Chapter Text
Every part of Xie Lian’s body hurt. His head felt as if it was pounding against his skull from the bright glare of the moonlight and the vivid colors surrounding him. The ringing in his ears, which had started a few weeks into his time trapped in the coffin, had grown extremely painful now that he was out, and somehow even louder. His chest ached where the grave robber had unknowingly ripped out the stake and caused Xie Lian to jolt out of his thousandth death to silently scream in pain. His legs, with the muscles fully atrophied after years of disuse, were like two liquid puddles of pain sprawled out before him just from the few steps he’d taken.
But it didn’t matter. The real problem was the smell. Compared to the smell, none of the pain mattered. Xie Lian had no idea how the grave robbers dealt with it, or even how he dealt with it for so long. But now that he could smell the fresh air, could smell the pine from nearby trees floating on the wind, it was all the more noticeable. When the occasional whiff of blood and rot he carried with him from the coffin hit his nose, it made him nauseous.
So, he grabbed a few mushrooms sitting at the base of the tree he was leaning against and started chewing on them, hoping they’d give him the energy to keep going towards the river he could hear in the distance. He also hoped they weren’t poisonous. Though with the state his body was currently in, it probably wouldn’t matter much either way.
He forced his dry throat to swallow down the food, feeling a sharp ache in his chest as his muscles tensed and his thirst came to the forefront of his mind. He coaxed Ruoye to tighten around the still fresh injury that was leaking blood, stood up, and kept moving. His pace was utterly embarrassing, but within a few hours with rest breaks scattered between, he arrived at the edge of a slowly flowing river. He fell to his knees in relief, and a smile crept up his lips for the first time in years.
Without hesitating, Xie Lian let his body crumple as it had been begging him to do the entire walk over, and slid into the water. It was ice cold. It felt like ascension.
He let himself sink to the bottom and opened his eyes. The water was a clear blue, with some sand and rocks floating throughout where Xie Lian kicked up the debris on the bottom. He stayed there for a while until his body naturally floated back to the surface where he took in a gulp of air. The river was shallow enough for him to be able to stand comfortably with his head and shoulders above the water, so he took the opportunity to cup some water in his hands and bring it to his lips. He drank slowly, gently, having died of dehydration before and knowing it wasn’t a good idea to gulp it down even if that was all he wanted to do at the moment.
Once he’d spent quite a while taking small sips, and felt that his thirst was quenched enough to not be a major issue for a while, he began running his hands through his hair to try and at least get out the congealed blood and chunks of something that Xie Lian had no desire to identify. Though it was a tangled mess when he was done, it was a clean tangled mess.
His next task was cleaning his robes. He didn’t take them off, was way too tired to even try, but he was able to use his hands to scrub off most of the grime at least to the point where he couldn’t smell the awful scent that had been clinging to him before.
When he’d done all he could for the time being, he used the riverbank to pull himself out of the water and flopped onto the sandy shore. Granules poked into his freshly scrubbed skin, but he didn’t mind. Now that he was finally not as overwhelmed with the stench, now that the pain had been partially numbed by the cold water, he was able to truly appreciate being out of the coffin. The earth against his back, the moonlight shining in through the canopy of trees overhead, the sounds of insects around him that his ringing ears were finally able to comprehend. It was beautiful.
So he stayed like that for a while. Just laying there, eyes closed, appreciating everything happening around him. He eventually fell asleep, and it seemed that at some point his body had drifted back into the water, because he jolted awake to loud splashing and someone else's hands on his body.
Xie Lian, in an act that was almost solely panic induced muscle memory, dredged his hand from the water and used his palm to slam into his attacker’s throat. He heard the man cough a few times before he keeled over and sunk under the water, so Xie Lian casually pushed his own body a good distance away and drifted side to side in the current while he watched the man with curious eyes.
Now that he had a moment to think about what happened, the hands that were grabbing him hadn’t felt malicious. There had been one on his shoulder, another on his arm, pulling him towards the shore. It was entirely possible that he’d just attacked an innocent person trying to save what looked like a man drowning. Xie Lian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Just to be safe, he maintained his distance as the man pulled himself up straight in the water with another cough. He brought a hand to his throat and rubbed it, looking over at Xie Lian. Xie Lian had no idea what expression the man was making. He wore a mask, white, with pronounced curvatures that etched out a face curled in a woeful smile. His hair was a lighter brown than Xie Lian’s own, and was currently floating around him on top of the water as he faced Xie Lian.
“I thought you were drowning” the man said simply. He didn’t turn his back to Xie Lian, but walked backwards in the water before pulling himself up to shore. As he emerged from the water, Xie Lian saw he wore all black robes, with tight sleeves and flowing skirts. There was a sword strapped diagonally across his back, which the man adjusted to a more comfortable position but otherwise stopped moving to keep his gaze laser focused on Xie Lian.
“I’m not sure if I was or not, to be honest,” Xie Lian answered, even though the man hadn’t been asking a question. “Sorry about hitting you.”
