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When Mu Qing was young, his mother used to tell him stories at bedtime.
Stories about heroes, about gods and their great feats, how they ascended and how they fell, about the ghost kings and their tactics, about the monsters that lurked every corner of the city, and how to avoid them. Curled up to his mother side in his little bed, Mu Qing would listen to them intently. Sometimes she would tell her stories from her memory, looking at the light blue ceiling of his room or at the walls. There wasn't much in his room to stare at, he figured. Sometimes she would read from library books. Those were also good stories, but Mu Qing had a favourite that was always different in the story books, and he didn't like the alterations.
The Gods and Ghosts of Xianle.
It was his most favourite story to listen to. So much so that his mother often rolled her eyes when he would ask for it, but she always gave in and told him the story all over again. In the dark of his little bedroom, Mu Qing would close his eyes and imagine all of it. The God Pleasing Crown Prince of Xianle, and his two best friends, General Nan Yang and General Xuan Zhen. They fought the plague together against the White Calamity. The birth of the second Calamity, Crimson Rain Sought Flower-- the Crimson Calamity, and how he fell in love with the Crown Prince. The third Calamity, The Green Ghost, being a rebel from the Crown Prince's own family and how he was the slimiest most infuriating calamity because he knew all about the Crown Prince having grown up in the same palace as him. The fourth Calamity, Ship Sinking Black Water and how the Crimson King and the Crown Prince escaped his lair in a coffin.
The books never did the stories any justice. They always treated everyone as either antagonist or canon-fodder and Mu Qing hated that. He always wanted to know more about the two generals of the south. He wanted to know more about the background of the calamities. He wanted to know about the elemental gods that often helped the Crown Prince, but we're never really talked about. His mother would tell him about them all, but he needed to know more.
Hence, growing up, his special interest was mythology. He was in chat rooms and on websites talking and discussing all kinds of things about the gods and ghosts, and his most favourite topic were the two General best friends. He would talk about them with anyone who would listen. He bought books and items that were related to his favourite myths. He would wear merch to law school as well, and most people thought he was a geek, but he didn't really care about what people thought. He would shut them down with the snark he had mastered especially for such kind of people and moved on. He even cosplayed General Xuan Zhen once at a convention and so many Crown Princes came to him to take pictures. He still had the whole cosplay-- long silky black wig, the robes, the armour and the sabre-- on a mannequin in his room. He loved it so much.
It was because of this very hobby that he was here. He had applied for leave at the firm where he was interning, saying he had to go for a family event. In reality, he was going to come here, to the Ancient History Museum, so see their latest display. He had never bought tickets to something so fast in his life, and he was so glad that he had. They were not cheap, but they were short in number and so he had to hurry before he lost the chance all together.
He looked up at the plaque outside the hall, showing the name of the display inside; 'The Gods and Ghosts of Xianle' by an un-named artist. The plain text plaque didnt do any justice to the great works that were displayed inside.
"Do you need a guide, sir?" Asked a boy, barely out of his teens, standing to a side just outside the entrance. His employee badge read Fu Yao.
"I don't." Mu Qing told him and entered the hall.
The first thing he saw was the centrepiece, right in front of him. It was a ten feet high bronze statue of three people-- the Crown Prince and the Generals. Mu Qing was in awe at the sight of it. It was so skilfully made, its polished surface shining in the lights aimed at the display from below.
"Your highness," Mu Qing greeted the Flower Crowned Martial God, the God Pleasing Crown Prince. The centre statue smiled down at him from under his mask. In his one hand was his sword, and the other was a flower, and he seemed to be welcoming all the visitors with open arms. Half of his face was covered by a mask, only showing his gentle mouth and soft jaw. His was a friendly face, made even more lovely by the way his hair flowed behind him, held only in a half bun. His clothes were a simple cultivation robe that he wore everywhere. Yet he was a martial god, and Mu Qing knew what he was capable of. If he was to worship any god till the end of times, the Crown Prince of Xianle would be it.
