Chapter Text
After the destruction of Xianle and the death of his parents, the once beloved prince was at an all time low.
Sorrow.
Fear.
Shame.
Anger.
Grief.
They all sat heavy in his stomach. An aching feeling gnawing at his chest.
The voices of his people never stopped screaming, the memories of his dead parent's dead eyes. Eyes that stared back at him. Lifeless. And each and every time he tried so helplessly to revive them. But, his attempts were futile each and every time.
Because in reality, they had hung themselves.
Now he was alone.
Feng Xin was gone, Mu Qing was gone, his parents were gone, his people were gone.
Everyone had left him.
He was all alone now.
The once untouchable prince everyone always seemed to praise for his resilience and sturdy character.....was now being easily influenced by the seductive whispered words of Bai Wuxiang, who never seemed to leave him alone.
The man with the odd white mask, followed him everywhere.
He was the sole person, Xie Lian wished was gone.
But of course, Xie Lian's luck was always bad, the man stayed stuck right on his side.
A taunting devil.
“Just give up already, my sweet prince," a bad smell like rotting flesh hit his face. But, his senses were long accustomed to the smell that it was normal for him. Just another day of crossing over another field of dead bodies.
Guts, flesh, blood, fleas feasted and worms wriggled around the remains of his once devout people.
Xie Lian's eye twitched. The words he spoke burnt like limes on fresh wounds.
He always believed that his temper was mild, that it took a lot for him to be merciless, that no one would be able to elicit such a strong response from him.
Until his cousin, and until him.
But even his cousin did not cause such a rise out of him, because even if his cousin was a cruel man, he meant well.......on most occasions anyways. Qi Rong was always a disappointment, a flaw in the kingdom's eyes, in his parent's eyes. But, that didn't mean he was particularly bad. He just noticed that doing bad things caused the attention to divert away from his more accomplished cousin.
He was always a fucking annoyance.
But, even then Xie Lian was too naive. Because if he thought Qi Rong was annoying, he clearly hadn't met Bai Wuxiang yet.
Xie Lian blinked at the masked-man, before he pushed by him. That was the only response he was going to give the bastard. If he even thought about lashing out, the demon would take it and give him back twice the hell.
But, if Bai Wuxiang was something other than a cruel demon, he was also determined.
Instead of backing off, he merely stepped in front of Xie Lian before he leaned in even closer than he was before, "Everyone has turned their back on you. No one has stuck by your side, but, I have."
Xie Lian's eye twitched even more, but he merely looked up at the stupid mask, before he ignored him. The masks in the festivals were more creative than that.
"Join me, your highness,” he blew his hot breath on his face, “If you join me you'll finally get the revenge you so desperately desire.”
Xie Lian flinched, shuddering, but he made no attempt to move. Bai Wuxiang smirked at his reaction and continued to whisper those sickly-sweet enticing words. Devils were always particularly good at convincing the masses, their tongues were quick and slippery.
Fucking snakes.
Xie Lian felt his morality shift...but he gritted his teeth and tightened his fists. Reciting the mantras his previous teacher had taught him.
"Remember Dianxia, a devil can only say words. But they cannot kill you. Even if they torture you until you're screaming in pain, you must hold onto your sanity and recite this mantra to calm your thoughts down...."
Xie Lian's stubbornness prevailed, and he hung on tightly to the last bit of his humanity that remained.
Evil shall not move me. Only purity shall remove me. Evil shall not move me. Only purity shall remove me....Xie Lian refused, shaking his head, "No. I will not join you."
He moved to leave, refusing to listen. His teacher's words even louder in his mind, urging him to keep his mind sane....But the appeal of insanity was far too great to a man who has lost everything.
The demon persisted, getting much closer to him this time, licking his cheek with that freakishly long tongue of his. A taunt. The demon could hurt him, torture him, but he couldn't kill him. So he would tease him and prod at him, until he broke....Like the last time.
Xie Lian knew, but it did not stop the action from being disgusting.
His entire body recoiled, as he snarled at the man, “Stop it. Don’t touch me." Xie Lian brushed him off, cringing as he wiped his now filthy cheeks with the ends of his now tattered and bloodied outer-robe. Bai Wuxiang chuckled before he grabbed his arm, placing cold lips onto his once warm hand, “Join me, your highness...Together we'll be unstoppable...”
Xie Lian's eyes widened. The action was so familiar, a mockery of respect.
