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It had been Shi Wudu’s most painful regret. In an attempt to right his brothers fate, he didn’t deserve to suffer by the whispering words of a demon. He cheated fate in order to help his brother. To push for his ascension. He failed. The boy who took his brothers place died. Shi Wudu never heard how, didn’t really care. His brothers fate would be fixed. Except it wasn’t. Shi Qingxuan found out about what his brother had done for him. It drove him mad. He wouldn’t speak to his brother, wouldn’t even look at him. Shi Wudu told himself that it would pass. That Shi Qingxuan would realize this was for the best. He learned that wasn’t true.
Shi Qingxuan died. Shi Wudu came home to find his brother in his own bed. He’d paid for Shi Wudu’s sin of wronging that man with a similar name. No one knows how it happened. Rumors spread about how Shi Qingxuan might have taken his own life. Others say a demon snuck in and did it. Either way, Shi Qingxuan died and Shi Wudu failed to save the little brother he worked so hard to keep alive. It would be the regret he would carry with him forever. All he could do was hope his brothers soul be reincarnated.
~
He Xuan was seated on his throne, plotting how to exact his revenge on Shi Wudu. On the man who caused his family to suffer and for him to end up in this wretched state. The man who made his whole world shatter. He Xuan was broke from his thoughts by the feeling of someone entering his territory. More importantly they were close by. He used one of his arowana to check and was surprised to see a pretty girl laying on the beach. She had long brown hair that was slightly wavy. He Xuan wondered how a girl like her could end up this far out in the ocean. Her robes were made of nice material from the looks of it. She must come from a rich family. He Xuan decided to see for himself just who this girl was. He got up and used a distance shortening array to reach her faster. He couldn’t risk her waking up and causing mayhem before he speaks to her and assess the situation. When he arrived, she was still lying in the same position as before. She was laying on her back and she wasn’t breathing. He Xuan frowned, it was a shame she didn’t make it. She looked fairly young. Around He Xuan’s age. He Xuan bent down to pick her up so he could bury her when she jolted upright.
“You’re alive?” He Xuan asked. He was sure he hadn’t seen her breathing. Now that he was looking closer he could also see blood on her robes. Was she injured?
“It seems so.” The girl said, feeling her chest and then her waist as if she was looking for something. She smiled when she pulled out a fan.
“Do you remember anything like who you are?” He Xuan asked. The girl looked at him and smiled slightly.
“I'm breathless emerald, Shi Qingxuan.” She answered, flipping her fan open. “The supreme with the power to steal your breath with my beauty and my powers.”
“Shi Qingxuan? You’re a supreme?” He Xuan asked, arching a brow. He knew that name. It was the name of the person who’d stolen his fate. Who Shi Wudu had ruined his life for.
“Yes, and by your reaction I’d say you are too.” Shi Qingxuan said, fanning herself. He Xuan smiled slightly. Something about her attitude made him wanna laugh. It made him feel something other then his anger and sadness.
“Black water, He Xuan.” He Xuan answered. It was Shi Qingxuan’s turn to be surprised. It seems she knew of her brothers sins.
“Of course fate would put me before the man my brother screwed over.” Shi Qingxuan closed her fan and turned her gaze away. “Will you attempt to kill me for my brothers crime?”
“It seems someone else has done that already.” He Xuan answered. Shi Qingxuan looked at him, smiling softly.
“How do you know I didn’t do it myself?” Shi Qingxuan asked. He Xuan shrugged and shook his head.
“I don’t know.” He Xuan responded. Shi Qingxuan smiled wider and pressed her knees to her chest.
“I didn’t. Someone else did, but that doesn’t matter. This way is better.” Shi Qingxuan said, laying her head on her knees. “If I ruined your life then let this be my punishment.”
He Xuan didn’t know what to say so he said nothing other than asking the emerald calamity to stay with him. After all, they could relate on the ground of Shi Wudu’s lies.
~
He Xuan learned that Shi Qingxuan didn’t have an off button. Once they started talking, there was no stopping them. They also tended to change genders at the drop of the hat. One moment a woman and the next they were a man. In both forms they were breathtaking. At the moment they were in their female form, laying on the couch in He Xuan’s study. She was reading a book when she suddenly looked up at He Xuan.
“Why don’t you ever change forms?” She asked, setting the book aside. He Xuan looked up from the papers in front of him.
“Like turn into my female form? Why would I?” He Xuan asked, arching a brow. He watched as Shi Qingxuan got up and walked over to his desk.
“You’re so boring He-Xiong.” Shi Qingxuan whined, pressing her hands on the desk. He Xuan sighed, knowing that the wind calamity was about to start her dramatics. “You already have such a nice face. I bet you would be such a beautiful woman.” Shi Qingxuan added, leaning in closer so their faces were only inches apart.
