Chapter Text
Out of breath, the messenger fell on his knees at the entrance of the royal library, where he found Fang Xin Guoshi. His panting made it difficult for him to speak, but Xie Lian had him sit in a way that would help air circulate to his lungs.
“Try again now,” Xie Lian said after a moment.
“The crown prince sent me,” the messenger said. “He requests your presence at the royal residence up the mountain. He told me to hurry or you’d have me punished.” He grimaced. “Am I on time? Will you punish me?”
Xie Lian swallowed a sigh. Most everyone in the palace was wary of him. Scared, even. They made up all kinds of stories and tales about him which, to be honest, he found amusing. After all, as long as they did their job right and didn’t interfere with his, that didn’t matter.
“No, you’re not late,” he replied. “You did well. Rest. I’ll go meet his highness.”
The man relaxed and nodded in relief. One second later, though, he raised his head again.
“Sorry, I forgot. The crown prince said to tell you that he saw a golden phoenix rising in his dreams.”
Now it was Xie Lian the one who tensed up.
“Oh, you poor man! You should have started there!” he exclaimed as he rushed out of the library.
‘I saw a golden phoenix rising in my dreams’ was a code he and Lang Qianqiu had agreed on for when the prince needed urgent help. This was the first time he had used it, so Xie Lian ran as fast as he could first to the armory, where he grabbed a sword, and then to the stables, where he commandeered the fastest horse.
As he expected, no one asked for an explanation. He wouldn’t have given one either way.
The royal family had left that morning to a newly built residence up in the mountains to relax. For a few days, they would forget about things like formal meetings, or meddling ministers barging in with the latest inconsequential thing they had decided to label an emergency. Xie Lian declined the king’s invitation with one excuse or the other, although, in reality, he didn’t want to get in the way of their time together.
As Yong'an’s Guoshi, one of his goals was to make sure that Lang Qianqiu would never regret not spending enough time with his parents. Besides, the young crown prince would only be out of his sight for a few days. What danger could he encounter surrounded by soldiers and attendants?
Well, he was about to find out.
The horse, an obedient and well-trained animal, grew more and more restless as they approached their destination. Soon, it reached a point where the horse would not go any further, standing on its hind legs and neighing loudly.
“It’s all right, it’s all right. If you don’t want to continue, I won’t make you,” Xie Lian said, patting the animal’s neck. When it calmed down, he dismounted and placed a couple of the protective charms he carried with him on the reins and the saddle. “I wish you could tell me what you’re sensing. Go home now.”
The horse snorted and nuzzled him as if wishing him good luck before leaving.
Xie Lian, then, hurried to the residence.
What he found there surprised him , someone who, after centuries of walking the mortal realm, thought he had already seen everything under the sun.
“What just happened here?” Xie Lian mumbled.
A thick layer of thorns covered the front of the residence. Sharp thorns came out from countless branches. The branches looked dead, without a trace of flowers or leaves anywhere.
First, Xie Lian tried to break them with his hands to open himself a path, but the branches and thorns regenerated immediately, and all he got were cuts and punctures for his troubles. Next, he used his sword, and the result was more of the same. The plants regenerated faster than he could advance, proving his plan ineffectual.
The sword went back to its sheath and Xie Lian took a deep breath before going around the property searching for clues.
The impenetrable wall of thorns surrounded the entire residence. Even from above, as Xie Lian discovered when he tried to jump over them. They were so tightly knit together that they made it impossible for him to look at what was going on inside.
The situation was frustrating, but, and he would never admit it out loud, not-so-deep-down he found it a little bit exciting. When one had lived for so long, a good challenge was hard to come by.
Ah, to know that there were things in this world he had yet to see…
No, he should not get sidetracked. The fact that he had never seen anything like this meant that he didn’t know how to solve it, either.
“Let’s take it little by little,” he said, patting the always faithful Ruoye, wrapped around his wrist. “First, we need to find Lang Qianqiu. If he was able to send a messenger, and the messenger didn’t know about the thorns, that means he’s out here. That’s where we should start.”
That settled, he resumed his search. Soon, he found a set of footprints which he recognized as belonging to Lang Qianqiu. The footprints told Xie Lian that his charge had tried to barge his way into the residence, just as his teacher had done—and that he got the same results. Then, when he concluded there was nothing he could do, he ran into the forest.
Lang Qianqiu loved his parents. He wouldn’t have left if he didn’t believe there was something to be gained in the forest. Well, that was where Xie Lian had to go too.
