“Old Tong, why aren’t you persuading the Cult Master–”
Elder Chen sighed heavily before he sat back down. He threw Tong Baixiong a glance and anxiously stated, “The Cult Master unduly favors and trusts that lowly Yang Lianting! Now, he even wants to give him the chief steward position. Old Tong, you and I know how important that position is!”
“All major and minor matters of the Holy Cult are passed on through the chief steward, this authority mustn’t be in the hands of that Yang Lianting! He has neither virtue nor ability, he’s only a mere boy toy–”[13]
Elder Chen snorted coldly, he was about to continue speaking when a thought suddenly crossed his mind. Glancing around the room in fear, he frowned and raised his teacup to take a sip.
Tong Baixiong sitting next to him stayed silent for some time then threw him a mocking glance and said in a neither heavy nor light tone, “These words you’ve said to me, why didn’t you say them to the Cult Master just now?”
“You–” Elder Chen choked and indignantly pointed at Tong Baixiong, “Old Tong, what do you mean? Aren’t you the person who opposes the relationship between the Cult Master and Yang Lianting the most? Why’re you blaming me, your brother?”
“Are you afraid of offending the Cult Master?” Elder Cheng coldly snorted and a trace of contempt flashed in his eyes, “It’s said that you, Old Tong, are honest and frank, are loyal until death, but I think you aren’t–”
In the Hall of Refined Kindness, after Dongfang Bubai had presided over the cult affairs and the matters brought forward by the congregation, he had suddenly decreed before them all, “From now on Yang Lianting is the chief steward, seeing him is equal to seeing the cult master and his order is equal to the cult master’s order.”
As soon as he had spoken the congregation had fallen into an uproar, but Dongfang Bubai’s tone had been too calm. Everyone knew the Cult Master had not asked for their opinions, he merely informed them of his decision.
They had all knelt down, each harboring their own thoughts. Even the drop of a needle could’ve been clearly heard in the silent main hall.
“Do you have any objections?”
Dongfang Bubai had sat upright on the cult master’s seat that towered above all, his line of sight swept across the congregation kneeling before him as he indifferently opened his mouth to say, “If there aren’t any objections, all of you retreat.”
After Dongfang Bubai had ascended to the cult master’s seat, the entire congregation had surrendered to his rule. His methods had always been cruel and vicious. Even though he loved a man and this extremely shocking matter was known to all beneath the heavens, no one among the Sun Moon Holy Cult’s congregation dared to raise an objection. Thus, Yang Lianting’s promotion to chief steward had been settled.
Dongfang Bubai had left the main hall and everyone’s dissent dissipated, only this Elder Cheng was unreconciled and couldn’t get over the matter. Feeling faintly oppressed he had pulled Tong Baixiong aside to talk incessantly. Unexpectedly Tong Baixiong who had opposed Dongfang Bubai’s relationship with a man the most, had completely changed after the General Assembly.
They had only exchanged a few words, but Elder Cheng was enraged. “If we allow the Cult Master to go on like this, wouldn’t he submit our cult’s foundation to that kept man?”
“Old Tong, can you bear that kept man going over our heads?” Elder Chen’s tone sounded forceful. He realized that he was too agitated and coughed to calm himself, then stated in a low voice, “The Cult Master’s martial arts may be the world’s first, but his interest in mundane matters has always been minimal. Old Tong, if that Yang Lianting harbors sinister intentions that’re difficult to guess, the consequences will be too horrible to imagine when the time comes!”
Tong Baixiong’s face looked calm from beginning to end. He usually was a rough and rude person, whose every emotion was written on his face, and after glancing at Elder Chen he said in a heavy tone, “Old Chen, are you afraid that if Yang Lianting wins the Cult Master’s favor, it’ll affect your status in the cult?”
“What’re you saying!”
“Fine,” Tong Baixiong frowned and interrupted him directly. “If the Cult Master wants Yang Lianting to be the chief steward, then let him be the chief steward.”
“As for who the Cult Master likes–” He swallowed dryly and a complicated look flashed in his eyes. “In the Jianghu, don’t all those famed righteous sects call us the Demonic Cult?” Scoffing condescendingly, Tong Baixiong’s expression resembled that of an unreasonable bandit’s. “Even if anyone disapproves, what can they do? The Cult Master is the world’s first.”
“That Yang Lianting–”
Tong Baixiong reached out his hand and slapped Elder Chen on the shoulder. “Old Chen, I don’t understand you.”
“The Cult Master and that Yang Lianting–” The scenes of the General Assembly appeared before Tong Baixiong’s eyes and his expression distorted in an unspeakably complex manner. He lightly sighed, “Not only the position of chief steward… I’m afraid that if that manservant Yang Lianting wants the entire cult the Cult Master will give it to him without the slightest hesitation.”
