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It had been an exceptionally good day, by Xie Lian’s standards. He had come to a nice village at the foot of a mountain where he had found some good scraps, and in exchange for doing a few chores like repairing a fence and thatching a roof, he had received a warm meal and a bed for the night. Well, rather than a bed it was a stack of hay in an old shed, but it was more comfort than he had had in weeks! And he had not even fallen off the roof or anything like that.
It really was too good to be true – so he wasn’t shocked or even put out when he was awoken by screams in the middle of the night. It was only natural that his good fortune wouldn’t last long enough to let him and those around him have a full night of peaceful slumber on top of everything else.
When he emerged from the shed, straightening his robes and petting Ruoye, hidden in his sleeve, he walked up to the old woman who had been kind enough to feed him. She was standing at her fence, shaking her head sadly as she watched the villagers run around and desperately call out names.
“Excuse me, madam, did something happen? Is there anything this scrap collector could help with?”
She sighed, her eyes filling with tears. “Ah, daozhang, it’s terrible, just terrible. The neighbour got a bad feeling in the middle of the night and went to check on her children, only to find their beds empty. It’s not the first time this has happened. Last year it was the blacksmith’s children, and the year before that my cousin’s children. They were never found, so what hope is there for the poor little ones who have vanished tonight? Why? Just why does this keep happening to our village?”
Xie Lian patted her shoulder as she cried, offering silent comfort. What words could possibly help with something like this?
He understood what had given the children’s mother such a bad feeling that she’d left her bed to check on them – the resentment in the air was so thick that he could almost taste it.
A ghost must have taken those poor children. A powerful one.
After helping the old woman inside, pouring her some tea and thanking her for her hospitality, Xie Lian went back out. The first wave of panic that had swept through the village had subsided, and the villagers were putting together a search party.
He stood there watching them for a few moments, before turning around and walking towards the treeline at the foot of the mountain, following the trail of killing intent like footsteps, the moonlight shining down on him.
Xie Lian really did try to keep to himself as much as possible. It wasn’t as if he was always looking for something to fix or for some sort of trouble. He collected his scraps and minded his own business as much as he could, but still, trouble had a way of finding him and if there was even the smallest chance that he could help, he would not turn away. Sometimes he did help, and sometimes he accidentally set something on fire in the process, but the important thing was that he always did what he could.
Moving through the trees without making any noise, Xie Lian slowed his heartbeat and stilled his mind, focusing on his senses. Aside from the resentful energy that swirled around the trunks of the trees like mist, the most peculiar thing was that it was quiet. Too quiet. There were no small creatures skittering through the undergrowth. There were no owls in the trees. There was not a single living creature nearby – it was as if something had already scared them all off before Xie Lian passed.
Just how powerful was this ghost? Was this really something that Xie Lian could handle by himself? Then again, what choice was there? Though there wasn’t much chance that the children were still alive, Xie Lian wasn’t willing to give up on them, and looking for powerful cultivators to help would take too long. Besides, he didn’t want to put anyone else in danger. Even though he had no spiritual energy and no sword, he wasn’t truly alone, after all – Ruoye was with him.
As Xie Lian approached a clearing, the eerie silence was finally broken. First there was a whimper, and then the sound of rain. How strange. There had not been a single cloud in the sky that night. He stepped out from under the cover of the trees.
The rain was warm. It coloured his robes red. It smelled like – blood. The rain was blood. Xie Lian felt his hair sticking to his scalp and looked at the splotches on his once white sleeves, pushing down the urge to sigh. Of course, he was experienced at getting bloodstains out of his robes, but it was such a hassle every time.
But he had no time to worry about that now. There was a man at the centre of the clearing, standing next to a couple of white flowers and holding a red umbrella up over his head. He was dressed in striking red robes. He had ink-black hair and elegant black boots decorated with silver chains. The murderous aura surrounding him was so strong that it was hard to breathe.
