FLOWER CROWN PRINCE.

        it would be too much to say xue yang got his visitor captivated enough that he could show his own skills in entirety & not be caught slipping,  smothered by his own engaging act as xiao xingchen.  there have been times that could make for a better performance before targets who had at least heard of the heroic cultivator & his companion   [ … ]   IT HAD TO BE IMPECCABLE,  from the mannerisms presented to having to shed every tinge of venom in the depth of his eyes.  this is half-assed,  in comparison                     but he is  ( mostly )  convinced it won’t backfire.

        hua xie’s glimpse pulls him into the past,  about two decades ago :  when a timid,  naïve xue yang knew not of corruption & wickedness & everything that plagued the world outside the streets he grew up on.  before they became the distinctive trait of his sadism & cruelty,  those ashen grays sparkled the same way at the sight of paper toys or wooden swords he couldn’t afford.  it’s uncomfortable how much he wants to turn from the hopeful gaze,  the widened pupils & flourishing smile ;  he pauses for an unsuspicious second but to him it feels like a day stuck in time.  ( part of him is thankful sparring is the only thing they want out of each other.  if their histories were involved at all,  he might discover something he’d come to hate.  that they might’ve been similar at one point. )  so,  quiet about his disgust,  xue yang offers him a brief nod accompanied by a mirrored smile in response,  just like xingchen would.

        “ my sword is…  ah.  a little different, ”  he hesitates,  adopting a touch of fake modesty into his timbre.  one couldn’t say whether he’s talking about jiangzai or shuanghua,  but he’s referring to the latter as if it’s not a big deal or worth inspecting                     & aside from it serving a villain whenever he decides to amuse himself while donning an all-white attire,  thinking of it as a game,  it isn’t.  without the original hand that wielded it,  part of a costume is all it has been reduced to.  yang draws it from his sleeve fully,  twirls it once to entice the other more   – guessing it’ll work –   & grips it.  he then takes his stance,  the edge of the blade glistening like snowflakes in daylight.  “ i’ll tell you a couple things about it if you win, ”  he suggests.  “ or else the deal’s not happening. ”

Ah, so there was some teasing. If that was the right word to call it. Xie Lian didn’t mind. He’d had his fair share of having to earn what he wanted, even if it was just a little game. Xie Lian’s smile only widened. He was actually a little excited, but of course, for the sake of presenting himself as Hua Xie, he kept this to the bare minimum. Whatever it took to earn some knowledge, after all, again, he was weak when it came to swords. The problem, of course, would be winning. Although Xie Lian was usually confident, it’d be foolish to assume this against Xiao Xingchen. There was something different, still. This was no ordinary opponent. Xie Lian gave a small chuckle. “Ahah, alright then, that is fair. I doubt I’ll be able to stand that chance, but let us see, shall we.” He was more than ready, and the adrenaline felt was all he could ride on. His strength was not even half of what a martial god of his calibre would have, but unfortunately, his circumstances did put him at a disadvantage. 

        the presentiment he can’t relax for a single moment,  can’t let his guard down one bit around the curious visitor is nothing if not a subtle expression that his horrendous motives are catching up to him fast.  xue yang confirmedly cannot be himself,  he realizes,  his reminder potent on hua xie’s tongue ;  he cannot show the true beastliness of his canine smile,  having to continue this learned habit of self-denial enough to pass as a rightful man when he would rather deface & tarnish those of this kind & what they’ve achieved                xiao xingchen included.  it’s the air of age-old nostalgia in the man’s tone that settles his decision,  but he can’t blame their helpless proof of anticipation at the  ( unpromised )  chance of sparring,  really,  a cultivator is only as compelling as their abilities with their sword.  their figurative voice could never be raised beyond that,  & the opportunity announces itself to be a grand one :  the sentient ruoye may be replaced by something else,  an unknown something that manages to awaken xue yang’s interest without assurance of any attainment whatsoever.

        “ this whole time,  have you been unable to?  i wonder why. ”  & hell if that enthusiasm isn’t infectious,  for different reasons however,  he’s sure.  he poses his question with concern,  believable if not genuine,  expecting another string of ambiguities because he’s just as guilty of them & he’s frankly lost count of his own at this point.  ( this is frustrating,  almost,  but deserved. )  idly,  ‘xiao xingchen’  shakes about half of a second weapon’s handle out of his sleeve                it’s a well-thought-out little tease for the companion who grins like a child at the sight of candy,  a hint of preparation for what he hasn’t formally accepted yet.  taking further advantage of the amulet on his person & its infamy by calling forth another wave of corpses this soon is unwise. what’s next is so much more enticing,  radiating before its silver blade is fully revealed :  shuānghuá,  frost in all its brilliant splendor.  “ the sooner you pick it back up,  the better.  shall we? ”

Maybe it’s Xie Lian’s lack of regard for himself, as well as his ever-growing curiosity and a weakness that he chooses to indulge in, that he’s tempted to talk about his reason. There’s a multitude of them. If he picks one, he wonders if he’ll talk about another, and then another. It’s a whole stream of unfortunate happenings that has lead to him being humble and abandoning the sword, events to which he considers himself guilty as charged, if anyone is to want to point any blame. He could leave Xiao Xingchen wondering, but honestly, a little part of Xie Lian feels guilty, if only because this stranger has been so cooperative until now, despite them also being under a disguise or not. At the moment, it’s purely hypotheticals, although, Xie Lian’s judgement is never usually wrong if he’s serious about it. Xie Lian says, “a different change of pace. It happens.” it’s elusive, perhaps obviously vague, but he says it with melancholy. It’s already obvious that he misses sparring, misses wielding a sword, although Ruoye has already proved itself to be more than ample at most tasks. And of course, there’s the situation of mana, but Xie Lian is still strong - still a martial god.

