"Let's continue," Qing Xuan smiled as she sat down with a calm smile.
"You feeling better?" Wu Du immediately asked his sibling.
"I am," Qing Xuan nodded as she smiled at everyone gratefully. "Thank you for indulging me and my request."
"It's no problem," Yushi Huang smiled. "We were all also becoming weary from sitting down for a long time now."
Ch.109: In the Temple of Wind and Water; Night Chatter to Discern Truth 2
Qing Xuan secretly took a deep breath, steeling herself as she clenched her outer robe.
'If Ming-xiong is the traitor...' she couldn't finish the sentence as brief memories of their time together flashed in her mind. 'I...I'll what?'
She couldn't handle the thought of harming, much less killing Ming-xiong but she also knew she wouldn't be able to remain friends with him if he turned out to be the traitor.
She closed her eyes.
'I'll think about it when we get there. It's still not proven, after all.'
If Ming Yi really wanted to fudge the test, he could very well answer ambiguously or pretend to joke. However, he answered the first two questions simply and succinctly without any tricks, so the last answer should also be the same, otherwise it would be out of Ming Yi's character which would also prove that he wasn't normal.
"Definitely would be," Feng Xin agreed.
"It would be an interesting sight, though," Qing Xuan teased happily with her eyes closed. "the quiet and serious Ming-xiong becoming a man of jokes and fun! Isn't that right, brother?"
Wu Du glanced at the stoic He Xuan. "...Yes, it is."
'The wind master...is forcing herself to be happy,' Xie Lian noted with a small frown. 'Is she worried that her brother and everyone else would worry too much about her?'
Xie Lian and Ming Yi stared at each other calmly. A moment later, Ming Yi finally spoke.
He used a tone that was no different than the last two times he responded, "One of the five elemental masters, the younger brother of the Water Master Wudu, the Wind Master Qingxuan."
Qing Xuan hid a sigh of relief, a real smile crossing her face as she felt her tensed muscles relax.
"Just as I expected, Ming-xiong would never betray me!" she cheered.
"So if it isn't the earth master," Qian Qiu said. "who is it then? The crimson rain?"
"There's probably no traitors among the coupl-uh, group," Pei Ming commented, changing his words when Wu Du narrowed his eyes at him.
Shi Qingxuan shook his head, "Sigh, why the hell didn't you say "My best friend"?"
"Oh, that's right!" Qing Xuan pointed at He Xuan with a small glare. "Why can't you introduce me as your best friend, Ming-xiong, we've been friends for years already!"
He Xuan just sighed and turned away.
Xie Lian felt bad for the wind master.
Hua Cheng looked amused.
Pei Ming laughed hard.
Wu Du twitched.
Everyone else ignored them.
They were used to it, after all.
Ming Yi looked at him, "Who's that?"
Qing Xuan crossed her arms with a pout as she turned away from He Xuan who rolled his eyes.
'How childish,' he thought with a slight smile before frowning. 'No, stop, remember your family who got killed unjustly because of the water master's selfishness. You have to avenge them, He Xuan, you need to.'
Hearing this, Xie Lian silently blew out a breath.
As aforementioned, although the Reverend of Empty Words was called 'Reverend', it wasn't a real man of cloth with any holy spirituality. As long as it remained classified as ghosts and demons, it would never be able to escape from the unique traits of their kind. Three sentences had been fulfilled, and all three were undoubtedly true, so it seemed there's nothing amiss with Ming Yi.
"Which is great news!" Qing Xuan cheered as Banyue clapped.
'Am I overthinking things? But why does it say 'seemed there's nothing amiss' and not 'nothing's amiss'?' Wu Du thought with a small frown, wondering if he was overly sensitive now that his past has started to haunt him and his beloved sibling.
"What's wrong?" Ling Wen whispered.
"No," he replied while staring at the screen. "It's nothing."
Ling Wen and Pei Ming exchanged looks.
Except unless Shi Wudu and Shi Qingxuan were not real blood brothers, but such an unbelievably shocking turn of events shouldn't be possible.
"We're definitely siblings," Qing Xuan said.
"Indeed," Wu Du nodded.
"Then I suppose that clears everything up, none are the traitors," Mu Qing mused. "Now you all can start focusing on the major important things."
"Yeah," Qing Xuan nodded with fierce determination, wanting to find the reverend and give it a piece of her mind for making her doubt those around her such as his highness and Ming-xiong.
