The minute that the four of them landed in the nine-heaven realm, Zhu Zi notice that her master looked pale but her master said that she was just tired. Shang Gu went back to her palace and rest but after two days, Zhu Zi rushed to Qing Mu's palace
"Zhu Zi, greet true god Qing Mu." Zhu Zi said and he nodded
"You're back, where is Shang Gu? Why didn't she come to greet me herself?" Qing Mu asked and Zhu Zi lowered her head
"The goddess and I had returned two days ago with a fairy from the mortal realm and a young demon. In an attempt to heal the fairy with her sealed power, she sustains a huge blow. At first, I thought that she was just tired but she hasn't moved since two days ago." Zhu Zi said to him and he looked up at Zhu Zi
"Oh? But even if it was sealed, she should still be able to heal a fairy without any problem. How is the fairy now?" Qing Mu asked
"The fairy is doing better now, the poison was driven out of her system and is resting in the west wing of the spring palace." Zhu Zi said and Qing Mu nodded as he stood up.
"Then let's go, I will go check on Shang Gu." Qing Mu said as he lead her out of the room, he went to her Spring palace and noticed her weakened spiritual energy. The young goddess looked weak and frail, she was always strong and brave unlike how she is now.
"What happened while you were in the mortal realm, you should tell me your story once you awaken." Qing Mu said to her as he released the seal on her and he could sense her spiritual energy rising and the color returning to her face and Qing Mu smiled.
"There shouldn't be anything to worry about, she was probably just low in energy because she used it all on healing the fairy." Qing Mu said to her and Zhu Zi nodded, as he was about to get up and leave but Shang Gu opened her eyes.
"....Qing Mu?" Shang Gu asked him and he sat back down with a smile and turned toward the spring goddess who is still laying in bed.
"How are you feeling?" Qing Mu asked her and she got up quickly but he could tell that she has gotten weaker, her arms gave way and she fell into his arms.
"Calm down. Lay back on the bed. You exhausted your spiritual energy healing the fairy and I've just restored your power but you still need to rest." Qing Mu said to her but she looked at him with tears in her eyes as she turned to look at her bond
"How long was I asleep for?" Shang Gu asked Zhu Zi with a shaky voice
"...You were asleep for 2 days, master." Zhu Zi said to her and she tried to get up from the bed but Qing Mu pushed her back down
"Where do you think you are going? Didn't I just tell you to lay down." he said to her but she looked at him, with the tears now streaming down
"A day in the nine heaven realm is about 20 years in the mortal realm...I was asleep for 2 days. He.....He...He must've lived his life till the end already." Shang Gu cried for the first time since she had gained her human form.
Qing Mu knew that her tears should not hit the floor because once they hit the floor they will travel to the mortal realm. Even though her tears can purify the mortal realm and bring the dead back to life, she shouldn't keep crying because it will do more harm to the mortal realm than heal it; it'll rain in the mortal realm if she cries and it could flood if she doesn't stop.
As the first tears trickle down her face, the second follow and it just kept coming. Qing Mu reached out his hand to catch her tears but because she was crying really hard, he conjured a glass bowl to contain her tears
"What's wrong?" Qing Mu asked her full of concern but she couldn't say anything to him as she took the bowl from him and cried even harder but she refused to say anything. She cried for half a day and lay in her bed for another week when she woke up and recovered from her lack of spiritual energy.
But from the day she woke up, it was as if she became a different person. The cheerful and outgoing Shang Gu was nowhere to be found, even though she has always been hard-working but after that day she buried herself in work.
She became less talkative, someone who loves to read love stories from the mortal world written by the god of fate, she let her books collect dust in her library if it wasn't for Chi Wu's mother who was put in charge of the spring palace library and study room it would be collecting dust for millions of years to come.
It was 7400 hundred years later when the spring palace receive news of the Summer goddess, Er'Xi who ascended to the nine-heaven realm along with the return of the true god Tian Qi on the day that the two arrive in the nine-heaven realm it was also the day that they announced their wedding which will be taking place in a week.
That day was the first time that she was happy in a long time since she came back from the mortal realm, she was happy that there was another season goddess with her in the four-season palace. However, the summer goddess will only work in the summer palace but will return back to the true god Tian Qi's palace for the night once she has completed her work but that was enough for Shang Gu. Not only does she have a friend but it was also as if she had a sister.
Over time the two season goddesses became close to each other and soon enough 100 years went by and after another 50 years, the news of the true god Yuan Fen reached the four-season palace. It was said that he had returned about 7000 thousand years ago but refused to go out or meet anyone.
