Wonderful Painting of the Mountains and Seas 34
“Don’t do it?” Xie Xi glanced at him and joked, “The name White is too hard to hear.”
Xie Xi was joking but Houqing and White Tiger didn’t smile at all. Houqing told him, “We don’t need names so it’s fine.”
Xie Xi wondered, “Didn’t you want them before?”
“At that time, we were small and not sensible.”
Xie Xi stared at the portrait of White Tiger and whispered, “What do you know?”
Houqing didn’t speak. White Tiger’s tone wasn’t very good. “The name doesn’t matter. Don’t draw anymore in the future.” Then he bent and picked up Xie Xi.
“Eh?” Xie Xi was startled and stared at this silly tiger. “Why? In addition, put me down.”
White Tiger told him, “Go back to the house. It is cold.”
“I can go by myself.”
White Tiger retorted, “Why? You are as light as a petal.”
Xie Xi felt that his dignity as a father had disappeared. He had been sleeping for 15 years and became lighter!
They returned to the house and Xie Xi questioned them, “What are you so nervous about? I’m just getting older...”
The two people glanced at each other and Houqing’s eyes were serious while White Tiger looked fierce. Then they spoke in unison, “Don’t say that! You’re not old at all!”
Xie Xi, “...” He really felt like he took one step into the tomb.
“What are you panicking about? I have lived longer than both of you.”
In fact, Xie Xi’s words were just a bluff. No one knew how long the flower god had lived. The only thing certain was that they couldn’t imagine it. Their short life was like the blink of an eye in front of the flower god. Xie Xi said he lived longer than them and they believed it.
Houqing’s demeanour became much more soothing, “...I just hope that you can sleep less.”
White Tiger added, “You slept for 15 years. The next time you sleep, I will be dead when you wake up...”
Xie Xi glared at him. “Nonsense!”
He said he was old and they didn’t listen. They tried to persuade him and he couldn’t hear anymore.
White Tiger muttered, “Then you will...” His voice was very low and awkward. It was amazing since it didn’t fit his personality. “Spend more time with us.”
Xie Xi’s heart instantly softened into water. He looked at the painting in his hand before rubbing White Tiger’s head and whispering, “Okay.”
The sky was getting dark when Azure Dragon came back. He was still young when they first met and now that he saw Xie Xi, his indigo eyes were filled with amazement.
Xie Xi was aware of it and felt moved. Yes, at the time, Azure Dragon had been too small and his angle of view was limited. It was estimated that he didn’t see Xie Xi’s appearance.
However, shouldn’t Azure Dragon have visited when Xie Xi was sleeping? Perhaps he looked different awake compared to when he was sleeping?
Xie Xi didn’t quite understand.
Azure Dragon’s emotions were hidden very quickly. He bent down and bowed. “Lord Flower God.” It was a clear tone with a youthful air.
Xie Xi’s eyes curved and he smiled. “Come over and let me see you.”
This was the first time seeing Azure Dragon’s human form and wanting to see it was normal.
Azure Dragon approached and stared into his eyes. Well... 189 centimetres was already really tall!
Xie Xi’s heart itched. “Can you change back to your body to let me see?”
Houqing and Azure Dragon immediately cried out, “Don’t draw.”
Xie Xi smiled. “These brothers are too unseemly. You just allowed me to draw you but you won’t allow me to draw your brother?”
Azure Dragon frowned. “You just woke up and need to rest. Drawing is laborious.”
Xie Xi wasn’t happy. “You have grown up and your wings are hard. You aren’t even willing to show me your body.”
He slightly lowered his voice and one tiger and dragon became nervous. Azure Dragon replied, “You can see whatever you want, just...”
Xie Xi interrupted. “Don’t draw?”
The three men nodded. Xie Xi knew it wasn’t easy to fool them and ended up saying, “What are you afraid of? You have existed for a long time so how can I draw another one of you into existence?”
The words stunned all three people. In particular, Houqing’s thin lips trembled. “Sure enough, you drew the Holy Mountain and Demon Sea.”
Xie Xi, “...”
It was too difficult to explain, whether it was true or not. White Tiger and Azure Dragon’s demeanours were very solemn as Azure Dragon asked, “Did you sleep for so long because of the creation of the Holy Mountain and Demon Sea?”
Xie Xi answered, “Sort of.”
The trio were unanimous. “Why create them?”
Why...
How to explain it...
If there were no Holy Mountain and Demon Sea, where would the sages and demon ancestors in the future come from?
Without them, where did this world come from? Where did the roses come from and where did the flower god come from?
“Is it for us?” The three people already had the answer. The outside world was chaotic and there were evil things, but those in the flower world didn’t have to worry about that. The flower god and flowers could stay in the flower world without worrying about the things happening outside.
Then the flower god painted the Holy Mountain and Demon Sea, painting a different world and creating a new world for them.
During these 15 years, they travelled all over the Holy Mountain and Demon Sea, looking at the grass and trees, the mountain and the water. They thought that everything came from the flower god’s pen and only had admiration and awe in their hearts.
Xie Xi asked a seemingly unrelated topic. “Do you believe in fate?”
None of the three could answer. Xie Xi told them, “Don’t believe in it. You just have to believe in yourself.”
This was to leave a path for them in the countless years in the future. Xie Xi still painted Azure Dragon’s body and then caught the nine tailed fox.
He already had the illustration of Nine Tails but it didn’t matter. He still drew it to the same standards. Houqing’s painting was already done so he was always a human. Xie Xi didn’t need to look to draw Houqing.
As he drew, the four people were worried that he would fall asleep again. Fortunately, Xie Xi’s state was very good and showed no signs of exhaustion.
He also loved these drawings. He couldn’t help staring at them and the people gradually let go of their worries.
Xie Xi knew that he wouldn’t ‘disappear’ as long as he didn’t’ write their names.
The bird was the last one.
Vermilion Bird was the youngest and the time he had transformed into a human was also the shorted. His impression of Xie Xi was slightly shallow and he flew further away. After receiving the news, he flew for three days before returning.
It was supposed to be this day and Xie Xi was very excited, so he decided to have a party.
Nine Tails and Houqing went to prepare food, Azure Dragon and White Tiger went to get some fresh things and the bored Xie Xi sunbathed in the garden.
He flipped the album in his hand with a faint smile.
Then there was a fascinating bird song and a red light crossed the sky before a teenager in gorgeous feathered clothes fell in the sea of flowers.
Xie Xi looked up and thought this little bird had really returned. The teenage Vermilion Bird didn’t chirp like he did as a child. He was beautiful and graceful.
His facial features were most like Jiang Xie and when Xie Xi thought about Jiang Xie having such a young appearance, he couldn’t help smiling.
He was about to greet the other person when the bird came over himself, eyes full of surprise. “Who are you?”
Xie Xi, “......”
“You look beautiful.” Vermilion Bird bent down and stared at Xie Xi. After watching for a while, he seriously suggested, “How about marrying me?”