“Why?” Huo Fenghua looked at Feng Tianzong, open astonishment in his eyes.
Feng Tianzong met his gaze. “There’s no ‘why.’ Isn’t this what we agreed on from the start?”
Huo Fenghua’s hand unconsciously tightened on Feng Tianzong’s lapel. “But it’s not resolved yet.”
He had told Qingqing before that he still had things to do, that he’d only leave after he finished them. What he meant was the curse at Luofeng Ridge. Su Zeyang had told him it had nothing to do with him and to stop asking, but Huo Fenghua knew perfectly well: among the three birth dates used in the curse formation at Luofeng Ridge, one had to be his. He was the formation’s “core,” the focal point his master had mentioned. So how could it have nothing to do with him?
He stared at Feng Tianzong, trying to read some emotion in his eyes, but Feng Tianzong’s gaze was like a deep pool, quiet and fathomless. Apart from a waterlike gentleness, there was nothing else to be seen. Huo Fenghua said, “If you let me go and this can’t be solved, then—”
Then what? He didn’t finish. If Su Zeyang couldn’t find the one who cast the curse, then the only way to break it would be to kill him. Would Feng Tianzong and Su Zeyang kill him? Would he go to his death willingly?
So whether he stayed or left probably really wouldn’t change the situation.
In truth, the moment Feng Tianzong and Su Zeyang got together, there was no going back. The curse of cutting off descendants would only hurt Feng Tiansheng. From the perspective of a modern person like Huo Fenghua, no kids just meant no kids. It wasn’t that big of a deal. But what did Feng Tiansheng think? And what was Feng Tianzong, as Feng Tiansheng’s younger brother, planning?
If he didn’t leave and Feng Tiansheng found out, and in order to break the curse decided to kill him with one stroke, would Feng Tianzong step in to stop it?
In such a short time, Huo Fenghua thought through countless questions. He stared into Feng Tianzong’s eyes. His mind sank in, yet his thinking stayed razor clear.
Feng Tianzong said, “Once you sink too deep, it won’t be easy to pull yourself out. Leave while you still can. What happens with the Feng family and the Wang family shouldn’t have anything to do with you. It’s not like I have no way to deal with it. Don’t keep sinking yourself into it.”
It was a mire: you step on me, I step on you. You watch someone die in it, and when you look up, you realize you’ve sunk halfway in yourself and can’t pull free at all.
Huo Fenghua understood what Feng Tianzong meant. His fingers brushed over the dark patterns in Feng Tianzong’s clothing.
Feng Tianzong wrapped one arm around his waist, the other pushing up his pant leg to stroke his calf. His lips pressed to Huo Fenghua’s neck, and he sucked hard. “Go. Haven’t you wanted to go for a long time?”
In this position, Huo Fenghua’s hips were pressed completely against Feng Tianzong’s thighs. He lifted his arms around Feng Tianzong’s neck, and a sudden tenderness surged up. He kissed the top of Feng Tianzong’s head.
Feng Tianzong tugged his clothes open and shifted him, making him straddle him face-to-face with his legs spread, seated on his lap. Feng Tianzong leaned back, bracing against the edge of the desk, then lowered his head and kissed Huo Fenghua’s bare chest.
Huo Fenghua tipped his head back, arms braced behind him on the desk. He felt Feng Tianzong take his nipple into his mouth, sucking and biting; pleasure spread quickly. He bent his legs and planted his feet on the chair, grinding and pressing between his thighs against Feng Tianzong’s crotch. Even through the fabric, he could feel how hard and eager he was there.
Their bodies fit each other too well, so in front of Feng Tianzong, Huo Fenghua was always wanton. He liked Feng Tianzong pinning him down and thrusting into him hard, using that hot, rigid cock to grind mercilessly against him until his whole body trembled and he climaxed.
But today, it seemed like they both had something else on their minds. Huo Fenghua tipped his head back, staring at the beam overhead, and between ragged breaths asked, “Should we tell Senior Brother?”
Feng Tianzong didn’t answer. He only gripped Huo Fenghua by the waist and pushed him forward until his upper body was nearly sprawled on the desk, then lifted a hand to pull down his pants.
His erection twitched in the cool air. Huo Fenghua bit his lower lip and looked at Feng Tianzong. Feng Tianzong held his gaze for a moment, then lowered his head and took him into his mouth.
Huo Fenghua let out a moan. In that instant, every hair on his body seemed to stand up. Compared to the pleasure of being wrapped in a warm, wet mouth, what made him sink even deeper was the satisfaction in his heart. Before this, Feng Tianzong had never used his mouth on him down there.
Any living creature, driven to pass on its bloodline and compete for resources, is mostly drawn to strength by instinct, whether man or woman. A woman hopes to marry the strongest man; a man, if he can’t be the strongest himself, hopes to follow the strongest man.
In Huo Fenghua’s eyes, Feng Tianzong was a man strong enough. He couldn’t help but feel a certain admiration and yearning toward him, though he would never admit it to Feng Tianzong.
His fingers dug into the surface of the desk. His legs were propped on Feng Tianzong’s shoulders, and he couldn’t help clamping them tighter around Feng Tianzong’s head. Like a fish out of water, he panted with his mouth open, chest heaving violently. He even tried to lift his hips, wanting Feng Tianzong to take him deeper.
Feng Tianzong obligingly opened his mouth further, even relaxing his throat, letting Huo Fenghua thrust deeper. At the same time, the hands cupping Huo Fenghua’s buttocks kneaded hard. Feng Tianzong slid a finger into his slick, soft entrance and slowly worked it in, pressing along the inner wall with his fingertip. He knew exactly where to press, where Huo Fenghua liked it most.
With that front-and-back assault, Huo Fenghua’s mind and body hit the peak at the same time. A little viciously, he clamped his thighs around Feng Tianzong’s head and wouldn’t let him pull away. His cock shuddered several times as he spilled everything into Feng Tianzong’s mouth.
When he finished, his waist went weak, and his half-softened length slipped from Feng Tianzong’s lips. He stared blankly at Feng Tianzong, seeing his lips flushed red. The decisive General who killed without hesitation on the battlefield now had his face tainted with vulgar desire, and the dot of milky white at the corner of his mouth only made him look even more wantonly beautiful.
Feng Tianzong held Huo Fenghua’s release in his mouth. Bracing his arms on either side of Huo Fenghua’s head, he bent over him and met his eyes from above.
Huo Fenghua’s heart was hammering. Then he saw Feng Tianzong part his lips slightly, and thick fluid mixed with saliva spilled out, trailing into a long string.
The moment Huo Fenghua realized what Feng Tianzong was doing, his already burning face went even hotter. As if possessed, he opened his mouth and caught the droplet as it fell, staring at the obscene string connecting their lips.
Huo Fenghua swallowed it all, his own release mixed with Feng Tianzong’s saliva. He tilted his head back; his Adam’s apple bobbed once. Then he hugged his legs and drew his knees to his chest, his long-empty hole clenching and fluttering, vivid in color. He said to Feng Tianzong, “General—”
Feng Tianzong’s long fingers stroked his throat and chest. “You want it?”
Huo Fenghua didn’t hide it at all. “I do. You can be rougher. I want it so badly.”
Feng Tianzong lifted his robe hem and undid his trousers, gripping his own hard, heated length in hand. Softly, he said, “Call me by my name.”
Huo Fenghua looked him straight in the eye. “Tianzong.”
The next moment, Feng Tianzong drove into him with savage force.
Back in Yujing, what Huo Fenghua was famous for had never really been his “charm”. It was being a useless fool. Everyone in the capital knew that the Second Prince of Xichou, sent over as a hostage, lived without restraint and didn’t study or learn anything. Aside from eating, drinking, and having fun, he couldn’t do anything.
Aside from having a handsome face, a Huo Fenghua like that was genuinely useless. So even though Pan Yuanjun had invited him here today, he hadn’t actually thought much of him.
When Pan Yuanjun first heard Huo Fenghua say he wanted to become emperor of Xichou, he really did freeze for a moment. Only after a beat did he recover and say softly, “Young Master Huo, why joke with me like this? You know what state Xichou is in right now. How would I have the ability to send you back to be emperor?”
Huo Fenghua leaned toward him. “Do you really know what state Xichou is in, Deputy Commander Pan?”
Pan Yuanjun looked at him, his expression turning serious. “What do you mean, Young Master Huo?”
Huo Fenghua said, “The one who’s occupying all of Xichou right now, whose troops are they, exactly?”
Pan Yuanjun replied, “That would naturally be our great Donglin…” Before he could finish, he abruptly cut himself off, his thick brows furrowing.
Huo Fenghua said quietly, “They’re Feng Tianzong’s troops. There are still remnants of Xichou not yet wiped out. When Xichou is fully destroyed, will the land be incorporated into Donglin, or incorporated into Feng Tianzong’s territory? Commander Pan, do you truly know the answer?” He deliberately dropped the “deputy” and addressed him directly as Commander Pan.
Pan Yuanjun slapped the table and shouted, “How dare Feng Tianzong commit such outrageous treason!”
Huo Fenghua quickly soothed him. “Commander, don’t be hasty. I’m only guessing. Whether Feng Tianzong would dare commit treason like that, nobody knows yet.”
When Pan Yuanjun looked at Huo Fenghua again, his gaze had changed. “Young Master Huo, that’s a bold guess.”
Huo Fenghua gave a light laugh. “Aren’t I speaking frankly with Commander Pan? What I mean is, we can’t allow Feng Tianzong to keep exterminating the Xichou remnants and expanding his power. Rather than hand all of Xichou into his hands, it’d be better for Prime Minister Wang to join forces with me. First, bring down the Feng brothers, then have the Prime Minister’s people take over the Western Expedition Army, sit down, and negotiate peace.”
Pan Yuanjun looked Huo Fenghua up and down. “If I remember correctly, Xichou still has a Crown Prince.”
Huo Fenghua smiled. “Then Commander Pan doesn’t know. My elder brother and I are twins, our hearts linked on one meridian. Some days ago, I had a severe stabbing pain in my chest. My brother is probably already gone.”
Rumors about Huo Fengnian of Xichou had been swirling. Some claimed they’d seen him, others said he hadn’t appeared in a long time. Whether he was alive or dead, there was still no definite news.
Huo Fenghua said, “Even if he is alive, it doesn’t matter. When I return to Xichou, that will be between him and me. No matter what, it won’t ruin the agreement with the Prime Minister.”
Pan Yuanjun asked in a low voice, “What agreement with the Prime Minister?”
Huo Fenghua grinned and picked up a chopstick, drawing it sideways across his throat. “We join forces. Have the Xichou army kill Feng Tianzong first, then send me back to Xichou to ascend the throne. After that, we negotiate peace with Donglin, cede territory, pay reparations, and each side keeps to itself.”
Pan Yuanjun couldn’t help letting out a cold laugh. “What benefit is that to us? Xichou has already been destroyed by Donglin. Don’t forget that, Young Master Huo.”
Huo Fenghua said, “Then guess this. If Feng Tianzong swallows Xichou whole, will he turn around and take one more bite, swallowing your Wang family next? Commander Pan wants benefits, and Feng Tianzong’s head is your greatest benefit. Otherwise, Donglin destroys Xichou, how much of the spoils do you think your Wang family will actually get?”
Pan Yuanjun drew in a deep breath. “But the remaining Xichou forces are like rats on the run, being hunted down by Feng Tianzong. What ability do they have to kill him?”
Huo Fenghua said, “That’s why we need to cooperate. Don’t forget, Feng Tianzong still has a beloved great beauty at home, someone he can’t bear to lose, even if it costs him his life.”
As they talked, Lu Shaocheng sat to the side listening, cold sweat trickling down his back, yet not daring to leave first.
Pan Yuanjun fell into thought.
Huo Fenghua patted his shoulder. “Commander Pan, you don’t have to answer me right away. Think it over slowly and go back and discuss it with the Prime Minister.”
Pan Yuanjun looked at him and said, “Young Master Huo has been in Donglin for so many years, and yet nobody’s ever truly seen through you.”
Huo Fenghua picked up a piece of tofu with his chopsticks and ate it, chewing slowly and swallowing with elegant composure. Then he lifted his teacup, covered his mouth with his sleeve as he took a sip, and finally smiled at Pan Yuanjun. “If people could see through me, Commander Pan, do you think I’d still be alive today?”
Back when Xichou fell, he should’ve been beheaded and put on display.
Pan Yuanjun was silent for a long time before saying, “This requires careful planning over time.”
Huo Fenghua nodded. “When you’ve decided, give me an answer. It’s getting late, I should return to the General’s Manor, so I don’t arouse suspicion.” As he spoke, he stood, and only when he turned and saw Linglong did he seem to remember something. He reached out, took Linglong’s hand, and held it in his palm as he said to Pan Yuanjun, “I don’t dare bring Linglong into the General’s Manor immediately. I’ll go back and test the waters. But I don’t have anywhere else to settle her in the capital. Commander Pan, do you have an extra residence you could lend me to house Linglong for the time being?”
At first, Pan Yuanjun had brought Linglong because he worried Huo Fenghua was useless, and he’d meant to send Linglong into the General’s Manor as an inside agent. But after this detailed talk with Huo Fenghua, Linglong no longer seemed that important. He hesitated slightly, then said, “I have an empty house in the capital. I’ll give it to you, Young Master Huo. In the future, it can also serve as a place for us to meet and communicate.”
Huo Fenghua brightened. “That couldn’t be better. Many thanks, Commander Pan.”
