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Hua Cheng stood in the flames of the armory that once had been a well organized unit of the finest swords and weapons he could possibly get his hands on, meant only for one person. The same person who had caused said flames. But he felt no anger. No disappointment. He honestly felt nothing at all.
Yet for some reason, it felt as though his breath was pulled from his lungs, and his heart from his chest, even though those things have long been unnecessary to him. He felt none of the chaos around him. The heat of the now raging fire felt like ice on his skin, and the harsh whipping of the chilling summoned wing felt like molten lava rushing over him.
Then, with a snap, everything shifts into dark and heavy anguish. His breathing seems to come back to him in breathy pants. His fists tighten at his sides and nails sharpen until they are burrowing deeply into his palms.
He doesn’t even notice that E-ming is rattling from his waist as tears fill the curse reddened eye. He doesn’t want to acknowledge the cursed thing after what just happened. His Highness is completely out of eyesight by the time San Lang makes any substantial movement.
First he falls to his knees, uncaring as the flames slowly lick at the fine robes he wears. Then slowly, with hands and arms shaking, he releases his fists to reach up towards his face. He doesn’t even know what he is planning to do, too caught up in the emotions tearing through his chest and throat with devastating force.
He can’t feel the stinging as his claws move past the eye patch and dig through the skin of the empty eye socket. The blood that starts to flow freely doesn’t feel warm, not anymore with his death centuries ago. Instead it burns icy and sharp. The sensation isn’t enough though.
At first he can’t see anything around him from the shock alone. Now, it's from the tears that fill his remaining eye and refuse to stop no matter how much is spilling at once. And once he realizes that he’s crying, he digs his fingers in deeper. How DARE he be the one crying right now! His Highness got hurt from his own actions, from the blade created to protect His God, and here he is feeling sorrow? How despicable Hua Cheng thinks of himself.
And so he forces the guilty pain away, replacing it with self destructive and vicious rage. It’s the only thing he feels he deserves right now. The tearing, frantic pain as he attempts to burrow into his skull now. Blood is spurting more than it streams out of the wound now, but none of it matters to San Lang. He needs the punishment for his actions. If His God can not deliver it to him, then he will do it himself in the meantime.
Quickly he rips the hand that's sunk into his skin, taking with his chunks of dead flesh that he has no interest in cleaning up any time soon. With the same hand he reaches for E-ming. E-ming is an extension of himself after all. It needs to be punished as well. It was what had dealt the cut to Gege, had caused him to shed blood, to feel pain.
As he grabs E-ming’s quivering hilt Hua Cheng almost wishes he had never given Gege his ashes, just so he himself could crush them in his palm at that moment. It wasn’t the first time he had had the idea but this was by far the most he'd wished for it at once. But his ashes were for His God to do with as he wishes. If His Highness didn’t want to crush them yet then he will suffer his punishment as long as Gege wishes him to without complaint.
E-ming is still shaking in his bloodied palm. The shivering blade knows what is coming, and as much as he knows they deserve it, he still hates harming his master. The blade watches as its master continues to pant, how much of it is from agony or from the smoke that is quickly filling around them is unclear, but it knows that it doesn’t matter. It will end mostly the same anyways. With gore and mutilation.
Hua Cheng brings the scimitar up and over his head before swiftly bringing it down and forcing it through his stomach and into his guts. Blood spurts from his mouth and drips down E-ming, hitting the charred floor in thick drops. The fire has grown more to the point it's completely enveloping them now. The heat is slowly melting the jewelry decorating the ghost lord, causing it to sear his skin. He deserves the burning though, a way to purify him of his mistakes.
E-ming can feel as his master's spiritual energy attempts to heal the body but with the scimitar still plunged through his gut it can’t close up, causing more damage as the flesh continues to repeatedly re-heal only to be sliced apart once more.
Hua Cheng lets go of the hilt once more to shred himself apart again. Starting with his empty eye again. This time instead of clawing into himself he drags his talon like nails down from his eyebrow, through the gore already adoring his face and down his neck. It stops at his jugular where he proceeds to crush it easily, bringing his other hand up to slash it open.
Just as his hands start to slip down more to his chest a force stops him. Fury fills his thoughts when he realizes it's someone who is stopping him, Yin Yu specifically. Too caught up in his own dilemmas, he must not have sensed his approach, and definitely not seen the fear painting his assistants' expression.
