"High God Mo Yuan, what a surprise! I thought you won't come today." Despite his earlier misgivings, the Sky Lord plastered a fake smile on his face and got up to welcome Mo Yuan. "Come, sit with us!."
His smile faltered when Mo Yuan did not accepted the invitation to join him. All fifteen of Mo Yuan's disciples remained rooted to the spot, with sour expressions on their collective faces.
"Usually you bring along just one or two followers. What's with the big entourage today, Mo Yuan?" The Lord of Luminous Treasure took an immediate note that Mo Yuan's constant companion was missing though.
"Never mind that." Sky Lord announced. "I would like to use this rare opportunity to make a toast to you and your people for saving all of us from the end of the world."
For the first time since their arrival, Mo Yuan spoke up. "We are not here for the feast, nor a toast, but rather for a long overdue matter that needs to be settled."
The Sky Lord's smile became more strained; his demeanor grew anxious. "Surely, there's no rush. This is the time to relax and enjoy ourselves after all."
"Merriment can always wait." Mo Yuan encountered. "A while back, an alarming concern was brought to my attention. I have made inquiries of my own and ascertained the claim was genuine. Since leaders from distant lands and different clans are already here; it might be prudence for them to know as well."
"My Lord, it's so rare for High God Mo Yuan to be so impatient; this matter - whatever it is - must be really important. I don't think it would take much of our time to hear him out. " Zhan Ying, a minor Lord of Fairy Clan got up and spoke on behalf of Master of Kunlun.
"Well, I don't know about anyone else but I'm always looking forward to exchange ideas with Kunlun's elites. It has been so long since we last sit down and talk. Welcome back, High God Mo Yuan." General Yang Ling of the Dong Hai Sea lift his goblet up to salute Mo Yuan.
Emperor Dong Hua, who was drinking quietly from his golden chalice spoke up. "Yes, enlighten us. What dire circumstances drove you all the way from Kunlun Mountain to here?"
"I reckon it will be much more interesting than all this,." he gestured at the sumptuous meals in front of him and the gathering in general. "I heard you made an impression the last time you were here after all." A small smile quirked the Emperor's mouth.
Mo Yuan glanced at him briefly, then he turned his attention to the Sky Lord and the crowd. Mo Yuan's penetrating sharp eyes swept over each lord, deity, and immortal sitting there. The intensity and the weight of his gaze made them sit up straighter.
"Prior to Qing Cang's breakout, the Crown Prince had ordered a constant surveillance around Ruoshui River. But on that day, platoons of Ghost soldiers marched to Ruoshui's riverbank undetected, before they were lured into the sacrificial circles and met their ends. Unfortunately, our sentry didn't fare any better than them. Ghost assassins snuck into our camps and launched a simultaneous attack on us."
"As you all know, my disciples joined the battle and engaged Qing Cang to give our men time to regroup and strengthen their defense. What you may not know is that from the first time our blades crossed with the enemy's and until the Crown Prince and I arrived on the spot to destroy the Bell of Eastern Emperor; no reinforcement ever made it to the battlefield."
"Master, if I may?" Die Feng stepped out from the side. When he got an approval nod from his mentor; he picked up where his mentor left off.
"I am Die Feng, Senior Disciple of Kunlun Mountain. What my mentor told you is all true. That day when Qing Cang stabbed me with his halberd, I was too badly injured that I could only stay on the ground. Aside from the last unit of our sentries that stood bravely, no one else came to our rescue. They alone had to create a force shield to protect themselves and fight off those assassins. "
"Meanwhile, my seventeenth junior faced off against Qing Cang single-handedly. Had Ghost Lord Li Jing not intervened in time; my junior would have died at thatpoint. Alas, Qing Cang's demise only called forth the magic of the Bell back to life. Seventeenth had no other choice than to offer her own spirit to stop the destruction. Although High God Zhe Yan's excellent healing methods had saved my junior's life, Seventeenth is still bed-ridden and unconscious to this day."