He crossed the forest jumping from tree to tree, his eyes fixed on the trail that Lang Qianqiu didn’t think of covering. Luck had it that he reached his mark right on time.
This area of the forest was densely populated by all kinds of trees. An inexperienced warrior, such as Lang Qianqiu, wouldn’t find much room to maneuver. In spite of it, the crown prince was engaged in a fight with a young-looking cultivator who could have only been the spirit of the mountain in human shape.
On second thought, ‘engaged in a fight’ might be too generous.
Vines sprout from the ground at the mountain spirit’s command, holding the young prince by his arms and legs, lifting him up in the air. Lang Qianqiu struggled against his bindings, yelling all kinds of curses against his captor. Xie Lian had never heard him use such words, and he had no idea how or where he had learned them.
But first things first. Xie Lian went straight to cut the vines with his sword. These vines, unlike the ones at the residence, yielded to the edge of the blade, which filled him with relief.
“Guoshi!” Lang Qianqiu exclaimed as he fell to the ground.
Xie Lian didn’t bother catching him. This would be his penance for the foul language he had been using. Either way, the young prince landed in a three-point stance, regaining some of his dignity. His training was showing.
“Guoshi!” Lang Qianqiu repeated, grinning as hard as he could. “You’re here!” .
Xie Lian realized his charge wanted to hug him. He pretended he didn’t notice, since it wouldn’t be proper, but he acknowledged him with a nod. Then, he returned his attention to the mountain spirit.
“It was him!” Lang Qianqiu yelled, pointing at the young cultivator. “He’s the one who cursed my parents and everyone else back at the residence!”
“You invaded my land!” the spirit yelled back. “You have no right to be here! That human dwelling is an eyesore! I want it gone! And you too!”
“That residence was in construction for many months,” Xie Lian said. “and it hadn’t suffered an attack before… Unless it was only until now that you were able to cultivate a human form.”
The spirit grumped in affirmation.
“That’s right! Now I can defend myself and make you leave!” He pointed at a random destination in the distance. “Go away!”
“Release my parents!” Lang Qianqiu demanded back, his fists tightly closed as he took half a step forward.
“No!” the spirit replied. “That’s their punishment!”
Xie Lian swallowed a sigh and discarded the urge to press the bridge of his nose. The mask got in the way, after all.
“They won’t be able to leave if you don’t release them. You can’t have it both ways, so make up your mind.”
The mountain spirit ground his teeth.
“You two, go and tell all other humans I don’t want you here. The ones who are trapped will remain where they are as a lesson for everyone!”
“You dare—!”
Xie Lian blocked Lang Qianqiu with his arm before he charged.
“Wait, your highness. This spirit may be young, but it has under his command the energy of the entire mountain. There has to be a way for us to convince him to release your parents, even if we have to promise never to return.”
Worry and fear joined the anger in Lang Qianqiu’s face. Xie Lian’s heart twisted in pain looking at him. Yes, he was the crown prince of Yong'an, but he was also a young and vulnerable child in need of comfort and reassurance.
Xie Lian squeezed Lang Qianqiu’s shoulder.
“I promise you your parents will be fine. But I need you to trust me.”
In the end, Lang Qianqiu nodded.
“Yes, Guoshi.”
Xie Lian nodded back and then turned his attention to the spirit again.
“Let them go and you will receive the royal family’s solemn promise—”
“No, that’s not what I want,” the mountain spirit interrupted.
“What do you want?” Lang Qianqiu asked.
“Before I give an answer to that, tell me: how far are you willing to go for those mortals you call family?”
“I will go to any lengths necessary!” Lang Qianqiu said.
“Will you? Well, in that case, it’s been a while since I’ve wanted a Wrath Butterfly of my own. Bring me one and then I’ll release them.”
“What’s a Wrath Butterfly?” Lang Qianqiu asked.
He turned to Xie Lian, but the latter didn’t know either. However, such a name didn’t forebode anything good.
“The Wrath Butterflies serve the red ghost king, Crimson Rain Sought Flower, the lord of Ghost City.” As he spoke, the mountain spirit sank slowly into the ground. “Take your time. Your family is asleep and will remain asleep until you return. I wish you the best of luck.”
The last thing they saw of him was a grin that the spirit meant to be menacing but that Xie Lian classified as annoying. Once he was out of sight, Lang Qianqiu kicked the leaves and rocks around him while roaring in frustration.
Xie Lian approached him.
“Your highness.”
Lang Qianqiu turned to Xie Lian and tugged his sleeve.
