Work Text:
Caves.
Yin Yu couldn’t say he was fond of caves, but he definitely didn’t dislike them as much as Black Water.
This was the third time Hua Chengzhu summoned the other supreme in the last decade. It seemed like— a lot. For two people who were supposedly equals who didn’t interfere with each other’s affairs, they did seem to meet up quite often.
Lord Black Water met them here. He didn’t mind the mountain, but as soon as he saw the cave entrance, he started radiating this dank, oppressive, almost physical manifestation of his resentment in waves.
It made the air both heavy and thin. His own limbs felt ten times heavier, and his lungs struggled to keep up his oxygen.
After an hour, no light could be seen from the entrance. Only then, did Hua Chengzhu seem to remember Yin Yu’s presence and lit a palm torch in his hand. His brow scrunched up a little, confused — he looked like he wanted to ask, but quickly drew his own conclusion. “Apologies,” he nodded to his subordinate and turned to Black Water.
The other Supreme Ghost didn’t need any palm torch to see but lit one anyways and looked up at some calcium formations hanging from the ceiling with a frown on his face.
Hua Cheng tapped him on the shoulder, and immediately, Yin Yu’s limbs felt lighter, and the air returned to its normal density.
Black Water snapped his head back and cast a death glare at Hua Cheng but before he could verbally protest, Hua Cheng explained, “Don’t forget, our dear Waning Moon Officer still needs to breathe.”
His rage immediately dissipated as he looked past Hua Cheng and directly at Yin Yu with a look that could almost amount to shame.
“Sorry,” he mumbled, lowering his head.
It was hard for him, Yin Yu knew. It was hard for Lord Black Water to get used to being around people again. He spent so long surrounded by the dead.
“It’s nothing, Sir,” Yin Yu bowed respectfully, not forgetting his place as a mere servant in the presence of the two Supreme Ghost Kings.
With their formalities over, the two turned to Hua Chengzhu.
“So, why did you drag us all the way out here?” Black Water asked his senior.
“I’m looking for a book.” Hua Cheng answered “There’s supposed to be an ancient temple in these mountains with a library. The temple belonged to a group that practiced an old faith, one that was chased out of the valley a few times in the last several centuries. Eventually, they gave up on the valley and hid themselves in this mountain range, using natural barriers and mechanical, and spiritual traps to guard their knowledge and practices from those who sought to eradicate it.”
“What made it so dangerous?” Black Water asked.
“What do you mean? The traps are nothing.”
“I meant the faith ~ people don’t often seek to destroy something unless they’re afraid of it.”
Hua Cheng smiled then. “It valued truth. For those in power, the truth can be rather terrifying, don’t you think?” He leaned forward, with his face closer to He Xuan’s. He wanted to see the younger supreme’s reaction. It was minute— well-controlled, barely noticeable to a mortal, but to a Supreme so in touch with this one’s every mannerism, these little reactions were oh so satisfying.
“I’ll walk with you until we reach the temple. Then we’ll divide and conquer. Find the book.”
Both He Xuan and Yin Yu nodded to acknowledge, and held their reservations. It’s been centuries. These caves were arid, yes, whatever scrolls or tablets these texts were carved on wouldn’t have suffered moisture damage— but if the conditions ever became too dry, the books could still decay.
Paper could become too brittle to unroll, tablets could crack and warp until the inscriptions became illegible. There was a chance the book Hua Cheng was seeking had long since decayed, or been destroyed. But there was no need to say such a thing. If He Xuan and Yin Yu could think of it, of course— it has been considered by Hua Cheng already. When they reached the temple doors, Hua Cheng passed Yin Yu spiritual energy so he could light his own palm torch to see. He also filled the Waning Moon Officer’s token of passage with resentful energy that could be invoked once the spiritual energy ran out.
“Call if you need more before you’re stranded, got it?” Hua Cheng reminded him.
“Yes, Sir. Of course. Thank you.” Yin Yu bowed, and the three all took off in separate directions.
