Ye Hua climbed up the stone staircase leading to the Stone of Destiny. He set on this journey to the border between worlds because he had to know. Why fate allowed him and her to cross path and fell in love, only to let death set them apart. Why brought them together later again when her heart already chose another.
"Greeting visitor." An old Deity appeared in front of him just as he was about to touch the Stone of Destiny. "What is the purpose of your visit?"
Ye Hua inclined his head, offering his own greeting. "You must be the Deity that guards the Stone of Destiny. I am Ye Hua, Crown Prince of the Celestial Clan."
"I see. How may I serve Your Highness today?" He inquired politely.
Ye Hua let his eyes roaming the gigantic stone altar in front of him. Each side of the Stone contained passages of writings. "I heard the Stone of Destiny carries every person's destiny. Is it true? I wish to learn more about it."
"A common misconception. While the Stone of Destiny can indeed tell immortals' destinies; said destinies may or may not be fulfilled."
Seeing Ye Hua's confused looks, he delved into explanation. "A destiny is but a path laid out by the Heaven's will, yet the future is indiscernible. Every single action leads to a different reaction, every choice results in different end. Nothing is indefinitely set in the stone. It always changes and adjusts just as a person changes."
"Deity, I wish to know what does it says about Qing Qiu's Bai Qian and I?" Ye Hua asked.
The Deity immediately gave him a caution. "Although destiny is written down as you see it; it doesn't always stay the same. Heaven's will is not meant to be revealed. As soon as I tell you, what was written may no longer become true. Sometime it changes for the better, sometime for the worse. Is it wise to uselessly tempt fate?"
Ye Hua was skeptical. What could possibly be worse than losing Qian Qian's love twice? "What about the past then? Can you tell me those that already came to pass?" Even so, he saw his point and decided to heed his suggestion.
The Deity took a moment to ponder his request and nodded his head once in agreement. He gazed at the Stone of Destiny pensively and spoke up after a stretch of silence.
"From the beginning, there was no fate between you and the Goddess. However, during the time you were the Golden Lotus, you became very attached to her and she was rather fond of you. This connection you formed with her created a chance encounter between the two of you. Yet this fate was so shallow and would later be determined by how you and her upholding each other. You should also know the thread of fate is peculiar thing."
"How so, Deity?" Ye Hua asked quietly. He was quite disheartened to learn that he and Qian Qian were not fated from the beginning.
"It can only be tied together once." The Deity said solemnly, he looked into Ye Hua's eyes before continued. "In my own humble opinion, the thread of fate is quite akin to the bond of love. Both are very fragile. Both needs mutual nurture and attentive care. Should one party fail to hold up one's end, it wouldn't be able to endure. Once broken, it is impossible to be brought back together again."
Ye Hua slowly digested what was told. This was the answer he sought to know. It was… so obvious, so absurd, so unbelievable. He let out bitter laughs, each was more forceful than the previous one. He glanced down at his hands in absolute disbelief as memories of the past were being replayed in his mind. He already seized that chance to be with her and destroyed said chance with his own hands. It was his choices that sabotaged their fate and doomed both of them to cycles of misery.
Back then, he had seen enough of what happened to his second uncle to know what his Lord and Grandfather could possibly do to Su Su and him. He had thought they could avoid the same fate, if he could lead everyone into believing she meant so little to him. In order to pull off the acts, however unwilling, he purposely left her in the cold and hard palace, let her fight on her own. He treated her indifferently and refused to listen to her reasons.
By doing that, he had alienated himself from her and let the seeds of doubt fester in her mind. He still remembered, when he was about to take her eyes, how she looked upon him with fear and distrust. It pained him how she flinched away every time he reached out and tried to touch her. Still, he thought he could explain the reasons behind his unforgiving acts and make it up to her later, after she officially became his wife and had her own standing among them.
How ironic. He had avoided the fate his Lord and Grandfather scheming against him and Su Su. Yet, he willingly walked into another deadly trap of his own doing. Only here and now, he could see with sudden clarity how he went about the wrong ways since the beginning.
In his heart, she had left him and Ali. She chose to jump down that Zhuxian Terrace rather than remained with them. How he was so blinded from the truth and didn't even realize it until now. It was him who let go of their bond first. Su Su merely finished purging remnants of their entangled fate and love. She chose to wipe out her - their - memories and started her life again with a clean slate.
What if he chose to remain by her side and take care of her? What if he secretly told her his reasons for treating her so poorly? What if he prized SuSu's simple wish to remain with him no matter at what cost? What if he didn't take her eyes? What if he fought for her justice when she was so wrongly accused, come what may? Then would they still be together today?
But it was too late to ask for a what if.
His eyes squeezed shut, his face upturned, as he fought the tears that threatened to fall out. After drawing in a few more breathe, he opened his eyes again and finally asked the question that caused so many sleepless nights lately.
