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Hua Cheng was in Heaven. 

His beloved was curled up against his chest, face buried in his shoulder, his breathing heavy and steady with sleep. Hua Cheng could feel the warm puffs against his neck. His Highness was a restless sleeper and had shifted multiple times, but Hua Cheng wasn’t intending to sleep himself, so he could accommodate any twisting or turning. 

As he lay here, dazed with shock and happiness at the night’s turn of events, he couldn’t help but focus on every little detail. His Highness’s skin was warm and supple, with slight dampness gathering where their skin touched due to the warm, humid weather. There was soft feathery hair running up his arms and the occasional freckle or two—the kinds of details he could never capture in marble. Every once in a while, a small sleepy noise would escape him. 

Truth be told, he had no idea how he’d gotten here, especially after his actions. His luck had shifted after he ripped out that cursed eye, but he never thought it could shift this dramatically. It had to be a dream.

Well, technically, it was.

Hua Cheng stirred, and rolled over, smashing his face into the pillow as he ignored the insistent knocks at his bedroom door. He was incredibly irritated at being woken up. A few moments passed.

Again, the knocking. 

Yin Yu’s voice, muffled, called through it, “Chengzhu? You said—”

“I’m up!” he lifted his head to growl loudly. 

The Waning Moon Officer said nothing else. 

Hua Cheng pouted for a moment and breathed in deeply. This bed still faintly smelled of His Highness, and breathing it in was all he could do to hold back visiting him suddenly, uninvited. He wasn’t sure if this was better than nothing or if it was just a way to torture himself. 

He finally rolled back over and sat up, wiping the sleep from his eye. He wasn’t used to the sensation of grogginess. Sleeping wasn’t usually a part of his schedule. He’d wanted time to pass quicker, so he’d been sleeping often over this past week.

He’d really only awoken to share telepathic pleasantries with His Highness. This was the only way to get through this time apart from him. He was driving himself insane, pacing around his room, trapped with his own frustrating thoughts. 

Hua Cheng was like a desperate wounded animal climbing the walls of an enclosure while a predator stalked after him—but the predator was in his head. It was a merciless and vicious beast, and it attacked him at every opportunity. Sleep was his only escape from it. 

His eyepatch had been pushed off the side from twisting and turning, and it had nearly come off his head. He carefully slipped it back into place and yawned.

Worthless Trash. If you don’t get yourself together soon, he’s going to realize he’s making a mistake.

He stood up, stretched, and walked tiredly over to his mirror. 

Well, there was some good news. Today was finally the day. They were going to continue searching for a suitable location for his God’s new shrine. 

So, how should he present himself this time?

He shifted into a few different looks. His true form would stick out a bit too much while out among mortals, so he needed a look that was more mundane. Not too mundane, of course. He liked to watch His Highness sneak peeks at him. 

Hua Cheng had never really noticed him do it before—or at least he didn’t recognize those peeks for what they were. Everything had new meaning now that he knew His Highness shared his feelings. It was such an absurdity. His God was in love with him. Love. He sneaked peeks at him.

Absolutely ridiculous.

“Gege is mine,” he whispered to himself. It had become like a mantra to him.

He’d whispered it two or three times a day since the last time he’d visited his God. No matter how many times he said it, it was like the words wouldn’t sink in. It still didn’t feel real, and no amount of repeating the words would make it so.

He shifted through a few appearances but ultimately went with something similar to last time. 

This time he styled his hair only half up in a ponytail. The clothes were tasteful but less sumptuous, as he didn’t want to stick out as a man of wealth this time. He still wore red. 

This face was more or less the same as before. His Highness had seemed to approve of it. He’d wanted to kiss him with this face, so it was a safe bet. It was kind of a relief, because this face wasn’t so different from the one he’d had in life. Just a bit healthier. A little more refined in the cheekbones. One eye wasn’t red.

His heart thumped once as he was reminded of the kiss in the hay cart. What a thrill, to have His Highness push him over and take what he wanted from him like that. 

Then, as usual, his thoughts backpedaled from that lovely memory to something unpleasant.

“How come you kept your distance all day?”

Hua Cheng felt very foolish, even now. 

Every time he thought of it, he cringed and wanted to disperse. He certainly didn’t feel like the confident, insightful, seasoned ghost king he knew himself to be. He was too rattled by everything that had happened in such a short amount of time.

Hua Cheng hadn’t forgotten the night His Highness discovered everything, and that memory was haunting him even a month later. Though much had happened after, Hua Cheng found that what he remembered most of that day was the anger directed towards him. 

Hua Cheng remembered the horror on his God’s face, and the tears. His mistakes were laid front and center, undeniable. Not a day had gone by that he didn’t ruminate on his decisions and lament his short-sightedness.

Now the voice in his head that always berated him sounded different. It sounded like his God’s voice when they were in the garden; cold and annoyed and disappointed in him. Even though sweet things had followed later in the evening, Hua Cheng still knew his God’s anger wouldn’t disappear over the course of a few weeks. Not after what he’d done. 

He’d been granted one night of bliss, but once he’d left his God there in Heaven, he had fallen into quite a pitiful state for a few days.

Carving his God a couple of statues had helped to calm and focus him towards their future. He’d felt much better afterward. He’d remembered the kisses and soft caresses in retrospect, the feeling of his God sleeping in his arms. He’d thought maybe everything was okay again. Their telepathic conversations were friendly and normal.

Then, the moment he’d finally reunited with him, he saw his God hesitate—he saw the conflict in his eyes—and once again, all that was left in his mind were his sins. 

His Highness was still mad. He was holding himself back. He wouldn’t want to be touched. Hua Cheng didn’t deserve to touch him. He deserved only punishment. He was getting a pass only because it was His Highness’s birthday. Never mind all the telepathic conversations in between.

Many similar thoughts had plagued him over the course of their afternoon together. 

What if his God was having second thoughts? What if their time apart made him realize how suffocating Hua Cheng was?

Even though they’d both already admitted their feelings to each other, he’d let his own traitorous mind twist his heart up and then he’d almost ruined his God’s birthday. His insecurity caused His Highness to question whether or not Hua Cheng even felt the same! 

Stupid. So, so stupid. 

He wouldn’t be making that mistake twice. His Highness had made his feelings abundantly clear the night of his ascension and once again on his birthday. Hua Cheng would not disrespect him by questioning it ever again. 

Though it seemed inevitable that he would let him down again somehow, this time Hua Cheng was determined to do better. He could feel apprehension nipping at his heels as he finished getting ready, but he could ignore it. He didn’t fight for a decade in Mt. Tonglu to end up so fragile. He wanted to see him again. 

He wanted to get it right this time. He wanted to make His Highness smile and laugh. 

He couldn’t allow his mind to tear itself apart before they’d even had a real chance at being together. There was something he’d had to come to terms with over this past month, and it was that he couldn’t be anyone other than who he already was. It was out of his hands. 

He’d tried acting like someone else when he first found his God, but his true self always showed through eventually. He was a ghost of many faces to many people, but around his God all these disguises faltered and faded. Even though he’d never claimed to be anything more than a monster, his God has still fallen for him somehow.

All he could do was hope that, no matter how hideous or vile he truly was, he would be able to make His Highness happy. 

I will make him happy.

He glared at himself in the mirror, almost threatening. 

He had spent so many miserable years waiting and praying to find him and give him all the things he might possibly lack. Six centuries hoping for the chance to fill his life with the comfort and safety he deserved, and perhaps even companionship. 

Now he had the chance to give even more than he ever dared to dream.

He would not fuck up again. He’d become a Calamity, a Supreme ghost king, a Chengzhu of the ghost realm, and he’d done it only for one special person. 

How could he fail him now?

After this little pep talk, Hua Cheng settled on his skin for the day and forced himself to sit up straight. 

He couldn’t keep dwelling on all these thoughts, or it would show, and His Highness would end up asking him what’s wrong. His God shouldn’t have to waste his time worrying about such trivial things. 

Today should be a good day.

Just recite the Ethics Sutra One Thousand Times, he said in his mind, smirking at the joke in spite of himself. He connected to Xie Lian's telepathic array.

“Are you ready, Your Highness?” he asked.

“I’m ready!” he heard his God instantly reply.

Hua Cheng pulled his dice out and stared at them for a moment. Once he’d found his nerve, he threw them up and caught them. 

Two sixes, as always. 

Why was he so sure it would be something else?

He opened his door to the balcony and greeted a black void. As he stepped through, he entered His Highness’s bedroom. His Highness was right there waiting, sitting on the edge of the bed. He jumped up at once, a large smile on his face.

There was a beat where they stared at one another, and once again, there was that little moment of hesitation. 

And then Hua Cheng was being pulled down into an enthusiastic hug, His Highness’s arms wrapped tightly around his neck. 

Hua Cheng laughed softly and hugged him back, and in an instant all the worries from this past week melted away like they never existed. He sighed in immense relief. 

“Gege missed me,” he teased. 

“San Lang didn’t miss me?” His Highness asked. 

Hua Cheng tightened their hug slightly.

“Any moment not spent with gege is a moment spent missing him.”

“So dramatic,” His Highness said, pulling back so that he could look up at him. He bounced back up to peck a shy kiss on his jawline. 

Hua Cheng gazed down at him and was momentarily stunned. 

His God had appeared quite well last time he saw him, but now he almost looked as he did back in his prime. His face was healthy, glowing, and slightly tanned. During that hug, Hua Cheng could feel the strength in his arms, and the toned muscles of his chest and abdomen pressed against his. 

