The next time Bai Qian woke up, she felt so tired and wore out. There was pounding in the back of her head. She tried to sit up but instantly fell back into the bed, until someone's arm held her upright.

"Really, seventy thousand years had passed and you are still such a trouble maker."

Seeing it was just her second senior, she sighed and laid back against him quietly.

"What? You suddenly decided to show up," he nudged her gently. "You don't have anything to say to your senior?"

She kept her eyes shut not wanting to deal with him right now and pretended to be asleep.

"Don't go back to sleep yet, Seventeenth. What did you come to do here last night?" he prodded.

Startled at the mention of last night, she frown then shot up, frantically looking around for the elixir until Chang Shan opened his palm and presented it to her.

"Are you looking for this?" he asked, then shying away when his junior tried to make a grab.

"Don't tease me, senior. Give it back. It is very important," she said.

"Perhaps if you tell me what is this for?"

"Senior, it is for Master," she said flatly, knowing he wouldn't budge. Unlike her eldest senior who was more lenient to her, Chang Shan was a real stickler. Back then, she always had a hard time getting anything past him.

When she saw him about to ask questions, she put her hand out to stop him. "I know you had a lot of questions. I promise to answer all of them, but time is essential. You must bring this elixir to High God Zhe Yan immediately," she said urgently.

Knowing Si Yin wouldn't joke about anything when it concerned their mentor, he relented.

"I'll go right away. What about you, Seventeenth?" He looked uncertain, his junior still looked haggard and feeble. He can't imagine what losing years of self-cultivation would do to him. "Are you going to be all right?"

"I'll be fine," she waved away his worry. "Please tell Zhe Yan I'll join him later. "

"If you said so," he got up preparing to leave right away. "Stay here. Get some rest. And don't go anywhere, I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Senior, wait a moment," Bai Qian asked. "Can you keep what you saw last night to yourself?"

He knew Si Yin was talking about using his own cultivation to make the elixir. But he didn't understand why he wanted to keep it a secret. "Why?"

"I have my own reason," she said, imploring him to trust her with her eyes. "Please, senior, let it go at least for now."

He sighed. "Fine, but when I come back, you're going to explain everything to me. Are we clear?" he threatened.

"Yes, yes, whatever you want. Off you go senior," she shooed him way and promptly fell back to bed.

When Zhe Yan picked up the proffered medicine from the hand of Kunlun Mountain disciple, he knew right away who had it made. Fifth sister was so tenacious in her own way, not willing to be indebted to anyone. Had she ask him, he would gladly use his own cultivation to make it. Mo Yuan was his brother after all.

He wondered how would she explained herself to Ye Hua. Losing that much cultivation, she could barely called herself a Goddess. And it won't be possible for her, at least for thirty thousands of years, to take on those Heaven Blazes to become the next Sky Empress. He doubted Ye Hua can wait for her that long. Or did she intend to dissolve the engagement now that Mo Yuan was returning?

"How was Si Yin," the old Phoenix asked quietly.

"He looks a little haggard when I left but there is nothing life threatening," replied Chang Shan.

"Good, let's just keep this between the three of us. You can do that, right?" Zhe Yan gave him a pointed look. If fifth sister asked the elixir to be sent here rather than to the West Sea Palace, she certainly didn't want anyone to learn about her involvement. That also meant she wanted him to say he was the one coming up with the cure.

Chang Shan felt ill at ease at the request. He was not really good at concealing the truth from anyone. Just as he opened his mouth to say something, he was dismissed from the Peachtree Wood. Seeing there was no other choice than complying with his wish, he took his leave.

When Chang Shan returned to Kunlun Mountain the next day, Zi Lan stood waiting in the hall.

"Zi Lan, you came back," he greeted.

"Senior, I'm back. I had a run in with Si Yin three days ago. Can you believe that?" Zi Lan said excitedly.

"You did? Me too," replied Chang Shan. "He was here just yesterday."

"Eh? He's already here?" Zi Lan sounded surprised. "When he said he would meet me here, I thought he was up to his old trick again. Where is he now?"

"Back in his old room. Come, let's go see him together."

