Ch.214: Breaking the Standstill; A Well-Timed Gift 2
Hua Cheng hadn't even walked over before Xie Lian had already forcefully glomped over.
It was a powerful glomp but Hua Cheng actually wasn't pushed back by the force at all, not even a wobble. He only placed his hands on Xie Lian's back, chuckling lightly without speaking. Xie Lian was just feeling cheered when he suddenly remembered something.
He quickly said, "Wait, San Lang! The Empe…Jun Wu is quite wary of you, and you should've been guarding the human array at the royal capital. He must've sent eyes down to watch you, so if you vanished all of a sudden, wouldn't he notice? Besides, is it really alright for the Wind Master to be guarding the array by himself?"
However, Hua Cheng replied, "Don't worry, gege, that's already been taken care of. No flaws will be exposed for the moment."
Xie Lian figured he probably blocked the eyes Jun Wu sent or left a clone down below, so he didn't press for more on how things were taken care of.
Just then, Hua Cheng remarked leisurely, "It seems gege really missed me very much."
"…"
Xie Lian remembered the messed- up, inadmissible words they exchanged through spiritual communication in front of Jun Wu, then noticed how he himself was currently holding Hua Cheng tight, not letting go. He immediately loosened his grip, straightening himself, and replied with a schooled voice.
"…En, en. You said we needed to enlist the help of someone, so that someone was Lord Rain Master."
Hua Cheng smiled at him cheerfully. "Correct. The Rain Master has been in the lower realms for years, and just so happened to be roused by the opening of Mount Tong'lu. To return to the heavens to check things out is perfectly logical. And, if Jun Wu refuses to allow her up without proper reason, the Rain Master would no doubt notice things amiss. So, of course he had to let her come back up. Gege, don't worry, it's fine, you can keep holding me like that, I don't mind."
Xie Lian softly cleared his throat. "No, it's alright, thank you…but why can't he do anything to the Rain Master?"
"Gege might not know this. The Rain Master is a heavenly official who manages agriculture. This godly position might seem dreary on the surface, without any major benefits, so most aren't interested. But it's actually quite unique. Currently, the only heavenly official that manages agriculture is Yushi Huang."
Xie Lian mused and deduced the intricate reasons.
Hua Cheng continued, "If the Rain Master was killed directly, and a better heavenly official couldn't be found to replace her, the people put food above all else; if agriculture isn't running smoothly, the world will be thrown into chaos. You don't let people eat, people won't give you a job. Besides being displeased with the Rain Master, the people of the world might also begin to be dissatisfied with the great god above Rain Master's head. Which means, if he isn't careful, the fire can burn all the way onto him. If things aren't controlled adequately, it might incur riots to topple gods."
Riots to desecrate his temples and topple his divine statues, just as the people of Xianle did once.
Hua Cheng added, "On top of that, the Rain Master doesn't establish temples or shrines, hasn't resided in the Heavenly Capital for years, and has no desire to be promoted. So, there isn't really anything to threaten or coerce her with. Externally, it's hard for him to find a proper reason to banish the Rain Master, so it's difficult to make a move; internally, his position can remain stable so long as the Rain Master continues to manage agriculture, so he would keep up the pretense for as long as he can. Deceive her first, and decide what to do after should the truth come out."
Xie Lian was relieved. "I see, thank goodness, that was close. That the Lord Rain Master would help, she really is coming to our aid in a time of need. Hopefully her acting is extraordinary. Oh by the way, we must go find Guoshi first! There are many things that I must ask him, to get proper answers."
The two didn't dally any longer, and sped out of the Palace of Xianle. The moment Xie Lian crossed over the threshold he was startled by the row of guards watching the entrance. He was just about to whip them out with Ruoye when he noticed each of them were like wooden dolls; not just in posture, but even their expressions didn't change. They had all been petrified by Hua Cheng.
As they went, Hua Cheng's vambraces shimmered silver, transforming into silver butterflies; they gradually lost colour, hiding into the air. By now, there were probably hundreds of thousands of wraith butterflies that were dispersed throughout the Heavenly Capital. Along the way, they'd suddenly go up or go down, abruptly hide or appear, perfectly dodging every patrolling guard.
