Chapter 18. Two lovers under Moonlight

The river was tumultuous. The waves moved back and forth while the sky growled in thunder. The strong wind made the trees shiver, shaking their leaves and branches as well as the thatched roofs of the houses nearby. 

In such a circumstance, a young woman in her youth was in the garden of her house. The garden was only a few meters away from the riverbank. The young woman brought her knees to her chest, curling like a little ball even so; her hands and feet were numb and cold. 

But there was no expression on her face. Solidarity and loneliness wrapped around her as she simply watched the river. 

"Wha—why is she waiting there?" Hatsuki was flabbergasted at the sight of her mother in her youth, enduring such misery. 

"She is waiting for the rain. If the rain doesn't come, she'll be sacrificed to the dragon lord in hopes that it would rain." It was the voice from her dreams. 

But to that statement, she couldn't retort. Hatsuki gravely stared at the woman, then at the skies and the river. It was stormy, pulling away all the freshly planted crops and trees, but indeed, there was no rain. 

'I can't be slow.' She thought to herself while scrunching her eyes. Feeling guilty that an innocent was suffering because of her own incompetence. 

"Why isn't the dragon lord bringing the rain then?" The frustration in her voice was clear. Her teeth clenched and fingers curled the fabric of her skirt. 

"The dragon lord simply cannot. He has been hibernating, the voice replied. 

"Why did he hibernate then? If he had to, couldn't he…teach the arbiter before leaving?... The people are suffering there." 

"Well, he could, but bringing rain is a power only granted to the dragon lord, and only a few have been exceptions." The voice replied. 

"Eh?" So I've been making a fool of myself? Was what she wished to say but kept those words to herself. Her eyes flashed an unwavering side-eye, although there was no one around her. 

"You are an exception, Little Miss Piggy. To fasten the process, let me teach you a technique instead." Hatsuki listened carefully while still not fully believing the voice. 

"Close your eyes and count your respiration. Do it consciously while feeling the energy from within. As the jade amplifies the power, you would be able to bring out the green fire quicker." 

As instructed, Hatsuki closed her eyes and counted her inhale and exhale as one. With each respiration, she could feel something warm starting to form, but the more she tried, before she knew it, she'd fallen into a slumber. 

~

Assembly hall 

The main discussions regarding the budget as well as the work division had been decided and tallied. Thus, as the day started to end, the zodiac members left along with the spokesperson, leaving behind only the three divine beasts and the Arbiter in the hall.

"A few weeks ago, the miasma from the hell's portal had been more than usual while there also seemed to be a ruckus going on as well. Since it has been close to three thousand years, the barrier has been weakening there," reported the black tortoise as he changed to his human form.

"The seas too will be opening their portals for the guests, and so the miasma has been leaking a lot, especially at the borders." The Red Vermillion was added when she changed to a female human form. 

"So you want to be a woman today?" The white tiger asked while changing to his human form as well.

"Well, why not? I just want to embrace my beauty. Moreover, Arbiter, don't you have any solution regarding the miasma? The guests would be arriving at the south soon." The vermillion ran her fingers through her fierce red locks. 

"I would need to check the lower chambers of hell to find the source of the cause. As for the immediate solution, how about using the blue fire to purify?" 

"Zhenren is too selfish to lend any of his students, Arbiter," the vermillion was quick to remark, making the arbiter pause.

"Well, if you communicate well, I am sure he could agree. He isn't the one to not understand." Arbiter had his lips set thinly. 

"Don't imply that I can't communicate well. That bald old man is uncommunicateable. Tsk," the vermillion rolled her eyes while the white tiger sneered at the sight, earning a glare from her. 

"Well, we could always ask his students—" 

"That is off-limits unless you want to be banned from heaven by the emperor himself." The tortoise didn't entertain the tiger's ideas in the slightest.

"Bu—" 

"While the old man may dislike us, it's not the same for the Arbiter. If you persuade him, I'm sure he'd agree." The vermillion along with the other two beasts, were oggling at the Arbiter who had a stonic expression covered by his mask. 

"I would have to de-" 

"A peach for you….I'll ask the goddess to save a peach for you so that you too could be a spirit." The vermilion stated. Although her face was as cold as the ice, her voice hinted at the desperation. 

"Even so, I would like to decline. Since I embody the dragon lord, I would not like to have any more burden than I can carry." The arbiter stood from his seat. Even in the presence of the strongest beasts, he, a mere human, stood up front without any inferiority. His powers were at par with theirs. 

"You should think more about it, Arbiter. It's a golden opportunity," the white tiger advised while he too got out of his seat. 

"The offer will remain until the end of the week." As the vermilion stated those words, the golden smoke wrapped up around Yuki, and he was transported back to his mansion, where only the lights from the lanterns burned. 

The moon was crescent, sending very little light, and although it was dark and silent, Yuki had an absolute vision. He could sense someone in the garden, so instead of heading to the main door, he went towards the source. 

Nights like such were a reminder to him of the time that had passed by as he lived on. Just as how the present had forgotten about the past, he too had tried to forget his memories for the longest time. Resentment, hurt, and cowardice filled him up for centuries until he couldn't truly contain them.

Taking the time granted, once again.

From the corner of his eyes, he fluttered his eyes open as he saw the familiar silhouette. Under the moonlight, at the little bench, Hatsuki had her legs folded and eyes closed, concentrating to extract her sealed-off qi. He could feel her desire to rush the process. 

The corner of his lips smiled while he tiptoped towards her. If this was the present, then he wished for it to stay still forever and ever. 

"Can you bring out the green fire?" Yuki asked while crunching on the grass beneath his feet. 

Hatsuki's eyelids opened, letting her see the sight of her master under the moonlight as he walked towards her. It was as though all the ambition, all the hastiness, had washed out.

"Not much, but…" She brought her hand to the front, and controlling her qi, a tiny flame emerged from her palm. It was a forest green flame. 

"It is. You are doing good. Now let's go inside, or else you'll not get enough sleep."