Images of disembodied men and women swarmed him, clawing at him and tearing at him, desperate to save their lives. Not knowing they were destroyed themselves.
Memories of the times where people would place their warm lips on his hand as a formal greeting.
Memories of when Feng Xin would do it, Mu Qing....his knights, his people...he-..Memories.....of when......
Xie Lian snapped and pushed him off, “DON’T FUCKING TOUCH ME!”
Bai Wuxiang stilled, before he barked with laughter and finally withdrew himself from Xie Lian.
But, he still remained at Xie Lian's side.
No matter how much Xie Lian tried to kill him, no matter how many times Xie Lian tried to escape his clucthes, he always came back. Like a loyal dog. He would always somehow appear. No one else would stick by his side, but he would.
He would take the form of villagers, animals, and would fade into mist when Xie Lian attempted to subdue him.
He never stopped whispering, and when he was gone, the whispers prevailed.
Xie Lian was loosing his mind.....maybe he already lost it a long time ago.
But, the words persisted.
Entering his mind, his heart, filling the marrow of his bones. Filling him until he was nothing more than a paranoid pile of flesh and bone, shivering as he desperately attempted to claw at his ears....going as far as shoving knives into his eardrums, as long as the voices stopped.
But they never did.
Blood dripped down Xie Lian's neck and he screamed.
________________________________________
They continued despite it.
Day and night, he heard them.
And no matter how much he screamed, they would not leave his side.
He would not leave.
Helpless, and with no one to turn to, Xie Lian changed for the worse. And, after almost a year of this constant torture, Xie Lian began to feel less and less empathy for whatever living thing presented itself in front of him.
He was a mere empty shell of a human being, an empty husk of nothing.
At one point it got so bad that, eventually, he stopped feeling anything at all. And the cave incident only proved his madness.
______________________________
It was a time after he had attempted to drown himself that an unknown man stumbled upon his cave.
The cave itself was a temporary safe haven from Bai Wuxiang. It was near Mount Tonglu and it seemed to drive the masked thing away. Something about the mountain beside the cave seemed to drive almost all ghosts and devils away. Xie Lian had attempted to drown, but since he was an immortal, it only temporarily made him pass out before he woke up again.
Xie Lian was worn out, as he returned to his cave with the cadence of a zombie.
The poor man walked towards the cave, drawn in by the smell of food and the light of the warm fire inside. He was gravely injured; His lungs had been perforated, so as a result he had been choking to death on his own blood and spit.
The man stumbled inside of the cave, hopeful to find someone who could help him.
Only to be greeted by a man sitting in white robes, cooking casually, as if it nothing had popped into his cavern gurgling to death.
Upon noticing the man, Xie Lian looked up and gave a short smile, “We have company, Ruoye. So what do you suggest we do?” Xie Lian said, looking at the moving white bandage, wrapped around his forearm. The bandage moved slightly before settling down again on Xie Lian’s arm, “Hmm, that sounds like a plan, we should invite him to dinner. That is the right thing to do, after all."
Xie Lian nodded again in agreement before he looked towards the man, eyes lifeless, “Would you like some food, I made a fresh batch of Heaven’s Temptation right here and I am willing to bet you are starving. I would not mind sharing a bowl with you, sir,” he said pointing at a suspicious black liquid with random chunks of unknown vegetables mixed in.
The dying man shook his head, and gasped for air, before settling down near Xie Lian, reaching to his throat and scratching at it, “H..e”
Xie Lian tilted his head, looking slightly clueless and air-headed, “Ah. I’m sorry sir, I didn't catch that. Would you mind repeating it again?”
“H…e..me,” the man said, voice raspy.
Xie Lian once more looked towards the man, “I’m sorry but I did not catch that, would you mind repeating it again?”
After gasping and spitting out a mountain of blood, the man managed to say,“He..l-p…me,” staring with pure desperation in his horrified eyes, his hands clawing towards Xie Lian.
Xie Lian flinched away from the man, “Now, sir. Please do not grab at my robes like that, you’ll get them dirty. It took me a long time to clean the blood out before, so, we wouldn’t want that, now do we?" Xie Lian said, before he moved dying man’s dirty hands away from him.
Xie Lian sighed, glancing down to see that his pristine white clothes had now been soiled once more with dirt and blood, “Ah dear. I’ll have to clean this again. And I just washed yesterday. What a disrespectful man," he blinked towards the man.
