heaven official's blessing Keitteishimai (edited)

cursed shackles. 11

Xie Lian took the man to the back of the cart with Hong-er and I and shifted the man on his side in a fetal position as he lay unconscious. We sat in silence as the ghosts grew closer, looking at Hong-er with a smirk and a quick wink. carefully sliding my mask over my face, uninterested in attracting attention if any of these ghosts do see us or know me from a previous fight.

The ghosts passing by us looked as if they had no face behind their dark shadows; they seemed to be wearing these fur coats and robes. This marking on their chests looks to be from a prison, so they were prisoners while they were alive. I can't say it's improbable to have met them; I have been in contact with prisoners like them before.

The ghosts can't see us, so they ended up hitting the barrier. They were confused, and after a second ghost hit the barrier, they went around us without noticing my or Hong-er's eyes begin to glow. As they passed by us, Hong-er looked at the ghosts with a dark scowl; his almost crimson eyes looked ready to kill if needed.

A slight nudge from the cart shook our seats. Taking this as a chance to sit with Xie Lian, Hong-er made his way over the left side to sit with his brother while I went to sit on his right.

"nice work!" Hong-er called as he peeked over the hay pile before leaping over. "You are truly a man of many talents."

"its nothing, but thanks." He greeted me as I took my seat beside him. "Are you alright?"

"Well, I'm scared." He said it in a flirty voice, his hand propping up his chin. He is such a hopeless romantic!

shifting in my seat till I was against the wood blocking the hay from the driver's place, leaning back to see the nighttime sky sliding away from my mask. the feeling of the calm, crisp air blowing my white hair against my face. I haven't felt this since I was a teenager, convincing my brother to sneak out with me to watch the stars on the Xianle Castle rooftop.

I can still remember the stars—dots of stars sprinkling the pitch-black sky. Unintentionally, I began to cry a single tear on my right. blinking my eyes open, my hand lifted to my face as it turned down to my lap. Heh, I really do miss those days. Being a young teenager, I have no responsibilities I must uphold, no officials bugging me, just fun and a loving family.

wiping away my tear, I looked to my brother. My eyes were attracted to the bandage around his neck; a scorn feeling swelled in my chest. The memory flashed in my mind.

"Brother, come on!" I shouted to him, even after we rejected the emperor's words.

"Xianle! Xiamei!" The Emperor shouted after us as we were leaving. "How can you make this kind of decision after everything?"

turning to him with a hatred burning in my eyes as the white of them turned black, and my voice echoed as if more than one voice was talking through me.

"Because we promised to save the common people." I spat, and the look in his eyes was one of complete shock. "I wouldn't expect someone as disinterested in saving innocent lives as you or any officials to understand!"

And with that, we left, with my brother shielding me. worsening the curse, and I am unable to step down from being a god, aiding my brother with mana, or ever being banished.

"Hold on!" his brother warned as he flicked the reins, tying the ox to the cart. The cart jerked back as we yanked through the forest. The ghosts behind us must have noticed us! They were shouting and seemed to be chasing us.