Chapter Text
…Huh?! Feng Xin, why are you yelling "seize him" like they're in medieval times? Sure, this was an ancient period, but there was no need to start ordering them around like a king beheading a jester! What was next, was he going to demand they save the princess?!
Veiled in darkness, the figure took a step forward. The firelight revealed his identity and it was-
Mu Qing, as expected.
Shen Yuan let out a breath, looking between the two of them before turning back to Feng Xin. "It's just Mu Qing."
He just told you this, Feng Xin! Why would they need to seize him? It wasn't like he got replaced or something! Really, that would just be-
Oh.
Maybe it wasn't Mu Qing. Thinking back on it, hadn't Mu Qing been acting strangely ever since they reunited? He'd barely spoken a word to anybody and had been acting extremely shifty. And it would make perfect sense for him to suddenly be replaced during a high stress situation...
Feng Xin strode over at once, grabbing Xie Lian by the sleeve before catching Shen Yuan by the sleeve as well, pulling both of them a step behind him.
"I was searching for people in the Heavenly Capital, and I was doing just fine! But then, out of nowhere, someone struck me from behind. Why else would I have fallen?"
"He was the one who struck you?" Xie Lian asked.
"It was him, without a doubt!" Feng Xin said with absolute certainty.
"And you were knocked out instantly?" Shen Yuan asked.
"Basically!" Feng Xin replied. "In any case, watch out for him! Don't let him near you! Or better yet, just seize him outright!"
"Bullsh-"
"Wait," Shen Yuan interrupted before Mu Qing could get any farther. He tapped Zhishi against his palm. "If he ambushed you from behind and you were knocked out immediately afterward, how do you know Mu Qing was the one who did it?"
Even though Mu Qing had been acting strangely, there was still the off-chance something else might have happened to cause that. After all, hadn't Jun Wu had a private talk with him? Shen Yuan knew personally how weird the guy was, so it would only make sense that Mu Qing would be put off.
[ Protagonist Satisfaction Points increased! +10 G-Points! ]
Feng Xin clearly hadn't expected the question, his mouth opening before shutting again. Mu Qing scoffed.
"The Heavenly Capital was ablaze and completely chaotic at the time. For all you know, anyone could have hit you. But, as usual, you're trying to dump your mess on me. Can't you just admit you're wrong?"
Tone dark, Feng Xin insisted, "No, it was definitely you!"
"Do you have any proof to back that up?" Mu Qing demanded.
"It was because the Heavenly Capital was ablaze," Feng Xin said. "There was fire everywhere, and the person behind me cast a shadow on the ground. Even though I didn't get a chance to look behind me, I saw the silhouette when I fell and the way it moved when it attacked. That was your shadow!"
Shen Yuan glanced down at the flickering shadows stretching across the cavern floor, curious. Could somebody really recognize another person from that alone?
As the two exchanged verbal blows, he looked toward Xie Lian, only to find Xie Lian watching the pair with a troubled expression.
Mu Qing still wouldn't back down.
"All this talk, but you still didn't see anything clearly. It's normal for shadows to distort reality. You think you can prove that I attacked you with nothing but a shadow as evidence? There's no way you saw enough to identify me in the moment before you blacked out!"
"You know that I can identify you with ease," Feng Xin said. "His Highness knows it too, and probably his Majesty as well."
Xie Lian gave a small nod. He did know that. The three of them had grown up and cultivated together. They couldn't have been more familiar with each other's appearances and attack styles. None of them would need to see the others' faces to identify them. As for Shen Yuan… Yeah, he was practically useless here.
"Your Highness, your Majesty, you three came here together?" Feng Xin questioned, his gaze shifting to Shen Yuan as well this time. "Did he do anything suspicious on the way?"
"Um..." Xie Lian hesitated.
Shen Yuan rubbed the back of his neck. "Nothing that proved he wasn't himself. He was...quiet."
"Quiet?" Feng Xin repeated.
Shen Yuan simply shrugged.
"Think about it,” Feng Xin said. “It's suspicious that he even came to begin with. Is he the kind of person who'd put himself in danger to rescue anyone? Is that even Mu Qing?"
Mu Qing's face darkened. "Don't speak in such absolutes. It's hardly plausible for you to have sired a son, yet here we are."
"..."
Xie Lian could tell this was headed in a bad direction, so he swiftly intervened. "Alright, don't argue. Keep it up and we'll have to train idioms to calm down."
Unfortunately, that didn’t seem to help the situation in the slightest.
"Besides," Mu Qing continued, "if I was the one who knocked you out, why would I go through the trouble of luring them here to find you?"
"Because you didn't think that I could identify you after you struck me from behind!" Feng Xin shot back. "And who knows where the hell this place even is! When you lured his Highness and the others here, your goal might not have been to find me. Crimson Rain Sought Flower got separated from you on the way, didn't he?"
"Are you saying I'm an impostor who deliberately lured His Highness and the others into a trap? Well, sorry, His Majesty, His Highness, and Crimson Rain Sought Flower have been with me the entire time. There's no way they wouldn't have noticed."
"That's true..." Shen Yuan admitted, frowning.
But that was only true for Mu Qing en route. What if he wasn't replaced until after they entered the underground palace? Ahh, now he wasn't sure anymore!
Mu Qing turned toward them again, his expression hard.
"Your Highness, your Majesty, I think you'd better stay away from him. After all, he's been lying there since we came. Crimson Rain Sought Flower is nowhere to be seen, and now he's trying to tear us apart. Don't you think he's the one acting more like an impostor?"