After seeing him thin and pale for half a year, the abrupt change was jarring, and it made him realize how wrong he’d been in thinking his God was about back to normal before now.

Even though it should probably be considered a crime, Hua Cheng bent down to kiss him properly. It was soft and reverent, not meant to distract them from the fact that they were about to leave. He didn’t try to get a taste. He felt His Highness smile into the kiss, and it was enough to make the ghost swoon. Before things could become heated, he reluctantly broke away. 

Xie Lian’s eyes fluttered open, and a small laugh escaped him. 

“Did I just feel your heart beat?” he asked. 

His Highness’s palms were resting flat against the ghost’s chest. Hua Cheng stiffened slightly, having not even noticed. He chuckled then. 

“Gege does that to me sometimes,” he admitted fondly. 

“Hn. I like that,” His Highness said, finally pulling himself away.

“I can always make my heart beat, if that’s what you’d prefer.”

His Highness shook his head. 

“That’s not necessary. You don’t have to make yourself warm either. You’re fine being your ghostly self. I just liked that it was involuntary.”

“Gege please,” Hua Cheng whined, not used to his God teasing him. 

“Alright, alright. So, where to first?”

A few moments later, the pair found themselves standing in the middle of a small village to the mountainous northeast. It was very remote, but also quite close to one of the main entrances into the ghost realm. 

Like many villages that were this isolated, its residents were withdrawn and mistrustful of outsiders. Hua Cheng could sway most folks into a friendly smile if he turned on the charm, but this was a rather tough crowd. 

His Highness experimentally attempted to collect a few scraps as a test of their generosity, but despite his honest face and kindly demeanor, no one had any donations to give. 

In the end, it didn’t actually matter. 

It didn’t take long for them to find a large temple here that was already established and very well attended. It belonged to General Ming Guang, the martial god of the north. It was not lost on Hua Cheng that this was a newly erected temple. He knew it was likely a replacement…

In a last ditch effort, Xie Lian took to asking around whether or not a wandering cultivator might be of any help to them. This wasn't the case. All that anyone had to give was a curt “no” and a prompt dismissal.

His Highness was becoming a little demoralized, which caused a bubble of irritation to well up in Hua Cheng. Before his thoughts could wander towards something ill-conceived and vengeful, someone new approached them.

The man looked like a traveler, and was probably receiving about the same treatment by the wary expression on his face. 

“Sorry to bother you. I overheard that you’re wandering cultivators?” he asked.

“That's right,” His Highness said with a warm smile. “Do you need some help?”

“No, not me, but I passed through a different village a couple days ago, and I’d say they’re definitely in need.”

“Oh? Which village is that?” His Highness asked, perking up.

“It's a little ways east from here. It’s called Naogui Village. I guess they have some kind of kidnapper on the loose, but most suspect it isn’t human.”

“Wonderful! Ah, well, I mean clearly not, but I appreciate the lead!” His Highness said, laughing a bit awkwardly.

“Are the folks there as hostile as they are here?” Hua Cheng drawled. 

The man chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes darting briefly at the woman a few feet away, who turned to scowl at them.

“No, they seemed fairly normal.”

“Ah, good. May I ask, do you recall if they have a nearby temple or shrine?” His Highness asked.

“I actually asked them that. They used to pray to General Tai Hua, but I guess he started ignoring their prayers, and his shrine has since been left unattended.”

Hua Cheng's stomach dropped, and he flashed a discreet glance at his God’s response. His Highness’s face did not change in the slightest, though his eyes might have narrowed just a fraction.

“I see. Well, I thank you for telling me. I’ll see if I can help.”

“Best of luck,” the man replied with a nod, and he continued on his way.

They watched him walk off for a moment in silence.

“Your Highness—”

“Don’t—!” His Highness said sharply. “Just never mind that. Let's get going.” 

His God didn’t turn to look at him, wearing a closed-off expression.

Hua Cheng could say nothing. He pulled out his dice and very tentatively offered his hand. His Highness considered it for a moment before relenting and taking it gently. 

As usual, he’d chosen mercy. 

Even so, Hua Cheng was left with a bad taste in his mouth. He didn’t enjoy having the direct consequences of his actions thrown in his face, let alone the face of His Highness. While his beloved’s sweet countenance had kept it at bay for a while, that cruel beast that lurked in the corner of Hua Cheng’s mind could smell blood now. The beast called guilt.

Just keep it together.

Hua Cheng threw his dice and sent them to Naogui Village. 

It was actually a village Hua Cheng was familiar with because it was on the border of the so-called ‘Spirit Forest’. That was where the main entrance to Ghost City was for most mortals. This little mountain settlement had been standing in this place for several generations now, and it was most people’s last stop before attempting that perilous journey. 

These folks were used to people passing through, which was probably why they were a little less backwards than the previous village.

As they arrived, His Highness promptly let his hand go and peered around. 

The town was still small and unassuming—it had hardly changed in three centuries. Hua Cheng knew its citizens were stalwart and stubborn survivors. Not just anyone had the nerve to live so close to the realm of ghosts, after all. 

As they walked through town, it was clear that the general mood was grim, however. Also, unsurprisingly, they didn’t see a single child walking around. 

His Highness stopped abruptly in the middle of the road, nearly causing Hua Cheng to bump into him. 

His gaze was focused off to the left. Between two larger buildings was a small shrine house under the shade of a plum tree. His Highness walked over to it, shoulders slumped. The clay figurine, which had once adorned its altar, had been knocked over and cracked in half. The little altar itself was barren and dusty, not even an incense holder remaining. 

Hua Cheng could guess who it was for. 

He steeled himself and approached, though he had no idea what on earth to say. What was left that hadn’t already been said? How many ‘I’m sorry’s’ did it take to actually undo some of the damage? 

There was no point.

He stood by his God’s side and waited for him to speak instead. He wondered if he might ask Hua Cheng to leave him on his own. His Highness sighed.

“He’s probably completely swamped, trying to catch up on six months of prayers. I’m sure a lot of smaller towns like this have been left by the wayside,” he said quietly.

I’m sorry. A thousand times, I’m sorry.

“Well, I suppose they could have reached out to Ming Guang, like the last town.” Hua Cheng said, adjusting his sleeves over his hidden vambraces to hide his discomfort. 

Before his God had the chance to respond, someone approached them. It was an elderly woman who happened to be shuffling by with an arm full of groceries. She had a shock of white hair pulled back and a very weathered face that was open and kindly.

“You two wouldn’t happen to work for General Tai Hua, would you?” she asked.

“No, I’m afraid not. We did come here because we heard this place was in need of some help, though,” His Highness said politely.

The lady hummed and nodded.

“I should have figured as much. It’s been months since the last time anyone offered anything, so he would have little reason to assist us now.” 

“From what I understand, he was terribly indisposed for a few months. He’s been working hard to catch up on prayers, though. You might give him another chance,” His Highness said, a little uneasily.

“It might be awhile though, so we’d be happy to lend a hand with your current problem,” Hua Cheng added, raising a brow. 

Just then, another man and woman approached them. Their arms were linked, clearly a couple.

“Are you alright, mom? Is there a problem?” the man asked. 

“Certainly not. These young men say they are here to assist us. They must have heard about the kidnappings.”

“That’s right. We heard that you all suspect the kidnapper isn’t human?” His Highness asked.

“Are you Heavenly Officials?” the younger woman piped up to ask. 

Hua Cheng glanced at his God, unsure of what story he planned to go with.

“I’m a cultivator, but whether the kidnapper is a ghost or not, we should be able to help you with it. We need some information first,” His Highness stated. 

“Oh, so you aren't working under General Tai Hua then?” the man asked, deflating slightly.

“We worship a different god,” Hua Cheng said boldly. He saw his God’s eye flick towards him warily. 

“Oh. Which one is that?” asked the elderly woman.

“Ahaha, you probably have never heard of him,” Xie Lian said, coughing lightly and folding his arms into his sleeves. “Centuries ago, he was the Crown Prince of Xianle. Nowadays, I think more people know of him as the Scrap Immortal.”

“S-scrap immortal?” the man asked, perplexed.

“Yes. He mainly wanders among mortals, and he subsists through collecting scraps,” His Highness said, this time with a little bit of forced confidence.

“He lives down here to help the common people instead of lazing around on some golden throne in Heaven,” Hua Cheng said, that last word dripping with disdain. 

Though his God’s gaze did not leave the people they were speaking with, Hua Cheng saw his expression soften slightly in amusement.

“If you really plan to help, you should speak with some of the parents of the children taken,” the younger woman said dourly. “If you’d like, I can arrange a little meeting.” 

“That would be most helpful, thank you!” His Highness said, and he smiled brightly. 

“Give me two incense time, over there at the Wooden Magpie Teahouse?” the woman pointed at one of the larger buildings on the main drag. 

“That would be perfect,” His Highness said. He gave her a grateful bow.

“You think you two can handle this, even if it’s something really strong?” the man asked, appraising them doubtfully. “You know where we are, right?”

“We’re well aware,” Hua Cheng said. “Whatever it is, we can handle it.”

I’m far scarier than anything in those woods.  

The man didn’t seem especially convinced by Hua Cheng’s bravado, but he nodded anyhow. 

“Alright. Here, mom, let me carry those for you,” the man said, gently leading the elderly woman away as he took her groceries. The young woman excused herself and followed suit. 

“Well, that was a fortunate meeting,” His Highness said. “Though I suppose in such a small village, it would be strange if she didn’t know them.”

“It was still fortunate that she was willing to help. Perhaps this town is the right place?” Hua Cheng replied, feeling relieved that his God was speaking to him normally. 

