Shi Qingxuan slammed his head against the desk in front of him for the fourth time that day, much to the unspoken concern of his older brother and the man he was starting to suspect was in an intimate relationship with said older brother.
"Is it still going on?" Shi Wudu asked.
"Yes." Qingxuan bit out. "They stopped for a break but started up again maybe ten or so minutes ago."
Pei Ming looked up from where he was lounging in the cushion situated next to the Water Master. He'd just arrived, so he didn't know if there were any problems, but was curious about the situation. "What's still going on?" He asked.
The Wind Master looked up from the document he was working to proofread, eyes glazed over with a pounding headache. "Some newly established kingdom in the mortal realm is throwing a festival in my honor."
The martial god raised an eyebrow, "Isn't that a good thing? Your influence is growing, and festivals always mean an additional bucketload of merits, let alone one of a kingdom-wide scale."
"I'm worshipped as not only the Wind Master, but also as the god of hunting and trade for whatever reason." Qingxuan tried to explain. "Hunting and trade. Kings deal with problems associated with that practically on a daily basis with food shortages and the like. It's just what a newly established nation would want to prosper in their lands."
"Okay?" Pei Ming said, confused. "That's a good thing, isn't it? Royalty and nobility are obviously richer than your average household, and merchants and hunters aren't too bad off either. You should be rolling in merits by now."
"I am." Shi Qingxuan confirmed. "And I'm also rolling in jovial festival music with volume louder than you can shout because of those same merits. They're continuously burning incense so the offering can reach the heavens. It already did, and the added merits are just turning up the sound to painful levels with how much of it they're burning."
The Wind Master gave another wince as the music jumped in volume again at another batch of incense burned. He could also hear a wave of several voices praying for his favor and blessing, along with the odd person who wanted him to shoot down whoever was the target of their hate.
"Ah." Pei Ming said. "Wait, just how many incense sticks are they burning? I've got a fair amount of annual sacrifices and festivals too but have never faced that problem before."
"Enough that I would not be surprised in the slightest if we could see the trails of smoke reaching us in the heavens. I'm already surprised my temple hasn't burned to the ground." Qingxuan responded, massaging his temple as Shi Wudu placed some type of herbal tea in front of him. "It's not like I can just tell them to stop worshipping me either. They probably spent so much time and money on this, it wouldn't be fair."
"And it's also not fair for them to give you a splitting headache, no matter how good their intentions are." Shi Wudu gently interrupted, sliding the hot tea closer towards his younger brother. "Drink it. It's from General Xuan Zhen."
Shi Qingxuan perked up at the mention of the Southern martial god, much to the irritation of Shi Wudu. Apparently leaving the two alone together in the same room without his supervision for less than an hour had resulted in the Wind Master following around Mu Qing like a duckling. How that happened, he had no idea. Shi Wudu didn't think he'd have to share his brother more than he already was, with Qingxuan's time already split between his work and the Three Tumors, but now some sarcastic excuse for a martial god was taking up a fraction of that time as well.
Qingxuan's wound had completely healed over a year ago, so there was no real reason for Mu Qing to still be hanging around his younger brother. Shi Wudu would more than appreciate an explanation. And no, enjoyment was not a valid reason. The general was over twice the sum of both of their ages, and Shi Qingxuan wasn't even an adult yet. He refused to believe that Qingxuan would enjoy hanging out with an old man over him, Ling Wen, or even the idiot Pei Ming.
Shi Qingxuan took a sip of the tea, face scrunching up at the bitter taste. He set it down and went back to revising the document, flipping over the page to read the next sentence.
"I might start having merit giveaways whenever this festival happens, considering the royal family leading the event made a speech about doing this again next year." The Wind Master sighed before continuing. "It could be a good outlet for the amount of them I'm getting."
"You'll become an active candidate for the title of Heavenly Emperor through sheer popularity alone by the rate you're going." Pei Ming joked, "You're on friendly terms with practically everyone in the heavenly courts by now, newer gods might start idolizing you once you start that."
Pei Ming had absolutely no doubts that Qingxuan would actually start the giveaway starting the next year. Shi Qingxuan was extremely prone to giving away things that he had excessive amounts of when other people wanted them, especially when it concerned heavenly officials, though the martial god didn't know the exact reason behind it.
