Chapter 25#

Scars#

Yue Lianlou’s attire today differed from their first meeting or when he was at the Hui Xin Courtyard. His black hair was all bound behind his head, he wore a crisp scout uniform, and two swords hung at his waist. Because he stood close, Jin Yi noticed tiny ice crystals in his hair, and his handsome face bore no trace of powder, which explained why his scent was so different from before.

Jin Yi and Chen Shuang scrambled up almost simultaneously. Yue Lianlou gently closed the window and sat down next to Jin Yi, asking about his recent situation.

Jin Yi didn’t care to talk about himself first: “Did you see anyone from the imperial court?”

“No.” Yue Lianlou saw his immediate disappointment and pinched his cheek, “But I’ve already told our Hall Master about your plan in detail. The Hall Master wrote a very long letter and went personally to see that person.”

“Who?”

“The person from the palace who’s been looking for you.” Yue Lianlou said, “Rest assured, it’s been delivered into his hands. The day I returned, the Hall Master said that person had already met with Grand Tutor Liang to discuss your method. I don’t know who exactly this person is; I’ve never seen them, and the Hall Master never said.”

Jin Yi let out a huge sigh of relief. He wasn’t sure if the method would truly be effective, but at least he could do something for Dayu, and his heart felt slightly more at ease.

But this mysterious person from the palace truly made him suspicious. This person couldn’t be Emperor Ren Zheng, nor the Sage. The one who could meet directly with Grand Tutor Liang… Jin Yi had a sudden thought: “It’s my teacher, Xie…”

“No.” Yue Lianlou stared at his left arm, saying slowly, “The reason I came and went so quickly is that the Hall Master of the Bright Night Hall, Grand Tutor Liang, and that person are all currently in Bishan City. Long Tuqin and Liang An’chong have met once already, and it’s said they parted unhappily.”

Jin Yi was desperate to know how Beirong and Dayu were negotiating, but even Yue Lianlou couldn’t possibly know the details. He was interested in Jin Yi’s arm: “You’re hurt? Why is it wrapped?”

Chen Shuang pulled up a stool and sat down: “It’s branded with the Cloud Province King’s emblem.”

Yue Lianlou paused: “What?”

Chen Shuang: “Helan Feng did it.”

Jin Yi immediately explained: “He didn’t. The Great Shaman grabbed his hand and pressed it down.”

Yue Lianlou grabbed Jin Yi’s left arm, silent, and carefully unwrapped the bandages. Chen Shuang flicked his finger against the oil wick, and the flame brightened. He held the oil lamp closer.

Under the dim yellow light, the scar looked even more horrifying. Jin Yi turned his head away, but Yue Lianlou pinched his chin, forcing him to look at himself: “Jin Yi, look at it.”

Jin Yi just shook his head. He could never forget Zhe Weng’s words – because of this mark, he had become livestock on the Chǐwǎng Plains. Perhaps even more devastating was that when facing the Great Shaman, the Cloud Province King, and Zhe Weng, he had been acutely aware of his solitude in Beirong. He had no aid, no way to escape no matter what. Other than being a fish on the chopping block, at the mercy of others, he had no other way.

In a daze, Yue Lianlou suddenly lowered his head and kissed the scar.

“Little General, you are a warrior now,” he smiled. “This is your first medal.”

He let go and pulled Jin Yi into his arms, holding him tightly. “I have scars like this too… of course, not slave brands, but to me, they are no different from one. But someone told me this is a warrior’s medal, proof that I once lived. Little General, this mark won’t change anything about you. You are still yourself.”

He felt the frail Jin Yi relax in his arms.

“Where are you hurt?”

Yue Lianlou grinned mischievously: “Somewhere you can’t see.”

Jin Yi didn’t know if it was true, looking at him with a mixture of shock and sadness. Caught by his bright gaze, Yue Lianlou couldn’t continue lying. He pointed to the golden circlet around his neck and the red jade attached to its clasp: “Here.”

