Ming Yi's voice came from behind. "What are you grumbling about all alone?"
Shi Qingxuan's body stiffened. "I…I…I…" Xie Lian wanted to help him respond, but Shi Qingxuan's tongue was refusing his control. It couldn't be helped; his most trusted, beloved friend had turned out to be the one he feared the most, hiding right beside him all this time. Now that there was no one around to help, there was no telling what he planned to do. Who wouldn't be scared?
Suddenly, Ming Yi's fingers dug in. Pain flared in Shi Qingxuan's shoulder as he was pushed to the ground.
At the same time, a ghastly pale white hand lunged from the creek and groped the empty space that Shi Qingxuan's neck had occupied just moments before.
A water ghost!
The hand's attack missed thanks to Ming Yi's timely push, and Ming Yi parried with a palm blast. Screams came from beneath the water—whatever creature lurked beneath was probably obliterated by that strike. Shi Qingxuan still lay sprawled on the ground where he'd been shoved, and Ming Yi pulled him up.
"What were you thinking, using some random water in the Black Water Demon Lair to wash your face?!"
"..."
Shi Qingxuan had just washed his face with the water of a creek that was contaminated with the putrefying corpses of water ghosts. He should have felt disgusted, but he had no mind right now to notice such details. His face and hair were still dripping wet. He was as drenched as a drowned dog and looked equally as lost and forlorn. Mind completely blank, he let "Ming Yi" pull him up and followed along behind him.
Truthfully, everything about "Ming-xiong" had always smelled a bit fishy if he thought about it.
He was the Earth Master, so he drew every teleportation array waypoint along the journey. The technique should've been his specialty, but he ran into problems at every juncture. The four of them were inexplicably sent from Puqi Shrine to the town of Fu Gu. And then, when it came time to transport the Wind and Water Masters from Black Water Island, there was another hiccup.
Was it because the transportation chamber was in disrepair? Was it something else causing ghostly mischief?
Was the mastermind omnipotent?
Why overthink the issue? The simplest answer was the most likely—Ming Yi had been meddling all along!
When the Wind Master was taken away by the "Reverend of Empty Words," it was "Ming Yi" who had allowed it by losing sight of him; he'd also been the one to discover the Wind Master after he had been robbed of his powers. He had always stayed by Shi Qingxuan's side and knew his fears and tendencies like the back of his hand, and he was certainly close enough to the Wind Master to know his verbal password. Wielding his command of the "Reverend of Empty Words," he was also the one who coerced Shi Qingxuan into opening the doors to the protection array at the T errace of Cascading Wine.
At the T emple of Wind and Water, he cracked that establishment plaque with his own hands without a hint of remorse. Perhaps it was a necessarily evil…or perhaps it was an entirely purposeful one. What audacious arrogance to openly dismantle his enemy's establishment plaque with such a chivalrous excuse—and his enemy had to be grateful for it!
It wasn't like Xie Lian hadn't been suspicious at times with so many odd little coincidences. He'd tried to probe by asking those three questions, but he'd never imagined that something this inconceivable, this audacious, could happen— that a ghost had impersonated a heavenly official and hidden among them for so long!
Ship-Sinking Black Water kept a "low profile"?
Of course he did, since a low profile was a necessity for someone existing under a different identity for so many years!
"Ming Yi" had devoured the Reverend of Empty Words, and its powers were devoured along with it; he was able to command it as his minion and wield its might as his own. His responses to Xie Lian's three questions were flawless because a Supreme Ghost King would hardly be burdened by the unique quirks of a minion's species. If he wanted to speak the truth, then he could speak the truth. If he wanted to deceive, he could lie as he willed.
And then there was that skeleton. Its dexterous hands and feet matched the expected physique of the Earth Master.
Why worship it in the Nether Water Manor? Because those were the remains of a heavenly official. If they weren't treated with solemn respect and were buried carelessly, the bones wouldn't rest in peace. No coffin would hold. And so he was forced to worship it with grand ceremony within his own halls.
With all that said, there was something else that tipped Xie Lian off to his real identity. It was the skeleton's lunge.
The Water Master had asked why the skeleton would experience terminal lucidity, and Ming Yi quickly tried to brush it off by claiming it was reacting to his flippant statement, "As long as it's not in our way, it doesn't matter who it was." But that wasn't what had provoked the real Ming Yi at all. It was the part that came after: "Lord Earth Master"!
He was the real Earth Master, and his impersonator was standing right before him, deliberately and nonchalantly leading the rest of them astray!
He hadn't only meddled all this time. T o escape suspicion, "Ming Yi" would sometimes do just the opposite and nudge them back on the right track. He once said to Hua Cheng, "You really do have spies in the heavens." As if he wasn't that very spy! That, of course, also explained Hua Cheng's sarcastic response, "Don't you already know that?"
He'd been mocking this game of pretend.
However, the word "spy" was probably inaccurate. It was more likely an agreement between those two— specifically, an agreement about the exchange of information.
The two Supreme Ghost Kings cooperated for their mutual benefit—wasn't that a win-win? Black Water infiltrated the Upper Court and observed all movement in the Heavenly Realm, big and small. Hua Cheng took root in the Mortal Realm, increasing the number of worshippers. It remained to be seen whether they cooperated in other matters.
When Jun Wu sent the "Earth Master" to infiltrate Ghost City, it was no different from attempting to flood the oceanic T emple of the Dragon King or sending thieves to raid a bandit's lair—completely futile.
It seemed that only two major accidents occurred while he was undercover. The first was that Ascending Fire Dragon spell—an impostor obviously wouldn't instigate such a pointless charade. Xie Lian was more inclined to think that the real Ming Yi had cast the Ascending Fire Dragon spell during a botched escape attempt.
In order to sneak into the Upper Court in the guise of a total stranger, one must have a thorough understanding of the person being impersonated. Therefore, the impersonated individual must be kept alive to pry out details as they become relevant over the years—information about their life experience, their skills, their methods of manipulating their spiritual device, and so on. The fake Ming Yi likely kidnapped and imprisoned the real Ming Yi right after he passed his Heavenly Tribulation but before his ascension; an impostor would've been easily detected if the real Ming Yi had already known other heavenly officials.
The escape and the subsequent spell were accidents, which was why when Hua Cheng received the news, he had to leave to help his collaborator clean up the mess. And right at that time, Xie Lian received the Ghost City rescue mission from Jun Wu.
While he hadn't thought so at the time, in hindsight, he realized that the operation had gone a little too smoothly. Xie Lian rescued the "Earth Master" from the dungeons of Paradise Manor, but how did he discover said dungeon? He had spotted a cursed shackle on the wrist of Hua Cheng's ghost-masked subordinate and then saw him sneaking around Paradise Manor.
