Rescue Me, My Love

Does Life Ever Get Easy?

     Mo Yuan, Bai Xue, Fenli and Ali walked back to the estate compound.  They went to sit in the courtyard where the rest of the family were.  Meili was rocking a cradle with Meigui and Yulan in it.  Mo Yuan smiled as he touched their little faces.  His first granddaughters!  "Qian'er, I have to go report to Ye Hua.  I just broke a ton of rules to retrieve the girls and hunt down a nest of those Xiyi.  I'll be back as quickly as I can."  He was about to leave when Jingsi and Jiaxiao grabbed his legs.  "We go too, Fuqin."  "No, stay here with your mother.  Fuqin will be back."  They said nothing but hung on to his legs for dear life and looked up at eyes just like his own.  "Very well then!  You must behave and stay with Fuqin.  Agreed?"  Nods.  He reached down and picked them up.  "Xue, I need you for a witness."  They jumped together and went to the throne room.  He was announced and he walked in holding the girls with Bai Xue behind him.  Ye Hua laid aside a scroll and addressed his Da ge.  "High God Mo Yuan, it has come to my attention that you broke several celestial rules in the mortal realm.  Would you care to explain yourself to this throne?"  "Tianjun Ye Hua, once I explain myself, the situation will become clear."  He handed Jingsi and Jiaxiao to Bai Xue so he could take a seat with them.  "If it pleases you, Tianjun, I will now explain."  "Proceed then."  "It was right after lunch when I was gathering the children into the courtyard of my mortal world estate on Mount Junji.  I realized that Jingsi and Jiaxiao were missing.  I was about to go looking for them when my son, Bai Xue, arrived with his family to visit for a few days.  His sons, Fenli and Ali scented out the trail and we followed it to a temple outside of the town dedicated to you and I.  Unfortunately, Jingsi was standing on a pedestal telling the crowd that had gathered about her Fuqin and Shushu.  I was going to cloak her and Jiaxiao and leave with them, but Jingsi pointed me out to the crowd.  One man in the crowd ridiculed me for letting a baby girl talk about me, plus I got a scent of a xiyi while I was there.  I erupted my dragon to grab him.  I forced him to transform.  I squeezed him and killed him.  I shifted back to my human form and burned him.  I asked where he lived.  I had to explain that Fate sent me to them.  A woman there pointed me to the house where the man lived.  I found four more of them there.  We got on a trail and found their den in a rocky hillside outside of town.  I blew fire into the hole and then water.  We covered the hole with stones.  The people of the town said that many people had disappeared.  It's obvious the Xiyi were hunting them.  I blessed the temple and gave the priest there the ability to smell them.  I gave them a mandate to hunt down these predators and rid the lands of them.  I realize many rules were broken.  I can only beg your forgiveness and gladly take whatever punishment you deem I should have."  He bowed and waited.  "It seems I should punish Jingsi and Jiaxiao for telling stories in the temple.  They started this mess, but because of them, a scourge on the mortal realm was rectified.  Mo Jingsi Yuehai!  Mo Jiaxiao Yuwan!  Come here!"  They flew to their Fuqin.  "Please tell me why you were in the mortal world telling stories about your Fuqin!"  Jingsi looked up at her Fuqin for sympathy but she got none.  She sighed and told their story.  "We go exploring and walk to town.  See temple and go in to look.  Big picture on wall of Fuqin and Shushu!  Me ask question.  Nice priest come and sit down by us.  He called us children of the dragon.  Me ask how he know.  He say it just a feeling cause they had prayed for the dragon to come.  Me say me dragon.  What wrong?  He say people in danger.  I say Fuqin come and destroy bad people.  Me telling how Fuqin normous, with big teeth and claws.  Man laugh at me.  Then Fuqin come and rest like he say.  Me smell Fuqin when he come."  "Did you know you broke the rules about revealing your powers?"  "Me not use powers!  Uhh, did I Fuqin?"  "Actually, she didn't use her powers, she just admitted she was immortal."  "I see.  I should send you to Lord Pua for a lightning strike, but your Fuqin should have told you what you can and can't do in the mortal realm."  "Actually we had a lesson on this very thing not a week before.  I haven't asked yet why they disobeyed me."  Jingsi ran to the foot of the throne steps.  "Shushu, Jingsi not bad!  Jingsi want to see how mortals live.  They not really different.  Just don't live so long.  Why they pray to us if we can't help?  It's a valid question, Shushu!!"  Ye Hua was flummoxed.  She was right.  "Well it seems young Jingsi has a point.  Why can't we help them when they pray to us for help?  Why do they worship us?  What does the law say?" 