Yin Yu ended up in what looked like a residential section of the compound. The rooms carved out of the stones contained lounging furniture, tables, beds, curtains, clothing and other rather normal items. There were a few larger chambers that resembled dining halls and what looked like small family altars in some of the rooms. The wood that the names were carved on all were beautifully polished and preserved, but aside from those wooden name plates and old incense burners, the altars were unadorned. It seems no expense was wasted on much else aside from very basic living essentials.
He Xuan ended up walking through the offices. There were desks but no beds, and books~ enough books to fill a small library but spread out over the offices. Some such offices were beat, tidy, like an exhibit or something, while others looked like their owners just slipped out for tea and would return shortly. Half written tablets, crusty brushes stuck to their ink blocks, and used paper with half the original text scraped away lay strewn across the floor. Though messy it didn’t seem like a result of a struggle as much as the result of a man’s peculiar habit.
Between the eyes of his fish, and his own, he was able to collect a rather detailed understanding of this part of the temple. These offices collected, consolidated and archived knowledge collected from all over the country. Some of such knowledge wasn’t too interesting to He Xuan, detailed logs of crop yields and cattle births from centuries prior… human births and deaths and marriage records from that same era and— wait—
He paused in his step in a pitch black hallway, seeing through the eyes of his fish, their own vision illuminated by their silver bodies, the family names at the top of these family books were all prominent clans back in the day, but the branches that descended from them, were broken, jagged, marred by too many women and two many names— forbidden couples, secret affairs and— illegitimate children. There were some names with notes next to them. Exiled for being female. Exiled for being cripple, struck off the family tree for things they couldn’t control.
It wasn’t an uncommon thing among the nobility. They always wanted to put on that impression of perfection. They acted as though second only to the gods. These were secrets that must be kept— the secrets containing the right heirs to the throne if blood inheritance were to be honored.
This knowledge could be used to sow revolutions and overturn dynasties. No wonder they were chased out of civilization and into these mountains…. But then— if they were chased out of the cities, how could they come to learn such intimate details about the nobles and their secret affairs?
Merchants? They traveled a lot, yes, and they had loose lips, but not access to the upper echelon of society.
He shook his head. Focus. They had to find a book. But which book? There were books everywhere. Only then, did he realize, Hua Cheng hadn’t said.
That bastard!
Xue yu tan hua! He called in their private array that remained perpetually open so that he would never have to say that wretched password again.
Wha—
Snap!
Like a thread had snapped, the array cut out.
Immediately, He Xuan opened his own eyes, those on his main body and lit a palm torch only to come face to face with a woman— a familiar one, but from the distant past. He shielded his eyes and turned away to run, but the ground gave way and he fell into a very basic, mechanical trap. He tried to turn, so he’d land on his feet, but the ground was closer than he expected and only managed his flat ass.
“A-Xuan,” the woman’s voice cooed. “What is this reaction? I thought you’d be glad to see this face again!”
He Xuan conjured a ball of fire in his hand and sent it towards that woman— ghost? Apparition?
It vanished only for a man to take its place. “Xuan’er~ you’ve been gone so long. Why don’t you join us?” The man asked.
“Shut up!” He yelled.
“Your Father is tired, but you’re still young…. Healthy… you can take his place.”
He Xuan covered his ears then.
“Husband, perhaps Xuan’er is too young.” An older woman’s voice suggested. “We should give him more time to cultivate and train. Maybe let Xiaomei help him.”
“Isn’t Xiaomei even younger? What good can she do?”
“She can ground Young Xuan’er.”
Just then, He Xuan felt small, delicate hands over his own. Gently, those delicate hands pulled his away from his ears.
“Ge! Ge, it’s been so long since you’ve been home! We’ve missed you!” He watched with blurry, tear-stained vision as the form of his little sister leaned in to hug him.
