[5 years later]
Hua Cheng kissed his beloved on the lips as he bids him farewell. His husband had a long day to attend to in Heaven, a journey to go with those two bikering annoyances, while Hua Cheng stayed at his realm to deal with his own stuff.
Being busy important beings of two different but coexisting realms, the two will have a take a long while from each other as busy can become up tight.
But with their causes now, they both have a son who is barely 6 of age. A mortal at that. So balancing family time and work times was challenging. But they had help, so it wasn't much of a problem.
Well that's what Xie Lian thinks otherwise.
"A-niang..?" Hua ying's soft voice called as he looks to his baba. Xie Lian crotched down to his height and Hua ying ran to hug him.
"Oh my A-ying it's going to be fine. Think of this a father and son time,hm?" Xie Lian said, smiling gently as a pushed back a piece of Hua ying's hair behind his ear.
A-ying frowned. "But..A-niang said he'll stay after breakfast longer.."
"And I did didn't I?"
"Mn but A-niang leaves me with A-die."
Hua Cheng felt a slight bit offended by that. "What's wrong with spending time with me?"
Hua ying looks back to his father and lifted his head, pouting. "A-die is mean!"
"Because I tell you to read?"
"Yes! A-ying don't want to read!"
Xie Lian was perplexed. "A-ying why don't you read? Don't you want to learn stuff?"
"I want to learn how to swing a sword like you and diedie Mama!" He said with a big smile, demonstrating his skills.
Xie Lian chuckled, Hua Cheng hums in amusement. "Well a swordman will have to learn to read and write. Make that your first skill first before you pick up a sword,A-ying." Xie Lian booped him on the nose gaining an adorable giggle and blinding smile.
"But A-die don't know how to write."
"Seems your reading load will double for the rest of your days." Hua Cheng declared with a pleasurable smile.
Hua ying's eyes widened. "Nooo!" He ran to his father and hugged his leg. "No no no, I wanna go outside! No more reading for A-ying!"
"Hm.."
"Diedie!"
Xie Lian couldn't help but laugh at their antics. Taking a stand and wiping a tear, he composed his laughter.
"Ok ok, I have to go you two."
"A-ying don't leave me, don't leave A-ying with A-die!"
Hua Cheng looks to Xie Lian and simply smiled. "He's acting like I'm going to read him a book of rules."
Hua ying looks up to his A-niang in hopes he'll take him.
Xie Lian was going to cave really he was but Hua Cheng covered up those puppy eyes. "And look at the time, your keeping your A-niang from leaving."
A-ying fretted about it making Hua Cheng pick him up and throw him over his shoulder. "Go Gege I got him."
Xie Lian watched as Hua ying whined about the whole thing. It was amusing but he nods and smiled. "Alright San Lang." Xie Lian moved behind Hua Cheng to look at Hua ying. "I promise I won't be long ok A-ying?" Hua ying pouted when he saw his baba's soft smile. Softly he groaned and then deflates.
"Fwin.. A-niang can go and A-ying will stay and be good.." He mumbled, his pouy seemingly growing bigger when he said those words.
"Promise?"
"Mhm." He smiled happily.
Xie Lian kissed him on the crown of his head and stepped away to look at his husband. "I'll be back.. I'll see you both soon." Hua Cheng waved at him. "See you Gege." He smiled.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hua Cheng talked with Yin Yu while Hua ying busied himself with his paintings.
As he talked it seemed to got very silent the more he got busy. Looking over he found Hua ying missing.
Hua Cheng exhaust a long tired sigh. "A-ying!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, Xie Lian was having it up at the Heavens. Yes he was missing his husband and son. But duty called and prayers needed to be answered. In particular was a corpse body that got possessed and needed to be eradicated before it caused any more harm to the village and it's villagers.
