The Witch Bone

Bai Hua was lying on a divan after separating from Ayush. He didn't know he would have such an exciting. He inwardly thanked his father for the arrangement. He had enjoyed talking to Ayush. Ayush had even invited him back to his kingdom, telling him he could visit him anytime. All those times he was talking with Ayush, he felt that Ayush had been looking at him oddly. Like he had something on his face.

He was exhausted, maybe Ayush had regarded him as a comrade, he mused, and had accepted him as his equal after the battle.

He needed to take a shower. His body was feeling sore. And so he left for the hot springs at the back of his quarters.

There were cl.u.s.ters of bamboos lining in front of the wall that severs his quarters from the outside world. Steam was rising from the surface of the hot spring. It wasn't big but it was enough for him to freely soak and wade around.

He removed his robes and inner garments and entered the water. It was hot but not enough to burn him, but just hot enough to soothe his muscles.

He sighed and dipped his whole body with only his head above the surface of the water. He was sitting on a stone slab inside the hot spring and he closed his eyes to the soothing feeling of the hot spring.

He had expended a lot of his spiritual powers today. Though his powers were as wide and as deep as an ocean, he didn't have full access to it. He had to use whatever spiritual energy that this body had before his awakening. But he can feel that he had been able to feel something after this past one month. Imsong had told him that his memories will slowly return by themselves and she had no other means to help him. He just had to bear everything and have patience.

Fortunately, his memories that had returned so far had boosted his sword power. Ayush was an overbearing opponent. He could not be an ordinary mortal. An ordinary mortal would not have pressured him to such an extent. Imsong had said that Bai Hua's body had "his own" blood running through him thanks to the First Lord. That's why in the past generations, their kingdom had remained independent and had fended off any many opposing forces.

Lord Bai Yur was a strong fighter, but he had no ambition, that's why their kingdom had remained small. Actually, the whole line of Lords that had ruled Soaring Dragon were unambitious. It was like as if the God-Emperor had passed down his lackadaisical will to his successors. Every one of them had been strong cultivators but indifferent to power and glory. Neighboring kingdoms had accepted this as a boon and left the kingdom alone. They had learned their lessons. The Lord of Soaring Kingdom was not to be messed with. So, there had been a silent agreement among them not to overstep their boundaries.

Bai Hua stepped out from the hot springs, grabbed a clean robe that was always hung near the entrance of the hot spring. He wiped his long hair with a cloth and let it hung freely as he made his way to his chamber.

He entered his room and sat down on a chair as he looked out of the window. It overlooked a huge forest that was partially covered in mist. His quarters were not a part of the imperial palace. He had his own private quarters near the edge of a cliff which he often visited when he found that the palace was too claustrophobic.

The moon was hanging in the sky and for some reason today the moon looked bigger. He stared at it and the more he stared at it, it became bigger. He felt that something was not right. The moon was now so big that he felt that it was going to swallow the whole world.

He stood up abruptly and his chair fell off. He turned and made for the door to find that it was not there!

"Where in the world am I?"

In front of him was a wide and endless field of dandelions. There gently nodding in the wind. But the wind was not ruffling them. They just swayed lazily in the breeze. His roof was no longer there. But it was an open sky with stars speckled like plum blossoms on a dark night. It was ethereal. He had never seen such beauty in his previous life. Nanjing was swallowed due to urbanization. But right now, he felt this was something out of a dream.

"Dearest nephew, how dull you look with those mortal clothes. Here, let me help you that."

He felt a change and he was back to his real form. Hair glittering and swaying in the breeze. Sword-like eyebrows narrowed in puzzlement and jade-like skin that seemed to glow with a faint golden aura. He was now wearing a white robe that seemed to be made of moon-silk. Soft to feel and cool making him feel calm. His Witch Bone was resting cooly on his wrists like a tiny sleeping dragon.

"There, all better. A proper young god."

He had not noticed before when he arrived here. But now he could see that he was inside a pavilion with a giant tree behind it that looked like the Holy Tree that was inside the Sacred Grove of the shamans.

"Who are you?" he asked the heaven-defying beautiful woman who was sitting on a silver chair. She looked divine and somehow his mind kept sending him signals: god, god, it's a god! His soul was tingling the moment he saw her.

"Ah. You disappeared for thousands of years into the mortal realm and you have even forgotten your dear aunt, Bai Hua," she chided softly.

"Look what you have done to yourself. No god would have done what you did. No god would have sacrificed his godhood like you did. It's no wonder, you got such a punishment. You are an anomaly to us gods."

"I don't know you. I mean I don't remember you," he admitted.

"Why you wound me, Bai Hua hasn't your soul been tingling? I don't know why you accepted that young immortal Imsong easily but you refuse to acknowledge me," she said sadly.

"Ummm... you're a goddess."

"The Divine Goddess of Moon, your aunt, and Wana's mother."

"Wait, what? You're Wana's mother? She's a goddess too? Wait. Wait. If you're her mother and you are my aunt, then she's my cousin?" he asked incredulously.

"Not a god yet, she doesn't have that privilege yet. But yes, she's your cousin. Don't we two look alike?"

Now that she said so, he could see the resemblance. The first time he had met Wana, he had stared at her and compared her to a fairy. She indeed looked like a child of the moon. But then he had learned his lesson: Wana was a heartless and ruthless woman who only enjoyed making him suffer. Making him suffer part, he can believe that only family could do that to you and someone like Imsong, who has a vendetta against him for abandoning her.

"I just wanted to see you, so I visited you. Others won't like it when they realize I broke the rule," she sighed, "but I really wanted just to see you. I cannot help you. Nephew, you were really a handful to the gods."

She stood up and came close to him.

"I really missed you. You used to visit me often as a child. I may be a goddess and time is tangible but I did miss your absence and now you're back."

She had enveloped him in a bear hug and he could feel the sincerity of her words.

"You and Wana look out for each other, my dearest nephew. I can't stay long. I hope we meet again when you have been finally restored to your position. Your father cannot stay angry with you for eternity."

Her voice receded into an echo and he could no longer feel her anymore. He had closed his eyes when she hugged him. And now that he opened his eyes, the Divine One was no longer there and he was back in his room in his mortal form. He did not know why but he felt a profound sadness when he was with her. He felt his face and tears were flowing from his eyes. He was crying, his soul was sad but he did not know why, or he could not remember why.