     Lord Pua had to admit he was at a loss for words.  Mo Yuan, the writer of some of those very laws answered his question.  "It's not that we don't hear their prayers, we do.  We can only interfere if another immortal is causing trouble in their realm.  The Xiyi being there would have made it ok for us to intervene.  Sometimes we bring rain to them for their crops.  There must be balance.  The Xiyi are causing unbalance.  We should help them hunt them down.  Humans being used as food is not acceptable.  Although the reason these girls went to the temple was breaking the rules, the outcome was not breaking the rules."  "Dijun, how do you see it?"  "Come to me, little ones."  They looked to their Fuqin who nodded his approval.  He sat them on his knees.  "Tell me, Jiaxiao, why you went there?"  Her brow came together as she thought out her answer.  "It like jiemei say.  Only want to see how humans live.  When we walk in, me hear people begging Fuqin to come.  Me want to know why.  Priest tell us."  "Hmmm, I see.  So you thought you should help?"  "Uh huh."  "As it stands right now, they only attempted to answer serious prayers.  I can see no damage done.  As it stands, their actions brought Mo Yuan to a place that was being decimated by the presence of the Xiyi.  There should be no punishment."  "Dijun has spoken.  There will be no punishment.  High God Mo Yuan, is there a way those xiyi can be detected by celestial soldiers?"  "Good question.  They stink.  You can smell them, but that doesn't aid you any in an aerial search where you couldn't be seen by mortals.  Let's keep our ears open for those prayers for help and aid those priest I sent out over the land to find them."  "Let it be so!"
     Mo Yuan returned to the mortal realm to peace and quiet.  Jingsi and Jiaxiao had been praised by the occupants of the throne room.  He had to admit he was proud of them.  His little baby girls were learning everyday!  Bai Xue decided they would return home.  "Fuqin, we are returning to the mountain, but I thought about sending Junjie and Baishan to visit.  I'm sure he needs a break since I've been gone."  "Send them.  He will be amazed by our new home.  Don't spoil Zufu's girls too much!!"  Junjie and Baishan came the next day.  "Fuqin!  This place is fantastic!  Da ge told me but I just couldn't imagine it!  Is there a hot pool?"  Mo Yuan laughed out loud.  "Yes, you randy dragon, there is!  Now come and eat lunch!  Long Li's wife is here and she is a most excellent chef!"  They talked over lunch and Junjie took Baishan to tour the grounds.  Mo Yuan was drinking tea when Bai Xue walked in the gate.  He had a serious look on his face.  "Come eldest son!  Why so serious?"  "Fuqin, we have a problem."  "Oh?  What, may I ask is wrong?"  "Fuqin, Kunlun was inundated by the prayers of your hunter priests.  Three of them were killed by the xiyi when they found a whole nest of them close to the imperial city.  They all went to the war god temple where Diershi came from.  They are calling for you.  Donghua Dijun said the law books were opened and it has been decided that you should go.  That was maybe two weeks ago in mortal time."  "Very well.  Let me tell your mother where I'll be.  Are you coming with me?"  "Yes."  "Let's go."
     Mo Yuan and Bai Xue flew to the temple.  It was in an uproar.  There was a xiyi there laughing at the priests who were praying for him to come.  "Where's your great dragon now?  He's forgotten all about you!  Ha! Ha!  I'll kill you all and he won't stop me!"  He was about to strike them when Mo Yuan and Bai Xue materialized in front of them.  Mo Yuan called Xuan Yuan and took his head from his shoulders.  He turned to them to see relief and awe written on their faces.  "I have come in answer to your call."  The head priest stepped forward.  He was old now.  Too old to be fighting xiyi.  "Where is this nest of creatures?  How dare he come here and taunt you!!  One of you show me!"  Bai Xue had been looking around the temple.  It was obvious that these people believed that the God of War and his son, the Jin Huli, would protect them.  Xue waved his hand and filled their coffers with gold, their kitchen and stores with food and restored the mural on the wall.  He saw a portrait of Diershi there.  He smiled.  They were about to get those xiyi and give these people peace.  The youngest priest came out to lead the way.  "Great dragon, for years we have hunted those creatures like you told us to do.  We thought we had nearly vanquished them until we found a whole den of them.  I will lead you to them now."  They walked down the road that led out of the city toward the mountains.  Instead of building their den in rocks and caves, they had found a valley with an open pasture land.  They dug tunnels in the ground like moles and built underground dens.  Mo Yuan could smell their foul stench coming from the ground.  He turned to Xue.  "Xue, go get Junjie, Taiyang and Zhenzhu.  I will need them.  This valley is crawling with them.  Take this man back to the temple."  The priest was going to argue but Mo Yuan raised his hand to stop him.  "I understand your wanting to help, but this time I need you to be safe.  Trust me when I say there are too many of them for you.  I only wish to keep you safe.  I shall return to the temple once we have cleaned this place of their evil.  Xue, jump him there!  No time to waste!!"
