YiJun's POV

I open my eyes to the image of Xuan slumped over Jian. He is calling her name over and over again in desperation while rocking her petite frame gently.

"Didi, what happened?" I enquire, rising from the bed. I can sense raw celestial power coursing through every fiber of my being just like it had done before the fall.

Jian stares at me. His eyes are bloodshot. "Xiōngdì, I can't feel her spirit." He gestures me to hold her hand, and to my dismay, I too fail to sense it.

"This is impossible." I shake my head and glance at my palm and wrist. They are blemish-free. Let alone my physical wounds, I couldn't even feel the venom that the binds of agony should have invariably left inside me.

No, she couldn't have...she shouldn't have!

"Xuan!" I pull my sister into my arms and hold her to my chest. "Meimei, what did you do?" I demand, fearing the worse.

"Gege," Her eyes open a smidgen before closing on me again. Her lips turn up in a small relieved smile, "it worked..."

"Jiejie!" Jian moves closer to us, and our sister reaches her hand out for him to take, "Ah-Jian, I will live. But my sacrifice will count to nothing if you don't help Gege return to Xian."

"Meimei, what did you do?" I enquire again, but she shakes her head, "Hei Chi will tell you that he wants to reconcile with father."

"Xuan," I stroke her head, "Tell me what you did, please."

"Gege, don't fall for his lies. Don't let yourself get captured. You have your strength now. You can protect us...and Xian."

"Xiōngdì, what is she talking about?" Jian's gaze drifts towards me, seeking answers I wasn't prepared to give him.

"Wait," I instruct and turn my attention back to Xuan; from her words, I could tell that she had had a vision, and she was trying to warn me.

"I am sorry that I doubted you, Gege." Tears leave her beautiful orbs, "I saw him...my son. He is beautiful." Xuan's fingers fist the fabric over her heart, "He is with Hei Chi, isn't he?"

I nod. "It was Xian's idea to go to him. Hei Chi is possessing a human at the moment. Because of overestimating himself, he made a mistake that I think may have rendered him weak at the moment." I glance at my brother, "Xian is on heaven's side. I tried to convince father, but he doesn't want to believe me."

"If Hei Chi is in the mortal realm, that means the underworld-"

"We can't attack them. That would be breaking the treaty."

"Are you listening to yourself, Xiōngdì? They are the ones who broke it first when they let the unclean out!" As always, Jian's temper flairs.

"We can't get rid of the underworld, Didi."

"Why!?"

"Because they help us keep balance and order," I explain but don't get through to him.

"Brother, what do you think they would do if our positions were reversed, hum?"

"They would attack us and make us kneel to them." I reply and put my hand on his shoulder, "But we are not them, brother. We have been entrusted with protecting the mortal realm. The humans are our responsibility, not theirs."

Jian nods, understanding dawns on him finally, "What do you want to do?"

"Gege," Xuan tugs at my sleeve, "I want to talk to you," She lowers her eyes, "alone."

Getting the hint, Jian rises to his feet, "I will go-"

"Didi, can you bring Elder Meng here? Xuan needs to be looked at." I request; Jian nods and leaves, closing the door behind him.

Color slowly starts to return to her pale cheeks. I help her sit up.

"I saw them: Xian and Hei Chi, in the underworld. Hei Chi seemed fond of Xian. I think he told Xian about his father." Her eyes drat towards the door, "I can't be sure, but from what I could gather, Hei Chi has told Xian that he was father's first creation. Do you think there could be any truth to that?"

I recall everything that Father had unknowingly let slip previously. Making sure that we were alone, I urge my sister to tell me everything.
Just as she finishes narrating what she had witnessed earlier, there is a knock on the door. A moment later, Jian walks in with Elder Meng in tow.

To say that Elder Meng was surprised to see me up and about would be an understatement. He closes the gap between us in three long strides and takes my hand in his. His ancient eye look between Xuan and me. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighs, "Xuan, the Heavenly Father will not take kindly to what you have done."

Guilt and shame lap at my heart as I recall that in my haste to get answers I had forgotten to ask her what she had done to take care of my internal and external wounds. "Elder, what did she do?" I ask, but the old man ignores me.

A silent communication passes between the two, after which the old man nods. "She will be fine. I will escort her to Kunlun." He states, rising to his feet, but Xuan stops him.

"Elder, you were here before us. There is something I need you to clarify."

The old man narrows his eyes and fixes me with a cold, stern gaze, "I won't lower myself to speak to a tainted man."

"I am afraid that if you don't tell us what we want to know, my son will not be the only one to lose his life. Elder Meng, Hei Chi has his sights set on heaven."

Jian nods and sits on the other side of Xuan, "You are aware that the security at the Golden gates has been compromised. We don't know how far inside heaven the demons have entered." He adds to Xuan's words sincerely, trying to convince the Elder to throw light on the truth.

The old man's eyes fill with terror. "That's not possible!"

"Elder, the eternal tree is perishing, isn't it?" Xuan holds the Elder's eyes. "I have seen it."

"How..." Elder Meng wonders aloud. The security around the ancient tree was impenetrable. Besides him, the only others allowed inside its premises were father and Xuan.

