Chapter 22

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Amitabha

That deadly Heart Tempering Palm had left behind a terrifying bruise.

It was dark red, nearly purple, and swelled out protrusively. The thick layers of blood vessels were especially vivid as they ran across Rong Luoyun’s pale skin. Huo Linfeng placed a hand on both sides of the wound, sending streams of warm energy into the body to fight the pain.

Rong Luoyun sat in the lotus position, tottering backward, causing the ends of his hair to brush across the other person’s arm.

To distract himself from the pain, he forced himself to think of other things.

If Huo Linfeng hadn’t come to find him, what kind of situation would he be in now? Best case scenario, he’ll escape with an eye ruined. Worst case scenario, it would be just as Chen Mian said: he would be dead without a burial site.

Then, he wondered how Huo Linfeng, who was supposed to be on a break, ended up scrambling here to save him? It seems like he mentioned this while climbing the stairs. The other party said he heard it from sister when he was at Dusk-till-Dawn. Thinking to this point, he turned his head and asked in a low voice: “You went to Dusk-till-Dawn to find your sweetheart?”

Huo Linfeng had been wholly concentrated and was taken aback when he heard this. “Ah, yes……” What was that sweetheart called again? Even after racking his brains, he still couldn’t remember, so he could only lie, “I hadn’t seen my sweetheart for a while. It’s difficult not to miss them.”

Hearing this, Rong Luoyun wondered if he had ruined the other person’s romantic moment where he was gifting the white fan and sharing his feelings.

Huo Linfeng pressed against Rong Luoyun’s back and shoulders. A coat of sweat formed on the cool skin under his warm hands. It was unclear to whom it belonged. Dusk had already arrived as the last traces of sunlight had gone. The birds had stopped chirping and returned to their nest to rest, leaving the mountains with silence.

Fearing Rong Luoyun would continue to speak on the topic of love, he quickly said: “Palace Lord, close your eyes and rest a little.”

Rong Luoyun obediently shut his eyes. Unable to curl into a ball, he shrunk in his shoulders instead. In his drowsy state, he felt a source of heat on his back. He was startled awake. The bruise on his back was becoming scalding hot, like a piece of charcoal roasting in a flame, and felt as if it was steaming.

Huo Linfeng said: “Don’t be afraid, the pain will go away once I get the clotted blood out.”

The discomfort was difficult to endure. Rong Luoyun tightly bit down on his lower lip to stifle his groan. Hot blood followed down his spine to his waist, seeping his trousers, the only article of clothing that remained on his body. He was in pain, yet embarrassed. Afraid that he would be made fun of in the future, he took the initiative to confess: “Du Zhong, my trousers are wet.”

Dead silence. The other person was probably laughing at him.

Who would have known that Huo Linfeng was hesitating for half a day for another reason: “…… You’re not asking me to wash them, right?”

Dusting and sweeping were still acceptable. Huo Linfeng could stand making the bed with his teeth clenched. However, scrubbing clothes iwas for old laundry women. He refuses to do it even in the face of death. There was another dead silence in the room. In his bewilderment and loss for words, Rong Luoyun detected footsteps outside.

Multiple soft yet urgent footsteps broke the silence.

“Du Zhong?” Rong Luoyun quickly called out.

“Hush.” Huo Linfeng also heard it. The two sat still with bated breaths, listening to the footsteps as they drew closer and closer. The footsteps stopped outside the praying hall, replaced by the sound of heavy breathing. The footsteps trailed into the courtyard with a clutter, pacing back and forth chaotically. Suddenly, the door crashed open.

About ten mouths opened altogether: “WOOF! Woof woof! Woof woof woof!”

Huo Linfeng couldn’t hold back a curse: “Motherfucker……”

It turned out to be a pack of wild dogs.

Normally, the praying hall was left empty, so the wild dogs often came to spend the night. This time, they scented humans and started barking nonstop. After a moment of commotion, the group of dogs calmed down and stayed outside the house, all the way from the hour of xu* to the hour of hai**.

