GHOST KING.

❛ 𝓲 𝓹𝓻𝓪𝔂 𝓷𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓸 𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓲𝓷 𝓹𝓮𝓪𝓬𝓮. ❜ 𝐡𝐮𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐠, affiliated with aevum isles.

[xueyuxun]

ʜᴜᴀ ᴄʜᴇɴɢ (花城,), ᴄʀɪᴍꜱᴏɴ ʀᴀɪɴ ꜱᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ꜰʟᴏᴡᴇʀ (血雨探花). affiliated with aevum isles.

the legendary ghost king & most notorious of the four great calamities.

widely known as "crimson rain sought flower" after the veil of crimson rain that falls & follows in his wake.

yes, the sword is sentient. no, you may not touch it.

accumulated such a mass of riches that he considers his trove of otherwise priceless treasures disposable.

once challenged ( & emerged victorious ) over 33 of 35 gods, the latter two who refused his proposal. after failing to uphold their end of the bargain, he proceeded to burn every last of their temples to the ground. after successfully snuffing out their followers through repeatedly crushing their faith, said gods eventually disappeared.

feared & respected among his peers & lowers alike. his followers reside within his personal abode of ghost city.

"i don't know if any of you missed me... but i haven't thought about any of you at all."

that being said, do not attempt at making 'fake' with him-or do, at the cost of your own humiliation. amuse him!

not likely to pay you any significant semblance of mind, however, should you somehow impress him then you might consider his loyalty ( all friendly banter & endless teasing included ) faithfully yours.

app, stats, threads, currency, ghost king's decree.

[refurart]

I drew this for more than 10 hours, because of my desire to learn new technical points. It was a challenge for me

[tenderlypressed]

[epilvgue]

「𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤 𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤!」- The casino was bright (brighter than it would've been back home anyways). Filled with people chatting, shouting, throwing card and chips -- ...Even if he had been among the isles for so long now, he still took comfort in places like bars and casino's to drag him back to Noman's Land every now and then. It dredged up old memories - some that felt as though they would be better forgotten than anything else...

Huh? Vash had been wandering and twiddling a chip between his fingers when his head perked up slightly more. The foreign lilt was what had caught his attention and then he had realized that the person was talking to him.

He looked and spotted a table where others were currently vacating... Hey!! Wasn't that the guy who'd gotten caught up with him just the other day?! - That hadn't exactly ended too well but --

Misfortune...? He swore he caught the word. He had picked up a little of many languages here and there, enough to know random words of various ones.

Wasn't that just a bit too mean of a nickname?! Sure they'd met under not so great circumstances.... but was it really his fault that his luck was so poor? Was it really his fault that the other man had been mistaken -- if he'd still been blond that wouldn't have happened...

Quickly, Vash traipsed over to the table as quickly and jauntily as he could.

The hand not holding the small chip rested on the back of one of the recently vacated chairs. Then he swung himself down into it with an exasperated sort of smile on his lips. "Say, yer not still mad about that, are ya....? I swear I didn't mean ta drag ya in --"

[xueyuxun]

❝ mad, me? what ever gives you such an impression? ❞

for the great ghost king does not get mad, says the people.. he gets sorely even. it is said he once paved way in all of what remained of his ever fleeting humanity in a fit of rage born of fire and brimstone, burning the temples of those revered as heavenly ones. amusement pricks at the all too sharpened edges of his lips, a lone finger pushing one of many amidst a pile of carelessly discarded poker chips towards the center of the table with an almost weary sigh.

the opponents here were almost as drab and pathetic as those who called themselves challenges back home. ah, how he misses the entertainment of home en masse. watching spineless fools sell their souls on petty bets never gets old. a pity, that his patience has limits then.

❝ i took care of them. far be it from the kindness of my heart not to expect some sort of recompense. ❞

the curve of his left cheek tilts unto the overturn of his palm, a pair of dice weighed thoughtfully within his opposing hand. playfully does he smirk. toying with others was simply too much fun...

