Dongfang Bubai stood by himself surrounded by the night’s cold wind, his ink black hair was loosely held up by a wooden hairpin and his red robe was lifted by the gusts of wind. As beautiful and mesmerizing as a banished immortal, about to silently ascend to the skies.
Yang Lianting fixatedly gazed at the familiar figure standing in front of him. In between his heavy breaths and desperate gasps for air, he smelt the faint pinewood fragrance, the familiar scent lingering throughout his past and present lifetimes.
He suddenly felt the corners of his eyes reddening.
Dongfang had said, ‘This Seat is his reliance.’
In a tone that stood above all, in such a straightforward tone, he had placed him under his protection. He had been so enraged that even now he was deeply frowning and his killing intent had yet to disappear. Did he look for him as soon as he left seclusion? Yang Lianting ignored his burning neck and sore throat that had just been strangled by the guard captain and focused his eyes on Dongfang Bubai before him.
The guard captain who had haughtily flaunted his position in front of Yang Lianting was stricken with terror; he incredulously stared at the Invincible East who had appeared out of thin air. Kneeling on the dirt ground, he opened his mouth to explain but before he could speak, he was ruthlessly choked by Dongfang Bubai’s internal energy. Trying to ask for mercy, he was barely able to utter, “Cult… Cult Master… please forgive… forgive this Subordinate…”
“Who do you think you are? Daring to hurt this Seat’s guard!” Dongfang Bubai didn’t know why, clearly he had gained divine insight just now and his heart should be as calm as water yet now he failed to restrain his arms from trembling. Thick killing intent surging in his heart, he eagerly wanted to kill this insolent guard captain and crush his bones to dust, so he would never appear in front of him again.
The guard captain was terrified, he shifted his eyes and stared at Yang Lianting with difficulty. His red eyes no longer held the previous arrogance and self-confidence, instead they desperately pleaded with Yang Lianting. He could not understand why a lowly handyman would be protected and treasured by the Cult Master, why he provoked someone he shouldn’t provoke in a moment of anger. The guard captain felt bitterly regretful.
“Get the hell out of here!”
Dongfang Bubai shouted furiously, raised his hands and then waved his sleeves. Suddenly a thunderous wave of energy struck the ground to drive away all the guard captain’s cohorts scattered around the training ground. Dongfang Bubai’s powerful internal energy had loosened its grip around the guard’s neck, caught by surprise he fell to the ground. Kneeling on all fours, he looked wretched. Dongfang Bubai flung his red sleeves in anger, his face sullen. He walked toward Yang Lianting, yet his eyes stared at the surrounding people. He coldly said, “Did you all feed the Holy Cult’s teachings to the dogs? Daring to scheme against this Seat’s personal guard, you’ve got a lot of guts!” Once he spoke, the guards were so terrified, they shivered in fear and fell to their knees, kowtowing to the Invincible East to admit their mistakes.
Dongfang sneered.
As fast as a flash of lighting, before anyone could see clearly, he took the guard captain’s life in the blink of an eye. “Listen up if this Seat notices you conspiring behind this Seat’s back again, notices you persecuting him again, no matter who it is, their end will be the same as his. If there’s anyone who’s unafraid of death this Seat doesn’t mind personally taking their life.”
The Cult Master rarely appeared in front of the congregation, since ascending to the cult’s highest position. In everyone’s eyes the Cult Master was powerful and stern, his martial arts skill was profound and unfathomable; unexpectedly their Cult Master was so young and handsome, was like a banished immortal emerging from a painting, a banished immortal that stood before them and could take lives in a flash.
The scattered yellow guards were scared out of their wits how could they still pay attention to Dongfang Bubai’s appearance?
“Dong– Cult Master.”
Yang Lianting wanted to call him ‘Dongfang’ out of habit yet after blurting out the first syllable of his name, he quickly halted and corrected himself. Smiling thinly yet feeling complex, Yang Lianting’s mood was half joyful, half griefful.
Dongfang Bubai finally turned to look at him.
The moment he saw Yang Lianting, Dongfang Bubai paused and pursed his lips. He wanted to fly into a ferocious rage yet he was unable to discern the feelings in his heart, he simply pursed his thin lips in silence and did not shift his eyes away.
“Yang Lianting, you’re truly useless.”
