Xie Lian was carried in Hua Cheng's arms as they moved deeper into the darkness of the cave's innermost dens.
The only source of light around them was the softly fluttering silver wraith butterflies. Xie Lian couldn't see the expression on Hua Cheng's face clearly, but, he could feel Hua Cheng's arms and his entire body were stiff.
It wasn't like Hua Cheng had never held him before in the past, but it was very obvious that now, something had changed, and Hua Cheng wouldn't touch even his neck or hands directly. Xie Lian kept eyeing Hua Cheng's face, blinking with force, but Hua Cheng kept avoiding his eyes, refusing to meet them, and entered a cavern chamber as he willed. There was a stone bed within the cavern chamber and he immediately brought Xie Lian over to set him down. Just as he was laying Xie Lian down, he suddenly noticed something, checked Xie Lian's back and spoke up, "They cast a spell on you?"
Xie Lian was overjoyed. He's finally discovered it!
However, that it took Hua Cheng this long to notice something off about Xie Lian only came to show just how caught off guard Hua Cheng had been earlier. Xie Lian was waiting for Hua Cheng to remove the Command Talisman from his back, yet unexpectedly, even though Hua Cheng had already reached out, his hand paused halfway, and in the end, withdrew said hand and laid Xie Lian flat on the bed.
Maybe it was so Xie Lian wouldn't worry, he said quietly, "Your Highness, don't worry. I won't kill those two useless trash for now. Even though I really want to murder them."
Also laid upon that stone bed was a layer of thick but soft fresh hay, and Xie Lian was lying on top of it limply, not a bit worried but so anxious his innards were smoking, and he just couldn't understand why Hua Cheng wouldn't release him from the spell. Just as he was trying desperately to struggle, he saw Hua Cheng reach out towards the sash belt around his waist, and untied that belt.
Right then, in that inopportune coincidence, Xie Lian could feel the Command Talisman on his back starting to fade, and his leg jerked hard while an "ah!" escaped his lips.
Although it looked like nothing more than a dead fish that twitched for a second in its last attempt at life, expressing its objection without any real power, but Hua Cheng still froze immediately, and instantly withdrew his hand, "I won't!"
As if Hua Cheng felt his own tone was too harsh and was afraid he might have scared Xie Lian, making him feel repulsed, Hua Cheng backed away for a few steps and softened his voice, his expression unreadable, cautious and resigned as he said quietly, "Your Highness, I won't do anything to you. Don't... be scared."
Xie Lian finally understood.
Hua Cheng still wasn't sure just what kind of response he would receive from Xie Lian upon releasing the spell, so he was refusing to hear the response altogether.
Hua Cheng seemed to be holding back some sort of impulse, and once again employed a voice full of assurance, speaking softly, "Your Highness, trust me."
But this "trust me" sounded weak compared to the times before when he said the same thing. Xie Lian wanted to answer him but he couldn't, and didn't dare to struggle anymore lest the misunderstanding deepened, so he could only lie there flatly without moving, waiting for the power of the Command Talisman to pass. Seeing that Xie Lian didn't "resist" anymore, Hua Cheng approached again, reached out and gingerly untied Xie Lian's belt.
'San Lang???' Xie Lian called out mentally.
He of course believed wholeheartedly that Hua Cheng wouldn't take advantage of people when they're down, but this development was also completely out of his expectations, and he couldn't help but widen his eyes. While Hua Cheng loosened Xie Lian's robes, he still tried his best not to make contact with his body so he took his time, and it was a long time before Xie Lian's outer robes were removed, then the under robes. It was only when a wraith butterfly flew to the tip of Xie Lian's shoulder and perched, and a warm and tingling feeling crawled up his skin did Xie Lian realize that his shoulders were red and slightly swollen, skin in some areas cracked even, and only started to heal after the silver butterfly had perched.
They were frostbite injuries leftover from crawling and tumbling all over the frozen mountains.
Xie Lian himself hadn't noticed at all since he wasn't too sensitive to pain anymore. If he's frostbitten then he's frostbitten, and even if he noticed these injuries he would probably leave them to heal on their own. However, Hua Cheng knew better than him where he was hurt, kept it on his mind, and had to address the injuries no matter what.
