Time passed by slowly for the two Bai sisters. Both waiting for a sign that Mo Yuan was returning. It had now been 70,000 years since they stole the High God's body and a lot has changed.
Bai Qian became the queen of Qing Qiu, taking over the Fox Den. Granted she really didn't do any actual ruling. Any major decisions were done primarily by Bai Li, at least since Migu had begged her to help with the growing piles of paperwork left by her absentminded fifth sister.
Bai Qian instead spent most of her time by her master's side. She took great care of his body, often talking to him like he was alive. When she wasn't grooming him or speaking with him, she was studying writing and cultivating next to him. Occasionally, she would return to Kunlun. With the school closed and the disciples all returning home to get on with their lives, the school was vacant.
Things changed a lot for Bai Li as well. Not more than 30,000 years after the war, she faced another big life event, she ascended into a high goddess status. If she was not well-known before she was now. She was one of the youngest to reach a high god status, save for Mo Yuan. Now she kept getting invitations to nearly every social function the Heavenly Realm had. Luckily, Zhe Yan had no problem with her hiding out in Ten-Mile Peach Tree Forest. She had resumed her studies under him. One day she hoped to be as skilled and knowledgeable as Zhe Yan.
"You have returned." Bai Li said placing another chess piece on the board. She currently had the upper hand over her brother. "I thought you just finished your isolation and now you are returning?"
Bai Zhen had a knowing smile on his face as he placed a piece on the board. "Hiding from your soon-to-be-husband, Little Five?" Bai Qian huffed as she plopped down next to the two of them. "Why do I have to marry?"
"The Heavenly Lord wanted a union between his tribe and the Nine-Tailed Fox Tribe to maintain unity." Zhe Yan walking out of his small house. "You're the eldest daughter of the Bai family, well-known for your beauty."
"Bai Li would make a better wife for a heavenly prince." Bai Qian stated. She may not be as mischievous as her younger self, but she still was lazy and had a strong aversion to rules. She would much rather spend time by her Master's side practicing magic than aiding a prince in his duties, dealing with a harem and having to put up with all the rules that the heavenly realm had. "She is a High Goddess and it has become more well-known that she is equally beautiful."
Zhe Yan shook his head in humerus dismay. "But at the time of the arrangement your sister was not as famous as you." He waved his hand over in her direction before sitting down near Fourth Brother. "Blame it on your mischievous endeavors and constant traveling. Your sister hardly left the forest, while you traveled all over and gained many admirers."
"How long do you plan on hiding? You cannot possibly hide forever." Bai Zhen asked, his eyes never leaving the chess board.
Bai Qian just waved her hand dismissing his statement. "Just long enough…." She trailed off. "I am going to stay here for a bit. I will be in the forest if you need me." Bai Qian left to find a nice tree in the forest to nap in. She loved the peach tree forests, it was also so pleasant and peaceful. Soon she would have to reseal Qing Cang and if she died doing so, she would like to have her last few days spent amongst the blossoms.
They all watched as she left. Zhe Yan could help but shake his head as the troublesome girl. At the time he had facilitated the engagement, he thought that the Second Prince would make a good husband for the trouble some Bai Qian. Now he was not so sure. Not only did Qian Qian seem opposed to it, Bai Li was adamant that the Second Prince could not make Bai Qian happy. The young vixen had been furious to hear that they agreed to the engagement and refused to even acknowledge them for several weeks.
Bai Qian hadn't been gone that long before the Fox Den's servant, Migu, showed up. "Aunt?" The tree spirit shouted as he looked for her, making his way over to the small group sipping on wine by the pond. "Where is Aunt?"
"She is currently sleeping in the forest. What is it, Migu?" Bai Zhen asked.
Migu bowed to them all before turning to address the young master. "I came to tell her that Prince Sang Ji has left. But now I cannot find Shao Xin." The snake spirit was very loyal to Bai Qian after she had rescued her and found her a new home. It was not like her to just disappear.
"When did she disappear?" Bai Li asked, her expression of deep thought unmistakeable.
"She brought him some fruit when I was informing him of your seclusion. I stepped out of the room for a little bit and then the prince emerged stating that he was returning home. When I went to look for Shao Xin, I couldn't find her." Migu explained. He didn't like dealing with heavenly people, so Shao Xin often did so. Perhaps that was not the best idea.
Bai Zhen nodded and waved Migu off. "She'll turn up eventually. You can return. I am sure Little Five will return once she wakes."
"Shao Xin may not show up if the Second Prince took her to heaven with him." Bai Li said after Migu had left. The timing of the Prince's departure and Shao Xin's disappearance could not be coincidental. A concerned look crossed everyone's face. They probably knew that if that was the case then Bai Qian would be facing some rumors. "If that is the case, what would we do?" Bai Zhen asked looking over towards Zhe Yan.
