post-canon omega!xie lian who keeps being mistaken as an alpha when he helps the common people because alpha!hua cheng scent marks him so thoroughly that mortals could no longer smell his own scent
bonus: gods internally screaming in terror and thinking it's hua cheng arriving in heaven when it's actually just xie lian
i recently found out that yy's backstory was told via butterfly dream in the revised version and hualian's assigned roles in it are co-sect leaders and i! cannot! stop! thinking! about! it! specifically when yy referred to hc as "zhangmen-shizun" while xl called him "zhangmen-shidi" aaaah!!!!!
so! so, post-book 4 au wherein wuming's soul entered the reincarnation cycle instead.
without hua cheng establishing his city, the ghost realm remains disorganized and ghosts have nowhere to channel their energy except towards the mortal realm. living tyrants also breed more resentment. it engenders an urgent need for more cultivators and so, more sects are founded.
hua cheng is reborn as a young master who has an aptitude for cultivation. however, he does not understand why he feels like an outsider within his own family and home, like it all feels like he's just playing pretend. so he takes the first opportunity to join the sect of his hometown. he's not the heir and the spare anyway, just the third son.
hua cheng, who is a quick study and has both raw power and great luck, easily rises through the ranks. he even roots out the corruption happening within the sect and before he knows it, he is unanimously appointed as their new sect leader (the youngest in their sect's history, in fact). of course he does not pass up the opportunity to reform his sect and soon, they are revered across the lands.
now, with the rising number of sects, mortals have no need of gods. after all, why pray and wait for aid that you aren't even sure would be granted right away when you can just knock on the gates of your local sect and ask them for help instead.
gods, in fear of fading away, begin to do whatever it takes to ensure that the sects not only worship a god of their own choosing but to sway the common people into devotion as well. except one.
hua cheng loathes being ignorant and so, gets his hand on everything about the heavenly realm and evaluates every single active god (keyword: active). without the new devastation-level ghost challenging 35 specific gods, corruption is even more rampant in the heavens. thus, none of those divine trash deserve the devotion of hua cheng's sect, much less his.
the sect is still popular because of their competence and their willingness to help everyone, regardless of social status, but they have also become notorious for being "godless".
until a taoist in white saves the wet-behind-the-ears disciples of hua cheng's sect during a night hunt.
additional notes:
hua cheng is born blind in his right eye. he also has a birthmark on his torso (exactly where he stabbed the sword, of course).
before joining the sect, "hua cheng" means something else entirely. he only changes it to "flower city" when he becomes a disciple.
being the third son, hua cheng's parents never really pressured him when it comes to his education, so his calligraphy is still atrocious. it may be barely legible but the sect learns the hard way when they make hua cheng write the talismans. now it is second nature to remove any cinnabar and talisman paper from hua cheng's vicinity. that doesn't stop him from inventing new ones though.
other sect leaders both hate and are jealous of hua cheng. the heavenly realm and the cultivation world can see that hua cheng is on the threshold of ascension. to trigger it, all he has to do is retrieve mortal remains from the fringes of mt. tonglu and give them a proper burial.
yin yu still finds his way under hua cheng's employment. at first, it is because hua cheng would be a fool to let go of his only source of information about the inner workings of heaven. and then he finds out that yin yu used to be an inner disciple of his own sect. now, yin yu assists him with his sect leader duties. instead of a mask, yin yu wear an artifact that hides his true appearance. living in a sect again makes him miss his own and he finds it bittersweet whenever the little disciples call him "shixiong".
hua cheng uses a spiritual dao instead of a jian. it is rumored that the saber spirit manifested a cursed red eye on its hilt but no one has ever seen it (no one that has not been dispersed already, that is). that is why hua cheng gave it the name e'ming. (yes, it is a fragment of wuming's soul after he was torn apart by the vengeful spirits.)
the sect now accepts anyone who is willing to join, in spite of their history. that is why they adore/are loyal to hua cheng.
the sect has a closely guarded secret: they not only help mortals but ghosts as well. they do not disperse them without cause.
hua cheng is a hoarder. rare books/scrolls, fine jewelry and exquisite robes, priceless artifacts, weapons of all shapes and sizes, you name it! the sect scratches their head about it because their sect leader is not even courting anyone! until of course, their future shimu comes into the picture.
hua cheng sometimes calls xie lian "shixiong", to which xie lian replies with "san lang-shidi".
hua cheng, in disguise, gambles for both information and sect funds (not that they aren't already rich enough). when xie lian stays in his sect, he teaches him how to play. but because of xie lian's bad luck, he loses the items he bet on. that is how hua cheng gets back his red coral pearl and umbrella. xie lian found them while scrap collecting. both are a little worse for wear but hua cheng still cherishes them anyway (even though he does not understand why they mean so much to him).
hua cheng eventually learns that xie lian is a banished god when he accidentally sees his cursed shackles. with yin yu's help, they figure out his heavenly title.
the sect is the only one to ever worship the flower-crowned martial god and never falters in their devotion for generations to come.
