Transcending the Nine Heavens

"You go ahead. I’ll be with Xiao Wu for a while before I head back," Ji Mo replied.

Mo Qing Wu stood there watching. She then turned around; her eyes were filled with tears of insecurity.

"Xiao Wu, come and see. Brother Chu Yang has sent some gifts for you," Ji Mo tried to put on a smile on his face as he took Mo Qing Wu by her tiny hands, and walked towards her room.

"Come, take a look at this." Ji Mo took out a jade bottle which Chu Yang had filled with the ’vitality spring water’; it was a big bottle.

"What’s this? Water...? Or Liquor?" Mo Qing Wu looked at the jade bottle in a suspicious manner. Then, she gently stroked it. Her face lit-up as she asked, "Does this jade bottle belong to Brother Chu Yang?"

"Yes." Ji Mo scratched his head in confusion. The water inside the bottle was the gift; not the jade bottle itself.

[Huh, you’re asking about Chu Yang’s jade bottle? The water inside is far more precious, you know...]

"Brother Chu Yang," Mo Qing Wu held the jade bottle tightly in her arms as tears came running down her cheeks. Mo Qing Wu had been suppressing the pain in her heart for several months now. So, her tears started to flow like a river when she saw the jade bottle in front of her.

She cried for a long time.

Ji Mo felt helpless. He hadn’t expected that Mo Qing Wu would get so emotional by merely looking at the jade bottle.

Mo Qing Wu kept on sobbing for a long time. Then, she finally stopped.

Ji Mo urged, "This is a priceless treasure called the ’vitality spring water’. You should drink it right now..."

Ji Mo lowered his voice as he added, "Brother Chu Yang insisted that I see you drinking the ’vitality spring water’ with my own eyes."

"But I... I can’t drink it." Mo Qing Wu blinked her big eyes, and looked at Ji Mo. "There won’t be anything left of it... if I drink it."

"Silly girl, why can’t you?" Ji Mo said hastily, "Drink this... it’ll help your body in healing the injury, and getting rid of the scars."

"But, I don’t want to drink it." Mo Qing Wu started to cry, "May I preserve it?"

"But, Brother Ji Mo will get very angry if you don’t drink it," Ji Mo felt puzzled as he said. But, he didn’t let it show on his face. He then added, "Brother Chu Yang will feel very very sad if he comes to know that you didn’t drink the ’vitality spring water’..."

"Okay. Then, I’ll drink it," Mo Qing Wu said hurriedly while nodding her head in anxiety. "I’ll drink it right away if that’s the case."

Ji Mo was dumbfounded as he saw Mo Qing Wu drink the ’vitality spring water’, [Could Chu Yang have had such a huge effect on her?]

Mo Qing Wu finished drinking the vitality spring water. She then held the jade bottle in her arms while treasuring it with all her heart.

"What else did Brother Chu Yang send for me?" Mo Qing Wu asked in anticipation.

"Well, there’s this... and then this... and oh, that too..." Ji Mo unloaded the package. He had a big pile of various kinds of strange and beautiful toys.

"This is beautiful!" Mo Qing Wu slipped her hands into the pile of toys, and found a hairpin shaped object – a bowknot.

The bowknot was made out of red cloud steel and star iron. The magnificence of the red cloud steel coupled with the elegance of the starlight gave it an enchanting look.

Ji Mo’s lips twitched.

He watched Mo Qing Wu playing with the bowknot, and wondered, [Only the prodigal Chu Yang could do something this elaborate.]

"This has certainly been sent by Brother Chu Yang. But, you bought the other toys, didn’t you?" Mo Qing Wu asked casually. She tilted her head as she put the bowknot down.

"Eh... how did you know that?" Ji Mo stared at Mo Qing Wu; he was surprised that she had found out the truth so easily.

"Well, because I like only this one," Mo Qing Wu wrinkled her nose and said. Her smile revealed a longing for happiness. "Only Brother Chu Yang knows what I like."

She gave a hateful look towards Ji Mo, and said, "And, you certainly don’t!"

Ji Mo was puzzled.

"Brother Ji Mo, I must thank you..." Mo Qing Wu hugged the jade bottle and the bowknot close to her heart. She then said with a smile on her face, "Thank you for delivering these gifts to me."

"You’re... welcome." A painful thought suddenly crossed Ji Mo’s mind, [Mo Qing Wu, Mo clan’s young miss... is in a pathetic state.]

"I have to discuss something with Uncle... ah," Ji Mo wanted to say something, but he held himself back. [I’ll stay back to keep her company if Uncle doesn’t promise me. No... I can’t stay. My Clan is waiting for me to fight in the war. I can take her to my family... but who will she play with there?]

Ji Mo shook his head with a sigh, and then returned to the hall.

He had a word with Mo Xing Chen about Mo Qing Wu spending a few days with his family. Mo Xing Chen pondered for a while, but refused in the end, "It would’ve been fine for her to spend some time with your family under normal circumstances. However, the major families are going to the war these days. So, how do you expect to take care of a child at such a time? We’ll take up this matter later."

Ji Mo and Ji Zhu slowly walked out of the hall as they heard this. Mo Xing Chen wanted to take a break from the meetings. But then, there was a sudden report, "Reporting to the Clan Lord... the second son of Luo Clan has come to visit Miss Xiao Wu."

