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Stunned, Xie Lian turned his head to look. At the end of the long street stood a black clad warrior, and in his hand gripped that long black sword.
Wu Ming?
Xie Lian had given him the order beforehand to have him walk away while Xie Lian activated the human face disease, so why would he appear here in this place at this time?
Xie Lian couldn’t figure out what was going on and what the black clad warrior was doing here, but after being stunned for a moment, he immediately charged towards him running as he shouted,
“WAIT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? DONT TOUCH THAT! GIVE ME BACK THE SWORD!”
The black clad warrior seemed to have heard his voice and looked up slightly. Xie Lian couldn’t see his real face, and only saw that mask with a drawn smile. However, a strange feeling came to him.
He felt, beneath the mask of that black clad warrior, he was smiling for real.
However, that feeling was fleeting. Enourmous black torrent and the screaming tides mixed together to form a tempest, and it gathered over, swallowing that black clad warrior whole in an instant.
In that moment, Xie Lian heard a heart-wrenching, blood curdling scream.
—
“Do you know who that ghost is?” White No-Face asked.
“…A, a soul of the dead from the battlefield?” Xie Lian tried.
“Yes.” White No-Face replied, “But at the same time, he was also your very last believer in the world. Now, he’s no more.”
…Believer?
Did he actually still have a believer in this world?
—
“A god like you really is quite pathetic and laughable. And to your believer, he’s even more pathetic and laughable to the extreme.”
“…”
When he was mocking Xie Lian earlier, Xie Lian had no reaction, but when he heard this creature so condescendingly comment on how his believer was pathetic and laughable, it was as if Xie Lian was jolted awake by a stabbing sword, and an uncontrollable rage rolled up.
“HOW DARE YOU MOCK HIM!!!”
Xie Lian wanted to spit at him with everything he’s got, but even breathing was a difficulty. White No-Face flipped his hand and opened it, and within his palm another cry-smiling mask appeared,
“Now, let us start over!”
🤍🎭
Faint chatter… the sound of wet drops hitting something above but never quite touching where it wanted. Something about… helping someone? A sword?
Who won’t be able to get away?
It was getting hard to breath… this energy- did not feel right. Something was gravely wrong…
A ringing sound close by- then an explosion of voice boomed out.
“IT’S COMING!!!”
Xie Lian’s eyes snapped open, his head shooting up to look at the sky. Human faces were rolling with black clouds before descending rapidly, aggressively. Surging down like black shooting stars.
The human face disease was coming!
Again?
Xie Lian felt himself, felt his body, then felt the hat atop his head that sheltered him.
Did he just have a glimpse into the future? Or a maniacal fit of imaginary delusion?
Xie Lian didn’t have all that time to think as he saw the people bolting, locking themselves up in houses, and some going to grab the black…
Sword!
Xie Lian stood up quickly, already moving towards the crowd, to tell them that the sword was his. That he could fix everything—
It wasn’t stuck in the ground.
“Wh..where’s the sword? WHO TOOK IT??”
Xie Lian didn’t get an answer, since everyone was running for their lives. Xie Lian almost covered his ears from the shrieking and wailing the faces exclaimed.
Xie Lian watched as the resentment spirits caught up to the living, entering every pore, slowly melding into their bodies.
Xie Lian went mad trying to drive them away. But without his sword he was as useless as the mud he stood on. Bringing back bad memories- the village was now a place full of screaming, helpless running, and chaos.
Xie Lian gritted his teeth, noticing White No-face standing closeby, jeering unceasingly, watching it all.
It made him furious and anxious.
Furious because his creature was happy. History was repeating itself and this creature was going to get exactly what he wanted, even when Xie Lian fought so damn hard to defy the thing!
Anxious, because where was his ghost soldier?
Xie Lian spear his arms out wide, white robes bellowing in the strong wind and swoosh of resentful spirits attacking.
“HEY—!”
Xie Lian was going to save atleast someone!
“COME TO ME!”
The spirits naturally knew Xie Lian, being the one to orchestrate all of this. They were drawn to him, and here he was, a willing sacrifice.
The spirits dove right for him. Let’s see how White No-face likes his ‘protege’ when hes nothing but mangled flesh!
