Xie Lian was taken aback. "Then who could it be?
Generally speaking, storms like that shouldn't involve more than fifty people."
"I suspect it may be the same person who sent that empty-shelled cultivator during the Banyue Pass incident."
Now that he mentioned it… It did seem like there was a hand pushing him to the heart of every case every time.
Feeling a little baffled, Xie Lian wondered, "What could that person possibly be after?"
Hua Cheng shook his head, but he also seemed pensive.
Suddenly, the sounds of children laughing and playing were heard from outside, and his eyes shot to the window.
Following his cutting gaze, Xie Lian saw only two small children—Guzi was riding atop of Lang Ying's shoulders looking completely untroubled and carefree.
The Water Master audaciously deceived the heavens and committed a criminal substitution. The Wind Master was a fake, and the Earth Master was an impostor. On top of all that, the Water Master's severed head was nowhere to be found. Four cases, each a bolt from the blue, and each a burst of explosive thunder that rocked the heavens. Each one was more deafening than the last. This naturally raised a tidal wave that flooded the Upper and Middle Courts.
Everyone was so shaken that they had no idea what to say about the matter, and only crickets could be heard in the Palace of Divine Might. Even Jun Wu's hand didn't seem able to prop up his head anymore.
Ming Yi had never really gone out of his way to befriend anyone, and barely anyone was close to him aside from Shi Qingxuan—and he enjoyed pestering others and assumed everyone was his friend from the moment they met.
However, the shock was truly too great when they realized that one of their own colleagues was a legendary Supreme Ghost King.
Over the past centuries, that ghost king had worked with dedication and diligence to properly play the role of the Earth Master. He had amassed a large number of worshippers in the Mortal Realm, and he even managed to make it into the top ten during the Battle of the Lanterns at the Mid-Autumn Festival Banquet. It was honestly frightening, just as expected of a Supreme Ghost King.
Now, even if someone announced that Hua Cheng was among them or had planted a spy in the Upper Court, no further news could surprise them.
There was no question that the one who murdered the real Earth Master Yi was Black Water Demon Xuan, even without mentioning the grudge he held against Water Master Wudu. The Upper Court thus released an official warrant for his arrest, but everyone knew that a Supreme Ghost King who wanted to stay hidden wouldn't be so easily found.
As the saying goes, "All will tread on a man when he falls." The Wind and Water Masters once stood in greatness and glory with hundreds who would answer their call. Shi Wudu was extolled and celebrated every time he appeared, yet after his violent death, his supporters cowered, not daring to breathe a single breath too loud. Shi Qingxuan loved making friends and was generous to all, but now those "good friends" were nowhere to be found. Pei Ming collected Shi Wudu's headless corpse from the Nether Water Manor, and the ceremony he hosted was quiet and sparsely attended on the day of his burial. There were barely any heavenly officials in attendance besides Xie Lian and Ling Wen.
Xie Lian thought of how in recent days, bands of people had already started to burn down and desecrate T emples of Wind and Water. He couldn't bear the sight of it and tried on several occasions to stop them, but he knew the acts of aggression would only grow worse as time passed and people discovered their prayers were no longer being answered. He could stop them once, but he couldn't stop them forever. In ten years, or perhaps in only three or four, people would completely forget the heavenly officials of Wind and Water who used to rule at the summit of heaven. Xie Lian couldn't help but feel melancholy.
Once the funeral was over, Xie Lian turned to Ling Wen.
"The whereabouts of Lord Wind Master…of Qingxuan is now in your hands. We're counting on you."
Ling Wen looked solemn. She hadn't smiled in days.
"Even without Your Highness's appeal, I would still do my utmost in this duty."
"Your Highness, why not talk to that Crimson Rain Sought Flower of yours, instead of waiting around while the Palace of Ling Wen drags their feet like an old ox pulling a broken cart?" Pei Ming asked. "Can't you have him ask that mad ghost Black Water where he's taken Qingxuan? He already took Water Master-xiong's head—what more does he want?"
Xie Lian shook his head. "General Pei, please don't assume such things are doable," he replied helplessly. "Does one Supreme Ghost King need to keep the other informed on whatever he wants to do?"
With that, Pei Ming didn't say anything more.
When Xie Lian returned to Puqi Shrine, many of the villagers were milling around the shrine whispering amongst themselves. Xie Lian didn't need to ask to know what was happening thanks to the clearly audible yowling coming from within his shrine. The village chief was visibly scared and nervously tugged at him.
"Daozhang, your mad little cousin, h-h-he, he's…" The excuse Xie Lian had given the world was that Qi Rong was his insane younger cousin, family he'd taken in out of obligation after he'd been rejected and left without anyone willing to care for him. On some level, this was not entirely a lie.
"Is he throwing a fit again? Don't worry, he's properly locked up. He won't escape. Everyone can go home," Xie Lian said.
