"Gugu, can I come in?"  Xiao Jiu called out as she gingerly carried a tray filled with medicinal soup and food outside her Aunt's villa.

"Come in."  

"Gugu, I brought some food for you.  These are all your favorite."  Xiao Jiu said, trying to sound cheerful and not to show her Gugu how worried she was about her.  She staggered back in shock as she entered the room when she saw how thin, haggard and pale her aunt looked.  Her eyes were covered with a blindfold.   Since Feng Jiu has come back from the Sky Kingdom, this was the first time that she had seen her aunt as the latter had been in close door cultivation when she had first arrived.  It was only now that she had come out and Feng Jiu had been able to visit her and to see how she was.    

Bai Feng Jiu sat down beside her aunt after fixing the food on the table.  Taking a pair of chopstick, she carefully placed them into her aunt's hands.  But thinking better of it, she took the chopstick back and decided to feed her aunt instead since she can't see anything.  Bai Qian grabbed the chopsticks back.

"I'm fine.  I can eat on my own.  I'm fine.  Don't tiptoe around me." she used her chopsticks to eat some rice from the bowl in front of her as if emphasizing that she didn't need anyone's help.  Bai Feng Jiu can only look at her helplessly, moving the other dishes nearer to her aunt.

"How are you feeling?"  she was worried as after cultivation, Bai Qian's physical appearance should look better but even after a few weeks in cultivation, she still appeared wan and lifeless, as if all the life has been sucked out of her.  Bai Feng Jiu was not used to this appearance from her aunt who in the past always looked powerful and strong.

"I'm fine."  Bai Qian repeated, sighing.  She had been so dispirited and angry the past few months because of what happened to her.  But now, she knew she had to be stronger and try to get back what she had lost, disability or no disability.  The most important thing was her son.  From the time she had given birth, her son had been taken away from her.  A'Li was the son of the crown prince and thus, the emperor had taken custody of the child and had forbidden Bai Qian from seeing him.  Bai Qian, who was Susu and a mortal at that time, was helpless to stop it from happening.  However, now that she was back in her immortal form, there was nothing that would stop her from getting him back.  "I just need a plan to get A'Li back."  she said firmly.  That was first and foremost her priority over everything else.  

"Have you talked to Crown Prince Yehua about this?"  Xiao Jiu asked.  She wondered how complicated the relationship was now between the couple.  In the Immortal Realms, they were engaged but in the mortal realms, they were actually married already.

Bai Qian shook her head.  "Since I came back, I haven't seen him.  I've been trying to get back my bearing first before seeing anyone. He's tried to talk to me, but I wasn't ready yet."  Xiao Jiu understood.  Bai Qian was blind now and needed to stabilize herself first before she can deal with whatever she needed to face.   

"Are you angry at him?"  Xiao Jiu asked curiously as she looked at the calm face of her aunt.  If it was her, she would be all raring to go and confront Crown Prince Ye Hua by now.  But her aunt was not like her.  She was cautious and focused.  She would have a plan and would not do anything rash.  

"I really don't know how I feel about him honestly.  Maybe it's more of I'm disappointed as to how he dealt with the matter.  His father... Anyway, it's very complicated right now."

"Do you want me to talk to Donghua about it? I'm sure he can do something?"  Xiao Bai was so non plussed about her aunt's flustered demeanor that she blurted out the first thing that came to mind.  

"Donghua?" Bai Qian asked puzzled as to who they were talking about.  "Donghua who?"

"I mean Donghua Dijun." Feng Jiu amended quickly trying to cover up her gaffe. 

"Donghua Dijun?  Why would he be involved in this? "  Bai Qian asked, more than a little puzzled now.   She felt that something was wrong.  While the issue with her and Ye Hua had to do with the Sky Kingdom, Donghua Dijun, the indifferent old Deity, will not involve himself with mediating any sort of personal affairs of other people.   "Did something else happen that's why he will interfere in this matter? Did something happen to A'Li?"  Bai Qian asked anxiously.  

"No, I mean yes.  I mean.  no, nothing happened to A'Li."  Feng Jiu was now the one who was flustered as she didn't know how to tell her aunt about her and Dijun.  "I just meant that I can ask him to intercede if it would be easier for you."  she finally said.

"What did you call him before?  Donghua?"  Bai Qian finally realized what was wrong.  Her niece had referred to the most revered God in the Universe so familiarly.  Even she, who was the Queen of a realm had never referred to Donghua with just his given name and would not have dared to.  "How do you even know him that you can ask him to intercede?"  she asked suspiciously, wondering what mischief her little niece had gotten herself into now.

