19. A Tale Of Three
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Sky Palace, Sky Realm...
The Sky Emperor, Zhurong Tianlong, was pacing in his study, his white and gold robes endlessly swishing as he moved...
"You're making me dizzy." His guest complained.
The 'guest' was dressed in light green robes with a long white overcoat lined in gold, and his jade pendant bore the symbol for 'Three'. The rank number for High Immortals.
But even among High Immortals, he was held in higher regard.
He who pushed and pulled the waves of mortal lives, guiding them through life-altering events, and leading them towards their destinies.
Fei Yun, the Immortal of Fate.
He looked annoyed because the Sky Emperor had summoned him, and he now sat on one side of the Throne hall.
He would much rather be scouring the Fate Mirrors for any hint of Yin Bailong.
Instead he was here...
Not doing anything in particular. Just sitting.
"When can I leave?" He asked quietly.
The Sky Emperor stopped pacing and looked over in frustration. "Tsk! A-Yun, why can't you be more sympathetic?
"We lost the same loved one, we shared and lost the same good times, we share the same enemy, and we worry about the same thing!"
Fei Yun looked away. "Things cannot go back to the way they were, no matter how many times you order me to simply sit with you."
Tianlong gravely shook his head. "I must have offended the heavens in some way! My closest friend can't even stand being in my presence."
A slight feeling of guilt settled in Fei Yun's heart, so he looked up at his friend. "A-Tian, I've made it clear. It's not anything you did. It's just-." He sighed.
"Where there were three, there are now two. If the two meet, won't the third be remembered?
"And the 'third' is now the enemy we 'share'...."
In a flash back, Fei Yun recalled he and his two friends kneeling outside this very hall.
"Hao-ah! A Once-in-a-lifetime magical fruit has vanished, and you're all claiming responsibility!" The Previous Sky Emperor thundered. "Do you think I won't punish you?!!"
This memory was almost forty thousand years ago.
Back then, Tianlong was still the Crown Prince, and kneeling on either side of him were his two friends, Fei Yun and Yin Bailong...
Though Tianlong was the Crown Prince, none of the Immortals respected him, because a mutation from his mother's bloodline had been limiting his cultivation growth.
This was because he had inherited his father's dominant bloodline as a flame dragon, but his mother, being a crystal Ice Lotus, had given him a recessive line, which clashed with his core essence.
Fairies praised the Emperor and Empress's undying love, despite their cores being natural enemies.
But those same fairies didn't hesitate to look down on the Crown Prince, the unfortunate result of his parents' stubborn romance!
Sky Realm's ruler had to be one of the strongest in his generation, but Tianlong wasn't even in the top fifty, and the officials jeered that his name *'Tianlong' was his father's wishful thinking, as Tianlong couldn't even fully transform into a full-fledged dragon!
(*Tianlong - Sky Dragon/Heavenly Dragon)
To solve the issue, his two friends drew up a plan and had stolen an ancient plum that the Sky Emperor had kept buried away for years...
This plum was over a millennia old!
At the time, Yin Bailong was already set to become 'Lord Medicine', the Medicine deity at such a young age.
He discovered that contrary to what people believed, the plum wasn't just a source of cultivation power.
That specific plum could merge and balance out the most contrasting of elements.
So he and Fei Yun had secretly stolen it, and Tianlong had innocently eaten the plum his friends offered him without knowing where they got it!
The good news was that the plum indeed gave Tianlong more than a breakthrough!
After just a bit of cultivation, Tianlong's futile hard work through the years had finally shone through, and he rose to the top of their generation!
The bad news was that the Sky Emperor eventually realized his precious Plum was missing, and one of the fairy maidens working at Sky Palace had found Fei Yun's missing jade token in the secluded garden..
But all three of them were claiming responsibility, which only annoyed the Emperor.
In the end, he had used a lightning whip to flay them all to an inch of their lives, leaving them with injuries that took almost a year of bed rest and recovery!
But even before fully recovering, the three friends had snuck away to drink together, laughing under the moonlight at the shared experience, but vowing never to steal from the Sky Emperor again!
At present, Fei Yun caught himself smiling, as the fond memories washed over him.
In their group of three, Bailong had been the daring mischievous one... He had been the center, the heart, the core, even the glue which had first bound them all together.
It was impossible for Fei Yun to hate him completely, and he hated himself for it, especially when another memory ferried him to an ethereal field with the most beautiful flowers.
A woman with frosty grey eyes and long light blue hair turned to smile at him, looking lovelier than any of the flowers surrounding her. She held out her hand and a clear ice rose appeared.
"A-Yun! Look what I made for you!" She said, and he felt his heart swell.
But she faded away before his eyes, and Fei Yun found himself back in the present.
He fisted his hands and looked up at Tianlong
"Your presence is accompanied by my fondest memories of Xiaolong, while your face and eyes remind me of A-Fen."
