Yang Lianting gradually stood in the midst of the storm atop the cliff. Overnight an ordinary nameless handyman appeared by the Cult Master’s side as his highly trusted confidant, as if he leaped over the Dragon Gate.[2]
The Invincible East had always been cruel and merciless, yet only towards Yang Lianting was his manner exceptionally close. The higher and lower-ranked maids attending to the cult master quietly divulged, “The Cult Master even allows that Guard Yang to dine at the same table as him.”
Inevitably, Yang Lianting’s power and influence on the cliff increased. Except for a few Hall Masters headed by Tong Baixiong, even Sang Sanniang’s conduct towards him was more courteous and considerate than before. Yang Lianting naturally sensed this shift the most, more and more cult members flattered and fawned over him, went out of their way to curry favor with him. If he were still his past self, he feared that at present he’d ride on the crest of success[3] till he completely forgot himself. In contrast, his reborn self couldn’t help but bitterly laugh out loud.
Dongfang had always been soft and sensitive. Even if he fully trusted him, due to his low self-esteem he subconsciously feared that one day he would regret and leave. So, he humored the many rumors spreading on Blackwood Cliff, indulged Yang Lianting’s demands by handing him a position below one person, above all others. Who would’ve thought that the no. one martial artist, the Invincible East, would turn into a muddle-headed fool due to his affection for him?
He did not know what he wanted, so he thought of a method to give him everything.
Today, he sat aside and silently watched Dongfang carefully comb his long black hair that was draped over his back. Red robe against a fair face creating a bright and clear contrast.
Unstained by dust.[4]
It’s said that the color red was overly gorgeous, unexpectedly when Dongfang Bubai wore it on his body the color neither gave a gaudy nor vulgar impression. Looking at his face, his breathing slightly stagnated. Looking at him, Yang Lianting was caught in a trance. In this life I never saw Dongfang wear women’s clothes. He knew that this person before him liked these things. Although Dongfang Bubai liked to wear red robes in this life as well, they were all designed and tailored for men. Yang Lianting furrowed his brows faintly, almost instantly he knew why. Although there were no secrets between the two of them already, at all times he still anxiously feared his strangeness would arouse his disgust.
Yang Lianting could not help but sigh in his heart and hugged Dongfang Bubai’s slim shoulders from behind. Bowing his head down, he pressed a kiss on his hair. In his heart, he thought, The next time I go down the cliff, I’ll take the initiative to buy a few sets of clothes for Dongfang. At the least, it could be considered him making his attitude clear. This person, ah. He’s lived in fear for a lifetime. In this life the true meaning of my, Yang Lianting’s rebirth, isn’t it to let Dongfang live his life without constraint?
Keeping this thought in mind, unexpectedly a cultist took the initiative to come over to ingratiate himself with Yang Lianting in the afternoon. This cultist was the Head Purple Guard, on the cliff his power and influence were not little either. But currently, who atop Blackwood Cliff did not give Yang Lianting, the man valued by the Cult Master, face when they saw him?
“Guard Yang, us Brothers are about to descend the cliff to do some shopping. If you’re tired of staying shut atop the cliff every day too, how about going to town with us Brothers to have fun?”
Yang Lianting stared blankly for a moment, then laughed out loud. Indeed, he had something to do. So, he no longer hesitated, he nodded and gladly agreed. This morning Dongfang Bubai had gone into his secret chamber to practice in seclusion, he probably would not come out for a while. Although he thought so, he still found someone to explain on his behalf. In case the Cult Master came out of seclusion, she must immediately tell him that he had gone down the cliff. “It shouldn’t take too long I’ll be back soon, there’s no need to worry.”
The Head Purple Guard standing near him, watched him take this series of precautions and could not help but be slightly more polite towards him. “Hey, hey–” He chuckled and stepped closer to Yang Lianting, “Brother Yang, I’ve been serving atop the cliff for so many years, but I’ve never seen the Cult Master care about someone as much as you.”