When Huo Fenghua left the restaurant, he was alone again. Linglong would naturally be settled by Pan Yuanjun. He looked up at the sky and saw the weather was still nice, so he stretched comfortably and headed back toward the General’s Manor.
After returning, Huo Fenghua grabbed a maid walking toward him and asked, “Where’s Young Master Su?”
The maid shook her head. “I don’t know.”
Huo Fenghua let her go and went himself to the inner courtyard where Su Zeyang lived. The courtyard was empty, and the door was shut. He pushed it open, poked his head inside, and called, “Senior brother?”
Unfortunately, there was no one inside.
Disappointed, he turned to leave, only for someone to pat his shoulder from behind. Huo Fenghua startled so hard his whole body jerked. He spun around and saw Su Zeyang standing behind him. He lifted a hand to his chest and said, “Senior brother, why are you scaring me in broad daylight?”
Su Zeyang asked oddly, “You’ve got inner energy, yet you didn’t hear me approach?”
Huo Fenghua said, “You don’t make any sound when you walk. How would I hear you?” Then he reached out and hugged Su Zeyang, saying cheerfully, “I met someone today. Guess who.”
Su Zeyang said, “How would I know who?”
Huo Fenghua tightened his arms around him, stepped forward, and pressed him against the wall. His hands weren’t very well behaved as they kneaded Su Zeyang’s back and slim waist. “You won’t even try to guess?”
Su Zeyang actually thought seriously for a moment, then frowned slightly and asked, “Could it be Wang Anzhi?”
Huo Fenghua said, “Not Wang Anzhi. His cousin, the one named Pan Yuanjun.”
“Pan Yuanjun?” Su Zeyang still didn’t seem very familiar with the name.
Huo Fenghua was about to keep talking when he heard hurried footsteps running toward the courtyard. Reluctantly, he released Su Zeyang and turned to see Liu Yong approaching.
Liu Yong could barely manage a pleasant expression toward Huo Fenghua these days. His voice was hard as he said, “Young Master Huo, the General summons you.”
Huo Fenghua didn’t care about his attitude. “Where is the general?”
“In the study,” Liu Yong replied.
Huo Fenghua nodded. “You go on ahead. I’ll go myself.”
Hearing that, Liu Yong bowed to Su Zeyang and withdrew.
Huo Fenghua took Su Zeyang’s hand. “Senior Brother, will you come with me?”
Su Zeyang pulled his hand away. “He’s calling you, not me.”
Huo Fenghua bent at the waist and leaned close, looking up at Su Zeyang’s face from below. “Jealous?”
Su Zeyang didn’t answer. He only looked at him, long lashes trembling lightly. Huo Fenghua’s heart itched at the sight. He leaned in and kissed Su Zeyang. The kiss was wet and sticky, and they only separated once both their breathing were ragged.
Huo Fenghua bit Su Zeyang’s ear and murmured, “I’m going now.” Then he waved and ran out of the courtyard.
He jogged all the way to Feng Tianzong’s study door, lifted his leg, and kicked it open. After stepping inside, he immediately became well behaved, reached back to shut the door, and walked slowly up to the desk. “General, you wanted to see me?”
Feng Tianzong sat behind the desk in a broad wooden chair, arms crossed over his chest. “Where did you go today?”
Huo Fenghua said, “Didn’t you send someone to follow me? Why ask me?” He raised his brows at Feng Tianzong with a grin.
Feng Tianzong’s tone was serious, though his expression was gentle. “What did Pan Yuanjun say to you?”
Today Pan Yuanjun had rented out the entire second floor of the restaurant. Aside from their private room, every other room was empty. The shadow guard Feng Tianzong sent had hidden on the roof, not daring to get too close for fear Pan Yuanjun would notice, so he hadn’t heard their conversation clearly.
Huo Fenghua still smiled. He suddenly took off his shoes, braced his hands on the top of the desk, and climbed onto the redwood table. Sitting cross-legged facing Feng Tianzong, he said, “Pan Yuanjun asked me to bring someone into the General’s Manor, to act as their inside agent.”
Feng Tianzong glanced at his feet. Huo Fenghua didn’t like wearing socks, since the socks of this era felt strange to him. He usually wore boots barefoot. Now that he was sitting cross-legged on the desk, his bare feet were right in front of Feng Tianzong.
Huo Fenghua didn’t care and continued. “So I thought, this is a chance. We can play an undercover game. I agree to be their inside agent, and whatever information you want them to know, I’ll feed them.”
Feng Tianzong nodded. “Not bad. Anything else?”
Huo Fenghua smiled. “Then I thought, since the opportunity’s right in front of us, we can also get the Wang family to do something else on the side.”
Feng Tianzong asked, “What?”
Huo Fenghua whispered, “Rebellion. Don’t they want you dead? I’ll have them contact Shao Feijie and collude with the Xichou remnants. We’ll treat it as the condition for me acting as their inside agent. Once they obtain a secret letter of contact from Shao Feijie, we can submit it to the emperor as evidence of treason!”
Feng Tianzong reached out, took one of his hands, and gently rubbed it in his palm. “The idea’s good, but have you considered that this would drag you into it too, and you wouldn’t be able to get out clean?”
Huo Fenghua had already thought of that. “By then I’ll already be dead. We agreed, I’ll fake my death and escape. When the evidence of the Wang family colluding with Xichou is placed before the emperor, I’ll already be gone, dead as a doornail, body burned to ashes.”
Feng Tianzong seemed to fall into thought. Then he said, “You’re part of my Feng family. Do you think if you die and wash your hands of it, we’ll be able to escape the connection?”
Huo Fenghua hadn’t considered that angle. He focused and thought for a moment, then said, “The emperor issued the decree forcing me to marry in. Everyone in the capital knows you don’t like me. This shouldn’t fall on you.”
Feng Tianzong grabbed his foot and dragged him closer. Huo Fenghua let him, hopping down from the desk into the broad chair and settling into Feng Tianzong’s arms, his feet propped on the edge of the seat.
Feng Tianzong wrapped one arm around him, still toying with his foot with the other hand. “What if the emperor uses this as an excuse to strip me of military power?”
Huo Fenghua said, “If that’s really the case, then with or without this, the emperor can always find a reason.”
Feng Tianzong buried his face against Huo Fenghua’s neck. After a moment he said, “Put everything else aside for now. Let’s move directly to the last step of the plan.”
“What?” Huo Fenghua didn’t understand.
Feng Tianzong’s voice was a little hoarse as he spoke by his ear. “Let you fake your death and send you away.”
After returning to his own courtyard to bathe and change, and finishing breakfast, Huo Fenghua left the General’s Manor alone with the General’s special permission.
It was rare for him to get a chance to wander around Yujing so freely without worrying if someone would come and drag him back. So even though he’d just eaten, when he saw freshly steamed pork buns by the roadside, he still couldn’t resist pulling out a few copper coins and buying two.
There were actually very few gambling houses in Yujing. At first Huo Fenghua didn’t know that, but later he learned that opening a gambling den required special authorization from the authorities. The entire city had only two, one at each end of the pleasure quarter.
Huo Fenghua still went to the same gambling house as last time. The moment he lifted the curtain, a wave of filthy, stale air hit him in the face. He almost backed right out again, suddenly longing to run home and bury his face against Su Zeyang and take a few deep breaths.
Realizing that he hadn’t been in a casino for so long that he’d actually grown unaccustomed to it, Huo Fenghua paused at the entrance and felt a little melancholy.
Just then two gamblers came in. One of them shoved him roughly. “Don’t block the way!”
Huo Fenghua didn’t get angry. He took a deep breath, lifted the curtain again, and slipped inside, blending into the crowd of gaunt, red-eyed gamblers.
They were still using the same set of bone dice as last time. Huo Fenghua stood at the edge of a table, holding his breath and listening to the dice rattling inside the cup. He tossed down a few copper coins at random to place his bets.
After winning three or four rounds, he noticed the two people beside him starting to follow his bets, and he found it funny. This round, after the dealer called for no more bets, a different idea suddenly struck him. He placed a hand on the edge of the table, channeled his inner energy into his palm, and gave a slight push in the direction of the dice cup.
The table itself didn’t move at all, but his ears caught it clearly. The dice inside the cup rolled again.
The dealer lifted the cup. Huo Fenghua had bet wrong. Naturally, the two people who’d followed him also bet wrong.
But standing there, Huo Fenghua suddenly laughed. The two men beside him froze, baffled at how he could lose a single round and immediately go mad.
Huo Fenghua glanced at the table with a hint of regret. The dice weren’t interesting anymore. He turned to watch the next table over playing bone tiles. They were playing a small version of pai gow. After watching for a bit, he didn’t find it all that interesting either, so he left this gambling house and went to the other one on the street corner.
This one was even smaller. The liveliest table inside was playing fantan.
Huo Fenghua found it somewhat entertaining. Copper coins were piled together on the tabletop, and the banker would casually cover them with a bowl. It was hard to tell exactly how many had been covered. Huo Fenghua relied on luck for a few rounds, winning some and losing some, but in the end the stifling, dirty atmosphere became unbearable, and he left again.
Outside, he took a deep breath. The air that rushed into his nose was thick with the powdery, perfumed scent of the pleasure quarter. He thought about the gamblers inside. If they lost, that was one thing, but if they won, any silver they carried would probably end up donated right back to the brothels anyway. He shook his head and sighed, thinking maybe someday he ought to paste a notice at the gambling house door: Small bets are entertainment, big bets are harmful, and reckless gambling leads to ruin. Play a little and stop. Don’t get addicted.
As he was lost in these thoughts, a young man stopped in front of him, smiling. When Huo Fenghua didn’t respond for a long moment, the man finally spoke. “Brother Fenghua, we meet again.”
Huo Fenghua followed the voice and finally noticed who it was. He quickly clasped his hands in greeting. “Brother Lu? Why is it you?”
The young man was named Lu Shaocheng. His father was the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate. Huo Fenghua had seen him two days ago at the Right Prime Minister’s Manor. He was also one of the drinking-and-pleasure crowd Huo Fenghua used to run with, the same circle as Wang Anzhi.
Lu Shaocheng had refined, handsome features. He looked Huo Fenghua up and down and said, “Brother Huo going in and out of gambling houses first thing in the morning. Seems life in the General’s Manor is getting more and more carefree for you?”
Huo Fenghua smiled. “With General Feng away, I can at least be carefree for a few days. What about you? Are you just leaving the pleasure quarter, or did you come here at dawn to meet a lover?”
Lu Shaocheng only smiled and didn’t answer.
Huo Fenghua hesitated inwardly, but kept smiling as he said, “While I’m still able to be carefree, why don’t we set a day to meet up with Brother Anzhi and the others?”
“Do you have something to do today, Brother Fenghua?” Lu Shaocheng asked.
“Not really,” Huo Fenghua replied. “What, are you saying we should meet today?”
Lu Shaocheng shook his head. “Not me. Someone asked me to invite you for a talk.”
“Oh?” Huo Fenghua’s heart tightened, but he leaned in with a playful grin. “What is it, some beauty?”
To his surprise, Lu Shaocheng laughed. “It is indeed a beauty. Are you free right now, Brother Fenghua?”
Huo Fenghua lifted his head and glanced at the narrow strip of sky above the alley of pleasure houses. When he lowered his gaze again, he smiled. “Free. How could I not be, when a beauty invites me? Come on, Brother Lu. Lead the way.”
Lu Shaocheng didn’t take him far. They crossed two streets to a restaurant. On the second floor, they entered a private room. The moment the door opened, Huo Fenghua saw a lavish spread of food and wine already set out.
A gorgeous woman sat by the table. Hearing the door, she immediately stood. She looked at Huo Fenghua, and after a moment her eyes reddened at the corners. Softly, she said, “Young Master Huo… Linglong can finally see you again.”
Huo Fenghua froze. The name Linglong sounded extremely familiar.
Linglong stepped closer, her beautiful eyes fixed on him as if tears were about to fall. “You don’t remember me?”
Huo Fenghua suddenly recalled it. Wang Anzhi had mentioned her once, the famous Linglong of Zuixiang Pavilion. He said, “Miss Linglong? Of course I do. Naturally I remember.”
At that, Linglong threw herself into his arms and clung to him tightly.
Huo Fenghua had lived two lifetimes and still had never been this intimately close with a young woman. In that instant, he didn’t feel anything suggestive. He only felt awkward all over. He wanted to push her away, but feared hurting her feelings, so he could only hold his hands stiffly at his sides and ask, “Miss Linglong, why did you ask to meet me here?”
“The one who asked you here isn’t Linglong. It’s someone else,” Lu Shaocheng said at Huo Fenghua’s side.
Huo Fenghua finally seized the chance. He steadied Linglong by the arms and gently eased her back a little, then asked Lu Shaocheng, “Who is it?”
Lu Shaocheng smiled. “Pan Yuanjun, the Right Prime Minister’s nephew. Don’t tell me you don’t remember him either.”
Huo Fenghua said, “I only remember Miss Linglong. I don’t remember anyone else.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than steady footsteps approached from outside. A tall young man reached the doorway, stepping in as he clasped his hands to Huo Fenghua. “Young Master Huo. It’s been a long time.”
Lu Shaocheng hurried to introduce him. “This is Deputy Commander Pan of Yujing’s Imperial Guard.”
Huo Fenghua quickly said, “So it’s Deputy Commander Pan. Long time no see, long time no see.”
Pan Yuanjun burst out laughing. “I just heard you say you don’t remember me.”
Huo Fenghua smiled. “Even if I don’t remember, we’re still friends. If Deputy Commander Pan says it’s been a long time, then it must be a long time.”
