It took quite a few hours to walk down the mountain, but the Martial God persisted. If it really was heavenly light he saw, something suspicious might be going on. Seeing for himself was the only way he could be certain about anything.
He arrived to the general area of where he saw the light, but since it had long gone out the exact details were fuzzy. So the Crown Prince did his best to look around for anything that may be off. The first think he noticed was sword and blade slashes on nearby trees and vegetation... the scent of blood was thick. It was obvious a battle took place here recently, but if there was a victor it would only be by a slim margin. Though he's typically excited for fights of this caliber, this instance didn't sit right in his gut. The way these blade marks tore through the surroundings was unnatural.
It was as if the other party was in deep anguish.
The thought sent chills down Xie Lian's spine, but he continued to investigate anyways. If he saw heavenly light in this area, he needed to know why. Maybe he was wrong about it being an ascension - was it possible a Heavenly Official had came down to intervene? That's not too likely. Xie Lian had the gut feeling Jun Wu wouldn't allow that to happen. It was already a miracle Mu Qing and Feng Xin were able to sneak out to help.
Xie Lian had almost seen everything there is to see here, and yet no sign of divine intervention. Nevertheless, if there was a fight here the parties were probably long gone, so the chances of asking someone about it was even more slim.
The Crown Prince heaved a heavy sigh. It seemed coming down here may of been a waste of his time after all. Was he already that insane - hallucinating Heaven's light on Mount Tonglu was ridiculous enough. But just as he was about to leave the scene for good, he caught the glimpse of a silver fluttering figure in his peripheral. His hand was quick to Fang Xin's hilt... misfortune was bound to drag him into a fight eventually. As he slowly turned to meet the figure, Xie Lian felt his grip loosen. This man... he's fatally injured!
This young man was pale as ice, lying dormant on a bed of crimson stained white flowers. Clad in black torn garments and bandages covering his eye... he was familliar. Wait, was this the weaponless ghost?! Is he ok? Xie Lian couldn't really tell. He wasn't conscious, that much was certain.
Without thinking, he took a few steps closer to kneel besides him cautiously. The motions felt natural, even though he had never met this man officially before. The Crown Prince couldn't justify leaving someone helpless.
Gently grabbing onto his wrist, he measured his pulse. There was nothing!
Xie Lian hesitantly let go before making the simplest realization he possibly could. Ghosts don't even have pulses! Though it was ridiculous how he forgot, this thought calmed his nerves. Though clearly injured, if he was still strong enough to maintain a physical body he would still be alive.
And so Xie Lian investigated him further. It didn't look good. There were many deep cuts, bruises, some nearly fatal, some that would have been fatal had he of been mortal, and some that even as a ghost would have been fatal. It was clear this young man was part of the battle that happened here.
Nevertheless, there was only one area he didn't investigate - behind the bandage over his eye. The Crown Prince remembered this ghost had always had this bandage, but this time it was stained with blood. Whatever pre-existing wound this ghost had, it either opened or was joined with a new one altogether.
If this bandage isn't changed, it's possible it will only get worse. With that thought in mind, he was sure this ghost would be ok with the Crown Prince bandaging him up properly right? Giving the matter no further thought, Xie Lian begun. Unravelling his eye bandage, Xie Lian didn't expect to see his right eye was completely gone! It wasn't scratched or impaled, just... gone. Nevertheless, the injury was fresh. It needed immediate treatment.
Xie Lian took out the potions he received from Mu Qing. These were higher grade healing potions from Heaven, and although they wouldn't heal the ghost completely they would certainly help to hold him out until he is able to see a professional. After wiping away the blood with the remainder of the wraps, Xie Lian opened the bottle with a loud poof. The bottles contents turned gaseous, and hovered around the young ghosts face before setting in. Without any clean bandages to cover it, Xie Lian tore a strip from his black leather cape and used it to cover his eye.
Now that he was covered up, Xie Lian was able to get a better look at the ghost. He couldn't help but notice how handsome he is. Seeing such a ghost... it's hard to think about the circumstances that led him to become a ghost, let alone one that would fight on Mount Tonglu. In life he had to of been a promising young lad with a bright future ahead of him! What a shame it is to see someone so young die so early.
As Xie Lian's thoughts concluded, it seemed the young man was returning to consciousness. But before he could get a word in, he was met at the business end of a sabre.
"Who the hell are you?" The ghost snarled, pointing up a curved silver-steel sabre in his hand. The detailing was gorgeous, and Xie Lian couldn't help but gawk momentarily before shaking it off.
