Weary, after dealing a whole day with unruly gamblers in the den, Hua Cheng eyed his husband laying in their soft, inviting bed and whined: «Gege, why don't you help this poor believer with his clothes?», he said, puppy eye and all. «This believer is too tired».
Behind him, he heard E-Ming rattle on the dressed, as if it was laughing. Hua Cheng ignored his scimitar in favor of keeping up his cute attitude, and looked at Xie Lian expectantly. He was seconds away from changing into one of his youth forms, just to look even more adorable in Xie Lian's eyes, when the god rolled his eyes in amusement and got up from the bed, only a sheer set of night robes draped on his body.
«You are such a menace, San Lang», he scolded him, though his voice held no bite. If anything, Xie Lian was smiling brightly, finding his husband's antics to be quite cute. «Look at you, wanting to be undressed by me. What a lazy ghost I married».
But he loved that ghost, so much so that he stood on his tiptoes to leave a kiss first on Hua Cheng's cheek, and then on the tip of his nose: «What would I do without my San Lang, uh? Bend down a little, you're too tall», he then complained, playing the exact same game. Not childish, just... cute. Fun.
Hua Cheng, of course, gave a chuckle but then complied, bending just enough for the god to comfortably reach the string of his eye-patch to untie it. He also took some time to unravel the braid on one side of Hua Cheng's head, careful when he removed the coral pearl at the base, and then kissed his husband again.
That time, though, Xie Lian captured his lips, insistently claiming them as his nimble fingers unclasped the many necklaces around Hua Cheng's neck. It had to be said, Xie Lian had gotten quite good at multitasking, when busy pampering his husband with lascivious affection.
Xie Lian let out a sigh when the ghost's hands found their place on his waist, holding it with possessiveness. The touch, although known and familiar, never failed to send shivers down his spine. It was a blissful sensation, and the god loved every second of it, no shame to spare.
He smiled, peppering Hua Cheng's face with kisses – the corners of his mouth, the tip of his nose, those perfect cheekbones – and kept dutifully undressing him despite the distraction. The silver bracers landed with a clang on the dressing table, soon followed by a ridiculous amount of gleaming rings and chains, and then it was all fun.
The maple red outer robe was discarded first, thrown haphazardly over the back of a chair. Then it was the turn of the middle layer, black as a moonless night. And lastly, Xie Lian eyed the inner robes Hua Cheng was wearing, a white so pure it almost seemed out of place on the body of Crimson Rain Sought Flower.
He took his time with that, leaving a trail of kisses down from Hua Cheng's jaw-line to his neck, and then to the exposed pale skin. Feeling mischievous, Xie Lian moved away the collar of the shirt and left even more kisses, even dared a bite and a lick, only so he could hear his husband sigh with contentment and feel his hands tighten their hold.
It was nice.
More so than that.
«San Lang», the god called him, voice but a whisper. «I want to go visit your lair».
Hua Cheng, who had his eye closed up until them, opened it and looked down at his husband: «Is there a particular reason why this request was spoken now?», he asked, a gentle smile on his lips. He had an inkling, judging by Xie Lian's behavior, but it was always nice to hear him say certain things. It was also amusing seeing that adorable faint bush creep up on his cheeks as he did so.
In response, Xie Lian pouted and hugged the ghost all of a sudden, locking his arms around Hua Cheng's waist so he could bury his face in his chest: «I want to make love with you», he admitted, voice muffled. «Have happier memories in that place».
Happier memories...
It was a statement that almost made Hua Cheng tear up.
While his lair did contain many... iteration of his love and devotion to His Highness, there were actually very few positive memories linked to that place. If any at all.
However, some anxiety still managed to make its way in Hua Cheng's joy, tainting it. And it had to seep out, because Xie Lian loosened his hold so he could look up, a concerned expression creasing his forehead. To dismiss it, the ghost leaned down and pressed a kiss to the god's head: «I'm just thinking, gege», he reassured him. «No need to worry».
