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Taking care of rogue ghosts was a simple task for Xie Lian - that is, if he were to do it on his own. The sun was low in the sky as the voices of his companions overtook his mind fairly frequently, which ended up in a rather irritating headache.
Ever since the White No-Face incident, many gods had tried to repair their relationship with Xie Lian. For the first year or so, he was disinterested, seemingly forever waiting for the familiar glow of those silver butterflies he loved so much, plagued by loneliness. During that time, he still had a good relationship with his old friends Mu Qing and Feng Xin, as they were the only two he knew the sentiments to be true, despite their constant bickering and occasional offhand remarks. When Hua Cheng returned, this situation seemed to only worsen, which is why he used to free anguished ghosts on his own at night. Unfortunately, both groups had offered to accompany Xie Lian, and due to their stubbornness, refused to leave and miss the opportunity. Hence, Xie Lian was left with rather frustrating company, with three-way bickering with the occasional shifting of sides.
He raised a hand to his head and closed his eyes momentarily in an attempt to block out the sound. This small action was caught by his ever-attentive husband, who looked over in mild concern.
“Gege, are you feeling ill? This one will silence them if it pleases you.”
Xie Lian opened his eyes in surprise, frantically waving one hand in front of him.
“Ah- I’m alright, San Lang. It’s just a little noisy is all, but we will be there soon.”
“Mn. I did tell Danxia that he only needed to take me.”
Xie Lian gave a light chuckle. He loved his husband, even if he was a little possessive at times. They carried on walking towards the field - Hua Cheng was quieter now, not wanting to disturb his dianxia, although Mu Qing and Feng Xin were still not appeased.
“You pig-headed brute, now you’ve disturbed his highness!”
“Are you deaf or something? Clearly you are the one being louder!”
Veins popped on both their heads, and Xie Lian sighed. Ruoye soothingly rubbed against Xie Lian’s wrist. He was just hoping they’d arrive at the field soon.
Surprisingly, his wish was granted as not long after they had reached a vast field. He raised a hand to singal the others to stop. They obliged, being quite for a mere moment, although he could still sense the aura of rivalry emanating from behind him. He thought this would be a quick and easy job - it was only meant to be an expected low-ranking ghost, but the fact it had disguised its presence was concerning. The reports could not have been wrong, there was at least one ghost here, and yet there were no trails or tracks to be followed.
“San Lang?”
“Mn. This spirit is much higher level than the report. We need to be on our guard.”
Xie Lian held a conscious hand over his sword, anticipating movement. The spirit was clearly not wanting to be found, so they had no chance finding it if they stayed still. He began to walk slowly, knowing his husband would be very close behind. There was a tense atmosphere between the group - for once, there was silence. A careful wind blew through the field, chilling them.
“Gege.”
Xie Lian felt a familiar cloth wrapped around his shoulders. Hua Cheng’s cloak wrapped around him, protecting him a little from the breeze. He used to insist for his husband to take it back to stop him from being cold, but now Xie Lian now knew his loving husband would not accept it back. They continued to walk around randomly, searching for clues, two vivid reds piercing the lessening light of the lowering sun.
They had been wandering around aimlessly for a little while, before something was visibly flowing towards them. Hua Cheng cocked his eyebrow, studying it, where as Mu Qing and Feng Xin seemed to have a moment of hesitation before a shock of realisation hit.
“Your highness, don’t touch it!”
“Leave it be!”
But it was too late. Xie Lian had, as was his habit, grabbed the foreign object. Mu Qing and Feng Xin ran over to Xie Lian, but he hold his arm out, his eyes focused and a little glazed. He recognised this fabric, but from where? San Lang knew this look too well - and as much as he disliked Xie Lian’s subordinated, he knew they had Xie Lian’s best intentions at heart.
“Gege, perhaps you should listen to them? As stupid as they are, on occasion they are right. Gege…?”
But it was too late. Xie Lian’s hands had tightened around it, the old fabric twisting uncomfortably at the added pressure. There was an unreadable expression infecting Xie Lian’s eyes. San Lang knew this look all to well. He placed his hands upon Xie Lian’s in a reassuring way as he slowly untightened his husband’s fingers. Anxiousness began to ripple through him as he recognised the coarse texture of so long ago. Xie Lian relaxed a little more when he heard the rare delicate and soft tone of his husband.
