MidReal Story
Kingdom of Women: Prophecies and Betrayal
Scenario: Revised Novel Outline: "Exploring the Kingdom of Women"
Setting:Historical and Geographical Context: Set at the enchanting locales of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Lugu Lake, amidst the legacy of the ancient Naxi Kingdom.
Cultural Crossroads: The setting is a melting pot where Eastern and Western cultures converge, influenced by both matrilineal and patrilineal civilizations, providing a rich backdrop for the narrative.
Main Characters:
Lin Xuan - A historian of Chinese descent from the modern United States, driven by a quest to understand human societal developments and the secrets of matrilineal societies.
Maya - Heiress to the Kingdom of Women, battling societal and political changes threatening her heritage.
The Mosuo Elders - Keepers of ancient wisdom, with profound insights into the ecological and societal constructs of their time.
Lin Xuan fascinated by an ancient scroll depicting the Naxi Kingdom, is mysteriously transported to the past through a time portal activated by the scroll.
He arrives during a tumultuous period in the Kingdom of Women, right as he walks across the Tea Horse Road and drinks from the mystical waters of Lugu Lake
Rising Action:
Integrating into the kingdom, Lin Xuan learns about their intricate connection to nature and humanity, witnessing firsthand the spiritual and physical landscapes that define the region.
Maya, facing challenges to her rule from factions within her court desiring a shift towards patriarchal rule, allies with Lin Xuan to preserve her heritage.
Climax:
Discovering a plot to usurp the throne involving ancient and forbidden magic tied to the white sand murals and Gemu Peak, Lin Xuan and Maya must navigate a series of dangerous, supernatural trials.
These trials are designed to test their wisdom, courage, and understanding of both ancient and modern societal values.
The White Sand Murals
Summary:Following the disrupted Festival of Lights, Maya and Lin Xuan, bolstered by the kingdom's successful defense, venture to the legendary site of the White Sand Murals. Believed to hold profound secrets about the kingdom's destiny, the murals may provide insights into the escalating threats and Lin Xuan's mysterious arrival. Their journey to the murals becomes both a quest for knowledge and a deeper exploration of their roles in the kingdom's future. This chapter blends adventure, mysticism, and revelations, deepening the narrative's historical and mythological layers.
Decision to Visit the Murals:
Strategic Discussion: Begin with Maya and Lin Xuan discussing the need to understand the broader implications of recent events, deciding to seek wisdom at the White Sand Murals.
Preparations for the Journey: Show the pair preparing for their journey, gathering supplies, and briefing their closest advisors on their plans and potential risks.
Journey to the Murals:
Challenging Trek: Describe the physically demanding trek through diverse terrains—crossing rivers, climbing steep cliffs, and navigating through dense forests, symbolizing the challenges they face.
Bonding and Insights: During the journey, deepen the bond between Maya and Lin Xuan through shared stories of their pasts and discussions about leadership and destiny.
Discovery of the Murals:
First Impressions: Capture their awe upon discovering the vast murals, intricately carved into the cliffside, glowing subtly in the moonlight.
Deciphering the Murals: Detail their efforts to interpret the ancient inscriptions with the help of a guide—an old sage who has studied the murals for decades.
Revelation of Prophecies:
Unlocking Secrets: Unveil cryptic messages and prophecies depicted in the murals, suggesting historical cycles of conflict and renewal that align with current events.
Lin Xuan's Role: Highlight a specific mural that seems to depict a figure resembling Lin Xuan, suggesting his arrival was foretold and is pivotal to the kingdom's fate.
Encounter with the Sage:
Wisdom from the Sage: Introduce an enigmatic sage living near the murals, who provides deeper insights into the prophecies, explaining their significance and warning of greater trials ahead.
Guidance and Warnings: The sage offers advice on how they might use this knowledge to avert disaster and ensure the kingdom's prosperity.
Reflection and Strategy:
Strategic Implications: Show Maya and Lin Xuan using the knowledge gained from the murals to plan their next steps in strengthening the kingdom against the foreseen dangers.
Personal Reflections: Include a quiet moment where they reflect on the weight of their responsibilities and the path that lies ahead, reaffirming their commitment to each other and their people.
Chapter Ending:
Mystical Experience: End with a mystical experience at the murals where Lin Xuan briefly sees visions of the kingdom’s past and potential futures, deepening his connection to this land and its destiny.
Foreshadowing: Close the chapter with the sage’s warning about imminent dangers, setting the tone for the escalating external threats, preparing the readers for upcoming intense developments.
Create my version of this story
North of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and south of Lugu Lake, the Kingdom of Women, located in the Yunnan province of China, is a place that I, Lin Xuan, visit every summer.
Being a historian of Chinese descent from the United States, I have been fascinated by the Kingdom of Women ever since I first learned about it.
The Kingdom of Women is a cultural crossroads for the matrilineal and patrilineal civilizations.
It is a unique society ruled by women and has a system that has lasted for thousands of years.
Such a society is very rare in China and even in the world.
Among the other few matrilineal societies that exist, the Kingdom of Women is considered to be one of the most well-preserved.
In addition to its unique society, it also has a fascinating geographical context.
It lies between the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Lugu Lake, two famous tourist attractions in China.
These features have made it a popular tourist destination for people who visit Yunnan province.
The ancient Naxi Kingdom had its own calendar, language, pictographs, and historical documents.
It was an important part of Chinese history.
The remnants of the ancient Naxi Kingdom can be seen everywhere in the Kingdom of Women.
I visited the Dongba Culture Museum with my friends last summer.
The museum exhibits many Dongba characters and paintings.
I was fascinated by them and tried to learn some basic knowledge of the Dongba language.
I even bought some handmade Dongba paper and brushes as souvenirs at the museum shop.
As a historian specializing in ancient Chinese studies, I am very interested in this kind of cultural relic.
I was also deeply impressed by the ecological and societal constructs that have been created to keep this place so well preserved.
The Yangtze River flows through this region, which is also considered to be one of the best preserved water systems in China.
The Tea Horse Road, which can still be seen here today, has contributed to the development of local economy and culture dating back to ancient times.
This is why I come here every summer to explore historical sites and learn more about the Kingdom of Women.
It is not only an opportunity for me to understand matrilineal societies on a deeper level but also an occasion for me to delve into local culture even further as part of my academic research.
Even though I am not Chinese, my family has always emphasized the importance of understanding our cultural background, especially through language and history studies.
As I was walking around the Kingdom of Women, I found myself in a bustling celebration.
The loud beats of gongs and drums filled the air, and locals were dancing in circles and singing loudly.
Their distinctive costumes flashed in colorful patterns, creating a spectacular sight.
The locals did not seem to care about our presence and continued with their celebration as they laughed and sang.
The beggars seized this opportunity and began to approach us.
One thin and ragged beggar approached me, waving an ancient scroll.
“Sir, would you like to buy this ancient scroll?
I need some money for food,” he said.
This beggar was indeed greedy, but I was not interested in getting into a fight with him.
“Show me the scroll first,” I said and handed him some money.
The beggar eagerly handed me a scroll wrapped in an old cloth pouch, and his eyes lit up.
He thanked me and walked away quickly before I could change my mind.
I looked at the scroll and found it fascinating.
The scroll was wrapped in a piece of old white cloth and tied with a piece of rope, which seemed to have been there for a long time.
The scroll itself was not easy to unravel, and when I finally opened it, I saw some ancient characters on it.
The characters were written in ink and were not very clear.
There was a drawing on this scroll, which appeared to show a scene from the Naxi Kingdom.
The drawing was composed of three parts, and the first part had some missing pieces on the left side.
It seemed that someone had tried to restore it, but it was not done properly.
As I examined it closely, I saw that there was an ancient city on one side of a river.
The city looked grand, and its walls were tall and majestic.
The second part of the drawing showed a group of people on top of a mountain.
They were dancing and singing, and there was a bonfire in the center.
