Lei Wanxi was shocked to hear that. He could not understand what he should say in this awkward situation. "It's fine," these two words came out of Lei Wanxi's mouth. Huo Jin passed a tiny smile to him. They both left for the Northern Palace, where Buddhist Temple was situated.
Lei Wanxi saw his other brothers were already present there. He wanted to go near Nianzu, but he was with Chuntao, so he did not bother him.
Weng Yu came towards them and greeted them. "Prince Yu shall not greet me. I am a low born," Huo Jin asserted.
"But Sister Lili told me that there is no such thing as low born. She told me that I shall always respect my elders," Weng Yu stated. Lei Wanxi smiled broadly and patted the back of Weng Yu.
"Sister Lili said absolutely right. Huo Jin, you should not think that way," Lei Wanxi said and patted his shoulder. "Let's go inside," he said and put his arms around their shoulders. They stepped into the stairs and soon reached inside the temple.
Lei Wanxi's eyes fell on Zhu Lin, who was conversing with Princess Liao Jun. He put his hands down when his eyes met Zhu Lin. She lowered her eyes to greet him. Lei Wanxi winked at her, which Weng Yu noticed.
"Why is Brother Wanxi winking at Princess Zhu Lin?" He questioned.
"He has lost his mind, that's why," Sheng Li pronounced and walked past them.
Weng Yu got confused when he heard that. "Nothing, Brother Yu," Lei Wanxi stated. Huo Jin smiled a little and looked towards Jian Guozhi, who was with Xue Yu-Yan.
He recalled Xinyue, who used to be so happy when was with Jian Guozhi. Though she never loved him, he wanted her happiness until the end. Though his love for her could never be completed, but he wanted her to love got completed at least. However, her wrong step and greed ended up killing her.
Wang Hao and Xiao Zhan also reached the temple. They stood by Huo Jin. The head priest of the temple started to chant the mantras. The noises died out and everyone focused on the prayers.
After half an hour, the prayers ended. Sheng Li and Ying Lili left first, followed by the others. Huo Jin stayed in the Temple and went towards the Buddhist idol. He knelt on his knees and his forehead touched the ground. Giving three kneelings to Lord Buddha, he closed his eyes.
Oppositely, Lei Wanxi recalled about Huo Jin. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and asked Nianzu if he saw Huo Jin.
"Oh, he is inside the temple," Nianzu replied. Chuntao had already left with Ying Lili.
"I also want to meet him before leaving," Nianzu said.
"Where are you going, Brother Nianzu?" Lei Wanxi questioned.
"To Lu Province to meet Sister Qi Jing and then I will go to Juyan," Nianzu answered. Lei Wanxi was delighted to hear that.
"I would love to accompany Brother Nianzu but I usually get sick in autumn," Lei Wanxi said and looked up at the sky. It was clear when he recalled something.
"Brother Nianzu, do you know who Xinyue is?" Lei Wanxi's sudden question bewildered the Fourth Prince.
"Why do you ask?" He queried him.
"Huo Jin told me that he will never marry as the one whom he loved is no longer in this world," Lei Wanxi asserted. "Who is Xinyue?"
"The First Prince's first wife's real name was Xinyue," Nianzu replied.
Lei Wanxi was shocked to hear that. "What?" He could not believe his ears.
"It's a long history, Wanxi," Nianzu replied.
"I would like to know. How come I do not know such an important thing?" Lei Wanxi complained.
"It was meant to be a secret. Real Zhilao Mi was murdered by the father of Xinyue. She then replaced her and got married to the First Brother. Huo Jin's history you already know. He served his master for years because of Xinyue only. He even took the blame so that she could live happily with Brother Jian," Nianzu affirmed. He recalled the day when Huo Jin told him all this.
"Was he dumb? How could he protect her? She did not even love him," Lei Wanxi got furious.
"He loved her, Wanxi. When you love someone, you do not look at his or her faults. You want him or her to be happy until the last breath. I never saw a man like Huo Jin. For her, he even ate the poison given by his master to her own daughter. His love is at another level, Wanxi! He joined our hands because he wanted to punish Xinyue's Father, who turned her into a selfish person.
When Brother Jian caught him, I saw the love in his eyes for Xinyue. She blamed him for everything, but he did not utter even a single word against her. I respect him for this," Nianzu proclaimed with prideful expression.
"Brother Nianzu, I did not know Huo Jin had such a past. He must have suffered a lot. It is weird that many good people never get the things they desire for," Lei Wanxi stated. "Did he never regret loving her?" He asked, out of a sudden.
"No. Not even once. In his eyes, she was kind. She saved his life when he was fed poison. He was a slave, whose life would not have mattered much. But Xinyue saved him. From that day onward, Huo Jin gave his everything to her," Nianzu asserted. This brought tears to Lei Wanxi's eyes. He rubbed them and nodded his head.
"Such a beautiful love he carries for her! Ahh, this is a heart-wrenching love story. I want Huo Jin to be happy. I pray to the Jade Emperor that he should bring a woman in Huo Jin's life, who will love him a lot," Lei Wanxi stated and joined his hands. Nianzu smiled upon seeing Lei Wanxi.
"I also wish the same for him. I will be glad if he loves again since he deserves better," Nianzu thought.
~~~
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