One week later in a room on the fifth floor of the ziggurat, Jiang weizhe was no closer to finding answers to his questions. The painting was as much a mystery as it had been on the first day he'd seen it. A head turned here and there… 

Wings beat as geese took flight in the painting…

But it was impossible. The birds were not alive. He'd spent the last week studying the painting in a kind of trancelike state but no answers were forthcoming. Several times, he'd almost summoned Xu shirong to answer his questions, but a stubborn part of him wanted to find answers of his own. He'd reached the limit of his patience today of all days. But as luck would have it, today was Xu shirong's wedding day. He wouldn't barge in uninvited. 

"Maybe my master might have answers to my questions."

He went to the seventh floor and announced himself. He waited patiently to be invited in. Sovereign Three leaf had entered seclusion half a century ago, but he took his duty as a teacher seriously. He always made time to see his disciples. 

The door to his master's chambers swung open late in the night and Jiang weizhe crossed the threshold of the bare room. Cool stone floor transformed into sand as he found himself transported next to an open cavern stream. The scenery never failed to amaze him whenever he came to visit. His master was waiting for him there while fishing. He joined his master.

"Weizhe, you just advanced to sage realm. Give yourself some time to adjust before you begin cultivating."

The diminutive Sovereign Three leaf said without looking at his disciple. 

"Master, your lessons are always at the back of my mind. I haven't cultivated since my breakthrough. I even had a party and invited many guests."

"I'm not wrong. You've almost reached the second door of the sage realm."

Jiang weizhe inspected the bubbling spring inside him. He had really advanced as his master had said. But he'd done nothing these past few days except study the painting. Perhaps? Was it even possible?

"Master, I really haven't forgotten your lessons. These past few days, I've mostly rested while studying one of the gifts I received. That is also the reason I came to find you. I can't seem to pierce the depths of the painting. It has left me puzzled."

"A painting? Let me see it."

Seeing his student produce a rolled up scroll painting, he exclaimed.

"A cloth painting. Are you sure that you aren't wasting my time?"

"I don't know what it is exactly, but it's definitely worth looking at."

Instead of taking the painting, Sovereign Three leaf grabbed the painting with an invisible hand and unfurled it in the air. The painting of the geese hung in the air awaiting inspection. After a long minute, Sovereign Three leaf spoke.

'Tell me how you got the painting."

"A young man from the Xu clan presented it to me as a gift during the feast."

"Did he say how he came about it?"

"He bought it. Master, can you tell me what you gleaned from the painting? I have not been able to see much apart from a movement here and there."

"It'll take time to grasp the essence of the painting. However, I can tell you without a doubt that the painting is a treasure. Normally, these kinds of treasures are found in ancient tombs. If it ever saw the light of day, it would go for the highest price. There is no way it will end up in the hands of a Xu clan member."

"Master, do you believe that there is some trickery going on?"

"No. The painting is an authentic treasure. It is something else about the painting that has me intrigued."

Jiang weizhe studied the painting closer hoping to find the feature that had intrigued his master.

"Even if you stare at it for a thousand years, if you don't know what to look for, you'll be like a blind man searching for a lamp in a windowless room."

"I give up then. Will you tell me what obvious thing i am missing?"

"It's a new painting. No older than a year."

"That's impossible!"

"Unlikely not impossible. Send for the young man. I have some more questions for him."

"Ehm... master", 

Jiang weizhe hesitated.

"What?"

"Today is his wedding night. I'm sure he is busy right now."

"Oh! That's inconvenient for us. Send for him at dawn. He should be done with his business by then."

"I'll make sure it's done under the utmost secrecy."

"Good."

Since the issue was settled, they went back to fishing. Jiang weizhe understood a long time ago that for his master, the act of fishing was not about the fish themselves but the testing of his patience. He joined his master in a game of waiting until he felt the sky brighten. It was nearing dawn at last!

The still exhausted Xu shirong was pulled out of bed by his elder uncle at an ungodly hour and pushed into a waiting wagon. He was shaken awake by his uncle Guanli to see his grandmother looking at him with worried eyes. Sleep evaporated from his eyes as he shot a quick questioning glance at his uncle.

"What is going on?"

"We should be asking you that. We've been summoned to the Three leaf plaza under the cover of night. The guards had orders to bring you to the Sage three carps. We barely managed to come along. You didn't do anything wrong, did you?"

"I don't think so. I've been at home ever since that night. I wouldn't have had the chance to offend anyone from the plaza if I wanted to."

"Then that's okay. We'll find out what they want when we get there." 

His grandmother sighed. Being carted away in a produce wagon under the cover of night was worrying indeed. Once they arrived in the plaza, they were ushered into the ziggurat like fugitives past rooms and up some stairs. They finally ended up in a waiting room where they were left to their own devices.

Jiang weizhe's entrance brought them to their feet with nervous alacrity.

"Greetings, your excellency."

He looked from Xu shirong to the others.

"Clan head. My apologies for rousing you from sleep. My master wants to speak to your Xu shirong. I hope you weren't alarmed."

She quickly denied the thought, but her worry had yet to recede. He took great care to reassure her before leading Xu shirong to the seventh floor. As he wasn't needed, Jiang weizhe returned to the waiting room and engaged them in conversation while they waited for Xu shirong to return. He returned in a short while and Jiang weizhe saw them off with gifts for the Xu shirong and his wife.