Hua Cheng attempts to pull away from Yin Yu’s grasp but is somehow unsuccessful. With his mind in complete disarray and his physical body heavily damaged it’s not that shocking that he is unable to over power him right now. However his failure only causes him more outrage. He uses that anger and pulls with more force to release just one wrist and twists E-ming out of himself to slash at his officer.
The strike doesn’t hit but it does force Yin Yu away, letting Hua Cheng to continue his path of destruction upon himself. He exposes his own ribs to the roaring flames and cracks them like twigs in his palm. As he’s reaching for his organs to cut open Yin Yu is once again holding his arms behind his back.
Hua Cheng’s rage is so consuming he can’t even speak, can not yell at Yin Yu to release him this instant and leave him to his annihilation. Instead feral growls and roars echo through the air. With his voice box mostly in ruin it only adds to the terror filling and fueling his entire being. It reaches so far that every ghost in ghost city will tell you they heard it as if it was next to them.
Yin Yu knows he alone can not stop Hua Cheng as he aches with pain and regret for His God. The same way he knows that he is most likely going to get seriously hurt if he keeps trying to restrain His Lord alone. As the banished god thinks of what he could possibly do, Hua Cheng is flinging him away again.
Yin Yu hits the wall hard, causing him to halt for a minute to get his bearings back together. In the time spent recuperating Hua Cheng goes back to his self mutilation. The act of watching somehow feels almost as painful to Yin Yu as when he was banished. The Lord who had given him a second chance, a purpose again is now falling apart at the seams both figuratively and literally right in front of him, and he can hardly do anything to slow it down, let alone stop it completely. Yin Yu knows there is no one else physically capable of stopping his ruination. However there is one who can break through his mental torture with words alone.
So in a desperate act Yin Yu releases the largest burst of spiritual energy he can manage. The same way He Xuan had released a flaming dragon in mimicry of the heavenly officials, a burst of light shoots into the sky. Yin Yu’s energy is far too little to make any discernible shape but he prays it will be enough. Prays that The Crown Prince will hear his plea and understand what is needed of him.
In the short time that the light burns out and Yin Yu starts to black out from exertion Hua Cheng has pulled a majority of his guts out and onto the floor surrounding him. It’s horrifying and Yin Yu can only tear up as his vision finally fades and he goes fully unconscious.
Xie Lian’s POV
Xie Lian is at a loss for what to do as they make their escape. The damage is far greater than what can be easily reversed and all he can think is how much of it was his fault, his terrible luck and for lying to San Lang in the first place. From their first meeting Xie Lian quickly grew accustomed to San Lang’s expressions, in a heartbeat he could tell when San Lang’s lighthearted demeanor was that of a mask. Which is why it shocked him so much that he suddenly couldn’t read him at all as the group of heavenly officials made their escape.
It’s not much longer before the armory he was so eagerly gifted starts to fade to being only a blur of flame. Oh how desperately he hopes that San Lang will forgive him when they meet again. Until then though, Xie Lian must focus on what's to come ahead. He doesn’t imagine the meeting of the heavens will be good with the information of the Earth Master being harmed.
While Xie Lain thinks of how disastrous this meeting could possibly be there is a sudden pressure applied to his arm that startles him out of his own head. Looking over he sees that Lord Wind Master is worriedly applying pressure to his arm. Xie Lian wasn’t really worried about the pain, seeing as he could hardly feel any pain at all, but he did want to soothe Shi Qingxuan at least a little.
“Shi Qingxuan, please do not worry. I am ok and hardly feel the cut at all.We will be at the heavens soon anyways where I can be healed quickly and easily.” He attempts to steady Shi Qingxuan’s hand while giving her a gentle smile. While it works a little, it doesn’t stop them from worrying about the other crown prince that has gone entirely silent behind them.
“Ok ok I’ll stop fussing about you so much, but Lang Qianqiu is still far too silent for my liking back there. Do you know what happened? It was you who stopped the fight right? And that’s how you got the cut?” Xie Lian ignores the whisper under Wind Master's breath about him forgetting he was a martial god to begin with for both their sakes and nods with a hum.
“I stopped the blow between the two but if that was the cause of Lang Qianqiu becoming silent or not is lost to me.” Before more can be speculated the group of officials reach the gates to heaven and start to hurry along to the capital. Hopefully there’s someone there who can heal Earth Master without much trouble.
