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“Lord Water Master.” Feng Xin offers Shi Wudu a stiff nod as he steps over to where Shi Wudu is preparing to descend.
“General Nan Yang,” Shi Wudu says flatly. He doesn’t seem to care much for Feng Xin’s presence, and his following statement affirms it. “I can handle the water demon on my own. Your being here isn’t necessary, even if Jun Wu seems to be convinced that it is.”
“He mentioned that a team of two was needed for this mission,” Feng Xin says. ‘Just in case’ had been Jun Wu’s specific words, though it was unclear what he was referring to. “He seemed to think that both of us were necessary.”
“Well, seeing as it’s a water demon in your territory, the pairing seems logical.” Shi Wudu says.
“Yes,” Feng Xin agrees, not entirely sure what to say.
He also isn’t keen on working with the Water Tyrant , of all people—even Pei Ming would have been a better partner. He’s funny on occasion. Shi Wudu just seems like, quite frankly, a pain in the ass.
And he’s intimidating, too. How could he not be, with his reputation, and pristine appearance—it’s clearly intentional, too. Shi Wudu seems like the kind of man to build himself up as larger than life on purpose.
The two of them descend to the mortal realm in an awkward silence. They end up on the banks of a river, and Feng Xin has to admit, it’s a beautiful place—the water is crystal clear, and flowers and weeds sprout along the banks and dangle over the edge of the water like they’re preparing to go for a swim. The willows that surround the riverbank sway softly.
“This way,” Shi Wudu says, pointing upstream.
“How do you know?” Feng Xin has to ask, because it kind of seems like Shi Wudu is just pointing in an arbitrary direction.
Shi Wudu responds with a withering look, so Feng Xin sighs and follows him. He’s like a slightly more stuck-up version of Mu Qing. Less prone to rolling his eyes, but the same air of perpetual annoyance.
They walk up the river in the same silence that they descended in. The quiet is not uncomfortable, but it’s odd.
Feng Xin is used to being accompanied on missions by a constant barrage of insults from Mu Qing,teasing from Pei Ming, or gossip from Shi Qingxuan—but the Water Tyrant’s presence is very different from that.
Feng Xin doesn’t entirely dislike it though. He doesn’t hate silence, after all.
Shi Wudu stops walking after a couple minutes, pausing to look around. Then, he nods. “Here.”
Feng Xin doesn’t really see anything, but Shi Wudu doesn’t seem to want his help, anyway—so he just nods.
“There should be a cave just through those trees,“ Shi Wudu points. “I’m going to lure it out. Stay here by the river, and be ready to fight it when it arrives.” Shi Wudu glances at Feng Xin’s bow in something vaguely like approval. “I’ve heard your arrows never miss.”
“They usually don’t,” Feng Xin assures him.
This whole thing between them is weird—Feng Xin is nearly twice Shi Wudu’s age! This is his territory! Who is the Water Tyrant to be giving him orders like this?
“Then, don’t miss,” Shi Wudu says. “Aim for the small of its back—Ling Wen said that’s its point of weakness.”
Feng Xin nods, and Shi Wudu disappears into the trees.
Feng Xin glances around the banks over the river. This doesn’t particularly look like a place where a demon would live. It almost reminds him of Mount Taicang, in its beauty—the flowers by the stream, especially.
They’re identical to the flowers growing on the cherry trees in the orchard there, which is odd, because they’re growing almost like lotuses, floating on the water. Feng Xin has never seen cherry blossoms growing like that before.
He leans down by the water, reaching to pluck one—because he probably has a bit of time until Shi Wudu lures the demon out, and these flowers are fucking cool anyway.
He tucks a blossom into his pocket, so he can bring it back to his palace. Maybe he’ll see if one of his deputies knows anything about gardening, so he can grow them in his palace, because despite Mu Qing’s vehement belief otherwise, Feng Xin can appreciate beautiful things.
There’s a rustle in the trees, and Feng Xin quickly stands up.
Feng Xin draws Fengshen, nocking an arrow, but as the figure emerges… it’s just Shi Wudu, covered in a considerable amount of blood.
Shi Wudu raises an eyebrow at Feng Xin’s readied bow. “The demon is dead already. It was asleep when I walked into the cave.”
“Ah.”
“Let’s head back now,” Shi Wudu says. His sapphire eyes scan the surroundings. “This place looks strangely familiar.”
“Oh?” Feng Xin asks. He scratches the back of his neck. “It looked a bit familiar to me, too—must be the flowers.” He points to the flowers floating in the water. “Those grew in Xianle.”
“You had those in Xianle, too?” Shi Wudu frowns. “I was told that variation of violet only grew in the outskirts of Xuli, where I lived.”
“Violet?” Feng Xin frowns, looking between Shi Wudu and the flowers floating on the surface of the water. “…those are cherry blossoms.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Shi Wudu snaps. “Cherry blossoms don’t grow on water like that.”
“Neither do violets,” Feng Xin argues.
“Well, it’s certainly odd, but less so than a tree’s flower—“
“This,” Feng Xin says, pulling his plucked flower out of his pocket.