The people were divided by sex, and men and women danced around the fire.
The third part of the drawing showed a group of men charging into the city.
There was battle everywhere, and people were fighting each other.
The drawing appeared to depict an invasion of some kind.
I could not help but feel somewhat curious about what these events represented.
I looked at it carefully and found that it could be pieced together like a puzzle.
However, one piece of the drawing was missing as it had crumbled away.
I examined it further and found that it was a very old drawing.
The paper had turned yellow over time and had accumulated some dirt.
However, it was not very fragile.
This scroll appeared to have been well preserved.
I examined it closely and suddenly felt a sense of familiarity.
The drawing seemed to remind me of something I had seen before.
This is a rare ancient scroll, and I like it very much,” a voice suddenly interrupted my thoughts.
I looked up and found that it was the same beggar who had sold me the scroll earlier.
“Would you like to sell it?”
I asked in surprise.
It seemed that I had not been able to conceal my emotions well enough.
The beggar smiled and nodded at me.
“I am willing to pay a good price for it,” he said.
How much are you willing to pay?”
I said without thinking.
My profession had made me very interested in ancient things, and I wanted to study this drawing more carefully.
I also suspected that this beggar knew something about its origins.
The beggar asked me to name a price, and I made an offer.
The beggar accepted it immediately and handed me some money.
The amount he paid me was several times the price I had asked for.
I was stunned by his generosity.
He did not seem very surprised by my reaction and said that this was indeed a treasure.
As I looked at him in confusion, he quickly took his leave and disappeared into the crowd.
I felt even more puzzled by his words.
Was this really a valuable treasure?
It appeared to be a very old drawing on rice paper, and I did not think that anyone would pay such a high price for it.
However, I still wanted to study it further.
In any case, I had already paid for it.
I took out my penknife and carefully cut open the cloth pouch that contained the scroll.
I then unwrapped it and spread it out on top of a stall where I had just made my purchase earlier.
Even though he had left so quickly, he did not forget about his clothes.
It certainly is a map,” I thought as I examined it carefully.
My heart raced as my eyes quickly scanned over every inch of this map.
It did not look like a blank piece of rice paper at all.
There were rivers flowing through the mountains, and there were ancient cities on both sides of them.
There were also some words written in ancient Chinese characters.
The Naxi people had created their unique pictograph language based on ancient Chinese characters.
I could read some of these characters as they appeared similar to ancient Chinese characters.
I could see that this map represented part of the Naxi Kingdom.
I soon realized that this map depicted my current location.
I recognized this place because there were two famous landmarks in it.
One of them was the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
This mountain resembled a jade dragon lying on top of the ground.
It had 13 peaks stretching for hundreds of miles, and it was covered with snow all year round.
The other landmark was Lugu Lake.
Lugu Lake was situated on the border between Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces.
It was surrounded by mountains and forests, and it resembled an emerald inlaying in between these mountains.
As I studied this map in great detail, I soon realized that it only depicted part of the Naxi Kingdom.
Some parts were missing and had crumbled away.
Nevertheless, it did not seem like it would be difficult to recreate the whole map by combining the pieces together.
However, I found myself feeling a bit disappointed after studying it for some time, and I did not understand why I had been so excited about it earlier.
I had come across many fake antiques during my years of collecting, and it seemed that this scroll might be one of them.
I carefully rewrapped the scroll, but a strange feeling seemed to grip me when I touched it again.
I could not help but feel a sense of excitement and curiosity rising up within me, and I could no longer bear the thought of leaving this place so quickly.
After asking the stall owner to look after my new purchase, I quickly made my way through the crowd in search of that beggar who had sold me this scroll earlier.
I wanted to know more about its origins.
However, he seemed to have vanished completely without a trace, and there was no sign of him anywhere near me.
Everyone in ancient towns wore traditional costumes, so it was almost impossible to recognize someone just based on their appearance unless they were standing right next to you.
I felt slightly disappointed, but I soon shook my head and told myself that it did not matter.
This was just an old piece of scroll that was probably picked up by someone who wanted to make a quick buck out of selling it as an antique piece.
The beggar had probably realized that he had made a mistake by selling it at such a low price and decided to cut his losses by leaving early.
I would never be able to find him in this place even if he was still around, so I decided to give up on this idea and return home instead.
I took one last look around, but he was nowhere to be found, so I decided to return to the stall where I had left the scroll earlier.
As I looked at the rice paper that was still lying on top of the stall, a strange feeling gripped me once again, and I could no longer resist the urge to take one last look at it before leaving this place for good.
I soon found myself staring at the ancient map once again, and the sense of excitement that I felt earlier began to rise up within me once more as my eyes scanned over every inch of this ancient map.
As I examined it carefully, I suddenly noticed something that I had not seen before.
There were two footprints on top of this map, and they were heading in my direction!
Could these footprints be leading me somewhere as well?
“You are back!”
A familiar voice suddenly sounded from behind me as my heart skipped a beat in surprise.
When I turned around, I found myself face-to-face with that beggar who had sold me this scroll earlier.
He was smiling in a friendly manner as he said, “I knew that you would return!
Did you come back for the scroll?”
I was stunned for a moment before shaking my head and saying, “No, I came back because of you!”
His eyes opened wide in surprise when he heard my words, and he took a step back before awkwardly saying, “What do you want…”
I quickly asked him whether he was the one who had left these footprints on the map.
He was stunned by my question for a moment before asking me why I was asking him this question.
I then told him about the 13th piece of the White Sand Murals that I had seen in the Dongba Culture Museum.
This piece of mural showed two footprints left by a beggar who visited the Naxi Kingdom over 100 years ago.
It was said that this beggar had visited Gemu Peak at that time to meet with the elders of the Naxi tribe.
However, no one knew what happened to him after he left these footprints behind.
These footprints were located near the White Sand Murals, so they were also known as the “Vagabond’s Footprints”.
When I told him about these footprints, he seemed to react to them as if he had heard of them before.
I asked him if it was possible that he was the same beggar who had left these footprints behind over 100 years ago.
His eyes opened wide in surprise when he heard my question, and his gaze seemed to waver for a moment as well.
He then hesitated for a moment before saying, “I am not sure how to answer that question, but do you really believe that I am the same beggar who left those footprints behind?”
I hesitated for a moment before telling him that I was not sure about it either, but I was still very curious about it.
After I said these words, I could see a look of hesitation on his face as if he did not know what to say next.
I then said to him, “How about we go meet that village elder together?
Perhaps we can find some clues there.”
The beggar remained silent for a moment before nodding his head in agreement.
Afterward, he glanced at me suspiciously before saying, “I will only take you there if you promise me that you will pay me what you owe me.”
It seemed that he had not forgotten about the money that I owed him earlier.
I hesitated for a moment before asking him how much I owed him.
He then said that I owed him 300 yuan, which was the same amount of money that I had paid for the scroll earlier.
I was taken aback by his request for money, but I quickly agreed to give it to him anyway.
After I agreed to pay him the money, he immediately turned around and said, “Follow me!”
He then began to walk forward as if he was expecting me to follow him.
I hesitated for a moment before following him from behind.
As I followed him through the narrow alleys of this ancient town, I made sure to remember the path that we took just in case I got lost.
This place was filled with people walking around in all directions while carrying all sorts of goods on their backs.
It was very easy to get lost here if you did not pay attention to your surroundings.
The beggar looked like he was in his 60s or 70s, but he was still very agile despite his age.
He moved at a very fast pace, so I had to walk even faster in order to keep up with him.
I could not help but wonder how he was able to move so fast even though he looked like he could barely walk properly due to his old age.
I then realized that there might be more to this beggar than meets the eye.
Perhaps he was not an ordinary beggar after all.
Could he be one of the Mosuo Elders who live in this place?
After walking for a while, the beggar suddenly stopped in front of a narrow alley.
