Never hoping they would get to meet the greatest deity of all...The queen above and her courtiers below all donned the same reverential expression to the point of looking stressed at the thought they would soon be meeting Dijun. - Pillowbook 1, Chapter 11

Being the queen of Qing Qiu, there was one thing Fengjiu always adhered to, and that was to keep Qing Qiu's face at all times. No matter what happened she must never have Qing Qiu's name soiled. - Pillowbook

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Heavenly Realm, Jiuchongtian, Taichen Palace - Mountain Garden Platform - Midday
Day 3 since Fengjiu's death
Bai Xun (Gungun)—-------------------------------

"Physical touch should be avoided, allow me." A voice he couldn't place warned.

He was lifted into a sitting position by what felt like a blanket underneath him, but could not see anything.

"There will be some confusion." The same voice said.

For a few moments he couldn't quite remember why he was sitting haphazardly on the floor, but then memories started to trickle back. The memories were muddled, fuzzy and indistinct, as if he'd dreamed them rather than experienced them.

He blinked, Zhe Yan was crouching in front of him, though he did not want to meet the high deity's eyes for some reason.

"How are you feeling?" Zhe Yan asked.

"I wasn't supposed to be... see? Know." Bai Xun spoke the most ineloquent sentence he'd ever spoken since he'd first mastered basic words as a baby. Ah, that hadn't been the question, he refocused his thoughts to answer Zhe Yan.

He methodically ran through a mental checklist.

How was he physically?

His mind catalogued the myriad of tiny scratches and cuts, but they were cauterised by the lightning, and already healing, they were the type he'd sometimes get from handling paperwork, insignificant and not worth mentioning. He hadn't hit his head when he'd fallen unconscious and wondered who had caught him, he would need to ask and thank them.

Magically?

He could sense no disturbances, abnormalities or fluctuations out of the ordinary. What had once been a deep river of energy and power was now an ocean, almost fathomless, he felt a bit wary about using such power, it was almost at the level of a High Deity.

Mentally?

His thoughts felt delayed and slow, , that was a bit concerning, hopefully it wasn't permanent.

Spiritually?

His souls was stable, bright and unharmed, though there were odd tendrils here and there, pieces that hadn't quite coalesced with the rest, though he could sense them doing so even as he 'watched'.

Overall, he wasn't harmed in any way he could sense, and his thoughts and soul, while a bit disjointed and slow, were both quickly recovering.

"I am...well? Good?" He eventually managed to say, sentences with his usual eloquence seemed to not be possible just yet.

His reply only seemed to make Zhe Yan, and Bai Qian more concerned, but before he could grimace at the spike of emotions, he was saved.

"Peace, good doctor." Liu Cai said, and raised a hand to ward Zhe Yan coming closer, "The young master has taken no lasting harm, and has more wits about him than most, more than I did," Liu Cai admitted, then she turned to him, though she did not look him in the eyes as she spoke, "Truly you are the sovereign's scion." her voice held...something indistinct, it wasn't surprise, or admiration, he couldn't place it.

His mind was still sluggishly focusing on answering Zhe Yan's question properly, and he couldn't help his rudeness of not replying to Liu Cai.

Still looking in Zhe Yan's direction, he replied, "Unharmed nothing damaged." There, that was a bit more useful.

Zhe Yan, for his part, did seem less sharply focused on him, so he gained reassurance that he was quite well.

His mind seemed to be waking up, because he could think about what Liu Cai had said, and try and formulate a reply, but to his annoyance, he could not do so.

For once his boundless curiosity was not so boundless, and he found that he didn't want to think or ask questions about...whatever that had been. Likely something to do with his crimson-gold blood awakening? Or something else? For now he was content with not knowing.

There was a token on the floor near his hand, the character carved into it was very beautiful, he stared at it for a long moment, then blinked as he remembered what had happened, a lifetime ago, before he'd fainted. This felt safer to think about, "I ascended, I have a name." Bai Xun said, to no one in particular.

"You did, and you do." Bai Qian confirmed.

Bai Xun did not want to look at anyone, and so continued to stare at the token that bore his new name, a sluggish thought filtered that perhaps he should pick it up at some point.

