Dongfang Bubai was obedient and supple toward Yang Lianting yet afraid of coming into contact with his wound he motionlessly let him do as he pleased, let him fulfill his every demand.
Warm, moist and soft lips.
Yang Lianting grew more and more greedy and unsatisfied. Despite his injuries, he kissed Dongfang Bubai passionately. He nearly failed to restrain himself and wanted to go deeper, wanted to ask for more.
Previously he had been tied up, beaten, poisoned and tortured yet all the dark and negative emotions disappeared and only this person in front of him remained. Yang Lianting felt like his soul was immersed in warm water, he finally felt cheerful and at ease.
Opening his eyes slightly, he noted Dongfang Bubai’s deeply red cheeks and gently closed eyes. Yang Lianting’s throat felt dry and hoarse, his body felt on fire.
But the instant Dongfang Bubai smelled the metallic scent of blood in the air, he suddenly moved away, quickly leaped off the bed and stood in place. His arms empty, Yang Lianting was first startled and then had to laugh bitterly after realizing why.
“You’ve lost so much blood again– I’ll call Ping Yizhi over!” Dongfang Bubai’s face was pale. Standing still and staring at his wound he was frowning faintly and his lips were taunt into a thin line. Looking at his expression, Yang Lianting almost suspected that the injured one was Dongfang and not himself. He gazed at him as if he were in greater pain than himself.
His hands were shaking slightly.
“Lian di, does it hurt? Lian di, don’t worry. I– I’ll go and call Ping Yizhi over right away, don’t move–”
This decisive and murderous person, who stood above all and whose hands grasped great power, suddenly turned this flustered just because he noticed the little bit of blood flowing out of Yang Lianting’s abdomen at this moment. Yang Lianting gazed at him and could not help but sigh softly in his heart.
“It’s such a good day and the view is enchanting, what a pity the timing isn’t right.” Yang Lianting deliberately deepened his voice and drew out the final low sound. Reclining on the bed, he looked faintly disappointed. His eyes falling on Dongfang Bubai held hidden ambiguity and obvious regret.
Dongfang Bubai’s body stiffened. Pursing his lips, he silently looked at Yang Lianting.
“Dongfang, you’re really more useful than that odd old man’s Golden Sore Medicine or Detoxification Formula.” He stretched out his arms to the person beside him. “Wait for me–”
“I’ll never let you go again.”
His words were too ambiguous.
Too deliberate.
No matter how emotional Dongfang Bubai currently was, he could clearly hear that Yang Lianting was enduring his pain and tried to comfort him. Beneath his robe he clenched his hands into tight fists. Remaining silent for a while, he then lowered his eyes and his line of sight fell on Yang Lianting, who reclined against the headboard. He told him, “You have to hurry and get better.”
“Yang Lianting, you’ve only just gotten married to this Seat. If you die like this–”
“I can’t stand the sight of you bleeding.”
Dongfang Bubai hesitated, smiled softly and quietly gazed at Yang Lianting. He said, “I can’t stand the sight of you bleeding.”
“Once you bleed–” Dongfang Bubai lowered his eyes, “I hate not being able to kill them all.”
“Don’t worry.” Yang Lianting held Dongfang Bubai’s hand, “I won’t die so easily.”
“I just married the Great Cult Master and only consummated the marriage a few times–” Yang Lianting winked and roguishly said, “I can hardly endure.”
“…” Hearing him joke, Dongfang Bubai couldn’t help but to breathe a sigh of relief. He waved his sleeves and turned his back to Yang Lianting, refusing to look at him.
His faintly reddened earlobes betrayed him.
Yang Lianting, who had clearly seen his reaction while lying on the bed, couldn’t help but shake his head and laugh loudly.
My Dongfang.
Ping Yizhi quickly arrived.
Carrying a wooden medicine kit on his back, the scrawny old man had calmly walked into the chamber without Yang Lianting hearing his footsteps. Glancing at the fresh blood seeping out of Yang Lianting’s abdomen, he did not comment further. Opening his medicine kit, he silently applied his needles to halt the blood flow. Yang Lianting was carefully examined by the cult’s doctor when they abruptly heard a commotion.