Pan Yuanjun patted his shoulder. “Young Master Huo, you’re an interesting one. Come on, why are you still standing? Sit. Let’s eat and talk.”
Lu Shaocheng ushered Huo Fenghua to sit at the round table. Linglong naturally sat close beside him.
Huo Fenghua studied Pan Yuanjun, thinking: he’s Wang Chu’s nephew, he wouldn’t invite me to eat for no reason. Could it be that Wang Anzhi really has fallen unconscious, and the Wang family wants to probe me for information about the General’s Manor? He remembered that night at Wang Chu’s birthday banquet, when Wang Anzhi had personally told him to act as their inside man within the General’s Manor.
Sure enough, Pan Yuanjun opened with, “Young Master Huo, you’ve suffered these days in the General’s Manor.”
Huo Fenghua lowered his gaze, gave a bitter smile, and didn’t respond.
Seeing his expression, Pan Yuanjun continued. “In the past, Young Master Huo’s romantic reputation in Yujing was well known. Even now, Miss Linglong still can’t get you out of her heart, willing to pay any price just to stay by your side. Yet you’ve been forced to wrong yourself, becoming Feng Tianzong’s male concubine.”
Huo Fenghua thought, This is where I should laugh awkwardly. So he looked up at Pan Yuanjun and did, indeed, laugh awkwardly.
Pan Yuanjun went on, “Feng Tianzong has an unusual temperament, preferring taking the back doors of men rather than being with women. Even if his martial skill is unmatched and he dominates the battlefield, when it’s written into the history books he’ll still be nothing but a joke. It’s just a pity, Young Master Huo.”
Huo Fenghua didn’t answer. He only poured Pan Yuanjun a cup of wine and said, “It’s rare to get a chance to come out and drink today. Let’s not talk about that.”
Pan Yuanjun took the cup, smiled, and said, “We still have to talk about it.”
Linglong suddenly threw herself into Huo Fenghua’s arms again, sobbing. “Some days ago, a wealthy household in the capital wanted to buy Linglong out of Zuixiang Pavilion. Linglong would rather die than agree. Later, thank goodness for Deputy Commander Pan. He redeemed me. Only then could Linglong meet Young Master Huo today.”
Pan Yuanjun raised his cup to Huo Fenghua. “The Miss Linglong you used to think about day and night will belong to Young Master Huo from now on.”
Huo Fenghua lifted his own cup and swirled it lightly in his hand. He leaned over and clinked cups with Pan Yuanjun. “What a generous gift. How could Fenghua dare accept it?”
Hearing that, Linglong clutched Huo Fenghua’s arm in panic. “Young Master Huo, you can’t refuse me.”
Pan Yuanjun drained his cup and then said, “Accept it. Not only must you accept, you must also take Linglong back to the General’s Manor. Say she’s a new maid you bought.”
Huo Fenghua gave a bitter smile. “Deputy Commander Pan is joking. The General’s Manor is tightly guarded. How could I have the ability to bring in a maid? Even getting myself out for a single trip isn’t easy.”
“Where there’s a will, there’s a way, Young Master Huo.” Pan Yuanjun set his cup down, picked up his chopsticks, and placed a piece of chicken into Huo Fenghua’s bowl. “Are you really willing to spend your whole life trapped in the General’s Manor like a bird in a cage? The world outside is vast with beauties everywhere. Why keep wronging yourself? Right now is an opportunity.”
Huo Fenghua pretended not to understand. “What opportunity, exactly?”
Pan Yuanjun leaned close to his ear and said softly, “As our inside man in the General’s Manor… when the day comes, it won’t just be a beauty. Whatever you want, the Right Prime Minister can give you everything.”
Huo Fenghua toyed with his empty cup, then looked up at Pan Yuanjun and asked, “What if I want to be the emperor of Xichou?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Pan Yuanjun went blank.
Moments later, Huo Fenghua climaxed again. He was completely dazed and limp, too tired to even move a finger, and eventually fell asleep on the bed.
He slept all the way into the next morning. When he opened his eyes again, he found his strength had returned. Aside from the sticky discomfort, nothing else felt wrong. It seemed the abundant internal energy inside him had circulated on its own while he slept, and for the first time he felt that having all this power might actually come with benefits.
Only after he turned over did he realize he was on the outer side of the big bed, with Feng Tianzong beside him, one arm wrapped around his waist. Memories of last night flooded back, and even with his thick skin, his face still heated up. He tried to quietly push Feng Tianzong’s arm away and get out of bed.
But he had barely moved when Feng Tianzong woke up. The arm around his waist tightened sharply, and Feng Tianzong pulled him in and rolled over, placing him on the inside.
In an instant, Huo Fenghua ended up between Feng Tianzong and Su Zeyang. He hadn’t even caught up to what was happening before his heart started hammering.
All three of them were still naked, their bodies pressed together under the bedding. Su Zeyang buried his face against Huo Fenghua’s shoulder, a palm resting against his chest, and asked with his eyes closed, “Not sleeping anymore?”
Huo Fenghua stared at the heavy canopy above them. “You two sleep. I want to get up.”
Su Zeyang opened his eyes too and sat up. The quilt slid down, exposing a body marked with traces from the night before, his long hair falling along his waist.
From above Huo Fenghua, Feng Tianzong reached out and hooked a strand of Su Zeyang’s hair with his fingers.
Huo Fenghua yawned, then stretched. “Senior Brother…” The word had barely left his mouth when he remembered that the one calling the shots in this household was the General. He corrected himself and turned his head. “General.”
Feng Tianzong propped himself up on one arm and looked down at him. “Say what you want to say.”
Huo Fenghua reached out, fingertips sliding along Feng Tianzong’s arm and up over his shoulder to his chest. “I want to go out.”
Feng Tianzong didn’t answer, only watched him.
When he still didn’t respond, Huo Fenghua gently rubbed Feng Tianzong’s nipple, teasing him as he tried to coax him. “I’m just going to take a look at the gambling houses in the city. Half a day, and I’ll be back. I won’t cause trouble.”
“What are you going to a gambling house for?” Feng Tianzong asked.
Huo Fenghua looked up at him. “To gamble, obviously. What else, eat dinner?”
Su Zeyang interrupted, “That’s improper.”
Huo Fenghua rolled to face him. “Improper? Senior Brother, don’t joke with me.” As if the three of them in one bed counted as “proper.”
Su Zeyang didn’t argue. He just looked at him.
Feng Tianzong suddenly said, “By the rules, I shouldn’t agree. But everything has exceptions. It depends on whether you know how to behave.”
Huo Fenghua sat up, swept his hair behind his ear, then pushed the quilt aside and knelt. He knelt between Feng Tianzong’s legs and grabbed his considerable cock. He looked up at Feng Tianzong, then said, “General, aren’t you afraid of excessive indulgence?” before he opened his mouth and swallowed the entire member.
Su Zeyang sat back against the wooden bed rail, watching them quietly.
While giving Feng Tianzong a blowjob, Huo Fenghua reached out to Su Zeyang, his hand snaking its way between his legs. After getting them both fully hard, he pulled off of Feng Tianzong’s cock and reached out for Su Zeyang, before pressing him back towards Feng Tianzong. Seeing Feng Tianzong embraced Su Zeyang as he landed in his arms, Huo Fenghua quickly flipped over and jumped off the bed.
Feng Tianzong reacted fast and reached out to grab him but Huo Fenghua immediately caught his wrist instead and shouted, “Absorbing Technique!”
Remembering Huo Fenghua’s strange power, Feng Tianzong pulled his hand back at once.
Huo Fenghua snatched up his clothes from the floor and had already retreated to the doorway. “General, if you go back on your word, you’ll regret it! I can go out today, right?”
Feng Tianzong looked at him and couldn’t help but smile faintly. He flicked a hand. “Get lost.”
Huo Fenghua hurriedly pulled his clothes on. When he pushed the door open, he caught on the threshold again and nearly fell, but he still remembered to swing back and shut the door for them.
Feng Tianzong pulled Su Zeyang into his arms, tipped up his chin, and kissed him.
Su Zeyang looped an arm around Feng Tianzong’s neck and sighed. “You’re really going to let him?”
“It’s fine,” Feng Tianzong said, his hand smoothing over him. “I’ll have someone follow him in secret so he won’t get into any trouble.”
“Mm.” Su Zeyang closed his eyes. “Tianzong… don’t hold back.”
Su Zeyang rose from the edge of the bed and slowly unbuttoned his robe.
Huo Fenghua’s breath hitched. He instinctively turned to look at Feng Tianzong and saw that Feng Tianzong clearly had no intention of leaving the room. A rush of nerves hit him. It felt like nothing good was waiting for him after all.
“Forget it,” Huo Fenghua said. “This doesn’t have to happen right away.”
He turned, meaning to head out.
Feng Tianzong stepped into his path. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Huo Fenghua didn’t answer. The next moment, Feng Tianzong swept him up into his arms. Huo Fenghua startled and hooked an arm around his shoulder on reflex.
Carrying him to the bedside, Feng Tianzong took off his boots and climbed onto the bed, still holding Huo Fenghua close. He lowered his head and asked, “You begged me to agree, and I finally did. Why are you trying to run now?”
Huo Fenghua’s breathing quickened. He felt Feng Tianzong’s hand slip beneath his collar, warm and rough against his skin, and his throat bobbed as he swallowed.
“Then what are you still doing here, General?”
Feng Tianzong’s tone stayed even. “My concubine wants to share my wife, but I’m not allowed to stay in the room? What kind of logic is that?”
Huo Fenghua shivered at the touch, eyes tipping upward. “Since when has any of this ever been logical?”
Feng Tianzong looked at him, then let out a chuckle and leaned in to kiss him.
At the bedside, Su Zeyang had already removed his outer robe. Then he stripped away the rest with unhurried calm. He was tall and lean, his skin pale and flawless, and he climbed onto the bed without the slightest attempt to hide himself. Kneeling there, he lifted a hand to loosen the ribbon binding his hair. Black hair spilled down at once, falling over his shoulders like ink, and he flicked the ribbon aside.
Huo Fenghua stared, suddenly realizing for the first time that someone could look both untouched by the world and unbearably seductive at the same time. He took a deep breath, feeling his penis hardening and struggled a little. But Feng Tianzong, who was holding him from behind, didn’t let go. He forced Huo Fenghua to remain sitting on his lap as he reached out and opened Huo Fenghua’s clothes and pulled down his trousers, revealing the fully hardened erection.
Su Zeyang knelt on the bed, crawling closer to Huo Fenghua. He first leaned forward and kissed Feng Tianzong behind Huo Fenghua. Huo Fenghua felt his black hair fall down, covering his eyes, and only heard the wet kissing sounds of the two. He said unhappily, “Let go of me!”
Su Zeyang then lowered his head to look at him, straddled him with his legs, and reached out to caress Huo Fenghua’s face.
Huo Fenghua raised his hand to hold the back of his neck, kissing his chin. The warm, lingering kisses slid down Su Zeyang’s naked chest, and he sucked on one of his nipples, his soft tongue licking it vigorously.
Su Zeyang tilted his head back, his breathing becoming rapid.
At this moment, Feng Tianzong separated Huo Fenghua’s legs and lifted him onto his lap. Huo Fenghua instantly felt Feng Tianzong’s thick, hard, and hot cock pressing against the cleft of his ass through his trousers. The two of them had done this countless times along the way, and their bodies were already intimately familiar with each other. At that moment, Huo Fenghua felt a hollow, itchy sensation inside. The thought made Huo Fenghua’s cheeks flush slightly. He continued to caress and kiss Su Zeyang defiantly, watching Su Zeyang’s body turn a faint pink, and feeling the hard erection between his legs pressing against his lower abs, finally regaining some sense of accomplishment.
While Huo Fenghua was caressing Su Zeyang, Feng Tianzong reached his hand under his clothes, gently stroking his slender waist, his fingers slowly moving across his ribs, pinching his nipples between his middle and index fingers, and then rubbing the tips with his calloused thumb.
A sudden wave of pleasure washed over Huo Fenghua. As he held Su Zeyang’s nipple in his mouth, he couldn’t help but gasp. He had to open his mouth, his eyes moist, looking up at Su Zeyang.
Su Zeyang used one hand to push all the long hair that had fallen on him behind his back. He supported himself on the bed with both hands and leaned his upper body back. His beautiful and alluring body was completely exposed to Huo Fenghua, while their cocks were tightly pressed together, rubbing against each other.
At this moment, Feng Tianzong reached out a hand from behind Huo Fenghua, simultaneously grabbing both their shafts. He began to stroke them all the way to the base, while his thumb gently rubbed the tip.
Huo Fenghua and Su Zeyang groaned almost simultaneously.
Huo Fenghua instinctively wanted to lean back, but he was tightly pressed against Feng Tianzong’s embrace, with nowhere to retreat. He tilted his head back, resting it on Feng Tianzong’s shoulder, looking at Feng Tianzong’s sharply defined jawline, and couldn’t help but lean in and kiss him.
Feng Tianzong turned his head, pecked him lightly on the lips, and asked, “Do you like it?”
Huo Fenghua swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing, uttering a “Mm,” followed by a series of moans. He had lived two lives, and even with the combined experiences of both, he couldn’t have imagined three men being so depraved on the same bed.
Thankfully, he wasn’t repulsed; instead, it only heightened his arousal.
With his other hand, Feng Tianzong somehow produced some lube and smeared it onto Huo Fenghua’s chest, making it slick and smooth. Then, he used his lube-covered hand to grasp Huo Fenghua’s penis, slicking it up.
