Blood on the Altar (HuaLian TGCF)

Chapter 14

Feng Xin curses, jerking his arm to the side. It's too late to recall the bolt but his movement does at least make the shot go wide so that the arrow meant for San Lang's throat only grazes Xie Lian's cheek. The fallen god feels the slight sting of its passing, feels the drop of blood rolling down his skin, and then the world explodes into butterflies.

Feng Xin shrieks and drops his bow, throwing up his hands and attempting to raise a barrier to protect himself. Mu Qing tosses his fire ball wildly into a mass of butterflies then puts his back against Feng Xin's, hands raised in his own shielding spell.

"You're highness, get behind us!"

"Xie Lian, get over here!"

"You two pieces of trash are about to learn the meaning of regret!" The words are a snarl and a promise of death, the sort of death that is nether swift nor merciful.

"San Lang, don't." Xie Lian catches the sleeve of the ghost king's robe as he storms past, using his divine strength to pull him to a stop. "Don't hurt them."

The ghost king starts but he doesn't pull away, only turns to Xie Lian, fire burning in his single eye.

"They hurt you." Some of the snarl is still in San Lang's voice, making him sound more the terrifying ghost king than he has since the night he found Xie Lian on the altar, but this time Xie Lian isn't afraid, if anything his expression only softens.

"I know, but it was an accident, and I don't want them hurt."

San Lang frowns, his expression saying exactly how badly /he/ wants them hurt, but he nods anyway and the butterflies withdraw, hovering ominously nearby but no longer on the attack. Feng Xin and Mu Qing step apart, their bodies are covered with small cuts from the butterfly's assault but they don't seem to notice, their eyes fixed with matching looks of horror on San Lang and Xie Lian.

"Did you abduct him!?" Feng Xin snaps the question.

"What the hell is with you two?" Mu Qing folds his arms, glaring at the pair of them.

"He didn't." Xie Lian turns back to them, staying close at San Lang's side, just the feeling of his presents a constant reassurance. "San Lang wouldn't do something like that."

"He wouldn't!?" Feng Xin gapes. "Of course he would! Your highness, do you have any idea who that is!?"

"I bet he doesn't." Mu Qing's eyes narrow. "I bet that bastard has been manipulating him so that he thinks they're friends or something."

"You two had better watch your mouths." San Lang growls, sudden tension in his shoulders.

"See, that proves it!" Now Mu Qing sounds almost smug.

San Lang's hand goes to the hilt of E'ming. "What does disloyal trash like you know about friendship anyway?"

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

"San Lang, calm down, it's..."

"That's Hua Cheng!" Feng Xin's shout breaks through the chaos.

Xie Lian turns toward him, surprised and confused. The name means nothing to him, but it must mean something to San Lang because Xie Lian feels him stiffen at his side.

Seeing Xie Lian's blank look Feng Xin continues. "Hua Cheng! The Crimson Rain Sought Flower! One of the Four Great Calamities! He's a Supreme Ghost King and he's the enemy of the heavens! He's already challenged and destroyed 33 heavenly officials, burned all their temples, drove them into nothing! You have no idea what he could want with you!"

'...Actually I have a pretty good idea.'

Slowly Xie Lian turns from Feng Xin to face San Lang, Hua Cheng. His whole body is rigid, his face pale even for him, his hand wrapped around E'ming's hilt in a death grip.