From Earth to Heaven, From Heaven to Earth (TGCF HuLian)

Chapter 4 From Earth to Heaven

The first time that Wu Ming wakes fully it's a warm tingling feeling that brings him to consciousness. His eyes flicker open ... No not eyes, eye... It's gone, that's right, his cursed hideous hated right eye is gone. He is about to raise his hand to feel how bad the damages when the feeling comes again, stronger and more persistent, sparking through him like lightning, and he just has time to catch a blurred glimpse of a cave and a figure in white and then everything vanishes.

The next thing he knows Wu Ming is sitting in the middle of a rocky crater which might once have been the middle of the street. He can feel waves of power running through and around him, force that rushes away from him like a storm. Maybe that's what caused the crater? It's hard to say and even harder still to guess where he could be.

He gets to his feet quickly, glancing around warily for a trap or an attack, and that's when he gets his first good look at where he is. The place is beautiful, all gorgeous palaces and stunning skies and everything glistening and shining in a way that looks unreal, ethereal ... Heavenly.

The thought strikes him suddenly but it's a ridiculous one, almost enough to make him laugh.

That's when his eye falls on the people, they inch closer to the edge of the crater, looking down at him with wide eyes as they murmur to one another, none daring to get too close. Each of them is dressed immaculately and each of them radiate spiritual power.

...Maybe this is heaven after all.

But what business would an evil spirit have in heaven?

Abruptly he realizes that he doesn't have his mask and that he tore his bandages aside when he ripped out his eye. Is that why they're all staring? What a horrifically ugly sight he must make, with his sunken empty eye socket and his face still blood splattered from his injury. Instinctively he raises his hand to hide that side of his face only to be met by the surprising touch of fabric beneath his fingers. A bandage seems to have been wrapped neatly around his head and over his missing eye and when his palm brushes against his cheek Wu Ming doesn't feel any dried blood there either. Strange... Did he do that? Did he clean himself up during his hallucinations?

"Welcome." His thoughts are interrupted by a female voice coming from his right. Wu Ming turns toward it and finds a dark-haired dark robed woman has broken away from the pack and now stands at the very edge of his crater, watching him with considering eyes. Beside her and slightly behind stands a man in armor with a high ponytail and a sword at his side. His arms are crossed and the expression he's giving Wu Ming looks as though he's sizing up a battlefield opponent.

"Where am I?" Wu Ming already has some idea but it's ridiculous enough that he wants it confirmed.

"Congratulations, you have ascended to heaven." The woman tells him and Wu Ming stares at her incredulously. He can't help it. He guessed that this is heaven but /ascended/? Him?

What the actual fuck?

"My name is Ling Wen," the woman continues. "I am a civil god tasked with heavenly organization.

She pauses, as though giving him a chance to provide his own name or ask a question. He doesn't have a name and he wouldn't be interested in sharing it if he did so he asks a question.

"What's their problem?" He glances toward the gods clustering scared behind the civil god.

"They want to know if you're a threat." It's not Ling Wen who answers but her sword bearing companion. "Are you?"

Ling Wen shoots him an annoyed look. "General Pei." Then, turning back to Wu Ming. "Tactless as he is, he's essentially correct. We've never seen a ghost ascend before, at least not as far back as our records go and no one knows what to make of you."