The event of the thousand year of Ordainment had been outshined by the appearance of the Gold Peach, brought forth by the handsome Prince of the Celestial Crane Clan. The news spread like wildfire even when Jade Emperor was giving titles to the new immortals who had achieved the immortal goals to be part of the Heavenly realm.
Those who came for their friends or family ordainment, were busy passing the message through magic. If one focus looking out outside the Palace of Ordainment, one could see the various messenger birds, glimmers of magic, and paper whizzing out to various locations.
While He FeiQuan took TaoHua out of the hall, he still put her inside his sleeves, as not to gain any more attention to both themselves. Through many pathways and passages, from the bottom of a mountain, he leapt up to his clan's palace and just nodded to his attendants and continued to leap into his manor, grabbed his pageboy, XiaoMing, by the collar, pushing him inside and poked his head to peer outside left right before closing his doors shut.
His pageboy with his tranquil demeanor, used to his master's antics, since he always flew away for quite a while, coming home late, without telling anyone. "Any Instructions, young master?"
"This young master wants food and bath and make sure don't let her know I'm home, tell her I'm resting, tell her I was given a mission and have to leave after resting right away. I will come visit her after the mission is over. Any letters or messages for me?" He FeiQuan said all this monotonously like he said these many times, to which, he did, everything he came back, he avoided her.
"Young master, Madam said she knew what you were going to say so she told me that.."
The doors blasted open and walked in a matronly lady with a young pretty girl walking behind her.
"You unfilial thing! How dare you step back into the house without greeting your elders? How is that among all the clan's children, you have the worst manners? I heard outside what a gentleman you are, what a phony image! I should let it be known what unfilial child you are and that you still pee in your sheets when you were 100years old!"
TaoHua in He FeiQuan's sleeves clapped and nodded heavily.
"told me that she will come in whether young master like it or not", XiaoMing hastily finished his words while quickly paced backwards to stand behind He FeiQuan.
He FeiQuan glanced backward "Worthless thing", said disdainfully to his pageboy, then he faced his mother.
"Mother, most 100year olds can't even walk so you cannot blame me that I peed in my sheets. It was nature call and you didn't pick me up in time." He smiled, trying to placate her.
"Unfilial son, what trouble did you incur to the clan again? I had caught wind about you bringing in an outside girl without registration. Is she your intended? Where is she?" He FeiQuan's mother, Madam QuanMei, looked anticipatingly around the room, waiting for someone to appear.
"Auntie..." the pretty girl behind her said quietly in a cute voice, pulling her sleeves.
"XiaoFei, no worries, this unfilial one is not worthy of you, Auntie will look another better choice for you." Madam QuanMei insincerely patted FeiFei's hands, while still looking around for a shadow.
"Rumors sure fly fast in Heavens and I just got home", He FeiQuan said spitefully.
"Quan Ge (big brother)..."Feifei looked at He FeiQuan imploringly, making He FeiQuan cringed and stepped back.
TaoHua who had clapped, lost her footing when He FeiQuan stepped back and rolled off his sleeve. She was about to climb back when Madam QuanMei spotted something shining on the hem of his sleeve that was close to the floor, and pointed, "Show me".
He FeiQuan knew that paper cannot cover fire, sighed and picked up TaoHua and revealed the gold peach to his esteemed mother.
"Is she the one?", Madam QuanMei asked expectantly.
"No!" He FeiQuan exclaimed.
"Yes?" TaoHua said uncertainly. "As in the one, the wind said about the outside girl?"
"Quan-er, can she transform so I can have a proper look at her?" Madam QuanMei asked He FeiQuan while looking seriously at TaoHua.
"No mother, she cannot transform, and I'm tired, I need my rest. Badly. You can have her after I talk to her, but for now, give me a few hours first. And please no more blasting the doors, its cold at night. Unless you can please get the woodworkers in time to replace them" Lightly pulling Madam Quanmei arms, and leading her out.
Madam QuanMei, while being led out of her unfilial son's room, sniffed around, "What is that smell? Oh my! Quan-er ah, we females have delicate senses, please keep to your hygiene", eyes indicating towards the peach and FeiFei. She had to leave her options open for her future daughter-in-law - if the peach could not transform, FeiFei could still be the backup daughter-in-law, she nodded to herself, walking away, with FeiFei holding her hand.
FeiFei on the hand was thinking since the gold peach could not change shape yet, her big chance of becoming QuanFei's bride was high. Both aunt and best friends' daughter, looked at each other and nodded in understanding.
Since when did we birds have such good sense of smell? He FeiQuan cried inside and before shutting the half-destroyed doors.
He FeiQuan glared at TaoHua, "You!", then his stomach made growling noises before he could scold TaoHua properly.
"You!" He turned to his pageboy.
"Yes, young master, this one will go your food and bath ready", XiaoMing tacitly retreated and ran off.
"Argghhh...I'm too tired to deal with you now, don't say a word and why don't you go roll around somewhere. Just don't bother me", He FeiQuan tiredly walked to his bed and slumped face down to the bed. All the flying and high-stress level without food had depleted his energy, and he laid down on his bed, badly wanting a rest.
Every time he flew to TaoHua's island, he made sure he had XiaoMing to pack food for him to eat. TaoHua always glared at him when he snacked on the small fishes on her island.
"What small temper," TaoHua muttered while looking around his room, looking for interesting things to keep her occupied. She snickered when she saw her painting of him, hung at the back of his wall, facing his study table.
'Big sister me will forgive you for appreciating my work, even though we know you are a vain peacock.
I wonder which level of the Heavenly realm we are in, so many things to know, so many things to see, just so many thing!' TaoHua twirled around, making a small tornado.
