«He's not living a bad life up there», He Xuan said, between bites of delicious, tasty food. «I can tell you as much».
Since the little ghost had been secretly taken in the heavens, He Xuan did his best to keep an eye on how he was treated. Xie Lian didn't ask him to do so, and neither did Hua Cheng, but the ghost would be ungrateful if he said he didn't care about something so important for one of his friends.
Aside from Xie Lian himself, he was the only one in the heavens able to gain that information. It had been difficult, and he couldn't gather all that much because Jun Wu was being exceedingly careful, but he had enough to reassure Xie Lian everything was fine.
Lang Ying wasn't being mistreated, and as far as he could see, he didn't think of his new living place as a prison. At least for the time being.
Only two days had to pass before the Mid-Autumn Festival Banquet would take place. He Xuan should have been up in the heavens to prepare for the event, because he cared very little about it during previous months and even ignored every single one of Shi QingXuan's attempts at forcing him to be presentable and appropriately behaved. In fact, he had been increasingly careless since Xie Lian ascended for the third time, caring less and less about appearances and only relying on the fact that people knew him as the Earth Master to keep his fake identity still believable.
He was starting to feel the weight of living a fake life in front of the public.
He Xuan wasn't too bothered by it. He had grown so used to calling himself Ming Yi and claiming he was the Earth Master that it became a habit, but honestly... he was tired.
He was a Ghost King, not a god. He was the calamity Black Water Sinking Ships, not a benevolent heavenly official that bore the title of Earth Master.
With Xie Lian's ascension, he started to move away more and more from the heavens, spending his time predominantly in his territory whenever possible. In the last few months, especially, He Xuan rarely went back up to the Heavenly Capital, and it was mostly to keep Shi QingXuan company whenever he did. Even his shovel stayed more in Ghost City with Yin Yu than with him.
Not the time to raise that specific issue, though. He Xuan gobbled down more food, not feeling bad in the slightest that he was raiding Hua Cheng's supply of expensive meat, and then shot a look at Xie Lian: «Don't beat yourself over it. This year's banquet will already be harsh on you, don't make it even heavier for your shoulders».
Leading Martial God... what a cheap way Jun Wu found to have control over someone he couldn't keep his hands on. With a title like that, Xie Lian was more or less forced to stay in the heavens for longer periods of time. The main martial gods already had their fair share of troubles and meetings to attend, not to count other more or less important events. Roaming the mortal realm wasn't unheard of, Feng Xin used to spend most of his time there before Xie Lian ascended again; the thing was, with Xie Lian being gifted such a hefty title, many officials would start having expectations of him.
And as much as one didn't care about those expectations, not meeting them for extended periods of time could only create hate, disdain, and mistrust. Add that to the fact that many officials were still scared shitless of Xie Lian and Hua Cheng, and that others didn't trust the former in the slightest thanks to his marriage, and it created a break in the system.
Neither Jun Wu or Xie Lian had control over the other; they couldn't do whatever they wanted anymore because backlash would come at them from all directions, but at the same time they were the only ones capable of ignoring the rules because of their power.
An impasse.
No way out in a game that couldn't stop being played.
The heavenly officials trusted Jun Wu as their Emperor, but they were scared of Xie Lian. Still, they admired Xie Lian for his strength, and they questioned Jun Wu for his lenience.
One wrong move and the heavens could topple under a game bigger than them.
Xie Lian heaved a deep sigh, rubbing his face with both hands: «Maybe things will finally change for the better», he wanted to hope. «I've been running away from the heavens for so long... since some justice is being served, I can't keep thinking I made a bad decision».
Since the day he accepted Jun Wu's offer, Xie Lian had been mulling it over. He had worked so hard to get away from what caused him so much pain, and now he was back in the heart of it, without a choice in the matter.
Granted, he could have refused. Jun Wu didn't force him.
He offered an equal exchange, at the end of the day. A big favor for a big favor, there was no deceiving thought behind it.
Lang Ying was such a heavy toll for Xie Lian's health that he saw no other way out, really.
When Jun Wu told him he would announce Xie Lian's new place in the heavens during the banquet, however, the god faltered for a second. He already had something just as big to announce, and Jun Wu had no idea about it; the heavenly officials weren't going to like it in the slightest. If a new scandal were to break out in the heavens, surely it would be about that year's Mid-Autumn Festival Banquet.
Honestly, Xie Lian never really thought he would ever last as a god. He expected his third ascension to be over already, and his life to go back to what had been before he accidentally ascended again.
Things were never that easy, it seemed.
Xie Lian had slowly come to the realization that what He Xuan suggested him, that maybe all the tribulations he went through were nothing but another Heavenly Trial, was probably correct. If not, it was too big of a circumstance that Jun Wu would ask him to not only take back his privileged place in the heavens, but also to accept an even more glorious title.
The universe worked in ways not even gods were able to understand.
What made Xie Lian convince himself a little bit more was the hope that he could make the heavens better. Not he himself, of course, but his presence, his influence, his actions. Xie Lian already made a pretty huge dent in the wall that surrounded the minds of many heavenly officials. By uncovering the wrongdoings of the heavens and showing that some light dwelled in ghosts, Xie Lian had put something in action, something he couldn't quite control.
The tides were changing, for everyone.
Minds were opening, slowly but surely, and it could only mean progress. It was the only reason why Xie Lian wasn't hating himself for his decision to go back and endure all the pain he wanted to leave behind. It would take time for the heavenly officials to accept him again; it was one thing for him to go back sporadically and have little influence on them, though dangerous, but it was another to take back his palace and tower over them with a title that put him right under the Emperor.
Xie Lian absolutely didn't look forward to that.
At all.
«You should go back», the god said to He Xuan, noticing his plates and bowl were finally empty. «If San Lang sees this, he will double your debt again».
The ghost shrugged: «At this point I doubt he even remembers how much I actually owe him». He still got up from the table, though. As much as he didn't care anymore about Hua Cheng complaining about money, He Xuan wasn't in the mood to listen to him.
That, and Xie Lian was supposed to be just as busy as him for the upcoming banquet, now that he had to take his palace back and needed to fix it.
They were both stalling for time, at that point.
«I'll see you at the banquet, then», he bid goodbye. «Tell Hua Cheng he needs to feed my fish».
Xie Lian stared at the plans Hua Cheng drew for renovating his palace, and couldn't help but smile, filled with gratefulness. The scribbles on the various rooms made him wince a bit, the calligraphy so bad he still couldn't fathom it, but everything was so beautiful. Hua Cheng's mind was filled to the brim with splendor and beauty, at that point it was undeniable.
He kept the layout of the palace unchanged, and made stunning paintings of what he wanted the rooms and the gardens to look like. One particular drawing made Xie Lian tear up with happiness, uncaring of how uncommon of a view the final result would be in the heavens.
