Chapter 108: In the Temple of Wind and Water; Night Chatter to Discern Truth (Part 1)
Hearing this, Hua Cheng turned his head and his eyes fell on the Shi Qingxuan and Ming Yi who were strangling each other behind them, and he signaled, "Him?"
Xie Lian nodded.
"How do you want to test it?" Hua Cheng asked.
"Many years ago I went up against two Venerables of Empty Words, and even had one cling on to me for over half a year." Xie Lian replied, "During those times, I've tried to trap their words and discovered one of their unique traits. They themselves didn't realize they have such a trait, so with just a little push, they'll be easily identified." Xie Lian then passed on the secret. Once Hua Cheng heard, he said, "That's easy. Let's do it this way."
The two finished their discussion and coincidentally they arrived back at that broken Temple of Wind and Water. It was slightly chilly in the autumn air, the skies were dimmed. Shi Qingxuan searched all over for the head of his brother's divine statue and glued it back on, righting the two statues, and placed them in their proper place on the altar anew. Xie Lian started a small fire inside the temple using rotten logs he picked up from around, and the four sat around the fire.
Shi Qingxuan had his ears plugged and petulantly drank a few swigs but finally couldn't sit still anymore, "We can't possibly just sit around to wait for that thing? Is there anything we can do for entertainment?"
He brought it up first and it was just as Xie Lian had wanted. Ming Yi poked at the fire and said, "You can still think of entertainment at a time like this?"
Shi Qingxuan spat, "It's necessary! That thing wants me scared? This ancestor ain't scared! This Wind Master will play as happily as he will, happier than ever before. It'll be like new years! I hope it dies from anger."
In the communication array, Xie Lian suggested, "How about let's roll some dice?"
Shi Qingxuan pulled a long face, "Dice again? Betting over big and small rolls again? Your Highness are you perhaps addicted?"
"What? No..." Xie Lian said.
"Nevermind. There's nothing else around anyway. Dice it is. But there's four of us here, won't things get a little confusing?"
"It won't. Here." Xie Lian said.
He opened his palm and revealed two crafty little dice. Xie Lian explained, "The four of us can form two teams. San Lang and I will be one team, my lords can be another team, and we'll compete to see who has the better luck. Two dice. Each team gets one turn, each person rolls once, and add up the rolls of that turn. If the roll is big, that team wins, and can ask any question of the losing team that they must answer, or have them do something."
"I have a question." Shi Qingxuan said.
"Please ask." Xie Lian replied,
Shi Qingxuan tapped his foot, "Why are the two of you so naturally a team? Did you take our feelings into consideration when you divided the teams?"
Xie Lian cleared his throat softly, "Um, well, if you want to switch up the teams that's fine too. It makes no difference."
Shi Qingxuan stuffed his whisk into the back collar of his outer robe and said, "Whatever. I don't have any complaints about it anyway, but Crimson Rain Sought Flower has such good luck, wouldn't we be at a disadvantage?"
Xie Lian smiled cheerfully at him, "That's not entirely true. Our team's San Lang might be extremely lucky, but my luck is extremely bad. With the two combined, one good one bad, don't we cancel each other out?"
Shi Qingxuan gave it a thought and it did make sense, so he smacked his thigh and shouted, "GOOD! Then let's have at it!" Then he elbowed Ming Yi, "Ming-xiong, did you hear the rules? Don't drag me down, alright?"
Ming Yi gave him a look, and within the spiritual communication array came his cold voice, "Forgive me but I'm not playing."
Shi Qingxuan hastily dragged him back, "It-It-It's ok if you drag me down too! Nevermind, nevermind, come come come! Just play. Otherwise it's too sad for me to be in a team all by myself!"
Thus, the four swore to a simple oath of following the rules and started playing. The first round, Shi Qingxuan rolled out a 'five', Ming Yi rolled out a 'four'; Hua Cheng rolled out a 'six' and Xie Lian rolled out a 'one'.
Shi Qingxuan was overjoyed, "HAHAHAHAHAHA! YOUR HIGHNESS YOUR LUCK REALLY IS BAD, SO BAD! HAHAHAHA...."
Xie Lian rubbed his forehead and said gently, "Although what lord Wind Master said is the truth, but, can you not say it with such glee?"
"Ahem! Fine. Then what, we won. This Wind Master will ask the two of you to do something." Shi Qingxuan said, "Then, Your Highness, Crimson Rain Sought Flower! I order you to – to immediately strip each other's clothing!"
