After the heavenly guard brought such a message, Qiu Ling, of course, wouldn't return to the mortal realm. Together with Bai Fen, he hurried to the high hall in the heavenly emperor's palace.
His face paled upon seeing the people already there: There was the heavenly who looked all but well, Jing He's uncle, the god of war, who was sporting an especially grim expression, some unknown guy that looked like a young guard, some other guy he didn't know and who was looking at some scroll with a pale face, some haughty-looking, unknown woman and …
"Eh? Little goddess?" Qiu Ling noticed Hong Bao and lifted his brows. Wasn't that the woman he dreamed he had met in the mortal world? Maybe … that hadn't been a dream after all?
Bai Fen and Qiu Ling had just managed to appear when Shun Tao had looked at Jing He's scroll of fate to make sure their crown prince was alright. The sudden interruption let the gods in the hall turn around.
Rong Su's expression worsened when he saw Qiu Ling. "So you've had a part in it, too! Great, just great! We knew you spelled trouble when you dared to approach our son back then! Are you satisfied now? You nearly got our son killed!"
"What did you say?"
This wasn't Qiu Ling asking. The words 'our son' coming from the heavenly emperor combined with the mention of 'killed' had completely floored him. Had he not still held onto Bai Fen's arm he might have lost his balance and fallen to the ground.
This … This couldn't be? Jing He had … had been killed?
His hand went up to his chest, feeling for his still beating heart. It couldn't be. They might not have been married but they were an official couple already. He would have felt it if Jing He really …
It isn't true. It isn't true. It definitely isn't true. Jing He is alright. I've only left yesterday. Nothing could have happened to him in such a short timeframe. He's alright.
"Rong Su, what happened? How is my son?" Bai Fen repeated her question while simultaneously grabbing Qiu Ling's elbow. Damn this! Her son-in-law had gotten so pale that she was really afraid he might faint the next second!
The heavenly emperor finally noticed his wife. So that was why that hateful Longjun had come here. He must have run to his wife again to coerce his beloved son to show him some affection and must have heard the heavenly guard calling her over.
Rong Su curled his lips and ignored Qiu Ling, turning to his wife instead. "We're afraid it's grave this time. Someone", he said while looking at Hong Bao and Yin Lin Lin, "stole the soul-devouring dagger and tried to assassinate Jing He's mortal reincarnation."
Soul-devouring dagger.
Qiu Ling trembled. No … not that thing. Not that. If they had just so much as scratched him with that cursed weapon …
Bai Fen hugged Qiu Ling, pressed his forehead onto her shoulder and patted his head. "It's alright. Nothing has happened to him. I'm sure of it. A mother would know."
"I … I have to go. I have to see him." Qiu Ling wanted to pull away but Bai Fen held him as tight as she could. If something really happened to her son, she definitely wouldn't let his lover run out now. He might never come back! Jing He loved him so much. Even if he was dead he would want Qiu Ling to live on. She couldn't let anything happen to him.
"Rong Su! What happened to my son? Damn this! Just tell me straight up! Is he dead or not?!"
Rong Su winced. "This … We don't know. Scribe's fate! Didn't you have a look at his mortal fate just now? Why haven't you still not said anything?!" The heavenly emperor transferred the anger his wife directed at him onto the next person. This wasn't his fault!
Shun Tao who had been interrupted before he could say anything nodded without a complaint. "To answer Your Majesty: His Highness is alive. He wasn't hurt with the soul-devouring dagger either."
Qiu Ling and Bai Fen both heaved a sigh of relief. "So he's alright …" Qiu Ling still held onto the heavenly empress. Damn this! He should have never returned to the nine heavens just to see Jing He's immortal body. He had nearly lost him. The real him.
What if … What if someone had really hurt him with that thing? He would have died. Not just in the mortal realm but forever. His soul would have dissipated, unable to reincarnate for all eternity. Just because he had craved to see him again he had nearly lost him. He nearly would have been left with nothing but a soulless husk.
Qiu Ling tightened his grip. How had this happened?
