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Shi Wudu was seething.
He loved his brother. He truly did. But for his part, Shi Qingxuan loved to test the boundaries of Shi Wudu's patience.
With great effort, Shi Wudu had managed to redirect the threat of the Reverend of Empty Words, and tricked it into attacking that He Sheng instead. However, the danger wasn't quite negated yet. He Sheng had been enduring the Reverend well. Despite his best efforts, Shi Wudu couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't ascend even with his fate ripped from him.
If Shi Qingxuan cultivated, and ascended properly, he would be free. As Middle Court deputy official, he was still at risk, but as a full blown god? No ghost would dare bother him. Shi Wudu had paved the path for him. Shi Qingxuan just had to apply himself and surpass his own Heavenly Calamity.
And what did his brother do? He partied. He stayed up all night drinking and gambling and slept all day. He wasted time in the company of beautiful women and men alike. It seemed that now that Shi Wudu had brought him to Middle Heaven as an appointed subordinate, Shi Qingxuan had no interest in going further. Where was his ambition? More than that, where was his sense of self preservation? Did he think that just because he was a Middle Court official now nothing could hurt him anymore?
Just the other day, Shi Wudu had made his brother promise to come with him to cultivate, but Shi Qingxuan had forgotten. Shi Wudu had gone to wake him up and found him hangover. He had had to drag Shi Qingxuan out of bed, and Shi Qingxuan had followed him like a particularly daft reanimated corpse. It had been a pathetic sight. He had only woken up properly when Shi Wudu had at last snapped and shouted at him.
He was still furious thinking about it three days later. Shi Qingxuan hadn't even tried to show him he was trying to improve, rather he had disappeared off somewhere, likely to party again. He didn't know all Shi Wudu had done for him, but still, he could show some gratitude. It would be nice to know that all of Shi Wudu's actions were not wasted on him.
Shi Wudu strode with purpose towards a cave by the sea. He had received reports of some water ghouls haunting the place and attacking fishermen. Usually he wouldn't bother with such small problems, but today, ridding the world of some pests sounded like the perfect way to let out some stress.
The sky was darkened, thunder rolling between the clouds. Shi Wudu would have to ask the Thunder Master to mind his storms when other gods had work to do. His day was already going badly enough without being rained on.
With the current low tide, it was easy to enter and exit the cave in question, and Shi Wudu hoped to be done before it rose again. The trail he had been following led straight to here. A cave was a good place for some water ghouls to hide in, and with luck they would all be here right now.
He pondered the situation, before creating a light in his hand. It would risk drawing the ghouls to his position. However, once inside the cave he wouldn't be able to see anything otherwise.
The entrance was not too imposing, but the interior was far larger than expected. One great chamber, and a couple smaller passages departing from it. Seawater pools were scattered around. During high tide, half this place had to be flooded.
Shi Wudu's best bet were those tunnels he had spotted. While large, this first room had no good hiding spots, and he saw no traces of the ghouls. He wasn't too keen on searching those passages, to be honest. Both were big enough for a man to walk through, but there was no saying whether or not they would narrow later on. Being trapped in a small space with a ghoul was no good.
As he thought on how to approach this, the thunder outside quieted for a moment. Enough for Shi Wudu to hear a splash and a soft curse.
"Who is there?" he asked, whipping around.
The last thing he had expected was his younger brother, looking like he had just slipped on a rock and landed on his ass.
"Qingxuan!" Shi Wudu hissed, striding towards him. "Why are you here?"
Shi Qingxuan quickly got to his feet. "I heard you were coming to deal with some ghouls, and decided to help. Since you're always telling me I don't do enough."
"So instead of training you decide to follow me to a fight?"
He couldn't believe him. This was the worst possible moment for Shi Qingxuan to decide he wanted to prove himself. Shi Wudu could give him a number of good missions! Which usually Shi Qingxuan would do his best to avoid taking because it was too much effort.
At the very least, Shi Qingxuan looked sheepish. "Sorry for not telling you."
"And I would have never allowed you to come if you had."
"Brother, please." Something like hurt flashed in Shi Qingxuan's eyes. "I know I slack off, but I've cultivated too. I'm not useless."
"You are a reckless idiot, that's what you are!"
