Liu Chang and Chen Jun sit at a table at the inn where they have staying, drinking.
"I should have gone with my instincts and followed those girls", said Chen Jun sounding exasperated.
"Sometimes the best course of action you can take is none at all", Liu Chang wisely advised.
"How does that work out?", asked Chen Jun. We may have lost the only lead we have to find the crown prince", returned Chen Jun.
"Maybe", said Liu Chang, "but maybe we may also have obtained valuable information".
"What information", asked Chen Jun.
"It is now reasonable for us to assume that those girls must have found out, somehow that Wang Wei is a celestial being", Liu Chang announced.
"They may also suspect us. Hence we did not see them return by the same path, despite waiting for them all day long and into the early part of the evening", observed Chen Jun.
"This may force this game of ours to extend a little further", said Liu Chang."I 'm sure convinced they have taken a different route home deliberately to avoid us", said Liu Chang.
"How do we play this one out?", asked Chen Jun.
"We do absolutely nothing at all that is different from what we were doing today", said Liu Chang It will give the locals time to get used to seeing us daily".
"Even those girls whatever suspicions they might have in their minds will be extinguished, exclaimed Chen Jun excitedly.
"Once we have their trust that we are just ordinary travelling traders", exclaimed Chen Jun then we begin investigating them", said Liu Chang.
"This will likely take some time", said Chen Jun.
"Again we do not want to do anything that will spook those girls. We don't know how they may react", cautioned Liu Chang.
"Liu Chang, you worry too much", Chen Jun teased playfullyThose two girls are absolutely harmless".
"How can you be so sure Chen Jun?", Liu Chang asked with a sense of curiosity" .
"Crown prince Wang Wei and myself have often seen them while looking down from the celestial realm. They are absolutely harmless", said Chen Jun.
"Maybe they may not pose any physical threat but they might move him. We may not know about the crown prince's physical location,but we know he is in this village", said Liu Chang. If he was to be moved out of this village, it will make finding him take that much longer".
"Time we can ill afford while with each passing moment the red dragon's rule over the celestial realm is extended", said Chen Jun.
"I hear you, Chen Jun", replied Liu Chang.
"Do you know those girls names?", Liu Chang asked innocently.
"They are Zhang Mei and Wang Li", Chen Jun promptly replied.
"So your knowledge of them is more than passing, isn't it?", asked Liu Chen staring Chen Jun directly in the eyes.
Only then did Chen Jun realise the effect that his unintended slip of the tongue had. He had always known how cunning the imperial adviser was but he had not expected to be caught out so easily.
Chen Jun was not only crown prince Wang Wei's bodyguard, he was also his best friend and confidant. Though it was true thst the distance in rank between him and Liu Chang the late emperor's trusted adviser had rapidly closed at the onset of the crisis. There remained some things that Chen Jun could never share with Liu Chen.
Secrets that crown prince Wang Wei had entrusted Chen Jun with. If it ever got out that that crown prince Wang Wei was in love with a mortal, that he had forsaken all the fairest ladies of the celestial realm, for the sake of a peasant girl.The scandal would have far reaching consequences.
If the secret was to get out, it would have to be let out by crown prince Wang Wei himself and not some lowly imperial bodyguard like himself. Chen Jun had promised himself that he would guard the crown prince's secret with his life just as he had promised to protect the crown prince himself.
In that one moment of indecision, while locking eye with Liu Chang,Chen Jun was afraid that he had given away the game. That he might have to reveal all to Liu Chang and betray the confidence of his master, and best friend.
Knowing that in their society such a thing was considered a taboo. That such a relation could not be.
Suddenly a commotion brought Chen Jun out of his contemplation. A man ran into the inn panting and almost out of breath . He fell at the feet of the inn keeper who had rushed forward to find out what was happening.
"A mad man is terrorising the neighbouring village with an invincible sword",, he man panted wide eyed with fear.
"What do you mean an invincible sword", asked the inn keeper?
"This sword cuts through anything, whether it is rock, wood or metal", said the man.
The mad man has cut through a section of first and Is now in the village. He is cutting down houses. Half the villagers have already lost their homes.
Liu Chang and Chen Jun look at each other.
"Such a sword can only come from the celestial realm", said Liu Chang.
"Could it be possible,that crown prince is the next village?", Chen Jun asked.
"It is not possible that village?", asked Chen Jun."How can you even ask such a question?", asked Liu Chang. "You have known crown prince Wang Wei all your life. Would be capable of such a thing?"
"I don't want even for a passing moment want to believe it", replied Chen Jun.
"it is true that only a weapon from the celestial realm has the power to cause that level of destruction. While I saw crown prince's Wang Wei's sword fall to the Earth, there would be no way for any mortal to know about the sword".
"Unless they found the sword?", said Chen Jun .
"We don't even know he is even telling the truth", said Liu Chang.
"That man for all we know may be one of Li Yan's spies", said Liu Chang. Let's not take any hasty action that may put our lives or the life of Wang Wei in danger".
If indeed the man is a spy then we should not be the ones to lead him to the crown prince. The matter requires further study before we can decide on our next course of action".
"I m guessing this is where you recommend that we do nothing", said Chen Jun.
"It can be the most powerful thing to do in a time of indecision. Instead of trying to get answers where there seem to be none. Let the information come to us. In the same manner as news of the sword has reached us".
Liu Chang and Chen Jun continued to drink.
"Father, may I introduce crown prince Wang Wei, the new emperor of jade heaven", announced Zhang Mei proudly as Zhang Zhao walked in on Zhang Mei, Wang Li and crown prince Wang Wei eating supper.
"Wang Li, I am glad that you are spending the night with us?", said Zhang Zhao settling himself onto a bench.
"Your majesty, I am happy you are well, but where is your sword?", asked Zhang Zhao.
"I do not have it with me", replied crown prince Wang Wei.
"I thought as much", Mr Zhang Zhao remarked.
"Father, what are you getting at?", asked Zhang Mei.
"I overheard some people talking, some fool in the neighbouring village is terrorizing the locals with a sword?", said Zhang Zhao.
"A sword?", repeated Zhang Mei.
"It is a sword of immense power able to cut through even the toughest of elements such as rock or metal", said Zhang Zhao. The lunatic who has taken possession of it is distroying people's houses, and belongings. He is fighting like a man possessed, displaying a skill unmatched with the sword".
"I must recover that blade as soon as possible otherwise many more people will suffer", said crown prince Wang Wei. In the wrong the imperial sword of the house of Wang possesses the one who takes it as a defence mechanism. That's how it protects itself and it's owner.It is a magical weapon. It will attack all around it using the one holding it by making them drunk with power. Only one who is of my blood line can wield safely without being possessed.I will have to go to the neighbouring village before it is too late".
"What do you mean before it is too late?", asked Zhang Mei.
"The power of that sword is too much for a mortal to handle. It will give him the impression of being invincible. The power alone will make him go mad until it kills him. The only way to say his life is by taking the sword away from him", said crown prince Wang Wei.
"I will come you", said Zhang Mei.
"No it is too dangerous", insisted crown prince Wang Wei.
"If the sword should take you for an enemy..., no I can not take that chance", said Wang Wei.