(Note: may use manhua references and non-canon stuff).

Ghost Realm, Black Water Demon Lair, South Sea.

The sea salt fills your nostrils and lungs as you emerge from the coffin you'd been in that belonged once to a random corpse you managed to find where you were on the beach. You dusted off your Heavenly Official clothes, and stepped out. You let the salt fill your lungs as you walked the beach of the Black Water Demon Lair island. You knew the person who owned this island: Ship-Sinking Black Water He Xuan.

About a few months prior, you discovered the secret, like Shi Qingxuan, Xie Lian, Pei Ming, and Shi Wudu, that this was not Ming Yi, the Earth Master, this was one of the 4 Calamities, He Xuan himself, who held a grudge against Shi Wudu for daring to swap his fate with Shi Qingxuan, when he was destined for divinity, and not Shi Qingxuan.

You were the one who told He Xuan to not kill Shi Wudu, you were the one who prevented his death, luckily. And so, Shi Wudu got to live. But, you'd been visiting He Xuan more often lately, often escaping from duties and always visit the island. Normally, it is just to talk to He Xuan, but you both slowly begun to grow a friendship of sorts with one another. Which was a good thing for you, because you were always curious about him regardless if he was Ming Yi or just himself.

While he was still reserved a lot, he would slowly open up little by little, nothing too much though, which was perfectly fine for you. Just as long as you got to see his familiar face, it'd be enough. Today was a bit different though. You wanted to get away from the Heavenly Capital today, for reasons only known to you, and because of that, the first person you turned to was He Xuan, since you didn't see him anywhere in the Capital today as Ming Yi or his other disguises or clone, so you figured he was in his lair this time around.

You just wanted to not be a Heavenly Official for once around him, so it was a bit of a surprise when you walked into his lair without your usual Heavenly Official aura. He cocked an eyebrow at this curious state you were in, but didn't dare comment on it. As you walked inside, you just merely stumbled, you were exhausted, you were weary, you needed rest. Oddly enough. Why was this the case? Usually Officials don't need this kind of thing, but you did.

So when you were just about to fall, he luckily caught you in his arms, and steadied you. He brought you to sit down on the makeshift throne where once had the true Ming Yi's bones sitting on it, it had long since been cleared, and he sat you down. He disappeared for about 15 minutes before returning with food for you. You ate it all despite your fatigue, and once he took it away, here, he merely stood to your side, slightly sitting on one armrest as he rested a hand on your shoulder, rubbing soothing circles on your clothes to ease you.

"Do you wish to speak about it." He Xuan deadpans, though, his tone was slightly different than normal.

.....Gentleness? Is that possible for him? Who knows what he was capable of? But it was a soothing for you at least.

He just merely waited, and waited, and waited. Surprisingly, he was like this with you too, very patient, even when you were bargaining for Shi Wudu's life, which, if it were anyone else, he'd just kill right off the spot, but with you? He willingly listened.

So, do you give in and tell him your reasons for coming here today, or do you stay silent, contemplating it all?