A cursed shackle was a mark of humiliation; when heavenly officials were banished, they would normally hide their shackles from the eyes of others. But the ghost-masked man wore it openly on his wrist. Why did he hide it again on Xie Lian's subsequent Ghost City visits? If it wasn't simple carelessness, the only other explanation was that it was done intentionally to grab Xie Lian's attention and lead him to the "imprisoned" fake Earth Master. The real Ming Yi, the one who'd really set off the distress signal, was likely killed after that. It was impossible to completely destroy his remains and remove all evidence, but keeping the flesh intact would be too great a risk to the masquerade—so it was dissolved until he was nothing but white bones.
The second accident was Shi Qingxuan seeking Xie Lian's help after getting spooked by the return of the Reverend of Empty Words.
It was obvious that Hua Cheng didn't want Xie Lian to be pulled into this affair, which was why Ming Yi declared at Puqi Shrine that "Coming here was not my will!" While they searched for Shi Qingxuan at the T errace of Cascading Wine, Hua Cheng likely left to rendezvous with Ming Yi and demand an explanation for what was happening.
Xie Lian had no opening to explain any of this to Shi Qingxuan, but Shi Qingxuan was clearly thinking through each detail on his own. The hands hidden within his sleeves trembled nonstop.
As the two walked side by side, Xie Lian's mind was churning. Where in the world had Shi Wudu gone?
Shi Wudu was first to leave via the array, and "Ming Yi" was last. He shouldn't have been able to jump over Shi Qingxuan to do anything to Shi Wudu, which meant there were three possibilities. First, Shi Wudu was sent elsewhere.
Second, something was waiting wherever Shi Wudu had been sent, and he had become its victim. Third, Shi Wudu left on his own.
If it were the first or second possibility, there was no reason for "Ming Yi" to keep up this act of searching for Shi Wudu in front of Shi Qingxuan.
Having thought that far, Xie Lian heard "Ming Yi" ask, "Where's your golden pendant?"
Shi Qingxuan still hadn't recovered, but Xie Lian was filled with dread. "Ming Yi" had to ask the question a few times before Shi Qingxuan managed a "Huh?"
"Didn't you say that you and your brother used your golden essences to forge those longevity locks?" "Ming Yi" said gruffly. "And that they'll cry out if their masters are hurt?"
"..."
Shi Qingxuan told "Ming Yi" everything, so he of course also knew how this particular spiritual device worked. Which meant he was going to use the golden pendant to find Shi Wudu!
"But…but my scratches healed!" Shi Qingxuan objected.
"That's easy to solve," Ming Yi said coldly, raising his hand.
Is he going to hurt Lord Wind Master?! Xie Lian tensed, ready to go on the defensive. But unexpectedly, Ming Yi squeezed the clotted-over gash on his own arm. It began to ooze blood again.
"Give me the pendant, I'll wear it," he said.
"..."
Xie Lian couldn't help but be awed at the scene playing out before him. Even if this was an act, his ability to take it this far was astounding. He now understood why Shi Qingxuan thought so highly of Ming Yi. Someone like this would truly be worth befriending, if not for the malicious, murderous intent lurking beneath the surface!
Shi Qingxuan was still hesitant, too scared to move. The moment he handed over the longevity lock, the two golden necklaces would cry out for each other. Shi Wudu would surely come find him when he noticed.
"Ming Yi" furrowed his brow. "Are you scared stupid?"
"No…!" Shi Qingxuan said. "Actually, this…this lock, did I never tell you? It only works if I'm the one wearing it."
"Ming Yi" looked doubtful. "Really?"
Shi Qingxuan clutched his longevity lock with a death grip and gave a hard nod. "That's right!"
"Ming Yi" stared at him for a moment but ultimately seemed to abandon the idea. He glanced at the reopened gash on his own arm and didn't say another word.
Just then, the longevity lock around Shi Qingxuan's neck started vibrating. Color drained from Shi Qingxuan's face.
"Ming Yi" reacted immediately and started moving in the direction the longevity lock pointed.
"Lord Water Master is over there."
The golden lock's resonance meant that Shi Wudu was wounded. He'd been perfectly well when he entered the array, so what had hurt him since then?
Xie Lian could sense that Shi Qingxuan was torn; he was anxious to go, but at the same time very reluctant to do so.
They were trapped in Black Water Lake's illusion, and there was no one else on the island who could help. Pei Ming was building a coffin boat outside the illusion and waiting for their return, and Shi Qingxuan was currently mortal. If Shi Wudu was injured, they'd have nowhere to turn for help. How could they possibly escape if they delivered themselves right to the master's doorstep?
They hurried to follow in the lock's wake. Shi Qingxuan tried speaking up. "Ming…xiong, I think it's a trap. It's probably best not to go!"
"What trap?" "Ming Yi" asked.
To answer him, Shi Qingxuan spun a bold-faced lie. "How could my brother possibly get hurt? It can't be him over there."
Unfortunately, unlike Shi Qingxuan, "Ming Yi" still had a firm hold on logic. "We're in a Supreme Ghost King's territory.
Lord Water Master might not have what it takes to protect himself. Let's go there and take a look first."
Shi Qingxuan couldn't think of a reason not to go, and Xie Lian was equally stumped. He watched in silence, planning to play it by ear.
They followed the longevity lock, using its vibration as a guide to grow closer and closer to the target—until finally, they found Shi Wudu curled in on himself on the ground. He was holding his stomach, and he looked distressed and in immense pain.
"Ge!" Shi Qingxuan cried.
He rushed over with Ming Yi trailing close behind.
However, when they approached Shi Wudu, the prone figure leapt to his feet and erupted into maniacal laughter as he pulled Shi Qingxuan into a hug. Shi Qingxuan was utterly bewildered as he stood enveloped in those arms, and he only belatedly realized how twisted the man's face was. This wasn't Shi Wudu; it was only a madman dressed in his robes and wearing his golden lock pendant!
Shi Qingxuan hadn't even opened his mouth to speak when "Ming Yi" abruptly collapsed next to him. His chest now had a hole in it the size of a fist, and his blood spilled upon the ground.
A figure in white leapt from a tree, grabbed Shi Qingxuan, and dragged him along as he fled. "Run!"
Upon closer inspection, Xie Lian saw that it was the real Shi Wudu!
"Ge?!" Shi Qingxuan exclaimed.
"Don't talk, just come with me! He's no good!" Shi Wudu ordered in a hushed, urgent voice.
In a flash, Xie Lian understood what had happened. As it turned out, Shi Wudu wasn't one to be underestimated. He knew something was off the moment he walked out of the transportation array's chamber and saw he was still in the Nether Water Manor. Shi Wudu didn't overthink things like Xie Lian, and he was much sharper. He immediately suspected Ming Yi, so he hid in the shadows to watch and determine what he was up to. He and Shi Qingxuan were probably sent to different locations, otherwise he would've brought Shi Qingxuan along to hide.
