#mu qing being soft

[camzkoa]

twitter is recommending me a lot of hc of this two, so what else can i do than draw more fenqging

also incorporate the fact that donghua fy and nf just look like their childrens

and that feng xin probably have a heart attack each he see them

[leawesomesloth]

My second prompt for TGCF Gotcha for Gaza!!

Thank you so much @CloudAnthill on twt for your donation! Hope everyone enjoys this sweet little wedding moment~❤️

Also reminder: you have until 11.59pm EST today (16th March 2024) to donate and submit prompts for this event! Get those last prompts in! Let’s see if I’ll be able to receive a 3rd prompt??? 👀

Previous prompt (slight nsfw huaqing) here

[theballadofmars]

Hualian invented love but fengqin invented divorce they're both so iconic

[fqrot]

mu qing would never admit it out loud but he loves the slow mornings when he gets to wake up in feng xin’s embrace and just listen to the steady beating of his heart and look at his (infuriatingly handsome) face until feng xin, too, wakes up.

they lay in bed for at least half an hour, just talking about their plans for the day and kissing, before feng xin eventually gets up to make breakfast for mu qing and himself. mq gets ready in the meantime; sometimes he asks feng xin to help him pick out an outfit, and sometimes he wears a piece of clothing that makes feng xin suck in a sharp breath and blush like crazy the moment mq steps into the kitchen—like a shirt with an open back, a crop top or ripped jeans. mu qing knows exactly what kind of thoughts go through feng xin’s head at that moment, and he loves that he’s the only person who can make feng xin feel so flustered.

later they eat breakfast together—usually one of mu qing’s favorite foods—and easily slip into banter, teasing each other and arguing about small, unimportant things.

their cat wakes up and starts begging for pets at that point—one of mu qing’s favorite activities is petting the kitty, listening to its content purrs and carding his fingers through the soft fur. and if his full attention wasn’t on the animal, he would notice feng xin watching him with nothing short of adoration in his eyes.

they can only have a slow, unhurried morning like this on weekends, which means that after getting ready they have the rest of the day for themselves, and they usually go on an impromptu date to one of their favorite cafes, or to the park, or the mall to buy some new clothes (feng xin is perfectly fine with his two pairs of jeans and six t-shirts, but he loves watching mu qing try on different tops, skirts and jumpsuits and complimenting mq every chance he gets).

it doesn’t really matter where they choose to go as long as they can spend the day together, far away from their work responsibilities. and even if mu qing refuses to say it out loud, his happiness and gratitude are evident in the way he reaches for feng xin’s hand, immediately interlacing their fingers, and in the passion behind the kisses he occasionally gives feng xin on the lips (mu qing thinks pda is embarrassing, but sometimes he’s willing to make an exception, just for feng xin).

mu qing loves feng xin, and he loves spending time with him.

[cecropiacrown]

this feels very... modern au fengqing, unrequited (actually requited) love and I just want y'all to listen with me idk

[missveryvery]

always soft for soft xianle trio cuddles

When your friends are shirtless and snuggly and you are a professional virgin.

Mu Qing is taller than Xie Lian but he's being smooshed down.

Continuing my tradition of drawing these nerds based on pictures of animals.

[lurkinginnernarrator]

“Shen Qingqiu! What is this nonsense about Qing Jing requisitioning a disguise for one of its members?! You would dare send one of your little disciples trussed up like a pretty young mistress! Even I thought you better than”–

Qi Qingqi’s voice cut off on an extremely strangled note. She and the other Peak Lords all seemed unable to capture an ounce of oxygen.

Cang Qiong’s finest were gathered in a elegant war room, massive tables shoved to the side, covered with maps and intelligence reports: A mind-numbing amount of information scattered across sheaves of paper and neatly written on large boards; they spanned the walls not open to the serene nature of Qing Jing’s outdoors.

The murmuring of focused and purposeful Qing Jing disciples hushed at Qi Qingqi’s outraged exclamation and the sudden appearance of a majority of their shibo.

In the midst of the room, Shen Qingqiu stood, hands frozen in the action of sheathing a dagger to his inner thigh. While normally, such a sight would be arresting enough, it paled in comparison to the vision Qing Jing’s Lord made currently.

His eyes caught wide and surprised were rimmed with coal and rouge, claret lips parted infinitesimally. Gentle strands of hair framed his face and cascaded down his curved back. Hair ornaments tinkled and glittered in the silken black waves.

Delicate, airy robes flirted with graceful wrists, red lacquered nails making a pleasing contrast. Carmine and the tones of blushing rose danced about Shen Qingqiu, gentle fabric draping from his shapely frame; soft skin of his collarbones an–and the rounded mound of his, hi-his bust? Exposed. As was the refined line of sinewy thigh.

S-sshink!

Shen Qingqiu’s hand leaves the handle of the blade, nebulous skirts falling back into place, his pale thighs veiled from sight once more.

“Qi-shimei, Liu-shidi, Zhangmen-shixiong?”– Shen Qingqiu's eyes quickly take in the numerous uninvited visitors, yet his lilting voice doesn’t quicken from its whiplike cadence –”To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from Yue-shixiong and my shidimen?”

For some unknowable reason, Sect Master Yue and the Bai Zhan War God forsook courtesy for silence.

“Rather, to what does this Master owe my beloved sect siblings appearance,” the polished voice drawled, “ whose purpose is no doubt to meddle in the affairs of a Qing Jing operation? Without, may I add, any proper knowledge of the purpose of this operation to begin with?”

Mu Qingfang, who to this point was standing unobtrusively to the side, stepped forward, courteously greeting the Maste– Lady? Of Qing Jing.

His fellow peak lords prayed blessings, to be gifted such a level headed martial brother!

“These shidi apologize for the discourtesy, Shen-shixiong.” Mu Qingfang’s voice may have hesitated, or stuttered, and almost uttered ‘shijie’ but no one noticed because they were too caught up in their own lawless thoughts.

A Qing Jing disciple helpfully handed Shen Qinqqiu a fan. With a crack! It met his open palm, a gavel descrying doom.

Haloed in light, the Qing Jing Master stood like a wrathful goddess, a holy judge tired of the sullying presence of mortals.

Qing Jing’s Master, when garbed in his usual attire, was a sharp, intimidating figure. Graceful in his execution of masculinity, not unlike a dagger. Moreso, then, donning the mantle of femininity. Some intangible attributes changed, that when masculine, repelled, yet when feminine compelled. Those certain peak lords were unprepared to handle such a thing.

Shen Qingqiu tsked, turning his back he subsequently ignored them after hand-waving a disciple into acting as the hospitality.

