American Perspectives: Dragon-Phoenix Pt. 2 ("Ashes of Love" Ep. 14)

 

 

***The intent of The Flower Realm by 사극 Paradise is to support women and men in rejecting the culture of pornography, and to live a life of integrity without manipulative intent.***
 
"Ashes of Love" is a Xianxia drama based on the novel "Heavy Sweetness. Ash-Like Frost," by Dian Xian.  The writing presented here is based on observations from the television show "Ashes of Love."  Dialogue credit goes to the English subtitle translaters from the "Gone with the Shirt Team" at Viki.com.  
 

 

 

 

 

Tai Wei awkwardly stands near Chief Peony in the Flower Realm Palace Great Hall.

 

"Head Fragrance Chief, while we're standing here today, tell me everything honestly.  Is Jin Mi my daughter or not?"

 

Oh, Great Merciful Buddha, Chief Peony thinks.  Where the hell are my prayer beads when I need them?  "With this magnificent soul of Past Mistress above, no matter how many times Your Majesty may ask, I only have one answer.  Jin Mi isn't your daughter."

 

Tai Wei turns around to face Chief Peony.  "Don't try to fool me.  Zi Fen died after giving birth at the end of the Summer of Year of Heaven 28,613.  If we calculate it based on that, Jin Mi is indeed my daughter."

 

"Your Majesty, you have it wrong," says Chief Peony.  "Jin Mi wasn't born at the end of summer, but during the Frost's Descent of the previous year."

 

Tai Wei sighs.  "I know that I wronged Zi Fen and caused her to die bearing hatred.  I also know that all of you are outraged by the injustice she suffered.  But these past years, I have been looking for a chance to make up for those past regrets.  You all also don't want to see Jin Mi become an orphan, right?"

 

"Your Majesty, have you forgotten why Past Mistress died, and who is the reason why she died?"  Chief Peony pointedly asks.  "Just a few days ago, Heavenly Empress came to our Flower Realm, destroyed the Memorial altar of Past Mistress, and Jin Mi almost died in her hands.  You surely know about this, right?  If Your Majesty still puts any importance on past affection, stop placing the only descendant of Past Mistress in danger."

 

"Regarding Heavenly Empress, you can be at ease.  I will personally mediate it.  I'll get her and the whole Heavenly Realm to accept Jin Mi."

 

Chief Peony doesn't know if she should laugh or cry.  If you had that kind of power over Tu Yao, Zi Fen wouldn't have died in the first place.  "Just for little Jin Mi, how can we dare trouble Heavenly Emperor to waste your mental strength in planning this?  By doing this, the Emperor and the Empress become estranged, and the world will be in unrest.  Jin Mi won't be able to bear such consequences.  The Heavenly Realm has so many crossroads.  Despite Past Mistress being a revered Shangshen, she still got repeatedly plotted against.  What about a weak child if left alone?  It's enough for Jin Mi to have a place like Flower Realm that can block the wind and rain for her.  I ask Heavenly Emperor to give her a path to survive."

 

Tai Wei sighs.  "Fine," he nods.  "This matter must indeed be meticulously discussed and planned.  But you must know that even though things have changed with the passage of time, my initial heart hasn't changed.  One day, I will reunite with Jin Mi.  I must welcome her back to Heavenly Realm in a grand and majestic manner.  This is also my way of giving the soul of Zi Fen above an explanation."

 

Chief Peony gives him an icy stare.  "Since that's the case, I'm going to wipe my eyes and wait, then."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jin Mi approaches her mother's altar.  "Former Flower Deity, I'm here to visit you."  She kneels and places a plate full of cakes on the altar.

 

She touches her forehead to the cushion on the ground.  She raises her head, and touches her forehead to the cushion twice more.  "Now, can I call you...mother?  Mother, I've reunited with my father, Water Deity.  He told me that you liked eating fresh flower cakes the most while you were still alive.   What a coincidence!  That's also my favorite.  Here, I've brought you some.  Although they don't look that good, I personally made them, and they taste okay.  Don't dislike them."  She scoots the plate forward.

