Chapter Text
Shi Qingxuan, known now as Old’ Feng, grew up well enough, but being a god had exposed him to luxuries beyond imagination. Priceless artifacts, palaces built of gold and jade, and magical items were his normal during the centuries he spent in the heavens. But none of that was his now, and as He Xuan had told him, none of it ever would be again. Punished for the sins his brother had committed in his name, Shi Qingxuan was now condemned to be a resident of the capital's skid row. Being a beggar was a change, a change acted upon him, not by him.
He was deemed to be off his rocker by the beggars who took him. Old’ Feng’s constant cries that he was a god fallen from grace made him the laughing stock of their camp. Despite this quirk, he was still taken in with open arms. It took Old’ Feng’s help to lead the human array and capture evil spirits after the Mt. Tonglu incident, for new found family to finally believed he was once a god. Even still, after learning this, they still found Old’ Feng a little crazy.
He stayed with his found family of beggars for years, taking only a few trips outside the capital’s walls. Soon after the Mt. Tonglu incident, he traveled to Puqi shrine with the beggars to claim their deserved chicken legs for their valiant deeds. Along the way, he also went to Mt. Taicing pay Xie Lian a visit while he awaited the return of his beloved. After these two trips though, there were few places for a beggar to go, few places besides the slums that is. So, for a year he didn't go anywhere. He stayed with his beggars, and he was satisfied. But as he soon found out, one of the few places a beggar could go was Heaven.
Old’ Feng didn’t ascend, he didn't die, nor was he appointed a junior official of a gods palace. Instead he was invited to a wedding. A year to the day after Xie Lian and Hua Cheng were reunited for eternity (after the Mt. Tonglu Incident) was the day they decided they would wed. Xie Lian invited Qingxuan to the wedding, and while he was very satisfied with his life as Old’ Feng, how could he refuse an invitation to an event as glamorous as this? Oh, and he got to support his close friend Xie Lian. That was a plus.
Qingxuan would be the only mortal at the wedding besides Mei Nianqing. And even he was a cultivator who had spent over two millennia on this world, But none of this would not stop Qingxuan from attending. His gift was well below the standard of what he would have brought to a wedding in years past, but Xie Lian of course would never mind. An old favorite of Qingxuan’s for weddings was a golden pig necklace. Giving a golden pig necklace was meant to bring affluence and fertility for the new couple. And while he neither had any gold, nor did Xie Lian and Hua Cheng need any symbols of fertility, he thought it would still make a great gift. Well, his home made version of a wood and leather cord pig necklace would.
Old’ Feng spent much of his time as a beggar learning of the world Shi Wudu had sheltered him from, and part of his learning was done through many, many, menial jobs. Wood working was by no means a favorite of Old’ Feng’s, but this newfound skill was the best asset he had at making a wedding gift passable by Qingxuan’s former tastes. He carved a small pig statute as his gift, and attached it to a leather cord. He then marked the statute with the double happiness symbol before writing a heartfelt note to go along with his gift.
Just as Old’ Feng had finished his work and could take a moment to appreciate his creation, a pair of small and impressively dirty hands peeked over the box Old’ Feng was using as a table, and snatched his creation. A little kid Old’ Feng recognized from the beggars camp had grabbed the necklace and was putting it on. Old’ Feng laughed a little- the kid looked like Xie Lian, and this kid looked adorable in the necklace. Hopefully this was a good omen for Xie Lian’s reception of his gift.
“Hey you,” Old’ Feng said, “While you do look very nice in this necklace you just found, I made that as a gift and my friend will be very disappointed if he couldn't get it. Can you give that back to me?”
“...” the little kid just stared at Old’ Feng “but I found it,”
Old’ Feng couldn't help but laugh “But I made it,” he countered.
“Mama said finders keepers, make a new one!” The little kid called out, while high tailing it away from where Old’ Feng was sat.
This little shit! Old’ Feng stood up to chase after the kid, it felt weird to chase a kid but there was no time to make a new necklace, and no chance he would show up empty-handed. But before Old’ Feng would even have the chance to chase someone else’s kid down, the little shit fell flat on his face. One of his sandals had broken, knocking him off balance and onto the cobbled street. Old’ Feng walked over to the kid who was crying hysterically, and knelt down beside him.
“You alright?” he asked
The kid didn't reply to him, just continued to cry and clutch his knee.
