It suddenly clicked in Xie Lian's head. He put Yin Yu down and rose to his feet.
"The cursed shackle… He took the cursed shackle!"
If it wasn't important, Jun Wu wouldn't have taken it, and he had gone out of his way to remove the swollen, blood-filled cursed shackle and bring it with him. Perhaps that thing hadn't just drained Yin Yu's blood—perhaps it had imprisoned his soul!
Realizing this, Xie Lian left the beaten, bruised Quan Yizhen behind and dashed to the back of the Palace of Qi Ying. But Jun Wu was no longer there. Xie Lian turned around and charged outside.
The great avenue of the Heavenly Capital was cold and deserted, not a soul to be seen besides the expressionless guards standing watch over the once-bustling great palaces of the gods. None of those guards cared about him, and Xie Lian didn't care about them either as he ran straight for the Palace of Divine Might.
Sure enough, Jun Wu had returned here. He was seated upon the throne, gazing at Yin Yu's cursed shackle. The moment Xie Lian charged inside, he heard a strange growling noise. When he looked up, he saw the fetus spirit clinging to the magnificent ceiling with all four limbs. It was scuttling around upside down like some cold-blooded creature, an incredibly disturbing sight.
Even that wicked creature could now enter the Palace of Divine Might.
It truly made one wonder—what would the heavenly officials who had struggled and failed for centuries to step into this hall think if they saw?
Xie Lian marched over to the throne with one arm at the ready.
"What do you need?" Jun Wu asked.
Without another word, Xie Lian thrust out his hand to grab for the cursed shackle, but of course Jun Wu would not let him have his way.
After failing for a while to seize the shackle, Xie Lian cried out angrily, "What use do you have for it? Yin Yu isn't even a threat to you; he's completely insignificant in your eyes! Why did you say all that to him?
What's the use in keeping that thing?!"
"Who says it's of no use?" Jun Wu replied. "It has made you this angry —does that not prove it is actually very useful?"
He was like an adult who had placed a bowl of fruit on the table just out of reach of his child—smiling cheerfully as he watched the child get up on tiptoe and grab for the bowl fruitlessly again and again, enjoying the child's anger and desperation and loud wailing.
Xie Lian was going to go mad from fury. "Are you insane?!"
"Xianle, that tone is rather disrespectful," Jun Wu said.
Able to endure this no longer, Xie Lian cursed aloud. "I'll show you some freaking respect—" He began to swear; every curse he'd uttered up to this point should have been aimed at the man before him. But his tirade was interrupted when his throat constricted and he began to suffocate!
Xie Lian's vision went black. He clutched at his throat, his knees buckled, and he dropped to the floor to kneel at Jun Wu's feet. Jun Wu remained seated, petting the fetus spirit with calm composure; his hand brushed through its sparse hair and caressed its smooth, round head. The fetus spirit seemed to be enjoying the treatment and cooed with strange cheer while dark energy oozed from its palms.
Jun Wu gazed at Xie Lian's flustered face as he listened to his violent coughing.
"Xianle, I suggest you behave as you did before—a little more obedient, a little more respectful. That is the only way to avoid my anger. Do not forget, you are wearing one of these too—in fact, you are wearing two of them."
Xie Lian's words were stolen by another fit of coughing. "Y-you…!"
He shot to his feet and glared at Jun Wu with red-rimmed eyes.
"I what? Am I despicable?" Jun Wu asked. "Xianle, do not forget that you were the one who asked for them."
What a joke! How could he have known what the hell they really were back then?!
But it made him wonder… When the state preceptor saw him in the capital, when his face fell and he lunged at Xie Lian's neck, was he really trying to kill him? Or had he been trying to remove his shackle?
It was a long time before the cursed shackle on Xie Lian's neck finally loosened and let him breathe normally again. He gasped harshly, one hand reaching up automatically to the cursed shackle. But as he felt his neck, Xie Lian's fingers found something else.
It was a very thin silver chain. The metal had once been cold, but his body had long since warmed it through—he'd been wearing it for so long now, after all. And hanging on that silver chain was a crystal-clear ring.
Xie Lian's shoulders immediately stiffened, and he gripped the ring tight. For some reason, his heart was pounding faster and faster as if he had learned an incredible secret.