     Xue was back in less than an hour.  Mo Yuan gathered them to give orders.  "I have a plan.  Junjie, I want you cloaked and in the air.  I'm sure they have many exit tunnels.  Any one that comes out, you kill.  I have found the main tunnel.  Xue, you and I will flood them.  Taiyang and Zhenzhu will be on the ground to kill all who come out.  Fuqin is depending on you boys to use your full power.  Understand?"  "Fuqin, may we make a suggestion?"  "An alternate plan?"  "If Zhenzhu and I combine our powers, we can breath liquid fire that flows like water."  "What?  Liquid fire?  Like lava?"  "Yes.  We never told you.  Sorry!"  "No need to be sorry!  Alright!  You two send that liquid fire down every tunnel entrance you see.  Xue and I will be on the ground then.  Are we ready?  Let's go!"  Junjie took to the air when Taiyang and Zhenzhu transformed to blow fire.  They blew into the first tunnel.  Junjie could see light coming out of a dozen exits.  He killed as many xiyi.  Mo Yuan and Bai Xue killed more.  Taiyang and Zhenzhu moved to the next entrance and the next.  They moved around the whole valley.  By the time they were finished, hundreds of them had been killed.  Mo Yuan had them fill every entrance they found with the liquid fire.  That would block off all the tunnels.  They were about to leave when they saw Junjie blowing fire towards the end of the valley.  They were met with a troop of the Xiyi.  There leader laughed.  "Well if it isn't Mo Yuan, the retired war god.  The weak pathetic dragon!  It wasn't too smart of you to set those humans hunting us.  You are about to pay!"  There were nearly fifty of them.  Before their leader could blink, Zhenzhu wrung out his whip and sent a lightning bolt through them.  Mo Yuan called the attack.  Taiyang and Zhenzhu had never been to war, but they both knew this was war and it was serious.  They called their armor to them.  Bai Xue called his armor to himself.  He shown like the pure moon and swung Leng Gang so fast Mo Yuan hardly got an attack in.  Taiyang was whirling so fast his twin swords were like a buzz saw cutting through the xiyi.  Zhenzhu kept cracking his whip back and forth.  Junjie struck several with bolts of lightning.  After thirty minutes of battle, the xiyi were defeated.  Mo Yuan looked around and realized he had only killed one of them.  It seems his sons did all the work.
     They piled up the bodies and burned them.  They searched out tunnel openings and filled them.  Feeling satisfied, Mo Yuan called them to him and they jumped a cloud to the temple.  The priests were waiting for him.  They materialized in front of them.  The old one came and bowed down.  "Great dragon!  You have returned!"  Mo Yuan stepped forward.  "The Xiyi are destroyed.  You all would have all been killed had you tried to attack them.  There were hundreds maybe thousands of them in that valley.  Come to me."  There were five priest that he had made hunters.  Three had been killed.  One by one, he took their hand and put the mark of Kunlun on it.  "You have done well.  When your journey here is over, this mark will see you through to come to me.  Your temple here is supplied well.  Remember, anytime a beast attacks the people, send your prayers to Kunlun.  I will hear.  Farewell!"  He jumped them to his compound.  "Fuqin, why did you mark them?"  "Did you not see it?"  "See what?"  "They had dragon chi.  For some reason that I don't know, they were sent to me.  I wonder about the three who were killed?  I must enquire.  Now let's eat because I am starving!" 
     The years were rolling by in the mortal realm while life on Kunlun became quite boring.  JinDe missed his little pupils and it seemed to him his own sons had deserted him.  He was feeling quite down when he came home for lunch.  Mei Ying was not there.  He sent out feelers for her over the mountain.  Nothing.  Getting in a panic, he ran into their room.  There on the bed was a message.  He opened the scroll and read. 

           Mo Jinlong, I'm waiting for you!  Find me!!