"Perhaps this is a good thing." Bai Li finally said after some silence. "If the Second Prince does do something it would be a good reason to break off the engagement."
"You really don't want Little Five to marry the Prince do you?" Zhe Yan asked. "No. I know my sister the best, he wouldn't be good for her. Besides, Bai Qian can't focus on anything but Mo Yuan's return." Her sister finally came to terms with her feelings and now laughed at how foolish she was to not notice it before. In Bai Li's mind, the only person worthy of her sister was the God of War.
Zhe Yan looked over at the young female fox who was caught up in her thoughts. Little Five received a lot of attention mostly due to her troublesome nature. Often that left Little Six in the shadows. The youngest Bai sibling was raised nearly entirely by Fourth Brother and himself here in the Ten-Mile Peach Tree Forest. He found himself extra attached to the sixth child of the Bai family. He knew that one day he would have to help find her a husband, but so far he had yet to meet a man worthy of their Little Six.
"Speaking of Mo Yuan." Bai Li stood up and brushed off some dirt from her blue dress. "I should go and check on him." She bowed to her brother and Zhe Yan before heading off in the direction of Yanhua Cave. She didn't want to be gone long. Her sister was probably too preoccupied to notice it, but she was about to face another Heavenly Trial and Bai Li had a feeling that it had something to do with resealing Qing Cang.
—-
It had been five days since Bai Qian came to hide out in the Ten-Mile Peach Tree Forest. Rumors had spread across the realms that the Second Prince of Heaven, Sang Ji, had fallen for a lowly snake spirit and was determined to make her his wife and that the marriage agreement between him and Bai Qian had been cancelled. Bai Li sighed. In just two days the seal on Qing Cang will break and someone was going to have to reseal him. Bai Qian had been training to do so, but she felt uneasy letting her sister do it alone. Perhaps if they both tried the sealing spell, their lives won't be endangered.
"You seem to have a lot on your mind." Bai Zhen stated as he watched her from the corner of his eye. They had decided to go and find their sister who was still hiding out in the forest. "Just thinking about Fifth Sister." Bai Li stated honestly. "Really, she causes so much trouble."
Her brother just laughed "And you don't cause any trouble? I remember numerous occasions we had to use Zhe Yan's name to get out of trouble."
A pout crossed Bai Li's face at her brother's teasing. "Most of the trouble I got into was because of Fifth Sister." Speaking of their sister, she was still asleep. Fourth Brother waved his hand to allow sunlight to hit his sleeping sister's face who quickly woke up. "You have been sleeping ignorantly for five days now."
Bai Qian sighed but did not get up from her resting position on the tree branch. "Have I been sleeping for five days?" She finally sat up and glanced around the forest. Her thoughtful demeanor did not go unnoticed by either of her siblings. "Something seems amiss about you. Don't tell me you're bothered about Sang Ji canceling the marriage."
Her brother's words caught Bai Qian's attention as she quickly turned to look at him in both relief and disbelief. "Because of Sang Ji?" She jumped off the low branch but did not make any more movements other than to play with her hair. "I met him once when I was Si Yin. I thought absolutely nothing of him. So why would I care if he cancels the marriage? Why would I be hurt?"
"Other than the fact that he ran off with your maid and rumors are spreading." Bai Li informed her. Fourth Brother shot her a look that told her not to bring up the rumors. "That's good. Come."
Bai Li purposefully trailed behind her two siblings, her eyes down in deep thought. However, upon hearing Bai Qian mention Qing Cang, her eyes snapped to look at the back of her sister. So she had been thinking about him, Bai Li thought. Eventually her siblings' discussion turned to the whereabouts of their beloved niece.
"But, she will definitely return today." Bai Zhen started with a smile. "Why today?" Bai Qian asked. Deciding to not be forgotten, Bai Li ran up and tossed her arm around her sister's shoulders. "Because it's your birthday today, silly."
Fourth Brother laughed. "You have already lived for hundreds of millennia so there's nothing special about a birthday." Fifth Sister hit his arm but he just brushed it off and continued his explanation. "But, Little Jiu has followed you since she was young and is more respectful to you than to her own parents. It is your birthday today. She'll surely be back."
Moving to stand next to her two siblings she gave them all a grin. "How are we going to celebrate? Should we bring out some of Zhe Yan's wine?"
A big smile crossed Bai Qian's face at the thought. "Yes and Fourth Brother can do a Sword dance for us. I can play one of Zhe Yan's zithers and you your flute."