Hua Cheng wanted to recreate the gardens outside the front of his palace, keeping one side with glowing, marvelous plants that only grew in the heavens, and changing the side to be faithful to what Ghost City's flowers and trees looked like. It was a powerful statement, right outside his palace, and still an awe-inspiring one.
The entire palace, in fact, was meant to show the duality of Xie Lian's being. The love that still existed for the humans, depicted by his heavenly nature, and the love he had for what everyone else hated, described by the dark atmosphere of the ghosts.
The palace of a god wasn't a simple building to inhabit. It was a testament of their existence in the heavens, and of their influence and power.
«San Lang, this... I couldn't ask for anything better», he hugged his husband, voice breaking a little bit for how happy he was. It had been a while, since the last time he properly felt such a positive emotion. He held onto it like a lifeline. «You always do so much for me».
«You deserve a place worthy of you», the ghost replied, pulling Xie Lian on his lap so he could properly cuddle him. «I will give you the most perfect palace ever seen in the heavens».
Xie Lian laughed at that, then nuzzled his neck, nesting comfortably on his husband's lap. There were difficult times ahead of them, it was better to make the best of them. Hua Cheng knew his love didn't particularly care about things like palaces anymore, which was obvious when one looked at his beloved shrine in PuQi. He had grown out of his past self when it came to mortal possessions, mostly coming back to them after Hua Cheng gave him everything he could ever wish for.
However, he also knew that Xie Lian would be happy to have a piece of Ghost City with him in the heavens. They both cared so much for it, just like the people they ruled over. Gods would probably send out accusations and disdain, that much they also knew.
They didn't care.
Xie Lian's face lit up so much when he saw how Hua Cheng incorporated Ghost City's peculiar style in the new plans to restore and renovate his palace, that all of it would be worth it.
That happiness... Hua Cheng never wanted to see it fade away. Ever.
He wanted his husband to be happy, to live the life he always deserved. The heavens couldn't give him that, but at least he could try to get him a little bit of it, until he ran away again.
He buried his face in Xie Lian's unbound hair, freshly washed and still smelling of fragrant soap: «He can't keep you there forever», he said, holding onto the god for dear life. «You'll shrug him off of you».
Xie Lian shook his head, not much of a movement given his position: «You talk as if we won't see each other while I'm here. No one's going to kick you out, you're my husband and you're Crimson Rain Sought Flower. They can't say anything against it, we're married».
It wasn't the same, sure, but it was something.
The Crown Prince himself knew that what Hua Cheng said was true. He would eventually shrug Jun Wu off and go back to the life he wanted, whether the game they were playing was dangerous or not. It wouldn't be the exact same, because of course some things were bound to change. Xie Lian knew what it was like, to exist as an influential martial god. His life would be busier, and being close to the Emperor meant participating in meetings called by him with close to no excuse to avoid them.
But the control of the beginning wouldn't last. Jun Wu himself traveled a lot in the mortal realm, Xie Lian had influence on both the mortal and the ghost realm as a god, and they weren't living through any particular disaster. Mount Tong'lu would keep dormant for centuries, after spitting out a new Ghost King, and the biggest threat for the world had already been neutralized by Xie Lian himself in the past.
Unless a catastrophe happened, nothing could really keep Xie Lian chained to the Emperor's will. Not even Lang Ying being kept in the heavens.
He Xuan actively knowing about him was an incredible weapon, just in case Jun Wu wanted to go back on his fairness and use him as a mean to force his control over Xie Lian.
The deal was that Xie Lian would spend more time in the heavens as a proper official, and he would do that. What he wouldn't do was abandon everything else he had created for himself.
It was only the very beginning. The first two, three years, and then it would slowly morph into a more suitable reality, one that merged heavens, earth, and hell. Xie Lian thought about it during the night, a new path for his mind to wander on. A good one, in fact.
«I haven't forgotten what I promised you, you know? That one day we'll stand side by side in our glory. We still have that to look forward to».
He and his husband both clad in the power of their existence... Hua Cheng almost teared up at that. He still resented the child-like form he had been forced into when Xie Lian briefly wore the glorious light of his past days.
So indescribably beautiful of a sight, and yet Hua Cheng couldn't take it all in as he wanted because of his predicament.
«I will hold your hand into the future, A-Lian», the ghost said, after some silence. «Put Jun Wu back into his place as soon as you can».
Saying that Yin Yu was nervous was an understatement. Even worse than that, probably.
Dressed in rich, jeweled white and gold robes, Xie Lian had left earlier in the day for the heavens, determined to wait in Shi QingXuan's company until the banquet started, but not even accompanying him to the borders of Ghost City helped. The god himself suggested they could take a walk together instead of straight up using a pair of dice to teleport away, so Yin Yu could keep him mind off of the banquet itself, but it turned out being useless.
In fact, seeing Xie Lian donning those heavenly robes only reminded Yin Yu of what was going to happen that very night.
Even after all that time, Yin Yu didn't feel ready. The answer he gave Xie Lian had been final, his decision one he didn't want to back out of, but he was afraid of the consequences. What if rejection came back to haunt him, as strong as it did in the past? What if he started lying to himself again, with the same intensity of the beginning?
The Waning Moon Officer was pacing in his studio, back and forth, unable to stop. In the other room, draped over his neatly made bed, a set of brand new, extremely fine robes was waiting for him, alongside the sword he had given up decades prior.
Black and violet, the colors he adopted for himself after being taken in by Hua Cheng, dark and dull and comforting on his body, colors that made him invisible whenever he wanted to disappear into the shadows. There was silver among them, now, glimmering thread lining all the edges and creating intricate designs all over the outer robe. The fabric was beautiful, a heavy brocade made for only for noblemen, a motif of intertwining leaves and moons weaved on the surface.
And yet, they were still the robes of a warrior, of a swordsman. The sleeves were tight, to be covered by finely carved leather bracers, and the flowing cape was to be draped loosely only on the back, leaving both arms free to move as they pleased.
Yin Yu looked at them only once before running out the room, cold sweat making him shiver.
Alongside the waning moon hair ornament that was resting on his dressing table, the robes were a gift from Hua Cheng, and they were the only exception he ever made for the silk made by his butterflies.
When the ghost told his subordinate what the robes were made of, Yin Yu paled and damn near broke down crying. Hua Cheng swore up and down that the silk of his butterflies wasn't to be used for any other people outside of Xie Lian (and sometimes himself, if he so pleased), so knowing that he made that extra step for him...
Yin Yu made a face upon remembering how he straight up hugged Hua Cheng for a single moment before backing away horrified at what he had done.
But that gesture was so... so deeply important for someone who knew.