There was a small stream flowing in the middle of this alley, and it looked like this stream was heading in the direction of Lugu Lake.
The beggar then said to me, “This is the place where you need to go if you want to meet that village elder, but I will only take you there if you pay me what you owe me.”
I asked him whether we had arrived at our destination already, but he said that we were still quite far from it.
He then said that he would only take me there if I gave him the money first.
I hesitated for a moment before taking out my wallet and giving him the 300 yuan that I owed him.
He quickly took the money from my hands before saying, “I will wait for you here while you go meet with that village elder, but don’t forget to give me a share of the money that you get from him, alright?”
I nodded my head in agreement, but I did not say anything else after that.
The beggar then left the alley without saying anything more to me.
I had a bad feeling about this, so I quickly opened my backpack in order to check if the ancient scroll was still inside it.
To my relief, I found that the ancient scroll was still there.
I carefully checked the contents of my backpack once more just to make sure that nothing was missing.
Once I was sure that everything was intact, I left the alley without saying anything more to the beggar.
As I walked forward, I suddenly felt a strong urge to go see that village elder.
For some reason, I felt like he might be able to help me uncover the secrets of this ancient scroll.
I knew that it was going to be a very long journey if I decided to go see him right now, but something inside me told me that it would be worth it in the end.
In the end, I decided to trust my instincts and go see that village elder no matter what.
I then began to walk forward while thinking about how I was going to get there.
All of a sudden, I felt a strange sensation coming from the ancient scroll inside my backpack.
It was as if the ancient scroll was trying to tell me something.
Perhaps it wanted to show me the way to that village elder’s house!
I quickly opened my backpack in order to take out the ancient scroll.
Once I had taken it out, I carefully examined it once more in order to find out what it was trying to tell me.
After staring at the ancient scroll for a while, I noticed that there were some very faint words written at the bottom of it.
These words were very difficult to see, so I used my fingers to carefully trace along them in order to figure out what they said.
To my surprise, these words appeared to be some sort of map that showed the location of that village elder’s house!
Could it be that this ancient scroll was actually a treasure map in disguise?
It almost sounded too good to be true, but my instincts were telling me that it was the truth!
Without hesitation, I immediately rolled up the ancient scroll before putting it back inside my backpack.
Once I had done that, I began to walk forward while following the instructions on the map.
As I walked forward, my surroundings slowly began to change.
Everything around me suddenly became very calm as if time itself had stopped moving completely.
There were no people around me anymore, and all I could see was an endless sea of mountains filled with lush green trees extending all the way to the horizon.
I then realized that these mountains must have been the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain which is located near Lugu Lake!
This place looked absolutely stunning, and I could not believe that it was right in front of me!
The beggar had mentioned earlier that Lugu Lake was just a few hours away from this town on foot, so we must have been very close to it right now.
I could not help but wonder what Lugu Lake looked like in real life after reading so many descriptions about it in books back when I was still living in America.
As I was enjoying the beautiful scenery all around me, the ancient scroll in my backpack suddenly began to glow very brightly just like before.
This sudden flash of light immediately made me take a step back in shock.
However, before I knew it, a beam of light shot out from the ancient scroll before enveloping me completely.
At that moment, everything around me started spinning wildly as if the world was about to come to an end.
Just when I thought that it could not get any worse, the ground began to shake violently as well before it shattered into countless pieces.
After that, the sky was about to fall down on top of me too.
As the situation continued to escalate, a loud ringing noise started to reverberate inside my head.
This noise was so unbearable that it almost felt like my brain was about to explode.
In the beginning, it only felt like a minor inconvenience, but it quickly turned into an excruciating pain that was impossible for me to bear any longer.
Just as I was about to fall unconscious from all the pain, everything around me finally came to a stop.
The next time that I woke up, I realized that everything was completely different.
There were many people walking on the street in front of me, and they all seemed to be in a hurry.
As soon as I saw these people, my mind immediately went blank since they were all wearing traditional Naxi clothing from ancient times.
Not only that, but they were also speaking in an ancient Naxi language too!
In other words, it almost felt like I had traveled back in time to the Naxi Kingdom several hundred years ago!
Everything around me seemed so real at the moment that it was almost impossible for me to believe what was happening right now.
However, the faint glow coming from the ancient scroll inside my backpack quickly confirmed my suspicions.
It was true after all.
I really did just travel through time and space to get here!
At this point, there was no turning back for me anymore.
I knew that something like this would eventually happen if I continued to collect these ancient scrolls one by one.
It was just that the changes in my surroundings happened so suddenly that it took me completely by surprise.
Now that I had finally arrived in ancient Naxi Kingdom, the next thing that I needed to do was to find out what happened to these people in the past.
I was very curious to know more about them since they were one of the few places on Earth that were able to establish a matrilineal society in the past.
How did they manage to do it?
And why did they eventually decide to switch over to patriarchy instead?
There were so many unanswered questions inside my head right now that it felt like my brain was about to explode.
But before I could go any further with my research, there was one more thing that I needed to take care of first.
I knew that the beggar had told me earlier that the village where that village elder lived was near the White Sand Murals.
As a result, the first thing that I wanted to do right now was to go there in order to pay him a visit.
After all, he might be able to tell me more about the secrets of this ancient civilization.
I was so excited to see him right now that I almost couldn't wait to find out what he had to say to me!
Just when I was about to step forward to talk to someone and ask for directions, something even more bizarre happened to me.
I suddenly started to move forward on my own, as if someone was controlling my body right now!
As a result, my feet kept walking forward without stopping at all, and before long, I was already on the road that was leading me away from Lugu Lake and toward the Snow Mountain in front of me.
The whole thing felt so strange to me right now that it almost felt like I wasn't even doing any of this on my own at all.
But no matter what the reason actually was, the only thing that mattered to me right now was that my body had already started moving by itself.
Therefore, the only thing left for me to do right now was to let my feet take me wherever they wanted to go.
The road that I was currently walking on was a long and winding path that stretched across the entire valley like a huge snake.
I had no idea how long it would take to get to the other side of the mountain if I kept on walking like this, but since my body was already moving forward on its own right now, there was no reason for me to stop at all.
As a result, I continued to walk forward like this without looking back at all until I finally reached the foot of the Snow Mountain in front of me.
From here on out, the road in front of me became even steeper than before, but since my body didn't feel tired at all right now, I decided to continue moving forward without stopping for a break at all.
The Snow Mountain was located in the heart of the Naxi region, which was also known as the "Crossroads of Ancient Civilization" in China.
This place was surrounded by many tall and majestic mountains from all sides like a huge fortress protecting its people from any possible harm or danger that might come their way.
As I was walking on the road in front of me, I could see many lush forests growing on both sides of the mountain, which were filled with all sorts of trees, flowers, and wild animals all over the place.
I could see many different types of trees growing in the forest, including pine trees, cypress trees, and fir trees, which were all growing very well with each other in their own separate areas like good friends that had known each other for a long time.
On top of that, I could also see many wild animals living in the forest too, including monkeys, bears, and foxes, which were all running around freely on the ground like they owned the place.
As I was looking at all of this, I found myself feeling more and more surprised by how beautiful and amazing this place actually was!
It was so rich in vegetation that it almost felt like it was a sacred place that was specially created for people to enjoy their lives on Earth!
I don't know how long I was walking on this road before I finally came across a small village not far away from where I was standing at right now.
This village was located at a place where the forest in front of it met with a small river on its left side, which seemed to be a perfect location for it since it provided its residents with everything they needed in their daily lives.
As I was looking at it from afar, I could see that the village was surrounded by many wooden houses on all sides, which were built on top of tall stilts with their roofs extending outward like wide brims of Asian conical hats in order to protect their residents from any possible harm or danger that might come their way.
The design of these houses looked very similar to the traditional houses that were built by people living in the southwestern region of China today, which showed how closely related these two places actually were when it came to their architectural styles and traditions.
