Chapter Text
Xie Lian thought at once that there was something exceptionally odd about this poor little village.
He was sure he must have wandered through here to collect scraps before because the lake it sat by looked familiar. If he did, it certainly wasn’t like this the last time. It was a bright, sunny summer day, and yet the streets of Xunma village were all but deserted.
He could see where stalls were usually set up on the street, but they were bereft of anything to buy. Xie Lian would be hard-pressed to find any scraps to collect here at all this time. What a shame. The strange atmosphere did warrant some investigation, however.
He poked his head into a few shops. They were open, but devoid of customers. All seemed to be managed by a lone shopkeeper who looked warily at Xie Lian before he dove back out.
Why were everyone’s doors closed and their windows shuttered? There should be children running around. People should be running errands. Folks should be standing on their porches, chatting with their neighbors. It was midday—surely folks should be in the tea shop at least?
There was a distinct smell of fear in the air. Something had happened here, and the people were afraid. As he wandered through, he felt the occasional fleeting aura of something intensely malicious. The moment he would concentrate on it, however, it seemed to suddenly dissipate.
Xie Lian had half a mind to call upon his husband, but really, he shouldn’t bother him. Xie Lian had spent a week trying to encourage him to actually answer some of his worshipers’ prayers in Ghost City, and now that he was on it, Xie Lian wasn’t going to drag him away unless it was absolutely necessary.
Instead, he just popped back into the tea shop for a cup of tea and a little bit of conversation. He stowed his collection bag and pushed off his straw hat as he stepped into the cool, dark interior.
The owner of the tea shop was an elderly gentleman with dark circles under his eyes. Though wrinkled and bent, he had the face of a man who had been handsome in his youth. Tufts of wispy gray hair shot out all over his head, except for the very top. Xie Lian took a seat at a table close to the front of the house so he wouldn’t have to walk too far.
The old man glanced at him and set a pot to boil without saying a word. Occasionally, he would scratch awkwardly at his arms, but otherwise he made no move to greet or even really acknowledge Xie Lian at all.
When he finally turned to head over with a fresh pot and a teacup, he grumbled, “This guy thinks my legs don’t work or something.”
Xie Lian was completely taken aback. With an attitude like that, it was no wonder the place was deserted.
“Ah, sorry. I didn’t mean… to imply anything,” Xie Lian said, though he wasn’t sure exactly what he’d done so wrong.
“My apologies for the rude comment," the old man muttered, still standing at a distance.
His sharp eyes drifted over Xie Lian.
“Can you even afford a cup of tea?”
Xie Lian blinked up at him, and then back down at his robes. They weren’t the most expensive robes, to be sure, but it’s not like they were all torn up or muddy. They were much nicer than the ones he’d worn when he was banished.
“My apologies for the rude comment again,” the man replied, wincing, as he finally began making his way over.
What a strange fellow, Xie Lian couldn’t help but think.
The old guy reached the table and poured Xie Lian a cup of tea, immediately turning again to leave.
“I was actually wondering if I could ask you a few questions.”
The old man snorted, but kept walking.
“Like hell. Son, you better just have your cup of tea and just move on along outta town, as fast as ya can.”
“Well, that’s what I wanted to ask about. Obviously, something is really wrong here. If someone would tell me what’s going on, I might be able to help.”
Xie Lian plastered on the most trustworthy and genuine smile he could muster. It was the face that made him such a successful scrap collector. The old guy hesitated, seeming to give him one more look-over. Xie Lian took a long sip of his tea, maintaining eye contact. The shopkeeper turned to face him properly, arms crossed.
“Used to getting your way, aren’t ya? You’re a cultivator?”
“Yes, I am,” Xie Lian said with a short bow of his head.
“Awfully young. This might be a bit beyond what you can tackle, I imagine.”
“I’m older than I look,” Xie Lian reassured him, “and if it’s over my head, I could probably call in help from someone else who is qualified.”
The shop owner heaved a big sigh, and Xie Lian could tell he had won him over. He expected the man to come over and sit, but instead he kept his distance, leaning on a table a few benches away.
“What’s your name, daozhang?”