"We, ah, have come into an understanding."  Xiao Jiu said.

"An understanding?"  she asked confused.  What kind of understanding could they have?

"Umm, we, ah, he's asked me to marry him."  Xiao Jiu said quickly that Bai Qian almost did not hear.

"Marry?  Donghua Dijun? The  Supreme God of the Universe? That, Donghua Dijun?"  Bai Qian asked incredulously, thinking maybe that she misheard or misunderstood or maybe Xiao Jiu was playing one of her usual pranks.

"Yes, I'm really talking about the Donghua Dijun."  she said seriously.  Was the idea of Donghua Dijun marrying someone truly this unbelievable?  Well, sometimes she can hardly believe it herself.  How lucky was she that he wanted her so permanently in his life that he was doing everything to make sure that they can get married immediately.

"You say that Donghua Dijun wants to marry you? Are you sure this person you met was Donghua Dijun?  How did you even meet him?"  Bai Qian asked in rapid succession growing more and more alarmed as it did not appear that Xiao Jiu was playing around.  "You've never seen him before, right? Maybe this person has deceived you and is impersonating as Donghua Dijun.  Jiu'er, there are many people even in the Immortal World who will try to take advantage when they can."   Xiao Jiu was still so young and has not seen enough of the world.  She might have been deceived.  That was the most plausible explanation as to why Xiao Jiu was saying that Donghua Dijun wanted to marry her.  Because the other explanation that he really wanted to marry Jiu'er, or even get married at all was more impossible.  No one in the Immortal Realms could imagine a day that Donghua Dijun will be getting married.  In fact, even though the Immortals bet on absolutely anything, there has never been a bet placed on anything related to a Donghua Dijun marriage because everyone knew that it was just like throwing money away.

"I'm really sure he's Donghua Dijun."  Xiao Jiu said, a tad defensively.  "I met him at Tai Chen Palace when I was serving as a fairy maid."  she muttered, her voice a little lower now at her confession. 

"A fairy maid?  At Tai Chen Palace?  What do you mean? Explain this to me what has been going on with you.  Don't leave anything out."  she demanded feeling a headache coming on.

Xiao Jiu went through the whole sequence of events of her history with Donghua.  She talked about him saving her life and she wanting to pay him back.  She told of their subsequent meetings and their growing affection for each other.   

"You masqueraded as a fairy maid in Tai Chen Palace to repay a life debt?"  Bai Qian could only marvel at her niece's continued audacity in falling headlong into one scrap after another.  "How can you be this daring?  And now he asks to marry you and you agreed to it?"  Bai Qian still cannot wrap her head around the idea of her niece and Donghua Dijun in a love match.  Personality wise, they were the complete opposite.  He was stoic and cold, measured in everything he did while Xiao Jiu was cheerful and friendly and frequently did things without first thinking about it.  Bai Qian could not imagine which aspect they could have in common that would allow them to fall in love with each other.  

"Well, he didn't exactly ask." she said honestly because he merely declared that she was his, and that was that.  "But I do want really want to get married to him.  I know it may sound strange since we haven't known each other that long but I feel that I know him inside and out.  I really love him and care about him.  I believe that he feels the same way about me."

"Do you even have anything in common with him? He's not like you Xiao Jiu.  He's not spontaneous, he's not friendly.  He's so different from you and so much older.  Can you handle being with someone very serious and solemn.  Maybe you can think about it more."  Bai Qian was not married but had been engaged to Ye Hua for thousands of years now.  Although the match was a political one and there was no love between the couple (in the immortal world, that is), at least, he was only a little younger than she was and their temperament and status were relatively the same.  Not even talking about their differing personality, but the status difference between the two was so far apart that she could not even imagine how they could have met.  She couldn't understand how Xiao Jiu, who was so warm could like someone like Donghua Dijun who was really an iceberg.  Could this be a case of misguided hero worship?  She was really worried about Jiu'er now.  

