Donghua and Fengjiu had barely any time to register his words before he attacked again. The whip snapped and sparks flew as they fought. Donghua skillfully blocked each blow, carefully guarding Fengjiu. Wenchang grew angrier and angrier as Donghua continued to block his advances.

The clouds above them grew darker. Donghua had only a second to react before lightning struck the ground by his feet. It seemed he could not underestimate this Wenchang. Glancing at Fengjiu, he saw the sweat on her brow. Though she had been training hard since her coronation, the difference in power was too apparent. Knowing this, Wenchang targeted the young fox queen relentlessly.

She blocked his whip only to have it wrap around her blade. Her grip tightened and she dug her heels into the earth as he attempted to tear the sword from her hands. Splitting his Cang He blade into many, he sent the hundred blades against Wenchang. The lightning wielding god flung Fengjiu into the air, and Donghua only barely caught her before Wenchang could grab her.

"Donghua Dijun!" Wenchang growled furiously and sent his whip flying, blasting away the hundred blades. "She is mine! Fate promised her to me!"

As if to prove his point, there was a sharp sting in Donghua's heart. A warning.

He refused to accept it.

"Fate or no, I won't allow you to take her against her will!"

Cang He returned to his hand, singing with its master's rage.

Donghua sped forward. Violent red tore up the earth under his feet. Wenchang hastily dodged, flipping into the air only to be greeted by Fengjiu's fiery sword. He blocked her blow, gritting his teeth.

"Now, Xiao Hong, don't be difficult."

Donghua rested his sword threateningly at Wenchang's throat. With a few swift gestures, he summoned a spell which trapped Wenchang in a chain of ancient text.

"Drop the weapon and cooperate." He said with an icy tone. "Where are the missing children?"

Wenchang looked at him with a raised brow as though he found them very amusing. It took an innumerable amount of self control for Donghua to not to cut him down.

"We know you to be responsible for the kidnapping of Qingqiu children," Donghua pressed the sword closer. "Where are they?"

"Don't try to lie!" Fengjiu growled and Wenchang smiled.

"Ah, you caught me." He seemed entirely too unconcerned for someone with a sword at his throat. "What a devilish fiend I am. Are you going to interrogate me, Xiao Hong? If it's you, I won't mind so much, but do tell the old rock to stay out of it."

Fengjiu's cheeks could hardly be redder.

Donghua felt his patience was running thin.

"You!" Fengjiu could hardly string together her words, she was so mad. "If you didn't know where the children were, I, I'd-"

He chuckled, "Ah, I'd almost forgotten how adorable your anger is, Xiao Hong."

Fengjiu bit her tongue to calm her anger. Beside her, Donghua's crimson aura snapped into the earth making the ground under their feet crack.

Despite this, Wenchang seemed unbothered.

"As amusing as this all has been, we really must be going." With a flick of his wrist, he broke through the enchanted chains. Donghua tightened his grip on his sword. The blade pressed closer, drawing blood. Wenchang only grinned wider. "Now, Donghua, I would not do that if I were you."

Donghua felt a sharp pain in his chest and blood erupted from his mouth. The pain was the same he'd suffered after his mortal trial, the pain of his cultivation being torn away.

Wenchang laughed, "Fate is not on your side anymore, old rock."

"Donghua!" She tried to reach out to him, but Wenchang pulled her away.

Donghua shook his head, this could not be the Wenchang meant for Jiu'er. He swayed, suddenly unable to feel his legs.

Let me save her. He silently prayed. Please, just let me save her.

Wenchang cruelly kicked him in the gut. He heard Fengjiu scream as his vision blurred and he fell to his knees.

"Donghua! Donghua, get up!" She tried to run to his side, but Wenchang grabbed her wrist. "Stop, let me go!"

She was crying, and Wenchang looked terribly depressed as he pulled her away from him.

"Do you really care about him so much?" His voice was full of pain. She tried to jerk her arm away, but his grip was too strong. "Xiao Hong, he gave you up. He left you, so why-"

"I love him!"

Fengjiu yelled out, and Wenchang glared at the stone god with terribly cold eyes. It was all his fault! That old rock had her mind and heart all twisted! With a strong grip on both arms, he forced her to look at him. She froze in his frightening gaze.

"Xiao Hong, you don't. Not really." His voice sounded torn, "Fate has given you back to me."

Her tears stopped as she looked defiantly at him. She refused to let this criminal scare her into silence.

"Fate? What do I care of Fate? Ha, I don't care if our names are written in stone, or bones, or in the stars. I will only ever love Donghua Dijun!"

She expected him to react with anger, but she only saw a very deep sadness in his eyes.

"Xiao Hong... I don't want to force you like this."

He sounded lost. If she didn't hate him so, she may feel some pity. But his words made her feel panicked, and she started to struggle once more. He only held her tighter.

"I wanted you to gradually regain your lost memories, but that Donghua truly has your heart trapped. Maybe it would hurt less to just unlock them all now."

His face drew closer. In a panicked last ditch effort to escape his grasp, Fengjiu shifted into her fox form and bit him, drawing blood. He flinched, and she was able to squirm out of his hands. She ran over to Donghua who was still kneeling on the ground, coughing up blood and gasping for air.

"No-" He choked out. "Jiu'er, run away!"

"No!" She refused, already shifting back and throwing his arm around her shoulder.

Wenchang had already recovered from his shock. Jealous rage tore at his heart. She was not supposed to run to him. He did not blame her, only the cursed Donghua Dijun who had stolen her heart.

"Xiao Hong," his voice shook.

She looked at him with untold hatred. He had never thought it possible for her to look at him like that. It was all that damned Donghua's fault!

Lightning crackled and the electricity made her hair stand on end.

"Xiao Hong, please, you have to listen to me. I know you think you love him, but those memories are not true! They aren't true! Please, if you don't listen to me, if you continue to follow him, you will only get hurt."

Fengjiu stood firm, determination filled her bright eyes.

"Even if what you say is true, it doesn't matter. I am not who you say I am, Wenchang Dijun. I am Bai Fengjiu, the queen of Qingqiu, the daughter of Bai Yi and Fang Xue." Her scarlet tails lashed out behind her, a red shield wrapped protectively around them. "I am Bai Fengjiu and no matter what you or Fate says, I love Donghua Dijun. No matter what the consequences, this cannot be changed."

Wenchang tried to break the shield, but his attacks were all deflected. Fengjiu turned her back. She was going to leave. She was going to leave with him.

"Xiao Hong! If you leave now you will never see those children of Qingqiu alive again!"

Fengjiu froze.

"Where are they?" Her voice was dangerous but her heart sang with fear. She needed to get Donghua to Zhe Yan, but how could she leave those children like this.

Wenchang felt a sliver of relief. She always was loyal to a fault. If he could just get her to come a little closer...

"Don't you want to know? Leave that old rock there then and come with me."

He could see she felt torn, not wanting to leave that man, but also not wanting to betray her people. Her hesitation weakened her shield enough for his lightning whip to crack it. He broke through and the force of it flung Fengjiu and Donghua backwards. Fengjiu broke Donghua's fall, crashing through a tree. Pain shot up and down her spine. She tried to get up, but fell back down. Her vision swirled as arms wrapped around her just before she would have hit the ground.

"Di...Jun..."