:: Kunlun Mountain ::

Dong Hua decided it was time to leave, he had kept to his promise and Mo Yuan seemed to be getting better already. He walked back and sat down near the bed, hoping to check up on Jiu-er before he left. He had watched over her throughout the night. Her injuries were light; she got off easy. Her desperate attempt to save him really gave him a fright. If Qing Cang was up to his former strength and level of cultivation, the hit would have been deadly.

Watching her endangering her life also touched a chord in him. Never before had someone went to such great lengths to protect him, it was always the other way around. His plan to alienate her and push her away had backfired. He doubted he would ever succeed his endeavor after this. But would it really be fair to her fated person and herself; to let her continue to love him when it would lead them to nowhere but heartache in the end.

Dong Hua reached out to touch her hair. She had shifted in her sleep and laid down on her stomach, facing away from him. Only then he heard the suppressed sob and noticed the slight tremor from her shoulders and he just knew.

"How long have you been awake?" he asked quietly.

Bai Feng Jiu did not turn around; she refused to look at him. If she had not heard it with her own ears, she would never believed it could be true. How could he be so ruthless? This was her aunt, her person. He knew full well how much she adored her. And yet ... and yet he sent her to her death without a bit of remorse.

When his heavy hand was placed on her shoulder, she shrugged it off her. She knew he could be cruel at time but this went beyond that. He did not ever consider to spare her from the pain of her aunt's death. He did not care about her at all. She knew this since the beginning but was too stubborn to accept it. She ignored how coldly he treated her after they came back from the Mortal Realm. It was only through sheer stubbornness that she stayed with him when he tried to push her away. She had been hoping against hope to win his love someday, if she stayed.

And she thought she finally weakened his resolve. Why else did he come running and rescuing her from harm again and again? Those little acts of caring sent her hope soaring. Thinking back she was so foolish; always lied to herself that he really did have some affection for her. Clearly it was a figment of her forlorn imagination.

Her father was right to be furious with her. She swallowed her own pride and humbled herself before him time and time again despite his snide and harsh words. Her father warned her not to continue down this path of self-destruction but she did not want to listen. What she got in the end, she had no one to blame but her traitorous heart.

All the sudden two strong arms suddenly rolled her over the bedding. She shoved them off harder than before. Her hand searched blindly for something; then made a grab at the headrest. She lifted herself up and threw it straight at him. Tears rained down her cheeks harder than before with her self-disappointment. She could feel his penetrating gaze on her, watching, dissecting her.

Dong Hua deflected the flying object to the side with ease. "If you have something to say; then out with it. Stop throwing tantrum like a child; it is unbecoming conducts for one of your station." His disinterested tone of voice carried over to her; it felt like a dose of ice water on the burning flame and the effect was unmistakably spontaneous.

"What more is there to say?" She asked bitterly. "I understand everything with perfect clarity now. Everyone was right, all this time, the affection I have for you blinded me to see the truth right in front of me. It doesn't matter how much I love you or willing to sacrifice for you; nothing I did ever affected you or touched your heart. Because if it did, you will never do this to me, knowing it will completely break my heart." She watched him standing there; his face betrayed nothing but the perpetual indifference. What else did she expect from the one who was born out of rock? She chided herself.

"What do you want me to say, Jiu-er?" He inquired. "That I am sorry for sacrificing your loved one for the sake of all immortals and the rest of the world? You are not a simpleton, Jiu-er, but the future Queen of Qing Qiu. Must I remind you what is at stake here and what is more important? I did what must be done, it's irrelevant how it would affect you. Your aunt understood the risks and what my suggestion entailed; she was not afraid to face it. I suggest you learn that sense of duty and responsibility from her, you will need it in the future."

Bai Feng Jiu weeped silently at his hurtful words; he openly admitting he couldn't care less about her feelings. It was the last straw she needed to get over him and her sad excuse of one-sided love. She wiped her face clean of tears, steeled her resolve and looked up.

"In the past, I had always placed you in the highest regard. You are that immaculate God who is smart, powerful, all-knowing and can't do no wrong. You know things most people are not even aware of. With your analytical mindset, you never failed to come up with the best solution and get the desirable result you want. No one could have done what you did. Truth is, they can't, not only because they are less knowledgeable than you are but because they care too much of how their action will affect others. You don't, you never have. You just do what feels right regardless the consequences," she scoffed.

