That initial meeting was also going through Mo Yuans mind as he stood at the entrance to her army camp and watching her ride away on a horse almost identical to the one he used to own. She may have thought she'd left Kunlun behind, but that alone said her heart was still there no matter what she said. Even the way she was lightly brushing down its sides was the same.
It was so easy to bring that memory back because it was so vivid in his mind as if it really were just yesterday, though he wondered why he had never revisted that moment until then.
Before he had scattered his soul, he had just taken their close bond as a given, something that would last forver so he had never dwelt too heavily on that initial meeting. But as his mind went over the shock on her face at being caught by the Master of Kunlun, playing in the valleys with his horse and looking terrified that he might kick her out, he wondered if he should have addressed her disguise instead of allowing the pretence to continue, then perhaps things might be different now, he thought to himself as Zhen took his arm to leave.
"I'm sorry Mo Yuan. I tried to tell you. She is not the same girl you left behind. Her mind is solely on her people and her army, any life she had before you left, she also left behind." he said gently as he steered him back towards the main gates which would take them to the open fields and beyond.
"Whatever is going through her mind, it is not what is going through mine." Mo Yuan replied tersely before snatching his arm away and moving towards the first training ground.
"You heard her Mo Yuan. She asked you to leave." Zhe Yan stated firmly. It may have been polite and subtle, but he knew Xaio Wu, if he didn't leave, she would cause trouble.
But Mo Yuan didn't care. She had also invited him to view her training grounds before she kindly told him to leave, so taking the first option, he made his way towards a group of men who were in the early stages of sword training. Many looked as if they really were picking up a sword for the first time, but what surprised him was the routine they were using, it was one he himself had taught her.
It utilized basic thrusts and jabs and when sped up, it gave the impression that one was an accomplished swordman. It was a routine for show only but it also gave the soldiers an incentive to continue training because they felt as if they were really accompishing something far beyond their capabilities and at first glance, they had all mastered it.
Only the sight of the girls going through the same routine, soon has his mind once again going back to that valley and a sword routine that her brother had been teaching her, one that utilized every dance skill that she had.
And it was her dancing that Mo Yuan was attracted to. She may have been very beautiful even as a young girl, but her dancing was what set her apart from the rest rather than her looks, because she was actually very talented.
Many of the moves she used required dexterity and agility beyond most girls her own age, let alone boys, and this is what gave her an edge because the way she held her sword while whipping, spinning, kicking and leaping through the valley of flowers, meant her opponent would be either obliterated within seconds unless he could keep up, which thankfully her brother could, seeing as he was the one who taught her.
Like a petal on the wind, her lithe form flew through the valleys while her sowrd flashed and the laughter rose. Bai Zhen did not like to lose and the faster she spun the more effort he put in and having remained behind his barrier the entire time, he thought he might have to lower it in order to rescue the girl, only the moment that thought hit, then his horse suddenly galloped into the fray to literally throw itself directly under her so that she had no choice but to land on its back, then rearing its feet up at Bai Zhen who barely missed a hoof to his face, their battle was brought to an end.
And before Bai Zhen could do or say a thing, the horse began to dance its own dance as a show of force while Bai Qians laughter rang out across the valleys. It seemed to Mo Yuan that not only did Bai Zhen lose that battle, but he himself had lost his horse. Though his own laughter almost erupted when she squealed out the horses new name he had asked her to give it.
"Daoji!" she squealed as her horse, which he now referred to it as, reared up a little, and with its front hooves just barely touching the tips of the flowers, he flicked them up to send a spray of petals at Bai Zhen in what was an obvious challenge, before turning its head back to whinny at the girl whose infectious laughter eventually had her brother laughing at the silly sepctacle.
After her brother had left her with her new friend, Mo Yuan too left them to play a little longer while he comtemplated on her choice of name for the horse. Daoji was a Buddhist Monk that the Mortals deemed a Demi God who had supernatural powers that he used to protect the weak and poor, however he was not a traditional Monk because he was known to eat meat, gamble and get into all kinds of mischief when the sun set, the kind that the flower house girls did not deem monkish. He might have been a bit of trouble maker, but his heart was generally good.
But for her to name the horse that, considering she herself was the trouble maker and mischievous one, while teaching her horse to not only frolick and protect, suggested she was paying far more attention to his teachings than he gave her credit for. Though he was still at a loss as to why she refused to make her swordsmanship known to him or her brothers, because up until that time, she was still only giving him enough to pass her tests.
Now watching as the girls danced their way through their routines, he suddenly got a glimpse into her genius. Not only were the girls dancing the routine the same way she had done, but any male apponent they faced, would be greatly distracted by it, thus giving themselves an edge and one he himself had never considered using.
