Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan

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

Chapter 87

Bai Huan stood up from beside the stone bed and said to Huo Fenghua, “You’ve heard the story. Can we go now?”

Huo Fenghua’s fingertips still held the cold sensation left by the carved writing on the wall. He had a strange feeling about Bai Huan and asked, “Go where?”

Bai Huan looked at him. “Doesn’t Second Prince want to find the Flying Phoenix Scroll? I’ll take you to it.” With that, he headed out of the cavern.

Huo Fenghua followed and asked, “So you’re planning to throw in your lot with me?”

Bai Huan glanced back at him.

Huo Fenghua smiled. “I don’t know why you’re helping the Wang family. If you help them kill Feng Tianzong, what can they give you? Don’t forget you’re Xichou. You might as well help me. After all, we have the same goal—killing Feng Tianzong. As long as I can restore the kingdom someday, I can agree to any conditions you want.”

Carrying the candle stand, Bai Huan moved through the dim maze. “Xichou’s already been destroyed by Donglin. What conditions can Second Highness offer me now?”

Huo Fenghua thought for a moment. “Then can you tell me what your real goal is? Feng Tianzong’s already lost his power, sure, but when Xichou was first taken, the one who led the troops and swept through everything was Feng Tianzong. Why did you choose to side with the Wang family from the start? Or to put it another way, what can the Wang family give you?”

Bai Huan stayed silent.

Huo Fenghua’s thoughts were faintly linking into a thread, but it was still blurry. He wanted to draw even a scrap of information from Bai Huan so he could sort out the chaos in his head. “Why do you know about Huo Tinggao and Feng Yiting? I’m the Second Prince of Xichou and I’ve never even heard of it. And why are you so familiar with Luofeng Ridge’s terrain? Who told you the Flying Phoenix Scroll is inside Luofeng Ridge? Didn’t the Flying Phoenix Scroll disappear along with Feng Yiting?”

Bai Huan gave a soft laugh. “Second Highness, you’ve got too many questions. Which one do you want answered most?”

Huo Fenghua considered briefly. “Where is the Flying Phoenix Scroll?”

Bai Huan said, “If you want to know where the Flying Phoenix Scroll is, then be quiet and follow me. I’ll take you to it.”

Huo Fenghua knew Bai Huan wasn’t going to say anything more. He also found it strange that Bai Huan would voluntarily lead him to the Flying Phoenix Scroll. Watching Bai Huan’s back, Huo Fenghua grew more and more wary.

Still, as Bai Huan led him through the maze, they didn’t encounter danger. Or rather, every trap was avoided by Bai Huan. Huo Fenghua had no idea how long they walked before Bai Huan stopped in front of a stone door.

There was a mechanism on one side of the door. Bai Huan reached out and pushed it, and the stone door slid aside with startling speed, revealing a path ahead. The entire process was soundless.

Bai Huan went in first. Huo Fenghua followed. Bai Huan didn’t go far before he stopped. Candlelight only reached so far. Huo Fenghua started to say, “Th…” and immediately cut himself off. Even though he couldn’t see clearly, he could feel he was in an extremely open space. His voice overlapped with waves of echoes, making it sound unusually loud.

Bai Huan turned around and took a torch from the rock wall behind Huo Fenghua. He used the candle to light it first. As the fire brightened, Huo Fenghua realized they seemed to be standing on a small terrace. It was only about five steps from front to back, and beyond that was nothing.

Then Bai Huan took the rope off his back, tied one end to the torch, and gripped the rope. He gave it a few swings, then hurled it hard out beyond the terrace. The rope spun, the torch tied to it making more than half a circle through the air, and it lit five or six torches in the distance. The entire space flared bright in an instant.

As Bai Huan reeled the rope back in, Huo Fenghua stepped forward. He watched Bai Huan’s movements while looking down toward the edge under his feet. Only then did he realize they were inside a vast hollow cavern in the belly of a ring-shaped mountain. The cavern itself was circular. Every so often, a torch was set into the rock wall. Beneath each torch was a narrow platform like the one they stood on. Behind each platform was a stone door. It looked like you could enter this huge cavern from different tunnels.

Directly opposite them, the farthest platform was at least dozens of zhang away. When he looked up, he saw the rock walls narrowing into a cone, the top swallowed in darkness with no visible exit. When he looked down, he saw they were still dozens of zhang above the cavern floor. The torchlight couldn’t reach that far, but down below floated a dim blue glow. It didn’t illuminate much, yet he could faintly make out the scene beneath it.

Bai Huan hung the torch back on the wall, coiled the rope up, and walked to Huo Fenghua’s side. Together they looked down.

In the middle of the blue glow, Huo Fenghua could make out many wooden boards laid out in neat rows. He asked, “What are those?”

Bai Huan said, “Do you remember what I told you Luofeng Ridge originally was?”

Huo Fenghua thought about it. “You said it was the Feng clan’s burial ground.” As he said that, his heart gave a sudden jolt.

Bai Huan nodded. “Those neatly arranged boards are all coffin lids. The blue light you see is from the medicinal solution soaking the coffins. That solution can keep bodies from decaying for a very long time. So those coffins aren’t sealed shut. The solution soaks through and seeps into the coffins as well, preserving the Feng clan’s remains.”

After Bai Huan said that, Huo Fenghua immediately felt as if the whole cavern had turned cold and clammy. The air seemed to carry a strange scent. He couldn’t tell whether it was the smell of the solution or the smell of corpses.

Bai Huan pointed to the largest wooden board at the very center of the cavern floor. By now Huo Fenghua understood it was the largest coffin lid. Bai Huan said, “The Flying Phoenix Scroll is inside that coffin.”

Huo Fenghua looked at him. “How do you know?”

Bai Huan didn’t answer. He only said, “Tie the rope around yourself. I’ll lower you down. Be careful. That solution is corrosive. Once you’re down there, step on the coffin lids. Jump to the center, open the lid, take out the Flying Phoenix Scroll, and then I’ll pull you back up.”

It was as if Huo Fenghua hadn’t heard him. He asked again, “How do you know?”

Bai Huan turned to look at him. After a moment of silence, he said, “The largest clan of the Yuqing people bears the surname Feng. The second-largest clan originally bore the surname Bai.”

Huo Fenghua suddenly understood. “You’re Yuqing too?”

Bai Huan’s voice lowered. “The Bai and Feng clans have been enemies for generations. They fought for years without end. The Bai clan gradually declined and was enslaved by the Feng clan. Do you see what’s beside the coffins in those corners?”

Huo Fenghua hadn’t looked closely before. When Bai Huan pointed toward the corners, he looked and saw many stone mannequins standing there. They formed a ring around the cavern, encircling the coffins in the middle.

Bai Huan withdrew his hand. “Inside every stone figure stands a member of the Bai clan. They weren’t just enslaved generation after generation. Even in death, they must guard the Feng clan’s coffins forever. They’re never allowed to be reborn.”

Huo Fenghua finally understood. “You’re from the Bai clan of Yuqing. So you weren’t following Wang Anzhi’s orders to go after Feng Tianzong. From beginning to end, you sided with the Wang family to target the Feng brothers.”

Bai Huan nodded. “Second Prince is right. We have a common enemy, Feng Tianzong. So I won’t harm you. I’m willing to help you find the Flying Phoenix Scroll and destroy Feng Tianzong. As for whether Donglin or Xichou wins, that doesn’t matter to me.”

Something felt off to Huo Fenghua. He slowly stood and took a small step back. “Then when Huo Tinggao exterminated the Feng clan, where did the Bai clan go?”

Bai Huan said, “They took the chance to escape.”

“No.” Huo Fenghua kept backing away. “The Bai clan was captured by the Feng clan and enslaved for generations. That day in Luofeng Ridge, the ones slaughtered weren’t only the Feng clan. Your Bai clan would’ve been slaughtered too. You’re not standing with me out of shared hatred. You want to wipe out both me and the Feng brothers. That’s why the formation at Luofeng Ridge used my birth data as the core.”

Bai Huan rose to face him. “No. They really did escape. I have no grievance with you. I should thank you Huos for killing off the Feng clan. Even if your line is ruined now, I’m still willing to help you get the Flying Phoenix Scroll, then kill Feng Tianzong and repay our shared great hatred.”

Huo Fenghua wanted to retreat through the door behind him.

But Bai Huan suddenly said, “Don’t step back. If you do, you’ll fall.”

Huo Fenghua stopped short and turned to look. There was no stone door behind him at all, only empty space. One more step and he would’ve plunged into the abyss. Their stone platform had suddenly become an island in the cavern, identical from every angle.

Bai Huan smiled. “Has no one ever told you? What I’m best at is setting formations. Yin and yang, the Eight Trigrams, endless celestial patterns. The human heart is easiest to confuse with what the eyes can see, and once you lose your bearings, you’re done.”

Huo Fenghua didn’t speak. He only stared at Bai Huan.

Bai Huan said, “I’m not killing you. I truly mean to help you obtain the Flying Phoenix Scroll.”

Huo Fenghua kept his palm close to his thigh, gathering inner energy. He slowly raised his hand. Just as he was about to strike, he abruptly pulled back and looked past Bai Huan’s shoulder.

Bai Huan’s brows tightened. He heard the sharp whistling of a feathered arrow leaving the string. He twisted aside, barely avoiding the shot. When he turned, he saw someone appear on the opposite platform, a longbow in hand, gaze sharp as he aimed across.

It was Shao Feijie.

Huo Fenghua gathered qi again and slammed a palm strike into Bai Huan’s shoulder while shouting, “Many thanks, General Shao!”

Shao Feijie didn’t respond. A second arrow was already nocked on the string, aimed straight at them, but he didn’t release it immediately.

Bai Huan’s martial skill was clearly inferior to Huo Fenghua’s, and he hadn’t expected Huo Fenghua’s inner strength to be so deep. He struggled to take four or five exchanges, retreating again and again until his feet were at the edge of the platform.

Then Huo Fenghua drove a palm into Bai Huan’s chest. Bai Huan toppled backward, his body falling off the platform. Huo Fenghua leaned out to look, but Bai Huan’s figure vanished in midair. He didn’t see him drop into the sea of coffins at the cavern floor either.

Huo Fenghua looked up at Shao Feijie across from him. “Where did he go?”

Shao Feijie’s arrow was still trained in this direction, but he slowly lowered the bow. “He flung his rope onto the cavern wall, caught something, and escaped.”

Huo Fenghua asked, “Why didn’t you shoot him?”

Shao Feijie said instead, “Who was he? So you’re really not dead, Second Prince. Why are you here?”

Huo Fenghua froze, then suddenly remembered their purpose. “We came to find you!”

“Find me?” Shao Feijie’s brows drew tight. “You? Who else is with you?”

Huo Fenghua’s mind turned quickly, and the words came out. “And Martial Uncle Wen. What happened to my Martial Uncle? Do you know?”

Shao Feijie stepped forward. “You saw Heyi?”

Talking like this was far too inconvenient. Huo Fenghua asked, “How did you find this place? Do you know the way inside?”

Shao Feijie answered, “I found an old map of Luofeng Ridge.”

Huo Fenghua said, “Then can we talk somewhere else? I’m afraid we’re being too loud and we’ll wake the ones sleeping down below. If they get unhappy, we’re finished.”

Shao Feijie said, “Wait over there. I’ll come to you.”

Huo Fenghua nodded. “Hurry.”

Then he saw Shao Feijie retreat back out through the cavern entrance he’d come from.

