Chapter 1: Denial
Chapter Text
If he had to be honest with himself, buried in the deepest crevices of his heart, Hua Cheng had known there was a possibility this day would come. He just didn’t expect for it to come so soon - the past five years had been a dream, a delusion he had indulged wantonly, and now it was time to wake up.
The signs had been there, if only he had tried harder, been better, he wouldn’t have been in the pit of despair he found himself in now. He had known for weeks that something had been not quite right but couldn’t find the right opportunity to broach the topic.
Never mind the growing silences at dinner, the way that Xie Lian often looked out in the distance as if not quite present. Xie Lian seemed to leave to answer prayers for longer and longer periods of time but the stack of prayers at his altar seemed to grow rather than diminish in quantity.
Even a fool could see something was amiss and Hua Cheng was no fool. He kept looking for an opening, a day when his Highness was in a better mood, when there was a lull in his missions. But everytime he started down that path of his conversation, he could see plainly the unease in Xie Lian’s eyes, the way his mouth would tighten in a straight line and he would pause.
He did not want to make his Highness uncomfortable. His purpose was to serve, to ease his Highness's burdens, not to add to them. Best to swallow down the trepidation. Xie Lian would seek him out when he was ready.
On that unusual day, Hua Cheng’s boundless luck had finally run out. First, by the time he woke up, Xie Lian was already long gone, the spot beside him cold and empty. Hua Cheng did not even get a chance to make Xie Lian breakfast! His first error!
Then, intruders had rampaged through Gambler’s Den, causing a mess that required half a day for Yin Yu to clean up and Hua Cheng to arrive home later than usual.
Xie Lian arrived even later, not stepping foot into Paradise Manor until early morning.
“Gege, gege, where have you been? It’s so late.” Hua Cheng lamented, rushing towards the Scrap Immortal with open arms.
Hua Cheng had felt unsettled all day - with no Xie Lian in the morning and chaos at work but everything was alright now that his Gege was back in his arms.
He nuzzled his face in the crook of Xie Lian’s neck and held him close, his dead silent heart atop of his Gege’s lively pounding one.
Xie Lian stiffened and did not return the embrace, arms hanging by his side.
Hua Cheng knew something was wrong instantly. He brushed his hands through Xie Lian’s hair and took a step back to peer at his beloved.
“Gege, is everything al –” he started tentatively, eyes narrowing.
“Hua Cheng, I have been thinking…we should spend some time apart.”
Hua Cheng’s breath is caught in his throat. He gathered his courage and scanned the depths of those golden honey eyes, searching for evidence of the contrary.
Had he heard correctly? Perhaps Xie Lian was given a new mission that demanded his unwavering attention for a long time…
“Is it Heaven? What do they want you to do now? Can’t they ask someone else – “
“No, it has nothing to do with Heaven. Hua Cheng, please believe me. The last thing I want to do is hurt you but I have been pondering for a long time and I think it would be good for us to separate.” Xie Lian spoke hesitantly, chewing his lip.
“For at least the time being,” He added.
Separate.
For the second time that day, Hua Cheng was not sure if he had heard correctly. His Highness wanted to be alone. His husband wanted to be alone.
That couldn’t be right.
Was Xie Lian cursed?
He did not detect any malicious energy, poison or qi deviance. None of the wards or charms in Paradise Manor had been triggered either.
“Your Highness, have I done something to displease you?” He ventured, voice cracking at the end.
Hua Cheng could feel a fracture beginning to form in his core.
“No no NO! Of course not! But this love of yours…I am not sure it is healthy…I can’t be the center of the universe. I know what I told you before so carelessly– to make me your reason for living. And now I know how foolish that is. Please forgive me. Hua Cheng, you need to live for yourself.” Xie Lian pleaded.
Hua Cheng could see His Highness's mouth moving but the words seemed like a foreign language to him. He did not comprehend. He could not comprehend. His Highness seemed so distant to him now – he even addressed him by his full name!
Hua Cheng swallowed nervously, willing the fracture in his heart from spreading further. He can’t fall apart before making the unclear clear.
“Please, Gege, I still prefer you call me San Lang.”
Hua Cheng laughed. What else could he do? He did not know whether he should laugh or cry.
“Gege, you know you are my reason for living. You are why I linger - unable to pass on.” San Lang murmured morosely.
“I know San Lang and I am endlessly grateful. I would not be alive today without your devotion. This is a debt I could never repay.” Xie Lian clasped Hua Cheng’s hands in his own and knitted his brows together, his doe eyes wet and soft.
“It is not a debt you ever need to pay. My love is free. You owe me nothing.” Hua Cheng mumbled, his head hung low.
“I know San Lang.” Xie Lian sighed quietly.
“Why now? Were you not happy the past five years?” He inquired at last, unable to hold himself back.
He had sworn – he was certain of his Highness’ feelings toward him. Of course, Xie Lian never said the words love and Hua Cheng out loud in the same sentence – but what else could the years they spent together mean? The days spent lounging in each other’s arms, the easy laughter that was the background music of their lives, the sparkling adoration in Xie Lian’s eyes as they kissed. They had faced unimaginable dangers together, stared down death more than once in each other’s arms. They had sworn their loyalty to each other eons ago. Xie Lian had agreed to marry him for Pete’s sake! Their wedding day had been the happiest day in Hua Cheng’s entire wretched existence… Hua Cheng had assumed it was the same for Xie Lian.
His Highness was not someone who gave affection easily – he knew this. After all, Taizi Dianxia broke over eight hundred years of cultivation for him...he would not do that for just anyone…he loved San Lang…didn’t he?
Hua Cheng did not want to continue down this line of thought. Cold beads of sweat start forming down his back. He was a ghost. He did not have to breathe but why did it feel like he was suffocating?
He needed to stay calm. He needed his wits about him. He needed to fix this. He needed to understand where he had gone wrong.
“Of course I was happy!”
That Xie Lian had spoken in the past tense did not elude Hua Cheng. He was happy. Once upon a time but no longer…
“You were so so good to me, almost too good. I don’t know anyone, now or ever, who could be worthy of such devotion…least of all me.” Xie Lian wailed, cradling Hua Cheng’s head with both hands.”
He brushed away the bangs covering Hua Cheng’s face so he could stare into that one piercing red eye.
Hua Cheng shook his head. What strange thoughts had crawled back into Xie Lian’s head. He needed to correct this falsehood at once!
“You are the only god worth believing in and I will forever be your most devoted believer.” His voice was earnest and steadfast.
Hua Cheng had spoken this sentence hundreds of times over the past five years. He wanted to carve this tenet into Xie Lian’s head until it had become an irrefutable, unforgettable truth!
For someone who had lived centuries with no one by their side, abandoned by their closest friends and family, Hua Cheng’s love was like a cold balm on an old wound. The scars of the past were deep and jagged but with gentle care and adoration, new skin had started to grow in its place. Having tasted centuries of bitterness, Xie Lian did not even know he had been lonely until he met Hua Cheng. Only after meeting Hua Cheng, did he discover what an easy thing it was to be happy. To have someone to discuss each passing thought, to share in his joys and sorrows was a blessing!
Xie Lian knew that he owed many things to Hua Cheng, least of all his happiness.
And yet –
And yet – he could not deny that there was something deeply broken about their current relationship.
“I don’t need a believer. I don’t need a servant. I need a husband.” Xie Lian tried explaining plainly.
San Lang racked his brains, turning the words over and over in mouth, a deep frown emerging between his brows. Obviously Hua Cheng had done something wrong. He made an unforgivable mistake. He failed somehow as a husband. He had also failed as a believer.
“Your Highness, I don’t quite understand. I know your power is great now and your temples are plentiful. You are not in need of followers, but this San Lang will forever be in your service. I will do whatever, be whatever to make you happy, just tell this lowly one –” he said carefully.
“San Lang! How can I say this in a way you can understand?! I don’t want you to be subservient to me! We are married! You do not need to bend over backwards for me. You do not need to change yourself. You do not need to be perfect.” Xie Lian exclaimed. His voice rising, tears pooling in the crease of his eyes.
Even in the depths of his despair, San Lang couldn’t help but remark at his beauty. It wasn’t fair. Someone so gracious, so good, so beautiful shouldn’t be so sad. Especially not for his sake.
“I just wanted to be perfect for you.” San Lang whispered. He turned his head away, unable to bear the overwhelming gaze of the Scrap Immortal.
In his heart, despite what Xie Lian had said, San Lang knew it was true. Of course he had to try his best, to be the best husband he could to Xie Lian. The Flower Crowned Martial God was the most wonderful, glorious being in all three realms. He deserved nothing less than perfection. San Lang had to be strong enough so no one would ever have the power to harm his Gege, rich enough that his Gege would never lack for comfort, devoted enough so that his Gege should never lack for believers or spiritual energy. All he had achieved, all he had dreamed was in service to Xie Lian. His ten years spent in the kiln of Mount Tonglu, fighting every hour for his life, slaying thousands upon thousands of ghosts was but for a sliver of hope to someday achieve the kind of power necessary to protect his beloved.
Of course Xie Lian had seen through his act.
Of course Xie Lian had seen through his desperation.
Xie Lian did not want perfection but San Lang knew his Gege deserved only the best.
If Xie Lian did not need perfection, then what did he need? San Lang was not sure but he now knew he wasn’t good enough.
Ever merciful, Xie Lian rubbed gentle circles on San Lang’s back, hoping to soothe the worried Ghost King’s fragile heart.
San Lang leaned into Xie Lian’s touch. At least he could have this. At least Xie Lian cared enough to try to comfort him. It was more than he deserved. After all, he had failed his Highness.
Despite Xie Lian’s best attempts at consoling throughout their marriage, Hua Cheng always suspected he was not worthy of his Highness’s affections. He should be grateful. He had a glorious five years with his Highness, Taizi Dianxia. That should be enough to last him the rest of his miserable existence or until Xie Lian decides to return his ashes. He can just replay the memories of the past five years, over and over again.
But after one dines on ice cream and ambrosia, normal food tastes like dust and dirt in comparison. It would have been better to have never tasted the nectar of the gods than to be deprived of its loss after a single bite. Having experienced marital bliss with Xie Lian, how could San Lang bear to give up his beloved?
All too soon, the gentle circles on San Lang’s back stopped. Xie Lian straightened his arms and clasped San Lang’s shoulders, eyes fervent, hands burning, forcing San Lang to stare at him.
San Lang could not look away.
“I will be traveling by myself for the next few weeks. Please do not follow me. If there is an emergency, of course you can always call for me in the spiritual array. We can talk when I get back.”
“I am so sorry. Please believe me that this is for the best.” Xie Lian’s voice trembled.
This was all happening too fast and Hua Cheng could scarcely believe it. His head was pounding and he reached out his arms to grasp at Xie Lian’s sleeves.
All he found between his fingertips was cold, empty air. He was too late. He couldn’t even send a wrath butterfly after him.
Xie Lian had already left and walked through the teleportation array. What good was it to be a Calamity, Crimson Rain Sought Flower, if he wasn’t even fast enough to catch up to his husband? The fact that no one was as fast as the No. 1 Martial God in all three realms, Xie Lian did not matter.
San Lang was dazed. Since he had returned to his original form on Mount Taicang, he had never been separated from his Gege for more than a day or two. When would he see his Gege again? Did he say several weeks or was it several years? Would he EVER see his Gege again? San Lang had vowed he would never leave his Gege again but now it was his Gege leaving him. How could he fulfill his promise to his God now?
San Lang was a ghost and thus did not need to sleep or to dream but now he wished with all his heart that this whole day had been a sick dream and any moment he would be roused from his slumber and wake up with one lovely white-clothed God in his arms.
The cursed scimitar at his belt hilt had begun to quiver. If a ghost had been passing by, he would have scarcely believed the scene before his eyes. That monstrous cursed blade was whimpering like a sad kicked puppy and shedding fat red tears. What misfortune had fallen upon the almighty Lord of Ghost City? With one singular motion, Hua Cheng unsheathed E-Ming and sliced the tattoo on his wrist.
A purple cursed wound appeared instantly and thin rivers of blood trickled down his arm. The blood was real. The scent was metallic and sharp, undeniable. This was not a dream. Even E-Ming knew it to be true. Typically, E-Ming, like all spiritual weapons, refused to hurt his creator but today he wanted Hua Cheng to share in his pain, in his disappointment.
This was not a dream.
No. No. No.
At once, his knees buckled and he collapsed on the floor, clutching at his heart, panic racing through his veins. What difference was there now between him and his ghost fire self of past? Both useless, pathetic, powerless, insignificant beings. No one could hear him now. No one could understand him.
A little dying cold ball of flame.
It would only take a gentle passing breeze to extinguish him.
Hua Cheng has never felt more vulnerable.
His beloved is gone and he can’t follow. He was specifically instructed not to follow.
Where would he go now?
