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The waves rhythmically crashed onto the shore, the foam lingering like blood on steel. This was where He Xuan told him (upon offering to forgive 10 % of his debt) where the fish yaoguai decompresses this time of year. From a single glance this creatures could whisper promises of gifting you your heart’s greatest desire, disarming whatever wandering soul swam by along enough to become dinner. At least, that’s what the prostrating sailor told him when asking forgiveness for his “carelessness,” allowing several scrolls detailing news of his highness’s last location resting with the bones of all but one of the previous crewmembers.
Hence why Hua Cheng was here, alone on the shore with beeswax in his ears serving as protection from the songs of the damned. He had a personal score to settle.
In the corner of his eye, a half white half black mass rose, half covered by a moss-covered boulder, water droplets dripping off its hair, as it took a step forward. Hua Cheng lazily grabbed E-Ming’s hilt, when the creature flicked its hair back and smiled.
Hua Cheng froze.
He started to think that sailor lied about what method he used to protect himself, and was tempted to spirit himself away to deal with that useless trash, because he knew what that thing in front of him was and yet-
“Did you miss me?” Xie Lian asked.
“No poet could convey how much.” Hua Cheng, reflexively said. He couldn’t lie to him.
“Wu Ming-“ Xie Lian took a step forward, “my little soldier-“ Hua Cheng sqeezed E-Ming like a lifeline, “little Hong-er-” the useless blade shed a tear, “I’m so proud of you.” His eyes sparkled, robes glowing in the pale moonlight, “ Look at you. So regal, so strong and so handsome,“ it eyed Hua Cheng like a snack before catching a glimpse of Hua Cheng’s sword, a wary expression coming and going within a blink, “Could you come here and kiss me?”
Hua Cheng’s vision blurred, it had been 500 years, and yet how easy it was for his heart to fall back into that weak, helpless child, “Only if you answer a question first. So I know it’s gege.” It was impossible, but his foolish heart couldn’t help but hope.
“Of course,” his smile twitched before declaring a slightly irritated, “anything for you.”
“Years ago, we were in the temple, with Bai Wuxiang” Hua Cheng said as calmly as he could, with Xie Lian looking at him with a neutral expression, “ he trapped you in there with a crowd of people, threw down a sword and said killing you would save them from getting Human face disease. What happened…?”
It was cruel, to use his highness’s pain for this but-
“I killed Bai Wuxiang,” “Xie Lian” happily said, “picked up the sword and stabbed him into chunks of meat before anyone could lay a finger on me.”
It could only tell him what he wished.
With a flick of his wrist, Hua Cheng slashed its throat, closing his eye and squeezing his blade hard enough to draw blood when he heard a human scream. When only the sound of waves could be heard, he opened his eye to glance at the carapace below him. Its blue-green tail converged at its knees each fin crooked as it lay lifeless on the sand, the face of Hua Cheng’s beloved mercifully replaced by black eyed, nose-less, gaping piranha tooth mouth.
Hua Cheng stood over the yaoguai as it turned to ash, congealing until it blended into the sand, and for a brief moment, he wished to join it in the dark water, before lifelessly rolling the dice to head back to Paradise Manor.