After spotting Ming Yi and Shi Qingxuan together, Shi Wudu had seized a madman and dressed him in his outer robes and golden lock pendant, then hit him with a blast to wound him. It was all bait to lure in Ming Yi and distract him from the ambush he had planned. It was a ruthless move.
There wasn't any solid proof that Ming Yi had actually tampered with anything, but Shi Wudu had still shot to kill!
Shi Qingxuan couldn't help but look back. When he did, he saw "Ming Yi" lying as still as a corpse. And then he sat up. The blast had pierced right through his heart. He stoically looked down to stare at the gory hole, then slowly rose to his feet.
Shi Qingxuan's blood ran cold, and Xie Lian could feel it in his own heart. Even a heavenly official shouldn't be able to move so easily after being wounded this severely—he had to be something inhuman!
As the two brothers continued their flight, suddenly the hairs on the back of Xie Lian's neck stood all at once.
"Watch out!" he shouted.
He yanked at the Water Master. A sharp noise whistled by, leaving a chilling light in its wake. The Water Master would've lost his head if not for Xie Lian's tug.
Those invisible creatures from the water's reflection had returned!
Shi Wudu cursed, then he flipped the Water Master fan open backward and swung. Several long, thin water arrows shot from the waves painted on the surface of his fan, and they encircled their bodies to form a protective shield. The invisible creatures couldn't do anything to breach the barrier, and the two brothers continued to run.
Shi Qingxuan couldn't help but look back again. This time, he could feel his hair stand on end.
"He…he's catching up!"
Sure enough, "Ming Yi" was about seventy meters behind, following them at a heavy, dolorous pace. Although his steps appeared slow, the distance between him and the two brothers grew significantly shorter with each one he took.
It looked as though, in just a few more steps, he'd be able to touch the hems of their robes.
Shi Wudu never looked back. With another swing of his fan, twenty or thirty more dragon-shaped water arrows shot forth. With one more swing, their numbers doubled. He fluttered the fan rapidly, and the hundreds of razor-sharp water arrows hurtled toward "Ming Yi" and barraged him from all sides. Though they were made of water, they slashed through the air like steel blades. If he took a single misstep, his body would be riddled with holes—and yet "Ming Yi" caught the very first water arrow with his bare hands. He yanked like it was the end of a rope, and with that motion, the Water Master fan was snatched from Shi Wudu's hand!
The water dragon arrows dancing wildly in the skies dissolved the moment the fan left his hand, and a weak drizzle rained upon them. Shi Wudu abruptly stopped in his tracks and looked at his hand in disbelief. Over his centuries-long tenure, no one had ever been able to seize the Water Master fan from his hand. He now knew he couldn't escape and finally looked back.
"Ming Yi" was still stalking steadily toward them with his hands clasped behind his back. He was going through an intricate full-body transformation. With every step, a change occurred. His already-blanched face became even paler until it resembled Hua Cheng's bloodless translucence. His forehead grew sharper, his brow deeper, and these shifts made him appear even more somber. Upon his black robes, subtle patterns of waves appeared on the once-unremarkable corners of the hems, woven with thin threads and shimmering with a mysterious silver glow. By the time he arrived before the Wind and Water Masters, although his face was mostly the same, he was clearly a completely different person.
The Earth Master wasn't a martial god, so he had no talent for martial arts and his spiritual powers were only average. However, neither of these points applied to the one before them now.
"What, exactly, are you?" Shi Wudu cautiously demanded.
"Ming Yi" seemed to find the question funny. He squinted in amusement. "You're standing in my territory, yet you still need to ask?"
"...Black Water Demon Xuan?" Shi Wudu ventured.
"Ming Yi" turned his gaze to Shi Qingxuan, but Shi Qingxuan didn't react.
"You've always been the Earth Master? Or…" Shi Wudu trailed off and seemed to come to a conclusion similar to Xie Lian's. "I see."
But he had only realized that Black Water Demon Xuan had infiltrated the heavens.
"You and I have always minded our own business. Well water doesn't interfere with that of rivers, and we've likewise ruled over our own domains," Shi Wudu said. "It was not my intent to intrude in your territory, so why don't we both take a step back?"
"Well, well, Water Tyrant. It seems there are times when you dare not be tyrannical," Ming Yi mused aloud.
Shi Wudu was proud by nature, and displeasure flashed across his face at this comment. Since they were under someone else's roof and his younger brother was by his side, he had to lower his head—but he still wasn't willing to back down.
"I would have no reason to fear you, were it not the wrong place and time."
"Ming Yi" took another step forward. "Shi Wudu, look at my face," he said icily. "Do you know who I am?"
Shi Wudu stared at him, a frown creasing his mouth. He had seen the Earth Master a few times, so he didn't understand what he was trying to say.
"Who do you want me to say you are?" He paused for a moment, thinking "Ming Yi" was hinting that his identity must not be revealed. He offered, "It doesn't matter who you are. I swear on my Water Master title, as long as you don't involve me or my brother, nothing you do will concern me…" "Ming Yi" frigidly cut him off before he could finish.
"Men of importance truly have short memories. Water T yrant, how many mortal names and mortal births did you so arduously flip through to find me? It hasn't even been—what, a few hundred years? And you've already forgotten what I look like?"
Shi Wudu's face contorted by degrees as he listened to this. There was a mortal idiom for manifested terror, "You look as though you've seen a ghost." For the first time in his life, Shi Wudu showed that very expression on his face. His pupils shrank to pinpricks.
"You're still alive?!" he blurted.
"I'm dead!" He Xuan coldly corrected him.
With four fingers pressed together, he swung his palm upward. Xie Lian felt a sudden pain surge through his skull. It seemed He Xuan's spiritual field had affected Shi Qingxuan's body, and they fainted.
An unknown amount of time passed before Xie Lian and Shi Qingxuan slowly regained consciousness together. Xie Lian could feel something rubbing back and forth against him. As he sluggishly opened his eyes, he saw that he was being nuzzled by several foul-smelling, hairy heads. A mob of madmen surrounded him, giggling and looking shy as they felt him all over. Xie Lian remained fairly calm at the sight, as he'd determined that their peculiar attention wasn't life-threatening; the madmen were just a little dirty, not a threat.
However, Shi Qingxuan was appalled. He wanted to push them away immediately, but loud clings and clangs sounded with each attempt. There was coldness around his hands and feet, and he couldn't move an inch. When he looked up, he realized that he was cuffed to the wall by iron chains as thick as wooden clubs. His arms were raised up high.
