Test of Fate (DongFeng Fanfiction)

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Marriage Proposal

The atmosphere in the fox cave was very depressing. Bai Qian sat beside her second brother as she looked around the table to see all her siblings and parents present. The Bai family hasn't been complete in over a decade and the reason all of them were here today was because soon.... They won't be complete forever. Bai Qian had left Ah Li with Yehua in heaven to have a proper talk with her family regarding Little Jiu's impending.... fated calamity.

"Fengjiu is the only red nine-tailed fox in our family... Who knew she would actually use her blood to seal an evil spirit?" Bai Yi murmured as he stared at the table. Bai Qian looked at him and felt depressed. None of them expected that Little Jiu would mature as fast as she did. She seemed to grow up into someone different overnight. Although her parents always scolded her to have an attitude befitting a queen, they never thought it would really happen.

Bai Qian knew that everybody in her family loved Little Jiu to pieces and couldn't stand seeing her hurt one bit which is why they were furious when they found out she had been chasing the former Heavenly Lord that didn't seem to have any feelings for her. Bai Qian's blood started boiling as she thought about the white-haired deity. If he wasn't more powerful than her, then maybe she would have already obliterated him to dust!

Bai Zhen cleared his throat and looked at Bai Qian. "Where is Xiao Jiu right now?" He asked although he already knew the answer. Bai Qian glared at him as she prepared to open her fan. "Calm down..." Zheyan immediately mediated. He knew Bai Qian was angry that Fengjiu had chosen to look for Donghua Dijun and marry him but didn't have the heart to say no to her dying niece.

"Why can't she survive her Heavenly Trial? Can't I take some of the bolts for her?" Bai Zhen asked. Bai Yi looked at his son and nodded his head. "I can take some of it too," He murmured looking at Zheyan for confirmation. Zheyan only shook his head and heaved a heavy sigh. He looked at Fengjiu's family and suddenly felt useless. Why couldn't he do anything to save their radiant Little Jiu?

"You already know she has to bear the lightning herself," Zheyan said softly as he looked at their deflating shoulders. "Since her cultivation has been used up when she sealed the tiger spirit, her strength right now is no more than an ordinary mortal... How can she bear the strength of the heavens?" Zheyan said the words he has already said before. The Bai Family was just desperate to find ways to save their Little Jiu.

"Can't she cultivate in the mortal realm?" Bai Qian asked as she held her fan tightly. She raised Fengjiu and taught her almost everything she knew. She wouldn't give up that easily. Zheyan only looked at her silently. Bai Qian sighed. She knew that there wasn't enough time to go through a trial that can give Fengjiu a bit of cultivation. Zheyan looked out the window to see Fengjiu's star shining brightly. Typically, when a fairy succeeded in their Heavenly Trial, the star will shine the brightest it ever has. Once the fairy became a deity, their star would be twinkling brightly in the sky. But when a fairy faces their fated calamity, the star.... disappears.

Zheyan pointed to the star as everyone sitting around the table turned to look. "Her star is shining really bright right now.... She doesn't have much time left," Zheyan said sadly as the atmosphere in the room plummeted even farther. Bai Qian couldn't hold back her tears before she stood up and slammed her hand on the table.

"If Donghua Dijun doesn't marry Fengjiu, I will send someone who wants to!" Bai Qian declared before walking away angrily. She stopped before she left the room and turned to look at her family. "I'm going to move up my wedding to make sure Fengjiu is here to see it." With that, she turned around and left the room to go to Heaven. She needed to talk to Yehua.

*****

Donghua gazed at Fengjiu's desperate eyes as he felt his heart soften. She wanted to marry him. She didn't want anyone else. He raised his arm to remove Fengjiu's arms around his neck. Before he could speak, he saw bandages wrapped around both of her hands. His heart dropped as he quickly inspected them. "Why are you injured?"

Fengjiu didn't know how to answer him. She was injured because she used her hands to smear blood on her sword to seal the tiger spirit. As a fairy, she should be already healed but because she lost all her cultivation... She was healing at the speed of a mortal.

Donghua inspected her hands with furrowed brows as he tried to think about the recent reports of Si Ming. None of them said she had gotten injured! The last time he heard she was injured was from the report eight days ago. Did Si Ming want to die? How could he not report something as important as this? He was about to question her again when Fengjiu lifted one of her hands to smooth out the crease that appeared between his eyebrows.

"I'm alright... I just lost a bit of my cultivation when I fought the tiger spirit. Zheyan said I would heal at the same pace as mortals." Fengjiu half lied and half told the truth. Donghua was about to speak again before she cut him off.

"Donghua... Marry me hm?" She asked again. When she saw Donghua close his eyes, she felt nervous. What if he refused just like before? She didn't ask him to stay with her forever... Just until she.... died.

Donghua finally gained his composure and released her. Fengjiu felt cold as a self-mocking smile rose on her lips. She was about to get up and leave when Donghua suddenly pinned her underneath him. Fengjiu was dizzy at the sudden movement but Donghua just stared at her from above. He didn't say anything but seeing him that close made Fengjiu blush again. She realized that this may be the last time she saw Dijun up close. So instead of closing her eyes, she stared at him dazedly.

"I will think about it," Donghua murmured as he got off Fengjiu and left. Fengjiu's head was stuck in a fog. Did I hear him right? He said he would think about it! He didn't say no! Fengjiu was in high spirits. She got up and planned to run after him when she stopped by the window. She saw her star. It was shining... brightly.

I guess that will disappear when I turn to dust too.

*****

Fengjiu was led to a room near Dijun's by a servant girl. Dijun said she could stay there while he thought about her marriage proposal. Fengjiu was very happy. A new world seemed to appear when he didn't reject her. She decided to go out and take a walk to calm her racing heart.

While she was walking by the lotus pond, she heard someone clear their throat behind her. She turned around and was very surprised to see who it was. She last saw this man 70 years ago when her father tried to get her married by force. She was tied up and thrown into a wedding palanquin that brought her to this man's house. She destroyed everything she saw and ran away. Ever since then, her father had never tried to force her marriage again.

"Cang'yi Shenjun," Fengjiu said in surprise. Cang'yi smiled softly at her as he clasped his hands in front of his chest into a bow. "Cang'yi greets Her Highness Fengjiu," he greeted as Fengjiu stared at him in surprise. "What are you doing? Quickly rise!" Fengjiu was very embarrassed. It was her who ran away from their marriage, but this man begged her father not to punish her. He seemed like a nice person, so Fengjiu was embarrassed that she ruined his property.

"Cang'yi Shenjun... Long time no see. I apologize for the disturbance I caused last time," Fengjiu said as she also gave him a small bow. Cang'yi immediately touched her arms to help her rise and smiled at her. Fengjiu broke away from his grasp and smiled at him awkwardly. What did he want? Why was he in heaven? Fengjiu didn't like guessing so she decided to ask him.

"Why are you in Taichen Palace?" Fengjiu asked as Cang'yi put his hands behind his back. "High Deity Bai Qian told me you would be here," Cang'yi admitted as he looked at the woman he has been wanting to marry for many years. Fengjiu froze at his words. Gugu told him I was here? What does she mean by this? I already said-

"Xiao Jiu... I am here to propose marriage. Will you marry me?"