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Hey, I need help.
With what?
I need you to take care of my territory and the fish for a week.
Why?
Shi QingXuan invited me to Shi Wudu's party in celebration for overcoming his second Heavenly Calamity. It will start tomorrow.
What. Why is he celebrating that? Heaven sure is made of cockish people. His Highness doesn't need to be surrounded by such scum.
There you go again. Can you keep your thoughts about your Crown Prince for when you arrive in my territory? Oh, and bring food for my fish since you are at it.
Why do I have to feed your fucking fish? Remember that this is going to your debt.
I don't care if they don't starve.
Remember your words.
"Yin Yu", Hua Cheng called from where he was lying on his divan in Paradise Manor.
Yin Yu immediately appeared and bowed, "Yes, Chengzhu?".
Hua Cheng got up from the divan, "Send someone to go buy bone dragon fish food. Put it on He Xuan's tab. I will be absent for a week so you are temporarily in charge of Ghost City's paperwork. If there is a problem, don't hesitate to reach me".
Yin Yu straightened up, "Understood, Chengzhu. Is there something else that I can do?".
"How is”, Hua Cheng hesitated, “the research?".
Yin Yu bowed again, "There were signs of someone like His Highness the Crown Prince in the border between Banyue Kingdom and the Midlands. However, some days before the war that led to the fall of Banyue, we lost track of said individual, so we supposed it wasn't the person we were looking for. Besides that, we found nothing".
Hua Cheng's hands formed a fist, "When did you discover that?".
Yin Yu, "Some hours ago. We planned to inform Chengzhu but then said war happened. The person whom we found died and was thrown to a river. Because of that, we thought it wasn’t His Highness since he can't die".
Hua Cheng gritted his teeth, “And, just because one can’t die, does that mean they can’t fake their own death?”.
Yin Yu bowed even more, “I apologise for our team’s mistake”.
If this person was really Xie Lian, the only reason he couldn't reach him was solely because his subordinates were too slow, "Alright. You are dismissed. But know that I won't forget your incompetence on this affair".
Yin Yu, "We are very sorry”. Then, reiterated, “Pray Chengzhu forgives this one's mistake".
Hua Cheng turned his back on him, rolled the dice and opened one of Paradise Manor's doors.
In front of him was a dense forest and a river with crimson water. Dead bodies were floating along its current. Those bodies seemed to have been thrown from the battlefield after a recent battle between the two neighboring countries.
Hua Cheng hurriedly entered the river and started checking all the bodies, looking for any resemblance to Xie Lian. He didn’t mind the water mixed with blood that made his clothes wet and even more crimson, nor did he mind the metallic and putrid smell emanating from the tons of corpses that were scattered on the flowing waters.
However, none of them was him. The Ghost King even used his wraith butterflies to heal the most disfigured cadavers, to no avail.
Hua Cheng spent the entire day checking corpses without success. In the end, he could just sit in the river bank hugging his shins and with his forehead on top of his knees. He felt so small and helpless. Even with his Supreme status, he couldn't find his beloved. He spent so many centuries looking for him, strengthening himself and earning money so that, when they finally meet again, Xie Lian could have a place to call home. A place where he was sheltered from all of the pain the world inflicts.
But everything was useless if he can't find him! How can you protect someone when you don't know where they are? How can everyone say that Hua Cheng has excellent luck when he can't even find the person he loves? The reason he is still in this world?
If ghosts could shed tears, then Hua Cheng would have cried.
Meanwhile, in a forest near a small village on the Midlands, was a person with long and disheveled chestnut hair with marks of boots on every part of their body lying limp on the forest floor. The only sign he was alive was the slow rise and fall of a bruised chest. Their face was utterly unrecognisable. Both of their arms and legs were twisted in weird angles. Definitely broken. They seemed to have crawled away from the river, however, couldn't reach far enough to ask for help. Not that their mouth and vocal cords would work, and even if someone saw them, it was unlikely they would help an individual who seemed like a walking corpse. It was humanly impossible to be alive with such deep wounds, which meant that he must be a resentful spirit. Better to keep distance.
Truly beyond salvation.
__
"Feed them thrice a day. Give them double rations in the middle of the day. You remember how to call them right?? And if they get aggressive just click your tongue in the way I taught you. You are not allowed to hurt them. If you do, I will never give you information about Heaven again. And when night comes-".
"Alright I get it! I just need to give them food three times a day and not bother your precious fish out of feeding time. Now fuck off. Go enjoy your party".
He Xuan scoffed, "Like hell I will enjoy being with that scum for a week. The only good thing they have is endless and free food".
Hua Cheng grinned, "At least they have something good in your point of view".
He Xuan laughed sarcastically, "Haha, says the one who is in love with one of them".
