Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan

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

Chapter 85

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Huo Fenghua’s heart lurched. “Yi’er?”

No response.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Still nothing.

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

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

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

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

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

Wen Heyi didn’t speak.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Soft mud.

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Huo Fenghua?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bai Huan didn’t answer.

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

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

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

Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan

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

Chapter 84

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Huo Fenghua asked, “Who?”

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

“Bai Huan?” Su Zeyang said.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The moment he said that, the room fell silent.

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

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

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

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

Feng Tianzong nodded. “He has to die.”

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

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

Su Zeyang nodded. “Let’s go.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan

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

Chapter 83

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Huo Fenghua nodded.

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

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

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

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

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

Huo Fenghua nodded and swung down from his horse.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Huo Fenghua felt something very strange.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Huo Fenghua’s heart nearly stopped.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gu Guangji cursed again. “Brat!”

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

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

Wen Heyi looked at Gu Guangji, completely baffled.

Gu Guangji stepped forward. “Junior Brother?”

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

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

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

Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan

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

Chapter 82

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Feng Tianzong looked at him amusedly.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Su Zeyang looked at him, “Wrong?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Huo Fenghua and Su Zeyang groaned at the same time.

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

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

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

The bed swayed and shook.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan

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

Chapter 81

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wen Heyi said unhappily, “I won’t.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Huo Fenghua moved closer to Su Zeyang.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Feng Tianzong smiled and squeezed his hand.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The door was slammed shut.

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

Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan

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

Chapter 80

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The men responded loudly, “Yes, sir!”

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

Wu Sheng nodded reluctantly.

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

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

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

“The inner courtyard,” Luo Shicheng said.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Huo Fenghua asked, “Well?”

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

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

Luo Shicheng hesitated.

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

Huo Fenghua turned to look at him.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wen Heyi only watched, not moving.

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

Wu Sheng sneered. “So it’s a tunnel.”

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

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

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

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

Luo Shicheng didn’t respond.

Wu Sheng shouted, “Did you hear me?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Huo Fenghua stared at Luo Shicheng in shock.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Huo Fenghua froze.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Su Zeyang said nothing, only listened quietly.

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

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

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

Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan

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

Chapter 79

After breakfast, Huo Fenghua hurried out again. He went to see Xiong’er to continue dealing with the mess Shenlong Docks had left behind, and he also had people search the whole city for Bao Jinshu. To those sent to hunt him down, he said, “Spread the word: if he doesn’t show himself, I’ll kill his mother.”

Of course he wouldn’t really kill her, Huo Fenghua told himself. It was just to scare the boy, force him to come out on his own. That would be best.

He stayed busy all day. By the time Huo Fenghua got home, it was already evening.

He rubbed his shoulder tiredly. The moment he stepped into the courtyard, he saw Wen Heyi squatting on the ground catching crickets. Huo Fenghua walked over and kicked him in the butt.

Wen Heyi pitched forward into the grass, bracing himself with his hands. He hurriedly turned his head. When he saw it was Huo Fenghua, he covered his backside with a wronged look and called, “Dad.”

Huo Fenghua said, “You’re filthy from head to toe. I work myself to death every day just to raise you, and all you do is play at home!”

Wen Heyi lowered his head and didn’t speak.

Huo Fenghua flicked his hand dismissively and continued into the inner courtyard.

When he returned, Su Zeyang had already come back as well and was waiting to eat with him.

The three of them sat down at the table. As Su Zeyang ladled rice into their bowls, he said, “Dong Jun says he saw Shao Feijie at the Xichou border.”

Dong Jun was one of Feng Tianzong’s shadow guards. Back at the General’s Manor, Huo Fenghua had often heard that name.

Huo Fenghua took the bowl from Su Zeyang, staring in shock. “Shao Feijie?”

Su Zeyang said, “He was alone and looked down on his luck. I’m guessing he fell out with the remnants of Xichou’s forces, or there was mutiny among his men and he escaped on his own.”

Huo Fenghua grabbed his chopsticks and tapped them into alignment on the tabletop. He bit the tip of one and said, “If that’s true… could Martial Uncle losing his mind have something to do with mutiny under Shao Feijie?”

Su Zeyang didn’t answer. He looked at Feng Tianzong instead.

Feng Tianzong nodded. “Maybe.” His expression had turned heavy.

Huo Fenghua tilted his head at him. “What’s wrong?”

