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Chapter Text

The first thing Mu Qing felt was his head being split open. Well, it felt like it was being split open… with a dull saw.

He blinked once, nothing. Twice, everything was too blurry to make sense of.  

Mu Qing’s heart skipped then began beating fast in his aching chest. He was alive. Alive and in pain. Although he couldn’t see fully just yet. His senses weren’t completely out of it.

He wasn’t drenched in water. But he could feel the dull ache along his body and the throbbing, excoriating ache that was torturing his head.

One thing was for sure, he was still alive. Not hooked up to loud beating machines and a ventilator. Just alive. And even if Mu Qing believed firmly in the afterlife, he knew it wouldn’t be like this. The afterlife couldn’t make someone feel like such shit upon their first arrival.

“Mu Qing?” a soft voice called. Mu Qing immediately registered it as one of the last people he wanted to see in this state. “Mu Qing, are you alright? I can see you blinking, there’s no need to feel embarrassed.”

Embarrassed? Really? Was that the word to describe the terrible dread Mu Qing was feeling? Embarrassment was quite insignificant among the emotions stirring in his mind.

“I’m fine,” Mu Qing grumbled. He knew his reply wasn’t going to get him anywhere, especially not with such a tone but what else was he supposed to say at this point? He’d failed at something so simple and was now laid out on a bed to bear the consequences of it.

Mu Qing blinked his eyes a few more times, his vision finally clearing. It was much less bright than he imagined it’d be.

His expectation of a dotted white ceiling and a beeping monitor were missing. It wasn’t a hospital. And he couldn’t recognize it as a place he’d been to before. So exactly where was he?

Mu Qing never expected his first words once he woke up from a near-death experience would be the cliché ones he heard in dramatic soap operas, but it was the only one he could ask. “Where am I?”

“You don’t recognize your own room? I checked your injuries, the attack shouldn’t have been that brutal…” the familiar voice in its confusion trailed off.

“My room? What are you talking about?” Mu Qing questioned, he pushed against the dull ache in his body and sat up. “And what attack, I—”

When Mu Qing fully processed the scene before him, his words stopped in his throat. The room was… there was no other way to describe it but identical to a scene of a wealthy young master’s bedroom in those unnecessarily long historical dramas.

Mu Qing turned his head and met Xie Lian’s concerned gaze.

Xie Lian?

Why did Xie Lian look like the servant of the wealthy young master of this random historical drama set?

“Why are you dressed like that?” Mu Qing asked, his eyes sweeping over Xie Lian and the rest of the room, then himself. He fumbled with the short long-sleeved robe tied around his waist. He was also dressed as a wealthy young master—a wounded one, that is. “Why am I dressed like this? And where am I?!”

“Mu Qing, please calm down. I’m sure the impact on your head is just making you confused,” Xie Lian stood to go towards Mu Qing, his hands up as if he were approaching a startled animal. “The demon wasn’t investigated in time, so we weren’t able to find out what it’d do if it attacked you.”

Mu Qing, just as a scared, limping deer would, scooted away. Even as he struggled to scoot his body farther into the bed, Xie Lian didn’t relent in his pursuit. Mu Qing was completely disoriented.

Was he dead? Did he reincarnate to some slightly younger version of himself in the past? That makes no sense. Maybe he transmigrated? Mu Qing’s mind raced over the numerous comics, books, and shows he’d watched about transmigration and any stories relevant to what he was experiencing. But one big factor was missing. There was no Xie Lian or himself in those stories so what was happening?!

“STOP!” Mu Qing shouted once he couldn’t scoot any further, and his thoughts hit a dead end. “Just stop moving for a second, please.”

“Okay… as Mu Qing desires,” Xie Lian moved back to his seat beside the bed, his hand adjusting his sleeves back into a neat pile on his lap. “But someone has to check on your injuries.”

“My injuries…” Mu Qing made a motion to move his head once more, but a piercing pain shot through it. He used one hand to touch where he felt the spike of pain and touched what he could only assume were bandages. Why were there bandages on his head? He didn’t remember hitting his head when it happened. But he also couldn’t even recognize the bed he was lying in. Maybe he was having an oddly vivid dream?

Mu Qing was beyond perplexed about his situation. The only conclusion he came to was that this Xie Lian wasn’t the exact same as his own. Whether it was transmigration or maybe some fucked up version of the afterlife… it wasn’t his world. Anything was better than going back. This, Mu Qing, could accept.

So, it was best to play along.

“My… apologies,” Mu Qing spoke carefully. He was unsure how to address this Xie Lian and didn’t want to risk exposing himself as an “imposter” so easily. It’d be better to understand the situation first. “I just woke up a bit confused. My mind feels hazy.”

Xie Lian beamed. “Don’t worry, Mu Qing, happens to the best of us. Just rest up and I can get someone to check your injuries.”

Before Mu Qing could argue or Xie Lian could make his way to the door, someone busted through the entrance with no use of proper etiquette.

“Is he awake? I swear only he and I would go on a mission just for him to return wounded and me unscraped, so now it looks like I let him get chewed on by demons all alone,” Mu Qing’s heart lurched at the sound of Feng Xin’s voice. Tears scraped at his eyes, threatening to cloud his vision. It burned, but he willed them away immediately. This isn’t the same person. It’s not him.

“Feng Xin…” Xie Lian made a move to stand and try to stop Feng Xin’s rant, but the message didn’t get through to him in time.

“Your Highness, you truly must understand how this looks. Making two esteemed gods such as ourselves run up and down the heavens for a decent medic because one of the best is currently unconscious,” Feng Xin took an exasperated breath. “It’s outrageous!”

“Feng Xin!” Xie Lian said through an awkward smile making Feng Xin finally pick up on the tension in the room. He rounded the corner where the door was facing the frame of the bed and Mu Qing’s were crossed protectively over his frame. It was a long moment as he looked over Mu Qing who was very much awake. “Mu Qing has been awake, for a while now.”

Feng Xin knew Xie Lian was referring to the fact that his list of complaints was heard loud and clear, but no amount of shame would allow him to admit that. It wasn’t his fault Mu Qing got hit in the head like a ragdoll.

“My apologies for angering you, Feng Xin,” Mu Qing said his name as simply as he could, but anyone could hear the longing in his tone. He really couldn’t help it, there was so much he wanted to say to him but nothing he could.

“Oh?! His injury must’ve been worse than I thought,” Feng Xin looked between Mu Qing and Xie Lian, an expression of keen annoyance taking the place of his frustration. “Just how badly did that monster hit his head?”

The tone of disdain Mu Qing heard was surprising. He hadn’t heard it spoken so strongly since Feng Xin and he became closer. It was odd hearing it now, the difference between banter and hate. It made him realize how idiotic he was for believing they wouldn’t grow apart. Not when things used to be like this.

Mu Qing couldn’t help but stare at this other Feng Xin. They were similar but unlike in ways Mu Qing couldn’t explain fully. His stature was taller and stronger than the Feng Xin he knew, his presence powerful in a way that was overwhelming, not comforting. But they both had that same cute and familiar burrow in their brows when they were frustrated. Even the slight smirk Feng Xin would have when making fun of others (specifically Mu Qing) was still there. It gave way to that warm feeling in Mu Qing’s chest, allowing it to rise and threaten to swallow him whole. Just why was he here of all places?

