The bells woke everyone. Actually they only woke Bai Qian as everyone else was already awake but they grabbed everyone's attention; not for the sound although they were loud, it was their implication that had everyone startled. The bells of Kulun had not tolled in over 70,000 years yet they were majestic and melodious.
The words Mo Yuan is back could be heard on every lip.
Bai Qian jumped out of bed, "Ye Hua" she called out before she remembered her husband was away meeting with delegates and would not be back for another day. She lightly washed her face as she dressed trying her best to not be haphazard but eventually giving up and using magic to make herself presentable just a moment before she cloud jumped to Qing Qiu.
She met Zhe Yan and fourth brother at the mouth of Yanhua cave, they both gave her a once over as Zhe Yan shook his head and let out a soft whistle.
"Took you long enough" Fourth brother said, with barely concealed impatience
"Eh, you know Xiao Wu loves her sleep. Unlike both of us, she had to wake up only when the bells started ringing" Zhe Yan laughed then continued "we thought you should be the one to confirm and first to see. After all, nobody else has waited for this more than you have"
Bai Qian nodded and tapped herself, casting the spell to change her form only to be stopped by a tug on her arm.
"Mo Yuan knew your true form a long time ago. Likely from the beginning" Zhe Yan said.
Bai Qian shook her head in denial but Zhe Yan persisted until she reversed the spell. She took a deep breath and ran into the cave coming to an abrupt stop as she made out the figure sitting on the bed. Tears flowed freely from her eyes as she stared at him for what seemed like forever until he looked up and smiled at her.
"Seventeen." He said
Bai Qian picked up her feet again and ran the rest of the distance towards him "Shifu" she whispered sounding breathless even to her own ear
"My little Seventeen, you're all grown. You look good in this form"
"I... I thought... Shifu knew?" She asked
Mo Yuan nodded
"Of course he knew, there's few things he didn't know or couldn't see then" Zhe Yan said walking toward them with fourth brother in tow "Mo Yuan, my brother. It's good to have you back. Come, let's get out of this cave, it has it's purposes but sitting and chatting or drinking tea is not one of them"
Four of them left the cave; Zhe Yan took Mo Yuan to get refreshed and the latter insisted on heading back to Kulun mountains. Zhe Yan understood the spiritual attachment and the familiar geography would help Mo Yuan's recovery but Bai Qian had been concerned about the state of the mountain and the residences, asking Mo Yuan to give her a few days to get it livable first but Mo Yuan refused and so four of them headed to Kulun where they were met at the gate by Mo Yuan's disciples in standard formation.
"Welcome home, Shifu" they said in unison
Mo Yuan nodded in response "I have kept you all waiting for a long time" at which they all rushed forward to kneel and bow at his feet.
First disciple explained that sixteen had sent out word to the rest of them that the dragon energy in the mountain had increased and that there were multicolored birds flying and perching on the temple and so they had all rushed back taking it as a sign that Mo Yuan was returning.
"Stand up, let's go inside" Mo Yuan said. The disciples, Zhe Yan and Bai Zhen all complied and went him with him but Bai Qian sat outside sniffing. She had no more reason to hide her identity as Seventeen but she worried about how her fellow disciples would take the news and how it would affect Mo Yuan's reputation even further. Her pranks and lack of discipline had been bad for his reputation 70,000 years ago but she hadn't really understood. Now she did and she considered whether it would be better or worse for her to keep her secret. She heard the sound of conversation from the main hall, her fellow disciples were apologizing to Mo Yuan for losing her and explaining their plans to keep searching either till they found her or till they found proof she had died. She could not bear the weight of that so she walked into the hall and announced
"I am Seventeen"
The disciples turned around to face her in confusion.
"Seventeen? Has hiding from us turned you into a cross dresser?" Zi Lan asked
Bai Qian rolled her eyes at him, they'd been like that from the start. If she said up, Zi Lan would say down, just on principle and it went both ways "I'm not a cross dresser, I am a woman" she replied
"But Seventeen was a man" Zi Lan pushed
"Zhe Yan, can you please tell them?" She said in frustration
"No, I promised never to tell anyone Seventeen was Bai Qian of Qing Qiu. I haven't done that in over 90,000 years and I'm not starting now" Zhe Yan replied with a smile and a wink.
Almost at once the disciples gathered around her and the sound of laughter and conversation filled the room. Later that night Mo Yuan, Zhe Yan and Bai Zhen sat at a table together while Bai Qian still conversed with her fellow disciples in another hall.
"While I was gone, did anyone who looks exactly like me appear?" Mo Yuan looked at Zhe Yan as he asked the question
"This feels like the start of a very interesting conversation. There is such a person" Zhe Yan replied
"Who is he? What family was he born into?"
"I think we'll let your disciple answer that" Zhe Yan said with a chuckle and turned towards the door as Bai Qian walked in with a hot pot of tea.
"Xiao Wu, Mo Yuan wants to know about the man that looks exactly like him" Zhe Yan said taking the pot from her and inviting her to sit with them
Bai Qian frowned and blushed in response
"What? It's Mo Yuan and you are suddenly solemn?" Zhe Yan pushed
"Shifu, the man is my husband, Ye Hua, crown prince of the nine heavens" She finally responded
Mo Yua sighed as he gazed at Bai Qian for a while before returning his focus to his cup of tea "He has good taste in brides" he said before taking a sip and continuing "Little seventeen, you snagged my twin brother just like that"
"Twin brother?" Fourth brother asked
"I never knew you had a brother, much less a twin" Zhe Yan said
Bai Qian was still in shock, who'd have ever thought her Ye Hua was twin brother to Shifu, although that would explain why Ye Hua had always been too mature for his age and acted like an old soul most of the time. He was indeed an old soul.
"How would you know, I only found out when father of gods was about to pass into the realm of nothingness" Mo Yuan began and then proceeded to tell the story of how his mother had saved the pillars of heaven but lost one of her unborn babies in the process and how his father had felt sorrowful and guilty that he'd been unable to save the child and spent half of his immortal essence creating a embryo in the form of a golden lotus for the child's soul in the hopes that he would one day be born into the world. Responsibility for the golden lotus had passed to Mo Yuan when his father died and he'd built the lotus pool in Kulun for it.
"No wonder the signs that accompanied Ye Hua's birth matched the signs that accompanied your birth. Everyone wondered about it" Fourth brother said.
"In the history books, it is written that the father of gods had one son, Mo Yuan. This is proof that we can't always rely on what is written as history" Zhe Yan said
Mo Yuan turned to Bai Qian "I'd like to meet him. When can I meet him"
"He'll be here soon" Zhe Yan said with a smile, "Xiao Wu is here, you are here, nothing will keep him away"
"Shifu, high gods" a disciple greeted "Crown prince Ye Hua is here"
YOU ARE READING
Through it all (a ten miles of peach blossoms fan fiction)
Fanfiction[Complete] Bai Qian has returned from her mortal trials with her memory and her newly elevated powers. She wants her son, she wants her eyes and she wants justice. This time, she has everything she needs to make it happen I recently watched the Chin...
