Dongfang Bubai could faintly hear the crackling sound of the burning candlewicks. Despite the chilly wind blowing outside the windows, it was warm and cozy within the chamber. Lian di had thoughtfully prepared a heated stove and a high-quality brocade blanket that covered his body. Dongfang felt like his whole body was soaked in warm water, he felt so comfortable he might melt.
He had not been this relaxed in a long time.
Lian di–
Remembering the events from over an hour ago,[1] he could not prevent his eyelids from trembling and his cheeks from flushing deep red. Dongfang lightly pursed his lips and slowly opened his eyes. Under the candlelight he quietly gazed at the man lying by his side.
He truly married Lian di?
Red wedding candles and curtains.
Inseparable fondness, like a pair of mandarin ducks.[2]
Dongfang Bubai’s eyelids faintly trembled, as he gazed at the side profile of Yang Lianting. In the quiet and peaceful ambience of the chamber, his expression held a deep contentedness. Yang Lianting’s strong facial features looked chiseled, his nose bridge straight, and his eyebrows sharp. At this moment, Yang Lianting was fast asleep and both of his hands still held his body. Feeling his palm’s warmth on his skin and his shallow breath on his face, Dongfang Bubai lowered his head and slowly leaned into Yang Lianting’s arms.
Once he moved, Yang Lianting woke up slightly, muttered in a daze, and held the person in his arms even tighter. Raising his hand to pat Dongfang Bubai’s shoulder, pat after pat, as if trying to comfort him.
Dongfang Bubai lightly lowered his eyelids, Being embraced by Yang Lianting like this… He turned his head up to look at the carved bed beams overhead and suddenly thought of a long, long time ago.
Back then, he had just defeated Ren Woxing, eliminated any dissenters, and finally ascended to the cult master’s throne of the Sun Moon Holy Cult. He, the Invincible East, had been titled the world’s first martial artist feared throughout the Jianghu. Finally he had stood above all and held power over the lives and deaths, rewards and punishments of countless people. No one had dared to make light of the new cult master, instead everyone had come to dread his existence.
He had killed countless people.
One day, he met Huiming[3] a Buddhist monk from the Shaolin Temple. The monk had not feared death and had even walked up to him, persuading him to repent and mend his ways.
“Benefactor[4] Dongfang, why must you kill innocents for your own selfish interests?”
Briefly Dongfang Bubai thought that this monk knew he had begun cultivating the profound Sunflower Manual, thought that he had been seen through by this pretentious monk.
“Benefactor Dongfang, if you insist upon staining your hands with blood, you may not end well in the future.”
“Amitabha,[5] this Monk advises you to turn back to the shore, repent and you shall be saved!”
“Power and influence may be great, yet it is lonely at the top. Killing and committing evil excessively, carelessly impacts your hidden virtue[6] and harms your karma.[7] Benefactor, you will only cause yourself a lifetime of bitter loneliness. The heavens detest evil spirits.”
Once he had cultivated the Sunflower Manual, he had turned himself into neither man nor ghost with his own hands. Since the heavens hate evil spirits, aren’t I doomed to a life of misery? But heaven’s will did not make a difference to him. While he wasn’t able to kill gods nor buddhas, he could restrain his own continuous thoughts. Every night when he dreamt, every day when he sat atop the cult master’s seat, every day and night he silently watched the winds violently blow across Blackwood Cliff–
Every day of his life he remembered Monk Huiming’s words.
Back then, he had staked his own life because he desperately wanted to stand tall, wanted to be the world’s first, wanted to be looked up to by everyone. He had finally achieved his grand ambitions, yet the emptiness in his heart slowly increased without knowing why.[8]
Lian di.
Dongfang Bubai looked at the face beside him.
His own body still had Yang Lianting’s tender traces all over, only covered by a blanket and unable to be seen. Silently looking at him for some time, Dongfang Bubai softly smiled as he curved the corners of his mouth upward. At this moment his eyes were slightly wet, brimming with sparkling waves, his eyes were gentle and devout, beautiful like stars reflected in the sea.
Monk Huiming is wrong.
