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Hua Cheng preferred the repugnant Ghost City to the pristine streets of the Heavenly Court. Did this make him a terrible god, to think so?
Even if it did, the Heavens barely had enough competent gods to judge him for it. Orderly and regal on the outside, but idle and decaying on the inside … that was the state of the Heavens today. However, the Ghost City was its exact opposite.
Everywhere Hua Cheng looked, there was, ironically, life. Pendants for lovers, talismans for the greedy, street foods for fleeting satisfaction, even amulets to curse one’s enemies. The thrills were never-ending, the streets containing multitudes.
“It’s really too bad I couldn’t walk there myself,” he mused.
“Well,” sighed Shi Qingxuan in response, “you could’ve been out here manning the palanquin if you’d let me be the bride instead.” He rustled his robes in a disheartened manner, pouting.
Lang Qianqiu tutted from the other side. “I don’t know why you insisted so strongly on being the decoy anyway, Lord Hua Cheng. We could’ve used the boost in fighting power from Lady Wind Master, if things go south.”
“I have my reasons. Don’t you trust me?”
“Um, no?”
“Absolutely not!”
Hua Cheng could only laugh as his two godly companions grumbled some more. Eventually, they weaved their way through the busy crowds to their destination – the infamous brothel, the Flower Den.
He couldn’t contain the flutter in his heart, hopeful anticipation rising.
Unbeknownst to Shi Qingxuan or Lang Qianqiu, Hua Cheng had been to the Ghost City many, many times over the last eight hundred years. He’d scoured every stall, every building, every alleyway and corner. But no matter where he looked, no matter who he questioned or shook down for answers—
I have no idea where the White No-Face might be! You’re crazy!
Our Lord? I count myself lucky to have never seen him.
Why ya wanna know? Ya better off avoiding ‘im, boy.
Who would even want to meet that nameless demon?
But finally, finally, finally—! The smallest whisper had reached his ears through Ling Wen’s information network. A whisper of a brothel buried in the depths of the Ghost City, filled with beautiful “flowers” and ruled by a lone, heartless ghost king who spoke quietly but wielded their power with an unyielding hand. And buried under those whisper were rumors … rumors that if you were a remorseless killer, a known rapist, a covetous slave-master, or some other type of irreparable scum, you’d never be seen again.
Chilling.
Promising.
He could only think of one fallen god who’d sit at the top of such a twisted business of sin and “justice.” And that god was who he’d been seeking for all these centuries.
The thud of the palanquin settling roused him from his musings.
“Lord—I mean, Lady, we’re here.”
Hua Cheng took a deep breath before descending into the streets. He peeked from under the crimson veil, following the steps of the other two. The rough roads transitioned into tiled flooring, and then into plum-red carpets. He heard murmurs rising as he was led through the lobby to the staff at the desk.
“And what is your business here? You don’t appear to be customers,” a soft-voiced woman asked.
“Greetings to you, Mistress of the House. We are here on behalf of our Lady, who is seeking employment here.”
Shi Qingxuan approached with an introductory letter that he’d penned himself, pretending to be the “bride”; Hua Cheng’s handwriting couldn’t meet even basic legibility.
“Hmmm.” The woman took a minute or two to read it, then: “You may speak.”
“Mistress, I come here seeking a respectable employment in my after-life. My fiancé was unkind and had many enemies. I prayed and prayed and prayed for even contentment in marriage but, alas … the Heavens and their useless Officials have always forsaken me. Before I could make it to the ceremony, we were ambushed along with my two loyal servants. We’ve been struggling to make our way in the Ghost Realm, so I come here seeking mercy.”
“I see. Lady, our work here is not easy, although we treat our own kindly. Do you think you can perform well here?”
“I’d even take an emotionless Ghost King over my ex-fiancé,” Hua Cheng joked, bowing his head.
Tittering laughter erupted around them, but not maliciously.
“Here we go again! Why don’t you give it a go?” one ghost cried.
Another said, “All of us have tried and failed to melt our boss’s heart. It’s practically a rite of passage.”
A third voice chirped, “Your husky voice is lovely enough. And your arms look … so strong …”
“Let her try! Our King’s leaden heart needs to lighten up!”
“Whose heart?”
A sudden silence fell, save for the thumps of the ghosts prostrating themselves on the floor.
Hua Cheng ripped off his veil without a thought, and stared.
A figure dressed in pure white slowly descended down the stairs. A bleached silk encircled a pale neck, tied in a tight noose that visibly chafed. A cracked and faded ceremonial mask concealed the person’s—the Ghost King’s—face.