A new clap of thunder drowned out Shi Wudu's words. The first droplets of water began falling, hitting heavily the rocks around them.
"I'm already here," Shi Qingxuan said. "And it's storming. I can't go back now, can I?"
No, because if ghouls were hiding in here, they must have surely heard them arguing. Shi Qingxuan would be a far preferable target than Shi Wudu.
And yes, Shi Wudu knew Shi Qingxuan was not useless. He was decent enough when it came to martial arts, and had a good amount of spiritual power. Those, however, did not compare to Shi Wudu's. A heavenly official Shi Qingxuan may be, but only by Shi Wudu's grace.
"Follow me," Shi Wudu hissed. "Stay close. We'll talk after we are back home."
Shi Qingxuan straightened his back, and nodded.
Now that his brother was here, Shi Wudu would need to be even more careful. The tunnels in the back of the cave. Splitting up would make them explore faster, but there was no way Shi Wudu would leave Shi Qingxuan alone.
Impossible to tell which option was best. Hoping to get lucky, Shi Wudu headed towards the one on the left. It looked slightly larger too. More room for movement would be important if a fight broke out.
They walked in silence. With the rock walls so close to them, Shi Wudu grew uneasy. He was a god, his spiritual power was boundless – but he much preferred an open space where he could manipulate water to his will without worries.
The tunnel opened to another chamber. Here, the floor only existed near the walls, but was as if caved in near the center. Seawater sloshed in the large cavity. It was likely that this hole was connected to the sea at depth. That would also allow ghouls to access the cave from underwater. Or to run away.
"Brother?" Shi Qingxuan whispered. "Did you notice something?"
"What?" Shi Wudu asked, kneeling to examine the pool. He kept his eyes sharp, ready to fight off anything that might try to grab him from below.
"I felt as if something was watching me just now."
Shi Wudu almost rolled his eyes. Of course something was watching them, they were here to hunt ghosts. Who knew how many faces were hiding beneath the dark waters around them.
As Shi Wudu returned his attention to the depths, two things happened.
First, he heard a whisper. Barely enough for him to realize it was there at all, let alone make out the words. He might have mistaken it for a gush of wind bouncing within the cave, if not for what happened immediately next.
Shi Qingxuan screamed, loud and piercing. "No!"
"Qingxuan!"
"Leave me alone!"
Shi Wudu's stomach dropped, thinking of who could cause such fear in his brother.
Shi Qingxuan panicked. In his terror, he spun around as if to face the voice. He didn't realize he had stepped much closer to the water. Not until a deathly white hand shot out, fast as lighting, fingers wrapping around Shi Qingxuan's ankle.
"Qingxuan!" Shi Wudu shouted again. But they weren't close enough for him to reach out in time. Shi Qingxuan was dragged below, his head hitting the hard rock edge with a sickening thud.
In a better world, Shi Wudu would have fixed this in an eye blink. He would have taken out his fan, precious spiritual device made specifically for him, and emptied the pool of its water somehow. He would have dragged out everything, living or dead. He would have taken Shi Qingxuan and rushed to treat whatever injury he may have.
But Shi Wudu was not a good god. Or, not a perfect one. He was powerful, and he had cultivated for most of his life, but he had only ascended a few years ago. For a moment, Shi Wudu forgot all about what he could do. All he knew what that his brother had been taken by a ghost, and that he couldn't breathe down there.
Shi Wudu jumped into the water. Once he did, his light shone on all the figures that had been hiding from him. A whole nest of ghouls. They showed him teeth as sharp as a shark's, set into mouths as large as those of the freakish fish living in the abyss.
One of them was clutching Shi Qingxuan, who didn't seem to be awake to struggle.
The Water Master fan was resting in Shi Wudu's sleeve. He made to grab it, but before he could a ghoul shot towards him, mouth open in a silent underwater scream. Shi Wudu slammed his fist into its face. A proper martial god would have killed this thing in a single blow, but Shi Wudu still managed to make it spit multiple teeth.
His hand closed around his fan this time. A waving motion, and water shot upwards, dragging some of the ghosts with it. Shi Wudu kicked his feet, moving fast towards the one holding Shi Qingxuan. The ghoul would swim faster, normally, but Shi Wudu created a current, dragging it back towards him.
