Two hundred years later...
"Are you ready, Qian Qian?"
The Crown Prince stood outside the Hall of Beautiful Youths, dressed in a simple black ceremonial robe, and inside the Hall of Beautiful Youths, the Crown Princess was hurriedly pulling on the white ceremonial gown she had been given with one hand while she tasked Nai Nai with Bai Jing with the other. "Make sure A-Li doesn't try to feed her cakes this time, understood?" Bai Qian warned, handing her two century year old daughter over to her handmaiden, and Nai Nai nodded, "Yes, Madam."
"No eating cakes either, Jing'er." Bai Qian added, glaring at her daughter, who looked up innocently at her, and Bai Qian narrowed her eyes, "Do you hear me, Jing'er?" "Yes, Mother..." Bai Jing nodded obediently, although her eyes glinted, and though Bai Qian was rather tempted to question her daughter again, Nai Nai pulled her sleeve slightly, and Bai Qian sighed, pulling on the last layer of her clothes before she ran out from her chambers.
"Are we late?" Bai Qian questioned the moment she saw Ye Hua, but her husband merely tilted his head curiously at her, "Qian Qian, you could have just left Jing'er to the wet nurse in charge." "She enchanted all of the servants the last time that happened without Nai Nai!" Bai Qian couldn't explain how exasperated she was at her daughter, who could miraculously already use some of her fox powers on others at the age of a mere two hundred years old, and Ye Hua chuckled, "Quite like you, I see."
"We aren't late, Qian Qian. The ceremony starts in half an hour. There is enough time to reach there even if you decide to take a stroll." Ye Hua smiled as the maids followed behind them closely, and Bai Qian wiped a portion of sweat from her hairline, "I am very glad that you educated A-Li for 300 years before I took over. Jing'er is a nightmare." "You keep too loose a leash on her." Ye Hua insisted, even as they neared the Grand Hall, and Bai Qian patted a strand of stray hair back into its place, before she wore a thoughtful expression, "Maybe. Or maybe it's because you've pampered your daughter too much. Perhaps we could send her to Shifu."
"The Crown Prince and Crown Princess have arrived!" The soldiers announced loudly, the moment Bai Qian and Ye Hua appeared, and a wave of silence crashed down upon the Grand Hall as Ye Hua offered his hand to Bai Qian, leading her into the Grand Hall. "Are you ready?" Ye Hua's smile faded away at last, now that all eyes were on them, and Bai Qian nodded, trying to ignore the fact that Ye Hua looked like they were sending themselves to death, "I'm perfectly fine, Ye Hua. It's just the seal, isn't it? I am more than capable of taking 81 bolts of Heavenly Wildfire and 9 bolts of Heavenly Thunder."
"I believe you are capable," Ye Hua pulled his lips into a slight smile even as they stepped into the center of the room and into everyone's line of sight, "my Crown Princess Bai Qian."
"Crown Prince Ye Hua and Crown Princess Bai Qian." Di Jun addressed them formally, cutting off whatever whispers they had been about to speak from his highest platform, his height towering over all, "Today, you will each endure 81 bolts of Heavenly Wildfire, as well as 9 bolts of Heavenly Thunder, in order to ascend to the position of the Heavenly Lord and Heavenly Lady."
With a wave of his hand, two trays appeared, each with a block of jade on it, and Ye Hua recognised the one on his left at once. He had seen it in Hao De's study, once or twice, when the former Heavenly Lord had not kept it properly, and now the seal sat right before his eyes, waiting for him to claim it. It's quite ironic, however, Ye Hua thought to himself, That even if I had been presented this seal back then, I would have sacrificed it for Su Su, not knowing that she was supposed to be beside me, receiving the seal of the Heavenly Lady.