Though, as usual, he was maintaining his languid and unbothered exterior, the ghost was hyper-aware at every possible micro-expression to cross His Highness’s face, searching for any hint that he was feeling angry or resentful towards him.

“Maybe so,” His Highness said, turning to Hua Cheng finally. “That said, we have a little while, and I just realized I forgot something. Do you mind waiting here while I go fetch it?”

He wore a mask of serene calm. Utterly inscrutable.

“…Of course. You’re sure you don’t want me to take you?” Hua Cheng asked.

“I can ascend to Heaven fine, and once I have a good view from above, I’ll know where this place is. I shouldn’t be too long.”

Hua Cheng hesitated, wanting to question him further, but he thought better of it.

“As you wish, Your Highness. I’ll be here waiting,” he said with a small smile.

Hua Cheng couldn’t stop his dead heart thumping as he watched His Highness hurry outside town so that he could ascend out of sight. The Ghost King helplessly sat himself down on the front stoop of the teahouse and waited for his God’s return like a loyal dog.

While he was waiting, he put a finger to his temple, reaching out to Yin Yu.

“Yin Yu. Have you heard any gossip about the village of Naogui recently?” he asked.

There was a brief pause.

“Not recently, no.”

“Has there been a sudden influx of children’s meat in the Ghost Market?”

“As far as I know, it’s only sold at the boar’s stall and only when children are interred in the local graveyards.”

“So, no new sellers then?”

“No, though I can’t account for those who would sell it in a more discreet manner.”

Hua Cheng sighed but didn’t respond back. 

“Chengzhu?”

“What is it?”

“I wanted to let you know, I looked at all the words you translated for me, and there is just one problem.”

“Go on.”

“I… can't read it. Is this a different language by chance?”

Hua Cheng rubbed at his temples in annoyance. 

“Later, Yin Yu.”

“Alright. Sorry to bother you, sir.”

Hua Cheng didn’t respond after that. He kept his eyes trained on the distant main entrance into town, waiting. As expected, once he was alone again, he was inundated with thoughts. Thoughts he didn’t want to deal with right now. Thoughts that upset his stomach. The beast gnawed and gnawed.

What if His Highness simply doesn’t return? What if he’s decided he doesn’t want to live so close to Ghost City because Hua Cheng lives there? What if he doesn’t want to spend a single moment with him that he doesn’t absolutely have to? 

Some time passed, and just when he was beginning to think nothing could save him from his melancholy, the young woman from earlier appeared, waving a hand briefly in front of him to get his attention. 

Hua Cheng snapped out of it and peered up at her. 

“Sorry to bother you! I wanted to let you know, the parents agreed to talk with you both. Well, most of them.”

“Good. Thank you,” Hua Cheng said simply. 

The woman glanced around, searching for His Highness.

“He said he would be right back,” Hua Cheng said dryly. 

She nodded and looked about to leave, but then she wavered. 

“I… I have to ask. The two of you… can you actually help? I didn’t want to say anything, but I’ve actually heard of the Scrap Immortal, and I was of the understanding that he was a god of misfortune…”

Hua Cheng was deeply affronted by her words, but this was a pretty common understanding of his God’s identity. It would be best to start shifting his reputation to something more favorable.

“It’s a common misconception,” he said knowingly, drumming his fingers on his knee. “You see, because he is a God who always seeks to help people, he’s always inserting himself into bad situations. Then he becomes known as someone always tangled up in those bad situations. He is then seen as someone who bad situations follow instead of the other way around.” 

“Oh, I see,” the woman said, clearly relieved. “Don’t those situations usually end badly though?”

“Why would we worship him if that was the case? No, my God always handles the situation well. His only real misfortune is that history seems determined to paint him as the cause and not the solution of most problems. I think it’s the doing of Heavenly Officials who think he makes them look bad.”

He saw a derisive smile flash across her face.

“Well, we know a thing or two about Heaven’s… unreliability. I am grateful you two arrived. Do you worship this Scrap Immortal because you both also like helping people, then?”

Hua Cheng chuckled to himself.

Hardly.

“I am certain that’s why my companion does. I personally worship him because he saved me when I was a child. I’ve looked up to him all of my life.”

“Oh, wow. Saved by a god in the flesh! How lucky you were!” she exclaimed.

Hua Cheng puffed out a soundless laugh. 

“Very lucky, and I still am. Clearly, I’m not someone who worships a god of misfortune,” he said, playfully resting his chin on his hand.

The lady giggled at that. Just then, who should appear again but His Royal Highness?

“I must have missed out on a funny joke,” His Highness said as he joined them.

“Not so much. We were talking about the god you two worship,” she said.

“Oh? Is that so?” His Highness asked, the slightest bit of apprehension poking through his pleasant expression.

“Don’t worry. He explained it. I won’t ever call him a god of misfortune again,” she reassured him. 

His Highness’s eyebrows shot up as he realized she knew who the Scrap Immortal was. 

“Anyhow, I have a few errands to run. I’ll see you two at tea,” she said kindly and made her way down the street.

His Highness watched her leave and came to sit down next to him on the stoop.

“Anything I should know about?” His Highness asked.

“Not really. Soothing her worries. What did you forget in Heaven?” he asked, hoping to shift the conversation elsewhere.

“Oh. I thought this might end up being a good opportunity to get in some real practice. Of course, I would never use this on a person, but if it’s a monster…”

His Highness reached back and tapped at something strapped to his back. Hua Cheng’s blood ran cold at the sight of it, and his fists involuntarily clenched. 

That fucking sword. 

His Highness blanched, reading his expression. 

“Oh. San Lang, I’m sorry! I didn’t even think! You probably hate to see this thing, don’t you?!” he exclaimed, angling his body to block it from view.

“It’s fine, Your Highness. I just wasn’t expecting it,” Hua Cheng said in an attempt to save face and pass as nonchalant.

“Are you sure?” His Highness asked tentatively. He was upset, his pretty brown eyes wide and worried. “It’s okay if you want me to keep it out of sight. This sword almost ended you, after all.”

“That’s not why I hate it,” Hua Cheng said, a touch more severe than he intended. 

How can you still carry that thing? How does it not haunt your every nightmare?

Hua Cheng didn’t elaborate, but he didn’t have to. He saw a dark and complicated look sink into his God’s eyes. They were tiptoeing around an immensely sensitive topic that neither had been willing to speak of since Hua Cheng’s identity had been revealed.

His Highness glanced around to make sure no one was watching, and then reached back to tap Fangxin. The sword vanished from sight.

“I’ll only bring it out if I have no other choice. That was so terribly stupid of me. I’m sorry.”

Hua Cheng shook his head and then reached down to take his hand and give it a squeeze. 

“Don’t apologize. It’s your sword now. I won’t be troubled by the mere sight of a weapon, and besides, I’d love to see you use a sword again, Your Highness. The first time I laid eyes on you, it was with a sword in your hand, and I’ve never forgotten it.”

His God’s lips slightly parted in surprise, and Hua Cheng had to resist the urge to bite his own tongue off. He hadn’t meant to voice that; it just came out suddenly.

”Is that so?” His Highness said a little faintly.

”Yes, so if we get in a fight, please don’t feel the need to keep it hidden.”

His Highness’s expression warmed, and he relaxed a little bit. He squeezed his hand back.

“Well, alright, San Lang. As long as it won’t upset you, I will show you all the progress I’ve been making.”

Hua Cheng felt some of that earlier anxiety and guilt slip back into the shadows of his mind as the air between the two of them started to clear and feel comfortable again. The ghost even dared to smile at him. Suddenly he didn’t hate that horrible sword as much.

“I look forward to it, gege. And at the first chance we get, we are getting you a new sword from the armory.”

“Ahah, if you insist,” he said, beaming. “Oh, also, I was going to ask—where are we that that man needed to warn us so gravely earlier?”

Hua Cheng’s gaze was pulled towards the mountains.

“The forest to the north is where the entrance to Ghost City is. As such, the area is well known for its ghostly inhabitants. This town and those woods have an understanding though; folks who travel in there at night are fair game, and the ghosts there don’t prey on the humans in this town. It sounds like someone might be breaking that unspoken agreement.”

“Mn. And it likes to prey on children…”

Hua Cheng saw a hardness in his God’s eyes. He did seem to have a soft spot for kids. He’d had a soft spot for him, after all. The ghost could tell he was already very invested in this.

After a while, the two noticed a number of couples shuffling inside the teahouse and joined them. 

Soon they were all sitting at a long table together. There were three couples as well as a single woman and the young woman from earlier who had set the meeting up. The teahouse was blessedly cool compared to the sweltering heat outside.

The young woman who had assembled everyone spoke.

“Thank you for the offer of assistance, Daozhang,” she said. His Highness nodded.

“Pray tell me, how many children have gone missing, and what do you suspect?” he asked.

One of the men spoke up, his pale face ravaged by sadness and fear.

“Five are missing, all girls. They’re all between the ages of seven and ten,” he said.

His Highness’s expression darkened.

“We believe it to be the work of a ghost or other such demon from the Spirit Wood. We’ve checked everyone’s homes here. There have been no newcomers lurking around here with any regularity,” said another man.

“The girls have disappeared during the day and night. Both from the middle of town and from their beds.”

“How long has this been going on?” His Highness asked.

“About two months. It only stopped after people started keeping their girls in, and supervised at all times. Most parents now sleep in the same rooms as their children,” said a younger man.

“It probably stopped because there aren't a lot of un-kidnapped daughters left to even choose from,” grumbled another.

“My daughter was the most recent to go. That was three weeks ago,” said the single mother.