Accompanying was Mu Qing and Feng Xin. The two changing forms while Xie Lian changed into his old robes, or as his husband calls them, rags. His husband hated the robes cause it brought some memories but Xie lian reassured him, as always,that these were also the robes that were worn when they found each other,again. That was the part that Hua Cheng gets sulky about the truth. It was sweet to say the least.
"He's smiling to himself again.." My Qing commented as they walked alongside each other down the dusty path way.
"You commentate to yourself in the morning, I don't see the issue." Feng Xin blurted out with no hesitation.
"You-that doesn't have to be said asshole!"
"Well it is." He shrugs, definitely not giving two flying pigs of a fuck.
Mu Qing grumbled in annoyance. "I hope you die."
Feng Xin laughed. "Same with you."
Xie Lian looked to the two, the two married couple he was yet to figure out how they got together while bickering as usual.
"Care to say why your yelling at each other,again?" He asked, generally curious.
"It doesn't matter your Majesty don't worry. He'll be dead by sun down-" Mu Qing starts cracking his knuckles, glaring angrily at Feng Xin.
"Do you have to??-" Xie Lian heard the sound of cracking branches.
"Where?"
"Stay guard it's around."
All bickering came to a holt. The ghost was near and it's resent energy was strong. 'There was no talking with this one'. Xie lian thought.
"Ruoye," Xie Lian let's his spiritual weapon unwrap itself from his sleeve and into the frost. Rouye seemed to get caught and it lifted Xie Lian's guard more.
A piercing sound echoed through the forest and in a flash the same corpse came lunching out at them. Xie Lian ward it off with Ruoye, the cloth wrapped round it's neck and pulling it away from him with a thud.
"Assume positions!"
"Got it!"
"We got this!"
Xie Lian takes out his sword and used it as a block from an attack. Feng Xin and Mu Qing quick to as him as the ghost possessed corpse rushed to all of them.
Mu Qing got impatient with the whole dodging attack and used his fire ability and uses his weapon against the creature.
"Watch it!!" Feng Xin yelled as he had to duck an incoming fire ball.
"Not my fault your walking target!!" Mu Qing shouted back.
Mu Qing gets irritated and slashed the resent ghost in it's back causing it the cry out in pain.
Xie Lian sighs once again. Here they went at each other's throat again.
Xie Lian saw the creature got for one of them and he dashed over, as graceful as ever he slashed the creature in the neck, cutting off it's head.
Then he used his spiritual circle and eradicated it from the corpse. Xie lian landed onto the ground lightly and takes a breath, the now empty shell of rotten flesh and bones feel into the floor.
"That seemed to be it." Xie Lian dusted off.
"You could have left it to us your Majesty." Feng Xin said as he goes to Xie Lian.
Xie Lian waved it off. "No no it's quite alright. You two seemed busy anyways." He smiled slightly.
They both looked at each other and tsked.
Xie Lian takes his leave and heads more down the path.
"You're Majesty where are you going??" Mu Qing asked as he rushed after Xie Lian.
"I'm heading to the village. Maybe see for myself the damage it caused." Xie Lian said. "Plus I want to bring A-ying something back as promised."
"You spoil him to much, your Majesty." Feng Xin commented as he fixed his belt.
Xie Lian shrugs. "I love spoiling him. It's hard not to."
"I guess. His Highness asked about sword training." Mu Qing looked to Xie Lian as he said that.
"Hm..yes he does want to train with a sword. I don't mind but at the moment he hates the thought of reading and writing."
"Reading and Writing?"
"Sounds like someone I know."
"Leave me the fuck alone, Feng Xin!!"
Xie Lian chuckled at the two again. "At ease you two. The forest have had enough of the torture."
Mu Qing grumbled while Feng Xin laughed with Xie Lian. As the three musketeers ventured up the hill to where the village sat, smoke was seen and distant shouts for help started to fill in. Xie Lian got even more crying prayers of help and it made his pace quicken.
Arriving the saw more of those ghost corpses about snarling and women and children, chasing people around. The stress and tension here changed drastically.