“Gege, whatever it is, it doesn’t matter now. Do you recognise it?”
“Mn. It’s from Xianle, the banner which the soldiers carried.”
There was a quietness among the group for a moment. The situation was suddenly much more tense - if this truly was an authentic warrior flag of Xianle, it was highly likely that these restless spirits were from the fallen kingdom. Xie Lian’s headache seemed to increase in intensity… something was wrong. He was used to the occasional headache, but this felt like something was putting pins into his skull. He placed a hand to his head, closing one eye in a wince. He had felt this before… He checked his skin for any sign of injury, and unsurprisingly, the back of his hand had a small hole piercing the skin. He would have noticed it sooner if not for the earlier disruption of his companions’ bickering. Hua Cheng, being the ever-cautious husband he was, delicately lifted Xie Lian’s hand to inspect it. Rage began to seethe in his darkened pupils.
He had only experienced this once before and had been careful never to experience it again. Unfortunately, it seemed someone had it out for him. He had found it once when he was little, a little bush full of luscious berries, ready for the picking. He pricked his finger on the bush, and not long after, he was hit by a stinging headache, bad enough that he would never eat the berries again, even when they were not picked himself. Looking at his current injury, it was clear this one had been done intentionally. Whoever was here had it out for him. He was thinking through what to do when he heard a quiet, snide remark.
“This wouldn’t have happened if you had just shut your big mouth for once…”
“What did you say?!”
Xie Lian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. What he wasn’t expecting was the low, threatening voice of his husband to speak up.
“Both of you need to shut up.”
In truth, tensions were high only due to the situation. All four remembered the golden age of Xianle, but they also remembered the tragedy and hatred that came from it. It was honestly surprising something like this hadn’t happened before. Hua Cheng turned back round to check on Xie Lian, when a cold aura passed over the field alongside a field of mist. Hua Cheng moved to step protectively in front of his husband, E’ming angled in front of him.
“Your fault.”
A voice echoed menacingly throughout the field. Xie Lian felt himself go rigid - he recognised the voice, General Dao. Xie Lian would be lying if he said he remembered every single soldier, but this General was particularly present in Xie Lian’s mind. Dao had lost his family to the Human Face Disease, but due to his battles, he couldn’t get infected, and so had to watch while his family was lost - he eventually took his own life. Xie Lian had moved on from this, but hearing the voice brought him back to that painful memory.
“Gege, what’s wrong?”
Xie Lian shook his head - he had been wrapped up in his own memories and was jolted back to reality. But what was more concerning was the figures showing up in the mist - he began to realise there was more than one spirit here. The mist seemed to thicken, and he began to realise Mu Qing and Feng Xin were slowly being lost to the fog.
“Your highness, where are you?”
“The mist is too thick, don’t wander off!”
“I’m not the one wandering!”
Xie Lian could sense another round of bickering was upcoming - this was really not the time. The stabbing sensation in his mind was increasing, and it was becoming hard to focus. The spirits seemed to be getting closer.
“You knew the cure, yet you let us suffer!”
“You destroyed your own kingdom!”
Hua Cheng grabbed E’ming tighter, anger pulsing through his veins. He placed a protective arm around Xie Lian’s waist, pulling him closer. Xie Lian might have been flustered before, but now he didn’t know how he was feeling. He had heard each voice before, putting them to the back of his mind to finally live free, but now they were clawing to the front, fighting against the pain in his head. Hua Cheng’s voice fluttered delicately next to Xie Lian’s ears as butterflies began to race out, searching for anyone nearby.
“Gege, it’s only some lost spirits. They’re just resentful, they’re not the people they used to be.”
Xie Lian could only offer a quiet “mn”, his hand gripping his sword in its hilt. Mu Qing and Feng Xin followed the light offered by the butterflies, and the group finally reunited as the lower-ranking ghosts began to advance. Xie Lian carefully removed himself from Hua Cheng, wielding his sword.
“Their spirits have been trapped here for so long - I think it’s only fair we set them free.”
The group stayed together, before a few ghosts lunged forward. The group made easy work of them, solemnly cutting away the fabric marked with the army of Xianle, freeing them of their duty. Ruoye was spinning elegantly around, piercing the symbols. The fight was going well, until Xie Lian realised he was separated from the rest of the group. The sound of clanging blades resounded in various directions, until all of a sudden, he was plunged into silence.