Maybe he himself didn't need to worry. After all, after giving him a squinty look, Xie Lian resumed his previous ministrations, finally undressing both the ghost and himself in the process. With both of them like that, moving towards the bed locked in yet another heated kiss, bare bodies close to one another, it was difficult to be afraid for some particular paintings Hua Cheng made in the past.
They left after entrusting Yin Yu with the supervision of everything, as it was now common, though that time around Hua Cheng also told him to straight up call He Xuan if he needed some help.
After leaving him with the sudden responsibility of running the entire city for so long, while he and Xie Lian recovered, the ghost did feel a bit guilty. Yin Yu was really someone trustworthy and caring, despite the initial impression many had of him, and Hua Cheng didn't want him to go through hell just so he and his husband could go on their merry way.
Ghost City wasn't evil per se, but it was a mess to try and rein in for someone who didn't rule it.
After that, and after Xie Lian had told Yin Yu he wanted to talk with him when they came back, there was travelling to do.
And since they decided not to use the teleporting dice or any other kind of array to shorten the distance between Ghost City and Mount Tong'lu, they had their fair share of fun.
It was Xie Lian who proposed to just... travel normally. No flying swords, no step-litter carried by chattering skeletons, and no teleportation. In lieu of all that, Hua Cheng opted for two well-trained horses, magnificent beasts he bought just for the occasion, animals worthy of an imperial court.
Xie Lian was riding on a white one, mane matching his flowing robes, while Hua Cheng's was riding on a horse so black even the void would envy it. The contrast of the dark mane with his red robes was so stark than many on the road stopped to stare, though they also marveled at the sight of the ethereal beauty that was the god.
No doubt someone mistook them for royalty, or for wealthy cultivators. All the murmurs and whispers were a good proof of that.
Well, they were royalty, in a way.
Hua Cheng ruled over his city, essentially a king with his quite unruly kingdom, and Xie Lian... well, Xie Lian was the Crown Prince who Pleased the Gods. He was the kind soul that jumped and saved him, despite the consequences, despite his proud personality back in those days. And even if his kingdom was long gone, forgotten in the folds of time, for Hua Cheng he was still the most charming, beautiful prince of all. A king, even, now that he was married to him.
Time wanted to change all things, but some stubbornly remained.
With a smile, Hua Cheng brought his horse alongside the one of Xie Lian and held out his hand for his beloved to take it. A slower way of travelling, but certainly not a bad one.
«Do you want to stop here, gege?», the ghost asked upon nearing a quaint little town, bustling with activity. «It's been a long while since the last time we visited Caiyi Town».
Years, in fact. Though, the city was just as lively as it was before, even if in a very calm, quiet way. Hua Cheng did notice there seemed to be less people, but maybe the passage of time just took its toll on some of the older folk. After all, there was a cultivation sect twenty li away from the town; it was unlikely that some sort of serious tragedy might have struck, with the kind of help that could come.
To Hua Cheng's delight, the god actually nodded to the question, so the two left their horses to someone else's care – it wasn't exactly safe to ride on horses in a city built to be in harmony with water – and hitched a ride on a small white boat. The man driving the boat looked at them with surprise, but the folk of Caiyi Town was polite and preferred not to dwell on other people's business, so he focused on bringing them to their destination instead of eyeing their attire like many others.
Alongside the artificial riverbank were lined many vendors with their goods, selling to the people traversing the small town by boat. Many stopped to buy food, especially fruit and sweets, but Hua Cheng eyed something far more interesting; a vendor that was selling jars of tianzi xiao, all lined up and waiting to be bought.
«Gege», he nudged his husband, a mischievous smile on his lips. «Shall we get some?». It would be so fun, rent a room in the best inn of the town and drink to their hearts' content, maybe try and get a bit tipsy from the alcohol. Sure, it would take a lot of tianzi xiao for them to get tipsy, but Hua Cheng had money to spare.
With a laugh, Xie Lian shook his head but then gave his okay, so the ghost asked the boat driver to stop by the liquor vendor and bought some jars. The man eyed the two with curiosity, but ultimately didn't ask questions and simply traded silver for liquor, wishing them well on their journey.