“My name is Xie Lian. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“No need to butter me up. Folks call me Old Shen. I’ve been on this earth closing in on 85 years, and in all that time, I’ve never seen anything quite like this. Most think it's a curse. Others think it's more like an illness. Either way, about everyone in town has it now.”
“Ah, I did think I felt something rather malicious earlier. What kind of curse or illness is it? And how long has it been spreading?”
“Hmm. Been about three days. Folks just started getting into all manner of fights and arguments. Hardly anyone can hold a conversation without someone getting offended. The thing is, you just feel compelled to say what’s really on your mind, even if it isn’t polite. Even if it’s not anything you’d normally admit your feelings on.”
“Oh, so like how you greeted me.”
“That’s right,” he said, without a hint of remorse. “This curse or plague makes people speak their true thoughts. Seems like a little thing, but… turns out people keep a lot held in.”
“I can imagine. Have you prayed to any gods for assistance yet?”
A rather sour look crossed Old Shen’s face.
“Well, about that. This village is just about the dead center of the southern territories. A bit highly contested when it comes to the martial gods who share it. We used to have shrines to both Nan Yang and Xuan Zhen here in town, but their followers got a bit competitive. It caused so much controversy, and there were so many cases of vandalism… Let’s just say their shrines aren't in one piece at the moment.”
“I see. But so far, it’s just people arguing, correct?”
“Well, it was. Then, last night, a man was murdered, and now people are scared of things escalating further. No one is talkin’ to each other unless they have to as of today.”
“That’s awful.” Xie Lian said, looking appropriately horrified and folding his arms. “Who murdered who?”
“It was the two Lu brothers. They were already arguing over something trivial, and the older brother seemed to think it would be a good time to confess that he’d been sleeping with his brother’s wife for a couple years. Hinted that his son was actually his nephew.”
Xie Lian winced. That might be enough to drive someone to murder.
“The murdering brother, Lu Gang, was always a bit of a hothead, but no one expected him to go so far. In front of a whole crowd of onlookers, he grabbed a loose brick and hit his own brother right over the head with it. I’m not too sure he meant to kill. Either way, he went running straight out of town after it happened.”
Xie Lian felt his heart grow heavy hearing the tale. What a messy situation. Quarrels like this weren’t uncommon in small villages like this, but outright murder was a rarity—especially between family members.
“How tragic. Have there been other instances of things becoming violent?”
“Eh, normal amounts, I suppose. A few folks have been slapped. Shoved. At least as far as I’ve seen. I haven’t felt any violent urges. Suppose it might have to do with someone’s natural temperament.”
“Perhaps. No wonder it's so quiet. It must be such a stressful thing to interact with anyone,” Xie Lian said, his mind already turning over the purpose of such a curse.
“Yeah, well, lots of folks have shown their true colors, that’s for sure. Folks aren’t forced to speak, though. You can hold your comments if you need to, but it’s hard unless you are being extremely careful and calculated with every word. From what I heard, however, holdin’ it in isn’t too good.”
“Oh? What happens if you hold it in?” Xie Lian asked, taking a long sip of tea.
It really wasn't very good tea, but he'd gotten used to it now.
“Well, that’s why people are calling it an illness. People who isolated themselves or just went fully mute have been getting real sick. Lots of vomiting. S’far as I see it, better to just accept you’re gonna offend people and keep on as usual.”
“That’s probably wise. You look like you’re okay for the most part.”
A small smile curled on the old guy’s lip, and his chest puffed out just a bit.
“Well, normally, I’m a pretty nice guy. Not too trusting, I suppose, but I haven’t said anything reprehensible just yet. I’m not worried. Only other symptoms I have are overactive bowels, and my arms are a bit itchy. Skin doesn’t really look any different, though,” he said, giving his wiry arms a glance.
I should take a look at that, Xie Lian thought, but he seems to want to keep space between us.
“Can I ask, are you keeping your distance so you don’t spread it to me?”
“Mmhm. No one’s sure exactly how it spreads; we just know it's fast. Pretty sure it has to do with being close to one another. I think by the end of that first day, about half the town was already showing symptoms. Most people think it has to do with physical contact. Others think it's talkin’ to people close up that transfers it to them.”
