Ascension - a feat mortals could only dream of. May it be through cultivation or the repetitive cycles of reincarnations, the catch would always be the same. One had to reach the almost unattainable enlightenment with a will and strengths no ordinary mind could comprehend. But, for those who were destined, the universe would pave the way.

One in a million chance to reach the heavens.

For creatures with impure hearts, the rumored alternatives was certainly enticing. But these would only lead to unnecessary and incessant suffering. The stories were all the same. Tales of countless rulers - from land to sea, of past and present - had sought for the alleged elixirs of longevity. The most ruthless and powerful men had resorted to performing animal and human sacrifices, or consuming deadly potions such as metal poisons.

Nothing could stop the greed of mortal men.

The most willful creatures of all heavens’ creations.

A mortal’s life - a fleeting moment within the timeless universe. Their existence might be short but the wheels would remain and the turns would uncease. One lived to die and died to live again.

Unbeknownst to those who coveted immortality, it came with its own burden… its own suffering.

The wheel had stopped turning --- the horizon was forever out of reach.

******

To appease his thirst for the ordinary against the extraordinary, Guo Zhu roamed the mortal worlds, across countless fertile and often barren lands. He sought hardship after hardships and met countless beauties among the sparkling gems of every colors for score of lovers had come to the doorstep of his chamber.

The allure was always there. He was a man after all.

But to have captured his interest and truly captivated his soul… there had only been one such beauty.

It was one of the many versions of mortal realms which forever changed his destiny. During the celebration of the Arch Prince of Zhao, Guo Zhu was one of the countless generals, a recent favorite among his chosen disguises in mortal land. He would never forget the first time, under the blood moon, when he gazed upon the woman who held his undivided attention. Gone were the thoughts of stars glittering against bluish-midnight skies. On this instance, at this random mortal world, Guo Zhu’s destiny was sealed.

The exquisite creature was dressed in black and red silk. Against her fair skin which shone like pearls, waves of midnight black hair flowed past the curve of her hips. Her scarlet lips also matched the blossom design between her elegant brows. A Goddess had descended from the sky, he had thought. At the center of the circular stage, surrounded by royals and generals, the courtesan’s body gracefully arched to the side. Her arms were soft as silk as they glided forward, her lean legs lifted to the sky like birds soaring in the night.

With the slightest movement, the paired silver bells tied to her ankles rang.

Brring...brrrring….brrrring…

Each beat produced sounds in triple succession - a mortal’s call for abundance in the harvest that was to come. Her steps. Her movements... far more graceful, hypnotising than any princesses and consorts known to men.

The red silk flowed against the breeze of the summer’s night.

His breath stopped at her steady pose.

Smokey eyes held his, captured for eternity-- he knows.

So luscious her hair was, it made his heartbeat cease.

Lost, for under this binding spell, his being was now seized.

He was mesmerized from the sway of her body and the glides of the fluttering silk robes. With each drumbeat of the rhythmic dance, the world around him disappeared. Guo Zhu...the top warrior of of his clan, in the lands of mortals and immortals alike, had watched in awe just like the rest of the crowd under her spell.

It took them a blink or two - a few beats of one’s heart - to realize a strike had been made. The Duke of Zhou had fallen against his seat, his forehead dripped with blood from the deathly blow. The consorts’ screams pierced through the night. All eyes then momentarily turned to the assassination of the most powerful and prestigious man..

Their leader, their tyrant was no more.

Except for Guo Zhu, his eyes had never left the stage as the pandemonium began. Though her dance had ceased, the act remained. A slight satisfactory glow crossed her delicate features. As the courtesan turned away from the commotion, she caught his gaze. Guo Zhu smiled brightly at the the courtesan who finally took note of his presence. Frozen in place, her deathly glare threatened to retaliate. A bright flash of metal appeared on the palm of her hand. Yet, he did not attack or defend. Instead, The General lifted his wine cup with a nod of admiration and took a sip without breaking their eye contact.

Clearly flustered by his action and her own inaction, her brows furrowed. Time stood still. Within the short time span, she missed her chance. With her lashes lowered, the beauty retreated from the stage and disappeared from the night.