“How about we ask for a physician to come and give him some space?” Xie Lian deflated the situation just as he would when Mu Qing and Feng Xin fought. Mu Qing nodded solemnly, stealing one last glance at Feng Xin before looking at his thumbs as he fiddled with them in his lap. “Would you like me to bring your saber, Mu Qing?”

Feng Xin had already left with an exasperated sigh when the question was asked leaving Mu Qing without words to say. Instead, he glazed over the question completely and only replied with a shake of his head.

“Alright.”

After Xie Lian left, Mu Qing pondered on what was happening.

At first, when he saw Xie Lian he assumed he’d been knocked unconscious, and this was some weird dream of his. But he could feel real pain, the dull thrum in his bones and pulsing ache in his head. But then he saw Feng Xin. Details of the man he loved so well carved into that person who acted nothing like him but similar in many ways, it was too well constructed to be a dream.

So maybe he was dead. Mu Qing died when he drowned and now he was transmigrated into some alternative reality of his own. That’s why things had odd similarities and he could feel his body was stronger, more agile but still his own.

It worked? It worked and I escaped to the place I tried so hard to leave.

Mu Qing’s eyes filled with tears. He couldn’t stop them from spilling this time now that he was alone. His mind spiraled as it did almost every day when he was being buried in the panic of his mind. Everything was going to end up the same for him. It always did. He was stuck experiencing the same beginning and end.

Mu Qing heard the voice of the physician asking for permission to enter. He didn’t know how he ended up making him go away. His face was red and puffy, tears unending. He couldn’t tell if he had shouted or not when a wave of energy coursed through him. It felt so foreign and powerful. The emotions swirling through his mind making every movement incoherent.

Enough moments passed till Mu Qing just relinquished himself to a wave of tiredness. He slept unruly and bothered for an unknown amount of time. Every moment that passed, even in his sleep, he wished that he wouldn’t wake again.

∞

Mu Qing’s body lay limp on the hospital bed. Medical devices hooked up to various parts of his body. A monitor beeped indiscriminately in the background. The soft, consistent tap of Hua Cheng’s foot accompanied the dull noise.

A rush of footsteps took Hua Cheng out of his numb stupor.

“Mu Qing?! What happened to him, Hua Cheng? Why is he—” Feng Xin’s voice came in shouts before his figure appeared panting heavily by the door. “What’s this… why is he like—”

“Feng Xin, wait!” Xie Lian pleaded, his voice exhausted. He caught up and stood by the empty doorway, Feng Xin was hovering at Mu Qing’s side. “San Lang, what happened to him? Why isn’t he awake? I thought you said that he drowned.”

“Would you answer us already, you’ve been silent since we came,” Feng Xin spun at Hua Cheng, his eyes red and panting even more evident. Feng Xin felt like his heart was going to come out of his chest from fear.

“He’s not waking up,” Hua Cheng started. Feng Xin wanted to yell for him to explain but Xie Lian held him back, gesturing for him to wait. Hua Cheng lifted his head, his foot finally stopping its tapping. “I saw him at the pier, the one he’d always go to when he got in a fight with you two. I saw him at the edge. I thought he was going to sit or just wanted to walk along it. He did that sometimes. Just walked on the edge when he was frustrated, pacing back and forth.”

“What are you on about? What happened to him? Just spit it out already!” Feng Xin couldn’t hold back anymore. Xie Lian didn’t stop him this time.

“He walked forward. He didn’t even fucking struggle. He just let himself fall and fall. I tried saving him—FUCK I thought I did save him,” tears fell down Hua Cheng’s face as he spoke. “I got him out of the water, and he was coughing at first when I tried to save him. But when I rushed him to the hospital… he was unconscious, and his body kept getting colder.

“They said he’d wake up and he was going to be fine, but he hasn’t. Then some doctor came in and told me he was in a coma. He said he didn’t know how he fell into one. But he’s in a stable condition, he’s just not waking up.”

Feng Xin was silent. Xie Lian too. The whole room fell into silence. Nobody could look at Mu Qing. No one could breathe.

“Why would he fall in? Why would he not try to get out?” Xie Lian asked, breaking the silence. His voice was brittle, on the verge of breaking.

“I think he was trying to…”

“SHUT UP! JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP?! WHY WOULD HE—why would he do that? He was with us last night. We were sleeping and he was fine, so why would he—” Feng Xin’s voice cut off in a choked sob. “It-It just doesn’t… make any sense. Why would he be in a coma…”

“I don’t know,” Hua Cheng replied, not to Feng Xin specifically, not to anyone but himself.

“Mu Qing,” Xie Lian called, silent tears falling from his face.

Chapter Text

“Mu Qing… Mu Qing,” Mu Qing heard an insistent voice calling into his head, waking him up. It was Xie Lian’s voice. Surely he wasn’t going insane, now?

“What is this?” Mu Qing massaged his temples in frustration and tried replying. He didn’t know what was going to happen if he started replying to the voices in his head, but he was also stuck in a world he couldn’t recognize. So, what was the harm in it?

“Ah, you’re finally awake. I couldn’t come back to the heavens since San Lang needed me,” Xie Lian explained. San Lang? As in Xie Lian’s San Lang? As in Hua Cheng. Hua Cheng was here too? Well fuck! Mu Qing had no idea if those thoughts were conveyed to Xie Lian or not. “But I heard you refused the physician… I’m not sure what’s wrong, but please allow someone to check on your injuries before they fester.”

Xie Lian’s worried tone made Mu Qing’s heart skip a beat. It was so comforting and warm. Whenever he’d talked to him that way in the past, Mu Qing would always reluctantly give in to his request. Mu Qing wanted more than anything to hear it spoken to him again.

“Alright.” Mu Qing smiled softly.  

“Good,” the intensity of Xie Lian’s voice diminished suddenly. “Mu Qing.”

“Yes.”

“Is everything alright?” Xie Lian asked, his voice unsure.

“Yes.”

“Okay.”

Mu Qing felt Xie Lian’s presence leave his mind. He opened his eyes and rubbed at them insistently as if it’d make him see better. But things just got more complicated.

Before Mu Qing could sigh and allow his mind to consume him once more, the door to his room slid open.

“His Highness sent me to check up on General Xuan Zhen’s injuries,” a boy who couldn’t be over the age of fifteen spoke softly, he sounded scared if anything. He bowed his head respectfully in Mu Qing’s direction.

I’m a general here? Mu Qing could only define it as here, assuming that he possessed the same body just as he did his name. It didn’t feel quite different but this person he was in had an awful absence of mirrors in his private quarters. It was quite daunting. Not only a different world did Mu Qing have an undiscovered connection with Xie Lian and Feng Xin, but he was also a prominent figure. And if the shaking of the boy in front of him was any indignation, he was slightly feared.

“Yes… ah, come in,” Mu Qing replied, unsurely. He smoothed out his robes and sat up in the neatest posture he could find himself in.

The small physician looked up, his face pale in shock. Mu Qing didn’t know what he did wrong. He wasn’t sure if it was the lack of formality in his words or maybe his hesitation. But the small physician came out of his brief stupor and made his way to Mu Qing.

