Luo Ying Hill was a holy place of the Magical Snow Mountain; the entire hill was covered with white cherry blossoms and they would never wither. This was where Shi and I pa.s.sed our final test to become the top illusionists. We have to use every piece of snowflake to hit the petals of the cherry blossoms and replaced the cherry blossoms with snowflakes. I remembered that day our father, my mother and Shi’s mother, Lian Ji, were particularly happy because we have created a miracle in the history of the Snow Empire. There wasn’t even a petal left on the tree. But the only difference was that when Shi’s last petal fell to the ground, I still have a lot of snowflakes flying in the air.
When it’s time to leave, granny sent me out all the way to the border of the forest. I went to give her a hug, and I realized her back had become a little more hunched, and she was only at my chest level. In the past when I was still a kid, I loved sitting on her laps.
“Granny, to be honest to you, I didn’t want to grow up.”
“Ka Suo, you are the future king. So how can you not grow up?”
“Granny, I used to think the king is the superior one, and has everything except one thing. And that is freedom. I love freedom so much. In fact, I wanted to leave this castle, leave the snow kingdom. In fact, the 30 years in the mortal world was the happiest days I ever had. I witnessed the hustling and bustling of the mortals’ lives. And also Shi. During these 30 years, I protected him with my life, and I felt that he’s my world, my everything. Granny, you have been living in the forest, you don’t know the moment when the snow falls, everything become cold. Let alone the castle in the snow, where the snow will continue for ten whole years.”
After saying that I left the snow fog forest. Just when I was about to step into Ren City of Snow, I heard granny’s ethereal voice, she said. “Ka Suo, my young king, the red lotus will blossom soon, the twin stars shall gather, and the wheel of fate has begun. Please wait patiently…”
—
When Li Luo died – I always thought that she was dead, buried in the depths of the Sea of Ice – I always had the same dream, in the dream Shi and I were walking on a deserted street in the mortal world. It was snowing heavily, Shi turned to me and said. “Ge, I’m so cold! Hug me.” I untied my robe and pulled him towards me. Then I heard the sound of snow-crushing footsteps ahead of me, and then I saw Li Luo She came over, crossed her arms and looked at me. “My king, I am here to bring you home.” Then she turned to leave, I wanted to chase after her but I couldn’t move at all. I could only watch Li Luo disappeared into the heavy snow, and never come back.
There was always one man who would appear at the end of the dream - silvery-white hair, unruly handsome face, tall physique, snow white magic robe – he looked just like my father in his younger days. He came over, knelt before me and kissed my brow. He said, “Ge, if you do not want to go home, then don’t go back. Please be free…”
Then I felt a sudden chill, and that person would always ask me. “Ge, are you cold?” I nodded. He then curled his left index finger up, and began chanting a spell. Lotus-liked flames began dancing around me, I used to be exceptionally afraid of the fire of the Fire Tribe, but I felt sincere warmth instead. When I looked up to see his face, his image would become blurred, and then gradually dispersed away like the mist.
Since young, I have always been a quiet kid. I never liked talking to others except Shi. Ever since the return from the snow fog forest, I have been suffering from insomnia. Every night I would stand on the palace roof, watching the moonlight dancing on the tiles, listening to the breathing of the northern snow fog forest, and smiled dazedly with lonesome moonlight on my face.
I didn’t want to be a king, when my older brothers were still alive, I hoped when I grew up I could go live in seclusion at Magic Snow Mountain with Shi after we grew up. When I told Shi about my wish, I remembered his smile was exceptionally bright and happy. He told me. “Ge, you have to remember. You must remember.” However, the moment my older brothers died in the holy world, I never spoke a single word about that wish to Shi anymore and he also never mentioned anything about it.
After that I met Li Luo, the two of us sat on the roof the whole night. Staring at the dancing starlight, watching the falling snow, covering the entire territory of the Snow Empire.
After Li Luo’s death, Xing Jiu gave me a dream that he wanted me to enter. In the dream, I saw Li Luo in white, and she was standing high up on the unicorn. I heard her saying. “A long time ago, I was a simple and fortunate person. Everyday I would have very sweet and deep dreams until I met Ka Suo. Every night was a sleepless night to him, and so I would accompany him to sit on the vast empty palace roof, watching the starlight dancing on his silvery-white hair…”
On my 240-year-old birthday feast, my father seated on his high icy throne, smiling at me and said. “Ka Suo, I announce you as the next king of the Snow Empire. I will hand the whole empire to you on your 250th birthday.” Then I heard the cheers from the sorcerers and astrologers, worshipping me but I just stood in the centre with an expressionless face, my empty heart was filled with the sound of the wind.
