1314: A Thousand Peonies Bloom
The Lost Palace

“Ugh..” Shuwan opened his eyes slowly after fainting for some time. He then got up and sat down, “Where is this? Dark once. I can't see anything. Wait a minute, we were drowning in quicksand. Then... Is this the afterlife? Ah... I really don't want to die this fast,” he said.

Because it was so dark, Shuwan tried to fumble with both hands. Hard and cold surface. Is this a stone floor? But why is there such a place in the middle of the desert? Inner Shuwan. His hands continued to feel in various directions, until he touched someone's hands.

Uh... Who'sisthis? Zhang or who? Shuwan then shook the person's body. “Hei! Be aware..”.

The man woke up, “U-ugh.. Where is this? Why can't I see anything?”

“Zhang.. That you?” Shuwan asked in the dark.

“Iya, Shuwan. Why is it so dark here?” Zhang said.

“I also don't know where we are now. Oh yeah, Jiao and Yu Hao are where?” is ask Shuwan.

“There must be near us,” Zhang responded.

The two of them who had woken up also started fumbling around him. Finally they managed to find the position of Jiao and Yu Hao. Shuwan and Zhang tried to wake the two of them up.

“My head hurts. As dark as it was, my eyes could see nothing. Did I become blind after drowning in sand?” Jiao said after waking up from her stupor.

“Dumbass base, what are you saying? Right now we are indeed in a place that is pitch dark,” Shuwan said.

“So yes... I thought I couldn't see anymore.”

Zhang found Yu Hao already awake, “Yu Hao, are you injured?” Ask Zhang.

“Uhm.. I am fine, only my back hurts a little from falling,” replied Yu Hao while holding his back.

“Thank God then,” Zhang was relieved that Yu Hao and the others were fine.

“It's so dark here, how are we going to get out of here? Not even around is visible. Worried that there will be mines in this buried foreign place,”, Zhang said he suggested a solution to his friends.

Shuwan's hand was still fumbling the floor on which they were resting at the moment, and he nudged something, “Eh.. What is this?” shuwan said as he held the thing.

“Scented like oil scent, what is possible... Anyone bring a match?” Ask Shuwan.

“It looks like I brought it, emm... Wait, I'm looking for my bag first. It should have fallen near me,” Jiao said with a hand that kept looking for the whereabouts of her bag.

Not long later, “Nah... Meet!” Jiao ransacked her bag using her sense of taste and smell. A match made of sulfur certainly has a strong aroma so that Jiao can immediately find it, “This is it, meet! Shuwan here's the match,” Jiao handed Shuwan a match.

Shuwan turned on the match and shone a light on the thing he had just found.

“It turns out it was a torch,” Zhang chirped.

Without further ado, Shuwan directs the fire right at the end of the torch axis. Instantly the firelight from the torch shone on the place.

“But we don't know how much oil is left in the tube. We better quickly find a way out of here,” Zhang said explaining the situation.

“Then what are you waiting for, come on!” yu Hao shouted at his friends.

Shuwan then handed the torch to Zhang. “It turns out this is a passageway, but why is there a passageway under this arid and barren desert?” Said Jiao who was like a fright down the mysterious passageway.

“Before, I had heard that near this desert there was a small kingdom. But somehow the kingdom disappeared overnight,” explained Yu Hao.

“Kingdom? Lost overnight? Could that happen?” Shuwan.

“Yah's.. I do not know the truth, because all of it is a story that has been passed down through generations,” replied Yu Hao with his symbol.

The story of the book has changed. How'this? What will happen next? Inner Shuwan churned.

“Stay alert. We do not know how long this hallway is, and anything that is waiting in front of it,” Zhang warned his friends.

The hallway turned out to be so long, that it made the feet tired to walk through it. “Can we stop for a moment? My legs are so tired,” pinta Jiao.

“Alright, we take a short break,” replied Zhang.

They rest for a while, drink and straighten the legs. “This place is very dark. No part gets sunlight. Can we really get out of this place?” Shuwan asked worriedly.

“We still can't guess it, before finding the end of this passageway. Hopefully, after this hallway there is an exit from this place,” Zhang said calming Shuwan.

After feeling well rested, they again walked down the hallway. Not long after, they reached the end of the passageway which was covered by a large gate.

“Gate? It's very big. It is like an entrance to a region. The wood is still sturdy even though it has been buried long under the sand. There must be a way to open it,” said Zhang who was looking around for some kind of button or lever to open the gate.

Zhang gave up, and found nothing that could open the gate. “Haish... It looks like there is no button or special lever to open this door,” he lamented.

