The esteemed water master almost tumbled backward with the force of that shove. He spent a few moments in that sorry state, completely dumbfounded, before he called out to his brother once more.
"Qingxuan, it's gege."
"I know it's you!" Shi Qingxuan roared.
So he knew it was Shi Wudu; he wasn't delusional and unable to recognize people. Why such a reaction, then?
Shi Wudu reached for him again. "Everything's all right now…" Shi Qingxuan slapped his hand away. "'All right,' my ass!
How can anything be all right?! Just stop talking! Ahh! I can't take this!"
The moment he said that, it wasn't just Shi Wudu's face that changed color but Ling Wen's as well—and as he returned from giving out directives to his subordinates, Pei Ming's.
"Qingxuan, stop making a scene. T alking to your brother like that is no different from slapping him in the face and pouring poison on his heart."
When Shi Qingxuan heard Pei Ming speak, he usually couldn't resist biting back at least a little. But now, he ignored him completely as he clutched his head and muttered like he was possessed.
"I don't want to hear anything. You stop talking too. Let me cool down for a minute. Just go. Just get out of here!"
Shi Wudu couldn't stand it any longer. "What nonsense are you spouting?!" he barked.
"Lord Wind Master," Ling Wen also chided, "if there's something the matter, just tell us. Then we'll know what we can do to address it…" "Do you not understand the words coming out of my mouth?!" Shi Qingxuan roared, enraged. "Get out of here!
Can you all please just get the hell out of here?! Aaaah!
Aaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
He was growling like he was unhinged, and he screamed and screamed until he sputtered out a mouthful of blood.
"Lord Wind Master!" Xie Lian exclaimed.
Shi Wudu seized his wrist to check his pulse. After feeling it, his expression turned more terrifying than a ghost's, like he was going to cough up blood on the spot too.
"Lord Water Master, what's wrong with Lord Wind Master?" Xie Lian asked.
He reached out to check for the pulse as well, but Shi Wudu forcefully slapped his hand away, like he couldn't allow Xie Lian to discover the details of Shi Qingxuan's condition.
Shi Wudu glared at him with raw fury, but he soon redirected his attention to his younger brother.
"You're ill. You're deranged from fright. I'm taking you back for treatment. You'll heal up just fine."
Shi Qingxuan stared at him squarely. "I am not ill," he stated, putting emphasis on each word. "You should know best whether I'm ill! Don't write me off as crazy; I'm very aware. I've never been so aware in my life!"
Shi Wudu grabbed hold of him, then began to drag him to the carriage, yelling as he went. "You don't understand anything! Don't speak nonsense!"
"Ming-xiong!" Shi Qingxuan wailed. "Ming-xiong, save me! Your Highness! Save me!"
He reached out to them with both arms, grabbing on to one with each hand. Xie Lian and Ming Yi both held on to the hands he extended, but Shi Wudu ruthlessly yanked him away again.
"Let's go. Everything's all right. Gege is here."
Shi Qingxuan was still screaming, and Pei Ming and Ling Wen went over to help Shi Wudu hold him down.
"Your brother doesn't want to go back with you!" Ming Yi shouted.
"The Reverend of Empty Words hasn't been dealt with yet!" Xie Lian exclaimed as well. "Lord Water Master, what do you plan on…" Shi Wudu cut him off sharply. "What Reverend of Empty Words? I have no idea what you're talking about. He's ill. His mind is addled. That is all!"
"But Lord Wind Master…" Xie Lian tried once more.
Shi Wudu cut him off again. "He's my brother; don't you think I have his best interests at heart? This is a family matter —there's no need to trouble outsiders! Also, would the two lords kindly not spread word of this around? Just mind your own business!"
Then he raised his hand in front of Shi Qingxuan and swept it down, sending the Wind Master into unconsciousness. Then Shi Wudu forced him into the golden carriage.