Yang Lianting’s expression looked a little strange for a while, he lightly coughed and said nothing, looking like he did not want to comment on the matter.
After descending the cliff range, Yang Lianting thought up a random excuse to disperse the Head Guard and the others. They all strolled toward different places.
On his first trip down the cliff, he directly sought the biggest ready-made clothes shop in town. He looked for the shop owner and asked him to take out their best women’s clothes for him to see. The shop owner noted Yang Lianting’s impressive bearing,[5] naturally he did not dare to neglect him and personally led him into the inner room. As soon as they entered Yang Lianting knew that he had come to the right place.
The texture of the red dress was out of the ordinary, it had an intricate gold threaded embroidery along its hems. Once its long skirt dragged on the ground the patterns embroidered on it nearly came alive. Each piece of cloth was of the highest quality.
In his mind Dongfang Bubai dressed in this red dress abruptly appeared. The light in Yang Lianting’s eyes softened at the sight, without another thought he opened his mouth to say, “I want all of these, wrap them all up.”
As soon as he spoke, the facial expression of the shop owner changed. He eagerly nodded and smiled even more flatteringly at Yang Lianting. “Young Master, you have great taste. All dresses in this room are made of the best cloth that can be found around here, they’re also tailored and embroidered by the most talented seamstresses.”
“Young Master, are these dresses for your future marriage?” The shop owner fawned, “Their colors are all auspicious! Once your bride wears them she’ll surely look matchlessly beautiful.”
Listening to his flattery Yang Lianting’s black eyes darkened faintly, only to brighten even more.
Dongfang Bubai never took defensive measures against him, naturally he let him take as much silver as he wanted. Before he had gone down the cliff, Yang Lianting had taken along enough silver banknotes for any purchases he would make. After paying, he carried the wrapped up clothes on his back and went out onto the main street again.
Now that he had bought dresses naturally he had to prepare a few rouge and liquid powder compacts. Yang Lianting had little knowledge of these things, so once he came across a street stall, he simply had the stall owner select the most extensive ones for him. Buying one by one, buying all kinds of things, as he thought of Dongfang Bubai’s expression once he received these gifts, his mood turned even more cheerful.
Yang Lianting intended to return to the meeting place, he had previously agreed upon with the Head Guard, when he suddenly saw a jewelry shop in passing. Walking in, at first glance he took a liking to a unique white jade hairpin displayed in the center of the jewelry shop. The jade’s quality couldn’t be compared to the superior quality jade especially offered to Dongfang on the cliff, yet it was a fine piece of craftsmanship.[6] Nearly instantaneously, Yang Lianting decided to buy the white jade hairpin.
Strolling along the street, he took a fancy to lots of things, by the time Yang Lianting met up with the Head Guard, Wang Shi, it was already dusk. Wang Shi noted that Yang Lianting’s gains weren’t little, to curry favor he went forward to take the bundles wrapped in cloth he held in his hands, then let his men help carry the bundles. “Hey, hey–” Looking at Yang Lianting he chuckled, “Brother Yang, I guess you’re tired after strolling around all day, right? Brother will take you to a great place, I guarantee that you’ll have good food, good drink, and good fun.”
Yang Lianting did not think too much and he really was tired. Nodding his head in agreement, he went along with Wang Shi’s arrangements. But it wasn’t until he arrived at Wang Shi’s eating place, did he finally realize what this so-called ‘good food, good drink, and good fun’ actually was.
Looking at the lounge of red flowers and green willows[7] filled with liveliness, Yang Lianting lifted his brows lightly and for an instant the expression in his eyes subtly changed.
