Chapter 26

Chen Guo slid out his dao, swinging it back and forth. The ghost in front of the four boys laughed maliciously. She had a dark smile painted on her face, her aura dark and evil. Hsien Lian sighed. "Well, look who has decided to bring me a house warming gift!" She cheered, clapping her hands.

Fang Hai slid out his dao as well, pointing it directly at the ghost. "Who are you?" Fang Hai aske harshly, the outline of his dao glowing a dark blue.

They had been traveling all day, knowing that once they got to the temple they would have to fight a ghost. Though, being in that situation now, it was tiring. Hsien Lian just wanted to rest himself and his aura. All of them needed to rest.

They all knew the girl before them. No need to ask for her name. She was Lui Che's mother. Wang Zhi. She would recognise him, she should at least. Hsien Lian was practically Emperor Liu Che's adopted son. Not that she liked that fact. She hated him, well hated the fact that her son let him into the palace. She wanted someone who was of blood, not a stray. Hsien Lian stepped up, bowing to her.

"Grandmother." He greeted me. She stared at him with black, ghostly eyes. Did she not recognise him? Gods tended to look a little different from their human selves. More handsome or beautiful in some way. But Hsien Lian looked very similar to His human self. "Lian Hsien." She muttered bitterly, walking closer to him. Hsien Lian stayed bowing for a moment, before standing up.

"Wang Zhi, it is nice to see you again." Hsien Lian smiled. She must have hated him a lot more than he thought. Hsien Lian always treated the Empress with respect, but she never did the same. However, to the rest of the world, the rest of China, she was a sweet woman. Giving people food for the poor, allowing people to help the sick. Yet it seemed that her anger towards him was enough to turn her into a ghost.

"How are you alive?" She asked, her hands glowed a deep red, blood still stained. She killed someone. Ghosts show themselves as they did before they died. When she died, she had bloodied hands. Hsien Lian watched over the Han Dynasty until it fell, knowing everything that happened. So somehow, whoever she killed, it must have been in secret.

He felt someone grab his hand tightly, with a sharp turn he noticed XingYing. The boy only gave him a sharp nod, Hsien Lian nodding back. He turned back to Wang Zhi, who only stared at him with a harsh look. "I'm one of Heaven's Deities." He answered simply. Wang Zhi gasped, not expecting such an answer from him. Hsien Lian smiled.

"You can't be. You invaded my home. You hypnotized my son, and then became a god?! How! Tao Wu wouldn't lie to me. You lied your way to Heaven, LIED!" She yelled, a dark smog exploding from her hands, launching directly at Hsien Lian. XingYing pushed Hsien Lian out the way, stepping to the side, allowing the blast to pass them and go straight into the wall. The dark smog spread along the walls, disintegrating.

Wang Zhi's eyes weren't on Hsien Lian anymore, instead going straight to who pushed him. The ghost stood still, frozen. She stared at him like a statue, positioned in his direction. "You." She whispered. He saved Hsien Lian, so now she's going to attack XingYing? "XingYing, get behind me." Chen Guo voiced his grip on his dao strongly as he walked towards the ghost and XingYing. The young man didn't move.

Hsien Lian turned to the boy. He glared right back at the girl, his hands in tight fists. His teeth were clenched behind a thin frown. His hair hung slightly over his face, hiding the side away from Hsien Lian. He leaned forward slightly, his stance challenging. Was he going to fight the ghost. "XingYing-"

"Hit him again."

The ghost laughed, but soon it turned into wails. She was crying. Wang Zhi never cried, why is she crying now. Her voice multiplied all throughout the room, echoes from every corner. She fell to her knees, the sand floating into the air as she fell. The air inside the small shrine stopped, only her cries were heard. She leaned forward, her upper body flat to the ground as she cried.

She was bowing.

To XingYing.

The young man didn't seem convinced, though his challenging spirit quickly changed to a normal one when he turned to look at the three gods. "Are you going to kill her?" XingYing asked. Fang Hai turned to Hsien Lian and Chen Guo confused, the two only shrugging. Hsien Lian sighed, walking up to XingYing.

His hands glowed a light blue, shining. "Stand behind me." Hsien Lian said softly. XingYIng nodded, standing behind the god. "Xui, wrap her up." His words were soft, not challenging or harsh in any way. Hsien Lian held his arm out, his blue aura stretched into a rope, floating through the stilled air towards the girl. It whipped around her, tying her into a ball. It shined brightly, brighter than Fang Hai's and Chen Guo's, shimmering and glistening in the darker room.

"Please, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!" She begged, continuing to bow even though she was tied up. Hsien Lian turned around. "What is she talking about?" Hsien Lian asked worriedly. XingYing shrugged. "I don't know. I was just trying to protect you, but she started crying." XingYing seemed very confused himself. Hsien Lian sighed and nodded.

"Are we going to kill her?" Fang Hai asked, talking out of the silence. Chen Guo sighed, holding his dao as he woke up to the ghost. Her head was to the ground, her wails weary and soundful. He held his dao up, pointed to the top of the sky, glistening with orange. His arms swung down, his dao doing the same, guided to her neck.

And then the doors opened.