❝ i suppose your soul will have to do. ❞

[retrcburn]

Lips   do   purse   some   the   dulled   weapon   in   his   hand   nigh   a   right   blade,   but   he   didn't   want   to   slack   in   his   own   training.   Here   or   Mond,   a   true   knight   of   justice   doesn't   leave   himself   to   slack   off.   Though   that   blade   is   gently   lowered   in   his   hand   looking   at   the   one   towering   over   him.   Finally,   an   entertained   smirk   rises.   “If   you   wish,   I'd   gladly   accept   a   sparring   partner.”

[xueyuxun]

❝ excellent. it has been a while since such an opportunity presented itself. ❞

the ghost king sets the chill of a palm just across the top of his scimitar's hilt, the lone eye set among the center of ornate metal gleaming bright as a blood red ruby itself. he draws with precision as perfectly crafted silver shimmers with a distinction down to the very tip of its blade. the faint crinkle of his eyes dancing amidst amusement gives way. try not to loose too quickly, hm?

[helldorado]

“Heh,   friends,   huh?   That’s   a   mighty   generous   word   for   a   fella   who   smiles   like   sin   itself.”   He   tilts   his   hat   back,   eyes   glinting   with   that   gunslinger’s   brand   of   amusement.    The   kind   that   could   turn   to   steel   in   a   heartbeat.   “Guess   I   just   got   a   knack   for   tellin’   when   trouble’s   wearin’   a   pretty   face,   but   maybe   i’ll   take   my   chances.   folks   like   you   make   life   a   helluva   lot   less   dull." 

He   flicks   his   hat   with   a   lone   finger   before   slipping   his   right   hand   forward.   The   wilder   the   companion   the   more   interesting   his   life   would   get.   Shark-like   grin   splits   his   lips   and   he'll   continue.   “So   what's   y'er   poison?   See'in   as   this   is   our   meetin'   I'll   foot   the   tab   this   time.”

[xueyuxun]

❝ it is said that sin births monsters.. and monsters, men. ❞

he cares not for most trifles, however being that of an impure suddenly attached to a place such as this, well... it would take more than ghostly wiles and the illusion of offerings to make his newfound troubles find simplicity in their ways. hua cheng smiles truthfully despite the other's wild jabs. it takes a soul empowered by passion to defy the heavens themselves, after all. his free hand extends towards the nearest bar of sorts.

❝ my poison? why, anything that may lend me insight into your deepest secrets, of course. hah, only kidding, my friend. why don't i try your favorite instead? years of the same drivel makes one's taste go dry, i fear. ❞

[aevummarket]

one more! dropping in to request an unlock for Hua Cheng of Heaven's Official Blessing! I would like to purchase his Scimitar E-Ming! App can be found at /app, as well as currency under /currency. cheers!

As though it never left your side, your E-MING SCIMITAR has found its way back to you, manifested at your bedside when you open your eyes.

SPECIAL ITEM UNLOCK 500 Emblems ALL Abilities and Items listed on a Muse’s application can be bought back at any time. Application unlocks are limited to two (2) abilities/items per Activity Check without exception.

ORIGINAL EMBLEM BALANCE: 850 TRANSACTION: -500 Emblems CURRENT EMBLEM BALANCE: 350

— 🏵️ Creo

[helldorado]

@xueyuxun

Under   the   golden   wash   of   lantern   light,   the   crisp   autumn   air   danced   with   the   scent   of   roasted   chestnuts   and   spiced   wine.   Boothill,   now   startlingly   human   for   the   first   time   in   aeons,   tossed   a   candied   apple   from   hand   to   hand,   grinning   like   a   man   unburdened   by   metal   or   memory.   His   hair   tousled   from   the   evening’s   festivities,   dancing,   losing   at   ring   toss,   and   laughing   louder   than   he   ever   remembered   being   allowed   to. 

