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To be stripped of his power, of his glory in mere moments was something Shi Qingxuan had never once thought could happen to him. And yet, there he was, in his tiny one room house in the slums, sharing a bowl of poorly made stew with the other three people who lived under the same roof as him. His clothes were dirty and grimy and they’d been clumsily patched up so many times, they simply looked deplorable. The house they lived in was crudely put together from rusty, wooden planks, and it looked like one strong gust of wind could completely demolish it. But such were all the houses in the slums, and nobody could afford to live any better.
His fall from grace had torn his mind at first, sending him into despair. He screamed and wailed and told everyone around that he was actually a God, the esteemed Wind Master in fact! Of course, no one believed him. Still, he refused to accept the situation. He tried to do everything alone, turning down anyone who wanted to help him. He tried again and again to convince people of his brilliant past And he failed miserably every single time.
In the end, he had no choice but to tone down his voice, to try to find proper shelter and to see how he’ll survive the days to come. Though they considered him crazy at first, the people of the ghetto still warmed up to him and welcomed him in their community. Accepting help wasn’t easy, and it greatly hurt his pride. Unfortunately though, he didn’t have much of a choice.
When he was still a Heavenly official, he’d learned to master the sword, to write poetry, to dance, to sing and to play instruments. He was witty and dedicated and had a way with people like none other in the three realms. But it was all useless now, for nobody would hire a beggar for an intellectual job, and his broken arm and leg made it impossible for him to do any physical work.
His dishevelled state made some people avoid him completely, while others took pity on him and offered him a few coins. Barely enough to buy some vegetables for a bland soup. Sometimes he visited Xie Lian and Crimson Rain Sought Flower at Puqi Shrine. Sure, he liked catching up with his friend, but he shamefully admitted to himself that the main reason he visited was because they’d always offer him a warm meal.
He was grateful to Xie Lian and Crimson Rain Sought Flower for all they had done to help him fight the Reverend of Empty words, but, in the end, it had been far from enough. Who could he even blame for all that happened, though? His parents? His brother? Ship Sinking Black Water?
No. The only one whom he could blame was himself. He should’ve realised sooner that the Ming Yi he knew was never the real Earth Master, he should’ve stayed away from his brother’s tribulation, he should’ve called He Xuan by his true name in the Nether Water manor.
But, of course, these troubles remained only for him to mull over. From the outside, he was cheerful, grateful to everyone who wanted to help him and always willing to discuss anything that troubled any of his beggar friends. He always greeted Xie Lian and Crimson Rain Sought Flower with a smile and acted contended about his situation. But the ghost king had no care for him and, even though he wanted so badly to talk to Xie Lian about his thoughts, he was simply too ashamed.
Shi Qingxuan used to cultivate when he was younger, in the hopes of ascending to the Heavens, like his brother did. And it worked, apparently, only to later discover that he was never supposed to ascend in the first place. Perhaps that had always been his destiny: to live as a beggar in the slums of the Imperial Capital. Perhaps his centuries as the Wind Master had been just a long delay of the inevitable.
Slowly, a thought started slipping into his mind. What if he could ascend again? This time on his own merit, of course. Would his wretched fate even allow him to?
And he tried, he really did. But he was always too hungry and cold to concentrate or meditate. His broken arm and leg made it too difficult to practise martial arts or qigong. It was as useless as any other attempt to restore his magnificent past.
┉┈◈◉◈┈┉
The clouds above were grey and heavy, warning that great rain was about to fall, and yet, the Imperial Capital was as rowdy and bustling as ever. Between all the merchants and farmers looking to sell their goods, between children running and carriages passing quickly, Shi Qingxuan was limping helplessly around, asking whoever passed by him for a coin or two. The people had been particularly stingy that day and there was nothing Shi Qingxuan could afford with what he had gotten.
He needed a new set of clothes, he needed soap to wash himself, he needed… he needed everything back . But by that point he understood that that was never going to happen. With a heavy sigh, he dragged his body to a nearby temple. The establishment plaque had fallen, and Shi Qingxuan didn’t care to inspect it. At least he could rest there for a while before heading back to the slums. Hopefully the rain wasn’t going to start so soon.
It seemed nobody had bothered to attend to the temple in the past few years. The once bright exterior mural now looked washed out and some bits were even chipped off. The inside was deserted, with no offerings of food, riches or even incense sticks on the altar table. The people had stopped worshipping the god, most likely because he had stopped answering their prayers.
Shi Qingxuan raised his head to look at the statue on the altar. Suddenly, he felt his heart skip a beat. The few coins he had gathered that day fell from his limp hand, but he didn't even react. Raised in front of him, high on the once glorious altar, were two golden statues. One was of a man holding a fan, his face sharp and eager, his pose ready for battle, and next to him, there was a woman with her own fan as well, sculpted in dancing position, gracious and elegant, her body flowing like the wind.
