Fanfic: Mo Yuan and Shao Wan 2.0 - Chapter 31 (Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms 三生三世十里桃花)
Chapter 31
written by Pandaedited by kakashi & LigayaCroft
Tian Gu spat out blood from her mouth. Her hands furiously scrubbed her mass of hair as she worked to get out every last bit from her body. The smell, it hangs around still, she thought with a shudder. Finally clean, she hoped, she simply stood motionless in the waterfall and let the relentless fall of the water hit her shoulders and the noise cocoon her in its safety.
Past events still felt like a dream to her. Had they really done that? She must have been under a spell and now the enormity of what she had done hit her and she started trembling in the water.
I had no choice! I had to make a hard decision, she thought mulishly.
But… Forbidden Magic!
*Flashback*
By the time she finished the spell, she was so drained of power and had to be supported by an anxious looking Fong Hung.
“Disciple,” he urged her, “you have to gain back your strength now, the Jiàopài Huàn Zong are growing impatient and the God of War is already too weak. I am afraid they are going to completely drain him of his blood very soon.”
Weary, she closed her eyes and leaned on him; panting, almost faint from exhaustion. But his words burrowed themselves under her skin and she pushed herself off him and nodded to him to go and attend to the Crown Princess, who looked very confused and fragile. But she did not want to think about the ramifications of her actions. Shifu will have to understand! The end justifies the means, as Nineteenth has said.
Even as she staggered, she noticed that she already felt more power coursing through her. What is this place? she marveled. The amount of energy she had just expended was like none she had ever used before - she should be unconscious. But here she was, feeling stronger with each passing moment.
Eyes shining and bursting with renewed energy, she turned to Fong Hung and the two silent people that were next to him. “Let’s go save the God of War!”
“What of the Crown Princess?” he whispered back, shifting his eyes to her form.
“We can leave her here, I do not think she is fully aware of her surroundings yet.”
A mirthless laugh burst out from the Crown Princess, the first sound she had made since the soul merging. “Leave me here and I will flay your skin from hide to hide, Horse Princess.” Bai Qian stood up, her eyes shining - and with a shudder, Tian Gu felt that she was looking at the Ancestor and not the Crown Princess as she had never seen the latter give her such a look of scorn before.
“Do you honestly think you can handle the cult and rescue my Shifu alone?” Without waiting for an answer, she called out imperiously: “Fong Hung do not forget what I commanded you to do!”
“Yes, Ancestor.”
The Crown Princess reached out and snapped open her fan. She motioned to Fong Hung to lead the way, and they set off towards the Glaze Vermillion Chamber again.
Tian Gu grew convinced they were lost this time, they had made so many turns in the cavernous oppressive darkness. After countless bends, she was just about to turn to Fong Hung to ask if he truly knew the way when the smell hit her.
Copper. Blood.
Sickeningly it hung in the air, greater than she had previously experienced, even in the thick of the battlefield.
Her steps faltered as she realized what that meant. And as they rounded the last corner her eyes beheld the horror: Her Shifu in a half Golden Dragon state being bled fully now, his life essence gushing from him in fountains. With a battle cry, she charged towards the Soulswappers that were guarding him in fury, right behind the Crown Princess who had flown ahead of her.
Everything that happened next was a blur but when the white-hot rage cleared from her eyes, there were about two hundred Soulswappers incapacitated on the floor and the Crown Princess was next to Shifu, her once yellow gown a bright scarlet.
“Tian Gu,” the Crown Princess called to her, her eyes red with tears, the God of War’s head clasped in her embrace. “I cannot get these shackles off him. This is what is draining his energy, his life force. Can you help?”
Cautiously she approached the bonds and looked over them. She had never seen such instruments before but something in her felt she could unlock them, and even though the pain that arose from her using more of her powers almost knocked her down to her knees, she concentrated fully on the task at hand, knowing this was the only way to save her beloved Master.