These houses were all made out of wood, bamboo, and mud with their walls decorated with many elaborate paintings and decorations created by their residents themselves in order to express their feelings toward everything beautiful around them.
The paths in this village were all made out of gravel with many beautiful flowers growing on both sides, which were all well taken care of by their residents themselves.
The surrounding fields were all filled with many tall crops growing inside them too with many wild animals running around freely here and there as well.
Everything in this place looked so beautiful and natural that it almost felt like it was an untouched paradise created by nature itself for us to enjoy our lives in peace!
As I was looking at all of this, I found myself becoming more and more interested in learning more about the Naxi Kingdom than ever before!
Maybe I was meant to be here in this place right now to unlock the secrets hidden behind this ancient civilization too?
As I was thinking about all of this, I immediately decided to walk inside this village right away to see if I could find anything special or interesting there that might catch my attention.
As soon as I stepped into this village, I immediately attracted many curious eyes from its residents who were all looking at me with their eyes wide open like they were seeing something strange or unusual around them.
They seemed to be very surprised by my appearance right now since they weren't used to seeing strangers coming to their village like this at all.
However, they weren't afraid of me at all, which was why they started to approach me with excitement on their faces instead of running away from me in fear like some other people I had met before.
It seemed like they didn't think I was a threat to them at all, which was why they decided to come closer to see who I actually was for themselves.
As soon as they came closer to where I was standing, they immediately started to talk with each other in their own language while looking at me from head to toe with their eyes filled with curiosity and interest.
I could understand some of what they were saying right now, which was why I knew that they were talking about how handsome my face looked like right now while also wondering where I came from too.
It seemed like they all felt very familiar with my appearance for some reason, which was why they didn't find it weird or uncomfortable to talk with me like this at all.
Maybe I was meant to be here in this place after all?
I'm not sure, but I'm going to find out as soon as possible anyway!
However, there was still one thing bothering me in my mind right now, and that was how this village could've evolved from being a matrilineal society into being a patrilineal society for no apparent reason?
It just didn't make any sense to me at all no matter how much I thought about it right now!
I mean, matrilineal societies have always been considered to be one of the most ancient forms of social organization in human history due to their large influence on our culture and society for thousands of years already.
They were focused around women rather than men, which meant that women were given much more power and authority than men when it came to making important decisions for their community or family.
However, this form of society had almost become extinct today because there were only a few matriarchal societies left in this world right now, which was why this sudden change in this kingdom's social structure didn't make any sense to me no matter how hard I thought about it right now!
It felt just like losing an entire species out of nowhere without knowing how or why they disappeared from our world entirely!
As I was thinking about this, I suddenly heard someone talking to me from behind while touching my shoulder gently to get my attention as well.
"Excuse me, mister?Where are you from?"
I turned around and saw a modern-dressed young woman standing in front of me who seemed to be around twenty or thirty years old.
She had long, black hair with a fair, smooth face and big, bright eyes too.
Her appearance was so charming and beautiful that I almost thought I was looking at an angel who had just descended from heaven itself!
She had an aura around her which made her look so noble and elegant in my eyes that it immediately commanded my respect towards her like she was some kind of an empress or queen instead.
Maya flashed through my mind right then, but I quickly dismissed the thought since they didn't have any resemblance with each other in terms of appearance, body type, or aura either.
"Hello, miss!I'm Lin Xuan from America.It's nice to meet you."
I said politely while bowing my head slightly towards her at the same time.
"I'm sorry if I've startled you by my appearance right now, but I'm just here to explore this kingdom's culture and history since it has always been one of my favorite topics to learn about since I was young as well."
I explained with a smile while looking at her beautiful face.
The young woman's eyes suddenly sparkled with curiosity and interest when she heard me say this, so she immediately smiled back at me while saying,
"It's okay!You don't have to apologize for anything since we're all very open-minded people here who respect others' personal freedom and privacy too."
"After all, we are all part of the Naxi Kingdom's family together here."
She continued while pointing towards the village behind me with a smile on her face.
I turned around and looked at the village again when she said this, but I couldn't see anything special or interesting there except for many wooden houses built together inside it only.
"You're very welcome here, Lin Xuan!I'm sure that our ancestors will be very pleased with your decision to come here and learn about our kingdom's culture, history, and secrets as well."
The young woman said with a smile again before asking, "But, have you had a chance to meet my grandfather today?"
I shook my head while staring blankly at her at the same time.
"I'm sorry, but did you just say your grandfather?"
I asked curiously after a while.
"Yes, I did!My grandfather is the patriarch of our family here in the estate and the whole kingdom as well."
The young woman replied with a smile again.
"But, are you sure that he's your grandfather?"
I asked again in a surprised tone while looking at the old man inside the house through the window one more time.
"Yes, I am!He is my grandfather and his name is Xun Chenglong too."
The young woman replied with a nod while smiling at me again.
"I see, but don't worry!I'm sure that he will like you once he gets to know you better and more as well."
She said with a smile again before adding, "Oh, and I almost forgot about this!"
She continued while taking out a jade pendant from her pocket and handing it over towards me at the same time.
Please accept this jade pendant as a gift from me since you're now an official guest of our family as well."
The young woman said with a smile before adding, "It will allow you to come in and out of our estate freely as you like as long as you have it with you all the time."
I was surprised by her words at first, but then I looked at her beautiful smile again before nodding my head in agreement with a smile on my face as well.
Xun Chenglong's grandson is coming for a visit today as well, so I'm sure that he will be very happy to meet you once he arrives here later on too."
The young woman said with a smile again.
I don't know why, but I suddenly felt like she was talking about me instead of someone else when she said this.
However, before I could say anything more about this matter, she suddenly turned around and walked away while saying,
"I'm sorry, but I have to go now!If you need anything or have any questions, please feel free to ask my grandfather for help anytime you like!"
She said with a smile again before walking away.
"Wait!"I called out towards her in surprise again, but she didn't stop or turn around this time.
So, I turned around and looked at the estate's gate one more time instead.
The young woman had already left while the gates were now being guarded by another modern-dressed young man with an expressionless look on his face instead.
He was wearing a white suit with black leather shoes, just like me.
I was surprised by this, so I looked around in confusion while trying to find the young woman again.
She had already disappeared from my sight, but the guard that was standing in front of me suddenly spoke up, saying,
She is the Heiress of our family, Miss Ning Xue.
The most influential family in the Naxi Kingdom."
"But… That means…"I muttered under my breath in surprise before realizing what he was trying to say next.
The young woman that I just met was the Heiress of the most influential family in the Naxi Kingdom itself?
Why didn't anyone tell me about this sooner?
But then, I looked around the estate's courtyard once again, only to see that it was filled with all kinds of people now.
There were old people, young people, and even children here as well.
The young people were all dressed in modern suits like me, but the old people were all dressed in traditional Naxi clothes instead.
There were even a few girls here who were dressed in traditional Naxi clothes too, though there weren't many of them around.
"It looks like this is a place where both ancient and modern cultures are being respected and practiced at the same time!"I muttered under my breath in surprise once again.
My eyes were drawn towards the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain right after this for some reason.
It was still the same, majestic mountain that I saw when I first arrived in the Naxi Kingdom a few days ago.
However, there was now a new city that appeared at the foot of the mountain as well.
The city was even bigger than the one that I saw at the foot of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, but it was also a lot more beautiful too.
All of the buildings in this city were made out of black jade, which was a lot more impressive than the white jade buildings that I saw before.
But then, I turned around and looked at the Black Jade City's main gate one more time, only to see a few modern-dressed men and women walking out of the gate with smiles on their faces instead.
They kept looking at the sky while pointing their fingers at something in the sky, so I turned around and did the same as well.
There were a few flying cars in the sky right now, but they didn't look like the flying cars that I saw back in America at all.
They looked a lot more advanced and beautiful instead.
