By The Will of the Gods

An Unstable World

Qing Qiu

Bai Zhi knew there might be more interest in his daughter after that meeting, but he was not prepared for how much.  All afternoon he had sat with Qing Cang in his study going over the finer details of a marriage alliance that was looking more and more favourable the longer they talked.  In the past, the two men had little in common with each other, but there was always mutual respect.  However, his talk with a man that many in the Light Realms deemed unsavoury and unworthy of their time or daughters, soon had Bai Zhi realizing that much of what was said behind closed doors was based on the fear of the unknown.

Qing Cangs land was of the Dark Realms, but Dark did not necessarily mean Bad.  From what he had been offered along with a Queenship for his daughter who would rule over the entire Ghost Realm, Qing Cang was also offering rare powerful beasts for breeding in exchange for land and soldiers who would not only protect the beasts, but also Qing Qiu.  Though Qing Cang did demand Fox Clan magical spells of seduction as well as future marriage alliances between their people.

Smaller demands were also made, and the offerings from Qing Qiu were more than acceptable, but at the back of Bai Zhis mind was Mo Yuan.  He knew he could not agree to this alliance without first talking to Mo Yuan, so offering Qing Cang three days grace to talk among his family, while giving the man the opportunity to do the same, Bai Zhi stalled for enough time to call a meeting between himself, his wife and Mo Yuan.

Only he was not anticipating the arrival of more Leaders and missives asking for her hand which kept him in the Den and under a great amount of stress.

"Just one meeting, and the whole damn world wants her." he moaned to no one in particular though Zhe Yan and the Empress were thinking the same thing, only Zhe Yan was not about to let Bai Zhi get too carried away with the attention.

"It will only take an evening to narrow the list down." he said once the last of the Leaders had left and names were gathered along with the status of each applicant which Mo Yuans name headed.

"You cannot compare Mo Yuan to any of the other names on this list, not even Qing Cangs" Zhe Yan stated emphatically, while quickly striking the brush through several names that were actually an embarrassment to both Qing Qiu and the men that would never have been considered even if they were the only name on the list.

"Qing Cang has offered Qing Qiu a considerable amount of wealth and though we too will lose a little, the deal is actually worth looking at Zhe Yan." he replied, even though he did agree to some extent with him.

"Then why don't we just ask the girl.  You saw the way she was looking at her Shifu and you also saw the way he was looking at her. " Zhe Yan argued only to have the Empress quickly move forward in her seat towards him.

"Are you suggesting Mo Yuan is already in an affair with my daughter?" she asked stunned and close to losing her temper, which had both men raising their hands to still it quickly.

"That's not what I'm saying Zhi Zhi.  She has been his Disciple for forty thousand years, so of course they are close, and if what I saw today is any indication to go by, that girl thinks far more of her Shifu than just as a mere teacher and spiritual father.  And of course we all know how Mo Yuan feels about her." Zhe Yan cut in abruptly over her father and reminding them both of his own proposal which he never got a chance to extend on.

"It seems as if you are for a union between Qing Qiu and Kunlun Mountain." Bai Zhi sighed and not because he was against Mo Yuan but he had already cut ties to the Celestials.

"If I agree to this union, will it not cause greater embarrassment to Qing Qiu?  Mo Yuan is after all a Celestial and I swore there would be no unions between the two us." Bai Zhi reminded him.