Ch. 1

Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms

The sun began to rise high in the heavens sky at around six in the morning. The clouds enveloped the fluorescent colors that seemed to danced across the sky in an array of hues. Winds blew across the sky and scattered the various blossoms across the way while a few flew across the winds never to fall. The normal daily mist rose from the clouds surrounding the Grand Palace in a shroud of mystical power. It was the celestials tribes home after all.

Lord Ye Hua stood gazing at the blossoms he'd planned for his wife back when he thought she was Susu and had died. They really were pretty. Long with several of the white flowers from Dijun's palace, both petals floated in the air. He stood then and made his way toward the front of his grandfather's palace. On this day, new immortals arrived and would begin their lives here in their respective clans. He expected to see Mo Yuan, Dijun, and Siming there as well.

Within the outer walls were the newly ascended immortals who'd arrived to receive a title and a clan. He'd expected as much. Not all were of one type of immortal, but many ranging from human to animal who'd recently endured their trials and gained their human looking form. Some were simple spirits like Migu. The gates of heaven were opened to have a grand celebration for the rare event.

Brought in together for their safety and that of heavens through the gateway, they lined the path in two rows each. For those animals that had finally been able to take a human form, they stood to the left. The mortals that had ascended stood on the right. Chen Yu stood on that side as she'd once been a human herself. The emperor thought this would be good for the new arrivals. There were fewer and fewer that came with each passing year. Mortals lived such fleeting years, that this was once in a thousand of their years' worth of ascended. Regardless, they celebrating this day in the streets as the citizens welcomed the new immortals to their ranks.

The two lines formed to greet the king first in their exposure to the customs in the heavens. Each land had its own rules and customs, but the heavens united them all. After a brief interview, they were measured for skill and sent to the appropriate clan to cultivate. From there they'd be sorted, given a title and a rank, and would begin their new lives. For the humans, it was a sight to see creatures from the dawn of time that no longer resided in their realm. It was not uncommon to see many a wide eye, an intake of rapid breath and the occasional faint for the newly ascended mortal. The guests always remarked how they loved the vast amount of varying expressions that lined their worried faces upon seeing such wonders the first time.

Mo Yuan arrived along with Dijun and Siming. The emperor arrived last, pleasantries were exchanged, and when he sat they all sat

The gates remained open for just a short amount of time, but there was an uncommon wind that blew across the sky. It made all the flowers and blossoms that had fallen on the ground rise once more in the air. The two pillars were white and lined in gold. They reached the height of at least a dozen men. Both the king, Ye Hau, and Dong Hua Dujin all looked up at the same time to watch the strange omen. The clouds appeared to clear as the sun's rays burst through the sky and birds had flocked toward the gates as if eagerly awaiting something. Even the sky looked like it was full ow the blossoms. It was brighter than normal. Everyone quickly covered their eyes as the shine peaked, and then waned equally as quickly.

A small child emerged through the gates, and then they closed. There was a hush that fell over the crowd, a few shocked intakes, and all eyes peered at the small little girl making her way toward the line. Chen Yu went to her and noticed she'd been human. Her eyes were worried, but the king welcomed the child to the lines.

Ye Hua, the crowned prince, said to his grandfather the king between interviews, "have you seen this before?"

The king responded and watched more birds flock towards the gate yet many remained above them, "it almost looks like when you or Mo Yaun was born." He said to Ye Hua while pinching the end of his beard, "Not as much, but not with the mortals." He looked to Dong Hua, "have you seen this?" His eyes worked their way up to the previous leader of the heavens. He was robed in purple as usual.

Dijun stared for a moment at the sky and the way flowers remained in the air before looking back down at the king in his seat.

The usually stone-faced Elder deity looked to the sky again as if it harked some unknown omen, and then to the line of people. "On occasion, a special human could cause this." His eyes narrowed and his chin rose as he looked. "There are few born in that realm that have the capacity for cultivation like we are used to. It has to be learned, but this..." he said looking to the sky and watching the birds, "I've not seen it like so."

Dong Hua, or as they called him Dijun, was the eldest deity despite the ageless face he adorned. His face often looked casually bored without expression, his movements leisurely and stoic as if nothing in the heavens could move him to be bothered or worried. He cared little for people, interference or palace affairs. To him, he'd seen it all in the ageless cycle of his life. This, however, was new.