White No-Face had disguised himself as them before. He could certainly do so again.
"Can you stop accusing each other of being fake for five minutes?" Shen Yuan said, pinching the bridge of his nose. At this rate, they were going to come to the conclusion that everybody was an impostor!
[ Protagonist Satisfaction Points increased! +10 G-Points! ]
Xie Lian rubbed his forehead. "How about this? Why don't you two say something that only the four of us would know? That way, we can verify everyone's identity."
“Like what?” Mu Qing asked.
Yeah, like what, Xie Lian?
After giving it a moment of thought, Xie Lian asked casually, “What were you two screaming about on top of the snowy mountain?”
Mu Qing and Feng Xin’s faces froze, and Shen Yuan only grew more confused. Xie Lian tucked his hands into his sleeves.
“If your answers don’t match, it means one of you isn’t the real deal. We can move on after we’ve sorted this out.”
Oh! That made sense. Shen Yuan was wondering how them saying what they were talking about would prove they were real, since neither Shen Yuan or Xie Lian knew what was being said.
The pair exchanged looks of dismay, and neither said a word. At first Shen Yuan hadn’t been all that curious about what they’d said, but now he couldn’t help wanting to know. They were being so secretive!
Moments passed, and Feng Xin still didn’t answer the question. “You’re all missing the point,” he said instead. “I never said I think he’s an impostor.”
Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow. “Then what were you saying?” Because it really did seem like he was saying Mu Qing was an imposter!
“From the beginning, I’ve thought he’s the real Mu Qing. He can’t stand any of us, so I’m not surprised he pulled something like this,” Feng Xin said bluntly.
Mu Qing’s hands clenched into fists, his knuckles cracking. Then he raised his open palm, ready to strike! The wounded Feng Xin barely dodged the blow, and the two of them began to brawl in earnest. Although Shen Yuan had expected this, he still sighed. Could they not go a few minutes without fighting?
Xie Lian tried to mediate. “Calm down... Why don’t we train some idioms, hmm?”
As they traded blows, Shen Yuan could sense that the murderous aura surrounding them was intensifying. Several haphazardly thrown fireballs brightened the entire chamber, and only then did Shen Yuan see that there were shelves all around that were stacked high with a collection of sabers, spears, swords, and other such weapons. The arms emitted an ominous, chilling air.
“An armory…?” he muttered, eyebrows drawn together.
Xie Lian turned away from the fight, looking around them. He frowned.
“I used to have an armory like this…” he muttered, and Shen Yuan looked at him.
“You did?” He never expected that, though he supposed it made sense. Xie Lian was a crown prince, of course he had an armory at some point.
Xie Lian nodded. “It had been very dear to my heart, and I’d often lose track of time while visiting it. But this…” He shook his head. “I don’t want to stay here another minute.”
Shen Yuan nodded in agreement. He understood why exactly. This armory was pretty, yes, but it also filled him with a strange, intense dread. Still, they didn’t know whose words to trust at the moment, so he wasn’t sure which side to help. Truth be told, they’d both been acting very suspicious!
Shen Yuan and Xie Lian shared a look, and it seemed they both had an agreement on their next plan of action.
“Ruoye!” Xie Lian called out.
They’d bind them both first and talk after!
Ruoye had been waiting for an opportunity to show off and leapt at this chance. Yet before the white silk band could shoot forth, Shen Yuan sensed another chill from behind him.
Xie Lian sensed it as well and the direction of his attack changed in an instant as he caught Ruoye and swung it behind. The moment he felt the white silk band catch on to something, Xie Lian seized it and yanked forcefully. However, whatever it had caught didn’t move.
Dread washed over Shen Yuan, and the next moment, Xie Lian was yanked backward by the other end of the silk band.
Shen Yuan jumped to turn around and attack, and was quickly left dumbfounded by what he saw.
Xie Lian was standing back to chest with none other than Hua Cheng! Then, he even had the nerve to put his hand around Xie Lian’s waist!
“Gege, it’s me,” Hua Cheng murmured, a smile on his face as he looked down at Xie Lian, though the latter was unable to see it.
“San Lang?” Xie Lian asked.
It was clear to see what had happened. Ruoye had dragged him to Hua Cheng’s side on purpose. He’d essentially been fighting them two-against-one, so of course it had been easy to yank him over.
Steadying himself, Xie Lian was left speechless as he picked Ruoye up. Eventually, he managed to mutter at it, “You little traitor...”
Ruoye lay unmoving, wisely playing dead. Xie Lian shook his head as he tossed it aside.
Shen Yuan, however, wasn't satisfied in the slightest. "Hua Cheng, where's Pei Ming and everyone else?"
As if to answer his question, the System spoke up:
[ Pei Ming Approval Points increased! +10 G-Points! ]
"Not sure about the others, but I’m right here."
Shen Yuan looked almost instantly.
Pei Ming emerged from behind Hua Cheng at an unhurried pace, as though he'd simply been letting the Ghost King go first. His robes bore fresh tears here and there, but he looked otherwise unharmed as he stood next to Shen Yuan.
Shen Yuan couldn’t help but sigh in relief. Good, he’d thought something happened to him! Not because it was gay, but just because it was normal to be concerned! He would’ve been concerned for anybody in his position!
Pei Ming raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms with an amused expression. “What, did you not believe I could handle myself?”