Shi Qingxuan was stunned in place. Out of all the places, why here?! After being cast as a mortal ten years ago, he’d avoided the Wind and Water temples like the plague, precisely because they reminded him of all that he’d lost. All the memories from his time in the Upper Court that he tried to forget immediately started swarming in his mind.
He remembered his brother, the one they called the Water Tyrant, but the one who had done so much to protect him, even as far as to sacrifice his own life for Shi Qingxuan in Black Water’s lair. He remembered his ascension, when he rose to the Heavens while drinking at the Terrace of Cascading Wine with his friends. He remembered his early days in the Upper Court, how he used to tease Pei Ming and how he used to give away tens of thousands of merits like it was nothing. He remembered Banyue Pass, and how he’d used his fan to summon a sandstorm and to swipe everybody up from the Sinners Pit, how he flew up with Xie Lian and Lang Qianqiu from Crimson Rain Sought Flower’s burning house. Those days… despite all the troubles, they were so happy and content. There was simply nothing that could get in his way.
He used to have so much, but none of it was ever meant to be his from the beginning. For centuries he lived a blissful lie, before it all ended in a horrible nightmare. That graceful divine statue should’ve never been built in the first place.
“Hahahaha…” a raspy laugh left his throat. “Fantastic! What luck to stumble here today! Hahahahaha! It’s- It’s alright. I’ll just leave! I’ll just…” his fingers twitched uncontrollably.
He grabbed a nearby fallen wooden plank and started viciously hitting the Lady Wind Master divine statue, not daring to touch the one of the Water Master. He was hitting blindly, not even looking or thinking about what he was doing. His actions were pure adrenaline. The sound of the wood hitting the metal resounded far outside the shrine. Soon, two city guards entered the temple and, seeing the state he was in, didn’t even bother trying to reason with him. They scoffed at his smell that filled the room and forcefully bound Shi Qingxuan’s hands, taking him back to the slums. Exiting the old temple, the two guards and the beggar left behind the undignified sight of two golden statues, one of which was struck and deformed. One of the statues was of a man holding a fan in a battle pose, and the other was a woman dancing gracefully like the wind, now missing an arm and a leg.
The Guards fined him a sum that he was never going to be able to pay, not in ten lifetimes considering his predicament. If he didn’t pay it in a month, he was going to be sent to jail. Shi Qingxuan had no choice but to slowly return to his impoverished home, not even knowing if he'd have the heart to tell the others what he’d done.
By the time he arrived, the rain had already started to pour. He felt weak, tired and angry, but he still waved at his friends with a smile. When they asked why he’d been dragged there by two soldiers, he gave no explanation. He crashed into his bed made out of blankets thrown on the bare earth. At first, he’d found these conditions outrageous. Now, however, in a resigned way, he’d gotten used to it. He fell asleep to the heavy sound of rain hitting the thin roof of his wooden house.
...
Shi Qingxuan found himself at a banquet in the Heavenly Capital, along with other officials, during the Shangyuan festival. He couldn’t see their faces clearly, but he could hear their laughter and their hearty conversations. The lantern battle had just started, all voices going silent in order to properly listen. After a bit of dallying, Shi Wudu was announced in third place! Shi Qingxuan exclaimed happily, but his expression changed in an instant when he turned to congratulate his brother. Where Shi Wudu’s head had once been, only an uneven stump of a neck remained, gushing blood and gore all around him in a guts turning sight. Shi Qingxuan wanted to scream but no sound came out of his throat. His brother’s corpse collapsed lifelessly from the chair, leaving a pool of blood where it landed on the floor. Shi Qingxuan tried to run away, to shout for help, but he tripped on his own chair in the process, and he fell to the ground with a thud. When he looked around, he saw with horror that everyone at the table had been butchered, their mutilated bodies hanging limp in their chairs or laying contorted on the ground.
Who!? Who could’ve done this!? he asked himself desperately, unable to avert his gaze no matter how much he wanted to. His racing heart stopped in his chest as he saw a tall, ominous figure in the distance. Previously, he couldn’t make out the faces of the other officials, and yet this person’s face was not obscured at all, though Shi Qingxuan wished with all his soul that it had been. Ship Sinking Black Water was approaching him steadily from a distance.
Suddenly, he was no longer in the Upper Court, but rather in the Black Water Manor, his hands and feet chained, his brother’s crudely beheaded body right next to him. Black Water was still in front of him, looming over his helpless body. He closed his eyes, convinced that was the end of him. Yet, instead of torture, he heard a voice call out to him. “Lord Wind Master?” It sounded familiar somehow, but he couldn’t quite put a finger on it. The voice rang louder in his mind the second time “Lord Wind Master?’”