"Why must she and I cross path again then? What for, if we can no longer be together anymore? Is this some kind of Heaven's punishment? To forever regret the choices I have made?"
The Deity deemed a small nudge in the right direction would not directly violate what Heaven planned for them. What he chose to do with this revelation was on his own. "This second encounter is indeed fated. Whether it is a punishment or something entirely different, only Your Highness can determine its true purpose."
The Deity refused to elaborate more on the matter. Despite all the efforts, his continued persistence to obtain an answer seemed unable to shake him, much to Ye Hua's disappointment.
"Deity, I understand you have no desire to speak about it anymore. There's another thing I wish to know, I suppose you could give me a truthful answer." He pushed down the rising uneasiness that threatened to overwhelm him. "What of High God Mo Yuan and Qing Qiu's Bai Qian?"
His bushy white brow furrowed at the newly raised question. This generation of prince was really too hard on himself. He stroked the long white beard, humming for a long time. His head bobbed up and down as he contemplated their complicated fates.
"They are destined to become intricately intertwined since the moment they first met. Master and fated disciple were brought together by the instrument of Heaven. Love and devotion, life and death; they owed each other. Fate had set them so far apart yet the thread of fate between them remained, spread thinned over the length of time as it was."
He continued, his voice hinted with an awe of admiration and profound sadness. "One chose to endure a lifetime of loneliness and endless suffering. Another spent almost a hundred thousands of years, fighting his way out of the chaos of Nothingness and hopeless endeavor to return to her. Their absolute dedication to each other is astounding. It moves even the Heaven's will. The destinies they shared rewrote themselves. This is but a very rare occurrence. Both have taken the long road to get here and find each other again."
He discreetly glanced at the Crown Prince's stricken face and carried on. "Forgive me for being so bold to say this, but I have been living for a long time, Your Highness. I have seen love of many kinds: familial loves, romantic loves, platonic loves and fidelity loves. Strange as it may sound; love could be either benevolent or harmful to those we love. It could be selfish and possessive or freely given and unconditional. Your Highness has to ask yourself: What kind of love is your choice? What is the most important thing to you?"
Ye Hua fell into deep thought. He contemplated on what was revealed and failed to hear what the Deity said next.
"For him, her love is freely given and unconditional. It is love that hardly comes by, transcending through time and defying even Heaven's decree. She's willing to sacrifice even her own life, not just once or twice but even at this very moment."
Ye Hua politely gave the Deity a mindless nod as if he agreed to what was being said. He was about to bid farewell when he chanced one last glance at Qian Qian and Mo Yuan's name shown on the Stone of Destiny. It was then he saw her name was fading and reappearing. His breath suddenly caught up in his throat. "Deity, why her name is flickering like that?"
The old Deity sighed. "There is only two reasons for a God's name to disappear from the Stone. One can be done by cheer force of will. All this time, I only know of one God who accomplished this. Another reason is that the God's eternal light is diminishing."
His ominous reply disturbed Ye Hua greatly. "Diminishing? How? Didn't those who attains the rank of God and Goddess live forever?"
"Even the Heavenly Father faced Calamity," he reminded Ye Hua gently. "The light of her soul is dimming as we speak, Your Highness. Should the event run through its course; it will be completely snuffed out," the old Deity replied regretfully.
Ye Hua shook his head in denial. That was entirely non-sense. Qian Qian was with High God Mo Yuan, preparing their wedding ceremony. How could her life be in any danger? His heart lurched when he suddenly realized with an absolute dread. High God Mo Yuan. Danger. - The Bell of Eastern Emperor.
In a flash of light, Ye Hua transformed his body into his dragon form and soared quickly into the sky. The Deity watched him disappearing from sight. "This is the Heaven's answer to your three hundred years of pleading. Choose wisely, Your Highness. See what is the most precious to you, lest you fail yet again."
Ye Hua pushed himself forward at full speed, ignoring how his body and power was pushed to the extremity. He was determined to reach her side at once. The desolated scene he came upon at Ruoshui River was a nightmare turned true. The sky on every end was painted red with crimson hellfire. The expanded Bell of Eastern Emperor gave out frightening loud groans that could be heard by everyone across the four seas and eight realms. His heart froze with absolute terror and sheer helplessness when he saw the familiar white-clad female rising and disappearing into the raging fire of inferno and destruction.
Flashback of Su Su jumping the Zhu Xian Terrace came to the forefront of his mind. Not again. He can't see her dead again. "Su Su, do not," he shouted desperately. Yet he knew he was once again too late to reach her in time.
:: Zheyan's Peachtree Grove - Earlier that day ::
Mo Yuan put an end to his seclusion two day earlier than he intended. He could no longer wait to lay to rest the doubts he had regarding Seventeenth and Ye Hua's unlikely connection. He left his meditation cave, caught a cloud and reached Zhe Yan's Peachtree Woods in no time.