It was almost too late when he remembered— it was just a form— his sister long turned to ash, and those ashes lay at home— on Black Water Island. He narrowly missed the bite aimed at his shoulder as he leapt into action. A palm blast turned the figure of his little sister to dust, and then three more destroyed the figures above. He jumped out of the hole in the floor. “SHIELD!” He yelled, and the silver bonefish surrounded them, armoring their skeletal bodies with scales harder than diamonds but twice as clear. And he walked back to where they split off, and turned down the other tunnel, the one that Yin Yu fled down.
Hua Cheng would have noticed the communication array cutting off. He would have also turned back. Right now— Yin Yu was the most vulnerable. With his cursed shackle— he was the only one here who could actually be defeated and yet—
“My Lord!” He seemed startled to see He Xuan standing behind him, armored by his silver bonefish.
“Step inside.” He Xuan ordered with a sigh.
Hesitantly, he did and the bone fish wrapped them both in a shield. Without any hesitation, He Xuan grabbed the arm with the cursed shackle and poured spiritual energy at it, seeing how it reacted and rejected the attack. Then he felt Yin Yu’s pulse, and his token of passage, and the sword Hua Cheng had given him, and the dagger. He walked all around the fallen Martial God, checking everything for authenticity.
“Did you encounter a clone of one of us?”
“Worse—” He Xuan stood again, assessment over. “A manifestation of those from my past…those I failed to protect.” He looked down with a sigh.
Yin Yu could tell— the words came out like glass, cutting up his throat with every syllable. Black Water mentioned his past as often as Crimson Rain, which was to say— never.
“Have you seen him? Hua Chengzhu?”
Yin Yu shook his head.
Odd… Crimson Rain would have jumped into action the instant something got into his head unless— unless it wasn’t Crimson Rain he reached in the first place!
He grabbed Yin Yu and spun around, using his own back to shield the Waning Moon Officer as a blast broke through the silver bone fish and slammed against the Supreme.
Yin Yu’s jaw dropped. As soon as he was released, he reached for his sword, but Black Water was faster, taking it from him. He directed spiritual energy through the blade as he slashed, dividing the entire hallway diagonally in the direction they were attacked.
“Hold onto me!” He Xuan commanded.
“What?!” Yin Yu paled.
“You’re not strong enough for this! Get over it!” He yelled yanking Yin Yu towards his side.
The Waning Moon Officer stiffened.
He Xuan threw that sword to fight whatever enemy they were facing and then drew a second blade, his own this time and blocked an attack from the other direction just as it came down, nearly cleaving Yin Yu in half.
The Waning Moon Officer found himself clutching Black Water’s robes much to his own chagrin.
Another attacker descended from above.
Fed up, and finally assured Yin Yu wouldn’t try to join this fight, he let go and stood up to his full height. “You fucking menaces!” He slammed both fists together and whispered a spell. Spiritual power exploded around them, blasting a new cavern into these caves, sending shock waves throughout the entire mountain.
“What if it triggers a landslide?!” Yin Yu gasped. They were told to be careful.
“There’s not a living soul for at least twenty li, it's fine!” He Xuan argued. At least they weren’t being attacked anymore. Both Yin Yu and He Xuan’s blades were summoned back and sheathed. Hua Cheng jumped down from a newly exposed cave.
“Report.” He ordered as Yin Yu stood up again and brushed himself off.
“Three attackers, not human, not— ghost either.”
“More than that— there were those you faced earlier on your own.” Yin Yu reminded him.
Right…
Hua Cheng took a hard look at He Xuan’s face, and then at Yin Yu’s, and then back to He Xuan knowing there was more the Black Water Supreme hadn’t mentioned.
“I tried to call you— but the connection cut. I’m assuming it didn’t actually reach.” He stated.
That confirmed it.
If Hua Cheng knew something was off, he would have also run back to Yin Yu— to regroup and revise their strategy. Alas— he didn’t know. He never heard from Black Water, and he didn’t find out they were even fighting until Black Water hollowed the fucking mountain out with a blast.
