CHAPTER 3
Driven by curiosity, Gan Xin walked to the border of Wei Zhuang all by himself. The gates were hemisphere with the land inside of it. Looking almost invisible,covered with green cascading plants growing on them and colorful little fairies protecting the border.
He was stunned by the beauty which made him more thrilled that the outside world must be even prettier and mesmerizing. He walked closer to the gates but was startled by a blue fairy landing on the tip of his nose.
In a blink of an eye, the fairy turned into a gorgeous lady with pastel dark blue flowy clothes decorated with green weaving on them. These creatures are called The Flower Bones clan where they were responsible to protect the border, preventing any of the people of Wei Zhuang to exit the kingdom without permission as they may leave some of their power to the border and finally, affect the people. Gan Xin found her smiling at him as he was still stunned by the magical scene.
"Gan Xin, the son of General Gan Luo Yi" She recited. Her posture was straight, with a very tall figure, slim added with her arrogant pretty face. The remaining little fairies circled her waist.
Gan Xin nodded, seeming to be struggling to get something out from his pocket inside the layers of his cloth.
"You shouldn't be here, young man" the fairy didn't bother waiting for him. Instead, warned him. Her first instinct told her to kick the boy out, preventing any breakout from the border which brings bad fortune to the magical kingdom.
Gan Xin offered her cakes and treats accompanied by a precious smile.
"Kindness," The fairy whispered looking down at him. "What power do you poses, young man?"
"I don't have one" Gan Xin complained, disappointed looking down as he starts pouting.
"Perfect,"
"Miss pretty fairy, how could you say so,"
"Young man, I have the ability to give you power but you have to do me a favor," the fairy offered, carving a very convincing look. Good enough to trick a thirteen years old boy.
"I'd love to!" Gan Xin smiled in excitement. "What is the favor, pretty fairy?"
She smiled, kneeling to Gan Xin's level. She took his hands that were still gripping his cake. Magically, yellow sprinkles flew around it and landed as powdered sugar.
"The moment you bite this, you will have the power to control poisonous plants," The fairy explained, encouraging. "But your destiny will be to find the lost Jade Ring."
Gan Xin was still immature and clueless about the consciences. He nodded with a smile and immediately ate the cake just by a few bites.
"Fairy princess, you know I love cakes especially made by my mom. They are sweet and-"
"Silly boy," the fairy smiled disappearing into dust.
"XIN'ER!" Gan Xie Le called, running towards her lost son. "Where did you go?"
She hugged him, tight.
"Mother, I'm fine," he pats the mother's back, pleading as he continued shoving the cake at his face. "I got my power already!"
Breaking the hug, he jumped around his mother still was, shoving the cake. Gan Xie Le was still shocked that Gan Xin gained his power at such an early age. It's normal for people of Wei Zhuang to obtain their power even in their 20s.
"What type of power?" nervously Gan Xie Le asked, staring directly into his eyes.
"Poisonous plants?"
She laughed in relief. Only Jade Ring can control poisonous plants and she gave birth to Gan Xin herself. She believed that Gan Xin was just playing tricks.
----
After the court, Wei An Ge returned to her room safe and sound thanks to Jing Nu.
She helped her to the bed, being cautious of the head, making sure it fell on the pillow and not on the wooden base bed. She took off the hoodie covering Wei An Ge's face, intending to make her feel more comfortable as she was sweating.
"HUH!" The maid was shocked, she rose and took steps back. "Crown Princess, your forehead-"
Wei An Ge immediately had her eyes widened and touched her forehead. It felt weird that there were patterned lumps on it.
Jing Nu passed her a mirror reflecting cascading plants growing underneath her skin layer. The skin turned dark blue due to the failure of blood circulation.
Wei An Ge's eyes enlarged, shocked.
"Why did it turn blue?" She continued touching it. "It wasn't this bad before,"
"That was why you were late to the court?"
Wei An Ge nodded as she slowly falls off the bed, fainted, unconscious. The mirror shattered to pieces upon getting hit on the floor as Wei An Ge started screaming in pain, scratching her chest.
"ARGH!" She moaned on the floor scratching her chest layered by multiple layers of cloths. "It's torturing!"
She continued scratching and screaming that her face was painted hot red.
