Crown Prince and Ghost King

Chapter 26

Everything was renewed and refreshed at the Heavenly Court, the white jaded capital polished to perfection from the tallest palace to the smallest pebble. Other than that, Xie Lian could see the streets, corridors and terraces were filled with increased security guards, more than he'd ever seen in his time as a heavenly official. They were probably appointed after Hua Cheng's intrusion, and for some reason the thought made him smile in amusement.

When he passed them, the guards sent him a look but didn't dare do more. Many other officials saw him and immediately stepped on the other side of the street, scurrying away without a single snarky remark about his person.

Others, for Xie Lian's surprise, instead of running away bowed at him, although not certainly out of respect but more out of fear for retribution.

It was still nice, for someone who lived his third ascension constantly ignored or ridiculed. It gave Xie Lian something to be comforted by.

It didn't take long for the Crown Prince to reach the place where the banquet was set; under the moon and in open air, surrounded by elegant fragrances that tickled the nose and lifted the spirit. An air of propitiousness, clouds of prosperity and blossoms flurried in the air like snow, giving way to entertainment and moon-watching. The same moon that in the mortal realm was small and blurry, up in the heavens was bright and immaculate, a giant jaded screen that stood but a close distance away, as if with only a few steps it could be caught.

An ethereal sight, one that could not be seen in the mortal realm.

Xie Lian had to admit he missed that view. From Ghost City it was impossible to see the moon, and the nights he spent in the mortal realms weren't comparable with that luminous closeness. Silver moonlight gathered on his jewelry and on his robes, almost making him glow, a gorgeous contrast with his dark hair and the pools of gold that were his eyes.

What would he have done, if Hua Cheng wasn't in his life by that point? Would he have attended in his shabby cultivator robes, with the precious bamboo hat he cherished tied on his back? No, he probably wouldn't have attended at all, a lowly god like the Scrap Immortal couldn't have possibly been invited to an event such as the Mid-Autumn Festival Banquet.

Well, there wasn't time for those thoughts.

Seated at the head of the banquet, clad in priceless robes, was of course Jun Wu. However, aside from his seat, there was a hidden machination to how the rest should be seated, a method to order and position. Sitting too up-front was naturally unwise, but sitting too far away was unwanted by the heavenly officials themselves.

Xie Lian didn't really care for those etiquettes, save for a single one: a god must be formally dressed for the Mid-Autumn Festival Banquet, meaning one better wear what one's divine statue looked like in the mortal realm.

Of course, Xie Lian didn't have a divine statue, as Qiandeng Temple wasn't exactly a conventional place of worship, but the robes he and Hua Cheng chose together were still fitting of his heavenly status. However, thanks to what happened the last time he was in the Heavenly Capital, Xie Lian figured it was better for him to sit somewhere more hidden away, if only to avoid further discussions with him as the topic.

Just as he found a random corner to sit, he looked up and saw Feng Xin walk his way.

Heading straight to his usual seat, Feng Xin stopped for a moment in front of Xie Lian, nodded slightly to imitate him, then it finally clicked and he turned back around: «What are you doing sitting here?».

And not "what are you doing here", even though he almost said it and bit his tongue just in time.

Of all the things, he didn't expect to see His Highness make an appearance for the banquet, following the disastrous reveal of his husband's identity and the quarrel with Lang QianQiu. Truth be told, Feng Xin still didn't recover from the demonstration of strength Xie Lian brought upon everybody.