Rescue Me, My Love

There's Trouble in the Mountains

     Junjie wiped off his face with a clean cloth and did indeed go to the hall where Baishan was.  He sat next to her and they talked about wedding dates and what she thought her Fuqin would approve.  Mo Yuan took his spot next to Bai Qian and picked up his tea cup.  "Baishan, I will be sending a message to your Fuqin in the morning.  Have you and Junjie decided on a date?"  "Yes!  We have!  June 2nd.  I hope we have your approval."  Mo Yuan nodded.  "Yes, that will be fine.  Junjie, join me at the arena first thing in the morning.  We can learn some new spells.  Are you ready?"  Junjie's eyes turned gold and he looked his Fuqin right in the eye.  "Yes, I believe I am!"  "Good!  Good!  Be prepared because we will be working hard.  Now if you will excuse me, I have two very indignant dragons waiting for training!"  Mo Yuan went to the nursery only to find a rather large crowd.  Baohu was telling stories.  Taiyang, Zhenzhu, Gaoxing, Xingfu, Fengbao, WuYun, Jingsi and Jiaxiao were watching him with nothing short of rapture on their faces.  He was telling them about the snake queen fiasco.  Every time he hit a high point in the story, you could hear the oos and ahs of the children.  Taiyang asked a question.  Who healed Da ge, Si ge?  Was it High God Zhe Yan?"  "Actually it was San ge, Jinzi."  Little voices chimed in.  "San ge powerful too?  Me want San ge!  Where he be?"  Mo Yuan decided now was a good time to let himself be known.  "Well, does your Si ge tell better stories than Fuqin?"  Baohu laughed out loud.  Mo Yuan was very glad to hear that laugh.  "Jingsi wants Jinzi to come here.  Shall I call him?"  "He should be here shortly.  It's time for him to tend to your eyes."  As if on cue, Jinzi walked through the door.  Jiaxiao flew right into his arms.  She hugged him and patted his chest.  "San ge!  You healed Da ge when snake bite?  You great healer now?"  "Well, Jiaxiao, I didn't really heal him.  I just made sure his wounds were clean and he took all of his medication.  San ge knows a lot more now."  Jingsi held out her arms to him.  "Jingsi want learn.  You teach."  "Well we have to wait until you're a little older, then I can teach you.  How is that?"  She nodded her agreement and went to her Fuqin.  Baohu stood so he could go with Jinzi to his room.  "Si ge, you come back!  Tell more stories!"  "Alright!  Let San ge tend my eyes, then stories!"
     Ye Hua sent Qiang de Hei a message to come for a meeting.  Lei was unprepared to leave and it was decided she would stay behind and mind the kingdom.  He arrived the next morning right before lunch.  He was brought directly to Ye Hua's study.  "Sit.  We have much to discuss.  Let me call Bai Xue.  He has the intelligence we need."  Jia Yun went to get him but met Xue coming down the hall.  He entered and bowed.  "Hei, Xue has concluded his investigation of Mao Tang He.  It is our belief that he is a master spy but we don't know who is backing him.  Have you investigated him?  Have you sent people to his estate to verify that he is still alive?"  "No, I haven't sent personnel there.  I was about to.  Do you think there is danger there?  I will have my guards check him out right away!  Is Lei in any danger?"  Mao Qiang de Hei stood up and for a moment his hair rose up on his head.  His hands turned to claws.  "Something is wrong!!  I must return now!"  He jumped out so fast that even Ye Hua was caught off guard.  Bai Xue, alarmed to the core of his being, called Junjie to him.  Junjie was already on his way there and came stumbling in to Ye Hua's study.  "Da ge!  Da ge!  Call Fuqin!  Call him and Er ge!  Something happened to Liang Lei!  I can feel it!  Hurry!!"  His last word came out of his mouth as a roar.  Mo Yuan was there instantly.  "What has happened?  Tell me!!"  "Fuqin!  Something has happened to Liang Lei!  Something bad!  Please let's go there now!"  Ye Hua stood.  "Da ge!  You go with Junjie and JinDe!  Three dragons can surely find out what's wrong!"  "Xue!  Get Fenli and Ali!  Bring them as fast as you can.  Junjie!  JinDe!  You're with me!"  They went to the hall quickly.  Bai Qian was there standing by her seat.  "Qian'er, we are going to Hei's kingdom.  Bring the children with you.  All of them.  I must leave now.  Hurry!"  With that he jumped out carrying JinDe and Junjie. 