When the blood rain had stopped, Xie Lian wiped the cleanest part of his sleeve over his face and prepared himself for a fight as the ghost tucked the umbrella away and turned around. His right eye was covered by an eyepatch, and when his left eye fell on Xie Lian, he… froze. The ghost was rooted to the spot, as if he was suddenly made of marble. His eye was wide, he wasn’t breathing (not that he had to), and not even a single finger twitched.
Only his hair was moving gently with the breeze blowing through the clearing. Xie Lian couldn’t help but notice how soft it looked.
Suddenly, as if a spell had been broken, the ghost took a step towards him, slowly lifting a hand. “Y–”
Before he could even get a word out, Ruoye shot out of Xie Lian’s sleeve and pulled the ghosts arms behind his back before winding itself tightly around his upper body.
His eye still wide, the ghost looked down at himself and seemed to test the strength of the silk band. Ruoye squeezed tighter around him.
Again, Xie Lian got ready to fight. This ghost was strong. He had been roaming the mortal realm for centuries, and not once in all that time had he encountered a ghost this powerful. There was no way that he would be this easy to defeat. The scimitar at the ghost’s hip vibrated, only falling silent when he hissed at it.
Several long moments passed, and the ghost just stood there, his head slightly bowed. Xie Lian tilted his head and looked at him. There was silver jewellery around his neck and dangling from his ears. His hair was loose, aside from a single braid with a red coral pearl attached to the end. He was a full head taller than Xie Lian, who stepped closer and peered up at his face through the bangs concealing his features.
When he got close enough, he was almost sure that he saw the ghost tremble. But that must have been his imagination, or the moonlight playing tricks on him. Why would a ghost of this caliber tremble before him?
Xie Lian circled the captive ghost, thinking about what he should do. There was no sign of the children anywhere in the clearing, and overwhelmed as his senses were by the powerful killing aura, he was certain the trail ended here. So his priority should be to make sure that no one else would get hurt. He would never be able to disperse a ghost as powerful as this by himself, or convince him to pass on. He couldn’t just hand him over to some mortal cultivators either – for his own reasons, the ghost was pretending that he had been defeated, but mortals would not be able to keep him under control once he decided that the game had lasted long enough.
That left only one feasible option, though Xie Lian hated to admit it. This ghost was a big enough problem that he should be dealt with by the gods. But – well, though he had a thick face, this could get a little awkward. He rubbed his forehead, thinking, feeling the ghost’s eye on him. He was in the southeast, and he had seen a Nan Yang temple on his way to the village… Xie Lian grit his teeth. Oh, very awkward.
In the end, he settled on a plan. He would take the ghost to the temple, pray to Feng Xin to come quickly with a few deputies, and then just as Feng Xin was arriving he would leave the ghost for him to find while hiding himself in the shadows. It was hardly a dignified solution, but it would work. Hopefully.
Having come to a decision, he took hold of the ghost and hoisted him onto his shoulder like a very large, very tall sack of rice. The ghost sucked in an unnecessary, shaky breath.
He really was very quiet, Xie Lian couldn’t help but notice as he rushed away from the clearing. He didn’t protest or try to explain himself, he didn’t try to coax or threaten Xie Lian into putting him down. He didn’t struggle in any way. He just… lay draped over Xie Lian’s shoulder, keeping himself perfectly still. Maybe this ghost couldn’t talk? But that couldn’t be it; he had clearly been trying to say something when Ruoye attacked.
The ghost wasn’t heavy at all – Xie Lian had a rather easy time of it, one arm looped around his thighs to hold him steady.
Without meaning to, he suddenly thought about how he must look: like some blood-soaked ghoul kidnapping a handsome and rich young lord, even though that wasn’t the situation at all! Feeling strange, he decided to break the fragile silence.
“May I ask for your name? You don’t have to answer, of course.”
The ghost stirred, as if waking up from a dream.
“This one–” he croaked, clearing his throat before trying again. “This one is called Hua Cheng, Y– daozhang.”
