A Gentle Torment

Fighting on United Fronts (Returned)

Yan Zhi knew this would happen, yet watching the entire Ghost Realm's army bowing to her left her nervous and jittery in ways she couldn't explain. She didn't feel ready to rule. Far from it! She was raised with the expectation that she'd be married off to another realm for her lands gain, not to rule the entire Ghost Realm.

Yet the Ghost Realm's law was set in stone; should another woman be able to wield Shaowan's Pipa, she would take up the mantle as the Ghost Queen and the six Ghost Lords would be abolished.

Swallowing uneasily, she feels a sudden boost of confidence when Zi Lan turns back to face her, making a familiar 'do you believe this' expression before jerking his head towards the army.

Shaking her head in amusement, she leaves the rock before sending the Pipa back to its resting place.

"Your Highness," The Golden Lion is kneeling beside her father's remaining general. 

Clearing her throat (somewhat awkwardly) Yan Zhi turns on her heels to face the general, "Send the army back immediately; we don't want to be misinterpreted."

"Your Highness, it would be inappropriate to leave you alone here."

"I have my... intended and the Golden Lion. I'll be safe with them. Go back."

o~O~o~O~o

"Seventeenth!" Mo Yuan watches in horror as she stumbles back into him after the miasma clears. Pulling her close, his attention wavers only long enough to look her over protectively.

Her eyes are hazy and unfocused, and even though she appears no worse for wear initially, the sudden exhaustion from firing off such a large shot of energy has her close to blacking out.

She watches Qing Cang's form for a tense minute, breath held, as he remains where he last fell.

He's dead.

Bai Qian could nearly cry with relief if she didn't feel so dizzy and nauseous.

"Jiejie!" Yan Zhi's voice calls out to her, seemingly out of nowhere, and snaps her focus back into place with the harsh reality of what is going on around her.

The Ghost Army is leaving, only for another to arrive. Yan Zhi has halted several paces in front of her after Mo Yuan let out an agitated snarl, and Ye Hua is looking at her... worriedly, in a manner that has her stomach clenching out of pity for him.

Everything has gone as planned, but the aftermath is still just as messy as Yan Zhi expected it would be.

"Zhi Zhi," Bai Qian swallows back anxious bile, ignoring the shaky tone in her voice as she allows Mo Yuan to keep her upright, "Thank you, Zhi Zhi."

If she passes out, which she's almost certain she might, they need to know that Yan Zhi isn't to blame. Everything is one massive mess, and she won't let Yan Zhi take the fall for any of it.

"I thought you broke the seal!" Ye Hua turns to Yan Zhi, fighting his own growl, "What did you just do?"

"What she was supposed to." All four immortals stop dead in their tracks when the sound of Nu Wa's rapidly calming voice cuts a potential argument off at the source, "If I'm not mistaken, she's just ended a war."

Bai Qian lets out a heavy sigh of relief, "Emissary..."

"Qian Qian, that's my mother." Ye Hua furrows his brows, turning to face her.