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"Ayah, Lan Zhan, what is this place? We've seen a lot of weird stuff, but this? A pig butchering human limbs? Kind of ironic, don't you think? Lan Zhan? Say something, Lan Zhaaan," Wei Wuxian eventually turned to look at his husband to notice the way Lan Wangji eyed him.
Unusually expressionful. Astonished. "You're..." the verbally rather unskilled man stared at the other, "...you...and young."
Wei Wuxian couldn't withhold his laugh. "That's a way of putting it. But wait, you too. The mighty Hanguang-jun looks as stunning as ever," he proclaimed proudly, a few ghosts turning to look at his loud statement. The tips of Wangji's ears quickly turned pink, even after years of marriage there was still a little embarrassed of his husband's outgoing nature.
Having learned how to deal with it over their long period of living together, the man bent down to leave a loving kiss over the other's lips.
The moment they parted, Wei Wuxian grabbed his face with both hands, suddenly a confused look with a hint of concern displaying on his face. He had sensed something unnatural about his husband, but was yet not completely sure if he was not mistaken. He pulled Lan Wangji towards his own face, the tips of their noses now almost touching again. However this time he did not join their lips, rather concentrating on something.
After a short while Wei Wuxian's eyes widened in shock. "Lan Zhan. You're not breathing."
A simple statement with a huge meaning.
They were dead.
Had perished.
What the hell?
Was this hell? No.
Wei Ying himself might have ended up there eventually, but the righteous, ever rule-following and loving Hanguang-jun? Never, Wei Ying was certain. This husband was going to heaven even if that place was exclusively saved for the gods.
"We passed together." Lan Wangji broke the silence (which was a once in a year event), a little smile forming on his lips.
So that was why Wei Ying looked like his original self. The soul had found back to the body. "Oooh so that's what's going on. How often was i defied of resting in peace now? Twice? Haha," the patriarch still had not processed the fact that they had died simultaneously after such a long life together.
They were ghosts now.
Undead.
He had always been the one making use of the undead ones, now he was one himself? Kind of? Not the same kind, but it was still a little ironic.
Finally, after a short while of getting himself together Wei Wuxian took his husband by the hand and beamed at him with his signature bright smile, "Well I have no idea what people are supposed to do after they die, so let's discover this place, won't we?"
"Mn."
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Dragging his partner along the streets of the so called Ghost City, Wei Ying pointed out every anomaly he spotted, which included almost everything that came into his sight.
Besides the whole lot of people with pig heads and pigs with human heads, especially one man, not far from them, dressed all in white caught the cultivator's attention. Contrary to the robes of the male next to Wei Wuxian, the robes were no Lan uniform, as the forehead ribbon and the cloud embroidery were missing. Neither did he seem to be in mourning, as the taller man almost glued to his side was clad in shining crimson robes, highly resembling wedding attire.
Consequently Wei Ying decided to joke around, vocal as ever: "Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan look: That guy over there is wearing funeral robes, just like you!"
When he turned his head back to the two men, he only found the white clad one, looking around confusedly. While he was wondering where the bridegroom guy had went, he suddenly heard a low rambling voice from behind.
"What did you call his highness' style?"
Baffled, Wei Wuxian made a 180 degree turn and looked up, the red clad man he was searching now right in front of him. He was even taller than his Lan Zhan, who stepped closer to his spouse, shielding him from the newcomer.
"What 'highness'? Please, which prince would wear clothes like that?"
"Wei Ying", his husband warned as he noticed the person before them slowly losing his calm. Wei Ying felt a firm but unhurried squeeze at his palm.
"What? Ain't I saying the truth?", Wei Ying insisted.
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Xie Lian POV
"San Lang?"
Xie Lian whipped around, scanning the surroundings for his beloved who had just told him he would be 'right back'.
Before Hua Cheng had left, he had heard someone make a comment about a person wearing funeral robes; was it that Hua Cheng had taken it as offense to him? Oh no no no, he didn't want another poor ghost to suffer from the oftentimes too overprotective ghost king's means.
Quickly, he spotted the calamity glaring menacingly at two cultivators. Seeing E-ming's eye only a slit open he sensed that nothing good would result from this situation so he dashed in their direction before anyone drew their weapons over something like that.
