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Chapter Text

“Are you serious?”

Hua Cheng felt a headache brewing. It was supposed to be a simple mission. At least, it was on paper. Why are there so many hurdles to get over?

The server who gave him his information looked genuinely apologetic. “Apologies, Daozhang. When the disappearances started, many families started hiding their daughters, not letting them come out. We do not doubt that you wish to help us but –”

“But they’re not risking their lives. I understand.” Hua Cheng settled himself. He chose the form of a young cultivator, to appear more approachable to the mortals. After all, his true form was tall, intimidating.

That, and he’s pretty sure he has a few statues littered about. It would go against the deal if the people recognized him as a god.

Except right now, there was a chance that the deal won’t come to fruition.

The Martial God of Death, Hua Cheng.

A god said to have ascended from a pool of blood and fire, after having spent several years in constant battle. A god said to be the embodiment of Death Itself, with his legendary weapon E-ming, forged from his own eye in a fit of blood fueled rage. A weapon that curses its victims to never heal from the wounds it inflicts.

Crossing swords with him means that you die, and if you somehow survive, you would wish that he killed you, instead.

Hua Cheng’s reputation was revered as much as it was feared.

But the curious thing about Hua Cheng was…he had no memory of his life before ascension. Though he remembered how he ascended, how he obtained his weapon…he couldn’t remember what led him to that constant battle for power. He couldn’t remember what motivated him to become a god.

All he knew was that the other gods left a sour taste in his mouth. He never wanted to be associated with any god, no matter how much they tried to endear themselves to him. At some point, they just gave up.

All he knew was that he never felt comfortable in Heaven, never felt like it was the place he wanted to be, never felt like he had to ascend even after doing so.

All he knew was that he was looking for someone but he can’t remember who.

Clarity came with a conversation with The Earth Master, Ming Yi. He was the only god that didn’t make Hua Cheng’s skin crawl with disgust. He didn’t even know why, Ming Yi just felt different, and from how Ming Yi accepted the quiet company, he didn’t seem to mind it either.

They usually enjoy silence together. Hua Cheng was the only other person Ming Yi could tolerate besides the famously loud Wind Master, but it was one of those days when Hua Cheng woke up from the dream of reaching out to a figure he couldn’t remember, and yet was so important to him that it bothered him.

“...I don’t know who he is.” Hua Cheng disclosed, “but I can’t seem to sit still unless I find him.”

He expected Ming Yi to scoff at him, or to question if the person he’s looking for is still alive considering how many decades – centuries – have passed since then. However, Ming Yi just frowned slightly.

“Perhaps you should look for him.”

Hua Cheng blinked. “ Can I?”

“Well that’s up to you, isn’t it?” Ming Yi shrugged. “How much do you want to find him?”

Very much.

So much that it was all he could think of.

It was with that thought that Hua Cheng went up to Ling Wen to request for him to descend to the mortal realm. Jun Wu is too rigid in his rules, wanting to keep the Heavenly Officials and the Mortals separate, but Ling Wen is bendable.

That, and she is also incredibly scared of him as well. Hua Cheng won’t be surprised if she agreed to this just to get rid of him.

“I can arrange for that…however, you know the rules –”

“Nobody should know I’m a god and I cannot interfere with the destinies of mortals, I know.” Hua Cheng interrupted, crossing his arms. “I’m not stupid.”

“I never said you were.” Ling Wen ducked her head down and scribbled on a scroll. “You may, but in exchange, there is something you’ll need to take care of first. A mission, so to say. If you accomplish it, then we can consider your request as payment.”

Hua Cheng agreed, and took the mission.

A ghost groom terrorizing the north? Sounds easy enough.

“You got it?”

Hua Cheng looked at Ming Yi, who stood with his arms crossed. It appeared that, despite being flippant about it, he waited for Hua Cheng outside the Hall of Ling Wen.

“Yup. Heading down to do a little mission up north in exchange.” Hua Cheng handed the scroll over to Ming Yi to see. Ming Yi huffed, but read through the details, before handing it back. Hua Cheng decided to give the earth master a shit-eating grin. “Aw, are you sad?”

“Idiot.” Ming Yi scoffed. “You owe me . Leaving me up here with Shi Qingxuan.”

“You can always visit once I have my temple set up.” Hua Cheng chuckled. “Though, you pay for your own food.”

“Ugh. Get out of here. I hate you.”

“I’ll miss you too, asshole.”

He’s gotten this far.

Hua Cheng contemplated changing forms. Though he had chosen the form of a young, male cultivator, perhaps he could make up some sort of excuse and change to a woman. It’s annoying that he had already established himself before being told the details of the mission, but it should still be viable –

“Daozhang…” 

Before he could stand, a young girl in her early teens approached. She looked out of place amongst the servers, perhaps she was someone with mixed blood, with purple hair and dark eyes. She looked so pale, and Hua Cheng wasn’t sure if it was because he was scaring her or it was natural. 

Hua Cheng settled back down. He always did have a soft spot for kids.

“Yes?”

“Daozhang, my laoshi has volunteered to help you, if you were to accept. He’s willing to dress as a bride.”

Hua Cheng blinked.

It made sense, none of the women wish to be a victim to this ghost groom, no matter if there was a cultivator to help them (nevermind a god, but they don’t know that). It was remarkable that a man was willing to be dressed in such a way.

Staying in heaven for a long time, he has seen a lot of men with too much pride.

“I’m sure I can find a way to handle it, myself. I do not wish to force him to –”

“He really doesn’t mind…” She hopped on her heels. “In fact, I think he’s preparing to disguise himself now.”

It must have taken some ungodly amount of courage for this little girl to approach Hua Cheng, and well…he won’t look a gift horse in the mouth. “If so, I swear I will protect your laoshi.”

The little girl opened up her mouth to reply, but seemed to think better of it, before scurrying away, presumably to tell her teacher that Hua Cheng was alright with it. The server returned to refill his tea as he waited.

From the corner of his eye, he spotted the red string on his middle finger, a little thing that he never wanted to remove for unknown reasons, and the strange markings tattooed on his left arm.

By instinct, he pulled up his sleeve to run his thumb on the indecipherable tattoo.

The tattoo was the only marking Hua Cheng had left from his life before godhood.

It was an ugly mark, crudely carved and inked into his veins with an unsteady hand. Clearly done in a throe of desperation and passion, as if it was a last resort to remember something .

He would have admired it more if he could understand the damn thing.

The calligraphy was atrocious at best, even if it was written by his own hand. The loss of his own memory included any understanding of his own handwriting. With how many tens of thousands of characters and combinations there were, he couldn’t pinpoint the exact one was on his arm.

Was it a name? A location? Was it the source of this gaping hole in his heart? Was it his reason for ascension?

He didn’t know.

Still, he ran his thumb along the indecipherable text everyday in the hopes he would remember.

Alongside the red string on his finger, it made him feel tethered to the world.

“Daozhang?”

The voice.

It was just one word but the voice rattled Hua Cheng’s brain. The light masculine voice, with an accent that Hua Cheng couldn’t trace, and an air of authority. It intensified the brewing headache from the stress of the day as his mind tried to match the voice to a face but to no avail. Not with the gaps in his memories.

However, when he turned his head to face the man who spoke, he saw double.

For a moment, he saw a figure in white.

Before his vision cleared and he saw a veiled person in red.

What was that…?

Focus on the mission!

“I believe my student told you I was going to help…?” The man continued.

Right. Teacher dressed as a bride because the women did not want to endanger themselves. Fight the ghost groom. Get permission to stay in the mortal realm.

“Ah, yes, sorry for making you do this.” Hua Cheng stood to bow properly. Even in his young form, he was still a bit taller than the teacher. He had to admit to himself that it was quite impressive. Although slightly broader than an average woman, the man was short and slight, and the wedding robes and veil hid any obvious indicators that it was a man underneath.

He had to admire the teacher, at that moment, for choosing to dress like this.

The man laughed. Puffs of breath moved the veil, but did not reveal anything. “We do what we must to protect others.”

Indeed.

At first, the journey was smooth enough. Hua Cheng took the front, guarding the palanquin while four men carried the fake bride inside. Hua Cheng had to scare off a few bandits on the way, but despite looking so young, his blade is fierce and his aura struck fear in their hearts.

Perks of being a god of Death. Everyone felt like they were close to it when they crossed him.

It started getting bad as they entered the forest. As the sun set, and darkness fell over the land, it became obvious that this place had been gathering resentment for a while. Even the palanquin bearers could feel the shift in the air, as palpable as it was. He could hear them murmuring, could hear the rustle of cloth as they looked to one another.

Hua Cheng sighed. “You may leave, if you wish.”

The men who carried the palanquin immediately dropped it to scurry away. Hua Cheng can’t blame them. They were civilians, after all. This was more than just a ghost groom, it was a forest full of ghouls. Perhaps a result of the ghost groom’s actions.

But…

“We’ll have to continue by foot,” Hua Cheng opened the palanquin. The ‘bride’ did not appear disgruntled at all, instead just calmly sitting down without an ounce of tension in his body, despite being dropped by the other men. “However, you may leave if you wish, it’s getting quite dangerous.”

“But how will Daozhang complete his mission?” The man replied, head tilted slightly to the side.

“I will figure it out. But I don’t wish to endanger civilians.” Hua Cheng extended an arm for him to take. He’s usually more squeamish with physical contact, but this mission had taken a dangerous turn and it was his fault that this civilian was in danger. “Your student will be quite mad at me if anything happened to her laoshi.”

“If I stay,” the man took Hua Cheng’s arm and stepped out of the palanquin, “will you protect me?”

Something about how the man said that rattled in Hua Cheng’s brain. He didn’t drop his arm. That point of contact shot electricity through the god’s veins and he wondered if it was because of the dangerous situation, or something else entirely.

“To the best of my abilities.” He replied, honestly.

The man hummed. “Then, I shall stay.”

The ghouls started coming out not so long after. Hua Cheng didn’t drop the man’s arm. He didn’t have to, not for these level of ghouls.

Even though he can’t remember why he ascended, he remembered how strong he is.

Hua Cheng unsheathed E-ming, and stepped in front of his charge. “Don’t be scared.”

“I’m not.”

E-ming flew through the ghouls, easily dispatching them. Hua Cheng opened up a red parasol – something he also ascended with, but had no idea the origin of – and tilted it over the man to protect him from the splatters of blood. As the number of ghouls increased, Hua Cheng started utilizing the silver butterflies from his vambraces.

The ‘bride’ stood by him, neither flinching nor saying a word.

“Are you scared?” He checked.

“I’m not.” The man repeated, and his voice was steady enough that Hua Cheng knew he was telling the truth. “They’re beautiful.”

Strange to hear that. When he ascended, when the gods found out what the butterflies were capable of, nobody ever called them beautiful. It made him feel proud.

He was distracted for a moment, just a moment to revel in the praise of how this man thought of his butterflies as beautiful, but it was enough as extra resentment poured out from the forest.

Hua Cheng readied himself. It would be close, but he could –

A line of red spider lilies appeared, radiating out from their location.

A crimson sword flew by, and assisted E-ming in dispatching the ghouls.

A white silk appeared, binding and throwing other ghouls around.

“What –” Hua Cheng stared at the field of spider lilies that grew from the ground, which snagged the ghouls that were to attack them, giving E-ming and the red sword ample time to slash them up. 

Tracing the silk, Hua Cheng found it was attached to the man beside him.

With a flick of his wrist, the silver butterflies cut through the rest of the ghouls. Hua Cheng instinctively tipped the umbrella more over the man beside him to protect him from the resulting rain.

“You…” Hua Cheng narrowed his eyes.

The man laughed, head tipped back, with small puffs of breath moving the veil.

The white silk disappeared back up the man’s sleeve. The red sword settled itself on the man’s hip. Around them, in a field of blood, Hua Cheng’s silver butterflies settled over the man’s spider lilies. 

How strange. Usually, the butterflies were more wary of the items around them, much like how Hua Cheng was.

Who was…?

Hua Cheng turned towards his companion just as a gust of wind blew, the veil lifting up just enough for Hua Cheng to catch a pale face and lips tilted up with a smile. He couldn’t control himself as he lifted the veil, revealing The Most Beautiful Man he had ever seen. Made up lightly, his features were soft and delicate. His lips colored a deep red, turned up into a wide smile, sharp cheekbones, and pale, perfect skin…

His golden eyes were lined with red, and the sight took Hua Cheng’s breath away.

It was just like the moment he first heard the man’s voice. There was a rattling in Hua Cheng’s brain. For a brief moment the image was superimposed with a man in white. One who was wearing a mask –

Hua Cheng’s body started to shake, not from terror or anger, but because he didn’t know what he wanted to do. Seeing the man made him vibrate in his skin. He wanted to grab onto the other man and not let him go. He wanted to kiss the man’s face and whisper words of praise.

He wanted to kneel.

Hua Cheng swallowed and licked his dry lips. It did not escape him how this beautiful man watched the movement with slightly parted lips and hooded eyes.

“Do…” Hua Cheng coughed, and the man grinned at him, those golden eyes crinkling in delight. “Do I know you…?”

Chapter Text

“Do…do I know you…?”

Hua Cheng knew it was the wrong thing to say immediately because the man’s face cracked. The wide smile and hooded golden eyes morphed into a look that was almost akin to terror, for a second.

Only for a second.

And then the man was back to smiling, but not as bright as the initial one. Like clouds have decided to cover the summer sun. Hua Cheng wanted to hit himself for dimming that smile.

“Is this esteemed daozhang so careless?” The man took a step forward, so that their chests were pressed together, the lines of their bodies so close that Hua Cheng was certain that if anyone were to see them, they wouldn’t be able to tell where one ended and one began. “If I am a stranger, why does he seem so hesitant to step away?”

Hua Cheng felt his head dip down, as if wanting to be even closer to the beautiful man. Why is he being like this? He is usually so reserved, he gets grossed out by the touch of any other being. Why does he crave closeness with this particular person?

Why does his mind rattle? Who is the figure of white he keeps seeing? Why can’t he step away?

Hua Cheng observed how his silver butterflies looked at home amongst the spider lilies, how even E-ming showed no aggression towards the white silk or the crimson sword, calmer than Hua Cheng had ever seen from his blade post-battle.

For the first time since his ascension, despite all his confusion, he felt settled in his skin.

The man tipped his head up, and they were so close that Hua Cheng could feel the small puffs of breath from the smaller man. He could see flecks of red in the man’s golden eyes.

“Unless this handsome daozhang is like this with everyone.” The man pouted and sighed dramatically, before taking one step back.

Hua Cheng’s body reacted faster than his mind. He stepped forward to maintain that closeness, one arm wrapping around the man’s waist to keep him from moving away.

Was this some sort of curse? A ghostly hold?

Was he going mad?

And yet, Hua Cheng couldn’t help but feel…

Like he was always meant to be here.

“Daozhang~” The man purred, resting his hands on Hua Cheng’s chest. “So forward!”

“I apologize I –” Hua Cheng watched the man lick his lips, and he found himself following the motion, before catching himself. “I –”

“Hmmmm?” The man dragged a finger up Hua Cheng’s chest, to his neck, up to his chin. The god’s knees shook from the effort to stay still.

“I don’t know what I’m doing…” Hua Cheng whispered.

The man grinned. “Perhaps daozhang’s body knows something that daozhang doesn’t~”

“You –”

“RRAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!!”

Pure instinct.

At the sound, Hua Cheng immediately stepped in front of the man, weapons at the ready, putting himself between the danger and his –

His –

His…?

Hands snaked from behind him, wrapping around his waist, but his instincts seem to have double standards as his body refused to do anything against the man who hugged him from behind, resting his chin on Hua Cheng’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry, daozhang.” He whispered in Hua Cheng’s ear. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

The doors to the temple opened, and several lifeless bodies – the lost brides, Hua Cheng realized – and a struggling Wrath dressed as another bride tumbled out, carried by spider lilies that spread through the ground. She screamed, rolling on the ground.

“GET ME OUT OF – WHO DARES USE THE CRIMSON SWORD’S –” 

Hua Cheng and the man behind him reached out simultaneously. The man’s sentient white silk shot out to hold the Wrath in place, while silver butterflies flew out to restrain her movements and push her down to the ground.

“WHAT IS –”

The white silk tightened around the Wrath and slammed her face down on the ground. The butterflies instinctively fluttered to keep her there.

“You’re interrupting us . We were having a moment. ” The man looked down at her like she was nothing more than dirt under his boots and Hua Cheng felt it was criminal to be standing in front of him. He should be on his knees, he should – “ Shut up. ”

The crimson sword was in the man’s hand in a flash, and he twirled in front of Hua Cheng to slam it down a hair’s breadth away from the Wrath on the ground. She froze immediately, her mouth dropped open.

“My lord?!” She screeched. 

It appears that she knew who he was from the sword alone. The thought irked at Hua Cheng more than he would like to admit.

“Hmmmm?” The man turned to her, tilting the sword dangerously close to her face. “What did I just say?”

The bride opened her mouth to speak, realized what his command was, and slammed her mouth shut, physically restraining herself.

“Good, good. Now, my handsome friend here is going to ask you a few questions. Answer honestly, understood?” The Wrath nodded frantically, lips still tight together., and he turned to Hua Cheng. “Looks like your ‘ghost groom’ was a ‘ghost bride’ all along.”

It was strange.

Clearly the Man must be a Supreme, for a Wrath to be so obedient and so scared. The ghost bride may not be the strongest being Hua Cheng had encountered in his time as a God of Death, but she was definitely somewhere up there.

She wouldn’t be one who would just bow to anyone.

And yet, Hua Cheng felt no killing aura, no threat from the mysterious man beside him, no resentment . Hua Cheng turned his full attention to the ghost at their feet.

“What’s your story?”

Hua Cheng pinched the bridge of his nose.

Seriously, Pei Ming?!

The bride – Xuan Ji, they learned – told them a story of a love scorned, of how all her actions were a showcase of mad love and devotion, the consequence of rejection and how her love was her motivation for everything she’s done up to this point.

However, instead of the pity and sympathy she was trying to get for her performance, she was met instead with scorn and ridicule.

Hua Cheng was angry and annoyed.

The man was laughing.

“What a joke!” He laughed, rubbing the tears from his golden eyes. “Devotion! She calls it devotion ! Love , even!”

“Trash god with trash believers.” Hua Cheng growled before he could stop himself. “Killing other people for nothing and spinning a sob story, fucking waste of my time.”

“Oi – that’s –” Xuan Ji rose up and screamed. “You don’t know anything! I am the only one who could love him! I’m his most devoted –”

“You’re not devoted , don’t kid yourself.” The man interrupted as he continued to laugh, and at the sound of his voice, the bride shut her mouth once more. “You were only devoted for as long as Pei Ming was the man you wanted. But the second he chose something else, you retaliated. Even now, you involve innocents and kill them in his name for nothing but your own ego.”

He bent forward, looking down at her.

“That’s not devotion . That’s not love .” The man growled. “That’s just selfish .”

Xuan Ji, red with anger and teary with frustration, forced herself to her knees to face the man. “WHAT DO YOU KNOW YOU WORTHLESS WHORE –”

Hua Cheng grabbed her head and slammed it face-down on the ground, so strong that it created a dent on the surface of the ground. His vision was red, the insult she directed to the beautiful man rang in his ears. He grit his teeth and raised her head to slam it back down again. And again. And again.

“You don’t get to even look at him you –”

“Shhhhh…”

The red cleared from Hua Cheng’s vision, and he gasped as his reasoning came back to him. The man had touched his forehead gently, smiling sweetly at him.

“She’s not worth your anger.”

Hua Cheng opened his mouth, and closed it again. It was only then that he realized what he had done.

Why did…?

Why did he get so angry ?

For a moment, he felt like someone else. For a moment, he completely lost control over his thoughts and actions and –

“She’s down.” The man smoothed his fingers over Hua Cheng’s forehead, gently massaging him. “Thank you for jumping to my defense.”

“I –” Why did he jump the gun like that? He shook himself and stood, relishing in the way that the man maintained contact before ultimately pulling away. “I should probably – I should take care of this.”

“Taking her to up to General Pei Ming in Heaven, then?”

“His problem, he should deal with –”

Hua Cheng froze. 

This man…he knew that Hua Cheng was a god.

Has known.

Perhaps since the beginning. Since the little girl –

The pale girl who looked out of place –

The man sheathed his sword by his hip, the spider lilies disappeared into scattered petals in the air.

“What’s wrong, dao-zhang ?” The man drew out the word. He was still grinning widely from his laughing fit. “Don’t worry about the other brides. I’ll make sure their bodies are returned to their families”

Hua Cheng swallowed, deciding not to pursue it, despite the dread of being seen since the beginning

“Thanks – uh – I mean – yes. I’ll take my leave, then.”

Hua Cheng didn’t want to go. His body was lurching to stay. He even let out a small sound when the white silk left the Wrath to return to its owner.

The man smiled and flicked his wrist. A small, white flower appeared between his fingers. It was a tiny thing, with simple, single layered petals. Flowers that naturally grew on the ground, but were never cultivated further to be sold. They look like the small flowers that grew on the countryside, unassuming. The kind of flowers that were left alone for the poor to pick.

Where has he seen that flower before…?

A flash of a memory struck Hua Cheng. Of a small white flower on a stone hand.

And just as quickly as he saw it, it disappeared.

Tightening the butterflies’ hold on the unconscious Wrath, he prepared himself to return to Heaven. The man tucked the flower on the front of Hua Cheng’s robes. He flicked his wrist again, summoning a spider lily, which he tucked beside the white flower.

“Will I –” Hua Cheng’s throat was dry. “Will I see you again?”

He sounded so hopeful . It was kind of pathetic. The man looked delighted, grinning from ear to ear.

“For you?” he giggled. “All you need to do is think of me, and I will be there.”

“But who are you –?”

And just as suddenly as he came into Hua Cheng’s life, the man disappeared in a flurry of red petals.

“Who is –” Ling Wen’s eyes widened as Hua Chen unceremoniously dropped the Wrath in front of her desk. “Erm…”

“That is your ‘ghost groom’.” Hua Cheng crossed his arms, extremely put out that this was the end of the mission. “A woman scorned by an ex-lover and killed brides because she thinks they’re marrying him.”

“Why did you bring her here instead of dispersing her…?” Ling Wen stood to peek over, wincing at her dirt-stained, bloody face.

“Five guesses who that ‘ex-lover’ is.” Hua Cheng raised a brow.

“Of course.” Immediately, Ling Wen sank back into her seat with a sigh. “I’ll make sure he deals with –” She looked up at Hua Cheng and froze. “What is that?”

Hua Cheng blinked. “What is what –”

Ling Wen shot to her feet, grabbing the spider lily tucked in Hua Cheng’s robe, and slammed the flower to the ground, before she stomped on it.

Hua Cheng instinctively pulled Ling Wen away, unreasonably angry at the stomped flower on the ground. His hand shot up to protect the small, white flower. “What are you doing?!”

“You met with Fangxin?!” 

The god of death blinked. “Who the fuck is Fangxin?”

Ling Wen grabbed the crushed spider lily gingerly between her fingers, and pushed them both into the public array.

“Everyone, I need confirmation.” Ling Wen sent through the array, ignoring the put out looks of the other officials. “The Martial God of Death may have encountered The Crimson Sword.”

The Crimson Sword…?

Hua Cheng vaguely remembered Xuan Ji calling his companion that before she was silenced.

“WHO DARES USE THE CRIMSON SWORD’S –”

Ling Wen lifted the spider lily, which evoked immediate fear and disgust in the other gods.

“Are we certain? It could have been just a normal spider lily.”

“Where did the God of Death encounter that?”

“It was given to me by someone who helped with my recent mission.” Hua Cheng replied, crossing his arms. He hated the public array. Too many idiots in one space. From the corner of his eye, he spotted Ming Yi tapping in.

The fuck is happening? Ming Yi sent over to Hua Cheng, privately.

Fuck if I know. Hua Cheng rolled his eyes.

“What did they look like?” Another god insisted.

“He –”

Hua Cheng stopped himself. Describing the man he bumped into as ‘the most beautiful man in the world’ was not going to do him any favors in Heaven. He decided to describe his weapons, instead.

“He had a red sword with a black hilt, a white silk, and controlled spider lilies?”

The Heavens went silent. Jaws dropped, bodies still. 

Hua Cheng looked over at Ming Yi, who pinched the bridge of his nose.

The fuck did I say? Hua Cheng sent over to his acquaintance.

Ming Yi didn’t reply, but shot him an unimpressed look. 

The silence burst into a flurry of panic.

“Fangxin! It truly is Fangxin!”

“The Crimson Sword Deathly Flowers!” 

“The Scourge of Heavens!”

“The Mad Calamity!”

“How did you survive?”

“How are you still here???”

“We must bolster our defenses! Fangxin has emerged again!”

What the fuck?

“Okay, I get it, big deal. But look, I did my end of the bargain.” Hua Cheng turned to Ling Wen. “Do I get the end of my deal or not?”

Ling Wen sighed and waved away the public array, blocking them from the panicked outrage.

“If you’re sure. But you’ll have to be careful if that Calamity has met you.”

“‘Fangxin’?” Hua Cheng raised a brow. “Well, I saw how he looked like –”

“I doubt that was his real appearance.” Ling Wen frowned. “He’s always masked. Nobody had ever seen his true face.”

And yet, those golden eyes, the shape of his face and the way he smiled rattled something deep in Hua Cheng’s body, like it was a face he was always meant to see. Like it was the first true thing he had seen in a very long time.

Was it truly a mask? Something to get under Hua Cheng’s skin?

But if so, how would he have known that that appearance would affect him so much?

How did he seem to know more about Hua Cheng than Hua Cheng, himself?

As he thought about it, Ling Wen had stamped the approval of his stay down in the mortal realm, handing the scroll over to Hua Cheng. “I’ll take care of…her. Pei Ming will handle it from here.”

“Good.”

A moment of hesitation.

“I’ll give you a word of advice.” She added.

“Hm?”

“If you do meet Fangxin again, run.” Ling Wen was stern. “His sword is deadly, the wielder even moreso, but more than that, it is said to drive beings to madness. His insanity has seduced ghosts and to-be gods to his side. He may have let you go now, but I think he’s trying to influence you to his side.”

Interesting.

Hua Cheng recalled the heady feeling he had in Fangxin’s presence. The way he wasn’t himself, the way he wanted to kneel and give the calamity everything he wanted. The way he lost himself the moment someone insulted him.

Was it truly madness?

Was it seduction?

Or was it something else, entirely?

The tattoo in his arm burned. He resisted the urge to rub at it.

“Such a deadly sword. It must’ve gone down in history, I will have to do my research.” Hua Cheng deliberately ran his fingers down E-ming. His own scimitar is a legend in and of itself, after all. Ling Wen flinched at the motion. “May I have the name?”

Ling Wen sighed.

“The legendary sword, Wu Ming.”

Chapter Text

“It’s a bit run down, but the foundations are good. And as you requested, it’s quite isolated.”

“It’s good. I will take it, then. Thank you.”

“Out of curiosity, which god are you rebuilding this temple for, daozhang?”

“The Martial God Hua Cheng.”

“A - a - ah. T-that’s nice! G-good luck with that ihavetogo!”

Hua Cheng sighed.

He expected as such. His reputation for assisting in battle, his martial prowess, and his sword has reached even the ears of this small village. He chose Puqi village, one that was very nondescript and peaceful. Nobody would think of finding the feared God of Death in such a place.

It will be the perfect place to lay low from the eyes of Heaven while he searched the Mortal Realm.

The man he purchased this land from wasn’t wrong. The foundations were strong, but the walls had holes in them, and the roof needed patching up. There wasn’t even a door. The stove would need some repair, and he could fix up the porch as well.

He moved the dining table to the center of the temple, where he plans to make the altar.

Building his own temple. That’s going to be awkward.

What does a temple need?

A representation of its god.

Offerings.

Prayers.

Believers.

The last three will come with time, in fact this particular temple might not need that. He had others scattered around the world, he didn’t need that. But it might need a representation, just so that the bare minimum will be met.

Hua Cheng’s handwriting is atrocious, so much so that he couldn’t even read his own arm, but he can paint. Painting came naturally to him now, he suspected that he had a lot of practice prior to his ascension, and he was able to paint flowers and indistinct figures. 

There was one particular figure he could paint. It was a man with fine robes who held a sword in one hand, and a flower in the other. He could not recall the face, usually leaving it blank.

He had a distinct feeling that the figure, the characters on his arm, and his disjointed dreams were connected to that Someone he was looking for.

That being said, Hua Cheng could probably draw a portrait for himself. His existing portraits and statues were a rough estimate of his appearance. His face was often obscured by E-ming, whose red eye was his iconic symbol. In theory, Hua Cheng’s true appearance wasn’t very well known, but he would rather not risk it.

…maybe he shouldn’t make his own self portrait. He’ll think about it.

As he thought about it, he looked at the empty table. He will have to head to the main village to get some supplies to fix the temple but for now…

Hua Cheng reached into his robes to touch the small white flower and the trampled spider lily.

He spotted a small, simple ceramic vase off to the side. It looked like it housed a small flower that had long since rotted away to nothing. He cleaned it off, added a bit of water, and placed it on the altar.

Hua Cheng slowly took out the two flowers in his robes, and placed the two flowers into the vase.

The small, white flower was starting to droop. And next to it was the trampled-on spider lily with only two petals hanging on. He reverently kept them both in a small vase in front of the altar. It made him sad that it was the state they were left in after his report to Heaven.

He wondered if he could refresh them –

He shook his head.

“His insanity has seduced ghosts and to-be gods to his side.”

Was he truly going mad?

Hua Cheng ignored the looks he was getting as he walked out of the main village. Perhaps he had forgotten that there were mortal limits to power. After all, he took on the form of a young male cultivator again, his favored form, and he was carrying a large bundle of wooden planks over one shoulder, and a large bundle of straw on his free hand.

He took a quick trip to the main village area to get supplies to repair the temple. If it was going to be his base of operations, then he wanted it to at least be a decent space. Besides, he might be able to get a few believers here.

“Daozhang, do you need help?”

Hua Cheng turned towards an elder man, riding an ox cart full of hay. He looked worried, eyes darting at the large amount of items he was carrying. To Hua Cheng, it was light, but it must look very heavy for regular mortals.

“I’m heading to Puqi Temple, beyond the forest.” Hua Cheng bowed his head.

“Ah, I’m heading that way, too! I can give you a ride.” The old man replied.

Hua Cheng inhaled sharply and looked to the sky.

The sun was setting.

It was the night of the Ghost Festival, as well.

Hua Cheng knew that when he went out to gather the wood and straw. The Ghost Festival was of no concern for him, he and E-ming are linked spiritually and Hua Cheng would not even need to put down his items for E-ming to dispatch the ghosts and carve a path for him.

But it is dangerous for civilians. Hua Cheng thought of what he could possibly say to dissuade this man from going into the forest and –

“It’s no problem for me to give you a ride, daozhang!” The old man continued with a wide, innocent smile. “After all, I’m simply heading home to my wife and daughter.”

Ah.

Shit.

Hua Cheng nodded and decided to take the offer, loading his items in the back of the cart, and sitting near the edge.

He can protect the old man when the time comes.

Hua Cheng inhaled slowly as he crossed his legs in the ox cart.

He picked a good village.

Heaven always emulated a perfect spring day, full of lush green trees and cherry blossoms. Many would argue that, after ascending, they should always be blessed with perfect days above the mortal realm.

Hua Cheng hated it.

Even after hundreds of years, he never felt comfortable in Heaven. Never felt like those pleasant spring days were anything real. He always felt out of place, like all the Wrong in the world would stick to his skin and aggravate his senses.

It all felt like a front.

Ming Yi felt the same, and it was honestly one of the reasons why they ended up as friends in the first place.

When he initially went down to the mortal realm for the Xuan Ji case, he was too busy trying to protect the civilians, and figuring out who the “ghost groom” was to fully appreciate the mortal realm.

Now, under the heat of the sun, the fall leaves, the rough roads, and the humid air, Hua Cheng finally felt comfortable in his skin. Like he was always meant to be here. Like the world was real again.

The last time he felt this settled in his skin…

He reached for his arm, rubbing his thumb across the unreadable text by instinct.

“All you need to do is think of me, and I will be there.”

He thought of those golden eyes that haunted him since the mission with Xuan Ji. He thought of red spider lilies. He thought of that beautiful face behind the red veil –

“I can’t say I expected to find you here, but it’s a pleasant surprise.”

Hua Cheng found himself smiling before the sentence was finished. He hid the tattoo with his sleeve, instinctively, and leaned forward to spy the new figure sitting on the cart with him.

“Hello, again.”

The man – Fangxin – was wearing all white this time. Simple cultivator robes. There were bandages wrapped around his neck and wrists, and he had a farmer’s straw hat hanging behind him. He wasn’t so made up anymore, but his complexion was still pale, with those same golden eyes that ensnared Hua Cheng.

With the setting sun behind him, surrounded by maple leaves, he looked breathtaking . Hua Cheng scooted closer, unable to stay away.

“Hello dao-zhang . Or…should I say…” Fangxin’s eyes twinkled as he leaned in close to whisper, “Hua Cheng?”

“If you do meet Fangxin again, run.”

Was it madness?

Was it seduction?

Or was it something else entirely?

One thing was for sure, being with Fangxin was just like being in the mortal realm. It felt like it was the first true thing he had experienced in a very long time.

“You seem to know so much about me while I don’t even have your name.” Hua Cheng’s voice cracked slightly in his excitement.

“Something tells me you know who I am already.” Fangxin coyly played with the collar of Hua Cheng’s robes. “Why don’t you tell me?”

“Fangxin. The Crimson Sword, Deathly Flower.”

Fangxin traced a finger up Hua Cheng’s neck. “So formal. Aren’t we so close already?”

“So what do you wish for me to call you?”

Fangxin batted his eyes. “How about…’wife’?”

Hua Cheng jolted, nearly falling off the ox cart if it weren’t for his reflexes. His cheeks burned. “You –!”

“No?” Fangxin’s eyes were wide and innocent – how dare he be so adorable? “Hmmm, then why don’t we try…‘beloved’?”

That wasn’t any better, but the word sparked something in the back of Hua Cheng’s head. A small voice shouting ‘beloved! My beloved!’. He sputtered, trying to make sense of it all –

The effect Fangxin had on him was astounding.

“Still too much?” Fangxin tilted his head back and laughed. Hua Cheng’s eyes traced the smile down to the bandages around his neck. “Then…how do you wish to call me?”

Hua Cheng wanted to tease the Calamity. A sort of petty revenge for being so flustered in his presence. He wanted to give Fangxin a light hearted name, something that would make them close to one another, despite all the warnings he got from Heaven.

It would usually be difficult. Hua Cheng is hundreds of years old, trying to be familiar with anyone would evoke such a strange feeling…

…however, he had a distinct feeling that Fangxin was older than him. That they weren’t that far apart in terms of age.

“Gege?”

Fangxin looked delighted . His golden eyes sparkled with flecks of red, and there was a light flush on his cheeks. “Okay, since you picked what to call me, why don’t I pick what to call you?”

…Hua Cheng didn’t think that one through.

With how bold Fangxin has been with him, he was worried at what nickname he would pick. He tried to imagine Fangxin teasingly calling him ‘husband’ or ‘lover’ or ‘beloved’, and each imagined iteration made Hua Cheng burn.

As he thought about it, Fangxin tapped his cheek three times. “I think of the number three when I see you.” He hummed. “So…how about San Lang?”

Yep.

Nope.

Hua Cheng’s face was surely tomato red by now. His face was so warm even as a smile stretched across his face at such blatant affection. By the look on Fangxin’s face, he seems to be quite aware of the implications of the name.

And yet, it sounded perfect.

“I’m glad I chose this form.” Hua Cheng admitted. “I fear what I would look like if gege flustered me in my true form.”

“Ah, no wonder San Lang’s form confuses me.” Fangxin brushed his thumb on Hua Cheng’s cheek bone. “This is the second time I’ve seen this form from you, but I have yet to see any proof of the rumor about your eye. So San Lang has been lying to me.” He pouted.

Hua Cheng violently shook his head.

“My true form is…unsightly.” Hua Cheng murmured. “And my eye was gouged out in a fit of madness, as the stories say. To make my weapon. This form is better.”

Fangxin shook his head. “Now, now, I don’t believe that at all. I’m sure San Lang is the most handsome god to have ever ascended.”

“Gege, you’re going to kill me.” Hua Cheng whined.

“Never – ah!”

The ox cart jolted to a sudden stop. Fangxin toppled sideways, unbalanced, and Hua Cheng instinctively grabbed onto the Calamity, bringing him into a safe hug against his chest.

Fangxin giggled in delight. “My hero~”

Hua Cheng blushed, but shook his head and turned to the old man, trying his best to ignore how Fangxin was making himself comfortable against Hua Cheng’s body. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know!” He replied, trying to goad the ox to move. “Come on!”

Hua Cheng noticed the quickly darkening sky and cursed.

“Please keep calm, it’s the Ghost Festival.” Hua Cheng called out. “I’ll protect us –”

“Ruoye!”

Hua Cheng blinked at Fangxin, who had straightened up and called upon his white silk to surround the cart and make it invisible just as ghosts started to appear on the horizon.

“Please, keep quiet. The ghosts can’t see us, but they can hear.” Fangxin called out gently towards the old man.

“I-I-I don’t know i-i-if I c-can –” the man stuttered, and Hua Cheng quickly moved over to him.

“Excuse me.” He murmured, before quickly knocking him out with a few pressure points. As the ghosts bumped into the invisible cart and argued amongst themselves, Hua Cheng and Fangxin moved the old man to the back of the cart and settled with the ox. They began moving once more when the ghosts passed.

Hua Cheng took a deep breath to steady himself.

He needs to protect everyone.

Hua Cheng was tense, his senses on full alert, eyes darting towards every sound and movement around them, just in case they were found. If he was on his own, it would be easier because he could handle hoards of low-leveled ghosts just fine.

But he’s not alone. He has an unconscious mortal (with a wife and child waiting for him) and an ox (his own livelihood) with him. Though the heavens were full of beings who don’t particularly care for human life, Hua Cheng was never one of them.

Quite ironic, considering his title.

Fangxin suddenly plopped down beside Hua Cheng on the front, which caused Hua Cheng to jolt for a second. His muscles tensed, and relaxed upon seeing him.

“Ohhh no~” The Calamity scooted closer to Hua Cheng, hooking their arms together. “I’m so scared!”

“The esteemed Lord of Ghost City, scared of a ghost festival?” Hua Cheng couldn’t help but smile as he encouraged the ox to make its way carefully down the path.

“I’m flirting with you.” Fangxin pouted, and cutely plopped his chin on Hua Cheng’s shoulder and batted his eyes. “San Lang, relax. There’s two of us here. We can handle this.”

Fangxin reached out to poke Hua Cheng’s jaw, which was clenched against his will and he forced himself to relax it. “Apologies – it’s just –”

“AH! A WILL-O-WISP WAS KILLED!”

Fangxin and Hua Cheng looked up just in time to see the small fire extinguish.

“Well.” Fangxin smiled at Hua Cheng. “You move us quickly, I’ll get the ghosts out of the way?”

“Got it.”

Picking one fight or killing one ghost in the Ghost Festival will just lead to plenty more. On his own, he would have welcomed the challenge, but there was another life at stake.

Without needing Ruoye to keep them invisible, Fangxin recalled the white silk to slap the ghosts out of their way so that Hua Cheng would have a straight path to speed the ox through the forest. He kept his focus on the road, trusting that Fangxin would ensure that they, and their unconscious charge would be safe.

Again, trusting the calamity he just met. Someone feared by his supposed peers.

When he approached a fork on the road he called out. “What way?!”

The wrong path may lead them to further doom. Perhaps asking the Calamity for the right path would lead them true.

“Go with your gut!” Fangxin called back.

Hua Cheng inhaled and decided left. Left was good.

The path was promising at first until a group of Malices blocked the road. Hua Cheng would have charged through them, but the ox was spooked and stopped suddenly. Vaguely, Hua Cheng can hear Fangxin protecting the back of the cart, while Hua Cheng faced down the Malices in front.

“Well, well, well, humans in the ghost realm! You’re looking for a death wish, cultivators!”

Ugh.

The god slowly stood and put his hands together to bow. “We only wish for safe passage.”

“Safe passage, he says! When he killed a ghost! Who else would kill a ghost but a cultivator?!”

Hua Cheng’s lip twitched, he couldn’t resist teasing. “How about another ghost?”

Hua Cheng readied his hand. E-ming was concealed in his robes, having shape shifted into a smaller size so that it wouldn’t be so seen. He would love to avoid confrontation – it was too risky to stop to fight and lose time. They needed to get out of the forest quickly. 

Not that it would be a threat to Hua Cheng (and to Fangxin, if he was so inclined to fight), but it would be tedious .

Hua Cheng narrowed his eyes at the Ghosts who bantered about how Hua Cheng was a filthy liar, when one suddenly charged forward –

Just leave us the fuck alone!

Only to stop a few steps away from the cart. The ghost shuddered and took one step back, and another, and the fear spread to the other ghosts behind him.

Hua Cheng blinked. “Well?”

And the ghosts fled, screaming in horror and warning everyone to get out of the way!

“So this is the power of the Martial God of Death.” Fangxin hummed as Hua Cheng sat back down to direct the Ox forward, calmer this time. Hua Cheng had a feeling that nothing would bother them anymore. Fangxin plopped back down beside him, hooking their arms together. “I have to say, I’m very impressed.”

Hua Cheng turned his gaze to his companion. He didn’t see Fangxin during the final confrontation. He heard Fangxin fighting off ghosts behind them, but he didn’t make any noise afterwards. Did the ghosts recognize him? Were they scared off by his presence? If he was a Supreme, that would make sense.

“And look, we made it out.” Fangxin pointed forward, where a clearing out of the forest was in view. Hua Cheng could see his temple in the distance. “San Lang’s gut is quite trustworthy!”

Another one of Fangxin’s influences maybe? Perhaps, to the Lord of Ghosts, the directions would never matter. Either way would have led them to freedom, he just gave Hua Cheng the illusion of choice.

Again, Hua Cheng’s gaze went back to Fangxin. His body instinctively adjusted so that the calamity could lean his head against Hua Cheng’s shoulder better. Fangxin hummed, happily, and snuggled against him.

Hua Cheng almost dropped his head to rest against his, but just stopped himself at the last second to focus on the road.

The scourge of Heaven, huh?

“Waah! Ghosts! I – huh?”

Hua Cheng took a step back from the old man and sheepishly scratched his chin. Fangxin gracefully leapt down from the cart to join him. “We’re safe now. Thank you for bringing us –”

“Daozhang, you saved me!” The old man went on his knees. “You must be powerful cultivators indeed –”

“A-ah, n-no –”

“We are but priests of the Martial God Hua Cheng.” Fangxin interrupted, bowing respectfully. “He has granted us safety and the strength to make it through the Ghost Festival.”

“The God of Death?” The old man furrowed his brow. “Oh – I thought he would be – thank you, daozhang! How could I ever repay you and your god?”

Hua Cheng picked up the wood planks and the bundled straw to hide the flush in his cheeks. Even after ascending centuries ago, the concept of being prayed to was still so strange.

“You don’t really –”

“Prayers and offerings to our god are always welcome.” Fangxin smiled innocently, “but bringing more believers will also be very helpful. I’m sure our god will continue to protect this small village in return.”

“Oh, definitely! I shall come by with my family, and our neighbors! Praise be to Hua Cheng!”

Hua Cheng ducked his head. “I’m sure he’ll be happy enough to know you reunited with your family safely.”

Fangxin hid a gleeful smile behind his robes as he laughed while they waved the old man goodbye.

“Gege is teasing me.” Hua Cheng pouted.

“Well, San Lang’s temple looks like it needs some help.” Fangxin skipped around and took the bundle of straw from him. “San Lang deserves many believers!”

“Gege, please.” Hua Cheng ducked his head, blushing. It was bad enough that they were heading towards the run down temple Hua Cheng had deemed as his base, but now Fangxin was goading some believers to come and pray? Hua Cheng will have to double his efforts to fix the temple.

Fangxin seemed to have no trouble at all breaching the temporary talismans Hua Cheng hung, skipping into the temple like he had always been welcomed there.

Hua Cheng didn’t feel any sense of urgency until he realized Fangxin had dropped the bundle of straw and was staring at the altar.

The altar containing the trampled spider lily and the dying white flower.

“A-ah.” Hua Cheng dropped the wooden planks outside and approached. “Heaven didn’t take too kindly to your spider lilies.”

“I expected as much.” Fangxin turned towards Hua Cheng with a small smile. “It did its job, though.”

“Hm?”

“It protected my actual gift for you.” Fangxin gently stroked the petal of the small, white flower. “I was worried they would notice this. So I gave the spider lily to draw their attention away.”

