Chapter Text
As they approached the path to Paradise Manor, Guzi clutching the pouch holding his father’s spirit in his hands, Wei Wuxian's steps slowed until he faced Guzi.
“I should be leaving,” Guzi says with a gentle frown, his cast downward. “I promise I did have fun, I really enjoyed seeing the city and I very much appreciated your help in finding my father’s ashes.”
“Why don’t you stay, at least for another night?” He says, taking a single step toward Guzi. “You’d be more than welcome back at the manor you know. Xie Lian definitely has a soft spot for you.”
Holding his father’s spirit closer to him, Guzi breathes out a small breath as he glances back down the road.
Guzi shakes his head. “No. I can’t. I care a lot about them but… I can’t exactly do anything to help. Plus, they’ll only see me as the child I used to be. Not the person I am now. It'll just upset them more to realize.”
“Well if you insist. But you do have to come back to visit, can’t leave a friend hanging like that forever after all.” Wei Wuxian jokes. “And promise you’ll give us any information you have. I’m sure Chengzu will need it.”
“Of course Wei Ying.” Guzi says cheerfully. “And you’ll keep me updated? I’m sure Hua Cheng and His Highness will have details they’re reluctant to share with me.”
Wei Wuxian nods and sighs. “Yeah I imagine. Well right now there’s not much, we’re just trying to gather some intel.”
“How so?” Guzi asks.
“Someone’s gathering it for us.” Wei Wuxian explains. “I don’t really know anything about the details.”
“Like a spy?” His eyebrow raises.
“You could say that.” Wei Wuxian nods. “Yeah. He hasn’t been able to find anything yet so far.”
“Yes, of course.” Guzi smiles. “A spy is rather clever. How about I give you my array password, and you can use it to contact me if you learn anything?”
“You have an array? That’s perfect!” He says excitedly. “Of course, then we can keep each other updated.”
After exchanging passwords, Wei Wuxian tested it.
“Did I do it right?”
“Yup!” Guzi responded cheerily.
“Oh good, I wondered with how complicated it was! ” Wei Wuxian grinned at Guzi with a signature tilt to his lips.
“It isn’t that complicated.”
“No no it's much too complicated for someone with such poor memory as this old man!”
Wei Wuxian watches as Guzi breaks into laughter. “As fun as it's been, Wei-gongzi, I really must go. And you have to report back to Hua Cheng don't you?”
“Unfortunately I believe you're right. If you ever wanna come by for a chat, or another drink sometime, you know where to find me.” He waves as Guzi strolls back down the road.
Heading inside the manor, Wei Wuxian enters upon Xie Lian standing and slowly pacing as Hua Cheng lounges up on the platform. His eyes scan by Wei Wuxian, as if intrigued by something.
Xie Lian smiles seeing Wei Wuxian before looking around him expectantly. “You made it back. What happened?”
“Yes. Where is Guzi?” Hua Cheng asks, his eye zeroing in on Wei Wuxian without blinking.
“He left.” Wei Wuxian shrugs. “Dunno where. Said he’d give as much info as he could but he didn’t know much. Everything seemed normal enough.”
If Guzi did manage to help his father, perhaps then Wei Wuxian would recount the tale. Would get the old ghost king to talk and give them any sort of clues. For now, it was for the best Hua Cheng believed Guzi was exactly as he had left him and Xie Lian. Wei Wuxian doesn’t blame Guzi for the way he’d needed to track his father down, he’d done far worse.
“So there was nothing out of the ordinary.”
“No.”
“Good.” Hua Cheng looks over the rim of the cup at Wei Wuxian, a curious expression on his face. “
“San Lang.” XIe Lian chides. “Were you trying to get Wei Wuxian to spy on Guzi?”
“Spy? Gege, really.” Hua Cheng shakes his head and raises a hand to wave away the idea. “No, I’m not so rude or thoughtless as that. I just asked Wei Wuxian to make sure everything was okay. I’m sure you’ve noticed after all.”
Frowning ever so slightly, Xie Lian agrees. “No you’re right, Guzi is definitely different now, but we only really knew him as a child after all. Not to mention so many years ago, even if he hadn’t gotten so much older I doubt our memories of him are the clearest.”