Shi Qingxuan jolted awake, beads of sweat rolling down his unkempt forehead. Another nightmare. It wasn’t the first and he knew it wasn’t going to be the last. He sighed, trying to steady his breathing.
“Lord Wind Master?”
Shi Qingxuan jumped on his blankets. That voice again! He realised it came from outside the house. It wasn’t part of the dream after all. But who would even address him like that anymore?
He got up and limped a few steps to the door. When he opened it, he was met with the unexpected gaze of a slender woman radiating warm spiritual light, riding atop a huge black ox. A stark contrast to his dishevelled state. Shi Qingxuan took a respectful bow then exclaimed full of surprise:
“Lord Rain Master! Greetings! It’s been a long time… What brings you to, um, here?”
“It’s nice to see you again, Lord Wind Master.” she said, a faint smile painting her lips. “Ling Wen has called for you in the Upper Court.”
Shi Qingxuan’s eyes widened. The Upper Court? Why would that be? Suddenly, he remembered that he’d never been properly exiled from Heaven. When Jun Wu had seen that Black Water had rid him of all his spiritual powers, he hadn’t bothered to banish him or give him a cursed shackle. His chest tightened with uneasiness. Has the time come for yet another humiliation? He lowered his head without saying another word.
‘Don’t be afraid. I doubt it’s what you’re thinking.’ the Rain Master added, her voice calm and caring. ‘Don’t forget your spiritual weapon.’
Shi Qingxuan limped back into his house, searching through his few belongings gathered on the floor. From beneath a pile of dirty clothes, he retrieved his broken Wind Master fan. He’d kept it after Hua Cheng had returned it to him a few years ago, while he was guarding the human array in the Imperial Capital. Even broken, Shi Qingxuan never had the heart or even the mind to abandon it.
“Ol’ Feng, what’s with the ruckus? Go back to sleep.” murmured one of his friends who was sleeping on the floor.
“Don’t worry, don’t worry. I’ll be back soon.”
“Huh? Where are you going?”
But Shi Qingxuan had already left the room. The Rain Master extended an arm toward him, helping him climb her gigantic ox. When his other tent mates went to check what was happening, they only saw him reaching up his good arm toward the empty sky, then disappearing into thin air.
Yushi Huang’s ox started galloping through the slums, its hooves trotting loudly on the ground. And yet, no one except Shi Qingxuan and the Rain Master could see or hear it. After a few seconds, to Shi Qingxuan’s great surprise, the ox took flight, running on the air as if it were still on the ground.
“Lord Rain Master, wait! L-Let me at least tie my hair before entering the Heavenly Capital!”
He searched into his pockets for some ripped cloth that he could use, but he came out empty. Yushi Huang raised her hand and swirled it up in the air once in his direction. Bright light blinded his eyes for a second and he felt a tingle all around him. When he opened them, he noticed his clothes were suddenly clean. His hands were no longer covered in grime and, when he touched his face, it felt smooth and clear. His hair was soft and silky against his fingers, no longer greasy and full of fleas.
“Thank you so so much, hahaha! Oh, you’re a lifesaver!”
This time, his laughter was sincere. He was glad beyond words to finally look somewhat dignified.
The black ox only stopped its galloping when it reached the entrance to what must’ve been the Palace of Divine Might. The new Heavenly Court looked even more fantastical and luxurious than the previous one. Grand palaces spread across the clouds, with their golden rooftops glistening in the moonlight. Splendid and opulent gardens decorated the space, making the whole landscape look even more awe inspiring than what the legends described it as. A small chuckle left Shi Qingxuan’s lips when remembered that Hua Cheng had actually lent a generous amount of money to the Heavenly Officials to help them rebuild the Upper Court.
That must be embarrassing. Being indebted to a Ghost King as a God. Crimson Rain Sought Flower surely won’t stop tormenting them until every last bit of gold is returned.
Shi Qingxuan tried to jump off the ox, but couldn’t steady his landing due to his broken leg and he hit the floor with a thud. He assured Yushi Hunag that he was fine and got up quickly, dusting off his clothes.
Though it was late in the night, there were many heavenly officials walking up and down the Avenue, giving him strange looks and whispering to each other. By that point, the news must've spread across the whole Heavenly Realm that the Wind Master had become a mortal. Yet, seeing him face to face, still dressed in rags and devoid of all spiritual power, gave them all the more reason to gossip.
Shi Qingxuan took a few difficult steps toward the Palace of Divine Might, knowing well what was waiting for him. When they reached the entrance, Yushi Huang stopped behind him.