Hua Cheng blinked twice and, before he could stop himself, hugged Fangxin from behind. “I didn’t like seeing them hurt, though.”

He felt, more than saw, Fangxin card a hand through his hair. “You’re sweet, thank you, San Lang.”

Hua Cheng’s ears burned.

Fangxin smiled softly at the dying flowers, and took the small vase in his hands. He gently kissed the porcelain, and Hua Cheng was able to see the smallest rune on the vase before it disappeared. Like clockwork, the spider lily and the small white flower refreshed itself. Hua Cheng felt himself physically relax, seeing the two flowers together.

(Art commissioned by Brur (AO3 | Tumblr) from crow-n-prince (Tumblr)) (Link to post)

With a flick of his wrist, Fangxin produced two flowers again. A fresh, white flower, and a spider lily. Reverently, he placed them in the vase.

“Don’t worry,” his smile widened as turned in Hua Cheng’s arms to meet his gaze. “The vase will always keep these flowers fresh. And I'll give you more, if you want them.”

“I do want them, thank you.” Hua Cheng smiled.

Fangxin agreed to stay over, while waiting for the ghost festival to die down. Hua Cheng sheepishly admitted that they would have to sleep on a roll on the ground for now, until he built a proper bed, but Fangxin didn’t seem to mind. He was more interested in the altar.

“You’re missing a representation.” Fangxin pouted. “It’s important!”

Hua Cheng flushed.

“I was going to paint something.” He murmured as he dusted the bedroll with his hands. “But…I don’t really like painting myself.”

“How about calligraphy?”

Hua Cheng instinctively put a hand over the tattoo in his arm. “Is gege making fun of me?” He pouted.

Fangxin laughed. “Not at all! But it’s much better if someone else does your godly representation, and I would like to think my calligraphy is more than worthy in place of a painting.”

“If it’s not too much trouble, I would be honored.” Hua Cheng solemnly pulled up his sleeve and rubbed the tattoo with his thumb. He heard Fangxin move, and plop down beside him to peek over.

“What does it say?”

Hua Cheng felt his ears burn in shame. “I don’t know.” He bit his lip. Should he tell Fangxin about this? The reason why he came down to the human realm? 

But being in the mortal realm had relaxed the barriers in his mind, and he felt safe enough to talk about it.

“It’s…I think it’s someone’s name?” Hua Cheng kept his gaze on the tattoo, not wanting to see Fangxin’s expression. “I ascended with no memory of my life before. I only kept a few bits and pieces. But I know I ascended for…someone. That’s why I came back down here. To look for them.”

He rubbed against the name, trying to trace the crude squiggles and smudged lines.

“I’m fairly certain I carved their name in my arm to remember but…my calligraphy isn’t the best. I don’t even know if they’re still alive after how many hundreds of years, or if they remember me, or –” He swallowed, “or if I’m as important to them as they are to me.”

Fangxin remained quiet and still.

“Apologies, gege. It’s mad –”

“Why is it mad?”

Hua Cheng blinked twice, and turned to Fangxin, who stared at him with wide, golden eyes.

“It’s important to San Lang, how can it be madness?”

How, indeed?

Hua Cheng exhaled slowly and removed his outer robe, folding it up to form a makeshift pillow for his guest.

The question throughout the day echoed in his head.

Was it madness?

“A-anyway, we should rest.” Hua Cheng laid down on the mat. “Though we didn’t have much difficulty with ghosts, going through a resentment-infested forest is still taxing.”

Fangxin allowed him to change the subject.

“Yes, and you gave me quite the show!” He laid down beside him, rolled onto his belly and propped his chin up on his palm. His feet kicked back and forth. “Such a show deserves a reward, I think. What would you like from me tomorrow?”

Hua Cheng blinked slowly. He usually never felt sleepy when he was in Heaven, and had to force himself to maintain a proper sleep cycle. Here, however, in Fangxin’s presence, he could feel his body relaxing fully for the first time in hundreds of years. He wondered if this was another one of Fangxin’s effects on his psyche.

“Help me fix the temple tomorrow?”

Fangxin giggled and pillowed his head on Hua Cheng’s folded up robes.

“Tomorrow, then.”

Chapter Text

In Heaven, Hua Cheng usually woke up to silence. His castle was a bit a ways away from the rest of the martial gods, both because he didn’t ever feel comfortable near them, and because the gods have always been quite wary of him, ascending as the God of Death.

In the human realm, Hua Cheng woke up to birds chirping, the distant crowing of the roosters, and the rustle of leaves. In the distance, he could hear the farmers start their day, could hear the clacking of wooden wheels on the rough pavement.

Hua Cheng may be immortal, but even if he’s wearing a fake skin of a young cultivator, he finally felt like the world was real.

Like he was finally alive .

He blinked his eyes open and rubbed the crust from his eyes. As the haze cleared from his vision, he found that he was alone on the bed.

Alone…

Golden eyes crinkling in delight.

A soft giggle against Hua Cheng’s folded robes.

“Tomorrow, then.”

“Gege…?” 

He looked around, hoping to find any evidence that meeting with the Calamity the day before was not a dream when his eyes zeroed in on the altar.

There were some freshly lit incense, three pairs of flowers were in the vase, and hanging on top of an altar was a scroll with writing on it. Hua Cheng’s eyes widened, and he scrambled to his feet to see it head-on.

“How about calligraphy?”

Hua Cheng never particularly cared for calligraphy. He had always preferred painting rather than writing.

(Nevermind that he could only ever draw one thing, and that his handwriting was atrocious. That was beside the point.)

The Martial God of Death, Hua Cheng

Fangxin’s calligraphy was gorgeous, each stroke masterfully executed and the pressure and tension of the brush was deliberate. It was the kind of handwriting that made you want to read forever. For the first time in his life, Hua Cheng understood what writers always spoke of regarding the Beauty of Words.

Fangxin wrote Hua Cheng’s name like it was art in and of itself.

It took his breath away.

What if he’s…

Spotting a brush and a pot of ink on a nearby table, Hua Cheng rushed to the table, rolling up his sleeves. On a spare scroll, he attempted to write Fangxin’s name, wincing at how disgusting the characters looked in comparison to what Fangxin made on the altar, but he had to know, he had to –

He compared Fangxin’s name to that on his arm, and was disappointed to see that it didn’t match.

Still, the gesture was incredibly sweet. He looked around, hoping to spot the calamity.

“Gege?” He peeked outside. Surely –

“Good morning, San Lang!” 

(Fanart c/o frogchillinginagrave link in tumblr)

Fangxin was sitting on a stump, with Hua Cheng’s robes draped over his shoulders, polishing E-ming with a rag. Hua Cheng could feel E-ming’s contented chirps in the back of his head. The calamity thumbed the space under E-ming’s eye fondly.

“Gege – that’s your calligraphy?” Hua Cheng approached them, and E-ming excitedly chirped, as if trying to tell Hua Cheng at how happy it was to be in Fangxin’s arm. It was strange. E-ming was extremely temperamental at best, and would immediately slice anyone that even tries to reach for his handle.

It seems Fangxin’s effect extended to all aspects of Hua Cheng, from his silver butterflies to his sword.

“What do you think, San Lang? More worthy than any painting?”

“It’s remarkable! Gege has the best calligraphy!”

Fangxin, for once, looked sheepish, as if not expecting the compliment. He removed Hua Cheng’s outer robe and returned it alongside E-ming.

“I thought gege would’ve left.” Hua Cheng admitted, taking his items back. E-ming sounded sad, while his robes were warm. When he put on the outer robe, it carried the soft, sweet scent of spider lilies.

“I believe San Lang requested my assistance with fixing the temple.” Fangxin gestured to the tools, the spread out wooden planks, and the straws. “I am a man of my word.”

It was remarkable how well they worked together, even after such a short time of knowing each other (in theory). Fangxin, despite being shorter than the already shorter form Hua Cheng took, easily carried stacks of wood over his shoulder like it was nothing. They made a door, patched up the holes, fixed up the flooring, and the roof.

All the while, they spoke of various weapons. Hua Cheng’s knowledge of different weapons, histories of great ones, was vast and innumerable. He was sure it was from his life prior to godhood, though he wasn’t sure for what purpose it served.

Fangxin met all the topics with enthusiasm, even boasting a weapon collection of his own, and “maybe I can show San Lang one day!”

Hua Cheng noted Fangxin’s sword, Wu Ming, leaned against one of the walls, sheathed with a crimson scabbard. The white silk Ruoye was resting near the sword, who apparently didn’t like getting dirty from the hard labor of repairing the temple.

“Surely, those weapons cannot compare to the two you have over there.” Hua Cheng nodded his head towards them. Ruoye swayed side to side as if waving hello.

“Oh, these two are special.” Fangxin reached out a hand, and Ruoye shot to his sleeves, while Wu Ming flew to his hand, which he caught with a graceful twirl. “Ruoye was born of my wish to die, Wu Ming was born of my wish to live.” 

He unsheathed Wu Ming, revealing the crimson blade underneath. Hua Cheng could see now that the boundary between the black hilt and the red blade was jagged.It looked like the red dissolved the black color somehow, and tainted the sword. He wondered where it came from, and what it looked like before. Fangxin’s words were solemn, and the way he treated his weapons moreso.

Fangxin sheathed Wu Ming, and hid it from view. “Oh, looks like we have some guests.”

“Daozhang!” A voice called from outside the temple. “Daozhang! I’ve come with my family!”

Hua Cheng flushed and rushed to open the door. It was, indeed, the old man from the previous night, but with his family and, apparently, his neighbors. Each of them brought some fresh harvest, rice, and flowers to offer. 

Hua Cheng and Fangxin watched the humans bow to the calligraphy, praying for their continued safety in the village, offering fresh fruits and chestnuts they harvested. The old man they helped was particularly loud and grateful for the “noble priests sent to save me from a doomed fate” and how he was “forever grateful for being able to return to his family”.

“San Lang deserves all the praise.” Fangxin grinned at Hua Cheng.

“It’s a bit loud.” Hua Cheng replied, sheepish. “I’m unused to this. It’s usually prayers for bringing death and destruction.”

Fangxin hummed, and turned to Hua Cheng with a wide grin. “If you want my opinion, I think having just one devoted believer is more than enough.”

“One believer?” Hua Cheng tilted his head. “Isn’t that a bit sad?”

“I don’t mean a believer like Xuan Ji.” Fangxin’s grin softened. “I mean a truly devoted believer. One whose devotion stands strong, no matter the storm. One who understands what you’re all about, and would offer their everything. I think…having just one believer like that is enough.”

Hua Cheng watched Fangxin for a moment, at the way Fangxin’s gaze towards the altar grew distant, as if seeing something beyond it. His body went so still one would think he became a statue, his expression looked like a cross between someone laughing and –

“Thank you, daozhang!” the old man interrupted, Hua Cheng’s thoughts with a bow, and Hua Cheng escorted them out with a thanks.

When he looked back, Fangxin had moved to the altar, and was lighting an incense, flicking a wrist to offer another spider lily and another white flower into the vase. For a brief moment, Hua Cheng could see that mysterious white figure superimpose on the calamity, and after that moment, it disappeared.

Hua Cheng could feel the warmth of his prayer – not asking for anything, not thanking him for everything, just pure devotion and solemn prayer – fill his chest.

Unlike the humans, Fangxin’s devotion was warm and filled Hua Cheng’s senses, even without any words, even without any request. Hua Cheng wasn’t sure he would be able to handle it if Fangxin put his devotion into words.

Still, the calamity’s eyes were distant, as if something had taken his attention.

Hua Cheng approached the altar and picked up an apple. He then turned to hand it over to Fangxin.

“Hm?” Fangxin blinked out of his stupor, going cross-eyed while staring at the apple.

“For you.” Hua Cheng offered, raising the apple slightly to goad Fangxin into taking it.

Fangxin looked confused at first, before his lips quirked upwards. “It’s yours, though. They were offered to you.”

“Well,” Hua Cheng shrugged, “it’s mine, and so I say you can have it.”

Fangxin stared at the martial god for a moment more, before the grin widened, and widened, and he started to laugh, crouching forwards to grab at his stomach.

“What’s so funny?” Hua Cheng pouted. “Gege is leaving me out of a joke.”

“Nothing, nothing.” Fangxin laughed, “just…fate seems to have a sense of humor.”

“What does gege –”

But Hua Cheng’s thought was interrupted when Fangxin took his hand, plucked the apple away, and turned Hua Cheng’s palm to pepper kisses along his knuckles. “I’m honored.”

“Gege –” Hua Cheng flushed red –

“Hello? Hua Cheng? Are you here?”

Hua Cheng jolted back with a curse.

“Ugh, another interruption.” Fangxin frowned as he stood up and bit the apple. “San Lang is too popular!”

Hua Cheng didn’t have any particularly strong feelings about the gods of Heaven.

His closest friend in Heaven was Ming Yi, who he actually liked.

There were the tolerable ones, like Ling Wen, Quan Yizhen, and Shi Qingxuan (as much as he gives Ming Yi shit about it).

There were the ones who didn’t really get his attention, gods whose names and faces faded to the background and didn’t contribute anything. If anything, they just annoy Hua Cheng with their presence.

And there was the Pei clan.

“Egotistical, arrogant nepotism babies.” Would describe them pretty well.

Hua Cheng never liked them, and they never liked Hua Cheng because, for all their posturing, none of them have ever beaten him in a fight. During all the spars for show in Heaven, where the martial gods show off their prowess, Hua Cheng always won, and walked away unscathed.

So Hua Cheng was surprised when one of the deputy Peis - Pei Xiu - was at the foot of his temple.

Or at least, an avatar of him. God forbid any of the Peis grace the earth with their presence.

Annoying urchin. What if there were people around? Mortals should not know that he was living amongst them.

“This is the temple of Hua Cheng, do you need anything?” He raised a brow, and pointedly flashed E-ming’s eye to confirm his identity. Pei Xiu was sort of disguised – not many people knew his real appearance. He was one of the Peis that would blend into the background.

Hua Cheng had a feeling he was ashamed of something.

However, now, Pei Xiu surprised him by bowing before him.

“Hu - Daozhang,” he started, and E-ming was primed and ready to slash at him if he messed up, “there is an ungodly amount of resentment in The Crescent Kingdom. My hands are tied and I am unable to help, but I’m sure with your martial prowess, you can help disperse it.”

Hua Cheng’s eyes narrowed. Though he’s shorter in his disguise, he still towered over the Pei avatar.

“Please accept. I don’t know who else I could turn to.” Pei Xiu pleaded. “I can’t send more than an avatar down here without being noticed.”

For a moment Hua Cheng entertained the idea of slamming the newly made wooden door on Pei Xiu’s face. Seemed like a fitting use for such a thing.

“Perhaps we could help him, San Lang.”

Hua Cheng froze as Pei Xiu’s attention fully turned towards Fangxin, who appeared behind Hua Cheng. The deputy god instinctively reached for his sword in retaliation. “Who are you?!”

Fangxin changed his appearance. His hair was jet black, and his eyes were blazing red, similar to that of E-ming. Fangxin brought his hands together and bowed respectfully.

“Apologies, I am but a loyal priest of the Martial God of Death. You may call me Hong-er.”

The name was like a hammer to Hua Cheng’s head, he almost reeled back with a gasp. Where had he heard that name…?

And how was Fangxin so intimately aware of these things if his name is not that one on his arm…?

“I was saved by the Martial God of Death Hua Cheng,” Fangxin continued, “and I now serve as his loyal priest. My power is of his disposal to do as he pleases, and I was called by my god to provide assistance to San Lang.”

Hua Cheng was relieved that someone got the memo.

By claiming to be a priest, and by wording his intentions as such, Fangxin established himself as a cultivator and a devotee, and gave Pei Xiu the impression that he is unaware of Hua Cheng’s godhood, effectively hiding his own identity as a calamity, and keeping Hua Cheng’s agreement with Ling Wen in place.

As far as Heaven will be concerned, Hua Cheng called on a mortal for assistance, under the guise of being the right hand of some head priest.

And the Heavens thought him mad.

Fangxin turned towards Hua Cheng. “It seems interesting, San Lang. We should help those in need.” He grinned.

Hua Cheng narrowed his eyes.

What was Fangxin up to…?

“Alright, if gege says so.” Hua Cheng tilted his head. “Get in.”

When they allowed Pei Xiu in, Hua Cheng noted that the vase with the white flowers and spider lilies were not on the altar, Fangxin winking when Hua Cheng turned to him to check.

“I’ll make the transport array.” Hua Cheng gathered the ink and brush from the table, flipping the scroll with Fangxin’s scribbled name upside down just in case someone were to read it. 

As the Earth Master, Ming Yi had worked on several modes of travel over the years. Hua Cheng would help him with many of the teleportation arrays, apparently prior to godhood he practiced them a lot and the concept came naturally to him.

He wondered why he amassed such strangely specific knowledge.

But, that was besides the point.

He started painting the array onto the door.

“Alright. So an ungodly amount of resentment in The Crescent Kingdom, yes?” Hua Cheng spared Pei Xiu a glance.. “How did that happen?”

“The Crescent Kingdom was the site of the final battle of a great war, between the Cerscentians, and those of The Central Plains 150 years ago.” Pei Xiu explained, watching Hua Cheng make the array. “It has since become a cursed city 

“And? There has to be more to it than that.” Hua Cheng raised a brow. “That would mean that there was demonic or ghost energy involved in the war. Wasn’t Pei Xiu part of the war as well?”

It was obnoxiously celebrated in Heaven, after all.

Pei Xiu looked down. “It was because of The Mad Calamity, The Crimson Sword, Deathly Flower, Fangxin.”

Hua Cheng ears perked up, but he kept himself from making any unnecessary movements.

“It was because of The Crimson Sword’s interference with the war that the final battle ended that way. He created a third faction and seduced our soldiers to his side, and ultimately cursed those who didn’t join his army. Even recruiting a powerful Taoist!”

Hua Cheng almost punched him, if Fangxin didn’t come close and hold onto the sleeve of Hua Cheng’s robes, as if reminding him to keep still.

“Oh? And why exactly was Fangxin in that kingdom?” Fangxin soothed a hand over Hua Cheng’s arm.

“He must have heard of the conflict and decided to take advantage of it. Fangxin’s prestige is born of carnage and death! He stands tall on the bodies of the fallen! He doesn’t care about human life!” Pei Xiu insisted.

Hua Cheng’s jaw clenched in anger, for a brief moment, he saw red. Only the grounding hand of Fangxin against his robes kept him from punching the deputy god.

However, from the corner of his eye, Hua Cheng could see Fangxin’s shoulders move up and down in laughter.

“Why do you laugh?” Pei Xiu directed towards the ‘priest’.

“Oh, I just find it very funny.” Fangxin hid his hands behind his back. Those unfamiliar red eyes turned to assess Pei Xiu. “How does daozhang know what The Crimson Sword was thinking?”

“Because he’s power hungry madman!” Pei Xiu retorted.

“If he’s a ‘power hungry madman’,” Fangxin continued, “then only a ‘power hungry madman’ would understand his thoughts, no? What does that say about you?”

Pei Xiu bristled and unsheathed his sword, clearly intending to threaten Fangxin, but Hua Cheng was faster. In a flash, he disarmed Pei Xiu with his bare hands, stole the sword, and pointed it at Pei Xiu’s neck.

“You do not raise your sword against him.” Hua Cheng glared, E-ming vibrating in rage in his robes. It was only through sheer control that he managed to keep the sword from fully lashing out on its own. “Remember you are asking for my help in my space . You do not get to threaten him.”

Again, Hua Cheng was vaguely aware that this protectiveness was not normal. The way he immediately saw red at any threat towards Fangxin was not normal.

But this time, he felt more settled. Like he was still in control of himself.

Fangxin raised his hands innocently. “It’s just a simple question, daozhang. Such a violent reaction! Makes one think that you’re hiding something~”

Pei Xiu swallowed, and stepped back. Hua Cheng dropped Pei Xiu’s blade on the ground in distaste.

Fangxin tugged Hua Cheng’s sleeve to calm him down.

“San Lang…” Fangxin raised a brow, but in that gesture, Hua Cheng understood what Fangxin’s line of questioning was trying to say: there was more to this than meets the eye, than what Pei Xiu was saying. “Is the array finished?”

Hua Cheng looked back at the door. It was finished, and it just needs power. Hua Cheng settled his hand over the door knob.

Pei Xiu was using an avatar, it didn’t have much power, so Hua Cheng would have to do it. If they do this efficiently, they could perhaps make it to the crescent kingdom in two trips –

“San Lang and I should power it together.” Fangxin skipped over to hold Hua Cheng’s hand on the door handle. Their joined hands glowed with energy. “I think if we did this together, we can travel straight to The Crescent Kingdom, without any stops, and have enough power to take on the resentment.”

Pei Xiu paled. “Err, are you certain? It’s very far away and –”

“What’s wrong?” Fangxin tilted his head innocently. “I mean, if this is all The Mad Calamity Fangxin’s doing, as you said, then we must simply hurry! Lives are at stake! This ungodly amount of resentment must be extinguished as quickly as possible!”

Hua Cheng’s eyes narrowed at the way Pei Xiu’s eyes darted between them and the door, the desperate need for help melted into something that looked almost scared .

Indeed. He may say it’s Fangxin’s fault, but he’s acting the most suspicious.

…Ming Yi, are you getting all this?

Hm…that is interesting. Keep me posted.

“Well, shall we, daozhang ?” 

Between a Calamity and a Martial God, Hua Cheng barely felt his spiritual wells touched as they stepped out of Puqi Shrine and into The Crescent Kingdom.

Already, the kingdom looked worse for wear. Abandoned and dark, with a haze of resentment over the sky. 

“Now where did that god go?” Fangxin skipped beside Hua Cheng. “He seems to have disappeared on us.”

Hua Cheng turned towards the door, which flashed empty, the array disappearing on them. Pei Xiu didn’t go through – is he avoiding The Crescent Kingdom, or is there a limitation to his avatar?

Hua Cheng scanned the area. Though abandoned and desolate, there was one building that looked maintained – a palace atop the hill. If they were to find anything, it would be there. Trusting Fangxin to follow, he started making his way to the palace, thoughts of Pei Xiu put away for now.

“Well, he’ll turn up. Peis tend to turn up when we least expect them to.” Fangxin hooked his arm around Hua Cheng’s and though vigilant, Hua Cheng adjusted himself to make the position more comfortable. “Now I get to have alone time with my San Lang!”

“There’s something going on, isn’t there? More than what Pei Xiu was implying?” Hua Cheng escorted Fangxin towards the palace.

“San Lang, please, I’m trying to flirt with you.” Fangxin pouted. “Stop talking about other men for a moment.”

Hua Cheng nearly tripped on his feet. “Gege, please.”

Fangxin giggled. “San Lang is adorable.” And, a moment later, added, “aren’t you suspicious of me?”

“Hm?”

“You heard Pei Xiu.” Fangxin grinned, his false red eyes twinkling. “The evil and powerful Fangxin seduced soldiers into his faction. Turned them against their own people. Cursed those who didn’t side with him –”

“I don’t believe that is the truth.” Hua Cheng interrupted.

“Why would you say that?”

That…

Why would he say that?

For all the ways Fangxin seems to know so much about Hua Cheng, they had only met for two days.

There was no reason for Hua Cheng to trust him but…

“I just believe you wouldn’t do something like that.”

Fangxin looked so pleased . He leaned more towards Hua Cheng’s arm and snuggled against it. “San Lang’s belief in me is astounding.” He whispered, something akin to wonder in his voice.

The rest of their walk to the palace was in silence.

The courtyard of the palace was a large garden, that seemed well kept and looked after. Not overgrown at all, and well maintained, which was a large contrast to the rest of the kingdom.

There was also noise. Human noises.

Hua Cheng and Fangxin kept to the shadows, and observed the surroundings. They could see some figures going through the garden. They seem to be looking for something.

“Let’s go closer, gege –” Hua Cheng was interrupted by a small hand grabbing his ankle. He was about to kick the hand and slice it off when he realized it belonged to a little boy, who screamed and scrambled away. The rest of the figures, of young men it appears, came close, holding up their torches.

“Civilians?” Fangxin murmured, eyes narrowed.

“C-c-come out!” one of the young men waved the torch. Hua Cheng stepped forward. “W-who are you?!’

“We are not here to hurt you. You can call me Xie Yu.” Hua Cheng calmly held up his hands. “And this is my companion, Hong-er. We’re cultivators sent to investigate the Crescent Kingdom.”

He heard a light gasp beside him.

He turned towards Fangxin, who was staring at him with wide eyes.

Hua Cheng fidgeted. “What?” He whispered.

“Nothing.” Fangxin spoke softly as he grinned, though his eyes were still wide and bright. “I liked the name you chose. Xie Yu.” He giggled. “Though I think I still prefer San Lang.”

The Calamity stepped forward. “There are many tales of resentment and danger in this Kingdom. Why are you all here?”

The little boy perked up. “We’re merchants! We took shelter in a cave outside the city, when my grandfather was bitten by a snake! It was scary, had a scorpion tail and everything!.”

Fangxin turned towards the boy with a sharp gaze. “Scorpion snakes? Those are extremely venomous. The only cure is –” He paused, and then, he smiled, wide, and wider.

“What is it?” Hua Cheng nudged the Calamity.

“Young man, you must be very smart, indeed!” Fangxin praised loudly. “Pray tell, how did you know that the only cure for Scorpion Snake venom is a plant in this very palace?”

Huh. Hua Cheng turned to the group of merchants. Suspicious, indeed.

“A-ah! It wasn’t me! We know the dessert is extremely dangerous, and so we had a guide with us. He told us to – here, here –” the kid ran into the adults and dragged a man wearing a cape and turban over to the two. “This is A-Zhao, our guide!”

Hua Cheng noticed from the corner of his eye that Fangxin was starting to laugh again, barely hiding his shaking shoulders behind Hua Cheng. A-Zhao bowed his head lightly, looking shy. “Nice to meet you, esteemed cultivators.”

Fangxin was laughing even harder. Hua Cheng didn’t know what set him off.

“OVER HERE!” A voice screeched, echoing eerily throughout the garden. “OVER HERE! THEY’RE OVER HERE!”

Hua Cheng and Fangxin’s eyes snapped to the inner garden, where another civilian was scrambling away. “THERE’S A MONSTER! A MONSTER!”

Both Hua Cheng and Fangxin rushed to the inner garden, where the merchants were scrambling away from a head in the soil. The head was screeching, calling for someone, and they realized it was too late to run away when several giant ghost soldiers jumped into the inner garden, surrounding them.

“A trap…?” Hua Cheng stepped back to assess the situation, as the ghosts talked about taking them hostage. The kid tried to beg for mercy, but was grabbed.

Hua Cheng glared at the way the leader was holding up the kid by the scruff of his neck, and his hand automatically reached towards E-ming. They were saying something about a pit, and that they would be sacrificed there.

“Stand down, San Lang.” Fangxin whispered to Hua Cheng, holding his hand to still him from retaliating. “Let them take us.”

“Why?” Hua Cheng eyes never left the kid, ready to fight if he gets in danger. “We can take them on in a fight now.”

Fangxin’s eyes sparkled, the smile still on his face from all the laughter he had the past few minutes.

“We can,” he grinned, “but, I want to see just what that little Pei was accusing me of.”

Chapter Text

“I want to see just what that little Pei was accusing me of.”

The leader – General Kemo, they learned – of the Crescentians led them towards a massive structure off near the back of the city.

“D-d-daozhang w-w-what are we going to do?” the kid asked, as they made their way up.

Hua Cheng was trying his best to exude calmness despite being on full alert to make sure that there were no sudden movements on the civilians. It helped that Fangxin was skipping beside him, their arms hooked together.

“Don’t worry.” Fangxin winked at the kid. “We’ll take care of it, won’t we, San Lang?”

Hua Cheng put a gentle smile on his face to help calm the kid’s nerves.

“If ever you get scared, you can pray to our god, Hua Cheng.” Fangxin continued, and Hua Cheng almost tripped on his feet. “I’m sure our god will ensure your safety and our strength.”

“Gege!” Hua Cheng whispered, fiercely embarrassed, which made Fangxin giggle.

“Could you two please focus?” A-Zhao whispered to them from the side. “I thought you were here to save us.”

Fangxin grinned and squeezed himself to Hua Cheng’s side. “Wanna make a bet?” Fangxin whispered. “I bet A-Zhao’s gonna throw himself off the cliff first.”

“Why would he do that?”

“Why, indeed?”

Once they reached the top of the pit, Hua Cheng nearly gagged. The air was thick with resentful energy, the stench of corpses and old bodies wafted in the air. It was so intense that there was a haze of dark energy above them, covering the afternoon sky so much so that it looked like it was night time.

And, as Fangxin predicted, A-Zhao for some reason thought it was a good idea to tackle Kemo, and ended up tossed over the cliff. Hua Cheng had to physically bar the other civillians from reaching or acting out.

He understood why Pei Xiu asked for help. Though a powerful martial god, he sent down only an avatar to handle the problem. It won’t be strong enough to deal with the massive amount of resentment down below. There were screams and a few grunts, before silence.

He eyed the civilians that were caught in this mess as they started struggling together, scared and hugging one another in fear. 

Kemo was doing a round, assessing who he would throw next into the pit. Hua Cheng knew they would have to act, and if he wanted to keep the rest of them safe, he would have to be the one tossed in. Perhaps he could destroy the pit from the inside.

Hua Cheng gauged the resentment below. Could he fight it off? He was fairly confident he could, but there was so much of it that it might take a bit of time, and if he took too long then someone else would –

Fangxin hummed.

Hua Cheng looked over to his companion. Fangxin’s eyes were distant, as if looking at something beyond the horizon. He didn’t even flinch as Kemo’s threats started getting louder and louder.

Was he talking to someone in a communication array…?

And just as that happened, he blinked back to himself, turning those unfamiliar red eyes towards Hua Cheng with a grin.

“See you.”

“What are you – gege!”

Fangxin took off, sprinting around with incredible speed, kicking all the ghosts into the pit. He moved so quickly that nobody could react to him, and as he reached Kemo, who raised a sword and shouted in indignation, Fangxin used Ruoye to capture him –

And then he jumped into the pit, bringing Kemo down with him.

Hua Cheng watched him fall with wide eyes. His breath caught in his throat.

Gege…?

It was like the world slowed down.

For a brief moment, he saw a battered looking child falling to his death. 

For a brief moment, the child morphed into a figure in white drenched with blood –

Gege?!?!

His arm burned, the string on his finger burned, the glamored empty socket that once contained his red eye burned.

PROTECT HIM.

He found himself running before he could think twice about it.

SAVE HIM.

He ignored the surprised gasps of the crowd, the cries of concern from the child with them.

DON’T LET HIM GET HURT AGAIN.

“DIANXIA!!!”

Hua Cheng jumped off the cliff into the pit. He took out E-ming to slash the air to fall faster, cutting away the air resistance. He could see Fangxin slowing his descent by spreading his body out, and Hua Cheng managed to catch up to him.

He flipped to cradle Fangxin in his arms, summoning his silver butterflies to slow their descent. Hua Cheng gripped Fangxin close to his body, as if he wanted to shield Fangxin from the rest of the world, as if his very purpose was to protect –

He was the one Hua Cheng had been searching for all this time. He had to be.

Fangxin laughed as they fell together. His fake red eyes flashed golden for a second. “Never doubted you.”

“Gege –” Hua Cheng choked, and Fangxin’s eyes widened.

“Oh, San Lang, my San Lang, did I scare you?” Fangxin reached up to cradle Hua Cheng’s face in his hands, brushing away the tears that the martial god wasn’t even aware was streaming down his face. 

Stop…

You shouldn’t have to worry about me!

Hua Cheng grit his teeth and, as the sound of thousands upon thousands of evil souls wailed into his ears, he furiously summoned more of his silver butterflies to create a cricle of safety for them to land in, before dispersing them to cut through the figures.

He kicked the end of E-ming to free him from his waist, to start attacking the thousands of souls that have zeroed in on them, but Hua Cheng couldn’t even be bothered to look at them right now. All that mattered was the man in his arms – someone he’s lost, someone who’s so precious to him, someone who found him again .

Because that’s what Fangxin had been trying to tell him right?

The look of terror that crossed his face when Hua Cheng asked who he was.

The way he confidently told Hua Cheng that he would be there as soon as Hua Cheng thought of him.

The way he shamelessly flirted with Hua Cheng without worrying of any consequence.

The way Hua Cheng trusted him so implicitly and so instantly.

The way he seemed to know exactly what to say to make Hua Cheng feel real.

“San Lang,” Fangxin squeezed his face, “put me down –”

“It’s you!” Hua Cheng gasped, “you’re the one I’ve been looking for, aren’t you?”

Fangxin blinked, and laughed, as Hua Cheng squeezed the calamity in his arms. It wasn’t like his usual loud, head-thrown-back laughs, but it was more of an incredulous laugh. Like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Me? The Mad Calamity? The Scourge of Heaven? What makes you think that?”

“My whole godhood, for hundreds of years, everything felt wrong until I met you.” Hua Cheng twirled around, calling silver butterflies to slice through the soldiers coming in too close.  “You’re the only thing that makes sense, you’re the only one that moves me, it’s you, isn’t it?!”

E-ming crooned angrily as he slashed through the air trying to keep a safe sphere around the two. Fangxin’s red eyes were wide, as he looked at Hua Cheng, and that look melted into a soft smile. He pulled himself up to rest his forehead against’ Hua Cheng’s..

“When the world turned its back on me, it was you who stood by my side. When I thought I had nobody, you were there, just a half-step away.” Fangxin’s fake red eyes shimmered gold for a second. 

Fangxin stroked his cheekbones and the residual tears, and Hua Cheng regretted ever putting on a fake skin. “Yes. I’m the one you’re looking for. I’ve been looking for you, too.”

And finally, Hua Cheng could breathe .

“Now, as romantic as this is, let me help you.” Fangxin smiled. “I know you want to protect me, but please, let me protect you, too.”

Hua Cheng exhaled softly and, lowered Fangxin onto the ground, wincing at the dirt and blood that stained his clothes. Fangxin grinned and twirled to stand back to back with Hua Cheng, unsheathing Wu Ming –

However, Hua Cheng noticed that Wu Ming had a glamour attached, the the red blade was a natural silver. 

“Don’t worry.” Fangxin’s voice was so gentle. “I’ll only be a half-step away. Keep Kemo alive.”

Hua Cheng took a deep breath, and recalled E-ming to his hand. The silver butterflies continued to form a barrier around them, so that only tens of the thousands will come towards them at the same time.

Hua Cheng and Fangxin’s teamwork was seamless. Their fighting styles perfectly complimented and covered for one another – and even though Hua Cheng did not recall witnessing Fangxin’s swordsmanship, it was clear that his body still remembered it by instinct. Even though they stuck close to one another, they didn’t bump into one another.

In fact, Hua Cheng had full confidence that they wouldn’t bump into one another.

Still, it was quite curious that Fangxin was holding back. Ruoye was secured under Fangxin’s robes, and there were no spider lilies growing in the area, compared to the time they were fighting against the forest of resentment when they looked for Xuan Ji.

The fact that Fangxin was still holding up his fake skin, and had a glamour over his sword though…

“We’re being watched?” Hua Cheng asked softly as they twirled around each other.

Fangxin only gave a nod.

The bodies piled up, with General Kemo held onto the corner by Hua Cheng’s butterflies, and as Hua Cheng predicted, it was more tedious than difficult. The massive amounts of resentment was from thousands of souls that were looking for an outlet for their bloodthirst and rage. 

With the last of the resentment dispersed and the last of the warriors killed, Hua Cheng sheathed E-ming and gathered Fangxin into a hug, burying his face in the crook between Fangxin’s neck and shoulder. He felt more than saw the smile on Fangxin’s lips, with a hand carding through his hair.

Just…

A moment of rest…

“What did I write on my arm?” Hua Cheng whispered against the calamity’s neck.

He felt Fangxin’s smile widen. “I didn’t recognize it at first, but it’s my name. My true name.”

“Gege –”

“RAAAAAAGGGHHHH!!!!”

In the moment of Hua Cheng’s weakness, General Kemo managed to wrestle himself away from the butterflies and attempted to charge at the pair.

“To hell and back, you’re interrupting! ” Fangxin threw Wu Ming which looped behind Kemo to pierce through his shoulder and pin him face down on the ground. “First that stupid boy, and now you – can’t you people understand? We’re having a moment here! ”

Hua Cheng huffed a laugh, grabbing onto Fangxin’s hands to stop him from stomping over to Kemo. Fangxin easily gravitated to Hua Cheng and, when the martial god started peppering kisses along his knuckles, calmed down completely.

“Let’s talk after the mission, okay, gege?” Hua Cheng’s eyes twinkled.

Fangxin perked up and gripped Hua Cheng’s hands, dragging him over to Kemo.

“Okay, let’s get this over and done with!” Fangxin pleasantly took the disguised Wu Ming from Kemo’s shoulder and stomped on his head to keep him down despite his flailing. 

“San Lang! Did you know…” Fangxin grinned, acting as if the struggling General that was easily twice his size weighed nothing more than a feather, “the Crescentians, for all their brutality are actually very respectful of their dead? They believe that the state of their bodies on death reflects to their afterlife.”

Hua Cheng couldn’t stop smiling as he swung their hands. “Really, gege? And how are we putting that information to use?”

Fangxin grinned and twirled Wu Ming, slamming the sword a breath away from Kemo’s face. 

“Be a good little general and answer our questions, or I start mutilating the corpses of all your brothers!” Fangxin cheerfully threatened with a little sing-song voice.

And finally, Kemo stopped struggling, eerily still after the threat.

Hua Cheng kissed Fangxin’s knuckle one more time, before he was forced to let go so that he could squat down to get a better look at Kemo’s face.

“Now that we understand each other, tell me exactly what happened here.”

The stories weren’t adding up.

Pei Xiu claimed that everything was Fangxin’s fault. That he created a third faction, seduced soldiers and a powerful Taoist to his side, and cursed the others who did not join him in his cause.

However, according to General Kemo, a mixed-race Taoist acted as their Imperial Preceptor when she proved herself to be a powerful asset to the Crescentians, but at the climax of the war, she disappeared. Because of that, the climactic battle was in an immovable stalemate, until the soldiers of The Central Plains evoked evil powers to sacrifice the Crescentians into the Sinner’s Pit, doomed to never rest in peace until their grudge is appeased with human sacrifices.

“It’s because she ran away! The coward! She’s not worthy of being called a Crescentian!” General Kemo finished.

It could mean that Fangxin recruited the mixed-race Taoist and so she was not there during the climactic battle. It could mean that Fangxin waited until the battle was at a stalemate before trapping all the souls in a pit of resentment.

But Hua Cheng knew in his heart that Fangxin wouldn’t do something like that.

And even if that reason didn’t come to mind, there was no reason for Fangxin to go through all this pomp and circumstance. Fangxin had nothing to gain from cursing armies – he had been considered a Calamity for hundreds of years before the war.

Even if he did, Fangxin had more than enough strength to just…decimate everyone instead of creating such a giant pit to contain and slowly disperse the resentment.

Not to mention, General Kemo didn’t mention Fangxin at all . Or any figure that could have been implied to be Fangxin in passing.

Hua Cheng glanced over at Fangxin, who listened to the whole story with a distant sort of interest. When it was Pei Xiu’s story, Fangxin looked amused. He questioned, interrupted, and poked holes into Pei Xiu’s story. With General Kemo’s story, though, Fangxin kept quiet.

Until the very end.

“Curious.” Fangxin looked over at Hua Cheng, amused. “If what you say is true, General, and The Central Plains practiced evil magic, then why are their soldiers in this pit along with the Cresentians?”

General Kemo physically recoiled. “What are you talking about you –”

But Hua Cheng was on top of it. He quickly dispersed his silver butterflies to light up the cave, to light up the mountain of bodies surrounding them.

Of course…

It explained the insane amount of resentment in the pit. It explained why there were so many souls .

The pit did not contain one army. It contained two .

General Kemo looked scandalized, rushing over to a pile of bodies and looking at the smaller, pale frames of those from The Central Plains, versus the large burly forms of the Cresentians.

“But why would both armies be placed in the Sinner’s Pit?” Hua Cheng turned to Fangxin. “Whoever casted that evil magic to trap all the souls here – what did they have to gain by eliminating both armies here?”

Fangxin laughed, eyes twinkling towards Hua Cheng. He lifted up his glamored Wu Ming and stroked it’s edge, as if checking the blade. “Well, who did this war benefit in the end?”

Fangxin was still glamored. He was still disguised. He hasn’t said out loud who he was. General Kemo clearly did not know of Fangxin’s existence, did not even mention him in his story. He claimed it was because they were being watched, but nobody else was thrown into the pit but the two of them and A-Zhao…

A-Zhao.

Who caused Fangxin to laugh hysterically when he introduced himself.

Who brought civilians here, where the only cure for the Scorpion Snakes could be harvested.

Fangxin asked who did this war benefit in the end.

It benefited the one person who ascended to godhood after the war.

“Fangxin’s prestige is born of carnage and death! He stands tall on the bodies of the fallen! He doesn’t care about human life!”

“How does daozhang know what The Crimson Sword was thinking?”

“Because he’s power hungry madman!” 

“If he’s a ‘power hungry madman’,then only a ‘power hungry madman’ would understand his thoughts, no? What does that say about you?”

Hua Cheng grit his teeth and stood. “Alright, A-Zhao, or should I say, Pei Xiu!” Hua Cheng crossed his arms. “Get your ass out here right now and explain yourself!”

Pei Xiu tried to lie.

When he came out, he tried to give excuses, but kept digging himself a bigger grave.

He tried to explain that The Imperial Preceptor was a childhood friend of his who was thrown away by the Crescentians. He tried to explain that Fangxin came into the war and ruined the whole plan.

Which, of course, was undermined by the very fact that his ascension was due to his overinflated victory of this war. It was undermined by the very fact that Pei Xiu is running behind backs and sneaking down to the human realm to fix the resentment in The Sinners Pit, instead of just saying “oh, by the way, Fangxin did a bad thing, please help.”

And it didn’t take long until Fangxin completely lost his patience.

“Oh, this is getting RIDICULOUS. I do NOT HAVE TIME FOR THIS. ” Fangxin stepped forward, and in a single motion so fast and so smooth, he grabbed Pei Xiu’s head and slammed it on the ground. “Stop LYING. San Lang went all this way to help with your problem, the least you could do is show some respect and tell us the truth .”

Pei Xiu grunted against the gravel and balled his fist. He tried to push himself up, but Fangxin slammed his head back down on the ground.

“Tell. Us. The. Truth.”

And being smothered into the bloody, dirty floor in a pit that was once full of resentment, surrounded by thousands of soldiers and the lost lives of humans that have fallen into this pit before, he caved.

“Ididit…”

“Louder.” Fangxin growled.

“I DID IT, OKAY?!” Pei Xiu glared at them. “I USED DEMONIC ENERGY. I USED RESENTMENT. I WAS THE ONE WHO FORGED THE SINNER’S PIT WITH BOTH ARMIES IN IT.

“I’M THE ONE WHO TAUGHT THE TAOIST HOW TO USE RESENTMENT! I PLANTED HER IN THE CRESCENT KINGDOM! I’M THE ONE WHO TOLD HER TO OPEN THE GATES THAT DAY!

“BUT SHE DIDN’T. FANGXIN TOOK HER AWAY AND SHE DIDN’T, AND I HAD TO DO EVERYTHING MY FUCKING SELF AND TOO MANY PEOPLE DIED AND THERE WAS NO WAY I COULD COVER IT UP UNLESS I MADE THIS FUCKING PIT AND –”

“And you can’t come down to the human realm without arousing suspicion, and your avatar is too weak.” Hua Cheng continued, eyes narrowed into a fierce glare. “So you’ve been feeding mortals to appease the resentment . You asked me to come here because I came down to the human realm, myself, when you realized it was too much resentment.”

“And~” Fangxin skipped to Hua Cheng’s side, “he was so scared that we got here so quickly because we were here just in time to see his whole plot. He brought civilians here, poisoned from the Scorpion Snake, lured to the palace where the cure was, for them to be caught and thrown in the pit.”

Hua Cheng pinched the bridge of his nose. He already knew that working with the Peis was going to give him a headache, but more than that, he was angry for another reason.

The whole time, Pei Xiu had been blaming Fangxin for everything that happened to the Crescent Kingdom and Fangxin responded with humor, but didn’t retaliate .

He took the blame with the humor of someone who had been doing it for so long, and just settled for proving the accusation false quietly.

How many more events were unjustly blamed on Fangxin? How many of these are works of the Heavenly Officials that used Fangxin as their scapegoat? 

The Mad Calamity.

The Scourge of Heaven.

Yeah, right.

Fangxin calmly took Hua Cheng’s hand. “Well, San Lang?”