“San Lang…? Feng Xin? Mu Qing?”
He was filled with a sense of dread. He looked desperately around, trying to find a sign of anyone else, but it was to no avail. Even Ruoye was missing. A shadow appeared in the mist - perhaps it was his desperation, but it seemed to be the silhouette of his husband.
“Hua Cheng!”
Yet the footsteps were too slow, too unrefined - it couldn’t be his husband. He felt his blood run cold as the figure approached.
“Your highness… it’s been so long.”
Xie Lian raised his sword up, pointing it towards the approaching figure. Surprisingly, the decrepit man simply laughed, yet there was no mirth in his features, only sorrow.
“You’ve already killed me once, are you so cruel to kill me again?”
Xie Lian’s expression was stern, despite the unstable nature of his heart. The words seeped through him as he steadied his breathing. His body seemed to betray his seeming calmness as he involuntarily stepped back.
“The kingdom would have fallen even sooner if I had told the truth… It would have been a bloodbath, everyone would have died.”
“Is that what you tell yourself? That lives lost were worth the sacrifice for a little longer suffering? But of course, I wouldn’t expect you to understand. After all, you get to keep your silly little ghost king and live happily ever after. Maybe I should give you a taste of how it feels to lose your loved ones?”
This snapped Xie Lian out of it. He tightly gripped his sword, shaking slightly with anger and adrenaline. He could take being slandered himself, he’d suffered years of it, seen his face depicted a million times in crude ways - but no one could slander his husband. The sharp pain in his head swelled somehow even more with this wave of emotions, and he felt somehow weakened.
“General Dao, I respect you and all you did for Xianle, and I’m sorry for what happened to your family, but your spirit is full of resentment and anger… Is it not time for you to rest?”
“I’ll rest when I have avenged them!”
And with this, the General charged, lunging towards the one he felt so much resentment for. Xie Lian dodged, parrying each attack - both were skilled, and if Xie Lian hadn’t been poisoned earlier, it would have been a fast battle. Finally, there was an opening, and he lunged forward - but in the last second, he felt hesitation. The resentful energy began to seep into him, and the memories he had spent with the soldiers he led, and the grief he felt over the loss of Xianle - the piercing in his head reached its peak as he felt the tearing of flesh over his abdomen, and a glowing butterfly passed over his vision as he felt it fade.
“Your highness!”
“Where are you, the mist is too thick!”
“Gege, can you hear us? Can you see a butterfly?”
The group were slashing the onslaught of spirits, fighting to find their leader. Hua Cheng had a dark aura surrounding him, and even Mu Qing and Feng Xin were working together in their efforts to find Xie Lian. Suddenly, the butterfly returned to Hua Cheng, and a wrathful look passed over Hua Cheng’s eyes. Even the spirits paused, intimidated by his pure anger. The mist was instantaneously pierced by an army of butterflies, darting in a frenzy to clear the mist. The pale figure of Xie Lian could be seen, crouching down - the splash of red slowly growing on his robes was terrifying. The General was raising his sword, easy to strike him down once more.
“DON’T YOU DARE TOUCH HIM!”
Hua Cheng’s voice roared throughout the field as the trio rushed over to the scene. A swarm of butterflies knocked the General back as he swatted them away like flies. E’ming flew forward, successfully cutting the General’s arm so he staggered back. Hua Cheng took the opportunity to dash to Xie Lian, crouching down next to him.
“Gege, can you hear me? Gege!”
Xie Lian was dragged from his momentary stupor by his husband’s concerned voice. His heart hurt more than any pain could, so he mustered up a smile. He carefully raised his hand to place it on Hua Cheng’s face, speaking in a strained but comforting tone.
“I’m alright, my San Lang - I’ve been cut a hundred times before, another one isn’t something to look so tragic about.”
“Gege.”
Hua Cheng’s voice was stern - he was used to his husband's self-deprecating jokes, but now was very much not the time. Meanwhile, Ruoye tightly wrapped himself around the injury, slowing the blood flow.
"Sorry, I'm fine, but we really do need to free these spirits. They've been restless for so long, they should be released from service.”
