Work Text:
Feng Xin was lying in wait, arrow notched and aiming true at the heart of a tiger yao, when the call came.
“General Nan Yang. An emergency meeting has been called, and your presence is requested. Please return to the Heavenly Court at once.”
In the otherwise silent forest, Ling Wen’s voice in his communication array startled him. The arrow flew off course and hit the demon’s neck instead. The tiger yao yowled in pain, jumped down from its tree and took off running into the undergrowth.
Feng Xin swore and gestured for his deputies to follow in pursuit. Then he put two fingers to his temple and answered the call. “What’s this about? I’m in the middle of something. Can’t this wait?”
“I’m afraid the subject is highly confidential, General. Return as soon as possible.” Though Ling Wen’s tone was as self-possessed as ever, he thought he detected a strange undernote in her voice. She almost sounded rattled.
That, more than anything, convinced him. He sighed and looked in the direction the yao had run off to with some longing. “Answering Ling Wen Zhen Jun; of course. I will be there soon.”
The communication ended.
His deputy officials had long since disappeared after the yao. Hopefully they’d be able to handle it.
Feng Xin contacted his subordinate through their shared array and informed him of the situation. He took a too-short moment to brace himself for the shitstorm this would undoubtedly turn out to be, and ascended right then and there.
It was late in the evening and Heaven was still; harmonious perfection cast in the bright glow of the waxing moon. Not a whisper of noise could be heard coming out of the meeting hall in the Palace of Ling Wen.
Feng Xin nodded to the guards and deputies standing outside the door and walked through. His ears gave the tell-tale pop which signified that one had entered a strong privacy array.
At a glance, the atmosphere in the meeting hall was tense and disorderly. His brow furrowed when he noticed that only Upper Court Officials were present.
The most powerful gods in Heaven were gathered around the table in the center of the room. He spotted Ling Wen, conferring with Pei Ming and Shi Wudu. Opposite them sat Shi Qingxuan - the Wind Master was in his male form today, thankfully enough. Next to him sat a bored-looking Ming Yi.
Mu Qing was there as well, of course, sneering at something on the table in front of him. His mood seemed to sour even further as he noticed Feng Xin’s arrival. Lang Qianqiu was also present, as well as Quan Yizhen. That was - almost everyone, actually, barring the Rain Master, and Jun Wu himself.
Unusually, there was not a single servant in sight, though the set of low tables to the side was laden with refreshments. No one but the Earth Master was partaking. In fact, most everyone’s attention seemed so set on whatever was lying in the center of the table that no one paid any mind to Feng Xin’s arrival at all.
What could have possibly caused such a stir among the strongest gods in the Heavenly Realm? Feng Xin approached the empty seat reserved for him so he could see whatever it was for himself.
It appeared to be a scrap of red silk. A banner of some kind, or – closer inspection revealed it to be a red envelope, richly embossed with gold foil designs and embroidered with the double happiness symbol (囍).
Feng Xin spared a moment to feel absolute bewilderment at the fact that he’d apparently been recalled from his mission because of a wedding invitation.
Then he caught sight of what was written on it.
Lord Crimson Rain announces his happiness to the world. He has found his Flower, and –
Feng Xin snatched the envelope up. “What the fuck?”
Ling Wen finally looked over to him. In the hall’s pleasantly ambient lighting, the dark circles under her eyes seemed even more pronounced than usual. “Indeed. General Nan Yang, welcome. Please, take your seat.”
“Has he gone insane?” Feng Xin cried out. “Holy fuck, is this some kind of joke?! Shit!”
To his horror, no one moved to say that this really was all an elaborate, if incredibly unfunny prank. He could feel Mu Qing’s eyes on him, the asshole’s expression one of obvious schadenfreude.
“No joke, General Nan Yang, I assure you. Please, have a seat.” Ling Wen repeated with an air of exhaustion.