The horrified man stared at the madman and noticed his most fatal mistake.
He had come to Xie Lian for help, and that would cost him his life. He knew this, and even if he was horrified, he did his best to claw his way out of the cavern, before he turned back to see Xie Lian, almost pleading.
But Xie Lian remained motionless, as he blinked at the man, looking almost innocent. The man's eyes filled with tears, and after a few more moments of struggle, he eventually succumbed to his death.
His eyes still remained fixated on Xie Lian as he died.
Eventually when the man’s dead body flopped on the empty cave floor.
Xie Lian still did not budge, stirring at his pot.
However, once the odor filled his nostrils, he sat up, “Oh dear, now my house is all dirty."
The man was bleeding out of his mouth, and creating a small puddle of crimson blood beside him. Xie Lian blinked at the dead body, before he dragged the dead man out of his cave and walked towards the river, wash basin in hand, scrubbing roughly at his white robes.
He stared blankly as he scrubbed and eventually once he realized what he did.
It wasn't a delusion. The man wasn't Bai Wuxiang taunting him.
The man was real.
He was real, and now he was dead.
Another dead soul he failed to save.
Xie Lian blinked, clawing at his face as he stared at the dead face of the man. His eyes filled with tears and he screamed as he grabbed at the man's hand and prayed to god for forgiveness.
His own hallucinations had blinded him from reality. He had committed a grave mistake. A fatal sin.
He could no longer turn back.
He no longer felt anything but the emptiness in his chest, and the clear disregard for human life scared even the wicked demon himself.
In fact, the former Xie Lian was so far gone that once Bai Wuxiang came to torture him again, he no longer screamed. Instead, he just stared apathetically, looking almost bored as the demon spouted nonsense out.
The prince was no longer human, and like a caterpillar climbing out of a cocoon, Xie Lian became a butterfly.
But, there was nothing beautiful about him.
And instead of a beautiful butterfly fluttering out of the cocoon, he was a monster.
Metamorphosed into a wicked ugly creature.
No living or dead creature dared to approach Xie Lian, and after a while, not even Bai Wuxiang dared to. Because every time he did, he was met with dead eyes and an eerie permanent tight-lipped smile.
The new Xie Lian, mirrored the old one.
And yet, instead of the naive and earnest eyes of a sheltered prince, there was nothing but a haunted and empty stare in his once beautiful eyes.
His smile, however, was the most eerie thing about him.
That forced tight-lipped smile, was a ghost of the bright and wide smile he used to sport.
It was horrid.
The boy had changed, too much.
He was ready.
Bai Wuxiang knew he was. So, he finally abandoned him like the rest had.
Xie Lian stumbled back into his cave and stared as a mask sat on a rock. A mask the ghost left him.
It resembled the demon's mask, and yet, it was different.
It was personally made for Xie Lian.
He stared at the mask. He didn't know whether he wanted to snort in amusement, or flat out ignore it.
But in the end, he picked it up, and once he put it on, he smiled.
He was now a wanderer, with no purpose but to spread back luck everywhere he went.
Because after all, it was his bad luck that ended in the death of that soldier who had looked up to him so dearly.
It was his bad luck that had gotten his people killed and infected with that awful disease.
It was his bad luck that he had been unable to save that child, and had surely gotten him killed.
It was his bad luck that his parents had killed themselves, they were far too ashamed of what their son had turned out to be.
It was his bad luck that had caused his two closest friends to abandon him and leave him alone with his thoughts.
It was his bad luck that had caused Ruoye to awaken and take pity on him.
He caused everything.
He was at fault.
And so, he should bear the punishment, alone.
He planned to restore the honor of Xianle. He planned to finish off the ones responsible for the war.
Then he would kill Bai Wuxiang and then he would bury himself alive.
That way, all 3 Realms, would finally be relieved of their burdens.
______________________________________
On his quest to seek justice, as he was stumbling through the decrepit remains of Xianle, he spotted a peculiar sight.
A small flicker of light caused him to stop. The first time he had stopped in months.
The flicker of light was unlike the rest of the flames he had seen. It was more concentrated, and yet it didn't seem to be man made. He walked closer to the small fire, and his eyes softened a bit.
When he looked at it closer.....it was a glowing sphere, that although it looked as if it burned hot with flames, it was cold as ice.
A ghost fire.
A weak one.
