Rescue Me, My Love

A Dream and a Vision

     That night Ye Hua finally laid down for bed and his mind wandered.  It had been just a few months.  He thought he now had the confidence to be ruler.  At first he was nervous, but he recalled all the training and lessons he'd had from his brother.  He knew in his heart that he was a better man today because Mo Yuan, the ruthless God of War, the man who took nothing off of any person had barged his way into the nine heavens and rescued him.  Without him, he would have surely become cruel and detached.  He knew in his heart that wasn't what his parents would have wanted for him.  He slowly slid into slumber and into a favorite dream.  He saw Mo Yuan playing his quqin and Si Yin listening.  Mo Yuan passing him energy and the day his brother had come to stand by him, fully dressed in his armor ready for battle.  He remembered the sadness too when he did not return.  He was dreaming of that day when he heard a voice calling to him.  "Ye Hua!  Ye Hua!  Listen to me, my son!  Ye Hua!"  He was standing in a mist and he heard a feminine voice calling to him.  "Whose there?"  He walked a few steps forward.  "Is anyone there?"  He continued to walk forward slowly.  The mist withdrew and he was in a valley filled with the fragrance of many flowers and trees.  There was a small clearing in the distance.  He was drawn to it like a moth to a flame.  His feet were on a path ambling through the trees to the clearing.  Suddenly he heard music from a jade flute and tinkling laughter like the sound of a million little brass bells ringing.  As he reached the clearing he saw a woman seated on a quilt playing a jade flute.  She saw him and beckoned him to come to her.  He felt compelled to run to her as a child would run to his mother.  He flopped down on the quilt and faced her.  He gasped as he saw her.  She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.  Her beauty took his breath away.  She reached out a hand and took his hand into hers.  "Ye Hua, you've grown into a fine young man!  Has your brother taken care of you?  Have you been well?  Tell me all about yourself!"  He looked into her midnight black eyes, so much like his.  He noticed the shape of her brows and ran his hand over his own, shaped just like hers.  Her full lips too were just like his.  He reached out a hand to touch her face.  "Mother?"  "Yes, my son, it is I, your mother!"  "Am I dead?  Why am I here?"  "No, you are not dead.  I have come to help you.  I helped Mo Yuan to leave the realm of nothingness to come to rescue you from a cruel and useless life.  That is not what your father and I wanted for you.  You would have been his heir to the throne had you not perished when I repaired the pillars.  Your father sacrificed much to bring back your soul.  My little boy, grown so handsome!  You will be a magnificent ruler.  Your realm will be the greatest ever, even more so than your father's was.  Another reason I called you to me is I have something for you.  I want you to watch that cursed bell.  Why Mo Yuan thought to create it to impress his father, I don't know but that bell could claim his life if you don't rescue him.  Listen to me carefully, Ye Hua!  Take this flute.  I'm going to teach you a song now.  Remember it well!  There is a small crack in the bell.  With this flute, play this song on the flute and you can destroy it without having to sacrifice a soul to it.  Both of my sons have suffered in this life.  It is time for the both of you to live in peace now.  Mo Yuan rescued the little fox queen from a life that would have been filled with sorrow.  He rescued you from a cruel destiny.  Now its time for you to rescue him from the bell.  Know that I love you my son!  Forever and always!"  She reached up and cupped his cheek.  He placed his hand over hers.  "Listen now!  Learn this tune."  She played a beautiful melody on the flute.  She handed it to him and showed him how to hold it and how to play it.  Slowly he played until he got the feel for it.  He played the tune over and over until he had mastered it.  She nodded and smiled.  " If ever you need me, my son, I am but a dream away.  Now rest, child."  With that last word she sent him into a deep sleep.  The next morning when he awoke, he was holding a white jade flute with a red tassel on it and his bed was scattered with Jasmine petals.
