𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐃𝐘 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 !!

❤︎

y/n - your name
l/n - last name
w/n - weapon's name
t/n - title name

❤︎

XIE LIAN STARED AT THE GENERAL IN COMPLETE AWE, AS HE WAS IN A COMPLETE DISBELIEF AT THE SIGHT IN FRONT OF HIM.

the general of the northeast stared back, his e/c eyes reflecting a keen interest in xie lian as if he were assessing him. xie lian noticed that the general wore layered, bright yellow robes, outlined in gold, and he carried a fan made out of the softest of feathers. the handle was made out of silver, designed intricately with  shining emeralds. "general t/n." mu qing sternly called out to his fellow general. the younger god perked up and snapped out of his train of thought. he looked towards xie lian, a sweet smile on his lips as he said, "apologies, i am general t/n of the northeast. may i ask for your name?"

"that's enough! you should be resting." mu qing stepped in, grabbing y/n's wrist to pull him away from the conference room, but the god was stubborn. "a-qing! don't be rude!" y/n scolded him.

while the two were bickering back and forth, xie lian looked towards ling wen and asked, "ling wen, who is he?" mu qing's eyes widened in surprise when he heard xie lian's words. xie lian stepped back out of nervousness because of his glare. ling wen was surprised as well, but she kept things professional as she replied, "he is the martial god, t/n. i'm surprised that you don't remember your most favored servant, l/n y/n." xie lian's breath seemed to stop at her words.

he looked back to the general, who had his head tossed to the side in confusion after hearing his name being mentioned, and then his gaze returned to ling wen. he repeated the action a few more times before asking, "he's really l/n y/n?" as if he couldn't believe her.

mu qing's brow twitched in irritation. "that's enough!" he bursted out in anger. "general t/n, we should leave. we have a million duties and prayers to attend to." mu qing turned towards y/n, who pouted in turn. "but a-qing!" he whined, tugging on mu qing's sleeve. "i feel as if i've seen him before, like... like he's someone really important to me!"

mu qing grunted. "no! we simply have too many things to attend to. we're leaving!"

"well, you can leave, but... i'm staying! i really feel like he's someone important to me." mu qing groaned in frustration before stomping away. y/n knitted his brows in worry as he stared at the back of his friend. still, he couldn't help the feeling of familiarity he felt towards xie lian. "a-qing!" he called.

xie lian looked towards ling wen and asked, "ling wen, you mean that martial god is the same child i took in all those years ago? that l/n y/n?" xie lian asked, a surprised look on his face. "yes." ling wen replied simply. y/n spoke up, "hm, judging by your reaction, we must've been closely acquainted during my mortal years. i sincerely apologize, but... for some reason, i can't seem to remember much prior to my ascension." xie lian felt his heart drop at those words.

when he brought in the young l/n y/n, the little boy couldn't even say much except his name. he repeatedly spoke it even as he was being taken away by the attendants so he could be properly attended to. as he watched him grow up, y/n became his most favored attendant, then soon enough, he rose to become the head servant of the royal palace of xianle. but he always stuck to xie lian's side upon the insistence of his mother and father.

at one point, l/n y/n nearly forgot all of his precious memories, but he easily recovered them thanks to the combined efforts of him, mu qing, and feng xin. l/n y/n promised to never forget them as he cried, clinging onto his master's robes like a little boy.

yet here they were.

he looked the same as he did hundreds of years ago, except now, he wore glamorous clothing, wore shining accessories, and carried a fan that was made out of the highest quality of feathers and gems. yet, his face still looked humble and kind, as if he were ready to obey any of xie lian's requests at the snap of a finger.

y/n bowed deeply. "i'm truly sorry." xie lian frowned as the god, rather, his former attendant, bowed his head in shame. "it's all right. it has been a few hundred years after all." he forced a smile to his lips as he waved off y/n's apology. l/n y/n frowned, lowering his head a little.

"i have an idea." ling wen spoke up, earning the attention of both gods. "his highness is in need of some assistance, and general t/n wishes to recall his memories. i believe that if general t/n would accompany his highness, then it will be highly beneficial for the both of you." both gods looked at each other.

xie lian turned towards y/n and said, "it's alright if you don't want to-"

but he was quickly cut off by y/n, who excitedly exclaims, "yes please!" his eyes twinkling at the thought of recovering his past memories. ling wen closed her eyes. "very well then. i shall inform the emperor." ling wen said, bowing slightly. "great! i'll leave everything to you then, ling wen!"

xie lian was surprised at the eagerness of his former servant when ling wen suggested they worked together for this particular mission. but still, he couldn't complain, he absolutely adored l/n y/n after all. 800 years passed, and his dearest l/n y/n has not changed much, well, except for the fact that he is now a much more powerful and wealthier god than xie lian was during his time as the prince of xianle. and he even got taller, although that was probably because of his high-heeled boots.

