Chapter 21: Celestial Realm, Still Water Pavilion, Immortal High God Xíng Zhǐ |
[Oct. 28th, 2018] . . .
As she lost consciousness and began sliding down, he ignored the acid and filth on her body and wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her in a firm embrace. The hand Shěn Lí laid on his cheek dropped. He grabbed it mid-fall and pressed his fingertips to her pulse. Something about it made him frown and furrow his brow. "Where's your camp?"
General Shàng Běi jogged over. He knew Shěn Lí was engaged and soon to be married, so the sight of her held in a strange man's embrace put him in an awkward position. He wanted to demand her release, but the strong magical aura coming from stranger gave him pause. Perhaps he was the envoy from the Immortal realm? If so, then he could help bring her to the camp. It was just . . . did the Immortal realm only send one person to help with the seal?
"This distinguished gentleman, may I ask who you are?"
"Celestial realm, Still Water Pavilion, Immortal High God Xíng Zhǐ."
The people of the Demon realm weren't familiar with those in the Immortal realm, never mind those Celestial realm or Water Pavilion whatever . . . But they were familiar with the ancient celestial being called Xíng Zhǐ who bestowed the marriage to Shěn Lí.
Shàng Běi’s face took on a respectful look. If the stranger’s words were true, then it made sense the Immortal realm only sent over one person.
"I apologize. I haven't spent much time in the Lower realms so became lost and only found my way here a moment ago."
Shàng Běi remained silent. It wouldn't do to criticize an ancient high god. He turned around and yelled out an order, "Clear out the battlegrounds and help the injured back to camp!" He walked to one side of Xíng Zhǐ and said, "Immortal High God Xíng Zhǐ, I wouldn't want to trouble you. Please allow me to support Her Highness." He reached his hand out to Shěn Lí as he spoke.
A speechless Shàng Běi could only stare at Xíng Zhǐ thinking: this person . . . this person is indeed special . . .
. . .A cold breeze swayed the sunny world outside. Inside, the sweet smell of medicinal herbs hung in the air and entered Shěn Lí's nose as she slowly sat up. All was quiet except for the creaking noise of the rocking chair that rocked back and forth nearby. In it sat a man in white. Nearby was another person in black. At her movement the chair stopped and the man in it turned to look at her asking, "What? Hungry?"
"No." She sat up straight and forced a smile before saying, "Just . . . tired."
He lightly rubbed her forehead with the palm of his hand. "Then relax and rest."
"OK."
She closed her eyes for a moment before opening them back up abruptly, completely awake. She grabbed at empty air. "Wait! Hold on!" The wounds on her body also woke up aching badly. Her left side, shoulders, fingers – everything ached. She clenched her teeth but a groan of pain still escaped.
"Your Highness . . . what is it?" The person in black nervously asked.
Shěn Lí looked at the foot soldier's obviously panic-stricken face before turning her head left and right looking at her surroundings. It was only the two of them in the tent and she was lying on a cot. Her body hurt all over. She didn't have to look down to know she had to be bandaged up like a plump, round glutinous rice ball. Her head was so confused and dizzy, she had no choice but to lie back down. Wasn't there another person here just now?
"Help me up."
The soldier waved his hands left and right frantically in front of him. "Your Highness you mustn't. That . . . that person said . . . you can't move yet."
Had to be those annoying doctors, making a fuss over every little thing. Although Shěn Lí was disdainful of them and their orders, she nevertheless stopped trying to move about and instead asked, "How many casualties did we have in battle? Have the rituals for the deceased been performed? What is General Mò Fāng's condition?"
The foot soldier was dumbfounded by her series of questions. Instead of answering, he got up and rushed out of the tent, yelling as he did so, "I'll call for the generals!"
Shěn Lí smashed her fist against the cot. "Geeze, it's not like I'm going to eat you. Sssss . . . that hurt."
"Ha."
A light breezy laugh came out of nowhere startling Shěn Lí. Her brows creased as she couldn't see anyone else in the tent with her. She was about to raise her voice and ask when the tent flap suddenly parted.
Mò Fāng, heavily bandaged and leaning on crutches, stepped inside. He made his way slowly towards Shěn Lí, his eyes on her the whole time. After releasing a long held breath in a sigh he asked, "Your Highness . . . is OK?"
Shěn Lí stared at him blankly for a moment before smiling and speaking, "Shouldn't I be asking you that?" He was obviously severely injured. She looked at his sorry figure and easily imagined the pain he had to be in.