"I realize now how wrong I am. You are not perfect, in fact, you are very flawed. Not caring is your biggest mistake. Because even as Immortals and Gods, we are but a living-beings. We feel, we love, we want as mortals do. And we act on those feelings; that makes us into who we are now."

She looked at him in defiance; her large doe eyes clashed with his. "My aunt's choice was done out of her love for my uncle-in-law, for me, for our family and those she loves; not because the situation demanded it or it was logical things to do." She whispered. "It saddens me that you will never understand what really drives us to live and fight for."

Bai Feng Jiu decided right then, she can never again pursue him. She can no longer trust her heart with this man who was so willing to sacrifice her aunt. "Thank you for saving and taking me here, Lord Dong Hua. I will not trouble you further with my bothersome self." She gave him a curtsy, then straightened herself and walked past him. Her head still bowed down; refusing to meet his eyes. She did not want him to see how hard it was for her to walk away.

Without throwing one last glance in his direction, she left the room, him and their past behind. If she heard him calling out her name; she did not stop or bother to acknowledge it.

Bai Feng Jiu walked down the corridor leading to the cauldron room with heavy heart. How she wished her aunt was awake and well now. Her aunt always lend her a sympathetic ear and let her vent out her sorrow without criticism.

As she approached the room; Zhe Yan and fourth uncle's voice drifted from inside. She tiptoed to get closer to them, hoping they would not take notice of her arrival.

"I am going to intercept my parents and delay them, Bi Fang said they are on their way now with second brother. You must quickly notify High God Mo Yuan of their arrival," Bai Zhen said.

Her eyes grew big in alarm, her father was coming here? That would not do at all. By now, he must have heard what she did yesterday. She winced, just thinking how furious he would be with her. This time, her aunt was not here to save her either, Feng Jiu lamented. She took an unwilling step back and contemplated on running away to hide. Finding refuge in the Mortal Realm sounded appealing to her with every second that passed. At least until his anger abated, she thought.

"I am going, Zhen Zhen, don't you forget what I told you earlier. You can't mention about Fifth sister's past as Su Su to them yet. You must not let it slip-," Zhe Yan reminded him.

"Not until High God Mo Yuan talk to Ye Hua. Yes, I remember that perfectly, thanks for repeating it again," Bai Zhen replied, his voice was almost exasperated.

Bai Feng Jiu did not pay them any mind, not since the word 'Su Su' got mixed up in their conversation. Her hands covered her mouth tightly to hide her cry of surprise. Surely she heard it wrong. There was no way her aunt and that mortal could be related in anyway, was it?

She ran half way back to her room then remembered Dong Hua could still be there. Bai Feng Jiu decided to disappear; she needed time to process what she heard just now. She jumped on the cloud, skipped her way into Zhe Yan's Peachtree Grove; slumped down on a stone chair and stayed frozen there for the longest time.

Though she was glad for the chance to occupy her mind with something else other than Dong Hua's betrayal. This was not really what she expected. Flashes of past memories came back to her. Su Su ... the mortal she kept going back to see. At first, she was fed up that a mere mortal took the very place that should rightfully belong to her aunt. Then she found out she was quite an innocent person. It intrigued her how a daughter of man could have similar features to her aunt, the renowned beauty among immortals and gods. Then came the pity and the need to comfort her just a little. The poor woman had spent years being withheld and mistreated by those in Xi Wu Palace after all; she even lost her eyesight in the end. Bai Feng Jiu eyes widen in horror; was that mortal really her aunt. But how?

She pondered her aunt mysterious disappearance for six hundred years and her sudden return with inexplicable eyes illness and memory lost. Then.. then the Celestial's Crown Prince's visit not long after her aunt's return and his peculiar question about Si Yin's whereabout. Si Yin. The Jade Purity Fan of Kunlun. Right there! It must be connected somehow.

Bai Feng Jiu forced herself to remember. That day, Lingbao Tianshun's mount went crazy at the gathering and injured her. She learned later from Star Lord Shi Ming that it was provoked after seeing the Jade Purity Fan of Kunlun. At that time, she also wondered why the fan was even there. It submitted to no one but her aunt and High God Mo Yuan. Su Su … she was also there that day. If she was really her aunt; then it made perfect sense the fan rose to protect her.