From the look of the floors and ceiling, he was probably back at the Nether Water Manor. Xie Lian could feel exactly what Shi Qingxuan was feeling, which at the moment was a deep, searing pain in his head. He tried to bid the Lord Wind Master to be calm, to assure him that he would teach him how to break free from cuffs such as these, but he abruptly realized that he couldn't make a single sound!
Perplexed, Xie Lian quickly took stock of his own condition and found that a large portion of his spiritual power had been lost. His soul was still able to stay in Shi Qingxuan's body, but he could no longer manipulate him or even speak to warn him.
Could the spiritual powers he'd borrowed from Hua Cheng have run dry? Impossible. Hua Cheng knew exactly how much spiritual power it took to perform the Soul-Shifting Spell, and he had given him an extremely generous loan of significantly more than what was needed and not a bit less.
And Xie Lian could sense the powers draining away with each passing moment. It was making him both leery and anxious.
A raspy voice called out from across the room.
"Qingxuan!"
Shi Qingxuan's vision was blurry, but when he focused his eyes in the voice's direction, he could see that it was Shi Wudu calling him.
Shi Wudu wasn't fettered by iron shackles, but he was kneeling on the ground. His white robes were filthy and in wild disarray. Relief visibly washed over his face when he saw Shi Qingxuan wake up, and he seemed to want to come over.
However, his attempt was thwarted—he was kicked down by the one standing next to him and forced to kneel anew.
The man standing there wore a cruel, sinister expression, and his hands were clasped behind him. His skin was so pale it sent shivers down one's spine. This was Black Water Demon Xuan—or rather, He Xuan.
There was an altar behind him. Four smooth, obsidian-black urns sat serenely upon it. T wo shredded fans were discarded on the floor—the Wind Master fan and the Water Master fan.
Father, mother, sister, fiancée.
"Kowtow," He Xuan ordered.
Shi Wudu kept his eyes on Shi Qingxuan. He gave a single word in response: "Fine."
With that, surprisingly, he heeded. He moved to kneel before the altar and kowtowed before the urns over a dozen times. Thud, thud, thud. After this, he attempted to raise his head, but He Xuan's foot came down heavily and stomped his skull back in place.
"Did I permit you to rise?" he coldly asked.
This brutal move pinned Shi Wudu's face to the floor. Shi Wudu answered through gritted teeth, blood running from every orifice.
"...No."
His elder brother was once so proud that his head never bowed, but now, his face was being stomped into the dirt.
Although Shi Qingxuan knew he deserved retribution ten times worse for what he'd done, blood was thicker than water. Ultimately, he couldn't bear to see him like this.
"Ge…" He Xuan's attention was drawn by the sound of Shi Qingxuan's voice, and he was now the focus of that chilling glare. Even though he couldn't raise his head, Shi Wudu knew that meek cry would do nothing but provoke their captor.
"Be quiet!" he barked at once.
After a moment's thought, He Xuan removed his boot from his head. Shi Wudu was filled with trepidation but had no strength to drag himself up.
"Qingxuan!" he groaned.
He Xuan languidly approached the wall. The madmen scampered away whimpering; they were obviously terrified of him. However, they still sneaked glimpses at Shi Qingxuan, as if there was something on him that they coveted.
Shi Qingxuan watched from where he was chained as He Xuan came closer, step by step. The ever-so-familiar face that Shi Qingxuan once knew was now dreadfully foreign.
He Xuan crouched in front of him. He was quiet for a moment before he asked, "Is the Reverend of Empty Words scary?"
Though his tone was smooth and calm, Shi Qingxuan was bug-eyed with fear. He couldn't speak a word in response through his quivering lips.
The Reverend of Empty Words of the past was already extremely horrifying. The person looking at him now had swallowed the Reverend of Empty Words. He was ten times, a hundred times more terrifying than the nightmare of his younger years.
But that terror was something Shi Qingxuan should've endured from the start.
"He Xuan," Shi Wudu called to him. "A man must answer alone for what he has done. It was my idea to use you to ward off his misfortune; this has nothing to do with my little brother."
He Xuan sneered. "Nothing to do with him?"
Without blinking once, he stared at Shi Qingxuan and spoke each word with clear enunciation and intent.
"Your little brother, an ordinary, common mortal, obtained the ability to ascend. His endless glory was plundered from my fate; he enjoyed my divinity. And you tell me that this has nothing to do with him?"
Every word was a knife, and every cut stabbed the heart. This was said for Shi Qingxuan to hear, and though he knew it all by now, he still bowed his head and felt like he could never hold it high again.
"You…you've always been by his side, so you should know very well that I'm not lying to you," Shi Wudu said with forced calm. "He's not one to hide anything; from start to finish, he genuinely did not know!"
"That's precisely why he's so detestable!" He Xuan interrupted sharply. "Why was he allowed to know nothing?!"
Shi Qingxuan's head bowed even lower.
What right did he have to suck another's blood and trample another's bones to reach the skies, all the while maintaining his peace of mind? T o enjoy such luxuries without any sense of burden?
"He didn't know then, but is he still so ignorant?!" He Xuan added.
Shi Qingxuan looked up. His voice trembled. "Ming-xiong, I…" "Shut up!" He Xuan shouted.
When Shi Qingxuan saw his near-savage expression, he shuddered and went silent. He Xuan whirled around and started pacing the hall of the Nether Water Manor, growling as he walked.
"I gave you so many chances!"
Shi Qingxuan closed his eyes and clenched his fists. Xie Lian recalled that excessively furious "Fine. Very well!" back when they were in the town of Fu Gu. He remembered how "Ming Yi" had tried to stop Shi Qingxuan from following Pei Ming to the East Sea.
But each time, Shi Qingxuan had chosen to help Shi Wudu.
"...I'm sorry," Shi Qingxuan whispered.
He Xuan stopped in his tracks. "And what good is your apology?" he demanded.
The four urns had been placed directly in Shi Qingxuan's field of view, and it seemed as if they too jeered at his featherlight sorry. Misery pierced his heart and scorched his insides as if his words meant nothing no matter what he said.
"...I know it's futile, but I…" Shi Qingxuan pleaded.
"But you what?" He Xuan's tone returned to its cold indifference. "You know it's futile, but you still want to express your utmost sincerity? Are you hoping you can move me? Make me let go of this grudge and allow my resentment to dissolve?"
"No! No! That's not what I meant!" Shi Qingxuan said hastily. "It's just… It's just, I…I really am very sorry that I wronged you. Really. Ming…He…He-gongzi. I know that both my brother and I are in the wrong. There's no remedying the situation at this point, so…" He Xuan was listening intently. "So?"
At this point, any further words would only sound feeble and pathetic. Shi Qingxuan tried desperately to come up with something, but he drew a blank and was unable to continue.