After that, Su Zeyang propped himself up, spread his legs wider, held onto Huo Fenghua’s cock, and slowly sat down.
The warm, soft flesh of his hole tightly enveloped the hard shaft.
With the lube, the penetration was smooth. Su Zeyang placed his hands on Huo Fenghua’s shoulders, completely taking him inside.
Huo Fenghua’s chest heaved violently. He was eager to begin thrusting, but then he felt Feng Tianzong behind him, holding his waist and pulling down his pants.
He felt the heat of something thick and hard pressing against his ass. Feng Tianzong’s finger, still slippery from being coated with lube, traced his hole that was already gaping open due to his legs being spread.
Huo Fenghua realized what Feng Tianzong was about to do, and he couldn’t help but protest. “No…”
“No?” Feng Tianzong asked, inserting the lube into Huo Fenghua’s body, and then smearing it onto his own cock.
Huo Fenghua simply felt it was too depraved; even the thought of it was unbearable.
At this moment, Su Zeyang clenched his hole, slowly raised his hips, then relaxed, and sat down completely.
“Ah—” Huo Fenghua cried out. Su Zeyang called to him. “Fenghua.”
“Senior Brother…” Before Huo Fenghua could finish speaking, Feng Tianzong lifted his hips and thrust himself into him. The thick, hot shaft skillfully and forcefully pressed against his sensitive insides. He widened his eyes and opened his mouth, unable to make a sound for a moment.
Behind him was Feng Tianzong’s thrusting, which made him tremble with every movement, while in front of him was Su Zeyang displaying his fair, alluring body while Huo Fenghua was burrowed into his soft passage.
Huo Fenghua had never experienced anything so stimulating in his two lifetimes. He opened his mouth and gasped for air, as if he would suffocate otherwise. He was also moaning, uncontrollably, the pleasure overflowing to the point of almost pain.
He thought how embarrassing it would be that he might die from sex. He was in a daze, his whole body, except for his still hardened erection, was weak and powerless.
After thrusting for a long time, perhaps finding it difficult to exert force, Feng Tianzong reached out and pushed Huo Fenghua forward to lie prone, while Su Zeyang lay back, spreading his legs to facilitate Huo Fenghua’s thrusts.
Huo Fenghua’s hands couldn’t support his body, and he softly collapsed onto Su Zeyang, his body rubbing against his delicate skin. Feng Tianzong increased the force of his pounding. Now, Huo Fenghua felt he wasn’t the one penetrating Su Zeyang, but rather Feng Tianzong thrusting him into Su Zeyang.
The pleasure was too overwhelming; Huo Fenghua felt like he was about to cum. But he was unwilling. He reached out and touched Su Zeyang and found that he was still hard. He tried relentlessly to make Su Zeyang cum by jacking him off.
However, he couldn’t hold on for long. Huo Fenghua’s body trembled and his muscles tensed. After a brief moment, he spilled his seed inside Su Zeyang. Simultaneously, Feng Tianzong had stopped his pounding, allowing Huo Fenghua’s cock to remain deeply burrow inside Su Zeyang. The tip of his cock pressed hard against Su Zeyang’s passage, creating waves of continuous pleasure. Huo Fenghua felt tears stream down his face as his orgasm continued.
Su Zeyang raised his hand and wiped away his tears. Huo Fenghua felt embarrassed and buried his face in Su Zeyang’s shoulder, softly calling out, “Senior Brother.”
Unexpectedly, at this moment, Feng Tianzong pulled out of Huo Fenghua. Su Zeyang hugged Huo Fenghua, rolled over on the bed, and pinned Huo Fenghua beneath him.
Huo Fenghua was stunned. He weakly watched Su Zeyang turn his head and kiss Feng Tianzong. Then, Feng Tianzong, with perfect coordination, slowly inserted himself into Su Zeyang.
Thinking that his own cum was still inside Su Zeyang, and that Feng Tianzong had just entered that very same hole, Huo Fenghua’s face immediately turned bright red. Following up, Su Zeyang spread Huo Fenghua’s legs and squeezed his own erection into Huo Fenghua’s entrance.
“Nn—” Huo Fenghua was powerless to resist, tilting his head back and moaning again. At the same time, he felt Su Zeyang clasped his hand, and their fingers interlaced, their palms pressed tightly together.
Myss couldn’t even wait to take it back. He opened his mouth to bite—his head just halfway forward when a pair of hands reached from behind and fixed his head in place.
Myss struggled forward with all his strength, his face stretched and distorted. Then, remembering he had hands, he tried to snatch the thing. Kalen stepped back two paces in surprise and held the black lump high.
“Don’t touch this. It’s very dangerous. Let me handle it,” he said with complete sincerity.
Those hands restraining Myss—Salaar’s hands—shifted and pulled Myss back into his arms. The great hero wasn’t in good shape; most of his weight was pressed down on Myss, making him feel as if he was being used as a crutch.
Just as the Demon Lord was about to explode, Salaar asked, “You don’t know what this is, but you know it’s dangerous?”
Kalen nodded solemnly. “Yes. I once saw it flatten an entire village.”
Myss immediately softened his struggling. The thing smelled so delicious it made his head spin, but he didn’t want his mouth blown off.
Seeing that Myss had calmed down, Salaar loosened his arms.
Myss’s clothes had been corroded into shreds, but parts of it were still being held up by his belt, so he wasn’t stark naked. Salaar’s clothes, however, had been reduced to pathetic strips, making him look rather unpresentable.
“It’s not convenient to talk here. Let us return to the church.”
Kalen took off his last remaining shirt and handed it to Salaar to cover himself—after all, there was a clear-headed little girl inside the church.
A few minutes later, inside the church.
“She’s Scintilla.”
Seeing the mutilated unconscious girl, Hailey recognized her at once.
Upon entering the church, Salaar had casually torn a piece of white silk from a statue. With quick hands he had fashioned a simple white robe for himself, making him look less miserable.
He then carried Scintilla onto a bench and skillfully cast healing magic. The pale red threads and memory fragments on her body hadn’t vanished, but her face regained some color and her breathing gradually steadied.
Hailey hesitated, then followed Kalen’s example, taking off her outer cloak to cover Scintilla’s curled-up body.
Myss didn’t care who Scintilla was. His gaze stayed hooked on that mysterious object, like a fishhook luring a fat fish.
Salaar sighed and clung close to Myss, prepared for any eventuality. He looked at the unnatural darkness outside the door and then at Kalen. “Would you mind explaining?”
The pale red threads had all broken and Mina was gone, yet that dreadful darkness still remained.
Even without eyes that could see through magic, Salaar could guess the core of this anomaly was not Scintilla or Mina but that strange lump—
Kalen was holding it carefully with both hands and now set it down gently on a flat ritual stone table.
“This time, thanks to you two, the disaster was lifted. Naturally, I owe you an explanation.”
After making sure the thing was safely placed, Kalen let out a long breath. “You two seem quite interested in the strange illness. In fact, Rosha isn’t the only place with ominous outbreaks.”
“In recent years, several places have experienced similar odd events—someone suddenly mutates, then drags everything nearby into hell. Those who mutate often have this thing on them.”
“At present it seems to be highly concentrated pure magic. The more grotesque the host’s mutation and the greater the number of people affected, the purer the magic power extracted into this thing.”
“It sounds like rose essential oil.” Salaar thought of the Magibases engulfed by the pale red threads. To get one gram of rose essential oil one must distill tens of thousands of roses. Then how much magic must be drained to form this?
No wonder Myss only found normal Magibases faintly fragrant yet couldn’t resist this “extracted essence” at all.
Kalen smiled. “Ah, my brother used a similar comparison. He also gave it a name: ‘Abnormal Fruit’.”
“He taught me the trick to dealing with Abnormal Fruit.”
“Deal with it? How?”
The moment the keyword came up, Myss’s ears perked up.
“There’s only one known solution: consume it using harmless magic until it is gone. Only when the Abnormal Fruit disappears will the anomaly fully dissipate,” Kalen said. “But the Abnormal Fruit is highly unstable. If someone tries to cut it or take it by force, it will explode on the spot.”
Myss’s face went pale, and he let out a sound almost like a sob.
Salaar forced his mouth into a flat line. He still had many questions but talking too much might push the Demon Lord into losing control again.
But one thing was certain, he couldn’t let Myss eat that thing.
If Myss got blown up, he might return to his original form; but if he absorbed all that magic, the balance of strength between them would shatter.
“Myss, don’t risk it this time. Its origin is strange. What if it’s poisonous?” Salaar whispered as he steadied a hand on his shoulder.
“Let us do as Kalen said and use a magic spell to consume it. While it’s being used up, you and I can watch carefully.”
Myss’s heart was shattered—yes, what else could he do but make it disappear from sight?
Calming down and thinking it through, earlier he and Salaar together barely subdued that monster… Even if this thing wasn’t toxic, its power was formidable; his human body might not endure it.
Until they found a safe way to handle it, it wasn’t worth dying for a taste.
… But it smelled so good. Damn it, he was starving.
Myss covered his face with both hands and slowly squatted down, not wanting to say a single word. He tried to hide his nose to block out that deadly scent.
“If you two have no objections, I’ll begin eliminating it,” Kalen said. “Please step back a little.”
Salaar didn’t move. “Must it be consumed by a specific magic? Would other harmless spells work?”
Kalen scratched his head. “As long as it is not destructive magic, theoretically yes… Would you like to try?”
He stopped moving and looked at Salaar inquiringly.
Salaar thought for a moment, broke off a small piece of white stone from the statue, and began drawing a magic circle on the floor.
Seeing Salaar, who usually cast spells barehanded, actually drew a proper magic array, Myss couldn’t help raising his head and secretly peeking through his fingers.
That guy must have borrowed Lord Karns’s knowledge. The circle looked decent and contained many runes Myss had never seen.
“Myss.” Salaar seemed aware he was peeking and spoke without looking up. “Don’t you think there’s a problem between us?”
Myss frowned. “Hmm? Is there a problem between us?”
Then he had better quickly address any gaps.
Salaar glanced at him and whispered, “Fine, let me rephrase. Earlier in the fight you got distracted. Were you doubting me?”
Salaar knew he had made mistakes while in his support, but he hadn’t expected Myss’s reaction to be that big. He thought Myss had long since engraved ‘Salaar is untrustworthy’ into instinct.
This realization left him feeling… complicated.
Myss didn’t reply.
Being distracted during battle was humiliating but having your archenemy guess the reason why was even worse. He decided to play dead on the spot.
“I know what worries you. You fear I’ll discover the truth first and stab you in the back. But if we’re always on guard, we can’t fight at full strength. That’s a serious problem.”
Salaar tapped the ground with the stone. “We don’t need to talk about meaningless ‘trust’. Let us just make a contract—using the Abnormal Fruit as material, the magic effect will be absolutely guaranteed.”
A contract?
Myss finally lifted his head and raised his eyebrows.
“Before uncovering the truth about the body-switch ritual, you and I must share all related information and can’t lie or hide anything.”
“Before uncovering the truth about the ritual, you and I must guarantee each other’s safety and can’t act passively.”
“Before uncovering the truth about the ritual, you and I must stay close and can’t leave without permission.”
Salaar stated each clause emphatically while he fixed his gaze directly at Myss, as if he was trying to catch every smallest reaction.
“…Well? This way there’ll be no ‘I found the truth but kept silent.’ After the truth is known, who lives or dies will depend on skill.”
Myss thought for a while, then stood up. “Fine.”
Good enough. The Abnormal Fruit would stay with him in another form; his pent-up grievance eased considerably. And he truly didn’t want to be constantly suspicious, with his mind always on Salaar. A contract would make things simpler.
“But I’ll cast with you. You’d better not pull any tricks.” Myss pointed at his eyes. “I can see things very clearly right now.”
Salaar smiled back.
“Have you two decided?” Since they had lowered their voices, Kalen had politely kept his distance.
“Done, Father.” Salaar patted the white stone dust off his hands. “Please bring the Abnormal Fruit here and teach us the process.”
It turned out to be much simpler than they expected.
Kalen only asked where the center of the array was, then placed the plump Abnormal Fruit right on top.
“It’s a bit like a lost ancient alchemy. I heard this kind of magic is extremely complicated.” He peered curiously at the array. “Are you an alchemist?”
“No. I’m just a scholar who likes researching history,” Salaar said calmly.
At the edge of the round-table-sized array, Salaar and Myss stood facing each other. Salaar extended one hand and chanted a long incantation that Myss couldn’t understand.
The array lit with a gentle, brilliant gold glow, and the pitch-black Abnormal Fruit gave a slight wriggle.
Wave after wave of magic surged out like a tsunami, blowing both their hair sideways.
Countless gold motes danced above the array, drifting around the two of them and forming a splendid band of light like a Möbius strip.
Soundless information flooded into Myss’s mind. It was the three terms Salaar had just stated.
Salaar hadn’t tampered with it. The information was even more precise and detailed than his spoken wording, watertight in every respect.
If either of them broke the contract, their power would vanish immediately and wouldn’t return until the other party chose to forgive them.
“…Contract confirmed. Offer perfect metal imbued with essence,” Salaar intoned.
What’s that supposed to mean? Myss looked at him, puzzled.
Salaar didn’t bother to explain. He took out the ritual dagger made of pure silver and sliced open his own palm. The silver-white blade, covered in blood, dropped into the gold light of the array.
It didn’t hit the ground but melted into a small silver-white sphere and floated slowly on one side of the array.
