⚠️Sensitive content in this Chapter. Content includes, violence, blood, topics of mental health and suicide, and death. Please read with caution.⚠️
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Hua Ying made his new home at the Burial Mounds. He has so much history there so it was a good place to live. No one would ever think to step foot in his territory. He has already killed ten young cultivators as they tried to fight him. They were worried that Hua Ying was a threat but they failed. Hua Ying then scattered red spider lilies over the corpses as a way to say it was his going. He was death, and he made sure everyone knew that.

Soon there was someone at the entrance of his home. Hua Ying was angry as someone dared to try and enter his territory. He slowly started to make his way to the entrance only to see Lan Wangji standing there. Hua Ying grinned.

"So, you decided to temp your fate?" Hua Ying questioned.

"Hua Ying, listen to me, we need to talk about this," Wangji said, "this isn't you. Killing people isn't you. Don't get innocent people involved in our personal affairs."

"You do not have the authority to tell me what to do," Hua Ying told him, his voice sounded empty of emotions. Lan Wangji hated it.

"What will it take for you to stop this?" Wangji asked.

"I am not going to stop," Hua Ying said, "why should I? The people I have been around have been nothing but horrible to me. Why should I give them any sort of kindness if they are not to do the same?"

"Hua Ying, if you don't stop this, you will die!" Wangji said.

Hua Ying laughed, "I am Death, Lan Wangji. I cannot die. The only way to rid of me forever is...well," he held up his hand with the ring, "but you gave up on me. Just like I expected you would eventually. It is expected from a god though."

"Hua Ying," Wangji said, "please just talk to me. I am sorry I didn't just trust you from the beginning. I know you wouldn't do that to me but I was just so confused at the time. If the roles were switched I'm sure you'd react the same way."

"I would have tried to understand but in the end you gave up on me. My Baba did not trust me. My A'Die did but that was just because he had a way to prove it. A person can only take so much pain, Lan Wangji. Even before we got back together I was in pain. I was hated by the world and I am doing exactly what they expect of me," Hua Ying explained.

"Hua Ying?"

"I am done talking," he said and pulled out his sword. He then began to fight Wangji.

Lan Wangji didn't want to do this but Hua Ying wasn't giving him a choice, "stop this!" Wangji yelled. Hua Ying did not listen and kept on fighting.

Hua Cheng and Xie Lian have talked through their own problems and are now worried about their son. Hua Cheng had his butterflies scouring everywhere for Hua Ying, "where do you think he could be?" Xie Lian asked.

"Well, where is a place where he would feel best? It would be an isolated place right?" Hua Cheng questioned.

"Maybe..."

"I found him," Yin Yu said as he entered Puqi shrine.

"Where is he?" Xie Lian asked.

"He is at the Burial Mounds...Lan Wangji is with him...they broke into a fight," Yin Yu explained.

It was enough for them to leave. Hua Cheng and Xie Lian arrived and saw that Hua Ying really was lost in his pain and fighting Wangji. It was as if Hua Ying didn't care about anyone, not even himself.

"E-Ming?" Hua Cheng called out, "I know this is a big ask, but it's the only way to make him stop for a moment."

E-Ming was hesitant but he listen. He shot forward and struck Hua Ying in the lower abdomen. It caused him to stop immediately and fall to his knees, "Hua Ying?" Wangji asked.

Hua Ying glared at him and shot out a force of resentment that threw the three of them back several meters. Hua Ying really did not want to hear it. He then looked at E-Ming, "you stupid piece of metal, why?"

E-Ming went back to Hua Cheng. Hua Cheng sighed, "we needed to get you to stop fighting."

"If you want me to stop, then kill me!" Hua Ying said and stood up, "I will never stop fighting. All people have done is harass me and set me up. All they do is make me feel so much pain that I feel almost immune to it!"

"Hua Ying, you need to stop this. We are wanting to help you," Xie Lian said, "I am sorry that I questioned you like that. It was wrong of me."

"You know what, I have a solution," Hua Ying said. Hua Ying summoned his sword and using some of his energy, it was floating in the air. With a flick of the wrist, his sword pierced his chest.

"Hua Ying!" Wangji yelled. Hua Ying collapsed back and Wangji caught him, allowing him to lay in his lap, "A'Ying, Xīngān?"

"Lan Zhan," Hua Ying said in a whisper. He held up his and with the ring, "take this. Maybe I will return someday. It's just too painful for me to be alive anymore."

"Don't leave me, Hua Ying, I ascended for you," Wangji said, "the shrine you built is beautiful and I wish to live an eternity with you. Please...Xie Lian? Hua Cheng?"

"Wangji, even though this body of his is dying, as long as his ashes remain safe, he will return someday. It may not be in this form but as a ghost king, he will return. He is Siwang Tianshi of course," Xie Lian said with tears in his eyes.

"Lan Zhan, you should know, I never wanted to hurt you. All I wanted was to love you," Hua Ying said, "I'm sorry," he then began to choke up blood.

"Hua Ying, Please just, please?" Wangji began to cry more, "do not leave me like this."

"Will you..." Hua Ying was hesitant.

Wangji didn't have to be asked, he just knew. He leaned down and pressed his lips to Hua Ying's. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth but he didn't care. All he cared about was this one moment with Hua Ying. Wangji knew that Hua Ying was going to die, and he doesn't know when he will see him again.

"Lan Zhan?" Hua Ying asked after Wangji pulled away from the kiss.

"Yes Hua Ying?" Wangji asked.

"Promise me, you will wait for me. One day when I return, I promise you, I will remain by your side forever and a day," Hua Ying told him.

"I promise," Wangji said.

Hua Ying nodded and closed his eyes. His body began to fade away. When his body was gone, all that was left behind was one red spider lily. It looked so pretty next to Wangji's white robes. It stood out, red on white, like blood upon the snow.

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This isn't the end, but this is the end of part one. Hua Ying will return but I am going to start a second book from here and is titled My Escape. That way it can have a length of time between now and when he and Wangji will meet again. Thanks for reading this story, and next week, will have the start to the second book.