Chapter 33

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I do

Back in his bamboo grove, Huo Linfeng went to bed and slept until noon.

He rolled out of bed, bathed, and went to choose an outfit. Suddenly, a musty smell wafted in. Du Zheng popped his head in and asked: “Young Master, are you going out?”

Huo Linfeng hummed in response: “It stinks to death. Were you shoveling dung?”

How can it be? Du Zheng had gone to the vacant Distant Gray Platform to kill a few pigs and sheep. The First Palace Lord had said that the disciples would be given a feast in thanks for their efforts.

Huo Linfeng nodded and continued to pick his outfit. He settled with a casual narrow-sleeved robe. Because his robes were darkly colored, he paired them with a hair crown streaked with gold and attached a slender tassel to his belt. He tied on a matching brocade bag and wore a new pair of boots.

Du Zheng watched him, lost in the distant memories of when his Young Master was back in Saibei. He was just like this, carefree and relaxed, as the Young Master of the Marquis Manor. Before Du Zheng could ask, Huo Linfeng left, whistling as he descended the creaky bamboo stairs.

Before leaving the courtyard, Huo Linfeng watered the little magnolia sapling with a few scoops of water.

He strode out of the Thousand Opportunities Hall. There was a tide of disciples heading to the feast at the Distant Gray Platform on the road. Huo Linfeng went against the crowd and headed for the Nameless Abode in the opposite direction. When he arrived, the window to the room was left ajar, so he went to look inside.

It was a very familiar scene. Rong Luoyun was standing in front of his wardrobe with a serious expression that was dauntingly similar to his own when he himself picked his outfit. Rong Luoyun pulled out a blue robe, clean yet lively. Huo Linfeng thought it was pretty good. Then, it was a jade green robe, green like bamboo. Huo Linfeng really liked it. Next was an ash gray robe, simple but elegant. Huo Linfeng was very satisfied with it.

But, Rong Luoyun kept picking and discarding, going through his entire closet. After spying for a long time, Huo Linfeng suddenly spoke up: “Palace Lord, if you keep going on like this, it’s going to be nighttime by the time you’re done.”

Rong Luoyun swiveled around, betraying an embarrassed expression. He angrily waved his hand and slammed the window shut.

Huo Linfeng circled around and entered the house, brazenly watching directly in the room with his arms folded. Rong Luoyun glanced at him, examining him from head to toe. He frowned: “What are you dressing up so handsomely for?”

Huo Linfeng chuckled: “When am I not handsome?” He scooped some water from the copper basin and prepared a wet cloth, “Palace Lord looks good even in a burlap sack, so quickly get dressed and wash your face.”

There was silence. Since Huo Linfeng was here, Rong Luoyun found it even more challenging to pick an outfit. “How about I choose one for Palace Lord?” Huo Linfeng roughly swept through the robes in the wardrobe and pulled out a moon-white muslin set, “How about this one?”

The night Huo Linfeng met him and the day he fell into the water, he wore these robes.

Huo Linfeng unfolded the robe and helped Rong Luoyun into it. He straightened the lapels and tied the knots. Doing maid’s work was simply getting more and more natural for him. He looped the lightly colored belt around the other’s waist and intentionally pulled it extra tight, drawing out a stifled gasp from the other party.

“How many inches wide is Palace Lord’s waist?” He randomly asked.

Rong Luoyun answered, muddled: “Eight inches……”

Huo Linfeng pursed his lips in a smile. He reached his hand into the wardrobe and pulled out a silver-lined ribbon, planning to tie up the other party’s hair. The hair was silky and smooth, running through his hands like sand. His large hands had trouble bundling them together, so Rong Luyoun reached out to help him. Together, they pulled his hair into a rocking ponytail.

Hand on hand, fingers on fingers. The ribbon knew the silky hair was just an excuse, and the hair also knew the ribbon was just a pretext.

After a long time, Huo Linfeng finally snapped out of it, and Rong Luoyun came back to earth. They withdrew their hands with lingering embarrassment. “Cough, I’ll wait outside.” General Huo whispered and left in a hurry. Palace Lord Rong went to wash up and nearly warmed up the basin of cold water with his heated face.

At noon, two people plus a donkey made their way out of the Extraordinary Palace.

They were separated by the donkey sandwiched in the middle like a hindrance. Huo Linfeng slapped the donkey’s ass, urging forward this animal who couldn’t get the clue. Huo Linfeng moved sideways a few steps to Rong Luoyun’s side. Rong Luoyun tried to start a conversation: “It’s very energetic today. I don’t know who fed it for me.”

Huo Linfeng replied: “Who else can it be but me?”

They had nothing to say again. When they passed the Distant Gray Platform, they heard the squeals of pigs and sheep being slaughtered. Diao Yuliang was there, hugging a pair of sheep antlers in his arms and wiping away his tears. Rong Luoyun climbed on the donkey and rode out of the palace. At the foot of the mountain, they met a few commoners who were making their way to the temple fair as well.