"You know, I remember it was only a few days ago that I was arguing with the Demon emperor, trying to persuade him that the Celestial realm, Immortal High God Xíng Zhǐ, was nothing amazing. Only sealing a few minor animals. It was us in the Demon realms that did all the heavy labor, guarding over the seals. Thinking about it now, after experiencing that battle, it really is amazing that he was able to seal away the countless thousands that he did. It was indeed fortunate he graced the three realms with his presence!"
Before Shěn Lí could finish her rueful monologue, Mò Fāng suddenly dropped his crutches and knelt down in front of her, causing his wounds to reopen dangerously. He bent his head down and said, "To allow Your Highness to be injured, Mò Fāng deserves death!"
Shěn Lí stared blankly, completely stumped for words at his actions. Her silence stretched on for some time before she finally spoke in a cold voice. "According to your reasoning I am just as deserving of death for failing to protect my brothers on the battlefield, for allowing them to fall in battle, for allowing the monsters to take their lives."
Mò Fāng raised his head and declared passionately, "Of course not Your Highness! Your Highness cut the head of the monsters. Such a meritorious thing, how could anyone hold Your Highness responsible . . .?"
Shěn Lí sighed. In a gentle voice she said, "Then you can't be blamed either. Now stand up."
Mò Fāng could feel his eyes heating up and filling with tears. He bit his lip to keep it in, tucking his head back down. He bent forward and pressed his forehead against the ground, remaining in that oddly bent position and refusing to raise his head. "Your Highness doesn't understand . . . I . . . this one can not forgive himself.”
Once he regained consciousness and found out how seriously injured Shěn Lí was, that she'd fallen into a coma, he became frantic with worry and rushed over immediately to see her. Her body was covered in blood and her life energy was so weak that he could barely detect it. In an incredibly small voice Mò Fāng said to her now, "This one can not forgive himself specifically because it was Your Highness that was injured."
Understanding finally dawned on Shěn Lí. She breathed the cold air in slowly as she stared at Mò Fāng. "Mò Fāng, you . . . you can't be . . ."
"Your Highness! Your Highness is the only one in my heart! Your Highness has been there for a long time now."
The declaration from Mò Fāng stunned her. She might as well have seen a ghost, she was so shocked. " . . .you . . . is your brain perhaps damaged? Your body, is it OK?!"
Shěn Lí stopped dressing femininely after she earned merit for her first successful campaign. She briefly had the desire to dress more femininely; but that desire died a quick death the one and only time she acted on it. A group of officials were so startled and shocked at the sight of her in an embroidered skirt that they had to give her the once over twice. She would never forget the horror on their faces. The thought of dressing femininely never entered her mind again after that. Considering how manly she normally behaved, she didn't think anyone would have romantic interests in her.
"This one is quite lucid." He looked like he wanted to cut his heart open so Shěn Lí could see. "I feel deeply for Your Highness. I like Shěn Lí."
Shěn Lí breathed in wrong and nearly choked herself at his words, stopping herself from vomiting only by a narrow margin. Looking at Mò Fāng and his lowered head, she didn't know what kind of expression to put on her face. She settled on a stern, respectful one. "That won't do."
Mò Fāng raised his head at her words, looking her square in the face and the grim expression there.
"This matter . . . it won't do. I have to ask you to purge these emotions. Destroy them completely. This is a military command." She enunciated each word of the last sentence clearly and slowly.
Mò Fāng silently kowtowed several times before declaring, "As commanded!"
Silence reigned inside the tent until it was broken by the sound of General Shàng Běi's voice. He was frantically shouting, "Immortal High God Xíng Zhǐ! Please don't go in yet!"
"Why?" The person being addressed asked as he used his finger to lift the flap of the tent open.
Shěn Lí looked over and saw a man dressed in white outlined by the sun’s golden halo. His robe dragged on the dusty ground as he moved, giving the impression that it was excessively superfluous, but at the same time it was exactly this excessiveness that gave him an air of untouchable aloofness. He had his head turned back to address General Shàng Běi, so she couldn't see his face.
"This, this . . ." General Shàng Běi craned his neck around Xíng Zhǐ trying to see inside the tent. He could see Mò Fāng kneeling on the ground while Shěn Lí laid on top of the cot. He sighed in relief at the sight. "Ah . . . it's nothing. Nothing at all."
At that, Xíng Zhǐ stepped fully inside the tent.
