A/N: As promised, two chapters. See you two weeks later.
"So you brought me here over a bunch of rotten peaches," Ye Hua said out loud in a deadpan voice. Jia Yun and Tian Shu looked at each other as if they didn't know what to say, " Yes, Your Highness, "
Honestly, Ye Hua wasn't angry, he just underwhelmed.
They were at The Heavenly Queen's peach garden in the western part of Nine Heaven. The Heavenly Queen, also known as the Queen Mother of the West (西王母) and the Golden Mother (金母). She was the goddess of life, fertility and immortality. She governed all the goddesses in the Nine Heavens and watched over the pills of immortality.
"These aren't just any peaches, your highness, " the immortal standing next to him said, "These are the peaches of immortality, "
Shou (寿), the god of longevity, was one of the three-star deities consisting of Fu (福), Lu (禄), Shou (寿). The three of them respectively preside over happiness, status and longevity.
Shou was an old bald man with a large bump over his forehead. He had a long white bread that reached his belt. The poor man looked so distressed, kept dropping the giant peach he was holding. Maybe Ye Hua should cool down with sarcastic comments.
"Why are they rotten?" Ye Hua asked, "Where were the seven coloured goddesses guarding the peaches?"
"The goddesses had found the watering water to be contaminated and had already apprehended the perpetrator," the god explained, "but that isn't the reason I asked you here, Your Highness,"
Next to him, the third prince, Lian Song, closed his fan. He gestured to the rotten peaches, "If all the peaches are rotten, what are we going to serve at The Western Queen's banquet?"
"Precisely, Your Highness, " Shou said, "A single peach of immortality takes three thousand years to ripen. And all of them are gone now. If we don't serve them at the banquet tomorrow, a lot of gods will be dying of old age soon, "
Ye Hua nodded, he understood the severity of the situation now. A single bite of the peach could extend the age of an immortal for a thousand years. They were rare and difficult to come by. The peaches only could be consumed at The Western Queen's banquet, which happens once every few thousand years. If a whole single batch destroyed, some of the immortals might not even make it to the next one.
Ye Hua looked at the rotting peaches by his feet, "Is there any way to replace these?"
"The only place that grew the peaches of immortality other than here is High God Zhe Yan's ten miles peach forest, Your Highness, " Shou stated, "However, there's a problem, "
"The High God is extremely elusive. He does not accept visitors to his forest and has never seen anyone for thousands of years," Lian Song said, "We weren't even sure he is still alive, "
Ye Hua raised an eyebrow, "And you need me because…"
"Zhe Yan and your brother are the best of friends," his third uncle rationalised, "Maybe you'll be able to talk to him and get him to lend us some peaches."
Maybe you want me to grow a moustache within a day.
Jia Yun spoke up, "The High God had requested a meeting with you once. But you had me cancelling it, "
Both Lian Song and Shou looked at him with a judgmental gaze.
"I was busy," Ye Hua tried to defend himself.
"Busy breaking hearts," his uncle coughed out. Ye Hua glared at him. Seriously, was everyone gossiping about Su Jin and him?
Ye Hua brushed his robes, "Well, it's time to reschedule the meeting, "
Ye Hua cloud jumped to the peach forest with Jia Yun and Tian Shu trailing behind him. The minute he landed there, a wave of nostalgia washed over him. The place reminded him of Zhao Ge's home in the peach orchard.
Miles upon miles of peach trees surrounded a little wooden hut. Ye Hua could imagine it already. Zhao Ge came home from a day of hard work, carrying a bag of her favourite snacks from the market. She would greet him at the door and hug him with a brilliant smile on her face.
He quickly shook that memory away, unable to afford to be sentimental. Ye Hua had never been to the peach forest before. Mo Yuan only mentioned the High God to Ye Hua a few times. He visited him once in a while, but he never once brought Ye Hua along.
It was the first time Ye Hua realised that his brother wasn't exactly truthful to him. How many things were Mo Yuan hiding from him?