Behind the Crown Prince were the two Generals of the south-- Nan Yang of south east and Xuan Zhen of south west -- guarding their Crown Prince with their divine weapons held in their hands. General Nan Yang had an arrow notched his bow, aiming at the ground like he was waiting for a command. His hair held back from his face in the form of a bun, tied with a long, embroidered ribbon. His chiselled jaw was set in an expression of vexation, his brows furrowed so deep the lines on his forehead looked like scars. He was looking down at Mu Qing like he was accessing him for danger. Mu Qing resisted the urge to bow his head to show him that he came in peace.
General Xuan Zhen however, looked at him like he was judging him. His sabre, Zhan Madao, was held parallel to the ground, looking like he was ready to jump at anyone who would dare harm the Crown Prince. His long hair flowed flawlessly behind him, held by hair piece in the form of a ponytail. His eyes were narrow, assessing everyone who came in, his mouth set in a smirk. He looked like he could tell things about a person by just looking at them for the first time. Mu Qing wondered what he knew about him.
"What do you think he's thinking?" came the question from behind him, and Mu Qing almost jumped in surprise.
He turned back to find that it was a guy, as tall as himself. His skin was the colour of wheat, his hair was a chocolatey brown. He had a crease in between his brow, but from the way he was looking at Mu Qing with curious golden eyes, it seemed that it was a permanent indentation rather than a frown. He was dressed semi formally, in a black suit, but that didn't say much about him since this was a semi formal attire exhibition. The only thing he could tell from the build and the look of him was that he definitely worked out, and that he was very good looking.
"He's probably judging." Mu Qing replied to him, turning back towards the statue.
The guy hummed in response and came to stand beside Mu Qing to look up at General Xuan Zhen. Mu Qing looked at him from the corner of his eye, seeing that he was copying his posture with his hands in his pockets and head tilted back. If Mu Qing was not as pale as a zombie, with waist length dark hair, the two of them could be mistaken for relatives.
"I think he has guessed all of my secrets," the guy said after a pause, his eyes still at the General, "and he will use it against me."
Mu Qing found that to be funny.
"You don't look like a criminal," he shrugged, "so I think you don't have to worry too much."
"I don't know about that," the guy laughed at that, "I am skipping practice to be here, and my coach says that's a crime."
A joker, thought Mu Qing. Of course, the good-looking guy is a funny guy too.
"That makes me a criminal too," He admitted, turning back to the General. His sabre gleamed in the display lights. "I am skipping work."
Well not technically skipping, he did give a leave application. His crime was that he lied on that application.
"Then," The guy smiled, "I hope the Flower Crowned Martial God saves the two of us from him."
"I hope he does." Mu Qing nodded. He didn't want to suffer the wrath of the Xuan Zhen.
"And from Nan Yang too." the guy added, and Mu Qing nodded at that too. The three martial gods that stood before him were all terrifying in their wrath. The sculptor who had made these statues had depicted that so perfectly, that they looked like they were just people standing really still.
The two of them stood there in silence, admiring the statue for a few more minutes. Mu Qing didn't find the funny guy's presence annoying. He didn't disturb Mu Qing or stood too close. He didn't ask him questions like all the other 'nice guys' did. He was just standing there, minding his own business. Mu Qing did look over at him once or twice and he seemed to be looking at General Nan Yang more than the other two Martial gods. Perhaps he interested the guy more than the other two. Since he didnt ask Mu Qing questions, Mu Qing thought that it would be better not to ask him any too, despite his curiosity.
"I am going to see the rest of the display," The guy said finally, un-pocketing his hands. They were large and wide with properly trimmed nails. "If you care to join?"
Mu Qing raised his eyebrow at him. Do not tell me you're asking me out, he thought. He didn't have to say that for the guy to get the message.
"I'm sorry," he smiled and pocketed his hands again, "I don't mean that in a go out with me kind of way. I am here by myself, and you seem like a nice person."
He looked like he was caught flirting with someone, and Mu Qing found that to be a little endearing.
"Sure," he said, there wasn't anything wrong with having company while he looked at the exhibit. As long as the guy didn't try to mansplain to him, Mu Qing was okay.
"Really?" The guy's whole face lit up like it was being hit by sunshine.
He was a golden retriever guy, wasn't he? A dog person-- and if not a dog than an orange cat.
"Why not." Mu Qing shrugged. Mu Qing knew that if this guy had a tail, he would wag it.