Shěn Lí's mind was blown away the moment she got a good look at Xíng Zhǐ. A foolish expression replaced the stern look she had earlier as memories of the battle aftermath came back to her. She thought the white silhouette was just a dream, a hallucination. Unexpectedly it was real. She unconsciously spoke out the name on her mind, "Xíng Yún. You . . ."
General Shàng Běi rushed forward to Mò Fāng and lent his hand to support his friend up. He let out an exclamation of surprise when he felt how ice cold Mò Fāng's hand was. He turned to Shěn Lí. "Your Highness this is Immortal High God Xíng Zhǐ. He came to reinforce the seal on the Ruins."
"Immortal High God Xíng Zhǐ?" Shěn Lí struggled to sit up as she asked her question.
Xíng Zhǐ stepped forward and lightly pressed his finger on her shoulders to stop her. "Your wound will open."
"Have you ever gone to the Mortal realm?" Shěn Lí asked. "Do you know Xíng Yún?"
In an indifferent voice Xíng Zhǐ said, "No," as he pulled the quilt over Shěn Lí. After covering her properly, he reached for her wrist and spent a long time holding it to measure her pulse. "Better. Your internal flow is finally smooth again.”
Their eyes locked until Xíng Zhǐ broke the connection with a light laugh. "I heard the Azure Sky king was brave and excellent at fighting. Witnessing that bravery in the action, I must admit those words were accurate. Very admirable. However, no matter how good your physical foundation is, Your Highness must take care and not be so reckless."
This type of polite speech was really pleasant on the ears. Shěn Lí blinked her eyes as a sense of quiet calm came over her. With her eyes down she said, "Sorry to have troubled Immortal High God Xíng Zhǐ."
He wasn't Xíng Yún. His facial features were sharper and he was taller. An aloof cold air exuded from his body; that was something Xíng Yún never had. Xíng Yún was indifferent to those around him, but he always behaved appropriately according to the norms. This man . . . this man on the other hand, based on his recent behavior, entering without invitation, acting as he wished, was definitely the kind accustomed to doing what he pleased – like a tyrant.
"I haven't been here in over a millennium so I'm no longer familiar with the landscape. I'll need to explore the topography to see if there are any irregularities before going into the Ruined Abyss to reinforce the seals. I will have to trouble Your Highness to guide me."
His words left everyone in the tent speechless. Shàng Běi was the first to recover saying, "Immortal High God Xíng Zhǐ, if you need someone to guide you, there are others more familiar with the grounds around the Ruins. Right now Her Highness is too injured . . . I'm afraid she will need more time to rest."
"General need not be worried. Her Highness's body is healing fine. I will tend to her; in three days she should be able to move about normally. Acting as my guide will not interfere with her recuperation. In fact, moving around will be good for her body."
Mò Fāng wrinkled his brow. "Immortal High God Xíng Zhǐ, I would like to humbly substitute for Her Highness and be your guide."
Xíng Zhǐ stared at Mò Fāng for the longest time before replying, "No, I will have her lead the way."
Mò Fāng clenched his fists at the words. The sight made a big smile break out on Xíng Zhǐ's face. Shěn Lí hurriedly rushed in with, "Then for the next three days I will have to trouble Immortal High God Xíng Zhǐ."
"Then it's settled."
. . .Everyone left to let Shěn Lí rest. General Shàng Běi and Mò Fāng parted ways by the side of the tent, while Xíng Zhǐ wandered around camp on his own. Eventually he found himself in front of another tent. And as he stood there, he felt a presence behind him. He turned around to find a foot soldier staring at him with a panicked expression. The soldier abruptly made a u-turn and was about to flee, but was stopped almost immediately by Xíng Zhǐ's command of, "Stop."
The soldier stood still completely passive like a stone. Xíng Zhǐ walked over and patted him on the head lightly saying, "Forget," as he did so.
A new memory flashed through the soldier's mind. In it he had gone to Her Highness's tent to clear out some things, but when he got there, he found a man in white sitting beside her cot. He had witnessed:
"So tired . . ."
"Rest then." Xíng Zhǐ stroked Her Highness's forehead. "Everything is fine now.”
When the man in white noticed him, that man had turned around and placed a finger to his lips. "Shhhh." Then the man in white disappeared and Her Highness woke up and yelled out, "Wait!"
He blinked and stared. A man dressed in white walked in front of him. He had some vague images in his mind but he just couldn't remember anything clearly. This left him feeling strange as though something was weird, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He blinked a few times and scratched his head, unable to remember anything else other then the back of the other man as he walked away. It was only then that he remembered he was supposed to tidy up Her Highness's tent.
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