after his second banishment, xie lian desperately wishes for something to remember his last believer by. from where wuming once stood and got dispersed, he finds a ring. there is no doubt in xie lian's mind that wuming used to own it. he wears it on a chain around his neck and never loses it in his centuries of wandering. when times are especially hard, it gives him a bit of good luck.
hualian body swap au where no one notices anything amiss until they deliberately break character because hualian are so obsessed with each other that they know one another inside out and so, can perfectly act as the other
bonus: hualian decide to make it a game to see if the people close to them can figure it out
this post is heavily inspired by fullmetalpotterhead's hilarious fic, the scrap immortal has a harem?!. i had the strong urge to explore the idea more and i enjoy dress-up as much as hua cheng does so here we are~
anyway, you guys know the drill: hualian met again pre-xl's third ascension, eventually got married, and helped the common people from time to time, etc, etc. but because hc loves shapeshifting, this sparked rumors of the white-clad scrap immortal having a harem as mortals took notice of the distinct individuals who accompany him and how he is affectionate with every single one of them.
no clones were created in the making of this list:
1. cultivator hong
this is who hong hong-er could’ve been if he stayed at mount taicang and learned cultivation
the youngest member of xie lian’s harem
his hair is usually unbound and he wears white robes with gold accents to match his husband
the most striking color from his whole ensemble is the lone red coral pearl he wears on his right ear
he has an unusual spiritual weapon in the form of a red umbrella (see: tgcf revised version's new extra)
he accompanies xie lian on his night hunts
xie lian sometimes teasingly calls him "shidi"
2. general hong (or hua, because he wants to match xie lian)
this is who the soldier from beizi hill could’ve been if mu qing did not throw him out of the army
surmised to be cultivator hong’s older brother
he wears light armor in the xianle style and wields a saber
his hair is secured into a ponytail and the only accessory he wears is a red string tied on the middle finger of his right hand
he accompanies xie lian to war torn lands or places infected by a plague
3. xiao huo
huŏ (火) for fire but also for anger; temper
this is the ghost fire that xie lian freed from the lantern
he has a soft voice and rarely speaks but when he does, his words are meant only for his husband’s ears
there are rumors that he is cold to the touch
he wears blue robes paired with the most expensive and thickest of furs, which he matches or shares with his husband
he is the one who drinks the offered wine in his husband’s stead at festivities
he may be quiet and only follows his husband around but one must never anger him or his temper might just burn you to ashes
he accompanies xie lian in furthering his new cultivation on locations rich with spiritual energy
4. wu ming
the one everyone (especially heavenly officials) is terrified of as his ever-present smile unsettles them
his hair is tied into a ponytail and he wears black robes embroidered with white flowers– it matches with the same white flowers tucked behind his husband's ear, braided into his hair, and held by his hands
he does not carry a weapon but can skillfully wield anything that he can get his hands on
serene but ruthless, and loyal to a fault
he accompanies xie lian on his most challenging missions
5. san lang (or xiao hua)
this is who they believe to be xie lian’s favorite from his harem
a runaway young master that is the envy of the civil gods for his intelligence, and a polyglot to boot
has the potential to be a renowned painter if he changes his muse to anyone besides the forgotten crowned prince of xianle
the heavenly officials could not comprehend why he chose the life of a priest of a humble shrine dedicated to the laughingstock of the three realms over a secure and comfortable life of a young master
he accompanies xie lian with helping the common people in their day to day lives
6. hua cheng or crimson rain sought flower
not that they know that that is his identity and he is the actual favorite form (but then again, they're all xie lian's favorite)
the most elusive member of xie lian’s harem, which makes it all the more surprising for them to find out that he is apparently the first husband
a sculptor and a collector of rare weapons, artifacts, treasures, and scrolls
filthy rich and loves to spoil xie lian
frowned upon for being a serial gambler but is rumored to have won a couple of times against crimson rain in high-stakes bets (heh)
he is a patron of ghost city and likes to bring xie lian there, and the heavenly officials can only silently disapprove of it
bonus:
+1 san niang
the only female member of xie lian’s harem but they are not completely certain if she is actually a part of it, seeing as she’s even more elusive than the gambler
often flattered as the goddess of peerless beauty seduction
surmised to be either xiao hua’s twin or the gambler’s younger sister
xie lian is quite protective of her that one would immediately find themselves on their ass before they could even think one lustful thought about her figure
there are rumors that xie lian shapeshifts into a female form just for her
+2 e’ming
not that they know that that is his identity
initially thought to be the youngest member of xie lian’s harem because of his childlike personality
no one knows if he is blind in one eye or not but his right is always covered by his hair; if you stare too long, you might see a flash of sinister red
his silver jewelry and scathing words uncomfortably remind the heavenly officials of crimson rain's
the couple’s frequent haunts are popular bathhouses
secretly the second favorite of xie lian’s spiritual weapon (the first being wu ming ofc)
guys do you think if wu ming wasn't wearing his smiling mask, xie lian would be too distracted by his handsome face to attempt genocide? haha jk! unless..?
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