“You’re this Seat’s personal guard yet you were harmed by a mere guard! If this Seat hadn’t come in time today… if…” Wide sleeves flung in fury, Dongfang Bubai snorted condescendingly and stopped talking.
Yang Lianting’s heart softened. He swept aside the dust and dirt sullying his sleeves, wiped away the beads of sweat dripping from his forehead and the mud on his hands before he walked to him. Dongfang Bubai was half a head shorter than him. Silently looking down at him, he did not take the opportunity to tell him how hard life had recently been. Eyes gentle beyond words as if he could finally, to his heart’s content, look at the person in red who had abruptly appeared before him, look at the person whom he had not seen for a long, long time.
Thousands and thousands of words.
His thoughts remaining unsaid, Yang Lianting merely sighed in silence. He cupped one hand in the other, respectfully lowered his head and bowed down to greet his master.
“Congratulations to the Cult Master for leaving seclusion and gaining divine insight.”
Waiting for Yang Lianting to speak but hearing him only say such an empty phrase he felt disappointed without knowing why. Dongfang Bubai felt frustrated, glared at him with a sharp glint in his eyes, snorted coldly and turned to leave. He walked off the training ground but glanced back after a moment.
“Yang Lianting, who allowed you to follow this Seat?”
“Did Cult Master forget? Just now Cult Master said that this Subordinate is your personal guard.” Yang Lianting deliberately emphasized the word ‘personal.’ Deep into the night, the man’s low and hoarse voice made his words sound faintly ambiguous.
Dongfang Bubai’s eyelids fluttered lightly. He wanted to refute him but did not know what to say, so he simply let Yang Lianting follow him as they walked all the way back to his courtyard.
“Cult Master, I’m glad.”
Dongfang Bubai was about to return to his main residence to rest for the night, when he suddenly heard Yang Lianting speak. The moonlight was as clear and bright as tranquil water, quietly illuminating Yang Lianting’s face. He had strong and handsome features. Standing still, despite his meager martial arts skill, there was an inexplicable power emanating from his body that made him unable to move his eyes away.
Dongfang Bubai gazed at Yang Lianting.
Yang Lianting gazed at Dongfang Bubai.
Among all in the world, he looked best in red. His nature was detached and indifferent, his skin was as pale as transparent glass because it rarely saw the light of day, and his facial features were clear and delicate.
He, a divine figure who stood above all, had been hopelessly infatuated, irredeemably in love with him a lifetime ago. The one in red had been harmed by him, lost the cult master’s throne, and died without a whole body because of him.
Even after being reborn, he still protected him.
He had said, ‘This Seat is his reliance.’
Caught in a daze, Yang Lianting silently worried if Dongfang Bubai had recovered his memory of their past life just as he had, silently wondered if he were still willing to be together with him despite remembering all that had happened in their past life.
He did not dare to think further.
Fortunately–
Yang Lianting was caught in a daze for such a long time that Dongfang Bubai felt faintly uncomfortable. Flustered, he turned his head aside and no longer looked at him. He snorted and asked him in a frigid tone, “Yang Lianting, have you finished talking? This Seat wants to rest.”
“Cult Master, I’m glad.”
Yang Lianting did not refer to himself as ‘this Subordinate,’ yet Dongfang Bubai did not seem to have noticed.
I’m glad you chose to turn toward me no matter when, I’m glad you appeared in front of me, I’m glad to be able to return and make amends for my past life in this life.
I’m glad you’re still my Dongfang.
Dongfang Bubai felt a little weird, but without knowing why he didn’t reject the weird feelings in his heart that made him feel uncomfortable. Being looked at like this by Yang Lianting, his earlobes turned faintly red.
Yang Lianting knew that Dongfang Bubai truly wanted to be cold-blooded and heartless. Obviously, everyone who wandered the Jianghu dreaded him, the Star of Calamity[7] who brought great misfortune to those around him. Everyone was afraid of him and terrified of him, yet he was much more persistent, sensitive, and pure than anyone else.
Love was love, and hate was hate.
Deep down, his heart loved dearly and was easily moved.
“Yang Lianting, who gave you permission to stare at this Seat all the time, how impudent!” Dongfang Bubai yelled in irritation and waved his long unlined sleeves. He was not good at dealing with people, so naturally his first reaction was to avoid this man.
