Cheeks puffed and chin buried in Mama Bun’s floof, Lin-Lin held her breath and glowered as hubby gave up too much for nothing in return.

Less than nothing actually, since he put more into this war effort than he got out of it, unless you counted silly, worthless things like face, honour, and recognition. Even being Minister of Finance and Legate wasn’t worth the hassle, since he had to work day and night with barely a moment to spare. While Lin-Lin didn’t care much for wealth so long as she had enough to eat, it wasn’t right for all the coin hubby earned to go right back into the war effort, funding stuff like Runic cannons, Runic shields, Spiritual Weapons, bell towers, and more out of his own pocket in order to better defend the province. As if that weren’t enough, he even made enemies just doing his job, because his successes somehow made them look worse off for it. Now these enemies were all too happy to leave him high and dry here in Shi Bei and pretend like he failed because he wasn’t smart or strong enough, rather than the lack of support, a lie anyone with half a brain would see through but no one would care to argue. Stupid is what it was, and Lin-Lin would have much preferred if they went home and left all this behind, but hubby was too kind for his own good.

That’s the way it’d always been though, with Rainy always looking after others before tending to his own troubles, and Lin-Lin loved him all the more for it. Of course, when she was younger, she’d been the one to benefit from all his consideration, whether it be arriving early for his lessons to help her braid her hair and review her lessons, or putting the last dumpling on her plate for her to enjoy even though she’d already eaten more than half the plate, it was these little gestures which made her hubby the best. Generous and compassionate, without ever caring about silly things like gratitude and recognition, that was the sort of person he was, because it made him happy to see others happy, and it made him sad when they were sad. Until recently, Lin-Lin thought his charitable and considerate nature was admirable and praiseworthy, but there were times when he let it go too far, and now she thought he was being stupid and senseless for letting the Empire take advantage of his kindness and work him to possible death.

There were always taller shoulders to hold up the Heavens, that’s what Daddy often told her, and Lin-Lin understood this simple truth better than most. How could she not? Daddy never hid the facts from her, and she’d always known that she wasn’t really his daughter, but an Ancestral Beast, one so weak she didn’t even have an Aura of her own. Almost anyone could walk right up and capture her, a valuable prize most would kill to have in hand. That's why she never tried to run off or sneak away on her own, no matter how much she wanted to, because she knew she needed someone to protect her for at least a few centuries more unless she cared to suffer through a fate worse than death. Big Sister Ling-Lu was even older and stronger than Nai-Nai, but Grandpa Wolfy still scowled and grumbled every time she tried to take a walk by herself, even if she promised to stay on the same mountain, and no matter how powerful she might become, she might well never be truly safe.

Because there are people beyond people, and Heavens beyond Heaven, or as Rainy so loved to say whenever the occasion allowed it, there’s always a bigger fish.

Now that Lin-Lin’s secret was out, Daddy alone would not be enough to keep her safe, and even with Grandpa Wolfy, Auntie Hua-Hua, and everyone else lending a hand, they still might have to live a life on the run. That’d just be the worst, hiding outside the borders of the Empire and hoping no one ever finds her lest she be captured and enslaved. That was a problem for later though, one Rainy would no doubt see as something for him to solve, because he refused to rely on someone else unless absolutely necessary. He had this need to shoulder all burdens on his own, and he would always find something that needed to be done because he was too kind to sit idly by while others suffered without assistance. Everyone was fine and happy back in the village, but hubby thought they’d be happier with some extra coin, even though no one in the village used coin to trade. So instead of enjoying his childhood and spending more time with Lin-Lin, he started a company to hire villagers who made medicine to sell in Shen Huo for coin they didn’t need, which she thought was just silly all around. Then, at the Northern Wall, he saw beggars on the street asking for food and decided the best way to help was to open a school and feed everyone who wanted a meal, which was just impractical to say the least, but he did it anyways because he’d rather give in to greed than see one person go hungry again.

And that was only the beginning of a problem that continued to haunt them to this day. Hubby’s districts were just more of the same, and then a few months ago, he decided he wasn’t happy sitting idle and defending the border anymore. People were suffering in the West, so it was his job to save them, which is why he launched this crusade to retake the province. Again, his heart was in the right place, and it wasn’t that Lin-Lin lacked sympathy, but how was it his fault the Defiled broke into the province and enslaved the entire populace? The stinky Emperor clearly didn’t care about his people, so why did hubby have to be the one to save them? It wasn’t fair for him to demand so much from himself, especially with so many ‘allies’ working against him, but he did it anyways and now they were all fighting desperately to stay alive against an army of ugly discount Demons. Even if they won here today, Lin-Lin knew there would be little more than empty praise and insincere thanks awaiting Rainy after all this was said and done, as well as more trials and tribulations to come.