It was quite a sight to see for sure, so my eyes were glued towards them until they disappeared from my sight once again.
But then, I suddenly heard a voice calling out towards me from behind, so I quickly turned around before freezing in place at the sight of the young woman that I just met earlier!
She was even more beautiful than before for some reason as well!
She had a sharp look on her face while also looking a bit angry at the same time too.
She was looking straight at me, but then she turned around and looked at the guard behind me instead while asking,
"Did you tell him everything that he needs to know about us yet?"
"He said that you are the Heiress of your family, Miss Ning Xue."The guard said with an expressionless look on his face, but then he took a step back while bowing his head down at her respectfully as well.
He is a foreigner who just arrived here not long ago in search of his ancestors' history."
The young woman said with a nod while looking away from him.
The guard bowed his head down once again at her response, "Yes, my lady."
But then, she smiled at him one more time before saying,
"You can go back to your duty now!"
The guard said with a smile before walking away.
"Can you tell me where you're from?"She asked me all of a sudden while looking straight at me.
"I'm a Chinese-American."I answered her honestly while smiling back.
"Chinese-American?"She quickly repeated after me with a curious look on her face while raising an eyebrow.
It looks like she has never heard of this term before for some reason.
"It's like someone who was born in China but raised in America."I explained to her while trying my best not to make it sound like I was from the future.
"I see."She said with a nod while smiling back.
"My name is Ning Xue."She introduced herself with a smile.
"I'm Lin Xuan."I answered her with a smile as well.
"Lin Xuan?"She repeated after me with a curious look on her face while raising her eyebrow.
"Yeah."I answered her with a nod.
"It's nice to meet you!"She said with a smile before extending her hand towards me.
"It's nice to meet you too!"I answered her with a big smile before shaking her hand.
But then, she suddenly pulled me towards the side while holding onto my hand tightly and started walking towards the front gate of the Black Jade City instead.
"Wait, what are you doing?"I asked her in shock while trying my best not to fall down.
"Don't worry!We're just going for a walk!"She answered me with a smile while walking forward.
"But I'm not done talking with you yet!"I told her seriously.
"Can we talk while walking then?"She asked me all of a sudden with a playful look on her face while smiling back.
"Sure!"I answered her with a big smile before following her lead happily.
Ning Xue was the Heiress of the Ning family!This was what I found out from our conversation earlier.
It was quite surprising for me when I first found out about this, especially after what I saw back in America.
The woman that I met earlier was also the only daughter in her family, so she had the right to inherit all of her family's properties and businesses in the future.
But then, she suddenly stopped in place all of a sudden before turning around and looking straight at me again with a serious look on her face.
"I heard that the Kingdom of Women is planning on forming a marriage alliance with the Kingdom of Men soon, is that true?"I asked her curiously.
"Yes, it is true."She answered me honestly with a nod while looking straight at me.
"Is this something that you want to do?"I asked her seriously while looking straight at her as well.
"What if I said no?"She asked me with a smile while raising an eyebrow.
"You don't have to do it if you don't want it."
"But if I don't agree with this, my family's reputation and honor will be affected as well!"She told me seriously with a sad look on her face, "I know that I won't be the Heiress of my family anymore if I choose to go against this!"
"So this is your biggest dream after all, huh?To be the Heiress of your family?"I asked her curiously while smiling back.
"It's more like something that I have to do rather than just a dream."
"Why do you have to do something like this?I mean, your family already has everything they need right now, so why do you still have to force yourself into doing something that you don't want?"I asked her curiously.
Suddenly, someone grabbed Ning Xue's arm from behind and pulled her into one of the rooms nearby without saying anything else.
It was Ning Xue's cousin!
Lin Xuan, you bastard!
How dare you seduce my cousin like this?
Are you trying to humiliate our entire family?
Ning Xue's cousin pointed his finger at me and yelled, "You are nothing but a lowly peasant who doesn't know anything about the Ning family!"
"What are you trying to do?Let me go!"Ning Xue said while struggling against him.
"It does not matter what I'm going to do next!The only thing that matters right now is that you won't be able to leave this place anymore!"
Ning Xue's cousin said with an evil look on his face before pushing her out of the room and locking the door from inside.
Lin Xuan, don't worry!She will be fine!
I will take good care of her, don't you worry about that!
Ning Xue's cousin said with an evil smile before disappearing behind the door as well!
"Please help me, Lin Xuan!Ning Xue said while banging the door from outside!
The two of us kept walking down the stairs before we finally reached the end of it as well!
At the end of the stairs, there was a huge and secret chamber that had a lot of strange looking items in it!
Lin Xuan, this is our secret chamber!
And it's where we store most of our precious items as well!
Ning Xue showed me around the place before finally stopping in one of the corners of the room before looking straight at me and saying,"I remember seeing my cousin talking with a strange man here before, but I can't really remember what they were talking about!"
Suddenly, we heard someone opening the door and walking down the stairs as well!
It was Ning Xue's cousin!
"Oh no, we're too late!"Ning Xue said while looking at me with a worried look on her face.
"Hahahaha, I knew that you would come here eventually!You two are truly disgusting!"Ning Xue's cousin said with an evil look on his face before pointing his finger at us and yelling,"Guards, take them away right now!"
Yes sir!"the guards said before grabbing us and taking us outside the room.
Guard 1 said while taking us outside the room!
We were taken to a place that was called the White Sand Murals!
The place was like a huge and vast desert that had absolutely nothing in it except for a few sand dunes here and there.
It was said that the White Sand Murals was the place where all of our ancestors used to live in the past!
However, most of the people in our kingdom didn't really believe in it as they thought that it was just a mere fairytale that was told by our elders in order for them to sound wise and knowledgeable!
Lin Xuan, I have heard that the sorcerer has finally returned from the underworld and he is trying to take over our kingdom by using his magical powers!
I want you to help me in finding out the truth behind all of this so that we can stop him from taking over our kingdom!"Ning Xue said while holding my hands tightly.
"Yes, I will definitely help you.
Ning Xue and I walked up to the White Sand Murals along with Ning Xue's cousin.
Along the way, Ning Xue's cousin told me that the White Sand Murals was guarded by the sorcerer and we needed to pass through five different trials in order for us to reach the murals as well.
The first trial was called "The Trial Of Heart!"
It was the trial that was designed to test our resolve and to see if our intentions were pure or not as well.
After about half an hour of walking, we finally reached the White Sand Murals!
The White Sand Murals was an extremely huge and vast place!
It was so huge that it took us almost five hours just to reach there by walking as well.
At the entrance of the murals, there were five huge murals that were standing as tall as ten thousand feet high into the sky as well.
These murals represented different chapters of our kingdom's history such as The Founding Of The Kingdom, The Legendary Hero A'Mo as well as many others as well.
Only those people who had the bloodline of our kingdom's founders could unlock the secrets of the murals as well.
However, I was not one of them as I was from a foreign land so I couldn't really unlock the secrets of the murals either.
But it didn't really matter since I had Ning Xue and her cousin with me so they could help me in unlocking the secrets of the murals as well.
"Lin Xuan, the first trial is right in front of us!"Ning Xue said while pointing her finger at a path that was made out of sand and it was leading all the way up to the murals as well.
As soon as Ning Xue stepped onto the path and walked forward, her body started glowing and a powerful aura erupted from her body as well.
The next second, she was sent flying by a powerful force and falling down onto the ground as well.
The same thing happened when her cousin stepped onto the path as well.
"Is this the power of the sorcerer?It's so powerful and it's preventing us from reaching the White Sand Murals too!"Ning Xue said while standing back up from the ground.
"That's right!This is only the first trial and it's going to get even more difficult as we progress further into the murals!"Ning Xue's cousin said as he stood back up from the ground as well.
"Let's go!"I said while stepping onto the path and walking forward as well.
However, something strange happened when I stepped onto the path!
I wasn't sent flying by a powerful force like Ning Xue and her cousin were!