Old’ Feng offered him a hand, “How about this, if you give me back my necklace, I’ll fix up your sandals AND make you your own new necklade once I give this one away as a gift, hm?”
The little kid by now had stopped crying, and slowed to a sniffle. He pondered this for a moment, it was a big decision for a kid his age.
“My friend will be really sad if he can't have this gift on his big day, but a big boy like you could wait patiently for a day or two, couldn’t you?” Qingxuan had never had any kids, but that didn’t mean he didn’t love kids dearly.
The little boy finally nodded his head and took Old’ Feng’s hand. He gave the pig necklace back to Old’ Feng, clearly a painful action for him. The two then walked back to where Old’ Feng was originally sitting, hand in hand.
When they returned to his lean to, Old’ Feng tucked the pig necklace securely into the meager robes he wore, before extending a hand. He beckoned for the child before him to pass his broken sandal over. The kid slid his sandal off and gave it to Old’ Feng. He repositioned himself to sit with his legs crossed, body leaned forward while he watched intently as his shoe began to get repaired.
Luckily, another of the menial jobs Old’ Feng had dabbled in over the last year was making shoes. And while he by no means had the skill to make a fancy pair of shoes, fixing up this kid's little sandals was well within his skill set. The kid’s sandals were made of straw and were stained black from the many miles they traversed. Old’ Feng began tying straw pieces, together, and re wrapping the sandal’s shape. For the first while he sat in silence, but old habits die hard and his need for conversation soon overtook him.
“What's your name, little guy?” He asked, he had seen kids around, but only ever heard to them referred as ‘You little shit!’ ‘Rat boy!’ ‘Thief!’ by both the city dwellers and those in his camp.
The kid didn't reply to Old’ Feng, staring only at his hands as they repaired the sandal. The kid was undoubtedly worried it would be stolen. Old’ Feng couldn't even be offended when this kid suspected him a thief, taking was the only environment the kid was raised in after all. I mean, he even quoted his mother when he said ‘ Finders keepers’ .
“Well I’ll call you Xiao Bao (小宝, little treasure), so when you hear me calling,” Old’ Feng said this next part in a deeper voice for effect, “ XIAO BAO!! YOUR PIG IS READY!!- you will know that I am looking for you, how about that?”
Xiao Bao didn't say anything but he nodded and he laughed. He leaned back a little after this, undoubtedly les weary of Old’ Feng. That said, he never once took his eyes off of his sandals.
When the wedding day came, the newly crowned Heavenly Emperor Pei Ming personally descended to pick up Qingxuan. They rarely got along when Qingxuan was a heavenly official, but Shi Wudu trusted General Ming to protect Shi Qingxuan after his death. So out of respect for his friend, Emperor Ming, with all the courtesy he could muster, went to pick up Qingxuan. Qingxuan expected a junior official to be sent to collect him, or a clone at best, so he was shocked to see Pei Ming himself, well disguised obviously, but the trained eye of Qingxuan wasn't fooled.
Emperor Ming greeted Qingxuan with only a curt nod, a greeting Qingxuan reciprocated. After an awkward moment of silence Pei Ming extended his hand out to Qingxuan, and then the two set off to the new Heavenly Capital. Qingxuan had not seen the new Heavenly Capital, and was slightly disappointed when there was almost no difference to the capital of his days. Once they arrived, Qingxuan thanked Pei Ming, before setting off to site see in the capital before the wedding started later in the day.
But just as Qingxuan began to walk off, he heard Pei Ming call from behind. “Wait, Qingxuan. Would you like to see your brothers' burial place?” Qingxuan was still undiscovered in the mortal realm when his brother was buried, but it might have been better he missed it as seeing what a sad affair the funeral was might have broken Qingxuan even further.
Qingxuan paused a moment before he replied, he didn’t hate his brother for what he did, but he never forgave him for it either. It was all for Qingxuan, but at what expense? Did Qingxuan want to see his brother right now? He didn't know, but he did know that he may never get this chance again. He looked back to Pei Ming, replying only in a nod.
Pei Ming led him through the capital to a small garden with a stone marker bearing “水“ prominently on it. This grave was not Shi Wudu’s original burial place as that was desecrated during Jun Wu’s use of the heavens as a warrior, but the site was rebuilt by the remaining two tumours during the reconstruction of heaven. Pei Ming initially stood with Qingxuan by the grave in silence, but after a few moments, he left Qingxuan in silence.
