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It felt rather unexpected to meet again like this. Hua Cheng had considered it so many times, fantasised about how he might meet Dianxia once again after such a long time. In the earlier years, Hua Cheng always felt like it was the way he was purposefully seeking Dianxia out which would prove fruitful. As he took claim on the ruling of ghost city, he hoped that the useless ghosts would be good for something, that their gossiping would leave clues for Hua Cheng to follow, and at the end of them he would find his god. It seemed thew to even have such hope in them was vain.
As time progressed, Hua Cheng had searched every speckle of clue, followed every gossip, chased aster whispers in the wind. He had even clashed with the useless deceitful filth which had once claimed to have been Dianxia’s closest confidants, who once stood by Dianxia’s side, who had later betrayed him. None of his searches had been fruitful. None of them had led to what he sought. Dianxia was like a mirage, always close but never reachable. Hua Cheng’s hope of any of the clues leading him to his goal slowly wavered.
It did not mean Hua Cheng stopped searching. He was incapable of stopping. He was sure Dianxia was still wandering the earth, and as long as he had the capability of looking for him, it was Hua Cheng’s only purpose. He grew stronger for the sake of Dianxia, to ensure he would no longer be helpless in the face of whoever might want to hurt him again. He couldn't stand the thought of once again being useless to his god, and so he worked as well as he could, to become more powerful than any other. Hua Cheng could hardly think of what might have befallen Dianxia since they last met, horrid nightmarish images coming to mind.
So, as his hope of searching Dianxia out by following loose threads slowly waned, even if his efforts did not, he started daydreaming of accidentally meeting him. To be out dealing with some insignificant god or ruley ghost, and then Dianxia would suddenly appear, seeing how competent and strong Hua Cheng was. To be of use to him, as he built his own power.
In the end, it was the ulcer in Hua Cheng’s life known as He Xuan who guided him right. Dianxia had ascended once more. Thrice. Heaven must truly love Dianxia for him to do so for a third time. It seemed the workings of heaven were more sound than the filth which walked on top of it. Hua Cheng laughed heartily as He Xuan retold the story of how the force of Dianxia’s ascension had toppled over gilded palaces, even more so when he learned it had been Mu Qing and Feng Xin’s who had been affected. Served them right. Hua Cheng should have toppled their palaces over themselves, if they had not been such cowards as to not agree to his challenge.
Pathetic.
Hua Cheng had forced He Xuan to find out about Dianxia’s wearabouts, which was easy enough since He Xuan owed him more money than he could ever hope to make out on that depressing island of revenge of his. So, after 800 years of searching, longing, withering away, Hua Cheng was in the proximity of the only one he could ever call god once again. The one he had called god before he had even ascended.
To think it would happen like this.
Dianxia, dressed in Hua Cheng’s colours, being carried in a wedding sedan as if being taken to his future husband. Hua Cheng would gladly fill such a role. The ones carrying the sedan were insufficient of course. Dianxia would have been much better taken care of in Hua Cheng’s own sedan. The fools couldn’t do anything to keep the undead away from attacking the wedding party, and couldn't proceed to their destination. Those pathetic idiots were there too, in dreadful disguises anyone could see through. They didn’t deserve to be by Dianxia’s side, and Hua Cheng had half a mind to attack them immediately, for their discretion of thinking they could do now, when they couldn’t bother to before.
Ruoye snapped out, like a viper, annihilating more of the undead that any of the others had managed before. It has grown stronger, it seemed, since Hua Cheng had seen it last. He was glad to know it was still by Dianxia’s side.
Dianxia, self-sacrificing as he had always been, kind hearted, warm, always sharp and strong, ordered them all to leave. Hua Cheng smirked, and scared away the last of the undead with a small trickle of spiritual power. There was an array ahead, which would be difficult for anyone to break if they did not sense it the way Hua Cheng did. Dianxia was searching for that which was hidden inside, and Hua Cheng was happy to take on the task to escort him there.
He let out a butterfly first, which flickered its wings towards the sedan between the trees, a shining silver beacon in the gloomy forest. Hua Cheng followed after it, keeping his focus on Dianxia, who were sitting perfectly still in the wedding sedan. He was waiting. Hua Cheng wondered what he was thinking.
