"Anyways, I haven't gone out of the palace in the last few days, so you tell me where what's special to buy?" he asked after a while.

"Well you can buy the best herbs and medicines in the North, Earth Master's territory specialises in those areas, if you want to buy food, weapons or rare items like artefacts or just weird things the East is the best, Xiàn Fèng's place sells the best food, the best clothes and jewellery are sold in the South, their rainbow satin and gemstones are of very good quality!" she replied much more excited for the South territory.

"Wind Master sure dresses up brightly," Ghost King stated simply as she smiled brightly.

"Yìfēi is the best when it comes to fashion, she knows what goes best with what, and she's good at decorating any place!" Water Master remarked cheerfully, Wind and Water Master were best friends, his informant had told him.

"What do they sell in the West?" he asked suddenly.

Nothing special," she fiddled with her sleeves, looking away.

"Still, I want to know," He pressed on, he wanted her to feel that he was more curious about her than the other elementals.

"Just books and small things," she answered, looking at the fishes who swam around each other as she poked a twig in the water, the fishes dodged the attack easily.

"What kind of books?" he asked, interested.

"Anything, there's a lot of options," she replied simply.

"Do you have some traditions here?" He questioned curiously.

"I don't understand your question," she shook her head.

"Well," he leaned his head against the trunk of the tree, "In Hell, there is a tradition of gifting one's ashes to their beloved," he explained, watching her solemn expression.

"I didn't know Hell had such sentimental traditions," she remarked softly.

"Don't you have some here? In Heaven," Ghost King inquired picking a fallen leaf from the ground and twirling it in his fingers.

ShuîYuê thought about it for a while, she hadn't come across any such traditions in Heaven other than what she learned from her parents precisely her mom, perfume pouches were sewn for children by the mother on Dragon boat festival eating Zongzi, drinking realgar wine, eating mooncakes together with family and worshipping the moon for Mid-autumn festival, making rice wine and tangyuan for Winter solstice, cleaning the house and decorating it with lanterns and fortune papers with reunion dinners and red envelopes as well as visiting relatives for New years, making and lighting lanterns for Lantern Festival, and offerings to ancestors on Ghost Festival month; other than this, ShuîYuê wasn't sure there were other traditions not that she was aware of them.

"I don't think, I know any such traditions," she answered after a while.

"It's getting late," he said, standing up. Water Master stood up as well, hissing in pain. Her knees were bruised, and it hurt to keep her leg straight.

"I'll take you to the doctor," Ghost King offered only because he wanted her to think he was a nice person, he needed to gain her trust for his revenge.

"There's no need. I am fine," she denied, walking ahead, limping badly; he walked close to her in case she fell, and she did fall after walking ten steps, pHuá caught her by the shoulders.

"You can't walk," he said like he was stating a fact.

"I am not crippled!" she snapped stubbornly, pushing his hand away.

'Why is she so stubborn when it comes to accepting help? She reminds me of Zìxìn,' Ghost King thought. "Of course you aren't crippled, but you can't run a marathon like this, can you?" he asked calmly.

"I am fine," she grumbled, walking ahead.

Ghost King grabbed her arm, "Lean on me if you don't. I'll throw you over my shoulder and take you to the doctor," he threatened.

"You can't do that!" she shouted in disbelief. He was joking, right?

Ghost King stared at her before grabbing her by the waist and lifting her on his shoulder, she was quiet for a few seconds before hitting his upper back with her fist
(right hand is still weak) "Put me down!" she shouted, kicking her legs.

Ghost King continued to walk unbothered. "Please put me down!" she pleaded once again.

"I told you nicely that you couldn't walk, did you listen to me? No, so be quiet now," he scolded, slightly annoyed because of the kicks and weak punches.

"What if someone sees us?" she asked, worried, looking around.

"I don't care," he replied, unbothered.

'He isn't going to listen, ShuîYuê. You have to do something,' she said to herself.

She brought her left arm in the front and caressed his face to locate his eyes. As she found them within a few seconds, she covered them with her hands; Ghost King was amused. He could still see with his left eye as her hand only managed to reach half his left eye.

She frowned as he continued to walk,
'Can ghosts see without their eyes?' she wondered to herself.