"True god Yuan Fen?" Er'Xi asked Mei Mei and Zhu Zi, the two rushed into the main library to bring the news to their master.
"That's good, I will have the chance to have an audience with the true gods about your marriage." Shang Gu said and Zhu Zi blushed, during the past 850 years Zhu Zi and Chi Wu had fallen in love with each other and planned to get married.
The nine heaven realm does not prohibit love affairs in the nine heaven realm but when they want to get married it is only reasonable to let the true gods know to receive their blessing and permission.
"Thank you, master." Zhu Zi said to her and Shang Gu chuckled
"You've been by my side for so long and I know that you two love each other a lot. It is only fair that I help you in your love life." Shang Gu said to her and she chuckled.
"Let's go get ready." Er'Xi said to her and Shang Gu sighed
"If it wasn't for the reason that I need to have an audience with the true gods for the marriage of my spirit bond, I would never go out of these walls." Shang Gu said, which was true because since the day that she came back from the mortal realm she didn't go out that much and stayed within the walls of the four-season palace as if she didn't want to go out and face the truth that her first love came to an end without anyone giving her the chance to fight for it.
"Since I've been here for 50 hundred years, I've only seen you out of these walls 3 times. Is there any particular reason for not wanting to go out?" Er'Xi asked her and Shang Gu shook her head with a smile, there was something hidden behind her smile. It was not a soft smile like usual but a dark and sad smile.
"....After the trip, I took to the mortal realm.....I just thought that I should work harder. I saw so many mortal suffering...so I just wanted to work better and devote myself." Shang Gu said to Er'Xi but Zhu Zi knew better but she didn't want to say anything to put her master in a bad mood.
"Shall we go get ready? There are still the dresses I made for your wedding that I've yet to wear, that should be appropriate to the welcome banquet of true god Yuan Fen." Shang Gu said to them and got up from her seat
"Then I'll meet you at the banquet." Er'Xi said to her, Shang Gu nodded and went to her room to get ready as well. Shang Gu instructed Zhu Zi, Chi Wu, and his mother to dress up for the banquet as well and to head to the banquet with her, once they all were ready, they headed towards the banquet.
The two true gods sit on their own throne on a platform above the others while the two season goddess sits on their own seat which was raised with a platform as well but not as high as the true gods but still higher than the other gods and goddess.
They waited and waited but the true god Yuan Feng seemed to be late, so they started the banquet while waiting for him to arrive. After the banquet was officially started by the true gods, Shang Gu got up from her seat and stood at the edge of the platform of the true god thrones.
"Spring goddess would like to request your permission for a marriage to my Spring Palace." Shang Gu said as she bow to show respect to the two true gods but before they could even answer her the door banged open and a god that she has never seen before stood there, huffing and puffing.
Before his entrance
Yuan Feng had been drinking nonstop since he came back from the mortal realm, he was well known for his alcohol tolerance and had only gotten drunk a few times over the past few hundred years that he had returned to the nine-heaven realm.
He knew that there is a welcome banquet for him but he has been drinking and had woken up just a few minutes before the banquet was to start. He went out of his palace and he heard something from the other goddesses that were walking by.
"I heard that even goddess Shang Gu is attending this banquet." the goddess in white said
"Of course, it's the return of a true god. Goddess Shang Gu will definitely attend-" the goddess in pink said but Yuan Feng took hold of her hand
"Who were you talking about?!" Yuan Feng asked and the two goddesses kneeled down
"We greet true-" they said but Yuan Feng cut them off
"WHO DID YOU SAY IS ATTENDING THE BANQUET?!" Yuan Feng asked them
"S-S-Spring Goddess Sh-Shang G-Gu." the goddess in white said
"How many goddesses are named Shang Gu in the nine-heaven realm?" Yuan Feng asked
"Th-There is only-only one goddess an-and that's god-goddess Shang Gu." the goddess in white said, Yuan Feng rushed to the banquet hall just in time to hear Shang Gu asking for a marriage to the spring palace.
Present
"Spring goddess would like to request your permission for a marriage to my Spring Palace." Shang Gu said as she bow to show respect to the two true gods but before they could even answer her the door banged open and a god that she has never seen before stood there, huffing and puffing.
"I will not allow this marriage!" Yuan Feng shouted and everyone turned to look at him, including Shang Gu once he saw her, his hopes and the love that had died with him in the mortal realm all came back to life. In a blink he was in front of her.