Jin Yi had a deep impression of this red jade. Firstly, because its color was rich, beautiful, flawless, lustrous all over, and perfectly round – a top-quality blood jade. Secondly, because at first glance it appeared to be a pendant hanging from the gold collar around his neck, but on closer inspection, one would realize it was actually embedded in Yue Lianlou’s skin.

The red jade looked like a drop of fresh blood fallen into the hollow of his collarbone.

Yue Lianlou pointed to the ornament around his neck, smiling: “This thing, I can’t take off myself.”

Jin Yi was stunned, and it took a moment for him to realize that the gold circlet around his neck was there to cover up a ring of scars!

“…What are you pitying me for?” Yue Lianlou rubbed his cold cheek, looking into Jin Yi’s eyes, which held a trace of pity and sorrow, and smiled, “You, yourself aren’t even safe yet, why are you always worrying about others? I live far more freely than you do; you don’t need to pity me.”

Chen Shuang added a comment: “The situation back then was indeed quite dangerous.”

“Well, yes, I almost died.” Yue Lianlou pretended to shudder. “If I were gone, you’d only get to know Yue Guilou. Wouldn’t that be a pity?”

He started talking nonsense and couldn’t keep his hands still – one moment rubbing Jin Yi’s scar, the next poking Chen Shuang’s dimple. Chen Shuang was usually quite lively around Jin Yi, but when with Yue Lianlou, he was as quiet as a second Jin Yi.

“Every time you meet the Hall Master, you’re this happy. It’s really quite disgusting,” he said.

Yue Lianlou’s face darkened, pretending to be displeased. He grabbed Chen Shuang by the collar and turned to Jin Yi: “You rest. I’m going outside to scold Chen Shuang.”

The two still slid out the window and silently climbed onto the roof. Yue Lianlou asked Chen Shuang: “Where’s Ruan Buqi?”

Chen Shuang: “…What are you going to do now?”

“Her and you – scold together.” The smile vanished completely from Yue Lianlou’s face, his gaze cold. “Did she pull out that ‘wait and see’ line of hers again? The Hall Master said, no matter the situation, protecting Jin Yi is the priority. Did she forget, or is she deliberately disobeying?”

The two talked in low voices and headed towards Zhuo Zhuo’s room.

The next day, after Helan Feng woke up, he habitually glanced at the low couch by the window, only then remembering Jin Yi wasn’t there. He was still in a bad mood and picked a fight with his sister when waking Zhuo Zhuo up. In the backyard, seeing Ruan Buqi chopping wood with a grim face, Helan Feng’s mood worsened: “Where’s Jin Yi?”

Ruan Buqi ignored him. Zhuo Zhuo climbed down from Helan Feng’s back and darted over to Ruan Buqi to watch her. Helan Feng found it boring here, picked up a bowl of oil tea, and walked out again.

Ruan Buqi had been harshly scolded by Yue Lianlou the night before and was very vexed. She didn’t hold back her strength while chopping wood; with one strike, the log split cleanly into eight pieces.

“I saw you talking to Chen Shuang last night, and a really tall brother too,” Zhuo Zhuo squatted beside her and said. “Ruan Buqi, you can talk?”

Ruan Buqi was momentarily stunned, her grip on the axe tightening involuntarily.

A stray cat sneaking food in the kitchen bristled, its tail tucked between its legs as it slipped away along the wall corner. But Zhuo Zhuo didn’t notice the killing intent that had just erupted from Ruan Buqi. She dragged a large piece of wood and placed it in front of Ruan Buqi, saying proudly, “This is for you to chop.”

Hefting the axe in her hand, Ruan Buqi decided not to use it. She was too skilled at creating and handling accidents. This was the backyard; there were too many tools she could use to make a little girl meet with misfortune. Seeing blood was always bad.

Not harming the old, weak, women, or children – this was one of the Seven Prohibitions against Killing of the Bright Night Hall. But given the current critical situation, Ruan Buqi thought, if the Hall Master blamed her, she could just push it onto Yue Lianlou. After all, last night Yue Lianlou had repeatedly reminded her that protecting Jin Yi was the priority, and everything else must yield.

