Deep into the night, frost covered the ground and the cold breeze chilled him to the bone.[1] Yang Lianting stamped his feet, rubbed his hands together, and breathed out white mist to warm his cold fingers. His back beneath the yellow guard uniform was covered in sweat and his muscles were sore from exhaustion.
Staring at the two wooden buckets to his feet, a sigh escaped his lips. Filling the large water cistern beside the training ground was his task for tonight and made him feel overwhelmed. He did not know if it was because he had previously taught Wang Xu a lesson, or because everyone thought he fell out of favor, but over the last few days Yang Lianting’s life had been hard. The Guard Commander intentionally or unintentionally targeted him, while the other guards alienated him. Gradually the tasks that everyone took turns to do, the tasks everyone was unwilling to do were all dumped on Yang Lianting’s head.
In his previous life, with his character that sought revenge for the smallest grievance, he would certainly have thought up a few schemes to clean up the evildoers behind the scenes, one by one. In this life Yang Lianting felt a little indifferent without knowing why. He was not bullied easily, but he had lost interest in caring about others. Without Dongfang Bubai by his side, he needed to find something to keep him occupied and divert his attention, so he treated this dirty work as punishment for the torment[2] lingering in his heart day and night.
Shaking his head, he picked up the wooden pole from the dirt ground, hung a bucket on each side, and went towards the well to fetch fresh water.
Awfully heavy.
Yang Lianting was already tired out, his face was flushed red, and his muscles ached and trembled under the weight of the two buckets filled with water. He took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and walked toward the training ground.
The nights on Blackwood Cliff were always silent. Slowly he walked over, even hearing the sounds of cicadas and crickets, of the rusting wind. The buckets swayed with every step. He pulled up the corners of his mouth and tilted his head upwards. Gazing at the dark sky far above. The moon was obscured behind dense and thick clouds, its bright light could not be seen.
Suddenly, he missed Dongfang Bubai very much. He missed the man who had loved him dearly in his past life. He missed the graceful and peerless Cult Master of this life.
After he had arrived at the entrance of the training ground, he unexpectedly heard loud voices and bellowing laughter. Pausing for a moment, Yang Lianting could not avoid creasing his brows and narrowing his eyes slightly. With a chuckle, he pretended as if he had not heard anything, held onto the wooden shoulder pole and slowly walked in.
On the training ground stood a few yellow guards, who were friends with Wang Xu, amongst them was a guard captain. They seemed to be enjoying themselves and had not noticed his arrival yet. Yang Lianting did not greet them, lowered his head instead, and walked to the large water cistern while carrying the buckets. The task was indeed strenuous, even his breaths were heavy and unstable, but he gritted his teeth and suppressed his gasps for air. He steadily walked to the water cistern when someone suddenly stopped him from behind.
“Hey, fetching water?”
Yang Lianting’s look cooled. Ignoring the rude voice, he did not halt his movements and bent over to place the buckets on the ground.
“Why aren’t you answering me?” The voice from behind him lowered in tone and a hand suddenly hit his shoulder, “What’re you doing?”
Yang Lianting’s eyebrows knit faintly, once his shoulder was hit he turned to the side to take a look at the person who had just come over. Yang Lianting’s two pupils were pitch-black and for an instant he appeared enraged and imposing. There weren’t any personal grudges between them but the guard captain had a good relationship with Wang Xu. Staring into his eyes, Yang Lianting could clearly see his intentions.
“Fetching water, right? Oh, look at the sweat on your face, it must be tiring? You must hate us, right?” With a gloating smirk on his face he approached Yang Lianting and stated, “To fill this water cistern, I guess you’ll be up until dawn, hahaha.”
Yang Lianting felt a little impatient. In the past, he had never wasted his time with such petty and powerless people after being with Dongfang Bubai. He shook his head impassively and didn’t react to the provocation. Eyes calm and collected, he glanced at him and said, “Have you finished talking? If you’ve already said all you wanted to say, I’d like to fill the cistern now.”
The guard captain did not expect Yang Lianting to react like this. Stunned silent for a moment, his embarrassment turned into anger, “How dare you talk to me like this! Yang Lianting you’re just an insignificant guard! Don’t assume you can be lawless due to the Cult Master’s passing favor.”
“I’m telling you, on this Blackwood Cliff I’ll step on you like an ant. I don’t know what means you used to deceive the trust of the Cult Master. Perhaps, I’d have feared you then, but now…” The guard sneered, “Even the Cult Master doesn’t care if you’re dead or alive, do you think anyone in the Holy Cult would spare you a caring glance? Letting you fetch water means doing you a favor. If you know what’s good for you…”
Yang Lianting had no intention to waste his time and energy on these matters in this life, yet he still felt a raging fire ignite in his heart. He had never been a weakling, who could be trampled and manipulated at will. In his past life, it was precisely because of this that he had been able to step by step scheme is way to the top and crush everyone beneath him.
He looked at him and smiled, asking in a frigid tone, “I don’t know what’s good for me?”
“I don’t know?”
“Hmpf, you think Wang Xu’s matter is over?”
The man noticed Yang Lianting’s eyes gradually darkening. He and Wang Xu were friends, but their characters differed from each other. Wang Xu loved his face,[3] was proud and arrogant, but acted with false bravado. He was different, amongst the Yellow Guard his martial arts skill was exceptional and he was familiar with some of the cult elders, so he had long been considered for the Purple Guard. Despite distaining Wang Xu for losing against a lowly handyman who had been promoted to a guard, he would naturally avenge him for the sake of their friendship.
