In the palace's grand hall, the sound of a heavy wooden door opening created a tense atmosphere. The officials and people involved in the Fruit Palace took their positions in order. Princess Lingya sat on the throne in the center of the room, her face solemn, amidst the flickering candlelight.
"We received a report from the scouts that the First Prince Li Cheng is gathering troops." Princess Lingya's voice was cold but firm. "He has not hidden his movements."
Li An, a young and knowledgeable researcher, raised his hand to ask permission to speak. "Your Majesty, I would like to propose that we protect all the forbidden fruits with a more advanced defense system. I can design a detection device that is sensitive to the special powers of those fruits, to prevent them from being stolen or destroyed."
"That might help some," Xian Lan, the head of the agricultural department, argued. "But reinforcing the patrol around the garden would be more effective. Detecting powers would not be able to stop the troops if they invade in large numbers."
"Just defending from the outside is not enough," Prince Xiao Yang's voice rang out, as he stood up from his seat. He swept his gaze across the room with a sharp gaze. "We are missing a crucial point. Someone here must know something about Li Cheng's plan. It's definitely not just gathering troops to wage a war."
Pun Ya, who had been sitting quietly, stared at Xiao Yang thoughtfully. His words reminded her of Li Shan, a man whose mysteriousness she had begun to suspect. She had asked him about his past before, but Li Shan had always avoided answering.
Princess Meilin, whose face was visibly troubled, said in a soft but worried tone, "We can't deny that he wants something from this garden, and I believe it's directly related to the forbidden fruit."
"If we let this conflict continue without a clear decision, it will not only be detrimental to the garden, but it will also be the end of this dynasty." Xiao Yang continued, his tone firmer and more sincere than ever.
Li Anning thought for a moment, before suggesting, "What if I can develop a way to control the power of the forbidden fruit, so that it becomes useless in the hands of the eldest prince?"
"That's just a dream, Li An," Xian Lan said, shaking his head. "The forbidden fruit has power that we cannot completely control. If it falls into his hands, it might not only destroy this garden, but the entire kingdom."
The atmosphere in the conference room was filled with tension. Punya clenched her fists tightly under the table, the doubts in her heart growing more and more, but what she had nothing to do with the eldest prince, what was Li Shan hiding?
Princess Lingya stood up from her seat, her voice echoing in the conference room, "We don't have much time, everyone, get ready, no matter what, this garden must not fall into Li Cheng's hands."
Everyone stood up, bowed to Princess Lingya, and started to leave the conference room one by one. Punya looked at Xiao Yang who was still standing, he himself seemed to be thinking about something, she knew that this decision could change the fate of everyone in the garden, it was possible.
--
In the darkness of the night, the moon cast a silver light down on the orchard covered with glowing trees, the silver crystals on the leaves and trunks reflected the light, making them sparkle. The gentle wind sounded like the whispering of nature.
Punya tiptoed through the row of trees in the garden, the silver crystals shone brightly as if observing. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Li Shan's tall figure, sitting under a crystal tree. He had his eyes closed tightly, both his hands on his knees, and he muttered something she couldn't understand.
"What's wrong with you? "You seem to have been absent lately," Punya said in a firm tone, but tried to control her voice from being too loud.
Li San flinched slightly, his sharp eyes opened, before he let out a long sigh. He did not answer immediately, only looking at her with eyes filled with complicated feelings.
"You know now," he said softly, but those words were so heavy that Punya's heart beat faster.
Suddenly, there was the sound of footsteps from behind. Punya turned to look. Wen Qing appeared in light armor, his right hand holding a spear-like weapon that glowed faintly blue.
"I already know what you are hiding," Wen Qing said in a resolute tone. Her sharp eyes stared at Li San relentlessly. "I have been watching you all this time, but I never thought you would hide something so important."
Li San slowly stood up. His face showed exhaustion but still maintained his elegance. "I will tell you, but what I am about to say may change your thoughts about me."
Punya stood with his arms crossed, his eyes fixed on Li San. She did not say anything, but waited to listen.
