The Sleeping Ghost King

Chapter 5

Chapter 5: He Xuan

"What took you so long to open the door?" Fengxin deadpanned at the guilty man who only smiled sheepishly.

"Tsk. Whatever." Fengxin, donned in his heavy armour, walked inside and took in the smell of something he cannot distinguish.

Xie Lian walked past him and to the other side of the cottage as Fengxin finally figured out what the other was busying himself into.

"Are you hungry? Just wait for a while, the food is almost cooked."

Color drained from his face when he heard those words. He could clearly remember how Xie Lian's cooking tastes like and never in a million years would he want to digest that.

No!

Just no!

Before he knew it, a bowl of soup was served in front of him.

A purple soup with mismatched shapes and sizes of cut vegetables and ingredients that Fengxin could hardly figure out what.

Steam emitting from the warm liquid and when Fengxin lifted up the spoon, the soup fell down from it.

"ARE YOU PLANNING TO FUCKING POISON ME?! THIS COULD BARELY BE EVEN CALLED FOOD!"

Too sticky! Is he a witch or something?!

Xie Lian already expected to hear this kind of reaction from him and so he wasn't even fazed about it.

A knock on the door sounded loudly. When he opened the poorly attached wooden door, it revealed a properly dressed Mu Qing.

"Ah, Mu Qing what brings you in my humble abode?" Xie Lian smiled politely, bewildered at the thought of Fengxin and Mu Qing visiting him.

"I had work done around here." Mu Qing has arms crossed, his face contorted in distaste. "Why is that numbskull here?"

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST CALLED ME?!" Fengxin slammed his palm on the table, spilling some purple colored soup on it.

"Heh." Mu Qing scoffed, "You might need to get your ears checked..."

Xie Lian could only heave a sigh as a new set of bickering between the two began. Somehow, it does feel nice having the two around.

It makes the house...livelier.

In the end, the bowl of soup that was served to his guest was left uneaten and cold.

If it was San Lang, he wouldn't even leave a single drop of soup...

The Heavenly Emperor remembers how every time he would serve Hua Cheng his cooking, the ghost king would happily eat it all the way to the bottom of the bowl.

knock knock*

The sound pulled him out of his memory lane, bewildered that another person came to visit him.

Who could it be?

Fengxin and Mu Qing had already left a few minutes ago. Maybe they forgot something?

On the way to the door, he thought of different names of who would most likely visit him.

Ah, is it..?

All hopes died down when Xie Lian opened the door in a hasty manner, revealing a tall and pale ghost king donned in black robes.

"You look like some kid that got their candy taken away. Quit it."

"A-Ah, I'm sorry." Xie Lian rubbed his cheek in awkwardness before smiling at He Xuan.

After a few moments of awkward silence between the two, He Xuan spoke. "Come with me. We're going somewhere.

Xie Lian wasn't able to express his confusion as He Xuan already pulled him near and rolled a dice.

The next second, the god found himself inside a dark tunnel with Black Water Submerging Boats beside him.

"Come." He Xuan started to walk forward, leaving the other standing there and watching his figure make distance.

Xie Lian obliged, nonetheless.

An hour of walking, they finally arrived at a circular ...on a wall. Distinctive designs etched in that mark.

Xie Lian could make out a few drawings,

Butterflies, three ships that are sinking, a flower, a scholar, and an umbrella.

He watched as He Xuan touched the center, letting the mark dissipate as it reveals a beautiful garden.

He Xuan entered and Xie Lian followed suit. "This is the place where Hua Chengzu and I lay our rest."

Silver butterflies fluttered in the air, lightening up the whole place along with glowing flowers.

At the center, there was a tree that hovered over two coffins.

Then Xie Lian caught sight at a familiar man sleeping soundlessly on one of the coffins. Blood red flowers surrounding his very own form.

"San Lang!" Xie Lian cried, running towards the said man and kneeling beside the stone coffin.

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