#ling wen zhen jun

[priarity]

I’ve only ever heard of ling wen’s atrocities, but rest assured when i find out what she did i will be even more horny for her

[symphonyofsilence]

Noble Jie, the bridge builder, the relationship expert, the communication queen.

[habizuh-studios]

Fascinating...

[morethanwonderful]

Which MXTX Character do You Most Want to Study Like a Little Bug?

Full Bracket

(Bonus match theme: We'll pardon the atrocities if you come back and do our paperwork)

[kdram-chjh]

Cdrama: Word of Honor (2021)

Wen Kexing and Gu Xiang #gongjun #zhouye #wordofhonor #shanheling #山河令 #cdrama #chinesedrama

Watch this video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/tL62C0urd0I         

[skygemspeaks]

a new civil god ascends to heaven, but they're the kind of person who never paid much attention to the martial gods so they just kind of assume that ling wen is the one in charge of everything since jun wu was defeated.

After all, everyone defers to her and she's the one that does a lot of the managing of accounts and coordinating of patrol schedules and stuff

Then one day there's some kind of big scandal and they're told they have to report to the heavenly emperor's palace for an important meeting, except when they start heading towards the palace of ling wen someone corrects them and says that's not the right way.

Then they're led to a humble little wooden cottage, which looks so out of place among all the magnificent golden palaces surrounding it. But it's well taken care of and there's a lovely little garden out front, and this god has been inside it just once before - when the elusive scrap immortal had been in residence on one of the rare occasions he had taken a break from his cultivation in the mortal realm, and they had been sent to his..."palace" on an errand from ling wen. It's cozy enough, they suppose. They don't know why they're here though.

They step inside, and they see that the usually small cottage has magically expanded to accommodate all the heavenly officials who had arrived for the meeting.

Everyone is scattered around at different tables around the massive room, lounging comfortably on floor cushions and chatting amicably with each other. This is the most humble they've ever seen any of their peers. Seeing them like this, they seem almost human. It releases a tension in their shoulders that they hadn't noticed they had been holding ever since their ascension to this grand, oppressive, intimidating divine realm.

There's a low table on a dais at the front of the room, and general nan yang is sitting there on one side of an empty seat, with general xuan zhen sitting on the other side. For once, the two of them aren't bickering with each other.

Then suddenly, the door opens, and the friendly chatter in the room immediately silences as the scrap immortal walks in, his smile serene and his movements graceful.

The other heavenly officials murmur their greetings to him as he walks by, and he answers them all with open friendliness as he makes his way slowly to the front of the room.

General xuan zhen's usual prickly demeanor is absent as the scrap immortal takes the empty seat next to him, and both he and general nan yang lean instinctively in the crown prince's direction, as if drawn into his orbit.

He greets them both with warmth and a familiarity borne of centuries of acquaintance, his smile going soft and tender.

Then, he turns to the room at large, and starts the meeting.

[illuminatedferret]

Congratulations!

Ficlet please, prompt: Wager

Thanks! Uh... this prompt is... it's a little long. But I had an idea and I wanted to write it, so. RIP me. Enjoy!

With great disbelief and dread, the assorted collective of the Heavenly Court mutely watched the great wave of Blessings Lanterns rise across the sky. The mass swallowed up all of the paltry offerings their devoted believers had gathered upon this Shangyuan, one by one, before overtaking even the moon itself.

“It’s him!?”

“He’s still around!?”

“Wasn’t he done!?”

Like a dam bursting, all at once a cacophony of voices filled the air. An outsider would be able to distinguish no particular voice, but it was clear to anyone listening for even a moment that not a single person had a positive thing to say.

Crimson Fucking Rain was back!?

Already!?

They were dismayed for more than one reason. See, His Highness Xianle may be happy living sequestered away on Mount Taicang, but up in the heavens, there had been a great deal of speculation on both his relationship to the deadly red ghost king-

-and just how long the man would take to come back.

One might assume, all things considered, that the current, erm, non-liquid state of the economy in the heavens being what it was, the gods might think to curb their more excessive habits.

And sure, some of them, they did.

(Quite grudgingly.)

But one thing no Heavenly Official could resist was some good drama and bragging rights.

So of course, when someone suggested a bet on just when the Gambling Tyrant Hua Cheng would return, the idea was jumped on like binu upon General Xuan Zhen.

General Nan Yang didn’t participate, citing his honor, and neither did General Xuan Zhen, attributed to the great smackdown fight that started when General Nan Yang came across General Xuan Zhen in the process of placing a bet. But the sorts of numbers put down ran the full gamut. A thousand years was a popular one- if, some suspected, more wishful thinking than anything else. Some people bet he wouldn’t return at all, but they avoided saying as much around the Southern Generals- they seemed touchy about the prospects of their former prince’s love life.

Others said he’d take five hundred years. Eight hundred. Three hundred. One particularly clever (or so he thought) civil god said it would take four hundred and eighty-nine years.

But nobody-

Nobody expected this, right!?

A year!?

A single stinking year?? 

“At least no one won the bet,” one god eventually grumbled, and his words were picked up by a louder neighbor.

“Yeah, at least no one won the bet!” Truly, it was the only acceptable way to lose the bet- if everyone else did too.

“...Actually,” came a voice that every god in the heavens suddenly dreaded. Like clockwork, every head within the Court swiveled to gaze at the tired, reluctant, but also slightly entertained countenance of Ling Wen Zhen Jun. Even Generals Nan Yang and Xuan Zhen seemed surprised, in their respective corners of the room.

“Someone...?”

“Someone bet one year!?”

“Seriously!? Who!?”

Mutters and speculation rose up on all sides, only to fall mute again as Ling Wen turned to one of her tablemates.

“Congratulations, Your Highness,” she said. “You’ve won quite the pot. It seems you were right to place your confidence in Crimson Rain.”

“Of course he was gonna come back,” Quan Yizhen blinked. “He has to fix shixiong.”

[ao3feed-fengqing]

Heavenly Courts Tales and no Taboos

by Ahvlyn (NOTE SPOILERS!) Welcome to the Heavenly Court I am a deputy god working under the palace of Ling Wen. Here we have many records from the the Fall of the Great Emperor to the "Ascension" of Earth Master Ming Yi. Hmm? You wish to know of General Ming Guang infidelity history?...Some Documents are considered unethical *Cough* Well we have some more fitting tales for you such as the Ghost City's Supreme Ghost Lord and his history with the thrice ascended Prince of Xianle. Or you can dive threw the three thousand scrolls of General Nan Yang and Xuan Zhens account history of damage. What do you wish to look at? Its my first fanfic on here yay! Basically this is a jumble of Hualian, Fengqing and Beefleaf angst, laughter and fluff. These happen to have events leading up to a summary... We get to explore the interior lives of tgcf! Cry and laugh over Hualians not so perfect lives. Dig into Fengqings old grudges and meanings behind there rivalry. Then look at Beefleafs emotional rollercoaster of relief and grief. Please enjoy! Words: 333, Chapters: 1/15, Language: English Fandoms: 天官赐福 | Heaven Official's Blessing (Cartoon), 天官赐福 | Heaven Official's Blessing (Webcomic) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Major Character Death Categories: M/M Characters: Hua Cheng (Tian Guan Ci Fu), Xie Lian (Tian Guan Ci Fu), Mu Qing (Tian Guan Ci Fu), Feng Xin (Tian Guan Ci Fu), He Xuan (Tian Guan Ci Fu), Shi Qingxuan, Jun Wu (Tian Guan Ci Fu), Pei Ming (Tian Guan Ci Fu), Ling Wen (Tian Guan Ci Fu) Relationships: Hua Cheng/Xie Lian (Tian Guan Ci Fu), Feng Xin/Mu Qing (Tian Guan Ci Fu), He Xuan/Shi Qingxuan, Pei Ming/Yushi Huang Additional Tags: Gay, Morning After, Hualian, beefleaf, Quote: Everyday Means Everyday (Modao Zushi), Insecure Hua Cheng (Tian Guan Ci Fu), Confessions, FengQing, Jun Wu Being an Asshole (Tian Guan Ci Fu), Feng Xin and Mu Qing are Idiots in Love (Tian Guan Ci Fu), He Xuan is Bad at Feelings (Tian Guan Ci Fu), Ghost City (Tian Guan Ci Fu), Hua Cheng has Self-Esteem Issues (Tian Guan Ci Fu), Top Hua Cheng/Bottom Xie Lian (Tian Guan Ci Fu), Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Angst, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Mild Smut, Tears, Character Death, Major Character Undeath, Enemies to Lovers, Fist Fights, Tired Ling Wen (Tian Guan Ci Fu), POV Alternating, Spoilers via https://ift.tt/EWdlh9S

[reinaka42]

Wang Chuan Feng Hua Lu (忘川风华录) Masterpost

Wang Chuan Feng Hua Lu (忘川风华录) is a Vocal synth (Vocaloid and SynthV) music project. It consists of songs themed around different figures throughout Chinese history. The project is a collaboration between different artists and creatives, with music and videos featuring prominent traditional Chinese elements. The project's title translates to "The Records of Magnificence of the Wangchuan" - In Chinese mythology, "Wangchuan" (or River of Forgetting) is a river in the Underworld that can rid one of their past life's memories, similar to the river Lethe.