Feng Tianzong looked at Huo Fenghua, then at Su Zeyang. He said to Su Zeyang, “You stay here and help Fenghua.”

Su Zeyang’s brow lifted. “Why?”

Feng Tianzong said, “I want to go find Shao Feijie. No matter why he left the remnant army and ended up wandering alone, I want to get evidence from him—proof that the Wang family colluded with Xichou to frame me.”

Huo Fenghua poked at the rice in his bowl with his chopsticks. “You don’t even plan to go back and be a general anymore. Why care?”

Feng Tianzong shook his head. “I can’t spend my whole life hiding like a fugitive, becoming your burden. And my elder brother’s family is still in Yujing.”

Huo Fenghua froze, then asked, “How is the Left Prime Minister?”

Su Zeyang replied, “Under house arrest in the Prime Minister’s Manor. No one is allowed in or out.”

Feng Tianzong said, “Fenghua just took back Shenlong Docks and can’t leave. And he’s short on people he can truly trust. Zeyang, it’s best if you stay and help him. I’ll take Dong Jun and the others to find Shao Feijie. Once it’s handled, I’ll come back.”

Su Zeyang looked at Feng Tianzong, then glanced at Huo Fenghua. He neither agreed nor refused.

Huo Fenghua set his bowl down. His fingers clenched his chopsticks so tightly it was like he might snap them in half. Finally he raised his head and said, “Senior Brother and I are going with you.”

Feng Tianzong smiled, reached out, and patted Huo Fenghua’s head lightly. “You haven’t fully secured your footing here yet. If you leave now, will Shenlong Docks rise again? Will Hu Dong and Lan Shuilian seize power? Even if Xiongda and Xiong’er are loyal to you, do they have enough ability to stabilize things? It’s all uncertain. You can’t go.”

Huo Fenghua had already thought it through. “Everything I have here, I fought for with bare hands. If I leave for a few months and everything changes, then I’ll just find a way to take back the share that belongs to me. Besides, by then I’ll have you and Senior Brother to help me. Forget a little Wuhetan. If I wanted all of Donglin, it might not even be impossible.”

He grinned smugly.

Feng Tianzong couldn’t help laughing. “That really might be impossible.”

Huo Fenghua pointed his chopsticks at him. “You’re not sincere. You had the guts to help Donglin wipe out Xichou, but you don’t have the ability to help me wipe out Donglin?”

Su Zeyang said then, “You want to wipe out Donglin?”

Huo Fenghua shook his head. “No need. I don’t want to be emperor. I can’t handle a harem of three thousand. Two beauties, one on each arm, is plenty.”

After dinner, Feng Tianzong sat by the oil lamp reading secret letters brought back by the shadow guards, the ones Su Zeyang had retrieved.

Huo Fenghua tugged Su Zeyang’s sleeve. “Senior Brother, play a game with me.”

Su Zeyang asked curiously, “What game?”

Huo Fenghua pointed at himself. “I’ll play the foolish tyrant.” Then he pointed at Su Zeyang. “You play my beloved consort. In a bit I’ll cover my eyes and you’ll play hide-and-seek with me.”

Su Zeyang said, “What’s fun about that?”

Huo Fenghua grabbed his hand. “You don’t understand. When I was little and watched dramas, this was my favorite scene. The beloved consort has to wear less, half-covered, half-revealed. While running away, you still have to keep drifting back toward me. And once I catch you, I can touch and caress wherever I want.”

As he spoke, he pulled off Su Zeyang’s outer robe, tugged his inner collar open a bit too, exposing his chest.

Su Zeyang let him do it. Then he helped tie a silk scarf over Huo Fenghua’s eyes, knotting it behind his head.

Huo Fenghua rubbed his hands together and laughed. “Beauty, I’m coming. Where are you?”

Su Zeyang stood still, not moving, not speaking. Even his breathing went so light it was hard to hear.

Huo Fenghua couldn’t tell where he was and grumbled, “That’s not how you play. You’re supposed to say, ‘I’m here, Your Majesty, come catch me!’”

“Your Majesty?” Feng Tianzong repeated as he read the letter, completely unable to understand where Huo Fenghua got these strange ideas.

Huo Fenghua immediately lunged at Feng Tianzong, hugged him, and sniffed at his neck. “Nope. You’re not the beloved consort. Don’t interrupt our game.”

