Chapter 24

"Woah." Hsien Lian whispered, looking around. It was night, and they were back at the Human Realm. Well, not in the present. It was a replay of what happened, as if a camera was showing them everything it had recorded. But only they were in the film.

"You can't change the past, so don't yell or try to fight. It's not going to work." Wei Shu warns. She shuts the book, walking along the small village. It wasn't a secluded temple, instead it was in the middle of the city. It was obviously in use by many different people around. She smiles, walking up to the temple. "Wow, Tao Wu's temples are a lot nicer than I expected." Wei Shu complimented, stepping into the temple.

"So, will they be able to see us?" Chen Guo asked hesitantly. Wei Shu lightly shakes her head, her hairs smoothly swinging from each side. "No, you do not have to worry. Everything will play out the exact-"

A figure in a white and gold hanfu, with a crown on his head, stepped into the temple calmly. Hsien Lian gasped quietly. He was a god. A god was doing all of this. But why? Why would a god wreak havoc on the Human Realm? Why would he do such a thing? His face was covered by a veil, sheer lace blocking it from view. He didn't even have the nerve to hide himself.

Fang Hai stepped in front of the man, walking backwards as the other god walked forward. Fang Hai grabbed the thin veil, lifting it over his head. He froze in place, dropping his hand. THe god continued walking closer, walking through Fang Hai's body. When they saw him, he looked like he had seen a ghost.

"It is Tao Wu."

No way.

Hsien Lian ran past him and towards the man. However, he froze when the other started talking. "You have someone?" Chen Guo, Fang Hai, and Wei Shu ran up to listen as well. A dark ghost's smog flooded the room for a moment, blinding them, before a young girl stood before Tao Wu.

Da Hong.

She brushed off her crimson red hanfu, smiling brightly at Tao Wu. He didn't smile back. This must have been where she ran off to. Tao Wu had to have been there when she did leave so that she could. He walked up to her, lifting her chin. Her eyes raised with his. He lowered his head, giving her a long and loving kiss. "She was right." Chen Guo mumbled, crossing his arms. She was. Tao Wu backed out of the kiss first. He looked around, humming.

"You love me, right?" Da Hong asked. Tao Wu's eyes didn't go to her, instead scanning the room. "Of course. Why should you question something like that?" He asks her. Da Hong stays silent, looking at the floor in shame. "Well, these men. They said they know you, but…. You never talked about me."

Tao Wu softly chuckled before abruptly stopping. "If I talk about a ghost in a positive light in Heaven, the others will think I'm crazy. I can't have that. You remember why I'm doing this right?" Da Hong softly nods. "To get me into Heaven." She whispers.

Hsien Lian thought for a moment. That wasn't possible. Once a ghost becomes a ghost, it is impossible for a ghost to become a god. To be one of Heaven's Deity is to have no vengefulness. But to be a ghost is to have all. That means that Tao Wu was making it up. He should know the rules of gods and ghosts. Tao Wu was lying to her.

He doesn't want her, he just wants to use her.

Was he doing that to all the ghosts?

"Exactly. And we do that by stealing others' compassion." Tao Wu said affirmatively, turning back to Da Hong, who was still hesitant. "Are you sure this will work?" Da Hong mumbled, the girl still looking down at her fingers. Tao Wu huffed. "Enough. Where are the people you have killed?" Tao Wu demanded.

Da Hong only shook her head. "I didn't kill any-" "You didn't kill any?? Do you want to go back to the Ghost Realm and stay there forever?" His hands glowed a bright yellow, his eyes doing the same. Hsien Lian froze.

Da Hong finally looked up at him and gasped. She seemed like such an intimidating ghost when Hsien Lian first saw her. Black smog at the tips of her feet, her dark hair waving in the wind. But now, compared to Tao Wu, she was just a wet leaf on the ground, ready to get stepped on. A golden orb was held in one of his hands. His aura, a deep gold that showed his status. He glared at Da Hong, his eyes going right through her.

With a flash of lightning Tao Wu jumped into the air with a supernatural force, Air stirred as the orb was launched right at the young girl, white flooding the room. Hsien Lian placed a hand over his eyes until the blinding lightly subdued.

Tao Wu stood there, breathless. His hanfu laid on the dusted ground, dirt slowly creeping onto him, creating a brown stain at the edge of his hanfu. The entire room stood still, expecting something to happen, but nothing did. He sighed, turning around. He kept his head up as he walked towards the door, opening to reveal the dark night in Choujiang Town, a soft breeze flowing into the temple. And just like that, it was over.

And just like that, Da Hong was dead.

Wei Shu shook her head, clicking her tongue. "What a disaster. When I recommended him, he was such a young and sweet god. But something must have happened. I now question what." Wei Shu voices. Fang Hai looks around the temple. He shakes his head lightly. "It's really Tao Wu. He did all of this, just to get attention?"

Chen Guo kicks the ground, dust slowly floating up. "We must assume that is why. What should we do?" Hsien Lian didn't have an answer. His idol, his mentor, the one he looked up to the most, really did all of this? He saw it with his own two eyes. Saw how terrible Tao Wu could really be. It terrorized him.

"Hsien Lian?"

"We must go to Heaven to warn Chen Guo and Jing Mei. Then try to catch him in the act." Hsien Lian instructed. Wei SHu smiles and shakes her head. "I will tell Jing Mei and Chao Ju about him. You three should go back to the Human Realm." Wei Shu advises. Hsien Lian softly nods his head. "So we must know where he is going next so we can find him." Chen Guo turns to Hsien Lian and smiles. "If it's a clone, we just have to hurt it. Clones can't take a lot of damage before it calls on the host. Tao Wu. We'll fight him until his aura is shattered."

Chen Guo clicks his tongue. "The last time I got notified about a death in the East was yesterday back in the Human Realm. Quzhou City. Specifically the KeCheng District." Chen Guo wrapped his hands behind his back. "Tao Wu will most likely be going there shortly."

"So, that is where we'll be going as well."