After Bai Huan fell, the surroundings around Huo Fenghua returned to normal. Being alone in this burial place made his skin crawl. He took the candle stand Bai Huan had brought and backed out too, intending to find somewhere outside to sit and wait for Shao Feijie.

But he had barely stepped out when he saw someone standing at the end of a corridor to one side, holding up a candle stand.

Huo Fenghua realized that it was Wen Heyi.

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

Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan

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

Chapter 86

Huo Fenghua couldn’t quite understand Bai Huan’s intentions. “If you can take Feng Tianzong’s life directly, then why did you take the long way around back then and set up that whole ‘cut off the bloodline’ curse formation?”

Bai Huan didn’t answer. He only looked at Huo Fenghua.

Huo Fenghua met his gaze calmly.

After a moment, Bai Huan said, “This isn’t something that can be explained in a few words. Come with me.” With that, he raised the candle stand in his hand and walked out of the cavern.

Huo Fenghua had plenty of questions, but he didn’t dare press too hard. He was afraid of making Bai Huan suspicious. So he could only shake the mud from his boots and follow.

Outside the cavern was a corridor. By the light of Bai Huan’s candle, Huo Fenghua saw many exits along both sides. Some opened into more corridors that sloped upward or downward or ran level into the distance. Others opened into caverns, layered and overlapping. It was as if the entire mountain of Luofeng Ridge had been hollowed out into a gigantic maze, twisting and crossing through the lightless belly of the mountain.

He tried to memorize the route. Every time they passed through a corridor, he channeled inner energy into his fingertip and left a mark.

Bai Huan walked ahead without looking back. He seemed very familiar with the paths inside. After a long while, Huo Fenghua realized they hadn’t taken a single repeated turn.

Later, though, Huo Fenghua noticed that some of the caverns bore signs that someone had lived there. He saw stone beds and tables. He even saw luminous pearls set into the walls, and bead curtains hanging down as obvious decoration. He reached up to try and pry one of the pearls loose, but he couldn’t. When he turned around, he found Bai Huan watching him. Not wanting to expose his strength, he stopped and clapped his hands lightly. “Someone lived in here?”

Bai Huan was silent for a moment. “You came looking for the Flying Phoenix Scroll, yet you don’t know people lived here?”

Huo Fenghua had no idea what the Flying Phoenix Scroll even was. The more he said, the more likely he’d slip up. He clasped his hands behind his back, put on a deep, inscrutable air, and walked a few steps along the wall studded with luminous pearls. “I don’t know because nobody was willing to tell me. You can’t understand that?”

Bai Huan didn’t respond.

Huo Fenghua felt a bit annoyed at how uncooperative he was, so he continued. “I was sent to Donglin when I was young. Only now have they finally allowed me back to Xichou. Do you think they treat me like a prince… or like a tool? Can’t you see it?”

As he spoke, Huo Fenghua abruptly stopped. He’d spotted a line of carved characters on the cavern wall. He reached out to touch them and realized they were written in a script he didn’t recognize, like earthworms linked head to tail.

Bai Huan looked at him. “That’s the writing of the Yuqing people.”

Huo Fenghua turned to look at him.

Bai Huan walked to his side, lifted the candle stand, and illuminated the carving more clearly. “What’s carved there is a girl’s name, and her birth data.”

As he spoke, he lifted a hand and touched the carving too.

“Yu—what people?” Huo Fenghua hadn’t caught it.

Bai Huan said, “Yuqing used to be a small country in the northwest of Xichou. Many years ago, Xichou destroyed it. After that, the Yuqing people became the Yuqing clan. The largest surname of the Yuqing clan is Feng.”

Huo Fenghua was shocked. Feng. His mind immediately leapt to Feng Tianzong. “Feng? Then why is this place called Luofeng Ridge? Isn’t that an extremely unlucky name?”

Bai Huan told him, “Because Luofeng Ridge was originally the burial ground of the Feng clan.”

Huo Fenghua stared at Bai Huan, the astonishment on his face not fading at all.

Bai Huan set the candlestand down. “Since you want to know, I can tell you the ending of the Feng clan and the Flying Phoenix Scroll.”

Huo Fenghua’s curiosity was burning so fiercely that he practically wanted to go massage Bai Huan’s shoulders and beg him to take his time and talk.

For some reason, Bai Huan didn’t seem in a hurry anymore. He walked over and sat down on a stone bed in the cavern, then looked up at Huo Fenghua. “Xichou’s Martial Emperor, Huo Tinggao, could be called the emperor who restored Xichou’s strength. You’re surely more familiar with your ancestor’s deeds than I am.”

Huo Fenghua said nothing.

Bai Huan continued, “It’s normal you wouldn’t know the story of Luofeng Ridge and the Flying Phoenix Scroll. The matter began with Huo Tinggao. When he was young, he left the palace in disguise on an inspection tour. While hunting in the mountains, he saved a boy’s life. The boy was named Feng Yiting. Having walked right up to the edge of death, Feng Yiting was profoundly grateful. When they parted, he said that one day he would repay Huo Tinggao’s kindness. Ten years later, after Huo Tinggao had ascended the throne, he met Feng Yiting again, now a strikingly handsome young man.”

Huo Fenghua couldn’t help interrupting. “Is this… a love story?”

Bai Huan glanced at him and didn’t answer.

Huo Fenghua hurriedly said, “Go on, go on.”

Bai Huan’s voice was calm and even. “Feng Yiting was capable in both civil and military affairs. He fulfilled his youthful promise to repay Huo Tinggao’s kindness. He was appointed commander and led a northern expedition, nearly breaking into the northern barbarian capital. Later, the northern barbarians ceded Wuhetan to Xichou with their own hands. When Feng Yiting was about to continue eastward to campaign against Donglin, Huo Tinggao summoned him back to Huijing City, made him relinquish his command, and relinquished him as the Prime Minister of the court. Even so, Feng Yiting bore it without resentment, wholeheartedly assisting Huo Tinggao.”

Huo Fenghua said in a low voice, “Huo Tinggao was afraid he’d become too meritorious and threaten the throne.”

Bai Huan neither confirmed nor denied it. He only said, “In truth, Huo Tinggao trusted and relied on Feng Yiting greatly. He kept him close. The two often talked deep into the night in the palace. When Feng Yiting grew tired, Huo Tinggao would have him sleep on the emperor’s bed. There was even an eunuch who once saw Huo Tinggao personally taking off Feng Yiting’s boots and pulling a blanket over him. And because of Huo Tinggao’s favor, Feng Yiting suffered much jealousy and slander at court. He didn’t take it to heart. At the time, he was pouring himself into writing down everything he’d learned into a military treatise to present to Huo Tinggao. That book was the Flying Phoenix Scroll. Huo Tinggao also seemed untouched by others’ attempts to sow discord. He continued to favor Feng Yiting alone—he even killed a noble consort from his own harem for Feng Yiting’s sake.”

Huo Fenghua couldn’t help thinking, ‘This really is a love story.’

Bai Huan said, “Feng Yiting was trusted that deeply, and he remembered the old debt of kindness. So his feelings of loyalty and attachment grew heavier by the day. One day, the two of them were drinking in the palace. Drunk and dazed, Feng Yiting told Huo Tinggao that he was, in fact, a descendant of the Feng clan of Yuqing. The Feng clan was born able in both letters and arms. They were skilled in astronomy and geography alike, capable of deploying troops and setting formations, as well as reading the stars and divining fortunes. And he—he was only an ordinary member of the clan. Both men were quite drunk. Hearing this, Huo Tinggao laughed loudly, slapped Feng Yiting on the shoulder, and told him to bring his clansmen to help him unify the world. Feng Yiting only smiled faintly and shook his head, saying it was impossible.”

Huo Fenghua’s brows drew together slightly.

Sure enough, Bai Huan continued, “After that, the two of them slept on the same bed. At dawn the next morning, Feng Yiting woke with his head splitting. The moment he opened his eyes, he saw Huo Tinggao’s face close at hand, watching him with a deep, unreadable expression. Feng Yiting remembered what he’d drunkenly said the night before, and cold sweat broke out all over him. He hurried to get up and leave the palace, but Huo Tinggao had people stop him and confined him within his own palace. At the same time, he dispatched troops to exterminate the Feng clan of Yuqing.”

Huo Fenghua listened in silence.

Bai Huan went on. “The Feng clan had astrologers. Years earlier, they’d predicted this disaster. To avoid it, the entire clan relocated deep into Luofeng Ridge, living in caves and hiding. Luofeng Ridge was shaped into what it is now by generations of Feng people digging and building. It had originally been their burial ground, meant for the clan’s dead. Now it became their refuge. They hoped to weather this catastrophe, but Huo Tinggao was decisive and ruthless. He sent troops to search harshly for the Feng clan’s whereabouts. He thought: a single Feng Yiting could nearly help him crush the northern barbarians and conquer Donglin. A whole clan of such people would be like a blade hanging over his head. If he didn’t wipe them out, how could he feel secure marching east? In the end, the troops Huo Tinggao sent found Luofeng Ridge’s interior and slaughtered every hidden Feng clansman. Not one was left alive.”

Huo Fenghua asked softly, “But Feng Yiting was still alive?”

Bai Huan nodded. “Only Feng Yiting remained. Huo Tinggao couldn’t bear to kill him, so he kept him imprisoned. There were many rumors in the palace at the time—dirty, vile stories, too ugly to repeat. There were even claims that later, for Feng Yiting’s sake, Huo Tinggao buried alive the very unit of soldiers that had exterminated the Feng clan. No one knows what was true anymore. All that’s known is that in the end, Huo Tinggao still couldn’t bring himself to kill Feng Yiting. And Feng Yiting disappeared from the Xichou palace without a trace. Vanishing with him was the completed Flying Phoenix Scroll.”

Huo Fenghua was quiet for a moment, then asked, “Feng Tianzong is Feng Yiting’s descendant?”

Bai Huan tossed the question back at him. “What do you think?”

Huo Fenghua didn’t answer. He only reached out again to touch the carved writing on the wall. In his mind, an image of a little girl suddenly appeared. Maybe she’d been born in this cavern, and maybe she’d ended her brief life in this cavern as well.

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

Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan

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

Chapter 85

They left the horses outside the valley of Luofeng Ridge and went in together. They found the cave Wen Heyi had brought them to before. The entrance was still covered by an enormous boulder. If you didn’t walk right up to it, it was hard to even notice.

Su Zeyang went in first. He’d come here before with Huo Fenghua and knew the paths inside. Feng Tianzong brought up the rear, letting Huo Fenghua and the others enter ahead of him.

Inside, it was pitch-black. When Huo Fenghua stepped in, Wen Heyi clutched his arm tightly and trembled as he called, “Dad… Yi’er’s scared.”

Huo Fenghua patted the back of his hand, soothing him. “Don’t be scared. Just stay close to Dad.”

Up ahead, Gu Guangji gave a low snort. “Little bastard.”

Huo Fenghua ignored him. Something occurred to him, and he asked Wen Heyi, “Yi’er, are you familiar with this place? Does it feel like you’ve been here before?”

Wen Heyi answered, “Yi’er doesn’t know.”

They kept walking forward. They didn’t run into any obstacles, and they didn’t meet anyone else. Then, faintly ahead, they saw a pale yellow glow. They’d reached that circular cavern where the birth characters of Huo Fenghua and the Feng brothers had been buried, and where the curse formation had been laid.

They all lightened their steps and held their breath. No one spoke. Su Zeyang gripped his sword tightly. Only after he could see the whole cavern clearly did he loosen his hold on the hilt and walk in slowly.