The man’s head tilted to the side, and though Xie Lian couldn’t see his face, he felt himself being sized up. And apparently, the man didn’t come to a very favorable conclusion. “Are you alright?” He asked.
Xie Lian glanced down at himself. His once white robes were now almost completely black, but it was obvious they weren’t supposed to be. Even after all the scrubbing it was still clear they’d been ruined by mud and blood. Especially around his chest where the stake had been embedded. The robes there were torn apart and the only thing protecting Xie Lian’s modesty was Ruoye covering the wound. The water causing his robes to cling to what was visible of his body above the water also wasn’t helping. There was no denying that he was starved. Above where his robes folded over one another on his chest, his bones poked through in such an intense way it looked painful. He was sure his face was sunken; sure he looked like a husk of himself.
“All good. Just a bit of bad luck. I’ve come out the other side, though!” Xie Lian smiled at the man, who didn’t outwardly react. Due to the ball of guilt settling in his chest at having throat punched a man trying to save him from drowning, he tried to change the topic to something lighter. “Looks like an interesting weapon.”
Yin Yu gave a brief glance over his shoulder where the hilt of the sword popped out, before turning back to Xie Lian. “Thank you. My boss gave it to me.”
Xie Lian gave him another smile, maneuvering himself over to the shore on the other side of the river from where the man had gotten out and pulling himself up as well. Though he remained seated, his feet dangling in the water. “I’ve never seen a hilt quite like that.” And he wasn’t lying. It wasn’t a normal hilt sticking out over Yin Yu’s shoulder, but one with small grooves on it where someone would place their fingers as they wielded the blade. “Are the indents helpful while fighting with the sword?”
The man was silent for a moment, before he slowly reached over and pulled the blade out of its sheath. Even though Xie Lian was on the other side of a river and not acting at all threatened by the man, the man’s movements were still cautious as he presented the blade in front of him in a demonstrative way. “Not particularly. The indents are a kind of training tool for those learning how to grip the hilt.”
Now Xie Lian’s interest was piqued. He’d never used a sword like that when he was training. “Really? If you don’t mind me asking, why do you carry such a weapon now? Are you in training?” Xie Lian doubted it. Nobody in training carried the kind of focused gaze this man had. The kind of gaze that could be felt even from behind a mask.
The man shook his head. “I’m not in training. I’m just… interested in those kinds of things.”
“Ah, are you an instructor?”
The man seemed to physically cringe. It was a small movement, but Xie Lian noticed. “Not anymore.”
“Apologies, I’ve said too much.” Xie Lian tipped his head in a short bow. “It’s just that I am fascinated by different weapons.”
“You’d get along well with my boss. He has an entire collection of weapons. Some old, some new.”
“It sounds like you have a wonderful boss.”
The man gave an aborted chuckle. “Sometimes.”
Xie Lian hesitated, not wanting to freak the man out with too many questions, especially after he’d just hit the guy, but he couldn’t help himself. He had no idea how long he’d been in that coffin, but it had to have been decades. Maybe longer. So long, that such a simple conversation with another person was bringing him overwhelming joy. “May I ask what you’re doing out here, other than saving an ungrateful man from drowning?”
The man gave a real chuckle this time. “An order from the aforementioned wonderful boss. I’m following a lead.”
“Are you able to tell me about it? Maybe I can help.”
“Have you heard of the Fang Xin Guoshi?”
Xie Lian’s heart, which had just begun the slow process of mending itself from being impaled, felt as if it stopped dead. Why would someone be looking for the Fang Xin Guoshi? Xie Lian was sure Lang Qianqiu would have told people that he killed him, angry as he was when he saw Xie Lian killing his father. If this man’s boss had given him orders to investigate it, what did that mean? Did something happen after Xie Lian was put in the coffin? Is Lang Qianqiu okay?
Taking a deep breath, Xie Lian swallowed his worries. He felt bad lying to the man, but it was necessary. With so little knowledge about what the man was actually doing here, he couldn’t risk revealing too much. “I haven’t. Apologies.”
The man was silent for a moment, and Xie Lian once more felt those eyes trailing him up and down. Finally, he seemed to believe Xie Lian’s words, because he sighed and sat down with his legs crossed. “Damn. Another dead end.”
“Why does your boss have you investigating this person?” Xie Lian gave himself a mental pat on the back for how even his voice came out.
“My boss is looking for someone, and he thought the person he was looking for might have been involved with some things that happened around here. With Fang Xin Guoshi.” The man shrugged. “But it’s been a century since Fan Xin Guoshi reportedly died, so I’m not exactly sure what he was looking for.”
It’s been a century… The man’s words echoed in Xie Lian’s head for a few moments before he was able to snap himself out of it. It was shocking that he’d been stuck nailed to a coffin for that long, yes, but he’d had a suspicion that would be the case. What was more pertinent, what he should be thinking about, was why this guy’s boss was looking for someone involved in everything that went down in Yong’an. Did he need to be worried about someone coming after him? After Lang Qianqiu?
