A Love Beyond Time

The Offering

Warning: This chapter contains depictions of sexual assaults/coercion, vulgarities and crude terms for the male genitalia.

What's seen, fades away

What's disappeared, is remembered

Even though my heart would turn to ashes

And my love would become ruins

For you, I am willing

===

2,000 years ago—the Middle Kingdom, a remote village in the Hebei region （中原 , 河北）

The shrill cries of a newborn infant filled the dimly lit room as Yu-Hu exhaled in quiet relief. He looked affectionately at the tiny mortal cradled in his arms, oblivious to the fact that his once pristine white robes were now stained with blood and amniotic fluids. The Fox Deity stroked a chubby cheek before he passed the squirming infant to an attending nursemaid and turned his attention to the exhausted mother.

"My heartiest congratulations to you, Madam Kang. You have given birth to an adorable and healthy son."

Madam Kang smiled; despite her exhaustion, her pretty brown eyes were glowing with happiness at the safe arrival of her newborn. She attempted to get up and kowtow to Yu-Hu, but he held her back gently.

"Thank you, Lord Yu-Hu. My husband and I are deeply grateful for your assistance in my labor. My son couldn't have been born without you."

Nearly a day ago, Madam Kang, her husband Kang-Yi, his 2 concubines, and their servants were ambushed by a quartet of assassins at their ancestral home in the village. They had escaped by the skin of their teeth and were hiding in a dilapidated hut when Madam Kang went into labor. Everyone was at a complete loss: the surroundings were unconducive for giving birth, and none of the maids had any experience in midwifery. As precious minutes trickled by and Madam Kang's moans of agony intensified, the panicked Kang-Yi suddenly recalled that Yu-Hu had handed him a small tassel of his fur before he escaped from the Celestial Kingdom one week ago.

"Take this. If you need my help, just hold it and call my name."

And that he did, and the former leader of the Elegant Wind Sect wept with relief when the familiar scent of plum blossoms filled the air, and Yu-Hu appeared.

Initially, his wife's maids-in-waiting were absolutely horrified that a male was to assist their lady in her labor. But upon Kang-Yi's admonishments, they bowed and retreated. Although the birth itself was painful and long-drawn due to a breech delivery, everything still went well, thanks to the Celestial Fox's magic and healing skills.

"Yu-Hu! The assassins have found us! You need to go now!"

Yu-Hu was writing a list of post-natal things for the maids-in-waiting to pay attention to when Gao Rui barged into the rundown premise. The latter had insisted on accompanying him to the Mortal Realm and stood guard in the hut's compounds. The Celestial Fox immediately conjured a protective barrier around the mortals before he turned to join Gao Rui against the intruders.

Just as the fight was getting increasingly heated, a black-clad figure appeared, his dense, sinister aura smothering the tiny room.

'Hands off the Fox. He's mine.'

At the mental command, the pair of assassins battling Yu-Hu turned to Gao Rui instead. The Fox narrowed his eyes and snarled as he attacked the newcomer, though his insides twisted in agony at the sight of the latter.