Paradise Manor?
Without Xie Lian, what was Paradise Manor but a pile of wood and nails? Tinder for kindling?
It wasn’t a home.
Not anymore.
Home was where Xie Lian’s heart lay.
He should burn the manor.
He was already in hell.
Why – he was the king of hell
Chapter Text
It was Yin Yu who found him. He wasn’t sure how long he had been lying down on the floor.
It could have been hours, it could have been days, it could have been months. Time passed differently for immortals. Not that it mattered.
The only sign of the passage of time was the steady drip of blood down Hua Cheng’s arm.
If Hua Cheng was not a Devastation-ranked ghost, he would have bled out long ago. His skin was icy pale, almost blue as if it had been blistered by the cold. A cut from E-Ming was cursed and would never close unless Hua Cheng himself willed it to heal.
And why would he?
He barely felt the wound, just a dull throbbing of his arm.
E-Ming would not forgive him either.
At least it was better than the searing ache in his heart. Any other pain was a good distraction.
Worthless! Worthless! Worthless!
His eight hundred years of preparation and striving for what?
Xie Lian couldn’t even stand to be married to him for five years.
Hua Cheng would have to deal with the ache of their separation for eternity.
It was Yin Yu who had to bring order to Ghost City the following days. Yin Yu who helped bandage Hua Cheng’s wound and left food and drink outside his door. In the end, Hua Cheng could not bear to burn Paradise Manor.
After all, the wood floors had been graced by His Highness’s own two feet and many of the furnishings were picked by Xie Lian himself. Xie Lian had made a number of new additions to the manor after their wedding. There was even an enchanted mahogany storage room with shelving and bins as far as the eye could see to store Xie Lian’s scraps.
Hua Cheng’s fingers brushed against the pillars of the armory, red paint scraping under his nails. He had lovingly built it, plank by wooden plank, to be even grander than the one that one burned by Shi Qingxuan, to replace the memory of the first ill-fated armory and untangle the guilt in Xie Lian’s heart. They had spent many an afternoon, sparring, sparks from their swords flying around each other, as if two stars in orbit. No one could come close to Xie Lian’s martial prowess. No one could come close to hurting him like this.
The wood splintered under his fingertips.
Hua Cheng decided not to act too rashly.
It wasn’t inconceivable that Xie Lian may one day wish to come back to collect his weapons or retrieve his scraps.Hua Cheng should continue to safeguard Paradise Manor and all its belongings for Xie Lian.
A decree was passed in Ghost City. No one was to mention Xie Lian, Scrap Immortal, Flower Crowned Martial God, granduncle, or even gods in general. For the first time in seven hundred years, many stalls closed and it seemed that the very color, the very life of Ghost City had faded to a dreary gray. Shop owners were terrified of accidentally incurring the wrath of Hua Chengzhu - the mere sight of a fluffy bun, a bamboo hat, white robes, seemingly ordinary items were more than enough to spark rage in Hua Chengzhu. The first time, an unfortunate ghost with a ferret mask found himself in Hua Chengzhu’s periphery on his way to Thousand Lights Temple and was cut down at the waist before he even knew what happened.
Though wailing was not uncommon in a city filled with ghosts, it had now grown to a feverish pitch, overwhelming in nature, drowning out all else. After just one week, almost all activity ceased with the exception of Gamber’s Den. Without Hua Cheng’s oversight, the bets placed there grew wilder, more bloodthirsty, and outrageous.
“I bet my ashes. Just to torture my ex-lover to the ninth degree. That fucker is still sipping tea and eating candies in the world of the living! Tear off his flesh inch by inch, marinate with alcohol and then set the raw flesh on fire! Only then will I be content.. Hahahaha”
A bet like this was considered mild now. Those brave enough to venture outside their homes to gather at Gambler’s Den were the most vulgar, the most depraved and desperate among the three realms. Teeth gnashed and screams permeated the air as evil desires were voiced and took form. Ghost ashes piled together in a small pyramid behind the Den.
Hua Chengzhu hasn’t been spotted in Ghost City for over a week now.
. . . .
Ziiiiiiing
E-Ming cleaved through the two-headed scorpion demon with ease.
The two red scaly heads flew through the air before evaporating from the plane.
That was the fiftieth monster he slayed that day and its death did nothing to ease the anguish in his heart.
He needed a distraction from the anger running through his veins.
All he could see was red. Once his favorite color except now it colored his world, burning his irises. Red demon blood running down the edge of his scimitar. Crimson blood raining from above staining his cloak, his boots, everything. Hua Cheng couldn’t bother with an umbrella. The cut on his arm had reopened, a delicious shade of maroon that bloomed on his bandages. Hua Cheng hardly felt a thing.
He must really look like a monster now, body and soul drenched in blood.
Filled with unimaginable anguish, Hua Cheng was angry at himself. He didn’t have the heart to raze Ghost City so he left to hunt lesser demons and wraths to vent his anger. Maybe by extinguishing these pests on the Earth, he could raise his worth in the eyes of His Highness, lessen his future worries.
Before reuniting with Xie Lian some eight hundred years later, Hua Cheng had memorized every second of every instance he was blessed to be in Xie Lian’s presence. He had carved them into stone, immortalized. He remembered every word that Xie Lian ever said to him.
But this last fight they had was different…Hua Cheng couldn’t be sure anymore of what was true or not.
What had he said again?
Xie Lian did not want him to be subservient.
But he existed to serve Xie Lian. He wanted to! It brought him joy to be useful to Xie Lian. Why didn’t he understand?!
Xie Lian did not need a believer.
How could Hua Cheng stop believing in Xie Lian?
His very soul was tied to Xie Lian.
Once Hua Cheng’s devotion had preserved Xie Lian’s life, ensured his existence throughout centuries, imbued him with enough power to defeat Jun Wu.
Why was it now unwelcome?
The more Hua Cheng thought, the more his head hurt.
Seventeen year old Xie Lian had said to “Believe me. Make me your reason for living!”
Hua Cheng had taken it to heart.
But Xie Lian had also recalled those words as foolish. He wanted to take them back. He was embarrassed.
Did Xie Lian want to take back his affection for Hua Cheng? Did he regret it now? Was it overwhelming? Burdensome? Was he finally disgusted by all that he saw? The Cave of Ten Thousand Gods? The Thousands Lights Temple? Maybe it was an accumulation of five years of unease? Has His Highness been lying to him this whole time?
Before, Hua Cheng did not think it was possible for him to be mad at Xie Lian. Frustrated, perhaps. Angry at something Xie Lian had done - most commonly, disregarding his own safety in some way, being too self-sacrificing. Angry at the action or the effect but never the intention.
Hua Cheng was ready to follow Xie Lian to the ends of the earth, to the depths of hell and whatever lies beyond eternity. He would slit his own throat without hesitation if only Xie Lian would ask.
But their time together had changed him. He could no longer be content being a loyal soldier. He wanted too much, seen too much, felt too much…
There was also a small voice that was mad at Xie Lian.
They had bowed three times, vowed to heaven and earth and each other to be together for eternity. Xie Lian had tied a magical lock of his hair around his ring finger. Hua Cheng had been unwaveringly sincere to Xie Lian but why had Xie Lian been so willing to turn back on his vows...
Xie Lian, the picture of benevolence and charity, had been so thoughtlessly cruel to him, the one closest to his heart. Xie Lian had taken his dead heart and crushed it into dust.
He needed to talk to him. He couldn’t wait any longer. Xie Lian wouldn’t hurt him like this…
Hua Cheng gathered his courage and tapped the side of his head with his index finger.
Just recite the Dao De Jing a thousand times.
It was all going to be fine. He took a deep breath and swallowed, moderating his voice to hide his nervousness and distress.
“Gege?” He ventured.
….
“Gege?”
He was only met with silence.
- - - - -
In the heavens above, an emergency bell had rung. Alarmed, the gods rushed to gather in the Great Martial Hall.
The communication array was filled with panicked Middle and Upper Court officials screaming over each other.
Watch out! Watch out! Watch out for Crimson Rain! Crimson Rain has gone mad! He’s tearing up the Palace of Nan Feng!
Quick! Someone get His Highness, Crown Prince Xie Lian!
Has anyone seen His Highness?!
Xie Lian! Xie Lian! Your Crimson Rain is dismantling Heaven. You need to talk with him now!
Nooooo! Not my gardens!
Watch out for the bell!
The golden bell hanging in front of the Palace of Diving Might had splintered in half and a cloud of butterflies had flung each half in opposite directions. One piece crushed the roof of the palace of an Upper Court official and the other landed in the courtyard of the Ministry of Records occupied by Ling Wen. Literary gods tripped over each other trying to avoid the debris. Ling Wen shook her head in irritation. She had no interest in getting in the middle of this lover’s quarrel. She sighed loudly and knit her eyebrows together in frustration. Tallying up all the merits from the damage would take weeks, adding to her increasing pile of paperwork.
Xie Lian, she thought darkly. What did you do now? If your Crimson Rain is going to cause this much damage, he might as well kill me too and put me out of my misery.
Outside on the streets, heavenly officials were falling over each other with despair. Those with martial abilities had cast defensive barriers over their palaces but they were no use against the silver wraith butterflies.
Hua Cheng looked around at his handiwork, toppled palaces, burning temples, a faint acrid smell of ash in the air.
It was an improvement he thought on the gaudiness of Heaven with its fake marble, fake benevolence, and fake idols.
He could raze it all down and they could begin anew, one palace for one god, Xie Lian. Anything for his love.
“Xie Lian” he thought, heart lurching.
“Will you see me now? Will you forgive me?”
He looked down at the red string around his ring finger. It shone brightly and upon first glance, appeared as whole and perfect as the day it was created save for one crucial difference.
Xie Lian had tampered with the string.
Hua Cheng could no longer tug on the string and follow it to the other end.
The string taunted Hua Cheng with an illusion of what could have been. Between the two ends of the red thread lay eight centuries of searching, longing and then an all too brief interlude of joy and ecstasy. The red string was woven with Hua Cheng’s promises of devotion and loyalty.
He would never have to be alone again. He would always find him - whether it was in the highest peak or the darkest abyss.
But what if –
What if his Highness no longer wanted to be found?
Notes:
I am planning on updating more frequently. Next chapter to come by the end of the week!
Chapter 3: Bargaining
Chapter Text
Toiling under the beating sun in Rain Country, Xie Lian picked up his hoe and swung it over his shoulder. He made quick work of ten acres of dirt and then carefully placed a few cucumber seeds in each indent in the ground. It felt good to unclench his shoulders and use his muscles for something other than killing evil spirits.
He wiggled his toes in the loose rich dirt, relishing in the feeling.
Yushi Huang was right. Hard work was a good distraction from pains of the heart. The first few days he found himself weeping and wandering aimlessly before he somehow found himself at Yushi Huang’s doorstep.
When Xie Lian left Hua Cheng on that fateful day, he wasn’t sure he knew where he was going - just that if he didn’t leave then, it was going to be even harder for him to do so in the future.
It felt wrong to leave Hua Cheng. His body naturally wanted to cling to Hua Cheng as if they were one. Being with him was easier than breathing.
But then he noticed the ease with which Hua Cheng acquiesced to his every whim. He had seen this pattern before – His mother would mold herself to his father’ wishes. It wasn’t that she didn’t have opinions - just that his opinions took precedence. His opinions always took precedence. By the end of their marriage, she seemed like a skeleton of her former self.
Xie Lian wiped the sweat from his brow and clasped his hands over the hoe, admiring his handiwork.
“Xie Lian!” Yushi Huang called out from across the rice paddies.
“Pei Ming just called me. Everyone is trying to reach you. They say that Hua Cheng is tearing up Heaven!”
“What? That’s ludicrous...” He started before trailing off, turning the thought over in his head. Was it really ludicrous? How upset would Hua Cheng have to be to seek havoc in Heaven. It would be like a jilted lover storming into an office to seek reprisal. Hua Cheng was far too classy for that.
“Did you really not receive any calls? Half of Heaven is sheltering in the Palace of Heavenly Might.”
“No, I shut off all my spiritual powers - including the communication array. I just needed some time to myself.” Xie Lian chewed his lip.
“Xie Lian, I am not sure what happened between you and your Crimson Rain but he seems pretty upset. You should go talk to him.”
“I will…I will go now. I didn’t mean to cause trouble for everyone but…” Xie Lian’s voice started cracking.
“I am still not sure what I want to say. I don’t want to say the wrong thing…”
“Just speak from the heart. Crimson Rain will understand. He is your husband, after all. It will all be okay.”
“Besides, isn’t it quite normal? For couples not to always get along?.” She added.
“Just go to him. He needs you now.”
With a heavy heart, Xie Lian drew a teleportation array and found himself in the palace of Xian Le in Heaven.
Standing before him was Hua Cheng. He looked thinner and paler somehow. Wraith butterflies swarmed in the sky.