“I understand. I’ll keep my distance.”
Xie Lian rested his chin in the palm of his hand thoughtfully, his mind trying to think of any other time he’d heard of such strange circumstances. Just as the man was about to head back to the front, Xie Lian spoke up.
“One last question, if I may—who caught it first?”
The old guy scratched his head as he thought.
“Hard to say for certain. Feels like around the same time, a lot of people started arguing all at once. It did seem to start out on the eastern side of town, though.”
“I thank you for your information. I’ll see if there’s anything I can do.”
“Doubtful, but nice of you to try.”
Old Shen left Xie Lian to his thoughts, and he nursed his cup of tea for a while. By the time it was empty, the only thing he could come up with was that it was the workings of either a powerful ghost with a hell of a grudge against this town or it was a Yao. Yao were well known for messing with the minds of mortals, often causing bouts of confusion, anger, lust, or madness.
It could also be a curse, but he’d never heard of one that could spread so quickly, unless many folks were handling a cursed object of some kind without knowing it. This seemed like a pretty dire situation, and if it truly was contagious, anyone passing through could spread it to other villages. It would be best to notify the gods of this territory. As it just so happened, they were good friends of Xie Lian’s. Xie Lian fished out some money to pay for his tea and headed out.
Within an incense time, both Feng Xin and Mu Qing had made their way to meet Xie Lian at the edge of town. Both of them looked around suspiciously, as if expecting to be attacked by something. Xie Lian sighed.
“San Lang isn’t here.”
The two martial gods both immediately dropped their guards, obvious relief flooding their expressions.
“Well, that explains why you actually called us,” Mu Qing said airily.
“I called you because this town is pretty much right in the middle of your respective territories. Seems important for you to know about, especially if it’s already spread from here.”
“So it’s some kind of disease? Are we looking at a plague situation?” Feng Xin asked.
Xie Lian shuddered inwardly at the use of that particular term but did his best to brush it off.
“Not sure. It is something contagious, at the very least. It makes people speak their inner thoughts out loud. If they don’t, they get sick and vomit. Everyone’s been keeping to themselves since last night’s murder.”
“Well, if everyone just started telling the truth, that would be a pretty certain way to cause complete discord. Does this town have any… I don’t know, rival towns?” Mu Qing asked.
Xie Lian looked down the street. His eyes scanned over the lake’s horizon to the other side. It wasn’t a massive lake, but it was big enough that the town probably subsisted in part on fishing. He didn’t think there was another town dotting the shore.
He noted that heavier clouds were moving in, painting the muddy village a more ominous shade.
“I don’t think so. As far as I know, this is the only settlement within a day's travel. It's probably a good thing it’s so remote. Less of a chance anyone’s passed through the past few days.”
“Where do we start?” Feng Xin asked as he began to lead them into the town proper.
“The east side is where it started. We need to find out where it began, then we can determine what caused it,” Xie Lian replied.
The three of them headed to the far side of town. Evidence of the turmoil became more obvious the further they walked. Broken dishes. Punched walls. And of course, the very obvious stain of blood on the cobbled road where, presumably, someone was murdered.
It felt like a ghost town.
“Someone will have to talk to us.” Feng Xin muttered as he glanced into the window of a pottery shop. “Want to try this place? Someone is actually working here.”
As they entered the shop, a bell rang. The walls here were lined with shelves, all holding various kinds of pottery and ceramics. Mostly it was basic clay utilitarian dishware.
It all looks fragile and a bit crude , Xie Lian couldn’t help but think before tearing his eyes away from the goods.
The woman manning the front table’s eyes grew large as the three of them entered. She was a petite thing, roughly in her mid-thirties.
“Oh, good afternoon. It’s such a shame I’m married,” she said cheerfully.
The moment the words left her, she quickly slapped a hand over her mouth, her cheeks flushing. Xie Lian glanced at Feng Xin to see a rather special expression on his face. Xie Lian pushed past him to the front before he could make some kind of remark. The woman spoke again, though it was more of a squeak.
“I am so sorry about that. You three are just all very attractive, and I wasn’t—” She then smashed her other hand over her mouth, her face now beet red to the tips of her ears.