Unexpectedly, before he fully exhaled, Ming Yi's hand suddenly shot out, grabbing straight for his throat!
"Ming-xiong/earth master!" many shouted in surprise as Hua Cheng glared at He Xuan who looked at the screen with brief surprise.
'Why would I attack the prince with the crimson rain present?' he thought.
"Ming-xiong, why would you do that!" Qing Xuan frowned although her voice held no blame, just worry and surprise.
"I don't know," He Xuan bluntly replied. "It's the future."
"Yes, but it's still you so do you have any idea why you would react like that?" Wu Du asked with narrowed eyes, suspicious.
He Xuan closed his eyes for a moment. "Perhaps I started doubting if his highness is really his highness. After all, it is peculiar that he decided to ask three questions all at once without any notice. Additionally, he asked simple questions that he should already know."
"It does sound weird to meet another official who doesn't know basic information," some agreed.
"But isn't his highness banished for a long time? It's natural for him to not know some things," Yin Yu said.
"Yeah but the questions he asked are really simple, especially when he asked who he is," Ling Wen replied.
"Not going to lie, I would also suspect him of being a reverend or an imposter with those questions," Pei Ming commented.
"He doesn't need to go straight for the throat though..." Feng Xin frowned.
Xie Lian and Hua Cheng both moved to fend off that hand at the same time,
Pei Ming's smile unnerved some while also causing Wu Du to roll his eyes.
three hands fast as lightning, so intense it made Shi Qingxuan leap to his feet, "MING-XIONG! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
"Obviously something he shouldn't be doing."
"He is most definitely not thinking when he did that."
"He's going to die."
"Rest in peace, earth master."
"Don't be so mean," Qing Xuan frowned at the pessimistic officials. "He won't die just for doing that."
"Will he really not?" Pei Ming raised a brow. "Especially if he did that in front of the crimson rain?"
"..." Qing Xuan glanced at the frowning Hua Cheng. "...Yes..."
"He won't kill anyone for something so simple, right, San Lang?" feeling bad for the stressed out wind master, Xie Lian decided to speak up.
Hua Cheng glanced at He Xuan before looking at Xie Lian with a closed eyed smile. "Of course, Gege, I won't kill someone for that."
'Just brutally torture,' some thought.
Ming Yi glared at Xie Lian intently, speaking with a dark voice, "You asked three questions, but in the last round I only asked one."
"I never knew you could be so mad, earth master," Pei Ming mused. "Much scarier now than with Qing Xuan."
'This is the first time I've heard Ming-xiong speak with such a tone,' Qing Xuan thought in shock.
He Xuan crossed his arms. "Isn't it natural for me to also have my own limits?"
'Did I make him mad?' Xie Lian felt a little bad.
'How dare he,' Hua Cheng twitched.
Xie Lian smiled, "Lord Earth Master, please think back on the rules carefully. I never said you could only ask one question per round."
"He got you there."
"Pft, that's true!"
"HAHAHAHA!"
"Who knew the prince could be so sneaky."
Qi Rong rolled his eyes but felt pleased. Now, everyone will know what kind of person his cousin truly is.
Well, that is if they still don't know considering everything they've watched so far.
"Very well." Ming Yi said, "Then I'll add to my question now. Who are you?"
"That is not how you play the game," Qian Qiu frowned a little.
"His highness was the first one to cheat, though," Yizhen commented without much care.
Xie Lian simply smiled sheepishly as he received some looks.
"Didn't you already answer this question yourself earlier?" Xie Lian asked.
Ming Yi replied, "Perhaps I answered wrong. Otherwise, will His Highness please explain why the need to setup this game so suddenly, and why ask those three strange questions?
"Well, he definitely isn't going to let go of you that easily."
"How brave, saying such words in front of the crimson rain. You know, the one who had kidnapped him just moments before."
"True, it's actually a surprise he isn't more wary with the crimson rain considering everything he's experienced under the ghost king."
"They look more like unwilling acquaintances then enemies, honestly."
"What a foolish comment."
Lord Ghost King is skilled in the art of manipulation, but to use it on petty entertainment seems to be overkill and unnecessary."
"Doubt."
"Please, that's the only reason he would use it," someone commented with an eye roll when they caught sight of Xie Lian. "Well, at least one of the reasons."