While his words were unpleasant, they gave Xie Lian pause. He wasn't wrong—Shi Wudu was Shi Qingxuan's brother by blood, so how could he intend to harm him? And with two other heavenly officials accompanying them, sending Shi Qingxuan back with their party truly was the safest option. When family showed up, how could outsiders continue to interfere?
The Wind Master fan lay broken in two on the ground, ignored by everyone. Ling Wen finally collected it as he addressed Xie Lian and Ming Yi.
"Your Highness, Lord Earth Master, please don't be offended. Lord Water Master is only losing his head because he's so worried. This affair is personal, and personal scandals shouldn't be publicized, so pray My Lords keep this to yourselves. He will surely make amends once this is settled."
After the perfunctory niceties were said, Ling Wen also hastily boarded the carriage. The golden carriage rose in the air, rumbling, and then flew off. As Xie Lian watched the stream of propitious clouds gradually disappear in the night sky, it finally hit him—the Water Master really did take the Wind Master away, just like that. And after they'd run around all night, they were really left behind, just like that.
Ming Yi was about to leave when Xie Lian snapped out of it.
"Lord Earth Master!" he called to him.
Ming Yi paused in his step. He turned his head and gave him a long, meaningful look. "Relax. I won't say anything about Hua Cheng."
Xie Lian sighed a breath of relief. "Thank you. Are you going to go check up on Lord Wind Master?"
Ming Yi nodded once, then turned back to continue on his way.
Although Xie Lian was also very worried about the Wind Master, the medical heavenly officials in the Upper Court would be much more help than him. Besides, Shi Wudu would most certainly not want any outsiders to witness his brother's madness; given that, it wasn't the right time to pay a visit.
Hua Cheng's sudden departure was a bigger concern, so after weighing his options, Xie Lian decided to go find Hua Cheng first. With his mind made up, Xie Lian left the T errace of Cascading Wine and swiftly began his overnight journey.
Unable to use the teleportation array, and without a golden carriage drawn by burnished metal horses, Xie Lian could only depend on his legs to carry him through the mountain paths.
What kind of situation did San Lang run off to handle?
Xie Lian wondered as he sprinted. His expression and tone of voice made it seem like it was something serious. Hopefully I'll be able to give him a hand this time.
An incense time hadn't even passed before he noticed that the roads ahead of him were thick with evil qi, the haze of it blurring visibility. Xie Lian unconsciously slowed his pace.
No way. What is it now?
He stood on the side of the road to quietly observe and play it by ear. A long moment later, he heard a bizarre work song from the thick of the evil qi ahead:
"Hey-hey-ho!
"Hey-hey-ho!"
An enormous, hazy silhouette appeared at the end of the road ahead. It was large, with some parts floating about, but Xie Lian couldn't tell what it was. He had never seen anything with such a shape, but it was certainly quite massive. He reflexively took a step back in alarm; Ruoye was coiled on his left arm and ready to attack, and he rested his right hand on Fangxin's hilt.
Soon, the giant thing emerged from the mist and showed its true form. Xie Lian's eyes widened.
It was a glamorous and exceedingly extravagant step-litter. Exquisite, featherlight satin veils cascaded from its golden canopy—anyone enthroned within would be obscured by the expanse of enchanting crimson drapes and leave much to the imagination of anyone marveling from the outside. Four golden skeletons with abnormally large bone structures served as porters, carrying the step-litter along as they hollered their work song. Small ghost fires twirled and floated next to each skeleton's skull. These little ghost fires were likely used for illumination, as they burned brighter whenever they passed through a darker section of the road.
The sight was so strange, and had such an air of evil, that Xie Lian couldn't help but gape, wondering if he'd run into some ghost lady out to meet a lover on a date. He hurriedly backed onto the side of the road to give way.
Unexpectedly, the four golden skeletons carrying the extravagant step-litter stopped in front of him and turned their skulls in his direction.
One of the golden skeletons clattered its jawbone up and down, and out came a sound from who knew where. It addressed him with a shuddering voice:
"Lord Chengzhu sent us to receive the Crown Prince of Xianle. Is that you, My Lord?"