Behind him, he heard Jun Wu speak. "It is I. What is it?"
What? What did he mean? Xie Lian stuffed the silver chain back into his robes and turned around with a frown, only to discover that Jun Wu's comment wasn't directed at him.
Jun Wu had two fingers raised and pressed against his temple. That posture—he was communicating with someone! Although he wasn't allowing any other heavenly officials in the Heavenly Capital to communicate via the spiritual array, those restrictions did not apply to him, and he could use it as he wished.
After a pause, Jun Wu continued, "It is nothing. Since the recent incident with the impersonated Earth Master, we have unearthed many of the spies and false personalities he planted within the Heavenly Capital.
Considering all that has happened recently, we cannot afford any careless mistakes. All heavenly officials are being investigated, and the entire Heavenly Capital has been locked down. It is currently not open to the outside, nor is spiritual communication permitted, which is, of course, why you are unable to connect with anyone."
Xie Lian panted lightly, then held his breath. It sounded like the one speaking with Jun Wu didn't know the situation in the Heavenly Capital, so he was lying to them as if everything was fine. And the excuse he used was perfectly appropriate—the aftershocks of the discovery of Black Water's impersonation had rippled through the heavens leaving an enormous mess in their wake, and it made sense to take cleaning it up very seriously. It was reasonable for the entire court to be locked down on those grounds.
Even if Xie Lian screamed and yelled, the person on the other end wouldn't be able to hear him, so he decided to watch and wait. After a while, a barely perceptible change flashed across Jun Wu's face.
"Oh? You wish to come to the Heavenly Capital? Of course," he replied warmly. "The case this time is certainly important. You are most welcome if you have the heart to lend assistance."
The other party had actually volunteered to come help in the Heavenly Capital?! It would have been far more helpful if they'd offered several hours earlier, when everyone was definitely in need of aid. But this timing? The entire Heavenly Capital had already fallen and become a lair of demons.
They might as well jump into a firepit!
Jun Wu said a few more simple words and ended the communication.
Straightaway, Xie Lian questioned him. "Who's coming?"
The fetus spirit seemed to know that it was not a creature of light, so it quietly crawled away to hide in the shadows. Jun Wu, on the other hand, only smiled.
"Such impatience. You will see soon enough."
He hadn't expected that. "You're going to let me see them?" Xie Lian asked incredulously. "Didn't you tell them that the entire Heavenly Capital is locked down and every heavenly official is being investigated?"
"Of course," Jun Wu replied. "But I should at least have a trustworthy left and right hand."
Ling Wen was technically still on the run, so she couldn't play the role publicly; thus, the task fell to Xie Lian.
Jun Wu studied him thoughtfully for a moment, then said gently, "Xianle, just be good and cooperate. Do not bother with any silly tricks. I know you too well. I know everything that is on your mind."
"…" Jun Wu played absentmindedly with the blood-filled cursed shackle.
"You said it yourself—Yin Yu was completely insignificant to me. Rather, all heavenly officials, no matter how grand, are insignificant in my eyes. You understand what will happen if you expose anything."
"…" "So do not give anything away. Tidy yourself up—they will be here soon."
Xie Lian didn't speak, but he did pick himself up off the floor, dust himself off, and tidy himself up. He walked over to stand at Jun Wu's side, just as he always had.
Jun Wu approved of this. "Just like that."
While Jun Wu's threats were very effective, Xie Lian also noticed something—Jun Wu didn't seem to want whoever was coming to realize that the Heavenly Capital had fallen. This made Xie Lian even more curious who it was!
Two incense time later, several figures finally appeared before the Palace of Divine Might. There was a lady cultivator in green robes riding a burly black ox. A sword hung at her waist. She approached languidly with several farmers of all shapes and sizes in tow.
The Rain Master had come!
Xie Lian was surprised. Based on how Jun Wu had been acting—or rather, the way he acted when his true motives were exposed—he would kill whoever stood in his way. He should've locked up anyone who approached the capital. So why was he treating the Rain Master so carefully?
But there was no way to know the answer to that now. The Rain Master dipped her head toward them as she entered the Palace of Divine Might.
"Your Royal Highness. My Lord. How do you do?"
Xie Lian pretended everything was fine and returned the greeting.