     When they arrived at the gates, the guards let them right in.  Mo Yuan ran as fast as he had ever run to get to Lei and Hei's room.  He flung the door open as he entered.  Liang Lei had been in one heck of a battle.  She had cuts everywhere and there were dead men piled up around her.  Her bow was in her hand and her quiver was full.  All of her arrows were bloody.  She stood there like a pale shadow of destruction.  She held a blue blanket in her hand close to her heart.  When she saw her Fuqin, she fell into his arms.  "Fuqin!  They took Dalong!  They took Dalong!  Please Fuqin!  Find my baby!"  With that she fainted dead away.   Bai Xue came rushing in with his boys.  "Xue!  Call Jinzi!  Tell him to bring Baohu with him too!  Fenli!  Ali!  Smell around this room and get a scent of who did this!  Everyone out!  Let them smell!"  While Fenli and Ali walked around getting a scent, Xue called Jinzi.  Jinzi was there in less than an hour with Baohu and Mi Shu in tow.  Hei was in the throne room interviewing people.  Bai Xue decided his expertise was needed there.  When he walked in, there was total chaos.  No one was listening to their ruler.  He decided prudence was better than protocol.  He erupted his dragon and sat behind Hei on the throne platform.  Hei smiled.  "The next person who talks over me will be burned up by Bai Xue, agent of Tianjun Ye Hua and the head of realm security.  Isn't that right, Lord Bai Xue?"  With his head right over Hei, he blew smoke out his nose to threaten.  One by one servants, guards and palace ministers came forward to tell their part.  Bai Xue, being very astute, was able to piece together what happened.  He spoke directly into Hei's mind.  "Dismiss them, Hei.  I know what has happened."  Qiang de Hei stood.  When he did, his subjects all hit their knees.  "Know from this day forward that I, your king, will not tolerate any more disrespect or lack of protocol.  If I have to rule this kingdom with an iron fist, you will regret it.  Any one who harbors any information about this attack better be for telling me.  If I find out you knew something and said nothing, I will kill you on the spot.  Not only is Lord Bai Xue, Da ge to my queen, here, but High God Mo Yuan, High God Mo JinDe, High God Mo Junjie and God of War Bai Baohu Zhe.  Just try to leave here, if you dare!  You will be the object of a dragon hunt.  Do I fear them?  No, because I have no reason too.  Do you fear them?  You better or you will regret it.  My queen was gravely injured trying to defend herself.  Don't let me find out you laid a hand on her.  You're as good as dead.  You're all dismissed."  With his last word, Bai Xue transformed and stood beside Hei.  He growled as they left. 
     Bai Qian arrived just as Hei was leaving the throne room.  She had Jingsi and Jiaxiao in her arms with Taiyang, Zhenzhu, Gaoxing and Xingfu all with her.  Before she could stop them, Jingsi and Jiaxiao took off toward Lei's room.  They flew in, hovered over the scene for a moment and sat by Liang Lei.  They laid their hands on her to heal her.  Mo Yuan was caught off guard by their presence without their mother.  She came running through the door.  About the time she did, Hei and Xue came in.  Mo Yuan nodded and put on his war god face.  "Fenli!  Ali!  Follow the trail!  Follow it!  JinDe!  Go with them!  Junjie!  You go with them.  Go!"  They all transformed and got on a very hot trail.  Seeing the situation for what it was, he helped calm Hei down.  Bai Qian sat beside Lei while Jingsi and Jiaxiao were healing her.  "Fuqin, I know what happened!"  "Spill it!"  "I listened to the testimony of the palace ministers, maids and guards.  Mao Tang He brought a small but efficient troop of men in the palace using barriers and disguises.  They went straight for Dalong.  They knew Lei would defend her child to the death if she had to.  The fact that she killed so many was a testament to her despair to save him.  She was badly wounded.  I still don't know why they took the heir.  Dalong is a smart baby.  Lei has written me letters telling me of his exploits.  I believe he will try to escape first chance he gets.  He has been taught defense spells and knows them.  There is a mole in this palace.  Someone told them Hei was leaving for a meeting with Tianjun Ye Hua.  We have to find that person, if they are not already gone.  From what I could gather, the troop was damaged heavily by Lei's attack and the work of her guards.  Some of them were killed.  It's a very good thing that you had them train with Baohu and JinDe.  Why didn't you go with them, Fuqin?"  "Hei is distressed and a sane and level head needs to be here in command.  Let's get these children settled in a room and get the staff to clean up the bodies and such.  Order should be maintained.  Message Ye Hua and tell him what we know.  I'm hoping those boys are on a hot trail.  Dalong is smart.  He may leave sign.  We will just have to see.  Now let's get this mess cleaned up."