"..."
Lord Chengzhu… That had to be Hua Cheng. Xie Lian removed his hand from the hilt of his sword.
"That's me."
Clatter clatter. The skeletons seemed to rejoice, and they lowered the step-litter.
"Please board. Let's go!"
Could these four golden skeletons wish to carry him to Hua Cheng? "Would that…be too much trouble?" Xie Lian bold-facedly ventured.
"Nothing of the sort. It's no trouble at all, this is our job."
"Your Highness, please board! Lord Chengzhu awaits your arrival."
Thus, Xie Lian cautiously stepped onto the platform, lifted the veil, and seated himself within.
"Thanks for your help."
The golden skeletons were ecstatic, clattering away something incomprehensible. They picked up the step-litter and started bumping along the mountain paths.
Within the step-litter was a soft chair lined with brocade, exceedingly comfortable. Xie Lian sat with poise at the center of the chair, though he thought it was a bit big for just one person. The way the skeletons were carrying the vehicle made it look like a very bumpy and wobbly ride, but when he actually sat down, it was quite steady. They moved extremely fast, swifter even than flying on a sword. And other than the bizarre work song those golden skeletons enjoyed chanting, it was practically silent—much quieter than a rumbling golden carriage with burnished metal horses, and even more mysterious in appearance.
When Xie Lian was still a crown prince, he would sometimes ride a step-litter when he went out. He was much younger back then and sat on the lap of either his father or mother. The step-litter was carried by specially chosen palace attendants who escorted them with fanfare. It made for a mighty and impressive sight. When he got older, he didn't enjoy it as much anymore. Still, this was his first time being transported by creatures such as these, so he couldn't help but find it curious.
After traveling for a while, he sensed a band of green ghost fires ahead. Their wispy light shimmered through the veils, and hushed whispers could be heard in the night air.
"Who goes there? Shouldn't ya be leavin' somethin' behind, crossin' through this burial ground?"
It seemed they'd run into some wild ghosts blocking the road. They were crooks doing crooks dirty, ghosts devouring ghosts—but the very idea of them challenging Hua Cheng made those skeletons laugh and clatter their jaws.
"What do you want us to leave behind?"
Xie Lian was mulling over whether he should go out to help deal with this when he heard those tiny voices shriek.
"Oh gosh, oh lord, forgive us! Our damned eyes be blind;
we didn't realize this was the step-litter of our venerable Hua-chengzhu! Git back to the burials, git back! M'lords, please pass as ya will. M'lords are magnanimous, please pass as ya will!"
"T oo late, too late, Lord Chengzhu gave clear instructions that the Highness seated in this step-litter shall not be offended," the golden skeletons said. "So what shall we do with you now that His Highness has been delayed?"
Hellish wails howled all around. Xie Lian couldn't just sit and watch anymore—he had to intervene.
"Um, don't worry about it. Since we're in a rush, let's just let this go."
"As His Highness orders, I suppose we shall let them go," the skeletons said. "Y'all got off easy!"
"However, remember not to block the roads and not to harm travelers," Xie Lian added.
The wild ghosts were jubilant. "No, no, no, we swear we've never! Thank you, m'lord!"
"We're off!" the skeletons hollered.
As they passed through the blockade, Xie Lian faintly heard the curious gossip of female ghosts.
"Hey, who do you think the Highness who's sitting in there is? I've never heard of Hua-chengzhu's golden step-litter carrying anyone but him."
"If it were a lady, it'd be easy to guess. But it's a man.
How very strange."
What's so strange about it? Xie Lian wondered.
Then he heard the female ghost say, "Yeah. And here I was so sure the golden step-litter was carrying his honored wife!"
***
As he rode in the step-litter, Xie Lian began to feel drowsy from the long days he'd spent running around. With one hand propping up his cheek, he dozed off. A long while later, he felt the step-litter stop again.
"What is it…?" he mumbled groggily.