«The people are so nice here», Xie Lian commented, leaning against his husband. «I really like this town, we should come back more often».
There was also a city not too far from the town, but it wasn't as nice. Sometimes, and it was something Xie Lian learned in centuries of wandering around, small settlements were much nicer and more welcoming than big cities.
The opposite was just as true, with small towns and villages being closed off in their own minds, but Caiyi Town was filled with open-minded people and no one ever bothered outsiders.
A blessing, for those who wanted peace.
The boat ride didn't keep them captive for too long. After ten more minutes of floating on that lazy river they were back with both feet on solid ground. A shame, because moving around on calm water was relaxing, but nice nonetheless.
With a smile, Xie Lian moved to Hua Cheng's right side and yelped in surprise when the ghost snaked an arm around his waist, pulling him closer as they walked. The sneaky move made him chuckle, though he was so used to that sweet behavior nothing else was said. Instead, the god leaned his head against Hua Cheng's shoulder and listened to his husband talk about nothing, just small chattering to keep them both entertained.
In fact, listening to Hua Cheng talk about this or that thing that happened in Ghost City while Xie Lian was away or doing something else was so entertaining than they only stopped wandering around the town when the colors of the sky changed from azure to a beautiful merge of blue, orange and pink.
«San Lang», the god called him. «Let's find an inn? It's getting late».
The ghost of course smiled and nodded, and the two headed towards what looked like the best establishment of the town.
Of course it was. Xie Lian breathed out a laugh, but was secretly happy of how much his husband pampered him. Sure, sometimes his gestures were so grand it was difficult not to feel at least a little bit taken aback, but Xie Lian had long learned to appreciate them without feeling embarrassed. It was one of the many ways Hua Cheng had to tell the god he loved him with every ounce of his being, after all. A bit eccentric, admittedly, but Xie Lian wasn't less bizarre than him. not in the slightest.
Hua Cheng rented the best room of the inn, earning a respectful bow from the owner after paying, and then asked for dinner to be brought up rather than consumed at a table among other people. Generally, Xie Lian would complain and insist for spending time surrounded by other lively customers, but that evening was special. They had tianzi xiao, it was the first time in many months Xie Lian finally felt genuinely good with himself, and the idea of having a nice meal without being bothered by servers was strangely alluring for once.
So, he simply widened his smile, eyes turning into adorable crescents, and laughed freely when Hua Cheng swooped him off his feet to kiss him as soon as they closed the door of their newly acquired room.
In a way, Xie Lian finally could say he felt alive again.
They almost gave in to their playful kisses to fall on the bed and entangle themselves together, but the time to take off their travelling capes had been enough for a server to come to their door and knock, announcing he was there with their dinner.
A bit pouty, although just slightly disappointed, Xie Lian went to open the door and smiled at the young man who brought them food, a kind and polite "thank you" to send him off.
«San Lang-», the god complained, when his husband snatched the trays of food away from his hands to place them on the low table in the room himself. «Don't do everything yourself». At least the ghost wasn't one to force his way into the kitchen of an establishment to personally cook some meals. It would be amusing, but also mildly embarrassing.
And probably rather shocking for the kitchen staff, because turning around to see someone like Hua Cheng looming over them surely could be terrifying. In a good and bad way at the same time.
«Gege, come sit», the ghost beckoned his beloved to come closed, already sitting down on a cushion on the floor. He was smiling, a mischievous smirk even, one that was soon wiped out to make space to a rather flustered expression when Xie Lian took him literally and squeezed his way to sit between the ghost's legs.
Amused, the god craned his neck and looked at his husband with playfulness, and to that Hua Cheng couldn't say anything. In fact, the only thing he could do was breathe out a laugh and kiss the god on the cheek.
They ate sitting like that, with Xie Lian eating small bites straight from Hua Cheng's hand. There were no delicacies comparable to the ones served in Paradise Manor, of course, but they didn't care. It was nice enough, being able to have such a calm and cozy dinner, and Hua Cheng loved with every fiber of his being the small bites Xie Lian playfully left on his fingers every once in a while.