In the middle of the clearing, sat a man by a rose marble table. The man wore a soft pink robe that matched with the petals falling around him.
Ye Hua walked up to him, "Excuse me, High God Zhe Yan?"
The man faced his back at him. He didn't even bother to look at Ye Hua. He dismissed him without a single glance, "Leave. I don't care how sick your loved one is, "
Ye Hua eyed his attendants, he bowed down again, "I'm not here for that, "
The High God turned around with frustration, "What are you here for?"
His eyes widened when he saw Ye Hua, "Mo Yuan…"
"It's Ye Hua, actually, " Ye Hua said, "I'm his brother, "
"Right, " Zhe Yan blinked, " I had been asking for you for days,"
"I'm terribly sorry," Ye Hua apologised, "I have been busy dealing with my brother's passing,"
Zhe Yan sighed, "I understand. I too had to learn the death of my friend through unorthodox means,"
He gestured Ye Hua to sit by his side, "Mo Yuan had brought you here once as a babe, I guess you don't remember,"
Ye Hua shook his head. Zhe Yan eyed him up and down, "Now, look at you. All grown up, making your brother proud, "
Ye Hua nodded, "Thank you, "
"Where are my manners," Zhe Yan called out, "Xiao Wu, we have guests,"
"Do you have servants here? I presume you live alone," Ye Hua asked.
"No. Not servants. It's just my ward," he explained, "I lost her a long time ago. But fate had brought us back together again, "
"That's great. You must have been glad,"
Zhe Yan said, "These past few millennia have been extremely hard for me. I had lost one of my closest friends and decided to cut off from the world. Your brother visited me from time to time. And now, I'm so glad you're here, Ye Hua. Mo Yuan had told me all about you…"
The High God's eyes turned misty. Maybe Ye Hua should cut to the chase before he rambled on.
"High God, the reason I came here today is to-"
The sound of shattered porcelain interrupted Ye Hua's words. He turned to see Bai Qian standing stunned at a distance.
A wave of emotions washed over Ye Hua when he saw her standing there, wearing a flowing white dress, her hair pinned up by a single blossom branch. First, surprise, then bewilderment, relief. After that, there was bitterness, resentment and anger.
Ye Hua stood up and summoned his sword, Bai Qian did the smart thing and ran away. He got up on his feet and chased after her, ignoring the High God's commands to stop.
Bai Qian ran into the forest. Ye Hua went after her, his cape billowing in the winds. She jumped from tree to tree, trying to throw Ye Hua off her tail.
A shimmer of light surrounded her body. Ye Hua immediately knew she was about to transform. If she did, it would be impossible for Ye Hua to catch up to her.
He summoned a magical rope and urged it in her direction. The robe wrapped around her, restricting her arms to her body. Bai Qian dropped down to the floor, utterly defenceless.
Ye Hua stood before her once again. His sword pointed directly at her throat. "Nowhere to run now," he sneered.
Bai Qian glared up at him. Tears rimmed her eyes. A part of him softened at the sight of her.
"Ye Hua," she croaked out, "Why are you doing this?"
Ye Hua tightened his grip on his hilt, "You know exactly why,"
He had softened once before, and he couldn't afford to do it again. The price was too high. Ye Hua raised his sword high, ready to strike.
A burst of magic blasted Ye Hua's sword out of his hand. It embedded itself into a tree trunk. Ye Hua was surprised to see that Zhe Yan was the spellcaster.
Jia Yun and Tian Shu caught up to them. They pulled her up from the ground while she struggled against them.
"Who are these two jerks!" She glared at them.
"These are my assistants,"
"Since when did you get assistants?"
Tian Shu spoke up, "What are we supposed to do with her, your-"
Ye Hua raised his hand and shook his head. The two of them got the message.
"What do you think you're doing," Zhe Yan asked in a steely voice.
"Apprehending this demoness, " Ye Hua declared, "She had caused a lot of trouble in the mortal realm, "
"No, you are the one in trouble, " Zhe Yan called out, "You're apprehending my ward in my territory, "
Ye Hua looked between Zhe Yan and Bai Qian, confusion displayed on his face. "She is your ward?"