Unable to hold it any longer, Lin-Lin huffed into Mama Bun’s fur to expel all her angry thoughts, because she was afraid of what she might do if she kept it all bottled up inside. Stupid Emperor and his stupid Clansmen, stupid Legate and his stupid pawn Shuai Jiao, stupid Marshal Yo and the rest of stupid Central who stood on their side, all of them had left hubby to fight the Defiled by himself, and it was a miracle they even made it this far. The worst part was knowing that if hubby lost here today, his enemies would forget all his contributions thus far and use this single setback to condemn him as a failure, maybe even justify having him stripped of title or simply have him killed just to get him out of the way. Then again, they’d probably try to do that even if he won, because the people running the Empire weren’t happy to learn that Rainy refused to be controlled. He was like a wild quin, sweet and cheerful enough when he liked you, but murderous and vengeful when he didn’t, liable to chomp off your hand sooner than take the treat held in it, not matter how delicious it might be. Which meant regardless of the outcome here in Shi Bei, he’d end up butting heads with the Emperor eventually even if Lin-Lin’s secret never got out.

A pang of regret coursed through her as she considered what she could have done differently, but even if there was anything, it didn’t matter anymore. People knew she was a Divinity now, a second Ancestral Cloud Chaser Hare, which meant she would never be safe again. Everyone would want to control her now, her and Daddy both, all because they were a ‘breeding pair’ of Divinities. Yuck. That’s how the world saw her, as livestock rather than an actual person, and she’d known all along that this is how it would be, which was why she had no love for the Empire itself. Let the Defiled and Imperials fight all they want, because they were both equally bad, but Rainy was silly and idealistic enough to believe in the concept of a unified humanity, even though the truth was far from unified as could be.

But that’s just another reason why Lin-Lin loved her hubby so, because of his silly, but beautiful dreams and his courage to chase them in spite of the odds.

So immersed in her pity party for one, she almost yelped in surprise as Rainy’s Natal Soul made his presence known to wash away her bitter thoughts. Her pouty grimace gave way to a giggle of sheer delight, for hubby’s love and affection was even more wonderful than she’d ever imagined. It was so amazing that she even fell into the State of Enlightenment to better appreciate this moment, one which stretched on and on as time slowed enough for her to count individual grains of sand floating by in the wind. This had always come easily to her, but it also gave her a headache when she used it for too long. Fighting with stinky Hideo had already pushed her past her limits, but it was well worth the pain to memorize everything about what it felt like to merge souls with hubby.

It was oh so wonderful, her cheeks immediately started hurting because her smile was so wide, and she watched him through half-lidded eyes because she couldn’t open them any wider. There he stood across the battlements, yet he was also here with arms wrapped around Lin-Lin’s shoulders in a warm and comforting embrace. His love was deep and fathomless as the ocean, wide and all-encompassing as the sky, so full of blazing passion, grounded sentiment, heartfelt admiration, sincere respect, and so much more. There was a persistent yearning underneath it all, a hunger which could never be sated, only kept in check with her constant presence which he could not live without. Even though he was always forbidding her to come along on his military excursions, the truth was that he even happier than she was about spending each and every day together, but their current circumstances made him feel guilty and sad at the same time. He blamed himself for not being firm with her and insisting she stay in Central, because then her secret might still be safe and she wouldn’t be in danger of dying. He wasn’t angry she didn’t tell him about being a Divinity, nor was he particularly pleased by the news, but he wasn’t upset either. Mostly ambivalent really, as if she’d come out to tell him that she was really left-handed rather than right-handed, an inconsequential detail that had no bearing on how much he loved and adored her.

And he did too, as much as she loved and adored him, so much that it hurt to be apart for more than a few hours, though hubby hid it better than Lin-Lin. He’d loved her for a long time now, longer than he cared to admit, which made it all the more puzzling why he tried to avoid marrying her for so many years. He was so silly like that, but it was nice to know how much he cared, and doubly so regarding how he loved everything about her. There was nothing he would change, nothing he found lacking, not her height, her figure, her fashion choices, or anything at all, because he loved her just the way she was. He loved Mi-Mi and Yan-Yan just as much, as well as Li-Li and Luo-Luo even if he didn’t want to admit it, and she knew he loved them all equally because he loved them with all his heart. For different reasons of course, but there wasn’t one he loved more than the others, or any less, because he’d given them everything he had to offer and would happily give them more if he could. Lin-Lin was his wifey who he spoiled the most, Mi-Mi his beloved who he teased, Yan his partner who he challenged every day, Li-Li the woman he wanted to cherish and adore, while Luo-Luo was the courtesan he bullied. This was just the way he showed his affection for each and every one of them, and in his heart, there was no place for happiness without each of them there to complete him.