«Fuck's sake», the man cursed under his breath, finally stopping his endless pacing. The fact that the floor didn't have an indentation in it from the constant back and forth seemed almost weird to him, though it would have been comical to say the least.
Only a handful of hours before the banquet.
With a sigh, Yin Yu rubbed a hand over his face, pulling at his skin with his palm, and raised his head to the ceiling with both eyes closed.
He had no time to mull things over again. Gathering all the willpower he could, Yin Yu took a deep breath and moved to the adjacent room where a bath was waiting for him. No point in bandaging a wound before getting an injury.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
«Your Highness! Your Highness Xian Le!».
Surprised by the sudden voice calling out for him, Xie Lian stopped his conversation with Shi QingXuan mid-sentence and turned his head. Right outside the outdoor garden they were leisurely spending some time in, a young junior official was trying to get the Crown Prince's attention, looking determined despite the slightly scared look on his face.
To give credits where it was due, he was still calling his name instead of keeping silent and hoping he had been heard. Not all junior officials were that promising, as far as Xie Lian could see in the heavens during his scarce visits.
«What is happening?», he asked, at first not rising from his seat. «Who sent you?». He didn't recognize the robes style of the junior. It wasn't one of Feng Xin or Mu Qing's juniors, who were recognizable by how similar to their Upper Court officials they dressed, and it wasn't one of Lang QianQiu, given by the colors worn.
A fleeting thought told Xie Lian it might have been someone sent by Jun Wu, but the junior was dressed far too modestly for that standard. There were so many Upper Court officials with juniors under their wing that it was simply impossible for Xie Lian to guess, so he resorted to asking. When the young lad told him he had been sent by Pei Ming, however, the god gave a frown.
«Pei Ming?», he muttered, so that only Shi QingXuan could hear him. «What does Pei Ming want?».
Unable to give him an answer, the Wind Master shrugged: «Who knows. I saw him talk with He-xiong before you came here, but they both went on their way so I can't tell».
But then again, why else would the martial god look for Xie Lian? Jun Wu still hadn't disclosed the new title he wanted to give him, so anything regarding them being both martial officials was out of the question. Maybe they had another connection both gods forgot?
«Forgive me for leaving, QingXuan», the Crown Prince said, getting up, the cup of tea he had been offered still halfway full. «I'll see you at the banquet».
That said, he made his way out of the garden, his long, heavy cape dragging behind him on a path of chiseled stones. The fabric had been treated in a way that made it impossible to get dirty, butterfly silk imbued with spiritual energy, so Xie Lian wasn't worried about trailing it everywhere he went. In fact, the entirety of his garments were enchanted in such a way, to preserve the pure whiteness of them and the shining gold accents that took away the grieving look.
That time around, there was no red to be seen, and the headpiece balancing on his intricate hairdo was a precious mix of golden-white flowers and delicate, semi-transparent butterflies. RuoYe was invisible to the eye as well, hiding under the high collar of Xie Lian's inner robe.
Xie Lian looked so stunning that the junior official stared at him for a good handful of seconds, then cleared his throat and informed Xie Lian that his general was waiting for him in his palace. When Xie Lian inquired further, trying to pry for some more information, it was clear that the junior didn't know anything else.
Confused, Xie Lian headed to Pei Ming's palace, taking roads rarely walked by heavenly officials. He didn't want to be seen by too many people before then banquet, both to avoid anything that could ruin his mood and because he didn't really want to talk with people. Pei Ming was one of the few exceptions, he wasn't all that bad to be around despite his habit of making comments about his relationship with Hua Cheng.
What Xie Lian couldn't wrap his head around was the reason of that sudden summon coming from him. It surely couldn't be about He Xuan, right? If anything, Pei Ming wouldn't raise the issue during the Mid-Autumn Festival Banquet, he would receive a huge number of lanterns too. Ruining the event was akin to stabbing himself in the back.
What made him even more confused was the fact that there was no one welcoming him at the door when he reached Pei Ming's imposing palace. Not a single junior or deputy official was in sight, the entire place seemed deserted. However, when Xie Lian raised a hand to knock and announced his presence, the door opened for him almost instantly.
The next thing Xie Lian knew was that a short girl had launched herself at him, almost knocking him back for the surprise.
«General Hua! I missed you!».
Xie Lian's eyes widened: «What the- Ban Yue?!».
Sure enough, in front of him was none other than the Guoshi of BanYue, in the flesh. She was wearing different robes and her hair were up in a new style, but it was undeniably her. She even had a red snake coiled around her neck, as if it was a piece of jewelry.
And she wasn't the only one there. When Xie Lian entered the first room and looked around, he was shocked to see that sitting at a table, seemingly unbothered, Pei Su was drinking a cup of steaming tea. Him, too, looked very different compared to the last time they saw each other, but there was no mistaking.
«What in the world is going on?», the god asked, bewildered. «How did you two come up here?».
«You can thank me for that».
The one that answered Xie Lian's question was the voice of a woman, not of General Pei, like the martial god would have imagined. And a voice very familiar, too, albeit one that Xie Lian hadn't heard in a long while.
Slowly, Xie Lian turned his head in the direction of the voice, and was met with an unfamiliar yet extremely welcomed sight: «The Rain Master?!».
In an unexpected turn of events, the Crown Prince found himself face to face with none other than YuShi Huang, politely sitting at another table in front of a very silent, very shocked Pei Ming. She clearly wasn't dressed for the banquet, and Xie Lian didn't remotely believe she would actually stay for the event. While kind and ready to help, the Rain Master preferred the calm, quiet atmosphere of her own territory, where she lived surrounded by crops.
She smiled softly: «How are you and your husband?», the Rain Master asked, polite as always. «I've heard you went through rough events».
Her life was quite detached from everyone else, mostly focused on bringing good harvests with her rain for the common folk, but she obviously had her fair share out outside information coming to her ears. When YuShi Huang heard of the calamity that had befallen Xie Lian, albeit only some fragments of it, she grew worried for him and Hua Cheng.
It had been quite a while since the last time they visited her, after all, and she herself didn't participate a lot in their lives despite the shared bond of friendship.
Xie Lian wasn't surprised by YuShi Huang's question, and neither by her knowledge. She was one of the very few people Xie Lian and Hua Cheng trusted with their heart, something that was exceedingly uncommon for the ghost, so it was normal that the Rain Master gained some insight.
«We feel better, thank you», the Crown Prince bowed, always respectful when speaking to her. «No need to be concerned». She really deserved more than the lonely blessing lantern lit for her every year by her ox. YuShi Huang had a good heart, gentle but strong at once. The fact that Pei Ming seemingly shrunk in her presence was a testament of that.