"I have never heard of anyone forgetting their own past because of Heavenly Trial before," she whispered. That was the explanation her family gave her about her aunt's illness and she had believed it without questions. "Zhe Yan must give her the amnesia potion. Gosh. I'm so stupid, I should have known. Everyone was acting really weird back then."

Every missing puzzle piece seems to fall into place. If Su Su was her aunt turned mortal, she needed to learn what really happened all those years. Most importantly, how she was led to her tragic ending. She still recalled how crestfallen and sad Su Su was when the Prince left her in the palace all alone. He turned a blind eye when his own wife was being tortured by that Sujin character and everyone else in Xi Wu Palace.

No, that was not right. It was him who hurt her aunt the most. She scoffed at Zhe Yan's idea to ask for details from Celestial's Crown Prince. She doubted he would sincerely admitted his own shortcomings. It would be a waste of time to bother with his lies. But where else should she begin to cover the truth? Those maids in Xi Wu palace were all removed and sent away. Star Lord Shi Ming might know a little more but she did not want to alert him with the true identity of her aunt yet. So where did that leave her? She bemoaned. She needed to find an insider who knew everything right from the start, someone … like that maid in the Yilan Fanghua.

Bai Feng Jiu spring jumped to her feet in excitement. How could she forget that one; the maid who was always with Su Su. She rubbed her hand gleefully. She was so going to grill her relentlessly until she got all the answers she sought. Perhaps her fourth uncle and Zhe Yan would want to ask their own questions too? To the Ninth heaven then, how long since she was last there?

:: Ninth Heaven ::

Before she breached the perimeter of Ninth Heaven, Bai Feng Jiu shifted into her fox form and followed the familiar route to Yilan Fanghua. The manor was quiet; Bai Feng Jiu looked around and made sure no one saw her entering. She used her acute sense of smell to hunt down the maid and finally found her and some other maids preparing what seemed to be some afternoon snacks. Bai Feng Jiu yipped and called the maid's attention to her.

"Little fox, it is you," Nai Nai exclaimed, coming over to see her. "You have been gone for a long time."

Bai Feng Jiu caught the hem of her robe in her mouth and began dragging her outside, they need some semblance of privacy for what they were going to discuss.

"You want me to ….follow you?" Nai Nai frowned, a little confused. "Okay, but not for long, I still have to finish the snacks before the little prince come back."

Bai Feng Jiu stumbled a little, as she turned back and looked at Nai Nai in shock. Prince Ali, of course, she completely forgot about him. He was Su Su's son. That made him her cousin, right? She yipped ecstatically, she was not the youngest child of the family anymore. Now she had a cousin to play with and pass on her knowledge just like her aunt did for her.

Then her hope plummeted as realization set in; he belonged to Celestial's Clan and her aunt was no longer betrothed to their Crown Prince. There was no way Celestials would allow him to spend time in Qing Qiu now. Unless…. her grandparents knew the truth. They would, without any doubts, demand him to be sent over there or even stay for an extended period of time with them. Her tails swished back and forth as she considered her options. All she had to do was made sure they knew.

Her eyes zeroed on a secluded spot along the way, no one was around to hear their conversation, she decided. Bai Feng Jiu shifted back to her human form. In a flash, she had to cover Nai Nai's mouth tightly to block out her screaming. "Don't scream just yet," she hushed, "Or else every guard will rush here within a minute."

Nai Nai nodded obediently; signaling to her she had calm down and will not react badly anymore. She remembered this woman's face from Ling Bao Tianshun's Gathering. It was the little princess from Qing Qiu. Had she spied on her Mistress all along back then? Was it because her Mistress would have wedded into Xi Wu Palace and became one of her uncle-in-law's harem had she not died before? But now Qing Qiu's Bai Qian was no longer engaged to their Crown Prince, she frowned. What was the Princess's true reason for being here then?

"Little Princess, why you led me out here?" Nai Nai asked fearfully. "Did I do something to offend you? I apologize if I did, I …."

