The Ghost Of You

Chapter 6

Speaking with Xuan Ji had proved fruitless. Truly, Mu Qing didn't know what he had expected.

Mostly, she had told him all the things he already knew. The only thing that had caught his attention was the mention of a pretty female ghost, often with him. Mu Qing had balked at that, and she had mistaken his reaction for jealousy, and proceeded to– rather unfairly– mock him for it. She had then offered him her sympathies, and told him she understood exactly how he felt. That had been enough to make Mu Qing leave.

With little else to do, he returned to the high chambers of his palace, and packed his things. Later, he once again put on his disguise as Fu Yao, and descended, alone, to the mortal realm.

That had been his first mistake. Xie Lian had welcomed him, sweet as always, and introduced him to his new friend, San Lang. Mu Qing hated the little brat immediately. He suspected that the feeling was mutual.

His presence, always at Xie Lian's side, like a little yappy dog, had only made their trip into the Gobi desert more unpleasant than a hike through the desert already was. Mu Qing, once again, was relegated to being a mere accessory, following behind Xie Lian and his San Lang. He had no one to talk to.

The horrible teen had made it near impossible to question Xie Lian at all. Each time the opportunity provided itself, it seemed as if the awful little baby found his way to Xie Lian first, or would come and interrupt Mu Qing before he could ask anything useful.

Mu Qing had always considered himself too good to waste time fighting a child. This one made him strongly consider it.

At some point, when they were halfway through the journey, he'd almost began to pity the poor thing. The sight of him, always at Xie Lian's side, only ever happy to serve him, to protect him, had drawn up an old feeling of fondness. That had, in turn, made him sad. He'd stayed awake one night, sat there watching them from afar, and wondered how long it would take for Xie Lian to get bored, and throw this one out as well. For all the knowledge the child claimed, he still seemed strikingly naïve.

In the morning, that feeling had turned back to bitterness. He hated Xie Lian, for daring to entertain the brat's useless fantasies, for keeping him at his side, for defending him, and for letting him play at being a guard. Most importantly, he hated him for replacing Feng Xin so easily. As if it was nothing. As if he was a sword that a spoiled prince could toss out as soon as it broke, knowing he would be given a new one.

Mu Qing was left with no doubt that Xie Lian had never cared for them. The realization festered within him under the desert heat. He'd been an idiot to have hoped they could ever all be friends. The useless wish of a foolish child. It had died with Feng Xin.

At least Mu Qing had never dared to pretend that things could ever be the same again.

By the fourth day, he all but confirmed that the brat was Crimson Rain in disguise. That was enough to justify his hatred. Wearing red at all times had not helped his case. Mu Qing took mild contentment in the clear superiority of his own disguise.

It had not improved his mood to think that Crimson Rain knew exactly what he was doing. A powerful ghost king, with too many connections to count, and the clear amount of knowledge he held, could easily have deduced what had happened to Feng Xin. Almost as quickly as Mu Qing had. To show up and purposefully steal his place was a wicked, pointed attack.

All the while Xie Lian played dumb, pretending not to be aware of his little companion's intentions.

Once, decades prior, Mu Qing had spent several days in Ling Wen's library, reading every account he could find of meetings between the various calamities. Unsurprisingly, nothing he found had shown an ounce of a good relationship between Feng Xin and Crimson Rain. It only made Mu Qing hate him more.