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Xie Lian doesn't know whether to laugh or cry, but decides on a weak smile as he walks down the demonic mayhem that is Ghost City.
Trust him to be on the road in Zhongyuan, even though he said last year that he would barricade himself in a cave if he had to.
No, he'd been wandering a lonely street when the sun set and suddenly ghostly wolves barged out between the trees, howling an eery and bloody song while trying to hunt him down.
They chased him for so long, until he took the left side of a crossroad and promptly found himself in a forest shrouded in fog, without a way back.
Good news was, that the entrance into the ghost realm must've closed right after he ran in and he lost his pursuers.
It didn't take long afterwards to find Ghost City.
Despite being aware of the dangers he entered the city, not being able to withstand the allure of something new and exciting.
That's how he finds himself dodging gruesome butcheries and revealing prostitutes, all excited to see fresh meat.
He's only just shaken off the last of them when a blood curdling scream pierces the night and cuts through the excited chatter of the throngs of ghosts.
Just ahead is a tall and elegant building, stairs leading up to the entrance.
And down those stairs runs a man, as if afraid for his life.
Xie Lian wonders if he should help and doesn't notice the masses of ghosts and demons retreat back into the various shops and buildings.
By now the man has reached the bottom of the stairs and falls to his knees, scrambling forward to flee the place.
A single butterfly flutters through the doors up the stairs and trails down until it reaches the trembling man.
“I'm sorry, please let me go,” he sobs and tries to crawl away but a low chuckle makes him freeze.
Where only just the butterfly left the building, a tall figure of a man follows.
Every step he takes down the stairs is accompanied by the tinkling of silver jewellery.
Xie Lian has the startling thought that this man looks very handsome, with his pale face framed by black hair and with all the jewellery.
The man down the stairs scrambles into a kowtow, wailing.
“Please forgive me, Hua Chengzhu, I learned my lesson, please spare my life!”
The ghost's, no, Hua Cheng's face contorts into a sneer and he lets out a mocking laugh.
“You dared to make a bet for all your business rivals to drop dead,” he says coldly.
“You lost, so now your life is forfeit.”
Xie Lian, only a few metres away, sucks in a breath.
This must be the gambling den he's heard whispers about only a little while ago.
The noise of a blade being drawn pulls him back to the scene.
And isn't that a very beautiful sabre, he thinks.
One moment, the man who's lost a bet scrambles to his feet and turns around to flee and in the other the ghost flashes his sabre.
Xie Lian feels a hot splash of blood on his cheeks and wonders how it could fly into his direction– and then another and another splash hits his head.
And then an outright downpour starts, swallowing the noise of a cleanly cleaved apart body hitting the street.
A sound of dismay leaves Xie Lians mouth as he sees his only recently purchased new robes getting redder and redder.
He should've known! An old granny gifted them to him, as a thank you for fixing her roof.
It didn't even have any holes, of course his bad luck had to strike soon!
Hua Cheng himself isn't hit by the blood of rain and he dispassionately scoffs at the dead body. He moves to turn around, when his eyes catch on Xie Lian.
He freezes.
Xie Lian stares with wide eyes at Hua Cheng and the ghost stares wide eyed back.
He opens his mouth but no sound comes out and Xie Lian tilts his head a little in confusion at the behaviour.
Hua Cheng's surprise is gone in a heartbeat and suddenly he flicks open a red umbrella. With quick steps he's at his side, shielding him from any more falling blood and surprised Xie Lian looks up at the ghost.
“Thank you, ah,” Xie Lian says and tries to wipe blood from his face.
He fails, only smearing the blood around because his sleeve is bloody too.
Ah, those robes are probably a lost cause, he thinks a little sadly. He liked them.
Hua Cheng also looks him over and sighs.
“Gege, I'm sorry,” he says and Xie Lian blushes slightly.
“I didn't mean for you to get caught in my rain. Please allow me to make it right?”
Xie Lian waves his hands.
“No worries, it's alright! I can just find a river and wash them–”
Hua Cheng gently clasps one of his waving hands into his own.
“All rivers here are cursed, I'm afraid you will end up with bloody and cursed, sentient robes if you do that.
Please let me help?” he asks in a very sincere tone and Xie Lian deflates a little.
“Alright, thank you, Hua Cheng,” he says with an embarrassed smile.
Hua Cheng still hasn't let go of his hand or his umbrella and leads him to a nearby door. Only there he lets go of the hand to conjure two crimson red dice. He throws them into the air, catches them again and then opens the door.
Behind the door waits a very lavish room and Xie Lian's eyebrows shoot up.
“Actually, I would prefer it if Gege called me San Lang?”
Hua Cheng has his back to Xie Lian and his posture seems easy enough, but he sounds almost hopeful with his question.
And maybe following this very powerful ghost will prove dangerous and lead to another painful death.
…but what is Xie Lian if not curious?
“Alright, San Lang. Lead the way.”
He hopes Hua Cheng will be a friend.