Chapter Text
It was raining.
Feng Xin stood rooted to the spot, staring up into the above.
It should not rain in the heavens, and yet it was raining.
Feng Xin and Xie Lian had tried everything, short of launching a full-out war against the other gods, but it was not enough. The gods were out for blood, and merely sealing Jun Wu and punishing Ling Wen was not enough. They wanted more.
Mu Qing was a convenient scapegoat- someone who was not well-liked by the other gods in general, and someone who had previously been suspected of being in cahoots with Jun Wu (never mind that his name was already cleared).
For once, Feng Xin wished that Crimson Rain Sought Flower had been there. But as it was, the ghost king was still missing, and just Feng Xin and Xie Lian alone were not able to stem the wave of vengeful heavenly officials.
At first, Feng Xin had thought that they would sentence Mu Qing to some sort of punishment like Ling Wen’s, to help in the rebuilding. But then someone had suggested banishing Mu Qing to the mortal realm as a heavenly trial, until he could unlearn that ‘disagreeable attitude’ of his, and this was soon backed with great fervor.
Right before he was banished, Mu Qing had locked eyes with Feng Xin.
Feng Xin had expected to see Mu Qing’s anger, or perhaps sorrow at this turn of events. But all he could see was resignation.
This should not be happening , Feng Xin projected into their shared communications array, This is not fair.
The world has never been fair , Mu Qing responded in Feng Xin’s head, and the corner of his lip twitched upwards into almost a smile.
And then just like that, Mu Qing was gone, and it started to rain.
When Crimson Rain Sought Flower had been disintegrated, he had dispelled into a large flock of butterflies. Feng Xin was not sure what he was expecting, but he most certainly did not expect the sudden large shower of rain.
The whole group of gods hastily summoned umbrellas of casted drying spells on themselves, but Feng Xin let the rain beat down on him.
So this was Mu Qing’s essence. A miserable and bitter man to the end.
Feng Xin knew that Mu Qing was not dead- that his soul, now no more than an ordinary mortal’s, was still out there, somewhere, waiting to be reformed, but Feng Xin already felt so empty.
Letting the rain continue to fall on him, Feng Xin stared up into the skies and wondered why he even cared. He and Mu Qing were barely friends, and most generally thought of them as arch enemies.
But still, for almost the entirety of Feng Xin’s existence, Mu Qing was a thorn at Feng Xin’s side, a thorn that was always there. It had hurt when Mu Qing had left them after the fall of Xianle- for reasons more than what Feng Xin wanted to consider.
Maybe they had been friends, far earlier than Mount Tonglu- just that their friendship was only comprehensible to them and them alone.
But now Mu Qing was gone, for some illogical reason.
“Now that that’s done, what about the Martial God of the Southeast! Has he done anything worth punishment?” someone in the crowd yelled out.
“Feng Xin was instrumental in defeating Bai Wuxiang, and you all know this! Who among you have no sins to speak of?” Xie Lian asked grimly. His Highness had only two moods now after Crimson Rain Sought Flower’s disappearance- grim, and even more grim.
“There was the incident with the fetus spirit-“
“You know what?” Feng Xin said loudly, rising to his feet from his spot beside Xie Lian. “I’m fucking done with this.”
“Feng Xin, what are you doing?” Xie Lian whispered, his eyes wide.
“This farce of a trial,” Feng Xin said, strutting down the steps to the centre of the hall. “The finger pointing, the hypocrisy- I’m so fucking done.”
“Feng Xin-“
Feng Xin stopped at the centre of the room. “You whole bunch of snakes. You all know that Mu Qing did no wrong. You’re just taking the opportunity to pull him down, to pull me down just because you can. How many of you claimed to be friends with the Wind Master, and enjoyed his kindness and hospitality, only to abandon him at the first instance? I’m so fucking done with you lot.”
There was an uproar, with some calls screaming to punish him.
Feng Xin locked eyes with Pei Ming, who stood by the corner of the room, looking horrified but not saying anything. He was afraid, Feng Xin knew, afraid that he would become their next target. Feng Xin did not fault him for that.
Xie Lan rose to his feet, alarmed. It looked like he figured out what Feng Xin was doing. “Feng Xin, don’t-“
“Let me save you all the effort of deciding whether you should punish me for my ‘heinous crimes’,” Feng Xin said, turning around and surveying the hall at large. He held up his hand, gathering energy. “I banish myself.”
He turned towards the head of the room, and saw that His Highness had looked away.
I’m sorry , Feng Xin sent into their shared array.
I understand , Xie Lian responded, and Feng Xin did not understand why because he himself did not quite get why he was doing this. Then, even more incomprehensible, Xie Lian added, I hope you find him .
And then the world went white.
—
A few weeks later, somewhere far far away, Lan Xichen was born.