MDZS Fanfic

Red Strings of Connections

ARC 3 Chapter 41

The Ghost King's Only Friend

Naked under a blanket is the couple that is well-known by both realms, sleeping at each other's arms, enjoying the peace and love they have from one another.

Xie Lian woke up, and with sleepy eyes he drowsily stares at the man next to him, he smiles. It's been hundred years since they gotten married, still, even up until now Xie Lian would think if he really sleeping next to the person he fell in love with. Before, when he still young and studying cultivation, he never thought that he will fall in love with someone for real. When asked by his father of how he will have a successor, Xie Lian said that he just let his "wife" to do him while he is sleeping. But before that could happen, he ascended to Godhood, yet fall to grace rather quickly; he'd lost everything, even his pride.

Eight hundred years, it took eight hundred years of solitude and loneliness before he reaches a happy ending that could be only seen in fairy tales.

During his solitude, Xie Lian never once imagine this kind of life. A life with his beloved and most devoted believer.

Xie Lian brushes his finger lightly to his husband's sleeping face, tracing his face features that nothing but beautiful, even his scar on his right eye where E-Ming used to be belonged to before it was forged into spiritual weapon, even this is beautiful at Xie Lian's eyes, so when they do it, he always asks his husband to remove the eye patch and Xie Lian will then kiss it lovingly. He just loves Hua Cheng so much.

His real, most devoted believer, the one who love him like breathing air despite Xie Lian thinking that he—himself—is hard to love. He lost him thrice but no matter what Hua Cheng always go back to him. Xie Lian placed his hand on Hua Cheng's neck and leaned in, landing his lips on other's lips. Afterwards, Xie Lian smiles and whisper in inaudible voice, "Thank you San Lang..."

To his surprise, a hand went on his waist and another hand on his back, pulling him closer, "San Lang? Did I—" no—or maybe, who knows if he did wake up his husband, or if the supreme ghost were pretending to be still sleeping, but Xie Lian received Hua Cheng's love through the kiss he received from him.

"Gege, if you keep attacking me like that, I won't let you rest." Yep, he is undoubtedly awake. Do ghost even sleep? "Let's sleep more Gege."

"Alright." And so Xie Lian buried himself to his arms, not minding to merge in the process, he just love him, and vice versa.

Having this kind of happy ended after of so much suffering and solitude, makes Xie Lian remembers why he agreed to let the one ghost have a second chance.

He thought that his and his husband's ghost friend really doesn't deserve his ending, thus when Baoshan Sanren propose to this scheme, he didn't think twice.