"Oh," the villagers murmured amongst themselves and dispersed.
Before the group fully broke up, the village chief gave Xie Lian a basket of eggs. "Um, Daozhang, your Xiao-Hua…" Xie Lian was confused at first. "...Xiao-Hua?" Then it dawned on him. "Oh, San Lang?"
T o the outside world, Hua Cheng was currently posing as Xie Lian's younger blood brother who had run away from home and come to visit for fun. Xie Lian couldn't help but feel a little flustered.
"Yeah! Lemme tell ya, your Xiao-Hua helped us repair some stuff again today, so you'll have to reward him well tonight," the village head said.
"Yeah! Add some supplements to his meal, make him big and strong. He'll do an even better job!"
Xie Lian couldn't help but chuckle. "I will, I will. For sure, for sure."
When he opened the door, Lang Ying was already curled up in a corner and fast asleep. Qi Rong, meanwhile, was lying on the ground like a corpse and wailing as though his innards were on fire. Guzi was massaging his shoulders and back.
"Dad, do you feel any better?"
"..."
Xie Lian removed the bamboo hat from his head and put the eggs down. "What's with you? Ate something bad?"
"As long as you don't fucking cook me anything, I won't suffer stomachaches even if I lick shit and grime off the ground!" Qi Rong spat.
Listening to him exaggerate, Xie Lian crossed his hands in his sleeves. "Then why don't you try licking those things to test your theory?"
"Gross, gross, gross!" Qi Rong spat again. "What the fuck did I say? You're exposing your dark side again! Trying to torture me in all sorts of ways! Mmm yesss, my good son, that's good, that's good, now chop this side. Hee hee hee hee~! Augh, fuck, what the fuck's going on? I've been so agitated lately, yowling like a fucking tomcat in rut. Am I sick?! Cousin Crown Prince! I'm sick! I must be sick 'cause you've been torturing me! You goddamn snow lotus, you're out for blood!"
Xie Lian crouched and felt his forehead. "Are you running a fever?" After a pause, he dropped his hand and frowned.
"You aren't. You're not faking this, are you?"
Qi Rong was going to start cussing again. Guzi explained pitifully, "Daozhang, my dad didn't lie to you. He hasn't been feeling well—he's been crying in misery for a long time now."
Watching Qi Rong squirm around on the floor, Xie Lian shook his head and rose to his feet. He was about to look for the medicine box when he noticed that the donation box was heavy—Hua Cheng had only recently built it, so it shouldn't have anything inside. Puzzled, Xie Lian took the key out to open it, and his jaw dropped when he was greeted by the blinding sight of densely packed, glimmering gold bars.
Wham! Xie Lian quickly shut the donation box again.
He had already returned the gold bars that the Water Master had given him. Did someone else send them back?! It couldn't be Hua Cheng; he wouldn't do something as simple and crass as stuffing him full of gold bars.
Xie Lian turned his head. "Qi Rong, did someone come by?" he asked.
Qi Rong jabbed his finger at him and cussed. "Hey, what's wrong with you?! Do you take me for your guard dog?!
Do you think you're a supreme?! Even a supreme isn't this shameless! Not even that stinkin' Black Water or that goddamn Hua Cheng would dare take me for a guard dog!"
BANG!
Someone kicked open the door of Puqi Shrine, and that someone was Hua Cheng. Qi Rong went mute the moment he saw him and silently wriggled to a corner of the shrine, not daring to say anything more about what he saw that night.
"San Lang, you're back," Xie Lian said.
Hua Cheng smiled cheerfully. "Yeah."
"Thanks for your hard work," Xie Lian said. "The village chief wanted me to give you these gifts as a reward. We'll have something nice to eat tonight."
"Sounds good," Hua Cheng said. "But, gege, do you want to come to my place tonight?"
"Ghost City?" Xie Lian asked.
"Mmm. And take that thing along too," Hua Cheng said, pointing at Qi Rong. "We'll see if there's any way to pull his soul out."
Xie Lian hummed for a moment. "That's probably a good idea," he acquiesced.
They shouldn't keep dragging their feet about this. Of course, the most important reason was that Qi Rong ate too much, and Puqi Shrine could no longer provide.
When Qi Rong heard they were going to send him to Ghost City, his face drained of color, and he objected as hard as he could. But his objections all fell on deaf ears. With a puff of smoke, Hua Cheng turned him into a green budaoweng, and Guzi carried him in his arms as they left for Ghost City.
As he strolled down the main street, Xie Lian saw that Ghost City was as bustling as always. The ghosts remembered Xie Lian, and they all shouted greetings when they saw that he had come to visit.
"Grand-uncle! Ah, no…Chengzhu's Lord Friend, you've come again!"
"Quack! Is it because you miss our specialty street food, quack?!"