“PLEASE IGNORE ME AND SHOP AS YOU NEED.”
“It's going to be one of those days,” Mu Qing said with a sigh.
Xie Lian was trying not to smile too widely, inwardly amused at this poor woman’s struggle.
“It’s alright. We know about the, ah, situation in this village. That’s why we’re here. We were hoping someone might point us towards the people who caught this affliction first.”
She lowered her hands, some of her flush beginning to fade with this sobering request.
“Oh, well, I don’t think anyone knows for sure. I do think one of the first loud arguments we all heard came from the Jiang family three doors down on this side. It’s a young couple. I’m not sure if they’ll speak to you, though. I guess their son is very ill with whatever this is.”
“I thank you for your time,” Xie Lian said.
“Thank you for letting me look at you,” the woman responded. She blinked, and then immediately turned around to face the wall behind her.
Xie Lian shoved both his compatriots out the door.
“There’s something wrong with that lady,” Feng Xin huffed indignantly.
Xie Lian chuckled and gave his shoulder a few pats.
“Try and take it as a compliment. Most people probably say such things in their heads when they are around someone they like. She didn’t have a choice.”
“Let’s go check out this kid,” Mu Qing said with a roll of his eyes. “If he has the worst kind of symptoms, maybe we can get a better idea of what we’re working with.
They made their way down the road, finding the house in question, and gave the front door a few knocks. There was no response.
“Hello? If anyone’s in there, we just need your attention for a moment!” Xie Lian called into the crack of the door. It was still silent.
“We’re officials from the palaces of Xuan Zhen and Nan Yang. We’ve come to fix the problem,” Mu Qing announced loudly.
Normally, it was rather inappropriate to play this card, but the situation in this town was quite dire and they needed to get answers quickly.
Abruptly, the door creaked open, and a harried young woman stared through.
“You can help us?” she asked.
“Only if you all help us,” Feng Xin responded. “Can we see the kid?” The woman hesitated and then nodded. “I suppose if you work for Heaven, it’s alright.”
She opened the door and hastily took a few steps back.
“It's best for you all to keep your distance,” the woman said as she retreated to her husband in the far back of the room.
The three gods made their way into the rather small and homely abode. It was clear the roof had cracks, as the wooden ceiling was covered in clear signs of rot from dripping water.
This is about on par with my original Puqi shrine.
“We were told you were among some of the first folks affected,” Feng Xin stated as he appraised the couple. The two immediately stiffened, looking defensive and a bit flustered.
“Yes, but this isn’t our fault. We didn’t do anything out of the ordinary. And if you try to blame us for this mess, I’ll claw your eyes out,” warned the woman who then immediately blanched at her own threat.
The man hung his head down in his hands and groaned.
“Don’t mind my wife. She has the temperament of an angry badger on the best of days.”
The woman gave him a scathing look. Before she could respond and whip up an argument, Xie Lian spoke up.
“You two seem to be in okay health. Is your son ill because he won’t speak up?”
A look of sadness crossed both parents’ faces, and they seemed to shrink.
“Yes. He’s always been the sweetest boy, but that first day he told us many things he hadn’t dared, and he got very, very upset at himself, thinking he hurt our feelings. He hasn’t spoken a word since.”
“I’m pretty good with children. Can I speak to him?” Xie Lian asked. He saw the man tense up.
“You promise… you promise you won't… do anything to him?” the father asked.
Xie Lian suddenly felt apprehensive.
“Of course not. Why would I?”
“Promise us, or we won’t let you see him,” said the woman.
Xie Lian shared a look with Feng Xin and Mu Qing, and they all nodded.
“We would not do any harm to your child, we promise,” Xie Lian stated. “Also, what is his name?”
The woman pointed them in the direction of one of the sliding doors at the back.
“Hao. He’s on the right. Ah, do keep your distance.”
“Of course.”
Xie Lian gave them a bow and headed deeper into the house, with Mu Qing and Feng Xin on his heels. They slid open the door and peered inside. The smell hit them first—sour and stale.
Xie Lian’s heart froze as his eyes landed on the child, and he heard the other two gasp.
