Chapter 40: The Shangguan Longyan

Xuanzheng awakened after her hibernation inside the cocoon of the evil tree. Her energy has been replenished full 7 days after she fought her sister XuanWu.

She shook off the roots that surrounded her and grabbed her clothes to cover her naked body. The crystal coffin glowed pure orange when, suddenly... It cracked wide open. Na ShaoTian levitated from outside the jade coffin and landed on his toes. XuanZheng's jaw almost dropped seing ShaoTian opened his eyes. It has been 10 years since he had been enslaved by XuanZheng inside the dire necropolis.

She took a step and tried to touch ShaoTian however, he caught her hand and yanked it off.

"ShaoTian... ShaoTian... It is me, XuanWu... Have you forgotten about me?"

ShaoTian's eyes narrowed and his brows crossed. He knew that XuanZheng is lying since he saw the ancient evil tree behind her.

He had then concocted a plan. A plan that might lead to his great escape.

"XuanWu... It is really you my dear. I am sorry to avert your hands upon my body. Come here so that I can hug my lovely wife."

"I would love that ShaoTian."

XuanZheng wrapped her arms around ShaoTian and embraced him tight. ShaoTian tried to pull a small needle from his purse. As soon as he reached the needle, he then kept it hidden up his sleeve so that XuanZheng might not suspect what he was up to.

"ShaoTian... Do you love me?"

"For eternity , my love..."

"ShaoTian... Do you adore me?"

"As always my love..."

XuanZheng leaned forth and tried to kiss him. ShaoTian reached for his sleeve and got the needle in his other hand...

'Now is my chance.'

ShaoTian slowly raised his arm and pricked XuanZheng's neck with the needle. Just as then, XuanZheng looked at him intently and backed off from his arms. She removed the needle from the back of her neck.

"Why ShaoTian?"

"Like I said before I slept for a long time XuanZheng... You and XuanWu may have the same face but I know XuanWu better than anyone else. You may pretend that you are her but believe me, you will never be her."

Xuanzheng scrambled and reached up for the table before she completely passed out. ShaoTian made his exit from the dark tower covering himself with a black cloak that he had snatched out of Xuanzheng's stash of cloaks. He saw the opening of the cavern down below and took his chance of fleeing the island on a small boat.

He paddled his way through and through hoping to get away from the island as far as possible. When he saw the mist, he paddled more fiercely until he could not see the island from his back anymore. ShaoTian almost lost his mind up there, he laid on the boat looking up the blue sky. He ran his palms on his face and laughed happily. Finally, his freedom is at hand. All that is left was to look for his family and reunite with them as soon as possible.

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Meanwhile back at the Kingdom of Dragon Blade, the feast ended happily. All of the guests from faraway lands bade goodbye to the newlyweds and peace soon returned to the land. Chaos dissipated away and the people of the two kingdoms rejoiced after the strife that they had experienced. Families were reunited, long apart lovers brought back together and feudal kingdoms are reconciled.

Xiao Na walked up to his mother. He wondered about the Shangguan Longyan box and what power it holds and why Zhuge Liang wanted it badly to the point where he got himself condemned for his ostentatious ways.

"Mother..."

"Yes, child?"

"Mother, I wanted to talk to you about something. I know that it's none of my business involving myself with the Immortals but, I was hoping that you would answer me..."

"Child, you are already involved. Now, what is it that you wish to ask me?"

"I wanted to ask about what the Shangguan Longyan is and why is it so important."

"Child, come here... Let me tell you a story."

XuanWu led Xiao Na outside the courtyard where the flowers bloom. She sat under a plum tree and beckoned Xiao Na to sit beside her. Xiao Na sat beside her and looked at the falling petals from the tree.

"Once upon a time..." XuanWu began...

"The kingdom of ninth heaven had a benevolent leader. He was not a strong and courageous leader however, he led the ninth heaven perfectly fine keeping it from being able to be tainted with evil. XueJian, the kind king favored humans above all beings. He gave them the sun to bright up their skies, the moon to illuminate their night, water to quench their thirst, plants and animals to tend and keep them away from hunger. However, even so with the beautiful things that he had created for them, it wasn't enough for mankind's greed.

