Mo Yuan and Shao Wan (三生三世十里桃花) - Vol. 2 [COMPLETE]

Chapter 13

written by kakashi
edited by Panda & LigayaCroft

"H...hellooo? Anybody there?" Shao Wan's voice echoed feebly in the gloomy large hall of Yinguang Palace. There! Something moved in the shadows again! She pivoted her head from side to side in mounting panic, but she could never quite see what it was.

"Stay away! I...I am armed," she squeaked and grabbed a large candle holder. It was very heavy and she could barely lift it off the ground.

Whatever lurked in the shadows sat still for the moment.

She had only been in here for a few hours but it was sufficient to tell her it was going to be a very long week. And not only because they left her with no food or drink.

"It is so unfair," she wailed and kicked the a pillar, promptly hurting her toe, "it's not like I committed an egregious crime! All I did was save unborn lives, how can that lead to this kind of punishment? Fine! I used forbidden magic, yes, but did I not-" at save the realms the throat-throttle curse hit her again. The piercing pain brought instant tears to her eyes and she let them flow, because it helped to lessen her frustration. There isn't even anybody here to hear me, you stupid curse!

She sniffled and dried her face with the tulle of her sleeve. No, she wouldn't despair. This was nothing. Let something move creepily in the shadows! She had spent a gazillion miserable lives trying to get to the immortal realms and now that she was here again, things could only get better. She could deal with ghosts or demons. There weren't many that harmed immortals... or were there?

Shao Wan started walking forward, eyes half-shut so she wouldn't have to see the movement in the dark. There was no hip high dust. In fact, things looked fairly clean. That was surprising, considering that the palace had been abandoned for over two hundred sixty thousands years, or ever since Mo Yuan had left the Heavens to live on Mount Kunlun. Since the Heavens were on an infinite plane, there was no need to repopulate old palaces even with new immortals ascending every year. And since there were only very few Celestial children born to immortals, and even fewer of royal status, there hardly ever arose an occasion to reuse an old palace.

The place felt cold and unwelcoming. Nothing of Mo Yuan was left here, not a shred of his essence remained. Where would his bedroom have been, Shao Wan wondered? At the heart of this vast structure? As far as she knew, his mother had died right after giving birth to him. Had Mo Yuan been raised by a maid? Was she still alive? Or had he been raised by different maids, like people in the Demon Realm claimed was the Celestial way, in order to bring up their children without emotional attachment and weakness?

She walked for a bit, through long halls, bright courtyards, and even longer corridors. No wonder Mo Yuan had never expressed a wish to come back here. Trying to imagine him living the life of a royal family member rather than protecting the lands from the height of Mount Kulun felt wrong. The thought of him gliding around up here with nothing to do felt wrong. The thought of legions of maids serving him felt very wrong.

Was he not exactly who he was because he had given up the riches of the Heavens and lived an ascetic's life on a Holy Mountain? And yet, this place here... it had made him what he was too. Everything one touched, everybody one talked to, everywhere one had been... it played a part in the kind of person one became.

She stepped out into the tenth or so courtyard deep in thought... and froze. Something was looking at her.

It was a small black turtle.

Shao Wan blinked in surprise. The turtle blinked back.

Suddenly, the courtyard came alive.

They came from the shadows, slowly filling up the space in front of her. Turtles. Hundreds. Thousands. And they all turned to look at her.

***

Memories flooded Mo Yuan. Memories he had erased, they had erased, in what they had thought was a smart move to dodge the ire of the Universe. How foolish. How futile. He screamed, though only in silence. He could not deal with anybody right now.

I loved her. I loved her so much. I should never have let myself be swayed from loving her. By nobody, not even Him, the Father of this Creation. Why did I not fight more? Not then, not now. Maybe I didn't deserve her love.

Human, Golden Dragon said urgently, let me out.

They had met again despite their attempts to prevent it, despite his Father's warning. They had fallen in love again. Of course they had, because she was his opposite, his other half - he was only whole with her by his side. Twice, she had had to die because he had not seen.

Human, listen. Let me out. I will behave myself.

No, I am far too angry. Remember what happened that time. I feel like ripping apart everything.