Leaving Xuě Lù behind had been fairly easy, considering he was unable to follow. Now it was essential to destroy any and all evidence that could lead Tiāndì to the right conclusions.

The notebook was destroyed and though Láng Wēnyì had made a copy, it would no longer be truly useful. Not until the ring had resurfaced once more.

They had arrived in an alley just outside the once capital, now a deserted city. Few people had stayed behind after the riots and the fire Láng Wēnyì's own pack had started.

It was one of the only moments they were slightly proud to say it was family.

The inn, they had arrived behind, was the only one still in function. Láng Wēnyì frequented it when they were travelling through the country. It was nice and respectable enough, during the night Láng Wēnyì preferred not to be woken up by drunks fighting.

"Your usual room?"

Láng Wēnyì dumped some money on the counter and nodded in confirmation. Walking upstairs they nodded to some other patrons and laid to rest in their room. They could go on for days and sometimes weeks on end, therefore they also knew to always sleep when given the chance.

Someone was inside their room.

No, they were no longer in the room.

Someone had transported them, without them waking up.

Láng Wēnyì rolled out of the way, seconds before an axe hacked into the ground they had lain moments before.

"If that's all you have , I'll have to disappoint."

Turning around Tiāndì, the Emperor of Heaven was standing in front of his throne.

Alone.

"You're no fighter, your power lies in your followers, who are not here as you dismissed them."

Láng Wēnyì unsheathed the knives that never left their person.

"What did you think, that you could kill me in my sleep?"

That would be a grave mistake, one he would have to pay for in blood.

"That may have worked on others, but if that's all you've got now, I'll be on my way."

Where were the White Dragon and Xuě Lù? Tiāndì would only come to them once he had disposed of all others.

"Where will you be going, now that you failed?"

Láng Wēnyì could barely contain a snort that wanted to escape. This was the Leader of Heaven, yet the moment he felt opposition he gave up to regroup.

"Did I really? From where I am standing you did."

The weapon he had commissioned was lost. The one person capable of making it dead, and the other gods who would support him otherwise were questioning his leadership.

What upper god was unable to keep the world from complete destruction? He certainly wasn't, as he had proven once more.

Maybe a third, almost, complete annihilation of the world population would finally open everyone's eyes.

Heron wasn't a saint, Láng Wēnyì was still angry; she had thought that breaking the ring in pieces would be good enough. But she had good intentions and had done a lot of good.

Láng Wēnyì teleported back to the inn but didn't stay there. Tiāndì had found them once, who said he wouldn't try to kill them a second time like that. Not that it would work, but it meant time was wasted. Normally Láng Wēnyì had more than enough of that, but now it was scarce.

What had Tiāndì done with the dragon and Xuě Lù, that he felt confident in going after them?

-

An urgent request from Kroan, to come to the Inner Sea, made their worst fear a reality.

Áo Rùn, the White Dragon was dead.

The killer had been identified by the dragon himself.

It was Láng Wēnyì.

-

They had agreed to meet in the woods surrounding the village where Kroan and Heron lived. It was remote and none of the very few inhabitants would cause trouble for them.

"Why did you do it?"

Láng Wēnyì hadn't even dusted off their clothes when they were accused of murder.

"No hello Kroan? I thought you were supposed to be the civilized one of the two of us."

Normally he would have been right to assume it was their fault, but this time Láng Wēnyì hadn't had a hand in the death.

"This is no time for games, Áo Rùn said it was you, he had no reason to lie in that moment."

Heron, always full of innocent righteousness, how she managed that was a mystery to Láng Wēnyì.

"But did he literally say, the Slayer of gods killed me. Or did you make that from what he did say?"

Áo Rùn was a lot of things but a pathetic liar was not one of them.

"No..."

Surprise, surprise. How both Heron and Kroan could be so smart yet at the same time be so stupid was a mystery to Láng Wēnyì.

"Exactly, as I did not do it. Though it might be because of me he was disposed of, he knew too much. A day before I got your message I, myself, was granted an audience by our mighty and just ruler Tiāndì. He might have dropped a few hints Áo Rùn and Xuě Lù were dead already. Your message confirmed the first part, when we're done here I'll check the second."

They had the gall to look surprised at that revelation.

"So if there are no more pressing matters, I'll be on my way, unless you want to join me looking for a ghost."

They had already let too much time pass, Xuě Lù might very well have disappeared already.

"Like I thought, have a good day."

Láng Wēnyì was gone before an answer could be given, but one question was already answered.

Heron had nothing to do with Xuě Lù's resurrection. 

-

January 5, 2023

[grammar check]