Chapter 4 The Birthmark of Fire Phoenix

In Yun Canglan's room at the General's House.

The girl changed out of the red dress into a servant's outfit and tied her hair in a bun. She was quite pretty with a clear complexion and bright eyes. In a few years, she would be an attractive young woman no doubt. It was no wonder why Squire Wang tried forcing her to marry his son at the tender age of twelve.

"Damn it. Squire Wang actually reported it to His Majesty. Now, I can't go out for a month as my punishment. I will be so bored. Humph, I'll make his son suffer!"

Yun Canglan's face turned red in anger as he cursed walking to his room. If not for his fury and obstinance, people would have thought him a fairy boy from the heaven. However, he was not a fairy boy.

Bang! He kicked the door opened which frightened the girl so that she hid herself beside the bed.

"What are you doing here? Are you stealing here?"

"No, I'm not. Her Ladyship asked me to stay here and serve you." The girl knelt down in fear. This overbearing young master scared her.

"My mother let you stay?" Yun Canglan looked down at the girl, as if looking at his slave. He was just a little taller than the girl when she went down on her knees, but somehow he looked different just then.

"Yes, Her Ladyship let me stay."

"My mother asked you to wait on me?"

"Yes." she replied again.

Yun Canglan squinted at her, with a look in his eyes that didn't match his age.

"Do you not know who your Master is?" He asked in a low and hoarse voice. Instead of being arrogant and willful, he was just overbearing.

The girl raised her head fearfully as she looked at Yun Canglan. He stood in front of her with his hands behind his back. She felt that he was quite powerful with maturity and sophistication in his eyes that frightened her.

"Do you know who saved you? Do you really think I bring you back because I like your pretty face?" he sneered. "Humph, I didn't, and even though my mother let you stay, I'll make you suffer." he glared down at her and in an almost whisper asked her again, "Do you know who you should obey to now?" Although Yun Canglan was but a child, he could be very intimidating.

Looking up at Yun Canglan, the girl knelt paralyzed in fear.

At this moment, she recounted in her head and realized all the rumors that he was a good-for-nothing, arrogant, willful and overbearing bisexual were not true. Instead, he was cold and supercilious.

"Yes. I am at your service and I'll do whatever you say." She no longer thought of him as a willful or arrogant five-year-old boy.

"You're Yatou?" Yun Canglan asked coldly.

"Yes. My father didn't give me a name, so my mother just called me 'Yatou'."

"Do you still have any family?"

"No. My family died in the natural disaster a few years ago, and I was sold to Squire Wang."

"How old are you?" he asked.

"11."

With a snap of Yun Canglan's fingers, a juvenile in black clothes appeared in the doorway. He was as cold as Yun Canglan, but looked to be five years older than Yun Canglan.

"Young Master." He said respectfully. Although he was young, he looked mature.

"I don't want useless servants. If you want to survive, show me what you're capable of. I'll call you Yun Yu. Yun Ri, train her. If she fails, just kill her." Yun Canglan said indifferently.

"Yes sir. I won't fail you." The juvenile replied respectfully. He was about 12 years old, but he greatly admired his five-year-old Master.

Even though Yun Yu was scared, Yun Canglan had saved her, given her a name and a place to live, which made her happy and she wanted to repay him.

"Young Master, thank you for giving me a name. I'll do whatever you say." Yun Yu adopted Yun Ri's mannerisms. She was a bit timid, but Yun Canglan was quite satisfied with her determination.

"Keep in mind, I despise betrayal and deception. You are dimissed."

"Yes sir."

After Yu Qi left with Yun Yu, Yun Canglan, was alone. He sighed feeling helpless.

"Canglan, are you here?" Hearing the sweet gentle voice of his mother, Yun Canglan stopped being what he was doing. He walked to his bed slowly, lay down and covered his head with the blanket, never bothering to take his shoes off.

Lin Wan'er waited for a long time, but when no one answered her, she opened the door and walked in.

