Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan

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

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Chapter 9

Huo Fenghua was snatched out of the brothel by a man in black. Before he could even react, someone struck him hard on the back of the neck, and he passed out.

He didn’t know how long he’d been unconscious. When he came to again, he only felt that the ground beneath him was cold and hard. Beside him there seemed to be a fire, roasting him until he felt parched with heat. He was about to open his eyes when he suddenly heard someone say, “He’s not awake yet.” So he closed his eyes again and stayed silent, pretending he hadn’t woken up.

The speaker was a young man.

A moment later, another young man said, “Look at how delicate and weak he’s gotten after being kept in Donglin all these years. He probably won’t wake up for a while.”

The first man scolded softly, “Jiang Yuan, don’t talk nonsense.”

The man called Jiang Yuan said, “Am I wrong? Xichou was wiped out by Donglin, and he, the dignified Second Prince, not only didn’t find a way to save the country, he actually debased himself and married our enemy Feng Tianzong as a male concubine.”

At that moment, a third voice spoke up. It was a middle-aged man’s voice, low and steady. “He was sent to Donglin as a hostage at eight years old. Even the maids serving him were Donglin people. What could he possibly have done to save the country?”

Jiang Yuan said, “If I were him, I’d rather kill myself than suffer this kind of humiliation from Donglin!”

Huo Fenghua’s heart pounded. He’d guessed before that as a hostage handed over by Xichou, his status had to be royal somehow. But he hadn’t expected he was Xichou’s Second Prince. After the initial shock, though, he thought that Xichou was gone. A prince of a fallen nation didn’t sound like anything worth celebrating. Even if he returned to Xichou, it would only mean a life on the run.

Then the first young man said, “If the Second Prince truly committed suicide, Xichou’s royal bloodline would be cut off as well.”

Suddenly the middle-aged man spoke again. “Since you’re awake, why aren’t you getting up?”

Huo Fenghua froze. That was directed at him. He put on a just-waking-up act, stretched languidly, propped himself up with one hand, rubbed his eyes with the other, and said, “Where am I?”

When he opened his eyes, he realized he was in a ruined temple. Under him was nothing but dried straw; no wonder it felt so cold. Not far away a fire burned, and three men sat around it.

Seeing him sit up, one of the middle-aged men stood and went over. He dropped to one knee and saluted. “Imperial Guard Commander Tao Yifei pays respects to the Second Prince!”

The other two men, seeing their commander kneel, had no choice but to stand and kneel behind him, saluting Huo Fenghua as well.

The real Huo Fenghua had left Xichou at eight and grown up in Donglin. He definitely wouldn’t recognize these people. That saved Huo Fenghua the trouble of faking amnesia. He just widened his eyes and stared at the three of them, pretending to be frightened. “How did you end up here?”

He saw contempt flash across one young man’s face, though the man still kept his head lowered respectfully.

Tao Yifei looked to be in his thirties or forties, broad-shouldered and powerfully built, the very image of a military officer. Hearing Huo Fenghua’s question, he shook his head with something like helplessness. “Second Prince, do you truly not understand the situation back home?”

If Huo Fenghua said he didn’t know, he’d be overacting. So he said, “I know Xichou has fallen, but I don’t know the current state of things. I’ve been a hostage in Donglin since I was young. There’s never been a single person I could trust at my side.”

The three exchanged looks. Finally Tao Yifei spoke. “When Xichou fell, Feng Tianzong led his troops into Huijing. His Majesty set fire to Yongle Hall and died with the country. The Imperial Guard escorted the Crown Prince out of Huijing and met up with what remained of General Shao’s forces. We planned to gather the remaining strength in the country and rise again to restore the nation. But who would’ve thought… the Crown Prince caught a plague while fleeing. He died despite treatment. Now the entire royal bloodline of Xichou has only one person left: you, Second Prince.”

Huo Fenghua’s emotions surged at the account. For a moment he didn’t know what reaction he was supposed to have.

Tao Yifei, thinking he’d been struck dumb by grief, sighed inwardly and said, “Second Prince, this is still the outskirts of Yujing. We can’t stay long. Please come with us at once.”

As he spoke, the two young men behind him moved to help Huo Fenghua up. Huo Fenghua pretended to be weak, legs powerless, but they didn’t care. They practically hauled him out of the ruined temple.

Huo Fenghua hurriedly asked, “Then where are we going?”

One of them said, “To meet up with General Shao.”

Huo Fenghua asked again, “And after we meet up, then what?”

The man said, “Naturally we’ll gather the remnants of Xichou, kill Feng Tianzong, and restore the country.”

The man holding him on the left was Jiang Yuan. He said irritably, “Jia Duo, you don’t need to tell him so much.”

Tao Yifei extinguished the fire inside the ruined temple and carefully erased the traces of their stay before leaving as well.

Outside, several horses were tied to a tree. Huo Fenghua immediately said, “Wait, I can’t ride a horse.”

Tao Yifei said, “Jiang Yuan, take the Second Prince with you. Ride together.”

Jiang Yuan’s expression was rigid. He answered, “Yes,” then helped Huo Fenghua onto a horse first. He then swung himself up in front of him, tugged the reins, and said, “Don’t fall off.”

Huo Fenghua hadn’t even processed that when Jiang Yuan kicked his heels into the horse’s belly. The horse lunged forward at once. Huo Fenghua pitched backward and hurriedly wrapped his arms around Jiang Yuan’s waist so he wouldn’t tumble off.

With Huo Fenghua clinging to him, Jiang Yuan’s face looked even worse. He spurred the horse on harder.

Time was tight and danger was pressing, so Tao Yifei had only summarized. In truth, ever since Huijing fell, he’d fled with the Crown Prince Huo Fengnian through countless hardships. They had finally reunited with the remnants of General Shao’s forces, only for Huo Fengnian to contract the plague and die in the end.

If that hadn’t happened, they never would’ve thought of the Huo Fenghua who was still in Donglin.

Huo Fenghua had been timid and cowardly since childhood, dull in aptitude. That was why he’d been sent as a hostage to Donglin. In these nearly ten years in Donglin’s capital Yujing, he’d run with Wang Anzhi and other pampered young wastrels of the city, eating, drinking, whoring, gambling, and doing nothing of worth. It was precisely because he drifted along in a haze that he survived. If he’d shown even a little promise, then when Xichou fell, his life as a hostage would’ve ended right then.

Whether it was Xichou or Donglin, no one had ever taken this Second Prince of Xichou seriously. To suppress the Feng family’s rising momentum and to humiliate the already fallen Xichou, the Donglin Emperor issued an edict marrying Huo Fenghua to Feng Tianzong as a concubine. One didn’t want to marry, one didn’t want to take him, but an imperial command was not something they could defy. In the end, a soft sedan chair carried Huo Fenghua from the hostage residence into the General’s Manor. Trapped in a side courtyard from then on, he threw himself into the lake and ended his life.

If Huo Fenghua stayed in the General’s Manor, his life was worthless. But if he was taken out of Donglin and brought back to Xichou, the situation flipped entirely—Donglin would have to be on guard.

So this time, Tao Yifei led two highly skilled subordinates, Jiang Yuan and Jia Duo. The three disguised themselves and slipped deep into Donglin, lying in wait near Yujing for almost ten days. At last they seized an opportunity to pull Huo Fenghua out of Yujing, and now they rode without pause, determined to deliver him back to Xichou.

From the moment Huo Fenghua woke, they drove the horses hard. Other than brief pauses to let the horses graze and rest, they didn’t stop for a moment, until night fell and they finally halted in a forest.

Across two lifetimes, Huo Fenghua had never ridden for this long. When he dismounted, his legs trembled uncontrollably. The insides of his thighs burned with pain. When he reached down and touched them, his hand came away with blood—he’d been rubbed raw.

He leaned against a tree and looked down at the abrasions.

Jia Duo came over and handed him a small box of ointment. “This is a hemostatic wound medicine.”

Huo Fenghua took it. Jia Duo then offered him a piece of dried flatbread. Huo Fenghua bit into it, found it dry and rock-hard, impossible to swallow, and immediately spat it out.

Jiang Yuan leaned against another tree, watching him coldly.

Huo Fenghua didn’t care about their looks. He was exhausted, his spirit drained. In his previous life his family had been poor, and he’d suffered some hardships as a child, but it had still been far more comfortable than this. And after getting used to the fine food and clothing in the General’s Manor, just one day of hard travel already made him feel like his body couldn’t take it.

But hardship was only one side of it. The soul in this body wasn’t Xichou’s Second Prince. He felt no attachment to Xichou, and he wasn’t yearning to return and restore the nation. He’d studied history as a kid—very few princes of fallen kingdoms who screamed about restoration ever succeeded. He wanted to escape the General’s Manor, yes, but what he wanted was to change his name, live as an ordinary person, run a small business. He didn’t want to be a fugitive prince. If Donglin’s army caught him then, it would be a dead end, a miserable death.

He took a few swallows from the waterskin. Seeing Tao Yifei sit down by the newly lit fire, he spoke. “Commander Tao.”

Tao Yifei looked over.

Huo Fenghua said, “Is it really true that the Xichou royal line only has me left? Even collateral relatives—if they’re of the Huo clan, they still carry the royal blood, don’t they?”

Before Tao Yifei could answer, Jiang Yuan snapped, “What are you implying?”

Huo Fenghua smiled. “I’m thinking… Everyone in the world knows I, Huo Fenghua, married Donglin’s Feng Tianzong as a male concubine. If I return to Xichou and we actually manage to restore the country, even if I become emperor, I’d be an emperor who used to be a male concubine. Wouldn’t that make Xichou a laughingstock under heaven?”

The moment the words left his mouth, the other three men’s expressions turned dark and ugly.

Huo Fenghua continued, “I have no grand ambitions. Why don’t you let me go? Go find another royal-blood heir to take the throne. I’m willing to change my name, live in seclusion in the mountains, and never appear again.”

Jiang Yuan and Jia Duo both looked to Tao Yifei.

Tao Yifei raised a hand, cutting Huo Fenghua off. “Second Prince, there’s no need to say more. You married Feng Tianzong as a male concubine not of your own will, but because you had no choice. When we capture Feng Tianzong someday, you can personally kill him. Victors write the history. No one under heaven will dare mock you then. And the royal bloodline cannot be confused. Besides you, who else could unify Xichou and make the people follow with one heart to resist the enemy?”

Huo Fenghua grew anxious. “I—”

“Enough!” Jiang Yuan suddenly barked, cutting him off. “Coward!”

“Jiang Yuan!” Tao Yifei said heavily. “Mind your manners!”

Jiang Yuan glared at Huo Fenghua, then sat by the fire with his rations and waterskin, head lowered.

Huo Fenghua had no choice. He punched at his stiff legs and shoulders, picked up the dry, cold flatbread, and chewed it in small bites, forcing it down.

They slept in the forest that night. Huo Fenghua was exhausted; leaning against the tree, he fell heavily asleep. Sometime later he woke up. The fire still hadn’t gone out. He glanced at the other three and saw their eyes closed, then braced himself to stand quietly.

He’d only just risen when Jia Duo asked, “Second Prince, where are you going?”

Huo Fenghua couldn’t help letting out a bitter laugh. “To piss.”

Jia Duo stood. “This subordinate will accompany you.”

Huo Fenghua sighed to himself. He could only nod. “Fine.” In his heart he knew there probably wouldn’t be a chance to escape on this trip.

Before they set out the next morning, Huo Fenghua suddenly had an idea. He left a mark on the ground. He thought Su Zeyang had no reason to let someone kidnap him and simply ignore it. If Su Zeyang came after him and saw the mark, he’d at least know which direction they’d gone.

At first he didn’t know what mark to leave. Then he remembered the sect leader token from the Xianyuan Sect in his chest. There was a half-circle symbol on it. He didn’t know what it meant, but Su Zeyang would. So before leaving, he drew that symbol on the ground. When Tao Yifei called him to depart, he hurriedly mounted up and followed them west.

After that came a relentless rush, day and night. Nearly twenty days passed before they reached a small town. It lay close to Donglin’s border. After the war, it was eerily deserted. Every household had their doors shut tight and windows bared. There was only one inn in the whole town, and not a single guest stood outside.

When Huo Fenghua got down from the horse, he looked up at the sky. Dark clouds gathered overhead showing signs a rainstorm was imminent.

Tao Yifei was looking at the sky too. “We won’t travel today. Ahead is wilderness. If the storm hits, there’ll be nowhere to shelter. We’ll stay here tonight.”

Jiang Yuan and Jia Duo went to tie up the horses. Tao Yifei took Huo Fenghua inside first and asked for two upper rooms.

They’d mostly slept outdoors these past days, or begged shelter at farmhouses. A proper night in an inn was rare. Huo Fenghua couldn’t help saying, “Why not take four rooms? I’ll pay the difference.”

Tao Yifei glanced at him and told the innkeeper, “Two rooms.”

They sat in the common hall and ordered some food. By the time Jiang Yuan and Jia Duo came in after tying the horses and feeding them hay, the rain had already begun pouring down.

There were no other guests in the hall besides them. Huo Fenghua stood and went to the window to look outside. The rain fell in sheets, blotting out the world as if night had dropped all at once. Cold wind, carrying the rank smell of wet earth, slapped through the open window, making him shiver.

As Jiang Yuan served food, he said coldly, “Come back, Young Master. You’re weak. Don’t catch a chill.”

Huo Fenghua now wore coarse cloth, but his skin was still pale and fine, his features still refined. No matter how you looked at him, he still seemed like a pampered young master. And after all the injuries, illnesses, and sleepless travel, he looked even thinner and more fragile, like a strong gust might knock him over.

He returned to the table, saw the rough, coarse rice, and deliberately said, “Just looking at it kills my appetite. I’m not eating.”

These past days he’d acted spoiled on purpose, hoping Tao Yifei would get fed up and dump him. But somehow, all the way until now, Tao Yifei had endured it.

Jiang Yuan flared. “Eat if you want. If you won’t, then don’t!”

But Tao Yifei shook his head and told Jiang Yuan, “Get the young master a bowl of noodles. Slice two liang of beef.”

Jiang Yuan immediately protested, “This—”

Tao Yifei waved him off. “Go.”

Jiang Yuan had no choice. He shot Huo Fenghua a resentful look and raised a hand to call the server.

When the noodles and beef arrived, Huo Fenghua carried his bowl to another table closer to the window. He ate while watching the storm outside. The inn stood on the town’s edge; ahead truly was a vast, bleak wilderness with nothing to block the view. The rain fell fine and dense, unending as it hammered the earth. The sight was oddly magnificent. In his previous life, Huo Fenghua had lived in a city. He’d never seen anything like this. Curious, he kept staring out.