When night fell, the three siblings were busy drinking and playing around. At least until their beloved niece decided to drop in, almost literally. Poor thing was still trying to get used to cloud jumping. Bai Li watched as her niece gave her sister her birthday blessings. Feng Jiu was like a younger version of Bai Qian, which is probably why the two are so close. Not that they were close, but there was a special admiration that Feng Jiu held for her sister.
It wasn't long before Bai Li caught her sister leaving the forest, their niece trailing behind her still stuck in her fox form. She glanced briefly at her brother who was still sipping on wine before following them.
Bai Li watched as her sister reflected on past memories. She had followed the two to Kunlun Mountain. Bai Qian had walked through the various halls before stopping at the cellar. Unlike her niece, Bai Li knew better than to enter. Her sister was still very much on alert.
She listened as her sister talked to their niece and told her about how she was going far away and about a magic spell that only she knew. Bai Li had a feeling it was the sealing spell that Mo Yuan taught her all those years ago. Finally, she forced their niece to sleep.
Bai Qian made her way out of the cellar, determination could easily be seen on her face and in her gate. "If you think I am going to let you seal him alone, you are wrong." Bai Li finally spoke up, actually managing to startle her sister.
"Lili!" Bai Qian narrowed her eyes at her sister. "You shouldn't be here."
"I shouldn't be here? I made a promise and I will keep that promise." Bai Li narrowed her eyes sternly at her sister while carefully examining her. Bai Qian would soon be entering another Heavenly Trial. If she was injured in the battle against Qing Cang, she may not have the strength to go through it.
Bai Qian shook her head, not caving into her sister's challenging stare. "I am the only one who can do it." Bai Li let out a deep sigh. "You are not the only one." she paused. "Mo Yuan also taught the sealing spell to me too."
Her sister looked shocked. "Why didn't you tell me?" Bai Qian asked. "Does it matter? If we try to seal him together, perhaps we can both make it back alive. What do you say, Fifth Sister? One more adventure together?"
A light smile crossed Bai Qian's face. "Not like I can stop you."
The sun had just risen by the time they made it to Ruoshui Riverbank. The bell was glowing with an eyrie orange light, a sign that Qing Cang was about to break through the seal.
An old immortal man appeared, examining the bell before finally noticing them. Bai Qian quickly waved her hand to knock him out. "Save your life, immortal." She turned towards her little sister. "You ready?"
Bai Li nodded and both girls jumped towards the bell. Floating just in front of it, they could see the sealed Qing Cang. "It's been 70,000 years." Qing Cang's demonic voice echoed from within the bell. "Mo Yuan's soul has scattered, but I have merely been imprisoned for 70,000 years."
"Qing Cang, do you think you can live freely after 70,000 years?" Bai Qian was the one that spoke. "Although my master is no longer here he passed on the sealing spell to us. We, Bai Qian and Bai Li, will seal you away for another 70,000 years."
Qing Cang looked over at the woman speaking to him. "You are Mo Yuan's disciple? Who exactly are you?" Bai Qian looked at him firmly. "I am Qing Qiu's queen, Bai Qian. That is, Si Yin of the past!"
Both women started the sealing process. A wave of dark energy slipped out hitting the two, but they didn't let that faze them. "You want to seal me? Unless Mo Yuan comes back to life…" Another dark blast shot out towards Bai Qian. Bai Li instantly realized hidden in the blast was a sealing spell and quickly jumped in front of her sister. The majority of the spell hit Bai Li, but a small portion did hit Bai Qian. "Sixth Sister!" Bai Qian shouted rushing towards her sister who had been sent flying back. Bai Qian watched as her sister disappeared in front of her.
"I will have your powers repressed and you shall live out the rest of your life suffering the hardships of mortality in the mortal realm never knowing who you really are!" Qing Cang's dark crackle before he was completely sealed in the bell.
Bai Qian felt herself go weak and before she could make it to the ground her vision went dark. She vaguely felt arms catch her before she finally succumbed to the spell induced slumber.
—
Bai Li woke up to the sounds of birds chirping. In her hand was a beautiful flute. "Is this mine?" Why couldn't she remember anything? She had a feeling that she forgot something very important. A small cat meowed and slowly creeped towards her. "Where am I? Why can't I remember who I am or how I got here?" Bai Li asked herself as she picked up the cat and stood up.
She looked around the area and luckily managed to find a fairly large house. The cat footprints indicated that it was the home of the cat. "Is this your home? It looks abandoned" Bai Li asked out loud not really speaking to the cat. The cat hopped down and the young woman made her way up to the house. The door when it fell straight down when Bai Li tried to open it causing dust to fill the air. "I don't think anyone has lived here in a while." The small one bedroom house was covered in dust. The light from a small mirror caught her attention. She picked it up and looked at herself. She had black hair, dark grey eyes and three small diamond shapes on her forehead that resembled a lotus flower.