Qingxuan hummed as he put a final note on a separate sheet of paper for the document, placing them back in the packet the original papers had come in. He then sent it off to a wind messenger, the breeze blindly bumping into the closed window a couple times before it finally got the idea to open it.
An absentminded thought about the fact that this was how successful He Xuan would've been without the fate switch drifted into his mind. He tensed as the thought hit him like a bucket of cold water.
Right. He shouldn't get too comfortable in his position; it wasn't even rightfully his, after all.
"So will you head back down to the mortal realm once you're done with your work?" Pei Ming asked, cutting through his self-deprecating thoughts.
"I will." Shi Qingxuan confirmed, shaking off his thoughts as he poured his attention back into the packets in front of him.
Luckily for the Wind Master, the amount of field assignments he received after the incident with the cursed wound had gone down to practically nothing (save for the occasional god that would catch him in the mortal realm and without the menacing presence of his older brother). Shi Wudu had apparently caused quite the commotion over it, which his younger brother thought was unnecessary. Then the Heavenly Emperor, Jun Wu, had stepped in to punish the martial god that had given Shi Qingxuan the task with a heavy merit fine that went directly into the Wind Master's own bank, which Qingxuan thought was even more unnecessary.
He still enjoyed life in the mortal realm though, and spent the majority of his time there, only returning to the heavens to attend important meetings or to spend time with his brother and friends. The heavenly officials who wanted something from him reached him through the Spiritual Communication Array or by catching the attention of the wind messengers that could often be seen flying through the heavens with papers or packets.
They could also attempt to track him down in the mortal realm, but that was a rather time consuming option with how elusive he was.
Shi Wudu frowned, seeming dissatisfied with his answer. "You spoil your worshippers too much." He said.
"Mhm." Qingxuan replied. "And I appreciate hearing that from someone who sinks the ships of their worshippers when the people don't pay tribute to them before sailing."
Pei Ming wheezed as Shi Wudu choked on air. His older brother snapped around as he stared at Qingxuan with an offended expression.
"Stop spending time with Xuan Zhen." The Water Master demanded. "He's a horrible influence on you."
"I don't know, I think I like this Qingxuan." Pei Ming smirked, prying Shi Wudu for a reaction.
"You-" Shi Wudu cut himself off, still somehow retaining grace with the indignant expressions flickering across his face. He warned, "You're not the best of influences either, I will revoke your Qingxuan Time rights."
"Wait, Qingxuan Time?" The Wind Master in question interrupted, looking up from the new document he was working on. "Now hold on-"
"But we have a set schedule!" The martial god protested immediately, cutting off Shi Qingxuan, "Hel- Heck, even General Xuan Zhen follows it! You can't just do that to me!"
"I'm sure that everyone already on the schedule and the wait list would agree to it." Shi Wudu sniffed. "It means more time for us."
Pei Ming sputtered, looking betrayed. "You'd do that to me? Your best friend?"
Best friend. Shi Qingxuan mused. Hm.
"The Rain Master said something about not seeing Qingxuan nearly as much as she'd like to." Shi Wudu commented. "She'll appreciate your thoughtful gift."
"The Rain Master." The martial god repeated before the words seemed to properly register, "Yushi Huang. Yushi Huang. " Pei Ming practically jumped out of his seat in alarm. "Are you serious? Her? Out of everyone, she's the one next in line to be put on the Qingxuan Time schedule?"
And so the plot thickens . Qingxuan mentally commented. A long-time crush against a friend of intimate passion. I'm rooting for you, Ge.
"She'd like to have him visit the country some more, apparently the villagers liked having him over." Shi Wudu shrugged. "They doubled down on that once they realized Qingxuan was the Wind Master. I suppose the superstition about his ability to create sunshowers has reached them as well."
"Will someone tell me what is going on here? You guys have a schedule?" Qingxuan asked, making the two other gods in the room turn towards him.
"Leave this to the adults." Shi Wudu replied. "I'll tell you when you're older."
"Sorry, but no." Pei Ming said, "Your brother would frame me for treason, kill any and all of my flings and descendants, beat me up in the name of justice, and get me kicked out of heaven with cursed shackles and a tattered reputation just to teach me a lesson. It's kind of hot, actually."
