Fanfiction: Mo Yuan and Shao Wan - Chapter 62 (Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms 三生三世十里桃花)

Chapter 62

written by kakashi
edited by Panda

When Father Immortal was dying, the Heavens wept for days and the Earth shook in sorrow. The passing of an Old one was the end of an era, an utterly devastating event. But is also was a time of reckoning. The frightening reminder that even their lives would eventually end, made many inhabitants of the immortal realms reconsider their ways and led, at least temporarily, to an upsurge in the eight virtues: filial piety, sibling harmony, dedication, trustworthiness, propriety, sacrifice, honor, and a sense of shame.

At his father’s deathbed, Mo Yuan felt numb more than anything else. As Fuxi’s son, he had worked relentlessly at becoming a paragon of virtue; he did not need to correct his ways like so many others. In his 95’000 years of existence, he had never once brought his parents shame. He was without fault, without desires, without untoward emotions. If this was a time of reckoning, it was to confirm that Mo Yuan had not wasted his immortal life with trifling matters.

When his tired father gave him the Celestial fetus in form of the Golden Lotus and implored him to keep his brother safe at all cost, Mo Yuan felt immensely grateful to be entrusted with such an important task. In that last moment, presented with his father’s guilt, he felt his parent’s love more clearly than ever before. His heart swelled: he was ready for what was inevitably coming.

After saying “this is my only wish,” his father closed his eyes with a sigh and leaned back on his cushions to wait for the end. Mo Yuan bowed his head in reverence, saying his farewells in his heart. All fell quiet. Mo Yuan remained kneeling and bowing, listening to his father’s quiet breathing.

“Mo Yuan,” Father Immortal suddenly whispered, “my son.”

Mo Yuan lifted his head and moved closer.

“Mo Yuan,” Fuxi said, “I am leaving you with heavy burdens, but I know you are strong enough. I am glad you never coveted to rule the Heavens. It is not for you.”

Mo Yuan bowed again. It was true, and he would say this to everyone without even a trace of envy, Donghua was perfect for this task. In fact, Mo Yuan would be forever grateful he was not the one who had to rule.

“You will be worshipped by all as Taoist Master on the holy mountain of Kunlun, pillar of the sky,“ his father continued, “all the realms will look to you as an example. Do not falter. Do never waver. Always be virtuous.”

His father made a pause during which his breathing turned even fainter. Mo Yuan was suddenly moved to take his father’s hand, but he did not dare to.

“You can never be weak,” Father Immortal whispered, “as my son, you have to carry the fate of the realms on your shoulders. If you stumble, the realms will as well. In that direction lies calamity.”

“I will do what you command, father,” Mo Yuan murmured, “I will not disappoint you.”

“I do not doubt it,” Father Immortal said, “yet, you have a fatal flaw you need to overcome.”

A flaw? Mo Yuan looked up in shock.

“You have purged yourself entirely from the seven emotions and the six desires as is expected of you, but you have only succeeded in developing an iron will, without ever finding and removing the seed of your true weakness. If you control emotions forcibly without digging out the root, you control nothing but outgrowth. This is like a flood of water: if you try to dam it without stopping the source or clearing the flow, eventually you will be drowned.”

“Father, please teach me the right way,” Mo Yuan said, suddenly feeling anxious. Why had his father not spoken up about this before?

“You must…,” Father Immortals voice faltered, “you must learn how to feel and desire and still follow the right path.”

“Father…”

“To be perfect means to be imperfect. Do you understand?”

Shortly after, Father Immortal closed his eyes forever and scattered into the Nothingness. 

***

Ye Hua was happily making a drawing of the radiant Bai Qian by the Lotus Pond when the awareness of unleashed power hit him like a lightning strike. His hand instantly dropped the brush and shot to his heart. An involuntary grunt escaped his lips as his fingers clasped the fabric of his black robe.

It was not so much pain but surprise that made him react like this, but Bai Qian was by his side in a heartbeat, clutching his arm. “Is it Shifu again,” she yelled in alarm, shaking him, “is he in agony?”

Ye Hua shook his head, not even feeling jealous she was asking after another man and not himself, and quickly withdrew his hand from his chest to put it reassuringly on top of hers. She had been so very displeased with him the last time he had not told her about Mo Yuan, he really did not want to go through a period of such punishment again. He would do much better this time.