"I wish I could remember who I was." she murmured before standing up. "I should get this place cleaned up. This can be my home until I remember."
Time passed and soon LiLi had the house looking homely again. However, it did get quite lonely in the mountains. With no one to talk to, LiLi started collecting wounded animals. There was something about healing that felt natural to her. Plus, it helped to ease the loneliness and gave her something to do.
For money, she picked fruits and herbs. Bai Li didn't know how, but she knew about medicine and herbs. The knowledge just came to her when she had burnt herself when trying to cook. That was another revelation, apparently she couldn't cook. She was only able to cook rice or meat over a fire. However, she did know how to make wine from fruit apparently and had a strong tolerance for it.
Bai Li sat down in the main sitting area and set the basket she had on the table. She had been out gathering fruits and herbs when she came across a beautiful black snake. She gently lifted the snake out of the basket. She couldn't help but admire its beautiful black scales. She had no idea that her little black snake was actually the heir apparent to the Heavenly Realm, Prince Ye Hua. He had been battling a creature and had been injured. His typically large dragon form, diminished to the shape of a simple snake.
Bai Li took note of his injury. "Poor thing, I have some ointment that should help with that."
'What is this place?' Ye Hua thought, waking up from his slumber. "You're awake." Ye Hua turned to look at the woman. 'Her?' he thought. She looked similar to the one in his dream.
"You are one of the most attractive snakes I've ever seen?" Bai Li smiled at the little creature. "I love your horns and your beautiful black scales."
'Do I look like a snake?' Ye Hua thought, not sure if he felt insulted. "I could tell you were injured. It's too early in the year for snakes to go into hibernation. It's not safe to be injured out there, so I brought you back here to recover."
Ye Hua scoffed internally. As if the Golden Lion could hurt him. He might be powerful, but he was still not a match for him. "It's weird. Other than birds and animals, we have yet to find any other humans living in this place." Bai Li said after a bit. She had been here for a little while, but hadn't seen anyone else. The only humans she found were all down by the village. Which was pretty far away.
Ye Hua almost wish he could speak. How could not know that this was Mount Junji of the Far East. The Golden Lion had been occupying the mountain for over ten years forcing the human out. Now no human dared to venture here. "I don't know how I came to be here." Bai Li smiled at the snake who seemed to be paying attention to her. "But this is now my home. It can be your home too. Why don't you stay and let me take care of you? I enjoy taking care of creatures."
Bai Li set down her flute before grabbed some of the fruit she gathered and left the room.
Ye Hua watched as the young woman left paying close attention to the flute she set down on the table. 'Could it be the Jade Dragon Flute of Kunlun?' He questioned. 'How could a mortal have a Kunlun Mountain artifact?'
That night Bai Li took him to her room to sleep. He needed warmth. Her room not only had a blanket, she would be able to provide the snake some warmth just by being near.
It was mid morning when the small snake woke up again. "Morning." Bai Li smiled at the small snake. "I am going to treat your wounds now. These herbs should help. You are lucky that I know how to make medicine. I haven't used it on snakes, but it works on humans and birds."
"You must be hungry. I managed to catch something to eat." Bai Li held out a piece of raw meat to the snake. However, he didn't seem interested in it at all. "How are you going to get better if you don't eat?"
She looked at him with a concerned expression. "Perhaps I should cook it some. It has gotten a bit cold." Bai Li cooked a small piece of meat and then fed it to the snake, who willingly took a bite. It seemed her little snake wanted hot meat, not cold raw meat.
Happy that he was eating, Bai Li gave the small creature a kiss on the head. "I am glad you are doing better! Perhaps I will take you to the market."
—
It was a long day. She had gone down to the marketplace to sell the fruits and herbs she had gathered, but things hadn't gone as smoothly as she had anticipated. Before they even made it to the town she had to find shelter for rain that never actually came. Then she was assaulted by a Daoist priest who had been selling talismans in the marketplace. He had wanted her to sell him her flute. When she refused, he managed to grab it and accused her of stealing it. She demanded that prove he could even play it and he nearly hit her in his anger.
Thankfully, a kind lady familiar with the fan stepped in to help. Apparently, the flute was an artifact from Kunlun Mountain and had strong spiritual power. The kind lady had told her that she had briefly met the previous owner of the flute and knew it was a magic weapon.
Despite all the chaos that went on, the little black snake continued to sleep. Bai Li was getting a little worried that it's injuries were more severe than she thought.