"Gugu,  I think that most people labor under a misapprehension of Dijun.  Although its true that he can be aloof and distant, he is only like that because it is expected of him.  People expect him to be strong and invincible at all times because that gives them comfort.  But, has anyone ever really thought about him as a  person and not just a tool for protection.  He is not a mere caricature.  From the time he was created, he had to shoulder so much on his shoulders but because he is who he is, he has never complained or shied away from this responsibility.  Have you ever thought about how hard it is for a person, however strong he is, to be always responsible for the continued peaceful survival of the Universe.   How sad it is that he has no one he can really lean on or even tell of his deepest worries.  Because, believe it or not, he does worry about many things.  How can he not when everyone depends upon him.  No one worries about him, though, or thinks about how he feels.   If you really get to know him, you would know that he's a wonderful person and that he cares deeply over so many things.  Underneath his God persona, he is just an ordinary person who also wants to feel that he belongs in the world that he lives in.  He also wants to feel warmth and love."  Xiao Jiu said passionately, full of vigor in wanting her aunt to understand her beloved more.

Bai Qian sighed.  She had to admit that she, like everyone else, always just considered Donghua Dijun as someone there to give the Universe protection.  It was true that no one really thought of him as a person with his own wants and desires.  Jiu'er was a fairly good judge of character, maybe, Jiu'er was right.  She should not judge Dijun only based on her long held prejudice as to the type of personality that he has.   She'll find a way to talk to Donghua Dijun to gauge his real interest in Jiu'er.  She added another item in her mental checklist of things to discuss when she gets to the Sky Kingdom.   Hopefully, by the time she gets there, Dijun will also be in residence in Tai Chen Palace.

"Have you told your father about this?  Has he talked to Dijun yet?"  Bai Qian knew that as much freedom as Bai Yi gave Xiao Jiu, he still treated her like his precious baby.  He would not be that willing to relinquish her to someone like Donghua Dijun.  Like Zhe Yan, Bai Qian understood that although he would want the best for Jiu'er, and Donghua Dijun will certainly fit that bill, Bai Yi would prefer someone who can give his daughter a peaceful life.  With his position and responsibility, Donghua Dijun would definitely not be able to give her that.  Even now, with the unrest in the Immortal Realms as reported to her, she knew that Donghua would be dealing with many of the beasts and unsealed wards himself.  Inevitably, Xiao Jiu would also be affected by these. 

 "Not yet.  Father is not back in Qingqiu yet.  That's why Dijun is still here in Qingqiu waiting for him to come back as he wants to settle the marriage immediately.  Based on father's missive, he and mother should be here soon." Xiao Jiu said.  

"Donghua Dijun is here in Qingqiu?  What do you mean?  He came here to talk to your father about your marriage and is patiently waiting for him to come back?"  Bai Qian asked surprised.  She did not expect Donghua Dijun to act this fast.  Also, he was not one to patiently wait for someone to grant him audience.  With his position, it was always the other way around.  Everyone had to wait until Dijun granted them leave to see him.  Even the Sky Emperor had to wait for Dijun's convenience to consult with him.  It was apparent that Dijun was placing great importance in this initial meeting with Xiao Jiu's parents.    "Isn't he supposed to be in the Eastern Realms?"  Before she went into close door cultivation, her assistants had reported to her what has been happening in the Immortal Realms.

"When you were in cultivation, the Pareesi Dragons attacked the city center of Qingqiu.  At that time, father and the other elders were not here as they were helping in the other parts of the Realm.  I was the only one here so I had to lead the fight against them."  Since Bai Qian has just come out of cultivation, she has not been apprised yet of the attacked on Qingqiu.   Bai Qian was shocked at this news.  Xiao Jiu paused for awhile to let her aunt internalize the news.  Qingqiu has always been quietly secluded. In the millions of years of its existence, it has not been attacked overtly like this.   Even when Donghua Dijun was trying to unify the world, the peaceful enclave of Qingqiu has never been invaded or affected.  Many of the non combatant citizens had even sought refuge in their territories.  

"Go on."

"At that time, I had to draw them into the forests because many of the civilians were getting hurt or killed.  You know how we don't have that many soldiers, so I had no choice."  Xiao Jiu said pre-empting the expected lecture she knew she will get when her aunt hears that she lured the dragons by herself.  

"Why didn't you wait for reinforcements?  You could have been killed."  Even without Xiao Jiu explaining to her what happened next, she knew that her niece must have been in great danger.  The Pareesi Dragons were not easily dealt with and she knew with Xiao Jiu's skills, she could not have been able to defeat them by herself.