With one last large focused attack, she finally heard the bindings break and she slid to the floor. Through half opened eyes, she watched the Crown Princess and Fong Hung bend over her Shifu and close his wounds. A golden shimmer went over him, as if his True Form was taking a deep breath.
Thank you Gods, he is still alive, she thought gratefully.
“Disciple, get up, we must take our leave now,” Fong Hung appeared next to her, his body vibrating anxiously.
She tried to stand up but abruptly collapsed again, completely spent. “I- I don’t think I can. Go away with Shifu, I will follow.”
“We cannot leave you here, Eighteenth!” Bai Qian pointed to Ying’Er. “Go and assist her to her feet. Hurry, Child!”
“HALT! HOW DARE YOU!” a new voice roared and with a sinking feeling, Tian Gu remembered who it belonged to - Yu Fén. Unfortunately, Tian Gu also heard the thundering of several other feet which meant she had brought in reinforcements. And in a few moments they were surrounded.
Yu Fén glared at them all, taking them in, an unhinged look on her face.
“How did you break these bonds? Nobody has the power to except the Supreme Leader.” Yu Fén looked at all of them speculatively with a malicious smile on her face but her eyes narrowed when she looked at Tian Gu.
“It must have been YOU” she spat out. “How dare you betray the Cult Leader? She said she had plans for you but I already argued that you would be useless. There is no reason in people who associate with Celestials.”
And without warning, Yu Fén aimed a beam of pure energy of a sickly green color at her.
Everything else that happened afterwards seemed to be in a time lapse. She saw the Crown Princess, who was unable to move because she held the God of War, throw her Fan instead to deflect the spell - but she was too late. Convinced she would die, Tian Gu closed her eyes. But right before darkness overtook her, she thought she heard a male voice roar and a dark figure push Yu Fén away.
*In the Present*
When she had come to, she surprisingly found herself in the Purple Queen’s abode, where she was told of Yue’s brave actions. Upon realizing male powers were suppressed in Soulswapper territory, he had gotten the Queen’s elite female guards to come to their aid. It was thanks to them they had been able to defeat the Soulswappers, although the top leaders - including her Mother, apparently - had escaped with Shifu’s blood.
The Purple Queen had also informed her that the Crown Princess and God of War had disappeared - Tian Gu smiled a little at this information, since she knew where they were headed. Her Shifu’s instructions for her was to stay put in the Demon Realm and await his return.
The only companions she had woken up to where what was left of the Turtle Clan People and the silent Ying’Er. The Purple Queen had cast a speculative look at the silent boy but had not probed further... which was good because Tian Gu had no answers to give. Of Yu Dian and Yue, they were both nowhere to be found although the Queen had nonchalantly answered her anxious question regarding their health and had simply told her, her nose wrinkled, that she needed a good bath. Hence, she had ventured out to find a nice place to wash the stink of battle off herself.
I must be all wrinkled like a prune now, she sighed to herself and finally stood up to leave the waterfall and prepare for bed. Tomorrow, I will ask more questions.
***
He sat next to her her, watching her breathe, her skin still slightly too pale, her long dark hair spread like the covering of a luxurious fur-coat around her, mingling with the coverlet such that it was difficult to say where one started and the other ended.
She was safe. But at such cost!
He had almost been too late in saving her. He had had a bad feeling all along about his sister’s reaction towards Tian Gu. She had shown such a virulent hatred of her from the very start that he felt bordered on a warped sense of jealousy. He suspected his sister could not stand the thought that the Leader had a daughter that she had such high plans for - instead of her. When he had cautiously suggested the idea, she had laughed viciously and told him he had a rich imagination - and yet, he had seen that she would have killed Tian Gu, even though the Cult Leader had ordered she be unharmed in all circumstances.
When the Purple Queen’s warriors had arrived, he had forcefully grabbed Yu Fén’s arms in the ensuing chaos and had implored her to flee as they were outnumbered. She had glared at him, her eyes full of hate and had spat at his feet before disappearing. His heart had cracked and yet...