After dinner, they returned to their rooms. Tao Yifei and Jiang Yuan shared one; Huo Fenghua shared the other with Jia Duo.

With nothing to do, Huo Fenghua sat on the edge of the bed and made small talk. “What exactly is your plan for this trip back? Feng Tianzong is still in Xichou territory with his army, isn’t he?”

Jia Duo lay on a straw mat on the floor. Hearing that, he said, “This isn’t a place to talk. Young Master shouldn’t speak recklessly.”

Huo Fenghua sighed, bored stiff.

Just then, a gust of wind blew the window wide open. Cold air and rain burst into the room. Jia Duo jumped up to close it, but they heard someone downstairs shout, “Whose horse got loose?”

Jia Duo leaned out to look. In the yard, a horse seemed spooked, pounding its hooves as it bolted for the exit. His heart jolted. He shouted, “It’s our horse!”

From the next room, a window was shoved open. Tao Yifei appeared, looked down into the yard, and called to Jia Duo, “Don’t go. Jiang Yuan will chase it.”

Huo Fenghua heard someone from the next room climb out into the wind and rain; it was probably Jiang Yuan.

He stayed seated on the bed and said, “The horse wasn’t tied properly? How did it run off?”

Jia Duo stared outside without blinking. His face gradually went pale. “I don’t know.”

Something in his tone felt off. Huo Fenghua looked at him more closely and saw a sheen of sweat on his forehead, his lips trembling faintly. “What’s wrong with you?”

Jia Duo turned back, one hand pressing his lower abdomen, embarrassed. “This subordinate suddenly has terrible stomach pain.”

“Diarrhea?” Huo Fenghua asked.

Jia Duo’s eyes flickered away. “It’s swollen and aching. I can’t endure it much longer.”

Huo Fenghua waved him off. “Then go. Why are you still holding it in?”

Jia Duo looked at him, hesitant.

Huo Fenghua said, “I’m not going to run. Your commander is right next door. Besides, with rain like this, where would I even go?”

Jia Duo nodded. Seeming unable to bear it any longer, he clutched his belly and hurried out of the room.

Huo Fenghua found it somewhat amusing. He stretched his arms and lay back on the bed, only for the bedboards beneath him to suddenly drop away. His body had nothing to brace against so he fell straight down into emptiness.

He plunged through a hidden passage beneath the bed and finally landed on a straw mat. Still dizzy and not sure where he was, he was grabbed by the ankle and dragged forward by a large hand.

Huo Fenghua propped himself up with his hands and saw only the broad back of a tall man. He kicked at him with his free foot and shouted, “Who are you?”

The space around them was pitch-dark and damp, like a cellar. He couldn’t make out the surroundings.

The man didn’t react to the kick. He switched to gripping both of Huo Fenghua’s legs and dragged him into a slightly brighter room. Candles burned on the walls. Besides that, the walls were hung with all kinds of instruments for torture and punishment. Stains mottled the stone and he wondered if they were bloodstains.

Someone had been standing there sharpening a blade. When Huo Fenghua was hauled in, that person joined the tall man. Together they yanked him upright and cuffed both his hands to the wall.

Only then did Huo Fenghua see clearly. The man sharpening the knife was the innkeeper.

The innkeeper pulled a small paper packet from his belt and handed it to the tall man. “Boss, knockout powder. So he won’t scream his head off.”

The man didn’t take it. He grabbed Huo Fenghua’s jaw, forcing him to lift his head and meet his eyes. Those narrow, sinister eyes flashed with excited light. “No need. I want to hear him scream.”

The innkeeper pocketed the packet again and stepped aside to keep sharpening the blade.

The tall man grabbed Huo Fenghua’s collar and tore it open, grinning obscenely as he used rough fingers to stroke from Huo Fenghua’s neck downward.

Huo Fenghua understood his intent at once. Goosebumps exploded across his skin. “Hey! What are you doing?!”

The moment the words left his mouth, he saw the innkeeper’s body jerk stiff. His head snapped up, eyes bulging. A thin line of blood slid down his forehead. Huo Fenghua looked closer and realized the tip of a silver sword had pierced straight through the innkeeper’s forehead and emerged from the front.

As the sword withdrew slowly, the innkeeper collapsed.

Behind him stood a figure in plain white.

Joy flashed across Huo Fenghua’s face.

The tall man who was touching him noticed the abnormality turned around. A cold glint of sword light swept past before the man felt a chill at his throat. When he looked down, blood was already gushing out as he helplessly slid to the ground.

Su Zeyang stepped forward, slashed through Huo Fenghua’s cuffs, and said, “Come with me.”

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan

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

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Chapter 8

“Read for yourself what that letter says.” Su Zeyang walked over to the round table, sat down, and poured himself a cup of tea from the teapot on the table.

Huo Fenghua didn’t need to look to know what was in the letter. He was only glad he’d kept it simple: just that around the hour of Xu* tonight, he was asking Wang Anzhi to meet at Huayue Pavilion for a talk. As for what they would say once they met, the letter didn’t mention a single word.

*Between 5-7 PM.

He went to the door, wanting to yank the envelope out of the wooden panel. With one pull, he tore it clean in half. A corner remained embedded in the door, and he couldn’t pry it out even with his fingernails. So he simply smiled, pulled the letter paper out of the envelope, and said, “What did it say? Nothing, really.” Then he crumpled the paper into a ball and shoved it into his mouth.

Su Zeyang rose from the table. Huo Fenghua had already chewed the paper a few times and swallowed it. Fortunately, the rice paper was soft and didn’t catch in his throat, but it still went down hard, and he nearly gagged.

After swallowing, Huo Fenghua reached for the teacup on Su Zeyang’s table. Ignoring Su Zeyang’s cold stare, he drained the tea in one gulp, raised a sleeve to wipe the moisture from the corner of his mouth, and said, “So, what did that letter say?”

Su Zeyang looked at him. “Why did you ask Wang Anzhi to come here?”

Huo Fenghua sat down at the table and patted his chest. “I didn’t ask Wang Anzhi.”

Su Zeyang remained silent.

When Huo Fenghua looked up and saw Su Zeyang’s expression was icy, he knew playing dumb wouldn’t get him out of this. He sighed and said, “I’m just stuck inside the high walls and deep courtyards of the General’s Manor and I’m lonely. Senior Brother, you won’t pay attention to me, and the General still hasn’t come back. So I figured I’d come to Huayue Pavilion, find a girl, and pour out my troubles.”

“If you want to visit prostitutes, then visit prostitutes. Don’t dress it up with pretty words,” Su Zeyang said.

Huo Fenghua took another sip of tea, thinking that Su Zeyang hadn’t guessed he meant to secretly meet with the Wang family behind the Manor’s back. He only assumed Huo Fenghua had arranged a brothel rendezvous. So Huo Fenghua went along with it, lowered his head, and said, “I’m an adult man too.”

Su Zeyang said, “What are you trying to say?”

Huo Fenghua set the cup down. “Senior Brother, you and the General are all lovey-dovey—no, two men in love, two men in heat. When you’re rolling around in red waves and having your fun, have you ever thought about your junior brother here, guarding an empty bed? The General’s away on campaign. You can stay at home and long for him to return, but what do I have to look forward to? They say ‘living widowhood*’, but I’m a man not yet twenty. You want me to be pure and abstinent, to live out my life like some widow?”

*The term he’s using is (守活寡) which basically refers to someone (wife) who is married but effectively has no married life (no intimacy with their spouse) as if they were living in widowhood (or forced celibacy/no sex relationship).

Su Zeyang frowned. “So you came to a brothel.”

Huo Fenghua said, “What else am I supposed to do? You want me to sleep with Sister Qingqing? I wouldn’t dare. And she wouldn’t want it either.”

“Shameless,” Su Zeyang said.

That set Huo Fenghua off. He stood up. “Food and sex are human nature, the greatest of human desires. I’d love to endure it, but you have to let me endure it! Otherwise, the Emperor wouldn’t castrate all his eunuchs before he brought them into the palace. You people lock me up in a side courtyard and won’t let me out to vent my urges. Are you trying to make me turn the entire General’s Manor into a den of debauchery?”

Su Zeyang slammed his palm on the table and barked, “Say one more word of nonsense and I’ll have you castrated immediately.”

Huo Fenghua jolted, backing up two steps. “Senior Brother, don’t go crazy. After all, I’m the sect leader of the Xianyuan Sect. If word gets out that our sect leader is a eunuch, wouldn’t that disgrace the sect’s reputation?”

Su Zeyang stared at him coldly. “If you’re afraid of disgracing the sect, then come back with me to the General’s Manor right now. From this day on, you are not to set foot in places like this again.”

Huo Fenghua was unwilling. “Then tell me what I’m supposed to do in the future.”

“None of my business,” Su Zeyang said.

“How is it not your business?” Huo Fenghua was panicking. He was afraid that if he went back with Su Zeyang this time, he’d be kept under tight watch, and it would be much harder to escape the manor later. He stepped forward, secretly sizing up the room and calculating whether he could get out, while continuing to spout nonsense at Su Zeyang. “Senior Brother, you probably don’t know this. I don’t care about the General, but I care about you.”

Su Zeyang froze slightly. “What did you say?”

Huo Fenghua saw that the only window in the room was by the bed, and there was a screen between them and the bed. He thought that escaping through the door might have better odds. Out loud he said, “Senior Brother, the one I admire is you.”

Su Zeyang’s beautiful eyes flew wide. He raised his hand and slapped Huo Fenghua across the face, shouting, “Insolent!”

Huo Fenghua’s head snapped to the side. The world spun. The corner of his mouth seemed split and bleeding. He raised a hand to cover his cheek, steadied himself, and forced down his anger. If he ran out the door, there was a long staircase down to the first floor with people everywhere. With Su Zeyang’s martial arts, how could he fail to catch him? It looked like he had to go through the window. So he lifted his head, looking pitiful, and said, “Senior Brother, do you really have to be that cruel?”

Even Su Zeyang felt a trace of regret after striking him. He clenched his right hand and said, “What you just said—never say it again.”

Huo Fenghua gritted his teeth. Gambling on the risk of being hit again, he lunged forward and hugged Su Zeyang, trying to kiss his cheek. “Senior Brother, your junior brother is serious about you.”

Su Zeyang wasn’t prepared. Huo Fenghua’s arms wrapped him completely, and Huo Fenghua actually did kiss him once on the cheek.

Huo Fenghua only thought Su Zeyang’s skin was soft and his cheek fine, carrying that faint sandalwood scent. That kiss wasn’t a loss. The next moment, Su Zeyang shoved him hard. Huo Fenghua staggered back several steps and fell to the floor.

When he’d thrown himself at Su Zeyang, he’d secretly shifted his angle. When he was pushed away he twisted again, and his fall landed right onto the screen inside the room, crushing it down with him.

Huo Fenghua braced himself and stood up, facing Su Zeyang. “Senior Brother, if you don’t mind, I’m willing to give my body to you.” As he spoke, he lifted a hand and began to undo the toggles at his collar.

Su Zeyang snatched up the teacup on the table and flung it at him, striking squarely at Huo Fenghua’s hand. “Stop!”

The teacup hit Huo Fenghua’s hand and fell to the floor, shattering into pieces.

The more Su Zeyang told him not to undress, the more Huo Fenghua insisted. Ignoring the tea spilled on his fingers and collar, he pulled his robe open wider, revealing the pale, slender chest beneath. He said, “Senior Brother, I know you have feelings for me too. The General isn’t here anyway. When he comes back, I won’t tell him. Here tonight, you can do whatever you want.”

As he stripped, he backed up until he sat on the edge of the bed. Seeing Su Zeyang’s brows drawn tight as he stared at him, Huo Fenghua simply yanked his upper robe off, baring his entire torso.

In that instant, Su Zeyang slightly averted his gaze.

Huo Fenghua suddenly spun around, only to see a black-clad figure appear outside the window. A hand shot in, seized his wrist, and dragged him out through the window.

Su Zeyang reacted and started forward, but an arrow shot in from outside. He had to twist aside to avoid it. Then he sprang onto the bed and pressed close to the window, peering out cautiously. The street outside was still lively, people coming and going, but amid the flow, the black-clad figure and Huo Fenghua were already gone.

The one who’d fired the arrow was hidden in the dark and seemed to be there specifically to stop him. Su Zeyang couldn’t be sure whether the ambush had fully withdrawn, so he could only jump down from the bed and chase out through the private room door.

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan

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

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Chapter 7

Huo Fenghua fell into the water again. This time he’d also been out in the night wind. After he went back and lay down to sleep, he couldn’t get out of bed the next morning.

Qingqing didn’t know that he’d tried climbing the wall last night and run into so much trouble. She only thought his constitution was delicate, that the whip wounds on his back had just healed, and now he’d caught a chill from the wind. She had him rest in the room and told the kitchen to make more nourishing soups and tonics for him.

Fortunately, even though Huo Fenghua’s status in the General’s Manor wasn’t high, he’d never been short on food, clothing, or daily necessities. He stayed inside for several days, eating well and being well cared for. When he had nothing to do, Huo Fenghua would lie on the cushioned daybed by the window and flip through the manual Gu Guangji had left him. The thin book was full of methods for circulating qi. He read it for a long time and only understood that it taught internal cultivation, but he had no idea how to start. All he could do was sit and practice breathing exercises according to the movements depicted in the book.

After two or three days with little progress, his body gradually recovered.

Life in the General’s Manor was comfortable and carefree. Huo Fenghua’s urge to run away faded a bit, and he decided to wait a while longer. Still, being cooped up in the room day after day made him feel stifled. Once he was fully recovered, he wanted to go out of the manor and take a look around.

He slipped out of his little side courtyard, feeling uneasy along the way, afraid someone would block him and refuse to let him leave. He’d already decided in his head that he was now Su Zeyang’s sect leader junior brother. If Su Zeyang refused to give him face, people would still have to show some respect to the sect leader token. If someone really stopped him, he’d go find Su Zeyang and make a scene.

Thinking that way gave Huo Fenghua more confidence, and he walked with his back a little straighter.

This time he didn’t go through the back gate. He went straight to the front courtyard. Just as he reached the main gates of the General’s Manor, he saw the gates open. The gatekeeper turned and saw him, and shouted, “Young Master Huo, please move aside.”

The gatekeeper wasn’t polite to him at all, so Huo Fenghua stepped aside and watched a carriage drive in from outside.

Huo Fenghua had been in the General’s Manor for so long and had never heard of any visitors. He couldn’t help craning his neck to peer toward the carriage window. At that exact moment, the person inside lifted the window curtain too, and their eyes met.