Right after answering, Xie Lian frowned in confusion and asked a question of his own: «May I ask why you brought Ban Yue and Pei Su here?», he nodded in their direction. «This is... unexpected».
The two hurriedly looked down at their tea – Ban Yue sat down right then – and YuShi Huang smiled again: «They've been living with me for a while», she explained, not knowing if Xie Lian was already aware of that fact or not. She didn't recall all the events correctly, having been busy with the mess created by Mount Tong'lu and then with many other issues after as the situation settled down. «I thought they would have been happy to see you and General Ming Guang again, since this banquet is an occasion of reunion».
Mostly a spur of the moment decision, really. The Emperor knew nothing of their presence in the heavens – and for good reasons, since Ban Yue was a ghost and Pei Su had been banished – so YuShi Huang brought them up after concealing their identities, and only revealed who they were once Pei Ming welcomed her in his palace.
She thought about going straight to Xie Lian's palace, being unsure if Pei Ming would have kept silent on the matter, but in the end she remembered that the martial god truly cared about his descendant. Pei Ming had a million flaws, but being someone uncaring wasn't one of them. It was rare for neglect to happen with him involved.
The problem was that, when it happened, the consequences weren't at all pleasant.
«I'm quite surprised our General Pei is so silent», she commented, turning around to look at him. «You were far more shamelessly flirty a couple centuries ago».
Pei Ming wasn't feeling like creating excuses in front of the Rain Master, so he simply shrugged: «My love died years ago. I've no intention of being unfaithful to his memory».
The words granted him a bewildered look from Pei Su, who ever had a clue about him and Shi Wudu being a couple before his passing, but Pei Ming honestly didn't care. Thanks to his mistakes, Pei Su wasn't an official anymore, so it didn't matter if he knew about that secret or not.
«Love, eh?», YuShi Huang looked at him for a moment. «I knew Shi Wudu had someone in his life, but to think it was you...».
She gave a low, non-mocking laugh at the expression Pei Ming shot her: «He was a fellow Elemental Master, and I'm not a hermit. I'm sorry you had to endure that grief. Forgive my careless words, they've been brought up by ignorance».
Xie Lian watched the exchange between Pei Ming and YuShi Huang, enthralled. He had never seen the martial god so low-spirited in front of a woman, it was a brand new sight for his eyes.
He was sure that, had things been different, they could have been a really good couple. Or at least they could have had an interesting relationship, for sure.
However, Pei Ming was still grieving Shi Wudu's death, and it seemed that his promise to never get a new love interest really was holding strong. Xie Lian had to give it to him, Pei Ming knew how to be faithful when he wanted to. His reputation as a womanizer did nothing to tarnish that immaculate behavior.
«How are you, Rain Master?», the Crown Prince asked to break the silence, shattering the uncomfortable blanket of muffled sounds that suddenly fell over them. «I'm sorry we couldn't visit for so long, San Lang and I have been busy».
A shame, truly. Hua Cheng enjoyed YuShi Huang's company so much that it was surprising how rarely they visited her. But then again, they constantly ended up getting distracted by each other, so there's that.
The god accepted YuShi Huang's invitation to sit with her and Pei Ming, all the while listening to her saying everything was good and life in her small house was comfortable as always. He wasn't surprised upon hearing that the reopening of Mount Tong'lu stirred up some trouble around her as well, but she shrugged it off with nonchalance, so Xie Lian didn't press further.
«We'll come visit once everything is settled a little bit better, I promise», Xie Lian said after she finished talking, putting down the now empty cup of tea he had been handed. He had no way of knowing when, exactly, but that promise had value.
Time was something neither of them lacked, after all.
Then, Xie Lian hinted at Ban Yue and Pei Su, who were busy talking to each other: «How come you're breaking Jun Wu's laws so freely?».
The Rain Master laughed at that and gave a dignified shrug: «When have I really cared about them?», she asked back, not expecting an answer. «Making amends for past mistakes is difficult. Pei Su already paid the price of his arrogance, and he's willing to do better. It would be cruel to keep him away from those he cares about».
The same went for Ban Yue, of course, without a need to say it out loud. Xie Lian already knew it very well anyway.
Noticing the perplexed look on Pei Ming's face, she rolled her eyes and laughed softly again: «General Pei, are you so shocked to learn that your little Pei genuinely cares about you? It doesn't fit your character». But then again, Pei Ming left behind many descendant, some that never ever heard of his name. It wasn't all that weird that he might be surprised upon learning one of them cared so much.
He started muttering something, slowly turning a pale shade of red in the face, so YuShi Huang stopped teasing him and stood up: «I gave them instructions of how to create an array that will bring them back to my house», she informed the two martial gods. «I hope the banquet goes well for everyone».
While saying that, she shot an eloquent look at Xie Lian, but said nothing and briefly said goodbye to Pei Ming before leaving his palace.
The Heavenly Capital clashed too much with the lifestyle she adopted for herself after ascending.
Pei Su and Ban Yue left about an hour after YuShi Huang, saddened but at the same time happy that they could spend some time with the two gods.
Ban Yue, in particular, seemed a lot happier compared to the last time Xie Lian saw her, something that only reinforced his thought that her and Pei Su really had a relationship going on between them. It made Xie Lian's heart melt a little bit, to finally see that poor girl eaten by injustice being comfortable and content around others.
«You didn't rub off on him», Xie Lian commented once only he and Pei Ming were left. «It's a miracle».
Pei Ming gave him a side-eye and snorted: «Since when you talk to me like that?».
«Why? Are we not friends?», Xie Lian laughed, adjusting his robes to have something to do with his hands. «Given how much gossip you search about me and San Lang, I should probably have you detained for invasion of privacy».
Xie Lian might not have directly learned of Pei Ming's newfound obsession for him and his husband, but it wasn't that difficult to discover something like that. The heavens thrived on gossip about heavenly officials, it was bound to reach everyone's ears.
Not that he cared. Xie Lian preferred couple gossip to the negative stuff, at least someone was having fun instead of being scared or disgusted.
Immediately after saying that, Xie Lian changed expression as if he just recalled something, so Pei Ming gave a sigh: «You're planning something, aren't you?», he asked, at that point not even doubting the answer would be a yes. He didn't miss how YuShi Huang looked at him, and the Rain Master knew far too much to ignore something like that. Even when she said nothing.
Xie Lian gave a bittersweet smile that didn't reach his eyes: «I'm not necessarily planning something», he replied, carefully choosing his words. «It's nothing bad, not inherently. I'm just worried».
Worried because, good intentions and all, it could still turn out awfully.
After giving it lots of thoughts, Xie Lian truly wasn't worried anymore about Jun Wu announcing his new title to the heavens. Since the morning, that matter had moved to the corner of his mind, as troublesome as it was for his heart.