He thought they had run into another gang of road-blocking wild ghosts. But as soon as he spoke, he felt the step-litter dip. Another person had gotten on.
The man lifted the veil and called out softly, "Gege?"
Xie Lian rubbed his eyes and squinted, gazing out at the voice. "San Lang?"
The one who'd come was, naturally, Hua Cheng. Greeted by the sight of Xie Lian's bleary half-awake state, he was a little stunned. Xie Lian sat up and cleared his throat, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"I accidentally fell asleep."
Hua Cheng smiled and climbed up to sit as well. "Gege is exhausted. I hope gege won't mind if I squeeze in."
Xie Lian nodded and tried to shuffle to the right, wanting to give Hua Cheng more space. However, Hua Cheng wound his arm around his right shoulder, pulling him back.
"No need. There's plenty of room."
Truthfully, there wasn't. This step-litter was too craftily made; too big for one person, too cramped for two. It would not be a perfect fit for a pair unless one employed the method from Xie Lian's younger years: that is, one sitting on the lap of the other.
"You left just in time earlier. Three heavenly officials from the Upper Court descended at once."
Hua Cheng humphed. "Was it the Three T umors? I'd expected that."
"Was that why you ran off?" Xie Lian teased.
Hua Cheng gave a joking reply as well. "No, I went to hail a ride. So how is it, gege? Isn't my Infernal Ghost Carriage much more fun than those Upper Court officials' golden carriages?"
"Yes, very much so!" Xie Lian laughed. But when he was reminded of Wind Master's odd state, he couldn't laugh anymore and became solemn. "By the way, San Lang, what was it you wanted to tell me before?"
Their eyes met inadvertently. Hua Cheng still hadn't let go of Xie Lian's right shoulder, as if he was holding him in an embrace. Looking from the outside, two overlapping silhouettes could be seen through the step-litter's veils, curled together into one inseparable whole. Inside those red curtains, Hua Cheng smiled.
"Gege, want to get married?"
"..."
Xie Lian was struck dumb. "...Huh?"
Such an intent gaze, such words; they were in such close quarters with nowhere to run. Colors exploded in Xie Lian's vision, and his mind went completely blank. His entire body was frozen, stiffer than a corpse.
Seeing his reaction, Hua Cheng withdrew his arm and let out a snicker. "It's a joke. Did I shock gege?"
"..." Xie Lian only snapped out of it with concerted effort. "...You're too much. How can you joke about something like that?"
It wasn't just shock. He was so rattled by that question that his heart had almost stopped. And though he did not quite understand why, he also felt a trace of hurt.
"My bad," Hua Cheng laughed.
He stretched out his long legs and crossed them, settling them at the front of the step-litter and wiggling his feet. The silver chains on his boots clinked against each other, jingling crisply. Playful, indeed. Before tonight, Xie Lian would have thought his boyish heart was fun—adorable, even. But now, for some reason, the jingling noise disrupted his calm, and an unexplained frustration filled his mind.
He was dismayed for a good while and couldn't help but say it again in his mind: How can you joke about something like that…?
However, when he thought about it, there wasn't anything wrong with Hua Cheng saying what he'd said. It was because it didn't mean anything that he could joke about it.
Hua Cheng noticed his odd expression and promptly sat up straight. "Your Highness, please don't take it to heart. I was in the wrong just now. I won't joke about it ever again."
Seeing him apologize so solemnly, Xie Lian felt guilty.
Am I stupid? It was only a joke, nothing serious. Besides, San Lang only said, "Want to get married?" He didn't specify to whom, so where did my mind wander off to? Get ahold of yourself! This instant! Right now!
He mentally slapped himself a few times and steadied his spirit before he smiled.
"No, no, no, how are you in the wrong? Don't misunderstand—I was just thinking about Lord Wind Master, so I looked a bit serious."
"Oh?" Hua Cheng said. "Since the Water T yrant descended, that affair should be taken care of, right?"
They cooperated very well in changing the subject. Xie Lian gave serious thought to the idea, then lightly shook his head.