Seated in the carriage was a man with fair skin and a short mustache, handsome features and a refined, scholarly air. He looked to be in his thirties. After seeing Huo Fenghua, his brows furrowed slightly. Only after the driver brought the carriage to a stop did the man lift the curtain and step down.

The man gave Huo Fenghua a small nod but didn’t address him.

Huo Fenghua could only give a short bow in greeting, not knowing how to address him. He was about to grab the gatekeeper to ask when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps coming from the inner courtyard. Turning, he saw the manor steward Lu Xi arriving together with Liu Yong, the servant who attended Su Zeyang.

Before Liu Yong had even come close, he called from afar, “Prime Minister!”

The man nodded. “Uncle Lu. It’s been a long time.”

Lu Xi quickened his steps and hurried up to him, bending at the waist. “Eldest Young Master.”

The man reached out to steady him.

Liu Yong had come close now as well. He bowed, smiling broadly. “Prime Minister, Young Master Su heard you’d arrived and already had fine tea prepared. He’s waiting for you in the main hall.”

Hearing that, the man asked, “Has everything been well at the manor?”

Liu Yong hurriedly said, “All well, all well. Prime Minister, this way, please.”

The man looked to Lu Xi again. Lu Xi said, “Eldest Young Master, Young Master Su is waiting for you. Please go ahead. I still have a few matters to handle. I’ll come after.”

The man nodded and followed Liu Yong toward the inner courtyard.

Lu Xi then turned to Huo Fenghua standing to the side and asked, “Where does Young Master Huo plan to go?”

Huo Fenghua was a little afraid of Lu Xi. With both hands gathered in front of him, he said, “I’m going out for a stroll.”

Lu Xi’s expression was stern. “Your health hasn’t fully recovered. It isn’t suitable for you to be walking outside.” Then he raised his voice and called, “Wu Tong!”

The gatekeeper immediately answered and stepped forward. “Elder Lu, your orders?”

Lu Xi said, “Before Young Master Huo has recovered, he is not to leave the manor. Guard the gates well. Don’t break the rules.”

Wu Tong bent at the waist and repeatedly agreed.

A nasty flare of anger immediately rose in Huo Fenghua’s chest. He looked up and saw the man Lu Xi had called “Eldest Young Master” stop by the screen in the inner courtyard and turn back to look this way, presumably because he’d heard Lu Xi’s words. Huo Fenghua felt even more furious.

After giving the order, Lu Xi turned and went back inside at once, respectfully accompanying that Eldest Young Master in.

Huo Fenghua watched Lu Xi’s back. In the end, he didn’t dare openly challenge him. He drew a deep breath, then called loudly, “Wu Tong!”

Wu Tong froze for a moment, then strolled over and asked, “Young Master Huo, what can I do for you?”

Huo Fenghua asked, “Who was that just now?”

Wu Tong looked surprised. “Young Master Huo, you don’t know him?”

Huo Fenghua shook his head. “Why so much nonsense? Just tell me who he is.”

Wu Tong looked utterly baffled. “That’s General Feng’s elder brother, the Left Prime Minister of the court, Feng Tiansheng.”

This time it was Huo Fenghua who froze slightly. “Feng Tiansheng? Feng Tianzong’s older brother?”

Wu Tong nodded.

Huo Fenghua stood there, scratching his lip with his index finger, suddenly curious. He turned and headed toward the inner courtyard.

Su Zeyang was receiving the guest in the main hall. Huo Fenghua went into the inner courtyard and hid behind a thick, sturdy tree in the corner to peek inward. He saw Su Zeyang and Feng Tiansheng sitting facing each other, talking.

He hid behind the tree for a while, then slipped into the bushes beside it and approached the main hall from the side. In the end he flipped over a railing, landed on the corridor outside the hall, and sat beneath the window with his back against the wall.

He heard Feng Tiansheng saying, “The Princess Consort had fetal movement a while back and miscarried. The child couldn’t be saved.”

The hall went quiet. After a while, Su Zeyang asked, “Has the Princess Consort recovered well?”

Feng Tiansheng said, “She’s still resting in bed and doesn’t dare get up, but the physician says she’s recovering fairly well.”

Su Zeyang said, “Perhaps the child simply lacked fate. Prime Minister and the Princess Consort are still young. There’s no need to worry overly much.”

Huo Fenghua listened and guessed that the “Princess Consort” they were speaking of must be Feng Tiansheng’s wife, and that she’d miscarried recently. From Feng Tiansheng’s worried tone, the two probably didn’t have any children yet. Huo Fenghua didn’t know how many brothers the Feng family had, but if it was only Feng Tiansheng and Feng Tianzong, then the elder brother being over thirty with no child, while the younger brother liked men, would indeed be a source of worry in this era.

Feng Tiansheng then let out a long sigh and said, “Tianzong is still leading troops to wipe out the remaining forces of Xichou. Prime Minister Wang keeps pressing the Feng family relentlessly in court. The more military merit Tianzong earns, the more His Majesty suspects the Feng family. I’m afraid he—”

“Enough.” Su Zeyang suddenly cut him off, stood up, and barked, “Come in!”

Huo Fenghua froze. Before he could stand, a hand reached out through the window, grabbed him by the collar, and flung him into the room.

He slammed hard into a chair. Looking up, he saw that the one who’d thrown him in was Lu Xi. The anger from earlier shot up again. “Steward Lu, I’m at least the General’s man. Isn’t it a bit too much for you to treat me like this?”

Lu Xi answered evenly, “So it was Young Master Huo. I thought it was some petty thief outside eavesdropping.”

Huo Fenghua was choked speechless.

Su Zeyang said coldly, “Why were you eavesdropping?”

Huo Fenghua glanced at Feng Tiansheng, who was frowning at him. His mind turned, and he said, “I heard eldest brother had come, so I came specifically to take a look.”

No one in the room spoke.

Huo Fenghua smiled, straightened up in the chair, and said, “Go on talking. Don’t mind me.”

Su Zeyang said abruptly, “Get out.”

Huo Fenghua froze, thinking Su Zeyang was really giving him no face at all.

Feng Tianzong’s attitude was much gentler. He said, “I heard Young Master Huo isn’t feeling well. You should go back and rest.”

Huo Fenghua didn’t answer.

Lu Xi stepped forward. His tone was still fairly polite as he held out a hand. “Please, Young Master Huo.”

At this point, no matter how thick-skinned Huo Fenghua was, he couldn’t keep shamelessly refusing to leave. He stood and walked out. At the doorway he paused, turned back, and said to Su Zeyang, “I’ve just been lonely, staying by myself. I wanted to come see you.”

After saying that, he didn’t look at Su Zeyang’s expression. He left the main hall directly.

But as he walked, he kept thinking about what Feng Tiansheng had said. “Prime Minister Wang” must mean Wang Anzhi’s father, the Right Prime Minister Wang Chu. It seemed the left and right Prime Ministers weren’t simply on bad terms. No wonder Su Zeyang had warned him not to keep associating with Wang Anzhi.

If what Gu Guangji had said that night was true—that he was a hostage from Xichou—then after Xichou was destroyed, the Donglin emperor had married him to Feng Tianzong as a male concubine. That clearly wasn’t a reward. It was practically punishment for Feng Tianzong. Most likely Feng Tianzong’s accomplishments had begun to threaten the throne, and the emperor feared the Feng family’s power had grown too great.

Huo Fenghua turned these things over in his mind, but he couldn’t get the answers he wanted inside the General’s Manor. The frustration inside him grew until, at last, he thought of one person.

He hurried back to the side courtyard and wrote a letter to Wang Anzhi, asking him to meet the next evening at Huayue Pavilion. He went out and found a servant boy he’d gotten familiar with in recent days, a cheap little opportunist, and paid him to deliver the letter to the Right Prime Minister’s residence.

The servant boy took Huo Fenghua’s five taels of silver, his eyes shining. He tucked the letter carefully into an inner pocket and swore he’d deliver it to the Wang residence.

Huo Fenghua finally felt at ease and waited in the General’s Manor until the next day. After dinner, he sent Qingqing back to her room to sleep early. When dusk had fallen but the sky wasn’t fully dark yet, he slipped alone to the back courtyard. This time he brought a clean pair of trousers and successfully climbed over the high wall and got out.

The pleasure district that was quiet in the daytime became lively at night. The moment Huo Fenghua appeared at the street corner, a woman of the trade came up to tug on his arm, inviting him to go drink at the brothel nearby.

He pushed her hand away, ending up with the scent of powder all over him, and quickened his steps toward Huayue Pavilion.

As soon as he entered Huayue Pavilion, the familiar madam greeted him. This time she didn’t act shocked at all, only said, “Young Master Huo, you’re here? The private room is already prepared. Come up with me.”

Huo Fenghua froze, then realized Wang Anzhi must have arrived first, rented a private room upstairs, and was waiting for him. He smiled and nodded. “Lead the way.”

The madam’s hips swayed left and right as she walked. She led him up to the second floor, pushed open the door to a private room, and said, “Young Master Huo, please.”

Huo Fenghua stuck his head in to look and didn’t see anyone inside, but he still went in.

The madam closed the door from outside.

In the room there was a round table, a folding screen, and a bed. The bed was behind the screen. Huo Fenghua heard a faint sound and called, “Brother Wang?”

A figure was cast behind the screen. It slowly approached the edge, revealing first a section of snow-white sleeve.

A strange feeling rose in Huo Fenghua’s heart.

Then Su Zeyang in white stepped out from behind the screen.

Huo Fenghua’s expression sank. He turned to run.

However, Su Zeyang lifted an arm, and something flew out from his hand, slicing past Huo Fenghua’s cheek. With a sharp clang, it embedded itself in the wooden door.

Huo Fenghua looked closely and realized it was the letter he’d had delivered to Wang Anzhi. The paper envelope should’ve been soft, but in Su Zeyang’s hands it had pierced wood like an iron blade. Who knew how deep his internal force had to be.

Cold sweat slid from Huo Fenghua’s temple. He gave up on fleeing. Turning back around, he put on a wide smile and said, “Senior Brother, what a coincidence. You’re visiting brothels too?”

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan

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

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Chapter 6

Someone in the room lit a lamp.

Huo Fenghua saw Su Zeyang standing by the bed, dressed in a light-colored inner robe with a plain white long gown draped over it. Meanwhile, beneath Huo Fenghua’s soaked clothes were two bare, pale long legs, his garments wrinkled into a miserable mess. Embarrassed beyond belief, he hurriedly crawled off Su Zeyang’s bed.

Su Zeyang glanced at Huo Fenghua, then turned to Gu Guangji. “Master, it’s so late. What do you want with your disciple?”

Huo Fenghua had just reached the edge of the bed when his movements stiffened. He lifted his head to look at Su Zeyang. No wonder, he thought. How could Gu Guangji have a disciple inside the General’s Manor? So it was Su Zeyang!

Gu Guangji smiled and beckoned at Huo Fenghua. “Come, you. Get over here.”

Huo Fenghua walked over slowly. He heard Gu Guangji say to Su Zeyang, “This is the new disciple I took tonight. My closed-door disciple¹. Your junior brother².”

¹The last disciple the master is willing to take on.
²[Shidi] (师弟) It’s a term usually used to refer to a younger or lower rank male who is your junior with whom you share the same master/teacher or sect with. 

Su Zeyang’s expression remained indifferent, but the look he gave Huo Fenghua turned more complicated. He asked Gu Guangji, “Master, do you know who he is?”

“Who is he?” Gu Guangji grinned as he patted Huo Fenghua on the shoulder. “I picked him up right here in your General’s Manor. Saw that he was quick-witted and had unusual aptitude, so I conveniently took another disciple. Besides, a while back I went to have my fortune told, and the master said I should have two disciples in this lifetime!”

Su Zeyang shook his head. “He’s Feng Tianzong’s male concubine.”

“Male concubine? Hahah—” Gu Guangji laughed halfway, then abruptly drew back his smile. “Huh? You mean the hostage prince from Xichou, the male concubine that brat Feng was forced by the Emperor to marry into the household?”

Su Zeyang answered, “Yes.”

Huo Fenghua had been standing quietly to the side listening, when he suddenly caught the words “hostage from Xichou.” In an instant he realized his original identity might not be so simple after all. No wonder Qingqing always clammed up whenever she mentioned his background.

Gu Guangji looked troubled. “Oh my, I casually took in a disciple. Doesn’t that mean I’ve wronged you?”

Su Zeyang said, “How have you wronged me?”

Gu Guangji pinched Huo Fenghua’s shoulder. “This brat is competing with you for your husband. You ought to hate him. He’s your enemy. If I take him as your junior brother, isn’t that wronging you?”

Su Zeyang’s gaze fell on Huo Fenghua’s face. After a moment he said flatly, “I don’t hate him, and I don’t care.”

Huo Fenghua felt it was the truth. He’d never sensed hatred from Su Zeyang, and he didn’t think Su Zeyang cared about his status. Maybe Feng Tianzong truly didn’t like him at all, so Su Zeyang felt no threat.

Gu Guangji stepped closer and examined Su Zeyang’s expression. “Really?”

Su Zeyang nodded calmly.

Gu Guangji patted his own chest and smiled. “Good. If my good disciple doesn’t mind, then Master doesn’t need to worry. Come on, little disciple, pay respects to your senior brother.”

Huo Fenghua thought the situation was awkward and asked Gu Guangji in a low voice, “Master, is this appropriate?”

Gu Guangji lifted his chin. “Why wouldn’t it be? From now on, the General’s wife is your senior brother. Who in this General’s Manor would dare mess with you?”

Gu Guangji said it with such swagger that Huo Fenghua suddenly realized he was right. He should acknowledge Su Zeyang as his senior brother and not give him the chance to deny it. He hurriedly clasped his hands together and bowed. “Senior Brother Su.”

Su Zeyang looked at him coldly.

Huo Fenghua was used to Su Zeyang’s coldness and didn’t mind. He only said, “From now on, I’ll have to ask Senior Brother to look after this junior. In a high gatehouse like this, don’t let others bully your junior.”

Gu Guangji slapped Huo Fenghua hard on the back and praised loudly, “Well said!”

Huo Fenghua’s back flared with pain from the slap, but he managed to keep standing and smiled at him. “Thank you for the compliment, Master.”

Su Zeyang’s brows furrowed slightly. He asked Gu Guangji, “Master, what exactly did you come to the General’s Manor for tonight?”

Seeing it was late and he’d caused enough chaos, Gu Guangji finally sobered his expression and said, “I really did come tonight for something important.”

Su Zeyang waited quietly for him to continue.

Gu Guangji rummaged around in his robes for a long time before pulling out a black iron token. He gripped it in five fingers, extended his arm, and said to Su Zeyang, “Do you know what this is?”