When Shi Wudu was almost close enough to touch it, the ghoul let go of Shi Qingxuan. Too afraid to hold on to its prey. Shi Wudu grabbed Shi Qingxuan's floating clothes, and pulled him closer.
Fuck, he was passed out. Shi Wudu had to get him out of the water fast before–
A ghoul managed to slam into Shi Wudu's back. The blow wasn't hard, but it distracted Shi Wudu enough for the light to go out. The sudden darkness confused Shi Wudu for a moment, but he recovered fast.
One hand gripping the back of Shi Qingxuan's robes, Shi Wudu made the waters spin around them, moving into inescapable currents. Even the ghouls could not escape them. Water rose, and expanded within the space of the cave. Ghosts were thrown against rock walls, and if that didn't kill them at least it would make them scram.
Fingers gripped Shi Wudu's elbow. It was the arm that was holding Shi Qingxuan, and Shi Wudu slammed the head of his fan into them. They let go quick. Faster, the water rushed faster, more powerful. It pushed all those monsters away from Shi Qingxuan.
The chaos didn't last long. Once he was sure the ghouls were all dealt with, Shi Wudu let the water rest back into the pool. Quickly, he got back on relatively dry land.
"Qingxuan! Are you awake?"
Quickly, Shi Wudu lit another light. Shi Qingxuan's body was limp in Shi Wudu's arms. The side of his head was bleeding, the injury left by hitting the rock during the fall. His eye were unfocused.
He wasn't breathing. Fuck, he wasn't breathing.
Shi Wudu made to push on Shi Qingxuan's chest, before remembering he could just use his powers to forcefully drag water out of Shi Qingxuan's lungs. He did that.
No reaction.
Air, he needed some air. Shi Wudu leaned down, pushing it from his mouth into Shi Qingxuan. With every shared breath, his chest grew tighter and tighter. Why wasn't Shi Qingxuan waking up? He hadn't been in the water that long, and he wasn't weak in constitution. By now, he should have recovered.
Shi Wudu tried to push some of his spiritual power into Shi Qingxuan. That had to work. Maybe not to heal him entirely, but at least to make him wake up.
It did not.
As Shi Wudu tried to think of what to do, a cold breeze slipped behind him.
"Wretched beginning," whispered a voice that had never talked directly to Shi Wudu.
"No!"
The Reverend of Empty Words managed to run before Shi Wudu could grab him.
This wasn't it. Not after everything Shi Wudu had done. The Reverend should be fixed on He Sheng, he never should have dared come close when Shi Wudu was there. He Sheng's fate should be Shi Qingxuan's.
The brother of the Water Master should have never been able to drown.
***
He Sheng thought, as he often did, that fate hated him.
Once upon a time, that thought would have filled him with powerless rage. At some point, after his time in jail, the fury had been replaced by the resigned bitterness of someone too persecuted by misfortune to hope for anything else. In the days before ascension, a new type of anger used to surface. A strangely amused anger. One that told He Sheng that since nothing he did ever made things better, he might as well make them worse on purpose.
In hindsight, that must have been the first hints of madness. Many men would go crazy with a life like He Sheng's, and so He Sheng tried not to hold it against himself. Luckily, he had ascended before snapping entirely. At last, freedom from his cursed fate.
However, being a god wasn't easy. He Sheng envied the martial gods sometimes. They had the hard job of fighting off ghosts, but they also had plenty of free time when there was no immediate threat around. Elemental masters too, they could often be found relaxing around.
Civil gods were always at work. The Palace of Ling Wen was the busiest of course, but all of them had to earn their prayers. So many scrolls to read, all the time. He Sheng liked being a scholar. But he also liked having time to breathe every once in a while.
And of course, when some emergency arose, every civil god no matter how powerful became one of Ling Wen's deputies.
He Sheng could understand her worries. Mount Tonglu had just reopened, and that was a major problem. All of Heaven was in turmoil. Martial gods were trying to prevent more powerful ghosts from reaching the mountain, civil gods desperately researched the ghosts they knew had managed to enter. Measures had to be taken against the arrival of a future Supreme. No one wanted a new Hua Cheng.