It   was   in   the   quiet   lull   between   fireworks   that   he   spotted   a   figure   cloaked   in   red   and   shadow,   standing   just   beyond   the   reach   of   the   crowd’s   warmth.   With   curiosity   unclouded   by   his   usual   armor,   Boothill   sauntered   forward,   boots   crunching   over   fallen   leaves,   and   tipped   his   missing   hat   with   a   playful   smirk.   “Ain’t   often   you   see   a   man   lookin’   lonelier   than   a   gunslinger   without   his   iron.   You   enjoyin’   the   festival,   partner?”

[xueyuxun]

he had thought standing amidst the shadow of tall trees and swaying multicolored leaves might just be enough to keep him well out of curiosity's line of sight. of course, fate deems it otherwise when the familiarity of a passing voice catches him like a butterfly's wings caressing with the winds. ah... him again. clawed hands tuck into the inner makings of long ornate sleeves, the ghost king once again casting his gaze heavenward to admire the spiraling sparkles that continually ignited the starry skies. fireworks were but a miniscule joy, but a joy nonetheless.

as multicolored shadows dance across his visage with one explosion after another, he hums in amused thought, allowing the air between them to take on a softer weight.

❝ don't tell me my threatening impression has been lost upon you already. i'm sure we both have a reputation to keep, no? you can say i might be enjoying it enough. ❞

[xueyuxun]

@helldorado sent: “first time in town?”

❝ that depends how good you are at remembering faces, i suppose. ❞

ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ ᴍᴇᴇᴛɪɴɢ ꜱᴇɴᴛᴇɴᴄᴇ ꜱᴛᴀʀᴛᴇʀꜱ / accepting!

[helldorado]

❝Can't   say   I   forget   a   face   that   comes   with   a   warning   label.   But   yours...   reckon   it's   got   a   story.   You   just   passin’   through,   or   should   the   town   start   prayin’?❞

[xueyuxun]

❝ oh? you think me dangerous? how presumptuous. are you always so brash during first meetings? and here i thought we might be friends. aren't we all simply passing through at some point in our lives? ❞

the flash of fangs spells otherwise, lips coyly curved as if inviting said prayers. after all, he isn't one to grovel or beg when one's suffering goes eternally unanswered.

[fangxinjiian]

@xueyuxun

The   soft   golden   light   of   sunset   bathed   the   island   in   a   warm   glow,   casting   long   shadows   from   the   lanterns   strung   between   trees   and   stalls.   Spirals   of   smoke   curled   lazily   from   incense   bowls   near   the   shrines,   mingling   with   the   crisp   scent   of   autumn   leaves   and   the   sweet   aroma   of   roasted   chestnuts   and   sugar-dusted   buns.   Children   in   colorful   costumes   darted   past,   laughter   ringing   like   bells   as   they   called   out   "Spice   and   Sweets!"   to   any   lit   doorway. 

The   unlucky   scrap   god   stood   at   the   edge   of   the   bustling   path,   a   soft   smile   tugging   at   his   lips   as   he   watched   a   child   dressed   as   a   legendary   general   proudly   show   off   his   wooden   sword.   His   gaze   drifted   upward   to   the   paper   lanterns   shaped   like   blooming   lotuses   floating   overhead,   then   to   Hua   Cheng   beside   him,   clad   in   his   usual   red,   yet   with   a   playful   glint   in   his   eye   that   suggested   mischief   was   near.   “This   festival   is...   livelier   than   I   imagined,”   Xie   Lian   murmured,   hands   folded   behind   his   back.   “Do   you   think   they’ll   let   me   hand   out   sweets   even   if   I   wasn’t   invited   to   any   house?”

[xueyuxun]

celebratory reverie is none lost on the ghost king. if anything, it is an atmosphere in which he is known to immerse himself most. the gambler's den is hardly much different. where souls wander, they too find comfort in the simplest of pleasures. this yestereve harvest carries many a similarity to the passing celebrations and seasons of their own world. a time for honoring the dead, no less. perhaps if it were anything else, hua cheng would be cynical at most, however he spends this season of crisp cool air dancing with spice and promises of new beginnings by his beloved's side. there is nowhere else he would rather be.

it brings the rareness of a genuine smile to his usually downturned or haughtily curled lips, to see children playing and laughing to their tender hearts content with their parents following closely behind. if the world knew nothing of hate... would they have grown up in different circumstances? would he and xie lian have met? he overturns a red and orange wrapper between his fingers, sampling a bite of the warmly baked treat they'd procured from one of the vendors in passing before offering the other half to xie lian.

