Read Online Red Phoenix by Kylie Chan - Free Book Online Page B

expression, and I liked him immediately.
    When he reached the top of the stairs he took two steps into the room and then fell to his knees and touched his forehead to the floor. ‘Man shui, man shui, man man shui.’
    ‘Hei sun,’ John said, his voice clipped.
    The priest rose, then bowed slightly from the waist, very serious. ‘Celestial Highness. Welcome.’
    John gestured towards me, still very formal. ‘This is my chosen, Lady Emma.’
    The priest bowed slightly to me as well, saluting. ‘Ma’am.’
    Simone didn’t bother with the formalities; she ran to the priest and raised her arms. ‘Uncle Ming!’
    The priest lifted her, sat her on his hip, and kissed her on the cheek. He reached into the folds of his robe and pulled out a bun for her, which she accepted with delight. It was one of the buns from the three bun towers outside the temple; it had been stamped with a red good-luck motif. He carefully lowered Simone.
    John gestured towards the couch and we all sat. Monica brought tea, and the priest poured. John nodded as he was served. Now the formalities were over we could all relax.
    ‘It’s a tremendous honour to have you back here with us, Highness,’ the priest said. ‘It’s been a while.’
    ‘Circumstances are quite difficult right now,’ John said. ‘Even worse than ‘78. But in a couple of years I will be gone for a very long time.’ He lifted his tea cup and gestured towards me with it. ‘Emma will be Regent.’
    The priest was obviously taken aback. ‘The Celestial will permit a wedding in these circumstances?’
    ‘No. But she will be Regent regardless.’
    ‘You always were one for breaking the rules, Highness,’ the priest said, shaking his head with disbelief. He smiled at me. ‘Did you have any idea what you were getting into?’
    ‘No idea whatsoever, until it was too late.’ I shrugged. ‘And now it’s definitely too late.’
    ‘Kwan Yin herself has sponsored the Lady Emma,’ John said. ‘She is one of the most talented practitioners of the Arts I have seen in centuries. She loves Simone as her own. She is my chosen.’
    I glanced at John, but he concentrated on the priest.
    The priest bowed his head slightly to me. ‘I will be honoured to serve you, my Lady.’
    John relaxed almost imperceptibly. He’d obviously been worried about the way the priest would receive me, but there didn’t seem to be a problem. I was relieved as well.
    ‘Come up to the temple after the noise has died down and we’re not so busy,’ the priest said. ‘Say hello to the acolytes. The renovations are finished, as well.’
    ‘Do they know too?’ I said.
    The priest smiled. ‘I’m the only one who knows, my Lady. It is a trust handed down to each senior priest of the temple as they take the post.’
    ‘One of the most fun parts of the job,’ John said with amusement.
    ‘Oh, definitely,’ the priest said. ‘My Master took a photo when the Dark Lord revealed his true nature to me, and had it over his desk for a long time.’
    ‘That was the look I normally get,’ John said.
    I was dying to ask about the arrangements that John had with the temple but it wasn’t the polite time to talk business yet. Small talk for a while, still.
    ‘How go things on the Celestial?’ the priest said.
    ‘All is well. But,’ John leaned back slightly, ‘there is a particular Demon Prince, number One Two Two, who has decided to make a bid for my head. His human name is Simon Wong.’
    The priest’s face went rigid as he thought about the consequences.
    ‘I will give you an identikit photograph that Emma has created, and we will reset the seals on the temple every six weeks. I don’t want any of you held as hostages.’
    ‘My Lord,’ the priest said, nodding. ‘How powerful is this particular demon?’
    ‘Right now, not a threat,’ John said, raising his tea. ‘We will have to wait and see what his plans are.’
    Okay, now I could talk business. ‘Exactly what arrangement do you have with the