"Why do you always get injured whenever you see that old rock?" Yi Tai huffed as Hong Liu wiped her bleeding nose.
"He didn't do this, aunty" Hong Liu chuckled weekly, trying not to flinch from the splitting headache she had as Ren read her pulse.
"You shouldn't have drunk so much wine knowing that you were recovering," Ren frowned examining her.
They were all sitting the logging area of the hut, Ren just put a tea to brew while Hong Liu showed up on his porch with bleeding nose.
"I wasn't aware I would get sick like this," Hong Liu cough.
"You child, I am telling you. Stay away from him you will be healthy," Yi Tai said.
"It's not First Lord's fault and I plan too, I gave up on him anyway," Hong Liu said with a sad sigh.
Yi Tai raised her eyebrow no believing.
"Really, I am done watering an iron tree," Determination was clear in her voice.
"Good," Yi Tai nodded satisfied meanwhile Ren's expression became more grave and Yi Tai noticed.
"Why you look so grave? What is it? Is she fine?" Yi Tai asked.
Ren put Hong Liu wrist away pouring tea in his cup and he started to calculate something in his finger. Then he frowns again and started to sip tea both Yi Tai and Hong Liu frown at his strange behaviour. Hong Liu thought what is it? Is something wrong with her? She waited for Ren to say something with batted breath but it never comes.
"Ayiii! Say something! What is it?" Hong Liu burst unable to hold back.
"Silly child you will be the reason one day I will get grey hair," Ren said.
"You are already so old...ancient actually, few grey hairs won't hurt," Hong Liu throwback.
"I am not the First Lord, I won't have the youthful face to match and I won't look that handsome if I reached his age prematurely,"
"His hair is genetic and they are not grey, it's snowy white," Hong Liu frown offended. Ren chuckled at her expression, so much of not watering an iron tree.
"Eh! If you two are done discussing the hair of former master of the universe, What is wrong with this little silly butterfly!" Yi Tai slammed her hand on the table, making Hong Liu realize how easily her mind could be drifted to him.
"Retribution," Ren emphasis.
"Again?" Yi Tai asked.
"What do you think will happen? She killed one of the beasts that Heavenly Father manifests giving more than half of his cultivation to protect the sacred eternal Garden of Creation, retribution is inevitable," Ren let out a heavy sigh. Hong Liu swallows and hits her head on the table softly, closing her eyes. Another retribution.
"How can you be so calm? Our Little Lotus going suffer after all she did and went through!"
"Trust me if I can save her I would but I can't go against heaven's will," Ren said.
"Alright! Alright! what is done is done? I will just wait for it Don't fight over it? Is there a way to find when it will be?" Hong Liu raised her head and look at Ren.
"No, I can't predict it," Ren said. Hong Liu let out a sigh.
"Why did you have to go after that old Rock? he could have killed the beast and suffer retribution, that shameless trickster!" Yi Tai murmured under her breath as she pours herself tea.
"Don't say...." Hong Liu started protesting then she stops thinking, technically he did. They both did, He will go through it too, she thought the initial weakness after killing the beast was the retribution but what Ren said suggested that it going to be worse, does it mean he will go through it too?
"What if two people killed the beast at once?" Hong Liu asked.
"They will....what does that mean?" Ren asked.
"First Lord killed it too," she said.
"Who killed the Red beast then you or him?" Yi Tai asked.
"When we were there, First Lord had just picked the golden dust pearl and I accidentally folded my wings back, It comes out of nowhere charging towards First Lord and we just shoved the sword through it together," she never told what exactly happened, she just said that beast went out of control and she killed one in self-defence. She never told her whole family that she did in order to save the First Lord. Ren's eyes widen a little at this knowledge, and Yi Tai looks a little startled by the knowledge.
"You did it...?" Yi Tai trailed off.
"It just happens," Hong Liu look defeated. Seeing her pitiful look, Yi Tai felt like flying to the ocean of bliss and punch that block of ice on his expressionless face. She did so much for him and he dares to not even move. Yi Tai was about to open to lash out again when Ren raises his hand to stop her and shook his head. Hong Liu saw that and shook her sadness.
"You, don't have to worry whatever it is I will be fine. I am always turn out to be fine," Hong Liu smiled bravely.