The Water Master glared at the martial god, who only grinned cheekily back while Shi Qingxuan very pointedly went back to working on the document in his hands, willing to sacrifice an answer to his question for the sake of his brother's lacking love life.
My business is dying, please send customers our way-
Hunting has been scarce, bless us with good fortune-
I'm going to set sail with my crew today. We need a strong wind-
May as to we receive your blessing to arrive safely? We're traveling to the city-
Qingxuan closed his eyes as he sorted through the usual torrent of prayers, sending help with flickers of spiritual energy when he could. The bigger, more urgent requests had been fulfilled already, so he was just using his spare time to help out his followers.
He was currently in the mortal realm, residing quietly in one of his temples. They always had food and room for people, as he'd commanded them to open their doors to anyone who needed aid. Most gods would consider it beneath their position to act like one of their own worshippers, and a begger at that, but he honestly didn't see a problem with it.
The Wind Master had purged the corruption in some of his own temples this way, after all.
This lowly one prays to the Wind Master, please bring rain to my dying crops-
He sent that one over to the Rain Master through their private communication array, with her giving a verbal confirmation not long after.
Please don't cause any harsh winds today! I'm going on a date with a suitor, I need to look my best-
That one was rather easily fulfilled, as Qingxuan notified the winds near that area to steer clear of the lady in question for the rest of the day. He wished the couple the best of fortune, especially considering both of them sounded quite happy with the situation. The man that was courting her had actually lit incense for him earlier that day and had asked for blessings for the future that they were going to build together once they were married, and Shi Qingxuan personally thought that it was really sweet.
Wind Master! I've prayed to you and have made offerings to you every day. Please don't let the authorities catch me, I needed this to live!
Qingxuan hoped that one was a joke. The man that was praying to him was apparently stealing some jewelry from a minor noble's house nearby. He was well off financially, having a stable government job in the tax registry center near his home.
He ignored that one, reports from the winds of guards cornering the man flowing through his mind. The god could hear the effects of the incense fading as the criminal shouted a few curses through the fading connection, denouncing his faith in him.
Lord Wind Master. My father told me of how you had blessed my parents with financial aid in their time of need. This lowly one asks of you to bless them with closure in the afterlife now that they have passed. Thank you for what you have done for the He family.
Shi Qingxuan was about to absentmindedly send off a warm breeze in acknowledgement to whoever had prayed to him when he paused, letting the prayer sink in.
He became alert, running through the wording of the prayer again.
A family of the surname He. Parents that have passed away. A financial crisis. A son in grief.
Ignoring the surname, this was a very common situation, but he decided to investigate it some more, if only out of caution. There were unfortunately plenty of orphans to go around in the time period, so the chances of it being who he thought the worshipper might be were slim. It had to be a coincidence, right?
Despite this, he still felt his gut churn uncomfortably, almost as if it knew something was wrong. A mind sense of familiarity tugged at the back of his mind as he inspected the prayer again.
The boy tracked down the source location of the prayer. Dread began pooling in his stomach once he realized that the incense was indeed burned from a port city, one known for building ships.
He stood up quickly, startling some of the people around him, who he gave quick apologies to. Qingxuan rushed outside that temple, shouting rapid apologies and thanks behind his shoulder as he ran out. The boy continued to run until he reached a quiet pocket in the forest, away from prying questions and curious eyes.
It couldn't be him , could it?
Shi Qingxuan rushed to reach out and capture the dimming light of the prayer that had been spoken, grabbing onto it in order to yank himself through the connection with a burst of spiritual energy that likely alerted every cultivator in the general area.
Cool light flooded his vision before it cleared, the fuzzy feeling of suddenly transporting himself without preparation fading slowly.
Before him was a kneeling boy that looked to be around fifteen, which would have been his own age had he not ascended. Said boy looked shocked at his appearance, mouth handing slightly open and eyes wide.
He had a sturdy build, with black hair and eyes of a similar color but with a yellow tinge to them. He looked malnourished and pale, almost as if he hadn't seen the sun for a long period of time. Shi Qingxuan tensed as he remembered why the features seemed so familiar.
