From the Ashes of Love

Chapter 38

The Heavenly Emperor Runyu sat at his desk across from the Earth Immortal, who had dutifully come to report on the situation in the Mortal Realm below.

"What did you find out?" Runyu asked him.

"The armed men ahead of us were a hunting party, led by a young nobleman. His name is Liu Min." The Earth Immortal reported.

"Hmmm, any relation to Liu Wei?" Runyu asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty. He is Liu Wei's son, and heir apparent" the Earth Immortal said.

"So it was just a coincidence?" asked Runyu.

"No, Your Majesty" the Earth Immortal shook his head. "They were hunting us."

Runyu's eyes widened in shock. It had never occurred to him that a mortal would dare.

The Earth Immortal explained, "Evidently the Lord and his son had a falling out over a peasant girl, because he wouldn't let him marry her. If I had to guess, I'd say that peasant girl is the one you brought here."

Runyu nodded, his thoughts going back to the day he had heard Lia calling him for help. He had flown there without his body, invisible in the Astral plane, to find an arrogant young lordling holding a whip to her throat. He had sent a lightning strike down. He would have liked to have struck the person with it, but he had been too close to his precious Lia. He didn't want to risk hurting her.

"Are you sure there were no demons or Spirits involved in this matter?" Runyu asked.

"None that I could see, Your Majesty" the Earth Immortal replied.

"Well, she is safely here now. I suppose it's not worth worrying about" Runyu said. "Any other news from the Mortal Realm that I should know?"

The Earth Immortal shrugged.

Runyu nodded and dismissed him. As he lifted the force field at the gate to let him out, he held him back for a moment.

"If you happen to see the Moon Immortal, the Fox Spirit Danzhu, report it to me immediately" Runyu commanded him.

The Earth Immortal looked surprised, but willingly agreed. Runyu watched him leave, and then put the force field back in place. He had a sudden urge to check on Lia.

Runyu quietly opened her door and crept into her room. In this dim light her skin seemed to glow. The Elixir that had turned her immortal had brought out an innate beauty that he hadn't been prepared for. Her most striking feature were her golden eyes, but even asleep with her eyes closed, she was one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen.

He carefully climbed onto the bed next to her. She shouldn't awaken since she was in an enchanted sleep, but he still felt the need to be careful. He just wanted to be next to her. He had waited so long for someone to be next to. He laid down on the bed, his weight on one elbow, and looked down at her.

He had been tired, but now he was wide awake. Restlessly he adjusted her dress to make her more comfortable. A small pouch fell out of the neckline of her dress. Curiously he picked it up and looked inside.

It held a solitary pearl.

Runyu sucked in his breath. The pearl! Somehow she had taken it out of the Dream Realm. How was it possible for a mortal to do that? Was it because of the scale he had placed inside her Inner Dan? Did that give her magical abilities?

"This pearl is special" he decided. Obviously Lia thought it was special too.

Runyu could smell the gold and silver taels in the boxes piled in the corner of her room. He summoned one of the gold taels to him. He held the gold in his hand, feeling its weight, then he concentrated on the metal, shaping it with his will. He formed the gold into a ring, with a setting of carved Osmanthus flowers to hold the pearl. Then he lifted the pearl and set it in place, magically cemented. He slipped the ring onto Lia's finger, and kissed her hand, then set it back down gently.

He laid down, pillowing his head on his arm, and stared at her beautiful face, until his eyes grew heavy, and he fell asleep.