     Mao Tang He was beginning to wonder why he thought it prudent to kidnap a baby.  He was constantly delayed.  Dalong had peed on everything.  Every chance he got, he transformed and sprayed as far and wide as he could.  No one had brought clean clothes so he mostly was wet.  Being a smart little fellow, he remembered what his mother had taught him about leaving a scent.  Being a baby, he had to pee a lot.  He peed on every soldier and every piece of clothing they had.  His trail was so well marked, a blind man could find them, other less apex dragons riding a dragon rage.  He grinned like the happy baby he is.  He grinned every time he peed.  Mama would find him.  Her dragon could smell him.  "Zufu come.  He find Dalong."  Pretending like he wasn't scared, he bounced along, played with tree branches, weapons, clothing.  Any thing he could touch, he did.  He knew he had some powers, but not enough to get away.  When the small group finally stopped for the night, they sat about making camp.  It was snowing.  Being a snow leopard meant he would soon be able to hide in the snow.  Stinky men not stop him!!  He quietly watched as they made camp.
     Fenli and Ali flew side by side, hot on the trail.  They began to smell the pee.  That smart little yemao was leading them right to them.  Using the signals their Shifu taught them, they all cloaked and continued the pursuit.  They came over the camp and landed off to the side.  Still using hand signals, JinDe gave commands.  He motioned for Fenli and Ali to get Dalong.  He wanted Junjie to scare the pants right off the men.  On his count, Junjie transformed and uncloaked right over the camp.  Using his tail, he shot lightning right into the fire.  Dalong, sensing his family near, transformed and ran right into Fenli and Ali.  They snatched him up and ran back toward JinDe.  Once Junjie saw the baby was safe, he starting destroying the camp.  JinDe managed to capture two men, but Mao Tang He escaped.  The rest were killed by Junjie.  Once they had gotten back together, JinDe gave orders.  "Junjie, you carry those two prisoners in your talons.  Fenli and Ali, you boys fly with me on a fast cloud back to the palace.  Dalong will stay with me.  Isn't that right, my little yemao?"  Grinning at his Shushu with great gusto, he grunted.  They left the scene to return to the palace.  Mo Yuan was waiting for their return.  Junjie landed with the two prisoners in his talons.  Hei's guards took them into custody.  JinDe came forward with a soaking wet, grinning yemao.  Mo Yuan took him, dried him off with a wave of his hand and clothed him in dry clothes.  "JinDe, give me a report as we walk.  We will take Dalong to his parents now."  As he walked, JinDe told him everything.  "Fuqin, Dalong is indeed very smart.  He peed everywhere.  His trail of scent could have been followed by a snail.  Fenli and Ali were on it immediately.  Those two are the best trackers ever, if I may say so!  They got the scent of all those people too.  You and Hei should question them.  Mao Tang He escaped.  We focused on recovering Dalong instead of trying to capture him.  We got those two prisoners though."  "Good work!  I'm sure Fenli and Ali could pick up the trail from that camp.  Send a report to Ye Hua.  He will be pleased.  Now let's go see this bad little boy's mother, shall we?"
     Liang Lei was sitting in bed with Hei beside her when Mo Yuan walked in with Dalong.  He squirmed until his Zufu let him down.  He ran to his Fuqin.  Hei held him close for a minute and handed him to Lei.  "Easy now!  Your mother is recovering from her battle.  Be careful!"  He sat by her on the bed and grinned.  Mo Yuan laughed.  "It seems that our little yemao has learned his lessons well.  JinDe tells me he left a trail of pee from here to the camp where they found him.  Very smart laying scent like that!  He reeked of it when they brought him back.  You have taught him well."  "I give all the credit to his mama.  She has taught him all of the lessons she said that she learned from you!"  "Well it seems she was listening because I thought she was lazy...."  "Fuqin!  I was not lazy!"  "Hei, if you have a moment?"  "I'll be back later to check on you and Dalong.  Rest now.  You too, Dalong!"