“Lord Rain Master, aren’t you coming too?”
“Ling Wen asked for your presence alone. I merely offered to help bring you here.”
“What? Why’s that?”
“You shall see for yourself.”
That was truly strange. When someone was banished, any official of the Upper Court could attend as a spectator. People actually yearned to be present, since it wasn’t every day that such an important event took place. What reason could the new Emperor have to ban the Rain Master from attending?
The Interior of the Palace of Divine Might was so bright compared to the night sky outside, his eyes needed time to adjust. The white jade was shiny and polished as a mirror, so much so that he could see his entire reflection when walking the path toward the end of the hall. The entire place was illuminated, even though no clear light source was present. Surely someone must’ve been using their spiritual power to keep it so brilliant.
Just like in the old palace, a grand staircase was placed at the end of the hall, on top of which stood a grand throne. Yet, to his surprise, the throne was uncharacteristically empty. Actually, the entire hall was strangely deserted. Ling Wen was the only other person inside, patiently waiting for him at the bottom of the staircase.
“Welcome back, Lord Wind Master," said Ling Wen, her voice showing no trace of enthusiasm.
“Hi, Ling Wen! There’s really no need to address me like that anymore haha… Plus, it’s not like I’ll be here for long anyway.”
“That will be up to you, Lord… Shi Qingxuan.”
"What? Wait, where’s the Emperor anyway? Ling Wen, are you the new emperor?!”
“No. Though, considering how much work I’m doing these days, I might as well be. Would that be so surprising?” she asked in a completely flat tone, only raising an eyebrow at the end.
"Uh… Well, who’s the Emperor then?"
"Nobody at the moment. His Highness Xie Lian was offered the position but he refused, so we have no clear ruler at the moment. It is…" she said and let out a small cough, "quite a chaotic situation."
Shi Qingxuan hesitated for a moment before asking:
"Then… who’s gonna be… the one to put a cursed shackle on me?"
"A cursed shackle?" The woman seemed surprised by his inquiry. "That’s not why you were called here today. In fact, it wasn’t me who actually called you in the first place."
"Who was it then?"
Ling Wen remained silent and only turned her head toward one of the side entrances of the palace.
From one of the doors, a tall black clad man with a pale ghastly face entered the hall. His step was sure and determined and his gaze was piercing and frightening. His pitch black hair flowed on the side of his face, barely masking the gills on his neck.
Shi Qingxuan instinctively stumbled backward, nearly falling on his butt. With every step the ghost king took forward, Shi Qingxuan took three back, like a scared cat ready to flee if you got too close.
"Sh-sh-sh-ship Sinking Blank W–water hahahahaha whatbringsyouhere hahahaha iwasntexpectingtoseeyouagain!"
He could barely understand his own words. He whipped his head around desperately, trying to look for the nearest exit. It was true that he was expecting to return with a cursed shackle, but at least he was hoping he would return at all!
His steps became quicker, but before he could start bolting out, his bad leg gave way and he fell to the ground. He clutched his head in panic and could barely let out the words through his frantic breathing:
"I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’ll stop cultivating! I’ll stop trying to ascend! I shouldn’t have tried in the first place! Please, don’t rip my head off!…"
Instead of Black Water grabbing him by the throat like a useless sack of meat, the ghost king only said with scorn:
"Leave the drama for another time. I didn’t come to kill you."
At the sound of those words, Shi Qingxuan removed his hands only slightly, allowing his eyes to peek at the man. But when he caught a glimpse of his silhouette, he quickly raised his arms back again. In the past, he would’ve never acted so cowardly. As a mortal, however, he was more than aware of his limitations. Would he so wish, Black Water could take his life with a snap of his fingers.
"Will you get up already? I said I’m not going to kill you."
Shi Qingxuan hesitated for a few moments, before finally lowering his arms and rising from the floor, still keeping a safe distance of a few dozen metres between him and Black Water.
"Why did you come then?" he asked in a barely audible voice.
At his question, the ghost king’s gaze softened barely perceptively. He extended his hand as if demanding something, which made Shi Qingxuan nearly tumble again in panic. He Xuan sighed and said in a tone as calm as he could muster:
"Give me your fan."
Shi Qingxuan looked at the broken fan in his hand, then up at He Xuan, then back at his fan a few times, before finally taking one reluctant step forward. He then took another, and another, until he finally made his way to the ghost king. He handed him the two halves of his once powerful spiritual weapon, without daring to meet his gaze.