Xie Lian stared, starting to zone out. His heart was thumping wildly in his chest as if he might have a heart attack before they reached him. He didn’t know what would happen, but the rush was all but thrilling.
God, he really was broken.
You want me to feel sorry for myself?
WELL I WON’T!!!
I WILL NEVER!!!
Xie Lian opened his arms wider, like a bird ready to take off.
He was ready.
He was ready to take off.
The black tides surrounded Xie Lian, scooping him up into their deep waves of restentment. A spirit wailed as it passed through his body. In an instant, it was as if Xie Lian’s heart had frozen and his body shuddered. Soon after, a second one came, then a third one…
The spirits were like sharp blades. Striking through him over and over again…
Ha… this was quite familiar.
But just as he faced it once- he didn’t have a choice but to stay put. But this time he did! He had a choice and he was standing by it. He has FREE WILL! And he will USE IT!
It had only been a few hundred of them, he had stood his ground for a bit so far, but he knew there would be so much more. If the bloated black cloud had anything to say about it.
Xie Lian closed his eyes, preparing to take on the flaming fury of all the resentful spirits by his own powers.
He’d do it. So no one else had to suffer from his decision.
This time, he was going to suffer his own decisions.
And he was fine with that.
…
..
.
Xie Lian took a breath. Nothing… was happening. At first they were all going through him a second at a time. Now it had completely stopped.
Confused, Xie Lian opened his eyes. What gives? To his surprise, the black tide that covered Heaven and earth surrounding him had vanished.
Since, they had all transformed into rolling black currents, and sucked away to a different direction!
What the fuck!?
Stunned, Xie Lian turned his head to look. At the end of the long street stood a black clad warrior, and in his hand gripped the long black sword.
No.
Wu Ming?
Xie Lian had.. given him the order to get out of here whilst he unleashed the human face disease. What reason could the ghost possibly have for showing up now?
Snapping out of his shock, Xie Lian darted towards Wu Ming, boots sinking into the mud but it didn’t dare to slow him down.
“WAIT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? DON’T TOUCH THAT! GIVE ME BACK THE SWORD!”
The black clad warrior seemed to have heard his voice and looked up slightly. Xie Lian couldn’t see his real face, and only saw that mask with the drawn smile. However; a strange feeling came to him.
He felt, beneath the mask of that black clad warrior, he was smiling for real.
However, that feeling was fleeting. The black torrents and screaming tides made quicker work swallowing the black clad warrior whole.
In that moment, Xie Lian heard a heart-wrenching, blood curdling scream.
He seems to have heard this voice from somewhere before. He must’ve heard this voice somewhere before!
Painful. So painful like he was feeling the same agony; so painful it was a fate worse than death.
So painful he fell heavily to the ground on his knees, hugging his head as he screamed along too.
“AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!”
After several moments- silence slowly crept into the atmosphere, as if unsure.
Xie Lian gradually dropped the hands that were hugging his head.
Slightly dazed, he looked up and scanned the surroundings. And all around laid a ground covered with people, most unconscious. But all the resentful spirits entangling them had vanished.
What had happened to the human face disease?
To himself?
To…
Taking one staggering step towards where the black clad warrior had been standing moments prior- laid the black sword on the ground, next to it, a tiny, small white flower.
He knelt down and picked both items up.
He was… fine.
“Ah.”
Turning around, Xie Lian’s pupils dilated at the sight of White No-Face.
Giggling.
“What are you laughing about?”
As if he didn’t know already…
“Do you know who that ghost is?” White No-Face asked.
“…A, a soul of the dead from the battlefield.” Xie Lian deadpanned.
“Yes.” White No-Face replied, “But at the same time, he was also your very last believer in the world. Now, he’s no more.”
…Believer?
Did he actually still have a believer in this world?
Even so, that last part still stumped him.
—
“A god like you really is quite pathetic and laughable. And to your believer, he’s even more pathetic and laughable to the extreme.”
“…”
When he was mocking Xie Lian earlier, Xie Lian had no reaction, but when he heard this creature so condescendingly comment on how his believer was pathetic and laughable, it was as if Xie Lian was jolted awake by a stabbing sword, and an uncontrollable rage rolled up.