Hua Cheng stepped into the crater He Xuan made and placed a hand on the ground, reaching, seeing through the eyes of his scouting butterflies. “It’s a shame—“ he thought aloud. “These tunnels were an architectural marvel.”
“I know,” Black Water bowed his head, also a little dismayed. He lost his cool, got impatient and— he would have liked to explore more of the rooms. They’d all been so carefully preserved…. It was almost as if they were still being carefully preserved, like—
BANG!
Hua Cheng made a small hole in the ground, just enough for them all to jump through. They followed him down to the next tunnel.
BANG!
Again?
BANG!
Sighs….
BANG!
Four levels down, the tunnels were lit with torches— people still used these tunnels?
With a wave of his hand, Hua Cheng disguised the three as humans, suppressing He Xuan’s spiritual energy down to a nearly nonexistent level. He didn’t protest it. He trusted Hua Cheng’s judgement when it came to things like this.
They watched their step as they went until they heard voices.
“Report.” A voice ordered. “Three intruders. One of them is strong.”
He Xuan bit his lip.
“And the others?”
“One we don’t dare touch…. And the last one— he’s the most terrifying of all.”
Hua Cheng put a hand on He Xuan’s shoulder and squeezed it. Don’t feel bad about only being strong.
Yin Yu was surprised. They didn’t touch him— not because he was strong but because— Hua Cheng was terrifying? Oftentimes, he thought himself useless— disposable— in fact, he was useless AND disposable! The emperor himself exiled him from Heaven. He couldn’t even protect his disciples. One surpassed him and the other died with a heart full of hatred and pain… yet it was still not enough for him to stay as a ghost. He managed to die properly.
“We’ve lost sight of them,” the person spoke of the intruders.
“Stay vigilant. Good work.”
“Thank you, sir.”
With a wave, Hua Cheng cast a veil over them so they’d stay invisible as the person turned the corridor. It was an ordinary human in some plain merchant robes holding a tassel with a little jade medallion on it, playing with it without a care in the world. He almost passed them completely when suddenly, he felt a change in the air and turned directly to where two ghosts and one former god were hiding.
He narrowed his eyes. Maybe it was just the torch light playing games on him. He let go of the tassel and it fell back against his waist. He thought of something, then abandoned it and walked away down the hall.
Follow? He Xuan wrote in the air with liquid ink also hidden by Hua Cheng’s shield.
He shook his head.
Once that human was gone and no others remained, confirmed by both the bone fish and the butterflies, Hua Cheng let out an unnecessary breath. “He’s the one who intercepted your call.” Hua Cheng said to Black Water.
He Xuan had the same idea and then pulled out a bottle each and handed one to Hua Cheng and one to Yin Yu. With a tap on the arm, he replenished the little spiritual energy that Yin Yu had expended so far on torch light.
Use the ink then . He wrote it in the air.
Hua Cheng smirked at that his handwriting was—
He Xuan rolled his eyes. I know you know how to write. It’s just your stupid hand that’s not practiced with the brush so by your one god, please make it legible!
Yin Yu punched his eyebrows. Even in— whatever shit they were in now, Hua Cheng still found it necessary to aggravate the Black Water Supreme.
They must be cultivators… and strong ones. Hua Cheng wrote in only slightly better calligraphy.
There are records of secrets no common people should know. It could almost compare to the Palace of Ling Wen in its detail.
But the information that they gather here…. Is gathered much more efficiently.
And the spiritual communication array— can cultivators use it? I thought only gods and ghosts—
Who knows? Hua Cheng shrugged.
Wait— Chengzhu— you never mentioned what specific book we were looking for. Maybe if we could just avoid these people entirely, we could—
He Xuan moved first this time, transforming the three of them before the veil could fall.
Hua Cheng’s bandaged hands immediately moved to cover his bandaged face, and He Xuan wrapped both arms around him and Yin Yu. His arms were short and still had baby fat on it. He could barely fully encircle the two as he shielded them from the tip of a black sword.
