As he spoke, Hua Cheng's eyes widened even more until he looked scared. He started shaking his head before Xie Lian had even finished. "No, listen to me. You have done nothing wrong. It's me who has disappointed you."

"What?" Xie Lian stopped short and tried to make sense of the words.

"I don't know!" To Xie Lian's embarrassment, it came out as a wail. "You have been angry with me, have you not? If I did anything, please just tell me, San Lang. I promise I won't do it again!"

Xie Lian wavered for some time before gathering up all his courage. "San Lang, you would tell me if I had done something wrong, wouldn't you?"

To his surprise, Hua Cheng turned to look at him with wide eyes. "What do you mean? Dianxia, why would you think that you have done something wrong?"

Thank you too<3

HC, deadly pale: I'm so happy for you, Gege:)

Xie Lian swallowed. Of course he knew that this could very well be a trap. After a second, he followed anyway.

Icy awareness trickled through Xie Lian’s veins and he froze. As he watched, the butterfly lifted off the rough wall and lazily fluttered away, deeper into the cave.

It was a single silver ghost butterfly, sitting on the wall and slowly beating its wings.

He had just thought that when a light in the distance caught his attention. He warily lifted his sword higher and made his steps quieter. It was a longer walk than expected but, eventually, he could make out the source of the light.

Xie Lian swallowed. He couldn't let himself think that. It was his duty to follow orders and even if Hua Cheng wouldn't turn out to be here, at least it was another lead off the list.

Although he was starting to doubt that he would find Crimson Rain here. Instead, it seemed like just the many other times the Heavenly Emperor had given him a lead and sent him off to chase it like a child that needed to be entertained.

The cave stretched out before him, dark and empty.

Xie Lian readied his sword and stepped into the darkness. A single spirit stone lit up the path before him. He didn't fool himself into thinking the dark gave him any advantage against a ghost king.

To compliment matters even further, Xie Lian slowly begins to doubt Hua Cheng's story of how he survived..."

At the same time, he grows ever closer to Hua Cheng and unfamiliar feelings threaten to throw Xie Lian off course.