"Oh, hush, I'm not planning to bring you harm." Bai Feng Jiu admonished her softly. "Good grief. What's wrong with you Celestials, always worry about offending this and that. I only want to ask you about something. It's best not to talk around so many guards and palace maids. I know how much they love to gossip, like all the time," She sighed, for a moment she had a flashback of her time as a maid in Taichen Palace. She cleared away that depressing thoughts with a small shake of her head.

"I don't know if I could answer your question, little princess," Nai Nai looked sheepish, her voice wavered a little in fear.

"Nonsense, I know very well that you could. Why else I come to you? Just answer the questions I ask, all right?" Bai Feng Jiu gave her a smile; if it came out a little predatory she cannot help it.

"Nai Nai, I want you to be truthful with me," said Bai Feng Jiu. She caught the maid's forearm tightly in her grip. "What actually happened three hundred years ago between Su Su and the Crown Prince? I know some from Su Su, and some more from stories I heard. I bet you know every other details, don't you?"

"You want to know about my former Mistress? Why now? She was gone for a long time," Nai Nai seemed confused.

"I have my own reasons. Come on, tell me what you know," Bai Feng Jiu felt impatient but tried not to scare off the maid.

"But..," Nai Nai was hesitant , "The Sky Lord ordered us not to talk about what happened. I could be punished, little princess."

"I am not one of his subject, Nai Nai, you can tell me. I have never believed Su Su did what she was accused of anyway but I must know the fact. It is very important to me. I promise I will not tell anyone that I heard it from you, all right?" Bai Feng Jiu tried to persuade her again. She even gave her the pinkie to prove her commitment. "Besides, you just said it, she was dead for a long time. What could an old story hurt anyone? Trust me, you will feel better letting all out. I know it must be very hard for you to keep quiet all these years."

Nai Nai's lips trembled at the reminder, "You are right, little princess. It has been very hard for me, I miss her so much. I really believe she would come back one day but she didn't. She is dead and nothing will change that." Tears of sadness and disappointment welled up in her eyes. "All right, if you really want to know, I will tell you everything I know about my former Mistress and her miserable life here on this heaven."

:: Kunlun Mountain ::

Bai Zhen rushed down Kunlun Mountain's long stairways to the mountain's foot. He could sense his parents' aura closing in on fast. Just as he walked pass the Gate, they jumped off their cloud and made their ways up.

"Father. Mother. Brother." Bai Zhen greeted each of them. "You come quickly."

"Zhen Zhen," the Fox Empress took the first step toward her son. He could see the worry lines showing on her face. "How is your sister? Is she hurt badly?"

"It is just as I mentioned in the missive. She is alright now, mother. She just needs some time to recuperate," Bai Zhen tried to sooth her nerves.

"What really happened, Zhen Zhen? Your missive is rather vague. What caused her to be injured so badly that Zhe Yan had to use his cultivation to save her?" Then her eyes narrowed down in suspicion. "Is this injury involved with what went down yesterday?"

Bai Zhen winced at her quick mind. He tried not to mention Qing Cang and Ruoshui incident in his missive; still she had made the connection. He schooled his face and offered them a weak smile. "Mother, why don't we get inside first? Then I will fill you in on what happened."

"Where is he now, my supposed son-in-law?" She asked in a low, controlled voice. Her eyes searched around quickly, looking for the Master of Kunlun.

"High God Mo Yuan has been tending to Fifth sister since yesterday, mother. He refused to leave her side." Bai Zhen replied a little nervously.

"Is that so?" She lifted her eyebrows dubiously at his answer. "Lead the way then, Zhen Zhen."

Together, all four of them climbed up the stairs, walked pass the ceremony lines Kunlun disciples formed to greet their honorable guests and into the Grand Hall. There, they met with Mo Yuan and Zhe Yan who awaited their arrival. Bai Yi immediately took Zhe Yan to the side and asked about his daughter and her whereabouts. Zhe Yan had nothing to offer, he had yet to see her since morning.

When Mo Yuan greeted her; the Empress nodded at him stiffly without offering any smile. She demanded him to lead them to their daughter immediately. Once inside Mo Yuan's sleeping quarter, she quickly sat down by her daughter's side and checked her over. Her husband walked over and joined her a moment later. He smoothed their daughter's hair out of her face, relieved to see that she was not at Death's door like the last time.

"Zhe Yan, how is Fifth really," she called out at her family's long-time friend. "When is she going to wake up?"

