Ascending to Immortality (ONHOLD)

Chapter 2

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They had decided that while they were in the mortal world Wei Ying would be called Huiqing and Lan Xichen would be called Anquan. Lan Xichen said, “I don’t know, we should find out the truth behind the origins of the mist?”. Wei Ying nodded as both of them started walking. Soon they stood near the entrance of Caiyi town. 

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Lan Xichen noticed that whenever they took a step, the black mist would automatically clear themselves up to a certain distance. Wei Ying was gaping as she looked around the town with a twinkle of excitement in her eyes. While they were walking, they noticed people’s glances and whispers as they peeked at them while strolling past. Few people even stopped to turn around and look at them. 

Wei Ying whispered as she raised her eyebrow, “Why are they staring at us like that?”. Lan Xichen replied to her with a low voice knowing very well why they were looking at them “Huiqing did you forgot what the ghost king said to us about our wings”. Wei Ying looked up and Lan Xichen, her mouth forming an O as she realised the reason behind the staring.

And the reason people were staring at them was because of their wings. They couldn’t see their wings, but to them, it was like the light had formed a wing-shaped glittering aura. Only special people could see their wings, so they didn’t have to worry. They both didn’t know how wrong they were. Wei Ying just then saw that someone was selling rouges and accessories so she took Lan Xichen’s arm and started pulling her “Anquan-Jie, let’s go I want to buy some rouges and accessories.”  

Lan Xichen thought Wei Ying had forgotten why they were here. She opened her mouth to ask, but she got beat to it when their communication array turned on as she heard a firm voice speak “Huiqing, did you forget what you both came down for in the mortal world?” As their communication array was on Lan Xichen could also hear it. Wei Ying realized the one who questioned them was none other than the ghost king. Wei Ying answered with her mind since they needn’t speak to let any outsiders hear them, “I haven’t forgotten why we came here. By going to buy a few things, I can inquire about the dark mist with the merchant. And how did you know what we were doing, Cheng-ge?”

(The Spiritual Communication Array is used by Heavenly Officials and ghosts to communicate telepathically. They can talk to each other privately if they exchange communication array passwords, but these are rarely given out and only close people share them with one another.

There are also open communication arrays for all Heavenly Officials to talk to each other, which are run by Ling Wen. When she disappeared from the Heavens, none of the gods could use these communication arrays.)

Hua Cheng replied to them with a flat voice, “We told you we would watch the both of you to see what you are doing?”. Wei Ying stopped herself from rolling her eyes as she asked: “Why not just say that you all were worried about us, Cheng-ge?”. They heard Hua Cheng cough and laughter coming from behind him as Hua Cheng answered stuttering “W-w-who is worried? I am not worried, I am just making sure whether you are doing your work properly or not?”. Lan Xichen answered with a teasing voice as a smile bloomed on her face, “To us, it sounds like you worried about us. Cheng-ge don’t worry about us. We will be cautious.”

They heard another voice speak up from the communication array. The one who spoke was Xie Lian, the ghost king’s lover, “We know you will do it. Don’t mind San Lang, it worried him so much he couldn’t stop pacing the room. We will go and good luck”. The communication array stopped with Hua Cheng calling out his lover’s name. Wei Ying and Lan Xichen shared a look before they burst out giggling. The sound was so pure that it made many males look at them with a euphoric look causing some males’ wife to glare at them while few wives even slapped their husbands not caring that they were in public. 

Wei Ying entered the shop as she started looking for rouges and accessories. While Wei Ying was looking, the shopkeeper asked them “You both don’t look like you are from around  here?”. Lan Xichen smiled and answered, “Yes, we lived in a celestial mountain and just came down here. Can we ask why there is black mist everywhere?” The shopkeeper said, “I know nothing about the origin of the mist, it just came to be. No one really knows why this happened. But no matter what the cultivators do, the mist won’t go away”. 

Lan Xichen wondered how it could be possible that the mist would not go away. Was there something they hadn’t realized yet? Soon she stopped thinking when Wei Ying pulled her out of the shop. As they walked out of the shop Wei Ying said “There is a significant reason behind the mist and it’s possible that few people know about the mist too.” Lan Xichen bobbed her head, “That’s what I was thinking too.”. 

Both the girls were walking and looking around when someone bumped into Lan Xichen, making her stumble a little. Wei Ying caught Lan Xichen before she could fall on the ground. Wei Ying turned to see that the one who bumped into them was stumbling on the way he walked. Anyone could tell that he was drunk. He was a middle-aged and quite fat man. The drunk man glanced up with a flushed face. He smirked as he started flirting with Lan Xichen.

Lan Xichen hid herself behind Wei Ying as she was getting uncomfortable. Wei Ying stood in front of Lan Xichen protectively. The drunk man tried to flirt with Wei Ying, but Wei Ying got so angry that she slapped the drunk middle-aged man so hard he fell down. Everyone around them watched and looked at them with wide eyes. Wei Ying took this chance to pull Lan Xichen away.

After a while, they ended up in Dafan mountain. As they were walking Lan Xichen peeked at Wei Ying and questioned, “Was it necessary to slap that man?”. Wei Ying replied grumpily, “He deserved it. He was making me angry.” Just then they felt a lot of resentful energy and something else that they couldn’t pinpoint coming from a distance.

Their communication array turned on as Hua Cheng hurriedly said, “the ghost arm is close to the place you are right now. The ghost arm is somewhere in the distance.” Lan Xichen and Wei Ying shared a glance before they closed their eyes and released their wings. They had their wings come out, all they needed to do was to think of themselves with their wings out. The same was true for when they wanted to hide them: all they needed to do was to think of themselves without their wings. 

Wei Ying and Lan Xichen’s wings came out from a tiny hole they made in their clothes so that when they released their wings, their robes wouldn’t get torn or anything. Since their hair was long, the hole would get covered by their hair. Both of the girl’s wings started fluttering. They pushed off of the ground as Wei Ying and Lan Xichen started flying through their wings. 

When they finally reached the place they needed to be, they looked down to see that there were two people fighting. It looked like fierce corpses were attacking them. One of them was wearing purple robes. He was fighting, with what looked to be a whip. Another one was wearing all white robes, a forehead ribbon and a bell near his waist. The man who was wearing all white robes looked similar to Lan Xichen a lot. Lan Xichen asked as he saw the two young handsome men were having a hard time, “Should we go and help them?”. Wei Ying bobbed her head replying “Yes, it is our job to help people”. 

Wei Ying and Lan Xichen unsheathed their swords as they flew down and landed in front of the two handsome men, making the purple one exclaim in shock, “What the hell?”. Wei Ying and Lan Xichen ignored them and started fighting the corpses. It only took a second to kill all of the fierce corpses. Wei Ying and Lan Xichen turned around to peek at the two cultivators. Both of them were looking at them with eyes wide, their mouths wide from shock. The purple cultivator questioned, “Who the hell are you?”. As the other cultivator wearing all white said “Language”.  

Both the young cultivators were looking at something behind Wei Ying and Lan Xichen. Both of them glanced at each other before they realized why the two cultivators were looking at them like that.