This problem, in his heart, he already had a vague answer. However, Hua Cheng's reaction was totally different from what he expected.
After a moment of silence, Hua Cheng suddenly said, "Sorry."
Xie Lian was confused, "What?"
Originally, he thought that if "Thousand Lantern Viewing" wasn’t some misunderstanding, the only one most likely related to it was Hua Cheng. But regardless of whether his guess was right or not, Hua Cheng had no reason to apologize. Hua Cheng didn't answer, just gestured for him to walk forward together. Xie Lian followed him. After they walked for a while, they rounded a corner, and suddenly their view became wide open, a palace radiating with spiritual light quietly appeared in front of Xie Lian.
In an instant, his breath was caught.
All around was the intertwined ghostly scenery of black and red, and in the midst of this, the palace was dazzling with splendor, a thousand lanterns glowing, like a fairyland.
Such a palace built with light and brilliance as its foundation, yet it was positioned in a ghost market teeming with chaos and mischief, extremely out of place, yet incredibly stunning. At the first sight, it left an indelible impression in the mind. After a good while, Xie Lian finally said, "...This is..."
The two of them stood in front of the palace, both gazing up. Hua Cheng also raised his head slightly, saying, "A few days ago it was the Mid-Autumn Festival. I thought that brother might partake in their annual boring game in the Heavenly Court, so I created this place to give brother something interesting to attend during the feast, to relieve some boredom."
His method of "relieving boredom" was truly astonishing. Just to "give Xie Lian something fun to do," he created a palace and even lit three thousand everlasting blessing lanterns!
Hua Cheng slightly lowered his head, adjusted his sleeves, and said, "I didn't intend to let you know, because it was my own arrangement, building brother's palace in this messy place. I hope brother won't mind."
Xie Lian immediately shook his head. Hua Cheng thought he had caused trouble for him, so he didn't want to let him know, leaving Xie Lian not knowing what to say. At this point, saying thank you would be too weak. So, Xie Lian calmed himself, took a deep breath, focused earnestly on appreciating this "Thousand Lantern Viewing," then turned his head and said, "This palace is magnificent, ingeniously designed, such a grand project can't be completed in just a few days. San Lang, you didn't just build this recently, did you?"
Hua Cheng laughed, "Of course not. Brother has sharp eyes. This place was built a long time ago, but it couldn't be put to use, so it was hidden away. I never let anyone else enter. I should thank brother for finally giving it purpose, for finally seeing the light of day."
Hearing this, Xie Lian slightly breathed a sigh of relief.
Since it was built long ago but never used, it was likely intended for another purpose initially, and now conveniently used. Otherwise, if Hua Cheng really built a palace just for him, he would feel even more uneasy. Of course, knowing Hua Cheng's nature, it might also be purely for fun. Although Xie Lian was very curious about what Hua Cheng originally planned to do with such a palace so different from the ghost market, he resisted the urge to ask. Asking too much isn't a good habit; you never know when you might ask something inappropriate.
Hua Cheng said, "Want to go inside and have a look?"
Xie Lian replied cheerfully, "Of course."
The two walked side by side, slowly entering the palace, strolling on the jade-paved floor. Looking around, the inside of the palace was open and bright, but there were no idols, nor mats for worshippers to kneel on. Hua Cheng said, "It was completed hastily, and there are many slipshods, brother please pardon."
Xie Lian smiled, "Not at all. I think it's great, really great. No idols and mats are just fine; it's best if there never are any. But, why isn't there even a plaque?"
This question was not a complaint, just a curiosity as the detailed carvings of "Thousand Lantern Viewing" motifs on stone flower mats were present but no plaque was hung up. Naturally, it wasn't due to urgency, so he asked out of curiosity. Hua Cheng said with a smile, "There's no choice.
There's no one here who can write. The ones you saw earlier, it's good enough if they can read. Brother, is there any calligrapher you like?
I will invite them to write the plaque, or, the best way, brother writes it himself and hangs it in this Thousand Lantern Viewing. That would be perfect."
As he spoke, he pointed to the altar in the main hall. The jade table was very long and wide, neatly arranged with some offerings and an incense burner, and also prepared with brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, with a scholarly scent. As they walked forward, Xie Lian said, "Then why don't I ask San Lang to help me write it."
Hearing this, Hua Cheng's eyes slightly widened, as if he didn't expect him to say that, and he said, "Me?"
Xie Lian said, "Yes."
Hua Cheng pointed to himself, "You really want me to write?"
Xie Lian sensed something and asked, "Does San Lang have any difficulties?"
Hua Cheng raised one eyebrow, saying, "No difficulty, it's just..."
Seeing Xie Lian waiting for his answer, he clasped his hands behind his back, seemingly a bit helpless and said, "Alright. It's just that I don't write well."
This was really strange. Xie Lian couldn't imagine there being anything Hua Cheng couldn't do well, so he smiled and said, "Oh? Is that so, write one and let me see?"
Hua Cheng asked again, "You really want me to write?"
Xie Lian took a few sheets of white paper, laid them neatly on the jade table, carefully smoothing them with his hands, then selected a purple brush that caught his eye, and handed it to him, saying, "Go ahead."
Seeing him prepared everything already, Hua Cheng said, "Alright then. But, no laughing."