Yin Yu, on the other hand...
The worry came to him from the thought of other heavenly officials looking down on or shaming him. Yin Yu didn't deserve to go through that after being called to the heavens as a deputy official under Xie Lian, not after all he had done for both him, Hua Cheng, and Ghost City as a whole.
Yin Yu was someone who committed mistakes, but only because he had found himself trapped in a labyrinth of emotions with no visible exit. Too caring to get angry, and at the same time too tired to stay calm.
If there was someone who truly deserved to be in the heavens, it was him. His wrongdoings didn't sprout from thirst of power, pride, or bad intentions in general. He might have ascended because he vehemently wished so and worked hard for it, instead of waiting for fate to pick him up, but his descent into oblivion hadn't been caused by evilness.
Xie Lian knew far too well what it felt like for a tired mind to snap. It was uncontrollable, and regret was slow to come, if it ever did.
Yin Yu deserved a second opportunity, another shot at being where he dreamed to be when he was younger. He deserved it more than many others still comfortably living in the heavens, Xie Lian included. The Crown Prince knew that things would become nasty, if the heavenly officials tried as much as ridicule him in front of the crowd, because he himself wouldn't sit still in front of that.
For the sake of the Mid-Autumn Festival Banquet, Xie Lian strongly hoped nothing of the sort would happen, because he didn't have any patience to endure yet another fight in the heavens.
Not that he thought a fight could really break out. Xie Lian had Fang Xin with him, hidden away with spiritual energy; at the very first hint of violence, that time around he would whip it out and threaten everybody with it without reservation.
It wouldn't be the first time, probably not even the last, but it could shut up many mouths.
«General Pei, I'll take my leave», the Crown Prince said, getting up. «But one last question before I go».
Intrigued, Pei Ming stood up as well and crossed his arms over his chest: «Sure».
«QingXuan told me you were talking with Ming-... He Xuan this morning», Xie Lian pointed out. «Is something wrong?».
An interaction between them wouldn't have seemed suspicious just months before, but now that Pei Ming was aware of his real identity... one couldn't help but ask questions.
The question took the martial god off guard. On one hand, Pei Ming kind of expected Xie Lian to inquire about that, as soon as he learned about it. After all, knowing Ming Yi was dead and had been replaced by He Xuan had completely changed everything.
On the other, he didn't expect that question to come so soon.
But then again, it was Xie Lian he was talking about. One way or another, he always seemed to find a way to learn about what interested him. Kinda scary, if one looked at it from the outside, with no prior knowledge.
«Nothing wrong, quite the opposite in fact», Pei Ming finally answered, after clearing his throat. «He told me he asked the Thunder Master not to stop on me or Shi QingXuan when we eventually get to our drinking game».
Quite... considerate? Pei Ming didn't participate in the banquet the year before, so he didn't know what happened. The heavens were quite shaken anyway in that time period, and the martial god knew that he hadn't been the only one missing from the event, despite how important it was for everyone.
He Xuan had been merciless with Shi Wudu, but the care he was showing for Pei Ming was both the knife turning around in the wound and the bandage wrapping it. If the cup of wine fell into his or Shi QingXuan's hands, Pei Ming knew the stage would show a play starring Shi Wudu. The probability was smaller for Pei Ming, but still there; what happened to the banquet after Xie Lian's third ascension was proof of it.
By stopping the cup of wine away from their hands, He Xuan assured that not a single image of Shi Wudu could come up for them to see.
A thought so considerate and kind clashed so much with what He Xuan did to Shi Wudu, tearing off his limbs before decapitating him with his bare hands. Pei Ming still didn't know how to feel around him, no matter how many times they talked.
One thing was to settle down the tension between them by talking about the issue, another was to live with their knowledge.
Pei Ming didn't have anything else to fix between him and He Xuan. It was just his own feelings being a nuisance, and it was something he accepted as normal at that point. He needed time, and a good deal of patience.
«I won't lie and tell I'm fine with this arrangement, because I'd rather have Shi Wudu here with me, but I can't deny that Black Water has empathy», Pei Ming sighed, letting his arms fall by his sides. «Let's talk again at the banquet, Your Highness. Don't be concerned about me and He Xuan».
Xie Lian, as unsure as he was, didn't go against Pei Ming wishes. Instead, he bid goodbye to him and left the palace.
All in all, it wasn't that bad. The Crown Prince could only hope it continued like that.
«I can't say that I missed this», Xie Lian commented under his breath, giving voice to all his honesty. As soon as evening started to fall, every official of the Upper Court moved to the numerous tables that had been prepared for the sumptuous banquet. When Xie Lian arrived, following a giddy Shi QingXuan – miraculously in his male form, a rare occurrence for such events – and a tired-looking He Xuan who put close to no effort into looking less like a ghost and more like a god, many tables were already full and a loud buzzing of voices permeated the air.
They arrived late because Shi QingXuan took forever to get ready, constantly switching between his male and female form with indecision. It took He Xuan threatening him to just show up like his true self to convince the Wind Master on appearing in his original form, while Xie Lian laughed his ass off in a corner, for a moment forgetting all the worries of the evening.
He was glad that only a few heads turned upon their arrival, that time around. Xie Lian was certain that his not-so-ghostly-looking attire helped with that, to an extent, though some influential officials still didn't hide their staring.
Of course, Jun Wu warmly welcoming him for everyone to hear and telling the martial god to sit beside him only made more people stare. Xie Lian expected it. No way Jun Wu would pass up the opportunity of having him sitting in a seat of honor.
«Don't eat the entire table by yourself», he jokingly told He Xuan before walking away. The ghost muttered something under his breath, probably something along the lines of "don't tell me how much I can eat", so Xie Lian reached the seat beside Jun Wu with a slight smile curving his lips upwards.
Shortly after, Mu Qing and Feng Xin also made their appearance, the former looking extraordinarily godly in appearance with the elegant, heavily adorned robes flowing freely on his body. If Xie Lian didn't know he was a martial god of extraordinary prowess, he would have thought him to be a literature god of some sort, or even one of the Elemental Masters.
Feng Xin followed quite the opposite vibe, wearing embellished but far more practical swordsman robes, with the addition of shoulder armor and a long, seemingly heavy cape that touched the ground at every step.
Xie Lian was glad to see them completely recovered, especially Mu Qing. Even if it had been a long while since their incident, the Crown Prince still feared some lingering issues could bother them.
Luckily, it didn't seem to be the case, so he smiled at them both: «Feng Xin, Mu Qing. You look great», he greeted them.
Mu Qing cleared his throat as he sat down on the opposite side of the table, leaving the spot next to Jun Wu empty: «Thank you, Xie Lian», he said, feeling a knot form in his throat. «You look marvelous as well».