Xie Lian: "???"
"Lord Wind Master???" Xie Lian was alarmed.
Ming Yi turned around looking disgusted, covering his face as if he didn't want to see such a repulsive sight. Shi Qingxuan cheered, "Come come come, don't be a sore loser. An esteemed heavenly official and an esteemed ghost king, you won't bail, right? I'm sitting in place, now, please start your show."
"..."
Xie Lian looked to Hua Cheng, and Hua Cheng flipped open his arms, mouthing the words "Gege, it's not my fault."
Feeling helpless, Xie Lian could only ask, "How much do we strip?"
Shi Qingxuan was only playing around and would of course not make them look bad, so he laughed with his legs shaking, "Just one layer is fine. Keep a few on for later, hehehehehe."
He actually wanted to continue... Xie Lian hesitated and secretly passed his voice, "San Lang..."
Hua Cheng's face showed no ripple of reaction but the voice next to Xie Lian's ears was comforting him earnestly, "Don't worry. Didn't we agree to let them win a few rounds? They'll lose eventually."
That was indeed something they agreed upon, only, Xie Lian had not expect Shi Qingxuan would play like this, and felt like he was slapping his own face. He reluctantly shuffled over to untie Hua Cheng's waistband, painstakingly helping Hua Cheng out of his black outer robe, revealing the snow white inner tunic underneath. Hua Cheng also helped him out of his outer robe looking at ease, his hands slow and gentle, and didn't touch any part of Xie Lian's body. The two of them really only removed their outer robes, nothing extraordinary and nothing unseemly, but Xie Lian still felt extremely weirded out. Assuming a proper sitting position, he stammered, "A... Again."
The second round, Shi Qingxuan rolled out a 'three', Ming Yi a 'six'; Hua Cheng rolled out a 'six' once again, and Xie Lian still rolled a 'one'.
Shi Qingxuan slammed his fist on the ground repeatedly, laughing out loud, and Xie Lian looked to Hua Cheng again, the two of them still connected through the private communication array, "...San Lang!"
This is different than what they agreed on!
Hua Cheng apologized profusely, "Sorry sorry, I forgot just now. Don't be mad, gege. It's my fault this time."
Shi Qingxuan cheered again, rolling up his sleeves, "Alright, this round, I order you to..."
Xie Lian hurriedly cut in, "Stop! Last round we did the request and stripped. This round should be questions."
Shi Qingxuan laughed heartily, "Ask questions? That's fine too. Then my first question: Crimson Rain Sought Flower, what's the worst suffering in the world to you?"
Hua Cheng's smile faded away and a brief silence settled in the Temple of Wind and Water.
Shi Qingxuan added, "Don't misunderstand, I don't mean anything by it, I'm just really curious. To make it as a ghost king like Crimson Rain Sought Flower, is there really anything left in this world that can make you suffer? Maybe, nothing of the sort exists?"
"What do you think?" Hua Cheng asked back.
Shi Qingxuan pondered and guessed, "The City of Gu at Mount Tong'lu?"
There were indeed many who'd come with that answer when they ponder this question. However, Hua Cheng only smiled faintly, "That's nothing to fear."
Shi Qingxuan was amazed, "That's not it? Then what is it?"
Hua Cheng's lips curled but that curve soon disappeared, "I'll tell you what it is."
He said softly, "To watch with your own eyes your beloved be trampled and ridiculed yet unable to do anything. That's the worst suffering in the world."
Hearing this, Xie Lian's breathing stopped and his body froze. In that rundown Temple of Wind and Water, not a single soul spoke. Shi Qingxuan couldn't find anything to say, and only squeezed out after some time, "...Oh."
Ming Yi's face still remained cold and he poked at the fire. "Continue."
Shi Qingxuan scratched his head and waved his hand, "I'm done. Ming-xiong, you ask something."
Thus, Ming Yi looked up slightly, staring at Xie Lian, "Your Highness."
Xie Lian snapped out of it and answered, "Hm?"
Ming Yi asked, "What's the biggest regret of your life?"
Ming Yi was usually quiet and unspeaking, but the moment he opened his mouth it was unexpectedly a question of such weight, and Xie Lian was stunned for the moment.
Was it his unheeding of advice and warning, and selfish descent to the lesser realm? Was it his hubris in thinking himself powerful enough to create rain for Yong'an? Was it his wishful thinking he could save Xianle? Or was it his reluctance in killing certain people?