The candle stands in the cavern had been lit, but there wasn’t a single person there.

Gu Guangji darted ahead of Su Zeyang, circled the cavern once, and said in confusion, “Where is he?”

Su Zeyang went to the candles and examined them. “They were lit not long ago. Someone was here, but they left.”

Huo Fenghua frowned. “There’s only one way in. If he left the same way, we should’ve run into him.”

Feng Tianzong walked to the center of the cavern and looked at the small pit that had been dug in the ground. “Then there’s another hidden passage.” He turned to Su Zeyang. “This is where the formation was set?”

Su Zeyang went to stand beside him and said softly, “Yes. The wooden box was buried right here in the middle.”

Gu Guangji glanced around anxiously. “Let’s find the hidden passage.”

Huo Fenghua looked around too. The cavern seemed like a single solid piece. It didn’t look like it had any secret way out at all. The ground and the walls were tightly joined with not a crack in sight.

Maybe the hidden passage was outside this circular cavern, in the darker tunnel. In dim light, it would be easy to miss.

Thinking that, he headed back the way they’d come, leaving the circular cavern and returning to the pitch-black corridor.

Wen Heyi still had a death grip on his hand and followed him out into the corridor. He even tried to tug him back, muttering, “So dark. So scary.”

Huo Fenghua didn’t indulge him. He reached into his clothes, took out a fire striker, and blew it to life. He raised the small flame and carefully examined the corridor wall. After sweeping the light around once, he spotted a stone protrusion with a very regular shape. He pressed it, but it didn’t move.

He found it odd. Unwilling to give up, he pressed again with much more force. This time the stone block suddenly sank backward, and the section of rock wall in front of him slid back as well, revealing a hollow opening. But he’d pushed too hard. When the support vanished, his body pitched forward uncontrollably.

There was nothing ahead. Huo Fenghua shouted as he fell onto a smooth, slanted surface, then began sliding rapidly forward. He hurriedly braced a hand, trying to stabilize himself with inner strength, but Wen Heyi, still clinging to his arm, tumbled in after him and slammed into his back. That impact ruined what little control he had. The two of them rolled together, bumping and tumbling down the slick, steep passage.

They rolled for a long time. Then, one after the other, they hit the ground. Wen Heyi landed on top of Huo Fenghua. Huo Fenghua yelped in pain, but after Wen Heyi let out a muffled groan, he went still.

Huo Fenghua struggled upright and pushed at Wen Heyi. Wen Heyi lay sprawled on him, his head pressed to the ground, not moving at all.

The fire striker had flown from his hand during the fall. Everything was black. He couldn’t see anything. He could only reach out and feel for Wen Heyi, until his fingers found his face. Wen Heyi’s eyes were shut tight.

Huo Fenghua’s heart lurched. “Yi’er?”

No response.

He lifted Wen Heyi’s head and felt a stone under it. He must’ve knocked his head on it when they landed. Panic rose in Huo Fenghua’s chest. He touched Wen Heyi’s forehead but didn’t feel any blood. He could only call again, “Yi’er, wake up!”

He grabbed Wen Heyi by the collar and shook him lightly. This time he heard a faint hum. Wen Heyi seemed to be waking.

Huo Fenghua finally breathed a little easier. “You’re awake?”

After a moment, Wen Heyi gave a very soft “Mm.”

Huo Fenghua eased him down onto the ground. “Rest for a bit. I’ll find a way out.” Then he stood and shouted up toward the passage they’d fallen from. “Senior Brother! General!”

No one answered. After a while he shouted again, “Master!”

Still nothing.

So Huo Fenghua began feeling along the cavern wall. The passage they’d rolled down was long, steep, and smooth. It was basically impossible to climb back up. He could only look for another route out.

Very soon, he found another passage, extremely similar to the one they’d come down, also a slick slanted corridor. He had no idea where it led.

He went back to Wen Heyi. “Yi’er, get up. Dad will take you out.”

In the darkness, Wen Heyi seemed to sit up. After a brief silence, he said, “What did you call me?”

“Yi’er…” Huo Fenghua hadn’t finished the word before he suddenly sensed something was wrong. Wen Heyi’s voice was low and heavy, nothing like his usual innocent tone. A bad feeling slammed into him.

Wen Heyi didn’t speak.

The surroundings were completely dark. Huo Fenghua couldn’t see Wen Heyi’s expression. He edged back a little nervously. Wen Heyi suddenly reached out and grabbed his wrist. The grip wasn’t very strong, but Huo Fenghua heard him murmur, “Huo Fenghua?”

Huo Fenghua’s heart jumped. He forced his voice steady. “Martial Uncle, are you dizzy?” At the same time, he kept inching backward. He easily broke free of Wen Heyi’s hand and pressed his back to the cavern wall.

Maybe Wen Heyi wasn’t fully awake yet. He didn’t move in the darkness.

Huo Fenghua didn’t really need to be that afraid. He didn’t know if Wen Heyi had truly recovered. Even if he had, with Huo Fenghua’s current skill, Wen Heyi might not even be his match.

But since the day they’d met, Huo Fenghua had suffered at Wen Heyi’s hands again and again. The fear ran deep. His first instinct was simply to get away.

Wen Heyi’s breathing was heavy. He sat on the ground without moving.

Huo Fenghua slid along the wall until he reached the passage he’d found. Then he abruptly dove into it.

Just like before, it was a steep, slick chute you couldn’t stand on. Huo Fenghua slid down, his whole body dropping. This time, at least he’d jumped in deliberately. He managed to keep his balance and didn’t go rolling head over heels.

He slid for a long distance. He didn’t hear Wen Heyi chasing after him. Then he reached the end of the passage. The ground vanished beneath his feet, and with a soft squelch, his boots sank into something soft, plunging down to his knees in an instant.

It was still a pitch-black cavern. He couldn’t see anything. He tried to pull his feet out, but the moment he moved, his body sank further, swallowing past his knees. He froze, not daring to struggle. He reached down and felt beneath him.

Soft mud.

He was in a bog. The more he struggled, the deeper he’d sink.

Huo Fenghua went blank with horror. He lifted his head, hesitating whether to call Wen Heyi for help. Even if Wen Heyi could hear him, Huo Fenghua couldn’t tell whether calling him over would bring rescue… or death.

That thought made him feel wronged. A moment ago Wen Heyi had been clinging to his arm and calling him Dad like a good kid. Now he was turning around and calling him “Huo Fenghua.” After all that effort, he’d raised a little ungrateful brat.

Huo Fenghua took a slow breath and tried to think through how to handle the situation. Before he could, he heard light, careful footsteps.

With the footsteps came a faint cluster of flame. Someone was walking over with a candle stand, lighting up the space in front of Huo Fenghua. Sure enough, he was in a large mud bog inside a cavern, and he was sinking at an extremely slow pace.

The person who entered with the candle was a stranger, a young man in pale gray clothes. His cheeks were lean, and his eyes tilted slightly upward at the corners. He stood at the edge of the bog and looked at Huo Fenghua. After a moment, his expression showed mild surprise.

“Huo Fenghua?”

Huo Fenghua froze. He was still wondering who this man was when a name surfaced in his mind: Bai Huan.

The person who had entered the cave before them and still hadn’t left could only be Bai Huan. But Huo Fenghua had never met Bai Huan. Why did Bai Huan recognize him?

Then, in a flash, Huo Fenghua understood. Bai Huan had set the curse formation at Luofeng Ridge on Wang Anzhi’s orders. The formation’s focal point used Huo Fenghua’s birth data. It was very possible that, back before this Huo Fenghua married into the General’s Manor, the two of them had met through Wang Anzhi’s connections. Huo Fenghua didn’t recognize Bai Huan, but Bai Huan recognized him.

While Huo Fenghua was still unsettled, Bai Huan frowned slightly, as if confused as well. “Weren’t you dead?”

Everyone in Yujing City thought he was dead. The Wang family did too. It seemed Bai Huan had heard the news of his death from the Wangs.

Huo Fenghua licked his lips. “I’m not dead. I faked it so I could get out of the General’s Manor. Bai Huan, pull me up.”

Bai Huan didn’t move right away. He kept staring at him. “Why are you here?”

Huo Fenghua said, “I’m a prince of Xichou. Why wouldn’t I be here?”

Bai Huan studied him for a while. “You came for the Flying Phoenix* Scroll?”

*This is part of the title of the novel, Fei Fang.

Huo Fenghua had no idea what that was. He didn’t confirm it or deny it. He only said, “Get me out first. Then I’ll tell you what I’m here for.”

Bai Huan hesitated briefly. Then he set the candle stand down, uncoiled a long rope from his back, and threw it into the middle of the mud bog. Huo Fenghua quickly grabbed it. He felt Bai Huan taking hold and hauling him toward the edge.

Once Huo Fenghua could hook both hands over the stone rim of the bog, he let out a breath. As he climbed up, he said, “You and Wang Anzhi used me as the formation’s focal point to curse the Feng brothers. You were trying to get me killed!”

Bai Huan reeled the rope back in, coiled it, and slung it over his back again. “So Feng Tianzong really did discover the curse formation at Luofeng Ridge. He wanted to kill you?”

Huo Fenghua shook mud off his legs and decided not to expose himself for now. He told Bai Huan, “If I hadn’t bribed a maid in the General’s Manor and faked my death to escape, I’d have been killed by Feng Tianzong and Su Zeyang already so they could break the curse.”

Bai Huan’s brows drew together. “That was Wang Anzhi’s intention, not mine. I didn’t want to harm you, Second Prince.”

Huo Fenghua hadn’t heard that form of address in a long time. And since Bai Huan was Xichou as well, it tracked. He said, “Yet you, a Xichou man, colluded with the Wang family to harm me, a prince!”

Bai Huan shook his head. “I didn’t expect anyone would discover the formation here. I thought no one would ever find it.”

Huo Fenghua said, “But they did find it. Luckily, they think I’m dead. Otherwise, they’d be hunting you too while they hunted me. Do you believe me?”

Bai Huan didn’t answer.

Seeing Bai Huan had accepted his story, Huo Fenghua asked, “Then why are you here now?”

Bai Huan looked at him. “Wang Anzhi thinks you’re dead, and that the Feng brothers’ curse has been broken. He wants me to set up a new formation for him. This time, he wants Feng Tianzong’s life.”

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

Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan

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

Chapter 84

Huo Fenghua told Gu Guangji everything he’d been through at Wuhetan—how he’d run into Wen Heyi and what happened after.

Gu Guangji kept his brows knitted the whole time. When Huo Fenghua finished, Gu Guangji lifted a hand and knocked him on the head. “Your Martial Uncle’s gone stupid, and all you can think about is taking advantage of him!”

Huo Fenghua protested at once, “When did I ever! If I hadn’t saved him, he’d either be dead by now, or he’d already be a guinea pig for that Bald Scholar. He should be thanking me if anything.”

Wen Heyi hid behind Huo Fenghua and muttered, “Don’t hit my dad.”

Gu Guangji walked over and sat down at the table. He said to Wen Heyi, “Come here. Let me check your pulse.”

Wen Heyi didn’t dare go over. He clung tightly to Huo Fenghua’s arm, so Huo Fenghua led him over, pressed him onto the stool by the table, took one of his hands, and offered it to Gu Guangji for the pulse check.