Hua Cheng laughed, "Well, now. As long as I feel like it, I'll use it however I will."
"It is your power," Xie Lian nodded. "You can do whatever you want with it."
"And you are free to borrow whenever you want, Gege," Hua Cheng gently smiled at him. "Consider it yours too."
"I can't do that," Xie Lian rejected politely.
"It's alright," Hua Cheng assured. "I'd be pleased if his highness was willing to use this lowly one's power."
"You aren't a lowly one, San Lang," Xie Lian sternly told him.
"NEXT," Feng Xin loudly announced.
It must be said that while Xie Lian and Hua Cheng saw Ming Yi as suspicious, Ming Yi too thought them equally suspicious.
"Aww, so you do care about me!" Qing Xuan cheered at the reveal as it showed that Ming-xiong cared about her. After all, if he didn't care about her, he wouldn't bother exerting this much effort (maybe even staking his life) for something useless (aka the interrogation with his highness).
From the moment Ming Yi suddenly struck, they had spoken through their lips, and stopped using the communication array.
Qing Xuan bit her lips to prevent saying a trivial comment, knowing the seriousness of the show, while Pei Ming was stopped by Wu Du glaring at him with a look promising death.
'I just want to have fun,' Pei Ming scowled a little. 'Is it that hard to do so?'
Shi Qingxuan didn't know what they were arguing about but he didn't dare remove his ear plugs rashly either,
"Good choice," Mu Qing nodded. "The reverend might be stalking the four of you and waiting for you to let your guard down."
"Ugh, please don't phrase it that way," Qing Xuan said, turning a little pale at the thought of someone peeping on them in such a private area.
so he could only say, "Stop stop stop, I order you all to stop right now and tell me what happened. Otherwise... OTHERWISE I'M GONNA BUTT IN TOO!" Then he flashed open his Wind Master fan.
"Qing Xuan, please, if you see people fighting then don't join in and just wait," Wu Du sighed heavily as the wind master only smiled sheepishly.
"No, you should join," Qi Rong smirked. "The more the merrier."
Ming Yi however, shoved him aside, "Move! Stop adding to the trouble!"
"Thank you," Wu Du sighed at the sight of his sibling leaving the fight. He was actually so grateful that Qing Xuan wasn't at risk of offending the crimson rain (at least more than she already has) that he ignored the rude shove of the earth master.
He Xuan simply rolled his eyes.
Just then, a sudden eerie breeze blew past,
"Oh no," some groaned, knowing that trouble is about to come.
"Oh yes," others cheered, wanting to know what trouble will appear.
"Finally," the remaining ones sighed, glad that there will be no more boring scenes.
and the flames of the small campfire the four surrounded quivered with the eerie wind, dancing wildly. Silhouettes and shadows illuminated by the flames flickered madly, such that even the two one male one female divine statues on the altar seemed to be smiling but not, crying but not, exceedingly creepy.
"I do not like where this is heading," Pei Su frowned.
"Tell me about it," Qing Xuan shivered. "How creepy."
"Are you really going to focus on that?" Yizhen asked.
"What else would we focus on?"
"Whatever the fuck's happening there?" Mu Qing dryly suggested.
Ming Yi then dragged Shi Qingxuan up and said, alarmed, "Something's here."
"No shit."
He Xuan internally rolled his eyes at the idiotic comments.
Shi Qingxuan was first shoved by him head first to the ground in a heap and now was dragged up abruptly, he was dizzy and seeing stars, "MING-XIONG! CAN YOU PLEASE BE NICER TO ME!!!!"
"Shh, he's saving you right now," Wu Du sternly said.
"That doesn't mean he should be brutal," Qing Xuan sulked playfully, wanting to remove the tension from the room even if her remarks were stupid.
After all, she knew just how important life was compared to anything else.
"No time." Ming Yi said.
Xie Lian had been watching and staring at the two statues and suddenly said, "Look at their eyes!"
"I have a feeling I don't want to know," Pei Su whispered.
"It sounds interesting," Ban Yue mused.
The four looked over and saw on the smiling faces of those two divine statues hung four lines of blood. From the eyes of those clay divine statues streamed tears of blood.
"That's-!"
"Blasphemy!"
"How could it-no, how dare it do that!" Qian Qiu was angry.
"It's an enemy, what do you expect? Respect and kindness?" Qi Rong scoffed at their stupidity.