"San Lang! It's alright, I really don't mind," he jumped in and started to soothingly rub his husband's back to calm him down. "We've already been through this."
Hua Chang's eye instantly relaxed at the touch of his beloved, although he remained sceptic.
"If you say so, gege." A helpless smile appeared on the God's lips which fastly changed to an expression of awe when his gaze wandered to the two cultivators his husband had just threatened. Or more precisely to the pristine half-unsheathed sword in the taller cultivator's hands.
"I apologize for San Lang's impulsive behavior. My name is Xie, given name Lian." He offered a small bow to the other two. "If I may ask, what is that sword? Where did you get it from?"
Due to his deeply intrigued tone and expression, the cultivators seemed to lower their guard and the owner of the sword offered the reply,
"Bichen. A gift from mother."
Xie Lian couldn't stop himself from asking further questions, the sword was just so beautiful. It radiated a whole different aura than E-Ming that he also adored. With the scimitar of doom seeming rather frivolous and savage, matching his owner's attitude perfectly, this one emitted rather elegant and upright energy.
The more they entangled in conversation, the more Hua Cheng's and the white clad man's stances relaxed, while the black clad one responded to all of Xie Lian's questions in place of the other.
After having chatted for a while, the black clad cultivator already having showed off with his own spiritual weapon - a black dizi -, Xie Lian noticed he hadn't asked their new acquaintances their names yet.
"Gongzi, you've called him multiple names now, so I'm not sure of how I should address your..." he thought a second about it, "...friend?"
"Husband."
The other voice corrected him quite harshly after having been silent for a couple of minutes. At that Xie Lian beamed while the black clad cultivator reprimanded the one by his side,
"Ayah, Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, don't be so petty about it, he couldn't have known," he turned back to face Xie Lian, a grin on his face: "Yeah, we're happily married. And to answer your question: I suggest you call him by his title Hanguang-jun. He's pretty important, you know"
Xie Lian noticed Hanguang-jun shooting his husband a look for that comment. However he did not argue, apparently deeming it correct for the newcomers to call him by his title.
Suddenly Xie Lian's own husband slowly stepped into the picture from behind, aligning himself next to him.
"In that case I suppose you should call my husband and me Xie-chengzhu and Hua-chengzhu then. You should be aware we are the city Lords here." Since his husband was so courteous, although not abandoning his smugness, Xie Lian supposed he had caught interest in the cultivator-pair as well, which was probably why he still hadn't accused them of waisting his time with his beloved and left.
Xie Lian however could not help to wonder whether to laugh or cry at the Ghost King's statement as he once again made his stance clear:
"San Lang, you know you are the ruler here, not me." Luckily Hanguang-jun cut in, clasping his hands together in a bow, before his loved one could complain again.
"Please excuse my husband's rude behavior to the city Lord earlier, he was not aware of your status."
Xie Lian felt helpless when people addressed him as such, he was still just a mere scrap immortal. He hurried to lift the noble's hands to stop him from bowing.
"No, I already told you it's nothing. Besides I have already made clear that my husband is the Lord of this city, not me."
"Wouldn't that automatically make you the Lord here too?"
Hanguang-jun's husband clearly had his fun.
"Whatever," he chuckled, "I'm the only one that hasn't introduced himself, right? How rude of me," From half leaning on his spouse's shoulder the man straightened and clasped his hands into a relaxed bow:
"My name is Wei Ying, courtesy name Wei Wuxian. What is your courtesy name by the way?"
"Courtesy name? As a Crown prince people don't call you by your name so I didn't need one I guess," Xie Lian had brought up a detail he realized he hadn't needed to. Since he had already, he explained further, "Everyone used to call me 'Your highness' at all times"
"I still do, Your Highness", Hua Cheng smiled adoringly at his prince and received a smile and a peck on the cheek. Most of the other Gods called him by his title as well, but only out of Hua Cheng's mouth did it sound full of devotion rather than ridicule.
"Wait you're telling me you're a prince for real? I thought that was some kind of joke! Woah, Lan Zhan, we've really met some important people here. A crown prince? A king? What's next? A God?"
Xie Lian once again didn't know whether to laugh or cry but he decided to not further press the topic.