. . .
No, more than that. Feng Xin, beside him, was speechless because of that. Maybe Xie Lian himself didn't notice it too much, but he looked exactly like his past self, like the prince who ruled over the kingdom that loved him dearly.
The absence of bright reds and blues in his outfit reminisced Mu Qing of the days before Xie Lian's ascension, when he stuck to whites and gold and he much preferred simple color schemes while walking his cultivation path of abstinence. Mu Qing had the clear memory of painstakingly sewing holes in those rich robes Xie Lian didn't want to throw away running through his head.
Simpler times that Xie Lian maybe didn't even remember all that well.
After that opening, it was easy to slide into a conversation. In fact, easier that Xie Lian expected.
While he listened to Feng Xin and Mu Qing talk about their followers being even readier to beat one another at the lanterns release, Xie Lian couldn't help but smile and think that they definitely needed that reconciliation.
Mu Qing seemed much more at ease, just like he acted while wearing his fake Fu Yao identity, and Feng Xin was even swearing a lot less, his foul mouth kept in check.
The Crown Prince's heart filled with joy upon seeing the two get along so well, after having to break up their fights on a regular basis.
Not too long after Xie Lian removed himself from the conversation, noticing that Pei Ming was approaching the table; he didn't miss the eloquent look shot at him from He Xuan, who was already sneaking food into his mouth before the banquet even started.
What a bizarre banquet, that one would be. So many people at that table knew there was a Ghost King among them, and yet the Emperor was in the dark about it.
It was funny, in a way.
«Have you seen Tai Hua and Qi Ying?», the martial god asked Pei Ming, frowning. He didn't care all that much for Lang QianQiu – given his absence in the heavens when Xie Lian went back, he had probably brought GuZi back to Qi Rong – but Quan YiZhen needed to be there. Not just because he had to see Yin Yu coming back, but also because Xie Lian wanted to keep an eye on him to stop any rash actions.
Quan YiZhen wouldn't probably stop at intimidation if the heavenly officials started ridiculing Yin Yu again, so Xie Lian's intentions was to have him close enough in order to stop him in case things went awry.
Not that Xie Lian was faithful in his own capability of stopping himself. After all, he already put into account that a fight might break out, he didn't forget his own thoughts.
Better to be safe than sorry, though.
Pei Ming chose to sit down next to Feng Xin and shrugged: «I know that Tai Hua had descended with the kid, he should be back very soon», he said, going for a jar of liquor and a cup. «As far as Qi Ying's whereabouts go, I have no idea. I haven't seen him around for weeks».
«Wait, you haven't seen him too?».
Feng Xin gave a frown, shadows deepening his expression: «He's been roaming the mortal realm for too long, what the fuck is he doing down there?».
Normally, such a thing wouldn't be concerning. Gods were free to do whatever they wanted and go wherever they wanted, as long as they didn't jeopardize themselves or the heavens with bad behaviors. However, Quan YiZhen was a problematic figure, and him being in the mortal realm for so long was worrying. His tendencies to beat up his own followers didn't help his case at all.
Adding to that, Feng Xin now knew that Yin Yu was still around, and Quan YiZhen was extremely defensive of him. If he was causing trouble bigger than the usual, it might cost him his and the heaven's reputation.
Mu Qing was about to comment as well, but he shut his mouth after spotting the very person they were talking about walking towards them from the crowd.
Weirdly enough, he even looked far more proper, elegantly dressed like never before.
«Xie Lian, do you have something do to with this?», he asked, completely bewildered.
The god laughed a bit, assured that no, he didn't have a hand in it, and poured himself a cup of tea.
Though, it was weird to see Quan YiZhen looking so respectable and seemingly well-mannered, calmer than ever.
. . .
«Qi Ying», the Crown Prince called as soon as he sat down in the seat next to him. «Have you seen him?»
His voice was low, enough for Quan YiZhen to hear it but not for anyone else busy with chattering, and permeated with apprehension.
Xie Lian didn't keep contact with Ghost City after leaving for the heavens that morning, not even with Hua Cheng, though the ghost was obviously ready to teleport there at the slightest call for help. Anything could have happened without him knowing, even Quan YiZhen showing up in the city to talk with Yin Yu.
When the younger god nodded, Xie Lian's face became ashen for a second, before he regained control of his emotions.
«How?».
«By chance».
Which was true. Quan YiZhen had been told not to look for his shixiong, and as pained as that made him, he followed through with that. However, he also wanted to increase his control over his followers, to try and stop the hate they still spread around when it concerned Yin Yu.
In fact, it had become so bad lately that Quan YiZhen truly couldn't stand it, and started visiting every single settlement with one of his temples in it to warn his worshippers and beat up those more stubborn.
Xie Lian looked at his sideway, and the young martial god sighed: «I'm not lying to you. I ran into him hours ago, he was in one of my temples».
In fact, Quan YiZhen had to do a double take when he entered the temple and found not his worshippers, but a lonely Yin Yu, sitting on the floor with a pair of dice in one hand and his old sword in the other.
His mask had been nowhere to be seen, too, so when Yin Yu turned to face his shidi, he did so without hiding, openly and directly.
The information shocked Xie Lian for a moment. He didn't think Yin Yu would ever do something like that, given his own feelings about everything that happened and the general hate Quan YiZhen's followers had for him.
But then again, the Waning Moon Officer had been granted a lot of time to think about his return to the heavens, albeit in a different way.
Quan YiZhen swallowed dry: «Xie Lian», he called the god beside him, uncaring of titles. «Is he... is my shixiong really coming back?».
What Yin Yu told him in the temple made him hopeful, as he had never been in a long time. While his manners were still lacking, the young martial god wasn't as childish as many liked to think. The way Quan YiZhen missed his shixiong couldn't even be described, and lately he even started thinking that every single negative thing that happened to him had been completely his fault.
If the answer was yes, and Yin Yu truly decided it was time to come back to the heavens, then Quan YiZhen had no idea how to act.
He wanted to run up to him and welcome him back, be happy for him, for their reunion, but at the same time... the words he had been told my him, to stay away, still resounded in his head. Yin Yu didn't repeat them in the temple, and seemed more comfortable around Quan YiZhen at first sight, but what if he was still mad?
What if Yin Yu didn't want Quan YiZhen around, because he was the reason his peace was constantly disrupted?
Honestly speaking, the young martial god wouldn't have had so many thoughts had the situation been different. The fact that he met Yin Yu more than once, and that every time he seemed distant and more tired than ever, helped in making the younger god realize that things were irreparably changed between them.
He couldn't go up to him and smile like always, or demand his affection like in the past.
His voice trembled as he spoke: «What should I do? I... I don't want him to go away again».