Divine statues that had been blessed in ceremonies and worshipped possessed certain repelling powers against evil. Even if evil wasn't warded off for miles, it typically still couldn't be defiled and abused by non humans.
"Typically," Ling Wen sighed. "The reverend is much stronger than we anticipated."
"No wonder you're so wary about it," Pei Ming joked as he turned to Wu Du who looked serious, causing Pei Ming to stop and turn to the screen with a more solemn expression as he felt disappointed that he couldn't make a friend laugh or at least have a smile.
That Reverend of Empty Words was certainly powerful.
"Definitely powerful," Hua Cheng smiled.
"Stronger than you?" Ban Yue asked curiously.
Hua Cheng smirked a little. "No."
Shi Qingxuan was still here and it made the statue of the Wind Master cry blood tears before the Wind Master himself. The tears of blood were growing thicker and heavier, dripping to the ground and gathering into a twisted, complex form.
"Run."
"Stop staring and leave."
"Do you really think it's a bright idea to continue watching?"
Such words made Xie Lian and Qing Xuan embarrassed, knowing it was true.
Shi Qingxuan was bewildered, "What's that thing? Is it... drawing?"
'How naive,' Jun Wu thought. 'Do you really think he would draw for you?'
"So it could also draw," Qian Qiu looked fascinated at the thought.
He couldn't make out just what shapes it was forming and he didn't go closer, only looking at it from different angles trying to figure it out. Soon after, Xie Lian suddenly snapped out of it: it wasn't a drawing, it was an upside down word!
"Shit," Wu Du cursed. "Look away, Qing Xuan!"
Automatically, the wind master's body in the room turned away from the screen with a stupefied expression, surprising some with the sudden action.
"Are you okay, wind master?" Xie Lian asked in shock and worry.
"Ah, I am," Qing Xuan smiled sheepishly although she didn't move a muscle, her body frozen the moment she heard her brother's desperate voice.
He immediately shouted, "DON'T LOOK! IT'S WRITTEN FOR YOU!"
"Noo, it was written for the bloody crimson rain," Qi Rong sarcastically said.
Ming Yi struck out a palm and BOOM! Both the traces of blood on the ground and the two divine statues were blasted into pieces. Shi Qingxuan was eyes wide with shock, "Ming-xiong! You... you you you, you can't let my brother know about this, otherwise he'll never forgive you!"
"He'll forgive you the moment he learns that it was to protect his dearest sibling," Ling Wen said.
"I don't care," He Xuan bluntly replied.
Pei Ming's lips twitched, obviously tempted to say something but didn't for the sake of the stressed out Wu Du.
To destroy a heavenly official's divine statue was to be extremely disrespectful of said heavenly official. Yet today, Ming Yi first cracked the establishment plaque into two then blasted the statues into pieces. This was no different than bashing down someone's household then soundly slapping the face of said household's old master. If this went out and the person in question found out, they wouldn't sit back and do nothing; who knows if a bloody storm would rise from it.
"You don't want to know what this man will do if he finds out you destroyed those without reason," Pei Ming commented. "A storm isn't the worse."
"Let's focus on this and not that," Wu Du spoke up with a frown, not seeing the usefulness of such conversation.
Just then, Xie Lian inadvertently turned his head and suddenly noticed the plaque that they broke earlier and properly set aside had characters that weren't quite right. That establishment plaque had a blue base and golden letters with the words "Temple of Wind and Water", but now the words had turned into twisted, bloody red shapes, seemingly forming the word "Death".
"How cunning," Wu Du scowled.
"Since you can't hear, it resorted to making you see," Yushi Huang had a slight frown of worry. "Is there really no way to prevent yourself from falling for its tricks besides his highness' advises?"
"It would seem so."
"Don't give up hope yet, there might be an easier way if we continue."
"Indeed," Jun Wu agreed. "We might even find out how to destroy the reverend."
"Exactly," Pei Ming nodded. "His majesty speaks the truth."
"He is wise," Xie Lian agreed.
In a blink of a second, he covered Shi Qingxuan's eyes and yelled in the communication array, "CLOSE YOUR EYES!"
"Thank you, your highness," Qing Xuan smiled at Xie Lian who smiled back.
"Yes, many thanks," Wu Du told the prince who waved it off, stating that the wind master is a friend of his.
"WHAT NOW?!" Shi Qingxuan shouted back.
