Chapter 73: Nian Yuzhuo
At eleven, Nian Yuzhuo’s family met with disaster. At eighteen, he became a hall master of Xuanyin Sect. At twenty, Left Protector. In all his life, he’d never met an opponent he couldn’t handle.
At worst, it was a stalemate, a temporary bind. Give him a breath, the killing intent would rise again.
When he was fifteen, by a twist of fate, he found a pigeon someone else was training behind the sect.
He was bone-tired and starving then, just a lowly disciple being punished by a hall master for a mistake.
He’d wanted to eat that pigeon more than anything, but the letter tied to its leg caught his eye.
After careful consideration, he used a charcoal ember to scrawl a few words on the back of the paper, then set the pigeon free.
Li Dong knew all of this. It had been years since he’d read the book, but he remembered the tragic, brooding teenager waiting in the back hills of a demonic sect, stomach growling, for a single pigeon to grace him.
It was hard to imagine that, after so many blows, that cynical male-lead shou still played “message in a bottle” with carrier pigeons.
But without that “bottle,” there’d be no story.
“Why so quiet?” Nian Yuzhuo said. “I say a few words and you get fidgety?”
Li Dong said nothing, He stared at his “little hand,” sulking.
It was this delicate hand that had just been spanked twice by the Sect Leader, along with his butt.
They reached Fuqu Courtyard.
“Sect Leader.” Wan Muchun bowed, then went to tease Li Dong a little. “Young Lord Rongqing, we meet again.” His old face bloomed like a chrysanthemum.
“Stinky.” The moment Li Dong saw him, he turned his head and burrowed hard into Nian Yuzhuo’s cloak. “Ugh, Yuyu, no needles.” To curry favor, he planted a noisy kiss on Yuyu’s cheek.
“Hahaha.” Nian Yuzhuo laughed out loud. Even with his mind regressed, Rongqing clearly had a quick, lively nature.
Wan Muchun froze to the side. How many years had it been since he’d seen the leader laugh with abandon? That was simply nonexistent.
And yet with this Young Lord Rongqing in his arms, the leader smiled so openly.
“No,” said Nian Yuzhuo. “We’re still doing the needles.” He carried Li Dong in with great care, afraid to hurt him even a little.
“Bad Yuyu.” Li Dong pushed at the leader and didn’t budge. “Waa—”
“Wan Muchun.” Nian Yuzuo said, releasing Li Dong’s clothing. and glanced at the palm mark on his chest, better than yesterday. “Get the silver needles.”
…So the leader was just going to ignore the tantrum.
He looked down and saw a puffed-up face. He was only dazed for a moment, then maintained a calm, ripple-free expression and moved his eyes away.
“Yuyu,” Li Dong called.
“What is it?” He looked down again.
“It hurts,” Li Dong said.
“Don’t be afraid.” Nian Yuzhuo took the same sticky little hand he’d just disdained and held it anyway. “It won’t hurt.”
“Leader,” Wan Muchun said, returning.
“Mm.” Nian Yuzhuo covered Li Dong’s eyes. “You, keep it light.”
Wan Muchun sighed inside, just a touch. “As you command.” He was, in truth, happy for his leader.
The needles didn’t actually hurt. With his eyes covered, Li Dong couldn’t even feel when they went in.
His body, though, grew uncomfortable: chest tight, breath short, head dizzy, eyes dim.
“Mm…” he groaned.
“Almost done,” Nian Yuzhuo said softly.
If there was a next time, Li Dong swore he’d never believe any ancient doctor’s “almost done.”
Half an hour later, the last needle came out of his chest. “Ptui…” He sat up and spat a mouthful of black blood.
“Rongqing.” Nian Yuzhuo tensed and personally took a clean cloth to wipe Li Dong’s lips.
“I’ll fetch water,” Wan Muchun said quickly.
With that one mouthful out, Li Dong’s whole body felt clear. “Yuyu, I want fruit.” He smiled like a flower, a pair of innocent eyes pure and clear.
“All right,” said Nian Yuzhuo. “I’ll get you fruit.”
Wan Muchun came back with water and saw the leader hugging a smiling Young Lord Rongqing like he was holding the whole world.
From that day on, Li Dong got a lot of good fruit.
If you ignored the needles, the medicinal baths, the inner-energy infusions, all that messy stuff, life at Xuanyin Sect was pretty great.
Meals, bathing, and sleep were all looked after. As for the snacks Yuyu arranged, he shamefully gained two jin in a week.
“I’m not happy,” said Li, age three, cupping his cheeks.
“Mm?” The leader sat on the floor with a book.
“I got fat,” Li Dong said, reaching for the candle flame.
