1314: A Thousand Peonies Bloom
The Hustle of Market

“Hufft..” Zhang has completed his asceticism. He lowered both his hands from a parallel position. His gaze was fixed on the rest of the bruise on his left chest. Touch it with the right palm. Just a little more. 

Zhang then got up, and saw his sleeping companion leaning against a pole that looked like an archway. He must be tired of accompanying me. Mumbled Zhang.

Just as Zhang was about to step out of the pool, he suddenly stumbled. 

“Ugh!” Zhang fell right on the floor.

Instantly Yu Hao who had been asleep was shocked to hear Zhang's moans. 

“Zhang!” Yu Hao ran over to Zhang who was still not getting up. “You okay?” ask with a troubled look.

“I'm fine. I slipped. Sorry yes, it woke you.”

“It should wake me up if you're done.”

“But you look good. How could I interrupt your sweet dream?”

“You could have. Here's your shirt.” Yu Hao handed over the clothes that Zhang had tucked away.

“Thank you.” Zhang took it from Yu Hao's hand and directly put it on.

Something suddenly came to his mind. “Zhang, what to do next?”

“After this, I have to medicine made from the Snow Lotus for a week,” Zhang replied as he tidied up his clothes.

“Then, who made it?”

“I've set it up.” The monk along with a palace healer suddenly entered the place. “This, you should drink it regularly, morning and night.” The monk handed the bowl containing the medicinal herbs to Zhang.

Zhang picked it up politely and directly drank it. Ughhhh... Feels bitter. Zhang muttered after the potion entered his mouth.

“You should drink it regularly. I will help you check every day,” said the healer standing beside the monk.

“Thank you for the help,” Zhang clenched both hands forward. His head was lowered slightly as a sign of respect. Another week. And I'll be healed.

***

Jiao was sitting waiting at the door. “Haish... What exactly is Shuwan doing inside? Why just change it for so long?” Jiao then got up from her seat. Then he knocked on that door. “Shuwan... Shuwan... Did you fall asleep?” yell Jiao.

“A minute!” suhut Shuwan from the inside. 

“How much longer? If you keep lingering then the market can disperse.”

Unexpectedly, Shuwan finally opened the room door. 

“Should I wear clothes like this?” shuwan protests wearing pink clothes. Not to forget also the butterfly hair skewers Ying Jie had once given her. 

“You look beautiful. It's better than you just wearing plain black.”

“Already, no time.” Jiao immediately pulled Shuwan's hand. 

They also went to the market in the center of the Cloud Country on horseback. Jiao is the controller of her horse. As for Shuwan, he was asked to remain calm as a passenger behind Jiao.

“How long do we have to walk?” shuwan asked curiously.

“About 3 hours.”

“T-three hours? Just to go to the market we have to take 3 hours?” Shuwan is shocked to hear such a long distance of time just to go to the market.

“We go to more complete central market. And, it was in the center of the Cloud Country. It is about 3 hours from Shifu.”

Shuwan patted his eel. Holy hooch! This recently recovered bone of mine, can crack again if it travels that long! 

The horse riding Shuwan and Jiao continued to advance past the boundaries of the area in the Land of Clouds. Shuwan was only amazed at the sight that lay before him.

Until, 3 hours passed. They also arrived at the central market.

“Woah... It's really cool.” Shuwan was amazed to see the bustle of the vast market.

Various kinds of shops lined up and faced each other. The merchants were busy offering, and also trading their merchandise.

Jiao who was parking her horse to the wild. “This boy has never seen the market?” Mumbled.

“I really want to buy sweets and also other good foods.”

Now it was Jiao's turn to pat her head. Is all that's in his brain just sweet food? “Shuwan, let's go to the herbal store. I'd like to find the ingredients of the drug.” 

“Good, we go to the herbal store first. But, later please buy me gulali huh?”

“OK. But just one huh?”

“S-one. Two huh? Please please. I will not trouble you and ask for anything else,” Shuwan said as he turned aside.

“Ya, okay. Let's go now.”

Shuwan and Jiao surrounded the herb shop that was there. After getting enough materials, they also rest in the gulali.

Shuwan looks like a kid who is excited about getting candy. He seemed to forget what was troubling his mind and heart.

Jiao then looked at Shuwan who was patiently waiting for the scroll to be finished. At least he's a little amused. He fought too much with Zhang, was cold, and also moody these few days.

After Shuwan finished buying his scroll, Jiao invited him to pull over in front of a not-so-crowded tavern.

Jiao opened her shopping bag and made sure that the materials needed by her teacher were complete.

While Shuwan was still poking the scroll quietly.

“Ah... I forgot something,” Jiao chirped.

“Tadi Shifu drops white tea, and I forgot. Can you just keep waiting here? I'll find a tea shop and come back here soon,”.