The wrong-footed peak lords were bundled off to the side and laden with tea and light victuals, being appeased into silence and unobtrusiveness by snacks. If some of the scholarly disciples secretly thought of it as the kiddie table, that's for them to know, isn’t it?

[dazaiandhislovelybandages]

hii~ i hope you’re having a good day/night! i was wondering if you could do Mu Qing from TGCF with the prompt #16. "Don't ever say that name again"? idk why but i can definitely see him being a petty and jealous significant other (gn reader if can please) thank youu <3

A Tiny Bit Of Jealousy {Mu Qing}

A/n: thank you for requesting and I hope you like the outcome. I just wanted to say that a) I am lowkey loving this coloured layout since the photo is for the tgcf manhua and b) I am still three books in tgcf so I am incredibly sorry if this isn't an indepth writing or if his character isn't fully accurate

Pairing: Mu Qing x gn!reader

Trigger warnings: jealousy

You never realised how and when you got in a relationship with Mu Qing and there had been times when you couldn't help but wonder and question the circumstances under which the relationship came to exist. Not in a bad way of course, never in a bad way. But when originally you thought Mu Qing was just not ready to open up to you yet, as the months and years passed by, you realised that he wasn't hiding anything from you.

It was on odd feeling, being with him. After meeting Xie Lian and Hua Cheng and witnessing some parts of their relationship you could say with great certainty that he wasn't as open with you as those two were with each other. He wasn't neglecting you but he wasn't all touchy either. He was just there and if you happened to want cuddles or kisses, you would have to ask.

On that note, he wasn't bad at picking up signs, especially when it came to you. He knew your reactions -he could predict them even-, your likes, your dislikes, your routine. He knew everything because you were open with him. And it went without saying that when it came to you, Mu Qing was an excellent listener. He could sit down and listen to you mumble about the latest gossip in the Heavenly Realm for hours. Did he care? No. But you were the one talking so he would listen to you even if his ears somehow disappear.

Naturally, he also knew every single one of your friends in the Heavenly Realm; and the ones you didn't like that much.

And god he was jealous.

He was jealous of a very few selected people but not in the toxic way. He would never try and get you away from them since he knew that their and your intentions were pure but he couldn't help but envy the fact that they could give you something he thought he couldn't: a good and fun time.

In his mind, Mu Qing thought he was boring you and perhaps that was the only thing he had never been honest with you about. He could never easily laugh, express his feelings without being asked and most of the time he was a little too focused on his work.

And then the day he begged and prayed not to come actually came. He saw you laughing with another god. Now, on the surface there was nothing wrong with it. He had seen you laugh at something another god or goddess had said a million times and it never bothered him.

But this god was Feng Xin.

"Hey!" Your melodic voice echoed around the room as you walked through the pink silk curtains. You didn't have to ask, it was as clear as day that there was something wrong with him. And you didn't have to ask what was wrong either since when the two of you started dating you made a silent agreement: Mu Qing would always tell you in his own time what was wrong.

"Hello." He responded gruffly.

"I just came to check in since I have to do some paperwork." You walked up to him and placed a soft kiss on his cheek; a kiss to which he didn't react. "Oh! Feng Xin-"

"Don't ever say that name again!"

His tone was harsh and angry but he didn't raise his voice. Him pulling away was enough to realise that most probably you had said something wrong.

"We'll talk later," was all you said and walked away.

Mu Qing sighed and sat back down at the soft pillow on the floor, closing his eyes. You hadn't done anything wrong, that small part of his brain that could think clearly said so. Laughing and talking with Feng Xin was okay. Not once had Mu Qing thought about controlling you and he would rather die than do it. But it felt like a betrayal of some kind. You knew about his bad relationship with Feng Xin so why on earth did you have to bring him up?

Though if he had to be completely honest with himself... it wasn't the fact that he and Feng Xin were practically enemies that made him angry. It was the fact that not once had he made you laugh like that. He wanted to hear that unique sound he had never heard before once again with all his heart but he didn't want it if he wasn't the one causing it. What good was a partner who didn't make you laugh with all your heart?

"I am sorry," he whispered. He had gathered the courage and later that day, at night to be precise, he had walked all the way to your palace just to apologise. You didn't deserve someone who was as petty as him and he knew it but he needed you.

"I know," you whispered back and took that one step, closing the distance between the two of you with a hug. "You always say things you don't mean when you're angry."

In an ideal world, he would have preferred it if you didn't comment on it. But you did and the truth hurt a little but he deserved it.

Gently, he wrapped his arms around you and placed a soft kiss on your temple. "Should I make up for it? What did that bastard want?"

"You know... I am pretty sure that if I tell you, you'll get angry again."

[le-tea-nerd]

✨️TGCF Head-Canon✨️

We both know Hua Cheng has the most absolute sorry excuse for chicken scratch hand writing that Xie Lian has ever laid eyes upon. Xie Lian would have known from book 1 the Hua Cheng was down bad if he was able to read the scribbles on that man's arm the firs time he saw the tattoo.

THAT BEING SAID, we also know Xie Lian is God awful cook. Let's not judge baby boy too hard, he got it from his mama, and I'm assuming cooking this way could be a means to keeping her close. Especially after his punk ass cousin desecrated her resting place.

What if these two wrongs made a right?

One day Xie Lian realizes he has been name dropping a lot of recipes lately and he wants to keep track of them. So he decides it's high time he start making a recipe card or books. And since he loves his husband so much and wants to ensure he keeps practicing his writing, he suggests Hua Cheng scribe for him.

Nervous about his atrocious writing, he hesitantly agrees and sits down with Xie Lian to write down ingredients and instructions.

Fast forward to a week later. Feng Xin and Mu Qing have arrived just in time for dinner. Much to their dismay Hua Cheng was the one who greeted them so they couldn't run away once he told them "Ah you two....actually perfect timing, Gege made extra."

The two generals looks as though they were being shipped off to war as they waiting for their bowls to be served. "Ah Mu Qing, Feng Xin! I wasn't expecting you two to stop by today! Good thing dinner was prepared. Its a recipe I'vebmade before so, its nothing new." Xie Lian said with a soft smile.

The two generals steeled themselves as they thought back to all the past 'receipes' they have been subjected to in the past.

"You think he heard about our fight yesterday?" Mu Qing whispered.

"He must have...he's punishing us, I know it..." Feng Xin whispered back.

Xie Lian approached the table with a hot pot and placed it in the center. "I apologize in advance, the flavor seems to be a little different." He said softly. He had actually struggled to read the recipe cards Hua Cheng had dutifully wrote out for him.

"Make sure to eat up well good generals." Hua Cheng quipped as he served Xie Lian, himself, and the other two.

