Chapter Text
The next morning Xie lian wakes up without San lang next to his side, he hears the birds singing and the sound of chopping wood.
He slowly got up from the mat, and went outside to the sounds.
“San lang… what are you doing?” Xie lian asked when the sun hit his face.
“Oh gege you’re awake” San lang said not answering Xie lians question.
Xie lian started walking towards San lang to inspect what he was making, as he got closer he saw only some chunks of wood and rope.
“I noticed we just left the curtains as the door, wich i believe isn’t really so safe.” San lang said, and ohhh that makes sense San langs making wooden door for... safety?
That is really nice, I wonder where he learnt that. Xie lian thought.
Just then San lang stood up and took the door to attach it to the shack. When he was done he went inside. Xie lian followed, opening the door, and he couldn’t help but be amazed. So he just continued opening and closing the door.
When he realized what he was doing he started feeling a tad embarrassed but looking at San lang, his expression said he didn’t pay attention to it, he was looking at Xie lian, though it just didn’t seem like he was looking at what he was doing.
Just then Xie lian remembered something and said.
“San lang when we were riding on the ox cart i noticed there is a village close by, should we take a look?”
“If gege wishes so” San lang replied and stood up from where he was sitting.
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They were going on the side of the road.
By this Xie lian just realized how much taller San lang really is. Since before San lang was nearly allways sitting or crouching in front or next to him.And if he wasn’t then Xie lian was just too busy doing other things to notice.
But if they were to stand in front of each other Xie lian would have to look up. Or if they were to kiss he would have to get on his tiptoes. Or San lang would have to get down to face him.
wait a second…
WHY IS HE THINKING ABOUT KISSING SAN LANG?!?
WHERE IN HIS MIND HAS THAT COME FROM??AND WHY…?
God now he is embarrassed. Really embarrassed.
Xie lian wanted to turn his head so the slight blush creeping at his cheeks wouldn’t be seen. As he did so he caught San langs eyes on him.
The expression he held. Xie lian couldn’t quite put words to it.
It could be said happy but that wasn’t it Xie lian was sure of it. He could say kind but there was more to it.
Xie lian was trying so hard to describe the look and the weight of it he hadn’t even noticed they were staring at each other.
They weren’t even walking anymore just staring.
After a moment of silence, which felt like hours to both of them San lang decided to speak up.
“…gege we’re here. What had you needed?”
Xie lian however didn’t reply. Still stuck in his own world, that didn’t happen that often. Actually that nearly didn’t ever happens at all, San lang must have some effect on him.
“…gege?” San lang said after a while of not getting a reply.
That finally gotten Xie lian out of his thoughts enough to form a sentence.
“Yes?” Xie lian asked oblivious to what just happened.
“…nothing. We’re already here what had you needed?”
“Oh we are?” Xie lian said turning his head to look at the village.
The village seemed lovely, there were people everywhere and lots of shops. It seemed they got here on some kind of festival.
“It seems there is some kind of festival” Xie lian said.
“It does so, shall we go take a look” San lang had said, Xie lian didn’t seem to notice the fact that San lang never even batted an eye on the festival in front of them.
They began walking towards the village entryway.
Once they were finally in the center of the village, Xie lian could see all the decorations. They were mostly red and yellow, and there were shops everywhere selling stories, protection charms or foods. All things one could imagine.
It seemed weird that this little village had this bog of a festival. But Xie lian knew he was a bit behind on the new traditions so maybe today was one of the few he didn’t know about.
Guess i wont collect much scrap tonight. Xie lian thought.
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They kept walking around all the shops. Just looking at the things they were selling. Then some older lady called out to them.
“Hello young gentlemen, I don’t believe i saw you before are you new here?” The older lady said.
The older lady looked to be a seller, selling old tales about ghost and gods. Her hair was in a bun and she smiled at them kindly.
“Hello, we are. Why do you ask?” Xie lian responded.
“Oh no reason just curios, would you like to buy some old tales. I have the newest ones.” The older lady pointed at some of her scrolls, trying to show them which were the new ones.
“What are they about?” Xie lian asked.