“Guoshi! We have to go back to the capital! We need to get the army! We need—”
“Your highness, show me your hands,” Xie Lian said.
The abrupt change of topic brought Lang Qianqiu to a halt.
“What?”
“Your hands,” Xie Lian repeated, more softly now.
Lang Qianqiu raised his hands. They were hurt and scratched from when he tried to pry the thorns open and enter the residence. With care, Xie Lian cleaned them then he applied some ointment.
Lang Qianqiu tried not to hiss during the process, without much success.
“They’ll be fine soon,” Xie Lian said when he was done.
“Thank you, Guoshi,” Lang Qianqiu replied, closing his hands, testing how much he’d be able to flex his fingers before they hurt.
“Your highness,” Xie Lian said, now ready to address the prince’s main concern, “involving the army in this matter would only complicate things. The king and queen being held hostage, whether by a spirit or a mortal, is no small matter. Word spreading out would bring instability and chaos. On the other hand, the royal family is not expected back to the capital before five days. Not even the messenger you sent to fetch me knows the full extent of the situation, which gives us that time to bring that Wrath Butterfly and have their majesties released peacefully before suspicions arise. If the spirit decides not to keep his word, then we’ll consider other options.”
Lang Qianqiu kept his head down for a moment as he considered the situation. In the end, however, he accepted his teacher’s words.
“Yes. You’re right. Let’s go find that Ghost City! Although… I have no idea where to start looking.”
“A ghost might.” Xie Lian began walking. “And, as it happens, there is a cemetery on the other side of the mountain.”
“Teacher, you’re so clever!”
Lang Qianqiu joined him with the enthusiasm only the youth could have, ready to face the adventure ahead of them.
Meanwhile, Xie Lian was grateful to his mask for doing such a good job of hiding his somber mood. Despite his hope for said adventure to have a happy ending, and his willingness to do his best to achieve it, he felt that his bad luck had finally caught up with him, and that it had come to destroy everything he had worked so hard to build.
* * *
The first few ghosts they caught were of no use. Then again, they were ghost fires, from the recently deceased who hadn’t had time to learn the ropes of their new condition.
“Maybe I’m playing it too safe,” Xie Lian thought as he conducted the rituals to help them move on to the afterlife.
Said rituals had Lang Qianqiu fascinated and distracted his young mind from his current predicament. With dedication and hard work, he soon would be able to perform them on his own.
Children grew so fast…
“Teacher, did you see that?” Lang Qianqiu asked suddenly, turning to his right. “A woman! Did you see her?”
“I did. She’s not a mortal woman but another ghost. One old enough to retain a human shape. Which means she has to know more than the others…”
Lang Qianqiu’s eyes shone bright.
“Then let’s—!”
Xie Lian cut him off.
“We need to proceed with caution, your highness. She’s also bound to be more dangerous.”
“I’m sure you can defeat her!”
“Mmm. She might be more willing to answer our questions if we ask nicely, don’t you think?”
“Alright,” Lang Qianqiu replied with slight disappointment showing through his voice.
Xie Lian shook his head but didn’t comment on it.
He took the lead approaching the ghost, doing his best not to look like a threat. As they did, she came out from behind the tomb she’d been hiding. Her appearance was mostly human, although her misshapen face and her tattered clothes betrayed her true nature.
“Hello!” she began. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I couldn’t help hearing what you were asking those ghosts. You want to know how to get to Ghost City, right? I can take you!”
Wasn’t that lucky? Too lucky to be taken at face value, Xie Lian mused, perfectly aware of the shackle on his ankle.
“What would you want in return, miss?” Xie Lian asked.
Without hesitation, the ghost pointed at a ring on Lang Qianqiu’s left thumb.
“That. It looks expensive. Is it expensive? I need something I can bet in the Gambler’s Den.”
“It is expensive,” Lang Qianqiu said, taking it off. “One of the nobles gave it to me on my last birthday, and everyone keeps saying it was a worthy gift.”
“Your highness, wait one second please,” Xie Lian said. While it was true that the ring wasn’t an heirloom and its value was only that of the metal it was made of, they had to play their hand carefully. He turned to the ghost. “You can have the ring plus this,” he added, bringing out a large bag full of coins from his sleeve, “ after you lead us to Ghost City and tell us where to find Crimson Rain Sought Flower.”
Xie Lian made the bag bounce on his hand to punctuate his words. The coins inside clinked in a most enticing way.
The ghost’s eyes fixated on the bag and she licked her lips.