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During their stroll through ghost city, Xie Lian was rambling about spiritual weapons, cultivation methods and all kinds of other martial stuff with Lan Wangji, who in return always kept his words short, while a little distance behind them Hua Cheng and Wei Ying were engrossed in a conversation about who created the more outstanding spells and talismans out of the two of them.
At least that was what Xie Lian overheard here and there.
It was the kind of conversation Hua Cheng got entangled in when being with Black Water, the difference being that right now he had a man next to him that was just as invested in bragging about his own stuff. The fact that his beloved had apparently found a somehow coequal person to chat with besides himself truly brought Xie Lian a peace of mind.
Just as they entered a more remote alleyway and Xie Lian was about to demonstrate his spiritual silk ribbon Ruoye to the cultivator, he noticed his husband approaching from behind and turned around, expecting his love to complain about being so far apart, wanting to be closer or something similar.
"San Lang dear, mmpf....", to his surprise the God instead was muffled by his beloved's lips crashing over his own and his body being pressed against the nearest building.
The man was too stunned to react, letting his husband devour him, lips smacking and hands roaming over his body. His face turned as red as the other's robes. Usually he enjoyed their intertwinements and had to admit that he oftentimes longed for the two of them to share more intimate moments, but in this situation it was just highly inappropriate. On the street and infront of their new acquaintances? Even so, the man could not push his loved one away, as taken the city lord's power it would take a whole lot of strength and some injuries on top to forcibly push the man away.
Xie Lian's mind having turned into a spinning mess over what had happened to his ever so respectful husband, he had not noticed the tune of a flute in the background. Instead the lewd sounds of open mouths searching pleasure in each other ringed in his ears.
It was the same situation with the poor cultivator next to them. Hanguang-jun watched the two of them with a hint of disbelief in his ever so passive expression. Finally processing what had just happened, the cultivator swiftly flung his sleeves to make a leap towards the perpetrator, snapping Chenqing (that was the dizi's name, as Xie Lian had previously leaned) out of the patriarch's hands with a mutter of "Shameless."
This did not go without protest from Wei Wuxian but Xie Lian did not pay that any mind when the one in front of him finally created some distance between their faces. Apparently the spiritual energy inflicted to the music had disturbed his husband's mind.
So that's how it was. That explained the situation to Xie Lian to some extent while his husband was still staring disbelievingly at him, his eye visibly in distress and E-Ming's on his waist spinning like crazy. At last the ghost stepped away from the shorter man. His hands reached out to Xie Lian before Hua Cheng jerked away the same instant, deeming himself unworthy of his closeness. Xie Lian knew his husband's self-image way too well.
"Your highness I...this lowly one deeply apologizes for violating his highness without his consent. This lowly one will..."
"San Lang. San Lang dear, it's alright, calm down," Xie Lian grasped the situation as fast as it had started and reached for his beloved's hands to rub his thumbs soothingly over their back,
"I told you I don't ever want you to talk about yourself like that, you're not at fault. There's nothing wrong with the act, just, you know...the company and the place..."
A drop of sweat formed on the God's forehead as the situation turned out more embarrassing than he had intended. Luckily it did bring the wished results as his San Lang's distressed look turned into a soft, loving one, causing Xie Lian to calm as well. However this did not last long as the ghost suddenly remembered the cause of the whole issue, his expression now turning into one of murderous rage.
"You..." the ghost king snapped and menacingly stepped up to the demonic cultivator, the latter one quickly jumping behind his ever calm husband. That setup looked painfully familiar, regarding the situation earlier that day, leaving Xie Lian at a loss about where this relationship with the other pair would lead to.
To his surprise, rather than unsheathing Bichen, Hanguang-jun instead bowed curteously towards Hua Cheng, once again on his spouse's behalf,
"I apologize anew for my husband's shameless behavior. I ensure that this situation will not repeat itself. However..." he straightened and continued just as composed now with a brief threatening undertone, "...if you intend to harm him, I'll fight you."