Xie Lian took a quick look around. Besides the palace of Xian Le, not much else was still standing. He shook his head - he didn’t have time to think about this now. He will have to figure out a way to apologize and redeem himself with the rest of Heaven some other time.
Xie Lian stepped forward and found himself in Hua Cheng’s embrace. It was as easy and natural as breathing.
“You are back. You are finally back.” Hua Cheng murmured, his chin resting on top of Xie Lian’s head. His right hand cradled Xie Lian’s head gently as if he was the most precious cargo. If he closed his eyes, he could imagine the past few weeks had been nothing but a nightmare.
Xie Lian could feel big fat wet tears dropping on top of his head.
“Gege, I am sorry. I didn’t want to cause you trouble. I just – I didn’t know what else to do. The array – and the string weren’t working and no one would tell me where you were!” Hua Cheng stammered.
Xie Lian pulled back from the embrace to look at Hua Cheng squarely in the eye. All the pretense, all the swagger of a Devastation ranked Ghost King that razed Heaven seemingly evaporated with his somber eye, muddy with tears. Juxtaposed against his wild hair and trembling hands, he cut a rather fragile figure. A most devastating sight. A tragic beauty.
Xie Lian’s heart lurched. He had fucked up. How distressed did Hua Cheng have to be to end up in such a state?
“I am so sorry San Lang. I know…I know I said you could reach me whenever. My communication array was on. I just got so tired of so many people asking where I was, when I was going to come back. I just… I just really needed some time alone to myself. I wasn’t trying to cut you out! I was going to turn it back on…I guess I just forgot it was off in the first place” He tried to explain earnestly.
Hua Cheng could accept this answer. Afterall, he had been privy to how often Heaven tried to steal his husband away. Getting some peace and quiet was only understandable
“But what about the string…” His voice trailed off.
Xie Lian’s eyes widened. Ah the string.
“What about the string…”He asked nervously.
“I couldn’t find you anymore with the string. Obviously I knew you were alive since the string was intact but I couldn’t or rather, it wouldn’t...it felt stuck like it didn’t want to show me where you were..”
“...”
“Did you not want me to find you?”
“...”
Xie Lian swallowed again. He had to be careful about how he phrased his response.
“Of course I want to be with you. I just wasn’t ready to face you quite yet. Forgive me?” Xie Lian asked meekly.
Hua Cheng noted that Xie Lian did not answer his question directly but what choice did he have but to forgive? He was ready to forget about this whole ordeal and move forward.
“Of course Gege.” Hua Cheng answered warmly.
“So…how have you been the past few weeks?” Xie Lian inquired lightly.
Distress flashed across Hua Cheng’s eyes before disappearing into cool brown nonchalance.
“I have been…busy. Killing monsters mostly.”
“How many monsters?”
“One thousand or so…I had to keep myself busy. I missed you too much.”
“I missed you too. I thought about you everyday.” Hua Cheng’s heart beat a little faster.
“Dianxia, have you been well? Was your journey successful?”
Did you find the answers you were looking for?
“It was…helpful. I visited Yushi Huang. I had some time to think”
“And pray tell, what did Dianxia learn?” Hua Cheng held his breath. He couldn’t put this off for much longer. He needed to know.
“Hua Cheng, how many friends do you have?” Xie Lian asked.
Hua Cheng’s brows furrowed with confusion.
“I guess it depends on your definition of friends. There’s you…and Black Water is still alive and has tolerated me for eight centuries. And I suppose Yin Yu could count but he’s on my payroll.”
“So let’s say three.”
“Okay three.”
“Before you met me, what did you like to do for fun?”
“Look for gege.”
“Be serious San Lang”
Hua Cheng’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t like this line of questioning.
“I don’t know. Get stronger, I suppose.”
“Why did you want to get stronger?”
“You already know why. So I could protect you of course.”
“Okay, any other hobbies? I like drawing and sculpting.”
“Did you ever draw anything besides me?”
“Pfft…what could be more beautiful than Your Highness?” Hua Cheng scoffed.
Xie Lian tried to change tactics.
“What do you like to eat?”
“Oh, I don’t know this or that. It doesn’t really matter. I am a ghost after all.”
“Spicy, sweet, salty? I can’t tell.”
“As long as Your Highness makes it, it is sure to be the most delicious thing in these three realms. Your Highness’s cooking is my favorite thing to eat”
“San Lang.” Xie Lian deadpanned.
“I poisoned thirty three cultivators with my food and you still lie and say it’s good?”
“They are weak and I have a strong stomach. What does it matter anyway if others don’t like it? I do.” Hua Cheng shrugged.
“San Lang, do you think this is normal? This is healthy?”
“Your hobbies revolve around me. You barely have any friends. You eat poisonous food.”
“I love being with you. I have all the friends I need. And I love your food.” Hua Cheng countered.
“Is that what this whole thing is about?” He asked, eyes narrowing.
“If Dianxia wants, I can make more friends, get some more hobbies.”
Xie Lian was so frustrated he wanted to tear his hair out.
“I don’t want you to do something because I want you to. I want you to do something because you want to.”
“We are partners aren’t we?”
“Of course.”
“Shouldn’t partners have equal say in a relationship?”
“Yes…”
“Would you do anything I want?” Xie Lian asked.
Hua Cheng hesitated. It felt like a trick question.
“If it’s your Highness, nothing is out of the question.” Xie Lian sighed.
“I am not a pampered little prince anymore. I haven’t been for eight hundred years.”
“Of course not, Taizi Dianxia is a fierce warrior!”
“Do not jest.”
“I would never.”
“Is it so bad that I want you to be happy?”
“No…but…”
“I am always happy serving Gege.”
Xie Lian’s eyes narrowed again. There was that word again. Serve. Servant. How many people had served the Crown Prince before it got too hard? How many people followed him blindly without living their own lives? He didn’t want that relationship.
Hua Cheng tensed up. He knew he had misspoke.
“Even if I ask you to do things you don’t want?” Xie Lian tested
“Your desire is my command.” Hua Cheng responded calmly.
“Even if I ask you to leave?”
“If…if that’s what you truly desire…” He murmured morosely, head forlorn. Hua Cheng’s lips clenched in a thin line. It had been bothering him for weeks. The question had burrowed its way into his bones and nested there, feeding off his anxiety and growing larger with every passing minute.
“Are you tired of me?” He asked, eyes still downcast.
“What? No. Of course not”
“Is it too much then? My devotion…”
“Is it….is it too much?” He repeated. Had it become a burden was what he wanted to say. Was it causing Dianxia too much harm to accept? Was that why he was being pushed away?
Xie Lian paused. He did not know how to answer.
“San Lang…” Suddenly, his name weighed like a million tons on Xie Lian’s tongue. He tried again.
“Sang Lang…your devotion is…extraordinary. A priceless gift…”
A gift you do not want to accept. Hua Cheng thought bitterly.
“Is my devotion hurting Dianxia?” Hua Cheng asked.
“My mother was blindly devoted to my father. At first, they were the picture of a happy couple. She put his needs and wants before her own but he changed over time. She molded into him. She lost herself. In the end, she regretted her choices and they barely even spoke.”
“I don’t want that.”
“Every living thing who has ever been a follower left me in the end. I can’t accept that for us. If both of us were mortal today, should I perish, I would hope you would thrive and be happy.”
“I am happy with the privilege of being in your universe but to be the center…isn’t that too dangerous?...I see that now..”
“Dianxia, you are the one who told me to make you my reason for living...”
“And I was also the one to admit that those were the foolish words of a teenager!”
“But those are the words I have lived by for over eight centuries.” Hua Cheng lamented.
“So what changed? Why now ?”
Xie Lian ignored the question.
“San Lang, it is very important to me that you have your own life. Your own friends, your own joy, your own hobbies, independent of me. I am just one silly old god…you may tire of me one day.”
“Gege, I have seen the world and you are the only good thing in it. I will never tire of you.”
“All banquets must come to an end.”
“Gege –”
“San Lang. I am sorry. I know you have been hurting. I thought taking some time apart would change things but you still don’t get it. There’s no good way to say this. I no longer want to be a burden on you. I —” Xie Lian gritted his teeth.
“Let’s live our own lives – separately.”
Hua Cheng’s stomach dropped. Why was Xie Lian being so cruel? It was only meant to be a break…not a breakup.
“Gege…I am sorry about destroying Heaven. I won’t do it again.” Hua Cheng pleaded.
“It’s not about Heaven. It was all of your coin that repaired it anyways. You just took back what we owed you. There’s nothing for anyone to complain about.”
“Is this about friends? I will make some tomorrow! Pei Ming almost gave me the password to his communication array the other day…and if you really want me to, I will even talk to Mu Qing and Feng Xing!.”
“San Lang…”
“I will paint a landscape tomorrow. Not one Dianxia in sight. I have been meaning to one of these centuries anyways…”
“San Lang…”
“Gege…please” Hua Cheng pleaded.
“If you don’t want to be with this San Lang, then just say it!”
Xie Lian sighed. He didn’t want to.
“San Lang. Forgive me. It’s for your own good.”
“Being with you is the best thing for me. I know…I have messed up. Give me another chance alright? I will change okay? Dianxia, I just got you back. I don’t want to lose you again.”
Xie Lian could feel his heart breaking. Could he do this? Could he go through with this? He steeled himself. He had to, for San Lang’s sake. It would hurt less in the long run.
“I am sorry. I am sorry. I am so sorry” Xie Lian repeated, bowing down. He didn’t dare look at San Lang lest he lose his resolve.
Hua Cheng changed tactics.
“Gege, we are married! You promised! Are you going back on your word now?”
“You can hate me…if it’s easier. I really am sorry.” Xie Lian sobbed.
Hua Cheng was once again struck dumb. What was going on?
“Gege, you have really hurt me.” He tried again, appealing to Xie Lian’s guilt. He was playing dirty but he was running out of options.
“Gege, please don’t do this…”
The streams of tears grew wider. “Forgive me San Lang. I don’t deserve you…” Xie Lian hiccuped, gasping for air.
Hua Cheng’s heart ached. He must have hurt Xie Lian deeply. He reached out a hand to console Xie Lian before pausing in mid air. His touch was probably unwelcome now.
“I – I have to go. I am sorry San Lang. I hope – you have a good life. I will be okay. Don’t worry.” Xie Lian lied.
And just like that, San Lang lost the love of his life.
Chapter 4: Depression
Chapter Text
Mu Qing hacked his way through the rubble and made his way to the Palace of Xian Le. He was indignant and had spent the walk over preparing a speech about how irresponsible it was to disappear for weeks on end and this is what happens when you take a Ghost for a lover and could he please keep that Crimson Rain on a tighter leash. All the words he wanted to say to Xie Lian died on his lips once he saw Hua Cheng.
Was that thing really the Ghost King? There was a figure in red kneeling in the garden, shoulders shuddering uncontrollably, head bowed, knuckles bruised red against hard stone. It seemed completely incompatible with the bold, brash, mischievous Crimson Sought Rain that Mu Qing had grown to tolerate.
And then there was that sound. At first a whimper that grew into a cry so loud, so piercing, it could be heard throughout Heaven. It reverberated throughout the walls of the Palace of Xian Le, terrifying and painful like an animal laboring to draw its last breaths in a cruel trap. It was not a sound a human could have been capable of making.
The agonized crying reached frightening peaks, forming a ball of energy that reverberated like an earthquake through the Heavenly Capital, catching many a Heavenly Official unaware and stumbling.
Mu Qing could think of only one reason Hua Cheng would react this way.
“Crimson Rain…” he began, reaching out, as he wobbled to his feet.
The chaotic demonic energy continued to swirl in the air, pulsating menacingly. Early on in their relationship, Mu Qing and Feng Xin had encouraged Xie Lian to leave the Ghost King. It was the only thing he could agree with Feng Xin on. But over time, even Mu Qing had to admit that Xie Lian was irrefutably in love with Hua Cheng. He hung onto Hua Cheng’s every word, joined at the hip, never more than a finger width apart. Xie Lian looked at Hua Cheng as if he was seeing for the first time. Everytime Mu Qing visited Xie Lian, every other sentence began with San Lan g this and San Lang that…it was sickening. If Mu Qing hadn’t trained his stomach over the years with Xie Lian’s concoctions that he tried to pass off at food, he would have thrown up over their cloying sweet behavior long ago.
And yet, now Mu Qing couldn’t believe he wished they could return to those days. The creature before him was like a hog split open, his guts and grief laid bare for all to see. Even Mu Qing couldn’t help but wince in pain. Even the most worthless pissant ghost deserved better than this…
It was all probably a misunderstanding. No one as obsessed as Xie Lian would ever leave Hua Cheng. Oh why did they have to be so dramatic.
He stood in front of Hua Cheng. Mu Qing tried again. “Crimson Rain...”
