Jing Yuan - Blog Posts

Ive watched a historical film and wanted to draw a duel so much!!!!

初心者の漫画。サングラスを見たとき、これを景元がつけるの？と想像したら描かずにいられなかった

PROMISCUOUS BOY

prompt: your next-door neighbour keeps bringing hookups one night after other disturbing your precious sleep. exhausted, you decide to write a letter venting all your frustrations — not expecting that in the middle of all this it would reach it recipient.

pairing: blade, jing yuan x fem! reader

cw: scenario format, modern au, slightly ooc to fit the plot, suggestive themes, mentions of sex, flirt, not beta-read

reblogs and comments are appreciated ♡

Dear apt 502’ neighbour, I understand that starting a letter with "dear" may sound a bit old-fashioned and ridiculous when I don't even know you, but I hope you take in consideration my romantic spirit as a passionate literature student and will overlook this fact. That said, the reason why we’ve never met is mainly based on the times when I leave and get home. You see, I'm in my last year of a master's degree and the university has been charging all my time and dedication, so I barely have time to take care of myself other than to fall into bed and sleep. But lately, in the late hours of the night, I’ve had my rest interrupted at the only moment when my mind should find peace. And I swear, I've tried to use all possible methods to prevent the noise from affecting me but it has been increasingly difficult. Far be it for me to look for trouble because of someone else sex' life, no. I'd rather say good for you instead. But would it be nice of you to fuck your bitches without breaking my wall in the process? I can deal with their horrible moans, but definitely not with my damaged apartment. Be that as it may, I wish you the best intentions. Your apt 503’ neighbour

Blade

Oh, how you hated your neighbour. You hated him so much.

There were few people who achieved such a feat since you were the most patient and easygoing person to ever exist. Not even your Languages ​​and Cultures II’ partner who was extremely irresponsible or your idiot ex-boyfriend who still didn't seem to understand the meaning of the word break-up were able to get out of you a feeling as negative as hate. But, well, for everything in this life there was a first time, and your not-so-dear-neighbour was getting the upper hand.

When you wrote the letter on one of the dozens of nights in which his nocturnal activities seemed to be more important than other people's rest, you didn't expect a few days later for it to disappear from your desk where it belonged, much less for your friendly doorman to confirm your worst nightmare: all the mail for the week had already been sent.

What was supposed to be a joke turned into more days and nights of stress and you even considered writing him a second letter explaining that it was all just a misunderstanding and that the cracks in your wall weren't that important after all. However, when a week passed and your next-door neighbour's sexual activities began to last until the next morning, you understood that he was deliberately mocking you and, consequently, declaring war.

Now take a good look. You were a person known for your poise and calmness in overcoming challenges despite so much pressure, so it was expected that it’d be no different this time. Except it was. Because not even the calm and composure that the gods gave you could help you ignore the terrible moans in the next room, and the investment you put into that apartment was too high to let it go unnoticed.

And so, at 7:05 am on a Sunday morning, you found yourself in front of apartment 502' door knocking continuously on it as you waited not so patiently the willingness of your neighbour to finish his fuck and attend you. How a person managed to have so much sex drive was beyond your understanding, but perhaps this was due to the fact that your neighbour was an old and lonely man who must have found pleasure in the company of women only at night. Yes, that was a plausible reason.

In the end, you spent at least five minutes abusing the door’s wood without stopping. And just as you prepared to knock once more, it suddenly opened and the man who had tormented you all your nights had finally revealed himself.

Your impressions: Well, old he certainly was. Lonely? Hard to say. Now, unfairly hot and attractive? Unexpectedly yes.

When you came to your senses, you and the half-naked man spent a long time staring at each other in silence, absorbing each other's characteristics. You were clearly affected by his beauty and he was clearly irritated by your presence.

"Are you going to stare at me all the way, or are you going to say what you want?"

You blinked once, twice, three times until his words hit you, making you visibly red with embarrassment. How rude!

"First, good morning to you too," you said venomously, "Second, didn’t you read the letter, no? What part of not breaking the wall didn’t you get?"

The man seemed to take your words into consideration for a few seconds before a sneer appeared on his lips and his eyes narrowed in amusement. He leans against the doorframe and crosses his arms over his bare, scarred chest, making him more attractive than he already was.

"I don't see how this is up to you alone. After all, the wall is as much yours as it’s mine," he says and you open your mouth in shock.

"Excuse me? How can I not when it’s my side that is being damaged the most!"

"Then you better start looking for a bricklayer."

Gods, this man was impossible! You already knew that you hated him for a very insignificant reason, but now you were sure that he was more detestable than he let on. And the fact that he counts your arguments with that purposeful blank expression infuriated you even more.

"Unbelievable. Not only can't I keep my apartment intact, but I also have to spend sleepless nights because of the noise too."

"If the noise bothers you so much you can always come and join in," your neighbour offers with a small smirk, but the devilish glow that radiated from his crimson iris didn’t hide the true meaning behind his words.

Too embarrassed and disconcerted to continue the argument with the man, you angrily return to your house, slamming the door aggressively and containing the scream of frustration that bubbled in your chest.

Yingxing in turn couldn't help but think that you had a nice ass, and that annoy you was even better than he thought.

Jing Yuan

Two whole days looking for the letter all over your apartment took you to the most advanced stage of despair. Even though you had already ransacked your living room from floor to ceiling more times you could remember, messing up your kitchen and bedroom in the process, you still hadn't found a single trace of the piece of paper. And even though a part of you already knew that there was a high chance that the letter had been mixed in with the other correspondences and had been forwarded to its intended recipient, you'd rather have a hole in the ground swallow you than consider the only plausible option.

Even so, now here you found yourself: in front of the apartment 502’ door with a courage and pride that wasn't yours, sweat running down your spine and the dread of finally coming face to face with the man who not only ruined your last nights sleep, but who could very well ruin your social life too. God, just thinking that he could be a troublemaker and report you to the police, tarnishing your criminal record and your reputation as a good neighbor made you sick to your stomach.

But there was no other alternative. You had to make sure he hadn't opened the letter, or, in the worst case, consider not bringing this humiliation to the public.

So, minutes after knocking on the door, you were finally greeted by the resident of apartment 502 who, for much your surprise (or much delight) was wearing nothing but a bath towel with the steam's traces still emanating from his pale, wet skin. It suddenly became very clear to you why all those dozens of women made sure to scream “Oh, Jing Yuan!” every time they reached an orgasm.

"May I help you?"

Yeah. Fucking kill me, you wanted to answer.

The words you had practiced so much seemed to have escaped your brain and a familiar heat burned your cheeks. The embarrassment was huge, but you had already come this far and there was no going back. You only wished your neighbour wasn't this attractive, though.

"Hi. Good evening, sir. I’m your nextdoor neighbour and I wanted to know if by any chance you received a letter signed in my name", you stuttered so fast that you feared you’d have to repeat the sentence all over again since Jing Yuan didn’t seem to express any reaction for a few seconds. 

As the realization hit him, though, a faint gleam of amusement crossed his golden irises and mortification hit you like a bolt of lightning.

Oh shit. He had read the letter.

"Just a moment, my lady", Jing Yuan said with a playful smile on his lips and entered his apartment for a few seconds, returning shortly afterwards with the well-known envelope in hand.

He held out the letter and you trembled as you finally picked it.

"I can tell that this was not a letter intended to be sent, right?"

"No, it wasn't. And I'm so sorry for causing you so much trouble! God, what a humiliation! Now would be a great time to die", you pleaded into the void and your handsome neighbour laughed in response.

"It’s alright. You know, it's the first time I've received a letter from such a beautiful lady, although the content was definitely not what I expected", he said contemplatively crossing his huge arms on his huge chest. You looked away feeling more embarrassed, "Nevertheless, I also apologize for my lack of attention. I’ll be more considerate from now on."

If only it could get any worse. Here he was apologizing for having a healthy sex life when you should probably be doing the same. Having sex not apologizing, of course. 

Fearing that if you said anything else your words would come out more clumsy than the erratic beating of your heart, you forced a smile to your neighbour who was now looking at you intensely in slight amusement. And realizing that if you stared back at the man for too long your role as a fool would only get worse, you came up with a quick excuse to escape from there and back to your apartment. Maybe your next letter would be a goodbye to the world because you refuse to leave your home from now on.

"Thank you for your attention and again I apologize for the confusion, Mr. Jing Yuan. It was great meeting you, really, but I need to go so have a good night and don’t mind me anymore," you bow quickly and respectfully as your face burned in red, and stumble on wobbly legs back to your door.

However, before you could enter your house due to fumbling with the wrong keys for the lock, Jing Yuan let out a light laugh and replied: “It was my pleasure to meet you, Miss Neighbour. Although, I must say that I would like to keep hearing more from you from now. This time, in person, of course."

Needless to say you entered your apartment at lightning speed vowing never to exit it again, leaving behind a very good-humored Jing Yuan.

How delightful to know that you already knew his name before he even needed to introduce himself, huh.

There is No Law that Emperors Must be Fair

Emperor ! Jing Yuan x Princess ! Reader

Chapter 1 | All Must Begin and End

Summary | You are set to marry the Emperor, Jing Yuan. In order to break the engagement, you stage an accident and fake having amnesia. But now, you own cruel, cold, and distant fiancé, who seemed to not want anything to do with you, is now acting all lovey dovey!

