The sound of chirping birds accompanied Gui Yin as his eyes slowly opened. He could smell the familiar breakfast and he could hear the sound of the guqin. He slowly rolled out of bed and dragged his blanket along with him. In his half-asleep state, he leaned against the door and looked at the man who sat on the terrace of the bamboo house. He blinked slowly and walked the remainder of the way to join the man.
The man was normally quite tall when he stood. He had the stature of a great general. His face was handsome and charismatic. He was the type of person who would look good either cleanshaven or with a beard. At his side was a sword, but few people knew how well he had mastered the guqin. His hair carried streaks of white in it, from both old age and from the pain of loss.
When he felt a small warmth sprout beside him, his hands stilled on the strings and he looked at his disciple with furrowed brows. He reached over and pinched the youth’s nose.
“Wake up already. It’s nearly noon!”
“Mm,” Gui Yin shifted away from his Shizun and reluctantly sat up. He looked at the other man through narrowed eyes. “Shizun, morning.”
Kui Wanming stared at the youth in front of him and clicked his tongue. “Is that how you greet your Shizun?”
Gui Yin sat straighter and bent forward until his head leaned against Kui Wanming’s arm. “Good morning, Shizun.”
Kui Wanming scoffed. He nudged Gui Yin off of him and stood. “Get ready for breakfast, useless disciple.”
Gui Yin pouted his lips, but still followed Kui Wanming’s instructions.
The morning started off as peacefully as it always had. Gui Yin ate the delicious meal Kui Wanming prepared and stared on his swordsmanship. When it drew closer to lunch, Gui Yin focused on his cultivation studies. After lunch, until dinner, Gui Yin meditated in silence.
Every day was spent in such a way at Fuyun Manor.
Fuyun Manor was a quiet abode that Kui Wanming found respite in. When he thought Gui Yin wasn’t looking, he would spend his days staring listlessly into the pond. At that time, Gui Yin never understood why his Shizun would waste his time doing such a thing.
At one point, Gui Yin was even presumptuous enough to ask.
“I’m just thinking about a person,” Kui Wanming said as he routinely fed the koi fish.
“A person?”
“Mn,” Kui Wanming hummed. “Someone who…ran really far away. So far away that I can’t even bring myself to follow.”
“Why not?”
“Because they would certainly not like it,” Kui Wanming said with a sad smile. He tossed the remaining fish food into the pond. “They don’t want to see me again.”
Gui Yin’s brows furrowed. He wanted to ask Kui Wanming more, but before he could he felt a hand settle against his head. He looked at the strong man in front of him and was shocked to see a fragility he had never associated with his shizun.
“A-Yin,” Kui Wanming gave Gui Yin’s hair a gentle toss. “Be careful who you give your heart to when you’re older. Though, I’m sure you already know that.”
Out of all his disciples, Kui Wanming had always been most attentive to Gui Yin. At first, it was because he was the youngest, then it was because he was the most giving.
Gui Yin, as a teenager, was the type to give and give and give until he had nothing else for himself. He was smart enough to not be deceived, but when you had his trust, you had his heart. There was nothing in the world that would make him abandon his loyalty for you. He would trust you. He would love you. He would depend on you. He was just like a stray cat who had found its home—soft, pliant, and obedient.
When Gui Yin brought back the strange child named A-Xia, he had few things to say. Kui Wanming saw the blood of a celestial beast within him, but didn’t think anything of it for Gui Yin to associate with him. If it was fate that brought them together, Kui Wanming couldn’t necessarily tear them apart. But, to his surprise, on his next visit, the person had changed.
The little boy had disappeared and, in his place, was a young man who was just a little older than Gui Yin. And when Gui Yin introduced them, Kui Wanming felt a drop in his stomach. Gui Yin’s eyes were lit up in a way he had never seen before. His words were chosen carefully and didn’t tumble out as quickly as usual. He stood a little too close to this young man. He talked a little too softly.
Kui Wanming wanted to express his doubts, but when this young man spoke, he spoke so eloquently that Kui Wanming couldn’t help but be charmed as well. His doubts were quickly swept away and only uneasiness took its place.