Hua Cheng took a deep breath, and with a flick of his wrist, summoned his red parasol, which he opened over himself and Fangxin. Tilting it slightly back, he looked up.

“Did you get all that, Ming Yi? Wind Master?”

Chapter Text

Hua Cheng took a deep breath, and with a flick of his wrist, summoned his red parasol, which he opened over himself and Fangxin. Tilting it slightly back, he looked up.

“Did you get all that, Ming Yi? Wind Master?”

On cue, a giant gust of wind blew into the pit gathering Pei Xiu and General Kemo roughly with an upwards draft, but Hua Cheng’s umbrella caught the draft perfectly, and with an arm securely around Fangxin’s waist, they flew up and above the pit, leaving the empty pit behind.

Fangxin gasped, delighted as they twirled gently in the air. He wrapped his arms around Hua Cheng’s neck to help balance them. “San Lang!” He laughed, eyes crinkling. “I knew you had something up your sleeve! My clever San Lang!”

“Pei Xiu was suspicious from the beginning, so I kept Ming Yi updated in case anything happened,” Hua Cheng explained, “they’re decent gods. We can trust them.”

Fangxin’s lips twitched upwards. “If San Lang says so, it must be true.”

While Pei Xiu and General Kemo landed roughly on the ground, and were promptly shackled by Ming Yi, Hua Cheng and Fangxin landed gracefully on the side. Hua Cheng pretended to take the time to make sure Fangxin was stable on his feet.

(Fangxin was perfectly stable. That is beside the point.)

Off to the side, it appears that Wind Master decided to present as a woman, and somehow convinced Ming Yi to change forms as well. Hua Cheng already knew he was going to give them shit about it.

“The civilians?” Fangxin looked around. Besides them, the area was empty, and already, what remained of The Crescent Kingdom looked so much nicer, with the stars clearly visible above them, and no more haze of evil energy.

“I asked Ming Yi to take the civilians back to their caravan. They should still have the herbs they pocketed, to treat the victims.” Hua Cheng packed his umbrella.

“Ohhhh San Lang thought of everything.”

As Shi Qingxuan berated Pei Xiu, Hua Cheng shifted over to Ming Yi and hip-checked him – her. “Breasts? Really?”

“Nice eyes, asshole.”

Hua Cheng chuckled and shook his head. If there was one thing he missed about heaven, it was shooting shit with Ming Yi. Still, he wouldn’t trade coming down here for anything. “Thanks for your help.”

Ming Yi rolled her eyes and crossed her arms under her bust. “You owe –”

She went quiet.

Hua Cheng blinked and turned towards his friend, who suddenly looked down, with a drop of sweat on her brow. “I owe you…?”

“On second thought, you don’t owe me anything.” 

Hua Cheng’s eyes narrowed as Ming Yi kept looking down, pointedly trying not to look up. In front of them, Fangxin was still in his disguise, watching the events passively.

He was still disguised as Hong-er, with the black hair and red eyes. Hua Cheng, now more than ever, wanted him to go back to his original appearance.

“So…is that the one?” Ming Yi asked.

“Hm?”

“The one you were looking for?”

Hua Cheng tore his gaze away from Fangxin to look at Ming Yi, who was still looking down to the ground, but her brows were furrowed in what appeared to be something like worry. She quickly looked over to Hua Cheng, looking curious.

“Yes.” He sighed, dreamily. “That’s him.”

Ming Yi rolled her eyes and hip-checked him. “Disgusting.” And then after a second of silence. “You look happy.”

Hua Cheng grinned.

“I’m so sorry you had to get involved in this.” Shi Qingxuan fanned themself as they approached Fangxin. “It must’ve been a shock to discover that we’re gods!”

“Quite, but your secrets are safe with me.” Fangxin bowed elegantly. “My god would have not trusted me with such a mission if I was not first and foremost trustworthy.”

“Ohhhhhh I like this one, Hua-xiong! I can call you Hua-xiong, right? We’re friends now!” Shi Qingxuan pointed their fan at Hua Cheng who rolled his eyes up. Ming Yi looked amused. Shi Qingxuan pouted and turned back to Fangxin. “If you need a change of temple, I have a few that –”

“Oi!” Hua Cheng clenched his fist.

“As kind of an offer that is, Wind Master,” Fangxin’s fake red eyes crinkled in a smile, “I owe my everything to the God of Death.”

“Oof! A loyal one. That’s rare.” Shi Qingxuan laughed. “But good on you! You’re not easy to sway. Hua-xiong deserves people like that.”

“Stop talking as if I’m not here.” Hua Cheng barked.

Fangxin hid a giggle behind his sleeve. “So you will be bringing them up to Heaven?”

“Yeah, we’ll have to handle everything. Hua-xiong, you can rest here, let us take care of this mess. You did the hard part, after all.” Shi Qingxuan grinned.

“Yippee.” Hua Cheng deadpanned.

“Well, before you head back, we must celebrate the success of such a grand mission.” Fangxin clapped his hands. “How about I cook something for us?”

Hua Cheng’s ears perked up. “Gege’s cooking?”

“Oooooh!” Shi Qingxuan hopped in place, “Ming-xiong, why don’t we –”

“No, no, no, we have work to do.” Ming Yi grabbed onto the Wind Master and dragged them to the tied up Kemo and Pei Xiu almost urgently. “Let’s just get out of here as fast as possible.”

“Party pooper!” Shi Qingxuan whined, but ultimately, the Earth and Wind Masters left with the two prisoners to head back to Heaven. Hua Cheng watched the empty space for a moment, before he turned back towards Fangxin.

The man he had been looking for.

“Dinner?” Hua Cheng held out his hand, and Fangxin eagerly skipped to lace their fingers together. Just as he did, the glamor finally, finally fell from Fangxin’s body, going back to brown hair and golden eyes.

Those golden eyes and that bright smile…

Hua Cheng felt it again, the vibrations under his skin, the need to protect, the need to kneel down, how he wanted to hug the other man and never let him go.

This time, he allowed the feeling to well up inside him, as he squeezed Fangxin’s hand.

“I’ll make some vegetable stew!”

Hua Cheng never knew vegetable stew could come out…black and purple.

Well, Fangxin said it was vegetable stew, but it somehow smelled like fish.

Fangxin sat nervously in front of Hua Cheng with his own bowl, his thumbs fidgeting together, and Hua Cheng decided that there was no way he was going to let the calamity get any more anxious. He took a massive spoonful and ate it.

And it…

It wasn’t bad at all; a little salty, very slightly charred, and it tasted unusual , but it wasn’t bad .

“Gege should use less salt, but the flavor is interesting.” Hua Cheng commented, and upon seeing Fangxin’s look of disbelief, he started downing the stew again in earnest.

The look melted away into a fond smile. “San Lang is truly astounding,” he giggled before tucking in as well.

Hua Cheng was taken back to those questions that plagued him when they first met.

Was it madness?

Was it seduction?

It was definitely not.

It was the first time the world made sense.

Full and sated, Hua Cheng decided it was time to breach the topic.

“What did I write on my arm?” He asked once more, as he held out the offending arm, the wretched writing on full display. “What is gege’s true name?”

Fangxin traced the tattoo down with his index finger, eyes sparkling with hesitation. “I…won’t tell you..”

Hua Cheng felt his heart drop down his stomach. “Gege?”

“I could tell you everything. I really thought of telling you everything.” Fangxin switched from his index finger to his thumb, rubbing the name on Hua Cheng’s arm like he was trying to rub away the excess ink that hid the legibility of the characters.

“I know you, San Lang.” Fangxin kept his eyes glued to Hua Cheng’s arm, but the anguish in them was palpable. “I know you would believe and trust every word I say. You would believe me if I ever lied to you, and you would convince yourself that I would only ever tell you the truth. 

“And that scares me.”

Fangxin’s hand drifted to Hua Cheng’s own, squeezing it. “It scares me to have so much power over your memories, to have so much power over you .”

“San Lang, please understand,” Fangxin lifted Hua Cheng’s hand, and kissed the string tied to his finger. “You are too precious to me, and I will not disrespect you like that.”

Hua Cheng disliked it, but he understood.

He still pouted about it, though. “Okay gege, I’ll do my best to remember it on my own.”

“I’m sure my San Lang can do it.” Fangxin squeezed his hand.

“But gege should give me motivation!”

The Calamity laughed. “I’ll think of something.”

Fangxin insisted on praying again before bed, so as he lit up incense and offered the usual spider lily and white flower, which joined the others in the vase. Hua Cheng cherished that warmth of prayer, filling up his own being.

A part of him wondered why he was never aware of Fangxin’s devotion, and concluded that Heaven must’ve filtered the intense feelings that come with prayers.

“So what was the deal with the Taoist?” Hua Cheng asked as he settled on the bed.

Fangxin clapped his hands.

“Ban Yue.”

“Ban – what?”

“That’s her name. Not ‘The Taoist’.” Fangxin idly tidied the altar, checking on the spider lily and the white flower in the vase. “Her name is Ban Yue.”

Hua Cheng waited for Fangxin to finish, before gesturing to the space beside him. Fangxin skipped over to sit side-by-side with Hua Cheng on the bed.

“What really happened with Ban Yue?” Hua Cheng repeated. “Were you really there in the war?”

“Contrary to what Pei Xiu said, I was merely passing by.” Fangxin shrugged. “I was looking for a little rat, you see. And then I stumbled on the ongoing war. Mind you, I was disguised at the time, so they didn’t know who I was, but The Central Plains tried to recruit me in their army because I didn’t look like a Cresentian.”

“Pei Xiu mentioned you created a third faction.”

Fangxin tilted his head back to laugh. “Faction is such a big word.”

“Neutral ground?!” Pei Xiu sounded affronted. “To be neutral is to side with the Crescentians!”

Fangxin laughed. “I don’t know anything about you or your war. I have no stake in this. But I do see that there are people who don’t want to be a part of this, and I’m giving them a safe space. So yes, I’m creating a neutral ground.” He unsheathed Wu Ming, glamored to look like a normal sword. “And what are you going to do about it?”

After he thoroughly beat Pei Xiu, he cleaned his sword.

“Not everyone is after glory, little boy. You would do well to keep that pride in check, or you will lose everything.”

“Pei Xiu tried to use Ban Yue to sway me to fight for them. Quite foul, if you ask me. Asking a little orphan girl to manipulate you. Anyway, it didn’t work, but I did get to talk to her often. That’s when I learned about their plan. How she was trained in the dark arts by Pei Xiu, and then planted in The Crescent Kingdom. Likewise, I learned about her feelings as she befriended the Crescentians, after she realized that all she really needed to do was prove herself in a culture of beings who love battle.

“She was conflicted with what to do as the final battle drew near, and she asked me for advice. What should she do? And so I gave her a special, secret third option.”

“A third option?” Hua Cheng blinked. 

Betray Pei Xiu and protect The Crescent Kingdom, or Betray General Kemo, and let The Crescent Kingdom fall. Was there a third option?

Fangxin grinned sweetly. “She could walk away.”

“Walk away…?” Ban Yue murmured. “But…but what about Pei Xiu? What about Kemo?”

“What about them?” Fangxin shrugged. “Both of them spout their own ideals, but they both seem to just use you for your power. You’re thinking so much about them, but are they thinking about you?”

“I…”

“No matter what side you pick, you will be blamed. The blood will be on your hands. You will suffer the consequences. You will carry the guilt. You will be the target of the grudge. It seems to me that they only care about their own glory, at your expense.”

Ban Yue looked so young, so unsure of herself. Fangxin had to remind himself that Ban Yue was still a child.

“You can choose a side, or walk away from it all. Walk away from their war. Walk away from their plans. Let them reap the consequences of their own actions.”

“I – I don’t – I don’t know…”

“Then I’ll make it simple.” Fangxin crossed his arms. “Let’s say you stick with your two choices. If you were to pick one, would the other forgive you? Would they have respected your choice? Would they still be your friends?”

“She couldn’t answer.” Fangxin pillowed his head in his arms. “That was her confirmation.”

“So when Pei Xiu said that you took her away…”

“Ban Yue chose to hide with me, instead.”

“I-if I stay with you,” Ban Yue gripped the small sack she had, her very few personal possessions, “what will I do?”

“Anything you want.” Fangxin shrugged. “If you want to learn how to fight, I can teach you. If you wish to leave, you may. It’s your life, Ban Yue. Nobody should tell you how to live, nor should they use you and set you aside once they’ve achieved their own goals.”

“Mind you, I was still disguised. Before she agreed to stay with me, I revealed who I was, just to make sure she knew what she was getting into. When she decided to stay with me, I took her, and everyone else that wanted to run away from the war, away from that place.

“And…” Fangxin smiled, “I didn’t want Ban Yue to be blamed, so I left a few spider lilies so that they would blame me, instead.”

Hua Cheng wondered again how easily people were willing to shift the blame on Fangxin, and wondered how Fangxin kept a straight face the whole time Pei Xiu was accusing him of messing with their war.

“Where is she now?”

“She stays with me. I think she’s found her home in my City.” Fangxin’s musing turned into a bright smile. “You’ve met her! I believe she introduced herself as my student?”

Hua Cheng’s mind went back to the mission regarding Xuan Ji, at the mixed race girl with purple hair.

“That kid ?” Hua Cheng sounded incredulous. Kid, regardless of the fact that she was over a century old. “She learned demonic cultivation – and stopped aging that early?”

Fangxin hummed the affirmative, and leaned back against the bed. Hua Cheng fussed for a moment, folding his robes to provide a softer cushion for Fangxin.

“Does she know you got involved again?” He asked as he laid down, facing his companion.

“I got her permission.” Fangxin snuggled on the robes, facing Hua Cheng. “It’s why I got involved in the first place.”

Hua Cheng recalled the far-off look in Fangxin’s eyes as they stood on the opening. The way he didn’t flinch nor smile at any of the soldiers that goaded them. The way he seemed to be seeing something beyond the horizon.

And how he immediately jumped into the pit after.

“She’s a sweet girl.” Fangxin smiled, fond. “So she asked for me to settle the resentment, so that they could finally move on.”

“And you granted her wish?”

“It’s what I do. I grant wishes. Why?” Fangxin laughed. “What have the Heavens told you about me?”

Hua Cheng winced. At how the heavens describe him as madness personified, how he was seduction and insanity rolled into one, how he was the Greatest Evil.

“Nothing worth repeating to gege.”

“Which reminds me, I should grant you another one.” Fangxin scooted closer, and this time, Hua Cheng wrapped an arm around his shoulders to pull him in close. Fangxin easily snuggled into his hold. “A wish. Now, what does my cute San Lang want?”

Hua Cheng’s cheeks burned, but he was too comfortable to react.

“What did I do?” Hua Cheng closed his eyes to rest. “I have nothing to offer you.”

He felt calloused hands comb through his hair. For a brief moment, he recalled a similar feeling back when he was young. Of a figure in whites, reds, and golds cradling him in his arms.

“Silly boy.” Fangxin’s voice was impossibly gentle, and Hua Cheng felt himself slowly drift off. “You already gave me your everything. I’ll give you anything .”

Hua Cheng squeezed the other man. “Be here when I wake up?”

A giggle. “I’m always with you, my San Lang.”

Chapter Text

A giggle, cutting through the darkness of the forest. A finger tracing his chest up to his neck.

“Maybe daozhang’s body knows something daozhang doesn’t~”

Hua Cheng’s breath shuddered as he exhaled. The clear, cool river waters did very little to offset the heat simmering under his skin as he ran his fingers down his chest, and back up his neck, tracing and retracing the line that Fangxin had touched that day they met.

He closed his eyes from the sunlight filtered through the trees.

“How about…’wife’?”

Coy, dilated gold eyes, staring into Hua Cheng’s. Hot breath fanning against his cheeks. The world around him blurred, the falling maple leaves serving as nothing more than background color to Fangxin’s presence.

“Hmmmm…then why don’t we try…‘beloved’?”

“Beloved…” Hua Cheng whispered underneath his breath, and felt his body jolt in response. His hand drifted down underneath the water, where he started pumping his length.

He could still smell the remnants of that sweet, soft smell of spider lilies. The smell of the incense Fangxin always lit up to pray. The warmth of his devotion.

Those golden eyes – 

“...fate seems to have a sense of humor.”

Soft lips kissing along his knuckles. The crunch of an apple.

His hand moved faster, bringing himself closer and closer to that peak of pleasure. The cold river water did nothing to the heat coiling in his belly.

“Gege –” Hua Cheng panted, eyes screwed shut as the visual of Fangxin in his mind’s eye morphed and changed –

“Don’t be scared –” Fangxin – Fangxin? – was disheveled, clothes barely on his flushed body, covered with sweat. He panted with flushed cheeks. It was hot, with a pinkish haze around them. He could hear giggles in the background. 

“I’ll keep you safe –” Fangxin tied a strand of his hair on his finger as he  –

Hua Cheng body shuddered as he came in the river water, 

He panted as he brought up his hand to look at the red string.

A memory?

Hua Cheng had been trying to recall memories with Fangxin, and although he was remembering things more clearly (having a face to the mysterious Someone in his dreams has been very helpful in clearing the haze in his mind), there was nothing concrete he could hold on to. He didn’t know the timeline of events, and couldn’t piece together what exactly happened.

It was especially difficult without context. What was their relationship? How did they know each other? What was the origin of this deep need to protect him? How did Fangxin become a Calamity, while Hua Cheng ascended to godhood?

How did they separate?

God of Death, Heaven is requesting your presence in the Main Hall. 

Hua Cheng rolled his eyes up to the sky and breathed out slowly. He stepped out of the river water, and grabbed the towel hanging nearby to pat himself dry.

Ling Wen. Is this with regards to Pei Xiu?

Yes.

I thought that case was clear cut. You have General Kemo, the Wind Master, and the Earth Master as witnesses. I broadcasted Pei Xiu’s whole speech to the Heavenly Communication Array. What else is there to argue?

Ling Wen almost sounded like she was just as done as Hua Cheng. General Pei Ming –

Ah. Of course. I’ll be there.

Hua Cheng shed his disguise, going back to his godly appearance, with his red robes and silver butterfly jewels, the main status symbols of his godhood. E-ming settled on his hip as he reached down to grab the straw hat from the ground.

As he gently thumbed at the straw, he recalled that sleepy, quiet morning when he woke up with Fangxin after the debacle at The Crescent Kingdom.

“I’m afraid I must go now. Something…urgent has come up.”

“Must you, gege?”

“Don’t worry, San Lang. You’ll see me again very soon.”

“Promise?”

“Of course! Like I told you, if you need me, just think of me, and I’ll be there. Here, you can keep my straw hat until we see each other again, as a promise.”

“I’m honored.”

“And, uhm…”

“Yes, gege?”

“The next time we meet, may I see your true form?”

Hua Cheng stroked the straw hat one more time, before hiding it in a pocket dimension of his robes.

With a deep breath, he ascended back into Heaven.

Honestly, Hua Cheng didn’t know why he expected it to end up any different.

Jun Wu didn’t bother gracing them with his presence, which was probably what Pei Ming was hoping for when he tried to frame Pei Xiu’s actions as false accusations. Considering how many people don’t like Hua Cheng, it would have gone their way if it weren’t for the fact that Pei Xiu asked Ling Wen for Hua Cheng’s location, as well as the fact that everyone heard Pei Xiu’s plot.

Hua Cheng had to give Pei Xiu credit, though. He said nothing about the ‘cultivator’ that tagged along with them, and said nothing about Ban Yue. He took the responsibility on his shoulders and requested for exile, himself, admitting that what he did was wrong, and he shouldn’t have resorted to such measures due to family pressure.

Pleading guilty in the face of nepotism. Hua Cheng could almost admire him.

And so, before they could drag Pei Xiu away, Hua Cheng whispered to him:

“I did some research. Ban Yue is alive and well. She’s living in Ghost City.”

Pei Xiu’s eyes visibly watered. “Do you think she’ll ever forgive me?”

“That’s not for me to decide, is it?”

“No…I suppose it’s not.”

Fiddling with the bead in his hair (another remnant of his past with Fangxin…?) Hua Cheng waited for the crowd to thin out before he left the hall – not wanting to mingle with the others from sheer proximity. If they want to talk to him, they would have to approach him, first.

He was used to the fear, of the other gods quickly walking away from him, giving him a wide breadth. It came with his fearsome reputation, after all. But it kept everyone away from him, and that was always a plus.

However, today seemed different. Two gods were whispering to each other while looking over at Hua Cheng.

Ah, of course. General Nan Yang and General Xuan Zhen. Although he never interacted with the two of them, Hua Cheng knew from the moment he saw them that he hated them.

And he had long since learned to trust his instincts.

Hua Cheng gripped E-ming’s handle with a glare, and turned to the two. “If you have anything to say, say it to my face, cowards.”

The two generals looked at each other, and back to Hua Cheng, then back towards each other, doing things with their eyebrows as if it was a valid form of communication. Hua Cheng loudly tapped E-ming, rhythmically, as if counting down.

“Well?”

Ultimately, it was General Nan Yang who spoke up.

“Where are you from?”

Hua Cheng didn’t expect that question. “What?”

“Your accent. It sounds familiar.” General Xuan Zhen scowled. “We’ve never really heard you talk before, so we only noticed now.”

That’s understandable. Hua Cheng’s main disdain for the other gods in Heaven led him to be quiet. He only ever spoke to Ming Yi, or he would let his sword speak for him.

“I don’t remember.” Hua Cheng replied. “And I don’t see how it’s relevant to anything.”

“See? It can’t be.” General Xuan Zhen elbowed General Nan Yang, who elbowed back just as roughly. “You’re just imagining things.”

“Shut up, I know a Xianle accent when I hear it – oi quit it!”

Hua Cheng just decided to ignore them. He rolled his eyes and walked away.

That was weird.

“Hua-xiong! Hua-xiong!”

Hua Cheng counted to ten, and turned to face the Wind Master.

It’s not that Hua Cheng hated Shi Qingxuan. In fact, they would be the most tolerable god in Heaven second to Ming Yi.

It was more of the fact that he can’t think of Shi Qingxuan without thinking of their brother, the Water Tyrant Shi Wudu, and known close friend of Pei Ming, which automatically put him on Hua Cheng’s shitlist. That, and they are way too loud for Hua Cheng to deal with on a regular day. He wonders how Ming Yi does it.

“I need your help!” They cried.

Hua Cheng turned back around and started walking. “Ask someone else, I’m –”

Shi Qingxuan rushed in front of Hua Cheng, grabbing his robes.

“Please, Hua-xiong, hear me out!” 

“Wind Master, I don’t see how –”

“Ming-xiong is in danger!”

Hua Cheng froze.

“Ming-xiong has been on a secret mission – Heavenly Emperor Jun Wu assigned him to gather information on The Crimson Sword, Fangxin. He’s usually only gone for one day when he does this. He was going to check on The Ghost City after the whole debacle in The Crescent Kingdom, and I haven’t heard from him since.” Shi Qingxuan closed their fan and gripped it tightly. “Please, you’re his only other friend, we have to go look for him!”

Hua Cheng recalled the sleepy, early morning conversation he had with Fangxin.

“Something…urgent has come up.” Fangxin had said.

The way Fangxin stared at them passively as Hua Cheng and Ming Yi interacted with one another in The Crescent Kingdom…

Could it be that Fangxin recognized Ming Yi as a spy when they met at The Sinner’s Pit? That, while Hua Cheng was shooting shit with his friend, Fangxin realized that he was being stalked by a Heavenly Official? Is that why he left so early the next day, to deal with the mole in his city?

And now Ming Yi was missing?

“Fuck.”

“EXACTLY!”

“Come on, spiritual power and luck is enhanced by a female form –”

“Are you sure you want to test that theory on me?”

“It can’t be worse than wearing this weird hat.”

Hua Cheng dodged Shi Qingxuan’s hand. If he was going to The Ghost City, he was going to keep his word and show his true form, as insecure he was about himself. Although he held himself well in Heaven, he knows that he’s too thin, too tall, and he wore an eye patch to hide the fact that he gouged out his own eye to form E-ming.

And of course, he wore Fangxin’s straw hat, which he felt was extremely important. He could use it to hide his identity while in The Ghost City, as well.

“You’re asking me for help. Don’t tell me how to do things.” Hua Cheng adjusted the straw hat. “Pass me the gourd.”

Shi Qingxuan pouted and passed Hua Cheng their liquor, which Hua Cheng took a swig of. He was going to need some liquid courage to get through this. “Did Ming Yi send a distress signal?”

“Not yet, but I don’t want to wait for one.” Shi Qingxuan looked almost teary . “Especially with how Fangxin operates? He’ll seduce Ming-xiong ! We might end up fighting him, instead! I won’t be able to stand it!”

Hua Cheng winced.

Although he did believe the whole seduction and madness angle the gods perpetuated before, it was blown away when he learned what happened to Ban Yue.

Calamity or no, Hua Cheng fully believed that Fangxin was not evil .

However, if Ming Yi was caught spying on Ghost City, Hua Cheng can’t say for certain if Fangxin would be merciful . 

Especially if the reason Ming Yi ended up caught was because of Hua Cheng. Because Hua Cheng called him for backup in The Crescent Kingdom.

He felt torn, two parts of his psyche at war with one another. One part that believes that Fangxin is in the right and is doing what anyone would do, and a part that was guilty that he endangered his own friend.

“Oh, oh, Hua-xiong, look!” Shi Qingxuan pointed out. A group of female ghoulies were walking down, excitedly talking about what they’re going to do in the Ghost City.

With a nod, both of them joined the ghoulies, and made up some excuse of being freshly dead, and that they wanted to go to the famous City.

The ghoulies accepted their excuse easily, and included them in their conversations as they made their way to the city. Shi Qingxuan exchanged beauty tips with them, and Hua Cheng stayed on high alert just in case they were ambushed.

“You seem so strong!” One of the female ghosts tried to glomp onto Hua Cheng’s arm, but he easily side-stepped them.

“I bet he’s heading straight for The Fighting Pit!” Another commented, winking.

“The Fighting Pit?” 

The ghoulie gasped, as if scandalized. “The Fighting Pit! The grandest building in all of Ghost City! Ghosts from far and wide travel all the way for a chance!!”

“You can ask the Lord of the City for anything, and he will grant your wish,” Another one swooned, “as long as you can prove yourself worthy.”

“I love granting wishes.”

“How do you prove yourself worthy?”

“By fighting, of course!” The ghoulie giggled. “Give The Crimson Sword a show worthy of your wish! He picks your opponent, and if you win, he will grant your wish.”

Shi Qingxuan and Hua Cheng’s eyes met above the heads of the ghoulies.

Perhaps there would be a way to get Ming Yi out of there, after all.

Hua Cheng’s eye scanned the various faces and figures that littered the city, merchants and customers alike squabbling and dealing in the various stalls. The air was warm even with the presence of hundreds of ghosts.

Amongst all the different beings, however, Hua Cheng’s eyes immediately zoomed in on a lone, little girl standing in the middle of the crowd. Mixed race, with purple hair –

She had a snake with a scorpion’s tail peacefully wrapped around her shoulders.

And she was staring at Hua Cheng. More accurately, at the straw hat on top of his head.

“Ban Yue?” Hua Cheng whispered, but the girl seemed to hear him just fine. She smiled at Hua Cheng, before cocking her head, and walking away.

Hua Cheng grabbed Shi Qingxuan before they could be dragged by the ghoulies, and followed after the little girl.

Ban Yue led them through the crowds, through the market, towards the center of The Ghost City, where a grand building stood high and proud, with banners written in Fangxin’s gorgeous calligraphy.

THE FIGHTING PIT

LEAVE YOUR LUCK AT THE DOOR

FOR ALL THAT MATTERS 

IS STRENGTH.

“Oooh! Good eye, Hua-xiong!” Shi Qingxuan praised as they entered. The crowd was rowdy, cheering and jeering as a ghost was being dragged out of the building, beaten and bloody. It was difficult to make their way through, and Hua Cheng could no longer see Ban Yue.

Inside, the walls were decorated with murals of spider lilies, and there were multiple sparring spaces with weapons available along the sides of each pit. Hua Cheng could see a few ghosts sparring in them, though they didn’t seem to have anything at stake. In the center was the largest fighting pit, with the biggest crowd gathered.

Shi Qingxuan kept a hold on Hua Cheng as they made their way through the crowd, to have a better view. The ghosts was clearly still full of energy after the last bout jeering on the loser, and there were assistants cleaning off the blood from the space. 

As they shoved their way to the front to get a better view, a masked ghost stepped forward, onto the arena.

“I wish for my business to thrive, and for all my competitors to lose all their riches!!”

Hua Cheng’s eye flicked over to the masked ghost. That sense of anger simmered under his skin. Such greed! Even Shi Qingxuan glared at the ghost who stepped forth. It should have been enough to ask for oneself, but for others to fail as well?

“Interesting~”

The words felt like lightning shooting down his veins. Hua Cheng snapped his head up, following the red stairs that led up to a stage, where a man sat on a throne.

Commissioned from Saenda (tumblr | twitter) (link to tumblr post)

His robes were elegantly white, decorated with red spider lilies and lined with gold, his hair half up done with golden pins and a crown of spider lilies. Around his neck was a scar, as if his head had been ripped apart from his body and placed back on. The white silk Ruoye draped around him like a snake.

His face…the top half was covered with what appeared to be a broken mask. A white mask with the eyes closed in smiling crescents, but the area below the nose was broken off, jagged pieces of porcelain lining the bottom. With Fangxin’s red lips smiling, it completed the smiling face of the mask.

By his side was a crimson sword, with a black handle. The legendary sword Wu Ming.

Hua Cheng exhaled.

It was easy to forget that, as much as the Heavens may have put the blame on Fangxin, he had to earn that reputation in the first place. Fangxin was not considered a Calamity for nothing.

Hua Cheng had long since associated the Calamity with the image of golden eyes and flirtatious smiles, of wonderful calligraphy and easy mornings. He associated Fangxin with delicate red spider lilies and white flowers, of high pitched laughter, with kindness and intellect hidden behind the guise of madness.

But this .

This is Him .

The Scourge of Heaven. The Lord of Ghost CIty. The Mad Calamity.

The Crimson Sword, Deathly Flower , who struck fear in the hearts of gods in Heaven, so much so that just the sight of his spider lilies would send them into a panic.

Fangxin’s posture looked almost bored if it weren’t for the manic smile on his face. “Do you truly think yourself worthy of such a thing? Why not simply ask for your business to thrive without the downfall of others?”

“Because I am more worthy than any other ghost in the industry! And I will prove it to you!”

Fangxin tipped his head back and laughed. Hua Cheng couldn’t look away, even if he tried. The mask with the smiling eyes may have only covered the top half of his face, but the stark contrast between the porcelain mask and Fangxin’s skin was so unnerving. Distantly, he could register Shi Qingxuan starting to shake as they held onto Hua Cheng's robe.

“Such a spectacular wish requires a spectacular show~” Fangxin grinned. “I know exactly who your opponent should be~”

The crowd went silent.

Then, a crack of lightning shot through the grand doors, onto the pit. A young man, in blues and golds, with his brown hair tied up in a ponytail, stood with a giant sword swung over his shoulders.

“You called, my Lord?”

“There you are~” Fangxin grinned. “Your opponent is my cute little disciple, The Rising Sun Officer, Lang Qianqiu.”

Chapter Text

“Your opponent is my cute little disciple, The Rising Sun Officer, Lang Qianqiu.”

The crowd went wild .

“Rising Sun! Rising Sun!” They chanted as Lang Qianqiu waved at the crowd, opening his arms wide and bowing as if presenting himself. The masked ghost that faced him looked like he was going to faint.

“So it was true?” Shi Qingxuan gasped lightly. “Lang Qianqiu…Fangxin really stole him!!!”

Hua Cheng turned towards the Wind Master. “Stole?” 

“It was the biggest scandal in Heaven! He’s the Last Prince of Yong’an!” Shi Qingxuan opened their fan, tipping it to whisper. “Fangxin drove Lang Qianqiu to madness on his seventeenth birthday, and made the prince kill his whole family! Then he seduced Lang Qianqiu away and left Yong’an without a ruler! When his cultivation reached the level of immortals, he rejected his ascension! He was on track to becoming the next Martial God of the East!”

They started fanning themself anxiously. “But now he’s here , working as one of Fangxin’s officers?”

Hua Cheng hummed.

It was similar to Pei Xiu’s accusations towards Fangxin. Driving someone to madness, seducing them to his side. It was the mode and method Ling Wen warned him about before he descended to the mortal realm.

Except…he learned from The Crescent Kingdom that these were misconstrued.

Besides, ‘madness’ depends on who’s defining it.

“Apologies, gege. It’s mad –”

“Why is it mad? It’s important to San Lang, how can it be madness?”

Hua Cheng turned towards the arena, where the two fighters took their positions. Already, just from having knowledge about fighting, he could tell it was no contest.

The masked ghost was large, but it was from fat rather than muscle. He didn’t hold himself in a stable stance. He stepped back, meaning he’s going for a more defensive, perhaps ranged approach. Daggers, most likely. Despite lining up to fight, his coat seemed weighed down. Perhaps he has multiple projectile weapons to throw.

Against Lang Qianqiu whose stance mimicked that of Fangxin. Relaxed, but limbs at the ready to move in any direction needed. His robes were made for easy maneuvering, and even covered, Hua Cheng could see the muscle lines of a seasoned warrior. When he unsheathed his sword, Hua Cheng shook his head.

That shimmer – the sword must have been forged from metal from the lodestone mountain. A curious metal that becomes magnetic with spiritual energy.

This was no contest. There was no fight. No matter what the masked ghost did, any metal would be either absorbed, or magnetized and deflected by the sword.

…

Was that on purpose…?

Fangxin raised his hand. “Fight like there’s no tomorrow. Show me your resolve. Begin!”

Just as Hua Cheng predicted, it was completely one-sided. No matter how accurately and quickly the masked ghost would throw dagger after dagger, or projectile after projectile, the sword would either absorb the metal, or deflect them. And Lang Qianqiu held the sword with evident martial skill.

“Oh!” Shi Qingxuan gasped. “How unlucky! Using projectiles against a sword like that ?”

Not unlucky. Hua Cheng realized as Lang Qianqiu’s magnetic sword took away another round of the ghost’s daggers, and effortlessly shot them back. It’s rigged.

Because Hua Cheng believed in Fangxin. He’s not evil, and therefore, he wouldn’t allow evil to operate under him.

Fangxin’s martial prowess is great. Even without the feeling in his gut telling him of this fact, it was the way they worked together in The Sinner’s Pit. Even when holding back as to not reveal his identity to Pei Xiu, he kept up with Hua Cheng. They dispersed two whole armies worth of resentful ghosts together.

So if Hua Cheng was able to determine the difference in strength between the masked ghost and Lang Qianqiu on sight , Fangxin should have known as well, especially because he knows about Lang Qianqiu’s magnetic sword. He chose to have them fight. He knew it wouldn’t be a contest.

The fight was decided before Fangxin selected Lang Qianqiu.

No…

The fight was decided the very second the masked ghost made his wish .

Just like the banners outside said:

LEAVE YOUR LUCK AT THE DOOR

FOR ALL THAT MATTERS

IS STRENGTH

“Come on! You want your business to thrive, right? Fight harder!” A nearby ghost taunted from the side.

“His fault for wishing for more than he can handle!” Another ghost cackled. “If he only wished for his business to prosper, he probably would just have to fight a Malice. But wishing on the downfall of others? It’s a higher price!”

“If you’re going to be greedy, you have to be stronger!”

Lang Qianqiu was playing with his food at this point. He could clearly win in an instant, but instead he was drawing out the fight, deliberately showcasing just how weak the masked ghost was.

A form of punishment, maybe?

Seeing how everyone was distracted, Hua Cheng turned again towards the Calamity –

Who was looking at him.

He couldn’t see Fangxin’s eyes, covered with the mask as they were, but his head was facing towards the god. 

Ruoye swayed from side to side as if waving hello, just as it did back in Puqi Temple.

Hua Cheng swallowed, and waved back.

Fangxin grinned, then flopped dramatically on his throne. “Rising Sun, please finish this. I’m getting bored .”

“Yes, my Lord.”

It took only one heavy slash in the air, to cause a rush of wind, which smashed into the masked ghost and sent him flying into the wall.

BOING!

The masked ghost bounced off a ward on the wall, onto the ground, leaving the building perfectly intact.

Wards…? Hua Cheng blinked. Being so distracted with the proceedings in the building, he didn’t realize just how extensively it was warded.

It made sense, though. With fights constantly going on in the pit, they would have to ward the entire place so it wouldn’t break down.

Lang Qianqiu made a show of bowing to the audience and to the Lord of the City. The crowd cheered and cried, pushing each other towards the ring, goading each other to make a wish.

Hua Cheng took a deep breath.

“...if you need me, just think of me, and I’ll be there.”

In theory, he could just call for Fangxin. Ask him for Ming Yi. Explain to him what happened, and that Ming Yi was his friend, and he didn’t want to be the cause of his friend’s demise.

But…

“You are too precious to me, and I will not disrespect you like that.”

Hua Cheng stepped forward, onto the arena.

“I wish for a private audience with The Lord of the City.”

The crowd gasped .

“Hua- xiong! ” Shi Qingxuan squeaked behind him.

Lang Qianqiu visibly bristled with rage, and immediately turned towards Hua Cheng with his sword pointed out menacingly. “WHO DARES TO –”

Hua Cheng blinked.

Because Lang Qianqiu looked straight at the straw hat on top of Hua Cheng’s head and froze. The anger clouding his expression disappeared almost instantly, and he was left with a look like –

Like he was in wonder .

There wasn’t any time for people to think about why The Rising Sun Officer didn’t jump into Fangxin’s defense when loud laughter from The Calamity filled the hall, distracting them.

“Accepted!”

All eyes turned to Fangxin, who had straightened up on his throne. He gestured towards Hua Cheng.

“But, as you know, I am all about fairness!” Fangxin grinned. “What you request must be given equal effort. Your worthiness is judged by your ability to fight for what you wish. That is the way of The Fighting Pit. ”

The ghosts cheered in agreement.

“And so,” Fangxin continued, “if you wish to have my attention…”

He stood, and in the process, grabbed Wu Ming’s handle, twirling the sword effortlessly around him, before pointing the crimson blade towards Hua Cheng.

“You have to earn it from me .”

Ohs and whistles echoed through the crowd. Many ghosts started jeering at Hua Cheng, chanting about his upcoming death and loss. Shi Qingxuan was mumbling in fear behind the Martial God.

Fangxin waved a hand to silence them. “Now, now. Our guest seems strong! And so bold, too, for asking for me directly. More courage than I could say about a lot of you.”

Many ghosts laughed, bumping into one another.

Fangxin seemed satisfied with the change. “Rising Sun, please take some of his excess belongings for safekeeping. We need to make sure our fighter is not hindered.”

Ah.

Lang Qianqiu sheathed his weapon behind his back and skipped over to Hua Cheng, who passed the straw hat. He accepted it almost reverently and tucked it under his arm. “You’re taller than I thought you would be, Lord Hua.” He commented, softly, his voice drowned out by the ambient noise of the pit.

Hua Cheng thought back to how Ban Yue was looking at the hat. How Fangxin recognized him in the crowd. How Lang Qianqiu stopped threatening him.

I see. The straw hat was to help me be identified in my true form. “Is that a bad thing?”

“Give us a good show and I’ll tell you later.” Lang Qianqiu grinned before he bowed and stepped back, into the crowds.

“To make it fair, swords only?” Fangxin raised Wu Ming, the lights sparkling along the crimson blade. Ruoye curled sulkily on the throne.

Hua Cheng stepped forward, adding a glamor to E-ming to hide his eye. He knew what Fangxin was doing – nobody has realized that he’s a god. If he used his silver butterflies, it might give him away. By saying only swords, they decrease the risk of someone recognizing Hua Cheng. “Fair enough.”

“Good~” Fangxin grinned.

Then he disappeared.

Hua Cheng was ready. He hopped to the side just as Fangxin reappeared behind him, slashing downwards on the spot where he once stood, the force of the slash caused the air to create a gust of wind that blew some spectating ghosts away.

Oh he’s serious .

Well.

Hua Cheng parried two slashes, and responded with a heavy blow on his end, one that caused another gust of wind. Instead of dodging completely, Fangxin charged forward, twirling just enough to dodge the slash, but still met Hua Cheng’s sword with his own, their faces close.

“Well, hello there, handsome~” Fangxin grinned as they pressed their swords against one another.

“Unfair. I can’t see gege’s beautiful face.” Hua Cheng smirked.

They pushed away from one another and unleashed a flurry of blows, alternating going on the aggressive and parrying oncoming attacks. They fought with their whole bodies, moving high and low, making full use of the space around them. The ghosts scurried away from the fight, and they found themselves bouncing around the entire room.

Just like in The Sinner’s Pit, their fighting styles complemented each other, and Hua Cheng recognized every shift of Wu Ming, meeting each strike with E-ming who, even when glamored, was shivering with excitement.

Hua Cheng had sparred with various gods. He had beaten every single one that challenged him. All the Peis, and majority of the pantheon of the Martial Gods. He was a god born off of constant battle, a god who ascended from a pool of blood and fire.

Hua Cheng is the Martial God of Death, feared by his own peers.

But Fangxin was putting him through his paces.

Not only that, but he flirted with him. Every time they clashed, when they were close enough to speak:

“My~ Such skill with your sword~”

“Gege is quite skilled as well. I’m impressed.”

It was exhilarating . Hua Cheng felt pure, unadulterated adrenaline in his veins. He found himself holding back less and less. Each blow would have leveled the building they were in if it weren’t for the various wards holding everything up. 

For the first time in hundreds of years, he could feel his heartbeat, he could feel the light sheen of sweat, he felt his breath start to puff and pant.

For the first time in hundreds of years, Hua Cheng was having fun .

“Tell me, is your sword skill useful in other activities ?”

“Perhaps gege would like a first hand demonstration.”

“Ooooh~ I’ll take anything San Lang gives me~”

One particularly powerful clash caused both E-ming and Wu Ming to fly into the air, but it only took that second before both Fangxin and Hua Cheng simultaneously commanded the swords to continue their sparring without them.

Meanwhile, the two switched to hand-to-hand combat.

The cheers and screams of awe escalated.

And of course, coming close together meant they could still talk.

“Afraid I’ll pin you down, San Lang?”

“I wouldn’t mind being pinned down by gege.”

“Oh? And whatever shall I do with you underneath me?”

“Anything gege wishes.”

“Careful, San Lang. I’m greedy ~”

Their swords returned to their hands and they continued their dance with one another.

And then –

Fangxin suddenly ducked and tackled Hua Cheng to the ground. The move had no indicator, and in fact Hua Cheng was sure he nicked a strand or two of Fangxin’s hair, but his instinct to lean back worked against him as Fangxin used all his weight to crash into Hua Cheng.

Hua Cheng gasped as he was brought down prone to the ground, pinned under Fangxin’s weight, with Wu Ming against his neck. E-ming shook uselessly in the side, unable to move without endangering the god.

Fangxin sat up straight, resting his weight on Hua Cheng’s belly, the light glinting off of the gold in his hair, off of that mask over his eyes. There was a light sheen of sweat on his neck, sparkling like tiny jewels.

Hua Cheng lost.

Hua Cheng lost .

He –

Before anyone could breathe, or even clap, Fangxin grinned and gripped Hua Cheng’s sides tight with his legs and flipped them around, with him lying on the ground, his own sword resting lightly on his throat, and Hua Cheng on top of him.

Fangxin’s legs wrapped around Hua Cheng’s middle and pulled their bodies flush close, and only then did Hua Cheng realize that he had a raging hard erection .

And Fangxin did, too.

“Ohhhh nooooo~” Fangxin whined dramatically with the slightest wiggle that made Hua Cheng bit his tongue to stop himself from moaning. The smiling eyes of the mask stared up at him. “It appears I’ve lost! What a powerful opponent! Mercy, good warrior! Mercy~”

Hua Cheng sputtered and looked around, anywhere to not see Fangxin sprawled underneath him with his hair fanning out –

From the corner of his eye, he could see Lang Qianqiu covering his face with his palm and shaking his head. He could see Shi Qingxuan staring at them with their jaw dropped to the floor.

And with the haze of adrenaline cleared, he realized that all the spectators were backed against the wall, a few of them were hurt on the ground and were being attended to, giving both fighters a wide breadth. 

The crowd was silent for a second, before bursting into cheer.

“Our Lord is so generous! So kind!” They cried. “He declared this warrior the winner!”

“What a show, good warrior! What a show!”

“Truly one worthy of our Lord’s attention! That was a fantastic fight!”

“How could we possibly follow that up?”

And Hua Cheng couldn’t help it.

He laughed.

A full bellied, head tipped back laugh that echoed through the hall. Even Fangxin joined in on it, his legs loosening just enough for Hua Cheng to collapse beside him. He just had the cognitive ability to cover himself up with his loose robes.