“Naughty.” Yuyu pinched the hand back. “It’s late. You should settle down.”
Here, “settle down” meant sleep. Li Dong rolled to the side. “I’m not sleepy.” Were the toys boring or the snacks bland? Why sleep. “Nom, nom.”
“Rongqing,” Nian Yuzhuo said, face stern.
“Yuyu—” Li Dong just spoke louder.
“I’m going to spank you.” Nian Yuzuo said, pretending to raise his palm.
“Then I won’t play with you!” Li Dong scooped up the snack box and crawled away on the carpet.
“You little rascal.” Yuyu tackled him and the two rolled together.
“Ah!” Li Dong yelped. “My peanuts!”
They rolled across the rug. Goodbye, edible peanuts. Wasteful leader.
“Pfft.” Yuyu plucked the single peanut left in the box and popped it in his mouth.
“You can’t eat my peanut.” Li Dong spun in circles, frantic, then leaned in and tried to steal it from Yuyu’s mouth.
The leader’s heart skipped. He didn’t refuse whatever the other wanted to do in his mouth.
“Eating Yuyu’s mouth,” Li Dong giggled, suckling.
“Okay,” Yuyu murmured, eyes half-closed. “Yuyu’s mouth, for Rongqing to eat.”
A perfectly sane him, and a not-so-sane him, with one innocent peanut passed back and forth between their mouths.
Next morning.
When Nian Yuzhuo drifted awake, it had been seven days. Every dawn he found a warm body at his side; a leg hooked over him, or a hand flopped across him. Comforting in a way he’d never known.
For more than twenty years, he’d never let anyone close. He was still a virgin.
What happened in the brothel when he was eleven had carved too many ugly memories.
Even grown, women’s bodies stirred nothing in him.
Holding his long-time confidant Rongqing now, his heart finally settled. He wanted more touches of skin, and more than anything, he wanted to be one with his beloved.
“Sect Leader.” A maid called outside the door.
He didn’t need maids to serve him closely. They slipped in with heads lowered, set down a basin, towels, and two clean sets of clothes, then left quietly.
“You’re awake?” Nian Yuzhuo said. “Up to wash and dress. I need to handle sect affairs today.”
He hadn’t shown himself to the disciples for days while caring for Li Dong.
“Mm…” Li Dong obeyed just enough to dally a moment, then, after three pleas from the leader, got scooped up and dressed and washed.
“I’ll do your hair,” Yuyu said, taking a wooden comb to that pretty head of hair.
He tied on his own long-used tassel at the end of Li Dong’s braid.
“Yuyu, are we having yesterday morning’s silver-thread-wrapped golden balls again?” Li Dong complained inwardly. Fancy name, but it was just glass noodles wrapped around sweet potato balls. Sigh.
“If you want them, we’ll have them,” Yuyu said.
So they had glass-noodle sweet-potato balls for breakfast.
Xuanyin Sect Council Hall.
Elder Wu entered. “The leader’s been absent lately. What’s going on?” His eyes fixed on Cai Jiugao, the Left Protector.
“What do you mean, Elder Wu?” Cai Jiugao said. “I don’t know much either.”
“The leader’s here,” Hua Sanniang said. “You can see for yourself.”
“Leader arrives!” cried a disciple.
All eyes turned to the door. The leader strode in, as cool and imposing as ever. Only this time, a long-limbed, breathtaking young lord followed at his side.
That wasn’t the point. The point was the young lord had his arm hooked through the leader’s.
“Yuyu.” Feeling all those eyes, Li Dong scrambled up the leader like a tree.
“…” That was the reaction from every hall master, protector, and elder.
“Don’t be afraid.” Yuyu soothed him, then lifted his eyes, cold, at the room. “What are you gawking at?”
Everyone jolted back to life. “Welcome, Leader!” In an instant, knees hit the floor in rows. Only two people remained standing.
Yuyu walked Li Dong through the center and took the top seat. “Rise.”
They stood and, looking up, saw Li Dong sprawled casually beside the leader. Shock crawled over their faces.
“Leader?” Elder Wu was the first to speak. “May we ask who this young lord is?”
They were happy to kneel to the leader. But who was this stranger, and what right did he have to take their kneel?
“Elder Wu,” Yuyu said, “who he is doesn’t matter. Do your job well. That’s all.”
Elder Wu swallowed the leader’s cold look and felt thoroughly aggrieved.
“Reporting to the Leader,” Cai Jiugao said, “Weiyuan Escort Bureau’s Head Instructor Yang arrived in the town below yesterday. He sent his card to request an audience for a matter of business.”