"Fox Emperor Bai Zhi's youngest daughter, Bai Qian, " Zhe Yan explained, "Her father and I grew up together, "
Bai Qian raised her shoulders, "Don't look at me. I only found out days ago, "
"Since all of her family members are gone now, " Zhe Yan declared, "That puts her in my responsibility. Tell me what she has done in adherence to your capture, "
Bai Qian looked down. She had the nerve to pretend that she had regrets.
"For the past few thousand years, she has killed thousands of innocent mortals. Destroyed multiple towns and villages," Ye Hua listed out, "disrupted my mortal trial-"
Bai Qian wanted to speak up to interrupt him, but a single glare from Ye Hua had her shut up. He continued, "And was responsible for Mo Yuan's death,"
Bai Qian's whole body seemed to have shrunken down. Did she really think acting pitiful would get Ye Hua to go easy on her?
"I knew that," Zhe Yan said.
Ye Hua's eyes widened, "You knew? And you didn't report her to the nine heavens?"
"That's the reason you're here," Zhe Yan explained.
"So you have no problem with me taking her to the demon sealing pagoda?"
At that word, Bai Qian complained, "Zhe Yan-"
The high god raised his hand. She shut up.
"I asked you here to tell you that she will be serving her sentence here in my peach forest," Zhe Yan clarified, "She will be here doing odd jobs. Picking peaches, tending my trees, brewing my wine,"
How's that a punishment? Ye Hua wanted to protest. However, he straightened himself, "That's highly unorthodox. The demoness must face justice in the heavenly court, "
"Justice in which you will serve unfairly," Yan said, "you're too involved with her. I knew all about your little couplings with her in the mortal realm, "
Jia Yun and Tian Shu both looked at Ye Hua with judgement. Bai Qian's face blushed red like an apple.
"I reincarnated," Ye Hua protested, "If I knew I wouldn't have-"
"Have what!" Bai Qian called out, "You proposed to me two times!"
Ye Hua's ears turned red, "You- forget it! "
He faced the high god again, "The main reason I'm here is to ask for the peaches of immortality for the Western Queen's banquet, "
Ye Hua proceeded to explain the complication up in the nine heavens. "We need those peaches, High God, "
"Why should I give you these peaches while you have my ward bound?"
"I'm not going to let you keep her here," Ye Hua insisted, "She's going to the demon sealing pagoda, whether you like it or not. "
Zhe Yan straightened his sleeves, "Then I'm afraid, I can't give them to you, "
"The peaches or my ward, " Zhe Yan insisted, "Your choice, "
The High God had left Ye Hua in a hard position. If he took Bai Qian, he would be risking the lives of dozens of immortals. If he let her go, he may never have the chance to capture her again.
Ye Hua picked the most obvious choice. He raised his hand, his star lords released her, and the binds disappeared.
"Ye Hua, I…" she tried to say, but he had none of it. Ye Hua ignored her and turned his attention to Zhe Yan.
"The peaches?"
The high god rolled his hand, "Bai Qian will take you there,"
"What!" They both looked at each other and protested, "Wait-"
Zhe Yan went in a puff of white smoke.
And that was the reason Ye Hua never liked high gods much. He glared at Bai Qian, "Do you know where they are?"
She nodded, "Yes, but-"
"Tian Shu, " Ye Hua ordered, "Cuff her hands, "
"What! Why!" She protested as a rope bounded around her hands.
"Just in case you try anything, " Ye Hua said, "We will let you go once we get them. Now, where are the peaches?"
Bai Qian glared at all three of them, her gaze was sharp enough to pierce armour, "I want something out of this, "
"You have no right to bargain with me, "
"Yes, I do. Unless you want to wander around here and never find those peaches," Bai Qian said, "Let me remind you that this forest is ten miles wide,"
His two-star lords looked up at him. Ye Hua could tell both of them didn't want to wander here forever.