The child was sitting on a straw mat, legs sticking out in front of him, each arm carefully out to the side. He was shirtless, with the legs of his pants rolled up as far as they could go.
Running the length of all his limbs were long, thin gray spikes poking through his skin. They were needle-like, and though it was hard to see from here, they gave the impression of spines or thorns. His sides were all cut up from where he’d cut himself on his new appendages.
His eyes were very puffy, likely from a great deal of crying. He only looked to be about eight or nine years old. The cursed child looked at them fearfully but silently.
Xie Lian took a couple steps inside.
“DON’T!” the boy cried, holding out a hand as if to ward him off. Xie Lian raised his hands in surrender.
“Don’t worry, I won’t get too close. You can trust me.”
He walked into the room proper and crouched down. He was actually perilously close to the child, but he needed to be able to see those thorns up close. He inspected the ones running up the child’s arm as best he could.
They were decidedly plant-like. The skin around each protrusion was angry and swollen. Some of them seemed to be weeping. It had to be a very unpleasant experience. The boy also looked a bit green. Xie Lian noted a pot in the corner that seemed to be the cause of the acrid smell. He gave the boy a big, reassuring smile.
“Hello there, Hao-er. We came here to help you.”
The boy’s eyes grew large and hopeful. He wet his lips, looking very much like he wanted to say something, but just as quickly, he pursed them.
“You’ve been a very brave boy. I can tell this must be so scary for you. I promise, you don’t have to be afraid of saying anything mean to us. We won’t mind. We do have some questions. If you answer them, maybe you can help us figure out what's going on, and then we can fix it.”
The boy swallowed nervously, his eyes darting between the three of them. He took a deep breath and nodded.
“When did these thorns start growing out of you?”
The boy looked down solemnly at his freakish looking arms.
“After the first day. I woke up in the middle of the night with them when they started to hurt.”
“After you stopped talking?” Xie Lian asked.
Jiang Hao nodded.
“Why don’t you just start talking again then?” Xie Lian asked. “Whatever you say, it can’t be as bad as being like this.”
The boy just shook his head.
“I said some bad things. Things that made my parents start fighting. They haven’t stopped fighting since.”
“You told the truth and that caused problems?”
“Yes.”
“Then it’s not your fault. Telling the truth is usually the right thing to do, isn't it? Now that the problems are known, they can be addressed.”
The boy recoiled slightly.
“These truths won’t just be fixed. I just made everyone upset. It doesn’t matter anyway. I talked to my friend through the window, and even though I said mean things back, the spikes didn’t go away or get better at all.”
“Mn. I see. Well, we will find a way to make them go away. Tell me, did it start out as just being itchy?”
Xie Lian thought back to Old Shen, scratching at his arms.
“Uh huh. It was like that at the very beginning. Then, it was like some of the hairs on my arms got stiff. They felt weird, like they were catching on stuff. Then, in the night, some of them just got stiffer and longer.”
“Okay, thank you for telling me that. One last question, Hao-er. Do you have any idea who might have been the first ones to get this?”
The boy looked exceedingly afraid at this line of questioning. He shook his head violently. The child was a bad liar.
“Ah, you do know, but you’re afraid of getting them in trouble, huh? I promise they won’t be punished. We just want to ask them what they did all day so we can figure out where this—”
“NO!” the child shouted.
Xie Lian was a martial god with lightning quick reflexes. Perhaps it was that he was in the process of glancing back at his friends, or perhaps it was because he had trusted that this child would not dare move closer or try to infect him, but either way, Xie Lian did not avoid the small hand that seized his.
Jiang Hao blanched, looking down in horror at what he’d done. Xie Lian also froze, looking at the skin-to-skin contact. The boy released him, and as he did, Xie Lian noted that his skin felt oddly rough and toothy. He could hear Feng Xin smack his forehead hard and bite his tongue.
Fresh tears were already building in the child’s eyes.
“It’s okay, it's okay, Hao-er. I know you didn’t mean to. We’re here to fix the problem, remember? If I’m infected, I’ll just fix myself as well. You don’t have to cry.”
“I-I’m so… s-s-s-sorry!” the child wailed.