“HOW DARE YOU MOCK HIM!!!”
Xie Lian wanted to spit at him with everything he’s got, but even breathing was a difficulty. White No-Face flipped his hand and opened it, and within his palm another cry-smiling mask appeared,
“Now, let us start over!”
🤍🎭
Faint chatter… the sound of wet drops hitting something above but never quite touching where it wanted. Something about… helping someone? A sword?
Who won’t be able to get away?
It was getting hard to breath… this energy- did not feel right. Something was gravely wrong…
A ringing sound close by- then an explosion of voice boomed out.
“IT’S COMING!!!”
Xie Lian’s eyes snapped open, his head shooting up to look at the sky. Human faces were rolling with black clouds before descending rapidly, aggressively. Surging down like black shooting stars.
The human face disease was coming!
Again?
Xie Lian felt himself, felt his body, then felt the hat atop his head that sheltered him.
Again.
Rising to his feet, Xie Lian peered around intensely. People were screaming, bolting in all directions opposite of the resentful spirits trying to overtake their bodies- hiding in houses or already writhing on the ground in agony.
Xie Lian’s head hurt, his lips crooked awkwardly in a smile of disbelief.
This was not happening.
Was he living a continuous nightmare?
Or had he truly gone back into time.
His gaze drifted to the crowd of people running in the same direction. Oh yeah.. there was something about a..
Sword!!
Xie Lian sprinted, almost tripping over himself as he pushed through the crowd, reaching his hand out—
To grab onto nothing.
The sword was gone.
Just like last time.
And Wu Ming had it.
“Where is Wu Ming?!”
Xie Lian looked around panicked. He needed to find the black clad soldier. This was real! and everything that he saw was going to happen.
Everything he went through.
Not taking a second to even think about how this was happening, he did not want to relive this. Finding Wu Ming should be crucial. But what about all the people already being affected?
If Xie Lian leaves, they’ll be vulnerable and it might be too late to coax the sprits to himself instead.
But if he doesn’t go to find Wu Ming- then the ghost will be consumed and disappear forever!
Still.. getting that sword was as best chance as he could take.
Xie Lian apologizes in his head- before running off to the outskirts to look for Wu Ming, leaving behind the helpless people.
Now, Xie Lian isn’t sure where Wu Ming is. He never told the ghost any specific location to retreat to for safety.
Xie Lian was thinking he might be at the old temple they started at. But it was quite far… so not a likely chance of that.
None of the resentful spirits were coming for him. Busying themselves with the more vulnerable people in the village.
Xie Lian continues walking for a mile or two. There was nothing. He sought to check the forest since it was nearby.
“Wu Ming? Wu Ming! Are you here? Give me back the sword…”
Xie Lian calls out, rounding the trees and looking under rocks. It was quiet.
Xie Lian was getting farther from the village.. he comes out to a cliffside, peering below it. It’s nothing but vast emptiness. Not a single life form in sight.
Xie Lian sighs, standing up and thinking this might’ve been a waste, or he he gone in the wrong direction. Well…nothing else to do he turns back.
This won’t stop him from sacrificing himself.
If someone didn’t beat him to it.
Up in the sky, the black torrents pile up and up, rolling dangerously with lurking resentment.
Xie Lian watched as about a thousand plummet down all in one direction.
All towards one person.
“NO!!”
Xie Lian’s voice cracks as he breaks into a full run. His robes blow around him furiously as he bolts back to the village.
Seeing the thick black clouds flurrying all around the figure- Xie Lian doesn’t stop for a moment in sprinting right towards it, throwing himself into it to wrap his arms around Wu Ming.
“STOP!!”
Xie Lian squeezes, gripping the sword and trying to tug it away. He can’t see anything and he feels the spirits equally piercing him too.
Then something is wriggling from his grip and shoving him away.
Xie Lian stumbles, hitting the ground just as that scream echos.
“AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!”
And that scream was him too.
Xie Lian bites his tongue, springing right up to capture the ghost into his arms again.
White explodes in Xie Lian’s vision at once.
After a brief moment for Xie Lian to gather his bearings- the ringing in his ear clears and is met with silence.