Ghost King put her down once he was near the palace. She glared at him, clutching her stomach, which hurt because of his sharp shoulder blades. "You are welcome," he bowed his head, walking away.

ShuîYuê glared at him till he disappeared into the halls; she sighed. Her knees hurt badly. 'Better get them treated,' she thought, walking to the infirmary, which was right on the corner.

She entered, stumbling for support. A maid caught her helping her to the chair,
The female doctor looked at her injuries before applying some ointments to them, telling her to sit for a while so that the medicine could dry.

"Why did you get punished?" Shù Zìrán asked She was resting in the infirmary

"Spoke too much," ShuîYuê answered simply.

"Thank you for helping me," Shù Zìrán thanked.

"You are welcome," ShuîYuê replied casually.

"Why did you help me, though?" Shù Zìrán asked suspiciously.

"I wanted to," ShuîYuê said simply.

"You don't like me," she pointed out nonchalantly.

"Why did you save my life that day?" ShuîYuê asked in return.

"Because I was ordered," she responded.

"Still, you could have made up some mistake or done something to not save me, but you helped me, so you must want me alive, right? For whatever reasons you did, I won't ask," ShuîYuê said, looking at Earth Master's face. "Thank you for saving my life that day," ShuîYuê added, putting on her shoes and leaving.

'I guess you are welcome too, Water Master,' Shù Zìrán thought to herself.

Wudu Palace

ShuîYuê limped to the side hall where Yìfēi was munching on some raspberries. She put it away as she saw ShuîYuê entering,
"Why are you limping?" she asked, worried.

"Jun Wu," she said, sitting down in front of Yìfēi's table.

"He punished you to kneel?" she asked angrily.

"Yep," ShuîYuê nodded her head as Yìfēi handed her a cup of cold water.

"Why?" she questioned, putting the cup away.

"He was being a hypocrite, and I called him out on his crap," ShuîYuê answered, stuffing raspberries in her mouth.

"Jerk," Yìfēi muttered, cursing the Emperor in her mind.

"You tell me, what did you do all day yesterday? You didn't show up, busy?" ShuîYuê asked with a mouthful of raspberries.

Wind Master sighed, "Well, something interesting happened," she spoke slowly.

"Spill the tea, Meimei," ShuîYuê urged, interested.

"So I was being gorgeous as usual and minding my own business when I came across that jerk who fought you at the South Gates - "

"Sorry, but I find it unbelievable that you were minding your own business," ShuîYuê interrupted Yìfēi who scowled at her best friend.

"Shut up and don't interrupt," Yìfēi snapped, glaring at ShuîYuê.

"So, I accidentally came across that jerk who was leaning against the wall with his dirty shoe leaving footprints on the clean wall," Yìfēi continued as ShuîYuê raised her eyebrow amused.

"Okay, fine, I was purposely looking for him. Stop looking at me like that already!" Yìfēi whined irritated.

"Sorry, sorry continue," ShuîYuê apologised, raising her hands in defeat.

"So I found him standing there; he was eyeing every single maid that passed by the hall, and those stupid maids were giggling as he flirted with them. I walked up to him and said,"

"Stop harassing the poor maids," Wind Master commanded seriously.

"They are flirting back, not my fault," Yông Zìxìn replied arrogantly.

"Shut up, you jerk," Yìfēi snapped, glaring at him.

"You are the one who sent that death attack to kill me that day, huh?" Yông Zìxìn asked, eyeing Wind Master.

"You ran away like a coward," Yìfēi replied sassily.

"I am here now," he said, challenging her.

"I won't hesitate," she challenged back, flicking her fan gracefully.

They stared at each other for some time, trying to read the other one, "Go ahead," Yông Zìxìn provoked arrogantly.

"I will,"

"What are you waiting for?" he asked.

"If it weren't for the peace treaty, I would have sliced your neck off your body the moment you had entered the Martial Hall," she muttered angrily.

"I would have killed you as well," he threatened, leaning his face close to Yìfēi's glaring at her, who glared back at the General just as angrily.

Their staring contest, sorry glaring contest, was broken by the Crown Prince who had appeared at the right time; if it weren't for him, these two would have killed each other already.

