I Am In Love With The Idea Of Hua Cheng Being Intrinsically Connected To Ghost City In Such A Way That

I am in love with the idea of Hua Cheng being intrinsically connected to Ghost City in such a way that he can subconsciously manipulate it.

Ghost City’s streets are winding and confusing, but when Hua Chengzhu walks through his territory, the streets straighten themselves out, creating a clear path for him. Strangely enough, Hua Cheng doesn’t realize this until Yin Yu meekly asks for directions to a certain location in Ghost City, still settling into his new position as a servant to a Ghost King. Hua Cheng, annoyed, snappishly tells him that it’s literally down the street and four buildings down, and that if Yin Yu couldn’t find it, then he was too blind to manage the administrative areas of his city. Yin Yu, confused and intimidated, shakily tells Hua Cheng that there are no roads or buildings in the vicinity of Paradise Manor, and that when the street does start, it winds in three different directions. Hua Cheng gives him an incredulous look and tells him to just do as he’s ordered. Yin Yu walks away defeated.

Hua Cheng secluding himself when the isolation of searching for a forgotten god creeps up on him. Ghost City, used to their lord disappearing in irregular intervals, doesn’t find it strange when no one has seen Hua Chengzhu for several days. Panic starts to set in, however, when dark clouds gather above the city and a torrent of blood rain falls from the sky like a bad omen. The ghosts become frantic, believing it to be an ominous sign that they had displeased their lord. Hua Cheng, who had locked himself in his room in Paradise Manor, weeps his despair and desperation into silky, crimson pillows to the sound of rain for three days straight. He never realized that he nearly caused a flood of blood in his own city. In fact, Yin Yu, who had taken up the responsibility of cleaning up the city, wisely chooses to say nothing on the matter when Hua Cheng eyes his blood soaked robes with a questioning glance. This happens rarely over the course of the next eight centuries, but it occurs often enough for the denizens of Ghost City to stop panicking when it happens. They call it ‘the crimson torment’ and have learned to be especially nice to their lord in the following days. Miraculously, the blood rain stops after Xie Lian shows up, and Ghost City is eternally grateful. Xie Lian learns about ‘the crimson torment’ before Hua Cheng does, hearing about it from a group of gossiping ghosts. But when Xie Lian asks Hua Cheng about it, concerned for his husband, Hua Cheng tells him that he was never aware that such a thing even happened.

Hua Cheng mindlessly sending out an attack towards a trouble making ghost in Ghost City. The attack is restrained and certainly not as powerful as it could be, but it sends the ghost flying into a wall anyways. Normally, that would be that, but Hua Cheng was particularly frustrated that day. The echoes of the ghost’s wailing pierces his mind and worsens an already bad headache. Xie Lian, who’s standing off to the side, hurriedly walks toward Hua Cheng and gently guides him away. Hua Cheng goes willingly and complacently, as he always will for his beloved husband. That doesn’t stop the murderous thoughts brewing in his head, though, and before he knows it, there is a slight rumble beneath his feet. His thoughts spiral out of control and he doesn’t notice the Earth quaking beneath him until the buildings and stalls around him collapse. It’s the first time that Hua Cheng is forced to acknowledge the subconscious control that he holds over Ghost City and that moment secretly mortifies him.

Little sketch cause o just got a new notebook to draw on :)

Some TGCF characters' Roman Empires:

Someone's Roman Empire = something someone thinks about very often

Major spoilers ahead!

Xie Lian: the "wanna get married?" panic prank San Lang pulled on him + when he got drunk off his ass sitting on a grave with little ghost fire Hua Cheng as companion + the 3000 lanterns

Hua Cheng: the "wanna get married?" panic prank + when he was Wu Ming and he said he would follow Xie Lian to death and Xie Lian said "you're already dead" + when he underwater kissed Xie Lian and Xie Lian panicked so hard he pretended to look for his hat

He Xuan: when Shi Qingxuan called him Ming-xiong that last time and he said "you called the wrong person" before decapitating Shi Wudu + eating Xie Lian's food that one time

Shi Qingxuan: when they used the windmaster fan as a mortal and didnt ascend + "dream on" + when Heaven's Eye said Xie Lian had demonic energy inside him at the feast after the final battle

Pei Ming: litteraly every time Yushi Huang looks at him + when Pei Xiu chose to be banished rather than lie to save himself

Feng Xin: the fact that he's been a deadbeat dad for over 800 yrs and didnt know + when Xie Lian sent him away

Mu Qing: that scene on the mountain + that moment with the missing coral earring

Mei Nianqing: when he told Xie Lian he saw his future as black and Xie Lian said he only wears white so thats not his future + when he realized Jun Wu's plans

Jun Wu: when the bridge to the heavens collapsed + when he became patient 0 of Human Face Disease + when he told Xie Lian not to touch E'Ming and get close to Hua Cheng and he came back home reeking of evil energy from kissing Hua Cheng and touching E'Ming

Ling Wen: the brocade immortal situation + being taken out of prison cause the heavens are in chaos without her

Lang Qianqiu: his traumatic 17th birthday + becoming a sword with the other gods for the mecha version of Xie Lian to defeat Jun Wu + when he asked Xie Lian for a duel and Xie Lian said no cause he would kill Lang Qianqiu immediately

Yin Yu: when he got his cursed shackles + when Xie Lian thought he was He Xuan cause he was so plain looking

Quan Yizhen: when he was in that haunted mountain and he could recognize Yin Yu by footsteps alone + seeing HuaLian "exchange spiritual energy"

Qi Rong: when Xie Lian slapped him + when he witnessed HuaLian makeout as he was tied to a tree

twin brothers are unbearable actually

The way I thought for a moment he might be right

just reread tgcf book 2 and i CAN’T get over feng xin saying we need to pump those people up to stop the pandemic. we need to go to the gym. we need to work out!!!1! and xie lian and mu qing staring at each other like 😭😭😭 i love these three to pieces guys