(2) Parting from Anu, for a While

Traveling by spirit-flight, the four of them returned to the Mist Forest before long. Ziyuan set her down gently on the bed, letting her recline half-sitting, and settled himself at the edge of the bed, watching Anu, her face flushed and eyes lowered. He couldn't help laughing. "So even our fearless little girl, afraid of neither heaven nor earth, has moments of shyness after all? Or is it that I've grown so hideously ugly that you dare not even look up at me?"

　　"That's not it at all!" Teased like this, Anu pouted, a little put out—if he was ugly, was there a single presentable man left in all Three Realms?

　　Saying such a thing—who was he trying to torment?

　　So Anu lifted her head straight up, meaning to fire back at him, only to meet Ziyuan's gaze bearing down on her, tender and burning all at once. Her heart gave a startled lurch, and she quickly dropped her head again.

　　Watching Anu's flustered, panicked expression, Ziyuan's face broke into a full smile. He opened his palm, conjuring a cup of "sweet dew" from nothing, and held it out to her.

　　"Drink up. It'll nourish your body, and clear away the aftereffects of the wine besides."

　　The moment she saw the "sweet dew," delight lit up Anu's face, and she happily took the cup and drained it in one go, completely forgetting her embarrassment and panic from a moment before.

　　Ziyuan raised a hand, and at once conjured a whole large pot of "sweet dew" on the table.

　　"I'd rather not trouble Xiaoyi—finish that pot obediently, and you should be back to your usual lively self in no time."

　　In truth, whether Anu drank the "sweet dew" or not had little bearing on her recovery—a thousand years of rich, deep cultivation could accomplish plenty on its own; the "sweet dew" was merely icing on the cake. But since Anu loved it so, he was happy to grant her this small indulgence—her joy was his joy, and her small satisfaction brought him a greater one still.

　　The sight of her face breaking into a wide, happy smile, the sound of her simple "thank you, Ziyuan" reaching his ears—both left Ziyuan feeling deeply at ease, as though the ache in his own body had eased somewhat as well.

　　"Rest well. I need to return to the Celestial Court." In truth, it was he himself who most needed to recover just now.

　　"Why don't you drink some of the sweet dew too, to help you recover, before you go?" Anu pointed to the pot on the table.

　　Hearing this, Ziyuan couldn't help but laugh. "This business of repaying me with my own generosity is a rather curious way of showing gratitude. Your kindness is appreciated, Anu, but I can have sweet dew whenever I like—that pot is for you."

　　"That's true enough…" Anu suddenly felt foolish—how had she managed to say something so silly? Just as she was cringing at herself, she noticed Ziyuan pointing at her forehead.

　　"That flower mark on your brow comes and goes—what's the story there?"

　　"Ah… that's… that's…" It was true—both times Ziyuan had saved her from danger, he had caught sight of the flower mark on her brow. Ordinarily she took pains to keep it hidden, and it only showed itself when she lost consciousness and could no longer control it. Ziyuan, sharp-eyed as he was, could hardly have missed such a change.

　　"I don't like it. My mother doesn't have one," Anu said, touching her forehead with a sullen look.

　　"It's beautiful. There's no need to hide it at all."

　　Ziyuan spoke the words softly, and yet they lingered, echoing faintly in Anu's ears, every syllable landing with perfect clarity, leaving her momentarily stunned. Before she had quite gathered herself, Ziyuan had already risen and turned to walk out.

　　"I'll return to the Celestial Court now. Xing'er, take good care of her."

　　With that, he was gone. Xing'er bowed in reply, and Changxiu, who had been waiting outside the door, hurried after him, the two of them making the journey back in silence. It was only once they reached Cize Hall that Ziyuan finally pressed a hand to his chest, his face turning pale.

　　"Your Highness…" Though Changxiu knew well that transferring one's cultivation was a costly, even dangerous act, he also understood that Ziyuan, in front of Anu, had done everything he could to spare her any sense of guilt, and so had refused to let his suffering show. A thousand years of cultivation might not be a trivial matter to Ziyuan, but it wasn't a small one either—it was impossible for him to feel entirely nothing from it. It was only that Ziyuan's self-restraint and forbearance were so thoroughly practiced that even Changxiu could barely detect anything amiss. Now, back within his own palace at last, the tension he had held so tightly finally began to loosen, and the pain he could no longer bear to suppress broke through. This, too, was why he hadn't dared linger even a moment longer in the Mist Forest, and had hurried back to the Celestial Court instead.

　　Changxiu quickly supported Ziyuan into his bedchamber, where Ziyuan settled cross-legged upon the bed, hands forming seals, working to steady his disordered breath.