Feng Tianzong grabbed him, hauled him onto his lap, and smacked his butt hard several times.

Huo Fenghua cried out and almost at the same moment, urgent knocking sounded outside. Ruan Qin’s voice came through the door. “Master Su, a man named Luo Shicheng says he wants to see you. He’s waiting at the main gate right now.”

Huo Fenghua sprang off Feng Tianzong’s lap, yanked the blindfold scarf away, and hurried to open the door. He asked Ruan Qin, “Luo Shicheng? How many of them?”

Ruan Qin’s expression was grave. “Five or six. I didn’t dare let them in. They’re all waiting outside.”

Huo Fenghua’s voice went low. “Why would he come this late? Did he catch wind of something? Did someone leak the news?”

Ruan Qin shook her head slowly. “It won’t be anyone from our household.”

Huo Fenghua drew a deep breath. He turned back toward the room. Su Zeyang had already pulled his clothes back into place, and Feng Tianzong had stood up from the table. Huo Fenghua could only say to Ruan Qin, “Take them somewhere and hide them first.”

Ruan Qin said, “There’s a cellar under the residence.”

Huo Fenghua nodded. “Go. I’ll go meet Luo Shicheng.”

On the walk from the inner courtyard to the front, a dozen thoughts raced through Huo Fenghua’s head.

If Luo Shicheng had heard rumors and insisted on searching his residence for Feng Tianzong, what would he do? Refusing to let them search would make him look guilty, but what if they found Feng Tianzong if he let them search? Would he kill them all?

But there were still so many Donglin troops waiting on the far bank. If they called for reinforcements and surrounded Wuhetan, then Feng Tianzong really wouldn’t be able to get out.

Huo Fenghua reached the front courtyard and had the gatekeeper open the main doors. Sure enough, under the lanterns on the walkway outside, Luo Shicheng stood holding the reins of a horse. Four or five Donglin soldiers followed behind him.

“Deputy General Luo,” Huo Fenghua cupped his hands. “What wind blew you here this late?”

Luo Shicheng smiled, passed the rope to a subordinate, and returned the greeting. “Master Su, apologies for the intrusion. Would it be convenient to invite us inside for a cup of tea?”

Huo Fenghua looked hesitant, glancing at the men behind Luo Shicheng.

At that moment, the young man closest to Luo Shicheng barked loudly, “Why waste words? Make him open the gate. We’re going in to search!”

Huo Fenghua looked at him. Luo Shicheng also turned and scolded, “Don’t be rash!”

But the young man snorted, lifting his chin and puffing out his chest with an air of authority. “Su Qiang, someone made a secret report to Deputy General Luo. They said a few days ago you brought back a poisoned young man from outside and even hired a doctor to detox him and treat his wounds. Is that man Feng Tianzong?”

Huo Fenghua frowned slightly. He didn’t answer. Instead he asked Luo Shicheng, “Who is this, Deputy General Luo?”

Luo Shicheng chuckled. “This is Wu Sheng of the Left Guard of the Imperial Guards. He used to be with the imperial escort force tasked with transporting Feng Tianzong back to the capital. Now he’s joined my unit in pursuing Feng Tianzong.”

Wu Sheng’s official rank was actually lower than Luo Shicheng’s, but he came from the Imperial Guards in Yujing and had backing from Deputy Commander Pan Yuanjun and the Wang family. He looked down on Luo Shicheng. Ever since joining this pursuit, he’d acted domineering and independent, and Luo Shicheng had no choice but to give him some leeway.

Huo Fenghua looked at Wu Sheng. “Who made the report?”

Wu Sheng said coldly, “What, does it matter who reported it? Hiding a court fugitive is a capital crime!”

Huo Fenghua’s face went stern. He said to Luo Shicheng in a low voice, “Deputy General Luo, have you forgotten? I was the one who invited you into the city to search for Feng Tianzong.”

Luo Shicheng still wore that lazy smile. “Of course I remember, of course. Master Su, don’t be anxious. Since someone reported it, we can’t just ignore it. I believe you absolutely aren’t hiding anyone, but you also need to make things convenient for us.”

Huo Fenghua asked, “Convenient how?”

Luo Shicheng looked past him at the two bronze doors standing open behind Huo Fenghua. “We’ll have to search.”

Huo Fenghua said, “And if I don’t allow it?”

