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"That's not–… That can't be true." Mu Qing said and started walking in circles. Feng Xin was so mad that he looked like he was about to throw fists right in the moment.
"Generals, I've already told you. I've been informed of the situation between many of your worshippers and the new Temples that have been erected during these last two years." Ling Wen explained. "Since you haven't answered to what they plead, the Temples are already disappearing. If that's what you want, then continue ignoring the prayers. My job's done here, so I'll take my leave." she said, and disappeared through the door.
Apparently, according to Ling Wen's words, the story of Feng Xin being Mu Qing's saviour and vice versa had turned into a kind of an epic tale between mortals. They didn't exactly know how the versions had arrived to them, but knew that heavy consequences had been triggered, since they started being worshipped together as a couple.
Feng Xin had suspected something during one of his last trips to the Southeast. He remembered hearing people on the streets saying kind words about Mu Qing, which wasn't exactly normal during the past eight centuries. However, he didn't pay attention and thought that maybe they were travelers or something – or that Xuan Zhen was gaining ground in the Southeast, but he was too proud to even take it as a possibility.
Mu Qing didn't travel much to the Southwest. He was more of a visitor to his worshippers' dreams, and he didn't lie if he said that he never got a prayer from someone asking for both Nan Yang and him. Ling Wen's news had been a shock for him, but he was willing to accept whatever Feng Xin's decision was.
Their relationship had gone uphill since the incidents that involved Mt. Tonglu. Mu Qing wasn't as sarcastic as before around Feng Xin, and Feng Xin kept his promise of not yelling at him (at least often). They weren't exactly friends – the latter was aware that Mu Qing had troubles finding a meaning to that word, and he wouldn't press on naming the bridges they had been building stone by stone, brick by brick. And Feng Xin was right, since Mu Qing couldn't consider himself a "friend'' to him, not after knowing how much his leaving had affected both Xie Lian and Feng Xin. At least they both agreed out loud that they trusted each other now, that was good.
"Have you heard a prayer?" Nan Yang started.
Mu Qing kept his fist on his mouth and shook his head. His stare was lost in the ground, the steps from one side of the room to another were unstoppable.
"Can you please stop?!" he yelled, and Mu Qing did as he asked and rolled his eyes. "You are making me feel dizzy, Gods…"
"Then I'm sorry for worrying about our reputation." Mu Qing replied and sat down on the ground with a scoff.
Feng Xin stayed in awe. He hadn't stopped to think about that.
"What? You didn't realise?" Mu Qing spat and laughed nervously. "See, if we don't reply, we'll lose worshippers. If we do reply, they'll think we're a couple–…"
"Shit, I know." Feng Xin sighed and let his body slide down the wall until he sat down next to Mu Qing.
Given the alternatives, Feng Xin couldn't find a better choice between those two. Mu Qing, on the other hand, was willing to accept the loss of some worshippers rather than fake a relationship with Nan Yang ZhenJun, his long known enemy. It hurt not only his pride, but also the pride of his people who despised both the other God and his worshippers.
People in the Southwest were more reluctant to receive people from the Southeast since the last war that ended with expropriation of one of its lands. That was another thing that had improved the –once remote– possibility of some people worshipping them together: the people from the city that had been originally from the Southwest but was now technically part of the Southeast.
"Do you even receive any prayers?" Mu Qing mumbled.
"Uh-uh." Feng Xin answered.
That was the weirdest part. If they had had people worshipping them as a couple for two years, and even Temples had been erected in their names, then they should have at least received one prayer.
"Give me your hand."
"What?"
"I said 'give me your hand'!" Mu Qing insisted. He had the theory that if they exchanged spiritual energy, maybe they would hear something or someone.
But, of course, it didn't work. He let Feng Xin's hand go and stood up in a blink of an eye. Mu Qing violently shook the dirt off his tunics without turning around, and Feng Xin laughed out loud.
"What's so funny?" Mu Qing spat with a scowl. "Can you tell me so I can laugh, too?"