Rainy really was the best, and Lin-Lin would be sure to let him know it.

Basking in his presence for as long as she could, she held off from letting his Natal Soul meld entirely with her soul just so she could keep him and his emotions around for even a moment longer. This was only a small portion of Rainy’s soul, but it was still him all the same, so how could Lin-Lin let her hubby go without a goodbye? “Love you hubby,” she whispered, hugging Mama Bun tight since she couldn’t hug him instead, and the sweet rabbit perked up to grace Lin-Lin’s cheek with kisses. As for hubby’s Natal Soul, she tried to impart upon him how much she loved him in turn, but she wasn’t sure if it was working. If only she actually had an Aura, a goal she’d been working on for years now ever since Rainy first introduced her to his Emotional Aura, but her progress was non-existent. Oh how wonderful it would be to show everyone how much she loved them, especially the shy floofs like Guai Guai, Princess, Cinnabun, and Rakky, as well as hubby when he was being particularly stupid. There were days when he was just gloomy for no reason, and even though she knew he needed those days to ground himself and Balance his emotions, Lin-Lin also wanted him to be happy and cheery all the time even if that wasn’t realistic. A hug was always enough to get him to smile, but just imagine how much happier he would be if she could show him how much she loved him each and every day.

Touched by her kind-hearted sentiment, hubby’s Natal Soul finally responded and promised on Rainy’s behalf to teach her as best he could, a promise which made Lin-Lin beam with glee before realizing something was different. Not wrong, but changed, as if the Natal Soul was getting warmer and heavier around her, more real and palpable with each passing moment. It wasn’t a physical weight, but an emotional one, as his presence grew stronger and his affection more distinct and emphatic as if it were really him standing behind her. “Love you more,” the Natal Soul replied, and for a second, Lin-Lin thought Hubby himself had Sent it, but he was still staring at the stinky Uniter while struggling to stand tall for the soldiers, exhausted and drained from splitting off who knows how many Natal Souls and whatever else he was doing. In fact, he was so weak that the Natal Soul embracing Lin-Lin felt stronger than he did, and she was of a mind to send it back to him instead, but the Natal Soul imparted the emotional equivalent of a shake of his head and said, “That idiot wouldn’t appreciate it, and he’d just send me off to help someone else. Don’t worry about him, sweet wifey. He knows what he’s doing.”

Which knowing Rainy wasn’t much of an assurance at all, and his Natal Soul realized as much, so he stopped holding himself back. Unable to resist his warm and comforting presence, Lin-Lin welcomed him with open arms the same way she’d always end up hugging Rainy even when she was mad or upset, because she loved him too much to be anything but happy around him. Fully merging with his Natal Soul was even better than revelling in his emotions, better than even ten-thousand hugs, and it set her heart to pounding and stomach aflutter like nothing else ever before. It was snuggling into his arms after a long day’s travel, clinging fast to his shoulders as he Cloud-Stepped through the skies, their first kiss, wedding night, and morning after all rolled into one enchanting act of pure love that entwined their two hearts into one. The sheer joy and contentment from this union was impossible to describe, so incredible that the surge of Heavenly Energy to follow fell far short in comparison. A raging bonfire to flickering candle, that was the difference between them, for though the Mother’s Embrace was warm indeed, how could it compare to her darling hubby’s undying love and affection?

Oh how she ached to run over and hold him tight, but she knew they couldn’t afford the distraction. Plus, the stinky discount Demons were throwing themselves at him, and her standing at his side would only make things worse. Even though Daddy was too sweet to hurt a fly, he was strong enough to run away if the Enemy should target him, but if Lin-Lin let herself get caught by the ugly, bald Uniter, then Daddy and Rainy would both go to great lengths to get her back, likely at great risk to their own lives. Lin-Lin was strong enough to keep herself safe from the likes of stinky Hideo and other people her age, strong enough to kill a Peak Expert even, so long as she could catch one off-guard, but in a big, crazy, chaotic brawl like this, she was only a liability. Soldiers did more than just fight, they fought together, and Lin-Lin didn’t know the first thing about fighting, whether it be alone or alongside her allies. All she knew how to do was lash out in anger and the rest just sort of happened, all without rhyme or reason and as naturally as can be.