"Is saw it in a vision, the day after Gege fell."

"Why didn't you inform me?" The old man accuses. Xuan was the most obedient of the three of us. The fact that she had neglected to convey this critical detail to him probably upset him.

"I don't know. Maybe I wanted heaven to suffer, just as I had." Xuan replies in a guilt-ridden voice. "I know I was wrong." She bows her head, "Elder, why do you think it's dying?"

"I can't be sure, but it seems to have been poisoned."

"What has the power to poison it?" I enquire, forgetting that my time in the mortal realm had rendered me unworthy in the Elder's eyes, "I apologize for speaking out of turn, Elder. If my presence bothers you, I shall leave." I rise from my place next to Xuan. However, Elder Meng holds his palm out. "Give me your hand."

I oblige, and he takes my hand in his; closing his eyes, he chants an incantation. I don't recognize it.
A few seconds later, he glances at Xuan, "The eternal tree is pure and powerful. It has the power to protect itself." He contemplates on how to go on before biting the bullet. "Apart from the three of us," he says, referring to the ones who were allowed near the sacred tree, "no has ever touched it. I have never left heaven, YuTiandi hasn't been to visit it for decades now," he turns to Xuan completely, "My child, that just leaves you. You were sent to the mortal realm, and when you returned, you gave birth to Xian. YuTiandi told me that YiJun was the child's father; that is what I have believed till today. Xuan, tell me the truth. Is YiJun truly the father of your son?"

Xuan shakes her head, "I met Xian's father in the mortal realm. I fell in love with him, and we got married. He was a wonderful man and husband. Father had asked me to live among them as a mortal would. I stayed with my husband as man and wife."

A sad smile plays on her lips, "Father had told me that no mortal could taint me. To my surprise, I conceived. I felt betrayed by Zhen and confronted him. He was overjoyed but I could sense that the news worried him as well. He knew what I was even before I told him and told me that he couldn't reveal the truth of his identity yet, but reassured me that he would do so soon. Barely days after, Zhen disappeared, but not before telling me that he was going to set things right. I waited for him to return, but he never did. A few days later, his disfigured body was found in a nearby park. I was distraught, even though my heart couldn't sense his loss. I thought that it was father's doing. I concluded that father had become aware of my condition and thus had killed my husband and brought me back home. Zhen never got around to telling me who he was or why he wanted to hide my child from father. All I know is that he loved me as I loved him." She took a deep breath, "The day Xian was born and I stepped out of where Gege had hidden me, the eternal tree tried and failed to strike Xian. It was at that moment that I felt a pang in my heart. And something told me that I had lost my Zhen forever."

Listening to my sister narrate her tale of love and loss shook me to the core. I blamed myself for not inquiring about the circumstances of her unexpected return. I hated that I was unaware of what our father had planned for her.

Why did our father send his most precious creation to the mortal realm? Why did he let her experience love?

My mind was reeling at the onslaught of questions I knew I was not prepared to handle the answers to.

How had Zhen died? If his life had ended as a mortal, why did Xian blame Hei Chi?

The color drains from the old man's face. "Was Zhen his true name?"

Xuan nods, "That's what he wanted to be called when no one was around. All these years, I wondered who he was. But now I think I know the answer. I saw a vision, Elder, and that is why we called you here."

The old man's eyes become alert, "A vision?"

"I saw my son with Hei Chi in the underworld. He told my son that he was his father's first creation. Is that true?"

The old man closes his eyes and stays silent.

"Did Hei Chi have a brother...a brother named Zhen? Did father make them leave, or did they fall? Elder, were they archangels like us? Did father take their wings?"

Elder Meng nods; opening his eyes, he raises to his feet and turns away.

"Elder, please speak," Jian demands, frustrated.

"Now I know why the eternal tree attacked your son the day he was born. Xuan, you were created by YuTiandi. On your return, he sent you to me. Your attachment to your mortal life was interfering with your core. It was driving you insane. You couldn't even tell the difference between good and bad. You couldn't hear prayers either. To cleanse your mind, I took you to the tree of life and let you drink its elixir." He leaves a shaky breath, "Xuan, what Hei Chi told your son is the truth. He is YuTiandi's first creation. Zhen, your husband, was the second one your father created. But when Hei Chi fell in love with a demoness named Fei and defied YuTiandi, he took his wings and banished him. Zhen stood up for Hei Chi and thus was punished as well. Having been thrown out of heaven, he swore to avenge the demoness and proceeded to take charge of the underworld. He hid in its depths, shielding himself from YuTiandi, waiting for a chance to make the Heavenly Father kneel to him." Keeping his eyes on the glimmering floor, he adds, "Xuan, Zhen was a fallen archangel. When you became man and wife, his touch tainted you." He turns to me, "You wanted to know what is strong enough to poison the eternal tree, didn't you?"

I nod.

"Take a guess."

My heart plummets to my knees, "The touch of a tainted," I reply, knowing in my heart that I had hit the nail on the head.

{Note:- That's it for this update. I know it was a lot to take in.

If you guys have any doubts please feel free to ask. ❤ and ⭐Vote⭐ for this update if you have enjoyed it!}