Mo Yuan signaled him to stop and leave it to him handle the rest. Die Feng gave him a deep bow then obediently fell back in line with his brothers.
"So many precious lives were lost that day. Don't you think you owe it to your own people and mine an explanation for such blatant oversight?" Mo Yuan asked. A hushed silence descended over the audience after his question.
The Lord of Ninth Heaven was incredulous. He never thought Mo Yuan's reaction would be so extreme. For all this posturing, was it only to avenge his disciples? He gritted his teeth and toned down the frustration in his voice.
"High God Mo Yuan, I hope both of your disciples are recovering well. While your concern is worth mentioning, the fact remains that it was a result of series of ill-timing and unfortunate coincidences. There is no conspiracy going-on; like you have suspected.
"The army recalled some of their men from the post at Ruoshui River andthey were supposed to report back for duty immediately after. Nobody anticipated another uprising of Ghost rebels; they had been laying low for a while now. When I learned of the attack, I ordered Prince Yang Cuo to put together a reinforcement right away. But organizing different companies of soldiers from different regiments took some time. You know how it works, High God Mo Yuan."
"By the time, they crested the hill near the riverside, things had already began to die down. They came back here just in case Ghost rebels had another insurgent planned. With all the commotion going on, it's very easy to fail to notice our retreating force." Hao De's voice was tinged with a touch of regret and self-blame; his lies came out smoothly and convincingly.
"This is most peculiar. The story I heard is completely different from yours," Mo Yuan commented lightly. "There is this possibility that our intelligence networks have been infiltrated and become compromised. Why else do we keep getting different reporting?"
"High God Mo Yuan, please hear me out." Prince Yang Cuo decided to step out since the situation seemed to escalate quickly.
"Despite what Sky Lord said; there was no excuse for my failure to assist you and our people in time. All the blame should rest upon me. I'm ready to accept any punishment you deem fit for my unforgiveable incompetence."
"While your willingness to shoulder the responsibilities is commendable, I can't allow it." Mo Yuan said bluntly. "And it's not a fault of your own. A subject must always follow the directive given to him after all."
"I'm afraid I don't understand your meaning, High God." Prince Yang Cuo said carefully.
"Nor me. What are you implying, Mo Yuan?" Lingbao Tianzun frowned. "Are you implying the reinforcement came late on purpose? This allegation is rather harsh. As much as I respect you, I could not rely on your words alone. I hope you can understand that."
Mo Yuan dipped his head a little to show his mutual regards.
"Still, it won't do if Kunlun Mountain and Celestial Clan remains alienated." Lingbao Tianzun said. "Therefore I suggest a full investigation into this matter. We also need someone with sound judgement to act as an intermediary. I think no one is better than you, Dong Hua. You have both authority as once Emperor of all realms and seniority to fulfill the task, I hope you wouldn't object this role."
Since it was the Lord of the Numinous Treasure who asked; Dong Hua nodded his consent. After Lingbao Tianzun secured a compromise from Dong Hua; he turned to Mo Yuan. "What evidences are you proposing?"
Right on cue, a man came out from behind the line of Mo Yuan's disciples and kneeled down in front of Dong Hua.
"Tell us who you are, what you do and what you know. Speak only of those you witnessed with your own eyes and not a single words of rumors and your own speculations." Dong Hua gave him a short and sharp order. "If I find the slightest inconsistency in your story, you will be punished severely. Do you understand?"
"Perfectly, my Lord," he answered. "I am Private Lua Fang. For the last two months, I was stationed at the temporary post near Ruoshui River. Some of us survived the attack, they can vouch for my identity."
He took a deep breath; gathering his wit then continued.
"A day before Qing Cang's final breakout; some of us were called back and yet no replacement came. I didn't know why. Needlessly to say, our force suffered from the lack of manpower. Then the attacks came in the early morning, swift and unexpected. We struggled to protect our own against trained assassins and losing badly. I was sent here to ask for reinforcement. But I was dismissed almost immediately after submitting my reporting."