"Thank you," the guy said and then held his hand out for shaking, "I'm Feng Xin by the way."
"Mu Qing." he took the hand, and it was really rough and calloused. From lifting? From working? From practice? Mu Qing wondered what it was.
"Ah," Feng Xin pulled his hand back, "I'm sorry. They're quite rough from practice."
"It's okay." Mu Qing nodded, less worried about the rough surface of hands, and more of his own expressions. He had accidentally let the mask slip. He straightened his shoulders and relaxed his facial expressions, going back to his usual 'I am unreadable' look again. It was better this way; people didn't see him silently judging them.
"Shall we?" Feng Xin pocketed his hands again.
"We shall."
They started from the right, like was indicated by the arrows on the wall. The paintings were mostly oils, with some of them being mixed media. They were all focused on the Crown Prince and his adventures, and Mu Qing took his sweet time looking at all of them. Feng Xin didn't rush him at all, looking just as closely as all of the works, often making funny or awed remarks.
The first painting was the Crown Prince and the Crimson Calamity, holding each other in an embrace as scorpion snakes fell all around them. Mu Qing looked at the oil on canvas painting, remembering the stories his mother had told him about these two. They darling of the heavens and a supreme ghost king, in love with each other without a single fuck given about the rest of the world.
"This is missing two characters," said Feng Xin, and he was right. In this adventure, the two Generals were with the Crown Prince and the Ghost King too. They protected their Crown Prince with everything they had and didn't give up even when their powers were being supressed by the antagonist.
"Maybe the painter thinks this isn't about them." Mu Qing suggested. Feng Xin didn't say anything and just pressed his lips together and crossed his arms against his chest. Mu Qing wondered what he was thinking but he didn't ask.
The next painting was the Crown Prince laying on the alter with a hundred swords piercing his chest like he was a pin cushion. A solitary red clad figure bowed to the god. It was labelled 'solitary follower'.
"I cried when I read this story," Feng Xin told him, and Mu Qing turned to find him smiling at the painting. "I was at the library of my school, literally sobbing while I was reading, half panicked about accidently getting the book wet."
"How long ago?" Mu Qing asked him, unable to hold the question back.
"Middle school." Feng Xin replied, his hand going up to the back of his neck, "I was an emotional kid."
"I cried too," Mu Qing told him, hoping to offer some solace, "but it wasn't as I was reading it. It was afterwards."
"It really was a sad one, right?" Feng Xin nodded at his own question, "I don't understand people who can just read that and not feel anything."
Mu Qing agreed whole heartedly with that. How could anyone read about the Crown Prince being pierced one stab at a time by his own people when he was just trying to protect them. 'A good crown prince doesn't care for his own self Qing-er,' his mother had said, 'his goal is always the greater good, even if he has to be killed a hundred times for it.' She was so sick at the time that she had started to forget things. Yet she still went to work in the factory insisting that it was important that she did.
"Maybe they should be stabbed a hundred times," Mu Qing suggested, "then maybe they will."
Feng Xin laughed at that. "No, they would be dead by ten."
"By five." Mu Qing corrected, "maybe even less."
"No one can beat the Flower Crowned Martial God at perforation." Feng Xin's shoulders were shaking with laughter and Mu Qing couldn't help but join.
The two of them went around the hall, stopping at every painting to look and then comment their thoughts on it. Mu Qing found it to be fun. Not only were their hights and builds the same, but their sense of humour was also the same too. He was glad he accepted the company.
"I have the same armour," Feng Xin said pointing towards a painting of General Nan Yang with the Crown Prince and General Xuan Zhen.
"You cosplay?" Mu Qing asked him, looking closer at the oil on canvas illustration with gold tinsel used for the designs on the armour.
"I tried my hand at it for Halloween," Feng Xin shrugged, like he was trying to be humble. "I already had the Long Bow so all I needed was the wig and the fit. I didn't get the wig, but I did get the fit."
No way, Mu Qing thought, looking up at the guy who seemed shyly proud of himself.
"I cosplay Xuan Zhen." He told Feng Xin, watching his eyes go wide at that.
"Can I see?" he asked, "Do you have a picture?"