Readjusting Tian Gu’s coverlet she had just kicked aside over her legs, he knew without a doubt he would have done the same thing over if the situation presented itself again.
When he lifted his gaze, his eyes suddenly looked into her warm brown ones and he jumped back in surprise.
“Yu Dian?” she whispered, her voice croaky, still dazed from sleep.
“Shhhh. Go back to sleep.” He tried to stand up.
“Yu Dian?” she whispered once more, this time more softly and grabbed his hand. “Thank you.”
He could not help himself. She looked so beautiful and unspoiled - she was so unlike him and his complicated past and future. And although he knew it was wrong, he leaned forward and kissed her. It was a safe kiss, one in which he did not even open his mouth, he just needed to feel her sweet softness.
He pulled back to look into her eyes - and slowly leaned in again when she did not pull away. He kissed her a second time and this time, she tentatively opened her lips to him. Taking that as an invitation, he partly lifted her from the bed and pulled her closer to him.
This kiss was different from the first one. He sought entrance into her mouth and when he got a tentative opening, he instantly drove his tongue in like a sword, aimed on conquering her. She gave a muffled moan and responded to his demands, the fire that he had been trying to douse all these days roaring to life.
Yu Dian pulled her up and into his lap, spreading her legs, nestling her center unto his hardness. She straddled him and he wrapped himself even more tightly around her. Her arms and shoulders were cold, but the spot between her legs was hot against him. Her breasts were soft against his chest and his body strained and slid against hers through her thin night shift.
He moved his mouth from her lips to another part that he had been aching to taste, her collarbone: and he licked it delicately like he was sipping nectar. A shiver passed through her and the motion rocked her even closely against him, her nipples as hard as pinpoints now.
He needed… more.
He started to pull away to tell her, but then hesitated with his hands on her buttocks. What if
she changed her mind? He pinched her buttock, and another long shiver passed through her. They felt so right in his hands, like the perfect shape and he molded them and pressed them firmly to him. He returned to her mouth and kissed her harder, deeper, longer as she rubbed herself against him and then, almost on their own volition, his fingers slipped beneath her pants and he found her hot and soft and wet.
He pushed one finger, and then two just a little bit inside of her, and she lost control almost instantly with a long moan, pressed up against him, his hand, and his hardness. He almost regretted it, but her response to him was enough to drive him over the edge too.
“Next time, we will have less clothes between us” he whispered after collecting himself. His heart started beating in trepidation when she didn’t reply and that feeling was only magnified when she lifted her head, sat down next to him with a small smile and took his hand in hers.
“Yu Dian, what happened between us was beautiful but-,” was as far as he let her get before he interrupted her. “But I am not the one, right?” He said harshly and cursed himself as her eyes began shining with unshed tears.
“No,” she whispered.
Pangu must be having a laugh at the fool that I am. Forever unlucky.
“I apologize for taking liberties, Princess. I assure you I will never do… anything like this again. If you will excuse me,” he said stiffly, trying to snatch his hand out of hers - but she would not release it.
“You don’t need to apologize. It was my first… it was beautiful and I will treasure it. And… I need you to promise we will still be friends after this,” she said and used her other hand to turn his face towards her until finally, he lifted his eyes to look into hers and smiled sadly.
“Friends, Tian Gu. Promise.” He stood up. “Now you really have to go back to bed. I will be gone in the morning before you wake up but,” he hurriedly finished as he saw she was about to protest, “I will be back in a week’s time. You should take full advantage of the Purple Queen’s hospitality.”
Shaking his head at her to sit back on the bed, he bent and gave her a peck on the check. “I will see myself out.” At the door, just before opening it, he said stubbornly. “He will come back in three days from his next mission.” And before she could make any reply, he was out of the door and closed it with a soft click.