The process was quick and respectful. The small physician inspected his wounds, replaced his bandages, and put some oddly quick pain-relieving medicine on his wounds. Mu Qing was surprised that someone so young could complete such a complicated-looking procedure. It seemed weird—everything in this place seemed off and weird but Mu Qing couldn’t put his finger on it.

“This one will be taking his leave,” the small physician said after he finished packing his things and slung his medicine box over his shoulder.

Before he could finish his turn to leave, Mu Qing started, “Wait!”

“Yes, my lord?”

“Where am I?” Mu Qing had so many questions but that same cliché one prompted itself at the front of his thoughts.

“General Xuan Zhen must be jesting, we’re in your palace,” the small physician said with a laugh before squaring his expression when he saw the confused look on Mu Qing’s face. “…In the heavens, my lord.”

“Ah, is that right?” Mu Qing used every self-control within himself to suppress his reaction. Oh, this amazing, huh?! I’ve truly died and ascended to the heavens to relive my life over again. How fucking great is this?

“Would you like this one to reexamine your injuries?” the small physician suggested but took a step back. Maybe Mu Qing wasn’t controlling his expression as well as he thought.

“No, no, thank you for your hard work today. You’re dismissed,” Mu Qing replied. Once the door slid closed, his hands went to pull out his obnoxiously long hair.

“WHAT IN THE FUCK?!” Mu Qing shouted loud enough for the human realm to hear. Mu Qing grabbed at his hair even harder until his head started pounding within his skull with enough pain to bring him back to the present. He rushed off the bed and held onto the beautifully carved wood of its edges for balance when dizziness took over his senses. He needed to figure out if he was hearing things or if he ascended into the heavens as a general who wields a saber.

Mu Qing was fully dressed, thankfully, so as he stumbled out of his room into the great hall of his palace people weren’t too surprised by his appearance but rather his crazed expression.

“Is General Xuan Zhen okay?”

“Did he not just endure a terrible head injury?”

“As long as we aren’t called, is it really our business?”

Mu Qing wasn’t in a mentally aware enough state in which he could entertain the comments of the palace’s servants. But he did notice the stares that he was receiving. Again, just who was he to these people? Who was he at all? What was he?

Mu Qing managed to get control of his movements even as each step gave him a sharp pain that started from the soles of his feet to the sides of his head. He breathed heavily through his nostrils and took in the surroundings beyond the gates of his palace. Sure enough, it was something straight out of a fantasy. More beautiful than the heavens he could ever imagine.  

It felt as if from where he stood he could touch a cloud below him. Below him?! The sky seemed to start from under his feet and he could see the stars rounding to take over the sky behind him. It was an unbelievable scene, truly. Mu Qing couldn’t understand it at all. He couldn’t understand it when he saw a few people in clothes as extravagant as Feng Xin’s sparring and talking, their palms lighting up and spewing out beams of different colors. People were floating above the ground and buildings were going on for several meters even grander than his own.

Mu Qing thought he was going to faint.

“May I ask what General Xuan Zhen is doing out in such a condition?” a strong female voice asked, taking Mu Qing out of his shocked trance. When he brought his eyes to examine her he saw a neat-looking woman with terrible bags under her eyes and hands full of scrolls that she didn’t seem too happy to be carrying alone.

“I’m sorry, who’re you?” Mu Qing asked the woman looked familiar to him, and he could only assume it was another parallel of his original world that he couldn’t put his finger on.

The tired woman sighed, “General Xuan Zhen must be jesting with me, or have you forgotten about my duties as detained the Ling Wen Zhen Jun?” Her voice was laced with sarcasm and there was an annoyed edge to her tone, but Mu Qing paid no mind to it, completely entranced by the words she spoke.

“And this is the heavens?” Mu Qing asked instead of commenting on her position.

“Yes, General Xuan Zhen.” The more respectful Ling Wen’s words were, the less interested she was in the conversation she was having. “Now, since it seems that you have prior engagements with—never mind, since you’re preoccupied, I’ll take my leave.”

And with that, Ling Wen gave Mu Qing one more glance over and shook her head to leave with the scrolls threatening to fall if she walked any faster.

Mu Qing took in the words one by one, coming to a conclusion as he walked back into the palace. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do next. Did he just have to remain here and pretend to be whoever this “General Xuan Zhen” is or was it better to tell someone he wasn’t who they thought he was?

Mu Qing thought it over, mindlessly roaming throughout the halls and rooms that were absent of servants. He couldn’t really tell someone, if someone were to explain to him they’d come from a world of gods and descended from the heavens, he’d think they were delusional or insane. And there was no real issue with him pretending to be the person that previously harbored this body. It’d be like those transmigration novels Xie Lian used to rant about in the past when they had no context of the novel they traveled into. He just needed to follow the motions. Maybe this was a chance for a redo, a fresh start from the past.

Mu Qing sighed, and his body slid down a foreign wall behind him. The ache in his bones was subsiding, much faster than it would have in his original body. He wasn’t truly human after all. He was a god. Mu Qing wondered just how much better this body was when it was healed.

As soon as he reached out his hand to push himself off the floor, someone opened the door to the dark enclosure.

“General Xuan Zhen, why’re you—” it was a servant, holding a long saber in hand. He observed Mu Qing’s exhausted form on the floor and his face lit up. “You’re already training again, how diligent! This servant is impudent for disturbing General Xuan Zhen’s concentration. I was sent to return your saber.”

The servant carried the saber with both palms and presented it to Mu Qing. Mu Qing’s hand lowered to his sides, his fingers twitching automatically. It was as if the body he inhabited wanted nothing more than to reunite with the lethal weapon. Mu Qing hesitated for another moment before taking the saber and returning it to his side.

The servant gleamed and Mu Qing thanked him. The servant bowed before backing out eagerly to take his leave.

Once the door shut, Mu Qing stood. He unsheathed the saber from its case holding and looked at the long blade. The small beams of light snuck through the openings of the poorly covered windows and glared against the sharp edges of the weapon. Mu Qing felt a shudder go down his spine, he couldn’t place what the feeling was, but he could tell it was coming from the saber.

“What the…” as Mu Qing continued to wave the saber slowly and let the light linger on it, he could feel his mind fill with different techniques on how to use the saber. Images of him in different formations, the saber swinging elegantly through the air spun rapidly in his head.

Mu Qing put the saber back in its sheath and almost instantly the images disappeared from his mind. He was about to unsheathe it once more to see if they’d reappear but in an instant, the saber disappeared from his two palms. White speckles of light were all that remained from the object’s disappearance before they too were gone. Mu Qing gasped, shuffling away from the spot where he held the weapon.

Before Mu Qing could begin panicking and letting out a slew of curse words he remembered where he was. Who he currently was. He could guess that this was probably not the strangest thing this body had seen. He’d have to get used to it if he planned to stay here any longer.

∞

Eventually, Mu Qing made it back to the room he first woke up in. He wanted to make up an excuse in his head that he was attempting to bring back the saber or discover what other abilities he had but in truth, he was just lost. Lost for two full hours that is. He was going to ask a servant for help but reflecting on his actions from the past day, he noticed they weren’t very “godly”, so he pocketed his shame and continued to roam the palace with his hands clasped behind his back.

After his long, unintentional scroll of the palace, he was able to get some intel on who he was or what personality he was supposed to resume.

