The Water Sprite

A New Beginning

100,000 years ago

Waking up in her own bed, Bai Qian stretched her small arms wide before yawning long and loudly before opening her eyes.  She felt as if she had slept for years, and not only did she feel great, but her small tummy was rumbling.  Sitting up, she suddenly realized she was not alone.

Sitting at the base of her bed, was her mother, and she was wide awake and looking directly at her with a look she couldn't quite decipher. 

"Mama?" she said with a sweet smile, that had her mother opening her arms to pull her towards her.

The Empress had watch her waken with a small smile, but she was quite unnerved by the way she looked at her as if the entire nights events had been nothing but a dream, the child looked as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.  Though she shouldn't have been surprised, to her daughter, it probably was nothing out of the ordinary, she thought to herself sighing inwardly as her arms enveloped her small body.

"Qian Qian.  Do you remember what happened last night?" her mother asked, because it seemed to her as if the girl was completely oblivious to everything that happened the night before.  Not only had she drunk too much of Mo Yuans strongest wine, she had upended his only three vats of thousand year wine.  The entire batch was destroyed, along with several of his fine china bottles that had belonged to his mother.  And on top of that, she had caused world wide chaos, which would no doubt last for months.

Thankful that Mo Yuan had been able to the see the lighter side of her mischief, she knew he was angry.  His birds had almost died, his youngest Disciples were still in a state of shock and stressed when they left but his wine bottles were irreplaceable.  She had no idea how on earth they would compensate him.   But looking at her daughter now, it was very difficult to reconcile the little girl with the most sweetest of smiles on her angelic face with the child who caused their greatest God to almost punish her with lightening bolts.

But that didn't mean she wouldn't be punished, because Bai Zhi would definitely spank her thoroughly, she would also be grounded and no doubt forced to do chores she didn't like, but Mo Yuan had been right, when he said she needed a reason not to cause mischief, because as far as he could see, she not only had no real understanding of consequences, she had no real understanding of her world at all.  To her, the bell was pretty, and made a noise, she merely wanted to hear it, not realizing the consequences or even taking the time to consider why the bell was never rung.  She was too inquisitive, too impulsive and lacked restraint and any punishment she received was so commonplace it became inconsequential. 

Thinking hard, Bai Qian eventually began to recollect the events from the night before.  Having run away from the Disciple when she saw the big Golden bell lit up under the moonlight, she had immediately wanted to hear it.  It was so pretty and so big, she just knew it would sound as lovely as it looked.  

So racing as fast as she could around the corner and out of sight, she instantly went in search of a way up and that's when she found the birds sleeping.  Not realizing her flaring tails had brushed against several of them, she merrily walked through them all towards an open door which she immediately entered.

And after wandering about the unlit room and then unlit halls, she eventually found the inside stairs that led to the Bell.  Though she did not need to climb all the way up, the rope that was attached to the bell had been hung loosely over a hook, all she had to do was unloosen it.  But the moment the bell had begun to toll, it was so loud and so powerful she became instantly afraid.  

Running for her life, she stumbled and fell through every door she could see to get away.  She could hear yelling and crying, but terrified of the bell and now the Disciples, she kept running until she finally stumbled into the wine cellar.