As the previous ruler of heaven and earth, he was often consulted on matters that dealt with all the realms and peace. He was tall, often seen wearing purple, and had a long mane of white hair. There was a legend he was sprung into existence from a rock. Unlike other immortals, he was never born-he just was. When the chaos was born from nothingness, he was one of the first gods to arise. So few were left, but he was the eldest with a young face. He was tall and regal, and when passing him, one could feel the power and aura he exuded. One never made eye contact with him easily.

The current king tended to defer to the previous deity who was ions older than himself. These days he guided the current king and only suggested anything to keep the peace. The king and Ye Hua looked at the child. Ye Hua was his grandson and most loved child.

"She seems to be A-Li's age." The king stated.

Ye Hua nodded curiously. He looked to his brother who concentrated on the child with more earnest. "Can you feel that?" he asked the other three. Many of his students didn't have that cultivation in their first few years.

"Ye Hua," the king motioned him forward. His long white robe moved with his arm and glided openly at the wrist.

Ye Hua stepped forward and to the side where he bowed, extending his arms in greeting, and then brought his arms back toward himself, "present."

"We are down to the last few. Come stand before me and interview a few of these for us." The king had been guiding the prince for several years now. This was no surprise that he would test him on such an occasion.

It wasn't until the people dwindled and parted ways that anyone saw the small child up close who'd last entered the gates before they closed. Everyone was hushed. The birds remained high in the sky, now they began to sing and chirp. They seemed to surround her from above.

Dijun raised a brow and put one arm behind him as he looked to the sky. "I believe that," he pointed to the child, "is new." He remained elusively expressionless as they watched. "There has never been a child that has come through and called all the birds to herself."

The king motioned for the lines to continue, interest in the child grew as the line dwindled. "I wonder why the child came in? Did anyone notice this mistake?" Siming, the mortal fate maker, stated. His face squinted over the brightness of the sun as he tried to make her out. He wore a pale gray robe with a black waist tie. On his persons was a bamboo marked scroll. "Her name is not here."

They all looked at him.

The maids all bowed on the floor. He stood before the king, "The child was with them, your Majesty. I just don't have a record."

"Could she be a spy?" the king asked quietly.

Mo Yuan and Dijun both stated, "No." At the same time.

Once waved forward, the child approached without fear. The crowd watched, other immortals curious. From the crowd, Liansong stopped fanning himself. He made eye contact with Chen Yu, but she shrugged not sure what to make of it. Their curiosity was worn on their faces and in their actions. Dijun looked around and noticed this.

The king thought, this little girl is barely four. "What is your name child?"

The small girl stepped forward and lowered her head and stood on ceremony. She bowed just like all the others. "

Ye Hua stepped forward to greet her, "You are?"

The girl hadn't said anything but looked around unsure. "My name is Fen Jui, your... Majesty. But where am I?"

Mo Yuan, the God of war who'd remained behind the others came forward. He stood beside the king when summoned. He watched the child bow, and then raise. There was an aura about her, but he couldn't place it. "She is indeed immortal." His eyes widened fractionally. The girl called Feng Jui made eye contact and she bowed at him and looked between him and Ye Hua with interest.

"Feng Jui greets High God Mo Yuan, Crown Prince Ye Hua, and Siming." She looked over to the taller white-haired deity and frowned.

Again they exchanged glances. Chen Yu stepped forward to explain, "I advised all the new arrivals of your names so they could greet you properly." She bowed and stepped back.

"Stand," he said evenly to the child. He tried to compare her to A-Li seeing as they are close in age. She looked up at Dijun for a long time, he stared back equally as long. His brow rose when she didn't back down.

Dijun quirked his head slightly and she nodded at him. She pointed at him and spoke to Ye Hua, "Why is he so tall?"

Mo Yuan stared at the child and tried to suppress a smile. "Why not," he countered in place of his brother. Their eyes met over her head and noted her childlike manner. This was no spy.

She shrugged and looked at them, but her eyes went back to Dong Hua. "I like your hair," she mentioned. "I bet you get that a lot though." she sounded so reasonable. "Mine will be weird one day too." she looked around ashamed. "I mean different. When I sleep, it's red."

Ye Hua felt his lip twitch and eyed his brother. "Anything?"

There was a cute red birthmark on her head that Dong Hua found most particular and was himself unable to stop the stare he'd been caught in. Just then, her eyes met his. "I was born with it," she said as if reading his mind. "Would the previous ruler of heaven like to take a closer look?"