Despite all pain he suffered before, Xie Lian still thinks and continue to believe that no one deserve such a thing—but he is not all saint, at the very least he also knew that there are some people who are DID deserve such suffering.

~~~***~~~

Festive as ever, the Ghost City is bustling with lights and noises of its citizens that enjoying their lives under the protection of their beloved Ghost King and his Lord Husband.

Merry vibes are filling the city, various stalls filled the streets and different kinds of ghosts and monsters occupying the places.

After sipping his wine, the City Lord place down his cup to the table on his side, his eye watching his city working its brilliant atmosphere. His eye narrows at one point on the street, where a certain black robed ghost used to be strolling.

Chengzu, Hua Cheng remembers his annoying companion ghost during "his" time in his city. He remembers the times that "Wei Wuxian" would climb up at his balcony carrying two cups and a bottle of finest alcohol in Ghost City. His companion ghost always appears in front of him with grin and lax posture.

At first Hua Cheng finds him irritating, "Wei Wuxian" is always so friendly, lax, and a flirt, but never taken any ghost prostitute in bed.

Eventually, time have past, "Wei Wuxian" would always "bother" Hua Cheng and would always ask about his beloved god. "Wei Wuxian" would also accompany him every time Hua Cheng would send three thousand lanterns for Xie Lian.

Eventually Hua Cheng finds his presence comfortable, enough to let the ghost companion "bother" him.

Hua Cheng tap his black nails on the table, as his back leaned at the chair's back rest, relaxing his muscle and mind. It's been a long time since the ghost companion visits him, and he knew that "Wei Wuxian" would never visit his domain again. Of course, it's only normal, after all him, his beloved and Baoshan Sanren scheme to give him a second chance to live his life. So right now, "Wei Wuxian" is alive and kicking many asses of both humans and monsters, living his life that he deserved.

Hua Cheng remembers when his ghost companion told him every regret he has even after dying and thinks "he" deserved to die on such a brutal way. That if "he" didn't exist then the people he cares will live so much better, but he exist so thus their life lives has been ruined.

"His" shijie died and her husband because of him, that they both deserve to live their lives next to their newborn son; if he didn't exist then their lives would not end in such a tragic way.

Hua Cheng saw how much "Wei Wuxian" blames himself for everyone's ruined lives. "If he just doesn't exist at all." It's been very long time since he last heard such a cruel words. He almost not remember who told him that but he clearly knew that he heard it during his childhood life span as Honghong-er.

He remembers how much he despised those strings of words. That he begun wishes he could have just died right away, together with the thought of killing all those people that abused and beaten him. But thanks to one kindness from his God, he lives, and died then lives again as someone strong, strong enough to protects his one and only beloved noble.

But unlike him, "Wei Wuxian" has devoted himself to multiple people he called "family", which he chose to protect but couldn't bring himself to rely on, thus failure has become inevitable for him.

Other than his regrets, "Wei Wuxian" always initiate their topic by asking about Xie Lian and ends it about Hua Cheng and how glorious he is by defeating 33 idiotic Heaven Officials, or how the heaven heavily relied to him.

Despite someone who loves running his mouth nonstop, "Wei Wuxian" never once slips some important information; like how he has his golden core dug up only to give to his shidi, yet this shidi couldn't be able to see through "Wei Wuxian's" weakening state, him lacking strength, that he used to have. This shidi who never once sees "Wei Wuxian" face pales in suffering upon the disturbance of resentful spirits.

Hua Cheng stands up, turns his heels, and left. There are people who really suffered either because it's caused by other people or by their own choices.

Sleeping atop of the table is a small bone, it was quiet, unmoving by anything until a cup slam down next to it, almost hitting it. "Be careful with your bone, do you want to be eradicated?" Hua Cheng coldly reminds his drinking companion upon witnessing "him" completely neglecting the bone.

Just what is this small bone for? Not all living human know, but to be able to kill completely a ghost is to have their bone be destroyed. So, a ghost must take care for it, as it is important for their existence even as a ghost.

But to Hua Cheng's drinking companion, he doesn't care for this small thing, that he even forgotten where he left it, or not even look for it whenever it was lost. Out of everyone in Ghost City only Hua Cheng's drinking companion has no care for it, and to exposed the truth, this is the tenth time that Hua Cheng found "his" bone ash and brings it to "him", with reminder that "he must be careful with it."

But it wouldn't take ten times if Crimson Rain Sought Flower's drinking companion actually has care for it. "If you have enough to live as a ghost, you could just destroy it yourself." despite the harsh wording, Hua Cheng is calm and not mad at all, although no one could tell if he actually cares for this drinking companion of his. He crossed his arms over his chest and lean on the chair, cross his long legs, and with close eye, he looks so lax and uncaring.

His drinking companion grins widely towards him, "Even with so many nasty rumors about you, Ghost City Lord is actually a nice guy, nice enough that he cares for someone else's ash bone." Hua Cheng lone eye opens, staring at the guy who gulped another cup of alcohol. "No wonder, Flower Crown Prince is so in love with you."

"You and your mouth. It is really surprising that you didn't become resentful spirit even after everything that happened to you, even after that brutal suicide."

"I may not look like it, but I'm actually a nice guy."

Hua Cheng heaved a sigh, he couldn't help but to agree to him, after all if "he's" not nice then "he" won't gave his golden core to his shidi, nor protect those remnants. If he is not a nice fella, those cultivators that usurp against him would die in brutal way instead.

"He's" so pitiful, and for sure "he" knew about this, but "he" never shows it on his face. "He" just always wears smiles and upbeat personality.

Hua Cheng research about "his" life when he was alive, and he really cannot understand how come "he" stays sane after of all that. When it was him, he just wants to kill everyone and then himself, if weren't for the words from his God, he won't even try to keep living until his life was taken.

Hua Cheng only live for only one person, even it is meant to become a ghost. But Wei Wuxian is different, he suffered through the hands of his supposedly cultivating companions, lost everything even his life protecting many people, and then become ghost which no one remembers. So pitiful. He didn't deserve all of those things, they didn't deserve such suffering, but at least Hua Cheng able to get his happy ending with his beloved Highness.

Gracefully walking on Paradise Manor's courtyard is Crimson Rain Sought Flower, hands clap behind., in every step he make, on every movement of his body the bells on his legs would make beautiful noises, letting anyone nearby to know his presence.

"We can set up things for him so he could have his "Happy Ending"."

Hua Cheng lone eye narrows as those words floated on his head.