What Mu Qing wanted to say was “Crimson Rain, Xie Lian wouldn’t leave you. It’s impossible. Xie Lian would rather off himself than leave you. We will get him back.”
But before he could get the words out, the figure in front of him heaved loudly and dispersed into butterflies.
Bringing two fingers to the side of his head, Mu Qing tapped into his communication array.
“Feng Xin, come to the palace of Xian Le...Crimson Rain just dispersed into butterflies”
Feng Xin swore unintelligibly under his breath.
“I will be there in a few minutes. Don’t move.”
A dark brown robe fluttered in front of Mu Qing. Feng Xin’s mouth stretched into a thin line and his eyes narrowed, scanning the courtyard of the Palace of Xian Le.
“Did you see what happened?” Feng Xin asked, pacing around the spot where Hua Cheng had stood. A few drops of blood had splattered on the ground.
“I came too late…It was unnatural. It wasn’t right…Nothing like when he first stormed Heaven, all rage and fury…a proper Ghost King. I have never seen him like that…they must have spoken.” Mu Qing answered.
“Isn’t it obvious? Xie Lian finally came to his senses and left Crimson Rain.”
“Now’s not the time for your bottom barrel humor Feng Xin. Something must have happened to Xie Lian. He would never…..I can’t believe I am saying this but I rather they stay together than hear that sound again. I almost threw up.”
“You heard it too huh?” Mu Qing grimaced.
“Impossible not to. A symphony of dying animals would have been preferable to whatever that was…” Feng Xin muttered grimly.
Mu Qing surveyed the courtyard for any traces of curses or arrays. Maybe they were approaching this the wrong way. Was Hua Cheng cursed? Or Xie Lian?
“Did Xie Lian seem different than usual recently?”
“Not really…but he had been going on more frequent trips recently. With the increase of followers he’s attained over the past few years, it seemed only natural.” Feng Xin reasoned.
“No trace of magic or coercion either…” Mu Qing muttered after concluding his investigation.
“Alright, let’s get to work then. Step 1. Locate Xie Lian. Step 2. Locate Hua Cheng. Step 3. Reconciliation.” Feng Xin ordered decisively, emphasizing each step with his fingers.
Mu Qing rolled his eyes. It was just like Feng Xin to steamroll him when he was there first.
“Idiot. Shouldn’t we find Hua Cheng first? If he can do this to Heaven…” Mu Qing gestured around him, “then just imagine what he might do to the mortal and Ghost realm.”
“Step 1. Strengthen the arrays in Heaven and Mortal Realm. Step 2. Find Hua Cheng.” Mu Qing corrected.
Feng Xin shook his head, grabbed Mu Qing’s wrist and tugged him in the direction of the Palace of Divine Might.
“This involves everyone now. Let’s talk to Ling Wen and the others in the palace of Divine Might.”
….
Ling Wen wanted to pound her head against the wall. She settled for massaging in between her brows with her forefingers. The Palace of Divine Might may as well have been called the Ruins of Divine Might…with many of its pillars shattered and steps overflowing with distraught heavenly officials. The newly ascended heavenly officials looked shell shocked like refugees after a war zone…but in truth the damage was not half as bad as when Jun Wu tried to massacre all of Heaven.
Administrative officials scurried around her, recording each official’s attendance and damage.
Over the course of half a day, Ling Wen triaged Heaven with the efficiency of a top rated emergency room during COVID. With surgical precision and efficiency, she allocated supplies, arranged for shelter and created a recovery and rebuild plan.
Ling Wen had just finished advising some junior officials to take shelter in their temples in the mortal realm when Mu Qing and Feng Xin arrived.
She raised an eyebrow curiously.
“So…did you find him?” She was purposefully unclear on who
he
was.
“If you are talking about Crimson Rain, we just missed him. He left.”
“And our dear Taizi Dianxia?”
Mu Qing shook his head.
“I don’t suppose you have heard anything…”
Ling Wen gestured to the small army of administrative officials behind her. “I have been too busy trying to keep Heaven afloat…but the whole Palace of Ling Wen is on the lookout for news of His Highness, Xie Lian. The only thing I know for sure is that he visited Yushi Huang not too long ago. I’d start there…”
Feng Xin nodded. “Thank you Ling Wen. And the wards around Heaven….?”
“Pei Ming is repairing them as we speak. This whole day has been quite a blow to his ego…”
“Even Pei Ming can’t compare to Hua Cheng’s martial prowess.” Mu Qing snorted.
“No no no…Pei Ming had bet a great number of merits on the strength of Xie Lian and Hua Cheng’s marriage. After what happened with Xuan Ji, Pei Ming’s been going around saying he’s a reformed man..he’s trying to start a new career path as a matchmaker god. Anyways, I am surprised you don’t know. Xie Lian and Hua Cheng’s marriage is the subject of one of the biggest betting pools in Heaven!” Ling Wen rolled her eyes. The biggest bet is actually you and Feng Xin…Ling Wen thought mischievously
How blasphemous! Mu Qing would have to settle his score with Pei Ming another day. And that Hua Cheng…what a bad influence…bets placed in Heaven? How distasteful! If only Mu Qing knew that the bet on his relationship with Feng Xin was the longest running bet at over 800 years with declining odds every year…latest odds were 700,000 to 1. Only Pei Ming was foolish enough to bet in favor of the two generals getting together. At this rate, unless Pei Ming found new success as a matchmaker god, he was well on the path to poverty…
The vein in Mu Qing’s head was starting to bulge dangerously.
“We don’t have time for silly bets and now neither should Heaven. I can’t believe Heavenly officials these days…is there no decorum at all? Isn’t this karma that is reaped from speculating on His Highness’s personal affairs?” Feng Xin retorted.
Most of the time, Mu Qing couldn’t stand Feng Xin but sometimes he felt like Feng Xin could read his mind. And sometimes he was grateful.
Ling Wen sighed and turned her attention back to the scrolls on her desk. Did she look like she had time to indulge in bets? She wanted to get this whole thing resolved as soon as possible so she could go on her first vacation in 20 years.
Mu Qing turned away from Ling Wen and started drawing an array on the ground to Rain Country.
“We will keep you updated Ling Wen. Don’t hesitate to contact us either if you find Xie Lian.” Feng Xin muttered before he stepped through the portal.
Mu Qing walked behind him, hands clenched in a fist. Xie Lian, where are you? He cried out silently in his heart.
….
The night was cool and balmy, a perfect summer evening. The glow of the stars illuminated the outline of a small boy with wild hair, tightly clenched fists and a saber at his waist. His red eyes glowed with contempt, scanning his surroundings. Even the trees seemed to mock him, their branches swaying in the night air, reaching out to each other in an embrace. The last time he had been here, he was a young soldier fighting on the front lines for Xian Le, for the glory of Xie Lian, his god.
Simpler times…before he knew what it was like to be cherished by Xie Lian, the person. Before he had never dared to dream to hold Xie Lian in his arms. He had never tasted those delectable pink lips, fallen asleep with his hands tangled around silky chestnut hair, legs wrapped around the steely, slender legs of his love…
He let the waves of emptiness wash over him. If he stood still, it was easier to endure. He was no stranger to feeling empty…he had spent decades as a pathetic ghost fire…is that what was happening to him now? He looked down at his scrawny hands.
Hua Cheng was losing control of his form…he kept finding himself slipping in and out of consciousness. Each time he found himself smaller and smaller...closer to the dirt.
What was he again? A ghost?
What is a ghost but yearning?
A wish unfilled?
A pile of ashes?
Better to be dirt
Life can spring from dirt
He’d rather be the dirt beneath Xie Lian’s feet than his pathetic form now.
He wanted to cry but no tears would come. He had bled dry not long ago. He was parched.
Why was he torturing himself? Why had his body insisted on visiting each location he had met Xie Lian in his prior lives?
What was the point? Had he lost all senses of self-preservation? His body seemed to move with a mind of its own.
After he left Heaven in a cloud of butterflies, he found himself in the field where Wu Ming had absorbed all the vengeful spirits.
A meadow of flowers had sprung where Wu Ming had died eight hundred years ago. Hua Cheng had lied down in the field for a fortnight, a year, who knows? His body was like lead and he had no interest in moving an inch. If he closed his eyes, he could pretend he was Wu Ming again. Even then, he had been so happy to be permitted to be at Xie Lian’s side.
He was no longer a lowly Wrath but His Highness never seemed farther away. There were so many things he wanted to tell Xie Lian but it was too late. He had his chances, three to be exact. Three more than most people had.
He thought he had eternity to shower Xie Lian with love. He could see Xie Lian in his mind’s eye, radiant, beautiful, just out of arm’s reach. But he could talk to Xie Lian here. He could plead to him.
My love, my sweet, my dear Prince, are you well?
I miss you. I miss you. I miss you.
Your face. Your soul. Your arms. Your smell. Your chest.
Won’t you take pity on this San Lang?
Won’t you come home?
I miss you so much.
Gege, it hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts.
Please.
Please. Come back to me.
Let’s start over.
Husband.
Please.
He silently prayed.
Chapter 5: Acceptance
Notes:
I have changed the rating to mature. You have been warned!
Also, this story has taken a slightly different direction than when I had first started hence the chapter update. It is still XL/HC end game but I hope this chapter explains some of XL's decisions in the past.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Six months ago, Xie Lian visited his former teacher, Mei Nianqing in the outskirts of what had once been Wuyong.
“Guoshi” Xie Lian beamed, crossing over the threshold into Mei Nianqing’s stone cottage.
Waving a hand at his former student, Mei Ninaniqing ushered him towards the living room where a low wood table and cotton floor cushions were set out.
“It’s been too long Xie Lian. Sit down and have some tea.” Mei Nianqing bustled around the room, grabbing a tea kettle and two stone cups. With a flick of the wrist, he lit the stone stove under the kettle and settled down across from his old disciple, taking a good look.
The fire under the kettle cast flickering shadows over Xie Lian’s face as he bowed his head slightly. “We have been quite busy…I am sorry I didn’t visit earlier.”
“Typical young’ns…always forgetting about their elders when they run off and get married.” Guoshi muttered.
Xie Lian chuckled lightly and scratched his nose. “I am over eight hundred years old Guoshi…do you really think it is appropriate to call me a young’n?”
“And I am old enough to be your ancestor! So tell me, to what do I owe this visit? Trouble in Heaven?”
The kettle started whistling, as if echoing Mei Nianqing’s increase in pitch. Mei Nianqing tossed some green tea leaves into the strainer, letting the tea steep.
“Oh Hua Cheng doesn’t really let me be bothered with that.” Xie Lian smiled to himself, thinking of Hua Cheng’s recent overindulgent behavior. Hua Cheng was too good to him, either accompanying Xie Lian on his missions to finish them in lightning speed or just outright denying missions on his behalf in the courts of Heaven. Hua Cheng missed his husband too much to lose him to the administrative burdens of Heaven and had taken to pleading quietly every week. Xie Lian was only too eager to acquiesce.
“But this isn’t purely a social visit. I have come to check up on the status of the mountain ghosts and Jun Wu.” Xie Lian continued.
“Mn. There hasn’t been much change. They refuse to leave the mountains and pass on.” Mei Nianqing sighed. He reached out to pour two cups of tea.
“What do you think is keeping them? Surely, Jun Wu’s banishment must have appeased their resentment.” Xie Lian inquired.
“They are ancient spirits Xie Lian, older than you and I. Who can truly know their intentions and why they linger?”
“Have you asked them?”
“In a hundred different ways! They are clever though. They will never answer directly and always dodge the question.” Mei Nianqing finished his cup of tea and reached to pour another.
“Huh…Ghosts are tricky like that. They must enjoy being around you.” Xie Lian reasoned.
“Ha! Who else would they haunt if not me? Who still remembers how to play the card games of Wuyong?” Mei Nianqing snorted.
“It is difficult to shake a Ghost once they latch onto you…” Xie Lian agreed wholeheartedly. At night, San Lang always pressed his whole body towards him like he couldn’t bear to be apart.
“Though I have to say…I have never seen a Ghost so obsessed with you as that Crimson Rain. Tell me, has he ever done anything unbecoming to you?”
“No….of course not! San Lang is not like that!” Xie Lian blushed red.
“You don’t need to lie to me Xie Lian. The way he looked at you why he - he was ready to devour you whole! I always told your parents that your education on bedroom matters was lacking. Just because your cultivation path forbids pleasures of the flesh doesn’t mean you should be entirely ignorant…it’s my fault for not informing you…who wouldn’t fall prey to a ghost so hellbent on seduction…” He muttered to himself.
Xie Lian could hardly take it. His ears were burning and his heart pounded.
“San Lang…San Lang has been a perfect gentleman!” Xie Lian lied.
Mei Nianqing’s eyes narrowed.