Black Water closed his eyes, and dazzling spiritual energy started flowing from his palms, encompassing the broken fan and lifting it up in the air. A strong gust of wind started blowing around the three people in the hall, making their clothes and hair flutter wildly. When Shi Qingxuan took another look at his fan, his mouth was left agape and his eyes were widely open. He thought He Xuan would snap his fan again, until nothing but insignificant splinters remained. But, instead, he fixed his weapon. Shi Qingxuan retrieved his fan and he turned it excitedly in his hands, opening it and closing it back again with astonishment.
"Thank you! Thank you!" he said, smiling with his whole heart. "But… why-"
A vivid memory made him stop his sentence. A few years ago, in the Imperial Capital, when he was part of the human array, someone had tossed him his Wind Master Fan. The man looked like Crimson Rain Sought Flower, but later, at Puqi Shrine, Hua Cheng denied that he’d ever done anything of the sort. At the time, Shi Qingxuan took it as part of his usual sarcasm-filled polemic. Now, however, he understood that Hua Cheng had actually been sincere.
"Back then… it was you as well, wasn’t it?"
Black Water remained silent. He only sighed and averted his gaze.
"Ship Sinking Black Water also wishes to return your spiritual powers back" said Ling Wen all of a sudden, after standing motionless and quiet as a statue the whole time.
He Xuan shot her a thundering gaze, while Shi Qingxuan’s smile froze on his face. The black clad ghost slapped his own forehead then said through his teeth:
"You were supposed to shut the fuck up."
"You were having a hard time stating your business and I still have a few hundred scrolls to get through until morning. I merely took the chance to hasten your exchange."
" You b-" he looked like he was about to take her head then there. Yet, instead of actually attacking her, he just turned back to Shi Qingxuan who was still dumbstruck. ‘ Ugh. Whatever. Yes. It’s as she said."
"Hahaha…" Shi Qingxuan laughed awkwardly, "Black Water, what are you saying?"
"Exactly what you heard. I thought about it for a long time... Because of what you and your fucking despicable brother did, I was forced to live a life of misery and despair, and all my loved ones were bound by the same wretched fate as me. After death, rage and resentment were my driving force, what kept my soul alive. I wanted to avenge my family and to bring you both to justice."
Shi Qingxuan bowed his head and didn’t dare raise it again. The flashbacks to the incident in the Black Water Manor were resurfacing in his mind. The dread, the terror, the shame, the guilt. His chest tightened. It was difficult to breathe.
"Now, your brother’s dead by my hand and you’re spending your days in endless poverty, asking other people to hand you a coin or two on the street." the ghost king paused, then began pacing back and forth. "After beheading Shi Wudu I felt some relief indeed, only for the feeling to be fucking gone soon after. Because, after all, my family is still dead. My past remains the same. No matter what I do, those things will never change."
The resentment in his voice was still present. His words were echoing through the empty hall, reverberating in Shi Qingxuan’s head. The young beggar clutched his fan to his chest. He had no idea what the ghost king intended to do.
"I’ve finally completed my revenge. But what comfort does that truly bring me? As I said, it's impossible to change the past."
Suddenly, the tone of his voice shifted, his malice and hate seeming to fade if only a tad.
"There’s no point in living another century with a grudge. Your brother wholly deserved his fate, but as for you… I’ve decided to give you a choice. You may return to the Upper Court again as the Wind Master, or you can die in a ditch as a beggar. It doesn’t concern me anymore.”
Shi Qingxuan felt he had to say something. He clutched his fan even tighter instinctively.
"No… I can’t, I shouldn’t. It was always supposed to be your fate. I can’t continue to live off someone else’s merit."
The words hurt to say, but it was the right thing to do, the just thing, and righteousness had always been one of his virtues.
"Shi Qingxuan, perhaps at first you only ascended due to a change of fate, but now that is no longer the situation" Ling Wen said evenly, still standing in the exact same spot. "Even if you were never supposed to be the Wind Master, you were still one of the most beloved Gods, not only by your worshippers, but also by the other Heavenly Officials. You stuck by his highness’ Xie Lian side when all the other officials mocked him, you always gave away merits from the goodness of your heart, you took it upon yourself to investigate Banyue Pass. Perhaps your fate has always been that of a beggar, but you truly do deserve to ascend."
Even Ling Wen’s characteristic cold and composed voice gained a tinge of warmth while she spoke.
"Plus, with all but two elemental masters gone, we really do need you back." There she was again with her stoicism.
"Mhm, as she said, yeah. So? What will it be? I don’t have all day."
He Xuan extended his hand toward Shi Qingxuan, showing that he was being genuine. He truly was willing to hand his spiritual powers back. Shi Qingxuan hesitated in his place. He understood that was his only chance to return to godhood. On his own, he was never going to ascend again. He’d tried to make peace with the situation, but now, something completely unexpected happened. Black Water himself offered to return his powers.