“Gege makes an excellent point.”
“I mean…” Wei Wuxian rubs his neck. “If I may? Guzi also died, it seems like pretty young as well. I’m sure he’s been through a lot. Anyone would change after something like that after all.”
“Yes. I’m sure that’s true.” Hua Cheng stands from the platform, strolling down the steps to the main room. “Well then your task is complete, I’ll let you know when I think of something else.” He waves Wei Wuxian off.
“Understood, Chengzu.” Wei Wuxian nods.
The next few days are rather uneventful. Wei Wuxian wishes he had more information if only to help Guzi better. The kid's grown on him. Not only that, he has a chance to get his family back. The only father he'd known.
The days, Wei Wuxian spends researching spirits in Hua Cheng's library filled with an assortment of books on the subject. Most of the information Wei Wuxian glosses over, especially the information that had been drilled into him as the basics of cultivation and exorcising ghosts.
At night, Hua Cheng doesn't ask much more of him besides the random chore or two when it pleases him. Every so often he invites Wei Wuxian to another game of chess if Xie Lian is in heaven.
These are usually accompanied by conversations around Wei Wuxian’s learning as a cultivator.
“What do they teach young cultivators about these days anyways? If they’re as lacking in judgment as you I fear the next generation of cultivators.” Hua Cheng shakes his head.
“Our teachings haven’t changed that much.” Wei Wuxian rolls his eyes.
“Hmmm, well I’ll let gege test that theory. He was a top student at his temple after all.” Hua Cheng hums, meticulously moving a piece across the board after examining it for a good few minutes.
Or their conversations revolved around Wei Wuxian’s own past. (Though Wei Wuxian rarely had the opportunity to return the favor).
“How did someone like you end up becoming the star pupil of the Jiang sect? At least, not without a very strong cultivation base.” Hua Cheng asks, tilting his head as he hums.
“Well I did have one, my mother was a disciple of Wanderer Baoshan after all.” Wei Wuxian mumbles briefly, moving a piece. “Then I just got lucky enough to be taken in by the Jiangs as a servant, and given the chance to cultivate in the first place.”
Hua Cheng’s brow raises just briefly, pushing a piece closer to Wei Wuxian. “That seems counter-intuitive for relying on demonic cultivation which doesn’t require such pure luck. Surely it would make sense to develop such raw talent.”
“Didn’t see the need to.” Wei Wuxian shakes his head, taking the piece. “I mean, I’d already become strong enough I didn’t have anywhere else to go when we needed something even more powerful, and fast, to beat the Wens.”
“You’d presume to claim that you’d reached your own personal pinnacle?” Hua Cheng snorts, beating Wei Wuxian for the fifth time in a row that very evening. “How arrogant of you.”
Laughing it off Wei Wuxian grins. “Well of course. What else did you expect? You already know how skilled I am.”
“I’d say it’s a sad excuse you use to pretend you’ve reached your own meager limitations.” Hua Cheng mutters as he clears away the board.
Wei Wuxian huffs, “Right, because you know so much.”
“I know those with any real talent don’t act like they’ve reached their limit after so little training.” He points out.
It’s hard to believe Xie Lian had any idea what he was talking about when he said Hua Cheng thought he had potential. Or perhaps that’s all he sees in Wei Wuxian, and nothing else. It’s not as if it phases him, the opinion of the Ghost King didn’t have any bearing on him.
Things only change a few days later when Wei Wuxian is once again called to see the Ghost King in question.
“Ah Wei Wuxian.” Hua Cheng nods as the door opens. “I’ve been expecting you.”
Though the place in front of Hua Cheng is only set with a single cup, Wei Wuxian finds himself looking at the stranger next to him digging into a bowl of food practically without breathing. In fact Wei Wuxian is sure the stranger hasn’t realized someone had entered.
“You have?” He casually sits at the table, crossing his legs.
“You know, I have the perfect task for you tonight. Gege recently informed me that an official was recently reported missing.”
“An official?” Wei Wuxian’s expression twists in confusion. “Any clues as to what happened?”