Xie Lian rubs his eyes, sitting up to open them and survey the area. It’s the same scene as before… nobody is hurt- just unconscious. Xie Lian checks his own body seeing that nothing is out of the ordinary. So the resentful spirits didn’t consume him…
Next to him, the black sword lays. And in his lap, the same color as his robes is a tiny, small white flower.
Xie Lian frowns, exhaustion evident in his eyes. Picking up the flower gently between his fingers, he stares down at it solemnly.
The human face disease was no more.
And neither was his…
Giggling.
Xie Lian is about one second away from grabbing this sword and slicing his own throat wide open.
Sighing heavily, Xie Lian stands up on wobbly legs to turn around and glare at White No-Face.
“And what the fuck could you be laughing about?”
Xie Lian asks, but he already knows. So why is he still asking? to stick to the script?
Do you know who that ghost is?” White No-Face asked.
“He was a ghost from the Xianle battle field!” Xie Lian spits. “But he was also—“
“Yes.” White No-Face interrupted, “But at the same time, he was also your very last believer in the world. Now, he’s no more.”
“…”
His very last believer in the world.
Xie Lian wanted to know why.
—
“A god like you really is quite pathetic and laughable. And to your believer, he’s even more pathetic and laughable to the extreme.”
“…”
When he was mocking Xie Lian earlier, Xie Lian had no reaction, but when he heard this creature so condescendingly comment on how his believer was pathetic and laughable, it was as if Xie Lian was jolted awake by a stabbing sword, and an uncontrollable rage rolled up.
“HOW DARE YOU MOCK HIM!!!”
Xie Lian wanted to spit at him with everything he’s got, but even breathing was a difficulty. White No-Face flipped his hand and opened it, and within his palm another cry-smiling mask appeared,
“Now, let us start over!”
🤍🎭
Faint chatter… the sound of wet drops hitting something above but never quite touching where it wanted. Something about… helping someone? A sword?
Who won’t be able to get away?
It was getting hard to breath… this energy- did not feel right. Something was gravely wrong…
A ringing sound close by- then an explosion of voice boomed out.
“IT’S COMING!!!”
Xie Lian’s eyes snapped open, his head shooting up to look at the sky. Human faces were rolling with black clouds before descending rapidly, aggressively. Surging down like black shooting stars.
The human face disease was coming!
Again?
Xie Lian felt himself, felt his body, then felt the hat atop his head that sheltered him.
Wu Ming.
In an instant, Xie Lian is up on his feet, turning around and running in the opposite direction. He runs to where he had traveled to get here in the first place.
If Wu Ming truly is his last believer in the world- he wants to cherish that. He wants to know why on earth Wu Ming would still belive in a trash god like himself. It didn’t make sense- who was the nameless soldier?
Xie Lian felt the burn of his lungs and the ache of his injury as he continued to run. But Pain was something he did not fear any longer. He openly accepted it and pushed through it, with it.
Several miles- and falling and getting back up.. Xie Lian saw him.
Wu Ming was walking calmly in the direction of the village, holding the black sword with both hands close to him.
“Ha— ha, Wu Ming!”
Xie Lian staggered over as quickly as possible.
“Your highness?—“
Xie Lian fell into Wu Ming’s arms.
The sword was easily discarded without a second thought.
“You…”
Xie Lian stared up at Wu Ming. At the mask. He reached up to move it aside—
Wu Ming gently caught Xie Lian’s wrist, stopping him.
“What’s wrong, Your highness? Have you thought differently of releasing the disease?”
…
“I did… I did it already. They’re all molding with the people of the village.”
Xie Lian gasped for air through his words, fighting his trembling hold on Wu Ming.
“Tell me…”
Xie Lian pressed his teeth together.
“You believe in me?”
…
Wu Ming gazed silently at Xie Lian for what felt like forever. But they had time- not really…
“I believe in your highness, always. I am forever your most devoted believer.”
Xie Lian let out a breath of relief upon hearing that. He adjusted himself up right, using Wu Ming’s shoulders as support.
“I’m so glad…”
Xie Lian smiled.
Then he didn’t.
“I’ll be needing this.”
He bent down and picked up the sword.
Wu Ming watched.
