"We are lucky we ended up finding it at the very last mountain. I can't believe that it is only a shoot." Lui Xian commented organizing Feng Shao's workplace just at one corner of the cave. A shoot and several types of herbs were splattered on the ground. And Feng Shao had a small mortar and pestle pounding at some herbs to make it into powder. At the side, there was some water in a small container."I am happy we got to find it. Now I can make the antidote without missing any ingredient. How I wish I had found it sooner." Feng Shao spoke, mixing the now wet powder with little bits of the green shoot which had been boiled in a pot."Great. Also, we will be on the road early in the morning. I think I should gather our horses and keep them close. This place is very cold, I don't like seeing you sick again." Lui Xian showed concern earning a big smile from his companion.He reached for some wood and added it into the fire, thereafter, putting a pot with dried meat so to make lunch. It d

"I like you." Feng Shao confessed. His balled hands getting sweaty. And his eyes wandered anywhere but him. He couldn't keep it in anymore. He couldn't hide by the term friends anymore. Was it really being greedy to want him for himself? The moment they had left the mountains, he had an unsettling feeling, like Lui Xian was going to be taken away from him the moment they returned. Feng Shao didn't want that. He couldn't bear it. "I really like you." He emphasized taking a step closer to Lui Xian who took a step back.Then there was silence overwhelming the small place then followed by the sound of a bottle crushing. Feng Shao gazed at the ground where glass shards scattered there on top of wet soil. His heart stopped. The disappointment he felt when he saw that his hard work was all for nothing, made him crazy. He dug his sharp nails in his palms then looked away. The antidote he had gone to such pains to search for a rare ingredient for was lost in mere seconds and his feelings were

After a while grieving and immersing himself in the depths of his abyss, Feng Shao staggered back to the place he had once felt the enthusiasm to return to but now dreaded to see the sight of it.He had exhausted all his tears. His eyelids were swollen and made him look a mess.He took each step towards the house, feeling as if his heart was being pricked by a sharp needle.When he arrived at the doorstep, he noticed that most of the things in the little room were gone. All that was Lui Xian's belongings were nowhere to be seen. His book he liked to read, his clothes that were always suspended on the window, his sac and also his sword which is the root of all evil.'If only I had got rid of it.'Feng Shao entered inside dejectedly. He took a seat on a cushion and gathered all the equipment he used to make the antidote. He planned to throw them away. He even considered throwing everything away that linked him to the jerk he once desired to have.Looking back, he realized he had been too

Summer. When the sun shines brightly throughout the day. Heatwaves after heat waves hit the poor soils of the earth's crust. The trees bear fruits and the grasses lose colour. Rainfall tumble down night after night cleansing the red roofs of Wu Palace and the houses in the Capital. Lightning strikes like a sparkly ribbon being hurled by a brothel dancer. Thunder sounds as if the world is plugging down in pieces. Sometimes it is peaceful and other times it just gets worse. Nevertheless, the days move on longer than usual as each bide farewell never to be experienced again.Then Fall follows. Flooding the world with layers of leaves. The surroundings bit by bit loses their appearance. Flowers wither and green grasses die. Fewer animals appear for a new season is to be born. One with much more torment.That is Winter. Where the unpleasant weather is reinforced with much gloom. The skies are rid of the sun. It fills up with a thin blanket of fluffy white greyish clouds that remain up cover

"Wow." Feng Shao exclaimed. He had just gotten out of the carriage and stepped on Wu Kingdom's soils. His eyes focused on his surroundings. They were sparkling with newfound light as if he was seeing the world for the first time. There was a smile on his face. He stood still for some time only turning and making a fool out of himself. He gained some attention to himself but he didn't mind. Everything at the moment was like a dream.He had last seen something like this when he was still a toddler. The memory is quite hazy for he doesn't remember if his former home was as close as to this. The part he was seeing at the moment was only a glimpse before the whole thing. However, the poor man was already intrigued.The Capital was so big and eye-catching, nothing could grab his attention from all the shiny and beautiful things around him. Although Feng Shao was wearing a veil, he could still clearly see the food stalls at the sides. The many people who passed by whilst cheering on top of th