Apparently, he was the martial god of the southwest. And as the universe would have it for him, Feng Xin was the god of the southeast. Ironically, their relationship was much more drastic and yet he was forced to stay by his side. Perfect.

Also, not shocking in the grand scheme of things, Hua Cheng and Xie Lian were married. But Hua Cheng was a ghost. Mu Qing wasn’t sure if this meant he was dead but the moment he heard those words from whispering, gossiping servants of the palace, his heart panged in his chest, making beads of sweat dip down his forehead. He wouldn’t have the chance to know him in this world if he was dead. He didn’t want to admit but he wished he had more time with him. That wouldn’t be the case now.

But there was so much more information that he couldn’t understand and frankly, after hearing that, Mu Qing didn’t want to hear much more.

When he got to his chambers, he took off the suffocating layers of clothes, leaving the white shirt banded to his waist and his pants. As he was about to lie down when he heard a noise from the corner of his bed. The room was dark, and he was unable to see anyone there. It was evening outside, and the stars had begun to brighten in the sky. Most of the servants were retiring to their chambers as well. Mu Qing’s heart began beating heavily in his chest.

Oh, fuck me, please don’t tell me General Xuan Zhen has an assassin out for him.

The shuffling in the corner didn’t stop and Mu Qing’s chest began to beat faster. Before he could make a move to escape, a fast swishing soared towards him like a whip being hit against his skin. His arms were suddenly tied to his sides, and he could no longer move as a white band continued to wrap around him.

“WHAT IS THIS—” before Mu Qing could finish his screaming, the white band wrapped itself around his mouth. When the white band felt it was secure, it tied itself securely around its captive.

Soon the person who’d been shuffling showed themselves to Mu Qing. It was—

XIE LIAN?!

Chapter Text

“I knew something was off when you first woke up,” Xie Lian said softly, observing the white band’s work around Mu Qing’s body. He came closer and reached out a palm that emitted an orange flame, he flicked his hand and the candles in the room were lit. “But I wasn’t too sure if you were a fake until now. Ruoye!”

When Xie Lian said the odd name, the white band loosened around Mu Qing’s lips. Mu Qing shook his head until the band fell and tightened around his neck instead. Mu Qing gasped and fell to his knees from the sudden lack of air.

“How interesting,” Xie Lian examined, he crouched down to observe Mu Qing’s body. His eyes swept over the curve of Mu Qing’s bent-over spine and the strands of hair sprawled across his back. He gently held a lock of Mu Qing’s hair in his hand, his knuckles just barely scraping the ridges of his spine making a chill run down it. “The resilience of your body is quite weak, but I can’t sense anything off about this skin. Everything is so perfect.”

Mu Qing couldn’t say anything. Was he not a fake? He didn’t know anything about the body he was inhabiting except it being a replica of his own. He didn’t know if his next words would prove Xie Lian’s assumptions or not. Mu Qing thought it best to stay quiet.

Instead, however, Mu Qing was more preoccupied with how Xie Lian was able to summon an old-looking white bandage that was tightening its grip on his waist. The long band seemed to be alive and responded to Mu Qing’s movements like a snake. Xie Lian being the snake whisperer.

“I first found it odd when I asked you if you wanted your saber back and you declined. Unlike the real Mu Qing, he’d want to know where his saber was after waking up,” Xie Lian began his monologue and paced around Mu Qing’s frame like a detective. Mu Qing wanted to laugh at the resemblance between this Xie Lian and his own when it came to going off on their tangents. “Then just now you didn’t even recognize what Ruoye was and the way you interacted with Feng Xin was the oddest of all. Which makes me wonder, who are you? And why become such a sloppy fake? All the things I mentioned would’ve been basic information.”

Mu Qing blanked, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Xie Lian stopped his pacing and crouched down in front of Mu Qing’s face once again. Ruoye tightened around his neck once more forcing his chin up for relief from the pain. Xie Lian used two fingers to grip Mu Qing’s chin, turning it at will and examining his face.

“Hmm,” Xie Lian hummed and stared into Mu Qing’s eyes without restraint, the silence and tension was overbearingly uncomfortable for Mu Qing.

“W-What’re you doing?” Mu Qing asked, his face heating under Xie Lian’s harsh gaze. Flashes of his own Xie Lian’s pretty and fair features up this close, inches away from kissing Mu Qing’s lips with his soft, pink ones flashed through his mind. Hadn’t been for Ruoye, Mu Qing would’ve shuffled away in embarrassment.

“It’s not a fake, is it?” Xie Lian asked before letting go of Mu Qing’s face, his warm breath tickling Mu Qing’s cheeks, making his heart race in his chest.

“I said, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Mu Qing reiterated.

“Yes, you do. This body is his, isn’t it?” Xie Lian straightened his posture as he sat on the floor in front of Mu Qing, seemingly waiting for the right answers. “And I don’t believe you’re possessing it intentionally, otherwise you wouldn’t have acted so unlike him when you woke up in his body. So, tell me, who are you?”

Mu Qing remained silent. He wanted to tell Xie Lian. Wanted more than anything to have someone understand that he never wanted to wake up again, talk less of waking in a body that was so much like his own. But he couldn’t. Xie Lian was from here, wherever here truly was, he’d be unable to understand who he was. And without understanding just how this world worked, Mu Qing couldn’t take any chances of being misunderstood.

“I’ve only been wounded, and you think I’ve become a different person,” Mu Qing began using all the knowledge he knew about Xuan Zhen so far. “Tying me up with your crude weapon right after I’ve sustained a head injury.”

Xie Lian’s face took on a strange expression as if he wasn’t sure whether what Mu Qing was saying was true or not. Mu Qing recognized that face immediately. Xie Lian was doubting himself which meant the words he was pulling out of his ass were working.

The original body seemed to have a sarcastic nature and would be quite annoyed in a situation like this. It wasn’t unlike the personality Mu Qing used to have before everything began going downhill. This was going to be easier than Mu Qing initially thought.

“Mm,” was all Xie Lian replied, the grip on his viper-like band wasn’t loosening. Mu Qing needed to work harder to ease the snake whisperer’s suspicions.

“Would you release me already?! Or is me not wanting my saber after sustaining a head injury a reason for you to keep talking nonsense?” Mu Qing spoke incredulously. With the few seconds of surprise, he urged from Xie Lian, he willed with every fiber of his being that the saber would reappear in his palms. Imagining the long, vicious weapon in hand, he spoke like a chant in his mind please come back terrifying saber, so Xie Lian doesn’t kill me with his strange bandage.

Like magic, three repetitions of his chant made the saber reappear in the air between the two men. They stared at it speechless for a moment before Mu Qing’s mental footing returned. “Are you satisfied now?”

“Hmm,” Xie Lian said again, his mind obviously pondering something. You’ve got to be fucking kidding me! Mu Qing wanted to pull his hair out, just how thorough did Xie Lian have to be about this, it wasn’t like he was an assassin or a thief. “It still doesn’t explain your behavior when you first awoke.”

Mu Qing sneered, “You expect me to get attacked, unexpectedly, in the back of the head by a demon in the middle of the night and wake up in the morning giddy and coherent?”