Shi Wudu eyes it. “Did you pluck that from somewhere else?”
“No, I got it from the river right here,” Feng Xin says. “It’s a cherry blossom.”
“It is,” Shi Wudu says. “I wonder if I…” Shi Wudu reaches down to pluck one of the flowers that are definitely cherry blossoms from the water.
Then, Feng Xin watches as the flower in the Water Master’s hand, its petals elongating and shifting from a soft pink to a decided purple.
“What the fuck?” Feng Xin mutters.
Shi Wudu glances at the flower in his hand, a violet, and the flower in Feng Xin’s hand, both plucked from the same plant. “That’s odd. Let me ask Ling Wen, perhaps the illusion of the flowers has something to do with the demon.”
Feng Xin nods, as Shi Wudu presses two fingers to his forehead.
-
You said the flower turned into a cherry blossom in General Nan Yang’s hand, but remained a violet in yours? Ling Wen asks through the array.
Yes, Shi Wudu replies. So what?
Shuishi-xiong, there’s only one flower in my records that matches this description…
Something in Ling Wen’s tone sets Shi Wudu on edge. What is it, then?
The plant is called Eye Of The Beholder, Ling Wen says. Its flowers will take the appearance of whatever flower the viewer finds most beautiful. In your case, violets, and in General Nan Yang’s case, cherry blossoms.
And? There’s something else, too, Shi Wudu can tell.
…It’s known for its aromatic pollen, which is known to cause…
What, Ling Wen?
Ling Wen sounds like she doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The pollen is known to cause sexual arousal in men, she finally says.
You’re fucking kidding me, right? Shi Wudu asks. He glances over at Feng Xin, who is watching him intently, though there’s a flush in his cheeks that Shi Wudu didn’t notice there before.
Put the plant down right now, Ling Wen says. If you haven’t been in contact with it very long, I don’t think it will affect you. However, I can’t say the same for General Nan Yang. How long has he been holding it?
…at least ten minutes, Shi Wudu says, studying the flower that is still in Feng Xin’s hand. Shi Wudu drops his own violet onto the ground.
I would send Pei down to help you out, but he’s busy in the north, Ling Wen says. Good luck, Shuishi-xiong.
What? Ling Wen?
Ling Wen closes the array, and Shi Wudu silently curses her. She has got to be joking. Or so Shi Wudu hopes.
“General,” Shi Wudu says, looking Feng Xin up and down. “Put down the flower.”
“Why? What is it?”
“An aphrodisiac,” Shi Wudu says flatly.
Feng Xin all but screams, flinging the flower as far away from him as possible. “You… what… did Ling Wen say…”
“You’ve been in contact with that flower for at least ten minutes, yes?”
Feng Xin nods. “Maybe fifteen.” He looks a little sick. Shi Wudu doesn’t blame him, but with a title like Ju Yang, he isn’t all that surprised.
“Come with me,” Shi Wudu says sharply, taking Feng Xin’s sleeve and dragging him off in the direction of the demon’s cave.
“What the fuck—“ Feng Xin protests, trying to tug himself away, to no avail. “What are you doing ?”
Shi Wudu notes the way Feng Xin’s breathing is speeding up. “Let’s get this over with, no?”
“What are you talking about—“
“Take your clothes off.”
Feng Xin crosses his arms protectively over his chest. “No.”
Shi Wudu rolls his eyes. “You can either wait fifteen minutes until you’re so deep in the throes of the poison that you’re begging me to fuck you, or we can save your dignity and do this now.”
“But—“
“Or, third option, I can call Pei,” Shi Wudu adds.
“ No, ” Feng Xin says. “He’ll never let me hear the end of it.”
“He’ll never let either of us hear the end of it,” Shi Wudu corrects, already taking off his outer robe. “Let’s get it over with, like I said. Then, you go on with your life, and I go on with mine, and we pretend this never happened.”
“Fine,” Feng Xin mutters, tugging at the straps of his armor. “Do I have your word?”
“Of course,” Shi Wudu scoffs. “If anyone found out about this—especially in the Heavens, where gossip knows no bounds—we’d both be screwed. So take off your armor, General, and do as I say.”
Qingxuan and Pei, particularly, would be insufferable about it. So, Shuishi-xiong, did you see Ju Yang? Did it live up to the rumors? and God, Gege, you really had sex with General Nan Yang? Shi Wudu would die of embarrassment. He’d never be able to live it down.
Feng Xin swallows, but starts undoing his armor anyway.
-
“So?” Ling Wen asks, as Shi Wudu hands in his report of the mission.
“So, what?” Shi Wudu asks. He glances at Feng Xin. “Nothing out of the ordinary happened. It was just a mission.”
Feng Xin nods emphatically. “He’s right. Just a mission.”
Ling Wen raises an eyebrow. “I assume you don’t want anyone else to see this report.”
“No,” Shi Wudu says. “Ling Wen—“
Ling Wen waves a dismissive hand at Feng Xin. “General, you’re dismissed. Thank you.”
As Feng Xin moves to leave, he hears Ling Wen whisper to Shi Wudu, “You owe me a favor, or I’m telling Pei.”