Dongfang Bubai’s wide red robe was violently blown by the gusts of wind, his expression frigid and aloof. The man’s eyelids were slightly lowered, obscuring his dark eyes and the thoughts within. The air was filled with the faint scent of pinewood, Yang Lianting’s nose moved and his glance involuntarily fell upon the person in red sitting beside him on the roof.
Dongfang Bubai did not look at him.
He allowed him to accompany him to drink, but this man was cold and withdrawn. Yang Lianting wondered if he just kept him around as a background decoration. Still, he was content.
In order to please him, he had smeared layers upon layers of white powder on his face every day until his original appearance had vanished. Even in death, only that exaggerated and appalling face had remained in Yang Lianting’s mind.
Once he had taken a careful look at him in this lifetime, only then had he fallen into a trace and realized that his true face had always been clear and beautiful.
“This Seat might gouge out your eyes to brew wine.”
Dongfang Bubai was aware of Yang Lianting’s pair of pitch-black pupils staring at him. He raised his head and boldly drank the jug’s wine, then nonchalantly rebuked him.
Yang Lianting might have feared him in the past, but after he experienced life and death he clearly understood the character of the person sitting next to him. Dongfang Bubai was sensitive and soft-hearted, so how could he fear him? His heart moved and his lips curved into a wry smile, he lowered his head and shifted his line of sight. No longer transgressing.
The moment he respectfully lowered his head, other than the scent of pinewood, he noticed the heavy smell of powder on him, the smell of powder from a woman’s body. Yang Lianting’s eyes darkened. Enduring the oppressive feeling in his chest, he tightly clenched his hands into fists. He must’ve been really close to the Seven Ladies to be able to leave such a strong fragrance on him.
Dongfang Bubai naturally did not know what Yang Lianting was currently thinking about. He tilted his head upwards to look at the moon far above in the night sky, after a long time he asked him indifferently, not turning his head to face the man at his side, “Yang Lianting, what do you want?”
Yang Lianting wrinkled his brows, Dongfang is suspicious of me? He instantly worried that this person mistakenly thought he was a spy inserted by the Righteous Path and opened his mouth to explain but was preempted by him.
“Say, what do people pursue while they’re alive?”
Listening to his question Yang Lianting was stunned still. He glanced at Dongfang Bubai, who sat not too far away and pursed his lips lightly. Under the silver moonlight, sitting atop the roof, he appeared lonely and cold. He had asked casually and his voice sounded clear and light yet his brows were imperceptibly knitted together and his eyes held faint confusion and sadness.
Yang Lianting instantly knew the meaning behind his words. In his previous life, he had unintentionally run into the drunken Dongfang, who had pulled his arm and told him in that hopeless and sad tone, “I’m wholeheartedly dedicated to my martial arts, I sacrificed everything to ascend to the highest position of power in the Sun Moon Holy Cult, buy why, after grasping power over all do I feel so lonely and desolate?”
Since wielding a blade to castrate himself.
This person’s heart had died.
Dongfang Bubai thought that he had lost his right to be loved a long time ago even though he was a martial artist matchless in the Jianghu. Yang Lianting suddenly felt unspeakable heartache. In a trance, he thought about what he had sought a lifetime ago. He had wanted authority and wealth, to stand in a higher position than others, to not be insulted by anyone and be looked up to by everyone. For the sake of his grand ambition, he had deliberately entered his black eyes and charmed his heart. Until death, he had cruelly wronged that person, as if stabbing him a thousand times. Only in death had he realized the truth.
In this life, now that I’ve returned to a time when everything has yet to happen, what do I seek?
The starry night was quiet.
Dongfang Bubai had asked him on a whim. Seeing that Yang Lianting did not reply for a while, he did not intend to urge him. Smilingly he shook his head and drank the warmed wine placed beside him. The wanderers of the Jianghu mostly sought wealth, fame, and status. Asking such a question was a bit thoughtless.
Tonight, Dongfang felt a little distracted and upset.
What about me?
He did not know what he sought in life. Suddenly he realized that he possessed all yet seemed to have lost all. He had nothing, no longer had the right to have anything. Thoughts hidden under downcast eyes.
Suddenly, Yang Lianting’s low and deep voice sounded from his side, “This Subordinate’s greatest wish is accompanying his beloved for a lifetime, peacefully growing old together.”
Dongfang Bubai was stunned still and turned his head to look at Yang Lianting in surprise. Deep into the night and without any candles lit around them, the bright silver moonlight was enough to clearly see the two figures drinking atop the roof. The man at his side had strong features, looking healthy and tall.
Only his eyes.
The emotions within his black eyes were so heavy, they were impossible to discern. Looking into his eyes, he could clearly see the tenderness and devotion lying beneath layers upon layers of complex emotions. Dongfang Bubai did not dare to directly gaze into his eyes for another moment. He thought, Yang Lianting said he wishes to be together with his beloved for a lifetime, wishes to treat her[6] well and love her dearly. Dongfang Bubai stayed silent and even frowned slightly, unable to understand the indefinable worry and depression in his heart. He opened his mouth to ask but glancing into Yang Lianting’s eyes the words he had intended to say were stuck in his throat. He was unable to speak for a while.
Brows furrowed, he asked Yang Lianting, “A man’s ambition should be to make a name for himself in the Jianghu, to be famed as a generational hero, no?”
“Indeed.”
Yang Lianting reached out and took the platter he had placed aside. Lowering his head, he carefully stirred the congee to let it cool and cut the steamed buns in half. After he patiently prepared the humble dishes and placed them into Dongfang Bubai’s hands did he continue to answer his question.