“Dragon power,” he said, trying to make his voice sound normal, though there were urgent questions racing through his head, “Mo Yuan has transformed in the mortal realm. I have to see Tianjun.”

He got up and straightened his black robes, attempting to appear collected and calm. He smiled reassuringly at Qian Qian, hoping she would just settle back down, but of course she would not: She put on her defiant face and got ready to follow him. Ye Hua started to walk along the marmoreal pathway towards the Dragon Palace with long strides, Bai Qian keeping up next to him. Ye Hua had experienced how much she and his grandfather disagreed about everything so he tried to keep their meetings and the always following tensions to a minimum. He knew it would cost him little to take her along now, but how would he keep her from following him down to the mortal realm? Would he have to conjure his blue chains again to tie her against her will?

At the bottom of the stairs to the Palace, they ran into his father and Lian Song who looked as concerned as he felt, quite clearly also startled by the strong and sustained feeling of dragon power. It was the first time Ye Hua felt another member of the Dragon Family transform, so he had questions, for example: was it normally so...intense? Yet, the little group did not speak beyond the necessary greetings and rushed up the stairs and into the Dragon Hall, where Tianjun was already awaiting their arrival.

“Who is informed of High God Mo Yuan’s intentions and whereabouts?” the Heavenly Lord asked them after their ceremonial greetings.

“Nobody,” Lian Song murmured softly under his breath, “he always does exactly what he wants.”

Ye Hua politely denied any special knowledge about Mo Yuan's recent plans when Heavenly Lord asked him directly. He didn't show it, but he was getting increasingly anxious. He was the one Celestial who had experienced the time trap in excess and to his great chagrin - the longer they stood here exchanging polite words, the longer Mo Yuan was battling something in the mortal realm, all by himself.

“Do we need to be concerned?” the Heavenly Lord asked the group.

“Most certainly,” Lian Song murmured again. Ye Hua threw him a look from the side and Bai Qian’s head shot up.

“What do you mean, Third Uncle,” she said loudly, “why do we need to be concerned?”

“Ah, well,” Lian Song began, “it’s just…” he pulled a face.

“Speak up!” Tianjun ordered.

Lian Song straightening and frowned: “I just remember one of the last times High God Mo Yuan transformed…”

Bai Qian looked extremely alarmed now and she turned to Ye Hua with a look on her face that was both determination and fear.

“I will go and find High God Mo Yuan in the mortal realm with your permission, Tianjun,” Ye Hua quickly said with the required bow. “If he needs help, I will offer it.”

Bai Qian was about to say something, but Ye Hua shot her a warning look and she pressed her lips together despite herself. By now, she had learned to keep quiet in situations such as this one when cued at the right time, but Ye Hua knew there was an argument coming as soon as they were in private.

With permission granted and farewells uttered, Ye Hua hurried down the stairs again. “Third Uncle,” he said once they reached the bottom, “please explain.”

“I wouldn’t dare speak of the God of War in a disrespecting manner,” Lian Song said, “however…”

Yang Cuo cleared his throat. “We cannot be disrespectful to the son of Fuxi. We will not speak about this matter!”

Bai Qian rolled her eyes and tugged at Ye Hua’s sleeve. “Follow me, Ye Hua,” she whispered, “I know who will speak.”

She headed straight for Taichen Palace with him. Dijun was away for the summer, but Star Lord Si Ming appeared immediately upon their arrival. As did Lian Song. And Cheng Yu. Ye Hua felt like screaming hurry up! Mo Yuan was still in dragon form, many incense sticks must have passed down below.

“My apologies,” Lian Song said, “my brother is very strict on the rules, as you know, and I did not feel like being punished again.”

Cheng Yu snorted. “Once a wimp, always a wimp. Everybody enjoys a bit of lightning punishment from time to time, except you.”

Lian Song pressed his lips together. Apparently, he was in no joking mood today.

“Uncle, we are losing time. He might need help,” Ye Hua quickly said before Bai Qian could explode. How would he even find him? Would he be able to follow the source of power?

“It is a situation that merits the breach of etiquette,” Star Lord Si Ming said without his usual smirk, “it is not likely that High God Mo Yuan chooses to transform into Dragon Form until it is absolutely necessary.”