The moment the words left his mouth, Wu Sheng drew his blade. Steel flashed.

Wu Sheng said, “Then you’ve confirmed you’re harboring a court fugitive and by law, you deserve death!”

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

Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan

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

Chapter 78

Huo Fenghua slept so hard it was like the world had gone dark. When he finally woke, he had no idea what time it was. He lifted a hand to rub his eyes, then stretched his arms and gave a long yawn.

Feng Tianzong was bent over him, face close, asking, “Awake?”

Huo Fenghua came back to himself, lifted an arm around Feng Tianzong’s neck, and kissed him on the lips. “Where’s Senior Brother?”

Feng Tianzong laughed. “You’re in my bed, and you’re asking about your Senior Brother?”

Huo Fenghua looked at him. “Strictly speaking, this is my bed. I can want whoever I want.”

Feng Tianzong caught his lower lip between his teeth and gave it a gentle bite. “Don’t want me?”

Huo Fenghua decided instantly. “I want you.”

They clung to each other and kissed deeply, tongues tangling, filling the space between them with slick, intimate sounds. Huo Fenghua had slept his fill and was brimming with energy. Restless, he slid a leg between Feng Tianzong’s and rubbed against him.

Feng Tianzong pulled open his collar. His kisses, wet and warm, traveled down from Huo Fenghua’s throat. His tongue circled the hard peak at Huo Fenghua’s chest.

Huo Fenghua tangled his fingers in Feng Tianzong’s hair and let out a low moan.

Huo Fenghua proactively reached out and unbuttoned Feng Tianzong’s pants, burying his head and taking his hard, throbbing cock into his mouth.

Feng Tianzong propped himself up on the bed with his hands, lowering his head to watch Huo Fenghua’s actions. The wet, soft heat made him gasp softly. The poison in his body had only recently been cleared, and he hadn’t released himself for a long time, making his body exceptionally sensitive. 

Huo Fenghua used the tip of his tongue to lap at the slit, then licked down along the shaft, thoroughly covering the entire length with his spit before withdrawing to pull down his own pants. Kneeling in front of Feng Tianzong with his legs still spread, he grabbed Feng Tianzong’s cock and slowly lowered himself onto it.

Feng Tianzong’s chest rose and fell rapidly. He stroked Huo Fenghua’s supple waist and pressed his thumb against his nipples.  

Once Huo Fenghua had completely taken his entire cock, he asked, “Do you like it?”

Huo Fenghua tilted his head back and swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. Feng Tianzong’s penis was thick and long, reaching deep inside him, giving him a strange sense of satisfaction. He looked down at Feng Tianzong, licked his lips, and said, “I like this position.”

Feng Tianzong thrust upwards, pleased to hear Huo Fenghua moan, and asked, “Why?”

Huo Fenghua hugged his shoulders tightly, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, “It makes me feel like I’m the one paying you for sex.”

“Paying me for sex?” Feng Tianzong squeezed his waist, pressing him down harder, completely burying himself inside Huo Fenghua. “Then you have to pay me good.”

Huo Fenghua trembled slightly from the thrusting, reaching for his undergarments that he had thrown on the bed. After a while, he pulled out a jade pendant, hooking it on his finger and dangling it in front of Feng Tianzong.

Feng Tianzong looked at the jade pendant and smiled softly, “This is what I gave you.”

“Mm—mine is yours,” Huo Fenghua’s words were broken by the thrusting. “Everything here is yours, and I… I’m yours too.”

Feng Tianzong couldn’t help but hold him tighter, increasing the speed of his thrusts. He looked at the jade pendant dangling before his eyes, opened his mouth, and gently bit the edge, then looked up at Huo Fenghua. Huo Fenghua lowered his head and saw this scene, then opened his mouth and took the other side into his mouth, like a different kind of intimate connection of lips and teeth, and bodies intertwined.

The large bed in the room shook violently, the sheets and blankets were crumpled, and the pillows were scattered haphazardly. The jade pendant had fallen onto the blanket, still warm with the body heat of both men.

Feng Tianzong was on the verge of climax, his back muscles tensed, wanting to push Huo Fenghua down onto the bed.

But Huo Fenghua refused to let Feng Tianzong get up, insisting on riding him. He bobbed up and down, squeezing and thrusting on Feng Tiangzong’s thick, long cock while muttering under his breath.

