Chapter 74 - The Suitors

My moon!!!!

Suddenly Tang Wei Sheng's handsome face flashed in Li Juan's mind.

He was the one who addresses her as "the moon,"

No, not him-His alter ago-Tang Wei Lang, he is the one who calls her by the name "moon."

Wei Lang, the great wolf,

Whenever his alternate ego appears, he addresses himself as the wolf, is there any reason behind it?

"If Yu Clan exists, does that means that there will be a human who is manifested, with a wolf god?" Li Juan hesitantly asked Bai Qi.

"It is an enigmatic question, princess. The existence of Wolf God is something difficult to interpret." Bai Qi said with uncertainty.

"Nobody worships him or there aren't mythical stories about him. Just like the way goddess Yue, got erased from the mythology, wolf God has also vanished or replaced by canine or fox deities." Bai Qi explained.

"What if someone exists? Li Juan repeated her question. 

" If we are in a fictional world, it must be easy to believe that there is a werewolf or fox god lives among human beings. But we are not," Bai Qi gently smiled. 

"Let's believe that every single one of us has an inner beast. In some individuals, those beastly instincts remain hidden, whereas, in some others, they are quite prominent. We often compare these inner beasts to our personality traits." Bai Qi elaborated on the topic. He clearly got a picture of his granddaughter. She appears silent, but if something sparks her curiosity, she quickly transforms into a talkative person.

"The wolf is the metaphorical representation of someone's personality?" Li Juan asked again to confirm. 

"I believe so,"

Li Juan was silent for a moment. 

"People with wolf personality traits are an exceptional case," Bai Qi continued,

They possess two sides, a "dark" and "light" side. 

Usually, they tend to be loyal to their loved ones and guards them at any cost. But once they sense disloyalty or their territory is threatened, they tend to reveal their dark side."

"Does the dark side of their personality overpowers the other and turns the individual into a bad person. Is that possible?" Li Juan remembered the transformation she saw in Tang Wei Sheng's character. 

"It can happen sometimes, but almost every time it is us who decide whether to keep the wolves loose or chained." Bai Qi replied and looked at his granddaughter who appeared worried.

"Let's go outside," Bai Qi led Li Juan towards his study room.

Even after getting back into the study room, Li Juan appeared lost in thoughts.

"Haven't you ever searched for Jade Land?" Li Juan asked Bai Qi.

"We searched for years, but the land has completely disappeared from the earth. From my grandfather's time, we have finally abandoned the idea of searching for the land." Bai Qi's words were filled with agony.

"The moment we abandoned our home, we are no longer eligible to step in the sacred land."

"But grandfather," Li Juan stopped in between her words. 

She wanted to say that she found ruins of jade land. But she wasn't sure it was jade land. 

Professor Han Guang's team has found the ruins of a lost city. But they need solid proof to establish the identity of the land.

Li Juan was lost in thoughts.

Bai Qi looked at Li Juan's worried face.

"Princess, you don't have to worry. I told you all these only because you are soon to be coronated as the queen." 

"All you need to worry is about choosing the right person from the suitors."

"Huh?" Li Juan asked. 

"Your betrothal," Bai Qi reminded her. 

"There will be eligible men from the Yu clan and the Guan family. And if you have someone in your mind, we can consider them too."

"The Guan family?" Li Juan inquired.

"They are the royal bloodline of the Guan Kingdom.

We are indebted to them."

"For helping us to relocate to Yun city?" Li Juan shared her doubt.

"Well, partially, Yes. But there is something more," Bai Qi paused for a moment. 

"It was because of a promise,"

"A promise?"

"A promise made between Queen Ling Yue and master Mu."

"What was that?"

"Queen Bai Yu Yue was a student of Mu Sect and the grand Master Mu was happy to help the Yu clan when the war occurred. 

In return, he asked for one thing. He wanted to nominate someone as Bai Yu Yue's suitor." 

"But Yu clan practised-" Li Juan tried to fill the blanks.

"While Bai Yu Yue was studying in the Mu Sect, one of the master's disciples fell in love with her.

Since she was from the Yu clan, she rejected him. So master wanted to give him a chance." 

"That man was from Guan kingdom?" 

"Hmm, he was one of the princes of Guan kingdom. While the war was declared, he went to Yu kingdom to help Bai Yu Yue and her army. His army was the one who brought the Yu clan to the Mu sect." 

"His army also disappeared?" Li Juan was curious.

"Yes, except one, the second prince of Guan Kingdom, returned to the Mu sect. He informed them that his brother has saved the queen and both of them are coming back.

Yu clan waited for Bai Yu Yue's and her army's return. One week, two weeks, A month ended, they didn't arrive. So in order to search for them, master Mu, his disciples and few Yu clan elders went to the Jade land. But they couldn't find Jade Land or a single human being.

The place where Jade land situated has replaced by a large lake. The Entire place was submerged under the water." Bai Qi stopped for a moment to calm his mind which is drowning into sorrow. It was a heart-wrenching topic for him.

"As per the prophecy, the Dragon River has washed away every single drop of blood spilt in the sacred land of the Yu Kingdom.

A Whole kingdom has disappeared overnight.

No one knew what happened to the army or the queen.

Yu clan lost everything, the land, the people, and their home. We became fugitives." Bai Qi wiped his misty eyes which are filled with tears.

"The Guan Kingdom helped Yu clan to relocate to the current Yun city. 

According to the promise made by Queen Ling Yue with master Mu, eligible bachelors from descendants of Guan royal bloodline are still considered as suitors for the woman born in the Bai family of Yu clan." Bai Qi explained to her. "Unfortunately, we never got a chance to fulfil the promise."