Su Zeyang looked at it. “The sect leader’s token.”

Gu Guangji nodded and said in a deep voice, “Disciple Su Zeyang of the sixth generation of the Xianyuan Sect, heed my command!”

Su Zeyang lifted his robe and knelt.

Gu Guangji continued, “Today, Gu Guangji, fourth sect leader of the Xianyuan Sect, passes the position of sect leader to my disciple Su Zeyang. You must remember the teachings of our sect: punish evil and uphold good, eliminate demons and defend the righteous path, and carry our sect forward!”

Huo Fenghua, standing off to the side, was stunned. He hadn’t expected that Gu Guangji had snuck into the General’s Manor at night to pass the position of sect leader to Su Zeyang. A sour discomfort rose in his chest.

Gu Guangji finished, “Receive the token.”

Su Zeyang lifted his eyes to the token but didn’t reach out.

Gu Guangji gave a puzzled grunt and said again, “Receive the token.”

This time Su Zeyang shook his head and said slowly, “This disciple cannot accept the position of sect leader.”

“Why?” Not just Gu Guangji, even Huo Fenghua watching the drama found it strange.

Su Zeyang said softly, “This disciple has already married Feng Tianzong as his wife. Traveling the martial world and upholding righteousness is something I now have the will but not the ability to do. I cannot, in good conscience, say I can strengthen the sect. And with my status as a male wife, if I became sect leader, I fear I would bring shame upon the sect.”

Gu Guangji froze, then sighed. “You brat! Why are you so rigid?”

Su Zeyang said, “I’m sorry, Master. I will not be sect leader. Please take back the token.”

Gu Guangji suddenly panicked. “If you won’t do it, who else can I find?”

Su Zeyang lowered his head slightly and didn’t speak.

Gu Guangji reached for his arm, actually trying to force the token into his hands. “No. I’m seventy this year. The other day I decided I’m going traveling. I probably don’t have many days left. I have to pass the sect leader position to someone I can trust. Take it, quickly.”

Su Zeyang clenched his hand into a fist and refused to accept the token.

Huo Fenghua watched them shove and refuse for a long time before he finally couldn’t hold it in. He dropped to his knees and said to Gu Guangji, “Master, this disciple is willing to accept the position of sect leader and shoulder the duties of the sect leader.”

Su Zeyang immediately looked at him. Gu Guangji also froze, then stared at him for a long while before saying, “You’ve only just entered our sect. Isn’t that… not appropriate?”

Huo Fenghua said, “How long one has been in the sect doesn’t matter. What matters is whether a person’s heart is trustworthy. Senior Brother has no intention of being sect leader. Even if Master forces it on him, it’s meaningless. Better to let this disciple take the position. In the future I’ll diligently train in the sect’s martial arts, punish evil and uphold good, eliminate villains and defend the righteous path, become a great hero of my generation, and bring glory to the Xianyuan Sect!”

Gu Guangji sank into thought.

Su Zeyang stood up, brushed the dust off his knees, and looked at Huo Fenghua again.

Huo Fenghua noticed his pale thighs had accidentally been exposed again. He hurriedly yanked his robe down to cover himself properly, then looked at Su Zeyang. In the candlelight, Su Zeyang’s cheeks were smooth and luminous, his thin lips pink. Mischief suddenly rose in Huo Fenghua and he blew a kiss at Su Zeyang

Su Zeyang had never seen a flying kiss. From Huo Fenghua’s frivolous look he knew it wasn’t anything decent, and his brows immediately knit.

Gu Guangji hadn’t noticed the silent flirting between them. He thought it over and finally slapped his palm, saying to Huo Fenghua, “Fine. Since you’re so responsible, the position of sect leader will be passed to you!”

Huo Fenghua was delighted beyond belief. He bent down and kowtowed once to Gu Guangji. “Thank you, Master.”

Gu Guangji handed him the token, his face beaming as he helped him up. “Since you’re now the sect leader of the Xianyuan Sect, I have a few things to tell you.”

Huo Fenghua hurriedly said, “Please instruct me, Master.”

Gu Guangji stroked his gray-white beard. “Our Xianyuan Sect has a total of four people.”

Huo Fenghua immediately said, “Master, wait. What did you say?”

Gu Guangji said, “I said our sect has four people. Today, three are here. The other is my junior brother, Wen Heyi. He was clever from childhood and highly skilled, but after he went down the mountain as an adult, he vanished without a trace. Before my master—your grandmaster—died, he told me I must bring him back. From now on, that matter is yours.”

Huo Fenghua looked dumbfounded.

Gu Guangji continued, “Our sect is weak and thin now, the gates are quiet. In the future you must take more disciples and expand the sect, understand?”

Huo Fenghua didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Master, you haven’t even taught me any martial arts—”

“Oh right!” Only then did Gu Guangji remember. He pulled a manual out of his robes. “This is our sect’s internal cultivation manual. Start training from now on. If you don’t understand something, you can ask your senior brother.”

His senior brother looked at them indifferently, as if he had no intention of teaching him how to cultivate at all.

Clutching the manual, Huo Fenghua said to Gu Guangji, “Master, you’re being way too irresponsible!”

“Aiya.” Gu Guangji scrunched up his face. “Master’s old. I’m going off to travel the world. Who knows, maybe I’ll go and never come back. I had to find someone to shoulder the sect leader burden, otherwise I wouldn’t even be able to die in peace. Hold onto that token. Don’t forget what you promised me today. If you dare do evil in the future, I’ll personally come back and clean house!”

With that, Gu Guangji actually turned and started walking out.

Huo Fenghua grabbed his arm in shock. “Master, you’re leaving just like that?”

Gu Guangji clasped his fingers and pried them off. “Right, don’t forget to find your martial uncle.” As he spoke, his body swayed, then he rose lightly into the air and vanished from the courtyard.

Huo Fenghua stared after him, dumbfounded. He kept looking at the empty courtyard for a long time, then turned back to Su Zeyang and said, “You knew all along, didn’t you? That’s why you wouldn’t take the sect leader position. You set me up on purpose, didn’t you?”

Su Zeyang didn’t want to bother with him. “Go back. I’m going to sleep.”

Huo Fenghua held the sect leader token and the cultivation manual in his hands, feeling an inexplicable sense of frustration. He turned in place, walked over to Su Zeyang’s bed, and sat down along the edge.

“No. Since I’m the sect leader now, you have to follow my orders.”

Su Zeyang looked at him without speaking.

Huo Fenghua had fallen into water and been out in the wind all night. Now he was so angry his throat hurt. He said, “Senior Brother, go pour me a cup of hot tea.”

Su Zeyang walked slowly to the bedside and looked at him for a moment. Then he suddenly reached out, grabbed Huo Fenghua by the shoulder, and flung him out the door.

“Out!”

Huo Fenghua was tossed out of the room and landed in the courtyard. When he looked up, he saw Su Zeyang raise a hand and shut the door with a sweep.

Furious, Huo Fenghua slapped the ground. Only after a long while did he finally haul himself back up.

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan

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

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Chapter 5

Qingqing sat by the bed and fed Huo Fenghua his medicine spoonful by spoonful. After he finished, she carefully wiped his mouth before getting up to set the empty bowl aside.

Huo Fenghua had been drowsy and asleep earlier, but now he was fully awake. He asked Qingqing, “Is Su Zeyang really good at martial arts?”

Qingqing glanced at him. When she spoke, there was a hint of longing in her eyes. “Before Young Master Su married the General, he was a famous heroic young swordsman in the martial world. I only heard it from the maid by Young Master Su’s side. They say Young Master Su has a sword called Qinghong. Back when he roamed the martial world, everyone called him the Qinghong Sword. They said his swordplay was like a flying swan treading snow, light as a swallow, yet incomparably fierce, his blade leaving no trace when it struck.”

Huo Fenghua was tired of lying facedown. He propped his cheek with one hand and quietly imagined Su Zeyang in white swinging a longsword. Forget a little maid like Qingqing, even he felt a bit of yearning. He asked, “Why is it only a rumor? You’ve never seen his sword?”

Qingqing shook her head. “After Young Master Su married the General, he hardly ever even leaves the General’s Manor. I’ve never seen his sword either.”

Huo Fenghua was a man himself, and he couldn’t quite understand Su Zeyang’s mindset. “If he’s that capable, why would he willingly marry someone and become a male wife?”

Qingqing looked at him. “Because General Feng is also outstanding.”

Huo Fenghua said, “Oh?”

Qingqing said, “The General was famous from a young age. Since childhood he’s studied military texts and mastered the strategies of a hundred schools. At thirteen he followed the old General into battle. His Dragon Subduing Whip technique is unmatched under heaven, and by now he’s killed countless of enemies.”

Huo Fenghua didn’t know Feng Tianzong at all. Listening to Qingqing’s brief description, he sketched out a tall, imposing man in his mind. He couldn’t help asking curiously, “What does General Feng look like?”

Qingqing laughed. “You don’t even remember what the General looks like?”

Huo Fenghua said, “I don’t even remember you, Qingqing. How would I remember him?”

Qingqing’s face suddenly turned red. After a quick “Peh,” she said, “The General is handsome and unmatched in the world. The year he was ennobled as a General at eighteen, a saying spread among the girls of the capital: if you marry, marry a man of the Feng family. Naturally they were referring to General Feng.”

Huo Fenghua said, “Then if he married a man, wouldn’t all the girls feel it was a pity?”

Qingqing said softly, “General Feng and Young Master Su are a perfect pair. If you want to envy someone, you can’t even envy them.” Then she went to the bedside and told Huo Fenghua, “Young Master, be good. Don’t provoke Young Master Su anymore.”

Huo Fenghua felt indignant hearing this. “How have I provoked him?”

Qingqing’s gaze held a bit of pity. “Young Master Su’s heart is only with the General. He doesn’t usually stoop to argue with others, but General Feng is different. When he returns to the capital, if he finds out you’ve caused so much trouble, he’ll probably punish you again.”

Huo Fenghua suddenly felt his back wound throb in waves of pain.

Qingqing said, “Even though you married into the General’s Manor, it was an imperial decree. The General couldn’t disobey. But there’s only Young Master Su in his heart. No one else can squeeze in. You might as well give up and just stay in this side courtyard and live quietly.”

Huo Fenghua didn’t answer. He could tell Qingqing was speaking sincerely out of kindness, and he couldn’t exactly tell her his future plans. He only lay there in silence. After a long while, he finally said, “I understand.”

With new injuries and old illness, Huo Fenghua was tormented for nearly a month before his body gradually recovered.

During this time he truly behaved as Qingqing told him to, staying quietly in the side courtyard to recuperate. When he was bored, he had Qingqing find him piles of books and storybooks, which he read while lying on the bed or the cushioned daybed.

The wounds on his back looked mottled and unsightly, but in truth they were shallow and didn’t cut deep. Su Zeyang had someone deliver ointment, and each day Qingqing changed his medicine for him.

About a month later, Qingqing saw that the wounds on his back were nearly healed, and even the scars were extremely faint. Delighted, she said, “Maybe it won’t even leave scars.”

Huo Fenghua lay on the daybed with a storybook spread open on the floor, reaching out now and then to turn a page. Lazily, he said, “Whether it scars or not doesn’t matter. A man looks more charming with a few scars.”

Qingqing was in a good mood and didn’t mind his nonsense. She tidied up the medicine bowls in the room and went out.

The moment she left, Huo Fenghua rolled off the daybed, opened the cabinet in the room, and started packing his things. Because he was a man, there wasn’t much jewelry in the room, only a few jade pendants and jade bracelets, plus two emerald-green hairpins. He didn’t know whether they were valuable, but he gathered them together anyway. Besides those, he still had the thirty taels of silver he’d gotten from pawning the pendant and winning at the gambling house. During these days, he’d asked Qingqing and learned that thirty taels was also a large sum, enough for him to live outside for quite a while.

So he packed everything together, bundled it up, shoved it under the bed, and decided he’d leave the General’s Manor tonight.

He waited until night fell and the whole manor grew quiet. Huo Fenghua blew out the candle early and sat by the bed, listening quietly for a long time, but he didn’t hear a single footstep.

His little courtyard was remote. Ever since his punishment, he hadn’t stepped outside. No one came to visit him either. As time went on, he even began to feel like the world only contained him and Qingqing.

Feng Tianzong, Su Zeyang, the General and the swordsman, the immortal lovers. It all felt like they were characters from a storybook, ethereal and unreal.

If he left like this, he probably wouldn’t see Qingqing again. He felt a bit reluctant, but it still wasn’t enough to stop him from leaving.

He waited another hour, figuring everyone in the manor must have gone to sleep. Only then did he reach under the bed for his bundle. In the darkness he pushed open the wooden door and went outside.

Maybe because he’d been too well-behaved lately, Su Zeyang hadn’t arranged for anyone to guard his courtyard gate again. From the side courtyard outward, everything was unobstructed.

But he didn’t dare go through the front gate or the back gate. Any gate would definitely have guards, and if he alerted anyone it wouldn’t be worth it. So he chose a high wall near the back gate. Outside the wall was a quiet capital street. Inside the wall was a secluded courtyard with a pond and an artificial rockery. The pond was built along the wall. At the closest point, the rockery was even a bit taller than the outer wall. All he needed to do was climb to the top of the rockery, then make a light jump, grab the top of the wall, and flip over.

The problem was that to climb the rockery, he had to enter the pond. Huo Fenghua didn’t know martial arts, so he could only wade in honestly. Before stepping in, he deliberately took off his shoes and socks. He tested with one foot and realized the pond wasn’t shallow. Gritting his teeth, he took off his trousers too. With one hand he held his shoes, socks, and trousers. With the other he gathered up the hem of his robe. Then he stepped into the pond and waded toward the rockery in the middle.

When Huo Fenghua finally climbed onto the rockery and out of the water, he found a dry spot and was about to put his trousers back on when he suddenly heard footsteps coming toward this courtyard. He stopped at once and lay low, perfectly still.

That person went to the shrubs in the corner of the courtyard to pee, then pulled up his trousers and headed back.

Huo Fenghua let out a small breath, but he didn’t dare waste time. He only put on his shoes, stuffed his socks and trousers into his bundle, and planned to climb over the wall first and put them on slowly afterward.

The rockery was rugged. Even though it was slick with night dew, it wasn’t hard to climb. Huo Fenghua was fairly nimble. He climbed all the way to the top, then finally lifted his head to judge the distance to the wall.

The moment he lifted his head, he nearly scared himself to death.

The first thing he saw was a pair of boots dangling from the wall, swinging lazily. When he lifted his head higher, he discovered someone sitting on the wall.

