Perishable as I (hualian tgcf)

21

It takes a long time for Xie Lian to come to.

A very long time.

So long Hua Cheng and He Xuan start to pace the halls in worry. "He can't die." Hua Cheng mutters angrily. Usually Xie Lian would be the one to pace when nervous or unsure but now the rolls had reversed. "Perhaps he's only over exhausted?" He Xuan attempts. "He's prone to over working himself." He Xuan wasn't wrong with that observation.

Hua Cheng grins darkly. "Damn heaven making gege work so hard. That emperor knows what he's doing." He Xuan snarls. "He finds enjoyment in playing others of course this is his fault."

Pei Xiu attempts to be the one to hold it together, keeping his worry bottled up, while the two ghost kings unravel into insanity. But in the dark halls of nether water manor it only dragging the mood down. And Pei Xiu's worry only reaches new hights.

"His highness is strong." He says as if to convince himself. "He's only catching up on some rest. This isn't anything serious, his highness is stronger than any tricks one may pull."

The younger nods in fake confidence. "Yeah." He says unconvinced. "His highness will be just fine."

Hua Cheng has the heart to look pitying at Pei Xiu while He Xuan only slumps down with a sigh. It's already been half a day and Xie Lian hasn't woken.

Morning of the next day breaks and it's still gloomy. More so than He Xuan's residence is normally. And all thoughts of revenge have been temporarily forgotten. Of course Shi Wudu isn't roaming free. But Xie Lian takes much greater priority.

He Xuan practically screamed in worry when Xie Lian had passed out almost two days ago. His golden eyes rolling back as he fell in a flutter of white. It was rather graceful, like a butterfly flapping it's wings. One could call it beautiful if it hadn't ended with Xie lian out cold.

Shi Wudu in his defence looked just as confused as Pei Xiu and He Xuan had. And both deputy and ghost decided he had nothing to do with this.

He Xuan scooped the boy up demanding answers from the god regardless. It's clear he works with the emperor as one of the highest ranking gods. So surely he'd know something.

"Earth master..." Pei Xiu hushed. "Please, we must get him to a safe place to rest and call on crimson rain. This god can wait until His highness wakes to tell us what's wrong."

Shi Wudu thankful for the intervention sighs. "Yes getting his highness to a bed to rest is the main priority, shall I call on the healers while you lay him down?"

He Xuan eyes flair up into a toxic yellow and suddenly the room turns dark. "The healers won't be able to save you once I'm done." He says gravely as dark energy circles the god.

He soon disappears into nothing leaven He Xuan sighing. "Pei Xiu, hold on we're about to travel the black water way." He warns before they too are gone from the Xianle heavenly palace.

The water master finds himself sitting in a damp cell guarded by He Xuan's own skeleton fish. And only then, with the view of what could only have been the original earth master staring at him, does he realise how much danger he truly is in.

Attempting to warn Shi Qingxuan was hopeless as the whole of He Xuan's layer was surrounded in interference. Only the ghost himself, and those he chose could surpass it.  So the god could only wait and pray to Xie Lian that he could keep his brother safe.

When Xie Lian finally does wake, he finds he's not in his palace. A finding that makes his unbeating heart spike and his stomach twist painfully. He's not in his temple and he's definitely not in paradise manor.