At first, Feng Tianzong couldn’t hear what he was saying. When he leaned in closer and listened carefully, he could hear Huo Fenghua repeatedly muttering, “I’m going to drain you dry!”

Feng Tianzong was both annoyed and amused. He gripped Huo Fenghua’s ass tighter and started to pound into him, repeatedly targeting that most sensitive spot.

Huo Fenghua trembled and began to shake his head, gasping, “No—” He hugged Feng Tianzong’s shoulders tightly, his body tensed and suddenly felt an itch on his back. It turned out that Feng Tianzong was gently scratching the two brand marks on his lower back with his fingers. Thinking of the origin of the brand marks, Huo Fenghua felt even more overwhelmed, his erection throbbed even harder before he came.

At this moment, Feng Tianzong pressed him down onto the bed and lifted his legs. He fully withdrew, then with a sweeping motion, thrusted back in until he was buried to the hilt. He repeated this action rapidly for ten more times with all his strength before spilling inside Hup Fenghua.

After he came down from the climax, Feng Tianzong collapsed onto him, fully spent, while still buried inside Huo Fenghua. Huo Fenghua was covered in sweat and panting heavily. After his head cleared, he asked again, “Where’s Senior Brother?”

Feng Tianzong took a deep breath and said, “He went out.”

Huo Fenghua’s languid eyes suddenly opened wide. He pushed Feng Tianzong aside and tried to get out of bed. Feng Tianzong half-hard cock suddenly slid out of him, causing him to tremble. His legs felt weak as he tried to get up and the cum started to dribble out, flowing down his thighs.

Feng Tianzong lay on his side on the bed and asked him, “Where are you going?”

Huo Fenghua hurriedly searched for his clothes, “The Donglin soldiers are searching the city right now, how can Senior Brother go out at this time?”

Feng Tianzong wasn’t in a hurry, saying, “Don’t worry, without me dragging him down, it’s impossible for him to be discovered if he hides his tracks alone.”

Huo Fenghua asked, “Why does he have to go out now?”

Feng Tianzong propped his head with one hand, his long and solid body exposed before Huo Fenghua. Though his penis had gradually softened, it was still impressively shaped, like a snake lying in the grass. “Because my men have arrived at Wuhetan.”

When he and Su Zeyang escaped from Xichou, they left secret signals for his secret guards along the way, and now his secret guards had found Wuhetan.

Feng Tianzong didn’t want to expose Huo Fenghua’s residence, so he didn’t let the secret guards come in, but instead had Su Zeyang go out to communicate with them.

Huo Fenghua was still a little worried, “At this time, won’t it expose us?” However, he didn’t continue dressing but instead returned to bed naked. Feng Tianzong hugged him, “No, they know their limits. They won’t do anything without my orders.”

Huo Fenghua lay down, staring at the canopy above for a while, and said, “How long have I been asleep?”

Feng Tianzong gently kissed his forehead, “You slept for a day and two nights.”

Huo Fenghua asked, “What time is it now?”

Feng Tianzong said, “Early morning.”

Huo Fenghua touched his stomach, “I’m hungry.” He turned over and got out of bed, this time slowly putting on his clothes, and went out to call someone.

After a while, Ruan Qin brought him a bowl of beef noodles from the kitchen.

Although Feng Tianzong and Huo Fenghua were already dressed, the bed was a mess, and it was obvious what had happened in the room. However, Ruan Qin remained calm, telling Huo Fenghua about some things that Xiong’er had mentioned the previous night, while personally tidying up the bedsheets into a basket and changing them for a new set.

Currently, Wuhetan was still calm and peaceful. The Donglin soldiers didn’t dare to act openly, secretly searching for Feng Tianzong’s whereabouts in Wuhetan. However, as long as they didn’t search this residence, they wouldn’t be able to find him at all.

Those who had guessed Feng Tianzong’s identity, including Wei Kai, had already been instructed not to reveal any information to the Donglin soldiers.

Shenlong Docks had also been completely taken over by them.  Those subordinates who were fiercely loyal to Bao Wentong were either killed or driven out of Wuhetan, and the remaining people were willing to surrender. The only problem was that they still hadn’t found Bao Wentong’s eldest son.

Huo Fenghua, who had been eating his noodles, looked up and asked, “Bao Wentong’s eldest son, is that tall boy who’s already seventeen?”

“Bao Jinshu,” Ruan Qin said while making the bed. 