“Deal! Follow me! No time to lose! Hua Chengzhu should be in the casino tonight, so we’re going the same way. Isn’t that amazing?”
Yes, it kind of was.
As they walked, Xie Lian sighed in relief. This had to be Lang Qianqiu’s luck in action—because it definitely wasn’t his.
“Remain aware of your surroundings, your highness,” he told the young prince. “Stay close to me and don’t do anything rash.”
“Yes, Guoshi.”
Despite these two words being said in earnest, Xie Lian wondered how well they would hold when the time came. Lang Qianqiu was prone to follow his heart above all, and his heart was brave and noble, yet to be tempered with prudence, patience, and experience. Without a doubt, and regardless of the outcome, this adventure would help with that.
* * *
Xie Lian hadn’t known what to expect from a place called Ghost City, but to find it so lively surprised him. There were all kinds of businesses and customers selling and buying all kinds of merchandise. He suspected that if he and Lang Qianqiu didn’t have a mission of utmost importance to fulfill, even he would have gotten distracted exploring the marketplace.
Currently, he kept a hand firmly planted on Lang Qianqiu’s shoulder, steering him to follow their guide. He wished he could cover the boy’s ears to stop him from ruining his vocabulary even further. But that would ruin his royal dignity. Xie Lian would have to settle with having a good talk with his charge about this later on.
They stopped in front of a large, imposing building whose doors were wide open. While all patrons went in laughing and bragging about what they’d do with their winnings, most came out sad or angry. A bald, muscular ghost with a horn on the middle of his head came out running and crying. He passed Xie Lian, Lang Qianqiu, and their guide, and disappeared into the multitude behind them.
“Here we are! The Gambler’s Den!” their guide said, gasping in delight as she did. Then, she extended her hand toward Lang Qianqiu. “You don’t mind if we part ways here, right? My friends will mock me if they see me hanging out with the likes of you.”
Xie Lian nodded at Lang Qianqiu, who fulfilled their part of the deal and gave her the gold ring and the coin bag. She made a clumsy bow at them before prancing up the stairs while she giggled.
“Teacher, what does it say up there?” Lang Qianqiu asked, pointing at the signs at the entrance of the casino. “It’s so difficult to read. Almost like a different language.”
Xie Lian looking at the signs and wrinkling his nose in disgust happened at the same time.
“Never mind that, your highness,” he said, averting his eyes. The longer he looked at those signs, the more offended he felt. “They have nothing to do with what we’re here for.” Both to change the topic and because he thought he should, Xie Lian gave Lang Qianqiu the sword he brought from the palace. “This is not the best sword in the royal armory, but it has some value. It’s elegant, strong, and it has a rich history. It could be used to make a bargain—or a bet.”
Lang Qianqiu’s eyes widened.
“A bet?”
“Normally, I don’t condone gambling, but we are in an extraordinary situation. Therefore, we must be prepared to take extraordinary means.”
Lang Qianqiu nodded with some reluctance, but he put the sword on his back and went up the stairs. Xie Lian followed him.
The pair called little attention. Several patrons wore masks as well, and Lang Qianqiu looked every bit the part of a spoiled young noble, a common sight in a place like this. That was fine. They would call enough attention to themselves when they began addressing the city's lord.
Hua Cheng, also known as Crimson Rain Sought Flower, the red ghost king... During their trip, their guide had talked a lot about his power and his exploits. She made him look like a mighty figure, so powerful he kept the heavenly realm on its toes.
Xie Lian found him soon. Hua Cheng sat on a throne at the top of the dais behind a curtain, from where he could survey the entire casino. His head rested on his hand, relaxed as only someone who knew no one would dare challenge him could be.
A large group of ghosts and other creatures had gathered at the foot of the dais. They were providing running commentary about the individual currently placing a bet at the main table. This person lost and was, in succession, mocked without mercy and escorted out of the casino—or, more like thrown down the stairs.
Xie Lian saw their opportunity in that moment of chaos. He leaned toward Lang Qianqiu and whispered in his ear, “Now that they’re between rounds is our chance to try to call the ghost king’s attention. About the how—”
Xie Lian didn’t get to finish his phrase. Lang Qianqiu pursed his lips and jumped on the table.
“Crimson Rain Sought Flower!” he yelled. “Listen to me! I am Lang Qianqiu, the crown prince of Yong'an, and I have come here with a request!”
“Well, that’s one way to do it,” Xie Lian murmured, rubbing the side of his face.