Xie Lian glanced around suddenly.

“Are some of the parents missing here?”

“Yes,” said one of the men. “The Po family—the first to be affected. They are… a bit of a mess right now. Their marriage is in shambles because the mother was rendered barren after their daughter’s birth. They have no other prospects for children.”

“I understand. Well, you all needn’t worry further. If the girls are still alive, we’ll bring them back. This ends today, either way,” His Highness said resolutely. 

The way those golden eyes blazed, no one at the table seemed to have any doubt. Some of them even looked hopeful. Hua Cheng couldn’t help but smile at seeing a little bit of the old Crown Prince peeking through. 

“Do be careful, Daozhang. Those woods are treacherous. No one around here would ever travel there past dusk,” said the young woman who set up the meeting.

“The terrain up that way is very rugged. Those mountains are easy to get lost in,” warned another. 

“It’s alright. We are familiar with the area. You needn’t worry for our safety,” His Highness stated. 

“Do you really think you can take care of this in one day?” asked the single mother.

“I won’t promise it, but I think so. If not today, then by tomorrow, I’m sure.”

Hua Cheng spoke to him telepathically, a smile still playing on his lips.

“Gege is so confident.”

“We’re going to stop this,” he responded simply. To him, this was a hard fact. 

About a half an hour later, the two of them had made their way to the forest’s edge. At first they followed a slightly overgrown trail, but eventually Hua Cheng suggested they peel off further east, towards the heart of the wood.

“If you keep to that road, it will lead you to the ghost realm,” Hua Cheng explained. “It will look from a distance like a paifang gate built in the middle of nowhere. Were you an average mortal, you’d pass through it into a normal forest clearing. You, however, as one who is always welcome, will pass through and find yourself back in Ghost City.”

“You don’t think this ghost might be living there, do you?” His Highness asked. 

“It’s possible, but doubtful. I’d hate to lower your morale, but if it’s a ghost, the most likely reason for their kidnapping is a meal. If they hungered for human flesh, buying from the Ghost Market would be far easier, however.” 

He saw His Highness grow a bit sad, likely at the thought that finding those kids alive was a long shot.

“Can you buy children’s meat in the Ghost Market?” His Highness asked, frowning. 

“You can, but it’s usually sourced from children who have recently died of natural causes. Even in the ghost realm, most find the prospect of preying on children for fresh meat to be in bad taste. If someone new had entered that particular market, I suspect Yin Yu would have noticed and inquired after their source.”

His Highness fell silent then, clearly unnerved. 

Hua Cheng made a note. In the future, he’d be banning the sale of children’s meat in Ghost City. He hadn’t bothered because most things banned in Ghost City just ended up sold in back alleys anyhow. Still, it might give His Highness a little peace of mind.

Hua Cheng cleared his throat.

“That wouldn’t explain why it’s only girls, though. It would also be an incredibly long walk between Naogui Village and Ghost City to drag a child along. My instincts are telling me, whatever did this, it's in these woods. Closer to town.”

“I agree. Let's head further in, then.” 

As they made their way deeper into the wood, the broad, ancient trees blocked out much of the sunlight. The terrain was as rugged as warned; the forest floor overgrown and very uneven. The forest backed up into the mountains with a great many hills and dales to climb through. It was difficult to move quickly while also searching for clues, so it was slow-going.

Hua Cheng, from the moment they entered the forest, maintained a strong aura of deadly qi, pushing that energy outward like a shield. As such, most instinctual creatures with any ill intent were too hesitant to attack outright. It was largely wolves and other feral, unintelligent creatures. The further in they ventured, the quieter the wildlife became.

Hua Cheng was initially a bit worried about his God’s energy levels, but he was nonplussed. Hua Cheng was greatly relieved. For humans, this would be an arduous journey, but for the two of them, it was only a slight annoyance. It was a hot summer day though, and even in these cool mountains, soon His Highness was damp with perspiration. 

Hua Cheng was trying to keep an eye out for any clues, but his eyes always eventually rested on the Crown Prince. It was hard for Hua Cheng not to stare at him when he looked like this. He was so… alive, his skin glowing, white as paper, but flushed with color in his cheeks. It was almost hypnotizing. Hua Cheng had to force his mind not to wander. His Highness was highly focused on the task at hand and didn’t say much during this walk, so he had little else to think about.

The forest was increasingly lit by distant blue ghost fires the further north they inched. Hua Cheng mentioned at one point that the spirits were naturally drawn to the border of the ghost realm and the river there. The intense yin energy drew them like moths to a flame.

They also came across a few Fierce ghosts that nearly tried to attack them. Most ghosts, however, knew at once that Hua Cheng was also a ghost, and a very dangerous one at that. Hua Cheng interrogated them, asking if they’d seen any children or knew of a ghost traveling with them. None of them had, though some of them recalled hearing children crying very deep in the woods to the east. 

Crying was good. Crying meant not dead. At least not yet.

As the mid-afternoon shifted to late afternoon, they finally happened upon a feral creature too bold to be warded away by Hua Cheng’s aura. 

It darted suddenly out of the brush, bee-lining for His Highness. Before Hua Cheng could even summon E-ming, Ruoye had darted out of His Highness’s sleeve and seized the feral creature by the throat, snapping its neck at once. 

Ruoye dropped it to the forest floor, and it lay splayed out in the forest mulch, corpse-like, pale, and filthy. It was humanoid, but grossly skinny, naked, its face stretched and contorted into something ghoulish.

It’s appearance was very similar to a binu, though it had moved far quicker, with a mouth full of sharper teeth. If it was anything like its cousin, it was weak and not especially bright, but could still be dangerous in large groups. 

Sure enough, they could hear the shuffling of many feet in the distant shadows, their killing intent palpable in the air. It was clear they were now surrounded on all sides. These creatures were apparently smarter than their cousins—they’d set an ambush. Hua Cheng noted that scattered across this hollow were a number of old human bones, all thoroughly gnawed on. 

His Highness reached behind him, recalling his sword, Fangxin. He drew it, pointing that midnight black blade towards the salivating hoards that were closing them in. Hua Cheng summoned and drew E-ming as well. 

In an instant, the clearing broke out into violence. The two of them were rushed from all sides. Both the god and the ghost sprang into action.

The creatures were fast but not especially concerned with their own well being, so they dropped easily. A slash or two from Fangxin or E-ming was enough to kill most of them outright. The problem was that their numbers were astounding. They’d been feeding and growing this hoard for a long time.

Though, at first, Hua Cheng had been ferociously swinging with E-ming, once his eyes fell on His Highness, E-ming fell from his grasp. The cursed blade, already drunk on blood, took its own initiative upon being freed and joined Ruoye who was also strangling and slashing through any creatures that approached His Highness from behind.

His God moved like the wind: elegant, swift, and unpredictable. It would almost be apt to say he danced more than fought, his lightning-quick swings cutting straight through the creatures as if they were made of butter instead of tough sinew and bone. 

The fact that this was done purely through physical means, with no spiritual power backing it, was a testament to his God’s many long years fighting without it. His stay in Heaven and the past month of training had clearly restored him back to peak fitness.

Hua Cheng just stared.

Hua Cheng was ten years old again, utterly mesmerized by the grace of The Crown Prince.

His God was art in motion. There was simply no one else in the three realms who moved the way he did. It was sheer perfection, an immaculate blend of good instinct and incredible skill. Every swing was expertly timed, executed as such that he could take out as many creatures with a single move as possible and using the least energy. He leapt through the air, using the trees both as cover and as a springboard to propel himself at the next enemy. 

Though only a few seconds had passed, it was like time had slowed to a crawl. 

His Highness swung in a wide arc, decapitating three of them at once, and caught his gaze.

His Highness’s eyes narrowed as the corner of his lips lifted, and then he pivoted. Using that leg that had once cracked merely from stepping the wrong way, he kicked high, nearly knocking another’s head clear off his shoulders. 

His Highness was showing off. He wanted Hua Cheng to see him like this. 

Hua Cheng crossed his arms and decided he was more than content just to watch this performance. He didn’t want to miss a single moment of it. He was committing every gorgeous move to memory while also realizing that every sculpture of his God in action was utterly inadequate compared to seeing the real thing. 

Despite the sheer number of the monsters, which had to be somewhere in the range of a couple hundred, within a few minutes, His Highness, Ruoye, and E-ming had cut the vast majority of them down. They formed a massive and grotesque ring of bodies all around them that filled the clearing. 

When there were only about thirty of them left, Hua Cheng finally played his card. 

He lazily raised a hand, and at once, thousands of glowing butterfly wraiths erupted from his sleeves where his vambraces were hidden. Within only about twenty seconds, the butterflies had descended on the remaining creatures and sliced them each into a hundred pieces. It was clear he could have probably done that right from the beginning and ended this far earlier, but he would not deprive His Highness the opportunity to train on something real and show off his progress.

His Highness watched this display in wonder, having only ever witnessed these creatures acting as gentle night lights and healers. He’d never seen how sharp they could be. 

His Highness’s arms dropped, and he stared, mouth gaping, as the creatures flooded the clearing with violent light, leaving them both standing in a red mist. Hua Cheng came to stand at his side as the last monster collapsed in a heap of stinking meat. The butterflies now hovered above them, peaceful and dainty. 

“I heard from people in Heaven that you were most well known for your butterflies. I think I finally understand why,” His Highness said, looking up at them appreciatively. 

“They are memorable. Then again, so is gege with a sword,” Hua Cheng said appreciatively.

His Highness gazed up at him, eyes glittering in the butterfly light. 