But it was only a young love, so what could possibly go wrong?
From eighteen, until he was in his mid-twenties, the two that had met through happenstance continued their relationship.
“Do you like him?”
Gui Yin was surprised by the question. He looked at Kui Wanming and smiled shyly. He nodded in affirmation. “Mn! I…like him. He’s very good to me. I’ve never had anyone take care of me like that before. I feel safe around him.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“So long as he treats you well, then that’s fine,” Kui Wanming whispered.
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“C-Tlc!”
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“I missed you. Did you miss me?”
Gui Yin felt as if his knees had turned to jelly. He leaned into the other man’s embrace and hummed softly. Of course, he would miss him.
Qiao Ceng was his world. He was the first person to show Gui Yin what it meant to be unconditionally loved.
But it was all a lie.
Gui Yin realized his own naivety in the chilling dungeon. It was the dead of winter and the prisoner garbs were quite thin. His feet were shackled to the bedframe and his throat was raw from screaming. However, aside from his pale lips, there didn’t seem anything wrong with him. The wounds from the previously day had all completely healed, but Gui Yin knew that when the clock struck midnight, he would be dragged to the interrogation chamber again.
Again and again.
The fairytale dream had turned into a nightmare. Even at night, Gui Yin couldn’t use sleep to escape reality. His blood would be writhing under his skin. The poisonous centipedes and other nefarious vermin would scuttle around at the command of their master, keeping Gui Yin up at night until it felt like his brain would burst.
If he wasn’t trying to sleep, it would be fine, but when he did, the bugs would begin to move.
After a while, Gui Yin realized it would be better to just stay up. But when he did, that man would come visit him.
He would gently lift his chin as he had always done and give him a pitying look. Those eyes said that they would trade anything in the world for Gui Yin to have a moment of peace, but his actions were the exact opposite.
Gui Yin would never forget the way his lips still caught his in a devastating gentle kiss. Months later, it would cause his stomach to roil and he would vomit over and over again. He would cry his eyes out, fall asleep, recall the horrible events upon waking up, and vomit again.
But the dungeon was probably the most pleasant part of the whole ordeal.
After Qiao Ceng gained power and wiped out Shuangye Peak, Gui Yin never returned to Fuyun Manor. He never wanted to return to Qingce either.
Whenever he went to the manor, he could only remember the rosy lies that were told. The lips that promised him forever and the deceiving warmth that cost him his entire life.
A gentle hand brushed aside his tears. Gui Yin’s lashes trembled as his eyelids slowly fluttered open. He looked ahead at the blurred figure in front of him and pursed his lips. His soured nose brought him back to reality and the name that he wanted so badly to recite did not leak from his lips.
“Shizun…” Gui Linghuo murmured. He pursed his lips and gently leaned his head into Gui Yin’s. “We’re almost there.”
“…Alright,” Gui Yin shifted slightly. He flinched in pain, but it didn’t register on his face. He smiled and looked at Gui Linghuo’s weary appearance. “What’s wrong? Couldn’t sleep?”
Gui Linghuo looked at Gui Yin, his eyes rimmed red. “Shizun, you don’t have to hold it in.”
“Silly child,” Gui Yin scolded. “What am I holding in? My anger? That’s right, I’m still mad at you. Don’t talk to me.”
Gui Linghuo would have normally laughed at Gui Yin’s feigned tantrum, but his heart was only squeezed further. “That’s fine. Shizun, you can take your anger out on this disciple however you like.”
“Don’t be stupid,” Gui Yin rolled his eyes. “How could I dare lay a hand on my little treasure? If you really want me to stop being angry then…go get me some water. My throat’s a little dry.”
“Of course!” Gui Linghuo quickly stood. He hesitated for a moment and drew a protection array that blanketed their campsite. He looked at Gui Yin. “This disciple will be back swiftly.”
“Alright, alright,” Gui Yin said. He tilted his chin towards his legs. “It’s not like I can move anyway.”
Gui Linghuo’s brows furrowed. He lowered his head and quickly left to find the nearest river.