Bai Xun had a name before, of course, Gungun, 'roll roll', a nickname most commonly used for pandas, and one he'd kept as a name for longer than most; his sense of pride had made him want to earn his official name, rather than be given one.

He hadn't expected to be given one today, though perhaps he should have. After all, he supposed that being the third youngest High Immortal in history wasn't a small or insignificant feat.

Taichen Palace, 'Early Dawn', Lord Shaoyang 'Lord of the lesser sun', there were many motifs and titles that likened his father to the bright sun, sunrise and dawn. What then did he mean by giving him the official name Xun, or 'twilight, sunset'?

'Dawn inevitably gives way to twilight', or 'twilight comes after dawn'.
The sun rises and falls, eventually giving way to twilight and night. Whether his new name was supposed to be a hopeful sign of a new age of stars, or the melancholy end of a bright sunlit age was probably a matter of perspective. More than its poetic or perhaps prophetic meaning, he liked this new name because watching the stars appear at twilight in Qing Qiu was one of his mothers most favourite things to do.

Bai Xun was annoyed with himself, his thoughts were meandering, slow and scattered. Then in another moment his thoughts were crashing against each like floodwater sweeping away buildings, there one moment, gone the next, like his mind didn't quite know what to do with itself.

A strange smell came to his attention, it had the faint trace of the sea, an almost fishy smell, but metallic. Blood? It wasn't his, none of his thin cuts were bleeding anymore, not even the cut on his head, and it did not smell like his, Zhe Yan or Bai Qian's, which was good. He looked around and found the culprit, two droplets of blood on the floor a few metres away. He was suddenly too tired to think, and his omnipresent curiosity was dimmed.

His mind and body felt more separate than usual, but at the same time, more entwined than ever. Evidence being he'd picked up the token without remembering doing so, he'd gone from idea to action, without any thought in between.

Bai Xun wondered with a distant sort of mirth if this was him finally understanding what Bai Chen meant by 'it seemed a good idea at the time', 'I thought, so I did', and various other explanations for actions and ideas that were distinctly not good ideas, with good outcomes.

He watched as the not quite dried blood from a cut on his hand touched the token, and it flared white slightly in response, then dimmed.
Bai Xun turned the token over in his hand, and a silver fox was carved into the blue jade set as the background.

He had a memory of what this was for, but recalling it in detail was proving elusive, and he did not feel like chasing the memory was a good idea, so settled on asking instead, "What is this?"

To his surprise, it was Zhe Yan who answered, "A token allowing entry to Bihai Cangling while some of its barriers are active."

"Dijun has ordered Yu Shi to escort you." Bai Qian explained, her tone made it clear she was not impressed with the idea of him going.

"I will go." Bai Xun said, not a moment after Bai Qian had finished speaking.

He knew this was not what Zhe Yan or Bai Qian were expecting, concern and worry flared from them. Curiously, he did not feel queasy or disquieted as he normally did when experiencing strong emotions, a consequence of ascending?

He wasn't worried, he knew his father would not allow him to come to harm, well...considering the ascension he'd just undergone, he amended his mental note, 'not allow him to come to harm without reason'. After all, he'd seen and felt that his fathers love for him, his new little sister and his mother was stronger than he'd ever theorised. The man he knew as father was not gone, simply sealed. He was content in his decision to allow himself hope certain his father would return one day, he simply would have to wait.

For a moment, he thought to share the information with Bai Qian and Zhe Yan, to placate their worries and concerns, but having ones innermost feelings aired was extremely disrespectful, violating anyone's privacy in such a manner was anathema to him.

Instead he looked to his grandaunt and tried to appeal to her sense of duty, "If Father has ordered them to take me there, then it must be very important."

Bai Qian did not even dignify that with a reply, she simply stared at him levelly.

Bai Xun almost sighed, he was technically an adult, and by the laws of the Heavenly Tribe, unless he had committed a crime, he could come and go as he wished. He did not want to disobey his father, but also did not want to leave without his great aunts approval, begrudging or no. If he left without it, it would also cause Bai Qian to lose face in front of these ancient generals of his father; he certainly did not want to be the cause of that.