He didn’t know how the person had gotten up there, or how long he’d been sitting there. But when Huo Fenghua had been climbing with his head down, that person must have already been there. He’d watched silently the entire time, only now letting out a sudden chuckle.

“Kid, where’re you going in the middle of the night?”

Huo Fenghua looked up at the man’s face and found it was an old man with hair and beard already gray, wearing ragged clothes, a wine gourd hanging at his waist. His cheeks were faintly red too, looking like a drunken vagrant.

He recovered from the scare and came up with an excuse on the spot. “I want to sneak out for a drink.”

The old man continued chuckling then said, “A drink? No need to go out for that.”

“What?” Before Huo Fenghua could react, the old man stuck out a foot and kicked him on the shoulder.

Huo Fenghua had struggled to climb the rockery, and with that one kick he was knocked straight back down. He fell on his back into the pond with a huge splash.

The water reached past his knees. In an instant he sank under, flailing both arms as he struggled to get back up.

Suddenly he felt someone grab one of his hands. With a light tug, he was pulled out of the water and tossed onto the dry grass.

Huo Fenghua spat out a mouthful of water and saw the old man squatting beside him, saying, “Little brother, want a drink?”

Huo Fenghua didn’t have time to answer. The old man had already taken off his wine gourd and shoved it to his mouth. Spicy liquor flooded into him. Caught off guard, the strong alcohol shot straight into his windpipe. He lifted a hand and shoved the gourd away, rolled over onto his stomach, and started coughing violently, cursing, “Get the hell away from me, you crazy old bastard!”

Huo Fenghua didn’t like cursing, but he’d heard it plenty. In anger, he naturally spat out whatever sounded nastiest.

A lot of the old man’s wine spilled onto the ground. He righted the gourd, pained, and said, “I offered you wine out of kindness. You knock over my wine and then curse me?”

Huo Fenghua wiped the liquor off his face with his soaked sleeve and said, “Did I say I wanted your wine? You psycho!”

“What did you call me?” The old man didn’t understand and leaned closer to ask.

Huo Fenghua had a hard knot of anger inside him and cursed without restraint. “A psycho. A crazy old bastard!”

The old man frowned, seeming to think about what “psycho” meant. After a moment of contemplation, he suddenly pointed at Huo Fenghua’s lower body and said, “Why are you sneaking out for wine without wearing trousers?”

Huo Fenghua looked down and realized he didn’t know when his robe hem had rolled up, exposing two pale, long legs. He hurriedly tugged his robe down to cover himself. “I’ll drink however I want. Even if I stripped naked and went out drinking upside down, it wouldn’t cost you a single copper coin.”

“Ah,” the old man said while staring at him. “You brat. Young as you are, you’ve got a sharp tongue.”

Huo Fenghua said, “You old man, half your legs are already in the coffin and you still come out being a nuisance.”

The old man suddenly laughed. He sat down beside him and took a huge swig from the gourd.

Huo Fenghua sat up too. He opened his bundle, wanting to find something dry to wipe his face, but as soon as he opened it he saw the bundle was soaked through as well. He angrily tossed it to the side, breathed out heavily, and thought he wouldn’t be escaping tonight.

Seeing his movements, the old man bumped Huo Fenghua’s arm with his elbow. “Kid, tell me straight. Where were you climbing the wall to go in the middle of the night?”

Huo Fenghua didn’t answer. He only said, “And what were you doing climbing the wall to get in at night? Stealing?”

The old man said, “I’m here looking for my disciple.”

“Looking for your disciple.” Huo Fenghua looked him over coldly. “Sneaking in over a wall at midnight to look for a disciple. Sounds like neither you nor your disciple are decent people.”

The old man chuckled. “I also think my disciple’s a fake decent sort.”

Huo Fenghua’s wet clothes clung to him uncomfortably, and the half-healed wounds on his back started itching too. He stood up and said, “I’m going back to change.”

“Hey,” the old man called after him. “What’s your name?”

Picking up his bundle, Huo Fenghua replied casually, “Huo Fenghua.”

The old man nodded. “My name’s Gu Guangji.”

Huo Fenghua pointed at him. “Lao* Gu, I’ll remember you. I’ll settle this score after I change clothes.”

*Old (老). It’s a form of address to someone who is older, senior, or to show closeness or respect. In this case, it’s more so calling him “old man” Gu.

He turned to leave, but Gu Guangji followed behind him, talking as he walked. “You still haven’t told me where you were going.”

Huo Fenghua hesitated, then asked, “Are you from the General’s Manor?”

Gu Guangji said, “No.”

Huo Fenghua asked, “And your disciple is?”

Gu Guangji thought for a moment. “Sort of.”

Huo Fenghua shook his soaked bundle. “Then I can’t tell you.”

Gu Guangji was full of curiosity and stuck close to him. “Then tell me what you are in the General’s Manor.”

Huo Fenghua said, “I can’t tell you that either.”

As Gu Guangji walked, the wine gourd at his waist kept clanking. He said, “Then I’ll call someone and tell them you’re trying to climb the wall and run away.”

Huo Fenghua stopped short. He thought for a moment, then said to Gu Guangji, “Want to make a bet?”

The moment he heard “bet,” Gu Guangji’s interest flared. He nodded repeatedly. “Sure. What are we betting?”

Huo Fenghua pulled a copper coin out of his inner pouch, pinched it between his fingertips, and showed Gu Guangji both sides. Then he lightly tossed it into the air, caught it, and said, “Heads or tails? If you guess right, I’ll tell you who I am and what I’m doing tonight. If you guess wrong, you leave immediately and stop following me.”

Gu Guangji didn’t even think. “Heads.”

Huo Fenghua smiled and opened his palm for him to see. The coin lay tails up. He closed his hand and said, “You lost.”

Gu Guangji refused to accept it. “Best two out of three.”

Huo Fenghua didn’t care. He casually tossed the coin again, caught it, and glanced at Gu Guangji.

Gu Guangji insisted, “Heads.”

Huo Fenghua opened his hand. Again, tails. He was about to pocket the coin and do another round, but this time Gu Guangji suddenly reached out and snatched the coin right out of his palm.

“You’re cheating. I’ll do it.”

Huo Fenghua froze. He really had been cheating, but it was pitch-black around them. The two of them were only using the faint lantern light in the distance to barely make out the coin’s face. Huo Fenghua knew his sleight of hand was clever, but he didn’t know how Gu Guangji had seen through it in the dim night. What shocked him even more was Gu Guangji’s speed. Huo Fenghua hadn’t even seen him move, and the coin was already gone from his hand.

Gu Guangji grinned. He put the coin on his fingertip and flicked it with two fingers. The coin shot into the air and vanished into the darkness. Gu Guangji rubbed his head and groaned, “Oh my, too much force.”

Huo Fenghua didn’t want to deal with him anymore and turned to leave.

But Gu Guangji grabbed his sleeve. “How did you cheat when you tossed the coin? I watched twice and still didn’t catch it. You have to teach me.”

Huo Fenghua said impatiently, “Why should I teach you? That’s how I make my living.”

Gu Guangji wouldn’t let go. “Tell me what you want. I can trade you.”

Huo Fenghua was about to say he didn’t want anything, when he suddenly remembered that the old man could easily climb up and sit on the General’s Manor wall, and with one hand he’d lifted Huo Fenghua out of the water. The man was old, but his skills were clearly not shallow. So Huo Fenghua said, “Teach me martial arts, and I’ll teach you how to toss the coin.”

Gu Guangji froze.

Huo Fenghua thought he’d definitely refuse.

But after that pause, Gu Guangji burst into laughter. “Sure! Kneel right now and kowtow to me three times, call me Master*, and I’ll teach you martial arts.”

*Shifu (师父).

Huo Fenghua went still on the spot.

Seeing he didn’t respond, Gu Guangji snorted. “Do you know who I am? I’m the head of the Xianyuan Sect. I’m taking you as a disciple today, and you’re not immediately kneeling to call me Master, you’re actually hesitating.”

“What sect?” Huo Fenghua thought. What kind of sect is that? I’ve never even heard of it. But if he was a sect leader, his martial arts would naturally be strong. Learning some skills for self-defense couldn’t be a bad thing. Next time Su Zeyang wanted to whip him, even if he couldn’t win, at least he could stand up and run.

Gu Guangji looked displeased, his face darkening. “I’m seventy this year. I’ve only ever taken one disciple. If you take me as your master, you’ll be the final disciple of the head of the Xianyuan Sect. If I didn’t think your talent was decent and you suited my eye, I wouldn’t want to take on a little disciple at my age. You think I’m really coveting your petty little underhanded tricks?”

With that, Gu Guangji suddenly leapt up. Light as drifting smoke, he flew toward the distant shrubs, reached in and fished around, then returned to Huo Fenghua and opened his palm.

In his palm was the very copper coin he’d just flung away.

Gu Guangji saw the astonishment on Huo Fenghua’s face and gave a smug grin. He closed his fist, squeezed, then opened it again. The coin had been bent.

At that point, Huo Fenghua didn’t hesitate anymore. He lifted his robe and dropped to his knees. Unfortunately, his clothes were still wet. He lifted the robe halfway, remembered he wasn’t wearing trousers, and hurriedly let go. Then he kowtowed three times and said, “This disciple Huo Fenghua pays respects to Master.”

Gu Guangji roared with laughter, tossed the coin away, slapped Huo Fenghua on the shoulder, then slid his hand down to support him and pull him up. “Good disciple. Come on, I’ll take you to meet your senior brother.”

Huo Fenghua had just stood when he asked curiously, “Who’s my senior brother*?”

*[Shixiong] (师兄) It’s a term usually used to refer to an older or higher rank male who is your senior with whom you share the same master/teacher or sect with.

Gu Guangji already had one hand on his shoulder. He lifted him into the air and carried him in rising and falling arcs over several courtyard walls. Finally they stopped in front of a door. Gu Guangji lifted a foot and kicked it open, then reached out and threw Huo Fenghua inside.

Luckily, directly opposite the door was a big bed. Huo Fenghua crashed headfirst into it, and the person sleeping there flipped up in one nimble motion to stand by the bed. Dizzy, Huo Fenghua lifted his head and smelled a faint sandalwood scent.

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The author has something to say:

Feng and Su are truly in love. I actually just want to write a real three-person 3P story where all three of them are mutually into each other, mutually jealous, with both explicit scenes and angst.

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan

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

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Chapter 4

What did it feel like to have a whip cracked across your back? In more than twenty years of living, Huo Fenghua had truly never experienced it. But he’d been beaten before and he had common sense. He knew that the moment that leather whip came down, it wouldn’t feel good.

He knelt there in the middle of the main hall in a daze, seeing everyone on both sides with their heads lowered in silence. For some reason, a strange emptiness rose in his chest. He didn’t know why he had to be here, and he didn’t know why he had to kneel and take all of this.

He had the impulse to stand up and leave, to say, “I’m not playing along with this.” But he also doubted whether he even had the ability to get out. He glanced at Lu Xi, whose eyes were sharp and bright, then at Su Zeyang behind him holding the whip as he slowly walked up. He thought he’d probably have to endure these ten lashes first.

Su Zeyang didn’t speak, standing there so silently that even his breathing couldn’t be heard. He didn’t swing the whip either.

That made Huo Fenghua even more tense. Without meaning to, he tightened the muscles in his back, waiting for the whip that could strike at any moment.

Then Su Zeyang moved, suddenly. He was far faster than Huo Fenghua had expected. By the time Huo Fenghua heard the whip cut through the air, his back had already gone abruptly cold, then started burning hot, and only after that did he begin to register the pain.

The pain grew gradually stronger. Just as Huo Fenghua thought he could still withstand it, the second lash came down. After that there was no pause at all. The third, the fourth. The pain sharpened and spread across his entire back. Huo Fenghua had his lips clenched tight, yet he still heard himself letting out small, broken cry every time the whip landed.

Where he couldn’t see, his clothes had been torn open by the whip. Tender skin split, blood sliding downward, then twisting as it met the next wound and changing its course, soaking through the shredded fabric across his back. It was a miserable sight.

Qingqing couldn’t help closing her eyes.

Only Lu Xi knew that the wounds on Huo Fenghua’s back looked frightening, but they were all superficial. The moment the first lash landed, he’d already known Su Zeyang had held back. Asking to carry out the punishment personally was simply another way of pleading for mercy on Huo Fenghua’s behalf.

Ten lashes in Su Zeyang’s hands ended quickly. He lightly tossed the whip to a servant at his side and said, “Take Young Master Huo back to his room.”

Huo Fenghua’s mind was already a mess. He couldn’t even count how many lashes he’d taken. When he heard Su Zeyang say that, the muscles he’d been holding tight finally released all at once. But his body had been weak to begin with. The moment he relaxed, he pitched forward and passed out.

Su Zeyang was closest. When Huo Fenghua collapsed, he stepped in and steadied him, supporting his jaw so he wouldn’t smash his face into the floor. Then he sighed, simply lifted him up, and carried him back to the side courtyard where he lived.

Huo Fenghua didn’t stay unconscious for long. He lay facedown on the bed for a while and gradually came to. Aside from the pain in the wounds on his back, he felt cold sweat constantly breaking out on his forehead. His whole body couldn’t decide whether it was hot or cold as it shook uncontrollably.

He heard Qingqing’s footsteps in the room. After a moment, she came to the bedside and said, “Young Master, don’t move. I’m going to cut your clothes open.”

He gave a soft “Mm.” He didn’t have the strength to thrash around anyway. He heard scissors cutting through fabric, and then his back went cool.

Qingqing sat by the bed and said softly, “I’m going to wipe your wounds.”

Huo Fenghua was half-dazed, but he still remembered to ask, “Is it clean?”

Qingqing said, “The cotton gauze has all been boiled in water. Young Master Su told me to wipe your wounds with alcohol. I’ll be gentle. Bear with it.”

When Huo Fenghua heard her mention Su Zeyang, he couldn’t help giving a cold snort. “Doesn’t he want me dead?”

The moment the words left his mouth, he heard Su Zeyang’s voice at the doorway.

“I don’t want you dead. No one in the General’s Manor wants you dead, except for yourself.”

Huo Fenghua froze, realizing he meant the matter of him throwing himself into the water to commit suicide. He gave a light snort and didn’t speak again.

Qingqing washed his wounds with clean water, then carefully went over them again with wine. He knew exactly how much it would hurt to get alcohol on open wounds, but when it really happened, it was still unbearable. Even though Qingqing’s movements were already very light, his eyes reddened with pain. He clenched his teeth, yet the groans kept slipping out.

All he could do was keep telling himself, “It needs disinfecting. If it’s not disinfected it’ll get infected. Just endure it. It’ll pass.”

He muttered through clenched teeth. Su Zeyang stood by the bed and asked, “What did you say?”

