Eve to the Last Day of Autumn; An Unscrupulous Substitution

"…"

Although Xie Lian had certainly lived his days as someone who was impotent, but "pretending not to have the thing" and "truly losing the thing forever" were still fundamentally different. Startled, a thin sheen of cold sweat covered his body as he shouted.

"DODGE!"

Just as the words left his lips, that blade was pulled out of the ground, and Xie Lian instantly took that chance to move forward.

Immediately after, he pulled at Shi Qingxuan and cried, "Watch out!"

The blade plunged down again and slashed right before Shi Qingxuan. It practically pierced down right next to his head, and if it wasn't for Xie Lian pulling back him in time, he would've been nailed to the ground on the spot.

He exclaimed, terrified, "That was close! How did you know that was where it would come down?"

"Don't know! I guessed!" Xie Lian said.

It was pure instinct. When it came to killing aura, he was trained to the point of being able to react without thinking. Soon after, a second, a third, and a fourth blade all came plunging down; each of the sharp, shining blades blocking the three's way out and way back. BOOM! A huge explosion soon followed, and violent tremors came from above, causing dust and debris to rain down.

"They've opened fire from above!"

Each booming sound was becoming louder and louder, and the tremors were also growing each time, obviously coming closer and closer. There were sharp blades blocking them from the front and the back, and they were all keen and sharp young treasured swords; Fangxin was a senior, so who knew if it could fight them head-on. Ming Yi took out the crescent-moon-shaped shovel from who knows where and started digging at the side wall in that tiny space with great difficulty. Next to him, Shi Qingxuan was so exasperated he was going to spew his soul out.

"Ming-xiong, can you even do this? Ming- xiong, can you hurry up? It's all your fault for not using this spiritual device for so long, you gotta be more intimate with your devices, alright? Look how stiff and rusty it's become!!!"

To be fair, having it become rusty was forgivable. After all, there really weren't any other heavenly officials besides Xie Lian who could do something like carry a shovel in and out, everywhere, every day, without feeling ashamed.

Veins popped on Ming Yi's forehead. "SHUT UP!!!"

Xie Lian hastily intervened. "Don't be mad, don't be mad. The tunnel's dug through!"

Sure enough, the moment Ming Yi put pressure on his shovel, a hole opened up before them. With the shovel raised, he burrowed crazily ahead while Shi Qingxuan, in the middle, cheered him on crazily. As the only non- crazy person, Xie Lian brought up the rear. That treasured shovel of the Earth Master was indeed magical, and with only a few strokes, a new tunnel of over ten meters was dug. After a while, when he looked back, the hole behind was gradually closing up on its own, but above the place where they were just trapped, a thin light leaked down.

Xie Lian immediately spoke up, "It's going to drill through!"

Instantly Ming Yi picked up his pace and burrowed even crazier. Suddenly, his movements stopped and he looked up. Xie Lian reacted the same way, because they both sensed it: it was completely silent above them, without any movement. It should be an empty palace above.

Since their tunnel was already discovered, they should get out first before trying anything else.

Ming Yi changed his direction and started digging up.

"Are you two sure this place really has no one that will see us when we get out???"

"Haven't heard anything. Unless they're sleeping!" Ming Yi replied.

Of course, heavenly officials usually didn't need to sleep, nevermind sleeping in the middle of the day, so that possibility shouldn't exist. Yet who knew: the moment Ming Yi's shovel broke through and the three emerged, poking their three heads out, inhaling the fresh air, before they even exhaled, across from them they saw a bed, and upon the bed was a youth with his arms and legs sprawled out, soundly asleep.

Xie Lian: "???"

There actually were heavenly officials who slept in the middle of the day???

Roused by movement, that youth rolled over and sat up, his curly hair a bird's nest from his slumber. He furrowed his brows and scratched his head, watching the three heads from across his bed with sleepy eyes, looking like he couldn't understand why such things would appear in his palace. The three pretended like nothing was the matter and hastily crawled out of the hole.

However, just as Shi Qingxuan almost crawled out, he suddenly cried out, and Xie Lian looked back. There was a hand that had caught his ankle.

The owner of that hand was Pei Ming. Even if he was in a tunnel, he was still courteous.