now, they were both traveling along the dirt path that would lead them to their destination, mt. yujun, where they would attempt to solve the mystery of the missing 17 brides, and hopefully, they'd recover some of y/n's lost memories as well. since they were in the mortal world, xie lian thought it'd be best if l/n y/n wore more simple clothing that would allow him to blend in with mortals. he obeyed, and now, he was wearing a more simplistic version of his original robes. xie lian suggested he wore a hat of some sort, particularly a bamboo hat, but he refused because it apparently "ruins his hair."

he was satisfied enough with an umbrella.

the dirty path was littered with greenery and the occasional animal or butterfly, which made xie lian smile as he watched how l/n y/n would stop at every little thing that caught his interest. he was the type of person who got excited over something like a tree he's never seen before or a beautiful blue butterfly that just so happened to pass by. in other words, he was the type of person who enjoyed the simpler things in life, but still liked to dress glamorously just for the aesthetic.

xie lian continued walking ahead as he saw the sign that pointed him towards a village near mt. yujun. "a-y/n, look, the village is closeby- a-y/n?" xie lian quickly stopped in his steps when he stopped hearing the curious gasps of his former servant. "a-y/n?" xie lian repeated and turned around. he was quickly relieved when he saw the god standing a few feet behind him, his back facing him. "a-y/n?" xie lian called his name as he approached him.

when he reached the male, a silver butterfly fluttered past them. enchanted by its beauty, xie lian felt hypnotized, especially with the way the silver butterfly's wings seemed to shine like gemstones in the sunlight. he quickly snapped out of it after the butterfly disappeared into the woods and out of his sight. "what a pretty butterfly." l/n y/n sighed dreamily. "the mortal realm is truly full of wonders. it's no wonder you chose to stay here." xie lian gave l/n y/n a curious look.

l/n y/n smiled at him. "ling wen told me that you stayed here in the mortal world for quite some time." he looked up at the blue sky, the wooden umbrella he carried casting a shadow over his eyes. "it's quite beautiful. very different from the heaven's realm." y/n looked towards xie lian. "don't you agree, your highness?" xie lian blinked a couple of times before he smiled. "yes. the mortal realm is beautiful in its own right."

all of a sudden, y/n's face brightened up. "your highness, the village." xie lian looked over at where y/n was pointing. the tip of his index finger was directed towards a few houses gathered in a nearby area. "let's go and ask around." y/n nodded his head and obediently followed xie lian.

the village was small, and nearly empty, with only a few villagers doting around and whispering amongst themselves. y/n looked around in awe. he was definitely not used to seeing such a small and humble village. "ah traveling daoists, welcome, welcome." y/n and xie lian looked over and saw an old man approaching them with a welcoming smile. "please, come inside and have some tea. i'm sure you're both very exhausted after such a long journey." he began ushering the two inside the humble shop. y/n closed his umbrella. he hung it on his arm as he allowed himself to be guided by the old man. "have a seat." the old man brought them over to a table by the window.

y/n took notice of how the shop was nearly empty, except for a young lady behind a counter wiping down teacups. the lady noticed him staring, so she gave him a warm smile. he waved happily before walking towards her. "a-y/n, where are you going?" xie lian asked. "i'm just going to ask around." he replied, motioning towards the girl on the counter. xie lian nodded his head.

l/n y/n then strode over to the lady. "hello." he greeted her with a charming smile. the lady blushed and quickly hid the bottom half of her face with a plate. "h-hello, sir." she stuttered, her voice small. "say, miss, have you noticed any strange happenings around here?" he asked. the lady shyly twirled a lock of her hair with her finger as she blushed.

y/n raised a brow at her behavior, he knew that she was trying to look innocent, keyword; tried.

as much as he loved and revered women, he always felt a particular dislike towards women who forced themselves to act differently for the sake of impressing others. "i don't know if i should tell you sir-" the girl began, but was quickly cut off when the old man walked towards them.

"it's best not to meddle in that mountain, sir. with a pretty face like yours, the ghost bridegroom might mistake you for a bride and take you forever." after realizing what he had said, the old man shook his head and left to the back room. y/n hummed in thought before walking away, leaving the lady to herself to mentally debate on whether she should call out to him or not, but he was already sitting with xie lian by the time she had finished thinking.

she frowned but continued working.

"your highness, i heard a few things from the old man-" y/n stopped talking when he noticed his former master staring outside the window as if he were in a trance. "your highness?" he asked again, but he didn't reply. he sighed and turned away.

but as soon as he did, he yelped and nearly fell off his chair upon seeing two individuals who seemingly appeared out of nowhere. "general!" the said male groaned as he hit his head pretty hard on the floor. xie lian turned around upon hearing his voice before he was also surprised upon seeing the two young men. he looked over and saw y/n struggling to get back into his seat. "a-y/n! what are you doing on the floor?" xie lian worriedly asked. the general rubbed his head in an attempt to ease the discomfort growing in his head.

"i was just surprised..." he grumbled, sitting back on his chair.