*Hour of xu – 7-9 pm

**Hour of hai – 9-11 pm

For eight hours straight, Huo Linfeng helped Rong Luoyun heal and relieve pain.

All the way from the hour of you* to the hour of chou**, it was as if he had returned something to the other party.

*Hour of you – 5-7 pm

**Hour of chou – 1-3 am

Huo Linfeng pulled his hands back at the conclusion of the treatment and got off the bed to light a small candle. When the small room glowed with the dim light, a bout of barking came from the outside again. Rong Luoyun supported himself on the bed and said teasingly: “Du Zhong, don’t be noisy.”

Huo Linfeng’s handsome face sank. He strolled back to the bed with a bellyful of angry words that had nowhere to vent. He glanced at the bloodied green garment that spread messily across the old bed in front of him and at Rong Luoyun, who was clenching his snow-white inner robes and gasping in pain. Despite his weak state, Rong Luoyun still lifted his head, staring at Huo Linfeng.

Rong Luoyun was a weak, sick kitten. No wonder he took Huo Linfeng to be a vicious evil dog.

Huo Linfeng sat down beside the bed. He neither gently nor harshly tried to clean the blood stains off the other person’s back. Instead of cleaning, he ended up smudging the blood across the shoulder blades. Rong Luoyun exhaled a painful breath: “Lighter, you’re hurting me.”

Truly a spoiled young master. Despite letting out a cold snort, Huo Linfeng’s movements became gentler. When he reached the waist, Huo Linfeng was even more gentle, tickling Rong Luoyun so much that he squirmed and twisted his buttocks. Huo Linfeng averted his eyes and said stiffly: “Give me your hand.”

Rong Luoyun’s left arm was lacking feeling completely and couldn’t be held out. He could only turn his body to be closer to the other person. Just then, his hair bundled up in a ponytail loosened and scattered, covering his chest and back completely.

He took a sniff and asked: “Can you wash my hair for me tomorrow?”

Huo Linfeng didn’t want to do work: “It’s not dirty. Smells pretty good.”

Rong Luoyun replied: “I’ll raise your monthly salary when we get back.”

Huo Linfeng retorted: “Wealth is merely a worldly possession.”

Rong Luoyun ran out of ideas. Lowering his eyes, he sighed and compromised: “Then, it’s fine. Just tie my hair up.” A large hand held his shoulder down to inspect his arm for any broken bones and tendons. Seeing Huo Linfeng busy taking care of him, Rong Luoyun said in a small voice: “If I didn’t hurt my arm, I wouldn’t have to inconvenience you. I want to do it myself, but I just can’t.”

This sort of expression could incur people’s pity. Whether it was faked or not, Huo Linfeng admitted defeat. “I’ll wash it for you tomorrow. No need to raise my salary either.” He helped Rong Luoyun lay down and pulled up the covers, “Palace Lord, go sleep.”

Rong Luoyun questioned: “What about you?”

Huo Linfeng pulled up a praying mat and sat down on the ground, leaning against the bed.

Rong Luoyun pondered for a moment. He squirmed a little closer. Using half the quilt to cover himself, he lowered the other half for the other party. He was thoroughly exhausted, drifting off to sleep the moment he shut his eyes. Unbeknownst to him, Huo Linfeng wrapped him back up in the blanket after he fell asleep.

Back then, during wartimes, there was no warm charcoal in the bitter winter and the heavy armor never left the body during the sweltering summer.

Huo Linfeng cradled his elbow and fell into a shallow sleep. This type of hardship was nothing.

The two were extremely worn out. One suffered heavy injuries and one damaged his internal energy from excessive use. When the day came and the wild dogs ran back into the forest in groups to play, they were still sleeping steadily.

After a while, the blanket on the bed shifted. Rong Luoyun unconsciously stuck out a leg.