Huo Fenghua stirred his bowl with his chopsticks. He had seen Bao Jinshu twice, and his impression was of a young man with a cruel and ruthless temperament, just like his father. He couldn’t help but feel worried and asked, “What about Bao Wentong’s wives and concubines?”

Ruan Qin replied, “Xiong’er said they have all been temporarily placed under house arrest.”

Huo Fenghua asked her, “Is Bao Jinshu’s birth mother among them?”

Ruan Qin nodded. “Bao Jinshu is Bao Wentong’s legitimate eldest son, and his mother is Bao Wentong’s wife.”

Huo Fenghua felt a vague unease. “If Bao Jinshu wants to avenge his father, he will definitely cause us trouble. It would be fine if he escaped from Wuhetan, but if he’s still hiding in Wuhetan, we have to find a way to flush him out.”

Ruan Qin asked, “How?”

Huo Fenghua glanced at Feng Tianzong, who frowned slightly, so he said, “Let me think about it some more.”

Ruan Qin left the room, carrying the basket of used bedsheets.

Feng Tianzong saw Huo Fenghua looking at him, “It’s easy to lure him out, but I don’t approve of this method.”

Huo Fenghua slurped a noodle into his mouth, “You know what I’m thinking?”

Feng Tianzong said, “Men fight on the battlefield to protect their wives and children. My soldiers never kill women and children. I certainly don’t approve of threatening Bao Jinshu with his mother’s life.”

Huo Fenghua scratched his cheek. “I didn’t say I was going to kill his mother. Let me think about it some more.”

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Author: 哔哔 (Bi Bi) / Jin Gang Quan

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

Chapter 77

That night, Huo Fenghua was dressed in black nightwear as he lay in ambush with a little over a hundred men in a desolate patch of weeds along the Wu River. From there, they could clearly see what was happening at the Wu River ferry crossing. Shenlong Docks had gathered nearly two hundred men at the crossing. Tonight they were going to ferry Donglin troops across the river.

By the riverbank, the ferryboats bobbed and swayed. People moved on and off continuously. Torches blazed all around, lighting up the crossing, and faintly, they could also make out unrest among the Donglin cavalry on the opposite shore.

There were close to five hundred Donglin soldiers in total. Each ferry could carry at most around fifty people at a time, and with warhorses added in, it would probably take more than ten trips tonight to get them all across.

On the broad river, the waves rolled gently. The night air was cold, and the river wind kept sweeping over. After standing for a while, Huo Fenghua felt his hands go icy. He turned around and warmed them by placing both hands on Wen Heyi’s neck.

Wen Heyi immediately shrank and struggled but didn’t dare make a sound. His soft body twisted as he flushed slightly.

Before they set out, Huo Fenghua had warned Wen Heyi that tonight’s operation couldn’t make even the tiniest noise. Wen Heyi’s head was usually muddled, but at critical moments he could still be useful. He was a little afraid of Huo Fenghua, and especially obedient to him.

Huo Fenghua grinned as he watched Wen Heyi squirm, then suddenly noticed Wen Heyi seemed to be chewing something. He pulled his hands back and asked in a low voice, “What’re you eating?”

Wen Heyi clamped his mouth shut.

“Open up. Let me see,” Huo Fenghua said.

Wen Heyi timidly opened his mouth.

By the thin moonlight, Huo Fenghua saw something glittering inside, like candy. He asked softly, “Malt candy?”

Wen Heyi nodded.

Huo Fenghua snapped, “I told you no candy. Spit it out!”

Wen Heyi puffed his cheeks, glaring at him without speaking.

Huo Fenghua rolled up his sleeves and hissed, “Open your mouth!”

Wen Heyi sulked a bit longer, but with Huo Fenghua staring him down, he finally opened up.

“Wider,” Huo Fenghua ordered. Then he stuck a finger into Wen Heyi’s mouth, yanked out the whole sticky chunk of malt candy stuck to his teeth, and tossed it on the ground. The candy was horribly tacky. Huo Fenghua wiped his hand on Wen Heyi’s sleeve, thinking as he did it that this “son” of his was nothing but trouble.

Ji Jing had been standing beside them the whole time, watching silently. Hu Dong had ordered Ji Jing to bring men tonight and follow Huo Fenghua to the riverbank to intercept the ferryboats. He carried his usual twin sabers on his back. All night, aside from monitoring the crossing, he’d been secretly sizing Huo Fenghua up, thinking this “Guangtou Qiang” looked unreliable while also knowing, deep down, that the man was dangerous and not to be underestimated.