But even if the work was important, today He Sheng was hating his life. He had been working without a break for almost three days, and it felt as if his eyes were about to melt out of his head. And so many people around here sucked at their job. One would think to ascend as a civil god, you should be able to do basic research! But no. He Sheng had to correct half the information he received.
His stomach hurt, too. Not real pain. Ascending had fixed He Sheng's stomach from the damage prison had left. His constitution was better than it had been since he was a child. It was just his mind that forced him to keep enduring this torment. Some days, pangs of hungers plagued him until he stuffed himself to the point he could barely walk. Other days, like today, it was nausea.
He was aware that gods more knowledgeable in the medical arts might be able to help him with this problem. That didn't mean he'd ever ask. This was a shame he would much prefer to keep private.
A couple of Ling Wen's deputies rushed out of the temple as He Sheng entered it. Their faces were so grey it was nearly green. Were He Sheng not too busy fighting his own exhaustion and nausea, he would have worried one of them might have fainted.
No one addressed him as he walked to Ling Wen's office. Everyone was too busy. However, it was He Sheng who slowed down as he got closer.
Just his usual luck. Walking in the opposite direction as him was none other than Shi Wudu. Not too unusual a sight around here, everyone knew he, Ling Wen, and Pei Ming had grown quite close. It baffled He Sheng. Ling Wen wasn't an easy person to deal with, but she was at least respectable. That was more than He Sheng could say about Pei Ming. And Shi Wudu...
A deep scowl formed on Shi Wudu's face as soon as he took notice of He Sheng. If the lowest and most disgusting of demons had spat on Shi Wudu's fine robes, Shi Wudu would still look less displeased than he was at seeing He Sheng.
It made He Sheng's blood boil. That expression was all too similar to the way powerful men used to look down on him when he was a mortal. Like his old examiners, who would cheat him for being poor. Or the way that disgusting man who had taken them had stared at He Sheng when he had come to make him pay.
The worst part was, He Sheng had never been clearly told why Shi Wudu seemed to hate him so much. At first, he had thought it was because of He Sheng's origins. But after learning about Shi Wudu, He Sheng doubted that was the case. The Shi family had allegedly started out wealthy, but fallen on very hard times during Shi Wudu's early life, so he shouldn't take issue with He Sheng's poor background.
"Lord Water Master," He Sheng greeted as they passed each other. Coldly, but politely enough. He knew well that answering disrespect in kind only led to more problems.
Shi Wudu's lip curled in open disdain. He didn't reply, and walked faster as if to escape the sight of He Sheng.
Insufferable asshole.
"Ling Wen Zhenjun," He Sheng called, once he reached her office. "I have the reports you asked of me."
"Put them there, thank you," Ling Wen said, waving a hand towards a growing pile of documents. Her head was bent down on a scroll on her desk. "Anything of note?"
"No. I have categorized the ghosts you asked, none of them reach above the rank of Menace. It's doubtful that they will be able to survive Mount Tonglu."
Not that ranks meant much, in He Sheng's mind. That Venerable of Empty Words that had haunted him for a while... Ghosts like that were considered low ranking, pests at most, but they could still bring unspeakable harm.
That being said, to think a Venerable could ascend to the rank of Supreme was ridiculous at least. Any ghost could pick on them. If one was in Mount Tonglu, no doubt they would be dispersed soon.
He Sheng had to admit it, there was a certain satisfaction in picturing a Venerable being torn to shreds by another ghost.
"Very well," Ling Wen said.
"Is there anything else you would like me to do for you?"
Ling Wen shook her head, eyes firmly fixed on her scroll. "Not immediately. I will contact you once I have more that needs researching."
Not a matter of if, but rather of when.
He Sheng made to leave, but stopped before reaching the door. Asking things openly was rarely the best way to obtain answers, but maybe He Sheng could try. Maybe, with Ling Wen being tired as she was, and the question coming out of nowhere, she would be startled into giving a honest reply. And maybe – likely – exhaustion was muddling He Sheng judgment.
"Ling Wen Zhenjun, may I ask you something?"
"If it's quick."
"Do you know if I have offended the Lord Water Master somehow?"
At that, Ling Wen looked up from her documents at last. "Why do you ask?"
Was it a hint of hesitation in her tone?
"I happened to run into him as I was coming here," He Sheng said. "He looked as if I had angered him somehow, but I don't remember doing anything that would have offended him. I only wondered, since you are friends, if you had any ideas."