***
She spent the next three days recuperating, engaging in some exercise with the Purple Queen’s elite guard and trying to make Ying’er talk. She had enjoyed the first two activities while she totally failed at the third. The boy refused to make a sound even though he gave a huge smile when she performed some tricks on the Demon Queen’s mediocre horse. Her body had hummed though as she counted down to the days when Yue would arrive back at the Palace.
When she had woken up the day after Yu Dian’s night visit, she had briefly hoped it had been a dream… but no, she had closed her eyes in mortification when she had realized it was all too real. Looking at herself in the mirror, she saw a hint of awareness in her gaze that had not been there before. Yes, it had taken this interlude to make her realize something important.
What had transpired had been beautiful, as she had told Yu Dian; but even at the height of her pleasure, she could not help feeling wrong and a little empty. She could take bodily pleasure with anyone, Tian Gu thought, but she wanted more. She wanted someone her entire person yearned for.
And that person had arrived just before dusk today.
Seemingly out of thin air, Ying’er had appeared and nodded his head at her while she was training, their pre-arranged signal - and she had made her apologies and departed. She had first gone for a long soak, this time opting for one of the Queen’s numerous saunas in her floral palace and had retired to her room to make more preparations.
Finally satisfied with her appearance, she left her room and walked swiftly but softly to Yue’s room and with a single knock, entered.
His eyes grew round in shock, and then, as so often, he affected a distant look towards her.
“How can I help you, Princess?” He asked politely and on another day, she would have been exasperated by his detached politeness - but not tonight. She was on a mission and by Pangu, nothing would stop her.
Emboldened, she moved closer to him.
His eyes darkened and she watched in fascination as his throat moved furiously.
“You, I want you, Yue.”
The closer she moved to him, the further he stepped back into the room until she gave a mad dash intending to fling herself on him, but not quite as planned, her weight toppled him over and the two of them fell on the hard floor with a loud crash. She froze on top of him, realizing this seduction was not exactly going the right way.
Remembering what she had learnt not long ago though, she wriggled experimentally on top of him, which had him instantly roll over and clasp her hand over her head, immobilizing her but not doing anything else. Just staring.
She gave a big sigh.
Immediately his eyes changed again, this time in concern.
“Are you hurt anywhere? Let me stand up-” the words ended in a drawn intake of breath when she wrestled her hands out of his and grabbed his buttocks.
Yue immediately froze. She was not sure what this meant exactly, but she was feeling things that had been hidden and confused for too long and were now eager to burst out into the open. Looking straight into the eyes of the man who lay on her as still as the famous rocks, she grabbed his buttocks once again and drew him flush against her while praying to the Old Gods that she was doing the right thing.
“Tian Gu,” his voice was as low and raspy as she had ever heard it and it sent a straight thrill down to her thighs. She unconsciously rubbed them together and on him, unplanned - and he gave a deep groan and reached out again to stop her movements.
Her heart sank like stone. She thought they had been playing the same game, that their heightened awareness of each other was mutual, but it seemed she had been wrong.
He did not want her.
Tears rushed into her eyes and she pushed at him. “Sorry, I got confused with everything.” He did not move, so she pushed him again, this time with some temper. “Please let me leave, I have made a big enough fool of myself.”
He held her tighter. “A fool of yourself?”
“You don’t have to belabour the fact that I do not know what I am doing! I am inexperienced and mistook our... thing for what it was not, now let go!”
He lifted his head and cupped the back of hers in one big hand, his eyes glinting with heat. “Not yet” he said, his voice once again raspy and he bent his head to capture her lips in his. His mouth was firm and hungry and when she gave another gasp at the sheer pleasure, his tongue slid in and started moving against hers.
Then he lifted his head. “You are not wrong. You are in my thoughts all the time. I get tongue tied when I see you, but know I am not who you are meant to be with. That doesn’t stop me from getting angry over any other man that gets to hold you like this, hold you this close.”
“Yue,” she whispered in surprise. Hearing him say those words made her heart bloom in delight.