As soon as they enter the hall someone is there to patch up Earth Master to Xie Lain’s relief. The relief is short-lived however as soon as they reach the front of the hall and bow before the emperor. As another healing official makes their way to Xie Lian’s direction he suddenly feels someone else grabbing at his wrist.
“Lang Qianqiu, what are you doing?! His Highness needs to be healed!” Shi Qingxuan exclaims while Xie Lian tries to calm them down once more.
“Wind Master, please calm down. I will heal quickly even if this is left untreated, and I’m sure Lord Tai Hua has a good reason.” He nervously chuckles at the end and prays that it’s enough to keep everyone from growing more anxious.
However, just as Lang Qianqiu was about to continue, face full of rage, the heaven’s very subtly shook in place. A hush falls over the entire place, many looking around in confusion about what is happening. Other’s look to Jun Wu, who seems just as lost as the others are, only hiding it a miniscule better. As some middle court official goes to ask what is going on, a faint light breaches from below them. The same way a distress call would, this one far less intense than most would be though.
“What’s happening? Who could possibly be in trouble now?” Looking to the emperor once again provides no help, instead he seems far more confused than anyone else there now. As gods look around to their neighbors and see who may be missing, Xie Lian is frozen in place. The light that is so lightly shining through the floor is now formed directly in front of him in a familiar shape. A small butterfly. It seems that Shi Qingxuan notices it as well, hearing his soft gasp from next to him.
With no hesitation Xie Lian is turning and running out of the room, completely ignoring the shouts of his name and asking where he’s going. None if it could possibly matter to him right now. Not when someone had sent a distress signal with his San Lang’s symbol for the entirety of the heavens to see.
In barely any time at all he is once again back at the heavenly gates and jumping from them without stopping for a single second. He just hoped enough of San Lang’s luck was still with him that he could land where they had left from. He can hardly hold back his relief when he does land as planned. However it’s very short lived.
In front of him is the still blazing armory. Ghosts are running here and there so frantically that it’s hard for Xie Lian to make out what exactly is going on around him. He rushes to the front in order to get a better idea but all he can see is more ghosts pulling someone out of the wreckage. His breath stops when he realizes it’s Yin Yu. He’s suddenly running forward once more and helping to pull Yin Yu out himself.
Xie Lian is hysterical asking question after question now. “What happened? Why are you hurt? Who did it? Was it you who sent that distress call? Where is San Lang.” Many ghosts are looking at him with the same level of loss. Yin Yu groans from his place on the street ground, staining it with blood that doesn’t seem to be coming from him, when someone from the crowd finally speaks up.
“The place just suddenly caught ablaze. No one knows what happened or where Lord Chengzhu is. The fire and smoke is too thick for us to get through right now.” Xie Lain’s heart stops once more when he hears that no one even knows where San Lang is. He just prays that it means he got out of there safely.
Before more can be said Yin Yu is releasing a louder groan and is shakily sitting up. He looks to Xie Lian, blood slowly trickling from his head. “Your Highness,” His voice is faint as he attempts to speak. “Inside. Hua Cheng- He’s still inside.”
Xie Lian’s breathing stopped. The world turned blurry as he tried to process what Yin Yu had told him. Why would San Lang still be inside? The place was burning to utter rubble. It had all but fully collapsed by this time. San Lang is far stronger and fast enough to escape with ease so why would he still be in there. Does that mean the blood not from Yin Yu’s head is… He stops himself from following the thought any further.
Many are starting to panic around him hearing that their Lord was still inside. Some were attempting to run back in but it was hopeless with the heat and falling timber. Xie Lian ignores it though. Right now he just wanted to get in and find San Lang . He looks around at the damage, quickly scanning in search of a good opening but in all honestly no option is good when the entire building is inflamed.
Seeing that no way was particularly good Xie Lian makes up his mind to just pick the first spot in front of him. It’s not like he could die after all. He could though. He just won't stay dead. He never does.
“Yin Yu, I’m sorry to leave you like this but I must. I’m sure someone here will be able to help soon.” With no reply back he gets up and is making his way to the small opening still burning. Coming up on it even a few feet away he can feel the amount of heat that is radiating from the flames. He refuses to stop though, not when San Lang could be suffering far worse from his misfortune. He must do all he can now to repay for what he’s done.
Without delay he is soon ducking under fallen beams, doing his best to avoid being hit by the flames that lick up around him. It’s more complicated when not even three steps ahead the path is blocked meaning he’d have to find a way through or around the pile. It seems like his best option is over it where the fire is less dense. With no other option Xie Lian can take quickly he covers his face with the sleeves of his robe to lower the amount of smoke he will definitely inhale and leaps up.
