37 We Are Going to The Lake

While Feng Tian is setting the stage for a romantic evening with XiXi, she is sitting on her bed with a giant book on her lap reading.

The more she is reading XiXi feels a burning sensation behind her ear where that strange flower design is located. She always thought it was kind of cool, but weird to have,so she kept it covered with her hair.

She tried not to think about it very often, no one else she knew had such a strange birthmark.

She rubs her ear and wonders why, maybe she got some sort of ear infection from the spring. No, she thinks, it is more like she got bit by fire ants. The burning sensation had stopped when she got off the bed maybe it was some insect in the covers.

She sets the book down and goes over to the bronze mirror on the table, I should see if dad has a real mirror as she looks at the vague image of herself reflected by the bronze.

If he does maybe we could find a way to split it into two, so LingLing can have one, she should be able to look at a mirror to see how beautiful she is. This bronze mirror is too primitive.

Little does XiXi know LingLing has a special plate a wizard gave her when he fell in love with her that shows her reflection perfectly. The poor man had no idea she had led him on just to gain some of his prized possessions.

When she left his village deep in the forest, she wiped his mind of her memory with some tricks she had stolen from another poor fellow a few years back.

XiXi puts the mirror down and goes over to the bed and shakes the covers to see if it is infested with some fire ants or whatever the equivalent would be in this strange world.

When she flips the covers, the Book of Zhang ,Volume One, heavily falls to the ground, its pages fluttering.

The yellowed worn page had pictures, an ancient type handwriting that was so strange and archaic she had trouble reading it. This particular page was about transforming into animals? Her blue eyes lit up, how cool is that!

I know Dad said to wait but XiXi thought I always wondered what my cat was thinking.

My cat always looks so arrogant and independent, she pictured her cat Starlyn, a very haughty cat indeed.

A Shirazi cat with startling blue eyes and long white fur.

She would walk through their house as though XiXi and her parents were its servants

.{ Yes, you may pet me, wash your hands first human, my fur is as white as snow, don't dirty it}

I'm just going to read it there is no harm in that, actually I might write it down so when I return the book I can still study it, it sounds fun.

Reading this page XiXi took her time, painstakingly copied every picture and word on it, if it was a subject she was interested in she would concentrate and be very focused.

When she replicated the page she closed the book, I still will need to figure out some of these words I don't recognize the was thinking.

Her eyes were tired from reading and she returned it to her father. It was getting late in the afternoon. She wanted to consider what she would make for LingLing's special feast, but she needed a short nap.

Zhang Yu was making some plans for supplies when she entered his room.

He looked up and took off his reading glasses,"Did you get very far reading XiXi? Do you have any notes or questions for me?"

"Dad look behind my ear, does it look like I got bit by something?"

Zhang Yu looks where she is pointing and it is the red lotus design behind her right ear. It looks the same as always except it almost appears a little brighter on one of the petals.

He isn't sure thinking maybe he never looked that closely before at the color. He does consider the possibility there is some significance to it.

"No, I didn't notice any bites."

"I'm going to lay down then, gather ingredients for dinner is that all right with you?"

Zhang Yu replies, "Sure, that is plenty to absorb the first day. The way of the Dao is a little difficult to grasp at first and you should contemplate the teachings."

XiXi is thinking I read through that and was able to grasp it easily. While reading it was as though it unlocked part of my brain where the knowledge was already stored as if the way of the Dao is ingrained in me.

I had no trouble comprehending unlike when I tried the spell.

"See you at dinner then Dad."

When she leaves his room and is walking down the hall it dawned on her where is Feng Tian? I haven't seen him all day and usually he is underfoot.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear, Feng Tian is walking down the hall with a sack in his hands.

"What's in the sack Feng Tian?"

" I got a little beast when I was in Myriad Cloud City. I told a friend of mine I would watch it until he returns from the Rajin Mystical Warrior Sect."

He kicks the little beast who is trying to pop out to see this girl. The little beast wants to see if she is as beautiful as her voice.

"Can I see it? What kind of beast, it must be small to fit in that sack? What's its name?"

XiXi is getting curious as to what kind of beast fits in a bag and doesn't try to claw its way out. Her cat would be screeching, and clawing that sack.

"I need to find a place for him right now, you can see him later." He rushes past her to the outer courtyard.

"Listen little beast, I don't want you bothering her, if she gets even a scratch from you I will skewer you for dinner, you understand?"

Feng Tian gets the impression this beast understands humans and warns him. The little beast is almost thrown back into the flowers from the killing intent coming from Feng Tian.

This King understands, she must be that XiXi he was babbling about. That fellow is stronger than he lets people see, I wonder why he hides his strength to appear mild mannered?

This could prove interesting.

Feng Tian continues talking, "I know you won't escape because of that old Daoist priest. I am going to leave you in this courtyard, you can eat some of the grapes in the back by the far wall.

I don't think Yun Tai will notice. he will be back tomorrow though, just don't overdo! I will be back later with some other food later.

The little beast looks at Feng Tian. Yun Tai the one his army calls The Invincible Immortal?

The people call The God of War?

That Yun Tai!

Lou Wan what the hell is going on here?

No, I definitely won't overdo, I might only have one grape until you return with some meat buns.

You need a name too, so she doesn't get suspicious of my "friend" story. What shall I call you. The little beast takes his paw and writes in the dirt, King.

Feng Tian looks at what it wrote and bursts out laughing, so you do understand!

But there is no way I am calling you King, you pesky beast.

Did you name yourself ,he continues to laugh uproariously.

The little beast is fuming at being laughed at but he understands this brat won't bow to him in this state.

He takes his paw and wipes away the writing and scratches with his claw, Zhen.

You certainly are full of yourself, Zhen is what the King calls himself.

Still laughing, he starts to walk away, I don't have the time to deal with you, fine, Zhen it is.

"I will be back later, don't get in trouble. There are two spirit beasts that also live here, don't bother them either."

Why does he think I'm going to waste my time bothering that girl or a couple of lowly spirit beasts..

Xixi is about to lay down when she hears a knock at her door.

She opens the door to see Feng Tian standing there. When he sees her, he is staring at her intensely his green eyes have a fire in them as he looks at her state of undress.

Is she always so unaware, what if someone else was at her door.

Her dress is slipping off her shoulder as though she was in the middle of removing it when he arrived.

"What do you want Feng Tian, I was about to take a nap." XiXi says a bit curtly, she is very tired from studying.

Feng Tian gulps and averts his eyes away from her neck and shoulders that are exposing her delicate white skin and says, "I was wondering if you would like to go to the lake to gather some ingredients for dinner.

There are some herbs there LingLing especially likes the meat seasoned with, it only grows on the Plum Blossom Cliffs by the lake.

She won't be back from traveling to Myriad Cloud City until late,she has Sect business to attend to there.

"Special herbs LingLing likes? Thank you Feng Tian that is very thoughtful of you!

I never thought to ask her what type of food she likes! What if I prepared food she doesn't like.

Yes! Let's go to the lake!"

Give me a little time I was going to lay on the bed for awhile and was undressing.

This is my only dress for now so I didn't want to wrinkle it.

Feng Tian glances over at the bed, his mind suddenly conjuring up a vision of XiXi on the bed, her dress neatly placed on the chair...