Heavenly Lair
October 30, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Silence hung all around, so loud it pressed on the injured head, creating a malevolent, heavy, drawn-out whine in his ears.
Even simply opening his eyes required enormous effort from Mu Qing, who could barely move any part of his face, be it his eyes or his mouth—it felt as if it were adorned with at least a dozen, stabbing wounds. Even breathing was difficult; every breath brought pain comparable to what he'd felt when he'd pierced his own body with a sword. If he'd known that ascending to heaven was so painful, he would have chosen this method back then... But no matter.
All this forced Mu Qing to lie with his eyes closed, barely breathing and trembling with pain for several moments, before he finally adjusted to it and "awoke."
Standing up without wincing in pain proved an impossible task, and Mu Qing was glad he hadn't caused enough of a fuss to warrant a peek. However, he was not to be. A confident clatter of heels sounded to his right, and Mu Qing didn't even need to look to recognize who it was.
Lingwen was the only woman who moved so confidently through the capital. She always exuded an aura of strength and power worthy of deep respect. However, the sound made his head ache even more, as if someone had just walked over it, not just with heels but with heavy boots as well, several times. So Mu Qing ordered himself to get up before he passed out again over such a trivial matter.
— Welcome to the Heavenly Capital, General, – Lingwen paused, holding a small scroll. She spoke quietly, but no less confidently and clearly. In fact, Mu Qing couldn't help but admire a woman like her. Rumor had it that the entire Heavenly Capital depended on her: missions and prayers, courts, meetings of new gods, the capital's written information—she oversaw it all, and he couldn't imagine how she could manage alone. Honestly, he was exhausted even just collecting money for His Highness, and now there was so much to do. If not for her palace, the Heavenly Capital would have long since collapsed, utterly chaotic and confused.
Mu Qing had only been to Lingwen Palace a few times, reporting to her for the prince, since she had ascended to the upper heavens shortly before he had leaped from the sky. But not once had he seen her shirk her work or even show disrespect to others, no matter how tired she looked.
It was this thought that compelled Mu Qing to quickly rise, enduring the pain, and bow to her. It wasn't as deep as he would have liked, but it was all he could manage now, as his back felt like it was pierced by a hundred swords.
— Perfect Lord Lingwen. – Mu Qing wasn't sure if he was imagining it, but Lingwen's lips twitched in a half-smile before saying,
— This time, your ascension hasn't gone unnoticed, General.– Mu Qing glanced around the empty street in surprise, and before he could ask anything, Lingwen continued,
— One tian has passed since your ascension, so everyone has long since left, tired of waiting for you to come to your senses. This is currently the longest ascension journey between the mortal world and the Heavenly Capital that we've ever seen. – She walked slowly forward, urging them to follow her, and Mu Qing gritted his teeth and obeyed. — The previous record was seven shi; you've broken all records just by ascending.
— What records? – Mu Qing asked absentmindedly. He struggled to absorb so much information from just one stick of incense, and his head pounded as if he hadn't slept in days. He barely listened to what the goddess was saying, lost in the storm clouds of his own thoughts and pain.
Lingwen stopped so abruptly that Mu Qing nearly crashed into her. He managed to stop himself in time, unfurled the small scroll she was holding, and read:
— Besides what I mentioned earlier, you also ranked first among those who already had followers upon ascension. – If Mu Qing had still been on the way, he would have surely stumbled, but as it was, he simply stared in surprise at the goddess of literature, who didn't even look at him.
— The others barely had two—the ascended family—but you have four, and they all pray tirelessly. – Mu Qing smiled faintly, he know who it might be.
— And the final record, – she continued. Mu Qing was sure he saw a twinkle in her eyes, but couldn't understand why. However, as soon as she read the last lines, everything fell into place:
— In the last three hundred years, you have become the only celestial being whose ascension has been able to cause such... – She paused briefly, as if considering the correct answer. –... widespread damage: during your ascension, the Heavens shook so violently that roads throughout the capital were cracked. – Mu Qing frowned. It was simply unbelievable, he hadn't even ascended yet, and already there were adventures. And what was he supposed to do with this information? Fix the roads himself? Although, indeed, only now did he notice that just a few meters away, where he had been lying all day not long ago, a small hole had formed, from which cracks, from small to large, spread into the distance.
Apparently noticing his thoughtfulness, Lingwen explained:
— Just three hundred virtues will be enough, General, and the roads will be restored. Don't worry. – Mu Qing nodded. He'd been putting this question off until later, but now he decided it was the right time to ask:
— Why General? – When he was in the Middle Heavens, serving as His Highness Crown Prince Xianle's assistant, no one had ever addressed him that way, so this was a small, but pleasant, surprise for him.
Lingwen continued leading him without saying where, but Mu Qing knew this road like his own face and would never have confused it with any other—the road to Lingwen Palace. Her predecessor's palace had stood on this spot, and he'd often visited it when delivering reports.
— Because you led the state army for a time in life, General Xuanzhen? – Mu Qing suddenly frowned and pursed his lips. This wasn't something he wanted to remember, so he responded simply and matter-of-factly:
— I see.
