"Jingjing! Don't call him father! He doesn't even deserve this!" The lady scolded the little ghost girl Jingjing.
"WHAT NONSENSE ARE YOU SPOUTING? I DON'T HAVE A CHILD OR A WIFE!" Yuan Jin yelled.
"YOU-!" The old lady jumped down the statue and landed in front of the four, on her feet, carrying the ghost girl in her arms.
"XUE ZHONG YOU BRAT! DON'T THINK JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE A GOD I DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING! YOU FILIAL BASTARD!" The woman shouted at Yuan Jin.
Song Cheng knew what was going on. This woman and child were sure that of the Flower God but not Yuan Jin's. They belonged to the former Flower God Xue Zhong.
"Hold on. Xue Zhong? The former Flower God?" Qin Su wriggled his brows.
"Whatever you say this lady, you are mistaken. The Flower God Xue Zhong has already been banished one hundred years ago." Yuan Jin spoke, trying to maintain his temper.
"B...banished?" The woman spoke, taking a step towards Yuan Jin, while the little ghost girl Jingjing stared at Song Cheng.
Yuan Jin stood still. Up closer, her face looked really elegant to begin with. As if she was raised with enough care and see. Even her golden robes suggested that she probably belonged to a noble family.
"Xue Zhong stole a mortal's soul and devoured it. When the heaven came to know, he was thrown down to the mortal world to repent. He's probably dead by now." Bai Hua spoke, crinkling his nose.
That's what had actually happened. Shortly after Song Cheng came to the Heaven, Xue Zhong was banished for stealing a mortal's soul. It was the most heinous crime of the heavenly realm. Nobody knew why or what for he did it.
That time was pretty hard for the heaven, Song Cheng thought. After a will defying mortal, there was a petty god. Zhang Yue had almost lost his mind. The former Flower God only ranked as the sixth most powerful god but Yuan Jin was ranked fourth. For what reason, Song Cheng could never tell.
"Then who are you?" The woman asked Yuan Jin, her face already a mix of disappointment and anger.
"I am the God of Flowers, but the not the one you're looking for." Yuan Jin answered sincerely.
Hearing Yuan Jin's words, the woman's body shook in anger.
She looked up at the ceiling of the temple and shouted,
"THIS WOMAN LING RUI! SLUT OF THE THIRD WORLD! HOW DARE SHE FOOL ME? GODDESS? MY FOOT! LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT THIS ZIYI CAN DO!" She roared, cursing Ling Rui endlessly.
Suddenly, the woman ZiYi let little Jingjing out of her arms, and the ghost girl went flying around the room, crouching on the altar.
In a moment, a huge red fire surged in her left palm.
The elegant look on her face disappeared.
Her pupils seemed to be two shrunken dots and dark shadows hovered her back, contrasting against her golden attire.
"She's a demonic cultivator. No wonder this temple smells so heavily of the evil." It was Song Cheng who spoke, responding to the confused look on Yuan Jin's face.
ZiYi went on cursing Ling Rui, her red fire growing bigger and brighter, with bulging anger. She aimed at the statue of Qing Fuhua, but suddenly she turned towards the four.
"How dare you harm my Jingjing?! You heavenly trash!"
She yelled and tossed the red palm fire towards them aimingly.
Although the four stood together, the fire would probably hit Qin Su.
It seemed that her demonic cultivation was probably at a higher level and if that fire hit Qin Su or Song Cheng, they'd just be a heap of ashes.
It occurred to Song Cheng that it didn't matter if it was a big mistake or they were harmful or not, the woman was only using them to vent her pent up anger and disappointment.
At first, the crimson fire looked like a fire lamp to Song Cheng but only after he realised her cultivation did he contemplate the harm it would cause.
Qin Su quickly unsheathed Hei Ying and poured his spiritual power into it. As the crimson fire neared, Yuan Jin was huddled behind Qin Su's back.
Hua Shou, wrapped around Bai Hua's hand also glowed while Lan Tian was still.
Song Cheng didn't want to waste any spiritual power so he waited for the moment.
The immense heat of the flames could be felt on Song Cheng and Qin Su's bodies as sweat ran down their heads.
As the flames were only a foot ahead, Hei Ying glowed in a dazzling yellow light. Qin Su jumped up in air and struck Hei Ying against the flame, blocking it away.
Qin Su's damp hair sticked to his forehead, as he gritted his teeth. Qin Su's powers were only limited in the mortal world, while ZiYi commanded another wave of crimson flame in Qin Su's direction.
Almost grinding his teeth, the veins on Qin Su's head popped up and he dodged the whole wave of flame away, throwing it towards the statue of Qing Fuhua.
Exhausted, Qin Su panted hard, bathing in sweat as Hei Ying's light flickered in his hands.
The crimson flame striked the statue with so much power but died down shortly.
This only seemed to anger ZiYi more and another wave of blazing red fire was shot towards them, only this time it came from the statue of Qing Fuhua.
Perhaps, the flame that Qin Su had dodged away came back but only more stronger. Rushing in their direction, it seemed to dance up in air.
Before it reached them, Song Cheng set his foot forward, rushing towards the wave of fire. Lan Tian flashed blue in his hands. About a few feet away, the heat already seemed to burn his body away, while his forehead dripped with sweat.
Ignoring it, Song Cheng still moved forward and with a swift blow, he bashed the fire wave. Whirling Lan Tian around the head if the flame, Song Cheng lured the fire around in a circle.
This was something Song Cheng had thought of when Qin Su battled against the flame. To Song Cheng, a dog and a fire were alike.
He lead the fire using Lan Tian, and like a stupid dog, the fire followed him and bit it's own tail, locking itself.