Immediately the air is thicker and the heat is more of a suffocation than it is a searing force. The heat waves are making the scene around him wobble and sweat is starting to drip out of every pore. The discomfort is nothing to him as he continues to search for San Lang in all the chaos. Calling for him would be useless with how loud the inferno is.
Xie Lian attempts to head to the last place he recalls seeing San Lang last but recognizing which spot it was is difficult when all of it is being consumed with flames and most spots have fallen to the ground in blackened cinders. A flash of silver sparkles from his right and snapping his head in the direction he spots E-ming. The blade doesn’t seem to know he’s there yet but it is shivering from its spot, pointed end piecing the floor and hilt facing up. What ultimately catches Xie Lian’s attention though is the dark liquid coating almost the whole weapon. Even the hilt seems to be smeared in it. There is nothing else it can be but blood, as much as he wants to deny it, he knows with deep experience that’s all it can be.
The idea of it being more of San Lang’s blood has him freezing in place, completely paralyzed with the fear that someone he’s grown so close to being so hurt once again, that he'll have to witness it again in his long lifetime. His eyes tear away from E-ming but only because he catches movement. A pale and shaking hand, soaked with blood just as the blade is, reaching up from behind a pile of fallen roof to grab hold of the handle of E-ming. The living weapon’s eye is wildly looking around in panic, until it lands on Xie Lian, eye filling with tears that quickly mix with the wet blood below.
As the hand gains a little more strength now and pulls the scimitar up Xie Lian finally regains his movement, racing forward to find exactly who he knows is lifting the sharp end to face the wielder's direction. Just as Xie Lian finally reaches the bottom of the pile he stood on and rounds the corner he finally finds who he’s been looking for.
And what a sight it is. This time however, instead of the feeling of dread he got from the blood earlier, now he feels pure terror. The image in front of him is graphic, more than he has ever witnessed before. San Lang is in front of him, not in his power inspiring glory, but with the look of a man ripped apart ten times over. Xie Lian has seen anger used with violence against others before but this? This was so different, instead turned inwards on oneself.
In front of him is San Lang who is being cradled with flames, clothes turned crisp and the jewels he dons himself in now creating rivers of melting flesh and charing bone, causing small wisps of smoke to drift about. Xie Lian is more focussed on the blade being swiftly drawn forward and plunged it into his already ripped open chest, straight into the heart that has stopped beating long ago. His ribs are broken open and outward making it possible to see into his chest cavity, the skin around and below shredded beyond comparison. Following it down he could see San Lang’s guts spilling out over his thighs and onto the burning wood below. As bad as it looked, the worst was his face. It was hard to see under all the blood but Xie Lian could just make out the empty socket that was torn open even more, and peer past the bone sticking out into what seemed like his brain matter.
This time Xie Lian didn’t stop from the shock. All he wanted to do right now was make San Lang stop. For a second Xie Lian wonders if this is how that little ghost fire felt in that temple… Not that he could think about that much right now. He had to focus on getting San Lang to stop mutilating himself. Now directly in front of the ghost king he carefully falls to a crouch and grab at E-ming. He holds tightly to the blade itself, just below the hand guard and pulls as quickly but carefully as he can. E-ming is now joined in trying to help, as much as the weapon will follow his master’s command, Xie Lian was always priority over the other.
San Lang growls, well, Xie Lian can assume that's what he does considering his voice box and windpipe is destroyed at the moment, making the sound come out cracked and broken. San Lang’s left eye snaps up to fully look at whoever may be stopping him. Xie Lian doesn’t think he can actually tell what is going on around him though with how shrunken the pupil is and hazy the look he’s giving is. With the distraction Xie Lian can finally get E-ming out of his grasp and the poor blade is quivering while it goes to hide behind the fallen god.
With the scimitar now out of his hands San Lang is preparing to dig his claws in once more but Xie Lian stops him before he gets far, grabbing his wrists as gently as he can while still keeping the grip firm enough to keep them from harming again. Xie Lian doesn’t know what to do from here. He knows that if he were to release even one hand that San Lang would take the opportunity but the damage to his body is too great to heal on its own, not without things being placed back where they should go.