He Xuan didn't even flinch when Hua Cheng's hand circled his neck and his back hit one of the trees of the Black Water's lair. He knew how to make Hua Cheng riled up. However, he couldn't stop himself from saying that. His reactions every time He Xuan compared Xie Lian to the other Heavenly Officials were priceless.
Hua Cheng threatened, through gritted teeth, "Don't compare His Highness with that useless trash. He is above them all. If you say that again, expect to come back and see your beloved fish peacefully sleeping next to the real Earth Master and your current debt increased by three times".
He Xuan amicably tapped Hua Cheng's shoulder, "Don't worry about it. I promise I won't say it again, so don't hurt them". Of course he was lying, but Hua Cheng didn’t need to know that.
Hua Cheng released him, "So, what are you still doing here? Waiting for your dear Wind Master to come pick you up?".
He Xuan tsk- ed, "Treat my fish well".
Then, he entered the distance shortening array that would take him to the nearest town, where he agreed to meet with Shi QingXuan. On the next second, He Xuan had disappeared.
Hua Cheng strolled nonchalantly to the edge of a small cliff near the beach. Immediately, two bone fish came to him, presumably asking for food.
Hua Cheng smirked mischievously, "Let's have fun, shall we?".
__
Taking care of spoiled ghost fish who swim far away from land was not fun.
Hua Cheng was sitting at the edge of the cliff with a piece of fish food on his hand while whistling the tune He Xuan said would make them come to him. Even after whistling for ten minutes, only two fishes appeared.
The older Ghost King cursed the younger Ghost King under his breath. If He Xuan didn't spoil his fish by swimming around feeding them to the mouth, he wouldn't have this problem. After all, they were fish. Ghost fish! Not a human baby who couldn't eat their food unless put centimetres away from their mother's breast.
However, he couldn't let the fish starve, otherwise He Xuan would kill him. Or worse, he would stop giving him firsthand information about Heaven.
After waiting for half an hour to no avail, Crimson Rain Sought Flower, Hua Cheng, feared by the three Realms, jumped to the water of the Black Water Demon's Lair with a bunch of fish food in his hands and many more being carried by some of his silver butterflies. Never in his life he had thought his butterflies would be used to transport fish food.
Almost immediately, a huge crowd of bone fish surrounded him, almost trampling over his body to steal the food that was in his hands. Some of them were bold enough to try to jump out of the water and steal the food that his butterflies were carrying. However, the silver beings were faster to fly high enough the fish couldn’t reach them. One by one, the Ghost King fed them to their mouths full of teeth while insulting them and their master. When he ran out of food, one of his silver butterflies would drop more food on his extended hand.
It was kind of fun, but Hua Cheng would never admit it. Even if he spent most of the time smiling or laughing when the fish did silly things to try to steal more food.
__
On the morning of the third day, Hua Cheng was consumed by boredom. The last two days were spent feeding bone fish like babies and hunting down the small creatures who shot him when he entered the forest. However, they gave up shooting him after getting tortured by the Ghost King countless times. Now, every time he entered the forest, they would either hide from him or immediately surrender, smashing their foreheads to the ground in front of Hua Cheng and asking for mercy.
So, Hua Cheng had to find other ways to keep his mind occupied. Otherwise, he would be consumed by the thoughts of Xie Lian floating in a river with many deadly war injuries after pretending to have been killed; him waking up surrounded by water and in pain, trying not to drown even though his limbs couldn't work properly. Him- No, let's not think about it .
However, these thoughts just wouldn't stop.
Therefore, Hua Cheng decided he needed to refresh himself. And what was the best way to do that? Take a cold shower. Good for him, he was on an island and he was dead, which meant he could float on the black waters of He Xuan’s lair.
Without thinking more about his marvelous idea, he quickly ran and threw himself off the cliff where he used to feed the fish and into the cold water. Because he didn’t sustain his breath, he didn’t need to, his body got immediately filled with water. It was uncomfortable at first, but soon he recalled his early thoughts about Xie Lian. What he was feeling was somewhat similar to what his beloved was feeling, right? He dind’t have much time to think about it.
Hua Cheng didn't know much about bone fish. Yet, during the days spent taking care of them, he discovered they could sense when and where someone or something entered the waters of He Xuan's lair, regardless of where they were. This only occurred to him after the mistake was done.
Thus, he was immediately surrounded by excited bone fish expecting an early meal.
"SCRAM!", Hua Cheng shouted.
Still, He Xuan's bone fish were too spoiled. The only rule they seemed to follow wholeheartedly was to protect the territory. Therefore, the fish only distanced themselves for a few minutes, looking at the Ghost King expectantly, then they threw themselves at him again, giving him pecks and sniffing his hands looking for food. Just like stray dogs abandoned on the streets , thought Hua Cheng while quickly swimming back to land.
