After a couple of hours, Hua Ying had calmed down enough to go back to Puqi Shrine. He told Hua Cheng what Ailun had said to him first as it was what got him to almost lose control. Hua Cheng could see why Hua Ying almost snapped. Not only insulting his parent but his partner as well. Right now, Hua Ying was at that phase as a supreme ghost where he has to find out how to deal with his emotions again.

As he had such sensitivity to words and could also feel other's pain and emotions, Hua Cheng guessed that Hua Ying was now an empath, which would only feed more into his new abilities. Once he was back at Puqi Shrine, Hua Ying just went to sit down at the table. He kept his thoughts to himself and remained quiet. It was not like him to be this quiet but his parents didn't want to push him to open up.

Hua Cheng took the opportunity to pull Xie Lian out of the room to talk to him about what he witnessed at the pit. He was worried that Hua Ying might take a long time before he could really control his abilities. Simple words can be enough to make him lose control. He was like a bomb and the fuse was short. If it was lit, there would be no telling when it would go off.

Wangji was sitting with Hua Ying at the table. He was worried about him, "Hua Ying?" Wangji asked calmly. Hua Ying looked at him. He didn't speak but looking at him was enough for Wangji to know that he was listening, "are you going to be alright?"

Hua Ying slowly nodded, "I will be fine," he said, "not necessarily those same people but I have had people talk to me like that before. Especially when I was a kid. It's nothing new."

Wangji wanted to ask more but he was afraid to upset Hua Ying so he decided to change the subject, "Puqi Shrine still seems to be the same as it was five years ago," he said.

"Mnn, just more offerings from the locals," Hua Ying said, "but still the same."

Wangji was again, not sure what to talk about. He was never one to be good at working up conversations, it was always his brother who was better at that sort of thing, "I apologize if I am not a good companion. Talking is not my strong suit."

"I know," Hua Ying said as he began to boil water for tea, "I know how you are...as it took you a while to even say more than two words to me. I remember at most you would say, 'boring' or 'ridiculous,' or 'how frivolous,' or how about my favorite one of all, 'shameless'."

"Do you want me to go back to saying those things to you?" Wangji asked with a smirk on his face.

"Have I done anything to deserve such words?" Hua Ying asked.

"Not yet, but I'm sure it is only a matter of time," Wangji said.

"I can do fine one of my eroticas," Hua Ying offered.

"Hua Ying," Wangji said, causing Hua Ying to look at him, "shameless."

Hua Ying giggled, "there it is...but seriously, did you want me to get one for you? You look like you could loosen up a bit. Would you prefer cut sleeve erotica or normal erotica?"

"Hua Ying," Wangji warned, "your parents are just in the next room."

"Yeah, and?" Hua Ying asked, "are you afraid?"

"No, why would I be afraid?" Wangji asked.

"You are an innocent cultivator in a shrine with two ghost kings and a martial god," Hua Ying pointed out.

"And Xie Lian has pointed out numerous times that he will protect me," Wangji added.

"Mnn, alright then," Hua Ying said as the tea finally finished brewing.

Xie Lian and Hua Cheng were watching the two interact from the other room. Hua Cheng had a butterfly near them so they could hear the conversation. Hua Cheng couldn't get over Hua Ying still being shameless as ever. Xie Lian just shook his head as he knew Hua Ying was spitting image of Hua Cheng.

"They seem to be okay so far," Xie Lian said calmly.

"They will be okay for now but I am still concerned about Hua Ying. His abilities have yet to come out, and inside the pit, I could tell his abilities were very strong. It was like he could manipulate death itself," Hua Cheng said.

"If that is the case, then we will do our best to help him," Xie Lian said.

Hua Cheng then took out a ring, "this is Hua Ying's. He entrusted me with it but I think Wangji should be entrusted with it. It will be a way for him to really prove himself," Hua Cheng said.

"Will you find a way to get it to him and explain what will happen with the ring?" Xie Lian asked.

"I can," Hua Cheng replied.

"Then I will have to distract our son," Xie Lian said.

"Well," Hua Cheng gestured.

"Hua Ying, can you come here for a moment?" Xie Lian called out.

With that, Hua Cheng took the opportunity to speak to Wangji. He actually asked Wangji to step outside with him for a bit, "I have something important that I want to entrust you with. It will also help with potentially gaining Hua Ying's trust back," Hua Cheng told him.

"I am listening," Wangji said.

Hua Cheng held out Hua Ying's ring, "this ring is actually Hua Ying's ashes. If in the wrong hands, Hua Ying could die and never be reborn. Ashes of a ghost are usually entrusted to the ghost's fated person. You are Hua Ying's partner and you want to be with him. I feel like you should have this. Protect it with your life, as it is also Hua Ying's life that is in your hands," Hua Cheng explained as he handed Wangji the ring.

"Are you sure?" Wangji asked.

"Keep it somewhere safe, and make sure that you don't lose it," Hua Cheng said, "Hua Ying needs stability and you can give him that. It's just going to take time. I just ask that you protect his ashes, Wangji. It's his lifeline."

Wangji nodded and took the ring. Hua Cheng actually out the ring on a chain so Wangji could wear it as a necklace. It was similar to how Xie Lian wore Hua Cheng's ring before they married.

(Hua Ying's ring)