Xie Lian poked at the thing, but did not harm it as it felt even more fragile than the fancy glass ornaments his mother insisted on keeping around. But instead of quickly flying away from him, as other similar ghost fires did when they looked at his mask, this ghost fire stayed. Nestled in the palm of his hand, as if Xie Lian was warm. When he pushed away the fire, it merely swirled around him, attempting to warm him up from the cold wind, but failed to do so.
It was harmless. And in a way, it was just the kind of companion that he needed. But he couldn't do that to the soul of whoever this was to him or someone else.
This small little ghost fire was the remainder of Xianle.
And in a way, it represented what Xianle ultimately was. A small fire in a sea of darkness, powerful and mighty on the surface, but fragile and quick to fall apart easily.
Xie Lian always believed that his father, the King needed to focus his time on their militia instead of the countless pearls and gold he encrusted and decorated the city palace with. But of course, his father never cared about his opinions and it resulted in his own stupidity to stop the damage that occurred.
A poor blinded prince, and a small ghost fire.
Xie Lian saved the ghost fire, he took pity on it. The ghost fire was most likely a civilian that had died terribly and had not rested in peace. Being a prince, or at least, still being considered a prince, Xie Lian knew that it was his duty to at least lay his people to rest, that was the most he could do now. He gathered the ghost fire in his hands and did a small prayer, before he watched as it floated off to the unknown.
Perhaps the afterlife, maybe something else.
He had failed them, but he wouldn't fail this one.
________________________________
Before long, he was no longer alone, he had summoned a ghost on accident.
The ghost with no name-Wu Ming.
He had appeared out of nowhere in front of Xie Lian, eager to serve him with the facade of an eager puppy. Despite the attempts to get the ghost to leave him be, it persisted. Despite the cruel treatment, he still stayed.
Xie Lian wordlessly let him tag along after a while.
His previous plans to destroy Yong'an were paused. He no longer had any motivation to follow through with its destruction. Xie Lian merely shoved the name into the back of his mind and forgot about it.
That is, until he stumbled upon it again.
The both of them walked the earth with no plan in particular, until they happened upon a rich kingdom.
Yong’an.
It was lively. The people were joyously frolicking and laughing amongst themselves, while the king threw golden coins all around the floor, basking in joy and riches. The people looked so happy, smiles on their faces, as they grinned at Xie Lian-almost mockingly. As if they were mocking Xianle's destruction with their gaudy clothes and smiles.
They were laughing at his misery.
They were laughing at his failure.
They were pointing fingers and laughing.
Xie Lian felt the knot in his mind finally snap.
And he felt something for the first time in a long time.
Anger.
No, it wasn’t anger, he wanted revenge.
He ignored the last shred of his humanity; screaming at him to spare them, to leave them alone.
These people hadn't partaken in Xianle's defeat......but they had still benefited from it. They were happily living their life, while Xie Lian had to see his parents hung up on his ceiling. They were celebrating in the town square, drinking and filling up their golden goblets with rich wine as their emperor celebrated their grueling victory over Xianle. Xie Lian had watched everyone leave him, blame him for his kingdom's destruction. He watched as Yong'an and its citizens enjoyed fine meats and dishes while his people had to fight over scraps of bread and vegetables....Starvation, disease, the smell, the death, the destruction.
And here they were, acting as if hundreds had never suffered.
Xie Lian let his anger control him; he dragged Wu Ming into his plan.
The man agreed, most likely out of duty. Xie Lian had already deducted that the man was most likely a soldier that had served him in life. This was mostly due to the fact that the ghost always followed him and referred to him as his "prince" despite the fact that Xie Lian was nothing like the prince he had known. He wasn't even human anymore.
Wu Ming's loyalty was misplaced, but Xie Lian only took advantage of his naivety.
He was one of the soldiers that had died, one of the young ones that had perished.
Xie Lian ached.
They spent many months planning and after a while, Xie Lian started to feel endeared by the ghost. Endeared by the subtle shyness that he would display at Xie Lian's less than amicable actions. Endeared by his unsoiled determination to please Xie Lian. Endeared by the man's unshakable loyalty.
No matter how much it was hit and screamed at-he would still come back.
And, with time, he slowly started to grow attached.
But, Xie Lian's luck remained the same, and this short time of sweetness was quickly overtaken by the curse of his life.
Xie Lian had tried to urge Wu Ming to give him the curse but instead the smiling-masked ghost shook his head, before he planted the sword straight into his chest, “Goodbye, Dianxia.”