One and a half month ago, Lua Fang's younger brother was slain during the fight at Ruoshui River. Lua Fang came to know of his Lord's deceitful nature by chance; before he was powerless to avenge his sibling and brothers-in-arms. Or so he thought. They were foot soldiers, lowest of the rank, nobody cared whether they live or die.
One day Crown Prince Ye Hua approached him and asked if he was looking for vengeance. Lua Fang jumped at the offered chance without a second thought. He owed no more allegiance to this so-called High Lord of Ninth Heaven; he who betrayed them in cold blood. Lua Fang made a promise to himself, one day he would drag him off his high horse and down into the mud.
"Usually I would join force with my new company and lead them immediately back to the battlefield. Instead I was told to wait indefinitely; our sentries can't hold out for long. So I decided to spy on them and find out what was really going on. Had I not hear it with my own two ears, I would never believe it. Our lord, the one we swore our allegiance and pledged our life to had pointedly ordered Prince Yang Cuo to delay his arrival."
Lua Fang quoted the Sky Lord's exact order, from his memories, word by word.
When Lua Fang finished his story; two things happened at once. First, the inside Grand Hall descended into chaos; someone from Army's field corps stood up and let out their outrageous cry of disbelief and vehement protests. The other was the roaring angry voice of the alleged Lord of Heaven.
"Lies. He's lying through his teeth!" The Sky Lord barked a quick order at his royal guards. Lua Fang was about to be dragged away and punished for his insolence. Dong Hua immediately overruled his order and set Lua Fang free. Distrustful stares from Lingbao Tianzun, new Ghost Lord and some other deities weighed heavily on the Sky Lord's conscience. .
"Lord Dong Hua, don't tell me you believe him? A lowly soldier's words. I'm certain he did it on someone's order." The Sky Lord said impatiently.
"You are so quick to forget, Sky Lord. I was also at Ruoshui River that day. Whether there's truth in what he said, I'll be the judge of that." Dong Hua dismissed him completely.
"Prince Yang Cuo," Dong Hua called; he had some questions for him. "Was your company ambushed on the way to Ruoshui River?"
"No, my Lord."
"Did you get the wrong intel about where the skirmish happened and led them to the wrong place then?" Dong Hua asked again.
"No, my Lord."
"Then what was the cause of the prolonged delay then? You know full well Qing Cang was about to break free and Celestial's meager defense at Ruoshui River could collapse anytime. Do you have anything to say in your defense?"
Prince Yang Cuo's face closed up as he replied. "It's truly an error of judgement on my part. It has been so long since I lead a troop of my own, I guess I wasted too much time to coordinate our troop. It's very understandable our soldiers felt they were abandoned in times of need. High God Mo Yuan is right to be concerned with their morals and condemnation at my mistake. I humbly submit myself to your judgement, my Lord."
"Prince Yang Cuo," the corners of Dong Hua's lips pushed up slightly. "You would really have us believe that your company marched all the way down to the River, witnessed the fallout of Qing Cang's attack and then left quietly as your Lord mentioned before?"
"What about your son then? For all we know he could have been on the brink of death as well. But you didn't bother to stop by and check up on him before you went away again. I found that more intriguing than your claim of incompetence."
Yang Cuo paled when Lord Dong Hua pointed out that little ruse in his tale.
"The only plausible conclusion I come up with is that your company set out but never made it to Ruoshui River at all. I believe you harbor no ill will toward sMo Yuan or anyone else. This idea does beg further question. Why? Were you coaxed to do it against your will by someone with authority? One that you can't ever object despite your misgiving?" Dong Hua glanced pointedly toward the dais.
During the interrogation many guests had moved closer together, trading their opinions earnestly; wild speculations of what actually happened at Ruoshui River flying, spreading, around the Hall.