Myss suddenly understood. He felt around in his shredded clothes and pulled out the nearly ruined silver dining fork.
The warped fork pricked his arm, then fell with his blood into the array and immediately became a silver sphere of the same size. The two spheres orbited the array, circling closer and closer. The Abnormal Fruit dissolved at high speed, and the two spheres grew ever more dazzling.
At the instant the fruit disappeared, the spheres merged into one and turned into a silver… egg.
Myss: ?
Crack.
The array slowly dimmed. The silver egg split open in front of him and two tiny silver snakes crawled out. They floated in midair and slithered toward Myss and Salaar respectively.
Myss instinctively held out his hand and allowed the snake to coil around his right arm. It had eyes like garnet, its skin shone with a dark silvery gray, and it carried a faint metallic texture.
Just looking at it gave Myss a strange sense of intimacy, as if it was a part of him.
The other snake flew into Salaar’s hand.
With a flash of silver light, that snake turned into a single-serpent staff. Its length matched an ordinary walking stick, its color a subdued silver gray. A slender silver snake coiled at the head of the staff, its eyes like inlaid lapis lazuli.
“The air outside is really fresh.”
The snake, which looked like a mere ornament, actually opened its mouth and spoke.
Myss stared at it in shock, then looked at his own snake. His snake was busy yawning, exposing tiny fangs, with no time to talk.
“This is the embodied symbol of the contract. In a sense, it is one with us,” Salaar said. “I thought the Magibases were an interesting idea, so I tried something similar.”
“You can turn it into a weapon, like this—”
Salaar flicked the serpent staff. The snake instantly formed a hilt-like structure at the head, while the lower half of the staff was wrapped in brilliant gold light and became a slender blade.
A delicate lightsaber appeared before Myss. The power of the Abnormal Fruit had fused into it perfectly. A faint pressure emanated from it, far stronger than that ritual dagger had ever been.
Tap. Tap.
The tip touched the floor twice. The gold faded at once, and the lightsaber returned to a plain serpent staff.
“That tickles,” the snake said again.
…This is amazing!Salaar actually had such a miraculous use for it!
Myss immediately looked at his own snake and began considering what to make it become.
A dagger?
No, not quite right. He mainly used magic to eliminate enemies, so a wound from the slightest stab from a dagger was negligible. The earlier use of a dining fork had only been to provide an anchoring point for his magic.
A bow and arrows?
That would fit his ranger persona, and long-range attacks suited him. But a longbow was bulky, and drawing and shooting was troublesome. Myss felt a headache just thinking about it.
If only he could combine the two.
In a flash, the image of Salaar raising a dagger and firing flames crossed his mind.
The silver snake moved on its own, coiling around Myss’s right wrist. A moment later it fixed its body in place, its head resting on the back of Myss’s right hand.
At first glance it looked like a silver bracelet in the shape of a serpent. Myss, however, caught the idea at once. It was essentially a refined wrist crossbow.
He lifted his hand and moved his will. A jet of pitch-black magic shot from the snake’s mouth like a viper spitting venom.
The shot grazed Salaar’s foot and ate a bottomless little hole into the floorboards.
Myss and the silver snake both cried out “Wow!” at the same time.
This thing was even more handy than he expected, and its attack coverage was quite flexible. In close quarters he could even have the snake bite directly.
“How is it?” Salaar winked at him.
“I’m naming it ‘Fork’.” Myss stroked the silver snake in satisfaction. Its touch was cool and silky, and it gave off a faint pleasant scent.
Fork narrowed its eyes at him and said in a shrill voice, “Your taste in names is awful.”
Myss narrowed his eyes right back. “If you want to live, keep quiet.”
Salaar chuckled and coughed twice, then waved his own serpent staff. “Then I will call this one ‘Knife’. It’s basically a knife transformed.”
Knife: “That’s truly a… unique name, beyond my comprehension.”
Salaar: “Really? Thank you for the compliment.”
Clap, clap, clap.
Kalen applauded from a few steps away, wearing the same astonished look as Myss.
“This is the first time I have seen such wondrous alchemical magic,” the priest exclaimed. “Congratulations on successfully, uh, giving birth to new life…?”
Myss and Salaar both fell silent.
After a few seconds, Salaar gave a dry laugh, thanked him, and used magic to erase the traces of the array on the floor.
“But the anomaly here hasn’t disappeared,” Kalen said, glancing toward the door. “Sir, did you overlook something?”
“No. There’s indeed a tiny remaining portion of the Abnormal Fruit. Only a very, very small bit,” Salaar said, then produced a candy ball as if by sleight of hand.
Myss couldn’t fathom it. This man’s clothes had nearly fallen apart earlier. The ritual dagger was one thing, but this was somehow still around.
He was in no mood for such details now. From that candy he smelled an extremely alluring fragrance.
It was the scent of the Abnormal Fruit. It wasn’t as intense as the fruit itself, but exactly the same in flavor, most likely the residual crumbs of the contract magic.
“Eat it,” Salaar said, tossing it to him. “In such a tiny amount, even if it is poisonous, it won’t matter.”
Myss popped the candy into his mouth without hesitation.
Curiously, his sense of taste didn’t react. The fragrance felt more like a guide, as if his instincts had borrowed human senses on purpose just to secure his attention.
As the fruit’s magic seeped into him, Myss felt vividly and unmistakably alive. It was an incomparable comfort, like a newborn taking a first breath.
In truth, Myss could more or less guess Salaar’s motive.
If he kept brooding over this, it wouldn’t benefit anyone. The great hero was cooling a powder keg. Myss couldn’t resist such bribery though. The contract first and the candy after; Myss’s dissatisfaction vanished to the sweetness.
“I’ve decided not to resent you for now.”
Myss devoted himself to savoring the magic. His whole body tensed, and the corners of his eyes grew faintly moist.
“That’s truly my honor, My~ss~,” Salaar said cheerfully.
……
The candy melted, and the illusion quietly collapsed.
Faint voices drifted from the nearby street. The damp, fishy odor fully dispersed, and the air turned dry and clear.
The church was still the same church, but the sky outside the door had brightened at once. Myss looked up and saw the spire intact, all the damage from the battle gone without a trace.
The hot, rank air, the membranous sheath covering the city, the windows lit from within—all of it had felt so real. Yet the twisted monster nurtured there had never managed to be born.
Only the contract’s silver snake still lay on the back of Myss’s hand. Its cool, slippery touch told him the past events hadn’t been false.
At last, the Abnormal Fruit’s remnants were completely digested by Myss. Mina’s distorted memories faded, leaving only a light impression that could no longer stir any emotion.
In the very end, Myss seemed to hear a soft sigh.
“Who goes there?!” A roar followed at once, making Myss jump.
—People in disheveled clothing had appeared in the church, creating quite a suspicious scene. The night watchman swung his lantern and shouted them out.
Scintilla, whose appearance had grown abnormal, was wrapped in silk and was being floated by Salaar. Huey was still unconscious and was carried on Kalen’s back.
Hailey ran ahead to lead the way. She moved through the night with practiced ease and guided them straight to the Hammer Tavern.
Since the bird-beaked demon had appeared, the tavern had far fewer guests. Even so, at the sight of this particularly strange group, a wave of whispers and exclamations rose. Hammer silenced the curious patrons with a look and pointed upstairs.
“I’ll get you something to eat in a bit. Tell me what herbs you need,” he whispered.
…And just like that, Scintilla and Huey took the beds that should have belonged to Myss and Salaar.
Myss was in a good mood, savoring the candy, so he decided not to pursue the matter for now. He leaned against the corner and watched the busy humans.
Perhaps because he had newly gained the fruit’s power, Salaar generously cast cleansing spells and removed all the grime from everyone.
Earlier, to attend the exorcism and blessing, Salaar had only worn a loose old outfit. Now he pulled out that dark-blue formal suit again and changed quickly in the corridor. Paired with the newly acquired serpent staff, he looked even more like a proper scholar.
“Mr. Huey has nothing serious. His magic fluctuations are a bit weak. Slow recuperation will suffice.”
After carefully checking Huey’s condition, Kalen looked relieved. A few more crows had gathered outside the window, hopping along the sill and gently tapping the glass with their beaks.
Kalen smiled and waved to them, then went to check Scintilla on the other bed. At the sight of the girl’s terrifying alteration, that trace of relief vanished at once.
Half of Scintilla’s body was gone, leaving only pale red threads tangled into a mass. They drooped dryly like plant roots withered by drought.
Myss narrowed his eyes, trying to observe the Magibase inside Scintilla. He found only a broken, indescribable clump of something. It was less like a living thing and more like scraps of meat on a butcher’s board.
Salaar stood beside him and watched in silence as well.
“Miss Scintilla’s situation isn’t optimistic.” Kalen sighed. “Forget recovery. I have never seen someone altered like this return to human form. Mr. Myss being able to separate her human body at all is already an extraordinary feat.”
Salaar looked at him noncommittally. “So?”
“So I’ll look after her until the very last moment,” Kalen said softly. “How about I take her home, and you two look after Mr. Huey and Miss Hailey. If anything else comes up, find me at Scintilla’s house anytime.”
“The Abnormal Fruit is gone, and the strange sickness won’t recur. Your investigation can be wrapped up.”
“Is that so?” Salaar crossed his arms. Knife flicked its tongue.
“I never said our goal was to investigate the ‘Lower City plague’.”
“As it happens, when I last visited Scintilla’s home, something seemed to be missing from her table… Of course I don’t mean the lantern.”
“Father, what’s that letter in your pocket?”
The author has something to say:
The pets are here!
Yes, I declare they have two children, blood-related (…)
Two adorable contract snakes to make up for the fact that neither of them has a Magibase, and they even come as a matching couple—
The roof of the small-footprint church was a spired cone. At its very peak stood a cross, while twelve panes of stained glass formed the church’s dome.
When sunlight streamed through those panes, anyone standing in the ground-floor hall would feel bathed in divine light.
Bathed in such radiance, walking through such a church, no one could help believing that their wishes would be granted if they only prayed to God.
Unfortunately, there was no sunlight now; only the eternally unchanging gray sky.
And of the twelve beautiful panes, one had already been shattered.
Bai Zhou and Zhou Qian now stood shoulder-to-shoulder on the metal framing between the two panes flanking that gap.
On the narrow stone eaves outside the remaining panes stood, to their left, the Peach Blossom Legion headed by Ke Yuxiao, and, to their right, the Feidu Legion led by Xu Yang.
The three gunshots had barely rung out when both Ke Yuxiao and Xu Yang were stunned, and so were the people in the church below who had watched everything through the glass.
Zhou Qian’s features were exquisitely handsome. When he narrowed his eyes to aim, the lift of his outer eye-corners lent a hint of wickedness to his assured gaze—it was hard to look away once you saw it.
At the same time, he bore the obvious polish of someone raised amid wealth. Even now, his stance as he fired was textbook perfect, very likely the product of frequent professional training at archery ranges and the like back in real life.
That Zhou Qian had fired three shots into the empty sky with such crisp, fluid form. After the brief moment of confusion, the spectators in the hall below were instantly gripped by dread. A few who didn’t know him couldn’t keep from cursing aloud.
“Those were our only three rounds. What’s he playing at?!”
“Has he lost his mind?!”
“If he doesn’t care about living, what are we supposed to do?”
“No, he’s famous. I know him. In the player-rating leaderboards before S-level he’s still number one. No one’s ever topped him! It’s just that his clears are always something no one expects.”
“I don’t care how ingenious he is. There are rules, you know! He’s just thrown away our only weapon!”
……
Up on the roof, Zhou Qian ignored every word from the players below. He casually tossed the gun onto the tiles, shot Ke Yuxiao a contemptuous glance, then turned a look of lofty disdain toward Xu Yang.
He began, “Hints in the system broadcasts, the fact that you knew weapon caches beforehand, your recruiting by way of making examples of others. All of it points to one thing: weapons in this instance are extremely limited.
“The Peach Blossom Legion opened this very special instance with a mountain of intel in hand and made straight for the richest weapon deposits. How did the Feidu Legion learn all that? I’m guessing… you planted a mole in Peach Blossom, right?”
Peach Blossom had triggered the instance. They wanted its hidden rewards, and they wanted Zhou Qian dead in the melee. Coming in with so much info, they should have stationed different squads at each cache to monopolize the lot. At minimum, it was enough to deny Feidu any chance to stand as an equal.
So how had things ended up like this?
Peach Blossom weren’t fools: knowing caches lay in several spots, they couldn’t have occupied only one, unless they had a traitor.
Most likely that mole gathered intel, hid a portion of the weapons from Peach Blossom, then passed the info to Feidu, letting Feidu seize those arms.
“Mm. Peach Blossom has a Feidu mole. I don’t need to spell that out, do I?”
Here Zhou Qian turned to look at Ke Yuxiao and the ranking members behind him. Seeing their faces indeed shift, he went on with a smile. “Peach Blossom’s a big legion. Intel of this weight can’t be handled by one person. So our mole wouldn’t dare sit on anything really crucial. It would be too easy to get caught. A reasonable inference, then…”
His gaze slid to Xu Yang, eyes glinting. “Peach Blossom’s stockpile still exceeds yours by far. Xu Yang, with things like that, you’re still here for me?”
Without waiting for more words, Xu Yang quickly worked out the logic and his complexion darkened.
By contrast, Zhou Qian looked ever more composed. “Xu Yang, what passed between us before, you can call it a minor episode, water under the bridge. What feud do we really have?
“Let me pose this: say you have twenty bullets left, Peach Blossom fifty. Wiping out everyone here with me would cost you your full twenty. You sure you want that?”