It took every bit of his will not to reach over and try to calm the child. On the off chance that this illness hadn’t been transferred, he dared not.
“Hao-er, really, it's—” all of a sudden, the child vomited all over the straw mat in front of him, between his legs. Xie Lian sprang up out of instinct, not wanting to be splashed by any of it. The child coughed and hacked, still crying.
Xie Lian’s eyes were drawn to something curious. Within the vomit were a large amount of what looked like small white beans or perhaps seeds.
As much as he wanted to reach down and rub the child’s back to comfort him, instead, he strode over to the pot the child had no doubt been vomiting into.
As he suspected, it was also full of these seeds. The mother suddenly entered unexpectedly, causing both Feng Xin and Mu Qing to leap out of her way in fright.
“Hao-er! Hao-er, it’s alright. She rushed over to baby him and wipe off his mouth. “Let's get this all cleaned up.”
She glanced over and shot them all an accusatory glare. “I think you all should go now, and don’t you dare breathe a word about this to anyone!”
Xie Lian understood. Folks might think the boy was transforming into a monster or something and try to harm him. They must be very scared, considering someone had already been pushed to murder. Xie Lian made eye contact with the child and gave him one last pleading look.
“Hao-er, please, we need to know or none of this will go away. Just tell us where we should go next,” Xie Lian begged.
The boy looked apprehensive. There were still fresh tears rolling down his cheeks. He went to wipe at them and scraped his face accidentally with one of the thorns in his wrist. Xie Lian felt nothing but the utmost pity for the two days of torment this innocent kid had already endured.
“Go!” demanded the woman. As they turned to leave, the child spoke up.
“Ask my friends. They live two streets over by the lake. The house with the big blue flower bushes.”
“Thank you, Hao-er!” Xie Lian called back as he left.
The three of them shuffled outside, though now Mu Qing and Feng Xin were giving Xie Lian a wide berth. He sighed.
“Calm down. Whatever this is, it's transferred by direct skin contact, not by standing next to each other. I can tell now.”
Xie Lian looked down at the top of his hand. Already, the skin there was starting to tingle a bit, like it had been poked by a bunch of little needles. He’d felt a similar sensation from brushing against certain plants before.
His hand looked normal, but as he brushed his fingers over it, he could feel the bite of many tiny wounds. The rough feeling of the boy’s skin was because it was covered in tiny hair-like barbs. These barbs were now stuck in Xie Lian, no doubt planting this condition within his own body.
“Well, whatever this thing is, it’s definitely plant-based," said Xie Lian.
“Your Highness…” Feng Xin said, repressing a sigh.
“I know, I know. Calm down. We’ll figure it out. There is most certainly a cure out there.”
“You just had to get close to him. Why do you act like you're invincible? Foolish!” Mu Qing said in a crass tone.
Xie Lian scratched at his cheek, a little sheepishly. He probably shouldn’t have trusted the child so much. He didn’t feel he had much of a choice but to get close, though. They needed to see what was going on with him.
“Well, look at it this way, there’s no better way to learn about the condition than to experience it!”
He withered under the fiery expressions he received in turn.
“Whatever. You better just speak your mind,” warned Feng Xin.
“We really don’t need you sprouting thorns and vomiting everywhere,” Mu Qing added.
“I’ll speak my mind, don’t worry,” Xie Lian reassured them. “So then. Some kind of plant or plant monster. Ideas?”
“Why would a plant make you tell the truth?” Feng Xin wondered aloud.
“It’s likely a Yao. We need to figure out who ran into it. Then we can find it and identify it,” Xie Lian replied.
“Well, let's go ask his friends. It was probably one of them running around out in the woods,” Mu Qing said as he began to walk ahead of them.
Xie Lian and Feng Xin walked behind as they headed in the direction of the street that hugged the lake. They didn’t say much. The emptiness of the streets and the obviously dour atmosphere were disquieting. Xie Lian was focused on Mu Qing in front of them, suddenly taking charge like that.
“Mu Qing always struts like he’s got the biggest stick up his butt,” Xie Lian said with an amused sigh. He saw Mu Qing flinch in front of him and pause in his step, and Feng Xin raised his eyebrows at him before choking on laugh. Xie Lian stilled, all his hairs now standing on end.