The crowd of people grew as they drew closer to the city. The streets were congested with horses and carriages. The Manes Pagoda was on the verge of exploding with people.

Rong Luoyun enjoyed his time riding through the streets. When he passed by a vendor selling fans, he was reminded of the last time they went out shopping. The other party had bought one for his “sweetheart Bao Luo”, but since that was a lie, the embroidered fan must be collecting dust now.

At this time, Huo Linfeng asked: “What is Palace Lord smiling about?”

He stared blankly: “I smiled?”

Huo Linfeng pulled the reins to stop the donkey: “Did I see wrong? Palace Lord, come down and walk a little.”

Rong Luoyun obediently climbed off the donkey. The streets were incredibly packed. He would bump into someone here and bump into another there. Huo Linfeng took him by the arm and drew him closer, blocking and protecting him from the tide of people. Occasionally, someone would nudge into him, pushing him into Huo Linfeng’s embrace.

The performance procession was approaching directly ahead. Lively music swam from the musicians’ instruments as actors and actresses performed in their disguises as deities and demons. The crowd parted for the procession to pass, squeezing to the sides. They were packed so tightly that their sleeves were grazing. Huo Linfeng couldn’t care about the donkey anymore and held onto Rong Luoyun and retreated a few steps. He wrapped an arm around the other party’s waist and leaped off the ground.

Rong Luoyun felt a little panicked and flailed twice in vain. Once they landed, he felt his back against Huo Linfeng’s chest and the big hand, previously holding his waist, was now on his lower arm. “Careful not to get your shoes stepped on.” The other party said, “Can you see the performance from here?”

Rong Luoyun looked up to see a tall person blocking in front of him. He patted the man’s shoulder and ordered: “Get out of the way.”

The man glowered and stood unmoving. Rong Luoyun felt like he lost a lot of face. He punched the person’s arm and played his role of an evil person: “I’m Rong Luoyun from the Extraordinary Palace. I’ll kill you.”

Once his words were heard, the crowd worked hard to clear the area around him. Rong Luoyun pulled Huo Linfeng next to himself and said, elated: “Okay, let’s watch.” He hummed happily for a while as if he had accomplished something big.

Huo Linfeng held in his laughter with effort. He didn’t watch the performance but gave all his attention to this “evil person” standing next to him.

Suddenly, Rong Luoyun tugged his arm: “Du Zhong, what kind of flute is that tiny?”

Huo Linfeng looked up and responded: “That’s an eagle bone flute. The Hu people like to play them.” He also had one the size of a palm and would play it after every battle he fought. He had once wished to find a companion and teach them how to play that soul-gathering song *.

* this was back in chapter 2, I believe

“Palace Lord.” He said, “I also have an eagle bone flute. How about I teach you how to play?”

He didn’t know why, but Rong Luoyun seemed to hear a hint of sadness in that voice, so he nodded, slightly confused.

Once the procession passed and the crowd moved on, the two people finally remembered the donkey, but there was not a shadow of it around. Did someone take it away to make donkey meat buns? Huo Linfeng immediately shuttled towards an old alley and squeezed in. The animal was currently hiding in there, munching on grass.

The two hurried into the alley. Under the early summer sun, a thin layer of sweat coated their skins.

There was a candy artist in the alley making sweet, silk-like candy. But because the old vendor was slow at drawing, there was not much business. Rong Luoyun came over and sat down on a stool. He pulled out a piece of silver and said: “I’ll buy a candy figurine.”

He felt a little embarrassed buying one as an adult, so he added: “It’s for my subordinate.”

Huo Linfeng raised an eyebrow and sat next to him: “Then, I want a candy sword.”

The old vendor chuckled. He boiled some candy and started his drawing with an intricately designed sword hilt. Once the candy was done and hardened, he passed it over. Huo Linfeng took it and waved it around a few times like a real sword: “Palace Lord, I’ll show you the art of swallowing swords.”

He turned the sword, tip pointing downwards, and lowered it bit by bit into his mouth. The sweetness spread out on his tongue as he bit the golden candy. Rong Luoyun also bit down on his lip, trembling with laughter as he watched this performance.

Huo Linfeng ate everything but the sword hilt and asked: “Palace Lord, is there anything else you want to watch?”

Rong Luoyun answered: “I also want to see you break stone slabs on your chest.”

“……” That, he wouldn’t be doing. Huo Linfeng tried to divert the other party’s attention and waved his hand, “Have a taste?” Rong Luoyun hesitated for a moment. He looked left and right to make sure no one else was in the alley. Feeling gluttonous, he lowered his head and bit a corner of the sword’s hilt.

One held, and one ate.