He spread his hands. “You know there were only three bullets where I was. If I’d claimed I couldn’t find them, you’d never trust me. You’d fear I’d take a potshot. If I’d sworn not to use them, same story. Lucky for you, I did find all three—and I’ve just fired them. You saw it yourself.
“Now you’re certain I pose zero threat, yes?
“Unarmed me is no danger to Feidu or Peach Blossom. In that case, will you waste your ammo on me or save it to use on each other?”
With that, he took Bai Zhou’s hand, as calmly as if out for a lovers’ stroll.
He did indeed lead Bai Zhou a few steps along the roof’s edge, then looked back at Ke Yuxiao’s side. “Same logic your way. Even with fifty rounds, killing me costs you twenty. Why not keep them for the real threat, Feidu?
“If you shoot us, it’s thirty versus twenty and your edge shrinks. Besides… you still have at least one mole you haven’t found, don’t you?”
Behind Ke Yuxiao, several squad leaders were now eyeing one another warily. Seeing it, Zhou Qian narrowed his eyes, waved lightly, and, before both legions’ gazes, walked to the roof edge.
Bai Zhou slipped an arm around his waist. “Hold tight.”
“Mm.” Zhou Qian smiled at him, hooked his left arm around Bai Zhou’s neck…
And Bai Zhou, holding him, leapt down, landing steadily on Liuguang Street.
Under everyone’s eyes, Zhou Qian swaggered into the church hall with Bai Zhou, produced all the yellow wristbands, and tossed them a careless look.
“Put them on, all of you. You heard what I said: for them to spend all their ammo on us is a losing bargain. In this situation the twenty of us must come together completely if we’re to flip disadvantage to advantage. If we don’t stay united, we’ll spiral into collapse and we’ll all die. But…”
His tone suddenly turned icy, laden with menace. “I advise you to stay obedient. First, they may not trust you; second, all they want are the information on the murderers you possess, and afterward they’ll kill you anyway.
“And weapons are limited—those will go to their own. If you defect you may not get a weapon, and even if you do…”
Here Zhou Qian lifted Bai Zhou’s hand. “We have Bai Zhou here, ranked first among god-tier players. One way or another, he will cut down traitors. Therefore…
“Take my advice: drop all thoughts of betrayal.
“Since you’re with me, believe this—I can lead you to victory.”
……
[Holy crap, why didn’t I think of that?]
[I’m not being an armchair critic. I did think of it, but I’d never dare try it…]
[Same as above. How could Qian Ge leave those two up there?]
[Yeah, Qian Ge talks a good game, but what if… what if the two legions join forces?]
[Right… They could each spare a few bullets and be done, couldn’t they?]
…
Inside a private box of the virtual viewing hall.
Zhou Qian’s gamblers launched into heated debate over his move.
And not just here, barrage comments were flooding every viewing hall.
The dozen gamblers in this box all turned in unison toward one man.
He was someone with quite a history: Yuan Bing.
Yuan Bing had once been Wen Bin’s gambler. His machinations had nearly trapped Zhou Qian’s team.
Only later did the gamblers learn that Wen Bin’s prowess owed to a brilliant strategist behind him, namely Yuan Bing.
With Wen Bin’s death, Yuan Bing, having lost his bet, owed an astronomical sum.
After a player reached S-level, the number of gamblers soared. Any loss multiplied their payouts. No one knew what Yuan Bing did in real life, but he somehow produced several hundred million and paid it.
Then he actually kept playing, picked a new player, and became Zhou Qian’s gambler.
At first the other gamblers resented him for their former enmity.
Now his position had changed, and they were all in the same boat. Though the other gamblers couldn’t say much to him, they never given him a good face.
But starting from Banquet of the Red God, things changed. Time and again Yuan Bing read Zhou Qian’s moves with uncanny accuracy, and the others began to see him differently.
Since Priest no longer appeared as a gambler to answer questions, Yuan Bing became their sole source for explanations.
Now, facing their expectant looks, Yuan Bing said, “No. The odds of Peach Blossom and Feidu cooperating are vanishingly small.”
“Why?” someone asked.
Yuan Bing: “Had Zhou Qian’s gambit failed, he’d never have left the roof with Bai Zhou alive. Their hesitation proves one thing: Zhou Qian’s calculation was right…
“Right that Peach Blossom has more bullets than Feidu, and both sides prize their ammo. How, then, could they cooperate? Killing Zhou Qian takes at least twenty rounds. Peach Blossom might agree to split it half and half, but Feidu never would. And how would Feidu negotiate?”
One gambler suddenly caught on and shouted, “Holy shit. I get it!”
“What did you get?” someone still lost hurriedly asked.
Excited, he explained: “If Feidu proposed concrete terms, say they supply thirty percent of the bullets and Peach Blossom seventy, what would Peach Blossom think? They’d back-calculate Feidu’s total ammo!
“Qian Ge’s group is twenty people. That’s fixed. Peach Blossom knows its own numbers and how many it’s killed. Everyone knows the total player count is a hundred. Simple subtraction lets Peach Blossom estimate Feidu’s manpower.
“Bullets are precious. They need them for enemy factions and for their own non-core members. Feidu has to ensure enough rounds to cover those before killing Zhou Qian. So broaching terms would expose Feidu’s real tally. This is hugely disadvantageous!”
Thus, the board had become a three-way standoff.
Granted, Zhou Qian’s camp was still the weakest since they had no weapons at all.
This instance had a quirk: each wristband color existed in only twenty-five copies. As things progressed, Peach Blossom’s faction surely controlled more than just green; Feidu likewise more than violet, assigning other execs to manage other colors.
Whatever their exact holdings, seeing Zhou Qian’s headcount let each legion roughly gauge the other’s total numbers—made up of legion core, legion non-core, and coerced lone players.
For Xu Yang of Feidu, the system’s coming “max headcount” meant he had to kill people; only by trimming players to that cap could he clear.
Those he was sure to kill were every non-core member beyond himself, his sister, and five confidants.
Once bullets were gone, they’d be down to melee or clever item use.
Assuming those seven people in Feidu were elite enough to handle two foes apiece; that saved twenty-one bullets.
If their whole faction numbered forty, they still needed nineteen bullets just to quell internal trouble before even facing outsiders.
On top of that they must exterminate everyone outside. Every remaining round had to count.
Earlier Zhou Qian had hypothetically said they held twenty bullets.
In such a pinch, to kill Zhou Qian’s twenty he’d at most offer one round and demand Peach Blossom supply nineteen.
But negotiating at all would lay out Feidu’s trump card.
This undoubtedly would have a huge negative effect on his side. He would never accept it.
Zhou Qian stood in the worst spot—no men, just three bullets.
Yet with a few words and those shots he had used softness to overcome strength, flipping disadvantage into advantage.
Once they grasped that keystone, the gamblers sat in stunned silence before agreeing in chorus: “Holy shit, awesome.” “So dirty. Political masterminds are filthy.” “Is it too late to pick up game theory now?”
Yuan Bing said, “Peach Blossom probably never dreamt they had a mole. Either way, neither legion will move on Zhou Qian: whoever spends ammo is weakened for later fights. But negotiating will reveal their hand, which is also disadvantageous.
“With such self-interested pragmatists, they’ll do neither.
“So, even if Zhou Qian is weaponless, he has formed a stable tripod with them. The three sides will settle into a delicate stalemate. As things continue…”
He paused, then added, “On Peach Blossom’s side… to have obtained intel this crucial, the mole must be high-level and rooting them out is imperative, likely to spark bloody infighting.
“As for Feidu, their non-core members may not know they’re marked for death or some do know but keep silent to avoid being silenced.
“They need only a spark to erupt. And who’s the spark? Don’t forget, they themselves brought in Hidden Blade, He Xiaowei, and the rest.”
With his explanation done, the gamblers relaxed into smiles.
“Qian Ge never disappoints.”
“Yeah, what were we worrying about? We can just lie back.”
“Hey, Yuan Bing, you don’t look that relaxed.”
“Ah, he’s just a serious guy.”
“Come on, let’s hop to another hall and chat with the other Qian Ge’s gamblers. Next time have everyone gather here. No more typing, just talk!”
……
“I’m heading to reality for a bit. Keep an eye on things.”
With that, Yuan Bing rose and left the box.
The gamblers paid little heed… Until, at the main door, a deep, unreadable emotion flickered in Yuan Bing’s gaze.
Instead of pressing the exit button to reach the public transfer zone and return via the high-roller channel, he stopped at the door and quietly drew out an identity-switch card.
In a blink he changed from gambler to player and an “inventory” slot appeared on him.
Next he took out a capsule.
Back when Wen Bin died in Murder Exhibition, Yuan Bing, as his gambler, had faced a colossal payout and despair. Priest had approached him then, inviting him into the Peach Blossom Legion.
Those hundreds of millions? Priest had staked him.
And this capsule in his hand—Priest had given it too.
[Item: Territory-Seizing Capsule]
[Function: Want to expand your legion’s territory? This capsule can help! Activate it to alter the nature of the current instance. A peaceful zone can become a battlefield; an open dungeon can become a sealed one.
Using the capsule, you may design parts of the game world. You will be the god and ruler of this instance! In the dream game you create, the system believes you can sweep all before you and claim victory. Win, and the current instance becomes your legion’s territory. Tempting, isn’t it?]
[Note 1: The user may script portions of the story and settings. For balance, the system will polish the instance, making minor tweaks that don’t affect its framework.]
[Note 2: Seizing territory and scripting a game are no easy feats. Before the capsule fully takes effect, you must clear three solo instances created for you. Their difficulty scales to the size of the territory you hope to claim: the larger the land, the tougher the trials. Use with caution!]
The moment had come. Without hesitation, Yuan Bing used the capsule, converting the semi-open virtual viewing hall into a sealed instance.
A prompt appeared: he must clear solo trials. He clicked Confirm.
Another prompt followed…
[The instance you wish to convert contains many non-players. Will you convert them to NPCs or expel them?]
Yuan Bing chose to convert them all and, in his settings, added a keyword: [Killable.]
Why had he backed Wen Bin so hard, only for Wen Bin to lose to Zhou Qian?
Why could these gamblers, who’d done nothing but pick the right horse, rake in fortunes?
He was the clever one; he deserved to be Zhou Qian’s gambler, didn’t he?
Now, only he could truly help Zhou Qian.
So why should other gamblers split the winnings with him?
As the trial loaded, Yuan Bing murmured almost to himself, “I’ll kill every gambler. Zhou Qian, only I deserve to be your sole gambler.
“When Wen Bin died, I hated you, but now… now I’m your comrade. I want to win with you!
“Only I can help you seize victory.
“You’ll come to see…I’m your one and only gambler.”
The author has something to say:
Yuan Bing’s storyline was foreshadowed back in Chapter 101~
And through his perspective we also get an explanation for how Blue Harbor City was altered.
Huo Fenghua sprang up from the desk in one hop and, under it, gave Feng Tianzong a vicious kick. In his embarrassment and fury just now, he hadn’t noticed anyone’s hurried footsteps approaching. He didn’t believe Feng Tianzong and Su Zeyang hadn’t heard them.
Feng Tianzong, however, looked perfectly calm. He and Su Zeyang stood up at the same time and called out, “Elder Brother.”
Feng Tiansheng froze. His gaze swept over Feng Tianzong and Su Zeyang, then shifted to Huo Fenghua. He frowned and said, “I heard you slipped back to the capital without permission, so I rushed over to see you, and this is what you’re doing in here?”
Feng Tianzong smiled as he answered, “Someone at home doesn’t understand the rules. I’m teaching him a lesson.”
When Feng Tianzong had insisted on marrying Su Zeyang, Feng Tiansheng hadn’t approved. Still, seeing how deeply attached they were, and that Su Zeyang was quiet and knew his place, he’d ultimately let it go. He hadn’t expected that, coming in a hurry today over serious business, he would find Feng Tianzong fooling around with his household concubine in the study. His expression immediately soured.
“You’re being ridiculous!”
Su Zeyang spoke up then. “Elder Brother, is the Princess feeling better?”
Feng Tiansheng’s expression softened slightly. “Somewhat. The physician told her not to go out, so she doesn’t catch another chill.”
Su Zeyang nodded. “Elder Brother still has things to say to Tianzong. I’ll go out first and have Steward Lu prepare lunch.”
Feng Tiansheng did indeed have things to say to Feng Tianzong. He nodded and said to Su Zeyang, “Thank you for the trouble.”
So Su Zeyang headed out of the study. Seeing that, Huo Fenghua immediately followed and said, “I’ll head out too. You two take your time.”
He caught up to Su Zeyang and, once they’d left the study, grabbed his sleeve.
Su Zeyang turned back to look at him. “Didn’t get enough spanking?”
Huo Fenghua froze.
Su Zeyang lifted his hand and gave him a hard smack on the butt. Huo Fenghua lurched forward, pressing tight against Su Zeyang. He simply wrapped an arm around him and said, “Fine, hit me. Just lighter.”
Su Zeyang stepped away and continued walking outward.
Huo Fenghua chased after him again, calling, “Senior Brother, wait for me.”
Inside the study, only the two brothers remained. There was no need to hide words anymore. Feng Tiansheng asked, “Since when have you and Huo Fenghua become this close?”
Feng Tianzong picked up the white-jade tiger Su Zeyang had set back on the desk before leaving. He held it, feeling the warmth lingering from Su Zeyang’s palm. After a moment, he said, “Elder Brother doesn’t need to worry about Huo Fenghua. He might not be what you imagine.”