Hua Cheng nodded, assisting Xie Lian to a meditating position. He began to heal himself, directing his spiritual energy towards his wound. Hua Cheng stepped back a little, glancing towards Feng Xin and Mu Qing.
“Giving up that easily? Don’t think I won’t hurt your little friends. I’ll make you feel all the pain I felt!”
Hua Cheng sneered at the General, a condescending look on his features.
“Those are bold words in front of the Ghost King - but if it’s pain you’re after, I’m happy to show you.”
General Dao seemed to pause for a moment - perhaps the words had affected him? But a cruel smile began to light up his face, not one of defeat or false humour, but one of crudeness.
“The little soldier? My my, you’ve certainly changed - you’re no longer the scrawny little orphan following behind us like a lost puppy. You’ve even gotten yourself a prince - well, I suppose now he’s just a wilting flower, a remnant of the old kingdom. I suppose you two match, don’t you?”
Mu Qing and Feng Xin spoke in turn respectively, their swords gripped tightly as they kept the space surrounding them empty.
“Don’t listen to him Hua Cheng, he’s trying to disturb you!”
“Don’t you dare slander his highness’ name, you swine!”
Hua Cheng, however, smirked, a storm brewing in his eye. His hand not gripping E’Ming was clenching and unclenching, not thrilled with the reminder of his past, but fuming at the slander of his husband. Mu Qing spoke up once more, shaking a little from anger.
“Where is your dignity?! You’re a soldier of Xianle, surely you still have respect for his highness!”
“Dignity? He let my family suffer a slow and painful death, where was their dignity?! He left you both stranded servants, and let his most devoted soldier to die young and become…this! Don’t talk to me of dignity!”
Xie Lian twitched a little, trying his best to focus on recovering his body to assist. He had to stay focused… but he couldn’t help opening his eyes at the sound of purposeful footsteps and the delicate swishing of the raising of a blade, and the terrifying coolness of his husband’s voice.
“If you weren’t already a ghost, I’d say you have a death wish. Out of respect for Danxia, I will free you quick and painlessly. I can’t say I’ll be so kind if you slander his name once more.”
And so Hua Cheng began to fight, the sound of clashing blades resonating throughout the field. Butterflies were flying around the two, shining a strong light on the two assailants - both were frenzied, powered by a powerful hatred. Mu Qing and Feng Xin stood in front of Xie Lian protectively, watching the fight and wanting to help but unsure how. If Hua Cheng was more focused, he would have been much faster and calculated, but his seething anger made his moves blunter and less controlled. All of a sudden, blood splattered into the air, the metallic scent spreading. Both parties had a few cuts, yet the blood dripping from Hua Cheng’s forehead did nothing to sully his terrifying glare.
“San Lang!”
Xie Lian cried out in worry for Hua Cheng, before coughing a little from the strain. Hua Cheng, of course, was brought to attention by the voice as both parties jumped back momentarily to recover. He knelt down to his gege, concern written on his face.
“Gege, are you okay? We’ll finish this fight soon enough, don’t worry.”
But Xie Lian didn’t look desperate - he raised his hands to study his husband’s injuries, before sighing. He had a momentary break from the headache plaguing his mind and he was going to take full advantage of it. His voice shook a little, but there was a determination to it.
“The General was one of the strongest soldiers in Xianle. He knows the same martial arts as all of you were all trained the same way. You’re not going to beat him one on one when he’s so full of rage, no matter how strong my husband is.”
Hua Cheng looked to the side, feeling somewhat dejected - he only wished to be able to protect his Dianxia, yet he couldn’t even defeat a ghost like him. But at the determined look of his husband’s eyes, he felt a little more reassured. He desperately wanted to be strong enough to protect Xie Lian from any injury, but he also knew his husband was strong, and once gege had a goal, nothing could stop him from reaching it. Hua Cheng placed an arm around his husband to support him a little, cautious to make sure he didn’t strain himself too much.
“We only have a minute or two while he’s healing - if I’m right, the General has full control of the other ghosts as they seem to have been his subordinates. Did you notice how the soldiers were only attacking you earlier when I was with the General, but they left us alone when you had a confrontation? We could free them by cutting their symbols of Xianle, but there’s too many. If I’m right, General Dao can release them of their duty and free their spirits. But that would need him to give up his vengeance. Here’s my plan…”
General Dao was almost recovered, slowly stepping forward toward the group. They were ready. They all nodded, and Xie Lian returned to meditation, with the accessory of a delicate forehead kiss from his husband. The General’s expression has changed.