Where did this weapon even come from? Nevertheless, Xie Lian cautiously raised his hands to show his good intentions. "I'm just a passerby. Though I've patched up your eye to the best of my ability, I'd leave to go seek proper medical attention as soon as possible. Your injury isn't one you can sleep off."
The young ghost was cautious, his left eye squinting at the Crown Prince momentarily. Right - these ghosts were all from Xianle and Yong'An! Xie Lian pulled at his hood to cover more of his face. He didn't want to risk being recognized and having to deal with whatever consequences that may bring.
After shaking off his suspicion, the ghost defensively got up. "I can't leave. I don't know what you wanted to gain by helping me, but consider keeping your life my payment. There's something important I have to do."
And that's when he saw it. The particular fire in his eyes...
They were the eyes of a Supreme candidate.
Xie Lian gritted his teeth. Just his luck - he found and helped out just the type of ghost he sought to get rid of! Nervously putting his hands back in his cloak, he fiddled to find the handle of Fang Xin. "I see..." the Crown Prince transitioned. "What is this important thing you have to do?"
The young ghost turned his back to the Crown Prince, but he still kept his guard up. Xie Lian had a feeling a sneak attack may be in vain, even with this ghost's blindspot in mind. "To protect my beloved."
Those words weren't what the Crown Prince expected at all! A selfless obligation is what drives him... how could he possibly condemn that? But at the end of the day, if this man wanted to become a Supreme Xie Lian could not let him. If a new Ghost King comes to light, everything he would have worked towards would have been in vain.
Another thing Jun Wu would be right about.
And so going against his fascination for this ghost and his honourable motive, Xie Lian was the first to strike. What reflexes! There's not many in this world that can block an attack from the Crown Prince, let alone be good enough to have a fighting chance. Nevertheless, this Ghost could do that just fine with an injury!
If he could describe his fighting style, the best word would be vicious. His sabre technique was exceptional, but it was so overwhelmingly aggressive that even the Crown Prince was having a hard time keeping up. Had this of been any other god, this man would surely sweep the floor. Would Jun Wu even have a chance?
It was in this brief moment that Xie Lian saw his life flash before his eyes. Tearing through Xie Lian's cape, the Sabre's blade was pressed under his jaw before halting entirely. Though the Ghost's swings were filled with pristine confidence, the blade was trembling as it drew a little bit of Xie Lian's blood.
It was quite the stroke of luck the Crown Prince was still alive. As he processed this, his eyes finally moved back on the ghost who was noticeably shaken. The only words that left his lips were...
"...Your highness?"
He knew without his cape he'd be recognizeable, but this young ghost got too close to actually killing him that he was able to find out at the last crucial moment.
Nevertheless, in this moment of hesitation Xie Lian quickly knocked the Sabre out of his hand as Fang Xin was pointed straight to his neck. He couldn't dwell on the consequences of revealing his identity if he were to die here anyways.
Letting out a soft sigh, Xie Lian closed his eyes. "Your beloved is lucky to have someone as strong as you to protect them."
The ghost was still at a loss for words, having still not recovered from the shock. Was he scared of Xie Lian? That would make sense if he was of Yong'An descent.
Xie Lian let off a pitiful sigh. The atrocity he committed to make a Yong'An man this fearful... this made him feel terrible. But at the end of the day, he came here to do a job. Whether he was a being to be feared or praised did not change that at all. "Please do not seek out the Kiln. I cannot let you live if you do."
"If you can not let me live," The young ghost gritted his teeth, "then kill me by your hand, your highness. If I am not strong enough, if I will only be an inconvenience, then I can't-"
What distress! In the deepest crevice of his heart the Crown Prince was aching.
"By no means are you weak," Xie Lian tried to reassure him, "You're strong enough. Please hold your head up high. Your beloved is the luckiest person in this world to have someone as devoted and powerful as you. But becoming a supreme isn't the answer."
As he concluded, he couldn't help but notice small eyes in the shadows behind him. What...
There was several eyes - a group of eyes. He didn't notice their presence this whole time until now! A presence concealing technique, perhaps? But Xie Lian still should have been able to sense evil residue from them. The only way this was possible was if they were...
Human.
Hundreds of humans were in hiding behind this man!
"You..." Xie Lian muttered in awe as he realized the situation. "Did you fight to protect these humans?"
The young man hesitated for a moment, but was able to gulp his response. "...En."
"I see..." Xie Lian muttered, in thought. What a gentle soul. Part of him thought maybe letting this boy become the next Ghost King wasn't a bad idea after all, but the thought was soon shook out of his head. "Young man, if you follow me with these humans I have friends who will be able to get them to safety off of Mount Tonglu. Do you trust me?"
The man hesitated again, but nodded once more. "...En."