In an attempt to gather knowledge, he sent a querying look to Liu Cai.

"Young Master, the thoughts and reasonings of the sovereign are not for this one to know." Liu Cai answered his unspoken question.

If Liu Cai did not know, the unworldly seeming Yu Shi was even less likely to know, so he did not bother to query the anxious High Deity.

Mercifully Zhe Yan broke the impasse, "Do you want me to check your injuries?" the High Deity asked.

Bai Xun realised this was clearly a tactic to delay him leaving, but it was not necessary. His thoughts and actions were almost fully back to normal, he was secretly very relieved, it allowed him to reply to Zhe Yan in a timely, and coherent manner.

"There is no need, I can handle such minor injuries myself." Bai Xun replied, a second went by before his mind caught up with his mouth, and he added, "Thanks to your teachings, of course." he placated the divine doctor.

Wounds made from the lightning strikes from a heavenly tribulation could not be healed with magic, but pastes to encourage physical healing and prevent infection were simple enough to make. The lightning had cauterised the small cuts on his skin as it had exited his flesh, but it would not hurt to clean them. As Bihai Cangling was where the most divine and spiritual energy originated and gathered, he had a large collection of plants growing in the small research garden his parents had helped him build. Most were suitable for cleansing wounds and making healing pastes.

"I should not delay," Bai Xun reaffirmed.

Ever polite Bai Xun rose, the movement reopened some cuts and they stung slightly, but he ignored them, they really were trivial.

Now he was standing, back proudly straight and face writ with determination, bloodstained and focused, though Bai Xun didn't realise it, he looked every inch like his father Dong Hua ready to enter the battlefield.

"Like father like son; Dijun's heir is virtuous and admirable." Liu Cai said, her tone a statement of fact, not praise.

"I wish to speak to my grandnephew privately." Bai Qian said, tone brooking no argument.

Liu Cai's fingers moved rhythmically for a second, as if untangling a knotted fishing line. Bai Xun theorised that it was their version of a shrug, or simply something they did while considering options, or thinking deeply.

After a moment Liu Cai looked at Yu Shi, "Well? This is your task, not mine."

Yu Shi was instantly on alert and replying, "Yes, of course!" He stepped forward and spoke confidently, but politely, "I request that you do not abduct Dijun's heir, that would be quite troublesome for me."

It was a masterclass in understatement, the 'troublesome' Yu Shi was speaking about wouldn't be anything less than a civil war in heaven if he was 'abducted'. He supposed for these ancient generals, a single war was quite commonplace.

"I have no plans to abduct my great-nephew against his will." Bai Qian replied dryly.

Yu Shi looked to Bai Qian and replied, "Tis a great relief to receive such reassurance." The High Deity then looked to him and with no small amount of reverence asked, "Shall I await you at a distance?".

Without hesitating, Bai Xun replied politely, "Please."

"As you will." Yu Shi responded, bowed deeply then moved to stand a far distance away, even fox ears would not be able to hear from there, and birds were not known for their keen hearing.

"I've got things to be doing," Liu Cai spoke to both Zhe Yan and Bai Qian, then looked to him and asked, "By your leave?"

This again? His mind was now back to normal, and it had not escaped his notice that both Yu Shi and Liu Cai were referring to him differently now, not as Imperial Prince, but Young Master.

Zhong Lin called him Young Master, because he was the young master of Taichen Palace, hearing these ancient beings refer to him as such felt odd, Liu Cai was the same as his great-grandfather Bai Zhi, if not older. Still, his father had named him as his heir, so he supposed it was not an incorrect form of address from these old servants of his father.

After a moment of silence, which made it quite clear he wasn't happy with the form of address, he suppressed a sigh and replied, "You may leave."

Liu Cai bowed deeply to him then disappeared silently.

He was growing more convinced that all the ancient deities, ghosts and demons that still served his father were just...odd, with strange temperaments and personalities.

Bai Qian stepped forward, so that only two footsteps separated her from him, "Are you sure you want to go?" came the quietly spoken question from her.

