“Forgive me…I was overly riled up,” he said, his tone now softened. “How about this—I will compensate you for all the trees I broke.”
The Lord of Soil and Ground dropped the hands hugging his leg and hurriedly assured him, “No, no, no, no, no, no need, no need! How can I ask Your Elderliness to pay?! The mere fact that your lordship is willing to talk to me brings light to this humble little god’s dwelling!”
Xie Lian found his words a bit strange. A Lord of Soil and Ground was, in all seriousness, a heavenly official, and this one appeared to be much older than he was. So why was he so afraid of him, and why did he call him “Your Elderliness”? He wasn’t in the mood to ask about it, though.
“Sir, you are the Lord of Soil and Ground of this area, correct? You must be very familiar with the region? Might you aid me in seeking out two individuals?” Xie Lian asked politely as his hand dug into his sleeve to reach for a few pieces of gold foil as an offering.
The Lord of Soil and Ground waved his hands wildly when he saw what Xie Lian was doing. “Oh no, no need for that! Whom does my lord seek?”
Just as well, for Xie Lian didn’t manage to pull out anything. He took his hand back out. “My two servants, Feng Xin and Mu Qing,” he replied.
“…”
The Lord of Soil and Ground’s expression suddenly turned very strange.
“What’s the matter? Is there a problem?” Xie Lian asked.
“No, no, no, no, no problem,” said the Lord of Soil and Ground. “It’s just…”
It’s just…what’s wrong with His Highness? It’s been eight hundred years, so why is he still calling General Nan Yang and General Xuan Zhen his servants? Would the generals get mad about that? Gosh, forget it. Those two getting angry isn’t as scary as that lord getting angry if this lord isn’t well taken care of.
Thus, he said, “Please wait here for a moment, your lordship. I will go and find them for you right now!”
“Thank you for your trouble,” Xie Lian said. He was about to bow in courtesy, but when he looked up, the deity was already gone. His forehead was still burning, and he pressed a hand over it.
Some time later, a confused voice came from ahead.
“What’s going on?”
Xie Lian looked up and saw Feng Xin and Mu Qing—but they weren’t the same Feng Xin and Mu Qing he knew.
Sure, their general appearance was the same, but their demeanor had changed. They didn’t seem like two rash young men, but more like generals with years of battle experience under their belts. Moreover, both were wearing black robes that looked rather sumptuous, quite unlike the dress that ordinary folks wore, and quite unlike anything Xie Lian had ever seen them wear.
The one who had spoken was Feng Xin, and he walked over. “Your Highness, what are you doing out here by yourself?”
“That’s what I was going to ask,” Xie Lian said. “Where did you two run off to? I told you guys to train idioms outside last night, but why could I not find a shadow of you this morning?”
An odd look that matched the Lord of Soil and Ground’s crossed both Feng Xin and Mu Qing’s faces, like they couldn’t comprehend what he was saying.
Xie Lian felt his head splitting, and he cried, “And what’s with those outfits? What in the world is going on?!”
Feng Xin looked down at himself and wondered, confused, “What’s wrong with my outfit? Isn’t this normal?”
Mu Qing, on the other hand, said, “What are you talking about? Are you still addled from sleep? I was certainly not at your place last night.”
Xie Lian clutched his head, wanting to scream and shout, but he forced himself to be calm. After thinking for a moment, he said, “I get it. Something has overtaken both of you too, right? Just like me?”
The odd looks on Feng Xin and Mu Qing’s faces only grew odder.
“I’m confused,” Feng Xin said. “Your Highness, why don’t you just tell us why you called us here?”
Mu Qing rolled his eyes. “Don’t bother. I was wondering why he called us and not him. His brains are probably fried.”
Xie Lian couldn’t follow their exchange at all. “Him? Who? The state preceptor?”
“…”
Feng Xin and Mu Qing exchanged a look of dismay, then Mu Qing took a step forward.
“Your Highness,” he called.
“What?” Xie Lian answered.
“My memory is a little fuzzy right now,” Mu Qing said. “Can you tell me what we’ve been doing for the past few days?”
“Haven’t we been training at the Royal Cultivation Hall?” Xie Lian said.
“Where’s Hua Cheng?” Mu Qing asked.
The sound of that name was extremely familiar, but when Xie Lian considered it further, he simply couldn’t place it. He asked, sounding lost, “Hua…Cheng? Who is that?”
There was a long silence.
“Very good. I get it,” Mu Qing declared at last.
He shot a look at the shocked Feng Xin, and the two went to the side to talk.
Xie Lian suddenly found them somewhat suspicious. “What did you get?” he asked, on alert. “What are you two talking about?”
Once an agreement had been reached, the two turned back around.
“Your Highness, let’s go,” said Feng Xin.
Xie Lian was even more suspicious now. “Where to?”
“To someone who can solve this problem,” answered Mu Qing. “Come!”
Xie Lian was wary, and he backed away. Mu Qing noticed that he wanted to flee, and he cried “Don’t go!” as he swung his arm out and shot forth a streak of spiritual light that seemed meant to bind Xie Lian.
As if Xie Lian was going to stick around. He bolted!
Feng Xin and Mu Qing were both utterly perplexed, and they yelled at each other as they ran after him.
“What the fuck?! What the actual fuck?!” Feng Xin cried. “What’s wrong with him?! He can’t seriously have memory loss this bad?! Forgetting eight hundred years?!”
“Finally! His brain is finally shot after eating so much random crap!” Mu Qing yelled.
“That’s impossible! Something probably happened when he went out by himself. Let’s hurry and find him! His mind is only seventeen years old right now!”
Even at a time like this, Mu Qing couldn’t resist making a sarcastic jab. “Yeah, and he’s innocent and naive and silly to boot. A pampered, spoiled seventeen-year-old crown prince!”
“Wait! Let’s tell him first. Quick, tell him!”
He, of course, must be informed of this!