"I know, I know, but I really had no choice.  Don't lecture me about it anymore.  Dijun has been scolding me about it."  she said pouting a little.  It was the first time he ever acted angry with her, but she knew he wasn't really angry but panicked about what could have happened to her.   "Anyway, I managed to trap one of them but luckily before the other two can attack me, Dijun came and helped me with them.  He had gotten the reports about the attack so he came here immediately even when he knew God Mo Yuan was on his way.  He was afraid that help wouldn't arrive on time.  During the subsequent fight, I was injured and into a coma for two weeks.  Even though, Uncle Zhe Yan was here already, he didn't want to leave me by myself so he stayed here to take care of me.  When I woke up, he briefly left to go to Fanyin Valley to check on something but came back immediately because he wants to talk to Father as soon as possible."  Xiao Jiu said.  In truth, she felt a little guilty that Dijun had been staying with her for awhile now.  She knew he still had other things that he was worrying about but for the most part, he has been delegating most of the things that can be delegated to the other Gods and generals.   As she knew that Donghua would not abrogate his responsibilities and he had his own plans on how to deal with the issues, she did not try too hard to persuade him to leave.  She selfishly wanted him to remain with her as long as he could believing that only she can take care of him properly just as he felt that he was the only who can really take care of her.

"I see."  Bai Qian was flummoxed at the number of things she was not aware about.  "Jiu'er, I want to talk to Dijun.  Can you arrange an audience for me?"  Since Donghua was here, she might as well ask him directly as to what is happening in the Realms and to probe him with regards to Xiao Jiu.

 ***      

"Bai Qian greets Donghua Dijun! Please excuse me for the disrespect, I should have been the one to come find you instead of the other way around."  Bai Qian said as soon as she knew that Dijun had entered the ceremonial hall.  

"No need for ceremony. You are not feeling well.  Besides, we don't have to be so formal with each other.  After all, sooner or later, we will be family."  Donghua was not bothered by the informality of this meeting.   However, Bai Qian startled for awhile.  As expected of the Deity, he really had a thick face.  How can he just directly claim familial relationship?  "Is there something you wanted to ask me?" he asked when Bai Qian did not say anything else.

"I'm concerned about this attack on Qingqiu by the Pareesi Dragons.  If I'm not mistaken, the wards of the Pareesi Dragons should be in the most Southern part of the Realms, almost completely opposite Qingqiu."  Bai Qian queried, perplexed as to why the Dragons would choose to attack Qingqiu when there was more populated areas in its path.

"I agree that it's very strange.  I have determined that Qingqiu was deliberately targeted, however, I don't know the reason why.  So far any creature from the unsealed wards would only attack the cities closest to them, presumably to cause havoc.  It is only the Pareesi Dragons who flew thousand of miles to deliberately attack Qingqiu."  Aside from waiting for Bai Yi to come back so he can settle his marriage, this was the other reason why Donghua had chosen to stay in Qingqiu.  He wanted to investigate why exactly the Dragons had focused on Qingqiu especially since his Xiao Bai was from Qingqiu. 

"Do you know the reason behind the unsealing of the wards? Why is this happening now?  What is the ultimate goal?"  

"The only thing I'm sure of at this point is that Miao Luo is behind this."

"Miao Luo?"  Bai Qian was surprised to hear the name of the Demoness.  While she knew from the rumors that Donghua Dijun had almost died at her hands thousand of years ago before he finally defeated her, she did not know much about the demoness.  She had only been newly installed as queen when that fight was happening.  She remembered that at that time Bai Yi had just transferred authority to her because he was in Fanyin Valley as Hua Lan was about to give birth.  As such, she was busy with helping the civilians who had hidden in their territories so she hardly knew about what was happening with Miao Luo.

"Her fingerprints are all over this.  She tried to hide it but I can feel her essence in the unsealed wards.  I went to check on her bindings after Xiao Bai regained consciousness and so far, I'm confident that she will stay where I placed her.  However, we still don't have a clue why she's doing this."  Bai Qian could hear a trace of frustration in the voice of Dijun.  If her hearing had not been heightened due to her blindness, she would not have heard it.  So it appears  that Xiao Jiu was correct, there were times that Donghua Dijun, who always appeared cold and confident, was  bothered like the rest of them.   He was just better at hiding it. 

"What's the next step?  Is there anything I can do to help?"  

"Not as of now.  My sentinels are investigating the connections.  However, if you have any ideas as to why Qingqiu may have been targeted, let me know immediately."  Since his Xiao Bai was going to be the future queen of Qingqiu, Donghua was paying personal attention to this issue.

"All right."  Bai Qian knew that with Donghua Dijun personally taking charge of the matter, the Universe can sleep peacefully.  As long as he was alive and well, he would never let anything happen to it.  Suddenly thinking this, she realized how right Xiao Jiu was.  Even someone as independent as her, with her own strength and power, automatically depended on Dijun in matters relating to the survival of the Universe.      