“If I change to my female form will you stop bothering me?” He Xuan asked, glaring at Shi Qingxuan slightly. He watched as Shi Qingxuan smiled wide and nodded her head. He Xuan sighed and changed forms. It felt odd since He Xuan never took this form before.
“Happy?” He Xuan asked, arching a brow. Shi Qingxuan giggled and walked around the desk, throwing her arms around He Xuan.
“Yes. I was right, He Xuan is a beautiful woman.” Shi Qingxuan giggled as she hugged He Xuan close. He Xuan blushed and tried to push Shi Qingxuan off. Why was the emerald calamity so touchy? And why did He Xuan really enjoy it?
~
The sickening sound of a human gasping for air and then the sound of their bodies hitting the floor was all He Xuan heard as he watched Shi Qingxuan quiet literally pull the air from a man's lungs. Several other men lay on the floor at the emerald calamities feet. He was smiling as he pulled out his fan and started to fan himself with it.
“Are you satisfied now?” He Xuan asked, kicking one of the men who clung to life. Disgusting this filth thought it could touch him. Shi Qingxuan looked back at him and smiled wider.
“I think so. Why are you bored?” Shi Qingxuan asked, shrugging. He Xuan ran his fingers over Shi Qingxuan’s cheek, long black nails brushing over pale skin.
“How could I get bored of watching the breathless emerald work?” He Xuan asked. Shi Qingxuan truly made an art of his kills. He looked so beautiful standing among the bodies.
“I am breathtaking.” Shi Qingxuan said, with a small laugh as he pulled He Xuan into a kiss. He Xuan returned the kiss, agreeing that Shi Qingxuan was breathtaking.
~
Shi Qingxuan is told being invited to Ghost City is an honor. He Xuan says it’s a pain, but only for him. He owes Hua Cheng, the king of Ghost City, a great deal of money. It’s petty and Shi Qingxuan zones out as they speak about the money. He Xuan saying he’ll pay it, Hua Cheng saying that’s what he always says. Hua Cheng turns his attention to Shi Qingxuan and smiles like he’s won the lottery. His gaze is on Shi Qingxuan’s arms which are wrapped around He Xuan.
“I see you’ve picked up a little love.” Hua Cheng teases, his one visible eye twinkling with mischief. He Xuan shakes his head and sighs. Shi Qingxuan expects him to deny it. He Xuan thinks nothing more of him than a partner in crime, but he is surprised.
“I have, but so have you Crimson Rain. Yours is a god no less.” He Xuan replied, wrapping an arm around Shi Qingxuan and it seems he’s accepted his feelings. Feelings he thought long gone.
“Dianxia is a god, but that’s what made me love him to begin with. He is a heaven for me that I will never get anywhere else and I don’t want it anywhere else.” Hua Cheng replies. Shi Qingxuan is about to ask who this Dianxia is when a man around his age appears. He runs over and takes Hua Cheng’s hand in his.
“San Lang, I found you.” He said and suddenly Hua Cheng only has eyes for this new comer. A beautiful man dressed in white with kind eyes.
“Black water, Breathless emerald, this is my Dianxia Xie Lian.” Hua Cheng said, never once looking away from Xie Lian. The god looks over and smiles at the two calamities before him.
“Nice to meet you guys.” Xie Lian says and then looks back at Hua Cheng who is tugging on his arm to get his attention. He Xuan is smiling next to Shi Qingxuan and even the emerald calamity can’t help but smile at the sight. Hua Cheng who had such a chilling air around him was suddenly so soft for the man by his side.
“It’s nice to meet Hua Cheng’s Achilles heel.” He Xuan laughed, wrapping his arms tighter around Shi Qingxuan.
“We all have one, it seems.” Hua Cheng said as he wrapped his arms around Xie Lian. It seemed everyone did.
~
Shi Wudu came face to face with his. Along with his worst nightmare. He’d been informed that a village of humans were slaughtered in one night. It was suspected it was the worst of a surpreme so he and Pei Ming were sent to investigate it. When they arrived they were appalled by what they saw. The town was torn apart, bodies lying in the streets. This was certainly the work of a calamity but something wasn’t right about it. Some of them were dead from poison and their lungs filled with water, the sign of He Xuan or rather Black Water Submerging Boats. The strange thing was that some seemed to have the literal air pulled from them. No sign of poison or water, just like their breaths had been taken.
“Could be the work of the Breathless Emerald.” Pei Ming suggested. Shi Wudu looked at him, arching a brow.
“Who?” He asked. He’d never heard of this supreme.
“Some new supreme. Apparently they take the form of a man or a woman and suck the air from people’s lungs.” Pei Ming said. Shi Wudu wondered how he hadn’t heard about this. He kept walking with Pei Ming, hoping the supreme causing this would come out. If there were two of them then Pei Ming and Shi Wudu might have to retreat. Beating one supreme is hard enough, two would be death.