The heavens treated him well, he did not have to lead a lonely life. The heavens might detest evil spirits but he still had his dear Lian di. A slight smile lingering on his red lips, Dongfang’s heart was serene. Leaning against Yang Lianting’s neck, he faintly felt the man’s even breath. Thinking of the previous maddening sex, as the one above Lian di had really been lovingly restrained, yet after being tossed and turned over and over again his entire body still felt sore. Even he, the Invincible East, with his unparalleled martial arts could not help but feel exhausted. Dongfang Bubai’s cheeks felt hot. Glancing at the sleeping Yang Lianting, he then calmed his breath and slowly closed his eyes.
Time passed as he slept.
Dongfang Bubai, who had been dreaming, felt the body lying beside him lightly move.
Lian di?
Feeling tired, he lazily moved his fingers and slowly opened his eyes, about to open his mouth to tell Yang Lianting about the dream he had. He had yet to speak, when he saw Yang Lianting turn his back to him, get dressed, and take away his cult master’s token that he had placed on the table.
Deep into the night.
Wearing all black, covered by a hooded cape.
His whole body emanating unfamiliar chill and hostility.
He isn’t just getting up at night, he… wants to leave?
Dongfang Bubai felt his heart skip a beat. The instant before Yang Lianting turned back, he quickly closed his eyes, lay silently on the bed and pretended to be sleeping. He heard Yang Lianting come over and stand still before the bed for some time, only to kiss him on his forehead, turn back, push the door open and walk out into the night.
Creak–
Only after Yang Lianting’s footsteps could not be heard, did Dongfang Bubai slowly open his eyes.
The red candles beside their bed were still burning, the flames flickering from time to time, the candlewicks crackling, and the place beside him, where Yang Lianting had just slept, was warm.
Dongfang Bubai quietly lay on the bed.
Just now he wanted to tell Lian di that he had a dream.
Lian di had stood at the top of the Hall of Refined Kindness.[9] He wore grand purple python ceremonial robes,[10] which signified his high status, he grew a full beard and seemed a few years older than now. He gained an impressive and imposing momentum.
Behind him, on the cult master’s throne sat a shivering person who looked very similar to himself, his martial arts skill was low and he was incredibly hesitant, before he did anything he always waited for Lian di’s wink.[11]
In this dream, he stayed in a small and elegant house. Like an actual woman he cooked and embroidered, he didn’t need to pay any attention to the tedious cult affairs, didn’t need to kill people anymore. He simply waited, quietly and patiently waited for his Yang Lianting to return.
This dream seemed intensely real.
Dongfang Bubai distractedly looked at the flickering light of the candlewicks. He had wanted to tell Lian di about this dream.
This late. Where did Lian di go?
Dongfang Bubai gathered the loose inner clothes he wore and slowly sat up. The secret pigeon letter he had received yesterday, had been sent by Tong Baixiong. The letter had stated that Yang Lianting approached him with ulterior motives, that he truly was a money-grubbing and lustful lowlife, and that he had never had any interest in men.
Tong Baixiong was his life-long brother.
He had personally written, “Brother Dongfang, don’t believe in the deceit of that villain, Yang Lianting!”
“I’ve asked everyone who knew him before and they’ve all stated that he only eats and drinks, whores and gambles. Now, rumors of your relationship with him have spread throughout the Holy Cult so quickly, it must’ve been this guy’s deliberate plan. He has ulterior motives!”
Tong Baixiong had written the letter anxiously and hurriedly, Dongfang Bubai could even imagine how worried he had looked when he had written the letter.
But he had not believed Tong Baixiong.
He had destroyed the letter without even thinking about it.
Lian di treated him so well and Lian di promised him that he would never deceive or betray him.
The place beside him had cooled, the red ‘double happiness’ cutouts pasted on the windows rustled in the wind that poured in from outside. Dongfang Bubai reclined against the headboard of the bed and stared blankly for a long time.
Tonight was his wedding night with Lian di.
Throughout his life, he had never been as happy as today.
So, why exactly did Lian di have to secretly leave tonight?
Even though Yang Lianting had left the house some time ago, Dongfang Bubai’s qinggong was more than enough to keep pace with him. He watched him hurry toward the West Lake and enter the underwater dungeon. The location of the Water Dungeon is extremely secretive, earlier I only mentioned its existence not its exact location to him. He watched Yang Lianting show the token to the Four Friends of Jiangnan to make them open the entrance. Seeing his familiar movements Dongfang Bubai who shadowed him from behind, felt his heart gradually sink.
