Chapter 44: Redemption

XuanWu looked at the man's hand and turned and faced him.

"M-Miss. I know you need these seeds and-"

"S-SHAOTIAN!"

ShaoTian's eyes grew big. It was really XuanWu! After 20 bitter years of searching, she's finally here in front of him. A while later, Moxiao and Yingluo came running to her and gave her a warm hug.

"Mother... We have been looking everywhere for you! Where have you been? Do you know WenXi City much? Did you get lost?"

XuanWu was left speechless. Her eyes is fixed at the man in front of her. Moxiao looked at the man from top to toe. He could not recognize him because of the beard that grew long on his face so he asked her mother instead.

"Mother? Who is this man? Did this man hurt you or slander you?"

XuanWu snapped out of it and hit Moxiao softly on his arm.

"Oh sorry. Moxiao... Yingluo... This is Na ShaoTian. Your father."

Yingluo's eyes shook. She let go of the fan in her hand. Moxiao picked it up for her and handed it to her. They took a step forward to talk with the stranger face to face.

"XuanWu... Where are our children? Who is this young lad and lass?"

"ShaoTian. These are our children. This is YingLuo and MoXiao."

ShaoTian looked at the two and after awhile, recognized that they are indeed YingLuo and MoXiao. He extended his arms and wrapped it on them. Tears welled his eyes. It has been 20 years after the great war which depleted his spirit that caused him to sleep without waking up.

"YingLuo *sobs* MoXiao *sobs* You were so young back then... *sobs* I am sorry for leaving you without saying anything *sobs*"

"Father. It's alright. Back when we were young, we never fully understood everything that happened and we harbored illwill upon you. But we were wrong. We are sorry father."

"We're glad that you're back though. Father."

________________________

Zhuge Liang made his way to the Seven Immortals Island. The holy barrier prevented him from entering the island since he absorbed all of the ancient evil tree's resentment. He flew and touched the barrier but it sent a faint shock on his hand making him laugh in ecstasy.

"Stings like a bee."

He held his hand out and conjured a dark spell that can disable the magic barrier surrounding it. The concentrated dark energy glowed bright purple and afterwards, made an impact to the island's barrier making it corrode. The barrier soon has been disabled and the island seemed to be more vulnerable.

"Brother Yao... Please let me go now."

"Not now XuanZheng. The other immortals in the ninth heaven needs to know about the truth!"

"But Brother Yao... Zhuge Liang. He's becoming uncontrollable and his powers are beyond limits."

"We are purifying you right now so that you may get your sister to return you to the ninth heaven and explain this mess or else..."

Zhuge Liang flew and landed on the island's premises. XuanZheng has been alerted but Brother Yao refuses to budge from the purifying circle.

"Or else what Old man?"

"Zhuge Liang! How dare you disgrace and taint other immortals!"

"Oh, I'm so flattered. Thank you for the honorifics. Give me XuanZheng and I'll let your petty island go."

"Never! Our lives dedicate on expunging evil on the mortal realm. You can just go and die."

"Hah. Have you forgotten old man? I'm a God. And Gods never die."

Zhuge Liang conjured a spell on his hand and joined it on his other hand. The magical energy concentrated would cause a great impact. XuanZheng faintly tugged Brother Yao's shoulder but he refuses to get away.

"Now... Take this!"

Zhuge Liang hurled the ball towards Brother Yao. Brother Yao closed his eyes but XuanZheng pushed him aside. The ball had a direct hit on her wings and it burned most of her feathers. XuanZheng squealed in pain. It was so intense that she wanted to scream her heart out.

"Pity. I never really did like those large wings of yours."

Seeing the pitiful XuanZheng, Zhuge Liang left the island heading for Old Jianghu. Brother Yao attended to her immediately however he could do nothing to heal her wings.

"I am sorry XuanZheng."

"Brother Yao. Please hurry and purify me. I will go and warn my sister."

"Understood."

_________________________

Wei Yue invited ShaoTian inside the palace preparing a large banquet for their family reunion. He commanded servants to entertain them with music and dances that resembled the dance of the Phoenix.