　　"Your Highness! Let Changxiu help you." Seeing Ziyuan's eyes shut tight, his brow furrowed deep, his breath surging unevenly in his chest, Changxiu pressed his palms forward, lending his own power to help steady Ziyuan's breathing. It was some time before the pallid, sickly cast of Ziyuan's face finally began to ease.

　　"Go stand guard outside. Let no one in. Not a word of today's events is to be breathed to anyone." Ziyuan opened his eyes slightly to give Changxiu this instruction, then closed them again to continue settling his breath.

　　"Yes." Changxiu accepted the order and made his way out of Cize Hall.

　　Now, as for Cize Hall itself—so vast a place, and yet it housed only its two masters. Ziyuan occupied the main courtyard, and Changxiu, attending him closely, lived there as well; the rear courtyard held only the one mistress, the Crown Princess, who resided in Fenghua Court. Ziyuan preferred quiet, and so had done away with the use of servants altogether, considering them little more than imperial pomp—nothing but noise and bother, with no real purpose. The hall's cleanliness, the serving of tea, all such matters could plainly be handled with a mere thought; what need was there for anyone to wait on him? He had never cared for such superfluous formalities. Fenghua Court was precisely the opposite. Shenya, accustomed to the pampered status of a princess consort, kept a retinue of several palace maids fussing over her at every turn, as though she had no power of her own and no bones in her body, requiring assistance in everything. Changxiu found it rather a shame—Her Highness's ambitions ran large indeed; though she never violated the customs of the Celestial imperial household, she seemed entirely indifferent to her own husband's likes and dislikes. The two of them were so utterly opposite in temperament and manner that it was hard to see how she could ever win her husband's favor that way.

　　The Princess Consort occasionally came to the main courtyard to pay her respects, but otherwise dared not set foot in the main hall unless summoned; Ziyuan, for his part, would only visit Fenghua Court to see her after considerable earnest urging from Changxiu. As the saying goes, one shows respect to the Buddha even if not to the monk—the reasons behind the Celestial Sovereign's decree of marriage still held, and the honor of the Shen family could not be disregarded. Fortunately, Ziyuan's naturally quiet, undemanding temperament happened to conceal his lack of affection for Shenya rather well, leaving outsiders nothing to fault him for.

　　Ziyuan had always been a man generous and even-tempered toward others, and Shenya was no exception. Though he did not care for her, he had never once spoken a word of criticism against her—and yet, it seemed to Changxiu, there ought to be some tenderness between husband and wife, not merely the dutiful observance of ritual courtesy. Often sent by Ziyuan's order to attend to business in the halls of the other princes, he had never seen any household as cold and quiet as Cize Hall. He had always assumed this was simply the result of Ziyuan's naturally undemanding temperament—only after witnessing Ziyuan's manner toward Princess Anu did he finally understand: it was not a matter of Ziyuan's nature at all, but simply the difference between affection given and affection withheld.

　　Perhaps the matter of the Crown Prince taking a secondary consort, which the Celestial Sovereign had been urging for so long now, might finally be taking shape after all.

　　It was only a pity that the deep-seated hostility between the Asura Clan and the Celestial Clan seemed destined to make that path anything but smooth…

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　*　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　*

　　Time passed, and autumn had come around again—the golden wind blowing, the lush green of the Mist Forest already beginning to show signs of decline, giving way to a scattering of yellowing leaves and deepening shades of maple red. More than half a month had passed since Ziyuan had rescued her. One morning, the little bluebird began chattering noisily, hopping about in evident excitement. Ever since Ziyuan's first unannounced "intrusion" into the Mist Forest without a guide, Anu had assigned the little bluebird a new duty—keeper of the gate. Where others kept dogs to guard their homes, her household kept a bird instead, since the bluebird's nest, perched high above, offered the perfect vantage point, and besides Anu and Xing'er, it was the only member of the Mist Forest allowed to linger near the pavilion. The task of gatekeeping had fallen to it without question.

　　Hearing the bluebird's commotion, Anu, who had been sitting idly beneath the veranda enjoying the view, rose and looked out into the distance. There, far off, came a figure in blue, graceful and refined in bearing, seeming to glide over lotus blossoms with every step. The visitor, hearing the bluebird's excited fluttering and calling, paused and bowed toward it in understanding.

　　"Ziyuan has come to visit. My thanks to the bluebird for the announcement."

　　"Ziyuan's here…" Seeing it was indeed him, the corners of Anu's mouth curved up into a small smile without her quite realizing it, and she walked toward him.