Xie Lian screamed and tried to grab at the ghost. But the ghost pushed him away using the last strength he had, and allowed the millions of ghost hands to tear him apart, piece by piece.
They tore and ripped him apart, the sound of flesh and sinew ripping covered Xie Lian’s screams of protest.
Once again, he had let someone else die at his feet, and once again he could not turn back time.
So, with a guilty heart, Xie Lian took his sword, found a small clearing, and made a small grave, placing a gentle flower at Wu Ming's final resting place.
Xie Lian thanked the ghost, and after he paid his respects, he kowtowed before the makeshift grave and sobbed.
Finally after many months of feeling nothing, he finally felt like himself again.
Wu Ming had been the one who managed to tear him away from his despair, but in doing so he had met his demise. Xie Lian from then on, vowed to live an honest and earnest life instead.
________________________________
And after many years of hard work, Xie Lian had now ascended again up to the heavens….again.
Much to his fellow heavenly official’s dismay.
As soon as he passed the threshold into heaven he was met with familiar annoyed voices, “When will he stop ascending! He's been here 3 times already!" An unfamiliar face said, holding up a small golden fan-with intricate designs etched into it-close to his face, looking obviously annoyed.
Another unfamiliar god dressed in muted shades of blue and yellow nodded absentmindedly, unfolding and refolding his own wooden fan, obviously not really paying much attention.
“His ascension caused more trouble this time......apparently a bell from a temple fell on a god.....But, I don’t think he’s caused half as much trouble as you,” said the god with the intricate golden fan, exasperated, staring daggers at the god dressed in blue and yellow.
The god in blue and yellow looked up to see who he was staring at, and upon noticing that it was him, he laughed and winked at him, “You love when I cause trouble.”
The god flushed immediately, earning another fit of laughter from the other one, who blew him a kiss.
“Yeah, he’s favored too much by Emperor Jun Wu,” said another, shaking their head disapprovingly.
This god was dressed in bright red, and he almost blinded anyone he passed by him.
The other gods looked away from his atrocious outfit and rubbed at their eyes before continuing their conversation, “Yeah, but at least all of the trivial things will be passed onto him,” the same guy who was dressed in blue and yellow said casually, still teasing the flushed god.
Xie Lian overheard this conversation and with bright pink cheeks, and desperately wanted Ling Wen to whisk him away and take him from this nightmare.
But, after a while of waiting outside on the side court of Jun Wu’s castle, he spotted exactly who he was looking for approaching, it was Ling Wen!
Looking tired as ever, with eye bags as huge as pots under her eyes.
She was far too overworked.
He winced at her appearance, before he walked towards her.
Upon reaching her, she immediately became talking, in the same monotone and tired voice she always used, “As you may already know, your highness. You have broken a bell with your ascension and it fell on a god. Luckily, the bell fell on a martial god so, he was able to slice it in half. But, unfortunately, now the bell is broken. The buildings that were broken were quickly rebuilt, but the bell....is priceless.”
Of course it was a priceless bell....
He wanted to sigh.
If it was just an ordinary bell, it would be an easy fix.....but from the sounds of it, the bell was most likely a specialized bell that was made specifically for something.....most likely made by a master artisan god, who spent years trying to perfect it in order for it to be functional.
Xie Lian did not know whether to laugh or cry so instead he simply asked, “So, what can I do to fix it?”
Ling Wen swept through her scrolls, and upon finding what she was looking for, she said, “Your highness needs 7,700,700 merits, in order to fully fix the broken bell.”
Xie Lian could not believe his luck, sighing at his misfortune, “You know I could not pay even a tenth of a thousandth of that amount, Ling Wen....,” he stopped for a little bit before saying, “So, are there any missions that can get me that many merits? Or....will I need to take on multiple ones at the same time?”
He hoped and prayed to God.....Wait, he was a god.
Well....naybe he shouldn't hope or pray at himself, that would be even more pathetic than the state he is currently in. But regardless, he hoped that there would be a mission (no matter how risky) that was able to grant him that many merits....he did not want to take more than one at the same time.....Because then, if he ruined 1 mission, not much would be blamed on him.
But, if he took on more than one, even more incidents would be pinned onto him.
How troublesome.
Ling Wen thought about it, before answering, “Hmm, now that your highness mentions it, there is one.”