"Fine, " Ye Hua tucked his hands into his sleeves, "What you want,"
"I want to extract a promise from you, "
"What promise?"
"I'll let you know once we get those peaches, "
"Very well," Ye Hua agreed, "Lead the way, vixen. "
Bai Qian guided them to the west with Tian Shu and Jia Yun by her side, while Ye Hua walked in front.
"Turn left, " she said, "Walk straight until you see a giant boulder, "
They turned and continued walking.
"How do you know your way around the forest?" Ye Hua asked her.
"Apparently, I always had an intuition around the forest. Zhe Yan said I used to always come here as a child, " she said.
"Not all the peaches here are the same. Some are magical, while others are just ordinary peaches," Bai Qian explained. She pointed at the particularly big peach on a tree, "that one over there is cultivating a child. "
"A peach baby?" Tian Shu asked.
"Zhe Yan said a barren couple in the mortal realm would receive it, " she said, "I'm not allowed to touch it, "
She pointed at another tree, "And that fruit from that tree can make you-"
Ye Hua couldn't care much about these random facts, so he turned to face her, "How did you end up here anyway?"
"The river washed me here," Bai Qian explained, "Zhe Yan found me and took care of me,"
She pointed to another tree, "That one over there turns you into a-"
"Stop, " Ye Hua said, "Just take us to the peaches, "
Bai Qian leaned in and whispered to Tian Shu, "Dear ancestor, he's grumpy. Was he always like this?"
"I honestly don't know," Tian Shu said, "I only started working for him last week. "
"I heard he's usually very nice," Jia Yun said, "but I wasn't expecting this…"
Ye Hua shot him with a glare, Jia Yun shut up.
But Bai Qian continued talking, "You know Ye Hua is a total sweetheart when he's a mortal-, "
Ye Hua raised his hand.
"You don't talk to my assistant," Ye Hua warned, "You don't patronise them, nor gossip with them. You do not flirt with them, "
A smirk appeared on Bai Qian's face, "Who said anything about flirting? The only person I'm flirting with now is you, "
Ye Hua's ears turned red. Ye Hua was a nice man. He always has been, Mo Yuan taught him to treat others with courtesy as he would treat himself. Ye Hua wasn't grumpy, irritable, or short-tempered. Even if he was, it was because of Bai Qian.
"Well, you're certainly protective of your assistants," she commented.
"Everyone should be wary of you," Ye Hua added.
"How did you get assistants anyway?"
"I got them for my work in the mortal realm," Ye Hua answered.
"For our work in the mortal realm," she corrected.
Ye Hua was offended, "I did all the hard work, "
"I gave you the idea, "
She did.
"I helped you organise the construction project,"
She did.
"I fed your workers and everyone who needed it, "
She did.
Ye Hua hated to admit it, but he really couldn't have done it without her. He wanted to punch that smug look on her face.
"Why should you care anyway," Ye Hua retorted, "It was all just an act to you anyway,"
The expression on her face looked shattered, and then she looked enraged, "You think all I did down there was an act?"
"Yes, " Ye Hua admitted, "I don't know why yet. But I'm sure you had an ulterior motive, "
"What ulterior motive, " Bai Qian said, "I had nothing to gain from it. I did all those things because I wanted to!"
Ye Hua refused to believe her and glared down at her. Bai Qian stormed off.
"Where are you going!" He yelled, "Get back here!"
"To get your dumb peaches, " she yelled back, "Try to catch up,"
Both Tian Shu and Jia Yun looked at him and leaned in, "My Lord. Whatever history you had with her, can you please try not to piss off our guide, "
After that comment, they ran up to catch up on her.
What day was it today? Pick on Ye Hua day. Why was everyone going against him? Why couldn't he control his emotions around her?
It took a while for Ye Hua to catch up to them. During that time, Bai Qian took advantage of his absence. He saw her laughing and joking around with Jia Yun and Tian Shu. Was she always this friendly with men?
"And then I kicked his butt-Hey!" She said. Ye Hua grabbed Bai Qian by her hands and pulled away from them.
