Flowers of Love
Chapter 3
The Jade Pool PartyAn a.s.sembly of Xians have gathered together upon clouds. Everywhere is filled with Xians. On the horizon, it seems everything is covered by a blanket of clouds. Yin Luo had initially planned to hide from everyone"s eyes and ears, take a peach and leave, but heaven just won"t grant her wish.
"Little Yin! Little Yin, over here! Over here!" While making her way, a tight grasp fell on her hand. Yin Luo has yet to make any reaction, and has already been dragged by Gu Chian Fan over to a stone chair by the corner.
"But...." Yin Luo pointed towards the front, that s.p.a.ceous and big square table, and than take a look at the small stone table right in front of her.
"Quickly sit down, sit down, it"s already the last of the vacant spots, if not seated than we"ll have to stand!" Gu Chian Fan cares not about her hesitants, and pushs her onto the chair.
"Why not sit over there?" She pointed ahead at the vacant tables, where it is s.p.a.cious and bright, with a perfect view.
Although she was humbly asking with an open mind, she was greeted by Gu Chian Fan"s enlarged eyes, "That"s the spot for the hosts, only leading Shen and Xians like the high Xians, masters of each respective sects, or famous immortals can sit there. Of course we can"t sit there!"
"Really?" She normally sits up there.
"Stop talking, have a peach!" He takes the two peaches from the table, shoving one into Yin Luo"s hand, and holding onto one like a treasure, "w.a.n.g Mu"s peaches, isn"t something that you can easily eat! Everyone gets only one, go ahead and eat it!"
Yin Luo is forced to accept a not-even-palm-sized small peach, taking a glance at the tables towards the center area with those big, red, juicy peaches. Aish, her lack of skills. She will bear!
"Those host spots, why are there so many vacant spots? Is there anyone missing?" Five hundred years ago she"s attended once, that time that place was all filled up. She was able to dab onto her Lord Honor"s light and had taken a host seat. However, right now there"s only a few there.
"Two didn"t make it, the center spot was supposely reserved for her Lord Honor from Mt. Shen, but in the last two hundred years, her Lord Honor no longer attends the Xian gatherings. So it"s likely to be a vacant seat!" Gu Chian Fan patiently explained, "Bing Tian"s Len An Han High Xian is also not present, but... it"s better for that person not to be here!" He seems to have thought up something frightening, and shudders.
"Why?"
"Why? Have you seen a big moving iceberg before? He"s that type of person. If you need to see him, first put on a cotton filled coat first!" After that comment he starts to trembles in chills again.Yin Luo does not ask further, taking a glance, and another question arises, "Aren"t there four high Xians, why right now only two is seated up there? Has the other one not come either?
"Came of course!" Gu Chian Fan appears to have suddenly become angry and gave her a side long glance, "High Xian of Bai Mu was the first one here!"
"High Xian of Bai Mu?" The others she has heard of before, but this High Xian of Bai Mu, it"s the first time hearing about.
"Bai Mu is the most well known Xian sect, even with only a thousand disciples, but each one is excellent in their Xian powers, especially the High Xian Mu Zi Xin who has already reached High Xian level a thousand years ago. Dare say that no one in the six realms could do so." Gu Chian Fan says, a proud cast on his face, making that person seem limitless.
Mu Zi Xin, a very familiar name. Where has she heard it before?
"Among the four High Xians, the earliest to have reached immortal state was Dan Yun High Xian wasn"t it?" She turns to look at one of the persons up there, the Xian in a white robe that is silently sipping wine whom hasn"t spoken since. If ranking based on Xian powers, shouldn"t that person be on top?
"That"s.....that"s because he got lucky!" As if suddenly being stepped on a sore feet, Gu Chian Fan"s expression turns distressed, not backing down and continues with his thick skin, "He was born earlier by several thousand years. If it weren"t for that, it wouldn"t even be him to get the t.i.tle of being the first High Xian!"
"Oh." Yin Luo quietly commented, not wanting to debate with him, although there were many loopholes in his words. But, hearing him, she"s actually become slightly interested in this Mu Zi Xin whom she has yet to see. "Didn"t you say he was first to come, where is he?"
As soon as the words came, that hyper and pa.s.sionate looking Gu Chian Fan, in a split, became like a defrosted eggplant and answers with no energy left, "Already left."
"Left! Why?" This gathering hasn"t started for long, right? Could it be that this High Xian of Bai Mu is also like her, just dropping by?
"I"d like to know too!" Gu Chian Fan frustratedly clutches his head, "Had I known, would I need to search everywhere? Only turned my body around, and he disappears. If he was here, than I wouldn"t need to be sitting in a corner like this."
Yin Luo finally starts to hear some sense in this, and the image of black lines start to form again over her head, "That....High Xian of Bai Mu is your....."
"My Teacher!" He raised his head, proudly beating his chest.
A drop of sweat slides off her forehead, Yin Luo weakly wiped it. So this is why. Hard to blame him, to solely think that the High Xian of Bai Mu is so wonderful to the point that even heaven and earth would disappear. It turns out that they are family.
