Tears of Fate - Eternal Love of Dreams Fan Fiction

Chapter Two

"How is Her Highness Feng Jiu and Dijun, Chonglin?" asked Liansong when he encountered the head steward in one of the halls of the fox cave.  He knew that Chonglin was one of the only few people that were allowed to enter the fox cave room where Dijun was staying in silent vigil for his Queen.  Liansong had been frequently visiting the Fox Cavern the past few months hoping to entice Dijun to a game of Go or even to just talk in order to give him an opportunity to clear his mind but so far he hasn't seen him. He heard from the others that had been allowed into the room that Dijun has not left Feng Jiu's quarters at all for the past 6 months.  Everyone was worried about the little Queen but to those who were closest to Dijun, they couldn't help but be apprehensive about the latter also.

"There is no change yet in Her Highness.  Dijun is the same, 3rd Prince." said the steward.  He hesitated as if wanting to say more but was afraid of overstepping.  Seeing his hesitation, Liansong urged Chonglin to say whatever he feels need to be said.  "Aside from worrying about Her Highness, I'm afraid for Dijun also.  He always seems so lifeless and pale now.  He doesn't really eat or even sleep and when he gives me instructions, he always has this strange blank look on his face."  Chonglin murmured clearly worried. 

 Liansong patted him on the back trying to comfort him and said, "Don't worry about that face from Dijun. You should be used to the blank face look of his by now! After thousand of years serving him, you know he only ever has that face."   

"No, it's different now.  It's not his usual placid look.  Sometimes, the only reason I know he's still there, alive and well, is because I can see him standing in front of us, moving and breathing but otherwise it's as if his whole being is somewhere else.  The only time I see any emotion is when he's looking at Her Highness but even then it's all just all sadness and worry." Chonglin said.  Since he started working for Dijun, he has never encountered the vulnerable side of Dijun's personality.  He didn't even know that there was another side to his personality, let alone, a vulnerable one.  As head steward, he prided himself on always knowing what to do to make Dijun's life easier.  The other staff frequently teased him and called him Dijun's mind reader as he was so efficient that he always anticipated all his request, sometimes even before Dijun made it.  But in the state Dijun was in, he found himself unable to anticipate anything anymore.  He didn't know how long Dijun would be able to withstand this half life that he had been living.  Liansong sighed and was about to say something else to comfort Chonglin when he spotted High God Zhe Yan entering the main entrance of the cave.  

"High God Zhe Yan, come over here first before you visit Her Highness and Dijun." beckoned Liansong. He wanted to ask about Her Highness and Dijun and as Her Highness' physician, High God Zhe Yan was the best person to ask.  Also, he wanted to ask him to take a special interest in Dijun's mental state also.  He didn't want to admit it, but seeing the ever efficient Chonglin so rattled was beginning to perturbed him also.  After the customary greetings, Liansong said, "I heard from Chonglin that Her Highness is about the same?"

"Yes, physically she's fine.  But her mind has some strange block over it.  Dijun and I have been working on analyzing this conundrum.  This is what's really worrying us.   For all intents and purpose, everything looks normal, should be normal so we don't understand why we feel no activity there.  With Dijun's blood helping her recovery, she should have been awake by now.  Even Dijun, with all his powers, has been hitting a blank wall.  Of course, he's only recovered 60% of his cultivation so I don't know if that has any effect.  But as you know, Dijun is so powerful that even at 60% strength, he is still more powerful than all the other gods combined.  Her Highness is only 32,000 years old, in theory, he shouldn't have any problems penetrating any walls she may have erected."  Zhe Yan had a pinched look about his face as he explained the problem, his exhaustion clearly visible.   He hadn't been sleeping well for awhile now over this and it was taking a toll on him also.  

"Speaking of Dijun, how is he?  Doesn't he have to go into seclusion to regain the other 40% of his cultivation? I seem to remember that to regain the last few percent of this powers, he needs to be completely isolated." Liansong asked knowing from before that Dijun would go into seclusion whenever he needs to regain all his powers.

"He refuses to even leave that room.  Actually, the rate he regained the first 60% of his powers was astronomical even for him.  Normally that would have taken at least 50-60 years but he regained it back in more or less in 6 months? But the last few percentage are always the hardest, based on previous timelines, he needs around 100 years to get that back.  At the state she's in right now,  I really don't think he will agree to leave Her Highness for 100 years to get his cultivation back. I can't even get him to go outside for a little while to get some sun and to clear his aura! Honestly though, whenever I see him with her, I don't have the heart to insist on anything even if it's for his own good. Even that normal stoic facade of his can't hide his agitation and worry."  This was completely unchartered territory for all of them.  Who knew that Donghua Dijun, the emotionless God, can be made undone by this young Queen with stars in her eyes whenever she looks at him. 

Liansong took a deep breath and mulled over what to do as soon as Zhe Yan left to check on the young Queen.  He's known Dijun for at least 500,000 years and this is the first time he's seen him this way.  Dijun does not let people see his emotions at all, that is if he had any.  The fact that both Chonglin and High God Zhe Yan had picked up on his worry over Feng Jiu was unsettling, to say the least.  In fact, even Liansong, who was the closest thing Dijun had to a best friend, doesn't even know what he was thinking most of the time.  His impassive countenance was so legendary that everyone believed the story of how Donghua Dijun's heart was made of stone.  Donghua Dijun never hesitated, never worried, never second guessed himself,  he did what needed to be done even if it was merciless.

The only times that Liansong ever seen some emotion in Dijun's eyes were when the latter was dealing with Feng Jiu but even then his emotions often remained muted and subdued. The first time that he had seen a strong emotion in Dijun's face was when they had entered the Miaoyi Chasm after the Star Ward had been broken. He would never forget seeing the almost crazed look on Dijun's face.  Dijun was holding on to a bloody Feng Jiu in his arms as he tried to push whatever magic he has left onto her.  Everyone seeing them knew that Dijun was on the verge of collapse as his powers were all but spent.  Feng Jiu did not appear to be alive as her lifeless body was being cradled by Dijun protectively.  No one knew what to do. The only thing apparent to everyone was that there was no force in heaven or hell that could have pried Feng Jiu's body away from Dijun.  So, they formed a circle and placed a protective shield around the couple. IT was only after a few hours of Dijun pushing his strength onto Feng Jiu that  High God Zhe Yan had mustered up the courage and had hesitantly approached Dijun to try to help him. Speaking with trepidation he tried to penetrate the frantic state of the God  "Dijun, please let me take over.  Let me check on Jiu'er. You need to rest."   But  Dijun was beyond listening at that point as he held on to her tighter because for the first time in his life, he was truly panicking, afraid that he would be unable to keep her alive.  By sheer force of will, Dijun pulled out the last protective power inside of him and slammed it into Xiao Bai.  Then everything went black as he collapsed finally letting go of her body.