Immortal Mortals

Mortal love

By the time Mo Yuan had returned to the low table where Bai Zhi, Zhi Yan and Bai Zhen were waiting for him, Bai Qian had already left the Peach Tree Woods, having chosen to briefly greet her father and her brothers, before leaving for the Mortal Realm without a word as to the outcome of their meeting to any of them, leaving them all waiting anxiously for Mo Yuans return.

Needing to return to the Mortal realm himself, having already been gone for 3 Mortal days, he rejected their offer of wine, instead giving them his farewells and turning to leave.

"That's it?"  Zhe Yan rose.  "What happened?" he asked rushing forward to grab his arm, while Bai Zhi and Bai Zhen also rose to move towards him.  

He did not need to interpret the looks on their faces.  They wanted this marriage arrangement more than he did, and the anxiety was killing them.  

"I do believe we will be meeting again in a weeks time." he said smiling at them, before turning and cloud jumping away.

Stumbling backwards, his mouth open and fumbling for the side of the table to steady himself, Zhe Yan spun around to face Bai Zhi before collapsing onto the seat heavily, followed by his companions.  "Xiao Wu, I could kiss you right now." he said, lifting a wine bottle and drinking directing from it while her father finally released the breath he had been holding.

Suddenly the whole table erupted into loud raucous laughter.  Having already assumed the marriage arrangement would be cancelled, the stress of the past few weeks had been exceptionally hard on them all.  And to suddenly learn, she had pulled it off right under their noses, had them joyously opening Zhe Yans much stronger wine.

"That will keep her mother happy."  Bai Jhi sighed.  It had been hard on her too.  They had turned down numerous proposals for this one, though it was they themselves who had roped Mo Yuan into it, and to see it end, would mean no other proposals would be offered in his place.  He was the Mighty War God, revered by all, and a rejection against him, was a rejection against the whole world.

"Another meeting.  It's good.  It's good." Bai Zhen breathing a sigh of relief, the stress levels still falling away from his tense shoulders.

With the arrival of the Fox Queen later that day, saw all four of them drink themselves into oblivion, something they rarely ever did, but the day was a celebration, and they proceeded to celebrate hard into the night.

________________________________________________

By the time Mo Yuan returned to the Mortal Realm, night had already fallen.  Heading straight to the Tavern where he had been staying he was surprised to see many of his young crew there already well and truly inebriated and enjoying themselves.  

"Jie! Your back!" They greeted him warmly, beckoning him over to  join them, and as it was still quite early, he decided a quick drink wouldn't be too much of a burden.  The Mortal Realm alcohol was a lot weaker than what he was used to, so not hard to drink, though he couldn't drink too much of it, the after taste was rather bitter for his refined palate.

The story telling had finished for the day, and most of the men drinking had also finished work and it was a great place to catch up on how the other builders were faring with their sites, and what projects were still left to be completed.

It was here that other building site overseers would gather to compare building knowledge and techniques.  As this was Mo Yuans first time sitting in on one of these gatherings he held back and listened in growing alarm.  Many of the overseers had never built fence let alone a building, and he was beginning to wonder how on earth this little town would cope with the impending catastrophe when their buildings fell down around their heads.