"Lord Rain Master."
He seemed polite and unfazed, but underneath, his mind was spinning.
How could he communicate the real situation at the Heavenly Capital to the Rain Master?
"It has been a long time since Rain Master last visited the Heavenly Court," Jun Wu commented.
"The lockdown of the Heavenly Capital is rigorous," The Rain Master commented.
She sounded puzzled, and Jun Wu replied, "Considering the progression of the Black Water case, it is necessary. Over fifty fake heavenly officials have already been plucked from the Middle Court. It will be deeply troubling if there are yet more pawns planted in the Upper Court."
"I see," the Rain Master said.
The three of them chatted idly for a bit. That was when Xie Lian noticed that Jun Wu always covered for himself perfectly whether he spoke truths or lies, without a single flaw to be found—it was genuinely amazing.
Xie Lian wanted to warn Rain Master, but he was afraid Jun Wu would notice and take it out on the other heavenly officials. He was also afraid to involve the Rain Master herself, who had no idea what was going on. His hands were tied.
The Rain Master didn't seem to notice that anything was unusual. She asked if there were any matters with which she could assist.
"Not at the moment," Jun Wu replied. "However, I am sure there will be much need for your help once the investigation is complete."
"Then I will remain in the Heavenly Capital for the time being and await summoning," the Rain Master said.
Jun Wu maintained his smile. Xie Lian couldn't tell what he was thinking, but he still didn't shed the pretense, even at that point.
"A good plan. You have been absent from the capital for years, so take this chance to refamiliarize yourself. The Rain Master residence has been empty for quite a while."
The Rain Master nodded and unhurriedly began to leave. Xie Lian knew that she would be monitored from the moment she left, which made him anxious.
Unexpectedly, the Rain Master turned back around. "Your Highness."
Xie Lian's heart skipped. "Does Lord Rain Master have guidance to impart?"
Could she have finally noticed that something was wrong?
"Nothing of the sort," she replied. "I've been away from the Heavenly Capital for many years, so I've brought along some souvenirs. I thought I'd give you some. Would you be willing to receive them?"
Xie Lian hadn't expected anything like that. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Huh? Ah…thank you."
Jun Wu, of course, never accepted gifts, but he smiled as he allowed the Rain Master's escorts to enter. "Xianle, Lord Rain Master wants to give you some presents. Why don't you accept them quickly?"
"…" The way he said that made Xie Lian sound like a young child being taught his manners—a guest had come to visit and brought a gift for the child, and the elder was prompting the child to receive it and thank them. Xie Lian had no choice but to do so.
A farmer approached and presented a very tightly wrapped package with both hands. Xie Lian uttered a casual thanks and took the package distractedly—and then, suddenly, his expression changed as if he'd noticed something important.
He had his back to Jun Wu, so his face should have been hidden. But Jun Wu still asked, "What kind of gift is it?"
Once the Rain Master saw that he had taken the gift, she cupped her hands in courtesy and smiled. "Nothing valuable. They are but some local specialties grown from the earth. If there is nothing else, I will take my leave."
"Please," Jun Wu said.
With that, the Rain Master tugged at the black ox and leisurely set off with her escorts toward the residence she hadn't used for many years.
Hugging the present to his chest, Xie Lian was about to leave as well when Jun Wu called to him.
"Hold it."
Xie Lian stopped like his feet had been nailed to the ground.
"Come back," Jun Wu ordered.
Xie Lian returned to the hall and turned to look at him. Jun Wu stepped off the throne and took the package from Xie Lian's tight grip.
"Now you may go."
Paranoid as expected—he confiscated the Rain Master's gift immediately. Xie Lian glanced at him, then wordlessly returned to his Palace of Xianle.
Xie Lian was restless and paced back and forth in the hall. He didn't know how long it had been when he suddenly heard a bright, clear voice.
"Your Highness?"
Xie Lian whirled around. A young man wearing ragged clothes and a bandana tied around his head had somehow hopped onto the windowsill without him noticing. He stood perched there with a playful grin directed at Xie Lian!
Xie Lian was overjoyed. He dashed for two steps before remembering that this young man had just called him "Your Highness," which made him stop in his tracks.
He asked, a little uncertainly, "Are you…San Lang?"
