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Xie Lian still had the patterns of royalty in him, but it was deeply buried. Occasionally something would trigger a memory but it felt so distant. It was someone else's life not his. It was a strange feeling then sometimes when he came to spend as much time in ghost city and paradise manor to be thrust back into a similar role.
He had taken up the mantle of watching over ghost city while Hua Cheng had been reconstituting himself but it wasn't as if he lived there or even took a leadership role. He saw the power vacuum that San Lang had alluded to once he and Yin Yu weren't around to look after the place. It required him to step in a few times to monitor the gambling and commerce when something truly outrageous happened. A few rising stars among powerful ghosts tried to slip in too.
Xie Lian first heard from one of the more mobile street vendor ghosts that a particularly troublesome spirit had risen from the ranks of repeat customers. He tried to throw his weight around in the gamblers den, exerting his will over the attendants who served Hua Chengzhu.
Xie Lian stole into the city to see to it personally. He shrouded himself from sight and watched as the ghost made lazy revolutions of the floor adding to bets and bullying patrons. He would pester the staff and they would skirt around him until he got aggressive. After a few passes Xie Lian had enough. He got a twinge of foresight and slipped up onto the curtained dais. He sucked in a shuddering breath as the empty throne loomed before him in the shadowed space.
That seat should have been filled. His regal ghost king should have been lounging upon it. The last time he had been here Xie Lian hadn't known him other than by his time with San Lang and his reputation as the fearsome scourge of the heavens. Xie Lian finally took a step forward, he knew it would be alright to do as he planned, but it felt unearned. He reached out a hand and reverently caressed the ornate wooden back. He ran his fingers down the black varnished surface, feeling the contours and trying with all his might to glean some wisp of contact. He held his breath, grasping for a hint that his San Lang had been here.
The dynamic of the sound changed behind him in the gambling hall making him look up. He whispered a hasty apology to the throne and sat down, arranging himself into a regal posture, one he hadn't needed in many lifetimes.
The curtain swished open with the swipe of a thick hand. Xie Lian heard the hushed anxiety from behind him; the room chattering out warnings about some trap left by their absent king.
The usurper thought himself clever for making his move having watched the empty dais for months. He waved the naysayers off with a hearty laugh as he turned. The ghoul froze mid step.
Xie Lian snapped his fingers and a light poured down over the throne. The interloper was left in darkness. Xie Lian stared at the intruder with a mild, impassive, expression.
"What business do you have here?" He asked. "I did not request company."
The man's monstrous face contorted into indignance bordering on rage. "Who the fuck are you?"
"I am the caretaker of this city."
"Bullshit." The ghoul stepped into the space, letting the curtain drop. "Hua Chengzhu is dead, gone. No one but me has had the guts, the strength, to fill the void."
Xie Lian managed to keep his face from shifting at the word "dead", as if it didn't twist his guts into knots. As if it didn't make his eyes well with grief.
"Ghost City has been managing," Xie Lian said as he leaned back with a languid air. Even if he no longer felt connection to his origins his body remembered the posture. "I felt no need to step in. But this." He gestured around the curtained off space with one hand. "This is not for you. You've imposed enough as it is."
"You're nothing but someone's toy that snuck in to play." The ghoul stormed forward making as if to attack and drag Xie Lian from the seat.
He was arms length away, when with a calm whisper of command, Ruoye slipped around his ankles and drug him off his feet, slamming hard to the floor at Xie Lian's feet. The more he struggled the more the coil tighten.
Xie Lian leaned forward to speak to the ball of rage, curses and spit writhing around on the ground. "I'm afraid your fun has come to an end. I am giving you this chance to leave peacefully, under your own power. You should take what dignity you have and go."
Xie Lian stood and placed a foot on the man's bound side. With a firm but unharmful push he shoved the parcel forward rolling through the curtain to tumble down the dais steps.
The room collectively gasped, a strange and unpracticed sound from many throats that no longer needed air.
Ruoye unraveled and slithered back to Xie Lian in a blink. While he had a moment without eyes on him Xie Lian steadied himself. He could wield this brand of authority on occasion but it drained him.
Just outside the ghoul scrabbled to his feet with a snarl. He raged at anyone too close and took a moment before charging at the curtain.
Xie Lian used a hand sign and sent a surge of air forward to throw open the cloth and meet the charging intruder full force in the chest. The impact sent him tumbling backwards like he was a doll of straw.
"Grand-Uncle!" The first of the ghosts to recognize Xie Lian cried out happily and soon others joined in. The crumpled, snarling man got up again, this time staying wisely in place, looking around, confused.
"This fucker has been trying to take over for Hua Chengzhu!"
"You came back to us!"
"Make this imposter pay!"
"Kick him out"
"Can we help? Grand-Uncle shouldn't get his hands dirty."
Xie Lian almost slipped into a bashful expression with the onslaught of praise.
"It's good to see everyone," he said, waving a hand at the lot as he walked calmly down from the dais. "I'm sorry if you were troubled for long."
He focused his attention on the now appropriately threatened ghost. "I have my doubts that you will behave if I grant you another chance."
The ghoul spat on the ground and crawled to his feet once more. He was still angling for a fight but this time at least had the sense to size the other man up. "Sleazy. Ambusher. Fight me like a man. You're a pretty boy with some tricks." He bared his teeth and stepped into a wide stance, clenching his fists.