It was only late morning, Zhe Yan was just leaving his hut when he saw Mo Yuan stood with his back turned towards the entrance, waiting patiently. He became immediately intrigued at his sudden appearance. "You come this early? For what I owe this surprise visit, Mo Yuan?"
"There is something I wish to discuss with you," he said softly, not giving away how conflicted he was feeling inside.
"Let me guess, you can't decide what betrothal gift you should give Fifth Sister?" He asked teasingly.
"No, Zhe Yan. I already sent it to her."
"Oh? How about …" Zhe Yan tried to come up with yet another idea.
"It has nothing to do with the wedding at all," Mo Yuan stopped him from making further speculation. "I wish to ask about Ye Hua and his mortal wife."
"I see." Zhe Yan said, his demeanor was no longer jubilant. He led Mo Yuan to a stone table nearby and invited him to sit down. "Why the sudden interest? You never wish to know about anyone's love life before."
Mo Yuan waved away the wine bottle he offered. "I heard that you know my brother quite well. You even healed him when he was gravely injured, didn't you?"
Zhe Yan didn't replied right away, instead he studied Mo Yuan face carefully, trying to ascertain what his line of questioning might lead to.
"Or perhaps we could talk about Ali's mother who was blinded and resembled my Seventeenth so much. What was their story?" Mo Yuan penetrating eyes shifted to meet Zhe Yan's.
"Why stir up the past, Mo Yuan. She was only a mortal and long gone," Zhe Yan feigned ignorant. "Other than she looked somewhat similar to Fifth sister, there was nothing interesting about her."
"Your reluctance to speak about her made me even more curious, Zhe Yan." Mo Yuan said nonchalantly. "Ye Hua's questionable attachment to Seventeenth is not as simply as it seems. Did you know he tried to challenge me that day in the Grand Hall?"
"Oh?" Zhe Yan perked up, his interest was piqued. "So that was what happened that day. I felt a surge of struggling powers. I just didn't know that you two fought."
"Zhe Yan, even if I don't know him that well. I'm quite certain Ye Hua's a very level-headed young man. He knew very well what was at stake, still he chose to defy me in front of everyone. I tried to understand his action, but failed to grasp it." Mo Yuan admitted, for a moment he looked truly perplexed. "If you know anything at all, then tell me now. I have been going over every possibilities and had yet to come up with a sound explanation."
"Can't you let the bygone be bygone, Mo Yuan?" Zhe Yan asked again.
"I only wish to know the truth, Zhe Yan" he insisted. "I could spend days debating with you why it must be done."
"Honestly? I didn't know either. I could only speculate from bits and pieces I learned. Is it the truth, I can't tell."
"That's all I ask. Tell me what you know, from the beginning," Mo Yuan told him.
Zhe Yan opened his mouth and recounted the first time he met Ye Hua's wife.
"That day, I went to Taichen Palace to ask Dong Hua for a clue of Fifth sister's whereabouts. Weeks earlier, I have looked at her star and found she was well and being in love with someone out there. I even joked with Zhen Zhen perhaps that was why she didn't returned yet. Dong Hua didn't offer anything useful though. He only let me known he already knew of her true identity. On my way back, I saw a woman accompanied Ye Hua. She was stumbling down the steps. There was a thin white cloth covering her eyes; the rest of her face looked quite familiar."
He pointed out. "Yet, what intrigued me was the faintly discernible peach blossom scent around her. You should know that the scent of my peach blossom is quite unique. I knew for a fact that she was mortal and the chance of her being related to Fifth sister was inconceivable. For some unknown reason, that doubts lingered in my mind days after the encounter. I decided to return to the Ninth Heaven to seek her out again. There I found out, by odd chance, Ye Hua's life hanging by thread. His injuries was too severe even with the Sky Lord's partially transferred cultivation.
"At the time, I really thought he was your incarnation, no matter how farfetched it sounded. The feel of his soul is almost identical to yours. Naturally, I decided to save him. Later, I learned that his wife had jumped down the Zhuxian Terrace. So my guess was that his injuries was from trying to save her."
He stopped Mo Yuan from asking. "Don't ask, I don't know why either. Then upon my return, as I approached the edge of my Woods, I felt a familiar aura. Upon investigation, I found Fifth sister. She was lying there among the grooves, her body was covered with blood and wounds. After I healed her, she told me Qing Cang had sealed her memory, her power and left her on Mount Junji. She said of her Heavenly Trial but refused to tell me what exactly happened and how she got her injuries or became blinded. You already knew the rest of the story."
Mo Yuan nodded; he remembered the Amnesia Potion and their fabricated stories to convince Seventeenth of her supposed long slumber.
