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The hall of the Palace of Divine Might was silent and composed until a red-clad figure showed up. He walked slowly and gracefully through the crowd of officials, ranks parting as soon as a glimpse of him caught the eye.
Murmurs slithered back and forth, getting more hurried and urgent by the minute.
"What is he doing here!"
"Where is His Highness?"
"Why did he come alone?"
Some particularly audacious gods even let out more pointed observations. "Why does he walk like that? Isn't it odd?"
"How come he keeps his hands like that? All polite and proper, folded in front of him...is he mocking us?"
Eyes started going wide when Crimson Rain Sought Flower seemed to notice someone in the room and he veered all the way to his right, striding towards the generals of the South.
He had finally come to exact his revenge.
To everyone's surprise neither Xuan Zhen nor Nan Yang looked at him in fear, not even in surprise. If anything the gods looked at him with disapproving eyes, as a mother welcoming home her son only to find him with his clothes dirtied and rumpled from playing. Some of the officials standing closer to the generals even swore that Xuan Zhen let out a displeased click of his tongue at the sight of the red calamity.
Steering seamlessly through the withdrawing masses, the ghost moved in their direction. While every god fled from his path with martial quickness, to everyone's horror a scrawny civil god accidentally dropped one of his books right in front of the calamity's feet. The poor guy's eyes went as wide as saucers, skin drained of all color and hands visibly shaking as the whole room held its breath. The Ghost King simply stopped in his way, still uncannily calm, and he smiled politely at the trembling god, leaning down to pick up the little book.
"Ah, here you go," he said to the speechless official, giving him a kind smile that crinkled his lonely eye. "Isn't it hard carrying everything by yourself?" He asked a moment later, eyeing the precarious pile of booklets and scrolls that weighed down the god's skinny arms. "Do you want some help?" The poor god only let out a pitiful whimper, his mouth going slack and no dignified answer leaving his lips.
The hall waited with bated breath for the calamity's mocking smirk and sure laughter but once again they were left with gaping mouths as Crimson Rain Sought Flower simply took the god’s silence for assent and swiftly took the pile of books from his hands, head nodding gently so that he would lead the way. Every single pair of eyes followed the red figure moving about the palace wordlessly. They all stayed still and watched as the most feared creature in the Heavens strolled unassumingly through the hall, bringing the books to a small desk and placing them down as if it was nothing.
His red lips curled sweetly in a smile that clashed brutally with the grin that usually distinguished his face. Then he simply walked back, finally joining the two martial gods of the South. Inexplicably, no bloodshed ensued, no weapons were drawn, the red ghost's smile widened as he friendly patted general Nan Yang on a shoulder, like old friends who hadn't seen each other for a while. The trio whispered and talked, Crimson Rain leaning a little awkwardly down to be face to face with the two gods, his stance odd and terribly different from his usual leisure way.
The two generals looked just as out of place, mumbling and visibly scolding the calamity until a blush crept on his face and he stared bashfully at his horribly chiming boots. No one contained a collective gasp when general Xuan Zhen took a corner of the ghost's crimson robes and simply rolled it between the pads of his fingers as if casually feeling the silky shift of the fabric. None of the trio batted an eye, not Nan Yang, busy poking the dreadful scimitar E'ming, nor the Ghost King, who simply leaned closer to the other two and whispered something.
"They're all looking at me, aren't they?" Xie Lian asked tilting closer to his friends.
Mu Qing looked at him unimpressed. “Obviously they are. Does he get the silk specially imported?"
Feng Xin glowered at both of them in turns. "How did this even happen?!"
"It's just...erm,” Xie Lian awkwardly rubbed his forehead, stealing glances at the staring crowd. “Just a spell that backfired, nothing to-"
"Backfired?!"
Mu Qing's eyes narrowed. "What were you using this spell for in the first place?"
The more Xie Lian scratched at his neck the more his jewelry jingled and chimed, getting all tangled up on his chest. "N-nothing...just studying it, you know, general knowledge! Ha ha..the more you know..."
Two sharp gazes met his single eye and he quickly averted it, fixing it on his polished black boots.
"Your Highness, for the Heavens' sake you can't possibly-" Feng Xin's words were suddenly cut off by a loud noise just outside the entrance of the hall, the doors burst open and golden daylight inundated the palace.
A sudden gasp echoed against the jade-tiled walls and the hall held its breath for the second time. A figure in white strode across the room, his steps wide and sure, a lazy smile on his rosy lips as golden eyes scanned the room with an unusual languid look.
"Your Highness," low voices murmured as he stepped among the baffled officials.
When a handsome god approached him, the Crown Prince of Xianle halted his steps, watching the man with cold curiosity before addressing him, eerily calm. "Scram," he ordered and the stunned official obeyed, scurrying away like a rat.
The warm eyes of the prince searched the crowd with unconcealed disgust until suddenly they lit up as they landed on the Crimson Calamity. His smile briefly faltered as he studied the ghost up and down but when he received a smile his immediately flashed back and his steps quickened, taking him in front of the Ghost King in a few strides.
"Gege," the Crown Prince whispered adoringly.
"Ah!" Crimson Rain Sought Flower exclaimed cheerfully. "You're so short! Ha ha, that's adorable!" Then with no warnings he ruffled the prince's hair smiling proudly at himself.
"Gege," Hua Cheng whispered, tone almost scolding despite the light blush on his cheeks. "Gege, let's go home."
A bashful smile quickly spread on Xie Lian’s face. "The meeting hasn't even started yet, San Lang."
"I know but gege," Hua Cheng almost pouted. "This wasn't the plan..."
Xie Lian awkwardly glanced around, a guilty look in his eye. "San Lang..." Golden eyes winked at him as a warm hand settled on the cool skin of his neck. "Oh well, alright!"
Mischief glinted back at him from his own gaze. “If gege says so…”
As the Ghost King and the cultivator stepped together towards the entrance an annoyed official approached the pair and asked for the Crown Prince to stay.
The gods that were there reported that the red calamity's expression turned curiously amused and he exclaimed with a joyful, ecstatic flare. "Scram!" Then he giggled and the Crown Prince laughed heartily, guiding them both out of the hall.