There was clearly a surging crowd of people right outside the alley, so how could they be acting so unrestrained?

When they finished eating and were about to leave, the old vendor quickly said: “You gave me too much silver.”

Huo Linfeng replied: “It’s the money I earned from the sword swallowing performance. Keep the change as a gift.” They led the donkey out of the alley and onto another street. They strolled around leisurely, buying food when they got hungry and getting whatever they found interesting. Their bag was slowly filling up with their purchases.

They went to the temple when the sun began to set. A monk was currently handing out alms outside, attracting a line of people. The prayer hall was left empty, so the two people took the opportunity to go in and light some incense.

There was a praying tree in the temple dangling with wooden tablets and bells. One would write a wish on a tablet and hang it up. The higher it was hung, the higher the chances of the wish coming true. The copper bells that populated the tree jingled as the wind blew. Huo Linfeng suggested: “Palace Lord, how about we write one too?”

Rong Luoyun hummed and dipped a brush into ink, scribbling something on a wooden tablet. Afterward, he craned his neck to see what the other party was writing but couldn’t, so he asked out of curiosity: “What did you write? Let’s swap and look?”

Huo Linfeng hesitated, but Rong Luoyun had already stretched out his own. It read: The Extraordinary Palace unifies Jianghu.

Huo Linfeng remained silent and finally forcefully choked out a praise: “Palace Lord has high ambitions.” His hand suddenly emptied. Rong Luoyun plucked away his tablet and held it up to read: “No matter what, Xiao-Luoyun wouldn’t get angry at me.”

“Du Zhong!” Rong Luoyun said resentfully, “You’re also calling me this? I’m going to get angry!” He punched him angrily, leaving the wooden tablet swinging on its ribbon. The bronze bell attached to it rang out crisply.

Huo Linfeng suffered the strike. He snatched his tablet back and flew up the tree, hastily hanging it up. Rong Luoyun surveyed the numerous wood tablets on the tree but found it impossible to find where that tablet full of nonsense was. Hmph, he’ll come back another day and chop this tree down. He turned away in anger: “We’re not shopping anymore. We’re going back to the palace for the banquet.”

Huo Linfeng followed. A dull ache from the punch accompanied him on the journey back.

The sun disappeared beneath the horizon. The moon and specks of stars trailed behind it, illuminating Mount Lengsang.

Back in the Extraordinary Palace, the fires and lanterns were lit. Distant Gray Platform was bustling with noise and full of the aroma of roasted sheep and suckling pigs. The disciples were eating and drinking to their heart’s content. Rong Luoyun searched for a table and sat down. The Great Disciples and Palace Lords shared a table, so Huo Linfeng sat directly across from him.

Diao Yuliang scooted over: “Second Brother, the little sheep died so tragically.”

Rong Luoyun said: “Then don’t eat it.”

Diao Yuliang choked and ran away to find his big brother. Huo Linfeng filled a plate with meat and passed it over the table. “Is Palace Lord still angry?”

Rong Luoyun moved his chopsticks and grumbled: “I’m not angry anymore, but you still owe me a favor.”

Huo Linfeng immediately set out to complete the favor: “What else does Palace Lord want to eat?”

Rong Luoyun wiped his mouth: “I’m not eating any more. Pour me some wine.”

Wine poured into a shallow bowl, filling it to the brim. Rong Luoyun picked it up and toasted it to the disciples at his table. The purpose of today’s banquet was to thank the disciples, so he left his seat and went around the table to have a drink with them. In the end, he threw away his bowl and drank directly out of a wine jar.

He had toasted to all the Great Disciples but solely ignored Huo Linfeng.

General Huo ate his food silently, believing that person’s lie about not being angry anymore.

Rong Luoyun traveled all over the platform, moving from table to table, and finished nearly half a jar of wine. He said: “For Han Prefecture’s ordeal, everyone has worked hard. I toast to everyone.” With that, he threw back his head and gulped down the remaining half of the jar.

He opened another jar. The intoxication was getting to him. With one foot on a chair, he continued: “And for that flower picker incident, you have washed my name clean of the years of slander and eliminated evil for the common people. I toast to you all once more.”

With every table he visited, Rong Luoyun grew increasingly intoxicated. His face was turning red, and his vision doubled. He was feeling more and more excited. Suddenly, he staggered half a step, reaching out to a table’s edge to stabilize himself. He lowered his head sluggishly. When the disciples tried to help him, he pushed them away. When Duan Huaike came to support him, he also pushed him away.

He picked up his jar of wine and declared: “I want to toast to a particular person.” He looked around and eventually stopped his gaze on the table he had started at. He slowly moved towards Huo Linfeng. Everyone else craned their necks to watch. They all knew that their Du Zhong-shixiong was “favored”, and he was indeed so.

Rong Luoyun stood still: “Du Zhong, I want to make a toast to you.”