     "The boys captured two people in that group.  We need to question them now."  "Follow me then and we will do it right now!"  Mo Yuan and Qiang de Hei walked into the dungeon to interview the prisoners.  Mo Yuan noticed right off that they were not snow leopards.  He let Hei talk first.  "You can tell me now where you are from and who sent you or Mo Yuan, Fuqin of my Queen and former God of War will do the interrogation.  Your choice.  Any takers?"  One man looked at Mo Yuan in absolute terror.  He talked.  "Mao Tang He hired us all.  We were just a band of displaced mercenaries.  Our tribe is destroyed because of dragons.  We roam here and there to steal what we can."  "So you're demons.  Is Mao Tang He of your tribe?"  "No.  We think he is a former general under Qing Cang.  He is not a snow leopard, but he knows how to change forms.  He escaped the four dragons by shifting to get away.  We don't know any more!"  Mo Yuan brought a small flame into his hand.  He rolled it over his fingers and over his hand like a steel ball would roll.  "I can burn you, just so you know.  If you lie, I will know.  I will come for you.  Where were your headquarters?"  "We were at the estate of the real Mao Tang He.  He was killed by the demon Queen when this general took his place.  His family is held in the dungeons there.  He was using the wife of the real Mao Tang He.  I don't know if he will go back there or not.  He may even use the form of one of those dragons.  Especially that military commander.  Any one to get army intelligence he will do.  That's all I know."  Mo Yuan and Hei left the dungeon and went to the gallery.  Bai Qian was there with the family.  Lei and Dalong were napping.  "Dearest, have you found the culprit?"  "My dear, not only is he found but I have a plan.  Baohu, how are you eyes?"  "Fuqin, I'm sorry!  I still can't see!"  "You can throw your best barrier, can't you?"  "Yes, but what can I do?"  "You can get up off of your jin huli butt and use your senses to see!  I need you with me!  JinDe!  Get ready to be in disguise!  We were told that this person who claims to be Mao Tang He is actually one of Qing Cang's generals.  He is a shape shifter.  I'm thinking he is going to use your form to infiltrate the army.  He will find it rather difficult since he won't be able to get into Kunlun.  The power would crush him.  I need you, Junjie, Baohu and Xue to be ready after lunch.  We're going on a raid."  "But Fuqin!  I'm blind!  What would you have me do?"  "Bring your huli here."  He was blindfolded, but he was assaulted with his senses.  "Tell me now what you smell."  He turned his head this way and that.  "I smell Mother, you, JinDe, Xue, Hei, Taiyang, Zhenzhu, Gaoxing, Xingfu and I think Jingsi and Jiaxiao?  They smell like jasmine and fresh air straight off of Kunlun when the snow falls.  I smell this mountain.  It too smells like snow, but with evergreens mixed in."  "Good!  Now tell me what you hear."  He bowed his head and listened.  "Fuqin, I hear your heartbeat.....*sniff*"  Baohu hung his head.  He wanted to cry.  He really did.  He tried to keep going but for the life of him he just couldn't.  Jingsi and Jiaxiao, sensing his distress, came into his lap and wrapped an arm around his neck.  "Si ge, why you sad?"  They spoke in unison.  "Si ge just had a very scary thought of not being able to ever hear Fuqin's heart again."  He stood up with them holding on to him.  "I hear the wind blowing through the gallery, maids talking in the hall, mother's heart, Xue and JinDe breathing, Hei breathing, the sound of life everywhere.  Yes, life."  "What do you feel?"  "Soft little baby girls!"  He hugged them close.  "The wind touching my hair and face.  The air moving.  The sun on me."  "So you think your useless?  Take what you just told me and paint a picture in your mind of where everything is now."  For a long minute he stood there turning his head this way and that.  He squared his shoulders.  Still holding Jingsi and Jiaxiao, he stepped toward the stairs that lead to the garden.  For a moment Mo Yuan thought he would fall down the steps, but he held the girls and walked down the steps and onto the path.  He looked back over his shoulder and grinned his own personal war god grin.  "Well?  Don't we have a mission?  Let's get to it!!"