That…

That was the most fun he’s had in hundreds of years !

It’s the happiest he’s been for hundreds of years!

It was so easy to be happy when Fangxin was around.

Lang Qianqiu approached the two and extended his arms out to help both of them up from the ground.

“Congratulations, dear warrior.” Fangxin announced loudly, grabbing Hua Cheng’s hand and lifting it in victory. “What an amazing display!”

“I believe I won a private audience with you, My Lord?” Hua Cheng made a show of bringing down Fangxin’s hand to kiss his knuckles.

“Well, I never go back on my word.” Fangxin snapped his fingers, and like clockwork, a man in purple with an oni mask stepped forward from the shadows, beside Fangxin’s throne. On the other side, Ban Yue dropped from the ceiling alongside her scorpion snakes.

Ruoye flew from the throne to Fangxin’s arms, and even tapped Hua Cheng’s cheek lightly as if giving him a kiss.

“My Waning Moon Officer shall oversee the Fighting Pit for now. Rising Sun, Snake Princess, please assist him.” 

“Yes, My Lord.” The three bowed, simultaneously.

Fangxin flirtatiously twirled a finger through Hua Cheng’s braid, playing with the bead in his hair.

“Come, my dear winner. I’ll give you your private audience in my Paradise Manor.”

Meanwhile, on the side, Shi Qingxuan anxiously bit their fingernails.

“Oh no, he might’ve gotten Hua-xiong, too!”

Chapter Text

“So this is San Lang’s true face!”

“What does gege think…?”

“Hmmmm, too handsome! Too many ghosts were ogling you. Only I should be allowed to see it!”

“Gege, please.”

Hua Cheng and Fangxin were still giddy, high off the adrenaline of their fight as they made their way to the so-called “Paradise Manor”. Their fingers were laced together, and Fangxin leaned against Hua Cheng’s arm. The ghosts gave them a wide breadth, bowing in awe and wonder as they walked.

“Gege’s Fighting Pit is amazing.” Hua Cheng complimented, dipping his head to give them some semblance of privacy. “Such an intelligent way to grant wishes and dispense punishment.”

“Luck is fickle, and is easily manipulated. It can be taken or given at a whim.” Fangxin twirled in front of Hua Cheng, keeping their hands laced together. “So, I removed it altogether.”

A large courtyard came into view, with a garden filled with spider lilies. Other than that, it looked very traditional. There was a building, and though it wasn’t as tall nor as grand as The Fighting Pit, it was larger than the other structures in the city, with a traditional look.

This must be Fangxin’s Paradise Manor.

As they stepped in Hua Cheng shuddered as the weight of hundreds – possibly thousands – of wards crash on him. It was much, much stronger than the wards in The Fighting Pit – those were focused on protecting the building itself. The ones in Paradise Manor attacked his spiritual power –

 Fangxin quickly pressed a finger to his forehead, and he felt the weight lift.

“Wha –” Hua Cheng shook his head as the feeling went away. “How many wards…?”

“You stop counting after the first hundred.” Fangxin hummed.

“I should mention, this manor is the most protected place in my city. I commissioned every single ward master, and studied wards myself to make this into the safest fortress I could create. Should all of Ghost City be destroyed – should the world be destroyed this will stand in the aftermath.” Fangxin explained as they made their way through the courtyard. “Anyone who comes here will be suppressed by the wards, no fire may start here, no calamity may touch this, even the weather is controlled here and separate from the rest of the city. Only a selected few may enter this manor with their spiritual power. Me, my officers, a few trusted allies, and now, you.”

Hua Cheng flexed his arm. When he first entered, he felt his spiritual power drain instantly, however now, it was back to normal.

It does make sense to ward one’s home, to make it safe from intruders and all that. However, the extent of the wards in Paradise Manor is excessive . Especially if one considers not only Fangxin’s martial prowess, but the very fact that he has powerful officers with him, and an entire city at his beck and call. 

The only reason why one would do this is if there was something in there that is worth protecting to that extent.

“What is gege protecting in this manor that is so important?”

Fangxin opened the doors to the manor, and they stepped inside. “I will show San Lang later.”

The manor was empty of other beings. It was tastefully decorated, not too obscene in its wealth although one could immediately tell that no gold was spared in its building and decorating. Hua Cheng recognized a few decorative scrolls in Fangxin’s handwriting, excerpts of poems.

They heard nothing but the clack of their footsteps as they made their way through the rooms.

“I must say, though, you wound me, San Lang!” Fangxin turned towards Hua Cheng with a pout. If the mask were not covering his eyes, the god would have been certain they would be wide and pitiful. “Did I not make it clear I would give you anything? All you ever need to do is ask it from me!”

Hua Cheng slightly ducked his head.

“I thought about it, however, this one did not wish to disrespect you in your city. I will be honest, I asked for a private audience because –”

“Because of the Earth Master, yes? That’s why Lord Wind Master was with you as well?”

Hua Cheng swallowed. Of course Fangxin would know that there were two gods within his city. Shi Qingxuan chose a female-presenting form, the same one as back in The Sinner’s Pit, so they’re recognizable. Not to mention that Fangxin would be on higher alert after learning of the spy.

“I – I felt ashamed, coming to your city when I had ulterior motives. I thought that it only felt fair to earn my audience with you, on your terms.”

They stopped in front of a massive double door, and Fangxin grinned. Hua Cheng wanted to snatch the mask off of his face to see those golden eyes sparkle as they usually did.

“I do appreciate the sentiment; San Lang is a noble, kind, and fair god. However, as I told you before, you have already given me your everything. I would do anything for you. You have nothing to prove to me, because you’ve already proven yourself hundreds of times over. You never have to earn anything from me, for you have earned my favor above all others.”

Hua Cheng’s heart felt like it was trying to jump up at his throat. He wanted to vomit it out and place it in Fangxin’s hands as an offering, perhaps kneel and sing songs of praise to the calamity.

“I will try to keep that in mind.”

“But I did enjoy our spar.” Fangxin tilted his head. “We should do that again sometime! More privately, I hope.”

Hua Cheng huffed out a laugh. “Agreed.”

Fangxin placed a hand against the double doors. “For now, however, I think we have business to take care of.”

Beyond the double doors was a dining room. It had the same tasteful decoration as the rest of the manor, but it wasn’t a grand hall. It looked like one for small meetings or private occasions, with a table that can accommodate six people at most, and had a full spread of food on top.

There, sitting beside the head of the table with a plate full of food, was The Earth Master.

“Ming Yi –” Hua Cheng’s eye widened.

“Ugh. You look disgusting.” Fangxin ushered Hua Cheng to sit on the table, across his friend. “Take off that meatsuit. Only I’m allowed to be disguised in my house.”

Hua Cheng’s eye narrowed at Ming Yi, as Fangxin sat at the head of the table.

Ming Yi took a deep breath, and his skin dissolved . The color of his skin melted away into one deathly pale, his hair fell down long and straight, shiny as if damp. He was skinny, his blue robes embroidered with waves hanging loosely from his frame –

The aura of the room shifted. The air become cold with the presence of a demon.

“Black Water Sinking Ships…” Hua Cheng’s eye widened.

He Xuan.

The Ghost King.

“How long have –?” He started, but Fangxin shook his head, and pointed at Ming Yi – He Xuan.

“I lectured you about this already. You got us into this mess. Explain yourself, and I will hit you if you leave anything out.”

Hua Cheng can’t say he expected what He Xuan explained.

He could believe it. Shi Wudu was just enough of a selfish asshole with a crazy brother complex to do it, but it was one of those evil plots that sounded straight from a play.

To think someone could actually do that…

He was brought back to his first impression of He Xuan when they met in Heaven – how he thought the Earth Master was different from the rest of the gods.

It was because he wasn’t one in the first place.

This then went into He Xuan’s plans – the (very) long process of infiltrating and keeping up appearances in heaven to find a hole in their defenses. With Shi Wudu being a prominent figure, it was difficult.

Fangxin, apparently, had a hand in helping He Xuan keep up appearances in Heaven, often taking care of matters in the mortal and Ghost realm in his name so that nobody would suspect that Black Water disappeared. In return, He Xuan gave updates on Hua Cheng’s well being, and if he needed anything.

At the end of it all, Hua Cheng was left in stunned silence as he processed the information.

It was during the silence that Fangxin spoke up.

“Now, I wouldn’t have minded if anything happened to The Water Tyrant. I helped him with his base of operations and gave him advice for his movements in heaven, but only because all I wanted from He Xuan was to keep an eye out for my San Lang, make sure he’s okay and safe.” Fangxin reached under the table to lace his finger’s through Hua Cheng’s, squeezing them. “However, it has come to my attention during our time in The Crescent Kingdom that you two have become quite good friends.

“Now, I have nothing against San Lang having friends. He deserves to have good friends, and He Xuan is better than most gods in Heaven.” Fangxin smiled at Hua Cheng, before his expression turned into steel when he turned towards He Xuan.

“ But , by becoming friends with him, and by subsequently letting Shi Qingxuan be friends with him, you have involved him in your drama. He now has a stake in this. And anything that may have an impact on my San Lang is my top priority .”

He Xuan visibly winced, which told Hua Cheng that Fangxin had thoroughly ripped him up for involving Hua Cheng in this. 

Fangxin squeezed Hua Cheng’s fingers once more to get his attention. “We’ll take this one at a time. What do you think, San Lang?”

Hua Cheng stared at his friend – or the person he thought of as his friend. There was no denying that he felt betrayed. His friend Ming Yi was not the person he thought he was, anyone would feel that way…

But…

Hua Cheng thought about the snickers under their breaths whenever a god went to humiliate themselves. He thought of their small inside jokes, the way they jabbed at each other, the way Hua Cheng always contacted Ming Yi first whenever he needed help, and Ming Yi would often do the same.

He thought about the times the two of them would sit together in a quiet corner and just be .

He Xuan fiddled with his thumbs, his head down as he awaited Hua Cheng’s judgment.

“Gege instructed you to keep an eye on me, but you didn’t have to be my friend. That was on you.”

Ming Yi didn’t comment, and looked to the side.

“You lied about your appearance and identity, but you couldn’t have lied about the hundreds of years we’ve been friends.” Hua Cheng spoke slowly. “In all the time we’ve hung out together, I’ve never felt anything disingenuous from you, otherwise, I wouldn’t have wasted my time.”

He Xuan looked up, eyes widened slightly.

“Who you are doesn’t matter to me. Earth Master, or Ghost King. The point is, we got along.” Hua Cheng shrugged and turned towards Fangxin. “That’s enough.”

Fangxin grinned at him proudly.

He Xuan was quiet for a moment, before he huffed out a chuckle. “I always knew you were a good man. Better than all that trash in Heaven.”

“Awwwwww,” Hua Cheng turned to He Xuan with a shit-eating grin, “I always knew you cared!”

“Don’t push it, asshole.” He Xuan grunted, but he was still smiling.

“So now that leaves the matter with Shi Wudu.” Fangxin stood up, letting go of Hua Cheng’s hand to sit on his armrest. Hua Cheng instinctively wound an arm around Fangxin’s waist to keep him steady, and felt Fangxin rest a hand on the nape of his neck.

“What is gege planning?” Hua Cheng looked up at Fangxin.

The Calamity looked down at Hua Cheng, the smiling mask hiding whatever expression is in his eyes. Hua Cheng wished, again, that Fangxin would remove the mask.

“Well, that depends on what result San Lang wants.”

“Me?”

“Like I said, I have no stake in this.” Fangxin pointed a finger at He Xuan. “I only helped him in his plan for Heaven to make sure you were okay. Whatever he does to Shi Wudu has no impact on me. So I have made my choice, I will not raise a hand in this drama unless San Lang does. So, what is my San Lang’s decision?”

Hua Cheng swallowed.

It was one thing to hand over judgment to his friend. That was between them, and them alone.

However, the matter regarding Shi Wudu was delicate . It was not only a matter of killing some god that (honestly, after hearing He Xuan’s perspective of the story) deserves to be punished for his actions, but it had rippling implications. He’s still an elemental master, with a high standing in heaven, overseeing not only the waters, but wealth. He’s friends with Pei Ming and Ling Wen, forming the Three Tumors.

And Hua Cheng has a distinct feeling that Heavenly Emperor Jun Wu is aware of this whole thing, and his choice to do nothing indicates his decision in the matter.

It doesn’t escape Hua Cheng that his decision will dictate the outcome of the event. Fangxin has declared that he would support anything Hua Cheng decides, and with their combined strength alongside another Ghost King? There was no doubt that it would come to fruition.

But what if he does the wrong thing?

Fangxin must’ve seen the uncertainty in his eye, the way his spine tensed under the pressure.

“You said that you believe in me. In my sense of justice. In my mercy.” Fangxin placed a finger to the top of Hua Cheng’s jaw, tracing down his chin. “Well, it goes both ways. I believe in you. I believe in your justice. I believe in your mercy.”

“Gege –”

“What do you think we should do? I will follow whatever my San Lang decides, no matter what.”

“And if I pick the wrong thing?”

Fangxin shrugged, as if such a concept didn’t even occur to him. “Then I will protect you from the fallout. It changes nothing.”

Hua Cheng took a deep breath and steadied himself. Fangxin pressed his fingers against the back of the god’s nape in comfort.

“You do deserve your revenge. What was done to you was evil, and the fact that he had gotten away with it so easily makes me as angry as it makes you.” Hua Cheng started.

“However, remember when I said that you couldn’t have lied about the hundreds of years we’ve been friends?” Hua Cheng adjusted his hand to squeeze Fangxin’s waist. “That doesn’t only apply to me.”

He Xuan had the decency to look sheepish.

They would have to bring it up.

Shi Qingxuan.

Their friendship had always been a mystery to Hua Cheng. At first glance, they shouldn’t have gotten along at all. Their personalities seemed to be such polar opposites that even now, the concept of them being born at the same time baffles the god.

Hua Cheng may have given He Xuan shit about it as part of their normal banter, but he had seen how He Xuan would get genuinely concerned when Shi Qingxuan gets too nosy in other gods debates. He had seen He Xuan 'begrudgingly’ join the Wind Master on random adventures.

Hell, He Xuan would even go with Shi Qingxuan’s whims on changing appearances and presenting genders.

At the end of the day, they were friends.

And as good of an actor and scholar he may be, he could not have faked that for hundreds of years.

“Whatever you do to Shi Wudu is on that trash god’s head. It’s the consequence of his actions.” Hua Cheng spoke slowly. “But do not involve unnecessary people. For your sake, and theirs.”

“Would you consider the relationship between Shi Wudu and his sibling an ‘unnecessary’ connection? It was the root of everything, after all.” He Xuan challenged.

“They were a victim of the decisions of others, no matter if they benefited. You found out, yourself, that they didn’t know that their success was on the back of your demise.” Hua Cheng kept his voice leveled and steady. “You called me a good man. They’re a good person, too, and you know this .”

He Xuan dipped his head down in acknowledgement.

“As long as you don’t involve Shi Qingxuan, or anyone who had nothing to do with this, in your plans, I’m willing to help you, as a friend.” Hua Cheng ended, taking a peek at Fangxin to see his reaction.

Fangxin seemed pleased, and motioned for everyone to take their goblets.

“If you have my San Lang’s strength, you have mine, as well.” Fangxin raised a goblet to toast. “Should the opportunity arise.”

They clinked their goblets together, although Hua Cheng noted dimly that Fangxin’s contained water and not wine. When he raised his brow about it, Fangxin merely grinned. “I can’t handle my liquor.”

“The one thing The Crimson Sword can’t do.” He Xuan sipped his wine.

“You won’t believe how many times I’ve been teased about that.” Fangxin dramatically moved to his own chair, before gesturing towards the food. “ Ban Yue can drink better than me. It’s a tragedy!”

As they ate, they exchanged stories. Hua Cheng learned that, as strict as Fangxin was during the meeting, he and He Xuan had a good relationship. He Xuan had limited spiritual power in Paradise Manor (which is more than what anyone – except the Officers and Hua Cheng – could boast), and Fangxin had, on more than one occasion, looked after He Xuan’s fish while he was in Heaven. In return, Hua Cheng and He Xuan shared with Fangxin the things they got up to in Heaven, with their shared disdain towards the other gods.

Hua Cheng also learned that He Xuan was the reason why Fangxin knew about the ghost groom mission, and that He Xuan’s suggestion towards Hua Cheng to request to live in the Mortal realm was a direct result of the ghost king being sick and tired of reporting to Fangxin.

During their time in the Sinner’s pit, Hua Cheng realized that the reason why Fangxin suggested cooking dinner for them was to get rid of He Xuan.

“I thought you’d eat anything.” Hua Cheng teased. “Gege’s cooking isn’t even bad.”

“What kind of taste buds do you have?!” He Xuan retaliated. “His ‘stew’ gave me nightmares for weeks !”

“It’s different . Not bad !”

Fangxin laughed. “San Lang has a more sophisticated taste.”

“Bullshit!”

It was nice to know that, even dressed down, they got along so well with one another.

“Well, it’s about time you went about your way.” Fangxin stood and grinned at He Xuan, who started wringing his hands. “San Lang, my dear, could you kindly shut the window? It’s quite drafty here.”

Hua Cheng found himself standing and heading over to the window without thought. Behind him, as he closed the window, he heard the distinct sounds of fists against body, the grunts of pain, and yelps of outrage.

When he turned around, He Xuan was in his Ming Yi skin, and was a beaten, bloody pulp on the ground, wrapped with Ruoye. Fangxin held the other end like a leash, unbothered.

“You could have gone easy on me!” The disguised Ghost King grunted from his spot. “I just needed to look beaten up!”

“Have you met me ?” Fangxin leaned down, his masked face edging a bit closer to He Xuan’s. “I did go easy on you.”

“You’re lucky I actually like you.” He Xuan frowned, and made a move to bite Fangxin, who easily backed away from the clacking teeth.

Crack!

Hua Cheng blinked and looked down at the handle of the window he just snapped clean off.

When he looked back, Fangxin was grinning at him, and He Xuan was looking between the two of them with his brow furrowed.

Fangxin skipped over and snapped the handle off the other window. “Good idea on the redecorating!” He smiled sweetly and laced their fingers together as he dragged Hua Cheng over. Ruoye, who was left tied to He Xuan, wrapped around Fangxin’s free wrist and he dragged He Xuan behind them, heading out.

“No need to be jealous, San Lang! Only you’re allowed to bite me~” Fangxin winked.

He Xuan sounded scared . “Oh no –”

Hua Cheng smirked, understanding immediately. “Gege is too beautiful. I might have to fight the world for his hand.”

“ Please shut up –”

“San Lang~ This one’s old heart can’t handle such sincerity~” Fangxin leaned against Hua Cheng, resting his head against the god’s shoulder.

“You’re doing this on purpose!!!”

Hua Cheng looked back at He Xuan’s undignified face and stuck out his tongue. “Your punishment for lying to me.”

“Stop looking so smug, asshole.” He Xuan glared, and Hua Cheng had to actively stop himself from laughing.

“Let me have this. It’s rare to see you in such a sorry state.”

When they entered the receiving hall of Paradise Manor, The Waning Moon Officer was standing in the middle of the room, with one of the Fighting Pit assistants bound and gagged on the floor, a talisman to hold spiritual power hanging from the chains. 

“My Lord,” The officer bowed respectfully. “This one was caught loitering around Paradise Manor, attempting to regain spiritual energy.”

“Thank you, Waning Moon. Amazing work, as always.” Fangxin grinned.

The culprit bound on the ground, upon seeing them, started screaming through the gag. Behind them, Hua Cheng can hear Ming Yi groan.

Oh.

Oh.

Hua Cheng covered his face with his palm in second hand embarrassment. He now recognized the bound one as the male-presenting form of Shi Qingxuan.

Wind Master? Really?!

Fangxin snapped his fingers and Ruoye flung He Xuan to land beside the bounded god. He Xuan acted like he was passed out.

“I believe this is your friend, Wind Master?” Fangxin allowed Ruoye to return to his sleeves, staring down at Shi Qingxuan in amusement. He kept his grip on Hua Cheng’s arm as normal.

Shi QIngxuan shook their head vigorously and managed to loosen the gag from their mouth. “Ming-xiong! What have you done to him, Crimson Sword?! And to Hua-xiong?!”

D’awwww, they asked about you first.

Shut up, asshole. 

“Oh, please, as if you would’ve done anything less if you found a spy in your midst. By all accounts, the fact that he even has all his limbs still intact is merciful .” Fangxin rolled his head dramatically. He adjusted Hua Cheng’s arm to wrap around his waist.

“Usually, I wouldn’t let something like this slide, but this one made a little deal with me.” Fangxin made a show of dragging his fingers up and down Hua Cheng’s chest, tracing patterns along it. “I get to have this fine specimen of a man all to myself for the night, and you get your Earth Master back.”

“Hua-xiong –”

“I’ll be fine, Wind Master.” Hua Cheng swallowed, gripping Fangxin’s waist. “Just get yourself and Ming Yi out of here. I’ll contact you when it’s over.”

“But Hua-xiong –”

“Wind Master, this is an agreement between the God of Death and Myself.” Fangxin interrupted. “If ever you do anything to disrupt it, well, I cannot guarantee that you will see your friend again.”

Shi Qingxuan made a sad voice in the back of their throat, their eyes wide and wobbly, and the scene would honestly be more sentimental and dramatic if Hua Cheng wasn’t aware that this was all a show.

It also didn’t help that Fangxin’s hands were still tracing lines on his chest. That’s very distracting.

“Waning Moon, if you would do the honors?” Fangxin tilted his head.

The masked officer bowed once, and unceremoniously grabbed both of them by the back collar of their robes, and dragged them out of Paradise Manor.

When the door closed behind the Waning Moon Officer, Fangxin slumped against Hua Cheng’s arm.

“Alone together at last.” Fangxin tilted his head up to face Hua Cheng. “It’s exhausting, acting so much.”

Hua Cheng’s fingers twitched, and he reached up and touched the edge of the mask. “May I?”

Fangxin’s smile was soft as he hummed an affirmative. Finally, finally , Hua Cheng carefully took the mask off of Fangxin’s face and faced the golden eyes he had been waiting to see this whole time. They were slightly crinkled in delight.

Hua Cheng understood why Fangxin covered his eyes. They were the most unique eyes he had ever seen, no doubt that anyone would recognize him from his eyes alone.

That, and they were so expressive .

“Hello, gege.”

“Hi, San Lang.”

Hua Cheng turned his attention to the broken mask, tracing the outline of the smiling eyes. Now that it was gone from Fangxin’s face, he could almost see what the mask looked like initially – porcelain white with a smiling face –

Hua Cheng shook his head as an image of the mask whole and unbroken came to the forefront of his mind. Just as quickly, it went away.

Fangxin slowly took the mask, and hid it in his robes. Hua Cheng followed the mask with his eye, lost in thought.

Where had he seen…?

“San Lang is unfair.”

Hua Cheng blinked out of his stupor. “Hm?”

Fangxin tightened his hold on Hua Cheng’s arm, pouting. “San Lang lets anyone hold his arm. It’s my spot!”

Hua Cheng thought back towards their whole adventure, walking through Ghost City and into the Fighting Pit. Shi Qingxuan had been scared and on alert the whole time, and stayed latched onto Hua Cheng’s arm.

Was Fangxin…?

“Is gege…jealous?”

He couldn’t help but laugh to himself.

“San Lang is making fun of me!” It was wonderful, seeing Fangxin’s expressive eyes go wide with indignation, instead of being hidden away.

“No, gege, I apologize,” Hua Cheng smirked and brought Fangxin’s arm down so they could lace their fingers together. He brought their joined hands to his lips and kissed the Calamity’s knuckles. “But to me, this is gege’s spot.”

Fangxin’s expression shifted to incredulity, and then amusement. “San Lang is learning! Too smooth!” He grinned, and took their joined hands to kiss Hua Cheng’s knuckles back. “Now, there’s something I want to show you, San Lang!”

“Hm?”

“You asked why I put so many wards in my manor, right? What I’m trying to protect here?” Fangxin’s grin widened. “I’m going to show you.”

Chapter Text

As Hua Cheng walked down the hall, he noticed that the wards were becoming more explicit, more visible, indicating just how much Fangxin had stacked as they moved to the center of Paradise Manor. It was almost obsessive how many wards were in place.

He tried to imagine what sort of treasure could be so important to Fangxin.

They were somewhere at the center of the manor, when they stopped in front of another set of double doors. On the sides were banners in Fangxin’s calligraphy:

“The Heart”

Hua Cheng definitely wasn’t expecting what lay beyond the doors.

The room was circular, the walls lined with swords and collected weapons that Hua Cheng for sure would’ve loved to look at closer later on – but that wasn’t the focus of the room.

On the center of the room, underneath a glass-top ceiling, was a large, circular plot of soil, and in the center of that a giant white flower – similar to the small, white flowers that Fangxin would offer to Hua Cheng, but this one had grown tall and sturdy, with vibrant leaves growing on its stems. On the base of the giant white flower were several of the small, white flowers, and surrounding them was a circle of spider lilies. There were pillows and sheets strewn about, and Hua Cheng could imagine Fangxin making himself a cozy nest in front of the flowers.

Behind the flower, splitting the room, was a bead curtain, and beyond it, Hua Cheng can see the vague shapes of what seems to be a bedroom.

Hua Cheng swallowed and took a hesitant forward. “It’s…it’s beautiful, gege. What is…?”

Fangxin puffed his chest out proudly.

”This is the Heart of Paradise Manor. My most treasured room.”

With a grin and a skip on his step, Fangxin took Hua Cheng’s hand and giddily led him to the flower plot. A few steps from the flower, Hua Cheng felt the shudder of one more layer of wards, which faded away immediately with a squeeze of Fangxin’s hand.

“Not even my officers may come this close.” Fangxin ushered Hua Cheng to sit amidst the pillows and blankets. “This is my most prized possession in the manor.”

Hua Cheng felt that there had to be more significance to this. “One would think it’s the weapons along the walls. They are all treasures!”

Fangxin shrugged. “I do like them. I love collecting weapons, and I would be sad if anything happened to them, but this .” Fangxin gestured to the whole flower. “I might as well die if anything were to happen to this.”

Hua Cheng reacted violently to the statement, turning to gather Fangxin in his arms. “Gege – don’t you dare –”

He felt Fangxin hug him back, clutching onto the back of his robes. “Like I said, only I am allowed in this space, this close. And now, San Lang is, too.”

The weight of the privilege Fangxin bestowed on Hua Cheng was immense.

This is Fangxin’s most important space, to the point that even his trusted officers cannot breach it. A space he spent perhaps hundreds of years adding complicated layers of protection just to make sure that nothing happens to it. From the pillows on the ground, who knows how many days and nights Fangxin spent here, nesting on his own…

And yet, without even the slightest hesitation, he extended this space to Hua Cheng.

It made Hua Cheng wonder: what kind of man was he to be given such a privilege?

It made Hua Cheng wonder…

“Do I deserve this honor?” Hua Cheng squeezed Fangxin. “Even after losing all my memories of you? Do I…even deserve to hold you like this?”

Fangxin pulled slightly back, looking surprised. “San Lang, you –”

Mid-sentence, Fangxin’s eyes glazed over slightly, and then cleared up with him pouting.

“ – and of course there’s trouble. Of course.” Fangxin dropped his head onto Hua Cheng’s shoulder.

Hua Cheng sighed. He could also feel the strain of the day starting to take its toll. Sparring with Fangxin had taken a huge chunk of his energy, and he’s quite sure he had the same effect on the calamity.

It was a discussion for another time, then.

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing. I could get my officers to handle it, but this particular issue keeps cropping up, so I’ll have to step in. Just to send a message.” Fangxin lazily stood up, groaning.

“Shall I help gege?” Hua Cheng made a move to stand, but Fangxin placed a hand on his shoulder and forced him back down.

“My city, San Lang. I must make an appearance alone, otherwise those nay-sayers will spread rumors about me – well, more rumors.” Fangxin’s smile was strained. “Relax, you are my most honored guest. I’ll handle the problem, you sit here and rest. It will only be for a moment.”

“Too long.” Hua Cheng pouted.

Fangxin’s strained smile made way for a real one as he laughed, delighted. He took the broken mask from his robes and fixed it on his face once more. “I feel the same.”

Alone in the room, Hua Cheng stood up, keeping his hamds clasped behind his back, and his feet firmly away from the soil. He peeked around at the flower that has been poking at Hua Cheng’s memories.

A small flower being placed in a stone hand –

“Thank you for your flower! It’s beautiful, I like it very much!”

The flower being crushed by a hand –

Hua Cheng shook his head as the vision faded, and in doing so, caught something in the corner of his eye.

In the middle of the giant flower, cradled among the petals, was something that looked out of place. It shone just like…glass?

Hua Cheng had to go up on his toes to peek at it better before he recognized what it was.

It was a glass vial, with something that looks like…gray powder inside?

No, not powder.

Ash…?

Destroy the ashes, kill the ghost.

Could this be…

Fangxin’s ashes…?

“I might as well die if anything were to happen to this.”

Fangxin’s presence was so intoxicating that Hua Cheng had forgotten what it must have meant for Fangxin to be the man he is now.

He died.

Hua Cheng kept his hands behind his back as he tried to get a closer peek, feeling both in awe and at the same time terrified for the ashes inside the vial. Once again, he was struck with what an honor it must be to be the only other person allowed in this space, that the one space that Fangxin could not trust with his closest officers, he could trust with Hua Cheng.

The Heart of Paradise Manor.

He had wondered what could be so important that Fangxin would go to excessive lengths to ensure the safety of this manor. 

Fangxin’s ashes definitely fit the criteria.

Despite the thousands of wards that kept Paradise Manor safe, Hua Cheng felt it still wasn’t enough – not if Fangxin’s continued existence was on the line. He would search the world for another thousand wards if it meant keeping Fangxin safe from anything that could possibly happen.

The world can burn for as long as Fangxin is safe.

Burn everyone that could harm him –

Burn them –

Burn them –

“There he is! Lord Hua! Lord Hua!”

The door swung open and it was only because of the sheer awareness of how many layers of protection Paradise Manor has that Hua Cheng didn’t throw E-ming to silence who would dare intrude. He did, instinctively, place a hand on E-ming’s hilt, and the sword growled at the intrusion.

The Rising Sun officer, Lang Qianqiu, rushed into the room, stopping a few steps away from Hua Cheng. The god realized belatedly that they were at the boundary that Fangxin set. The Snake Princess, Ban Yue, entered slower, but she passed by one of the pedestals to place the straw hat there, before skipping over to join the other officer.

Both officers looked different. Within the city, and in The Fighting Pit, they exuded confidence and professionalism, respectful and loyal to their Lord.

Now, however, they were both vibrating in excitement and nearly hopping in place, both with wide grins on their faces.

Hua Cheng took the few steps to cross the barrier in order to face them properly.

“The Martial God of Death, Hua Cheng! I can’t believe we finally get to meet you!” Lang Qianqiu’s eyes were wide, and he had a big grin on his face, and he looked like a child . “Guoshi talks about you all the time! You were so cool!!! I’ve never seen anyone fight that long with Guoshi! I actually thought you could beat him!”

“I told you! I told you! He’s so strong!” Ban Yue was pulling on Lang Qianqiu’s arm. “He got to fight side by side with Laoshi in the Sinner’s Pit! Laoshi would’ve knocked him out if he wasn’t able to fight with him! Like what he did to you, Qiu-ge!”

“One time!” Lang Qianqiu lightly shoved Ban Yue, who shoved him back. “It’s not as embarrassing as you being knocked out from a single hit with a stick!”

“Laoshi told me to throw the match!” Ban Yue slapped Lang Qianqiu’s arm. “I was following instructions!”

That got Hua Cheng’s attention.

“Throw the match?” He asked.

“Well, sometimes the ghosts ask for a lot in The Fighting Pit, and it’s good! He deserves it! He wanted gold to give to the family he left behind so that his wife wouldn’t worry, and his sons could continue their education.” Ban Yue explained. “Laoshi had to make it look like a fight to equal the reward, so he had the ghost fight me, but Laoshi instructed me to throw the fight.”

Hua Cheng grinned.

He knew it . 

It was more than just gauging their strength and choosing corresponding opponents. He’s obviously puppeteering the matches behind the scenes, telling his officers whether or not to throw the matches to make it seem like they were all fair.

The two continued to talk.

“But then the ghost didn’t know how to fight and all he had was some stick.” Lang Qianqiu laughed. “So A-Yue had to get hit by the stick then pretend to be knocked out. I had to step out of the room so they wouldn't see me laugh!”

“Nobody took me seriously for days .” Ban Yue pouted. “Until Laoshi decided to make me fight another guy with explicit instruction to ‘kick his ass’.”

“Like a while ago? That guy wishing for all his competitors to fail?” Lang Qianqiu huffed. “Guoshi called me, ‘hey Qianqiu are you in the mood to humiliate a ghost?’ I dropped everything to go straight to the pit!” He turned to Hua Cheng. “You were there, right? You saw my fight? How did I do?”

“I am not judging your martial skill in a fight that was catered to your advantage.” Hua Cheng deadpanned.

“Ha!” Ban Yue hip-checked the other officer. “I’m using that the next time you start fishing for compliments.”

“I take back what I said. You’re not cool at all.” Lang Qianqiu pouted. “And I was gonna say it’s a good thing that you’re taller than expected, but I take that back, too.”

“Tough.”

It was surreal, watching them interact. Although they hold themselves with confidence and power, they looked like normal people, bantering with one another and excitedly talking over one another.

With Ban Yue, Hua Cheng knew the story. How it was skewed into the story of how Fangxin created an entirely new faction to overtake The Crescent Kingdom.

But what about Lang Qianqiu…?

Hua Cheng tilted his head towards The Rising Sun Officer. “So, what’s your story?”

“Huh?”

“How did you end up here?”

Lang Qianqiu scoffed. “I’m pretty sure you’ve heard my story.”

Hua Cheng raised a brow.. “I don’t believe for a second that it’s true.” He tilted his head towards Ban Yue. “After all, her story was false.”

Ban Yue who stood next to Lang Qianqiu, looked up at the officer with her brows furrowed in worry. 

Lang Qianqiu scratched the back of his head, his smile became more strained. “Well…”

Hua Cheng sighed. He could recognize that look in a heartbeat. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“No, no,” Lang Qianqiu shook his head. “You’re Guoshi’s special person. You deserve to know.”

Special person?

Hua Cheng would’ve lingered on it a bit more, but was distracted when Ban Yue ducked under Lang Qianqiu’s arm, and he gave her a grateful smile as he squeezed her in a one-armed hug.

Hua Cheng had a bad feeling about this story.

Lang Qianqiu was a Prince of Yong’an, long after Yong’an took over the former Xianle kingdom. 

He met Fangxin in an attempted kidnapping, and they managed to convince him to become their state preceptor. At the time, Fangxin disguised himself with a silver butterfly mask (Hua Cheng’s brow raised at that).

“I later learned that Guoshi was looking for The Green Ghost Qi Rong, and had reason to believe he was in Yong’an.” Lang Qianqiu explained. “That’s why he agreed to be Guoshi.” His expression turned sly for a moment. “We called him Hua Guoshi.”

Hua Cheng forced himself not to smile. It didn’t work.

Fangxin went out of his way to teach Lang Qianqiu about the difference between Xianle and Yong’an culture, and immersed the prince with the Xianle citizens. The King was trying to unify them together, and Lang Qianqiu truly believed they were on their way towards peace, to overcome the conflicts in their history.

However one day…

“Guoshi went with me to prepare a gift for my mother. I didn’t know it at the time, but he thought that I was going to be targeted by Qi Rong, you see, because it was my birthday.” Lang Qianqiu swallowed. “Nothing happened when we were out, but when we made it back to the palace…”

The Gilded Banquet. The piles of bodies of Yong’an soldiers and elites, and royal offshoots.

Fangxin was looking for survivors, while Lang Qianqiu ran towards his family.

“My father was still alive but –”

“I KNEW THOSE XIANLE SCUM WERE NOT TO BE TRUSTED! THEY ALL DESERVE TO DIE!”

Lang Qianqiu thought of the innocent people that he met with his Guoshi, all the beautiful art and the accessories he purchased for his mother. He thought of their kind smiles and gestures, of the way they often teased Lang Qianqiu.

People who don’t even know what happened in the palace.

“They have nothing to do with this – they’re innocent!” He tried to argue with his father.

This was supposed to be a happy day –

It was his birthday –

“KILL THEM, QIANQIU, OR YOU ARE NOT WORTHY AS MY SUCCESSOR –”

Guoshi’s voice rang in his ears. One of the many teachings he passed down to the prince. “We do what is right, even when we think it is hopeless – especially when we think it is hopeless.”

“But why would we do something like that?”

“Because if there is no more hope, then it is up to us to become that hope.”

Lang Qianqiu will never forget the smell of blood, the weight of the blade in his hands, the look in his father’s eyes.

The Prince of Yong’an killed the King of Yong’an.

Lang Qianqiu stabbed his father. 

The world went silent.

…

And then it all crashed down.

“AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!”

“ – QIANQIU!” Fangxin grabbed onto his shoulders, shaking him out of his stupor. He looked at the blade in Qianqiu’s hand, and the body of his father. “Oh, Qianqiu…”

“I killed him I –” Lang Qianqiu’s hands shook. “I’m – I – killed my own –”

“Qianqiu…” Fangxin gathered the boy into a hug, tucking the prince’s face against his chest so that he wouldn’t see the body of his own father.

“He w-w-was going to k-k-kill innocent people!” Qianqiu sobbed, clutching onto his teacher. “I didn’t know – I didn’t know what to do – I c-c-couldn’t – They have n-n-othing t-to d-d-do w-w-with–”

“I understand. I understand.” Fangxin stroked his hair. “You did what you had to do.”

Ban Yue had shifted from being squeezed into actively hugging Lang Qianqiu from his side. Hua Cheng reached for E-ming and gripped his sword tightly, shaking, as if he could somehow cut down the anger simmering in his veins.

“And well –”

“You were right. You were right, Guoshi!” Lang Qianqiu sobbed as he collapsed to the ground. “I didn’t understand anything, I’m so stupid –”

“You were optimistic. Not stupid.” Fangxin landed a heavy hand on Lang Qianqiu’s head. “The world is a cruel place, and there are cruel people. What evil they do is not a reflection of your intellect. However, always remember there will always be good. Even if they are few, we believe in the good in the world.”

Lang Qianqiu thought back to the kind people of Xianle. Thought back to the old man who saved his face when he was almost accused of stealing.

He thought of his Guoshi.

“What do I do…? What can I do? I don’t know – I don’t know what to do – Please, Guoshi tell me what I have to do!!!”

“Breathe, Qianqiu. One step at a time.” Fangxin watched the boy for a moment, then grabbed his arm. “First, we finish this. Lift your head, suck it up, and let us look for the culprit. He should still be around here.”

“And then?”

“And then, you cry. Scream. Let it out. Grieve, Qianqiu – you’re allowed that. You are a human first, prince second. He was still your father, despite the…reason he died.”

Lang Qianqiu sniffed and slowly stood, letting Fangxin help him up. He vigorously wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

“And then?” He asked again, his voice small.

Fangxin regarded him coolly. “Do whatever you want. It’s your life, Qianqiu.” He once again placed a heavy hand on the prince’s hair. “You’re a good kid. Do what you think is right.”

“Am I good?” Lang Qianqiu shook. “Did I do good? Will they say I did the right thing?”

Fangxin shrugged. “That depends on who writes the story. Maybe Xianle will paint you as the merciful prince. Maybe Yong’an will paint you as a traitor. They don’t matter. What matters is what you think is right.”

“I don’t know –” Lang Qianqiu sniffed. “Kill my own father and save innocent lives? It sounds right to me. I hate it but –”

“Then that’s all that matters.” Fangxin brought his hand down to Lang Qianqiu’s shoulder and squeezed. “It’s okay to hate your decision. But you are good. And you did what you thought was right. That’s it. Despite what history will say, they don’t know you. So they have no say on who you are.”

Lang Qianqiu sucked in an unsteady breath, and Fangxin squeezed his shoulder one more time.

“For the record. If I was you? I would’ve done the same thing.”

And Lang Qianqiu exhaled.

It was amazing that Lang Qianqiu didn’t cry. His hands were shaking, and he looked like he was literally being held up by Ban Yue, but he looked Hua Cheng steady in the eye and didn’t cry.

“We found out the culprit was An Le the last of the Xianle royalty, supported by the Green Ghost Qi Rong, as Ghoshi predicted.” Lang Qianqiu sighed. “Guoshi felt guilty that he thought I was the target, so he let me decide the punishment.”

He waved an arm. “We rammed An Le with a stake in a coffin and left him to die in a small cave on the outskirts of Yong’an. I built a second coffin for Qi Rong, but the green ghost was long gone.”

“Did you ever catch him?” Hua Cheng asked, his grip on his sword adjusting, as if he was ready to search, himself, should the Green Ghost still be free.

“We did! It took a bit, and An Le had long since rotted, but Qi Rong is in the coffin.” Lang Qianqiu shrugs. “I like hearing him scream when I’m having a bad day.”

“He’s really funny when he’s mad.” Ban Yue perked up.

“However, at the time, Guoshi said that going after Qi Rong would be too much for me, so he offered to find him in my stead. And…”

It was very, very early in the morning when Fangxin decided to leave. As he headed out of the city, he was stopped by a cry of “GUOSHI!!!” behind him. Lang Qianqiu caught up, panting. He had a large sack on his back.

Fangxin allowed him to regain his breath. “What is it?”

“I’ve decided on what I want to do.”

“Oh?” Fangxin raised a brow. “And what have you decided?”

“Please, let me be your disciple!”

“You want to follow me?”

“You’re right. Qi Rong is too smart and too slippery. I am too weak, and I still don’t know a lot about the world. But I want to be able to catch him for myself. I want to bury him in that coffin, myself.” 

“So you want to follow me to have your revenge?”

“Partly. But more than that,” Lang Qianqiu straightened, “I want to learn. I want to be better. Even if I have to give up the crown…what’s the use of such a thing? It was because of the conflict between royalties that my –” Lang Qianqiu choked.

Fangxin waited for him to swallow his feelings before he continued. “The common people – they’re alright. They get along. As long as they can get by, these conflicts don’t matter to them. Maybe I should step down, end this cycle of hatred and –” He took a deep breath. “I want to live out there. Learn new things, be better. I want to make sure I can protect others who don’t deserve what I went through.”

Lang Qianqiu straightened, fixing Fangxin with a look that screamed determination. “Guoshi is so strong and so smart, and I don’t know where I would be – what I would’ve done if you weren’t here – please, let me follow you.”

As he spoke, Fangxin dimly noted the rising sun behind the prince.

The dawn of a new day.

Perhaps it was a good omen.

“Alright.” Fangxin turned and started walking, Lang Qianqiu scrambled to follow. “But only follow me as long as you want to. You can leave anytime you wish.”

“Thank you, Guoshi!”

“And stop calling me that. I’m not your Guoshi anymore.”

But Lang Qianqiu just smiled. The first smile after a long while of grieving. “Whatever you say, Guoshi!”

As they walked away, Fangxin waved a hand, and caused spider lilies to grow down the road, all the way to the now empty Yong’an palace. Lang Qianqiu stared at the spider lilies for a moment, then turned to his teacher. 

“Guoshi? What are you doing?”

And Fangxin simply smiled.

“Rewriting history.”

“I didn’t understand back then but…you heard the story that came out of that .” 

“Fangxin drove Lang Qianqiu to madness on his seventeenth birthday, and made the prince kill his whole family! Then he seduced Lang Qianqiu away and left Yong’an without a ruler!”

It made Hua Cheng grit his teeth.

The way Fangxin offered him a spider lily alongside the white flower, so that the spider lily will be trampled on in Heaven.

The way Fangxin left spider lilies when he took Ban Yue away from the war, so that Pei Xiu would curse him instead of the girl.

And now, Fangxin left spider lilies at the palace of Yong’an, so that history would paint him as a villain, and Lang Qianqiu as his victim.

Even recently, Hua Cheng realized. Instead of allowing a rumor of Hua Cheng willingly spending time with Fangxin, he framed it as if he was taking the God of Death for nefarious reasons. Hua Cheng won’t be surprised if Heaven starts spreading rumors of how “The Crimson Sword has possessed The God of Death”.

He was brought back to that thought in The Sinner’s Pit, of how easily Fangxin accepted the blame. Even when he was blatantly accused of evil, he just took everything with humor and a laugh, poking holes in their argument even as they spouted confident mistruths.

He took the blame for everything and laughed in the face of their lies.

And they called him mad .

“That’s why I got so angry when you first stepped into the pit with that wish.” Lang Qianqiu smiled, sheepish. “I thought you were disrespecting Guoshi, when he does so much for us.”

Hua Cheng couldn’t blame him. He felt that protectiveness since they first met. 