Warnings | age gap (y/n is around 20 - 22 yrs old), y/n stages an accident, y/n gets hurt, jing yuan is mean in the beginning, y/n is referred to as princess and with she/her pronouns, implied that jing yuan messes around with maids, grammatical errors, etc.

Fic Masterlist

“The only thing granted to all is an unfair reality, and I promise, by surrendering to me, you can guarantee a long prosperous life.”

The emperor held his weapon to your father’s throat with a steady hand. Your father, in his weakened state, could only kneel to the ground. All the while, you, dressed in your frilly dress, could only peek around the corner of the door and into the thrown room as the scene unfolded. You see, your kingdom was originally at war with the Emperor and his grand nation. However, five years later and your nation was nothing but dirt and corpses as the Emperor let lightning rain down and scorch the ground.

There was nothing your nation could do to annex yourselves out of the Emperor’s tyranny, and any little freedom you did have was now squashed underfoot.

“A long and prosperous life,” your father muttered out, “let’s face it dear Emperor, the only thing left for me and my people is death now that you have laid out your judgement.”

Jing Yuan let his blade fall from your father’s neck, “then how about we come to an agreement?”

Your father finally looked up and Jing Yuan continued, “your nation’s land, trade, commerce, and wealth all belong to the Xianzhou, and all you and your people have to do is live peacefully and quietly under my rule.”

Your father scoffed, “that is basically the same deal as before this war was started!”

Jing Yuan glanced over to where you were hiding behind the corner, the moment your eyes met, you made a small, surprised yelp before hiding fully behind the wall. Jing Yuan looked back down to your father, “then how about a marriage proposal. You have a daughter, don’t you? With a marriage between the Xianzhou and your nation, you can guarantee that you and your people won’t fall to despair and resort to another war. And I can promise you, if you decide to rise up and rally your forces against me again, then this nation truly will be no more.”

“You- you really expect me to give away my only daughter?”

“The choice is yours.”

Your father bowed his head, his lips quivering, “Alright, but what type of life will my daughter be living?”

“As of today, your land, your wealth, and even your daughter is no longer yours to concern yourself with. The moment you agreed was the moment you let everything go.”

Everything after that was a blur. A complete and utter haze that has left you wondering how it all came to be this way. When the war started five years ago you truly thought everything was going to work out as your father has promised, but now? Five months after the war and you find yourself preparing for a wedding with a man who doesn’t even want to speak to you or acknowledge your existence.

“Princess?”

You glanced away from your window, the room you were staying is was vast. Your bed was filled with fuzzy, warm blankets with pillows as fluffy as can be. The carpet was soft and expensive looking. The dresses in your closet smooth as silk and. Your dresser filled with various jewelry that you didn’t even know existed. It was a luxurious room.

“Yes?”

The one who had entered your room was your own personal guard. His “name” was Blade. You knew that that wasn’t his real name, and when you asked about it, well, he didn’t seem too keen on sharing anything with you. So, you were forced with calling him that tacky name.

“Do you plan on staying here all day again?”

“I do.”

“Fine, then I will be off training. If you want to go somewhere, call on me to escort you.”

“I will.”

He left without another word.

And you did feel a little sad when he left, but only because he was one of the few people in this country that ever talked to you. Everyone else always kept their lips shut anytime you would pass them by in the halls.

It was a luxurious life, but you couldn’t help but to miss everyone back home.

“Maybe it’s time I try to break out of this engagement…”

In the past five months, you learned that Jing Yuan was as cold, distant, and cruel as the rumors made him out to be. He didn’t care for you at all. Not to mention that anytime you did run into him or speak to him he always had a beautiful and busty maid by his side who was all handsy with him. Your mother, of course, warned you of this. She warned you how men would prefer the excitement of being with someone they couldn’t have. So, it was no surprise to you when you would catch a maid being too close and familiar with him.

Not that it mattered.

Because you had a plan.

It was dangerous, and it would hurt, but it would be worth it.

Calming your nerves, you stood up from your windowsill, the gardens below becoming too boring to look at any longer.

Your plan consisted of accidentally running into one of the maids and falling down the long flight of stairs and that led into the main hall. There was no doubt in your mind that you will get hurt. But you were counting on it. In fact, what you really wanted was to either get amnesia or fake getting amnesia. Which is exactly why you were thankful Blade was already gone. Because before, the silent man would always be by your side, if you so much as trip he would already have an arm around your waist in order to steady you. It was annoying. So when it became apparent that you would stay in your room all day for the past two months, Blade gradually started to leave you alone which was exactly what you had wanted.

“Now, if I remember correctly, today is laundry day and the maids will be rushing around with big baskets around this time. If I time it perfectly, then…”

You smiled, it took a lot of time to get the schedules down, but you were sure this was going to work. Getting injured, faking amnesia, it was the only way you could think of breaking the engagement off. Well, it was that or running away. However, Jing Yuan made it clear that you would be executed if you ran away…

Steadying your heart, you opened your door. Blade was nowhere in sight and the maids could be heard down the hall.

“Perfect!”

You put your plan into effect.

The moment you hiked up your dress and started running down the hall, you were glad to see the maids already rushing about. But you couldn’t run into one of them right now. No, your goal was the stairs. Running a bit further, you could already see the railing making you smile.

This is really going to hurt, but I would rather be hurt than being married to that man!

“Excuse me Princess!”

“Watch out!”

“Ahh! Princess!”

And soon everything went dark. Your vision, your mind, you could feel the first fall and the way your head slammed into the first set of stairs, but other than that – you were swiftly knocked out. Though, before you fully lost consciousness, you could only hope that you wouldn’t have to fake amnesia when you woke up. Because you knew Jing Yuan was sharp. And acting wasn't your specialty at all.

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𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲: 𝐈𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐝

It was a good question. From the looks of things, the doorway you had come had completely disappeared, with no apparent way back. 

“She’s right. We’re stuck,” said Qingque unhelpfully. Then she shrugged. “Hey, at least I never have to go back to Jingzhai’s divination classes again.”

Yukong scolded, “Qingque! That is not an appropriate comment to make.” Qingque grumbled an apology. 

Qingni turned to face you. “Do you have any ideas? You’re good at this kind of thing.”

Everyone was suddenly staring at you again like you knew the answer. All you wanted to do was curl up into a ball and hide in a corner. You were no less lost and clueless than they were. “I don’t know!” you cried. “Why does everyone keep asking me what to do?”

There was a sudden, horribly familiar grating sound from behind you. From the same apparent nowhere behind the shattered window poked the snout of the stone dragon. It grated a little further through the window, until its front half seemed to be floating in midair and its back half, which must still be in the Jing Yuan’s bedroom, was nowhere to be seen. You backed away from the window, thinking, Everything really is going wrong today! Yet, hanging in that strange floating position, the stone dragon was not attacking. In fact, it was not moving at all. It was almost as if it was waiting for something.

Bailu stood up from Qingzu’s side. Judging by Guinaifen and Huohuo’s reactions, everything must be alright. When Bailu noticed the dragon, she squinted at it, long and hard. It seemed to you that the statue was staring back. Her eyes widened. “Everyone, climb onto the dragon!” she said. “It won’t hurt us. It’ll take us back to the ship.”

You had no intention of stepping within a metre of the creature. “How do you know it won’t hurt us?” you said. 

Bailu shook her head. “I can’t explain it. Just trust me,” she said. And because you knew both Jing Yuan and Tingyun were doomed if you could not get back to Xianzhou, you did. Trying to control your trembling, you clambered onto the statue’s stony back, followed by Yanqing, your sisters, and finally Yukong and Bailu, who brought up the rear. When you got halfway down the dragon, for a terrible moment you were hanging above the entire city, cold wind whipping at your leaves. The other end of the statue was nowhere to be seen. You wondered whether you were crawling to your death. 

Then you forced yourself forwards, and your head broke past the sky into the familiar walls of Jing Yuan’s bedroom. You hopped off the dragon and helped the others down as they appeared behind you. Once Bailu was through, the statue grated itself back into the room and landed on the floor with a dull thud.

Like Phantylia had said, Jing Yuan’s body was nowhere to be seen. His bed was empty. Crumpled sheets were the only indication he had even been there at all. Mimi, who had been lying at the foot of the bed, stood up when she saw you and came over to nudge your hand with her nose. 

“I can’t believe I didn’t suspect Phantylia would trick us,” you said, staring blankly at the vacant bed. You had failed Jing Yuan yet again. That may well be the only thing you were truly good at. “We should have left somebody behind to keep watch.”

Yukong came up behind you and put a reassuring hand on your shoulder. “You couldn’t have known. It’s not your fault,” she said.

You shook your head. Her words were empty comfort, because the evidence was right there in front of you: Jing Yuan was gone. “It was my idea to go to China and leave him unguarded.”

“Yes, because you wanted to help his family. Nobody can put you at fault for that, dear. And if Jing Yuan does once we get him back, I will have a word with the man myself.”

You made yourself smile, but in truth, you did not want Yukong to have a word with him. You did not care who did or did not blame you. You just wished that Phantylia had not got her way.

In all this time, Bailu had not once looked away from the dragon. She was staring at the pearl in its claws, utterly transfixed. She stepped towards it, hesitatingly at first, and then with growing confidence. The statue remained motionless as Bailu reached out and seized the pearl from its claws. She pressed the shining sphere to her chest. There was a bright flash of blue light, and the pearl melted into her body. Stubby horns and a reptilian tail appeared on Bailu’s forehead and lower back respectively. The body of the stone dragon cracked, split into pieces, and crumbled away into dust. 