Yang Lianting poured a packet of poison, concocted by Ping Yizhi, into the water of Ren Woxing’s cell. Dongfang stood still outside and listened to every word they spoke. For a moment he felt chilled to the bone, without knowing why.
“Yang Lianting, what are you doing?”
The moment he confronted him, the Four Friends of Jiangnan, as if ordered by the cult master in person, all took a step forward and encircled Yang Lianting.
“Faking the Cult Master’s order, killing Ren Woxing without permission, what’s your intention!”
“Pretending to act upon the Cult Master’s order, how daring! You deserve to be punished.”
“You still aren’t kneeling and pleading guilty!”
The four yelled indignantly and kicked Yang Lianting’s knee from behind. He staggered and fell to his knees. Lifting his head, he met Dongfang Bubai’s eyes.
“Why’re you up so late? It’s cold outside.” Faintly frowning, Yang Lianting looked at Dongfang Bubai’s pale and pallid face. He could not help but feel distressed.
The corners of Dongfang Bubai’s mouth twitched.
“Yang Lianting, you stole the Blackwood Token to enter the West Lake Water Dungeon in the middle of the night and cruelly poisoned the Former Cult Master. Instead of confessing, you still pretend to care about this Seat.”
“Why–”
Dongfang Bubai paused, unable to continue. He clenched his hands into fists, turned his back to Yang Lianting and remained silent.
“I–” Yang Lianting wanted to explain himself, but the words were stuck in his throat. He could not explain why he had taken the cult master’s token, why he knew the Water Dungeon’s exact location, and why he killed Ren Woxing.
He could not explain why he left him on their wedding night.
All he wanted to say was still stuck in his dry throat. Looking at the usually proud and lofty Dongfang Bubai, whose shoulders trembled uncontrollably, Yang Lianting felt powerless. His heart aching in distress.
“Dongfang, believe me.”
“Tell me why you acted tonight.”
Dongfang Bubai turned around and stared at Yang Lianting, stared at him with determination.
“I can’t say.” Yang Lianting exhaled lightly, his line of sight falling on a certain point in the air. After a long silence he slowly shook his head.
“Fine, then don’t tell me.” Looking at him, Dongfang Bubai’s heart was instantly set ablaze. He took a deep breath and waved his sleeves angrily. “If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine. I’ll just ask you.”
“You never wanted to come to Jiangnan for leisure.”
“Yes.”
“For a long time, you secretly schemed to kill Ren Woxing.”
“Yes.”
Yang Lianting did not hesitate to reply. Dongfang Bubai felt his whole body chill to the bone, his hands shaking violently and his chest aching terribly. Gritting his teeth, he fixatedly stared at Yang Lianting who knelt before him.
“So, that courtyard house was also part of your schemes, you coaxed me to lower my guard, deliberately chose tonight–”
Dongfang Bubai only felt that with every word he said, every sound he made, he swallowed a sword down his throat. He stood still and looked at Yang Lianting’s face, his eyes red.
“So, it’s just like Elder Tong said.”
“Previously you never had any interest in men, you’re greedy for money and lust after pleasure, you enjoy women.”
“Every single thing you did was just to get close to me–”
Dongfang Bubai was not angry at him for stealing his token, he was not angry at him for wanting to kill Ren Woxing, neither did he care for what purpose Yang Lianting did all this for.
He had used all his life’s courage to confess to him.
All came to an end.
All of his sincerity had been deliberate, all had been a scheme for another purpose. The more Yang Lianting said, the more the rims of his eyes reddened. Dongfang Bubai felt bitter, felt deeply wronged, felt aggrieved in the center of his chest. His eyes were brimming with tears and his body trembled.
Dongfang Bubai gritted his teeth, thinking that he was stupid and ridiculous to the extreme. Raising his hand, powerful energy gathered within his palm. Staring at Yang Lianting with red eyes, his long sleeve fluttering in the wind, his palm about to ruthfully strike.
“Yang Lianting, how dare you deceive me like this! I’ve said, if one day you betray me, I will kill you with my own hands!”