While the once crowned prince is thinking on what to do next, San Lang’s mind is starting to clear up slightly. His vision is barely coming back to him but he can make out the color of white. The same white as His Highness’s robes. The thought has him pause from his struggle to escape for a second. No, why would Gege be here now at all? E-ming slashed him, I hurt him. He should not be back. Unless he has returned to punish him… And finally San Lang is fully back to the present. If His Highness is here to finally hand out his punishment he should be fully aware of what it is to not disappoint again.
However, when Xie Lian is now completely clear before him, he does not see anger. He does not see disappointment. He is honestly quite surprised to see fear on His God’s face. Fear of what he is unsure but the realization startles him, His God should never be scared, he must fix it at once.
“Your Highness…” San Lang attempts to say but the words only come out in gargles. For a second Hua Cheng is confused and looks around. His weaponry is still burning, in fact the flames are right beside him. He can see as they incinerate the clothes he is wearing, and finally feel how the silver is dripping onto his skin. He still does not feel the pain though. He does feel as His Highness tugs lightly at his hands. Looking back towards him he can see that Xie Lian is trying to pull him up. He vowed to always follow His God so the ghost immediately is attempting to stand and follow him once more.
He doesn’t get very far though. His legs shake and his knees are hitting the boards below him again. Confused, he looks down at what is causing the inconvenience. He does not expect to see his own body so mangled. Muffled His Highness’s voice is just barely cutting through the fog overtaking his mind.
“...get up…. ave to leave…. now!” Is all that reaches the ghost's ears but he can understand what is being told to him. His God wants them to leave. Simple, he can do that. Anything for His God and only beloved. Gathering as much strength as he can, which is far less than he thought was possible, San Lang is once again picking one leg up. The process is slow, slower than he would have liked, wanting to do as His God asks of him instantly. Thankfully Xie Lian is helping him along, holding up his weight where San Lang can’t. So so careful not to touch the gore marking his body, as caring as always for those who do not deserve it.
Just a few paces more and they are finally out of the flames and stumbling onto a hidden side street. The city isn’t far from them, faint shouts coming from it, but it's a path the inhabitants rarely use with how close it cuts to their lord's manor. Xie Lian is gently laying San Lang down on the stone, ignoring the blood still seeping out and making its way into his once pristine robes, wholly unworried about the fact that it would never wash out once stained to it. It’s far from his concern now when all Xie Lian is focused at the moment is getting his freed organs back into his body again and the bones set to face the right direction.
The feeling of the rock now placed under his back is cool, making San Lang realize that feeling is returning to him, including the sharp stinging of chilled air rushing over exposed guts. San Lang hopes His Highness will forgive him for being such a horrid sight. Not that he can ask for it right now. He can’t see it but from what happened earlier Hua Cheng can only guess that his neck is still tattered.
Xie Lian is kneeling next to him and San Lang wishes so badly he could tell him to stop kneeling, that he is not worth even a head bow in the presence of His God. He will just have to remind him later. He watches in a daze as Xie Lain’s hands shake while reaching for his innards. With the gentleness similar to a flower in a light spring gust, he is picking up his guts and slowly placing them back in him. Organ by organ San Lang watches in a sort of out of body way. He doesn’t feel any of it even though he knows that these wounds are far too major to simply pass off without a thought.
Once everything is back inside, not in any sort of order, Xie Lian and moving up to his chest now. Looking at it more clearly himself now San Lang can see that almost all the bones are snapped in some way. The ones over his heart seem to have completely disappeared, probably thrown to the side and now burning under rubble. His other ribs are pulled out of the way, some barely hanging from the scraps of charred skin that still stick to the snapped pieces.
The process of getting bones out from other bone and spread out over his chest seems to go by much quicker but Xie Lain is hesitating on what to do next. His own spiritual energy is severely low and it’s obvious that San Lang is still not in the right mindset to let himself heal. Asking San Lang for energy so he could heal him instead doesn’t sound unreasonable but the idea of asking San Lang for anything right now feels wrong.
Thankfully a shuffle of feet walking on the stone draws his attention away to who has found him. Xie Lian could not be happier when Wind Master holding up a still weak Yin Yu walks around the corner. Yin Yu looks to his Lord with worry and regret. Xie Lian thinks that Yin Yu must have been the one to have found San Lang as per the blood coating his own hands and arms. Wind Master however must have followed him from the Heavens. Xie Lian could not feel more relieved to see Shi Qingxuan. A friend like them would be ecstatic to help a friend in need.