“Gege is a good man.” And, with only the slightest hesitation, Hua Cheng reached out and ruffled Lang Qianqiu’s hair. “And you’re a good kid.”

For a brief moment, Lang Qianqiu’s bravado broke; tears welled up in his eyes, and he took in a shuddered breath.

“I’m like 300 years old.” Lang Qianqiu pouted, subtly swiping his eyes with a thumb, but he didn’t shake the hand from his head. “Not a kid.”

“And I’m over 800. You’re a kid.” 

“Does that make me a baby?” Ban Yue perked up, squeezing Lang Qianqiu once more.

“Who’s a baby?” 

Three pairs of eyes turned towards the entrance, where Fangxin was relaxed, arms crossed against the doorframe. Beside him was the Waning Moon Officer, his oni mask was attached to the side of his head. He was an average-looking man with purple eyes, though he held himself as someone with great martial skill.

Well, Hua Cheng thought he was average-looking because he was standing next to Fangxin.

How long have they been…?

“Alright, that’s enough, you two.” The Waning Moon Officer stepped forward, grabbing Lang Qianqiu by the back of his collar and pulling him away from Hua Cheng. “Treat our most honorable guest with respect.”

“But Yin Yuuuuuuuu!” Lang Qianqiu pouted while Ban Yue obediently followed, bouncing on her heels in front of Fangxin.

“Laoshi! How did it go?”

Fangxin waved a hand. “It went. Qianqiu, you might have to check on Qi Rong’s coffin. I have a feeling we’ll need to add silencing talismans outside, he’s pretending to be the ‘voice of god’ right now. Ban Yue, please help Yin Yu with the fighting pit tomorrow. I need to sleep.”

“Okay!”

Lang Qianqiu seemed to be having a lot of fun being dragged by the collar by Yin Yu. Ban Yue skipped around them. “Yu-ge! Yu-ge! We got to talk to Lord Hua! He’s so cool!”

“So I’ve heard.”

Lang Qianqiu tilted his head up. “I wanna spar with Lord Hua, Yu-ge! Do you think I can win –”

“No.”

“But what if I use –”

“No.”

“So mean! You’re supposed to be supportive of me and my dreams –”

“I am supportive of your dreams. Just not your delusions.”

Their voices and laughter faded away as the door closed behind them.

“They’re quite the group.” Hua Cheng hummed.

Fangxin shook his head fondly, but Hua Cheng noticed the droop in his stance, how he was not so elegantly held up as he usually was. He usually stood so lightly, ready to move at an instant’s notice, that he was almost levitating. Now, he was down on the ground, heavy with fatigue.

Hua Cheng felt the tiredness as well. Between the spar with Fangxin, and learning about He Xuan and Lang Qianqiu, he felt about done for the day as well. Fangxin must be having it much worse, since he has been taking care of The Fighting Pit, and then dealing with whatever trouble there was in the city. 

“Perhaps I should’ve helped gege after all.” Hua Cheng quickly strode over to Fangxin and opened his arms. Fangxin easily fell into a hug, wrapping his arms over Hua Cheng’s shoulder.

“I hope the kids didn’t bother you too much.” Fangxin yawned as he lazily removed his mask, blinking those golden eyes up at Hua Cheng. “They’ve been so eager to meet you.”

“Sounded that way.”

“Thank you.”

Hua Cheng blinked. “For what?”

“For talking to Qianqiu.” Fangxin blinked back, sleepily. “The kid needed other voices, besides mine, to tell him that he’s good.”

“He is good.” Hua Cheng swayed them lightly from side to side. “You did a good job, as well.”

He could feel, more than see, the smile on Fangxin’s face, before he dropped his weight on Hua Cheng.

“Saaaan Laaaaang~” Fangxin whined and Hua Cheng lifted him up so he could hook his feet around Hua Cheng’s waist. Hua Cheng adjusted his hands to keep Fangxin steady. “I’m tired~”

“Shall I put the great Fangxin to bed, then?”

“Behind the beaded curtain.” Fangxin mumbled against his shoulder.

For as grand as the room was, the bedroom portion was quite simple. Like everything, it was tastefully decorated, with a few desks containing small piles of books, scrolls, and inks – perhaps to practice calligraphy and write poems.

Fangxin’s bed faced towards the large flower.

It made sense. With the beaded curtain, Fangxin can protect the flower even when he’s supposed to be in bed, the beaded curtain makes sure that he has a full visual on the flower, and can go past it easily. It also explained the sword stands on the sides of the bed, so that he could just grab his weapon.

Hua Cheng sat down on the edge of the bed, settling Fangxin on his lap. He placed E-ming and – after tapping at the sword so that Fangxin would loosen it – Wu Ming on the nearby racks. Ruoye slithered out of his sleeves and settled itself with Wu Ming.

“Tiireddd…” Fangxin whined.

Hua Cheng let out a sound of pity as he helped Fangxin strip off his outer robe, and when Fangxin ducked his head in front of Hua Cheng, the god started to remove the pins and the crown from his hair.

It doesn’t escape Hua Cheng how intimate the situation was, carding his hand through the calamity’s hair and helping him dress down. The very fact that the calamity was unmasked in front of Hua Cheng, allowed him into this space, and is now letting Hua Cheng see him in his most vulnerable –

The thought that haunted the god came back.

What kind of a man was Hua Cheng to be granted such a privilege? What has he done to allow him the honor of being able to see Fangxin like this – sleepy and soft, unmasked and undisguised?

Does he still deserve that honor?

Is he still the man Fangxin thinks so highly of?

With Fangxin’s hair down, Hua Cheng settled the calamity on the bed, tucking him in. He was about to ask if he should sleep on the floor – perhaps amongst the nest of pillows and blankets in front of the ashes, when Fangxin simply tapped the space beside him.

Hua Cheng unceremoniously chucked his outer robe onto the floor and joined Fangxin on the bed. The calamity scooted closer, and Hua Cheng pulled him into a hug.

It was foreign – at the same time so natural how Fangxin settled in his arms, golden eyes drooping closed, but still trying to stay awake. With Fangxin in his arms, safe and soft and quiet, Hua Cheng felt the sleepiness take over him.

Fangxin’s bed was firm, but had enough give to maintain comfort. The sheets and pillows were made of cotton and fine silk, and Hua Cheng suddenly felt ashamed for making Fangxin sleep on the straw mat in Puqi temple.

The thought that Fangxin might not have had a good sleep in Puqi Temple made Hua Cheng’s heart lurch –

“What is my San Lang thinking of?” Fangxin’s voice cut through the thought. “Your expression changed.”

Was Fangxin watching him so closely that he could see the small shifts? Hua Cheng tried to relax. “This one apologizes. I suppose gege didn’t sleep very well in my temple –”

“Don’t be silly.” Fangxin blinked slowly. “I sleep the best if San Lang is around. The bedding did not matter. In fact…” He paused to yawn, “I would love to go back to Puqi temple when things are stable here again…”

“I would be honored, Dianxia –”

Hua Cheng stopped himself.

Dianxia…?

Where did that come from…?

Fangxin was grinning at him. “Say it again.”

“Dianxia…?” Hua Cheng felt a slight light headedness from the name. “Was that what I used to call you?”

Fangxin hummed. “Say it again?”

“Dianxia?”

“You said it in a different way.” Fangxin mused, tilting his head just so to rest against Hua Cheng’s shoulder. “But close enough.”

“How did I used to say it?”

“It’s not fun if I tell you.” The calamity sleepily settled against Hua Cheng’s arm. “Besides, I like being called gege by you.”

Perhaps if he wasn’t so sleepy, Hua Cheng would’ve been more stubborn.

“Gege~” Hua Cheng whined, though he had to bite back a yawn, “this San Lang needs motivation! Gege promised!”

“I did, didn’t I? Hmmmm…” Fangxin made a show of stroking his own chin in thought.

Hua Cheng felt like he was walking into a trap.

“How about this: for every memory you get right,” Fangxin tapped Hua Cheng’s lips with the tip of his finger, “I’ll reward San Lang with a kiss.”

Chapter Text

“Why do I even try? What’s the point of living?”

“If you can’t find out what to live for, live for me. Make me your meaning.”

“Dianxia –”

“Stop calling me that.”

“I won’t, Dianxia –”

“I love you.”

“Nonononono – HONG-ER!!!”

Hua Cheng’s eye snapped open.

He was still in the bed, facing Fangxin, with an arm under the Calamity’s head and another arm resting loosely around his waist. Fangxin was curled towards him, his hands against Hua Cheng’s chest with soft little snores 

Echoes of his memories resonated in his head, little snippets that he didn’t understand, contextless and without an established timeline. His memories seem to be coming back stronger and stronger since he descended to the mortal realm, especially in The Ghost City.

Perhaps it was due to Fangxin’s presence.

Hua Cheng could tell that it hadn’t been too long since they went to bed, but he already knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep again. Instead, he took the time to take a closer look at Fangxin.

Even exhausted and sleeping, Fangxin’s form was impeccable. Hua Cheng knew that ghosts could make their appearances seem more human if they wished, but it would take a lot of skill to make a convincingly human form.

And Fangxin looked very human.

He’s also so beautiful that the very fact Hua Cheng gets to just hold him was making him want to vibrate out of his skin.

He gently brushed his thumb along Fangxin’s cheekbone, tracing a line on the smooth skin down to his neck, when his thumb snagged on the rough patch there.

Fangxin had kept his neck bandaged when they were in Puqi temple, but it was exposed here. Hua Cheng was too busy to pay full attention to his neck, but here in the quiet of Fangxin’s room he finally could.

The scarring around his neck looked deep and violent, like the very skin torn apart. Underneath that, though, was another scar in a strange but repeating pattern forming a ring around his neck. It looked like it used to be some sort of shackle, but it was ripped out of Fangxin’s skin, leaving a deep scar that seemed almost carved in.

Hua Cheng gently thumbed at the strange symbols, feeling the rough texture and the dips in his skin.

He kept it hidden when out in the mortal realm, but in The Ghost City, he showed it off with pride.

Was this how he died…?

Fangxin snuffled in his sleep, scooting closer to Hua Cheng.

The god’s eye snapped up to Fangxin’s face, noting the slight furrow of his brow, the slight shiver of his shoulders –

A figure in white, curled on the ground, shaking. A bottle a bit of a ways away, rolled on the ground.

“C-c-cold – i-it’s so c-c-cold –”

And Hua Cheng knew he was too small and too weak to even offer a sliver of warmth –

Hua Cheng choked back a sound of despair, and brought Fangxin closer to his body.

The god would thank whatever fate allowed him to be taller than Fangxin. He was able to envelop the Calamity fully with his hug.

Keep him warm, keep him safe –

Carefully, as to not wake the tired man, he gathered all the blankets and bunched them around Fangxin, making sure he was tucked snuggly in them. Once that was done, Hua Cheng rested a hand on the Calamity’s head, rubbing soothing circles on his scalp.

Make sure he won’t be cold. E-ming was right beside them – he could keep Fangxin safe.

He’s safe –

Safe –

Destroy the ashes, kill the ghost.

Hua Cheng’s eye snapped towards the giant white flower in the middle of the room, just beyond the beaded curtain. The flower that cradled that vial of ashes – that held Fangxin’s very existence. His most important item, hidden and protected with a thousand or more wards and arrays.

The safest place in the world.

And yet, it didn’t feel enough.

Because if anything happened to those ashes –

Hua Cheng couldn’t move his eye away. Even though his hand was still in Fangxin’s hair, even with Fangxin’s soft puffs of breath against his hip, he couldn’t look away. There was that irrational fear that if he looked away, something could happen to the ashes. Fangxin could get hurt. Fangxin could disappear .

And just the thought of that possibility was driving Hua Cheng insane .

“San Lang…”

Hua Cheng didn’t know how long he stared at the giant flower with that mad anxiety plaguing his mind, but he snapped out of it to look at Fangxin, who had shuffled closer and was now pressing his forehead against the god’s hip.

His thumb was still drawing circles around Fangxin’s temple, and it took a staggering amount of effort to stop and pull his hand away.

This was getting ridiculous.

He needed to do something.

Anything.

Hua Cheng looked around the room. As bare as it was compared to the outside, Fangxin clearly loved calligraphy, and there were plenty of scrolls, brushes, and inks strewn around. Hua Cheng never realized how many there were scattered in the room.

It was so endearing. He could imagine that Fangxin was the type to simply grab a brush and scroll whenever he felt like writing, and would get frustrated if there wasn’t one within his immediate vicinity. It was no stretch of the imagination to think that all of these brushes, inks, and scrolls were strewn about the room so that Fangxin would always have them within arm’s reach when inspiration strikes.

There was a scroll and some black ink on the table beside them.

Hua Cheng crossed his legs and laid the scroll in front of him. Taking care to ensure that the brush wouldn’t drip excess ink on the scroll or the bedsheets.

So far, everything with Fangxin was run by instinct. 

Hua Cheng had been at the mercy of his own body since the second he heard Fangxin’s voice. The urge to kneel, the overwhelming need to protect the Calamity that clearly didn’t need protecting, the way he felt so much when nothing meant anything to him before –

And Fangxin knew it immediately when they first met.

“Maybe daozhang’s body knows something daozhang doesn’t~”

So Hua Cheng decided to run by instinct.

He allowed his thoughts to drift, not particularly thinking of anything he wanted to draw. He let his mind drift to the snippets of memories and conversations, and the feeling of warm arms cradling his body…

His vision glazed over and he ran on muscle memory to draw.

“San Lang…?”

Hua Cheng snapped out of his daze, and turned to look at Fangxin as he sleepily rose from the bed.

It struck Hua Cheng that this was the first time he had seen Fangxin like this. Usually, Fangxin was up earlier, already wide-eyed and awake by the time the sun rose. He rubbed his eyes cutely, and his robes seemed to have opened through the night, and they were loosely hanging from his body.

Hua Cheng’s fingers twitched with the desire to touch him. “Good morning, gege.”

“Could you not sleep…?” Fangxin’s eyes were still closed from the crust of a long, restful night, and batted his hands blindly towards Hua Cheng. The martial god wrapped those arms around his neck, and cradled the Calamity’s face, gently thumbing his eyes to remove the sticky substance.

“Woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep.”

Fangxin’s eyes blinked open – that beautiful gold Hua Cheng would love to replicate in paint one day.

“San Lang should’ve woken me up.” Fangxin yawned.

“Gege was tired, I would rather have him rest.” Hua Cheng retorted. “Besides, gege is beautiful, even when asleep.”

Fangxin huffed a laugh. “But San Lang must’ve been bored, staring at this boring gege.”

Hua Cheng rubbed Fangxin’s back as the Calamity scooted closer into his arms. He fixed a few strands of long hair that were out of place. “I wasn’t bored.”

“Oh?”

Hua Cheng gestured to the space in front of him, at the painting he finished. Fangxin was very much still sleepy and his head was bobbing downwards.

“This is you?”

“Hmmph?” Fangxin sleepily dropped his head on Hua Cheng’s shoulder, before turning it towards the painting.

Hua Cheng could feel the moment the sleepiness jolted out of the Calamity, who inhaled sharply as the drawing registered. And as if retaliating to that intake of breath, he deliberately slowed down his exhale. Each inhale and exhale after was perfectly – unusually – slow and even, as if using the technique to calm down.

It was a masked figure with a sword in one hand and a cherry blossom in the other, with elegant robes befitting royalty. It was the one figure that Hua Cheng would draw if he relied solely on muscle memory. 

Fangxin raised a shaking hand towards the painting, eyes wide, as if he wanted to trace the face on the drawing…

And in the next breath, he brought that hand to Hua Cheng’s chin, and tilted the god’s face down to kiss him.

“For every memory you get right, I will reward San Lang with a kiss.”

It wasn’t even a good kiss if he was being objective. Their lips weren’t slotted correctly, and their teeth clacked because Fangxin’s lips weren’t pursed enough, and Fangxin was a bit hesitant in his actions –

– but the second their lips made contact, Hua Cheng’s mind went crazy.

Fire raced through his veins, his heart pumpled wildly as if he’d been struck by thunder, all higher functions ceased to exist and all he could think of was the smell of spider lilies, of Fangxin’s intoxicating presence and the way his body lit up. Even E-ming was affected, Hua Cheng could distantly hear it excitedly rattling on the rack.

When Fangxin pulled back, it was like he took all the warmth of the world with him.

 “That is.”

Hua Cheng didn’t want it to end .

“You were a prince.” Hua Cheng blurted out before he could stop himself. 

Dianxia, Hua Cheng had called him. However, something at the pit of his stomach told him that Fangxin didn’t quite become a King. Not back then.

Fangxin’s smile brightened, and he pulled Hua Cheng down for another kiss, more confident this time, and with better aim. It still wasn’t quite right, their faces felt like they were mashed together, but that didn’t matter because the world was beautiful and warm again and –

And Fangxin pulled back again. “I was.”

“I know a Xianle accent when I hear it –”

“Guoshi taught me a lot about the Xianle people –”

“You were the prince of the Xianle Kingdom.”

With a delighted huff, Fangxin pulled himself up to meet Hua Cheng’s lips again, their noses bumping each other and teeth almost clacking from the force, but the Calamity had his hands in Hua Cheng’s hair and the god held Fangxin’s waist –

Fangxin pulled back with a shuddered gasp, flushed with wide eyes and he looked so hopeful like –

“Anything else?”

– like he was hoping Hua Cheng would remember something else –

The sounds of swords clashing, the shouts of battle, and the clamor of war –

“I was a soldier.”

And Fangxin wrapped his arms more securely around Hua Cheng and kissed him again, and finally they got it right. Their lips slotted together, and Hua Cheng tilted his head so that their nose wouldn’t bump, and Hua Cheng rued the hundreds of years he had to live without this. He tugged Fangxin’s waist, and the other man easily hopped on to straddle Hua Cheng’s lap.

The kiss ended with a small whine from them both, and Hua Cheng laced his fingers through Fangxins to bring them up and kiss his knuckles. Fangxin’s eyes gravitate towards the string.

“I’ll keep you safe –” Fangxin tied a strand of his hair on his finger as he  –

“You tied your hair around this finger to protect me.”

This time, there was a visible reaction on Fangxin. The blush on his cheeks moved down his neck and his golden eyes dilated so quickly that Hua Cheng was sure the memory affected him the same way it affected the god when he was cooling himself off in the river.

Still, Fangxin pulled his hand away from Hua Cheng’s mouth to kiss him again, his fingers dragging into Hua Cheng’s scalp, and he got better leverage in doing so since he was sat on top of the god. Hua Cheng dragged his hands into the loose opening of Fangxin’s robes to wrap around his stomach, thumb rubbing against the hard ab muscles – the physical proof of Fangxin’s martial prowess despite appearing so elegant.

Fangxin keened and pressed their chests together, even as his lips parted from Hua Cheng’s, just barely touching.

“More?” 

“Thank you for your flower! It’s beautiful, I like it very much!”

“Those white flowers…I used to give them to you?”

That elicited a different reaction. Fangxin’s breath stuttered, and the way he exhaled as he kissed Hua Cheng was almost like a sob . His fingers moved from Hua Cheng’s hair to cradle his face instead, and the god felt those thumbs trace his cheekbones down to his jaw.

He wondered what was the depth of that memory – how often did Hua Cheng do that? The white flower that now grows in his sacred space – was that one of Hua Cheng’s offerings?

The kiss was more gentle, and Fangxin parted from him with a stuttering exhale.

“If you can’t find out what to live for, live for me. Make me your meaning.”

“You told me to live for you.”

This time, Fangxin huffed a laugh and kissed him through a smile. Hua Cheng leaned back to lie on the bed, with Fangxin as a comforting weight on top of him.

Hua Cheng never wanted to leave.

How did he live for so long without this?

When Fangxin parted again, Hua Cheng could still feel the smile on the Calamity’s face near his.

“I love you.”

Hua Cheng decided to shoot his shot.

He gently caressed Fangxin’s face. 

“We were lovers?”

Fangxin’s lips hovered over his for a moment, his smiled slowly fading, before he pulled away, 

It was like a punch to Hua Cheng’s gut. “Gege?”

Fangxin sat up, still resting his weight on Hua Cheng’s thighs, but leaning back. With a look that was as close to devastated as possible without crying, he shook his head.

“You definitely loved me.” Fangxin’s voice was soft, sorrowful, “But the problem was me. I had too much going on, and I wasn’t ready for any of that. And then you –” He swallowed, his throat bobbing visibly. He looked away and, to Hua Cheng’s horror, he saw the brief moment when Fangxin’s eyes watered, before he blinked the tears away. “We didn’t have a chance. Not with what was going on at the time.”

Hua Cheng sat up, but kept a respectful distance from Fangxin’s face. The Calamity smoothed a hand under one of Hua Cheng’s sleeves, gently revealing the name etched on Hua Cheng’s arm – Fangxin’s true name.

“We weren’t lovers, but I like to think that if…if the world was kinder, we would have been.” Fangxin’s smile was soft, and he was still stroking the unreadable name on Hua Cheng’s arm.

We could still be. Hua Cheng thought.

But Fangxin sighed and sat by Hua Cheng’s side to gesture to the inked painting. “Could you paint this again? I have colored paint somewhere here – I would like to watch.”

The moment was over.

“Anything for you, gege.”

The two of them migrated from the bed to the nest area in front of the flowers and the ashes. Fangxin gathered scrolls and all the paints he had so that Hua Cheng could paint without any hiccups. Just like before, Hua Cheng allowed his mind to drift, and relied on his instincts to paint the image of Fangxin.

The Calamity watched the process, hugging one of the pillows and leaning on Hua Cheng’s non-writing arm.

“Is it strange to see this image of you?” The god asked.

Fangxin smiled almost shyly . “Not at all. It’s just…It’s been so long since I’ve seen this image of myself.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“Not bad, just…nostalgic?” He hooked his arm around Hua Cheng’s and squeezed. “It’s not that I regret who I was back then. I was young. I was idealistic.” A slow exhale and continued, softer, “I believed in the wrong people.”

Hua Cheng wasn’t sure he was ready –  nor if he remembered enough – to unpack that statement.

The painting was similar to the first, but with all the colors, it breathed new life into it. 

The pink and gold accents of the white robes. The white sword with a light blue glare on one hand with a cherry blossom sprig in the other. The gold of the intricate mask that Hua Cheng couldn’t quite get to the color of Fangxin’s eyes. The elegant crown on his head, and the gentle smile on his face. 

It screamed the image of an elegant warrior prince.

Fangxin stared at the image and nodded. “San Lang is truly amazing.” He whispered.

Hua Cheng put down the brushes to observe Fangxin’s expressions. It looked like he was thinking deeply about something – perhaps memories from long before – when the Calamity looked back at him.

“I messed up San Lang’s hair! Let this gege brush it.”

“You don’t have to –”

“Please?”

Hua Cheng didn’t comment on the change in subject.

Instead, as Fangxin moved behind Hua Cheng to start brushing through his hair, he pulled out another scroll and started drawing again. This time, he let his conscious mind rule.

He started painting The Crimson Sword, Deathly Flower.

His white robes decorated with red spider lilies, lined with red and gold. His crimson sword in one hand, with a spider lily in the other. Half of his face covered with a simple porcelain mask with smiling eyes. His crown of spider lilies, and a near-manic smile on his face.

The Mad Calamity.

Hua Cheng belatedly registered Fangxin carefully, reverently removing the bead from his hair and fixing the braid that held it, before fastening it back on.

In fact, Hua Cheng was so concentrated in his work that he didn’t realize until he finished that Fangxin had finished fixing his hair, and was now kneeling behind Hua Cheng to peek over his shoulder and watch.

With the two images side-by-side it was clear to see that, even though they had similar themes and poses, the two were so different from one another. Changes that grew in the span of hundreds of years.

“San Lang is truly phenomenal.” Fangxin draped himself across Hua Cheng’s back, resting his arms over his shoulders. “Such a gift to be able to capture these two eras of me.”

“I think these are my best paintings to date.” Hua Cheng loosely held Fangxin’s hands in his. 

“Out of curiosity, which do you like better?” Fangxin lifted their joined hands to gesture towards the two paintings. He leaned down to rest his chin on Hua Cheng’s shoulder, tilting his head so that he could catch Hua Cheng’s eye. “Which version of the great Fangxin suits me better?”

Hua Cheng looked at both paintings. One from the past, drawn purely from instinct and muscle memory. A time that was so important to Hua Cheng that his body remembered it even when his mind doesn’t. One from the present, drawn by Hua Cheng as he is now. Hundreds of years after the first one, when they developed themselves and lived separately, and yet when they reunited, Hua Cheng knew he would follow Fangxin to the end of the world if he was asked to.

Both were equally important to Hua Cheng. Both were beautiful, and precious, and he considered both as his greatest paintings since he ascended.

But Hua Cheng knew which version he would like better.

He turned back towards Fangxin.

“Which version of the great Fangxin is happier?”

Fangxin blinked twice at Hua Cheng, then turned to look at both paintings again. His golden eyes dragged down each painting slowly, and Hua Cheng couldn’t imagine what was going on behind them. He couldn’t imagine the hundreds of years of memories, spanning beyond Hua Cheng’s.

And when he looked back towards Hua Cheng, he had a sincere smile on his face, and lifted their joined hands towards the painting of the Current Fangxin. The Calamity. The Crimson Sword, Deathly Flower.

“This.” He nodded. “Definitely this.”

“Then that’s the version of Fangxin I prefer.” Hua Cheng smiled. “Whatever makes gege happy.”

Fangxin pouted. “But what if I want to make San Lang happy?”

“I’m already happy.” Hua Cheng grinned. “Being with gege makes me happy.”

And Fangxin laughed – not one of those head-thrown-back-manic laughs that he does, but one that was almost bashful in the way he tilted his head down slightly and shook it. “You’re so insincere.”

Hua Cheng straightened up his posture. “Gege, you won’t –”

“ – ever find anyone more sincere than me.” They both finished together.

Fangxin still had that same smile, but was looking at Hua Cheng with eyes that were borderline tearful .

He gracefully maneuvered himself from kneeling behind Hua Cheng to sitting in the space of his crossed legs, and kissed Hua Cheng so softly it was almost like a breeze.

Was that…

Was that something Hua Cheng said before?

“You deserve it.” Fangxin whispered against his lips. “You still deserve it. You deserve everything.”

“Do I deserve this honor?” Hua Cheng had asked in this very spot the previous night.

“Gege –”

But Fangxin shook his head, silencing him. “You’re still the same man, even if you don’t remember.”

Hua Cheng’s heart was caught in his throat. He ducked his head to rest it on Fangxin’s shoulder.“ But what if I never remember everything?”

Fangxin indulged Hua Cheng with a few strokes on his hair, before pulling him up to meet eye-to-eye. “I will be with you, regardless.” And, with a wide smile, continued. “What matters is you and not the state of you.”

When they finally could separate from one another, Fangxin grabbed one of his many ink boxes, and emptied them out quickly before skipping back to the nest. The paint had already dried, and he carefully folded both paintings to be placed inside.

“I’ll keep them here, in my most important space.” He explained. “San Lang’s paintings deserve to be safe.”

It was an honor, and Hua Cheng was wrecking his brain for another memory so that he could get another kiss when he noticed the slightest frown in Fangxin’s expression.

“Trouble?” He asked.

“Yin Yu is reminding me that it is almost noon – He Xuan won’t be able to hold back Shi Qingxuan for much longer.” Fangxin sighed. 

And just like that, the existence of the world around them returned. It was so easy to forget that it all existed in this space – where he could hide in safety with Fangxin. 

Alas, they couldn’t hide forever.

Because they played it off as if Hua Cheng traded himself for He Xuan for one night. If he stayed any longer, the story would morph into an act of war from Fangxin. The Heavens could let him go when he “seduced” notable figures in the mortal realm, but to take one of the gods away?

It didn’t matter if Hua Cheng wasn’t very popular or very well liked amongst the gods. He’s still regarded as perhaps the strongest Martial God to currently exist outside of Jun Wu. If word got around that the God who is the very definition of Death has switched sides? It’s Fangxin that will bear the brunt of it. It’s Ghost City that will be affected by the backlash.

And Hua Cheng will not put that large of a target on Fangxin’s back. He’s taken the blame enough.

However the thought of not being able to see – or at least talk to Fangxin – after everything that’s happened in the one (and Hua Cheng couldn’t believe it had just been one) day they got to spend just being themselves –

“Would it be possible for gege to share his array password?” Hua Cheng took Fangxin’s hands and his knuckles. “So I can talk to gege when I miss him?”

“Of course, it’s pretty easy.” Fangxin grinned. “Just recite the ethics sutra a thousand times.”

Hua Cheng stared at him.

Blinked.

Smiled.

And bent forward to laugh.

Gege is so funny!

Fangxin laughed as well, head tipped back with delight. That’s the fastest I’ve ever seen someone get it!

Did they actually try to recite it?

Lang Qianqiu recited it 30 times before he realized. Banyue got to 10.

And Yin Yu?

Ah – he wasn’t exactly in the mood for jokes when we first met. So I explained it to him immediately.

Hua Cheng hummed.

“How about San Lang? What’s his password?” Fangxin tilted his head. “This gege would love to talk to him when he can.”

That – 

“I made my password quite…embarrassing. So that nobody would contact me.” Hua Cheng rubbed the back of his head, ashamed now. He wished he thought of something more witty and funny to match Fangxin’s.

The Calamity squeezed Hua Cheng’s hand. “I’m sure my wish to contact you would be more significant than any embarrassment.”

Hua Cheng took a deep breath. 

“I am your most devoted believer.”

Fangxin’s eyes widened slightly, and his mouth dropped open with a small gasp –

Before he started laughing again.

“Wait, so anytime someone wants to contact you –”

“They have to swear loyalty to me first.” Hua Cheng flushed. “Ming – He Xuan hates it.”

Fangxin had devolved into giggles. It made Hua Cheng feel better that the Calamity found it so amusing.

He should be laughing all the time. He looks wonderful when he’s happy.

Well, lucky for San Lang, I am not embarrassed at all! Fangxin’s voice was as bright as the smile on his face. I am a loyal priest of the God of Death.

I would rather have gege by my side than as a priest.

Fangxin’s whole demeanor softened with that comment.

“Still, my god deserves the most loyal priest – oh! Before I forget!” Fangxin skipped back to the giant flower, and plucked one small, white flower, and one spider lily, before returning to the god and tucking the flowers into his robes. “My offering, for my god. I’ll bring more to Puqi Temple when I can.”

Hua Cheng stared at the two flowers, freshly plucked from Fangxin’s most sacred space, and the gravity of him leaving made him choke. He gathered Fangxin into his arms for one more hug, taking care to not squish the flowers.

“I don’t want to leave.” Hua Cheng admitted.

He had to , though. For the sake of his friends, and to get the heat off of Fangxin’s back. He would bring more trouble to the Calamity if he stayed – and though Fangxin was strong, Hua Cheng would never risk endangering him.

“I’m always with you, San Lang.” Fangxin pulled back just enough so they could look at each others’ eyes. “If you need me, I’ll be there.”

Hua Cheng once thought he preferred the quiet.

He hated the sound of the gods’ endless chatter in Heaven. Hated the droning meetings as much as the way they loudly declare their achievements. Even their footsteps grated on his nerves.

When he got to the mortal realm, he learned that he loved the soft, ambient sounds of the world around him. The little sounds of the world being alive – something that Heaven was so devoid of.

But now, even those sounds felt so empty.

It got to the point that E-ming was making sad crooning noises. Hua Cheng gripped its handle tightly as a warning.

Don’t make it harder than it already is.

Hua Cheng sighed, donning the figure of a young cultivator as he returned to his temple. It appears that the nice family of the man he saved passed by. There were fresh offerings on his altar, and freshly lit incense. Hua Cheng will make it a point to offer them some talismans the next time he sees them – to warn him if ever they’re in danger.

Other than that, nothing was different.

Hua Cheng did consider building a bed, though. Perhaps another day.

He approached the altar and took the white flower and the spider lily, placing them in the vase with the others. The intermingling red and white reminded him so much of his morning with Fangxin that Hua Cheng had half the mind to run back to the Ghost City.

Controlling his impulse, he hid the vase behind the incense burner just in case some gods pop down to check on him.

Speaking of…

He shot a quick ‘I’m back’ message to He Xuan’s communication array before he grabbed a broom to sweep up the fallen leaves from the front of the temple.

He barely took a step outside when he He Xuan contacted him back.

Fair warning. He Xuan sent him. Hua Cheng’s brow furrowed.

Fair warning for what –

HUA-XIONG!!!

Hua Cheng had never talked to Shi Qingxuan privately in the communication array before. All of their interactions had either been in the public array, or in person.

They were excessively loud . So much so that it actually made Hua Cheng drop the broom and reel back in shock.

He had no idea anyone could be that loud in the communication array.

It was almost impressive.

Wind Master?

YOU’RE ALIVE THANK GOODNESS! ARE YOU OKAY? HAVE YOU GONE INSANE? HUA-XIONG, HOW MANY FINGERS AM I HOLDING UP?

Hua Cheng winced. How the hell does He Xuan live with this?

I can’t actually see you, Wind Master.

OH RIGHT I FORGOT –

I’m fine. I’m back at my temple. Just cleaning up –

WE’LL BE RIGHT THERE!

Wind Master, you don’t –

“HUA-XIONG!!!!”

Hua Cheng closed his eyes. “Grant me patience…”

Luckily, it wasn’t just Shi Qingxuan. He Xuan was being dragged along, in his Ming Yi disguise. He appeared to have been given some healing from the light beating Fangxin gave him (because now that they sparred together, Hua Cheng knew it was a light beating).

Hua Cheng resigned himself to his fate and allowed them in, picking up the broom to set it aside.

“Hua-xiong! I brought medicine – are you okay? Did Fangxin leave any unsavory marks on you?” Shi Qingxuan reached out to touch Hua Cheng, and the God of Death side-stepped him.

“I’m fine. I don’t need medicine. And you’re holding up five fingers.”

Shi Qingxuan blinked and looked at their outstretched hand, and sure enough, all five fingers were held up. They laughed. “Ming-xiong, you didn’t tell me Hua-xiong was funny!”

“‘Coz he’s not.” He Xuan moved to stand next to Hua Cheng. “Surprised you made it out alive.”

Hua Cheng bumped shoulders with his friend. “Aren’t you going to thank me for saving your sorry ass?”

“Oh, the great and powerful Hua Cheng – who offered himself in place of his precious friend .”

“It just proves I’m more valuable than you, trash god.”

“Say that again to my face you –”

“I said – oi, what are you looking at?” Hua Cheng turned towards Shi Qingxuan, who was stuck still staring at him.

The Wind Master blinked, belatedly.

“Well?” Hua Cheng asked, his fake eyes narrowing.

“Ah – no – it’s not –” Shi Qingxuan huffed. “I just…I thought about it and I realized that the reason I thought you went insane was…well…”

Hua Cheng sighed. They really looked like they didn’t want to offend him. “Just spit it out.”

“It was the first time I’ve seen you laugh. When you fought with The Crimson Sword.” Shi Qingxuan covered their mouth with their fan, eyes wide. “You always have an angry scowl in Heaven. The only time I see you look less angry is when you’re with Ming-xiong. So I just…I guess it just – I thought you were insane, but could it be that you were just…happy?”

The way the fact confused Shi Qingxuan really drove it home.

How miserable was Hua Cheng in Heaven that the fact that he could be happy never occurred to the Wind Master?

“It was the first time in a long time someone challenged my ability.” Hua Cheng settled for, and shrugged. “It was fun.”

Shi Qingxuan’s eyes lit up. “I’ve heard the legends but to see it in person – Hua-xiong is truly great! Your battle with The Crimson Sword deserves a place amongst the books of legends!” They moved between Hua Cheng and He Xuan, throwing their arms over the two of them. “My brother might be part of the three tumors, but I think we’re an even better trio!”

He Xuan’s disguised eyes found Hua Cheng’s over Shi Qingxuan’s head.

You asked for this.

I said not to involve innocent people, not for this .

Same thing.

It’s not!

Unaware of the telepathic arguing, Shi Qingxuan perked up and continued. “Oh! Oh! And don’t forget! We have the lantern festival coming up!” Shi Qingxuan grinned. “You can hang out with me and Ming-xiong! I know a great spot to view the lanterns!!”

He Xuan gave Hua Cheng a look as if to challenge him to decline.

The God of Death sighed. The price of having friends.

“I’ll think about it.”

Chapter Text

Hua Cheng was returning back to the temple after passing protection talismans to his followers in Puqi Village “under the orders of the God of Death, Hua Cheng” when Fangxin contacted him.

Is San Lang going to the Lantern Festival?

I’m thinking if I can get away with not going.

Hmmmm, I think San Lang should go!

…must I, gege?

Well, there’s actually something I want you to do there. A little favor from you and He Xuan, actually, if you’re up for it. If you do it, then I have an extra special surprise for my San Lang~

I’m listening.

Hua Cheng felt the stares as soon as he stepped into the festival area.

He wasn’t a stranger to them. Ever since he ascended bathed in blood with fire in his veins, his reputation had been solidified. He was a god to be feared. Eyes followed him wherever he went, even when he wasn’t doing anything.

He had been stared at with envy by those who could only dream to have a fraction of the power Hua Cheng wielded.

He had been stared at with apprehension by those who have tried and failed to knock him down a peg.

He had been stared at with pity as he stood alone on the side of every gathering, going back to his empty palace, void of deputies and assistants.

But today, those stares were different.

It almost felt like…admiration?

With a sigh, Hua Cheng contacted He Xuan. Okay, what story did Wind Master spread?

He Xuan had the gall to sound gleeful .

Oh, the great and powerful Hua Cheng, who subdued The Crimson Sword, Deathly Flower in the dreaded Fighting Pit to save his most precious friend, the Earth Master. What a powerful and righteous god! What a sight to behold! Truly, a battle worthy of its own legend!

Yup. That would do it.

Can I take back what I said about not getting Shi Qingxuan involved?

That would make you a hypocrite. Would you allow yourself to be on the same level as the Peis?

I hate you.

I’m flattered. Did Fangxin ask for your help?

Hua Cheng’s eye sharpened. Yup. Where are you?

At the food stall.

I don’t even know why I asked.

Luckily, Shi Qingxuan went away to bug their brother, so both He Xuan and Hua Cheng managed to sneak away from the crowd, and head towards the more poorly lit areas of the festival. Despite the attention Hua Cheng got at first, the fact that he wasn’t saying anything or stirring up any drama meant that the attention died down quickly.

Hua Cheng looked at He Xuan curiously, thinking of what he and Fangxin talked about regarding the “request”.

I’m listening.

I believe there’s some ‘entertainment’ in Heaven during the Lantern Festival. I want you and He Xuan to just…cause some innocent problems. Give them a bad day. Make sure the ‘entertainment’ doesn’t happen.

You want me to sabotage it?

In a word, yes.

Alright.

…?

Hm?

Aren’t you going to ask why I want it sabotaged?

If gege wants something sabotaged, it will only be for the right reasons. I believe in that.

A light, breathy laugh made its way through Hua Cheng’s mind.

My San Lang truly is amazing. 

That doesn’t mean I’m not curious, though.

I believe you’ll understand when you’re there.

Hua Cheng’s curiosity was satisfied at last when He Xuan passed over a pamphlet containing the schedule of the events in the festival, tapping a finger at the section that read ‘Entertainment’.

There were three plays lined up for the duration of the festival. They would be sent down as dreams to squires and artists in the Mortal realm to further spread the stories.

“The Brocade Immortal and The Jealous God”

A tale on the price of greed – how a jealous god tried to sabotage and defame a more worthy deputy with the use of The Brocade Immortal.

“The Tragedy of The Last Prince of Yong’an”

A tale on the price of naivety – how a young prince destined for greatness was driven to madness by The Crimson Sword with the promise of sex and power.

“The Death of The White-Clothed Calamity”

A tale on the price of peace – the self-sacrifice of the banished Flower-Crowned Martial God during his second ascension to destroy the feared calamity, Bai Wuxiang.

Hua Cheng’s eye narrowed.

“I managed to get the list of the plays during setup and reported it to Fangxin. The first one is about Yin Yu, the Waning moon officer.” He Xuan crossed his arms.

The slight smile on Yin Yu’s face as he dragged Lang Qianqiu away, lightly indulging his and Ban Yue’s excitement with the snark and care of an older brother.

“And the second is about Lang Qianqiu.” Hua Cheng grit his teeth.

The slightly teary eyes of Lang Qianqiu as Hua Cheng rubbed his hair, held up by Ban Yue when his body was shaking too much, still plagued by killing his own father.

Lies upon lies, and Heaven is spreading false tales with these plays, bringing these down to the mortal realm where it could be further twisted at the whims of Mortals who don’t know any better.

Yin Yu and Lang Qianqiu deserve to keep their stories to themselves.

And nobody deserves to have their stories twisted and spread to people who don’t have the right to judge.

“I joke about that Calamity’s sanity, but I have to hand it to him, he protects what’s his.” He Xuan gestured towards the shadowed areas, unlit by the candles around them. They quietly made their way to the dark. “Especially his trusted officers.”

It was easy enough.

Granted, the biggest challenge they had was getting to the stage without being seen by any of the deputies, but The Martial God of the West, Quan Yizhen, appeared to be making a scene with the organizers of the plays. Something about how “please don’t say anything bad about Shixiong”, but Hua Cheng didn’t stay long enough to get extra context on what was happening.

What mattered more was that all eyes were on the curly-haired god that both he and He Xuan managed to sneak in.

A few key slashes here, some water damaged-wood there, with a few torn up costumes, and a flooded stage just to make sure –

By the time they announced “their deepest regrets, the plays will have to be canceled for the year, please enjoy some instruments, instead”, the two were already back to the food stalls.

Hua Cheng and He Xuan bumped fists discreetly.

“Ooooh! How unlucky!” Shi Qingxuan squeezed their way between the two friends. “The place was wrecked! They’re saying it’s an omen for how depressing some of the plays were this year. I wonder what happened –”

“You two!”

The three jolted to look in front of them.

Quan Yizhen stood before him, back straight, looking a bit constipated.

Just as suddenly as he appeared, he bowed so forcefully that his head thumped loudly on their table, making a small dent on the surface.

“Thank you!” He said before he stood and scurried away.

The three looked at each other and blinked.

“Hua-xiong? Ming-xiong? What was that all about?”

“Fuck if I know.”

“Don’t look at me.”

Finally, it was time for the Battle of the Lanterns.

Hua Cheng usually made it somewhere in the middle of the rankings. His martial prowess and his blessings of battle were enough to solidify him in the eyes of many mortals. Perhaps if he had been a lesser god, he would’ve put more effort in making his presence absolutely necessary for them.

(Like Shi Wudu)

Nevertheless, Hua Cheng never felt the need to show off. He had his believers, and he had a loyal little village thanks to Fangxin advertising him, and as long as he had at least one temple standing, he would be fine.

Hua Cheng was entertaining himself, watching He Xuan eat, and making bets with Shi Qingxuan (who decided to stay with them because they “don’t want to see that smug look on my brother’s face. He’s going to be insufferable!”) on how many bowls he would finish this time when the announcements began.

Last place, as usual, was Yushi Huang with one lantern.

(Hua Cheng respected that, and made a mental note to find her in the Mortal Realm one day.)

He Xuan and Shi Qingxuan got ninth and eighth place, respectively.

Hua Cheng was only a bit weirded out when his name didn’t come up for sixth nor fifth.

But then Pei Ming got fourth.

Shi Qingxuan’s head shot up, looking around. “What???”

And then Shi Wudu got third .

The trio started looking at each other.

Even the rest of the gods started whispering. 

The whispers escalated when Jun Wu got second place .

Shi Qingxuan nearly dropped their plate of food, scandalized. “But Heavenly Emperor had over nine hundred lanterns ! Who could –”

He Xuan covered his eyes with his palm. “No fucking way. No fucking way .”

Hua Cheng raised a brow. “What –”

“And in first place – what?” The announcer seemed stupefied by the result. “F-f-four thousand lanterns! For Puqi Temple – dedicated to the Martial God of Death, Hua Cheng!”

For the first time, Hua Cheng looked up, towards the flying lanterns, and finally saw the thousands of lanterns, floating up like stars within his arms’ reach. He stood and walked, almost hypnotized by each lantern adorning a painting of a silver butterfly. The crowd parted for him as he stared at the sight.

He kinda understood why this was a big deal, now.

He could barely make out the fact that both He Xuan and Shi Qingxuan have moved from the table, and were now flanking him, as if keeping the crowd away so that Hua Cheng could look at the lanterns uninterrupted – 

Surprise, San Lang~

Hua Cheng startled out of his wonder.

Of course.

He felt his lip twitch upwards.

How could he have not foreseen it?

Gege – 

Do you see them? Do you like them? Give me something to go on here!

Yes! Gege, they’re wonderful! And so many of them, too! How…?