"Well, when I first went down to the mortal realm, it was pretty late." Shi Qingxuan started. "So I was kind of walking around, trying to solve the problem as fast as possible before I lost all light. Nobody was really talking to me for some reason, all except for this one elderly man. He helped me out a lot, and I doubt I would've found the ghost without him, so I was hoping I'd be able to take down some money to help him in return. He told me he had a wife at home, and they weren't exactly the most well off either. He was probably mourning someone too, since he was wearing a lot of white. Hopefully I can help, if only by a little bit."
"Alright." Shi Wudu agreed in an odd tone of voice. "I'll take something down there. And there's absolutely nothing else you want? Nothing at all?"
"The work piled on my desk would be absolutely wonderful. I still need to complete those." Qingxuan answered. "Thank you for offering!"
He had helped an elderly man who had a wife waiting at home.
An elderly man who had seemed to be in mourning. wearing white in remembrance of lost loved ones. A man with a with a son he thought Qingxuan resembled, one that he unfortunately couldn't reach.
Shi Qingxuan was tempted to denounce his divinity then and there.
"Lord Wind Master." The boy in front of him seemed to snap out of his own shock, bowing deeply from his position on the floor. Qingxuan felt sick at the sight.
"No, please don't bow." Shi Qingxuan said, reaching out to help him up with trembling hands and a hint of desperation in his voice. "I'm really, really not worth it."
Confusion flashed across the other boy's face before he schooled his expression. The boy seemed to be fixated on the wooden floorboards below their feet.
"You… said that your parents had passed." Qingxuan started cautiously, wincing at the flash of pain that flickered across the face of the boy in front of him. "Where are they buried?"
The boy seemed to hesitate for a second before answering in a somber tone, "They aren't."
"I-" Qingxuan stopped himself, mouth suddenly too dry. "What's your name?"
Those yellow-tinted eyes looked up at him in surprise at the question before looking back to the ground again. Shi Qingxuan almost didn't want the confirmation he subconsciously knew was coming. "He Xuan, courtesy name He Sheng." He murmured.
At those words, Qingxuan's own panic and nausea was faded away, being replaced by a disturbingly clear calm. He felt almost detached from the situation, aware of everything he was doing but watching things from a distance.
His senses became numb, almost muffled, as if he was floating in calm water. He could feel something unraveling inside of him, sending a flood of bitter hurt spiralling through his body. For him to know the fate switch had occurred was one thing, but to see it for himself was something else.
He could feel a burn under his skin as he stared at He Xuan, at the boy who knew nothing of his stolen fate and the thief that was standing before him.
This was the person that worked his hardest, only for his accomplishments to go to another. This was the person who should have had everything Qingxuan possessed and more. This was the person whose family had died to extend his own life. This was the person whose future he had stolen.
This was He Xuan.
"Would you like assistance in the task?" He asked gently, white noise faintly beginning to ring in his ears. "Your parents were good people. They deserve to be sent off well."
They were, and they did. They really, really did.
"Thank you." He Xuan's words were filled with gratitude, eyes filled with relief and awe as they finally gained the courage to look at the Wind Master. "It means a lot to me. To us."
Shi Qingxuan swallowed, the ringing noise in his ears growing louder and louder by every second those warm, yellow-touched eyes looked at him with the adoring hope that was present in them now.
He took one of He Xuan's hands in his, making his decision.
Qingxuan felt something tug at the back of his mind, screeching in hate and unease. It warned him to turn away, that he would regret this once the time came.
"Of course. I will never turn you away." Qingxuan promised, even his own words sounding distant. Even if he didn't properly hear the words coming out of his own mouth, he could still hear his own sincerity, as the heartfelt oath cut through the fog covering his mind. "No matter how difficult your requests are, no matter who your enemy may be, I will never turn you away."
He Xuan looked surprised at his declaration. He seemed to shrug it off though, and gave a decisive nod to the god. He looked grateful, and Qingxuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the sight.
The Wind Master began to note small things in the boy in front of him. About how he was much paler than what was healthy, how he hid a wince when he put too much weight on his left leg. He noticed the slight nervousness that was small and well-hidden but not nonexistent under the awe he so openly displayed. He noticed the subconscious wariness He Xuan began to show whenever he made direct eye contact.
Shi Qingxuan had been a fool, a fraud playing the part of a benevolent god while He Xuan had suffered in a fate not his own.
Qingxuan saw, and he felt the brittle defenses around his heart, the same defenses that had been carefully built up for years under the fierce love of his brother and friends, begin to crack.