Ling Wen then began to explain that there is an infamous ghost that has been tormenting the god’s temples, and who loved to completely wipe out nearby villages, which hoisted said temples.
The death of many of the god’s followers had pissed them off enough to set up a bounty on the thing’s head.
But no official had tried to catch the ghost, because of its location.
Ghost City.
And that was how Xie Lian ended up in Gambler’s Den, where the notorious Blood Rain Seeking Flower, Hua Cheng ruled.
__________________________________
“So, why did no one take the bounty, if there are so many merits attached to it,” asked Xie Lian nervously, knowing deep in his heart that it was because of a good reason.
No god would waste an opportunity to do a simple mission for an absurd amount of merits, especially since most of them had the means and power to do many of the missions themselves. That, and the notorious big egos and pride that most of the gods carried around in heaven, were a big indicator that whatever mission it was....certainly was going to be....bad.
Ling Wen stirred in her seat before saying, “Ah, that is because of a ghost king, Hua Cheng."
Xie Lian scratched his cheek, confused.
He had never heard of Hua Cheng, and yet, Ling Wen was looking at him, as if his name was well-known and infamous.
"Hua....Cheng?"
Noting the question, Ling Wen sighed, "....During the time of your highnesses' banishment.....there was a ghost who became quite....ermmm....notorious here....His name is Hua Cheng, or at least, that is what people refer to him as......"
Ling Wen continued, "...Back when his name started to spread around and become common knowledge, he came up to heaven and challenged 35 gods. And, out of those 35 gods, only 33 accepted and were swiftly defeated. Gods were left stunned at his carefully constructed arguments and were left speechless. Martial Gods could not defeat him, even if they used countless priceless weapons. Medicine gods were stumped at his knowledge of medicine, and could not argue back either...."
Xie Lian's eyes slightly widened, how much he hadn't heard of such an infamous person in heaven?
Surely, the tale of 33 gods who were defeated by a ghost, would surely be common gossip....and maybe it was....and he was just far too interested in his meat buns to realize it.
"...Now, the conditions prior to the challenge were simple.....If those gods were defeated, they would have to give up their godly-hood and become mortals, but if he was defeated he would hand them his ashes......However, their pact was not honored...As upon being defeated, the gods did not accept his terms, and refused to give up their status as a god. However, Hua Cheng did not accept that as an answer, and he took it upon himself to destroy every single last one their shrines on the mortal realm, and when the gods' followers heard of how easily he defeated their gods, they began worshiping him, instead.....That is probably why no one accepted the bounty, in fear that they themselves would be at the mercy of Blood Rain Seeking Flower.”
Xie Lian stood wide-eyed in awe of such a bold ghost.
He then, undoubtedly decided to try his best to remain on the Ghost King’s good side.
And with that, Xie Lian set off with his trusty Ruoye and even got two disciples of Xuan Zhen and Feng Xin to accompany him, Nan Feng and Fu Yao-which surprised him but he dared not question it.
And after Nan Feng opened the portal to a site near Ghost City, Xie Lian turned to his two junior officials and said, “I think, it's better for me to go in first, there could be something dangerous out there.”
Xie Lian stepped towards the opened portal and he had not even gotten a foot through, when he heard the protests of his juniors, “NO! We will go first!”
Xie Lian looked at them gently and insisted, but after some time arguing with them (mostly one-sided from Fu Yao and Nan Feng), he gave in and allowed them to go in first.
After stepping over, they scoped out the area before allowing him to step out.
He smiled gently at them and after they gave him the cue, he stepped.
And was immediately struck by the pungent smell of rotting flesh.
They were close to ghost city, alright. And the view of a group of ghosts gathered with lanterns and white clothes, only cemented this statement.
The group of ghosts were headed in two straight lines, going towards Ghost City, which meant that they had come at just the right time.
Xie Lian immediately started to coat himself with dirt and hoped that the pungent smell would stick to him. He had figured that he needed to mask his human scent off, masquerading it with the smell of the dead. And since he had no potion in his possession, he figured it would be the best choice. However this odd act caused his juniors to look at him in pure disgust. And before he could explain himself, the ghosts that were heading in all of a sudden stepped aside and bowed down.
Xie Lian immediately jumped and hid among them before he bowed down, and quickly gestured at his two junior’s to do the same.
Fu Yao rolled his eyes and hesitantly bowed, whilst Nan Feng threw a short frown but did as he was told anyway and bowed.