“Weiyuan Escort Bureau?” Yuyu caught Li Dong’s wandering hand as it reached for the pastries. “He’s probably here because our sub-rudder in Huanghua is cutting into his routes…”
What was so good about council-hall pastries anyway? And yet this person was dying to snack.
“Then you…” Cai Jiugao’s words stalled. He’d just seen the leader wipe that someone’s hand with his own sleeve. “Er, what’s your will?”
Nine times out of ten, that meant no audience.
“I hear he’s collected lots of curios on the road,” Yuyu said. “Fine, let him in.” He shifted an arm to pin down the fidgety darling. “What else?”
“Reporting, Leader, the Qishan rudder… because… then…”
Matters came one by one, some trivial, some thorny. Each needed the leader’s say.
Li Dong couldn’t move, except for his eyeballs. So he looked at the lovely Hua Sanniang, who shot him a glare. Then at the immortal-aura’d Elder Wu, whose old eyes brimmed with probing.
“Yuyu.” A sudden call cut through the reports.
Everyone broke into a cold sweat for Li Dong. The leader hated being interrupted most of all.
“Mm?” Yuyu paused naturally and looked down at the man pinned to his side. “Bored?” he asked. “Hold on a bit longer. We’re almost done.”
…Down below, mouths fell open again. Was this the same ruthless, decisive leader they knew?
After that, no one dared drag out their reports. Only the essentials.
None of them were fools. They’d all clawed their way here through a thousand hardships.
“Anything else?” Yuyu asked.
“Reporting, Leader.” Hua Sanniang stepped forward. “If I’m not mistaken, you’re 26 this year. It’s time to start a family.” She continued, “Why not take a wife and have a few children?”
All: “The Right Protector makes sense. We second it.”
Only now did everyone realize the leader was 26 and still unmarried. The elders felt ashamed for not noticing sooner.
“Thank you for the reminder,” Yuyu said. “Cai Jiugao, you’ll prepare the wedding. You have seven days.”
“Yes, Leader,” Cai Jiugao said. “But seven days may be too tight.” After all, the bride wasn’t even chosen. “And the choice of bride should be carefully screened…”
“The bride is Rongqing,” Yuyu said.
“Ah?” Shock rippled through the hall. Li Dong dropped his melon seed.
Getting married was basically the same as getting a license. Once he worked that out, he calmed right down.
For Yuyu to decide so fast to keep a not-all-there “Rongqing” by his side for life, well, that was good news. Li Dong relaxed. He’d always wanted the powerful, once-tragic Nian Yuzhuo to get a good ending.
To toot his own horn, if anyone could give him that ending, it was Li Dong. No one else knew Yuyu’s heart and needs better. No one else saw the tender, passionate core under that iron shell.
The jianghu was noisy these days. Rumor had it the “most beautiful man under heaven,” Su Lingya, had vanished at Qingfeng Daoist Temple, life or death unknown.
Zixiao Sect posted missing notices everywhere and offered heavy rewards.
As Su Lingya’s senior brother, Zhang Junluo searched like mad. He still couldn’t find him. Back at Zixiao, he drank to drown his guilt and wept. “It’s my fault. I argued with Third Brother, said swordwork was useless. If not for that, he wouldn’t have asked me for a match…”
“First Senior Brother,” Second Senior Brother Guo Tao said, “don’t blame yourself. It wasn’t your fault. And Third Brother’s only missing. I believe he’ll come back.”
“I hope so,” Zhang Junluo said, taking another drink, haggard.
Wang Muxin heard of his eldest disciple’s state from others and sighed. “Lingya, where are you?”
Weiyuan Escort Bureau was in Huanghua Town, with more than twenty people, feeding their families by running escort routes.
Lately, Xuanyin had opened a sub-rudder in Huanghua, seriously affecting business.
Head Instructor Yang figured the leader wouldn’t see him, but for the sake of the men at the bureau, he came ready to be turned away.
He got lucky. The leader agreed to meet.
“Go on in. The leader’s inside,” said Cai Jiugao.
“Thank you, Protector Cai.” Yang bowed and stepped through the door. “Yang pays respects to the leader. I came uninvited and beg your pardon.”
“Sit,” said Yuyu, too busy to chat, fingers busy shelling melon seeds for Li Dong. “I hear you’ve ranged far and wide and gathered quite a trove?”
“I wouldn’t dare claim that.” Yang caught sight of Li Dong’s face and froze. “Su—”
“Mm?” Yuyu said. “I know why you’re here. I’ll say it straight. The sub-rudder’s staying. But I can route some business your way.”
“Yes…” Yang’s mind went blank. He didn’t catch a word after that. All he could think of was Zixiao’s heavy reward. “Yes…” That was hundreds of taels, enough for a year with no jobs.