She gasped. “I remember now! The numbers!” If you had ever had doubts she was the High Elder of the Vidhadhara before, there was no doubting it now. Her features were sharper and her eyes were brighter. She stood straighter (if not taller), and she was full of assertive confidence which she had been lacking before. To you, she said, “Thank you for predicting the dragon would find where it’s meant to be. I might never have got my Cloudhymn back otherwise. I know what I’m meant to do. Yanqing, where’s that egg?”

Yanqing sniffled. He was still distraught over Jing Yuan’s abduction. “Egg?” he asked miserably.

“Yes. The big glowing one. Quick, it’s important.”

“Oh, I don’t know. It’s usually in the hall, but I haven’t seen it there for a while.”

Bailu set off at a swift march to the hall. You trailed behind her, wondering what was going on. Fu Xuan flickered gloomily as you entered. “Since you are all back, I suppose you must know that Phantylia has taken Jing Yuan’s body away.”

“Yes. We don’t need reminding,” you muttered. “Do you know where the egg is?”

She fixed you with a puzzled expression. “What egg?”

Irritably, you snapped, “For the Arbiter’s sake, which egg do you think? How many eggs do we have on board?”

“Fine, fine,” said Fu Xuan with a roll of her eyes, evidently not fond of being snapped at. “Jing Yuan hid it beneath the Matrix.”

You wanted to ask what he would do that for, but it was clear Bailu was in a hurry. You and Yanqing carefully lifted the loose stones around the Matrix at Fu Xuan’s command. Sure enough, the glowing egg sat there in the alcove, surrounded by a bed of dusty strales you had slowly been helping accumulate since the tea house opened. The arrow-shaped coins winked gently like stars in the egg’s silvery-blue light. Bailu stopped in front of it and crossed her arms. “This is what I felt pulling me here,” she said, nodding to herself. “It’s not just any egg. This is Dan Feng’s egg.”

You stared down in surprise at the egg. It had hardly been inconspicuous before, but to think it belonged to such a noble person! You had even used it to cower behind in the past. You would have to apologise to Dan Feng once it hatched.

“Dan Feng?” asked Qingni. “But he’s been missing for ages. Are you sure it’s his?” 

Bailu nodded. “I thought it might be when I first arrived on the ship, but now that I have my Cloudhymn, I’m sure of it. And there’s this string of numbers in my head… I think that has to do with the egg, too.”

“Oh.” Yanqing scratched his neck guiltily. “I thought the egg was just a nice decoration. I’ve been using it to sharpen my swords.”

Bailu tutted. “Honestly! Well, as long as the surface isn’t broken, it should be healthy.”

“But what do you want to do with it?”

She looked at him flatly. “Hatch it, of course.”

“We still need to get Jing Yuan back, though, don’t we? How does that help?” said Sushang. 

Fu Xuan interjected, “If my understanding of the situation is correct, Dan Feng was meant to, ah, protect the Cloudhymn once the Disciples began to target him. However, the power he developed as an individual ought to have remained intact. Lady Bailu is likely hoping that his power will be of help to our current situation.”

“That,” Bailu agreed, “and I feel like he was calling me to come and hatch him, anyway.”

This was all good news, but you could not stop worrying about Jing Yuan. “Do we have time for it?” you asked. “How long will hatching the egg take?”

“Remember,” pointed out Fu Xuan, who seemed to know what you were thinking, “Phantylia cannot take full control over Jing Yuan unless the curse is completed, and there is still one line remaining. Technically, if you reach him before then, you may avoid the worst consequences—though it’s possible Jing Yuan has taken measures against those already.”

You were not willing to risk this chance. You were determined not to fail him again. “I’m going after Jing Yuan,” you decided, already striding towards the door. “You all help Dan Feng hatch in the meantime. Yanqing, I need a flying sword.”

Yanqing slotted himself by your side, joined by Mimi. “I’m going with you.”

“Absolutely not,” you said sternly. “You’re staying here. It’s too dangerous.” You stopped by the door and turned it open to Scalegorge Wastescape. 

Yanqing’s face fell. He protested, “But I’m the one who can wield a sword!”

“Which is precisely why I need you to stay behind and look after everyone in case something else comes up. I’m going to use it to fly, not to fight.” Yanqing stuck out his bottom lip in a stubborn manner and refused to give you his sword. You had forgotten how childish he could be sometimes. You bent down and placed your hands on his shoulders, looking him in the eye. “Yanqing, please. If Jing Yuan and I don’t come back, somebody has to look after the Seat of Divine Foresight. You’re the only other person besides Fu Xuan who has an idea of how things work, and we both know Fu Xuan isn’t always the most cooperative. I just need you to be a grown-up for a little while, alright?”

Yanqing’s eyes watered, but he nodded stiffly. Without any further protest, he handed you his beloved Shadeslink sword. You thanked him and patted his head. 

Mimi sat in front of the door, blocking your way. Gently, you told her, “Mimi, you’re not coming either.” In response, Mimi only laid down and sprawled her limbs out to block the door off even further. She had no intention of letting you leave. “Mimi… it is for Jing Yuan, you know. You of all people—well, lions—should want him back.” She gazed at you sadly through her large blue eyes, refusing to budge. It was almost enough to make you reconsider. You told yourself not to be moved. 

You scratched her ears and said, loud enough only for her to hear, “Please, Mimi. Let me put something right for once.” Yet she still did not shift an inch. She even tried to push you back when you stepped forwards by pushing her head against your torso, quite forcefully. You almost tripped forwards onto her. “Mimi!” you scolded. She levelled steady, unwavering eyes at you. Despite their colour, you were struck by how much they reminded you of Jing Yuan’s. 

Admittedly, Mimi had been right last time about trying to stop you going after Tingyun, and it was very possible she knew something now that you did not, too. It was entirely possible, in fact, that going after Phantylia was a far more terrible and reckless idea than going after Tingyun—or at least one which would do more harm than good, as your ideas usually did. And yet…

You sighed, kneeling down beside the lion. “I know this might be a trap,” you said quietly. “I’m probably doing exactly what Phantylia wants me to. But even so, I can’t just leave him out there. He’s done so much for me, and for everyone else. I have to return his kindness somehow. And besides, if I don’t get the real Tingyun back, Jing Yuan will never forgive me. I’ve caused him to lose enough people already.” 

Still Mimi looked at you with those steely eyes, and did not budge. You clenched your teeth. Every second you were spending here being held up was a second Phantylia could be doing unspeakable things to Jing Yuan. There was little time to waste.

“Fine. Let’s assume the worst, then,” you said, growing impatient. You did not care how silly it was that you were trying to reason with a lion. “If it is a trap, I’m hardly a loss from the ship’s crew anyway. You were doing perfectly well without me before I arrived, if not a little messier, and you’ll certainly do just as well if I go. And besides,” you continued, patting her mane, “I think you’re a more capable cat than you let on. Jing Yuan keeps you around for a reason. You can protect everyone if things go sideways, can’t you?” 

Mimi hesitated for a moment. You hoped something you said might have got to her, but she then shook her head in an almost human-like fashion. Eventually you were forced to step over her, seeing as she was not going to move willingly. Even then she tried to pull you back by tugging lightly on your branches with her mouth. You freed yourself and boarded the sword. You could tell immediately that this sword was more well-mannered than your previous one. Once you were properly on it, it barely wobbled at all. 

You looked back at Yanqing and Mimi. He was having to hold Mimi back from going after you. You said to them, “Look after each other. I shouldn’t be too long.” And before you could regret your decision, you went shooting through the landscape of Scalegorge Wastescape and leaving any protest far behind. 

You did not particularly know where you were going. All you knew was that, wherever Phantylia was, it was behind the huge glowing dragon on the horizon. This was where you directed yourself. You soared through the shimmering mist, past stone pillars and twisting trees and coral flowers. You wished you were in a situation where you could stop to appreciate the scenery more, but you pushed forwards. There was no time to lose.

The closer you got to the dragon, the sparser the vegetation and the thicker the mist became. It grew so thick that at some point you found yourself sailing through an empty fog, dense enough that you could barely see the sword under you. “Now I see why it’s called the Wastescape,” you muttered, more to keep yourself company than for any other reason. It was at this moment you began to worry you had gotten lost. There was no way to tell which direction you were going, because every direction looked identical: a mass of curling white whose moisture beaded on your wooden skin. Once or twice you thought you saw a shadow moving inside it from somewhere behind you. Still, you pushed forwards, hoping dearly that you were still travelling in the same direction you set out in. 

A blue light shining through the fog at last told you you were. The light grew brighter as you approached, until it drove away the fog completely and parted to reveal the crown of the dragon. Up close, the monument was even more striking. A huge glowing mane framed its elegant face, from which two mighty antlers grew and seemed to touch the sky. Tendrils of energy tapered from the tips of those antlers like they were drawing patterns in the heavens themselves. As any dragon ought, it commanded reverence. You bowed to the dragon as you passed beneath it as best as you could while not falling off the sword. Its glowing white eyes seemed to follow you until you were out of sight. 

Now you were on Phantylia's side of the Wastescape. No proud pillars stood; no coral flowers grew. It was all crumbled ruins and desolation, and a sinister wreath of mist which did not shimmer like it had before. You commanded the sword to descend until you were hovering above the ground. You inched your way around snagging black weeds and toppled monuments, keeping an eye out for any sign of Phantylia or her hostages. The sword which had been so trustworthy before now trembled beneath your feet. It did not want to be here any more than you did. 