Qingxuan stared at the gravestone, he had no clue what he felt. Maybe, in a sense, he felt everything. Sadness that he was gone, anger for what he had done, forgiveness for his intent, joy Qingxuan could have this moment, and many, many other things. He sat there for a long time, silently contemplating, silently feeling. It was two incense time before he felt a light tap on his shoulder.
Ling Wen stood behind him carrying a neatly folded robe upon her arm. During his visit to Xie Lian at Mt. Taicang he was told of the brocade immortal affair, but also of heaven’s need for Ling Wen and her talents. Xie Lian had joked, “Having to deal with the rebuilding of Heaven is punishment enough for her crimes.” He told Qingxuan that while she was brought back to heaven, she was kept under a watchful eye. She was allowed to keep the brocade immortal, but forbidden from wearing it in the new palace of divine might or in the palaces of any other heavenly officials. While this left a sour taste in the mouths of heaven, it was a taste they couldn't avoid.
She extended her hand down to Qingxuan to help him up, stating, “Emperor Ming told me to find you here,” As she helped Qingxuan stand, he noticed the robes in her arms were very similar to the attire he once wore as the wind master. They were white flowing robes, with beautiful teal accents to perfectly match his eyes. “We cannot have you attend a wedding blessed by the heavens in the clothes of a beggar.Let's get you into a more sensible outfit and then join up with the wedding.” She stated it as a fact. As if the notion of Qingxuan at a wedding in his current state offended the laws of reality.
As they walked, Qingxuan eyed her and the robe she carried very carefully. While he was not in heaven during the brocade immortal affair, he was well aware of what it was before he descended, and was even more well aware of Ling Wen’s connection to it after speaking with Xie Lian. Ling Wen continued to walk off and while Qingxuan followed, he took caution while doing so. Conscience of her recent history, the robe she held, and what it might be.
Without even looking back she said with a heavy sigh, “It is not that robe.”
“Oh haha, I wasn’t thinking that, I was just going to.. Thank you!” Qingxuan let out some of his nervous laughter as he was caught off guard by her bluntness. He had been away barely more than a year, but already everything felt so unfamiliar.
After getting dressed, it was only mid-afternoon. The wedding ceremony wouldn’t take place until this evening, but heaven loved a good celebration, so the wedding festivities had already begun. The Avenue Of Divine Might was decorated with red and gold decorations, and flower petals covered the walkway. There were rows of chairs lined up on the avenue, and an altar set up on the stairs of the leading to the Palace of Divine Might. Hua Cheng wanted to get married inside the palace, but Xie Lian didn’t push for this as he knew all of Heaven would have simultaneous heart attacks if Hua Cheng entered the Palace of Divine Might as an honored guest. For him to visit heaven was already cutting it close. Qingxuan was initially surprised the wedding was not in Ghost City, but he assumed that due to the city’s unruly nature, they opted for heaven.
When Qingxuan made it to the well decorated avenue, lots of eyes flocked to him. He found the attention hard to ignore, but he did his best to find old friends and socialize. No one brought up his descent from the heavens, and he was grateful for it. He listened to story upon story from heavenly officials of the chaos that ensued from reconstruction. For a few hours, it felt as if he never descended from heaven. And while he certainly enjoyed the splendour, whenever he would realise what he had forgotten, he would feel immense guilt.
After a few hours of socializing, Ling Wen once again approached Qianxuan, this time with a VERY irritated look on her face. “Sorry to bother you, but His Highness needs your assistance, could you please come with me?”
Glad to be of help any help to Xie Lian, Qianxuan happily replied with, “Oh, of course! What seems to be the matter?”
Ling Wen led the way to Xie Lian’s heavenly palace, and with a sigh she replied, “You’ll find out soon enough”. She sounded even more tired these days than when Qingxuan knew her.
Before they even entered Xie Lian’s Palace, he heard the yelling of Mu Qing and of Feng Xin, and could just about guess what he was going to happen upon.
“YOU abandoned him first! Why the fuck!! Should you be the one to hand him off!!??”
“YOU LEFT HIM TOO!!! And besides we all know I'm far more courteous, and much more presentable in a wedding party! You couldn’t keep your self from cussing while you walked him down the aisle, even if we sew your lips shut!”
“Sew my lips shut?!!? You would like to do that, wouldn't you! You overgrown housemaid!!”