"Well, talk. Why did you stop?" He Xuan asked coldly.
"So are you willing to die for your sins?"
Shi Qingxuan was shocked. Shi Wudu couldn't listen anymore and shouted, "He Xuan! The offense was mine— mine and the Reverend of Empty Words'! Qingxuan's sin doesn't merit a death sentence, you…" "And who in my family sinned?" He Xuan countered.
"Who in my family deserved death?"
Shi Wudu choked.
"Go on. T ell me," He Xuan continued. "Are you willing?"
"...I am," Shi Qingxuan whispered.
He Xuan sneered at this. Since Shi Qingxuan had his head bowed, Xie Lian couldn't see his expression, but he probably wouldn't be able to discern what he was feeling even if he saw.
He Xuan stalked away with his hands clasped behind him. That group of madmen saw him leave and came to surround Shi Qingxuan once more, hugging his arms and thighs and refusing to let go. Some tugged at his hair, some draped themselves around his neck. Each of them had a ravenous glint in his eyes, like he wanted to eat him alive. Xie Lian had lived among the homeless in the past, but even he felt his hair stand on end. Just who are these people? Why did Demon Xuan gather a bunch of madmen here?
Shi Qingxuan silently endured the pushing and shoving of the madmen, tolerating their pulling and dragging, too frightened to make a sound. He Xuan observed detachedly for a while before he spoke.
"Do you know who these people are?"
Emaciated, claw-like fingers felt all over Shi Qingxuan's face and body. He didn't even dare to breathe, much less ponder who those people were, so he shook his head.
"Rotten fates. Contemptuous fortunes. Lives lower than an animal's. Fates that can drive a man mad," He Xuan explained.
"..."
Cold dread washed over Xie Lian. He had an inkling of what He Xuan planned to do. Shi Wudu understood at once, his eyes bulging.
"You…?!"
He Xuan stood between Shi Wudu and Shi Qingxuan.
"I'm giving you two options."
He pointed at Shi Wudu.
"Option one. Pick one individual from this crowd and exchange your brother's fate with theirs. And then, go make yourself scarce in the Mortal Realm."
Shi Wudu's eyes grew bloodshot, and his shoulders started to shake.
"Since you enjoy switching fates so much, you must be quite skilled at it," He Xuan commented. "No need for me to guide you through the process."
If the motives behind this punishment were disregarded, then it was truly vicious. Although Shi Qingxuan's original fate wasn't good enough to ascend, it was still a life filled with peaceful luxury and leisure. The madmen, on the other hand, were racked with disease and rotten sores and had been driven to madness by adversity. It was clear that every single one of them was ensnared by an absolutely wretched, miserable fortune. If Shi Qingxuan exchanged fates with any of them, wouldn't that mean he would fall into the same tragic state? Such fates would drive one to madness in and of themselves. He would suffer endless agony and torment from then after.
Faced with this disaster, it was obvious Shi Wudu now had no chance of passing his Heavenly T ribulation.
Furthermore, he would no doubt be banished now that the affair with the Reverend of Empty Words had been revealed.
Once banished to the Mortal Realm, he would no longer be able to switch Shi Qingxuan's fate to a better one. A common mortal with his powers stripped away and a common mortal suffering the most wretched of fortunes—how could they possibly keep living?
Shi Wudu huffed a breath and gritted his teeth. "And the second option?"
"The second option," He Xuan continued. "You."
This time, he eyed Shi Qingxuan. Each word was spoken slowly and clearly.
"I won't touch your fate. Chop off your brother's head.
Right here."
Clang!
He threw a rusty knife to the floor. Shi Qingxuan stared at it, his eyes wide.
"And then never show yourself to me again. In return, I will pretend you never existed."
His bones had steeped in the brine of hatred for centuries, and it had boiled over all at once. Anyone could see the fervent madness that burned in his eyes. Anyone could see that he wasn't bluffing.
After a moment of silence, Shi Wudu croaked, "...I'll kill myself. Let me do it to myself."
"You have no right to bargain with me," He Xuan stated.
Shi Wudu glanced at Shi Qingxuan. "You're asking for our lives…" he mumbled miserably.
Shi Qingxuan, however, hadn't succumbed to despair just yet. "Ge! Ge! Let's…let's choose the first option. The first one," he said hurriedly.
A moment later, Shi Wudu regained control of himself.
"No. I choose the second one."
"..." Shi Qingxuan was dumbfounded. "Why the second option? Can't we both live? Ge, let's go with the first one, I really can't do the second…" "Quiet!" Shi Wudu furiously snapped. "Don't you know me? You think I can do it—lose everything and be forced to watch you become a filthy wretch?! You might as well infuriate me to death!"
"Ge!" Shi Qingxuan exclaimed. "Let it go… Clinging to life is still better than a good death. Besides, really, if you think about it, we've…we've lived for centuries now, it's time to…it's time to…" As he spoke, he seemed to remember just how well he had lived the past few hundred years, and he was so ashamed he didn't dare continue.
He Xuan was still watching them coldly. Shi Wudu arduously crawled to his feet. He grabbed the rust-mottled knife and stumbled to the wall, then grasped his younger brother's shoulder.
"Come!" Then he whispered harshly, "...Go find General Pei. Ask him to take care of you."
The blade was terrifyingly heavy and covered in rust; it'd be difficult to even kill a chicken with it, never mind a man.
Both the executioner and the target would suffer greatly if it was used to cut off someone's head. Shi Qingxuan was so horrified he couldn't keep hold of it and kept dropping it on the ground.
"Forget it, ge, forget it! Haven't you always told me that everyone only cares for themselves, and that there's no reason anyone would look out for us? Haven't we always taken care of ourselves? Don't give this thing to me, don't give it to me!"
"Qingxuan! Don't be so immature!" Shi Wudu barked.
Then he smiled wryly. "...Your brother's nicknamed the Water T yrant. It's not like you don't know that. Over all these years, I've raised so many waves that have shaken the world—there have been at least eight hundred, if not a thousand. I have nothing but enemies from heaven to hell. It'll be easier if I die. If I die, then nothing else will happen to you. But if I survive while losing everything, that's a fate worse than death. If I'm not the Water God, I can't take care of you; I won't even be able to protect myself. We probably won't last two days out there… T ake it!"
Shi Qingxuan was so scared he was going to weep. "No!
I can't I can't I can't, ge, I can't, I really can't!" he exclaimed uncontrollably. "Don't force me! Don't give it to me! Help, help, help!"
He started screaming with every fiber of his being, wailing until he was hoarse, crying desperately to be saved.
"It's all right!" Shi Wudu exclaimed. "Don't be scared, Qingxuan, this won't hurt as much as exchanging fates or stripping away spiritual power…"
He Xuan had been infinitely patient up to this point, but now he lashed out with a kick. Shi Wudu sputtered a mouthful of blood as he was knocked over, and he hit the ground hard, unable to get up.
