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Blood dripped onto the marble floors from the blade held lazily in the man’s pale hand, matching the rouge of his long robes. As he walked, the silver butterfly-shaped charms on his boots jingled. His long black hair was tangled and sticky with blood. A wicked smirk played on his lips, and his one visible eye gleamed dark and sinister.
Beside him, another man walked, his face blank and hands held neatly behind his back. His once-white robes were stained dark with blood. Around his neck, a dark band—seemingly inked into his skin—stood out starkly against his flesh.
Xie Lian sighed, turning to look at Hua Cheng.
Surrounded by bloodied bodies, they stood before the grand hall.
Hua Cheng glanced around before turning back to Xie Lian. "I will finish off these low-lifes, if His Highness would like to proceed alone?" There was a question in his voice, a moment of hesitance unfitting for an emperor.
"Yes, I think I will. Please refrain from killing any of the gods." Xie Lian responded, offering him a small smile. He placed a hand on the other man’s forearm, giving a reassuring squeeze before letting go. Then he made his way up the stairs of the grand hall.
The hall was silent, the only sound his footsteps moving farther into the building. At the end of the hall, a figure sat on a golden throne.
"So nice of the prodigy child to make an appearance after all these years." His voice echoed through the vacant hall.
Behind Xie Lian, dozens of footsteps moved into the hall as the gods gathered around. Whispers filled the room, but Xie Lian remained quiet for a moment longer. Then, finally, he spoke.
"And whose fault is that, exactly? I am fairly certain it is not mine."
Jun Wu’s face darkened, and the whispers died down, replaced by a tense silence. Their gazes flickered to the dark band wrapped around Xie Lian’s neck—a reminder and a curse.
"Jun Wu," Xie Lian began, his voice steady. "Would you like to tell all of them…" He gestured at the gods standing behind him. "...about what really happened during the war, or shall I?"
Jun Wu’s eyes flashed at his words. He stood from his throne but did not descend, instead staring down at Xie Lian with cold authority.
From outside the hall, screams flooded the air, sending shivers down the spines of those present. Jun Wu and Xie Lian held each other’s gaze, unflinching.
"And would you like to explain to them why you decided to drag along the biggest instigator of said war into Heaven?" Jun Wu snarled, his voice dripping with contempt.
Xie Lian scoffed, shaking his head. "The biggest instigator is standing right in front of them. Correct me if I’m wrong—though I’m fairly certain I’m not—but are you or are you not the one who sent spies into the demon realm first?"
Some of the crowd gasped.
Xie Lian continued, crossing his arms. "Regardless, that is not my reason for being here. But while we’re on the topic of spies, how curious it is that one of them is standing behind me right now."
People around the hall turned to look behind Xie Lian, while he remained perfectly still, not bothering to confirm what he already knew.
Jun Wu’s face flushed red with anger. "You have the nerve to stand here and lie to the heavenly officials, as well as to accuse them of such sins? You have no proof to back up your baseless claims."
Murmuring filled the hall as the gods turned to one another, speculating in hushed voices. Then, abruptly, the murmurs stopped when a loud metallic bang echoed through the space. Everyone turned toward the sound.
One of the gods had been trying to slip out unnoticed, but his hairpiece had fallen, clattering against the marble floor. Now he stood frozen, not daring to move.
Without turning around, Xie Lian smirked up at Jun Wu. "Lord Jing Wen, why don’t you stay a bit longer? If you leave now, you’ll miss the best part."
Then he turned, his light footsteps the only sound in the grand hall as he walked toward the motionless figure. The crowd parted for him, opening a path. He stopped a few feet away and waited.
There was a long silence before Jing Wen finally spoke.
"Ah, I cannot say that I’ve missed you, Your Highness." Sarcasm dripped from his voice.
Xie Lian stood perfectly still, his gaze unwavering. "Right back at you. How sad it is that you’ve become a pawn in his game."
Jing Wen turned, mouth opening to retort, but Xie Lian raised a hand to stop him. His smile was unkind, almost mocking. "You don’t have to try and deny it. I remember how awful of a liar you are, Jing Wen. How is your father, by the way?"
At that, Jing Wen lunged forward, hand flying to his sword. But before he could reach Xie Lian, he was yanked backward, a blade pressed against his throat.
Hua Cheng stood between them, his grip ironclad on Jing Wen’s robes. When he spoke, it was more of a growl. "Keep your dirty hands off him, or you will never be able to use them again."
The crowd backed away in fear, pressing against the walls.
Jing Wen struggled, but Hua Cheng didn’t budge—not until Xie Lian placed a hand on his shoulder. Reluctantly, he let go, and Jing Wen collapsed to the floor with a heavy thud.
Jun Wu scoffed. "Xie Lian, must you bring your little pet with you everywhere? How embarrassing for the emperor of the demon realm to be following around a powerless god."
Hua Cheng rolled his eyes and strode toward the throne without hesitation, blade at his side. "More embarrassing than sending spies into my territory and having them caught by that powerless god? I’ll gladly follow His Highness around if it means pissing you off."
Xie Lian followed, stopping at the base of the platform beside Hua Cheng. Now that the two emperors stood face to face, the energy in the hall darkened further. The remaining gods edged toward the exit.
"I’m not sure His Highness is the proper title for Xie Lian. He is no longer a prince nor a heavenly official, after all," Jun Wu mocked.