Listening to his remark, Elder Chen’s face suddenly changed color, but before he could speak Tong Baixiong waved his hand. “Don’t worry, that Yang Lianting sincerely waits upon the Cult Master and I, Old Tong, can tell that he isn’t here to fight us for power and status.”
“Someone who’s willing to die for the Cult Master–”
Tong Baixiong stopped mid-sentence, as if he were speaking to himself. Elder Chen only heard the first half clearly, he barely felt relieved and intended to question him further. Tong Baixiong sighed heavily, waved his hand and walked outside.
“Why is the Cult Master dead set on liking a man?”
“Oh… I’m really getting old…”
“Forget it, I won’t care, I won’t care at all.”
“I hope that kid surnamed Yang told me the truth, otherwise– I, Old Tong, will break his neck with my own hands!”
“This wine’s fragrance is just right.” Yang Lianting stretched out his hand to pick up the jug and smelled it, while nodding his head he poured a cup for Dongfang Bubai. “Have a taste, if you like we’ll brew a few more jugs another day.”
Dongfang Bubai had a fondness for alcohol. He looked at the wine on the table and his eyes lit up brightly smelling its fragrant aroma, he reached out to take the cup and tilted his head back to down the cup in one gulp. The wine flowing down his dry throat tasted spicy hot yet velvety, carried the shallow aroma of freshly brewed alcohol. After burning down his throat, the cup of liquor scorchingly warmed his stomach.
“Good wine.”
Yang Lianting could not restrain a smile and stretched out his hand to snatch the cup in this person’s slender hand. “Have a bite to eat first, drink slowly.” Holding his chopsticks, he picked out a few dishes for him, his movement gentle and meticulous.
Dongfang Bubai sat beside him and watched him take care of him with a soft smile on his lips. “Lian di, no one has ever treated me this sincerely, nor known what kind of wine I like to drink or food I like to eat.”
Yang Lianting’s movement halted for an instant, he chuckled lightly in his heart as he slowly placed green bamboo shoots into Dongfang Bubai’s bowl with his chopsticks. In both his lifetimes the Cult Master lived high above others and no one dared to even approach him, so no one was able to understand him.
It’s lonely at the top.
Only he had been daring enough to harbor sinister intentions. In his past life, he had tried his best and exhausted his schemes to approach that person, to clearly understand all of that person’s preferences in detail.
“The wine tastes hot but its nature is cold, it’s better you drink less.” Yang Lianting raised his hand and rubbed Dongfang’s hair “The Sunflower Manual’s martial art is yin in origin, it’s best if you pay more attention to your health.”
“It’s nothing, it’s no major hindrance.” Despite dismissively replying, a thought abruptly appeared in Dongfang Bubai’s mind and he lifted his head to look at Yang Lianting, “Lian di, do you feel uncomfortable?”
Yang Lianting shook his head, “I’ve nearly recovered, right? Ping Yizhi doesn’t lie, don’t worry.”
Listening to him speak, Dongfang Bubai’s black eyes flickered for an instant. The short flicker faded like water droplets dripping into a lake surface, the trace of his odd mood soon disappeared. He shook his head and softly stated, “It’s nothing, I’m only worried about you.”
Not noticing the flicker in Dongfang Bubai’s eyes, he did not think too much and only felt that the hands he was holding were as cold as ice. Yang Lianting softly stroked his hands and rubbed their palms together. “I’ll call for a servant to bring charcoal and inflame the fire again.”
Dongfang Bubai took a deep breath and reached out his hands to embrace Yang Lianting. He rarely made the first move. Yang Lianting was stunned still for a moment, then could not help but smile. He lowered his head and smelled the faint pinewood scent on this person, stretched out his hands to return the embrace and lightly patted his back.
“What’s wrong, hmm?”
“Lian di, I think everything’s great at present.” Dongfang Bubai’s voice sounded moody and melancholy, “Everything’s great, I’m truly glad.”
Yang Lianting smiled and nodded in agreement, “Hmm, I also think the present is great, it couldn’t be better!”
Hearing him say this sentence, Dongfang Bubai suddenly laughed out loud. The warm yellow candlelight on his face let his eyes shine a brilliant gold. Instantly, Yang Lianting was stunned still and stared at him in awe. In Dongfang Bubai’s fluid loving glance myriad peach blossoms bloomed and myriad blue-green turbulent waves were hidden behind his shallow and light smile as if obscured by dense fog floating by.
“Lian di, drink.”