"Split up!"
All three were now set on helping them and killing all ghouls and possibly find out why this was happening.
'I hope San Lang and A-ying is having fun back at the Manor more than me.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Paradise Manor]
The sounds of chains rattling around the large manor was heard throughout. As you look closer in you can see a father running after his son.
"A-ying get back here!"
"Hehe! Never!"
The father son duo were at this for a while now. A-ying was having it out to exhaust his father with games of chase the goose.
Hua Cheng played along with the games, that is until Hua Cheng told his son about his calligraphy and A-ying sprinted off once again. And here we are.
Yin Yu finally gets into the picture and grabs Hua ying the boy squealing.
Hua Cheng chuckled heartfelt as Hua ying was now capture.
"No fair! Yu-shùshu u fair your not supposed to help A-die!" He pouted and whined more.
Yin Yu laughed lightly. "Sorry young Master. I have to help Lord Hua Chengzhu since he is the one paying me." He sets the young prince down.
"Well I'll pay you instead!"
Hua Cheng grabs Hua ying and lifted him up,holding him. "Yeah with what money brat?"
"You will give me some.."
"Oh really?" Hua Cheng asked, amusement laced in his voice.
Hua ying would nod his head. "Yeah cause A-die loves me more and will do anything A-ying asks"
Hua Cheng scoffs a laugh. "Ohh is that true??" He locked A-ying into his arms and starts tickling him.
"A-diiieee!! Ahahah!"
Yin Yu watched the two have there moment. This was the most he's seen in his Lord in so long. He's been serving the ghost King ever since he came here and despite his cold looks and unfriendly speaking and smug smirks when he causes trouble-he had to clean, Yin Yu was surprised to see Hua Cheng play with a child or have one.
One thing he knew it was a new breeze for him to know he let's his soft side come out despite the rocky start. He had to give Xie Lian praise for it aswell.
"So you yeld?" Hua Cheng asked.
"Yes yes!" Hua ying said through his laughing. Hua Cheng let's off the tickling and fixed his hold on Hua ying. "Mischievous little boy."
Hua ying happily giggled as he was pocked on the cheek by his father.
"Now you have writing to start you little rascal."
Hua ying frowned but had an idea. "A-die if I do that can I go outside??" He asked, fiddling with his father's tired braid. "I don't see why not. Then later I'll tell you a story of your A-niang." He sets Hua Ying down.
Hua ying became excited to hear that. He loved to hear stores of both his parents. His father's had so much history to be heard.
"Ok ok deal!" He excitedly jumped. Hua Cheng chuckled as he watched him run off.
"Yin Yu can you get his calligraphy sheets and ink brushes?"
"On it My Lord." He bows and disappeared.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[With the Three Musketeers]
Mu Qing fought off the ghost possessed corpses, burning then aswell. The only thing that annoyed him was the fact that people were running round him and about instead of out of the village. For their own safety they rather try to grab all their things and that bump into people without thinking.
This was irritating indeed. He didn't get time to complain about it till he saw a little boy get thrown to the floor and then right after him was a lunching ghost possessed corpse.
"Duck kid!" He lit his hand in fire and threw it at the ghost. It screamed in pain and Mu Qing grabs the boy from out of harms way.
Mu Qing held the child as he was now in a clearing. "Are you ok kid??"
The boy was shaking in his arms, gripping on tighter as the snarling and screaming continues to echo in his mind.
Mu Qing saw his face, frozen and scared as tears fell down his face. Mu Qing cursed under his breathe.
Xie Lian came over just in time. "Fu Fao!-Oh." He spots the child. "I'm coming your Majesty." He tried to get the child off him. He shakes his head and buried his face into his cloths. "Kid-"
"Fu Fao be gentle with the child." He scolded him as he was about o push the child off him. "You stay with him, I and Nan Feng will take care of the rest."