“HOUSEMAID!?!?!”
“Guys please calm down, don't fight in here, go outside at least,” Xie Lian was hopelessly trying to separate the two squabbling gods, “You can both be groomsmen, but someone else will walk me down the aisle, okay?” He spoke in a tone as if he was talking to kindergarteners, he practically was.
“As long as HE isn’t, I’m sure you’ve picked a great candidate to hand you off, Your Highness” they both said almost in sync, showing again how painfully similar the two ‘foes’ were.
Finally getting the two combatants to calm down, Xie Lian finally notices Qingxuan has arrived and jumps up to go greet him. “Ahh! Lord W- Qingxuan! Thank you for coming and for helping out!! I know its last minute, but would you be able to walk me down the aisle? Until today, I forgot that needed to happen, and I very well couldn't pick one of these two! You know how it is… who ever wasn't chosen would kill the other.”
“Hahaha” Qianxuan laughed the same nervous laugh he always had, “I would be honnored to!” Qianxuan then reached into his robes and pulled out the pig necklace he had made, it earned a few side eyes from Mu Qing and Feng Xin, but Xie Lian was elated to see it, “I don’t have all that I did, so I can only give you this,” Qingxuan handed Xie Lian his gift and note, Xie Lian very excitedly put the necklace on. “I carved the necklace myself over this past week, I’ll apologize for its shoddy craftsman ship.”
“No, it's perfect, I love it!” cried Xie Lian “It’s nice to have a personal gift rather than just an expensive gift, I fear I'm going to drown in all of this gold that I have nothing to do with.”
Qingxuan wished he still had that problem. But either way, he was glad Xie Lian liked his gift. The two of them proceeded to chat with each other while Xie Lian finished getting ready for the wedding. It wasn’t long before the wedding ceremony began, Qingxuan waited with Xie Lian who was nervously shaking a little. This was so like Xie Lian he thought. When he finally walked Xie Lian down the aisle it was a beautiful moment. There were flower petals raining down as they walked, a few getting in Xie Lian’s hair as they went. Once Qingxuan finally brought Xie Lian to the altar, he gave Xie Lian a hug, and lifted his veil, before going to take his seat.
When he sat down, he was in awe of the ceremony before him. The avenue looked gorgeous during the day, but the evening view was so much prettier. There were lanterns and candles galore, and the moon just peeking over the horizon bathed the couple in a warm ethereal glow. Xie Lian and Hua Cheng both looked gorgeous for their wedding, Xie Lian of course wore white, but he wore a much nicer robe than normal. His robe was gilded, and he was lightly adorned with matching jewellery. Hua Cheng was by no means modest, but by all means handsome. With a striking red and black outfit, his usual silver jewellery was all replaced with gold to better match his newly betrothed. Shi Qingxuan was not ashamed to admit he cried multiple times during the ceremony.
After the wedding, Qingxuan said his goodbyes, and changed back into his beggars attire, lest he get mugged the minute he arrived back. He tried to return the robes to Ling Wen, but she refused, saying, keep them, you never know when your luck might change . Qingxuan laughed a little at this; he knew his luck wouldn’t change, it couldn't change- He Xuan made sure of that. When he was about to jump out of the ascension gates to descend, someone from behind grabbed his shoulder and stopped him. It was Pei Ming.
“Shi Qingxuan, you are a mortal now, I don’t think it will work out for you if you just jump down from the gates anymore.”
“Oh,” Qingxuan replied, feeling a little embarrassed, “ You are probably right, thank you.” He bowed slightly after saying this, it felt wrong bowing to Pei Ming, but he was the Heavenly Emperor now, and he did probably just save his life.
“I’ll help you down,” Pei Ming told Qingxuan, but even if Pei Ming had asked, it wasn't like he would have refused.
Qingxuan, now back to being Old’ Feng, had Pei Ming take him to an alley not too far, but not too close from his beggars camp. He wasn't embarrassed for Pei Ming to see where he lived now, but would rather not have to explain where he was to his new found family, and seeing him with a well-dressed man would make it harder to lie.