Gui Yin relaxed after Gui Linghuo left and leaned back against the tree trunk. If it weren’t for his current state, perhaps they would have already arrived at Huigu Palace. But since his injuries had gotten worse and he needed some proper rest, Gui Linghuo had landed near a village just before Kunlun. Just another day and they would arrive at Huigu Palace.
Gui Yin’s legs had gone numb during their trip and he could barely move his fingers. Soon, he would not be able to move his head as well. He let out a soft sigh and closed his eyes.
It was easy to get the claws out. The difficult part was how to do so without damaging his cultivation. The recovery process afterwards would also be long and arduous. Perhaps if Gui Yin hadn’t had to endure a week of torture and several weeks of difficult travel, he would be able to recover quickly. But, right now, his body was closer to the common person. His cultivation was the only thing keeping him alive.
Gui Yin let out a quiet sigh.
“Jerk,” Gui Yin mumbled. “I’m already like this, but you’re still in a coma? I thought you said you’d run to me whenever I was in trouble. What a liar.”
Gui Yin opened his eyes and blinked away the moisture that threatened to spill over. He really…
“Er’lang…”
“Who’s Er’lang?”
The voice made Gui Yin freeze. He slowly looked up and found a familiar face staring back at him. His gaze flitted around the array and cold dread washed over him.
The array was created by Gui Linghuo, who was more than a competent enough cultivator. Unless the other party was at least at Jiu Jingyi’s level, they would never be able to see through this cloaking array. However, the child stood on the other side and peered in as if Gui Yin was simply sitting out in the open.
Gui Yin had never treated this child’s identity lightly, but now that he saw him again, he suddenly felt fear.
“What are you doing here?” Gui Yin slowly asked.
“You left me, so I came to look for you,” the boy said, his voice clear, unlike what it had been like before.
“You can speak?”
The boy stared at Gui Yin silently before an unnatural smile took over his face. “I can. I just thought you would be more willing to take me along if I was more pitiful. After all, you’ve always had a soft spot for things like that. Isn’t it the same for that brat?”
Gui Yin’s eyes widened a fraction. His stiff fingers twitched, but he was unable to summon Fenghua at all. He could only watch as the little boy stepped through the array as if it were a veil. He stopped in front of Gui Yin and reached out to touch the claws that pierced his chest.
“Does it hurt?” the boy asked.
Gui Yin scoffed. “Do you want to try it?”
The little boy’s expression pinched. “A-Yin, how could you say that to a little child?”
“Are you a child?” Gui Yin asked, his voice growing louder in volume. “What? Did you steal this body!?”
The boy chuckled. His voice grew deeper as he did so and the boy soon tilted his head. “Stole? I didn’t steal anything. It’s just a bit of transformation magic. See?”
Gui Yin watched in horror as the boy disappeared. In his place was a tall man with glimmering red eyes. His snow-white hair fell past his shoulders and his familiar smirk bore down at Gui Yin. He reached down and swiftly held Gui Yin in place.
“What’s this? We haven’t seen each other in so long and this is the greeting you give me?”
“Get away—”
“Shizun!”
The voice caused Gui Yin to freeze.
The sound of sword clashing against sword filled the air, but Gui Linghuo was not quick enough. Gui Yin watched as the young man was slammed against the tree. His sword fell to the ground and his feet kicked helplessly in the air.
Gui Yin shot to his feet but immediately fell back down. His hand stretched out and he just barely managed to grasp onto the edge of Qiao Ceng’s pants.
The man froze and glanced down.
“Let him go,” Gui Yin said as he gasped for breath. His grip tightened when Qiao Ceng’s grip hardly slacked. “Let him go!”
The fist unclenched and Gui Linghuo collapsed to the ground like a ragdoll.
“You don’t have to use such an angry tone with me,” Qiao Ceng said as he gently lifted Gui Yin into his arms. “You just have to ask sweetly like you used to and I’ll obey your every command.”
“Sh-Shizun…” Gui Linghuo propped himself up. He grasped his sword again and glared at the man. “Let go of him.”