That’s how she killed that stupid Situ Clan Guardian all those years ago, when she spotted him hiding in the shadows to better track and kill them. She’d just lashed out with her scarf on instinct and it cut him up really bad, and then she chased him down and killed him with the second blow. To this day, she had no idea how she’d controlled her scarf like that, nor did she understand how she outran a Peak Expert, but it had felt so natural and normal she didn’t even think twice in the moment and just let it all happen. Logically speaking, she shouldn’t have attacked, should have just told Set-Set or Char-Char someone was hiding there, but Lin-Lin acted without even thinking and by then it was already too late. Daddy was furious when he found out later on, especially since Aunty Hua-Hua didn’t do anything to stop her, but she said Lin-Lin would have to learn how to kill eventually. She was right too, because effective as going along with her emotions might be, it wasn’t enough to kill stinky Hideo in Meng Sha, so Lin-Lin wasn’t willing to rely on her strength here in Shi Bei, not with so much at stake. A wolf was a terrifying beast of fang and fury, but even an entire pack was nothing before a single man with a bow and arrows enough to kill them all from afar, meaning instincts were hardly enough to protect her. She was in the same boat as Ping Ping, in possession of so much potential for power yet no idea how to use it effectively, so it was best for them both to stay where it was safe and let others handle the fighting for now.

Stupid Rainy. Even his Natal Soul was so overprotective that it refused to teach her how to fight. Aggrieved though she might be, Lin-Lin knew that this was the best decision. She didn’t understand tactics like Mi-Mi or Yan-Yan, didn’t know how to support others like Li-Li or Luo-Luo, and it would take time and practice to learn, so all she could do was stand here and watch while others fought and died. It hurt to see everyone risking their lives and giving this battle their all, especially Rainy. Even though he wasn’t physically fighting, Lin-Lin could feel him expending more Heavenly Energy than she ever thought possible as he deployed Natal Souls to every corner of the battlefield to save an ungrateful Empire that would soon turn against him.

Even though she’d seen this same phenomenon unfold in Meng Sha, the results of Rainy’s efforts here in Shi Bei were even more impressive. Mi-Mi erupted in a dazzling light which incinerated the enemies around her, only to fall to her knees exhausted and spent. Then Li-Li took up her sabre in hand and fought off all comers like a Peak Expert of twice her years, while Yan-Yan conjured up a windstorm which cleared out an entire section of the wall all by her lonesome. Luo-Luo made the next move as she took up her zither and struck a single note, one that cut through the clamour of the battlefield and raised Lin-Lin’s spirits to new heights. The melody that followed was pleasant to the ear, but while everything Luo-Luo played was beautiful beyond compare, this was different somehow. Giving herself over to the song, Lin-Lin listened with all four ears and bobbed in time with the notes, mostly because it amused her to see Ping Ping bobbing alongside her, but Mama Bun also loved being rocked as well. Halfway between Rainy and Mi-Mi, Nai-Nai became One with the Heavens in preparation of Shattering the Void, and the battlefield fell still to watch her Ascend. Even though it would benefit Lin-Lin greatly to see the miracle of Ascension unfold, especially after the creepy and icky examples set by the stinky old monk and even stinkier Uniter, she couldn't tear her eyes away from hubby.

Because even though all this and more took place in the blink of an eye, Lin-Lin experienced it whilst immersed in Enlightenment. Each passing moment stretched out into long minutes so she could luxuriate in Rainy’s emotional presence, but to her great dismay, she also saw his physical presence dwindle away to almost nothing in the process. His actual body was unchanged, still as fit and handsome as ever, but while her eyes saw nothing amiss, Lin-Lin senses were screaming that something was wrong and she needed to help her hubby through it. There was nothing specific about the warning, just an impression of… lessening, like he was fading away before her very eyes without growing any less substantial or real, and the thought of losing him terrified her to no end. While Daddy never brought it up, Aunty Hua-Hua, Nai-Nai, Sar-Sar, and so many others took Lin-Lin aside in the weeks before her wedding to warn her about Rainy’s shorter lifespan. Even if they lived a happy, blessed life, she would eventually lose him to old age in a hundred years or less, but she was happy to have him for even a day, much less an entire century.

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Except now they’d been married for less than a full year and she might lose him today, and she wasn’t ready to let him go just yet.

Why was he so willing to die and leave her behind? Why couldn’t he learn to run away and live to fight another day? There wasn’t any real value to the city, yet he was so desperate to win the battle here in Shi Bei because he couldn’t bear to see so many soldiers die for his cause. He started this war for the West without thinking it through, because not even the greatest generals in history could win every fight, but Rainy was stubborn as a mule and sometimes even stupider as he refused to accept anything less than victory. That’s just who he was, because even back when he first arrived at the village and jumped at every shadow in sight, he never once gave up on anything he set as his goal. It didn’t matter if it was something as simple as learning to cook, dangerous as cuddling the quin pups before Pafu and Suret were ready to let them out of the den, or stupid as going for a jaunt through forest alone despite his woefully lacking ability to keep himself alive. If Rain wanted to do something, then he would do it regardless of the consequences. An endearing quality in many ways, and he owed much of his success to his stubborn determination in the face of overwhelming odds, but today, it might well be the end of him as he strove to grasp something too far beyond his reach.