It got even better when they decided it was time to bring out the tianzi xiao, the fragrant liquor soon making Xie Lian's cheeks a powdery shade of pink. Some parts of Hua Cheng wished to see his beloved become inebriated, because it was fun to tease him in that state; it wouldn't be harmful to the god, but the ghost still didn't encourage him too much.
In fact, when Xie Lian put down his cup for the last time – after the two went through three jars of liquor, a feat that would surely knock out a simple mortal – Hua Cheng simply put away the untouched jar and hugged the god's waist, resting his chin on his shoulder: «Gege», he called him, voice equally raspy and whiny. «Will you let this lowly one get a taste of you?»
Bold as always.
Xie Lian laughed, chest still filled with warmth from the liquor, and made a show of thinking about it. Truth be told, while he wanted to take things to their fullest only when they finally reached their destination, the Crown Prince did have some thirst that needed to be quenched. A good one, yearning for physical touch he hadn't received for a long time now.
Those last months saw him constantly getting nervous whenever Hua Cheng's hands touched his bare skin, following the memory of the many wounds that sliced it open, and he was now starving for some deeper contact.
Something that could make his skin go ablaze and his heart pound beneath his ribcage.
He nodded, and was immediately after swept up and carried to the bed, another burst of laughter making its way to his lips. Hua Cheng was always so eager, and yet never rough. At least, until Xie Lian asked for that.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
His hands went immediately to untie the elegant white robes, making quick work of everything without ruining the exquisite garments. The same he did for his own clothes, fingers flying on every string, and it didn't take long at all for both of them to be naked. Hua Cheng drank in the appearance of his husband, making Xie Lian blush with the intensity of his devouring gaze, and then dipped down to steal a long, languid kiss.
They both still tasted of alcohol, the strong flavor prominent on intertwined tongues, though the taste didn't linger on the trail of kisses and gentle bites the ghost followed down after leaving Xie Lian's lips.
The god sighed at the familiar feeling of those lips claiming marks on powdery white skin, relishing in the shiver every lick and bite send down his spine. Even something so simple could arouse him, if it was Hua Cheng delivering.
It was something that still made him chuckle, thinking that he resisted every temptation of the flesh for centuries, without ever thinking of giving in to carnal pleasure, and yet failing so hard and so spectacularly when Hua Cheng was involved.
What an effect he had on him, the pesky ghost.
Adapting his cultivation to share those intimate moments with Hua Cheng had been one of the best choices Xie Lian made in his entire life.
«San Lang, what are you-oh!».
The intent was to ask him what he was planning on doing, but the ghost chose that exact moment to go worry a nipple with his tongue and pinch the other one with his fingers, so instead of words a moan came out of Xie Lian's mouth, resonating in the small room they were in.
For a fleeting moment, the thought of being caught or heard passed through the god's mind, but it was blown away by Hua Cheng's skillful tongue dancing on his body, eliciting more than small sighs and moan with every second he spent teasing him.
Normally Xie Lian would get impatient after a while, wanting to hold Hua Cheng close, but that night... that night was fine just like that.
Xie Lian let out a raspy breath, heated skin feeling even more the touch of his husband all over it. Those hands stroked down his body, grasping his waist and hips in a way that made the god's heart skip a beat, a smooth palm caressing his stomach, like Hua Cheng would often do after their lovemaking.
They never dared go lower, stopping at his hips to come back up, much like those lips still busy kissing every inch of blushing skin under them.
No, his husband kept teasing him, going almost where he wanted him to go, and then promptly moving back up. It felt... nice. Liberating, in a way, to have someone he trusted with all his heart decide.
«Is gege comfortable with this?», Hua Cheng asked after a while, keeping it a whisper. Every time he moved down, mapping out Xie Lian's skin with kisses and bites, the ghost would notice how turned on his beloved was, his arousal seemingly begging to be touched, body aching for some sort of relief. He himself was like that.