"Step forward and take the seal, Ye Hua, Bai Qian." Di Jun continued, his regal tone ringing in their ears, "As you accept the tray, you shall be swearing to govern the Nine Heavens with just and goodness, and never to let our people down into danger. You shall be promising yourself to the duties of the Heavenly Lord and Lady, as well as to the well-being of the people. You shall be promising and understanding that you may not flee, despite the challenges presented, and you shall promise to always think of peace first. Accept the tray, and look upon the seal, before you proceed to prove your courage and capabilities under the trial of the Heavens."
A moment of silence finally befell the hall, as everyone waited for the Crown Prince and Crown Princess to move forward, to touch the seal that would mark the beginning of their new role. But none of them moved. And just when the little deities began to murmur, questioning why Ye Hua and Bai Qian weren't stepping forward, Ye Hua took a step forward, accepted the tray, and knelt before Di Jun. Bai Qian followed suit quickly, approaching her tray and accepting it, and even as they bowed to Di Jun, the former owner of the Heavens and Earth merely nodded, "Go forth, and prove your worth."
Trays vanishing, Ye Hua helped Bai Qian rise to her feet, and the two of them betrayed no emotion of fear even as they stepped outside, where the skies began to darken rapidly. "Once this ends, you'll be my Heavenly Lady." Ye Hua whispered to Bai Qian just before they reached the end of the flight of stairs, and she smiled at him as their feet met the base of the stairs, "Once this ends, I'll know you've kept your promise."
The skies were hanging lowly above their heads as the two of them moved to the center of the platform, the dangerously dark clouds swarming over, and even as they turned to face each other, Bai Qian only saw a flash of bright light, and she stumbled into Ye Hua's chest, taken by surprise. "Miss me already?" Ye Hua chuckled, and Bai Qian let go of him at once, "I merely lost my balance." And yet, she didn't step back, and the two of them stood close to each other as the remaining bolts of fire and thunder continued to rain on them.
The crowd watched on as Ye Hua and Bai Qian stood calmly in the storm of fiery bolts raining from all over, and even though nothing could be seen on Ye Hua's robes, Bai Qian's robes had already begun to blossom with scarlet flowers, and even as she continued to stand unmovingly, the amount of blood only spread further. "Will she faint?" A small deity asked timidly, watching as the High Goddess everyone had admired went from wearing a white dress to a red one, but an older deity merely laughed, "Young one, you have much to learn. Wounds given by the heavenly fire do not harm the outer skin much; it is only a flash that could barely let a portion of blood out. The pain is excruciating, however, as is the internal injuries, which is what makes the heavenly fire such a formidable thing."
"Pain is something we all have to learn." Someone agreed with the older deity, and even as they turned back to the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, the sky already began to clear up into its normal gradient of pinkish orange sky, and Ye Hua and Bai Qian were already walking back towards the Grand Hall, where all the deities scrambled back to position. "Congratulations to your Majesties for ascending to the throne!" The deities bowed even as Bai Qian and Ye Hua entered the Grand Hall in unison, and Di Jun stared at them impassively, before a smile ghosted his expression, and he rose to move to the side, leaving the path to the throne cleared for Bai Qian and Ye Hua.
All eyes were on them as Ye Hua led Bai Qian up the stairs like a gentleman, offering his hand to her, and yet even as they approached the throne, Bai Qian refused her seat, only for her husband to sit first. "Long live the Heavenly Lord! Long live the Heavenly Lady!" The crowd of deities cheered at once, and Ye Hua signalled at Jia Yun, who cleared his throat at once.
"Let the banquet begin!"
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"Zi Lan and Die Feng greet the Heavenly Lord and Heavenly Lady."
The High Immortals had been rather shocked when they had received Jia Yun at the foot of Kun Lun during the middle of the day, and yet who were they to refuse, when they had been formally invited by the Heavenly Lord and Heavenly Lady? "Your Majesties..." Die Feng rose from his bow, only to have Bai Qian grin at him, her daughter on her lap, "Hmm. How formal you are today, Sixteenth Senior Brother." "Is that Bai Jing?" Zi Lan forgot his formalities as Bai Qian descended from the stairs, and Bai Jing leapt straight into Die Feng's arms, "Brother Die Feng! Brother Zi Lan!"