“D-did I say that out loud?” Xie Lian asked in wonder.
Mu Qing hadn’t turned around, but Xie Lian could see his fists curled at his sides.
“Well, I guess we know you’re infected.”
“I’m really sorry! I only said it because that’s what I was thinking!”
Feng Xin howled with laughter. Mu Qing whirled around, nearly spitting blood and clearly wanting to shout something along the lines of “Shut the hell up!”
Only, he couldn’t. Xie Lian was going to need to say everything aloud. Mu Qing managed to hold his tongue but he made a uniquely tortured expression.
“I suppose I should just apologize to both of you in advance?” Xie Lian offered.
“Does that mean you’re always internally insulting us?” Mu Qing asked in irritation.
“Well, I guess sometimes. I think everyone does that to some extent. You should have heard the things the tea shop owner said to me, and he didn’t even know me.”
“Maybe we should just have it all out now,” said Mu Qing, crossing his arms. “Say all the things you want to say now and get them all out of your system.”
“Ah, I’m not sure it works like that. Although I have always thought the little belt on the neck of your robes was useless and tacky. How’s that?”
Mu Qing’s lips parted, his brows knitted, but he didn’t seem to know how to respond. Feng Xin was cackling again with laughter.
“Also, Feng Xin has a really obnoxious laugh.”
Feng Xin’s laugh caught in his throat. He seemed genuinely surprised.
“At least, I’m sure some other people think so. I’m very used to it. It doesn’t bother me at all. I think it’s funny,” Xie Lian added quickly.
At this, he saw Mu Qing’s mouth pull into a wicked grin, his eyes brightening at an insult directed towards Feng Xin for a change. Xie Lian felt himself break into a sweat as guilt began to set in.
Oh, this could get ugly. Maybe I should hold some things in.
“We should just try to focus on the job,” Feng Xin said, rubbing awkwardly the back of his neck.
Xie Lian felt bad now. Someone’s laugh wasn’t really something they had real control over, after all. He certainly didn’t mean to hurt Feng Xin’s feelings, of all people.
“You're right. I’m really sorry,” Xie Lian said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “That was a low blow.”
“It’s fine,” Feng Xin said as he started to lead them away. “I don’t laugh around people much anyway.”
Well, that had been funny for a moment.
Now Xie Lian was starting to understand why Jiang Hao was so determined to keep his mouth shut.
The three gods continued on, but now Mu Qing lagged behind, clearly self conscious about the gait of his walk. They reached the house in question. It had a number of blue hydrangea bushes planted next to it. Seeing no one else take initiative, Feng Xin walked up and knocked assertively.
“This is an official from the palace of Nan Yang. We have a few questions for the children who live here,” he said in a stern voice. After a moment, the door slid open a crack. An elderly eye appeared there.
“So, you heavenly folk finally showed up to do something about all this then? Humph. Took you long enough. But what do you want with my grandkids?” the old woman asked.
“Just to ask some questions, ma'am. Nothing more,” Feng Xin responded.
She narrowed her eyes.
“Why them? Do you think they did something wrong?”
“No, ma'am. We’re just following up on whatever leads we can find. This may very well be a dead end.”
“It’s not a very large house,” she said testily. “You should keep your distance from any of us.”
“Could you send them out here instead?” Mu Qing spoke up.
The woman seemed to think about it for a moment, as if she were weighing the dangers.
“If their condition is…advanced, you don’t have to worry. We’ve already seen how bad it can get,” Feng Xin said a little more quietly.
“I don’t know what you mean by that, but I’ll send them out.”
They heard the faint calling of the old granny.
“Qiang-er! Bo! There’s some folks outside you need to speak with. Go on now!”
The three gods gave the boys space as they walked out onto the small porch.
One of them was older, a young teenager, and he had the mean look of a bully about him. The other was about 11 or 12, and though he seemed sweet, Xie Lian couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. He could already tell that once his youth faded, he would be a rather unfortunate-looking adult. Xie Lian felt the curse threatening to loosen his tongue, but he bit down hard on his lip, almost drawing blood.