The pain in his voice was something Xie Lian understood deep in his soul. Fearing that a person close to one's heart might go away was harmful to the mind, and there was close to nothing that was able to help with that. Time was the only cure for something so dreadfully draining.
«If he willingly spoke to you, then he might be trying to get close to you again», Xie Lian cautiously said, keeping his words vague and his tone serious. «However, I think you should act carefully. I know it's difficult, I understand you miss him and want things to go back to normal, but...».
Xie Lian sighed, pouring himself a cup of mellow liquor, ditching the tea without even trying it first: «You can't force reconciliation. It has to happen with its time. Yin Yu had it terrible, he saw his life being ruined by too many hands».
Quan YiZhen was young and reckless, but it wasn't an excuse for him to act wrongly towards Yin Yu. He was a broken person, not a broken object. What Yin Yu needed wasn't repairing, it was healing; and healing, unfortunately for everyone involved, took time.
Time, and a good deal of effort that Yin Yu really didn't need up until that point. He had found a place in Ghost City, and while his memories still haunted him, he wasn't living a bad life. What he had lost was constantly looming over him, watching him from above, yet at the same time he had gained so much that it was difficult to truly dwell on the past all that much.
Somehow, Yin Yu found a kind of balance that worked well for his emotions. He wasn't exactly feeling good, but he wasn't living in a bad place either. His mind wasn't troubled every waking moment, and finding friends in Hua Cheng and Xie Lian had been refreshing for him.
Breaking that balance could be disastrous with the wrong influence around him.
«Qi Ying», the Crown Prince called, grimacing at how sweet the liquor he just tasted was. «Don't rush it. You will never reconcile if you don't give him his space. Let Yin Yu be the one approaching you, don't do the opposite».
The last thing Xie Lian wanted was to see those two completely fall apart. If Yin Yu tried to talk to Quan YiZhen, it meant there was still hope for their relationship to be properly mended. Telling his shidi that he was about to come back to the heavens took a good deal of courage, Xie Lian could imagine that.
It would take just as much bravery for Quan YiZhen to accept nothing would be magically fixed. The impulsive young god had already shown a lot of maturity, by actually listening to Yin Yu and reading the signs silently left for him. Throwing hands with people and toppling over furniture in displeasure was something he needed to stop doing, though, if he truly wanted to mend the tear in the tapestry that was their story.
Their muffled conversation stopped at that. Jun Wu, who had been distracted up to that moment, suddenly shifted his focus back on Xie Lian – probably because the time to announce his newly acquired title was approaching – and the god found it unsafe to keep discussing certain topics with Quan YiZhen.
Instead, he picked a conversation with Feng Xin and Mu Qing, waiting for the remainder of the heavenly officials to arrive.
«Where the hell is Tai Hua?», a very displeased Feng Xin asked, making a face at the empty chair beside Quan YiZhen. «The banquet is about to start».
It wouldn't have been a problem if Lang QianQiu announced he would be absent from the event. The banquet wasn't mandatory when it came to participation.
However, being part of the strongest martial gods in the heavens, he had to be present unless otherwise specified, unless he wanted the reputation of his peers to be tainted. Some officials already started whispering about his absence, which irked Feng Xin considerably.
Mu Qing rolled his eyes: «Why don't you contact him? Are you only good at complaining?».
«Don't you dare start fighting at the banquet», Xie Lian reprimanded them before Feng Xin could open his mouth to spit out a response. The peace between them didn't last long, as always. It was a good sign, everything was back to normal, in a way. «If he doesn't show up in the next ten minutes, I'll be contacting him myself. I have ways to».
Translation: he would contact his cousin and ask him to let go of Lang QianQiu for the evening, because calling the god himself wouldn't be as effective. Unless he used his authority as Guoshi, which could be more useful than he previously thought, but Xie Lian wanted to keep that part of his past away from the banquet.
At least from that specific one. He already had enough stuff on his plate to care about.
Luckily for every guest at the event, Xie Lian's scolding worked wonders. Feng Xin and Mu Qing set aside their fighting spirits for another time, though the Crown Prince was sure they would pick at each other for the remainder of the night. Seeing Feng Xin purposefully pouring liquor in Mu Qing's cup so he had to replace it was proof of it.
Still, a mild inconvenience was better than a punch in the face.
Even better, ten minutes later Lang QianQiu actually showed up, saving Xie Lian the trouble to call his cousin while in the heart of the heavens.
When he looked at Lang QianQiu a little bit more, though, Xie Lian almost choked on the drink he was sipping, causing Jun Wu to look at him with worry and Feng Xin's eyes to widen in panic. The hairpin worn by the martial god on his hair was silver with green gems embedded in the wirework.
«Tai Hua, what the fuck», he couldn't stop himself from spitting out, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Eve Jun Wu almost laughed at that, while Pei Ming doubled over, laughter shaking his entire being.
«It was GuZi's fault», the martial god replied, feeling his face heating up. «Don't be imagining things, please».
The respectful tone he imbued his words with was only barely shadowed by the embarrassment he was feeling right that moment. GuZi insisted so much in having him wear one of Qi Rong's headpieces because he "looked good with green" that the god couldn't say no to the kid. Even the damned ghost laughed his ass off, but at least he stopped when GuZi forced onto his head the hairpin he took away from Lang QianQiu.
Jun Wu cleared his throat in an attempt to calm down the laughter that erupted at the table, and took in the general surroundings when silence finally fell. It looked like everyone was seated and waiting for the banquet to begin, elemental masters included.
In fact, Ming Yi was already unceremoniously stuffing his face with food, a behavior that the Emperor lost willingness to scold after the hundredth consecutive year. To that day, he still couldn't understand why the Earth Master was always so hungry, but he brought in many prayers and merits so Jun Wu didn't mind all that much.
The heavens had plenty of food to spare anyway, and Ming Yi had never been one to care much about anyone that wasn't Shi QingXuan. It would be useless to hold a gripe against him, if not counterproductive.
«May this banquet offer plenty of entertainment to all officials present», Jun Wu's booming voice announced as he stood up and caught everyone's attention. «We will be moving onto official announcements after our usual games, so drink to your heart's content until then!».
Simple but effective.
All heavenly officials toasted to that speech with cups filled with liquor and wine, and the chattering began once more when Jun Wu sat back down.
The Emperor didn't miss a couple of questioning looks sprouting on people's faces, namely Ling Wen and Mu Qing. It was expected that they would pay more attention to his words, though, so he paid them no heed. If they had questions about those announcements, they could freely ask them; Jun Wu never withhold that right from his officials, not directly anyways.
«Ling Wen», he called the literature god. «You've been strangely silent».
So much so, in fact, that she blended with the other people sat at the same table in such a way that she became unnoticeable. The intricate fashion of her robes clashed loudly with how invisible she was trying to be.