Xie Lian blanched, “Mu Qing, ah, I’m sorry! I didn’t realize it was you! You just seemed so out of it this morning and after I left to see San Lang I wasn’t able to confirm with the people in your palace so I could only—”

“Please just tell Ruoye to release me first,” Mu Qing effectively cut Xie Lian off. His bullshit reiteration of what a random servant was gossiping about earlier in the day worked. Mu Qing almost jumped with joy, but it would be idiotic to abandon his front now.

Xie Lian did as asked and commanded Ruoye to let go of Mu Qing. Mu Qing observed the mobile bandage as it wrapped itself around Xie Lian’s arms and wrist sadly as if it’d missed tying up Mu Qing’s poor limbs together and squeezing his throat. Mu Qing glared at the thing before it was perfectly wrapped away and far enough from Mu Qing’s body that he felt safe to be approached by Xie Lian.

Xie Lian pulled himself closer to Mu Qing who was now sitting dejectedly on the floor. Xie Lian looked at Mu Qing’s bandage that was still securely wrapped around his head. Seeing as Mu Qing was only pale from fatigue from the previous mishap, Xie Lian could safely assume he was healing normally.

Mu Qing’s inner robe, tied around his torso was now open and exposed. The injuries he’d received a few days ago were still apparent on his chest and abdomen. Xie Lian didn’t hesitate to reach out and feel the wounds.

Mu Qing didn’t think much of it. Although this Xie Lian was different, the air exuded was so much like the Xie Lian he knew. They both had this ability to make him relaxed and comfortable with a thought or word. Mu Qing was already used to Xie Lian freely touching him and having his body exposed in front of the latter, so he didn’t stop the hand that was now touching lightly around the area of his wounds.

“Does it hurt?” Xie Lian asked, his expression apologetic.

“What do you think?” Mu Qing asked back in character, he shuffled away from the hand on his skin, realizing it would be the appropriate reaction for the original body. “Besides, it’s not like you caused them. They’re healing quickly so there’s no need for your concern.”

“Right…” Xie Lian replied. Mu Qing felt he could hear the tiniest hint of hurt but it wouldn’t be like General Xuan Zhen to notice that, would it? Mu Qing didn’t want to find out at the moment. His priority for now was to survive, he could figure out the strange relationship between Xuan Zhen and the people from his past life later. “I’ll take my leave now since you’re okay. Again, I’m sorry for attacking you and accusing you and—”

“Xie Lian,” Mu Qing got up from his slumped position against his bed. Once he was up, he reached out a hand to assist Xie Lian. “I’ll assume you attacked me for my well-being and forgive you this time, but seriously, allow me to rest before you continue your next interrogation.”

Xie Lian smiled awkwardly before nodding and turning to leave. Before he opened the door and his figure disappeared from Mu Qing’s sight completely, he turned back one time and smiled widely before closing the doors.

When Xie Lian left, the lights in the room followed his leave. Mu Qing could only sit on the bed behind him with a huff. Any remaining energy in his body left from the altercation. He hoped he wouldn’t have to prove his fake identity once again, especially not being threatened by the brinks of death to do so.

Mu Qing wondered just what could go on in the heavens of all places that Xie Lian would be so cautious of someone supposedly close to him. Was it because he cared about him so much? Or some lack of trust?

Mu Qing rubbed at his temples, noticing the ache had almost dissipated from his head. Mu Qing undid his robes just enough to feel the area that Xie Lian touched. It was warm when he did and when that hand left, Mu Qing felt cold all over. He missed him. He missed them so much more than he thought possible.

As Mu Qing tried to close his eyes and sleep away the thoughts, more memories of Feng Xin and Xie Lian lying down beside him filled his head. He missed them so much it burned his eyes, tears threatening to stain the covers he held tightly in his fist. An overwhelming feeling of grief washed over Mu Qing at the thought of never having the feeling of them surrounding him as he fell asleep again.

Amid tears and longing thoughts, Mu Qing fell asleep in a bed that was unfamiliar to him.

∞

When Mu Qing woke up, his entire body felt different. As if the body he was in hadn’t gotten beaten up to a pulp a few days before. Rather, every part of his body felt better, rejuvenated even. Mu Qing felt a strength pumping through his blood that he never felt before. It was exhilarating, as if he could move mountains and drain seas.

“Feeling better, Mu Qing?” Feng Xin asked. Mu Qing was startled by the unknown presence in his room.

“What are you doing in my room, unannounced? Don’t you find it quite creepy to be watching people in their sleep?” Mu Qing winced internally at his own words, he was one to talk. When it came to watching people in their sleep, Mu Qing had more than several instances of Feng Xin and Xie Lian catching him gazing at them early in the morning.

“I’m only here to make sure you don’t bail on our next mission. I swear by the heavens, your believers get more unruly by the day. It’s exhausting,” Feng Xin complained. Mu Qing blinked, believers? He was going to ask who and what Feng Xin was referring to, but he didn’t want the events of the previous night to repeat themselves, so he decided to stay silent. “And don’t start with the ‘my believers can do no wrong,’ because if you remember, it was one of your believers who enraged the demon that attacked you last time.”

“Is that so?” Mu Qing said, he was starting to believe that General Xuan Zhen might actually have an assassin out for him.

Feng Xin scoffed, “Don’t pretend to be daft because you’re ashamed, just be honest. Someone has always needed to put a leash on those believers of yours. My poor Southeast believers have been getting bullied relentlessly by them.”

“Maybe they should learn to defend themselves more properly,” Mu Qing mentally pat himself on the back for the keen reply seeing Feng Xin’s exasperated expression. “Anyways, move on to the point, what is our new task?”

“After the attack last week, there’s been more influx of prayers from people about the lower southwest side’s caves,” an air of sophistication took over Feng Xin when he began explaining his work in detail. Mu Qing smiled internally. “I had some middle court officials investigate but when they took the villagers to examine the caves, over half of the envoy reported back that they couldn’t remember the contents of the trip.”

A word flashed in Mu Qing’s mind, “Mind demons?”

“Yes, every other account of interactions with the cave meets those criteria,” Feng Xin agreed and continued. “In order for us to figure out what type of mind demons we need to visit that place ourselves. But there’s another issue that entails with it.”

Mu Qing saw the unwillingness in Feng Xin’s eyes, curiosity spiked in him. “What issue?”

“We need more manpower,” Feng Xin said, vaguely. Mu Qing’s eyebrow raised in confusion causing an even more unwilling sigh from Feng Xin. “We need to ask Crimson Rain for help, unfortunately.”

“Hua Cheng?” Mu Qing asked, he remembered the name of the ghost the servants were so scared of while gossiping about yesterday. “Why would it be an issue to ask him for help?”

Feng Xin’s eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his skull, “I’m sorry, did that head injury give you partial amnesia or are you thinking I’m referring to another Hua Cheng out there? Mu Qing, you really are something.”

“No need to get so worked up. I’m only asking. It’s not like we haven’t worked with him before,” Mu Qing spoke his words carefully, getting a scope of Feng Xin’s reaction. His relationship with Hua Cheng in his world wasn’t exactly perfect but he couldn’t understand why they’d be beyond asking him for help here. If things were anything like his world, was there something that Hua Cheng did that would garner such a terrible reaction from Feng Xin?