Hua Cheng’s grip on his blade tightened, his knuckles whitening.
"You know…" Jun Wu began, descending the steps slowly, his robes trailing behind him. His eyes remained fixed on Xie Lian, ignoring the man beside him. "...it would do you good to remember what your mother taught you about loyalty."
Xie Lian sneered.
"Do not speak of my mother. I show loyalty to those who deserve it—those who earn it. People who lie, deceive, and kill the ones who trust them deserve nothing of the sort." His voice was a snarl as he stepped forward.
Jun Wu laughed, though it sounded more like a scoff. "How hypocritical of you. The man standing next to you has done all three of those things, yet you trust him?"
Xie Lian shook his head in disbelief. "It is you I recall deceiving my kingdom for decades, acting as if you cared for them—for us. It was you who destroyed my kingdom, my people, while I could do nothing but watch. It was you who killed my parents. You have no right to speak of loyalty, not when you know nothing of it yourself."
The crowd gasped behind him. Xie Lian’s nails dug into his palms hard enough to draw blood. "You would have to be very ignorant to believe I wouldn’t have figured out it was you."
He said the last part quietly, just loud enough for the three of them to hear.
Hua Cheng reached over and took Xie Lian’s wrist, pressing his thumb gently into the pressure point there—a silent comfort.
Xie Lian didn’t acknowledge it, his gaze locked onto Jun Wu, now only ten feet away.
Jun Wu stared back, an amused smile curling his lips.
"Ah, what a shame it was," he mused. "The king and queen wouldn’t have died so early, had they not cared so deeply for their wayward son and their embarrassment of a kingdom."
The entire room fell dead silent, his voice echoing through the hall.
Jun Wu descended the final steps, his footsteps ringing in the stillness, and stopped less than two feet from them.
Hua Cheng stepped in front of Xie Lian, shielding him as he met Jun Wu’s gaze.
The air around them churned, swirling violently, their hair whipping in the sudden wind. Neither flinched. The rest of the hall seemed to fade from view.
Then, the wind quieted, leaving only silence.
Jun Wu tilted his head mockingly. "Shall we, boys?"
There was a pause.
Then Hua Cheng raised a single, pale finger—and blades flew.
In the blink of an eye, Jun Wu’s body was clad in gleaming armor, the blades clinking harmlessly against it. A white mask now covered his face, its carved smile wicked and cruel.
(Flashback: 800 Years Prior)
The masked man stood over the king and queen, their bodies sprawled on the floor near their thrones. Royal blood stained the ground around him. He stepped into it, uncaring of the crimson soaking his white shoes.
Leaning down, he stared into the eyes of the king he had once served. Then, without hesitation, he plunged his blade into the man’s chest and watched the life drain from his face.
(Present Day)
The moment Xie Lian saw the mask, recognition flashed across his face. He remembered—too clearly—the way it had been worn as his parents were slaughtered before him while he stood frozen, helpless.
Hua Cheng continued his assault, blades flying toward Jun Wu’s armored form.
Xie Lian and Jun Wu locked eyes.
In unison, they drew their swords and lunged.
The metallic clang of their blades colliding rang through the air.
Xie Lian’s voice was steady, cold. "You may be the ruler of Heaven, have millennia of experience under your belt, but there is one thing you will never have."
A pause. Then—
"Trust."
The dark band around Xie Lian’s neck began to glow—brighter, brighter—until his face was bathed in crimson light.
For the first time, Jun Wu’s expression showed genuine fear.
(Flashback: 800 Years Prior)
Xie Lian knelt on the cold marble, head bowed, his hair shielding his face.
Jun Wu’s voice was merciless. "Let this serve as a reminder…"
With a flick of his wrist, Xie Lian’s head was wrenched back, forcing him to look up.
"...that I made you what you are. And I have the power to take it away."
A swirl of black energy shot forward, slamming into Xie Lian’s neck. He choked back a scream as the darkness coiled around his throat like a serpent, crushing, burning.
Jun Wu watched, smiling faintly as Xie Lian’s agonized cries filled the hall.
(Present Day)
The band around Xie Lian’s neck snapped.
Golden light erupted from his body, so bright it forced the whirlwind around them to dissipate. The grand hall came back into view.
Jun Wu’s mask began to crack.
The remaining gods watched, wide-eyed, as Hua Cheng now stood behind Jun Wu, twirling his blade lazily. His own dark energy swirled with Xie Lian’s, merging into a pale gray shimmer that encased the three of them in a dome.
Jun Wu’s armor trembled, the rattling metal nearly drowning out Xie Lian’s voice.
"You once told me that you made me who I am," Xie Lian said. "And that is true. You taught me who I would never want to be. But you were wrong about one thing."
The ground beneath them shook, cracks spiderwebbing through the marble.
"You never had as much power over me as you thought."
Jun Wu was trapped—surrounded.
Hua Cheng stepped forward, gripping his blade. In the seam between Jun Wu’s armor, he drove the weapon deep.
Jun Wu didn’t flinch.
The mask shattered.
Hua Cheng leaned in, his voice a whisper.
"See you in Hell."
Then, in unison, he and Xie Lian stepped back—just as the floor gave way beneath Jun Wu.
He fell, disappearing into the clouds below the heavens.
Silence.
Then—
Hua Cheng scoffed, grabbing Xie Lian’s arm.
In a swirl of silver butterflies, they were gone.