"San Lang, do you really think this is all over? Somehow, I think it's only the beginning."
Shi Qingxuan had always admired and respected his older brother, but he'd reacted so intensely when he escaped danger and awoke to the sight of his brother's face. A frightening thought sprouted in Xie Lian's mind—could Shi Wudu have been the one who cajoled Shi Qingxuan into opening the doors?
Although Shi Wudu should've been in the company of Ling Wen and General Pei at the time, it wasn't difficult for powerful heavenly officials to create clones and send them off on errands.
He was just about to tell Hua Cheng of his suspicions when Hua Cheng stated, "No. This matter is done and over with."
His tone was so firm that Xie Lian was stunned in spite of himself. "San Lang?"
Hua Cheng stared at him intently. "Gege, do you trust me?"
Xie Lian met his eyes and was equally firm in his response.
"I do."
"Then believe me." Hua Cheng continued slowly, "Stay far away from the Wind Master, the Water Master, the Earth Master, Ling Wen, and Pei Ming. The farther away, the better."
***
After that exchange, thoughts weighed down Xie Lian's mind for the rest of the journey. He tried prodding for more information, but every response Hua Cheng gave him seemed to indicate he had already said all he was willing to say on the subject. And so Xie Lian didn't push.
Upon their return to Puqi Shrine, dawn had not yet broken. As he pushed the door open, Xie Lian could see that the dishes had been cleaned and put away. Lang Ying, Guzi, and Qi Rong were all inside, tucked under a blanket and soundly asleep. It seemed that there really was someone who had attended to things here while he was gone, and they had already silently left.
This time, when Xie Lian returned, there was a large stack of prayers waiting for him.
Puqi Shrine had never received so many prayers before, but he didn't think it had anything to do with the wealthy merchant spreading the good word—yes, the wealthy merchant who lived in town finally stopped by to fulfill his vow.
However, even if he had stopped by, he either didn't notice or purposely ignored the very obvious sign Xie Lian had placed out front. He also didn't donate as much money as he promised he would. The most important purpose of his visit was to gift a silk pennant, and he enthusiastically presented it to Xie Lian in front of all the villagers. Xie Lian rolled it open unsuspectingly, then promptly folded it closed.
The giant words on the pennant were still burned into his mind: "Return Babes through Miraculous Hands."4 Xie Lian had been struck speechless.
Remembering sending the wealthy merchant off, he exhaled a long sigh. He worried every day, wondering when the shack would finally collapse; he really didn't know when he'd be able to have it repaired.
Hua Cheng was leaning against the shrine's door and seemed to have guessed what he was sighing over.
"I've been wanting to ask," Hua Cheng said. "If gege doesn't feel secure living here, why not move somewhere else?"
Xie Lian shook his head. "That's easy for you to say, San Lang. Where would I move?"
Hua Cheng smiled. "Why not move in with me?"
Xie Lian knew that those words couldn't be as nonchalant as they sounded. But that "joke" the other night had somehow traumatized him, and he no longer dared respond to anything Hua Cheng said using that "joking" tone.
He'd only acknowledge him with a brief smile and a tilt of his head.
As for the prayers he'd received, they were all quite mundane requests—the old ox broke his leg and couldn't haul the plow, or the wife in the house got pregnant and couldn't help in the fields. But they were prayers nevertheless, and he had to treat all worshippers equally. So after taking a few days to rest, Xie Lian responded to them by heading into the village to help plow and plant the fields.
Since Hua Cheng was staying with him, naturally he tagged along to play. Xie Lian hadn't wanted him to take up such hard manual labor, but he refused to be dissuaded. And so the two changed into coarse clothing, rolled up their sleeves and trouser legs, and entered the waters of the rice paddy fields.
Bustling farmers scattered the expanse of lush green rice paddies, and among them, two silhouettes were particularly conspicuous.