You bumped into a block of stone rising from the floor. This was the sword’s last straw. It jittered, threw you off, and zipped off back the way you had come faster than you could blink. You shouted rudely after it as it quickly faded into a winking flash in the sky. 

Now you were properly alone. 

“What a coward! Well,” you said decidedly, refusing to let the notion scare you, “swords never liked me, anyway. Who am I to need them? I can do this myself.” Really, you knew you did not have a choice in ‘doing it yourself,’ but pretending like you did made you feel better. You trudged along through the wasteland until you came across a rundown temple. It must be built in the style of the Vidyadhara, because it was like no Luofu architecture you had ever seen. The building was made entirely from stone, with its roof made of layered slabs shaped like a pyramid. A staircase overgrown with vines led up to the entrance: a tall, rectangular opening, completely dark inside, like a waiting mouth, framed by two cracked pillars.¹

It may have been Phantylia’s curse in your bones or just intuition, but you knew this was it. Something about the place emitted pure evil. 

You gulped. It was beginning to dawn on you just how woefully unprepared you were if Phantylia decided to attack you. You shook these thoughts from your head: if you had faced her once, you could do it again. “Besides, it’s too late to turn back now,” you told yourself. “Right, then. In I go.”

You made your way up the stairs and stepped into Phantylia’s residence. The building was dark inside, lit with flickering green balls of light which cast shifting shadows on the walls. You would have kept a hand on the wall to steady yourself, but you did not want to touch anything here more than you had to. There were faded murals painted on the walls which slipped into sight now and again whenever the occasional green flame illuminated them, depicting ancient persons and rituals which must by now be long forgotten. It became gradually brighter the further you went in. 

You realised you were in some sort of a hall. Strange, prickled plants forced their heads through cracks in the floor and tried to trip you as you went. The whole area, from the broken stonework to the fierce vegetation, emanated destruction.  

“Phantylia, you rotten egg!²” you called. “I’ve come like you said. Now give back Jing Yuan and Tingyun!”

There was no answer. You wandered a little deeper in. Two large yellow-petalled lotuses were blooming in the centre of the hall. Their bright colour stood out against the dismal shades falling over everything else. You approached them slowly. You reached out to the closest one and peeled back one of its petals. Lying inside the lotus, curled up into a tight ball, was Tingyun. You gasped and stumbled backwards. If Tingyun was in this lotus, and there was one other lotus in the room, then that second lotus must contain…

“What are you doing here?”

You whipped around. You were shocked to see Dan Shu emerge from behind one of the pillars in the hall. Somehow her blind eyes were fixed on you. Embarrassed, you realised your leaves had been shaking all this time, making a rustling sound wherever you went. No doubt that was how she located you. You forced the leaves still and shot back, “I could ask you the same thing.”

“I have come to speak with Phantylia,” she said. There was bitterness in her voice. “There are… matters I wish to discuss with her.”

That was a funny coincidence. “So have I.”

Vaguely interested, Dan Shu asked, “And what do you wish to talk to her about?”

“I’ve come to take back Jing Yuan’s body.”

“Interesting. That is my intention as well.”

“I thought you wanted him dead.”

“Dead, yes. But Phantylia refuses to kill him now, and that isn’t the only way she has turned her back on our deal.” 

You sat down by the lotuses. Seeing as Dan Shu had no intention of attacking you, at least for the time being, you were quite intrigued by what she had to say. “Turned her back?” Phantylia had said something about getting bored of the Disciples. “What went wrong?”

Dan Shu sighed. “It was going well until the Jingliu incident. Initially, years ago, we were supposed to obtain Dan Feng’s Cloudhymn and give it to Phantylia—a trade for her helping us assassinate Jing Yuan and regrowing our sacred Ambrosial Arbour. When Dan Feng reincarnated himself, we identified Bailu as the next High Elder and directed Phantylia towards her. How were we to know Bailu had taken measures to hide the Cloudhymn already?” 

Dan Shu was telling you an awful lot more than the first time you had met her. You hoped she was simply tired from travelling here and letting her tongue slip, but you had an ugly feeling that it was because she did not intend to give you the chance to spread the information. 

“Once Jingliu failed to provide Phantylia with intel about Jing Yuan, she turned her back on us entirely. I fear she has been abusing Sanctus Medicus’s blessing: instead of regrowing the Ambrosial Arbour as she promised, she has wielded it entirely to her own interests. Nor has she killed Jing Yuan, but imprisoned him for her own amusement.”

So that was the full story behind their deal. Quite frankly, considering how useless the Disciples had been, you did not blame Phantylia for going against them, wicked as she may be. “But Jing Yuan is still incapacitated,” you pointed out. “Isn’t that good enough for you?”

“As long as that man remains alive, he remains a threat,” Dan Shu replied curtly. “I have come to take his body away and finish him off once and for all. Unfortunately, after trying to do so myself, I have concluded that the lotuses can only be controlled by Phantylia herself.” Her gentle mouth twisted into a scowl. “Though I suppose you should be glad about this turn of events, traitor of Yaoshi, seeing as you are so eagerly conspiring with him.”

“Yes, well, I’d rather conspire with him than with you.”

Dan Shu shook her head. “You truly held so much potential. But you have been misled by the bloodstained arrow of Lan and sown yourself in the wrong soil.”

You crossed your arms. Dan Shu was not about to lecture you on the company you should keep. “Actually, I’m quite happy with my soil.”

“Then it is a garden of bodies you choose to bloom in. Yaoshi could grant you a garden of splendour far beyond your imagination if only you turned to them. Corpses of the weak are all that the Hunt will ever sow.”

And again with the preaching plant talk! You were so fed up with it that you decided to give her a taste of her own medicine. “I think it’s better to stay in the rich soil of dead remains than that of immortal abominations which suck all the life out of it. At least that’s the natural way of things.”

Dan Shu’s nostrils flared with anger. It gave you strange satisfaction. “You dare insult Yaoshi’s legacy in such a way?”

“Yes, I do dare! And there’s more where that came from!” you shouted back. 

You were angry now, too. You were angry at Dan Shu for trying to preach to you, angry at Phantylia for cursing you, angry at every time you had set yourself up for failure because of some notion you had in your mind that meant a firstborn could not balance their own life with tradition. No, you were more than angry. You were furious. 

“I’m sick and tired of you people telling me how I should live my life!” you fumed. “Whether I’m a human or a monster, there’s always somebody controlling me! I’ve had enough of it! I think the Hunt and the Abundance are terrible! Why should some distant figureheads bother me? What reason is there that a legacy of long-dead relatives should stop me from living my life? None! None at all! I’m just here to help one man because he’s been kind to me—much kinder than he needed to be—and to help him get the person he loves back. I’m not going to let you, or anyone else for that matter, hurt him.”

Dan Shu was silent for a moment. “So that’s how it is,” she mused. She looked at you through her milky eyes, and her gaze was almost pitiful. “Alas, your misguided virtue will lack reward. What do you have to offer Phantylia which will convince her to return him to you? Surely you don’t think your affection for him, sweet as though it may be, is enough to sway her.”

“I’ll deal with Phantylia when it gets to her,” you grumbled. You had been trying not to think that far ahead yet. It hardly helped that you had no plan whatsoever besides the vague notion of getting Jing Yuan back, and that Phantylia was most certainly capable of squishing you like an insect if she could be bothered to expend the effort of trying.

“Hm. Your confidence is stupid, yet strangely admirable,” Dan Shu said. You decided to take it as a compliment. “But one thing is certain: Phantylia will not grant us both Jing Yuan’s body.”

You did not like the sound of where this was going. Warily, you asked, “What are you saying?”

“I am saying that, if you want to obtain any chance of success, you must make yourself the only contender for it. As for my part…” Dan Shu sighed. She pulled out a wooden staff from her robes and knocked it against the floor. You watched in horror as she grew taller and blue leaves began to push out from her pale skin, twisting and fluttering around her until they took the shape of clothes and a flowing cloak. Her voice had lost all of its gentleness when she said, “I can only pray that the merciful Yaoshi does not punish me for eliminating their traitorous miracle.”

Dan Shu raised her staff. Green energy began swirling around its tip. You could only watch it happen, knowing you had no way of defending yourself. Surely this can’t be it, you thought. I haven’t even rescued Jing Yuan yet. And what is Yanqing to do if he’s left all alone? 

But it became rather clear that this was it. Dan Shu’s face was a cold mask. For all her talk of Yaoshi’s mercy, she had none herself when it came down to it. She levelled the staff at you, and you braced yourself for whatever came next.

Something large, white and furry leapt in front of you with a snarl. 

“Mimi?” you gasped out. Mimi did not respond. She advanced on Dan Shu, teeth bared and fur bristling. Dan Shu was as shocked as you were. She hesitated in her attack. This hesitation was all Mimi needed. 

Mimi rose onto her hind legs. Thunder growled overhead. With a roar, the lion swiped her paw through the air, and a huge golden blade of light cleaved past with it. There was a brilliant white flash so bright that you had to shield your eyes from it. When you opened them again, Dan Shu—or what was left of her—was nowhere to be seen. 

The Lightning-Lord? you thought, utterly stunned. But how?

Mimi dropped back to her four paws and padded back over to your side. You had no clue how she had followed you to the Wastescape, but you were glad for her company. She took a protective stance over you, her fur still standing on end. Sparks of electricity fizzed between the white strands.  

