Xie Lian was caught between laughing and crying, but he was genuinely grateful. He said, "Wind Master, you might be mistaken. Actually..."
He wanted to explain that Hua Cheng wasn't looking for him to settle scores over the Elysium Pavilion. But Shi Qingxuan subtly signaled him not to speak. Hua Cheng didn't argue either, simply saying, "I haven't settled the matter of Jun Wu planting spies under my command. What do you have to negotiate with me?"
Xie Lian understood. Shi Qingxuan had already realized that Hua Cheng meant no harm, but on the surface, they had to pretend Hua Cheng was there to hold the Immortal Capital accountable. This way, when the Heavenly Court talked about it, it could prevent rumors of him escaping with ill intent. Hua Cheng also understood the intention and played along. However, Xie Lian didn't want to go along with it and said, "Alright, stop acting. He originally came to the Immortal Capital to save me. San Lang has good intentions; why hide it?"
Shi Qingxuan replied, "No more acting. I already sent those two lines into the Spirit Communication Array. You don't understand. Good intentions can eventually be twisted into bad ones when passed around, so it's better to start with bad intentions."
Hua Cheng raised an eyebrow and said, "Smart."
Shi Qingxuan proudly replied, "Of course. Otherwise, how could I survive in the Heavenly Court? General Nan Yang, put down your bow."
But Feng Xin still had his bow drawn, holding his breath and saying nothing. Shi Qingxuan patted him and said, "Put it down. He's familiar, no harm intended."
Feng Xin said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, the one beside you is the Supreme..."
Seeing that his hostility hadn't lessened and the bow wasn't lowered, Shi Qingxuan suddenly shouted "Hey!" and bumped his elbow.
In that instant, Feng Xin's face looked more terrified than if he'd seen a ghost, and he shouted, his right hand's spiritual power dissipating into nothing. His face turned pale as he cursed a long string of profanities, ending in frustration, "Damn it! What are you trying to do!!!!"
It turned out that Shi Qingxuan had used his chest to bump Feng Xin's arm holding the bow. It seemed this move had truly frightened Feng Xin. Shi Qingxuan, with an air of elegance, acted as if he hadn't done anything improper, saying, "I haven't even asked what you're trying to do. I said Blood Rain Seeks Flower came to save His Highness, yet you still pointed an arrow. If you want to fight, this Wind Master won't join."
Feng Xin immediately retreated far away, as if he dared not approach her again, shouting, "Don't do that again!!! Don't do it! Did you hear me!!!"
Seeing him avoid her like the plague, Shi Qingxuan, confident in his own charm, felt a bit frustrated and said, "Alright, alright. I won't do it again. You didn't lose anything, did you? What's with that attitude???" Feeling like he'd lost face, he turned back into his male form and said, "Hey, where's Qianqiu?"
Hearing this, Feng Xin finally regained some clarity and looked around. Xie Lian exclaimed, "Isn't he in the Spirit Communication Array?"
Shi Qingxuan replied, "No! After he rolled the dice and went the right way, he hasn't said a word. I asked him several times what the correct number was, and he didn't respond. Usually, he answers quickly, even if a minor god from the Middle Heavenly Court asks. It's really strange."
Xie Lian sighed softly and said, "Prince Taihua went after Qi Rong."
The two newcomers were both surprised, "Qi Rong?"
Xie Lian said, "That's right. This is Qi Rong's lair. Anyway..."
Feng Xin asked, "Wait a minute. Why would Prince Taihua go after Qi Rong? Wasn't he coming after you?"
Hua Cheng, standing aside, said, "No reason. He's chasing the real culprit of the Blood-Washed Golden Banquet, and His Highness only cleaned up after the culprit. Once Lang Qianqiu learned the truth, he went after the real culprit, and that's all there is to it."
Feng Xin's expression turned serious, "The real culprit? Really?!"
Xie Lian felt he couldn't explain it again and couldn't clarify it in a short time, so he shook his head and said, "It's not that simple. I'll explain in detail when we get back."
Shi Qingxuan, unaware of the details, happily said, "I knew there was a misunderstanding. This Wind Master is truly prophetic. Now you shouldn't have to be confined when you return."
Feng Xin said, "Good!" He seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, putting away his bow, and the vigilance he had shown earlier diminished considerably. Hua Cheng, however, let out a cold laugh. Xie Lian said to Feng Xin, "Do you know that Qi Rong is the same Qi Rong?"
Feng Xin asked, "That Qi Rong? Which one?" He was stunned, "The one we all know?"
Xie Lian said, "You didn't expect it to really be him either?"
Feng Xin's face darkened, "No. I never dealt with the Green Ghost personally. I always thought it was a coincidence of the same name. How could a ghost go around with its real name on its head? Isn't that crazy?" Just as he finished speaking, he immediately thought of Qi Rong's actual craziness and exchanged a silent look with Xie Lian.
Even before they ascended, Feng Xin disliked Qi Rong immensely. Qi Rong was the son of Xie Lian's mother, the last empress of the Ancient Celestial Music Kingdom, and he was raised in the royal family, constantly clinging to Xie Lian. As Xie Lian's guard, Feng Xin naturally saw him often.
This person was young, immature, didn't listen to advice, full of energy, and extreme in behavior. Worst of all, being a royal relative, no one dared to discipline him, making him lawless. He used to say things like "Cousin Crown Prince is perfect!"
"My cousin is this and that."
If anyone showed even the slightest disrespect to Xie Lian or caused him any trouble, no matter who it was, Qi Rong would beat them up until they were a mess, without any thought of respecting the elderly or caring for the young. Xie Lian once saved a ten-year-old child from him, who was beaten beyond recognition, covered in blood.