“Did you hear that?” Pei Ming whispered, stopping. Shi Wudu then heard it. He could hear someone laughing, a high pitched giggle. Pei Ming slowly started walking that way, Shi Wudu following close behind. When they rounded the corner they saw He Xuan sitting on the edge of a fountain. On his lap was someone with long brown hair. They had their face buried in his neck, soft giggles escaping them.
“You’re enjoying this far too much.” He Xuan said as he ran his fingers through their hair. He looked up and saw Pei Ming and Shi Wudu, narrowing his eyes. “We have heavenly guests.”
“Oh fun.” They giggled and turned to look at Shi Wudu and Pei Ming. Both had their heavenly weapons out.
“Qingxuan?” Shi Wudu said, eyes widening as he saw his brothers face. His brothers face pale and resting against the man whose life he ruined.
“Hello brother.” Shi Qingxuan said, smiling slightly. He felt He Xuan press a kiss to the side of his head.
“That’s your brother?” Pei Ming asked, looking over at Shi Wudu. The water god could only nod his head as he watched his brother stand up.
“Yes, I’m his brother.” Shi Qingxuan answered. He felt He Xuan walked up behind him, resting his hands on Shi Qingxuan’s shoulders. “I’m guessing he’s told you about, but I’m sure he left out all the twisted things he did to save my pathetic life.”
“Qingxuan, why are you with that man?” Shi Wudu asked, lowering his sword some. Shi Qingxuan smiled wider and looked back at He Xuan.
“Silly. It’s because I love him.” Shi Qingxuan said it as if it was the most obvious thing.
“What did you do to my brother?” Shi Wudu yelled, pointing the sword at He Xuan. The supreme smiled slightly, enjoying seeing Shi Wudu so riled up.
“I’ve done nothing your brother didn’t ask me to first.” He Xuan mocked as he rubbed Shi Qingxuan’s shoulders. Shi Wudu tightened his hold on his sword. Shi Qingxuan smiled wider, tilting his head to the side.
“Brother or not, he’s working with the supreme. We gotta at least save him.” Pei Ming yelled. He turned his attention to Shi Qingxuan and ran toward him and He Xuan.
“Foolish god.” Shi Qingxuan said, flipping his fan out. With a single flick of it Pei Ming was on his knees, holding his throat. His sword fell to the ground with a clinck. Shi Wudu looked to his friend, eyes wide.
“Pei Ming, what’s wrong?” Shi Wudu yelled, running over to him. He seemed uninjuried aside from him holding his throat.
“I can’t breath.” Pei Ming gasped out. Shi Wudu looked at his brother who was smiling at the sight.
“What did you do to him?” Shi Wudu asked. He had Pei Ming in his arms. Once the man had fainted from lack of air Shi Qingxuan put his fan away.
“A simple trick. I pulled the air from his lungs.” Shi Qingxuan said with pride. This man before him wasn’t his brother anymore. It was a monster in his brothers body.
“This is our warning. Stay away from us, or else next time you won’t walk away.” He Xuan said and grabbed Shi Qingxuan’s hand. He pulled him along, walking in the opposite direction of the two gods. Shi Wudu quickly transported them back to the heavens his heart torn. His brother was alive, but at what cost.
~
“That must have been hard for you.” He Xuan said, running his fingers through Shi Qingxuan’s hair. He felt his fingers get caught on the tangles and kinks in his lovers hair. Shi Qingxuan shook his head and pressed a kiss to He Xuan’s shoulder.
“It wasn’t that hard.” Shi Qingxuan whispered, looking up at He Xuan. The supreme looked at him, golden eyes soft and he pressed a kiss to his lips.
“He’s still your brother at the end of the day.” He Xuan said, running his fingers along Shi Qingxuan’s cheek.
“I’m not his brother anymore.” Shi Qingxuan said, rubbing his nose against He Xuan’s shoulder. “I’m a supreme now, not a god. And if I’m anyones, I’m yours.” Shi Qingxuan added, climbing on top of He Xuan. his long brown hair flowing over his shoulders as he leaned over He Xuan.
“I can think of no one better to share my throne with.” He Xuan said, smiling as Shi Qingxuan grabbed his hand, kissing his fingers.
“And I can think of no one better to spend the rest of my undead life worshiping.” Shi Qingxuan said, kissing He Xuan’s wrist.
“You’re insatiable.” He Xuan teased. He watched Shi Qingxuan kiss down his arm, smiling as he did so.
“Good thing we have forever.” Shi Qingxuan said. He didn’t care that his brother knew the truth now. The god was no match for two supremes. He was no match for the demons he made.