Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 29

Huo Fenghua woke after sleeping for a while and heard faint movement in the room. He opened his eyes and peeked. Feng Tianzong was sitting by the table, apparently writing a letter.

Thinking of how debauched he’d been on that very table earlier, Huo Fenghua couldn’t help flushing. He closed his eyes again.

Feng Tianzong finished the letter, folded it a few times, opened the door, and handed it to Cong Wenhao who was standing guard outside. Then he shut the door, returned to the bedside, and said coldly, “Since you’re awake, get up. We still have to travel.”

“Travel?” Huo Fenghua sat up at once. “Where to?”

Feng Tianzong stood at the bedside. “You’re taking me to find Su Zeyang.”

Huo Fenghua was still a mess. His lower abdomen and his ass were uncomfortably sticky. He pulled the quilt aside a little and didn’t bother covering himself in front of Feng Tianzong. “I really don’t know where Senio… Young Master Su went.”

Feng Tianzong said, “Song Wei came back with word that you and Zeyang slipped out of the inn together, and you even rode the same horse. I tracked you for a long time, and in the end I only found you. I didn’t see Zeyang at all. I know Zeyang doesn’t treat you like he treats others. I can’t understand how he could bear to leave you with Wen Heyi and go off alone.”

That jabbed right where it hurt. Huo Fenghua let out a long sigh. “I told you before, but you wouldn’t listen. I wasn’t even finished and you pinned me down and threw your weight around. Now you’re questioning me again.”

Feng Tianzong gave a cold snort. “Speak honestly!”

Huo Fenghua thought, snort all you want, as if it was me who forced you. He said, “I’m sticky all over. Have someone bring me water so I can bathe.”

The tip of Feng Tianzong’s whip slid out from his sleeve.

Seeing it, Huo Fenghua hurriedly said, “It was that night at the inn. Wen Heyi suddenly showed up and said he’d seen a formation at Luofeng Ridge with your name carved on it…” This time he truthfully told Feng Tianzong everything that had happened at Luofeng Ridge from start to finish.

Feng Tianzong sat by the bed and listened in silence the whole time. Huo Fenghua’s account was clear and orderly, and he mentioned the Yu family’s woodworks and Feng Tiansheng by name. It didn’t sound fabricated. Feng Tianzong frowned slightly. “He said he went to find Gu Guangji?”

Huo Fenghua said, “He said he was going to ask Master how to break it, but I don’t know where Master is.”

Feng Tianzong weighed it. Really, he could take Huo Fenghua to Luofeng Ridge and find out whether he was lying. But at this moment, he was more desperate to find Su Zeyang. And whether the cursed formation at Luofeng Ridge was real or not, once he found Su Zeyang, the truth would come out.

Seeing Feng Tianzong hesitate, Huo Fenghua waited quietly. After a moment, Feng Tianzong stood up, went outside, called Cong Wenhao, and gave a few instructions.

When he returned, Feng Tianzong said, “I’ve told them to bring you water. After you bathe and change, we leave.” He had Cong Wenhao take a letter to Peng Po and return to the army camp to hold things down, while Song Wei was sent to investigate Gu Guangji’s whereabouts.

It would’ve been easier for him to move without Huo Fenghua, but right now he didn’t trust leaving Huo Fenghua with anyone. What he feared most was that Shao Feijie and the others would snatch him again. After turning it over in his mind, he decided to keep Huo Fenghua with him.

Huo Fenghua didn’t know any of those considerations. He only said, “Bringing me along is useless. I told you I don’t know where Senior Brother and Master are.”

Feng Tianzong said, “If you help me find Zeyang, I’ll let you go.”

Hot water had already been brought into the room. Huo Fenghua was naked as he got out of bed and walked toward the tub. He froze at those words. “What did you say?”

Feng Tianzong looked at him and said heavily, “After we find Zeyang, we go back to Yujing. You’ll pretend you’re seriously ill and can’t get up. I’ll summon a doctor to treat you, but you’ll ‘die’ despite treatment. Then I’ll give you a sum of money, and you’ll slip out of Yujing and live under an assumed name. But I have two conditions. First, for the rest of your life you’re not to return to Xichou. Second, you’re not to see Su Zeyang again.”

Huo Fenghua didn’t hesitate for a second. “A gentleman’s word is binding. I agree. When the time comes, General, don’t forget your promise either.”

He sank into the tub and took a long, comfortable hot bath. When he got out, he changed into a newly bought set of coarse cloth clothes, though they couldn’t hide his handsome looks at all.