     Mo Yuan had finally gone to bed after going over military reports and JinDe's new intelligence plan.  He was tired.  Bai Qian was already asleep.  He slid in next to her and reached over to pull her into his grasp.  She snuggled into his shoulder and laid her arm across him.  He smiled and placed his hand on her arm.  He slid off into sleep.  He dreamed he heard music playing.  It was the sound of a flute.  He followed the sound.  He was in a thick mist, but he edged forward ever so carefully until he was on the edge of a clearing.  He saw a woman sitting there on a quilt playing the flute.  She saw him and beckoned him over.  He felt compelled to run like a small boy to her.  She patted the quilt for him to sit down.  "Mo Yuan, you look so like your father with that moustache and beard!  I see that you have indeed rescued the two that I sent you to save!"  He looked into her midnight black eyes, so like Ye Hua's.  He reached a hand up to touch his brows, so like hers, and his full lips, so like hers.  "Mother?"  "Yes, it is I, my first born!  I have come to tell you how proud I am of you!  You did indeed rescue your brother from a cruel and useless existence.  He has grown into a very intelligent, kind and caring person.  He will be a great ruler.  Greater than his father even!  You also saved the little fox queen from a terrible destiny.  She is indeed your heart's desire.  Why your father threw you on that cursed mountain to languish in a loveless existence, I don't know, but I see she has brought joy to you.  Twin sons!  And two more on the way.  Cherish her, son.  She is the other half of you."  "I know, mother.  I gave her my dragon tear, for she is indeed the light that keeps my soul alive!  I love her dearly, Mother!"  "The dragon tear?  Well I can rest knowing she has you and you have her!  I brought you here for a reason.  That cursed bell can be destroyed without you or anyone else losing there soul ever again.  Why you created it I don't know, but today you will learn how to destroy it.  There is a song you must learn to play on this flute.  I have already  taught Ye Hua his part.  Now you must learn yours, God of War and Music!"  She played a tune that was not a melody but the harmony.  She handed him the flute to play it.  Two tries and he mastered it.  She smiled.  "When the day comes, you and Ye Hua must play this song together.  It will destroy the bell forever."  She reached up and touched his face and rubbed his beard with her thumb.  "Remember, Mo Yuan, I am but a dream away.  Help your brother.  Love your fox and never forget who you are.  My first born!!  Now rest, child!"  He awoke the next morning holding a white jade flute with a dark blue tassel on it.  His bed was covered in Jasmine petals.
   Ye Hua sat up on the side of the bed and called Tian Shu to him.  "Go get Mo Yuan.  Hurry!"  Mo Yuan was running out of his room when Tian Shu came running up to him.  Mo Yuan ran to Ye Hua's room and burst through the door.  Ye Hua turned and they talked at the same time.  "I saw Mother!  She gave me a flute!  She taught me a song!  Ye Hua held up his hand.  " Mo Yuan, we look like her.  She is beautiful!  How I wish I had known her!"  Mo Yuan walked over to Ye Hua.  He ran his hand over his brow and touched his lip.  "Yes, we are like her.  I never knew her either.  She told me how much I looked like father with my beard and moustache!  We have a job to do, Didi!  We have to practice together now!"  He pulled out his flute.  Ye Hua pulled his out.  They stood face to face and starting playing.  Ye Hua was playing the melody while Mo Yuan played harmony.  They finished and looked at each other.  "Your eyes are so like hers, Ye Hua."  "You have her wisdom, Da ge."  They hugged and both men were crying onto each other's shoulder when Bai Qian came in.  "What is going on here?  Would either of the two of you care to explain why it's raining jasmine petals?"  They looked at each other and ran out the door.  They both stared up in awe as they held out their hands.  Jasmine petals were indeed falling all over the nine heavens from one end to the other.
     Whereas Mo Yuan was an excellent musician, Ye Hua was an accomplished artist.  He sat down at his easel and began to draw.  No one disturbed him for the look on his face was soft, yet intense.  He worked tirelessly until he sat back and looked at his finished work.  He called Tian Shu in.  "Go find High God Mo Yuan for me.  I have something to show him."  Mo Yuan was in his courtyard enjoying a meal with his whole family.  It was seldom these days that he got to see his boys.  Ye Hua kept them busy.  Tian Shu asked to speak to him.  "Taizi Dianxia has asked me to bring you to his room, High God Mo Yuan.  Shall I accompany you there now?"  "Yes, wait just a moment."  He stepped to the table.  "It seems the future emperor of the nine heavens needs me!  If you will excuse me?"  Bai Qian motioned him over and kissed his lips.  He signed and placed his hand over his heart.  "Ah, a token from my lady love!  I'll be back shortly!"  He rushed out with Tian Shu.  JinDe giggled like a school boy until his brother ribbed him and his mother glared at him.  "Well, it's kind of nice to see my father, the ever ruthless, heartless God of War have such a soft spot when it comes to my ever beautiful mother!"  Mo Yuan entered Ye Hua's study to see him washing his brushes and putting them away.  "Come, Da ge, and tell me what you think!"  Mo Yuan walked to stand behind Ye Hua.  His jaw dropped in utter amazement.  There on canvass was his mother.  Ye Hua had captured her perfectly.  "It's Mother!  You captured her perfectly, Ye Hua!  She's so beautiful!  Our beautiful mother!"  A tear coursed down Mo Yuan's cheek.  He placed a hand on Ye Hua's shoulder.  "I see all those days you spent learning to paint paid off!  I never knew you could paint so beautifully!  Would you paint another one for me?  A big one that I can hang in the great hall at Kunlun."  "I will, Da ge.  The next day I get some time, I will."