It was eight days before the snake woke up again. "You are finally awake." She said smiling at the snake on her bed. The weather was getting colder and she thought the little creature could use the extra warmth. "I was worried that your injuries were forcing you to enter into an early hibernation." She moved slightly brushing up again the new quilt she bought. "Isn't it pretty?" She asked the snake gesturing to the red quilt.
She brought her face closer to the little creature. "I loved the pattern on this one, even if the color is a little too vivid for my tastes. But I suppose I have very simple clothes, so vivid blankets are not bad." Bai Li took off the outer layers of her clothes and laid down, covering both her and the snake with the blanket. "Now we won't be cold. Sleep."
Ye Hua waited until she was sound asleep before changing to his original form. He gently took her arm that was wrapped around him and pulled it off his body before turning to lay on his back. However, it wasn't long before Bai Li wrapped her arm back around and she snuggled into his warmth. He finally gave up and turned to look at her, a rare smile graced his face shortly later.
Over the next few months Bai Li continued to sleep with the little snake and every night Ye Hua would turn into his human form after she fell asleep. During the time he spent with the young women, he found himself growing attached to her. The only problem was that he didn't want to be treated like all the injured animals she took in. He wanted to be as special in her heart as she was becoming in his.
Bai Li walking through town. She only made the trip about once a month, so when she was there she liked to look at the different shops to see what new things were being sold. Everything was fine until that horrible Daoist priest that had harassed them before ran up and blocked their path. "You again?" Bai Li tightened her grip on the basket containing the black snake.
"Miss, do you still remember?" the man grinned at them. "Of course I remember you. You tried to steal my flute." Bai Li remained very cautious, not taking her eyes off the man.
The man stroked her beard while still eyeing her. "You thoroughly humiliated me last time. Even when I'm dreaming, I wake up with hatred. Luckily, I have come across you again today."
Bai Li noticed him eyeing the basket in her arms. "What do you want?"
He smiled again. "What is it?" He suddenly went to grab the basket. He grabbed one of the handles and tugged. Luckily Bai Li had a strong grip on the basket.
"I'll show everyone what you have here!" He told her over her shouts to let go. With a firm push, Bai Li fell to the ground. "Everyone, come look! The witch is here again." The townspeople looked on, wanting to see what the commotion was about.
"The other day, this witch and another stole my ancestor's heirloom." He lied. "For the sake of the city's people, I have not left just so I could one day reveal this witch's true colors and show you all the truth!"
Bai Li glared at the man. She didn't like to be lied to. Thankfully, so far the villagers were not buying into the man's lies. He just smiled and stroked his beard. "Don't say I didn't tell you what is inside this basket. Inside this is an evil…black snake!" That caused everyone to jump back away from the basket. "What's the matter? Scared now?" However, the villagers still seemed hesitant to believe the man, but at the same time they didn't want him to pull back the small piece of cloth covering the creature inside.
"It is only a small snake. It won't harm anyone." Bai Li said. "Miss, do you mean there really is a black snake in this basket?" One of the villagers asked. "Yes, but it is not some evil thing." Bai Li tried to explain to them. That set the townspeople off. They started demanding that it be burned. When the Bai Li made a move to stop the priest from burning her treasured companion he bound her with a rope. "My ancestor's Monster Binding Rope has finally come to use today." The priests exclaimed proudly.
"Don't touch him!" Bai Li said watching as the man moved the torch closer to the basket with the sleeping snake. She quickly ran and plowed into the priest, knocking him to the ground and away from the basket..
"It really is a black snake!" One of the villagers exclaimed seeing the head of the 'snake' pop up out of the basket. When the villagers started throwing food at the basket, LiLi rushed over and blocked the leafy projectiles. Shouts for her death and that of the snakes erupted.
Ye Hua had enough and rose out of the basket and into the air, changing into his much larger dragon form. The villagers soon realized that it was not a snake in the basket but a dragon god. They all knelt down and started bowing. The dragon flew around a bit before spitting water all over the Daoist priest. It encircled the stunned young woman before turning to look at her. "You.. You aren't a black snake, are you?" Bai Li asked. A sad smile crossed her face. "I suppose you are all healed now and are leaving?"
"It's not like I can raise you now." She tried to bite back the tears at the thought of losing her only companion. The dragon flew off into the sky and the moment he disappeared the bindings wrapped around her fell to the ground. All of the townspeople came up to her offering them dinner and wanting to get on her good side, but all she wanted to do was go home.
Night had already fallen by the time she made it back home. She felt herself tear up at the thought of all the plans she had for her little snake. She had planned to create a burrow for him to rest in once winter came. That night Bai Li went to bed alone for the first time in months.