Phantylia’s silky voice rebounded around the walls of the room, smooth and musical and full of malice. “I see. How fascinating.” You whipped your head around, trying to see where the voice was coming from, but you could not see Phantylia anywhere. “So that is how you avoided my poison. I thought your body felt strangely empty when I received it. My heads-up was correct to be cautious of you. Very clever, Jing Yuan, very clever.”

Mimi lashed her tail and growled. You stared in disbelief at the lion in front of you. Did Phantylia mean to say that… Mimi was Jing Yuan? Surely that could not be right. What exactly was going on here?

“Well, well, you have entertained me long enough. I know what you are capable of, now, thanks to your foolish loyalty towards your companion after they fell for my trick. And they fell not once, but twice! All it takes is an illusion’s meagre threat towards anybody related to you and they come running. Never have I even shown my true form to them, but sat here and plotted how to get my revenge against you, watching while they trail around after you like a blind hound. I must say, it has been very amusing, from the very beginning.” You could hear the smile in her voice. “In thanks for both of your performances, I will return your and the China woman’s bodies. Look at how wonderfully generous I am. I had always thought our final showdown would be terribly boring were you not at your full strength.”

The lotuses’ petals unfurled to reveal the bodies of Jing Yuan and Tingyun inside them. At the same time, Mimi’s mane vanished and she sank to the floor, looking like a normal lioness again. You hurried over to help Jing Yuan out of his lotus, and then Tingyun from hers. 

“What’s going on?” mumbled Tingyun weakly as you pulled her to her feet. She had lost all of the maliciousness you saw in her—no, Phantylia’s clone of her—before. “Where am I?”

“I’d like to know what’s going on, too,” you said with sympathy.

Phantylia continued, “Please, do enjoy the reunion. While you enjoy standing on two legs again, I will go and have some more fun with the ship you have left so wonderfully unguarded. I was rather hoping I could incapacitate your current dear ones using your friend’s power and make you finish them off yourself, Jing Yuan, but that has been unsuccessful, so I will have to do it personally. What a bother.” She sighed heavily, as if the fact she was about to kill everybody Jing Yuan cared about was not bad enough already. “Well, in any case, I hope to meet you in the—what did Dan Shu call it? Ah, yes—the garden of corpses shortly. Until then, I will amuse myself by seeing how long the mighty General Jing Yuan’s army can last when I tell them you are dead.”

You wanted to glare at Phantylia, but you could not see her, so you had to glare around the room instead. “You monster! You’re going to lie to them!”

Phantylia’s laughter echoed over your head. “Revenge is far from an honest game, my blossom. Why don’t you ask your dear general about it? He knows it better than anybody.” Her voice faded until the last echo of her presence faded from the room. The air inside the temple became much lighter and less stifling to breathe.

“She’s going to destroy the Seat of Divine Foresight,” Jing Yuan said grimly. “I expected her plan might be to lure me away.”

There were too many questions swarming around your head for you to ask about anything beyond this immediate statement. “You predicted it was a trap?” He nodded. “So why did you come?”

Jing Yuan gave you a look which made you feel silly for asking. “I could hardly leave you alone out here, could I?”

“But the ship—”

“The ship,” he said calmly, “is not a lost cause. Do you truly think I left it unguarded? There is a reason I kept that egg on board.”

And there was another question added to your ever-growing pile! You stared at him in shock. “You knew it was Dan Feng’s egg?”

“It was hardly easy to mistake it for anyone else’s, what with that dragon marking its initial location. If Phantylia gets to the ship before we do, I trust he can hold her off until we return.”

Jing Yuan had begun to walk out of the temple. You stumbled alongside him in bewildered confusion, followed by an even more bewildered Tingyun and a calm enough Mimi. “‘If?’” you said. “There’s a chance we’ll get back before her?”

“Oh, yes. Phantylia is fast, but if we’re lucky, we may be faster.” Just as you were going to ask him what he meant, a clap of thunder from above made you look up. Your eyes almost fell out from your sockets.

The enormous glowing torso of the Lightning-Lord hovered before you. You had never seen it at so close a distance. The gold lines of its body shone with a majesty capable of surpassing even the blue dragon’s. You were thoroughly dazzled. The Lightning-Lord lowered its hands to the floor as you approached and cupped them together to create a giant platform in front of you. It seemed to be waiting for you to get on.

Mimi jumped onto the platform first, and Jing Yuan helped the shellshocked Tingyun up second, where she fainted quietly on its thumb. He turned to you, who was still rooted to the floor in awe, and smiled smugly. 

“After you,” he said, gesturing to the Lightning-Lord’s waiting hands. “But do be quick. There’s little time to waste.”

You broke out of your daze. Hastily, you scrambled onto the golden palms. It was a strange sensation to set foot on the Lightning-Lord: little shocks ran up your body wherever you touched it, tingling but not unpleasant. For having the visage of such a fearsome warrior, the Lightning-Lord felt surprisingly gentle a creature. Jing Yuan climbed on behind you. Your stomach dropped out from under you as the spirit raised its hands up, up, up, until it held you all against its chest. 

With a growl of thunder and no further hesitation, the Lightning-Lord set off.

Wind whipped furiously at you as you sped through Scalegorge Waterscape, even faster than when on the flying sword. You felt your branches being bent backwards with the force of it. Oh no! My leaves are going to be torn off! you worried. As if it understood, the Lightning-Lord closed its fingers around you slightly to protect you from the harshest of the wind. You wondered whether that was Jing Yuan’s doing or out of its own accord.

In the pink and orange rays of the rising sun, the mist shimmered even more than normal, in breathtaking shades of violet and red as well as its usual blue and silver. Despite the urgency of the situation, you could not help but have your breath stolen by the sight. There’s no way the whole night has already passed since I left the ship, you thought, watching the rainbow colours shift beneath you like their very own ocean. Did it really take you that long to get to Phantylia’s domain on the sword? 

What was more, Jing Yuan must really care for Tingyun if he came all this way to retrieve her: he even got up in the morning for her sake! You began to wonder how Jing Yuan knew Tingyun’s real body was trapped by Phantylia in the first place—because if he had not known, the alternative would have to mean he was coming for you, and that thought was simply too preposterous. 

To test your theory, you asked, “Jing Yuan, did you know Tingyun was possessed? Or… a clone, or whatever Phantylia’s version of her was?”

He turned to you with a ‘hm?’ “Ah. Once again, I had my suspicions. The second time I met Tingyun—that being after I took you and Yanqing to my family—I sensed something different about her, so I pretended to get closer to her. I needed to convince you and Yanqing of my behaviour, too, in case either of you let slip it was a ruse. If Tingyun was under Phantylia’s influence, I knew she would not be able to resist an invitation to the Seat of Divine Foresight, so I gave her directions. Any normal person would not enter another’s house so soon into a relationship without checking the host would be able to receive them. That confirmed my theory.”

“Wasn’t it dangerous to let her on board, though?” you questioned.

“Certainly. But no wager comes without its risks. I made sure there was nothing in sight which she could take advantage of. The egg, for example, I hid.”

“Oh.” That was it, then. Jing Yuan had known that Tingyun was not herself, so you were right: he must have come to get her real version back. But being right did not feel very rewarding. 

“Of course,” he admitted after a short pause, “I will admit I was relying partly on the fact that you would be too jealous to give her quite as much of a look-around as she did, but that is hardly something to blame you for.”

You wondered what he meant by this, considering that Jing Yuan had been either absent or unconscious each time Phantylia’s Tingyun had her pokes around. You glanced at Mimi, who was asleep contently beside the actual Tingyun and maneless as anything. “So you saw all that happening through Mimi?” you said.

“Among other things, yes,” he replied.

You briefly wondered what these ‘other things’ were. “How does that even work?”

Jing Yuan sighed. “I have been slowly transferring my consciousness into Mimi to avoid Phantylia’s poison. Deadly as it is, it only works within the physical confines of my body, so my mind at least would be safe. The process began a while ago, and I only finished it recently.”

“You mean when you waltzed in drunk and fainted?” you pointed out. Jing Yuan rubbed his brow, looking slightly embarrassed.

“I was hoping you might humour me by not phrasing it as such, but yes. The original idea was that Phantylia would take my body to the Waterscape and discover it was empty. In the time it took her to realise this, Lady Bailu was to… ahem, hatch Dan Feng, and Fu Xuan would get you to finally break our contract—yes, I know about that, too—so that she could set up stronger defences around the ship. By the time Phantylia came to the Seat of Divine Foresight to challenge me, we were to be fully prepared for her assault at worst, and I could lead her away somewhere secluded for our battle at best. But by revealing myself to Phantylia in the Wastescape, she knows the ship is currently vulnerable. There’s no reason to wonder why my body’s empty. She can skip directly to the attack.” 

The plan was all so intricate and well thought-out! “And I made a mess of it,” you said resentfully, swallowing down a lump in your throat. “Again.”

Jing Yuan took your hands. For a split second, he seemed as surprised by the sudden action as you were. Then he shook his head and said, “No, not at all. It was my choice to reveal myself to Phantylia, and the consequences are mine to bear. The only mistake you made was being too kind. And if there exist any mistakes which should be made, that is the sole one.” He let go of your hands. They tingled where he had touched them, and you did not think it was because of the Lightning-Lord. To your further surprise, Jing Yuan’s shoulders shook with a laugh.

“What is it?” you asked, slightly hurt.