*****

Present Day, Valley of the Moths

His Goddess, though more powerful than him, had always been powerless when it came to those under her care. It was both her strength and weakness. When Li Hua set her mind to something, no matter how unreasonable or dangerous, she’d seek to accomplish her task without reservation. It was her decision to break their unspoken oath to remain impartial. After millenia of hiding from the outside world, she was the reason why their existence was now known throughout the Realms.

Guo Zhu had always admired that side of her personality - fierce, unhindered, stubborn. Nonetheless, there were times when fear overcame him like at this moment.

“Li Hua, that’s enough!” Guo Zhu ordered, blocking her path just beyond the edge of The Valley of the Moths. “You’ll damage your soul essence if you go any further.”

“It matters not!” her head shook. Then, her eyes glowered. “Move. ”

His hot tempered Goddess gathered her powers. Yards of white silks sprouted from the ground, rising higher than the tallest trees in the Valley. He refused to budge. After surrounding him, the silks from above dived down. Like a cocoon, they spun, encapsulating the High God. As his eyes closed, Guo Zhu conjured some daggers with silver bells hanging on their ends. Brringgg… The chime rang. Their vibrations sent series of shockwaves through the silk wall, targeting the weak spots of the silk cage. Chanting a spell, the blades glowed white. Within a split second, the daggers shot through the silk cocoon, sending the torn white fabric falling to the ground.

He cloud jumped to her side, gathered Li Hua in his arms and held her tight.

“Guo Zhu, let me go,” Li Hua said as she tried to break free. But her strength had started to wane from overusing her powers in her attempt to seal him. In an achingly vulnerable voice, a trait she rarely showed, she quietly but firmly added, “I couldn’t stay here. Let me see her.”

The sorrow of helplessness weighed his heart. “She’ll be fine,” Guo Zhu whispered in her ear.

“She hasn’t recovered from her previous injuries,” her voice broke and her composure fell. Instead of pushing him away, she relaxed against his hold. “Worse, she allowed herself to be accosted by Nian Beasts! If he hadn’t been there...”

“He was there. He protected her as he promised.”

“How can he protect her from herself?!” Li Hua stared up at him. Unblinking, their gazes locked.

His hand cupped the side of her face. His black eyes were piercing, pleading. “We’ve done all we could. Their fate cannot be changed, nor can we interfere with their destiny. Lou Jun is back to treat her wound,” Guo Zhu reassured. “Ruo Tzu will return in a few days. There is no need to worry---”

“Don’t you think it’s time she ought to know the truth?!” She cut him off as her small hands gripped him tightly

“Hua'er…The truth won’t do her much good now. The more she knows, the more pain she’ll have to endure when the time comes.”

“But, Guo Zhu--”

Guo Zhu lifted her in his arms, ignoring her protest.

“It’s his secret to keep,” he answered gruffly as they headed back to the valley, with Li Hua in his arms, their home. “Not ours.”

*****

Ziming Palace, Ghost Realm

Yan Zhi was dreaming, dreaming within the haze of rhythmic a tune. This familiar music that she had heard many times over the years engulfed her senses, calming her restlessness. The notes rose and fell - tranquil melodies that brushed against the breeze of the summer night. The meditative sound of rushing water was so comforting that it took Yan Zhi awhile to realize the resonance had entered her body as well. Much like a zither string, her cells began to pulsate. Their energy awakened. With each note, each beat, the damaged nerves and broken veins glowed as the cells began their process of transformation. Healing. Repair.

He’s back… Her eyes snapped open.

“Stay still. We’re almost done,” the Master of Musical Weapons instructed before her instinct made her rise. With full awareness, Yan Zhi closed her eyes, welcoming the easing effect of the harmonic resonance traveling through her body.

Magical Weapons could be used in many forms - to attack, paralyze or create an illusion; but those techniques alone would not make the wielder truly powerful. In fact, based on what she had gathered over the years, what lied behind the true masters was their ability to use resonance vibration to heal. It took longer, even a lifetime, to achieve the skill to heal injured nerves.