Rainy had made a habit of making the impossible possible, but now, he was willing to die for it, and Lin-Lin refused to allow it.

Whatever this affliction causing him to fade away might be, it must have something to do with how he was sending so many Natal Souls out without a care for the consequences. Unable to even imagine a future without him, Lin-Lin put aside all other thoughts and simply bounded over to his side. Rainy needed her to save him from himself again, this much she knew, even though she had no idea how to help. The how wasn’t important though, because as long as she was there with him, then they could work on a solution together. Luckily, her actions went unobstructed since the Imperials and Enemy alike had all stopped to gawk at Nai-Nai, but Lin-Lin regretted her decision almost immediately once she noticed Mama Bun and Blackjack were still with her. Ping Ping too, who followed her over to Rainy’s side without so much as a squeak, the sweet turtle with a heart of floof just happy to be with them both. It was too late to turn back now though, for hubby would have fallen flat on his face if Lin-Lin hadn’t arrived just in time to catch him, her arm slipping around his waist to hold him steady and prop him against the battlements while resting her forehead between his shoulder blades.

He'd gotten so much taller than she remembered, and she didn’t want him to grow anymore, because then she wouldn’t be able to easily run up and slip her arms over his shoulder for a hug and a kiss. Those were the best, when he slipped his arms under hers and lifted her feet off the ground, squeezing as tightly as he dared while she pressed her lips against his, a kiss that took her breath away each and every time.

Unwilling to have already shared their last kiss without even knowing it, Lin-Lin checked hubby’s vitals as best she could while also holding him up. He’d gone comatose again, and she knew that it would be bad for morale if everyone saw Rainy pass out on his feet, even if they knew he had something to do with everyone’s new attainments in the Martial Dao. At least he was still breathing, she could feel that much, but his pulse was weak and faint and his presence was fading fast, which was never a good sign unless he was Concealed. Scouring her mind for something that might help, she stood frozen in fear and ignorance both, because even though Rainy loved discussing the Martial Dao, Lin-Lin only listened because she wanted to help him in any way she could, even if it was by being a spring board for ideas. All his talk about Chi and Cores and Visualization and Intent always went right over her head though, because her Dao was not the Martial Dao, but a Dao all her own. All she knew was that he’d given everything to help the Empire seize victory here in Shi Bei, and now he was paying the ultimate price.

A Balanced Natal Soul was merely a severed portion of Rainy’s actual soul, so what happened when he severed off too much? The same thing as what would happen to a body and mind without a soul, meaning hubby’s organs were slowly shutting down because his body no longer had a soul to sustain it, and therefore no reason to remain alive.

Panic bordering on hysteria followed by absolute delight, these two waves of extreme emotions crashed into Lin-Lin and almost swept her off her feet, only for shock and surprise to overwhelm her as hubby turned around to look her in the eyes. No, not hubby, for it wasn’t Rainy looking back at her in a wide-eyed plea, but Buddy in control of Rainy’s body, so uncertain and unsure he was trembling from head to toe out of pure, unmitigated fright. Patting his belly to soothe his nerves, Lin-Lin closed her eyes and focused on finding Balance as quick as she could, which in reality meant she more or less fell fast asleep. Hopefully they’d stay standing, else Mama Bun and Blackjack would be in for a rough surprise, to say nothing of Rainy and the rest of Shi Bei. There was no reward without risk however, and Lin-Lin forged ahead without hesitation, because her hubby had no time left to spare. Perhaps the Heavens were smiling down on her, or perhaps her need allowed her to better focus her Intent, but she soon found herself immersed in the Void with Rainy and Buddy there in front of her. The poor sweet dog ran circles around them, zooming about in pure panic even though she was here to help, and it was easy to see why. Though Buddy was as solid and substantial as ever, Rainy’s soul was flimsy and almost transparent at times, weakened and fading fast after giving his all to the Empire.

Rainy was dying, and Lin-Lin didn’t know how to save him.