She awoke the next morning to a cough, which immediately caught Bai Li's attention and she quickly ran to check. There resting on her doorstep was an injured man. "Where did you come from?" Bai Li asked, watching as the man spit up blood before falling unconscious. "There's so much blood! You need to be treated right away."
Bai Li looked over the man for any wounds. Seeing the blood on his shoulder she deduced that he must have been stabbed. "I hope I have enough medicine." Bai Li grabbed various jars off the shelf in her room. She quickly turned when she heard him waking up. "Don't move. You're injured and bleeding!" Bai Li quickly grabbed him to help him sit against the bedpost he was determined to rest on.
"You don't need to worry, Miss." Ye Hua told her. "Worrying is something that comes natural to me." Bai Li told him as she grabbed the medicine she had set down on the table in her rush. "It is just a minor injury." He tried to assure. "That is not a minor injury! You are bleeding heavily." Bai Li informed him.
"Stay here." Bai Li told the man. "I will go get some water." He was coughing pretty bad when she came back with the water. His wound seemed pretty bad and she wasn't sure if she knew how to tend to that severe of a wound.
The wound was not a stab wound, but rather scratches like it was made from claws. It was really deep from the looks of it. "Minor injury? This looks painful." A thousand thoughts seemed to run through her mind as she started to clean the wound. What if she couldn't treat him and he died from his wounds? What if she ended up making it worse or caused him more pain? The thoughts brought tears to her eyes.
"I am going to apply some medicine. I will probably sting." She told him as she set down the rag and grabbed the herbal mixture. The man nodded his head in understanding, but kept his eyes on Bai Li.
After applying the paste, Bai Li went wash off the rest of the blood and noticed that the water was now deep red. "I need to get more water and bandages." She tossed the bloodied water off to the side of the house and refilled it with some clean water. "Should go into the village to fetch a physician?" she whispered to herself, unaware that her injured companion could hear her. She was worried that she wouldn't be able to treat him properly.
Ye Hua wondered if he went too far with his wounds and decided to heal the wounds on his shoulder. He had just finished when she walked back into the room with the clean water. "I have only dealt with animal wounds not..." Bai Li's eyes grew big as she took in the unblemished and bloody shoulder. She sat down next to the man and looked over the wounds. "How is that possible?" She looked at it in disbelief.
She leaned forward and brushed her fingers along the spot the wound had been. "It was just…" She turned her head to look at him, catching his gaze. After a few seconds she realized how close their faces were and pulled back.
It was quiet for a bit while Ye Hua pulled his robe back over his shoulder. "It's said there is a rare plant on Mount Junji of the Far East, that it is a miraculous herb for healing injuries. Could the medicine you applied for me be this very miraculous herb?"
Bai Li thought deeply. "I don't think so…but…." she trailed off. "I could be wrong. Then… Do you also have internal injuries?" Bai Li asked, no longer thinking about the shoulder wound. Ye Hua started to cough to confirm that he did have severe internal injuries.
"How were you injured? The wound looked like claw marks." Bai Li asked. "I happened across a monster and fought with it." He told her.
"A monster?" Bai Li asked curiously. "I have never come across a monster." Ye Hua gave her a stunned look. "Do you not know there are many monsters on this mountain?" She just shook her head in bewilderment. "I have lived here for many months and never seen a single monster." Bai Li told him. "That monster…" Ye Hua started coughing again causing Bai Li to quickly grab him and force him to lay down. "You should lie down. You are in no condition to speak."
"Thank you, Miss." He said after he finally made it to a lying position. "I am going to make some food. Just rest here." Bai Li turned to let the man rest.
As Bai Li moved around the kitchen, she couldn't help the small smile that crossed her face. She was happy she was not alone. Having someone to care for seemed natural, like she used to do it a lot.
It wasn't long before she returned to the man with a bowl of porridge. "I only have a little bit of rice. I also don't have many vegetables either." Bai Li told him as she blew on the porridge. "You've gone to much trouble, Miss." Ye Hua told him as he moved to sit up. Bai Li noticed how he struggled to sit up and sat down on the bed. "Here. Let me feed you. You don't want to aggravate your injuries." He protested a bit, but she simply brought a spoonful up to his mouth. "I often take in small injured animals. So I am used to nursing and feeding the wounded." Bai Li blew on another spoonful to cool it down. "You are kind-hearted." The man said softly.
Bai Li looked down at the porridge. "It gets lonely on this mountain. The village is so far away, so tending to the animals gives me some company and something to do." She blew on another spoonful and fed it to him. "I feel happier when caring for them." She paused in hesitation. Taking a deep breath, she asked him a question that had been on her mind all evening. "Why don't you stay here and recuperate? I should have enough rice to last a few days."