❝ they have no choice in the matter, i will be accompanying you the entire way. you know... i heard there is a place seeking assistance for the less fortunate. shall we begin handing out there, perhaps? ❞

[bipolyjack]

demon king looks at u like this wyd

[chenshixianyou]

Of course, despite his apparent humility, Zhongli certainly did not intend to lose. Though he had indeed watched this young man take on opponent after opponent, many leaving in frustration near tears, that hardly made him worry at all. Playing games like these wasn't necessarily about winning or losing to begin with either-- Zhongli had won more than enough battles to dull the appeal of victory.

No... the most interesting part was what one could learn about their opponents.

A slight smile tugged at his lips-- how ironic indeed, to speak of moving mountains with one who had carved their visage? "In that case, I suppose I must take care where I place these small stones," he said, placing a white piece a few intersections away. "I can't help but notice that I am far from the first who has sat in this seat today. I must admit, I look forward to the challenge."

[xueyuxun]

perceptive. of course, albeit unspoken, hua cheng had taken quite an interest in the pillar of a man who had just up until his most recent opponent had sat some few seats away from him as well. the air he carries was uncanny-something ancient perhaps, written in precious story or even these small stones he speaks of. his garb begs a certain familiarity albeit its own differences not unlike the warring nations of somewhere he could only once call his homeland.

hands fold neatly beneath his chin as he watches the other place his piece only to soon mirror the act by setting another black two paces away. amusement tugs at his own expression as he gestures towards the teapot and cups placed upon the table moments after.

❝ a man can spend years placing his stones, but if his movements cannot cultivate the mountain, where do his efforts end? as for those who have sat here today... think nothing of them. i am looking forward to a real game. who do i have the pleasure of playing against? ❞

[wovengold]

While she had never believed in destiny, not in the way stories whispered it, with crimson threads and fated meetings. But the moment she crossed paths with Hua Cheng ( @xueyuxun ) beneath the lantern-lit archway of the sprawling city, something ancient stirred in her bones. His gaze, dark and gleaming like obsidian, held centuries of storms and sorrow, yet there was a flicker of recognition, as though he, too, had been waiting. "Some pray for inspiration. They just never expect it to answer."

[xueyuxun]

perhaps she too is an old soul, steeped within the fetters of a past life only to be bound to some sense of the next. of all manner in terms of being since he has arrived, the ghost king has resigned to mainly keeping within his own deemed living quarters, of course when not in the company of his beloved. at the very least this world pulled them in together. funny how being inevitably tethered to the one who holds the very essence of his soul in his own hands has dulled his vast disinterest for their world or any next. he hardly concerns himself with such a matter, but curiosity croons to him in the form of a lovely face and an equally softened smile that perhaps only one who looked close enough perceived as a touch too sharp at the edges.

still, when gazes meet like the brush of ghostly darkness against the impenetrable gold of gleaming light, he hums thoughtfully. the evening stirs delicately all around them, wrapped in only the swaying flora and gentle breeze. he studies the weaver's features closely until a stray butterfly finds perch atop his hand.

❝ is that fact or some speculation of certainty? how amusing. in my world it took nearly dying for whatever sense of my own prayers and morbid reasoning to eventually be received. the gods are not nearly as selfless as they parade themselves to be. ❞

[hotpotpurple]

A smile that shakes the heavens <3

[epilvgue]

「𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤 𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤!」- He couldn't just leave things alone. Such was Vash's curse - sticking his nose where it didn't belong and then paying for it, even if, more often than not, he was doing it to himself. Of his own accord. Vash had passed by the other man in red and just as he did so, the group of men rounded the alleyway corner.

