The time had finally come.
Jie Moshu hadn't expected the poison would spread so quickly. He sat on the bed next to her. To his dismay, the girl was lying helplessly. The rays of sunlight sneaking from the window lighted up her small beautiful face and framing every stunning feature. Her eyes closed, almost like she was enchanted to sleep. Even when she was very quiet like this, Jie Moshu thought that she was still as breathtaking as ever. Her skin was translucent and her dark brown hair falling to her face as she weakly took in a breath. Jie Moshu reached forward silently, pushing a little bit of her hair behind her ear, as though he was afraid that he might woke her up from her deep sleep.
He first saw her after hundreds of years searching. She was swimming in a very large room filled with people cheering. She was sparkling with joy and happiness. The moment he found her, he thought it was enough for him to watch her from afar, knowing that she was living a decent happy life—a life without him.
This was, however, let alone his intention.
Who would have imagined that their first meeting again could bring the girl facing death? Even Si Ming, the Deified Judge of Life, would never write such a screenplay. Jie Moshu knew the answer, it was the Celestial Emperor himself that wanted her to begone from this world—wholly, entirely.
He needed to save her from those things that could harm her. He was to protect her. That was his first after hundreds of years not using magic in the Human World.
Jie Moshu let his magic running through his fingertips as he cast a protection spell on her, letting a shard of her soul returned to her. The kylin.
He even wondered whether the mythical creature itself had grown to hate him.
A part of him wanted her to remember. But another part of him wished that there was no need to stir up those painful memories of hers. But he couldn't help himself; she was this close to him. His long yearning affection felt almost instantly, and the urge to hold her again indescribable.
She was once the woman who loved him wholeheartedly. But he had lost her in so many ways. He was unworthy of her.
His thoughts in disarray, he sighed and rubbed his eyes with one hand. He watched her as she was suffering from torment and collapsed to the ground. He attempted to banish all of her hardship, wouldn't allow her to feel any of those suffering beyond her endurance. But no matter how many times he wanted to stop the pain rising inside that delicate body, it all went to nothingness.
All for nothing! What was the use of having magical ability, if he couldn't even protect his beloved one. What was the use of living hundreds and thousands of years, if he was eventually alone yearning for her.
For what Jie Moshu wanted the most in this immortality was her all along—his very own sunlight.
But now, she was about to be taken from him again.
His heart began to pound like thunder. It was pounding so violently that he felt as if he would burst within his chest.
"Master?" Jie Moshu looked up. Fang Yuanheng was already in the bedroom door. The old man was holding a cup of tea. He put it beside Jie Moshu. "The weather is getting cold, so I brought you tea to warm your body, Master."
Jie Moshu gave him a slight nod. "Thank you."
Fang Yuanheng—the Fangs.
His ancestors had long serving him, worshiping him as a God before he could cease to extinct. Jie Moshu remembered the first time encountering the Fang ancestor—the first human that actually seen him in person. Was it during the Xia dynasty? Or the Shang dynasty? He couldn't recall the exact time when he met his ancestor, but he then was also searching for his beloved soul. At that time the 'Fang' surname was still 'Fanglei' before the families got separated because dispute of wealth shares, splitting them into two different clans: the Fangs and Leis.
A young Fanglei boy was one of the unfortunate ones. An illegitimate child, banished away without any shares of the blessing land from the Yellow Emperor to his family. Fanglei met Jie Moshu when he was about to die. If Jie Moshu was his old self, he would just walk away from a mere mortal. Even as he thought about it, Si Ming warning came ringing inside his head, "Because interfering a human's life wouldn't do any good to a god."
But she wouldn't say the same. Status and position never bothered her—god, human or even demon. As long as they were living creatures that need help of others, she would do anything at her power to support them. That was one of the reason that she was able to melt that stone heart of his.
It was because of her, Jie Moshu took a pity of the teenage Fanglei, who was on the brink of starvation. His appearance was very unruly far worse than feral peasants. He had been uncomfortable in his utter mess clothes, taken from a beating, Jie Moshu could see in hindsight. Multiple footprints had formed like a pattern to his clothes. His swollen eyes were puffy, and the bruises were more purple than brown covering almost all over his little skinny body. "Help... me..." the boy repeated over and over with his cracked dry lips. Jie Moshu didn't save his life. All he did was to save the boy from his desperate situation—he healed the boy and bestowed a fertile land for him to earn a living. It was the human's own will to survive.
Jie Moshu didn't ask anything in return since he was doing it by reminiscing his wife's kindness. But Fanglei couldn't take it for granted. The boy felt he had owed his life for him. Thus, Fanglei offered his humanity to worship him, promising that all his offsprings would do the same.
Until now.
"Master." Fang Yuanheng called again, snapped Jie Moshu out from his deep thought.
"Oh, Yuanheng." Jie Moshu mouth curved in a reminiscent smile. "I was just thinking about your ancestor. From all of his offsprings, you are the most similar to Fanglei. It was hard to believe that your family had been serving me for centuries."
Fang Yuanheng eyes were shining as he bowed his head, "It's our honor and pleasure to serve you, Master. My father told me, the Fangs are indebted to your mercy, and we're bound to serve you with all our hearts as the tribute to your kindness."
"My kindness always comes from her." Jie Moshu said in a soft voice, stroking his fingers on the woman's fair cheek.
Fang Yuanheng looked a bit stunned. He didn't expect the master he had been serving for almost his whole life could show such affectionate expression towards the lady. The master was always careful and discreet. To his term of serving, the master never allowed any woman to approach him. Goddess, who knew his existence in the Human World came by knocking on the door, seducing him. But he always pushed them away, even cast a barrier on this mansion so no people from Sky Realm could enter freely. Moreover, a mere female mortal. To think about it was the master's own initiation to chase the lady, it was beyond Fang Yuanheng's fantasy.
But Fang Yuanheng truly wished for his master's happiness. Sadness in his eyes had never eluded from him. The woman from those paintings, the master's late wife, was always seemed far beyond his master's reach.
It was as though Jie Moshu was lost forever to the waking world. And he was wandering in the dreamworld. Alone.
Fang Yuanheng studied the lady. She indeed had several similarities with the master's late wife's appearance—only that she was way too ordinary and shabby to be compared with the madame. Even exceedingly beautiful goddess that came before, who attempted to win his master's admiration, had failed miserably. But that lady only with her current plain looks could draw the master's icy cold attention into warmth was something beyond ordinary. Not even the most alluring goddess could do that.
He asked, pretending he hadn't already guessed, "How's Ms. Liu condition?"
The lady had been asleep for three days and two nights now. Fang Yuansheng was already astonished when he saw the lady fainted with blood dripping from her mouth. But he was far shock to see the master's face had gone paler in dread and fear. He initially wanted his master to take the lady to the hospital, but the suggestion declined by him. Jie Moshu said this was something above a mere mortal doctor could cure. Fang Yuanheng barely believed what his ears caught, his master's voice was low, as though he murmured to himself, "It's my curse on her."
He set his mind back to reality. As his gaze fell on Jie Moshu, his master was giving him a thin smile, much in the same way as if he was telling a bad news. "She is taking a rest for a little while now, but she'll be awake. I hope she has a good dream."
Jie Moshu then leaned down and pressed his lips against the lady's forehead. Simultaneously, a soft red star-like light twinkled from his lips, creeping to the lady's whole body as though he was casting a protection spell on her.
Fang Yuansheng noticed clearly: his master cared deeply to the lady. Words weren't bother to be said out loud, the feelings and his action had shown it all.