Xie Lian nodded, "Of course."
So, Hua Cheng took the brush and started writing seriously. Xie Lian watched from the side, the more he watched, the more his expression became complicated.
He really wanted to hold it in, but he couldn't. While Hua Cheng was frantically scribbling on the paper, he warned humorously, "Brother."
Xie Lian immediately corrected himself, "My fault."
He didn't want to, but what could he do. Hua Cheng's handwriting was just too funny!!
Even the wildest of calligraphies Xie Lian had seen couldn't compete with its wildness, and that wildness was mixed with an overwhelming sense of mischievousness, likely to cause calligraphy masters to roll their eyes and faint. Xie Lian painstakingly deciphered and barely managed to recognize the ghostly scribbles as phrases like "vast sea," "water," "Wu mountain," "cloud," guessing that he might be writing "Once crossed the vast sea, no water could compare, but the Wu mountain isn't clouds."
Thinking about how Hua Cheng, a dominant figure in the ghost realm, so frighteningly capable, finally showed this expression in something, especially in writing, Xie Lian tried hard to hold his laughter while picking up Hua Cheng’s finished work, pretending calmness, saying, "Hmm. Very individual, unique style. Has 'character'."
Hua Cheng put down the brush, posing quite properly, gazing down with a smirk, "Madness you mean."
Xie Lian pretended not to hear, earnestly evaluating, "Actually, writing well isn't hard, writing with your own 'character' is hard. If it's just pretty, yet pretty like thousands of others, that also ranks lower. San Lang's approach is very good, has the style of great masters, swallowing rivers and mountains..." The rest of the eight words: rivers and mountains shattered, chaos and turmoil. What could he do, coming up with flattering words is also a chore. Hua Cheng listened, raising his eyebrows higher, skeptical, "Really?"
Xie Lian said, "When have I ever lied to San Lang?"
Hua Cheng leisurely added some new incense to a small golden censer nearby, amidst the fragrant smoke, he nonchalantly said, "I really want to write well. Just that no one ever taught me, not knowing the trick."
He got the right person to ask. Xie Lian pondered, "There's really no trick, just..." After thinking, he concluded that merely speaking couldn't convey it all, so he leaned in closer, took a brush himself, and beside the lines Hua Cheng wrote, he added two more lines, completing it in one go, observed for a moment, smiled contentedly, and sighed, "Ashamed. I haven't had much chance to write in years, not as good as before."
Hua Cheng gazed at the four lines, vastly different in style and essence, especially the latter two lines Xie Lian added—"In the midst of flowers, lazily refraining from looking back, partly for the Dao, partly for you," reading the poem repeatedly, lingering on it. After a while, he looked up and said, "Your guidance?"
Xie Lian said, "Guidance is too much." Then, proceeded to explain the basics to Hua Cheng, sharing his childhood insights on practicing calligraphy wholeheartedly.
The fragrance lingered, the lamps glowed brightly, Xie Lian spoke seriously, Hua Cheng listened attentively. In the hall, soft words were exchanged, both the scene and the voice were gentle and subdued. After a while, Xie Lian said, "Why don't you try again?"
Hua Cheng gave an "oh," took up the brush again, and seemed to seriously write a few characters. Xie Lian watched by his side, folded his arms, tilted his head, and said, "Interesting. But..."
But, he always felt Hua Cheng's strokes were off. Frowning to observe for a moment, he suddenly realized what was wrong—Hua Cheng hadn't even held the brush correctly.
With a chaotic grip like that, of course it's not right!
Xie Lian was amused and exasperated, standing closer without thinking, reaching out to correct, saying, "Your grip is wrong, it should be like this..."
As he reached out, he suddenly realized it might be slightly inappropriate. They weren't like a long-term master and young disciple, teaching hand in hand like this seemed too intimate. But, having reached out, it wasn't proper to abruptly pull back; that would seem intentional.
So, after a brief hesitation, he didn't retract his hand. Moreover, thinking of the last time at the Ghost Gambling House, didn't Hua Cheng also teach him to shake dice hand in hand?
Although Xie Lian felt he didn't learn anything that time and had a vague feeling of being tricked afterward, this time he genuinely wanted to teach Hua Cheng something. Thus, Xie Lian's warm palm calmly rested on Hua Cheng's cold hand, gently holding it, guiding his brushwork, whispering, "Like this..."
Feeling Hua Cheng's chaotic brushwork under his hand, he gently controlled, correcting it back. Soon, he sensed even more chaotic movement under his hand, uncontrollable, and could only hold tighter. The characters they wrote together were wobbly and unsightly, and the more Xie Lian wrote, the more it felt wrong, unable to help but say, "This..."
Hua Cheng seemed to have succeeded in his mischief, letting out a low chuckle. Ink ran wild on the paper, Xie Lian helplessly said, "San Lang... don’t do this. Learn properly, write properly."
Hua Cheng said, "Okay."
Obviously pretending to be serious. Xie Lian shook his head, bemused.
Though Hua Cheng’s hands were cold, holding it felt inexplicably like clutching a hot iron, not daring to grip too hard. At this moment, the corner of Xie Lian’s eye suddenly caught sight of something on the altar, and he froze.
He turned his gaze and saw in the corner of the jade table, a small solitary flower placed there.