"Nothing. But the words on the establishment plaque of your temple have changed too. That creature knows you can't hear anymore so it's changed to writing." Xie Lian explained.
"How calm," Pei Su was a little amazed, knowing that he wouldn't be able to remain calm if such a thing happened to him. After all, doesn't everything seem helpless with the reverend doing everything it could to end the wind master?
"The hell!" Shi Qingxuan exclaimed, "Now I can't hear anything nor see anything, am I not both deaf and blind?!"
"At least you can still move properly," Qian Qiu said, looking at the bright side.
"Useless wind master, just die already," Qi Rong bluntly said.
"Are you not always blind and deaf?" He Xuan asked.
"That's true," Qing Xuan agreed with Qian Qiu before frowning at Qi Rong. "You're so rude." she then turned to He Xuan in confusion. "What do you mean by that, Ming-xiong?"
She was ignored.
Xie Lian let go of his hands and said, "Don't worry, just calm down. We're here for you."
"Yeah, we're all here for you, wind master," Xie Lian smiled at Qing Xuan who smiled back.
"And I am forever grateful to you all," she said.
Ming Yi grabbed hold of Shi Qingxuan's back collar and dragged him aside.
"Pfft, he looks like he's carrying a naughty cat."
"...What a random thought."
"Can't help it."
"Can we just finish this without all of your nonsense?"
"...Mean."
Shi Qingxuan still had his eyes closed and he put his palms together as in a prayer, "So reassuring!"
"Who would an official pray to?" Banyue asked curiously. "And isn't it weird?"
"No," Xie Lian patiently answered. "And we can pray to others although most seek guidance and help from his majesty, the heavenly emperor."
Just as the words left his mouth, there was suddenly a huge noisy commotion that came from just outside the rundown temple. Black blurs crossed Xie Lian's eyes and the next moment, there was a large rowdy crowd of people howling like devils and they poured in like blackened tide.
"When did people not howl like devils?"
"Since always?"
A scoff was the only reply given.
The crowd was truly full of bizarre strangeness, weird forms and monstrous shapes. Some had decapitated heads, some were hanged, some had large blades piercing their skulls, some had their abdomens cut open... all sorts.
"Gross."
"Disgusting."
"Can we really not skip this part?"
"Yeah, can we not just go straight to the reveal?"
"Apparently not since we've always been ignored with this request."
Shi Qingxuan couldn't hear and couldn't see, but instinctively sensed the footsteps all around were disorderly and chaotic, and in the ruckus he was also pushed around a couple times.
"You'd be an idiot not to sense those," Qi Rong mocked.
He was ignored because everyone was too busy focusing on the screen. After all, many felt like something bad was about to happen.
He asked in the communication array, bewildered, "What's going on? What's come? Why are there suddenly so many people???"
"It's nothing major," Xie Lian said, "It's the night parade of the Bloody Fire Social. Let's just get out of here."
The Bloody Fire Social of some regions, other than parades in the day, sometimes there would be further entertainment in the night. Not only did the parading performers want to get their fill of scaring people, many common people also had the urge to do the same, thus, they would imitate the eerie makeup of the Bloody Fire Social and use the dark of night to come out and scare others.
"What bad luck," Pei Su frowned.
"What idiotic fools," Wu Du twitched as he looked at the screen worriedly. If this happened anywhere else, he wouldn't have cared on how mortals spent their life. However, his sibling's life was at stake so every single thing, regardless of how trivial it is, irritates him right now.
Unfortunately the four of them seemed to have run into such a group of night cruisers.
"Is it just a coincidence or were they led there by the reverend?" Feng Xin wondered.
This rowdy crowd of ordinary common people didn't have the same realistic, intricate makeup as the parading troupes, but they were nevertheless formidable due to sheer numbers, and was quite the sight to behold.
"Tell me about it," Qing Xuan looked annoyed at the bloody sight.
Especially with the dimmed skies, their appearances were exceedingly ghastly. Thus, towns that had such after hours entertainment, on the night of Bloody Fire Social, the locals would all lock up tightly, keeping indoors. Those night cruisers had been wandering about for some time, and when they finally saw there were people inside the broken shrine, they were quite excited as if they spotted prey, and in an instant over fifty of them charged in, overcrowding that small temple.
"Can't they take a hint?" Wu Du inwardly cursed. "Everyone is hiding from them so isn't it obvious no one wants them?!"
