"So, how long do you think you'll be gone?"  Xiao Bai asked as she adjusted herself tilting her head so she could see Donghua's face. They have been lying in the open field looking at the stars when Donghua had told her that he would have to leave tomorrow to reseal some of the wards that held the most malevolent creatures in the Universe lest they became a problem in the future.  It had been a week since she has finally confessed her true identity to him.  She had been afraid at first that things would be awkward and strange between them, however, the relationship between the two of them has only gotten better now that the barrier that existed between them have been taken down.  True to his words, Donghua was truly not angry with her and treated her a bit more sweeter now that he had declared his intention to marry her.

"I'm not sure.  It would depend on what we find. But it would take a few months or at least a few weeks. Some of the wards are in the far flung areas of the Immortal Realms."  For the first time that he could remember, he was reluctant to leave Tai Chen Palace to deal with matters of the Realm, resenting a little the reason that he would have to leave her even though he knew it to be necessary.

"That long?  I'm really going to miss you and worry about you the entire time." She said biting her lips.   Donghua has been discussing with her some of the reports that he has been receiving from all parts of the Immortal Realm of wards being weakened and she knew that the mystery around what was happening was a cause for deep concern for everyone who are aware of it.   The fact that Donghua had to be the one to personally visit the sites to investigate was indicative of how serious the matter was.  In addition, there had been moments in their discussions that Donghua had revealed to her how worried he himself was.  The only good news so far was that aside from the attack by the Qingtian Beast, there has been no other attacks made yet and it appeared that it was only that one other ward that had been successfully unsealed.  Xiao Bai knew, though, that Donghua has been filtering his discussions with her on the severity of the potential danger likely not wanting her to worry. She hadn't pressed him either to tell her all because she knew that it would only distress him if he felt he was placing a burden upon her.  It was enough that he was sharing more with her than he has with any other person.

He sighed as he looked up at the sky again. "I'm going to miss you Xiao Bai." He whispered.  He had been spending all his free time with her and knew that it was going to get some used to, not seeing her everyday.  He was going to miss talking to her also.  Although she couldn't really contribute anything in finding a solution to the problems that they were facing, the fact that he can talk to her about anything has made things a little easier for him.  He's never had a true confidante before, someone he knew he could trust with even his deepest worries.  In the past, he never imagined that there would come a time when he would feel safe sharing his feelings with anyone, the way he could with her.

Xiao Bai remained silent but he knew even without looking at her that she was worried for him.  She had asked him the night before if she could accompany him to wherever he was going having convinced herself that she should go to take care of him, that she was the only one who could.  He had been horrified at the request.  Horrified at the idea that she can be so flippant with her own safety knowing how dangerous the situation was, only for the purpose of taking care of him. However, if he was honest, he was more horrified at himself because he had been tempted, so tempted, even if it was just for a single moment, to throw caution into the wind and accede to her request.   He didn't understand where this visceral need to be near her at all times was coming from.  After a few minutes of silence, he felt her thread her fingers through his as she gave his hands a little squeeze.  

"Where are you going first?  Will it be far from here?" She was still a little dismayed at his refusal to let her accompany him even though she knew even as she asked that there was no way that he was taking her with him.  She hoped though that he will not be too far, that way, there was at least a chance that she could hear reports on his well being. 

"No, not far.  I probably need to go to Fanyin Valley first because that's where the 2nd unsealed ward was found. In addition, there seems to be a lot of unrest in the area." Donghua said but did  not elaborate further.  Aside from the worry brought about by the unsealed ward and the so far still missing beast, something had been niggling at Donghua.  He didn't know what it was that had the hair at the back of his neck rising but he knew something infinitely worse could be happening soon.  He didn't know what but his instincts have never failed him before.  He knew to follow his guts.

"Do you know, I was actually born in Fanyin Valley."  Xiao Bai said conversationally as she slowly massaged his hands feeling the tension in them and trying her best to ease it.  She wanted to talk about something else now, not wanting their last night together for a long time to be marred only with dispiriting discussions.   She didn't want Donghua to leave with only heaviness shrouding the air around them. 

"Oh? You weren't born in Qingqiu?"  Donghua asked surprised.  As a spiritual fox, he knew that for her to get the most cultivation, the optimum place for her birth should be within the Fox Realm.  Moreover, as the daughter of the then Fox King, it was strange that she wasn't born within their territories.  

"My mother had problems conceiving, and when she did conceive, she would lose the kittling, I'm the only one she was able to carry to term.  I don't know if you know, but foxes are notoriously fertile.  My father has 6 brothers and 1 sister while my mother has 4 brothers and 2 sisters.  However, it was not the case with my parents.  I'm not really sure about the details as Niang Qin does not like to talk about it too much.  I've only gotten the gist of it from my Gugu but she doesn't know the whole story either.   Anyway, from what I understand, my parents weren't meant to marry.  She had been engaged to another since childhood, the son of my grandmother's bosom friend.  But then she met my father and she knew immediately that he was her mate.  That he was it for her.  However, the breaking of the engagement did not come without a price as it had been a blood compact.  One of the consequences was that she wouldn't be able to have children.  But Grandma Bai is a very stubborn person, she couldn't accept that her son wouldn't have a direct descendant as my father is her favorite so she consulted with different medicine persons including the Goddess of Birth to help Niang Qin.  She did get pregnant with their help but she would lose the babies within a few weeks.  When Niang Qin got pregnant with me, Grandma Bai found the Seer of Bashi or rather, the Seer of Bashi found her. I don't know if you're familiar with her?  One day, she suddenly appeared in the Fox Cavern and she told my Grandma that if they wanted me to be born alive, Niang Qin should stay in Fanyin Valley during the duration of her pregnancy and that I should be born there.  Although, it would be best for my cultivation to be born in the Fox Realm, since it was the Seer who said it, my family knew that they had to follow what she said.  So, Niang Qin moved to Fanyin Valley.  It wasn't easy though, I was born too early and they all thought I was dead when I came out as I was as still as a statue, very,very tiny, not breathing and a little blue.  They tried everything to revive me but nothing happened.  Finally, Niang Qin had taken me into her arms to give me her final blessings  when suddenly she felt a burning sensation emanating from me and I gave out a huge wail.  She was so shocked that she dropped me.  If not for the quickness of High God Zhe Yan who caught me, I would have been dropped on my head. Although my mother does say a lot that with the crazy ideas in my head, I was probably dropped on my head." she smiled remembering the frequent litany of her mother whenever she got into one of her scrapes.  Suddenly, she missed her family.

