The Endless Promise

117. Rain 1

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On that incredibly elegant and ornate balcony, the morning air was slowly filled with the cries of mystical jade birds as Bailong turned to face his friend seriously.

"Don't ever manipulate fate without Tianlong's permission!"

Fei Yun scoffed. "Tch! I know! Did you forget I am a-, ehehe, I 'was' a Fate Disciple?"

But Bailong remained serious. "As Lord Medicine, I often do good deeds without permission, right?"

Fei Yun shook his head. "Heh! Am I not the one constantly begging Tianlong to spare you?"

Bailong grinned. "Just wait! From now on you'll understand his perspective and start scolding me as well! After all, 'the Fate Immortal must never take laws in his own hands'."

There was a curious expression on Fei Yun's face as he said, "All this, I already know... We're required to swallow endless books and scrolls on the matter before we even become internal disciples."

But he wasn't surprised when Bailong sighed, nor when he said, "Permit me to add a bit to what you already know..."

This was normal. Bailong had an uncanny way of knowing more than he should about certain matters, especially when they concerned his friends!

Once, he had even defeated Tianlong in reciting the 'Sky Throne Rules', by the end of which he had simply said, "I read them through a few times to ensure there was none which would bring you great discomfort as Emperor!"

At the moment, Fei Yun could only grin and shake his head. "You would never put me in this seat without finding out the many ways in which it might be harmful to me... So tell me what it is you have discovered?"

"The books and scrolls of Fate Hall state the repercussions of manipulating fate without the Sky Emperor's knowledge..." Bailong began, going further to recite: "'A gradual loss in one's vitality, more severe depending on the scale of manipulation. A gradual loss in health. A slow reduction in one's cultivation'. It goes on and on...

"But none of these can prepare you for the temptations... The temptation to punish evildoers before their time, or the temptation to help those in need, or to save lives meant to be lost." Bailong turned to him, more serious than Fei Yun had ever seen him.

"You must never do any of that!" He warned. "I fall for these temptations, because I can afford to. It's different for you, and it isn't just about losing vitality.

"Because of the hard nature of their original exterior, Crystal birds are unnaturally bound to their primordial forms, right?"

As an Emerald Owl, Fei Yun could only nod in confirmation, and Bailong sighed.

"Be careful. Whatever happens to you, will affect the inner owl twice as much. If you lose vitality in this form, it's twice as much for your primordial form! Tiny moves to manipulate the fates are fine from time to time... One could even say these little moves are essential for the rare benevolence of Fate. However," He placed a hand on Fei Yun's shoulder.

"If you act without permission too many times, you might shatter your essence, making it impossible for you to ever reincarnate..."

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(Back to the present)

Two friends stood staring at each other, much like they had done all those years ago, the elegant balcony, replaced by the desolation and destruction around them.

Mere seconds had passed with the memory, but the echoes of time still hung around, and Fei Yun staggered back a bit, a spray of blood bursting from his lips.