Full of reluctance they begin to eat. They suddenly freeze. Xie takes their frozen expressions and worries, "Oh no! I'm sorry it's ba-" "DELICIOUS!" The generals announce in unison, as they down their bowls together.

"Your highness, we thank you for this meal!" Mu Qing speaks between slurps.

"I will find strength in your cooking Your highness!" Feng Xin says as he's helping himself to seconds.

Bonus: Xie Lian ended up making all the recipes the Hua Cheng made recipe cards for, and all of them were absolutely edible. Though he didn't know what he was doing differently, he decided to prepare buns, as a delicious offering to his mother and father then next time he went to visit.

[stardust-falling]

Fleeting Second Chances

requested by @gaywarcriminals on ko-fi

Fandom: SVSSS Pairing: Yue Qingyuan & Shen Jiu Summary: Shen Qingqiu suffers a qi deviation and reverts to his younger self. Yue Qingyuan, naturally, must be the one to take care of him until he recovers. Words: 1.6k

The Qing Jing Peak Lord had suffered a serious qi deviation, and would be spending some time away from his peak while recovering.

The news spread throughout Cang Qiong Mountain like wildfire— this sort of gossip always did, especially when it revolved around Shen Qingqiu. It wasn’t the first time he’d pushed himself too far and slipped up, and it probably wouldn’t be the last either, but these incidents were rarely substantial enough to actually take him away from Qing Jing Peak.

His disciples were relieved, though they would never actually admit that to anyone. Even if it was only temporary, they now had some reprieve from their shizun’s thorny tongue and icy glares— and also from his unnecessarily harsh discipline.

His peers secretly felt sorry for Mu Qingfang and his disciples, sparing them sympathetic glances whenever their paths crossed. Any time Shen Qingqiu experienced a setback, he was much, much less pleasant to be around. He was especially sensitive about his cultivation— what kind of hell must Qian Cao Peak have become with him staying as a patient like this?

Little did they know, however, that Shen Qingqiu wasn’t on Qian Cao Peak at all.

……

Yue Qingyuan was a very busy man.

As the leader of the cultivation world’s foremost righteous sect, there was no end to the matters that required his attention. From teaching his own disciples to coordinating the next Immortal Alliance Conference, he rarely had a moment to be idle.

For the past several days, however, he had taken leave and requested not to be disturbed for anything short of a genuine emergency.

Each morning, just after the sun had risen, he went down to Yin Huai Village with a basket hanging from his arm. A short while later, he would return with that basket filled to the brim with all manner of sweet treats and goodies— and then, he would disappear inside his house until the time came for his next daily excursion.

This odd change of behavior brought about all sorts of theories. Regardless, anyone who saw with the sect leader these days could agree on one thing— he seemed, for some reason, far happier now than they’d ever seen him before.

……

It was late spring— a dreary, rainy day.

Yue Qingyuan returned home with his basket as usual, carefully stepping inside. He called out “I’m back!” and set the basket down on the table. Then, he went into the side room, where a small bed had been set up, filled with a generous mountain of soft pillows and blankets.

In the center of that bed was a small, miserable lump.

Yue Qingyuan paused next to the bed for a moment, then carefully reached out to place his hand on top of the lump.

There was a flurry of movement beneath the blankets, which were hurriedly tossed aside by a little ball of rage and startled vitriol— and before he could pull away, Yue Qingyuan felt a sharp pain in his hand.

“Ah— Xiao-Jiu, it’s just me!”

Latched on tightly to his hand with teeth that were really far sharper than they ought to be was a small child, with a thin face and messy black hair, who was looking up at Yue Qingyuan with a frightened glare in his wide eyes.

“Qi-ge’s sorry for startling you,” Yue Qingyuan added, with a wince and an apologetic smile.

A little more than a week ago now, he’d stopped by Qing Jing Peak to deliver a message. It was a simple task he could have easily left to one of his disciples, but how could he pass up an opportunity to go check in on Xiao-Jiu? When he arrived at the bamboo house, though, instead of being greeted by the sight of Shen Qingqiu’s unhappy glare, he instead saw a quiet house, with a little mound of turquoise and white clothes in a pile on the ground, as though the person inside of them had vanished into thin air.

Seeing Shen Qingqiu’s clothes like this, Yue Qingyuan had of course been a little worried and gone to pick them up— and as soon as he’d lifted a corner of the silk robe, the same thing had happened as just now.

He recognized the person biting him instantly, and had rushed the tiny Shen Qingqiu over to Qian Cao Peak to find Mu Qingfang. While Yue Qingyuan wrapped up his now-bleeding hand in a strip of bandage, Mu Qingfang had struggled to diagnose this particularly difficult patient, who refused to cooperate even a little and seemed to think that the physician was out to get him. Eventually, a conclusion was reached— Shen Qingqiu had suffered a qi deviation, which caused him to revert to his younger self. His memories past that point also seemed to be missing, along with his cultivation— but other than that, his condition wasn’t too bad. He would probably return to normal on his own with time.

Yue Qingyuan was relieved that it wasn’t too serious, and that he wasn’t in any danger.

But that didn’t mean there weren’t some… other problems to deal with.

Xiao-Jiu— because it didn’t feel right to call this tiny version of him “Shen Qingqiu”— was now the exact same as he had been all those years ago when he’d first been purchased by the trafficking ring. From his point of view, he’d only met Yue Qi recently. They had already gotten fairly close, but there was no way he would believe that the tall, regally-clothed sect leader was, in fact, his Qi-ge all grown up.

When Yue Qingyuan had tried to explain the situation, he had just been met with a suspicious glare. He wondered whether he should have brought it up at all.

Yue Qingyuan knew that Shen Qingqiu wouldn’t want the details of his past to become widely known, so as soon as he was allowed to, he swept his tiny shidi off and tucked him away inside Qiong Ding Peak’s Sky House. He would take care of Xiao-Jiu himself until he had gone back to normal and gotten his memories back. Even though Shen Qingqiu would probably hate him even more for this later… well, it would still be better than the alternative.

At least this way, anything that happened would stay just between the two of them. Like so many things were.

And now, Yue Qi could spoil Xiao-Jiu to his heart’s content.

Once several days had passed, he realized it would be a lot more difficult than he hoped. Xiao-Jiu was hardly the sort to be won over by a few sweets and some blankets, and Yue Qingyuan kept forgetting himself and going in to hug him, or pat his head, or pinch his cheeks… Xiao-Jiu was really just too cute when he was small, it was simply unbearable.

Almost every time he reached out, his hand was bitten. The few times he avoided being bitten, he was punched or kicked. Yue Qingyuan didn’t really mind these reactions— but there were a few heartbreaking times when Xiao-Jiu just flinched away from him in fear. Once, early on, he’d slipped away from Yue Qingyuan’s grasp and curled up underneath the bed. He stayed under there for hours, peering out with big, suspicious eyes, refusing to come out despite all of Yue Qingyuan’s coaxing.