Hua Cheng, "You need to have manners if you want to survive in this world". Then, his usual mischievous smirk returned, "Maybe I should teach you manners, since your owner doesn't do it".
Thus, the bone fish's behavior lessons had started. And Hua Cheng was entertained enough to not martyrize himself for not being able to save Xie Lian.
__
At the end of the fifth day, Hua Cheng could proudly announce to all the three Realms that he had successfully tamed wild bone fish. They could do almost everything he said:
"SCRAM", and they would go away and mind their own business.
"ATTACK", and they would attack the useless ghost Yin Yu brought to him after stirring trouble on the Gambler’s Den.
A wave of his hand and they immediately understood they could eat the useless ghost even though it wasn't meal time. He Xuan wouldn't have to know he fed his precious fish a living ghost ( the irony , thought Hua Cheng) and out of feeding time on top of that.
"DANCE", and they would start a weird fish dance. It consisted of the fish making a circle and making weird movements with their tails. He didn't know how they learned that, but well, it was fun to watch dumb fish trying to dance.
"FOOD", and they would crowd around the edge of the usual cliff waiting for Hua Cheng to throw them food. Even though this was useful, the Ghost King, once in a while, still swam around them feeding them to their mouths. Especially when he was in a good mood. However, no one needed to know this. Especially not He Xuan. He would not shut up about it for at least two centuries.
"REGROUP", and they would go to specific places Hua Cheng previously assigned to each of them. It was very useful in case the lair was under attack, which would probably never happen, or just for surveillance reasons.
There were many other orders Hua Cheng taught the fish, some of them for his own amusement. He improved the killing intent dissipation technique He Xuan taught him. Now, every time he clicked his tongue in a certain way, the fish's killing intent would disappear and they would give a few pecks in apology to the one they were going to attack. It was silly, but Hua Cheng thought it was funny to watch.
(He didn’t know how useful this technique was going to be in the future)
__
On the sixth day, he had fun throwing ghosts and humans brought by Yin Yu who committed unspeakable crimes to the fish while ordering them around. He even made them dance around one of the ghosts and, every turn the fish made, they could eat one of its limbs, just like one of the games the ghost made with humans it kidnapped.
On the seventh day, he left the fish alone. He Xuan could return at any moment and wouldn't think it was fun to watch his beloved fish eating random ghosts and humans out of feeding time. Eating schedule and nutrition for the bone fish was very important for He Xuan. The fish should have specific quantities of proteins, lipids, minerals and vitamins, otherwise he would freak out.
Hua Cheng slept all day, lying on the beach that surrounded He Xuan’s island, dreaming of the day of the ShangYuan festival, more specifically of His Highness' arms around him, catching him, protecting him from dying.
"Hey"
After all Xie Lian has been through, the only thing he wished for was to make him feel like this too. It was his turn now to give kindness.
"Hey"
That's why he needed to find him. Make sure he was alright, and not suffering in the place of some random mortal Xie Lian found.
"Are you really sleeping?".
He needed to protect him.
"Heyyyy wake up. His Highness the Crown Prince of XianLe was at the party".
Hua Cheng instantly woke up and sat on the sand, "What?".
He Xuan was standing next to him, looking at the black waters of his lair, where three fishes were swimming around, greeting him.
He Xuan shrugged, checking the fish in search of a missing bone or some other injuries, "Speaking of him was the only way to wake you up. And you really took care of my fish. They seem very happy".
Hua Cheng ignored the sarcastic comment, "So you didn't see him?".
He Xuan, "Of course not. Why would I see him? It's not like I wandered the Mortal Realm this week, and I seriously doubt he would ascend again".
Hua Cheng, "Don't say that. I'm sure His Highness could ascend to Heaven as many times as he wants".
He Xuan shrugged again, "If you say so. Either way, if he ascended, you would have no trouble finding him".
Hua Cheng smirked, "Of course not. You would lead me to him".
He Xuan, "Sure sure. If I still am undercover there. However, you would have to lower my debt in half".
Hua Cheng smirked again, and shifted his gaze to the bone fish, "Deal".
__
When Xie Lian ascended again, He Xuan felt as if he won the lottery.
And Hua Cheng, during the affairs with the Shi brothers and the fight against the Heavenly Capital, felt immensely grateful to his bored past self for teaching the bone fish some manners.
On the other hand, said bone fish were always happy to have Hua Cheng taking care of them, which happened quite often after that week. With him, they could never be bored and were fed many times a day with many new and yummy ghosts and humans.
It was, indeed, a very good outcome for all parties.
Except for Jun Wu.