Gu Guangji’s learning was broad and messy, and his medical skills were half-baked at best. He felt Wen Heyi’s pulse for a long time and still couldn’t make sense of it. He just kept sighing. “When Master brought my Junior Brother back to the sect, he was still very young. He grew up at my side, just like Zeyang. I knew his heart was restless, that he couldn’t stay obediently on the mountain. I let him go out into the world. I never expected he’d end up like this.”

Huo Fenghua muttered, “Martial Uncle didn’t exactly go easy on me.”

Gu Guangji shot him a glare. “No respect, no sense of hierarchy. Believe it or not, I’ll kick you out of the sect.”

Huo Fenghua wasn’t having it. “Master, did you forget? I’m the sect leader now. The sect leader token is still on me.”

The Xianyuan Sect only had four people in total. Gu Guangji had passed the position to Huo Fenghua and then walked away without a second thought. By now he’d practically forgotten about it himself. Hearing that, he was momentarily speechless, then turned to Su Zeyang. “This is all your fault. I told you to be sect leader and you refused!”

Su Zeyang said, “You were the one who insisted on passing it to him. What does that have to do with me?”

Seeing master and disciples locked in a stalemate, Feng Tianzong stepped in to smooth things over. “Senior, why are you here?”

Gu Guangji looked at him. “I haven’t even asked why you’re here.”

Feng Tianzong replied, “We’re here chasing someone. After daybreak, we’re going into Luofeng Ridge.”

“Hm?” Gu Guangji looked surprised. “I’m chasing someone too. That person should’ve gone into Luofeng Ridge as well.”

Huo Fenghua asked, “Who?”

Gu Guangji rubbed his messy beard. “You still remember you came to ask me about that curse formation at Luofeng Ridge, the one aimed at the Feng family? I found the one who set it.”

“Bai Huan?” Su Zeyang said.

Gu Guangji looked over at him. “You found him too? I’ve been chasing Bai Huan for quite a while. That kid’s formidable. All kinds of curses and formations come as naturally to him as breathing. I got curious, so I kept following him in secret.”

Huo Fenghua asked, “Why follow him? You got your eye on him or something?”

Gu Guangji raised a hand to pinch his cheek. Huo Fenghua tried to dodge, but Gu Guangji was so fast he couldn’t avoid it. Gu Guangji still caught a piece of cheek and gave it a hard pinch.

When Gu Guangji finally let go, Huo Fenghua threw himself into Su Zeyang’s arms, aggrieved. “Senior Brother—”

Gu Guangji looked a little surprised instead. “Haven’t seen you in a long time. Your internal energy has improved quite a bit. Was it that Qi-gathering Golden Pill from that old demon Zixi?”

Su Zeyang hugged Huo Fenghua and lifted a hand to rub his cheek. “Master, stop bullying your disciple.”

Su Zeyang’s hand was cool against his face, and it felt so nice that Huo Fenghua hooked both arms around Su Zeyang’s waist and refused to let go.

Gu Guangji didn’t bother with Huo Fenghua anymore. He continued, “I saw how capable Bai Huan is and wanted to spar with him a little. But the whole way he stayed on guard, so I never found the right moment. Then, before I knew it, I’d followed him into this area. I asked around—turns out Luofeng Ridge is up ahead. Thinking of what you said before, that Bai Huan set up that curse formation at Luofeng Ridge, I figured he had to be heading there.”

Feng Tianzong walked to the table and sat down. “Senior, you’ve been following Bai Huan. Where is he now?”

Gu Guangji said, “He never stopped. He passed through this village and already left. He didn’t notice you either, don’t worry. I was just thirsty and came looking for well water, and that’s how I ran into my youngest disciple.”

Su Zeyang frowned slightly. “Then Bai Huan will reach Luofeng Ridge before we do. I don’t know what he intends to do. Before, he went to Yujing City to meet Wang Chu and his son. I’m afraid they’ll try to harm Eldest Brother and Tianzong again.”

Huo Fenghua asked Gu Guangji, “Why didn’t you kill him?”

Gu Guangji blinked, caught off guard. “Why would I kill him?”

Huo Fenghua said, “If you still remember Bai Huan is the one who set the formation to curse the General and the Left Prime Minister, then you also said killing him would break the formation. So why didn’t you kill him?”

Gu Guangji said, “I also remember saying that killing the owner of those birth data would break it too. Isn’t that even simpler than killing Bai Huan? That kid, Bai Huan, is interesting. Leave him to me. I want to ask him about curse arts. I’ll go help you kill the owner of those birth characters. You tell me who it is.”

The moment he said that, the room fell silent.

Wen Heyi had been sitting at the table, dozing as he listened. But the sudden quiet startled him awake.

Gu Guangji found it odd. “Why isn’t anyone talking?”

Huo Fenghua let go of Su Zeyang and walked up to Gu Guangji. “Because that person is me.”

Gu Guangji froze for a moment. Then, as if he’d suddenly understood everything, he rubbed his head. “So that’s how it is.” He fell silent for a bit, then said awkwardly, “So Bai Huan has to die?”

Feng Tianzong nodded. “He has to die.”

Gu Guangji let out a long sigh, slumped forward over the table, and hugged his head.

At that point, Feng Tianzong said, “Since Bai Huan has already gone into Luofeng Ridge, we won’t rest anymore. Let’s set out early.” He was worried Bai Huan’s purpose for entering Luofeng Ridge wasn’t simple.

Su Zeyang nodded. “Let’s go.”

Huo Fenghua pulled Wen Heyi up from the table. “Come on, Yi’er.”

Wen Heyi still hadn’t slept enough. He said, “Dad, Yi’er wants to sleep a little more.”

“No more sleeping,” Huo Fenghua said. “We’ll sleep after we get to Luofeng Ridge, okay? Be good.”

Wen Heyi yawned, glanced back at Gu Guangji, thought the old man looked strange and unsettling, and hurried after Huo Fenghua, running out of the room.

This time, with Gu Guangji with them, they traveled through the night toward Luofeng Ridge.

To Huo Fenghua, Luofeng Ridge carried plenty of memories. He couldn’t call them good, but he couldn’t call them bad either. The one that stood out the most was still that fleeting, stunning first glimpse of Feng Tianzong.

As they drew closer to Luofeng Ridge, they slowed their horses.

Feng Tianzong lifted his head and looked out at the rolling mountains under the moonlight. Then he turned back to Huo Fenghua. “Remember anything?”

Huo Fenghua said, “I remember you on horseback, dragging me along the ground with a whip until I was rolling and crawling.”

After he said that, Feng Tianzong smiled faintly. “Still angry?”

Thinking back, Huo Fenghua knew he’d been in the wrong then. He couldn’t really call it anger anymore, but facing Feng Tianzong now still made him feel a little wronged. He didn’t answer, only turned to glance at Su Zeyang.

Su Zeyang also remembered the scene. Now there was no strong emotion left; he simply smiled lightly.

Huo Fenghua said, “I’m not mad anymore. You’re mine now. I should be tolerant of you.”

Feng Tianzong couldn’t help laughing. “Then I should thank Young Master Huo for being so magnanimous.”

Huo Fenghua waved a hand. “Alright, alright.”

Gu Guangji shared a horse with Wen Heyi. He spurred the horse up to Feng Tianzong’s side and said, “Feng boy, tell me—how did you get both my disciples so thoroughly in hand, willing to follow you without complaint?”

Feng Tianzong said, “Senior, you’ve misunderstood. It’s clearly your two disciples who got me thoroughly in hand and made me willing to follow them.”

Gu Guangji chuckled. “Feng boy’s not bad. My disciples have good taste. You’d better treat them well, and don’t go taking concubines again.”

Feng Tianzong looked at Gu Guangji, his tone sincere. “This is enough for this life.”

With Su Zeyang and Huo Fenghua, his feelings were already completely filled. There was no space left for anyone extra. Even between the three of them, Feng Tianzong often felt uneasy, afraid he wouldn’t be able to hold on to what he had; afraid someone would be taken from his side again, like that fire in the side courtyard of the General’s Manor.

Even if there were better people in this world, he wouldn’t be able to see them, and his heart wouldn’t be able to hold them anymore.

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

Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan

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

Chapter 83

After night fell, Feng Tianzong left the room. Before he went, he gently kissed Huo Fenghua and Su Zeyang on the forehead, then pulled the blankets up for them.

Huo Fenghua rolled over, burrowed into Su Zeyang’s arms, hugged him, and fell into a deep sleep.

He slept straight through to the next morning. When Huo Fenghua woke, it was already light out. He opened his eyes and saw Su Zeyang’s face inches from his own. No matter how close he looked, he couldn’t find a single flaw on that face.

Su Zeyang’s eyes were still closed. Huo Fenghua fumbled under the blanket until he found Su Zeyang’s hand and lightly held it, but he didn’t expect Su Zeyang to tighten his grip instead, lift their joined hands up between them, open his eyes, and solemnly asked, “Was this the hand that was doing the touching?”

Huo Fenghua froze, then immediately understood what he meant. A cold sweat broke out on his back. “Wasn’t that all over already?”

Su Zeyang stared at his hand. “If there’s a next time, I’ll chop it off.”

Huo Fenghua heard how serious he sounded and couldn’t tell if he was joking. He hurriedly hugged him. “No, no, there won’t be any next time. Never again.”

When Huo Fenghua sat up, he realized Feng Tianzong was already back. He was sitting by the window with his head lowered, looking at a piece of parchment in his hands. On the table in the room sat a small, neat paper box.

Huo Fenghua grabbed some clothes at random, threw them over himself, got out of bed, and walked to the table. “What’s this?”

Feng Tianzong answered, “I saw a pastry shop on the road doing brisk business, so I bought a few and brought them back for you.”

Huo Fenghua opened the paper box and saw four white milk cakes neatly arranged inside, rich with a creamy fragrance. He immediately took one to the bedside and fed it to Su Zeyang, who had just sat up. Then he came back, took another one, held it between his teeth, and walked toward Feng Tianzong.

“What are you looking at?” Huo Fenghua leaned in curiously to look at the parchment in Feng Tianzong’s hands and realized it was a map of Xichou.

Feng Tianzong casually wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him onto his lap, then traced a line across the map with his finger. “Shao Feijie is looking for something. He’s been traveling east from here. Guess where he’s headed.”

Huo Fenghua bit into the milk cake and shook his head.

Su Zeyang had also thrown on his clothes and walked over to Feng Tianzong. He studied the map for a moment, frowned slightly, and said, “Is he going to Luofeng Ridge?”

Feng Tianzong tipped his head up to look at him, smiling as he clasped Su Zeyang’s hand. “You guessed right. He’s going to Luofeng Ridge.”

Huo Fenghua asked, “What’s he looking for?”

This time Feng Tianzong shook his head. “They didn’t manage to find out. But they followed Shao Feijie the whole way and realized he’s searching for something. They also asked travelers questions about Shao Feijie along the road. That person said the direction Shao Feijie asked about was exactly the direction of Luofeng Ridge.”

Huo Fenghua didn’t quite understand. “That place… Luofeng Ridge doesn’t seem as simple as it looks on the surface.” He remembered the long, narrow passage that had been carved out by human hands, and he also remembered the curse about the Feng brothers’ line ending. Thinking of that, he turned to ask Su Zeyang, “You still haven’t found the person who set up the curse formation to curse the General and the Left Prime Minister?”