Lian Song nodded. “Please, Ye Hua, if High God Mo Yuan finds out I talked about him and directs his anger at me, will you put in a good word for me?”

Ye Hua nodded impatiently.

“As all of us here know,” said the Third Prince, “we can transform into our true forms at will. It is a bodily transformation mainly, whereby we retain full control and all our memories. However, for the Dragon family, and I think that sets us apart from other families, there is a certain… unpleasantness, sometimes, especially when we are out of practice, because dragons are immensely powerful and their uncultivated minds can be hard to control.”

Ye Hua nodded again. True, transforming was seen as a necessity only when battling very strong enemies - becoming a dragon was nothing that was coveted by the refined royals of the Heavens. The animal instincts could be rather strong; controlling them sometimes created a headache afterwards similar to the one far too much wine caused.

“High God Mo Yuan has always been more interested in understanding the aspects of transformation and control than any other member of the Dragon family. When he was younger, he used to experiment a lot. And he found a way to give his dragon mind almost full control, thus harnessing its destructive power to a much larger degree than any Dragon before and after him.”

Bai Qian looked puzzled. The Fox Clan transformed into their true forms very often, for example when they wanted to feel more comfortable or run around to cause mischief. Their human forms also retained a lot from their fox nature, certainly one of the reasons why Ye Hua found his Qian Qian so extremely alluring. A member of the Dragon family on the other hand transformed hardly ever and worked quite hard to keep most of the traits of the dragon nature at bay. If it was true that Mo Yuan let his dragon nature rule when he transformed, Ye Hua was not surprised the feeling he picked up from Mo Yuan was very, very strong - to the point of being unsettling.

“That cannot be the whole story,” Ye Hua remarked.

Lian Song shook his head. “Indeed,” he took a deep breath. “He once destroyed an entire world in dragon form. Because he lost control.”

Bai Qian gasped. Ye Hua frowned.

“It was quite…an issue. He hasn’t transformed often since,” Lian Song said gravely.

“It was one of my predecessors failings,” Si Ming interjected, “that led to this calamity.”

“It would certainly help if you people lost control a bit more frequently rather than thinking it is a crime,” Bai Qian snapped at Ye Hua while Cheng Yu nodded furiously in the background. How is this my fault now? Ye Hua wanted to ask his wife, but they had no time for an argument and he did not want the three greedy gossipers to witnesses a row between them.

“I will have to find him, quickly,” Ye Hua said, “he is still in dragon form, so he is still battling whatever enemy he could not fight in human form. It seems serious.”

Lian Song nodded. “I am sure he will appreciate your help, Ye Hua.”

“I will come with you!” Bai Qian said. Ye Hua steeled himself. He had known this moment would come, but that did not mean he was prepared. What now?

“Do you want Da-Ge to rip my head off when he sees you in danger?” he wanted to ask his wife, since he was quite sure Mo Yuan would not be at his best behavior after transforming back. Ye Hua knew how confusing it was afterwards, how dragon feelings continued to echo within oneself, sometimes for days.

Unexpectedly, it was Cheng Yu who came to his aid before he could say something. “Crown Princess, you cannot go,” she said firmly. “Please consider your pregnancy. If High God Mo Yuan transformed, the situation is dire.”

“Yes,” Lian Song followed up, “and be aware that Dragons are not earthbound like your true form. They can travel across different worlds very quickly, how would you follow?”

Ye Hua felt like smiling at his Uncle for being so smart. If there was one thing that could keep Bai Qian here, then it was her concern that she would be an obstacle for Ye Hua and Mo Yuan. Qian Qian looked angry, but he saw in her eyes that she was thinking about this matter and that made him hopeful. He decided to stay quiet instead of taking the same line and thankfully, it paid off.

“If anything happens to him I will hold you responsible,” Bai Qian said to him and her lower lip quivered.

Ye Hua made one big step in her direction and hugged her tightly against his chest. “Qian Qian,” he whispered into her ear, “he is as dear to me as he is to you. He is my only brother who spent 230’000 years looking after my unborn spirit. I won’t let anything happen to him, I promise.”

Qian Qian nodded, her lips a tight line. Ye Hua put his hands on her belly. “Our second child will be born into a peaceful world, my love. That I promise you too.”

“Please return swiftly,” she replied bravely and pressed his hands, “I will count the seconds.”