He sat down in his chair numbly, fingers tightening on the red silk. Its making was obviously expensive, the fabric smooth and elaborately decorated with butterfly designs. Some were in flight while others sat perched on white lotus flowers. To Feng Xin’s eyes, the color looked almost the exact shade of fresh blood.
A sense of surreality settled over him as he skimmed over the writing again.
– his bride on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, the year of –
– in a union of souls –
Insanity. That must be it – obviously, the yao he was hunting must have abilities Feng Xin had been unaware of – the power to induce bizarre hallucinations in its victims, perhaps.
The envelope was torn in half, the rest of the statement unclear. The name of the woman so disastrously unlucky that she’d caught the Calamity’s eye seemed to have been written on the missing part.
“And we don’t know this woman’s identity?” Pei Ming was saying.
“In fact, we don’t even know her name,” said Ling Wen. “As my lords can see, the silk is damaged. Ghost City Locals are being curiously quiet on the matter – it seems many already refer to this person as Hua Furen, though the wedding hasn’t taken place yet.”
The civil goddess paused to take a bracing sip from her cup of tea, then continued, dead-eyed: “It’s supposed to be the event of the century.”
There was a brief moment of silence as everyone present digested those words.
“We are certain,” Mu Qing deliberated slowly, “that our source is correct? That this isn’t all some farce?”
“Reasonably certain, yes. While this information is apparently common knowledge in Ghost City, our contact had to take great pains to be able to deliver even this piece of evidence. It seems Crimson Rain Sought Flower really is planning to marry.”
Another moment of silence.
Pei Ming had the nerve to start chuckling. “Why, it seems that even Crimson Rain’s cold dead heart can be stirred by a peerless beauty!”
Nobody thought to dispute his assessment of the bride-to-be’s appearance. It went unspoken but was understood by everyone present that the Devastation would not stoop to accept any common person into his household.
The general’s voice took on a not-so-subtle thread of admiration as he continued to laugh: “Never would’ve taken that old fox for a romantic.”
Mu Qing’s mouth curled scornfully. “That’s certainly one way of putting it. Odds are, he just stole away some noblewoman out of boredom; Hua Cheng is going to murder that girl before the month is up, if she even makes it past the wedding night.”
Feng Xin was forced to agree with this train of thought. Hua Cheng was more natural disaster than person, a blight and a curse upon the three realms from the moment he’d been spat out of Mount Tonglu’s fiery depths.
The very idea of the ancient monster entering into matrimony was almost enough to make him spit blood. He couldn’t help but pity the poor soul caught in his clutches.
“Ah, Xuan Zhen, always so cynical.” Pei Ming laughed again, ignorant or uncaring of Ling Wen’s pained expression beside him, or of Shi Wudu’s impressive scowl.
“Maybe the Ghost King really has found the Flower he’s been seeking all along! Haha, the fire of young love!” the god said, all to a chorus of disgruntled protests from some while others sat in silent disbelief.
But the martial god seemed to find the wherewithal to treat the matter with more seriousness again, and asked the civil goddess:
“Alright, Nangong-jie. This mystery bride can’t have appeared out of nowhere. We must have at least some idea where she came from?”
Ling Wen pulled a scroll from her sleeve and glanced through it. She sighed before answering.
“The mortal realm is already awash with variations of this tale. As the story goes, there was a young woman set to become the concubine of a local lord; as the Ghost King was passing by, he was enchanted by her beauty, taking her for himself and killing the man she was meant to marry.”
The civil goddess looked up from her report to look at the assembled Upper Court, continuing:
“In some versions, the bride is Hua Cheng’s reincarnated lover, and he’s been waiting all this time. This theory seems to be particularly popular in the Ghost Realm. Others speak about a runaway bride, some insist that it was a huli jing or a lotus flower spirit in human form.
“The only thing everyone agrees on is that this person was uncommonly beautiful, and Crimson Rain Sought Flower really did kill the mortal lord,” the goddess summarized.