                                              
Smoke blew out his nose and he grinned.  A game of chase!  Hmmm hmmm hmmmm.  He jumped to his portico and jumped to Yanhua cave.  He walked in expecting to smell the sweet incense and the smell of his love waiting for him.  He came to a complete halt.  Nothing.  He tapped his chin with his finger.  He took off for her Fuqin's realm.  Not wanting to make a fool of himself, he probed for her.  Nothing.  He went to their palace in the nine heavens.  Nothing.  He spent the rest of the day roaming the realms looking for her.  Finally riding supreme frustration, he headed to Mount Junji.  He walked through the gate and it hit him square in the nose.  She was there!!  He walked to the courtyard to see his family gathered there.  A rather frustrated growl came out of his lips.  Mo Yuan smirked and poured him some tea.  "Is something wrong, JinDe?"  "You mean did I just spend the better part of an immortal day searching for someone?  Yes!  Restitution is coming, Ying'er!!!"  "Well don't get your golden butt all in a snit.  You should have looked here first.  Come eat dinner.  We're having sweet and sour fish!"  That night Mo Jinlong did indeed make his sweet little eagle pay.  He made her beg for release as he was all over her.  Maybe he would have another set of twins?  Yesssss!!
     Baohu came the next morning with news for his Fuqin.  It was early morning in the mortal realm.  His Fuqin was sitting outside at the table drinking his tea.  "Fuqin!  Good morning!"  Mo Yuan poured tea for him as he sat down.  "What brings the god of war to my door this morning?"  "I have news for you from Donghua Dijun."  "Oh?  Well, do tell!"  "The three priests who were killed while hunting the Xiyi have been found!"  "Where?"  "They are in the low level mountain.  I know you don't want them to be servants, do you?"  "No, I want them on Kunlun.  Get them and bring them there right away!  The others should be coming soon.  Keep an eye out for them.  We will be returning home soon.  Life here is good, but I need the divine energy of the mountain.  I miss it!"  "I think Da ge is already working on that little palace for Long Li and his family.  He needs his input.  I must return.  By the way, Diershi was able to nearly take the throne of Taoism debate!"  "You made a wise choice there, my son!  Off with you then!  I have to get this crowd together!"  Baohu left him to it.  As sad as he was to leave, Mo Yuan knew he must return and the children needed to resume their lessons.  He went inside to tell Qian'er it was time to go home.
     They returned to Kunlun early in the morning.  Mo Yuan called Chang Shan to his office.  "You wanted me, Shifu?"  "Sit down, please.  I have questions for you."  Chang Shan, looking rather worried, sat down hard.  "How are you liking your new kitchen?"  Chang Shan's face lit up like the sun.  "Shifu, it's wonderful, but I must admit I think I need some assistants.  It seems much bigger now."  "Well what if I told you I have found a most excellent pastry chef to help you?  And also makes the most tasty bread!"  "Really?  Send them to me as soon as possible!"  Mo Yuan send a scroll to Long Li.  In minutes he came in with his wife, Zhonglei.  "Chang Shan, meet Lihua Mao Zhonglei!  She is the wife of Long Li.  She is a most excellent chef!  She is teaching her young daughter her secrets too!  Zhonglei, this is Chang Shan, chef of Kunlun Mountain!"  They nodded at each other and looked right into each other's eyes.  "Shifu likes what kind of tea?"  "He likes lotus tea with no additives."  "Tianjun loves cake.  What kind does he prefer?"  "He has no preferences and will eat two whole plates with oolong tea.  He too likes no additives in his tea."  "Shifu doesn't drink but who does?"  "Mistress does as well as the present war god, Lord Baohu."  "Jingsi loves fish.  What kind?"  "The young mistress has quite the taste for carp."  "Come with me to the kitchen!  We have lunch to prepare!"  She bowed to Mo Yuan and left behind Chang Shan.  Lunch was quite good.  Chang Shan had made fish and Zhonglei had made fresh bread along with cake.  They got along well and the meal was a great success.  Baohu was the first to comment.  "This fish is really good, Chang Shan!  This bread is real good too!  What's different about it?"  "I have an announcement to make!  Lihua Mao Zhonglei, wife of Lihua Mao Long Li, is now a member of our staff!  She made the bread and cakes.  From now on she will be our pastry chef!"  They all cheered and clapped.  Zhonglei was very happy.  She had been afraid she would be displaced when they came to the mountain.  She had been wrong.  Chang Shan showed her around the kitchen, of which she walked around with an open mouth, and showed her where he made the pastries.  He was more than happy to have her and he let her roam the kitchen.  She even showed him some things!  It was a good start as she only wanted to serve her masters, Mo Yuan and Ye Hua, sons of Fuxi.