“Cult Master, I heard that Yang Lianting is awake!”
“I, Old Tong, ask to see you, Cult Master, ask to see Brother Yang!”
Tong Baixiong’s voice? The volume of his voice was awfully loud, he did not restrain his voice at all despite the late hour. He was stopped by the guards at the entrance, yet he still refused to give up. Hearing the old man call him ‘Brother Yang,’ he could not help but glance toward Dongfang.
However, Dongfang Bubai’s expression didn’t fluctuate at all. He treated Tong Baixiong as though he did not exist and quietly watched Ping Yizhi apply his needles.
“Cult Master, Elder Tong– Elder Tong said he must enter–” The maid who had previously brought the medicine, entered the room while shivering in fright. Deathly afraid of the Cult Master, the maid told in a low voice, “Elder Tong said that he must speak with Guard Yang, otherwise he will continue to kneel outside–”
Tong Baixiong was definitely capable of keeling and refusing to get up. Yang Lianting shook his head and could not help but chuckle. Tong Baixiong was obstinately straightforward, stupid to the extreme, and did not know how to be indirect at all. In his past life, Yang Lianting had found him offensive to his eyes. So, he had gone to great lengths to urge Dongfang Bubai into killing him with his own hands.
In this life, Tong Baixiong still thought of him as abnormal– Considering his absolute loyalty to Dongfang, Tong Baixiong did not seem as annoying as in the past. Countless thoughts crossed through his mind and his emotions were in disarray.
Suddenly, he heard Dongfang Bubai speak in a low and slow voice, “Lian di is seriously injured, this Seat doesn’t want to see anyone.”
“If he wants to kneel, let him kneel.”
Eventually, Ping Yizhi withdrew the needles that had stopped the bleeding, bowed to Dongfang Bubai and said in a gloomy tone, “Replying to the Cult Master, the blade wound on Guard Yang’s abdomen isn’t a major issue. It’ll heal with proper recuperation.”
Dongfang Bubai nodded his head in acknowledgement, Ping Yizhi did not retreat immediately and glanced at the Cult Master. Yang Lianting’s heart skipped a beat. Dongfang Bubai met Ping Yizhi’s eyes and pursed his lips in disapproval, he then tilted his chin slightly indicating for him to leave.
Sure enough.
“Lian di, lie down and take a rest. I’ll go get your medicine.” Dongfang Bubai tenderly said, “The wound bled so much, while it stopped bleeding you should take another dose to be safe.”
“Alright.” Yang Lianting pretended as if nothing was wrong and asked him “Can you bring me a bite to eat as well?” Rubbing his stomach, he wryly smiled, “I’ve been hungry for a while now and am feeling a little uncomfortable, I’d really like to eat a bowl of congee or something.”
Hearing him say he was hungry, Dongfang Bubai felt anxious in an instant “What would you like to eat? I’ll order the cooks to quickly prepare it.”
“It’s already the Hour of the Tiger, don’t trouble them.” Yang Lianting reclined back against the headboard and smiled gently, “Simple congee is fine, just warm it up a little.”
Dongfang Bubai replied and left with Ping Yizhi.
After they left, only the trembling maid with her head bowed remained in the chamber. Yang Lianting quietly lay on the warm bed for a while then abruptly asked, “Is Elder Tong still kneeling outside?”
The maid did not expect that Yang Lianting would talk to her. Shocked, she knelt on the ground with a thud and quickly nodded her head, she was unable to speak a coherent sentence. This maid had served in the main residence for a while now. Yang Lianting narrowed his eyes in thought. She had respected and revered the Cult Master, but she had not been as afraid as she was now. Let alone, she seemed afraid of him as well–
What exactly had Dongfang done while he was unconscious? Feeling his heart sink, Yang Lianting slowly exhaled and turned his head towards the kneeling maid, “Go and call in Elder Tong.” Yang Lianting imagined countless scenes of meeting with Tong Baixiong. The old man might scold him, berate him or even draw his blade to hack him into a thousand pieces without Dongfang’s presence. But Yang Lianting never thought of this reaction.