“…You should go back to the temple.”
Xie Lian nodded to him, before walking away to the village. He had done the right thing… there’d be no more losing anyone important on his watch.
Walking a bit more ahead, he lifts up the sword to the dark sky.
“COME AND GET ME!!!”
Xie Lian yells. He sees the clouds swirling and booming. Then like last time- faces appear in the waves. Shrieking, wailing.
“I’LL TAKE YOU ALL!”
Xie Lian shouts, opening his arms as an inviting gesture. He’s grateful to have had someone—
“Your HIGHNESS!”
A young male’s voice yells from behind. Xie Lian barley has time to turn around before the sword is being snatched away.
Xie Lian’s eye twitches.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”
“What are you doing???”
Xie Lian grows furious. The spirits were becoming restless. They’d descend any minute on the one who held the sword and commanded them.
“Give me that BACK!”
Xie Lian reaches for the sword but Wu Ming jumps back.
“I won’t let you destroy yourself!”
“So it’s okay for you to?? Don’t be so utterly ridiculous! I want to do this!”
“And I don’t want you to!”
Xie Lian saw the resentful spirits shoot down. Wu Ming still held the sword and no matter how hard Xie Lian tried he couldn’t get it back.
“No— NO! You say you’re my most devoted believer! The last in the world EVER! So WHY ARE YOU LEAVING?!”
It was Xie Lian’s turns to shriek, jaw aching as he grabbed the blade of the sword letting it cut into his own hand.
The dark torrent surrounded Wu Ming and Xie Lian.
“I’d rather disappear than have no one to believe in if his highness were to die. But don’t worry…”
Wu Ming reaches out, hesitating to touch..
“As long as you are still on this earth, I will come back. But if you are gone, my dispersal would be in vain.”
Xie Lian shook his head
“DON’T! Don’t LEAVE! You have to— stay! You have to stay! That creature will come back— I need you to STAY!”
Xie Lian wails, eyes straining as his throat tightens, threatening to choke out a sob.
He can tell, Wu Ming was smiling underneath the mask.
“Why? Why me? WHY DO YOU BELIEVE IN ME AFTER EVERYTHING I’VE DONE??”
“Ahh— AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!”
The resentful spirits don’t have time for pathetic last words.
They consume Wu Ming once more.
Xie Lian feels like his heart is being crushed inside his chest.
Come back to his senses,
Silence,
The human face disease was no more.
Gaze falling on the spot where Wu Ming was,
Nothing.
Black sword,
Tiny, small white flower.
Giggling.
Xie Lian snatches up the sword, whipping around to face White No-Face.
“How did you know I was here and not in the village?”
White No-Face hummed delightfully,
“I always have my eyes on you, little student. Quite the change in events with how you were able to switch the spirits motion.”
Xie Lian grits his teeth.
Do you know who that ghost is?” White No-Face asked.
Xie Lian swung his sword upon the mention.
White No-Face caught it, flinging it off into the distance, wrapping a hand around Xie Lian’s throat.
“he was your very last believer in the world. Now, he’s no more.”
“…”
White No-Face forced Xie Lian back, then let go to make polite space between them.
“A god like you really is quite pathetic and laughable. And to your believer, he’s even more pathetic and laughable to the extreme.”
“…”
When he was mocking Xie Lian earlier, Xie Lian had no reaction, but when he heard this creature so condescendingly comment on how his believer was pathetic and laughable, it was as if Xie Lian was jolted awake by a stabbing sword, and an uncontrollable rage rolled up.
“HOW DARE YOU MOCK HIM!!!”
Xie Lian wanted to spit at him with everything he’s got, but even breathing was a difficulty. White No-Face flipped his hand and opened it, and within his palm another cry-smiling mask appeared,
“Now, let us start—“
Xie Lian lunged and swiped the mask from White No-Face’s hand.
He held it with both of his hands
And broke it in half.
Snap.
🤍🎭
—thing was gravely wrong…
A ringing sound close by- then an explosion of voice boomed out.
“IT’S COMING!!!”
Xie Lian’s eyes snapped open, his head shooting up to look at the sky. Human faces were rolling with black clouds before descending rapidly, aggressively. Surging down like black shooting stars.