And the one black eye that Hua Cheng had— when it opened, it widened in horror.
His brain knew that it was an apparition of some sort, but his heart— saw the god he had been searching for for 800 years.
“Gege?” Hua Cheng looked up. All of them looked small, innocent, and terrified. They couldn’t die— but still— they’d never failed so miserably in the art of disguise (and detection). He Xuan hoped these child forms might at least make those humans falter.
The apparition fell and that human showed his true form. The one that was playing with the tassel earlier. He bent down and opened a qiankun bag at his waist and pulled out a bun for each of them. “You’re in luck—” He said. “We’ve finished our assessments early today.” Yin Yu and He Xuan both took the bun and turned it over curiously. It didn’t seem to be poisonous… then again— did poison even affect Ghosts and a fallen god? He Xuan shook his head. Not many of them. He took a bite. It was edible— so he took the third, meant for Hua Cheng, but Hua Cheng was still mad that guy impersonated his Gege.
You can wear your true forms. You’re already exposed.” He said standing again.
“We’ll stay like this,” Hua Cheng stood first, staring up at him with his one black eye, livid.
The guy shrugged. “Suit yourself.” He said walking away, slowly, as if beckoning them to follow.
They did. While they walked, Yin Yu still held onto his bun, wary of its origins while He Xuan finished his second.
After a moment, Yin Yu offered his to the hungry ghost king.
“So, you’re after a book?” the guy asked.
“En.” Hua Cheng answered.
“Are you willing to die for it?”
“Can’t die. Already dead.” Hua Cheng shrugged.
“You can’t. But he can.” The guy motioned towards Yin Yu. It wasn’t even a guess. He could tell the difference between the three of them and what they were.
Yin Yu shrunk a little.
“He saved me and gave me back the life I was ready to end. If he wants to take it back, I’ll gladly give it. I’m forever grateful to—”
“Save it. We can guess your rank structure easily enough as it is. There’s no need for the declarations of fealty.” The guy waved his hand and led them into a room without a door where there was a low table waiting and more food. He Xuan ran ahead.
“The book you seek is this one.” The guy pointed to a table where a single, ancient tome lay waiting.
“Why are you showing us so easily? What do you seek in return?” Hua Cheng asked suspiciously, glancing over occasionally to make sure nothing He Xuan was eating would leave him incapacitated.
“Because the book itself is cursed. Someone must have written their own blood into it and forced upon it their will. Now, the ink only appears on the pages to those it deems worthy of possessing such knowledge. It’s useless in the hands of the average wanderer.”
Hua Cheng looked down at it, then back at the guy. Could he really touch it so easily? Can he take it?
“You have an hour, then we’ll escort you back to the surface so you don’t go punching more holes in our tunnels. You should have seen! Our architect was beside himself.”
He Xuan returned to them with a bag of fried xiu mai in his arms. “I’ll send some people from the Earth Master Palace to make repairs.” He grumbled with a full mouth. All three other people turned to him, surprised.
He swallowed. “As thanks for the food.”
The guy smiled and He Xuan looked away.
Hua Cheng smiled too, but inwardly. Black Water always pays his debts— eventually.
“If the book is so useless to the average wanderer, why do you place those apparitions near the cave entrance to scare them off anyways?” Hua Cheng asked.
“There are sixteen thousand miles of tunnel carved through this mountain range, and not all of them are ventilated. It’s better to make them turn back early, before they get lost and stuck and die searching for someone in vain. The book may be able to protect its information, but it can only protect its information. Its physical body— can be destroyed if handled improperly.” the guy replied.
Hua Cheng opened the book to the first page, it was blank. Then the second, and a single faint word appeared.
Gone.
No. That’s not right. His royal highness wasn’t gone. Hua Cheng would have dissipated if he were.
Not dead. The words were replaced.
Hua Cheng retracted his hand again in surprise. The book could read his mind?
