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Part 2 of Wu Ming/WuLian crumbs
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2022-04-02
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1,169
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cold fire

Summary:

Xie Lian gets banished for the second time, a small ghost fire lingers by his side.

Notes:

I had this idea in the corner of my mind for a while: Wu Ming lingering as a ghost fire and making Xie Lian company. That's it.
Enjoy!
PS.: English is not my first language

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

“Dianxia?”

Xie Lian heard the echoing, distant voice, and thought it was a dream. It wouldn’t be the first time.

"Dianxia, where are you? I can’t go, I can’t go..."

Xie Lian blinked, dissipating the image of a masked soldier dressed in black from the back of his eyelids. He was curled up inside a cave, his outer robe spread under him to make his sleep a little less uncomfortable against the hard, cold stone. It was the only place he found to sleep that night. Only a few months ago, this lack of comfort would have left him unable to sleep.

But things changed, and so did he.

Xie Lian squinted his eyes. Was it morning already? Why was there light?

But he soon realized the light wasn't made of pinkish hues from dawn, but an eerie green glow. The light flickered, like a candle struggling against the wind, unstable and weak.

Xie Lian recognized that kind of glow. He sat up, promptly awakened, and stared at the source of the light.

It was the smallest ghost fire he had ever seen. A wisp of flickering green light so fragile it looked like it would vanish at any moment.

Then, Xie Lian remembered it had been calling for him before. The voice was small, easy to mistake for the faint whisper of the breeze outside, but it had been haunting his dreams for the last few days. 

How could Xie Lian forget the voice of his last believer?

His eyes widened and his trembling hands reached out, cupping that brittle ghost fire, feeling no warmth from it at all. Xie Lian's voice trembled as he whispered:

"Wu Ming?"

❀⊱┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄⊰❀

It was unbelievable. Even Bai Wuxiang had said Wu Ming dissipated for good.

His soul was in a deplorable state, but not even that should be possible after being so cruelly torn apart by resentful spirits. Just how strong was this person's attachment to the world of living?

He didn't have a fully formed conscience yet, only whispering disconnected sentences — mostly Xie Lian's old title. Did he want revenge for being responsible for his death — twice already? Xie Lian would completely understand that.

It didn't matter. Whether Wu Ming would want revenge, or to have another wish fulfilled, or to simply be sent to reincarnate, Xie Lian would take care of that fragile spirit with his life.

It was the least he could do.

Having a task, an objective to achieve, helped Xie Lian's state of mind. Ever since he asked Jun Wu to be banished again a few weeks ago, he had been feeling utterly lost .

Luckily, there was a rogue cultivator passing by the nearby city the next day. Xie Lian exchanged the most valuable things he gathered scrap-collecting the last few days for a spirit-trapping bag, then kept the weak soul inside. That way Wu Ming would be in a safer place until he was stronger.

Every day, Xie Lian tried whatever helpful knowledge he had from his cultivation training that didn’t spend lots of spiritual power — which he didn’t have much to spare. But, in the end, there was not much to do except to wait.

Every night, Xie Lian laid down on whatever surface he could find to sleep and hugged that small pouch against his chest like a lifeline. He spoke to the spirit inside in soft tones, “It’s okay, you will be fine. Does it hurt? To patch yourself together? I’m sorry. I’m so, so, so sorry, Wu Ming.”

Xie Lian’s luck had been sealed by one of his shackles, but he took a fierce care of the spirit-trapping bag. He got robbed and lost his things so many times, but he always kept Wu Ming very close.

His efforts paid off, in the end; one day, Xie Lian carefully untied the knots that kept the pouch closed and was surprised by a properly formed ghost fire shyly peeking out.

Xie Lian widened his eyes. “Wu Ming?”

“Dianxia?” His voice still wasn’t as strong as it had been when he was a savage ghost, but it was similar to how it was when Xie Lian freed him from the lantern during Zhongyuan Festival so long ago. “What happened?”

“You…” Xie Lian swallowed the knot on his throat. Guilt was so heavy on his chest that he could barely breathe. “You almost… dispersed. Taking all those resentful spirits. Really, don’t you have any sense of self-preservation?”

His tone was supposed to be reprimanding, but his voice trembled so much it lost its desired effect. Wu Ming floated out of the bag and hesitantly approached his face. “Why are you crying? Dianxia, please, don’t cry…”

“No one is crying, don’t worry.” Xie Lian sniffed. “I found you and took care of you. I’m guessing you latched yourself to me back then.”

“I don’t remember… but it makes sense. There is no other place I would choose to be.”

Xie Lian crumpled the fabric of his robes with his tightened fists. “Now, what do you want to do? I swear I will do my best to fulfill your wish.”

Wu Ming wobbled up and down for a moment, silent. “Eh? Dianxia, don’t you remember? I have a beloved still in this world.”

Xie Lian was lost for a moment. “Of course— Of course I remember, it’s just… Don’t you resent me? After what I did to you?”

“I could never!” Wu Ming’s answer was immediate and resolute. “I took on those souls because I chose to! To die in battle for you is my greatest honor.”

“How can you still believe that?” Xie Lian cupped the ghost fire with trembling hands, blinking tears away. “You are such a silly ghost…”

He brought Wu Ming closer to his face, and the ghost fire hesitantly touched his forehead. Xie Lian could almost imagine the outline of a young man in black kneeling in front of him, leaning his masked face down — Wu Ming was a bit taller than him even when they were both sitting down.

“It’s your choice, okay? If you don’t want revenge on me… what do you want me to do? Can I find your beloved for you?”

“I… There is no need, Dianxia. I don’t want them to feel troubled.”

“All right. Then, what else can I do?”

“If it’s not asking too much… Can this one still accompany you?”

Xie Lian thought of how lonely he had felt since… since what felt like forever. He thought of the little bit of warmth that talking to the sleeping ghost inside the spirit-trapping bag brought in the cold nights.

Still so selfish, Xie Lian.

He smiled. “I would feel honored.”

❀⊱┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄┄⊰❀

There was a rumor going around the Heavenly Court.

About a disgraced god, followed faithfully by a weak ghost fire.

Heavenly officials soon lost interest, too preoccupied with some other new gossip emerging.

But they were forced to remember, when the same disgraced god ascended again — this time, followed faithfully by a crimson ghost king.

Notes:

And then, Wu Ming evolves like a pokemon gets strong enough to take human form, finally able to give his dianxia all the hugs he deserves and eventually kick the heavenly officials’ asses.
About Wu Ming becoming The Crimson Ghost King®: according to Mei Nianqing in chapter 219, a Supreme can become a Supreme anywhere, and would become a Supreme sooner or later. So. Yeah. I'll leave at that.
Thank you for reading, over and out!

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