The human face disease was coming!
Again?
Xie Lian felt himself, felt his body, then felt the hat atop his head that sheltered him.
“…”
Xie Lian’s eyes droop and he wonders how his hair hasn’t turned grey yet. Taking off the hat, he places it beside him.
This wasn’t working.
Sliding down the pit, ditch, crater, whatever. Xie Lian stares down at the ‘Xie Lian shaped hole’ in the pit.
Hearing the people panicking, resentful spirits shrieking, wailing, people running, hiding, looking for the sword- Xie Lian adjusted himself lying down in the perfectly him shaped hole.
His face did not become wet, the rain had stopped, covered by the thick rolls of dark clouds.
If Wu Ming didn’t see Xie Lian, would he not go along with it? But if Xie Lian did not do anything- he’d allow the human face disease to spread to all these innocent folk.
He can’t give up. He can’t self-destruct.
That’s exactly what White No-Face wants.
Xie Lian was stuck reliving the human face disease, he knew that much. No matter how he tried to stop it- it wouldn’t. They needed someone.
And it always had to be Wu Ming.
Well… it didn’t.
Xie Lian could allow the human face disease to consume all the village people instead.
But he also didn’t want that…
So, choose Wu Ming to live or choose many more people who are.. logically- more important than some feeble ghost.
But those people did not believe in him. Those people would not believe in him even after Wu Ming sacrifices himself.
The people of Xianle believed in him.
The people of Yong’an did not.
Xie Lian helped them anyway.
And look how that turned out.
…
But if..
The village people screamed in agony as the resentful spirits clashed with them.
Wu Ming doesn’t sacrifice himself..
Horrors and despair wrecked the place.
White No-Face would come for the soldier.
Xie Lian drags himself from the pit and back into the chaos.
He watches. If he could just let it play out- maybe the loop would stop. If he could accept the fact that it needs to go to the people…
Amongst the chaos, Xie Lian spots Wu Ming. In the same spot across the area, holding the black sword up high.
What was he doing?
“WU MING! I’m OKAY! DON’T DO IT!”
Xie Lian yells, leaning forward but not quite taking a step.
Xie Lian feels that the soldier is smiling underneath that mask.
Black torrents surround Wu Ming, enveloping him, drowning him in their resentment.
Xie Lian does nothing.
It all plays out again.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!”
Silence.
The human face disease was no more.
No Wu Ming. Black sword, Tiny, small white flower.
Giggling.
Do you know who that ghost is?” White No-Face asked.
“…”
“he was your very last believer in the world. Now, he’s no more.”
“…”
“A god like you really is quite pathetic and laughable. And to your believer, he’s even more pathetic and laughable to the extreme.”
“…”
When he was mocking Xie Lian earlier, Xie Lian had no reaction, but when he heard this creature so condescendingly comment on how his believer was pathetic and laughable, Xie Lian… had no reaction.
“…”
White No-Face flipped his hand and opened it, and within his palm another cry-smiling mask appeared,
“Now, let us start over!”
🤍🎭
then an explosion of voice boomed out.
“IT’S COMING!!!”
Xie Lian’s eyes snapped open, his head shooting up to look at the sky. Human faces were rolling with black clouds before descending rapidly, aggressively. Surging down like black shooting stars.
The human face disease was coming!
Again?
Xie Lian felt himself, felt his body, then felt the hat atop his head that sheltered him.
Xie Lian flew into a rage.
He abruptly stood up, ignoring the dizzying feeling his head got from standing too fast. He ripped off the bamboo hat and broke it over his knee, letting the scraps of it fall to the muddy ground.
Kindness? Forgiveness? Another chance? All it took was one person- well Xie Lian wanted Wu Ming to be that one person.
He climbed out of the pit, dirt smearing all over his white funeral robes. His eyes were a dull golden, they’d lost their shine a long time ago.
The black sword was not there.
“White No-FACE! Come here NOW! YOU FUCKER!!!”
Xie Lian yelled out at the sky. The resentful spirits didn’t hear his calling this time and continued to go for the helpless individuals.
Xie Lian was livid.
“COME OUT AND FACE ME YOU COWARD!” He spat on the ground.