No matter how little they touched each other when being intimate, Hua Cheng was so intoxicated by Xie Lian it didn't take much for him to let instinct take the reins. Centuries of self-inflicted control blown away like maple leaves in the wind the very first time they made love.
«Do you want to go a little further?».
In response, Xie Lian grabbed Hua Cheng's wrist and moved it down, between his legs. Then, as if struck by sudden embarrassment over something so normal, his face went up in flames and he turned his head, flustered.
The ghost let out a chuckle at that, so desperately in love with that pouty face he could easily devour his beloved with thousands of kisses, but complied.
His fingers fluttered on the heated skin, causing a trembling breath to come out of Xie Lian's mouth, before his hand closed around the hot, hard length of the god. Xie Lian tensed up at the sudden contact, which only served in exciting Hua Cheng even more, to the point of the viscous blood under his skin making it blush pink.
He could almost come just by looking at Xie Lian like that, not quite desperate but yearning for release, and yet accepting nothing more than what he was being given. Hua Cheng loved to be bossed around in bed, and to do what his beloved asked him to do, but that... that sort of control, so little yet so much, and that beautiful acceptance on Xie Lian's side were making his heart dance.
Knowing Xie Lian was able to trust him so much after what happened to him so recently put in perspective how much his love burned, the intensity of which could no longer be overshadowed by Hua Cheng's.
Hua Cheng moved his hand up and down, drinking in every single sound, taking pride in them as he pleasured his husband to completion. Long, skilled fingers stroked and squeezed, holding Xie Lian captive just like that, smearing fluid all over stretched skin.
The ghost wanted to kneel between those legs and take Xie Lian into his mouth, make him come inside it, but instead he leaned down to kiss him, so fiercely they were all red and puffy when he withdrew, slick and even more enticing. The god's eyes were glazed over, though he still looked at Hua Cheng with love in them.
It didn't take long for Xie Lian's body to tense up as he reached the peak of his pleasure. Hua Cheng stole yet another kiss, and another, and one more, until he finally was able to muffle his beloved's moan as he came all over the ghost's hand, overwhelmed with sensation.
After that, captured by the afterglow, Xie Lian closed his eyes and lay on the bed, bliss showing on his face. Hua Cheng didn't lament how he didn't get to experience the same. That night was just for Xie Lian. A gift, and a desire to give him something he wanted.
Satisfied, the ghost got up to fetch a towel and wiped Xie Lian clean with it, doing the same with his own hand afterwards.
As he moved to put away the dirty towel, however, a hand closed around his wrist, and the ghost turned his head to find Xie Lian's worried expression.
«San Lang, you didn't get to-».
«Don't worry about it», he replied, a gentle smile curving up his lips. «Tonight was for you. Sleep, my love. I'll be back soon».
It didn't come as a surprise that Xie Lian smiled – quite adorably – and closed his eyes again.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
One very quick cold bath later, one that helped the ghost relax and cool off, Hua Cheng came back to find his husband deeply asleep, the sound of his even breathing filling the room. A quiet, soothing melody Hua Cheng loved to listen to.
In those last weeks he often found himself refusing to sleep, preferring to listen to Xie Lian's breathing instead. The sound made him feel better, it let him know that his beloved was still there, still alive, safe between his arms.
It had been like that in the past, too, when he was still a nameless ghost wanting to follow His Highness wherever he went.
Wuming had always been silent, but where his mouth didn't speak, his ears listened. They captured every breath, every sigh, every single sound that told him Xie Lian was alive. A reassurance he constantly looked for, no matter what time it was or what place they were walking to. He just needed to make sure he wasn't just imagining it.
When Bai WuXiang tortured Xie Lian by using his own people against him, Hua Cheng genuinely thought he was watching him die.
He knew Xie Lian was immortal, knew it couldn't be that easy to kill him, but that fear had been there. Dreadful, terrifying, never ending, it captured him between his claws and mangled his soul with pure terror and horror. Looking at Xie Lian laying there, a sea of his own blood dripping down and covering the floor, the pungent smell of burnt flesh in his nostrils, it was difficult to remember the god couldn't die.