His brother would have surely wanted him to accept, but, after the incident in the Nether Water Manor, he’d come to question his brother’s morality and judgement. If he refused, he’d go back to being a beggar. His fan was fixed, but with no spiritual power, it was useless in his hands. If he accepted, he’d become the Wind Master again. Though it brought him guilt, the thought made him feel sincere joy and it made his heart flutter in expectation. Of course he wanted to become a Heavenly Official again, of course he wished to return to the Upper Court, to his palace, to his old pals.
"Black Water, you’ve already spared my life, and you even fixed my broken fan twice. Really, you don’t have to do anything more."
"Idiot. I’m not doing it for you. It’s for my own conscience." He Xuan said through his teeth, as if the words took tremendous effort to come out. "So, last chance. What will it be?"
Shi Qingxuan raised his head and straightened his pose properly. If Black Water was truly willing to do this, if he reassured him that that was his intention, then, maybe, just maybe, Shi Qingxuan could wholly accept.
He grabbed He Xuan’s extended hand.
In an instant, he felt waves of spiritual energy coursing through his whole being, encompassing his body, lifting him off the ground. Wild gusts of wind started blowing all around, howling through the empty hall, nearly knocking Ling Wen off her feet. The Heavenly Officials gathered outside to watch in awe, as dazzling light started shimmering from inside the palace. Shi Qingxuan’s heart was racing, sensing the familiar warmth of the spiritual glow. He felt reborn, like all that he’d lost had finally returned to him.
He Xuan let go of his hand.
The First thing Shi Qingxuan noticed was that he felt steady on his feet, no longer struggling to keep his balance. After so many years and makeshift remedies, his injuries had finally healed. When he tried to move his once broken arm, he saw that the sleeve cascading from his shoulder was no longer torn and patched, but rather a beautiful, pristine white, just like the rest of his outer robe. His inner garments were the colour of green jade, donned with golden accessories, as was the belt tied around his waist.
He turned excitedly to thank Black Water, but was stunned in place by what he saw. He Xuan was surrounded by a faint light, small glowing fragments seemingly ripping off of him, flying toward the sky, then disappearing into nothing. Ling Wen was also taken aback by this, but she quickly regained her composure. Shi Qingxuan remembered something that Xie Lian had told him many years ago, when he was visiting Puqi Shrine. He remembered the tale of how Xuan Ji’s spirit had dissipated. How, after so many centuries of resentment and obsession toward Pei Ming, she finally understood that her burning love was never going to be reciprocated, that the fight had been futile from the very beginning. Without a reason to linger in this world, her soul had vanished, allowing her to finally rest.
"He Xuan…" Shi Qingxuan whispered.
"Idiot,” replied the ghost king, though his smile was obvious, "Go live your life. May we never meet again.’
"He Xuan! I mean Black Water! Thank you! I’ll repay you somehow! I’ll- I’ll-"
The ghost king lifted his head toward the sky and closed his eyes, allowing the light to envelop him. Then, in the blink of an eye, he was gone, countless glowing sparks flowing in the place where he stood, like bubbles rising underwater.
"Seems he finally found his peace" said Ling Wen contemplatively.
"Lord Wind Master!" came a shout from one of the palace’s entrances. "Lord Wind Master!"
A few familiar faces entered the Palace of Divine Might, waving happily and smiling broadly. From the main gate, His Highness Xie Lian, Crimson Rain Sought Flower, general Pei Ming, the Rain Master, His Highness Tai Hua and general Qi Ying made their way toward him, clearly pleased to see him again. Generals Nan Yang and Xuan Zhen followed quickly behind, seemingly arguing about something.
"I’m glad to see you back as a Heavenly Official" said Xie Lian warmly, patting him on the shoulder, while Hua Cheng simply acknowledged him with a nod.
"So you accepted Black Water’s offer after all!" exclaimed Feng Xin. "But what happened to him now?"
"His soul dissipated. I thought that much was obvious" replied Mu Qing, rolling his eyes.
"Huh!? Why are you acting so smart!? As if we’ve seen it happen a hundred times already!"
Ignoring the newly started quarrel, Pei Ming approached him:
"Welcome back, Qingxuan."
The two of them had never truly been on friendly terms, but now Shi Qingxuan and Pei Ming both took a short bow toward each other in a sense of appreciation.
"Yeah, I’m glad you became the Wind Master again!" added Lang Qianqiu.
Shi Qingxuan was still dumbfounded by what just transpired in the last few minutes, but quickly shook off the lingering surprise. "Hahahahah! Of course I did! Ugh, did any of you ever have any doubt that I’d take back my role? I always knew it was going to happen! I’ve always been the Wind Master after all!" After a brief pause he continued: "But wait a second, were you guys waiting outside the whole time?!"