Xie Lian having observed the exchange from a distance now stepped towards the group, having decided that he needed to step in, unless he wanted to see heads rolling any minute:
"Please hold on Hanguang-jun, I'm sure there is no need to fight, right San Lang?" he gave the latter's arm a squeeze, keeping up the smile on his face. It was undeniable that Xie Lian had a weak point for his husband's deadly demeanor, but he still wanted to prevent casualties.
"If gege says so," Hua Cheng complied as always and let his left hand, which already gripped the deadly scimitar drop to his side.
Suddenly, a voice having stayed silent for an unusually long time came from behind his human shield, trying to justify himself,
"Hey, to my defense, that ghost king consented on me controlling him. It's not my fault I'm so skilled that I made it work. This oh so mighty Lord did not believe I would make it but I had to show him what the Yiling Laozu earned his name with," Wei Wuxian proclaimed proudly.
Xie Lian was at a loss for words.
"San Lang??? You allowed him to do this?"
"I didn't know he would choose to make me do that, your highness, this lowly one is truly sorry..." the guilty look spread all over Hua Cheng's face again.
"San Lang, language." Xie Lian reminded him again to not use this kind of address on himself because of course they were equals. If anything, Xie Lian would be the one standing below him, he was only a scrap God after all. But any of this shouldn't have a place in their relationship.
"I'm sorry, your highness. Besides, I didn't think he would manage controlling me, I'm a supreme after all. I've lost count on how many people have tried the demonic arts on me in the past decades."
"Cheap copycats," Wei Wuxian interjected, Lan Wangji turned his head towards him, no reaction whatsoever visible to Xie Lian on his face. Wei Wuxian on the other hand seemed to take it a whole other way.
"What, I invented all of that after all, of course I'm the best at my work. There's nothing I can't do, I already told you before bringing Wen Ning's consciousness back, Lan Zhan."
"Impudent," is all the latter said, receiving a frown from his spouse.
"Ah Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, does your vocabulary shrink to these few words when we're with other people?" Wei Wuxian pouts, followed by no further reaction from the man in front of him.
Regarding that it was kind of both parties' fault and no one had come to harm, Xie Lian decided to leave the matter at that. He courteously clasped his hands together and did a small bow towards the other two, receiving a disapproving look from his beloved.
"Hanguang-jun, Wei-gongzi, would you please make us familiar with the ways of avoiding your techniques? Although I am not directly affected, my husband sure is and I will never allow anything to happen to him. In the wrong hands these arts turn out to be pretty dangerous to us."
"You're really not angry about what happened before?", Wei Wuxian finally stepped out of his hideout to his husband's side, crooking an eyebrow. Xie Lian on his side didn't know whether to laugh or cry as he once again sensed the murderous intent from next to him.
"Don't further worry about that, it doesn't cross too many lines, considering we're married."
"Gege!" Hua Cheng protested helplessly, clearly incontent about his husband's forgiving ways.
"However, it would be much appreciated if you kept Hanguang-juns promise to never do it again. I'd like my husband having control over his own consciousness at all times," Xie Lian warned.
"Alright alright, it was just a joke," Wei Ying chuckled and subsequently lift his hand in a vow. "I, Wei Wuxian, also promise to never use the demonic arts on Hua-chengzhu again." He leaned on his husband's side and started toying around with his dizi. "I'm sure no one will ever master the demonic cultivation as well as me, but I surely can help you anyways. Although only under one condition," he lifted his index finger to seem more important.
Xie Lian didn't hesitate in the slightest, ready to pay whatever price to protect his dearest from harm. Pointing with his flute towards the man in red, Wei Wuxian proclaimed, "You need to stop your husband from glaring at me like that."
Startled, Xie Lian's look darted from Hua Cheng, to Wei Wuxian, back to Hua Cheng, truly at a loss of words. "San Lang..."
"I'm sorry gege, that's just how I look at everybody." Having turned to his husband, Hua Cheng's expression softened, not resembling the one before in the slightest.
"You don't look like that at me."
"You're not just anybody your highness, you're my everything." He said it so casually Xie Lian couldn't help his cheeks turning red so he made sure to turn back to their guests, wanting to avoid completely turning to a tomato.
"I'm sure as soon as we get to know each other better my San Lang will soften his attitude a bit but as for now it's just his go to," he babbled nervously.