“Father, maybe I am the better candidate to be the king.” Shi stood next to me, smiling, but said firmly.
“Shi, what are you talking about?” Father looked at him and the whole court of sorcerers as well.
“I said, maybe I can be a better king than Ka Suo.” Then Shi turned to me and smiled. He leant down and kissed my eyebrow, saying. “Ge, my hair grows longer than yours.” I saw my mother sitting next to my father, looking at me with concerns. And Lian Ji, Shi’s mother, had an eerie smile in her eyes.
I remembered that day a highly respected sorcerer, Fa Ta, stepped out and helped to end this embarra.s.sing situation. He looked up at my brother and said. “Young prince, the king is not just someone with the strongest spiritual power, so you cannot replace your brother.”
Then Shi walked over, touching his hair and said. “Sorcerer Fa Ta, but if someone like you whose hair is only at the length of the knees becomes the king, and that someone wants to kill you, what should you do? How long can you stay as the king? Sorcerer Fa Ta, I want to kill you, what will you do?” Then Shi turned around to leave the hall, his smile was unpredictable and evil. I heard his unbridled laughter echoing everywhere within the city. Three days later, Fa Ta was found dead in his sorcery room, clothes intact, but his body has melted into water completely, just like death caused by the fire magic of the fire elves.
The death of Fa Ta caused the entire city to sink into dead silence. People were wondering if the Fire Tribe had sneaked into the territory of the Snow Empire, and even Ren City of Snow.
I once asked Xing Jiu. “Do you know how Fa Ta died?”
“Yes, but please forgive me, my young king. I cannot tell you.”
“You can’t even tell me?”
“Yes even your father too. You should know that astrologers of Ren City of Snow have the freedom to read the stars and to interpret dreams, but also the right to remain silent.”
“Fine, I’m tired now. I don’t want to know anymore now. Let me ask you one last question, is there someone from the Fire Tribe in Ren City of Snow?”
“My king, the answer is no. If there is one, I’ll tell you and I will protect you with my life. My king, as long as there is someone that threatens you, I will protect you with my life.”
“Then did Fa Ta die under the fire magic?”
Xing Jiu turned his back to me, and left without saying a word. Snow fell and covered Xing Jiu’s shoulders. I wanted to go over to shield him with my magic shield, but I didn’t in the end. I turned and left. As I walked back to the palace, I heard granny’s ethereal voice piercing through the snow, saying. “Ka Suo, my young king. Red lotus is about to bloom, twin star will eventually gather, the wheel of fate has begun. Please wait patiently…”
—
Three months after Fa Ta’s death, the city suddenly went ablaze, everyone’s face was reflected in the red firelight. This was the second time I saw the red ablaze sky after that holy war and my father’s cold solemn face. The place on fire was Mirage Sky, Ying Kong Shi’s palace.
When I arrived the Mirage Sky, the fire had already engulfed the entire palace. I saw the palace maids dissipated into the fire and eventually turning into white mist, just like how the sorcerers of the empire died in the holy war. I thought of Shi, suddenly I saw his smile in the sky. I curled my ring finger and called upon the snow. With snow swirling around me, I burst into the burning palace. Shi was lying on the ground, surrounded by very little residual snow to protect him. I picked him up from the floor and shielded him with my snow barrier. I saw his hand over his eye; glistening white blood couldn’t stop gushing out from his fingers. That moment I was so devastated, was he the world that I would protect with my life? Was this how I protected Shi?
Shi looked at me with one eye and smile, then he fainted. Right before he went out of conscious, he said something to me, one word, just one word. “Ge.”
I held him in my embrace and told the unconscious Shi. “Shi, no matter who wants to hurt you, I will tie him into pieces. Because you are my world.”
—
Xing Jiu was standing on the altar at the Magic Snow Mountain in the fog.
“Xing Jiu, do you anything about the fire at Mirage Sky?”
“I know, my dear king. Your father asked me the same question as well. But please forgive me, I can’t say anything.”
“Let me ask you. Is it the fire from the Fire Tribe that hurt Shi?”
