Long Xiao immediately realized that he did this, turning slowly to look at the others and back at Feng.
"My sincerest apologies, Brother Feng," he said, voice low, trying to contain his laughter. "I was aiming for the rock."
Feng stood in stunned silence, a single drop of sweat tracing a line down his bald scalp. The silence that followed spoke volumes. No words could restore lost hair.
Lord Han, the calmest among the Five, had noticed for a while there was something wrong with Long Xiao.
"Brother Xiao, is everything alright? You've been looking a little tense these days." Lord Han prompted.
"Yes! You've been acting unusual lately since you became one of the Twelve Higher Gods." Lord Bai added, watching Lord Zhao draw a portrait of Feng.
"I'm fine. Thank you!" Long Xiao forced a smile.
"If you are really fine, you certainly owe me an explanation as to why my hair got struck by lightning instead of the rock." Lord Feng pointed out angrily, watching the ash of his fallen red hair disappear in the wind.
"A-Xiao is definitely not fine. Hmm!" Lord Bai said.
"Or how else could he have possibly managed to make Brother Feng a fresh monk?" Lord Bai chuckled, barely containing his laughter at Feng's disheveled sight.
"Hmm!" Long Xiao cleared his throat, seizing laughter.
"Oh..." He sighed.
"Goddess Ling Xing just asked for my assistance." Long Xiao straightened.
Which she obviously didn't.
"I shall take my leave." He bowed his head lightly.
With a snap of his fingers, he took for himself the first copy of the portrait before he teleported without apologizing to Lord Feng.
"He's definitely not fine." Lord Zhao sighed, finishing the other four copies of the portrait.
"Ahahaha! Brother Feng, when did the sun flower grow on your scalp?" Lord Bai laughed as he collected one of the portraits from Lord Zhao .
"LONG XIAOOO!!" Lord Feng cried out, tears falling from his eyes.
The other three laughed silently as they looked at the portrait of Feng with teary eyes and a bald head that reflected the sun's rays.
Odoye Palace
---
Long Xiao was absent minded even when assisting Goddess Ling Xing.
"Yes! I admit that I burnt our chamber out of nervousness." Goddess Qin sobbed.
"But I promise I didn't do it on purpose..." She grabbed a petal from Long Xiao.
"Goddess Ling Xing, please ask Lord Zu to accept me again." Her sobbing intensified.
Goddess Ling Xing smiled reassuringly. She glanced at Long Xiao, expecting him to cheer Goddess Qin up but to her surprise, he was wiping his tears with the petals for guests.
Only sobs and forced smiles finished that fateful session.
Inside Long Xiao's Hut
---
A few months after his appointment, Long Xiao found the competition dawning on him. He definitely couldn't sit still for misfortune to knock on his door.
After a lot of pacing and scribbling of nonsense, he got an amazing idea and that was to ditch the competition.
"I am not ready to go into seclusion." He muttered, marking an X on his scroll as if finding the solution.
Lei, the confused phoenix, after observing his master for a while, asked slowly as he flew up and about in their hut.
"Master, are we going somewhere?" Lei asked cheerfully, swirling above him.
Long Xiao ignored Lei by packing his favourite tea leaves. With no response, Lei descended.
"Master, why are you packing?" Lei's tone was now skeptical, tossing his own belongings in a storage ring, imitating his master.
Long Xiao paused mid way as he folded his robes, processing Lei's question. He glanced at Lei with the corner of his eye before resuming his temporary action without responding.
"Don't tell me you plan on ditching the Gods' contest." Lei descended gracefully, transforming into his human form. He gauged Long Xiao's facial expressions intently.
"I am not." Long Xiao scoffed, supposedly done packing his necessities.
"You are." Lei said. "You're getting work done manually and you only do that when you're nervous, Master." Lei settled onto the ground.
Long Xiao sighed deeply, his halo glowing "I'm not nervous. I wish to seek enlightenment from the lower realms."
With that response, Lei already knew he planned on ditching the competition.
"More like I only wish to escape Lord Ares' spear." Lei rolled his eyes.
"I really wish to gain enlightenment and aid the mortals". Long Xiao snapped, looking annoyed.
"Whatever you say, Master." Lei smirked, clearly satisfied by Long Xiao's annoyed expression.
Long Xiao looked around his hut.
"When night falls, we leave Adowa Peak. " Long Xiao said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Thus Lord Long Xiao descended that fateful night.