Suddenly coming in contact with cold air, Rong Luoyun opened his eyes in confusion. Table, coarse clay bowl, broken-down window…… This was not his Nameless Abode, this was the praying hall on the mountain top. He lowered his head, with his view trailing from broad shoulders to the neck to the inky black hair. It was Huo Linfeng who was leaning against the bed.

At this moment, someone knocked on the door, awakening Huo Linfeng.

A little monk had come to deliver two clean sets of Buddhist robes along with scriptures for reading to pass time. Huo Linfeng gave his thanks. He did a morning stretch as he walked back into the room and plopped down next to the bed again.

Calculating that it has already been six hours, he suddenly turned: “Palace Lord — “

He choked. The distance between him and the other party was only a sliver. Rong Luoyun’s eyes trembled. Huo Linfeng could almost see himself reflected in the other’s eyes. He was leaning over the bed, but it felt as if he was leaning on Rong Luoyun’s shoulders.

He could see each strand of eyelash and the paleness of those lips from poor health. He stared at him, and he stared right back.

Rong Luoyun secretly clenched the quilt and asked in embarrassment: “What?”

Huo Lingfeng recovered: “It’s already been six hours since the treatment. Let me check your heart meridian.”

He rose, took hold of Rong Luoyun’s shoulder, and laid the other party down on the bed. He leaned over, towering over him, and reached a hand into the warm blanket. Rough calluses brushed against delicate skin as he reached for Rong Luoyun’s chest with his palm.

The rise and fall of Rong Luoyun’s chest gradually intensified, getting quicker and quicker. Rong Luoyun was laying down with his hands spread out beside his ears as if he could hear the babump babump of his heart.

Huo Linfeng gently applied pressure to his palm. When he brushed past a little, he unexpectedly felt the skin rise to meet his finger. He lifted his eyes towards the other party. He said carelessly with a hint of bad intention: “Where are you bumping, hm?”

Rong Luoyun was rigid all over. The large, rough yet warm hand was like a hot iron, straightening and pulling his skin taut. He turned his head, staring firmly at the battered gray walls. His heart was burning hot, his face was burning red.

After the examination, Huo Linfeng retracted his hand. The most harmful component of the wound has been taken care of. Full recovery would take a few more days. He then stood to leave. He carried a tub and drew water from the well behind the praying hall. He had promised yesterday to wash the other’s hair.

Doing servant work all day, it seems to be that he wasn’t too bad at it.

Huo Linfeng boiled the water and carried it into the room. Placing a stool beside the tub, he wet a towel as well. Rong Luoyun got down from the bed with difficulty. He waited for Huo Linfeng to leave the room before removing his clothes. He crouched next to the basin, scooping up water to clean himself.

Unable to use his left hand, he washed slowly.

Huo Linfeng leaned against the door outside. The tree longs for peace, but the wind blows incessantly. [1] He longs for peace, but the sound of dripping water inside does not permit him it.

In the courtyard, seventeen dead leaves dropped from the trees. Six birds rested on the branches. The wind blew westward, the clouds moved east. He watched his surroundings, noting down these trivial details. By the time the eighteenth leaf floated down, the sound of water inside the room stopped.

There was the rustling of clothing, which was even more annoying than the water dripping.

He wasn’t supposed to turn around, but he turned anyway. The mottled walls of the courtyard came into view. He was supposed to stop there, but he turned some more until he reached the moss climbing up the wall in the corner. As he turned even more with his eyes lowered, his body started turning as well. He lifted his eyes and peeked through the window.

What he saw was a delicate back, slightly bent, with a slightly faded bruise the shape of a palm at its center. Silk-like, inky black hair fell down, covering the bruise. Rong Luoyun was wearing the pair of deep blue trousers given by the monk. One shoulder trembled as he tried to wear a gray-blue robe with difficulty.

After a long time, he helplessly called out: “Du Zhong, are you there?”