     Mo Yuan stood up and motioned for Xue, JinDe and Hei to follow him.  Baohu took Jingsi and Jiaxiao to their room.  "You girls stay here and protect Dalong.  I'm depending on you to guard Mother and the boys.  Can you do this for me?"  "We be good!  We guard!"  "Ok then!  Si ge will be back!"  He left them and walked with a confidence he hadn't felt in a while.  He was turning the corner when he heard furtive foot steps behind him. He place an invisibility barrier over himself and stepped close to the wall.  The footsteps went past him and stood by the open door of Hei's war council room.  Baohu knew that his Fuqin was in that room.  He spoke into his mind.  "Fuqin!  There is a person standing outside of the door listening to your conversation.  I'm cloaked so they can't see me.  This person is not a snow leopard.  Catch them!"  Mo Yuan held up his hand and used signals to tell of the intruder.  They kept talking.  He cloaked himself and stepped to the door.  He threw his spell and caught the man.  He drug him into the room.  Baohu came in behind him.  Mo Yuan shook him and threw him down onto the floor.  Mao Qiang de Hei was angry and his cat snarled right in the man's face.  "Who are you and what are you doing here?  Speak!!"  His hand turned into his massive paw and he struck the man across his face.  "Speak now or I will gladly kill you with my bare claws!  How dare you spy in this realm!  How dare you hurt your queen!  Speak!!"  He growled in his ear.  Fear crept into the man.  He bowed low.  "I worked for Mao Tang He in his home for years.  I thought he was against your marriage to High God Mo Yuan's daughter for a good reason.  He said that if you married her, the dragons would control you.  He was wrong.  He launched the attack to kidnap the prince to force you off the throne.  We didn't count on the queen being so strong.  She killed many warriors.  We also misjudged your elite guards.  I'm supposed to pass information to Mao Tang He, but I don't know where he is.  Please spare me and I will be your loyal servant for the rest of my life!  I'm not a snow leopard, but I am a cat.  I'm just small.  I wish to serve a just and upright person.  I don't want to serve evil!  Please spare me?"  Junjie, having compassion for the man, stepped forward to plead his case.  "What is your name?"  "Lihua Mao Long Li."  "I am about to marry the daughter of the white tiger realm.  You can serve me in my palace on Kunlun.  Do you agree?"  "You mean as your aide, your servant, your cook, whatever you need?  I accept!!"  Mo Yuan stood by young Li and sniffed him hard.  "You have been mistreated.  Did that imposter beat you?  What did he do to you?"  Long Li transformed into a very sturdy and handsome cat.  His fur was burned in places and one ear was damaged.  Junjie picked him up and healed him.  Long Li purred a very contented purr and settled into Junjie's arms.  Junjie sat him on the floor and nodded.  "Fuqin?  Do you accept Long Li as my assistant?"  Mo Yuan could smell fear in the young cat but also relief.  "Answer me this question.  Could you not smell that this man was not a cat?  How did he mask himself?"  "High God Mo Yuan, I can't really say.  He always wore some kind of scent pouch on his person.  He mistreated all of his servants.  Some ran away.  I don't know what happened to them.  If he caught them, I know for a fact that he killed them.  I must say I feel relief.  Are you sure he can't get me now?"  Junjie laughed out loud.  "He can try to get on Kunlun but he won't get far.  Fuqin, may I appoint Lihua Mao Long Li as my personal assistant?"
     Jinlong sniffed the young cat.  He scanned him for spells or enchantments.  "Baohu, call Jinzi to you.  Tell him to come here."  Jinzi came in less than ten minutes.  "Jinzi, scan this young man for any spells or enchantment.  Thoroughly please."  He nodded and started his scans.  He did each scan twice to be sure.  He patted the young man on his shoulder.  "Fuqin, I can detect nothing of any evil intent.  In fact, dragon chi is quite strong in this young man.  Is there a problem?"  "Dragon chi?  Do you have a dragon in your family tree, Long Li?"  "High God Mo Yuan, my family came from the mortal realm.  We were the pets of the imperial family.  Since the dragon is their chi, it became ours.  Many millennia ago, the first ancestor became enlightened and came to the immortal realm.  Others followed.  That is our origin."  "I see!  Being the treasured pets of dragon rulers has brought you good fortune today.  You are accepted to be Lord Junjie's aide.  Do you have a tribe and a ruler?"  "Actually, we do.  We live in the nine heavens.  We guard it.  We live in an abandoned palace.  Haode knew we existed, but he left us alone.  The palace was very old when we started living there."  "You mean to tell me that you have been in the nine heavens for millennia?  Who did you serve?"  "The first emperor, Fuxi."  "Who is your ruler?"  "That would be me."