By now Qingqing had finished cleaning the wounds on his back. She set aside the blood-soaked gauze. Huo Fenghua finally let out a breath, slumping weakly onto the bed as he said, “What’s it to you?”

Su Zeyang didn’t get angry. He’d come back because he’d brought some salve for Huo Fenghua. After Qingqing cleaned the wounds, he sat by the bed, took out a white jade box, and set it aside.

“I’ll apply the medicine for you.” Then he instructed Qingqing, “I’ve already sent someone to fetch the physician. Go bring him in to take Young Master Huo’s pulse. These next few days, he still needs to take his decoction every day.”

Qingqing acknowledged with a yes and withdrew.

Huo Fenghua lay facedown on the bed, feeling Su Zeyang’s fingers dipped in ointment and slowly spread it over the wounds on his back. His movements were gentle, and the ointment was cool and smooth. The searing pain eased immediately by quite a bit. Huo Fenghua let out a long sigh and said, “You’re afraid I’ll die in the General’s Manor, aren’t you?”

Su Zeyang actually replied evenly, “If you die right now, I won’t be able to explain it to the General.”

He answered without the slightest attempt to hide it. Huo Fenghua was so angry he laughed, and the movement tugged at the wounds on his back in stabbing waves of pain.

Hearing him laugh, Su Zeyang paused. “What are you laughing at?”

Huo Fenghua had a knot of anger in his chest. With a cold laugh he said, “What does it matter what I’m laughing at? Anyway, even if I die, I won’t die in your General’s Manor and get in the way of you and the General living blissfully together. Don’t worry.”

Su Zeyang stopped moving his hands. He sat quietly at the bedside for a moment, then said, “You aren’t Huo Fenghua.”

Huo Fenghua jolted. Twisting awkwardly, he forced himself to turn his head to look at him. Su Zeyang’s expression was still calm and serious, making Huo Fenghua’s heart tighten a little.

“If I’m not Huo Fenghua, then who am I?”

“How would I know?” Su Zeyang said. “But you don’t resemble Huo Fenghua.”

Huo Fenghua had originally been a spoiled young wastrel. When he’d first been forced to marry into the General’s Manor as a concubine, he’d been choking on resentment, ready to kick up a storm. Back then, Feng Tianzong was still in the manor and would mercilessly teach Huo Fenghua a lesson. After that, Huo Fenghua had been frightened into submission. He’d go out of his way to avoid Su Zeyang, and his words and actions became timid and trembling, until he finally chose to throw himself into the lake.

The Huo Fenghua lying here now might not be any more principled, but Su Zeyang still felt he was different. At the very least, even facedown on a bed with his back full of whip wounds, he could still laugh.

Huo Fenghua didn’t want to explain his identity to Su Zeyang. He turned his head back and lay still again, saying, “If I’m not Huo Fenghua, then who could I be? Maybe I’m a water ghost, and the real Huo Fenghua died as my substitute.”

Su Zeyang lowered his gaze to the ointment in his hand and suddenly felt that what Huo Fenghua said might actually be true.

He slowly snapped the lid shut, tore off a clean strip of cotton cloth, and gently laid it over Huo Fenghua’s back. Then he stood and said, “Let the physician take a look at you in a bit. I’ll go first.”

Huo Fenghua was drenched in cold sweat. His hair was sticking damply to his face and it felt awful. He said, “Wipe my face for me.”

Su Zeyang paused slightly. “You’re ordering me?”

Huo Fenghua said, “Is there anyone else in the room?”

Su Zeyang fell silent for a moment. He set the ointment on the table, actually took the face towel from the room, wet it, wrung it out, then sat by the head of the bed and carefully wiped Huo Fenghua’s face.

Huo Fenghua watched Su Zeyang’s slender, pale fingers moving in front of him. Su Zeyang brushed the hair stuck to Huo Fenghua’s face aside as well. When his vision cleared, Huo Fenghua lifted his eyes and stared at Su Zeyang.

Su Zeyang was also studying him. In truth, he’d never looked closely at Huo Fenghua. Not just Huo Fenghua. Ever since he’d married into the General’s Manor, aside from Feng Tianzong, he hadn’t held anyone else in his eyes. Since he’d made this choice, he would walk this road to the end no matter how hard it was. The baseless criticism and blame, he heard it and didn’t take it to heart. Man or woman, for him, having Feng Tianzong in this world was enough.

Ever since Huo Fenghua married into the General’s Manor, Su Zeyang had never once looked him in the eye. He’d only seen him from afar on the day he entered the manor. In his memory, he’d been a young man with refined features and an elegant manner. After that Su Zeyang never examined him carefully. His impression only worsened, until he became nothing more than a timid, cringing coward.

But looking now, although Huo Fenghua had grown noticeably thinner, his features were still delicate and handsome. And that timidity was gone. In its place was a livelier spark.

He was lost in thought, staring off at Huo Fenghua when Huo Fenghua suddenly grabbed his hand. Su Zeyang yanked his hand back at once and said coldly, “What are you doing?”

Huo Fenghua let out a breath. “Nothing. You’re about to scrub my face raw.”

Only then did Su Zeyang notice Huo Fenghua’s forehead and cheeks were flushed an unnatural red. He stood and said, “Rest. The physician will be here any moment.” With that, he tossed the towel into the bronze basin by the door and turned to leave Huo Fenghua’s room.

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The author has something to say:

First, win over the General’s wife. The General can wait.

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan

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

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Chapter 3

For some reason, in a situation like this, Huo Fenghua was actually a little afraid of Su Zeyang. The moment Su Zeyang stepped into the private room, Huo Fenghua instinctively stood up. Outside the room, the brothel madam followed behind Su Zeyang, wanting to come in as well, but she was stopped by a servant from the General’s Manor.

The madam could only look into the room with a troubled expression.

Behind her were several maids and male attendants from the brothel, craning their necks to peer inside. It wasn’t out of concern. They were just here for the spectacle.

“Come back with me.” After entering, Su Zeyang said only that. He didn’t even call Huo Fenghua by name.

Huo Fenghua didn’t speak. The woman who’d been sitting on his lap had already slipped behind him, poking her head out to size up Su Zeyang.

Beside him, Wang Anzhi suddenly slapped the table and stood. With a whoosh he snapped open his folding fan and said in a mocking, sing-song tone, “What’s the meaning of this? You think you can just barge into my room whenever you want?”

Only then did Su Zeyang look at Wang Anzhi. His tone was neither servile nor overbearing as he said, “Young Master Wang, this is the Feng family’s private matter.”

Wang Anzhi scoffed. “The Feng family’s private matter? Su Zeyang, are you talking to me as the General’s wife?”

Su Zeyang said calmly, “Yes.”

The sneer on Wang Anzhi’s face deepened. “Neither man nor woman, willingly debasing yourself like that.”

Su Zeyang didn’t react, but when Liu Yong heard that, he slammed a palm on the table and snapped, “You—!”

“What about me? You lowly servant think you can be rude to me?” As he spoke, Wang Anzhi suddenly leaned forward and lifted his hand, about to slap Liu Yong across the face.

Huo Fenghua noticed the movement and hurriedly reached out to stop him, smiling as he said, “Brother Wang, calm down. Do me a favor and let it go.”

Wang Anzhi looked at Huo Fenghua and gave an uncomprehending, contemptuous snort, but he did lower his hand. He pointed at Liu Yong and said, “I’m giving your master face today. I’ll spare you for now.”

Liu Yong’s face shifted between pale and livid. He seemed to feel Wang Anzhi wasn’t someone to provoke, so he retreated half a step and fell silent.

Su Zeyang had watched the whole thing coldly. Now he said to Huo Fenghua, “Can we go now?”

Huo Fenghua naturally didn’t want to go back to the General’s Manor with Su Zeyang, but he also didn’t want to stay and keep listening to Wang Anzhi insulting Su Zeyang. After all, every insult aimed at Su Zeyang also landed on him. So he hurriedly said, “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let’s go home.”

Wang Anzhi asked him, “You’re really going back with him?”

Huo Fenghua gave Wang Anzhi a wry smile and clasped his hands. “We’ll get together another day when I’ve got time.”

Wang Anzhi gave a lukewarm laugh. “Suit yourself.” He waved his folding fan, putting on a show of nonchalance as he fanned himself vigorously.

Huo Fenghua walked up beside Su Zeyang and said under his breath, “Sister, let’s go back.” He kept his voice low so only Su Zeyang heard it.

Su Zeyang had been expressionless all along but hearing him being addressed as “sister” made his face darken at once. He shot Huo Fenghua a cold look but didn’t explode. He turned and walked out.

Huo Fenghua immediately followed. The moment he stepped out of the private room, he froze.

The brothel had three floors, and the railings on every level were packed with people, all looking over at them.

Besides the brothel’s maids and attendants, the rest were prostitutes and clients who’d only just woken up. No one dared speak loudly, but they whispered among themselves.

As Huo Fenghua went downstairs, he heard someone murmur, “That’s the male wife General Feng married, Su Zeyang.”

A woman said, “It’s my first time seeing a man that good-looking.”

“So that’s why General Feng endured all the opposition to marry a man. Even among women, you rarely see someone that beautiful.”

Even with Huo Fenghua’s thick skin, being stared at and gossiped about by so many people made his ears heat up. He couldn’t help looking at Su Zeyang, only to find Su Zeyang calm and composed, as if he weren’t affected in the slightest.

When they left Huayue Pavilion, Huo Fenghua saw a carriage stopped by the road.

The driver jumped down to lift the carriage curtain for them. Su Zeyang didn’t even use the driver’s hand. He lightly vaulted into the carriage. Huo Fenghua followed, looked left and right, and saw there was no step. He could only grab the bottom edge with both hands and climb.

Su Zeyang stood by the doorway, crouched halfway, and held out a hand.

Huo Fenghua paused, then took it. Su Zeyang’s fingers were pale and supple, but his palm had rough, thick calluses, and he was far stronger than Huo Fenghua had imagined. With a single pull, he hauled Huo Fenghua up into the carriage.

As they brushed shoulders passing each other, Huo Fenghua caught a faint sandalwood scent. His thoughts started to wander, but then he heard Su Zeyang say coldly, “What did you call me just now?”

That “sister” had been Huo Fenghua teasing Su Zeyang’s status. It hadn’t just been teasing Su Zeyang, either. He’d been teasing himself right along with him. He’d heard Wang Anzhi insulting Su Zeyang nonstop and hadn’t seen Su Zeyang get angry. He hadn’t expected that his own casual word would make Su Zeyang’s face turn cold.

Huo Fenghua felt a little uneasy and forced a smile. “It’s just a joke.”

Su Zeyang sat down opposite him in the carriage and asked in a low voice, “Is it funny?”

Huo Fenghua didn’t answer, only smiled, trying to ease the awkwardness.

Su Zeyang continued, “Do you think your status is funny, or mine?”

This time, Huo Fenghua really couldn’t smile. He weighed his words and said, “Neither is funny. Since the General and his spouse truly love each other, why bother with what others say? As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters. What’s funny about that?”

He thought to himself that these people kept making a point of Su Zeyang’s identity as a male wife. It seemed that in this world, marrying a man as one’s spouse was considered something outrageous. The man who married into that role probably bore even more pressure.

On the surface, Su Zeyang had seemed indifferent to Wang Anzhi’s mockery, but maybe he did care deep down.

After Huo Fenghua finished speaking, both of them fell silent.

The driver urged the horse forward at a slow pace. It was already the busiest, hottest part of midday. The capital’s streets were packed with people, and the carriage could only crawl forward. The wheels rolled over the stone road, bumping and jolting. Before long, Huo Fenghua’s backside was aching from the jolts.

It was because this body was too skinny, he thought. There wasn’t even two ounces of flesh back there. He tilted his body to lift one side off the seat, rested a bit, then switched to the other side.

When he happened to look up, he saw Su Zeyang watching him the whole time, which made him feel even more awkward. He sat properly again with both sides down, and then he heard Su Zeyang ask, “Your maid said you’ve lost your memory?”

Huo Fenghua nodded and tapped his forehead with two fingers, indicating his head really wasn’t too clear.

Su Zeyang said, “Do you remember who Wang Anzhi is? And you dared drink with him?”

Huo Fenghua asked quietly, “Who is he?”

Su Zeyang said expressionlessly, “He’s the son of Wang Chu, the Right Prime Minister.”

“Oh.” Huo Fenghua nodded, then sorted out the relationship in his head before saying, “So he’s the prime minister’s son?”

Su Zeyang studied his expression and suddenly said, “Looks like you really have turned stupid.”

Huo Fenghua froze, then defended himself. “I just have amnesia, I’m not stupid. You said he’s the son of Right Prime Minister Wang Chu, but I don’t know what kind of grudge he has with me— with our Feng family. How am I supposed to react?”

Hearing that, Su Zeyang let out a long sigh. He didn’t seem willing to explain the feud with the Wang family in detail. He only said, “Just remember this: don’t associate with the Wang family, and don’t go to places where all sorts of lowlifes gather. You’re part of the Feng family now. Every word you say and every action you take concerns the Feng family’s reputation. Tianzong, he—” He stopped abruptly there and clearly didn’t intend to go on. He pursed his lips slightly and furrowed his brow.

When Huo Fenghua heard the name “Tianzong,” Su Zeyang’s voice had softened. It immediately made Huo Fenghua itch with curiosity. He wanted to hear what Su Zeyang was going to say about Feng Tianzong. But seeing the worry on Su Zeyang’s face and his faraway look, Huo Fenghua figured he was missing Feng Tianzong. Embarrassed to interrupt his thoughts, Huo Fenghua fell quiet too.

A carriage was still faster than walking on two feet. Before long they returned to the General’s Manor. The carriage drove straight into the residence before stopping.

As soon as Su Zeyang got down, he said to Huo Fenghua, “Come with me.”

Huo Fenghua jumped down, realized there was no room for discussion, and followed Su Zeyang toward the main hall.

The moment he stepped inside, Huo Fenghua saw the hall was packed with people. His steps stalled at once.

At the very front stood the manor’s steward, Lu Xi. Though Lu Xi’s beard and hair were already white, he still looked vigorous. His shoulders were broad, his arms full, and when he saw Su Zeyang enter, he bowed slightly and stepped aside.

Su Zeyang moved to the front and said to Huo Fenghua, “Come over and kneel.”

Huo Fenghua cursed inwardly, ‘Kneeling again!.’ But he didn’t dare disobey Su Zeyang. He went forward two steps and knelt in the center of the hall. After kneeling, he still wasn’t very well-behaved, lifting his head to glance around. He saw it was all the manor’s maids and servants, and Qingqing was among them too. She kept her head down in silence, not even daring to look at him.