In the end, he’d left a warm steamed bun just past the edge of the bed and gone out the room. It took awhile, but Xiao-Jiu eventually crawled back out and took the peace offering, though he remained wary for the rest of the day.

Luckily, he’d warmed up to Yue Qingyuan by now.

That didn’t mean the biting had stopped.

Of course… he’d bitten Yue Qi a lot back when they were kids too. He probably just liked it.

“Xiao-Jiu… I brought you some things,” Yue Qingyuan said, gingerly trying to remove his hand from between Xiao-Jiu’s teeth. “Please let go now, you can bite down on the sweets instead of me.”

Xiao-Jiu just glared at him, refusing to offer the slightest bit of mercy.

Yue Qingyuan sighed— what was it this time? Xiao-Jiu had been getting more temperamental lately. He wasn’t afraid anymore, so it had to be something else.

Oh…

Was it that…?

“Ah. Qi-ge is sorry for leaving you.”

Once those words had left his lips, Xiao-Jiu gave him one final glare before finally letting go.

So it really was that after all.

A soft chuckle escaped Yue Qingyuan’s lips as he dabbed at the blood now welling up on his hand. It wasn’t a new injury, but rather the same one from before, re-opened. Somehow, Xiao-Jiu always managed to bite the exact same place, and his bites had only gotten harder and more painful as he recovered and grew stronger.

Xiao-Jiu reached out with one of his tiny, tiny hands and grabbed hold of Yue Qingyuan’s sleeve, tugging on it several times. Yue Qingyuan responded by gently patting him on the head, careful not to move too quickly and startle him.

“I’ll tell you next time I go out, alright?” he suggested, his voice soft.

Xiao-Jiu shook his head and glared again.

“Then… I’ll… stay here?”

A nod.

Then, Xiao-Jiu burrowed himself into Yue Qingyuan’s chest, clinging tightly to the fabric of his robes as he pressed his face into them.

A grin burst across Yue Qingyuan’s face. Ah— his Xiao-Jiu was simply the cutest thing ever! He carefully put his arms around Xiao-Jiu’s tiny shoulders, gently hugging him, rocking back and forth as he reached up to stroke his hair.

“Alright… alright. Qi-ge won’t go away anymore. Qi-ge will stay here with you.”

He closed his eyes, breathing a long, heavy sigh.

Eventually, Xiao-Jiu would grow up again and remember everything. But for now…

For now, it wouldn’t hurt to give him a little bit of the care, security, and happiness that he’d never been able to have before.

[fierrochase-falafel]

Making a case for Xie Lian's complex morality in TGCF

Finally getting over myself and getting this one out of the drafts...

Disclaimer: Any MXTX book has a very divided fandom on whether practically all the characters are "good" or not- Hua Cheng, Xie Lian, Wei Wuxian, Jiang Cheng, Pei Ming, Luo Binghe. I feel the way MXTX writes is such that our own interpretation of the book can grow to be the very thing we love about it. So naturally I am going to start off by saying this is my interpretation of her work- you can disagree with me, sure, and I'd love to hear other people's thoughts, but I don't think it is something worth calling me wrong over. I'm not claiming to preach the 1 true reading or even claiming to be 'correct'- this is just my interpretation. This doesn't mean I don't find value in alternate interpretations, contradictory or otherwise. Please be nice to me!! :,)

Part I: Smart, but not smart

So anyways...there's this quote in book 3, when Xie Lian reveals Ling Wen as the creator of the Brocade Immortal, where this happens:

Ling Wen crossed her arms and shook her head. “Your Highness, someone like you…sometimes you’re smart, but sometimes you’re also not very smart; sometimes you’re soft-hearted, but sometimes you’re cold-hearted, too.”

And I've always loved this quote, it's arguably one of my favourites, because it emphasises what I think is the core of the story- to ascend is human, to fall is also human. What matters is appreciating that humanity, and nobody embodies this like Xie Lian. MXTX always pits together contradictions like this throughout the story: ascension with falling, soft-hearted with cold-hearted, laughing with crying. Humanity is a series of contradictions, and Xie Lian is the epitome of that. We see him saving a child with regal presence/grace and also drunkenly yelling swear words in a ditch; we see him calmly ascend to godhood at 17 and also almost violently kill a guy for insulting his street performance. Xie Lian is a man who can be kind, calm, endearing and spirited but also vengeful, bitter, jaded and broken. He has been naive and impulsive as well as strategic and controlled.

These differences often seem to happen at the same time in him, even. Xie Lian as a prince was still relatively calm and controlled, but it didn't stop him from being naive and desperate at various points too- sometimes at the same time. His decision in the Land of the Tender (T/W- to stab himself) was arguably a sign of him losing control of his senses yet remaining just on the cusp of controlling his actions. He is holding on to his no-sex cultivation by saying the Ethics Sutra and making the impulsive decision to turn his sword on himself voluntarily but also reacting sexually to the flower demons involuntarily. He is placed in situations where he is distinctly both in and out of control at the same time! Later when he's lying in a ditch (T/W- having stabbed himself AGAIN), there's a lens to it that he's waiting for someone to be kind to him, just once. He's optimistic in giving people a chance- hopeful and altruistic on some level while also being angry and bitter at nobody having helping him yet. In present day he's still impulsive at times but also level-headed, jaded and also optimistic. Hua Cheng fully recognises this in him, and his recognition of Xie Lian's utter humanity is what makes him the one person who truly understands Xie Lian.

"Your Highness, I understand your everything. Your courage, your despair; your kindness, your pain; your resentment, your hate; your intelligence, your foolishness."- Hua Cheng

Part II: Mass murder is...a big deal

Xie Lian is nowhere near perfect, like Feng Xin tends to see him, but neither is he just pretending to be altruistic to make people like him, as Mu Qing tends to believe. Both of them have these ideas in their heads of Xie Lian being amazing or awful, when really Xie Lian has the potential to be both, and that's what makes him, ultimately, just a human above all else. And Hua Cheng gets that about him, more than anyone else, which is important. Hua Cheng loves him and believes in him not because he is inherently, fundamentally good but because of who he is entirely. Part of that 'being' for Xie Lian is trying not to indulge his worst emotions, trying to be good as much as he can, but part of that 'being' includes parts of him that can't be perceived as 'good'. See, no matter how traumatised you are, and even though I'm not judging Xie Lian for his mental state, choking some man on the street almost to death is a no-go, okay.

