A Trial by Halves

A Race Against Time.

"But I can save her myself, I don't need High God Mo Yuan." he replied and though he knew what had just come out of his mouth sounded arrogant and inconsiderate, compassionless even, he was in no mood for talking, not when he knew just how dangerous Su Jin was.

Only the moment he once again rose to leave, Ci Hangs hand raised enough for him to notice the energy flaring off the tips of his fingers.

"The moment you enter the Celestial Heavens, you will be immediately arrested and unless you are willing to attack your own army and Celestial Guards which will see you tried for treason regardless of who your wife is, I suggest you listen because what I am about to propose is the only chance you all have of surviving." he said and not so gently.  In fact every word cut into Ye Huas heart like a blade still being honed in the furnace.

Near tears and struggling to hold them in, he felt so torn.  His revernce for Ci Hang knew no bounds, but at that moment he was so close to drawing his sword and forcing his way out of there only the sudden and unexpected sound coming from the body of a man that looked like him, distracted him enough for Zhe Yan to persuade him to stay a little longer.  

Ye Hua was sitting side on to Mo Yuans body, his chest was heaving in and out, his shoulders hunched and his eyes steeled to cold deep swirl of ebony that could have cut glass, but as the sound from that unmoving body grew a little louder, he began to hone in on it.

"I do not know what relationship you have to Mo Yuan, but what I do know is your energy is almost identical to his.  If anyone is going to bring him quicker it is you." Zhe Yan whispered weakly while his own body was now slumped over with his head resting on his drawn up knees trying his best to remain awake.

In the outer corridors he could hear Er Li crying and Nai Nais soft voice talking to him, he could also hear the sound of the Disciples moving about and above it, came a melody he had known all his life and suddenly his mind went back to his childhood when he would sometimes dream of the tune and a Lotus Pond, one he now instinctively knew belonged to Kunlun Mountain.  He didn't know how he knew, but from the very first moment he stepped foot in the entrance way, the energy that was rising up from the Mountains depths felt far too familiar to ignore.

"What do you need me to do?" his voice broke as he forced Su Sus sweet smile into his head.  As much as he wanted to help this man who looked like him, he was still uncertain of their relationship, but with her smile in his mind he turned to look at Ci Hang.

"You know soul retrieval, you learned it under me, and it may have only been theroy, but you know how it works.  The Lamp is too slow, we need you to enter Mo Yuan and drag his soul into his body using your energy.  Because you both share some kind of link that has given you energy almost identical to his, you are the only one who can do this.  The sooner you start, the sooner he can return and the sooner we can save Su Su." Ci Hang said softly as he lowered himself to Ye Huas side to assist if he needed him.

In just a few seconds, Ye Huas mind quickly went over his options.  If he refused and forced his way out and then attacked his own guards who he knew would arrest him the moment he entered, then he would definitely face charges of Treason and therefore seal Su Su and Cheng Yus deaths regardless of who his wife really was because he knew Su Jin would have already imprisoned her, he would not be able to prevent it.  He would also never be able to justify the deaths of his own people no matter how much he justified it to himself which would leave Er Li an orphan.  However, if he remained and helped Mo Yuan return, then Su Su would literally be on her own without him fighting for her while he helped to rescue a man that might possibly take her off him anyway.

All of these thoughts passed through his mind in seconds, but in the end, he knew that Mo Yuan would be only one with the ability to overrule even his Grandfather, he was his only option so without another second wasted, he quickly dragged up the lesson on soul retrieval and as his energy opened, he allowed himself to enter the High Gods body where a quickening began to take place.

The melody grew stronger, more harmonous and calming for both of them as Ye Hua worked tirelessly to pull Mo Yuans soul into his body using his own energy and cultivation to achieve it which strengthened Mo Yuan substantially.  Their energies really were near identical that Mo Yuan felt his essence well before he began to pull him closer to him.  And the closer he got to gathering in his body completely, the stronger the bond grew between them and throughout the entire procedure, the melody softened, it soothed their aching hearts and relieved them both of the pressure they were under.

In that tight space where Ye Huas soul energy and Mo Yuans soul pieces met, the two almost became one with the melody itself.  It was the most beautiful sensation that either men had ever felt.  The intial harsh tones of anguish gave way to a symphony of consonance.  Thousands upon thousands of images filled Ye Huas mind as he dragged the soul pieces into that lifeless body.  He saw The Golden Lotus in the Pond, the man himself sitting beside him with his zither playing that very melody.  He saw his wife talking to him, sharing her secrets, and playing games with him, only the closer he got to completeing his task, the further back Mo Yuan memories became, which he realized he was seeing through his soul pieces.

Centuries upon centuries of memories exploded into his mind as Mo Yuan drew closer to resurrecting.   Ye Hua saw Mo Yuan feeding the Lotus flower daily energy boosts that he cultivated in mediation solely for him.   "For Me......?" his mind asked and suddenly stumbling a little as that revelation became clearer.

Through the soul pieces, Ye Hua saw untold memories that Mo Yuan held from a very long life lived.  Peoples faces came and went, events unfolded before his eyes, wars he had fought in, some he had won and some he had lost.  Lovers came and went, enemies he had made, and people he had love and every manner of emotion filled his own soul but always the Lotus remained forever constant in the back of the mans mind.   And with the memories came the answer he had wanted to know from the very first moment he had learned that his wife had been his student.

In a flash of instant understanding he saw a father figure who loved his Seventeenth Disciple very much.  But contrary to popular belief, he only ever saw her as his Spiritual Daughter, a little girl he cared very deeply for, the same way that he loved all of his children, only for her, he saved a little extra compassion and only because she was a female among men.  She was also Bai Zhi daughter, and the next Queen of Qing Qiu.  He was honour bound to protect her and he did in more ways than one because he believed that her fate began the day she awoke The Golden Lotus

And as those thoughts and feeling from the man himself, passed though him, Ye Hua heart exalted in happiness and he revelled in it for a little longer. Until eventually, he was taken back to the day Mo Yuans father gave him the Golden Lotus.  

And as Ye Hua dragged the last of the soul pieces from the lamp and into Mo Yuans body, he learned his history, his lineage and the unbreakable bond that his brother had formed with him all those centuries ago.

In tears and shaking uncontrollably, he finally pulled his energy out as the last soul piece was placed in his brothers body.

"He is my brother........" he cried out as The Bell of Kunlun rumbled across the entire world and Mo Yuan took his first breath in Seventy Thousand Years.