The ghosts around them shut up and turned their gazes up, toward the figure behind the curtain, waiting for his reaction.
“Are you?” came the answer from up the dais, in a mocking, even cruel tone. “And here I thought this evening would be dull. Very well. Speak, Lang Qianqiu. What do you want and what’s in it for me?”
“I need to take one of your Wrath Butterflies with me! I’m willing to trade this sword for it!” Lang Qianqiu raised the sword Xie Lian had given him. “It’s—”
“A useless trinket.” Hua Cheng scoffed. “I already own half a dozen made by the same swordsmith that are much better. Either way, the answer is no. You cannot have a Wrath Butterfly and I don’t trade.”
“How about a bet?” Lang Qianqiu said. He returned the sword to his back and raised his hands to the top of his head. “If you’re not interested in the sword, then, my crown—”
“Your crown? Are you insinuating that my butterflies are worth as little as you? Do better. You have one last chance before I have you kicked out for wasting my time.”
The ghosts grew excited by those words. They began to yell, raising their fists up in the air.
Things were going downhill. They were about to crash and lose their chance to solve their problem peacefully. Xie Lian had to act, and he had to act now, before Lang Qianqiu offered something else that would be deemed laughable.
Xie Lian took a few steps forward and said, “I have something!”
He didn’t want to do this. To be honest, he wouldn’t have done it if he was the one placing the bet. But with Lang Qianqiu’s luck, they might have a chance to win.
“Guoshi?” Lang Qianqiu exclaimed, confused.
“Guoshi?” Hua Cheng repeated. “All right. I guess you’re allowed to speak on the brat’s behalf. What do you have?”
“It’s a powerful spiritual tool,” Xie Lian said as Ruoye unwrapped from his wrist and rose above his head. “Strong and versatile. I’m sure Chengzhu—”
Xie Lian wasn’t expecting to be interrupted, and even less in the way it happened. Before he could say one more word, Hua Cheng had all but jumped down from his throne to grab Ruoye in a tight fist, his intense gaze fixed on Xie Lian. For a moment, Xie Lian thought a flame would come out from the ghost king’s only eye.
“Where did you get this?” the ghost king demanded with a growl.
“I—” Xie Lian didn’t enjoy reminiscing about how Ruoye came to be, so he wasn’t going to explain it to a stranger. Even less in front of Lang Qianqiu. “I’ve always had it?” he replied in the end.
Hua Cheng looked into Xie Lian’s eyes through the slits of the mask. A second later, he released Ruoye and took a step backward.
“I will go with you,” he said, his voice deep and solemn.
“Excuse me?” Xie Lian muttered.
“I’ll go with you,” Hua Cheng repeated. “To make sure that my butterflies will be used correctly.”
The jaws of the ghosts around them fell to the ground collectively—and, in some cases, literally.
Xie Lian couldn’t even start processing what was going on when Hua Cheng made everything even more confusing.
“It’s already late, though. You can spend the night in my house and we can part in the morning.”
“It’s best we do it now!” Lang Qianqiu said. “The sooner we free—”
“Your highness!” Xie Lian said in a warning tone.
Lang Qianqiu understood what he was about to do and stopped with a wince.
“The sooner we do this, the better,” he finished instead.
Hua Cheng shrugged.
“It’s the same for me.”
He turned to Xie Lian as if waiting for him to make the final decision.
Well, this was a step closer to solving their problem, and he didn’t think that spending the night in a ghost king’s house was a good idea.
“His highness is right,” he said. “We should leave now.”
Hua Cheng grabbed a couple of dice and walked to a nearby door.
“Where to?”
Once Xie Lian told him the location of the mountain, the ghost king threw the dice, which created a distance shortening array.
“Impressive,” Xie Lian murmured as he got close to examine it.
“Please,” Hua Cheng said, inviting him to go through there.
He seemed to be… glowing?
Good for him , Xie Lian thought.
“Yes. Thank you. Come on, your highness.”
“Yes, Guoshi.”
Lang Qianqiu hurried to stand next to him and the ghost king did the same on the other side. Thus, Xie Lian crossed the threshold to the distance shortening array flanked by an impressionable youth and an extremely powerful ghost who kept staring at him.
What had he gotten into?
* * *
The distance shortening array brought them to a cave up the mountain, very close to the royal residence. As they walked there, Xie Lian gave the ghost king a brief summary of their mission. At first, he wasn’t sure whether he should tell him about the hostage situation, but in the end, he decided that, since he had agreed to help them, Hua Cheng deserved to know.
