“This Seat is the Master of the Sun Moon Holy Cult, where atop this Blackwood Cliff can’t this Seat go?” Dongfang Bubai swept a glance over Yang Lianting, his tone flat and mundane.
Yang Lianting’s heart softened and he lightly shook his head.
My Dongfang.
Him shaking his head, in Dongfang Bubai’s eyes had another meaning. Offended, he coldly snorted in anger. His ears blushing red in embarrassment he raised his palm to strike Yang Lianting.
“Cult Master, please be calm. Cult Master, please be calm–” Yang Lianting felt a little bitter when he saw his actions. To save his life, he had no choice but to quickly beg for mercy. He pulled his clothes open and revealed the bandages covering his chest.
The white gauze oozing red blood contrasted the man’s black robe. Dongfang Bubai’s eyes narrowed and he snorted yet he dissipated the internal energy gathered in his palm. Tilting his head up, he revealed a long and slender white neck.
Looking at him, Yang Lianting’s heart skipped a beat and his eyes faintly darkened. But, learning from his past experience, he did not dare to easily offend Dongfang Bubai again. He hurriedly retracted his gaze and lowered his head yet he could not help but lightly shake his head with a bitter smile. It must be retribution, to be so blind as to only realize that person’s goodness in death.
I’ve been wrong for an entire lifetime.
How come I could’ve cherished him in the past, but now I can only look up to him from a distance?
“Why’d you have to recklessly run around, even though your wound has yet to heal? Didn’t anyone tell you that you can’t just come here?” Dongfang Bubai asked indifferently.
Yang Lianting, pretending to be surprised, smilingly stood up and looked at the man standing in front of him without any fear. “Cult Master, have mercy– This Subordinate thought that this is a place no one cares about, and merely moved a few things over. This Subordinate really wasn’t aware that this cliff is actually a restricted area of the Holy Cult.” He had deliberately phrased his words like this. After so many years, how can I not see through Dongfang’s thoughts? He, the Cult Master who stood above all, would never lower himself and admit, to an odd little guard, that this place was his beloved retreat.
Sure enough.
Dongfang Bubai frowned and furrowed his brows, he did not respond to Yang Lianting’s question. Instead, he waved his wide sleeves in irritation and his eyes fell on the pile of things behind him. “You’re brewing wine here?”
“Replying to the Cult Master, exactly.”
Dongfang Bubai’s nose twitched, he smelled the wine’s spicy yet mellow aroma floating in the air. He turned his back to Yang Lianting with another wave of his red sleeves, rather than openly requesting to have a taste he asked “The Holy Cult has numerous fine and famed wines, why would Guard Yang still brew his own and not drink my Holy Cult’s wine?”
How nostalgic, how strange.
Yang Lianting stood in place, looking at the slim and slender back in front of him, with gentle eyes. This person has always been proud. Since Dongfang fell in love with him, he had never heard him speak in such a bold tone for the rest of his life. That person in red had always been careful and cautious, always been afraid that he would unintentionally upset him.
In this life, he could see the true Dongfang Bubai again, his invincible pride and confidence. It was precisely because he had been reborn, that he was able to realize how important he was to him, that he was fortunate enough to be beside him again.
His thoughts were silent, while his face showed a sincere expression of reverence. Yang Lianting bowed politely and explained, “Cult Master, the Holy Cult’s wines are naturally rare but this Subordinate was raised by his adoptive father’s family under the cliff and is used to his adoptive father’s homebrewed rice wine. This Subordinate only intended to save his monthly silver and was afraid of disturbing his guard brothers. So he carried these goods and tools up this cliff to brew a few jugs of wine for himself.”
Dongfang Bubai snorted softly, thinking that his actions were reasonable. “The clay jug in your hands, is that wine you made?”
He finally asked. Yang Lianting smiled slightly and nodded, “Replying to the Cult Master, this is the rice wine I brewed last summer. There’s only this one jug left.” As he spoke, he handed him the clay jug.
Dongfang’s eyes flickered, wanting to reach out to receive it, but his hands, which were covered by the long sleeves, paused. That he cared about cleanliness was a fact the congregation knew, but this man was audacious enough to hand him a used jug.
“Yang Lianting, how dare you!”
Yang Lianting was taken aback by the shout. Gazing into this person’s cold eyes, he reacted and hastily retracted his hand that was holding the wine jug. He bitterly smiled disappointment and loneliness in his eyes, yet he quickly repressed his own thoughts. The Dongfang in front of me isn’t together with me yet, he hasn’t fallen in love with me, so this is normal. Yang Lianting breathed out faintly and clenched his other hand into a fist.