“Of course we have, but you know what I mean,” Feng Xin sat down at the table in the center of the room, filling up a teacup with some water the servants put there the night before. He took a frustrated gulp of water in before continuing, “Since you’re all warmed up to Crimson Rain now, why don’t you go to ghost city and ask him for help?”

Mu Qing wanted to laugh. In any other situation, he would’ve. Not only was he in the heavens and a god with believers and all, but there was also a ghost city that Hua Cheng and Xie Lian were happily ever after in. How perfect!

Feng Xin eventually left in all his huff and puff in disbelief at Mu Qing’s behavior. Mu Qing took the chance to let it sink in that he had no idea what this “ghost city” was or how in the world he was going to get there.

Suddenly, he remembered the invasion in his mind from the day before. Xie Lian!

Chapter Text

“Xie Lian?!” Mu Qing tried again to no avail. He kept repeating the name, but got more embarrassed when there was no response.

“How does this work? I could’ve sworn he was in my head before…” Mu Qing said, exasperated. He thought for a moment that he was supposed to put his fingers against his temple or maybe expel some type of power, but nothing worked.

After almost half an hour of shouting Xie Lian’s name in his mind and squeezing his temple with his hands, a memory that was not his own popped into his mind. It was blurry and just a small moment, but Mu Qing could remember Xie Lian telling him about this ridiculous password for something that was called a “private communication array.”

He didn’t have time to dwell on the strange invasion in his mind. Mu Qing quickly repeated the words Xie Lian said in his memories. He put his fingers on his temple, pressing hard with two fingers and shouting Xie Lian’s name once more.

“Ah, Mu Qing, why... there’s no need to scream so loud when contacting me,” Xie Lian answered, his delicate voice coming into Mu Qing’s mind as if it always belonged there.

“Screaming? Whose screaming?” Mu Qing truthfully had no idea how loud he seemed to Xie Lian at the moment, but he couldn’t waste another minute dwelling on yet another thing he was clueless about. “I need you to bring me to ghost city.”

“Oh? So suddenly? Is there some issue that you need me to leave Puqi shrine and escort you there?” Xie Lian asked. Mu Qing listened intently, absorbing the words, adding them to his ongoing vocabulary list. Puqi Shrine.

“Mm, yes, well, my injuries seem to be relapsing, and I don’t want to be attacked by anything on the way that would hinder my healing.” Mu Qing crossed his fingers and hoped he said the right thing.

“Ah, is that so? No problem then,” Xie Lian agreed. Mu Qing could almost hear Xie Lian’s shuffling. The idea of communicating with his mind was still admittedly mind-boggling. “By the way, where did you want me to take you in ghost city?”

Such a simple question, but without context, Mu Qing was utterly hopeless. He searched around his mental vocabulary list for a solution: “Wherever that Crimson Rain is, take me there.”

He didn’t wait for a response, afraid Xie Lian would just ask for more information. Mu Qing left the communication array and stood to get dressed.

As soon as he found where his robes were and the bathing room, he made quick work to get ready. Throughout what would soon become his new routine, he thought of how he should approach the situation.

He didn’t know much about the mission itself. Or what it could possibly entail. Thanks to Feng Xin’s deep hatred, annoyance, fear, or whatever he had for Hua Cheng, he only received a half-explained report on what he was asking Hua Cheng for. He thought about trying to contact Feng Xin through the same method he did with Xie Lian, but several futile attempts to conjure up a memory of Feng Xin’s password taught him he was going to have to approach this blindly.

Mu Qing gathered up his courage and rubbed his neck to remind himself of what would come if he were to mess this up. Before he could make quick work to assess anymore details of himself and bring back the saber, Xie Lian was walking through the hall where Mu Qing was seated at the head. His appearance was quite simple, no different from the day before. It was funny to see he wouldn’t change his type of fashion in this world or another, both in style and simplicity. Mu Qing stifled a laugh as he stood to meet Xie Lian in the center of the hall.

“Mu Qing, you look well,” Xie Lian greeted, a smile on his lips.

“Not too bad yourself,” Mu Qing joked. The words already left his mouth before he could realize that the saying probably wasn’t common in this world.

Xie Lian didn’t seem to notice the odd phrase and gestured to the ink and stencil in his hand. Mu Qing hadn’t noticed when Xie Lian pulled them out of his sleeve, but he was even more confused about what he needed them for.

“Didn’t you say you couldn’t go to ghost city because of your injuries? Why not draw an array instead?” Xie Lian asked, his expression unchanging. Mu Qing wanted to cry.

Another array?! Just what is up with the heavens and all these weird shortcuts? Why not use your powers to just do stuff? Why would a god need so many written arrays?

“I don’t think I’ll be able to make one effectively, after all, my arm was wounded yesterday,” Mu Qing lied through his teeth. He truly had no other reprieve, and those were the only words that formed a coherent sentence in his head.

“That’s strange, I could’ve sworn you didn’t receive any injuries on your arm after the battle. Could it be that Mu Qing obtained another injury after I left?” Xie Lian said, his face harboring a familiar expression as if he wasn’t buying any of the words Mu Qing spoke. Mu Qing thought for a moment that Xie Lian was still suspicious, but at least he wasn’t tying him up with the sentient white bandage. Mu Qing swallowed a lump in his throat.

“Are you making fun of me right now, Xie Lian?” Mu Qing guessed.

“My apologies, Mu Qing, I don’t mean to make fun of you, it’s just hard to disregard the incident from Black Water’s lair,” Xie Lian attempted to say with a stern expression.

Mu Qing wanted to smile at how cute he was, always joking in a way that made people think he was serious. But it made it more endearing knowing how Xie Lian acted around people he was close to. A bittersweet thought passed over Mu Qing’s mind, but he shook it off before he could dwell on it.

“Please spare me from your amusement, Xie Lian.”

“Yes, well,” Xie Lian collected himself, wiping off the obvious grin from his face. “Why don’t we go down from the clouds? Then I’ll use the die to get us there.”

Mu Qing's head spun from that sentence alone. Was he supposed to know how to fly as a god? Deep down, in the depths of his heart and soul, Mu Qing took back his insult to the gods’ abilities and wished desperately that there was a solution to this.

“My injuries…” Mu Qing said calmly, but in his mind, he was pleading for mercy. As much as he dreaded life, he didn’t want to, literally, fall from the sky.

“Hmm, I guess the wind could cause them to fester,” Xie Lian thought for a moment before continuing. “We can always have San Lang take us from here.”

San Lang, Mu Qing wanted to say but held his tongue. It was strange to know that even here, where Xie Lian was a god and Hua Cheng a ghost king, they still had their weird consistencies. Mu Qing was suddenly curious to know the story of how the two met. If their stories, too, were as similar as them.

“That’s fine, I guess,” Mu Qing answered. Xie Lian nodded happily as if this was the conclusion he wanted all along. Despite how bad Xie Lian was at showcasing his emotions when it came to Hua Cheng, there was an undeniable twinkle of joy in his eyes.

Xie Lian led them to what Mu Qing could only assume was his palace from the way he didn’t stop to greet or ask someone before he entered. The palace was far more extravagant than his own. The walls were ivory, decorated with gold and red details. Everything felt too grand for the Xie Lian in simple robes before him. As Mu Qing stared at Xie Lian’s long flowing hair and waving sleeves, he was reminded of Feng Xin calling him “Your Highness” when he first entered this world.