"I am the last guardian of the former queen," Li San began, his tone calm but filled with sadness. "The queen who created this orchard sacrificed her life to seal the garden's true power into the forbidden fruit. It is my duty to protect this orchard and protect that power from those who would try to abuse it."
"Then why do you have to hide it?" Wen Qing asked, her tone hard. "If you had told us from the beginning, we would have been able to find a better way to protect the orchard."
"Because of my promise to the Queen," Li Shan replied softly. "I was cursed to live forever, until no one wants the garden's power anymore, or until it perishes. I can't talk about the past unless the time is right."
Punya stepped closer to him. She looked deep into his eyes and saw the suffering he had been hiding for so long. "You know, there's no point in sacrificing yourself for someone," she said seriously. "Everyone in this garden is involved. It's not your job to protect it alone."
Li Shan fell silent for a moment, as if weighing her words.
"We must work together," Wen Qing added, her tone resolute. "This garden doesn't belong to just one person. It belongs to all of us, and I won't let you bear this burden alone."
Li Shan looked at the two of them, then nodded slightly. "Perhaps… I've been wrong all along," he said softly, but there was a warmth starting to form in his voice.
Punya smiled slightly. Even though she was still worried about what they would face in the future, she could feel that Li Shan was starting to open up, and that might be the first step towards truly protecting this orchard.
--
Morning of a new day The training ground in the middle of the orchard was covered in a thin mist. The air was cool but filled with tension. Punya was standing in the middle of the ground, surrounded by training targets set up on all sides. In her hand, she held a bright red fruit that was faintly glowing. It was the "Fire Chili", a fruit that gave off the power of heat and flame.
"Focus," Wen Qing said calmly as he stood not far from her. Wen Qing held a lightning mango that was glowing a faint blue. Her sharp eyes watched Punya's every move.
Punya nodded. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to gather the power from the fruit in her hand. But before she could use it to its full potential, heavy footsteps and conversations rang out.
"Practicing early in the morning," Yang Sheng's deep voice came from the entrance.
Punya turned to see Yang Sheng and his three companions walking in. Each of them was wearing light armor suitable for combat. They seemed to be training, but Yang Sheng's gaze toward Punya was filled with hostility.
"You have great talent, but do you really think you can survive?" Yang Sheng said with a sneer.
"It's not something you need to worry about," Wen Qing replied coldly. She stepped forward to stand beside Punya, her eyes fixed on Yang Sheng.
Yang Sheng chuckled lightly, "But I think I should be worried, because someone without talent shouldn't be in this garden." He stopped in front of Punya, his eyes staring at her as if he wanted to challenge her.
"I don't need to prove anything to someone like you, even the princess who brought you into the palace would be betrayed." Punya replied in a firm tone, but deep down she knew that her hands were starting to get cold from the pressure.
"Is that so?" Yang Sheng grinned, "Then let's see if a newcomer like you can survive me!"
Before Punya could say anything, Yang Sheng charged at her. The energy from the fruit he held in his hand shone a pitch-black light. It was the "Death Fig", a fruit that created mental pressure and reduced the opponent's strength.
Punya quickly retreated, trying to focus on summoning the power from the chili peppers in her hand, but the flames she created were too weak to protect herself.
"This is bad!" Wen Qing shouted. She charged between Punya and Yang Sheng. The lightning mango in her hand shot out an electric current straight at Yang Sheng, but he dodged it easily.
"Do you think I can't fight?" Yang Sheng chuckled, before charging forward again.
Suddenly, Princess Mei Lin appeared from behind, along with Mei Ling, who held a long sword.
"Stop this right now!" Mei Lin shouted loudly, her eyes shining with anger. "Do you think the training ground is a place for you to show off your madness, Yang Sheng!"
Yang Sheng stopped moving for a moment, his eyes turning to Mei Lin, before sneering. "I was just testing her."
"You call that testing?" Mei Ling asked coldly, her hand holding the sword clenched tightly. "I won't let you hurt anyone in this place."
"I didn't hurt anyone," Yang Sheng said, but his gaze still did not reduce its menace.