“Oh, it’s not you,” he said. “Rather, this whole turn of events is quite amusing when I think about it. I took so many measures to keep you happy and take your mind off the whole Phantylia palaver, yet you miraculously barged through all of them. I tried to please you with Fyxestroll Garden and the Wastescape, and when that failed, I got rid of the finches which were upsetting you so much—”

Your jaw may as well have fallen right off. “You got rid of the finches? But that was part of your curse!”

He shrugged, unbothered. “I know. Then I even managed to convince Fu Xuan to divine where your family would show up before we moved the ship in the hopes that they could distract you from my situation, and still you came! You seem to have an inborn talent for undoing my plans and making my life interesting. I suppose I ought to thank you for it.” Jing Yuan sighed, leaning back against the Lightning-Lord’s cupped fingers. “You know, for all of my life, I've been scared of trouble. There are major troubles and minor ones, distant ones and close ones. They need plans, preparations, and all things that need effort...³ To tell you the truth, it can get terribly tedious when things always go my way. Your ‘trouble’ is a strangely welcome one.”

It was an odd compliment, but a ‘strangely welcome’ one, too. “Er. Thank you,” you said.

The Lightning-Lord started to slow down. The Seat of Divine Foresight came into view. You let out a relieved sigh when you saw that it was still in one piece. The Lightning-Lord set you down by the entrance, bowed its head, and, with a final growl of thunder, dissipated into the mist of the Wastescape so that gold mixed with the blue and violet shimmers. You rushed towards the ship and barged through the front door, shouting, “Whatever you may have heard, Jing Yuan is not dead! He is very much alive!”

Yanqing ran towards you at breakneck speed and flung his arms around you. You stumbled back a few paces with the force of it. “You’re back! When my sword returned, I thought something terrible had happened to you!”

“Nothing happened to me,” you reassured him. “Your sword is just a coward. But more importantly, Jing Yuan is here! He is alive!”

“We can tell, thank you,” called Fu Xuan dryly as Jing Yuan sauntered through the door behind you, followed by Mimi, who had Tingyun’s unconscious body slung over her back. 

Yanqing ran towards his master but skidded to a halt a few paces in front of him. Instead of hugging him, which he clearly wanted to do, Yanqing bowed and said formally, “Shifu. It is a relief to see you again. I’m relieved you aren’t dead.”

Fu Xuan rolled her eyes at the disciple. “I would have been able to tell if he were dead. Though it is refreshing to not share your consciousness with a feline anymore, Jing Yuan.”

“Really? I thought it was quite fun.”

“More importantly,” you enunciated, glaring at both of them, “is everybody alright?” 

Yukong and your sisters came through from the hall, sharing a confused look. “We’re alright, yes,” said Yukong. “Is there anything wrong?”

“Not yet,” you grumbled. Bailu joined everyone in the front room, accompanied by a strangely familiar dark-haired young man. So that was Dan Feng who you’d seen in China!  Who would have thought it? “Are you—?”

“Dan Heng,” replied the young man curtly. “Not Dan Feng.”

Most strangely of all, the egg was still both glowing and intact, sitting right where it was when you had left. Qingni seemed to know what you were thinking. “He didn’t actually come out of the egg,” she said.

You frowned. “What?”

“He walked in through the front door,” aided Yukong.

“He what?”

Yanqing spoke up, “We had to use Jing Yuan’s talisman! Bailu put the magic numbers she remembered into it, and he showed up a few minutes later.” 

This was all terribly confusing. Jing Yuan, however, looked rather amused.

You stammered, “And so the egg…?”

Jing Yuan reached behind the egg. Something made a clicking sound, and the egg went dark. Everybody gasped. Only he and Dan Heng were unaffected. “…Is a table lamp,” Jing Yuan finished, smiling. 

You frowned, turning on the dark-haired fellow. “And you’re not Dan Feng.”

“No.” 

“Not even a little bit?”

You received an unamused look from him which told you he had been asked this question too many times already. Bailu strode over and gave you a light whack on the kneecap. “Give him some space, will you? He’s only been here for a few hours.” 

“Regardless of how long he’s been here, the question is, is he prepared enough to fight Phantylia?”

“What?” snorted Bailu. “Why would he need to fight Phantyli—”

The ship shuddered around you. You and the others stumbled onto the floor. Fu Xuan went a deathly pale pink and her flames sputtered indigo, threatening to go out. It felt like the whole ship was being compressed around you by some invisible force.

“So you got back before me,” said Phantylia’s voice, echoing around the whole Wastescape. “Hmph. That hardly matters. It only means I can use Jing Yuan to kill you all in one go.” 

The pressure around you increased. The ship groaned like it was in pain. “Hold steady, Fu Xuan!” called Jing Yuan, leaning on one of the lions by the door to support himself.

“Don’t you think that’s what I’m doing?” the heliobus hissed back. The coloured flame on her forehead flickered dangerously, flaring up and shrinking and spitting purple sparks in all directions. 

“What’s going on?” Sushang and Qingque asked in unison, clutching each other for dear life.

“A battle of wills,” replied Jing Yuan in a strained voice. Fu Xuan was torn this way and that as if she was being beaten around. Jing Yuan held his head like he was affected by it, too. “If Phantylia wants to possess me, she has to drive out the other heliobus occupying me first.”

“But your contract means Fu Xuan can’t leave you!” you said. “Doesn’t that mean the only way to ‘drive her out’ is…?” 

Gravely, Jing Yuan finished, “By killing her? Yes.” You looked worriedly at Fu Xuan sputtering above the Matrix, locked in an invisible battle against a formidable foe. “But I have faith in Fu Xuan,” he continued, following your line of sight. “She is nothing if not determined to get her way.”

“But if Fu Xuan is defeated,” asked Yukong, picking herself up from the ground, “what will happen to you?”

“Phantylia will destroy the ship, possess me, and make me kill all of you before finishing me off herself.”

Oh, wonderful! you thought. “We’re not risking that,” you decided and marched over to the hall to where the Matrix pulsed with unstable light. “I’m going to break this contract once and for all!”

Fu Xuan cracked open an eye to look at you. “Finally! I was wondering when my divination would pay off.”

You crouched down beside her, trying to piece together anything you could of the contract’s terms. “Sorry,” you said. She looked at you strangely. You explained, “You’ll need to possess another host after you leave Jing Yuan, won’t you? I know how much you hate that.”

“No. You already predicted that I wouldn’t.” So I did! you realised. No wonder she was nagging me about it all that time ago! “That is why I first flew the Seat of Divine Foresight to Aurum Alley and got Jing Yuan to investigate the residents. I divined that the person to free me was somewhere there. When you boarded the ship, I knew it must be you because I sensed your ability. Now enough of this chatter! Break it!”

“Er.” You did not have enough to go on to come to any conclusions. You did not even know what you were looking for. “How many terms are there? You can tell me that as long as you don’t say what they are, right?”

“By the Aeons!” Fu Xuan sighed, exasperated. Suddenly she was torn violently to the side. The ship jerked sideways with it. Fu Xuan righted herself and gasped out, “Three! Three terms! They are simple! You will most likely have overlooked them while you stayed here.”

Three terms! Okay. I can do that, you thought. 

“One of them would have been very helpful in our current situation,” she prompted further, straining between talking to you and fighting Phantylia. “Perhaps we could have avoided it entirely had we not encountered unpredicted issues in the process!”

This sounded familiar. You realised where you heard it before: when you first met Fu Xuan, she had also said something about ‘unpredicted issues’ arising in the terms of the contract so that it benefited neither her nor Jing Yuan. But what could the issues be? And why, given all her divinations, could Fu Xuan not have foreseen them?

Wait! you thought. It was beginning to make sense. Both her and Jing Yuan said that Phantylia had hid herself from divinations, but they would not have known that until they tried performing one on her. If Jing Yuan knew Phantylia held a grudge against him, surely he would have wanted to divine her plans in advance before he discovered it was a hopeless endeavour.

“Was one of them making divinations of Phantylia?” you asked. 

“Yes! That is the first. I knew you were not as blind as you seemed!”

“Thank you,” you grumbled. “But what about the second?”

“What is currently happening?” she replied. The Matrix glared a violent pink and dimmed again. Fu Xuan crackled with effort. 

“You’re fighting Phantylia, aren’t you?”

“Why?”

Was that meant to be a clue? It was not exactly the most difficult question to answer.  “Because she’s trying to possess Jing Yuan,” you said. “She wants to force him to kill us all!”

“Exactly!”

‘Exactly?’ What did she mean, ‘exactly’? There was nothing more to it than that: it made sense Jing Yuan did not want to be forced to destroy all his friends. But when you thought harder, there was something strange about it. If Jing Yuan was afraid that Phantylia would take control of him quickly enough to destroy you all, why had Fu Xuan not taken full control of him yet? She had been possessing him for much longer, and she even complained about how boring it was. Nobody would do something boring out of choice, especially not a heliobus.

“Oh! You can’t possess Jing Yuan fully under the contract, can you?”

She flared brighter. “That is two! Only one remains! And make it swift. I do not know how much longer I can last against Phantylia.”

“Then give me something more to work with! I can’t scrape it together from thin air.”

Fu Xuan groaned. “I have my mind on other things at the moment! Fine. What do the two terms you already stated have in common?”

What a stupid question! They had far too much in common. You listed, “They apply to the both of you, you both agreed on them, they benefit both of you…” Fu Xuan gave you an unimpressed look when you said the last one. 