'That's not how it is,' some thought but didn't voice out, understanding that he was too worried for the wind master to focus.
The four of them were drowned in the pandemonium; Xie Lian kept looking back but could only see Hua Cheng who was still next to him, never more than two steps away,
"As usual," Pei Ming murmured with a smirk.
Mu Qing frowned. "Will it kill you to stay four steps further from his highness?"
"Yes," Hua Cheng smiled.
"But you're a ghost?" Banyue looked confused.
"I am," Hua Cheng smiled without explaining.
and the other two were pushed more than seven to eight feet away.
He shouted, "Everyone, let's get out!"
However, among the night cruisers, some were purely there for fun, but there were others who were shrewd small merchants, there specifically to scam some money from tourists who had come from afar to watch the Bloody Fire Social. They blocked them, not letting them leave, clingy and tenacious as they cajoled, "Young masters, grant us some rewards!"
"What rewards do they want? Scraps or trash?" Qi Rong mocked as he laughed.
"Xie Lian looked a little awkward, knowing that his cousin spoke the truth. He didn't have any valuable objects anymore so he wouldn't be able to give those people anything even if he wanted to considering they worked hard on their costume and makeup.
"They don't deserve it," Wu Du scowled. "They only messed things up."
'Perhaps I should give them some reward in the future,' He Xuan thought.
"We worked so hard to dress up, if you had fun then grant us some rewards!"
"They definitely didn't have fun," Feng Xin sweat dropped.
"Yea, it ain't easy for us either, and this is only a once a year thing!"
"If you don't reward us watch out for the Old Ghost Master who'll come haunt you!"
"Oh? I want to see who would try to haunt his highness and I," Hua Cheng smiled as many looked away, some being reminded that this love-struck fool was still the crimson rain, the ghost who eradicated thirty-three gods' temples.
Since this whole affair had nothing to do with him, Hua Cheng only watched from the side, not a single bit anxious,
"Lucky you," Wu Du whispered darkly. He didn't have a grudge against the crimson rain, he didn't care about the ghost at all, but the sight of an easy-going Hua Cheng made him feel a little envious.
'I also want to feel stress-free,' he bitterly thought, wishing his sibling wasn't in a dangerous situation at all, before shaking it off. There was no merit in feeling envious; he just have to focus on his sibling's safety and nothing more.
so when he heard he only laughed out loud, "Well now, I like to see what kind of ghost dare come knocking on my door!"
"Crazy ones."
"The green ghost."
"Those that hate you."
"Almost every ghost that you've come across, probably."
"I don't think San Lang is hated that much," Xie Lian sweatdropped at the answers spoken.
No one gave him an answer.
Just then, as Xie Lian swept a look at the crowd, he suddenly saw at the edge a pale faced hanged ghost who was just smiling creepily as it wrapped a rope around someone's neck.
"Okay, that's either a really realistic costume or it's the reverend," Yizhen said with a bored tone.
"A costume?" someone said hopefully.
"The reverend," another bluntly replied.
"I'm never visiting that area anymore," Qing Xuan uttered with a pale face, barely able to stomach the bloody scenes they kept watching. "Or at least not on those days."
"Just don't go there," Pei Ming advised. "Or at least bring the earth master."
"Or me," Wu Du added with narrowed eyes at the mischievously smiling Pei Ming.
Although it was riotous all around and everyone was covered in blood, their faces askew, endlessly enacting you kill me, I kill you, you're now dead, I'm now dead, and oftentimes there'd be someone who's wail and fall, hard to differentiate the real from the fake, still Xie Lian's instincts told him that 'person' wasn't right, and he threw out his arm. Ruoye flew out and struck that hanged ghost squarely on the head.
"I really want one," Qian Qiu murmured before turning to Xie Lian with a shy look. "Guoshi...where can I find a copy or what can I do to have one also?"
Pei Ming and some others perked up, eavesdropping as they want to also attain one.
"It's complicated," Xie Lian simply smiled, wondering just how much longer he had to endure people asking for Ruoyue. Briefly, he wondered if they would watch how Ruoyue was created but shook it off, doubting that they'd be shown scenes from such a faraway past.
While he was busy thinking, Ruoyue wrapped itself around Xie Lian's neck as a way to comfort its master.