His voice was strained, and it also sounded like he half expected Xie Lian to know the name. But Xie Lian had not been keeping up with news from the other two realms at all, so he honestly had no idea which ghosts and gods had risen to fame over the past few centuries.
Still, though he did not recognise the name, it sounded pleasant to his ears, and he could not stop himself from smiling as it moved over his tongue and lips for the first time. “Hua Cheng?”
“Daozhang can just call me San Lang.”
Xie Lian raised his brows and pushed aside a low branch, making sure that it didn’t snap back against his ghostly cargo. “Alright, San Lang. I’m Xie Lian. There’s no need to be so formal – I’m just a humble scrap collector, really.”
“Oh? And aside from this poor ghost, what kind of scraps does gege collect?”
Xie Lian nearly walked into a tree.
“I–I’m not – you’re not–!”
He wasn’t collecting scraps right now! And also, gege?! Sure, it was less formal, but where had that come from? He should probably protest, but… Hua Cheng had sounded genuinely interested, and oh, that felt so good. It had been so long since he really had someone to talk to. Of course, he talked to Ruoye often, and sometimes he had short conversations with people in his audience when he was busking, or he’d talk with those who gave him their scraps, but for someone to ask about his scrap collecting – even if this someone happened to be a human-devouring ghost, tied up and thrown over his shoulder – it meant so much to him.
It was a little awkward, being unable to see his conversation partner’s face, but Xie Lian didn’t let that stop him. He talked and talked, and as he talked, Hua Cheng moved his lower legs slightly, making the chains on his boots jingle. One loose end of Ruoye slid down across Xie Lian’s cheek, silently asking if it should tie the ghost’s legs together, but Xie Lian, still talking about the day he’d found a perfectly good table and chairs for a temporary home that had long since burned down, simply shook his head to tell it no.
It wasn’t like Hua Cheng was trying to kick him or get free, the movement was just… playful and happy. And Xie Lian really enjoyed the jingling sound those fine chains made. It was uplifting, somehow.
“You know, gege,” Hua Cheng said when there was a short silence, “now that you have managed to capture me like this, you should be properly rewarded for your trouble. I happen to be quite rich, and I can have my subordinate pay you a handsome sum for my release. Then once I’m free, I can take you to my city to give you even more.”
What?! Hua Cheng didn’t sound like he was afraid of being punished by the Heavens and trying to get out of it. Even though Xie Lian could not see his face, he was sure he sounded completely serious, like he would gladly give Xie Lian all of his money. But why was this making Xie Lian feel like he was some bandit, holding a sect leader’s son hostage for ransom?! That wasn’t what was happening here at all!
“Ah, San Lang, I couldn’t possibly. I don’t need money.”
“Hmmm,” Hua Cheng hummed, as his boots jingled happily. “Forgive me for saying this, gege, but I have noticed that for a cultivator, you are low on spiritual energy.”
“There’s nothing to forgive,” Xie Lian said, smiling. “I have no spiritual energy at all.”
“And I have plenty. Since this one is at your mercy, you can just take what you need.” Hua Cheng squirmed slightly – just for emphasis.
“Take–?!” Now Xie Lian was starting to feel like he wasn’t just a kidnapper carrying off a wealthy gongzi, but a robber as well!
“Don’t worry, gege, I will gladly give it to you.”
Xie Lian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“San Lang, don’t tease me. What would a simple scrap collector like me do with so much spiritual energy?”
“I can think of a few things. Let me know if you change your mind.”
Xie Lian was blushing furiously, wishing he could hide his face behind his hands, or at least wash off the blood so he would look less like a hungry creature taking a tender piece of meat back to its lair.
Just as they were about to leave the forest, Xie Lian almost tripped over a tree root, and though he managed to stay on his feet, Hua Cheng got jostled in his struggle. He groaned softly, to Xie Lian’s great concern. Even as he kept walking, he did everything he could to make sure that his captive was comfortable, adjusting his grip on him and noticing just how long and slender those legs were.