Hang on—she was right. By investigating the person hunting him and preventing full possession, the only person the first two terms benefitted was Jing Yuan. Fu Xuan was not nearly selfless enough to accept them for nothing. “You want something back from him, don’t you?” you said.

Fu Xuan nodded. Now that two of the terms had been lifted, she seemed to be faring slightly better against Phantylia. “What did Jing Yuan say to me when he took the Pilory off of Bailu?”

The clues were getting more helpful, too, likely because she was almost free of the contract. In your panic, you thought it sounded like some twisted opening to a joke. “Lots of things, probably! He told you off! How should I remember what he said?”

“Just try!” she shouted.

“He said you were an irresponsible leader, or something! That if you wanted to be in the position of a captain—” You gasped. That’s it! “You want the Seat of Divine Foresight. That’s what you get in return!”

“Finally!” Fu Xuan said. “I have wanted to be free of that accursed agreement for so long. Now say we no longer have to abide by the terms!”

Hurriedly, you said, “You no longer have to abide by the terms!” 

The pulsing circles of the Matrix on the floor faded and disappeared. Fu Xuan flared up in a long column of flame and sprang into the air. The light she gave off reflected in the clouds and the mist and turned the whole sky purple. Jing Yuan leaned back against the wall with a heavy sigh. With one final, screeching shudder, the ship stabilised. 

Jing Yuan pushed himself upright. In Fu Xuan’s way of saying things, Jing Yuan’s voice said, “What a curious feeling. I have not possessed a host like this in aeons.” It was a very strange phenomenon to watch. Jing Yuan looked like Jing Yuan, but all his mannerisms and way of moving resembled Fu Xuan’s. From Yanqing’s expression, you could tell you were not the only one who found it off-putting. Fu Xuan clicked Jing Yuan’s tongue. “Do not stare like that, both of you. Think of it as another measure against Phantylia. Now that I possess Jing Yuan fully, it will be even more difficult for her to take control of him. I am leaving the very moment this conflict is over.”

Phantylia’s voice boomed out from all sides of the ship. “General Jing Yuan and his heliobus, your efforts to stop me are entertaining. But I tire of playing games with you. Stop cowering behind your schemes. Come out and challenge me in your own mind, Jing Yuan, or I will destroy the ship and everyone in it this very moment. Your little heliobus’ defences are sweet, but do you really think they are enough to stop me?” The pressure around the ship returned in full force, crushing even stronger than before. You staggered to your knees and covered your ears. They felt like they were about to burst. 

“Oh, enough of this!” cried Fu Xuan suddenly. “I am not having my brand new ship destroyed. Jing Yuan, you are on your own!”

A pink flame leapt out from Jing Yuan’s head and sprang into the floor, where it vanished from sight. Jing Yuan blinked and rubbed his head. He barely had time to recover before the ship began to tilt backwards. You hastily clutched onto the wall, struggling to keep yourself from slipping down the angled slope. The chairs and desk and other furniture, not to mention the passengers, tumbled and slid down the length of the ship and fell out into the Wastescape below through the front door, which was hanging open like a gaping mouth underneath you. 

“Fu Xuan, what are you doing?” you yelled.

She shouted back, “Phantylia has nothing to do with me! I would much rather save myself than stay and risk my life here!”

The slope was almost vertical now. You lost your grip and slid down through the hall, the courtyard, and finally the front room, and landed on the top of a pile of furniture and people in the middle of the Wastescape. You unpicked yourself from the pile and climbed down to the ground. Somehow your mirrors had survived the impact. You fished these out of the pile. 

The now-pink steam given off by the ship tinted the clouds in shades of lilac and rose as Fu Xuan powered the ship upwards, a beautiful sight under any other circumstance. With another hiss of steam, the Seat of Divine Foresight began accelerating away from you. Hopeless to change a thing, you could only watch it go.

Additional Notes:

¹ I took the inspiration for this description from a real temple, but unfortunately I’ve forgotten the name of that temple. When I remember it, I’ll add it in here, but rest assured in the meanwhile that there was intention behind this. ² In Chinese, calling somebody a ‘rotten egg (混蛋; hún dàn)’ is a pretty rude insult/ curse word. Chinese also has a plethora of other egg-related cuss words. ³ This line is taken from Jing Yuan’s ‘Annoyances’ voiceline.

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[Turn to Chapter Nineteen]

[Turn to Chapter Twenty-One]

[AO3]

[𝐓𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬]

"General, This Ain't A Cat"

-> Masterlist || → Taglist

Pairing: Jing Yuan x (gn!) Reader

Summary: One day you find a cute white lion cub scratching on your front door, little did you know that the actual owner of it was Jing Yuan, the General of the Xianzhou Luofu himself. And he might have the wrong idea about the little thing, too...

Tags: Fluff, Crack, Jing Yuan's Lion loves you, inspired by the General's Diary you can find in HSR, flustered Jing Yuan

A/N: I love him a very normal amount, your honor! The fact he is a cat dad too is just too cute! And also that he got scammed trying to buy a cat and instead unknowingly managed to buy a lion makes it so much funnier. I can only recommend reading his diary ingame lmao

A distinct scratching sound on the front door of your home made you perk up in your seat. You waited for the sound to reappear a couple of times before deciding to check what was causing it.

You slowly opened the door and looked outside. But both to the right and to the left you spotted nothing that could’ve caused the sound. It was also relatively windstill on the Luofu today so that also couldn’t have been it.

Just as you were about to close the door again you spotted the culprit behind the flower pot right next to your door. It was a small, snow-white lion cub, not older than a couple of months at best, and it looked at you pleadingly with its azure-colored eyes.

Did it want to come in?

You knelt down on your doorstep and stretched your hand out towards it, prompting it to come over to you. It hesitantly tiptoed in your direction from behind the flower pot, carefully smelling on your fingers first before bumping its head into your hand. You began scratching its head and not too long after a loud purr could be heard.

It was such a cute little thing you were almost tempted to snatch it and keep it. But a beautiful animal like that had to belong to someone, right?

You picked the soft bundle of fur up and walked towards the main road to look around. Maybe it ran away and the owner was still around looking for it? They had to be since you never heard of any instances of strays on the Luofu.

A little bit further down the street, you spotted two Cloud Knights with a bag of treats in their hand. They were eagerly shaking them to make rattling sounds and simultaneously scanned the ground for something. Looks like they are the people the little cutie belonged to.

"Hey," you called out to them. "Are you looking for this snow lion perhaps?"

"Oh, thank the Heavens!" One of the guards exclaimed. "We've been looking for it the entire day already.”

One of the guards stretched out their arms to take the little lion cub into his arms but it made no fuss to go anywhere. In fact, it was clinging to you and started purring loudly, bumping its head into your chest.

“Hey, you little cutie. You have to get back home. I’m sure you’re hungry by now, aren’t you? Enough adventure for one day.” You said in a higher-pitched voice. Its eyes almost looked sad and it let out a squeak the moment you handed it back to the soldiers and waved them goodbye.

As soon as you were back home you couldn’t help but think about the little lion again. It was the first time you had ever seen one with such a majestic fur and eye color. Whoever it belonged to could surely count themself lucky. 

A couple of days passed and you went about your days as normal until you heard the familiar scratching at your front door again. 

Unlike the first time you immediately knew it must be the same lion from a few days prior. You went to open the door again and the white bundle of fur immediately zoomed inside of your home.

Alerted, you immediately began chasing it around your living room. As much as you wanted to actually keep it as well, you absolutely couldn’t. Someone was waiting for it and probably worried about its disappearance once again. You for sure would turn the Luofu upside down if it was your missing pet.

Snatching the little complaining bundle of fur up again proved difficult as it was clinging and clawing at your carpet for dear life, but you eventually managed.

Carrying it outside once again you looked for Cloud Knights you could return it to again but this time a blonde teen boy, dressed in blue and no older than maybe fourteen was walking down the street with treats this time. And for some reason, he seemed oddly familiar.

“Mimi? Miiiii-Miiiii. Come get your treats!!” The blonde boy shouted and shook the treat box in his hands like a rattle.

The little lion cub, apparently named Mimi, perked its ears up in your arms and began trying to wriggle out of your grasp. You let it jump down and watched it zoom in the direction of the boy, sitting down and looking up at him with hungry and expectant eyes.

“There you are, you little troublemaker!” He says furrowing his brows and throwing Mimi a handful of treats.

Going off of the way the lion reacted to his voice you assumed it was probably his pet lion.

He picked it up and started petting it, eliciting it to close its eyes, start purring and relax in his arms. The boy smiled at it fondly and slightly shook his head in disbelief over the little rascal before looking down the street to where you were standing.

“Hey, you!” He shouted and started trotting in your direction. “Were you the one who found Mimi?”

You nodded in response before wondering how he could’ve figured that out considering he didn’t see you with Mimi at all.

“Wait how did you-?” You inquired with furrowed brows.

He just pointed at your chest, or more specifically, at your shirt in reply. Following the direction of his finger with your gaze you soon realized that you were entirely covered in white fluff from when you were holding Mimi.

“Ah. Well of course. That makes sense,” you chuckled. “Does it run away a lot?” You asked pointing at the still happily purring snow lion in the blonde boy’s arms.

He simply rolled his eyes and smiled in reply. “All the time.”

“Well, it seems to be fond of my front door as of late. I live just a bit further down the street. So chances are if it runs away again, it might be near my house again.”

“Good to know. Certainly makes things easier,” he nodded. “I’m Yanqing, by the way!”