When Dong Hua's final verdict came through; people grew even more agitated and disturbed. Betrayal within their own rank left bitter taste in their mouth. Their once steadfast respect for the Sky Lord was put into questions. Some braver ones began to voice their uneasiness, with regard to their Lord's dubious honour and integrity.
"Mo Yuan, what say you?" Dong Hua turned around and asked for his opinion.
The Master of Kunlun shook his head. "I'll leave the judgement in your capable hands, although I do have one more thing to say to the Sky Lord"
"Sky Lord, I hope you still remember the ancient agreement between Celestial Clan and Kunlun Mountain?" Mo Yuan asked.
"Your predecessor had sworn to my father, under any circumstances, Celestials will never turn their blades against me and my followers. He also pledged to assist and support my endeavor when it is due. Since you no longer wish to honor this oath. I see no point to continue the obligation on my part." Mo Yuan further added.
The Sky Lord breathed in shakily. A sense of foreboding crept up his spine. Mo Yuan would not dare to pull the rug from under him just like that, would he?
"I, Mo Yuan, set Celestial's Lord free from our binding oath. From this day onward, Kunlun Mountain holds no ties to Celestial Clan. I will not intervene on behalf of Celestial affairs anymore. If there's war, it is also no longer any of my concern."
When Mo Yuan finished his declaration, there was a screeching noise echoing in the air from afar; it sounded almost as if a metal cord was cut off and snapped back into place.
The Sky Lord's face ashened. Mo Yuan's will was weighed and accepted by Heaven. "You can't do that. That's against Heavenly Father's wish." He yelled furiously.
Mo Yuan ignored the constant pleadings from his surrounding, asking him to reconsider his decision. He watched the Sky Lord's display of anger with disinterest.
"You are being irrational, Mo Yuan. I know you did it because of your favorite disciple was harmed but this is too much. Don't you think?" Said the Sky Lord.
"That's where you are wrong. I didn't come to my decision lightly." Mo Yuan's eyes narrowed. He had had enough of this sleazy, conniving Lord, who even now still tried to twist his words to his own gain.
"You should never forget Kunlun Mountain has always been my domain; its people are my responsibilities. Make no mistake, every single one of them matters to me. I don't care if you want to get back at me for our prior quarrel. But your personal vendetta had put my bride's life in jeopardy. That's an unforgivable insult to me. Had Heavenly Father been here, he would understand my reason."
"Your bride..?" The Sky Lord uttered confusedly. "How did High Goddess Bai Qian get involved with this? Isn't she at the Fox Den?"
Lingbao Tianzun coughed up loudly and drew their attention to him. "I think it's pretty obvious by now. Mo Yuan's Seventeenth disciple is none other than Qing Qiu's Bai Qian. Am I right?"
"That can't be true. Mo Yuan laid out the rule long ago; he would not accept any female disciples." The Sky Lord argued. "There is no way a girl could deceive all of us and live as one of them for so long. You are just making this up."
"No, it makes a lot of sense. This certainly explains why Yuan Zhen has the Cloud Clearing fan in his possession. I have met Si Yin on many occasions, never once I suspect him being a woman." Lingbao Tianzun rubbed his beard absent-mindedly. "This must be Zhe Yan's work. His disguise spell really has no match these days."
"Hao De. Hao De come out this instance."
Just then a commotion seemed to be stirring at the entrance of the Grand Hall. Royal guards trickled inside, some stumbled back on their feet in their attempt to placate the newcomers. Some guests were curious; they move around to get better view and find out what was going down.
The Sky Lord looked onward at the group of men and women. In the front, stood the Fox Emperor and his wife. To his right were High God Bai Yi and his daughter. His youngest son, High God Bai Zhen lagged behind them, walking shoulder to shoulder with High God Zhe Yan. It was obvious they were not here for the feast; judging from the swords in the hands of the Fox Emperor and his sons.
"Hao De, get down here and come face me, you bastard!" Bai Zhi roared out angrily, dropping the Lord's title on purpose. His sword pointed threateningly at the Sky Lord.