Besides Ji Jing, Lan Shuilian had sent people too. It was a young woman named Hua Yuan, bringing along more than twenty tall, sturdy men. Tonight they would all follow Huo Fenghua’s command.

Hua Yuan and Hua Yang were twins. Since childhood they’d followed Lan Shuilian, learning to read and practice martial arts. They were famous in Wuhetan, and also Lan Shuilian’s most troublesome and formidable aides.

As Huo Fenghua wiped his hand on Wen Heyi’s sleeve, Hua Yuan quietly offered a silk handkerchief. Huo Fenghua paused, took it, and smiled. “I’ll return it after I wash it clean, Miss Hua.”

Hua Yuan turned her head away and said softly, “No need.”

Hua Yuan wore tight black clothes. In the moonlight she looked both alluring and graceful, her features clear and lovely. Ji Jing had long been interested in her, and at that moment he felt distinctly displeased. He gave a low cough and said to Huo Fenghua, “The ferry’s moving.”

Huo Fenghua planted one foot on a large rock beside him and looked toward the crossing. Sure enough, the covered ferryboat began to sway forward, moving along the rope stretched across the Wu River toward the far shore.

Upstream, seven or eight men in waterproof suits with ropes tied around their waists slipped beneath the surface and swam soundlessly toward midstream. Their job was to drill the boat once the first batch of Donglin soldiers boarded, when the ferry had left the far shore but hadn’t yet reached the center.

Huo Fenghua held his breath and focused. Only when the ferry reached the far side and the first group of Donglin soldiers had fully boarded did he raise one hand high and hook all five fingers inward, signaling them to move.

The ambushers followed, creeping closer to the crossing.

Huo Fenghua and Wen Heyi were in front. Each held a short blade. They snuck up behind the outer sentries, clamped hands over their mouths, and slit their throats.

The ferry, meanwhile, wobbled away from the far shore. Before it reached the middle of the river, sudden commotion broke out onboard. Someone had discovered water coming in through the bottom. With seven or eight men drilling at once, the water poured in fast. Moments later, the boat was flooded and began to sink, forcing the men aboard to jump into the river to save themselves.

Because the ferry hadn’t reached midstream yet and was much closer to the far shore, the Donglin soldiers who jumped in all swam back toward their own side.

The Shenlong Docks men at the crossing had no idea what was happening when a shout rang out, “Ambush!”

Huo Fenghua’s group stopped hiding and charged the crossing with loud yells. In an instant, they smashed through Shenlong Docks’s men, scattering them in every direction with no chance to fight back.

Huo Fenghua pulled a signal firework from his robe, lit the fuse, and launched it. It burst in midair, bright enough that all of Wuhetan could see it clearly.

At the same time, Hu Dong and Lan Shuilian had led their people to surround Shenlong Docks. Hu Dong accepted Bao Wentong’s severed head from a subordinate, then tossed it into Shenlong Docks’s inner courtyard over the wall and shouted, “Resist and die!”

After Third Master Luo’s power changed hands overnight, Wuhetan’s strongest force, Shenlong Docks, was also wiped out in a single night by the combined effort of Huo Fenghua, Hu Dong, and Lan Shuilian.

At the Wu River crossing, corpses lay everywhere. Those Shenlong Docks men who threw down their weapons and surrendered were now squatting on the ground, penned into a corner, forbidden to stand.

Huo Fenghua stood by the riverbank, gathered his inner energy, and shouted across the water, “Which general is leading troops on the far side? General, be at ease. This is an internal dispute within Wuhetan. It has nothing to do with Donglin. If you wish to enter the city to search for someone, send a messenger over and we’ll discuss terms!”

This stretch of the Wu River was nearly three hundred zhang wide. On the far shore, people were only faint silhouettes, yet Huo Fenghua’s voice carried over clearly.

A moment later, Huo Fenghua saw someone on the opposite bank raise a torch and wave it in a regular pattern.

He couldn’t read the signal, so he asked casually, “What’d they say?”

Wen Heyi suddenly said, “It means they’re willing to negotiate.”