"The lass is fine physically. She is merely under temporary sleep-induced recovery. Her spirit suffered some damages but that could be easily mended with the help of the Soul Lamp. After that she will awake on her own when her spiritual power replenishes and stabilize itself," Zhe Yan offered his explanation and reassurance at the same time.

"What's wrong with her spirit? How can it be broken at all?" Bai Zhi frowned deeply; then his eyes widened in realization as he came to the same conclusion his wife had voiced earlier.

Even Qing Qiu was protected by their own brand of magic, which was very powerful, the unleashed power of great destruction that washed over all five of their realms could not be mistaken. "She didn't. Tell me she didn't, Zhe Yan." Bai Zhi frantically asked his friend for confirmation.

"Knowing her, which one would surprise you more, Bai Zhi?" Zhe Yan eyed him skeptically. "That she did or did not."

Bai Zhi's improved mood deflated quickly. "Of course, she did," he sighed dejectedly. "She's too righteous and stubborn for her own good."

The Fox Empress watched their cryptic exchange impatiently, she singled her fourth son out. "Zhen Zhen, I believe you owe us a full story, please start from the beginning."

"She did what?" The Empress's voice rang out in disbelief; she stood up and stalked towards Mo Yuan. "Why didn't you stop her? How could you let her offer her spirit?"

"Mother, High God Mo Yuan was in his meditative seclusion, did you forget? He went there as soon as he could and he did save her." Bai Zhen reminded her gently. "Had he not rescue her in time and destroyed the Bell, Fifth sister might really be too far gone to be saved."

"He should not create that awful artifact in the first place. Its very existence threatened to destroy everything in its path. Qian Qian shouldn't have attempted to do what she did." She exclaimed loudly, "Haven't she done enough the last time? Why must she throw herself into danger repeatedly. This is clearly your fault." She pointed her finger at Mo Yuan accusingly, "Had you not brainwashed her with your ideology, she wouldn't have suffered so much."

Seeing her in full-blown rage, Bai Zhi sought Zhe Yan's eyes from across the room, their eyes locked together in wariness. They nodded imperceptibly at each other; each went separately to give their family moral support.

Bai Zhi approached her and laid a calming hand on the small of her back. "It is not fair to lay all the blame on him, don't you think, my love? You know how headstrong our daughter is, she hardly takes counsel from anyone. Besides, what other choices she had but tried to stop the Bell? Xiao Jiu was there as well. Fifth would never let any harm came to her."

He continued in his most soothing voice while holding her close to him. "I know, my love, seeing her in this devastating state really breaks your heart. But don't you remember what was said about her destiny? You divined it yourself when she was still young. Our daughter is meant for great accomplishments, perhaps this is one of them. Hundred thousands of Immortals owe their very lives to her. Who else in the entire Immortal realms has the courage to do what she did? She survives and Zhe Yan promises her good recovery. Let us rejoice on that. That is all that matters, isn't it?"

"Of course not." She objected. Mo Yuan's stoic countenance grated on her nerves. He looked far too composed for her liking. And he did not even offer any excuses for his failure to protect her only daughter, that infuriated her even more. "Don't you have something to say for yourself?" She demanded aggressively.

Mo Yuan shifted his gaze to her. "You are absolutely right, Empress, I am truly at fault here. I know my apology probably means nothing to you, but I really am."

"You are not wrong, it didn't. At least you have the decency to admit you are in the wrong here. Since you have broken your own promise to never let her come to harm again, I am taking her back to Qing Qiu. You are not allowed to see her under any circumstances." Her pissed voice thundered through the room.

Mo Yuan pinned her with his own steely eyes. "She will not go anywhere. In my eyes, Bai Qian is already my wife, so it is my duties to take care of her. Besides, Kunlun Mountain is filled with strong divine aura, it will help to speed her recovery along even when she slumbers."

The Empress glowered at his audacity, after all that happened, he still insisted to keep her with him. "Let's not forget she is my daughter first. If I want to take her back, I will. You will not stop me."

"Leaving Kunlun now would cost her hundreds of year in recovery time, if not more. Is that the chance you are willing to take? What about the Soul Lamp? How do you plan to pry it off the Sky Lord's clutch now?" He quirked his eyebrow in a direct challenge before he continued. The questions came out more sharply than intended but he refuses to lose his wife. "I am not trying to withhold her family members from seeing her but her well-being is my first priority. If staying here is in her best interest; then she will stay. When she wakes up; she can decide on her own whether she wants to go back to Qing Qiu or remain here."