Clearly his great-aunt did not fully trust the High Deity Yu Shi, but it was rare for her to trust anyone that wasn't family, in Jiuchongtian only Zhong Lin, Nai Nai and a few others were privileged enough to have Bai Qian's complete trust.

This close it was impossible for him not to clearly sense his aunts' barely restrained desire to take him back to Xiwu palace, war-resulting consequences be damned. If he showed even the slightest bit of hesitation he was sure she would do it too.

There was an apology in Bai Qian's face when she looked at him, his strange emotional sense was very recent and no one was really used to it. Not that it was anyone else's problem to handle. It was his oddity, he would learn how to control it better. He had so many things to learn now, for once he felt weary at the idea.

"Yes," He answered, but seeing that Bai Qian was unconvinced, he continued, "Father does not speak or take actions without reason, so my going to Bihai Cangling must be important."

"Aunt, thank you for your care, I am very grateful. Can I trouble you to take care of my little sister while I am gone?"

"So even you can ask foolish questions," Bai Qian said, "Of course i'll protect little Xueyu, with my life if I need to, and you." She was offering another chance for him to change his mind, and she would fight to keep him by her side.

Without thinking he stepped forward, prepared to say that such drastic action was not necessary, but realised speaking would be pointless when his aunt looked at him with such fierce determination. More so he could feel the underlying emotions clearly, as if words were being spoken in his mind. Desperation, grief, fury, and an understanding that his aunt could not bear to lose anyone else.

Bows, Bai Qian grabs Bai Xun's hands to stop him from bowing, he flinched, and took a half step backwards, but even as he was doing so, he realised that he did not need to physically distance himself. He'd instantly become aware of a strange sense, it felt something like invisible gauze, or a membrane surrounding him.

In the same moment he'd sensed it, he'd unconsciously pulled the membrane toward himself where it stopped surrounding him like a second skin; he could no longer sense his grandaunt's emotions clearly. Could not help himself from blinking in surprise at the newfound ability to control his emotional sensing.

"Are you alright?" Zhe Yan asked.

The perceptive doctor would naturally have noticed his odd movement and distraction.

"I have become aware of a way to control my emotional sense." Bai Xun explained succinctly.

As if to make his words a lie, Bai Qian's emotions were quickly becoming more vibrant, it seemed this newfound ability to block or dim his emotional sense was something he would need to train. "Though I currently lack the ability to use it in a sustained manner." Bai Xun reported.

He would need to train the ability, but the fact it was possible to pull emotional sense inward now, rather than needing physical space was an immense relief. Had his father known this would also happen with his ascension? In future unless someone touched him, or he willingly extended his emotional sensing outward, he'd no longer be bombarded with the emotions of others.

"That is fortunate." Bai Qian admitted.

Bai Xun did not need his emotional sense to detect the slight trace of guilt in Bai Qian's tone. Which was unneeded, to his knowledge he was the only person in the world with such an ability, he certainly did not fault his aunt for having feelings, especially at such a time. Though he would never admit to such a thing, Bai Qians terrifyingly strong, barely controlled rage had certainly been unpleasant, almost unbearable for him to endure the past few days.

Before he could speak and assuage his aunts misplaced guilt, High Deity Zhe Yan mused aloud, "Dijun's prescience, or fortunate happenstance?"

"Still, if I can help or be useful in some way, then I should go." Bai Xun said.

By going to Bihai Cangling, he might be able to ask his father for more details about the crimson-gold blood. Though as he thought more about it, his father had either cultivated, or perhaps been born with it, so the 'awakening' was really not something Dong Hua Dijun had dealt with.

The crimson-gold blood was a consequence of being born to the most powerful being in the universe, it was only fair that such power came with risk.

Mortals had to suffer horribly just for the smallest chance of becoming the most common of immortals. Born immortals had no such sufferings, most had lifespans of only a thousand or ten thousand years. However immortals from the longest lived and powerful clans like the dragons, phoenixes and nine-tailed foxes, would eventually go through a heavenly trial, where they would become high immortals, or die, this too was a consequence of rebalancing the good karma members of those clans received by being born as they were.

