Wherever you go, I will follow. Whatever victories, conquests, or dreams you chase, I will celebrate them as if they were my own. And if you should ever find yourself with nothing left to claim, then I will carve new paths, build new worlds, just so you will always have something to reach for.

—I am no longer your general, Rong Guang, and you are no longer my deputy nor my sword. You stopped being that the moment you betrayed me.

He straightens up and holds one arm behind his back.

—We both hurted each other, so why keep dragging the past at my doorstep?

His eyes don't portray anything this time, but he can see so much from Rong Guang's. They're not as gentle as they used to be so many years ago. The memory is so far away that he barely remembers how it felt like to receive that kind of warmth. +

He finally lets his arm go and gives a step back to assess the situation once more. He takes a deep breath and reaches into his array to call upon his deputies to clean the mess up and take care of the wounded. Then, he turns to Ron Guang once again.

—Why did you fight?

His cold stare slowly transforms until all the light is washed away and leaves behind just an empty void. Suddently, he is reminded of why he's stayed alone all these years.

—I laid out the rules and they chose their own fate. Do not blame their foolishness on me. +

His authorative voice echoes through the inn stoping anyone else from approaching.

—You will never win, and I don't want another innocent soul throwing their lives away for me. Stop this at once! That includes you too, Rong Guang.

He casts his eyes at him and holds down his stare in warning.

Rong Guang was a general with years of battle experience, and not only that but he was now a ghost. Even if they managed to hold him down it eould mean nothing if they didn't destroy his ashes; he would come back to haunt (and hunt) them all.

—Enough!

Reality hits him like thunder and he is quick to stand up and grab his arm before he could do more damage. He looks around the bloodied room, passing over the bodies of the dead and the ones still alive but injured. They could never win this.

+

robes before someone from the crowd launches for the ghost.

And then: chaos.

The more daring mortals stayed to fight while the rest reached for the nearest exit. It was Rong Guang against the world once again, like all those years ago . . . just for him. Always for him.

His voice sounds far off, like an out of body experience. Of all the things he thought Rong Guang would do after coming back, getting between these mortals and him just to win his hand in marriage had not been the first thing on his mind.

He reaches with a hand but only brushes the back of his

+

He feels out of breath as images of a past life flash before him: two boys; a friendship; a love; a promise; a betrayal; a death and an ascension, and then-

—. . . You're here . . .

+

Pei Ming abandons his lazy posture, straightening at the sound of his voice; his eyes wide as he takes in the figure before him. Nothing could prepare him to see Rong Guang standing there, ready to fight the world just to be with him again.

+

He waves his hand. That has nothing to do with this.

—I just have the sudden urge to have a baby, that's all. It's...weird, and unexpected.

// You get me ~

—My taxes? Ah well, I don't have to worry about money. But why am I thinking of babies? Pei Lin is still too small.

//I recently watched it for the first time so I have the songs stuck in my head 24/7 hence some of their quotes in my recent posts 👌🏼