Xie Lian pitied his background and felt he was genuinely on his side, so he never disciplined him physically. But verbal guidance or scolding never worked, causing much headache. Feng Xin, being straightforward and blunt, unlike Xie Lian's patience, often clashed with Qi Rong, disobeying his orders, leading to Qi Rong's dislike and constant troublemaking.
Moreover, after Xie Lian's ascension, Qi Rong became even more reckless, sometimes punishing people for unintentional offenses, like spitting near the Crown Prince's hall, by forcing hot coals into their mouths. To prevent him from going too far, Feng Xin frequently had to descend to clean up Qi Rong's messes, which annoyed him greatly.
He often told Xie Lian, "Qi Rong is crazy. He's bound to cause big trouble one day!"
Feng Xin said, "If it's really him, acting like this isn't surprising."
Shi Qingxuan curiously asked, "What, you know the Green Ghost personally?"
Xie Lian nodded, "He's my cousin."
Shi Qingxuan was shocked, crossing his arms, "Impressive."
Xie Lian said, "He's really quite something."
Shi Qingxuan said, "I wasn't saying he's impressive; I meant you are. Your Highness, look, the Southern Martial God and the Western Martial God are your old acquaintances, the Eastern Martial God is your disciple, the Blue Lantern Night Walker is your cousin, Blood Rain Seeks Flower is your sworn brother, and this Wind Master is your friend. Isn't that impressive?"
Xie Lian smiled slightly, thinking, the Wind Master is truly like the wind, blowing away the gloom. But when Hua Cheng and Feng Xin heard "Blood Rain Seeks Flower is your sworn brother," their expressions seemed somewhat disapproving. Hua Cheng raised an eyebrow, while Feng Xin frowned silently. After a moment, he said to Xie Lian, "If there's nothing else, you should hurry back to the Immortal Capital. After such a commotion, the other officials don't know what's going on and are still waiting up there. The Emperor should know by now, and you need to give an explanation."
Hearing this, Hua Cheng laughed out loud. Feng Xin asked, "What are you laughing at?"
Hua Cheng said, "I thought you were straightforward, but it turns out you like to beat around the bush. You just want His Highness to stop associating with monsters like me, so why not say it directly? Afraid you don't have the right to say it?"
Xie Lian coughed lightly, "San Lang..."
Feng Xin said coldly, "He shouldn't associate with monsters like you, and you know it."
Hua Cheng didn't comment on this. Xie Lian calmly interjected, saying to Feng Xin, "I'll give an explanation, but right now, there's indeed something else to do here. Qi Rong has hidden over three hundred living people in his lair to eat, and thanks to San Lang's help, we've rescued most of them. There are still some small ghosts left to deal with. Once we're done, I'll go up."
Feng Xin said, "It's not good to delay. Leave it to me to handle."
Hua Cheng nodded, "With the Heavenly Court's efficiency, it'll probably be next month before it's done."
Feng Xin said, "As if you could settle it in an instant."
The two were at odds. Shi Qingxuan signaled to Xie Lian with his eyes, asking if the two had a grudge. Xie Lian shook his head. Just as he was about to change the subject, Hua Cheng suddenly produced an umbrella from nowhere. The umbrella was as red as maple leaves, bright as fire. Hua Cheng held it up, covering himself and Xie Lian, casting a rosy glow on their faces.
This must be the umbrella he used during the Blood Rain in the Forest of Corpses on Yu Jun Mountain. But it wasn't raining now, so Xie Lian felt a bit puzzled and asked, "San Lang, why are you holding an umbrella?"
Hua Cheng looked at him and shifted the umbrella closer to Xie Lian, smiling, "Just wait. The weather's about to change."
As soon as he finished speaking, a torrential downpour fell from the sky!
The rain poured down suddenly, leaving Xie Lian stunned. But he stayed dry under Hua Cheng's umbrella, not getting a drop on him. However, Feng Xin, standing opposite Xie Lian and Hua Cheng, was completely unprepared and got drenched from head to toe.
Unfortunately, the rain was red, making Feng Xin look like a blood-soaked figure, with only his wide eyes showing any white. Shi Qingxuan, standing in a cave, was unharmed, staring in shock, forgetting to wave his whisk.
The blood rain came quickly and stopped just as fast, soon returning to calm. Feng Xin finally reacted, wiping his face, still covered in a bloody red mess. Xie Lian said, "This..."
Hua Cheng closed the umbrella and laughed, "In an instant. How was it?"
In those five words, he leisurely walked a few steps, already a good distance away. Xie Lian, who had been searching his sleeve for a cloth, and Shi Qingxuan, who had plucked some white hairs from his whisk to help the silent Feng Xin, realized someone was missing as soon as Hua Cheng left. Xie Lian turned and ran a few steps, calling, "San Lang, are you going back to the Ghost Market?"
Hua Cheng turned back and said, "Aren't you going back to the Immortal Capital?"
He half-jokingly said, "But if you want to come with me to the Ghost Market, you're welcome."
Xie Lian laughed and said, "Next time." He sincerely added, "Next time I have a chance, I'll definitely visit the Ghost Market again. When you rebuild the Elysium Pavilion, I'll help you move bricks."
Hua Cheng said, "No need to move bricks. You can just sit and watch."
Xie Lian slowly stopped smiling and said, "About Qianqiu, whatever the case, thank you." After a pause, he added, "I don't know what's right, but maybe this isn't so bad."
Hua Cheng simply said, "You're overthinking it."
Xie Lian was taken aback and tilted his head slightly. Hua Cheng said, "Just do it."
With that, he turned and waved his hand.
Before long, that red figure gradually disappeared in front of the mountain, under the moon, and from Xie Lian's sight.