Tong Baixiong walked in menacingly with a sullen face, then stood in place and stared at him with a complex look in his eyes for a long time.
Thud–
He fell to his knees.
“While this Old Tong can’t stand the sight of you, I’m glad you finally woke up.”
Tong Baixiong told him that on the day of the Wulin General Assembly many people had died. He told him that he had never seen his brother in such a state. Dongfang Bubai had gone utterly mad, as if he were possessed by an evil demon, as if he intended to kill every person beneath the heavens.
“I, Old Tong, have always treated the Cult Master as my own brother and am loyal to him until death. In this life, I won’t allow anyone to dare to deceive and betray the Cult Master!”
“Once I found out he liked you, I really hated not being able to kill you! The Cult Master’s might and majesty is known to all, who in the Wulin doesn’t revere him? His reputation mustn’t be single-handedly destroyed by a heinous villain like you.”
“Once you were abducted and Zuo Lengchan, that wily bigot, poisoned you,” Tong Baixiong sneered, “I couldn’t be happier.”
“But–”
“I never thought the Cult Master would go this far for you!” Tong Baixiong shouted in rage, “Cutting his own meridians and destroying his own martial arts! Such a thing, do you even know what that means to the world’s first, to the Invincible East?”
“It means, because of you he doesn’t even want his own life!”
“I also did not expect that a villain like you, who’s greedy for life and afraid of death, who’s lusting after power and enjoyment would actually kill yourself for the Cult Master’s sake.”
“After you fainted, he went mad.”
“The Cult Master’s martial arts are divine, but he too is only made of flesh and blood! He desperately wanted to take you with him, despite being besieged by all the righteous sects–”
Tong Baixiong’s eyes were faintly red, “The Cult Master was covered in countless wounds! He lost blood, so much blood, just to break out of their siege. From beginning to end, he never made a single sound.”
Listening to Tong Baixiong speak, Yang Lianting who lay on the bed felt his heart overflow, felt something surge towards his throat. He desperately gasped for fresh air, as if he were choking on something and unable to breathe.
Boom–
Yang Lianting abruptly recalled a memory that had on their way back to the cliff, while he had temporarily regained his consciousness. Back then, they had already left the assembly grounds and Dongfang Bubai carefully carried him on his back.
Dongfang Bubai was so thin he could feel his shoulder blades protruding beneath his skin. Being carried on Dongfang Bubai’s slender back, Yang Lianting intended to open his mouth and tell him to put him down, but he was unable to control his lips and could not say a word.
He could smell the strong scent of blood.
Amidst the haze, he noticed Dongfang’s face as pale as paper. He had placed him on flat ground and frantically transferred him his internal energy, as if he did not want his own life. Yang Lianting tried to stop him, but he could not move. He could merely silently watch as Dongfang disregarded his own life and transferred him his internal energy. Dongfang Bubai had held him tightly in his arms; he had looked so panicked, desperate, and pained.
Dongfang Bubai felt all internal energy he transferred into Yang Lianting’s body dissipate, felt the fresh blood flow out of his body at a speed he could not match.
His hands had been trembling.
His voice had been hoarse from crying, quietly whimpering.
He had heard Dongfang Bubai call him over and over again.
“Lian di, please don’t die!”
“Don’t die, don’t die…”
“I beg you–”
“We just got married…”
“You said you wanted to grow old with me…”
Out of his pair of red eyes tears had rolled down his cheeks as if he were bleeding out of open wounds. Yang Lianting lay motionless and felt his soul fly out of his body. He looked at Dongfang Bubai crying in desperation from above.
He cried helplessly like a child.
Wailing and choking, utterly panicked.
He had said, “Yang Lianting, I’ll take you back to Blackwood Cliff, I’ll take you to Ping Yizhi.”
“Don’t die.”
“Yang Lianting, if you die–”
Yang Lianting saw his beautiful pair of eyes brim with tears, teardrops roll down his wan cheeks. His eyes had been flushed red and his red dress stained with blood; his body covered in cuts and bruises, but he desperately took Yang Lianting onward as if he had gone mad.