Jing Nu panicked, calling the guards but none heard her.
"Crown Princess, wait here for a while. Bear it for a second" she ran out of the room. The manor was now officially empty.
'I'll find His Majesty" Jing Nu decided, planning to run to the Imperial Palace.
Her journey ended when she saw the King in the Chang Ge manor's garden, just beside the Crown Princess's room.
"YOUR MAJESTY!" She shouted rushing to him. She stopped by kneeling on the dirt, anxious. "Crown Princess, her forehead, her chest her -"
The King immediately knew what happened. It was as if he got a sense of Deja Vu. Instantly, he rushed to the Crown Princess's room just to find her fainted on the floor, bleeding from the head. Her forehead skin was cut with pieces of shattered glass. Her hand was gripping on a long bloody strand of cascading jade plant she pulled out from her forehead. Her eyes were swollen from crying in pain and her lips shaded black.
"WEI AN GE?" The king knelt, covering her bleeding forehead with his long sleeve, panicked. "WEI AN GE?! WAKE UP!"
It surely takes more than an order to awaken her.
"GO GET LI ZHI JIAN!" He shouted, starting to feel the shot of disappointment and sorrow. "NO-"
He stopped.
He tore his long black sleeve outfit and tie it on Wei An Ge's forehead. She was lifted to the bed all by the King himself.
"March to Wei Zhuang!" He commanded, determined.
The next day, Gan Xin went to the border again. He thought that if he keep visiting the fairies, they will give him more power.
He stood in front of the gates for a few minutes viewing the outside world of Wei Zhuang also waiting for another fairy to come to him just as the same as the last time.
The fairies were ignoring him as they continued flying around the blooming flowers around the border.
Gan Xin was stunned by the view until he heard the sound of horses running and people shouting.
Long after, The King appeared just in front of the entrance gate with Gan Xin at the other side of it.
The King was looking mighty with his arm suits silver and black arm suit and the generals beside him.
"Foxglove poison!" The King suddenly shouted.
Gan Xin walked a few steps back, terrified and shocked. He knew foreigners can't enter Wei Zhuang easily.
"That poisonous plant?" Gan Xin recalled. "I can make it for you"
The King smiled in excitement and relief to save Wei An Ge.
"Do it," he encouraged
Gan Xin started writing characters on the air. It was a spectacular scene for Hei An Guang people to see the power Wei Zhuang people possessed.
The characters drawn were green in color and granules of purple powder followed Gan Xin's finger. The character soon turned into a foxglove plant.
The long purple flowers of the plant started blooming as the leaves were developing. He push the plant to the King towards the gate and it diminished into ashes in a blink of an eye.
The King slapped the horse's neck in disappointment.
"My King, what if we take him to Hei An Guang?" General Wang Kuan recommended, on a horse just beside the King as he stared at Gan Xin.
"My boy, I need you to follow me. I'll give you treats, okay?" The king pleaded, smiling. "We need you to save our princess,"
He offered his hand with high hopes.
"Princess?"
"XIN ER!" General Gan Luo Yi called his son. "DON'T FOLLOW THEM!"
With full speed, he chased them. But Gan Xin was a determined boy led by kindness.
"But father, we have to save people" Gan Xin walked towards the King, holding his hand tightly. Gan Xin finally crossed the barrier.
As soon as the king got Gan Xin's hand, he pulled him upwards and landed on the same horse. They immediately marched back to Hei An Guang.
"Don't worry, general we will get your son back safe and sound" General Wang Kuan guaranteed, bowing.
Gan Luo Yi somehow trusted the general. It was as if they've known each other.
"XIN ER!" the Gan Luo Yi shouted, starting to breathe uncomfortably by the panic. He started floating in the air, looking furious. The first intention was to chase Gan Xin. He flew across the border but then returned. Foxglove poison flowers began to cover the hemisphere border.
"Why?" Feeling a sense of terrified and worried, he decided to fly to the castle as fast as he can. "Foxglove poison?"
The outside of Wei Zhuang castle was originally covered with stunning and normal cascading plants and mosses but now, the foxglove plant started to kill the plants for its survival.
"My Queen" Gan Luo Yi bowed in front of the queen of Wei Zhuang, Feng An Xin.