Chapter 96 - The Dragon

While looking at Li Juan, Tang Wei Sheng's gaze involuntarily followed the men surrounded by her.

He knew Zhang Zhi Jun.

While working in the entertainment division of Tang Corporations, Tang Wei Sheng has met Zhang Zhi Jun quite a few times,

But how did he became close to Li Juan? Zhang Zhi Jun was born and brought up in Yun city. There is no way that Li Juan came across with a celebrity like him. 

And other man, Tang Wei Sheng loathed him to his heart's content. 

That wretched man was the one who took Li Juan away from him. 

That man, who is he? A tattoo artist. 

What did Li Juan found in him so that she left the person whom she loved for ten years? 

The way he looks at her, the way he talks to her, touches her, everything screamed of affection.

More than any of this why is she surrounded by men, all the time? 

While Tang Wei Sheng went on deliberating over the thought, someone else was fuming with jealousy. 

Lee Tae Min observed Li Juan's interactions with the men beside her. 

He is glad to know that Li Juan found her family. But at the same time, it was a bit worrisome for him to accept the truth that Li Juan is going to marry Zhang Zhi Jun. 

He has witnessed Li Juan's undying love and adoration towards Zhang Zhi Jun. But Li Juan was lovestruck enough to get married to her idol? 

The person who irked him the most was Bai Yu. By the arrival of Li Juan's so-called baby brother, Lee Tae Min felt his position in his noona's life got threatened.  And more than anything else, the sole reason for all these resentments stood next to Li Juan with a big fat smile- Liang,

He asked Liang to bring Li Juan and he brought an entire team- Lee Tae Min sighed. 

Tang Wei Sheng who turned to walk away, saw the disappointed Lee Tae Min. 

"Tae Minah," Tang Wei Sheng called him while controlling his laughter. He never had seen a green-eyed monster in real life,

"Finally both of us are at the same place," Tang Wei Sheng commented and walked away,

----------------------------

Rays of mellow sunlight filtered through the thick canopy, penetrating through the leaves and casting an unearthly green–gold luminescence over the ground.

Li Juan and her team were walking through the dense forest covering the outer zone of the Jade land, 

According to the texts, Yu kingdom was divided into three zones,

An outer forest cover, which acted as a protection

A middle agricultural land and settlements,

An inner zone where the major settlements and royal houses located.

It took them an entire day to travel through the forest area and reach the middle zone where the agricultural lands were located.

By tomorrow they might reach the inner zone which can provide the evidence whether this lost city is the Jade land or not. 

Li Juan calculated in her mind,

She couldn't believe that she was finally reached in Jade land. 

It felt like a dream,

She sat on the ground and touched the wet black soil of the forest floor. 

It wasn't a dream, 

Chirp, chirp

Li Juan looked around and found a pair of magpies on the tree beside her,

Chirp, chirp,

They flew towards her and sat next to her, stared at her as if they are studying Li Juan,

She looked at them and asked in a low voice,

"Do you like me?"

Chirp, chirp,

"Do you know her, the queen?"

"Li Juan, what are you doing here?"

Zhang Zhi Jun walked towards her,

Upon hearing his voice the magpies flew away, from her side,

"Why are you sitting here?"

"Nothing, It just feels good," Li Juan replied with a smile,

"Are you okay with him being around you, CEO Tang?" He asked,

"It is a closed chapter for me," Li Juan cleaned her slate. 

"Everybody thinks that Liang is your boyfriend," Zhang Zhi Jun pointed out. It was obvious that they had a close relationship. 

"And you, what do you think about us?" Li Juan replied him with a question,

"He told us that he has someone he likes," Zhang Zhi Jun said casually. 

"Yes, he has someone he treasures a lot,"

"What if he doesn't have someone in his life, will your feelings change?" He asked again to confirm. 

"I am happy with his presence in my life," Her voice turned soft and gentle,

"I am indebted to him,

for saving me,

for helping me,

for supporting me,

One day, I wish to repay him,"

"How?" Zhang Zhi Jun was curious, 

"The girl whom he likes, I wish to bring them together," Li Juan confessed her intentions. She clearly knew that Liang refuses to forget his first love, maybe she could do something to bring them together.