Su Zeyang said, “His name is Bai Huan. He’s from Xichou. I don’t know his exact background, but the one who hired him to set up the formation was Wang Anzhi. I drugged Wang Anzhi before, and he fell unconscious. The Wang family thought he’d been cursed, so they invited Bai Huan to the Wang residence to break the curse. I don’t know whether he realized Wang Anzhi was poisoned. But after I spotted him, I tracked him all the way into Xichou. I didn’t expect Tianzong would suddenly have something happen to him, so I had to rush over to save him and lost Bai Huan’s trail.”

“All of it’s connected to Luofeng Ridge,” Huo Fenghua said, rubbing his chin.

Feng Tianzong said, “It’s fine. We’ll find Shao Feijie first, then kill Bai Huan. One at a time.”

Huo Fenghua nodded.

They left the inn early that morning. This time they continued on, heading straight for Luofeng Ridge.

After crossing Wuling Mountain, the terrain became much flatter, but Feng Tianzong didn’t dare show himself in crowded places. They could only avoid the main roads as much as possible, traveling most of the time along narrow forest paths. At night they couldn’t stay at inns and could only camp out in the wilderness.

They traveled for nearly ten days before they finally reached the area near the mountain range of Luofeng Ridge. The environment around here had always been harsh and sparsely populated. After the war some time ago, it was even more deserted.

On the north side of Luofeng Ridge, they found an abandoned village. There were seven or eight dilapidated houses, all of which were uninhabited.

It was almost dark. Feng Tianzong dismounted, led his horse into the village, and found a secret guard’s mark in the corner of an abandoned house. He turned back to Huo Fenghua and the others. “From here, it’ll take less than an hour to reach Luofeng Ridge. We’ll stay here for the night and enter after daybreak.”

Huo Fenghua nodded and swung down from his horse.

They tied the horses to a post by the door and went into the room with the secret guard’s mark. Inside was a wooden bed with bedding still on it. It was coated in a thick layer of dust, but they’d been traveling day and night. They were filthy from head to toe, so Huo Fenghua didn’t care. He lay down on the bed.

Seeing that, Wen Heyi immediately came over and lay down beside him.

After Su Zeyang went inside, he found a well in the back courtyard and drew a bucket of water. Feng Tianzong, meanwhile, found a clean bundle under the cabinet in the corner of the room. Inside was some food and medicine, along with tools like rope and fire strikers—things the secret guards had left for him.

They didn’t light a lamp. In a deserted village out in the wild, lighting a lamp would only attract attention.

After lying down for a while, Huo Fenghua asked, “Is it possible we already missed Shao Feijie?”

Feng Tianzong shook his head. “The secret guards have been following him the whole way. Based on the pace, we might even reach Luofeng Ridge before he does.”

Huo Fenghua made a quiet sound of agreement. “Mm.”

Feng Tianzong watched Su Zeyang walk over and took his hand. “You rest with them. I’ll keep watch.”

Huo Fenghua flipped over and sat up. “Let’s take turns. We still have to travel tomorrow. You shouldn’t exhaust yourself.”

Feng Tianzong didn’t insist. Other than Wen Heyi, who was out of it, the three of them took turns keeping watch.

Huo Fenghua had Feng Tianzong and Su Zeyang sleep first. He sat by the window, opened a crack, and stared out at the empty village. The moonlight was especially bright tonight, a clean white full moon hanging in the sky and lighting the entire quiet village. Huo Fenghua stretched his hand out by the window, and by the moonlight slipping through the gap, he could almost clearly see the lines in his palm.

He turned back toward the bed. Su Zeyang and Wen Heyi were lying on it, while Feng Tianzong sat on the floor, his back against one of the bed legs. His head was lowered, and he’d fallen asleep.

Huo Fenghua felt something very strange.

For a long time, he’d never felt like he belonged in this world. But now, he truly did. There were people he wanted to protect, reasons he wanted to stay. Even though these days they’d been sleeping rough, and his body was worn to the limit, his heart still felt calm and satisfied.

Huo Fenghua turned back again. He drew a finger lightly through the dust on the window frame, planning that once the Bu Xian Xian at Wuhetan was finished, he’d send people to the coastal areas of Donglin to recruit shipwrights. They’d build a large ship at Wuhetan, with the interior made into a second Bu Xian Xian. Once it was complete, they’d sail down the Wu River to the sea and head for Donglin’s wealthy coast to drum up business.

Thinking of that, Huo Fenghua couldn’t help letting out a small laugh. He stood up, intending to pace around the room, but the moment he took one step, he saw Feng Tianzong’s foot twitch sharply. Afraid he’d wake him, Huo Fenghua quickly sat back down in silence.

That was when Huo Fenghua noticed a book tossed near the foot of the bed. He glanced out the window and didn’t see anyone, so he quietly got up, went to the bedside, groped around to pick it up, then returned to the window. By moonlight he opened it and discovered it was actually an erotic illustrated manual.

He glanced back at the others in the room. Everyone seemed to still be asleep, so he pushed the window open a bit wider and started flipping through the book from the beginning under the moonlight.

In the drawings were two tiny figures, a man and a woman. Every page showed a different position, and each one had a short passage of text beneath it. Huo Fenghua was stunned, thinking there were many strange and unusual positions.

In the dim, silent surroundings, he became completely absorbed. Only his heartbeat quickened slightly with the blush-inducing illustrations.

Without any warning, suddenly, a face appeared in the narrow gap between the two window panels.

Huo Fenghua’s heart nearly stopped.

The face was so close, as if someone had been crouching under the window and had suddenly stood up outside to stare in at him.

Huo Fenghua shrieked. He slapped the erotic manual straight onto that face, knocking the person backward. He himself jumped down from the chair, stumbled back two steps, and stared out the window on guard.

Feng Tianzong and Su Zeyang were both jolted awake. They sprang up at once, weapons in hand.

Wen Heyi also lifted his head on the bed and called out in confusion, “Dad?”

There was no movement outside the window. After Huo Fenghua knocked him down, the person didn’t climb back up for a long time. Feng Tianzong was about to go out and check when a hand suddenly shot up and gripped the window frame. Then they saw someone slowly haul himself upright outside, still holding the erotic manual with his head bowed as he examined it carefully.

When they saw his face clearly, Huo Fenghua and Su Zeyang both blurted out in shock, “Master?”

Gu Guangji’s brows and beard nearly scrunched into a single knot. He flipped through a few pages of the book, shook his head, and looked at Huo Fenghua with a face full of anger and disappointment. “In the middle of the night you won’t sleep, and you’re reading this kind of book. If you put this kind of effort into practicing martial arts, Master would be thanking heaven and earth.”

Feng Tianzong spoke. “Senior, what brings you here?” Then he glanced at the book in Gu Guangji’s hand.

Huo Fenghua’s face flushed scarlet. He leaned forward to snatch it back. “Give it back, you old geezer!”

Gu Guangji leaned his body back and lifted his hand to avoid Huo Fenghua’s grab. “No manners at all!” Then he pushed the window open, flipped into the room in a single motion, and with a flick of his hand, tossed the book to Su Zeyang.

Su Zeyang caught it and lowered his head to look, but Huo Fenghua snatched it back at once and stuffed it into his own chest. “Senior Brother, don’t look.”

Gu Guangji cursed again. “Brat!”

Su Zeyang asked, “Master, why are you here?”

Gu Guangji didn’t answer. He stood there blankly in the room, because he’d seen Wen Heyi, who was still on the bed.

Wen Heyi looked at Gu Guangji, completely baffled.

Gu Guangji stepped forward. “Junior Brother?”

Wen Heyi immediately hunched his neck, slipped off the bed on the sly, and ran barefoot behind Huo Fenghua. He called timidly, “Dad—”

Huo Fenghua immediately thought, ‘Oh no.’ He looked up at Gu Guangji and saw Gu Guangji’s eyes go wide, his mouth falling open in astonishment. Huo Fenghua hurriedly braced himself, stepped forward, grabbed Gu Guangji’s sleeve, and said, “Master, listen, I can explain…”

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

Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan

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

Chapter 82

Feng Tianzong dragged Huo Fenghua into the room. Huo Fenghua instantly panicked. Seeing Su Zeyang by the bed packing up their things, he edged closer to him and said to Feng Tianzong, “General, how can you just believe whatever an idiot says?”

Feng Tianzong reached out and closed the door. “If it were someone else, I might not believe it, but since he’s talking about you, I find it quite believable.”

As soon as he finished speaking, someone knocked at the door. It was the inn’s attendant, bringing their bathwater.

The steaming hot bathwater filled the large wooden tub, which was placed in the center of the room. Feng Tianzong rested his hand on the edge of the tub and said to Huo Fenghua, “Aren’t you going to take a bath?”

Huo Fenghua grabbed Su Zeyang’s arm, “Senior Brother, you go first.”

Su Zeyang’s expression was calm as he glanced at him.

For some reason, Huo Fenghua felt a little guilty and released Su Zeyang’s hand.

Feng Tianzong asked, “What are you scared of? If you’ve done nothing wrong, why are you afraid of taking a bath?”

Huo Fenghua looked at him for a moment, then gave a small snort and walked to the tub to undo his clothes. He stripped quickly and climbed in without a stitch on, sitting down in the water. When he saw Feng Tianzong still watching him, he sank lower and lower until even half his face went under. His long hair floated on the surface, and only a pair of dark eyes showed above the water as he looked at Feng Tianzong timidly.

Feng Tianzong looked at him amusedly.

Huo Fenghua’s eyes darted. He thought he couldn’t dodge this anyway, so he might as well distract Feng Tianzong and make him forget the whole thing. He reached up, grabbed Feng Tianzong by the collar, and tried to pull him in for a kiss.

But Feng Tianzong simply reached down and lifted him straight out of the tub.

Huo Fenghua was drenched, plastered against Feng Tianzong’s chest as he was carried toward the bed.

Huo Fenghua let out a cry and clutched Feng Tianzong’s arm.

By then Su Zeyang had finished packing and set the bundle aside. He turned back just in time to see Feng Tianzong carrying Huo Fenghua to the bedside.

Huo Fenghua reached out to him and called, “Senior Brother—”

Su Zeyang ignored him. Huo Fenghua, held in Feng Tianzong’s arms, watched as Feng Tianzong kissed Su Zeyang over his head. The two of them kissed intimately, and a faint blush appeared on Su Zeyang’s fair cheeks, making him look incredibly alluring.

Huo Fenghua, unwilling to be left out, leaned closer and said, “I want some too.”

Feng Tianzong left Su Zeyang’s lips and dipped his head to kiss along Su Zeyang’s neck. Su Zeyang tilted his head back, his Adam’s apple trembling slightly.

“Do you know you did something wrong?” Feng Tianzong’s lips were pressed against Su Zeyang’s neck as he mumbled.

Huo Fenghua watched them for a while, then said helplessly, “Okay, okay, I was wrong. I won’t touch or look around indiscriminately anymore, okay?”

Su Zeyang looked at him, “Wrong?”

Huo Fenghua was stunned, “What else do you want?” He then tilted his head back and tried to expose his chest, “Come on, feel free to touch.”

Seeing this, Feng Tianzong smiled and whispered in Su Zeyang’s ear, “To the bed.”

Su Zeyang gave him a look, then obediently sat at the edge of the bed.

Feng Tianzong sat down too, still holding Huo Fenghua. One arm pinned Huo Fenghua against his chest while the other hand traced along Su Zeyang’s cheek and throat, gently pulling his collar open.

Huo Fenghua struggled, trying to squirm out of Feng Tianzong’s hold. Feng Tianzong lightly pinched his nipples and said, “If you’re admitting fault, shouldn’t you behave?”

Huo Fenghua couldn’t help but let out a soft moan and quieted down.