Oh, that’s no problem! Three thousand of them are mine, but I got my officers to help me out as a thank you for stopping those disgusting plays. Everyone in Puqi Village also came by to help! In fact, we can send a thousand more if you want!

Hua Cheng imagined Ban Yue, Lang Qianqiu, and Yin Yu frantically making and raising lanterns for him. It was enough to make him chuckle.

He could also feel the competitive spirit of the villagers, who have been loudly singing his praises.

No, gege, that’s fine! I already won.

By how much? Overwhelming? Just enough? I wanted it to be a landslide victory~! San Lang deserves all the praise! I can get the whole ghost city to also –

Jun Wu didn’t even breach a thousand lanterns – it’s more than enough, gege. Please. My heart can’t handle any more!

Ahhhhh~! So cute, San Lang! Suit yourself~ Oh! The kids want to talk to you, hang on.

Hua Cheng barely had the time to settle himself as he distantly heard Fangxin calling for ‘the kids’.

Lord Hua! Lord Hua! Lang Qianqiu and Ban Yue’s voices echoed in his head.

Kids, indeed.

Thank you for stopping those plays, Lord Hua! Lang Qianqiu’s voice was bright, and Hua Cheng could imagine that childish smile that never left his face, even after hundreds of years.

Don’t mention it. I would’ve done it either way. 

We hope you liked the lanterns, Lord Hua! We worked really hard on them! Banue perked up.

They were beautiful, thank you. Don’t give the villagers a hard time with the clean up.

Yes, Lord Hua!

I’ll go get Yin Yu! Yu-ge! Yu-ge! Over here!

Unlike the other two, Yin Yu was softer, and more solemn.

Thank you, Lord Hua.

Nobody deserves to be humiliated like that. Sorry if gege made you work extra hard for this.

He could hear Yin Yu chuckle.

Less of a hassle than wrangling the kids –

HEY!!!

YU-GE!!!

– but I appreciate the sentiment, Lord Hua. Thank you for making Fangxin happy, as well.

We haven’t seen Guoshi smile so much – genuinely at least – before you came down here! We’ve been trying to make him smile like that for centuries !

Laoshi is so happy now!!! Thank you so much for bringing that out of him!

“It was the first time I’ve seen you laugh. When you fought with The Crimson Sword.”  Shi Qingxuan had said, when he admitted that they were so used to seeing Hua Cheng angry and miserable that they thought him mad for laughing.

“You look happy.” He Xuan had told him with a gentle bump on the hip – back when Hua Cheng still thought of him as Ming Yi, when Hua Cheng found out that Fangxin was the one he was looking for.

Hua Cheng didn’t know happiness until he found Fangxin again.

It made Hua Cheng exceedingly proud to know he had the same effect on Fangxin

What’s taking so long? Are you three gossiping now?

Bye, Lord Hua! See you soon!

You three –!! San Lang~ my officers are conspiring against me! What did they tell you? Evil little –

You make me happy, too, gege.

He could almost see the stunned silence on Fangxin’s face. Distantly, he could hear the kids teasing the calamity. He wished he could see it.

He felt a slight dizziness wash over him, dazzled by the lights and overwhelming feelings in him.

I want to see you, gege.

I’ll be waiting for you in Puqi Temple.

I’ll be right over as soon as I can leave.

No need to rush, San Lang. I can wait.

He Xuan rolled his eyes and hip checked Hua Cheng. “You’re smiling. It’s disgusting.”

“Oh! Is Hua-xiong talking to that kind daozhang from The Sinner’s Pit?” Shi Qingxuan opened their fan, covering their mouth as they whispered. “So scandalous!!!”

Hua Cheng decided to recite the ethics sutra in his head to stop himself from laughing, but the wind master continued.

“That daozhang is a much better fit for you than the Crimson Sword.” Shi Qingxuan nodded, solemnly. “You have my support, Hua-xiong!”

Hua Cheng caught He Xuan’s eyes from the corner of his own, who was also trying not to laugh.

Not a word.

It is kinda funny.

The dizziness never went away.

In fact, it turned into a headache.

Hua Cheng was still the center of attention, and it was difficult to make a move without eyes following him. The headache was starting to creep from the front of his head to the sides – a slight tightening that was starting to get annoying.

Luckily, the festival was dying down, and once again, Hua Cheng’s quietness and the way he didn’t stir any drama meant that the attention eventually went away. Rubbing his temple one more time, he turned to his two friends.

“I’ll head out.”

Shi Qingxuan was staring intently at He Xuan, who was sitting slouched, staring at his empty plate as if it would refill if he looked hard enough.

(If Hua Cheng’s head was not hurting, he would have been a bit more concerned.)

“Oh! Okay.” Shi Qingxuan looked up at Hua Cheng. “See you Hua-xiong!”

As he walked away, he heard his friends talking in the distance.

“Ming-xiong? Are you okay?”

“Mmmh. Head hurts.”

“Oh! I know just the thing –”

Their voices faded away as Hua Cheng made his way through the crowd. The pounding on his head escalated more and more, and his expression must show as such because everyone moved out of his way.

He almost made his way to the drop-off point to head back to the Mortal realm when he was stopped.

“Hua Cheng.”

Hua Cheng’s headache flared along the sides, and his fingers twitched. He looked up to find General Xuan Zhen and General Nan Yang in front of him.

For two gods that were known for always fighting one another, they seem to be bugging Hua Cheng together a lot.

“We heard rumors that you have met with the Crimson Sword Deathly Flower, Fangxin. Is it true?” General Nan Yang called.

Hua Cheng’s eye narrowed suspiciously.

“I believe that’s none of your business.”

General Nan Yang growled and took one step forward, held back by the other general.

“What did he look like?” General Xuan Zhen asked.

“ – I know a Xianle accent when I hear it –”

“You were the prince of the Xianle Kingdom.”

It wasn’t lost on Hua Cheng that there was a very real possibility that these two generals knew the true identity of Fangxin. The logical part of him was saying to cooperate with them.

However, the deepest pit of him was saying that they were not to be trusted.

And with matters regarding Fangxin, Hua Cheng trusted his instincts.

“I loathe to repeat myself.”

General Xuan Zhen rolled his eyes so hard it looked for a moment that it actually reached the back of his head. 

“Did he have brown hair and gold eyes?” General Nan Yang lifted a hand to about Fangxin’s height. “About this tall?”

The fact that he got Fangxin’s appearance spot on grated on Hua Cheng’s nerves.

“You’re asking me what a known masked man looks like. Do you not hear how stupid that sounds?”

He was banking on the short tempers of the two generals to give him a way to get out of there. With the pounding of his head, and the jealous rage in his blood that these two knew Fangxin’s true identity , he couldn’t be sure that he would leave this conversation without a fight.

But it appears that the two were determined to get their answers regarding Fangxin. They bristled, but with one look towards each other, forcibly calmed themselves down.

“Do you know the story of the Flower-Crowned Martial God?”

Xie Lian, or The Flower-Crowned Martial God – one who ascended at 17 years old with a flower in one hand, and a sword in another.

He was regarded as one of the most powerful Martial Gods to have ever ascended, but his pride caused him to disregard Jun Wu’s word and he descended to the mortal realm to help his Kingdom, which was in the midst of several unfortunate plagues. However, his actions resulted in the complete and utter downfall of his kingdom and he was banished from Heaven.

After living in poverty and being abandoned by everyone, he had a chance to regain his godhood when he dispersed hundreds of evil spirits that were set to release a plague on the mortal realm. The act set out the gongs of the Heavenly Calamity, and he was set to ascend –

– however, tragedy struck.

The White-Clothed Calamity attacked Xie Lian in the middle of his second ascension, and the clash was so great that it shook the Heavens. Palaces were destroyed from the force of the battle, and Heaven was almost leveled flat.

But when the ground settled and the light faded, nobody ascended. 

In the aftermath, when Heavenly Emperor Jun Wu and the Heavenly Officials descended to the mortal realm, to the place where Xie Lian was supposed to ascend…

…all that was left was the broken mask of Bai Wuxiang, and a massive pool of blood.

Later on, when the crowd had returned to Heaven, Generals Xuan Zhen and Nan Yang investigated the area to see if there was any clue if whether or not Xie Lian was still alive. They found a small trail of blood, almost totally hidden by the soil, heading away from the site.

The trail of blood disappeared just as the pair started seeing spider lilies bloom on the soil.

Hua Cheng’s headache was intensifying, getting to the point that his vacant eye socket was involuntarily twitching underneath its patch.

“Several years later, word started spreading about The Mad Calamity, Fangxin, who began ruling a city of ghosts. A Calamity who commanded spider lilies.” Genera Nan Yang continued. “We have reason to believe that he’s Xie Lian.”

“But we weren’t sure. He never showed his appearance, and always changed his forms – something Xie Lian never liked doing.” General Xuan Zhen crossed his arms. “There’s also the fact that he uses madness and lust as his mode of operation. Xie Lian is sworn to celibacy –”

That same anger from before intensified with Hua Cheng’s aching head.

“What does it matter to you?” Hua Cheng bit back. “How does any of this matter to you?”

That caused Nan Yang to bristle.

“Oi – in case we weren’t obvious, Xie Lian was our friend ! We were his trusted deputies –”

Fangxin’s soft voice against Hua Cheng’s arm.

“I was young. I was idealistic.”

A slow exhale.

“I believed in the wrong people.” 

Hua Cheng’s head was roaring in pain, and he could barely see straight.

“So you’re telling me…” Hua Cheng’s eye narrowed further, “that you abandoned your so-called ‘friend’, left him to die, and now you’re asking me if he’s still alive?”

That seemed to strike a nerve in the two of them, and they sputtered in indignation.

What was he saying? Hua Cheng couldn’t think – everything hurt so much that his mouth ran on instinct.

“You weren’t his friends . Stop deluding yourselves.” Hua Cheng shoved past them as he walked away, resisting the urge to clutch at his head. “You never saw him as anything else other than a prince, during a time he needed to be seen as a person.”

“How – you don’t know anything! You don’t know what we were going through!”

Hua Cheng turned to them, the glare on his eye freezing the two generals in place.

The distant, almost haunted look on Fangxin’s face came to the forefront of his mind.

“I believed in the wrong people.”

He pointed at General Xuan Zhen. “You abandoned him at his lowest because of your stupid inferiority complex when he had done nothing but help you. You ridiculed him and looked down on him to knock him down a peg when you know he didn’t deserve it. That’s a selfish opportunist, not a friend. ”

Then he shifted his attention to General Nan Yang. “You doubted him because he suddenly wasn’t the perfect being you followed. You abandoned him just because he asked you to when you knew there was something wrong. A servant follows orders blindly, a friend would have stayed. ”

From the way the two of them seemed to shrink with every cutting word, Hua Cheng knew he hit the marks on the head.

“None of you ever saw Xie Lian. You saw the Crowned Prince. You saw the Flower-Crowned Martial God. You never saw Xie Lian.”

And with that, he turned around and continued walking back.

He was starting to get dizzy, but he refused to stumble. Not in front of these two.

“YOU – YOU DON’T GET TO JUDGE US!.” General Nan Yang shouted behind him. “WHO GAVE YOU THE FUCKING RIGHT TO JUDGE US?!”

Hua Cheng clenched his teeth, and turned just enough so they could catch his only eye.

“Tell me I’m wrong, then.”

And he walked away in the deafening silence that followed.

Minutes later, General Xuan Zhen’s brow furrowed.

“Wait…we never mentioned – how does he know about all that?”

He was so close to the truth. Hua Cheng was pretty sure he could connect the dots if his head didn’t hurt so damn much.

He barely had the cognitive ability to change his form into that of the Young Cultivator Priest in Puqi Village. All of his bodily functions were wired to just make it to the temple.

Gege is waiting. Don’t make gege wait any longer.

Hua Cheng was relieved to see Fangxin alone, but it did barely anything to alleviate his headache. Another piercing stab in his head, and he found himself involuntarily shedding his disguise. 

“San Lang!” Fangxin turned to him with a big, bright smile, only for it to fall. “San Lang…? What’s wrong?”

Hua Cheng stumbled forward, and Fangxin was in front of him in an instant, catching the god in his arms. Hua Cheng allowed himself to slump his weight on the smaller man, trusting that his strength will hold him up.

“Who hurt you?” Fangxin’s voice had a knife-like edge, so sharp and cutting that Hua Cheng wouldn’t be surprised if he could slash down armies by simply reciting poetry. “Give me the names, and they’re dead.”

It would’ve been extremely sexy if Hua Cheng could focus on anything else but the way his vision was starting to speckle from the pain .

He wrapped his arms around Fangxin’s waist, burying his face in the crook of his neck. “My head –” he croaked, but talking amplified the thump in his head. The speckles have evolved flashing lights and colors, he couldn’t piece anything together.

And then he felt like he was flying.

With a huff, he realized Fangxin had swept him off his feet, holding him up like a bride. Although Hua Cheng was taller, Fangxin easily took his weight, and leaned to tilt Hua Cheng’s head against his neck.

In his arms, Hua Cheng felt so safe .

And nostalgic.

“Shhhh, it will be okay, my sweet boy. You’re safe now.” The sharp edge of his voice was gone and replaced with a featherlight caress. Fangxin pressed his lips against Hua Cheng’s temple. “I’m here. You’re safe. My precious San Lang, you’re okay. Ruoye, prepare the bedding, please.”

Fangxin walked with such grace that Hua Cheng couldn’t even feel the steps, and he could focus his attention on Fangxin’s slow, deliberate breathing and match it. He could barely register the swishes of Ruoye in the distance.

Fangxin sat down and settled Hua Cheng to lean back against his chest. With a wave of his hand, all the lights but one candle went out. A blanket went over his body, and it took a while before Hua Cheng realized it was Ruoye tucking him in.

The Calamity slowly stripped Hua Cheng of all the silver jewels and motifs that he wore in Heaven, of his outer robe and layers of finery. E-ming was placed by their side, and Ruoye curled around it. He loosened Hua Chengs inner robes to let him breathe. His fingers danced through Hua Cheng’s scalp, and he gently pulled the strands – loosening the tension in his head.

“I’ll have to remove your eyepatch, San Lang.” Fangxin whispered, and Hua Cheng was really out of it with his headache because he didn’t protest.

Fangxin gently removed the eyepatch and placed soft, sweet kisses against the empty socket, as if apologizing for intruding, before he continued massaging Hua Cheng’s head. He smoothed his fingers through Hua Cheng’s temples, occasionally pulling on clumps of hair to loosen the tension in his scalp, and it took embarrassingly long for Hua Cheng to realize that Fangxin was channeling spiritual energy through the process to ease his pain.

“Gege –” Hua Cheng tried to open his eye to thank Fangxin – he was supposed to be celebrating with Fangxin, not suffering a headache after the Calamity offered thousands of lanterns to him – but Fangxin placed a hand over his eye.

“Shhhh, go to sleep my San Lang. I’ll be here when you wake up.” Hua Cheng felt him pepper small kisses across his forehead. “No need to rush, San Lang. Shhhh…”

And between the exhaustion of the headache, the soothing presence of Fangxin, the warmth of his prayers and spiritual powers, and the touch on his scalp, Hua Cheng fell asleep.

Chapter Text

Dianxia was surrounded – forced down on the altar as a sword ran through his body – 

STOP –

“San Lang…?”

He was too small – he was trapped – there was nothing he could do. Those evil people surrounded Dianxia with their swords – the repetitive squelch of flesh and guts stabbed over and over again –

STOP IT –

HE’S HURT –

YOU’RE KILLING HIM –

“San Lang! Wake up!”

Dianxia’s screams echoed in the cave, asking for death, asking for a reprieve, asking for mercy. None of it was acknowledged. None of it was heard –

STAY AWAY FROM HIM –

CAN’T YOU HEAR HIM –

HE’S SCREAMING CAN’T YOU HEAR HIM –

“San Lang, it’s a dream –”

Burning rage and fury – hatred and fire – starving for blood –

I’LL KILL YOU –

I’LL KILL YOU ALL –

“San Lang!!!”

Hua Cheng shot up to a sitting position, hyperventilating in his panic. E-ming shot to his hand instinctively as he was geared to slash down everyone that was hurting his Dianxia –

Fangxin placed a gentle hand over his own, smoothing between his palm and E-ming’s handle. “San Lang, it’s okay. You’re in Puqi Temple. You’re okay.”

Hua Cheng looked around. It was still night, the temple was shrouded in dark minus a single set of candles at his altar, the wax dripping to the ground from being left unattended –

And for a moment the temple flashed into a dark, dreary cave with an altar of blood —

“San Lang, look at me!”

Hua Cheng’s eye snapped to the calamity, who was sitting on his lap. He was stripped down to just his inner robes –

And for a second, he saw a flash of blood and swords sticking out of his body –

He barely recognized Ruoye, slowly taking E-ming from his grip.

“Gege – gege –” Hua Cheng pressed his hands against Fangxin’s chest and stomach, feeling the smooth surface underneath the robes, the hard muscle without any holes and divots. “You’re okay – you’re –”

A look of realization crossed Fangxin’s face, then melted into a smile. “Yes, I’m safe. I’m here. San Lang, no need to be scared.”

Fangxin took Hua Cheng’s hands and placed them over his heart, which thumped strongly in a steady rhythm. Hua Cheng moved his hands down and leaned his forehead against Fangxin’s chest, to feel each heartbeat more intimately.

“Shhhh…” Fangxin smoothed one hand to the back of Hua Cheng’s hair, tangling his fingers into the strands. He breathed slowly, evenly, and Hua Cheng tried his best to follow the pace. “Your gege is so powerful now, San Lang. Nothing can hurt me anymore.”

But there was a time you weren’t – there was a time you were powerless – and during that time I –

“Gege – did I –” Hua Cheng pulled back just enough to see Fangxin’s worried eyes. For a second, those eyes flashed red and crying tears of blood –

He shook his head to wipe the image away –

“Hm?” Fangxin kept one hand in his hair, and cupped his face with the other, tracing Hua Cheng’s cheekbones with his thumb.

“I watched you die, didn’t I…?”

Fangxin’s worried expression morphed to that of sheer terror for a second.

Only for a second.

Before his face melted into something soft, something fragile. He closed his eyes and leaned down, over Hua Chang.

Fangxin kissed him. Pressed their lips together solemnly.

“For every memory you get right, I will reward San Lang with a kiss.”

Hua Cheng felt the burn of tears well up in his eyes. He closed them as Fangxin parted from him, about to say something, anything .

But then Fangxin kissed him again. 

And again.

“Gege –” Hua Cheng gasped, hands moving to grip Fangxin’s waist, “what –”

“One kiss.” 

Fangxin kissed him a fourth time. 

“For every time.” 

Another.

“You watched me die.”

Hua Cheng’s eye snapped open. Against every fiber of his being, he began counting.

(Commissioned from @frogchillinginagrave: [Tumblr] [Link to post]

8…9…10…

The tears have started spilling over, Hua Cheng couldn’t stop them even if he tried.

18…19…20…

Fangxin’s grip on his hair was tightening, and Hua Cheng held back every instinct to protest.

28…29…30…

“Gege –” Hua Cheng sobbed, between kisses, “gege –”

38…39…40…

Was this the origin of that raging need to protect inside Hua Cheng? That constant instinct to shield Fangxin from all harm, even knowing that the calamity was powerful?

48…49…50…

Fangxin was crying too, silent little tears as he continued kissing Hua Cheng one at a time, deliberately pacing each one.

58…59…60…

Hua Cheng wondered if every kiss reminded Fangxin of every death.

68…69…70…

Hua Cheng wondered if every kiss was a cry for help – a comfort in having to remember such a horrible experience.

78…79…80…

The thought fueled fire in his heart, his vision started swimming in red.

88…89…90…

Hua Cheng wanted to burn the world. 

98…99…

“I’ll kill them, Gege –” Hua Cheng growled, rage and sorrow in equal parts fueling him. “I’ll kill them all.”

100.

The kiss lingered this time, and only then did Hua Cheng feel the tremble of Fangxin’s hands. Only then did Fangxin allow a sob to escape his lips. Only then did Fangxin crumple in Hua Cheng’s arms as they laid back down.

Hua Cheng stared at the ceiling, angry for even forgetting such a horrible event. How could he forget such a horrible thing? Something that happened to the most important person in his life?

Hua Cheng was certain that his ascent to godhood was in the bid to gain power so that nothing like that happened to Fangxin again.

“You already did.”

Hua Cheng tucked Fangxin’s head to the crook of his neck and shoulder, letting the Calamity cover his face. He sniffed as he wiped his tears with his sleeve. “Hm?”

“You killed them all.” Fangxin squeezed Hua Cheng. “I never did get to thank you for that.”

“You don’t have to.” Hua Cheng squeezed him back. He wondered if he could find the spirits of those people and kill them again. “You never have to thank me. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I’ll protect you from ever experiencing something like that again.”

Fangxin chuckled wetly. Like he was laughing and crying at the same time.

“You already did.”

The Flower-Crowned Martial God

Xie Lian with a cherry blossom branch in one hand, and a bright white sword in the other.

The Crimson Sword, Deathly Flower

Fangxin with a spider lily in one hand and a crimson blade in the other.

A figure in pure white overlapping the figure of Fangxin –

Blood turning into spider lilies –

A mask half-smiling and half-crying –

A mask with smiling eyes – 

It was hard to believe that such an emotionally charged event happened the previous night. Puqi temple seemed so bright and peaceful in the morning. The only thing that indicated that something wasn’t quite amiss was the over-melted candle on the altar, with its wax spilling down to the floor.

Other than that, it was like nothing happened.

But something monumental did.

Hua Cheng stared at the scroll where he wrote down the name “Xie Lian”.

It matched the tattoo on his arm perfectly.

“You can call me Xie Yu.”

“I liked the name you chose. Xie Yu.”

“What did I write on my arm?”

“I didn’t recognize it at first, but it’s my name. My true name.”

Hua Cheng turned to his companion to caress his face. His eyes were slightly swollen from crying the night before. Hua Cheng stroked the tender bags under those golden orbs, smoothing out the spotted red skin. He pressed feather light kisses against them.

“Mmmhhh…” Fangxin’s eyes fluttered open with a smile. “Good morning, San Lang.”

No...not Fangxin.

Hua Cheng exhaled. “Good morning, Xie Lian.”

He knew he did the right thing when Xie Lian’s golden eyes widened, and the sleepiness in them left with a loud gasp.

In the next breath, Xie Lian wrapped his arms around Hua Cheng’s neck and pulled him down into a kiss.

This one was desperate – almost aggressively so, and Hua Cheng melted into that feeling. Unlike the last hundred kisses that were done deliberately, one at a time, this one was filled with passion and emotion, with sharp, uneven breaths between each press of their lips.

It was like they were trying to erase the memories of those devastating kisses the previous night.

Xie Lian rolled them over, easily resting his weight on top of the god’s.

It wasn’t until Hua Cheng felt a stray tear fall on his cheek did he realize Xie Lian was crying.

“Gege –” He gasped, pulling away just enough to see those watery gold eyes. “Gege – what’s wrong?”

“Give me a moment, sorry – I haven’t…” Xie Lian laughed through his tears,  “I haven’t heard my own name in so long .”

People saw The Crowned Prince of Xianle.

People saw The Flower-Crowned Martial God.

People saw The Crimson Sword, Deathly Flower.

This was probably the first time in a very, very, very long time that someone acknowledged him as Xie Lian.

Just Xie Lian.

“Should I start calling you –” Hua Cheng’s suggestion was interrupted by a finger to his lips.

“I like being called gege by you.” Xie Lian shook his head. “Besides, the reason why I never gave away my name is because it’s dangerous .”

“The Flower-Crowned Martial God, Xie Lian, died during his second ascension”

“I believed in the wrong people.”

Xie Lian hid behind the name Fangxin, hid behind a mask that covered his unique eyes, hid behind disguises, hid behind the guise of madness and seduction, hid behind spider lilies and a city of ghosts, hid behind a fighting pit and the most warded manor in the world.

Hua Cheng had long learned through Ban Yue, Lang Qianqiu, and Yin Yu that the stories that spread in Heaven are rarely true. Hua Cheng had long learned from being in Heaven that just because they are in power doesn’t make them infallible.

They were all people first, before gods.

People are flawed.

People lie.

“I believed in the wrong people.”

I believed in the wrong gods .

And so the truth of Xie Lian’s story must’ve been warped in such a way to make Heaven look good – to make it seem like some self-sacrifice rather than admit that they were somehow involved.

And Xie Lian knows that if they were to learn that he still exists , he (and by proxy, his officers, his city ) would be in danger.

Xie Lian chose to become a Calamity instead of a god. Xie Lian chose to rule a city of ghosts instead of holding a palace in heaven. Xie Lian chose to hide.

Hua Cheng was going to say something – about understanding, about agreeing with Xie Lian’s choice, about trusting Xie Lian’s decisions –  when he was interrupted by another onslaught of a headache. 

Unlike the previous day, which developed gradually from dizziness, this was sudden. It tore through his mind, and made him lose all feeling in his nerves.

“San Lang…?” Xie Lian’s eyes widened as Hua Cheng crumpled once more into his lap. “This is unusual – are you sure nobody did anything to you –”

Hua Cheng groaned before he could stop himself.

He was mortified .

The pain was simultaneously translating into some sort of heat. One that scorched him from within – it was just like his ascension. The fire in his veins, burning him from the deepest pits in his body.

One that could only be quenched by one person –

His purpose – 

His very reason for being –

“Oh.” He heard Xie Lian whisper. “ Oh. ”

Hua-xiong! Uhm…a-are you okay? M-Ming-xiong has been acting w-weird – I was w-wondering if –

Hua Cheng blocked out Shi Qingxuan’s voice in favor of loosening his and Xie Lian’s robes – needing skin contact to dissipate some of that heat in his body – working purely on instinct –

“Yin Yu! Grab the kids and hide in the manor – it’s happening –”

And Hua Cheng pushed him down to kiss him.

Chapter Text

It wasn’t enough – it wasn’t enough –

Hua Cheng wanted the man in his arms, wanted to merge their bodies together until nothing could tell them apart, he wanted to taste everything, feel everything –

And he was suddenly on his back.

He tried to reach up, but something tied his wrists and kept them above his head.

He tried to struggle when he felt that heat settle with soft lips upon his.

“It’s okay.” Hua Cheng could feel a similar hardness against his own – his full body twitched with the heat and pleasure shooting through his veins. He tried to move, but his wrists remained tied down to the ground. “Relax, San Lang. Let gege take care of you –”

“I’ll keep you safe –”

A strand of hair on his finger –

“Dianxia –” Hua Cheng was barely aware of what he was saying. He tried to sit up, but a strong hand pushed him back down. He let out a whine –

“Stay down.” The command jolted through him, and his body immediately went limp. “Good boy. That’s my San Lang. My Hong-er. My Wu Ming. You’ll be good for me, won’t you?”

The names sent fire through his veins. He distantly realized he was nodding profusely.

He felt a hand wrap around him, felt Xie Lian rut against him –

A beautiful man, disheveled and flushed, panting as poison coursed through his veins.

“Don’t be scared –”

Guilt and lust filled Hua Cheng in equal measure.

“Dianxia – must protect – dianxia –”

“It’s okay, San Lang. I’m okay. We’re safe. Relax, my San Lang.”

The heat was becoming too much, and he tried to fight it, tried to keep it all in –

His Highness didn’t say he could –

“Let go.”

And the heat exploded into fireworks, the pent up tension in his chest was released all at once, and it was too much pleasure and too much emotion and Hua Cheng couldn’t help but whimper as it came crashing down -

“Shhh, it’s okay. We’re okay.” Xie Lian’s voice was strong and soothing. Hua Cheng felt kisses along his cheeks. “My good boy, so good for me. You did very well.”

Hua Cheng latched onto that, and his wrists were finally released so he could hold the other man.

 “Sleep, my San Lang. You’re safe. Nothing will happen to you, I’ll make sure of it.”

And Hua Cheng slept.

If Hua Cheng was being honest, the massive headache was not unfamiliar to him. 

They happened a few times during his time in Heaven, but they usually just turned out to be headaches. He would isolate himself in his palace for a few months, then continue about his day.

He never had any other friends except for Ming Yi – well, He Xuan, so nobody ever noticed.

He had never experienced anything like the one he just had – 

The next time Hua Cheng woke up, it was to the sweet smell of flowers and incense. It was too comfortable, silk blankets wrapped around his body, and calloused fingers gently carding through his hair…

The ache in his head had dissipated into a dull throbbing – much more easily ignorable. His body felt heavy, like his body had gained a ton of weight and he lost all his strength and –

“San Lang? Are you awake?”

Hua Cheng’s eye blinked open, and only then did he realize his head was on someone’s lap. His eye focused at the soft sunlight entering the room, at the red, white, and gold decorations, at the flowers –

“Paradise manor…?” Hua Cheng croaked.

”It was the safest place I could think of.” Xie Lian stroked his hair. “You’ll be weak for some time – I’m not letting anything happen to you. The wards should also stave off the other effects.”

“Other effects…?”

“You don’t remember? The effects must have been stronger than I thought…” Xie Lian tilted his head to the side in worry, and his loose inner robes shifted just enough for Hua Cheng to see multiple bite marks along his collarbone.

Like a lightning bolt to his skull, Hua Cheng remembered bits and pieces of that morning. Of the conversation they had after that nightmare. Of the confirmation of Xie Lian’s name…

He couldn’t remember anything after but heat and fire and the need to obey .

But the bite marks on Xie Lian’s neck…implied that something definitely happened between them.

“Gege – what did I do ?” Hua Cheng felt horrified . The thought that he had somehow done something so vile to –

“Nothing I didn’t allow.” Xie Lian reassured, grinning as he brushed his thumb along the marks. “I could heal them, but I quite like them.” 

Between the way his body felt like a ton of bricks and the embarrassment , Hua Cheng found himself whimpering as he hid his face with the blanket. “Gege, I can’t believe – I’m so sorry – I wasn’t even aware.”

Xie Lian gently removed the blanket, just enough to see his eye.

“I would’ve preferred it if San Lang was more aware,” Xie Lian shrugged, “but I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it. Besides, you still listened when it counted.”

It made things slightly better, but Hua Cheng still wanted to hide somewhere. He tried to shift over, but a wave of dizziness hit him again and forced him to stay still. Xie Lian immediately held him still.

“The wards dampened the extra effects, but you’ll still feel weak and dizzy for a few days. Then, we’ll see how your power fluctuates over the next few months.” Xie Lian continued, as if Hua Cheng wasn’t trying to melt into the floor.

He instead decided to go with the change of subject and look up at the Calamity. “But…what’s happening…?”

“Have you heard of Mount Tonglu?”

Hua Cheng had, in passing. Something about a volcano where ghosts fight to become stronger, where ghost kings are born from the fires of the Kiln. He nodded against Xie Lian’s leg.

“It appears that Mount Tonglu is opening again. This is the first sign of it – an uncontrollable frenzy amongst the ghosts, followed by a few months of dampening their power. Once the Mountain opens, it becomes a constant battle for survival.” Xie Lian looked at Hua Cheng knowingly.

Hua Cheng barely recalled during the start of his headache, the way He Xuan was suffering from one towards the end of the Lantern Festival.

It wasn’t a coincidence.

But that means…

“I’m…a ghost?”

“More than that.” Xie Lian patted his cheek. “You’re a Supreme .”

Hua Cheng felt like his whole life flipped around and settled into place.

He ascended from a pool of blood and fire – he ascended with the need to protect someone so important to him, one who had suffered a hundred deaths before his eyes.

He ascended from Mount Tonglu.

Suddenly, it made sense why he never felt right in Heaven. Why he never felt any kinship with any of the gods except for Ming Yi – who turned out to be He Xuan, another Supreme .

Suddenly, it made sense why the ghosts ran away from him in the Ghost Festival, why Xie Lian commanded him to ‘go with his gut’ when they encountered a fork in the road.

Suddenly, it made sense why he seemed much more sensitive to the haze of resentment in The Crescent Kingdom compared to everyone else.

Suddenly, it made sense why he didn’t feel anything wrong with being in the Ghost City, why he was almost calm and relaxed in the sea of ghosts compared to Shi Qingxuan who was in a constant state of anxiety.

Suddenly, it made sense why he ascended as the God of Death.

But how could he have gone so long not remembering that he was dead ?

Xie Lian must’ve read the questions in Hua Cheng’s face.

“The power of belief is astounding with your spiritual wells.” He commented, almost offhandedly. “You believed you were alive, and so your body subconsciously pretended to be alive. However, once you become unaware of these little habits, they go away. Sort of how one would forget that they were breathing.”

“You mean to say…”

“I never brought it up, because there was no easy way to talk about it.“ Xie Lian carefully scratched at Hua Cheng’s scalp, goading him to lay back down on his lap. “But I notice sometimes, at night, your heart slowly stops, and you stop breathing, and the blood in your veins goes still. It scared me the first few times.”

The first few nights they spent together, when Xie Lian would wake up before Hua Cheng.

Did he wake up from the sudden lack of life from Hua Cheng? Did he wake up thinking Hua Cheng died on him in the middle of the night? Did he have to reassure himself that it was just a normal thing for a ghost?

Xie Lian’s kindness and care for Hua Cheng never ceases to amaze.

Even now, Xie Lian must be feeling the same effects as him with the opening of Mount Tonglu. After going through such a traumatizing experience, he must have been so used to overwhelming pain that this was nothing to him.

And he’s spending his energy being strong for Hua Cheng’s sake –

Hua Cheng clenched the fabric of Xie Lian’s robes. “I’m sorry – gege has to be so strong for me – you don’t have to pretend –”

But Xie Lian tilted his head with a smile. “Who said I was pretending?”

Hua Cheng blinked twice and looked up. “What?”

Xie Lian’s smile widened. “Who said I was affected?”

”Aren’t you a ghost…?”

A laugh. “Who said so?”

Who said so?

When did Xie Lian ever say he was a ghost?

When did Xie Lian ever give signs that he was a ghost?

All those times that Hua Cheng noted how human Xie Lian looked –

It was because he was .

“But if that’s the case –” 

The ashes.

The ashes in Xie Lian’s most protected space, surrounded by beautiful flowers and over a thousand wards.

The ashes in the Heart of Fangxin’s Paradise Manor, in a space that only Xie Lian could breach, that even his most trusted officers could only view at a distance.

A space that Xie Lian extended to Hua Cheng without even a shred of hesitation.

“Don’t tell me – gege, you can’t be serious!” Hua Cheng shot up to a sitting position. His head went dizzy for a second, but he powered through it. “That’s – you – are those my –”

“Should all of Ghost City be destroyed – should the world be destroyed, this will stand in the aftermath.”

 “This is my most prized possession in the manor.”

“I might as well die if anything were to happen to this.”

 “...only I am allowed in this space, this close. And now, San Lang is, too.”

“I don’t know what the effects of ascension are to a ghost, especially a Supreme.” Xie Lian cradled Hua Cheng’s face with his hands, using his thumbs to stroke his cheekbones. “Did being a god cancel out the ghost aspect of you? Were you technically alive when you became a ghost and a god at the same time? Did you even know that your ashes were left behind with me in the Mortal Realm?”

Hua Cheng placed his hands over Xie Lian’s when he felt them tremble. His eyes were slowly becoming wider and wilder , with every word coming out faster as his thoughts began accelerating into panic.

“I couldn’t – I got so scared . What if your life is still tied to the ashes? What if something happened to you? Godhood could get stripped at any time if you did even one thing that’s perceived wrong and then you would be left vulnerable here with a mortal weakness that you had no idea existed and –”

“Gege – breathe – ”

“No ward was enough, I needed hundreds, thousands of them. I needed to protect you from any possible thing that could happen.” Xie Lian’s tone started escalating, losing the careful control he had over his voice.  “Even now I think it isn’t enough. Maybe a thousand more – ”

Hua Cheng felt his own hands start to tremble as he realized that it was the exact same way he was thinking back then.

Despite the thousands of wards that kept Paradise Manor safe, Hua Cheng felt it still wasn’t enough – not if Fangxin’s continued existence was on the line. He would search the world for another thousand wards if it meant keeping Fangxin safe from anything that could possibly happen.

The world can burn for as long as Fangxin is safe.

“Sometimes I sit in my bed and I can’t sleep – I just sit there and stare at the ashes because I’m so scared that something could happen to it – could happen to you . I felt like I was going insane .”

It was crazy how they mirrored each others’ feelings regarding the ashes when they thought it was the other’s.

The safest place in the world.

And yet, it didn’t feel enough.

Because if anything happened to those ashes –

Hua Cheng couldn’t move his eye away. Even though his hand was still in Fangxin’s hair, even with Fangxin’s soft puffs of breath against his hip, he couldn’t look away. There was that irrational fear that if he looked away, something could happen to the ashes. Fangxin could get hurt. Fangxin could disappear.

And just the thought of that possibility was driving Hua Cheng insane .

“As long as I had your ashes, I could be sure that you still existed. As long as I had your ashes, nobody would be able to kill you completely. As long as I had your ashes, I could find you . As long as I had your ashes I know I could see you again and apologize and thank you and  – ”

Hua Cheng couldn’t handle seeing Xie Lian so panicked and scared, and reached out to grab the other man and cradle his head to his chest. Xie Lian’s hands moved to clutch at Hua Cheng’s back, fisting the robes almost desperately.

“ – sorry, I’m so sorry!” Xie Lian sobbed, and it broke Hua Cheng’s heart. “I think I’ve really gone mad –”

And Hua Cheng recalled their first night reunited together in Puqi Temple.

“It’s…I think it’s someone’s name? I ascended with no memory of my life before. I only kept a few bits and pieces. But I know I ascended for…someone. That’s why I came back down here. To look for them.

“I’m fairly certain I carved their name in my arm to remember but…my calligraphy isn’t the best. I don’t even know if they’re still alive after how many hundreds of years, or if they remember me, or – or if I’m as important to them as they are to me.

“Apologies, gege. It’s mad –”

“If you think you’ve gone mad,” Hua Cheng kissed the top of Xie Lian’s head, “then I might as well be as mad as you.”

Xie Lian scoffed, but Hua Cheng knew it helped when the hands relaxed against his back. He gently stroked Xie Lian’s hair to let him release his tears, wiping a few of his own as well.

“I thought they were your ashes,” Hua Cheng confessed, once they calmed down and Xie Lian was able to part from Hua Cheng’s embrace, “when I thought you were a ghost.”

Xie Lian scoffed, wiping away the last remnants of his tears. “Really? Why would you think that?”

Hua Cheng looked at the giant flower, where he could barely make out the sparkle of the glass vial and the gray powder within.

“Something so precious that it is hidden behind over a thousand wards. Something so revered that not even your trusted officers could come this close. Something that important…” Hua Cheng took Xie Lian’s hands and kissed his fingers. 

“For me, the only thing that could possibly fit that description is gege’s existence.”

Xie Lian balked at him before smiling. “You’re right. I think we’re both mad.”

“I wouldn’t call it mad.”

Xie Lian’s smile turned knowing.

That has been the question since the start, wasn’t it?

“Were we lovers?”

“We weren’t lovers, but I like to think that if…if the world was kinder, we would have been.”

Was it madness?

Or was it just love?

The next time Hua Cheng woke up, it was to the warmth of Xie Lian’s prayer. It was to the smell of incense and the sound of brushes running on parchment.

Being in the mortal realm made Hua Cheng realize how much Heaven tends to dampen the strength of prayers. On the ground, he could hear prayers more clearly, and feel the amount of sentiment in each. On the ground, he could feel Xie Lian’s prayers like a small sun in his chest.

Xie Lian doesn’t ask for anything, but the sentiment behind each wordless prayer makes them so important.

Did they move back to Puqi Temple?

Hua Cheng opened his eye to find that they were still in their nest in Paradise Manor. He was comfortably wrapped in silk blankets with a soft pillow under his head. He could feel Xie Lian’s thigh against the top of his head, and barely make out a scroll on the floor.

“How are you feeling, San Lang?” Xie Lian’s voice was soft, and Hua Cheng felt the fingers card through his hair.

Strange. How is he praying while they’re still in Paradise Manor? 

Hua Cheng sat up to face Xie Lian, who was still dressed down in his inner robes. It appears he was passing the time by writing some poetry on the scrolls. He dropped his heavy head on Xie Lian’s shoulder, and he indulged the god by scratching his temple, humming a tune that sounded distantly familiar.

The warm devotion eased some of the pain and fatigue –

“How is gege praying to me here?”

Xie Lian’s smile was amused. “Well…what does a temple need?”

What does a temple need?

A representation of its god.

Offerings.

Prayers.

Believers.

And where were they now?

Hua Cheng’s ashes, the representation of its god.

White flowers and spider lilies, eternal offerings.

A nest where wordless sentiments can be sent through prayer.

And Hua Cheng’s most devoted believer, Xie Lian himself.

The Heart of Paradise Manor, the safest place in the world, with a temple only accessible to Hua Cheng and Xie Lian –

– this was one of Hua Cheng’s temples. 

And Hua Cheng’s breath left him at the implications of the sheer level of protection Xie Lian gave him.

Should the Heavens smite down his temples, this will retain his godhood.

Should he lose his Heavenly Immortality, the ashes will keep him alive.

Xie Lian created a space that truly protected Hua Cheng’s existence, from his godhood to his status as a Supreme. Xie Lian protected Hua Cheng for eight hundred years .

The insecurity Hua Cheng had the last time he was in Paradise Manor.

What kind of man was he that, even if they were never lovers, Xie Lian was giving him this privilege?

What kind of man was he to deserve this much affection and honor?

“During difficult times when I was younger, I used to say ‘Body in Abyss, Heart in Paradise.’” Xie Lian continued casually, as if he didn’t just upend Hua Cheng’s universe with the strength of his sincerity. “And I had long given my heart to you. You, San Lang, are the heart of Paradise Manor. The heart of my city. The heart of everything that I have done.”

“But what if I didn’t come down here?” Hua Cheng breathed, his head was already starting to go woozy with dizziness. “What if my request to come down wasn’t approved?”

Xie Lian shrugged. “I’ve kept this for eight hundred years. I don’t see why I would’ve done anything different. You exist, and therefore, I will protect you, regardless if you came down or not.”

“Gege –”

“I have a lot of time, San Lang. It’s nothing.” Xie Lian gently cradled Hua Cheng’s head and pressed his thumb against the ghost’s temple in soothing circles.

Hua Cheng tilted his head and closed his eye as he felt Xie Lian’s warm devotion continuously cradle him, a long stream of prayer that never seemed to end, a comfort while he’s feeling absolutely miserable. The fact that he’s so lucky to have someone so dedicated, who felt he was someone worth putting this much devotion into, someone who is not limited by human mortality – 

– which begs the question…how is Xie Lian still alive?

Jun Wu made it abundantly clear when Hua Cheng first learned about how things worked in Heaven. If a god was dispersed in combat with malicious beings, the Heavenly Emperor would burn down all of that gods’ temples to prevent that god from returning as a malicious spirit.

It’s no stretch of the imagination that it was the protocol in place when Xie Lian “died” during his second ascension (or however that story occurred). Hua Cheng had never even seen a single temple dedicated to the Flower-Crowned Martial God in his eight hundred years of hearing the lists being rattled off in every festival.

Destroy the ashes, kill the ghost.

Destroy the temples, kill the god.

Xie Lian is a god with no temples, and yet is not a ghost.

Even if Hua Cheng had full belief in Xie Lian’s abilities and strength, there is very little he could do with sheer strength. He can’t possibly fight the tether of his existence. 

“Jun Wu burns all the temples of deceased gods. How did you retain your godhood?” Hua Cheng asked.

Xie Lian looked surprised for a moment, before he started laughing, throwing his head back with the force of it. Hua Cheng didn’t know if it was meant to be ironic or not, but it felt genuine.

Xie Lian fanned his face with his hand as the laugh died down, softly apologizing for the outburst.

“Jun Wu didn’t burn all my temples.” His golden eyes were sparkling in amusement. “I have one left standing.”

That didn’t make things better.

“Gege!” Hua Cheng grabbed Xie Lian’s wrist, eye wide in indignation, not caring how he instinctively winced from the sudden movement. “Gege, that’s not enough! You have to be careful –”

“Don’t worry.” Xie Lian interrupted, and lowered Hua Cheng’s head on his lap once more, smoothing his fingers through inky black hair. “My last standing temple has kept me alive for hundreds of years, and is under my protection. I’m not going anywhere.”

Hua Cheng’s body felt heavy. Between that and the fingers gently carding through his hair, his eyes started to droop shut.

“May I pray in that temple?” He asked, his voice heavy with sleep. “I would like…to give offerings…and prayers…to gege.”

Xie Lian’s laugh sounded like beautiful bells.

“Silly boy. You already do.”

Chapter Text

The door slammed open, with three sets of feet stomping into the room.

“I don’t care how he apologizes, A-Yue! After all that shit he put you through?! Don’t fall for that!”