"Thank you, Miss." Ye Hua said. He wondered if she ever had anyone take care of her. "What about yourself?" Bai Li looked at him before glancing back down at the bowl. "I…I will eat some fruit. I didn't make enough porridge. If you are still hungry, I will pick some fruit for you too." She moved to get up but was stopped and she felt him grab her arm. "Miss. You are my savior. Can you tell me your name?"
There was a long silence as Bai Li thought about how to answer. She was sure she had one at one point, but she had yet to remember anything about her past. "I don't have a name, at least not that I can remember."
Ye Hua was not expecting that answer. He thought for certain she would have a name. "No name?"
Bai Li let out a defeated breath. "I have no name and no family. I live alone on the mountain with no friends other than wounded animals."
Realizing he hit a sore spot Ye Hua decided that if she didn't have one he would give them one. "In that case…Why don't I give you a name?" Bai Li gave him a shocked, but hopeful look. "You would give me one?"
Ye Hua nodded and then looked over her. She was dressed in plain clothes. "Since you are dressed in simple clothes, the word Su suits you." He nodded in decision. "You will be Su Su."
Su Su smiled as she tried out her name. "Then I will be Su Su. Thank you. I never knew having a name could make me feel happier." She barely turned when he called out to her. "Miss, don't you want to know my name?" He asked.
Su Su let out an embarrassed laugh realizing she had been very rude by not asking him his name. Perhaps the isolation was affecting her manners. "Sorry. I forgot to ask. What is your name?"
"Ye Hua." Su Sue paused as she pondered his name. "What two words are Ye Hua? Can you write them out for me?" She handed him her hand. Using his finger he drew the symbols of Ye and Hua on the palm of her hand. Su Su suddenly felt her cheeks heat up. Why did this feel like an intimate action? He was still staring at her when he stopped. "Thanks." She quickly turned hoping that he wouldn't notice her blush.
Su Su was slowly picking fruits in a daze. When Ye Hua started tracing the characters on her hand her heart started beating fast. It made her wonder what it meant. Was she getting ill? "Ye meaning Night and Hua meaning Splendor." She whispered into the evening air. "It suits him."
The man had fallen asleep by the time that she had returned, something Su Su was a little grateful for. She gently covered him with the quilt before sitting down at the small table. The room wasn't overly huge, but it was big enough for the bed, an eating table and some counters and shelves. Su Su let out a yawn. It had been an exhausting day. It didn't take her long to doze off after laying her head upon the table.
Ye Hua sat up the moment Su Su fell asleep. He pretended to be asleep when she came in. He already vexed her enough today and figured she might be uneasy with a man in her bed. He moved and carried her to the bed and covered her up with the quilt before laying down next to her. Like all the times before, she turned and snuggled into him for warmth which made him smile.
Su Su was shocked to wake up in her bed. She bolted upright with wide eyes, quickly turning to look at the man sitting on a chair by the table. "How?" She asked. Ye Hua smiled gently, trying not to laugh at her shocked appearance. "I woke up and saw you on the chair. You looked uncomfortable, so I moved you to the bed." She looked down at her lap in embarrassment. "Thank you, but you shouldn't have. It might make your injury worse.." He kept watching her and it was making her nervous. "I should go make some breakfast." She moved off of her bed and left the room before he could say anything.
Su Su looked over the ingredients in the kitchen. There wasn't much, but perhaps she could make a nice warm meal out of it. There was enough rice to make something for Ye Hua. She would have to make do with some fruit.
Unfortunately, like all the other times before, smoke filled the house. Ye Hua came out of her room, trying to wave the smoke out of his vision. Su Su coughed and grabbed his hand to pull him out of the room. "What happened?" He asked. Su Su just shook her head as she made it down the steps into the small yard of the house.
"What happened?" Ye Hua asked. "I was trying to cook breakfast." Ye Hua turned to look at all the smoke pouring out of the kitchen. "Your cooking produces so much thick smoke." Su Su tilted her head as she watched the smoking kitchen. "I apparently can't cook. It always ends up this way no matter what I cook." Ye Hua turned his head to look at the small female next to him with a shocked expression. "How did you survive before I came here?"
"I am not picky about my food." Su Su explained. "Usually I just eat some fruit. On occasion, I will roast some small animals that I managed to catch."
Ye Hua turned away in dismay and murmured softly. "It's a good thing you know you have to roast them and can't eat them raw." Su Su shot him a light glare. "Of course I can't eat raw meat. It's unhealthy. Only certain animals can eat raw meat."
Su Su continued. "I usually don't eat meat since I don't like to hunt. I have gotten better at cooking it after having a snake live with me. He was hard to take care of."