Hiding in an alley, watching troops of patrolling guards stomp by, Hua Cheng said while standing next to Xie Lian, "After this stretch, we'll take the path above."
Xie Lian nodded and leapt onto the roof following Hua Cheng. The two fled across the roofs one after the other, leaving no trace behind. A short while later, Xie Lian dropped onto the edge of an eave and abruptly stopped, looking back at Hua Cheng, seeming to be pensive.
Seeing him still, Hua Cheng also stopped. "What is it? Have you noticed something?"
Xie Lian frowned slightly and nodded, and said pensively, "No. It's just, it feels like this scene has played somewhere else before…"
Before he finished, Hua Cheng suddenly hugged his waist. The next moment, the two "fell" from the rooftop.
Xie Lian felt the world spin, going topsy-turvy, his bamboo hat slipping off from his back about to fall to the ground, and he swiftly and lightly snatched it back. Meanwhile, Hua Cheng held him in his embrace as the two hung upside-down from the eaves of some roof. Above them, something pata-pata crawled past rapidly.
Xie Lian was no stranger to that sound—it was the sound of the fetus spirit crawling!
Who knows whether it was patrolling in a showy manner or what. Just then, another voice came from below.
"Cuo Cuo, Cuo Cuo?"
Jian Lan!
Xie Lian cried "oh no!" in his head. That fetus spirit was still on top of the roof, and if Jian Lan was to walk over from below, wouldn't they be discovered? Xie Lian couldn't be sure what Jian Lan's reaction would be, whether she'd still be grateful for Hua Cheng saving her life, or if she would yell to alert people.
Those light and hurried steps were coming closer and closer, and were just about to turn the corner. Thankfully, right then, that fetus spirit finally jumped down from the other side of the roof.
The two immediately flipped over and hopped on top of the building. Xie Lian let out a breath of relief.
When Jian Lan peeked out from the corner of the wall and saw her son who had jumped onto the ground, she also let out a breath of relief and came out.
"Cuo Cuo! Don't run around randomly, this is a strange and unfamiliar place, rather scary, if you ran off and disappeared, mom won't even know where to go to find out…why did you come here?!"
She casually glanced around and saw the establishment plaque of this palace, and backed away a couple steps. It was only after seeing this reaction that Xie Lian remembered that the golden palace beneath their feet seemed to be the Palace of Nan Yang.
Which meant, Feng Xin was currently locked inside here!
Jian Lan must also have known this, and her face twitched lightly. A moment later, she looked down to scold that fetus spirit. "What are you doing coming here?!"
However, that fetus spirit was hugging something white and chunky, crunch crunch, like it was gnawing at it.
Jian Lan then yelled at it, "What's that? What are you blindly eating? Spit it out!"
Xie Lian looked closely and discovered that it was a big, solid, white radish, and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. No need for her to say anything, that fetus spirit obviously also thought it didn't taste good. P-tui p-tui, it spat the radish forcefully out, shrieking as it did so, like it was throwing a tantrum.
Jian Lan instantly went up to cradle it, coaxing, "Okay okay okay, Cuo Cuo is a good boy, if it doesn't taste good then just don't eat it anymore. Only poor bastards and silly gods like to eat those things, we don't eat those."
Only a birth mother could cradle such a deformed and horrifying creature in her arms and still comfort it in a gentle voice. That fetus spirit wiggled is chubby white body in her arms and purred happily.
Xie Lian watched this scene play out and a sudden inexplicable sympathy grew in his heart, but he was also puzzled. "How is there such a large white radish in the Heavenly Capital?"
Hua Cheng raised his brows and replied, "Gege, have you forgotten? It's one the gifts grown from the earth, from the souvenirs the Rain Master brought you."
"…"
So that was the present the Rain Master gifted him!
Xie Lian tried to imagine what Jun Wu's face would look like when he opened that wooden box to see it was a giant white radish, but it was impossible to imagine, his attempt a failure. It appeared that after Jun Wu had finished inspecting the gift and determined it to be nothing suspicious, he cast the giant white radish off to feed this fetus spirit.
It was practically like feeding a dog.