“Yeah, how odd…” Xie Lian said, just so that he’d have something to say and wasn’t weirdly zoned out for long enough to creep the man out. “Sorry, I’ve never heard of him.”
“That’s okay. I don’t think I caught your name, by the way. Mine is Yin Yu.”
Xie Lian gave Yin Yu a smile while his brain flipped over itself trying to think of some kind of alias to give him. His real name wasn’t an option. Yin Yu’s boss was investigating an event that took place a century ago, was looking for someone who may have been involved. Whether or not Xie Lian was familiar with the person he was looking for, it would be best to not give his real name. To not risk it.
“Ming.” Xie Lian couldn’t help it. The name Wu Ming was always close, always on the tip of his tongue when he needed to use an alias. He’d look like an even bigger weirdo if he told Yin Yu that his name was ‘no name’, so he played it safe. Though, same as always, the thought of Wu Ming caused another ache to start in his chest, completely separate from the physical pain.
“Nice to meet you,” Yin Yu said.
“You as well.”
“Can I help you get somewhere?”
Xie Lian considered that for a moment. “I wouldn’t want to be a bother. Thank you for the offer though.”
“No bother.” Yin Yu took something out of the cinched sleeve of his robe, but Xie Lian couldn’t focus on whatever was now in his hand. Because when Yin Yu’s sleeve moved, he saw it. There was absolutely nothing else it could be. Xie Lian would know better than anyone, since he had two. One around his neck, and one around his ankle. Yin Yu had a cursed shackle on his wrist.
“My boss gave me these. They function as a teleportation array of sorts. It took me a really long time to get the hang of using them, but I’m sure I’d be able to transport us to a nearby town if that would be helpful. Or is there somewhere specific you need to go?”
Xie Lian physically shook his head to clear the thoughts bouncing around in his brain, but it didn’t help. Yin Yu… He didn’t recognize the name. But there was no mistaking it. Yin Yu was a banished God, just like himself. Why had he been banished? Who did he work for now? Did he have more shackles, or just the one?
“Nowhere specific,” Xie Lian spoke, voice floaty, mind elsewhere. “A nearby town is fine. Thank you.”
“Of course.” Yin Yu waded back into the water until he got out on the same side as Xie Lian. He held out a hand, which Xie Lian gratefully took and was helped to stand up. In Yin Yu’s other hand, he held a pair of dice.
“What are those for?” Xie Lian asked, tilting his head in the direction of the dice.
Yin Yu looked at him quietly for a moment. “...The teleportation device?” He said it like a question.
“Those dice work as a teleportation array?” Xie Lian asked in surprise, obviously having missed something Yin Yu said during his discovery of the man’s shackle, but too fascinated by such a device to care that it was rude.
“Yes. My boss made them. They’re quite a fascinating thing. If they get into the wrong hands and the person rolls the wrong number, they’ll end up in some terrible places,” Yin Yu chuckled. “That’s why it took me a while to get the hang of them. That, and I think my boss was messing with me.”
“Wow,” Xie Lian said, stunned. They just looked like dice, but if what Yin Yu was saying was correct, they were enchanted with a very intricate spell. He looked back up at Yin Yu. “Your boss must be a genius.”
“He is,” Yin Yu said, and Xie Lian noted a touch of pride in his voice. It made him smile. No matter what or who his boss was looking for, he was sure he had his reasons. Especially if his worker was as kind as Yin Yu. Though the shackle on the man’s wrist did raise a few more questions.
Before his mind could spiral once more, Yin Yu tossed the dice, and they landed back in his palm on a four and a five. Behind them, in the trunk of a tree, a teleportation array appeared. “Go ahead.” Yin Yu reached his free hand to gesture to the array.
“Will you be staying behind?” Xie Lian asked, sad to see Yin Yu go. It was true, they’d only met a few minutes ago, but Xie Lian thought he was interesting. He seemed kind, knowledgeable, and that cursed shackle made Xie Lian want to get to know him even more. If nothing else, they shared the experience of getting banished from heaven. Xie Lian was sure Yin Yu was a wonderful God during his time in heaven, though he didn’t have much to base it off of. It was more of a gut feeling.
“Yes, I still need to search the rest of the area.”
“Sorry again for hitting you. I was kind of out of it.” Xie Lian scratched his cheek in embarrassment. “But I enjoyed talking to you. I may spend some time in this town, so if you wanted to come visit, that would make me happy. Once I’ve got a bit more strength I’d love to try that sword.” He pointed to the sword Yin Yu had slid back into the sheath across his back.
Yin Yu seemed to be doing that thing again where he analyzed Xie Lian, trying to figure out the truth in his words. But this time, Xie Lian really was being truthful, and it seemed Yin Yu saw that. “I will.”
Xie Lian gave him a low bow, one final goodbye, and walked into the teleportation array.