“The first time you laid eyes on me?” he asked.

“Mhmm. I’d never seen anything more beautiful, and all these years later, that still holds true.”

Even through the falling gloom, Hua Cheng could see His Highness’s cheeks color dramatically at his words, and he coughed awkwardly into his hand, his eyes instantly darting away. Hua Cheng couldn’t help but laugh at his bashful reaction to his compliment. 

“San Lang… honestly,” His Highness complained. 

Hua Cheng could see the smile he was trying to hide behind his hand. Hua Cheng shrugged. 

“I’m only speaking the truth. Your Highness is beautiful, and your swordsmanship is unparalled.”

His Highness covered his face completely now and turned fully away, trying to hide his discomposure.

“Y-you’re so… I wasn’t… that wasn’t—”

“Need I remind you that His Highness has called this lowly ghost ‘handsome’ a few times now. I feel such words are fair play between us.”

“…”

He couldn’t seem to find a comeback.

Spellbound by his thoroughly flustered state, Hua Cheng approached and hugged him from behind, capturing his arms in his and resting his chin against the side of his head. Though part of him expected His Highness to still be cross with him and push him off, this didn’t happen.

“Thank you, gege, for the wonderful performance,” he said softly.

His Highness sighed and leaned back against him slightly, as if in defeat. Hua Cheng’s heart went terribly soft. 

His Highness found his voice and said, “There is nothing ‘lowly’ about San Lang.”

Hua Cheng smiled at that, somewhat amused that this was what he’d chosen to focus on. After a pause, His Highness pulled his hands down and nudged one of the dead creatures with his foot. 

“Let’s not get distracted. Also, I would like to get out of this clearing.”

Hua Cheng couldn’t blame him. This little hollow was pretty much carpeted in half-rotten bodies and gore. You could hardly see traces of the forest floor through it. The smell was beyond nauseating. 

“My God has gotten his robes soiled enough. Seeing as I helped so little in this fight, please allow your devoted believer to assist you now,” Hua Cheng said, his confidence bolstered by making His Highness blush and fret.

“Hm? Assist me…?”

Before he could question further, Hua Cheng had suddenly scooped him off his feet. 

“San Lang!” he cried, caught completely off guard. “R-Really!”

Despite the disapproving tone, His Highness’s arms moved out of instinct to loop around the ghost’s neck. 

Hua Cheng was a bit surprised to feel the full weight of him now that he was back to normal. He could feel dense muscles resting in his hands—wholly different from the bony frame he felt the last time he had lifted him like this. 

Hua Cheng chuckled at His Highness’s baffled response as he carried him through the piles of the dead. He sure seemed displeased and indignant, and yet he made no move to suggest he wanted to be released. Not even the slightest hint of resistance. 

He was more than strong enough to leap out of the ghost’s arms if he wanted to.

“Only to the edge, Your Highness.”

“This is hardly necessary,” His Highness huffed. “I was just running around in this, wasn’t I?”

“So what?” Hua Cheng said lightly. 

This response elicited a laugh from His Highness, and he relaxed into his embrace. His Highness gave in and rested his chin on Hua Cheng’s shoulder, choosing to focus his sight behind them at all the bodies they’d littered the forest with.

“San Lang fusses over the silliest things,” he said, clearly amused.

“Perhaps, but I’ve waited a long time to fuss over you.”

The arms around his neck tightened. 

“So you have,” he sighed.

The clearing they had fought in was sizable, so it took Hua Cheng a minute to climb through and up the side of the hill. He probably could have done it in a matter of leaps, but he wanted to take his time. The butterflies followed lazily along with them.

They reached the normal forest floor, and Hua Cheng finally, begrudgingly, lowered his God back down on his feet.

“You know, my boots are already soiled,” he said, staring down at the spatters of dark blood and ichor on his white boots and the hem of his robes. 

“Ah, but it would have been made far worse walking through that,” Hua Cheng countered.

“And what of your boots?”

“They’re black. Come now, Your Highness, you won’t want to scare those children when we find them.”

His God shook his head and gave up on trying to chide him.

“Let’s pick up the pace. It will be dark soon. The mountains block out the sun far earlier than dusk.” 

“Alright.”

The two of them continued on, heading in the direction they’d been pointed towards by other ghosts. 

Just as evening fell, Hua Cheng paused in his step. His Highness gave him a curious look. 

“We’re close to something. Something stronger than the other ghosts we’ve met so far.”

“How strong?”

“Hard to say. I don’t think it’s a Wrath yet. Probably a strong Menace though, at least. This region is saturated in their qi, so they’ve lived around here a long time.”

“Let's approach with some caution then,” His Highness said. “Make sure it doesn't get the jump on us.”

Hua Cheng nodded, and they slowed and lightened their footsteps. 

The night deepened as they continued, the surrounding darkness pressing closer but for the butterflies and the ghost fires drifting between distant trees. 

Hua Cheng glanced over and noticed a slight change in His Highness’s demeanor. He appeared on edge, face drawn and jaw clenched. It had cooled significantly, but by the faint light of his silver butterflies, Hua Cheng could see a fresh sheen of sweat had formed on his forehead. 

He strongly suspected that His Highness had not conquered this lingering fear yet. His God’s body had been restored, but there were still wounds that were hidden. This was probably a good opportunity for his God to try and face this particular hangup. It wouldn’t do for a martial god to be afraid of the dark, after all.

Hua Cheng stopped.

“Gege, listen,” he whispered.

Very distantly, for just a moment, it sounded like there was muffled sobbing. The two of them exchanged glances. They were very close. 

Hua Cheng recalled a few butterflies to dim the light they were putting out but allow them to see where they were going. Xie Lian reflexively reached over to lightly grip his sleeve. He then jolted, realizing what he did, and snatched his hand away, securing it behind his back. 

Hua Cheng felt a slight ache in his heart. Instinctively, he reached over through the darkness to grab His Highness’s hand, taking it firmly. His Highness said nothing, but he didn’t pull away either. He should face his fear, but Hua Cheng didn’t think he should have to do so without any help.

As they drew nearer, they began to hear small pockets of distant conversation. Small cries. Occasionally low, angry remarks. They came to a clearing and paused behind the tree line, observing the structure near the center.

Whatever this thing had originally been, it was built a very long time ago. It was rather small, made of rough hewn stone, greatly weathered and smoothed by centuries of rainfall. If Hua Cheng had to guess, he would say it might have been some kind of small temple originally.

Attached to this ancient-looking structure were newer elements: a crude door carved from wood and a shoddy and no-doubt patchy pine-thatched roof. What were once squared holes for windows had been filled with a mixture of large stones and clay. 

There was a very slight flickering glow peeking under the door and through the thatch, and occasionally they heard a small voice or two coming from within. 

They waited and watched for a few minutes, but saw no creature lurking around the outside. Creeping into the clearing, Hua Cheng noticed His Highness’s grip relax slightly. They were now outside of the deep shadows.

As they grew nearer to the door, the moonlight caught something above it. Words had once been chiseled into the stone, but it was too worn with time to make out any real detail. The unusual shape of the characters did ring a bell somewhere in Hua Cheng’s mind, but that was all. Still, he took a moment to memorize it in case it became important in the fight against this creature.

The door had been fitted with a newer wooden frame and a makeshift bar lock on the outside—no doubt to bar people in instead of keeping people out. His Highness lifted the thick wooden branch, jamming it shut, and they heard the low voices inside go silent.

The two shared a look before slowly opening the door and peeking in.

There wasn’t much in the room other than a few piles of blankets and a wooden table. Upon the table was a lit candle and a few bowls of what appeared to be molding fruit. Sitting in the various blankets on the flagstone floor were five very young, very thin, human girls. They all stared at them in silence, eyes bulging in fright.

His Highness swiftly put a finger to his lips, as if to say ‘shhhh’, and thankfully the children were smart enough to comply. 

As they caught sight of the two obvious ‘humans’ here, they rightly assumed that they were here to save them. Two of them gleefully leapt to their feet at once, the other three remaining hesitant or too shocked. One of the youngest had a face wet with fresh tears.

His Highness opened the door wider so that he and Hua Cheng could step inside. His Highness crouched down to their level, leaning in.

“We’ve come to find you. Stay very quiet and follow us, and we’ll lead you back to Naogui Village,” he whispered.

After some reassurances, wiped tears, and a little bit of coaxing, the other three girls, who were among the youngest, understood and agreed. 

If they had been adults, they might have questioned His Highness, or perhaps even suspected him to be something worse than whatever creature had been keeping them here. However, no child was immune to the sweet and gentle smile nor the noble, handsome face of the Crown Prince. They trusted him at once. 

Before they left, the eldest girl spoke up in a whisper.

“Are you going to slay the ghost who took us?”

“Well, I can’t very well allow them to continue,” His Highness said solemnly. 

The girls all exchanged glances, and this was not lost on Hua Cheng nor His Highness. There was a general feeling of discomfort. 

“Would it bother you if we did?” Hua Cheng asked. 

The oldest spoke again.

“If you have to… just… be nice about it? Quick?”

“Yeah… I don’t think she was trying to be mean…” said another. 

“Do you girls know why she took you?” His Highness asked.

“She is always calling us her daughters…” said one of the older girls with distaste.

“She kind of acted like this was for our protection,” said a different girl. “And she did try to keep us fed.”

“I’m not eating moldy fruit,” mumbled another girl sourly, looking even thinner than the others.

“You’re such a baby!”

“Shhh,” Xie Lian reminded them gently, and they settled down.

“We will do our best not to be cruel when we deal with her,” His Highness reassured them. “How often does she come?”