He straightened, "did you read my mind?" His stare was intense meant to scare her a little. She had no place to address him. Too bold of a child was never a good thing. He waited.

She looked back at him knowing she'd said something wrong and her cheeks flushed. Those eyes were deep and soulful eyes that captured the sun's rays, were wider than usual, and almost sad. She replied, "no sire. It's just my common sense. When things are different people like to look. Everyone looks at it."

Mo yuan went to the child and surprised everyone. He took a knee and held out his hands for the child to put hers in his. When she did, he stared at the mark on her head. "This is a birthmark?"

Uh-huh," she nodded in true child fashion. He placed his hand in front of it without touching it reading the source of the power. When he was finished, he patted her head and stepped back. "She will need intense training. She's radiating a celestial aura, and her power is disarray."

"Want another female student," Dijun remarked referencing Bai Quan. He always had a sharp tongue. Mo yuan ignored him.

"Sire, that's not nice to say." She said to Dijun. She took Mo Yuan's hand and said with a sad frown as if she understood his sadness unlike the rest, "it will get better soon. The reasoning and the timing all happen for a reason." She flipped his hand over and smiled. When she looked up at him, he knew exactly what she meant. The others were clueless.

Dong Hua Dijun dropped the hand that was behind his back, "Why do you call me 'sire', child?"

"Were you not the king who united all the clans or tribes? You wear regal purple and no one else does. It is said..." she pondered, "well where I am from it is purple or blue. The king wears gold," she looked at Ye Hua and frowned. "People wear black in my old home when someone dies." Feng Jui made a face. "Your wife hates that color."

He laughed openly at this, "she does indeed."

She furrowed her brows and then they knitted together. "No one died or we wouldn't be here today so it had to be a preference. You are to the right of the king so you are Crown prince." She looked at Mo Yaun and he had a glint of a smile. "You are a grandmaster. Your color is wide," she mentioned and frowned. Her arms went wide as she tried to express his aura in a way they could understand.

"My color?" he asked baiting the child. She was very intelligent for her age. He placed his hands behind his back and clasped them together.

She licked her lips and tried to find the correct words as to not offend them. She drew an invisible circle around him. "it's bright but dim. Like you are hurt but strong." Her face flamed red again. "It looks like white smoke. The king is gold on the edges of his," she looked back to Dijun, "you are red."

They all looked at him and he started. No one had been able to read his aura. They might have felt the raw power, but nothing like this. He stood straighter after a moment.

"Did I say something bad?"

"Surprising," Ye Hua stated and bent to her level. "I have a son your age."

She stared at him and looked down, "A-Li."

He smiled at her, "You have the gift of sight."

"I call it a curse," she shrugged. "I don't think the kids here will like me. They never like me where I go."

He patted her head, "We will teach you how to control that gift you call a curse. Sound good? Mo Yuan is a teacher too. When you get older you can visit him and he will give you pointers." Ye Hua stood again and relaxed. She was just an innocent little girl after all.

She whined, "but they only have boys there."

Mo Yuan laughed gently.

Siming stopped tapping his fingers and made eye contact with Mo Yuan. Aura reading was celestial in nature, the gift of sight was under Dijun's palace control. It was also more advanced an ability than they thought her capable. She swayed from side to side as children do when they get bored.

The king smiled at her. "You don't remember how you got here?"

He leaned to the left side with a palm on his knee for support. His quizzical look made Feng Jui smile, "I don't know. I just didn't want to be...there anymore?" She shrugged as of this made sense.

She looked around as if thinking about it. She looked around for someone and eventually spotted him. She pointed at Siming. "The one that writes human fates, but my parents are gone. I don't know the real ones, but the fake ones are in the book." She turned back, "I guess it was my destiny but I don't know why." She pouted. "The cords I see are like lines in space. They've woven these lines and I see them on everyone. It really hard to tune it out. Like yours and your wife-er empress." She ducked down. "I don't know anything else about what they are. Sometimes I see two people who have the same. There are a lot of different strings." She looked around at everyone's and nodded. She stopped when she landed on Dijun.

Siming came forth, "You see them?" He referred to the cords of destiny. This was also celestial in nature also. His voice was surprised and almost excited. He bent down to her and it was clear the shock that displayed on his face. Not many could see the destiny of their own kind. Immortals had the rock of incantations, but she was a walking sign for it.