"Don't you dare put yourself in danger again, especially for that old rock! Otherwise, I will...: She squashes her fist in her palm. Hong Liu broke into laughter seeing Yi Tai's face.
"Don't worry calm down, I will never seek that old rock again!" Hong Liu hit her fist on the table with determination but her heart was heavy like her wings in the rain.
"Keep your words, Little Lotus. Keep your word I will go heat the tea, it is cold," Yi Tai got up and left the logging area. Hong Liu thought a little, why Aunt Tai is always so miffed at First Lord.
"Why she is always so annoyed at him? Did he ever do something to her?" Hong Liu asked looking at Ren, He chuckled.
"What?" Hong Liu voice was filled with amusement as she saw Ren expression, it was torture talking about him internally but she was also trying to look past him and see him as the whole universe does. As a former master of the universe who feels nothing and people just talk about him from now on she will dissolve into those countless immortals who can just talk about the almighty deity but never be graced by his presence and hopefully as the days go by she will start seeing him just like that, The Former Master of the Universe The First Lord Dong Hai, the celebrated figure in her history books, where she would just rant about his achievement in exams and then forget about which war was when leaving it behind after scraping good marks. Just like before.
Ren sigh, thinking will this distract her or made her think about him more. What she is trying to do? but he humours her anyway.
"Well technically, she shouldn't have done it,"
"What she did?"Hong Liu asked.
"She and he got into a bet, she was just a little immortal of fifty thousand years old. She and your aunt used to play around here a lot. I went to meed Dong Hai and they followed me, that time I was not aware that... That Yi Tai had started to like me," Ren started to smile softly.
"Awwe!" Hong Liu squealed a little. She knew Aunt Yi Tai chased Ren when she was just known as her aunt's best friend from the immortal academy. It was awkward at first not just because of the age difference but also because Ren was someone who almost raised Changxi, therefore, he saw Yi Tai grown up too, it was hard for him to see her any other way at first.
"It was Dong Hai who caught on it first, it seems that time I think even your aunt was not aware of that Tai-Tai fancied me, he said to her that she so young and a little immortal how she would never win the heart of a High God like me, even when she was so young she has been envious as the most beautiful woman in the universe, Her pride was hurt,"
"What? Then what?" Hong Liu eyes widen, she can imagine how he might have said. That was awful.
"Then what, it just inspired her to be more presisitence and I end up confessing to her, we were married in a month after we come from the ocean of bliss palace and when Tai-Tai told him that he was wrong about it...." Ren laughed.
"What happened?" She urges him.
"He said...if it wasn't for him, she wouldn't even try it besides he was bored had nothing to do so it doesn't matter what happened,"
Hong Liu covered her mouth in shock, Yi Tai's anger is legendary she hold a grudge like a vine wrapped around itself on the tree. First Lord didn't accept her win.
"It's been one hundred twenty thousand years but you know her," Ren chuckled. Hong Liu joined in and then she sighs remembering her own failed attempt to chase a high god. Ren noticed it.
"The truth is, I had once got my heartbroken as well if it wasn't for Yi Tai I would be alone forever after the peace was restored and Dong Hai retired, I retire too, grow this peach blossom forest for my lonesome life. Sometimes who you think is your whole life might not be in your fate but someone else is," Ren said.
She looks at his a little sad expression. Someone better
"Who was she?"
"Your Grandmother," Ren said.
Hong Liu chocked on air, water runs out of her eyes. For all in the world, she didn't expect this answer because her grandfather and Ren unbreakable friendship are known by the three realms.
"Wha..what?" She gasped. Ren laughed at her expression.
"I knew your grandfather but we never got it beyond the battlefield and working under the First Lord because of your grandmother it changes, we got into a small battle over her affection we fought for three days straight nobody won, the end comes that Dong Hai had to come and interfere his two top generals were fighting for a woman. Our power and cultivation were too strong it made it rain in a green forest for eight days. Later I realize that your grandmother was head over heels for your grandfather so I let it be,"
"How you became friends then?"
"Time went by we realized that we have much in common other than your grandmother and we became friends,"
"But didn't it hurt? Or you felt jealous?"
"Nah she was happy, That I always wanted, it hurt for a while it couldn't be me but time heals everything,"
'Well there is hope, time heals everything,' Hong Liu thought.