“As you can see…I am perfectly fine. Whole in one piece. Not devoured. No crazy demonic rituals. Don’t worry…I am not as ignorant as I used to be…ha ha ha” Xie Lian laughed nervously. Mei Nianqing didn’t have to know about how much San Lang loved the way he tasted, loved to take his time eating the poor Scrap God out…love to tease Xie Lian until he fell apart…limbless and pliant.
“Don’t be shy Xie Lian. He may be the Ghost King but if he ever tries any funny business with you, Guoshi will settle the score for you! I have got tricks up my sleeve he wouldn’t even dream of…Why…if he ever dares to harm a hair on your head, he will have to answer to me!” Mei Nianqing’s voice had steadily increased in a crescendo.
Xie Lian groaned softly.
Guoshi was never like this before. He really was becoming senile. Xie Lian had come on a mission to monitor the mountain spirits and Jun Wu, not discuss his love life! So what if San Lang sometimes did pull on his hair? It was only because he knew Xie Lian liked it…this Guoshi…Xie Lian really couldn’t take it anymore. It was too embarrassing!
“Guoshi! Am I not a thrice-ascended God? Did I not defeat the Heavenly Emperor himself? Should you really be so concerned with defending my honor? I am not some innocent maiden. San Lang and I have been married for five years now. He’s wonderful to me.”
Mei Nianqing had no choice but to consider the plain sense of Xie Lian’s words. He had gotten ahead of himself and embarrassed his dear student. He couldn’t help it…despite being the most powerful martial god in existence, Xie Lian will always be his naive, sweet Taizi Dianxia. For a brief moment, he had forgotten that Xie Lian had seen and experienced the vices of the world firsthand.
“Yes, yes, yes, you are right. I meant no offense. Bring Crimson Rain next time so I can take a good look at him. He likes those osmanthus cookies right? I’ll have a fresh batch ready.”
“That sounds lovely Guoshi.” Xie Lian smiled widely as he sipped his tea.
“En, there will finally be enough people for the six person card game my friends have just been dying to play.” Mei Nianqing thought to himself.
“Just remember - no funny business, no luck sharing. This isn’t the Gambler’s Den!”
“Haha…San Lang would never do that. He respects you far too much.” Xie Lian chuckled.
The rest of the afternoon passed easily as Xie Lian regaled Mei Nianqing with stories of his latest travels and the state of various cultivation sects and temples in the Mortal Realm. He even threw in a few tales of Feng Xin and Mu Qing’s squabbles for good measure. Maybe his Guoshi will direct his attention to their love life or lack of instead of his love life in the future.
As Xie Lian got up to leave, Mei Nianqing cautioned him.
“When you exit, take the trail to the left of the river. Jun Wu’s prison under Mt. Tonglu is located to the right of the river. He’s been rather noisy these days.”
“Noisy how?”
“He’s usually asleep but when he wakes up, it’s like he realizes he has been imprisoned for the first time. He’s regressed to an animal state. Cursing and moaning at all hours of the day.”
Xie Lian shivered. Despite defeating Jun Wu five years ago, sometimes the former emperor still made unwanted appearances in his dreams, causing Xie Lian to wake up in a cold sweat. Xie Lian instinctively reached up to stroke his neck where his spiritual shackle used to be.
“Mn. And the seal?”
“The seal’s intact. I check the scriptures myself daily but I rather you not get close to Jun Wu. He’s still obsessed with you.”
Xie Lian shook his head in disgust. Imprisoned or not, Jun Wu was still dangerous and ripe with resentment.
“I will be careful Guoshi. Don’t worry. I don’t plan on ever seeing him again.”
Xie Lian could only blame his bad luck for the events that conspired later that day. His timing couldn't have been worse. The weather in Wuyong was unpredictable and temperamental. Cotton clouds of fog rolled across the valleys of Wuyong obscuring his vision almost as soon as he left the stone cottage. The fog was so thick that Xie Lian almost tripped a few times. If it was not for his martial prowess and divine agility, Xie Lian would have fallen into the river long ago. Twice, he narrowly missed hitting himself on a tree branch or twisting his foot around a root. Xie Lian was wandering through the fog, trying to reach a higher elevation and head back to Puqi Village when a familiar voice called out to him.
“Xianle…did you miss me?” Jun Wu called out sweetly.
The hair on Xie Lian’s neck shot up like an antenna. No, it couldn’t be. Xie Lian had made sure to walk to the left of the river. By his calculations, he should be on the edge of Wuyong right now, nowhere close to Mt. Tonglu.
“Don't be so shy. Why….aren't we old friends?” Jun Wu exclaimed.
Xie Lian couldn’t see anything but the fog but the voice that called out to him was unmistakable. There was only one person it could be.
“What? No reply? I am so bored here Xian Le. You are the one responsible for putting me here. Shouldn’t you at least come down and visit?” Jun Wu’s voice was slick and provocative.
Xie Lian bit his tongue and scanned his surroundings.
“Don’t tell me you are too busy with that Ghost King of yours.” Jun Wu prattled on. He had no problem carrying on a one-sided conversation.
“Oh Xianle, you should have come to see me earlier. I would not have left you wandering alone. My poor, pathetic prince.”
Xie Lian ignored him, refusing to dignify him with a response. Jun Wu was the one imprisoned under a mountain so why was he acting so high and mighty?
Hearing silence, Jun Wu continued his monologue.
“Did I hurt your feelings? Tell me…how is our dear Crimson Rain?”
“It can’t be that good if you are spending your time down here with me. Haven’t you learned by now that you can’t trust ghosts? Enjoy his affections while it lasts.”
Xie Lian had gotten used to being insulted but hearing ill of his husband was another matter altogether. Xie Lian couldn’t ignore him any longer.
“San Lang’s loved me for over eight hundred years.” He retorted.
“Oh, how cute . He has worshiped you from afar hasn’t he? How sweet .” Finally getting a response, Jun Wu’s voice roared, invigorated.
“I wonder if he will continue to worship you once he knows you for real. How far will he go for you?”
“Xie Lian – I know you. I know you better than anyone. Your fears, your hopes, your dreams…I have seen every iteration of you.” Jun Wu raved.
“I don’t have to defend my relationship to you. San Lang loves me. He has been with me in every season. He’s my home.”
“Oh Xianle…who wouldn’t love a tender little god like you? He gives you whatever you want doesn’t he? Every demand, every passing fancy. I bet he spoils you silly Crown Prince.” Jun Wu teased.
Xie Lian seethed, his ears turning red.
“I wonder what happened to the people who listened to and served the Crown Prince.”
Jun Wu paused for dramatic effect.
“What hurt more Xianle? Watching them die or watching them abandon you?”
Xie Lian’s blood ran ice cold. His throat seemed to close on its own.
“Cat got your tongue? My poor sweet prince… you know…they say those who forget history are doomed to repeat it again. Do you really think your Crimson Rain is an exception? Sooner or later…he will meet the same fate.”
Jun Wu laughed heartily. Xie Lian was the first visitor he had received in months. It felt so good to torture, so good to tease and manipulate.
“It would be foolish to forget what happened to you in the past and ignore what may happen in the future.”
Xie Lian slashed his way through the fog. He needed to leave. His heart pounded loudly as he considered Jun Wu’s threats. There was no way Jun Wu could hurt him or San Lang. He was imprisoned under a mountain with a triple locked blood seal created by Xie Lian, San Lang and Mei Nianqing.
Little did he know Jun Wu’s words had started to take root in his heart. Little did he know that despite being imprisoned under a mountain, Jun Wu had begun growing in strength again and had started cultivating a new path, one of his own invention. For eight hundred years, he failed in persuasion , failed to lead Xie Lian down the right path. He would not fail again. He will hide his true intentions better this time, cloak himself in a veil of insanity while he makes his moves.
It was a most insidious curse, one that fed upon insecurities and desires, growing slowly, lying dormant while the victim was with company, but sprouting alive while the victim was alone, feeding off the victim’s spiritual energy. It was virtually undetectable.
Jun Wu laughed to himself, stretching his limbs. This time, he just had to wait for the curse to run its course. Their love and insecurities will be the source of their downfall. Once Xie Lian realizes he was cursed, he will be given a choice. Push San Lang away or transfer the curse onto him. Given the self-sacrificing nature of the Crown Prince, it wouldn’t be too difficult to imagine what choice Xie Lian would make. This time, there won’t be a third path.
—-------
Feng Xin and Mu Qing had to try three times before they got an audience with Hua Cheng. After the second time, Hua Cheng had delivered ten wagons of gold pieces to Heaven to aid in its rebuild. Apparently, it must not have been enough since the two martial gods had been causing a ruckus all morning. Between fortifying his borders and sneaky ghosts, Hua Cheng had enough on his hands. He felt bone tired. Couldn’t they just let him rest?
After much pleading from Yin Yu to hear the two martial gods out, Hua Cheng signaled to his attendants to escort the two gods to the Entrance Hall of Paradise Manor.
Hua Cheng sprawled lazily over his throne, his fingers grazing idly over a stack of gold foil. He didn’t even spare the two martial gods a glance as he continued building his gold foil palace.
“Crimson Rain Sought Flower…” Feng Xin began. His mouth was set in a hard line and his brow furrowed. Feng Xin had imagined what he would say to Hua Cheng dozens of times and even practiced on the way over but his voice seemed to lose strength as he stood before the Ghost King.
“Was the gold not enough? By my calculations, it should have been enough to repair all the aftermath of my visit. How greedy can you Heavenly officials be? If you can’t even come up with a million gold on your own, do you deserve to be called gods?” Hua Cheng drawled.
“Crimson Rain! This is not about gold or reparations. It’s about Xie –”
Hua Cheng cut him off.
“Have you seen him?” Hua Cheng asked.
“...”
Hua Cheng didn’t want to say his name. It hurt too much. He didn’t even want to hear his name on anyone else’s lips.
“Have you seen him?” He repeated.
“No. We can’t find him” Mu Qing admitted.
“He has a habit of showing up when you least expect it. If you want evidence that he’s alive, here’s your proof. ” Hua Cheng held up his hand with the red string of fate.
Feng Xin and Mu Qing narrowed their eyes, examining the red string of fate intently. At one point, they did question Xie Lian’s existence but they had toured the mortal realm recently and found his temples popular and plentiful.
“Crimson Rain, we are sorry. Something is gravely wrong. Xie Lian wouldn’t leave you. Not without good reason. He loves you too much.” Feng Xin spat out.
Hua Cheng’s ears bled. It had been ages since he last heard that name spoken. No one who valued their ashes in Ghost City dared.
Hua Cheng rolled his eyes and stood up, looking down at Feng Xin and Mu Qing with scorn.
“Love? What his Highness feels for me, only he himself knows. I don’t dare speculate.” He spat.
“You can’t be serious Crimson Rain. Xie Lian loves you beyond measure. It is a fact as clear as day. Some things will never change. Just as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, so does his Highness’s love for you remain steadfast.”
“Feng Xin - I guess an old dog can learn new tricks. Have you taken up poetry these days?”
“Cut it out Crimson Rain. Do you think we want to be here? Feng Xin is right. Xie Lian is crazy about you, always has been, always will be.” Mu Qing said sourly.
“Doesn’t Xie Lian’s behavior strike you as odd? Can we be sure that nothing happened to him? That he didn’t have a temporary bout of insanity?” Feng Xin added.
“I assure you - his Highness was in full control of his faculties.”
“...”
“What….not good enough? Do you really need me to spell it out? He left me okay? He took a few weeks to think it through and he made his decision. We –” Hua Cheng took a deep breath.
“We should all learn to accept and respect his decision.”
“What exactly did he say Crimson Rain?”
“Do you really want me to rehash one of the worst days of my life Mu Qing? Is this not evidence enough?” He gestured at the emptiness around him. His red eye glowed violently with anger. Spiritual energy pulsed through the air and E-Ming rattled on his waist.
“He doesn’t want me anymore. He doesn’t want me to serve him. He doesn’t want me to be his believer. He has plenty now…He told me we should live our own separate lives.”
Feng Xin and Mu Qing looked at each other, their faces ashen.
Hua Cheng had thought himself incapable of tears. He had cried so much the past months, how could he still have tears to shed? Once again, his body betrayed him. He turned away from the two gods and steeled himself.
No one besides Xie Lian had ever seen the Ghost King cry. Mu Qing had seen it twice now. Disgusting.
Hua Cheng couldn’t stand the two martial gods standing in his Entrance Hall.
“Get. Out. Scram. ” He commanded between clenched teeth.
“No, let’s search for him together and bring him back. ” Feng Xin and Mu Qing pleaded.
“What is it that you are concerned with?” Hua Cheng asked.
“You are hurt. You belong with Xie –”
“Shut up. The punishment for speaking His Highness’s name in Ghost City is death. I have spared you twice now. There will not be a third time.”