When the Nan Yang temple came into view, there was one question that Xie Lian needed to ask, even though he already knew the answer. He’d known it from the moment he left the village, but still, he needed to hear it. “Where are the children, San Lang?”
“The children are gone, gege. I’m sorry.”
Xie Lian hummed. As expected. What he had not expected, however, was for the ghost to apologise. Why would he do that? Normally, ghosts would jump at the chance to talk about their woes and their grudges. … Normally, ghosts wouldn’t have been so docile and pleasant to begin with.
He was still thinking about it when they entered the temple. It was blessedly empty at this hour of the night, and Xie Lian carefully put Hua Cheng down in a sitting position with his back against the wall to the right of the altar. Crouching down in front of the ghost, Xie Lian regarded him for a long moment, by the low light of the nearby brazier. Which Hua Cheng must have just lit – Xie Lian certainly didn’t do it.
The form that this ghost had taken was certainly amazing. His hair was smooth and shiny, consisting of thousands upon thousands of individual hairs, making it completely indistinguishable from a human’s. His skin was just as perfect – Xie Lian fought down the urge to reach out and touch his cheek, remembering what Hua Cheng had said about being at his mercy. He was not some abductor!
Hua Cheng looked back at him, and there was something in his gaze that Xie Lian couldn’t quite place. It felt like something he had known once, but long since forgotten. It burned without causing harm, and Xie Lian was not afraid of it. Even so, whatever it was, it was so intense that he was rather glad that he was crouching low to the floor – he might have experienced what it was like to get ‘weak at the knees’ otherwise.
He turned away from the look in Hua Cheng’s eye and got to his feet to light some incense and send an urgent prayer to Feng Xin. Xie Lian could only hope that it would reach him even without an offering. He felt around in his sleeves but he really didn’t have anything of value on him. Even the scraps he’d collected the day before had been left behind at the village.
“If gege needs an offering–”
“No!”
Though it had been a long time since Xie Lian had seen Feng Xin, he believed that he was dedicated to protecting the mortals in his territory, and he would come without delay upon hearing that a ghost who had been making such trouble was currently detained at one of his temples.
Having concluded his prayer, Xie Lian knew that he should be getting ready to hide. Really, it would be too embarrassing to meet Feng Xin now. For one thing, he was covered in blood.
But, feeling Hua Cheng’s gaze on his back, he turned back to him and crouched in front of him again. Of course, it was because he couldn’t simply leave Ruoye!
“San Lang, why did you choose that village? Do you have a grudge against anyone there? Have they wronged you? And why do you take children?”
It was just that something didn’t make sense! Yes, Hua Cheng’s resentful energy was strong, but he was so… well, he was nice, and being near him made Xie Lian feel so–
“I didn’t take the children, gege.”
Xie Lian felt like a pit had opened up underneath his feet.
“W–what?”
“A ghost came to my city and tore apart some ghost children who were exploring the woods just beyond the borders. I tracked it here to take vengeance.”
Xie Lian clutched his own head between both hands, pressing his fingertips against his temples. “You dispersed it?”
Hua Cheng nodded, looking relaxed and quite content, like he hadn’t been wronged terribly. “And then gege found me.”
“But–” Xie Lian’s mind was spinning. “But you let me capture you and – and take you with me! Why didn’t you say anything?!”
Something tender entered Hua Cheng’s gaze. “I’d been hoping to meet you for so long.”
“Wh–”
“Your Highness?!”
Xie Lian closed his eyes in mortification. Oh no. He’d been so preoccupied that he hadn’t been on the lookout for Feng Xin and now he was right there, next to him. Ah, he really wasn’t ready to face him, especially looking like this. There was absolutely nothing left of his thick face.
But when he finally turned to look up at Feng Xin, his former deputy wasn’t looking at him – he was staring down at the still-bound Hua Cheng, his mouth opening and closing like he was a fish on dry land.
His eyes snapped to Xie Lian, and then back to Hua Cheng, as he clearly struggled to figure out which question to ask first.