Mei Lin stepped forward to Punya's side. "If you want to test someone, come test me!"
Yang Sheng paused for a moment before smiling. "That's interesting… But let's leave it for next time." He said as he turned and walked out of the training ground, his comrades following obediently.
Punya sat down, her heart beating fast. Wen Qing and Mei Lin rushed over.
"Are you okay?" Mei Lin asked, her voice gentle.
Punya nodded, even though she felt exhausted. "I need to practice more," she said with determination.
"Yes," Wen Qing replied. "You still need to learn to control the power of the fruit better, and I will help you."
Punya looked up at Wen Qing and Mei Lin. Although the previous event was terrifying, she felt warm in her heart that they were still there to help her.
--
The moonlight shone dimly through the treetops in the "Forbidden Garden," a place where no one could enter without fear. Punya followed Li Shan through the thick bushes. The sound of leaves rustling gently in the night breeze made the atmosphere even quieter and made her feel the danger approaching.
"This is it?" Punya whispered, her voice filled with uncertainty.
Li Shan nodded. "Yes, this is the Forbidden Garden… a place where many forbidden fruits are hidden. But it's unbelievable that some of them have appeared in the orchard as if someone had carried them."
Punya looked around. Her eyes reflected the moonlight, and she could feel a strange and terrifying power lurking in the air.
"These fruits were hidden because they had uncontrollable power," Li Shan explained. "But I had to bring you here because I believed you would understand it and perhaps protect it."
Before Punya could answer, heavy footsteps came from behind. The two turned to look, and What appeared before them was the Great Prince Li Cheng, accompanied by an army of soldiers in moonlight armor. He stood there like a lion occupying a land.
"You are foolish, Li Shan," Li Cheng said mockingly. His eyes stared at his younger brother with disdain. "You risked everything for these worthless places?"
Li Shan did not move an inch. He stood between Punya and Li Cheng with a resolute stance. "You will never get this power," he said with a firm tone.
Li Cheng sneered. "This power has been mine from the start. How can you obstruct me? Do you think you have the right to stand here?"
As the tension in the Forbidden Garden reached its peak, a new pair of footsteps came from the shadows. Prince Xiao Yang appeared. He looked back and forth between his brother and Li Shan with hesitation in his eyes.
"What are you doing here?" Li Cheng asked, his eyes narrowing in doubt.
"I came to see what happened," Xiao Yang replied calmly, but his heart was filled with conflict. He knew that standing by his brother meant gaining power and authority. But helping Li Shan and Punya could mean justice and a chance to stop the disaster.
"I will not let anyone touch these fruits," Li Shan declared loudly. He raised his hand, ready to use the power of the fruit he held.
"Then let's see what you can do," Li Cheng replied, before ordering the troops to charge forward.
Punya looked at the situation with confusion. She knew that they could not defeat the troops in this state, so she made a desperate decision. She picked up a forbidden fruit from a nearby tree. It was the "Blood Moon Fruit," a fruit that glowed bright red like fire.
"Punya! Don't!" Li Shan warned, but it was too late.
Punya used the power of the Blood Moon Fruit. Red power emitted from her hand. It created an energy shield around them, blocking Li Cheng's troops' attacks.
"Interesting," Li Cheng said with a cold smile. "How dare you use that power."
Punya felt a huge power flowing through her, but at the same time, she also felt a scorching heat. She knew immediately that this power was not just for protection.
"It will destroy everything…" She whispered to herself.
Xiao Yang stepped forward. He looked at Punya and Li Cheng before speaking, "Enough! If you two insist on fighting, you will be left with nothing."
Li Cheng narrowed his eyes at his younger brother, "Who will you stand with? Me or them?"
Xiao Yang paused for a moment before answering in a firm tone, "I will stand with the orchard, only!!"
His words caused both Li Shan and Punya to turn to look in surprise, because Xiao Yang had been greedy before, but before anyone could say anything, the roar of energy from the Blood Moon Fruit started to sound.
"We don't have time," Li Shan said, "We must stop this energy before it destroys everything!"