“Yeah, because of me!” Rong Guang spoke up from where the sword hung on Pei Ming’s waist. “You’d be sleeping with the fishes if it weren’t for me!”
Pei Ming sighed, and Shen Yuan fanned himself. “I’m glad to see you’re alright.”
[ Pei Ming Approval Points increased! +10 G-Points! ]
[ Protagonist Approval Points increased! +10 G-Points! ]
Ah, what was with them! There was nothing wrong with wishing someone else to be well! He quickly changed the subject.
“Where are the other two?” Although Pei Ming and Hua Cheng were both okay, who knew about Airplane or Mei Nianqing?
“This place is very strange,” Hua Cheng said. “The path sealed itself when we reached the halfway point, both ahead of us and behind us. Then we bumped into something a little difficult, so taking care of it took some time.”
Shen Yuan winced slightly. If even Hua Cheng said it was a little difficult, it really must have been.
“Are you alright?” Xie Lian asked, concerned.
“Of course,” Hua Cheng said. “But I don’t know where the state preceptor or Tian Yao are now, so we may have to keep going deeper. By the way, what are those two fighting about? So noisy.”
“Ah.” Shen Yuan glanced over. “They’ve just been fighting, same as usual.”
Pei Ming nodded understandingly.
Feng Xin and Mu Qing finally noticed what was going on outside their conflict. They called a temporary truce.
“Hey! Be careful!” Mu Qing shouted. “Don’t casually hang around people who pop out of nowhere!”
“Your Highness,” Feng Xin called out a moment later, “don’t just pounce on him the moment you see him! And your Majesty, please!”
Shen Yuan snorted, and Pei Ming raised an eyebrow, getting a good look at the position Xie Lian and Hua Cheng were in.
Xie Lian hurried to explain himself. “What?! What do you mean by that?! I’m not the one who tackled him! It was Ruoye’s fault…”
He trailed off, and Shen Yuan frowned. Mu Qing and Feng Xin seemed really nervous… They both were suspicious of impostors, so...shouldn’t Hua Cheng and Pei Ming be subject to that same scrutiny?
Were the ones standing before them the real things?
Hua Cheng cocked an eyebrow. “So now you’re all worried whether I’m the real thing, hmm?”
…Well, how did he know that?? You aren’t helping the allegations by saying things you shouldn’t know, Hua Cheng!
Supporting his elbow with one hand and leaning his cheek against the other, Xie Lian began to inspect him seriously. Hua Cheng noticed his gaze and stared back at him.
“...” Met with that stare, Xie Lian could inspect no longer. After a moment of contemplation, he came to a conclusion. He turned back to his other companions.
“I think he’s real.”
“What you think might not be correct,” Mu Qing snapped. “Don’t forget where we are. This is White No-Face’s old lair. Anything is possible. Figure out a way to test him.”
“Well, that’s easy,” Hua Cheng chuckled. “Gege, come here. I’ll tell you a good way that’ll clear up your doubts immediately.”
Thus, Xie Lian stepped over to Hua Cheng, modestly requesting his guidance as he did. “What good way?”
“Can you please not do everything he tells you to do? He’s under suspicion right now, do you understand?!”
Shen Yuan merely rolled his eyes. As if that would ever happen!
“Recite the first half of the verbal password to my communication array, and I’ll tell you the second half,” Hua Cheng said. “Then you’ll know whether I’m the real thing.”
“...”
The two whispered in each other’s ears, then Xie Lian turned around, lightly clearing his throat. “Well...he’s the real thing.”
Feng Xin finally didn’t seem as tense anymore, but Mu Qing was still doubtful. “Are you sure? Don’t lose your marbles the second you look at his face.”
Shen Yuan, on the other hand, had no doubts to begin with. Only Hua Cheng would be so bold as to put his hand around Xie Lian’s waist within a few seconds of seeing each other again!
“I just told you he’s definitely real!” Xie Lian argued. “Why do you two always have to act like I’m some-”
“Alright, that’s over and done with,” Shen Yuan said. He really didn’t want a three-way fight to start! He then turned to Pei Ming and… stared at him, his eyes narrowed.
Pei Ming stared back at him, tilting his head curiously.
For a long while, nothing more was said, and it was beginning to get a bit awkward for all parties involved. Why were they just staring at each other? Was this a new courting method?!
Xie Lian cleared his throat. “Ah… Shen Yuan? What are you doing?”
“Waiting for him to prove himself as well,” Shen Yuan said simply.
Pei Ming blinked. “Was Rong Guang not enough?”
Shen Yuan merely hummed. White No Face had managed to disguise himself as both Mu Qing and Feng Xin at the same time, who’s to say he couldn’t also disguise himself as Pei Ming and his sword?
After a moment of thinking, Pei Ming suddenly snapped his fingers, smiling. “Well, there’s only one thing I can think of that only the two of us know.”
Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow. “And that is?” Please, prove your innocence already, Pei Ming. He was getting tired of all this attention!
“The temple,” Pei Ming said, expression smug.
Almost instantly Shen Yuan felt his face turn red. He nodded quickly, turning his head away as he hid behind his fan. Yep! That did it! This was absolutely Pei Ming! “He’s fine.”
Feng Xin frowned. “What? What temple? How do you know it’s him?”
Shen Yuan rushed to tell them to stop asking questions, but Pei Ming spoke before he could.
