A Trial by Halves

A Little Step Forward

Heard only by her and Ye Hua who was ready to snatch at her arm and drag her out of there, only he too felt the whiplash of controlled anger as if he were the one being berated and suddenly he got a very sharp dose of that powerful energy that his brother was known for.  It literally weakened the knees and had he not been speaking to Bai Qian directly, he might have lowered himself.

"I'm sorry Shifu.  But I believe I am right.  I suffered too, why can't I demand answers?" she asked before bursting into tears.

"Regardless, Haode is a guest and he is also the Skylord.  You might be the Queen of Qing Qiu and a High Goddess,  but I raised you with better manners.  This is not the time nor the place for your questions.  You will withdraw yourself.  Is that clear." he snapped, keeping his tone soft and inaudible to the rest though it wasn't difficult to see what was happening going by the way her entire body slumped before him.

"Yes Shifu." she replied in a small voice, before turning and almost running from the Hall and leaving Ye Hua and Er Li behind in her wake.

She had no idea what happened after that, because rather than run straight to her chamber, she fled for the low valleys instead.  It was an inbred habit.  Whenever Mo Yuan berated her then kicked her out, she always ran for the low valleys.  And it was there that she finally expended the last of her anger in tears among the wild flowers who sadly suffered the last of it, when she ripped their poor innocent heads off and threw them at a tree.

She knew she was being unfair to his Grandfather, after all he had suffered terribly in trying to save his Grandson as best as he could.  And of his entire family, he was the only one she saw any love from, but she really couldn't help but wonder about these so called laws of Heaven that only seemed to serve him.

Despondent, miserable and embarrassed by her outburst, she also couldn't help but feel like the worst Disciple ever.  She had just embarrassed her Shifu and lessened herself along with him and in a packed hall of all things. But to also embarrass Ye Hua just hours out of resurrecting was the worst feeling of all.  And by the time she felt that familiar energy drawing nearer, she was not looking all that queenly either.

"How are you feeling now Qian Qian?"  Ye Huas soft voice called from behind.  She had been in the valleys for hours and growing concerned having thought she had left, he was soon put right by her seniors who couldn't help but laugh at the things that never changed, especially when it came to her.

And for a few moments, he had stood behind her lost in thought.  What he had just witnessed was one more facet of the woman that the entire world knew of.  Her temper was legendary, her mouth even more so and that had him wondering how she would ever fit into the Celestial Heavens when Kunlun Mountain which she called home,  was far less rigid and much friendlier than the tightly controlled lifestyle he was used to.

Even Qing Qiu was more laid back, and anything that needed to be said was said.  Her people were just too outspoken and their Queen even more so.  So what she had in effect just done, was ostracise herself from his own Grandfather before he could even contemplate on questioning where exactly he stood now.  In fact, he hadn't even had time to consider it, but her outburst left him with one very clear understanding.  The Celestial Heavens would not find a place for her.

"Miserable." she replied in a small voice and not daring to look at him least he also wanted to growl at her too.

"Well I must say, I have certainly seen better" he replied with a small smile before lowering himself down beside her.

"I'm sorry Ye Hua.  I should have kept quiet." she sighed before flopping her head down onto his arm.

"That would have been helpful." he replied with a nudge of his arm against her cheek and making her smile despite the fact that she just wanted to cry.