It was difficult to remember that a god couldn't be killed so easily, that something much bigger, much stronger was needed to take the life of someone that was heavenly.
And so, afterwards, he looked for his breathing. His face was covered, so Wuming wasn't able to look at his eyes to check if there was still life in them; listening to him breathe, to the faint sound of his heartbeat, was the only way to make sure Xie Lian wasn't dead.
Hua Cheng always wished he could stop doing that.
At least, he wished to stop looking for a heartbeat and for breathing, and to start simply listening to it, just like a child listened to a lullaby.
With the gentlest, most loving smile anyone had ever seen on his face, Hua Cheng walked up to the bed and delicately moved Xie Lian so he could get him under the covers. The god stirred a bit in his sleep, mumbling unintelligible nonsense, and the ghost could only laugh fondly at that. Xie Lian was the biggest treasure he could have ever hoped for.
The rest of their trip towards Mount Tong'lu was pretty uneventful, if one didn't count all the stares and comments following them on the road.
One time they even crossed paths with two exquisitely dressed cultivators, one in white and one in black, but they were going in different directions so no conversation had time to bloom. Hua Cheng did send the one dressed in the black a suspicious look, and subsequently told Xie Lian there was something off about him, however nothing worthy of note really happened.
For the most part, they traveled on deserted, worn down roads. There were many directions to take in order to reach Mount Tong'lu, and almost all of them were in that same condition. Unsurprisingly, given the fact that the place was impossible to inhabit and held nothing of importance when it came to trading, hunting, or gathering.
Thinking back, for Xie Lian it wasn't easy to imagine the area of Mount Tong'lu had once been a flourishing kingdom.
Even the ruins of XianLe weren't as desolate, but a comparison couldn't be made. Mount Tong'lu was home of the Kiln, and ghosts gathered there every handful of centuries to gain more power. It was expected for a place like that to fall in complete disrepair, to be reclaimed by what had become unrelenting, twisted nature.
«Do you think we could meet Mei NianQing?», the god wondered, tilting his head with his question.
«Honestly? I don't know», Hua Cheng shrugged, turning his head to look at Xie Lian. «Even if he came back here, there's an entire city buried below the mountains. I doubt he's going to be in the temples out in the open».
It was a discovery he made by accident, one time he came back to his lair. He fell into a hole deeper than expected, and ended up finding a whole other world beneath layers upon layers of rock, ash, and dirt. However, it remained unexplored. Hua Cheng wasn't yet powerful enough to feel safe down there, still busy trying to build his city and gain more and more followers.
He even forgot about the existence of those underground ruins, only remembering weeks after talking with Mei NianQing. By that time, it was useless to dwell on the thought that something unknown existed under Mount Tong'lu, because it wasn't unknown anymore.
It was obvious, now, that the cluster of ruins was just another part of the lost Kingdom of WuYong. Hua Cheng went from believing he knew nothing about its existence to remembering that discovery and connecting the dots to find an answer in just some hours.
He never told Xie Lian, though.
Firstly, because there was genuinely no need to. The disease that was Bai WuXiang had already been eradicated, and Mei NianQing gave them enough answers by himself. Exploring the ruins was simply foolish curiosity, at that point.
And secondly, there were creatures under there that were best left forgotten. Small, but vicious in their own way.
Maybe, on another day, they could explore with the company of Mei NianQing, as dreadful as the idea was for the ghost. He wasn't exactly ready to be scolded by the old Guoshi for simply existing.
Not again.
«By the way, your Guoshi is annoying. Why do you even want to meet him now?», he pouted, all whiny.
That change of attitude caught Xie Lian by surprise so much he actually burst out laughing, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. Of all the thing, he did not expect Hua Cheng to badmouth Mei NianQing just like that.
Despite the respect he had for his Guoshi, he couldn't help but find it absolutely hilarious, especially knowing how much the older man complained about Hua Cheng when he was still a child with a bandaged eye and tattered clothes.