“Yes, he’s right,” Pei Ming nodded seriously. “I suppose that isn’t enough proof. I should bring up some other points. Perhaps the ki-”
Shen Yuan hit him with Zhishi, blushing furiously. “There is no need to bring that up! It was necessary to remove the shackle, that is it!”
There was a pause, and Shen Yuan turned to see he was now being stared at by everyone. Great! Please, what was with everyone? Why did everybody in this forsaken world have a staring problem?!
Hua Cheng was staring with a complicated expression. “You removed the shackle?”
Shen Yuan scoffed. There was no need to be so hesitant! “Yes, I did.”
[ Protagonist Satisfaction Points increased! +100 G-Points! ]
Xie Lian sighed, giving a smile. “Ah, that’s a relief… I must admit, I was more than a bit worried about having you here with us.”
Shen Yuan raised an indignant eyebrow, having gone back to covering his face. “Why would you be worried?” He was perfectly capable of handling himself!
However, before Xie Lian could respond, Feng Xin spoke up. “Wait! Are we just going to ignore the fact that you had a shackle? You’re the right hand of the Emperor!”
Mu Qing gave him a look. “Use your brain. Why else would his Majesty have collapsed at the Palace of Divine Might? It makes perfect sense.”
Feng Xin threw his hands up helplessly. “I don’t know! The Emperor was doing a lot of weird stuff, that seemed pretty low on the priority list! I was more focused on thinking of ways to defeat him.”
Shen Yuan merely shook his head. “It doesn’t matter now. It’s gone.”
Though… This did bring up another question.
“Pei Ming,” Shen Yuan said, turning back to the martial god.
The aforementioned martial god tilted his head. “Yes?”
“How did you find out about the shackle? You never did tell me.” Though, it didn’t help that Shen Yuan hadn’t thought to ask. Too much had happened all at once for him to even wonder about that part until now.
Pei Ming’s expression darkened slightly, but it was clear it wasn’t directed to any of them in the room. “I did tell you. You clutched your arm.”
Shen Yuan frowned. That didn’t make much sense at all. Sure, he’d grabbed his arm at the time, but that didn’t mean anything, did it? That was far too big of a leap to make! “Elaborate.”
Pei Ming’s expression was a little pained. “When you held your arm, you dug into the sleeve and-”
“-and you were able to see the shackle,” Shen Yuan finished.
Pei Ming nodded, and Shen Yuan sighed. Of course. Pei Ming had been closest, hadn’t he? Why wouldn’t he have been able to see the shackle?
There was an uncomfortable silence for a bit, as nobody seemed willing to speak up. Eventually, Feng Xin cleared his throat quietly. “I’m sorry.”
Shen Yuan blinked. “Huh?”
“For not knowing,” Feng Xin explained. He looked incredibly uncomfortable, but not in an awkward way. Guilty, maybe? “And for-”
Shen Yuan shook his head as he cut him off. “It’s fine. Nobody knew aside from Jun Wu. There wasn’t any way to know.”
Well, Tian Yao knew as well, but there was no need to sic the wolf that was Pei Ming on him when he wasn’t even there to defend himself.
[ Protagonist Pity Points increased! +10 G-Points! ]
Feng Xin still looked unsure and like he wanted to argue, but ended up simply nodding. It was clear he had more to say on the matter, but understood that now wasn’t the time nor place.
Hua Cheng was who spoke up next, which Shen Yuan was grateful for. No more silences! “Gege, why were those two fighting?”
With one hand over his forehead, Xie Lian gave Hua Cheng a brief rundown. “And that’s about it... To be honest, I really don’t know who’s more suspicious.”
Oh. Right. That. Shen Yuan had forgotten about that whole thing. But, well… He was far more inclined to say that Mu Qing was the imposter now.
“Really? He’s clearly the most suspicious one,” Hua Cheng replied, gesturing in Mu Qing’s direction.
Shen Yuan was glad to know he wasn’t the only one who thought that!
Mu Qing was vexed. “If you’re going to slander me, at least have a reason, alright? Don’t blame me every time something happens.”
“Fine,” Hua Cheng said. “Then let me ask you this. What’s on your wrist?”
At that question, Mu Qing’s face changed color in a flash. He staggered back a few steps, wanting to flee, but Feng Xin was faster and seized him easily.
“Your wrist?”
There, on his wrist, was a cursed shackle.
Veins popping on his forehead, Mu Qing pushed Feng Xin’s hand off him and glared at him furiously.
When Xie Lian saw that thing, he went silent in shock and his arms dropped to his sides. “Mu Qing, your wrist...?”
Pei Ming remained close and not moving once from his spot at Shen Yuan’s side. Although he didn’t say a word, it was clear he wasn’t trusting of this situation in the slightest. Shen Yuan, however, felt only a deep sense of sympathy as he looked at the shackle. That explained what that talk was about with Jun Wu, then.
Mu Qing didn’t reply, and his expression was dark.
“I suggest you respond honestly to the following questions,” Hua Cheng said. “Why did Jun Wu summon you to the Palace of Divine Might? What did he say to you? Why did you receive better treatment than the other heavenly officials, returning unharmed? Why are you behaving so uncharacteristically by volunteering to come to Mount Tonglu to rescue people despite the danger? What is the purpose of that shackle on your wrist? Why did you lure us here?”
Shen Yuan gave him a harsh look. His tone left no room for debate as he said, “Hua Cheng, stop it.”
Mu Qing had just gotten the shackle put on him that day. That wasn’t an easy thing to get used to, no matter the details of the circumstance.