"And so the Crown Prince told me to go back," Yìfēi concluded, finishing up the incident.

"That was quite the interaction," ShuîYuê commented after analysing the information from Yìfēi.

"See, I told you, he's a total jerk, he pisses me off so much," Wind Master grumbled, rubbing her forehead.

"He makes me angry too," ShuîYuê announced coldly.

"Well, he hurt you so much, so of course you are angry," Yìfēi nodded her head in agreement.

ShuîYuê shook her head, "I am not mad at him for injuring me; I am angry because he killed many innocent soldiers and Sanbao," ShuîYuê said, closing her eyes as she remembered Yông Zìxìn digging his axe in Sanbao's back.

"YueYue," Yìfēi called softly, holding her hand.

"I am fine, don't worry," ShuîYuê assured, smiling half-heartedly.

They sat in silence until Yìfēi asked, "Wait a minute, didn't you kneel under the hot sun? Why are you fine, didn't you faint?"

ShuîYuê looked away, her heart racing as she thought of Ghost King, Yìfēi leaned her face close to ShuîYuê's, "Your eyes are looking here and there," she touched ShuîYuê's cheeks, "Your cheeks are red," she held her pulse, "And your heart is beating faster! YUEYUE ARE YOU IN LOVE?" Yìfēi asked, shouting at the end.

"What nonsense! It's nothing like that," ShuîYuê denied embarrassed.

"Who was your hero in shining armour? Tell me!" Yìfēi demanded dreamily.

"Ghost King," she said without realising it

Yìfēi's eyes widened, "You like him? Right? He's your type, isn't he?" she asked, smiling brightly.

"Yìfēi, it's nothing like that!" ShuîYuê protested, looking away.

"What is it like?" Yìfēi asked curiously

"He just helped me to take the scrolls to Jun Wu's study where Jun Wu was trying to insult his mother so I told Jun Wu that he was a hypocrite and then he punished me and then Ghost King came and stood behind me in front of the cold palace," ShuiYue said in a single breath.

"Well, that explains why you didn't faint from the scorching sun, he shielded you with his body," Yìfēi concluded proudly.

"He was just admiring the cold palace," ShuîYuê spoke, not wanting to believe Yìfēi's words.

"What's there to admire in the cold palace? It's just a boring place where punishments are given, and people don't even self-reflect; they are far too busy cursing Jun Wu for their sufferings," Yìfēi said as a matter of fact.

"Yìfēi let's not overthink it, okay?" ShuîYuê replied, trying to change the topic.

"It would have been nice if he wasn't our enemy," Yìfēi commented casually.

'Yeah, it would have been nice if I didn't have to overthink everything he did. It would have been nice if he wasn't our enemy,' ShuîYuê thought to herself.

_______________________________
Author's note duty on General Yông:

Grumbling loudly as he's forced to give Author's note today by the author, who's cruel not caring for Zìxìn and his assets, which have been crushed mere moments ago

" I don't want to do this!- glares at Author who ignores him deliberately - you can only control me because I am imaginary. If I were real, I would slash you in half with my axe!! Can't you have someone else do this ? - Author rolling her eyes -
My surname is Yông which means brave, and my name is Zìxìn which means self-assurance!! I am twenty-five years old, Now, don't bug me anymore!" Leaves while cursing Author loudly

Author here: Yo ladies and gentlemen your one and only boring author is so sleepy I slept for nine hours and I am still drowsy 😴 I should really go study instead of procrastinating TOS - 2 that subject's first part had me drunk on mango juice last sem and this time I am wondering what should I take to be able to study it? coffee never works for me. I don't know why, should I get drunk on lemonade ? That's the only thing I have in my refrigerator right now four lemons, or should I just drink water? Some tips on trying to be awake and I am not going to go wash my face with cool water !! 🙃 something else would be appreciated I don't wanna study man!! I am crying,

My characters in unison - "study author study you'll be dead in end semester exams if you don't study from now on "

Word count: 2000 for the chapter and 400 for the author's note, 2400 in short. Thank you for reading, and have a great day. Bye-bye here, have a warm hug 🫂 🤗 ❤️ 💗