Hua Cheng's impressive air could hardly be hidden away so easily, even when he was dressed in Xie Lian's gritty clothing. Rather, the ragged outfit only seemed to accentuate his face and figure. The two of them were fair-skinned, with beautiful arms and long straight legs, and they were brilliantly eye-catching amidst a field of muddy farmers. The village girls were used to being surrounded by boors, and the sight of such a pair made their hearts race and cheeks redden. They kept sneaking glances as they planted seedlings, and soon their grafts veered so far off course that they became the targets of the day's teasing.
Hua Cheng's blanched skin was a color devoid of blood, while Xie Lian's luminously pale skin had rosy undertones.
Due to Xie Lian's natural physique, the more he sweated, the more his skin glowed like white jade. With the blazing sun overhead as they worked, he flushed as white as powder in no time at all. The dry heat was intolerable, and he wiped at the beads of sweat rolling down his collarbone.
A sudden thought struck him—ghosts were creatures of the shadows and disliked the sun, so Hua Cheng must be even more irritated than he was. Xie Lian turned his head to look. Sure enough, he saw Hua Cheng straighten up languidly as well, his eyes squinting as he used one hand to block out the sun. Though partially hidden under the shadow of his hand, his eyes were gazing in Xie Lian's direction.
Xie Lian walked over and pressed his bamboo hat onto Hua Cheng's head. "Here."
Hua Cheng seemed somewhat surprised by the action, but his eyes soon squinted into a smile. "Okay."
Although Hua Cheng had said he was only going to work the fields for the fun of it, when he actually got down to business, he was much faster than Xie Lian. He was quick and proper and incredibly skilled. An hour later, Xie Lian finished transplanting his paddies, but he was already sore and achy.
He straightened up and knocked his fist against his lower back for some relief, and Hua Cheng instantly came over to help him out. Xie Lian took a look at Hua Cheng's section, and he was shocked to see that he'd quietly finished a large patch of field all by himself in only an hour. Each green rice stalk stood neat and orderly in the watery paddies, and it was a sight most pleasing to the eye.
"San Lang, you really do learn fast," Xie Lian marveled earnestly. "You don't need to help me. Go sit and rest, and drink some water or something."
As Xie Lian wished, Hua Cheng went to the field ridges to retrieve water. The village chief had been watching from the sidelines for some time, and he gave a thumbs-up.
"Daozhang, which house does that lad belong to? He's so diligent! So amazing! Just one of him is as good as ten men! If any girl catches his eye, it'll be her good fortune!"
Xie Lian snorted a laugh, but it wasn't long before a few others crept over to inquire as well.
"Hey, hey, Daozhang, where does the lad staying at your shrine hail from? Is he married yet? He hasn't got a wife at home, right?"
"Surely not! He's so young!"
Xie Lian didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and answered vaguely. "Um…I guess not? He's young, so it's not time to consider anything yet."
"Well, that's not right," the villagers countered. "It's precisely because he's young that the matter has to be settled quickly!"
"Daozhang, you gotta talk to him. Men gotta get settled early before they can mature. Gotta start a family before anything else."
"That's right! Young people got those raging hormones and all! They can't endure too many lonely nights!"
All these villagers were from households with daughters and were clearly there to dig for information. Just as Xie Lian courteously turned them away, Hua Cheng strolled over with a bamboo water bottle dangling from his hand.
"I'm married. There's a wife at home."
When the villagers heard this, they were greatly disappointed but still unrelenting.
"Whose daughter is it? Won't you tell us, little fella?"
"You're not lying to us, are you?"
"She must be virtuous and beautiful."
Hua Cheng raised his brows. "Mmm, that's right.
Virtuous and beautiful. A real noble, gracious special someone who I've liked ever since I was young. I had a crush for many years and pursued it nonstop until I managed to win my special someone over."
He spoke with such a straight face, without a hint of falsehood, that the villagers felt they had no chance. They could only disperse, their disappointment apparent.
Xie Lian was lost in thought at his words when Hua Cheng handed him a cloth and water bottle.
"Water?"