Mu Qing had so many questions about the three people he knew more than anybody else in his life. The three people he held closest to his heart somehow followed him to another life even after death. Mu Qing’s heart clenched at the thought that they’d never truly leave him.

Mu Qing followed Xie Lian while deep in his thoughts, so he didn’t notice when they reached a separate hall and pavilion of the large palace. He also didn’t notice when Xie Lian took out two dice from his sleeves and rolled them in his palm before opening a door, which should’ve led to another room or a yard, but instead it was pitch black.

“Mu Qing,” Xie Lian called his name, noticing that he was out of it.

When Mu Qing turned to look and saw a deep darkness on the other side of the door, he felt his entire soul shake out of his body. Although he kept his composure externally, he was now debating whether he had underestimated the meaning of a ghost in this world. Mu Qing never really believed in anything that was pure speculation, anything otherworldly or spiritual. Mu Qing didn’t have the time or care for it. So, he was far out of the loop of anything that was slightly transcendental.

When Xie Lian nodded and turned to the door to exit with Mu Qing following behind him, Mu Qing opened his mouth to let out an inaudible scream before following Xie Lian through the door into the unknown.

Chapter Text

“Gege,” a dark yet sultry voice called out. Mu Qing didn’t recognize it but found it captivating.

The darkness slowly dissipated with the light of a flutter of glowing butterflies. Mu Qing watched in amazement as numerous silver butterflies swirled in the air around him, showing the surroundings of what Mu Qing could guess was some type of study or bedroom. He could see Xie Lian standing next to him, and a man in red and black, the soft sound of bells ringing off the quiet room.

The man felt familiar, but his appearance was foreign. Mu Qing felt oddly bothered by it. The man exuded a dark and brooding energy that sent shivers down Mu Qing’s spine. His presence was so powerful that Mu Qing could easily tell it wasn’t something natural from the way his saber was threatening to break out from the pocket of existence it was sealed in.

Although the man was turned away, he could clearly note that he was nothing short of captivating. Long, black jade hair flowed loosely down his back, accompanying his slender frame.

“Ah, San Lang, sorry for coming so suddenly, but Mu Qing said he needed to speak to you,” Xie Lian explained quickly, joining the man’s side. At the same time, the man in red turned, and the appearance of an unfamiliar face but more than recognizable right eyepatch told Mu Qing all he needed to know.

THAT’S HUA CHENG?!?

“No need to say sorry, gege, I’m sure what he wants to ask is much more urgent.” Hua Cheng glared daggers at Mu Qing, but when facing Xie Lian, to put a hand on his waist, he was all smiles. And did Mu Qing sense sarcasm in his tone…

Mu Qing was in too much shock to register the change in expression. He pondered in his mind why Hua Cheng was still… Hua Cheng? But had a completely different appearance. Hua Cheng had key similarities to the Hua Cheng Mu Qing knew, but their faces and demeanor differed greatly. Mu Qing wanted to go through the endless possibilities of why he seemed to be the only one of them who varied so much from the people he knew. But he had to put his thoughts aside and focus on the task at hand. He could find someone to question later and tell him about Hua Cheng.

“Feng Xin and I have a mission that requires your help,” Mu Qing went straight to the point. Hua Cheng’s head tilted at his words. Mu Qing wondered if he said anything wrong, but Xie Lian’s face didn’t change, so he listened for Hua Cheng’s reply.

Xie Lian and Hua Cheng shared a look before Hua Cheng spoke, “If the assistance of this Crimson Rain Sought Flower is needed, then I shall grant it. But why should I?”

“Why should you? What do you mean?” Mu Qing’s brows furrowed. He didn’t understand why there needed to be some type of exchange. Would there need to be a reason to help two gods out? Or was there something going on between the heavens and Hua Cheng? “Why does there need to be something in it for you? Can’t you just help a friend out?”

“A friend?” Hua Cheng laughed at what Mu Qing said, genuinely amused by him. “Is that what Xuan Zhen considers us? Friends?”

“San Lang,” Xie Lian said his name in warning, to which Hua Cheng only nodded in understanding. Mu Qing could only stand there with his arms folded in frustration. His Hua Cheng could be a jerk sometimes, but this one was just being an asshole. Exactly what was the deal between these four? Mu Qing wasn’t daft enough to catch that they weren’t romantically involved like they were in his world, except for Xie Lian and Hua Cheng. But he didn’t think they truly all hated each other outside of that.

“Well, since Mu Qing regards me as a ‘friend’, then we should go on my terms for this,” Hua Cheng said with a playful tone. Mu Qing could pick up on the clear disdain. Two sarcastic Hua Chengs were enough, but one Hua Cheng, who was sarcastic to be mean to him on purpose, was just annoying.

“What do you mean by that? You haven’t even heard what assistance we needed,” Mu Qing countered, quite defeated in his heart, but he didn’t let it show.

“I’ll receive something in return out of this. And of course, I know about the mind demons,” Hua Cheng shortened the distance between him and Mu Qing, the act more intimidating than he liked. “Don’t forget we’re ‘friends’ now, Mu Qing. When I get there, things will be dealt with, and after compensation will be talked about. Perfect compromise.”

The weird smile on Hua Cheng’s face poured fear into Mu Qing. He couldn’t conceptualize the idea that this was Xie Lian’s San Lang.

“Fine, deal,” Mu Qing conceded, although he wasn’t too sure what he was agreeing to, but Feng Xin didn’t make it sound like they had much of a choice.

“Good, so why don’t we leave now and get this over with?” Hua Cheng said simply, surprising Mu Qing. “Will gege be joining us?”

“Yes, San Lang,” Xie Lian sounded like he wasn’t sure. Not about joining, but rather what was going to occur on the trip.

“Right now? But Feng Xin—”

“He’ll be there, no worries, Mu Qing,” Hua Cheng reassured. Mu Qing wanted to argue, but a dice was already in the air, and the door was opening to another place of darkness. “Let’s go and finish this.”

∞

Mu Qing felt like he was missing something.

Nothing or no one explained the phenomenon of the instant array dice or how Hua Cheng’s appearance suddenly changed to match the rest of them, but his eyepatch was out of sight and instead replaced by a different set of eyes, still unfamiliar to him. There was also the weird atmosphere between the four of them. It was tense, not so much that he needed to say something, but just enough that it made him uncomfortable. It reminded him of how their quartet was before they all tried their best to reconcile with each other.

“Gege, are you sure about this?” Hua Cheng asked suddenly as if he was having a conversation with Xie Lian this whole time and only now decided to speak aloud.

They all stood together under the brutal sun; it was the beginning of summer there. To any outsiders, the four of them looked to be a collection of disciples from the same sect as they wore similar clothes. The villagers who most likely sent the plethora of prayers were standing a distance away. Farm workers with straw hats and store merchants glanced towards the group’s way, pointing and whispering about the group’s sudden appearance. They were thankful the gods sent what they believed to be cultivators. The cave was taking consistent customers and ambitious family members day by day, so they were thankful for any help they could get.

The villagers wanted to approach but felt like it’d be more appropriate once the job was done; most sensible people steered clear of the cave entirely. Nobody even took the risk to warn the group of kind cultivators of the danger they may face. They could only be hopeful that the group would return in their original set of four.