That’s why he seemed so familiar. He is the lieutenant of the Luofu Cloud Knights and you had seen him here and there in an official capacity but you generally didn’t pay too much attention to those so you couldn’t quite put your finger on it earlier.

It certainly explained the beautiful and special-looking animal in his arms.

You grabbed the hand he held out to you and introduced yourself as well before bidding him farewell for now not too long after. Looking after him as he walked back home you smiled to yourself and hoped for him that he would be able to keep his little lion cub in check from now on.

A couple more days passed once more after that encounter until someone rang your doorbell. You weren’t expecting any visitors, especially not this late in the evening so you wondered who would possibly come over at this time of day.

Out of every possible person on the ship, however, you certainly didn’t expect the General of the Luofu in the flesh to be your late-night visitor. He was standing in front of your door with hands folded behind his back and staring down the street, waiting for your to open the door.

“Good evening, General… Can I help you with something?” You carefully inquired with some hesitancy in your voice. 

You suddenly felt very small, and that was not only because he was a tall, handsome, and quite muscular man but also because you were more than just a bit intimidated.

Nothing to worry about, right? It was only the most important man on the entire ship standing in front of your house. 

Naturally, your mind immediately came to the conclusion that you must’ve done something wrong.

“Uhm-,” he began, scratching the back of his neck. “Do you happen to know where my cat is?

Out of every possible thing he could’ve said, this was the last thing you expected.

“Your… cat?” You asked in disbelief. He simply nodded and looked around your front yard once more.

“It’s white with bright blue eyes. Yanqing has informed me that Mimi is quite fond of you and keeps escaping to your house.”

So it was his pet. But wait, didn’t he just say…

“Cat?”

“Yes. A small grimalkin, up to no good, constantly runs away. My cat.” He elaborated.

At that point, you couldn’t help but burst into laughter. He seemed very taken aback and confused by your outburst and you were almost inclined to say that it made him, this big hunk of a man, look like a huge, gentle teddy bear.

“Care to explain what is so funny?” He asked crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“Forgive me, General,” you wiped a tear out of the corner of your eyes. “I do not wish to burst your bubble here but your cat may not be what you think it is.”

“What are you implying?”

“It’s a lion, General. I can assure you, it’s most certainly not a cat.”

You observed how his eyes widened in surprise and a hint of pink began to dust his cheeks behind his long bangs. You had to bite your lip in order to not start laughing again. He really didn’t know. And the fact you made him aware of it seemed to be quite embarrassing to him.

“Oh. Uhm… well, I actually had my suspicions already.” He stated, once again scratching the back of his neck. You couldn’t help but wonder how a man like him could manage to look this cute when flustered. And to think this was the first face-to-face contact you had ever had with him made it all the better.

Without a doubt, he was an attractive man, and that was something everyone aboard the Luofu would agree to. However, after witnessing him in this flustered, and quite frankly, adorable state tonight, your desire to get to know him on a more personal level increased.

“What would it take for you to not tell anyone about this?” He suddenly inquired. But before you could answer, he made an offer himself. One you couldn’t possibly refuse after everything that transpired tonight.

“How does a dinner sound? My treat of course.”

“Hmm, very well. Or you could let your cat stay with me more often?”

“Well, that can also be arranged,” he chuckled with a playful smile. “But we come as a pair.”

Do not repost, copy, translate or edit - © dustofthedailylife || reblogs, comments, and asks about Genshin or my fics are always greatly appreciated and motivate me! Maple dividers are mine - do not copy.

I never knew I needed to hear this it made my day

sigh… jing yuan being overprotective of you when you’re pregnant but Mimi being even more overprotective (sometimes even keeping jing yuan away from you bc momma needs her rest). It would be silly and cute and leave jing yuan kind of pouty bc he just wants to hold his pregnant wife but this giant cat has decided it needs to guard you with its life

Damn they look fine

daybreak

TRADE REQUEST!!!

I RECEIVE BOOPS YOU RECEIVE BOOPS AND MEMES/PICS OF FICTION MEN!!!

My flags except they’re made from anime boys I like

SCREW SILVER MAN JING YUAN IS MY NEW CUTIE PATOOTIE

jkjk I still love silver

Jing Yuan, teaching Blade how to drive: So if you see Dan Heng crossing the road, what do you hit? Blade : the accelerator Jing Yuan: No.

Sorry I'm missing for a while, here's my faves and their respective missing eye that I made because my brother told me I have a type

Generals and their little light

I love them very much

(this was created as a donation for femslash action over on twitter. Thank you potatoaren on ao3 for your donation!)

Work for one event with tarot cards with characters from honkai star rail ✨

Watched Everything Everywhere All at Once and thought of Jing Yuan and Yanqing.

Your child(apprentice) is both too similar to you and nothing like you at all. You share a stubbornness and a refusal to follow your parents(mentors) that drives you crazy, yet they have a different sort of anger than you do. You will do anything to cling to the past and present while they want to charge into the future.

Meanwhile on Yanqing’s end, like Joy, there is the fact you just want your parent(mentor) to understand. You want to find the pieces of yourself in your parent(mentor) so they can see why. So they know why you think the way you do. You want to make them see your point of view so they will stop holding you back. You are angry, so angry, and the fact they don’t feel your anger only makes it hurt more. You want your parent(mentor) to both hold you tight and let you go, to give you guidance and let you figure things out for yourself. You want destruction and yet you also want them to heal you.

There is also the same ‘you never had the trauma I did so why are you so angry’ vibe. They refuse to listen to their child(apprentice) because what do they know? They think that the youth don’t know the same sort of suffering and anger they faced. That they don’t know the troubles of the world the same way, and they are both right and wrong. As much as their child(apprentice) will never suffer the same way they did that child(apprentice) has their own struggles and reasons to be angry and the accidental invalidation and pressure that the parent(mentor) passes on…

Sorry about the ramble but yeah

high cloud quintet fanart!

gaming at the office 😎

Is it just me or-

Sometimes the 'big strong men' just need to get put in their place. Like I don't care if you're clingy or if your dignity is important. Sometimes you just have to be bent over and spanked a little silly. Y'know? Like ik you're straight but I promise you being a bottom once in a while isn't going to kill you bby.

No, this did not come to me after a Jing Yuan c.ai chat or anything 💅

sometimes my bowl reminds me a lot of that silly general

HSR fan art

i come with a humble request of jing yuan and yanqing forehead kisses... father son bonding my beloved 😌

HII OP! ^^ don't mind the delay but have food 🫴 father and son bonding my beloved as well ^3^

Yq's fine btw :3 (or will be, we know the drill)

and what happens if jing yuan succumbs to mara right when he has to fight jingliu/blade again, thus changing the commonly regarded "torturous fate" of being mara-struck to salvation from his personal worst nightmare i.e. killing his old companions with his own hands.

what then.

I have finished the reference for my OS on xsr.

Tianshi (天诗 - a heavenly poem). A writer from the fox people living in Lofu Xianzhou.

:｡･:*:･ﾟ’★｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆ :｡･:*:･ﾟ’★｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆ :｡･:*:･ﾟ’★

She was born in a world where tradition and magic are intertwined so closely that it is impossible to distinguish one from the other. The blue-haired girl from the fox people has always stood out among her fellow tribesmen. Her long indigo hair flowed over her shoulders like a river reflecting the moonlight.

From an early age, she was attracted to the art of speech. She wrote poems that penetrated into the very soul of the reader, making him feel every word as his own pain or joy. Her prose was filled with images so vivid that it seemed they were about to step off the pages of the book and start living their lives.

But poetry and writing were only part of her talent. The girl often helped in the organization of theatrical productions, selecting actors, designing sets and costumes. Her ideas were fresh and original, and each production became a real event for the audience.

Tianshi has never been interested in politics or wars, her passion was art. To her, these things seemed like something alien and unnecessary. It was more important for her to create beauty and share it with the world than to participate in conflicts and intrigues. However, the girl would never give up gossip, because they could become the basis of a new story.

In her personal life, she was lucky to meet a man who shared her views and supported her in all her endeavors. General Luofu Xianzhou was her husband and faithful companion. He appreciated her talent and always tried to create conditions under which she could freely create and develop.

For Jing Yuan, she became an outlet, a source of light in his harsh and stressful life. Her gentleness and sincerity matched the general's character. She was the person who helped him find a balance between duty and heart, reminding him of the importance of beauty and harmony even in the most difficult times.

Her support and understanding were invaluable to him. She was able to listen and hear, offering wise advice when needed. Together they created a cozy atmosphere at home, where the general could take a break from the burden of responsibility and just be himself. Her presence gave him strength and confidence, because next to her he felt protected and loved.

Their relationship was based on deep affection and mutual respect. She admired his courage and fortitude, and he was proud of her talent and kindness. Together they complemented each other, creating a union based on sincere love and mutual understanding.

A little sketch of their personal life. Tired kittens sleep on their day off.

Jing Yuan likes to appear unexpectedly and unintentionally scare the Tianshi. By the way, it amuses him.

Translation from an image:

- Good afternoon, Madam Director. How is the work in the theater going?

Girl started in surprise.

- You blond mess! Don't scare me like that! Well, I'll show you!

The general just chuckled contentedly.

I like to think that Jing Yuan was a late bloomer and had a huuuuge growth spurt that made Yingxing very salty

Little puppy wants to be a lion

he just seems like a pompompurin guy

Three mimir

do you think whenever dan heng hears the numbers 3 and 5 in the same sentence together he gets war flashbacks