“This is starting to get boring… Just give me the prince and we’ll finish this. Otherwise my comrades will have to get involved.”
Feng Xin laughed, though his expression was full of wrath. He raised his sword up, pointing towards the General.
“You call them your comrades, yet you’ve made them suffer all these years. How honourable is that?!”
The General didn’t miss a beat.
“About as honourable as serving a selfish prince. These ghosts were looking for revenge, I only gave them guidance. Is that so wrong? They were abandoned, watching the others die from a horrendous disease that they were immune to for a reason they would never know. I am leading them to justice is all.”
The ghosts made sounds of agreements, resentful energy pulsing from all directions. The General smirked, slowly raising his hand to give the signal for the soldiers to march forward. Suddenly, Mu Qing spoke up - he spoke a little too quickly, betraying his mask of complete confidence.
“Are you that weak you need your subordinates to do your dirty work? Where’s the praised General who could lose to none gone?”
The General smirked, not falling for it.
“You can’t taunt me so easily. I was not the only one who suffered, they each deserve their own turn at relieving their pain. And who am I to deny them?”
His hand raised towards the sky, his sleeves falling to show damaged and crumbling skin. The soldiers began to walk towards the group, dragging their numb, old limbs across the ground, yet when they were close to the group, they abruptly stopped, as if pressed against an invisible wall. Ruoye was arranged in a circle, blocking the entry of the desperate ghosts.
A smirk crept onto the Ghost King’s face.
“One versus three? Are you really teaming against me, and denying these soldiers a final chance at glory? Pathetic.”
“What’s pathetic is you tormenting these soldiers forever. Can’t you see they’re suffering too?!”
My Qing gestured to the ghosts, who were pitifully clawing at the barrier, failing to get anywhere close. Their eyes were sunken, and upon closer inspection, there was an expression of intense grief faintly painted onto their features. The General, whether blinded by grief or his desperation for revenge, simply sneered.
“They’re suffering because they want to avenge their lost companions… their lost friends and partners… they want the blood of the man who allowed others to suffer when he knew the cure! If they can’t enter, then I’ll do it for them!”
With this cry, he charged forward, charging straight for Xie Lian. Of course, the other three blocked the attack, striking and parrying the intense flurry that was General Dao. Mu Qing and Feng Xin were flying from side to side, dodging and trying to get strikes in. Meanwhile, Hua Cheng was driving him away from Xie Lian, pushing forward and fluttering butterflies to scare the ghost backwards, slowly but surely creating more of a distance. Mu Qing got in a cut, jumping back instantly to avoid another swing from the frenzied ghost. Unfortunately, the ghost was phased momentarily before continuing his assault.
“One attack down, only another thousand to go - why the hell did he barely falter?!”
“We’ve got the ghost king on our side, even if he doesn’t falter now he’ll be begging for mercy in a moment!” Feng Xin yelled back.
“I suppose you two aren’t too bad - for a pair of idiots, that is.” Replied Hua Cheng lazily, but cockily.
“HEY!” They cried back in unison.
The ghost simply laughed as he brushed off the wound, his attacks gaining in strength. It was as if the pain was fueling him.
“I used to be a soldier - mere flesh wounds are nothing to me!”
“Is that so? I think you’ll enjoy my butterflies then.”
The silvery butterflies changed their direction, darting even more rigorously towards the General. But when the rush ended, only a few holes were visible - corpses of the elegant butterflies had fallen to the floor, decorating the muddied ground with dimmed light. Xie Lian opened his eyes once more, his heart breaking a little at the crushed butterflies laying lifelessly on the floor.
He soon wished he had never opened them again.
The butterflies were being sliced through, and launched at the General’s opponents. Their sharp wings caused scratches, angering Hua Cheng and devastating Xie Lian. It was a brutal scene. A side effect was that Mu Qing and Feng Xin were struggling to defend themselves against this new attack, their vision obscured as small scratches appeared on their skin.
And then it all went wrong.