Su Zeyang said to Lu Xi, “Steward Lu, Young Master Huo left the manor without permission and mixed in brothels. How should he be punished?”

Lu Xi said in a deep voice, “According to Feng family rules, twenty lashes.”

Huo Fenghua jerked his head up, staring at the two men in shock.

Su Zeyang’s expression remained flat. “He fell into the water a few days ago and hasn’t recovered. I’m afraid he won’t be able to endure twenty lashes.”

Lu Xi stroked his long beard and pondered. “An exception can be made to cut it in half. Ten lashes.”

Su Zeyang nodded. “Then ten.”

Lu Xi stretched a hand to the side. A servant carried over a wooden tray. Only then did Huo Fenghua see a long whip coiled atop it.

Lu Xi took the whip in hand, gripping the handle with one hand and running the other hand down the length of the leather.

The whip looked far thicker than a finger. It was braided oxhide, rough on the surface. Huo Fenghua’s heart leapt into his throat. He couldn’t help standing up and saying, “Wait—”

“Huo Fenghua!” Su Zeyang suddenly barked.

Huo Fenghua’s heart trembled. The words in his mouth slowly died, and he knelt back down with difficulty.

Su Zeyang held out his hand to Lu Xi. “Steward Lu, let me carry it out.”

Lu Xi looked a little surprised. After a brief hesitation, he bent and handed the whip over respectfully. “Young Master Su, please.”

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan

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

---

Chapter 2

Huo Fenghua had lived more than twenty years in his previous life. Other than gambling, he really didn’t have any skills to speak of.

Even though it was a different era and a different world, the moment he lifted the curtain and stepped into the gambling house, he felt as if he’d come home. It seemed that no matter what time or space, gamblers were the same: bloodshot eyes, bulging veins, staring at a table as if possessed. Even though it was still morning, the foul air inside the gambling house was no different from midnight.

Huo Fenghua had always lived among people like this, yet he was different from them. Gambling was his job; a way to earn money and survive. He understood the truth that nine out of ten gamblers lose, and he’d never believed he could get rich at the table just by luck. Of course, people did hit it big, but that was definitely not due to luck. It was the kind of tricks that many would consider… unsavory.

He didn’t rush into the crowd. Instead, he circled the gambling house once, pausing to take a look at each table. The place wasn’t very big. The two most common games were pai gow and dice.

In his previous life, Huo Fenghua was good at cheating at mahjong and card tables. He rarely touched pai gow, but dice were basic. When he was little, his father had given him a few dice and told him to shake them around and play.

So he stood by the table where people bet big or small on dice, listening and watching for a long time. The dice here were dice made of bones. Different materials meant different sounds, but for an old gambler like Huo Fenghua, there were still patterns to follow.

The cloth of his clothes was fine. The colors weren’t flashy, but among this crowd of gamblers he still stood out. Since he hadn’t placed a bet for a while, the thugs stationed around the gambling house had been watching him the whole time. Huo Fenghua didn’t delay any longer. After listening through a few rounds, he took out a small piece of broken silver. Only when it was time to actually bet did he realize that twenty taels of silver didn’t seem like a small amount, because broken silver was rarely seen on this table. Most people’s stake was nothing more than copper coins.

Huo Fenghua bet big. Bets were final once placed. When the dice cup was lifted, it was big, just as he’d predicted. He collected the silver he’d won, tilted his ear to carefully listen to the sound in the cup, and the second time he bet on small. This time he won again.

Huo Fenghua stayed in the gambling house for nearly an hour. He won some and lost some, but overall, he won more than he lost. Afraid of drawing the owner’s attention, he decided to quit while he was ahead. When his silver had gone from twenty taels to thirty, he stretched and planned to leave.

At that moment, someone behind him suddenly tapped his shoulder with a folding fan. He turned his head and saw a handsomely dressed young gentleman standing behind him, eyes wide in surprise.

“Huo Fenghua?”

Huo Fenghua thought the man’s looks could be considered handsome, but his eye sockets were dark, and even the way he spoke lacked vigor. Huo Fenghua smiled at him and clasped his hands in greeting the way others did.

The young gentleman’s astonishment didn’t lessen at all. His fan fluttered rapidly a few times as he stammered, “You, you, you… aren’t you married to—” Before he could finish, he saw quite a few gamblers nearby turning to look. Realizing it wasn’t the place to talk, he grabbed Huo Fenghua by the sleeve and hurried out. “Come with me.”

Huo Fenghua still didn’t know the man’s name, but he didn’t resist when he was pulled along. Once they exited the gambling house, they were back in the same quiet pleasure quarters. The young gentleman looked left and right, tapping the folded fan against his palm again and again, and in the end he led Huo Fenghua to a brothel called Huayue Pavilion.

Huo Fenghua had never been inside a brothel. He couldn’t help looking around, wanting to see just how pretty the girls were. But the moment he stepped through the main door, the madam of the brothel came up to greet them and exclaimed in surprise, “Young Master Wang, why are you back again when you just left?”

So the Young Master Wang beside him had left this brothel early this morning, then gone to the gambling house next door. Seeing Huo Fenghua there, it hadn’t been convenient to speak, so he brought him back here.

Young Master Wang flicked his fan and said to the madam, “Get me a quiet private room.”

The madam hadn’t even had time to put on powder and rouge. Her face was wrinkled into a knot as she said awkwardly, “The girls haven’t gotten up yet.”

Young Master Wang said, “No need. Just bring me some wine, dishes, and pastries. Have the girls come serve after they’ve gotten themselves ready.”

The madam repeatedly agreed, then she leaned in to look at Huo Fenghua, and her face immediately turned as if she’d seen a ghost. She couldn’t even get her words out clearly. “Th-this… Isn’t this Young Master Huo?”

Huo Fenghua froze. Only then did he realize he was probably a regular here in the past. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, he gave the madam a smile. Up ahead, Young Master Wang was already hurrying upstairs, so Huo Fenghua could only follow after him.

The private room in the brothel was actually plain and clean, but a perfumed breeze lingered around his nose the entire time. The moment Huo Fenghua entered, he couldn’t help sneezing.

Young Master Wang reached out and shut the door, then leaned against the back of it and said in a secretive tone, “Huo Fenghua, tell me honestly. Did you run away from the Feng residence?”

“What?” Huo Fenghua was still rubbing his nose.

Young Master Wang said, “People say the Feng family’s rules are strict. How would they allow a mere concubine to linger in the pleasure quarters and gambling dens? And you’re telling me you didn’t sneak out?”

Huo Fenghua slowly sat down by the round table and examined this Young Master Wang. After hesitating a little, he said, “A few days ago, I accidentally fell into the water.”

The sudden statement left Young Master Wang completely at a loss. “What?”

Huo Fenghua held two fingers together and pointed at his own head. “After I came out of the water, I haven’t been very clear-headed. There are a lot of things I can’t remember.”

“Can’t remember?” Young Master Wang’s voice shot up. He stepped forward and grabbed Huo Fenghua’s shoulders. “Then do you still remember me? I’m Wang Anzhi. Don’t tell me you don’t even remember me?”

Huo Fenghua smiled. “I do have some impression, but I can’t recall many things clearly.”

Wang Anzhi’s expression turned serious. He gripped his fan and paced a few steps around the room, then moved close and sat down beside Huo Fenghua. Carefully, he asked, “How did you end up falling into the water for no reason? Could it be that Feng Tianzong’s male wife deliberately harmed you?”

Huo Fenghua looked at him and tested him. “Oh? Why would he harm me?”

Wang Anzhi’s eyes flickered, and he said slowly, “Maybe he was jealous that General Feng favored you.”

Huo Fenghua had grown up mixing with all kinds of people on the fringes of society, and reading faces and moods was his strongest skill. Just from Wang Anzhi’s expression, he could tell the man’s words were probably unreliable. He’d originally planned to fish more information out of him, but now he changed his mind.

Just then, a servant from the brothel brought up wine and dishes. Wang Anzhi had them put everything down, chased them all out, then personally poured Huo Fenghua a drink, sighing as he did. “I thought once you married into the Feng family, we’d never have a chance to sit down and share a drink again. Who’d have thought I’d run into you here today?”

“We used to drink together often?” Huo Fenghua asked, puzzled.

“Of course,” Wang Anzhi said. “You and I have known each other for years. Ever since you came to Donglin, we’ve been close.”

Huo Fenghua suddenly recalled what Qingqing had told him: that he’d originally been from Xichou, and Xichou had already been destroyed by Feng Tianzong’s army. Why he’d married Feng Tianzong as a concubine must have involved many twists and turns.

Wang Anzhi had already drunk quite a bit last night, and now after two more cups his face flushed from his eyes down to his jaw. He suddenly leaned close and asked Huo Fenghua, “We’re brothers, so tell me straight. Has Feng Tianzong taken your virginity yet?” As he spoke, one finger pressed against Huo Fenghua’s back and slowly slid downward.

Goosebumps erupted over Huo Fenghua’s skin. He shifted aside to dodge Wang Anzhi’s hand. When he turned to look at him, he saw Wang Anzhi wearing a lewd grin, and the words at Huo Fenghua’s lips were swallowed back down.

Wang Anzhi didn’t seem to notice at all. He teased, “Seriously, it’s only been a few months, and your eyes and brows are full of charm now. Looks like Feng Tianzong really does have some skill.”

Huo Fenghua had no idea where he was seeing “full of charm.” Ever since he’d woken up in this body, he’d been sickly. Even this morning, before he left his room, he’d looked in the mirror and seen his face was still pale. Qingqing had even said he’d gotten noticeably thinner.

He didn’t get angry with Wang Anzhi. He just smiled and said, “Feng Tianzong has a proper spouse who’s as beautiful as an immortal. How would he ever look at me?”

“Su Zeyang?” When Wang Anzhi mentioned the name, his mouth twisted, and he let out a cold laugh. “So what if he’s good-looking? So what if his martial arts are strong? He’s willing to marry someone as a male concubine. That’s just self-degradation and shamelessness!”

Huo Fenghua picked up a pea between his fingers and popped it into his mouth, chewing lazily. Wang Anzhi didn’t seem to realize that his words had insulted Huo Fenghua too. He lifted his cup, wanting to clink it with his, and said, “Come, come, drink.”

At that moment, the door was gently pushed open from outside. Two beautiful women, carefully made up, appeared in the doorway. The first had a light, graceful figure and threw herself into Wang Anzhi’s arms, speaking softly and sweetly. “Young Master Wang, Zhu’er knew you couldn’t bear to leave.”

Wang Anzhi wrapped an arm around the woman named Zhu’er. He’d spent the night in her room last night. Grinning, he said, “Yeah, see? I’m back again.”

The other woman shut the door and came in. She first looked at Huo Fenghua over cautiously, then her eyes widened in shock. “Th-this… isn’t this Young Master Huo?”

Wang Anzhi chuckled. “It is indeed Young Master Huo. Get over here and serve. Why are you standing there like an idiot?”

The woman went over to Huo Fenghua, still not fully recovered from her surprise. She said, “Didn’t Young Master Huo marry into the General’s Manor? How dare you come back to Huayue Pavilion?”

A fine sheen of sweat suddenly rose on Huo Fenghua’s forehead. So he wasn’t just a regular in places like this, everyone here even knew he’d married the General as a male concubine. Was he the impressive figure, or was General Feng the impressive figure? Had the whole Donglin Kingdom heard about the fact that he’d married a man?!

Wang Anzhi wore an expression like he was watching a play, smiling as he said, “Why can’t he come back and have a drink with a beautiful woman just because he married the General? Hurry up and feed Young Master Huo a drink.”

The woman came close to Huo Fenghua, soft and light as she leaned into his arms. All at once her face turned red as she said, “General Feng is such an extraordinary man. I don’t dare feed his person wine.”

Even as she said that, she pressed up against Huo Fenghua and sat down on one of his thighs.

Huo Fenghua caught the thick smell of powder and perfume, and his nose started itching again. Before he could speak, Wang Anzhi said, “What, you’re eyeing General Feng too?”

The woman hurriedly said, “How would a humble girl like me dare?”

Wang Anzhi teased, “It’s a pity General Feng only likes men and not women. You can ask Young Master Huo for advice. See if General Feng is just as fierce and domineering in bed.”

Even though Wang Anzhi was bantering with a prostitute, every sentence kept circling back to Huo Fenghua’s identity as General Feng’s male concubine, and his tone was full of contempt and lewdness. And after what he’d said about Su Zeyang earlier, Huo Fenghua completely understood: this man had never regarded him as an equal at all, let alone as a “brother.”

But Huo Fenghua had been bullied and looked down on since childhood. He wasn’t angry over it. He just wanted an excuse to leave. Yet before he could even open his mouth, there was a loud sound at the door. Someone kicked it open from outside.

Huo Fenghua saw that the one who kicked his way in was Liu Yong, a servant from the General’s Manor. He stormed in aggressively, and the moment he saw Huo Fenghua he shouted, “Young Master Su, he really is here!”

Right after that, Su Zeyang walked in from outside. The moment he saw Huo Fenghua, his brows furrowed tightly.

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan

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

---

Chapter 1

“He’s awake.”

Before he could even open his eyes and fully come to, this was the first thing he had heard. It was a man’s voice, soft and unhurried, gentle and calm, and it made him unable to resist opening his eyes to see who the person behind that voice was.

So he struggled, forcing his eyes to open. The first thing he saw was heavy bed curtains hanging all around. Someone sat at the bedside, intently watching him.

That person had fair skin and handsome features, brows and eyes like a painting, like a landscape sketched in ink. Long, black hair cascaded down with the tips curled over the fine silk quilt.

He felt one of the man’s hands resting on his wrist. Then the man asked him, “Are you alright?” It was the same voice as before.

He opened his mouth to speak, but his throat was so hoarse he couldn’t make a sound.

The man released his wrist and stood. He saw the man was dressed in a loose, soft white robe that made his ink-black hair stand out even more. The man didn’t linger in the room, walking straight out. Only a maid remained inside, coming to the bedside to look at him with worry.

After a moment, an old man came in to take his pulse. Then he sat at the table, wrote out a prescription, handed it to the maid, and packed up and left as well.

His throat suddenly seized with pain and itchiness. He couldn’t hold it back and started coughing hard. He lifted a hand to cover his mouth, and only then did he notice his hand was pale and slender, the nails clean and rounded, and there wasn’t even a single callus on his palm. When he lowered his hand, he accidentally pressed on the hair by his pillow. He picked up a lock between his fingers and stared at the pitch-black long hair for a moment in a daze. Only then did he realize he wasn’t himself anymore.