“Not according to heaven.” Hua Cheng stands up, striding to the edge of the room where he fills his cup and contemplates it for a moment.
“But…?” Wei Wuxian says, eyes lighting up. Is he going to be entrusted with an outside mission again? Yeah it probably means being stuck with Hua Cheng, but he’d give anything to leave the crimson walls of Ghost City any day. Even being stuck with Hua Cheng.
“But I have other intel. Due to our informant on the inside, I happen to know where he’s being kept.” His brow furrows in contemplation. “Though it’s a place Qi Rong was cleared out of. His old hiding hole from a few hundred years ago.”
His manor of recounting the event makes it sound akin to exterminating a nest of rats. Wei Wuxian wonders what exactly the other ghost king had done in order to receive Hua Cheng’s wrath in this way. Perhaps it’s better he doesn’t know.
“So what do we do about it?” Wei Wuxian asks, tilting his head. He wasn’t pressed either way, far as he’s concerned this seems more like some petty grudge between Ghost Kings. The only stake Wei Wuxian has in it is the fact this particular one has an interest in him and his cultivation.
“I’ll give you the directions, prepare as you need and then go track them down.”
“Right.” Wei Wuxian glances back to the stranger, a man dressed in pitch black robes that flowed onto the floor. His face is gaunt and pale, nearly the same as that of a corpse. “Going to introduce me to your friend here before I go?”
“Actually. He’ll be traveling with you.” Hua Cheng turns back and with a flare of his wrist gestures at him. “This, is the infamous Black Water Sinking Ships. You’re more than welcome to refer to him as He Xuan.”
“Don’t just decide these things for people.” He Xuan grumbles, finally setting down his chopsticks with a grunt before standing.
“Well what else is he supposed to call you? Hmmm?” Hua Cheng raises an eyebrow. “Blackwater is hardly more appropriate. Besides you no longer have any use as a spy between the fact the entirety of heaven knows who you are, and I can get good enough intel from Gege if anything is awry. So there’s no need for any secrecy is there?”
“Fine.” He Xuan snaps his eyes shut as if warding off a particularly nasty headache.
“You’re Blackwater…? But no one’s…”
Well, it wasn’t anymore surprising than finding out the Crimson Rain Sought Flower still existed after so many centuries. Many cultivators hardly believed any of the Ghost Kings still existed, if they’d ever truely existed in the first place.
“You see He Xuan here has decided to stay out of all mortal affairs the last few centuries.” Hua Cheng explains. “His territory is also significantly less strong than it used to be after a particularly nasty scuffle.”
Wei Wuxian spots the way He Xuan’s hand just barely twitches before he roughly stands from the table.
“Let’s go. We don’t have time to waste chatting here.”
“Of course. You’ll be free to leave in a moment.” Hua Cheng nods. He hums, looking at Wei Wuxian. “Though I’m surprised, you’re normally so full of questions.”
“And Chengzu never seems to like answering them.” Wei Wuxian points out, not moving from his spot. “Thought I’d spare him the trouble this time.”
“Ah, how considerate of you, Wei Wuxian.”
“But since Chengzu is offering-”
“Let’s go.” He Xuan grunts, a downright murderous expression in his eyes as his nails clench against his arms. “I already said we don’t have time.”
“Who is the official in question?” Wei Wuxian asks.
“Very good question.” Hua Cheng claps a hand, giving a look that could almost be called smiling. “I’ll fill you in then. Are you familiar with the old masters of Wind and Water?”
“No. I’m not. I’ve never even heard of them…?” Wind and water. Had he heard of anything of the sort?
Hua Cheng nods. “I thought not. Well then. Have you heard of a jinx monster, also known as a venerable of empty words?”
Venerable of empty words Wei Wuxian had definitely heard of. They were particularly nasty ghosts, ones that fed on the fear of mortals especially of those with good fortunes. The rituals that cultivators went through to prevent becoming vengeful ghosts themselves also included rituals to prevent such ghosts from attaching to them. While Wei Wuxian had never encountered one himself, they were well known amongst the clans especially after one had attached itself to a prominent heir generations ago.