"I'm afraid Shi Wudu has been on edge over the past few days," Ling Wen eventually answered. "It was probably no fault of yours."
That was a non-answer if He Sheng had ever heard one. Nonetheless, he nodded, and didn't press the matter any further.
It seemed that was a mystery He Sheng would have to solve on his own. By now, he had excluded most hypothesis. The problem wasn't He Sheng's background, it wasn't He Sheng's actions, it wasn't He Sheng's role in Heaven.
The only lead He Sheng had was an unfortunate coincidence.
Apparently, Shi Wudu had had a younger brother, a very promising young man that had become Shi Wudu's first appointed deputy. The younger brother, however, had disappeared. One day, when Shi Wudu was away dealing with some matter, his brother had left without a trace. Most people hadn't worried at first. The brother had been capable enough, and going missing for one or two days wasn't that big of a deal.
But then he hadn't returned. When Shi Wudu had come back to Heaven, he had been notified of his brother's disappearance. According to rumors, he had been out of his mind with worry. When he was in Heaven, he would barely leave his palace, and when he did, he would leave for the mortal realm for days at a time. People still talked about it years later. The usually elegant and poised Water Master had looked and acted like a tormented ghost.
The brother had never been found, and no one knew what happened to him. He Sheng knew of this, because thanks to his eternal misfortune, he had ascended around the same time that man had vanished.
Now, He Sheng could sympathize with Shi Wudu. He knew all too well the anguish of losing a sibling and being unable to do anything about it.
But he had to wonder: was Shi Wudu's resentment due to He Sheng having ascended when Shi Wudu's brother had disappeared? Because that was downright offensive. He Sheng had had no fault in that matter. Sure, Shi Wudu could have felt hurt that He Sheng would celebrate ascension when Shi Wudu was in such distress, but to hold it against him?
As He Sheng climbed the steps to his palace, a new wave of nausea hit him. Curse his bothersome mind. Stress always managed to worsen his state.
It was better for his own health to put the matter of Shi Wudu aside. Now He Sheng should prepare a soothing tea for himself, find a comfortable place, and answer some prayers before Ling Wen summoned him again.
He just hoped his believers wouldn't be too annoying today. People who prayed to him asking for his aid on exams and the likes He Sheng liked. Rumors had spread of He Sheng coming from a poor family, and so many of the less fortunate scholars had taken a liking to him. Good people, that He Sheng was glad to help.
But unfortunately, the fact that He Sheng had for a while run a successful merchant business had also spread. He Sheng had only gotten into trading out of necessity. If he could avoid having to deal with numbers ever again, he would be very happy.
Except now he had merchants praying to him. Merchants! He Sheng had never wanted that. He was sick and tired of having to bless this or that business.
All he could do when receiving those prayers was reminding himself that things could always be worse. He could still be losing his mind down in the mortal world. Or he could be General Ju Yang.
***
Shi Qingxuan's legs were as shaky as a newborn foal's. Power he never had dreamt of before flowed in his veins, invigorating him with endless energy, and yet he had never felt so weak before.
Breaking out of the Kiln had been so hard. Many times Shi Qingxuan had wondered whether he would disperse in there. It must have been years locked in there, meditating, cultivating, clawing at the walls in the hopes they would release him.
But here he was. Fresh air was on his face. His bare feet stepped over grass and snow. Trees grew tall on every side, and the moon shone in the distant sky. Shi Qingxuan was free. A grin had spread on his face, one that surely made him look insane. Hard to tell whether what kept him going despite the exhaustion was his newfound spiritual power, or elation at having escaped.
He wanted to run and howl like a wild animal, to try and rid himself of that boiling energy in his chest. He also wanted to lay down and nap for one year or two.
He also kind of wanted a drink. It had been too long since he had had one.
Locked in the Kiln, Shi Qingxuan had had plenty of time to think of what to do once escaped. Yet now he was at a loss. There was so much to do he wouldn't know where to begin. Maybe he should start with testing his powers. After he figured out what exactly he could do, then he could move on with his plans.
He turned this way and that, taking in the familiar yet foreign sights. Up until something caught his attention, and his grin fell.