Xie Lian was relieved but he could voice his relief, he heard something.
In the distance, a pair of jingling bells melodically rang out, creating a bone-chilling melody that made Xie Lian's spine shiver.
The two juniors looked startled, a subtle hint of fear coating their eyes as they heard it. A swift wave of wind startled the three of them even more and after a while, they were left deserted, no ghosts with lanterns in sight.
Xie Lian looked around, still bowing down, and was about to say that the coast was clear, but was interrupted by a young amused voice.
“What are you doing?”
When Xie Lian looked up to see who it was.
And paused, obviously not expecting to see a young man staring at him, with slight mirth in his foxy smile. The young man was dressed in maple-red clothing with a playful expression sprawled across his face, his face was handsome and sharp.....Xie Lian could tell he was most likely popular with the maidens of his village.
Xie Lian immediately got to his feet, wiping off the dirt from his clothes before saying, “Ah, don’t mind us, young master, we were simply heading into ghost city to enjoy the pleasantries, however we ran into someone important.”
“Oh really? Then, I'm sure they must have been quite important if you had to bow down before them," Xie Lian nodded and San Lang continued, "Hm....could I accompany you three masters to Ghost City? I’ve been dying to visit it myself but, I haven’t really got the chance to,” said the young man with a purposefully exaggerated frown.
A frown that looked distinctly like a pout...it was cute.
“Yes, I’m sure that is fine with my juniors,” Xie Lian said with an amused smile of his own.
Nan Feng and Fu Yao however, immediately began to shake their heads in disagreement, but with one good stern look from Xie Lian, they hesitantly began nodding.
“Oh, I haven’t introduced myself, pardon my manners, my name is Xie Lian, nice to meet you," Xie Lian extended his hand out, expecting a handshake.
And yet, he didn't get it.
Instead, he saw the young man staring at his hand, before glancing away, almost anxiously. He resembled an insecure shy child in the presence of adults.
He....probably didn't like contact with others, Xie Lian thought.
And so, he didn't push at it, and instead waved at him instead.
The young man went quiet, before he stared at Xie Lian's hand a moment longer and met Xie Lian's eyes, “.....My name is....San Lang. I am the third brother in my family, so call me San Lang. It is nice to meet you too, gege,” the youth said, expression complex, eyes analyzing.
Xie Lian noticed this shift of expression and made another mental note.
“Well, San Lang, what is a young master like yourself doing out here all alone?”
“My parents kicked me out of the house, and after a while of roaming around, I decided to explore the world,” the young man dressed in red said, impishly grinning.
Xie Lian felt a smile of his own tugging at his lips, and felt endeared by this charming young man.
____________________________
And before long, Xie Lian and San Lang made steady friends and started to talk about the small and big things in life.
And Xie Lian had just then discovered that even though San Lang was so young, he had so vast knowledge of a large array of topics and ideas. Xie Lian was impressed by the youth’s accurate retellings of events that even Xie Lian had forgotten or pushed back into the far recesses of his mind.
And eventually, he could not resist and complimented him, eyes full of genuine admiration, “You are so knowledgeable even though you are so young!”
San Lang’s expression again changed, growing dark, “It's not much honestly, it's just basic information.”
Xie Lian smiled, admiring how humble San Lang was, before he inquired about the big elephant in the room, “Hm, then, if you know about so many topics, then do you know about Ghosts?”
The red-clad youth only smirked, “Which ghost?”
Xie Lian did not want to immediately jump the fence and ask him about Hua Cheng, that would be too obvious.
And so, instead he asked about the other prominent ghosts he had read about in one of Ling Wen's scrolls, "Hmmm, what about Black Water Submerging Boats, He Xuan?”
“I don’t know much about him, but I do know that he’s rumored to have insatiable hunger and because of this, he is indebted to another Ghost King. But, other than that I do not know much.”
“What about Night Touring Green Lantern, Qi Rong?”
San Lang's expression soured, significantly, “That good-for-nothing garbage. He's always causing trouble to those around him, I can’t believe he used to be a prince." Xie Lian laughs quietly at San Lang’s choice of words, recounting his loud arrogant cousin and wondered if he had changed or if he had remained the same.
But considering what he has heard of him in the previous years, he decides that the latter must still remain to be true.
He shrugs that unpleasant memory aside, and just as he was going to inquire about the ruler of the land they were traversing, when he was beaten to the punch by his junior.
