Chapter 37

The two had hitched a ride, kind of. It was stolen, but once again Yao Wang could use the word kinda to his advantage. Technically it wasn't stolen, since it was on the side of the road once the path opened up to some fields. The problem would be that it wasn't on the side of the road, instead on it. And someone was pulling the wagon, it wasn't just stationary.

But the ride was a ride, making both XingYing and Yao Wang get on. It was filled with different foods and wheat. Big barrels of hay for animals. Yao Wang smiled, feeling the small bumps on the road, shaking his vision. He remembered when he was only a small child, taking rides along the countryside when he was poor. He remembered hiding in the hay, acting like he wasn't there.

"Why are you smiling?" XingYing questioned, his voice obviously curious. Over the past day or two, Yao Wang has found out a lot about the young man. Surprisingly. Though the facts about him were so scattered, so chaotic. Yet Yao Wang was ok with that. "Just, thinking. Why are you smiling?" Yao Wang countered.

Something else that had been happening recently, XingYing's smiles. They were rare and short, but it was happening. Yao Wang remembered each one. He smiled at each one, pointed it out to the other. Yao Wang thinks it's familiarity, but XingYing says he's doing it to shut Yao Wang up. Yao Wang doesn't believe it.

XingYing quickly stops smiling, hiding his face with his hair.

The Ghost King laid back, onto the hay, looking up at the sky. He crossed one leg over the other, his hands above his head. Yao Wang looks up at the sky, before back down at XingYing. "I have a question." Yao Wang starts. XingYing's dark red eyes glance at him, before back at the sky. "Don't tell me, I don't want to hear it." Yao Wang rolls his eyes.

"Why do you have a leather glove over your hand?" Yao Wang asks politely. XingYing stayed quiet, pulling his sleeve over the glove. He looks away from Yao Wang, instead looking out to the field. Yao Wang sighs, scooting slightly closer. "I'll ask you another question." Yao Wang compromises. The wagon is left silent, only the sound of the horses and the wooden wheels falling into their ears.

"You said you liked to learn, right? Well, what's something that you're learning right now?"

XingYing didn't answer. He continued to look away from Yao Wang, not saying a word. Yao Wang sighed. Maybe he should have asked that question. It was something Yao Wang wanted to know, but maybe he had gone too far. Yao Wang laid in the hay, looking back towards the forest. The forest didn't move fast, instead a slow, rhythmic beat. Everything was-

A piece of glass floats towards Yao Wang. Not a piece of glass, a butterfly. The butterfly seemed made out of clear glass or ice, practically invisible to the eye. It's detailing was a beautiful gray shimmer. Small shimmered dots appeared on the outer wings as it floated through the air. Yao Wang carefully placed his hand up, the butterfly instantly settlin on his palm. It was weightless, light as a feather, yet clear as diamonds.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Yao Wang smiles when he hears XingYing's voice. He hums softly. "Very." He answered. The butterfly launched itself off Yao Wang's hand, floating to XingYing. The ghost cups the living creature with both it's palms, keeping it there for a moment, before opening his hands, the butterfly having disappeared.

Yao Wang stared in wonder. "Where did it go?" Yao Wang asked, looking up at XingYing, who smiled. He held out his other hand, showing a silver ring, with a silver butterfly on top. Yao Wang leaned in closer, not touching the ring, but just looking. "Sadly, I can't make them go far distances, but it's something I have been learning about."

Yao Wang hums, understanding. "It's still very incredible." Yao Wang compliments, looking up to smile at XingYing, who only hums. He pulls his hand back, sighing. Yao Wang sucks in a breath, thinking. "Well, since you showed me something cool. Can I show you something?"Yao Wang asks. XingYing slightly shrugs, but Yao Wag takes that as a yes.

He pulls up his sleeves, showing XingYing his wrists. A flower is one both sides. Two different species, painted in a light blue line. It was one line, continuous and simple. "It's where my aura is. Most gods have their aura in hidden places. My name is right here." Yao Wang explained. That was the only way someone could tell if another is a god. Their aura mark stays there, no matter what they look like. Unless..

"The God Of The Flowers?" XingYing asks politely. He touches Yao Wang's hand, his gloved one painting over the line. "Yeah." Yao Wang says. XingYing hums, letting go of Yao Wang's hand. XingYing sighs, crossing his own "So, why are you here? It's obvious to see me, but why?" XingYin asks, sounding more official than ever.

Yao Wang sighs. "I'm here because I'm supposed to ask you why you're 'raining havoc on humans'. But, obviously you're not. The gods were worried that you were planning something." Yao Wang frowns. XingYing scoffs sarcastically, shaking his head. "I can't do anything with the Heavenly Deities on my back." He sighs.

"Well, I knew that you weren't doing anything bad. So they told me to go and ask you. So I did. And I know that you are obviously only doing this for good, which is nice. I didn't like how they think you're going to do something bad. They wanted to kill you XingYing. But I wouldn't let them." Yao Wang explained further.

XingYing sighed, turning over to Yao Wang. He had a sad but soft smile on his face. "Well thanks for helping me, Yao Wang." He thanks softly. Yao Wang shrugged. "I didn't really help you. Let's be honest, you could have fought all of them with a pinky." Yao Wang shrugs. XingYing laughs, shaking his head.

"Maybe, but still. Thank you."