A mobile game adaptation has also been developed by NetEast. Unfortunately, I haven't played it so I can't give much insight on it. However, I assume that its premise is similar to that of the idea behind the project as a whole: all these historical figures meeting each other in the Underworld after they died. Maybe.

You can find all the songs on Bilibili. The official Weibo can be found here. The game's website, which includes all characters appearing so far in the game, can be found here, and its Weibo can be found here.

(If you prefer YouTube, I've also put together a handy playlist. Please know that most of these videos are reposts though, so please watch the original Bilibili MVs if you can!)

This blog is where I will be posting everything I feel like I need to say about the songs in this project. A lot of it is lifted from my Twitter account but will be in much more detail. Note that I probably won't touch collab songs, or songs that don't focus solely on the project's own characters.

Disclaimer: I do not speak Chinese, nor am I an expert on Chinese history. Therefore, I cannot reliably translate the lyrics to these songs, nor my words should be taken as gospel. I am merely a nerd gushing about my hyperfixation.

Playlist

多情岸 【Duo Qing An】 ➼ B link

洛阳怀 【Luo Yang Huai】 ➼ B link

易水诀 【Yi Shui Jue】 ➼ B link

山河令 【Shan He Ling】 ➼ B link

簪花人间 【Zhan Hua Ren Jian】 ➼ B link

栖凰 【Qi Huang】 ➼ B link

心上秋 【Xin Shang Qiu】 ➼ B link

祖龙吟 【Zu Long Yin】 ➼ B link

如见青山 【Ru Jian Qing Shan】 ➼ B link

竹林间 【Zhu Lin Jian】 ➼ B link

天下局 【Tian Xia Ju】 ➼ B link

青鸟衔风 【Qing Niao Xian Feng】 ➼ B link

木兰行 【Mu Lan Xing】 ➼ B link

好字唯之 【Hao Zi Wei Zhi】 ➼ B link

不可道 【Bu Ke Dao】 ➼ B link

水叙湖风 【Shui Xu Hu Feng】 (collab) ➼ B link

是非 【Shi Fei】 ➼ B link

风起甘露 【Feng Qi Gan Lu】 (collab) ➼ B link

谓剑 【Wei Jian】 ➼ B link

万象霜天 【Wan Xiang Shuang Tian】 (New Year event song) ➼ B link

千秋梦 【Qian Qiu Meng】 ➼ B link

易安难安 【Yi An Nan An】 ➼ B link

惊鹊 【Jing Que】 ➼ B link

高歌破阵 【Gao Ge Po Zhen】 (collab) ➼ B link

不赴 【Bu Fu】 ➼ B link

西行 【Xi Xing】 ➼ B link

大航海家 【Da Hang Hai Jia】 ➼ B link

牡丹乱 【Mu Dan Luan】 (collab) ➼ B link

倾国 【Qing Guo】 (collab) ➼ B link

相虎 【Xiang Hu】 ➼ B link

补天裂 【Bu Tian Lie】 ➼ B link

此期盈期 【Ci Qi Ying Qi】 (1st anniversary song) ➼ B link

破云来 【Po Yun Lai】 ➼ B link

归钓吟 【Gui Diao Yin】 ➼ B link

始见千秋 【Shi Jian Qian Qiu】 ➼ B link

临川浮梦 【Lin Chuan Fu Meng】 ➼ B link

将军行 【Jiang Jun Xing】 ➼ B link

妄语人间 【Wang Yu Ren Jian】 ➼ B link

数风流 【Shu Feng Liu】 (2nd anniversary song) ➼ B link

问剑春秋 【Wen Jian Chun Qiu】 ➼ B link

起战令 【Qi Zhan Ling】 ➼ B link

人间应又雪 【Ren Jian Ying You Xue】 ➼ B link

旷古回响 【Kuang Gu Hui Xiang】 ➼ B link

墨隐侠声 【Mo Yin Xia Sheng】 ➼ B link

桃源故人 【Tao Yuan Gu Ren】 (3rd anniversary song) ➼ B link

*Note: The anniversary songs are probably for the game's anniversaries, as the project itself is more than 5 years old.

Albums

Vol 1: 溯洄 【Su Hui】 Includes character songs from Duo Qing An to Zhu Lin Jian. Features human vocals.

Vol 2: 踏浪 【Ta Lang】 Includes character songs from Tian Xia Ju to Jing Que.

Vol 3: 数风流 【Shu Feng Liu】 Includes character songs from Bu Fu to Wang Yu Ren Jian, an unreleased song titled 燕双归 【Yan Shuang Gui】, and the two anniversary songs.

Visual character guide:

PRE-QIN | QIN | WESTERN CHU | HAN | THREE KINGDOMS | JIN | NORTH & SOUTHERN DYNASTIES | TANG | FIVE DYNASTIES & TEN KINGDOMS | SONG | YUAN | MING | QING | DREAM

[gravitydefyingtears]

Audio Drama: 天官赐福 | Tian Guan Ci Fu | Heaven Official’s Blessing

It’s coming!!! 

You might recognize most of the production team as the people who worked on the MDZS audio drama, so I’m very assured that they will only have grown more experienced. Tbh I’m a little surprised by the lead VAs...excited to hear what their performances will be like!

Even more exciting: apparently the audio drama has been adapted from the revised edition of TGCF which includes 100k extra words!!!

Below is a quick translation of the season one details.

S1 Details

Link: www.missevan.com/mdrama/52400

Length: 19 episodes

Airing Schedule: Fridays, beginning July 15, 2022

Cost: 319 diamonds. For two months starting from July 15, this drama will be free to listen. Regular paid listening will resume on September 16.

Production Team

Original Novel: MXTX

Planning/Executive Producer: Kuo Hao Jun 括号君

Scriptwriter: Liu Yin 六音

Post-Production: Xin Tong 新桐

Assistants: Er Ji 二吉 , Yu Chen 鱼宸 

Original BGM: Li Da Bai 李大白

Instrumental Recording: International Master Philharmonic Orchestra 国际首席爱乐乐团 IMPO

Art/Video: ARThorizon 绘享视界

Voice Team

Voice Acting Team: Jing Yun Kai Ge 鲸韵凯歌

Voice Director: Zhang Kai 张凯

Recording Engineers: Liu Yaxue 刘雅雪, Li Mian 李冕, Jiang Cong 姜聪

... ... ... 

Narrator: Zhang Yaohan 张遥函

Xie Lian: Su Shangqing 苏尚卿@西呱双

Hua Cheng: Chenzhang Taikang 陈张太康

Fu Yao/Mu Qing: Liu Sicen 刘思岑

Feng Xin/Nan Feng: Guo Haoran 郭浩然

Ling Wen: Ji Guanlin 季冠霖

Ming Yi: Peng Yao (San Tu Bi An) 彭尧@彭尧-三途彼岸

Pei Ming: Chen Guang (Chen Jiaheng) 陈光@陈光家恒

Pei Xiu: Wu Tao (Dao Mei Si Le) 吴韬 @倒霉死勒

Jun Wu: Chen Hao 陈浩

Ban Yue: Shan Xin 山新

Lang Qianqiu: Li Xin 李昕

Ke Mo: Tute Hameng 图特哈蒙

Xuan Ji: Qiu Qiu 邱邱

Shi Qingxuan: Qian Wenqing 钱文青

Other Participating Voice Actors: Cai Jie (蔡杰@CJCDD-), Li Wangsong (李望松@摩羯-阿松松松松), Shao Chenliang (邵晨亮@c位不出道), Zhang Zhen/Lin Feng (张振@在下林风), Liu Zheng (刘峥@斗珂), Zhang Jiaqi (张加麒@张如麟), Liu Yiming (刘一鸣@痞人姓刘), Xu Kai (许凯@山己几X), Li Jiaxiang (李嘉祥@优叉UX), Lin Boqing (林柏青@詹永兵的好朋友), Li Haojia (李昊甲@最后的都灵人), Li Jiasi (李佳思@光的岸面), Li Yemeng (李叶萌@肆鸢), Yu Minglu (于鸣鹿@火不土), Su La (苏拉@亲爱的苏), Zhang Yuwei (张宇微@夕棠-就是喜糖啊), Xie Ziwei (谢子溦@Viona嘴嘴), Liu Yuanyuan (刘媛媛@画大染), Gao Yixue (高一雪@思凡吧喳嘿), Yu Mengci (余梦慈@晶玉瑪瑙)