Xing Jiu walked over and knelt in front of me with his hands crossed, saying. “Ka Suo, my future king, no one will hurt Ying Kong Shi, believe me. But king, some things are not as simple as you think. Ka Suo, my young king, the red lotus is about to bloom. Twin stars will gather eventually, the wheel of fate has begun, please wait patiently…”
After that fire, Shi lost his sight of one eye. Seeing him wearing an eye patch, my heart couldn’t help but to feel sad. But he always told me it’s fine, smiling sweetly.
He leant over and kissed my eyebrow, calling me. “Ge.” Cherry blossoms never stopped falling from the tree, falling all over our shoulders.
After so many things had happened, my father began to worry about the safety of the empire, and he seemed to consider handing the throne to Shi. However the end result was never made known, but everytime I walked past Lian Ji, I would always see her eerie yet bewitching smile. For once, father had asked Shi when at the grand hall. “Shi, you really want to be a king?”
Shi said. “Yes, I want to be the king. Gege wanted freedom, please give him his freedom. Please give me the throne.”
Lian Ji’s smile became wider, bewitching the whole city, bewitching the whole country.
One day under the cherry blossom tree, I asked Shi. “Shi, you really want to be a king so much?”
“Ge, do you want to be a king?”
“No. I want to go back to snow fog forest where there is no snow, warm like spring, and there’s granny – the first person who taught me sorcery.”
“Ge, since you don’t want, then just let me be the king.” Cherry blossoms fell like snowflakes; I heard the sound of the s...o...b..rd, snow started to melt. The bewitching smile of Lian Ji.
—
Another winter was here. The little princess of the Sea Palace had finally grown up. I’ve heard from many people were talking about her beauty, and also her having the purest blood. The concubines for the royalty were all from the Sea Palace, my mother was one, and so was Lian Ji. Before 130-year-old, they were in their mermaid look. And once they hit 130-year-old, they would the most beautiful woman and entered the city.
“This little princess will become your wife, Ka Suo. She will be the future queen.” Father led the mermaid princess, Lan Sang, who was in her human form towards me. I saw Lan Sang’s beautiful face and smile. She knelt before me with both hands crossed, and said. “Ka Suo, my future king.” At that moment, I thought of Li Luo all of a sudden, she was at the deepest level of the Sea Palace too. I wondered if she would become the pure blood mermaid in her next life. I looked at Lan Sang, I almost thought she was Li Luo, their faces were almost similar. She came to take my hand, and tiptoed to kiss my brow. Then I heard Shi’s evil and cruel laughter.
“Father, maybe Lan Sang would choose me. Why must you let her and Ka s...o...b.. together?”
Shi came up to me and pulled Lan Sang to him, stroking her and said. “You hair is pure silvery-white, you must have the purest blood in you. Marry me, I will protect you from any harm.”
Lan Sang said with a smile. “Shi, my dear young prince, the one I love is your brother. You are just a little brother in my heart. In fact, when I was still a mermaid, I’ve already known your brother. Because I love him, I want to be his bride. I believe he can protect me, letting me grow old together with him.”
“Is that so?” Shi suddenly leant closer to her ear and said softly. “But Ka Suo isn’t the strongest illusionist. For example I want to kill, what will you do? And what else can he do?”
With that he turned away to leave, his weird and creepy laughter filled the entire place, every single place where the snow fall.
One month later, Lan Sang died under the cherry blossom tree. When she died, her lower body transformed back to her mermaid tail.
Both my parents remained tight-lipped on this matter; no one in the palace was allowed to talk about this. But many people were saying that Lan Sang died from suicide. Only Lian Ji’s smile continued to creep around me.
“Granny, why Lan Sang’s lower body turned into a tail when she died? Hasn’t she already become a human?”
“Ka Suo, the mermaid tribe has always been marriage partner for the royalty, because of their n.o.ble status, and their ability to control water, so the combination of the royalty and the mermaid tribes will produce the descendants with the strongest spiritual power. This is the reason why Li Luo cannot become the queen of Snow Empire. Mermaid tribe will become human at the age of 130, but if she were being humiliated before being officially married to the prince, she will then revert to her mermaid form.”
“Granny, do you know who humiliated Lan Sang?”
“I don’t know.”
“Granny, did she die from suicide?”
“I don’t know. Ka Suo, I am not an astrologer, Xing Jiu may be able to tell you.”
—
“Xing Jiu, can you tell how Lan Sang die?”
“Suicide, all internal organs were being pierced by water within the body.”
“Why would she commit suicide?”
“Because her chast.i.ty has been tainted, and so her lower body has turned back to a fish tail because she felt humiliated and was too shameful to see you. She loves you very much.”