Feng Tiansheng’s expression darkened. “What was Huo Fenghua like when he first entered the General’s Manor, and what is he like now? I’m afraid he’s colluding with Wang Chu’s side, deliberately getting close to you to catch the Feng family by the handle. You came back this time. If the emperor finds out, how will you clean it up?”
Feng Tianzong said, “I returned to the residence last night, and early this morning big brother already came. It’s hard not to draw attention.”
Feng Tiansheng looked at him. “So you’re blaming me for coming in person?”
“Elder Brother, that’s not what I mean,” Feng Tianzong said.
Feng Tiansheng frowned. “I’m saying all this for your own good. Su Zeyang was just here too. You were fooling around intimately with your concubine right in front of him. What do you think he’ll feel?”
Feng Tianzong’s fingers traced the white-jade tiger’s smooth-edged forehead. Suddenly he asked, “The Princess miscarried?”
Feng Tiansheng was startled. “That was a few days ago.”
“What a pity I can’t visit,” Feng Tianzong said. “Have Lu Xi send some nourishing medicines over. Consider it my token of concern.”
“There’s no need,” Feng Tiansheng said. “What the General’s Manor has, the Prime Minister’s Manor has too.”
Feng Tianzong looked at him. “Elder Brother, once Xichou is settled and what’s left of Shao Feijie’s forces are wiped out, I want to hand over my military authority and resign.”
Feng Tiansheng’s expression turned sharp in an instant. He stood and walked up to the desk, staring at Feng Tianzong. “What did you say?”
Feng Tianzong lounged back against the chair, one long leg draped over an armrest, posture casual. His expression was unusually blank, almost dazed.
“I’m just tired. Zeyang stays in the residence alone, and we can’t even see each other once a year. That shouldn’t be his life. I should be out in the martial world with him, living freely.”
“That shouldn’t be his life, but fighting on the battlefield should be yours!” Feng Tiansheng planted both hands on the edge of the desk. “Have you forgotten how we wandered when we were little, how much humiliation and hardship we suffered? Back then we swore we’d achieve merit and make a name for ourselves, that we’d never endure that kind of disgrace again!”
Feng Tianzong tossed the white-jade tiger up into the air and caught it again. “I’ve already destroyed Xichou for Donglin. Whether it’s the remnants of Xichou or foreign tribes beyond the borders, none of them are worth fearing. What more do you want me to achieve? Next I return to the capital to report in, and the emperor will certainly demand I surrender my command. If I refuse to return to the capital, that’s open rebellion and treason.”
Feng Tiansheng said, “Xichou’s remnants aren’t eliminated yet. What’s wrong with you leading troops in Xichou? The entire garrison in Xichou is made up of your men. As long as you don’t come back, you remain a deterrent to Donglin.”
Feng Tianzong asked, “For how long? Are you confident you can bring down the Wang family in a short time? By then, I’ll be stuck in Xichou with troops, refusing to return. The emperor will tie up you and the Princess, and Zeyang too, and use you as leverage to force me back to hand over my command. Then what should I do?”
The commander of the capital’s imperial guards was named He Zhongping, the brother-in-law of Wang Chu’s nephew by marriage, connected by kinship and, in the end, part of the Wang family’s sphere.
Feng Tiansheng stared at Feng Tianzong with a hard, furious look, as if exasperated at his failure to measure up.
Feng Tianzong let out a sigh. “Elder Brother, court struggle runs too deep. No matter how glorious it looks, it’s only temporary. You understand that in your heart. Why do you need me to persuade you?”
Feng Tiansheng’s voice was cold and heavy. “I don’t care that you married a male wife, but now you’re indulging in lust with men, losing ambition. You’ve probably forgotten every humiliation we suffered back then. Our Feng brothers are tied together at the root. One prospers, both prosper; one falls, both fall. You’d better make plans for the future!”
With that, Feng Tiansheng shoved open the study door and left as hurriedly as he’d come.
Feng Tianzong sat alone in the study for a while. Then Su Zeyang pushed the door open and came in. “Elder Brother left? I ran into him. He wouldn’t even stay to eat, so I had to see him to the carriage.”
Feng Tianzong didn’t answer. He lifted his head to look at Su Zeyang and extended a hand.
Su Zeyang walked over and took it. Feng Tianzong pulled him down to sit on his thigh.
Feng Tianzong wrapped one arm around Su Zeyang’s waist and gently stroked his cheek with the other. “It’s been hard on you, dealing with these affairs in the General’s Manor every day.”
“It’s not hard,” Su Zeyang said, resting his head on Feng Tianzong’s shoulder.
Feng Tianzong fell silent for a moment, then said, “In a while, no more than two years, I’ll take off this armor and roam the world with you, to the ends of the earth. How about it?”
“All right,” Su Zeyang said softly.
“All right?” Feng Tianzong murmured in his ear.
Su Zeyang replied, “As long as I’m with you, it’s all right.”
Feng Tianzong held him even tighter, as if he wanted to press him into bone and flesh. In a low voice he asked, “You like Huo Fenghua because you’ve been alone in the General’s Manor for so many years, and life’s been lonely?”
Su Zeyang lifted his eyes to him. “How could you think that? I know you like him too. Is that because you’re lonely as well? If you like someone, you like them. How would it only be because you’re lonely?”
Feng Tianzong kissed his forehead. “I was just afraid… There’s no need to say more. I only hope you won’t hide things from me in the future. Tell me whatever you’re thinking.”
Su Zeyang nodded. “All right.”
That night, before bed, Liu Yong came to Huo Fenghua’s small courtyard. Reluctantly, he called from outside, “Young Master Huo!”
Qingqing moved fast, throwing open the window and shouting out, “What is it, coming this late to find Young Master Huo?”
Liu Yong said, “The General requests your presence.”
Qingqing’s voice shot up. “Coming, coming right away!”
“Who said I’m coming right away?” Huo Fenghua was still brooding over Feng Tianzong spanking him today and making him lose face in front of Feng Tiansheng. He didn’t want to see him.
Qingqing didn’t care. She immediately tidied him up and shoved him out the door, then said to Liu Yong, “Young Master Huo is ready.”
Liu Yong had been waiting a long time already and was growing impatient. Under his breath, he muttered, “Ungrateful,” and turned to leave.
Huo Fenghua had no choice but to follow.
Feng Tianzong spent years on campaign. Whenever he returned to the General’s Manor, he typically stayed with Su Zeyang. But he also had a room of his own next to the study. The direction Liu Yong led him was precisely toward Feng Tianzong’s study.
Huo Fenghua grew suspicious and asked, “The General isn’t spending the night in Young Master Su’s room tonight?”
Liu Yong answered impatiently, “How would I know what the General plans?”
Huo Fenghua pondered it. If Feng Tianzong wasn’t spending the night with Su Zeyang but was calling him over, wasn’t he afraid Su Zeyang would be angry? Or had the two of them, because of him, finally ended up unhappy? Was Feng Tianzong calling him over to vent his anger?
His mind ran wild. He’d already stepped into the courtyard gate when he stopped and said to Liu Yong, “Eunuch Liu, please tell the General I’m not going after all.”
Liu Yong whirled around and bellowed, “What did you call me?”
Huo Fenghua hadn’t expected such a big reaction and blinked dumbly. “Eunuch Liu?”
Liu Yong stepped forward, face red with anger. “Who told you I’m a eunuch?”
Only then did Huo Fenghua have a sudden realization. “So you’re not a eunuch? Then Feng Tianzong still has you following Su Zeyang around to serve him?”
Liu Yong clenched his fists, as if he wanted to punch Huo Fenghua in the face. He suppressed it for a long time, then angrily shouted toward the room, “General, Young Master Huo has arrived!”
Feng Tianzong’s voice came from inside. “Come in.”
Liu Yong brushed past Huo Fenghua and left the courtyard.
Huo Fenghua fidgeted in place for a moment, thinking, ‘I’ve got this energy-sucking art. If he makes a move, I’ll drain his cultivation and vault the wall to run. What’s there to fear?’
With that thought, he steadied himself and walked up to push the door. Something seemed to be blocking it from inside. He pushed once and it didn’t open, so he raised both hands and shoved harder.
This time, someone opened the door before he could. Huo Fenghua couldn’t stop himself in time. He stumbled on the threshold and fell forward onto the floor.
Feng Tianzong stood at the doorway and said calmly, “I can’t bear such a grand salute. Rise.”
As he spoke, he reached out and shut the door.
Huo Fenghua glared at him and got to his feet, only to realize there was someone else in the room.
Su Zeyang sat on the edge of the bed and said to Huo Fenghua, “Come here. I’m going to make good on what I promised you.”
Qingqing had finished boiling the water in the courtyard, but she didn’t dare go into the room. Anxious, she paced back and forth around the yard a few times. Then she suddenly saw Feng Tianzong come out of Huo Fenghua’s room with a rather dark expression.
She bowed to Feng Tianzong. Only after he left the small courtyard did she hurry to the door, raise her hand and knock, and ask, “Young Master, may I come in?”
Huo Fenghua’s voice came from inside. “Come in.”
Qingqing quickly pushed the door open. She saw Huo Fenghua standing by the bed getting dressed. She went over and helped him put on his outer robe, asking, “Why was the General angry?”
Huo Fenghua glanced back at her. “I don’t know either. We were talking just fine, and then all of a sudden he got unhappy. I don’t even know how I offended him.”
Qingqing complained, “The General finally came over for once. How did you manage to make him leave angry?”
Huo Fenghua froze for a moment. “The way you say that makes it sounds like I’m fighting for favor in this General’s Manor.”
Qingqing said, “You’re the General’s concubine, after all. Fighting for favor is only natural.”
Huo Fenghua couldn’t help laughing. “You stay in this little courtyard all day and night. What nonsense are you thinking about?”
Qingqing lowered her voice. “I’m doing it for your own good. While the General is still in the residence, you should get closer to him these days. Maybe in the future he’ll treat you a little better.”
“All right, I got it, Sister Qingqing,” Huo Fenghua said.
After breakfast, Huo Fenghua had nothing to do in the small courtyard, so he wandered toward the central compound, thinking it’d be nice to find either Su Zeyang or Feng Tianzong and talk to someone.
But Su Zeyang wasn’t in his room either. On the way, Huo Fenghua ran into Su Zeyang’s maid, Zhu’er, who told him that Young Master Su and the General were discussing matters in the General’s study.
So Huo Fenghua headed for Feng Tianzong’s study. There was no one guarding outside, but the instant he stepped into the courtyard, he felt someone watching him from the shadows. He figured Feng Tianzong must have hidden guards lying in wait all around.
He walked to the window and secretly peeked inside. Not only were Feng Tianzong and Su Zeyang there, Steward Lu was in there too. And in the corner of the study, a man dressed in black was kneeling.
Lu Xi was facing the window and spotted Huo Fenghua at a glance, interrupting Feng Tianzong mid-sentence. “General, please wait a moment.”
Since he’d already been seen, Huo Fenghua didn’t bother hiding. He simply pushed open the door and went in.
Feng Tianzong was seated behind a wide rosewood desk. Su Zeyang and Lu Xi sat on chairs against the wall, one on each side.
Lu Xi asked, “Young Master Huo, what is it?”
Huo Fenghua said, “I was bored and just taking a walk. Don’t mind me.”
Feng Tianzong said to the kneeling man in black, “Continue. What’s the situation at the Wang’s Manor now?”
“General,” Lu Xi stood and clasped his hands to Feng Tianzong. “Do we need to ask Young Master Huo to leave?”
Feng Tianzong glanced at Huo Fenghua. “No need. Ignore him. We’ll continue.”
Huo Fenghua chuckled, walked over to the chair beside Su Zeyang, and sat down. Unhurried, he straightened his sleeves and listened to the man in black report.
Lu Xi frowned slightly, looking at Huo Fenghua.
The man in black said, “This subordinate has already stationed people outside the Wang’s Manor day and night to watch everyone entering and leaving. But so far there’s been nothing unusual, and there’s been no news that Wang Anzhi is unconscious.”
On Feng Tianzong’s desk was a paperweight: a vivid tiger carved from clear white jade. It had a fierce head with its tail lifted high. Feng Tianzong lightly stroked it with his fingers and said quietly, “Looks like the Wang family doesn’t want the news to get out.”
Huo Fenghua couldn’t help but speak up. “What if Wang Anzhi wasn’t poisoned at all?”
“Impossible,” Su Zeyang replied without hesitation, tone calm. “I fed the poison to him with my own hands. They won’t be able to cure it, and they won’t be able to identify the cause. They can summon as many physicians as they like, it won’t help.”
“Have you seen the Wang family invite doctors into the residence?” Feng Tianzong asked the man in black.
“Not yet,” the man replied.
Su Zeyang rested one hand on the armrest. His fingers were pale and long, nails smooth and rounded. He tapped the armrest lightly. “The Wang’s Manor has its own physician. They’ll try that first. If it can’t be treated, they’ll invite famous doctors from the capital. If that still fails, they’ll have no choice but to seek out priests and exorcists.”
The man in black asked, “Should this subordinate send someone into the Wang’s Manor to investigate Wang Anzhi’s condition?”
“Not now,” Feng Tianzong and Su Zeyang said in unison. As the words fell, the two of them exchanged a glance.
Huo Fenghua watched silently, thinking, You two really are in sync like husband and wife.
Feng Tianzong said, “Zeyang snuck into the Wang’s Manor to set the formation. They’ll definitely be on high alert now. If we barge in rashly and get caught, things will be hard to handle.”