[shookethdev]

a o e i i er ai ei ao ou an en ang eng ong i ia iao ie iu ian in iang ing iong u ua uo uai ui uan un uang ueng ü üe üan ün a o e er ai ao ou an en ang eng yi ya yao ye you yan yin yang ying yong wu wa wo wai wei wan wen wang weng yu yue yuan yun b ba bo bai bei bao ban ben bang beng bi biao bie bian bin bing bu p pa po pai pei pao pou pan pen pang peng pi piao pie pian pin ping pu m ma mo me mai mei mao mou man men mang meng mi miao mie miu mian min ming mu f fa fo fei fou fan fen fang feng fu d da de dai dei dao dou dan den dang deng dong di diao die diu dian ding du duo dui duan dun t ta te tai tei tao tou tan tang teng tong ti tiao tie tian ting tu tuo tui tuan tun n na ne nai nei nao nou nan nen nang neng nong ni niao nie niu nian nin niang ning nu nuo nuan nü nüe l la le lai lei lao lou lan lang leng long li lia liao lie liu lian lin liang ling lu luo luan lun lü lüe g ga ge gai gei gao gou gan gen gang geng gong gu gua guo guai gui guan gun guang k ka ke kai kei kao kou kan ken kang keng kong ku kua kuo kuai kui kuan kun kuang h ha he hai hei hao hou han hen hang heng hong hu hua huo huai hui huan hun huang z za ze zi zai zei zao zou zan zen zang zeng zong zu zuo zui zuan zun c ca ce ci cai cao cou can cen cang ceng cong cu cuo cui cuan cun s sa se si sai sao sou san sen sang seng song su suo sui suan sun zh zha zhe zhi zhai zhei zhao zhou zhan zhen zhang zheng zhong zhu zhua zhuo zhuai zhui zhuan zhun zhuang ch cha che chi chai chao chou chan chen chang cheng chong chu chua chuo chuai chui chuan chun chuang sh sha she shi shai shei shao shou shan shen shang sheng shu shua shuo shuai shui shuan shun shuang r re ri rao rou ran ren rang reng rong ru rua ruo rui ruan run j ji jia jiao jie jiu jian jin jiang jing jiong ju jue juan jun q qi qia qiao qie qiu qian qin qiang qing qiong qu que quan qun x xi xia xiao xie xiu xian xin xiang xing xiong xu xue xuan xun

NAKU 🫵

[nazitty56]

I recently got sucked into the TGCF fandom, and now I have a rabid story bunny on the loose in my head.

It's a reverse role fanfic, but the thing is, almosy every time I reverse a role, a name changes.

Hua Cheng and Xie Lian are reversed (of course)

Hua Cheng's name becomes Xu Hong (since he's part of the Xuli royal family. Original, I know). I realized that Xie Lians's official title, Xianle, doesn't fit Xu Hong, so I had to create a name for him: Ying Guan (Flower Crown -- just a rough translation since Chinese characters have more than one translation per character. Keep that in mind for the other names and titles)

Xie Lian becomes Fang Cheng (Beautiful City), though Ghost City's moniker is Hua Cheng (Flower City). Only people who don't know what it is call it Hua Cheng (sometimes locals will call it that to mess with humans). Fang Cheng is also nicknamed HuaHua by the locals (Hua Chengzhu when they're being really mischievous). They call him that (and the city that) because he's always covered in flowers and wraith butterflies, and the city is covered in flowers as well.

I'm still deciding on how they look.

I made Feng Xin, Xie Lian's maternal cousin. Qi Rong is Xu Hong's assistant (becomes Xuan Zhen when he ascends). Mu Qing is Xu Hong's guard (Nan Yang when he ascends).

He Xuan becomes He Sheng and the Water Master (Shui Shi Sheng). His little sister, He Baihe, becomes the Wind Master (Feng Shi Baihe).

Shi Wudu becomes Xuan Shui (mysterious waters), the equivalent of He Xuan.

Nangong Jie (former Ling Wen), was a female general of Xuli and ascends as Ming Guang Jiangjun after the Xuli rebellion -- that still happens, though Xuli doesn't officially falls until a century later.

Pei Ming was a shoemaker in Xuli, and he ascends as Ling Wen.

As you can tell, the three tumors are already a riot.

The hardest part comes in the form of Jun Wu. His original name (in this fic) is Wu Yong, and he never became a god. His wife, Wu Jianlan, did (goddes of forges -- Lin Long ((fine jade dragon)) ). Her new official title became Long Jun (Prosperous Lord) after she crowned herself as Empress.

I like everything I've made so far, but it's going to be a pain in the ass to write because of how the characters are going to change and thus the circumstances are going to change.

The fun part is when I go to post on AO3 and have to figure out the tagging, lmao. The relationship tags are going to make EVERYONE cringe, I can already tell.

If you guys have any ideas, feel free to add to this!

[habizuh-studios]

Completed a prompt for the @TGCFrare2action for @Fereael on twitter!

The prompt was, "Yushi Huang and Ling Wen. Canon times or modern times or some other AU They can be doing anything. Kissing or on a date or just walking through fields together or shopping or idk they can be vampires or mermaids or something. Literally anything. Let your imagination run wild!!!" Hope I didn't disappoint :)

[southernwindsarrow]

Fengqing 19: Amnesia

on AO3 as a reconstruction of our past

_____________________

​​​​​The ground was shaking. 

General Nan Yang and General Xuan Zhen were in battle again, a common occurrence for centuries that no one paid heed to unless they were betting for merits.

Heavenly officials within the vicinity of the fight hurried out of the area. Everyone knew that getting caught up in the fierce confrontations between the two gods could result in serious injury.

Quan Yi Zhen once tried to join the fighting and ended up with five broken ribs, while General Ming Guang once received a black eye from trying to stop them.

_____________________

“What the fuck did you say?”

“I said, Crimson Rain’s chicken scrawl handwriting is more legible than yours, you lumbering oaf,” Mu Qing sneered as he wiped the blood off the sides of his mouth. 

“You,” It was too much for Feng Xin. "You fucking....," It was one thing to claim his writing was terrible; it was another to declare it was worse than Crimson Rain's. The ghost king may be one of the most powerful beings in all three realms, but his calligraphy abilities were those of a child who couldn't grasp a brush. 

Feng Xin fumed at the thought. His mediocre calligraphy skills were at least a hundred times better than the scribbles on the walls of Gambler’s Den. It must be. 

Outraged, he lunges forward and delivers a powerful punch to Mu Qing’s face.

A loud resounding crack could be heard on impact from the heavenly capital's main street, the next street, and the street beyond that.

Mu Qing took a step back; his cheeks flushed and swelled fast as he felt the scorching strike of the punch. He narrowed his eyes and glared at the god facing him.

And then, he fell face-first into the ground.

“Mu Qing?” 

There was no response from the fallen god. 

Still in his battle stance, Feng Xin rushed to the side of his immobile opponent, "Fuck."

He hoisted the unconscious god over his shoulder and carried him back to Xuan Zhen Palace.

_____________________

Ling Wen, Xie Lian, and Feng Xin had taken turns watching over Mu Qing in his bed chambers as they waited for him to wake up, and all three of them were by his side when he stirred from his sleep. 

Feng Xin watches from the edge of Mu Qing's bed as the unconscious god slowly awakens, relieved to find that Mu Qing is seemingly fine, physically, at least. Despite his apparent disdain for him, he did not want to be responsible for his death. 

He didn't hate him that much.

"General Xuan Zhen, how are you feeling?" Ling Wen asks politely.

Mu Qing tightened the strings of his robes as he sat up, looking somewhat disoriented and puzzled at the presence of the three intruders in his room. "My head hurts a little," he replies with a trace of annoyance in his voice.