"You are funny." Feng Xin replied while standing up, holding his abdomen since his laugh came out even louder than before. "Have you thought that maybe this is some kind of joke?"
"No- yes!" Mu Qing huffed. "But how do we know if it's true or not?"
Feng Xin placed a hand on his shoulder and patted the rhythm of his last giggles. When he last sighed he said:
"Well, I guess Xuan Zhen JiangJun should pay a visit to the Southeast. You'll like it! It's changed a lot since the Ju Yang days, I'm aware it was your usual trip back then."
"You-...!" he stopped when he realised his cheeks were burning, and Feng Xin had grabbed them with one hand.
"Weren't you the one who recited a poem about my dick by heart?" he softly slapped him twice and wandered towards the door. Without turning around he added: "Tomorrow, when the first rays of sun hit your pretty bitchy face, I'll be waiting outside your door." he chuckled. "Goodnight, Xuan Zhen JiangJun."
Mu Qing had learnt what patience was when he had promised Xie Lian not to respond angrily to Feng Xin clear intents of provoking him. So he breathed in and out, silently counted to ten, that turned twenty, and finally one hundred, and left that office pretending as if nothing had happened.
There were no signs of Feng Xin inside nor outside of that Palace, so he headed to his own and avoided mentioning that topic to his subordinates. It was embarrassing, he didn't even want to be reminded of what had happened down on Mt. Tonglu.
Feng Xin hadn't taken it to heart, since he didn't really care about his reputation with or without Mu Qing. He had been attributed many embarrassing tales along those centuries; and, surprisingly, him being in a homosexual relationship with his enemy after both saving him and being saved by him from death, was the most epic one.
If the fact that there were Temples in their names was true, then they both agreed on something: whoever had told mortals about that incident, they had sold the information. No mortals could have witnessed it, and both Jun Wu and Mei Nianqing were far away in an isolated shack, Xie Lian could never do that to them; and that left them with the only possible answer: it had obviously been Hua Cheng playing a trick on them.
That night, Feng Xin slept like every other night. That night, Mu Qing dreamt of thousands of Temples with horrible statues of them in disgusting situations.
Feng Xin did as he had promised. As soon as the sunlight had hit Mu Qing's face, one of his subordinates was already knocking at his door informing that Nan Yang ZhenJun was waiting for him outside. He huffed and rolled his eyes, stayed a few moments staring at the ceiling and blinked twice before standing up to change his clothes.
"Hurry up!" he heard on the communication array.
"Going!" he replied and left the room.
○●○
Being now from a Southeast region had not changed that city. It still looked as it always did, with the exception that new dialects could be heard among the citizens. Mu Qing grabbed some cherries from the trees that he had seen grow for around two decades as he walked along the streets, trying to ignore the fact that he was following Feng Xin– well, Nan Feng's steps on a land that used to be his.
For them, the result of the war between the two areas had meant two weeks in which they were not on speaking terms. Xie Lian tried his best and they only spoke to each other on the latter's birthday. After that, they hadn't really fought. Of course, they still had the usual ones in which using their fists was the only rule.
"I'm going to ask someone if they know which Temples can be found nearby." Feng Xin said and ran towards a couple.
"Well, if you walk towards the south west part of the city… I'm sure there's a Temple there. A new one, at least." she answered while pointing with her finger in that direction. "Those that were erected in Xuan Zhen JiangJun's name have been demolished, and the citizens don't want new ones in Nan Yang's name." a young woman explained.
Mu Qing held back his victorious smile. Instead, he asked: "Then who's the Temple for?"
"I don't know. I've heard that there are more of those along the border." the young scholar that was escorting her added. "Are you two searching for something in particular?"
"Yes!" Feng Xin replied, at the same time in which Mu Qing yelled:
"No!", he cleared his throat. "We're– We're lost. And… and we remember seeing a Temple on our way here. That's it. Thank you."
The couple nodded and the four of them bowed in farewell.
Feng Xin now followed Mu Qing firm steps. He extended his palm asking for a cherry, but instead the latter placed the seeds that he had just taken out of his mouth on it.
