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All is quiet, despite the earlier commotion, atop Mount Yujun right now. A single bridal sedan stands abandoned, while the wind is blowing gently, yet ominously. The mountain has been infamous for a series of incidents as of late, where a ghost groom supposedly resides atop the mountain and abducts every bride that crosses it. Many unfortunate souls have already fallen victim to this rumoured ghost groom. But on this night, not a young woman waiting to be wed sits upon the bridal sedan, but a fallen god, tasked with unmasking this ghost groom of Mount Yujun.
Unbeknownst to this god though, this is not the only difference this evening. For tonight, as a single silver butterfly flies through the woods atop Mount Yujun, a different ghost groom has come to claim his bride.
The curtain of the bridal sedan sways as Hua Cheng appears before it and slowly but confidently extends his hand towards the person in front of him, while the moonlight beautifully illuminates the red affinity knot adorning his finger. He waits patiently for the one inside to react and hears a light gasp, before another silent moment passes between them. But Hua Cheng ist nothing if not patient, a proud and fond smile spreading across his face.
He knows exactly who sits inside the bridal sedan at this very moment, since this person is his sole reason for being on Mount Yujun tonight.
Xie Lian - the flower crowned prince of Xianle, the strongest martial god to ever grace this world.
His Highness.
His beloved.
The delight and revelry he feels are indescribable, almost bordering on madness, upon finally reuniting with his god again. He has searched for so many years. Yet, whenever he thought Xie Lian was in his grasp, they just missed each other, too many times, despite Hua Cheng's normally exceptional luck.
But now, after centuries of separation and longing, Hua Cheng finally found him.
After a little while, Xie Lian cautiously places his hand atop Hua Cheng's own. Only once it completely and surely rests on the ghost's palm does Hua Cheng tighten his grip and guide the god outside the bridal sedan. Xie Lian stumbles as he tries to exit and follow the pull of the supposed ghost groom's hand. But Hua Cheng, attentive als always when it comes to Xie Lian, easily and gently catches him, holding his hand even more strongly and pulling him close against his chest, making sure he doesn't fall.
Hua Cheng's smile never leaves his face, as he slowly starts guiding Xie Lian across the mountain trail. Despite his head facing forward, the gaze of his single eye never leaves the god beside him. His steps are unhurried and light, yet full of confidence, like he's already walked a thousand miles, as the jewelry on his dark boots jingles pleasantly with each new step he takes. He feels no need to rush. After all, he's spent such a long time looking for his beloved and now that he's finally by his side, everything else seems insignificant.
The ghost barely registers the wolves that appear before them, growling menacingly and ready to attack. Hua Cheng doesn't even spare them a glanze. They are worthless to him and the smile on his lips simply widens, almost bordering on a grin, as the the wolves suddenly start to whimper, shrink back and turn away.
As the pair starts entering the woods on the mountain, Hua Cheng's attention shifts for a moment, as he gracefully pulls a crimson umbrella from seemingly out of nowhere and tilts it towards Xie Lian. Barely a second later, a sound starts to pitter-patter against the umbrella above both their heads, as blood starts to rain from the sky. It makes Hua Cheng think about how he got his namesake once he became a supreme ghost king and his smile only deepens.
"Crimson Rain Sought Flower".
Hua Cheng has to admit that he's actually quite fond of it, as he remembers how he ended a lot of worthless trash, until nothing but the same blood rain that falls upon the god and him now remained, while all he cared about was shielding the beautiful white flower he found at the side of the road from the rain.
Infinitely beautiful, just like his god was.
But on the side of the mountain trail wasn't a flower this time, but rather an abandoned skull. Yet the ghost king pays it no mind, never hurrying his stride and effortlessly breaks the skull beneath with his next step, betraying how viciously it shatters into a thousand pieces and with it the barrier surrounding Mount Yujun that was attached to it. To anyone who would be perceptive enough to notice, it would look more akin to Hua Cheng mercilessly obliterating one of his worst enemies.
The ghost king's fond and confident smile widens once more, as he inwardly lets out a small chuckle, the current situation surrounding them, shifting his mind for a moment from the god beside him and to Qi Rong, or "The Night-Touring Green Lantern", as that bastard likes so proudly to be called himself. Oh how Hua Cheng revels in the fact that someone like Qi Rong, who would spit on him and drag him behind a carriage after stuffing him in a bag when he was but a filthy child, would now be effortlessly crushed by Hua Cheng, like the pathetic trash he was, whenever the ghost king felt like it. How ironic, that after being looked upon scornfully by his surroundings, being called nothing but a mark of misfortune, he would manage to become one of the most powerful beings in the ghost realm, by nothing but his own strength.
Now, he finally had the power to protect the person that mattered most to him, as his attention shifts to that very person walking beside him with careful steps. Hua Cheng wonders how much the god beside him can actually make out, dressed the way he is. To him, Xie Lian only looks more beautiful in the red wedding garb, so very fitting to his own crimson robes. And if his dead heart could, it would rejoice just from how it very much looked like they were conducting their very own marriage procession, as they slowly but surely lef the woods of Mount Yujun behind.
Finally, Hua Cheng slows his steps and closes his red umbrella. The ghost king calmly turns to Xie Lian and gently lets go of his hand. The ghost proceeds to extend his hand once more, as he tries to lift the veil of his bride.
But Xie Lian suddenly shifts before him, jumps back and a white ribbon band shoots out from the god's hand, faster and infused with a spiritual power stronger than the ghost has ever seen.
Hua Cheng isn't surprised and his fond smile turns into a delightful grin. His god has always been perceptive and stronger than any other after all. And the cursed shackles unfairly put on him could never change that. But this time, Xie Lian's attack misses, as the ghost king changes into a myriad of silver butterflies, shining brilliantly as they fly toward the moonlight and they have to part once more.
However, this time Hua Cheng feels not the same pain he did so many centuries ago, only determination. Because he knows that this time, no matter what, he will not let anything harm his beloved.
This time, he will protect Xie Lian, just like his god protected him so many years ago.
This time, he will never let him go or anything separate them ever again.