“And the most likely theory?”
Ling Wen rolled up the scroll with her palace’s report so that it could be passed around the table, and hesitated before speaking again.
“General Xuan Zhen’s original assessment may not have been too far off from reality. Additionally, my officials have been able to connect some of the rumors with a series of prayers coming out of Jiangdu county. These could fit with the stolen concubine story. However, it is uncertain whether this similarity is coincidental or not, and a proper investigation is in order. The longer we wait, the more difficult it’ll become to divine the truth.
“What is most important at the moment, and the reason we are meeting tonight, is deciding on our approach to this situation. I leave this to my Lords’ consideration.”
It was a scandalous story no matter which way one looked at it. What was more, Feng Xin thought as muttering broke out around the room, it seemed wildly out of character.
This was very bad news. They had been lucky, he now realized, that Hua Cheng seemed mostly uninterested in the affairs of the mortal realm, preferring to hold court in his damned city. For him to now interfere so directly – kidnapping some woman to take as his bride, killing a mortal lord for this reason – was a steep change from his usual behaviour.
It made the Devastation seem even more unpredictable.
Had the Ghost King really lost his last marbles and gone mad? Was he going to do something like this again?
The thought was chilling. If the Devastation so desired, he could cause untold chaos in the mortal world, just as he once had in Heaven.
“What we should be considering,” Shi Wudu deliberated, raising his voice over the general unrest in the hall, “is how to use this to our advantage. We should send someone down to Ghost City, then have them bring this Hua-Furen to us for interrogation. Some hapless mortal should be happy enough to spill Hua Cheng’s secrets.”
The Water Master fanned himself slowly as he spoke. The motion hid his full expression, but the calculating glint in his eyes was clearly visible.
“And if there’s any truth to these rumors and Hua Cheng really holds some affection for his bride, even better for us.”
Listening to this proved too much for the Wind Master.
“Ge, are you hearing yourself? This lady is in danger, we should be staging a rescue mission, not wondering how to use her as a hostage!” he exploded, shooting to his feet and slamming his own fan down on the table in outrage.
Next to Shi Qingxuan, Ming Yi was smiling – the expression sat on his face strangely.
The elemental master didn’t seem keen to give his own opinion on the matter, whether to support his friend Shi Qingxuan or to argue against him.
Quan Yizhen was the same. Of course, as long as the situation didn't concern him directly, and neither did it seem like something that could be solved by fighting, he was uninterested.
As a fierce argument broke out, the Earth Master stood abruptly. His chair made a jarring screech as he pulled away from the table and drained the last of his soup. He approached the refreshments and started ladling what looked like several servings worth of noodles into his bowl.
What was wrong with that man, to feast at a time like this?
“Qingxuan, don’t be such a fool. You’ve always been too soft-hearted for your own good,” Shi Wudu scolded at his brother’s protests. He seemed to be winding up for a longer speech, but was immediately interrupted.
Lang Qianqiu, for once paying attention to the proceedings, was nodding along with the Wind Master.
“I agree! Even though Hua Cheng is an evil ghost, we can’t use his lady against him! It’s not right!” the young god exclaimed passionately, to a shocked silence.
Sometimes, Lang Qianqiu painfully reminded Feng Xin of the Crown Prince he had served in his youth. He could almost hear him saying those words, full of idealism and righteous conviction.
What a fitting successor, he thought with sudden exhaustion, for the Martial God of the East.
Through the fierce debate that followed, he considered the Water Master’s plan.
The few times Feng Xin had had the dubious pleasure of laying his eyes upon the Scourge of Heaven, he’d been lucky to make it out of the encounter alive, nevermind in one piece. The first encounter being, of course, the time the Devastation issued his now-infamous challenge to the Heavens.
Later on, once the dust – temple ash – had settled, he was asked how he’d known to refuse the challenge.