Reaching out to hold her hubby close, she jumped in fright as Buddy’s booming bark warned her away. When she first heard it, she found it so funny for a sweet, silly, floppy eared dog to have so domineering a bark, but now she was glad for it. Buddy wasn’t warning her because Rainy was too weak for a hug, but because there was something else at work here, something Lin-Lin failed to notice until Buddy warned her of the danger ahead. In Rainy’s soul was a foul infection, a nasty, unpleasant energy that was sapping away what little energy he had left, and it was only a matter of time before it killed him. Focusing on the infection itself, Lin-Lin felt a fear that was primal and instinctive, for she recognized this energy even though she had no name for it. It was the stuff of death and decay, oblivion and the grave, an all-consuming force that all mortals feared and embraced. It was the end of all suffering, but also the end of all joy, as well as the end of everything else in between. Where there was life, there was hope, but this dark energy threatened to snuff out both with little more than a glare, a foreboding finality devoid of hatred or contempt, but brimming with implacable inevitability.

It was the taste of Lin-Lin’s birth control tea made manifest in reality, and not even a whole jar of honey was enough to sweeten that horrid concoction. She would know, because she tried, and it still felt like drinking death warmed over.

Just being in the presence of this Energy left Lin-Lin paralyzed in fright, yet as she studied it further, she was amazed to discover Rainy inexplicably embracing that same terrifying energy without fear. There was still life in him yet, and here in the Void, he radiated his emotions without restraint, allowing Lin-Lin to almost pick out his thoughts because she knew him so well. Thoughts she never expected to find in her sweet, silly hubby who she loved so much, for the most prominently featured emotion was not love or joy, nor was it guilt or despair, but rather a sense of neutral indifference that bordered on weary exhaustion. He was so tired of fighting to survive that he no longer cared to, his will worn down and his drive all but spent. This wasn’t the Rainy she knew, for her stubborn, intractable hubby was ready to give up and give in. He loved her dearly, loved all his wives, family, friends, and floofs dearly, but he was so tired and exhausted from hurting all the time that he just wanted to lay down and rest. It wasn’t physical pain and exertion which drained him so, nor was he tired of loving Lin-Lin and everyone else. No, they were the only reason he’d gotten this far in the first place, but he felt as if he couldn’t keep going on anymore.

This was the hardest part, leaving them all behind, but grateful as he was to have found them all, he never once felt like he deserved them, and therein lay the crux of the issue. Deep down, Rainy truly believed himself unworthy of love, believed that everyone he knew would be better off without him. That’s why he was so eager to die for a noble cause. It wasn’t courage which drove him to make this sacrifice, nor was it benevolence, determination, or any other obvious aspiration, but hopeless despair. He didn’t know how he could keep fooling them all, tricking them into loving an unworthy and insignificant man like himself, and he loved them too much to continue this deception. The deathly energy was just an excuse, one he didn’t even try too hard to fight, because even if he had strength enough to survive it, he didn’t see any other way to win this fight. Victory and death, that’s what he yearned for, and now he saw a chance to secure both in one move.

Well too bad. Rainy was Lin-Lin’s hubby, and she refused to let him leave her behind.

Love won out over fear as she ran headlong into his embrace, one his unconscious self responded to on instinct. The deathly energy afflicting his soul surged into her as she opened herself up to him, and its cold, draining touch almost robbed her of all courage, but she was determined to see this through and save her hubby no matter the cost. Much as she wanted to scream and cry at him for being so stupid and selfish, he needed love and support more than anything else, so she swallowed her anger and focusing on the same love and affection she imparted to his Natal Soul only moments ago. “Love you hubby,” she declared, shouting into the Void so there was no chance he wouldn’t hear her. Nothing else needed to be said, so she held him tight as she reached out to the Heavens Above and exerted her Will.

And the Heavens responded, because Lin-Lin was an Ancestral Beast and a true child of the Mother, one birthed by the four elements and moulded by the Heavens themselves.

That’s what Daddy always said, and she believed it, because even though she lost her Spiritual Heart in the process of rebirth, her soul was still powerful when compared to a regular person. That’s what she based her plan on, one she came up with in the moment and made sense enough to act one. Forget the deathly energy which she knew nothing about, because even if it was harming them both, she didn’t think there was enough there to kill them. No, the problem was Rainy’s soul was too weak to fight it off on his own, because he’d severed so much of it in a desperate last bid to save Shi Bei. So if the problem was the soul, then Lin-Lin had more than enough to spare, and the rest was unimportant. Then again, she was almost certain there was more to this than soul, else Buddy could have easily saved Rainy himself, but that wasn’t important either. She didn’t need to know exactly how she was sharing her soul or what it would cost her, only that this could save her sweet hubby without killing her in the process. She wasn’t even certain about the last part, but she didn’t much care about that either, because it would serve him right if she died trying to save him, and then Daddy would be safe too since there would no longer be a ‘breeding pair’ of Ancestral Hares.