They walked until a small and simple temple was in front of their faces.
Mu Qing pursed his lips: "Mm. Average."
Feng Xin frowned and shook his head. "Let's go inside and see."
It wasn't exactly a pleasant surprise for Mu Qing to find a gigantic sculpture of someone who looked like anyone but him clinging to some awful Feng Xin's back. And many offers surrounding it. And incense, too much incense. And bread, fruits, and bunny-shaped toys. Gods, even worshippers were on their knees mumbling some kind of prayer that now they were able to hear.
Mu Qing stepped forward, and Feng Xin grabbed him by his arm. "Don't do something you'll regret later." he whispered.
"Who told you I would?" Mu Qing replied, and someone shushed. 'If you knew who I am, would you dare shush me?' he said to himself and rolled his eyes.
Feng Xin kept an eye on Mu Qing's- well, Fu Yao's wandering steps. His slender hands stayed slightly covered by the long sleeves, making them move funnily with every step. Scholar clothes fitted Fu Yao's small figure perfectly, he thought and sighed. Mu Qing raised his shaky hand to touch the statue.
"Who did this?" he asked someone.
The man lifted his shoulders and Mu Qing pursed his lips. As he walked around the statue, Feng Xin reached him. When he arrived at the altar, there was only one worshipper that still stayed there. He was asking for a stable job to always have food to bring to his home. He left a tangerine and apologised for not being able to offer more.
"Please, give me a sign. Please let me know what I'm doing wrong and why you still haven't answered." he whispered and turned around.
Mu Qing swallowed hard and made him trip stupidly. When Feng Xin was about to scold him, he noticed that he was silently sliding some coins inside of his pockets.
Feng Xin had never really stopped to think about Mu Qing's past. Now, standing before a statue of them being venerated as a couple, and seeing his eyes blinking rapidly as trying to avoid shedding tears, he understood why he was so nervous and reluctant to lose face. He had a name in the Heavens, but at the same time he was still the once poor sweeping-floor God.
"What are you looking at?" Mu Qing asked. "So. What are we going to do with this?" he nodded to the table full of offers.
Feng Xin stared undumbondly. "Don't you think that there's something more important to talk about?"
Mu Qing's eyebrows twitched. "What do we need to talk?"
"Didn't you say that you didn't receive any prayers before entering the Temple?"
Mu Qing nodded his head. "I did. But do you think this is ours?" he opened his arms and pointed to the statue. "Feng Xin, that didn't even happen! That guy there? He doesn't look like me, I would never have that expression on my face! And you look so terrible it makes me want to throw up!"
Feng Xin scoffed and started to choose some of the offers. The tangerines, pears and breads were for him. He left the cherries, peaches and apples for Mu Qing, he always liked those ones the best.
"Besides, of course since you're Ju Yang, I'll be seen as–…"
"We can talk whenever you want!" Feng Xin yelled. "I know–… Fuck! I know you worry about your reputation and it's valid, ok? But let's go somewhere else." he added in a softer tone, but quickly forced himself to frown. "And that did happen! As your hair caught on fire while I saved you from the lava. Is that so horrible for you to remember? Then I'm fucking sorry, because that's how things went that day."
He walked to the door as Mu Qing violently saved the apples, peaches and cherries inside his pockets. With a stomp, he left the Temple and reached Feng Xin.
He was on his knees talking to a group of kids that happened to be passing by, giving them some of his fruits and each one of them a bunny-shaped toy. Mu Qing tried not to smile, and instead he approached them.
"Gege! Gege!" the kids kept insisting and Mu Qing placed a hand on the shoulders of two of them.
"Ok, that's it. Da-ge's got to eat, too." Feng Xin thought that Mu Qing's voice sounded softer than his words. But he was always like that around kids, wasn't he?
During their teenage years, whenever he visited his mom, kids from the neighbourhood would come and ask him if he had brought them gifts and "good food". Feng Xin had witnessed it once or twice, leaving him astonished and wondering if that was the Mu Qing he knew.