He knew it was none of that.
It was a moment before Xie Lian answered, "My second ascension."
The other three in the temple all looked at him, unspeaking. Xie Lian spaced out for a moment, and it was a while before he snapped out of it and asked, "What is it? Everyone, I've answered the question."
Hua Cheng said quietly, "It's nothing. Let's continue."
The third round, Shi Qingxuan rolled a 'two', Ming Yi a 'two'; Hua Cheng rolled a 'six' and Xie Lian a 'one'.
Seeing this, Xie Lian let out a big, big sigh of relief.
By heaven official's blessings, they've finally won!
It was finally Shi Qingxuan's team's turn to be punished, but he was eager and thrilled, as if he was afraid of nothing, "Come at me! Hit me with your best shot!"
Xie Lian smiled, "Then I will. Lord Earth Master, you first."
He turned to Ming Yi, "My lord, please answer the questions I'm about to ask properly, and please don't lie."
Ming Yi didn't say anything and Shi Qingxuan waved his hand, "Don't worry. Ming-xiong is someone who doesn't even know how to lie."
Xie Lian grinned, "Very well. First question: Who am I?"
Shi Qingxuan was taken aback, "Your Highness, what kind of question is that? Aren't you, you? Who else can you be???"
Hearing this, Ming Yi slowly raised his head and looked Xie Lian in the eyes, then he answered, "The Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Xianle, Xie Lian."
Xie Lian nodded, then asked, "The second question, who's the one sitting next to me?"
After a pause, Ming Yi answered, "The Lord of Ghost City, Crimson Rain Sought Flower."
Xie Lian then asked again, "Then, the last question – who's the one sitting next to you?"
Shi Qingxuan was becoming more and more confused, "Your Highness, what are you two playing at? Who am I? I'm the Wind Master???"
"Lord Earth Master, please answer." Xie Lian pressed.
This time, Ming Yi didn't answer as fast.
After having run into the Venerable of Empty Words many times, Xie Lian discovered a fascinating trait they possess and that was this: whenever the Venerable of Empty Words speak, out of three sentences, at least one would be a lie.
This unique trait was akin to how a normal human being, no matter how healthy or strong, would need to drink water in the span of three days, otherwise they'd die from dehydration, and this nature could not be changed no matter how powerful one was.
The Distance Shortening Array was drawn by Ming Yi, the last one out the door was also Ming Yi, so if anyone should meddle, he had the most chance. Therefore, of course Xie Lian would suspect him. However, at the time Shi Qingxuan was obviously distraught, so if Xie Lian voiced his suspicion, it would no doubt only make Shi Qingxuan even more distressed, allowing for the Reverend of Empty Words to suck more negative emotions from him, turning them into its powers. Thus, at that time, Xie Lian immediately found another possibility. But, in reality, he had never given up on the most straightforward possibility.
Although generally speaking the Wind Master and the Earth Master shared a very good relationship, and it'd be impossible for the Wind Master not to notice if the Reverend of Empty Words was pretending to be the Earth Master. However, what if the Reverend of Empty Words really did surreptitiously possess Ming Yi?
Thus, at the beginning he wanted Hua Cheng to work with him to beat around the bush and trap Ming Yi's words. Hua Cheng however, suggested that since they never really conversed, if he should be the one to trap Ming Yi's words it'd be unnatural. Why not use the pretense of a game and create opportunities? Let Ming Yi himself speak then see if they could observe and find anything without the Wind Master and the Earth Master noticing.
Yet, Ming Yi had always been a man of few words, and even in a fervent atmosphere each of his words were precious like gold. Earlier in the duration of the game, Xie Lian paid close attention to everything he said but it was all equivocal, nothing that could determine whether if he was lying. In the end, he had to use the killing hand and borrow Hua Cheng's skill, secretly controlling the roll of dice to make Ming Yi lose intentionally. Then with the three sudden questions, Ming Yi would have no choice but to answer on the spot.
Because it was all a game, Shi Qingxuan hadn't yet realized anything and thought they were still joking around, and thus that Reverend of Empty Words couldn't take the chance to sneak in and suck out power. However, should Ming Yi answer wrong, he'd show himself and Xie Lian would seize him immediately.
A creature like the Venerable of Empty Words would lie within three sentences. Now, Xie Lian had asked two questions, and Ming Yi answered both correctly. Which meant, if Ming Yi was the Reverend of Empty Words, he would no doubt answer the last question with a lie.