"And what about me?" Zhang Zhi Jun asked with honey dripping eyes,

"I always want to have a brother,"

Li Juan giggled while Zhang Zhi Jun's face got filled with surprise.

"Are you brother zoning me?"

She smiled and held on to his arm,

"The first brother, I am jealous," 

"For what?"

"You love birds, what are you doing here, Bai Yu's voice interrupted their conversation,

"We are planning to ditch you here," Zhang Zhi Jun retorted with an irritated face, 

In the evening the expedition team from Jing city also reached the middle zone and rebuilt their tents in the vicinities of the other team. Though Han Guang knew the true intentions of other team, they tailed Yun city team without making it obvious.

Tang Wei Sheng contacted Yang Xiong to check the details regarding Li Juan's arrival on Tu valley.

"Boss something went wrong," Yang Xiong's apologetic voice heard from the other side. 

"The man whom you saw with miss Li, he is not Ren Hao," 

"What do you mean?"

"His car, apartment everything has been registered under the name Ren Hao, but he is not the Ren Hao,"

"Bro Yang, I seriously don't understand what you are saying," Tang Wei Sheng honestly said, "The man who picked Li Juan right before my eyes, he has accompanied Li Juan to Tu valley. Both of them are here," 

"The car number you gave me to search, it belonged to a tattoo artist named Ren Hao and right now he is still in his studio in Jing city,"

"What the hell? then who is he?" Tang Wei Sheng raised his voice in confusion,

"On that day, I simply looked for his car number and found his address, but when I cross-checked it again with his photograph, it was found that Ran Hao and that man are two different people. And the scariest thing is none of his identity details is available on the data servers of C country." Yang Xiong reported,

"What is that mean?"

"There are only two possibilities either his identity is intentionally hidden from the servers. 

Or He is a foreigner who is illegally living under a fake identity."

Someone with a fake identity,

Why is he roaming with Li Juan?

Tang Wei Sheng stormed off from the tent in search of that man.

He was nowhere to see,

He searched around and found Zhang Zhi Jun returning to the tent after the bath,

Tang Wei Sheng walked towards him in hurried steps,

"Where is he?"

"Huh?" Zhang Zhi Jun looked at the man who appeared worried. 

"The man who roams around Li Juan,"

"Oh, Dr Liang?"

"His name is Liang?" Tang Wei Sheng asked to confirm. 

"Yes, Dai Liang, he is Li Juan's friend and personal doctor."

"Where is he now?"

"He went to take a bath."

Zhang Zhi Jun pointed towards the river. However, what caught Tang Wei Sheng's attention was Zhang Zhi Jun's tattoo on his wrist.

A Tattoo of the compass,

It was similar to the tattoo on Li Juan's wrist.

"CEO Tang, are you okay?" Zhang Zhi Jun asked him.

Tang Wei Sheng walked towards the river banks with a confused mind,

Getting a similar tattoo was common among couples,

The moment Tang Wei sheng stepped into the riverbank, he was welcomed by the sight of toned upper back adorned with a tattoo of two coiled dragons- 

The Dragon!!!!

Tang Wei Sheng's mind went blank for a moment,

The dragon tattoos are associated with mafia, however, Tang Wei Sheng's mind refused to believe it. There must be something else,

The phoenix tattoo on Li Juan and the dragon tattoo on this man,

The dragon and the phoenix, the heavenly couple,

Liang got dressed and turned around to meet with a pair of scrutinizing eyes.

"Tang Wei Sheng," he uttered in surprise. What is he doing here?

"Who are you?" Tang Wei Sheng asked in an icy voice,

Liang's lips curled into a haughty smile,

"You might've known by now,"

"The dragon," Tang Wei Sheng scoffed, "You even marked my woman,"

"Your woman?" Liang lifted his eyebrow as if he heard something bizarre,

"She doesn't belong to anyone, not to you, not to me.

Li Juan is her own,"

"We loved each other, all these years," Tang Wei Sheng refuted, 

"Are you sure that it was you whom she loved?" Liang asked patiently, 

"I am sorry, but you are not the only man in her life." 