The young man laughed heartily and hopped down from the windowsill, yanking off the scarf as he did. As his black hair tumbled down, he tied it up swiftly, revealing a pale, handsome face underneath—one that was completely different from a few moments before. It was a face that Xie Lian knew very well indeed.
Hua Cheng twirled the headscarf leisurely and sighed. "Gege, my dear gege. This time, seeing you is as hard as ascending to the heavens."
The moment Xie Lian had received the Rain Master's gift at the Palace of Divine Might, he did notice something unusual. However, it wasn't the gift itself that caught his attention—it was the person delivering it.
When Xie Lian took the package, the person had grasped his hand and squeezed it.
That sort of gesture was generally frivolous—it would have been intentionally flirtatious if done to a lady. At the time, Xie Lian had only blinked and tried to remain expressionless, then gazed at the person across from him without alarm. The one standing there was a tall young man.
Although he was dressed the part of a farmer, with patched, muddy clothes and a scarf wrapped around his head, his features were fine and handsome, and his eyes twinkled with light. However, that light only twinkled in the instant their eyes met. When Xie Lian blinked again, the young man had returned to his shy, guileless disposition and stepped back with a bowed head.
If Hua Cheng had sought him out at the Palace of Xianle, he must have taken care of all monitoring eyes in the area. The moment Xie Lian saw him, he knew that he was incomparably dependable. There was nothing left to worry about!
Before Hua Cheng could even walk over, Xie Lian had pounced.
It was a powerful hug indeed, but Hua Cheng wasn't pushed back by the force at all; he didn't even wobble. He only placed his hands on Xie Lian's back, chuckling lightly without saying a word. Xie Lian felt thoroughly cheered, but then he remembered something.
"Wait, San Lang!" he quickly said. "The Empe…Jun Wu is quite wary of you. You should be guarding the human array at the royal capital. He must've sent eyes down to watch you; won't he notice that you vanished suddenly? And is it really all right for the Wind Master to guard the array by himself?"
"Relax, gege," Hua Cheng replied, "it's already been taken care of. I won't be exposed for the moment."
Xie Lian assumed he must have blocked the eyes Jun Wu sent or left a clone behind, so he didn't press for more information on how things were "taken care of."
"It seems gege really missed me," Hua Cheng remarked leisurely.
"…" Xie Lian remembered the nonsense they had exchanged through spiritual communication while Jun Wu listened in, then noticed how tightly he was clinging to Hua Cheng. He immediately loosened his grip and straightened up before replying in a schooled voice.
"Mm-hmm, yes. You said we needed to enlist someone's help. So that someone was Lord Rain Master."
Hua Cheng smiled at him cheerfully. "Correct. The Rain Master has resided in the lower realms for years and just happened to be alerted by the opening of Mount Tonglu. It's perfectly logical that she would return to the heavens to check on things. The Rain Master would have noticed something amiss if Jun Wu refused her entrance without a good reason, so of course he had to let her in. Gege, don't worry, it's fine—you can keep clinging onto me like that. I don't mind."
Xie Lian softly cleared his throat. "No, it's all right, thank you… But why can't he do anything to the Rain Master?"
"Gege might not know this… The Rain Master presides over agriculture. This godly role might seem dreary and unimpressive on the surface, so most aren't interested, but it's actually a unique position. Right now, Yushi Huang is the only heavenly official who presides over agriculture."
Xie Lian mused upon this information, piecing together the full picture.
"People put food above all else," Hua Cheng continued. "If the Rain Master was killed and an appropriate heavenly official couldn't be found to replace her, agriculture would stop working smoothly and the world would be thrown into chaos. And people stop worshipping if they can't fill their stomachs. Their anger would be with the Rain Master first, but they also might become dissatisfied with the great god above her head—so the fire could burn all the way to Jun Wu if he isn't careful. If he doesn't control the situation properly, it might cause the kind of riots that topple gods."
That meant riots to desecrate his temples and topple his divine statues, just as the people of Xianle once did.
"On top of that, the Rain Master doesn't build temples or shrines, hasn't resided in the Heavenly Capital for years, and has no desire to be promoted," Hua Cheng added. "So there isn't really anything he can use to threaten or coerce her. It would be hard for him to find a proper reason to officially banish her either, so it's difficult for him to make any kind of move against her. And his position will remain stable as long as the Rain Master continues to manage agriculture, so he would prefer to keep up the pretense for as long as he can—deceive her for now, then decide what to do later if the truth comes out."