Feng Xin had said that he’d underestimated the ghost, that as a newly ascended god he’d thought he had better things to do with his time than fighting some arrogant upstart.
He’d been lying through his teeth. The moment he’d seen Hua Cheng, malicious aura packed tight into a yet-unassuming form and strolling down Shenwu Street like he belonged there, Feng Xin had known what would happen.
Fear had frozen his acceptance in his throat and turned his body to stone as he was reminded of a different ghost, one who liked to dress in robes of fluttering white.
Somehow, the bastard had known the reason – eyes shining with vicious pleasure, visage cold with contempt as the demon received Feng Xin’s refusal, then Mu Qing’s. He’d been mocking them.
His cowardice had saved him. Feng Xin got to remain a Heavenly Official, and was present for the meeting – not unlike this one – where a new rank of ghost was defined.
He and Mu Qing would argue countless times over countless subjects in the centuries to come, stopping at nothing to tear each other down. But by some silent accord, they would never speak of this moment ever again.
“If we do that, he’s not going to be happy,” Feng Xin finally interrupted. “It’s a shitty plan. If you think Hua Cheng’s going to tell the woman anything useful, think again.”
His words halted the ongoing discussion. Just as well, because he was starting to get a headache, something that shouldn’t even be possible for a Heavenly Official.
It had been a long day, and his ghosts seemed determined to haunt him. All this talk of marriage and brides was reminding Feng Xin of the only woman he’d ever wanted to marry. After long centuries, her loss was only a dull ache in his heart, but present all the same.
Another person he’d failed to protect.
Pei Ming’s head was tilted to the side as he watched the elemental masters’ spat. He was obviously considering Shi Wudu’s suggestion.
The general of old’s mind was usually ruthless in pressing weaknesses, but this time he also seemed to hesitate. When he spoke, it was as much to his friend the Water Master as it was to their whole gathering.
“It would be a risky move. General Nan Yang raises a good point; Hua Cheng’s not likely to tell his bride anything we could use – certainly not the location of his ashes – but if we take his woman, he’ll be sure to take offense.”
Pei Ming glanced at the gathered officials with a serious expression.
Feng Xin thought he knew what they would all be thinking at those words.
It wasn’t that Shi Wudu’s idea didn’t have any merit. Through the centuries there had been precious little opportunities to move against the Scourge of Heaven – now that there was another person attached to him, it was tempting to use the opportunity to strike against their enemy.
The scheme just seemed to carry more risk than benefit. The one thing all the gods feared, in one way or another, was incurring the Ghost King’s wrath.
Whether the mission would be to save the woman or to take her prisoner, well, it didn’t seem to be worth the trouble. Even if Hua Cheng had gone on a killing spree instead of just murdering one mortal and stealing another, the gods would turn a blind eye to it. They had, in the past, ignored much more serious transgressions.
“I say we send him a wedding gift instead, and wash our hands of this matter,” Pei Ming said with a slight shrug of his shoulders.
Such was the way of the Heavens.
“Or even another concubine, since he seems to have a weakness for them,” said Mu Qing savagely.
Feng Xin was left momentarily stunned.
Of all the outrageous –
“How is that any different,” he gritted out between his teeth, “from sending a spy?!”
He was awarded with a contemptuous sneer. “General Nan Yang’s observation is as astute as ever. You’re so eager to just let Hua Cheng do as he pleases, did your last encounter leave such an impression?”
The last time he’d had a run in with the Devastation while in the mortal realm, his wounds had refused to close for weeks. That, however, had no bearing on the current situation.
“No, you idiot, who would volunteer for a mission like that? Would you seriously send that monster another person to torment? One of your own subordinates, maybe?” Feng Xin cried out.
“They would do their duty!” Mu Qing insisted, though he had obviously blanched at the suggestion of surrendering one of his people to the task.
“What would you know about duty?” Feng Xin accused and watched with some satisfaction as Mu Qing’s face started turning a deep shade of purple.