Tonight, he had made Yang Lianting fetch water. Tormenting his body first, then tormenting his mind. This way, he would lose his imposing manner and no longer dare to be so arrogant in their presence. Of course, he did not want to admit that this guy whose martial arts were much worse than his, had actually been favored by the Cult Master. God knew it was every cult member’s dream to enter the eyes of the Invincible East. Why did this guy achieve what I can’t, even though he’s inferior to me? He felt anger rise.
Yang Lianting’s eyes were calm as he stared at the guard who stood in front of him, he slowly asked, “So you’re here to avenge Wang Xu?”
“What if I am?”
“I’m kind enough to teach you that atop this Blackwood Cliff people without ability and support shouldn’t be so arrogant, you understand?”
Thud–
He threw a glance at the fresh water Yang Lianting had a hard time carrying and kicked over the two wooden buckets with ease. Watching the water flow on the ground he didn’t avoid it, instead he looked at Yang Lianting and confidently sneered. “With your speed, you likely won’t be finished by dawn tomorrow morning anymore, right?”
“It’s not that I’m arrogant.” Staring straight at the guard Yang Lianting lightly breathed out and lifted his hand up. His lips were curved into a faint smile, yet his eyes were as cold as ice, without the slightest hesitation or fear.
“Rather, he sought death himself.”
If Yang Lianting were still his past self, Chief Steward Yang of Blackwood Cliff, the shameless and obscene insults Wang Xu had said on that day, would have been enough to die a thousand times. Therefore, he had not been arrogant, but Wang Xu sought his own death.
As soon as the words left his mouth, the guard was enraged. He instantly stretched out his hand to strangle his neck, but Yang Lianting avoided his hand by taking a step back.
Yang Lianting slightly lowered his head. His line of sight fell on the wet mud beneath his feet that had been splashed with the water he had carried. His eyes were pitch-black, hiding dark and deep, indiscernible emotions. He smiled thinly, as if he suddenly thought of something, he said, “Go and tell Wang Xu, I can’t kill him now, but one day… I’ll personally cut off his tongue, cut off his head! So, he’ll know what to say and what not to say.”
After so many years in power, even though Yang Lianting’s martial arts were meager, his body’s imposing momentum could not be erased.
Without knowing why, hearing his tone the guard briefly felt a faint chill in his chest and subconsciously believed the person’s threat. In the next instant, he recalled his superior status. Furious, he sneered, “Who do you think you are, huh? Daring to threaten Wang Xu like this, how ridiculous.”
“It doesn’t matter who I am.”
Yang Lianting lowered his eyelids to conceal all the restless emotions within, and stated in a nearly inaudible voice, “No one can insult Dongfang in front of me.”
In his past life, he had not wanted to see, not wanted to listen, not wanted to think.[4] In this life, he could not keep himself from looking, listening and thinking, so he would never allow another to hurt Dongfang, to slander Dongfang. Maybe not now, but one day he would certainly kill anyone who dared to speak, dared to slander, or dared to hurt Dongfang.
“How bold!” Hearing his words, the guard laughed loudly as if he had heard a funny joke. Eyes narrowed, he raised his hand and grabbed Yang Lianting’s neck. Yang Lianting’s martial arts skills were indeed poor. At this moment, the guard was angered to the point of nearly losing his mind. Naturally he failed to doge and his throat was strangled.
Yang Lianting did not panic. Despite his difficulty breathing, he maintained a calm and collected facial expression. His throat throbbed terribly yet his mind dimly, vaguely recalled the events from his previous life.
In the end, Dongfang had fought against Ren Woxing and the others in a decisive battle, while Ren Yingying had stabbed him and cut off his finger. Back then, he had not made a sound. Now, he only had to grit his teeth and hold on. Facing this insignificant guard captain, even if he lost, he would not lose his life, right?
“Yang Lianting, if you ask me for forgiveness, maybe I’ll let you off.”
Returning to his senses, Yang Lianting looked straight at the furious guard in front of him. He could not speak a word, yet his eyes ridiculed him. In truth, he knew that this guard did not dare to strangle him to death.
The Jianghu often referred to the Sun Moon Holy Cult as the Demonic Cult,[5] but its teachings were much stricter compared to the rules of the so-called righteous sects.[6] The position of a minor guard captain was indeed higher than Yang Lianting’s, but if he casually killed him for no apparent reason, tomorrow during the liturgy he would face severe punishment in accordance with the teachings. Yang Lianting was sure that this kind of person would never take a life for the sake of another.
However, his self-assured attitude merely further enraged the guard captain. He strengthened his grip around Yang Lianting’s neck and stared at his face that had flushed red due to breathing difficulties. He sneered, “Think carefully, atop Blackwood Cliff, there’s no one you can rely on to make you so unafraid of–”
Before he could say ‘death’ the guard captain’s blue forehead veins burst, his eyes protruded, and he knelt down on the ground unable to speak. Yang Lianting creased his eyebrows deeply and questioned the sudden change, when he saw Dongfang Bubai’s red figure fly before him.
Dongfang Bubai did not look at Yang Lianting and looked at the guard captain kneeling on the ground instead. His voice was as light and pleasant as ever, yet currently it sounded faintly off. Beneath it lay furious rage and fierce killing intent.