A sudden current surged beneath him, and with a loud splash, he was hurled out of the river like a soggy scroll.
"Noisy lesser god, can you keep it down?!" Densu, the river spirit, poked its head out from the water, visibly annoyed.
"I'm trying to flow here quietly." . The river spirit's head vanished as fast as it appeared.
Long Xiao lay on the riverbank, soaked and steaming, blinking at the sky.
"Mind you I'm no lesser god but noted." He whispered hoarsely as he raised his thumb up.
Lei, hovering nearby, couldn't contain his laughter at the sight of his drenched master.
"Well, that was certainly graceful." Lei said sarcastically, his celestial form shimmering.
"Perhaps you should stick to dry land during your mortal 'research', Master."
Long Xiao sat up, water dripping from his hair and robes. He glared at Lei, but the corners of his mouth twitched upward.
"Laugh it up, you uncultured bird." He muttered, standing on shaky legs.
"Just wait until we ascend back to the heavens. I'll make sure you're on stablecleaning duty for a century."
Despite his threats, Long Xiao's eyes sparkled with amusement. With a snap of his fingers, all the water seeped out of his robes, sending rivulets of water cascading onto the grass below.
Scene: The Descent of Lord Long Xiao
---
The winds had quieted. The river Densu flowed in silence, as if exhausted by the earlier theatrics. Long Xiao stood at its bank, his halo dimming to avoid attracting divine attention. He glanced at Lei, who was circling lazily above, pretending not to notice him.
"Lei," he called, voice calm but clipped. "Let's go."
Lei didn't respond. Rolling his eyes and forming a slow spiral in the sky, his tail feathers shimmering with passive aggression.
Long Xiao sighed. "Perfect."
He reached into his sleeve and pulled out a concealment talisman he had drawn centuries ago to pass time. It masked divine signatures for short periods, perfect for slipping past nosy immortals.
He activated it with a flick of his fingers. His aura dimmed, his halo flickered once, then vanished.
No trumpets. No celestial fanfare. Just silence.
He stepped onto a cloudfragment, hovering just above the ground. The cloud responded to his mood, gliding slowly at first, then picking up speed as his thoughts grew louder. As it dipped and swirled through the upper winds, Long Xiao used it to avoid celestial patrols and nosy immortals in the Twelve Heavens.
He sat cross-legged, arms folded, eyes half-lidded in contemplation. Behind him, Lei followed at a respectful distance, wings tucked, clearly annoyed but too proud to admit it.
"Adowa Peak," he whispered. "I shall now descend… for research. Goodbye."
The cloud lifted gently, gliding toward the edge of the divine realm. The skies parted slightly, revealing the shimmering veil between worlds. As he passed the Gate of Whispering Winds, he waved casually at the gatekeeper spirit, who was always asleep with a scroll over his face.
"Perfect."
Lei, finally catching on, zipped down in a burst of feathers.
"Master, are we seriously leaving without telling anyone?"
"The river spirit knows. That counts. " Long Xiao replied, adjusting his sleeve.
"You're unbelievable." Lei scoffed.
"I think the word you're looking for is divine."
And with that, the cloud dipped beneath the veil, carrying Long Xiao into the mortal realm quietly.