Fate's promise

Chapter 4: An ever-fixed mark that looks on tempests

218 years after Mo Yuan's return

Bai Qian was bored and bothered. Ye Hua was busy as always these days and A-Li was visiting his grandparents who insisted he come alone thankfully. Feng Jui was doing well with her lessons and only came to her with questions she felt too shy to ask her father or grandfather or just bounce ideas off. She suspected that the young fox enjoyed visiting Taichen Palace because of Di Jun who would always invite her to tea and suggest books for her to read or consult.

Delegations from the from the four Seas kingdoms were arriving soon and the whole place was teaming with noise and activity. Bai Qian felt like she was suffocating but Ye Hua had asked her to be there to oversee things. She really did try but the Celestial rules and protocols on how everything had to be done just so was too much. Bai Qian did what was the most sensible thing to do in her mind ­– finding the most competent serving staff around and luring them into her service. Once she appointed a coordinator to assign and oversee the tasks Bai Qian left them to her capable care and sought out her dwindling stash of wine hidden in the branches of her peach tree in Xiwu's courtyard.

She'd found herself a comfortable routine to keep herself sane when Mo Yuan was gone and she had fallen back into it as life in Xiwu became commonplace. As she watched the hustle around her she wondered how she would make it through the next few weeks if she didn't have some of Zhe Yan's strongest wines stored up.

There was a place she'd discovered in Peach Blossom Woods almost 20 000 years after she'd brought him to Qing Qui that always took her breath away no matter how often she visited it. There were pools of differing sizes and depths, with healing essences from the trees and ground too. Somehow this sanctuary had come together and it was idyllic. She'd planted one of the peach seeds imbued with their essences on that first day and it had entwined itself with the Great Peach Tree, the one she knew with certainty had been the first of the trees to take root.

Their  tree had grown with her needs, providing the perfect sleeping branch or star-gazing nook. It was a cradle and shelter that was always at the perfect ambient temperature for naps, reading, sword practice and anything her heart wished at the moment. She'd often thought of bringing Shifu here but worry for him kept her from following through. This haven was her joy when the pain of his loss overwhelmed her aching heart. She would rest here after feeding him her heart's blood because she thought she could feel his gentle energy embrace her and soothe her sorrow but she put it down to fanciful wishing once Zhe Yan's wine numbed her scarred heart.

Bai Qian took another long swig as she listened the hustle and bustle from outside. At least Xiwu was off limits, for which she was grateful to Ye Hua. Another swig to toast this was caught halfway when she noticed one of the Lord Lao Ting Bao's assistants collecting peach blossom branch for a bouquet. Knowing it had been approved by Ye Hua kept her from speaking out but it did give her an idea. The Healing Waters would be a perfect place to hide out. It was always quiet and a quick check showed that it was closed for its regular maintenance. Bai Qian took a leisurely stroll towards the temple, ensuring no one would be able to tell where she was heading.

Perfect, she thought, as she found herself an alcove overlooking the pool so she could absorb its healing energy as she napped. Slight noises below woke her and she realised that they were preparing the space for a guest. Settling in she watched as the assistant placed the peach blossom bouquet in a vase on a low table near the pool's edge. Another set out a single tea cup next to a tea pot of steaming water while a second placed a box of what Bai Qian assumed was a special mix of leaves beside these. Bai Qian yawned. One person wasn't enough to bother leaving over so she shifted to her fox form, which allowed her to mask herself completely as this was when fox magic was at its strongest.