"Her mind is in chaos. An important part of her memory is lost and she is trying to fill the blanks by juxtaposing whatever left with her. The day she figures out the truth, your position in her life will be lost,"

"She is my moon," Tang Wei Sheng proclaimed possessively," she belongs to me,"

However, Liang remained calm and composed.

"I acknowledge that she is the moon." Liang stopped and looked at the man who stood in front of him, with a furious face,

He was the renowned young master of the Tang family who is famous for his radiant and charming personality. But the young man who stood before him contrasted with the images he was familiar through media.

"Do you believe in astrology, Tang Wei Sheng?" Liang inquired,

Tang Wei Sheng didn't reply,

Liang expected this reaction, he took his silence as permission and continued,

"When Li Juan was born, the grandmaster Mu Qing of the North temple made a statement, 

"The girl who born on the peak of the full moon night will be manifested with the Yin energy at its epitome,"

Cold but nurturing,

Passive but refuses to be dominated,

Dark, but not evil,

She had the worst fate, one could possess,

A troubled childhood, loss of her parents, shadowed by death,

What is even worst?

The Yin energy surging on her will bewitch every single man who comes closer to her,

It is fated that she will be surrounded by men until she finds out the right person to compliment her Yin with his Yang," Liang explained patiently,

Tang Wei Sheng broke into laughter as if he heard something comical,

"What are you insinuating? Are you implying that Li Juan is some kind of Empress who has a reverse harem?" Humour rippled in his eyes,

"Yin energy, bewitching effect what the hell?"

"Li Juan belongs to me," He declared,

"No, Wei Sheng, that's not how you frame it," Liang corrected him,

"You need her," he paused and the person who gazed at him with mocking eyes,

"To tranquillize your wild wolf you need a moon,"

There is a sudden shock on Tang Wei Sheng's handsome face. "This man knows his secret,"

"Who are you?" he asked in a horrified voice.

"Someone like you, bewitched by Li Juan and yearns for her love," Liang smiled, revealing his dimples,

"The name is Tae Yang, but I would rather prefer "Liang",

Tae Yang or Liang, one thing that is common in his name- "Yang"

The Yang to her Yin,

______________________

That night, Li Juan had a dream,

In her dream, she saw a familiar silhouette wearing a jade hairpin and white Hanfu.

"Majesty," Li Juan called her with respect,

"Huh? last time you called me something else," Bai Yu Yue faked ignorance.

"It's because I didn't know that you," Li Juan tried to explain with an apologetic face. 

"I am your mother," Bai Yu Yue gently smiled," don't you know that the Queen is-" 

"Mother of the Yu clan," Li Juan completed her words.

Bai Yu Yue smiled affectionately and caressed Li Juan's hair,

Li Juan was taken aback by former's actions, 

Bai Yu Yue was her ancestor, but the woman who stood in front of her was younger than her. How can she call her mother?

"I am ready to answer your questions," Bai Yu Yue informed her,

"That day, when the war was declared, what happened to you?" Li Juan asked her with concern, "where did you vanish and why did you appear in my dreams and ask me to save you?" Li Juan bombarded her with questions,

"You were the only person who could help me," Bai Yu Yue replied,

"Me?"

"Why do you think that I keep recurring in your dreams?" Bai Yu Yue asked her,

"Don't tell me that I am your reincarnation?" Li Juan appeared bewildered,

"No way,"

Bai Yu Yue remained still and observed Li Juan's baffled expressions,

"You don't believe me?

"How about I show you?"

AUTHORS NOTE

In earlier chapters, we saw various glimpses of Li Juan's dreams/visions

What exactly it represents?

What is the reason for the appearance of Tang Wei Sheng's psychotic alter ego?

The woman appeared in Li Juan and Han Guang's is that same?

Who is Tae Yang and why he is called a Dragon?

The answer is interlinked with the history of Yu kingdom and its last queen, 

So from now on,

EMPRESS OF THE LOST KINGDOM will focus on the life Bai Yu Yue, the 99th queen of Yu kingdom, the mother of Yu clan and the protector of the jade land.

We will be following an ancient plot from the next chapter, 

the urban- contemporary plot of Li Juan X Tang Wei Sheng X Liang will be paused for a while.