"I was just gonna ask, which little mouse was burrowing under my palace? Qingxuan, why are you out and about? Where are you going? You know how your brother gets when he's mad, hurry back before he finds out."

Ruoye flew out and struck that hand away.

Pei Ming hopped out and said, "Your highness, Lord Earth Master, do you two have nothing better to do? Encouraging the Wind Master to run away from home for no reason is quite preposterous, isn't it?"

"Lord Wind Master might be Lord Water Master's younger brother, but he has still been a heavenly official for hundreds of years. General Pei, please don't speak as if he is no more than three," Xie Lian said. "If we're going to talk about reason, to imprison a heavenly colleague for no reason, no matter how you spin it, it's still Lord Water Master who's acting preposterous, wouldn't you say?"

If his guess wasn't wrong, then the Wind Master really couldn't stay in the Upper Court any longer. Quan Yizhen was still on his bed, watching them with a dazed look, seemingly still confused by the whole situation.

Pei Ming raised his sword and said darkly, "Qi Ying, stop looking and come give me a hand. Apprehend them first."

After some contemplation, Quan Yizhen actually decided to assist.

He leapt down, picked up the bed he was just lying on, and hurled it at Pei Ming. He did indeed give a hand, only, it was to help Xie Lian and company. That bed crashed into the unsuspecting Pei Ming, and he was flabbergasted.

"QI YING!!! WHY DID YOU HIT ME????"

Quan Yizhen waved his hand at Xie Lian, probably gesturing for them to hurry and leave. Xie Lian and company were stunned for a moment before hastily making their way out.

Maybe Shi Qingxuan was injured and didn't have the energy, but he only jogged a few steps before his face turned pale, so Xie Lian came around to help pull him up. However, Ming Yi pulled him over directly, and carried him up on his back. Xie Lian placed his hand on the door, dug out two dice and turned back to that youth.

"Thanks so much!"

Quan Yizhen was still bashing at Pei Ming wildly, his moves viciously aggressive without method. If it wasn't for Pei Ming's own skills, if it was anyone else who was taking this beating, their heads would've been covered in blood by now.

Pei Ming's veins were popping all over, and he yelled, "GUARDS! STOP THEM!!!"

Yet before he called for guards, Xie Lian had already tossed out the dice, opened the door, and charged out. He shut the door behind him, slipping the heck out of heaven. However, what he had never expected was after he closed the door and turned around, what appeared before him was a Hua Cheng with one leg up, stepping on a new donation box. His upper body was bare, and he was wiping at his sweat.

"…"

"…"

"…"

One little rundown Puqi Shrine couldn't possibly hold this many prominent figures, and Xie Lian felt like he was going to suffocate. There was also one possessed outside, howling unsuspectingly, creating noise.

"GUZI~~ COME GIVE DADDY'S LEGS A LIL' MASSAGE CHOP~~"

It was a moment before Hua Cheng tossed aside the E'ming he was using to shave wood, and raised his brows slightly.

"…?"

The colour of his skin and the curves of his bare upper half were exceedingly beautiful, extremely eye-catching, so much so that Xie Lian's eyes were going to fall out of their sockets. Even if he didn't actually see anything properly, he still couldn't stop the blood rushing to his head, making his eyes go dark. Xie Lian fumbled and tumbled to his side and opened his arms wide, blocking Ming Yi and Shi Qingxuan's view.

"CLOSE YOUR EYES! QUICK! CLOSE YOUR EYES!"

The faces of the other two stiffened and they watched them with an odd look.

Hua Cheng placed his hand on Xie Lian's shoulder and said, laughing, "…Gege. Why are you nervous?"

Only then did Xie Lian snap out of it. That's right. What was he all nervous for? Hua Cheng wasn't a lady, so what if he was labouring half-naked?

Still, he didn't drop his arms, doing his best to cover Hua Cheng completely. "Just…just put on some clothes."

Hua Cheng shrugged. "Hm. As gege wishes."

Then, he calmly grabbed for a shirt, slowly putting it on, taking his time.

Watching him look all nonchalant and languid, Shi Qingxuan said awkwardly, "Um, sorry for the intrusion. I didn't think you guys…hahaha, you two are pretty much, hahaha. Anyway, just, hahaha."

"…"

"My Lord, if you have something to say then just say it, so if there's any misunderstanding I can explain. Don't use hahaha instead…" Xie Lian said.

