Yu Di focused as many of his mental energies as he could to block out the pills effects on his brain. Except, nothing was happening. He couldn’t feel his body anymore, but he knew he was slipping away. Only a few more minutes before his entire body shut down from lack of air.

  In that moment between life and death, a light hit him. It wasn’t a normal light, but one that seemed to bathe him in Goddess Qi.

  A woman appeared before him as he floated in the ether. This woman looked how Vimala looked when they battled upon the mountain. A white priestess robe that covered her from head to toe, a face mask, and those green eyes stared at him.

  Yu Di could tell right away, this was not Vimala. This presence was on a higher realm than his senses could comprehend.

  “Who are you?” Yu Di asked. He was surprised he could speak now.

  “I am the Goddess of Miryana,” the Goddess said as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. She didn’t say more except her eyes kept searching Yu Di all over.

  “Why am I here?”

  The Goddess looked up and Yu Di could swear she pouted underneath the face mask. “You’re here because one of my foolish disciples gave you one of my flames.” Again no further explanation. Was this how all Gods and Goddesses acted? No wonder the mortals were always confused as to what they wanted.

  “Let me ask a more important question. Am I dead?”

  “Yes.”

  Well, at least Yu Di had that.

  “And no,” the Goddess said.

  Yu Di closed his eyes. He might be dead, but that rage and fury bubbling underneath was very alive. He wanted nothing more than to just get on with the hell he was going to face. Just bring on King Yama and his boiling cauldrons of oil already. Dealing with this Goddess was almost as annoying as dealing with Vimala.

  “I apologize for my colleague,” a smooth voice said behind Yu Di. A man wearing ceremonial Celestial Jade clothes appeared. He had pictures of flames embroidered all over it. “She’s just upset at how this is turning out.”

  “Who are you?”

  The man was taken aback. His mouth opened and only some soft mumbling came out. He shook his head.

  “I guess it’s to be expected,” the man said. “I bring you the gift of fire and you can’t even remember a simple God like me.”

  “You’re Sui Ren?” Yu Di asked.

  The God nodded. He took out a round disk and pushed the center of it. It turned into a drill. Even disembodied, Yu Di could feel the strong fire Qi coming off the artifact.

  “I apologize. If I could, I would kowtow to you right now.”

  Sui Ren waved the notion away. “No need to apologize. But we do need to do something about your current situation. It seems that because you have a flame of the Goddess of Miryana, you can’t go to our after life. You’ll have to follow her. However, I can tell from her face that she would rather raze the entire city of Miryana before allowing you to go with her.”

  Goddess of Miryana’s eyes twitched.

  “So I propose an easy solution,” Sui Ren said. “Why don’t you resurrect him and allow him to continue his life? He doesn’t have many months left in his lifespan anyway. How much more damage could he do to your city?”

  Goddess of Miryana gave Sui Ren an icy cold stare.

  “Fine. Don’t listen to my good, offered advice. Bring him with you to the afterlife of Miryana. Give him his just reward for having a flame of Miryana. Judging by how many times it’s been ignited, you might have to make him your new consort.”

  Goddess of Miryana’s eyes twitched harder, if that were possible. Even through the mask, Yu Di could tell she was cursing his name.

  “I beg your pardon, but I still don’t know what’s going on,” Yu Di said.

  “It’s simple. The flame of Miryana is only given to their true followers.” Sui Ren tapped the area where Yu Di’s dantian would be. “You got one somehow. Her laws state that anyone with a flame were protectors of the city and those who had them renewed would be granted greater and greater rewards in the after life. Only the Goddess’ avatar can renew it.”

  It all made sense to Yu Di now. He gained the flame from Arzu as it was the only way for him to survive. Then Vimala had been reigniting the flame over and over. She either had to know that would happen or didn’t care.

  Sui Ren chuckled. “Even now your little friend down there is reigniting that flame. If she does it a few more times, you might have to marry the Goddess.”

  Yu Di glanced at her face. She was blushing. Except he wasn’t sure if it was out of embarrassment or anger at this point.

  “I will resurrect your worthless body under one condition,” Goddess of Miryana said. “You will relinquish all claim on the flame should you die again.”

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  Sui Ren wrapped his arm around Yu Di’s shoulder and pulled him aside. Not sure how he did that to a disembodied man, but Yu Di wasn’t complaining. “Listen here. Don’t take that offer. You only have what, fifteen months left to live even if you go back? Looking at what you’re dealing with, you’re probably going to die again. There’s no guarantee that Ying Fusu will let you live. Why not go with her and live a happy after life?”

  “Sui Ren! I’ve already compromised everything for this. Don’t you dare lead him astray.” Goddess of Miryana stalked over, carrying a large wooden spear. The Goddess’ Qi rolled off it in blinding torrents.

  “Hey, I’m only trying to protect my people,” Sui Ren said. He snapped his finger and the wooden spear’s tip caught on fire.

  Goddess of Miryana snuffed it out and put the spear away. She raised her hands into the air, calling down a massive wave of Qi to her. “You are in my domain, you three-eyed bug.”

  Sui Ren raised his hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay, but you have to admit, simply resurrecting him and sending him on his way is not enough for all the merit he’s accrued in helping your people.”

  Goddess of Miryana put her hands down, but the Qi didn’t dissipate. It swirled above her head as if waiting for her call to strike down the two.