"Hey!" Zi Lan folded his arms, "What about me, Bai Jing?" "Heehee. Brother Zi Lan~" Bai Jing leant into his arms at once, and Ye Hua tensed beside Bai Qian, "She's only two centuries old, Qian Qian. Is it alright for her to be interacting so intimately with men?" "It's alright. It's my senior brothers we're talking about." Bai Qian seemed rather at ease as she watched Bai Jing finally wriggle back into Die Feng's arms, and with a smile, she took her daughter back from Die Feng, "Alright, that's enough, Jing'er. Your father and I have some matters to discuss with my senior brothers."
"Then I'll go find Ge Ge." Bai Jing nodded obediently, but before Bai Qian could realise what was wrong, the little girl had already snuck off, and Bai Qian finally understood what her daughter was up to: "Bai Jing! Your brother is studying!!!" "That's just like you, Seventeenth. You put Ninth in an awful lot of trouble when you did that." Zi Lan snickered, reminiscing whenever Si Yin had disrupted their studies to go off to play, and Bai Qian evidently didn't like to be reminded of how she had caused Ling Yu's downfall, "That's enough."
"Right." Zi Lan instantly kept away his smile, and Die Feng nudged him, reminding him that Bai Qian was, after all, the Heavenly Lady. "What did you call us for, Seventeenth?" Die Feng asked more politely instead, and it was Ye Hua who answered, "Die Feng, do you remember the discussion about the mermaid clan?" "The remainders of the clan? Yes, I do remember it." Die Feng answered promptly, and Ye Hua gestured for Jia Yun to bring an item forth, "This was given to me by High God Bai Zhen previously when we first attempted to annihilate the Mermaid Clan. According to this, the Mermaid Clan should be in the eastern parts of the North. But there have been reports from the Southern Sea, so..."
"It hardly narrows the area down." Zi Lan mused, although he stared at the map intently, but Die Feng glanced at Ye Hua at once, "Unless...your Highness thinks otherwise?" "Isn't the North Sea King the former Second Prince of the Heavens?" Zi Lan interrupted, and Bai Qian's face darkened at once, "Sang Ji?" "Wouldn't he be of help?" Zi Lan pointed out, not noticing Ye Hua's expression turning darker as well, and Die Feng quickly shoved Zi Lan, "Of all people, must you mention the North Sea King?"
"Pardon me. I didn't think too much." Zi Lan bowed in apology at once, and Ye Hua let out a sigh, "Never mind that. My idea was to have Die Feng send some men there to scout the area first." "I could ask my father for men." Die Feng agreed at once, and Ye Hua gestured for him to go, "That would be great. In fact...I would rather have the West Sea King come personally, if possible. I might need to speak to him regarding another matter as well." "I shall go at once." Die Feng answered, not wanting to delay Ye Hua at all, "Die Feng takes his leave."
"Mmm." Ye Hua sounded approving as the first disciple of Kun Lun rushed off, and Zi Lan was about to leave as well before Bai Qian stopped him. "Sixteenth Senior Brother. I'm afraid we have something else to discuss with you." Bai Qian exchanged glances with Ye Hua as she called him back, and Zi Lan wore an expression of confusion, "Your Majesty, what is it that concerns me?" "Do you take interest in Yan Zhi?" Bai Qian's head accessories clinked together noisily as she tilted her head, sitting partially on Ye Hua's throne, and Zi Lan blinked in astonishment, "Pardon?"