They were pressed for time, and Pei Ming might pursue them all the way over here, so they couldn't stay in Puqi Shrine for long. Ming Yi put down Shi Qingxuan and started drawing the Distance-Shortening array on the ground. Xie Lian was just about to ask where they were going when he suddenly heard Hua Cheng sigh behind him.

Xie Lian remembered his advice regarding not getting close to the Wind Master and company, and turned to him in spite of himself. "Sorry about all this, San Lang."

Hua Cheng had already finished dressing himself, and replied, "I already knew you wouldn't just stand back and watch."

After a pause, he then smiled. "But, why should gege apologize to me? You remembered what I said a few days ago, but did you forget something else I told you?"

Xie Lian was slightly taken aback, wondering, "What?"

Suddenly, he remembered.

That night at the Green Ghost's lair, the thing Hua Cheng told him: "Just keep doing what you want to do."

After having remembered, Xie Lian blinked, not knowing what else to say, only knowing he suddenly wanted to do something for Hua Cheng. Yet at the moment, there really wasn't anything he could do for him.

Feeling a little discouraged, he suddenly noticed the collar of Hua Cheng's red robes, and said, "Wait!"

Then he rushed up to help Hua Cheng fix his collar. Turns out, the collar of the robe Hua Cheng randomly put on wasn't properly flipped out. Having fixed it, Xie Lian inspected him for a moment before smiling.

"There."

Hua Cheng smiled too. "Thanks."

A small voice inside Xie Lian echoed, "I'm the one who should be thanking you."

On the other side, the other two seemed to not be able to look over anymore; even the circle drawn under Ming Yi's hand didn't seem so round any longer. Once he finished drawing the array and the door was opened again, Xie Lian had thought he would see some gloomy cave or some spectacular palace. Unexpectedly, outside the door was a large expanse of farming fields. Far in the distance were lush green bamboo groves and verdant mountains, and farmers were scattered throughout the fields labouring. There was also a large, glistening, buff ox plowing.

This scenery almost made Xie Lian think they were still at Puqi Village, and he was stunned for a moment. Ming Yi had already walked out with Shi Qingxuan on his back. Hua Cheng also stepped out before him.

The four walked along the ridge of the fields, and maybe it was all in his mind, but that black ox seemed to be staring at them the entire way. After walking for a bit, they found a small cottage. After the four entered and sat down, Shi Qingxuan blew out a long breath.

"Are we not fleeing anymore?" Xie Lian asked. "What if General Pei chases us here?"

Hua Cheng looked at the outside for a while, focusing especially on that black ox, before closing the door. He said nonchalantly, "Don't worry. He wouldn't dare mess with the master of this land. There's no benefit to it. Even the Water Tyrant won't be able to do anything rash."

Xie Lian contemplated, but still spoke up. "San Lang, this whole thing is a mess, and probably implicates too much in the Heavenly Court. It may be best if you don't hang around."

However, Hua Cheng only chuckled. "What goes on in the Upper Court has nothing to do with me. I'm only sticking around with you to sightsee."

Suddenly, Shi Qingxuan spoke: "You should all stop hanging around."

The other three in the cottage all looked to him, and Shi Qingxuan continued, "His highness is right. This whole thing is a mess, and there's too many involved. I'm going to stay shut up here. My friends, there's no need to help any more. Let's end it here."

However, Xie Lian said slowly, "Lord Wind Master, whether things end here isn't up to you. It's up to Lord Water Master and the Reverend of Empty Words."

Hearing this, Shi Qingxuan's face stiffened.

Xie Lian added, "Lord Wind Master, I have a question, I hope you won't mind."

"What question?"

"Does the Reverend of Empty Words have something held over yours and Lord Water Master's heads?"

Shi Qingxuan's face was paling.

That night at the Terrace of Cascading Wine, Xie Lian had already set up an extremely secure defense array. As long as Shi Qingxuan didn't open the door to leave, he wouldn't be harmed. Yet, why did he take the initiative to open the door?

Unless someone connected to his private communication array and the first thing that came out of their mouth was blackmail, giving Shi Qingxuan no room to fight back nor raise alarm, and he could only follow as instructed.

Xie Lian sat down by the table. "I'm more inclined to think it's blackmail against Lord Water Master, because I believe you hadn't initially known whatever has transpired."