"You're all good, I was just joking," Wei Wuxian laughed out of his heart, visibly enjoying the way things were going, "I can't say my Lan Zhan here looks any friendlier. He's a softie though, right Lan Zhan?" he poked his husband's cheek, the latter's eyes softening at the gesture. "How about we settle somewhere so I can teach you some stuff? An inn maybe? You surely know best where they sell some good liquor around here."
"Sure, sounds great," the God consented but turned carefully to his husband: "San Lang, can we...?"
"All gege wishes," he got interrupted quickly, his beloved placing all his trust into whatever his plans were, as always. Hua Cheng had once again succeed to make him smile, his heart warming pleasantly. "We can discuss things in Paradise Manor, follow us please," he pointed towards their home, standing out from a distance in all the glory Hua Cheng had erected just for him.
Xie Lian tugged on his husband's sleeve for him to duck down so Xie Lian was able to whisper into his ear, "Do you actually have some liquor?"
"Gege need just ask, I'll bring him all of China's liquor."
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On the way to Paradise Manor they had switched their previous constellation, Xie Lian now walking with the easy-going Wei Wuxian. The former was kind of relieved that they had built up some distance to their husbands, as the next question from his new companion would've had resulted in even more murderous glances from Hua Cheng's side.
"By the way, what's the deal with Hua-chengzhu calling you his highness? After all he's a king, you get my point?"
"Ah, that," Xie Lian chuckled, "I was the crown prince of a kingdom long ago as you already know. Back then we were both just kids, I was born to royalty while he was not. Because that's when we first met he still likes to call me by my title. The other gods address me that way too but if it makes you uncomfortable you can call me whatever."
"Hmmm so I can call you Xie-xiong, since you're talking about centuries? I mean you're basically ancient, no offense."
The man's bluntness made Xie Lian genuinely laugh, after all he was kind of right, nearly a thousand years were no joke. "Sure I'd love that," he chuckled, finally having found someone to address him in a casual way besides his husband. Not even the former Lord Wind Master refrained from calling him by his long outdated title.
A brief moment of silence passed and Xie Lian was just about to ask what was wrong with his ever so talkative new friend when the latter had a sudden outburst.
"Wait a second, GODS? Holy shit, QUITE LITERALLY. I thought you were a ghost!" This realization had taken kind of too long and Xie Lian scratched his neck nervously.
"Well, it's kind of funny, I'm the only alive person living in this realm, hahaha..." Feeling like he should provide some kind of evidence he reached his hand out, signaling for Wei Wuxian to take the pulse on his wrist. The cultivator took the hint and put his index and third finger on the God's wrist to be amazed seconds after.
"You're just like me when I spent my time in the burial mounds," he laughed, the earnest laugh quickly turning into an awkward one, "Except that I died for real couple of months later, ehehe..." Xie Lian decided to not press that topic, as death was not a nice thing to talk about even though Wei Wuxian seemingly didn't have a problem with it. So he decided to keep the divinity topic since apparently the other one was intrigued by it.
"You know, the other Gods pretty much hate my San Lang, always warning me that he's evil and 'the devil in person', " he couldn't resist a chuckle, "They don't know how completely wrong they are," Xie Lian finished with a genuine smile on his lips at the thought of his noble gracious special husband.
"Oh my god, me too, the whole cultivation world despises me", Wei Wuxian exclaimed cheerfully although in Xie Lian's mind that shouldn't be a thing to be happy about. "But Lan Zhan always stood by my side and eventually brought me to his sect for us to get married. Well, I did have to die for that once, but that's life I guess," the man shrugged like it was the most normal thing in the world. To Xie Lian it sadly was. He facepalmed himself.
"You don't say. My San Lang died thrice for me. But nevermind that, I'm curious, does Hanguang-jun also threaten to kill everyone that may cause you trouble?"
"Except for his clan members that won't do anything bad to me anyways, other than feeding me their plain food, pretty much yes", Wei Ying leaned a bit into Xie Lian's direction as if creating a discreet atmosphere, "And I won't lie, it's so hot when he does." Xie Lian's face burned crimson as if caught red handed. "You think so too???", he whispered back excitedly, glancing at their husbands some distance behind them. "I didn't want to think of it like that, but it really is."