Although Song Cheng didn't know how demonic that fire was, but now it seemed only foolish to him.
The crimson waves of fire bounced up and down in air, trying to struggle and run free but couldn't.
Song Cheng only stood bathed in sweat, his cheeks flushing red with the heat, trying to breathe properly.
Suddenly two hands seized Song Cheng's shoulders. Surprised, he swung Lan Tian, turning around. But it seemed that Lan Tian was frozen in action.
He saw Bai Hua standing behind him, crinkling his nose, Lan Tian's blade blocked by his hand.
Even with the spiritual energy flowing through it, Bai Hua seemed unaffected.
"Xiao ge, save your power." He spoke, putting Lan Tian down.
Song Cheng's soft locks stuck wet on his forehead and cheeks, with tiny sweat beads resting on his eyelashes.
Bai Hua raised his neat hands and with precision, as if afraid of disturbing Song Cheng's composure, he parted away the hair falling on his face.
Song Cheng looked at him dumbfounded, unable to move or speak. His heart felt stuck in a beat but he seemed frozen in his spot.
Raising his other arm, Bai Hua pulled out a clean white handkerchief and handed it to Song Cheng. Song Cheng extended his hand, staring at the piece of cloth and wiped his face dry.
It was only now that Song Cheng noticed, that a white aura surrounded both him and Bai Hua. Looking past Bai Hua's tall figure, he saw ZiYi who held a wall of red flames against Bai Hua, but the dazzling white light held it back.
It occurred to Song Cheng that after he had locked the fire wave, ZiYi must have attacked him. It was Bai Hua just now who had saved him.
"Master Hua, that-" Song Cheng spoke.
"Xiao ge." Bai Hua spoke in a gentle voice "Next time, don't be so rash."
"En."
"What does Xiao ge think about it?" Bai Hua asked, probably raising his brows beneath that mask.
"Lord Xue Zhong and this woman must have had a history. Ling Rui planted ZiYi and her child here. They were probably helping her robbing the people's heavenly energy. To think of it, Ling Rui must have promised her to send Lord Xue Zhong in return. It's hard to determine if it's her or Lord Qing Fuhua who's at fault."
Song Cheng answered.
"I think the same as Xiao ge." Bai Hua spoke back, smiling softly.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
A loud crackling sound filled the temple. As Song Cheng looked up, the fire on the ceiling had already died. A wide vein of cracks ran across the ceiling.
The ceiling was going to fall!
There was a statue on top of them, if the statue of Ling Rui fell upon them, they'd be done for.
Song Cheng turned to look at Qin Su and Yuan Jin but soon, his vision was blocked by a large chunk of the temple ceiling.
Song Cheng looked at Bai Hua expectedly but to his surprise, Bai Hua's face had an expression of disdain.
"Master Hua!" Song Cheng urged him.
"...."
"...."
"Can Xiao ge lend me his sword?"
"I'm afraid Lan Tian doesn't like being held by anyone," Song Cheng spoke, as chunks of ceiling rained down.
Shoving Lan Tian towards Bai Hua, he added "But Master Hua can try."
As Lan Tian slipped into Bai Hua's hand, to Song Cheng's surprise it didn't fly away or thrust itself back to Song Cheng.
Perhaps, it liked Bai Hua so much that it rather glowed white instead of blue, as Bai Hua injected his powers into it.
Bai Hua raised his palm and clutched it over Lan Tian's blade, staining it's blade with blood.
Then, he raised it towards the sky and forming a locking seal with another hand, he thrusted Lan Tian into the ground.
The falling ceiling seemed to hang in the air, as it did a night ago. It was the Seal Of Time.
Compensating the time with one's blood. With the amount of blood Bai Hua had shed over Lan Tian, the seal would last a while.
"Seal Of Time?" Yuan Jin asked, as he and Qin Su rushed over to the two.
"I've never seen anyone do it before. Master Bai Hua knows a lot." Yuan Jin added.
"Seal Of Time will have consequences. The heaven forbids you to-" Qin Su frowned.
"In the middle of getting your head smashed, you still care about it? If you're that rule abiding, go protect yourself." Bai Hua cut him off, crinkling his nose up.
"What did you just do....? Why can't I use my powers?" It was ZiYi who shouted from behind, rushing towards Song Cheng.
Bai Hua turned around and with a strike of Lan Tian in his hands, the woman was sent flying away, crumbling into a heap on the floor.
Seeing her mother like that, little Jingjing rushed to her aid. Maybe ZiYi had exhausted her powers badly that when she opened her mouth, she coughed blood.
At the sight of blood, the little ghost girl began crying.
"Mama, I don't want a father. I don't want any geges to play. I'm- I'm happy.....with you only." Little Jingjing spoke, sobbing.
ZiYi raised her hand and caressed little Jingjing's hair.
"Mama will see you soon. All this time, I thought I had been doing it for you, to somehow compensate your death with your father's. Jingjing...forgive me." She managed to speak.
"General Song.. I think she's dying. What shall we do?" Yuan Jin asked, panicking.
"Don't do anything. She's been striving on stolen powers." Bai Hua reasoned.
Song Cheng slowly walked over to ZiYi and knelt by her body.
"People of the heaven.....you all never care who you kill. She was his own daughter but yet, he killed her." ZiYi spoke, smiling sarcastically as she looked at Song Cheng.
Song Cheng looked at her and guilt rose in his throat.
Didn't he do the same?
"May the Heaven's will guard you." He graced her body.
ZiYi only chuckled in response, coughing more blood.
Suddenly, the Seal of Time Bai Hua had put up seemed to quiver.
"What's going on?" Yuan Jin asked.
"Somebody...is here." Bai Hua answered, his eyes narrowing.
***