“Of course. I have.” Wei Wuxian nods. “Any cultivator worth anything would be aware of something like that.”
“Is this really necessary-?” He Xuan cut in, looking as if he’d stab Hua Cheng in the chest at any second.
“Of course it is. Or what were you going to let him believe this was an actual rescue mission to save your dear friend?”
“Hmmm…?” Wei Wuxian lets his confusion show as he looks to He Xuan. “What does that mean?”
“Why don’t I finish explaining, and then it’ll make sense. You see the water master and the wind master were brothers. Very close with each other.” Hua Cheng explains. “Two gods ascended from the same family, within the same generation. Quite the miracle most would say. Until one finds out that the wind master actually had attracted a very powerful venerable of empty words as a young child.”
“That just tells me he must have been of very strong spirit as a child. If he was able to shake of such a spirit.” Wei Wuxian frowns, settling into where he sat to hear the story.
“Not exactly.”
He Xuan’s breathing becomes sharp. “It means his brother, an official already, used his power and manipulated his fate. Most that attract a monster like that bring nothing but misfortune. He didn’t deserve his place in heaven and was originally doomed to a fate of suffering.”
“Well, that’s a bit mean to say.” Wei Wuxian tsks at He Xuan. “Don’t you think? So what if he didn’t technically belong and his brother gave him a leg up? Not like it takes someone else’s spot.”
“Something you can relate I assume?” Hua Cheng just barely tilts his head.
If it was his own family… Wei Wuxian would do the same without question. He’d give up his own place if he could. He grips the lapel of his outer robes for just a brief moment.
Immediately He Xuan’s eyes snapped to Wei Wuxian, his eyes as dark and frosty as the river of Yunmeng at night in the middle of winter. “Except it did . It was supposed to be me who ascended. That bastard Shi Wudu combed through dozens of names to find someone with the same one as his brother, born on the same day, and with the potential to ascend.”
“He Xuan was supposed to be an official, in life he was a revered scholar within his village. And yet this turn of fate has made him the person you see now. He’s since gotten his revenge on the Water Master long ago.” Hua Cheng explains. “But skipping the long explanation, the Wind Master only reascended by genuine means recently, though without his previous title. It seems in his last trip to the mortal realm he was kidnapped.”
Wei Wuxian looks at He Xuan, his thoughts a bit of a jumbled mess. “So this is a mission to get revenge. But you already got it, the water master is dead right?”
With a slam of his fist on the table, He Xuan’s nails dig into his skin and Wei Wuxian almost expects to see the trickle of blood. “I just-” His eyes shut tight. “My reasons for going don’t concern the likes of you.”
“Well… fine then.” Wei Wuxian shrugs. “But don’t expect me to join your pity party.”
“I’m sure you understand the slippery slope of revenge, don’t you?” Hua Cheng points out to Wei Wuxian. “I’m sure you both will have a lot to talk about.”
“Glad to know what I’m getting into I guess.”
Without knowing this Wind Master, Wei Wuxian doesn’t feel comfortable making a judgment on the situation just yet. He has his assumptions, and based on the story Hua Cheng had told the Wind Master seems like a nice person that just caught up in problems he didn’t create.
“Good then, I expect this to go smoothly.” Hua Cheng sounds pleased. “And I expect you’ll be using those skills gege taught you? Or will you be relying on demonic cultivation again? Gege has said you’re free to pick something from the armory.”
He approaches a stand on top of a table displaying various items, a sword the centerpiece of it which Hua Cheng plucks and hands out to Wei Wuxian. It’s a very powerful spiritual sword, with a sleek black scabbard and a bright red string tying the top. And Wei Wuxian can feel the energy radiating from it, it’s much stronger than anything he’s used before even his beloved Suiban.
“Or you can use this. I figured it would be to your liking.”
“Why fix what isn’t broken.” Wei Wuxian says, casually leaving his seat. “I’ll be just fine without a sword.”
“Very well then.” Hua Cheng’s eyes meet He Xuan’s as he retracts his hand holding out the blade. “I assume you know what the consequences will be for your actions. I know I don’t need to remind you that Heaven is rather fond of the ex-Wind Master. I am too, but we’ve long agreed to stay out of each other’s business, so long as gege is safe you’re free to do as you like.”