Feng Tianzong’s hand caressed Su Zeyang, from his chin to his neck, then to his chest. Huo Fenghua, sitting in Feng Tianzong’s lap, watched Su Zeyang’s two rosy nipples stand erect, and felt an uncontrollable itch of desire.

The rough, calloused palm of a hand accustomed to wielding weapons caressed Su Zeyang’s smooth, delicate skin.  A blush spread from his neck to his chest, whether from the friction of Feng Tianzong’s hand or from the arousal of desire, he didn’t know.

Huo Fenghua leaned his head against Feng Tianzong’s chest, staring blankly at Su Zeyang.

Feng Tianzong was clearly very familiar with Su Zeyang’s body. He bent his fingers, using his knuckles to rub Su Zeyang’s nipples, then stroked down to his flat abdomen. He pulled down Su Zeyang’s trousers and grasped his shaft that was already half hard.

Su Zeyang’s breathing suddenly became more intense. He leaned back, supporting himself on the bed with his elbows. His eyes were half lidded, and his lips were slightly parted. His cock quickly filled under Feng Tianzong’s touch.

Feng Tianzong lowered his head, nipped Huo Fenghua’s earlobe, and said in a deep voice, “Go and suck it.”

Huo Fenghua’s ears instantly felt hot. Feng Tianzong’s low voice seemed to penetrate his body. As if under a spell, he bent forward, opened his mouth, and took Su Zeyang’s penis into his mouth.

Su Zeyang began to pant heavily. Huo Fenghua struggled to take all of Su Zeyang’s cock. He tried to open his throat more to completely swallow it, and the stimulation of Su Zeyang rubbing against it made the corner of his eyes reddened. Hearing Su Zeyang’s low moans and gasps, he couldn’t help but get aroused as well.

He swallowed and gagged for a moment, then was suddenly embraced and lifted up by Feng Tianzong. Before he could understand what was happening, Feng Tianzong spread his legs apart, held him up, and lowered him onto Su Zeyang’s cock.

Su Zeyang’s member was already glistening, covered by his saliva, so it wasn’t particularly painful when his cock entered him. However, because Huo Fenghua was held by Feng Tianzong, he wasn’t in control of his body. When he was fully seated on Su Zeyang, he felt he was completely stretched open.

Huo Fenghua’s erection trembled slightly against Su Zeyang’s abdomen. He reached out and held Su Zeyang’s hand, then lowered his head to kiss his lips.

Su Zeyang couldn’t restrain himself and began to slowly thrust upwards.

Huo Fenghua felt Feng Tianzong stroking the back of his neck. All the hairs on his body stood on end, and he couldn’t help but flinch. Then that hand moved down his spine, pressing on the mark on his lower back, finally resting around his ass. His hole was being thoroughly punished by Su Zeyang’s thrust when he felt Feng Tianzong’s fingers rimming around the edge.

At that moment, Huo Fenghua didn’t realize what Feng Tianzong intended to do, until he felt Feng Tianzong insert a finger, and his body was suddenly stretched open even more. He panicked and tried to get off of Su Zeyang, saying, “No!”

Feng Tianzong kissed his ear from behind and whispered, “Don’t worry.”

Huo Fenghua was still afraid. “No, it’ll kill me!”

Feng Tianzong held his body with one hand, slowly sliding down to stroke his penis. “It won’t.” His voice was steady and firm, carrying a reassuring force. 

Huo Fenghua felt that the fingers inside him showed no sign of being withdrawn but were slowly expanding his already fully stretched hole. His body trembled uncontrollably, “You’ll make me loose!”

Feng Tianzong’s voice was somewhat hoarse, and he whispered seductively in Huo Fenghua’s ear, “No, you’ll like it very much. Didn’t you want to drain me dry?”

These few words made Huo Fenghua’s body heat up. At that moment, he was indeed overwhelmed with lust, and amidst the fear, a faint sense of anticipation arose.

Huo Fenghua shook his head, trying to dismiss Feng Tianzong’s words, but Feng Tianzong had already inserted another finger into him, squeezing his inner walls along with Su Zeyang’s cock.

Huo Fenghua whispered in fear, “It hurts so much.”

Feng Tianzong kissed and comforted him, “Be good. It’ll stop hurting soon.” He added another finger, simultaneously searching for that sensitive spot and then gently pressed on it.

Huo Fenghua was experiencing both pain and pleasure. He wanted to escape, but was unwilling, all the while his erection was swelling harder in Feng Tianzong’s hand.

Seeing that Huo Fenghua was thoroughly loosened, Feng Tianzong withdrew his fingers. Taking advantage of the moment when Su Zeyang was thrusting out, Feng Tianzong notched the tip of his cock against Huo Fenghua’s hole before simultaneously plunging his cock deep inside. He started pounding into Huo Fenghua’s body, following Su Zeyang’s rhythm. 

Huo Fenghua and Su Zeyang groaned at the same time.

Feng Tianzong also panted heavily, his thrusts beginning to go out of sync with Su Zeyang’s, repeatedly impacting Huo Fenghua’s body. 

Huo Fenghua’s face turned pale with pain. He bit his lip tightly and gripped Su Zeyang’s arm. After enduring the initial pain, he felt his prostate being repeatedly abused from both Su Zeyang’s and Feng Tianzong’s thrusting. There were seemingly no gaps in between to give him a moment’s rest.

His cock, which had gone a little soft, quickly hardened again. The pain subsided, and pleasure intensified. He trembled all over, sandwiched between the two men, being penetrated and thrust into. All he could do was open his mouth and moan loudly.

The bed swayed and shook.

Su Zeyang lay on the bed, his eyes flushed. He felt double the pleasure as his cock rubbed against Feng Tianzong’s while they were both inside Huo Fenghua. His breathing became erratic and he couldn’t stop moaning.

Feng Tianzong reached out from behind Huo Fenghua and touched Su Zeyang’s face, his thumb tracing his lips until they were bright red. Then he jabbed his fingers into Su Zeyang’s mouth, pinched his soft, wet tongue, and thrust deeper inside as if he wanted to poke it.

Su Zeyang made an unbearable sound and he opened his mouth. His cool and handsome features were tinged with a look of debauchery. His long hair was splayed out on the bed, making him look like a desecrated state of a god; incomparably beautiful.

Huo Fenghua weakly propped his hands on Su Zeyang’s chest to keep himself from falling, but his legs were already weak and numb. The pleasure seemed to reach all the way down to his toes, making him unconsciously curl his toes and constantly swallow his saliva. He looked at Su Zeyang’s face, then turned his head to seek a kiss from Feng Tianzong.

Feng Tianzong forcefully kissed his lips, hooking his tongue and sucking on it, making him swallow back his groans. His whole body emitted a soft, light pink glow, unable to conceal the pleasure he felt.

Under such intense and continuous stimulation, Huo Fenghua couldn’t help but come first. His cum sprayed all over Su Zeyang’s chest and abdomen. After orgasming, his body went limp and he slowly started to slide down. Feng Tianzong held his waist and continued pounding him.

Huo Fenghua’s mind was a blur. All he could hear were the wet, sticky slapping sounds, and the pain in his body had faded.  Having just finished climaxing, he was especially sensitive, and still moaning and gasping as Feng Tianzong held him.

Shortly after, Huo Fenghua saw Su Zeyang opening his mouth and breathing heavily, his face flushed. He weakly reached out to touch Su Zeyang’s face, but Feng Tianzong suddenly pressed him down from behind. 

His body was pressed against Su Zeyang’s, his back against Feng Tianzong’s chest, his head resting on the bed. He turned his head and saw Feng Tianzong kissing Su Zeyang over him. 

The two kissed intensely with saliva dribbling down from Su Zeyang’s lips. Then he saw Su Zeyang close his eyes, his body trembling and tensing, before Huo Fenghua felt a wet sensation inside him. Su Zeyang had finally come.

Feng Tianzong got up. While Su Zeyang’s slightly hard erection was still inside Huo Fenghua, Feng Tianzong began picking up the speed of his thrusting.

Su Zeyang took a deep breath, and after a moment, turned his head to look at Huo Fenghua. Both of them were somewhat exhausted, and they gently pressed their lips together.

Feng Tianzong, pressing against both of their bodies, continued to mercilessly pound into Huo Fenghua. As Su Zeyang’s cock softened, it slowly began to slide out; at the same time, Feng Tianzong finally came, spilling his seed deep into Huo Fenghua.

When it finally quieted, all three were left sprawled together, bodies pressed close, hands still lingering in slow, absentminded touches. Only after quite a while did their breathing gradually even out.

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

Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan

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

Chapter 81

Huo Fenghua decided to take Wen Heyi with him, accompanying Feng Tianzong and Su Zeyang. Their purpose was to find Shao Feijie, and he felt that Wen Heyi’s transformation into a simpleton was definitely related to Shao Feijie.

Feng Tianzong didn’t particularly like Wen Heyi, but Su Zeyang also agreed to take Wen Heyi along. After all, Wen Heyi was their martial uncle, and when their master went traveling, he repeatedly instructed them to find their martial uncle and bring him back.

Bao Jinshu had already been secretly dealt with by Luo Shicheng. Although the Donglin soldiers hadn’t left Wuhetan yet, with Luo Shicheng leading them, Huo Fenghua had nothing to worry about. The only thing that still bothered him was the “Boonie Bears” business; he wondered if Xiong’da and Xiong’er could handle Hu Dong and his men.

Feng Tianzong then left two of his secret guards behind to assist Xiongda and Xiong’er, which also served as a form of surveillance. He had a total of eight secret guards, all of whom had followed him since childhood and were mainly responsible for gathering information.  

Besides the two left at Wuhetan, the remaining six were secretly operating in Xichou and Donglin.

They traveled north from Wuhetan, through Beiyi, and then into Xichou.

Beiyi was a nomadic region. After crossing the high mountains from Wuhetan, there were vast grasslands ahead. They traveled west, passing the Wuling Mountain at the source of the Wu River, and then entered the territory of Xichou.

The north was cold and dry. Huo Fenghua wore a cloak and a cotton hat, a circle of white fur covering his entire face, riding his horse behind Feng Tianzong and Su Zeyang. 

Even though the surrounding scenery was magnificent and beautiful, they could only travel day and night without rest. The cold wind constantly blew against their faces, and Huo Fenghua was utterly exhausted, in no mood to appreciate the beautiful scenery. 

However, he didn’t complain, but silently memorized this journey, thinking that when he had time in the future, he would definitely bring his two beauties to travel and enjoy the sights at a leisurely pace.

That night, they stayed in a settlement of nomadic people. The hospitable shepherds lent them a tent for the four of them.

When Huo Fenghua jumped down from his horse, his legs were trembling. Even leading the horse forward, he could barely keep his legs from shaking and drawing together. He said to the enthusiastic Beiyi man, “Could we have another small tent? For him to sleep alone.” He pointed to Wen Heyi.

Wen Heyi looked panicked upon hearing this, “I don’t want to sleep alone! I’m scared!”

Scared my ass! Huo Fenghua couldn’t help but want to roll his eyes at him.

The Beiyi man didn’t understand Huo Fenghua’s words and smiled, looking at Feng Tianzong.

Feng Tianzong shook his head and said to him in the Beiyi language, “It’s nothing. He said thank you.”

After the four of them entered the tent, Feng Tianzong said, “It’s already very good that others are willing to lend you a place to stay. Don’t make any strange requests.”