Hua Cheng inhaled sharply. He recalled, faintly, that one sword dance from long, long ago … performed by the golden masked God-Pleasing Warrior of his homeland.
Silently, the man with no face glided to a stop before Hua Cheng. The two of them were the only beings in the room still standing up, and Hua Cheng dipped his chin to meet the shorter man’s eyes. But, his heart shook at the dullness of that unblinking gaze, murky from endless grief and regrets.
“Whose heart needs to lighten up?” the once-Crown Prince of Xianle repeated tonelessly.
Hua Cheng smiled, with the slightest quiver of his lips. “Your heart, Your Highness. If you’re amenable to such fancies as marriage to this lowly one.”
“How bold of you.”
“I hear that you appreciate sincerity in a person. And it’s in my sincere nature to be bold.”
Hua Cheng’s eyes followed the Ghost King as he made a small circle around him. Once he completed the circuit, the ghost reached out and caressed the red coral bead tied into his hair. He exhaled softly. Hua Cheng shivered.
“I heard you mention the Heavens. You sounded quite bitter.”
Hua Cheng leaned forward and let some of his darker emotions poison his face. “They are hypocrites. One can ascend to be a god of wealth, of literature, of martial arts. But there’s no need to cultivate any other virtues or kindness once you’re recognized for one simple talent. They owe nothing to those left behind in the Human Realm, and it shows.”
The mask tilted to the side and the smallest flash of something brightened his eyes.
Hua Cheng continued, “The Heavenly Emperor is the biggest hypocrite of them all, to claim ruling power over those who should be his peers, if not superiors. Who gives him the right to ignore other gods? Who gives him the right to banish other gods?”
From the corner of his eye, he saw Shi Qingxuan and Lang Qingqiu startle, alarmed.
“Do you have a personal grudge against him?” came the quiet inquiry.
“You could say that, Your Highness. Sadly, my interest is not to fight the Heavens. At least, unless my spouse wishes to wage war.”
“Your spouse, hm? I thought you meant it in jest, but perhaps there was some truth in offering marriage to me.”
“I already said that I’m nothing if not sincere.”
“That seems true enough so far. Then answer me this, my mysterious ‘bride’ … why did you really come to my Flower Den?”
Hua Cheng reached out slowly with a single finger ringed by a crimson thread. His movement was deliberately cautious as he searched for any sign of rejection. He found none. With a small sigh, he used his fingertip to trace the cheekbones of the expressionless mask. Still, the Ghost King made no move to step back.
“I know who you are, Your Highness.”
“Do tell.”
“Well, there are the surface-level stories of course. But I’m sure you’re aware of those. And allowed them to travel through the grape-vine if they benefited you.”
“You give me too much credit. I humbly operate this business only.”
“Ah, but this place is only a front for you. Or rather, a starting place for you to dole out the ‘justice’ that you’d not seen in your human life. There are many ghosts and a handful of gods who wait with bated breath to see your ‘Paradise’ come true.”
“Paradise? No Paradise can exist when fairness is a privilege not a right. When the common people must go hungry if there’s not enough to share.”
“You are right, of course,” Hua Cheng easily agreed, letting his hand fall. Then he dropped to his knee and offered his palms up in supplication.
“What are you doing? Do not kneel—”
“Firstly, Your Highness, please understand me. I will forever be your most devoted believer. How long has it been since you last heard your own name? I’m here to correct that.
You … you are Xie Lian, the Crown Prince of our lost nation of Xianle. The one who pleased the Gods. And the one who was ignored by those very same Gods as our people suffered, and yourself with them. I’m here to show you that your efforts were not in vain. That you still have a subject who believes in your vision of peace. And you have someone who wants to see justice for the wrongs done against you.”
Gentle hands dragged him back onto his feet, and he gladly followed their pull.
“Wh—who are you, to say these things to me?”
“Excuse my belated greetings,” he apologized. “This one is called Hua Cheng. I ascended and became a hypocritical god. Before that, I was a mere ghost spirit. Before that, I was a nameless soldier. And at the very beginning, I was a child and a disaster, born under an unlucky star.
You called me Hong Hong’er, once.”
He paused, seeing the furrow in His Highness’s brow.
“Hong … Hong? I … I don’t … I can’t …”
“Your Highness.”
The masked face jerked up, eyes wide. Hua Cheng felt a stab of sorrow. He moved forward, slowly, ever so slowly.
“May I?”
A hesitant nod.
Tender hands unclipped and lifted the mask away from His Highness’s face. Their audience, silent as the dead, couldn’t contain their gasps and exclamations. Revealed to the world, after a small eternity, was a young and handsome face of peerless beauty.