“You can talk, that’s great!” Zhuo Zhuo squatted in front of her, saying happily, “Later, when Hun Da’er and Du Ze laugh at you again, we can scold them together. I’ll teach you Beirong curse words, and you teach me Dayu curse words. How about that?”

Ruan Buqi: “…”

She released the axe in her hand and opened her arms. Zhuo Zhuo knew this meant she wanted to carry her out to play and immediately jumped into Ruan Buqi’s embrace.

“Zhuo Zhuo, can you keep a secret for me?” Ruan Buqi said in a low voice. “My voice was taken away by the Heavenly God, and only returned yesterday. That good-looking big brother you saw is the incarnation of the Heavenly God. If you tell anyone the secret, he will take my voice away immediately. I have so many stories I want to tell Zhuo Zhuo, but without a voice, I can’t tell them.”

Zhuo Zhuo’s eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously.

“Why is Ruan Buqi’s temper so bad now?” Helan Feng said. “She takes Zhuo Zhuo everywhere every day. I’m afraid Zhuo Zhuo will be taught badly.”

Bālónggé’ěr was utterly confused: “Oh… but what’s the use of telling me this?”

Helan Feng: “…Just talking.”

Bālónggé’ěr: “Go find Jin Yi then. Usually you chat this kind of nonsense with him.” He was tanning a bear skin and didn’t want to bother with Helan Feng.

Hun Da’er, after learning that the person Helan Feng had accidentally saved was actually the Cloud Province King, would drag Du Ze to wander around the suburbs every few days, hoping to encounter such a coincidental “good fortune” himself.

Helan Feng really couldn’t find anyone to talk to. He threw away his crutch, hopped and jumped, and struggled to climb onto the roof. He took out the Lang Di (Wolf Arrow) from his bosom and began his daily cleaning work. The dried blood on the pure white arrow feathers was difficult to remove. Helan Feng carefully rubbed the caked blood powder off the feathers with his fingers.

He looked at the bustling streets of the Northern Capital, but his thoughts were on the grasslands of Yètái.

Yètái was the southernmost tribe of Beirong, and the first to welcome spring. Not long after New Year, the snow should melt, the frozen rivers would thaw, and the vast grasslands would turn greener by the day. The small and large pine forests would gradually become lively again.

He dazed for a moment, then heard someone climbing up.

Jin Yi sat down silently beside him, and together they watched the clouds racing across the azure sky.

Helan Feng saw half of the slave brand peeking out from under the sleeve of his left arm. Jin Yi hadn’t wrapped the scar again.

The stains on the arrow feathers had been rubbed clean, but the fibers dyed red couldn’t regain their original color. Helan Feng rubbed them futilely, saying nothing.

“I heard the Heavenly Longevity Festival is coming soon?” Jin Yi spoke first. “Are there lantern displays for the Heavenly Longevity Festival?”

The Heavenly Longevity Festival was the birthday of Beirong’s Heavenly Lord Zhe Weng, a day the people of the Northern Capital took very seriously. Helan Feng had never been interested in these festivals. He didn’t answer.

After waiting a while, Jin Yi spoke again: “Hun Da’er brought back some honey pastries from the Hui Xin Courtyard yesterday. Do you want some?”

Helan Feng switched to a cloth and wiped the black shaft of the Lang Di.

“The Lang Di and the Gao Xin Arrow are quite similar,” Jin Yi said again. “I’ll draw you a picture of a Gao Xin Arrow.”

Helan Feng finally spoke.

“I’m going to find the Cloud Province King,” he said. “I’m going to become the Cloud Province King’s attending soldier.”

Jin Yi was stunned: “You don’t have to…”

“It’s not for you, it’s for Zhuo Zhuo.” Helan Feng stared at the bustling crowd on the street, not looking at Jin Yi. “The Cloud Province King can use you to threaten me, of course he can also use Zhuo Zhuo.”

“Oh…” Jin Yi felt a bit breathless, not knowing how to respond.

“If you return to Dayu, will you miss Beirong…” After a long silence, Helan Feng suddenly asked, “…or me?”

Author’s Note:

So, who do you think realized their feelings first? (￣▽￣")