They both looked rather sweaty and had dirty, bare legs and feet. They also both wore vaguely guilty looks on their faces, as if they knew this was coming.
As they took in Xie Lian and the two generals, the young one’s face brightened slightly.
“Woah, you must work for the gods! Your clothes look so fancy!” said the one presumably called Qiang.
“Are we in trouble?” asked the older boy, Bo.
“What would you be in trouble for?” asked Feng Xin.
Bo opened his mouth and then clamped it shut before the words could escape. The younger boy, however, loudly whispered, “We went to the bad place.”
Bo immediately and furiously shoved him, almost pushing him against the wall of the house.
“You, idiot! We all promised we wouldn’t say anything! We all made a promise!” he growled.
“I’m sorry!” Qiang screeched, “I don’t wanna lie to the gods!” Tears began making dirty tracks down his pinched face. He rubbed at the arm his brother had pushed, trying to hold in his sobs.
“Please don’t cry. It’s… hairsplitting. Also, you aren’t in any trouble,” said Xie Lian gently.
Qiang used the inside of his tunic to wipe off his face, smearing snot all over the inside.
“Maybe not by you, but if anyone in town finds out…” Bo said in a hushed whisper, “It’ll be all our fault! All of it! Even Lu Guo’s death!”
“So, you kids brought this illness here then?” Mu Qing asked carefully.
The older boy sighed in exasperation.
“Not just us two, pretty boy! There were five of us.”
“What is the bad place?” Xie Lian asked, ignoring the look of offense that spread on Mu Qing’s face.
The two boys glanced fearfully at one another.
“I mean… I mean it was supposed to just be a story. The kind they tell kids to scare ‘em, and make them follow rules,” Qiang huffed.
“None of us are supposed to take any boat out without an adult unless we are 16,” Bo added.
Xie Lian glanced out at the lake. Out at its center was a long thin island, covered in a large stand of pine. He jerked his head in its direction.
“So you kids took a boat out to the island, then?”
The teenager nodded, crossing his arms, looking exceedingly petulant.
“I’m almost 16. What’s even going to change in a year?”
“Well, you might just develop some common sense,” Xie Lian offered.
The boy’s face hardened.
“What makes the bad place bad?” Feng Xin asked loudly.
Both the kids grew a bit quiet with that question, like they really didn’t want to have to spell it out. The younger one ended up being the braver of the two.
“Our parents said it was cursed. There’s something evil sealed up there, and if we went, we would let it out.”
All three of the martial gods suppressed a groan. Xie Lian, once again, resisted the urge to make a cutting remark.
They’re just kids.
“Does the story state what kind of evil?” Feng Xin asked.
“Not the version we were told. Different families tell it differently. We just know someone saved the town and trapped it on the island. Mostly, we were just told we weren’t allowed to go there no matter what,” Bo said awkwardly.
“Why on earth did you so foolishly disobey then?” asked Xie Lian.
“To prove they just made it up!” said Qiang.
Xie Lian opened his mouth and then immediately closed it.
Just kids.
“Well then, are you going to tell us what you found there?” asked Mu Qing, looking beyond done himself.
“Nothing! It was just an overgrown island! Pine trees and dirt,” Bo said sourly.
“There was also a little rock cave, but there was nothing in it,” said Qiang.
“And then we left! That’s all! We were only there for like ten minutes!”
“But then we came back, and a few hours later… everyone started fighting,” Qiang said, crossing his arms nervously.
“Yeah, and that's when we all promised that no matter what, none of us would blurt out where we went.”
Bo gave his younger brother a death glare, and the child wilted, clearly ashamed.
“Alright, alright, calm down. We can go figure out what you all ran into, and then we can find a cure,” Xie Lian said.
“In the meantime… the two of you really look like you could use a bath. And a change of clothes. Good hygiene is important for your health, you know.”
Xie Lian gave them a stern look and then he took a step back towards the road.
“Um.. so can you guys not tell anyone we were the cause?” asked the teenager suddenly.
“Oh, I’m fairly certain your gran’s had her ear to the door this whole time,” Xie Lian said with a pleasant smile.
He savored the look of horror on this kid’s face before turning to leave.
They heard that old granny’s shouts all the way down the road.