“She comes with food and water every night.”

“When was she here last?”

“Yesterday.”

His Highness nodded and thanked them for the information.

“We should try to find out what she was ‘protecting’ them from,” Hua Cheng spoke into His Highness’s telepathic array. 

His Highness caught his eye and nodded before turning to leave the little stone house, opening the door wide. Everyone silently followed him out.

Thus, the two of them began to lead a small line of girls through the deeply haunted woods. 

Though at first the girls were spirited, excited to escape, and enamored with their butterfly guides, this only lasted for about ten minutes or so. 

Unsurprisingly, they both ended up carrying a girl each, with a third girl traveling on Hua Cheng’s back. Only the two eldest were able to walk these rugged hills. They had, apparently, been willing to eat whatever the ghost brought them and still had some energy. Hua Cheng suspected that before they got out of these mountains, they’d be trying to carry all five of them. 

It was not an easy walk, even with His Highness clearing the path ahead of them with Fangxin.

As they walked and the night air cooled further, a ghostly mist began to gather around their feet, glowing slightly in the patches of moonlight. The woods appeared increasingly ominous and desolate. Hua Cheng’s aura, as well as his butterflies, kept most of the ghost fires away, though some followed along at a distance. The girls watched them curiously and whispered to each other about who they might have once been.

Hua Cheng and His Highness discussed things telepathically as they made their way. 

They both understood that there was likely no chance of getting all the way out of these woods without a run-in with the creature, but it was worth a shot. It would be best if the girls didn’t have to watch the confrontation, but they also couldn’t just leave them in the cabin to fret and worry about whether or not they’d return.

It was their hope that they could get the children home safe first and foremost. Even if they couldn’t get back in time to catch her tonight, she would likely return there again, and they could lay in wait.

They walked for roughly an hour and had begun to think perhaps they were in the clear when Hua Cheng felt the approach of a rather oppressive ghostly presence. A familiar one. He saw His Highness stiffen and could tell he’d also noticed something.

“Gege,” Hua Cheng said sharply.

They both instantly pulled the two girls between them. 

There was a ghastly wind through the trees, and she suddenly appeared before them, as if rising up from the mist itself, blocking their path forward. Hua Cheng and His Highness both dropped the younger girls down to the ground with the other two.

The woman took a step forward, then two, her skin glowing stark white in the moonlight, wearing an expression filled with outrage. Her hair was lumpy and bedraggled, only half kept in the bun it was originally tied up in. Her clothing was plain and tattered, her bare feet dirty. She had not tried to maintain her skin at all, and it was quite rotted. 

This was not a resident of Ghost City. 

If Hua Cheng had to guess, this ghost had been living half-feral and alone in these woods since her death. She had clearly not let go of her mortal life and looked about half mad.

“You!” the woman whispered harshly through the night. “You dare try to take my daughter from me again?”

His Highness blinked, his brow furrowed in confusion. 

“Don’t you mean daughters?” he inquired. 

“Daughter! How many times must my child be taken from me?” she asked shrilly, though still in a whisper. 

Her voice sounded strange. Hua Cheng shifted part of his vision into a butterfly that was hovering closer to her. Upon closer inspection, he could see dark purple marks around her neck, as if she’d been strangled or hung. 

“Which of them is your daughter?” asked Hua Cheng. 

The woman paused in her step, a conflicted expression on her face.

“It doesn’t matter,” she spat.

“I beg your pardon, miss, but all these girls have mothers in town. None of them are your daughter,” His Highness attempted to reason. 

“Shut up! You’re trying to trick me!” she tried to cry, though half the words were broken or caught in her throat. 

She took another step through the mist, and His Highness raised his sword in her direction.

“I can’t allow you to take any of them back, no matter what you believe,” he said calmly. “Though I would rather avoid needless violence.”

“Why can’t you tell which of them is your daughter?” Hua Cheng asked, coming to stand between His Highness and the ghost. 

Her eyes scanned between the children, looking distraught, though furious.

“I…. I don’t know. But I know it has to be one of them,” she cried. “I know it. I can feel it.”

“If you can feel it, you should be able to feel which one it is,” Hua Cheng challenged.

“I can’t…” The woman then gripped her head and wailed hoarsely. “I-I-I can't remember what she looked like!”

“Then what was her name?” Xie Lian asked, now quite alarmed. 

“I CAN’T REMEMBER.”

“How can you know one of these girls is your daughter but not remember anything about who she is?” Hua Cheng asked.

I don’t know, I don’t know! But I know it’s true! I have a daughter who lives in that village! It has to be one of them! The town took her from me, and I’m just taking her back!”

“What do you mean, the town took her?” Hua Cheng asked darkly.

The woman began to pace, tugging at her hair and crying. She was utterly unstable at this point. 

It wasn’t that unusual a thing to find in ghosts with especially tragic or horrible deaths. This woman was quite young, and it was very clear she had suffered greatly. Her ‘daughter’ was likely the reason she was still lingering in this world, but it didn’t make sense that she would not be able to remember her if that was the case.

“They… they took her from me when her father died. They brought her here. I came after her. I had her! I had her back!” she cried, fat tears rolling down her cheek. “I HAD HER. And then they took her again! And so now I’ve finally got her back,” she said, her voice cracking. “And now HERE YOU ARE! T-TRYING—!” 

She pointed a long accusatory finger between the two of them. 

“If only one of these girls is your daughter, then that means you’ve taken four other women’s daughters,” His Highness said, a bit coldly. “How could we let you keep a bunch of girls who aren’t yours?”

The woman stilled at his words. Perhaps, somewhere deep within, she felt shame.

“Only for now. Only till I figure this out!” the woman said fearfully.

“You’ve had them for weeks,” said Hua Cheng. “How long do you expect it to take?”

“Shut up, shut up!” she shouted hoarsely, advancing on Hua Cheng, snarling right in his face. 

Hua Cheng didn’t back up an inch, nor did he flinch. He looked down on her coolly and pushed out a wave of his power to give her a small taste, a hint at who she was talking to. Her eyes widened slightly, but the anger didn’t leave her face.

“You… why are you helping them take my child again?” she whimpered, now fully aware that she was speaking to another ghost.

“None of them are yours,” Hua Cheng said plainly. “Can you give us even one single reason to believe that one of them might be?”

“What is your name?” His Highness asked from behind him.

The woman flinched, and she blinked, a bit taken aback.

“I…”

Hua Cheng’s eyes narrowed.

“I don’t… know?” she said hesitantly. Something about this response deeply unnerved Hua Cheng. It clearly unnerved her too, like she didn’t realize she didn’t know.

“How can you not even know that?” Hua Cheng asked.

“I don’t know. I used to know. I used to know my daughter. I’d go watch her from the edge of town. I’d make sure they were taking care of her,” she said weakly, more tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Was that after you died?” Hua Cheng asked.

She nodded while taking a step back. She scrubbed her face with her hands and began to pace. Hua Cheng pursed his lips, trying to understand what this situation actually was. 

“It was a bad marriage. Arranged before we were even born,” the woman spoke, sniffling and still scrubbing at her face. “Their family didn’t like me, as it turned out. I remember that well enough. And when he died suddenly…” Her throat caught.

“They took her from you,” His Highness said. 

He’d come to step a few paces closer, so that the two of them were side by side. It didn't appear she was going to try to attack them after all. She was not evil or malicious. She was just deeply confused.

“They took my child to be raised by someone in his family. Some damn aunt! Someone in that WRETCHED town,” she seethed. “And, when I rightfully took her back they… they—t-they—”

“They ended your life,” Hua Cheng finished for her, eyes drifting to her neck. 

A horrible-sounding laugh bubbled out of the woman, even through her tears.

“They called me the kidnapper! They wouldn’t believe she was my daughter. Just like you wont,” the woman spat, her anger deep and biting.

Her eyes drifted longingly over the girls, searching, searching, and not finding what she was looking for.

“Miss… Is it possible you could be confused on the timing? What year are we in?” His Highness asked suddenly.

The woman blinked and told them, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Hua Cheng and His Highness exchanged glances, shoulders falling as they both realized the problem at last. His Highness had cracked it.

“Miss, that was twenty years ago. Your daughter is all grown up now. She can’t be one of these girls,” His Highness said delicately.

“No. No no no. I’m not crazy! I would have noticed that kind of time slip by! I would’ve…. I would’ve… I would have seen her growing up. I would remember that. I was always watching over her…”

Hua Cheng didn’t like this. He didn’t like it at all.

“Clearly, there are many things you don’t remember. Tell me why that is.” Hua Cheng demanded. 

The woman slumped to the ground. She was still crying and sniffling, but all her energy had left her.

“I don’t know. It’s all just… gone. I was… I was supposed to protect her. I was a good mom. That was a bad family. How can I protect her when I don’t know who she is now?”

“Who’s to say you didn’t already protect her?” His Highness said kindly. “Maybe you’ve forgotten because it’s time for you to let go of her. Move on.”

She frowned deeply at that, and so did Hua Cheng, though His Highness didn’t notice. 

“My baby is all grown up,” she said brokenly and then stared at the girls who were now crowding around Hua Cheng and His Highness, peering at her through the gloom. “None of you are my daughters,” she said distantly. 

The girls all shook their heads solemnly, some uttering a ‘no’ or a ‘sorry’. 

“Then… What's the point of me anymore?”

“You can find a new purpose,” Hua Cheng said. 

“I could burn down that fucking town,” she said morosely.

“NO!” cried one of the girls.

“Please don’t!” cried another. 

The ghost laughed and then began to weep again. 