[ Protagonist Pity Points increased! +20 G-Points! ]
Hua Cheng glanced back at him with a frown before turning back to Mu Qing. “Explain yourself.”
“Tell me first, were you the one who struck me?” Feng Xin demanded.
After a pause, Mu Qing finally said through gritted teeth, “Technically...yes, I did. But it’s not what you’re thinking!”
Feng Xin was furious, but Xie Lian had an unreadable expression as he said, “Let him continue.”
Mu Qing inhaled deeply and admitted, “That’s right…I was the one who hurt Feng Xin.”
“I knew it was you!” Feng Xin yelled.
Mu Qing turned to Xie Lian and Shen Yuan. “But it was because the Heavenly Capital was done for! He was still wandering around while everyone else was trying to escape. He refused to leave and wouldn’t listen. If he kept meandering around, he would’ve burned to death in the flames of hell sooner or later. That was why I decided to knock him out and pass him off to you!”
“But you didn’t pass him off to me. Feng Xin went missing and ended up here instead,” Xie Lian said.
“Well, there was a little accident on the way,” Mu Qing said.
Shen Yuan didn’t like the sound of that. “What kind of accident?”
“The fetus spirit,” Mu Qing said. “It ambushed me from behind, bit me and wouldn’t let me go. It refused to let me take him. I didn’t get a chance to grab him before the Heavenly Capital started reshaping itself, so...”
So Feng Xin was somehow moved here, along with the piece of land beneath him. If that was the truth, then Mu Qing had meant to do a good deed, but instead made things worse and screwed Feng Xin over. It was a very awkward situation.
“Why didn’t you tell us this sooner...?” Xie Lian asked.
Feng Xin was dubious. “Are you sure your plan wasn’t to let me burn to death in the Heavenly Capital? To just knock me out and leave me there?”
“Feng Xin, that’s enough,” Shen Yuan snapped. He felt an odd sense of comradery with Mu Qing. Even though he didn’t have his shackle anymore, he had only just gotten rid of it. It hadn’t been long ago at all since he himself had felt helpless and hurt, unsure of what to do against the overpowering being that was Jun Wu.
[ Protagonist Pity Points increased! +15 G-Points! ]
Feng Xin seemed like he wanted to argue, but a look at Shen Yuan’s expression made him shut up. Mu Qing looked immensely relieved and turned to Shen Yuan. “The fetus spirit was crouching on his chest the entire time, and that ghost woman Jian Lan came over eventually too. I figured she would wake Feng Xin or move him instead of just watching him burn to death.”
Now, Shen Yuan understood. Mu Qing had likely come to rescue Feng Xin out of guilt. He was the one who knocked his rival out, after all, so his sense of responsibility made him put in some effort. That would explain why he was so jittery the entire way, he was likely worried that Feng Xin had died.
Feng Xin pulled at his hair madly and seemed to forget Shen Yuan’s scolding in his anger. “What a mess you’ve made! Didn’t you already know I was looking for them? If you didn’t knock me out, maybe I would’ve found them!”
“The fetus spirit and Jian Lan are White No-Face’s subordinates. White No-Face wouldn’t do anything to harm them,” Mu Qing said calmly. “And they didn’t want to go with you, so staying behind was a waste of time. You could call for them a thousand times and it’d be pointless. Why not escape the Heavenly Capital alive first, then find a chance to look for them later? Why did you insist on recognizing your son when the situation was so dire? I simply made the best possible decision for all parties in the moment.”
Feng Xin wasn’t nearly as calm as Mu Qing. “Best possible decision, my ass! You can only say that because it’s not your family! Wait, so you’re saying you were trying to save me by making me leave?”
“That’s enough nonsense,” Hua Cheng cut in. “Just answer my questions. What did Jun Wu say to you?”
Mu Qing went silent. He clearly didn’t want to answer.
Hua Cheng stared at him. “Are you currently under his command?”
“Not at all!” Mu Qing instantly replied.
“Then please explain that cursed shackle,” Pei Ming said. He had been silent for almost this entire time, having let the others take the reins as he kept an eye on their surroundings in case any more unexpected guests arrived.
Mu Qing had been arguing for so long that his mouth had gone dry. A moment later, he croaked, “If I told you...you might not believe me.”
“Anything would be better than nothing,” Shen Yuan said. Please, don’t dig yourself into a deeper hole!
[ Protagonist Pity Points increased! +10 G-Points! ]
“When we asked you earlier, you denied everything left and right. Of course it’s going to be hard to believe you when you admit it now,” Feng Xin said, seemingly trying as hard as he could to keep his voice calm now that he was reminded of Shen Yuan being there.
"You're asking why I kept it to myself?" Mu Qing demanded, offense creeping into his voice. "Because if I'd told you what happened, you wouldn't have believed a word of it! Tell me, who'd willingly admit to something when they've already been judged guilty? I wouldn't even get the chance to explain myself, so what would've been the point?"
Besides, although they were lucky that nothing had happened to Feng Xin, the whole incident was rather embarrassing. Considering Mu Qing’s personality, it made sense that he wouldn’t want to admit to what he’d done.
Shen Yuan simply shook his head. “Mu Qing, please continue explaining the shackle. Feng Xin, don’t interrupt again.”
Feng Xin looked at him like he’d grown a second head. “What? But I-”
“General Nan Yang,” Pei Ming spoke up, his voice firm.
Feng Xin reluctantly crossed his arms. He continued to glare at Mu Qing, but said nothing else.