“This Subordinate used to think so as well.”
“As a child, I was bullied a lot. I gritted my teeth and endured, thinking that if I became powerful one day, I’d make those who looked down on me pay the price.”
“But, after experiencing–”
Yang Lianting softly smiled, hiding the guilt and shame lying at the bottom of his heart, and breathed out lightly. He looked at Dongfang Bubai, his eyes intensely focused.
“Until I realized what’s most important to me.”
“What?” Dongfang Bubai habitually asked.
Yang Lianting did not reply, instead he silently pointed to the bowl of congee in Dongfang Bubai’s hand and smiled, “Cult Master have a taste, you must be hungry.”
Dongfang Bubai did not receive an answer. He could not help but feel displeased. Angered, he wanted to throw away the food Yang Lianting had given him. Raising his hand, he met the black eyes of the man and the image of Yang Lianting hurrying to the kitchen again and again flashed through his mind.
Unable to discern the emotions in his heart, he snorted coldly and lowered his head to take a bite. Dongfang looked good when he ate. Unconsciously, his usual indifference and rejection faded away and he appeared concentrated and obedient. Every time he ate his favorite food to his heart’s content, Dongfang's black eyes would narrow, the tips of his ears faintly redden, and the corners of his mouth gently curve upwards.
Yang Lianting worried that he had gone hungry. Glancing at him from the side, he felt the anxiousness and irritation that had lingered deeply in his heart all night suddenly disappear. Seeing Dongfang Bubai quietly eat, his heart calmed.
Regardless of his past or present life, the one beside him was the Dongfang he knew very well, was the Dongfang he was most familiar with. In his past life he had not cherished him yet in this life he finally discovered that this person beside him was enough to offset the most tempting position of power in this world.
“This Seat is pleased with you.”
Dongfang Bubai abruptly raised his head and praised him. It was rare for Dongfang to speak words of praise. Yet, if someone caught his eye he would speak up without any reservation. Yang Lianting was stunned still, praising him directly was truly a rare occurrence.
Seeing Yang Lianting frozen, without the slightest change in expression, anger and annoyance instantly surged in Dongfang’s heart. His expression turned cold, he stood up and flung his wide sleeves to leave. “Yang Lianting, you really don’t appreciate the praise you’re given.”
“Cult Master, Cult Master don’t go!”
Yang Lianting finally reacted, he stretched out his hand to try and grab Dongfang Bubai’s arm. But the moment he touched his sleeve, unable to stand firmly on the beam, he fell from the roof.
Dongfang Bubai was angered. He rarely opened his mouth to praise another yet this man was so foolishly ungrateful, so he did not turn around to look at him. Only after he heard a loud sound did he turn his head and notice that Yang Lianting had fallen off the roof. He lay on the ground, gritting his teeth. It appeared like the fall was not too light. Dongfang Bubai creased his eyebrows and flew down, about to check if he was injured, when he sucked in a breath of fresh air, rubbed his arms, and slowly sat up.
The fall was heavy. Yang Lianting felt like his tailbone might be broken. His limbs twitched uncontrollably, yet how could this physical pain compare to the joy of Dongfang being pleased with him?
His smile was ugly.
Because of the pain he was unable to stand up. He simply sat on the ground, tilted his head up, and watched the man in red fly down and stand in front of him.
Dongfang Bubai’s six senses were exceptional, naturally he noticed the drops of cold sweat oozing from his forehead due to the severe pain. His frown furrowed deeper and deeper.
“Despite falling like this, you’re smiling?”
“Cult Master, this Subordinate is happy.”
“Very happy.”
Dongfang Bubai felt a little impatient. He furrowed his brows and was about to get angry at him when he realized why he felt happy: only because he had said, ‘This Seat is pleased with you.’ Dongfang Bubai pursed his lips and, in an inexplicably complex mood, glanced at Yang Lianting, who had fallen off the roof and was in pain, who was still laughing sillily. For a moment, he did not know what to say. Dongfang Bubai had always been bad at dealing with such scenes. Despite feeling a little embarrassed he did not wave his wide sleeves to leave, he collected himself and continued to act as the unreachable and indifferent Cult Master instead.
“You haven’t broken any bones yet you’re still not getting up. Do you want this Seat to let Ping Yizhi come up the cliff for you a third time this month?”
“Cult Master, look, the sun is rising.”
Yang Lianting was not intimidated by his harsh tone, on the contrary he smiled and pointed to the bright eastern sky. The sun had partly risen and hidden behind the early morning’s dense fog the sun tinted the cliff in a hazy and mellow light. The emerging faint sunlight was enough to illuminate the entire sky, to become its brightest beacon.
Dawn was beautiful.
Dongfang looked in the direction Yang Lianting was pointing and was mesmerized for a while. When he glanced back at Yang Lianting, he had already stood up from the ground. He looked a little wretched and embarrassed, but he had wiped his sweat and clenched his teeth to stand beside him.
The sun had mostly risen and the entire cliffside was brightly lit, the two figures standing side by side and watching the sunrise appeared weirdly harmonious.
Yang Lianting turned his head and looked at Dongfang Bubai who was dressed in vibrant red and enveloped in the sun’s light. He was tinted in a layer of fine gold dust. Dongfang looked even more handsome and untainted than usual, he was unable to move his eyes away.
“Cult Master.”
“I–”
“This Subordinate will always be beside the Cult Master.”