     Mo Yuan walked through the gate of the training ground.  As he walked by, every man low bowed as he passed.  He headed straight for JinDe's tent.  He heard a conversation.  "High God Mo Yuan is Lord JinDe's father.  You know, the dragon thing.  He's an apex dragon.  I wonder if his is as big as Lord JinDe's?  No wonder they are so powerful!"  Mo Yuan stopped by them and turned.  They hastily bowed low.  "The answer to your question is yes.  I am his father after all!"  He turned with a smile.  Behind him the troop gathered and followed slowly.  Mo Yuan entered JinDe's tent.    JinDe rose and bowed to his father.  "Fuqin, to what do I owe this pleasure?"  "I came to see if there has been progress with the Li Yuan issue.  I also wanted to check on your progress in training the men for the intelligence network."  "As you know by now, General Ping has hand picked an elite group to be trained.  I personally will train them in combat and spell usage.  Once they are on a higher level, they can be assigned.  I asked him to pick men who are already high immortal or very near their trial to train.  I thought this should be required as to the severity of the training and the stress of the job."  "Excellent idea.  Keep me informed on their progress.  Do you hear crowd noise?"  JinDe stepped to his door and whipped back the tent flap.  Nearly the whole training ground of men were outside.  He looked back at his father and shrugged.  Mo Yuan motioned for JinDe to follow him outside.  He looked out at the crowd.  He stepped up to one young soldier and told him to rise.  "Would you care to explain to me the meaning of this gathering?"  The soldier blushed down to his neckline.  He was struck dumb.  The one next to him came forward.  "High God Mo Yuan, we all saw Lord JinDe drop his pants and prove that he is indeed a powerful apex dragon worthy of our loyalty.  This young soldier just confirmed that you said you are also an apex and well endowed.  After all like father like son.  We won't ask you to prove it since we have your word, but scuttlebutt has it if we could just touch your robe, we would be invincible!"  Mo Yuan planted his face in his hand.  He has come to regret his decision to make JinDe drop his pants.  His own face was as red as JinDe's red elite guard armor.  He was caught between a rock and a hard place.  As much as he hated to admit it, if he walked away, would he still be considered as brave as JinDe?  Would he lose face with his own son?  Could he still call himself the God of War?  He sighed.  He motioned for a small table to be brought to be used as a platform.  He stood on it.  One by one he removed his robes until he stood bare chested and in only his linen under garment.  JinDe was in total awe of his father.  He knew what he was thinking.  He had to prove HE was the undisputed God of War who would face any challenge head on.  These men would follow him into Hell if he does what JinDe thought he was going to do!  He stood by the men and looked at his father.  Mo Yuan looked JinDe right in his honey colored eyes.  He brought forth his dragon and dropped his pants.  JinDe's eyes got as big as round as saucers.  Oh my!!  Mo Yuan smirked, looked out over the crowd and transformed into his very apex golden dragon!  He flew over and came back to rest in front of all the camp.  He lit and brought his head down by JinDe.  JinDe looked his father in the eye and saw the mischief there.  Mo Yuan's dragon was magnificent but there was one thing he knew none of them had ever seen before.  Legend has it that those who actually saw a dragon's phallus would indeed be blessed with long life.  A type of invincibility, if you will.  He was going to give it to them.  JinDe had all of the men on the grounds come together on one side of the grounds.  He pointed at his father and addressed them.  "Be blessed today because what you are about to see will bless you for all eternity!  Behold!"  Mo Yuan rolled to his side where his underbelly was clearly seen.  He roared a loud roar and with a groan brought forth his phallus.  He rolled on his back like a dog where nothing was left to the imagination.  He huffed and watched them fall down to worship him.  Bai Xue had heard about the commotion on the training grounds and had hurried to see what was going on.  His jaw dropped and he couldn't believe his eyes when he saw his father.  Or rather his father's dragon being rather cheeky.    When Mo Yuan thought every man there had seen the undisputed proof of his superiority, he retracted his phallus and transformed back into his naked human form.  With a flip of his hand he was fully clothed.  He smirked, tipped his head at JinDe and Bai Xue and walked out to the cheers of "High God Mo Yuan!" Ringing in his ears.