The Princess And The Lord

Lory had no strength left against that creatures even though she can leave it to Girsha but by then this whole cave will be collapsed and what will happen to everyone inside, Ming Yue Ying, Yang Xi Ying, the stupid boy, and most of all what going to happen to her beloved husband Zhao Li Xin and Girsha also know this.

[Lory, you better have a plan!] Girsha shouted in urgency.

[Like what? I got nothing!] Lory shrieked in panic.

[Well, you better had one and fast!] Girsha insisted.

Lory then rebuked in a sarcastic tone [Well, that's comforting!]

Girsha turns into a glowing orb before merging with Lory, meanwhile, a fiery creature roars at Lory ready to wreak its vengeance, Lory clenched her fists then picked up her sword from the ground, and took a stance preparing for the next fight.

What else can she do? she could only try her best and see how it turned out, hopefully, she will not die. When Lory was considering what he would do next suddenly a figure appeared in the middle of the sea of fire between Lory and the fire creature, and the figure slowly formed the shape of a fairly young man wearing a golden robe and with long black hair that fell to the ground. her waist.

The man's face was very handsome but cold but still, Lory thought that Zhao Li Xin was still the best besides right now Lory cared more about whether this handsome man was a friend or foe.

The fire creature released her blazing fire toward Lory but then the man faintly smiles then turn around then raised his hands and the flame dispersed before it could touch him, the creatures roared angrily at the man but didn't dare to get close to him and the handsome man unperturbed then he turns his head at Lorythen point to a direction.

Lory's brows knitted closely, she didn't know if she could believe him but staying there was not an option either so Lory turn to Girsha [What do you think? Can we trust him?]

[No, but do we have change?] Girsha helplessly said.

[Tsk, you're right!] Lory realized this wasn't the time to doubt she had to live for everyone who was waiting for her, especially Zhao Li Xin!

Lory quickly ran in the direction the man was pointing but once again he was stuck at a dead end, Lory almost cursed the handsome man but suddenly she felt the air coming in and gently brushing her cheek, and it came from behind the cave wall then realized there must be a secret door on this walls.

Using her wind 'gift' it is not difficult to find the source of the wind, once she finds a wall where Lory pushes the wall with all her might, slowly but surely the wall begins to move Lory groans while continuing to push as soon as she goes inside, the door slammed shut behind her and everything went pitch black.

Didn't want to exhaust her mana Lory take out a luminescent pearl then examined the area around her for a few seconds then nod firmly [Got, lost again] she conclude then sighed [You know, I got the feeling I will be the last one who will reach the crimson lightning sword location]

[Just hope the party is not over when you arrived] Girsha mocked her as always.

Lory's mouth twitches [You know that happened a lot in the past, right?!] Lory reminisced about the old days, the fact that Lory was always late at almost every party she was invited to and that's how she granted the nickname 'last minute princess'.

[Stop jinxing!] Lory snorted in annoyance.

Girsha rolled his eyes while perfunctorily saying: [Yeah-yeah-yeah, where do we go from here anyway?] Girsha couldn't guess where they are anymore after so many falls and rolls even he will lose his ways.

Lory scratches her head, she looks left  and right feeling clueless as well Lory then shrugs helplessly [There's only one thing we can do right now…] Lory said with a serious face then raised her index finger and start pointing: [Eeny, meeny, miny..]

[Really, is that the best thing you could do?] Girsha scoffed.

Lory felt wronged she thought this is a good idea [What? It always works, you know my score at school right, I'm always in the top five?!] she proudly said.

[Lory this is not a test…] Girsha wishes she can open this girl's head and see what is inside it, he always wonders why this girl is so weird!

[Everything is a test, now shut up old bird, let me do the work, here!] Lory sounds very confident but her method is indeed questionable, Lory clears her throat she raised her finger and continues with a serious face.

[Eeny, meeny, miny...moe, huh?] Lory tilted her head.

Right where Lory pointed a handsome man from before suddenly appeared, Lory stopped he thought shouldn't this man be outside? when did he get here?

The man smiled at her with one hand placed behind his back, the man standing with a straight back like a pole appear dignified and regal exactly like a monarch.

Lory was startled and then realized she was still rudely pointing at the man, quickly she lowered her hand like a student caught doing something naughty.

The man smiled wider then he raised his finger and gestured for Lory to follow him, without waiting for Lory's answer the man turned around and slid away.