Just as he was spacing out, Hua Cheng held and raised his arm. There were even more frostbites on his hands and feet, and because of all the desperate running and pulling, many places were already bleeding. Xie Lian wasn't afraid of pain, but he was ticklish. Moreover, many broken memories of the years past floated into his mind in spite of himself. In a dark cave, the trembling and heated hands of a boy, random panicked touches, irregular breathing and heart racing...
Those memories were originally so diminished they couldn't be any fainter, and he had long since sealed them up, thrown them away into a corner. Now that the memories were resurfacing, they held a surprisingly different taste, making one want to hold the head and scream. Especially now that Hua Cheng was right in front of him, doing practically the same thing. Both Xie Lian's face and mind were going to burn up. He was scared Hua Cheng might see, but Hua Cheng didn't look at him at all, keeping to his promise completely, never crossing the line, and he kept his head slightly turned, averting his gaze from that half exposed white shoulder.
Yet unexpectedly, right then, a voice suddenly popped up from behind Hua Cheng, "Hua Cheng! You madman, what do you think you're doing to His Highness?! You're disgusting!"
Hua Cheng whipped his head around, and Xie Lian also looked past him, moving his eyes to the entrance of the cavern chamber. The one who spoke was Mu Qing!
Feng Xin was also next to him. The two were only just wrapped into giant cocoons by Hua Cheng earlier, but they somehow broke free and found this place.
When they saw the scene inside the cavern, their faces paled. Xie Lian's face paled too.
Truly, what an awful sight!
Feng Xin pointed at Hua Cheng, then pointed at Xie Lian whose clothes were half peeled, and it was a good moment before he could squeeze out, "YOU... YOU... LET HIM GO RIGHT NOW!"
Hua Cheng instantly pulled Xie Lian's clothes up and said coldly, "You two useless trash dare seek us out, I think you're tired of living."
Mu Qing sneered, "Move your filthy hands. You ugly toad wants a taste of swan meat? Nevermind you dreaming of it for eight hundred years, even if you hope for another thousands of years, don't you dare touch a single finger of His Highness'."
Hearing this, Xie Lian's heart jerked, but in between annoyance, he could sense something was wrong.
What was with those two? Even if Hua Cheng beat them to a pulp earlier, they shouldn't be this rude facing him, especially Mu Qing. It was like they were trying to provoke Hua Cheng on purpose. There was no benefit to provoking Hua Cheng, they couldn't beat him either, so what was their goal? Moreover, they were subtly pointing the spear in Xie Lian's direction in their tone, like they were begging for chaos to descend, like they were afraid Hua Cheng wouldn't do something to Xie Lian if he should be enraged.
Sure enough, Hua Cheng was outraged, and his blanched face was flashing with darkness. He threatened softly, "Since you both came with the intention to die–"
Xie Lian could see that naked murderous intent in his eyes and horror filled his heart, "DON'T!!!"
Too late. The scimitar was unsheathed, and E-Ming's cold shimmer flashed.
Feng Xin and Mu Qing were both startled, and they unconsciously lowered their heads. Fortunately, there were no injuries on their bodies.
Yet unexpectedly, before they had the chance to breathe relief or return any kind of retaliation, the next second, their upper half bodies crashed down from their lower half bodies in a THUD!
Blood spouted and gushed like mad, spilling to and flooding the ground.
Xie Lian had never expected things to develop like this and was already completely dumbstruck, lying limply on that stone bed.
Hua Cheng – he actually slashed Feng Xin and Mu Qing at the waist!
Those two hadn't yet died completely, and they rolled down on the ground, one gritting his teeth, the other yelling furiously, a sight too tragic to see. Hua Cheng's expression was frigid as he sheathed the scimitar, only a small half of his face was spotted with a bit of blood, that tinge of red matching with the aura of evil between his brows, making him appear even more striking.
He stood in that pool of blood for a moment, then he looked back and walked towards Xie Lian. Xie Lian watched with eyes wide open at Hua Cheng's approach with a grim expression, and only then did Xie Lian snap out of it. By then Hua Cheng had already come to his side and clutched one of his hands, pulling him up and pressing him hard into his own embrace,
whispering, "...How can I possibly let go."
Xie Lian was wrapped tightly in his arms, unable to speak, and Hua Cheng whispered something else in his ears. His heart pounded wildly, like it was going to jump out of his chest, and suddenly felt his body loosen.