Tianlong's younger sister, Zhurong Fen had inherited all her mother's bloodline, and none of her father's.
She was a serene and beautiful fairy who had loved to tend and keep watch over the fields of Light flowers... The young of the Central Floral Clan.
She eventually became the Floral deity and was the most beautiful and purest person Fei Yun had ever met.
But during 'that' incident around thirty thousand years ago, Zhurong Fen had died by Bailong's hand, and even now, Fei Yun remembered clutching her lifeless body as he wailed.
He could never forget the feeling in his heart as she faded away in a swirl of brilliant blue petals.
Fei Yun sighed.
"A-Tian, will you keep summoning me here to drown in confliction? Or will you let me be?"
Tianlong sighed and waved him away. "You may leave. I can't promise not to summon you again, but you are free for now."
Fei Yun sighed in annoyance as he rose and adjusted his robes. He linked his thumbs in a salute, and quietly left.
But a dark scowl settled on his face as he reminded himself that Mount Caoyang was still afloat, and there was still an age-ban surrounding it.
Yin Xiaolong must be alive.
'I will double my efforts from now on... The mere whisper of the name 'Bailong' will never slip past my ears!'
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Back in the Zhang residence, Bailong sneezed.
"Laoying, you see? Fate Immortal is probably already badmouthing me!" He whined with a childish pout.
But Yinying could see past his flippancy and could sense his heartbreak.
Given how close the three were, Bailong had been severely heartbroken after the unfortunate event thirty thousand years ago, and it had taken him almost ten thousand years before he could lightly mention his friends again...
Yinying shook away the thought.
"Aiya, it seems 'Zhang Luoyin' is an identity you must fully adopt to protect yourself." he said, patting Bailong's knee with his small paw.
"Also, I couldn't really see your face because of the bruises, but they've become lighter so I was shocked when I came in just now.
"Have you seen your face clearly?"
Bailong raised a brow. "What's wrong with my face?" His hands automatically touched his bruised face.
Yinying shook his head. "Hmmmm I thought so. You awoke in a dark cave, and the mirror here is old, dusty and abandoned. You probably also saw Luoyin's memories through his own eyes, so you've not taken a good look at your face..."
"Laoying! Don't be cryptic! What is wrong with Luoyin's face? Is he hideous or disfigured?!! Is that the real reason he hid his face?!!!"
Yinying grinned, showing his sharp teeth. "Heh! You'll understand after seeing it! Let's just say, if Sun Liang had seen you without your mask, Sky Realm would have turned upside down again!"
Bailong dashed for the ancient looking mirror which lay in the corner of the room.
A sixteen year old Luoyin had cast it aside on his birthday. The first point in his life he completely hated himself.
Now, Bailong righted the mirror and tore off a piece of his sleeve to shabbily wipe a small portion of it, and he leaned away as soon as he caught his own reflection.
"Not Possible!" He said, staring at the strange reflection. "Is it some type of trick?!"
"If it's a trick, why can I see it as well?"
Bailong turned his face left and right. "Wah!" He exclaimed. Despite the bruises, he recognized the face a little too well.
Apart from the fact that Luoyin was skinnier and his hair was black, he looked exactly like the original Yin Bailong!
His eyes were not as vibrant as Bailong's, but they were the same light brown. From their cheekbones, to the prominent dimples, to their hairline, to their ears...
The two could have been twins!
And now Bailong recalled how Xu Weiyan had looked at him oddly at the Lava Sea.
'She probably thought I resembled Luoyin!' But the possibility must have been too farfetched for her to accept!
Bailong slapped both hands to his cheeks. "Laoying! How is this possible?!"
"I'm ancient, yet have no idea. Just call it fate!" Yinying replied with a chuckle. "Frankly, I'm more concerned about the strange thing you say you found in Luoyin's bod -. No. I should say 'your body' from now on."
It was Bailong's turn to grin. "Laoying! That 'strange thing' is actually something good!" He held out his palm and a small golden furnace appeared, decorated with three large crystals.
"Starlight Furnace!" Yinying exclaimed. "How did it get inside Luoyin's body?"
"Another mystery." Bailong replied.
The tiny flare he had caught while cultivating, turned out to be an Ancient artifact of immense power.
Yinying was clearly bewildered.
"First, you're feeling Zhang Luoyin's emotions. Second, his face looks exactly like yours. Third, the Starlight furnace which once belonged to you, is found in his body.
"Xiaobai! Are you sure you didn't father any children??!!"
"Laoying!!" Bailong protested.
Yinying patted his knee with a paw. "Hao! Ha ha hao! Let's not think about it anymore! From now on, you're Zhang Luoyin! so I'll just call you 'Xiaobai', or 'Luoyin'! Cheer up and cultivate!"
"Hao!" Bailong quickly sat in the lotus position. "Laoying, keep watch! By dawn, I'll make sure you can transform again!"
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