Shen Yuan nodded in approval. “Thank you.”
[ Pei Ming Approval Points increased! +10 G-Points! ]
Pei Ming flashed a smile.
Mu Qing glanced at Xie Lian, and it took a moment for his words to stagger out with difficulty. “This is...because...he wanted me to harm his Highness. I refused, so...”
At this point, even he felt so uncomfortable that he couldn’t continue.
“So he put a cursed shackle on you in a fit of rage?” Hua Cheng finished for him.
Mu Qing didn’t respond.
There was nothing particularly notable in Hua Cheng’s expression. “Do you honestly believe what you just said?”
“...”
Mu Qing looked absolutely humiliated. “Believe me if you want,” he spat coldly. “There was a misunderstanding about why I knocked Feng Xin out, but I’m not under anyone’s command.”
“Just tell the truth,” Feng Xin muttered under his breath.
When Mu Qing saw his expression, his knuckles cracked. “That is the truth! What did you want to hear? That I surrendered to Jun Wu, and now I’m out to destroy you all? That’s the person everyone thinks I am, right? Your Highness?!”
He gazed at Xie Lian, emotions brimming in his eyes. Xie Lian stared pensively at him for a long time. Just as he was about to speak, Hua Cheng crossed his arms and moved to shield him, staring down Mu Qing.
“There’s no need to glare at his Highness like that,” he said coolly. “After all, you’ve got a bad track record.”
“I didn’t ask you!” Mu Qing countered. “What bad track record?”
Hua Cheng smiled. “What bad track record, you ask? How did your cultivation go after you stole that piece of blessed land from his Highness?”
His smile was laced with frost, and his tone was even nastier. Shocked and mortified, Mu Qing went pale and unintentionally staggered back a few steps.
“You...!”
Shen Yuan ran a hand over his face, suddenly feeling tired. Why couldn’t these people just get along?? Why did everything have to become a big fight?! He was so tired of it!
He felt a hand on his shoulder and startled, turning his face to see Pei Ming’s concerned expression looking back at him. He tilted his head slightly in a silent question.
Shen Yuan simply sighed and nodded his head. Really, your concern is welcome, Pei Ming, but he was fine.
“How do you know about that? Who told you?” Mu Qing questioned, bringing Shen Yuan back to the conversation.
He looked back and forth between Shen Yuan, Feng Xin and Xie Lian, and in the end, his eyes stayed on Xie Lian.
“There’s no need to glare at his Highness or his Majesty. They never tell me these things. You were yelling about it at the top of that snowy mountain. Did you forget?” Hua Cheng jeered.
Mu Qing’s face had gone even paler. When Feng Xin and Mu Qing started going at each other’s throats, they’d often furiously dig out the skeletons in each other’s closets and stop at nothing to air the other’s dirty laundry. They would definitely seize upon ancient messes like that one, hurling them at each other like bombs.
It made sense that hearing what had happened had angered Hua Cheng.
It was a moment before Mu Qing gritted out, “That was then, this is now! And in either case, I never thought of-”
As Mu Qing argued, Xie Lian suddenly gave him a swift one-legged kick and shouted, “Watch out!”
Caught completely off guard, Mu Qing was knocked straight to the ground. Whoosh, whoosh. Two projectiles whizzed past him, trailing sharp, chilling air, and were nailed into the wall. It was a miracle Shen Yuan and Pei Ming had both managed to leap out of the way, or they would’ve been turned into godly shish kabobs!
Mu Qing leapt to his feet and dusted off the footprint on his chest.
“Did you do that on purpose?! Attacking me first?”
“Sorry, sorry. That really wasn’t intentional!” Xie Lian replied, otherwise occupied.
Shen Yuan nodded. If it had been intentional, Mu Qing would’ve been sent crashing into the wall to form a human-shaped hole.
Everyone turned to see two sharp swords impaled in the wall, the blades still vibrating.
“Who’s there?!” Feng Xin shouted.
“There’s no one,” Shen Yuan said. “They moved on their own!”
Clink-clank, chlink-chlunk. A murderous aura exploded from all around them. The weapons hanging on the walls began to shake violently, with so much force that the entire chamber quaked from the clamor.
“Let’s get out of here, quick!” Pei Ming said. Shen Yuan nodded. They had very clearly overstayed their welcome!
Yet when he dashed to where the entrance used to be, Feng Xin shouted, “Why are you running that way?! There’s no way out over there! Where’s the door? This chamber can’t not have a door! How do we get out?”
“There was a door here!” Xie Lian exclaimed. “But it’s gone now! What’s going on with those weapons? Why did their killing intent explode out of nowhere?”
Using only two fingers, Hua Cheng caught a longsword that came flying at him and easily snapped it into nine pieces. The shards scattered across the ground. Shen Yuan rolled his eyes. Aura farmer.
Pei Ming, meanwhile, had already cut down a good bit of the swords that had come after him during the time it had taken Hua Cheng to do that one. Shen Yuan hadn’t even had the chance to defend himself once with his newfound martial abilities before Pei Ming had already destroyed the offending sword.
“It’s been too long since anyone’s used them,” said Hua Cheng, “And they’ve gotten lonely. They get the urge to kill when they sense someone enter. That’s all.”
Feng Xin and Xie Lian unconsciously turned to look at Mu Qing, who immediately cried, “It’s got nothing to do with me!”
Ah, come on, Xie Lian! Shen Yuan thought you were better than this!