  “What do you want?” she asked.

  “I don’t want anything. However, Yu Di might want some of that juice.” Sui Ren pointed up toward the Qi. “Just enough to make him reach his full potential.”

  Yu Di reached out with his senses toward the cloud of Qi. Even a drop of that would kill him. What was the fire god thinking?

  Yu Di cupped his hands and bowed his head, as well as he could. “Benevolent Goddess, I would never be so bold as to ask for your Godly Qi. However, Sui Ren is right. I can’t go back without some way to defend myself.”

  Goddess of Miryana leaned forward and took off her face mask. It was Vimala’s face.

  How did that work? Did the Goddess wear the face of her avatar in this space? Or had she always been the true Goddess and Yu Di was just too blind to see it?

  “I will make a better offer,” Goddess of Miryana said. “I will do as Sui Ren says and give you enough to bring you up to your full potential. I will also provide you a shard of my spear in the form of a trident. Besides surrendering the flame, you must also swear to protect my city for the next ten thousand years.”

  Before Yu Di could accept, Sui Ren stepped in again. “You can’t expect him to do nothing but sit here and protect it. He’s got things to do, people to see, and more importantly realms to climb. He won’t do your job for you.”

  Goddess of Miryana glared at Sui Ren.

  The fire god opened the third eye on his forehead and glared back.

  “Fine. Only a thousand years, final offer.”

  Sui Ren jabbed Yu Di in the side. “Take it before she changes her mind.”

  Yu Di had a few other questions, but decided better to not ask. He nodded.

  “Very well then,”Goddess of Miryana said. “In order for me to reclaim my flame, I will have to take it from you.”

  “Okay.” Yu Di spread his arms out as if waiting for the gentle pull of a Goddess.

  Goddess of Miryana scowled before waving a hand to disperse Sui Ren’s presence. She leaned in close to Yu Di’s face and kissed him.

  Yu Di’s eyes bulged and his lips tensed. Watching as Vimala’s face kiss him was surreal. Having her eyes stare directly into his was uncomfortable. He always thought that she was beautiful, but he never thought about pursuing anything. It was more an appreciation of beauty like paintings or a very well crafted poem.

  The kiss soon became painful as the flame in his dantian shot up his body out his mouth. After that faded, Yu Di felt the dense Goddess Qi entering his body. For a brief moment, he felt like his old Demigod self. He could wave a hand and destroy continents.

  A bright light encased his entire body and sent him back to his body. His eyes were still open and the first thing he saw was Vimala’s face inches away from his.

  Yu Di gasped for air as he clawed at his chest. It felt like he hadn’t been breathing for a long time and the blood in his body had stilled. Yet that rush of Qi still circulating throughout reinvigorated him.

  “Yu Di, you’re alive,” Ying Fusu said with a wheeze. His breaths coming in and out in ragged gasps.

  “I’m so glad you’re alive,” Vimala said.

  Yu Di realized his head was still in her lap as he looked up at her face. He scrambled away onto the ground and forced his head to the floor. “I apologize your highness.”

  “What for?” Ying Fusu asked.

  “For not dying and for being so bold to be in Vimala’s presence.”

  Ying Fusu laid back on a lounge chair. A maid furiously rubbed his chest. He waved her off.

  “What’s done is done,” Ying Fusu said. “I have executed you. Whether or not you die is not up to me. So that means you and I no longer have any public grudges. Personal ones though…” He coughed again, this time with loud hacking coughs.

  “I believe we can work something out,” Ying Fusu said.

  “Whatever the case, you can’t execute him until he’s helped me save the city,” Vimala said.

  For the first time ever, Ying Fusu glared at Vimala. The same glare he gave to Yu Di before he executed the poor man. “I don’t think you are in any position for demands.”

  “Tell him, Vimala,” Yu Di said.

  The woman crossed her arms, frowning.

  “If you don’t tell him your secret, I will.”

  Vimala looked at the floor, unsure. “Fine, you tell him. I can’t.”

  “You all act like children,” Yu Di said. “Your highness, Vimala loves you.” He felt the second hand embarrassment radiating off of the former Goddess. It almost made him feel it.

  Ying Fusu looked up like a lost child who finally found his mother. Or in this case, his lover. “Why do you keep pushing me away?”

  “It’s because you want the secret. The secret I have sworn to protect with my life.” Vimala rubbed her arms and looked away.

  “I only did that because I wanted to help you,” Ying Fusu said.

  Vimala opened her mouth and then shut it.

  “Like I said, children,” Yu Di repeated. “One doesn’t tell what one wants while the other thinks he knows what’s best for everyone.”

  Ying Fusu snarled. “How dare you speak to me that way?”

  Dense Qi washed over Yu Di, trying to squeeze him like it had before. Except it didn’t take.

  Yu Di crossed his arms and grinned. “That won’t work on me anymore.” His body was glowing with the white Goddess Qi. “I’m going to be the bigger man and let that one go. You two need to work out your issues.”

  The trap door opened above them. “Your highness, we have to go,” a voice called down. “Abbot Lokenatha has sent an army this way.”

  “They must have heard my firecrackers,” Yu Di said.

  This time both Ying Fusu and Vimala glared at him.

  “What? I was running for my life. You can’t blame me.” Although in a small way, Yu Di did blame himself. He could have found a less flashy way to escape. Lesson learned.