His eyes were red and raw, bloodshot. He was so done with all of this.
Giggling.
Xie Lian whips around so fast he’s dizzy for a couple seconds. But his gaze locks onto the White calamity.
“You. You fucking monster— what do you want?! Where is Wu Ming!”
Xie Lian stomps right up to him, grabbing the creature’s robes.
“WHAT IS HAPPENING???”
White No-Face’s mask smiles wider, mock sympathy oozing out.
“Oh, your highness, I have no idea what you could be talking about. It’s understandable for anyone to go crazy when in a situation like yours.”
The creature hums, tilting its head.
“Only you have the power to break free.”
Xie Lian stares, enraged, in delirium.
“Well, HOW??!”
White-No Face doesn’t respond. His head angling behind Xie Lian.
Xie Lian blinks. He glances back.
Wu Ming stood at the end of the street, holding the black sword.
Xie Lian releases Bai Wuxian to bolt towards Wu Ming, who’s already seen him coming from a mile away.
“GIVE ME BACK THE SWORD!”
The resentful spirits all begin to pour down on Wu Ming as he holds the sword up higher. They’re screaming, relentless, no doubt will tear the ghost to bits in moments.
Xie Lian grabs onto the sword in an instant, letting the sharpness of it push into his flesh and bleed over the edge.
“Your highness—!?”
“No! Shut up! Shut your fucking mouth! I won’t let you do this to yourself again!—“
“Again—? You know about—“
Xie Lian tried tugging the sword away but Wu Ming held on.
“Know about what? You keep sacrificing yourself to these spirits! Every single fucking time they always do— and HE WINS! Well I swear… NOT THIS TIME!”
Wu Ming shook, “just let me do this for you, Dianxia!!”
“Do what for me?! You’re not doing shit! I’m not losing you!! Not my last believer!”
He cries, golden eyes shimmering with unshed tears as he pulls the sword- and Wu Ming towards his chest.
The spirits are still rushing over, now indecisive about who to go to. The black waves and ripples of energy waft around them like a tornado.
“YOUR HIGHNESS!!!”
“WU MING!”
Xie Lian spits, vision blurring at the sides but he holds on. They tug back and forth, tussle and struggle but neither is backing down.
The resentful spirits start passing into Wu Ming’s body.
“Let GO— I’m supposed to be the one to perish!”
Wu Ming all but practically hugs the sword, “No!! Thats now how you’re story is going to end, Dianxia. I SWEAR! I will RETURN TO YOUR SIDE AGAIN! You have to trust me.”
Xie Lian looks at Wu Ming. He wishes he could look into the ghosts eyes, but that mask…
That Mask.
“Trust you?” He sneers,
“Do you SEE YOURSELF? YOU’RE HIDEOUS!”
Xie Lian feels like the smile had completely disappeared on the mask and behind it.
The ghost stilled for a moment, Xie Lian immediately tried yanking the sword away, but he held on.
“…it’s okay, your highness. Everything will be okay.” His tone matured as he stood up straight and tall.
Xie Lian’s pupils shrunk to tiny specks. Everything would be okay? Was that joke? Hahaaha…
He didn’t see black anymore, he was red.
“Give… me.. THE SWORD!”
Xie Lian lunged, letting go of the sword to grab Wu Ming’s robes to pull him closer, with his other hand he reaches out to grasp the mask—
He feels something hard in the bunch of robes he’s gripping against Wu Ming’s chest-
The mask is swept aside, the two making eye contact for the first time. A delicate handsome face with one dark eye, the other covered by bandages.
Time slows down.
… it was beautiful. Xie Lian could stare at it for..
Wait… was this.. the soldier from?…—
Gripping the object in his hands too hard- he thinks he breaks it.
It was Wu Ming then-!
Dust.
The ghost dissipated right infront of his eyes.
The smiling mask and sword was all that clattered to the ground at the end of it all.
And suddenly the resentful spirits went up and away, back into the sky.
So if they didn’t consume Wu Ming… what.. who did?
Xie Lian slowly looks down at his hand. Opening it up to reveal a crushed ring in his palm, his pale skin stained with grimy grey ashes…
Ashes.