Xie Lian's will to keep to his principles of what is right and wrong is one thing, but TGCF stretches these boundaries over and over as we watch Xie Lian's view evolve from being a child. I don't think Xie Lian is a 'good person' because he never strays from his values, because he does. Save the common people? The people of Yong'an he intended to mass massacre were the 'common people'. And yes he tried to save them before, and yes it took very little to make him not massacre the people of Yong'an, but the fact that this was something he started at all? He himself used Fangxin to collect the souls from the battlefield- no matter how much he subconsciously wanted to believe in the worth of humanity with his self-stabbing social experiment, he created the conditions necessary to commit mass murder and that in itself is a sign that a part of him meant to go through with it. This isn't just a byproduct of his rage, a response befitting of an uncaring society, no, this is a big deal, and I don't think we can still argue Xie Lian is / has always been a beacon of virtue. Xie Lian isn't just flawed in ways that are easy to forgive, it's not just that he's inherently 'good' with flaws such as impulsivity or naivety that do not really reflect on his moral character. He is also morally flawed, in a way all humans can be but may find it hard to recognise within themselves.

To be fair to the guy, most humans don't have their kingdoms destroyed, their bodily autonomy violated and all their loved ones gone from their lives. Particularly not the first one. For trauma of such epic proportions and disasters of such epic proportions, this intense of a response to commit mass murder isn't shocking. Given his exposure to all this power through his godhood and descent, the power to commit mass murder is less massive-seeming than needing the power to save his own people from it. Given the deaths of so many Xianle inhabitants, this is almost an eye-for-an-eye response: something which some people or cultures may see as morally righteous (the Locrians in Ancient Greece were huge on this, for instance) and some see as morally wrong. However, the way I see it that does not make potential mass murder easily ethically justifiable. MXTX doesn't shy away from giving us insight into Xie Lian's vulnerable and broken mental state and reasons for attempting this, but his actions are still consequential in a huge way. Had he committed the murder; had he not been pulled up by the farmer or had he not found it in him to stop, would we view him as morally good? Could we? What if he did murder the Yong'an citizens but then realised how awful that was then, and spent the rest of his life trying to be good? It feels a bit like a cop-out to say, "well, he didn't do it so that's that", because even the idea, the intention of him doing it and the fact it almost happened raises so many questions about how much blame would be attribute to him if the people of Yong'an really were killed. Even if Xie Lian hadn't done it himself: if he failed to stop Bai Wuxiang from killing them all, for instance. If he were stabbed over and over again but his body couldn't take it, if the rest of the people of Yong'an weren't willing to stab him, and Wu Ming didn't take the bullet then what? It's not like Bai Wuxiang had any reason to go out of his way to call the spirits of Yong'an to Fangxin, for to him the biggest matter was getting Xie Lian to do it and solidify the latter's allegiance to resentment and apathy (just like himself). That would have been done by Xie Lian's hand, and how much the consequences would lay on Xie Lian's head is really difficult to think about. Even if he'd have done his utmost to stop it, but it would've happened atleast partially because of him.

Part III: Morality measured

It's interesting to consider how we measure morality as individuals- somewhere in-between intentions and consequences we diverge, and this tension is what fuels MXTX's conflicts. This is why it's so hard to assign blame in TGCF. Shi Wudu's intentions with the fate-swap were not malicious at all but the consequences for He Xuan were utterly disastrous, and that's on Shi Wudu. Quan Yizhen's intentions were never to make Yin Yu feel bad, but his obliviousness and shining talent hurt Yin Yu anyways. Of course, Yin Yu was the one who kept silent until he couldn't take it anymore, and said the worst possible thing at the worst possible time even if all he wanted was to be nice to Quan Yizhen and not project his feelings onto him. Book 3 contains an increase in these dynamics where the intentions and consequences are SO vastly incongruent that it plays with what morality means, encouraging you to ask: "Who do you believe was in the right?" "Do you think anyone here is or isn't entitled to what they want?" "Is there any way to objectively assign blame here, or are some scenarios too complicated for there to be a direct conflict of right and wrong?" So when it comes to Xie Lian, all that he could have been and all that he is, book 4 naturally stretches the limits of his heart being in paradise.

In conversations I have had or opinions I've seen on this platform and others, people's opinions on how much Xie Lian caused aspects of his own downfall range from "he did absolutely nothing wrong ever" to "he was the epitome of hubris and ignorance", the latter usually accompanied by a favourable analysis towards another character such as Mu Qing. When getting into MDZS, I was reminded of this when seeing Wei Wuxian-Jiang Cheng discourse actually, people talking about Wei Wuxian as a model of goodness who never hurt anyone unless his hand was forced (as if the Wen Chao toruture scene didn't happen) or as an irresponsible and disloyal rascal (as if he wasn't protecting defenseless people including JC's rescuers in the Burial Mounds). This sort of range can be seen with many characters in TGCF: particularly with Xie Lian, Hua Cheng and Mu Qing but you also get many for Jun Wu, He Xuan, Shi Wudu and the like. Xie Lian, as the main character, is possibly the most complicated of them all. The series is in his perspective, he recognises and regrets both his glory days and his fall from grace- the former due to his naivety and the latter due to his resentment. Since then all of the plots he has involved himself in have involved him taking on as much of the pain as physically possible for himself because his desire to help other people flourished again alongside and mingled with his shame and lasting trauma. He is ashamed of both his highest and lowest moments for not being able to offset the consequences, but while you're reading the story it feels very often like there's nothing else he could have done. Partially because (although this is debatable imo) this is somewhat from his perspective despite the 3rd person narrative, so we know what he's like before anyone else. Plus, with how book 2 plays out like a classic tragedy where his greatest strength (will to help his people despite tradition) becomes his greatest weakness, it's the age-old question of how much he can be held accountable for his kingdom's downfall or how much was completely out of his control or in the hands of fate.

One take I remember very strongly that was quite popular was about MXTX's characters being ultimately morally good characters, in which Xie Lian's character was said to not change or develop. Rather, Xie Lian has always been inherently morally good and TGCF is about the world around him not rewarding that goodness yet Xie Lian remaining good and pure-hearted all the way through no matter what, even in his darkest times. While this may be an interpretation some people have, I think it's more complicated than that. Xie Lian's morality was seemingly very clear-cut in book 2 because he had no huge reason not to be 'good'. Yeah sure, he was chastised for saving a child during the lantern festival parade, but nothing was genuinely going to happen to him. He was the crown prince! The stakes for him were never as high, and he had no reason to believe he could fail at all. When put to the test, given the fact he did set up the conditions for the immediate slaughter of Yong'an, I don't think any goodness automatically present in his character was being channelled in his decision. Morality can be as easy as "I want to always do what's right" when you have money and security, but becomes more difficult when you're consumed by grief and rage, or when you've lost everything you once had. Morality is more than an inherent aspect to one's character, and how we perceive someone's moral nature depends on their intentions, their choices, the consequences of those choices and whether they accept responsibility and accountability for the other 3 things.