“I don’t understand,” she sobbed. Suddenly, something odd began to happen. Her hair began to float slightly, and bits of her clothing too.

“I don’t understand why!” she said, holding her head in her hands. “There’s nothing left in me!”

They all watched in confusion as became partially transparent, beginning at the ends of her fingers and moving down her limbs. She didn’t appear to notice or perhaps she didn't care, too lost in her own confusion and sadness. 

“Without her, I am nothing,” she whispered.

And just like that, she shattered into moonlight, like scraps of translucent paper to the wind. Those pieces shrank and glowed like tiny dying embers, like falling glitter, and dispersed. The clearing was filled with solemn silence.

“She lost her reason for staying,” Hua Cheng finally uttered. 

Though he cared very little for the feelings and problems of others who were not His Highness, Hua Cheng felt a sharp little pain in his heart for her. If she dispersed, that meant she had stayed because of her love, and not because of the resentment she held towards that town and that family.

“How very strange that she forgot. Does that happen often in ghosts?” His Highness asked, and there was a slight edge to his voice. 

Hua Cheng could guess what he was worried about. As if that could ever happen. Hua Cheng shook his head, reaching over to give His Highness a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder.

“No. Something happened to her,” he said, eyes scanning through the darkness of the woods around them. “Either she was already mad when she died or… no. She ran into something out here, I think.”

“Something that made her forget?”

“Most likely. There are creatures that can do that, but they almost always prey on the living. Then again, I suppose there’s no real reason for them not to feed on the dead as well...”

I should probably look into this. This is awfully close to Ghost City.

“How tragic…” His Highness said softly. “San Lang, are you okay?”

“Hmm?” Hua Cheng said, glancing over at him properly and raising an eyebrow.

“You seem…”

“I’m fine, gege. I just don’t know what exactly happened here, and that bothers me.”

Hua Cheng, quite honestly, couldn’t imagine a worse fate.

“It's probably as you said. She ran into some kind of memory-stealing demon.”

“Probably.”

He still couldn’t understand why it took some memories and not others. It was strange.

They stood in silence for a moment, contemplating, until one of the girls yawned loudly. This shook them from their pondering, and they decided that it was time to get these children home.

As suspected, by the time they reached town, they each carried a girl in each arm, with another riding on Hua Cheng’s shoulders. About half of them were asleep.

It was quite late now, and most buildings no longer had lit windows. However, the teahouse was lit, and there were a few folks sitting out on the porch. As they approached, two figures jumped up at once, bolting in their direction.

Soon shouts and cheers rang through the town as all the parents were summoned to collect their daughters. Lanterns flickered to life, and a number of folks turned to drinking in celebration. The parents cried and cradled their daughters. The elder daughters stood there grimacing, a bit embarrassed at their parents' reactions. His Highness commented that they were quite brave.

At the end of it, the two of them were heralded as village heroes, with no shortage of townsfolk approaching to sing their praises and give thanks. 

His Highness remained gracious and humble in response, and Hua Cheng emulated him the best he could, shifting any praise towards his ‘mentor’. During a fair portion of this, His Highness seemed slightly fixated on one of the couples in particular—the pair who hadn’t come to the teahouse that morning. Hua Cheng bumped His Highness’s shoulder with his own.

“Do you think their marriage is saved?” he asked.

“I should hope so. But I was just thinking… that mother…”

“She looks quite a bit like the ghost, doesn’t she?” he said. 

His Highness nodded a bit sadly.

“That little girl might have been spending time with her grandmother, and neither of them will ever know it,” he mumbled. 

After the children were all put to bed, as His Highness and Hua Cheng shared a drink (well, His Highness had tea), they were approached by a couple of important looking individuals. They were dressed a little finer and obviously had a little bit of wealth. The elder man had a well-manicured mustache and beard. The younger was struggling to do the same, but it was patchy.

“Daozhang, we thank you for your help in this matter. Please tell us, is there any way this village can repay you for what you’ve done?” asked the older gentleman. His eyes were warm and friendly.

His Highness smiled, and Hua Cheng was almost worried that he would dismiss them and say they wanted for nothing. Instead— 

“Well, I have been searching for the right place to set up a small shrine to my god. He is not very well known, and I’d like to help remedy that. If you would allow me to do so here, I would be most appreciative,” he said with a bow.

“Of course! Would you like to use the shrine that was once General Tai Hua’s?” the younger man asked. Hua Cheng loved that idea but knew there was no way His Highness would go for it.

“Oh, no, that would be far too disrespectful.” His Highness said, cupping his hands in a slight apology. “I either need to build a small temple from scratch or re-purpose a building currently not being used.”

The older man scratched his bearded chin in thought. 

“Only thing coming to mind is that old farmhouse on the edge of town.”

“Farmhouse?” His Highness repeated, hopefully.

“Yeah, opposite the direction of the main town entrance. It's out of village bounds a little ways, but you can still see it from town.”

“That sounds perfect!” 

They talked things through for a moment, discussing a donation pool and other such things, and also learned that these men were the village chief along with his son. Right when Hua Cheng thought perhaps all the pleasantries were over, His Highness spoke up on one last matter.

“One last thing, before I go? I have just a small piece of advice,” he said. The man turned back and nodded. 

“I understand this town was once the purview of General Tai Hua, but you gave up on hearing from him?”

Hua Cheng's heart sank and his stomach twisted.

“That’s right.” 

“Well, from what I’ve heard, he was forcefully indisposed for a while. It wasn’t his fault he was unable to answer any prayers for a few months. But I’ve heard he’s back now, and trying to catch up on any prayers he missed. You may want to clean up his shrine and implore the other townsfolk to give him another shot.”

The level of self-control it took Hua Cheng to stand by and say nothing was unfathomable, but somehow he managed to bite his tongue.

“Daozhang, you’re trying to set up your own god’s shrine, yet you would go out of your way to uplift a rival?”

“The palaces of these two crown princes get along amiably. I should think they could share responsibility,” His Highness stated.

The old guy sighed and shrugged.

“I don’t know what kind of martial god can even become ‘indisposed’, but I’ll pass that information along. I have to imagine that, after today, most folks will only have eyes for your temple.”

“Good,” Hua Cheng couldn’t help but mutter. 

He caught his God’s eye for the briefest moment, though he said nothing in response. He wasn’t sure if he’d irritated him or flattered him, but either way, Hua Cheng could only be himself. 

There were a few moments of silence as His Highness finished the last of his tea, a bit lost in thought.

“Shall we go look at it?” His Highness said, in a merciful attempt to keep the air light.

“Let’s go,” Hua Cheng said gratefully. He’d rather move their thoughts away from Lang Qianqiu.

It was hard to see it well at such a late hour, but thankfully they found a small oil lantern in the yard that still had a bit of oil in it. His Highness didn’t want to draw the villagers’ attention with a display of butterflies, even from a distance. 

The farmhouse was falling apart pretty badly. It was small, but with a larger main room and two smaller rooms off to each side. One was probably a storage room, judging by the broken shelves and ceramics. Most of the roof needed to be replaced. The door and window frames were rotted and cracked in places. The floor was a mud-wallow of fallen thatch and bits of rubble. 

It did have a decent table, which could be an altar table. Most of the other furnishings were weather-rotted or broken, however. His Highness gave it an experimental push, and it was heavy and solid.

“Thank you for helping me today. I might not have found that ghost without you,” he said.

Hua Cheng crossed his arms and said, “You didn’t need my help, but I’m always happy to give it.”

His Highness ran a finger along the new altar table, wiping off a long strip of dust and frowning.

“I keep thinking about her,” he said, a bit less spirited.

“I do too.”

“She lurked around here for twenty years, just trying to catch glimpses of her daughter. Just to know she was okay. That doesn’t seem like the usual behavior compared to the ghosts I’ve met.”

“No, she must have had an uncommonly strong heart,” Hua Cheng agreed.

“I’ve put down a lot of ghosts who had grown resentful towards their living loved ones.”

“That's why most of them try to shed their mortal lives and detach themselves. I made Ghost City so they would have somewhere else to go and start over,” Hua Cheng said, a bit nostalgic.

“San Lang hasn’t detached himself from me though,” His Highness said, wearing a complicated expression on his face. 

Hua Cheng turned so that his good eye could face him, and he gave his God a smirk.

“I will never.”

“And you haven’t become resentful towards me in six hundred years.”

“Not a bit.”

His Highness blushed a little.

“I think San Lang is a rather romantic person.”

For a moment, Hua Cheng’s carefully crafted facade broke, and he stared with wide eyes at His Highness before managing to school his expression again. His Highness laughed at the reaction. 

Hua Cheng was, once again, quite relieved that ghosts didn’t blush unless they wanted to.

“It’s okay, San Lang. I like that about you,” His Highness teased.

Hua Cheng sighed and fiddled with the red coral bead tied into his hair as he leaned against the table.

“You know gege, most people would not call what I feel towards you romantic. Most would call it a ghostly obsession; something dangerous that should terrify you.” 

He didn’t know why he allowed such words to leave his mouth. He had no idea what possessed him in this moment to test His Highness in this way. Perhaps he did it because he was feeling guilty, or perhaps it was because he still couldn’t believe his God could love someone like him, but either way, the words sprang forth, unable now to be unsaid.

His Highness stepped towards him, his face falling well within the light of the lantern now. 

“You don’t terrify me. I think having someone willing to wait so long to find me… and not giving up… To me, that's the greatest blessing I’ve ever received.” 

His Highness’s expression was serious and earnest. The ghost’s shoulder slumped just a bit, and he gazed back at his God in adoration.