Qiao Ceng glanced at Gui Linghuo, his gaze slowly darkening. However, before he could act, a hand shot out and grabbed the front of his robes.
“If you let him go, I’ll go with you,” Gui Yin said.
Qiao Ceng glanced down at the crippled man in his arms. He smiled. “You care so much about this kid?”
“He’s my disciple,” Gui Yin said. “If you kill him, I’ll kill myself.”
Gui Yin didn’t know where he got the courage to make such a threat. The moment the words left his mouth, he wanted to laugh at his own stupidity. What kind of threat was that? Since when had Qiao Ceng cared about his life or death. Just as Gui Yin was about to figure out some other way to get out of this, he watched Qiao Ceng reach a hand out and knock Gui Linghuo unconscious.
The young man collapsed to the ground once again.
“You—”
“If he stays awake, he definitely wouldn’t let me take you away,” Qiao Ceng said. He lowered his head and pressed his forehead to Gui Yin’s. “I did it to protect him. He’ll wake up soon anyway.”
Gui Yin squirmed away from Qiao Ceng, but he couldn’t get far from his grasp. Qiao Ceng glanced at the claws and frowned.
“Don’t move too much or you’ll hurt yourself,” Qiao Ceng said caringly. He pressed a gentle kiss to Gui Yin’s forehead. “Just bear with it for a moment longer, love. The travel will be short, I promise.”
Gui Yin glanced at Gui Linghuo with a tight frown. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply in resignation as the scenery around them shifted and wavered.
Qiao Ceng stepped boldly out of the shadows and marched up the familiar set of stars.
Red maple trees lined the side of the staircase as they made their way towards the bamboo house. The koi fish that had long grown unaccustomed to people’s presence, quickly swam away when Qiao Ceng neared them. Gui Yin’s consciousness was beginning to fade again, but when he realized where they were, he immediately shifted.
“Oh, oh, oh,” Qiao Ceng held onto Gui Yin tightly. “Don’t move suddenly. I might drop you.”
“What twisted game are you playing this time?” Gui Yin snarled.
“What do you mean?” Qiao Ceng asked. His tone of voice was like that of a man coaxing his unreasonable lover. He gently set Gui Yin down and smiled. He reached out and carefully tucked a strand of hair behind Gui Yin’s ear. “What game? I came to help you.”
“You? Help me?” Gui Yin laughed incredulously. He spat in Qiao Ceng’s face. “You framed me and tried to get me killed. Why would I trust you now!?”
Qiao Ceng’s expression cooled as he wiped the spit from his face. “It wasn’t me. The entire little show was just done by some vermin that I should have gotten rid of ages ago.”
Gui Yin couldn’t understand what Qiao Ceng was saying nor did he really want to. “If you really want to help me, then how about sending me back to Yunjing Pavilion?”
Qiao Ceng chuckled. “Don’t be unreasonable, love. Weren’t you there to see the conference? With the mess that’s happening right now, do you really think Yunjing Pavilion is the correct place to recover? It isn’t. Just be good and stay here. Once you’re all better, I’ll let you go back.”
Gui Yin wanted to argue further, but Qiao Ceng hushed him with a quick strike to the back of his neck. Gui Yin crumbled unresponsively into his embrace.
The moment Gui Yin fainted, Qiao Ceng’s expression turned even softer. His finger gently outlined his eyes, nose, and lips. He leaned down, but he never allowed his lips to touch Gui Yin’s. He only allowed himself to remain close to feel the other man’s warmth.
Back when he was using soul projections of himself, he felt like he had been touching Gui Yin through a thin veil. Now that the real thing was in his arms, he couldn’t help but touch him just a few more times. Once he had gotten enough to satiate his appetite, he began to operate on the claws that protruded from Gui Yin’s chest.
Qiao Ceng’s gaze darkened.
“Oh, my sweet…don’t you worry. Everything will go back to what it once was,” he whispered. “I’ll make sure of it.”
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
LMAO
Blech
Is he going to turn back time. .??no right?
That fucker… Istg when will he explode already TOT