Yes, the man slide not walks which means the man is not human. Lory pursed her lips while contemplating whether to follow him or not but thinking again what choice did she have now, Lory let out a long sigh, she held her sword tightly and then followed the mysterious man to God knows where.

The path he took was like a maze actually this whole place was like a maze full of winding stairs up and down and secret doors here and there, Lory hated to admit if this man left her here she wouldn't be able to find her way out of this cave for the rest of her life forget about being stuck in the dark with Lazarus, cause she will be stuck in this cave instead.

Then suddenly he was brought to a giant carving on the wall, which was the same place that Li Mo Zhen and the others had been to before but at the moment Lory had absolutely no idea.

Lory walked towards the carving of the wall and with each step he took, the furrows of his brows deepened until his steps stopped right in front of the huge carving of the wall.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lory could see the man staring at the wall beside her, Lory slowly turned her head towards the man but the man didn't seem to notice as he seemed to be immersed in the picture on the wall.

"Is this picture mean something to you?" Lory shift to speak on common language thinking this mysterious man might understand her but the man remains quiet.

Curious Lory raised her hand subconsciously to reach the man's shoulder, however, Lory found her hand passed through the man's body as if she touching the air, confirming that the man was not human Lory pulled her hand back then she looked at the handsome man beside her a long moment before turning her gaze back to the carvings on the walls.

The carved image of a small child with a small snake looking so close and intimate made Lory feel uncomfortable, she wondered why this place was full of snake images everywhere she had guessed the snake had important meaning to Emperor Lei Yu but maybe the reason was deeper than she thought.

"Do you know that boy?" Lory tried to communicate with the handsome man who was standing still looking at the carving on the wall with a deep gaze.

But the man did not speak for quite a long time and lory thought this creature was unable to communicate when Lory was ready to give up suddenly the man turns his head at Lory and then shook his head slowly.

"Oh" Lory was shocked but at the same time relieved she then continue probing the man "do you know this child?"

The man nodded then he pointed at the boy in the carving then patted his chest very slowly.

Lory immediately understood and her eyes widened instantly "The boy it's you?!"

A rueful smile spread across his face, an expression of sadness mixed with loneliness

A faint smile flits across the man's handsome face, an expression of despair mixed with loneliness and exhaustion etched on his face as if it showed what he had been through.

Lory knew that expression very well because she saw it every day in a vague reflection of herself after she received the curse from Lazarus.

"And the snake . . . what does that mean to you?"

The man then opened his palm and from Lory's ring, a book was summoned and floated in front of Lory.

Lory's brow furrowed didn't know how that mysterious man able to summon stuff from her ring but then her attention switch to the familiar-looking book in front of her.

It was the book she had bought at a small bookstore near the Xi Lin tea house that she owned with Yang Xi Ying.

Lory only skimmed through the book once before she dumped it inside her ring and forgot about it.

Lory held the book and then cast a confused look at the man, she wasn't sure what the man wanted from her then suddenly in her head, she heard a deep baritone voice.

'Miss, you look very beautiful...'

Lory's breath hitched, the man's words brought back a forgotten memory in her, and Lory's face stiffened in surprise. Lory remembers someone saying the same thing and that person is an old bookkeeper at the bookstore selling this book, but that's impossible!

"It can't be!" Lory gasped while staring intently at the man, this man's appearance was definitely different from the old bookkeeper's appearance she had met before but what if it was all just an illusion, how did he do it?

From behind the man, a firefly suddenly flew with a flickering white light toward Lory then alighted on the book then suddenly disappeared.

"Arthea...." Lory mutter and for a moment everything seems like standing still.

Lory then turned her gaze back to the man "You know Arthea, the seeress?"

The man softly nods.

Immediately everything became clear, Lory finally understood that all of this was part of Arthea's grand plan and that everything that happened that day was not a coincidence.

It wasn't a coincidence that she found that bookstore, it's no wonder at that time she felt there was something strange about the bookstore being squeezed between two luxurious buildings as if the bookstore was not supposed to be there, maybe it was all an illusion that Arthea made in order for her to find the book.

Then what happened if she didn't plan to buy a book that day, heck, knowing her,  Arthea might use another trick to deliver the book to her hand, realizing she was being tricked Lory can't help to feel upset, after all, no one likes being toyed around, unfortunately, this is not the time to be angry.