Lan XiChen gave them two days before they would set out to visit the first location on their list.

Lan Zhan enthusiastically kept Wei Ying occupied to the point of exhaustion, so it was not surprising that he fell asleep at the table again, in the middle of tweaking the talismans he wanted to take with them.

The mists cleared once again, revealing the beautiful Queen mother walking towards him with her staff. She smiled at him first, and this in turn, gave him the much needed courage to ask his question. He bowed first.

"Um... Queen mother...thank you for, well, picking me, but may I ask why?"

She raised a brow.

"I... it's just that you could pick anyone, and yet you picked me?"

"I have my reasons," she mused. "But I see a lot of similarities between us."

Wei Ying gestured to her and then himself. "Us? How so?"

"I have rather...a colourful past, shall we say? And you yourself are not short of defining moments. People will talk and most of the time, lies, hearsay, myth and speculation are served up as the truth. What remains imperative is the will to do what is right, even if we know nothing of the implications of our actions." She patted his hand. "Now, pay attention."

She waved her staff and the scene in front of them changed.

As before, long tables spread with dishes ready for a banquet, gold and silver platters with the divine peaches were laid out. Again, the ordinarily dressed folk approached the tables and stole random fruit, tucking the peaches into their garments.

This time, when the commotion broke out, and the thieves ran, Wei Ying was able to follow them. They made their way into deep forest pursued by angry shouting. They quickly divided their loot and began eating, but it was too late. Royal guards surrounded them, spears ready to attack. Yet these people calmly wiped their hands and faces on their clothes and waited.

Bugles heralded the arrival of an important person, no, Wei Ying thought. He was the most important person, the Jade Emperor himself. Dressed in emerald and golden robes, pearls dripping around his neck, rings ornamenting his hands, he entered the circle of guards and pointed a finger at the leader of the group.

"How dare you?" He thundered. "To steal from the royal banquet, and not just anything else but this divine fruit!"

"Why not?" The leader argued. "Why can we not dare? Why is it not acceptable for us to eat this fruit? Just because we are lowly workers?"

"It is exactly because of this ignorance, that you are not worthy. The Divine fruit is only an offering for the Ba Xian Guo."
He pulled out a mirror from his sleeve. "And you will be punished for your insubordination."

"You can't kill us now," the leader cackled. "We're like you."

"Death is not the only punishment." The Jade Emperor turned the outer circle anti clockwise and pointed it at them, summoning spiritual energy and chanting in an ancient tongue.

Wei Ying could only look on as each person was slowly sucked into the mirror, every last one. The screaming still echoing in his ears long after they were gone.

The Jade Emperor took the arm of the Queen and went back, as if nothing had happened.

Wei Ying was too shocked to move. The Queen caught his eye as she left, her gaze unwaveringly sorrowful.

This time when he woke up gasping, clutching his chest, he managed to knock over the teacup, the now cooling liquid all over himself.

The doors of the Jingshi opened and Lan Zhan entered. He was alarmed at his husband's state, quickly grabbing a cloth to wipe him. Wei Ying was still shaking, he pulled at Lan Zhan, seeking comfort.

"What happened?"

"Another dream."

*****

When Wei Ying was able to calm himself sufficiently enough to be coherent, they asked XiChen to come and see them.

He hurried in, concerned.

Wei Ying explained as best as he could, everything he had seen.

"So rather than artifacts, you're saying the mirror has trapped people inside it?"

Wei Ying nodded. "It's not their souls, because they already ate the fruit that gave them immortality. I think the Jade Emperor cursed them to live inside the mirror, effectively trapping them."

"Now we just need to figure out why Mei Tongqing Xin wants the mirror." XiChen speculated. "He clearly wants to release them, but to what end?"

"Whether or not their fate was justified, doesn't it seem a bit too cruel?"

Lan Zhan looked at Wei Ying, still too pale for his liking. He poured out fresh hot tea and pushed the cup towards him, staring until he picked it up and drank.

"What are you saying?" XiChen queried. "Surely you don't want to free them?" He looked horrified.

"Well, not free them, actually I don't know what to think!" Wei Ying took a deep breath. "I understand that they are being punished, and it's not up to us to interfere, especially as it was the Jade Emperor who cursed them. But I can't help feeling sorry for those people." He ran his finger along the edge of the table, still thinking out loud. "Hasn't their punishment lasted long enough yet? This whole incident seems too harsh to me."

"Then you have to think seriously about this." XiChen said. "There will be significant consequences if you go against the Jade Emperor. And it has nothing to do with you, really."

"But Zewu-Jun, can we really sit back and do nothing? Is it enough to stop Mei Tongqing Xin from getting his hands on the Yangsui in the first place?" Wei Ying looked troubled. "I can't help feeling that the Queen mother wants us to do... something..."

"I believe that a suitable solution will present itself to you when the time comes." He held up a hand at the protest about to leave Wei Ying's mouth.  "I know my advice is not helping you right now, but complex problems cannot be rushed. It is a learning process."

Wei Ying nodded miserably.

"You should rest now, Master Wei. Tomorrow will be a long day."

"Zewu-Jun, you can call me Brother Wei." Wei Ying blushed hopefully. "It's just that Master sounds so...formal."

XiChen smiled broadly. "You are right, we are family now. You should call me XiChen-Ge."

Wei Ying jumped across the table, hugging him. "Really?"

XiChen laughed, patting his back.

A loud cough and Bichen placed noisily on the table had Wei Ying hastily removing himself.