In the dark, winter night, colored in whites and blacks, a splash of red was like a punch to Shi Qingxuan's eyes. A man stood in the forest. Tall, pale, and dressed in magnificent red clothes, with refined silver jewelry that managed to catch the light of the moon and stars. Such elegance was very out of place in the middle of the wilderness as they were.
"Congratulations," the man said in greeting. "It's quite the feat to escape the Kiln. You were locked in it for twelve years, if you're wondering."
Shi Qingxuan hadn't really wanted to know. "Who are you?"
Speaking was painful. He hadn't had occasion to talk to anyone in apparently twelve years, and his voice was unused to speech. The words scratched his throat.
His chest too ached, but that was normal. It had since his death.
"My name is Hua Cheng. You might have heard of me before, but in case you haven't, I am the last person to have passed the trial of Mount Tonglu."
Shi Qingxuan tensed. Everyone had heard of Hua Cheng at some point. The most powerful ghost since the White-Clothed Calamity. Back in Heaven, many gods started shaking at the mere mention of his name.
"I have heard of you, yes," Shi Qingxuan said. "Have you come here just to greet me?"
"Yes. Do you have a name?"
"Mo Xuan," Shi Qingxuan replied. No ghost was ever honest about names, and Shi Qingxuan had more reason than others to keep his hidden. "Pleased to meet you."
Back in the day, Shi Qingxuan used to be the master of sweet talking. Now, he felt his people skills were a little rusted. What was the proper way to talk to a stranger of your own rank again?
"Likewise," Hua Cheng said.
Shi Qingxuan regarded him with wariness. While polite enough, Hua Cheng was also freezing cold in the way he spoke. Probably sizing Shi Qingxuan up. A scimitar was tied to his side, and it made Shi Qingxuan very aware of the fact that he had no weapons on himself.
Mainly because he hadn't needed them. Shi Qingxuan had discovered a way to deal with other ghosts very early on. He hadn't even realized what he was doing at first. All he had known was that his lungs ached all the time, but the pain was a little more bearable if he stood close to another ghost, and breathed in deep.
He had realized later that what he was doing was sucking in the spiritual power of others. It invigorated him just as it weakened them. If he went going long enough, he could fully absorb the other ghost. A very useful skill in Mount Tonglu. Probably all that had allowed Shi Qingxuan to survive the first fights he had been in.
But he doubted he could count on that with Hua Cheng. First, he would need to get close. That was dangerous when the other was harmed, and Shi Qingxuan didn't have the element of surprise. Second, Hua Cheng was no common spirit. He was a Supreme. No doubt he would have ways to defend himself.
Even if Shi Qingxuan might be on the same level as Hua Cheng when it came to the amount of power, Hua Cheng had had centuries to practice. If it was a fight he wanted, Shi Qingxuan was in trouble.
However, Hua Cheng offered Shi Qingxuan a pleasant smile – although it didn't quite reach his single eye. "Let's be direct, Mo Xuan. I have been working hard for the past centuries to achieve my own goals, and I would hate to have it go to waste. Can I hope the two of us can coexist in peace?"
"If your goals don't clash with mine, I don't see why we shouldn't," Shi Qingxuan said.
"And may I ask what your goals entail?"
Shi Qingxuan shifted. That wasn't something he wanted to discuss with a stranger. "Let's just say there is someone I need to impress."
"Impress?" Hua Cheng repeated, one eyebrow arching.
"Yes."
Surely surviving Mount Tonglu was impressive on its own, but it wasn't enough. Not yet. Hua Cheng had done it too, after all. Shi Qingxuan should make an even greater name for himself.
And then, after he did that, he could reveal his identity, and show his brother what he had been able to do on his own. The Reverend had been one of the first ghosts Shi Qingxuan had devoured. He knew what Shi Wudu had tried to do.
It had enraged Shi Qingxuan. All this time, he had thought his results had been his own, that Shi Wudu saw the potential in Shi Qingxuan and was just frustrated by his lazing around. But no, Shi Wudu had never believed in him. If he had, he wouldn't have tried to steal the fate of another man to make Shi Qingxuan ascend. All Shi Qingxuan had ever achieved was... nothing. Nothing! Just the stolen luck Shi Wudu had thrown at him.