“I understand,” Hua Cheng said, nodding along.
Well, that’s one of us.
Xie Lian didn’t understand what had made Hua Cheng change his mind like that. It had been Ruoye, for sure, but what about it in particular? Perhaps he was intrigued as to how someone with an obvious lack of spiritual power could control such a strong spiritual tool. It worried Xie Lian that Hua Cheng would want to claim Ruoye once everything was said and done. But he’d cross that bridge when it came.
They found the royal family’s private residence still covered in a tangle of thorns, just like when they left.
Hua Cheng stood in front of the building, stared at it, and snapped his fingers. The thorns disappeared and the vines retracted back into the ground. Soon, it was like they had never been there.
“Amazing!” Lang Qianqiu exclaimed, and Xie Lian had to agree, although he didn’t say it.
“The spell is broken,” Hua Cheng said. “The people inside should be waking up as we speak.”
Right then, the spirit of the mountain showed up, roaring and making himself bigger than before.
“My spell! Who dares break my spell!”
He froze in his tracks when he noticed Hua Cheng standing in front of him, arms folded and glaring at him.
“Y—you…” he murmured.
“Yes, me,” Hua Cheng said with a hardened voice. “So, you’re the one who coveted one of my butterflies?”
The mountain spirit took a step back.
“Well, they’re very beautiful and… and I—I never thought they would get that far…”
Hua Cheng smirked.
“Well, they did, and now I’m here. I’ve brought the butterflies you wanted. They will teach you to respect your betters.”
A silver cloud emerged from Hua Cheng’s vambraces. No, it wasn’t a cloud. It was a swarm of the famous Wrath Butterflies, flying together toward the mountain spirit. They were, indeed, beautiful, but also terrifying. The swarm engulfed the mountain spirit, who was unable to defend himself. The Wrath Butterflies gnawed at him, devouring his spiritual energy, which would undoubtedly be assimilated by their master.
There was nothing to do but witness the destruction of the mountain spirit. His actions might have been misguided but, judging by the steady trickle of people coming out from the residence, he hadn't killed or permanently hurt anyone. His biggest sin had been aiming too high, and who hadn't done such a thing, really?
Xie Lian could only feel pity for him.
Lang Qianqiu grabbed his teacher’s sleeve and tugged. A quick glance at the young prince’s face told Xie Lian that he felt the same.
“Guoshi,” he murmured—almost pleaded.
Xie Lian needed only that word to understand what his charge meant. He thought quickly. No matter how much he wanted to spare the mountain spirit, they didn’t know how deeply he had insulted the ghost king. However, he might be able to use Hua Cheng’s own words against him.
Having made his decision, Xie Lian told Lang Qianqiu to stay where he was. Then, he jumped to stand between Hua Cheng and the mountain spirit. When he did, the butterflies parted in the middle, so they would go around him without touching him. Thanks to that, Hua Cheng and Xie Lian ended up standing one in front of the other.
“Chengzhu,” Xie Lian said, “if you intended to teach a lesson, I’m sure your student has already learned. Would you please still your hand so he can demonstrate as much?”
“Is that your wish?” Hua Cheng asked.
“It is,” Xie Lian replied.
“Very well.”
Hua Cheng waved his hand and the Wrath Butterflies vanished, leaving the mountain spirit writhing on the ground. He was now half of what he had been at the start; it would take him a long time to recover his previous strength.
“Than—thank you, Chengzhu.”
Hua Cheng scoffed.
“Don’t thank me. Thank him,” he said, referring to Xie Lian. “And don’t you forget it.”
“N—no, Chengzhu.” The mountain spirit crawled to kowtow to Xie Lian. “T—thank you, lord.”
“It’s alright,” Xie Lian replied, raising his hands. “Just remember that the next time you’re upset, we can talk about the problem first. Now go rest. You need it.”
The mountain spirit said nothing else. He just merged back into the ground.
“Mother! Father!” Lang Qianqiu exclaimed.
Xie Lian sighed in relief when he caught the young prince from the corner of his eye running toward his parents, but he kept his distance. The royal family needed some private time for their reunion. Besides, he had to ask Hua Cheng about his price for his help today. However, he had disappeared.
The only people there were the soldiers and the servants. It was as if Hua Cheng had never been there at all.
“I definitely don’t like this,” Xie Lian murmured.
He prepared to spend the following nights doing research about Hua Cheng, looking for how he was likely to collect for his hard work just now—and also for weaknesses, just in case.