Part IV: Complexity is the key

Having said all this, I hope it's clear I am NOT saying Xie Lian is an immoral character. In fact, I WOULD argue that he is a 'good' person, that is, a person who embodies what goodness would look like despite all the complications involved. What I'm saying here is that he is a good person not because he always sticks to his standards/beliefs, or even that he always believes in his own standards, but because he chooses to try to believe. In humanity, in the power of his own actions, in the kindness of strangers after he was shown kindness once himself. And this is something earned and learned, not something he had in the beginning. In the beginning it came natural to him because he had the privilege of that as Crown prince. "If something goes wrong, I'll fix it, and everyone around me will always be looking out for my best interests even if I disagree with them. Murder is wrong, following the path to ascension is the ultimate good." etc. etc. When he has to face the world as someone with nothing, those are the experiences that mould his current day understanding of why people do the things they do even if they seem completely morally wrong. Why people would stab someone knowing they would feel the pain, why people would murder someone, why they might steal or rage or drink. And in most cases, it can be hard to judge someone as completely morally wrong for doing actions deemed morally wrong if you believe intention has any bearing on morality.

Xie Lian to me is not inherently good, but someone who chooses to try to be a good person, thus arguably being a good person. And I would defend him as such on that premise, not because his righteous morals have remained static and intact throughout the novels. It isn't that he didn't choose to be good as a child, but he didn't really have to TRY because he hadn't faced the sort of crisis that shook his foundations and forced him to grow, understanding and adapting to the complexity of living in the real world. Where you fail, where falling upon hard times can force you to resort to things you once thought beneath you. Where your actions have power over your circumstances, but your circumstances also hold power over you whether you like it or not. The root of Xie Lian's compelling character, for me, is in his growth from a man with a static morality to a man with moral complexity. A belief in one's principles that accounts for its limits and recognises its flaws in the face of circumstance, and adapts accordingly. It's not like Xie Lian wanted to betray and murder the Yong'an king who was so kind to him, and to actively do that seems pretty horrible until you remember he did it to save a whole group of people, Xianle descendants. Xie Lian still blames himself for this in book 1 even though in this act he saved numerous civilians, but Hua Cheng reminds him that he made that choice for a good reason, and has faith in Xie Lian's choices.

Speaking of the devil...Hua Cheng, even though he loves all of Xie Lian, does not love him blindly or without consideration of the worst parts of himself. He would follow Xie Lian into the abyss of his mental state but still try to help Xie Lian out of the sort of guilt, back from the point of no return. One interpretation of his refusal to let Xie Lian kill Lang Ying is that he wanted Xie Lian to not have Lang Ying's blood on his hands as well. If this would affect any future cultivation or make him feel any more guilty in the future. He also tried to gently tell Xie Lian that he still has believers to calm him down when he sees the white flower. However, to Hua Cheng, whatever Xie Lian would've chosen in the end would still be a decision taken by the same Xie Lian, and Hua Cheng would follow Xie Lian no matter whether he's engaged in the worst parts of himself or not. I think it's very easy for us to assign a specified amount of goodness to a character based on just 1 thing- be it just their intentions or just their choices or just the consequences of their actions. A few sample assumptions I've seen (that do not reflect wider society or anything, these are just opinions I've seen around online): To want to save people is good, therefore Xie Lian is good. Hua Cheng has no qualms about killing 33 gods for Xie Lian, so he must be amoral. But the nature of what is good is variable- under the light of different interpretations, Xie Lian is more morally grey and Hua Cheng is more morally inclined than those assumptions would give them credit for. My point essentially is that many characters, but Xie Lian in particular, are more complicated than we sometimes give them credit for. It's also why he's so easily put up against Jun Wu- someone who is the antagonist and committed several heinous crime, but also parallels what Xie Lian at his worst could have been. If Jun Wu really did repent on everyone he damaged at the end of the novels, you can't call him a good person just based on newfound intent and he can't be so easily forgiven, but to imply alternatively that after all he's done he will always be a bad man and that's that...doesn't sit right with me either. Of course, the question of Jun Wu seems even more complicated somehow, funnily enough.

I think when I first read TGCF years back, Xie Lian is the character who showed me not to judge multidimensional characters or people on a consistent metric of goodness but rather on numerous aspects of how they live that can change over time and leaves room for circumstantial flexibility. I also think that acknowledging complexity in how we view morality in each other can allow us to gain a better understanding of what it is to be a human. And in my view, what makes Xie Lian such a well-written character is that he's nothing if not a human.

[mikaela-the-slut-expert]

I really hope I'm not bothering you with my asks, BUT what if, miss facade reader fell for Mu Qing, & after they complete a mission together, maybe she asks him out with an entire bouquet & such?

I so want to pamper him give him the princess treatment.

Confessions

Mu Qing x F!Reader

I don't mind your requests at all I promise 🥰🖤 I feel great knowing that people like my writing enough to come back for more of it so I'm happy!

Part one: Miss Facade

Go read it rn🫵😚

____________________________________

Mu Qing and you have gotten a lot closer

Especially after he's been your listening ear. He's also now your number one defender.

Your reputation continues about being a bitch but Mu Qing knows you differently now. He knows you can be soft.

He's reached a dilemma though.

Don't get him wrong you are kind and you're kind to others too. However there is a difference

Now that you two are always next to each other he gets the opportunity to see more of your interactions.

To others you are standoffish, but you're kind. To most people they see how stone like you are though.

So. . . Most people do think you're a bitch

You've never treated him like that though. You're always open and affectionate.

The closer you two get the more softer you act

Mu Qing doesn't know why, but you've been doing many things for him.

You've been buying him gifts, and he accepts them graciously of course.

He just doesn't know why you're doing it.

He can afford his own things you don't have to get him stuff so often and buy things that are so expensive.

You also make things for him. Mu Qing has many of your works placed in his own palace.

The gifts you've bought him cover shelves, and tables

Even his closet is full.

Other heavenly officials have spread word, that the stone-like goddess of the heavens has taken up dabbling in a sugar relationship.

Mu Qing asked why you were doing it once. He regrets it.

He remembers his face filled with heat when you said he deserves princess treatment.

What does that even mean? Mu Qing is no princess. . .

That sounds like something Xie Lian would have

And it is. He finds out when he asks Xie Lian what to do

It wasn't what he wanted to do but he had no where else to ask advice from.