“Go Jiao. I'll wait here and finish my gulaliku. Hehe.”

“Then I go first.” Jiao hurried away with half a run. Go back to tracking the market and find a store that sells dried tea. 

While Shuwan he was still waiting in front of the tavern where he was resting. Shuwan continued to wait, until the gulali he ate was exhausted.

Shuwan. “Why was Jiao so long? Did something happen? I'd better go look for it.” 

Shuwan walked leisurely away from the place. His eyes looked closely at every shop in the market. “Hah... It took me a long time to find it. It's too crowded here.”

Just now Shuwan shifted his gaze for a while, suddenly there was a horse running fast in the middle of the market about to hit it.

“Nona watch out!” 

A man out of nowhere suddenly hugs Shuwan and encourages him not to get hit by a speeding horse.

Shuwan's hairpin fell off, and his long black hair just rolled away. The two then fell to the ground with overlap.

The man was above Shuwan's body. His right hand protected Shuwan's head when he fell. While the left hand restrains his body so as not to oppress Shuwan.

Both of them in this position also throw a glance at each other.

Beauitiful... The man's inner self after meeting Shuwan's eyes.

Shuwan is uneasy because the people in the market notice they are taking action immediately. “Can you get out of the way immediately?” shuwan said a little loudly.

The man who hit Shuwan also looked nervous. He also immediately rose. “Eh... I'm sorry.” His right hand immediately held his nape. “What... You okay?” ask the man.

Shuwan then stood up, and answered him, “As you can see I can still talk to you now.”

The speech was completely frontal. Does a graceful woman seem to not learn etiquette? His shocked inner self heard the way Shuwan spoke. “So yes. Thank goodness.”

Shuwan snorted in annoyance. He cursed the horse that was about to hit him. “Whose horse is driving at that speed in the crowd? How about hurting someone else?” furious Shuwan.

The man chuckled small. He then responds to Shuwan's nagging. “It was the warrior of the palace. They're looking for someone it looks.”

“Someone? Is that a villain?”

The man sighed. “Crown prince goes from palace. So, His Majesty the King asked the guards to look for him.”

“Go from palace? Does he not like a comfortable life? Strange man.”

“Most what people saw outside the palace was like that. But inside itself is full of deadly mines. I don't think the crown prince likes politics. That's why he went looking for freedom.”

Shuwan narrowed his eyes. He looked at the man in front of him. “How do you know so much about the crown prince?”

“It just so happens that I am good friends with the crown prince.” The man smiled gently at Shuwan. 

“That means... You're a palace man?”

The man nodded. “I work in the palace library.”

Apparently he's a librarian. “Ehem... Librarian, thank you for saving me. Later if you need my help, I will definitely help you with pleasure.”

Shuwan's now unraveling hair was seen dancing in the rhythm of the wind. The man looked at him meaningfully. Instantly his cheeks blushed. “Iya... Equally...” sahutnya with a view can not be separated from Shuwan. 

“Is there something strange on my face? Why do you see me like that?”

“A-ah... Nothing strange with your face.” Well... You only look more beautiful when your long, unraveling hair is blown away by the wind.

Before long, there was a voice of a woman calling Shuwan. A voice no longer foreign to him.

“Shuwan!” Jiao ran up to him. “Did something happen to you?” jiao asked worriedly.

“I'm fine. There was only a small incident.”

“Thank God. Sorry for making you wait so long. The tea shop is at the end of this place, so it is quite a good walk to it.”

“It's okay. The important thing is that you're back, too, right?”

Jiao nodded. “Then let's go home! Shifu must have waited a long time.”

“U... Come!” 

Jiao immediately pulled Shuwan by the hand, and Shuwan followed.

Before getting too far and closed off by many people, he looked at the man who was helping him, and then returned his gaze straight to the road.

While the man was still silent. It seems that he was fascinated with Shuwan at first sight.

“Hei! How could Your Majesty just leave me alone? Does Your Majesty know I almost died of fright?” Another man who looked like a shadow warrior came over to the person he called ‘Your Highness.’

But the man still looked straight ahead at Shuwan disappearing into the crowd. “I'm bored, that's why I'm gone. The guards had apparently wandered all the way here.”

The shadow soldier looked puzzled as he watched the person beside him continue to look ahead. “Actually you are looking for what?” tanyakanya.

“Female birds.”

“Hah?” the bodyguard was getting confused. “H... Your Majesty, we better hurry back to the palace. Soon there will be a meeting with the nobles.”

The man called ‘Yang Mulia’ was also unemployed. As he was about to leave, his eyes were fixed on a hairpick that had fallen on the ground. He picked it up, and held it tightly. “Shuwan yes? I'll remember your name,” the mummy.

The man then went with his bodyguards, and disappeared in the crowd of the market.