Now, now Shi Qingxuan was here on his own feet, thanks to nothing but his own effort. And he could do more still. Become a proper Ghost King, like Hua Cheng. Gain enough power to challenge the Heavens. Not because Shi Qingxuan had any interest in toppling Heaven, but just to show that he could. That he wasn't just a useless, pathetic, cursed little brother.
To be fair, it would gain Shi Qingxuan much renown if he could fight Hua Cheng, and win. It could be a thought for the future. But not now. If Shi Qingxuan ever tried something like it, it would be when he was fully confident of his power.
"What is your goal, then?" he asked.
"There is someone I have been looking for," Hua Cheng said. "I have been looking for them for a long time, and when I find them, I will ensure nothing bad will ever happen to them again."
Well that wasn't what Shi Qingxuan had expected.
"So you're looking for a–" He stopped before saying the word lover. "For another ghost?" he stammered instead. After all, if Hua Cheng had been looking for so long, that person must be a ghost too.
"A god, actually. But not many know his name nowadays."
That had Shi Qingxuan's eyes almost pop out of his head. Hua Cheng was looking for a god? To protect them? He must be pulling Shi Qingxuan's leg here.
Although... Thinking about it...
"I trust you will keep this a secret for me," Hua Cheng said. "And I shall keep to myself the fact that you want to impress someone."
"I... That sounds like a fair deal, yes."
"In that case," Hua Cheng said, "we have an agreement. Now, how about you join me for a walk? All of Heaven must be trying to figure out where you are, and possibly kill you while you still recover from the Kiln. It will be safer for you to join me."
Shi Qingxuan's eyes narrowed. "That is a generous offer... may I call you Hua Cheng?"
"You may. And don't mistake me, I am not doing this just out of the kindness of my own heart. I am extending my help to you now, and I trust you will repay me in kind if I ever require it."
Helping Shi Qingxuan in order to cash in a favor or two in the future, got it. Wonderful doing business with such an honest man.
"If it's not too much of an imposition, I'll accept your help this time," Shi Qingxuan said. It might indebt him to Hua Cheng, but he wasn't sure how much of a choice he had. Hopefully, he might pick up a useful trick or two.
Trying to keep his posture straight and his knees from shaking, Shi Qingxuan stepped closer to Hua Cheng. He had noticed of course Hua Cheng was tall, but up close it was even more striking. A full head taller than Shi Qingxuan. Was this his real form, or close to it? Or was he just trying to look intimidating?
"Say, Hua Cheng, may I ask you something?"
"I won't promise an answer."
"I saw what looked like statues of a god in Mount Tonglu. Do you know who he is?"
And, most importantly, did they have anything to do with Hua Cheng's person? Because, Shi Qingxuan had no idea who else could put godly statues inside the Kiln, and obsessively making statues of someone did sound like something a sightly insane ghost would do.
"That would be the Crown Prince of Xianle, the Flower-Crowned Martial God," Hua Cheng replied. The words were spoken smoothly, but there was a hint of something vaguely unnerved in his voice. "Do you have an interest in gods, Mo Xuan?"
Shi Qingxuan shrugged. "I was just curious."
"Hm. Allow me a question of my own, who is this person you said you wish to impress? Another ghost?"
Shi Qingxuan would take that to mean that yes, Hua Cheng had something to do with those statues, and no, he didn't want to talk about it. "A god as well."
"Interesting," Hua Cheng replied. "In that case, we should go before your god finds you in this state."
Shi Qingxuan did look less than impressive now. His clothes were years old and barely held together, he was covered in dust and dirt, and his hair must be a disaster. A bath – oh, that sounded like a dream.
A nice, warm bath. With perfumes. And candles lighting the room. Yes.
"Where should we go?" Shi Qingxuan asked.
Hua Cheng reached into his pocket, and took out a pair of dice. "You can be my guest for a while, but you will have to find a territory of your own once you recover. Ghost City is mine, and I dislike sharing."
Ghost City. Shi Qingxuan had heard of it. Other ghosts had made it sound like a fun place. Kind of a pity that he would have to be wary of overstepping Hua Cheng's generosity the whole time he'd spend there.
"That's alright," he said. "It'll be interesting making a place for myself."
Maybe... somewhere by the sea. It would be appropriate.