Chapter 41

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People from Saibei are truly persistent

After bitterly waiting and tasting the elements of nature for days, Huo Linfeng finally acquired some relief. He embraced Rong Luoyun tightly in his arms but didn’t dare to do it too tight, fearing that his iron-hard body would hurt the other party.

After a moment, he couldn’t help but zone out.

The round curves of Rong Luoyun’s buttocks pressed against his thigh through the thin summer robe, feeling especially vivid. It was warm and soft. His hand that was locked around Rong Luoyun’s waist couldn’t help but slip lower.

Rong Luoyun stayed still: “Let go of me.”

Huo Linfeng corrected his behavior and fixed his hand back to the waist before holding the other party even tighter. Rong Luoyun turned his face away, refusing to make eye contact with the other party. He demanded the other party to let him go, yet he obediently sat in his arms with no resistance.

Huo Linfeng asked gently: “You’re not going to push me away? Afraid of my wound reopening?”

The other party did not answer, so he continued: “Since you’re so unwilling for me to suffer, why were you willing to stab me?”

Rong Luoyun seemed to have a guilty conscience and turned to stare at the incense burner, taciturn.

Huo Linfeng spoke: “I could’ve dodged or parried that sword.” He cupped Rong Luoyun’s face and turned it to look at himself, “I offered you my shoulder so you could let off some steam. If it wasn’t enough, there’s no harm in stabbing me again.”

Rong Luoyun shook his head: “No, let’s just stop mingling in each other’s business from now on.”

When he heard this, Huo Linfeng felt a strong surge of anxiety in his heart. He held the other person unyieldingly: “I’ve saved your life. A life saving grace and a stab should be enough to balance out the things I’ve done wrong, right?”

His tone carried a touch of grievance. Seeing he wasn’t letting go, Rong Luoyun stamped his feet, causing his buttocks to rise and fall. The feeling of being pressed against made Huo Linfeng forget what he wanted to say for a second.

He said in a low voice: “The Extraordinary Palace’s reputation is not good. As the new official around, I wanted to eradicate evil for the people, so I decided to mix into the Palace. I had the intention to vanquish evil at first, but later, I realized that the Extraordinary Palace was not as the rumors say. My goal naturally changed.

“Think about it, have I ever done anything to harm the Extraordinary Palace? Have I ruined any of your plans? Instead, was it not my efficiency and capabilities that garnered your recognition?

“I initially wanted to win your favor, pretending I enjoyed going to brothels, but gradually, my actions became genuine and sincere. Catching carp for you, picking lotus flowers for you, all those far and between, how can they be fake?

“I’ve always had people serving me since I was young. I haven’t even boiled a single pot of tea by myself. If you weren’t important to me, how would I be willing to even do maid work? Moreover, there were four palace lords. Why would I single you out and solely provoke you?

“Yes, I hid and investigated you all, but aren’t you in contact with someone from the imperial court and investigated me as well?” Huo Linfeng explained meticulously, “What I can’t accept the most is your doubt in the sincerity of my love for you after we got together. Although the Huo Clan dedicates their loyalty to the country, we’re loyal when it comes to love too.”

Word by word, sentence by sentence. Rong Luoyun listened to the influx of words dazedly. His cheeks warmed up as Huo Linfeng’s hot breath touched his skin: “If I’m not sincere, then I could have taken off my mask and called it a day. Why would I be begging you for forgiveness?”

“Xiao-Rong, take some pity on me.”

Rong Luoyun’s heart was twisted into a knot, with the culprit being that barbaric soldier from Saibei. He closed his eyes and was quiet for a moment. He said in a small voice: “I’m not angry anymore, but I don’t want to be with you anymore.”

Huo Linfeng’s face drained of its color. His eyes were alarmed. Why?!

Rong Luoyun said: “Now that you have returned to being General Huo, for you, it may just be regaining your identity, but for me, you’re no longer the same person.”

He loved Du Zhong, the person who has no father or mother, the one who only had a brother to depend on, and the disciple who was capable yet enjoyed breaking rules. Du Zhong would frequently tease him, coax him, and cause his heart to ripple as he called out “Palace Lord” to him. He had once said he would put Du Zhong above all, and he really did.

Huo Linfeng felt choked up. The Du Zhong he had pretended to be was Rong Luoyun’s first love. Rong Luoyun couldn’t accept the current him because he couldn’t let go of the past him. Huo Linfeng felt complicated.

After a long silence, he said: “You like Du Zhong for his origin, but his personality, looks, and the way he treats you are what makes him a person. Huo Linfeng is the same as Du Zhong, do you understand?”

Rong Luoyun understood a little. His nose twitched, catching a whiff of blood.

Holding the other party snug in his embrace, Huo Linfeng had jolted and put weight on his wound until it broke open again. In his pain, Huo Linfeng did not forget to push the boat along the current: “My wound is hurting. Help me change the medicine?”