He stepped out of the line of trees and approached the sedan, anticipation filling his chest. There were nerves there too, worry. He had worked so hard for this moment, to be beside Dianxia once again, to see him, to serve him, to know he was alright. There was a sense of calm surrounding it too, to know that now he was within Hua Cheng’s line of vision, not in a dug out grave, drunk, cold and crying. To know that now that he had found him, Hua Cheng would never lose sight of him again.
The butterfly flickered past the wedding sedan, and Hua Cheng stepped up to it, pushing the red curtain open with his left hand, extending his right to the man inside. Has dressed perfectly for a wedding. Hua Cheng had half the mind to roll his dice and take Dianxia with him to ghost city and arrange one, but of course that would be below Dianxia. He deserved much better than Hua Cheng after all.
The red string, which Dianxia had been responsible for, was stark against Hua Cheng’s skin on his extended hand. Dianxia’s features were muddled by the thin red veil over his face. Hua Cheng could only make out the outlines of his features, but he was sure it was him, the one he had been searching for ever since they had last parted. Hua Cheng smirked, ecstatic. Here he was. It was real. Eight hundred years of searching, coming down to this moment.
Dianxia hesitated for a second, but then reached out and placed his own hand in Hua Cheng’s extended one. It was warm, soft. Hua Cheng shivered from the touch of it. This was an indulgence. He wasn’t worthy of such close contact. He took a step back as he continued to hold on to Dianxia’s hand, pushing the red veil covering the sedan further to the side to allow Dianxia to step out properly. His god followed, but instantly tripped, his head colliding into Hua Cheng’s chest. Hua Cheng gripped his hand just a little tighter, not sure he would be able to cope with this. He could not compost into butterflies. Not yet. He had to hold back. Dianxia’s face, pushed fully into his chest.
Fuck. Fuck. Kepp it the fuck together.
Dianxia quickly righted himself with the grace of someone who had grown up a prince, and Hua Cheng let his lips tug upp a little as Dianxia looked up at him. Hua Cheng wished he could rid him of the veil. He wished he could find his own voice and speak, and ask all the things he had been wondering. He couldn’t now however. This was not the time. His god was here to solve the mystery with the ghost groom, and Hua Cheng was here to assist him. Furthermore, Dianxia probably currently thought Hua Cheng was the ghost groom, so any questions asked would surely not be met with the answers Hua Cheng wished for.
Instead he turned them, Xie Lian’s hand in his. They left the wedding sedan behind, walking deeper into the forest. They were both in red. Hua Cheng was painfully aware of it, of how much this felt like a wedding. He couldn’t even let himself fantasise of such things, of having Dianxia’s hand in his, as if they were to be husbands. Instead he focused on the task at hand, trying not to freak out over how lovely it was to be beside his god. There were still wolves lingering around, and Hua Cheng shot them a glance, making them scurry away.
Dianxia was solid and fearless to his side, and Hua Cheng smirked as he glanced towards him. There was a pitter patter of rain before them, and Hua Cheng pulled open his umbrella to shield them, fat red drops of blood rain pouring down over them. Dianxia did not shy away from that either, but continued his pace along Hua Cheng, hand still in his. Hua Cheng guided them over to the anchor of the array which hid the ghost bride and her collection from the outside world, and stepped on it. Dianxia let out a soft gasp, clearly realising the array breaking. He was just as smart as he had alway been.
The rain passed, and Hua Cheng paused to put away the umbrella. He took another step to continue to lead Dianxia to the shrine ahead, but Dianxia did not follow. Hua Cheng turned to him, and Xie Lian extracted his hand from Hua Cheng’s grip. Ah. The charade was over it seemed. How unfortunate. Still, Hua Cheng was greedy. It had been so long since he had seen his face, had gazed into those eyes. Before he had even thought about it he, had reached forward for the veil.
His fingers took a gentle hold of the edge, raising it slowly. He felt Dianxia stiffen, and then he pushed himself back, landing in a graceful fighting stance as the veil slipped from Hua Cheng’s fingers. From the sleeve of Dianxia’s robes Ruoye snapped out towards him, and Hua Cheng grinned. Dianxia was a fighter like always. How unfortunate their reunion would end here. It felt too soon, but perhaps it was no matter. It would not be eight hundred years for the next time they met.
Hua Cheng scattered himself into butterflies before the silk could land a strike. Dianxia watched as the butterflies fluttered their silver wings, seeming to consider what had happened. Hua Cheng let one of the butterflies guide the way towards the shrine, making sure for it to keep Dianxia in sight. Hua Cheng would not lose sight of him ever again.