He’d originally been a gambler. He’d had no mother since childhood. After graduating middle school, he’d drifted around with his father, who loved to gamble, and later he never learned any real skill. He often made a living cheating at gambling tables with other people.

That day, he and two others had colluded at the card table to swindle money from a middle-aged man. He hadn’t expected the scam to be exposed. The man was a wealthy influential figure and sent people to come after him. His last memory before losing consciousness was someone smashing a brick into the back of his head. When he woke again, he was lying in this bed.

He figured he’d died and somehow reincarnated into the body of someone from ancient times. He just didn’t know what dynasty or era this was, or what household’s young master he’d become.

Luckily, there was a little maidservant in the room named Qingqing. He pretended he’d lost his memory, claiming he didn’t even know his name. Qingqing told him his name was Huo Fenghua. Everyone here called him Young Master Huo, but his true status wasn’t any kind of “young master” at all. He was merely one of the masters of this residence’s male concubines.

This was the General’s Manor. The master of the manor was naturally a general, but the first person he’d seen when he opened his eyes hadn’t been the general. It had been the general’s properly married male wife, named Su Zeyang. The servants all called him Young Master Su.

One Young Master Su, one Young Master Huo. Lying in bed, he couldn’t help laughing out loud, wondering whether, the next time they met, he should call him “older brother¹” or “older sister².”

¹[Gege] (哥哥)
²[Jiejie] (姐姐)

Huo Fenghua. Now he was Huo Fenghua. He didn’t have many strengths, but if there was one, it was probably being adaptable. After learning the general was away leading troops and not in the manor, he decided to accept things as they came. He stayed in bed, ate and drank well as he was waited on, and after two days he had enough strength to get up. He opened the window, sat on the cushioned daybed, and looked at the scenery outside.

In the courtyard outside there was a servant sweeping. The servant looked young, small and skinny, and the clothes on his body were still a bit loose.

As the young servant swept, he suddenly turned his head and saw Huo Fenghua leaning by the window watching him. His face immediately turned red. He turned around with his back to him, his movements becoming flustered.

Huo Fenghua found it amusing. He was just about to tease him a little when someone behind him reached out and shut the window for him, saying, “Young Master, you haven’t recovered yet. You’ll catch a chill.”

Huo Fenghua turned back with a smile. “It’s not like I’m confined due to postpartum. You think I can’t handle a little breeze?”

His personal maid Qingqing shrank her neck at his response and said, “It’s Young Master Su’s instruction. I wouldn’t dare disobey.”

Propping his cheek with one hand, Huo Fenghua thought of Su Zeyang. Since the day he woke and saw Su Zeyang once, he hadn’t seen him again. What remained in his memory was someone like an immortal, not the least bit delicate or weak. He couldn’t understand why such a person would be willing to marry a man as a wife.

As for the master of this General’s Manor, Feng Tianzong, he was out leading troops and wouldn’t be back anytime soon. Huo Fenghua didn’t miss him either. He’d never planned on being a man’s concubine. No matter what had happened before, before General Feng returned, he would recover and leave this manor. After that, he probably wouldn’t need to meet them again.

That afternoon, Huo Fenghua went out into the courtyard and walked around for a while. When he tried to leave through the courtyard gate, he was stopped and sent back. The young attendant who stopped him was extremely rude, saying Young Master Su wouldn’t allow him to go out and that he should stay inside and recuperate properly.

Later, Qingqing told him that attendant was Su Zeyang’s personal servant, named Liu Yong.

Huo Fenghua didn’t understand. “That General’s wife sure has an overbearing air. Is he taking advantage of the General being away to bully me on purpose?”

Qingqing said, “Young Master Su isn’t that kind of person.”

Huo Fenghua thought about it, looked at his own refined but weak appearance in the bronze mirror, and said, “Then it must be because the General favors me and that wife is jealous.”

“Peh!” Qingqing couldn’t help spitting. “The General and his wife have a great relationship. Don’t you go talking nonsense.”

Seeing even a maid treat him like this, Huo Fenghua figured he really wasn’t favored. And when he heard that his earlier coma had been because he’d thrown himself into the lake to commit suicide, he couldn’t make sense of it at all. If General Feng didn’t even like him, why bring him into the manor in the first place?

But none of that mattered. He was leaving anyway. Once he left, there’d be no more entanglements.

During these days of confinement to recuperate, the only person Huo Fenghua could talk to was Qingqing. He wanted to learn more about himself, but Qingqing always spoke vaguely.

Sometimes he felt it wasn’t because she was ignorant, but rather she didn’t dare say. He pressed her for a long time, and in the end the only thing he learned was that he originally wasn’t from this country.

Right. This was the Xuanming era of the Donglin Kingdom, a dynasty that wasn’t recorded in any history. Maybe it was a parallel world. And Huo Fenghua was from the Xichou Kingdom. Xichou and Donglin had been in constant conflict for years. A few days ago, Grand General Feng Tianzong had marched west, struck straight into Xichou’s capital Caiyun City, and destroyed Xichou.

Huo Fenghua couldn’t understand it. As someone from Xichou, why would he be willing to marry the enemy who’d destroyed his country and become a male concubine? Of course, there were many things he couldn’t understand but there was no need to rush to understand them. What he needed to focus on was how to leave this General’s Manor.

Huo Fenghua spent each day drinking broths and tonics, and even he felt his complexion had improved greatly. On the fourth day, Qingqing came early to knock on his door and wake him to wash up, saying that today was the first day of the month and, according to the Feng family rules, they needed to pay respect to the ancestors.

She hurried him through rinsing his mouth and washing his face, then had him sit at the table while she gathered up his long hair and tied it into a topknot.

Huo Fenghua asked, “Can I cut my hair?”

Qingqing looked shocked. “What are you saying? The body, hair, and skin are received from one’s parents—”

“Okay,” Huo Fenghua said, lifting a hand to cut her off. “I get it.”

In ancient times there were rules like this. For the sake of living here more conveniently in the future, he’d naturally have to get used to certain annoying customs.

With his hair and clothes neatly arranged, Huo Fenghua pushed the door open and went out. Liu Yong was waiting outside again, inviting him to go to the ancestral hall to offer incense to the ancestral tablets.

On the surface, Liu Yong was respectful, but in truth he wasn’t polite to him at all. Huo Fenghua didn’t care. He followed behind Liu Yong toward the outer courtyard.

This was the first time, after taking over this body, that he’d left his small courtyard. The outer courtyard was much larger, with flowers and trees, rockeries and lakes—everything really. Looking up, he saw a clear sky and dispersed clouds. Beyond the green tiles and upturned eaves, distant mountain silhouettes were visible. The air was clean and bright. For Huo Fenghua, who’d spent his whole life in a big city, this kind of scenery was truly rare.

He couldn’t help slowing his steps.

But as soon as he slowed down, Liu Yong tensed and asked, “What are you trying to do?”

They were walking on a winding wooden bridge over the lake. He lowered his head and saw his reflection in the water and immediately remembered what Qingqing had said about him throwing himself into the lake. Only then did he realize Liu Yong was afraid he was about to jump in and dry to drown himself again. So he smiled, lifted a hand, and patted Liu Yong on the back.

“Nothing. Don’t be scared, little brother. If you survive a great calamity, you’re bound to have good fortune later. I’m not seeking death again.”

Liu Yong looked at him with a startled expression, probably not used to his way of speaking. He froze for a moment, then turned back around and continued leading the way.

When they reached the ancestral hall, Huo Fenghua saw Su Zeyang again.

Su Zeyang was still dressed all in white. His black hair was tied into a topknot, yet a few strands still fell from his temples and hung over his chest. Standing there, his posture was straight, hands folded before him. When he saw Huo Fenghua enter, he didn’t speak. He only turned, lit a stick of incense, knelt to worship, then rose and placed the incense into the burner bowl on the altar.

From behind, Huo Fenghua sized up Su Zeyang and thought this “General’s wife” truly was a beauty. Huo Fenghua didn’t consider himself gay, but beauty transcended gender. It was simply pleasing to the eye, so he couldn’t help looking a few more times.

After offering incense, Su Zeyang stepped aside and said to the dazed Huo Fenghua, “It’s your turn.”

Huo Fenghua came back to himself, stepped forward, took the incense the steward handed him, and imitated Su Zeyang, lighting it and kneeling. He knew when to yield and when to stand tall. Kneeling to a Grand General’s ancestors wasn’t a big deal. He just didn’t have much sincerity in his heart. When he stood and went to place the incense into the burner bowl, Huo Fenghua couldn’t resist sneaking a look at Su Zeyang’s profile. His arm lifted, and he accidentally knocked the burner bowl to the ground.

The ceramic burner bowl shattered into pieces, scattering ash everywhere.

Behind Su Zeyang, Liu Yong shouted, “You!” Then he realized he’d overstepped, quickly shut his mouth, and only glared fiercely at Huo Fenghua.

Su Zeyang didn’t get angry. With a calm expression, he glanced at Huo Fenghua and asked the Feng household steward, “Uncle Lu, according to the family rules, how should this be dealt with?”

Steward Lu Xi was over sixty. He stroked his grizzled beard and said, “If one is not sincere or respectful to the ancestors, the punishment is to kneel in the ancestral hall.”

Su Zeyang asked, “For how long?”

Lu Xi said, “Until he sincerely admits his fault.”

Hearing that, Huo Fenghua immediately knelt on the kneeling cushion and loudly said, “I was wrong!” He thought he sounded sincere enough that Su Zeyang would forgive him.

But Su Zeyang only looked at him and said, “Without my permission, you’re not allowed to leave.”

Huo Fenghua froze. He wanted to argue a little, but when he saw Su Zeyang’s solemn expression, he could only close his mouth again and bow as if sincerely at fault.

Su Zeyang then turned and left the ancestral hall.

After that, Lu Xi also led the others out one by one. The last person reached out and shut the main doors to the ancestral hall, leaving only Huo Fenghua behind, kneeling alone in the dim, empty hall.

Huo Fenghua let out a heavy sigh, feeling quite frustrated. The candles on the altar were still burning, casting light on the Feng family ancestral tablets behind them. The faint, flickering shadows swayed restlessly, and it was oddly frightening. He wasn’t the real Huo Fenghua, and he’d never even met his so-called husband. He felt no sense of belonging to this “Feng family” at all. Instead, he felt like all these Feng ancestors were staring at him, as if they might recognize him as an imposter. After wrestling with it in his mind for a long time, he couldn’t keep kneeling. He rose from the cushion.

He walked softly to the tightly closed main doors of the ancestral hall and tried the door. He found it wasn’t locked from the outside. He opened a narrow crack and saw no one guarding outside, so he opened the doors and walked out.

Huo Fenghua made up his mind to leave the Feng household.

He deliberately took secluded side paths the whole way, afraid of being spotted. He wasn’t familiar with the manor’s layout, but his sense of direction was decent and he didn’t loop back. At last, he found the secluded back gate of the General’s Manor.

The back gate was bolted from the inside, and no one was guarding nearby. Huo Fenghua didn’t know whether anyone had seen him, but since no one came out to stop him, he opened the back gate and fled.

Outside the back gate was a narrow alley with high walls that lined both sides; probably two estates built right up against each other. He hurried out of the alley, and after walking not far he saw pedestrians on the street. He turned back to glance at the General’s Manor’s green high wall, then headed straight toward the crowded main road.

Inside this ancient body was a modern soul. He’d been here for quite some time already, but he’d been trapped in the General’s Manor with no chance to come out. This was his first time walking through a lively street like this.

He couldn’t help looking around. Everything felt novel, and he wanted to move closer to look at it all. Then he caught the smell of steamed rice cakes from a roadside stall and finally felt hungry. He went over to look, and when he heard the vendor say one rice cake cost only two copper coins, he reached into his clothes to search himself. Only then did he realize how penniless he was. He hadn’t brought a single coin with him.

His hand found a jade pendant hanging at his waist. Qingqing had helped him put it there this morning. He didn’t know its origin or value, but it definitely wasn’t worth only two copper coins. So he looked up and asked the vendor where the nearest pawnshop was.

The vendor pointed him in a direction. On the way to the pawnshop, Huo Fenghua saw a gambling house by the road and immediately stopped.

He stood at the entrance and stared for a while. Then he turned and slipped into the pawnshop next door, slapped the jade pendant down on the counter, and said, “Pawn this!”

The pawnbroker lifted his head, and when he saw the emerald-green, crystal-bright jade pendant, his eyes lit up. He didn’t speak, only picked it up and rubbed it carefully.

Just from its quality, Huo Fenghua could tell it was valuable. He asked, “How much can I get for it?”

The pawnbroker examined it for a long time, then said, “I’ll pawn it for twenty taels of silver.”

“Only twenty taels?” Huo Fenghua was instantly disappointed. He didn’t know current prices, but he’d assumed it would be at least one or two hundred taels. Twenty sounded far too little.

The pawnbroker said, “I can’t offer more.”

Huo Fenghua sighed to himself and reached a hand toward the counter. “Give it to me.”

He pawned the jade pendant for twenty taels of silver. He tucked the silver and the pawn ticket into his chest and left the shop. Standing at the roadside, he looked left and right. He first went to the corner and bought a meat bun to eat. Before he’d even finished it, he casually grabbed a passerby and asked, “Is there a gambling house around here?”

That passerby looked him over, and seeing his neat clothes and handsome face, raised a hand and pointed him toward a direction.

Huo Fenghua followed the directions all the way until he reached the pleasure quarters. Since it was still early, the street was cold and quiet. Looking down the way, all the doors were shut tight. Only two gambling houses at the ends of the street had their doors open, and lively shouting spilled out from behind cloth curtains. As a gambler himself, he knew a gambling house probably never closed day or night.

With a small smile, Huo Fenghua reached into his chest to feel the silver, then walked with steady steps toward one of the gambling houses.

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Kinky Thoughts:

I was in the mood for a threesome novel, and a friend recommended this to me. It’s not often I encounter a danmei that has a threesome (and quite explicit to boot). So yes, be sure you’re at the appropriate age to read this. 

I also happened to like another work by this author (The Star Around The Sun) so I decided why not give this a go. Besides, I often get asked, why is my alias Kinky, but I never actually do any projects that are kinky? So hopefully a threesome is kinky enough.

Regarding the title of this novel. It’s [Feng Shuangfei] (凤双飞) which translates to A Pair of Phoenixes Flying Together (or something along those lines). But there’s a hidden meaning behind the title.

On the surface of the title, it’s meant of a symbolism of a romantic pair (two phoenixes flying together), but removing the phoenix from the title, and you get [Shuangfei] (双飞), which, in terms of slang, refers to a threesome (lol). You can guess who the two phoenixes are referring to and who the third party is.

Anyways, happy reading.

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