Rong Luoyun nodded in response and finally climbed off that thigh. He turned the room upside down for bandages. When his search turned up unfruitful, he returned to the table only to discover Huo Linfeng had fallen asleep due to fatigue.

Rong Luoyun moved the person onto the bed and untied his belt, lifting off layer upon layer of clothing until he reached skin. He carefully removed the blood-soaked cloth and finally saw for himself how deep the wound was. He didn’t know what kind of scar it would leave behind.

When he finished wrapping up the wound, it was time for him to dress the other person, but for some reason, he didn’t move.

Rong Luoyun gently touched Huo Linfeng’s abdomen with his finger. There was a scar left from a sword wound there. His finger trailed along the grooves of the abdominal muscles and slithered up from the waist to the stomach. He brushed past the clavicle before reaching the throat.

He pressed the Adam’s apple, causing Huo Linfeng to grunt. His finger continued its evil deeds. It slid up the slender neck and rubbed the gray stubble on the other party’s chin. It really was prickly to the touch, painless but ticklish.

Suddenly, Huo Linfeng mumbled something incoherently in his dreams.

“What?” Rong Luoyun leaned in closer, “What did you say?”

Huo Linfeng murmured: “Xiao-Rong, Luoyun……”

Rong Luoyun pursed his lips and hummed lightly in response.

Huo Linfeng continued: “Little butt is so soft……”

Rong Luoyun’s eyes widened. His cheeks turned flaming red. What kind of shameless dream was this guy having? Rong Luoyun jumped off the bed and violently dragged the bed curtains close, striding to the door with large steps.

When he was out the door, he paused.

He flipped his hand and touched his own butt. It really was……

Rong Luoyun’s brain went numb. He was like a scholar who had lost his proprietary, a monk who had thrown away his teachings, and even more so like a young miss who had lost her chastity. He urgently ran away, dashing along the corridor, and nearly knocked Rong Duanyu down.

“What’s the matter?” Rong Duanyu asked, “Why are you so flustered?”

Rong Luoyun clenched his teeth: “No-nothing.” He wiped his sweat, “Huo Linfeng fell asleep and will leave tomorrow morning. I, I’ll be going back to the Extraordinary Palace now.”

He ran away immediately, fearing Rong Duanyu would ask for further details.

It was late into the night when he returned to the Palace. Everyone was already asleep. Rong Luoyun was too lazy to light a lantern, so he felt his way through the dark to his bedroom. He clambered head-first onto his bed without changing his clothes.

Du Zhong is Huo Linfeng, Huo Linfeng is Du Zhong.

He slowly drifted off to sleep listening to the old monk in his heart recite this over and over.

The cicadas chirped melodically, lively even throughout the summer night.

At the break of dawn, Lu Zhun emerged from his Hidden Gold Pavilion and followed along the road to go deeper into the palace. As he passed the lotus pond, he saw Diao Yuliang paddling his little boat.

“You’re up so early today, Fourth Bro.”

“Third Brother, you’re very early too.”

“I’m going to the Nameless Abode to check on Second Brother. What are you doing?”

“I’m going to check on him as well.”

The little boat reached the shore. Lu Zhun hooked his arm around Diao Yuliang’s shoulder, and the two made their way toward the Nameless Abode together. One was playing as a matchmaker for a payment of silver and the other was looking to be a messenger maid in exchange for a visit to the barracks.

Rong Luoyun didn’t know two traitors were coming his way. He was curled up on his bed in a deep dream. In it, Du Zhong galloped to him on his steed. That person opened his arms to him and called out “Palace Lord”. Rong Luoyun happily ran towards him.

“Du Zhong……” Rong Luoyun reached out his hands and touched something hairy. He opened his eyes in a daze. Lu Zhun and Diao Yuliang crouched at the bed, side by side, as they stared earnestly at him.

Rong Luoyun received a fright and immediately shrunk into the bed.

Seeing the person was finally awake, Lu Zhun stood to fetch the copper basin and readied a towel and clean water. Diao Yuliang picked out some fresh clothes and even thoughtfully made the bed. Rong Luoyun had his face cleaned and clothes changed. Even his shoes were put on by those two, one on the left and the other on the right.

After busying himself, Lu Zhun asked: “Second Brother, have you forgiven Huo Linfeng?”

Rong Luoyun nodded. Diao Yuliang followed up without missing a beat: “Do you have any plans for today?”

Before Rong Luoyun had formulated an answer, Lu Zhun continued: “Is your relationship with Huo Linfeng as good as before?”

Rong Luoyun shook his head. Diao Yuliang asked again: “Train or read books?”

Before Rong Luoyun could choose, Lu Zhun questioned: “Why not? Do you think the surname Huo doesn’t sound as nice as Du?”

