Hua Cheng, however, merely grinned broadly as he received the bun, gave it a look, and waved it around in his hand. “I’ve claimed my prize.”
Seeing that he actually took it, Xie Lian didn’t know what to say. A good moment passed before he responded.
“It’s…cold. And maybe a little hard.”
“That’s okay. I don’t mind,” Hua Cheng said.
Such an answer left Xie Lian unable to respond, and since he had already said all he could, he turned around and headed toward the exit. Earlier, when the ghosts of the Gambler’s Den parted for him, it was simply because he was the first to go up, and that made him a brave warrior. Now, when they parted for him, their eyes were filled with admiration and curiosity.
As Xie Lian left, he could hear the ghosts behind him ask, “Chengzhu, Chengzhu, where are you headed now?”
Hua Cheng replied lazily, “I am in an agreeable mood today. To Paradise Manor.”
At his response, the hall erupted into festive cheers. Xie Lian couldn’t help taking another glance back. Hua Cheng had also turned around, still with that half-eaten bun in his hand. He gave it a playful toss, then casually took a bite out of it, his gaze locked on Xie Lian as he did so.
Xie Lian’s step faltered at the sight. For some reason, he suddenly felt that sticking around here a moment longer would be a very bad idea. He quickened his pace, running out and dragging Lang Qianqiu in tow.
The two left the Gambler’s Den and ran like madmen down a long stretch of the road, almost knocking over several food stalls along the way. Just when they had finally arrived at a quiet, far-removed alley, Shi Qingxuan popped up and reunited with them. Shi Qingxuan fanned himself with such vigor that his hair whirled wildly in the wind.
“That was close, so close. My god, that was so scary my face turned as white as those ghosts’。”
Xie Lian’s heart was racing too. Perhaps he ran too hard.
Lang Qianqiu spoke up. “Yeah, Lord Wind Master. Your face still seems very pale right now.”
Shi Qingxuan felt his face and smiled. “Is that so? Ha ha ha ha, this isn’t from fright, it’s just what I was born with—ahem! Qianqiu, you’re a martial god who watches over a territory, you know that, right? How could you act so rashly? We’re in the middle of the Ghost Realm here! If you were caught and exposed, the word going out would be that heavenly officials in disguise were infiltrating the Ghost Realm, disrupting the peace between the three realms with their bizarre behavior! How could we explain that to the Emperor?”
Lang Qianqiu hung his head obediently and admitted his wrongdoing. “I’m sorry. I was too rash earlier.” Then he raised his head. “But those gamblers were crazy. If that man had flipped the cup, whether he won or lost, the outcome would have been terrible. Either his rivals or his daughter would suffer the consequences. It was that anger that made me crush the cup.”
Shi Qingxuan chided, “Even so, you shouldn’t have jumped in by yourself, right?”
Lang Qianqiu blinked. “Then what should I have done, Lord Wind Master? If I didn’t charge in, no one else would have.”
His question was so genuine that Shi Qingxuan didn’t know how to respond. He tapped his fan lightly against his temple. “Well…”
Xie Lian smiled softly. “Forget it.”
Lang Qianqiu looked at him. Xie Lian continued, “I think that even if His Highness Tai Hua was caught, he wouldn’t have confessed his identity no matter how he was interrogated. But to prevent others from picking up any clues from your words, it would be best for Your Highness to be prudent and avoid capture going forward.”
Lang Qianqiu nodded. “Okay! I understand.”
Shi Qingxuan said, “All right, let’s not talk about this anymore. Oh, right, Your Highness…”
This “Your Highness” made both Xie Lian and Lang Qianqiu turn their heads at the same time, and Shi Qingxuan clarified, “Oh, I meant the elder.”
“…” Xie Lian rubbed his forehead a little dejectedly. Elder… All right, I am a little older, but not by that much. Why is it that when they talk about me, they always make it sound like I’m a grandpa?
Shi Qingxuan continued, “Your Highnesses, have you two met at the Palace of Divine Might? If not, let me introduce you. This is the Crown Prince of Yong’an, Lang Qianqiu, Martial God of the East. This is the Crown Prince of Xianle, Xie Lian, a heavenly official who collects…collects…collects great commendation from the Heavenly Emperor.”