For a lifetime, he had lived with a muddled heart and lost mind, he had committed countless evil. Thus, even if Dongfang treated him distantly in this life, he ought to willingly accept it all.
Bowing again he politely lowered his head and slowly spoke. “Cult Master please be calm, this Subordinate has transgressed.” Taking back the jug he had just presented.
Dongfang Bubai stood three steps away from Yang Lianting, his red robe fluttering audibly in the winds. Looking at the man with his head lowered, he could not help but frown faintly. His eyes were cold and his tone chilly, yet beneath his impatience lay layers of faint emotional fluctuation.
“Why the blank stare? Hand the wine jug to this Seat.”
Yang Lianting was stunned still, jerked his head up to look at the man standing in front of him. “Cult Master, you do not mind that this wine… this wine has been tasted by this Subordinate?” Hidden within Yang Lianting’s eyes were complexity and untold relief, yet he simply smiled at Dongfang Bubai.
Being gazed at in such a manner Dongfang Bubai’s eyebrows furrowed further he cooly waved his sleeves and scolded “Yang Lianting, who allowed you to look at this Seat like this?”
These eyes.
This gaze.
Dongfang Bubai tired to think of a suitable description but no matter how he thought, he could not find one. This look was too distracting and upsetting.
With a cough, he quickly retracted his gaze and returned it to a respectful look. He took out a clean handkerchief and carefully wiped the bottle mouth of the wine jug till it was clean before he handed it into Dongfang Bubai’s hands.
Dongfang Bubai’s hands were very beautiful.
Perhaps it was because of practicing the Sunflower Manual, that Dongfang Bubai’s pair of hands did not have ugly and rough calluses or thick joints, like those of the sword and staff wielding brutes of the Wulin, on the contrary they were well-proportioned, slender and clean. Pleasing to the eye.
Casually and calmly accepting Yang Lianting’s rice wine jug Dongfang Bubai glanced at him, tilted his head back, and raised the jug above himself. The wine was mellow and clear, drawing a beautiful curve in the air as it fell into his mouth.
Yang Lianting stood in place and stared at Dongfang Bubai drinking in the bold and unrestrained manner of the Wulin. He couldn’t help but smile, his heart softening.
Fortunately, God gave him the chance to be reborn.
Allowing him to discover little by little, what the original, the prideful and arrogant Dongfang Bubai, the unrivalled Invincible East was like.
The flavor of the first few drops of wine falling into his open mouth surprised him. Drinking up the entire jug of wine, he had to admit that the wine tasted quite different from usual.
Very strong.
The wine wasn’t so spicy as to make him choke horribly once it slipped down his throat, rather he could feel his chest and lungs burning. It had a fine taste, with a subtle floral fragrance hidden within the wine. The more he drunk, the more he noticed the rice wine’s layered flavor.
“Cult Master, is it to your taste?”
Hearing Yang Lianting’s question, Dongfang hid his joy and threw him a glance. Neither confirming, nor denying. He seemed to pay no attention to him, yet how could Yang Lianting be taken aback by his alienating and indifferent attitude? He had been together with Dongfang for so many years and was certain that no one in this world knew him better than himself.
Dongfang Bubai was sensitive and suspicious, so most of the time he would not reveal his emotions to others. In truth, he was pure at heart.
Just now, when he had been drinking, his black pupils had lit up for a moment, his eyes slightly narrowed, even the corners of his lips had curved upward, showing that he was in a good mood. The Master of the Sun Moon Holy Cult, the Invincible East, who was dreaded by the entire Wulin… Everyone was always scared into silence by his gaze that towered above all.
Other than him, the people who had the opportunity to notice these details and remain alive were few. His heart seeing clearly, his expression remaining composed, Yang Lianting bowed again and respectfully said, “The rice wine brewed by this Subordinate cannot compare to the famed wines of the Holy Cult, not being to the Cult Master’s taste is normal.”
Dongfang Bubai frowned and glanced at Yang Lianting.
“Did this Seat say the wine tastes bad?” Tilting his head back, he poured another large mouthful of rice wine into his throat.
The corners of Yang Lianting’s mouth twitched, he could not help but to lightly cough to cover up his smile. Dongfang Bubai was always reluctant to admit a mistake, liked to speak harshly, but he would fervently defend what he loved.
Seeing Yang Lianting smilingly stand next to him, Dongfang felt like he had been seen through. He coughed lightly, then cast him a sidelong glance. “Weren’t you going to brew wine, why’re you just standing around and watching this Seat?”
