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.Him and San lang had been taking a stroll outside, enjoying their everyday. As embarrassing as it was, Xie lian was enjoying his time with his lover. Xie lian started walking a little faster down the forest path embarrassed by such a thought.
San lang is still strolling along behind, today he looks like the same handsome adolescent young, when they first met.
It’s still the beginning of autumn, he thinks as a breeze blows past and the leaves suit San lang’s red outfit wonderfully. He’s now stopped walking to stare at a beautiful tree. It’s leaves are a vibrant red maple color, reminding him of his San lang.
Xie lian turns around turns around to face the ghost him. Smiling at the feat of a nice day
“It’s a beautiful day isn’t it, San lang” he says
San lang gives him a smile and a looks so sweet and tender that it makes something warm heat up inside of Xie lian. He turns his face away and hopes the other doesn’t notice his growing blush.
“Why of course Gege, what I’m looking is truly masterful”
San lang said with so much smugness that if Xie lian were to turn around to face him, he’s sure San lang would be looking straight at him.
His own blush deepens at the thought and just as he is about to respond to San lang, something goes. Instantly the ground beneath him cracks and then crumbles and before he knows it he’s falling into a deep darkness.
In hindsight he should’ve known This was going to happen. Maybe not this exact thing but he should’ve know that such a good would surely have to be ruined by his bad luck sooner or later if he’s being honest.
While he falling and twisting his body in attempt to right himself while in the air. he thinks to himself idly that this another fortune from his bad luck. the morning had been perfect. He woke up and was greeted with the smiling face of his husband. The walk and stroll in the mortal realm had also been too perfect. On the walk here he hadn’t even trip or fell even once!
He turns his face to look and fast approaching stone floor. Before his body could hit the ground he was caught and enveloped in a calm and unwavering set of hands. It’s as if San lang was stand at the bottom of this hole just to catch him this whole time.
As the most powerful martial god in the heavens Xie lian could have caught himself before he hit the ground but…something in his gut had told that San lang would have caught him no matter what.
Still being held bridal style by the ghost. Xie lian pulls out a fire talisman from his own sleeve. Trying to see the area they fell into. It looked like his own bad luck had gotten stuck in some sort of vast cave of some sort. When tried to like at the way they fallen in it seemed the hole they fell through was closed up. In fact it looks like it was never there in the first. Now there is just a stone ceiling above his head. How interesting, it’s almost like they never fell fell down the hole at all.
He hops out of San lang’s grasp and onto the floor. He’s just about to ask the supreme ghost what he thinks about the situation. When suddenly the cave open and formed a tunnel instead of a cave. And it was just Xie Lian’s luck that down the tunnel he could already hear the sounds of fighting.
He started walking towards the sounds of metal clanging against metal and grunts of displeasure sounding throughout. But before he could it even fight steps forward San lang grabbed his sleeve. Xie lian turned around to see the calm and slightly teasing face that Hua Cheng had on his. The sight calms him in a certain way, it means that whatever is down here, it can’t be too dangerous considering the fact that hua cheng is so calm it must that whatever is down is no cause for worry.
He turns around with a light chest than before and walks towards the sound walking hand in hand with San lang.
As they walk continuously down the tunnel the sounds of fighting get louder and louder. Until finally they round the corner and see something that Xie lian truly wasn’t expect at all. What he sees has him part his mouth is slight shock.
What he sees is Mu Qinq and Fang xin fighting. While it is surprising to see them down here, it’s not that much of a shock to witness then fighting. What truly Shocks him is the fact that there are Two Fang xin’s and two Mu Qinq’s fighting each other. For a slight second Xie lian is almost concerned he is seeing double. Is this something of a demons of sorts. If so what powers could it possibly have to make two versions of gods such at Fang xin and Mu Qing.
Xie lian call out to his two past retainers “Fang xin, Mu Qing, what are you doing!”
At the same time it seems that the four figures standing in front all seem to stop at the sound of his voice.
“Your highness!” Multiple voices call at once.
Silently Xie lian thinks to himself about how such a nice morning could have turned into such a mess.
Fang xin, seeming to notice the confusion on his face rushes to explain.
“Your highnesses, we are currently trapped in the cave of reflections”
He starts. “Me and Mu qing are currently investigating this matter but I cannot determine which of these two are real. This cave conjures double based of the view we have of this person in our mind”
The other Fang xin shoved himself out of way to continue speaking. “Your highness we can disperse these doubles with the use of talismans but only with those who conjured them, if we use it on the wrong person they will be severely injured”
Hearing this only makes the situation more complicated but Xie lian had already decided to resolve the problem between these two once he saw the doubles. This problem looks troubling and it important to nip it in the bud before it becomes a true problem.
He turns around to ask San lang if he has any such talismans that can get rid of such beings or if now how to make some. When he turns around however what he sees is jaring.
Behind stands four San lang’s.
—————-___________———————
The next minutes pass by in a haze. The first that all do is separate themselves of into specific corners of the room. The Hua cheng’s stand off to the top left of the room and the two muqinq’s on the right. The Fang xin’s are behind Xie lian. Xie lian stands in the middle of the room by himself. After some disagreements between them the two other Xie lians were eliminated.
The first he does he does is go up to the now three Feng xin’s. He stands at the first one quizzingly stares him down then starts back up and all three of them questions.
“What’s you biggest fear.”
All three stand attentive and answer in different ways
“Do you really need to ask me that, you already know don’t you” the second one huffs and crosses his arms
“Why should I tell you anything, when everyone knows” the first one scowls. This Feng xin looks…sloppy for lack of a better word, his bun is slightly crooked and messily done. His out robe hangs of his shoulder a bit to. Hmmm….yeah it’s probably not this one.
“It’s women, and the dangers that come with them” the third says seriously.
Hua Cheng pipes of from behind him
“It sounds like might be the first your highness” he calls from his his corner
“No no, it sounds like it’s the second, idiot” Mu Qing pipes up from a distance.
But Xie lian already know it must be the first one. Hua cheng always thinks badly of anyone who is not Xie lian and Mu qinq doesn’t respect Feng xin enough to think that he would speak seriously in this conversation.
“I’m sorry to say but, your both wrong the third is the correct answer”
“Hmm, … I see gege you are so smart as always”.
Hua Cheng says in a sly voice. The one that speaks now is different from the one that spoke before, much to scary and threatening to be the real one. He eyes that are such a beep red they almost look black. He also has fangs openly on display something Xie lian knows hua Cheng doesn’t leave on display. Xie lian makes a note to eliminate him next.
Xie lian gestures to a San lang and Mu qinq to come forward, each take slow and measured steps, no doubt trying to look like they have some face. After making their way one over Xie lian hands each a talisman. The Mu qing steps forward to eliminate the second but not before giving it slightly judging look. the Hua Cheng
Next to him eliminates the first.
Xie lian muses to himself in a facetious way that at least this situation isn’t as dangerous as it could be but complicated nonetheless. He silently thinks that maybe San lang’s luck is balancing out his bad luck. Well he better get focusing on who the fake Mu Qing could be.