"I see… Thank goodness," Xie Lian said, relieved. "This was almost a disaster—the Lord Rain Master really has come to our aid in a time of need.
Hopefully her acting skills are extraordinary. Oh, and by the way, we must go find the state preceptor! I have too many questions that only he can answer."
With that, they stopped their dallying and hurried out of the Palace of Xianle. The moment Xie Lian crossed the threshold, he was startled to see a row of guards at the entrance. He readied himself to whip them unconscious with Ruoye but then noticed that they were all as wooden as dolls—their posture was stiff and their expressions unchanging. They had all been petrified by Hua Cheng.
Along the way, the shimmering silver light from Hua Cheng's vambraces transformed into silver butterflies, which gradually went transparent and hid all around them as they went. Hundreds upon thousands of wraith butterflies were dispersed throughout the Heavenly Capital. The pair perfectly evaded every patrolling guard along the way by dodging up or down, or abruptly hiding and emerging when the coast was clear.
Hua Cheng stood next to Xie Lian as they watched a troop of patrolling guards stomp by their hiding spot in an alley. "After this stretch, we'll take the path above."
Xie Lian nodded and leapt onto the roof, following Hua Cheng's lead.
They leapt across the rooftops one after the other, leaving no traces in their wake.
A short while later, Xie Lian dropped onto the corner of a roof and abruptly stopped. He looked back at Hua Cheng, pensive.
Seeing him go still, Hua Cheng stopped as well. "What is it? Did you notice something?"
Xie Lian creased his brow and shook his head. He said thoughtfully, "No, but it's just… It feels like this scene has played out somewhere before —" Before he could finish, Hua Cheng abruptly hugged him around the waist. The next moment, the two "fell" from the rooftop.
The world spun, going topsy-turvy. Xie Lian's bamboo hat slipped from his back, and he swiftly snatched it before it could fall to the ground.
Meanwhile, Hua Cheng held him in his embrace as the two hung upside down from the eaves of some palace's roof. Above them, something crawled rapidly past, pata pata.
Xie Lian was no stranger to that sound—it was the fetus spirit crawling around! Who knew what it was doing; perhaps it was on patrol?
Just then, another voice came from the streets below.
"Cuocuo, Cuocuo?"
Jian Lan!
Oh no! Xie Lian cried in his head. The fetus spirit was still right above them on the roof; they would be discovered if Jian Lan walked over and saw them from below. Xie Lian couldn't be sure what Jian Lan's reaction would be—if she would remain silent out of gratitude to Hua Cheng for saving her life or if she would yell to alert the enemy.
Her light, flustered steps got closer and closer until they were just about to turn the corner. Thankfully, the fetus spirit finally jumped down the other side of the roof.
The two quickly flipped over and hopped on top of the building. Xie Lian let out a breath of relief.
When Jian Lan peeked around a corner of the wall and saw that her son had jumped down to the ground, she let out her own breath of relief and went over.
"Cuocuo! Stop running around. This is a strange and unfamiliar place, and it's kind of scary. If you ran off and disappeared, Mom wouldn't even know where to go to find you… Why did you come here?!"
Her eyes had landed on the palace's establishment plaque, and she backed away a few steps at the sight. When Xie Lian saw her reaction, he determined that the golden palace beneath their feet must be the Palace of Nan Yang—which meant that Feng Xin was currently locked inside!
Jian Lan must have also known that, and her face twitched lightly. A moment later, she looked down to scold the fetus spirit. "Why did you come here?!"
The fetus spirit was hugging something white and lumpy. Crunch, crunch… It sounded like it was gnawing on it.
"What is that?!" Jian Lan then yelled. "What random thing are you eating?! Spit it out!"
Taking a closer look, Xie Lian discovered that it was a giant, hefty white radish, and he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. There was no need for Jian Lan to say that, as the fetus spirit obviously didn't like the taste.
Ptooey, ptooey! It spat the radish out with force, then started shrieking like it was throwing a tantrum.