“Crimson Rain -”
“Let me say it once more so it sinks in your heads. He wants us to live separate lives. It was his decision. I am respecting it. I hope you both will too. There’s no need for your interference or your misplaced sympathy. I am not going to go rampaging. I won’t cause chaos. Your lives can go back to how it was before all this.”
“...”
Hua Cheng turned around and left the hall. Mu Qing and Feng Xin watched as he disappeared and turned a corner.
They looked at each other and swallowed hard.
“Fuck”
“It’s bad. Worse than I thought.”
“Let’s go ask Ling Wen if she has any news on Xie Lian’s whereabouts.”
……….
Hua Cheng hurried into his private chambers and clutched at his heart as he took a frenzied breath. Just hearing Xie Lian’s name again almost made his knees buckle. He reached for a stool as he steadied himself.
He could only blame himself for being so foolish as to agree to meet with Mu Qing and Feng Xin. He was still so weak, so eager to hear any news of his beloved. He barely survived Xie Lian’s departure and seeing his husband’s two friends again threatened to reopen the wound in his heart.
……
Last year, when Hua Cheng had finally returned to Ghost City after he lost Xie Lian, he was a shell of his former self but he survived.
Hua Cheng had always been good at surviving. He was remarkably resilient. In fact, throughout the annals of history, there were few who could match his will to persevere despite the circumstances.
Losing His Highness was just another trial he would have to pass though it was more difficult than becoming a Supreme.
Even if his purpose for living didn’t want him anymore, he had to live, for His Highness's sake.
Sometimes Hua Cheng thought about sending a sentinel butterfly to search for Xie Lian, just to make sure his beloved was okay. On his most sober day, he had instructed Yin Yu to never let him send sentinel butterflies after Xie Lian again.
He knew he couldn’t stop himself from going after Xie Lian if he saw him again. Whenever he missed Xie Lian, he comforted himself by looking at the red string on his finger. It was brilliant, intact, as perfect as the day he created it. The string was taut and strong - a sign that Xie Lian was alive and whole. That was good enough. It had to be good enough.
Each day blended in with the last as Hua Cheng went through the motions. He found that if he focused on his duties, the hours would pass by slightly faster. He tried to console himself that he was doing what his love wanted, serving him in his own quiet way.
He had to endure. Xie Lian depended on him. Ghost City residents depended on him.
There were two distinct periods in Ghost City. BX and AX, before Xie Lian and After Xie Lian.
After Xie Lian left, Ghost City never returned to the heights of the splendor it reached before.
The stalls did slowly reopen and the streets filled up with ghosts of all sizes and shapes but a sense of desolation pervaded the city. Ghost City grew more lawless and wonton with the exception of the stone pillars at the entrance of the city, forbidding the mention of Xie Lian and all his other names.
The Gambler’s Den grew in infamy as Hua Cheng let go of his sense of propriety and allowed all manners of bets to take place in Gambler’s Den. He simply stopped caring. If ghosts wanted to bet their ashes, who was he to stop them? If they wanted to release plagues on their enemies and they won their bets fairly, why should he bother? Who was he trying to impress anyways?
Typically, he used a clone to preside over the bets at Gambler’s Den. He spent his days in the Mortal Realm, wandering new lands, places that had been unsoiled by memories of his beloved. Clan clashes were stirring in the Mortal Realm and Hua Cheng watched with mild amusement. They were a welcome distraction from the waves of loneliness that threatened to pull him under everyday.
Xie Lian’s absence slowly became common knowledge among the three realms and with it came requests to take his place. Hua Cheng had gotten used to being propositioned by ghosts, humans, and gods alike. Ghosts, he tolerated. Humans, they amused him.
Gods, however, he hated with a passion. They were for the most part a vile, lying, hypocritical lot, unworthy of their positions. Despite the fact that they were separated, Hua Cheng was still technically a married man and yet a good number of Gods had secretly infiltrated Ghost City trying to win his attention.
They were selfish and self-serving. They thought Xie Lian had only managed to defeat the Heavenly Emperor, Jun Wu by borrowing the Ghost King’s power. The stories never did justice to Xie Lian’s innate spiritual power. All Hua Cheng had done was break the shackles and help unleash Xie Lian’s true power. It was all the work of the Scrap Immortal.
They wanted his power. They wanted his luck.
It was shameless really, the ways they tried to win him over. Hua Cheng only allowed such scandalous behavior because he was bored. There was also a small part of him that hoped that word may eventually reach Xie Lian’s ears. What exactly did he hope for? For Xie Lian to feel jealousy? A twinge of fear? They were such fanciful wishes. Xie Lian could not have been more clear. They were to live separate lives.
After five years of waking up in Xie Lian’s embrace, Hua Cheng was not used to sleeping alone. The silence was crushing. He had gotten used to listening to the gentle beating of Xie Lian’s heart as he drifted off to sleep. He missed feeling warm flesh against his limbs.
Sometimes he woke up with a stiff hardness between his legs. Ever since their wedding night, Hua Cheng had showered Xie Lian with love, morning and night. He was addicted to Xie Lian’s very essence and would often nestle himself between his god’s legs in the morning, gently sucking and kissing him awake. It was one of his favorite ways to wake up, licking and edging Xie Lian to orgasm. Depending on how eager San Lang was in the morning, he would take his time playing with Xie Lian, massaging his balls, stroking his length slowly, rubbing him near his perineum until his love slowly woke from his slumber. Once he was sure his beloved was awake, San Lang would take Xie Lian’s whole length into his mouth with gusto. He would hollow his cheeks and suck while Xie Lian hit the back of his throat again and again. He knew his love was close when his legs started squirming uncontrollably. Hua Cheng would hold him down in place with one hand, suck hard at the vein on the underside of his length as he bobbed up and down while fondling his balls with the other. Hua Cheng would dutifully suck Xie Lian’s spend with a pleased smirk on his face like a cat who got the cream.
He loved pleasing his husband so much, suspending him in a state of bliss in between dreamland and reality. It helped that it was one of the first fantasies that Xie Lian shared with him. Xie Lian was still plagued by nightmares and wouldn't it be nice if Hua Cheng could ensure he had a nice dream instead? Wouldn’t it be better if Xie Lian woke up and found said dream had manifested into reality? Hua Cheng was only too eager to assist.
Despite feeling empty and alone, Hua Cheng only indulged himself with memories of his beloved. His heart belonged to one chestnut haired god and he dutifully turned down everyone else. Twice now, Yin Yu had apprehended trespassers who tried to enter Hua Cheng’s bedroom.
That particular morning was the anniversary of their first meeting on Yunjin Mountain and Hua Cheng felt especially vulnerable. He was in a foul mood and decided to head to Gambler’s Den to distract himself.
A line had formed in front of the throne in Gambler’s Den as ghosts vied for Hua Cheng’s attention. A light jingle of silver chains echoed in the air, signaling Hua Cheng’s arrival.
“QUIET! Who dares seek an audience with Hua Chengzhu?“ the croupier bellowed.
A lone man dressed in white and blue stepped out of the crowd and knelt on the floor. Well, well, this was new . No one willingly prostrated to the Ghost King. At least not in the beginning. After they lost the bet was another matter altogether.
“Get up. There’s no need to kneel…yet” he drawled, gesturing lazily with one finger.
“Chengzhu, I have come to humbly request to enter into a bet.” The man blinked and looked up at the steps before him. He couldn’t see Hua Cheng behind the red curtains but Hua Cheng could see him clearly.
A white ribbon adorned his forehead and large golden eyes shined as they looked up. Despite kneeling, the man had a dignified air about him.
“What is it that you desire?”
“I heard no one is more skilled and knowledgeable than the Ghost King at locating lost souls. I am here in search of someone.”
“Who?”
“Wei Wuxian.”
Hua Cheng’s ears perked up. He had heard of Wei Wuxian. That rouge cultivator was rather clever and commanded a legion of the undead during the Sunshot Campaign. Careful not to interfere, Hua Cheng secretly rooted for Wei Wuxian in his battles with the Wen Clan.
Hua Cheng looked at the cultivator dressed in white and blue with interest. He was beautiful with elegant eyebrows and a gentle countenance. He reminded Hua Cheng of someone…
He shook his head. He refused to let his mind wander there.
“Hmph. You are not the first to look for the Yiling Patriarch. What are your intentions?”
“Chengzhu is well informed. I don’t wish any harm on Wei Wuxian. On the contrary, my brother Lan Wangji is in love with Wei Wuxian. We have looked everywhere. If we don’t find him soon, I am afraid Wangji might die of heartbreak. I will never forgive myself if that happens…Please Chengzhu. This is the only way I think I can save my brother.” His eyes were shiny and earnest.
Hua Cheng narrowed his eyes. This was the first time he had seen a human plea on behalf of someone other than himself.
“What do you wish to bet?”
“Anything I have is at your disposal. My wealth, my cultivation, my life.”
Hua Cheng raised an eyebrow.
“You would go to such lengths for your brother?”
“He…really is all I have left Hua Chengzhu.”
“No parents? No lover?”
“No…my parents passed long ago and as for a lover...Mengyao betrayed me. He’s the reason why Wei Wuxian is missing. Can’t you see? I owe Wangji a grave debt. I need to bring Wei Wuxian back.” Lan Xichen pleaded.
“Hm….I don’t often make bets with humans and I have no need for your wealth or cultivation. Finding the Yiling Patriarch could upend the entire cultivation world. It’s quite a tall order so let me ask you again, what else do you wish to bet?” Hua Cheng asked as he rolled the red pearl in his braid between his fingers.
“Myself. I will offer myself to you.”
“What makes you think I want someone like you?”
“I...I have heard Chengzhu is lonely. I can play the xiao. I am quite skilled at sword fighting as well. I can be your companion – if you wish or a loyal servant. I am the leader of the Lan Clan so I am used to overseeing a kingdom. I am at your disposal.”
“Hmm. You wish to sword fight with a Ghost King? How preposterous.”
“I am willing to do anything.”
“Anything?” A smile crawled across Hua Cheng’s face. He got up from his throne and pulled back the red curtains.
Gasps traveled across the room as the ghosts peered at him. It had been so long since Chengzhu showed his face.
His boots jingled with every step as he took his time walking down, never breaking eye contact with the man before him.
Slowly, he sank to his knees and pulled the cultivator up from the floor. Such a selfless individual should do better than kneel on the floor. Hua Cheng slipped a finger under the man’s chin, drinking in his appearance. Those golden eyes looked so warm and inviting.
“Your name?”
“Lan Xichen.”
“Lan Xichen.” Hua Cheng echoed softly, tasting the name on his lips.
It was a long moment before he spoke again.
“Deal.”
Notes:
Next chapter is called Rebound. Pei Ming says the best way to get over someone is to get under someone new.
Will HC go that far? 0_0
Chapter 6: Rebound Part 1
Summary:
Sorry for the wait! Life got in the way. Next chapter will be out much sooner.
Chapter Text
The croupier stepped forth to press a cup and two dice in his hands.
“Since it is your first time in the Gambler’s Den, Chengzhu has decided to be generous. It will be best out of three. If the sum of the dice is even, it will be a loss. Odds is a win. Do you accept these terms?”
These are better odds than Lan Xichen expected. This was his chance.
“I accept.” He said without hesitation, before Hua Cheng changed his mind.
Behind him, the crowd of ghosts gossipped without abandon.
“Best out of three? Lucky bastard gets three chances?! That’s toooo generous.”
“Maybe our lord has gone mad”
“Shut up! You big ol’ toad! Clearly Chengzhu is a good mood today.”
“Hey…doesn’t this Daozhang look like a little like that –…”
All of a sudden a wave of spiritual power presses down on the room, stifling all talk. The message was clear – some topics are still off limits and Hua Chengzhu was as omnipresent as ever.
Lan Xichen stared at the ghost sitting on the throne before him.
Hua Cheng sprawled lazily, with his head cupped in his left hand. He maintains his eye contact with Lan Xichen and raises a questioning eyebrow as if to say, “Whenever you are ready…”
Lan Xichen took a deep breath, cleared his mind and prayed silently before picking up the cup and dice. His eyes were serious as he shook the cup vigorously. Was there a technique to this? How long should he be shaking? Lan Xichen had never indulged in dice games before. Gambling was strictly forbidden in the Cloud Recesses.
He held his breath and he uncovered the cup.
“Snake eyes” announced the croupier.
His heart sunk but he decided to steady his resolve. He still had two more chances.
He covered the dice one again and shook with all his might. He closed his eyes and prayed. He thought about his darling brother’s face and hoped against hope.
Slowly, he uncovered the cup.
“A three and a four.”
Lan Xichen let out an exhale. He was still in this. It would come down to the last roll. His three month long journey to reach Ghost City will finally meet its end. He had scoured through the all the ghost literature in the Forbidden Library of the Ghost Recesses, hunted for materials and folktales of the Ghost King throughout the land before waiting on the edge of the city during Ghost Festival, the one day where the borders between the mortal and ghost realm blended into each other. All of his hard work hinged on this last roll.