 

Jin Mi sits comfortably on the cushion.  "Honestly, in these past 4,000 years, I kept imagining the scenes of our meeting.  But I never expected that it will be in this manner.  Before, I was even thinking that when I see you, I must tell you a lot of my true feelings.  But I never thought that before this, I actually have told you almost all of them.  You are indeed an unexpected mother.  I envied Lian Qiao a lot before.  Because whenever it was time to eat, her mother would send a butterfly to call her.  I would then think how nice it would be if I also had a mother.  My mother would call me to eat.  But now that I know that I had a mother, I've grown more envious of her.  How can there be a mother like you in this world?  Giving birth to me, then abandoning me.  You even locked me up in Water Mirror for 4,000 years.  Let Head Fragrance Chief fool me into thinking I was a grape without any parents.  You even hid my true form, causing my spiritual energy to be very low.  How did Father Water Deity and I wrong you?"

 

A pink petal floats down onto Jin Mi's sleeve.  She picks up the petal and studies it.  "Forget it.  Although you are not that kind to me, you are still the one who brought me into this world."  She sighs.  "Okay already.  I'm leaving now.  Father and I will live well.  Once I get the free time, I will come visit you.  I'm going now."

 

Jin Mi rises and walks away as a thick shower of pink petals fall from the sky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Luo Lin enters the Water Mirror, and Chief Peony respectfully bows.

 

"Deity," says Chief Peony.

 

"While Jin Mi is out to pay respects to Zi Fen," says Luo Lin, "there is one thing that I want to ask you."

 

"Deity," says Chief Peony, "you have said it too seriously.  I will surely tell you everything."

 

"While checking Jin Mi's true form, I discovered that in her body, other than the Jialan Spell, there is another restricting seal."

 

Everything except that, Chief Peony thinks.

 

"I've asked Lao Hu," Luo Lin continues, "but he refused to say anything.  Do you know about this?"

 

"This restricting seal was personally created by Past Mistress," Chief Peony acknowledges.  "Past Mistress calculated that Jin Mi will face a life trial before she reaches 10,000 years in age.  She did it to help Jin Mi avoid any calamity or dampen any disaster.  But regarding what it is specifically, we also don't know," Chief Peony lies.

 

"Really?"  Luo Lin asks skeptically.

 

"Yes, but may Deity be at ease.  Past Mistress placed that seal out of a motherly heart.  It will not harm Jin Mi at all.  May Deity be at ease."

 

"Since it was Zi Fen's desire," Luo Lin concedes, "fine then."

 

As he exits the Water Mirror, Chief Begonia approaches Chief Peony.  "Head Sister, Water Deity is Jin Mi's biological father.  Why don't we just tell him the truth about the pellet?"

 

"Water Deity has always been kind and softhearted," Chief Peony acknowledges.  "He likes to go with the flow.  Based on his attitude, if he knew that the pellet is suppressing Jin Mi's innate tendencies, he most likely will take it out.  What if the prediction of Past Mistress comes true and Jin Mi encounters her love trial before her 10,000th year?  In that case, how can we explain things to Past Mistress?"

 

Chief Begonia nods.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Luo Lin and Jin Mi ascend the steps to the South Heavenly Gate.

 

"From now on, you can't make casual remarks while in the Cloud Nine Palace," says Luo Lin.

 

"Don't worry, Father," says Jin Mi.  "I'll just obediently sit there and listen to your words.  I won't be talkative, and I'll try not to converse with Heavenly Empress.  This way, she won't be able to do anything to me, either."

 

"If Heavenly Empress makes things hard on you again, you don't need to fear her," says Luo Lin.

 

"Water Deity!  Water Deity!"  Rat Immortal runs down the steps.

 

Luo Lin and Rat Immortal bow to each other.

 

Jin Mi shyly hides behind her father.

 

"Water Deity, where are you going?"  Rat Immortal asks.

 

"I'm taking my daughter to Cloud Nine Palace."

 

Rat Immortal looks over at an embarrassed Jin Mi.

 

Luo Lin smiles.  "Ah.  This is my daughter, Jin Mi.  Mi'er, quickly greet Rat Immortal."

 

Run Yu quietly watches them from behind a pillar.

 

"Hello, Rat Immortal," Jin Mi says hesitantly.

 

With a point of his fingers, Run Yu quietly shoots some blue energy forward, which wraps around the pillars.

 

"You seem to be in a rush," says Luo Lin.  "Are you going down to the Mortal World?"

 

"I was just about to look for you," says Rat Immortal.

 

The glittery blue energy wrapping around the pillars catches Jin Mi's eye.