The Command Talisman Mu Qing drew up and taped onto his back was finally released.
Even though Hua Cheng said he wouldn't let go, after he released Xie Lian from the Command Talisman, Hua Cheng still loosened his hold slightly and let Xie Lian go. Xie Lian inhaled deeply, leapt to his feet, and charged to the pool of blood on the ground, "Feng Xin? Mu Qing? Are you two alright?!"
Mu Qing's injuries were greater, and the corner of his lips was streaming blood, the light in his eyes faded. Feng Xin still had a breath left, and he grabbed tightly onto Xie Lian's hand, "Your... highness..."
Xie Lian clutched his hand back, "What? What did you want to say?"
Feng Xin swallowed a mouthful of blood and gritted, "Watch out... of Hua Cheng... Don't go near him... He... is a monster!"
He looked like he used up all he had to give him this warning before his death, yet unexpectedly, the expression on Xie Lian's face gradually calmed, "Monster?"
He let go of Feng Xin's hand and rose to his feet, "I'm curious. Is he more of a monster than you two?"
Hearing this, Feng Xin was taken aback. Yet right after those words were spoken, Xie Lian pulled out Fang Xin in the flash of a second and pierced through Feng Xin's heart, nailing him dead onto the ground!
Feng Xin was full of disbelief, "Your Highness, you! ..." But before he could finish, his breathing stopped. Xie Lian then pulled Fang Xin out from his heart, shaking it clean of blood, before retreating to Hua Cheng side, the tip of his sword pointing at the corpses of the two on the ground, "Since blood has spilt, there's no more need to keep talking through those skins?"
"Hahaha..."
A chilling laugh suddenly came from the ground. Mu Qing, whose body was sliced in half at the waist, twisted his neck over and laughter was coming from his mouth.
His upper half body was sprawled on the ground, and even if he wanted to turn his head, at most half of his face would be pressed against the ground. However, this head was turned completely around and off the ground, laughing towards Xie Lian!
As suspected. Those two were not the real Feng Xin and Mu Qing, but were instead two imposters that came from who knows where.
The real Feng Xin and Mu Qing were still trapped in giant white cocoons trying to gnaw themselves free somehow. When Hua Cheng was helping Xie Lian release the Command Talisman just now, this was what he whispered about.
Their faces were pale not because they were shocked or horrified, but because they weren't human in the first place!
Xie Lian was already flashing his sword, and "Feng Xin" and "Mu Qing" both smiled chillingly, speaking in unison, "Just as you wish."
Then, they melted into two puddles of something that resembled thick blood. Hua Cheng moved to shield in front of Xie Lian, and those two puddles of thick blood flowed and solidified, bubble bubble, bubbling like it was boiling, and soon formed into the shape of a man. Watching that ball of something contort itself to materialize bit by bit, a series of chills went up Xie Lian's spine from his waist to his neck.
Soon after, "Feng Xin" and "Mu Qing" before them disappeared, and what replaced them was a tall and slender white clad young man.
Judging by his form, this young man was about seventeen or eighteen years of age, and he was wearing a mask, half of it crying, half of it smiling. While his face couldn't be seen, a crisp and bright voice of a youth came from behind his mask.
He said warmly, "How are you, Xie Lian."
Xie Lian's lips twitched unconsciously, his mind going numb. Hua Cheng, who was shielding in front of him, raised his blade and lunged!
Against the wicked sharpness of the scimitar E-Ming, that white clad man was completely unafraid, and he sidestepped, the blade missing him by mere millimeters. Then, in the breath of a second, he flashed behind Hua Cheng, his hand out, reaching for Xie Lian, looking as if he wanted to touch his face. A silver light streaked by, and Hua Cheng blocked him, shielding in front of Xie Lian once more, his voice cold, "Move your filthy hands."
Hua Cheng actually returned the same phrase back to him. That white clad man's right hand was chopped off by E-Ming and it fell to the ground. However, that did not affect him one bit, and he shook out that expansive sleeve, hiding the broken limb, then, shaking the sleeve back again, a new hand was grown from where the wound was. His fingers stiffened into claws and went straight for Hua Cheng's right eye!
That entire process only took the blink of a second. Hua Cheng also dodged swiftly, however, two bloody scratches were still left on the side of a cheek.