　　"What brings you here? You are the only guest our Mist Forest has ever had, and yet we still have no proper way to receive you. Before your 'sweet dew,' what could we possibly offer to entertain you—nothing but embarrassment on our part."

　　"You've certainly found yourself a fine excuse for having no proper hospitality." Ziyuan, seeing Anu approach, gave her a warm, gentle smile, then conjured another cup of "sweet dew" in his palm and handed it to her.

　　"Consider this hospitality exclusive to your household."

　　Looking at the "sweet dew" in Ziyuan's hand, Anu's eyes crinkled into a foolish, happy grin.

　　"This is plainly taking advantage of you…" Even as she said it, she couldn't help sneaking a few sips of the "sweet dew" with quiet delight. Then, as though remembering something, she looked up and studied Ziyuan from head to toe.

　　"Are you doing all right? Thank you for last time—if it weren't for you, I'd have lost my life by now." As she spoke, she mimicked Ziyuan's earlier gesture and bowed deeply toward him, the cup of "sweet dew" still cradled in her hands.

　　"I'm fine—can't you see me standing here perfectly well before you? Though with a bow like that, you might just bow trouble into being where there was none," Ziyuan said dryly.

　　At his words, Anu suddenly realized that, cup still in hand, her bow had taken on rather too much the flavor of a mortal ancestral offering, and she flushed red, laughing awkwardly. Watching her, Ziyuan felt a soft warmth stir within him.

　　In the past, Anu had kept him firmly at a distance—bound by the secrecy surrounding her as the Asura King's daughter, and by repeated warnings never to draw close to the Celestial Clan, she had avoided him as though he were something to be feared. And yet now, she seemed somehow different.

　　Perhaps it was this very difference that stirred such a flutter within Ziyuan's heart. Though the tension between the two clans remained as unresolved as ever, his relationship with Anu had grown considerably closer, and whatever else might be true, that alone was some comfort.

　　"I came to see you, and to tell you something while I'm at it," Ziyuan said, unhurried.

　　"I'm doing great! I've been back to my old lively self for a while now." At his words, Anu drained the last of her "sweet dew" in one gulp, then spun around in a full circle.

　　"See? Told you." She laughed, her violet eyes sparkling with brilliant light, reflecting the Mist Forest around her and Ziyuan's own figure, along with the gentle, refined warmth of his smile.

　　"Mm." Even though he had already known that his thousand years of cultivation would restore Anu to her lively self again, seeing it with his own eyes—watching her stand before him, fully recovered, vibrant and full of life—still filled Ziyuan's heart with a swelling happiness and relief. He nodded, his gaze following Anu's every movement, sunlight spilling over her crimson robes, catching the deep red ribbon tied at the end of her braid, lighting her up from head to toe—so much so that Ziyuan found himself staring, momentarily lost.

　　"Ziyuan!" Noticing him staring off into space at her, Anu tugged at his sleeve to get his attention.

　　"What are you spacing out for? Didn't you say you had something to tell me?"

　　Caught out having lost himself watching her, Ziyuan lowered his head and cleared his throat, trying to mask the faint flush rising in his cheeks.

　　"My eleventh sister has secretly fled to the mortal realm and, by chance, crossed paths with Rong Heng, the son of the demon king Rong Yin. She still hasn't returned. Rong Heng has been helping her hide from place to place, evading the Celestial Court's pursuit. After several failed attempts to capture them, my father, the Sovereign, has grown furious and ordered me to lead our forces against Rong Yin, to force the two of them to come forward. The army has already set out. I've come to let you know beforehand—stay put and don't go wandering off during this time. In the thick of battle between two armies, I may have no time to spare for anything else, and I don't want something to happen to you that I can't get to in time to help with. I'll come see you the very first moment things are settled, but for now, Anu must be good and wait for me at home. Don't make me worry." Ziyuan's tone, as he spoke, was gentle but carried a firmness that brooked no argument.

　　"Then… how long will I have to wait?" Anu lowered her head, feeling suddenly deflated. Though he didn't go out often as it was, being told so plainly to stay confined left her finding it hard to accept.

　　"This time was purely an accident. If you hadn't been drinking, how could that wretch have found any opening to exploit?" She pouted, her face showing her displeasure. "Don't go worrying yourself over nothing!"

　　"Anu, be good and listen," Ziyuan said, raising a hand to stroke her hair, half-coaxing her, his tone gentle but leaving no room for argument.

　　"I need to go now. Be sure to remember what I've said—I'll do my best to hurry back as soon as I can." He gave her head another affectionate pat, then turned and walked away.