“50 minutes left. I have to get back to work,” that guy reminded them as he turned to leave.
“Wait!” He Xuan called. “How did you intercept a private communication array?” He asked, accidentally dropping an orange.
“If you’re worthy, you may know.” He motioned towards the book. The two ghosts and fallen god all frowned.
Hua Cheng stepped aside to let He Xuan try. He touched his hand to the page and it said.
Next.
Next?! Was he not worthy?!
Next page!
If the book were a person, it would have shook its head at the silly Ghost King.
He Xuan turned the page, and it appeared covered in text. The whole spread showed diagrams of the arrays one has to paint in one’s own mind to create a touch point for the communication array. It was like drawing distance shortening arrayed on the ground to transport oneself.
It didn’t need much energy to create— but once created, it could be used by anyone anywhere who could visualize the array in its entirety.
Even a cultivator— even a very strong human who practiced the demon way.
“Hua Cheng, can you see it?” He Xuan asked.
Hua Cheng touched the page. “It’s the communication array!” There were notes and annotations about the differences between group arrays and private arrays and how to get the array to permeate various types of barriers. And then one question led to the next and the following page showed them barriers. There were basic ones like shield and mask to hide one's form entirely, that people with different strength levels could perform with varying effectiveness. But there were more. Mental shields against memory— and pain. Shields that could even erect a barrier to keep a god from falling— or keeping a human from ascending.
“Yin Yu, you should see this too.” Hua Cheng called.
Yin Yu touched his hand to the page.
Questions overlapped questions and answers overlapped answers, making the pages nearly unreadable. But that was fine, they were supreme ghost kings. They had the spiritual energy to be able to burn images into their mind. They could recreate it somewhere and unscramble it later.
When they were done, the three of them all felt dizzy with the amounts of knowledge poured into their brains. “I suppose we were deemed worthy enough” Hua Cheng chuckled, clutching the right side of his bandaged head.
“En” He Xuan nodded.
“So, kid,” that guy looked at Hua Cheng. “How did you find out about this book anyways?”
Hua Cheng shrugged. It was no big deal, so he didn’t mind answering. “A traitor came to my city and gambled for knowledge he wanted to add to this archive. He lost.”
“What knowledge did he seek?”
“The true face and names of the Four Calamities…” Hua Cheng answered, transforming his clothes into nicer, cleaner, red robes so he could play with a tassel too like this guy leading them out of the caves.
The guy chuckled. “The scouts these days— they’ve become so foolish and lazy. To gamble with the City Master of Ghost City directly?” He shook his head. “Stupid.”
Hua Cheng agreed. It’s fine though. That traitor was dead now.
“Your people seem to have an interest in names and families… even the small branches that go unrecognized. Why is that?” He Xuan asked. If Hua Cheng got an answer, couldn’t he as well?
“Because— people are empathetic creatures. Even those who act like they aren’t, are dependent on each other. If someone is cruel and dangerous, it can be easier to send them a warning through someone they knew.”
Knew, not know… maybe a banished son, or an illegitimate daughter, a forgotten concubine or… the love of one’s life.
He Xuan looked to Hua Cheng, but the older supreme kept his eye forward and focused.
They walked in silence until they reached the chamber where the one entrance split into three tunnels.
“You haven’t asked anything,” that guy turned to Yin Yu. “You must be curious about something.”
Yin Yu looked nervously between Crimson Rain and Black Water. There were many things he was curious about, but it was not his job to be curious. He was merely a servant. What he needed to know, he would find out when he needed to find out.
He shook his head. He would trust his master, and his— friend. He looked at Black Water.
“There is nothing pertinent at the moment.”
That guy smiled. “Well then, it was nice to make your acquaintance. I hope your journey back is safe.”
They bowed and he retreated back into the tunnels while they walked towards the light. It was just past midday and getting rather warm. Their normal clothes would leave then sweltering, so they stayed disguised as children.
He Xuan kicked a rock as they descended the mountain.