"Over there, who"s that?" Yin Luo changed the topic, pointing to a white robed lady sitting on a stone seat. In those high seats, she"s the only female.
"How come you don"t know anything?" Gu Chian Fan rolled his eyes at her, frowned and said, "That"s the Immortal Yu Chi! Although only a sect-less Xian, but very well known. Although her enlightment isn"t up to par with the four High Xian, but still an important figure in the Xian realm."
"So the Immortal Yu Chi is her!" She observes more carefully and found behind her one black one white, two familiar figures. No wonder she looks familiar. Although she really wants to go and ask for some consultation regarding the Spirit Incantation, but thinking carefully, she came quietly, if let others know that she, this so called G.o.d doesn"t even know about a Spirit Incantation, than inevitablly Uncle Fu would be pointing at her nose and saying that she"s losing face for her Lord Honor. She withdraws her neck, trying to bury herself in the crowd. Let"s stay discreet, staying discreet is better.
All of a sudden she felt that sitting far is probably not quite a bad idea.
Aish! Her improficiency, her improficiency.
"Now that I think about it," Gu Chian Fan swept a glance at her, "you don"t know anything. How did you even become a Xian?"
"Uh......luck, it was good luck!" Yin Luo carefully wiped the sweat on her forehead. She really did have good luck, don"t even need to work hard to reach enlightment. Born and already have the immortal body of a G.o.d. Such good luck!
Although with Xian powers, she"s repeatedly practiced and failed, likewise, that person who was full of antic.i.p.ation had stopped expecting. She had always known that she was not the material to practice Xian powers, and tries very hard to accept her fate as a stepping board, to be a excellent stepping board.
"Luck?" Gu Chian Fan was half believing, half in doubt, then seeming to have thought up something, his face suddenly fills with admiration, "Since we"re talking about natural talents, My teacher, now that"s really...."
The gathering party had already reached it"s prime topic and Gu Chian Fan is still chattering endlessly about his teacher this and that. Yin Luo grits her teeth. Just bear it! Haven"t been out for such a long time, it seems right now being enthusiastic is popular. It"s just...this is a bit overboard.
She glanced over at the center of the gathering, towards the right, that one black one white two figures.
Stay discreet, stay discreet.
At the Jade Pool Party the topic in discussion has always been in a thousand years the same, the the two realms: Yao and Mo.
The Xian and Yao realm have always seen each other as not eye-pleasing, especially since one thousand years ago when the Mo King united the two realms, flaring up their rivaling with the Xian realm. As for the Xian realm, it that had always been fragmented, with each sect for their own affairs. With the Yao and Mo realms always bringing trouble. For some smaller sects, it has become overwhelming.
This Jade Pool Party that comes once every century had always been the best opportunity for the Xian realm to share information and news. And only in these occasions, will everyone join together to discuss what to do about the Yao and Mo who are becoming more and more arrogant
With the different sects not communicating amongst themselves often, the Xian realm have long been idle and without a leading sheep. As for the Jade Emperor who holds nothing behind his t.i.tle, is just like an easily swayed child. Each respective sect outwardly respect him and call him emperor, but in reality, no one really listens to him. He can only borrow his wife"s Jade Pool Party to keep an image, walk around, and build relations.
In the six realms, the most capable one and the one all welcomes to come back, would be the her Lord Honor of the G.o.d realm: The G.o.ddess Yan Xi. Since the opening of heaven and splitting of earth, all realms have looked to the G.o.d realm as their leading horsehead. The G.o.ddess Yan Xi"s name, definitely there is not one who doesn"t know of it.
It"s been said that during the moment of her birth, red light filled the sky. The world became red, even past the sunset. Among the gathered Xian, those who have been around for ten thousand years, should have witnessed the rare event. The world speculates that this person must be the reborn creator, Tian Di.
If she can stand amongst the Xian realm, the two realms of Yao and Mo wouldn"t dare be this arrogant.But, since the day of the battle with the Demon G.o.d Mo Shen, with the fall of the Creator Tian Di, and the realm of the G.o.ds having experienced severe casualties that resulted in almost none left. Till today, it has come down to a generation with only one pulse left. As for the remains of their race, they have become detached, no longer intervening in worldly matters. In recent years, even the Jade Pool Party they have refused to attend. Perhaps it is to make preparations for the rumored return of Mo Shen, therefore unlikely to meddle with happenings in the Xian realm.
Without the G.o.ddess Yan Xi, the only ones left in the Xian realm who can have a say would be the four High Xians. They are the most respected among the Xian realm, but they are either the head of a sect and have no time for additional responsibilities, like Bing Tian, Tian Xiao High Xian. Or, they do not care for complicating matters, like Dan Yun High Xian. Thus, everyone can only watch as the two realms of Yao and Mo continue their tyrannical ways. A relief though, that it"s only occasionally that they cause some troubles for the Xian realm and haven"t ever really had any big movements. Therefore, those big sects have just been keeping one eye open one eye closed on them. *Idiom: Pretending something isn’t happening when it really is.*
Still, at this Jade Pool Party, on the surface it"s still necessary to bring it up. As for Yin Luo, she obviously doesn"t have that patience to listen on and hadn"t come here to listen to these things. She was simply here just for the peaches.
