[Xie Lian's POV]
As far the information from each planes records, there were several powerful cultivator's and enemies present. The peak immortals came with TianLang-jun, a demon king. He was the grandest and most powerful enemy who toyed with them and abandoned Luo Binghe. Xie Lian noted the information Hua Cheng disclosed to him about the original Shen Qingqiu. Hua Cheng asked him to keep it secret from the present Shen Qingqiu (Shen Yuan). The mortal's had Wen Rouhan, Jin Guangshan, Meng Yao and several others. But these two stands out the most. The prideful most powerful sect Leader during the war and the cunning leecher. Xie Lian shook his head with the cultivator's rascal words defining Jin Guangshan. As far as the fight goes, Jin Guangshan has already been eliminated. The enemies are down to six. Meng Yao was revived by Wei Wuxian. What bothers him was the sole person who hadn't attacked yet, that black robed man with crimson eyes.
For the heaven's, the only enemy they had for eons was Bai Wuxiang. Luo Binghe's description Hua Cheng's ex-girlfriend fits Qi Rong. He shook his head when he remembered that night the demon squad had the drinking contest. Others may seem to find it lame and disgusting but for Xie Lian, he find it very endearing and cute.
After all, Hua Cheng is not that kind of person to initiate conversation or talk to anyone other than him. He would always sat by the side, listening, talk when asked or interject if it's important. For Xie Lian, he had never seen this kind of side from always aloof Hua Cheng. It was as if he was enjoying his day. He even let the two youngsters to talk pillow on his lap and shoulder after they drank. Xie Lian liked it. He liked that part where his San Lang seemed like a normal person for once. It was so nice to watch him talk with people other than him. He couldn't help but giggle and smile, while fumbling the dice in his hand.
"Your Highness." Xie Lian turned around. Unusual, he thought. Shen Yuan had always called him Master Xie than Your Highness.
"Hm?" He smiled. This unusual account is too good to be true. Something is amiss. But, he couldn't point it out. Somehow, the air around Shen Yuan is filled with deceit. Xie Lian just smiled and shrugged it off, "what can I do for you, Master Shen?" He's used to call him Qingqiu but calling him that felt so wrong.
"The enemy before... He had eight heart. I'm curious as to what you're thinking about the others." This Shen seemed like leading him somewhere.
"Yes, that. I'm afraid, I won't know until we faced them. But, as the Martial Sage said, it can be their hearts, ashes, or anything that can help them exist." He replied.
"Hm..." Weird. Just weird. There's something wrong but he can't point it out.
"So it's the same as ghost... Ghost needed their ashes to remain alive." Xie Lian glanced at Shen Qingqiu and raised his guard up, "isn't Hua Cheng a ghost too? Would it be good for him to fight?"
"San Lang can..."
"Did he keep his ash?"
Xie Lian paused for a moment before replying, "yes... He kept it in a very good place." He immediately added in that moment of hesitation, " that even I don't know."
Weird. The expression Shen Qingqiu made was weird. Xie Lian smiled despite that white lie he never done. His instinctively replied ignorance of that lone fact left on his keep. Hua Cheng never told him not to disclose this to anyone, but for Xie Lian he took this seriously and have been keeping Hua Cheng's ash.
"To think Master Hua didn't even told you where his ash ring was, his other half." Shen Qingqiu uncharacteristically said. This riles that thought that this was a different Shen Qingqiu.
"Say, Master Shen... how do you know it's an ash ring?" Xie Lian's question stilled the tension between them.
"Luo Binghe told me that." Xie Lian smiled. Instead of replying, Xie Lian excused himself. He had thoughts of meeting Lan Wangji. There's definitely something weird going.
Too bad, Xie Lian did not noticed the expression Shen Qingqiu wore while watching him.
"Ling Wen, I have a favor to ask." Xie Lian asked through the heavens communication array.
"Yes, what is it, your Highness?"
"....."
[Lan Wangji's POV]
It wasn't a surprise for Lan Wangji that his spouse saved someone yet again. Although it was alarming he trusted Wei Wuxian's words and took the person left in his care back to cloud recessess. With the events going on, the safest place is the already razed cloud recesses. He lay Shen Yuan on the mat of his Jingshi. Healers came and few senior disciples followed. He couldn't take Lan Jingyi from the military ranks so he could only rely on the man power left.
"I don't know what happened, but if that person is telling the truth, this is the Master Shen we know."
It kept ringing on his ears despite the fact he had seen this very face as an enemy. Few moments later, Shen Yuan woke up. His body ragged and finally, he glanced at Lan Wangji.
"Are you fine?" He asked.
"Binghe..." This is the same tone the master Shen he knew would call Luo Binghe. It wasn't t he same arrogant and indifferent tone from the Shen Qingqiu back at Lotus Pier.
"He is out fighting at the endless abyss with Wei Ying and Master Hua." Lan Wangji added, "he will be alright. If I am right they be quarreling right now."