There were no beds in the tent, only two mattresses and folded blankets in the corner. They could spread them out on the ground to sleep at night.

Su Zeyang and Huo Fenghua worked together to put the two mattresses together, which was barely enough for the four of them to squeeze in and sleep. Feng Tianzong lit the stove in the tent, and the dry, cold air gradually became warm. 

Huo Fenghua took off his hat and cloak and was about to take off his trousers while sitting on the mat, when he looked up and saw Wen Heyi watching him. He said, “Yi’er, turn around. Don’t look.”

Wen Heyi said unhappily, “I won’t.”

Huo Fenghua immediately pretended to be serious, “Turn around! If I catch you peeking, I’ll send you back!”

Wen Heyi pouted and reluctantly turned his head towards the tent flap, sulking.

Only then did Huo Fenghua quickly take off his trousers, and look down at his inner thighs, which were chafed and bright red. He looked up and saw Su Zeyang squatting in front of him, so he placed one leg on Su Zeyang’s lap, showing him his chafed inner thigh.

Su Zeyang took out a box of ointment from his pocket, dipped his finger in the ointment, and applied it to his groin.

The ointment was cool and soothing, making Huo Fenghua shiver with pleasure. After both legs were treated, he snatched the ointment from Su Zeyang’s hand, pushed him down onto the mat, and insisted on taking off his trousers to apply the ointment to him as well.

Su Zeyang said, “I don’t need it,” and struggled slightly. The two of them rolled around on the mat until their clothes and hair became disheveled.

Wen Heyi wanted to secretly turn his head to look, but was afraid that Huo Fenghua would scold him, so he could only grab his own clothes hem and restrain himself.

Seeing Su Zeyang’s long hair spilled across his shoulders, his collar loosened to reveal a delicate collarbone, Huo Fenghua couldn’t help lowering his head to kiss his neck. When he raised his head again, he saw a smile at the corner of Su Zeyang’s lips, and couldn’t resist kissing him again. 

Feng Tianzong stood by the tent door, smiling as he watched the two of them playing around. After a moment, he said, “I’ll go out and ask about the recent situation in Beiyi.” Then he lifted the tent flap and went out. 

When it was time to sleep, Wen Heyi insisted on having Huo Fenghua sleep next to him. So Huo Fenghua had Wen Heyi sleep on the far right, with himself next to him, and Su Zeyang right beside him, while Feng Tianzong slept on the far left.

They had traveled all day and were exhausted. Wen Heyi, now with the carefree nature of a child, immediately fell asleep as soon as he lay down.

Huo Fenghua heard Feng Tianzong and Su Zeyang talking in hushed tones, so he turned over to face them.

In the light of the brazier, he saw Feng Tianzong holding Su Zeyang in his arms, softly saying that the mountain path ahead to Wuling Mountain was steep and difficult to climb.

Huo Fenghua moved closer to Su Zeyang.

Su Zeyang stretched out a hand to put around his neck, letting him rest his head on his arm. Feng Tianzong reached out and stroked his hair, saying softly, “Traveling must be very tiring.”

Huo Fenghua asked strangely, “Don’t your legs hurt from the chafing?”

Feng Tianzong chuckled softly. “We’re used to it.”

Huo Fenghua didn’t believe him and reached out to touch Su Zeyang’s inner thigh. He found the skin there delicate, soft, and smooth to the touch. He didn’t know if it was red, but it certainly wasn’t chafed. Then he touched Feng Tianzong’s leg. Feng Tianzong had spent years riding horses, exposed to wind, rain, and scorching sun, so even the skin on his inner thighs, which had been rubbed against the saddle for so long, wasn’t as smooth. Huo Fenghua suddenly felt a pang of sympathy and couldn’t help but touch him a few more times.

Feng Tianzong grabbed his hand and placed it against his crotch. Huo Fenghua realized he had become aroused.

In this situation, although Huo Fenghua was tired, he felt he could do something. While touching Feng Tianzong’s erection, he looked up and kissed Su Zeyang’s lips. After a moment, Feng Tianzong turned over and held Su Zeyang in place as he thrust into him.

Su Zeyang gasped and his eyes moistened. He reached out to touch Huo Fenghua’s leg, whispering, “Get up.”

Huo Fenghua sat up, watching Su Zeyang lying between his legs. He guided Su Zeyang towards his cock and moaned as Su Zeyang engulfed his shaft. Groans continued to escape his lips as he stroked Su Zeyang’s hair.

The three of them continued for a while until Huo Fenghua climaxed and came down Su Zeyang’s throat. He watched as Su Zeyang swallowed it while Feng Tianzong orgasm at the same time, leaving his spent inside Su Zeyang.

Afterward, Huo Fenghua rolled onto his back, still breathing a little hard. He turned his head to sneak a look at Wen Heyi, saw that he was still asleep with steady, even breaths, and finally relaxed. He buried his face against Su Zeyang’s shoulder, closed his eyes, and went to sleep. 

After that, they rode horses for several more days, entering the Wuling Mountain Range. Wuling Mountain is a large mountain, and the Wu River originates from here, gradually widening as it flows down the mountain.

The mountain road was rugged and narrow, and the climate was harsh and changeable. Huo Fenghua led his horse along the narrow path beside a towering cliff, feeling as if his breath was about to freeze. He looked up at Feng Tianzong ahead, then back at Su Zeyang behind him.

Su Zeyang’s face was flushed from the cold, and he asked, “Are you tired?”

Feng Tianzong kept walking without stopping. “There’s nowhere to rest here. We need to find a cave.” 

“Not tired,” Huo Fenghua said, drawing a deep breath. “Let’s keep going.” 

They traveled through the Wuling Mountains for two days, spending the nights in caves, and finally crossed the mountains and reached the border of Xichou Kingdom.

At the foot of Wuling Mountain was a small border town in Western Chou. These remote towns hadn’t been touched by the war and were especially peaceful and quiet.

It wasn’t as though no merchants or travelers crossed the mountain pass. The four of them didn’t draw attention. Leading their horses, they found the town’s only inn.

Feng Tianzong found the mark left by the secret guards at the base of a pillar in front of the inn.

That night, the four of them stayed at the inn. Feng Tianzong asked the innkeeper for two superior rooms.

Su Zeyang went to tie up the horses in the backyard and feed them, while Huo Fenghua and Wen Heyi followed behind Feng Tianzong. Huo Fenghua asked curiously, “Why two rooms? Are the three of us going to share one?”

Although he wanted to share a room with Feng Tianzong and Su Zeyang, the beds in the inn were narrow, and after two days of climbing the Wuling Mountains, sleeping crammed together on a small bed would probably prevent them from getting a good rest.

Feng Tianzong took the room keys from the innkeeper, turned around, and whispered to Huo Fenghua, “I’m going out tonight. You and Zeyang can share a room.”

Huo Fenghua knew he was going to meet the secret guards, so he nodded, but couldn’t help but say, “Come back early. Get some rest whenever you can.”

Feng Tianzong smiled and squeezed his hand.

There was still some time before dinner, so Huo Fenghua asked the waiter to bring two buckets of hot water so they could take a bath in their rooms.

Wen Heyi followed behind them, and when he tried to enter the room, Huo Fenghua grabbed his wrist and pushed him out, pulling him to the door of the next room and saying, “This is your room.”

Su Zeyang and Feng Tianzong stood in front of the room door, watching them. 

Wen Heyi reluctantly said, “I want to share a room with Dad.”

Huo Fenghua said, “You can’t share a room with Dad. Dad is going to take a bath, and you can’t watch.”

Wen Heyi looked confused, “Why? Dad watched me take a bath, and he even touched me.”

Huo Fenghua immediately raised his hand to cover his mouth, but it was too late. Feng Tianzong’s cold voice sounded from behind, “Is that so?”

Wen Heyi was about to answer Feng Tianzong when Huo Fenghua pushed him into the room and immediately closed the door.

Huo Fenghua felt like the gaze on his back had turned into a cold draft. With his scalp tingling, he turned around. Su Zeyang looked like he’d smiled faintly and stepped inside. Somehow, that smile felt… dangerous. 

Feng Tianzong was still waiting for him at the door. When he slowly walked over, Feng Tianzong gently stroked his hair and asked, “Did you touch him?”

“I didn’t,” Huo Fenghua answered without thinking.

Feng Tianzong said, “He said you watched him take a bath and even touched him.”

Huo Fenghua chuckled dryly, “He’s an idiot. You believe what an idiot says?”

Feng Tianzong smiled, grabbed his hand, and pulled him into the room, “Come in, tell me, where did you touch him?”

The door was slammed shut.

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

Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan

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

Chapter 80

Luo Shicheng reached out and pressed his hand onto Wu Sheng’s. Then, with force, he pushed Wu Sheng’s blade down.

Wu Sheng barked viciously, “What are you doing?”

Luo Shicheng turned his head, his tone calm. “What do you think this is? This is Wuhetan, not Donglin.”

Wu Sheng said, “Wuhetan belongs to Xichou territory. Now all of Xichou has been taken under Donglin. Are you saying Wuhetan can just declare independence?”

Luo Shicheng said in a low voice, “Put your sword away. Or I’ll take my men and withdraw first, and you can figure out how to search for people on your own.”

Wu Sheng craned his neck and glared at Luo Shicheng for a long moment, but in the end he sheathed the blade.

Luo Shicheng cupped his hands toward Huo Fenghua. “Apologies, Master Su. You know we’re carrying out official business. If you don’t let us search your residence once, this matter can’t be closed. There are only six of us. We’ll go in and search once. We absolutely won’t disturb anyone in your household. If we don’t find anyone, then it was a false accusation, and we won’t come trouble you again.”

Huo Fenghua’s fingers tapped lightly along his thigh. His gaze slowly swept over the six men outside. Suddenly, Ruan Qin’s soft footsteps sounded behind him.

Huo Fenghua nodded. “Please come in, Deputy General Luo.”

This residence had once belonged to Third Master Luo. Its layout was complicated, and Huo Fenghua still hadn’t even figured out how many cellars it had. Hearing Ruan Qin come out, he knew she must have settled Feng Tianzong and Su Zeyang somewhere safe. So he let them in.

They might not find Feng Tianzong. But if they did, then none of these people would be leaving through that gate tonight.

Huo Fenghua had already thought through the consequences. At worst, it would provoke Donglin into pulling troops to attack Wuhetan. If that happened, he’d get Feng Tianzong and the others out first, then find a way to deal with Wuhetan’s crisis.

Once they entered the front courtyard, Luo Shicheng stopped and instructed his men. “Split into three pairs. Search separately. You’re not to disturb anyone in Master Su’s household, and you’re not to damage anything. If there’s a door you can’t open, come to me. I’ll ask Master Su to open it for us.”

The men responded loudly, “Yes, sir!”

Then Luo Shicheng said to Wu Sheng, “You follow me. Agreed?”

Wu Sheng nodded reluctantly.

Huo Fenghua said to Ruan Qin, “Find two people to follow these soldiers. Make sure every room and every corner is searched thoroughly. When they don’t find anyone, I expect Deputy General Luo to give me an explanation. Who exactly framed me with this false report.”

Luo Shicheng answered with a smile, “All right.”

Huo Fenghua raised an arm. “After you. Where would you like to start searching?”

“The inner courtyard,” Luo Shicheng said.

Wu Sheng was unhappy. He grabbed Luo Shicheng’s sleeve and muttered a few words under his breath. Luo Shicheng shook his head. Then, still polite, he had Huo Fenghua accompany them into the inner courtyard.