Sure enough, that hanged ghost wailed and turned into a wisp of black smoke, fleeing through a small crack in the ground. No one around noticed but Xie Lian saw everything clearly. He warned in the communication array, "Everyone be careful! Something's here mixed within!"
"Ooohhh, somethin-" Pei Ming's mouth was covered by an annoyed Wu Du.
"Not the time," the water master glared.
Compared to earlier, there seemed to be an added cloud of evil within the Temple of Wind and Water; it naturally wouldn't be the Reverend of Empty Words but some little minions that came from who knows where.
"Oh," Qian Qiu, who thought it was already the reverend, was surprised before nodding. "I guess it won't show up in obvious places."
Having enacted ghosts for so long, there would for sure be a day real ones be attracted. To have them show up right now, it really was adding oil to fire. There really was too many people, too much chaos in the temple, heads knocking heads, feet stepping on feet, too difficult to determine just who that essence of evil came from. Xie Lian grabbed Hua Cheng and ran out of the Temple of Wind and Water. He was about to ask after the others but found he didn't have enough powers, that his power was almost depleted and couldn't enter the communication array. In that moment of urgency he turned to Hua Cheng, "San Lang, lend me a bit of spiritual power, I'll pay you back later!"
Of course, his "I'll pay you back later" was nonsense. He had never been able to pay back any powers he borrowed.
"You don't need to pay me back at all, Gege," Hua Cheng smiled gently.
"No," Xie Lian was insistent, feeling bad at everything San Lang was giving him for free like the weapons and even his own ashes. "I will definitely pay you back. What do you want, San Lang?"
"Then spend another day with me," Hua Cheng decided as Xie Lian agreed. He had a lot of free time anyway so spending a couple more days with San Lang then planned was nothing much.
Feng Xin and Mu Qing wondered what went wrong for their prince to be so easy-going with a "criminal" from heaven.
"Alright." Hua Cheng said, then extended his hand to hold Xie Lian's.
"Just that? What a boring way to exchange powers," Qing Xuan sighed disappointedly.
"Exactly," Pei Ming agreed with the same look.
"Patience is a virtue," Banyue spoke up as some looked at her in shock and/or surprise.
"I guess," the first two replied sadly.
'What more do they want?' Feng Xin and Mu Qing twitched in annoyance.
Xie Lian could faintly feel warmth passing over, and it just so happened a few bloody individuals came running out of the temple straight for him. The last one behind who was dropping innards as he ran, his face full of livor mortis, setting off a faint essence of evil, and without thinking, Xie Lian raised his hand to blast a shot from his palm.
"What a disturbing sight."
"Couldn't he at least keep his inner organs in?"
"Why does he have to run with such...appearance?"
"I'm going to have nightmares about this."
A booming sound like that of an explosion was heard, and at the same time, a blinding white light flashed. It was only after a good moment before Xie Lian came to.
"What happened? Are you attacked?" Mu Qing asked, a hint of worry in his voice.
"You better keep him safe, crimson rain," Feng Xin threatened with the same worried look.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Xie Lian told them, a sense of nostalgia hitting him as he briefly recalled the past where they were all still friends.
The place where that ghost with the cut belly was mixed with the crowd had only a mound of black ash like residue. As for the Temple of Wind and Water before them, the entire rooftop was blown away. The rioting night cruisers in the temple were all stilled, frozen in shock from that booming sound and that white light.
"..."
"..." similarly, the people in the room were speechless.
"There's absolutely no way that you...never mind," Pei Ming was about to tell Xie Lian that it was impossible for him to do such a thing with no spiritual power but then he remembered the crimson rain lending the prince and realized that it was definitely possible.
"San Lang..." Xie Lian was also speechless. "That's too much, I only needed a little to contact the wind and earth masters..."
"Don't worry, Gege," Hua Cheng smiled. "That's nothing, you can have more if you want."
'What am I watching right now?' some thought with blank stares. They knew the crimson rain was kind and gentle to his highness but he always seemed to exceed their thoughts. 'He's really spoiling his highness.'
Xie Lian raised his head to look at that Temple of Wind and Water with a missing roof then looked down at his own hand before finally slowly turning his head back around to look at the Hua Cheng standing behind him. Hua Cheng smiled at him, "It that enough?"
No one bothered speaking, many still dumbfounded at the man's audacity to question his highness if the power given was enough when it gave his highness the ability to do such destruction without much effort.
'He's bragging,' a specific few thought angrily.