Dongfang Bubai appeared to have thought of something and became more open-minded and optimistic, even his complicated mood improved greatly. Lips curved into a smile, he pulled him to drink wine. Although Yang Lianting did not understand what had made him happy, he was willing to indulge him.
The two people sitting side by side drank cup after cup, along the lines of ‘you have a cup, I have a cup,’ until they had emptied two whole jugs unwittingly.
Yang Lianting thought he could hold his liquor but right now he could not help feeling dizzy, his head muddled and befuddled. He waved his hand to and fro, softly smiled and then opened his mouth to say, “Can’t drink! Dongfang, you can’t drink anymore, you’ve drunk too much already!”
Looking at Dongfang Bubai, he truly had too much to drink. Fair white face flushed faintly red, narrow and long pair of eyes moist and limpid, expression muzzy. He was dressed in deep red, casually reclined in his seat, and dazedly gazed at Yang Lianting with a soft smile.
“Lian di.”
His voice sounded a little different from his usual sober tone, the restraint and reticence faded and Yang Lianting only felt like these two familiar words were wrapped in a layer of sticky sweet honey. The final part was affectionately dragged out. When had Yang Lianting ever seen such a Dongfang Bubai? In this instant, he felt his heart soften and he could not move his eyes away from him. Holding onto Dongfang Bubai’s hand, he intended to speak but Dongfang Bubai raised his cup and downed the fragrant wine in one gulp once more. He squeezed Yang Lianting’s hand as he frowned slightly and lightly snorted, then called his name again.
“Lian di.”
“You’re not allowed to leave me.”
Yang Lianting laughed and patiently nodded, “Hmm, I won’t leave you.”
Hearing him promise Dongfang Bubai sighed in relief, threw Yang Lianting a childish glance only to turn his face away. After a long while, he turned his head back and fixatedly stared at him from up close.
“I am Dongfang Bubai, the Invincible East.”
“Yes, I know you’re Dongfang Bubai.” Yang Lianting’s tone was incredibly tender and loving, “The sun rises in the East, only you are invincible. My Cult Master you possess civil and martial virtue, are the world’s first.”
“I am Dongfang Bubai, the Invincible East.” He repeated this sentence once more, then looked at Yang Lianting and childishly glanced at him, “No one may betray this Seat.”
Yang Lianting was about to answer, yet he noticed Dongfang Bubai drink another mouthful of wine. Dongfang Bubai’s voice gradually quieted and his head hung down dispiritedly as he said, “Yang Lianting, do you think I’m selfish?”
Dongfang Bubai had really drunk too much alcohol, even his speech sounded incoherent, yet his eyes staring at Yang Lianting were set ablaze. Word for word, as if the wine gave him courage, he talked away all the worries that had accumulated deep in his heart for ages.
“The injuries on your body have healed. Ping Yizhi said that it won’t be long before the remaining poison will be eliminated.” Dongfang Bubai pursed his lips, “You’ll definitely get better and better, I– I’ll make sure you get better and better–”
“Dongfang, what’s wrong?” Yang Lianting felt an odd hunch in his heart. He furrowed his brows and tightened his grip around Dongfang Bubai’s hand yet before he could speak, for a fleeting moment, Dongfang Bubai glanced at him with the corners of his eyes red.
“That monk, that monk said I’m a Star of Calamity who will bring misfortune to those around me.” Dongfang Bubai’s pair of eyes were deep red and hazy, his voice so light it sounded nearly inaudible, and his breath carried the heavy scent of wine.
The one in red before him looked like he had been wronged.
“That day, I lost you, I caused you to be tied up by that thief.”
“Everything that monk said came true.”
“Everything he said came true–”
“I’ll capture Yingying and kill her–”
Dongfang Bubai hugged Yang Lianting and softly leaned on his shoulder. “Lian di, that monk’s words are lies.”
“I won’t harm you, won’t cause you to lose your life. I’m not a Star of Calamity.”
Listening to his incoherent rambling, disjoined sentence after sentence, Yang Lianting creased his brows and the figure of that Monk Huiming appeared in his mind. He guessed that Dongfang Bubai must have encountered the monk again while he had been abducted. In an instant, he felt his heart skip a beat and his chest contract. That monk is an evil swindler!
Yang Lianting sighed slightly and was about to appease him, when he saw Dongfang Bubai hiccup and stare at him with deep red eyes.
“Yang Lianting.”
“Even if I’m a Star of Calamity–”
“You provoked me first, you provoked me first!”
“Even in death, I won’t let you go! Don’t you dare regret–”
Dongfang Bubai’s voice gradually quieted. He pursed his lips and after staring at Yang Lianting for a long time he softly said, “Lian di, don’t worry–”