"The Seer of Bashi was the one who personally went to Qingqiu to give your mother birthing advice?"  He asked, a trace of incredulity in his voice.  The Seer of Bashi was the most powerful oracle in the Immortal Realms.  Because her vision of the future and what could happen was so unerring, the number of Immortal wanting to seek an audience with her were innumerable.  However, she rarely allowed anyone to approach her preferring to hide in solitude in the Kremian Mountains.  Only the Immortals with ranks of High Gods and Goddesses even had a chance at a consultation with her and only if it had something to do with the survival of the Realms.  The Seer would never leave her mountains unless there was some sort of prophecy that had compelled her to do so.

"Umm yes.  From the story I heard, they weren't sure who she was at first or rather they didn't believe her when she said who she was.  It was only when they saw the crystal amulet she carries with her that they were finally convinced.  Also, High God Zhe Yan who had seen her once confirmed her identity with them."  Xiao Bai said.  She knew why he was incredulous.  Even though the Fox Realm was a very important and powerful Realm in the Immortal Realms, for the Seer of Bashi to actually go out of her way to deliberately come to Qingqiu to give birth advice was inconceivable.  "I know they had discussions about that for awhile but since it's been such a long time now and aside from that one time, no one has seen her again, so no one talks about it anymore.  Maybe it was just an aberration"  Xiao Bai shrugged unconcerned.  If not for her telling the story to Donghua now,  she had quite forgotten the involvement of the Seer in her birth story. 

"Hmm, mmm."  Donghua murmured.  Strange.  I wonder what the Seer saw that made her do something like that?  What was so important about the birth of Xiao Bai?  And why Fanyin Valley, a place with so much spiritual aura?  I should look into this when I get back.  If it has something to do with Xiao Bai, it's better I know everything.  The fact that the Seer had gotten involved meant that it had to have some far reaching consequence to the Universe as a whole and he meant to find out what it was.  He wondered why General Bai Zhi did not pursue the matter.  He'll have to ask her parents for the entire story once he brings her to Qingqiu.  He knew the mystery of it will continue to bedevil him.

"Anyway, Uncle Zhe Yan said that my coming back to life, too stubborn to die was a harbinger of how stubborn I could be in the future." Xiao Bai continued.  "So that's a fair warning to you Donghua, I can be really stubborn." She smiled as she nudged his shoulder with her head playfully.

Donghua returned her smile but as he tilted his head away from her to watch the stars again, he could not help frowning as a thought suddenly struck him.  If she had died that day, the world would have missed being graced with the wonder that was her and it wouldn't even have known it.  He, he would never have met her.  Even though he's only known her for a few months, he could no longer imagine a world where she was not part of his life.  Would he have known that he had missed someone as amazing as her?  Would his life have remained empty for all eternity? As he was deep in thought, he was startled when he felt her arm wrapping around his waist.  He didn't want to think anymore of what could have happened to him if he had not met her.  The important thing was that she was here, now, in his arms and in his heart.  "Thank the Heavens that you're so stubborn my Xiao Bai."  

"Donghua, do you want to hear a song?  I like to sing it when I'm out in the open field like this."  she asked as she lifted herself a little to see his face more clearly.  She wanted to sing for him wishing that her voice would be something he could recall when the burdens upon him became too heavy so that he would know that she was always beside him.  He turned his head towards her again and nodded.  "Only if your voice is good, we don't want to disturb the tranquility of the night."  he said teasing her even as he heard the wistfulness in her voice.  He knew that she was worried for him.

She huffed a little, giving him a mock glare.  "If you must know, I sing as well as I cook.  it's actually an old folk song that children sings in the fox kingdom when we are out playing.  

On a night like tonight

When the full moon is aglow

A small fox is hidden

A small fox is found

The smallest and the weakest  

will save the mightiest of them all.

A small fox is hidden 

A small fox is found

On a night like tonight

When love is in the air

The stars are hidden

Just as a small fox is hidden

But now the fox can be found

On a night like tonight

When love, love can also be found

Her melodious voice filled the air as she sang to him, a cheerful song filled with hope and of love.  He listened to it feeling her infuse him with her warmth.  

"I'm really going to miss you my Xiao Bai.  You don't know how much."

When she woke up the next day, she was in his bed and he was gone.  Beside her was a note.

Xiao Bai,

Feel free to use the forbidden area whenever you want to transform into your fox form.  I warded it against anyone else but you so you'll be safe from prying eyes.  Please take care of yourself and don't do anything crazy!  Treat Tai Chen Palace as your own.  I'm going to miss you.  

Yours,

Donghua  

PS Don't worry too much about me.  I know to take care especially now that I have you.