“Why are you down all of the sudden?” Hua Cheng asked him curiously.
He Xuan had his thumbs tucked into his waistband and was pouting. “I wasted my question! I should have asked about the Water Master! This guy knew so much and—”
Hua Cheng laughed. “You’ll be back! You promised to send people from the Earth Master Palace to repair the tunnels, remember?”
Oh…. Right!
The little cloud of doom over the Black Water supreme went away and he returned to Hua Cheng and Yin Yu, walking together in time.
“Either way— I’m satisfied with this mission.” Hua Cheng announced.
“Even though we didn’t find his highness?” He Xuan inquired.
Hua Cheng nodded. “This time, I wasn’t looking for him, but rather— tools that could be useful to him when he needs it.”
Figures.
“And I’m glad to know that you two will look out for each other even when I’m not there.”
He Xuan and Yin Yu both looked to each other, surprised, and then embarrassed. He Xuan didn’t mean to grab Yin Yu like that when they were attacked, but Yin Yu was still getting used to not having spiritual powers and He Xuan— well if he lost Hua Cheng’s best subordinate then—
“Sir, I hardly did anything. Only Black Water can be credited for looking out for this useless—”
“Stop spewing nonsense!” He Xuan snapped with his arms folded.
“But really, Lord Black Water, what did I contribute? Nothing!” Yin Yu argued with Black Water. “I’m not strong!”
“You don’t need to be!” Black Water yelled louder, throwing his arms back. In these child forms, Hua Cheng had to admit, they were both rather cute. “Your presence was enough— without you—” he bit his lip, choking up. This sent Yin Yu into a panic. What did he do— did he make the Black Water supreme cry? He didn’t even know the Black water supreme was capable of such a thing.
“The spell they cast on the entrance showed him those he failed to protect.” Hua Cheng reminded Yin Yu as he patted He Xuan on the back. “If he were alone, he’d probably be incapacitated by it for a while until enough rage filled his soul to be able to break out again. You’re not strong, but you’re not weak either. I’ll only say this once. Even with your cursed shackle, you’re strong, and valued, and a good person. And you can get stronger. I’ll train you in the ways of the ghosts… heck — maybe you can even be this one’s shidi!” Hua Cheng patted He Xuan on the shoulder again and laughed at the suggestion while both He Xuan and Yin Yu both visibly tensed for different reasons.
He Xuan was cursed with a tortuous fate worse than death. All those who came close were also affected— beaten, tortured, raped. If he had a Shidi— the Reverend would come— and harvest his soul too— but— He Xuan shook his head. He ate the Reverend. He was already dead — those around him should be safe— and yet the fear remained in his core.
Yin Yu was a shixiong before, in a fairly well off clan with several shidi of his own. He used to be their leader and their teacher. Only to be promptly overshadowed by one of them shortly into his tenure in Heaven. The resentment it sowed still felt fresh at the mention of that title.
Hua Cheng knew this about both of them and used it. These two— they were too good — and it led to their demise. He was the same— when he was an ignorant young human. But they had potential, and so, he decided. He’d show them the way. He pulled a pair of dice out of his robes and gave them a light toss opening a door back to Paradise Manor, transforming all of them back to their true forms as they passed through.
Black Water looked elegant in his long dark silk robes with silver embroidery and Yin Yu looked mysterious with his ghost mask hiding his face. “You’re both free to do what you need to.”
Black Water needed to eat and Yin Yu needed to sleep. Meanwhile, Hua Cheng would organize the information that book showed him.
“When do you need me back again?” Black Water asked.
Mmm was he considering going back to Heaven to eat? Or the Royal Capital. “Whenever I call you.”
Not an answer, hah! It infuriated the younger supreme but he withheld any remarks. After a moment, he snapped his fingers and opened up a distance shortening array to somewhere, and took Yin Yu with him. Huh?! Hua Cheng raised a brow but ultimately shook his head. They’d be fine with each other.