“Save it.” He Xuan grunts before turning to the door, Wei Wuxian just behind him.
Hua Cheng’s face twists once again into that expression that Wei Wuxian almost wants to call a grin. “Don’t worry. I’ll add the meal to your debt, please do stop by again if you need anything else, He Xuan.”
He can almost see Hua Cheng mentally take out a scroll and tally up exactly how much food had just been eaten.
With a sigh, He Xuan pushes past Wei Wuxian and leaves the room. With a confused noise, Wei Wuxian frowns, huffing before reluctantly following the soot-robed Ghost King.
“Come on, aren’t we supposed to be doing this together?” Wei Wuxian asks, practically chasing after him. “That’s what Chengzu asked us to do after all.”
“Your Chengzu, not mine.” He Xuan grunts.
Right. Unlike himself, He Xuan isn’t bound by Hua Cheng’s desires. While they’re both in debt to the Ghost King, He Xuan’s is a tab that can be paid off. Wei Wuxian’s is an ever-existent chain he’d accidentally fallen into.
“Fine then, I’ll get my own help, I don’t even need you.” Wei Wuxian turns, about to turn right back and see if he can find Xie Lian to perhaps give him a little bit of a hand until something stops him right in his tracks.
“Really? You think you can do this all on your own?” Without warning, Wei Wuxian had almost turned back and trampled upon a young man dressed in red.
“Hong-er!” Wei Wuxian says excitedly. “Just the person I was looking for.”
“You were looking for me?”
“Yes. I bet you didn’t know it but I was just given a mission by Chengzu.”
Glancing back briefly, Wei Wuxian notices He Xuan also stopping in his tracks. “Hong-er?”
Wei Wuxian tilts his head, noticing the two meeting eyes for just a second.
“Do you both know each other?”
He Xuan looks Hong-er up and down before spitting out a short sentence. “No. I wouldn’t associate with someone like… that.”
“Funny you should say so, I was about to say the same about you.” Hong-er smiles, brushing his ponytail over his shoulder as he casually steps by He Xuan. “Why don’t you fill me in on what we’re doing Wei Wuxian.”
“Of course didi!” Once Hong-er’s protests were over, Wei Wuxian gives him a brief explanation of what exactly their mission is. Sneak into the new Night Touring Green Lantern’s lair, save an official, and… hope it isn’t right after they leave that He Xuan decides to finish cashing in his revenge.
“Well, what are we waiting for? We have a long way to go.” Hong-er says the moment Wei Wuxian finishes.
He Xuan ignores the young man, opening an array with some difficulty before stepping through. Before he does, however, Wei Wuxian notices an odd shift in He Xuan’s features. He tilts his head as where He Xuan stood was suddenly a fairly plain but well-dressed woman in a black dress.
Hong-er raises an eyebrow as Wei Wuxian can’t help but stare.
“What?” He Xuan grumbles, and even her voice sounds more feminine. “That form is too noticeable. It’s not like I like having to look like this.”
“Oh? But you’re such a pretty jiejie.” Wei Wuxian chuckles. “If I’d known I would’ve been much more excited to go on this mission.”
“Don’t.” He Xuan snarls, her eyes flashing with killing intent. “This isn’t time to play around.”
“Alright alright. I’ll leave it.”
“I think it’s an improvement,” Hong-er says, strolling through the array to meet them. He looks at He Xuan. “For once you don’t look like a drowned rat.”
“Where did you take us anyway?” Wei Wuxian asks He Xuan. “This doesn’t look like a lair for a ghost king.”
Examining their surroundings, Wei Wuxian notices the greenery. It’s a welcome sight after the chill of Ghost City, practically doused in scarlet ink.
“Of course it isn’t.” She retorts.
“Ghost Kings can’t teleport into other’s territories. Not without being easily caught.” Hong-er points out. “So we must be nearby? I’d guess a few miles. There should be a town on the way, after all, how else was the old Night Touring Green Lantern supposed to procure his favorite dish? We can stop there and come up with an actual plan.”