Ye Hua looked down wondering if he put undue hardship on the young women. "Is it that hard to take care of?"
Su Su nodded. "I was afraid it would get cold so I got a new quilts and let him sleep with me." Ye Hua was beginning to think that it was a good thing that she lived so far out from everyone. She was very innocent and perhaps too kind-natured. "Su Su, do you know snakes don't need to sleep on a bed and don't need to be covered by a quilt?"
"I know I was just worried. He was injured and I worried how the drop in the weather would affect him." Su Su told him. She knew it was probably silly to sleep with the animals you rescue, but it made them feel more comfortable. "I like to think that he enjoyed being by me. I had hoped he would stay, but he turned into a big black dragon about as large as this hut and flew away. He hasn't returned."
Ye Hua stole a glance at Su Su who looked sad as she spoke of the dragon leaving. He almost wanted to smile at how much Su Su seemed to love and miss his other form.
"The smoke has cleared. You should go and eat some of the fruit that is in the kitchen while I gather some herbs." Su Su gestured for Ye Hua to return to the kitchen. Ye Hua watched her as she walked into the forest. He had a feeling that this woman was used to caring for people, which made him wonder where her family was.
After several hours passed and there was no sign of Su Su returning, Ye Hua went looking for her. She had managed to go pretty far in the forest. He grabbed a large stick from the ground and acted like he was using it to hold himself up. "Su Su." She quickly turned and ran up to him. "You shouldn't be here, you are injured! Walking so far will only make them worse. " She gently touched his shoulder as she looked him over. "I'm fine." Ye Hua assured her. "It was late and you hadn't returned, so I came looking for you."
"I may have gotten a little bit turned around." Su Su said sheepishly. "Lost?" Ye Hua questioned. "I am not very good with directions. The last time I entered this forest it took me several days to make it back home. Luckily, I can sleep just fine in the forest." "Days?" Ye Hua exclaimed in shock.
Seeing her nod made him let out a slight laugh. "To be able to get lost to such an extent is an ability all on its own." The more time he spent with the beautiful woman the more curious he was as to how she managed to survive this long. "Go ahead and laugh." Su Su pouted. "It's not like I don't know you want to." Ye Hua put a hand on Su Su's shoulder. "I have always been very tolerant to those who aren't smart."
Su Su brushed off his arm and lifted her head up to look at him. "Says the man who wandered into the forest injured. I happen to be very smart, just not so good at directions…..or cooking. Come let's head back." Ye Hua did let out a laugh at that, enjoying the rare show of stubborn pride. He allowed Su Su to help him back towards the direction of the house.
After a bit of walking Su Su broke the silence that had come over the two of them. "We should take a rest or you may not be able to make it back." She moved to help Ye Hua sit on a large tree root before taking a seat across from him. "Why can't I do anything right? I was originally going to pick some herbs and fruit and then return. Now we are stuck in the forest. I am starting to think that the trouble surrounding me is what keeps people away. Perhaps it's why the dragon left." Su Su said. She too often wondered how she survived in the past. What talents did she have? The only thing that she knows is that trouble seems to find her wherever she goes.
Ye Hua looked down. Part of him felt guilty for causing the young woman's heartache. "Do you miss it very much?" She nodded her head solemnly. "Perhaps it had no choice but to leave." He hoped hearing that would ease some of the pain. "Dragons are from a clan of ancient gods. Most of the time, they appear in the mortal realm to subdue monsters. And also because it is an immortal it cannot stay in the mortal realm for a long time. Otherwise, it would affect the fates of mortals and there would be trouble."
"Really?" Su Su said feeling a little better. It made her heartache less thinking that it may want to return to them but couldn't because it would cause problems. "I remember now." Su Su sat up straight. "When the black dragon flew away the city's people did seem to say it subdued the gold…" She trailed off trying to remember the name of the beast. "Crimson Flame Golden Lion." Ye Hua told her. "Yes, Golden Lion." Su Su affirmed. "How did you know?" Instead of answering, he looked up into the fading sunlight. "It seems we'll have to stay here for the night. Make a fire and I'll tell you about it."
It didn't take long to start the fire nor for the sun to finally set. Ye Hua started telling some stories surrounding the Golden Lion. However, Su Su was starting to doze off towards the end of his tale. "And?" She asked. Ye Hua continued to tell her the story, watching as her head bobbed as she fought falling asleep. "And.. Although the black dragon defeated the Golden Lion it had sustained a minor injury. And.." He paused watching Su Su's head bob some more before it finally fell onto his shoulder. "And then it met you." He whispered to the sleeping Su Su with a loving tone.