After being dropped off, Old’ Feng thanked Pei Ming again with a slight bow, and then headed towards home. For a few moments, Pei Ming watched Qingxuan walk away before returning to the Heavenly Capital. This left Old’ Feng alone as he walked through the dark streets of the not so heavenly capital. He walked for a few minutes, expecting a lively, chatty and cozy collective he called a family upon his arrival. As he neared, however, he heard no noise and he became worried. He walked faster, and got closer, and heard nothing, and walked faster, got even closer, and still heard nothing. When he finally rounded the last corner to where he should’ve seen dozens of little tents, lean-tos and beds filled with the people who took him in, he instead saw catastrophe. He saw trashed tents, he saw bedding torn and in the street, he saw blood, he saw broken belongings. He ran the last twenty or so steps to reach the former campsite and now noticed what he saw none of, people. He saw no living friendly faces, he saw no dead bodies, he saw only reminders of who was once there.
He broke at this. His brother was already taken, leaving him left with nothing. So he made something for himself, he found his people and found joy in the little things. But now they were gone too. Gone. Taken. Just like his brother, no bodies to mourn, just like his brother, taken too soon, just like his brother, taken when he needed them most.
Old’ Feng sat there on the ground crying for a long while, he cried until his eyes were dry, till his nose and throat hurt, till he just couldn't anymore. Then he began to think, think about who would have done this, think about what he should do now, where he should go? Was it a gang fight? Was it He Xuan, coming to guarantee he would never find happiness? Was it the guards of the capital? Should he seek revenge, find who did this and make them pay? But who was he kidding, he wasn’t the wind master, he wasn’t a god, he was powerless. Should he go and find a new family? But what would be the point, the bad luck he was cursed with by He Xuan would surely come and take them too, he would just be endangering more and more innocent, kind souls. He would just be leaving more pairs of little streets eviscerated, empty.
Right now Old’ Feng, no, no-one was left to call him that. Right now Qingxuan didn't know he should do, what he COULD do, but he did know what he wanted. Qingxuan wanted to never be so helpless again. He wanted to never be effected by the change others wished to see, but instead be the one to affect change upon the world. Like the winds that shape the sands, he wanted to shape his world. He wanted to find a family and defend them, he wanted power that was his own, not a falsehood handed down to him. He wanted to be strong.
But it was just then that it was proven to him how much his wants weren’t reality. He heard foot whispers and footsteps behind him. Before he could turn, he felt cool steel pierce him through. He was stabbed from behind. Qingxuan coughed and wheezed and tried to clutch his heart, but just stabbed his hands upon the blade when he did. He felt cold, empty, alone. As Qingxuan felt his life drain, he felt weak. When the sword was pulled out from him, he fell backwards and collapsed onto the stone pathway. He looked up and saw who had struck him down. It was members of a different group of those living on the fringes of the capital. His first guess was right, it was a gang fight. No, his family would never instigate a fight, especially not through violence. It was a massacre of those he loved. Qingxuan’s assailants smiled as he bled out, they laughed and looked proud.
“Good thinking to come back boss, we found a straggler.” One of his assailants said.
“Check his pockets, those other useless shits didn't have anything on them, but maybe he will. Search him and then dump him,” Their leader Qinqxuan assumed, the one who killed him. This group definitely killed his new family, he felt such rage and wanted to make them pay but couldn't do anything, anything except die.
As Qingxuan fell back coughing up blood, they began to search his pockets, he tried to fight back, but there was no fight in his body. There wasn't anything to fight for anyway, he would die in this dark street, alone, poor, cold, weak, the weakest he had been since he was trapped in He Xuan’s lair. In his last moments, he heard their laughs stop, and then commotion erupted before they all fell down next to him. He felt a figure come up next to him, caress his cheek, and then softly closed Qingxuan's eyes. Shi Qingxuan, the former wind master, took his last breath.
When he woke up, he felt light, ethereal. He looked around him, he looked below him, and he saw a figure shrouded in black huddled over his body. Had someone survived, a member of the camp defending what was left? He couldn't see any discernible features on the one who avenged him. Qingxuan reached out to touch their shoulder, but there was nothing to reach with. His avenger looked up, and upon noticing Qingxuan, his eyes widened with fear before he ran.
“WAIT!” Qingxuan called out attempting to lay chase, but the black figure quickly dissolved into the night, leaving no trace of where he went. Qingxuan again felt helpless.
He went back to his body, but then realized, my body, MY BODY? Am I dead?! As that realization dawned upon him he once again broke. A year ago, he was a god, protecting the moral realm from the likes of what he was now. All of this, all in one night, was too much for Qingxuan- he couldn't take it. Why must he take it, why was it all on his shoulders?