Shi Qingxuan, still bound to the wall, screamed in distress. "Ge!"
"Quiet! Enough of this revolting brotherly love act," He Xuan said chillingly. "No one here will be moved by you."
Shi Wudu coughed up a large amount of blood.
Suddenly, he flipped onto his back and leapt to his feet—and then seized Shi Qingxuan by the neck. Xie Lian was shocked.
He felt his lungs cease to draw breath and blood rush to his head.
"...Ge?" Shi Qingxuan gasped.
"Qingxuan! I can't leave you alone like this!" Shi Wudu bit out through his bloodied mouth. "There's no way you'll survive in the world if I die, so you might as well come with gege!"
He squeezed harder. Shi Qingxuan's sight was going dark, and a death rattle escaped his throat. Xie Lian was shocked to the core. Was Lord Water Master really going to strangle Lord Wind Master to death?!
It didn't take long for the pressure on his throat to disappear. Fresh air poured in as Shi Qingxuan gasped and coughed uncontrollably, then finally caught his breath as the choking stopped. He Xuan stood next to them. He had ripped off both of Shi Wudu's arms at the elbows, halting the attempt to wring Shi Qingxuan's neck.
"Did I give you a third path?" he said coldly.
Blood pulsed like a fountain from Shi Wudu's mangled arms, yet he began to laugh uproariously. He Xuan tossed the forearms aside like they were trash.
"What are you laughing about?"
Shi Wudu waved his long, empty, blood-soaked sleeves.
"I'm laughing at you! I'm laughing at how you think you've got the upper hand! Do you think you've finally gotten your revenge after so many years of waiting? Does it feel good?"
"It does feel good, seeing you on the brink of death like this," He Xuan confirmed.
"Is that right?" Shi Wudu laughed. "Then let me tell you something. I feel good too!"
He "caught" He Xuan's collar with his profusely bleeding, mutilated arms.
"Because I see you right now—so filled with rage, so filled with suffering, so filled with hate. You're grinding your teeth so hard you're crushing them. And yet you're still powerless to bring your family back! You're still nothing more than a ghost of the gutters. Be as angry as you want, they're long gone! But me and my brother, we've lived for ages, we've been heavenly officials for centuries. Even if he can't be one anymore, even if he can't live anymore, he still profited. I still won! And so I feel even better than you! Ha ha ha ha ha ha…" The longer he listened, the more He Xuan's pale face dropped. His expression was like a frozen, barren land had been set ablaze with ghost-fire. The air in the chamber grew suddenly freezing cold.
Shi Qingxuan was terrified to the core. "...Ge, don't talk anymore," he croaked hoarsely. "Can you please stop? Ge, my god, what are you saying? What nonsense are you spewing…" He Xuan's hand shot out and seized Shi Wudu's neck.
"You! Have you no remorse?!"
Shi Wudu laughed maniacally. "Remorse? Hmph! What a joke! Ship-Sinking Black Water, to think you're a Supreme Ghost King! You want to talk to me about remorse?! Let me tell you, there is no such thing!"
Shi Qingxuan wailed. Shi Wudu continued with his head held high.
"Everything I have today, I fought for! I will fight for what I don't have. I will change my fortune if fate denies me!
My fate is up to me and not the heavens!"
This was the first time Xie Lian had heard such an interpretation of that proverb—not simply rejecting fate but forcibly altering it—and he was blown away even through the chills that washed over him. He Xuan also burst out laughing, sounding like his eyes had been opened to a brand-new world by Shi Wudu's unshakable tenacity in refusing to admit his own wrongs. His expression grew more and more frightening, and Shi Qingxuan broke down.
"...Gege, please I beg you, please. Please stop talking, please shut up. Help…" However, Shi Wudu's smug arrogance was undaunted.
"Qingxuan, gege will go first. I will wait for you down below.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha…" Before he finished his sentence, He Xuan placed his hand on his head and gripped his hair. Shi Qingxuan's soul was going to leave his body; the iron chains banged and clanged wildly against the wall.
"Ming-xiong! Ming-xiong! I'm sorry, I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry! We're the ones who sinned! We're the ones in the wrong! It's my fault—my brother only did what he did because of me! My brother's gone mad—he's gone crazy, can't you see?! I…I…you… you…" He wanted to beg for forgiveness, for mercy, but he couldn't. All he could do was kowtow endlessly with his eyes.
He Xuan slowly turned his gaze on him. For a fleeting moment, he seemed to have remembered something. He calmed and stopped.
The sight of this was like a ray of hope, and Shi Qingxuan let out a breath of relief. The tears welling in his eyes finally rolled down his cheeks. But before he could speak, he heard He Xuan's cruel reply.
"You called for the wrong person."
In one swift movement, he wrenched Shi Wudu's head from his neck!
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah—!"
Blood erupted from the uneven stump of Shi Wudu's neck as his head was yanked from his body. The far-reaching spray coated Shi Qingxuan's body and face. Shi Qingxuan could finally endure it no longer and started screaming as if he had just lost his own mind as well.
The madmen found it incredibly interesting to see a headless corpse stand without collapsing, and they went wild with delight. They spun around him in circles, clapping and cheering, their bare feet smearing bloody footprints across the floor.
"Oh my, oh my! He's dead, he's dead!"
"Dead, dead! Hee hee hee!"
Shi Qingxuan screamed for who knew how long, screamed until it felt like his soul and spirit had fled his body, and as the screaming finally ceased, he didn't even remember stopping. When he regained his awareness at last, he had collapsed into a lifeless heap on the blood-soaked floor for an unknown amount of time.
He Xuan stood not far from him. He was staring commandingly down at Shi Qingxuan from above. Shi Wudu's head dangled from his hand, eyes still round and wide.
A moment later, He Xuan asked in monotone, "Do you have anything else you want to say?"
"..."
Shi Qingxuan's eyes were lifeless. His gaze was unfocused as he stared at the row of urns atop the altar before him and at those two shredded fans on the ground.
It was a long time before he mumbled, "...I want to die."
"Dream on," He Xuan responded coldly.
He Xuan extended a hand toward him, and Shi Qingxuan closed his eyes.
At the same moment, Xie Lian's soul was suddenly yanked out and thrust upward!
When he fell back down and reopened his eyes, he found that a red-clad man was embracing his limp body. Hua Cheng was kissing him deeply, with one hand gently holding his chin in place. No wonder the spiritual power supporting the Soul-Shifting Spell had been slipping away so rapidly— Hua Cheng had used the fastest and most effective way to suck out the powers he had lent, and he'd successfully called Xie Lian's soul back into his body.