They walked half a mile like this. Ye Hua's grip on Bai Qian's hands was tight as if a part of him was afraid she would slip away again. He would never understand why Bai Qian fell into the river. Why would she be so cruel to leave him alone?
"Ye Hua…" Bai Qian whimpered. Ye Hua noticed her hands were turning purple. He loosened his grip. Bai Qian shook her hand to get her circulation back, "Man, you're easily jealous, "
"I'm not jealous!" He retorted.
His men raised their eyebrows at him.
"I'm just protecting them from you! You're manipulative, cunning and malicious," Ye Hua insisted.
"Well, you're judgmental, temperamental and indecisive," she retorted.
That word stung him, "Indecisive!"
"Yeah," she yelled, "You should have killed me in the first place,"
"Maybe I should have! That was the worst decision I ever made!"
"If you think so," she screamed, "Why didn't you kill me!"
Ye Hua was once again stunned by that question and noticed tears rimmed her eyes. There was a quiver on her lips. His men looked on with nervous expressions on their faces.
Ye Hua lowered his stance, saying, "Let's just continue on with the journey, "
Bai Qian brushed past him, knocking her shoulder against him, "Head west, "
Tian Shu patted him on his shoulder, "Come on, Sire, "
They continued on the journey. Bai Qian walked by his side. Occasionally her body would brush against his. Ye Hua tucked his hand into his sleeves. It felt like old times, where he got home early, and they would take a walk around the peach orchard back home.
Zhao Ge wanted to start a family with her. He eagerly waited for their wedding ever since she uttered the words out her lips. People had warned him about her, telling him that she wasn't what she seemed. Zhao Ge didn't care. He just wanted to be with her.
Right now, he had found her again. Part of him wanted to hold on to her tight and never let go. Zhao Ge wanted to, but Ye Hua couldn't. After today, he wouldn't be seeing her again. He might as well ask the question that had been nagging in his mind all-day.
"Bai Qian, did you know what happened to your family? "
"No," she simply said.
"Why not?"
"Whatever it was, it didn't matter, "
"How could it not?" Ye Hua asked, "It's your family. Don't you want to know why they are gone?"
"They are nothing to me, Ye Hua," she said, "just titles. Even if I care, I can't get it back. I drank the soup of forgetfulness, "
"Didn't you ask Zhe Yan?" Ye Hua asked.
She shook her head, "Zhe Yan said he didn't know what happened to them. He just found them dead in the fox cave. He couldn't find my body and had been searching for me ever since,"
"Didn't my brother tell him what happened?"
A sour expression appeared on her face, "Mo Yuan told him that it was my aunt who killed them. That's impossible, how could one harm their own family?"
Easy, for power, jealousy, or love. This concept wasn't strange to Ye Hua. He was surprised that it was foreign to Bai Qian.
"Your aunt has done a lot of horrible things," he commented.
"Yeah, true, but Gu Gu told me that family meant everything to her. Why would she hurt them?"
"She killed her husband, "
"No, he committed suicide, " Bai Qian said, "I know she had done horrible things, but she would never hurt her family, "
Ye Hua wanted to yell. If she didn't, who did? Instead, he asked, "If you know, why do you keep following her?"
"Ye Hua, she's my aunt. I had no one else to go to, " she said, "You wouldn't understand,"
Bai Qian was right. Ye Hua couldn't understand. When Mo Yuan was gone, Ye Hua had the support of Le Xu, Lian Song and the rest of the Kunlun Disciples. Bai Qian really had no one.
"There is a way for you to get your memory back," Ye Hua stated. Bai Qian stopped in her tracks.
"When immortals drank from the soup of forgetfulness, the memories weren't completely wiped clean, instead kept in our subconscious. It would leak out from time to time in the form of instinct or dreams," Ye Hua explained.
"As you did, " Bai Qian concluded. Yes, but since when did they leak out? If he did, he wouldn't have married her.