Huo Linfeng had a clear view, yet he acted stupid: “What’s the matter, Palace Lord?”

Rong Luoyun asked for help, embarrassed: “Come help me a little.”

Huo Linfeng pushed open the door and strode to the other party. He held the robe’s remaining sleeve in one hand and Rong Luoyun’s left shoulder in his other. He fixed the lapels and lowered his head to secure the belt. He stretched his arms around the waist, straightening the trousers.

He pulled out a pair of socks. Wordlessly, he pointed to the edge of the bed.

Rong Luoyun sat properly with his legs dangling. Huo Linfeng lowered down and took hold of his heel, sliding the socks on. Rong Luoyun lowered his head to watch the other person. The redness that has just recently faded crept up his face once again, making him dizzy.

And even more dizzying, Huo Linfeng rose and stretched out his hand to him.

Rong Luoyun switched to tilting his head to look up: “What are you doing……”

Huo Linfeng said: “Hand.”

Rong Luoyun’s brain felt like it was filled to the brim with steam. His face turned scarlet. He was like a pot of boiling medicine, as if he might even start whistling from his mouth. The hand he extended was taken. He was helped outside slowly, bit by bit. He stepped over the threshold and entered the courtyard.

There were two stools and a basin of water in the yard. Huo Linfeng wanted to wash his hair for him.

The count of fallen leaves has long been lost. The birds came and went with no end. Rong Luoyun curled himself up, lowering his head full of dark hair. He sat with his whole body limp as the warm water poured down his head. This boiling pot of medicine that was him and the hot warm steamed simultaneously.

Huo Linfeng held the ladle with his left hand and scrubbed Rong Luoyun’s damp hair with his right. With the silky hair flowing through his fingers, only now did he realize how soft and smooth like satin it was to the touch.

After washing, Rong Luoyun dried his hair with a towel. He tried to find something to talk about: “Do you know how to comb hair?”

Huo Linfeng was currently drying his hands: “Palace Lord, don’t be wanting a mile after gaining an inch.”

The monk who came to deliver clothes came again. Huffing and puffing, he had brought two bowls of vegetarian food. It had been a long time since he had been in contact with hair, so he volunteered to help Rong Luoyun bundle up his hair in a simple knot.

The moment the little monk left, Huo Linfeng picked up a bowl of food, hesitating if he should feed this “one-armed brave hero” or not. Rong Luoyun stared at the bowl full of plain green vegetables and tofu. He couldn’t help but mutter in a small voice: “Du Zhong, I want to eat meat.”

Huo Linfeng was worked to death. Not even the princesses in Chang’an are served to this extent. But he was hooked as well and started craving some good food.

A few hours later, smoke rose in spirals from the chimney.

The praying hall was quiet. Rong Luoyun silently read the scriptures, praying for Buddha’s forgiveness. Huo Linfeng had hunted some game from the mountains and was roasting them over the kitchen flame. When the skin was crispy and the meat thoroughly roasted, the two closed the windows and doors and ate the food sneakily.

The two sat opposite each other on stools, each gnawing on rabbit legs dripping with oil.

Rong Luoyun could only hold the meat in his right hand since his left was injured. His lips were glistening with oil as he chewed happily on his food, completely forgetting about his pain. A drop of oil slid down, hanging at the tip of his chin.

At this moment, Huo Linfeng looked up and caught sight of it. He reached out his hand and brushed the tip of his finger over the soft skin, wiping away the drop of oil that threatened to fall.

He retracted his hand and sucked the oil off his finger.

Rong Luoyun froze. The coquettish scenes from Dusk-till-Dawn surfaced in his mind. The guests would purposely let a drop of wine roll down. The beauties would then wipe it with their delicate finger and lick it afterward. They would move their lips to the guest’s face, intimately kissing.

He lowered his head in embarrassment. His head was buzzing, his heart was pounding.

At a loss, he turned to the rabbit leg in his hand and murmured, “Amitabha.”

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