Lu Xi asked in a low voice, “Wang Anzhi has been cursed. If Wang Chu connects it to the curse formation at the Feng family site, the first ones he’ll suspect will be our Feng family.”
Feng Tianzong’s brows were tightly knit. “They don’t have evidence, and neither do we. It’s mutual restraint. As long as Wang Anzhi doesn’t wake up, he has to weigh Wang Anzhi’s life. He won’t act rashly.”
Listening to them, Huo Fenghua crossed his left leg over his right knee and couldn’t help saying, “We do have evidence. That wooden box.”
All of them looked at him at once. Seeing everyone’s gaze drop to his leg, he quietly put it down.
Feng Tianzong shook his head. “Even if the emperor knows it’s real, he’ll never turn on the Wang family for the sake of the Feng family. Right now, in Donglin, the Wang and Feng families check each other. He’s wary of both sides, and he won’t move against either. In the end, he’ll just smooth it over or maybe give them a token punishment and then some sweet consolation.”
Huo Fenghua’s head started to ache from hearing all this. “So no matter what the Wang family does, the emperor won’t touch them?”
Feng Tianzong looked at Huo Fenghua, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. “Not exactly. There’s one thing neither the Wang family nor the Feng family can afford to touch.”
Huo Fenghua asked, “What is it?”
Su Zeyang suddenly said, “Come here. I’ll tell you.”
Huo Fenghua glanced at him and leaned closer, but Su Zeyang didn’t move, and there was a tea table between them. Since Su Zeyang stayed put, Huo Fenghua had to stand, walk over, bend down, and bring his ear close.
Su Zeyang breathed into his ear, right at the hollow. “Treason.”
Before Su Zeyang spoke, Huo Fenghua had already figured it out. Now he straightened up, and his mind jumped to Kangxi and Wei Xiaobao killing Ao Bai*, then to “Empresses in the Palace”, and all the palace dramas he’d watched. As for the power struggles and coups he’d supposedly studied in history books, he couldn’t recall a single one. For the first time, he felt that being uneducated really was a disadvantage.
Feng Tianzong said to the man in black, “You may go. Keep a tight watch on the Wang’s Manor. Report at once if anything happens.”
“Yes!” the man answered, rising and leaving the study.
Not long after he left, Liu Yong hurried to the study door and knocked, saying something had come up in the residence and calling Lu Xi out. In an instant, only Feng Tianzong, Su Zeyang, and Huo Fenghua remained.
Before, it hadn’t felt like much. But once it was just the three of them, Huo Fenghua immediately felt an indescribable awkwardness.
Su Zeyang and Feng Tianzong were both silent. Huo Fenghua couldn’t hold his tongue and insisted on breaking the silence. Pointing at the paperweight on Feng Tianzong’s desk, he said, “General, the tiger on your desk is really nice.”
Feng Tianzong picked up the paperweight. “You like it?”
Huo Fenghua held out his hand. “Let me play with it.”
So Feng Tianzong casually tossed it. The transparent white-jade tiger flew toward Huo Fenghua, making his heart lurch. He hurried to catch it.
But halfway there, Su Zeyang reached out and caught it instead, holding it in his hand. Unhurried, he said, “Do you two have nothing you want to say to me?”
Su Zeyang wasn’t a fool. Before, Feng Tianzong had been able to tell at a glance that Su Zeyang’s attitude toward Huo Fenghua wasn’t ordinary. Now that Feng Tianzong was back, the relationship between Feng Tianzong and Huo Fenghua had clearly eased. Su Zeyang saw it even more plainly.
Feng Tianzong didn’t want to hide it from Su Zeyang. He said, “Before, I went with him to look for your master and ask about your whereabouts. At that time, we slept together.”
Huo Fenghua suddenly felt uneasy. He looked at Su Zeyang, not even sure anymore who had betrayed whom with whom.
Su Zeyang’s expression was blank for a moment. After a beat, he tilted his head slightly and said, “He’s your concubine. That’s only right.”
Feng Tianzong continued, “I saw the brand on his waist that you left.”
Su Zeyang nodded. “Mm. I like him.”
Neither Huo Fenghua nor Feng Tianzong seemed to expect him to be so blunt. But then Su Zeyang added, “I like him, and it doesn’t affect what I feel for you. Nothing between us has changed.”
Feng Tianzong stared at the desk, his expression complicated. After a long while, he let out a heavy sigh. “I understand. He’s someone people can’t help liking. And I don’t want anything between us to change either.”
Huo Fenghua couldn’t listen anymore. “Wait. Did either of you ask whether I like you two?”
Su Zeyang looked puzzled. “You said you like me. You’ve said it many times.”
Huo Fenghua was at a loss for words. He had said it plenty of times, and he’d always said it easily. He raised a hand and scratched his face, then suddenly slapped the tea table beside him and stood up. Facing Su Zeyang, he demanded, “Then do you still mean it, what you said about letting me do it?”
Su Zeyang lifted his eyes to him and said softly, “I mean it.”
Huo Fenghua immediately turned to Feng Tianzong. “See? He agreed. You agreed too. Nobody’s allowed to go back on it!”
Hearing that, Su Zeyang looked at Feng Tianzong, sounding incredulous. “You agreed?”
Feng Tianzong looked at Huo Fenghua and darkened his face. “I agreed?”
Huo Fenghua made a small, strangled sound, and cold sweat pricked at his forehead.
Feng Tianzong said in a low voice, “Come here.”
Huo Fenghua said, “What for?”
Feng Tianzong’s voice turned even colder, his expression severe. “Come here.”
Even though Huo Fenghua had just gained a whole body of inner energy, he was still afraid of him, especially when Feng Tianzong got serious. So, unwillingly, he walked over and asked softly, “General? What is it?”
Feng Tianzong patted the wide desk in front of him. “Lie on it.”
Huo Fenghua’s heart sank. He thought Feng Tianzong was about to do something right here. “That’s not a good idea, General.”
Feng Tianzong didn’t speak, only stared at him with a set face.
Huo Fenghua pressed his lips together and lay down on the desk.
Feng Tianzong lifted his hem and brought a palm down on his ass.
Huo Fenghua snapped, “What gives you the right to hit me?”
Feng Tianzong didn’t answer. He slapped him again, landing on his full ass through his trousers, a dull smack.
Huo Fenghua was both embarrassed and furious. Face flushed, he twisted his head to look at Su Zeyang and said bitterly, “You only dare hit me. You never dare bully Senior Brother!”
Su Zeyang toyed with the white-jade tiger. His translucent fingers and the jade tiger almost seemed to merge together. He said, “How do you know he’s never hit me?”
Huo Fenghua froze. “He has?” He didn’t even finish the word before Feng Tianzong’s palm came down again. The end of his voice lifted involuntarily, almost like a moan.
Right then, someone pushed open the study door and hurried in. “Tianzong, you’re back?”
Huo Fenghua hurriedly turned his head, only to discover the newcomer was Feng Tianzong’s elder brother, Feng Tiansheng.
Huo Fenghua didn’t answer Feng Tianzong’s question right away. He simply pressed his palm to Feng Tianzong’s chest and felt his heartbeat. Feng Tianzong’s pulse seemed slower than most people’s, but it was steady and powerful.
He said, “If I say I’m leaving, what will you do? And if I say I’m not leaving, what are you going to do?”
Feng Tianzong’s voice was low. “If you want to leave, no matter what, I’ll send you off. If you want to stay, I’ll use every means to make you stay.”
Huo Fenghua paused slightly. He couldn’t feel any change in Feng Tianzong’s heartbeat, so he tilted his head up to look at him. “Aren’t you afraid that even if I stay, I’ll still be entangled with Senior Brother?”
Feng Tianzong seemed to let out a very faint sigh. “If that can’t be changed, then I’m willing to bear it.” In truth, Feng Tianzong had thought far more about this over these days than what he was telling Huo Fenghua now.
Between the three of them, it was hard to have a relationship that was completely equal.
In name, Su Zeyang and Huo Fenghua were his wife and concubine; legitimately, both belonged to him. But he’d never been willing to place himself and the people he loved in an unequal position. If, out of selfishness, he wanted both of them to remain at his side, then he also had to personally break his own possessiveness and accept the private feelings between Su Zeyang and Huo Fenghua.
Last night, when he’d been intimate with Su Zeyang, neither of them mentioned Huo Fenghua. But when he’d been keeping watch on the street before slipping into the carriage, he already knew the two people inside weren’t just sitting there talking innocently. This morning, when Feng Tianzong woke up and Su Zeyang was still asleep, Feng Tianzong looked at Su Zeyang’s face and suddenly thought of Huo Fenghua. He knew his own heart had been moved, and he also knew Su Zeyang had feelings for Huo Fenghua. That didn’t seem to change what existed between him and Su Zeyang, but thinking long-term still left him struggling to accept it.
Feng Tianzong was torn.
Huo Fenghua, meanwhile, was shocked. He hadn’t expected Feng Tianzong to be willing to yield to this extent for his sake. He said, “I thought you’d whip me with your lash.”
Feng Tianzong lowered his gaze to him. “It’s been a long time since I whipped you.”
Huo Fenghua heard the depth in his voice and suddenly felt something stir in his chest. He propped himself up with one hand on the bed, sat up a little more, leaned in, and kissed Feng Tianzong’s lips.
Feng Tianzong reached up, gathered his long hair, and his warm, strong tongue gently swept through Huo Fenghua’s mouth.
Huo Fenghua breathed softly. When they finally parted, he said, “I’m leaving.”
Feng Tianzong’s thumb brushed the corner of his mouth. “You don’t trust me, or you don’t trust Zeyang?”
Huo Fenghua sat cross-legged, his whole body slumped in a lazy sprawl. “No. I just want to open a gambling house, be my own boss. I don’t want to spend my whole life here.”
Feng Tianzong seemed amused. He let out a very light laugh, though his eyes held resignation. “Is a gambling house alone enough for you?”
Huo Fenghua asked him, “With Senior Brother, is that still not enough for you?”
Feng Tianzong was taken aback. Then he lifted a hand to pull Huo Fenghua’s inner robe closed, and tugged the quilt up to cover his chest. “I understand. I’ll arrange it immediately. When the time comes, you’ll pretend to be ill and fake your death. I’ll send people to get you out.”
Huo Fenghua asked, “You think we can fool Senior Brother?” If he died, Su Zeyang couldn’t possibly not come see him in person. Whether Huo Fenghua faked his death or they found a corpse to pose as him, Su Zeyang would definitely be able to tell.
“That’s why we have to think it through,” Feng Tianzong said. “We can’t rush it.”
Huo Fenghua reached over and held Feng Tianzong’s hand. “General, how long will you stay in the capital?”
Feng Tianzong’s rough thumb pad lightly rubbed Huo Fenghua’s soft palm. “If the war in Xichou stabilizes and Shao Feijie stays holed up and doesn’t come out for now, then I want to settle the matter of the curse before I leave.”
Huo Fenghua said, “That won’t be a matter of one or two days, will it?”
Feng Tianzong nodded. “Still, it needs to be as fast as possible. The longer I remain here, the easier it is for my whereabouts to leak. If His Majesty finds out, it’ll be disastrous.”
Huo Fenghua couldn’t help asking, “If the emperor doesn’t even trust you, then why are you still working yourself to the bone for him?”
Maybe many people around Feng Tianzong had thought that before, but Huo Fenghua was the first to say it so openly. Feng Tianzong raised a hand and covered Huo Fenghua’s mouth, pulling him into his arms. He spoke low by his ear. “Don’t talk nonsense. It’s one thing to say it to me, but you must never let anyone else hear it.”
With his mouth covered, Huo Fenghua made a few muffled noises, like he was trying to say something.
Feng Tianzong let go and leaned his ear toward Huo Fenghua’s lips. “What did you say?”
Huo Fenghua panted, “Are princes and generals born with special blood? Forget it. I know I can’t argue you out of it. Do whatever you want.” He took a few big breaths, then said to Feng Tianzong, “Since I’ve decided to go, I have two requests. I don’t know if the General is willing to agree.”
Feng Tianzong looked at him. “Say it.”
Huo Fenghua’s fingers gripped Feng Tianzong’s lapel. “The maid who serves me in my room—Qingqing. After I leave, help me find her a good family to marry into. Don’t let her become someone’s concubine. Find a man who’ll treat her well.”
Feng Tianzong answered, “All right. What’s the second?”
Huo Fenghua kept his eyes on him, his gaze darting restlessly. He pressed his lips together, clearly hesitating.
Feng Tianzong said, “If you have something to say, say it.”
This time Huo Fenghua truly felt nervous. He saw Feng Tianzong didn’t have his whip with him, but he still prepared himself. If Feng Tianzong got angry, he’d jump off the bed and bolt at once. He took a deep breath and said, “Let me sleep with Senior Brother for one night. Let me fuck him.”
Feng Tianzong didn’t answer. His face showed no expression either.
Huo Fenghua’s heart leapt into his throat. He braced himself for Feng Tianzong’s fury, but Feng Tianzong only pinched his chin with one hand, tilted his face up, and said in a voice that was somewhat cold and hard, “That’s your last request of me?”
Huo Fenghua could tell he was angry, but for a moment he couldn’t tell exactly what he was angry about. So he tested the waters and whispered, “I want to fuck you too. I just figured you wouldn’t agree.”
This time Feng Tianzong really was so mad he laughed.
Kinky Thoughts:
LMAO, Huo Fenghua reallyyyy loves poking the bear. Give him an inch and he’ll definitely take a mile… Though in this case, he’s definitely taking a few inches.
Kinky Translations 