One day, the Gods held a solemn meeting. A meeting that would change mankind's fate forever. The Gods designed a strong divine weapon that would make mankind renounce their greed. The divine weapon were to be used on a great war that would shake the earth so as the heavens. XueJian begged to discard the idea of the Gods but, majority of the immortals agreed to release the weapon amongst the humans. XueJian could do nothing but to watch his beloved humans writhe in pain and suffering as the divine weapon struck down from the sky like flashes of lightning pulverizing every living soul that walked the mortal realm.

After the attempted genocide, XueJian reprimanded the Gods that agreed to use the divine weapon. Declaring that all of mankind has been pulverized into ashes, XueJian descended from the heavens into the mortal realm to see the range of the damage done by the Gods. Seeing the devastation, his eyes welled like an ebb. He cried for days and nights mourning for his beloved mortals but, as he looked behind him, he saw two children. A little girl and a little boy stood wearing ragged clothes. As he saw the young children, he then rebuilt the devastated land back with the gifts that he had given to mankind long ago. As a compensation for the immortals' rash decision of genocide, XueJian gave the Shangguan Longyan box to the humans that survived the genocide."

"But isn't the box dangerous? Why did he gave it to humans other than for safekeeping? Aren't humans greedy?"

"No no son... Listen... Mortals are like mangoes in a basket. Some are rotten and some are fine."

"But Mom... XueJian may have made a wrong decision."

"No my boy, the box lies now inside a cultivator's body but I don't know his whereabouts."

"The box lies inside a cultivator's body? Mom how could a box fit inside a human body?"

XuanWu extended her hand and flicked Xiao Na's nose. Xiao Na scratched his nose out of pain.

"Mom! Why did you do that?"

"You're asking silly questions."

"No mom! You're the one telling impossible stories!"

" Silly me! Sorry child but I have forgotten to tell you... The Shangguan Longyan box was kept inside the flame of his soul. Once he dies, the box will be passed to his next heir."

"Why do you seem to know so much about that man, Mom?"

"Because he's your father."

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ShaoTian woke up and found himself inside a rig of a ship. The smell of liquor, black powder and ash tingled his nose as he rose up from his slumber. He held his head and tied his long hair with a strip of cloth ripped from his own suit.

As he heard sounds of footsteps lowering down into the rig, he pretended to lie down and sleep. The men's voice sounded deep and husky like those pirates he came across long ago so he just laid on his back and closed his eyes.

"I know you're awake. Stop pretending. Get up!"

ShaoTian got up and raised both of his hands in the air. The one-eyed man then glared close to his face and smelled him up close.

"You're not from here are you boy?"

"Uh yes. I was trying to find my way back to Old Jianghu."

"Oh right. We're also headed there."

"Ah mister may I bother to ask? But, are you pirates?"

"Hah pirates? No. We're more like ex-convicts."

"Ah heh heh. Umm... Did you know someone called JiuTian XuanWu by any chance?"

"Oooh Goddess XuanWu! Our beautiful Goddess XuanWu!"

"Wait... What Goddess?"

"Oh she's our Goddess. She kept sailors and traders away from storms and death when they're sailing."

ShaoTian froze hearing about XuanWu. Maybe it has been really a long time since he had been sleeping due to his fight against XuanZheng.

'She did really became a Goddess. Now, I must forget her and try to move on because I will never see her again... Forever.'

The man noticed his sadness and gave a pat on his back.

"What's the matter lad?"

"I have slept for a long time and now, she's a goddess."

"Slept—wha?"

"Oh... Sorry. XuanWu is my wife."

"Ooooh! You're Na ShaoTian! The one who fought XuanWu's evil twin and saved Old Jianghu 20 years ago! Tis' a time to rejoice!"

"Rejoice? I could never rejoice. She's gone to the ninth heaven and I won't see her again. Forever."

"Lad. Have you heard about the rumors? XuanWu has descended from the ninth heaven and she's in the kingdom of jade phoenix! Also, we're headed there right now!"

ShaoTian's eyes widened and his heart was filled with joy. Finally, he can see his wife once more. All that's left was to find his children.

Or so he thought....