Seeing that Yun Canglan completely covered with the blanket, Lin Wan'er walked gently to the bedside and asked with a tender smile, "Canglan, are you still angry?"

"Humph." was his muffled response.

"Huan'er told me that you went to bed without dinner. Are you angry with your father for taking you to His Majesty?" Lin Wan'er asked her questions in a gentle manner.

Yun Canglan felt wronged. He pulled his blankets back unexpectedly and his mother could see tears still wet on his cheeks. "Mother, how cruel can father be? He actually asked His Majesty to punish me. I'm not his child, am I?"

Yun Canglan threw himself into Lin Wan'er's arms. Her soft and fragrant feeling made him feel at ease. He loved his beautiful, gentle mother above all.

Lin Wan'er smiled at his innocence. "Don't say that. He is your father." She patted Yun Canglan's back gently and beamed with happiness.

Yun Canglan asked, "Why did he ask His Majesty to punish me? I'm just a weak girl. What if His Majesty ordered him to beat me? After all, I am just a little girl."

"Shush now, lower your voice." Lin Wan'er nervously glanced back at the door and asked Huan'er to close the door and window. "Don't let other people know you are a girl, or else you'll be accused of deceiving His Majesty. Don't blame your father. Originally, we just wanted to raise you as a boy and would marry you into another kingdom after you grew up. However, His Majesty granted you the title of Royal Highness while keeping your surname. Although this is a special favor, you cannot live as an ordinary child. Your father must be extremely careful for fear that His Majesty would have something on you."

"Mother, do you really believe what the Taoist priest said?" Yun Canglan left Lin Wan'er's embrace and asked innocently.

"Yes, he visited us the day you were born and mentioned your birthmark of fire phoenix. After you are born, all of us believe it firmly."

"Do you really believe that I can save the world?" she questioned. Yun Canglan wore a thoughtful look a moment. "I'm not interested in ruling the world. I just want to live a carefree life."

"I don't want the responsibility on your shoulders either. I want you to grow up happily, but the Taoist priest said that for you to realize the wish you had when you were first born, then you must bring together seven feathers to unify the world."

Fire Phoenix landed in the world with seven male birds accompanied. Feathers gathered together as water and fire mingled. Waves roared among heads as the world united into one.

"My wish when I was just born?" Yun Canglan whispered to herself in the arms of Lin Wan'er, looking gloomy. She just wanted to go back to the modern world and eat the flesh of the person who had hurt her.

"Canglan, what's your wish?" Lin Wan'er gently looked at Yun Canglan in her arms.

Concealing her gloomy look, Yun Canglan said innocently, "I want to take all the handsome boys and pretty girls. I don't want ugly people around me."

"How naughty you are." Lin Wan'er gently patted her head.

"Anyway, you have to behave yourself. Don't always make your father so mad. What he does is for your own good. Tell me from whom you learn these bad habits. I must make him suffer."

"Well..." Yun Canglan gave a hollow laugh. No one misled her. She was the one who misled other people.

"Don't be angry. Get up, eat something and go to bed early. If you don't eat anything, you'll be ugly. Just stay home as you were ordered, your father is still angry."

"Mother, please no. I'll be so bored." Yun Canglan refused in a spoiled manner, but Lin Wan'er had made up her mind.

"You are not permitted to go anywhere. You wanted to take those people; you can't destroy others' marriage without paying the price. Got it?" Lin Wan'er kept a straight face, but the tenderness in her eyes told a different story.

"They were poor and were forced into those marriages. I saved them." Yun Canglan didn't dare to talk back, so he just whispered.

"Huan, bring some food to Canglan. Keep an eye on her. If she sneaks out, I'll punish you."

"Yes, Your Ladyship." Huan'er replied respectfully.

Huan'er was 13 years old and was Yun Canglan's servant. Aside from Yun Canglan's parents, she was among the few who knew that Yun Canglan was a girl as of that day.