Chapter Text
Xie Lian didn't know what he had been expecting to happen after he ascended. The actual process of ascension had been quick, over before he knew what was happening. One moment, he had stood, victorious after an intense battle, and the next he was standing before dozens of martial and civil gods, gathered to welcome him to heaven.
Well, welcome was perhaps too strong a word. While some officials, such as Ling Wen, seemed genuinely kind and happy to meet him, others... did not. While no one had outright said anything unpleasant, Xie Lian could see them grumbling to each other, their whispers following him as Ling Wen lead him to his new palace. He marked their faces and made a mental note to ask Ling Wen who they were later. He wasn't worried -- he would surely win them over soon enough.
After a short walk, Ling Wen came to a stop in front of a grand palace. Large, ornate pillars held up a marble facade, and golden trim lined the walls, windows, and doors. Xie Lian gazed up at it, taking it in.
"Your highness? Is everything alright?"
Xie Lian nodded once before he walked to the doors. He pushed on one, and it swung open with a small click. The inside was bare, save for a few rugs that decorated the tiled floor. Before he could step further inside, Ling Wen cleared her throat pointedly.
"You'll need quite some merits to furnish the place, but the building is provided free of charge, so do not worry about any debt. Please contact me once you have acquired the number of merits necessary -- I will make the arrangements for your desired furnishings to be delivered."
Xie Lian's smile was a bit strained, but it seemed to satisfy Ling Wen. To him, it was beginning to seem as though becoming a heavenly official was only going to cause him more work.
He didn't mention any of that to Ling Wen, who smiled at him knowingly nonetheless. With a small bow of her head, she dismissed herself, and Xie Lian entered the building fully for the first time. The main doors led to a large foyer that led into a long, dark hallway. Despite the gloom, he could see that it was a beautiful space, meticulously constructed -- once he was able to decorate it, it would look stunning.
The smile faded from Xie Lian's face as he heard a knock on the door behind him.
"Come in."
The door swung open to reveal Jun Wu, elaborately dressed in his elegant white and grey robes. Xie Lian knelt, and Jun Wu chuckled.
"No need, Xian Lie."
Reluctantly, he stood. Jun Wu was smiling, wide and open, but for some reason, it set Xie Lian on edge. Jun Wu's smile shrank but remained stubbornly fixed on his face.
"I am simply here to welcome you to the heavens, Xian Lie. And to deliver this," he said, as he held out a small scroll, which Xie Lian took. "It will keep you updated on all the merits you earn, at least until you have selected which officials will represent you in the lower court. Then, they should be able to handle those matters for you."
Xie Lian frowned, and opened his mouth to speak.
"Ah, I should have explained. Most heavenly officials pick two people, usually cultivators, to cultivate in the lower court, and to aid you in your work in the upper court. More are, of course, acceptable, and many martial gods pick a third to serve as a secretary of sorts, who specializes in matters that the god themself is not familiar with."
Xie Lian smiled softly, knowing exactly who would be his officials. "And where does this one say who these officials will be?"
Jun Wu's smile seemed strained for a moment, his face tense. But the expression passed after a moment, and Xie Lian let it fade from his memory.
"I believe you must simply alert Ling Wen, and she will handle the matter. If you choose to adopt a secretary, I am sure she can recommend different options." With a final nod in Xie Lian's direction, Jun Wu left, leaving him gaping in his wake.
Why would the Heavenly Emperor personally tell him this? And why would he bring this paper to him himself? Even if Ling Wen was too busy to do it herself, or had forgotten, anyone could have been sent to deliver it -- so why had Jun Wu done it himself?
For a moment, Xie Lian thought deeply in the silence. Then the scroll in his hand unfurled on its own, and all thoughts of the Emperor were forgotten as he redirected his attention to the writing on the paper. It read, "One million merits reached."
Xie Lian blinked. One million? He had been here for only an hour at most. How had he gotten so many merits in such a short span of time?
Even as he thought, the writing on the scroll changed. Now, it read, "One million, 250 thousand merits reached."
Xie Lian gulped. He tucked the scroll into his sleeve and walked out the door. He nodded and smiled at the officials he passed on the way to Ling Wen's palace. Most returned the acknowledgment, but a few only stared. Again, it hardly bothered Xie Lian. He had yet to meet any other officials or properly introduce himself, so of course people would be curious. It was only right.
After only a moment, Xie Lian arrived at Ling Wen's palace, where exhausted-looking officials ran to and fro with arms full of scrolls stacked taller than themselves. He grimaced slightly in sympathy, but they were all too busy to acknowledge him, so he continued inside.
When he entered, he saw Ling Wen, looking even more tired than the last time he saw her, standing near the entrance. She seemed confused once she saw him as he approached.
"I was told to speak to you about Lower Court officials." He cleared his throat. "And about furniture."
Ling Wen nodded. "Forgive me, I should have given you my communication array password." She handed him a small stack of scrolls. "These will allow you to pick which officials you wish to bring to the Lower Court and to pick a secretary if you wish. If you choose not to pick a secretary, the furniture can be picked from the third scroll. Good day."
Xie Lian thanked her, then took the hint and hurried out. Clearly, the heavens were busier than he had envisioned if the last hour was anything to go by. He returned to his own palace, once again nodding to acknowledge the heavenly officials that he passed.
He quickly filled out the form for the Lower Court officials with FX's and MQ's names but hesitated once he saw the space to write the name of a secretary. Just as he set aside the scroll to finish later, Ling Wen contacted him through the communication array.
Your Highness, if you wish, there is a new secretary here who says he is from Xianle. It is possible to make him your secretary -- he would be properly trained for the role, so do not worry about qualifications.
Relieved, Xie Lian nodded, before realizing that Ling Wen couldn't see him.
That sounds perfect. What name should I write on the form?
A pause. He says to call him Wu Ming, your Highness.
Xie Lian frowned. An odd name, Wu Ming -- who was called nothing? And who decided it would be best to call themselves by such a name? The way Ling Wen said it, it sounded like this Wu Ming had chosen to be called by this name, not that it had been his name from birth.
Xie Lian sighed, thanked Ling Wen, and wrote "Wu Ming" on the paper. It didn't matter, he supposed -- if this was the name he chose to go by, Xie Lian could respect that, however odd. And he was sure that if Ling Wen was confident in presenting him to Xie Lian as an option he was qualified -- or at least, that he would be.
He nodded once to himself, as though to say "yes, this is all perfectly fine and normal" before he signed the scroll and rolled it back up. It disappeared with a loud pop and was followed by the sound of two pairs of loud footsteps in the entryway. He heard the approaching figures as they argued and smiled softly to himself. Already, the hollow, empty space was beginning to feel more like home.