“I’m glad Your Highness feels that way. You’re probably the only one who would,” he said sincerely. 

His Highness’s eyes shined, and he reached over to take Hua Cheng’s hand. The ghost sighed and entwined their fingers, his heart a confusing mess. There was guilt and fear and relief and joy, all tangled up together.

“Let’s take a look out back,” His Highness suggested. He nodded.

 A quick stroll around the outside revealed that many cats were living on the premises, and that there was a small hutch that could house chickens with a little bit of work. The fields were long overgrown, but His Highness spoke happily of planting a small vegetable garden near the house. 

Hua Cheng followed him around, taking note of all the things that needed fixing and what all they would require in order to do it. 

He didn’t say a whole lot himself, mostly agreeing to anything His Highness commented on. Though they now held hands, and though his God had moved on from the unpleasant topic from earlier, Hua Cheng was struggling to let it go himself. His eyes were continuously drawn back to the village.

He hated that His Highness would be sharing it with Lang Qianqiu. His mistakes would remain in sight with every trip into town. Even if his god didn’t react to that shrine house again, Hua Cheng knew, on the inside, he would feel that hurt. There was a chance his God would never fully forgive him. 

Eventually they found themselves back inside, getting a last look. Sensing that they were about to leave, Hua Cheng allowed himself to transition back into his true form, growing a bit taller in the process. His God turned to him, a soft smile spreading on his face as he watched the change.

“Is Your Highness ready to head back to Heaven?” Hua Cheng  asked. It was now very late.

“No. I think I’m about done with Heaven,” he said with a small laugh. Hua Cheng was taken aback.

“Oh? Where does Your Highness want to stay? Certainly you don’t plan to camp here?” he asked, a bit horrified by the thought.

His Highness laughed heartily at that, the beautiful sound raising goosebumps all along Hua Cheng’s skin. 

“I’ve stayed in far worse places, but I was thinking I might come home tonight?” His Highness said hopefully.

Hua Cheng’s heart stuttered with surprise, but then he grinned as he nodded.

“Of course. We can also pick out a new sword for you to use.”

“If it would please you,” His Highness said, squeezing his hand.

“Back to Paradise Manor then?” Hua Cheng asked, fishing through his pockets. He was ready for this day to be over. 

“San Lang… will you tell me anything more about the first time you saw me?” he said suddenly. 

It was so out of left field that Hua Cheng was caught off guard and froze, his hand paused in its attempt to locate his dice. His Highness bit his lip nervously.

“I know it’s impolite of me to ask about your life… You don’t have to say more. You’ve had me thinking about it for half the night is all.”

Hua Cheng hesitated. He wanted to choose his words with care. He didn’t want His Highness to actually determine who he had been. He’d never want him to know the pathetic state of his mortal life. The fact that His Highness knew he was that useless ghost fire was bad enough.

“Hmm… I will tell you that at the time, you had not yet ascended. I was young.”

“Really? Did we get to interact at all?” he fished. A smile curled the ghost’s lip.

“We talked very briefly, Your Highness. It’s not something I’d expect you to remember. As I’ve mentioned before, I was no one important—just a commoner. It was only pure luck that someone as lowly as me had the chance to see you in person.”

“Pure luck, huh,” His Highness said a bit doubtfully.

“I think so. You changed my entire outlook. You made me want to become something more.”

“I did? Like what?” his God inquired, his brows knitted.

“The kind of person who would be able to meet you again,” he admitted softly. “I wanted to—” 

Hua Cheng caught himself and stopped. He was beginning to say too much. Why was he doing that today? Was it his nerves?

“San Lang?”

Hua Cheng suddenly found it hard to meet his God’s gaze. 

“…I wanted to… catch up to you, somehow.”

I wanted to marry you. And back then I was brazen enough to think I could.

His Highness was quiet for a long moment, staring up at him in thought.

“You did catch up,” he finally said.

San Lang smiled and huffed out half a laugh.

“Almost, but no one in the Three Realms could ever call themselves your equal, Your Highness.”

“That’s such nonsense,” Xie Lian said as he rubbed at his forehead. Still, he was smiling. “You know, I thought almost the exact same thing back when I was so weak, stuck in that bed.”

“Hm? What thing?”

“That I wanted to ‘catch up’ to you,” Xie Lian stated, finally lifting his gaze again. 

What a preposterous thought.

“You did. You’ve likely exceeded me once more.”

“I’m not sure about that,” His Highness wryly. “I don’t even have spiritual powers I can call upon.”

“Not important. Spar with me,” Hua Cheng insisted, a bit pushier than he intended. “Tomorrow morning.”

“Ah! I would like that! I’ve been wanting to watch you with a blade in hand!” he said, giving Hua Cheng’s hand another squeeze as he leaned in a bit closer.

Hua Cheng felt an intense rush of love wash over him. He wanted to wrap his arms around His Highness’s waist and pull him into a crushing hug. To kiss him breathless. A number of other things he wanted flashed through his head as well, seeing his beloved looking so lovely in this warm lantern light. 

Then he felt a little nip at his conscience. The beast, making himself known.

Am I really still so brazen?

Hua Cheng had leaned in as well, but now he faltered.

“San Lang, is anything the matter?” His Highness asked, frowning slightly with concern.

Hua Cheng stiffened despite himself. 

This is exactly what I wanted to avoid today.

“What could ever be the matter?” he asked evenly.

His Highness’s frown deepened, and Hua Cheng was pulled gruffly into the hug he had been wanting, His Highness’s arms resting on his shoulders. Hua Cheng's heart beat once or twice and he wondered if His God could feel it.

“I have seen it on your face all day,” he heard his God murmur. 

Hua Cheng didn’t know what to say in response. No one else was able to read him through his mask. His first instinct was to blather on about something else and deflect, but he didn’t want his God to let go of him yet. So, instead, he leaned into his greed, and he hugged him back very lightly. The beast tore at him, but he could endure it.

“I’m always alright, Your Highness.”

“That’s not true at all,” His Highness said as he pulled back to look up at him.

“Is this about earlier? In town? Or is it about the ghost?”

In truth, it was a bit of both. Hua Cheng kept his face carefully neutral, though he knew his God could see through it anyhow. He didn’t want to lie again and say he was fine. He also didn’t want to bring up His Highness’s anger from earlier or the unease he felt about the fate of that ghost. 

He really didn’t know what to do with himself. 

It apparently showed.

His Highness cupped Hua Cheng’s face in his warm hands, running a thumb gently over his sharp cheekbones. The ghost stifled the shiver that tried to make its way up his spine.

“Will you help me with something?” his God asked gently.

“With what, Your Highness?” he replied.

“I want to help Lang Qianqiu salvage his reputation.”

His Highness’s lips twitched upwards, most definitely at the disgusted look that must have crossed Hua Cheng’s face. His Highness tilted his head, lashes lowering as he smiled. It was cruelly charming. Just where did he learn this?

“If you help me with that, I’m sure I can let go of what happened.”

Hua Cheng sighed deeply and closed his eye in defeat.

“Anything Your Highness wants,” he said, only a little begrudgingly. “Whatever it takes to atone, I’ll do it.”

Before he could even open his eye again, soft lips were pressed to his own. He was surprised only for a moment, and then he allowed himself to be brazen again, and kiss him back. His heart hurt, but it also sang as he gathered his beloved up in his arms, nearly lifting him from the floor.

“Gege is mine,” he tried to tell himself. 

He still was struggling to believe it, even right then as he pushed his tongue past His Highness’s teeth.

Later that evening, as he lay in their red canopy bed, with butterflies dancing above and his beautiful God peacefully curled up against him again, it finally resonated. He’d had this bed commissioned with marriage in mind, and though his God had slept in it for months, and though Hua Cheng had often laid next to him while he napped, this was the first time they truly shared it. 

They really were together. They belonged to each other. This was real and not a dream.

Last time, they’d been somewhere new and strange, and it had felt like a dream to him. This time they were home, and this time Hua Cheng was under the covers with him. They were cuddled up together like proper lovers, his God’s arms thrown lazily over him, and he didn’t have to fight every single moment not to touch him. He was allowed to hold him like this. 

He knew it was likely that this was all they’d ever do together in this bed, but that was alright.

His Highness’s vows had come up the first time he offered him alcohol, and Hua Cheng had made peace with it. At the time, he hadn’t exactly had any hope of a relationship left anyhow. It was unfortunate, and Hua Cheng had fantasized about all the ways he would like to please his God over the years, but such things would never be a requirement in their relationship. If anything, he was frustrated that his God was being denied one of life’s pleasures. He’d love nothing more than the chance to throttle whatever cultivator had developed such a cruel path for His Highness to follow.

He gently stroked his fingers through his God’s lovely chestnut hair, though not enough to wake him. This was plenty. He indulged in his beloved’s warmth and breathed him in as though he were the rarest of perfumes. His heart was torn viciously by the beast for every moment of it, caught between immense happiness and intense guilt. Perhaps it would always be this way.

No matter what, he couldn’t help but think that everything had been worth it. 

Every horrible moment of his long life had led to this: falling from the wall, dying in battle, dispersing, Mt. Tonglu, the centuries of searching in what felt like a direct fight against fate itself. All of those things had happened so that he could be right here, right now. 

The anguish over not finding his beloved earlier, and the shame of his ill-advised revenge scheme might never fade, but he couldn’t regret anything that happened. He just couldn’t.

He may live the rest of his death riddled by his guilt, but he would never, ever regret the circumstances that brought him here. If this was the price he had to pay, he was more than happy to pay it.