(3) The Gift of a Jade Pendant

Ziyuan smiled faintly. In truth, Anu's completely unguarded, natural ease of manner was itself a clear sign of just how thoroughly doted upon this little princess had been — she made no effort at all to observe formal courtesy toward him, and it seemed evident she rarely bothered with such courtesy even toward her own parents and brothers. Though the Asura Clan was hardly as bound by elaborate rules of etiquette as the Celestial Clan, the most basic courtesies of royal conduct still had to be observed within the palace — and yet Anu behaved with such reckless disregard for them entirely. Even Xiaoyi and Xing'er had bowed to him properly; only Anu had utterly ignored the custom altogether. And yet he found none of it the least bit jarring — on Anu, all of this willfulness seemed perfectly reasonable and natural. Perhaps it was simply that he himself was somewhat older than Anu, and so found himself all the more tolerant toward a young girl in the full flush of her youth, feeling only that she was innocent and endearing, never rude in the slightest. Hearing Anu's question, he drew the Yin-Yang Daggers and the Seven-Colored Flowing Light Sword from his sleeve and set them down upon the stone table.

"I've come to return these to their rightful owner," he said.

"They... they... how did they end up with you?" Seeing her most treasured possessions returned to her after having been lost, Anu was overjoyed beyond words, smiling happily at Ziyuan — a smile like a fully blooming flower still glistening with morning dew, particularly refreshing to behold. Ziyuan felt as though it had nourished something within him; a rare sense of ease welled up naturally within his heart, carrying with it a powerful, sustaining strength.

"My guards found them while cleaning up the scene, so I brought them to return to their rightful owner." As Ziyuan spoke, his own heart felt warm and glowing; he had never realized Anu's smile could be so utterly captivating — no wonder her enchantment spell could reach such heights of mastery. In this moment, he could fully understand how that ganoderma spirit called Xiaoyi could cultivate with such tireless dedication, never daring to slacken for even a moment.

Perhaps in the past he had not understood such things, but now he understood them perfectly well. Why was it that one so often heard of people who, for the sake of love, cast aside all caution, throwing themselves like moths into the flame without a moment's regret? Had he not now set foot upon that very same irreversible path? He knew full well that falling for Anu was an extraordinarily dangerous thing, one liable at any moment to trigger renewed war between the two clans, endless strife without end — this, too, was something he had no wish to see. And yet, at this moment, reason seemed unable to overcome feeling within him, so utterly unlike his former self. The Asura King had gone to every conceivable length to deceive the entire world, all simply so that his beloved daughter would never again become entangled with the Celestial Clan — how could he possibly not understand this? And yet understanding it changed nothing. What he could not understand was how Anu's smile could leave a person so utterly lost, so completely and helplessly ensnared, powerless to resist — even he, composed and self-possessed since childhood, now found his own thoughts thrown into utter disarray.

"Thank you, Prince Ziyuan!" Watching Anu smile and hop about joyfully as she accepted the Yin-Yang Daggers and Seven-Colored Flowing Light Sword, adding his given name before "Crown Prince" this time, no longer simply calling him "Crown Prince" alone, Ziyuan felt a deep sense of contentment. It was hard to say exactly what kind of feeling this was — only that it felt as though the distance between himself and Anu had grown a little smaller once again. Even with Shenya, he had never let her address him by his given name; and yet this form of address from Anu carried, to his ears, a certain sweet, soft quality, leaving him with an inexplicable sense of intimacy he could not quite name.

"There's something else I need to return to its rightful owner as well." Ziyuan had brought the Flower Rain Arrows along that morning as well, and now took them out, holding them out before Anu — he found himself desperately curious to see how this girl would react to the sight of these arrows, certain it would prove nothing short of delightful.

"For the two arrows I owe to Princess Anu, Ziyuan has come specially to return them." Ziyuan bowed deliberately once again, and waited to see how Anu would respond.

Seeing the arrows, Anu, startled, took several steps backward. This gesture of Ziyuan's made it plain he already knew she was the very culprit who had wounded him that day — surely he hadn't come to take revenge for those two arrows, had he? And more than that, he had addressed her as "Princess" — did that mean he had already uncovered the entire mystery of her true identity? She stood there stunned, at a loss for how to respond — this Ziyuan really was far too clever; just how had he managed to see through it all?

"You... you..." Anu found herself stammering for a moment, too startled to even speak properly. Her face flushed alternately green and purple, unsure how to respond — this was an absolutely enormous matter, and how in the world had Ziyuan managed to learn of it? That day he had never once even seen her face!

"The Mist Forest has no... no princess, only... only Anu." Anu suddenly stammered out this line, though it was, in truth, a transparent attempt to hide something that only made her guilt more obvious, and Ziyuan could not help but chuckle secretly to himself at this.

"And besides... they say once you loose an arrow, it can never return. You're a truly strange man — the arrows have already been shot, what possible reason could there be to send them back?" Growing flustered, Anu once again began speaking in a way impossible to follow. "You... take them away!" She casually pushed the arrows away, her expression thoroughly flustered and panicked.

"You... what right do you have to say it was me?"