Lan Xichen swallowed hard and reached out to shake the cup again.
“Pair fives.”
“I’ve…I’ve lost” Lan Xichen exhaled, a cold beat of sweat forming down his back. This was the end. He had offered himself up to the Ghost King. What kind of sorry fate would await him now?
Based on his research on the Ghost King, Hua Cheng was always one to collect on his debts.
Would he be made into soup? The Ghost King was known for having strange tastes and ghosts were known to devour cultivators, especially ones with high levels of qi. Would Hua Cheng ask him to serve in his staff or his army? Will he be turned into a blade for slaughter?
To be honest, Lan Xichen had spoken quite recklessly. Despite his preparation, he hadn’t imagined that the Ghost King would actually accept a bet with him. He was desperate for an audience, a chance to plead his case. It was just as well…if he was unable to produce Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji was as good as dead and he would never be able to live with himself.
Lan Xichen hung his head, resigned to his fate.
He didn’t notice Hua Cheng’s departure until the croupier announced, “Chengzhu is retiring for the day. All games may resume as scheduled. Those who wish to be so bold to challenge Chengzhu can try again next week.”
Lan Xichen was still rooted in the same place, in a state of shock. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a ghost dressed in purple silk beckoning at him.
“Come. I will show you to your quarters.”
Lan Xichen follows him wordlessly, exiting Gambler’s Den through a side entrance and snaking through various streets until he stands before a large red mansion.
Lan Xichen couldn’t make out the words on the plaque at the gate of the mansion. They are violent strokes of black lines, hideous and illegible. He hesitated before stepping over the threshold.
The ghost attendant noticed his reluctance, turned his head to the side, gesturing inside.
“This is Paradise Manor, the private estate of Lord Chengzhu. We have prepared a guest room for you.”
Lan Xichen swallowed hard. Paradise Manor, what a lascivious name. Was this Hua Cheng’s private harem? What could he do but follow and keep up his end of the bargain?
Soon Lan Xichen found himself in a lavishly decorated room, adorned with a red and gold embossed bed and large wooden writing table. It was more than he expected for someone who just lost his life to another. Was Hua Cheng was always this generous to his servants?
“A bath has been drawn for you in the adjoining room. Please wash up. Chengzhu wishes you to join him for dinner.”
The ghost attendant bowed once and turned to leave.
“Wait – do you know what he wants from me?” Lan Xichen asked, reaching out to grab his arm.
The attendant avoided his gaze and spoke quietly before withdrawing.
“That is between you and Chengzhu.”
Lan Xichen’s stomach bubbled with despair as he sat in the bathtub scrubbing his arms and legs clean. It was starting to sink in that he had failed his mission. He had failed his brother. Salty tears mixed with soapy bathwater as Lan Xichen sank to his knees.
When Lan Xichen had changed into new robes, he heard a knock on his door and a different attendant with a white smiling mask entered the room.
“I am Yin Yu, the Waning Moon Officer. I oversee the affairs of Paradise Manor and by extension, Ghost City. Chengzhu has been waiting for you.”
The Waning Moon Officer flitted so quickly and silently through the maze of corridors at times he appeared invisible. Lan Xichen had to use spiritual energy to keep up. Yin Yu was a curiousity, clearly not a ghost nor a human though the spiritual energy emanating from him was modest.
Finally, they arrived in a cavernous banquet hall with a small table filled with dishes of glistening pork and chicken and stir fried vegetables. It would have been comical to have a single table in such a large room had the vast emptiness had not been so overwhelming.
A lone figure sat at the head of table. Hua Cheng was glassy eyed, picking petals off a white flower, muttering softly to himself.
He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not…
This had been one of his favorite days. Five years ago, he had finally reunited with his beloved.
“My lord.” Lan Xichen bowed. His voice cut through the icy silence in the room and Hua Cheng looked up.
With a wave of his hands, the flowers disappeared and his fingers tapped restlessly along the handle of the chair.
“Sit. Eat.”
Lan Xichen walked to the table with the dread of a man approaching the guillotine and sat down next to Hua Cheng.
“Not to your liking? It’s all human grade.” Hua Cheng frowned.
Lan Xichen had no appetite when there were so many questions bubbling in his stomach.
“There’s no need to be afraid. Contrary to popular belief, I do not eat humans. Qi Rong is the only ghost with such disgusting habits”
“I am not afraid of you.”
“Of course not. I hadn’t seen a human walk so brazenly into Gambler’s Den in decades. Your cultivation level is not bad either…” A few more decades, a few more trials and Xichen should be able to ascend…
Hua Cheng sat back in his chair and looked at Lan Xichen slowly, inch by inch. The white and red robes he wore highlighted his delicate bone structure and the elegant curve of his brows. He was no immortal but his appearance was undeniably pleasing. A rare jade indeed.
Hua Cheng wanted to smooth the furrow between Lan Xichen’s brows.
“What can I do for you my lord?”
Hua Cheng ignored his question. He wasn’t sure why he had agreed to bet with Lan Xichen. Curiosity perhaps?
“Do you regret it? Now that you have lost?”
Lan Xichen stared straight at him.
“No. Never.”
“My, my, such conviction.”
“You don’t have any siblings do you?” Lan Xichen asked, cocking his head.
“Not all of us are so lucky to be born into such esteemed families. Even if we were, I have seen many a clan torn apart by their own kin. Humans are so fickle and selfish.”
Lan Xichen took a deep breath and considered his words. Not much was known about the Ghost King and his origins. Yet here he was, the notorious Ghost King revealing small truths.
Despite his reputation, Lan Xichen felt calm, as if he could speak his whole truth to the ghost without reprimand. He had already lost his life so what more could he lose?
He fiddled with a tea cup with his right hand, looking down at the table.
“I don’t know about other families but Wangji is my flesh and blood. His pain is my pain. His joy is my joy. When our mother passed, he knelt outside her cottage for a month, rain or shine, waiting for her to return. He was only six. The next time I saw him smile was when he was with Wei Wuxian. Do you know what it’s like to watch the person you love the most in this world suffer and be unable to do anything about it?”
I do. I know it all too well. Hua Cheng replied silently in his head.
“He wasn’t eating or sleeping. He was a shell of himself. I had to try…even if there was only a sliver of a chance, I had to try to bring Wei Wuxian back. No matter the cost.”
“How noble of you.”
“It doesn’t matter though. I failed.”
Lan Xichen hung his head in resignation.
Hua Cheng tipped a finger under Lan Xichen’s chin, raising his face to meet his.
“The odds were never in your favor. You do realize who you were betting against.”
“A loss is a loss. You do not need to console me.”
Lan Xichen looked at him with glossy golden eyes, as if on the brink of tears.
For a second, Hua Cheng blinked and could see Xie Lian’s face staring at him.
He gathered himself and withdrew his hand. He had to stop hallucinating.
“So tell me, how does my lord wish me to serve? What am I to do around here?” Lan Xichen tried again, peering at him from under his thick lashes.
Hua Cheng ignored him, avoiding his gaze as he busied himself placing vegetables in Lan Xichen’s bowl. Humans, he recalled were a fragile bunch, requiring food and water three times a day. He needed to keep his new guest, no friend, alive. Did he count as a friend? They spoke and they were sharing a meal, even if it was not wholly willingly. Making new friends was an area of importance that his Highness made clear he lacked.
“Eat. That’s an order.” Hua Cheng folded his arms and stared at his captive guest.
Perplexed, Lan Xichen sighed and ate quickly, eager not to draw the ire of the ghost. None of the texts had discussed what happened to those who offered their lives to the Ghost King. Were the Paradise Manor attendants all those who had lost their bets? Was Yin Yu one of them? Did they also begin their penance sitting and eating with the Ghost King?
As Lan Xichen ate, chopsticks clinking against porcelain bowls, he could feel the Ghost King’s gaze boring onto his face. He felt his face grow hot, unused to such relentless attention.
Lan Xichen cleared his throat and looked up, meeting the Ghost King’s gaze.
“Chengzhu, will you not eat?”
“I am a Ghost.”
“And yet, I saw many food stalls catering to Ghosts on my way here.” Lan Xichen countered.
“We eat for pleasure, not out of necessity.”
His face darkened.
“I have no need for pleasure anymore.”
When Lan Xichen looked at the Ghost King again, he was astonished. It only lasted for a second but Xichen caught a flash of devastation streak across that single red eye. It was haunting and Lan Xichen was captivated.
He had seen that look only once before, when he held Wangji in his arms after Wei Wuxian left him.
He was not the only one heartbroken sitting at the table.
“I thought I was joining Chengzhu for dinner. In Gusu Lan, it is impolite to be the only one eating at the table.” He tutted.
“This is Ghost City, not the Mortal Realm.” I could kill you with a snap of my fingers.
Hua Cheng couldn’t help feeling slightly amused. Not many people dared to talk back to him. Not many people cared that he ate.
“My apologies. I was just concerned, that’s all. It is only through Chengzhu’s good graces that I am here at all.” Lan Xichen bowed his head demurely, the image of propriety.
“Are there other…guests.. in Paradise Manor?”
“No, just you.”
Lan Xichen turned this new fact over in his head. It didn’t appear that the Ghost King kept any lovers.
“Such a large pavilion…” he commented quietly. Too large for just one person
Hua Cheng swallowed.
“My husband…used to reside here.”
Abruptly, Hua Cheng got up from the table, a sudden wave of exhaustion overcoming him. For a few brief moments, he had forgotten the pain of Xie Lian’s departure but now a fresh onslaught of sadness washed over him. Xie Lian would have liked Lan Xichen. He was kind, interesting, and brave. Look, your Highness! I made a friend! A human one too! Will you come back now? He wanted to shout.
Hua Cheng left in a hurry but as he dispersed into butterflies, Lan Xichen could hear an order echo throughout the room.
Tomorrow, 9am, play the xiao for me in the courtyard.
Chapter Text
Revered and feared at the same time, Crimson Rain Sought Flower was known to wear many faces. Lan Xichen wasn’t sure which one would greet him when he entered Ghost City but it certainly wasn’t the wild, devastating beauty that greeted him daily in the courtyard.
Having slain many yao and ghosts during his travels, Lan Xichen was expecting that the king of ghosts would be something more akin to a monster, repulsive, gruesome and terrifying. Instead, he often found himself staring at a head of silky black hair that framed a sharp jawline, brooding lips and one singular black eye that pulled Lan Xichen in like a moon tugging at the tides. Slowly, with each conversation, Lan Xichen could feel himself being dragged under, inching closer to Hua Cheng before being pushed away to shore.
The Ghost King was lonely. He didn’t talk much about his husband but he would often sigh and brood and stare at the red string on his finger.
“What kind of spiritual device is that?” Lan Xichen asked.
“The string is made of my own spiritual energy. My husband is on the other end. This way we can always find each other.”
“How clever! If only Wangji had this…we wouldn’t have lost Wei Wuxian!”
“It has its limits.”
Hua Cheng stretched out his fingers.
“The string is taut and whole so I know he’s on the other end, alive and well….but it’s been tampered with. I can’t pull along the string until I reach him.”
“Why not?”
“He doesn’t want to be found.”
“Who could turn you down?” The words slipped out of Lan Xichen’s mouth quicker than he realized.
Hua Cheng’s eye narrowed and his mouth stretched in a hard line.
“His Highness has his reasons.”
Lan Xichen chewed on his next words.
“That may be. I don’t know him but I have been watching you for a few weeks. You, my lord are a catch. You built this city on your own. You are fair, letting any wandering spirit, alive or dead seek shelter in your city. Why, you let me stay in your very home. You are the strongest Ghost in the three realms. You fought against Jun Wu for your beloved. You are devoted, clearly. Who could be more worthy than you?”
Hua Cheng gritted his teeth.
“You don’t know what you are talking about.”
“I know enough.”
Lan Xichen looked at the pained face before him. For a second, Hua Cheng’s typical smooth indifference contorted itself into a grimace. Then all too soon, the mask re-emerged and the Ghost King was all business.
Lan Xichen knew the conversation was over. He wanted to reach out and squeeze his hand but Hua Cheng had already got up and left.
…
Lan Xichen was still unsure of his role in Paradise Manor. To be a friend, an advisor, or entertainment perhaps? He asked Yin Yu a few times what he could do to help around the Manor but the god just stood silently.
He whiled his days playing the xiao for Hua Cheng, cultivating in his room and studying various texts in the library. Surely Hua Cheng’s vast library must include a location spell for one pesky demonic cultivator. He felt guilty lingering in the Ghost Realm while his brother wandered the human realm searching for Wei Wuxian and conflict brewed among the different sects. And yet, even without the life debt he owed Hua Cheng, he felt strangely drawn to the Ghost King.
