Crown Prince and Ghost King

Chapter 27

Speaking of, Xie Lian wondered if him stealing the general's thunder, bumping him to third place, would cause his ire, but it didn't seem he was displeased. Rather, Pei Ming went out of his way to even congratulate him, before leaving for his Palace.

«Are we leaving now?».

Displeased with the loud chaos all around, He Xuan gulped down one last cup of wine and sent an eloquent look to both Xie Lian and Shi QingXuan.

His brow was still twitching, from when those three thousand lanterns floated up – seriously, Crimson Rain could show off less – and he was done with that banquet. At least the food was delicious, it was something he couldn't complain about.

Keeping in a laugh, Xie Lian waited until Shi QingXuan exchanged a bit more words with some other officials, then prepared to leave the banquet with both of them. A couple gods sent them weird looks, probably because it was weird to see the Earth Master being friendly with Xie Lian, but the Crown Prince paid them no heed. He didn't spend enough time up there to have people properly know friendship existed between them.

On the way out they bumped into Mu Qing, who didn't look so pleased anymore. Something akin to a scowl was on his face, deepening when his eyes met Shi QingXuan and Ming Yi. If Xie Lian didn't know better, he'd dare think Mu Qing was jealous.

Feng Xin, however, was the exact opposite. When he rose to his feet to leave the feast, he called to Xie Lian and gave him his congratulations.

With that out of the way, both martial gods left without adding more. Confused, but not surprised, Xie Lian only sighed before being dragged away by Shi QingXuan, followed by a grumpy, cranky Earth Master that definitely wanted nothing to do with all that mess anymore.

Xie Lian felt a bit sorry for him, thinking about how he had to endure that banquet every single year, although he couldn't help but laugh; the cheeriness gifted to him first by the unexpected play and then by Hua Cheng being his overly-exaggerated self still hadn't dissipated. It was nice, to feel that happy while being away from Ghost City.

It didn't happen often.

Idly chatting, the group stopped at the Palace of the Wind Master, white and clear and airy, a place Xie Lian found himself liking despite his moderate aversion for the clean, bright appearance of the Heavenly Capital. He wouldn't want to live in it, just like he didn't want to live in his own – not anymore – but it was a nice place. Lively, even.

Shi QingXuan didn't like a calm, quiet type of living. Which, in all honesty, made the relationship between the Wind Master and the Earth Master funnier that he was willing to admit.

Someday, Xie Lian would have enough of a thick face to ask them directly what was going on, in terms of bonds and closeness. Knowing Shi QingXuan, she would only try to embarrass the ghost even further, without actually wanting to.

Crashing down at a table, He Xuan finally shrugged off the heavenly aura he kept up for the entire banquet and grimaced, the abuse his ears had gone through more than enough for at least six months. Posing as the Earth Master, sometimes, really grated on his nerves. Events he didn't want to attend to were mandatory, for one who was part of the Elemental Masters, and events he absolutely hated were ones he had to be active in, lest he ruins his cover.

On some of those days, He Xuan just wanted to throw everything under the carriage.

It was much easier to stay in his manor, surrounded by gloom and dark trees, without a single care in the world. Thinking about it, he could literally sit down and eat as much as he wanted, devour demons and other ghosts like they were delicious meals, sink all of the ships he wanted and sometimes feel generous enough not to sink them.