Chapter 107 - Trouble Brewing

"Xinyi, Xinyi, wake up," Kuaile pecked on Xinyi's face but she wouldn't wake up.

She pushed the bird away and opened one of her eyes. "I'm tired, don't you know it's rude to disturb someone's sleep, Yan Ma?" She dozed off again and snored loudly with her feet apart and arms wide at her sides.

The bird gave up and went to the human Nianshi. As she went outside, she giggled at the sight of him. He curled up the same way cats would sleep while his wings blanketed him. Even though he was human now, his nature would still come out. 

She went back inside, not wanting to disturb Nianshi from his sleep for the bird did not want to find out how he would react if she woke him up. 

"Wakeee uppppp Xinyi!" She kept pecking Xinyi's face. "You need to go see Xionmao quick. He wishes to see you immediately." 

The mini-animal Hutyuns surrounded Kuaile. "Is this matter urgent? If so, we'll wake her up for you."

Kuaile looked at these miniatures and saw one of them copying her. "Stop doing that" She pointed.

"Doing what?" The copycat imitated her reaction. 

Seeing this, aside from her frustration from waking Xinyi up, made Kuaile's temples tremble. The nightingale raised her wings and shouted. "Arghhhh, if you wake Xinyi up I'll let you do that all day long." 

Then the copy's face lit up and nodded to do so. The Hutyuns then gathered and formed into horns, bells, and any musical instruments they could think of and played off-key sounds, totally unpleasant to the ears. 

Xinyi's body jolted upwards as she woke from the 'melodious' sounds. "What? What? No, please don't eat my fruits." Her eyes all red with sagging eye bags were wide awake this time. 

Kuaile laughed at Xinyi's words and on how she reacted but stopped at the same time because she knew her reaction was disrespectful to the Sorceress.

The replica gave Kuaile a thumbs up with a full grin. They flew beside their newly awakened queen whose hair was all messy and face still fresh from drool. 

"Xinyi, the panda is in need of your presence right now," Kuaile spoke.

Xinyi blinked her eyes, trying to comprehend what the bird said. "Huh? What? Good panda." the Hutyuns snickered as she sounded like a kid. 

"The. Panda. Needs. You. NOW." The tiny bird flapped her wings faster in frustration.

"I'm so tired. Can this not wait for later?" She laid flat face down to her pillow and had hoped for a pleasing answer. 

Kuaile bit strands of her hair and pulled it. "Wake up! You must go," the bird muffled with the hair obstructing her words.

"Fine, fine. Just one hour more of sleep and I'll go." She pulled her hair down with the bird. But Kuaile wouldn't stop. She knew if she didn't complete her task the Panda would get mad at her. She stopped pulling Xinyi's hair and looked around the room to see if there was anything she could use to wake this woman up.

Alas, she found a small teapot which contained water that became cold from sitting out on the table the whole night. She grunted as she picked up the teapot with her beak. Even though the pot wasn't that big but her size wasn't enough to pick it up. 

The Hutyuns politely helped her with the carrying and both creatures brought it above Xinyi's forehead. 

"I'm sorry, Xinyi, but orders are orders." Kuaile flapped her wings harder, and the Hutyuns helped turn the pot upside down and poured the cold water at Xinyi.

As the water landed on her face, "Wahhh!" Her eyes widened and body shivered as she wrapped her arms around her. She looked over her head and saw Kuaile and the Hutyuns, and glared at them. 

"Eek!" The Hutyuns hairs or feathers stood on end, if they had. They let go of the kettle fall onto the floor with a loud *Klang* and flew far from her.

Nianshi sat up right away, wakened by the noise. Gu Dai also came running and stood stunned looking at the wet master. "What happened, my lady?"

"That is annoying," Xinyi said with gritted teeth. She glared at the tiny bird who smiled at her.

"I'm sorry, Xinyi. I know that was a rude way of waking you up. But I assure you the Panda has a good reason for waking you up this early." 

Xinyi wiped off some water droplets that had landed on her beautiful silky sleeping gown. She mumbled something under her breath and stood up to change. Her eyes searched around the room for the Hutyuns and found them smiling nervously at her.

"Wait 'till I come back later," she huffed as she fixed her hair. Gu Dai took over the task of beautifying her lady. 

Just a few minutes later, Xinyi was ready. She was more radiating now than when they woke her up. She wore a satin royal blue dress that had complimented her fragile looking skin. It had been some time since she fixed herself. 

"So what was so urgent that made you come waking me up this early in the morning." 

The Hutyuns tried to come near her but she only snubbed at them. They knew that she was still upset with their alliance with the bird. Somehow, believed she'd be okay later on. 

"I don't know, he didn't tell me." The bird shrugged, but it seemed like the situation was serious. Xinyi knew the Panda was polite to humans and knew this being was almighty and patient. 

"Something must be wrong." She was now wide awake and focused about what they would talk about. She exhaled deeply and prayed that whatever it was would not be too grave. The nightingale flew ahead with the Hutyuns. Nianshi walked together with Xinyi.

After a few minutes, they reached the bamboo thicket; they caught him meditating on a huge rock surrounded by a pond somewhere. This was the first Xinyi had been here and surprised to see such a peaceful place. 

"Come in." The Panda slowly changed his formation of stance and stood up to greet them. He then offered them to sit in a bamboo hut and poured jasmine tea for his visitor. His reaction was calm and blew Xinyi's anxieties away.  

"I asked for you this early because there has been some trouble brewing within the premises. There had been someone with a dangerous l.u.s.t for the stones that has been kept hidden for a very long time within the caves."