In front of everyone, Huo Linfeng lowered his gaze: “This subordinate is not worthy.”

Rong Luoyun said drunkenly: “You are worthy, and you are capable.” He raised his hand and pulled the other person’s lapels. He pulled him closer, pushed him away, and then pulled him closer again. He whispered softly: “You even know how to please me.”

Strong wine poured down his throat, leaving a burning sensation.

The evening breeze grazed across his face. His intoxication was thicker than the darkness of twilight.

Tables and chairs were scattered, and the people scattered. The disciples left arm in arm for the Thousand Opportunities Hall. Diao Yuliang had fallen asleep and was being carried back to his courtyard by Duan Huaike. Unlike his usual self, the Second Palace Lord stumbled along and felt his way back to the Nameless Abode.

A few steps behind him was Huo Linfeng, who followed the him the entire way.

He followed him into his courtyard, into his room, and all the way to his bedside. Huo Linfeng lit a red candle and let its faint red glow illuminate the room. The light slid onto Rong Luoyun’s face, revealing his profile flushed crimson. Rong Luoyun quietly sat on his bed, resting his feet on the footrest, and obediently folded his hands on his knees.

Huo Linfeng lowered himself in front of the bed and met that pair of bright and sober eyes. He asked: “Palace Lord isn’t really drunk, right?”

Rong Luoyun nodded. Even though he wasn’t pretending to be drunk now, he still had some difficulty speaking.

Huo Linfeng asked again: “Then why aren’t you talking?” He reached for the other party’s knee and folded his hand around the other party’s clenched fist, “Then I’ll talk.”

Rong Luoyun’s body turned stiff, but his pupils were trembling violently. Babump, Babump. His heart leaped to his throat. Huo Linfeng held his hand and said: “In the few months we’ve gotten to know each other, I’ve done quite a few unimaginable things.”

Catching carp, picking lotuses, making a lantern, crafting a kite…… these trivial yet endearing actions made people blush at the thought of them. “I’ve once hated you for your arrogance, but now I find it cute. I loathed you even more for your crimes, but now they’ve been proven false.” Huo Linfeng continued, “In front of me, you’ve been weak, you’ve been shy. You can be fierce, yet so silly. I’ve also seen your innocence and naivety. I’ve seen it all.”

He released his hand and lowered it to hold Rong Luoyun’s ankle: “I’m not sure if it’s that face of yours that moves me because when I finally react, your every look moves me.”

With his shoes removed, Rong Luoyun stepped his foot on Huo Linfeng’s shoulder and then on his chest, feeling that violently beating heart. “I move you, but what does that mean for the future?” He bit his lower lip and asked again, “What do you want for the future……”

Huo Linfeng answered: “I want to see you, talk to you, accompany you. I want to see you laugh, I want to coax you and joke with you. I want you to care about me the most.” Even if they were both men, even if they were standing on opposite sides, love could withstand anything.

Head dizzy, heart confused, like a moth drawn to a flame.

Rong Luoyun asked: “Do you——”

“I do.”

“I like Palace Lord.”

Feeling tired from crouching, Huo Linfeng stood up and moved Rong Luoyun to the center of the bed. He reached his hand and smoothed out the other party’s satin belt. Using untying the knot as an excuse, he pulled Rong Luoyun’s limp body into his arms. Rong Luoyun stared dazedly at the bed’s drapery with his hands drooped to the side. He was so shocked he had forgotten to hold the other party tight.

Huo Linfeng asked him: “Palace Lord, do you like me?”

He murmured: “I like you.” There was no arrogance now. His chin was constantly rubbing against the other party’s shoulder.

After a long time, Huo Linfeng let Rong Luoyun go and used the flickering candlelight to look into those eyes. Bao Luo had a pair of apricot eyes, while this person in his arms had trembling peach blossom eyes. This person was his true sweetheart.

He cupped that face in his hands and lowered his head, pressing against Rong Luoyun’s forehead, “The night I caught a cold, I bit Palace Lord’s neck.” His voice was hoarse as he whispered, “Then from tonight onwards, I’ll kiss you on your lips.”

Rong Luoyun’s eyes suddenly widened. His heart stopped and his head rang. His lips were being kissed heavily.

It was hot, it was soft. It was full of the taste of wine and desire, exciting him, burning him like a blazing flame. It was heavy with emotions, yet like the serene spring and floating clouds…… He gradually sobered up. He wrapped his arms around the other party and kissed him back, letting out soft whimpers.

A drop of water rolled quietly from the corner of his eye.

Once their kiss ended, Huo Linfeng said: “Palace Lord, I’m not being a Great Disciple anymore.”

Rong Luoyun panted for breath, not knowing what he meant.

Huo Linfeng laughed: “I’m going to become Palace Lord’s consort.”

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