After watching them for a while, Mo Yuan began to grow tired. He had been there for over three hours and Zhe Yan could see it was taking its toll on him.
"Mo Yuan, its time to go. You need to rest." he said softly before taking a firm grip of his arm, only to see Bai Qian galloping directly for them. Sighing deeply, Zhe Yan kept his hand on Mo Yuans arm seeing as she was not looking too happy while dreading what he knew would not be pleasant for either of them having hoped to avoid it.
With her eyes directly on Mo Yuan, she drew her horse to a halt directly in front of him while her face remained guarded and cold.
"I thought I asked you to kindly see yourself out." her voice hit him like a slap in the face.
Looking up at those eyes that could have frozen an iceberg three times over, Mo Yuans own expression hardened as Zhe Yan forced him back.
"We are going Xuao Wu. Mo Yuan has been away from Kunlun long enough, he needs to rest." he said and not without a hint of warning in his tone, because she if dared to cause trouble for the newly resurrected War God, he might not be so gentle in his next reply.
With her eyes on Mo Yuans face, both men noticed a flash of alarm pass through her eyes before she quickly drew it back in. He did look tired, in fact, to her mind he looked so unwell, that a flicker of the old compassion flared before she quickly threw her head back while her shoulders lifted in indifference.
"As I said before, thank you for the visit, but please don't come again." she said frostily, before turning her back on them both and leaving Zhe Yan to force Mo Yuan back to the main entrance, where he finally got him onto a cloud to take him home despondent and near tears.
_____
The Celestial Heavens
Having returned to the Celestial Heavens after Mo Yuan left, Ye Huas mind was still churning with their conversation. To learn that they were brothers was astounding. So many questions were answered from that revelation alone. He had dreamed of the Lortus pond all of his life, along with Mo Yuans soft kindly voice which he was happy to see he had brought back with him, because there was a definite feeling of safety in that voice.
His initial concerns were no longer, not now that he had met the man for himself and of course, seeing the way Di Juns eyes were almost sparkling, told him that there was nothing to worry about. High God Mo Yuan really had returned from the Chaos and had left any undesireable traits in the chaos where it belonged.
Only that wasn't what was bothering him. Making his way into Xiwu Palace, he greeted his guards with a curt nod as he always did, before sending out a quick flicker of energy to ensure that Su Jin was not hiding inside and seeing as she was nowhere near his Palace, he quickly ducked inside before throwing up a barrier to ensure she wouldn't feel his presence.
Taking a seat at his writing table where the Soul Lamp was still burning, it was this that his mind dwelt heavily along with what he had learned from what he now considered a beneficial outing.
Mo Yuan had mentioned that Si Yin had been the one he remembered from his dreams. A boy who had remained on the Celestials most wanted list until now. Only he was bothered because he had also seen the boy the first time he had met Su Su and he couldn't help but wonder why. She had been but a mere Mortal, one who had nothing to do with Mo Yuan, Kunlun Mountain or even the Immortal World, yet he had felt a definite link between the two and this had his mind delving deeper into who this Si Yin was.
From every account he had ever read, this particular Disciple had been Mo Yuans most treasured Disciple. One he took his ascension bolts for, threw a Goddess of his mountain for and turned the Ghost Lands into a blood bath for when he arrived to rescue him having been kidnapped. This was not a normal Shifu and Disciple relationship by anyones standards, because for one, no Shifu would take his Disciples Ascension bolts. They would certainly injure an ill prepared Ascender, but they would not have kill him.
And that had him wondering why as he lost himself to the soft glow of the soul lamp.
Su Su..... his mind whispered.
Si Yin.......
And as the two names alternated in his mind, it finally hit. Si Yin was not a boy at all.
"He was a she......" he whispered in astonishment. But even more for the fact, that no one had actually figured it out. No wonder we never found him, he thought to himself as his mind instantly went to who she might be, and this time his mind was moving very quickly to solve what had been a Seventy Thousand Year mystery in just a few seconds.
Mo Yuans reaction to Feng Jius lineage and then his sudden disappearance from the Mountain soon had him on his feet in an instant. If Si Yin was Bai Qian whom he was fast believing, then what was her relationship to Su Su, he wondered as their cancelled marriage arrangement also had him wondering just what fate was playing at.
He couldn't figure it out, but what he decided there and then, was an urgent meeting of the worlds leaders was needed. To date, that Queen had ignored every request to attend the leaders meetings, but with the threat of Qing Cang possibly breaking free from the Bell, he was adamant that this time, she would attend and that was because the woman was training an army, one they might actually need to utilize.
Sitting back down, he picked up his brush and a blank scroll before writing out what he hoped would be the final answer he needed. Was she also Su Su?