“There you are,” whispered the boy-turned-god.
His Highness raised a hand, touching his own skin in dull surprise. Hua Cheng caught his fingers and brought them to his lips.
“Every chance I had, every second chance I was granted, I wished to repay you ten-fold. I prayed for your good fortune and good health. Even when I realized my prayers were falling on deaf ears, I prayed. When I ascended, and discovered you’d been banished again, I cursed fate and nearly jumped down. But instead, I remained a god and continued to pray for you. If my status as one of Heavens’ own could lend some more weight to my words …”
“No! My mistakes and burdens were not for others to bear. My dreams were hopeless from the start. For this arrogance, I chose to cast myself down.”
“Then, as you chose to do so, I chose this path as well. It is no fault of yours.”
“I can’t accept this. You must leave this place, and me. You’ve done too much. Simply too much …”
“Why? I’ve come this far. And if you’ll excuse my impudence—” he pulled out a clear glass-like ring “—I ask that you allow me to remain by your side. Don’t turn me away. Please, Your Highness?”
“This, this is—!”
Hua Cheng allowed the ring to be snatched from his hands, and waited.
Waited to allow his most beloved to examine the gift with shaking eyes and minutely trembling hands.
“You are truly an enigma.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
The Ghost King laughed wetly, “To give me my own ashes as a proposal ring. You are surely bold! Tell me, how did you find them?”
“I had too much time to spare.”
“That’s not an explanation.”
“My apologies. Truthfully, it took a very long time, and I didn’t mean to find it. Your heart will always lie with humans, no matter how they hurt and betray you. Of course, I returned to our homeland and searched high and low for any sign of you. I found myself near the gates where you performed that dance. And where you caught me as I fell. There, I found a loose stone in the wall with an engraving of a butterfly sitting upon a flower. And behind that stone were your ashes. It was a small matter to transform them into a ring for you.”
“How romantic,” came the low reply, sarcastic but for a slight tilt in his tone.
“I try,” Hua Cheng said honestly. “So, Your Highness, if that satisfies your curiosity … do you accept my proposal?”
With a burst of sound, their onlookers finally made themselves heard. The Mistress at the desk said loudly, “My King, I humbly beseech you to consider it!!” Her assistant added, “She—he?—seems good for you!! I say why not!” A crowd of ghosts at the doorway (who had joined the commotion later) screamed, “SAY YES!! SAY YES!!”
“Hey.” Lang Qianqiu sported a confused but somewhat teary expression. “Lord Hua Cheng, you have a lot to explain. And I’m still confused. But I’ll support you! We’ll support you, right, Lord Wind Master?”
Shi Qingxuan could only nod vigorously from behind his fan, which couldn’t quite hide the splotches and tear stains on his face. Ah, Hua Cheng recalled how the young lord was taken by swooning romances.
“I appreciate all of your kind words. But it matters not, unless Your Highness genuinely agrees …?”
He turned to face the one brightest existence in his life, shining even after all this time.
“You won’t be happy when you’re with me …”
“That’s for me to decide.”
“You will be rejected by the Heavenly Emperor for binding yourself to a ghost. A Ghost King, even.”
“Who cares what that Jun Wu thinks.”
A small huff. “You know, you’re in a brothel, which I run. To maintain my reputation, I am involved in all sorts of sordid affairs.”
“From what I’ve heard and seen of your reputation, you are feared by the evil, respected by the kind, and admired by those you protect.” A few of the brothel ladies threw him winking thumbs-up signs.
“I—I—I’m no longer capable of love! I’m heartless, emotionless, stone-hearted, and passionless!” the Ghost King cried desperately.
Hua Cheng finally closed the gap between them, plucking the ring from sweaty palms. In a flash, the ring found itself on a slender finger which was kissed adoringly. “That’s simply not true, Your Highness. Even now, you shouted at me with such passion that my breath was stolen away. I think you could come to love me, if you’ll give me the chance. In the meantime, I’ll love you enough for the both of us. Hmm? Yes?”
Hua Cheng heard a small cry, before being engulfed in a warm embrace.
“Fine. Who could say no to all of that? Hua Cheng, Hong Hong’er, you can stay by my side.”
The tension around his heart snapped and with a shout of happiness, he swept his future groom up in his arms and spun them ‘round and ‘round. Applause and petals (from who knows where) rained down upon them.
Giddily, Hua Cheng laughed and laughed and laughed.
Softly, just for his ears, he heard the rusty but beautiful sound of Xie Lian’s laughter, too.