52 – It Takes Two to Tango

HappyVainGlory

Once more at the private pagoda just outside the Celestial Jade Palace.

There, countless formations lit up the starry skies, surrounding the Realm Source. Fueling them, mountains of immortal jade, karmic beads, and all sorts of divine treasures were being consumed.

It was a reckless act. Something that even an Eternal Emperor resolved to sever their path to kill an opponent wouldn't dare do. The amount of resources being consumed was enough to groom an entire planet of immortals. Yet, that amount was being used to fuel a formation.

Of course, the one using those resources didn't care about the waste.

Yue tucked a strand of her light green hair behind her ear and frowned. "Still some time left..."

After seeing more karmic threads pop up around her beloved husband, most of them crimson, Yue had gone all out to speed up the alignments of the stars so that she could hurry and return to John's side.

Standing at her pagoda's courtyard, Yue looked up at the starry sky and said, "One month? No, a little over one and a half... 46 days about."

If she had calculated correctly, she should be able to cross over in that time period.

After realizing that, Yue idly played with a ring on her left hand.

It was a mere trinket. Something that not even an outer sect disciple would look at twice. A simple band of gold with a small diamond adorning it.

However, it was something Yue valued more than even that mountain of treasures floating in the skies.

Yue absently glanced at it and then cast a short sutra. Immediately, a thick crimson rope came into existence, stretching out to and beyond the Realm Source.

"...I should stop worrying."

Despite her husband's propensity to come across young and beautiful women on a daily... sometimes hourly basis, he had remained faithful ever since he swore to take responsibility.

The fact that their bond was still that strong... No, that it was that strong to begin with showed that he cared about her as much as, if not more, than she did about him.

That man just had a trauma against commitment and showing affection... Not that Yue could blame him considering his history.

After all, Alpha had not been the only one whose hand in marriage had been sought for by cosmic wars.

Yue sighed and then lowered her gaze.

At the moment, she was sitting at a table, dressed in a comfortable and loose white robe. In front of her, there was a crystal board with countless twinkling lights, like the stars above. But most were faint, mere pinpoints of color.

There were exceptions though.

Yue tapped on the crystal board, causing faint threads to ripple from her hands and change the view. The smaller lights vanished, leaving only a golden orb, suspended over the board like the sun. Orbiting around the 'sun', there was a smaller black star, crackling with violet energy. There was also a crimson star with six comets orbiting it.

John, Alpha, and then Beta.

Yue tapped on John's light and then frowned.

It was barely visible beneath the golden glow, but a number of the lesser lights floating far in the distance were being drawn to the sun. And among those lights, a few had faint crimson threads.

Yue's eye twitched and she waved her hands, causing those threads to snap. But it didn't stop the motion of the lights. Seeing that, she sighed. "Master truly is too exceptional for his own good."

Should she consider it good fortune that he chose her among all the others in existence? Or should she consider it bad luck that she had her heart taken by a man whose very nature caused him to both draw and be drawn to talented beauties no matter where he went?

Space rippled and then faint footsteps sounded.

Yue turned her head to see a teenaged girl walk over, carrying a tray with a tea kettle and a pair of cups.

Her hair was light green, like Yue's, but the ends were tinged gold. It seemed that she had also just returned from training as she was wearing a martial artist's robe instead of her usual loose blouse.

Yue smiled and said, "You didn't have to bring me tea, Omega."

The girl, Omega, smiled back and said, "It is my pleasure to do so, Dearest Mother. Anything to alleviate your stress in these trying times."

Yue sighed. "Yes... It has been a difficult week." Her brow furrowed, remembering all that had happened. "Even in a world with few laws of existence, Master continues to draw trouble towards him."

Omega sat down across from Yue and flipped the cups over. After that, she started pouring tea. "You mean that my worthless father continues to draw beauties towards him."

Yue let out a dry laugh. "Indeed. That is the primary form of trouble that Master faces..."

Omega calmly slid a cup of tea towards Yue and then tilted her head. "And you are not upset with him, Dearest Mother?"

Yue took the tea and sighed. "I have... calmed down." She frowned. "To be honest, I have been more emotional than usual these days." She sighed. "I suppose that distance does make the heart grow fonder..."

The past week had been a whirlwind of emotions. Despair, sorrow, wrath, melancholy, wistfulness, longing... and then acceptance as she finally managed to get a handle on her feelings and think rationally.

Omega sipped her tea and nodded. "Dearest Mother has been acting a bit differently from your usual calm demeanor. But that is understandable. After all, my worthless father left with but a few words, taking everything with him save for the barest essentials."

Yue waved her hand and grabbed her tea cup. "Your father was always like that, even before you were born, Omega."

"Which is why I continue to call him a worthless father." Omega frowned. "Not to mention the fact that his other two self-proclaimed daughters knew of his departure before we or Big Sisters Alpha and Beta did."