Xie Lian took the cloth and wiped his muddy hands before drinking a few swallows from the water bottle, then he passed the bottle back over. Without realizing it, he had bunched the cloth in his hands into a messy ball, and he patted himself with it here and there.
He tried to hold in the question for a while, but in the end he still couldn't help but ask, "...Is it true?"
Hua Cheng took the bamboo bottle back and drank from it himself, his Adam's apple rolling up and down once with the motion of his throat.
"Hmm? Is what true?" he asked, lowering his head.
Xie Lian wiped a bit of sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. He wondered if the sun was a little too bright today, because his forehead and his cheeks were burning up. He smiled and tried his best to sound casual.
"That there's a wife at home, virtuous and beautiful, a real noble, gracious, special someone. You had a crush since you were young, and pursued it nonstop until you won that person over."
"Oh," Hua Cheng said. "That's a lie."
Xie Lian let out a sigh of relief, though he didn't notice.
This time, his smile was genuine, and he copied Hua Cheng's tone from before. "You liar."
Hua Cheng grinned and added, "But it wasn't all a lie. I just haven't won that person over yet."
Xie Lian was dumbstruck by this. But Hua Cheng had already turned around to continue laboring in the fields.
Xie Lian stood where he was in a daze for a bit before eventually bending down and getting back to work. For some reason, he felt a little unhappy. Soon after, he discovered that a row of his grafts was off course, and he quickly pulled his mind back to earth.
As he worked the fields, he tried connecting with the Wind Master through the private communication array.
Although Hua Cheng had warned him about getting close to the Wind Master and his coterie, Xie Lian couldn't help it.
He'd made multiple attempts over the past few days, but not once did he succeed; he recited the password over and over and was met with nothing but silence on the other side. Thus, he changed tactics and reached out to Ling Wen instead.
"Ling Wen, how is Lord Wind Master doing?"
Ling Wen connected promptly, and her voice sounded next to Xie Lian's ear. "Lord Wind Master? I think he's a little better."
Xie Lian's instincts told him she wasn't telling the truth, but he didn't push. However, it did help him make up his mind to go up fairly soon to investigate.
"By the way, Lord Water Master sent a gift to you, and it has already arrived," Ling Wen added. "Please remember to take a look, Your Highness."
Xie Lian was perplexed. "A gift? That isn't necessary; I haven't done anything deserving of a reward."
"There's no need to be modest," Ling Wen said. "When Lord Wind Master gets impulsive, he drags anyone nearby along with him. You went through so much trouble for so long while in his company. In any manner of speaking, there is no shame in accepting the gift. Lord Water Master said it was nothing but a small show of gratitude, so just take it."
Xie Lian still didn't think it appropriate and kept it tucked at the back of his mind.
Once work was done and they cleaned up, Hua Cheng went over to the village chief's house to help repair his plow, and Xie Lian returned to Puqi Shrine. After moving the three "good-for-nothings," as Hua Cheng had called them, behind the shrine, Xie Lian searched all over his small abode.
Where's the gift? he wondered.
Thinking it might have fallen in the cracks behind the donation box, he rolled up his sleeves to lift and move the box aside. It unexpectedly refused when he tried—it was excessively heavy, like it had grown roots into the ground.
Perplexed, Xie Lian dug out the key and opened the box. The moment he did, he was nearly blinded by bright golden light.
The donation box was packed to bursting with gold bars.
Even with just a cursory glance, there were clearly enough to exchange for a million merits minimum!
Xie Lian instantly threw the cover shut, pressing it down with both hands. "Nothing but a small show of gratitude"?!
T o give such a hefty gift for no reason—was this a bribe to keep his mouth shut? He had initially thought that if it really was just a small gift, such as a jade pendant that contained a supply of spiritual power, then it might be best to accept it. After all, returning a gift might injure the Water Master's face; the Water Master was proud, so it wouldn't be a nice thing to do. But now…well, all right. As expected from the God of Wealth. A chest this big, filled to the brim with gold bars! Now he had to return it.