I wasn't able to control my body either and my body just moved on its own too!
My body was glowing as well and my aura erupted from my body too.
The next second, I had managed to reach in front of the five huge murals as well.
However, I wasn't sure how I was able to do it but there was a power that seemed to be guiding me too.
It was as if that power was calling me and inviting me to walk forward into the murals as well.
As I looked at the murals closely, they seemed like they were made out of some kind of a liquid or something as well.
There were many people who were inside them too and they were moving as well!
Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of me!
It was a man who was wearing a white robe and his hair was long and it was white in color too!
He looked exactly like what I had imagined him to be as well!
He was none other than the sage!
"Welcome Lin Xuan!Welcome to the White Sand Murals!"The sage said while smiling at me.
"Are you an illusion!"I asked him.
"Of course not!I'm an important part of this mural too!In fact, I'm going to be your guide as you explore this place as well!"The sage said while smiling at me.
"Come on Lin Xuan!Don't keep us waiting for so long!"Ning Xue's voice suddenly echoed in my ears as well.
"It's time for you to explore this place too!We'll be right here cheering for you as well!"Ning Xue's cousin said too.
"Don't worry!I'll take care of Lin Xuan while he explores this place too!"Maya said too.
Suddenly, the sage grabbed my hand and I was able to walk inside the murals as well.
Everyone was looking at the murals when I entered the place.
I tried looking outside but I wasn't able too.
It was as if that the entire area outside the murals was surrounded by sandstorms too.
"You can call me Ying Zheng!
I'm the first king of Qin and I'm responsible for conquering all of the other states within China as well!"
"I'm the founding emperor of the Han dynasty in China as well and my name is Liu Bang too!"
"I'm also another one of the emperors of China too and my name is Zhu Yuanzhang!"
The figures in the murals said while smiling at me too.
"Emperors of China!"I asked them.
"These are some of the emperors who have been leading China as well.
There are many different tribes in China and they are usually led by kings or chieftains too.
After we have defeated all of those people, we became emperors who are ruling over the entire nation too."The sage explained.
"It's an honor for us to meet all of you here too!"I said to them too.
"Don't worry about it!
We're happy to meet someone like you too!
Just remember this Lin Xuan!
The road ahead is going to be very treacherous and dangerous too.
You must continue moving forward even when things get hard too.
Remember that we're always here rooting for you while you're exploring this place."They said while smiling and standing next to each other too.
After talking to the three emperors, I continued walking forward into the murals as well.
The first scene that I saw was a woman who was holding a baby in her hands.
She was standing on a platform which was high above the clouds as well.
There were also soldiers who were fighting some kind of a monster in front of her too.
The woman closed her eyes before she threw the baby into the sky!
The baby then transformed into a spear before it fell down from the sky and killed all of the monsters below too.
This is amazing!
The woman then opened her eyes and she fell down from the platform too.
The soldiers then started to cry before the entire scene turned into a wall with some words on it.
Fourth Empress's sacrifice to repel the invasion of the Yashou Tribe.
The mural also showed the next scene too.
The second scene showed another woman who was wearing some kind of a mask on her face.
She was standing in front of an altar and she was looking at the flames which were burning on it.
The woman took off the mask and put it on her son's face before she waved her hands and the flames on the altar disappeared too.
The scene then turned into a wall just like the first one too.
Fifth Empress's sacrifice to ensure the prosperity of the kingdom.
The scene then changed to another scene where there were many different people who were walking through a forest too.
There were also many different spirits who were walking behind them as well.
This is… I don't understand what is happening in this scene too.
"What is happening in this scene?"Maya asked.
"You guys are watching the spirits walking through the forest too.
During that time, they were also escorted by many different spirits and ghosts too.
However, there was also a dark red lightning bolt that appeared in front of them too.
Many different spirits who were walking behind them also turned into ashes too."
This scene is very scary!
Many different spirits have turned into ashes!
Who are those people that are being escorted by them?"
I asked them too.
"Those people are the descendants of the Yashou Tribe.
They are being escorted by many different spirits because they have never done anything bad to anyone before.
On the other hand, many different spirits have been chasing after them because they have been doing so many bad things to them in the first place.
They're also being cursed by so many different spirits and ghosts because they have killed so many people before."
So that means this is some kind of karma that is repaying them for what they have done to other people before?
"You can say so too.
The spirits walking behind them are the people who have been killed by them before too.
They have been cursed and they will never be able to rest in peace too.
That is why their souls have been wandering around too.
This is the punishment that they receive for trying to harm other people too.
On the other hand, those people will never be able to escape from their curse too."
This is so scary!
They will be cursed forever just because they have done something bad to other people!
So, what is going to happen to these people later on?
"Those people are going to continue walking through the forest until they have reached the altar located at the top of the mountain too.
When they have arrived, there will be a woman who will make her appearance as well.
She is going to give them the punishment that they deserve for killing other people too."
So, what is going to happen after that?
"They will commit suicide and their spirits will join the spirits too.
That sounds so scary!
The scene then changed to another scene where there was a woman who was standing on top of a mountain.
There was also a crescent moon above her head too.
"This mural is called Moon above the valley, kingdom below it."The sage said.
"What does it mean?"
Maya asked him too.
"It means that as long as the moon is still up there, this kingdom will always continue existing below it too."
The sage said before he closed his eyes and stopped talking.
This mural is very beautiful!
It shows how prosperous this kingdom is too.
However, it also shows how everything has turned into ashes too.
How can this happen?
Is there something wrong with this mural?"
I asked him too.
"There is nothing wrong with this mural.
Everything shown here has really happened before too.
This mural shows how this kingdom has been founded.
It also shows how the celestial goddess has given birth to the first Queen ever in this kingdom too.
The first King has married the Queen and they have produced the first Heiress for the kingdom.
The Heiress has also given birth to many Kings and Dukes for the kingdom as well.
It also shows how this kingdom has been thriving before.
This mural also shows how this kingdom has met its end too.
It shows how the last King has been killed by his own people too."
I see now.
So, this mural depicts everything that has happened in this kingdom before too.
So, where are the King and Duke?"
I asked him.
He then pointed at two people who were standing on top of the mountain.
They were both men too.
This is confusing!
If the first Queen has given birth to the first Heiress, then who are these two people?
They don’t seem like they are brothers either.
"Those two people are the King and Duke from the last generation.
They have failed their duties as Kings and have been killed by their own people as well.
That is why they have been forced to leave their thrones."
I see now!
So, where are the new King and Duke?
"They have been appointed before.
I will show them to you."
He then pointed at an entrance located on top of the mountain.
Those two people are walking into that entrance too.
Are you sure that those two people are really our new King and Duke?
They are not walking into this entrance together right now."
I said to him.
"Let's go back to see the mural again right now."
He then led us back before he pointed at those two people who were standing on top of that mountain again.
I looked at them carefully before I realized that one of them was actually wearing clothes similar to mine right now!
It was like I was looking at myself right now!
However, he was wearing a belt on his waist and he was also wearing a robe.
I was so sure that it was me!
There was also another man who was standing beside that man.
He was not wearing any clothes that were similar to me right now.
However, he was wearing clothes that were very similar to mine the first time I have arrived here.
It was so strange!
Was there another person who was like me too?
Was he the one who had brought me here in the first place?
Or was he the one who had brought me here just now?
Or was this his spirit?
This is so confusing!
There are so many questions that I want to ask the sage!
However, I am too shy to do so too.
I am also feeling that I am losing my confidence right now too.
What should I do?
Is he really my soulmate?
What if he is not?
Am I thinking too much?
Is this the reason why I am feeling so embarrassed too?
"Are you feeling alright?"Lin Xuan asked me.
I am not feeling very good.
I am feeling embarrassed too.
However, I am glad that Lin Xuan is the one who is asking me.
He is still looking at the mural right now.
It seems like he is interested in it too.