"Of course," Mu Qing pulled his phone out and scrolled down his Instagram to show the images from the only time he had cosplayed at a convention. He was very proud of that. His sabre was custom made for him by the company, so it was easy to carry for him. He was smiling in most of the convention pictures which was very rare for him.
"You look so amazing." Feng Xin commented, taking his time to look at each photo closely.
"Thank you," Mu Qing nodded, he thought he looked amazing too.
"You look like the spirit of Xuan Zhen was using you as a vessel."
That was a really high compliment. Mu Qing almost blushed at that. He brushed a hand over his hair and down his ponytail.
"I am just very enthusiastic about it." He said, keeping his emotions out of his voice.
"I that why you're skipping work to be here?" Feng Xin asked, finally looking up at him with his smile in his eyes.
"Kinda," Mu Qing nodded. "I told my boss I am with family."
"Well Xuan Zhen may or may not be your father." Feng Xin gave his phone back to him. "I hope you know your ancestry well enough."
"I do actually," Mu Qing told him, "And Xuan Zhen Jiangjun was abstinent."
"Then explain that." Feng Xin challenged, pointing at his phone.
Mu Qing shook his head and put his phone back in his pocket.
"Just wig and make-up," he said, moving on to the next painting. Feng Xin followed him, lightly chuckling to himself.
The next painting was just the two generals of the south. They stood side by side, as if they were posing for a photo after a hunt. Nan Yang had his hands in fists by his side, and Xuan Zhen had his arms crossed with one hand under his chin like he was calculating something. Between them, the two of them could take down any force of the universe. They were the gods of south-east and south-west, but where they met in the middle, they were unbeatable.
"They're like sun and the moon," Feng Xin said, leaning in close to look at the painting. Mu Qing considered telling him that oil paintings were meant to be looked at from a distance, but then he didn't.
"They're not siblings." Mu Qing told him. In most mythologies, sun and moon were twin sibling gods. Nan Yang and Xuan Zhen were colleagues.
"I think they just belong together," Feng Xin straightened back up, "they don't have to be sibling for them to belong together like that. They don't exist separated from one another."
"Careful," Mu Qing warned, holding back his smirk, "You might make them gay."
Feng Xin laughed so loud at that; they got shushed by a museum employee standing nearby.
"Sorry," Feng Xin said to him before turning back to Mu Qing, "They can be gay! They're gods!"
"Xuan Zhen is abstinent!" Mu Qing reminded him again, and that only amused Feng Xin more. If this was a different setting, it would have made Mu Qing really angry.
"Like that stopped the Crown Prince." Feng Xin said, and Mu Qing rolled his eyes at him.
"Hey!" Feng Xin continued, "Sue me for liking the idea of having two runway model level good looking gods on the alphabet mafia."
Mu Qing was not against that. He himself was gay, and having characters he could relate too was nice, but Xuan Zhen was the aro-ace rep other people needed and didn't want to take that away from them.
"I could you know." He told Feng Xin, raising his eyebrow at him, "I am a law intern."
"You wouldn't though," Feng Xin's smile dropped just a notch. Mu Qing let his smirk show.
"You never know." he said and crossed his arms. "I think Xuan Zhen is Aro-Ace. Nan Yang may be bisexual-- or pan, depending on what he prefers."
"I think he is bi." Feng Xin said, his smile back on his face with the change of topic.
"How are you so sure," Mu Qing asked him and he just shrugged, crossing his arms.
"I feel like I know him." He said, turning back to look at the painting.
Mu Qing looked between the two of them. They did look similar, he admitted. They had the same permanent frown line, and an athletic build. Their jaws were sharp enough to not need a sword, and their eyes were like molten gold. If Feng Xin said that he knew Nan Yang, then Mu Qing didn't question it.
"You know General Gigantic Masculinity, huh?" he crossed his arms too, and smiled inwardly as Feng Xin shook with laughter again.
"You will face his gigantic wrath for that." Feng Xin told him.
"I can take him," Mu Qing shrugged, he wasn't afraid of the general's masculinity.
"Oh, so now you're okay with him being gay!" Feng Xin turned on him, and Mu Qing let out a laugh.
"You said he was bi."