Huo Fenghua’s heart jumped. He stared at Wen Heyi in shock, but Wen Heyi still looked blank and dazed. When he saw Huo Fenghua looking at him, he called out ingratiatingly, “Dad!”

Only then did Huo Fenghua relax a little. He figured it was something in Wen Heyi’s buried memory that slipped out, without him understanding it. He said to his men, “Send a small ferry over. Bring two people here for detailed talks.”

Not until before dawn did Huo Fenghua finally meet the commander leading the Donglin pursuers on the riverbank.

This was a garrison force stationed on Xichou’s northern border after Feng Tianzong had destroyed Xichou despite being ill. Their commander was a deputy general, nearly forty years old, named Luo Shicheng.

After meeting Luo Shicheng, Huo Fenghua realized this man wasn’t particularly passionate about capturing Feng Tianzong. Maybe from years steeped in camps and battlefields, his personality was slick and lazy. It had been him who’d sent men into the city to contact Bao Wentong and offer terms to get Bao Wentong to agree.

They met on a small ferryboat moored at the crossing. Huo Fenghua had people bring wine and dishes onboard, saying he wanted to share a cup of morning wine with Deputy General Luo.

Luo Shicheng lounged as he sat down, unfastened his shoulder armor and helmet, lifted the cup to his nose and sniffed. “Good wine.” Then he set it down again. “I don’t care about your Wuhetan affairs, but we must enter the city to search for Feng Tianzong. If not, I’ll have no choice but to send for reinforcements and fight our way in.”

Huo Fenghua smiled at him. “Deputy General Luo, rest assured. Isn’t that exactly why I’m inviting you into the city?”

Luo Shicheng looked at him.

Huo Fenghua said, “Wuhetan isn’t big. Five hundred troops entering the city would cause a stir. To be blunt, I’m just running gambling houses here to make money. I’m not Wuhetan’s master, and I can’t control all the people here. I’m only afraid that you won’t find Feng Tianzong and you’ll end up provoking other trouble.”

“So what are you proposing?” Luo Shicheng asked.

Huo Fenghua raised one hand, five fingers spread. “Fifty. Fifty men enter the city, and you can search however you want, but don’t disrupt Wuhetan’s order. If you bare your fangs and offend someone you shouldn’t, I can’t help you.”

Luo Shicheng stared at the cup, seemingly weighing it.

Huo Fenghua asked, “Deputy General Luo has definite intel that Feng Tianzong is in Wuhetan?”

Luo Shicheng replied, “Not exactly. Only that someone noticed they headed north. We have to search Wuhetan once, that’s all.”

Huo Fenghua smiled. “Then it’s perfect. I make things convenient for you, you make things convenient for me. After you’ve searched Wuhetan, you can go back and report. I keep making money here. We stay out of each other’s way. How about it?”

Luo Shicheng sized Huo Fenghua up, then finally lifted his cup.

Huo Fenghua clinked his cup against his. “Come, I’ll toast you.”

Luo Shicheng recalled the two men he’d previously sent in secret to contact Bao Wentong. Then he personally selected fifty men and entered the city to search for Feng Tianzong.

Huo Fenghua, together with Hu Dong, hosted Luo Shicheng’s squad, providing food and lodging to facilitate their search in Wuhetan, while also placing them under tight surveillance.

Afterward, Huo Fenghua met again with Hu Dong and Lan Shuilian at Shenlong Docks. They sat down and divided up Shenlong Docks’s territory. Huo Fenghua didn’t want to monopolize the Wu River route. He only wanted to open the waterway, so his next step could be building large ships and sending Bu Xian Xian to the Donglin coast, luring wealthy merchants onboard to indulge themselves.

But Shenlong Docks had been a massive organization. Even with the head cut off, the body was still tied together by tendons. Huo Fenghua had to stay outside, grinding through arrangements with Hu Dong and Lan Shuilian until everything was settled and nothing could go wrong. Only then did he hand off the current matters to Xiong’er to watch and return home to rest.

By then, two full days and nights had passed. During that time, Huo Fenghua barely slept.

He reached his bedroom door and was about to push it open when Su Zeyang happened to open it from inside, stepping out.

“Senior Brother…” Huo Fenghua drew the words out, then dove headfirst into Su Zeyang’s arms. He wrapped his arms around Su Zeyang’s waist and fell asleep on the spot.

Su Zeyang froze for a moment, then lifted him into his arms, carried him inside, and laid him gently on the bed.

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