Seeing her so flustered, her speech growing unreasonable and jumbled once more, Ziyuan found her particularly endearing and delightful, secretly amusing himself, thoroughly pleased.

"In this whole world, who else could possibly wield such an unfathomably profound art of enchantment, or hold the power to sway the outcome of a war for the entire Asura Clan? Besides Your Highness the Princess, Ziyuan cannot think of a second person it could possibly be." Ziyuan smiled, deliberately clasping his hands together in a gesture of admiration.

"How can you be like this..." Seeing that the matter had come to light, that there was no longer any way to conceal the truth, Anu found herself at a complete loss for the moment. But setting all of that aside for now — since the very victim had come bearing the "murder weapon" itself to demand an explanation, how could she, a proper Asura princess, possibly cower and shrink away without offering any response at all?

All at once, she conjured her own ochre-red bow and handed it to Ziyuan, then placed her right hand on her hip and declared, "As they say: 'a report for a report'; 'grievances repaid with grievances, vengeance repaid with vengeance.' That day I shot you two arrows, so today I'll simply return the favor with two arrows of my own. A true man owns up to what he's done — go ahead, take those two arrows and shoot me with them. If I so much as let out a whimper, you can spell my name backwards." As she spoke, she pointed with her left hand to her own right arm and right leg.

Never expecting such a reaction from Anu, Ziyuan could not hold back his laughter, laughing with unrestrained delight, even feeling himself somewhat lacking in proper decorum for it. At this moment he recalled that Anu had said the very same thing during her standoff with the nine-headed serpent demon on Phoenix Mountain, and, turning away, he laughed heartily for quite some time before finally saying, "Whoever taught you to spell your name backwards clearly wasn't thinking too clearly — your name wouldn't seem to lose anything spelled backwards anyway, would it?"

"I suppose that's true too..." Questioned by Ziyuan, Anu found herself agreeing that he had a point — after all, she had merely picked up this manner of speech from listening to the little sprites throw around their own tough talk, and no one had ever dared question her over it before. Now, being questioned so directly by Ziyuan, she suddenly realized that this particular threat really wasn't all that fitting after all.

"And besides, you're a young woman, not a man."

"Well... in any case... in any case, let's just say I'm returning your two arrows and be done with it! Nothing else matters!" Though Anu had been questioned by Ziyuan and the situation had turned entirely in his favor, being the Asura King's own daughter, she could not possibly lower herself to beg for mercy under any circumstances.

"Hurry up, then, don't dawdle around!" Anu, with an air of fearing nothing under heaven or on earth, urged Ziyuan to get on with it.

"Your Highness the Princess truly possesses a spirit as bold as the clouds, worthy of any man's courage, and more!"

Seeing that Anu genuinely believed he had come to take revenge for the two arrows, and that Xing'er, though not fully understanding the situation herself, had come running over to try to stop Anu regardless, Ziyuan decided it would be unwise to continue teasing her any further, and so bowed deeply, offering the bow back to her with both hands.

"Ziyuan has not come seeking revenge at all — quite the opposite. Ziyuan admires how Your Highness the Princess was able to bring about the end of the war between our two clans with your own hands, and, moreover, showed Ziyuan no lethal intent despite the opportunity. My heart is filled with gratitude, and I have come specially to express my sincere thanks."

"How can you be such a strange person?" Seeing Ziyuan's earnest, respectful manner, and sensing that what he said was no mere jest, Anu found herself thoroughly confused. "Is there really anyone in this whole world who would sincerely thank someone else for shooting them with two arrows?" She reached out, puzzled, to take back her bow from Ziyuan's hands.

"I suppose it's simply because I'm a Celestial being, and so different from ordinary folk in that regard? The little demons of the Mist Forest, when they get struck by me on an ordinary day, only make sure not to make a sound about it — I've never once seen any of them feel grateful for it..."

Anu, unable to make sense of it, muttered to herself under her breath, head lowered, and Ziyuan could not help but laugh once more upon hearing this. It seemed the little sprites had suffered no shortage of grief at the hands of this willful princess before now — she truly was a girl capable of exhausting anyone's patience, and yet genuinely pure and endearing all the same. In his mind, the image of Hemuda inevitably surfaced — this brother and sister truly could be called a matched pair of characters, and perhaps this was precisely what made the Mist Forest such an enchanting place — that it could nurture and cultivate people of such singularly unique temperament. He seemed to have fallen in love with the Mist Forest itself, in love with this lively, carefree atmosphere and unrestrained innocence — every single soul here held for him an extraordinary allure.

"As a token of my gratitude, I'd like to give you something." Gazing at Anu, Ziyuan smiled once more, then reached down and untied the jade pendant hanging at his waist.

"What is it?" Hearing that Ziyuan wished to give her something, Anu paused in surprise.

"This is a spirit jade I've carried with me since childhood. Having been with me for so long, it has, in some measure, become attuned to my very heart. Your temperament is such that whatever the wind stirs up, the rain follows — and with your parents and brothers all far from your side, it leaves one rather uneasy. Should you ever find yourself in danger again someday, take hold of this jade and call out my name to it, and I shall be able to sense it — it may perhaps save you in your time of peril."