In his past life, when he had gone down the cliff, he had loved to go to these kinds of places. He had sought a few pretty women to accompany him, eaten meals, drunk wine, and played around. He had locked up Dongfang in the hidden courtyard, while every day he had led a drunken life and dreamt till death,[8] given vent to degenerate pleasure.[9]
In his past life, he had been a regular here, an arrogant master who everyone flattered and fawned upon. Now that he had come to this kind of place again after his rebirth, he slightly shook his head and the first sight to appear before his eyes was the face of Dongfang Bubai. He lightly shook his head and sneered, then let out a silent sight. Never mind, Wang Shi simply treats me like an ordinary man and wants to curry favor with me. Inevitably, he’d invite me to this kind of place. It’s human nature, I can’t blame him for not understanding.
Hating to dampen the others’ excited spirits, he did not speak much. After taking his seat, the procuress swiftly shooed a group of women, each with their own beauty and attractiveness toward them. Looking at this group of women Wang Shi and the others’ breathing became rough and heavy, yet they were people who knew their own importance. Wang Shi lightly coughed then politely let Yang Lianting have first pick.
Yang Lianting raised his head and swept a glance over them, unexpectedly he noticed a woman he had heavily doted on in his past life. In this life, that woman looked as beautiful and alluring as before. She had a gentle and yielding manner, what past life’s Yang Lianting had liked about her was none other than this quiet and demure appearance of hers, which was completely different from Dongfang Bubai’s female appearance.
Turning back and thinking about it again in this life, what did he genuinely like about this woman? He merely desperately tried to avoid anyone who resembled Dongfang. As if seeking out the affection of a woman, who was demure to the bone, would allow him to hide from Dongfang Bubai’s existence. He smiled softly, lowered his head and drank a cup of wine. Yang Lianting sighed in his heart, We’ve only been separated for half a day, but I miss him already.
“Brother Yang do you like this woman? Come, come, come!” Wang Shi had yet to call her over when Yang Lianting shook his head and refused.
“No need, Brothers take your picks, I’ve no need.”
“Brother Yang, what’re you– Don’t tell me there isn’t anyone you’re satisfied with in this batch?” Wang Shi nervously worried if he hadn’t taken good care of him, yet Yang Lianting shook his head and refused again. The color of his pupils was as calm and mellow as fine wine. Word for word, he spoke before everyone.
“This Yang’s heart already belongs to another. In this life, he will be with him alone and no one else.”
Blackwood Cliff.
Dongfang Bubai’s seclusion was quite short, he left his secret chamber that day in the evening. Immediately after going out of seclusion he asked his maid about Yang Lianting’s whereabouts. Hearing that Yang Lianting had joined the other guards and gone down the cliff to make some purchases, Dongfang Bubai did not ask more. Lian di always waited on him on Blackwood Cliff, he did not sleep well and felt an oppressive panic in his heart. There was nothing wrong with going down the cliff for a stroll.
In Yang Lianting’s absence Dongfang Bubai sat alone atop a pine tree drinking wine. He felt faintly tipsy due to the wine, his pair of fair hands held onto a wine jug as he wistfully thought of Yang Lianting’s return. He did not know how much time passed, but suddenly he heard the voices of two people talking under the tree.
“Oh, if I could go down the cliff and go to town with the Head next time, that’d be great.”
“Hahaha, that’s right! I say, if the Head brings us along with him, that night’d be a free and happy one.”
“The Head invited Guard Yang to head down with him today, he made careful arrangements to ensure he’d have a really great time.” The guard clicked his tongue, “Yichun Courtyard’s girls, just by thinking about them, my backbone softens by half.”[10]
“The Head you’re taking about clearly is our Purple Guard’s Boss, is it really worth it to fawn on some ordinary little guard?”
“What’re you saying, Guard Yang isn’t just some guard. He’s caught the Cult Master’s eye recently. The Head said so himself, if Brother Yang can put in a good word for him with the Master, let alone Yichun Courtyard, even if Brother Yang wants a fairy,[11] he’d think of a way to find one for him.”
Girls.
Listening to these words with his own ears, Dongfang Bubai’s expression changed color nearly instantly.
Yang Lianting went to Yichun Courtyard.
Dongfang Bubai’s complexion turned deathly pale, sitting in place, his expression as somber as dripping water.