The crimson-gold blood awakening was karma, cause and effect, it was 'fair'. Even so, he would put forth his full effort into research over the next 70,000 years until his little sister reached full adulthood. He would make sure she survived her heavenly trial, and the crimson-gold blood awakening.

With that thought he realised he was going to have to be slightly impolite to Zhe Yan.

It was considered quite rude to create letters with magic, the instant nature of their creation could be taken as 'you are not worth the time, effort and consideration and it takes me to write a physical letter', and magical letters would also disappear within a week.

Bai Xun asked for forgiveness in advance, "High Deity Zhe Yan, please forgive me for being impolite."

"Don't be foolish, you've never been impolite without good reason," Zhe Yan dismissed, but Bai Xun waited, Zhe Yan looked at him and with a slightly exasperated downturn of his mouth Zhe Yan replied, "Whatever it is, you are forgiven."

Grateful for Zhe Yan's forgiveness in advance, Bai Xun bowed, "Thank you High Deity Zhan."

He then focused his magic and created three pieces of paper, they detailed everything he felt and experienced in the past thirty minutes. He hoped Zhe Yan could have a head start in researching how to save his sister from the power of her inherited crimson-gold blood, and knowing what had happened from his perspective was a good start.

He bowed slightly, and with both hands he politely handed over the pieces of paper containing his observations with both hands to Zhe Yan who took them wordlessly, and began reading.

"I see." Zhe Yan said, tone thoughtful, he was already lifting the first page to read the second.

The awakening of his crimson-gold blood had been physical, magical and spiritual, a complete realignment and remaking of his very self, and it had happened in an instant. The papers he handed over also contained his first thoughts on how to solve these issues. His sister's body would need to be physically strong, her powerful magic would need to be as controlled as it was possible for her to do, and her spiritual energy would also need to be cultivated with meditation and training. There would likely be a lot of medicine and concoctions in his little sister's future. Though there were many herbs that had reduced efficiency with sugar or honey, he resolved to research how to make them more palatable if possible. His mind was racing, there were so many things he needed to learn and research now, for once he almost felt weary at the idea.

Bai Qian, seeing that Zhe Yan was not concerned with him leaving, relented, "Alright, go then, you little adult." Bai Qian said, there was no anger in her voice, only a slight hint of sadness, almost as if she was mourning him, or more precisely Gungun; the child he was only a short while ago, now gone.

"Thank you Aunt." He replied.

There was a delicate exhale of hair from Bai Qian, "It's not like I have the authority to forbid you from doing so."

Bai Xun was now technically an adult and his fathers legal heir, while Bai Qian was princess consort and legal wife to the crown prince, a position of significant power, it did not confer the authority to have any say in what Dijun, or his heir, could do. It was an uncomfortable realisation, one he did not want to examine, so instead he replied, "I will send a letter, if I choose to stay longer."

"Don't forget your promise to sleep." Zhe Yan reminded.

"I will endeavour to do so." He promised.

It was not a promise that he would sleep, because he had no idea what awaited him at Bihai Cangling, but if he had the opportunity, he would, breaking promises was utterly unacceptable.

Instead of speaking any further he bowed in farewell to both High Deities, turned and walked toward High Deity Yu Shi. He was still holding the white jade token that bore his name and true form of a silver nine-tailed fox in his hand, he allowed himself one last moment of nerves and clenched the token tightly for a moment, then relaxed.

His mother had been ruler of the eastern realm of Qing Qiu, her reputation was Qin Qiu's reputation. Out of both his parents, of course it was his mother that had been most concerned with upholding reputation and saving face, so as to not embarrass Qing Qiu or sully the throne she held. Naturally it had been his mother that taught him the importance of not letting anyone but family see him falter. So how could he betray her teachings and show weakness now, before this general from an era long past?

As Yu Shi bowed and greeted him, Bai Xun would not allow himself any other form of emotional dysregulation.

To Bihai Cangling then.

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Baby/Milk Name: Bai Gungun: 滚滚 (Roll Roll, Nickname for a panda) gǔn - RollProper/Official Name: Bai Xun: 白 曛 xūn - twilight / sunset

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