“Oh my God’s! What happened to him?” Shi Qingxuan asks with a shake in their voice. Xie Lian knows that the scene painted in front of them is far from that of comfort. Blood must be coating his body and especially pronounced as it paints the ground below San Lang’s disfigured body. Xie Lian has much larger things to worry about right now though.
“Oh thank the heavens. I need help. I can’t heal him and he won’t heal himself.” Xie Lian quickly explains as the two make their way towards him and Crimson Rain's body. As they get closer Xie Lian can start to see that Yin Yu is much worse for wear than he originally thought. The wound on his head has stopped bleeding but still looks tender. It must be bad enough if his spiritual energy still hasn’t fully healed it yet.
Those details still don’t matter to Xie Lian though. Looking back to San Lang he can see that he’s starting to go back into a daze. The exhaustion of a mental breakdown and heavy wounding must be catching up to him now. The ex martial god knows that San Lang sleeping would most likely speed up the healing time but he is unsure of the extent of the damage. A head injury, as much as it wouldn’t kill someone already dead with ashes still unharmed, could lead to many difficulties.
Gently, with as much care as he can possibly use, Xie Lian places a hand under San Lang’s head and lifts to get a better look. Not like it's that easy. So much blood is still dripping from the harm. Running into his pitch black hair and tangling it as it spills. Xie Lian gives up trying to look when he finds it impossible to see through the blood and other flesh shreds that are tangling together.
With Shi Qingxuan now next to him and Yin Yu sitting on the other side of San Lang, Xie Lian is quick to turn to The Wind Master.
“Please help him Shi Qingxuan, please I beg of you. I will do anything you ask of me in the future.” Xie Lian’s voice is strained and wispy while he pleads for help. The words have not even finished leaving his lips when Shi Qingxuan is already reaching out and sending spiritual power into San Lang’s body. Xie Lian feels himself sigh with some relief. As much as he wishes he could do more, there is nothing he has the ability to help with in this situation. All he can do at the moment is wait.
He does know that he can help with San Lang’s mental state though. Looking to Yin Yu it's easy to see that he is beyond worried for his Lord and in the same boat as Xie Lian when it comes to spiritual energy matters. He also knows that if it was Yin Yu who sent the distress call then that most likely means he could not help snap San Lang out of it alone. Quietly Xie Lian moves to sit next to San Lang’s head and run his already bloodied hand through the supreme ghost lord's hair. It might even help to bring San Lang back to the present as well. At least enough to where he can start to heal himself a little alongside Wind Master.
And Xie Lian is so thankful his luck hasn’t ruined anything else as of the fire and the fact something after what he did caused San Lang to tear himself apart. But he can’t think like that right now. He needs to look at the positives right now when San Lang, very obviously, can’t. Slowly, as if drifting through the wind, Xie Lian can see San Lang’s mind catching up to itself. For a second all he does is blink, but it's enough. Enough for Xie Lian to know that his San Lang is returning.
With an inhale San Lang is starting to look around himself, catching sight of the gods and where they ended up when escaping the armory. Which then comes the realization that he still must look terrible in front of His Highness. Looking in His God’s direction, directly above him, he can see all the red that is staining His Highness. San Lang used to think that His Highness would look delectable in red, and he had when he walked him through the barrier back on that mountain. His God draped in robes, much cheaper looking than he would ever provide, he almost dropped to the floor from happiness. His imagination would never do the real thing justice. This was so much different though. This red was dirty, tainted with hatred. It disgusted him that he would ever paint His God in the vile material. He may be selfish but this was beyond what he ever wanted.
Looking at Xie Lian’s expression though all he could see was hope and slight relief. It was so confusing for the ghost king who had only ever known himself as filth to be looked at with such compassion. It scared him but he would never tell His God how he should and shouldn’t look and treat him. His only purpose was to follow His Highness’s word and he will live with anything demanded of him from Gege. A demand Xie Lian did.
Noticing that San Lang was gaining consciousness he started to speak to him. “San Lang, there is something I need you to do for me, ok? It is very important. You must start healing yourself. Wind Master will only be able to do so much with how bad of a state you’re in so you are going to need to help.” Xie Lian tries to explain as least shaky as possible, hoping San Lang won’t start to worry himself. Thankfully it seems like he understands enough to do as he’s asked without much hesitation.
