Body in Flames; Home in Paradise (TGCF HuaLian)

Chapter 4

Xie Lian stiffens at the shout, eyes going wide and cheeks going pale. What is that foolish child doing? Is his first real thought. Beside him Hua Cheng also stiffens, eye narrowing in anger. Then they're running, both of them moving together back down the corridor in the direction of the crashing noises which can only be Lang Qianqiu.

As they go Xie Lian just barely spares the attention to notice that the flames flickering in the walls of Paradise Manor are lower now, as much ash as fire. It will take a good deal of scrubbing to make the manor beautiful once more but the building will not fall. Truly San Lang's power is incredible he thinks and then the sound of crashing ahead is replaced by the ring of blade on blade and Xie Lian redoubles his pace.

A moment later they're standing in the ruined remains of the front dance hall of Paradise Manor, ruined and remains because Lang Qianqiu has cut his path inside with little regard for the difference between door and wall. He probably would have gone on that way, tearing his path through the ghost King's manor if it were not for the waning moon officer who is in the process of losing badly to Lang Qianqiu.

Completely outmatched.

It's no insult to waning moon. He's definitely skilled, skilled enough that Xie Lian would love to have about with him himself sometime. If this were merely a test of strength and skill then they would probably be evenly matched, but this is a test of power too. Lang Qianqiu wields his spiritual device and with it he unleashes the full power of the Martial God of the East, and waning moon? He has no spiritual power at all.

As they enter the room the ghost officer manages to parry not one but two blows but then Lang Qianqiu unleashes a blast of spiritual power and force along his blade like the one which so easily shatter the roof of Hua Cheng's armory and waning moon flies backward to slam against the nearest wall, all the breath leaving his lungs in a harsh gasp. Lang Qianqiu raises his sword again but before he can strike the blade from the hand of his winded opponent Xie Lian hears a soft whooshing noise as something speeds past him and then there is the ring of steel on steel as the god's blow is blocked against the blade of the dreaded scimitar E'ming.

Xie Lian isn't quite sure where the scimitar came from. The last time he saw it E'ming was lying on the floor of the burning armory, still he's glad that it's here to protect waning moon.

Yet E'ming isn't the weapon that holds most of his attention, nether is Lang Qianqiu's sword, now straining against the cursed scimitar, no, that honor goes to another weapon, one he can only glimpse a bit of from where it sits strapped across Lang Qianqiu's back.

A plain black hilt.

A dark forbidding aura.

He can hardly see any part of the sword clearly and it's been hundreds of years, so he could be wrong, but if he's not... Xie Lian's gut twists painfully. If he's not...

Hua Cheng flicks his hand and E'ming twists sideways, throwing Lang Qianqiu into the nearest wall as easily as Lang Qianqiu tossed waning moon. He scrambles to his feet, looking up as he does so and only then does the foolish child seem to really take in the two figures who have entered the room. Hua Cheng looms above him glaring down with narrowed eye, E'ming once again in his hand. Xie Lian stands at his side, torn between bewildered confusion at Lang Qianqiu's actions and the horrible sinking feeling that maybe they aren't so confusing after all.

"Would you care to explain what you're doing barging into my manor yet again?" Hua Cheng's voice sounds almost bored, yet the way he's looking at Lang Qianqiu is anything but disinterested.

"Your Highness, what is this? Why would you do something like this?" Xie Lian asks, hoping that the answer will give him some clue how to settle things without any bloodshed, well --a quick glance at the injured waning moon officer now staggering to his feet-- any further bloodshed.