“Well, these are about ghosts. Mostly the crimson rain sought flower.” The older lady pointed to a bunch of scrolls then continued talking. “These are about gods and their trips to their stories of ascension”
“Crimson rain sought flower?” Xie lian thought out loud.
“Yes have you never heard of him?” The older lad asked.
“No i don’t think i did.”
“Well thats another reason to buy the tales about him, look here this is the best one to start with” the older lady took out a scroll from a wooden basket that was lying on the ground.
“No need” San lang said then looked at Xie lian and continued talking. “I have read all the stories, do you want me to retell them to you?”
“Oh i would be glad if you did so” Xie lian was glad San lang gotten him out of this situation. The lady seemed eager to sell the tales to them but Xie lian doesn’t have anything to pay with.
“Well then we could start walking back and i will tell on the road” San lang said, and that was probably the best thing they could do.
“Sure” after Xie lian responded with that they started walking back towards the road that they came from.
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“So who is crimson rain sought flower?” Xie lian asked once they were back at the road leading them to the shack.
“He is one of the four calamities” San lang replied.
“Calamities?”
“The four ghost that disturb the heavens the most, crimson rain sought flower, night touring green lantern.” There was disgust saying that name, Xie lian unfortunately didn’t know why. “White no face and black water submerging boats.”
Oh.
That name. Xie lian remembers that name. Because even after so many years it refuses to let him go. Now is another example of that.
“Are they all as powerful as white no face?” Xie lian asked.
“They are not, the most powerful is in fact only white no face after him black water submerging boats and crimson rain sought flower on the nearly same level. Then night touring green lantern, he isn’t powerful enough to be called a calamity but he’s said to cause the most problems in heaven” San lang said.
San lang hadn’t stopped to take a breath. Xie lian thought.
“And is the crimson rain sought flower the most famous one?” Xie lian asked. He didn’t think he needed to explain his thoughts behind that question.
“I don’t know about that, but he is the only one known to have mortal believers.” Now this shocked Xie lian. A ghost with mortal believers, what had he done to achieve that?
San lang seemingly understood what Xie lian was thinking and continued talking.
“There are multiple tales about him, though no one knows which are true.”
“How does he look like?” Xie lian asked. Finally speaking up.
“Depends on what tales are told, but everywhere he’s told to have dark black hair with a braid in it, the braid has a little red bead.” San lang stoped for a while, most probably thinking what to say next.
“He also only has one eye.” San lang settled on saying.
“One eye? What happened to the other?” Xie lian heard himself say before thinking the words over.
“He tore it out.”
“Why?” Xie lian asked. Because really who would do that. Not a sane person.
San lang shoulders slumped up and down. As id saying he didn’t know.
“A state of insanity maybe”
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After that they stoped talking less and less. Until not a word could be heard from any of their lips.
But before that happened San lang talked to him about the ghost and eventually something about gods too.
But he hadn’t even once taken a breath.
That made Xie lian certain he was a ghost. But why would a ghost help him repair the shack. No never mind that why would a ghost travel with him?
Xie lian didn’t know whether this look was a disguise at first but after giving it some thought he was certain, he could tell by how his skin tone. Ghost normally have more pale or colorful skin tones. San langs was too …human?
At that his disguise was really good, since when he was looking at his palm there were no mistakes. And the palm is one of the places where ghosts make the most mistakes in making a disguise.
That meant San lang was one of the more powerful ghosts. Xie lian would check whet his rank was when he found the right moment.
His disguise was also really handsome, Xie lian wonders if his true form is also handsome like this.
Before Xie lian could continue the thought they were already back before the shack.
When they went in Xie lian thought there would be a cold atmosphere and temper, but he was instead hit with a kind of warmth he never experienced before.
The shack was still cold, but the atmosphere was warm and welcoming and something else Xie lian couldn’t quite grasp at.
After a long time this felt like home. Xie lian didn’t yet know or understand why. But it did, it signaled that Xie lian would live here for a while, a while that is longer than he himself understood.
They shared their good nights and went to sleep. With Xie lian feeling a weird warmth in his stomach.