"Three hundred years later, out of sudden, your brother paid me a visit one day. I learned from him that he had met Fifth sister. He asked me three specific questions. One was about her eyes problem; another about those three hundred years she was allegedly unconscious. The third was the most peculiar. Hear this, Mo Yuan, he asked: 'Did she ever forgotten something?' I began to suspect he might know a thing or two about those years she went missing. Or he may be the one Fifth sister wanted to forget."
"Later, I learned of them spending some time together in the Fox Den. Then Fifth sister went to the Mortal Realm to help her former maid's son to overthrow his deadly trial. I was intrigued once again, I didn't see Ye Hua the type to freely offer his aid to just anyone. By then, I found out that your spirit was trying to come back and was busying helping out. I completely forgot my earlier suspicion about Ye Hua and Fifth sister's past."
"Recently, by pure chance, I learned from Feng Jiu that there was dissension in Xi Wu Palace and Sky Lord's family regarding Ye Hua's mortal wife. The little lass claimed to meet Su Su, Ye Hua's former wife, on many occasion. She said: 'She seemed lonely and unhappy most of the time. Those around her also treated her so poorly.' And that was before she became blind."
"Su Su? That was her name?" Mo Yuan repeated the name slowly.
"Aye," Zhe Yan nodded. "The lass didn't know either how she became blinded or what actually caused her to end her life that way. It is just as I told you, I only know bits and pieces of what happened. If you want the whole story, I'm afraid only Ye Hua could give you the answer."
"I see." Mo Yuan closed his eyes. He had contemplated this possibility once but crossed it off. It was highly unlikely they were the same person. Now, with what he just learned from Zhe Yan, there was a strong chance that Seventeenth might indeed be Ye Hua's mortal wife. If so, why she chose to forget him once she got her memories back? What really happened between them back then?
Did Ye Hua know for certain she was his former wife or he merely suspected? Mo Yuan thought back about his interaction with Seventeenth. Perhaps that was the reason he was willing to go to great lengths to pursue her; he believed he was getting his wife back.
For once, Mo Yuan was uncertain of where he stood in this trickery of fate. He needed time to contemplate on what he had learned and perhaps arranged a meeting with his brother. It was very crucial to learn what actually happened between them all those years. There was also her determination to forget Ye Hua to consider. Only then, he would know how to proceed.
After everything they had been through together, could he really let her go if his suspicion proven true? If Seventeenth was really Ye Hua's former wife and Ali's birth mother? He knew it was righteous and sensible decision; and yet the mere thought of her leaving his side was most unbearable.
He refused to stoop so low as lying to himself; he also needed her desperately. Only she could fill the void in his soul; the emptiness that he once thought didn't matter as long as he served the purposes of his life and responsibilities as the son of Heavenly Father, Celestial's God of War and Master of Kunlun Mountain. He had borne everything fates hurled at him with dignity and perseverance, on his own, for hundreds thousands of years after all.
Just as he pondered what to do next; the sky rumbled angrily. Mo Yuan got up instantly and watched bolts of thunder streaked through the sky. He recognized the happening for what it was at once. "Jade Purity fan of Kunlun."
With every fiber of his godly essence, he felt the disturbance stirred by unleashing of great and terrible power. A bad omen came over him as thick clouds flied over them and headed rapidly toward Ruoshui River. "Seventeenth is in trouble."
Seeing Mo Yuan sudden disappearance into thin air, Zhe Yan followed him quickly. He prayed and hoped with all his might that ill fate will not befall Fifth sister yet again.
Note: In my opinion, there is no 'absolute' destiny. Once you are born, you may have certain destiny laid out and waited for you. Yet different choices may lead to different outcomes. One or series of actions might circumvent even a pre-ordained setting; if it has enough weight/impact on its course (of life/lives). It is ill-conceivable to think a being is so powerless to determine his/her own fate just because your destiny said so. Fictional-wise, Dijun and Feng Jiu's outcome in the Pillow Book could attest to that. Hope you find this chapter enjoyable. Until next week. :)
So many 'Guest' user, I don't know who is whom anymore. lol
#Guest : Regarding Shifu's true form, Tang Qi never really mentioned it. There are 2 possible theory. 1 - he only has humanoid form 2 - he has another form as a golden dragon. I chose to portrait him as the latter since Chinese or Eastern) Mythology is rather big on wing serpant/dragon as their original divinity.
#Guest : Want to share some of those many scenarios with me? My interest is piqued now. MY didn't know the whole truth either, that will be rectified in the future. :)
#Guest : I hope I could create a convincing battle scene where those involved would be able to show their prowess, including BQ. lol
#annie : Woohoo! Welcome another MY/BQ shipper. Agreed and agreed. Thanks for letting me know how you think of the story too! By the way, just to let your know, this story is scheduled to be updated once a week. So another chapter should be here next weekend. ^^