A sudden breeze blew through, scattering the ashes out of his palm and into this cold, dark world. Xie Lian’s long hair blew behind his neck, bangs falling out of place and obscuring half his vision.
…
No…
Wu Ming?
“Hehheehhahahaheehe…”
Xie Lian’s throat tightened as he looked over his shoulder.
White No-Face stood there, covering the mouth of his crying-smiling mask with his sleeve, as if to excuse himself from giggling.
Xie Lian’s entire world was spinning.
White No-Face gently took his own mask, removing it from his face. It didn’t matter because there was a replica right under it.
Xie Lian watched as White No-Face lowered his arm, flipping his hand over to reveal the mask to Xie Lian.
“Now, let us start over.”
Xie Lian closed his eyes, allowing the light to take him, as it did, he would see Wu Ming again soon.
🤍🎭
—explosion of voice boomed out.
“IT’S COMING!!!”
Xie Lian’s eyes snapped open, his head shooting up to look at the sky. Human faces were rolling with black clouds before descending rapidly, aggressively. Surging down like black shooting stars.
The human face disease was coming!
Again?
Xie Lian felt himself, felt his body, then felt the hat atop his head that sheltered him.
Again!!!
Xie Lian stood right up, dropping the hat, discarding it into the mud as he hurriedly climbed out of the ditch he was in. Turning swiftly, he runs out of the town and towards the old temple he knew Wu Ming was at.
Suddenly the cold air whipping through him didn’t feel so numb. It was freezing and he loved it. Just like he loved…
Throwing off his outer robe, it flew behind him and away, his white boots sploshing in the brown dirt and puddles. Who cared? White was meant to never stay pure!
Xie Lian’s smile grew as he approached the temple, only a mile or so away, he couldn’t see the ghost coming out…
Perhaps he was early.
Xie Lian sprinted over, chest heavy as he entered the temple, “Wu Ming??—“
It was empty.
What? Where.. was Wu Ming?
Xie Lian searched the whole temple, turning everything over, even pushing his statue far out of the way. There was still no Wu Ming.
This is where the ghost should be…
Xie Lian opened his palm to gaze down at it. He ran his fingers over it, feeling the skin that was not so smooth as it once was.
Little specks of…
Giggling.
Xie Lian’s eyes widened as the world around him turned dark. Turning around.. the only thing shining through the dark were those white funeral robes and crying-smiling mask.
White No-Face…?
“Silly child, such a silly silly child you are.”
White No-Face spun around, “Don’t you know once a ghosts ashes are dispersed, they disappear from this world forever?”
That smile on the mask grew supstansiouly.
“Your last believer doesn’t exist in this world anymore.”
Your last believer doesn’t exist in this world anymore.
Your last believer doesn’t exist in this world anymore.
Xie Lian opens his mouth but nothing comes out.
How did—
“How did I know you did that? Well… I see everything. I’m always watching you, Xianle.”
Xie Lian crumbled to his knees in utter disbelief.
“I’ve been alive longer than you were even a thought of star dust in the universe. I have experienced all, grew my power to the max.”
“Or atleast… that’s why i thought.”
White No-Face laughed hysterically.
“It’s you and me, Xianle.”
“What?…”
“Stuck in this time loop that I created for us.”
As if Xie Lian’s whole world hadn’t already shattered.
“I intended to keep it like this until you allowed the Human Face disease to run its course throughout Yong’an.”
“But… oh,”
White No-Face knelt down to take Xie Lian into his arms, patting Xie Lian’s head.
“This is the closest you’ve ever felt to me. Do you understand, Xianle? I’m going to keep you in this loop forever…”
“..wha—wh..but..I..Wu—Wu Ming?—“
Xie Lian’s voice went hoarse.
White No-Face was grinning under the mask.
“You still don’t recall? You dissipated him.”
Xie Lian’s face twisted and wrinkled in anguish, his palms were sweating, body trembling all over.
White No-Face held him tighter.
“There there, dear. Everything will be okay.”
Xie Lian peered into the distance.
His brain had finally caught up to him, as well. Remembering back to the previous time..
When Wu Ming had dissipated the mask and black sword clattered to the empty ground.
But there was no little white flower.