"As it should. You've suffered a heavy blow to the head and been unconscious for almost two days," the literature god explained casually as she pulled out a scroll from her sleeve and glanced at it. "And caused 8,000,000,000 worth of damages in merits," she remarked as she sharply shifted her gaze to Feng Xin. 

Feng Xin looks away and pretends not to notice. But between him and Mu Qing, he’s convinced their fights over the centuries have amassed near-catastrophic levels of damage to the Heavenly Palace, second only to Jun Wu’s onslaught on the heavens.

Mu Qing looked across at Xie Lian, seated beside his desk, "Your highness?" Confusion marred his usually stoic face. 

"I'm glad you're awake now, Mu Qing. We were really worried,” the prince smiled, explaining that he came immediately after hearing about their battle and learning Mu Qing was unconscious.

Feng Xin averted his gaze, hoping Mu Qing wouldn't tell Xie Lian that the reason for their fistfight was because they were mocking each other’s and Xie Lian's husband's incorrigible handwriting. He couldn’t even recall how their argument started this time or when it escalated to Hua Cheng’s writing skills.

Mu Qing didn’t. Instead, he looks at Feng Xin disconcertingly and asks, "Who are you?"

Confused, Feng Xin's eyebrows furrowed in response, as did Ling Wen's and Xie Lian's.

"Don't fuck around, Mu Qing," Feng Xin snapped back at him. He leaned against the wooden post next to Mu Qing's bed, crossing his arms over his chest, “Bastard.”

A perplexed look crossed Mu Qing's face as he looked at the standing god.

The other gods waited in anticipation for his usual snide responses. General Xuan Zhen never gives General Nan Yang the final say. Everyone knew the two martial gods of the south thrived on their vicious cycles of squabbles. It was what landed them into this mess in the first place.

But Mu Qing remained silent, looking back at the three of them with cautious eyes as though afraid he would say the wrong thing.

"Something's not right," Xie Lian finally says. 

_____________________

After an hour of checking Mu Qing’s qi and meridian points, the doctors couldn’t pinpoint anything out of the ordinary. Besides the physical injuries he’s received, there’s nothing wrong, except…

“It seems that General Xuan Zhen has lost all memories pertaining to General Nan Yang,” Ling Wen says. 

Feng Xin’s stomach churned. Mu Qing could remember everyone except him.

He had punched himself out of Mu Qing’s memory!

_____________________

"General Nan Yang, according to the doctors, it's best to let him rest," Ling Wen tells him. "They say it's most likely a temporary affliction," she looks at him sympathetically before seeing herself out.

Her words made him uneasy.

'Most likely,' isn't the same as 'definitely,' Feng Xin thinks as he looks over at Mu Qing, whose hair is still uncombed and messy, a rare sight. A sight he hasn't seen since their worst years in Xianle. An appearance he knew Mu Qing would have never allowed anyone to see him in. 

Xie Lian eventually bids Mu Qing and Feng Xin farewell and asks them to contact him in the communication array if there are any changes in Mu Qing's condition. He'll check with Hua Cheng if they can obtain any information on Mu Qing's affliction.

Feng Xin sits on a nearby wooden stool soon after Xie Lian leaves, processing the bizarre situation at hand before noticing Mu Qing staring at him, puzzled. 

It was unsettling to witness Mu Qing bewildered so many times in such a short span of time. He was the one usually in need of Mu Qing’s unwanted clarifications. 

"Why are you still here?" Mu Qing asks from his bed, his swollen purple jaw visible through strands of tangled hair. Feng Xin almost feels bad for causing that discoloration on that pale white face. Almost. He hasn't forgiven Mu Qing for his cruel words about his calligraphy skills. It was brutal.

“You… really don't know who I am?" he asks, looking at the disheveled god, silently hoping this was a big joke even though he knew Mu Qing never indulges in jokes or pranks. Mu Qing wasn’t the kind of god who enjoyed having fun; he reminds himself.

“No,"

"Uh," Feng Xin scratched his head, at a loss of what to do. 

There was no bite, anger, scowl, or resentment to Mu Qing's reply. It was as if he was talking to any other person instead of Feng Xin. As if he were talking to Ling Wen's attendants or the invisible Yin Yu! He didn't even get an eye roll. 

It made him uncomfortable, and Feng Xin didn't know to respond.

"Just.. just contact me if you need anything," he finally says before making his way out, leaving Mu Qing on his own.

_____________________

Over the next few days, the Heavenly Capital saw a noticeable shift. No commotion, no fights, no brawls, no disputes, and, to Ling Wen's joy, no damage or repair work required without General Xuan Zhen and General Nan Yang constantly poking barbs at each other.

It was peaceful.

But to Feng Xin, something didn't feel quite right. It was quiet. It was too quiet. 

Mu Qing appeared to other officials to be the same person, cloaked in indifference and mild contempt throughout their extensive discussions in the communications array or the Great Martial Hall. 

Unlike other heavenly officials, Feng Xin never had the pleasure of receiving such treatments from Mu Qing in their 800 years together. Instead, Mu Qing had constantly interrupted his reports with snide comments, a snarky Ju Yang reference, or at least an eye roll… until now.

Mu Qing didn't even glance at him as he walked past him today in the Grand Martial Hall. Feng Xin felt somewhat offended that he didn't even get a pesky eye roll.

After centuries of squabbling in the communications array, storming into each other's palaces for a fist fight, and snubbing each other on the streets of the Heavenly Capital, having to observe Mu Qing from afar as if they were total strangers didn't sit well with him. 

In fact, it bothered him a lot. 

And knowing he was the one who threw the blow that knocked himself out of Mu Qing’s memories bothered him much more! 

As much as he wasn't a fan of the irritable god, it stands that there is a long history between them, a history that should be respected and acknowledged. They were two of the three remnants of Xianle, and they battled tooth and nail with their Crown Prince during the Yong'an famine and the human face disease outbreak.  

They had fallen from the heavens together to live an arduous mortal life with their Crown Prince before ascending again, without him.

Their past was not pleasant, and he knew it, but it served as a reminder of the Xianle’s long-lost glory and their cherished Crown Prince Xie Lian. These priceless recollections should not be forgotten because of one stupid punch over Crimson Rain’s hideous handwriting.

After days of mulling over the lack of attention he received from the raven-haired god, Feng Xin decided.

Mu Qing needs to remember him. 

For the sake of Xianle, he tells himself repeatedly.

____________________

Feng Xin ignored the fearful looks of Mu Qing's attendants squirreling away at Xuan Zhen Palace as he walked up to their general’s study. They knew not to stand in the way of General Xuan Zhen or Nan Yang when the two gods confronted each other. It was suicidal.

Mu Qing sat at his wooden desk tending to his piles of scrolls when Feng Xin entered, and as though anticipating him, he never took his gaze away from his reports, "General Nan Yang, to what do I owe this pleasure?" 

"You don't have to call me General, Mu Qing. It's fucking weird," Feng Xin approaches him, keeping his tone as friendly as he could force it to be. “And I'm here to talk to you. Maybe it'll bring back some of your memories?”

Mu Qing glances up from his desk, seemingly unimpressed with the idea.

“Uh, we could talk about anything,” Feng Xin says. Mu Qing’s eyes never left him as he moved closer to the table full of scrolls. “We’ve been… we’ve gone through a lot together in 800 years, Mu Qing, as mortals and as gods,” he trails, a hint of nervousness seeping through his voice. “There must be something that could help you remember me? Us?”

"General Nan Yang, I appreciate your concern," Mu Qing replies, unsettling Feng Xin with his icy tone. "But from what I've read through scrolls from Ling Wen's Palace, our borders have been in dispute for generations, and our worshippers have spent a fair amount of resources in battles with one another," 

Feng Xin took a step back at Mu Qing's tone of voice, uneasiness creeping into his thoughts. This Mu Qing didn’t sound like Mu Qing.

"We were once attendants to the Crown Prince, and that was all there is to it," Mu Qing continues, his gaze sharp as he carefully puts the calligraphy brush down. "As far as I see it, General Nan Yang, we are not friends." 

Agitated, Feng Xin gripped his hands into balls of fists, taken aback by the harsh words. He resisted the urge to shake the memories back into Mu Qing’s head. 

He's never referred to Mu Qing as his friend, but he knew they were not not friends either. They were Feng Xin and Mu Qing, Nan Yang and Xuan Zhen, martial gods of the southern territories, attendants of the Crown Prince, generals of a fallen kingdom, and the cause of chaos in the Heavenly Capital. 

They were them. 

'Friend' would be too small a word to define their near millennia-long history. 