It was quick enough that the men realized that this person stolling so casually along wasn't actually the one who they were after and one man snarled, "Out of the way!"

Blue eyes tracked the encounter --

With a clatter of metal against cement, Vash let go his stolen boon.

Despite the face that these men had just been chasing him, he inserted himself quickly between them and this new person. He held up his hands with a frantic sort of smile.

"Hey! C'mon! Let's just settle this peacefully, huh, guys? It's just a run in an' this guy's got nothing to do with this, right? Yer guns an' stuff're right there, see? If ya promise not ta start anythin' I'll give 'em back..." He pointed at the small pile of pistols. The weighty piece at his own hip glinted slightly as the sunlight caught it.

[xueyuxun]

so sounds defeat through the alleyway like the unmistakable roar of a gong being struck. the moment this little runaway is faced with life or death, he cowers with all intention of standing between the ghost king and his newfound playmates. quick, but not quick enough. realization, too, is a privilege. had they considered their circumstances before standing up to the wrong person he may have granted certain liberties. hua cheng sighs.

his umbrella is closed, lowered, and the tip pokes rather pointedly against the firearm holstered at vash's hip. a lone brow raises-partly in wonder, the remainder in disbelief as it shimmers almost mockingly beneath the blazing midday sun. who steals guns and refuses to draw his own? what an idiot.

❝ very well. since you've so graciously offered. ❞

his gaze turns towards the pack of men. as if the wind itself had somehow conjured enough strength to move mountains, he sweeps up the typhoon by his collar and proceeds to dangle the man before his pursuers haphazardly. none move. it seems they are more baffled by the prospect of their target being given to them rather than simply jumping a second time. oh, so they do carry a sense of intelligence. he smirks, lifting vash a few inches higher. after all, they have no intention of ending this peacefully. neither does he.

any takers?

[chenshixianyou]

Perhaps it was ironic that the god of wealth, from whom originated the very concept of currency would so often find himself without any to his name-- or perhaps it was simply natural. Of course, he still had a good enough amount of keys back home, but it was just that-- they had been left at home, yet again. Alas, he was left without a cup of tea while he enjoyed a novel he had picked up from a local bookstore. A situation that was well nigh unacceptable for someone of Zhongli's... particularity.

But what is this?

Perhaps a chance to rectify that injustice?

Zhongli was by no means a gambler, but when it came to the weiqi board, and games of strategy over chance, that was a different story. Amber eyes glimmer faintly amid features of carved jade-- but it was not only the game itself that caught his interest. The one who sought a challenge too...

He could only be certain that there was more to the young man than meets the eye.

"I would not dare to presume my own victory before a single tile has been laid," he shook his head, "thus, I must confess-- I seem to have left my wallet behind at home, and regrettably, this establishment is not one with which I have established credit."

He was well-experienced in these matters by now, though-- there need only be alternate arrangements made.

[xueyuxun]

finally. a sliver of light shed upon his dreary day. when presented with a challenge, this stranger does not reject nor cower. such earns him a modicum of respect. his free hand gestures politely to the seat across from him as if having awaited this regal stranger since ancient days. the ghost king smiles when nonchalantly clearing the barely set board with the brush of his arm, black and white pieces falling to either side just before he begins plucking the former and returning them to their designated receptacle.

his own gaze, ignited by crimson and a glimmer of excitement for having his challenge so readily accepted momentarily clashes with that of molten amber. is that curiosity he can sense? humans are naturally drawn to the unknown, but is this man truly a mere mortal? all trivial questions for a realm where neither of them must truly belong, no? his cheek rests against an upturned palm. oh? not going to claim preemptive victory? how gracious. the first move is his then; a lone black piece set at the center of the board.

❝ you would'nt--but i would. the man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones. your wallet is inconsequential to the game. i made the proposal after all. i intend to uphold my promise no matter the outcome. ❞

[unforth]

New official art on XHS for the tgcf account hitting 300,000 followers.