“But,” Hua Cheng said, “you’re the one who led us here.”
“I only pointed this path out because I saw the fetus spirit!” Mu Qing countered.
“Only you saw it,” Hua Cheng replied.
Shen Yuan rubbed his nose bridge. “Hua Cheng, drop it. Mu Qing isn’t at fault here, they’ve been going after him as well. Locking himself in here with us would’ve been a death sentence.”
Feng Xin spoke up. “Well, what do we do now? Can’t these weapons calm themselves down?”
Pei Ming scoffed, cutting down yet another sword. “It would take a miracle to calm these things down.”
“It’s possible,” Xie Lian suddenly mumbled. “But...we must let them kill.”
“There’s no exit right now, though,” Feng Xin said. “And there’s only the six of us locked up in here. How do we let them kill? What can they kill?”
Just as Xie Lian was about to speak, Hua Cheng said, “Five of us.”
“What? Five?” Feng Xin questioned.
“Just correcting you, that’s all,” Hua Cheng said. “There are only five of us locked up in here.”
Shen Yuan whipped his head around, and sure enough, Mu Qing, the fourth person, had vanished from the armory! Really and truly! There was nothing but empty air where Mu Qing had stood.
Shen Yuan could only gape. And to think, he had put in so much effort into defending him…!
“How can this be?!” Feng Xin asked, dumbfounded. “He was just standing there!”
Hua Cheng wasn’t surprised, since he had already run into something similar. “We’re in White No-Face’s territory right now. Everything follows his command, and he fears nothing. Of course he can spirit people away as he wishes.”
“...”
Feng Xin hadn’t wholly believed the things he’d accused Mu Qing of, and the sharp words he’d exchanged with his old rival were mostly uttered out of anger. But now, he really didn’t know what to say. It was a long moment before he finally managed, “Your Highness...Mu Qing, he...could he really have...?”
“Let’s not talk about this right now,” Shen Yuan quickly replied. “These weapons are about to riot. We have to think of a way to calm them down. Otherwise, we’ll be chopped to mush!”
With that, Xie Lian pulled Fangxin off his back. However, Hua Cheng resolutely pressed down on his hand.
Xie Lian turned and saw Hua Cheng staring at him intently, expression unreadable.
“Gege, what are you planning to do with that sword?” he asked darkly.
Xie Lian blinked. “I wasn’t planning on doing anything…?”
“Then why did you draw that weapon?” Hua Cheng demanded.
“To...defend myself?” Xie Lian replied.
Hua Cheng’s expression was terrifyingly dark, and he squeezed Xie Lian’s hand harder. “How do you plan on defending yourself? Put that sword down!”
That was the first time Hua Cheng had ever spoken to him in such a tone or worn that kind of expression. It shocked Shen Yuan just as much as it did Xie Lian. Just what was going on??
“Who are you to force him to put down his sword?” Feng Xin said, alarmed. “Let him do what he wants!”
A battle axe hurtled straight at them. Xie Lian raised his blade and slashed with one swift motion, sending the axe flying. “How do I plan on defending myself? Like...this!”
Only then did Hua Cheng’s demeanor and tone relax a little. Still, he didn’t let Xie Lian go. “You don’t need to defend yourself. Just stand behind me. Put the sword down.”
What was Shen Yuan supposed to make of this? That was so incredibly out of character for Hua Cheng. Not even Pei Ming had said anything like Santa when Hua Cheng said that!
While on the move, Feng Xin accidentally stepped on his bow, which was still on the ground. He retrieved it and gripped it in both hands, raising it high to wield like a sword, then batted away a meteor hammer. He glanced their way warily. “What are you doing, grabbing him like that? Are you actually the real thing? Your Highness, are you sure you’re the only one who knows Crimson Rain Sought Flower’s verbal password?”
Shen Yuan simply sighed, keeping his attention on his surroundings. He gave up with these people! He’d thought they’d already moved on from that whole replacement issue!
After a moment of contemplation, Xie Lian replied, “Alright,” and put Fangxin away.
In the next second, the scimitar was unsheathed with a flash of silver light and Pei Ming was pushed back so hard that he fell into Shen Yuan, forcing the latter to hold him upright. Shen Yuan blinked down at him, and Pei Ming blinked up at him. Shen Yuan merely sighed and helped him to stand upright again.
The entire armory shimmered brilliantly the moment Eming emerged. Sparks flew, and the cracking of metal reverberated and echoed nonstop. Shen Yuan, Pei Ming, Xie Lian, and Feng Xin stood motionless and trapped at the center of the chaotic light show, hemmed in by chilling glares and killing aura.
After no more than ten blows, Hua Cheng turned around and re-sheathed his scimitar. Shen Yuan’s gaze moved from Hua Cheng to the ground beneath him.
Eming had slashed hundreds of weapons to pieces…
Xie Lian crouched, picking up two sword fragments. “Those were all such good, rare swords...”
Shen Yuan patted his shoulder sympathetically.
“Your Highness,” Feng Xin spoke up just then. “The door. A new door appeared!”
Shen Yuan turned around as Xie Lian dropped the fragments and stood up. “So we can only leave once we’ve dealt with the weapons?”
Opening the doors should've required the spilling of blood, but Hua Cheng had apparently decided subtlety was optional and simply forced them open.
Just as that thought crossed Shen Yuan's mind, Hua Cheng reached back, caught Xie Lian's hand, and promptly dragged him out the door.