Feng Xin caught this sudden exchange and paused his rambling to say, “What’s going on? Sure, about what?”

“I was thinking that the demon might be in there because of the spiritual energy inside. It’s gotten stronger since we’ve been here,” Xie Lian started. “I think we’ll have to go in to investigate.”

“I’ve sensed it too, but I don’t think it’s best to enter when we don’t even know how powerful these demons are,” Feng Xin argued, his expression pensive.

“San Lang can put a spiritual shield on our consciousness to ensure nothing penetrates our thoughts,” Xie Lian explained. “I’ll lead, and we’ll have Mu Qing in the back to help deal with anyone trying to come in. It doesn’t seem too deep, so it should be fine till we find the source of the incidents.”

Feng Xin looked like he was thinking through the plan, so Mu Qing made an expression to act as if he knew what was going on. But truly, he was trying to figure out how he’d pull out the saber in time if any danger occurred. He was also wondering what it meant for Hua Cheng to put up a shield on their consciousness.

“Since everyone agrees, let’s go in,” Hua Cheng instructed, even though Feng Xin and Mu Qing hadn’t said a word of agreement.

Nonetheless, they all followed in the order they established. Feng Xin used his hand to source some light for them in the cave, illuminating the damp inner structure. It was similar to what Xie Lian had done a day before when he “caught him”.

As they went further into the cave, Mu Qing wanted to ask when the shield Hua Cheng was supposed to create would go into effect. Nobody said a word about it, and Hua Cheng didn’t say anything either, so he could only assume that it was something known between them. He had to follow suit and trust that his mind wouldn’t be taken over by a demon. Fantastic!

The cave was different from what Mu Qing imagined. The inside was carved from various types of stone, with engravings along the edges of the cave itself, and some appeared quite valuable. That was probably why people kept coming, even after others hadn’t returned. Mu Qing felt the urge to go and touch them, but something within himself made him more cautious than satisfying his curiosity. Spiritual power was leaking from the cave, as Xie Lian mentioned, so maybe the demon set up the precious stones to lure people.

As if reading his thoughts, Feng Xin spoke, “These stones, they have some type of spiritual spell on them. There’s evil qi in them. The demon probably set this up as the catalyst to enter people’s minds.”

“It makes sense why so many people kept attempting entry,” Xie Lian continued.

“But how did they know they were here?” Mu Qing said absentmindedly, his thoughts slipping from his mind. Once he saw they turned his way and were listening to his suggestion, Mu Qing thought it over and explained, “One of the villagers had to enter this cave, touch and examine the stones in order to report back that there was something valuable here. But that person would’ve died like the other villagers. So, unless it was the demon itself, then there must be an accomplice out there.”

“Perhaps,” Hua Cheng faintly agreed. “Demons like these don’t work alone unless they're powerful enough. And in that case, they can also take on different forms. But if it’s a demon of high enough caliber to be on its own, then this might take more than the barrier I set.”

Fear struck Mu Qing; he couldn’t gauge how bad this demon would be, and with no hold on how to control the powers he had, it’d probably expose him. Maybe this would be a worse circumstance than being tied up by Xie Lian. At least if the demon wasn’t so bad, Hua Cheng’s protective measures would save him.

As he entertained his thoughts of fear, Mu Qing felt a tremor in his head. He wanted to believe it was his head injury, but it felt cold and not the warm pain he had felt since he got here. When he was about to dismiss the feeling as another aspect of his godly body, Feng Xin stopped in his tracks.

“Next time, would you warn us when you’re going to invade our heads, Crimson Rain?” Feng Xin questioned, throwing daggers at Hua Cheng with his gaze, his forefingers rubbing his temple. Mu Qing felt reassured to know he wasn’t alone in the feeling, but he didn’t trust this world’s Hua Cheng having such easy access to his mind.

“Interesting, I thought I was given your consent,” Hua Cheng feigned sincerity.

Feng Xin turned back around with an annoyed slew of incomprehensible noise coming from his mouth. Xie Lian seemed perfectly fine with the matter, walking ahead with no complaints. Mu Qing stared at the two, observing their dynamic. It was obvious they didn’t feel fond of each other. It wasn’t much different from his world. When Hua Cheng first met Mu Qing and Feng Xin, the two hated each other at first sight. Constantly fighting behind Xie Lian’s back and messing with each other.

But when it came to him and Hua Cheng, things were different. Mu Qing initially felt uneasy around him because he didn’t know what his intentions were with Xie Lian. At that time, Hua Cheng and Xie Lian had just recovered from a terrible falling out, so Mu Qing was particularly protective of them. When Hua Cheng suddenly appeared out of nowhere, Mu Qing wanted to be careful and close him off. But over time, the tension between them eased, and their relationship became harder to define. They would argue here and there, but Mu Qing knew there was nothing truly serious behind it—just typical young adult teasing. And Mu Qing enjoyed being around Hua Cheng, whether he admitted it or not. Something was hanging in the air between them, but neither of them took the first step to find out what it was.

That’s why it was so hard to accept the Hua Cheng in front of him as he was. Between him and Xie Lian, the complete adoration he could see in his eyes for him, and how he treated Feng Xin, he knew it was the same Hua Cheng. But the way he looked at Mu Qing with utter distaste, it made him want to know the root of their sour relationship. Why he seemed to detest him so much.

Mu Qing’s thoughts were disturbed by a sound further within the cave. It sounded like he came from a living being, but it was too far for a cave that’s supposed to be somewhat shallow. The spiritual power Xie Lian mentioned earlier, at this point, Mu Qing could feel it coming off in waves. It was strong like a gust of wind threatening to pull Mu Qing back and clog the air around him.

“It shouldn’t be too far now,” Xie Lian said, quickening his pace. Mu Qing paused. Too far? He could tell the noise came from at least a few meters away, unless his hearing was out of whack, something was wrong.

“Is there a problem, Mu Qing?” Xie Lian asked when he saw that Mu Qing was no longer following them.

“No, it’s just… how far do you think it is?” Mu Qing reverted his comment into another question.

“Not more than one or two li,” Xie Lian answered simply.

“That’s not—” Mu Qing cut himself off when he blinked and noticed the light Feng Xin was holding had disappeared. He was surrounded by pure darkness; only the echoes of water dropping off the gemstones could be heard. “Xie Lian?”

Mu Qing called out several times but received no responses. As he shouted their names, the air within the cave seemed to get thinner as if it were getting sucked right out of where Mu Qing stood.

He was scared now, terrified. He wished desperately that he knew how to conjure up the flame or was more wary in entering a dangerous cave without any knowledge of how to defend himself. The only thing keeping him steady was the possibility of Hua Cheng’s shield protecting him. Surely it couldn’t be entirely useless?

Mu Qing shouted their names with all his might, but no sound came out. He grabbed at his throat, hoping and wishing for something, anything, to emerge. The only sounds now were the rough, ragged gasp he made trying to yell. His words felt trapped in his throat, held back by an invisible force. Tears streamed down his face, burning at the edge of his eyelids. He fell to his knees, scrabbling at the ground. He felt suffocated. He stretched out his arms and pushed at the walls, trying to break free. Mu Qing felt the walls closing in on him, but no matter how hard he pushed, they only pressed tighter. Darkness and silence enveloped him.