"Why Xiao Jiu?"  Bai Qian asked abruptly.  She didn't know any other way to broach the subject.  She knew it was a personal matter between the couple but she loved her niece.  Even if Donghua Dijun was the most powerful being in the Universe, she would never let him be with her if he was not true to her.

"Because she's the best person in the Universe for me."  Donghua said succinctly.  For him, there was no other explanation needed but he knew her family wanted reassurance that he would treat their precious Xiao Jiu well.  "She's the other half of me.  In all of the years that I've lived, I've never cared for anyone as much as I care about her. "  he continued.  Bai Qian's sensitive ears could hear the change in his voice, the sudden tenderness when talking about Xiao Jiu.  She wondered if he could hear the vulnerability in his own voice.  Bai Qian was relieved to realize that the love that Xiao Jiu feels for the old God was not one sided after all.  

"But she's very different from you.  She doesn't think too much about things.  She falls head long into one adventure after another.  Can you deal with something like that for the rest of time?  It might get exhausting for someone like you."  Bai Qian continued her questioning, though, because she knew the character of Xiao Jiu and wondered if this was something that the old God can tolerate for a lifetime without end. Marriage for immortals lasted forever as they lived forever.  If you go into a marriage knowing it was merely a political match, there are no disappointments, you and your spouse can live separate lives.  However, if you enter into a marriage knowing that it was a love match and that love slowly withers away, how hard can it be to live forever in that situation.

"I need her like I never knew I needed anyone before.  I've been alone my whole life.  If I've never met her, I may have been content to go through life on my own.  But the truth is, life and death are the same to me.  I know why I was created.  It's only so that I can be here to protect the Universe.  My existence is essential for the Universe but for me my existence has no meaning beyond that.  When I met Xiao Bai, it's the one and only time in my life that I realize that being alive is a good thing.  I've never asked the Heavens for anything in my life but maybe they felt that I needed something or someone that I really could call my own so they sent me her.  I know I'm millions of years older than her and I'm set in my ways but there's nothing I wouldn't do to make her happy.  Because it is only when she's happy, that I'm truly happy.  How can I ever be tired when just being in her presence infuses me with so much joy and warmth.  She understands me and loves me for myself.  She accepts every bit of me with everything in her.  How can I not love her with everything in me also?  So what if she jumps from one situation to another, aren't I there to catch her?"  There was a warmth in his voice as he talked about the person he loved the most in the world making Bai Qian's heart ache at the unexpected sentimentality behind every word that was spoken.  Oh, to be loved like that.  How could Bai Qian not give them her blessings. 

 ***

"Donghua!" Xiao Bai exclaimed as soon as she saw  the door of the ceremonial hall open.  She immediately entered when she saw Donghua.  She had been waiting outside for them to finish.  She couldn't go in earlier because she knew that her Gugu wanted to talk to Donghua alone.

"Careful."  Xiao Bai almost trip in her haste to go inside but was quickly caught by Donghua. "Where you waiting outside the whole time?  How can you be out there with the weather so cold.  Look at what you're wearing. You just barely recovered."  Donghua said as he quickly took off his outer gown to wrap it around her.   

"I'm fine. I'm fine.  Isn't it better if I'm cold, then you have an excuse to wrap your arms around me." Xiao Bai said cheekily.

"Do I need an excuse, my Xiao Bai?"  Donghua answered with a twinkle in his eyes as he really did wrap her into his arms making her sink into his embrace.  He placed his chin on top of her head breathing her in.  Nothing in the world felt better than having her in his arms.  

"Did she make it difficult for you?"  Xiao Bai asked softly as she snuggled into him.  She knew Gugu wanted to hear about their relationship directly from Donghua.  She really wanted her Gugu to see how wonderful Donghua truly was, in every sense of the word.  

"Umm, hmm... Well, I think I passed another hurdle to get to you Xiao Bai."  Donghua said, his lips curled up in joy as he tightened his hold on her.  He had never been as open about himself in his entire life as he has been during this foray into Qingqiu.   He never had to jump through this much hoops to make others want to accept him.  But he was willing to do it because he knew that Xiao Bai truly wanted her family's blessing.  And like he said to Bai Qian, he was willing to do anything if it meant her happiness. If he needed to be humble to her elders, then, that was what he would do. It was not without benefit to him either, because it is only when she was happy that he was the happiest.