After all, they are all related to the history of this kingdom.
They are not related to me at all.
"I am alright."I replied.
"Are you sure that we are not related at all?"Lin Xuan asked me again.
"I am not very sure."I replied.
"If we are related, does that mean that we are soulmates then?"
"I don't know."I replied.
"We might be soulmates or we might not be soulmates at all."
"I see."Lin Xuan replied.
Therefore, what do you want to do next?"
"I want to go back."I replied.
"Are you sure that you are not interested in the murals anymore?"
"I will be back again."Lin Xuan replied.
"I want to ask them more questions next time."
"Are you going back with us too?"Maya asked us.
It was the sage who asked us this question.
He was walking towards us with his walking stick right now.
Next time, we will stay here longer and we will come back next time."Lin Xuan replied.
"Sure."The sage replied.
He then walked back to his seat before he sat down again.
Maya nodded at us before she turned around and walked away.
Many people are following her as she is walking away right now.
It seems like they are all her guards.
She is not looking at me at all as she is walking away.
It seems like she is angry at me for no reason at all.
I wonder why she is angry at me.
The sage and the Elders are looking at her as she is walking away too.
They are looking very happy right now.
It is like they have known about her feelings for me already.
Is it possible that they have known about it already?
Is it because of them that she is feeling like this at all?
This is so confusing!
After Maya left with her guards, we also left the mural site right now.
We are not going back to the village right now.
Instead, we are going back to the same place where we have first arrived here.
Lin Xuan is sitting on his bed right now.
He is looking at the lake while thinking about something right now.
He is really different from everyone else around here.
He is not feeling very stressed out at all, even though he has been transported to another world suddenly like me!
He is truly an interesting person!
He also has many secrets that I still don't know about yet too!
"Are you thinking about Princess Maya again?"I heard someone saying this before I saw Maya walking towards Lin Xuan!
She is wearing clothes that are similar to mine again!
"Are you feeling jealous?"Lin Xuan asked her after he saw her.
She is not replying to him at all after he asked her that question.
Instead, she is sitting down beside him while looking at the lake with him too!
She is not looking at Lin Xuan at all after she sat down beside him!
She is acting like there is nothing wrong with him!
"Are you angry at me?"Lin Xuan asked her again.
She is still not replying to him at all right now!
"It is like you have known everything that I am thinking about already."Lin Xuan said this to her before he continued talking to her again.
"In fact, I am thinking about the prophecy right now."
"What is the prophecy about?"Maya asked him after he said that to her!
She is looking very curious about it right now!
"I am not very sure about it yet."Lin Xuan replied to her after she asked him that question!
"He is the one who has received the prophecy, so he should be the one who can understand it better!"He said that to her after he pointed his finger towards the sage and the Elders who are walking towards us!
They are discussing something with each other as they are walking towards us!
They are looking very happy right now!
It seems like they have understood something from the prophecies already!
"It seems like the sage and the Elders have understood the meaning of the prophecies."Lin Xuan said this to Maya after he saw them coming towards us!
"I wonder what it is about."Maya said this to Lin Xuan after he said that!
It seems like she is feeling very curious about it too!
"Let's go and ask them!"Lin Xuan replied to her before he stood up from his bed and walked towards them!
Maya is looking at Lin Xuan as he is walking away!
She is feeling very proud of him for being so brave and curious too!
However, she is also feeling very lonely when he is not beside her too!
She feels like there is a hole in her heart whenever he is not beside her at all!
Is it possible that this is the effect of the prophecy?
Will it make her feel this way only?
If this is true, then this will be terrible for sure!
I have to ask the Elders about this matter once we get back to the village!
I hope that they will be able to help me with this matter as soon as possible!
When Lin Xuan came back, he has a smile on his face already.
He must be really happy after hearing about what the prophecies are telling him!
"Are you going to tell me about it?"Maya asked him after she saw him coming back.
She is looking at him with a smile on her face right now.
She is trying to act normal right now.
"I am going to protect you and the kingdom of women no matter what!"Lin Xuan replied to Maya's question before he continued talking to her again.
"However, I am not the one who is going to decide if we are going to be together or not!"He said this to her again before he walked away to his bed and sat down again.
Maya is looking at him as he is walking away.
She does not know what to do right now.
She is feeling very anxious right now too.
She wants to know what she should do right now.
However, she does not want to show it in front of Lin Xuan too.
She does not want it to affect her relationship with him at all.
The Mosuo Elders are looking at her as she is feeling anxious right now.
"Come here and take a look at these words!"One of them said this to her before they started showing it to her one by one.
Lin Xuan is looking at them as they are showing her all of those words.
The Mosuo Elders are explaining it to her too.
From what they are saying, it seems like the kingdom of women will be in a dangerous situation for sure.
There will be a lot of people trying to attack them too.
Therefore, they will need help from a lot of people too.
This is where Lin Xuan comes in for sure.
That is why they are able to see his face in the words too.
Maya is feeling very anxious after hearing about all of those things that they are telling her too.
I did not think that it will be very dangerous for us right now.
We will need help from other people too.
This is what I understand from all of those things that they are telling me too.
How can we get help from other people when we have been living on our own for so long?
Is there anyone else who will be able to help us right now?
Will we be able to survive through all of those things too?
When they tell her all of those things, she is going to ask them this question too.
However, Lin Xuan is standing up already.
"Are you ready?"The sage asked her before he looked at Lin Xuan again.
"I will be ready!"Lin Xuan replied to him before he looked at Maya again.
"Are you ready?"He asked her before he continued talking to her again.
"We will have to be ready for everything if we want to survive through all of those situations!"He said this to her again.
Maya is looking at him with a smile on her face.
I will be ready since you are going to be around me all the time!"She replied to him before she started walking towards the entrance already.
The Mosuo Elders are looking at them as they are walking towards the entrance.
They do not say anything at all.
They are just letting them walk out from the cave right now.
They have already shown them all of the words that they have been looking at earlier.
Therefore, they do not need them anymore.
Lin Xuan is looking around when they come out from the cave.
He wants to see if there are any other words that they did not tell them about.
However, there are no words around here right now.
Therefore, it seems like they really do not want to tell him anything at all.
This is so bad for sure!
I want to know more about it!
Why don't they want to show it to me?
Is it possible that I am going to die if I know about this?
If this is true, then I will not be able to protect Maya in the future!
This is so bad!
"I know what you are thinking right now!"The sage said this to him before he looked at him again.
"Let me show you something first before we go back right now!"
A blinding white light suddenly appeared in front of them all when the sage said this sentence suddenly.
Lin Xuan and Maya are looking at it but they do not know what it is right now!
However, the Mosuo Elders seem like they know what it is right now!
A vision of a man and a woman is shown in front of them.
The man and the woman seem like they are fighting against a lot of people around them.
The man is using a sword while the woman is using a bow.
The man is very strong and the woman is very smart.
They are able to kill a lot of people around them.
Nevertheless, there are still a lot of people coming at them right now.
Even though the man and the woman are very strong, they are not able to defeat a group of people who are attacking them right now.
As a result, they both fall down on the ground at the same time.
The man and the woman seem like they are dead right now.
The group of people around them start celebrating the death of those two people.
Nevertheless, the man and the woman suddenly get up from the ground right now.
The man and the woman are looking at the group of people before they continue running away from them again.
Even though those two people are surrounded by a lot of people again when they continue running away from them, they are not afraid of it at all.
The vision suddenly disappears when they see that both of those two people are running away.
Lin Xuan and Maya do not know what it is right now.
Nevertheless, it seems like this vision has something that they need to know about.
"I still do not understand anything at all!"Lin Xuan said this before he continued looking at the sage again.
"I told you that I am going to show you something before we go back!"The sage said this before he looked at him again.
"This is it!"
"This is it?"
Lin Xuan asked him again.
"What does it mean?"
"It means that you should not die no matter what happened!"
The sage said this before he continued talking again.