Shen Yuan moved to follow, only to feel another hand slip into his own. He glanced down.
...Pei Ming. Of course.
Shen Yuan stared for a long second.
Pei Ming, just what did you think you were doing?!
Ahead of them, Hua Cheng and Xie Lian walked as though this were the most natural thing in the world, hands comfortably intertwined. Neither of them so much as glanced back.
Good. Excellent. Keep it that way. In fact, don't look back ever again!
After making absolutely certain they weren't about to turn around, Shen Yuan risked the quickest glance over his shoulder.
Feng Xin was several paces behind them, his attention fixed firmly on the pair ahead.
...Did he see? There was no way to tell.
Shen Yuan faced forward again, trying to look natural. No sudden movements.
If he yanked his hand away now, it would look infinitely more suspicious than simply pretending nothing was happening. Exactly. This was a tactical decision. A perfectly reasonable tactical decision. Any sensible person would reach the same conclusion.
His fingers remained exactly where they were.
...Entirely for tactical reasons.
Then Pei Ming's thumb absentmindedly swept across the back of his hand and Shen Yuan's soul nearly left his body.
Tactical his ass!
Without so much as turning his head, he lowered his voice until only Pei Ming could hear.
"Pei Ming."
"Hm?" Pei Ming answered, sounding far too innocent.
Shen Yuan resisted the overwhelming urge to hit him with Zhishi. "Behave yourself."
The corners of Pei Ming's mouth lifted just enough to be noticeable. "I am. I'm only holding your hand."
Shen Yuan fanned himself once with his fan. "...Precisely."
[ Pei Ming Approval Points increased! +20 G-Points! ]
Before Pei Ming could make things even worse for Shen Yuan's rapidly deteriorating composure, Feng Xin's voice cut through the silence.
Seeing Hua Cheng all but radiating murderous intent, he frowned and asked, "What do you plan on doing next?"
“Find Master and Mu Qing, of course,” Xie Lian replied.
“And then, if Mu Qing really surrendered to Jun Wu, I’ll take his shit life,” Hua Cheng stated calmly.
“...”
Shen Yuan, unfortunately, couldn’t come up with a convincing argument in his defense.
The six exited the armory and walked for a while. Shen Yuan hesitated, but in the end, he still asked the question that was nagging at him ever since they left.
“Hua Cheng, did you think Xie Lian was going to stab himself earlier?”
He wasn’t sure why that would be Hua Cheng's reaction, but just based on his expression… It was the only thing that would make sense.
Hua Cheng didn’t respond, but his expression was still extremely sour.
Xie Lian frowned. “I wouldn’t have.”
Hua Cheng gave him a look. “Really?”
“Yes! I promised you,” Xie Lian replied. “Besides, there were so many weapons. Sabers, spears, swords… Wouldn’t I have been reduced to mush if they all stabbed me? Ha ha ha ha...”
He started to laugh, but the sound died in his throat. Hua Cheng’s head had jerked back to stare at him the moment he said the word “stabbed.” His gaze was hard to describe, but it obliterated all the words Xie Lian had to say.
Without warning, Hua Cheng reached out and wrapped his arms around him, hard. He… Well, he didn’t look like he was about to cry, exactly, but he was as close to it as Hua Cheng had ever been before.
Feng Xin, bringing up the rear, was shaken at the sight. “What the fuck?! I’m still here, you know!”
Shen Yuan gave him a look. Now was not the time for that, Feng Xin! This was an important romance moment!
Xie Lian blinked and patted Hua Cheng’s back. “What’s wrong?”
“Your Highness, please don’t laugh like that anymore,” Hua Cheng whispered. He hugged Xie Lian tightly. “It’s not funny, really... It’s not funny at all.”
“...”
Recalling how upset Hua Cheng had been when he picked up the skulls coated with corpse poison, Xie Lian was apologetic. “I’m sorry. I won’t joke about that with you again. I just didn’t want you to worry, I didn’t think it’d have the opposite effect.”
Ah… Shen Yuan wasn’t sure why such a reaction had come about, but something had very clearly happened at some point revolving around stabbing. Had Shen Yuan asking that question brought whatever memories the two were having up?
The mood startled Feng Xin, and he stood there baffled for a while, unsure how to react. Eventually, he said, “I...agree? Since he’s so serious about it...”
…Feng Xin, you are absolutely awful at comforting people. Never do it again.
Hua Cheng finally released Xie Lian. “Let’s go,” he said quietly.
Without Mei Nianqing to lead the way, the six of them had no choice but to continue into the depths of the palace. They hadn’t been walking for long when Pei Ming sensed something unusual in the air.
“Is it getting hotter?” Pei Ming asked.
Shen Yuan was glad he wasn’t the only one who’d felt that! When they initially entered the underground palace, a haunting chill had permeated the area. But after walking for a while, the air around them had started to feel warmer and warmer until it was sweltering.
Feng Xin had noticed it too. He glanced back, then stopped in surprise.
“Behind us!” Feng Xin pointed. “There’s a light!”
When the others turned, they also saw a light behind them, slowly moving closer.
It was rather strange to stumble on an unknown light source in the pitch-black underground. Had someone come? Shen Yuan had a really bad feeling about this…
By the time the light revealed its true appearance, Shen Yuan finally realized just what it was that the light had brought to them.
A bubbling, scarlet-gold lava stream was rolling down the slope toward them. The lava outside had flowed into the underground palace along the watercourse!
Oh, they were so dead…