Qingxuan looked down at his body, so he was a ghost now. He tried to look at himself, but there was nothing to be seen. What was he? Panic filled his thoughts, and he felt weak, so weak. I must be a ghost flame, right? He thought to himself. Qingxuan knew only the surface level of ghosts and their workings, but he did remember that lost souls begin as ghost flames. These were flames fueled by the desires of their mortal life, flames that were weak. Qingxuan couldn’t stay a flame.
Qingxuan stayed beside his body for hours, barely being able to hold a train of thought. It was only when dawn peeked her head above the horizon that Qingxuan was reminded he couldn't just sit forever. He was not at terms with being a ghost, he didn't think he ever would be, but he had to try and make this reality work. So he began racking his head for any information of ghosts, but he could only think of three things.
The first was that ghosts were kept behind in this world, by unfinished business, by a desire so strong it could break the circle of life.
The second thing was ashes. Ashes were very important, they were what prevented the death, or dispersal of ghosts. They were an important object to any ghost and needed to be protected at all costs.
The third thing he remembered was the rankings of power among ghosts, from malices to supremes. From the likes of a common henchman to the kings among ghosts.
Qingxuan didn’t know what kept him here, what reason his soul refused to go quietly into the night, but he did know something else. He knew that his body lying in the street was a problem. Dawn was soon approaching, and with it, the people of the capital would flood the streets. A dead body was sure to be disposed of eventually, and if Qingxuan couldn't collect it soon, his ashes, his control over his existence, would be taken away. Thinking of where to hide his body, of how to hide it, led Qingxuan to realise the last thing he knew. He knew that he was barely even a malice, the lowest of low ghosts, he was a wisp, a flame. He could only float in the breeze, unable to affect change, unable to control his destiny. Unable to move his body.
But he wouldn’t give up, he couldn’t give up. He wouldn’t let his story end on someone else’s terms. If Qingxuan had survived mortal life, ascension to godhood, and a fall from grace, he could survive this. So he began. Began searching the campsite for ways to move his body, began a life he would live on his terms, and began a new chapter, a self-composed chapter.
In his search, he found blankets, boxes, garbage, and bedding. All great things to hide a body under, but what arms would he hide them with? As he continued searching, something caught his eye. Little black sandals. Sandals he fixed himself, sandals he gave to Xiao Bao, sandals belonging to someone so innocent his only want was a pig necklace.. Days ago he promised to make this kid a pig necklace, a PIG NECKLACE, and now he was dead. He didn't deserve to die- what did he do, who did he harm? All he ever asked for in life was a meal and a god-damn pig necklace.
Qingxuan tried to pick up those little black sandals, but he had forgotten his situation. He tried to cry, but couldn't, tried to fall to his knees but he couldn’t. Couldn’t, couldn’t, couldn’t. While he was sent even deeper into his spiral of helplessness, of weakness, of hopelessness, Qingxuan finally realised what his desire was. He realised why he was kept on this cruel world. He desired to never be effected, but to affect, he desired to be able to protect the ones he loved, he desired to be stronger. No, he didn't want to be strong, he wanted to not be weak. That was his desire, that is what kept him down. So he grabbed onto that desire and pulled himself up. He pulled himself up and out of his spiral pit, and when he finally reached the top, he realised he had a self. He looked down at his body and saw double. He saw hands at his hips and saw hands clutching the heart of his body on the ground. He saw his feet, next to those sprawled out from the corpse in front of him. Through pulling himself up, he got stronger, stronger than a helpless wisp, strong enough to materialize, strong enough to exist.
Seing double reminded Qingxuan of something, Ashes! Qingxuan didn’t have his ashes. He had a stabbed, bloody body lying in the middle of the road. But this wasn't a quick fix, so he dragged his body to the remnants of his campsite, and quickly hid it under the piles of tent parts and other garbage he saw. He would need to wait until the next night to find a place to burn his body, and he would need to find a secure place for his ashes. A place to guard the item guaranteeing his ontological status in this world.
He thought back to his desire,
To not be weak.
If that desire kept him here, then he knew what his goal must be. By the sick and twisted fate He Xuan had stuck him with he was condemned to be a ghost. So he would damn well become a powerful ghost, and he would damn well never let anyone stomp all over him like that again. He would become the next ghost king, and he would not die trying.