«I don't want to meet him», Xie Lian said, laugh dying down. «I'm just wondering if we could run into him». Kind of a wild thought, but not as wild as the hope the god had of, someday, actually building a good, friendly relationship with Mei NianQing. One that wasn't tainted by the knowledge both he and Hua Cheng had of him and Bai WuXiang now.
Well, it didn't matter at the moment.
When they reached the last inhabited settlement before setting foot in the desolation around Mount Tong'lu, they decided to rest at the small inn of the village for the night and left their horses in the custody of a kind, friendly couple in charge of a stable. It was pretty common for travelers to leave their mounts there, before exploring, according to what the woman told Xie Lian when he asked.
«It's never the common folks», she said, taking a good look at the horses before closing them behind two fence gates. «No one is brave enough to explore those forsaken mountains, except cultivators. You don't seem an exception».
Many of those cultivators never came back. It was mostly the young and less experienced, those who ventured out looking for glory, or for a way to make their names shine more than others. Eventually, the woman would give the horses that were left behind to people who needed them more.
It was quite the depressing way of running a business, but what could she do to dissuade them, other than talking?
If they wanted to go, there wasn't much to say against it.
«Payment is upfront», she let the white-clad cultivator know, gesturing for him to follow out of the stable. «Harsh decision, but necessary».
Xie Lian nodded at that, in understanding: «A wise decision, more likely», he corrected her, taking out a money pouch from his sleeve. «You can't make a living off of dead people».
Now that was a harsh statement. Not quite universally applicable, given the existence of ghosts and the likes of them, but still important to understand for common people living a common life. Ghosts normally didn't come back to pay what they owned to the living.
«We could stay out there for days», he made sure to tell the woman, putting emphasis on the information. «And I can assure you that we won't die out there». In addition to that, he was paying her something equal to two months of service. Way more than the time he and his husband planned to stay away.
The woman seemed understandably suspicious of that – after all, after seeing so many cultivators not coming back alive, it was normal she didn't fully believe him – but ultimately accepted the money, and ensured she and her family would take care of their horses for as long as it was needed.
With that done, the couple went to the inn and rented a room for the night. The innkeeper sent them a suspicious look, and Xie Lian did hear her gossip about the probability of having rented a room to cultivators who dual cultivated, but he let it slide and so did Hua Cheng.
It wasn't a big city where gossip moved around until it met influential mouths, after all, and... well, they were married. As much as Xie Lian didn't enjoy that kind of talk behind his back, it was also of very little concern.
«San Lang», the god called him once in their room. «Have you ever thought of becoming a cultivator, when you were alive?».
It wasn't unusual for kids to dream about living such a life. Even those who lived on the streets looked up at cultivators when they passed by, at least the youngest. Some quickly realized that the cultivation world generally didn't care for the unlucky ones, and stopped looking up to them with wonder and admiration. In fact, many talked ill of cultivation sects, berating their members and calling their behavior "unjust and insulting".
Something that, unfortunately, was true. With the majority of the cultivation sects, at least. Some still retained some decency and actually tried to help those who needed it the most, but...
It wasn't good. At all.
Hua Cheng gave it a thought.
He never really spared too much time in looking back to his childhood, it being far too painful and humiliating to remember every so often, but even then... the ghost had to take a moment to process that question.
And it turned out that no, that thought never crossed his mind.
«I don't remember all that well», he said, disrobing so he could lay beside and already dressed for the night Xie Lian in bed. «But I don't think so».
In fact, he never even wanted to become a soldier, which was another popular wish among homeless children. The only reason why he joined the army, and at such a young age on top of that, was Xie Lian himself. All that he did, all that he suffered, from tricking the army into accepting him to suffering a gruesome death on the battlefield, Hua Cheng did it for his beloved. For the sake of his kingdom, of his people, and of his heart.
Many homeless people who joined, either willingly or by refusing to run away to avoid being drafted, did so in order to have a meal in their stomach and a roof over their heads. Hua Cheng never cared for that.