Cong Wenhao and Song Wei went off to carry out their orders. Only Feng Tianzong and Huo Fenghua remained. They left the inn. It should’ve been one horse each, but Huo Fenghua said, “I can’t ride.”

It wasn’t that he truly couldn’t. He’d ridden plenty while following Wen Heyi, but once the horse went fast he always got jittery. He thought to himself, ‘It’s like driving. If there’s a driver, why would I drive myself?’

Feng Tianzong didn’t waste time with him. After mounting, he held out his hand.

Huo Fenghua grabbed Feng Tianzong’s hand, stepped into the stirrup, and swung onto the horse, sitting behind him.

When Feng Tianzong urged the horse forward, Huo Fenghua’s body tipped back. He hurriedly wrapped his arms around Feng Tianzong’s waist.

Feng Tianzong said coldly, “Keep your distance.”

However, Huo Fenghua didn’t listen. He hugged him tighter, pressed his head to his shoulder, and said, “We’ve already done filthier things. Why care about this?” As he spoke, he slid his hand over Feng Tianzong’s lower abs through the coarse cloth, feeling solid, hard muscle. He couldn’t resist groping at his chest too, thinking that Su Zeyang was still softer and nicer to hold, fragrant and gentle. Still, when it came to what he had down there, Huo Fenghua had to admit defeat.

Feng Tianzong said, “Touch me again and I’ll throw you off the horse.”

Huo Fenghua laughed. “Then throw me off. I don’t even want to go with you.”

Feng Tianzong stopped wasting words and increased their speed, leaving Zhuyue City before nightfall.

Once outside the city, the two of them rode one horse across a vast, bleak plateau. Huo Fenghua felt cold wind pouring in from every direction. He clung to Feng Tianzong even tighter. “Let’s find somewhere to stay before it gets dark.”

For a long stretch beyond here was nothing but wilderness with only low shrubs that didn’t fear the cold; there wasn’t even a single tree big enough to block wind and rain.

Huo Fenghua didn’t want to sleep out in the open. With sunlight it was bearable, but he was afraid that once it got dark he’d freeze to death outside.

Feng Tianzong didn’t answer, but he did spur the horse faster. Before nightfall they reached a cluster of buildings near the border between Zhuyue City and Xichou, though it could barely be considered a village. There were just a few lonely houses, one of which was a tea stall and the other an inn.

The inn was like a farmhouse courtyard, with only three guest rooms.

When they arrived, all three rooms were empty, but Feng Tianzong only took one. He and Huo Fenghua would share.

Huo Fenghua didn’t care. After entering, he shut the doors and windows tightly, lit the charcoal brazier, and sat by the stove warming himself. After a while he felt that wasn’t right, went back to the window, cracked it open a thin sliver, and peered outside.

Feng Tianzong took off his cloak and tossed it by the bed, then asked the inn’s runner for some warm food.

A little later, a young girl knocked softly outside the door. “I’m bringing supper for the two honored guests.”

Huo Fenghua was closer to the door. When he opened it, he saw a gentle-looking girl with delicate features standing outside. He smiled at her at once. “Thank you, miss. Sorry to trouble you.”

Seeing how handsome he was, the girl couldn’t help lowering her head with a shy smile. She carried the tray in with both hands, set two dishes and two bowls of rice on the table, and said, “Please enjoy.”

Huo Fenghua kept watching until the girl left. After he shut the door, he sat down at the table and called to Feng Tianzong, “General, time to eat.”

Feng Tianzong came over and sat down, but he didn’t pick up his chopsticks right away.

Huo Fenghua had been traveling for half the day and was starving. He grabbed his bowl and chopsticks and shoveled rice into his mouth. After a while he noticed Feng Tianzong watching him. “General, why aren’t you eating?”

Feng Tianzong said, “I was afraid someone might have poisoned the food. Now it’s safe to eat.”

Huo Fenghua choked on a grain of rice and erupted into a violent coughing fit. After a long while, holding his chest, he glared at Feng Tianzong in indignation, then buried his head and continued eating.

After dinner, the girl knocked again, wanting to come in and clear the bowls.

Huo Fenghua took the initiative to stack the dishes into the tray, opened the door, and handed it to her.

The girl blushed as she thanked him. When she took the tray, her soft fingers brushed Huo Fenghua’s palm, and her face turned even redder.

After the girl left the room, Huo Fenghua couldn’t help rubbing his palm. Aside from that brief soft touch, there was now a note in his hand, slipped into his palm by the girl just then.

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