Such as he did back then, he crouched, reached for some of the cherries inside his bag, and handed them out. The kids asked if he could help them divide the cherries for them in equal parts, so Mu Qing sat down and placed them on the ground. So did Feng Xin, and helped him, smiling at the kids contently sharing the bread he gave them.
"Thank you da-ge, thank you er-ge! May the Gods bless you!" the kids bowed once to each other and ran away.
Feng Xin stood up and extended his hand to help Mu Qing up. The latter rolled his eyes, but still reached for the hand.
They walked in silence until they found an open space to sit down and rest. Each of them rested their backs on an old and big tree's trunk, their shoulders slightly touching each other.
Mu Qing took his fingers to his temples and closed his eyes.
"What?"
"I'll ask Ling Wen whether she knows or not where the prayers are going." Mu Qing replied.
Feng Xin smiled. "You want to do this? Are you sure?"
Mu Qing sighed and luckily Ling Wen responded. Feng Xin joined the conversation.
"The Temples are true. But how do we answer the prayers if we don't receive them?"
"Are you both sure you want to do this?" Ling Wen asked.
They shared a gaze and nodded once.
"Yes." they replied in one voice.
"Fine. I'll tell you how." Ling Wen started; Feng Xin's knee rubbed Mu Qing's unconsciously, and the latter's knee may have rubbed back fondly.
This was definitely going to be the hardest teamwork of their life.
○●○
As time passed by, many other Temples were built in the name of the two Gods who used to hate each other, but now were lovers. Xuan Zhen and Nan Yang, as individual Gods and as a couple, gained popularity in the South in general, appeasing the conflicts between the two areas. No wars occurred for a century, something that had never happened before.
Their Palace in the Heavens wasn't as big as the others, but it was the most crowded one; since the need for more and more subordinates had increased significantly over the last century. They would always be bringing information about festivals, small conflicts, prayers, between other situations that Mu Qing and Feng Xin could solve – sometimes easily, sometimes not.
The majority of those subordinates were the original Nan Yang's and Xuan Zhen's.
Thirty subordinates had been recruited since they were venerated as a couple. Five of them would share complicit gazes whenever their Superiors used disguises that suspiciously looked like those geges that had given them fruits and toys once.
And four younger ones, that were between three and twelve years old, were their children.
Mu Qing took a scroll from the shelf, while the man that married him– of course he didn't accept when Feng Xin asked him to marry him but said yes when Feng Xin offered to be the one to marry him, because he was still kind of a petty bitch – held him from behind in a tight embrace and left kisses along his pale and long neck. He read out loud the newest famous poem among their worshippers:
Hate can't exist without love.
Love can't exist without hate.
One can yearn for what they hate,
and despise what they love.
A perfect tale of life,
of how can fate be still unwritten,
and past and sins could forgiven
if one lets time pass by.
Mu Qing and Feng Xin didn't remember how teamwork had become their actual family.
One day they were walking hand in hand in the Human Realm.
One day, they hugged unconsciously.
One day, they asked for only a room to share.
One day, Feng Xin started leaving his chamber in the new Palace in the middle of the night only to slide into Mu Qing's bed and sheets, just because he was too used to being by his side.
One Mid-Autumn Festival, they angrily made out behind a tree while the lamps lit in both of their names came in second place, only topped by Xie Lian's.
One day, they found comfort in each other's skin
One day, they realised they hadn't really hated each other before.
One day they realised "home" had always meant the other.
"That's my favorite one." Feng Xin mumbled in Mu Qing's ear.
"Mm. Average." he lied and laughed. "But at least it's better than:
Friend of women
A trusty companion
Ask for a son
Most powerful is he
The secret formula
To bolster masculinity
A son in your prayers
Nan Yang delivers."
"You still remember it, though." Feng Xin whispered without taking his eyes off of Mu Qing's mouth.
"Shut the fuck up." Mu Qing rolled his eyes and turned around to kiss him deeply.