 

"Why are you looking for me?"  Luo Lin asks.

 

Jin Mi walks toward the pillars, not noticing Run Yu hiding behind a wall.

 

He quietly walks out and smiles.  "Immortal Jin Mi.  What a coincidence."

 

"Little Fish Immortal!  Are you on your way to patrol the night?"

 

"No rush, it's still very early," says Run Yu.  "Oh, right, you returned to the Flower Realm a few days ago.  Did the Fragrance Chiefs make things hard on you?"

 

Jin Mi shakes her head and smiles.

 

Run Yu chuckles.  "That's good, then.  Immortal Jin Mi, you must be careful while in Heavenly Realm.  Heavenly Empress is still angry and might do things to harm you.  Why don't I accompany you to where you're going so you can have someone take care of you?"

 

"Little Fish Immortal," says Jin Mi, "no need to be worried about me.  You must not delay getting to your post just because of me.  With the time you're spending to talk to me, I probably have caused you delay in hanging the stars and setting up the night."

 

"No such thing," Run Yu insists.  "I was honored when you said last time that you like me.  I feel grateful from the bottom of my heart."

 

Luo Lin observes them carefully after Rat Immortal has taken his leave.  Frankly, he doesn't think Run Yu is any better for Jin Mi than Xu Feng.  Both are the sons of Zi Fen's rapist after all.

 

"I surely will not refuse to be of service to you," Run Yu continues.  "It's just that I have been arranged to be married since I was little.  I fear that I might disappoint your good intentions."

 

"No big deal," Jin Mi smiles unassumingly.  "We're all friends.  Little Fish Immortal, even if you are engaged to be married, I still like you."

 

Run Yu grins.  "I like you, too."

 

Luo Lin clears his throat.

 

"Greetings to the Water Deity," Run Yu bows.  "I was careless earlier and didn't sense your presence.  Hope you will forgive me.  I don't know when you arrived, but I'm sure that you've heard a little bit of my conversation with Immortal Jin Mi."

 

Luo Lin smiles uncomfortably.

 

Run Yu kneels.

 

"Little Fish Immortal!"  Jin Mi admonishes.

 

"Here, I apologize to Water Deity for my sin," Run Yu says.

 

"Little Fish Immortal!"  Jin Mi says uncomfortably.

 

Luo Lin chuckles.  "What sin does Night Deity have?  I'm very willing to hear it."

 

"I committed a grave sin," Run Yu insists.  "My sin is that I shouldn't have fallen for Immortal Jin Mi while bearing the marriage agreement that you and Royal Father have agreed upon.  Although I'm not some great sage, I am not an unfaithful person.  Since Immortal Jin Mi and I have already developed mutual affection, from now on, I can only hand my heart to her.  I can't marry anyone else.  Hence, I must break the previous agreement of marrying your eldest daughter.  I know very well that my sin is unforgiveable.  May the Water Deity punish me."

 

But I am the eldest daughter of Water Deity, Jin Mi thinks.  Why did he say that he likes me, but can't marry me?  Oh, right, Little Fish Immortal doesn't know yet.

 

Luo Lin steps forward.  "Night Deity, quickly rise."

 

"Hurry and get up, Little Fish Immortal," Jin Mi adds.

 

"Does Night Deity know the consequences of breaking the agreement?"  Luo Lin asks.

 

"It most likely involves removing me from my deity status, and being demoted to the Mortal World," Run Yu replies.  "If I'm able to be with Immortal Jin Mi for a lifetime, so what if I have to give up this ostentatious Heavenly Realm?"

 

"You must not!"  Jin Mi insists.

 

"If you get demoted to being mortal, your life will be like a drop of water in the ocean," says Luo Lin.  "A short span of years will pass so fleetingly, and you have to suffer the pain of birth, old age, sickness, and death.  Just for Mi'er, are you not afraid?"

 

"As long as I'm able to stay together with the one I love, I'm willing to do anything, even dying," Run Yu replies.  "As long as I'm able to stay together with the one I love, I'm willing to be a mere mortal, and not envy the immortals.  That's what my heart desires, and it will never change, even if I die several times."

 

"Okay," Luo Lin smiles.  "I will remember what you said today, Night Deity.  Hope that you won't forget it.  Mi'er, let's go."

 

"Okay," says Jin Mi.  "Farewell, Little Fish Immortal."

 

 

...To be continued...