"Naturally we weren’t going to leave you alone with Black Water,’ replied Pei Ming. ‘Ling Wen was only there as a facilitator for your conversation. It’s not like Noble Jie could offer any real protection in case things escalated." he said with a smirk, elbowing Ling Wen who simply ignored him.
"We were planted outside, ready to intervene if things went south," added Xie Lian. "But we also wanted to offer you privacy."
"Oh, I see, I see! So all of you already knew of his plan."
"We must take many precautions before allowing a ghost king to step into the Upper Court," said Ling Wen, squinting her eyes at Hua Cheng, who only replied with an obviously fake smile.
Shi Qingxuan laughed and rejoiced with them inside the palace, before finally exiting onto the Grand Avenue. She transformed in her female form, the one she missed so dearly while living as a mortal. The crowd outside was buzzing impatiently, waiting to see the aftermath of the encounter. When the grand doors of the palace swung open at last, everybody turned their eyes over in a breath. Waving her fan enthusiastically, the Wind Master beamed toward the officials, making the crowd explode into loud cheer and celebration.
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Ten years ago, the people of the mortal realm had stopped bringing offerings and burning incense at the Temples of Wind and Water, seeing that the deities had stopped answering their prayers. Now, however, it seemed the gods of wealth finally smiled upon them again, and started hearing their prayers once more.
Though offerings of gold began pouring anew in the Temples of Wind and Water, when people prayed to the Water Master, their wishes were still left unheard, no matter how grand the donation. Filled with disappointment, the people turned their prayers to the Wind Master instead, asking for good weather during their travels, for shade during the day, and for warmth during the night. And all of their wishes were fulfilled.
Shi Qingxuan accepted all the offerings made to the statues of the Wind Master, but didn’t dare touch those meant for the Water Master. The role of the Water Master was still vacant in the Heavens, which meant a mortal would ascend and take the position. The Wind Master would always get confusing and contradicting feelings when he thought about that.
Shi Wudu left nearly no legacy behind, except the memory of his animosity and ire. Few people had attended his funeral, and his palace had been destroyed during the fight in the old Heavenly Capital. For most people, Gods and mortals alike, nothing remained to remember him, other than his dusty statues in the mortal realm.
Shi Qingxuan could never forget, though. In his mind, the memory of his brother lived on, just like it always had after his death. As twisted, mad and tyrannical as Shi Wudu had been, Shi Qingxuan still wished he could do something to honour his memory properly. Now, he finally had the chance. In the hall of his palace in the Upper Court, he set up a small shrine, where he lit candles and burnt incense every day, the smell of herbs and flowers spreading through the palace.
“Ge, thank you for all you’ve done to protect me ever since we were kids. Now that I know the truth, I wish you wouldn’t have switched my fate. But it’s too late for that now, and I’ve got a new fate to figure out. I know we never said this to each other but… I love you. Despite all that happened, I’m still glad you are my brother.”
Shi Wudu could never respond to his words, and, in a way, perhaps that was for the better. As the incense burned, leaving behind a sweet aroma, Shi Qingxuan decided it was time for his next trip to the mortal realm. There were still many things that needed to be taken care of by the Wind Master.
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News started circulating in the Imperial Capital that an anonymous young lord had donated a large sum of money to rebuild the slums and to aid the poor. The people living in poverty rejoiced at the news and thanked the Heavens for such a blessing, bringing whatever donations they could afford in order to show their gratitude.
Inside one of the temples in the city, three beggars had come to offer incense to the statues of the Wind and Water Masters. There used to be four of them, all living in a tiny one room house on the outskirts of the Capital. However, about a week ago, one of them had left without telling anyone where he’d be going. Nobody knew where he might’ve gone or when he’d return, but they kept their hopes up. After all, some of his friends were even part of the Heavens.
After finishing their prayers, they all turned to leave, only to be met with the presence of a young noble man standing in front of the shrine doors. They were all surprised, as none of them had heard anyone else come in.
They recognized the fan he was holding. Their friend used to have the exact same folding fan. Though his used to be dirty and broken, its fine carving and design were unforgettable, truly the qualities of a most valuable item. The man flashed a smile that was so familiar, yet so foreign on the face of a gracious, distinguished looking individual, shining with spiritual light. When he opened his arms, the three beggars jumped into a hug, nearly knocking the young man off his feet. Their old clothes dirtied his fine silk robes, but he paid it no mind.
“Ol’ Feng, you’re alright!”
"Don’t just leave like that again!"
"Ol’ Feng… You really are a God, huh…"
“Indeed I’m alright! Better than ever in fact! And of course I’m a God. Didn’t you already see me in action?” he said, lightly slapping his fan on his palm..