"Emperor Bai Zhi , what is the meaning of this?" Bewildered and upset at the provocation, the Sky Lord demanded with barely repressed fury.
"I want to ask the very same question. I have always been your closest ally. I agreed to let my only daughter wed into your family. Even after your son turned my child into a laughing stock, I forgave you and still counted you as a friend. For the life of me, I never thought you would repay my kindness by stabbing me when my back was turned."
The more he said; the louder his voice become. The immortals that rushed to to get a better view earlier shrunk back in fear after seeing the Fox Emperor had unsheath his mighty sword.
Mo Yuan glanced at the Fox Emperor from the corner of his eye. He hoped that Bai Zhi wouldn't waste this opportunity by letting his anger get the best on him.
"Emperor Bai Zhi, you must calm down and come to your senses. I won't tolerate you accusing me of the crime I haven't even done." The Sky Lord's face darkened.
"That's how you want to play it? Very well, I'll humor you then." Bai Zhi sneered. "Three hundred years ago, did you not order Crown Prince Ye Hua to gauge my daughter's eyes? Did you not imprison her for over a year? Did you not conspire with your former consort to force her to commit suicide?"
"That's not true. I have never-.." The Sky Lord paused. His eyes widened a fraction in recognition. He realized whom Bai Zhi was talking about now, but couldn't find it in him to believe the Emperor. There was not a trace of immortal's essence within that woman. For the life of him, he cannot reconcile Ye Hua's dead mortal wife with High Goddess Bai Qian. He threw a covert glance at Mo Yuan and saw his posture remained unchanged.
Someone let out a sharp gasp; followed by a loud crash and a heavy thud. The Sky Lord turned toward the disturbance, his eyes fell on Consort Su Jin, who was sprawled unceremoniously across the floor; shuddering uncontrollably.
When the Fox Emperor mentioned that Ye Hua had taken away someone's eyes; Su Jin knew immediately what or whom he was referring to. Then she came to her sense; Su Su turned out to be Qing Qiu's Bai Qian; daughter of the Fox Emperor and bride of High God Mo Yuan. In her fitful fright, Su Jin got up too hastily on her quivering legs. She tripped on her clothing and landed on her rear. Su Jin slowly collected her composure and sat properly again; she did not dare to lift her face up. She whimpered silently in pain, embarrassment and sheer terror.
Her violent reaction did not escape Bai Zhi's observation. "It seems someone is finally remembering."
"Three hundred years ago, my daughter went to Ruoshui River to seal the Bell of Eastern Emperor. She went missing for hundreds of years. One day, she turned up blinded, wounded and very distraught. She didn't talk much about those years she were away and we are none the wiser of her suffering. But there's no secret in this world, the truth wants to come out."
"We learned recently that Qing Cang had bound her immortal essence and power. He wiped her clean of her memory and sent her to Mortal Realm. My daughter lived her life peacefully until one day she met a man and agreed to become his wife. Her life took a turn for worst. Don't you want to know why?" Bai Zhi rapped his finger on one of high tables and glared at Celestial's Third Prince, Lian Song, who was seated there.
"That man is not an ordinary human but an Immortal. He also had another wife, who was so very jealous of my daughter. Her in-laws detested my daughter with a passion; she was just mere a mortal and unworthy of their glorious family. Together the wife and the in-laws plotted her ultimate demise. It almost sounds like a play, doesn't it?"
"What if I tell you that man is none other than Crown Prince Ye Hua. The wife, Consort Su Jin. And the in-laws….." Bai Zhi glided his hand in a sweeping manner at the entire Celestial's royal family.
For the third time that day, the crowd went into uproar. It came as a shocking revelation for all of them. High Goddess Bai Qian was actually that infamous disciple of High God Mo Yuan. The one who was rumored to have a broken sleeve relationship with the Master of Kunlun and disappeared together after the Last Ghost War.