Ye Hua nodded to everyone and jumped on a cloud.

***

His brother’s dragon presence was like a beacon made from energy, so Ye Hua had thought he would be easy to find. However, his brother was also moving around at high speed and in erratic patterns. What at first had seemed an easy task soon left Ye Hua frustrated. Too long … it was all taking too long.

In desperation, Ye Hua transformed as well.

Even in dragon form, it took a while to find Mo Yuan, because as time progressed, the energy he emitted became much less intense and more irregular. Why that was the case became immediately obvious when the increasingly anxious Ye Hua finally laid eyes on his brother.

Mo Yuan the Dragon lay in a large pool of blood high up in the mountains of a small, poor world, a splendid, huge Phoenix intertwined with him. Mo Yuan’s claws were in her body and her talons in his. It looked like the two beasts were hugging each other tightly, though they were clearly the cause of each other’s poorly state.

Roaring in anguish, Ye Hua touched down and transformed back into human form. He rushed forward to check for Mo Yuan’s pulse - he saw quickly and with considerable relief that both animals were still breathing, though they both showed no sign of consciousness. This is High Goddess Shao Wan, Ye Hua thought, carefully extending his hand towards her beak.

“Who’s there!” a high, shaking voice shouted and to Ye Hua’s great surprise, a mortal kid, dressed in little more than rags, jumped in front of him from behind a rock. The boy, his shaggy hair hanging into his face, held a large stone in his hand, ready to throw it at the intruder if necessary.

Ye Hua lifted his hands in a gesture of peace. Was the child not afraid? “I have come to help my brother,” Ye Hua said truthfully, since he did not know what else to say that would make more sense to a child of the mortal realms.

The boy quite rudely scrutinized him from head to toe - and to Ye Hua’s renewed surprise, there was something like recognition in his eyes, that puzzled look he knew so well from people who had known his brother first, as he bowed and murmured: “I did not know there were more of you.”

This boy knew Mo Yuan? How was that even possible?

“Who are you?” Ye Hua asked, thinking of scenarios that made sense, coming up with nothing.

“I am a Son of the Dragon,” said the little boy and puffed up importantly.

“I beg your pardon?” the Crown Prince of the Heavens asked and suddenly thought he must have come up against a confusion shield.

“I am a Son of the Dragon!” the little one repeated. “His son.” He pointed to Mo Yuan.

What? “That is ridiculous,” Ye Hua laughed.

The boy’s face darkened and he lifted the stone again. “Why you would laugh at us I do not know, but if you do not help him, I will get my elders and they will chase you away.”

Ye Hua frowned at the boy. It was remarkable: the tiny, powerless creature was indeed completely unafraid. Neither a huge, bleeding dragon, nor a huge, bleeding Phoenix, nor a God could faze him. A Son of the Dragon? Ye Hua shook his head, but he was less certain his denial was justified.

“I thank you for guarding my brother,” he said solemnly, and thought frantically about what to give the boy as a token of appreciation. He put his hand into his sleeve pocket and took out what was in there - one of A-Li’s caps. His boy had taken it off during his last sword practice with Si Yin and Ye Hua had picked it up to put back with A-Li’s other clothes later.

He offered the green cap to the mortal boy and the child took it with a little bow, looking grave and serious. “I thank you, brother of the Dragon. I will cherish this.”

The boy lingered when Ye Hua turned back to Mo Yuan and Shao Wan, watching everything with great attentiveness, but Ye Hua had more pressing issues to consider than the boy. How should he venture to take these huge beasts away from here? He thought about several options, then decided to conjure strong, blue ropes that he tied securely around them. It was easier than he had feared, since they were holding onto each other so tightly.

“Step back,” he told the boy - and transformed again.

The boy looked at him with interest. “You are smaller,” he observed, “and black. Thank you for coming to help. We were much afraid for the Golden Dragon. I will tell everyone that he will be alright.” And with that, the boy skipped away.

Ye Hua the Dragon looked after him until he disappeared behind some rocks and then slipped into the harnish he had made for himself when he still had skillful hands and fingers. It necessitated a lot of magick to lift the two beasts from the ground, they were much heavier than him, but once he was airborne and could use the clouds for help, he heaved a sigh of relief. He would get them to Zhe Yan in time.

Chapter 63