This was the first time ever that Hua Cheng could not overtake the other in speed. His eyes turned sharp and changed tactics on the spot, calling forth millions of wraith butterflies and they lunged at the man like crazy. A myriad of butterflies wrapped that white clad man into a silver, shimmering, human shaped cocoon, but that probably wouldn't last for long. Hua Cheng was about to grab for Xie Lian when those silver butterflies shrieked, exploding into millions of scintillating silver powder!
Seeing Hua Cheng's face change, Xie Lian knew that things weren't good, having so many wraith butterflies destroyed at once. The white clad man who blew apart the wraith butterflies hid behind the silver powder splattering haphazardly in the air, and struck out with that newly grown hand, aiming straight for Hua Cheng's right eye again!
This time, it was Xie Lian's turn to pull our Fang Xin, and he struck down! His strike didn't just chop off that white clad man's entire arm, it practically slashed half of his body. Using this chance, Hua Cheng called out, "Your Highness, let's go!"
Xie Lian also knew they shouldn't remain to fight, so he withdrew and the two rushed out of the cavern together, bolting down the dark tunnel without any obstacles in their way. Xie Lian exclaimed as he ran, "It's him! He... really didn't die!"
Hua Cheng was the one leading the way, his speed faster but much more at ease, and was setting up butterfly formations and silk along the way, creating heavy obstacles, "That might not be the original one."
Xie Lian came to an abrupt stop and hugged his head, "No... I can feel it. It must be the original one! Not only did he not die, he's become even stronger. Something's made him to be reborn... otherwise how could he transform into Feng Xin and Mu Qing's appearances so easily? It's very difficult to impersonate heavenly officials, it should be nearly impossible to create their fake skins!"
Hearing his tone was going awry, Hua Cheng also stopped and turned around to clutch his hand, "Your Highness! Don't be scared. It might not be that he's become stronger. There's another possibility, and it's that he is very familiar with Feng Xin and Mu Qing! That's why he could make their fake skins. This must be someone you all..."
Before he finished, Xie Lian's gaze had fallen to the hand that was clutching his own. Seeing this, both Hua Cheng's voice and expression froze. He paled, withdrew his hand, tucking it behind his back, and turned around to continue onwards. Xie Lian however, didn't follow. "San Lang." He called out.
Hua Cheng's body stiffened and he paused in his step, but he did not look back and only acknowledged, "Your Highness."
His voice sounded like he was fairly calm. Xie Lian stood behind him and said, "A lot of things happened just now, and everyone's all confused and messed up."
"En." Hua Cheng answered.
Xie Lian continued, "Although we're all still kind of messed up right now, but, I still want to take this chance to ask you a question, and I hope you'll answer me honestly and seriously."
"..."
"Alright." Hua Cheng said.
Xie Lian questioned solemnly, "Just who is that 'noble, gracious, special someone'?"
Hua Cheng's hand that was tied with the red affinity knot twitched a couple times unnoticeably.
He was silent for a while before slowly answering, "If Your Highness has already found out, then why ask."
Xie Lian nodded, "I see. So I didn't misunderstand you. It really is true."
Hua Cheng didn't speak.
After a pause, Xie Lian asked, his voice flat, "You... don't want to know... how I feel about this?"
"..."
Hua Cheng turned his head slightly like he wanted to look back, but at the same time, afraid to look Xie Lian in the eyes, so only the two streaks of blood on his cheek could be seen, "Will Your Highness... not tell me?"
Even his voice was cracked. Xie Lian said, "I'm sorry. Something like this has to be said clearly."
Hua Cheng didn't need to breathe, but when he heard this he still sucked in a deep breath.
Although his face was tragically pale, he still smiled and replied courteously, "That's true. That's for the best."
He was like a criminal on death row waiting for his sentence and he closed his eyes. Yet unexpectedly, his eyes weren't closed for long before they abruptly blinked open.
A pair of arms had circled around him from behind, and hugged him with force all of a sudden.
Xie Lian had buried his face in his back and also didn't speak. Though nothing was said, but, it was enough.
It was a good while before Xie Lian felt the person he was hugging turn around, returning the hold, engulfing him in a tight embrace.
He heard Hua Cheng's staggering voice coming from above, "...Your Highness. You really... will be the death of me."