Finally, Xie Lian decided that he should start. “Hello, Feng Xin, it’s nice to see you,” he said, accompanied by an awkward little wave.
“Your Highness,” Feng Xin rasped, a vein throbbing in his forehead, “are you – why is Crimson Rain Sought Flower here?”
“Crimson…?” Xie Lian glanced at Hua Cheng. There was something dark in his eye as he looked up at Feng Xin, and three silver butterflies were fluttering just above his head. They were bright and translucent, leaving a trail of sparkles in their wake as they appeared to play together. Oh, but they were beautiful!
“Your Highness, you haven’t heard of Crimson Rain Sought Flower? Hua Cheng? THE GHOST KING?!”
What was Xie Lian supposed to say! He’d been living a simple life in the mortal realm for hundreds of years and he didn’t know anything about ghost kings. But he sounded like someone important, and oh no, Hua Cheng was still restrained. Truly, Xie Lian wanted to run outside and find a hole to bury himself in.
“I'm so sorry. Ruoye, come back,” he whispered hurriedly. Ruoye reluctantly let go of its prize and coiled around Xie Lian’s wrist.
“What the fuck was that?!” Feng Xin wanted to know, but he took a step back and took his bow in hand when Xie Lian helped Hua Cheng to his feet, the deputy officials behind him following suit.
Xie Lian could hardly look Hua Cheng in the eye, taking note of the calluses on his palm and the cool, slender fingers before realising that he’d been holding his hand for much too long and quickly dropping it. He bowed low. “San Lang, I mean, my lord? I was wrong. If there’s anything this one can do to make it up to you–”
“Your Highness, please stop.” Hua Cheng took him gently by the shoulders and made him stand upright. When Xie Lian looked at him, he could see the discomfort in his eye. “Just San Lang is fine, gege. And it was an honour to meet you tonight. But if you really want to make it up to me – why not come to my residence, so I can treat you to a meal, let you have a bath, and give you a new robe?”
Feng Xin moved from one foot to the other. “Gege?! But– wait– that’s not–”
Xie Lian didn’t pay him any mind as he looked up at Hua Cheng through his lashes. “Doesn’t that sound more like San Lang would be making it up to me…”
“You did get caught in my blood rain.” Hua Cheng’s eye was large and pleading, and Xie Lian could simply not say no to him.
“Alright, San Lang. I would like to see your city.”
“Your Highness!” Feng Xin exclaimed, drawing his bow. “You can’t go with him! It’s not safe!”
“This is a very nice temple, General Nan Yang,” Hua Cheng commented idly. “It would be a shame if something happened to it.”
Xie Lian turned around, standing in front of Hua Cheng and waving his hands. “Ah, put it down, Feng Xin. It's all a misunderstanding - that ghost was already taken care of. Thank you for worrying about me, but I’ll be perfectly alright. You have to admit that I do need a bath.”
If Hua Cheng wanted to hurt him, he could have done so already, many times over. They both knew that he’d only been playing along. And there was something about him… something that felt right in a way that Xie Lian could not explain.
I’d been hoping to meet you for so long.
Ah, he really wanted to know what he had meant!
The next moment, a cloud of silver butterflies enveloped Xie Lian from behind. They fluttered around him, towards Feng Xin and his deputies. He heard the men yell and run around, and then, there in the silver glow, Hua Cheng took his hand. Xie Lian turned towards him, and though he was still rather embarrassed, he smiled.
“Does gege trust me?” Hua Cheng asked softly. Xie Lian didn’t even have to think about it.
“Yes,” he breathed.
Hua Cheng grinned happily and threw a pair of dice up in the air.
When the butterflies were gone and the temple was quiet except for the moans and complaints of the wounded, Feng Xin swore loudly and raised his fingers to his temple.
“Mu Qing! Fuck, I know you're not busy, stop ignoring me, will you! This is urgent. That bastard Crimson Rain Sought Flower has taken His Highness! … WHICH ONE DO YOU THINK?!”