"No... that won't do." Anu, startled by his words, took a step back.

"This is far too precious a thing, I can't possibly accept it." Setting aside how immensely valuable a jade pendant Ziyuan had carried with him since childhood must be, the mere fact that he was a Celestial being alone left her at a complete loss for what to do — accepting such a precious gift from a member of the Celestial Clan, should her father ever learn of it, would surely stir up trouble on a monumental scale all over again.

"Besides, Anu owes Prince Ziyuan for saving her — if it's a matter of expressing gratitude, it ought to be Anu presenting a gift to Your Highness, not the other way around. As the saying goes, 'one does not accept reward for services not rendered' — how could I possibly take something from Your Highness instead? And besides, I'm not afraid of any demons or monsters — one comes, I strike it down; two come, I strike down the pair. Yesterday wasn't a matter of my skill falling short — it was purely an unexpected accident that struck too suddenly, leaving me momentarily flustered, nothing more. There's truly no need for Your Highness to trouble yourself so much over it."

"That Your Highness the Princess possesses formidable magical power is beyond question. But yesterday, one moment of carelessness nearly cost you your very life — had Ziyuan not been present, the consequences would scarcely bear thinking about. In giving you this spirit jade, my aim is simply to guard against the unexpected, to have it prepared should misfortune arise; if all remains well and it never has cause to be used, all the better. But should some unforeseen circumstance ever arise again, at least you would have this to rely on, and I, too, would find some peace of mind knowing you carry it." Seeing the doubt still filling her eyes, Ziyuan added, "As for the matter of Your Highness's identity as princess, and of our acquaintance — I shall guard these secrets faithfully as well. Please, Your Highness the Princess, set your mind at ease, and do not trouble yourself with worry over this."

After Ziyuan's earnest persuasion, Anu suddenly came to realize that, beyond his exceptional intelligence and sharp perceptiveness, he was also remarkably gentle and considerate. In less than two days, he had already fully uncovered the secret her father and mother had so deliberately concealed, had even understood that she herself was the very key figure who had orchestrated the peaceful end of the war — and, on top of all that, had extended a hand to help her when she was in danger. And now, seeing through her hesitation on account of his being a Celestial being, he had, moreover, taken the initiative to extend an offer of goodwill toward her. Though her father, mother, and brothers had all warned her since childhood never to go near Celestial people under any circumstances, this Ziyuan before her truly did not seem the least bit frightening at all — in fact, he had somehow inexplicably stirred a certain warmth in her heart. There seemed to be something almost magical in his words, something that made one trust them without even quite realizing it, and so she slowly reached out both hands, took the jade pendant Ziyuan offered, and bowed her head to examine it closely.

On the front of the round jade pendant was carved a single character — "淵" (Yuan) — the stroke of the character bold and graceful; on the back was carved sturdy pine and hardy bamboo, as though signifying the wearer's unyielding, resolute character. The jade felt cool and smooth in her hand, refreshing like the cool touch of midsummer against the skin, leaving one feeling wonderfully at ease and content.

"How elegant..." Anu could not help but exclaim in admiration. "It truly suits Prince Ziyuan — one might say the jade reflects the man himself!"

Hearing Anu praise both the jade and himself together, Ziyuan smiled warmly and tenderly at Anu. "My thanks for Your Highness's praise, Ziyuan hardly feels worthy of it — but more importantly, Your Highness the Princess must remember to keep the jade with you at all times."

"Prince Ziyuan's kindness — Anu fears it would be discourteous to refuse it." Anu tucked the jade pendant away at her waist, folding her hands and bending her knees in a gesture of respect toward Ziyuan. "Thank you, Your Highness," she said respectfully.

"The task that brought me to the Mist Forest today is now complete, and I should return to the Celestial Court." Seeing Anu accept the jade pendant, Ziyuan felt a great weight lift from his heart. What needed to be said had already been said, what needed to be done had already been done, and he had no further reason to linger here any longer; even with his heart full of longing to stay, he had to take his leave of Anu now.

"Your Highness the Princess, until we meet again." Ziyuan bowed deeply, taking his leave of Anu.

Watching Ziyuan's figure gradually recede into the distance, Xing'er tugged at Anu's sleeve, her face full of suspicion. "He's the Celestial Crown Prince, and yet he just gave you his own jade pendant like that — I really can't imagine what he could possibly be thinking."

"The Queen and Xiaoyi both earnestly warned you to stay far away from Celestial people, and now look at this fine mess..."

Even as she spoke, Xing'er realized her own foolishness. A moment ago, Ziyuan's sudden visit had briefly diverted Anu's obsessive determination to find Xiaoyi, and here she was, of all things, bringing up the very subject that shouldn't be touched — mentioning Xiaoyi once again. And so, flustered, she quickly said instead, "Let's not dwell on it anymore — let's go to Qingxi Town to find Manchun!"

Without giving Anu any further chance to dwell on her thoughts, Xing'er pulled Anu along and hurried straight off toward Qingxi Town.