Slowly but surely San Lang’s bones start to mend and his skin stitches itself back together once more. It’s slower than Xie Lian would like but it would have to be enough. He will look on the bright side that San Lang is making an effort to heal himself now. It's a small win but Xie Lian has learned the small fortunes are just as important when it comes to his bad luck. He tries to ignore that he ever had to see his dearest person in such a distressed state before however.
Once San Lang has fully healed everyone slowly lifts him so he is sitting up right once more. San Lang hangs his head in shame, letting his ink black hair cover what is now uncovered from the lost eye patch. Shame starts to overwhelm him when he catches sight of Yin Yu looking at him with worry. He feels even worse when he recalls how he harshly flung him away when he was just trying to help His Lord. With a quick flick of his wrist a few of his Wraith Butterflies lift from his vambraces and lead their way to heal the damage on Yin Yu. As much as their Lord acts stand-offish, Yin Yu has been a dear subject of his for far too long for him to not be grateful for.
Once the butterflies disappeared back to their resting spot once more an awkward silence filled the small alley. No one knew what to say exactly. The situation wasn’t exactly one that could be easily brushed away as much as San Lang wished it to be so.
“I suppose we should inform the city that I am fine.” San Lang hopes it sounds reasonable enough that the others will let him. When he tries to stand, multiple hands are stopping him however.
“My Lord, I will do that for you. I thank you for your kindness in healing me, but let me as your assistant take care of this for now. I think that you and His Highness should rest back at your manor.” When Yin Yu finishes speaking Shi Qingxuan perks up in worried eagerness.
They speak quickly “Yes! I agree! I’m sure you two need the most rest right now and I can return to the heaven’s and try to come up with a story to tell them! I’ll do my best to make sure none of those nosier god’s attempt to bother you two. Sounds good? Great!” Before Xie Lian can even nod or thank them they are standing and pulling Yin Yu up with them, trotting out of the alleyway and back to the chaotic streets with a wave goodbye behind them.
“Ah Wind Master sure is kind…” Xie Lian says watching them go, hoping that it may ease the tension if just slightly.
San Lang speaks up, his voice cracking from its recent trauma and healing. “Yes I suppose so…” His voice trailing off with indecision before he thinks of what to say next. Xie Lian sees that San Lang wants to say more and allows him the silence to sort out what it is he wants to say.
San Lang shifts to his knees, ignoring the aches of his whole body, and bows his head to the ground. Xie Lian is shocked to see a display and is cut off by San Lang before he can tell him to stop.
“Your Highness, I am deeply sorry you had to see such actions from me… You should have never witnessed such a thing and I shall do whatever you ask of me in forgiveness.” Xie Lian is now dumbfounded and finally finds the words he wants to say.
“San Lang! Please do not say such things. I feel as though in such a short time we have grown so close that I want to see you in all your moments, whether they be of glory or of despair. To be fortunate enough to witness you at your worst and help in the after is an honor…” Xie Lian realizes how intimate his words could be taken but he knows speaking the truth is what he wishes the most right now.
San Lang is looking up at his god in wonder and awe. Xie Lian may say he is the fortunate one but San Lang feels as though it was him who is dipped and gold and lucky enough to feast on the divine. “Your Highness-” San Lang is cut off before he can finish.
“San Lang, I hope that this has not caused us to have drifted apart so much that I am now not your Gege the same way that you are not San Lang to me.” San Lang is once again stunned. His god was so generous and forgiving, the supreme ghost wishes he could fall into his arms and be embraced with his kindness.
“If you still wish it then I would be honored to keep calling you Gege for as long as you know I will always gladly be San Lang to you.” His voice is now soft and soothing. A smile just as soft and warm graces the god’s face.
“San Lang, let us go back to your manor. I wish to talk to you more if you don’t mind.” San Lang nods, slightly hesitant, and Xie Lian stands, holding the ghost’s arm and helping him stand as well. San Lang stumbles slightly, still getting used to all that the healing has done, but Xie Lian keeps hold of his arm through it, not even letting go when San Lang is once again steady on his feet.
The walk is short but filled with comfortable silence. San Lang’s worries of his god being disappointed have faded and Xie Lian’s that San Lang would shut him out have completely dissipated. Xie Lian still holds his arm the whole walk to the back entrance of the San Lang’s garden. San Lang guides them to a bench that sits in front of a pond of koi. The gentle atmosphere allowing a calm air to talk in.