A solid flow of energy was sent to the General’s hand, ready to strike. A flurry of butterflies were sent straight to obscure Hua Cheng’s vision for a momentary opening… Xie Lian cried out as the blow landed straight onto Hua Cheng’s chest, sending the Ghost King back several steps, and landing on the ground. Feng Xin and Mu Qing quickly moved to help him, taking a brief moment while the General recovered some of his spiritual energy. They positioned themselves either side, carefully lifting the Ghost King up and taking some of his weight. No matter how you looked at it, they had lost a major force, and their strength was significantly weaker - the General had used foul play, desecrating the corpses of the poor butterflies. The situation was looking a little helpless. Just then, they heard a mild grunting sound - Xie Lian was standing. Feng Xin looked at Xie Lian helplessly.
“Your highness, stay down, we’ll figure this out!”
But Xie Lian simply raised a hand, looking over at them with a stormy look, his pain forgotten. He called Rouye to his arm.
“Feng Xin, Mu Qing, please protect Hua Cheng.”
Hua Cheng looked at his husband, steadying his breath. He looked as if he was about to protest, but Xie Lian smiled at him with his usual loving smile, yet there was a fire burning within his eyes.
“Just rest, my San Lang - this will be over quickly.”
Xie Lian approached the General, an aura of power emanating from him. Hua Cheng’s sash was tightly tied around the gash on his abdomen, and the layers of fabric were acting as a barrier to stop the bleeding. Ruoye was poised, ready to attack.
“I was respectful to you, and wanted to honour you as a fallen hero of Xianle - but you have hurt my husband and friends. That is something I cannot forgive.”
He raised his sword, controlling his energy to flow to make strong, controlled strikes. He had a very high pain tolerance, and his meditation had helped him heal a little, but he didn’t want to risk the wound reopening. At least he had managed to stop the flow of the plant poison and remove it, so his head was clear.
“Maybe now you can understand some of my pain - your blood will be an offering to those who died for you, and for those who you refused to save!”
And with that, the fight began. Xie Lian flew forward, sword pointed ahead as Rouye shot out towards the General. His robes delicately flew around him as the true might of the strongest god was revealed. Ruoye darted around, finding holes in the General’s defence for his master, who flew from side to side, with the General barely keeping track of the attacks, let alone blocking them. Each second the attacks came faster and faster, and the General became more and more enraged.
“Stop with your tricks! Face me like a true god!”
And the god obliged. He faced the General, slashing over and over, advancing with every step. Ruoye returned to Xie Lian’s arm, so it was purely Xie Lian fighting against the General. He was beginning to feel sore, and knew it was time to end the fight. He had one final aggressive flow of attacks, slashing left right left right until finally he pointed to the centre, disarming the General and pointing a sword to the ghost’s neck.
Xie Lian let out one long breath from exhaustion. He felt the warm sensation of blood leaking, and after his rush of adrenaline, he truly was feeling the effects of it. Still, his fiery gaze did not falter.
“Stop your soldiers.”
The General glared at Xie Lian, his last line of defence wavering, before he looked down and the soldiers stopped attacking. They seemed to stand aimlessly, and Feng Xin and Mu Qing finally could stop.
“I see… I admit defeat. It seems I could not even avenge my family when given the opportunity… How shameful.”
The General kneeled onto the flower, head looking down. Xie Lian had his sword tracked onto the General’s neck, watching for any signs of violence. But there was none. It was over.
“You put up a good fight - I’m impressed by your swordsmanship… though I expect nothing less from a respected General of Xianle. You have hurt my husband and friends, and for that I feel betrayed. However…”
The General was expecting a severe scolding, but was shocked to feel the cold iron of Xie Lian’s sword being removed. What shocked him even more was the movement of the man in front of him, who kowtowed before him three times, before kneeling in front of him and holding the shaking General’s hand.
“However, I saw the suffering of you and your family. I myself have lost loved ones, and I have those who I treasure today…” He spared a glance towards the trio sitting nearby. “I truly am sorry for the loss of your family. I failed to protect Xianle from the disease, and it led to the death of those close to you. I am one of the few that truly understands grief as you have felt, and I don’t blame you for following a wrathful path.” Ruoye then huddled up next to Xie Lian as he handed the sword to the General. “I offer myself to you. I can never repay the debt of the losses you have faced and your sacrifices for the kingdom of Xianle, so I leave my fate in your hands.”