But Si Yin's room was empty. Chang Shan looked like he was having a headache. "He was gone. Again. I should have known."

"Come on now, senior. If we found him once, we'll find him again. This time we'll just looking for a female deity." The duo roared with laughter. Only Si Yin would come up with such peculiar idea, dressing up as a woman to avoid them.

Bai Qian returned to the West Sea a week after Zhe Yan took the medicine to her mentor. She had spent a few days meditating and recuperating in Qing Qiu. Fortunately Mi Gu said Ye Hua only came looking for her twice after she left. He didn't ask anything after reading the message she left for him, only said he would be back shortly. His second visit was four days ago, just before she came back.

When Mi Gu can't give him her whereabouts only that she was with Zhe Yan, he asked him to relay a message to her. The Sky Lord had tasked him with some missions in the East and he would be gone for two weeks at most. She silently praised the timing of his absence.

Before leaving Qing Qiu again, she entrusted Mi Gu another message to Ye Hua, should he came back early. This time the story was that Zhe Yan asked for her favor. A patient of his needed help and she was to assist him making some medicine. She might be gone for two weeks or even more depending on the old Phoenix.

Well at least she was telling the truth, Bai Qian thought. Satisfied that it should buy her just enough time, she set out on her journey to the West Sea.

When she arrived at the Palace, her senior was expecting her arrival. After spending some time with him, she visited Die Yong to see how much progress he had made. Her senior said his brother fell unconscious as soon as he took the medicine. But High God Zhe Yan already warned him that could happened and not to worry. His brother was sick for so long, naturally he couldn't stand the effect of strong medicine.

Using the Soul Magic to get inside Die Yong's, she found her mentor's spirit was rapidly gaining strength. She was beginning to hope he would wake up in a month or two.

Another two days passed quickly, she was disheartened Die Yong had yet to wake up. What if he won't wake up? What about her mentor then, she lamented. Just then the maid said someone from Qing Qiu was asking to see her. It was none other than Mi Gu.

He said Zhe Yan sent him to the Grand Ziming Palace to ask the Ghost Lord for the soul jade. High God said the Ghost Lord owed her greatly when his Queen abducted her mentor. So it was only right for him to give proper compensation to Qing Qiu.

Zhe Yan also said the power of the elixir would be too strong for the prince if he was not engulfed by celestial aura. If she placed this soul jade on him, he would be awake in three days. Bai Qian almost hit him at that, waiting until the last moment before relaying such an important message.

To her delight, Die Yong woke up exactly three days after that. Unfortunately the prince mistook her care for love for him, though he was very grateful to her he can't accept it. She felt the urge to smack him when he said she was not his type. How ridiculous.

Her senior laughed so hard when she recounted what his brother said to her. He said she devoted herself to his care as she would her mentor's, anyone else would be just as fooled. He also told her to go back to Qing Qiu to await their mentor's return. His brother was all right now, there was no reason for her to linger here. She agreed with him and went back home the next day.

Ye Hua had just returned, it took him three weeks to settle the unrest among the lesser clans in the East. Upon his arrival, he immediately went to visit Ali and greeted his mother and was about to go to Qian Qian when Lord Dong Hua summoned him.

When he arrived at Taichen Palace, a bearded, old deity was already there with the Lord. Both seemed to have a deep conversion about something of grave importance.

"Ye Hua greet Lord Dong Hua," he bowed low.

"Good, you came quickly."

"Something important just came up, you should know about this too." He pointed to grey hair deity standing in front of him. "This is the Earth deity I tasked with keeping eyes on the Bell of Eastern Emperor."

Ye Hua turned to look at him then waited for the Lord to continue.

"He came here to report that there are some anomalies around the Bell last week. Do you know anything about that?"

"Not at all, Lord," he replied.

"At first I thought it was just my imagination," said the Deity, "the Bell seemed to vibrate for a few minutes then went dormant again. Then today red mist seems to spread out from the inside. "

"Isn't the seal supposed to holding out for the next thousand years?" asked Ye Hua.

Lord Dong Hua was silent for a moment then begun to speculate upon the matter. "Perhaps it has something to do with the one sealing it."