Feng Xin understood the odds of Mu Qing agreeing to his help were slim; he anticipated it. He knew pre-amnesia Mu Qing would have done the same. 

But the iciness and detachment? It was new to him.

This was not the Mu Qing he knew. Mu Qing had never addressed him in such an... indifferent manner. 

Mu Qing was spirited, feisty, vicious, and full of life. His Mu Qing would have yelled at him for daring to step into Xuan Zhen Palace without an invitation, called him a big stupid idiot with chicken scribble handwriting, and hit him in the face until his jaw turned black and blue.

This Mu Qing was cold, and it made him feel powerless.

He left without a word.

_____________________

The next time they met was at the worn-out Puqi Shrine a few days later to meet up with Xie Lian. 

Mu Qing was already in the ragged hut when Feng Xin arrived, and to his delight, Crimson Rain wasn't. He didn't need to see that vile Supreme defiling their Crown Prince every few minutes in front of them. Their lingering touches and pining gaze made him want to gouge his eyes.

But there was something different about Mu Qing, Feng Xin noticed. He looked drained. As if he hasn't slept in weeks. The dark circles under his eyes could challenge Ling Wen’s very own black rings of exhaustion, and the fiery defiance in his eyes that drove Feng Xin into pits of frustration for centuries was gone. 

He felt a twist of worry in his chest.

Xie Lian, as usual, tidied up his virtually empty shrine while explaining his findings to the two gods of the south. 

"San Lang said it's not an illness that can be healed with powers or potions," he starts while he gathers the fruits and vegetables from the altar and sets them in his kitchen two steps away. "It's likely that the reason you can't recall Feng Xin is that he was the last thing you saw before passing out," 

"It's a physical problem, and Mu Qing's memories of you are still there. So we just need to find a way to release them," Xie Lian adds as he folds his sleeves and steadies a burnt pot on his stove. 

The former crown prince looks at Mu Qing with concern as he grabs a knife by the stove to chop vegetables, “Your mind is constantly trying to fill in the gaps right now, so you’ll probably be tired once in a while. It’s probably best to wait it out.”

That explained his weary look.

Mu Qing looked almost disappointed. Feng Xin swears he could see the fatigues in his eyes and his near-hunched shoulders that looked like they were carrying the weight of the world.

Feng Xin shifts closer to the door while Xie Lian slices the vegetables. Though Mu Qing’s expression revealed nothing, he notices Mu Qing doing the same, moving a step closer to the unusually sturdy door with every vegetable chop.

He smirked slightly at that sight, amused that at least Mu Qing remembered the atrocities and god-killing abilities of their Crown Prince’s lethal cooking. 

"Thank you for your assistance, your highness," Mu Qing says politely with a nod as he makes his way out. "I'll be taking my leave now,"

"San Lang also said, in these instances, people tend to forget things they have strong emotional attachments to," Xie Lian explains with a cheery wave goodbye before slowly stirring the chopped vegetables into a thick dark green stew. “Feng Xin should be able to help you with that,” he quickly shouts to them as Mu Qing steps out of the shrine. 

The former prince of Xianle appeared to be content with his new simple domesticated way of life.

Mu Qing looks at Feng Xin with a complicated expression before walking out the door of Puqi Shrine.

Feng Xin wasn't sure if his reaction was to Xie Lian’s words or his attempt at cooking.

____________________

"Mu Qing, wait!" Feng Xin calls to the other god as they depart the crumbling shrine. He sprints up, catching up to him further up the path. 

“I want to try something,” he continues. “I think it’ll help you,”

“Nan Ya — Feng Xin, it's clear that we don't get along. Everyone knows it,” Mu Qing stated bluntly before Feng Xin had a chance to suggest his ideas. “We have literature, art, and plays based on our battles,” his worn expression disinterested. 

“Mu Qing, please — “

“We are warriors,” Mu Qing cuts him off. “We fought. Injuries happen. It's fine. You don't have to fix it," he elaborated before turning to leave.

Feng Xin quickly clutches Mu Qing's grey sleeve, tugging it to keep him from leaving. "Mu Qing, it’s not that. Just listen to me," he pleads. But, receiving an edgy glare in response, he lets go of the sleeve. 

Mu Qing stood in his place, his peeved expression unchanged, and Feng Xin took it as a sign to continue.

“We fight a lot. Fuck, half the scars on our bodies were from all our stupid fights,” he quickly says before Mu Qing could leave again. “But I don’t hate you. And I’m pretty fucking sure you don't hate me too,”

“We were, no, we are a big part of each other’s lives,” his fingers fidgeted as he stammered, and his mind was racing with memories of their long history together, anxious as he could not find the words to express their relationship. There was simply too much. It was impossible to describe their relationship through words.

“I want to show you something, please,” he begs Mu Qing for the first time, desperate for the other god to head his words.

___________________

Feng Xin draws a distance-shortening array and takes them to the decaying city of Yong’an, where the once-glorious kingdom of Xianle stood.

Time has not been kind to the remnants of Yong'an. Its city walls had crumbled, and the homes where families had formerly lived were in ruins. Feng Xin felt a sad tightness in his chest when he saw the town barren of life. For a moment, he wondered if Xie Lian and Lang Qian Qiu, former princes of the fallen kingdoms, felt it even more when they stepped foot into the now desolated city.

“Xianle,” Mu Qing says softly, nostalgic, as they walk through an abandoned courtyard void of any signs of human life. “I remember Xianle.”

Feng Xin walked before him, “But you don’t remember me in it.” He brings them to the desolate main street, overgrown with shrubs. Lines of stalls along the path where merchants sold various things from other kingdoms remained, broken and damaged and overrun with deep overgrowth. It gave him an uneasy sensation of both familiarity and unfamiliarity.

“No, I do not.” the other god agreed, his voice tone less callous than before, Feng Xin noticed.

“Do you remember this place?” he asks, observant as Mu Qing looks around. A slight nod was the only indication he heard Feng Xin’s question.

“Remember when Qi Rong barraged through the streets of Xianle with his new carriage?” he probed again, hoping for a better response. 

Mu Qing answered calmly as his gaze continually wandered the abandoned street, “His Highness and I stopped him from dragging a kid with the carriage. We went to the palace after and.. to..,” he frowned as if mildly frustrated, unable to complete a pivotal scene of his past. 

“There are gaps,” he sighs, eventually admitting.

Mu Qing was opening up, and Feng Xin couldn't help but feel compelled to reveal more about their shared past.

“We went to the palace, and His Majesty demanded I be punished for beating up that goddamned green savage,” Feng Xin stuck out his right arm, “I broke my arm for that,” He pointed to the spot where he broke his arm with a nervous smile. 

He knew that witnessing him break his arm affected Mu Qing then. He remembered seeing the horror on young Mu Qing's face 800 years ago. It was hardly the best first impression the Xianle royal family could have on a new attendant, especially on someone as cautious as Mu Qing.

“That nasty Qi Rong whipped the both of us too,” Feng Xin grimaced at the memory. “I can't believe neither of us figured out he was Night Touring Green Lantern after dealing with his mess for centuries,” he spat. “Fucker never hid his identity either!”

“Feng Xin, in my memories, it was only His Highness and me.” Mu Qing’s eyebrows furrowed again as though frustrated with himself. “There was no you,” he adds with a pinch of displeasure in his voice.

Feng Xin felt a sting of disappointment at his words and shifted the subject, “Who would have thought that small kid turned out to be Crimson Rain Sought Flower, huh?”

Mu Qing raised an eyebrow at him, clearly sensing the change in their talk, and grumbled, "Only a person like His Highness could tolerate scum like Qi Rong and Crimson Rain."

It bothered Feng Xin that Mu Qing could recall the two calamities but not him, but he could only give a tiny smile in response to Mu Qing’s scowl. At least, it was a classic mean Mu Qing reply. 

As they stood in the fragments of the fallen kingdom from their past, Feng Xin recalls other significant flashbacks of their time in Xianle, especially one moment that was more provoking than the others. But he couldn't bring himself to talk about the time Mu Qing left him and Xie Lian at their most trying times.

_________________

Next, he takes them to Mount Taicang.

They walked along with the mountains' deep green forests. The shades of green, orange, and crimson that once graced Mount Taicang this time of year 800 years ago were gone. Now, there were only shades of green.

“It’s so different now,” Feng Xin sighs as he plucks a green leaf from a nearby tree as they walk past. “Mu Qing, we used to train here with Xie Lian, remember?” 

A passing breeze swept across Mu Qing's hair and grim face, giving him a forlorn appearance that was accentuated by his tired expression. His only response was a lengthy sigh.