Looking down that green and small peach in her hand, she sighs. Flowers that only bloom every five hundred years, those peaches that only appear every five hundred years, seems to also encounter malnutrition. Sighs again, she pa.s.ses it into her other hand to put into the Qian Kun bag she always carries on her. Looking up, she sees Gu Chian Fan just talking it up with a neighboring table. Unsure of what topic has gotten his interest, but seeing him with that never closing mouth and the intuned expression of the ones listening to him, one can tell that he will not be finishing any earlier than an hour or half. *A magical bag that can never be filled up.*
Yin Luo decided not to bother him in his river of chatter, turned around and goes into the small path behind and planning to slip away. Hopefully, her gourd could work right now.
"Reporting to Jade Emperor!" At the center of the Jade Pool, comes a person flying through wind and dust with brows furrowed into an eight (八) character， face full of anger as if encountering something that caused great rage. Appearing very restless, he bows to the one seated at the host spot. The arrived person is the Jade Emperor"s confidant, the Elder Tai Shang.
"What matter?" The Jade Emperor frowned, looking towards the person who just rushed in, looking rather displeased.
"Reporting to the Jade Emperor, your subject have taken the honored duty to go down on earth to guide that thousand year Flower Yao towards the xian path, but not only does she refuse to become a xian, she also killed that thousand year Centipede Yao who started on that xian path during the same period as her, wrecking his hundred years of enlightment!"
In the preparation for her quiet arrival quiet departure, Yin Luo hears the words Flower Yao and her feet halts, taking a step back and stretches her ears.
"Outrageous!" The Jade Emperor is furious, letting go of the wine cup in his hand, "How ungrateful of this Flower Yao, I kindly guide her towards becoming a xian, and she keeps rejecting. This is the which time?"
"In reply to your majesty, it"s the 6th time!"
"Yes, six times! I have already given her six chances, not only does she not know to treasure them, she even dares to commit such sins! I must show her the stature of heaven!"
The Jade Emperor"s guiding others on becoming a xian hasn"t been a new thing, and all the sects have also silently consented to it. Afterall, in the end it all comes down to the Yao and Mo"s rivalry with the Xian realm.
The Yao & Mo don"t dare to blatantly come, only offending some smaller sects. With the larger sects having always never bothered with the business of other sects, they can only turn to the Jade Emperor for help, who even though is just a figure with little capabilites, he still wants face. Since he is not capable, he ends up devising this idea of guiding others towards becoming a xian. Supposely, becoming a xian is dependent on one"s enlightment, upon reaching a level of enlightment than one can become a xian. This so called guidance, is really just giving those who are in the eve of becoming a xian a t.i.tle, and let them enjoy the status that comes with being a xian. It"s only after some more time in enlightment will they then really become a xian. As for Elder Tai Shang, that was the case.
By doing so, the first benefit is being able to collect people"s loyalties, so they will sell themselves to the Jade Emperor. Second would be that he will have more helpers, and can appearance-wise try to help those smaller sects to resolve some of the threats from the Yao and Mo. The Jade Emperor is actually using other"s desire to become Xian to fulfill his purpose of raising his reputation. This was suppose to be an effective method, but it just happened to fail on a Flower Yao.
"Did she ever say, why she doesn"t want to become a xian?" The Jade Emperor is still in rage.
Elder Tai Shang"s face turns green, his brows furrow up like a twisted bread, "She said.... said...."
"Said what?"
"She said....on heaven, there isn"t any thing good to eat?"
Poosh! If there was tea in her mouth, Yin Luo would probably already have sprayed it out. Heaven don"t have anything good to eat? Not willing to become xian just because of that? This reason is really her style, she automatically patted the bag on her that held the peach. Well....there is indeed some sense in that statement.
"How daring of that Flower Yao." The Jade Emperor has exploded, angrily standing up, "This reckless Flower Yao, you, Elder Tai Shang swiftly go pa.s.s the order to Thunder and Lightning to arrest Flower Yao. I will punish her with the Five Thunderstrike! Only but a small flower yao and dares to be this unrestrained....." *Thunder and Lightning is suppose to be husband and wife, thunder is the husband and lightning is his wife.*
"The Five Thunderstrike!" Yin Luo quietly chewed on those words. That"s quite a heavy punishment, just second place behind that of being slashed on the Xian table! It seems this time the Jade Emperor has lost face big time.
From behind, she could still continue to hear the Jade Emperor"s thunderous voice. She has already lost interest to listen on, and with quick steps, walked into a small cross way. It"s such a good weather today, there was suddenly somewhere she wants to go, and the sooner the better. Hopefully, her jade gourd would listen to her this time