At first, after that fetus spirit had spat it out, it kicked that giant white radish away in disgust. But after hearing Jian Lan's words, it seemed to be pensive, then leapt out of its mother's embrace. It hopped over and picked the radish up with its mouth before hopping into the palace. If Xie Lian didn't examine it closely, it did look like a smooth-skinned, hairless white dog.
Jian Lan called out, "DON'T GO IN! THAT'S…"
The soldiers guarding the Palace of Nan Yang were probably informed by Jun Wu beforehand that this fetus spirit was his pet or hunting dog, and they didn't blink nor did they stop it. Without any choice, Jian Lan could only follow it inside. That fetus spirit seemed to be harbouring deep animosity towards Feng Xin, and Xie Lian was worried that it would cause harm to Feng Xin.
He turned his head. "San Lang?"
On the tip of Hua Cheng's fingertip, there rested a transparent butterfly. "A wraith butterfly is already perched on her person."
Xie Lian nodded, and the two monitored the situation inside the Palace of Nan Yang. They saw Jian Lan was bent low, sneakily slipping into the palace as if she didn't want anyone to discover her.
She whispered, "Cuo Cuo—"
However, it was impossible not to be discovered. That fetus spirit hopped into the main hall, and there was one man meditating there. He blinked open his eyes and they met hers, both of them taken aback.
Feng Xin was stunned first then delighted, rising to his feet. "Jian Lan! Why have you come? Are you alright? You've come just in time, help me…"
Just then, that fetus spirit suddenly started howling, jumping between the two, spitting that giant white radish onto the ground then kicking it forcefully with its back legs. That giant white radish with a few bites missing was sent flying and smacked squarely into Feng Xin's face, creating a big DONG! noise!
After it kicked the radish it was feeling rather proud and pleased, crying WAH-LAH! randomly, cackling evilly, as if it was waiting for its mother to praise it. Feng Xin was almost knocked out by this thing, and a line of blood instantly streamed down from his nose.
He wiped it away and yelled angrily, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? STAY STILL, WILL YOU?!"
He was fierce, but that fetus spirit was even more ferocious, and screeched at him while slithering its tongue. Feng Xin took a sharp step forward, ready to grab for him, but got his arm bitten by its wide, bloody mouth, and couldn't get rid of it no matter how hard he tossed his arm.
This familiar scene was both horrifying and hilarious, and when Feng Xin couldn't be rid of it no matter what, he was even more outraged.
"WHAT THE FUCK!!! WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!!! ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A BEATING?? WHAT THE HELL!"
Jian Lan had snapped out of it too and cried, "STOP! WHAT RIGHT DO YOU HAVE TO YELL AND BEAT HIM??"
To be called out like this, Feng Xin was startled, and half of his spirit diminished as he argued, "He…he recognized a crook for a father!! Why would he be on Jun Wu's side…how did he turn out like this??"
Jian Lan clicked her tongue. "How? Isn't it because of you?! 'It's the father's fault for only raising without educating', if it wasn't for you slacking off on your duty as the father, would your own son have been dug out from his mother's womb to be made into something like this? WHAT THE HELL? THE HELL YOU GAVE LIFE TO!"
[[養不教,父之過.] "To feed without teaching is the father's fault." From the 5th verse of the Three Character Classic; a simplification of the six Confucian classics to help teach young children. Read more here: https://ctext.org/three-character-classic]
With every reproach Feng Xin backed a step, and his voice also diminished greatly. "But…but I didn't know about this at all. And at the time, it was you who told me to scram…"
"HA!" Jian Lan exclaimed. "I told you to scram to help you! You came to this bitch's bedside every day with that godforsaken gloominess, you think I didn't know what you were thinking?? You had to serve that crown prince of yours and collect enough money to redeem my freedom at the same time, you were battered and bruised, tired and annoyed! Since you were too embarrassed to just toss your sleeves and leave, then I might as well send you off!"
"I was very tired at the time!" Feng Xin cried. "But I was never annoyed with you! I wanted to redeem you!"