The ghost kissed away all the wrinkles on Xie Lian's forehead following that question, so hopelessly in love he couldn't help but smile, and let the god untie his eye-patch so he could sleep more comfortably. Hua Cheng would never remove it when traveling with his beloved, in case someone dared enter their room without permission – which, unfortunately, happened more often than not in smaller inns – but he felt safe enough to allow it.
It was exceedingly easy to his face in the crook of Xie Lian's neck if anyone stepped inside the room, and also a sweet excuse to cuddle his husband.
Although, Hua Cheng had to admit that he only reached that level of comfort thanks to Xie Lian. He was the one who convinced him to test his limits, and to widen his boundaries. Even with Yin Yu, whom Hua Cheng considered a close friend for centuries, wasn't allowed to see certain sides of him, not until Xie Lian came around.
Now the poor man ended up finding both of them naked or almost more than once. Truly a sign of growth on Hua Cheng's part, though maybe a bit too embarrassing.
«Why the sudden question, gege?», the ghost asked, curious. «What brought it up?».
«Mh... I don't know», he shrugged, as much as he could with Hua Cheng now hugging him and nuzzling his face against his chest. «I never ask you these things. Stuff about your childhood, I mean».
Xie Lian was too afraid to trigger an anxiety crisis, with those questions. He knew far too well how much Hua Cheng loathed the inability he used to have of protecting him, back then, and he knew how much sadness it brought him to think about all the abuse and misfortune he had to suffer through in the past. He always waited for Hua Cheng to tell, most times. It was better for both of them.
Sometimes the god still asked, but they were rare questions, precious in their own way. He preferred when Hua Cheng opened up without being prompted to do so.
Now that he thought about it, Xie Lian was right. Although the god was caring and loving, and so affectionate he always wanted Hua Cheng to be at ease with his feelings, there were some things he refused to talk about, and some things he didn't want the ghost to talk about, unless he wanted to do so himself.
In a way, Hua Cheng was extremely grateful for that. He knew that Xie Lian's silence when it came to such questions was care, not indifference.
«Gege really loves this lowly one», the ghost said, voice a bit broken for how suddenly his emotions got a hold of him. «This San Lang is grateful for it».
More than grateful. It was a feeling that had no description, no name, one that went so deep it became a part of him many years before.
Gratefulness... for the first time in many years of marriage, Xie Lian thought that such a feeling was misplaced.
«You don't need to be», the god whispered, placing a gentle kiss on the crown of Hua Cheng's head, and then on his forehead when the ghost moved. «You don't need to be grateful for the love I give you». Love... love was only something to be grateful for when being loved felt difficult. Many people in that world thought of being unworthy of love, despite the opposite to be true, and so they felt like being grateful for the love they received was a good way to accept it.
Hua Cheng, in spite of all the help he had been given, and of all the progress he made, was exactly like that.
Xie Lian didn't really want him to stop being grateful. It was a positive feeling, all considered. However, he wanted his husband to accept that he could be loved without needing to say "thank you" for it.
It would still take time. They were both really old, after all. They grew up experiencing the same feelings and beliefs year after year, century after century. Changing a tree was difficult when its roots were so deeply buried underground, and it was normal.
They weren't mortals anymore, they experienced time in a different way; for them, no matter how an hour and a day were exactly the same as they were eight hundred years prior, time was stretched out, and it was slow and fast all at once. A century could feel like a breeze, a day like an eternity. Immortality had more to it that just the impossibility to die, and a life so long it would become boring and repetitive no matter how much one tried to avoid such a fate.
Mortals had a bizarre concept of immortality. Xie Lian himself thought wrong of it, before leaving behind his mortal life.
Ah, no matter. He shook away those philosophic thoughts and tangled his legs with Hua Cheng's, holding the ghost close. The coldness of his skin was a soothing feeling, as always, and Xie Lian smiled before stealing a brief kiss: «Let's sleep», he murmured , breathing in the bloody, silky scent of his husband. «Tomorrow is going to be a good day».