Lan Wangji watched Shen Yuan rest his arm over his eyes. Tears fall from it, too real for a person who would wear a poker face. Really, sometimes tears are words that should be said.
"I envy you and Wei Wuxian." He says, "Because I couldn't tell him the truth... Because of fear, I may end up losing him."
Lan Wangji understood those word wrung from a broken man. He carefully wrapped Shen Yuan's right arm with the bandage as he said, "Wei Ying would keep everything by himself."
It was short, but Shen Yuan stared at him, "I Keep things by myself in hopes not to worry him."
[Shen Yuan's POV]
"And yet... when he decided to be honest, it broke me all over..." Lan Wangji whispered. "Master Shen, keeping the truth hurts the most than being honest... That fear... I once felt it too... Let me ask you, have ever tried conveying how much you treasure him?"
"Have you ever reassured him?"
Was telling him he's willing suffice?
"Master Shen... Have ever you told him, you love him?"
No. Never. He just went with the flow and trusted him. He want him by his side and willingly went with him and lived on a bamboo house. They would share heated nights but never, ever, he ever told him his feelings.
He's afraid to lose him and yet he can't tell him his feelings.
Now that everything was screwed, he realized the burden of telling Luo Binghe the truth. Binghe must have thought that he's forcing him to remain by his side.
Shen Yuan said nothing but he is willing. He said no supporting words but those lone words that meant both good and bad. Luo Binghe's expression when he finally set him free replayed on his head continuously. Binghe, us protecting the world in hopes of making him happy. That child is willing to fight to death and disappear thereafter. Binghe is doing this for him, for him to be free and safe—that he would live in peace. He knew, he felt Binghe's affection are for him and only him but not once he dared reassured him of that one thing he deserves.
He wanted to see him so bad but he can't.
He wanted to tell him all this pent up frustrations and affection he had been holding back.
Even if he is not the real Shen Qingqiu. Even if he was just an imposter that deceived that child.
"I love him." He whispered, "I really do..."
Words spat out of desperation, he wished he could tell him straight on.
Those words he couldn't tell him, he wanted to tell him now. He wanted to embrace him, cry until he's satisfied.
He was a person who was used being alone but he's missing Luo Binghe dearly.
He screwed it up.
Much being an ass than the system.
[Luo Binghe's POV]
"Hey, you really gonna fight? I may not be granddaddy Cheng but can I request for you to wear at least an interested face?" Luo Binghe didn't know where the hell his words came out. Ah, when he thought of Wei Wuxian, maybe that blasted bunny rubbed it on him. Ahhh. Thinking that Wei Wuxian somehow affected him made his head ache.
"Shameless." Qi Rong hissed. Edging a blow from the side. Luo Binghe cooly blocked the attack and stroke for offense. Qi Rong is as slippery are Hua Cheng told him though he is not that powerful. Ah, he couldn't help but shook his head remembering how Hua Cheng ordered him around to memories things.
Seriously. That grandaddy was merciless. While Wei Wuxian is a slave driver, Hua Cheng is much worse. He can't even raise any complaints and felt like he ended up as lackeys for the two. Tsk. Tsk.
Qi Rong swing his sword. Luo Binghe evaded by nick of time, he made a spin to Qi Rong's back. Tightening his grip on his sword, Luo Binghe swung his sword targetting to cut off Qi Rong's head. However, Qi Rong was fast enough to block his attack with this sword. Qi Rong followed a straight kick from the back. Luo Binghe took hold of Qi Rong's ankle and about to swing him around to slam him on the ground. Qi Rong's free leg, landed on Luo Binghe's hand, forcing a twist and a strong kick landed on Luo Binghe's face.
Luo Binghe stepped back. His showed a very sloppy and amused grin. "Bastard." He can tell that his opponent is fighting him half heartedly but still so strong. He even ask himself where the heck is the trash Hua Cheng told him.
Ah... It seems like trash talking Wei Wuxian right now would be the least priority right now.
[Hua Cheng's POV]
Hua Cheng sheathed E'ming. His opponent doesn't have the will to fight.
"Not gonna fight?"
"Not with a wimpy kid like you. Well, I have three questions." Hua Cheng replied lazily. He stood in front of Mo Xuanyu who stared at him blankly, "First, Why are you in his body? Second, how did you do it? And third, you are not a fighter, but why come here?"
If not for the soft smile, Hua Cheng would definitely fight him. However, he can't will himself to fight a harmless squirrel smiling softly at him. He really doesn't have the motivation to fight wimpy kids.
"Why do you want to know?" Mo Xuanyu asked.
"I just want to." Hua Cheng replied waving his hand lazily, "well, if you're not gonna answer, I'll just wring it out of that brat."