The others looked stunned, yet Ruoye flew over, holding them back. Feng Xin was very anxious.
“Ghost King, that’s your husband, aren’t you going to do anything?!”
Yet Hua Cheng only looked on, a serious and nervous look in his eye. This was something Xie Lian had to confront on his own - he knew that although his husband had moved on, there was always a small part that wanted to be forgiven. Not the powerful prince, but the scared teenager watching his kingdom fall. This was a decisive moment, and why he was worried about his gege, this was the clarity Xie Lian had longed for. At this, Feng Xin finally understood.
The General raised the sword, standing and looking down as Xie Lian kowtowed once more. Xie Lian held his breath, waiting for the blow. Yet a moment later, the sword clattered onto the ground. He looked up to see the General, tears gathering in his eyes.
“What kind of a general would I be if I slayed my own leader? I suppose I haven’t been much of a General as of late…”
He held Xie Lian’s hand and led the latter to stand. To Xie Lian’s astonishment, General bowed to him.
“Soldiers… I release you of your duty.”
One by one, the surrounding soldiers lay down their weapons, and took off the cloth bearing the symbol of Xianle. They each knelt on one knee, before slowly fading away in a flurry of light. Their souls were free - they were at peace. Xie Lian hoped they’d reincarnate into a life full of only luxury and happiness. It was the least they deserved.
Finally, General Dao was the last one, standing on his lonesome. The sun was now almost set. The General’s armour shone with the last sliver of sunlight, giving him a glowing light, like a halo shining his valour. His eyes watched the sun slowly setting in the distance.
“It’s strange how the loss of light is the most beautiful moment of all.”
Xie Lian stood next to the General, watching the sunset with him. Dashes of pink scattered the sky as darkness began to creep in at the edges. He smiled softly, and he didn’t even realise the tears slowly spilling down his cheeks. The General looked somewhat amused.
“My Lord, please don’t shed tears for me. I have caused you many ailments… and for that, I’m sorry. You were a good prince and a good man - Xianle truly couldn’t have asked for anything better. I was blinded by grief, I couldn’t accept the truth - I could never force my family to murder, what happened to my family and Xianle was unavoidable. In truth, we didn’t deserve you. In my next life, I hope to repay your kindness a million times over - until then, my lord…”
The Governor delicately handed his symbol of Xianle to Xie Lian, before bowing a little.
“I wish you nothing but happiness in the future, and one day, I hope you find peace from the burden we left you. You were Xianle’s greatest pride.”
Xie Lian nodded, bowing as well. Tears were free flowing, but a smile was shining on his face. He looked over to his smiling husband and stubbornly trying not to cry friends.
“I already have.”
With that, the General looked to the sky once more, before fading and becoming one with the stars in a glimmer of ethereal light. A singular tear slipped from Dao’s eye as he was finally free. Xie Lian sighed, feeling sorrow yet also a sense of release.
“Goodbye Xianle.”
EPILOGUE
“Gege, you’re up? You should be resting.”
Xie Lian had been resting for a full day since they’d returned, but he was busy helping Hua Cheng with planning. Finally, it was done, and Xie Lian didn’t want to waste a moment more.
“I’m alright - I want to pay respect to the soldiers.”
Hua Cheng nodded - of course, he didn’t want Xie Lian wandering out so soon, but he also knew he could not stop his husband when determined. He put his arm around Xie Lian’s waste and offered the other hand to Xie Lian’s, offering stability. Xie Lian gracefully took the support.
They walked together to a small chamber, which was lit by only candles. There were many small plaques, and then one larger one. The others simply had “hero” written on them - Xie Lian heavily regretted not being able to have their true names, but it felt right to honour them so. The final plaque was left at his request for him to write personally. The two went one by one, placing incense as an offering to the soldiers. Finally, they returned to the large one.
“Dianxia, are you ready to write it?”
He nodded, and he was passed a paintbrush with gold paint decorating it. He paused for a moment, before writing delicate characters onto the plaque. They seemed perfect.
“Gege is good with words… I’m sure he’d be honoured.”
Xie Lian nodded. He hoped wherever Dao was, he was at peace. As they left, the candlelight delicately glowed onto the carefully written characters.
“General Cao - Xianle’s Greatest Soldier, Deserving Of The Heavens”