He’s unable to help himself as his eyes sparkle. A glimpse is all it takes to gain his attention, the corners of the God’s lips upturning. It’s his carelessness that has him acting as he once did; A youth with little worry and full of want. Xiao Xingchen’s confidence reminds Xie Lian of his own. it’s a bitter memory, reminiscent of a time where he would hold a sword in one hand, and a flower in the other. Xie Lian gives a small chuckle. “I’m not so sure. But I’ll take up your offer.”

🦋  godxianle / gege: “What happens when people open their hearts?”

                 ❝  Hm ?  ❞

        𝐀𝐍 𝐔𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 to receive over the table during their dinner of overcooked lotus soup in old chipped bowls. But it’s still good enough for Hua Cheng, who appreciates any labor of love made by Xie Lian. However, the suddenness of the question seems out of place after a long day of brushing hands and elbows in the paddy fields over Puji. He peers over to Xie Lian with a raised brow, letting the question set in with a soft gaze. He can see the beginning of a blush on the other man’s elegant face and can’t help but be endeared. What has brought this on ? Hua Cheng smiles a moment later into his bowl, tilting his chin down as he replies honestly, ❝  I think when someone opens their heart … they find the happiness they may have thought lost, and achieve an inner peace. It’s laughing freely and acknowledging the past without letting it color the person you are now. It’s being brave enough to let someone in even if you fear they may not like what they find. To open your heart is to trust wholly. And … I think that is liberating.  ❞

         𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘  𝗜𝗦  𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚  𝗘𝗫𝗖𝗘𝗣𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟  for  cultivators,  particularly  the  rogue  type,  to  be  pursuing  the  road  to  immortality  in  secluded  villages  few  have  visited.  had  it  been,  &  were  Xue  Yang  not  tied  to  this  infernal  city  as  if  his  blood  flowed  between  the  cracks  across  its  surface,  feet  dragging  through  the  mud  &  fog  in  search  of  something  he  will  never  find,  he  would  put  his  mind  to  investigating  the  aforementioned  place  on  his  own.  the  abnormality  of  a  statement  crafted  in  supposed  honesty  isn’t  in  the  nature  of  the  village  but  in  what  follows                  &  the  slight  pause  between  exchanges,  his  subtle  hesitation  given  by  skepticism  rebound,  are  consequently  both  justified  to  some  degree.  nowhere  was  it  implied  the  visitor  was  renowned  for  their  skill  or  possessed  a  status  worth  mentioning ;  denying  it  at  all  ( even  in  the  absence  of  such  factors )  might  as  well  hint  to  a  silent  agreement  with  oneself  to  force  such  presumptions  out  of  another’s  head  early  on.

         but  the  real  Xiao  Xingchen  doesn’t  question  semantics.

         ❝ who  knows?  i  don’t  believe  it’s  unlikely. ❞  matter-of-factly  does  he  allude  to  the  potentiality  of  future  encounters,  whether  here  or  elsewhere,  &  whether  as  allies  or  enemies  in  the  wake  of  an  eventual  reveal  on  the  assassin’s  end.  ❝ after  all,  this  is  a  chance  meeting  neither  of  us  planned  beforehand.  cultivators  share  a  common  goal :  eliminate  evil,  protect  the  weak.  is  that  right?  evil  is  everywhere. ❞  in  his  tonality  lies  a  taste  of  agreeability  he’s  only  scarcely  familiar  with ;  he  acts  in  a  courteous  manner  polished  plenty  in  the  past  few  months  but  there  is  undoubtedly  something,  vague  &  akin  to  a  suppressed  whisper  of  who  he  is  that  he  couldn’t  shed  entirely.  𝑃𝑅𝑂𝑇𝐸𝐶𝑇  𝑇𝐻𝐸  𝑊𝐸𝐴𝐾 :  trying  not  to  laugh  at  his  own  intended  hypocrisy  is  too  great  an  effort,  albeit  successful.  ❝ you’re  skilled, ❞  he  admits,  this  time  without  attempting  dishonesty.  ❝ i  do                  if  i  have  the  chance.  are  you  offering? ❞

Evil everywhere. Well, over the many, many years, evil has since changed in Xie Lian’s perspective. The line between what is considered good and evil has certainly become blurred. Although it’s in his nature to act on instinct and protect those weak, who’s to say which side they are on? If this were Xie Lian before he’d first ascended, that many centuries ago, then the distinction would have been more black and white. As it stands now, he’ll judge every singular moment and refine on details, as opposed to a greater picture. After all, considering what both good and evil has done, Xie Lian isn’t particularly attributed to rushing ahead of himself with as much reason as he’d had. So, despite his obvious hesitation and wariness, there is still room for sympathy. Room for trust. Or, room for perhaps forgiveness, it all depends. Xie Lian is cautious, but that doesn’t mean he’s completely opposed to whatever may lie before him. When he makes these offers, there’s some truth and a little curiosity behind his words. Maybe this Xiao Xingchen isn’t someone to be trusted, but Xie Lian has found that those opinions and labels differ from person to person. This is, of course, ruling out any obvious big bad. 

“   my family once told me about a taoist in white who visited their stall ,  the eve i returned for yuanxiao night…   ”

@heavenscend​  ♡’d !