"I think it is not totally a bad idea to let her remain here." Zhe Yan stepped up from the sideline. If would be disastrous if their argument turned into an all-out confrontation. At the rate they were getting at each other's throats, it would not be long before they reach that breaking point.

"The sooner she is well, the better right? Feng Jiu has to begin her lessons on governance very soon. You are the best to guide her and ease her into her roles. Mi Gu will be busy helping her and overlooking Qing Qiu's business in Fifth sister's absence. Zhen Zhen is already hard-pressed. He will have to go back and forth between Northern Manor and the Fox Den." He let the words hang in the air, then pressed on.

"Wouldn't it be so much more convenient to let Mo Yuan take care of her? His disciples are here; they will be more than happy to help. She is their youngest junior anyway. Feng Jiu can come and attend to her from time to time. You can also visit anytime, of course," he pointed out so many promising advantages of Bai Qian's extended stay in Kunlun. His reasons were all valid and could not be easily ignored.

Bai Zhi stroke his beard thoughtfully as he listened. Zhe Yan's proposition actually made sense. He found himself leaning toward Zhe Yan's argument more and more. Fifth would love to stay here, Mo Yuan was right about taking advantage of extra healing properties from Kunlun's divine aura. The rest of them had their duties to Qing Qiu as well. "I have to agree with Zhe Yan's points," he announced his decision.

"Ah Zhi, I want our daughter back home," The Empress raised her voice.

Bai Zhi took his beloved's hands in his own and pat them softly. "I understand my love, but this is the best choice for everyone. I promise we will swing by here and check up on her frequently."

She looked at her second eldest then her fourth son for their opinions; each of them gave her an encouraging smile. Zhe Yan's intense, heavy stare weighed her down. His eyes shifted pointedly over to her daughter. She knew what he meant to say. This was what Qian Qian would have wanted as well. Fine. She would let Qian Qian stay here. But it did not mean she would go easy on him; he failed to live up to his promise after all.

"If everyone agrees she should stay, then I will say no more. But you have placed her here in your own sleeping quarter, this is highly inappropriate for an unwed maiden. If you insist to keep her here, you could at least make an effort to protect her virtue and reputation. I trust you can find somewhere else to sleep?" She looked at him sharply.

"I understand your concern, Empress, I will vacate the room right away," Mo Yuan said without a second thought. He did not mind her grudge against him; if it made her feel better. Moving out was the least of his concern; where he slept mattered little to him as long as Seventeenth remained here, within his reach.

"Don't be so quick to agree, I am not done yet. You will not enter this room and see Qian Qian under any circumstances. My family will be taking care of her from now on. Your disciple may come inside, only when asked. But that's it." She said in her most authoritative voice.

"Now, isn't it a bit too harsh, my love?" Bai Zhi said softly.

Allowing Qian Qian to stay here was the most leniency she could offer. She could not care less about his unease. "He can accept my conditions or not at all."

"That's fine with me, Emperor," Mo Yuan stopped him. He did not want to stir discord within her household; the relationship between them was already strained as it was.

"Your requests are duly noted, as long as she is fine, I will not enter this room. But if her condition declines, all bets are off. I will be by her side no matter what your opinion of me is."

"I guess that's fair enough." She stuck her nose in the air. "My condition starts now. I suggest you retrieve whatever you will need for your new room and leave my family in peace."

Note: Comments, critics and suggestions are most welcome. The FJ/DH's arc is not essential to the plotline and I didn't plan to write about it. But my good old loreinacadis0412 suggested the idea and I love it. So they're here in this chapter. I think a lot of us had it with how lovesick she was with Dijun in the drama; the FJ in the PB is much more mature and smart. Besides, I chose her to be the one letting the cat out of the bag instead of YH; so now she meddled instead of moping. :))

PS. Special thanks to Noitratoxin who proofread this chapter for us; amd to loreinacadis0412 for your wonderful contribution, as always.

#monica : We'll arrive at that eventually. I agree romance is a must but now another arc is going strong. Thanking for leaving comment for me. :)