Not the ideal solution, but better than nothing, because Lin-Lin wasn’t ready to live in a world without Rainy.

Time came to a standstill as Lin-Lin envisioned her strength surging into Rainy, only for it to resume as she felt an ominous sense of threat settle upon her. The Heavens warning her of their impending Wrath, for she was drawing upon too much of it to save Rainy. Though determined to see this through to the end, fear and apprehension welled up from within despite her best efforts to focus on helping her hubby. Then, in a moment of Insight, Lin-Lin passed those emotions to him as well, showing him how scared she was and how sad she’d be if he ever left her. If he thought she was better off without him, then she would show him just how wrong he was, even if it made him sad to do so. Finally holding nothing back, Lin-Lin gave herself over to the Heavens, and they were receptive to her Will, for she possessed a powerful soul that had once been part and parcel of her body and mind both. Now, she wasn’t sure how they were all connected, but she was certain her soul was entwined with the Void and the Heavens both, so closely knit that even an errant effort of Will could set reality in flux, so one could imagine what a focused effort could accomplish. Hence why the Heavens did not take her meddling lightly, or the meddling of any Divinity, Ancestral Beast or otherwise, but Lin-Lin was more than happy to risk its Wrath for this cause.

Because Rainy was the best, and he knew how to stop Heaven’s Wrath, and stop it he did as his Domain Materialized to reinforce reality while she leveraged the full weight of her Will to save him.

The Heavens surged and swelled within the Void, like tall waves crashing against the cliffs and heavy winds uprooting trees, but Lin-Lin had hubby here with her today, which meant she had nothing to fear. Power unlike anything she’d ever experienced before threatened to overwhelm her, and for a moment, she worried she might have overstepped, but then hubby’s love and affection rose up to support her from within while his firm hands clasped onto hers to hold her tight. The emptiness of the Void disappeared around them as she was enveloped by a wholeness that made her feel complete, for she had her hubby here with her and was happy to give him everything she had to give, which he accepted as readily and instinctively as he accepted her embrace.

Only then did Lin-Lin realize her hubby was still unconscious and acting solely on instinct. Good. Rainy’s Natal Soul used love to trick her into accepting him, and now she was repaying the real Rainy in kind and tricking him into accepting her help. It was only fair, ya?

Beaming as she held her hubby tight in reality and the Void at the same time, Lin-Lin magnanimously forgave him for trying to leave her so long as he promised he wouldn’t do it again. He would, because now he could no longer pretend like he didn’t know how much he meant to her. Dummy. Pleased by how this all turned out, she took some time to catch her breath and think about what exactly was happening here, because even though she didn’t need to know, more knowledge was always a good thing, even if the end result was something of a setback. As far as she could tell, this wasn’t all that different from what Rainy did with his Natal Souls, in that she was helping him at the cost of her soul. The only difference was that she wasn’t making Natal Souls who were Balanced spiritual entities able to connect directly with the Heavens themselves, since souls were more or less the stuff of Heavenly Energy. Or maybe only part of it, or perhaps even something more, either way, Lin-Lin wasn’t entirely sure. What she did know was that she was Healing Rainy the same way Daddy Healed his patients, except she was using her soul to Heal instead of Chi or Heavenly Energy. Even though she’d never Healed anyone before, she understood the basic concept well enough. All she needed to do was convince Rainy’s soul to accept hers, the same way a Healer had to convince a wounded person to accept their Chi. Daddy never really got into the specifics of how one might do that, but Rainy had already figured out that love worked well enough for him, so why wouldn’t it work for Lin-Lin? He said it himself, even though the soul was inviolable, love and trust rendered those defences moot, which was how Roo-Roo Healed Sai-Sai in JiangHu. Now, Lin-Lin was Healing her hubby the same way, except rather than an injury of the body, she was mending his soul by sharing some of her own.

Because they were one soul in two bodies, lovers in this life and the next so long as she had anything to say about it.

… Or maybe one soul in six bodies, if you included Mi-Mi, Yan-Yan, Li-Li, and Luo-Luo, but the specifics of how that might work made Lin-Lin’s head spin.

No, it wasn’t the concept of six linked souls making her dizzy, but the process of Healing Rainy combined with fighting off the insidious deathly energies threatening to overwhelm them both. Lin-Lin thought it would be easy enough to deal with, because even though it scared her something fierce, there wasn’t too too much of it to start with. As far as she could tell, so long as they had strength enough, they could just wear down the deathly energy in a battle of attrition, and accept whatever damage it caused as a necessary expense. Now that it was surging through her however, she realized it was much worse than she thought, because rather than an infection that might well burn itself out, it was more like a poison settling into her bones and contaminating everything it touched. While it would still eventually dissipate in time, the damage was far worse than she imagined, and she wasn’t even sure if she could Heal from it. Feeling more than a little frightened once more, Lin-Lin made no effort to hide her fears because she was still immersed in sharing all her emotions to save Rainy, but to her surprise, someone responded to comfort and reassure her.