Rong Luoyun couldn’t bear it anymore. He grabbed the two by the scruffs and threw them out with a bonus kick. What kind of illness did these two get this early in the morning to nag even more than the proprietress from Dusk-till-Dawn?

Diao Yuliang crawled up and hugged his leg: “Second Brother, I can only play in the army barracks if I report your situation to Huo Linfeng. Please lend me a hand!” Lu Zhun immediately threw himself over when he heard this: “Second Brother, why don’t you go there with Fourth Bro. If you get back together with Huo Linfeng, I’ll get two thousand taels……”

No wonder. These two were bribed by the rich and powerful General Huo.

For an entire morning, these two plastered onto him like glue. If he needs to write, they’ll grind the ink, if he wants to eat, they’ll scramble to get him food. Two additional pairs of legs followed him everywhere, trailing in his footsteps. By the time the sun hung poles above in the sky, he was tormented into sweating all over and finally gave in.

Diao Yuliang pulled Rong Luoyun along, bouncing out the door in delight.

At this moment, the barracks were hosting a competition and were thundering with the soldiers’ shouts. General Huo, who had spent the night at the brothel, rolled up his sleeves, trying to catch the remnant scent of ginger. He lowered his eyes a little, letting his mind wander.

When he woke in the morning, he found the medicine on his wound had been changed, but his robes were left open. He heard that Rong Luoyun had left in a hurry last night. Just as he was chuckling to himself, a little soldier came to report at the tent’s mouth: “General, someone from the Extraordinary Palace is here.”

Huo Linfeng reckoned it was Diao Yuliang and ordered: “Let them in.”

After a moment, the people were brought over. Through the crowd of soldiers coming and going, Huo Linfeng saw Diao Yuliang skipping over, and behind him, Rong Luoyun followed with a leisurely pace. Huo Linfeng waited for him to approach. When the other party looked over, Huo Linfeng flashed him a smile. Once close enough, he extended his hand to him.

Rong Luoyun naturally refused to take it and explained: “Fourth Bro made me come.”

Huo Linfeng wasn’t concerned about who made him do what. What matters is that he was here. He handed his work to Hu Feng and brought Rong Luoyun toward the archery range. He spoke: “Today’s competition is to help distinguish ranks. This group of soldiers falls short of the Extraordinary Palace’s disciples.”

Rong Luoyun hummed: “How are they after undergoing your training?”

Huo Linfeng laughed: “I’m a wounded soldier. How can I dare talk big?”

This grievance was constantly brought up. It can be used to incur sympathy, to demand repayment, and can even be used to liven the atmosphere. There were few people here, with only the two strolling through the grass fields. Rong Luoyun glanced at the targets and flexed his hands. His mounted archery couldn’t be considered to be too good.

Huo Linfeng asked: “Give it a try?”

He brought Rong Luoyun to the stables in the rear and led out his own treasured steed, a brown-furred colt with water droplets hanging off its mane from its recent bath. “This horse had accompanied me in quite a few battles.” He said, “It’s called Cheng Feng, meaning ‘to brave the wind’.”

Rong Luoyun was somewhat surprised: “Cheng Feng?”

“He’s my good buddy.” Huo Linfeng explained, “I named him Cheng Feng as in the saying, ‘to brave the wind and sail the waves’.”

Rong Luoyun asked: “Then what does ‘Linfeng’ mean?”

Huo Linfeng was caught off guard. He had fantasized many times about how the other party would call his name, but never once had he imagined it to be like this. Linfeng, Linfeng…… He leaned in closer and begged in a low voice: “Luoyun, call me again.”

This turn of events made Rong Luoyun feel embarrassed. For a moment, he didn’t give a reaction. Huo Linfeng stubbornly took a step closer, his low voice sounding husky: “Call me, call my name again.”

Rong Luoyun moved his lips: “…… Huo Linfeng.”

General Huo’s features bloomed into a smile. His heart filled with contentment, and feeling quite pleased, he gave Cheng Feng a punch. The horse felt wronged and immediately lifted his hooves with a whine. Huo Linfeng seized the opportunity to pull Rong Luoyun into his arms and added an unnecessary “be careful”.

Once the horse calmed down, Rong Luoyun hadn’t forgotten: “Why is your name ‘Linfeng’?”

General Huo answered: “Because I’m ‘jade-like Linfeng [1]’, the most handsome man in all of Saibei.”

If you enjoy reading Riling Up the Jianghu and would like to support the author (please do if you can!!), please consider purchasing the raws here (guide on JJWXC here). Thanks for reading!

Translator’s Notes: Sorry for the super delayed chapter! Unfortunately, I’ve been super busy with things irl and the next month or so are looking to be even more hectic. I don’t know when I can get the next chapter out, but I hope it won’t take too long. As always, thanks for reading ❤

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