"Because I relate to him being bi!"
"He can be gay for me then," Mu Qing shrugged, and the two of them broke into laughter. This time the employee-- Nan Feng was the name on his tag-- came over to shut them up instead of just shushing from a distance.
"Sorry," Feng Xin said to the employee, and the two of them moved on to the next painting.
It was the four Calamities.
"You know," Feng Xin was still smiling from before, "I have a poster of the white Calamity that I use for target practice."
"He deserves it." Mu Qing nodded in approval, then he asked out of curiosity, "is it darts?"
It can't be darts, he thought to himself. If he was right about Feng Xin in his judgements, it was --
"No, arrows." Feng Xin told him.
He was right; Feng Xin was an archer.
"I started it when I was very young," Feng Xin continued, "inspired by Genral Nan Yang himself. I got a long bow when it was literally taller than me, and I grew into it."
"You must be good at it," Mu Qing said. Martial God level good, he thought. He didn't understand what kind of a coincidence this was, but he was witnessing it, and he couldn't deny it.
"I would say I am," Feng Xin nodded, "I am going to play for the country in the Olympics this year. Long bow."
"Wow." Mu Qing couldn't help but be impressed at that. "That good, huh?"
"Not to tweet my own horn, but I have broken national records."
"Toot." Mu Qing corrected him.
"Huh?"
"Toot your own horn," he explained, thinking about Feng Xin with a bow. He looked at the painting of Nan Yang Jiangjun, and then back at him. There was no other explanation for this other than a blessing from the Martial God.
"Oh," he seemed to redden at the realisation, "yeah, toot my own horn."
"Best of luck for the game." Mu Qing told him, bringing the topic back to archery. "Are you excited for it?"
"Thank you," Feng Xin replied, "I am actually a little nervous. That's why I came here. I wanted to see the statue--" he pointed back towards the centre piece, "-- of Nan Yang, maybe touch it for good luck."
"The employees won't let you," Mu Qing told him, feeling a little bad for him.
"Yeah," Feng Xin nodded, "That's why I kept my hands pocketed. I didn't want to be thrown out just yet."
"Good move." Mu Qing moved to the next painting.
"Thank you," Feng Xin followed him, "will you watch the Olympics?"
"Should I?" he asked over his shoulder.
"Only if I win gold," Feng Xin said, "If I don't, you didn't see anything."
"Deal," Mu Qing stopped to offer his hand for shaking. Feng Xin took it with his rough warm hands and shook it twice.
They both didn't notice until then that they had arrived at the end of the display. Mu Qing didn't know how much time had passed talking to the archer, and for once, he didn't seem to care. He had enjoyed every moment of it.
"I will see you at a convention in return then." Feng Xin offered, still holding onto Mu Qing's hand.
"I don't know which one I will go to this year," Mu Qing admitted, and at that, Feng Xin let his hand go and pulled out his wallet from his back pocket.
"You can tell me." He pulled a contact card from the wallet and held it out to him. Mu Qing took it and read it carefully.
"So profesh'" he laughed, turning it over once and then putting it into his pants pocket. "I don't have a card yet, but I will get when I get a permanent job at the firm."
"Then I will hire you when I have to sue someone," Feng Xin said, "so you better give me the card once you have it."
He really is very funny, Mu Qing thought, unable to hold back his laugh.
"I am going to have coffee," Feng Xin continued, putting his hands back into his pockets, "if you care to join?"
Mu Qing raised his brow at him, amused to his core at this boy. He was good at this. Mu Qing wondered how many others he had charmed this way in the past.
"I do mean it in a go out with me way this time." He added and Mu Qing rolled his eyes at that.
"Sure." he turned back towards the entrance.
"Really?" Feng Xin came after him, apparently not believing that it had worked.
"Why not." Mu Qing shrugged, turning back to look at the golden retriever boy. Just over his shoulder was the statue of the three Martial Gods. The Crown Prince was smiling at Mu Qing, almost thanking him for the visit while offering a parting hug. General Nan Yang looked aggrieved that he was leaving with another archer, and General Xuan Zhen smiled at him knowingly. He knew something about Mu Qing, and Mu Qing knew exactly what it was.