The corners of Yang Lianting’s mouth twitched as he pointed at the jugs placed behind him. “Cult Master, before you arrived, this Subordinate had nearly finished brewing–”
Dongfang Bubai creased his brows, looked at Yang Lianting, and suddenly noticed something odd. His narrowed eyes glinted dangerously. He was the world’s first, the Sun Moon Holy Cult’s Master, the congregation looked up to him with extreme awe and fear, no one dared to say half a word more in front of him. Only this Yang Lianting was not afraid of him.
He did not know what Dongfang thought about, but he could feel his killing intent surge. Looking stunned, he smiled bitterly in his heart. He reacted immediately. Facing the merciless killing intent, he had difficulty breathing and gasped for air. Raising his head to look at Dongfang Bubai, he smiled widely and suggested “Cult Master, if you like, after this Subordinate brews more wine he will present you a few jugs–”
The killing intent disappeared.
Dongfang Bubai waved his sleeves, swept away the dust with his neigong and directly sat on the ground, held up the wine jug, and tilted his head back to drink. From beginning to end, he did not say a word to Yang Lianting.
Dressed in a red long robe, sitting alone on the cliff, holding a wine jug in his hand. The side of his face looked handsome, like a painting of a banished immortal. He drank wine by himself not paying any attention to Yang Lianting, his true thoughts hidden in his heart.
Standing aside and gazing at him, Yang Lianting recalled his past life’s Dongfang. After he had fallen in love with him, been cruelly and viciously hurt by him, had that person in red sat here by himself and been as lonely as he was now?
It’s lonely at the top. Eyes in a daze, Yang Lianting sighed.
He could not resist taking a step forward, putting on a smile and lean in front of Dongfang Bubai.
“Cult Master, can this Subordinate drink together with you?” The things he had never done in his previous life, he wanted to do them in this life.
I want to accompany him.
But Dongfang Bubai just glanced at him, and refused, “Ping Yizhi said that your arrow injury is serious, you shouldn’t drink any alcohol. Guard Yang, you’re asking for trouble.”
On Blackwood Cliff’s least known precipice, the two figures seemed slightly strange yet unexpectedly harmonious.
The man in red as pure and elegant as an immortal was sitting on the cliff’s edge, drinking in style.
The man in black was standing to his side, his eyes profound and gentle.
Dongfang Bubai had never known moderation in drinking.
Onlookers praised the Cult Master for his heroism, but only Yang Lianting knew that, since he practiced the cold yin[30] martial arts of the Sunflower Manual, he loved the feeling of warm wine burning down his throat and scorching his lungs.
Drinking became a habit. But, drinking too much alcohol was harmful. Staring at Dongfang Bubai drinking one mouthful after another, nearly emptying the entire jug, he could not help but to dissuade him. “Cult Master, you should drink less–”
He had not finished speaking, when Dongfang Bubai fiercely glared at him and said in a frigid tone, “You, a mere yellow guard, dares to interfere in the affairs of this Seat?”
“How dare you!”
Yang Lianting sighed slightly and stopped speaking.
Dongfang Bubai tilted his head backwards, raised his hand to drink the remaining wine, then threw the emptied jug into Yang Lianting’s arms. Today, he was in a rare good mood and did not intend to pursue Yang Lianting’s repeated offenses. For a while, he sat still in place, yet once he stood up he seemed a little drunk. Due to his profound neigong method other than the reddened tips of his ears and hazy eyes, he was not too affected.
Dongfang Bubai was about to leave, when he paused and his eyes fell on Yang Lianting’s figure, because he was a little drunk the usual frigid alienation in his eyes had melted away. Eyes lax, looking a little confused and a little unhappy.
“Come here, stand in front of this Seat.”
Yang Lianting was stunned, but he still followed Dongfang’s order and took two steps forward. Dongfang Bubai was slim and slender, but Yang Lianting was slightly taller than him. Standing in front of him, if Dongfang Bubai wanted to see his face clearly, he needed to tilt his head up a little. So, the always arrogant and aloof Cult Master, who looked at Yang Lianting standing in front of him, knit his eyebrows at this moment.
Yang Lianting was not ugly.
His face wasn’t as clear or delicate as Dongfang’s, but his strong and chiseled features were quite handsome.
Dongfang Bubai frowned, staring at Yang Lianting for some time. “You were born with a good face.”
“Only–”
Dongfang Bubai’s brows furrowed further, his eyes confused and displeased. He spoke in a faint, nearly inaudible voice.
“Where has this Seat seen you before?”
“You seem so familiar, as if this Seat knows you well–”