Which was why his reaction was so strong after having learned, generating such a sharp rejection against the Upper Court, such that he would rather descend into the mortal realm to become a drifting vagabond than to stay in the heavens as a god.

Ming Yi frowned. "What blackmail?"

Shi Qingxuan wasn't a gullible fool; if he fell victim to someone and lost his powers, the normal reaction should've been rage, an drive to investigate the truth, or lashing out at the culprit. Yet, he did none of that. There was rage, but it wasn't directed against the Reverend of Empty Words, but against his own older brother. And to the others, he only said "this ends here".

This was all entirely abnormal. Unless it was under one special case:

Namely, that Shi Qingxuan's ascension itself was abnormal in the first place!

To go against the heavens and alter fate, to raise someone who couldn't ascend upon the divine altar, was outrageously audacious, a treacherous heresy. Xie Lian had never heard of something like this. If this was true and it got out, it would for sure cause a tidal wave. Just think: everyone wished to ascend, but if anyone could use such a method, the laws of the universe would be rendered irrelevant, completely worthless.

This conjecture might be absurd, but the more he thought, the more it made sense. Ever since Shi Qingxuan was born, the Reverend of Empty Words had clung onto him, and the only way to escape it was to ascend. Miraculously, he ascended. In a mere few years, a pair of blood brothers ascended one after the other; what a beautiful tale. But also, what a coincidence.

Xie Lian never wanted to question the reality of Shi Qingxuan's ascension, but if the Wind Master had ascended naturally, how could his powers be so easily sucked dry? If it was so easy for a monster to turn a god into a human, who knows how many heavenly officials would have already fallen victim.

Unless Shi Qingxuan was mortal in the first place. Unless, when the Wind Master ascended, the Water Master did something underhanded.

Aggressively using rare treasures and devices to help the path of cultivation wasn't out of line. To ascend by way of massacre and battle in times of power change within the mortal realm wasn't out of line either. After all, the fate of the world was thus; honour must be accompanied by blood, and after ascension, all was wiped clean. However, some things would be out of line. If a mortal, or some heavenly official, did something underhanded, conducted rituals of evil to harm the lives of others for the sake of having someone ascend, that would be a completely different matter.

Xie Lian asked in a low voice, "Lord Wind Master, the night you ascended, was it the eve of the last day of Autumn?"

A brief moment later, Shi Qingxuan inhaled deeply. "Yes."

After a pause, Shi Qingxuan continued, "I remembered that day when we were in the town of Fu Gu. Eve of the last day of Autumn, wasn't that the same day I ascended? I had wanted to ask you guys about it at first, to see if that might be a clue, or if it was connected somehow. Maybe it was a coincidence? But it felt hollow, so I ended up not asking. But now you know if it's related."

It's related. Of course, it's very related.

Why did the Reverend of Empty Words choose that day to first send Shi Qingxuan to the town of Fu Gu to watch that Bloody Fire Social parade, then bring him to the Terrace of Cascading Wine to maim? Of course it wouldn't go through all that pain for no reason. Xie Lian connected the timing and the two places together: many years ago, on the eve of the last day of Autumn, in the town of Fu Gu, a mortal named Scholar He broke down and murdered countless many.

Also, on the eve of the last day of Autumn, at the Terrace of Cascading Wine, Shi Qingxuan ascended.

With this, it was more than obvious what the Reverend of Empty Words wanted to say. Shi Qingxuan, your ascension had everything to do with the death of the hero of this Bloody Fire Social!

That dreadful but logical conjecture Xie Lian formulated was this:

After Shi Wudu ascended, in order to have Shi Qingxuan escape the Reverend of Empty Words, he secretly found a mortal who matched all the requirements and conducted an evil ritual, making that man take Shi Qingxuan's misfortune in his place. That man was no doubt the impoverished, exceptionally clever, yet somehow endlessly unlucky to the point where his entire family was ruined, Scholar He.

Scholar He took on Shi Qingxuan's name, and the Reverend of Empty Words was deceived. Then, that meant his original fate was taken by Shi Qingxuan. That same night, before the last day of Autumn, one experienced the taste of hell on earth; the other, under immensely powerful protection, successfully ascended.

Yet the fate of those two were originally completely opposite!