No Light: 3 Lives, 3 Worlds , Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms AU

Part 15: Fighting Her Battles

Hey everyone,

Sorry if the numbering seems off for all the parts, including the new update. I went back and made the prologue Part 0 - since technically it was not Chapter 1. The app should update all the edits soon; the numbering looks fine on the website. And this way, the chapters are numbered the way they should be.

And, of course, happy holidays everyone! For everyone that celebrates it, I hope you all have a safe Merry Christmas. And to everyone, I hope you have a Happy New Years and a wonderful year to come. I wish for all of us much better than what we have lived through in 2020.

Take care and stay healthy.

darkice7_12

Bai Qian sat at the side of the Crown Prince of the Western Sea, as she had done for the past day and night. Dawn was breaking over the horizon, the sun ready to begin its journey across the sky. A cool breeze came in from the open doors, bringing with it a hint of salt.

It helped to clear her head just enough to continue on with her task. She had been vigilant, keeping a worried eye on each breath that escaped those tired lungs, showering Die Yong with her energy to ensure that the immortal had enough in him to nurture her shifu's spirit. She kept an eye on the Soul-Gathering Lamp, ensuring that no rogue wind would cause the lamp to lose its light.

But those tasks only took place for half hour intervals, every few hours. At all other times, she was mind numbingly bored. In each span of time, when her mind couldn't help but wander, it wandered to the conversation she had had with that irritating immortal who had crossed paths with her right before she left the Nine Heavens for her journey here.

"Goddess, my apologies," a voice called out softly from the side of the pathway.

"What are you apologizing for?" Bai Qian asked, reluctantly turning her head to look at Su Jin. She had been aware of the immortal waiting at the side of the pathway, but her hope had been to ignore her as she peacefully left the Nine Heavens. That was not to be. She mentally cursed herself at stopping for those extra minutes with Ye Hua. If she hadn't been so reluctant to leave, she might very well have made her escape without encountering this woman.

"The Heavenly Lord was talking yesterday, having had a little too much to drink," Su Jin murmured, a hand covering her lips for a moment as if hiding a smile.

Bai Qian mentally rolled her eyes. It was a source of shame for her that her new family were so incapable of holding their drink. And now, what other problem had the Heavenly Lord caused?

"He confided in me," Su Jin continued, "That the Crown Prince Ye Hua only married you to cement the alliance between the Fox Clan and the Nine Heavens." She moved closer, leaning in to whisper the next words. "His directive was to make you fall in love with him." Her eyes watched Bai Qian avidly, hoping to see some sort of disconcertment at this news. "I rushed right over to ensure that you knew the truth." Pausing, seeing nothing in that face that she had hoped to see, she forged forward, "Oh! Don't tell me he has succeeded? Does this not bother you?"

Bai Qian flushed lightly, anger coursing through her body. How dare this lowly immortal try to plant discord between her and Ye Hua? Taking a deep breath, she forced an unconcerned smile across her face. "Do you think me such a babe in the woods, that I would not know that this marriage was to cement an alliance? There are no secrets between us, and our relationship is far more than what it may seem to outsiders. Ye Hua would never do anything to hurt me." She moved back to glare at her before continuing, "I don't have time for this. And I would suggest you watch your words when speaking in the future; oftentimes, there can be surprising consequences."