"Hm. I don't have my body, since I willingly offered it to the Yiling Patriarch. I was a soul without a shell, I didn't know what really happened but I got sucked to a dark place and ended up in this body. Originally, this body was torn by the dead and resentful energy, but somehow, an incomplete body rest in that place. So, I decided to complete this body." Mo Xuanyu smiled, "I am not a fighter, yes, I don't have reason to remain here, I am just here to see what the world would have become. The Yiling Patriarch is a very kind person."
Hua Cheng had his fingers on his chin as if thinking, "can I ask, do you know how Wei Wuxian came into this?"
"Can't you ask him?"
"If he'll answer straightforward then why would I be asking you."
Mo Xuanyu nodded and made 'ahh' expression.
"The Yiling Patriarch was once an ordinary well a genius cultivator. He was an orphaned and adopted later by the Jiangs. The war broke few years later, and it included the siege at Lotus Pier. He lost everything, and even sacrificed his core for his shidi. He became the number one enemy after the war because of Jin Guangshan's ministrations. Well, they said it was because of the backlash that he died, but in truth, he committed suicide. Well. That's the memories of this body."
Hua Cheng, it doesn't make any sense for where that self sacrificing idiocy came from.
"He's just a person gave too much love but can never be loved. Even Second Master Lan failed to save him. If you ask me, what he did was purely out of revenge but his Shidi failed to see that and almost restraint him. Wei Wuxian wanted to give back everything the Jiang Family did for him. And that lead him to his death."
Life debt? Of course, Wei Wuxian is that kind of person.
"Thirteen years later, I, Mo Xuanyu, summoned him back and offered him my body... That's it "
"That's it, you say." Cultivation allows a person to pursue immortality. Hua Cheng have always known that the dubbing on the rules of life and death had always come have always been considered as dark arts or forbidden arts.
Piece by piece, Hua Cheng finally understood the circumstances and frown, "he's just a sickly self sacrificing idiot." It simply told him that Wei Wuxian is naively good for a goofer and exceptionally kind for the world. But if not for him, just as Ling Wen's information says, the mortal's have already been wiped out since thirty six years ago.
"Seems like I got my hands full with brats."
Mo Xuanyu giggled, "until we meet again."
He's not someone to thank somebody but Hua Cheng did thank Mo Xuanyu.
He'll just go with the flow, that guy may be an ally or foe, but Hua Cheng did not care for it. He just found enough reason to hang that brat upside down while wringing his life out for his ridiculous request. Hua Cheng is fired up—in a very different way.
[Wei Wuxian's POV]
"I didn't think my son would be working alongside a person like you." Cool, this enemy is quite cool. Unlike Jin Guangshan with all barks and no move, Wei Wuxian really knew that this guy is the real deal. "still as naive and stupid just like his mother."
"Old man, Uncle He is a real deal, although he's somewhat like that, but that is his strong point." Wei Wuxian smiled totally brushing the enemy warning thing.
"Strong point you say?" TianLang-jun hummed and chuckled, "even when he's beloved kept deceiving him?"
Deceiving? Since when did that stern and shy Shen Qingqiu(Yuan) a faker? Wei Wuxian was utterly confused, well, Shen Qingqiu (Yuan) is not a vocal person, but the way he treats Luo Binghe was no fake!
"That body, wasn't yours right?" TianLang-jun hummed, "the Shen Qingqiu you know do not own that body nor belong to this time."
"Interesting notion you got there, old man. Are you saying he time travelled from somewhere?"
"My point exactly."
Somehow, Wei Wuxian couldn't think of possibilities. Time travel requires some sort of enchantment but the mortal body of the time traveller goes along with him. TianLang-jun spoke that the Shen Qingqiu(Yuan) they knew, do not own the time and the body he has. Maybe, the body he lives bow is his former or future life that's why it happened.
"Nothing happened like that, boy. That Shen and the original Shen doesn't have any connection or whatsoever. I don't know the specifics but there's that 'system' that exists that made possession of that body possible. I believe it was called transmigration."
If not for his brilliant mind, Wei Wuxian would definitely explode with the information. It was a field that was almost impossible. If he is correct, it seemed like as time travel but at the same time not. It's like possession but ir doesn't required sketchy demonic tweaks. The aura that the TianLang-jun emitted was honest and with no speck of lies.
"The only normal person in your little group is that ghost king... Though, he's as weak as a baby if his ashes were to be discovered."
"Hah? Granddaddy Cheng normal?! Gods! Old man! He's the weirdest and unusual person I eve—*whack* awwww!"
"Who's weird, brat?"
Unlucky Wei Wuxian, you thought the guy had forgotten your idiocy? Never.
Hua Cheng glanced at him while cracking his knuckles, "come on brat. Let's settle our little request before."
"C-cheng-xiong! Spare me!!!"
For pete's sake! They're in the middle of a fight!
[At Lotus Pier]
"Hello, we meet again, Qingheng-jun, Jiang Fengmian... I am here for my Little Wen, would you return him to me?"
"Not a chance, Wen Rouhan."
*Devil smirk*
...to be continued...