The Unknown Beauty 173 Gone 1

Xie Rong, Meiying, and Wu Lang went back to the mad man's house to search for Xie Rong's children, Meiying's teacher, and Wu Lang's sister. They looked all over the house and found no evidence of anyone being there besides Min Fu-Han.

"No trace… It's like they disappeared," said Wu Lang. They found the door that leads to the basement and they were able to find a cell with a broken lock. But there was no spiritual energy detected due to the magnetic field.

"There is other interesting stuff here in the lab. Is it okay if I look around before we go," said Meiying.

They then heard footsteps upstairs in the house but Wu Lang was able to recognize the presence. It was Peng Ai. She left the auction house to prevent any suspicion towards the others for having an extra person in the group.

"Hey, guys. Yu Yan told me to come here just in case you need any help," said Peng Ai, entering the basement.

"Everything alright at the auction?" asked Meiying.

"Not everything. The items were sold at a high price… It sometimes scares me how much royals use money. The not so good part is that Chu Yang wasn't able to fix her relationship with her brother," said Peng Ai.

The others sigh but understood why she wasn't able to fix it right away, since she isn't the only one with a broken relationship.

"But the strange thing is that he wanted to speak to Yu Yan, not his sister. I mean, he did came into our room first which gave us a surprise because I thought he found out," said Peng Ai.

"Is that why we were always being followed?" said Meiying.

"I'm pretty sure that is the reason. No wonder the guards gave us weird looks," said Wu Lang. "Luckily we learn how to hide."

"Why does he want to speak to Yu Yan anyway?" said Peng Ai. "It seems when he entered the

"I'm guessing it's probably something about her mother," said Xie Rong. He found a few documents that got him interested in so he held on to them.

"We've heard all the great things Lin Yu Yan's mother has done for the Chu Empire but it's strange... Why was there no news about it back in the Wang Empire?" said Peng Ai. "It happened a least a 5 years ago and when it involved a whole entire empire."

"I think it's about the policy they have here. About the amount of people entering Feng City and not leaving due to the high demand of production the Chu Empire is needing and the amount of money they are making," said Meiying. "I asked the guards some questions regarding Lady Lin when I was asking about the slave market. They said everyone who entered through the gates, didn't go back."

"I mean... the Chu Empire didn't make an official notice of them being alive again," said Xie Rong.

"That's probably why the minister were surprised to see the 3rd prince here," said Wu Lang.

"But what's even weirder is that even 'I' didn't hear about it," said Peng Ai.

"What do you mean back home?" said Meiying.

"I'm from the north continent. Remember when I talked about the cultivator that helped me at least stabilized my spiritual energy?" said Peng Ai.

"Right, when we were going through the Unknown forest to get to home. We talked about it on the first night," said Meiying, remembering the good times.

"Yeah. If such a powerful person were to create a barrier, thousands of people would want her. So many people would talk about her. I know for sure, especially in the North Continent," said Peng Ai.

"Ah, right... with all the news about the recent civil war ending 2 years ago," said Meiying.

"I mean... no one knew who Sister Yu Yan was. She was known by some people of being the ugliest girl alive but most people didn't know she was the other granddaughter of General Lu," said Wu Lang. "That's probably why so many people don't know her or her mother."

"That's why she is so good at hiding. There are times where even WE can't find her," said Meiying.

"More like never," said Wu Lang.

"There are even pictures of Lady Lin around the city but no one knows where she went or why she left," said Peng Ai.

"The whole world would go crazy for a barrier maker," said Xie Rong.

"I always forget about how amazing it is because we actually lived in one," said Wu Lang. "The fact that we have access to so many legendary items... Are we going to be... safe?"

"I mean... based on the lack of information about Lady Lin on the outside of the gates, I'm pretty sure we are good," said Xie Rong.

"It kind of scares me... About her parents? I remember her feeling sad about them not returning to her. Yu Yan is so strong. Imagine her parents. She told me the person who left the book of pills and elixirs was her mother," said Meiying.

"Li Dan E's brother was super surprised to see so many enchanted weapons as well," said Xie Rong. "I heard it was a lost skill because the clan who makes them where either killed off or has forgotten the skill. There are rumors of them being alive and well, with legendary textbooks in a old writing format, difficult to understand."

"I heard the same. But I never believed it," said Peng Ai. "Li Dan E and their family might be related due to the fall of their clan."

"Yu Yan could also produce many natural elements using her qi," said Wu Lang.

"Right. Elemental Cultivators do exist but are very uncommon. That's why so many people in the Wang Empire were surprised to see so many of us, capable of using them," said Peng Ai.

"Where did you learn that?" said Wu Lang. "I mean the word, Elemental Cultivators. I never heard of Yu Yan ever mentioning that. Just that we somehow have been blessed with the power of god."

"I actually just made it up. Only because I always said it to savior as a child because he is also an Elemental Cultivator," said Peng Ai. 'Wait... Now that i think about it... Quan Yi Ying resembles him a lot... but Quan Yi Ying is so much younger...'

"Maybe it becomes hereditary," said Xie Rong.

"What's hereditary?" said Wu Lang.

"Meaning the power gets passed down through their children for generations," said Peng Ai.

"There was someone could also use many elements. But that was years ago. When I was a child, everyone wouldn't stop talking about him. He was the pride of the Central Continent that even the other continents wanted him either dead or own him. But he just all of a sudden disappeared. Everyone was going crazy and wanted to find him but he was never found," said Xie Rong.

"I heard of him too. He was a legend and I think there was even a statue dedicated to him in Huo City," said Meiying. "After all, I DID live in the village close to Huo City until it was broken down and non-existent."

"My wife mentioning her running away from the village due to the crazy man's experiments in the village. I actually think the whole village ran away from him. It was unfortunate that she wasn't able to travel with the other villagers due to Min Fu-Han chasing her but I was able to meet her because of it. I even help stop her addiction towards opium," said Xie Rong.

"That's good... I feel better knowing she is okay now... I mean... I don't know how I will feel when I see her... after all... I kind of... hate her," said Meiying.

"...I understand that you do, Meiying. But I'm sure my wife only did it for a good reason," said Xie Rong.

"...It's kind of hard to believe, Xie Rong," said Meiying. She stands there with her head down, feeling the hateful emotion she has gather for the past years. "It hurts to see the one you love hurt you in that way. I don't know if my hate would ever go away."

"I understand," said Xie Rong, giving her a pat on the head. Wu Lang went ahead and gave her a hug and Peng Ai just stood there in confusion.

"What is going on? Who is who?"

Chapter end