"Welcome to the Jade Phoenix's palace. Please help yourselves. I have taken care of the preparations for General Hua Feixian and Na YingLuo's wedding that would take place here in the palace 2 days from now."

"That's great. I never saw my daughter for 20 years and now she's getting married."

"That's alright mister. Everything happens for a reason. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have matters to attend to."

Wei Yue excused himself leaving the Na family at the great hall. Their happiness seemed to be unyielding as they talked and partook of the food lain in front of them.

"Na YingLuo. May I ask where have you meet this boy named Hua Feixian?"

"I met him during a hunt."

"Hunt? What kind of hunt are we talking about?"

Yingluo turned red peppers. She pretended to be apathetic and chowed down lots of food on her mouth.

"MoXiao pass me the water *cough* *cough*"

"Jeez. Sis. I didn't know that you're such a sucker for feasts like these."

"Idiot *cough* *cough* pass me the water."

Moxiao slid the water on the table unto her and she chucked it down her throat. She gave a good burp after she drank it and chuckled softly. ShaoTian eyed his daughter. He does not want his daughter cooking rice with other men even though they aren't married.

"YingLuo. Tell me the truth. The moment you met this FeiXian, did you already cooked rice?"

"HHHHAAAAAA?! Father!!!!!"

All of them laughed and Yingluo is now turning ripe tomatoes.

Their happy moments lasted for an hour when, dark clouds started to roll above the skies of WenXi City an purple lightning flashed on the dark skies.

"What is it, XuanWu?"

"It's him."

The people of WenXi city reported sightings of a weird-looking man with large horns and purple eyes walking from the fields bringing an army of ghouls. Wei Yue has been alerted by this and published a decree forcing the people of WenXi city to evacuate to the Dragon Blade Kingdom's capital, ChuanXi city.

As XuanWu and her family were preparing to leave, she caught a sight of a familiar figure amongst the chaos. A faint woman walking with a stick in her hand approached her. She immediately recognized that it was her sister XuanZheng.

"YingLuo. Take your father and your brother away from here."

"Mother. But how about you?!"

"Go. I'll be fine."

Yingluo nodded and respected her mother's wishes. XuanWu helped XuanZheng in walking and sheltered behind an old tattered hut. Although XuanZheng did horrible things to her and her family, she is still a part of her and blood is much indeed thicker than water. When XuanWu saw her wounds, she used her divine powers to heal her but the wounds would not close. She then recalled about Chang 'e's stab wound. The attacker did the same to her sister.

"XuanZheng. Did Zhuge Liang do this?"

"Yes sister. Please, you must leave now. He's more powerful."

"Sister. I won't leave without you. Come with me."

XuanWu conjured a phoenix and laid XuanZheng on it. She reined the phoenix forcing it to fly out of the hut and ascended back into the ninth heaven. As they arrived at the gate, JinRen saw both of them and ordered the guards to put them both in the dungeon. Xi Yuyap saw all that had happened and hid herself with her cloaking ability. She decided to follow XuanWu and XuanZheng into the dungeon secretly and would only act after JinRen and the guards go away.

"XuanWu, XuanZheng... You twin sisters are an abomination!"

"Why are you doing this JinRen?"

"It's easy. I know that soon, the ninth heaven will be plunged into cataclysm and Zhuge Liang will cause that terror for me. I planned that you and XuanZheng would fight to the death however, your merciful self annoys me! I will tell the whole immortal council that you and XuanZheng died at Zhuge Liang's hands and I, on the other hand, am the hero that saved everyone!"

"You will pay for this! Old Jianghu will fall because of you!"

"Stop chatting and consider yourselves dead."

JinRen held his palm towards the twins. XuanZheng and XuanWu hugged each other.

"Now... Time to die--"

JinRen fell face down on the ground and Xi Yuyao revealed herself behind the shadows.

"Seriously, I never liked both of you but I do not prefer injustice done to others. Follow me, let's help the other mortals. They're in danger."