“He seems really sorry, Qiu-ge! And he’s banished now, it’s not like he can do anything –”

“Are you hearing this, Yu-ge?!”

“A-Yue has her own path. It’s up to us to respect it.”

“Yu-ge –!!!”

“See? Yu-ge understands –”

“But if he does anything to you, A-Yue, both of us have the right to kill him.”

Hua Cheng mumbled, a frown forming on his brow from the noise. He felt Xie Lian’s thumb smooth it out.

“He shouldn’t be able to do anything to A-Yue in the first place – WAH!”

“Ah. Apologies, Fangxin, I didn’t know you were back.”

Hua Cheng opened his eye to notice the sword Wu Ming near Lang Qianqiu’s foot. The red blade retracted back to Xie Lian’s hand.

“Lord Hua –!!” Lang Qianqiu started but Yin Yu raised a hand and covered the boy’s mouth. Ban Yue had her mouth open to greet as well, but noticed what Yin Yu did and clamped her own hands over her mouth before she could let out a sound.

Xie Lian’s hand returned to Hua Cheng’s hair, and the Supreme closed his eyes to relax once more.

“Not too loud, kids. He’s having a hard time.”

Hua Cheng heard their footsteps approach the pair, but they stopped a distance away – perhaps where the extra layer of protection started. 

“How’s ghost city?” Xie Lian’s voice was soothing, and it was only because Hua Cheng was rather invested in the information that he didn’t fall back asleep.

“We managed to isolate the non-combative ghosts in the safe zone, Guoshi. The others have started moving towards Mount Tonglu.”

“Is Lord Hua going to be okay? He looks really bad.”

Hua Cheng lifted a thumbs up lazily.

“The Supremes are having a hard time. Mount Tonglu opening suppresses their power until the valley opens completely. That’s why He Xuan hibernates during this time – actually. Any word from He Xuan? He usually sends a warning.”

“I haven’t heard anything from him, Fangxin.”

“I’m worried. San Lang was affected during the Lantern Festival. He Xuan might’ve been affected at the same time.”

“Shall I check up on him?”

“No, no. Yin Yu, I need you to keep your eyes on Puqi Temple, just make sure everything’s fine there, diffuse any worry from the villagers. You can tell them that we’re out on a mission from our god.”

“Consider it done, Fangxin.”

“Qianqiu, keep tabs on Qi Rong, make sure the frenzy doesn’t cause him to escape.”

“I’ve put in extra wards, but I’ll double check!”

“Ban Yue, take a short trip to He Xuan’s territory to check on his ashes. His body doesn’t have to be there, but make sure he’s at least secure.”

“Okay! I can go tomorrow!”

“Now what is this I hear about someone apologizing?”

“Guoshi! Pei Xiu is trying to reconnect with A-Yue!” Lang Qianqiu started. “He seems so persistent! May I have permission to hunt him down –”

“Laoshi, Qiu-ge is being unreasonable! I just want to hear him out – he seems really sorry!”

“He’s acting! Of course he’s acting!”

“How do you know?! You don’t even know him –”

“Yin Yu?”

“On it.”

“Ack –!!”

“Yu-ge –!!”

Hua Cheng opened his eye to spot Yin Yu physically holding the other two officers away from each other by the back of their collars. He then looked at Xie Lian, who was watching the two officers with a pensive expression on his face, like he was thinking of what to say next.

“What has been my number one rule with you all, when you decided to follow me?”

Lang Qianqiu physically deflated. “Do what we want for as long as we are honest with our intentions, and respect each others’ decisions.”

Xie Lian nodded. “If Ban Yue decides to pursue her friendship with Pei Xiu, we have no say. She can make her own decisions. She has her own judgment. It’s just like the rest of you.”

Ban Yue perked up. “Thank you, Laoshi!”

“However. I will remind you three that you are all under my protection. I consider you three as my own, and I protect what is mine.” Xie Lian’s gaze was soft. “If things don’t work out, Ban Yue, you always have us. Ghost City and Paradise Manor will always be your home. Don’t enter that friendship thinking it’s the only option. He doesn’t deserve your pity, you don’t owe him anything.”

There was a second of silence, and Ban Yue spoke again, softer. “Yes, thank you, Laoshi.”

Xie Lian nodded with a small smile. “And I’m obligated to say that if Pei Xiu does one thing out of line, he’ll have to answer to the three of us.”

“Four.” Hua Cheng added.

All eyes turned towards him.

“Lord Hua!” Ban Yue gasped. “Lord Hua, you don’t have to –”

“Four.” Hua Cheng said, again, firmer.

(It was in partial guilt that he did mention to Pei Xiu that Ban Yue was safe in Ghost City. He didn’t think that the deputy would’ve actually gone to her.)

“Four.” Xie Lian nodded, his smile widening. 

“You hear that, A-Yue? You have The Rising Sun, The Waning Moon, The Crimson Sword, and The God of Death behind your back!” Lang Qianqiu grinned at her.

“You guyssss!” Ban Yue covered her face with her hands, but she couldn’t hide her own wide smile.

The next few months as Mount Tonglu opened was sort of a haze.

Hua Cheng discovered that he feels less miserable if he allowed himself to downsize into the size of a child. He’ll still be powerless, but he could at least function normally instead of being in a constant state of dizziness and pain. E-ming was motionless and quiet, stagnant by Wu Ming and Ruoye.

As much as he loves laying on Xie Lian’s lap, he couldn’t do it for months . That would be too cruel.

Besides, he couldn’t even fully appreciate Xie Lian talking endlessly to him about every single weapon in his room, their histories, and how he got them. He couldn’t even listen to the songs Xie Lian would hum, folk songs and lullabies from their shared Xianle, songs that Hua Cheng had mostly forgotten but felt familiar.

But then…

“WAAAAA! Lord Hua is so cute!” Ban Yue squealed when she came in to bring them food, and Hua Cheng was not having it .

He tried to change back, but was too weak and his body was protesting the effort of going back to a weaker form when he was perfectly functional in the small body. 

Xie Lian laughed as Hua Cheng hugged him, burying his face in the white robes as his ears flamed red in his shame.

“She called me cute, gege.” He whined into Xie Lian’s robes. “ Ban Yue called me cute .”

Xie Lian’s laughter devolved into snorts and giggles, even as he enveloped the ghost in his arms. “San Lang is not cute?” 

“Gege!” Hua Cheng whined. “I’m a god – a Supreme! I strike fear in the hearts of ghouls and gods! I have won wars !”

“Yes, yes,” Xie Lian was trying so hard to stop laughing. “My San Lang is very fierce. Very ferocious. I am quaking in awe and fear –” He couldn’t hold in his snort as he fell into a laughing fit once more.

“Gege!!!”

To Xie Lian’s credit, though, he did tell his officers to not draw any attention to the fact that Hua Cheng was now essentially a child .

However, there was a more pressing issue in regards to his childish form.

Pressing for Hua Cheng, at least.

“You met me as a child, didn’t you?” Hua Cheng asked one day, recalling the way he felt so safe and snug in Xie Lian’s arms, back when he was having that migraine after the lantern festival (he wishes he had the cognitive memory to commit that moment to memory). “You saved me when I was a child?”

There was also the way Xie Lian was looking at his child form with an expression akin to wonder. Like he was remembering things as well.

Xie Lian smiled and lifted Hua Cheng on his lap to give him a tight squeeze.

“Yes.” Xie Lian sighed. “I wish I got to take care of you more back then.”

Hua Cheng pulled away and pouted. “Where’s my reward?”

Xie Lian giggled and pressed a finger to Hua Cheng’s small lips. “When you’re in your normal body. It feels wrong to kiss you as a child.”

Hua Cheng, for a brief moment, wanted to throw a full tantrum. “Gege! That’s not fair!”

“I owe San Lang two big kisses~” the Calamity sang as he kissed the top of Hua Cheng’s crown twice.

“The world is conspiring against me.” Hua Cheng pouted and settled back down on Xie Lian’s lap. “Gege is evil. Truly the biggest and deadliest Calamity to ever exist.”

“Yes, yes, so evil.”

There were other more serious concerns, though.

Particularly, regarding Shi Qingxuan and He Xuan.

Once he changed his form and regained his mental clarity, the panicked message Shi Qingxuan sent him came to the forefront of his mind.

“Shi Qingxuan was with He Xuan after I left.” Hua Cheng confided, frowning. “I’m worried something happened. I can’t access the communication array in my state.”

“And He Xuan usually falls into involuntary hibernation during this time.” Xie Lian tapped his lips with his finger. “Yin Yu? What did Ban Yue say again about He Xuan’s territory?”

“He Xuan’s ashes are safe, but his body is nowhere to be found. He’s probably hibernating in Heaven.” Yin Yu replied, and Hua Cheng jumped slightly in surprise. He learned early on that Yin Yu tends to come in and out as he pleases, always silent, but always there when Xie Lain needs him.

“Dangerous.” Xie Lian frowned.

“If He Xuan manages to maintain his Ming Yi form, maybe Shi Qingxuan will just think he’s sick.” Hua Cheng frowned. “Although…I have a feeling they think that you did something to the two of us. As far as they’re concerned, you’re the linking factor between the two of us getting sick.”

“Well,” Xie Lian tilted his head, “then it should be easy. Just tell them that I did something nefarious to you two. They’ll eat it up without asking –”

“No, gege.” Hua Cheng replied, firmly. As firmly as one could as a small child, at least. “No. I’m not blaming you for anything.”

Xie Lian gave him a look as if he had heard this multiple times, rolling his eyes, and smiling.

“It’s okay.” He shrugged. He spoke almost montoned, as if he had said this over and over, and memorized the words. “It doesn’t matter to me. I’m already considered a Calamity. Besides, they don’t know who I am, so they have no say on my character –”

“It matters to me .” Hua Cheng knelt up from his spot on Xie Lian’s lap to meet with the man eye-to-eye. “Gege, I’m not letting you take the blame from me, from us. I’m not letting them slander your name when you’ve done nothing wrong!”

“San Lang –”

But it was like all of Hua Cheng’s feelings poured out at once, the feelings simmering under his skin ever since he learned how Xie Lian took the blame for everything with too much grace. How the kindest man, the most understanding man, was known as a pillar of madness, as some sort of sexual predator.

“You say it doesn’t affect you, and I have no say on that, but don’t you think that I get hurt when I hear them talk shit about you?” Hua Cheng couldn’t stop himself even if he tried. “Don’t you think that I wouldn’t want you to take all that responsibility on your shoulders? How about Ban Yue, Lang Qianqiu, and Yin Yu? How do you think they feel knowing that you’re letting the world drag your name through the mud to save theirs? Do you honestly think they’re okay with that?”

“I –”

“Do you honestly think we don’t see how fake your laugh is when you hear the stories?” Hua Cheng felt mortified . He couldn’t stop talking, and he was already feeling his eyes water up. “Do you honestly think we don’t care ?” 

For once, Xie Lian looked stricken. Like he was seeing Hua Cheng again for the first time.

“B-but –” Xie Lian started, looking between Hua Cheng and Yin Yu, “i-it’s not that I think you don’t care but – I – I mean –”

“If I may,” Yin Yu interrupted Xie Lian’s sputtering, “Lord Hua is correct in his assessment.”

Xie Lian’s head snapped towards his officer, and there was something complicated in his eyes. Hua Cheng could practically see a conversation flitting between the two of them. He wondered what they were talking about, if perhaps Yin Yu has been witness to many of these placating conversations regarding Xie Lian’s tendency to take the blame.

Hua Cheng allowed them to hash it out as he crumpled to smother his face on the junction of Xie Lian’s neck and collar bone. He was not crying. His eyes were just watery. Xie Lians arms instinctively wrapped around him.

As he stayed longer in Ghost City, he learned that Yin Yu was the first of the officers to follow Xie Lian, shortly after being banished from Heaven. Something about how Xie Lian helped Yin Yu disperse his shidi, who had become a resentful spirit. Yin Yu was given a home to stay in the Ghost City to get back on his feet, and eventually chose to serve as the first of Xie Lian’s officers.

Among the officers, he’s the only one who addressed Xie Lian by name (at the very least, his calamity name), but he has also shown that he does know who Xie Lian is as a god, as well. If any of the officers could point out anything wrong to Xie Lian, it would be Yin Yu.

Finally, Xie Lian slumped.

“I get it.” Xie Lian’s voice was soft, “I get it, but this is just easier, so why not –”

“It’s not about what’s easy .” Hua Cheng muttered, smushing his eyes that wont stop leaking tears against Xie Lian’s neck. “It’s about what’s right .”

Xie Lian carded his fingers through Hua Cheng’s hair gently in silence for a few moments.

“Okay. I’m sorry, San Lang.” He dropped to kiss Hua Cheng’s temple. “And I’m sorry, Yin Yu. Please remind me to stop doing that. I’ll forget.”

“Gladly. Consider it done, Fangxin.”

(Later, in the rare moment that Xie Lian had to leave Hua Cheng to check on his citizens himself, Yin Yu bowed in front of the god. 

“Thank you for getting through to him.”)

They knew it was over when Hua Cheng woke up in his true form. When he finally regained access to his spiritual wells and could function like normal.

The first thing he did was tackle Xie Lian and get his very well-earned kisses.

(“Good morning Guoshi! Lord Hua – AH!” Lang Qianqiu stumbled in and out of the room. Distantly, they could hear the call of: “Lord Hua’s back to normal! Don’t disturb them, please!”)

“I’m worried. The timing of Mount Tonglu opening is too suspicious.” Xie Lian commented, crossing his legs on the pillows of their nest. “Not that it’s scheduled normally, but I can’t help but feel this was for something else…”

“Shall we investigate it, gege?” Hua Cheng was stretching his limbs, hopping in place and warming up his limbs now that he could actually move. E-ming was lively again, zipping around the room and chased by Ruoye.He put a finger to his temple. “Shi Qingxuan and He Xuan aren’t answering, but I hear some gods are heading to Mount Tonglu to investigate.”

“Definitely suspicious.” Xie Lian casually caught E-ming in the air, and patted the area around the red eyes, calming the sword down. Ruoye draped itself over Hua Cheng’s shoulders, and Hua Cheng scratched the end of the white silk like one would a dog. “They never cared the last few times Mount Tonglu opened.”

“Gege visits regularly?” Hua Cheng asked, sitting next to the other man.

“When I can. Mostly it’s to check on something –” Xie Lian paused, his eyes darting back and forth.

“Gege?” Hua Cheng leaned forward, peeking at his face.

“Actually…” Xie Lian looked back at Hua Cheng, the smile on his face widening. “I think I know how to get your memories back.”

They couldn’t teleport straight to Mt. Tonglu, but they could travel close enough to walk the rest of the way. Xie Lian wore the mask with the smiling crescents over his eyes and was dressed as The Crimson Sword. He thought of just putting on a normal disguise, but it would be even more dangerous if the ghosts thought he was a civilian.

“If we’re spotted by anyone, I’m escorting you.” Hua Cheng said, firmly, “you’re not putting on another show.”

Xie Lian grinned, and with the way his smile looked unnerving with the smiling eyes of the half-mask, Hua Cheng understood the reason why he was given the reputation as “mad”. 

After spending months with an unmasked, undisguised Xie Lian, Hua Cheng almost wanted to throw that mask away.

They mostly snuck around. The ghosts knew better than to approach them. Hua Cheng’s status as a Supreme was evident, and they all knew about the Crimson Sword. The ghosts fought and slaughtered around them, but never approached them. 

One particularly brave ghost came close to the two to give a warning that gods have been spotted in the area.

Three martial gods, and an elemental master.

Xie Lian and Hua Cheng exchanged glances at that, then left the ghost to rejoin the frenzy. They eventually did sneak past the gods that were there.

General Pei Ming and Shi Qingxuan were together, though Shi Qingxuan looked…unkempt. Not as vibrant as they usually were; they were even presenting as a man. Pei Ming looked pensive, but they were speaking to each other in low tones.

“I’m really worried now.” Hua Cheng whispered to Xie Lian. “Something must’ve happened. Shi Qingxuan usually hates Pei Ming’s guts.”

The other pair was General Xuan Zhen and General Nan Yang. They were defending themselves, but most of the time, Hua Cheng couldn’t tell if they were fighting the ghosts or themselves.

“You know them, gege?” Hua Cheng turned towards Xie Lian, remembering his last confrontation with them with a wince.

“Once upon a time.” Xie Lian replied, solemnly. “Not anymore.”

And Xie Lian tugged Hua Cheng away.

Other than that, their walk was relatively peaceful versus the chaos around them.

Hua Cheng, for the most part, was in a constant state of deja vu. He had vague flashbacks of traveling through the valley, of clashing with different demons, of being part of the slaughter that has been circulating through them as they made their way further into the valley.

At one point, he remembered the screams of humans, their fear, the pain of gouging out his eye –

“San Lang?” Xie Lian tugged on his sleeve.

Hua Cheng was staring at a dead end of one of the walls. E-ming vibrated in his hilt, and Hua Cheng put a hand over his blade to calm it down.

“I CAN’T DIE HERE! I WILL NOT DIE HERE!”

“Here.” His eye narrowed. “I forged E-ming here.”

Xie Lian looked at the dead end, bit his lip, and spun in front of Hua Cheng to pull him down for a kiss. The kiss was hard, almost desperate.

“You did.” Xie Lian whispered against his lips, brushing his thumb against the empty socket hidden behind the eye patch. “and I’m proud of you for it.”

A bloody blade, the sound of gongs.

“YOU WILL NOT TAKE ME AWAY FROM HIM –”

Hua Cheng shook his head violently.

“What did you remember?” Xie Lian goaded, gently.

“I…did I ascend from here?” Hua Cheng shook his head, willing the images in his mind’s eye and the image of the dead end to go away. Before Xie Lian could say anything, he shook his head. “No, no, it wasn’t here. I heard the gongs, but I didn’t ascend here. It was somewhere…somewhere else.”

Xie Lian observed him for a while, then laced their fingers together to continue through the valley. “Come on, the room is nearby.”

“What room…?” Hua Cheng squeezed their hands together.

“It’s a room you created, the last time you were here –ah!” Xie Lian stopped near another entrance of the cave. “Here it is!”

There were wards of protection all around the entrance, similar to a few wards of Paradise Manor. Whatever is in it, Xie Lian had gone out of his way to protect it. 

“Are you ready? This is the final piece of the puzzle. I’m sure you’ll remember everything once you’re here.” Xie Lian tilted his head, stray bangs swaying over the half mask on his face. “You’ll know everything about me. The good, the bad, and the worst.”

Hua Cheng steadied himself.

What kind of man was he to deserve the privilege of Xie Lian’s devotion?

What kind of man was he to deserve the honor of having Xie Lian’s loyalty and affection?

Who was Hua Cheng before he ascended?

It was time to find out.

“I’m ready.”

Statues and murals of Xie Lian

Statues and murals of Xie Lian everywhere .

Hua Cheng was almost in awe as he looked around the room. Everything was preserved with the wards along the wall, but Hua Cheng could barely pay attention to their intricacy.

Because…because he made all of this . He knows he made all of this. He learned on the spot how to carve from stone, learned how to paint using any pigment he could find. He learned and grew until the broken mounds turned into beautiful life-like figures of Xie Lian, until the blobs of paint turned into beautiful murals.

Between constantly fighting for his life, he trained himself as an artist –

– until painting Xie Lian became muscle memory, to the point that he could still paint him even after losing his memory –

– until he’s sure that if he were given a chisel he would be able to recreate any of these statues.

Scenes that caused small bits of flashbacks in his mind. Ways he saw Xie Lian, from the innocent smiles to the lustful, debauched figure somewhere in the back –

But there was one statue in the middle of them all that seemed out of place.

Because it was not a statue of Xie Lian. It was not a statue Hua Chen carved.

This one was not chiseled in stone. It was made of marble, stark white versus the gray all around him.

It was a statue of a smiling young man – the form of the young cultivator Hua Cheng would regularly use, he realized – holding a sword with one hand behind his back, and the other hand was outstretched in front of him.

On the palm was a familiar vial –

“I love you.”

And like a lightning bolt to his skull, he remembered everything.

He remembered being saved by The Most Beautiful Man in the World during the time he wanted to die.

He remembered being saved again when that Beautiful Man became a God.

He remembered doing his best to protect his poisoned God, when he realized just how deep his desire ran.

He remembered being nothing more than a small ghost flame during the time his God was at his weakest.

He remembered returning as a wrath when his God was at his worst.

He remembered —

“I love you.”

“Nonononono – HONG-ER!!!”

Chapter Text

Xie Lian watched Hua Cheng from the entrance of the room, how the ghost looked at the marble statue and froze.

He took a deep breath.

It was all out in the open now.

The good.

The bad.

And of course, the worst.

No no no –

Xie Lian managed to grab Fang Xin before the souls were released.

No no no –

He made a mistake. He can see that now. He was wrong. He was blinded by grief and confusion and rage and –

And then another pair of hands held onto the blade.

Xie Lian looked up and saw the smiling mask of Wu Ming, and between both of their strengths, they managed to suppress the spirits.

For now.

It was a temporary solution. Both of them only had so much power between them, they couldn’t hold out for too long. 

“Let go.” He commanded Wu Ming.

Wu Ming, who had been nothing but wonderful, who had done nothing but be a quiet comfort by Xie Lian’s side, who never did anything against Xie Lian, who took all of Xie Lian’s cruelty with nothing more than a bowed head.

Wu Ming, who took the cruel name Xie Lian gave with no malice, who wore it with pride, who knelt and held Xie Lian’s hands so gently.

Wu Ming, who deserved to live away from Xie Lian.

Just how Mu Qing left him –

Just how Feng Xin left him –

“No.”

It confused Xie Lian to no end, how Wu Ming would wordlessly follow everything he said to the period, except for a few specific things. 

Like calling him ‘Dianxia’.

Like this.

“Let go, you’ve done enough.” Xie Lian insisted. “Don’t be stubborn – not about this –”

“No.” Wu Ming’s voice was steady and strong. “Let go, Dianxia.”

“Don’t you get it?!” Xie Lian shouted. “This is my repentance – you don’t have to follow me anymore! Go! You have no reason to stay here, so stop it! I’ve been nothing but cruel to you when you don’t deserve it –”

“No.” Wu Ming repeated, steady. “Please, let go, Dianxia. I’ll handle it.”

“I don’t deserve your kindness!” Xie Lian shouted.

He was not a man who deserved Wu Ming’s unconditional devotion. He was not a man who deserved this pity. He was not a man who deserved Wu Ming’s sacrifice.

“I think Dianxia misunderstands.” Wu Ming’s voice was gentle, yet confident. “You deserve everything. The world doesn’t deserve you.”

Frustrated, Xie Lian tried shaking the blade, trying to force Wu Ming to let go. Wu Ming’s body jerked with the movement, he didn’t let go –

But his mask flew off his face.

(Distantly, if any of them were paying attention, they would’ve heard the mask hit a jagged rock and split in half, the smile shattered and cracked, but the crescent eyes remained intact.)

Xie Lian didn’t know what to expect from Wu Ming’s appearance.

He didn’t expect Wu Ming to be so young . 

He didn’t expect to see a young man, still with a bit of baby fat in his cheeks, with wide, asymmetrical eyes – one amber, and one fire red –

And as Wu Ming’s bangs fell over his red eye – Xie Lian didn’t expect to see the soldier who saw Xie Lian in such a shameful state in the Land of the Tender –

“You are –” he gasped, “why are you –”

And Wu Ming’s amber eye widened, before he straightened his back as if resolved.

“You saved my life.” Wu Ming’s single uncovered eye was wide, knocking on Xie Lian’s mind. “When I was a child, I cried in your arms.”

A child who was called a misfortune, who stared at Xie Lian with that same wide eye, who covered the other one with bandages, who sobbed into Xie Lian’s robes.

He almost didn’t want to believe it. “Hong-er?!”

Wu Ming smiled. “When I wanted to die, you gave me a reason to live. You.”

“If you can’t find out what to live for, live for me. Make me your meaning.”

“That was –”

“When I was a soldier, you protected me with strands of your hair on my finger, and I tried so hard to protect you back.”

The figure of a soldier, doing his best to protect Xie Lian, with a lock of hair tied around his finger.

“You –”

“When I was a ghost flame, I saw you suffer, and I couldn’t do anything about it.”

IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS – followed by the heat of a blazing fire.

Xie Lian gasped, realization dawning on his features.

“Now as a Wrath, I will not allow you to suffer like that again.”

“You can’t be serious –” Xie Lian’s eyes blurred with tears. “This whole time – all those people –”

“Dianxia…” Wu Ming interrupted as he tightened his grip on the sword, “you once asked…why I stayed in this world. Do you remember what I told you?”

“I have a beloved who is still in this world.”

No –

Please no –

Anything but that –

“It is you. It has always been you.” Wu Ming’s voice was strong and steady. “In a world that showed me nothing but hate, you showed me love. And I love you, truly, unconditionally. In any form you take. In every path you choose. I will forever be your most devoted believer.”

Xie Lian was so surprised, blasted with the sincerity and honesty dripping from every word that Wu Ming uttered, that his grip faltered – 

And Wu Ming took advantage of it and snatched the sword away, jumping back a distance from Xie Lian.

Immediately, the souls in the sword retaliated and started to escape, but Wu Ming tried to keep them at bay as he reached into his robes.

“No –!” Xie Lian reached out but was pushed back by the power of the souls.

Wu Ming, shaking now from the effort, held out his hand, which had a small, glass vial.

“Destroy the ashes, kill the ghost.” He was vibrating, struggling. “My existence is yours to do as you wish. I will always look for you, I will always serve you, I will always fight to remain by your side and be anything you need. If you find me a bother, if you don’t want me with you, then I will gladly give you permission to destroy me.”

Xie Lian scrambled to his feet, but the force of the spirits starting to break free from the sword kept him away. “Don’t talk like that! Don’t lie about things like that!”

But Wu Ming simply smiled.

“Dianxia, you won’t ever find anyone more sincere than me.”

Xie Lian felt uncomfortable with the way Wu Ming said Dianxia, it was why he kept trying to insist that Wu Ming stop calling him as such. Because the way he said Dianxia sounded just like –

The spirits exited the sword, and Wu Ming absorbed them.

Xie Lian knew it must be a painful experience. He could see it from the minute changes in Wu Ming’s expression, the way his fingers twitched and his body jerked despite trying to keep control of it all. 

But Wu Ming just stood there, hand holding out his ashes with a smile. 

“Stop it!” Xie Lian tried to push back against the backlash, but the amount of resentment and spiritual energy kept him away. “Let it go!”

Wu Ming almost stumbled as the last of the spirits was absorbed into his body. Xie Lian could see his ghostly form bulge and contort, trying with the last of his power to keep it all intact. He could see that Wu Ming was desperately trying to stop himself from crying, or screaming, or physically showing his pain.

He only looked at Xie Lian with a smile.

“I love you.”

He didn’t say it like the many ways Xie Lian had heard those words in his life. It didn’t sound like an obligation. It didn’t sound tacked on.

Wu Ming said it like he meant every syllable with every fiber of his being. He said it like every syllable was a prayer. He said it like it was something so revered and so precious, and deserved his whole heart and whole being.

He said it like he treasured Xie Lian. Not the Crowned Prince, not the Flower-Crowned Martial God.

Just Xie Lian.

Wu Ming said ‘I love you’ the same way he said ‘Dianxia’.

(Stop calling him that. He has a name.)

“Nonononono – HONG-ER!!!”

And Hong-er’s physical body exploded, dispersing himself and the spirits he absorbed with him until nothing remained –

– the vial with Hong-er’s ashes fell from the air.

It was like time slowed down for a brief moment. The vial fell straight down and started to twirl, the ashes – gray, and almost sparkling, shifted –

For a brief moment, the ashes looked like a child with a bandaged eye, falling from the sky.

With a burst of energy Xie Lian didn’t even know he had, he ran and leapt forward, catching the vial in his palm before it hit the ground. He scrambled to press the small, fragile piece of glass with those precious ashes against his chest, breathing heavily.

“I have you”, he whispered as tears streamed down his face. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry –”

But even he knew that Hong-er’s soul was scattered for now, and would reassemble somewhere else when he was ready. He’d still exist, he’d still be alive for as long as the ashes are safe –

Ashes he fully entrusted to Xie Lian.

His Hong-er, who never stopped believing in him.

His Hong-er, who stood by his side when everyone else had left.

His Hong-er, who was just a half-step away, all this time.

In the aftermath, in the place where Hong-er once stood, all that was left was a small, white flower.

Xie Lian choked as he stared at the white flower left behind. He recognized it now. It was the same white flower as the one that little Hong-er would leave in his statues. 

The same white flower that his Hong-er offered as Wu Ming, which he crushed and threw away. 

And he still –

Hong-er had seen Xie Lian fall from the highest mountain to the deepest pit. He had seen Xie Lian in the glory of victory and in the shame of defeat. He had seen Xie Lian proud and humiliated. He had seen Xie Lian at his kindest and at his cruelest.

Hong-er had seen all of Xie Lian and made sure that Xie Lian would not hear him scream, would not hear him cry, would not hear him curse in those final moments.

Hong-er had seen all of Xie Lian and made sure that his last words were “I love you.”

And the gongs rang.

Xie Lian had heard those gongs once upon a time, while he was still asleep.

He felt himself getting pulled up to Heaven –

Heaven, where Xie Lian was ridiculed for doing what he thought was right, who scoffed at Xie Lian’s ideals, who praised him only when he was doing things according to their will.

Heaven, who easily banished and abandoned Xie Lian, who mocked him and belittled him even after all Xie Lian had done.

Heaven, whose adoration was always conditional, always political, never kind.

Heaven, where he could not reach his Hong-er –

No.

NO.

“NO!” Xie Lian resisted the ascension, he resisted the call to Heaven. He scrambled to stay grounded, to stay with the flower and the broken mask and the vial of ashes –  “YOU WILL NOT TAKE ME AWAY FROM HIM!!!”

Xie Lian refused to return to that.

Because what did it matter, ascending to Heaven?

What difference would it make?

What was the point of being a god if it was just for prestige and power and being a puppet with no will of his own?

Why should he waste his time with that bullshit ?

Hong-er showed him a devotion that trumped all the shallowness and conditionality that everyone else showed.

Hong-er showed him a faith so unshakable that even Xie Lian couldn’t shake it from him.

Hong-er showed him a love so pure that it cut through the turmoil of Xie Lian’s heart.

Devotion.

Faith.

Love.

Wasn’t that worth protecting? 

Wasn’t that worth fighting for?

Wasn’t that worth living for?

Heaven tried to pull him up, and Xie Lian felt his head stretch upwards, but he grabbed Fang Xin from the ground – not caring that he was gripping the sword by the blade instead of the handle, and stabbed it into the soil. Ruoye flew out of his sleeves and wrapped around Xie Lian, stretching to hold him down, tethered to all the trees it could find.

He heard the skin of his neck rip and tear, felt the strain of the shackles bite into his neck – the shackles sparked as if in a warning.

But Xie Lian had had enough.

The earth shook, the gongs stuttered, and in the back of Xie Lian’s head, he could hear the gods up in Heaven start to panic.

And he didn’t care if blood was running down his hands all over Fang Xin, he didn’t care if the skin of his neck was tearing upwards, he didn’t care if his clothes were being drenched in blood.

“I DON’T BELONG TO YOU ANYMORE!!!”

And the shackles broke.

The full strength of Xie Lian’s godly power returned with a vengeance, and even more so.

And Xie Lian canceled his ascension, the shockwave of his rejection was so fierce that he was sure the Heavens were scrambling to know what happened.

He wondered what lies they were going to spread this time.

Because that’s all they did, right? It’s always been all that they’ve done.

Xie Lian refused to be a part of that.

He kissed the vial with Hong-er’s ashes and kept them in a satchel close to his chest. As long as he had the ashes, Hong-er existed somewhere in this world. As long as he had the ashes, Hong-er would return to him, and he could hug him, thank him, apologize –

He adjusted the straw hat, wearing it on top of his head so the string wouldn’t bite into the wounds on his neck. the hat serving as a reminder that there were good people out there, a reminder that not all hope was lost.

He picked up the broken mask of his Wu Ming, his Hong-er. The smile had shattered, but the top half holding the smiling eyes was still perfectly intact. When he placed the top half of the mask on his face, it was a perfect fit.

Xie Lian gathered the soil under the flower, taking care to gather its roots. It deserves its own place, somewhere it could grow and thrive.

He didn’t know if he wanted to laugh or cry –

From the corner of his eye, he saw the Bai Wuxiang mask on the ground.

Xie Lian had enough. He had enough of people telling him what he can and can’t do. Had enough of people telling him what he should be. He had enough of people putting him on an impossible pedestal, and ridiculing him after.

Hong-er believed in Xie Lian. Not the prince. Not the god. Not the calamity.

He believed in Xie Lian.

So Xie Lian will do whatever the fuck he wants.

He raised the blood-stained Fang Xin, still holding it by the blade, and stabbed the mask, shattering it.

Didn’t know whether he wanted to laugh or cry?

Not anymore.

Only one person deserved to see his tears.

Xie Lian walked away and chose to laugh.

And laugh.

And laugh.

Commissioned from @mxchifer! (AO3 | Tumblr | Instagram) (Link to post)

He left behind the shattered mask of the person he refused to be, and the pool of blood. Excess blood dripped off Fang Xin’s blade, hidden by the soil and the dying light of the sun.

The Heavens came down that day and declared Xie Lian dead.

The scar on his neck would never heal fully.

Fang Xin was stained permanently by the blood infused with spiritual energy, turning into a crimson-bladed sword with a black hilt. Xie Lian decided that, in honor of the ghost, he would name the sword Wu Ming, the sword that was born out of his will to live on his own terms.

Ruoye pointed out the spider lilies that started following Xie Lian as well. Spider lilies, signifying death. 

…was Xie Lian supposed to ascend as a God of Death? Or was it a way for his now returned spiritual energy to tell him that he was now dead?

But Xie Lian was alive. He wasn’t a ghost, and perhaps he was still a god. Could someone still be a god, even if they didn’t ascend, or was his godliness still ingrained in him despite being banished?

He still had a few temples, even if most of them were empty buildings. He still had a few statues, despite them being few and far between. He still had priests, old as they were.

Maybe a god-adjacent?

Existential questions that Xie Lian contemplated as he found an open field and replanted the white flower in the healthy soil. He kept the straw hat with the flower, and the ashes between them.

Reminders that there was good in the world.

Reminders that there was someone who loved, and loved, and still loves Xie Lian unconditionally. 

With the help of Wu Ming, he cleared the trees in the area, and built a small hut around the flower, doing his best to protect the flower from the elements and give it a place to live. Ruoye was curled around Hong-er’s ashes, keeping them safe while he was busy with his task.

For the first few days, he was diligently protecting both, establishing himself as someone not to be trifled with. That he was willing to fight tooth and nail to keep his things safe. Hong-er’s mask protected his appearance, unnerved others in a way that Xie Lian wouldn’t have been able to before.

For a moment, he thought that he would be okay – 

And then the first of his temples burned to the ground.

Then another.

And another.

Was this the end…?

Xie Lian sat down in front of the flower and cradled Hong-er’s ashes to his chest. He rocked back and forth gently as he felt temple after temple burn down, even those where he had no more believers. He felt all of his statues break down into nothing, felt each thread of his godhood snap one by one. He felt his elderly priests fall and die one after the other –

“I’m sorry –” he sobbed into the ashes, “I might not be able to protect you for much longer –”

And then… everything stopped.

Xie Lian blinked, wiping the tears from his eyes. Was it over? But he was not dead, how was –

He felt one more thread. One more temple stood. One temple had not burned –

And suddenly –

‘Dianxia, are you still waiting for me? I’m still alive. Does that mean you’re waiting for me?’ 

Xie Lian gasped with such intensity that he coughed from the shock.

No way…it was impossible…

…but hadn’t Hong-er always been an impossibility?

‘Dianxia, I’m in a mountain valley. Mount…Tonglu? I’ve heard legends of it. They say ghosts are made more powerful here. I think I’ll stay here for a while. Is that okay? Can I grow stronger for you?’

“A miracle…” Xie Lian gasped. “Oh, my Hong-er, you’re a fucking miracle!!!”

How did Hong-er make and protect a temple so quickly? How is Hong-er praying already? How did Hong-er do it?

Jun Wu burned all of his temples but one, and Xie Lian had no idea how it happened, but Xie Lian could continue living for as long as Hong-er managed to keep it up.

And the fact that Hong-er didn’t even know he was doing this?

Was he still breathing? Was he just dreaming?

‘Dianxia, there’s so many ghosts. Believe in me, Dianxia, I’ll win. I swear I’ll win. Then I’ll come back for you. I swear I will. Believe me, Dianxia. Believe in me.’

And for the first time in a very, very long time, Xie Lian had someone to believe in.

For the next ten years, Xie Lian heard his Hong-er’s endless prayers. They were so many . Every few minutes, a new prayer would flit to his mind. They weren’t necessarily asking for anything, more often than not they were just a stream of consciousness of his Hong-er’s thoughts. Things that he was doing, things that he’s seen, memories of the past…

The ease in the way Hong-er prayed to Xie Lian told him that this was something Hong-er had been doing for the longest time. He infused every thought and every intention into praying to Xie Lian so naturally that it was like breathing.

And Xie Lian realized that, perhaps, this is how his Hong-er always prayed.

In the absence of all the noise of his other temples, in the absence of loud believers with too much money but not enough faith, in the absence of the filters of Heaven and the voices of the other gods, Hong-er’s prayers rang clear and true.

His devotion warmed Xie Lian through the cold nights as he built a home.. His endless prayers cut through any semblance of loneliness Xie Lian could possibly feel as he lived on his own. His sincerity and honesty gave Xie Lian a reason to smile after so many years of living without it.

Was this what it felt to truly be loved for who he was?

(There was only one point when Xie Lian felt genuinely scared.

‘Dianxia, I’m scared. There are humans caught here. I’m doing my best to protect them – because I know that’s what you would’ve done. Please, grant me strength to protect them. I won’t fail them. I won’t fail them because you never failed me.’

“Oh –” Xie Lian gasped, kneeling beside the growing white flower and cradling the ashes in the vial. He willed himself to give Hong-er more stamina and strength, willed for his most devoted believer to overcome his obstacles. “Oh no – please, I’m protecting your ashes. Don’t do anything rash, please –”

‘Dianxia – Dianxia – it hurts – I used my eye and forged a weapon, but I survived. I did it. The humans are safe. Dianxia – the world looks so different with one eye – is it alright if I only have one eye? Will you still consider me whole?’

“Yes,” Xie Lian sobbed, “it doesn’t matter, you’re always whole to me. You’re still my most precious –”

Gongs.

In the back of Xie Lian’s head, he heard the gongs. Dread filled his very being.

‘Dianxia – I hear gongs – I can feel them trying to take me away – I don’t want to go away – I don’t want to go away – STOP –  YOU WILL NOT TAKE ME AWAY FROM HIM!!!’

“Ruoye, protect the hut!”

In a move of desperation, with the full intent of helping his Hong-er, Xie Lian grabbed Wu Ming, kept the ashes close to his heart, and ran outside. He burned every single temple he came across, regardless of who it was dedicated to. He didn’t even look back to check.

(If he did, he would realize that two of the temples he burned belonged to two of his old friends.)

He burned, and burned, and burned, just as his Hong-er, his little ghost flame had burned the people around Xie Lian to save him.

He burned the temples to shift the gods’ attention.

And in the back of his head, he was aware that all the gods’ eyes turned towards him. He distracted the heaven’s attention, to the point that the gongs stopped, and his Hong-er could fight off the ascension without it doubling down on him. 

A few deputy gods came down to fight Xie Lian, but they were no match for him. He easily took them down, taunting and laughing about how they were nothing compared to him. It was true, though. With his unlocked (and amplified, now that he thought about it) spiritual wells and his martial skill, they couldn’t even come close to his level. He knew he looked crazy with the top half of Wu Ming’s mask on his face.

He fought them until –

‘Dianxia, I resisted ascension, I didn’t ascend. Did you have anything to do with that? Are you still protecting me? I know I have to be stronger. I have to be stronger so I can protect Dianxia. Dianxia protects everyone, I want to be one who could protect you.’

And it was so sweet, so sincere, that Xie Lian laughed. Head tilted back and loud, shocking and scaring the gods around him. 

And with a flourish, he disappeared in a flurry of red spider lilies.

But the whispers began of a Mad Calamity with a Crimson Sword started to spread. One who destroyed and burned temples, one who controlled and killed with spider lilies.

And when Xie Lian first heard this story, he threw his head back once more to laugh.

How ridiculous!)

Hong-er’s prayers were always so hopeful, so full of care. He spoke to Xie Lian so casually about a future he dreamed about – a future where they’re together. 

And for the first time, in a very, very long time, Xie Lian looked forward to something.

In a world that took away his hope.

Hong-er became his hope for the future.

‘Dianxia, I wish I could tell you how beautiful you are. I wish I could put it into words, I wish I could write poetry about it – but at the same time, I know I’ll just be struck dumb whenever I see you because I just can’t stop looking at you. You’re so beautiful that you take all the words from me –’

(Hua Cheng stared at Xie Lian with wide eyes, unable to form proper sentences, unable to think. Xie Lian wondered if he even remembered to breathe. And it was the first time he had seen Xie Lian since his ascension and –)

‘Dianxia I’ve been getting so much stronger! It’s hard work, and it’s tiring, but I really think I can make it as a Supreme once the kiln opens. I want to spar with Dianxia in the future. I’ll probably lose, but I wish I could give you a fight worthy of legends!’

(Xie Lian matched his Hua Cheng blow for blow in The Fighting Pit, feeling an adrenaline rush that he hadn’t felt in a very long time. It was truly a battle worthy of legend.)

‘Dianxia, there’s actually books here. I’m learning so much about ancient languages, and weapons, and history, and things I never got to learn before. Maybe we can talk about it all when we meet again? Is that too presumptuous?’

(Xie Lian spoke with Hua Cheng about everything he could on weapons as they fixed the run-down Puqi Temple, relishing in the way Hua Cheng easily kept up with the flow of conversation. Xie Lian felt that he could talk about anything.)

‘Dianxia, I’ve gotten so good at carving stone and painting. I wish I could show it to you – well, some of this. I want to paint, and paint, and paint until I can paint you on command. I’ll give you as many portraits as you want, Dianxia!’

(Xie Lian watched Hua Cheng paint in wonder. The way he so beautifully depicted The Crowned Prince, and even The Mad Calamity, was awe-inspiring.) 

‘Dianxia, indulge me a bit. I don’t have many good memories with my family, but my mother used to sing lullabies to me when I was small.. Do you mind if I hum them a bit?’

(Xie Lian hummed the lullaby he had heard many, many times as he stroked Hua Cheng’s hair, hoping it would comfort him from the effects of Mount Tonglu.)

‘Dianxia, I have a confession to make. I stole an earring from you when I was a child. I clipped it on my hair, as a reminder of who I’m fighting for. I hope you don’t mind if I keep it. It’s one of my most precious possessions.’

(Xie Lian refastened the coral earring into Hua Cheng’s hair after fixing his braid reverently, securing it such that Hua Cheng would never lose it.)

‘Dianxia, they say that ghosts and reforge their bodies here. I want to make myself bigger so I could wrap my arms around you and be your safety. Like how you held me back then. I want to be able to hold you and keep you safe and warm and –’

(Xie Lian snuggled into Hua Cheng’s body, which encased his own on the bed. He fell asleep faster than he ever had in centuries, feeling so safe and warm and loved .)

‘Dianxia, I know you usually wear white, but I can’t help but imagine you in red. Will you wear red when we meet again? Is it too selfish of me to request that?’

(Xie Lian smiled from behind the red veil of the bridal outfit as Hua Cheng stared at him dumbfounded, barely managing to reign himself back in.)

‘Dianxia, I’ve dreamed of calling you my wife. My beloved. Are you okay with this? I want to be your reliable husband.’

(“How about…’wife’?” Xie Lian teased as they sat in the ox cart. “No? Hmmm, then why don’t we try…‘beloved’?” Hua Cheng was too flustered to call him either, but at least Xie Lian got to call him San Lang .)

‘Dianxia, I’m just thinking of how beautiful you are when you smile. Has anyone ever told you how wonderful you look when you’re happy? I was too scared to do anything when we reunited, but I swear when I see you again, I’ll find a way to make you laugh! I want to be someone who can make Dianxia happy!’

(Xie Lian and Hua Cheng collapsed to the ground in laughter after their spar, and Xie Lian knew he had to keep up appearances as The Mad Calamity but he couldn’t stop smiling and couldn’t stop laughing and –)

‘Dianxia, how long has it been? Has it been several years? I’m not sure. But you’re still keeping me alive, aren’t you? You’re still waiting for me? I’m not making you wait too long, am I? Please be patient a bit more, I beg of you. I want to be able to protect you. I want to fight by your side. I want – I want you, so much that I feel like I’m going mad –”

(“You’re right. I think we’re both mad.” Xie Lian smiled. “I wouldn’t call it mad.” Hua Cheng replied, with his lips on Xie Lian’s fingers.)