His speech sounded grandiose, but he was genuinely so glad to see his old friends again. During his years as a beggar, the three men had been his closest companions. All the food they had, they always shared it together. They laughed over small fires that kept them warm during the winter, they shared stories and jokes. He learned that one of them used to be a teacher, but, with age, his sight got worse, and he could no longer do his job. The second one used to be a street performer, but had broken his arm during one of his acts and, having no money to pay for a doctor, his injury never healed properly and he had to quit his act. The third one had been a farmer who came to the city for a better life, but was robbed on the street and lost all the money he had on him, leaving him unable to pay for a house.
The people of the Imperial Capital hated beggars, and saw them as subhuman. But Shi Qingxuan knew that wasn’t right. Sometimes circumstances forced you into poverty, but that didn’t make you any more deserving of respect. That didn’t take away your knowledge and your virtues.
“Guys.” He looked at all three of them beaming. “When I became a mortal, I lost all my deputy generals.”
He let out a small laugh at their surprised expressions.
“So! Would you like to be part of the Middle Court?"
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Sitting at his desk in his small office, a civil worker of the Capital was rustling through the stacks of paper in front of him. His fingers were stained with ink, and his glasses were hanging low on his nose. Luckily, the day hadn’t been too busy, and there was no one in line waiting to pay taxes or fees at the moment.
Suddenly, the door opened and a gust of wind sent all the papers on his desk flying. He got up and frantically tried to recover them, barely noticing the person who entered.
"Hi there! I have a fine to pay. I don’t remember how much it was but this should be enough," Shi Qingxuan said, and he dropped a small sack full of gold pieces on the desk.
The civil worker pulled his glasses up his thin nose to take a better look. The ingots were of pure gold! What felony could possibly demand such a high fine?!
"W-What’s your name, sir?" asked the worker, grabbing his brush to write it down on the scroll.
The Wind Master hesitated for a moment, before saying:
"Shi Feng."
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Many centuries ago, before resentment had turned him into a supreme, He Xuan used to be a gifted scholar. Yet, due to the switch of fate, his family members were all met with a most tragic end, and he himself became a victim of corruption, abuse and false accusations. He never passed his state exams in linguistics and philosophy because he brought no gift to the examiners. For that absurd reason, his works were never recognised, leaving his greatest dreams unachieved. Were he to ascend, he would have surely been one of the most distinguished Civil Gods who ever lived.
Shi Qingxuan thought for a long time what she could do to make up, at least the tiniest bit, for her brother’s deeds. Nothing could change the past anymore. He Xuan’s life had already been spent a long while ago. Crimson Rain Sought Flower told her that, even after he became a supreme, Black Water still wished his works would’ve been read and discussed by the great academics of the land.
With Ling Wen’s help, the Wind Master found He Xuan’s old house, now nearly destroyed and collapsed. Sure enough, inside his cramped room, Shi Qingxuan found stacks of scrolls left to rot on shelves and drawers. No looters cared to look at them while rummaging through his house after his death.
***
The grand dean of the university was crouched over his desk, wholly absorbed by the essay he was writing about the circle of reincarnation. He gripped his brush firmly and wrote unblinkingly, as if the parchment in front of him was his life’s work.
A breeze entered the room through the open window, bringing along with it two pieces of paper that swirled around the chamber, disrupting his focus. The dean looked outside to see who could’ve thrown those papers into his room, but the street looked as usual as ever. He clicked his tongue in disdain and prepared to throw the parchments away, convinced it must’ve been some sort of tasteless prank.
But before he could, he saw the title of the paper from the corner of his eye: The role of ascension and cultivation of mortals in the perpetual cycle of reincarnation. The author’s name was also written in neat characters underneath: He Xuan.
With his interest piqued, the dean sat back on his desk and began to read. The essay was stunningly composed, bringing references to the Analects of Confucius and to the teachings of Dao De Jing. It was clearly the work of a highly educated man. When the dean reached the end, he realised that the text was incomplete. Surely some pages must’ve been missing. The dean excitedly asked that the author be found immediately and that he bring in the rest of his work. For not only was his writing pristine and elegant, but his ideas were worthy of being discussed and read by all the great scholars of the land.
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The Young Lord Who Poured The Wine, The Young Beggar Who Held a Broken Fan, The Young Noble Who Saved the Slums.
There are many legends telling the story of the Wind Master circling the land, written on exquisite scrolls in libraries or simply shared through word of mouth by townspeople. Whether they’re true or not, none of us can be sure, but one thing is certain. The Wind Master answers to the rich and the poor alike. When no God would look upon a beggar, the Wind Master would. If you make an offering at her temple, even just one incense stick, your prayers will always be heard.