"Your highness!-" Nan Feng watched as Xie Lian ran off into the battle again. Mu Qing saw Nan Feng looking to him before they went off to help others. He was so ticked off now. Now only did he have to stay back but Nan Feng got to fight with Xie Lian alone.
Mu Qing wanted to complain but he looks to the boy. The boy seemed to have freaked out so much he was out cold and limp in his arms.
"Kid don't pass out yet-" He groaned. Why was this happening to him and him alone.
~~~~~~~~
[After that]
"Thank you!"
"Yes thank you!" They all bowed before him, praising the two.
Xie lian awkwardly smiled and reassured them. "Do you all have anywhere to stay? Most of the village is a shambles."
The village leader came up and bowed respectfully. "No need to worry your gracious. We're just glad you heard our cries for help."
"How long has this been happening?" Fa Fao asked, folding his arms.
"Well.. it's been years. Those ghost were past residences. Our village isn't ours..we are just settlers. Our ancestors took in this place and built over the first." The leader explained their history.
Xie lian felt sorry for them. They didn't know about that but other things could have been there aswell. "Well I am happy your well..We tried our best to not cause any further damage but.."
The sound of a whinnying building was heard before the whole house collapsed into dust. It was like it was making a point at the destruction.
"Heh.." Xie Lian felt worst.
The leader laughed it off. "It's fine. We will take care of the rest."
"Yes you've done enough for us." A lady came up and bowed. "Heavenly Martial Emperor.."
"Ah,"
"This one's name is Zhengzhou"
Xie lian bowed his head. "Pleasure."
"Thank you your Majesty for everything." Zhengzhou said.
Xie Lian nods before looking to Nan Feng who nods. Then Fa Fao came down with the same little boy in his cradle arms. "Fa Fao your here we're about to leave.. Is he asleep?"
"He passed out."
"Do anyone know this child?-"
Whispes uplifted in the crowd. Zhengzhou came up. "Your Majesty.. apologies but let me take the boy." She tried to come over but Fa Fao moved back. "Uh.."
"No he's fine with me." He narrowed his eyes.
"Fa Fao what are you doing?" Nan Feng whispered to Fa Fao. Fa Fao looks to him. "Don't yous ee the state of him?? He's small and malnourished. He looks like he's been on the streets."
Xie Lian looks to the people. "Is this true?"
The lady tsked. "With all due respect your Majesty, the boy is not one to go for. His mother was a prostitute that ran from her village and left us. She died and left him alone. No whore's child is welcomed here!" She sneered with distaste.
Fa Fao fummed. "All because his mother was a prostitute doesn't mean anything! He's a child! How can you just shut out a child like that!"
Nan Feng shakes his head at them. He knew mortals were assholes but this was always something lower than low.
Now it shined a new light on maybe of they were the ones who caused their own suffering.
Xie Lian stepped in. "Well I'm sorry to say this but the child is coming with us. If you don't seem to want him and mistreat him for his parent's own choice then he's joining us back."
The lady was about to make ruckus, finding it preposterous that his Majesty will take such a dirty child.
"Take him as you please you majesty." The leader said to them. "The child is indeed innocent and I, a humble elder don't want anything to happen because of this woman."
"Doesn't explain anything to me!" Fa Fao storms off, child in his hold, close in his arms as he walked passed them.
Nan Feng had nothing to say, rolling his eyes in disgust and running after his husband the best he can.
Xie lian looks to the man. "No child needs to be in this situation. I don't know if you allowing this woman to do that but if so your not any better. None of you are." Xie lian sighs. "I wish you the best in cleaning up your village. Goodbye now."
With that, humbly but obviously trying his best not to lash out, he walked out following his friends.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Meanwhile]
Hua Cheng sat on a chair, elbow proped and palm pressed to his cheek, legs crossed. Why? Well he sat there cause his son Hua ying decided since he wanted attention from a long day was to run around his chair giggling hysterically and jokingly jumping out from the corners in hopes to "scare" him.
