Chapter Text
The Heavenly Communication Array was in a state of frenzy, overlay of voices all at once. If you’d think a group of Parakeets were loud, the communication array was ten times worse. Everyone was talking, nobody was listening, and the line was vibrating with unorganized drama.
The main topic of conversation remained, without question, the spectacle of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Crimson Rain Sought Flower had shattered every record in heaven's history, offering 3,000 battle-lanterns for the disgraced Crown Prince of Xianle. The array was on fire with jealousy, awe, and petty speculation.
Yet, right in the middle of the storm surrounding Xie Lian and his ghost benefactor, another constant topic kept flowing through the network every five minutes.
“Did you hear? Lord Guanyuan is still suffering from his Qi Deviation."
“Day ##! ## full days!” Shi Qingxuan’s frantic voice echoed across the array, worry seeping into his thoughts. “I’ve tried reaching his meridians, and so has the Emperor, but nothing seems to work.”
“Lord Wind master, please calm yourself,” Ling Wen’s dry, exhausted voice cut through the chatter. She sounded like an overworked office worker who hadn’t had a full 8 hours in a week. “His Majesty himself is overseeing Lord Guanyuan’s recovery in his home. An energy shutdown of that scale takes time to settle. And recover.”
“But ## days!” Shi Qingxuan wailed softly, his voice fading from the array as he went off to fetch yet another massive basket of herbs (which he’d been collecting to try to find one that would help with his friend's condition).
Right alongside Shi Qingxuan’s wailing, General Ming Guang had his own… unique commentary to offer to the court.
During a formal gathering at Ling Wen’s palace, a few civil officials were shaking their heads, whispering about how tragic it was that such a promising god had succumbed to a severe qi deviation after visiting Ghost City.
Pei Ming, leaning casually against a pillar while swirling a cup of wine, let out a heavy sigh. He adjusted his robes, trying to look deeply philosophical.
“Ah, you civil gods simply don’t understand spiritual endurance," Pei Ming said, tossing back his dark hair with dramatic flair. “As Lord Guanyuan so wisely explained to me before his collapse… when the mind is exhausted and the soul is weary, one must simply ‘let him cook’.”
The entire hall fell completely dead silent.
Ling Wen stopped writing, looking up with that “tired mom judgement”. “General Pei, what are you talking about?”
“It means he’s going to be fine. Don’t be uncultered.” Pei Ming said, waving his hand dismissively, as if he was the expert.
Ling Wen pinched the bridge of her nose, letting out a sigh so long it sounded like her own soul left her body. Yu Bili taught heaven’s biggest playboy slang for fun, and Pei Ming was out here quoting it like scripture.
Meanwhile, Yu Bili was living the transmigrator dream: sleeping through the plot and getting free power without doing anything. Unless you count an unfortunate event as the thing called Jun Wu.
Jun Wu’s private room was dead quiet.
Yu Bili was laying peacefully on a large silk bed, looking less like a dying god and more like a sleeping man.
The door opened quietly and Xie Lian walked in. Whenever he came up to hand in reports, he stopped by to check on his friend.
Seeing Jun Wu was busy doing what Emperor's do, Xie Lian pulled up a small stool next to the bed. He pulled out a messy braided grass charm he had made on the porch of Pu Qi shrine and gently hid it beneath Yu Bili’s pillow with the rest of them.
“Yu-xiong,” Xie Lian whispered. “I made you another charm. … I hope it isn’t too lonely in here.”
He quietly updated his unconscious friend about the mortal realm. “Pu Qi shrine is very hectic right now. I brought Qi Rong and little GuZi back. Qi Rong mainly screams from his pot all day, but GuZi is a good child. I also met Quan Yizhen, he has… some anger issues but I think he’s very nice.”
Xie Lian looked out the window, voice dropping lower. “And the lanterns… San Lang sent 3,000 of them. I wish you could have seen it. It was beautiful, Yu-xiong.”
Later that night, Jun Wu arrived back home from his duties.
Jun Wu had made it a habit of coming here every night to check on the little god. He picked up a small comb from a desk side, stepping toward the bed. Sitting on the bed and slowly combing Yu Bili’s hair with an ivory comb, looking like the picture of perfection.
“Still no answer, Little Zhao?” Jun Wu whispered into the room, knowing no one would answer.
A Guqin played itself in the corner, powered by spiritual power.
He put the comb down and placed his hand on Yu Bili’s chest, letting a flow of spiritual energy into his core.
But, just like before, the power slipped through Yu Bili like water. (Little did Jun Wu know that the System was storing it. )
Deep inside Yu Bili’s locked mind, his soul was floating around in a sea of unrest. No thoughts that’s for sure, but a feeling of unease even in sleep.
The System interface was floating above him, numbers glitching and changing with every second.
[WARNING: DIVINE ENERGY OVERFLOW]
[CONVERTING SPIRITUAL POWER INTO POINTS…]
Jun Wu’s Guqin music sounded about the room in the background. The energy turned into ghostly pillars and lanterns floating around Yu Bili’s sleeping soul.
The System screen flickered:
[CURRENT POINTS: 45.12]
[POINT REGEN: SPEEDRUN MODE]
[STATUS: STASIS. GOODNIGHT.]
Addition:
Xie Lian carefully lifted the corner of the silk pillow, slipping the new grass knot alongside the growing collection of braided charms he’d tucked away over the past weeks. He smoothed down the sheets, giving his unconscious friend one last warm, reassuring look.
"Get some rest, Yu-xiong," Xie Lian murmured softly, standing up and tucking his hands back into his broad white sleeves. "Whenever you decide to wake up... we'll be waiting."