
He Xiao said: "We need to get her out of here. Let's go to Hong Chuan city so she can rest a bit."
Viper nodded and agreed warned him: "if you trick me, I swear, I will continue the hazing and hung your neck back to the pine tree."
He Xiao smiled when suddenly Chu Qiao is already passing out.
Viper caught her.
All of a sudden, they were surrounded by men, and He Xiao came forward in an act to defend the two.
When the gloomy prince started to sense some changes in the ice as it produced crack noises and began to issue tiny cracks rapidly running over inside the ice.
He looked at it and calmly stood when suddenly one of his men whispered to his ears and said: "The world, we have company."
When Yan Xun heard, and his eyes were narrow, he ordered: "capture them and do not let them come near this perimeter."
The Yanbian guard replied: "Your Highness, it is He Xiao."
"He Xiao?"
"Yes, your highness."
Yan Xun thinks it is so weird because he expects the Xuili General manning the Meilin border. Unless He Xiao came to personally deliver him some news which to him is unlikely to happen because he can just order any messenger if there are urgent matters which in the past Yan Xun has not been really attending to.
He suddenly climbed his horse while the ice earlier stopped its cracking noise. Yan Xun ordered his entire escort to leave the place.
A Yanbian lieutenant came close to He Xiao and said: "General, why are you here? Is there any urgent matter and you followed us here?"
Suddenly a voice not far, talked and said: "Did you come to give me some news or a concubine?"
On his face, he gave him a sly but sad smile and went close with his horse to He Xiao.
"Did you just disguised yourself that you dressed so poorly and did not wear your Yanbei uniform?"
He Xiao did not answer back and was just looking at Yan Xun.
Yan Xun came close looking at the two women at the back of He Xiao. One looks like coming from barbarian tribes, a perfect description when he sees her whip clipped in her waist, lips like hell but looked like an angel.
Another woman looks like the Princess Jasmine of Aladdin wearing a white dress, indigo scarf draped covering face down to her neck showing only her eyes.
Yan Xun squinted his eyes on her.
While Viper holding her when she passed out.
He Xiao said: "Your Highness, what a moment of disturbance we have done, please excuse us."
And He Xiao knelt down before Yan Xun and said: "Your Highness is really kind, I am not here to offer any concubine, I am here because of an emergency and I shall explain later, but for now we need to move out."
He Xiao did not want to inform Yan Xun about Chu Qiao because he wants Chu Qiao to see Xuili Army first then report later on.
Yan Xun changed his mood from formal to sunny one he said: "Hey, come on ride back with us and will you let me help one of your slaves here?"
Yan Xun climb down from his horse did not recognize Chu Qiao because she wears the indigo scarf that matched his robe outfit today.
Yan Xun walked closer to Viper whom to his eyes looks like a barbarian woman took the woman with the indigo scarf.
Suddenly Yan Xun felt some sharp pain on his hands but kept walking, he thought maybe it's frostbite.
Viper about to bring out her whip when He Xiao gave her a sharp look and shook his head from left to right and Viper got it, she kept still.
Yan Xun took Chu Qiao in his arms, and another two soldiers went to help him, they let Yan Xun climbed up to on his horse first, and after it, they support the woman climb up to on his horse.
Still, her eyes closed no sense of time and people.
He Xiao was not able to do anything but to let his Commander-in-Chief help them. Viper looking, quiet and serious as Yan Xun laid down the face of the woman gently on his arms.
The woman just slept like a baby.
Yan Xun let his horse walked slowly so as not to disturb the woman in his arms. And the rest of the escorts along with He Xiao and Viper climbed to their horses and they rode away from the icy lake to the grasslands of Yanbei.
The Yanbei Prince felt a different kind of comfort as they ride their horses along with the envoy travelling to Yanbei.