"Guoshi used to scold us all the time,” Feng Xin said as he led them farther down the path into the woods until they reached the peak of Mount Taicang. He noticed that the Royal Holy Pavillion and other structures that were once a part of their mortal lives had all vanished throughout time. A continual reminder that nothing is everlasting.

They stood on the peak, each reminiscing where they had spent their younger years training and cultivating for their current lives as gods and deities, where two attendants of Xianle ascended with their Crown Prince and again on their own, within a short period of each other. 

It was an accomplishment not many could achieve in ten lifetimes.

“It was always, ‘Feng Xin, watch your words,’ or ‘Mu Qing, do not forget your duties,’ or ‘stop fighting, you two,” he shares bits and pieces about their past at Mount Taicang as they slowly explored the lands of their old training grounds, hoping something would spark Mu Qing’s memory.

Nothing seemed to work.

He tried again, “You don’t remember this, obviously, but I accused you of stealing His Highness’ earrings,” 

Mu Qing snarled in response as if his words were venomous, “You thought I would steal? From His Highness?” Sharp eyes immediately pinned on Feng Xin. His breaths labored as if each breath required tremendous effort to inhale. “Why?” he demanded, anger seeping in.

“Maybe we should rest for a while,” Feng Xin suggested quickly, partially to appease Mu Qing's sudden rage. And partially due to worry over the other god's apparent lethargy. 

Mu Qing was bone tired, and Feng Xin could feel it. 

But Mu Qing scowled in response, his eyes full of hurt, and Feng Xin could not steer the conversation away.

“Feng Xin, why?” he repeated, his voice harsh, almost desperate. “I would never…never..” he stammered, unable to finish his thoughts.

Feng Xin flinched at Mu Qing’s reaction, and it pained him, knowing he was the cause of the agitation in the other god’s voice.

“I don’t know,” he replies regretfully, trying to keep his voice calm. His hands fidgeted by his sleeves as he strained his mind for an answer, wanting to stop the pain in Mu Qing’s voice.

“His Highness was so fond of you, and I think it made me jealous,” he admits to Mu Qing and perhaps, himself. “I guess I was looking for faults where there weren’t any to make myself feel better.”

The two gods faced each other on the mountain peak of their cultivation grounds, one seething with rage and the other recoiling in a pool of guilt.

"I probably wrecked any possibility of us being friends because of that," Feng Xin muttered, his gaze fixed on the dry leaves on the ground, unwilling to look at Mu Qing’s pained expression. It was the first time he had said those words to anyone.

“You told me we were friends, Feng Xin,” Mu Qing sneered, angry eyes boring into him. “So are we, or are we not?” 

“I… yes,” Feng Xin couldn’t explain more than that. “It’s complicated,” he finally sighs in defeat. 

“Take me to the next place,” Mu Qing demanded, unsatisfied with Feng Xin’s reply.

___________________

The sun shone brightly as Feng Xin took a furious Mu Qing to the snowy peaks of Mount Tonglu.

“Uhh, we fought here for hours and triggered an avalanche that nearly killed Xie Lian and us,” Feng Xin says lightly with a grin as he scratches the back of his head. 

“You keep saying that we fight, and yet you say we’re friends,” Mu Qing spat back as they walked through fresh snow, exhausted eyes looking up front as they treaded to the summit. “What were we fighting about?”

“Mn, probably stupid stuff,” Feng Xin replies casually. “You know, I have no idea. All I remember is we were yelling around here and then falling into that horrifying cave of webs with His Highness’ statues,”

"For someone whose memory is still intact, you don't seem to recall much," Mu Qing mocked as they approached Mount Tonglu's summit, crossing his arms across his chest as they looked over the lowlands from the mountain. 

Standing on the peak, they could see some relics of the desolated Kingdom of Wuyong; a few old temple ruins spread throughout the land. Ironically, the older remnants of Wuyong outlasted the later-built temples and pagodas of Mount Taicang.

“God, Mu Qing, even the both of us couldn't keep Crimson Rain away from His Highness at that time.” Being gods, neither of them felt cold even when surrounded by icy snow and wind, but Feng Xin couldn't help but shudder at the memory of Crimson Rain’s painting in the Cave of a Thousand Gods. If there were one thing he wishes he could forget forever, that would be it. “And those fucking statues,” he shivers once more. 

“I wouldn't mind forgetting that,” Mu Qing says, echoing his thoughts.

________________

In stillness, they watched the sun set beyond the horizon from the crest of Mount Tonglu, taking in the shifting colors of the sky, from reddish-orange to purplish-pink. 

Feng Xin glances towards Mu Qing, noticing the sunset rays grant him an indefinable appearance, accentuating his ethereal god-like presence. But his immortality was tainted by a strained look, black rings beneath his eyes, and the haggardness on his face. Exhaustion was not a look he’d seen on Mu Qing often. Even during their days battling the draught and the human-face disease in Xianle, Mu Qing had never looked this.. defeated.

It bothered him. 

“Are you sure you don't want to rest? We can head back to the Heavenly Capital,” Feng Xin finally suggests, breaking the silence between them. His voice was concerned, prepared to draw a distance-shortening array back to Xuan Zhen's palace. 

“I’m fine,” Mu Qing insists, closing his eyes as he inhales the cold air deeply. 

Understanding that the tired god wanted to continue their journey, Feng Xin pushes away any thoughts of hauling Mu Qing up his shoulders and back to his palace. He knew it was near impossible to change Mu Qing’s mind once he had made up his mind. It was a given that stubbornness and Mu Qing go hand in hand.

"You knocked me unconscious to save me when Jun Wu attacked the Heavenly Capital," Feng Xin recalls instead, smiling. “But it didn't go as you planned,” his smile widened into a grin.

"And I recognized your shadow, so I knew it was you," he continues. It angered him so much at the time, but now Feng Xin couldn't help but chuckle at the prospect of a panicked Mu Qing knocking him out and abandoning him in a blazing palace. It was such a Mu Qing thing to do, he thinks.  

“Because I know you that fucking well,” he eventually adds.

"Explain," Mu Qing says, blinking his tired eyes open and furrowing his brows.

Feng Xin tells him about their involvement in subduing Jun Wu and the catastrophic incidents that led to the destruction of the Heavens, and as the sky gradually darkened, they made their way down the snowy mountain without haste.

“I didn’t believe you would save me at first because I figured you hated me,”  

“And yet you keep insisting we’re friends,” Mu Qing interjects quickly before Feng Xin could finish retelling their moments during the downfall of the Heavenly Capital.

"As I said, we are." Feng Xin was adamant. "It just took us a long time to realize it since we can be as stupid as rocks sometimes." 

Mu Qing gave him a puzzled look, evidently unimpressed by Feng Xin's depiction of them. “You are as dumb as rocks. I am merely suffering from a memory lapse problem,” he clarifies as they walk through the snowy path.

“Yeah, yeah. I think you tried to save Jian Lan and Cuo Cuo too.” Feng Xin laughs lightly, pleased that Mu Qing was bickering with him again. It felt like an accomplishment, and it almost felt like old times again.

“I did, but I can't remember why,” Mu Qing frowns again, pausing in his tracks and pressing his fingertips against his brow as if to relieve a headache. 

"Because Jian Lan was my lover, and Cuo Cuo is my child, maybe," Feng Xin says as he moves a few paces forward, knowing Mu Qing will follow behind. “Who knows? Your mind is too twis.. uh, complex for a dumb rock like me to understand,”

Feng Xin came to a halt, noticing that Mu Qing did not follow him and had his eyes shut and lips pursed tightly, his face paler than before. “Hey, you  —”

“Feng Xin —,”

Mu Qing collapses into the snow.

_______________

“Mu Qing!" In a panic, Feng Xin falls to his knees next to the unconscious god and clutches his face, lightly tapping his cheeks to wake him awake, "Wake up, you fucking asshole!" 

Mu Qing's eyelids fluttered after a few small taps on his cheeks, much to his relief. He opened his eyes, looking into Feng Xin’s amber eyes that were full of worry, “I’m fine.”

Feng Xin suddenly noticed the proximity between them and held his breath. His hands were still on Mu Qing’s face, whose obsidian black hair contrasted with the white snow beneath him, making him appear sallower than usual, marred only by a light purple bruise at the bottom of his jaw where Feng Xin had hit him. 

He resisted the urge to brush away the bits of snow off the bridge of Mu Qing’s pale nose and pulled his hands away from Mu Qing’s warm face.