Jian Lan hurried over to cradle it, coaxing, "Okay, okay, okay, Cuocuo is a good boy. If it doesn't taste good, just don't eat it. Only poor bastards and silly gods like to eat those things—we don't eat them."
No one but a birth mother could cradle such a horrifyingly deformed creature in her arms and still comfort it in a gentle voice. The fetus spirit wiggled its chubby white body and cooed happily.
Unexpectedly, pity sprouted in Xie Lian as he watched this scene play out. However, he was also puzzled. "Why is there such a large radish in the Heavenly Capital?"
Hua Cheng quirked his brows. "Gege, did you forget? That's one of the souvenirs the Rain Master brought you, the gifts grown from the earth."
"…" So that was the present the Rain Master had given him! Xie Lian tried to imagine Jun Wu's face when he opened that wooden box to discover it contained a huge white radish, but his attempt was a failure—it was impossible to picture. Once Jun Wu had finished inspecting the gift and determined it was nothing suspicious, he must have tossed the radish off to feed the fetus spirit.
It was like he was feeding a dog.
After the fetus spirit spat out the giant white radish, it had kicked it away in disgust. But it seemed thoughtful after hearing Jian Lan's words, then suddenly leapt out of its mother's embrace. It bounded over, grabbed the radish in its mouth, and then charged into the palace. If Xie Lian didn't look closely, it really did resemble a smooth-skinned, hairless white dog.
Jian Lan called after it, "Don't go in there! That's…" The soldiers guarding the Palace of Nan Yang didn't even blink, much less stop it from going inside—they had probably been told that the fetus spirit was Jun Wu's pet or hunting dog. Jian Lan had no choice but to follow it.
The fetus spirit seemed to harbor a deep animosity toward Feng Xin, and Xie Lian was worried that it would hurt him.
He turned his head. "San Lang?"
A transparent butterfly rested on the tip of Hua Cheng's finger. "A wraith butterfly is already hidden on her person."
Xie Lian nodded, and the two monitored the situation inside the Palace of Nan Yang. Jian Lan was bent low to the ground, sneaking around the palace as if she didn't want anyone to discover her.
Hesitantly, she whispered, "Cuocuo—" However, it was impossible not to be discovered. The fetus spirit bounced into the main hall and found a man seated in meditation. As the man blinked his eyes open, his gaze met Jian Lan's, and they both startled.
After the initial shock, Feng Xin was delighted. "Jian Lan!" he exclaimed, rising to his feet. "Why have you come? Are you all right? You're here just in time; help me—" Just then, the fetus spirit started howling. It jumped between the two, then spat the giant white radish onto the ground and sent it flying with a forceful kick. The giant, gnawed white radish smacked Feng Xin squarely in the face with an enormous thud.
After punting the produce, the fetus spirit seemed quite proud of itself, babbling loudly and cackling evilly. It seemed to be waiting for its mother's praise. Feng Xin was almost knocked unconscious by the attack, and he wiped away the line of blood streaming from his nose as he yelled in complete outrage.
"What are you doing? Stay still, will you?!"
Feng Xin was fierce, but the fetus spirit was fiercer, and it screeched at him with a slithering tongue. Ready to grab for it, Feng Xin took a sharp step forward, but the attempt only got his arm bitten by its gaping mouth. No matter how hard he tossed his arm, he couldn't get rid of it. This familiar scene was both horrifying and hilarious, and Feng Xin's fury grew when he was unable to fling it off despite his best efforts.
"What the fuck?! What the actual fuck?! Are you looking for a beating?! What the hell?!"
Jian Lan snapped out of it and cried out, "Stop! What right do you have to yell at him or beat him?!"
Feng Xin was startled to be called out like that, and his spirit diminished by half. "It… It recognized a crook as its father! Why is it on Jun Wu's side…? How did it turn out like this?!"
Jian Lan clicked her tongue. "'How,' you ask? Wasn't it thanks to you?! Feeding without teaching is the father's failing! If you hadn't been slacking off on your duty as his father, would your own son have been dug out of his mother's womb and made into something like this? 'What the hell?' This is the hell you gave life to!"