Of course Xie Lian and Hua Cheng come in a package deal. The more he looks at them, the more he sees you and him.

Of course since you're both so close you guys go on more missions together.

Who else is he going to pick, Feng Xin?

Just recently you both completed a mission together.

Usually the two of you join up at your palace and spend time with one another

When Mu Qing arrives you aren't here though, hm.

He waits patiently in your art room.

You do finally show up, he can hear your footsteps patter against the floor

When he opens the door for you though he doesn't see your face but a bouquet of flowers instead.

You're blushing and you push the bouquet into his hands

Then before he can ask, you start rambling. About how you were trying to give him hints with your gifts. That you love him and if he would like you'd be happy to go out on a date

He's blushing to his gaze focusing on the flowers he's holding. Of course he agrees. Why wouldn't he? It would be foolish to assume he hasn't fallen for you too.

You spoil him so much, and treat him so well. Maybe he deserves this once in awhile. Mu Qing is covered in you

Literally

His clothes? You bought them. His hairpin? You bought that too. The sudden bracelets he's wearing? You wouldn't guess but it's you who bought them again.

Everywhere he goes he sees you even if you're not physically by his side at the moment. He doesn't remember when but you've intruded his life

He likes it though and he loves you too.

____________________________________

All done I hope you liked it again 🖤🥰 I'm sorry if it's short 😭

[mxtxfanatic]

So @fireandgrimstone and I once had a discussion about how mxtx handles Xie Lian’s crossdressing in tgcf, the gist of which was whether or not it was falling into a gender essentialist trope ("you can always tell when a man is pretending to be a woman!") despite how much of the story tackles a kind of gender fluidity amongst other characters. I said I’d return to it once I reread it again to see how I felt reading those bits in context, so here I am!

The first instance of Xie Lian cross-dressing in the story is during the very first mission: the ghost bride. In order to find out who is kidnapping brides in the area, Xie Lian dresses like a bride to act as bait. When he first gets dressed, this is how he is described:

If you asked anyone to come and see, they would be able to tell with a glance that this was a young boy with a gentle and handsome looking face.

—Chapt. 6: The Ghost Holds a Wedding, The Crown Prince Climbs Onto the Marriage Sedan (Part 1)

You can "tell" that he is still a man, even as he wears the wedding outfit, we are told. However, later on, Little Ying comes and helps fix up Xie Lian so that he looks more like a bride. When next the others see his face, this is how he is described:

How could Xie Lian have known that a girl’s skill in make-up created legendary and mystifying results? Little Ying had only taught him how to fix his eyebrows by drawing them elegantly, how to powder his face with some white powder and how to dot his lips with deep, red rouge. However, if he didn’t speak, Xie Lian looked exactly like a gentle, soft and beautiful young lady.

—Chapt. 9: The Mountain’s Locked Ancient Temple, The Forest of Hanging Corpses (Part One)

A little bit of makeup and reshaping his outfit has transformed Xie Lian from someone you could tell was a man "from a glance" to someone who "looked exactly like a gentle, soft, and beautiful young lady." Even the crowd of men acting as "guards" could not tell Xie Lian was a man, and at no stage in this entire arc is Xie Lian uncomfortable with the act of cross-dressing, at being honestly mistake for being a woman, or Mu Qing and Feng Xin's negative reactions. He is indifferent to it all.

The next major moment we see him cross-dressing is when he is running away from the group of cultivators hunting Hua Cheng:

Behind the curtains sat a woman, her long raven hair hung a loose bun, her neck slender and white with a black choker and a thin silver chain circled around. Her robe was half stripped, revealing her snow white shoulder and a small bit of her back, looking to drape and fall, making one’s face burn and heart race.

When the curtains were pulled, the figure of that woman trembled, covering her face with her sleeves, and whimpered softly, as if she was shocked and terrified by such a sudden and brutish act. Heaven’s Eye instantly dropped the curtains, “I-I-I-I-I-I’M SORRY!!!”

The band of monks and cultivators who followed after Heaven’s Eye all screamed too, “WHAT A SIN, WHAT A SIN!” And they all covered their own eyes. Using this chance, that ‘woman’ whipped around -- who else could it be but Xie Lian? Hua Cheng was sitting in his arms and was only blocked from view by Xie Lian’s body. Although Xie Lian was a man and his shoulders were wider than the average woman, but he only pulled down half of his robe to expose the best angle, creating the perfect effect.

—Chapt. 137: Upon Barren Hills; Rioting the Black Hearted Inn (Part One)

Just as with the makeup and reshaping of the bride outfit, wearing a woman's robe, stripping to show off some skin at an angle, and whimpering a little was enough to trick this group of men into thinking he was a woman. The cultivators are so embarrassed, they run away, but even the passerbies who catch a glimpse of Xie Lian fleeing later in that same outfit have the vague idea that it is a "woman" they're seeing running with a child. Then, in the same outfit, Xie Lian enters an inn and we get this hilarious interaction:

A moment later, the door opened, and several attendants came forward to greet, their faces full of smiles, “Good si...”

They had wanted to say ;good sir’, but seeing the person before them was wearing women’s robes, they changed, “Mis...”

Before the word left their lips, Xie Lian emerged fully from the darkness with Hua Cheng in hand. If there’s a child, then it wasn’t an unmarried lady, so they changed again, “Mada...”

‘Madam’ was still half on their lips and Xie Lian’s face was fully illuminated by the light within the inn. Although this person was dressed in women’s robes and had a gentle countenance, if they must be honest, no matter how they looked it was the face of a man. The attendants all became mute, and it was a good moment before they went back to their original greeting, “Good sir, please come inside.”

—Chapt. 137: Upon Barren Hills; Rioting the Black Hearted Inn (Part One)

None of the attendants are able to tell Xie Lian's gender just from a glance. They rely on context clues (his clothes, the fact that he's with a child, then finally, his bare face) to finally decide that he is a man. Xie Lian is not discomforted by this either, not even to correct them. In fact, the narrative says that he feels no mental or physical discomfort as he is. Mind you, in this world, it is established that gods can and do change their physical forms to match a certain gender, but despite having the power to do so, not only does Xie Lian not take this route but he is still able to successfully appear as a cis woman to both strangers and his closest friends with only the minimalist of effort. Neither he nor the narrative place any expectations on how he "should" feel being man mistaken for a woman, nor do they waste time trying to explain to other characters why he is dressed as one like what one would usually see with this trope. Xie Lian simply exists in the form most comfortable to him and changes minor appearances to produce the aesthetic that he needs when he needs it. No more explanation is needed.