“Fuck it, Mu Qing,” his voice strained as he drew Mu Qing into a sitting position. “You’re not fine. We’re going back now,” he starts to draw a distance-shortening array on the ground, but Mu Qing grabs his arm and pulls him back.

“Wait, Feng Xin!” he choked as he pulled himself up from the snow and brushed the white snow off his black hair and dark clothes, “Sometimes the gaps are too much. It happens when I force myself to remember… things.”

“When I force myself to remember you,” was unspoken, but the two gods could hear it loud and clear.

“I want to remember, please,” Mu Qing pleaded.

It was a first. Mu Qing never begged, ever, and Feng Xin didn't have the heart to refuse him. Not after seeing the desperation on Mu Qing’s face, knowing that it was him Mu Qing wanted to remember. He sighs and draws a distance-shortening array to the last place he could think of to assist Mu Qing in remembering him. 

_________________

Feng Xin leads them to a little town in the middle of their territories. It was dark by the time they arrived, but there were still plenty of signs of life in the small settlement.

They strolled by bright taverns on the main streets, where they could hear yelling, shouting, and brawls from within the buildings. This time, Feng Xin keeps no more than two steps away from the black-haired god, fearful of another fainting episode at any moment.

“No fucking way, General Nan Yang is better than Xuan Zhen,” a rough voice from inside the taverns shouts. “Your wives should pray to Xuan Zhen to keep their house clean!”

Mu Qing’s face scowls in response. “Your worshippers have a way with words,” he rolls his eyes as they walk. 

And for once, Feng Xin was glad to see it. It brought him one step closer to his Mu Qing. If it gets Mu Qing back his memories, he will welcome a thousand more of Mu Qing’s eye rolls every day. He will embrace those god-forsaken pesky eye rolls he had come to miss.

“Well, we know why your wife prays to General Nan Yang,” another brash voice replies. After then, there were more noises of punching and shattered glass. True to the nature of their gods, their worshippers were fighting again.

“I know it looks messy, and they’re always fucking fighting but come with me, and you’ll see,” Feng Xin sighs as he leads them away from the main streets and into a residential area. “There’s more to them than fighting,” he adds.

He leads them to a little house close to one of his temples. A man was perched outside the house cleaning his farming tools, and a woman, who appeared to be his wife, was peeling onions and cooking dinner for the family. There was nothing out of the ordinary.

“Look,” Feng Xin gestures at a large portrait of Xuan Zhen hanging on the wooden wall behind the man. The picture of Mu Qing was on coarse paper, and its black ink faded, but the image of him in his long black robes holding his saber nevertheless radiates an air of refined sophistication.

Mu Qing’s eyes followed the colors of the painting from top to bottom and noticed that below his portrait stood a small statue of Nan Yang, with its bow and arrow poised in battle stance. Aside from its posture, the figure bore little resemblance to the god who stood next to him. Feng Xin walked out of the modest wooden house before he could look any further.

“Almost every household in this area is a mixture of us.” Feng Xin says as he leads them to another place, a nearby training ground with a few disciples taking advantage of the quiet night to perfect their skills. 

A young boy around ten was practicing his sword skills on the muddy training ground, with a dim lantern on the ground nearby as a light source. The youngster wore a yellow ribbon in his hair, a common trait of General Nan Yang’s worshippers who swore devotion to the martial god of the southeast. His novice movements were slow, with deliberate steps to accentuate every pose.

Feng Xin approaches the boy undetected by the folks around them. "Our followers reflect us," he walks around him, watching as the boy moves through his combat postures while wielding a long wooden saber. "Sure, they'll ruin a temple or two and maybe knock out some teeth now and then," he says lightly as his fingertips trace the boy’s saber, inscribed deeply with the characters ‘Xuan Zhen’. “But there’s never any intention to kill,” he finally adds after a pause.  

Mu Qing's eyes widen as he takes in the scenes before him, unsure what to make of them. These interactions between Nan Yang and Xuan Zhen worshippers were not told in the scrolls of Ling Wen’s palace, nor were they acted out in beautiful stage plays for the world to witness. 

Next, they strolled behind a Nan Yang temple, briefly watching as a young couple indulged in each other, partly shielded by trees and shadows. From a distance, Mu Qing could see shades of limbs moving around, and with the moonlight on them, he could tell the woman was wearing a Xuan Zhen talisman on her wrist, and the male was clad in Nan Yang colors of yellow and blue.

______________

Finally, they wandered into a nearby empty Xuan Zhen temple.

“I’ve often seen you at our territory borders,” Feng Xin began gently as he looked at the human-sized Mu Qing statue carved into near perfection, the only way the Xuan Zhen allows it. 

“Mu Qing, you know this. I know you do,” the desperation in his voice heavier with every word. “The way you dedicate yourself to your worshippers, you must know,” he asserted.

“You wouldn't have allowed your worshippers to do as they do if you didn't,” he adds softly, turning his gaze to the real god instead. “You’d scare them off in their dreams if you didn't want them mingling with my worshippers.”

“I don't know, Feng Xin,” was the only reply Mu Qing could muster, lethargy finally seeping to the point he needed to sit on the ground.

At sight, Feng Xin finds an old straw mat for them, sets it on the ground, and sits next to him, knowing it was futile to convince Mu Qing to return to the heavens. And as far as they know, Mu Qing’s only ailment was exhaustion.

They sat in silence on the mat, looking at the regal bronze statue of Mu Qing before them.

“It feels like a big part of me is gone,” Mu Qing finally breaks the silence, almost in a whisper. “I’m always tired because it’s difficult to think about anything without that missing piece,” he adds as he props himself down on his back, gazing at the wooden timbers on the temple ceiling, noticing there was a small inconspicuous yellow Nan Yang ribbon tied to one of the wooden planks.

Feng Xin followed his gaze, not wanting to interrupt Mu Qing as he finally opened up more to him.

Mu Qing turns to Feng Xin, “That must mean you were a big part of my life.” His expression was vulnerable, as though he was unsure about many things. 

“I can't think without you, Feng Xin,” he admits.

Those words tugged at Feng Xin’s heart. 

“And I definitely wouldn't have allowed that if I truly hated you.” Mu Qing indicated toward the yellow ribbon above them. 

Feng Xin surprised at Mu Qing’s admission to a fragility of any sort, could only look back with a reassuring smile.

“It’ll be fine,” he tells Mu Qing and himself. Unsure if he meant Mu Qing would regain his memories or if Mu Qing would be fine not remembering him. He hoped it wasn't the latter.

“If everything you’ve said and shown me is true, then I want to remember,” Mu Qing says softly, his eyes slowly closing. Eventually, his breaths even out.

Feng Xin gazed at the sleeping god for a moment, noticing the dark eyelashes fluttering for a second before coming into stillness. Strands of Mu Qing’s hair fall, covering his face.

“I really hope you’ll remember me,” he says quietly as he moves Mu Qing’s hair away from his face, tucking it behind his ears.

He lies down, facing the god next to him before joining him in slumber moments later.

_____________________

Feng Xin groaned as he woke up on the hard ground for the first time in centuries. Even gods were prone to occasional back pains.

There was an arm across his chest. He followed the arm back to its owner’s sleeping face, nestled against his shoulder.

In more than 800 years, he hasn’t seen Mu Qing look so at ease. He couldn’t help but let his gaze linger on the sleeping god. Mu Qing’s expression was serene. It was surreal.

Mu Qing had always been wary of everyone and the first to attack when he felt threatened, which was almost always. Even Xie Lian could not pierce through those high walls Mu Qing had set up for himself.

Eventually, his brows furrowed, and he stirred from sleep moments later. Dark eyelashes fluttered open, and obsidian eyes again met Feng Xin’s amber ones. He remained silent and expressionless as he bored his gaze into Feng Xin for what felt like years.

“Why didn't you mention the other stuff?” Mu Qing eventually says as he pulls himself up to sit. He tidies up his hair, messed up by sleeping the night on temple grounds, into a neat ponytail. No strand of his black hair was left untucked.

Feng Xin sat up, unsure what to make of the situation, “What do you mean?”

“Why didn't you mention the time I left you and His Highness?” Mu Qing looked at him, and his voice was raspy.

Feng Xin sat up straight. Mu Qing had regained his memories, “You remember?”

The other god ignored him, “The ch.. cherry tree incident at Mount Taicang?” Mu Qing stuttered as he approached closer, looking at him with an expression he could only identify as hopeful. “Or the time you carried me when I couldn't walk at Mount Tonglu?”