"You mean Qing Qiu's Bai Qian?"

His heart skipped a beat at the mention of her name.

Lord Dong Hua looked thoughtful but didn't say anymore. Ye Hua was getting worried now. He hadn't seen Qian Qian over a month and a half, did something happen to her in his absence? He also have no idea why the Bell would react so. Perhaps they should summon the Ghost Lord. No one knew about Qing Cang better than him anyway.

"Ye Hua will summon the Ghost Lord here now," he told the Lord. It seemed he won't be seeing Qian Qian soon after all.

The Ghost Lord arrived shortly after that. Lord Dong Hua asked if something had happened, the Bell was stirring up again.

He looked chagrined before saying, "My elder brother died a month ago."

"How did his death effect the Bell at all?"

"No one knows," Li Jing sighed, "But Qing Cang uses us, his children, as his power base. If one of us died, he would grow more powerful. My brother was over hundred thousand years old, he had considerable self-cultivation."

"Is that all?" asked the Lord. His fingers move rapidly like he was divining something. Then he stood up and went outside, gazing at the sky for a long time.

Both Ye Hua and the Ghost Lord were puzzled at his manner, still they waited.

"Just now Mo Yuan's star was shining again," the Lord said softly. "Back then before Mo Yuan's spirit vanished, he told all his disciples to await his return. I thought that he was just offering them some comfort. Mo Yuan truly never disappoints," he commended.

The Ghost Lord staggered back, his face paled white. He had put two and two together and figured it out. "I should have known," he whispered to himself. "Why else would she be there."

"If you knew something, then speak up, Ghost Lord," Lord Dong Hua ordered.

The Ghost Lord appeared to be in distress, he didn't say a single word.

"Is this about Si Yin?"

He looked up quickly when that name was mentioned. Ye Hua's eyes widened in disbelief. He always suspected that Si Yin was Bai Qian in disguised but had no proof.

"It is, isn't it?" The Lord said knowingly. "The Ghost Lord and Si Yin was once very closed to each other, wasn't it? You even tried to protect her during the battle. So you met her recently, what then?"

"I met Ah Yin three months ago on the way back from the East Sea King's banquet," Li Jing hesitated before continued, "I have always known Ah Yin is a woman but up until then I never knew she is Bai Qian of Qing Qiu."

Ye Hua had to hold himself tightly when his speculation proofed to be true.

"But there's more," he said tiredly. "Over a month ago, my sister brought back the Divine Fungal Grass for my son. She wouldn't tell me at first how did she obtained it. Later she admitted having a run-in with Ah Yin in the East."

"The grass could indeed speed up recovery, but the four Beasts guarding them are known to be vicious," the Lord commented.

"Was she hurt?" Ye Hua asked urgently.

"No, Yan Zhi said she was fine."

"Impossible," claimed Lord Dong Hua. "Even the Fox Emperor was injured pretty badly when he went there. Did your sister notice anything strange at all that day?"

"No, she didn't say," said Li Jing. "If the Lord really want to know, I'll send for her."

"Don't bother." Lord Dong Hua sipped the tea slowly. "What's done is done."

"I should have known, the only person she would risk herself for is Mo Yuan," Li Jing said bitterly. "It's always about Mo Yuan."

"Why would you say that, Ghost Lord?" Ye Hua said through gritted teeth. "He was her mentor."

"Your Highness, you don't know, do you? The relationship between them."

Of course he heard rumors about them. The record said both of them vanished after the battle at Ruoshui Riverbank. He never believed that, after all Mo Yuan's soul was sacrificed to appease the Bell of Eastern Emperor. How could he live after that?

Li Jing didn't wait for his response, he just continued.

"Back then, after Mo Yuan rescued Ah Yin and Ling Yu from Grand Ziming Palace, I followed Ah Yin back to Kunlun Mountain and stayed up there for months. Every time we went out together, she hardly talked about anything but Mo Yuan. She always ditched me the moment something regarding him came up. No matter how hard I tried, she never cared. In her heart, she only cared about him."

"Since Mo Yuan is coming back. There's no point in keeping this secret any longer," Li Jing started before Lord Dong Hua interrupted him. "She had kept his body with her in Qing Qiu all these years, I already knew that."