Hua Cheng had grown accustomed to spending his mornings with Lan Xichen in the courtyard. A platter of lotus seed cookies and pu’er tea would be set out. The Ghost King was still largely reticent but seemed curious about various people in Lan Xichen’s life and the going ons of the human realm.
“Tell me about Meng Yao.” He would ask lazily.
Lan Xichen’s mouth set in a hard line.
“He was my best friend. He saved me from the Wen clan. He hid me for months, gathering supplies, food and support for the Gusu Lan clan.”
Hua Cheng nodded. He recalled the attacks on the Cloud Recesses and Lotus Pier. Ghost City experienced an influx of new arrivals during those months.
“He was like a brother to me. A-Yao, he had his own insecurities. He didn’t grow up with the support of a family like me and Wangji. He’s not a bad person! When one grows up weak and powerless, one will do anything to gain power and control…”
Hua Cheng knew what it was like to crave power, to fight tooth and nail for it until you are strong enough to protect the one you love.
“A-Yao just went too far…he hurt those close to me. He never once confided his fears to me.”
“You loved him.” It was not a question but a statement.
“Yes.” Xichen had never admitted it aloud before. Was this the fearsome power of the Ghost King? The tales of Crimson Rain Sought Flower never mentioned this ability.
“Do you still?”
“No.”
“Bold of you to lie to a Ghost King.” Hua Cheng remarked with an arched eyebrow.
With a wry forlorn smile, Lan Xichen remarked, “Nothing gets past you my lord. It is pitiful isn’t it? to mourn someone who has hurt me so deeply, with so little regard for my wellbeing…and yet…I can’t help how I feel.”
Hua Cheng pondered quietly.
“It is brave” he concluded after a minute “Not pitiful to have love for another. You were just unfortunate to fall for someone who did not cherish it enough.”
“They call it the Lan curse. My father succumbed to it and so did my brother. I suppose I have fallen prey as well.”
“Oh? I did not sense any curses on you or your bloodline.”
“My father fell for my mother upon first sight and married her against her will to save her from being executed for murder. We did not grow up with our parents. It was an ill-fated marriage. She died later…supposedly of a broken heart. Later at the tender age of 16, my brother fell in love with his oblivious classmate, who became a demonic cultivator and the number 1 enemy of the cultivation world. He didn’t even get a chance to confess. And as for me, well, you know the story.” Lan Xichen admitted.
“So the Lan clan is rather romantic, it seems. Is that why you have 3,000 rules? To prevent such a thing from happening again?” Hua Cheng’s black eye glinted and the corners of his mouth lifted upward.
“En. My lord is able to identify weaknesses so easily. But I am afraid even 3,000 rules do not suffice.” Lan Xichen hung his head in mock shame.
Hua Cheng could hardly hold back large guffaws of laughter. Such silly humans. Hua Cheng made a mental note to commission a new play about the GuSu Lan Clan and their 3,000 Wards Against Romance.
It was the first time Lan Xichen had seen Hua Cheng smile let alone laugh. He looked glorious. His smile was wide and his eye twinkled. Who could be so idiotic to give this man up? Lan Xichen liked this side of the Ghost King. He wanted to entertain him, to tease him, and to help him mend his heartbreak.
Color seemed to return to Hua Cheng’s face and he reached out to nibble on a cookie. He chewed without abandon as if he had finally realized he had been hungry all along. Some crumbs nestled in the soft skin of his chin and without even realizing, Lan Xichen had reached up to brush it away.
It was just a light grazing of the fingers but it lit a fire in Lan Xichen.
Hua Cheng’s pupil widened in shock. No one touched him and lived to tell the tale. No one except Xie Lian.
With one swift motion, he pinned Lan Xichen against a bannister, E-ming pointed at his throat.
“You forget your place.” He sneered.
Hua Cheng’s face was so close, Lan Xichen could count the individual eyelashes on his face. Despite the cold steel pressed against his skin, Lan Xichen felt oddly comfortable in Hua Cheng’s embrace. Over the past month, Lan Xichen had gotten used to Hua Cheng’s presence. He knew the Ghost King would not harm him no matter how he boasted.
“I overstepped. Forgive me.” Lan Xichen admitted, summoning his best remorseful look. A pair of honeyed eyes peered at Hua Cheng under thick black lashes.
Hua Cheng lowered his scmitar and pulled his head back, scanning the depths of the golden orbs staring back at him.
“Are you — sorry?” He croaked.
“No.” Lan Xichen breathed. “I can’t say I am.”
Emboldened by the fact that he was still alive, Lan Xichen reached up to cup Hua Cheng’s face and narrow the distance. He wasn’t sure what he was doing. Rational thought and propriety had given way to raw instinct. His fingers still tingled from earlier. Lan Xichen could see the thin layer of sugar still glistening on Hua Cheng’s lips. They were so close and so inviting. He just wanted a taste.
Notes:
Next chapter is Rebound Part 3. Let me know your thoughts! I always look forward to your comments. Still HuaLian endgame but our dear FaFa deserves some attention doesn't he?
Chapter Text
A pair of soft thin pink lips, elegantly shaped, were approaching him. He could feel Lan Xichen’s soft breath on his skin, light like pu’er tea. Dark lashes fluttered close and suddenly, he felt a faint brush against his lips. Hua Cheng, froze, eye open in shock. Hua Cheng could not believe it. Who could be so bold? Who would dare?
Just as he was about to make heads and tails of the situation, a soft tongue licked at his lips gently, trying to prod his mouth open. This was not a chaste kiss. Hua Cheng could feel an undercurrent of desire underpinning the lips that licked eagerly at him, the hand that caressed his chin and then found its way into his hair, pulling and tugging.
Was this really the same prim and proper cultivator that stood before him in Gambler’s Den? Had he been hiding his true nature all along?
Hua Cheng felt indignant – you give humans an inch and they will take a mile. Not content with being clothed and fed at his Manor, Lan Xichen dared lay claim to his body as well?!
Hua Cheng had his pride to consider – no matter what, he was Crimson Rain Sought Flower, the most powerful Devastation ranked Ghost in all three realms!
Yet against his better instincts, a weak moan escaped from his lips. Nothing could compare to how it felt like to kiss Xie Lian but Lan Xichen was skilled, sucking and teasing along the edges of Hua Cheng’s lips. Taking advantage of the small gasp, Lan Xichen wrestles his way into Hua Cheng’s mouth and continued his relentless exploration.
Is this what it was like to be devoured?
The man kissing him was not Xie Lian but it wasn’t unpleasant. It had been months since Hua Cheng touched another person. Lan Xichen was kissing him with such passion and devotion, Hua Cheng felt himself at a bit of a loss.
It would be easy to give in, to close his eyes and just pretend it was Xie Lian kissing him back. Tears welled in his eye, blurring his vision. Through wet lashes, he could see a white-clothed man embracing him tenderly.
Hua Cheng groaned into the kiss, frustrated at himself, at Lan Xichen and at Xie Lian. He pulled
back lightly to catch his breath.
“Don’t…don’t think so hard.” Lan Xichen murmured softly, stroking Hua Cheng’s hair.
Hua Cheng reached out his hand as if to stop him but paused in mid-air.
It felt nice to be wanted. It felt nice to be comforted. It reminded him of the times Xie Lian would comb the knots out of his hair. It wasn’t the same but it was as if a knot had loosened in Hua Cheng’s heart.
Reaching up, tucking a strand of hair behind his ears, Lan Xichen whispered, “Let me repay your kindness. My lord, let me help you heal.”
Lan Xichen’s fingers brushed against the corners of Hua Cheng’s eye, wiping away the wetness that had gathered there.
Hua Cheng took a deep breath and steadied himself, leaning against a pillar.
He was an all-powerful Ghost King! It was exceedingly embarrassing to be moved…to tears… by something so mundane as a kiss!
Hua Cheng pushed Lan Xichen off him and brought his hand to his eye. A slow stream had emerged and dropped…
PLOP…
PLOP…
PLOP…
soiling the tips of his boots.
Huh
He really had been crying.
Because of a mere human?!
He had betrayed His Highness over a mere human?!
Why hadn’t he stopped Lan Xichen?
He could see it happening in slow motion. He had faster reflexes than any other being in the the realms, except for maybe Xie Lian.
Why did Lan Xichen have to kiss him?!
Why did Xie Lian have to leave him? How could he have broken his heart? Did he know how weak Hua Cheng would become?
Falling for tricks and cultivators with gentle faces in white robes…
Worthless…he really was such worthless trash
Raising his head, he glared at Lan Xichen and growled, “Give me a reason why I shouldn’t kill you right now.”
“Tell me why you are crying first“ Lan Xichen asked gently.
His one red eye narrowed into a sharp slit and steam seemed to escape from the edges of his mouth as if indignation. “You dare?!” the Ghost King hissed.
“If you wish to kill me, it is only fair. I will await my judgement. However, killing me won’t make you less sad though.” Lan Xichen reasoned.
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that.” Hua Cheng snarled and bared his canines.
“My life is already in your hands. If I could ease the burden in your heart, even in some small way, why not give it a try?”
Seeing the hesitation in Hua Cheng’s face, Lan Xichen stepped forward and rested his hand on Hua Cheng’s arm.
“What do you have to lose my lord?” Two golden orbs pleaded with him, earnest and hopeful.
“Whether my beloved is here or not, I am married .” Hua Cheng seethed, pushing Lan Xichen’s hand off him.
Lan Xichen nodded quietly in acknowledgement. Despite the obvious rejection, he felt rooted in place, unable to look away from the glowering immortal in front of him.
“Can’t you have a friend?” He inquired softly.
Hua Cheng raised an eyebrow. “ Oh , is that what you are?” His voice dripping with sarcasm.
Lan Xichen murmured quietly, “I can be…if that’s what you want.”
“Do you kiss all your friends ?”
“Only the ones that need it. You looked like you could use a good kiss.” Lan Xichen replied shamelessly, never breaking eye contact with the ghost king in front of him.
Hua Cheng scoffed. His initial anger had given way to to outrage and now melted into mild amusement. He had really underestimated the brazen young cultivator before him.
“Is everyone in the Lan Clan such a shameless flirt?”
Biting his lip, Lan Xichen chewed over thoughts before admitting, “Not all. Maybe I am interested in Hua Chengzhu…” Lan Xichen swallowed, “But I am happy to just be a friend…or whatever else it is you need.”
Hua Cheng watched Lan Xichen’s expression carefully, weighing his sincerity.
“I am afraid we have different definitions of what a friend is. Was Mengyao not your friend ? Were you not just bereft pining for him? Tell me – is this extent of human affection?” Hua Cheng questioned, teeth clenching.
“Hua Chengzhu is not wrong but one does not exclude the other. I can mourn Mengyao while harboring affection for another…love is not finite.” Lan Xichen insisted.
“Such empty pretty platitudes.” He spat out, quiet rage bubbling within. “It’s different - you see when you are an immortal. I will never have another. I searched for him, longed for him for eight hundred years.”
Hua Cheng stood up, brandishing his arms, gesturing at the walls around him.
“This…my power…this city is all for him . Everything I do is for him.” He looked mournful, his eye like molten lava. “Love may not be finite…but my love will never have room for you.”
Lan Xichen wanted to tear his gaze away but couldn’t. He could feel the small tendril of hope that had started to creep up his chest squashed immediately. Of course there was no way he could compete with an eight-hundred year old God but Hua Cheng had kissed him back. Hua Cheng had definitely kissed him back.
Without even realizing it, Lan Xichen had slowly developed a crush on Hua Cheng. He had grown so enamored that he almost forgot his original mission of locating Wei Wuxian and returning to his sect.
The corners of his mouth lifted up with a sad smile. “I wouldn’t dare ask for the great Hua Chengzhu’s affections. Think of me...as a tool at your bequest. A fun distraction, an extra pair of hands. A more vocal Yin Yu…even.”
He swallowed his burgeoning feelings and rambled on. “I just…want to help you. I don’t want to see you continue to suffer. I won’t kiss you again…unless you wanted it. If I ever cross the line, you could just kill me.”
Hua Cheng snorted. “That’s unnecessary.”
Lan Xichen’s heart stirred again.
“You are far more useful alive than dead anyways.” Hua Cheng commented offhandedly. He turned away from Lan Xichen, hiding his complicated expression. He didn’t really want to kill the handsome cultivator. He absentmindely touched his lips. They were still faintly warm.
Hua Cheng retreated to his chambers and collapsed into bed, finally shedding the last remnants of his facade of a ghost in control, a ghost righteously angry. His mind couldn’t stop replaying what had happened earlier in the day. The kiss had tasted like adoration and devotion. It had been more tempting than Hua Cheng had let on. His heart ached and he cried softly out for Xie Lian.
Notes:
Sorry for the long wait. I really struggled with this chapter and it had been sitting in drafts for a while. Let me know your thoughts
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