Feng Xin backed up a step at each one of her condemnations, and the volume of his voice diminished greatly. "But… But I didn't know about any of that. And at the time, you told me to get lost—" "Ha!" Jian Lan exclaimed. "I told you to get lost to help you! You came to this bitch's bedside every day with that godforsaken gloominess; you think I didn't know what you were thinking?! You had to serve your crown prince and collect enough money to help buy my freedom at the same time— you were battered and bruised, tired and annoyed! Since you didn't have the heart to up and leave, I decided to send you off!"
"I was very tired back then!" Feng Xin cried. "But I was never annoyed with you! I wanted to help you!"
Jian Lan jabbed at his chest. "Please! You wanted to help? Deep down, you knew damn well whether you could actually afford this bitch's price tag with your meager abilities! You wished you could split every penny in half and spend it twice. Every day, you hit the streets to busk and still had to pay your respects to your crown prince and your ol' emperor—you're lucky that I didn't throw myself at you to add to your burden. Expecting you to buy my freedom—what a dream!"
"That's not what you said at the beginning! We even made a promise! I always keep my word—" Jian Lan cut him off. "There are plenty of promises and oaths out there, but think for a moment. What have you actually given me, huh? Other than that golden belt—oh, wait, it was only that golden belt, and you even exhorted me over and over to never sell it!"
Her jabbing had Feng Xin backing up step after step, his expression stiff and ashamed. The more Jian Lan spoke, the angrier she became.
"Or did you mean that godforsaken protection charm? I must've been completely blind to believe that shitty charm could protect anyone! There was barely any good luck, but there sure was a fuck-ton of bad! You had less and less money, and your temper certainly got worse and worse. What was I to do if I didn't let you go, huh? Keep tormenting you to death?! Torment you to the point where you'd be annoyed with me, complain about me, hate me, and never want to see me ever again?!"
"…" It wasn't just Feng Xin—even Xie Lian didn't know what to say anymore as he listened in from above the Palace of Nan Yang.
So that was how it was.
Xie Lian recalled many things from long ago—Feng Xin's early morning departures and late-night returns, his exhaustion, his strange, sudden highs and lows, and that awkward attempt he'd made to borrow money from him. All those insignificant yet unusual gestures now had an explanation.
Feng Xin was Xie Lian's servant and good friend, but not his slave. He could've built his own home, had his own family—and he had even found the person he wanted to do that with, but it just had to happen during the toughest days of Xie Lian's first banishment. At the time, Xie Lian himself was struggling to survive, so how could he possibly have noticed those details?
He was suffering, but Feng Xin was also suffering. Everyone was suffering.
And in the end, they finally couldn't keep it going—perhaps Jian Lan had long foreseen such an ending.
But Feng Xin still did his utmost to try and support Xie Lian, even during that time. He had even given Jian Lan the protection charms that no one cared for anymore, telling her that they could grant good luck—which was why she had carefully tucked one away in the little robes that her unborn child would one day wear.
Of course, that protection charm ultimately proved useless in bringing them any good fortune whatsoever.
Looking as if she had said some things she shouldn't have, Jian Lan quickly scooped the fetus spirit from the ground, then turned to leave.
"Jian Lan!" Feng Xin called out. He was clearly at a loss, lamenting as he pulled at his hair. "Come…come back. I'm still…" He sighed. "I still feel that…I…I want to take care of both of you. I should take care of both of you.
I have a duty—I promised."
Jian Lan turned and stared at him squarely for a moment, tightening her hug on the fetus spirit in her arms. And then, she let out a humph.
"No need. I know you scorn your son. He's nothing but some hellish creature in your eyes. It's fine, I don't mind."
Feng Xin finally came to his senses and countered, "I don't scorn it!"
"Then why are you always so mean to him?" Jian Lan questioned.
"Can you really accept him as your son?"
"As long as it can return to the path of righteousness, how can I not?"
Feng Xin replied.
Jian Lan sneered. "Then let me ask you again. You're a heavenly official. Do you dare recognize him as your son?"
Feng Xin was taken aback. This reaction was natural. The fetus spirit clung to its mother's arms, baring its teeth at him. It looked like an ugly, poisonous insect larva or the deformed spawn of a vicious beast—anything except human.
What heavenly official would dare admit to such an affair or recognize such a hellish creature as their son? It would be an enormous stain on his reputation, and his worshippers and merits would be affected greatly!