"general xuan zhen did say that you were easily spooked." one of the young men spoke. "hold on, i have to speak to ling wen for a moment." l/n y/n sighed as xie lian turned around and faced the window again to return to his conversation with ling wen.

"it seems as if they've come to behead me instead of aiding me. did you trick them into coming here?" the former crown prince whispered as he glanced at the two over his shoulders. they both glared back at him. "don't look at him like that, if it displeases you that much to be working with him, then you should leave." y/n sighed, rubbing his temples. "no, we wanted to come here and help safeguard you, general t/n."

the general scoffed. "i'm offended. i'm a martial god of high status with many devotees and worshipers praying to my temples every day." xie lian sat down beside him. "wait, if you're here, then who's going to answer the prayers sent to your palace?" he asked. "my deputy general, liang mao, of course. it's high time he got off his lazy butt and started working." just in time, the old man came back with a pot of green tea.

just as the old man was about to pour tea onto the cups, y/n stopped him. "it's alright sir, we can pour our own cups." the old man was surprised for a moment, but he obeyed and placed the teapot onto the table before silently leaving.

y/n pulled back his sleeve as he picked up the teapot and poured xie lian and himself a cup while ignoring the two young men sharing a table with them. he gave them a suspicious look, which made the two deputy generals avoid his gaze. he placed the teapot on the table before he pulled back his sleeve again and elegantly took a sip, xie lian following in suit. xie lian placed the teacup down. "may i know who you guys are?" xie lian asked with a smile on his face. "oh, a floating tea stalk!" y/n smiled as he began to get lost in his own world.

"nan feng."

"fu yao."

"i'm not asking for your names... but, i suppose i should thank you for coming." xie lian replied to the two deputy general's simple replies. "could you tell me which gods you're working for?" he asked again, still keeping the smile on his face. he took another sip of his tea while y/n poured himself some more, choosing to keep quiet and listen to the conversation.

"general nan yang."

"general xuan zhen."

as soon as he heard those names, xie lian spat out his tea and coughed. hearing his distress, y/n put down his cup of tea and began to rub xie lian's back, almost instinctively. xie lian quietly thanked y/n before he turned to the two. "s-so the two generals sent you here?" he stuttered, still in disbelief.

"general nan yang doesn't know about this." nan feng bluntly states. "general xuan zhen doesn't know either." fu yao adds using the same tone. xie lian furrowed his brows, seemingly distressed. meanwhile, y/n was enjoying himself as he watched multiple tea stalks pop out of his tea. he smiled. "it's such a shame to drink you, but..." he took a sip. xie lian watched him in disbelief. the former crown prince sighed.

"ling wen told us general t/n will be here, and since general xuan zhen has expressed his concerns over him multiple times, i decided to come along." fu yao tells xie lian who lets out an even deeper sigh. "general nan yang worries about him as well. he's afraid that since he easily gets distracted, he might get himself into big trouble." nan feng sweatdrops as he motions towards the god who was smiling and giggling to himself as he watched tea stalks pop out of his tea. xie lian sighed again.

"yes, but he came with me of his own accord. do you two know who i am then?" xie lian asks seriously. "you're the crown prince." nan feng states with the same blunt tone. "you're the conscience of men, the attention of the world." fu yao forcefully says as he rolls his eyes. he smirks at the end of his sentence.

xie lian turns to l/n y/n, who just finished his second cup of tea. "did he just roll his eyes?" he asks. "he did. if he worked under me, i would've rolled his eyes until it was at the back of his head." the martial god replies using an all-serious tone that sent shivers up the spine of the two young deputy generals before him.

"he did roll his eyes, so you should just kick him out." nan feng arrogantly says, glaring at fu yao. "why? you're the one who should be kicked out." fu yao replies with the same amount of arrogance as nan feng. the two of them looked at each other and glared. nan feng slammed his fist on the table before standing up. fu yao angrily does the same. "i should've bought snacks, fights between the two generals are always a sight to behold!" y/n laughs while xie lian panics and looks between the both of them.

"w-wait a minute! did you come willingly? you're allowed to be reluctant!" he says, trying to diffuse the situation before it further escalates.

the two turned towards him and furiously yells in sync; "i. am. willing!" they both ended by glaring at each other again. "the sexual tension between them is amazing." y/n mused as he took a sip of his tea. "a-y/n! don't encourage them!" xie lian tells him. "it's always amusing to watch them fight like little kids, but for your sake your highness, i'll stop them." y/n closed his eyes and finished the last of his tea. he slammed the cup down, earning the attention of the two rival gods.

"sit down and behave yourselves." as soon as those words slipped from his mouth, the two gods immediately obeyed and sat down in fear. "we're sorry." they said in sync, bowing their heads towards y/n. xie lian was bewildered at how easily he was able to get the two under control. he managed to get them under control so quickly. he looked back to the brown-haired martial god.

a-y/n...

( 𝖾𝖽𝗂𝗍𝖾𝖽 | ✓ )
( words: 3000+ )