Li Juan knew the reason behind the unfulfilled promise. Bai family didn't have a girl in their family tree after Bai Yu' Yue.

"Am I supposed to marry him?

Li Juan asked him directly.

"Only if you like him." Bai Qi said with a smile. "He is one of your suitors."

"What is this entire suitor thing?"

As I have said earlier, there will be several eligible bachelors from the Yu clan and Guan family. You have to choose one from them. In the old days, there has been duals and challenges for suitors to prove worthy of the queen. But nowadays we follow the maiden's heart.

If you like someone you can choose them. It is simple.

If you have any doubts, you can ask your aunts." Bai Qi suggested and waited for Li Juan's reply.

"Everyone in Yu clan marries likes this? It is so complicating." Li Juan whined.

"Usually, it is not as complicated as seem." Bai Qi corrected her. "Most of the children in the Yu clan know each other from childhood, so it was easy for them."

"Hmm, yeah, she was an outsider." Li Juan repeated in her mind.

"Usually, the firstborn male and female are considered as a couple, so it is less complicating. Your eldest uncle and aunt got married like that." Bai Qi added to his explanation. "Only your father was an exception- he refused to follow any of the rules and left the palace."

"Hmm, the firstborn female in my generation, isn't it Zhang Zhi Li Jun?" Li Juan asked to clear her doubt.

"We believed it was her, but your uncle recently found out that you are elder than Li Jun." Bai Qi proudly declared.

"The firstborn female, the only girl child in the Bai family- you are the right person to become the Queen."

When Li Juan returned to her room, her mind was in a confused state.

There are several things she needs to check.

Li Juan took her laptop and phone and switched it on.

"Aisshhhh, I forgot," Li Juan cursed. She doesn't have a sim card. 

Along with Li Juan's identification documents, Tang Wei Sheng took her sim card too.

Li Juan gritted her teeth in anger.

After coming to Yu palace, she rarely asks for favours from her family members. She doesn't want to burden them. But right now she is forced to ask help.

"But who?" for her identification documents, Li Juan sought Zhang Zi Zhong's help. Should she ask him again?

Li Juan walked downstairs and looked for Zhang Zi Zhong, only to know that he and Lin Li-Hui went back to Xi city due to an emergency. 

"Should I ask my cousins?" A sudden thought emerged into Li Juan's mind. "But who?"

When Bai Yu called her a fake imitation of Zhang Li Jun and walked out from the dining room, Li Juan realized that none of her cousins likes her. For them, she is an outsider.

Even though Bai Mu Chuan appears harmless, the other four cousins look at her as an enemy.

Okay then, let's ask him, Li Juan decided and search for him. While wandering around the palace, Li Juan heard her cousin's noises from the swimming pool.

"Oh, they must be in the pool,"

Li Juan walked towards the swimming pool.

Four of her cousins except for Bai Mu Chuan were playing in the pool. They were competing against each other in a race. The maids and butlers were cheering for them. Li Juan stood there watching their race.

"Princess," the butlers greeted her.

"Did you see Bai Mu Chuan?"

"The third master must be in the garden."

"Why are you looking for him?" Bai Yu who got out of the pool walked towards Li Juan.

" I need a help from him."

"Oh, you don't ask for help from us?" Bai Yu' faked a sad face expression

"Will you help me?"

"No," Bai Yu answered and laughed at his own comment. 

How lame, Li Juan thought.

"That's why I didn't ask you." She quickly refuted back. 

"Did you take a bath today?" Bai Yu's face had a cunning smile. 

Even before Li Juan could reply, Bai Yu pushed her towards the pool.

Ahhhhhhh, PLOP!!!!

Li Juan fell into the water with a loud splash sound.

What the hell?

Li Juan looked at Bai Yu with a murderous glare.

She got off from the swimming pool and walked towards Bai Yu.

"Bai Yu," Li Juan called him." I don't know why you hate me so much, Yeah, I am not your Li Jun Jie, I cannot replace her and I don't want it either. I am Li Juan. If my presence irks you, feel free to stay away from me. But, I warn you,

don't play these kinds of petty tricks on me, again. There is a limit for tolerating everything." Li Juan finally took her stand. 

"What if I refuse? This is my house." Bai Yu' arrogantly claimed. But Li Juan wasn't willing to back off this time. She tolerated enough. 

"Of course this is your house, I am not going to stay here forever. I will leave the moment I get my identification documents. I haven't promised anyone that I will stay here and get humiliated by my so-called cousins."

Li Juan left without looking back at him.

When Li Juan came back after changing her clothes, Bai Mu Chuan was standing outside her room.

"I heard that you were looking for me?"

"Do you have a spare sim card with internet connection or router?" Li Juan cut the chase 

"Huh?"

"I need to check something. I lost my sim card.

Can you give me some wifi, it won't take any longer," Li Juan explained.

"Hmm, give me your phone,"

Bai Mu Chuan took the phone from Li Juan and looked at the wallpaper in surprise.

"You like him?"

Li Juan looked at Bai Mu Chuan who appeared curious.

Oh, she still uses Zhang Zhi Jun's photo as her wallpaper.

"Yes,"

"I thought you are not like the other girls?" Bai Mu Chuan commented. "You know, the brain-dead fans who are crazy for their idols?"

"I am one of those brain-dead fans of Zhi Jun.

I love him, I love him a lot." Li Juan proudly declared.

"Seriously, can't I put my favourite idol's picture of my idol?"

" I didn't mean to offend you, Even I am also a fan of Zhang Zhi Jun." Bai Mu Chuan said with a faint smile.

It was the first time, Li Juan saw a smile on the stone-face of her cousin. 

"Yes, Zhang Zhi Jun is loved by everyone."