"Luo Clan? Second son from Luo Clan has come to visit Xiao Wu?" Mo Xing Chen was shocked. He thought, [Firstly, Ji Zhu and Ji Mo came to see Qing Wu... It’s alright as they are her cousins after all. But, what business could the son of Luo Clan have with her? Doesn’t he know that Luo Clan and Mo Clan are enemies? ]

[Our Clans have been at war for more than a hundred years. The hatred between our Clans can never be wished away. And yet, he’s here to see Xiao Wu?]

[Does he come here with ulterior motives? Has he come to mock us because they’ve found out that the genius of our Clan is crippled? ]

[He’s making a very bold move if that’s the case... In fact, he might end-up losing his life in case anything goes wrong.]

"Please come in," Mo Xing Chen stood-up and said. "I’d like to know why the Second Son from the Lou Clan has come here."

Luo Ke Di’s clothes were as white as snow. The people of the Mo Clan eyed him with hostility as he walked in.

However, he showed no signs of nervousness; even his eyes didn’t reveal any signs of giving him away.

Luo Ke Di was very funny, but he never harmonized with a large number of people. However, personal relations were extremely important to him.

[Chu Yang is my brother...]

[He had once told me that I should go and visit Xiao Wu whenever I got the opportunity.]

[And, I must do as I’d promised.]

[What difference does the enmity between our Clans make? They were still enemies when I made this promise to my Brother. I wouldn’t have promised if I didn’t wish to do it.]

[I must fulfil my promise even if it delivers me to my enemy.]

[I must fulfil it even if it delivers me to my death.]

Luo Ke Di had arrived here because of the promise that he had made to Chu Yang.

Mo Xing Chen looked on in surprise as Luo Ke Di walked into the hall, and requested to see Mo Qing Wu amidst the hostile glances from the clan’s people.

The events that followed left everyone surprised; including Mo Xing Chen – the wise and experienced man in charge of the Mo Clan.

"Xiao Wu!" Luo Ke Di’s cold and hostile expression melted into a warm and cordial smile. It was almost as if he was reuniting with his own sister after a long time.

"Brother Luo!"

Mo Qing Wu was pleasantly surprised. She was aware of the enmity between their Clans. Therefore, she had never imagined that Luo Ke Di would defy the natural order in order to come and meet her at her residence.

Mo Xing Chen’s eyes widened in surprise.

He watched as Mo Qing Wu laughed and played outside her room... as Luo Ke Di patiently listened to her rambling about her problems... as he played different games with her...

Luo Ke Di even shared stories with her.

Mo Xing Chen heaved a deep sigh, and quietly moved away.

[How long has it been since we’ve seen Xiao Wu this happy? She’s happy to meet a man from her enemy Clan... more than when she sees her own father...]

[Have I made a mistake?]

[But, I’m the head of a Clan... So, the mistake that I may have made... was for the sake of my Clan...] Mo Xing Chen walked away quietly.

Luo Ke Di was relieved; he remained with Xiao Wu the entire day.

"Xiao Wu, Brother Chu Yang has sent me to play with you ...But, I can stay for a day only," Luo Ke Di squatted down as he softly said. "I’ll leave for the Cang Lan battlefront tomorrow."

"But, why do you have to go to the Cang Lan battlefront?" Mo Qing Wu asked as tears formed in her eyes. "I’m so lonely here...There’s no one to play with me here...or even talk to me."

Luo Ke Di was rendered speechless for a while. He then replied in a soft tone, "I don’t want to leave you alone either. But, I’ll have to go. It’s very dangerous out there... but I still find joy in it. The place is filled with my enemies... as well as my friends. And, it’s my duty to be there because I’m a youngster from a ’Three Heaven Family’.

"It’s... a man’s duty!" Luo Ke Di stated.

Luo Ke Di effortlessly spoke his mind, and expressed his true emotions in front of Mo Qing Wu even though she was just a little girl.

Responsibility!

It was the responsibility of the Middle Three Heaven’s families to keep the mainland safe.

They could never back away from their responsibility.

"I packed a few gifts for you on the way here as I didn’t know what you’d like..." Luo Ke Di put down his big bag.

"Brother Chu Yang had told me to come and visit you, and had asked me to say these few words to you," Luo Ke Di said.

"What?" Mo Qing Wu’s face lit-up.

"He said –’Xiao Wu, always be happy’..." Luo Ke Di continued, "’Brother Chu Yang will soon come to meet you... He’ll come for you...’"

Tears started to stream down Mo Qing Wu’s white and tender cheeks as she looked on in a dumbstruck manner.

Mo Qing Wu had been longing to hear these words for a very long time now. She had always been looking forward to someone coming her way and taking her away. Her heart welled-up with happiness amidst all the sorrows of her life since these words had finally come from Chu Yang’ side.

Luo Ke Di eventually had to leave. He had been able to stay here even for this long because Mo Tian Yun was at the Cang Lan battlefront. Things would’ve been far more complicated if Mo Tian Yun had been here.

Mo Qing Wu’s mind had already calmed down.

She felt as if she had grown-up. Meanwhile, her mind kept pondering back over those words. And, that kept on instilling her heart with a sense of hope.

"Xiao Wu, always be happy. Brother Chu Yang will soon come to meet you... He’ll come for you." Mo Qing Wu tilted her head as she closely held onto her scabbard and the jade bottle; she wore the colorful bowknot, and gently recited those words to herself in Chu Yang’s voice.

Her voice was soft and gentle. It was as mesmerizing as a dream... lest she be woken from it.