Many female immortals, who once set their sight on the Crown Prince, shuddered in apprehension. The Xi Wu Palace was far more a hostile place than they ever imagined. They sighed, pitying the Goddess's obvious suffering when she was still a mortal, and congratulated themselves for never ever caught the Crown Prince's eyes. There was no telling that twisted family would have done to them if they too were deemed unworthy of their grandeur. The audience barely hide their contempt and dismay toward the Great Lord of Heaven. There was an old saying: Know the face but can't tell the heart. Today they came to see his true face and his malicious heart; it was both disheartening and perturbed.
"Bai Zhi, how did you come to this conclusion again? Isn't High Goddes Bai Qian unconscious at the moment? Perhaps you got it all wrong. Someone might try to sabotage our friendship by feeding you false details." The Sky Lord changed his tactics and tried to appease to his reasonable side."
"Me? Got it all wrong?" Bai Zhi laughed heartily. 'Why don't you ask you grandson first? He knew it all along."
Ye Hua came to the front and knelt down in front of at the Sky Lord. "My Lord, I ask for your forgiveness for concealing the truth until now. The first time I met High Goddess Bai Qian, I knew she was my deceased wife. Su Su had a burn mark on her right wrist. High Goddess Bai Qian has the same exact scar. We all know any scar caused by Ghost's Crimson Hellfire cannot be removed. I have no doubt she was Su Su."
Yan Zhi stood up from her seat and gave support to his claim. "The Crown Prince is not wrong. I also remembered my brother mentioned about that incident once or twice. He claimed Lady Su Su bore striking resemblance to one of his acquaintance in the past. Now, that explains a lot."
"You..you..well done." The Sky Lord said through his gritted teeth. Ye Hua knew Qing Qiu's Bai Qian was his former wife and still let her marry Mo Yuan? Unacceptable. Now those two formed a formidable alliance; he was left alone powerless against them. For once in his life, he really wanted to throttle this foolish grandson. "Why did you not tell me sooner?"
"My Lord, I only respect High Goddess's wish." replied Ye Hua. He and Mo Yuan had agreed it would be best not to mention Qian Qian had already forgotten everything from her past life. If her amnesia became known; it would only spur their lies further.
"Are you two about done now?' Bai Zhi asked impatiently. "Hao De, what has my daughter ever done to you to deserve such fate? Think wisely of what you are going to say. You might not like the consequences."
"Are you threatening me, Bai Zhi?" The Sky Lord descended down the dais and approached Bai Zhi. "Don't go overboard just yet."
"Both of you, back off, please." Lingbao Tianzun decided to step in and set them apart.
"Bai Zhi, you want justice for your daughter, don't you?" Lingbao Tianzun asked.
"Justice and retribution." Bai Zhi replied. "Mark my word. Those who wronged her in any way will not get away unscathed."
"Sky Lord, do you still wish to settle this dispute peacefully? There's no need to escalate this situation into full blown confrontation. Do you agree with me?" Lingbao Tianzun asked again.
"Then I propose we do a fair trial. Everyone will get a chance to explain and defend himself. I am sure we could come to a mutual and agreeable conclusion eventually." Lingbao Tianzun tried to reason with him.
"Or we could just go straight to war," Bai Zhi said matter of factly, "and save us time listening to more lies and excuses."
"Bai Zhi, don't be like that. I don't think Bai Qian would appreciate that you cause a war in her name." Lingbao Tianzun unknowingly echoed the same thing Zhe Yan said to him a week ago.
Bai Zhi shrugged off his comment. "She wouldn't be able to do anything; my daughter is still unconscious. Remember?"
"Since Lord Dong Hua already agreed to be the judge for the day, I guess one more trial won't make much different. Do I have both of you consent? Bai Zhi? Sky Lord?"
Note : Very Special thanks to my hardworking editor slash grammar spotter, Noitratoxin.
#Guest - Of course, I have to raise the reunion's anticipation a notch.