Xie Lian had brought the basket of eggs along, and he gave them away as souvenirs from the Mortal Realm. Those he bestowed an egg upon danced with joy; some declared that they would eat it stewed in their own blood, and some proclaimed that they would hatch a twenty-five-meter-tall yao beast from it.
Hua Cheng released the spell on Qi Rong. With another blast of green smoke, the man possessed by Qi Rong appeared on the street. He was crouched low, clutching his head defensively and not saying a word. However, some of the ghosts caught his scent.
"Hmm? Ain't that the Green Ghost we smell?!" they exclaimed.
The crowd of ghosts approached and surrounded him.
After taking a good sniff, they cackled at their findings.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, it really is the Green Ghost! The dumbass is here again! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"
"Didn't you catch enough of a beating last time?! Ha ha ha ha ha ha, you seriously came back?!"
"Watch over the little one," Hua Cheng said. "As for the big one, think of a way to drag him out of the body without hurting the flesh."
"Yessir, My Lord!"
Several lovely female ghosts picked up Guzi and hummed a little lullaby to put him to sleep. The rest of the nefarious creatures started playing tag with Qi Rong—or rather, it was some game where the latter fled screaming from the former group's relentless pursuit. Hua Cheng and Xie Lian watched the show for a while before heading inside Thousand Lights T emple.
The two leisurely stepped into the hall and approached the altar, which was still stocked with brushes, ink, and paper.
Xie Lian's heart has been heavy lately, and at the sight of that stationery, he decided to relax the mood.
He smiled softly. "Back when I taught you, I said you'd need to practice when you had the time. But I suppose you haven't lately."
Hua Cheng cleared his throat. "Gege, you gave my reward away to other people. What will I eat tonight?"
Xie Lian arched his brows in an imitation of Hua Cheng.
"Don't change the subject."
"I can practice the sword but not calligraphy," Hua Cheng said. "If gege isn't at my side to tutor me, I'll go astray while I practice all alone and get worse the more I write."
Xie Lian's brows arched higher. "San Lang is so smart— how can there be anything he's no good at?"
Looking very humble, Hua Cheng picked up a brush and dipped it in a bit of ink. "It's true. Pray gege teach me."
Xie Lian sighed. "Why don't you write something first?"
Thus, Hua Cheng very seriously wrote two verses. Xie Lian watched for a bit, then couldn't bear to anymore.
"...Stop, stop. You'd…better stop after all."
Don't waste good paper and ink.
"Oh," Hua Cheng said obediently, and he really did stop, putting the brush away.
Xie Lian shook his head. "San Lang, don't…don't tell anyone that I taught you how to write, okay?"
"Gege, I really tried my best," Hua Cheng pouted.
The way he spoke sounded almost aggrieved. Here was a perfectly splendid Supreme Ghost King whose name made all three realms shiver in fright, and he was standing there at that moment like a young student, obediently attentive to Xie Lian's critique. After lecturing him on a few crucial points, Xie Lian held his hand just as he had last time.
"Let's try again. Be serious this time."
"Okay," Hua Cheng said.
They immersed themselves in composition. After they had practiced for a while, Xie Lian asked casually, "Why is it still Ache of Separation?"
Hua Cheng answered casually. "I like this poem."
"I like it too," Xie Lian said. "But does San Lang have any other poems he likes? Once you're familiar with transcribing this one, you can try copying others."
The poem only had so many words. The two of them had written it over a dozen times, so it should be time to change it up.
However, Hua Cheng was adamant. "This one is fine."
Setting the brush down, he blew gently at the ink and smiled. "If I like something, then my heart has no room for anything else. I'll always treasure it. A thousand times, a million times, my feelings won't change no matter how many years pass. And so I won't tire of this poem."
"..." Xie Lian gave a small smile. "Is that right?"
"Mmm," Hua Cheng replied.
"..." Xie Lian released his hand and quietly cleared his throat. "That's a good thing. It's nice that San Lang is such a sentimental man… Oh, why don't you practice some more by yourself? Ah, that's right. Qi Rong said he was feeling unwell lately…" Hua Cheng settled the paper on the altar and picked up the brush again. "Unwell how?"
Xie Lian turned around, his back now facing Hua Cheng.
"He said that he felt agitated all over, but I looked him over and it didn't seem to be a problem with his host's body. It can't be because of the bad weather…?"
Behind him, Hua Cheng asked, "When did this start?"
"Within the past few days, I think," Xie Lian replied.
"T oday was especially bad…"
Before he could finish his sentence, a sense of foreboding suddenly sprouted in his mind. Just then, he heard a soft noise behind him, like an object had fallen to the ground.
Xie Lian whirled around. "San Lang?!"
The brush in Hua Cheng's hand had dropped onto the snow-white paper and slashed a long, erratic trail of ink. Hua Cheng's expression was vaguely grim, and he was swaying slightly on his feet. He clutched the edge of the altar with one hand to hold himself upright, while the other one covered his right eye.