Taoist Master

The Golden Glow of Redemption

It was another full day and night before Mo Yuan was notified of the damage to the lower valleys.  In that time, he had been taking extra care of his cranes who were so unsettled that he was forced into their enclosure overnight to keep them calm.  By the next morning, most were back to their usual antics while only a few needed a little extra care.  But one did have to be put down.  Its injuries were so severe and the fear too great, that Mo Yuan was given no choice but to put it out of its misery.  

For him, the death of any of his beasts was a tragedy and one that hurt deeply as the cranes had once belonged to his father nd because they symbolized longevity due to their very long life spans, they were considered to be filled with ancient wisdom as well as a good luck bird.

Only Mo Yuan loved them because he had grown up with them.  He was the only one on the mountain the birds trusted and the only one they listened to.  They were like his children, so to have to bury one was a tragedy and he would no doubt carry the losss with him along with every other scar gained throughout his long years.

 Only he wasn't given any chance to mourn a bird he had considered far more peaceful than the rest, because the moment he left their enclosure,  Die Feng was outside waiting to inform him of the damage to his low valleys.  And so with a sickening feeling in his belly, Mo Yuans grim expression darkened as he made his way back to his study.

And it was there that the stallions trainer was quickly called for, and after a brief discussion, Mo Yuan left for the low valleys where he found Bai Qian once again being whipped about on its back and a large stretch of land completely demolished.

One quarter of the low valleys had been ripped up which included some of his rarest of shrubs and flowers that could only be found on Kunlun Mountain, but even more devastating, was the destruction of his entire collection of rare wild orchids.

Not a single flower remained and the loss was just as heartbreaking for him as losing his prized bird.  His mother had meticulously created and then planted the Shenzhen orchid the day she married his father, so they were very special to her and to himself.  From the seeds of the few she had grown, he had literally created the only shenzhen sanctuary in the world.

"I thought I gave the order to train the stallion in the west side of the valleys.  Why is he being trained here?' Mo Yuan asked, his voice soft yet sharp enough to have both Die Feng and the trainers heads lowering quickly.

"The Lady Grand Master insisted on training here.  She thought the beauty of the natural surroundings would remind him of his home and assist in keeping him calm." The trainer replied quietly without daring to raise his eyes even though he could feel the heat of the War Gods glare boring into the top of his head.

In fact, the excuse he was given was enough to have his anger raging all over again, though he did take a few seconds to admire her ability to make him so angry and twice in just two days.

Surveying the damage while trying his best to avoid the woman being buffeted about like a rag doll on the back of a horse hell bent on escaping while creating even more damage, Mo Yuan was seriously regretting his decision to allow her there.   And though he felt certain she had not chosen that particular spot to purposely destroy it, he couldn't allow it to continue and mainly because his lepidopterarium or butterfly sanctuary was a mere few yards away.

"Why wasn't I notified earlier?" he asked though this time his question was aimed at Die Feng who had been given the task of overseeing the protection of the low valleys while in use and if anyone should have known how valuable the orchids were, then it should have been him.

"Shifu, The Lady Grand Master insisted that you had given her permission to utilize the valleys natural state as it would enhance the stallions training because it was similar to what it knew and she was adamant that this particular area was the closest to its home.  She said you gave her permission." he replied just as softly and also refusing to lift his head, not even when a sharp intake of air followed.