Abandonment and Heartbreak

Just as soon as he could, Ye Hua rushed back to the cottage on Mount Junji. He had been gone for half of an immortal day making it six months in the mortal world without a trace. He mentally cursed Su Jin for the thousandth time that day for her manipulations. Su Su must be in hysterics by now due to the way he disappeared. When he entered the cabin he found no trace of her and signs that no one had been inside the cabin for quite some time. "Su Su." he breathed and went rushing through the forest searching for his mortal wife. He spotted her silhouette standing in the clearing that he had left her in. "Su Su." he rushed to her before making an abrupt stop when he sensed something wasn't right. This being held herself much more confident than Su Su did.

"I wondered if you would return." The figure calmly turned towards Ye Hua and gave a bitter smile.

Ye Hua was confused; she looked exactly like his mortal wife but this was an immortal and his Su Su was anything but. "Who are you? Where's Su Su." He demanded.

"You had abruptly abandoned her in this clearing without a word. She was frantic and spent the rest of her life searching for you. Neglecting to eat or sleep until she passed on here due to starvation still clutching your bow." the being pointed to the bits of fabric and a well worn bow sticking out from the underbrush. "I suppose I should thank you though. If you didn't abandon her here without a word, my immortality and memories would still have been sealed until I died of either old age or my terrible cooking attempts." she smirked at her little joke. "Honestly I'm surprised that my mortal self lasted as long as it did considering how naive and helpless I was." the immortal told him in an indifferent voice.

Ye Hua's mind reeled from what his wife's doppelganger said. His sweet Su Su is dead and an immortal is in her place saying that her trial had sealed her immortality and memories away. His eyes teared at the thought of Su Su dying in the way that the stranger told him.

"Seeing you now in your mortal guise makes the disappearance make sense now. I take it you most likely were called away and time got the better of you. Was anything that you told Su Su true?" she asked. "Or was it all a game to pass time for you?"

"While I did not tell her the full truth, my feelings for her were no lie." Ye Hua attempted to grab her by her shoulders and hold her but she stepped back. "Su Su~"

"That's not my name. That person was nothing but a shell with no memories or experiences that fates had chosen to use as a trial for me. Nothing more." She turnt away and started to walk away. "You should leave this place, there is nothing for you here. Nothing for me either." and with those last words she vanished.

"Su Su, Su Su, SU SU!!!!" Yu Hua screamed as he rushed to the place where she was standing and fell to his knees. His Su Su is gone and he has no clue on how to track her down. Reluctantly he returned to his temporary quarters to wallow in self pity but it was not to be he had forgotten that his uncle was waiting on his return to cover him. Yu Hua collapsed at his desk much to his uncle's shock.

"Yu Hua, Yu Hua." his uncle shook him to try to get him to talk.

"Su Su is dead and in her place was an immortal with the same face." Yu Hua defeatedly muttered loud enough for his uncle to hear.

"You told me she was mortal." his uncle looked at him.

"She said that she was sealed. A trial." Yuhua mumbled not really wanting to continue this conversation but knew he had to get it out. "She thanked me for helping Su Su to die."

"Do you know her name at least?" his uncle asked, hoping to at least get some useful information out of his nephew. Yu Hua just shook his head no and closed his eyes.trying to not think of the heartbreak he was feeling. Su Su was gone and he had no idea who the person who wore her face was.

Back in the caves within Bai Qian sat by her master's side deep in thought. Seeing Ye Hua for the first time with her memories she realised how much he looked like her beloved Shifu but he was different at the same time. The darkness and emotion in his eyes were completely different though. He was not her Shifu she knew, but she was drawn to him all the same. "All that matters is bringing you back, Shifu. I have no time for silly things like feelings.I need to take care of my master and repay my debt."

"Gugu." Mi Gu stood at the entrance of the cave nervously. "The Fox King and Lord Zhe Yan would like to speak with you." Sighing, Bai Qian stood and made her way out of the mouth of the cave and followed her loyal servant Mi Gu to wherever her father was.

"Ah, Little Five." Zhe Yan smiled as he noticed Bai Qian come closer. "Come sit, come sit." he waved her closer and disregarded her traditional bow of respect.

"You wanted to see me?" Bai Quin delicately sat down between the two gods waiting for whatever they were going to tell her. The last time they teamed up like this was when they decided to ship her off to Kunlun Mountain.

Zhe Yan took a deep look at the goddess in front of him. When he found her after her disappearance she was unconscious in his peach grove. She had lost a vast amount of weight and seemed to have a cloak of melancholy surrounding her. When she woke up her eyes were hollow and the moment that he had remarked that she was healthy she went directly to the cave that Mo Yuan was placed in. The last seventy thousand years had not been kind to Bai Qian and it seemed that whatever happened when she disappeared after resealing the Bell Of East Emperor had caused the once mischievous fox to be a hollow shell of what she once was in her youth.

"Little Five, I am just going to be blunt. The marriage alliance to the Emperor's second son, Sang Ji has been dissolved and in it's place it has been decided that instead of the marrying the second son you shall now marry the soon to be Crown Prince Ye Hua."

Bai Qian looked at the two older god's blankly. "So..." she paused to gather her thoughts. "Instead of having to marry an old man, I am to marry a child instead?"