“Cult Master, I’ll prepare a late-night meal for you, alright?” Yang Lianting creased his brows, “You must’ve lost weight[8] after being in seclusion for so long.” Smiling slightly he bowed to him and went toward the small side kitchen without asking him if he wanted to eat or not. He made the decision entirely on his own.
By the time he finished preparing the dishes, Dongfang Bubai was reclining on his bed. Loosely wearing an inner garment out of white brocade that made his face look even more delicate and beautiful than usual. Under the dim candlelight, his body looked ambiguously soft and supple. Reading a book in silence, turning page after page, he appeared concentrated and serious.
“Cult Master, have a taste.”
“This Seat will not eat, just leave it.”
Dongfang Bubai did not move his pair of eyes away from the page, coolly dismissing his suggestion implied his intent to send the guard away. Yet, Yang Lianting was more than unwilling to let go of such a rare opportunity to be alone with him. He opened the heated wine jug and placed it on the bedside table not too far from Dongfang Bubai, he then placed the vegetable porridge that had been simmered for half an hour[9] and the other side dishes on the table as well.
Lovingly meticulous.
Dongfang originally wanted to hold back for a while yet once he smelled the appetizing aroma his stomach rumbled. Instantly, his earlobes reddened yet he pretended as if nothing were wrong. He coughed and glanced at Yang Lianting.
“Serve this Seat’s meal.”
Yang Lianting laughed in his heart, but his lips did not move. He respectfully responded, picked up the porridge and offered it to Dongfang Bubai.
“Tell this Seat what happened while this Seat was practicing in seclusion on the back of the cliff.” Halfway through the meal the room had quieted, when Dongfang Bubai suddenly spoke up.
Yang Lianting was stunned still, then nodded after a moment, lowered his tone and reported the recent events atop Blackwood Cliff. How much wine Tong Baixiong had drunk during the last gathering, which cultist had won first place in the recent martial arts competition, and that the news of the Righteous Path uniting had spread throughout the cult. Yang Lianting recounted a lot in an unhurried and gentle tone.
However, Dongfang Bubai tightly gripped the spoon he held in his hand. He felt impatient and annoyed, but he was unable to voice the reason.
I didn’t ask about the cult.
I asked about you.
He had seen Yang Lianting carry water back and forth earlier, seen him be humiliated and seen him be strangled, so he had felt enraged to the point of losing control over himself and taking the guard captain’s life without mercy.
Yang Lianting had said, ‘No one can insult Dongfang in front of me.’ Yang Lianting’s voice had been extremely light, even the guard had not heard him, but Dongfang Bubai’s martial arts skills and his six senses were exceptional, he had heard Yang Lianting speak.
He, the Master of the Holy Cult and a powerful martial artist, had never thought that one day there was a person like him, who would risk his own life to defend him. Dongfang Bubai was not angry at Yang Lianting for transgressing and directly calling him ‘Dongfang’ instead of ‘Cult Master.’ He merely felt uncomfortable because of his turbulent emotions, which hid a hint of happiness.
After drinking wine and eating congee, Dongfang Bubai soon felt tired, closed his eyes and fell asleep reclining against the soft bed. Dongfang Bubai rarely slept in the presence of others. Since castrating himself, he had become extremely self-disciplined out of fear. During the day, he meticulously held his posture upright. During the night, no one was allowed around him when he slept. Surprisingly he had carelessly fallen asleep like this before Yang Lianting had left.
Yang Lianting was cleaning up the emptied bowls and plates, when he raised his head and noticed that Dongfang Bubai’s eyes were closed tight. Dongfang Bubai’s sleeping posture was rather revealing and of delicate beauty. His lightly fluttering eyelashes looked soft to the touch. He did not seem like the usual high and mighty Cult Master, who treated human life like dust, who stood above all.
I’m glad you’re still the same.
Letting down your guard.
Even in his dreams he was still frowning, was still pained and worried. Yang Lianting quietly gazed at Dongfang Bubai, gazed at his sleeping face wanting to brand it deeply into his very heart, wanting to never forget for eternity. He quietly thought about the past and present lifetimes. Every moment he had spent alongside Dongfang Bubai flashed through his mind.
If Dongfang Bubai were to open his eyes, he would have seen self-blame, shame and guilt, seen the sincere love that was burnt into his very soul.
He pursed his lips, took a deep breath, and leaned over.
Gently kissing the lips of the sound asleep Dongfang Bubai.