Before Qiu Ling had time to descend into regret Shun Tao cleared his throat and furled the scroll of fate again. "There is one more thing, Your Majesty."
"Speak!"
"It seems like … His Highness finally managed to complete a medium trial."
Bai Fen tensed. "What is this about? Jing He has already been gone for a week! He should have long passed some trials."
Rong Su coughed. "It's … a little complicated." He didn't know what else to say and looked at his brother-of-law pleadingly.
Qiang Yan sighed and turned toward his sister and his nephew-in-law. "Somehow, the fate the fate's scribe wrote for him has gone off track. Jing He couldn't complete any of his trials until now. Because this young lady there was afraid the fate's scribe would be heavily punished and because somebody", he added with a glance at Yin Lin Lin, "told her that everything could be solved if she just injured Jing He's mortal reincarnation with the soul-devouring dagger, she stole the weapon and tried to assassinate him. Until a moment ago, we actually thought she might have succeeded. But it seems that wasn't the case?" He looked at Shun Tao to explain the rest of the situation.
The fate's scribe nodded. "I can't read the whole situation from His Highness' scroll of fate but I guess that Hong Bao injured the wrong person. A while ago Zhong Lei, the father of His Highness' mortal reincarnation, died rather mysteriously. It seems likely she injured this Zhong Lei instead of her actual target Zhong Jing Yi."
The heavenly emperor closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "So, you want to say that the woman who tried to assassinate our son instead helped him pass his first trial and saved his life through that?"
"Uh …" Shun Tao took another look at the scroll of fate. So unlikely it sounded but … "Yes, that seems to be the case."
"It's just a medium trial, though", injected Qiang Yan. "If he only passes this one he'll still be punished by heaven."
The heavenly emperor nodded gravely. One medium trial … It was good since that would mean that he wouldn't die but still. The punishment would be rather heavy: Only passing one medium trial would equal losing at least half of his powers and most likely even a heavy corporal punishment would be exacted. It could very well be that his son would lose one of his senses.
"Fate's scribe … Even with involving this woman you couldn't find the one behind all this?"
Shun Tao shook his head. "I'm sorry. I was unable to, Your Majesty."
Rong Su sighed. In a sense, the thing this woman did was to their advantage. But they couldn't count on luck for the rest of Jing He's trial period. He had to at least pass one major trial to be safe from a harsh punishment.
Bai Fen slowly turned her head and looked at the head of dark hair on her shoulder. "I … might know who is responsible for this."
All gazes locked onto her. Even Qiu Ling raised his head and stared at her with anxious eyes.
Bai Fen coughed. "Longjun, let me ask you a question: Besides the things you told me about already … Did you do anything else in the mortal realm?"
The gods present could already surmise what had happened just based on this question. But Qiu Ling was still unaware and innocently nodded.
"Of course! You don't know, mother-in-law! There were so many bad things happening around him as if he was haunted by bad luck! So, of course, as his future husband, I couldn't just stand back and do nothing and lent a helping hand."
Bai Fen's left eye twitched. Hearing Shun Tao's summary she had already suspected as much. "What exactly did you do?"
Qiu Ling smiled happily. What a great possibility to show off in front of his in-laws! "I saved his mother's life twice: Once when she nearly died while giving birth to Jing He's mortal reincarnation and once when she got into an argument with the other villagers. And then when the villagers were talking badly about Jing He's mortal reincarnation I showed myself to squash the rumors. Oh! And one time his family was attacked by bandits so I defeated them. Really, how dare they attack his mortal family?!" Qiu Ling was filled with righteous indignation.
The heavenly emperor's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. He slowly stood up, looming over the other people in the room. He wanted to abuse that damned dragon king at least verbally if he couldn't do anything to him physically. His wife was faster, though.
Bai Fen grabbed the ear of her son-in-law. "Longjun! Do you have any idea what you have done? You nearly got my son killed!"
Qiu Ling's eyes bulged. What? Now it was his fault? How come?!
He really didn't understand these trials of the gods.