“Tell me who did that to her?”
“My king, I’ve always told you I can’t tell you anything, but this time, I would like to show you a dream. It’s your dream and there is a secret within this dream. Not sure if you could see it or not, but if you could, all your problems or questions would be solved.”
The dream that Xing Jiu gave me was the scene where Shi and I were having our final illusionist test. Shi and I got our left ring finger curled up, chanting the spell, sweeping the snowflakes off the ground. I walked in and out the dream, but I couldn’t understand why Xing Jiu gave me this dream. I just couldn’t interpret it.
Until near the end of this winter, father solemnly declared that I would be the next king. That night I entered that same dream again, and I found the answers to all my questions.
In that dream, when Shi and I casted the spell at the same time, my left ring finger was curled up, while Shi’s right index finger was also moving unknowingly.
This gesture belonged to the Fire Tribe. I saw this action while I was on my run from the Fire Tribe.
—–
“Xing Jiu, tell me what you know. When did you know Shi’s secret?”
“The moment when I read his fortune. I did a check on the six astrologers, and from their bodies, I found their cause of deaths.”
“Why did they die?”
“Very simple, because Shi uses illusion magic to kill them. A very simple illusion magic, and that is turning the water in their bodies to ice, piercing through all their internal organs. Just because Shi is the prince, no one will suspect him, let alone those six astrologers, so he could do it very easily.”
“Then what about you, Xing JIu?”
“When Shi tried to cast the magic, I broke it secretly. It’s a simple trick to me. But at the same time Shi knew that I became wary of him. On that day, when everyone left, he came over and told me. “Xing Jiu, you are a great astrologer, if you can forget about what you had read today, then you can continue to live on. If not, you will experience the greatest illusion magic.” Then he gave me an eerie smile.”
“Why didn’t he let others read his fortune?”
“Because he didn’t want others to know about him knowing illusion skills of the Fire Tribe.”
“What about Fa Ta’s death?”
“It’s Shi who killed him.”
“The fire at Mirage Sky?”
“It was Shi who did it.”
“Then… Lan Sang’s death? It was Shi again?”
“He raped her, and then she committed suicide out of shame.”
“Xing Jie, what is the meaning of the painting that you had given me earlier?”
“My king, there are some things that I can’t tell you right now. And do you know? In fact, when Shi turned adult that year, he told me to read his stars. I was the first who read his stars. That time, I gave him a dream, it was a dream that I have never seen it before. Eerie but beautiful. Someday I will give this dream to you, because you are also the owner of this dream.”
“Xing Jiu, can you tell me the dream now?”
“Cannot. But there is a dream that I can give you now, and that is the dream before Lan Sang’s death.”
After much talking Xing Jiu left and made his way to the Star Sacrificial Altar. As for me, I stood in front of the city door, looking around. Snow enveloped the entire black earth land; I watched the greenery of the Snow Fog Forest stretching across the horizon, and my heart felt sad. In my daze, I heard the water dripping sound during Fa Ta’s death, I heard the collapsing sound during the Mirage Sky’s fire, I heard Lan Sang’s night song when she died, then I heard Shi calling out for me during the fire. “Ge,” My tear streamed down and dropped onto the white marble step, turning into ice.
Xing Jiu’s ethereal voice traveled across the vast land and said. “Ka Suo, my young king. Red lotus is blooming soon, twin stars will gather, and the wheel of fate has begun. Please wait patiently…”
That night I sat on the roof of the palace, under the clear bright moon, I entered Lan Sang’s dream. In the dream, I saw the younger Lan Sang, she was swimming in the ice sea near the city. She was swimming in the sea, lithe like a b.u.t.terfly. At the same time, I heard her inner voice; her beautiful voice was just like the legendary mermaids’ singing voice.
“I know the man on the roof. His name is Ka Suo, the future king of the Snow Empire. Every night I will always see him sitting on the roof, his eyes sparkled like the stars. The night wind was blowing on his and his snow-white robe; his hair flew like smooth satin in the wind. I don’t understand why isn’t he sleeping. I only know after seeing him, I will continue to come back to the same place, imagining myself being together with him under the same starry sky.
“Granny told me I am the most beautiful child from the Sea Palace, I will become the future princess. When I turned adult, I will become his wife. Ka Suo, my future king. I will accompany him to sit on the roof every night, watching the stars. Ka Suo, my future king, please wait for me. Wait for me…”
