One Tail at a Time

The Discipleship

50,000 Later

"Mi Gu, I'm going to help Zhe Yan in the grove, there is a new batch of wine being prepared." I call out as I sweep through the den to collect Feng Jiu from her chamber having spent the night with me.

Feng Jiu is my niece and very mischievous little fox who cannot be left alone for a second, otherwise she takes off for the Nine Heavens to annoy Donghua Di Jun who she is infatuated with and because tomorrow is my One Hundred Thousandth birthday, it was her idea that I hold a small party which she plans to invite that High God to.  I don't mind too much so long as it is kept to our small group of friends.  In fact, Shanhu is going to come and that makes me smile.  He's been visiting a lot lately and he is visiting again to help me with the wine that Zhe Yan has been saving for this very day.

"Alright Gu Gu, I'll let Master Bai Zhen know when he gets here,." my tree sprite yells from the kitchen in just as much as rush having taken on the task of preparing the guest rooms for my brother Bai Yi and his wife and seeing as Shanhu is going to stay on to help with the clean up afterwards, I have ordered Mi Gu to clean out Zhen Zhens room for him.  "Oh and Feng Jiu has already left for the Den, Empress Bai collected her? he adds as the sound of doors slamming quickly follows.

Happy that Mother has arrived and taken that little girl under her wing, I breath a sigh of relief.  I really don't have patience for her to be honest.  This one sided love affair of hers, is beginning to grate on my nerves, because everytime she leaves to visit Donghua, she always returns in tears and no matter what we say, she just wont listen.

Now  racing for the path, I catch sight of Fu Yu who has just returned from the Western Seaboard having been away for almost three months.  Die Feng is training him in the use of a new batch of weapons he invented and this time they are all sprite sized, so he is looking super excited when he sees me.  I can see he cant wait to tell me about his training, so joining me for the long walk to the peach tree grove, I learn of sprite sized version of the blossom spear that he can now use to perfection.

"How is Senior I ask?' when he finally draws a breath having lost himself to his excitement.

"He is well Qian Qian and he sends his greetings." he replies whcih makes me smile.

The last time I saw my first senior was half a year ago when we went to visit Shifu.  Donghua has allowed us entry to visit him after I questioned the insistance that we be kept out.  I actually caused quite a scene in the main hall because as his Disciples, we are as close to family as one can get, so Donghua relented and gave us all permission to enter the Sea of Innocence as often as we wanted to.

That was a very long time ago, not long after I left the mountain.  I had struggled to move forward and find something else to focus my attention on.  Actually it was the near trial for the death of Queen Muxian that saw me in the Celestial Heavens and facing Donghua, Lord Pua and the Skylord who not only believed my version of events seeing as a soldier who witnessed the event gave the same account, but that whole sorry affair was put to rest.  And it was then and there that I demanded that we Disciples be allowed to visit Shifu after all, no one else understood the Kunlun Mountain Discipleship more than them  The whole war ended because of a break in the Discipleship, they really had no choice but to allow it when I argued so passionately like that.

So over the years, I have visited often and sometimes with Shanhu when he is out visiting the realms.  He is now the King of his tribe which sees him travelling across the world to maintain alliances and trade deals, in fact, he has been trying to get me to go with him, but I really don't want to.  I do not see a need for alliances or meeting and greeting a new world of leaders I have nothing in common with.  In fact, many were at the Grand Realms Race all those years ago, so I have not forgotten what was said about me back then.  It may have been thousands of years ago and I really should have let it go, but I can't.