And with every hopeful plea, with every sweet prayer, Xie Lian fell further and further into his madness, fell further and further into the insane need to keep his most precious devotee safe –

Well, everyone perceived it as madness.

After all, what was madness but a manifestation of love?

“I’m waiting, Hong-er. Do your best.” He whispered to the ashes as he watered the white flower. “I’ll give you anything. I’ll give you everything and anything you want. You never have to earn anything from me, I promise. Just ask for it, and I will turn over the world to give it to you.”

(“Silly boy.” Xie Lian watched Hua Cheng fall asleep in the small Puqi Temple. “You already gave me your everything. I’ll give you anything .”)

Xie Lian bit his nail in worry when he heard that his Hong-er entered the kiln. He heard every frantic prayer for blessings, every shout of victory and every agonizing moment of uncertainty. Xie Lian clenched the ashes close to his chest.

Ruoye was anxiously snaking around Xie Lian, who refused to leave his house until Hong-er made it through. The white silk would leave and come back with some fruits or food that it could find so that Xie Lian would have something to eat.

The shout that left Xie Lian, as he jumped on his feet when his Hong-er succeeded surely echoed through the immediate area.

“He did it! Ruoye, Wu Ming, he did it!” Xie Lian danced around the flower, smiling and laughing and celebrating. “He did it –”

And like something out of a horror story, Xie Lian heard the gongs once more.

The laughter died immediately.

Oh no –

Not again –

Xie Lian knew that, if anyone, his Hong-er deserved godhood more than many of those in Heaven. Xie Lian knew that the gongs would never stay away for too long.

Just as Xie Lian knew that there was evil up there that even his Hong-er is not prepared to face.

Xie Lian grabbed Wu Ming, ready to go burn down temples again when –

‘Dianxia.’

Xie Lian steadied his hand, he barely even got a foot out the door.

Was Hong-er’s voice deeper?

‘It’s okay. I’ll take it from here. Wait for me a bit longer, please?’

And Hong-er ascended.

He ascended and Hong-er became known as Hua Cheng, the Martial God of Death.

Hua Cheng became a god, and Xie Lian felt that distance, felt the stream of consciousness that accompanied him every day turn into a stream of warmth and nothing else as the filters of Heaven separated them.

But Xie Lian knew that he had to trust Hua Cheng. He knew that this ran deeper for Hua Cheng than maybe even Xie Lian suspected. There was a level of hatred in Hua Cheng that he needed to release.

Xie Lian vowed he would do anything for Hua Cheng.

And so he lowered his sword.

And he waited.

Some time passed, and Xie Lian knew there was something wrong.

Hua Cheng was still in Heaven, and he had established his first few temples in the Mortal Realm. Xie Lian helped in their construction, 

Hua Cheng was not coming down.

And yet, Hua Cheng still prayed. They were wordless prayers, and Xie Lian knew that the separation between Heaven and the Mortal Realm tended to dampen the strength of prayers, but he could still feel the familiar warmth of his most loyal devotee.

His most loyal devotee.

Whatever the reason his Hua Cheng had for staying in Heaven, it must be important.

Oh, Xie Lian wanted to doubt. He wanted to stop believing and go back to thinking that he was unloved, that Hong-er was simply lying –

But he couldn’t. 

Because for ten years, he had heard every single sincere, frantic, insane, calm, mad, lustful, loving thought of his Hua Cheng. For ten years Hua Cheng was Xie Lian’s miracle. For ten years, Xie Lian felt a love so deep and sincere that it moved him in ways nobody had ever been able to move him before.

He knew that Hua Cheng would never betray him. He knew that Hua Cheng would never abandon him.

And so if Hua Cheng was not coming down from Heaven there was only one possibility:

Something – or someone – was stopping Hua Cheng from coming down to Xie Lian.

How? Xie Lian didn’t know.

But with his disillusionment of Heaven, with his disillusionment of the Heavenly Emperor, and everything the gods stood for, Xie Lian understood that there were layers of complexity in every action he would have to take.

As much as Xie Lian would love to just storm the Heavens and take back his Hong-er, his Wu Ming, his Hua Cheng, his devotee , it was too dangerous. 

He couldn’t be the idealistic 17 year old who thought that if he worked hard enough, if he was strong enough, he could achieve anything.

He needed to be smart. Patient.

Heaven was not about goodness, it wasn’t a reward for hard work and dedication. It was a political landscape.

He was a god, and as long as Hua Cheng believed in him and continued to pray to him – no matter how much it confused Xie Lian on the how – then he had all the time in the world.

And as long as Xie Lian had Hua Cheng’s ashes, nobody could ever kill him.

It was a stalemate.

More time passed.

Xie Lian started going by Fangxin, to both hide his identity and so that he would never forget the events that brought him to that point.

He became more accustomed to wearing the mask all the time, if not disguising his appearance completely.

He started taking in ghosts who were non-combative, giving them a place to stay in a world that hunted down ghosts regardless of their intentions.

And even more time passed.

The hut that surrounded the white flower eventually turned into a manor.

The empty fields around Xie Lian eventually turned into a city.

The sparring area Xie Lian practiced in eventually turned into the Fighting Pit.

And every day, the steady stream of warm prayers never ended.

One day, he finally entered Mount Tonglu.

“Oh –” 

Xie Lian found the cave Hua Cheng talked about.

He couldn’t help but smile. He could barely keep himself upright, and he leaned against the wall of the cave with a hand to his heart.

Thousands upon thousands of statues of Xie Lian, in different qualities and different styles, clearly a mishmash of different skill levels. His Hua Cheng truly downplayed the amount of time he spent making every iteration of Xie Lian.

Was this how he saw Xie Lian? Every statue was more beautiful than the last until Xie Lian was wondering if he was looking at a mirror. Every painting was lovelier than the last until they were surpassing even the artists from back at Xianle’s peak. 

Even the paintings and statues of Xie Lian in the Land of the Tender – poisoned and feverish and yet still so beautiful that Xie Lian realized just how much Hua Cheng meant when he said he wanted –

(And a large part of Xie Lian put into question if he could find any loopholes in his cultivation because he definitely wanted as well.)

He saw the many ways Hua Cheng had been watching over Xie Lian for several years. In how many of these moments, Xie Lian didn’t even realize he was being watched? Was his little Hong-er hiding in bushes? Watching from a distance? Made those little prayers that were covered by the shallow yet loud dedications of others?

For a moment, he thought that this was his temple, but with Hua Cheng still praying over and over, despite being in Heaven? Perhaps this was one, once upon a time, but it was currently missing prayers and believers. 

But there was no doubt that this cave was a miracle. Every statue was a miracle.

Hua Cheng was his miracle.

If Xie Lian had his way, he would make a statue of his Hua Cheng for every statue of Xie Lian. He would make it so that Hua Cheng was there for every step of Xie Lian’s journey, in the statues as well as in real life.

Sadly, he couldn’t stay long in Mount Tonglu during his visits, in the few times it opened every hundred or so years. He had a city to take care of, and citizens who depended on him.

He has the flower and the ashes to protect.

And so, he warded the cave to make sure it was protected, and during the time when Mount Tonglu was closed, Xie Lian made multiple attempts at statues of his most devoted believer. He started with stone, but he couldn’t gauge the strength he needed to carve without it splitting and cracking.

A ghost suggested marble, as it was easier and more forgiving to carve. He started with small figurines, then moved to making at least one absolutely perfect statue.

By the next time Mount Tonglu opened, a few hundred years later, Xie Lian completed one perfect statue.

It was of his Hua Cheng – back when Xie Lian called him Wu Ming – during his last moments, with his hand holding out his ashes, with that serene smile on his face. Xie Lian didn’t include the way his body bulged, didn’t include the winces of pain in his expression. This Wu Ming is immaculate and beautiful, as pure as his final physical words to Xie Lian.

The words that saved Xie Lian.

“I love you.”

He placed the statue in the middle of all of his own. Stark white against the sea of gray.

Xie Lian thumbed Wu Ming’s features, brushing away any dirt and grime, before adding a blessing to the statue to heal most ailments and any moderate curse when someone makes eye contact with it.

Just as Wu Ming healed Xie Lian.

After all, anyone who Xie Lian allowed into this room would be worthy of it.

On this particular visit, as Xie Lian started to leave, he heard the sound of the kiln opening. Surprised, he turned to see the ghosts celebrating the New Supreme.

….curious.

Being the lord of the City of Ghosts has changed Xie Lian’s viewpoint on them. Ghosts were like gods, they were human once, and most of them were simply dealt a terrible hand. For a ghost to make it to the level of Supreme, they had to have the strongest willpower, a reason to go through hell and back and come out as King.

Just like his Hua Cheng.

For someone to spend the 49 days in Mount Tonglu to emerge a Supreme, they must have one hell of a story.

Xie Lian skipped over all the ghosts, practically flying through the valley, just making it to the exit of the kiln as a figure staggered out of it.

He watched the new Supreme stumble out of the kiln, noting his dripping-wet figure and thin frame. He seemed to still be out of it, unbelieving that he made it through.

Xie Lian caught him before he fell on his face.

The New Supreme looked up at Xie Lian with wide eyes. “You…?” he shook his head. “Mad Calamity?”

Xie Lian tilted his head. He was about to comment when they heard the sound of the Supreme’s stomach rumbling.

Ghosts don’t need to be hungry.

But perhaps this man was hungry for so long he didn’t know how to feel full.

“I have food in the Ghost City if you need a place to get yourself sorted.” Xie Lian offered. “I might also know of some freed-up territories that you can make into your own.”

The Supreme frowned. “In exchange for what?”

“A story.” Xie Lian tilted his head in the other direction. “Yours.”

“That’s crazy. Are you serious?” The ghost scoffed.

And Xie Lian grinned.

Maybe there was something to being called Mad, after all.

Xie Lian made a new friend over several bowls of rice and learned of a giant statue in the kiln.

“He doesn’t remember.”

Xie Lian frowned at He Xuan. 

“Explain.”

“He doesn’t remember anything .”

“Explain better .”

He Xuan slurped up the last of his soup and turned towards Xie Lian. “The stories say he ascended from a pool of blood and fire, and when his consciousness cleared, he lost his memories of his life before ascension.”

“We both know that stories from Heaven are rarely true.” Xie Lian idly played with the sleeves of his robe. “What have you seen?”

“Talked to him about it. It seems legitimate.” He Xuan flagged the ghost for another bowl, who looked at Xie Lian with a raised brow. Xie Lian simply nodded, and the ghost started the next one. “He doesn’t remember why he ascended, where he came from, how it happened, all that. He just… he just seemed so confused and out of place.” He Xuan raised a brow. “I don’t even think he’s aware that he’s a ghost, much less a Supreme.”

“Is that possible?” Xie Lian blinked from behind his mask. Wu Ming’s mask protected much of Xie Lian’s expressions, and more often than not it gave everyone the impression that he was more calculated and insane than he actually was.

“I’ve seen him fight. His spiritual wells are insane . I can’t believe we’re supposed to be on the same level.” He Xuan nodded as he grabbed his next bowl. “I won’t be surprised if his body instinctively acted as if it was alive just because he thinks he is.”

For Xie Lian, Hua Cheng had made more miracles from nothing at all.

Like the giant statue of Xie Lian in the kiln that He Xuan mentioned to him. Xie Lian wished he could see it one day. He Xuan had yet to make the connection that Xie Lian and that statue were one and the same.

He Xuan groaned as he prepared his next mouthful of noodles. “ Please don’t gush over him while I’m still eating.”

“When are you not eating?”

“That’s the point.” He Xuan slurped his noodles. “How much do I owe you?”

“Do you really want an answer to that?”

He Xuan winced.

“I’ll come back with more information. Oh, and you asked about the Crowned Prince of Xianle, right?”

“Have you gotten anything?”

“So that was a weird one.” He Xuan frowned. “The story goes that he died during an ‘epic fight’ with The White-Clothed Calamity, Bai Wuxiang, during his second ascension. Get this, Heavenly Emperor Jun Wu claimed that the reason why he burned all of the Prince’s temples was to prevent him from reforming into a malicious spirit – complete bullshit if you ask me.”

“And you’re the scholar.” Xie Lian tapped the table with his finger.

Jun Wu had been at the top of the list of suspicious people on Xie Lian’s radar. His actions after Xie Lian’s apparent ‘death’ betray those pretty words he would spout back when Xie Lian was a wide-eyed teen.

“What’s your opinion on why he burned down the Crowned Prince’s temples?”

“Honestly? I’m willing to think he messed with the Crowned Prince. And when the Crowned Prince was about to ascend the second time, he realized that he made a mistake. The second ascension caused massive earthquakes, in both the mortal and Heavenly realm, before it was stopped. I’m willing to bet that he destroyed the temples because he was scared .”

Xie Lian discreetly scratched the shackle that he broke with his sheer willpower. He Xuan was thinking, his eyes looking distantly as he analyzed the situation, and didn’t notice Xie Lian’s actions.

“I think Jun Wu realized he created a monster he couldn’t control, and nipped it in the bud. Poor bastard.”

Xie Lian’s grin widened. He Xuan looked over at him and narrowed his eyes.

“Stop that, it’s scary.”

Well, the issue with Jun Wu could wait. The problem was what to do with Hua Cheng’s predicament.

There was something deeper behind all this, Xie Lian knew. He knew first-hand how violent ascensions could be, but no matter how traumatic the ascension was, there was no way that Hua Cheng would conveniently lose all his memories prior to his ascension.

There was definitely foul play.

And for as long as Hua Cheng was in Heaven, Xie Lian’s best bet to ensure they were both safe was to keep watch on him from a distance and protect his ashes.

But the question stands…

If he didn’t remember Xie Lian, how was he still praying? How did he still have a temple?

Regardless, life went on. For hundreds of years, Xie Lian established the Ghost City, a safe haven for ghosts to live their lives away from the world of Mortals and Gods. He created the Fighting Pit, both to disperse any excessive resentful energy and to give him something fun to do.

For hundreds of years, Xie Lian protected the flower, which grew taller and taller with every passing season, spreading smaller flowers in the excess soil. He protected the ashes behind wards piled upon wards, commissioned and created by so many masters and his own hand.

And along the way, he met some very important people.

People who reminded Xie Lian of himself.

When he met Yin Yu, he saw the Xie Lian who was freshly banished from Heaven. He saw the Xie Lian who had the world ripped out from under his feet. He saw the Xie Lian who was losing sight of who he was, that after years of working so hard to reach the heights of his dreams, crashed down into nothingness.

He Xuan was the one who gave Xie Lian the heads up, and after securing Hua Cheng’s ashes and the flower (which, at this point, had grown to the size of Xie Lian), Xie Lian looked for the banished god. He found Yin Yu, who was trying to look for his old shidi who was banished with him and had turned into a resentful spirit. Xie Lian offered his help, and even though he was dressed as Fangxin, it was clear that Yin Yu was desperate enough to trust anyone.

After dispersing Jian Yu, Yin Yu fell on the ground, staring into the distance, unseeing. Xie Lian knew what was going on in his head – that existential dread of being something one second, and then losing it all the next.

For a moment, Yin Yu’s purple eyes flashed into gold, and Xie Lian saw himself. Confused. Ashamed. Angry. Disappointed. Disillusioned. Tired.

“Heaven is not infallible. Their judgment means nothing in the face of who you are.” Xie Lian helped Yin Yu stand. He brushed away some of the dirt on Yin Yu’s robes.

Xie Lian was left to fend for himself, for his friends, and his family after his banishment. Already powerless, and yet still thought of as the indestructible prince turned god.

“You ascended. You are worthy. You just have to do things a little bit differently now. But your worth is not tied to your status in Heaven.”

Xie Lian saw both himself and Yin Yu look down at their feet. “I don’t have anything…”

And Xie Lian smiled. He hoped that, even with Wu Ming’s mask, it came off as calming rather than insane.

“I have a City, as I’m sure you’ve heard.” He gestured behind him, towards the dirt road. “If you wish for a place to stay, a safe space, you can follow me back there. Get yourself sorted. Find something to do.”

“...and then what?” Yin Yu asked.

Xie Lian shrugged. “Do whatever you want. Stay and work for someone in Ghost City, leave and live your own life, it’s your choice.”

Yin Yu watched him for a moment, and like shedding off a weight from his shoulders, adjusted his stance. The image of Xie Lian’s old self did the same, smiling this time before it disappeared. “Can I have a mask, too?”

Xie Lian chuckled. “We can grab one along the way.”

When he and Yin Yu set out towards Ghost City, they were bathed in the light of a waning crescent moon.

The waning moon. A time of surrender. Letting go of negativity.

Rest.

When Xie Lian returned to the Ghost City, he brought with him The Waning Moon.

When he met Lang Qianqiu, he saw the young, idealistic 17 year old who felt invincible, who had so much promise and such high expectations, only to be met with the greed and evil of others.

Xie Lian felt both the pride and pity of watching the boy he essentially raised nail the last of the Xianle bloodline into the coffin. With every strike of the stake, with every gurgled laugh from An Le, Xie Lian knew that Lang Qianqiu felt the weight of the world on his shoulders.

And so when An Le was finally silenced, when Lang Qianqiu closed the coffin and shuffled towards his teacher with his head hung low, Xie Lian did the one thing that he wished someone did to him.

“You’re just a kid.” He patted the former prince’s head. “I know you think you’ve grown up, but you’re just a kid. You’re so young. It’s okay to be sad and angry. It’s okay to be scared and confused. It’s okay to doubt yourself. I am here, I will help.”

And Lang Qianqiu broke .

“I’m sorry –” Lang Qianqiu sobbed. “I’m supposed to be a Prince – I’m burdening Guoshi –”

“Nobody should rely on you.” Xie Lian opened his arms and allowed his student to hug him and hide his face in Xie Lian’s robes. “Always remember, you are Lang Qianqiu first, the Prince of Yong’an second.”

They left the coffins and the cave, left the body of An Le to rot. Lang Qianqiu walked in front, so that Xie Lian could protect his back. Lang Qianqiu couldn’t lift his head, but Xie Lian reassured Lang Qianqiu that if anyone attacked, he wouldn’t have to lift a sword. Xie Lian would lift it for them both.

As they walked, Xie Lian saw his 17 year old self, armored and ashamed, with his head down, walking beside his student. The Xie Lian who tried, and failed, and all the blame of the world fell on him…

And he thought he deserved it.

“You were just a kid.” He whispered to himself. “The world was unfair. You didn’t know what to do. Nobody should have relied on you. You’re a human first, a prince, and a god, second.”

The image of himself turned around at the same time as Lang Qianqiu, eyes still reddish from crying. “Guoshi? Did you say something?”

Xie Lian took a deep breath. He’s glad the butterfly mask hid his own watery eyes. “You did your best. I’m proud of you.”

And he knew, in his heart, he was talking to both himself and his student. The image of the young Xie Lian smiled, and disappeared, while Lang Qianqiu’s eyes teared up once again, and he wiped them with his sleeve.

“Thank you, Guoshi.”

When Xie Lian and Lang Qianqiu left Yong’an, they were followed by the rising sun.

The rising sun. The dawn of a new day. The light after dark.

Hope.

When Xie Lian returned to the Ghost City, he brought with him The Rising Sun.

When he met Ban Yue, he saw the Xie Lian who gave all of himself to the people around him, endlessly, selflessly, without any qualification, without any regard for who it was for. He saw the Xie Lian who sliced off pieces of himself for people who took it and claimed glory.

“I don’t know what to do.” Ban Yue shook. “I don’t know what to do.”

And Xie Lian was angry because Ban Yue was such a sweet girl, who empathized even with those who ridiculed her beforehand. She was trying her hardest to do everything for anyone who showed her a shred of kindness. She kept giving and giving and giving for the hope of acceptance and –

Xie Lian knew he was being a hypocrite because wasn’t he the same? Didn’t he want to give, and give, and give because he felt that it was what he had to do?

And didn’t everyone take, and take, and take without regard for him, without caring what it cost him, without caring about what it meant to Xie Lian to give so much?

Didn’t they easily throw him away when he was no longer useful?

Being kind was one thing. Being a pushover was another.

“You could walk away.” Xie Lian suggested, and when Ban Yue looked at him in wonder, he saw his own face looking back at him. The Xie Lian who tried so, so very hard. Who gave too much, and gave even more after. The Xie Lian who should’ve walked away.

“But…won’t they curse me?” He heard two voices, his own younger self, and Ban Yue.

“They would’ve either way.”

And they did.

It was strange that, as he saw the image of his younger self fade, he realized that he no longer recognized him anymore. Xie Lian had grown and changed so much from his time over a hundred years ago…

As they rested in a nearby inn after finding a village for the refugees who wished to leave the war, Xie Lian idly watched Ban Yue help one of her snakes shed its skin, lightly scratching at the loose piece of skin on the snake’s nose so it could wiggle out of the old skin.

Snakes. Rebirth. Transformation.

Healing.

When Xie Lian returned to the Ghost City, he brought with him The Snake Princess.

With every officer, Xie Lian healed a part of himself.

With every officer, Xie Lian learned and gave the kindness he had sorely lacked in his own life.

With every officer, Xie Lian felt that he truly was deserving of the love and devotion that his Hong-er, his Wu Ming, his Hua Cheng gave at every life, at every turn.

Hua Cheng saw all of who he was, from the good to the bad, to the worst. 

He had seen Xie Lian at the height of his glory, at the lowest of his agony.

He had seen Xie Lian in the light of his kindness and in the darkness of his evil.

And still, he entrusted his whole being to Xie Lian, entrusted his existence to Xie Lian without any fear.

And still, he called Xie Lian ‘Dianxia’ with more reverence and care than anyone else in Xie Lian’s life, while at the same time acknowledging Xie Lian’s humanity and flaws.

And still, his final words to Xie Lian were “I love you”.

Xie Lian sat in his nest, the most protected place in the world, containing the giant flower that now dwarfed Xie Lian, surrounded by small, white flowers and protected by spider lilies, with the ashes of his most devoted believer nestled amongst the petals.

“The world doesn’t deserve you.” His Wu Ming had said.

And little by little, Xie Lian found himself believing it.

The world didn’t deserve him.

And he didn’t need the world to love him. He didn’t need to be the darling prince. He didn’t need to be the perfect god. He didn’t need to be the untouchable savior of the world.

It didn’t matter if the people called him The Mad Calamity. It didn’t matter if he was driven to the status of the ultimate villain. It didn’t matter if nobody knew his true name and called him by the false one he spread. It didn’t matter if only a handful of people knew of his good deeds.

All he needed to be was Xie Lian, in whatever form that may be.

And all the people who matter don't mind.

And all the people who mind don't matter.

And despite the hundreds of years that had passed, Xie Lian never doubted for a second that Hua Cheng would accept all of who Xie Lian had become.

After all, through the hundreds of years, Xie Lian could still feel the warmth of Hua Cheng’s constant prayer.

Xie Lian and his three officers were spending a peaceful day disguised together in a village. It was the festival of The Martial God of Death, Hua Cheng, whose blessings in battle allowed them to win in their push against a feudal lord who had abused their agriculture for his own benefit.

So of course Xie Lian came by as a loyal priest, giving riches so that the village could host a large festival, just as he did for every festival that celebrated Hua Cheng.

They were presented the village’s aged tea as a thank-you for their contributions to the festivals, and they drank it together as they sat outside, watching the villagers put the final touches on preparing for the festival. Xie Lian offered multiple times to help, but the villagers refused.

“I wonder how much of this Hua Cheng will hear in Heaven.” Xie Lian hummed absentmindedly as he watched the proceedings, occasionally turning towards Lang Qianqiu and Ban Yue, as the latter decided to try to make a flower crown on the boy’s head. “I hope this makes him happy!”

“Heaven dampens the strength of prayers.” Yin Yu replied, his voice clipped. “I doubt he’ll realize how much work went into it, really.”

Xie Lian turned to his very first officer. “Alright, you’ve been testy all day. What’s bothering you?”

Yin Yu bit his lip and looked down.

“Yu-ge’s annoyed because he heard the story of Pei Xiu’s ascension.” Ban Yue spoke softly, almost guiltily, as she braided the stems into Lang Qianqiu’s hair. “He’s…still angry about it.”

“Oh?” Xie Lian smiled, amused.

Yin Yu did not share the same amusement. 

“What story did they make up this time?” Lang Qianqiu tried to turn to face Yin Yu, but Ban Yue protested and held his head in place. “It can’t be as bad as the story they made about me!”

Yin Yu looked like he wanted to chew his bottom lip off, so Ban Yue responded. “The Mad Calamity interfered with the war by creating a third faction, seducing soldiers to his side, and turning The Crescent Kingdom into a den of resentment and evil.”

Xie Lian’s smile widened, and he threw his head back in laughter, startling some of the villagers nearby. 

The ridiculousness of some of these stories! Xie Lian wondered if godhood was truly tied to skill, or if it is tied to one’s ability to fabricate such intricate lies. Anyone could poke holes in that story, but nobody tried to because they would rather blame others than admit their own wrongs.

“It’s not funny. Please don’t laugh at it, Fangxin.” Yin Yu barked. “Don’t you feel hurt that they would dare lie so blatantly about you –”

“Yin Yu, it’s okay .” Xie Lian poured another cup of tea, passing it over to the disgruntled officer. “It doesn’t matter to me, truly. They don’t know who I am, so they have no say on my character.”

Yin Yu still looked like he wanted to protest but Xie Lian shoved an apple in his mouth before he could say anything.

“It’s okay.” Xie Lian tilted his head, repeating. “It’s okay.”

Yin Yu bit down on the apple and chewed with his head down.

“Guoshi,” Lang Qianqiu moved, much to the protest of Ban Yue who was still working on the flower crown. It was becoming unnecessarily intricate but nobody was stopping her from finishing her work. “About Lord Hua... do you think he’ll believe all the lies about you?”

Ah, yes, Hua Cheng. He had been in Heaven for a few hundred years now, hadn’t he?

Xie Lian has been quite concerned. He Xuan claims that Hua Cheng was distant, but he was a good man who never allowed himself to be wrestled in with the other gods’ whims. Xie Lian wondered if he knew about the gossip surrounding his reputation. Xie Lian never cared when he was in Heaven, was Hua Cheng the same?

Xie Lian was sure that there was something else at play, something that caused Hua Cheng’s lapse in memory, and until He Xuan could figure something out or someone slipped, or if Hua Cheng regained some memories, then Xie Lian would play it safe.

As for Lang Qianqiu’s question…

“I don’t know.” Xie Lian admitted, knowing he owed them the truth. “But, I have faith that he won’t.”

That set off Yin Yu once more.

“With all due respect, Fangxin,” Yin Yu clenched his fist, the agitation he had since earlier on still hadn’t completely died down, “this seems so foolish. You’ve built so much, protected this ghost’s ashes for hundreds of years, attended every festival to make sure they were well stocked, sent enough lanterns to increase his status, and you’re not even sure if he will believe in you? How could you dedicate so much of yourself to someone just like that?”

Xie Lian would’ve asked the same question a long time ago.

Not anymore.

Because someone believed in Xie Lian when the world ridiculed his name. Someone believed in Xie Lian even when he was at his absolute worst. Someone believed in Xie Lian when nobody else did.

Because, just like the first ten years of Mount Tonglu, and every single day afterwards, Xie Lian still could feel Hua Cheng’s constant and warm devotion.

“My existence is yours to do as you wish. I will always look for you, I will always serve you, I will always fight to remain by your side and be anything you need. If you find me a bother, if you don’t want me with you, then I will gladly give you permission to destroy me.” Hua Cheng had said when he gave Xie Lian his ashes, and Xie Lian endeavored to protect him.

How crazy was it now that Hua Cheng was Xie Lian’s final tether into the world.

Hua Cheng’s ashes were safe, in the safest place in the world, and Xie Lian would stop at nothing to ensure it remained that way.

And now, every second he breathed was due to Hua Cheng somehow praying to him despite not remembering anything about him.

His existence was now tied to Hua Cheng’s constant love and devotion, even in the face of his memory loss.

Was this how Hua Cheng felt when he was in Mount Tonglu? Did he feel that overwhelming sense of love and humility in the face of his continued existence, knowing that Xie Lian chose to protect his ashes?

Xie Lian would never doubt his most devoted believer.

So, in response, Xie Lian simply smiled at Yin Yu.

“Isn’t that the very definition of Faith?”

Chapter Text

The best thing about being separate from Heaven?

It puts things into perspective.

Xie Lian’s life has been a mess of events and action and noise and then some. There was always training to finish, a mission to do, a fight to break, someone to talk to, people to pacify, a war to fight –

And then everything went so wrong so quickly –

He never really got time to sit down and process everything that has happened.

In the wake of Hua Cheng ascending and his memory loss, now that Xie Lian had established his home and a safe space for the flower and the ashes, now that Xie Lian had time, and silence, he got to sit down and really think.

Who is Bai Wuxiang?

Bai Wuxiang could not be Xie Lian. He was certain of that. Because what that foul man did, all the things he said, that was not Xie Lian. That was not how he thought. That was not how he lived. That was not him.

Xie Lian was more certain of that than ever.

Appearances can be copied, people can lie, ghosts can lie, gods can lie.

If he truly was meant to be Bai Wuxiang, then why did he stop coming after Xie Lian once he severed himself from Heaven?

If he was truly meant to be Bai Wuxiang, why does Xie Lian feel more free now, living as some sort of god-calamity hybrid, living by his own rules?

Why was Jun Wu so certain that Bai Wuxiang was dead, and yet burned down Xie Lian’s temples?

Questions upon questions…

‘Hua Cheng remembers you.’

Xie Lian frowned, and pressed his fingers to his temple.

‘Explain.’

‘He remembers you but he…doesn’t remember you ?’

‘Explain better .’

Xie Lian signaled for Yin Yu to take over the Fighting Pit as he spoke to He Xuan. He leaned back against the chair, pretending to be bored with the proceedings as he listened.

‘He’s talking to me about it right now. He remembers that he ascended for someone, that there was someone he was looking for, but he can’t remember who and it’s haunting him. Either he has a lover down there, or it’s you. I’m going to hazard a guess that it’s you.’

Xie Lian maintained that distance between himself and Hua Cheng, kept tabs on the god but never made his presence known in fear of retaliation from whoever decided to mess with their reunion. He secretly maintained Hua Cheng’s status and protected his existence as to not provoke anyone from hurting his most beloved person.

However, the landscape of Heaven has been shifting and changing. Jun Wu has been taking the backseat to many of the go-ons in Heaven, and if He Xuan’s assessment has been accurate then he’s been bored and disinterested. 

So many gods have ascended since then, and after hundreds of years, Xie Lian has gone down in history as a god who sacrificed himself to destroy Bai Wuxiang (which verified for Xie Lian that Bai Wuxiang was some made-up entity created to hurt Xie Lian). Likewise, Fangxin has risen as the ‘Scourge of Heaven;, as the feared Mad Calamity who lived by his own rules and cannot be opposed by the Heavens

Nobody has made the connection that Fangxin and Xie Lian were one and the same.

It would be suspicious for Xie Lian to “suddenly come back to life” because that would force the hand of Bai Wuxiang to come back, and would bring attention to his status the past 800 years.

It would be suspicious for Fangxin to “suddenly come up to Heaven to kidnap Hua Cheng” because he had done nothing but (allegedly) terrorize the gods.

No matter what Xie Lian does, it would garner too much attention.

But…if Hua Cheng, a god adrift in Heaven, with a purpose that he needs to serve, were to come down from Heaven to the mortal realm of his own volition? Nobody would bat an eye.

Just another god doing whatever he wants.

All these factors combined meant that if there was a perfect time to take a leap of Faith, it would be now. Now while Heaven is resting on their laurels and relaxed. Now, when Jun Wu has taken a step back from making every decision in Heaven. Now, when there was enough bureaucracy that perhaps Hua Cheng going down to the Mortal Realm won’t even reach the ears of the Heavenly Emperor.

‘Suggest for him to come down here and look for them.’ Xie Lian bounced his leg from the excitement. Yin Yu glanced over his way, and even with his face covered with the oni mask, Xie Lian knew he was raising a brow.

‘ Please don’t be insufferable about this.’

‘Are you sure you have a say in this?’

Xie Lian couldn’t focus the rest of the time, telling his officers to take care of things while his thoughts went back and forth. How about his temple? If Hua Cheng managed to bring his temple up to Heaven and maintain it for 800 years, even though he didn’t remember anything, what would happen if he comes back down?

Well…Xie Lian will have to take that second leap of Faith.

‘Hua Cheng is going down to the Mortal Realm. He’s heading up north to Mount Yujin to deal with a ‘ghost groom’ in exchange for clearance. Do you know anything about that?’

‘Hmmmm might be one of Qi Rong’s leftover influences. Thank you, Black Water!’

‘At least this will get you off my back –’

‘I bet my Hua Cheng is so handsome~’

‘OH, DON’T YOU START!’

Whatever temple Hua Cheng has, Xie Lian will figure it out in the future.

It was cute.

Xie Lian didn’t know if Hua Cheng deliberately chose to transform into a figure so close to his Wu Ming form. At first Xie Lian hovered around Hua Cheng, taking the forms of unassuming patrons, observing the man that his Hong-er has become. The only reason why he knew this was not Hua Cheng’s true form – or at least, the form he forged in the kiln – was because his eyes were complete.

He was trying his best to assist the villagers without asking too much of them. It was clear that he was struggling in the light of the daughters refusing to become brides to avoid their untimely deaths.

Any other god would have strongarmed a woman into being a bride for the mission.

Hua Cheng simply sat back and was thinking about how to go about it differently. Xie Lian thought of how he could possibly approach Hua Cheng, he didn’t want to disrespect the god in any way by taking over the mission for him – 

However, it wasn’t until Hua Cheng rubbed that indecipherable tattoo in his arm subconsciously did Xie Lian finally understand:

‘Please, give me a sign, what should I do? How do I complete this mission? I want to stay down here, I want to stay –’

For 800 years Xie Lian felt nothing but the wordless yet constant flow and ebb of the sincere, warm prayers that Hua Cheng somehow maintained even after losing his memories. He only vaguely remembered what it was like, those first ten years of his Hong-er in Mount Tonglu, but it came back at that moment. Every single sincere, frantic, insane, calm, mad, lustful, loving thought – 

 – And Xie Lian barely had time to make it out of the building before he collapsed to his knees from the sheer awe , gasping so suddenly that it made him cough.

No way…it was impossible…

…but hadn’t Hua Cheng always been an impossibility?

“A miracle…” he breathed. “Oh, my Hua Cheng, you’re a fucking miracle!!!”

He should have known. He should have known his Hong-er, his Wu Ming, his Hua Cheng was above and beyond any believer.

He found his temple.

What does a temple need?

A representation of its god.

Offerings.

Prayers.

Believers.

Xie Lian’s name (now that he thought of it, he realized it was his name) carved into Hua Cheng’s arm, the representation of his god.

Food eaten and drinks accepted, riches accumulated, offerings to keep the temple nourished.

Prayers done in the form of contemplation, the way his Hong-er had always prayed ever since he was a child.

And of course, Hua Cheng, himself. The one believer who conquered death twice over, who ascended, who had now returned back to the mortal realm…

Only one person is needed. Only one person is enough.

Hua Cheng had turned his very body into a temple. He instinctively prayed over it and maintained it –

Even when he had forgotten who Xie Lian was. 

Even after staying in Heaven for so long.

– and he had single-handedly maintained Xie Lian’s godhood for 800 years.

He single-handedly kept Xie Lian alive for 800 years.

And Xie Lian will do anything for his most devoted believer.

“Which reminds me…” Xie Lian laughed, “didn’t he request that I wear red when we meet again?”

Xie Lian called for Ban Yue’s help in setting him up as a bride for Hua Cheng’s mission. He started dressing himself as Ban Yue spoke for him, unsure if he would be able to speak to Hua Cheng without vomiting his heart.

And after listening to them speak to one another, it was a good thing, too.

“Laoshi! Lord Hua said it’s okay!” Ban Yue chirped, skipping over to Xie Lian.

“First impressions?” He croaked, putting on the veil so that Ban Yue wouldn’t see how flustered he truly was.

Xie Lian knew he gave his officers such high expectations of Hua Cheng. 

He gushed about his god frequently enough that his officers knew all the stories. He knew that all three of his officers, although they would never protest about it to Xie Lian’s face, have been skeptical about the god. They have been waiting for the chance to judge him, themselves, to see if he lives up to Xie Lian’s stories. If this Hua Cheng was deserving of Xie Lian’s neverending devotion and praise.

In fact, Xie Lian knew that Ban Yue was testing Hua Cheng the second she went up to him.

But Xie Lian also knew that Hua Cheng would have no problem.

Because when Ban Yue asked for help, despite looking like a young teenaged girl, Hua Cheng acknowledged her with his complete attention, without belittling her and her contribution.

Because when Ban Yue offered her Laoshi to help by dressing as a bride, Hua Cheng’s first instinct was to decline as to not force him to do anything he wouldn’t want, nor endanger him.

Because when Ban Yue insisted, Hua Cheng swore first and foremost to protect her Laoshi.

And so Xie Lian already knew what Ban Yue was going to say. He knew the second he saw that smile stretch across her face.

“I like him!”

Stay calm, stay calm. Don’t do anything stupid.

Xie Lian, when he first decided to reunite with Hua Cheng again, promised himself to be calm and collected. To be mature and cool. He wasn’t going to drape himself all over his believer, he wasn’t going to gush and flirt.

He promised himself to be in control of his emotions, and not overwhelm Hua Cheng…

…but how in the world was he supposed to do that???

‘Who are you? Why do I feel this way around you? I’ve never felt so strongly before –’

How was he supposed to control himself as he watched Hua Cheng trip all over himself upon seeing Xie Lian’s face?

How he was so obviously and immediately infatuated with Xie Lian at first sight, just as he admitted during those first ten years of hearing nothing but prayer? 

How Hua Cheng bashed Xuan Ji’s head over and over onto the ground in a fit of uncontrolled rage for just making one bad comment about Xie Lian – without even realizing what he was doing?

Hua Cheng may have forgotten, his devotion was so strong, that even when he didn’t know who Xie Lian was, his body still reacted to protect him, his knees would buckle as if he wanted to kneel –

He looked at Xie Lian with the same wide eyes as back before he dispersed –

“I don’t know what I’m doing.” He had whispered to Xie Lian as he pulled them close, as he dipped his head to breathe the same air as Xie Lian, as if he couldn’t stand to be more than a half-step away.

“Perhaps daozhang’s body knows something that daozhang doesn’t~” He replied, and though it came out as flirtatious, there was a deeply rooted truth behind it.

Hua Cheng’s body is a temple.

And a temple will never forget for whom it was built.

‘-- you’re so beautiful. How can I see you again?’

How was he supposed to control himself as he could finally go to his most devoted believer at his call? Now that Hua Cheng’s ashes were safe enough to leave, and there was no boundary to keep them apart?

“All you have to do is think of me, and I will be there.” Xie Lian had told him, because it was true, wasn’t it? It was how Hua Cheng had always prayed: so instinctive that his very thoughts are subconsciously translated into prayer. 

His Hua Cheng had grown so confident; strong and yet grounded in himself – the attitude of someone who knew he was powerful but had the responsibility to use it only as needed.

And he chose to call Xie Lian “gege”.

In any other circumstance, it was a level of closeness that some people could find insulting. Xie Lian had always been a prince, a god, a lord, a teacher – titles which demanded the respect of his peers. Titles which dehumanized Xie Lian into being something Greater.

So of course, the first person to humanize Xie Lian once more was his most devoted believer. The first person to see all of Xie Lian’s humanity, and tell him that he is loved.

He loved being called gege.

Xie Lian took every opportunity to stay close to his San Lang as they made their way on the ox cart, and Hua Cheng looked so sweet, his cheeks as red as the falling leaves around them.

A quaint little village with maple leaves. Somehow, it fit his Hua Cheng very well.

He did always seem to love the color red.

‘The calligraphy is so beautiful – you’re so beautiful – how are you still here? Why are you still here?’

How was he supposed to control himself as his precious Hua Cheng gushed and looked so in awe of the calligraphy Xie Lian left him. 

Xie Lian didn’t even plan on giving Hua Cheng his calligraphy when he first visited, but he figured it would be poetic for them both to share the same kind of representation.

A calligraphy for calligraphy. Even if one of them can’t be read, that's fine. It was perhaps some sort of hidden blessing that it was so illegible that Xie Lian was certain nobody in Heaven had found out it was his name.

Xie Lian was always so nervous about meeting Hua Cheng again – besides the devotion and faith and love between them, they never really got to sit and talk as normal people. Their meetings have always been functional, or peppered with battle and strife.

But it made Xie Lian’s heart swell as they spoke of history and weapons and everything Hua Cheng wished they could talk about – topics that Hua Cheng learned about so that he could keep up with Xie Lian’s vast knowledge. They spoke easily, between fixing the temple side by side, working so seamlessly together it was like they never parted to begin with.

Xie Lian stood strong in his faith in Hua Cheng for 800 years.

And what a relief it was to see that 800 years of no memory of Xie Lian was still unable to shake away Hua Cheng’s faith in him.

It was in the way Hua Cheng offered his own offerings to Xie Lian. (Of course he would, offerings to Hua Cheng are like offerings to Xie Lian, himself)

It was in the way Hua Cheng immediately stood at his defense, disarming and pointing a sword at a fellow god’s neck at the slightest sign of aggression. (Of course he would, he promised to be strong enough to protect Xie Lian.)

It was in the way Hua Cheng never even considered that Xie Lian could be the culprit, despite not knowing anything about him other than him being called a ‘Calamity’, despite He Xuan’s report that the gods told Hua Cheng to stay away from Xie Lian, despite what Pei Xiu claimed. 

(Of course he would. He’s Hua Cheng.)

‘PROTECT HIM - SAVE HIM - DON’T LET HIM GET HURT AGAIN –’

How was he supposed to control himself as Hua Cheng dove head-first after Xie Lian in the Sinner’s pit with the single-minded determination to protect Xie Lian from all harm?

How he had tears in his eyes from the fear that something could happen to Xie Lian?

How he subconsciously brought forth the Power of A Supreme, destroying hundreds upon hundreds of resentful souls while simultaneously cradling Xie Lian to his chest as if he was a treasure worth protecting?

“My whole godhood, for hundreds of years, everything felt wrong until I met you. You’re the only thing that makes sense, you’re the only one that moves me, it’s you, isn’t it?!”

It was just like the first time he confessed, the sincerity in his words and actions, how they moved Xie Lian’s heart and he couldn’t help but sigh because just when he thought he couldn’t love Hua Cheng more, he goes and does something like this .

And as much as Xie Lian would love to let Hua Cheng live out his dream of protecting his former prince, Xie Lian would rather fight side-by-side with him.

After all, they both tether each other to this world.

Xie Lian would not be without Hua Cheng, as Hua Cheng would not be without Xie Lian.

‘I want to remember you, I want to remember you, I want to remember you so badly –’

How was he supposed to control himself as Hua Cheng looked at him with so much hope, holding out his arm with the almost indecipherable calligraphy (which honestly hurt Xie Lian’s soul, but it was Hua Cheng’s, and therefore, it was precious) that Xie Lian could only read because he knew what it was.

It took everything in his power to keep things to himself, to stop himself from spilling out his heart and his name and everything he had been through for the past 800 years. He didn’t want to make this about himself. It’s something that’s been haunting Hua Cheng for as long as it has haunted Xie Lian.

There was something bigger at play. There was someone manipulating the strings behind the scenes. Someone is the reason for Hua Cheng’s sudden loss of memory.

And Xie Lian respected and loved Hua Cheng too much to even risk getting something wrong.

His Hua Cheng loved him truly, unconditionally. Even if he were to remember Xie Lian at his worst, unfiltered and unredacted, Xie Lian was fully confident that it would not affect Hua Cheng’s perception of him.

It was in the way Hua Cheng believed in Xie Lian’s goodness, even after hearing someone slander his name. It was in the way Hua Cheng chowed through Xie Lian’s cooking, when others would’ve ran from the room. It was in the way Hua Cheng instinctively folded his robes to give Xie Lian a pillow for his head. 

“What did I do?” Hua Cheng asked as Xie Lian settled in his arms, “I have nothing to offer you.”

Xie Lian had to stop himself again from vomiting his heart out.

‘Oh, San Lang, you have no idea how much you’ve given me.’

He owed his very existence to Hua Cheng.

“Silly boy.” He carded his fingers through Hua Cheng’s hair. Already, the strands were shimmering slightly and fading, the skin of a human that Hua Cheng wasn’t aware he was maintaining was losing its perfect mask. “You already gave me your everything. I’ll give you anything .”