Two days later, just as day dawned, a cloaked Xu shirong, riding the two horn desert horse, left the city. He rode hard to the east to gain ground before the heat of the day set in. 

Back in the city, on the highest floor of the Skyfire ziggurat, Sovereign Skyfire was listening to a report in the company of a distinguished guest; the Sovereign Dawn star. Since her arrival a month ago, he'd sent out countless runners to search for her ward, but the situation didn't look hopeful. The boy had managed to escape under the watch of a sovereign. Who knew where he was by now? The runners always returned with the same result and he would have closed the case if the boy wasn't also a distinguished guest.

"Are you sure?"

Sovereign Dawn star asked, straightening up from her slumped position in the chair.

"Yes, your excellency. He seems to still be in the city, but we are having trouble locating his exact position."

The runner said.

"Just wait till I catch him. I'll give him a beating he will remember for the rest of his life!"

"It's good news that no harm came to him. This child is naughty."

"You don't know half of it. He spent a million purple coins in an auction to buy a crown… for his mount."

"Children!"

"Don't let his age deceive you. He is no child."

"He's what? Eleven years old?"

"He is the youngest king in history. He was crowned paragon when he was five years old. He knows better!"

"Achievements notwithstanding, he's still a child. It might benefit you to treat him less like an adult and more like a child. Maybe he will be willing to remain under your guardianship if you allow him to play more."

He gave her his opinion, but he could tell she had no intention of considering it. If he was being honest, he was telling her to neglect her duty. If he were in her shoes, he wouldn't take his own advice either.

"Now that you know he is somewhere in the city, what do you plan to do?"

He asked.

"We'll stay here until we have to go to the beastland battlefield. I hope you will tolerate us till then."

She suddenly cocked her head to the side as something outside caught her attention.  

"Huh? Where is Three leaf heading to in such a hurry?"

"Did you just say Three leaf?"

"Yes. He just left the city."

Sovereign Skyfire raced out of the hall and jumped into the sky.

"Dawn star, my flying tool is not built for speed, but yours is. We need to catch up to him as soon as possible!"

She nodded and produced a pearlescent clam shell that expanded and carried them away. They met a figure dashing through the air also chasing after Sovereign Three leaf.

"Crimson thunder, we seem to be going the same way. Get in!"

Sovereign Dawn star invited the brawny bare chested sovereign to join them. He jumped onto the cushioned bed of the shell without any encouragement. They zipped off after their quarry. Sovereign Dawn star kept an eye on the sky in front of them. She could hear the wind blowing in the wake of Three leaf's passage, but he wasn't in sight.

"You both, why are you following Three leaf so desperately? Are you in a dispute with him?"

"Dispute? You could say so. Every time he leaves the city, he brings us closer and closer to ruin. This time, we also aim to get a share of the treasure."

"The dispute is over a treasure?"

"You won't understand our suffering. Our two districts together can't compare to the three leaf district. He fuels money from the treasures he finds into the businesses in his district. This time we have to get a share of the treasures too."

"Dawn star, please speed up. We can't lose him this time." 

Urged Crimson thunder.

Miles ahead of them Sovereign Three leaf's leaf shaped flying tool came to a stop. Xu shirong was waiting for them at the agreed upon meeting place, a glade with a watering hole used by travelers journeying to the hinterlands. After the horse was properly settled on the leaf, they set off again with Xu shirong pointing the way to the new blossom town. 

Sovereign Three leaf looked behind him and chuckled. He knew the identities of those following him. Sadly, there was no treasure to be found. It had already been delivered to his doorstep.

He slapped his palm on the surface of the leaf and controlled it to go faster. 

At the back, Crimson thunder and Skyfire were already on their feet. 

"The bastard! He's sped up again!"

"We'll lose him at the pace."

"Ha! Three leaf when it comes to speed, you can't hold a candle to me."

She scoffed at the absent sovereign. Dawn star and also increased the speed of her clam shell. They raced across the sky, one trying to outspeed the other and the other trying to close the distance between them. The pursuers had the benefit of Dawn star's shell and so caught up to Three leaf on the fourth day. 

"Ha! Ha! Three leaf, this time, the treasure belongs to all of us!"

Bellowed Crimson thunder as they entered within shouting range. Jiang weizhe bowed to them. Xu shirong quickly followed suit and sat as still as a statue in his seat having never before witnessed the daunting pressure of being in the presence of four sovereigns at the same time. 

"You are wrong this time, my friend. There is no treasure."

"I don't believe a word you say."

Scoffed Skyfire. He could still remember the number of times Three leaf had returned from a jaunt outside the city with a treasure he had just happened to find.

"You just don't want to admit that luck is a talent. Most times, I wouldn't mind your nosiness, but I have important business to handle this time and your presence is unwelcome."

Neither of them believed a word he said. 

"You too Dawn star, why are you indulging these idiots?"

He asked hoping to sway her, but she looked anywhere but at him.

"I'm just a person flying the shell. I have no interest in your dispute."

He tried to convince them to turn back during the course, but they were like starving dogs who'd spotted a bone. The more he talked, the less they were willing to listen.

"Master, you should save your breath. I don't think they are willing to listen to you." 

Jiang weizhe spoke up as the sun set. They were nearing their destination. New blossom town was just over the horizon.