A Trial by Halves

A Little Death

"Over the long years, I tried to reach to you via your dreams. Visions I sent to your mind of the Lotus Pond, the music, my voice, even visions of Sevententh in the hope that you would remember me because I felt that somewhere along the way, you forgot. I needed your help to find the final piece which in the end you led me to." he said as both Bai Qian and Ye Hua sat mesmerized by what he was saying.

"Is that why I also got visions of you Shifu. Were you also reaching out to me?" she asked.

"Yes. You found my last piece, unfortunately, it was stuck on an island that was far too high in energy, I could not release it. I needed you to break the stone, because being in soul form, I was not strong enough to do it for myself." he explained.

"So you followed me to that island?" Ye Hua asked.

"Yes. Because your soul piece was a part of me, I was able to feel your presence no matter where you went, so of course, I followed you there and it just so happened that when you threw the stone back on the beach, you chipped the stone enough to release me." he said before taking a deep breath and leaving it there while they all sat in silence for a few moments until eventually more questions arose.

"So what does that have to do with Er Li?' Ye Hua asked and bringing them all back to why they were there.

"As I mentioned, I was able to commuicate with you via your dreams, thoughts and memories and it was while I was communicating, that I learned what you had done to free yourself from the what you considered shackles to a title you no longer wanted for a woman you had fallen in love with." he said smiling at Bai Qian, who merely stared back and waiting with bated breath.

"I also knew what trouble you would face when you were caught, and I knew you would be. You would have managed to live apart from our world for a time, but fate would always send you back, that is something none of us can control no matter what we do." he said firmly and making Ye Hua feel very small, because it seemed as if his brother was very much his Shifu at that moment.

"I was also stuck in that land, because you had completely closed all the exits to that island with that spell of yous, I could not leave to regather in my body, and this is where that fate I just spoke of came into play. Your Shifu, Ci Hang broke open the portal as did your Grandfather. It gave me just enough space to escape and return to this world but not before I placed that final piece of your soul into your son which I not only opened so he could find you no matter where you go, you will also find him because it is now a part of him." he said which not only had Ye Hua jumping at the remifications of what that meant, but his mind was now moving at the speed of lightning.

"So Er Li can find me no matter where I go." he repeated as the brilliance of Mo Yuans knoweldge began to hit.

Bai Qian however was looking at them both blankly and not understanding at all, but seeing as she really didn't have to do anything other than take care of his son, Ye Huas only question was a simple one.

"How long?"

"One hundred and forty four lightening bolts will not kill you, but you will be severely weakened. However, Zhutian Terrace will take your life and your soul will no doubt scatter. However, it will not be sent to the chaos, but rather remain scattered within though a few pieces may escape. Even if you did manage to patch your soul pieces together, you would still need a piece outside of that chaos to call you back. So in asnwer to your question, that will depend entirely on you." he said and finishing it.

As if hit by lightning herself, Bai Qian finally got what he was saying and though the tears were raining down her face at being given this amazing window of opportunity, Ye Huas eyes narrowed in on his brother. He had one final question, one that Mo Yuan already knew, but chose to say nothing, because in the end he knew his brother would never ask it.