Crown Prince and Ghost King

Chapter 68

«Aaaah, Ming Yi! Don't be emotional!».

«Yes! We want to see!».

«You never drink, it's about time you do!».

He Xuan's eyes glowed gold: «Are you deaf?», he roared. «You may not have a single ounce of respect for your fellow officials, but I'm not like the lot of you».

That said, he grabbed the cup again and poured all the wine on the ground, all the while keeping his gaze fixated on the indignant crowd: «Go find entertainment in someone else's pain. Yours, possibly», he added, looking every single bit like the Ghost King he was aside from his appearance.

Every time something like that happened He Xuan was reminded of how egoistic and selfish the heavens could be. It was that behavior that often made the ghost think he wouldn't have fit in that environment, and that Shi Wudu actually made him a favor by stealing his godly fate for his brother. He Xuan was first and foremost a scholar, but his morals wouldn't have fit in with the heavens.

Wind Master or literature god, it didn't matter if the people around him lacked some basic human respect.

«I suggest you find someone else to bully into pleasing your avidity», He Xuan said, slamming the empty cup back on the table. «Knowing me is a privilege none of you will ever have».

And that was a statement he would have done if he had been a god, too. A ghost with bloody hands having a better moral sense than worshipped heavenly officials was a joke in itself.

After those words, the crowd couldn't find anything to reply with, and everyone eventually calmed down, though mutterings and curses didn't stop then and there. the Thunder Master himself, noticing how tense the situation had become, decided it was time to pack up and leave, ending the game – and his participation in the banquet – earlier than usual.

Beside him, Shi QingXuan was tense, the hand holding his cup of liquor trembling a bit. Noticing that, He Xuan pressed his lips into a thin line and apologized: «Sorry for using your brother's name», he said, swallowing every bit of pride he may ever had when Shi Wudu was involved. «I couldn't risk it».

"It" being the discovery of his real identity.

Shi QingXuan caught onto that and shook his head, lips weakly turning up in a smile. He understood, there was no need for an apology, as welcomed as it was.

He still thanked the ghost, though, grateful for that little thought. He Xuan rarely showed genuine emotions like that when in pubic, and it was very weird for him to openly show that kind of care. Even if Shi QingXuan knew the ghost wanted to avoid being found out, he wasn't so stupid to think he was doing it just for that. Shi QingXuan might have failed to know him before his real identity was uncovered, but he didn't make the same mistake twice.

«So», he said, breaking the uncomfortable silence that fell over their table. «It's still too early for Blessing Lanterns. What are we doing?».

Normally, the banquet games would stretch out until the releasing of the lanterns, but obviously that wouldn't be the case for that year. Other games could be played, but heavenly officials wanted the kind of entertainment that often embarrassed others, so the Wind Master shuddered at the thought of what their mind could concocts. The memory of him and He Xuan playing dice with Hua Cheng and Xie Lian came back to haunt him right that moment.

Oh, Xie Lian dreaded that question. He knew Jun Wu would use that opportunity to his favor. Not that the Crown Prince wasn't going to do the same, of course, but that was an unnecessary detail for the time being.