"Yeah…" Ye Hua continued, "If you meditate hard enough you can access them once again,"
Bai Qian swiped her hair behind her ear, "I'm not much for meditation,"
"I can guide you through it," Ye Hua offered.
" I'm not sure, there must be a good reason why I drank the soup," she murmured. That just made Ye Hua even more curious.
He handed her a copper mirror, "Tell me if you ever change your mind,"
Bai Qian tried her best to hold it with her bounded wrist. She studied it, "It's just a mirror, "
"A magical mirror," Ye Hua said, "Say my name out loud, and you can communicate with me whenever you like, no matter how far I am, "
"Really?" Her eyes widened. Bai Qian pressed the mirror against her heart, "Can we still talk?"
She was looking at him with big watery and hopeful eyes. Ye Hua fought the urge to hold her by her cheek. He coughed, "Just for that, nothing else,"
"Oh," she disappointedly stuffed the mirror into her coat.
"How long until we reach the peaches?" Ye Hua asked.
Bai Qian bit her lips, "Just a turn here,"
True to her words, the trees bearing the peaches of immortality were just around the corner. They were two times the size of a human head, weighing down on their branches. Ye Hua counted, there were just enough for them to host a banquet.
Jia Yun and Tian Shu got to work immediately. They summoned crates under the trees and began picking them.
Ye Hua looked down at Bai Qian and released her binds. "Thank you, Bai Qian,"
She avoided his gaze and pouted her lips. Ye Hua forced a smile, "Thank you, Qian Qian,"
The smile she gave him was the brightest thing he had seen all week.
"I'll go help your men," she dashed away.
All four of them picked and loaded the peaches into the crates. Jia Yun tried to stop him, "Sire," he whispered, "This is inappropriate, "
"Nonsense, " Ye Hua insisted, "A bit of tough work like this won't hurt me, "
He noticed Bai Qian was struggling to pick a fruit from a high branch. By instinct, Ye Hua went up to her and grabbed her waist. He lifted her up, just enough for her to pick the peach.
Ye Hua put her down gently and gave her a small smile. Bai Qian brushed her hair behind her ear, and her cheeks blushed pink.
"You know I never had one of these before," Bai Qian said, cupping a peach in her hands, "Why do gods eat them anyway?"
Ye Hua took it from Bai Qian, "There's no such thing as true immortality, we all would succumb to the void eventually. But there are ways to delay it, "
He listed down, "The gods use medication, cultivation and the peaches, "
"And demons?" She asked with a slight whimper in her voice.
Ye Hua passed the peach to Tian Shu, "You don't need me to tell you that, "
Ye Hua turned to walk away, but Bai Qian grabbed his hand to stop him, "The souls I took, they are all gone now. I haven't taken one in nearly a decade,"
Why was she telling him this? Was she trying to seek his approval? Did she think that would lessen her crimes? That Ye Hua would forgive her?
He pulled his hand back to his sleeves, "That's an improvement, "
She leaned closer to him, her eyes sparkled, "You think so?"
Ye Hua gave her a small smile, "Yes, "
When they finally finished, the three men gave Bai Qian a slight nod. "Thank you again, Bai Qian, "
Before they left, Bai Qian stopped him, "Ye Hua, wait. The promise I asked for,"
"Of course," Ye Hua dismissed his men and asked them to go back to the Nine Heavens first.
Now, it was just Ye Hua and Bai Qian alone in the forest. She stepped closer and closer to him until they were barely inches away from each other. She reached out to hold his hand, "Ye Hua, remember the promise you made me on that mountain top?"
He remembered.
He recalled a haze from their kiss, from the utter bliss of having her by his side. He was at the top of the world. Ye Hua remembered the vow Zhao Ge made to her.
They recited the vow out in unison, "I will find you in the next life, and fell in love with you all over again, "
At the end of the sentence, Ye Hua's heart turned heavy. Bai Qian looked up at him with her big onyx eyes, "I intend for you to keep that promise, "
Before Ye Hua could say anything, Bai Qian reached out and kissed him.