Jian Lan jabbed at his chest. "PLEASE! Redemption, redemption, you knew very well in your heart whether you could actually redeem the price tag of this bitch with the meagre skills you had back then! You wished you could split every penny in half and spend it as double everyday. Going on the streets each day to busk and you still had to go back to pay your respects to your crown prince and your ol' emperor, it's already pretty good that I didn't throw myself at you to add to your burdens. Expecting you to redeem my freedom? WHAT A DREAM!"
"You didn't say this at the beginning, we'd even made promises! I always keep my word…"
Jian Lan cut him off. "There's plenty of promises, swears, and oaths out there, but think a bit for yourself, what have you given me, huh? Other than that golden belt—oh, wait, it was ONLY that golden belt, and you even exhorted over and over never to sell it!"
Feng Xin had been backing up step after step by her jabbing, his expression both stiff and shamed. The more Jian Lan spoke the angrier she became.
"OR, did you mean that godforsaken protection charm? My heart must've been smeared with pig's grease to believe that shitty protection charm could protect anyone! There was barely any good luck, BUT THERE SURE WAS A SHIT TON OF BAD LUCK! You had less and less money, but your temper was worse and worse, what was I to do if I didn't let you go, HUH?
TORMENT YOU TO DEATH THIS WAY?? TORMENT YOU TO THE POINT WHERE YOU'D COMPLAIN ABOUT ME, HATE ME, BE ANNOYED WITH ME, AND NO LONGER WANT TO SEE ME EVER AGAIN??"
"…"
It wasn't just Feng Xin, even Xie Lian who was currently above the Palace of Nan Yang didn't know what to say anymore.
So, this was how it was.
Xie Lian recalled many things. The early morning departures and late night returns back then, the exhausted Feng Xin, the randomly-happy, randomly-depressed Feng Xin, and the Feng Xin who tried once to borrow money from Xie Lian with great difficulty.
The insignificant, unusual gestures suddenly all had an explanation.
Feng Xin was Xie Lian's servant, his good friend, but not his slave. He could've built his own home, had his own family. And he had actually already met those people, but the encounter just had to be during Xie Lian's first banishment, the toughest days they suffered back then.
At the time, Xie Lian was having trouble surviving himself, so how could he possibly have noticed those details? He was suffering, Feng Xin was also suffering. Everyone was suffering. And in the end, the two finally couldn't keep it going. Perhaps, Jian Lan had long foreseen this ending.
But, even if it was during that period of time, Feng Xin still did his utmost to try and support him. He'd even gifted Jian Lan his protection charms that no one cared for anymore, and told her that this thing could grant good luck, which was why Jian Lan would carefully put it away, tucking it in the little robes of the unborn child.
Of course, in the end, it was proven that that protection charm didn't bring them any good fortune at all.
Jian Lan looked as if she had said things she shouldn't have, and picked up the fetus spirit on the ground in a hurry, turning to leave.
Feng Xin called out, "JIAN LAN!!!"
He pulled at his hair, and actually looked to be at a loss, sighing and lamenting.
"Come…come back," Feng Xin begged, "I'm still…sigh, I still feel I, I…I want to take care of both of you. I should take care of both of you. I have a duty, I've promised you."
Jian Lan turned around and stared at him intently for a moment, tightening the hug of the fetus spirit in her arms, and humphed. "No need. I know you're disgusted with this son of yours. It's nothing but some demonic creature in your eyes. It's fine, I'm not disgusted."
Feng Xin finally came back to his senses and countered, "I'M NOT DISGUSTED!"
"Then how come you're so mean to him every time?" Jian Lan questioned. "Can you really take him for your own son?"
"As long as it can return to the right path, how can I not?" Feng Xin replied.
Jian Lan sneered. "Then let me ask you again: you're a heavenly official, do you dare to recognize it as your son?"
Feng Xin was taken aback.
This reaction was natural. That fetus spirit clung to its mother's arms, baring its teeth and growling at him, like it was an ugly, poisonous vermin that wasn't fully grown, or perhaps like a crippled savage infant beast. Either way, it was not human.
What kind of heavenly official would dare admit to such an affair? To recognize such a demonic creature as their own son? This was definitely a giant stain, and his worshippers, his merits, his reputation, would all be greatly affected!