The thing about Xie Lian, too, is that while he is assured in his own gender, this does not translate into him being adverse to either weaponizing gender to reach a certain goal (such as being bait in a mission or hiding from enemies or just finding a dangerous object) or others doing as they please. Shi Qingxuan repeatedly attempts to wheedle Xie Lian into transforming into a female form with him, but though Xie Lian refuses for himself, he never shows disgust that Shi Qingxuan prefers his female form, unlike other gods.

Due to all of this, I don't see the repeated mentions of Xie Lian's maleness within these cross-dressing scenes as meant to reinscribe the gender binary but, instead, to impress upon readers how simple it is to throw gender into question. Gender is just that malleable and its perception so easily manipulated that even one of the most manliest men in the story can be viewed without a shadow of a doubt as a woman. Xie Lian is proof.

[boonsmoon]

can I request Mu Qing with F reader who is Feng Xin's little sister, & seems standoffish on the surface but has a really soft spot for cats?

Can be romantic/platonic up to you.

Also really like your works, please know that your effort is appreciated ❤

Awww thank you <3 Y'all sending in asks is appreciated too It's been raining a lot recently, so rainy fic As always, freedom to be whatever goddess you please!

Request Masterlist Mu Qing x f!reader Genres:🎉🌸💞🪭

Puddles of Bliss

You were always seen alone. And when you weren't? You were with Feng Xin. This was how the Heaven Official's came to learn of your existence.

On your own you were loudly and openly rude to others, but with Feng Xin, you kept to yourself, never saying a word. This behavior came from the initial thought that as being a younger sister, you felt like you had special privileges. This, however, was not the case at all.

The other Heaven Official's tended to leave you alone after the first 100 years, but you could always feel someone watching. Those watchful eyes went away everytime you escaped to your safe haven. Cats.

They were so relatable! Didn't want to be messed with, stay to themselves, are worshipped by humans, they were perfect! Plus, they were FLUFFY. The whole deal at this point really.

It eventually came to the winter season though, but it wasn't the fun winter, it was the miserable one. The wind was blowing and the rain was pounding walls, doors where nearly being knocked down.

You stayed with the cats though, no matter how harsh the weather. It was until the third week into this hell that some Heaven Official's realized you haven't been around.

While most didn't care, Mu Qing took it upon himself to look for you. That was when he found a barely standing shack, full of cats, and you.

"To think a goddess would waste her time tending to animals," he scoffed. You shot a glare at him, how could a martial god like him understand the superiority of cats?

What you didn't expect was him to stay with you and help take care of the cats. It seemed Mu Qing was cultured as well.

The both of you didn't talk much, but there was the mutual feeling that this was the start of a beautiful friendship.

honestly this took far too long to write

i unfortunately hit writers block and im still struggling considering im not proud of this work

so for the long wait and i hope to be much faster in the future

[whatwhywhowherewhen]

FengQing are talking about what It would be like to have a kid

Mu Qing decides the child should have hair that is warm-colored and soft like Feng Xin's hair, while Feng Xin chimes in that it should be long like Mu Qing's hair

Feng Xin says they should be graceful like Mu Qing, and Mu Qing replies they should be strong like Feng Xin

Mu Qing says they should be noble and hard-working like Feng Xin, and Feng Xin claims that being helpful and caring like Mu Qing would be better

They both agree that the child should be more peaceful and polite than either of them, so as to avoid fights and unnecessary resentment. They imagine the child wielding a sword and cultivating with great talent

"What would their nickname be?" ask Feng Xin

"since we're both gods, it'd only be right to call them a prince"

"ah! Our own little Crown Prince!"

They both freeze, looking mutually horrified, as they realize they've been fantasizing about raising Xie Lian. They refuse speak of That Incident ever again

[tosaveaforest]

Merits. Xie Lian was low on merits again, which was nothing new, he had grown used to make a living by collecting scraps in the mortalrealm, it was something he enjoyed as it meant he was able to wander around and explore, connect with people and learn about new traditions and cultures. The world was an everchanging place and Xie Lian loved it, even though it didn’t love him back. He spent the last centuries as a scrap collector, a humble Daoist, and more often than not he ended up in trouble, both accidentally causing it or unknowingly walking into it. But he had been fine. There wasn’t much he needed, if only a bamboo mat and a roof over his head. He was also fine with sleeping beneath the stars, but under certain weather conditions a roof was nice nevertheless.

And even after he ascended for the third time, his favorite place to be was still the mortal realm. Whenever he tried to talk to any of the other Heavenly Officials they pretended not to hear him or if they actually talked to him there were a lot of snarky remarks and mean comments. He was used to it, but that didn’t mean it did not sting from time to time, and there also were Feng Xin and Mu Qing; former friends and companions from his past, now nothing more than strangers. Yes, Xie Lian preferred staying away from the Heavenly business as far as possible, but that didn’t stop Ling Wen and the Heavenly Emperor himself from trying to get the Crown Prince to socialize, or working to get his hands on more merits to make his life a little easier.

“There is a haunted forest and you want me to go investigate because people keep being murdered there? And you believe it is connected to the missing forest guardian? Hmm.”

Xie Lian tilted his head to the side, looking like he was contemplating things when it was already obvious he had no chance to decline, not when it was Jun Wu who asked him to solve this very mystery. Eventually he nodded, accepting the scroll Ling Wen offered him, taking a short glance at it before storing it away in his sleeve.

“Thank you, Ling Wen. I will go to the Nature Palace to ask about the missing guardian and then I will be on my way. I will stay in touch.”

Well, he would try to, but they both knew Xie Lian’s spiritual energy was very limited and it was prone to running out whenever he was in desperate need of contacting Ling Wen in the communication array. The Crown Prince smiled gently and then turned around to leave, making his way over to the part of the Capital that inhabited the palace of the Rain master and the rest of the nature gods and goddesses.

Xie Lian was genuinely surprised when he approached the Nature Palace. While everything was kept in gold like the rest of the city, this part was also incredibly green, with soft grass and trees bearing different fruits, looking ready to be harvested despite it being early spring. He curiously glanced around, but once he entered the Nature Palace he stopped a moment, being in complete awe with what he saw.

The atmosphere in the Nature Palace was calm and relaxing and the Officials walking around did not seem hostile at all, they looked at him with equal curiosity. Xie Lian tried not to stare too much, as he had never seen Officials and guardians like these before; most of them had hooves and their heads were crowned with all different shapes of horns and antlers. The Crown Prince found them all to be rather mesmerizing. He cleared his throat and then slowly stepped forward, he had been away from the Heavenly Court for so long and did not know who was in charge of this Palace, so he approached a lady official with a pair of antlers on the side of her head.

“Greetings. I am here to investigate a matter by the Emperor’s order, it is about a missing guardian from this Palace? Can you tell me more about that?”