The truth was, it also didn’t sit well with him to do nothing. But what could they do in this situation?
Feng Xin didn’t know, and the others’ suggestions were madness.
His Highness would know the right path to take, he was certain. He had always been the compass Feng Xin followed. Of the three of them, he was the one truly meant for godhood. Certainly not Feng Xin, who’d never even wanted it.
The rest of the Upper Court was watching their altercation with about the level of interest one would give to an exciting cuju match, albeit one where you already knew all the players and their tricks.
For once, Mu Qing did not rise to the bait.
“And the Heavenly Emperor’s stance?” he ground out furiously. “What is His Majesty’s guidance?”
Ling Wen answered him promptly and calmly, expression blank. She looked somewhat relieved that he and Mu Qing had stopped ripping into each other and the discussion was once more moving into more productive waters.
“His Majesty remains in the mortal realm, meditating. He has entrusted this matter to our discretion.”
Meaning, of course, that they were on their own here.
Nobody seemed surprised by this development; the Heavenly Emperor took a hands-off approach to most matters, remaining impartial and passing his judgment sparingly.
The Earth Master had finally returned to the table, carrying a plate of glutinous rice cakes and looking mildly offended as Shi Qingxuan stole one for himself. As he leaned back in his seat and surveyed the gathered gods, something about his manner reminded Feng Xin of nothing so much as a shark, one who’d just had a full meal, and was mostly content for the moment.
He shuddered. What a ridiculous thought. Ming Yi was many things – rude, most of all, he thought as he watched him stuffing his face with dessert – but there was nothing intimidating about him at all.
There was a slip of something bright red peeking out of the Earth Master’s sleeve. The man seemed to notice him looking; he caught Feng Xin’s eye, pulled the thing out of his sleeve and used it to clean his mouth.
A tissue.
Feng Xin looked at the wedding envelope again. The color of celebration. He wished, with a flicker of unease, that they at least knew the name of the woman they were condemning.
The discussion moved on while he was distracted.
“Shenwu Dadi’s faith in us is inspiring. We are, of course, capable of handling this matter ourselves.” Pei Ming said, taking charge of the debate once more.
“Now that that’s settled, my lords, about those wedding gifts –”
The meeting dragged on long into the small hours of the night.
Despite their clandestine conference, it wasn’t long before news of the Ghost King’s wedding stopped being a secret at all. The courts ran wild with it, discussing rumors without a care for reality or common decency.
It was the topic every conversation would inevitably turn to for months on end. The common spiritual array was overrun with gossip, speculating about the bride’s appearance, the rank she’d be given in Hua Cheng’s harem – and whether such a thing existed – wondering if the one who’d caught the Red Calamity’s eye was a ghost, a seductress, a spirit or a siren.
There was even a play. Fanciful retellings of “The Lotus Flower and The Ghost King” were making their rounds in both the mortal and heavenly realms. It was a romantic classic in the making, gaining notoriety with each new author’s dramatic interpretation.
Feng Xin found it all sickening. It was like they’d all forgotten those early reports that spoke of the woman’s kidnapping.
Bitterly, he found that in their craving for a good story, Heaven was as eager to discard the truth as ever.
The Upper Court waited for another incident, placing bets on how long the mortal would last before Hua Cheng grew tired of the novelty.
But the date of the wedding came and went, and no new reports of tragedy came in as time passed.
That evening, the skies of Heaven were lit bright by the glow of a thousand lanterns, and the Three Realms trembled with the force of the Ghostly Realm’s celebration.
In the end, their efforts at infiltration proved to be fruitless. Ghost City seemed to have tightened their security in preparation for the big event, and everyone they sent and even those they attempted to bribe were rooted out so swiftly that they were eventually forced to stop trying.
There was nothing to be done, they finally had to conclude.
The Ghost King’s Flower, whoever that may be, was truly out of Heaven’s reach.