"..."
"It is." Xie Lian said, "Actually... really, just a little bit, would've been fine."
"That was a little bit," Hua Cheng said, "Do you want more? You can have as much as you want."
"You're showing off to my cousin!" Qi Rong accused with a glare.
"Am I?" Hua Cheng asked while looking at him mockingly.
Xie Lian immediately shook his head. Before, he had also borrowed spiritual power from Shi Qingxuan, Nan Feng, and others, and they lent very generously.
"Of course we will," the two instantly replied, Mu Qing hiding a nod of agreement.
Xie Lian just smiled and thanked them, feeling warm that he had made new reliable friends while rekindling his old friendships (he definitely saw Mu Qing's nod).
However, Xie Lian had never experienced such a feeling, as if all the blood in his veins had turned into electricity and was charging through his body. If it's said the powers he borrowed from before had to be economized and saved, taking one bite at a time afraid to waste it, then now, he felt like he could eat one full bowl and throw away ten others and it wouldn't be a problem.
Hua Cheng looked proud at being able to give his Gege enough power to not worry.
'Maybe I should give him some more often so that he won't need to save it,' he thought.
The powers Hua Cheng passed onto him was too great, filling his entire body, to the point where Xie Lian was almost afraid to move, scared that with just a wave of his hand, something else next to him was going to explode.
Hua Cheng was very tempted to tell the prince not to worry about something minor but decided against it, knowing that his highness was too kind and wouldn't want to hurt or destroy anyone and anything (even if they deserved it).
It was one of the many traits that made him fall for the prince.
Using the temporary calm of their surroundings, he hurriedly entered the communication array and asked, "Lord Wind Master, where are you? I've left the temple but I didn't see you."
"Ugh, my god..." Shi Qingxuan groaned inside the communication array,
Wu Du's hands clenched into a fist after he heard his sibling's pained voice.
'Why am I not there?' he thought bitterly again. 'I should have paid more attention and accompanied Qing Xuan instead of his highness and the extras.'
"Your Highness why did your voice suddenly turn so loud? I left the Temple of Wind and Water too."
Xie Lian lowered a bit of the power and replied, "Sorry, I'm having some trouble controlling it. How did you leave? Are you alright?"
"It's surprising you only have a little trouble controlling such a large amount of power."
"His highness is always skilled, after all," Mu Qing murmured with a slightly nostalgic look.
Feng Xin nodded in agreement.
Shi Qingxuan had his ears plugged and eyes closed right now.
Qing Xuan slightly looked uncomfortable at that fact. After all, she didn't want to lose her abilities to see and hear.
It made her feel vulnerable.
"Pff, how else could I have left? Ming-xiong pulled me out. Thank goodness I wasn't trampled to death by that crowd." Shi Qingxuan said.
"Thanks, Ming-xiong," Qing Xuan thanked the man.
"...Sure," He Xuan replied after a little hesitation.
Soon after, Ming Yi's voice also sounded in the spiritual communication array. However, his words froze the small smile that only just surfaced on Xie Lian's face.
"That's wasn't me!" He said.
The room froze.
"What!" Wu Du stood up in shock, his fists slightly shaking as Pei Ming sat him down carefully.
"Relax, everything will be alright," Pei Ming assured him with Ling Wen and Yushi Huang giving their own input.
It worked a little but Wu Du was obviously still having a hard time accepting that his sibling was in clear danger with a random (dangerous) stranger.
'It would have been better if she was with his highness and the crimson rain, maybe even with the earth master,' he thought as he took a deep breath.
It wasn't?!
Oh no! Xie Lian whipped his head around, "LORD WIND MASTER! JUST WHO WAS IT THAT PULLED YOU AWAY?!"
"Isn't it obvious?" Qi Rong mockingly asked.
Xie Lian slightly turned red. Now that he thought about it, it was very obvious on who it would be if not one of them three.
'My future self must really care for the wind master to be panicking so much,' he thought with an understanding look. 'The wind master is someone anyone can become fond of, I suppose, so it makes sense.'
It was still a little hard to believe he would care for someone to that extent besides San Lang.
"Alright, let's all grab some warm tea," Pei Ming announced as he stood up and grabbed the Shi brothers, Ling Wen and Yushi Huang following after.
Qi Rong looked annoyed, irritated that they had to pause for a bit when things were beginning to be interesting.