"The Ghost Queen, Yan Zhi. Do you fancy her?" Bai Qian repeated patiently, as though she thought Zi Lan hadn't heard her clearly, "Do you like her, Sixteenth Senior Brother?" "I, uhm-" Beads of water suddenly began to trickle down Zi Lan's hairline, and Zi Lan unconsciously fanned himself with one hand, "Seventeenth, this Grand Hall is rather stuffy, isn't it?" "Oh?" Bai Qian raised her eyebrows, before she lifted a hand, and the whole lot of doors around the Grand Hall that had provided privacy now flew fully open, and Bai Qian smiled down at Zi Lan, "Is it still warm, Sixteenth Senior Brother? If it is, we could address this by the lotus ponds; that is fine by me."
"N-no. This is fine." Zi Lan gulped, and his cheeks were rising in temperature rapidly as he tried to feign ignorance, "What were we saying?" "Yan Zhi." Bai Qian simply answered him with two words, and meanwhile, Ye Hua was whispering by her ear, "Qian Qian, isn't this a little mean? Zi Lan has never been the kind that could openly admit their love interests." "What do you know? If he can't even get over this little bit, how could he be a good choice for Yan Zhi?" Bai Qian scolded, seemingly enjoying watching Zi Lan quiver like a leaf in the wind, and Ye Hua exhaled by her ear tauntingly, "So you prefer men who can openly confess their love for you anywhere, Qian Qian?"
"Uh. Not exactly. Heh." Bai Qian drew a sharp intake of breath, "Not anywhere." "I do like Yan Zhi." Zi Lan suddenly blurted, destroying the atmosphere that Ye Hua had built up, and the Heavenly Lord couldn't help but sigh: Zi Lan was really one of the most tactless people he knew. "And?" Bai Qian was eager for Zi Lan to elaborate further, and Zi Lan wasn't sure what Bai Qian was playing at, "And...she probably doesn't like me in return?"
"You hopeless fool!" Bai Qian sighed loudly, much to the surprise of Zi Lan, and Ye Hua quickly held her back, "Zi Lan, do you really not see it?" "See what?" Zi Lan was confused as ever, and Ye Hua could feel Bai Qian's annoyance radiate off her at its maximum. "Can't you see that Yan Zhi likes you, Zi Lan?" Ye Hua's words nudged Zi Lan forwards, and Zi Lan stumbled as he took a step back, "Does she really?"
"Enough, enough. I'm going to get a headache." Bai Qian muttered, frustrated by Zi Lan's ignorance, "Please return, Sixteenth Senior Brother. Let us continue this conversation another day."
And as Zi Lan watched the Heavenly Lady drag her poor husband out, his heart thumped ridiculously within the cages of his chest, and even as he rode back to Kun Lun on a cloud, his head was full of questions and confusion.
So Yan Zhi liked him, then?
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A/N: YES I DID IT I RUSHED A CHAPTER BY 9PM ON SUNDAY YESSSSSSSSSS
I feel like I suddenly got more inspiration after writing this chapter so I'll revoke my words about 5 chapters left 😶
Hope you guys like this chapter anyway :D I tried to rush out 2000 words instead of 1500 because now I update only once a week, and here's a 2672 word chapter! Yeeee
I have a competition this week, so...wish me all the best, maybe? Hopefully I can manage to get better shots on the target card to qualify for the finals eeek
But anyway, I always love you guys :)
Z, out
P.S. lately there have been cases in which extreme homophobia has been displayed, and I can't stop anyone, but I'll just put my words here: Everyone has a choice of who they want to be. If others choose to change their gender, it's their choice. Respect it. If you decide to be straight as a board, that's your choice as well. We should respect each others' choices. By being homophobic, you are merely finding faults; no matter what you think, please don't impose it on others. It's already hard enough when these people exist in cultures that disagree with their choices, please don't make it harder for them. They are only human too. Please. And if my words have not changed your mind, I apologize. Please do not waste a space in your heart to hate me, this is not meant to be offensive, but is only a plea to reach out to others. Thank you for reading this, or even scrolling through it, and good day/good night to all of you.
xoxo,
Z, out.