He rushed down the mountain and spurred his horse toward Zixiao.
“Sect Master, someone below seeks an audience. He says he knows about Third Senior Brother,” a disciple reported.
“Bring him,” said Wang Muxin at once.
Soon, a junior stopped Zhang Junluo. “First Senior Brother, there’s news about Third Senior Brother. Master wants you to come plan.”
When he entered, Wang Muxin said, “Lingya’s at Xuanyin.” He looked at Zhang. “We’ll go at once and bring him back.”
“Master,” Zhang said, “you can’t. Zixiao needs you to hold the fort. Let me go.”
He couldn’t let his master see the mess between him and Nian Yuzhuo. This trip had to settle things.
“Very well,” Wang Muxin said. He knew he’d been thinking with his heart.
After soothing his master, Zhang Junluo went down the mountain. Empty-handed, he rode alone to Xuanyin.
Since ancient times, righteous and demonic didn’t mix, and few from the righteous path set foot in a demonic stronghold.
A man claiming to be Zixiao’s First Senior Brother came seeking the leader. A disciple didn’t even look up. “Move along. The leader doesn’t meet righteous types.”
“Please, at least report it,” Zhang said. “I truly have urgent business.”
“You’re urgent, but is it more urgent than our leader?” the disciple said. “Off you go. We’re holding a wedding soon. No time for you.”
“A wedding?” Zhang asked. “Whose wedding?”
“Our leader’s getting married,” the disciple said, grinning like it was his own. “To a beautiful young lord.” He’d just heard from Hall Master Mu, apparently the young lord was stunning.
“Ah?” Zhang stood there, mouth open, and in a flash he understood. “I doubt Zixiao will agree.” He set his jaw and said, “Inform the leader at once. I’m that beautiful young lord’s First Senior Brother, Chengqi.”
Chengqi was Nian Yuzhuo’s courtesy name. For years of correspondence, Zhang Junluo had always signed off to “Chengqi.”
When the disciple reported a man using that name, Yuyu’s hand trembled and the cup hit the ground, shattering in two.
“Bring him,” he said, voice unsteady. Maybe it was just the same name.
“Yes, Leader,” the disciple said, withdrawing.
Just when Zhang Junluo had grown impatient at the gate, someone finally came to fetch him.
“Come,” the disciple said. “The leader will see you.”
“Thank you,” Zhang said, bowing.
He followed the Xuanyin disciple, stepping into the demonic heartland for the first time.
On the way, his feelings twisted with regret. He didn’t want to acknowledge Nian Yuzhuo. That would mean entanglement.
But he also couldn’t watch Nian Yuzhuo mistake Third Junior Brother for himself. That would gnaw at him.
“Enter,” Yuyu said.
Zhang Junluo pushed the door open. At first sight of the leader, he was startled. Before him stood a young, striking man, so different from the fearsome tales.
Exactly like the “Chengqi” he’d imagined: outstanding, brilliant.
“Zixiao’s First Senior Brother,” Yuyu said, also measuring him. What a poised, handsome man. “What business brings you to my demonic sect?”
“Chengqi?” Zhang went straight at it.
Yuyu’s eyes widened. “Who are you?”
“Are you really Chengqi?” Zhang bowed. “I’m Rongqing, the fool who loves carrier pigeons and can’t train their homing.”
“You’re Rongqing?” Yuyu’s face blanched. Then who was the man in his bed?
“I am. But that’s not why I’m here.” Zhang straightened. “My Third Junior Brother Su Lingya, is he in your residence?”
Xiaofeng Hall.
Li Dong snored softly on the leader’s bed. He’d been recovering well; a healthy flush had returned to his cheeks.
“Your junior brother?” Yuyu said. “No one by that name here.”
“Chengqi?” Zhang’s heart surged. Did the other still not believe he was Rongqing? “We’ve known each other more than ten years. There’s trust between us. Why hide it?”
Yuyu said nothing.
“Lingya is my master’s heart’s treasure,” Zhang said, stepping closer. “I don’t know why you took him to Xuanyin, but no matter what he did, please show mercy and let him come back with me.”
Yuyu cut him off. “Why did you write and hint I’d find someone in the bamboo grove behind Qingfeng?”
“I was there too,” Zhang said. “But I had to leave for a moment. When I returned, you and Third Junior Brother were gone.”
Silence from Yuyu again.
“Chengqi, let Lingya return with me,” Zhang said.
“I already told you,” Yuyu stood. “There’s no such person in Xuanyin.”
Author’s Note:
【Today’s question: Where will unmasked Dong-ge go next?】
A: Little cabbage yellow in the field. B: Little cabbage yellow in the field.
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