“I wanted to remind you of the good times,” Feng Xin murmured, startled by the intensity of Mu Qing’s voice. “I didn't want you to feel bad.”

In an instant, the hope in Mu Qing’s eyes was replaced with fury, “Are you saying I can't deal with shit?” He fumed before shoving Feng Xing away, causing him to fall back, and gave him an incredulous look.

“You were fucking fainting every five fucking minutes!” Feng Xin retaliated, brushing the snow off his robe as he got back up. “I thought you were fucking dying!”

“Shut up,”

Feng Xin frowns as he pulls his fist back in preparation for their impending fistfight, only to lower his arms seconds later.

“I don’t want you to forget —,” 

Mu Qing punches Feng Xin hard in the stomach, causing him to clutch his midriff and double down in pain. He was kneeling on the ground before he knew it. 

“For making me forget you,” Mu Qing says before dropping to his knees next to the fallen god and pulling him into a hard kiss.

Feng Xin pulls away in surprise, grasping Mu Qing’s face gently with both hands, looking into dark eyes filled with hope, defiance, fear, and anger all at once. Only Mu Qing could pull off such a look; he thinks as he smiles at the sight. 

Only his Mu Qing could.

“Mmf, I think I should punch you senseless more often,” he says before pulling Mu Qing back into a soft kiss.

-end-

[fortune-maiden]

Sicktember Day 16

Day 16: Care Package

Fandom: TGCF

Characters: Ling Wen, Pei Ming, Shi Wudu, assorted martial gods

-

The court session was about halfway through when they noticed Ling Wen was missing. An argument leading to a contradiction leading to another argument about the contradiction would normally have been settled by her, meticulous and attentive, recollecting the earlier statements either from memory or from her detailed notes.

When the argument wasn’t stopped this time and instead continued on to multiple derails and shouting matches, someone who had finally had enough shouted for her to check the records only to turn and find the civil god by Jun Wu’s throne was unfamiliar one, who stood wide-eyed and stammering.

The previous matter was swiftly concluded, if only because no one present had any further interest in continuing it. Faced with the realization that their usual scribe was absent, the heavenly officials present suddenly had a much more interesting topic to discuss. Bewilderment was voiced, accusations were thrown, and once again the court threatened to descend into chaos until Jun Wu cleared his throat.

“Ming Guang,” he called out in his steady authoritative tone. “Where is Ling Wen?”

The Emperor’s voice carried neither criticism nor inquiry, leaving it a mystery whether he too failed to notice the absence, or whether he was aware and inviting Pei Ming to explain for the rest.

Which version each heavenly official believed was a matter of personal cynicism.

There was no doubt however that Pei Ming knew the answer, having stood calmly and silently the whole time. His name called, he raised his head and said, “Taking a sick day.”

The court went silent for a moment.

Then,

“Impossible! Heavenly officials don’t get sick days!” Heaven’s number one cynic, Mu Qing, shouted. His comment echoed a number of his fellow officials’ thoughts and murmurs of agreement rose up.

Not all shared his disbelief.

“Is it serious?” Lang Qianqiu, alert for the first time that day, asked. “Lord Ling Wen is the most diligent of us. I have never once heard of her missing a session of the court.”

Excluding the Emperor, she was the only one who could claim such a feat. A smaller faction raised their voices in agreement with him. In a typical fashion, they began to speculate what sort of malady could put the top civil god out of commission.

Sensing Jun Wu’s gaze, Pei Ming raised his hands in deference and turned.

“It’s nothing serious. She’ll live,” he said. “This Pei asks that you overlook this on account of her past merits.”

“Health takes priority,” Jun Wu replied, silencing the previously dubious whispers. “We can resume when she is better.”

The substitute civil god’s shoulders slumped in either relief or disappointment, and that should have been the end of it, but with such an unexpected topic, not everyone was in a hurry to leave.

Instead Pei Ming was barraged with questions.

“What are the symptoms?”

“How long before she makes a full recovery?”

“She will make a full recovery, right?”

“General Ming Guang, how did this happen?”

“What care is she receiving now?”

“Has the god of medicine been informed?”

Rarely was Ling Wen ever at the center of such attention. Heaven’s number one cynic couldn’t help but comment.

“Listen to all of you. Moments ago you didn’t even notice she wasn’t here,” Mu Qing remarked. “What use is there in bothering General Pei with all these questions now?”

Feng Xin snapped, “What’s your problem? At least some of us can show concern for a sick colleague.”

“Oh? Will your concern make a difference?”

“You –

“No, General Xuan Zhen is right,” unexpectedly, Lang Qianqiu spoke up with a stern expression. “General Ming Guang, my palace recently received some rare herbs. You should take them back with you.”

“Oh! That’s a good idea!”

“What we need aren’t words, but actions.”

“I’ll send something as well.”

“Me too!”

“General Pei, take this –

Despite the earlier dismissal, the Great Martial Hall remained lively for some time as the martial gods discussed the situation in a harmony that was rarely witnessed across the three realms.

Ling Wen would never believe it.

****

“I don’t believe it,” Heaven’s number two cynic said in a clipped tone. When all that elicited from Pei Ming was a brash laugh, Ling Wen lifted her head from her pillow to fix him with a glare. Vertigo spots danced around him.

“Okay, fine, there was still a lot of herding cats involved, but compared to the usual, it was still almost peaceful. A true rarity.”

“Sorry I missed it.”

“So are they.”

Ling Wen tried to picture the scene Pei Ming described, but her imagination failed her. At best she could only picture the argument that drew notice to her absence and the poor substitute civil god scrambling to keep order. Once again she regretted letting Shi Wudu talk her into skipping the session.

“How they looked doesn’t matter. What matters is they weren’t all talk,” the conspirator in question remarked somewhere out of her immediate view, rustling through some boxes. Rare pills, herbs, teas, comfort foods, home remedies people swore by made up their contents. “Heh, I had always pictured General Xuan Zhen a cheapskate, but he’s surprisingly thoughtful. I’ll go brew some medicine.”

“Don’t,” Ling Wen snapped jolting upwards. “Those gifts need to be properly recorded and stored.”

“Pei Xiu can do it.”

“He can, he can,” Pei Ming agreed, gesturing for her to relax and lay back down, and for once not protesting his junior being volunteered for odd jobs. “Little Pei was also worried. He sent something with the rest. It’s… somewhere.”

Ling Wen craned her neck to the impressive pile of gifts that had been sent to her. She needed to get up and deal with it. She wasn’t someone to admit defeat over a little headache and she said as much.

“And how many headaches have you had where you couldn’t even open your eyes from pain?” Shi Wudu quipped. They were past that point now thankfully – Shi Wudu’s habit of imposing his will may have been annoying in the best of times, but in the worst of times, it was as dependable as he was. It wasn’t an accident that Ling Wen called him before, even if she hadn’t really expected him to rush over and corral her to her bed.

If anything, he was the one she expected the care package from. And then maybe a short visit from Pei Ming at some point to confirm she was still alive. Nothing else.

“Don’t make that face. This is the least they could be doing.”

“Shuishi-xiong’s right. Aren’t you the one always complaining about all work and no rest? Now your usual headaches have subsided to give the big one a chance to heal. Take advantage while you can.”

Ling Wen craned her neck, looking over to where Shi Wudu stood with the various gifts. Her gaze swept over each box, adding them up. Each one from a martial god she assisted on many an occasion. It was a little touching to think they cared so much, even if a small bitter voice insisted the gifts were a demand to get better and get back to work.

“What’s wrong with accepting a little care every now and then? The truth is the other officials really are worried about you and want you to be well.”

“Which is all the more reason to take your time recuperating. Stop thinking about things that don’t matter and rest.”

She didn’t have Pei Ming’s optimism or Shi Wudu’s pragmatism, but at times like this she really wanted to.

Maybe she really was worse off than she thought.

Easing some of the tension in her shoulders, Ling Wen readied to ask about the things the others sent, when she noticed the grin on Pei Ming’s face.

“I hadn’t even told you the best part! Qi Ying went down to slay a dragon to get you it’s blood.”

On second thought, no. The pain that crossed Ling Wen’s face was not from her headache. She sat up.

“I’m putting a stop to this.”

Shi Wudu was at her side at once, blocking her with his fan.

“No you’re not. Pei-xiong will take care of it.”

“He will, he – hey!”

[kdram-chjh]

Cdrama: Word of Honor (2021)

Short photo compilation of Gong Jun as Wenkexing龚俊温客行照片小合集#gongjun #龚俊

Watch this video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/q6xK65fU52M