***
As he expected, after some time, they found themselves in Lingwen Palace. It was just as Mu Qing remembered it. Well, actually, it hadn't been that long since he'd last been there. However, the palace always captivates him, as if he were seeing it for the first time: high walls adorned with intricate carvings, cool marble floors, incredibly beautiful frescoes depicting various moments in history, and his favorite part—the enormous, deep blue armchairs in the library. She handed him a scroll lying on a huge oak table and assigned his first task: — You share territory with the palace of Qinling, God of the Western Lands, – she said, a little irritated, and with her next words, he understood why. — And he only fulfills a small portion of the prayers, so now many of them will come to you as well. – Mu Qing nodded reservedly; he was no stranger to large numbers of prayers. He's unlikely to hear more than he did during Xianle's time. — Now is a good opportunity to gather benefactors, because even though you already have followers, they are still too few and haven't yet begged for rescue. – Mu Qing nodded again. It was truly gratifying to hear that his girls were now safe. — Girls have been disappearing at the foot of Mount Huashan for three centuries now. They have no connection, everyone disappears: from little girls to old women, poor and rich, married, fiancées, and single, – she explained. — However, they all disappear at the same time, at sunset on the fourth day after the Spring Festival. The villagers can't do anything about it, because their village is located at the foot of the mountain, and it's simply impossible not to go there. They even locked them in their houses for a while, but nothing worked; the girls vanished right from their rooms. So far, three hundred girls have been kidnapped, one per year. – Mu Qing frowned tensely. — What rank is the evil spirit? – Lingwen pointed to the scroll in his hands and replied, — It's cruel. It's not strong, but humans alone would never be able to deal with it. You can read the scroll in more detail, General. Mu Qing quickly took his leave, he needed to go home before the mission, in any case, he had a whole day before the fourth day after the Spring Festival and he could track down the evil spirit.***
Mu Qing descended from the heavens, assuming a different appearance. Or rather, he simply changed his clothes and eye color to blue, but this didn't violate the rules, and Wu Long recognized him more easily. First, he headed toward his house and, opening the door, froze in place: the passageway had transformed into something resembling a temple. A bench stood against the wall, on which sat a small basket containing various fruits, vegetables, and even a few coins. Next to it stood a wooden figurine, so small that Mu Qing didn't even recognize himself in it at first. It was incredibly beautiful, perfectly emphasizing every curve of his face, and the clothes he ascended in resembled the work clothes of the Flower House: light and elegant, but not reminiscent of what men usually wear. Wu Long knelt before the lava, clasping her hands in prayer and closing her eyes. — A-Lun... – Mu Qing called softly, and the girl jumped up so abruptly that she nearly knocked over the basket of offerings. With a joyful cry, she ran closer and hugged Mu Qing tightly. — Qing-ge! – She rested her head on his shoulder. Mu Qing couldn't help but let out a warm, tender sigh; only a day had passed, and he already missed her so much. — Did my Long-mei tell the girls about the ascension? – Mu Qing asked tenderly, kneeling down. Wu Long repeated after him and nodded. — Yes! – she responded briskly. — The girls and I created... – The girl seemed a little embarrassed, and Mu Qing squeezed her hand in support. — This temple, – she added with a chuckle. Mu Qing's heart was so warm right now that he didn't know where to turn. — I'll go to every corner of this city and tell everyone about you, – Wu Long said seriously. Mu Qing listened attentively, without interrupting. It truly made his heart beat faster. — Just... – Her voice became quieter, a little hesitant. — Teach me how to wield a saber. – Only now did Mu Qing notice that his own saber was hanging from the girl's waist, and her arms were covered in small wounds. Mu Qing nodded slowly, tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her ears, and kissed her forehead, gently, barely perceptibly. — I'll teach you, just let me buy you a saber that fits you, – Mu Qing chuckled, causing Wu Long to puff out her cheeks. He had some savings, and he wouldn't mind spending them on a gift for his sister. In fact, even though Wu Long had always been a lively and confident girl, Mu Qing had never thought about teaching her how to handle weapons, but now that she had asked for it herself, he couldn't refuse her.***
They settled on the Zhanmadao saber, and Mu Qing initially even tried to dissuade Wu Long from the idea, saying that anyone who wielded such a saber had to train diligently. The Zhanmadao was one of the most difficult sabers to master, as Mu Qing knew. But the girl was unyielding; she stood her ground, and Mu Qing had to agree. On the other hand, it would be much more convenient for him to teach her to fight with the same weapon he used. So Wu Long skipped home with a wide smile on her face. Mu Qing stayed home that night, planning to leave quietly, early in the morning, as soon as the sun rose. However, despite all his efforts, Wu Long woke up just as he was ready to go outside. Breathless but confident, she muttered, — Where are you going? – Mu Qing sighed heavily and walked closer to her. He didn't want to leave her like this again, but he couldn't ignore his responsibilities. Gritting his teeth, he had to explain: — A-Long, you know I have tasks now, and I have to... – but Wu Long interrupted him, sitting up abruptly: — I'm going with you. – Mu Qing froze and didn't know what to say. Or rather, he knew he should say "no," but for some reason he didn't want to. Perhaps the desperate desire not to leave Wu Long, to be with her and never let her go, ultimately overrode all rational thought. With a sigh, he jerked to his feet and declared: — You'll get ready before I go get us something to eat for the road—I'll take it with me. Mu Qing hadn't expected her to miss out, but he needed to start training Wu Long in discipline and independence now. When Mu Qing returned with a flask of water and a few buns in his hands, the girl was indeed already ready. Having chosen one of the new hanfu Mu Qing had recently given her and tied her hair tightly with a green ribbon to match her robes, she stood in the middle of the room, trying to slip her saber into the scabbard on her back. — Ready, – the girl straightened confidently. She tried to appear nonchalant, but Mu Qing could see her legs trembling from the unaccustomed weight on her back. He patted her shoulder. — Then let's get going. We'll walk from here to our destination... – Mu Qing pulled a scroll from his sleeve, examining it and reading it carefully. — Oh, only twenty li. Not a long way to go. Wu Long nodded confidently and took a tentative step, nearly falling backward. However, before Mu Qing rushed to catch her, she straightened up and held her ground, casting a suspicious glance at him. Mu Qing could only smile warmly and walk behind her, supporting her.