She nodded, "can't you?"

"No," he said quietly. "I see mortals and I write their fate. That's what I do. Can you see theirs also?"

"That is against the rules." Her voice was sweet, barely old enough that you could still hear the baby voice to it. "That is your..." she frowned not wanting to say 'job', but looked up and a large smile dawned on her face, "destiny. I try not to look but sometimes they just come out on people."

"Don't be worried," she said to the king and looked up at the birds as they circled above her. She then looked at Ye Hua, "What does it usually mean?" She pointed at the birds.

Mo Yuan cracked a tiny smile, "it means something big and special."

"They like all the new people."

Dijun thought, no they are around you. He pondered her look when she'd been talking about cords. What could she see? His eyes traveled over Mo Yuan and guessed the child could read the situation between him and his former student without knowing their history.

Ye Hua was familiar with this tactic, having seen it used by his son a few times. "If you work hard, then you can make the birds worthy of the flight. You will learn what the cords are and what they do if you also study hard."

She thought about this and looked up, "I raw a big red one in my dream. He's not really nice, but then no one can understand him. He's really just misunderstood. If you gave him," she named off a rare fruit, "he may be easier to handle."

The king raised a brow and smiled at the child knowing she meant the phoenix that was given to him. "The has passed."

She looked at the king and bowed, "there will be another one."

The king looked around and clapped as he'd loved the last bird. Of course, it had rushed the group had been killed. It was now time to place the child, "This child will stay in the Heavens as Celestial Tribe."

The child immediately bowed and a maid came up to take her to the one they called Siming. She smiled up at the maid, "he's the fate keeper. I think you guys will get along. These strings are the same color..."Siming coughed as he took her away.

She waved back at the maid.

A few thousand years later

Dijun left the court and began to head back to his palace. On the way, he dropped by the library to return a few scrolls he'd used on his recent trip. He rarely went out, but he enjoyed reading Buddhist sutras while he fished or leisurely lay in his palace. On the way out, there was a crowd of students pushing a young girl back and forth. His eyes narrowed slightly at the sight.

"You are no better than us!" They yelled and circled her. Children were too noisy, and he was about to turn and go the other way when he caught sight of the girl they harassed. On her forehead was a phoenix-like flower.

It's the child, he reminded himself. Feng Jui?

One of the boys summoned a water cloud and poured it over her head as something slipped from her hands and broke on the ground. Suddenly, all eight of them disappeared. With a wave of her hand, her entire body was again dry and she sighed as she knelt down the broken pieces. "Mongrels!"

she tried to piece the pieces together but failed, "I'm surrounded by idiots." She said and started when she heard screeches coming from the gardens. "So that's where they went," she sighed again and stood. "Siming is going to come after me for this, but how much should I endure at not respond?"

Dijun's lips twitched as he watched her place both arms on her hips, "I am constantly bothered by them. How is this any better than the mortal realm? Do I have a bad fate?" She looked at her hands, "I can't see it. Figures." She waved the mess at her feet and slumped over. "He's going to think I didn't do my work again."

Dijun had heard that she was a troublemaker, but this clearly wasn't the case. He was about to speak with her when she looked around suddenly. Curious, he remained hidden to see what she'd do next. She looked around again, obviously not seeing him, and waved her hand up in the air. A white cloud of smoke appeared and a small red fox emerged.

Dijun shook his head as he watched her sneak away. Without fail, Siming had come around the corner quickly and almost bumped into him.

Upon seeing him, he bowed his respect, "forgive me, Lord."

Dijun waved a hand, "Your student...does she always get harassed?"

Siming looked at him like he was confused, "she never does any work to be bothered with."

Dijun straightened his robe, "she just tossed about eight kids in that garden," he motioned. "Have you not been watching her to notice if she is being harassed by others? It appears they've destroyed her work. She looked pretty upset about it and disappeared."

"She does that a lot too."

"I know and I've heard," Dijun said.

Siming's stressed face relaxed a degree. "I hadn't known this was going on."

Dijun tilted his head, "they are bound to be jealous. She ascended to immortal so young."

Siming bowed and placed both hands in front of himself and brought them out and in as was custom when addressing a senior.

He parted to take care of the kids when Dijun bid him farewell. When Dijun turned the corner, a red fox stared at him for a moment and then disappeared.