"Really?" he laughed weakly. "Did the Lord also know that in order to keep his body intact, she had fed him her heartblood for seventy thousands of years?"

It was Ye Hua who turned pale this time. He never once thought she had been in love with someone before him. A deep and intimate love, enough to sacrifice herself like that. Then doubts filled his minds, did she even cared about him at all? Or he was after all a burden forced on her by their arranged marriage.

"After the Battle at Ruoshui, she came to see me once. At first, I thought she was there to avenge Mo Yuan's death. But what she sought was not my life, but the soul jade. I knew she planned to use it to save Mo Yuan, so I refused her. Had I known, without the soul jade she had to use her own heartblood to save him, I would have given it to her." Li Jing said, his regret palpable in his voice.

"The heartblood of nine-tailed fox clan is magical but tricky," Lord Dong Hua said nonchalantly. "Once use on a person, he or she was to be fed from that fox alone for thirty days without failed. After that once a month is suffice. Again seventy thousands of years is commendable. I have lived this long and never once heard anyone was that dedicated."

"Ah Yin was injured during the Battle," Li Jing said, "There was no way she could fed Mo Yuan her heartblood for long."

"Hence the Fox Emperor Bai Zhi went to retrieve the Divine Fungal Grass from Yingzhou exactly seventy thousand years ago. But that was all in the past."

"Mo Yuan's soul had dispersed into pieces," Lord Dong Hua said, "Anyone want to put them back together has to use the Soul-Gathering Lamp."

"Die Feng, the Second Prince of West Sea, came to see me last month. He asked for the lamp, saying it was needed to heal his elder brother's illness," Ye Hua said, finally realized the connection. He remembered the West Sea King said High God Zhe Yan had gone to see his son. Was that where she went the past month?

"Another disciple of Kunlun Mountain," the Lord noted.

Did Qian Qian really use her own cultivation to save High God Mo Yuan? The Ghost Lord seemed convinced. He was agonized over the mere thoughts of her and her mentor.

Ye Hua thought he had listened enough. He had to know. Was that why she wanted to forget about what had happened between them? Not because she was angry at him but because she was already in love with someone else and their past was just a bother to her. He intended to leave for Qing Qiu immediately.

"Crown Prince," the Lord called out, "Your personal matter will have to wait. We must go to Ruoshui Riverbank now and see how the Bell is holding out."

Ye Hua turned around and bowed to his wish reluctantly. The three of them quickly made their way to the Riverbank. They found that the Bell was indeed surrounded with red mist, Qing Cang's infamous weapon. He was gaining strength, there was no doubt. How long would it take before he breaks out, they wondered.

"Let's bring this to the Sky King. It can't wait any longer," said Lord Dong Hua. "A sentries should also be sent here to keep eyes on it all the time."

"Ghost Lord," he turned to Li Jing. "You and your sister will remain in the Nine Heaven for extended time until this matter was resolved."

"What? Why?" he protested.

"You said yourself both of you are his power base. I know for a fact there were some dissenters within your rank. If either of you were assassinated, Qing Cang will only grow too strong for the Bell to contain him. So go on, grab your sister and come back here at once," he ordered brusquely not leaving him a chance to speak up again.

Lord Dong Hua just finished telling the Sky King about Qing Cang's possible breakout when a familiar chiming rang out from afar. Lord Dong Hua, the Sky King and Ye Hua got up and went outside to take a better look.

The Sky Lord asked, "Lord Dong Hua, could you recognize this bell?"

"It is as Sky Lord thinks," he replied before passing a glance at Ye Hua.

"The bell is chiming in Kunlun Mountain. Mo Yuan has returned already."

Notes : Thanks for all comments and suggestions, you really made my day's'. :))

weissfreya: How come? I thought I already owned Shifu's heart! lol

SkylerKnight: Thanks so much for you continue support. Appreciate it.

ac200: So glad to hear that. There are not many feedback. I've no idea what you think about the story line. Cheers!

Person 1: I think the Pillow Talk is neatly done when compared to YH/BQ/MY arc. I'm very satisfied with how it went.