Hua Xianle

Chapter 6:

After six months of healing in the Heavenly Capital, Hua Ying was moved into Paradise Manor so he could grow accustomed to his A-Die's domain. Of course, they weren't able to go peacefully, mostly due to the never-ending complaints from his uncles and aunts. They were unhappy about not being able to see Hua Ying every day, trying to convince the boy to stay in the Heavenly Capital with them.

All those complaints fell on deaf ears though and also proved pointless since they visited on the daily. Hua Ying often wondered how his aunts and uncles were able to visit him so often when they were supposed to be very busy Gods. Of course, what he didn't know was that they would often ditch their work to visit the little prince, even if it meant getting an earful from Yin Yu or Xie Lian.

At the moment, little Hua Ying was happily resting in his massive bed in his equally massive bedroom, snoozing well past when Madame Yu would have come to wake him. Sleeping in had been a luxury he had never been allowed to indulge in, but now he was allowed to sleep as much as he wanted. After all, he had a lot of sleep debt to catch up on.

Even at a young age, Hua Ying had developed the habit of staying up until 1 AM, or just not sleeping at all. Hua Cheng and Xie Lian were quick to take notice of this habit once he was well enough to keep staying awake for however long he liked. So both of them made sure that they tucked Hua Ying in so he would get the 10 hours of sleep that a child his age needed.

While Hua Ying slept, Shuāng (霜), his white tiger, rose from his own bed at the foot of his Master's. He hopped onto Hua Ying's bed and tucked himself into his Master's chest, purring deeply as the boy wrapped his arms around his spiritual beast.

That was the sight that greeted Xie Lian when he came to check on his son. He cooed slightly, approaching the bed before sitting down on the soft mattress to caress his son's hair.

"A-Ying," he called out softly to his son.

The child didn't even stir.

Sighing, he laid a hand on Hua Ying's shoulder and tapped it twice softly while calling his name again. This time, the boy wriggled and scrunched his cute little nose, which Xie Lian rubbed his knuckles against gently.

"Wake up, baobei."

A-Ying just shook his head and nuzzled into Shuāng, who lay still in his arms despite being fully awake. He didn't even seem to mind that his Master's hug was tightening around his middle.

"But A-Ying... your diedie cooked your favorites and you wouldn't want breakfast to run cold right?"

That did the trick. A-Ying slowly opened his eyes to reveal those beautiful, silver orbs.

"You can sleep again after you eat. Don't make your Aunt Yushi nag at you for not eating."

A-Ying pouted at the idea of upsetting one of his aunties, so with great reluctance, he stood up to prepare for the day. He went behind the privacy screen and took off his robes, stepping into the tub that had been prepared for him. The water was still warm thanks to a heating talisman placed on the side. He relaxed in the water, relishing in the warmth of it for a bit as he always did. Even after six months, it still felt like a luxury to have a hot bath.

After bathing, Xie Lian helped him dress in a billowy red, white, and golden robe. It had many layers to keep him warm and made him look like the Heavenly Prince that he was. His hair was tied into a half ponytail and secured with a red ribbon and a golden guan. Then together, father and son went out and headed to the dining hall with Shuāng following behind them.

Hua Cheng was already sitting at the table, a lavish feast set out for their family's enjoyment. Without fail, as he did every time he saw his beloved a-die, Hua Ying beamed at him and ran up to him for a hug.

Xie Lian reasoned that most parents might have been sad about their child clearly favoring their spouse over them, but he held no such resentment. Instead, he felt nothing but overflowing joy that someone other than him finally loved his husband like he meant the whole universe to them. The fact that this love was clearly reciprocated only made it that much better.

"Good Morning, my treasure," Hua Cheng greeted as the child hugged him tightly, only letting go to give him a blinding smile. He signed back a 'Good Morning,' which earned him a large kiss on the cheek.

Hua Ying had been learning sign language since he still couldn't speak most of the time. Everyone made the effort to learn it too, and Ling Wen began experimenting with a spiritual tool that would allow A-Ying to communicate with those that didn't know.

Hua Ying sat down in his chair, waiting as Hua Cheng and Xie Lian gathered a generous bowl of food for him. Some might say Hua Ying would grow up spoiled, but none of the boy's family cared. In truth, they all wanted to spoil him. If they could give him the world, they would. If he wanted the world, they'd give it to him in a heartbeat. A-Ying deserved only the best of everything.

As A-Ying ate, slipping bits of his meal to his loyal Shuāng, Hua Cheng and Xie Lian went over their son's schedule for the day. He would be continuing his Spiritual Training with Jun Wu and Mei Niangqing, something the boy looked forward to, and his parents allowed with conditions.

In truth, Hua Cheng would have preferred that his son never go near Jun Wu, but there was no one better suited to undo the damage Yu Ziyuan had inflicted on A-Ying's cultivation. That spiteful woman had been training him alone, not just so she could abuse him without reproach, but so she could purposely sabotage him and teach him harmful methods of cultivating. By the time Wei had become Hua Ying, his body had already suffered greatly. He would tire easily, was prone to illness, and had been on the cusp of qi-deviation from the strain on his meridians.

Xie Lian had been the one to suggest letting the former Heavenly Emperor and his attendant meet Hua Ying, a choice that had proven to be correct. They immediately took a liking to the child and even told him to call Jun Wu his yeye and Mei Niangqing, his nainai. They taught him the right way to cultivate a golden core and the effects were almost immediate. Hua Ying grew stronger and healthier, but most of all, he felt so much happier and more secure in his power.

Of course, after learning from Jun Wu the full extent of the damage done to his son, Hua Cheng refused to sit still and allow Yu Ziyuan to escape punishment. She had sabotaged his A-Ying, so he would sabotage her A-Cheng.

Crimson Rain felt no remorse as he slipped unseen into the room of the sleeping Sect Heir. Jiang Cheng was too much like his mother, full of vitriol and pride that led him to see everyone as beneath him. He was just as much to blame as Madame Yu for Hua Ying's condition, and now he would get a taste of his own medicine.

He placed his hand on the kid's lower dantian, taking the weak core and reducing it to almost nothing. Even if he tried his hardest to cultivate, the only thing he would ever become was a mediocre cultivator. A shame, really. He was the heir to one of the great five gentry families, and his own hubris would ensure his weakness.

It was nowhere near enough to make the Jiang Sect pay for their crimes, but it would suffice for now. Hua Cheng had time to show them why Crimson Rain Sought Flowers was the feared Ghost King of legend.