From the Ashes of Love

Chapter 12

A shaft of morning light penetrated into the foyer of Zifangyun Palace through the tall window facing east. The Heavenly Emperor Runyu sat cross-legged on the floor at the center, contemplating a small potted plant in front of him.

"Runyu... he said his name was Runyu" the girl's voice echoed inside the mind of the Emperor.

Runyu jumped, startled. Then he remembered the scale that he had given her. The girl was already calling his name.

Runyu shook his head and then spoke to the plant, "She said you need sunlight, nourishing soil, water, and LOVE."

That last word caused him to raise an eyebrow.

"Let's see if I can keep you alive in the Heavenly Realm with the first three" Runyu said wryly.

He felt the soil in the pot, deciding it was a bit too dry. He pointed his finger in the direction of the plant and projected water into it. Then he stiffly rose from the floor, and carried the plant outside the front door.

"Could it be the SAME Runyu that the Storyteller told me about?" echoed the girl's voice inside his mind, startling him to the point that he almost dropped the pot.

The numerous beds of fake flowers in the front garden all seemed to be in full sunlight. He chose one close by, cleared a space in the center, and delicately placed the potted plant down.

"The Storyteller said that Runyu was the Heavenly Emperor, and that would make him a dragon" echoed the girl's voice again.

Runyu stopped for a minute, trying to recover his composure, before going back into the palace.

"Is Runyu the dragon I saw in the water? How did he make himself look human?" The girl's question echoed yet again.

Runyu sighed. This was going to get old.

As he proceeded to change clothes he thought about staffing. He had not brought any servants with him. Kuanglu had been in the background for over a millennia, taking care of his needs. He supposed that he could ask her for a servant, but he was reluctant to do that. The servant would most likely be a spy for her. Come to think of it, any servant in the Heavenly Realm was likely to be a spy for someone.

"Why not start fresh?" he thought to himself. "I'll get someone from the Mortal Realm." His mind immediately jumped to the girl from the Osmanthus grove.

"I need a servant who has no political affiliations" he told himself.

The girl certainly fit that description, except... there was the problem of Yanyou.

"Yanyou could possibly trick her into spying on me" he thought. Runyu felt a strong sense of disappointment.

"Unless... I keep the force field up so that no one can reach her to corrupt her purity." He liked that idea.

"I'll bring her to the Dream Realm tonight and ask her if she is willing to come work for me" he thought. "In the meantime I should check Pixiang Hall for the records of the Eight Immortals."

At Pixiang Hall he was surprised to run into the Grand Supreme Lord Lao.

"Your Majesty", said the Grand Supreme Lord with delight, "it is truly wonderful to see you out of the palace. Would you take tea with me?" he asked.

Runyu accepted graciously. This was a fortuitous encounter.

As they sat down to tea, the Grand Supreme Lord Lao asked Runyu, "What brought you to Pixiang Hall today, Your Majesty?"

Runyu replied, "I was searching for information about the Eight Immortals. Lord Lao, you are Lao-Tzu, the founder of Taoism?" He asked respectfully.

Lord Lao looked taken aback. "Why yes, Your Majesty" he replied. "Although that was long ago. What has brought your interest to the Eight Immortals?" he asked.

Runyu replied, "I have found a talent in the Mortal Realm that I wish to cultivate. I do not think one mortal lifetime is long enough to achieve the results I desire, and so I seek to make this person an Immortal. It is my understanding that all of the Eight Immortals began as mortals, and then achieved immortality through their own efforts. I would like to guide this person through that process. Do you have any advice for me?" he finished, looking to Lord Lao expectantly.

Lord Lao stared at the Heavenly Emperor, looking thunderstruck. Runyu could imagine his thoughts. 'How could it be that the Emperor of Heaven was walking around in the Mortal Realm fostering talented individuals?' It was unexpected behavior to say the least.

"You-Your Majesty" Lord Lao stumbled over the words, "forgive my surprise" he looked down awkwardly. "Um... yes! I have an elixir of powdered mica. I have perfected the recipe over the last few thousand years. I'll get it for you now." Lord Lao waved over one of his servants.

"Go and fetch the Elixir of Etherealization" he ordered.

The servant ran off and came back with a blue glass bottle.

"Have the mortal put a spoonful of this in their tea every day until it is gone." Lord Lao instructed. "Don't take it all at the same time. He Xiangu made that mistake, and while she did succeed in becoming Immortal, she lost her ability to eat food entirely" he warned.

Runyu accepted the bottle with many thanks, and promised to have tea with Lord Lao again soon. He then set off for his new home, wishing to rest before night fell. Summoning a person to the Dream Realm takes effort, as he had discovered last night.

As he approached the gate to Zifangyun Palace, he noticed that there was a small crowd out front. Two men were arguing vocally. He recognized a servant from Xuanji Palace.

"Of course" he thought to himself ruefully "I've left up the force field, and they cannot get in with my things."

"Hold up there!" Runyu said loudly

Everyone turned to look. "Your Majesty!" the servants all said bowing low.

Runyu strode through them and waved his arm at the force field, dissipating it.

"Come in" he ordered brusquely.

The servants followed along, bearing their burdens. When he arrived at the front door he directed them to the different rooms to which he wanted his things delivered, and instructed them to transport the things he had put aside to Qiwu Palace.

Leaving the servants to their task, he leisurely strolled through the garden, his mind scheming.

When the servants had finished their task, the chief servant stood before him and asked, "Your Majesty, where would you like us to stay?"

Runyu blinked. "In your rooms at Xuanji Palace" he stated.

The servant looked taken aback. "Your Majesty, The Night Immortal commanded us to come here and take care of you" he responded with alarm.

Runyu sighed. "No, thank you" he said. "Return to Xuanji Palace" he commanded.

The servant bowed fearfully and gestured at the other servants to follow him. Runyu waited until they had all left, and then waved his arm in the motion that seals the front gate with an invisible barrier. He then proceeded to walk through the palace, checking very carefully that no one was left inside.

He laid down on the couch in his new room. He was grateful to finally be able to take a rest.

"Runyu... did I invent you?" echoed the voice of the girl from the Osmanthus grove in his mind again. Runyu heaved a long sigh. So much for resting.

His hands pillowing his head, he listened as her thoughts became less and less coherent. The effect of the scale must be that every time the girl thought his name it would alert him. That had not happened when he had given the scale to Jinmi, but then he had not placed it inside her Inner Dan. If he had, he might have been forewarned about the tragic events which followed. It was better this way.

He waited until well after dark before trying to summon her to the Dream Realm.