Dispel the Clouds and See the Sun

4. Striking Beauty

During a worship for the Crown Prince of XianLe, something strange happens

Mount Taicang was covered entirely by maple trees, covering the many mountain paths with a sea of red; on its top the Royal Holy Pavilion, the head temple for the worship of the Crown Prince of XianLe. Built more than 800 years ago and crumbled into a dilapidated state, it had been restored, its building white with tall golden columns.

Inside it, exquisite and tasteful reliefs showed scenes of the Crown Prince's life: saving a child from a fall at a Shangyuan Festival; revealing himself to a devotee in a poor, run-down shrine; being stabbed to save people from the human face disease. They were chosen by Hua Cheng, to show Xie Lian saving his believers, giving them a reason to live, dying for them.

As soon as they got there and saw the crowds flocking in, Xie Lian said, looking around, "We need to evacuate these mortals in case something happens. Feng Xin, draw an array around the temple. Mu Qing, go around the temple grounds and see if there's anything off. San Lang and I", he glanced at Hua Cheng, "Are going inside".

They nodded and off they went; Hua Cheng followed him, joining the long queue of devotees, slowly making their way inside to fervently pay their respects to the Crown Prince of XianLe, burn him some incense and offer him their prayers. This worship didn't adopt the custom of prostrating.

It's said that in the past this temple housed a magnificent divine statue of solid gold, beautifully made to the likeness of the prince himself. Now, it had an even more precious one, made with the purest white jade and the most skilled craftmanship; the sculptor perfectly capturing the Crown Prince's gentle smile, while holding a sword in one hand and a flower on the other.

Looking at that divine statue while entering the temple, Xie Lian couldn't help but be amazed once more by how Hua Cheng's talent was unrivalled under heavens!

Moving with the crowds, they managed to position themselves in each side of the building; after an incense time, Feng Xin and Mu Qing returned, taking the spots they had previously agreed on, and the four of them watched and waited. If only all those devotees knew the god they were worshipping was there and then, hiding among them!

After the time it takes to eat a meal, Xie Lian sensed something; a presence, but strangely all over, he couldn't pinpoint its location. Then they all saw it: a black cloud materialising, at first very thin, then thickening, without smell, taste or heat. It wasn't a physical smoke!

"Feng Xin, activate the array", Xie Lian shouted on their spiritual communication array, "Now!"

Feng Xin closed his right fist, then there was a blinding flash of light, and suddenly the temple was empty, the mortals all gone; they'd reappear at the foot of the mountain, thinking they did their worshipping in rapture, thus not being able to remember anything, and would go home with their faith on the Crown Prince of XianLe doubled!

That black cloud swirled around the statue, and, even from a distance, Xie Lian felt it solid. As it closed in, Xie Lian made a hand seal; his divine statue, still holding a flower in one hand, swung its sword with the other, completely slashing the smoke in half! It was like floating clouds and flowing water, a skilful and beautiful movement; if that wasn't a smoke, it'd have fallen dead on the spot.

The strange smoke retreated, then swiftly attacked again; the statue jumped from its altar, landing on the floor as lightly as it could given its size and weight, but the whole temple still trembled. It fought the cloud, which kept attacking it, deftly and with precise movements; being controlled by an accomplished martial artist, that black smoke had found a worthy opponent!

Xie Lian kept doing hand seal after hand seal, making that divine statue swing its sword and dodge the attacks without ever dropping the flower on its other hand; that cloud exceedingly quick and nimble, but not enough to caught the statue off-guard, find an opening and topple it.

Hua Cheng sent forth thousands of wraith butterflies, which, getting in contact with that smoke, dissipated as if being burned; he cursed under his breath. Feng Xin shot several arrows of spiritual light, flawlessly hitting that smoke in spite of the speed it moved; Mu Qing also blasted it nonstop, but it was as if the smoke just absorbed the light.

After an incense time of relentless fighting against that statue, and being attacked by Hua Cheng, Feng Xin and Mu Qing, the cloud started thinning, and dissipating; quick as lightening, Xie Lian jumped to the battle grounds to search for clues, indeed finding remains of that smoke.

"Just what... what's that?", he said astonished, taking a spirit stone from his sleeves to absorb it.

These stones could trap spiritual energy inside, being popular among monks and cultivators, who used them to cultivate absorbing their energy, or to create magical items or spell formations. That clear crystal, in contact with that strange dark spiritual energy, became black like obsidian.

Hua Cheng held Xie Lian's arm, "Gege, how can you jump at it like that, you don't know what it is – "

As usual, Xie Lian had no concern for his own safety during a mission; that made Hua Cheng mad, he knew it, and he helplessly said, "Sorry San Lang. It's just... well that thing disappeared, and we're left alone in this temple, with nothing!", slouching his shoulders and dropping his hands in defeat.

"Alright", Hua Cheng then said, "We better go and have some rest, it's not that this guy's going to attack again tonight".

"He might", Mu Qing said, this time not taking pleasure in disagreeing with others at all, but simply pointing out there was no guarantees of when or where it'd attack again.

Hua Cheng looked at him darkly, but before he could say anything, Feng Xin intervened, "Crimson Rain Sought Flower is right. We don't fucking know what that is, and we don't have a plan. And His Highness looks exhausted."

Xie Lian scratched his cheek, "Hum, right, let's regroup first thing tomorrow – "

"At Paradise Manor", Hua Cheng said in a firm tone; nodding at one another, they left.

Back in Paradise Manor, Hua Cheng gently helped Xie Lian to undress and have a bath, then put him in bed. He knew Xie Lian wasn't just tired, but having some internal conflict or distress, and when they were lying down in the darkness, he asked softly, "Gege, what is it?"

Xie Lian turned to look at him, and still chewing on his words, said, "Before that smoke dissipated. I, hum, I heard a chuckle, like it was recognising me, and had a strong impression it was personal. It was my imagination I think, I'm just being pretentious...", he sighed, shaking his head lightly.

Hua Cheng reached out to wrap him in his arms and said, "You're the most powerful god in all the Heavens, thrice ascended, a peerless martial god. Any useless trash not knowing the immensity of heaven and earth would come challenging you. You're not being pretentious Gege".

He then cupped Xie Lian's face and added, flashing a smile, "They can try, but they won't succeed. Don't worry Gege, just get some sleep already hmm?"

Hearing that, Xie Lian smiled, suddenly feeling exhausted, falling asleep in half an incense time.

Holy Divine Statue of The Crown Prince of XianLe! 😍

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