Not Rainy, who was still recovering from his ordeal and only just regaining consciousness. Nor was it Buddy, who was still running around in circles, but this time in joy rather than concern. No, the encouragement came from another source, one even more familiar to Lin-Lin than Buddy, because she spent most of her time with Ping Ping these days, since Rainy was either too busy or too comatose to play. At some point, the sweet turtle had joined them in the Void that was now Rainy’s Natal Palace, and though Ping Ping didn’t entirely understand what was going on and was feeling sad because the lake and waterslides were all gone, she still took the effort to share her love and confidence with Lin-Lin and Rainy both.

But that was not all she shared, as what began as a brief burst of emotion turned into a steady stream of Heavenly Energy and more, a warm and nurturing sensation that filled Lin-Lin with glee and excitement. It was a fresh breath of air after an afternoon of study, a cool breeze after a long climb up the tallest tree, the scent of a flower in blossom and the sensation of slipping her fingers in between Rainy’s as they held hands and made love.

It wasn’t just love, but also life, a gift Ping Ping shared without thinking twice.

A second stream joined soon after as Pong Pong made his presence known, radiating a sense of amusement at her frantic emotions, like he was making fun of her for panicking over nothing. He was always teasing her like that, and Rainy too, like a sagely older uncle laughing at their youthful ways, but Pong Pong was just as silly as Ping Ping and Mama Bun when it came time to play. Putting aside her pique and amusement, Lin-Lin watched as the two turtles made short work of the fearsome deathly energy, though she failed to understand just how they were able to manipulate a power so ineffable and empyreal. This was the energy of life itself, not just birth and creation, but youth and vigour and so much more. Then again, their control over it shouldn’t be all that surprising given how long an animal’s lifespan could be, as even Ping Ping was several millennia old at least, older even than the grouchy but kindly Guan Suo. Maybe most animals instinctively learned how to utilize this energy of life, which explained why so few Spiritual Beasts ever died of old age, and now Lin-Lin was determined to study it because it meant she might have more than a hundred years with Rainy and Luo-Luo, and more than five hundred with Mi-Mi, Yan-Yan, and Li-Li.

Forget the next life. This was a chance to spend this life together forever, a chance Lin-Lin would be silly to pass up...

So immersed in these thoughts, Lin-Lin didn’t even notice Rain woke up and cast them all out of his Natal Palace until he turned around in her embrace, his expression one of confused contrition and sheepish humiliation over having been caught trying to die. Rather than say anything to scold or comfort him, she reached up to pat his cheek while Mama Bun showered the other side with kisses. The love in her eyes would speak for her, and she’d already forgiven him his transgressions, though they would talk more about this later when he was ready to speak. Right now, all he’d do is apologize and feel guilty, but she didn’t want that. She wanted him to be happy, but he also needed to focus on the battle around them, so as he opened his mouth to speak however, she pushed Mama Bun into his arms and flashed him a smile before bolting away while Nai-Nai took the fight to the Enemy overhead. “Love you hubby,” she yelled, running slowly enough so he could hear. “Gotta go now, bye bye!”

Ignoring Daddy’s Sendings asking her where she was running off to, Lin-Lin made a bee-line towards Mi-Mi to test if their souls were one as well. If so, then they could share souls and Mi-Mi would have more Chi to set her enemies aflame, which was oh so fun to watch. Yan-Yan might also need help, since she was bound to run out of Chi soon enough, and then maybe Li-Li and Luo-Luo if Lin-Lin was still feeling fine, but neither of them were using Chi too too fast. This was how she would help, the same way Rainy helped others, albeit with a much more limited pool of recipients, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop her.

And the best part? Now that hubby knew she could restore his soul and life at the cost of her own, he wouldn’t spend it all willy nilly without thinking of the consequences. That was just how he was, always looking out for everyone else and never caring about himself, so he was lucky he had Lin-Lin to look out for him instead. Honestly, she didn’t care about winning this war or retaking the west, or even having to run from the Emperor and the Imperial Clan. So long as she was together with her hubby and all her sister-wives, then nothing else mattered.

But if all else failed, then she would find him in the next life and be his wifey again, so either way, Lin-Lin was just happy to be here with the people she loved.

Chapter Meme 1

Chapter Meme 2

Chapter Meme 3