It just so happened he'd already been planning on making a trip to the heavens to check on the Wind Master. He figured Hua Cheng wouldn't be back soon enough to let him know in person, so he left a note and then hoisted the oppressively heavy donation box onto his back before taking off.
Unexpectedly, there was mayhem in the Heavenly Capital when he arrived. Xie Lian stood there, bug-eyed and gaping at the destruction around him. The once perfectly tidy Grand Avenue of Divine Might was completely wrecked;
potholes, cracks, and craters marred the street. A team of junior heavenly officials was running around in circles attending to this and that, while Ling Wen was squatting next to a deep crater massaging her throbbing temples.
Xie Lian approached her. "Zhenjun, what happened?"
Ling Wen looked up and was flummoxed by the giant donation box on his back.
"Your Highness, what are you doing carrying such a big donation box up here?! As for what happened…don't even ask." Ling Wen sighed. "General Nan Yang and General Xuan Zhen got into a fight and destroyed each other's palaces."
Feng Xin and Mu Qing? Xie Lian was amazed.
"Why were the two of them fighting again?"
"What could it be but that business with the fetus spirit?" Ling Wen explained. "A few martial gods met up to debate how to deal with the ghost mother and son. General Nan Yang suggested bringing the fetus spirit to the refinery to dissolve it, since it did murder many people. But Xuan Zhen wouldn't let him. His tone wasn't the nicest, as you'd expect, so Nan Yang said, 'As if you've ever been so benevolent!
Maybe you have a guilty conscience!' And other such things.
"Your Highness, you know how it is. They didn't say much before they went off with their fists, just like that. Look —look around. Look at the state of this place. You martial gods really don't have a good culture. This year's repair expenses are terrifying. I only ran the numbers halfway and now I've forgotten everything again. Honestly…" She really did look like she had quite the headache.
"Then…I'll leave you to it," Xie Lian said. "I'll go check up on Lord Wind Master."
Ling Wen looked up. "Visit Lord Wind Master? Don't bother, Your Highness. Lord Wind Master isn't seeing visitors right now."
"Didn't you say he was a bit better?" Xie Lian asked.
"That's what Lord Water Master said," Ling Wen replied.
"But Lord Wind Master not seeing visitors was also a statement from Lord Water Master. Not even I can see Lord Wind Master right now, so he probably needs more time to recuperate. You'd best not go, Your Highness. Speaking of, isn't your donation box too…" Wham! Xie Lian dropped the donation box to the ground.
"Then will you please help me return this to Lord Water Master? I haven't done anything deserving of such a reward.
And even if he didn't give me anything, I would never say anything that shouldn't be said."
He felt relieved after throwing the box down and left with haste. Ling Wen called after him, but upon receiving no response, she let it go and continued to stare at the deep crater with a throbbing head.
Although Xie Lian did leave, of course he wouldn't descend to the Mortal Realm so easily. Instead, he snuck over to the esteemed Palace of the Wind and Water Masters in the Heavenly Capital.
The palace was swarming with guards both inside and out, but a small thing like that couldn't stop Xie Lian. Shi Qingxuan had brought him here in the past, so he had a general idea of where the Wind Master's bedchambers were located. He flipped over the wall and alternated between stealthily running across rooftops and slinking around the grounds until he arrived at his destination. It took him no time at all. His only concern was the possibility that the Wind Master had been moved elsewhere by his brother and wasn't in the building at all.
Fortunately, this wasn't the case. He climbed onto the roof and found a blind spot where no one could see him, then he hooked his legs onto the eaves and flipped himself upside down to peek into the bedchamber.
What he saw shocked him.
Shi Qingxuan was tightly trussed up, tied to his own bed with ropes that bound his hands and legs. Even so, he still struggled nonstop. Meanwhile, Shi Wudu was pacing back and forth next to his bed with a bowl full of an unknown black substance in his hands. He paused for a moment before suddenly walking over to the head of the bed.
And then he forced the bowl's contents down Shi Qingxuan's throat.