Xie Lian sighed and raked a hand down his face. "If we must. But I insist we go outside. There's no reason to damage the place."
A cheer went up from the surrounding local ghosts and immediately started ushering the two contestants, one with rowdy reverence and the other with shoves. Xie Lian couldn't help but chuckle to himself. San Lang really did construct quite a peculiar little family here despite denying it at every turn. You didn't get this kind of enthusiasm and loyalty from your constituents without being a just and well liked leader.
The rabble spread out leaving the challenger alone in a circle of onlookers. Xie Lian moved into position on the other side of the ring.
"We get to see Grand-Uncle play!"
"Hua Chengzhu would be mad at us for making him fight!"
"Shhh. Just this once!"
Xie Lian tried not to betray his amusement as he settled in, waiting for the ghoul to start their match. He didn't bother getting into any kind of readying stance. There wasn't any point.
"No ambushing! No tricks!" The ghoul snarled. "We'll see what a skinny little fool you are when you face your betters."
Xie Lian rolled his eyes and waited, ignoring the uproar from the crowd.
The ghost stomped his feet and stretched out his limbs, calling out taunts. When Xie Lian didn't react in the slightest the ghoul's face contorted further into rage at being so ignored and said as much.
Xie Lian had spent much of his 800 years waiting, and he was waiting for his San Lang to come home, this sorry creature wasn't capable of making him rush. So he waited.
Finally after snarling and pacing, and reacting to the taunting crowd calling him a coward, the ghoul charged.
Xie Lian stepped out of the way.
His opponent skidded to a halt almost running into the wall of onlookers and spun back. He hurled insults followed by a second charging approach.
Xie Lian thought it was almost charming how he tried to feint that charge into a lumbering punch. Xie Lian stepped aside for that too.
He had to admit there was something nice about being able to engage in a fight, albeit a sorely mismatched one, where he wouldn't be able to easily kill the other. As long as the ghoul's ashes remained, even if Xie Lian disbursed him it would not be his end.
With that in mind he let the next attempted punch land. The ghoul swung back once more aiming for Xie Lian's head but Xie Lian moved just enough to take the hit to the shoulder. The other man looked triumphant for half a moment before Xie Lian used the proximity to sweep his legs, knocking the man on his back.
The ghost rabble roared with excitement, bouncing and cheering. The noise sent Xie Lian's opponent into a further frenzy. He snarled and lashed out. Then Xie Lian would slam him to the earth. After a few more rounds of this Xie Lian thought it had begun to border on mean and decided to end things.
He had spent enough time in his early years performing and wanted to grant the beleaguered ghost audience a bit of a show for their support and their continued loyalty to Hua Cheng.
He finally took up a stance and let the fuming ghost dance around like they were actually fighting. He traded a few mild hits to build suspense. It let the ghoul regain a bit of cockiness and he grinned maniacally.
It was slightly a shame that all he knew how to do was strike out with his fists in exactly one way. Xie Lian had to come up with something flashy as a finisher but there wasn't much to work with. When the ghoul pulled back once more and let loose Xie Lian caught his hand. The man may as well have punched a wall. Xie Lian didn't budge and all of the force that had been exerted rebounded back through that beefy arm.
It shattered. Or at least what was inside did. The ghoul howled and stumbled backwards cradling the limp arm dangling from his shoulder.
"Sorry about this. But i wont have you suffer too much. You can come back once you've reformed, if you learn to mind yourself."
Xie Lian took a step forward and spun catching the ghost in the chest with a precise fist. It sent his body upwards just enough for the god-prince and steward of ghost city to finish his revolution and punch down spiking the limp form into the ground with a cacophonous explosion of cobblestone and dust.
The onlookers were momentarily stunned, but broke into riotous cheers when a small beige ghost flame flickered up out of the shallow crater.
"Off you go," xie lian said, kneeling down to speak to the little flame at its level. It hovered for a moment then flickered with what looked like indignance and zipped off and out of sight.
The enthusiastic crowd flooded around Xie Lian chattering and praising. He went back inside with his mismatched entourage and made his way to the dais.
"Anything you need! Ask and we'll be there!"
"Hua Chengzhu will be so impressed when he comes back!"
"We'll fix the street don't worry grand-uncle!"
Xie Lian gave them a warm smile. "If you have trouble again please call for me." And he slipped quietly back through the curtains.
Exuberant chatter resumed in the gambling den. Rounds were paid for and wagers cast.
Xie Lian let it fade out as he returned to taking in the empty space. He stood for a few long moments before sitting back down on the black throne. He didn't sit like it's owner this time. He curled up between its sturdy arms, pulling his legs in tight and leaning his shoulder against the back.
He stayed like that for an indeterminate time. Occasionally he felt tears well up, but mostly he talked in barely audible whispers. He fiddled with the gleaming ring around his neck and told San Lang about everything that had happened in his world, how people were faring, and finally about the ghoul.
"I'll keep it safe for you. They're a good bunch really. But they miss you too. And you are far more suited to this than I. I'd like to stay here with you, so I can see you acting the king you are. I want to see all of your sides, all of the pieces of you. So please come back soon."
He didn't keep track of how long he stayed.
But after that he found there was always one or two ghosts taking up residence at puqi shrine to sweep and tend to it.
Written by a human in Ellipsus.