She didn't even pick one of her usual quarrels with officials commenting on how she probably "slept her way to the top". In fact, she was ignoring every single jab at her position, and even elbowed shot a glare at Pei Ming when he tried to open his mouth to counteract with something.
The literature god had to suffocate the urge to scoff at the Emperor's comment. No wonder she was silent, she probably made the worst decision of her heavenly life that evening.
To check on the progress Bai Jing was making, she thought it would be a good idea to wear her Brocade Immortal rather than normal robes, to see how he would react when surrounded by people. Only now she realized her heart probably won over her brain, because it was such an irresponsible and idiotic act that Ling Wen wouldn't have done it if she had been able to think properly.
«I'm feeling rather unwell, I fear», she replied, tapping her fingers on the table to try and hide her nervousness. «Too many thoughts on my mind. I might leave this banquet early, if my Lord doesn't mind».
In response to that, the Brocade Immortal shifted ever-so-slightly on her body, an unnatural movement that was caused by the ghost inside it, and Ling Wen froze.
In the same moment, she noticed Xie Lian turning his head to look at her, and his eyes narrowed.
Fuck.
«In fact, I'm leaving now», she hurriedly said after clearing her throat, standing up. «Many apologies, my Lord. This one will take her leave».
She didn't even wait for the Emperor to say something in response, as rude as that probably looked to many people. The only thing Ling Wen wanted right that moment was to get away from the banquet, and especially get away from Xie Lian, whose expression turned from confused to unreasonably angry in the span of a few seconds.
"Get the Brocade Immortal away from here".
While it was somewhat understanding that Ling Wen wanted to expose Bai Jing to people, Xie Lian had never seen something so senselessly stupid being done by her. She was lucky no one else noticed it, especially the Emperor.
But it wasn't the reason why Xie Lian got so unbelievably angry all of a sudden, to the point that even Feng Xin and Mu Qing noticed and looked at him with confusion.
It was the fact that Ling Wen had to wear that goddamn robe in the exact same day that Yin Yu would come back to the heavens. Absolutely fucking not.
Ling Wen shuddered: "Your Highness-".
"You're still here? Leave".
The tone of Xie Lian's voice resounding in her head was so freezing cold that Ling Wen swallowed dry and turned her back to the banquet without adding a single word. She even ignored Pei Ming's confused voice calling her, and moved all the chattering of everyone else in the back of her mind. No gossip would stick around for too long anyway, she was needed for the heavens to properly function.
The only thing she wanted was to get away from Xie Lian, because the way he spoke to her was too reminiscent of the day he got openly mad at the Heavenly Capital for the first time.
Worse, she didn't know why. Xie Lian had no reason to be so mad at the Brocade Immortal, at least given how freely he gave it back to Ling Wen and told her to care about the ghost of Bai Jing. For him to become so worked up and irate...
Ling Wen didn't want to risk it. She preferred skipping a banquet, much better compared to potentially being stabbed by a dreadful sword like the one Xie Lian wielded.
She only hoped to get some understanding by the end of the evening.
The drinking game didn't take long to start.
The thunder master was being relentless, too, stopping his thunder on so many people that the stage almost couldn't keep up with all the plays it needed to show. Laughter and congratulations erupted left and right, many officials scrunched up their faces at some of the things the mortals liked to do with their names and overall everyone seemed to have fun.
When the wine cup reached the table where Xie Lian was sat, everyone became a lot more silent, curious to know who's fate was about to be decided. Many, of course, hoped it would be Xie Lian's turn to drink. With the name he made for himself in the past months, surely whatever play mortals – or even ghosts – were hosting about him would be food for gossiping mouths. A good majority of the officials watching intently as the cup passed from hand to hand probably also hoped to see something a little bit more... spicy about a god and ghost.
Something that Xie Lian was sure happened, at that point. Mortals were even crazier than ghosts, when they put their hearts to it, and the time for him and his husband to be officially worshipped together would soon come.
Whatever.
As long as the stage wouldn't show the tragedies of his life, which were luckily unknown to the majority of his worshippers, Xie Lian didn't care all that much.
Not that it mattered for the time being, because when the thunder stopped, the cup ended up in Lang QianQiu's hands.
The crowd only stayed disappointed for a second, before erupting in a choir of "drink, drink, drink!", pushing the martial god to gulp down the contents of the cup. Lang QianQiu hadn't been all that popular in the heavens, not being the friendliest god of all and having a known history of revenge on his shoulders, but lately many people had grown curious.
Him having been Xie Lian's former disciple and now also having a human child to take care of made him an object of a good deal of questions.
Had his worshippers been made aware of those things? If yes, the plays of that year would be far more interesting than whatever appeared on stage years prior. Xie Lian didn't know what the stage showed for Lang QianQiu during previous banquets, probably largely uninteresting stuff like anyone else. The most interesting stuff was still linked to very few names in the heavens, after all.
Making a face, Lang QianQiu downed the wine in the cup, and Xie Lian almost immediately had to bring his own cup to his face to muffle his laughter when the stage curtains rolled up.
Worshippers definitely caught onto the fact that Lang QianQiu now had a human child, because the very first thing that showed up on stage was an adult actor carrying a child in his arms. It was even funnier when one knew that GuZi wasn't Lang QianQiu's son, but Qi Rong's.
Mortals basically engraved in stone that their martial god Tai Hua now had a child of his own, which made GuZi officially "related" to both him and Qi Rong.
«I would say I'm sorry for this», Xie Lian tried – and failed – to say in a serious tone. «But you know». Right after that, he stopped paying attention to the play and started laughing, something that deeply confused a lot of the people at that table.
Lang QianQiu was read in the face, and Xie Lian couldn't decide if the expression on his face was pure embarrassment, or if there was some murder intent towards Qi Rong mixed in. Whatever the case, as soon as Xie Lian looked back at him he was presented with his cousin's hairpin on the god's hair, which made him laugh even harder.
«QianQiu», he called him after he calmed down a bit, taking advantage of the fact that everyone was invested in watching the play on stage. «Pray that no one ever sees you with him».
The speed at which Lang QianQiu paled at those words was worthy of recognition.
«Oh, fuck no», he mouthed, eyes widening. The last thing he needed was for his worshippers to start associating him with Qi Rong in the same way they used for Shi QingXuan and his brother.
He couldn't tell if he minded it or not, and that thought in itself made Lang QianQiu grimace, but mortals becoming so invested in his love life was an absolute no from him. Whether it existed or not.
Xie Lian, despite himself, laughed again, and kept snickering even while the stage was closed once more and the thunder master resumed the game. However, his smile immediately faded when the cup of wine landed straight in He Xuan's hands.