Seeing Xie Lian wake up, Hua Cheng parted his lips and began to pull away. But under such dire circumstances, Xie Lian had no further mind for propriety. He circled both arms around Hua Cheng's neck and hauled him down to suck back the spiritual powers that Hua Cheng had sucked from him.
Hua Cheng clearly hadn't expected him to do this, and in his moment of carelessness, his reclaimed spiritual powers flowed back the other way. Afraid he was going to break away, Xie Lian cupped his face and then flipped their bodies over to pin Hua Cheng to the ground. He felt a coolness pour into his body; it streamed down his throat and spilled warmth into his stomach.
Just then, the little wooden door of Puqi Shrine creaked open. A giant green figure crawled outside like a caterpillar.
"Fucking hell, which son of a bitch is this bold?! Has some thieving punk dared to come to my house to steal and to disturb my slumber?! Achoo! This ancestor's gonna show you a thing or…" He trailed off when he saw the two entwined figures outside the shrine, apparently wrapped in each other's arms and kissing with fervent passion. One red, one white—who else could they be?
"YIIIEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAH!" he shrieked.
Hua Cheng had raised his hand to grab for Xie Lian's shoulder, but he turned his wrist at the sound of Qi Rong's racket. Qi Rong yelped as he was thrown back inside, and the door slammed shut behind him with a wham! Only then did Hua Cheng roll them over again and pin Xie Lian beneath him. He pulled back slightly to gasp harshly for breath. His eye was flickering, its glint dark.
"Your Highness!"
Xie Lian didn't have the time to explain; he wound one arm around Hua Cheng's neck again to pull him down once more.
After he'd sucked down enough spiritual power, he choked out a cough, then cried aloud, "S-Soul-Shifting Spell!"
But this time it was like there was a wall blocking him before that upward swing, and his soul rebounded heavily back into his own body. Opening his eyes with a shocked gasp, he found that the scenery above him was still the same starry night sky and Hua Cheng's anxious face.
Xie Lian sat up and hugged his head. "...I can't pass through anymore," he murmured.
Was Shi Qingxuan dead? Did Black Water Demon Xuan reinforce his barrier? No matter the reason, he couldn't return to Shi Qingxuan's body. Even if he rushed to the South Sea that very moment, he'd almost certainly be too late.
Seeing how disconcerted Xie Lian was by this development, Hua Cheng said, "Your Highness, I'm sorry."
Xie Lian looked at him.
"But outsiders shouldn't interfere in this affair," Hua Cheng added.
Xie Lian waved dismissively. "...You don't need to apologize. Honestly, I wouldn't be able to do much even if I were there."
The Soul-Shifting Spell only allowed him to enter Shi Qingxuan's body, and Shi Qingxuan was now nothing more than mortal. Even if Xie Lian could help him break free of those shackles, how could he possibly fight against the master of the Black Water Demon Lair? Escape was impossible.
After swiftly composing himself, Xie Lian reentered the heavenly communication array.
"Ling Wen, have you guys headed out yet?"
"Your Highness!" Ling Wen exclaimed. "Why did you go silent for so long all of a sudden? We've already dispatched a number of heavenly officials to the South Sea. His Highness Qi Ying returned, so he'll head out soon too. But it's not easy to enter the Black Water Demon Lair; who knows when we'll find them."
"Wait, I'll go with you all," Xie Lian croaked. "Maybe I'll still remember the way. But I'll need to trouble you to send someone to pick me up from Puqi Shrine."
"Very well. He just arrived," Ling Wen said.
Slightly confused, Xie Lian turned his head to look. Hua Cheng had disappeared, but he spotted two junior officials walking toward the shrine from the direction of Puqi Village.
Behind them was a tall young man with curly raven locks—it was Quan Yizhen.
Xie Lian inclined his head to greet him. Quan Yizhen didn't understand that he should return the courtesy, but Xie Lian hardly minded. He looked around. He didn't see any trace of Hua Cheng anywhere, and Xie Lian knew that he was giving him space to deal with this affair.
The two of them, accompanied by the junior officials, left for the South Sea. At Xie Lian's suggestion, they went out of their way to gather dozens of hefty coffins that had carried the dead to prepare for any unexpected situations. After they had raced over the waters for about six hours, they happened upon a bizarre sight.
The corpses of a number of giant bonefish floated lifelessly on the sea's surface, and their remains knocked into the ship as they sailed along. Many of the heavenly officials were alarmed.
"Are we there?!"
"We can't be," Xie Lian said. "If we had entered the Black Water Demon Lair, the ship wouldn't still be afloat or moving this quickly."
That said, they were clearly sailing through the aftermath of General Pei and the Water Master's battle from the previous night. As they sailed, Quan Yizhen perched on his heels on the ship's railing, maintaining the high-difficulty position with ease. Suddenly, he asked a question.
"There's a black island ahead. Is that the one?"
Xie Lian squinted to look, and sure enough, there was a shadowy landmass not too far away—and it did resemble Black Water Island!
Xie Lian frowned slightly. "It does look like it. But how have we found it so easily? And the ship didn't sink either… Please remain vigilant, everyone. This might be a trap."
But as soon as he spoke, he realized it wasn't. This was because he'd spotted a figure on the beach slashing at logs with a sacred sword that was meant for battle. The figure was building coffins underneath the hot sun; there were already three completed ones set to the side, and a fourth was in progress. Xie Lian started waving.
"General Pei! It's General Pei! That's the right island, without a doubt!"
The ship immediately changed tack and sailed swiftly to their new destination. When Pei Ming saw that reinforcements had arrived, he didn't appear particularly delighted; instead he stabbed the sword into the ground and rubbed at his nose.
"What the heck? You had to show up just as I finished making these," he said, sounding grim.
"It's amazing that anyone showed up at all," Quan Yizhen said. "When they heard it was to save you, suddenly no one had time."
"..." Pei Ming's expression seemed to indicate that he couldn't be bothered with children, and he turned to Xie Lian.
"Your Highness, you went back first? How did you manage to get this ship to float on the water of the Demon Lair?"
"I don't think it's the ship," Xie Lian said. "The Black Water Demon Lair's curse has dispersed."
Still perplexed, Pei Ming tested this theory—sure enough, he felled a thicket of large trees with just one swing of his sword. His spiritual powers had returned. Speechless for a moment, Pei Ming shook his head.
"Had I known, I wouldn't have worked so hard to build these coffins."
It was true; he'd labored tirelessly all night for nothing.
He made coffins for four, but three of them were now useless.
The team of heavenly officials disembarked the ship and ran straight for the heart of the forest. The little ghosts lurking in the woods had never seen a sight like this, and they scampered away in fright. There were no invisible creatures lying in wait when they reached Black Water Lake and no spiritual fields to disrupt their powers. After some examination, they dispersed the illusion cast upon the waters. The iron prison and the Nether Water Manor appeared before their eyes.