Hua Cheng had a long day, ok? As a City Master and father takes a toll on his ghost body ok? Getting A-ying new toys from the market seemed like a good thing till he was getting bambarder with jumpscares by a 5 year old in a boogyman mask.
"Boo!"
Hua Cheng glanced to him. "That's it." He takes a stand, his boots thudding on the floor.
A-ying saw his father stand and then glanced to him. A shiver ran down his spine and he ran for it. "Ahhhh A-die's mad!!"
"Ah come back here." Hua Cheng went on the other side of chair, let's his silver butterflies go and have them surround Hua ying.
"Ahh! I'm blinded!" He yelled trying to get passed the pretty wraith butterflies. "A-ying won't get distracted-aye!"
Hua Cheng took his son from where he was and pulled him from the butterflies, lifting him up.
"Where do you think your going??"
"Away from you! Ehh,hahah! Diedie no tickles!" He squirmed in he holding from his father. "Does your A-niang know how much of playful brat you are?? I shall tell him. Your being a bad boy."
Hua ying squealed in protest but his laughter coming out more. "No bad boy! A-ying good boy!! Ahahh! A-ying like playing with A-die!"
Hua Cheng holts his attack and lifted A-ying, holding him. "Well guess what?"
Hua ying panted but hums. "I love to play with A-ying aswell even though he's a little rascal." He pocked him in his ribs playfully making Hua ying giggle again.
"A-die love A-ying and A-ying love his A-die.." He hugged him by the neck, smushing their cheeks together.
Hua Cheng couldn't help but smile, patting his son on his back. "Exactly." He kissed his son on the cheek. "But your still a rascal." "Hehe."
San Lang
Hua Cheng heard his husband through their communication array. Pressing his two fingers to his temple he connected in.
Gege? Are you done?
Yes I am.
Are you heading back home then?
Actually I'm at Puqi Shrine. Care to come over with A-ying?
I don't mind, seeming the brat misses you aswell.
Hehe, ok San Lang well come over I'll be waiting for your arrival.
We'll see you then.
Hua Cheng came out the communication and looks to his son. "A-ying,"
"Yes A-die?"
"We're heading to Puqi Shrine, your A-niang is waiting for us."
Hua ying's eyes sparkled at the sound of that.
"A-niang's done?! Well come on A-die,I don't want A-niang to wait longer for us!"
Hua Cheng could only laugh at his son's excitement. He guessed they both do adore his husband with all heart and soul.
"Don't forget your drawing, A-ying."
"Okie!!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Puqi Shrine]
"Mama!! Mama!"
Xie lian was tackled by his son as he practically throw himself at him. "A-ying!" He catches him and hugged him tightly. "Oh did you miss me that much??" A-ying nods his head quickly. "Be careful before you get yourself dizzy my love."
Hua Cheng came in after and frowned. Xie Lian smiled up at him. "Why does my San Lang pouy so cutely?"
"Gege..My son is all over you." He fretted.
"Mnn!" Hua ying stuck his tongue out at him.
"Oh you little." Hua Cheng grabs A-ying and hoist him over his shoulder, just like always.
"No fair!!" He huffed and puffed.
Hua Cheng smiled warmly now that his Gege was freed. "Where is my kiss?"
Xie Lian laughed but grabs Hua Cheng's face and pecked his lips. "Is that all?"
"Mn..one more."
The two lovie dovie married couple kissed once again, Hua Cheng not satisfied and liked the sound of A-ying's annoyed cries.
"Stop kissing my A-niang!"
"He is my husband!"
Xie lian could only smile. It seems they did have a lively day as usual.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Another chapter done. Hoped you like.
Don't forget to comment your favorite parts, I love to read them.
I don't know how long this will go but I have a lot of ideas.
Hope you enjoyed this chaotic story and enjoyed Hua Cheng and Hua ying's father son moments, all love don't worry. Anyways peace!🌹