"That's because those two are stalkers, Omega. And remember this for the future: If you love someone, you must give them space to breathe."

Omega blinked and tilted her head. "...Then why have you been wrapping karmic threads around Father since he reappeared on his home world?"

Yue coughed and then said, "W-Well... I said space to breathe, not space to leave you behind. And it's important to stake your claim on someone like your father lest some uppity tart calling herself the paramount beauty of the heavenly expanse throws her lascivious cow body upon him."

"That... sounds awfully specific, Dearest Mother."

Yue shook her head. "Don't worry about it. And thank you for the tea... Golden Chrysanthemum, is it?"

Omega smiled. "I thought that Dearest Mother could use some of your favorite tea to relax."

"I appreciate it, my lovely daughter."

Omega's smile widened.

Yue raised the cup and closed her eyes, admiring the familiar calming aroma. Then, she took a sip and-

"Pft!"

Yue's eyes widened and she quickly pushed the cup away.

"D-Dearest Mother?!" Omega stood up in shock.

Yue shook her head, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. "What in the heavens...?"

"I-Is it not to your liking, Dearest Mother?!"

Yue frowned and stared at her tea cup. The liquid inside was a light gold color, similar to her beloved husband's hair. At the same time, the aroma was definitely the same as she remembered, the relaxing and nostalgic scent that Yue always used to unwind after hearing the latest ridiculous antics her beloved husband had run into.

But...

Omega frowned and quickly walked over, sipping Yue's cup of tea. "This... is definitely the same as the tea I poured for myself..."

Yue gestured towards Omega's cup. "Might I...?"

"Of course!" The green-haired girl quickly slid her cup over to her mother.

Yue stared at it. This time, she used her spiritual sense as well to confirm.

Everything was the same. In fact, the specific flowers used were those that she grew herself. A unique and tailored group that John had created for her as an apology.

Frowning, Yue carefully took a sip. And then she had to resist the urge to gag, quickly putting the cup on the table to wipe her mouth.

Omega seemed frantic and quickly materialized a bottle of refined spiritual water. "Mom! Drink this!"

Was she that concerned? Omega dropped the formal title for Yue and brought the bottle up to her mother's mouth.

Feeling a bit nauseous still, Yue didn't resist and simply sipped on the water.

A faint and refreshing sensation. A current of calming cool energy.

With that, Yue felt better, finally getting rid of the nausea and disgusting taste on her tongue.

Omega stepped back, staring at Yue with panic.

Yue sighed. "Sorry to worry you, Daughter."

"No! It's fine, Mom! But..." She glanced at Yue and said, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Manners, Daughter."

"Ah." Omega nodded and said, "Dearest Mother. Are you certain that you are well?" She furrowed her brow and said, "Could it be that the stress has distorted your senses?"

"...That may be the case." Yue frowned and then suddenly felt a wave of fatigue, causing her to slump.

"M-Mom?!"

Before Omega could move over, Yue waved her hand. "I'm fine. But it appears that I'm more exhausted from this endeavor than I thought..."

She shook her head and glanced at the spiritual formations in the skies. "But..."

"Leave it to me, Mom!" Omega patted her chest and said, "You've worked hard enough!"

"Omega-"

Omega shook her head and carefully lifted Yue up from the table, nudging her towards the nearby curtained bed. "Sleep, Mom. I'll take care of things with Dad here. I don't want you to overexert yourself."

Yue let herself be guided and muttered, "I suppose I have been working quite hard this past week..." Enough to where she had cravings for food when she had been able to abstain for years on end.

"Then you deserve your rest! Let your Esteemed Daughter handle everything from here!"

"...That doesn't give me much confidence in you, Omega. You are aware that a mistake will mean that we must wait even longer, are you not?"

Omega nodded. "Of course!" The teenaged girl puffed her chest and said, "But while I might not be as skilled in Karma as Dearest Mother is, my supreme path of Taiji gives me excellent understanding of spatial dimensions! If it is just maintaining what Dearest Mother has already created, I am more than enough!"

Yue smiled. "In that case, I will leave it to you." She walked over to her bed, draped with golden curtains and laid down.

"Leave it to me, Dearest Mother!" Omega smiled, patting her chest.

Yue nodded and laid down, waving her hand to shut the curtains. After that, she closed her eyes to sleep... but then realized that something was bothering her.

Yue shifted, turning on her bed, wondering what exactly it was. And then she realized that her body felt strangely sensitive... particularly around her chest.

Realizing that, Yue flushed and then laid on her back, not wanting to admit it. But since her robes kept irritating her chest, Yue sighed and sent them away, leaving her pristine body bare.

"Master, you pervert. What happened to taking responsibility?"

Muttering those words while staring at her bed canopy, Yue sighed and closed her eyes, letting the wave of fatigue take her.

HappyVainGlory