Xie Lian collected the remains of the black-robed skeleton when they entered the Nether Water Manor and carried the bundle with him while he frantically searched the palace. Soon, they found the great hall. T wo bloody shackles hung empty on the mottled wall. A headless corpse lay sprawled on the floor in the middle of the chamber. Its blood had already run dry, and a group of madmen were throwing random objects at it. The moment the heavenly officials entered, the madmen grew even more excited.
Pei Ming was stunned for a good while before he dared to recognize that corpse. Shaken, he exclaimed, "...Water Master-xiong!"
Of course, Xie Lian already knew that this had happened, and he issued instructions to those around him.
"Will everyone please search the manor and the island proper for Lord Wind Master…or his remains."
However, no matter where they looked, there was no trace of Shi Qingxuan on the island.
Had Black Water Demon Xuan taken the Wind Master away? Or perhaps he'd murdered the Wind Master then and there and thrown his corpse into the sea for his flesh to be devoured by fish?
Shi Wudu had gone berserk and provoked He Xuan to violence; he was dead, but he hadn't been killed by Shi Qingxuan's hand. Would He Xuan still go through with his threat to switch Wind Master's fate?
After chasing away the pesky madmen, Pei Ming half crouched on the floor and was lost in thought for a long time.
At last, he sighed.
"Water Master-xiong. You were proud your whole life, but it ended like this. I don't even know if your eyes are closed.7 Truly, the higher you climb, the harder you fall. Life's misfortunes are inescapable. Even as gods, we cannot be spared in the end."
Quan Yizhen, on the other hand, didn't share such deep sentiments. He ran around the Nether Water Manor, his footsteps pitter-pattering everywhere, and wandered into the chamber where they stood for a look. He gave a cursory glance to the dead body and thought it strange.
"Where's his head?"
"It was taken by Black Water Demon Xuan," Xie Lian replied.
"What grudge, what resentment did the Demon Lair Master hold against him?" Pei Ming lamented. "And where's Qingxuan? Or the Earth Master? Did three of the elemental officials perish—Earth, Water, and Wind alike?"
"It was a great grudge indeed, and a great resentment," Xie Lian said. "As for Lord Earth Master, it depends on who you're asking after. The real one is in my hands. The fake one took Lord Water Master's head."
"What?!"
Xie Lian eyed him. "General Pei probably didn't know, right?" he asked softly. "Black Water Demon Xuan's real surname was He. His name is Xuan."
Pei Ming's face changed slightly at the name. It seemed that Pei Ming and Ling Wen weren't completely in the dark regarding what Shi Wudu had done, though the extent of their knowledge couldn't be determined so easily.
Everything that had to be reported was reported, everything that needed to be dealt with was dealt with. When Xie Lian finally returned to Puqi Village, an entire day had come and gone. Xie Lian's steps dragged with exhaustion.
When he returned to Puqi Shrine and opened the door, he could hear Qi Rong barking and yelling.
"DOG HUA CHENG! DOG-FUCKED XIE LIAN! Have you two no shame?! AAAAAH, FUCK! What the hell was that in the middle of the night; I'm fucking horrified! My eyes are fucking blinded, you fucking owe me!"
Nothing but vulgarities and profanities spewed from his mouth. Xie Lian was struck by the frightful memory of the night before, when he and Hua Cheng had taken turns pinning each other to the ground, sucking power back and forth. He'd been too panicked to think it embarrassing at the time, but now he had nothing to distract him from keen awareness. He almost threw the door shut and fled.
Hua Cheng had been leaning back in his chair with his boots crossed and propped on the table, but the moment he heard Xie Lian enter, he put his legs down and casually struck the back of Qi Rong's head to knock him out. He then rose to his feet to greet him.
"Gege."
Xie Lian nodded and closed the door behind him. Qi Rong lay prone and bound like a little green worm, and Xie Lian stepped over him to sit down at the table.
"Did Guzi and Lang Ying go out to play?"
"Yeah, I let them out. You've worked hard," Hua Cheng said.
"No, you're the one who worked hard," Xie Lian said.
Hua Cheng flashed a brief smile. Then he said, "I thought gege would blame me."
Xie Lian shook his head. "San Lang doesn't need to overthink things. I really don't blame you. In fact, you were right about this whole thing. Outsiders really…can't possibly interfere."
After some thought, he still asked, "San Lang, what do you think Black Water Demon Xuan will do to Lord Wind Master?"
Hua Cheng was briefly silent before he answered. "I don't know either. Black Water is rather eccentric; he languished alone in misery for far too long. No one can understand what he's thinking."
"No one can understand what he's thinking." Xie Lian remembered that this was similar to remarks many of the heavenly officials in the Upper Court had made about Crimson Rain Sought Flower.
Ship-Sinking Black Water had emerged from Mount T onglu after slaughtering millions of ghosts, and Crimson Rain Sought Flower had done the same. He Xuan had suffered alone for ages, and Hua Cheng couldn't have suffered any fewer years of solitude.
Hatred was what made Ship-Sinking Black Water. Then what about Crimson Rain Sought Flower?
What made Hua Cheng Hua Cheng?
Myriad ideas flashed through Xie Lian's mind in the span of an instant. He shook his head to will away the phantom of that "noble, gracious special someone," and organized his thoughts.
"San Lang, there's something I don't understand. This whole business with the Water Master's fraud must've been done quite covertly, and he deceived everyone for so long.
How did Black Water learn the truth? If it'll make things difficult for you to answer, you don't have to respond."
"He fled, moved his domain, and even dropped the heavenly official act. What's left to be difficult at this point?"
Hua Cheng replied. "It's simple, actually. The night Black Water died, Shi Wudu personally went to confirm his death."
"Because the Reverend of Empty Words only moves to a new target when the previous is dead?" Xie Lian hypothesized.
"Yeah. Black Water didn't know who he was, but he remembered his face. Later on, when he became a ghost and learned more of the affairs of heaven and earth, he discovered that man was the Water God."
No wonder he remembered, for it was very strange indeed. Why would the esteemed Water God go to observe the death of a random mortal?
"But that alone shouldn't have made him suspect a change of fate had occurred," Xie Lian stated.
"That's why he impersonated the real Earth Master and infiltrated the heavens to investigate," Hua Cheng replied.
"Pretty brave, if I must say so myself."
"Worthy to be called brave and astute, indeed… If only he hadn't killed the real Earth Master and dragged over two hundred fishermen into his mess."
However, Hua Cheng had to correct him on this point.
"Gege, I don't know if he's the one who killed the real Earth Master. But I'm afraid someone else dragged those fishermen into the storm on the East Sea."