"You have already seen me telling you this sentence earlier!"
"What does it mean?"
Lin Xuan asked him again before he continued talking again.
"I really do not understand anything at all!"
"I am not going to tell you anything anymore!"
The sage replied to him before he continued talking again.
"You will know about it later!"
Lin Xuan wants to say something else but the Mosuo Elders have walked out of the cave already without saying anything at all.
Maya is looking at Lin Xuan right now.
"What did the sage tell you?"
Maya asked Lin Xuan before she continued talking again.
"Did you find out anything at all?"
"No!"Lin Xuan replied to her before he looked at her again.
"Did you find out anything at all?"
Lin Xuan asked her before he continued talking again.
"I really do not understand anything at all right now!"
"No!"Maya replied to him before she continued talking again.
"I do not understand anything at all either!"
I am so done with this right now!
I really want to know what it is right now!
Nevertheless, I really do not know what I should do right now!
Therefore, I can only follow them for this right now!
Furthermore, it seems like the Mosuo Elders are going back already!
I really hope that they will be able to tell me what it is!
Lin Xuan wanted to say something else but the Mosuo Elders have already given him a sign so that they could follow them back immediately!
It has been a few hours since they have left the White Sand Murals but they still have not reached the Kingdom of Women yet because of some reasons.
They have already asked the Mosuo Elders about this matter but they did not reply anything at all earlier.
Nevertheless, they finally have a chance to ask them why they did this earlier since they have already reached a place that does not have any people around here.
"Why did you guys stop me earlier?"Lin Xuan asked them before he continued talking again.
"Why did you guys not want me to go back?"Maya asked them as well since she was looking at them right now as well.
"I have already seen a prophecy earlier and it has said that both of you guys have a difficult journey ahead of you guys!"
The sage replied to both of them as they were looking at him right now.
"Prophecy?"Both of them asked him together before they continued talking again together as well.
"What does it say?"
"It has said that the journey ahead of both of you guys is going to be difficult for both of you guys because there are going to be personal trials and you guys are going to be tested as well!"
The sage replied to both of them as they were looking at him right now.
"Both of you guys are not powerful enough to fight against your enemy so that is why both of you guys need to go through this test so that the prophecy will not happen!"
"Another thing is that Maya will be facing another test as well!"
"She will be facing the test in her heart first!"
"For example, love, hatred, family, friends and etc.!"
"This test will be the most difficult test for her!
"Love?"Maya asked him again before she continued talking again.
"Do not tell me that you know about this already?"
"It seems like our Heiress has finally fallen in love with someone!"
One of the Mosuo Elders replied to her before they continued talking again.
"Nonetheless, it seems like the other person does not feel the same way to her at all!"
"What should I do then?"
Maya asked them again before she continued talking again.
"Is there any other way to stop this from happening?"
"The only way to stop this from happening is by letting him die!"
"However, it seems like it is not a good thing to do right now so we should try our best to let our Heiress give up on him so that it will not affect her later on!"
The sage replied to her before they continued talking again.
"Can I continue staying with you guys?"
Lin Xuan asked them again.
"Do not worry as we will be going to the White Sand Murals soon so that we can see the prophecy clearly!"
There are also murals in the White Sand Murals as well so you can take a look at them as well!"
The sage replied to him before they got up from the ground and they continued their journey to the White Sand Murals.
Both Lin Xuan and Maya kept on looking at the murals on the wall when they just arrived here.
Nonetheless, something caught Lin Xuan's attention again when he saw a figure that was drawn on the wall over there.
He quickly walked towards it and then he started looking at it carefully.
He was surprised when he saw that this figure looks exactly like him.
"Why would there be a figure that looks exactly like me here?"
Lin Xuan asked them again before he turned around and looked at them again.
"Can we stay here for a while?"
Lin Xuan asked them again before they nodded their head at him.
After Lin Xuan saw the figure over there, he realized that something might be happening to him soon so that was why he wanted to stay here to see if something will be happening to him soon.
Liu Jingshan nodded his head at him again before they sat down on the ground over there so that they can rest for a while.
They sat down over there for around an hour before they stood up from the ground and continued walking towards the White Sand Murals.
Once they arrived there, Lin Xuan quickly looked at them so that he can find a way to go back to his own time as soon as possible.
He still wanted to know what was happening to him so that was why he wanted to go back to his own time as soon as possible.
If there was no other way, he might have to stay in this era forever now.
There are actually four walls in front of them right now.
All four walls had murals on them so Lin Xuan quickly walked towards one of the walls so that he can look at it carefully.
Maya quickly followed behind him as well.
It seems like she is interested in this as well because this is her first time seeing someone who is so interested in these things just like her as well.
She kept on walking behind him and then she started looking at the murals on the wall as well.
All four walls are actually showing different things right now.
The one that Lin Xuan was looking at is actually a mural that was showing what had happened here in this kingdom.
The one that Maya was looking at is actually showing the history of this kingdom.
"Who is that?"
Maya asked him when she saw another figure that looks exactly like him on another wall over there.
"I am not sure who it is but it looks exactly like me as well!"
Lin Xuan replied to her as he turned around and looked at her.
"Let us go and take a look at it then!"
Maya told him before she started walking towards it as well.
Both of them took a closer look at it after they arrived in front of it.
The figure really looks exactly like him so he took a closer look at it so that he can see if there is any difference between him and that figure.
His face turned pale after he saw that there was no difference between him and that figure at all.
"Who are you?"
Maya asked him again after she saw his face had turned pale already.
"It seems like I have no other choice now!"
Lin Xuan said it to himself before he looked at Maya and then he said, "That person over there is actually me."
"What do you mean?"
Maya asked again after she heard what he had said earlier.
"That means I am not from this kingdom!"
Lin Xuan replied to her with a smile on his face.
"You are not from this kingdom?"Maya asked him again after she heard what he had said earlier.
"That is right!So you do not have to worry about me anymore!"Lin Xuan replied to her with a smile on his face.
"I am not worried about you at all!"Maya replied to him with a smile on her face.
"Who are you people?"
They suddenly heard someone shouting at them from behind them so they quickly turned around and then they saw around five soldiers walking towards them before they stopped in front of them.
"We are actually trying to find out how we can go back to our own time!"
Lin Xuan replied to them with a smile on his face.
"I want you two to come with us right now!"One of them told him.
"Why do you want us to go with you?"Maya asked them before Lin Xuan could say anything.
"The Imperator has sent an invitation for both of you!
We are here because we have been ordered by the Imperator so that we can bring both of you with us back!
Another one of them replied.
"Invitation?"Maya asked them before she looked at Lin Xuan and then she said, "It seems like it is time for us to go back now!"
Lin Xuan nodded his head at her before he said, "We will go with both of you!"
They quickly followed behind them and then they quickly went back with them.
Once they arrived in front of the palace, they quickly went into the palace together with them.
"Please come with us right now!"
One of them told them before they quickly went into the palace.
Once they arrived inside, they quickly went towards the place where the Imperator was located at.
They quickly went in front of him once they arrived there.
"You have sent an invitation for us?"Maya asked him before he could say anything.
"The reason I asked you two to come here is because I wanted both of you to come and take a look at my place!It is not a real invitation!Are you going to come with me right now or not?"
He replied when he heard what she had said earlier.
"What do you want then?"Maya asked him again.
"I just want both of you to come and take a look at my place!
My soldiers will not do anything to your people so all of you do not have to worry about them!
I will send all of my soldiers away once I see that all of you are here as well!
What do the two of you think about it then?"
He replied when he heard what she had said earlier.
"It seems like I have no other choice now!"
Maya said it to herself before she said, "I will go and take a look at it then!"
"No!I am going as well!"
Lin Xuan said it to her before he said, "I will go and take a look at it as well!"
"You do not have to worry about it!You can just stay here and wait for me over here!"
Maya replied when she heard what he had said earlier.