“San Lang. I want to know if it was me that might have been what started um that…” Xie Lian starts with anxiety spiking through his chest. San Lang quickly turns his head to him, disbelief written across his face.
“Gege I promise nothing that happened was because of you. It was all because of me really. It was all my fault… my actions…” His voice is hardly above a whisper at the end but the quiet of the garden makes it easy for Xie Lian to hear. E-ming, who had stuck close to Xie Lian, keeping the fallen god between the saber and ghost lord, releases a shaky whine. San Lang knows that the blade is blaming itself.
“Can you tell me what happened exactly? What caused it? Please.” Xie Lian gently asks. San Lang could never deny him anything so carefully he takes a calming breath.
“When you stepped in to stop Tai Hua and I from fighting, the move you used. It- it hurt you. I hurt you…” San Lang’s voice shook with the force of regret he felt. He couldn’t look in His Highness’s direction with the amount of shame he felt. He feels Xie Lian’s grip on his arm tighten just slightly, not in fear but with comfort.
“San Lang that is what caused all of that?” Xie Lian was appalled. No one had ever shown such remorse for his pain before. His mind flashes the image of a small ghost fire that he chooses to not think about right now. Taking a deep breath to regain his train of thought Xie Lian finally says more.
“San Lang, you must understand that I do not hold you accountable at all . I chose to step into the fight. To use a move that I knew would harm me. You must not be angry at yourself for my own actions.” Xie Lian prays that San Lang will believe him but the look on his face says that he doesn’t. He attempts to think of something else to help. An idea suddenly pops up that he is unsure if could help or hurt more. He decides to take the chance on it.
“Would it help ease your mind if you helped me?” San Lang finally looks at him with confusion. “When you were,” He stutters on his words, thinking of the sight of San Lang torn apart in his arms. “hurt, knowing I could help, even if it wasn’t with spiritual energy, helped me calm some. The cut on my arm has not been healed yet.” San Lang’s eye widens and flicks to the torn sleeve of Xie Lian’s robes. Sadly there is too much of San Lang’s blood to know where Xie Lian’s blood ends and San Lang’s starts.
“You haven’t been healed yet? Even when you first got to the heavens?” San Lang’s voice hardens. San Lang knows there are plenty of gods up there that can heal him easily enough and they just didn’t.
“Ah not yet. I told them to focus on Lord Earth Master. He was hurt worse after all. And The Emperor stopped the bleeding until I could be healed.” The words don’t seem to soothe San Lang as much as Xie Lian had hoped. “But, now you can heal it. It might make you feel better.” He adds a nervous chuckle at the end and finally San Lang’s features start to soften.
Carefully San Lang lifts his hand to move the torn fabric out of the way. The cut is mildly deep. If The Emperor hadn’t stopped the bleeding then it probably would have still been sluggishly bleeding still. It wasn’t anything Hua Cheng couldn’t fix easily though. He releases a couple butterflies that gently land on the cut and stitch it together in a matter of seconds. Immediately Xie Lian realizes just how sore the cut had been. He had forgotten what it had felt like for pain to ease away so quickly.
Xie Lian turns and smiles at San Lang who still looks at the spot the cut had been with a less distasteful expression. Never because of his god but at the fact he had marred his god’s skin and taken so long to fix his mistake.
“Thank you San Lang. I am grateful to have such a caring friend.” San Lang feels his breath stop for a second when he looks again at Xie Lian’s face, seeing it filled with such sincerity. San Lang finally feeling his unease slip away. If his god truly still was not disappointed with him after everything then he will accept it. His god decides what he deserves and if that is affection and generosity he would readily accept it.
“Gege, thank you. I greatly appreciate your kindness, and I still am sorry you had to see me in such a state. The idea of me causing you harm is just so overwhelmingly painful for me.” He finally admits. Xie Lian looks at him with understanding.
“It’s ok San Lang. I know what you mean. But I promise you that you can not harm me in a way that will force me away from you.” He reassures the ghost. They both smile at the other, finally feeling content knowing they would not separate so easily.
“Gege, if you would allow me, let me bring you to the bath and give you clean robes. I think we both deserve a relaxing break from, well, all that.” San Lang’s voice is filled with a light airy breath from the idea of providing more for his god.
“I would greatly appreciate it, San Lang.” Xie Lian agrees while they both make their way into the manor, E-ming finally forgoing his hesitancy to be near his master. The feeling between them now filled with a new air of understanding as they learn to lean on the other.
The End