Huo Fenghua’s room was clean and orderly, with no signs anyone else had lingered there. Luo Shicheng opened the door and looked in from outside. Wu Sheng, however, charged straight in. He even flipped up the bedding and searched thoroughly. Finding nothing, he knocked along the walls inch by inch, then struck the floorboards with the butt of his blade to confirm there was no hidden chamber or cellar. Only then did he withdraw.

They searched through the inner courtyard room by room. Whenever one man went inside to search, the other guarded the courtyard gate to prevent anyone from entering or leaving.

Huo Fenghua understood well enough: besides the six men searching inside, there were definitely more Donglin soldiers hidden outside in the dark, watching for a chance for Feng Tianzong and the others to slip away. Huo Fenghua himself didn’t know where Ruan Qin had hidden them. But he’d already made up his mind, and that steadied him. With calm, measured composure, he followed Luo Shicheng and Wu Sheng as they searched each room.

Luo Shicheng kept his lazy, indifferent manner, but Wu Sheng grew more and more impatient as time passed. He stood in front of a door bolted from the inside and pounded hard. No one answered, so he lifted a foot and kicked the door open. Luo Shicheng tried to stop him, but it was too late.

The door flew open, revealing a naked figure with a long, supple body standing beside a wooden bathing tub. The person snatched up clothing and threw it on in one swift motion. In the next instant, he was already in front of Wu Sheng and slapped him viciously across the face.

He moved too fast for Wu Sheng to react. The slap snapped Wu Sheng’s head sideways. Wu Sheng roared in rage, turned back, and drew his blade, pointing it at the person inside.

Huo Fenghua immediately squeezed into the doorway and blocked Wu Sheng. “Calm down. That’s my son. He’s an idiot.”

“An idiot?” Wu Sheng clearly didn’t believe him.

From behind Huo Fenghua, Wen Heyi wrapped his arms around Huo Fenghua and complained with a wronged voice, “Dad, he was peeking at me bathing.”

Huo Fenghua said to Wu Sheng, “Everyone in Wuhetan knows it. Deputy General Luo has surely heard as well.”

Luo Shicheng pressed down on Wu Sheng’s hand. “You barged in and broke down the door. You’ve offended Master Su’s young master. Put your blade away.”

Wu Sheng stared suspiciously at Wen Heyi. “Your son’s this old? How is that possible?”

Huo Fenghua smiled faintly. “That’s why I said he’s an idiot.”

Wen Heyi glared at Wu Sheng, buried his face against Huo Fenghua’s shoulder, and clung to him. “Dad—”

Wu Sheng was still simmering, but he slowly sheathed his weapon. He rubbed his cheek and said, “I’m going in to search.”

Huo Fenghua stepped aside from the doorway. “Please.”

Once Wu Sheng went inside Wen Heyi’s room to search, Huo Fenghua turned back to Wen Heyi. Wen Heyi’s clothes were only loosely draped on him. His collar hung open, exposing his strong muscles. Huo Fenghua immediately reached up and pulled the clothing closed for him. “Get dressed properly.”

Wen Heyi clutched the garment tighter and started tying the sash around his waist.

Huo Fenghua remembered what he’d glimpsed of Wen Heyi’s body just now and, in a furtive whisper, said, “Come, let Dad have another look.”

Wen Heyi, completely baffled, lowered his head, pulled the clothing open again, and showed him. Huo Fenghua, satisfied, patted his chest and abdomen. He held himself back from letting his hand go any lower. He pulled the clothing back into place, smiling as he fastened it for him. “Not bad. Dad likes you a lot.”

Wen Heyi immediately said, “Yi’er likes Dad too.”

Huo Fenghua finished dressing him and turned around to see that Wu Sheng had searched the entire room and found nothing.

When they left Wen Heyi’s room, Luo Shicheng’s other men had gathered in the central garden. Their group had, front to back, searched Huo Fenghua’s entire estate.

They hadn’t found anyone or any traces of Feng Tianzong.

Huo Fenghua asked, “Well?”

Luo Shicheng said to him, “We disturbed your household in the night. My apologies.”

Huo Fenghua smiled. “It’s your duty, I understand. But there’s one thing. Who was it that told you I was hiding someone here? Could you inform me?”

Luo Shicheng hesitated.

Just then, Wu Sheng suddenly said, “Wait!”

Huo Fenghua turned to look at him.

Wu Sheng gave a cold laugh, tightened his grip on the blade hilt, and turned toward the direction of Wen Heyi’s room.

Luo Shicheng frowned and told his men, “Wait here. Make sure no one escapes.” Then he and Huo Fenghua followed Wu Sheng inside.

Wen Heyi had gotten dressed and was sitting at the edge of the bed, swinging his long legs and humming a tune. The bathing tub was still in the room, the water inside already cold.

Hearing hurried footsteps, he looked up. Wu Sheng appeared in the doorway. Wen Heyi stood, barefoot.

Wu Sheng seemed wary of him. He drew his blade at the threshold and pointed it at Wen Heyi. “I am an imperial escort of the court. I’m here to seize the criminal Feng Tianzong. If you take one step toward me, don’t blame my blade for being merciless!”

Wen Heyi looked like he hadn’t understood, tilting his head at Wu Sheng.

Wu Sheng moved inside. Holding his blade up defensively toward Wen Heyi, he walked to the bathing tub and shoved it aside.

Wen Heyi only watched, not moving.

Huo Fenghua and Luo Shicheng had caught up. They entered in time to see Wu Sheng push the tub away, crouch down, and strike the floorboards with his blade hilt. The floor gave a hollow thump-thump sound.

Wu Sheng sneered. “So it’s a tunnel.”

Wen Heyi stared at the back of Wu Sheng’s neck. Slowly, his right hand curled into a claw.

Huo Fenghua saw it and quickly raised a hand, pressing downward to signal him to stay calm. Wen Heyi relaxed his hand again, then lifted it to grab his long hair at his chest, watching Wu Sheng’s actions with curiosity.

Wu Sheng pried up the floorboards with his blade. Beneath them was a passageway. He was about to jump down, then suddenly realized the risk. He turned back to Luo Shicheng. “He’s definitely in there. Have them seal this place off. Don’t let Feng Tianzong escape.”

He wasn’t sure whether the tunnel led outside the estate, and he still didn’t feel at ease. “Request reinforcements. Lock down all of Wuhetan too.”

Luo Shicheng didn’t respond.

Wu Sheng shouted, “Did you hear me?”

Luo Shicheng asked, “Are you certain Feng Tianzong is down there? If there’s no one, how do we explain it to our superiors?”

Wu Sheng’s brows knotted. He still didn’t dare jump down to seize anyone. Then an idea struck him. “Go get fire. Smoke whoever’s inside out.”

Huo Fenghua said then, “There’s no one inside. Are you trying to burn down my whole house?”

Wu Sheng said, “Then I’ll tear up the floorboards and see whether there’s someone down there!”

He stood and strode toward the doorway, about to call loudly for men to come help.

Before he could speak, a long saber suddenly drove into the center of his back, piercing straight through his chest.

Wu Sheng’s eyes flew wide. Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. He turned his head toward Huo Fenghua, only to see Huo Fenghua’s hands were empty. He realized something at once and turned to look at Luo Shicheng.

Luo Shicheng yanked the saber out of Wu Sheng’s body. Wu Sheng died on the spot, his body collapsing to the floor.

Huo Fenghua stared at Luo Shicheng in shock.

Luo Shicheng carefully wiped the blood from the blade on Wu Sheng’s clothing, sheathed it, and didn’t ask again whether anyone was hidden in the tunnel. Instead, he said to Huo Fenghua, “The one who reported it to me is surnamed Bao—Bao Jinshu. He got the information from a young pharmacy assistant under a doctor named Wei Kai in Wuhetan. Be careful. Deal with whoever needs dealing with. I’ll handle Bao Jinshu, so you don’t have to worry.”

Huo Fenghua glanced down at Wu Sheng’s corpse. “How will you explain this when you go back?”

Luo Shicheng said, “Wu Sheng was arrogant and provoked the vagrants and thugs of Wuhetan. He was hacked to death by random knives. We searched all of Wuhetan and found no trace of Feng Tianzong.”

He paused. “Actually, recently someone has spotted Feng Tianzong in Xichou, heading toward Zhuyue City. But it hasn’t been verified.”

Huo Fenghua knew that was from the decoys he’d sent out, disguised as Feng Tianzong and Su Zeyang. It had drawn the Donglin soldiers’ attention, just as intended.

“It’s normal not to find anyone in Wuhetan,” Luo Shicheng continued. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll handle my own affairs.”

With that, Luo Shicheng bent down to hoist Wu Sheng’s corpse.

Huo Fenghua stopped him. “I’ll have someone do it. Wrap the body and toss it out the back gate into a dark alley. The vagrants will strip him and steal his valuables. I’m just not sure whether your men outside are reliable.”

Luo Shicheng looked at Huo Fenghua. “They’re all the General’s men.”

Huo Fenghua froze.

Luo Shicheng smiled. “We’ve met before, Young Master Huo. You probably don’t remember. I used to be one of General Feng’s personal soldiers. I’m older now and lazy by nature. Later, when the General took the northern part of Xichou, I asked to remain behind as a garrison. I followed him back to the capital to report and saw you once.”

This time, Huo Fenghua truly was surprised. The “Huo Fenghua” Luo Shicheng had seen back then wasn’t actually him, so he’d never known Luo Shicheng’s identity from the start.

Luo Shicheng suddenly dropped to one knee, his right hand pressed over his chest and gave a military salute. “Young Master Huo, please take care of the General. If Donglin can’t be returned to, then don’t return. Tell him not to forget: the two hundred thousand troops stationed in Xichou are all his men.”

Huo Fenghua was silent for a moment. “Understood.”

Luo Shicheng rose, one hand resting on the saber at his waist, and walked out with loose steps, his posture relaxed and lazy.

Huo Fenghua had people wrap Wu Sheng’s body. Near dawn, they secretly sent it out.

Feng Tianzong and Su Zeyang emerged from the cellar. Huo Fenghua sat on the steps in front of the room, head tipped back as he stared at the round moon hanging in the night sky, full of mixed feelings.

Su Zeyang walked over and sat beside him, taking one of his hands.

Feng Tianzong stood nearby and asked, “What is it?”

Huo Fenghua didn’t look at him. “You knew Luo Shicheng wouldn’t arrest you. Why didn’t you say so earlier? You scared me half to death.”

Feng Tianzong smiled. “Before this, you never told me the Donglin commander was Luo Shicheng.”

Huo Fenghua frowned, thinking back. He couldn’t remember whether he’d mentioned Luo Shicheng’s name earlier.

Feng Tianzong added, “And I didn’t know who else was with him.”

Huo Fenghua propped his cheek in one hand. “I wonder if this will drag Luo Shicheng down with it.”

Feng Tianzong reached out and patted his head. “We’ll leave Wuhetan as soon as possible.”

Huo Fenghua lifted his head. “But the Donglin soldiers are still posted on the far bank. If we leave now, it’ll be hard not to draw their attention, unless we detour through the Beiyi.”

Su Zeyang said nothing, only listened quietly.

Feng Tianzong fell silent for a moment. “We don’t know when they’ll fully withdraw. Even if they do, there’s no guarantee they won’t keep secretly watching everyone who comes and goes in Wuhetan. We’ll detour through Beiyi. We leave at once.”

Huo Fenghua leaned back into Su Zeyang’s arms and nodded at Feng Tianzong.

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