“Tian Gu,” he breathed and once again they were kissing, the sensations in her stirring anew. This time, he took his time, kissing her languidly, almost lazily like he had all the time in the world and her mouth was his to explore for all eternity. All her sensations, all her focus was on his lips and the spell he was casting and she was panting from air when he broke it off and shifted to pull away. “Wait- What is wrong?”
“Nothing. But we must stop before it goes too far.”
“But… why?”
He let out a low groan. “Because you are a Princess! Not a lowly demoness that is looking for a quick tumble. I am nowhere near your equal and you deserve much better than me,” he exploded forcefully, the veins in his neck straining with each ground out word.
Her initial instinct was to yell at him for being such an overthinking fool, but then she calmed down and thought about what he had said deeply. Then, she shook her head. While true that they were far apart in many things, he was who she wanted. Recent events had shown that clearly.
She wanted him to be the man to vanquish her restlessness and need. “Yue,” she said as calmly as she could with trying to ignore the furious beat of her heart, “you are the only one I want. If you truly want me too, forget about all that stands in our way and let us look for how we can be together. I want this. Here. Now,” she said fixing a long stare at him.
Yue abruptly stood up and Tian Gu’s heart twisted bitterly. He is still too cautious, she thought bitterly. But it is good I tried, I would have regretted- the rest of her thoughts disappeared in a whiff as he lifted down and picked her up in one smooth move to put her down reverently on his bed.
“Yue-” she breathed heavily.
He pressed her down on the bed, his mouth nibbling and licking a path over her throat and collarbone. He got to her tunic and in one quick tug, undid it, baring her breasts and then stared at them.
Tian Gu flushed at the intense look in his eye, her center a molten core. She laughed shakily. “If you dare stop now-”
“Sssssssh. You are so beautiful,” he said, a growl of approval low in his throat. He made his way to her breasts, paying such careful attention to her nipples that she was writhing beneath him by the time he moved down to her stomach.
“So soft,” he murmured against her, his breath gently caressing her skin. But there was nothing gentle about him as his callused fingers peeled down and pushed away her pants. She was totally exposed to him and he gave another low growl of approval. Lowering his head, he put his mouth on her, using his lips and his tongue, making her arch up to him. She was crying out within minutes, her hands fisted in his hair as stars exploded behind her eyes.
Before she had even stopped shuddering, he had undressed, his sight making her moan. But he was already pushing inside of her, making her lose her breath. He gave her a moment to adjust to his size, then his mouth found hers again and she could taste herself on his tongue. It was wildly sensuous and so far out of her experience she could only dig her fingernails into his back and hold on.
He swallowed her cries as he thrust into her, the shock of the strange sensation eliciting a loud gasp from her. He stopped for a moment, the nerves in his neck strained, waiting for her to accustom herself again. When she impatiently moved against him, he gave her a wicked grin and ran a hand beneath her knee, lifting her leg up to wrap around him so he could get even deeper. Her senses were reduced to the rhythmic movements of his body, his mouth mimicking his body’s movements as he claimed her. She whimpered as the pressure built up in her and when he angled himself such that he hit her more shallowly, lost herself. She was deep in the throes when he joined her, shuddering in her arms, his hands digging hard into her hips as he lost himself in his pleasure.
In her.
Tearing his mouth from hers, he dropped his head into the crook of her neck, his broad shoulders rising and falling beneath her hands as he caught his breath.
He was still buried deep inside of her when he lifted his head to see her face.
“What?” she whispered.
“I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“I am better than okay, Yue.” she said with a smile. “No regrets.” she whispered. “I have heard breaking in horses helps with breaking the womanly barrier so I had less pain.”
“Good,” he whispered and dropped a kiss on her forehead before finally sliding out of her, a loss she immediately felt. Still basking in the afterglow, she snuggled next to him before she became aware that she felt slightly uncomfortable from the stickiness between her legs.
“I will just go wash up,” she whispered to him.
His eyes dark, he nodded at her and she went to her room, slightly uncomfortable yet proud of her soreness.
When she got back to his room, he was gone.
Chapter 32