“Then we destroy it,” Shuwan said.

Shuwan smiled, he then pulled out his sword from the scabbard. “We won't make this place shaken. I'll just try to open it.”

Finished saying so, Shuwan advanced towards the door. He put his sword into the keyhole on the gate. He's surprised. Can enter? Could this sword be the key? As much as Shuwan's power pushed his sword in. Because of that, his hands were bleeding.

Jiao advanced helping Shuwan push his sword, as well as Yu Hao. Zhang did not remain silent, leaning the torch he was holding against the wall.

Their hands help Shuwan push his sword, “You guys..” Shuwan's eyes sparkle.

“Then let's keep pushing..” Shuwan gave aba-aba. They pushed him as hard and hard as they could. Shuwan's sword entered completely, leaving only the hilt.

The gate suddenly let out a light, and opened. “His gate is protected by magical powers. Absolutely awesome,” chirped Yu Hao.

“Then what are you waiting for, let's go in!” bring Zhang.

Before entering, Shuwan pulled out his sword and rushed in. The gate closed again after Shuwan pulled out the sword and managed to enter. This sword, it doesn't seem like an ordinary sword. Inner Shuwan was curious. He put his sword back into the sheath.

“Sorry to make you guys wait.” said Shuwan disconnected.

“This place is... A palace,” said Zhang with a feeling of shock that engulfed him.

That means, the legend that the parents said was true,” continued Yu Hao.

“Try to turn on all the torches in this place, so that we can see everything clearly,” pinta Yu Hao.

Zhang also went around turning on the torches that were already installed there. After finishing, he also said to his friend, “In this outer wall there is a kind of carving, it's just a little invisible.”

Zhang guides his friends to see the carvings he finds. “If sorted, these pictures seem to show something. The picture we see seems to be a sequence of events that most likely hit this place,” Shuwan explained.

“I agree with Shuwan. The first picture shows a very happy citizen, until there is a next picture tells the arrival of a psychic in the kingdom, and the picture finally tells the bloodshed of the citizens,” Zhang explained in short.

“Is it possible this place was cursed by that psychic?” shuwan asked spontaneously.

“Maybe. We do not know what really happened, and can only speculate,” Zhang said.

“Then, what if we explore this palace? Who knows there is a secret that could take us out of this terrible place,” Yu Hao asked.

“True what Yu Hao said. If we just keep quiet, it means we will only wait for our death in this place,” Jiao continued with an anxious face.

Zhang nodded, “Then come on,”.

Hopefully there is a secret way to get out of this place, Shuwan said.

They walked through every room in the palace, until they reached a large hall with a gold chest in the middle of the hall. They approached him, and began to notice the chest.

“Peti what is this? Is it possible a treasure storage?” Ask Jiao.

“I don't know either, Jiao,” says Yu Hao.

“How about we just open it?” Jiao asked for approval.

“If I agree, what about you?” Yu Hao threw a question at Shuwan and Zhang.

“Maybe it's best. There may be a secret button in it. How about you Shuwan?” Ask Zhang.

“A-me, I don't know. I'll come with you guys,” Shuwan said. I don't know why I feel such a bad feeling about this. Inner Shuwan was feeling restless.

“Then we open it. Hopefully there is really a way to get out of this place,” Zhang said.

How'this? I don't know what to do. Could this be the right decision? I hope it's true, that there's a way to get out of this place in that coffin. Shuwan said in his heart.

They turned the seal on top of the box. Until the golden-coloured light burst out and dazzled the eyes. Shuwan who could not stand it retreated. However, because he did not pay attention to his steps he fell over a small chair.

“Aduh!” Shouted Shuwan after falling.

The light slowly dimmed. Shuwan tries to look at the chest until he realizes something.

Where the hell did they go? Why do I live here alone? Are the three of them going somewhere else? Inner Shuwan continued to wonder.

He called out the names of his friends, but none of them answered. The three of them disappeared as a blinding light emerged from within the chest. Shuwan watched himself as the crate closed and locked itself away. He tried to turn it back open. However, his efforts were in vain. The box can no longer be opened.

Shuwan became emotional, he flailed the chest with all his might. Wish the chest could reopen, but the result would still be the same, it could not be opened. Because his efforts were unsuccessful, Shuwan cried, alone in the creepy place.

What is this really? Why is it like this? That crate, it must have been the one that made Zhang and the others just disappear. Is everything just going to end like this?

Shuwan sits limp, realizing he is now living alone. Being in a palace buried deep in the desert, alone, and deserted, with no way out of the place.