“What about Hua Cheng, then?” Fu Yao said directly, sizing up the red-cladded youth, obviously baiting him.
But, the red-cladded youth did not bite down on the bait before him, and instead decided to say, “Him? There are many rumors about Hua Cheng. Many say that he was deformed and was bullied as a child, and so he sought revenge on those who wronged him. Others say that he was a soldier who died in the war and never rested. Some say that he is still clinging on because his beloved is still roaming the earth. ”
Beloved?
Xie Lian's heart ached, and he felt bad for Hua Cheng, if that rumor was to be true.
“Who is his beloved?”
Xie Lian gently asked, doe eyes now fixated on San Lang, fully invested.
San Lang's eyes swirled with something, before he said, “Hmm, some say that it was a person was of royal origin, and others say that the person became a god and ascended to heaven. While others say that his beloved his but a mere mortal who forgot all about him....But, one cannot say for sure who his beloved is.”
Xie Lian felt even worse for Hua Cheng.
“Is that why their ashes are so important to them?”
San Lang nodded, “Yes, without their ashes, ghosts will cease to exist on earth."
"Oh, then I am sure that they must do everything in their power to guard them then.....if it is such a precious part of a ghost," Xie Lian said, wondering what he would do with his own ashes, if he became a ghost.
San Lang merely hummed, "Not necessarily. There is a tradition in the ghost realm, that involves a ghost to willingly give their ashes to their loved ones, as a way to promise them their eternal love and life.”
Xie Lian's eyes widened, and his heart clenched at such a romantic gesture, "That is so sweet and daring of them to do.”
“Its not daring or sweet, it's stupid,” Nan Feng said, now fully invested himself, “If I was a ghost, I would hide my ashes and never let anyone find them. Why would you risk losing your existence because of some stupid tradition?”
“Well maybe, that's because you don’t have any loved ones to give them to in the first place,” Fu Yao mockingly replied, rolling his eyes as he did so.
“Shut the fuck up, it’s not like you have any loved ones either, so if anything we are stuck in the same damned boat, idiot,” Nan Feng replied, tone just as mocking, fists closed and ready for a fight.
Fu Yao glared at him, and clenched his own fists.
And before they knew it, they ran towards each other......
With that, they start fighting, again.
Swirls of energy and fire come back and forth as the two fight roughly with each other, leaving a poor Xie Lian stuck in the middle, attempting to stop them.
However this time, Xie Lian was pulled away by a prodding voice, “Gege.....let’s leave them and head off on our own," San Lang had whispered in his ear, causing him to shiver slightly at the deep timbre of his voice.
Xie Lian nodded and walked ahead of the two fighting junior gods, before he noticed that they were coming close to the gates of Ghost City.
They walk a few more meters and upon entering the esteemed city, they are greeted by many different colored creatures, all making their way into Ghost City's lively but grim streets.
The streets are coated in many different liquids and fluids and the stalls are full with many different trinkets and strange food that even Xie Lian could not make. The city itself however, is coated in a distinct blood-red color scheme that contrasts hauntingly with the colorful street vendor carts and the lively aura only adds to it. The strange aromas and strange voices that advertise their wares fill Xie Lian’s senses.
He and San Lang made their way around the city, exploring and sightseeing.
And as they make their way around it, they are met with the most glamorous spectacle of them all.
Sitting in the center of the large city, with large banners with strange scribbles hung up high on it, with laughter and screams emanating from it.
It's a building so distinct and extravagant, that Xie Lian can only guess that it is the one and only: Gambler's Den.
Him and San Lang head towards it, and as they are standing before the extravagant building, San Lang’s voice startled Xie Lian, “Well, it was nice walking around with gege, but for now, I have other things that I would like to attend to first, so, goodbye for now.”
“Oh, I see. It was nice talking to San Lang too. But, please be careful, when you’re walking around Ghost Xity, it can be rather dangerous from what I’ve heard, so do be careful.”
San Lang nodded lazily and before Xie Lian could blink, he was lost in the sea of heads.
And so, Xie Lian headed hesitantly into the Gambler’s Den, and was immediately met with many different types of monsters, all surrounded around a long table, where many gambled away and fought for the die and cup.
And, situated in the very front of the table, sat the one and only, Blood Rain Seeking Flower, Hua Cheng.
A playful expression tugged at his features, as he sprawled out on his throne, with the dignity of a king.
It was a truly breathtaking sight.