SEHE Chapter 123

Seeking Shelter

Wushu had left in such a hurry that he hadn’t brought any bedding. Pei Yanci covered himself and Tangxi Zhui with several layers of clothing, but was still woken by the cold in the middle of the night.

The fresh straw beneath them had already been covered with several layers of clothing, but it was still prickly. His hands and feet were ice cold, and because of his injury, he could only maintain a prone position. His body had long since gone numb, his chest constantly compressed, making it difficult to breathe.

As soon as he moved, his wound throbbed painfully. Grimacing, he glanced to the side and saw Tangxi Zhui lying straight and stiff, sleeping soundly.

“What’s wrong?” Wuli had been snoring one moment, but immediately jolted awake the next, rubbing his nose.

“Nothing.”

The night wind was very cold.

They hadn’t found a cave and could only sleep on the leeward slope for the night.

Wuli moved his hands and feet, then threw the outer garment covering him onto Pei Yanci.

“You cover yourself properly, I don’t need yours.” Just as Pei Yanci’s hand moved, Wuli stopped him.

“Your lack of conscience is your business. I’m not an ungrateful person.”

Without allowing any argument, Wuli covered him with the outer garment.

“I saved your life, now you’ve saved mine. We’re completely even now.” Once Wuli relaxed his grip, Pei Yanci stubbornly returned the outer garment to him.

“Why must you always calculate things so clearly?” Wuli said in exasperation. “If you catch a cold, won’t I still have to take care of you in the end?”

“If you get sick, with a group of old, weak, sick and disabled people, how will we escape from those pursuing bandits?” Pei Yanci coughed twice.

During the day, not long after they woke up, they had heard the movements of several bandits. It seemed they had been well paid and were still dutifully searching for them. After that, they had no choice but to abandon the wooden plank and were forced to travel urgently.

Wuli’s lips turned down. “Don’t think I’m genuinely being cheap wanting to be good to you. If you don’t want it, then don’t. I’ll sleep comfortably, and I’m reluctant to give it to you anyway.”

With that, he covered his head with the clothing and lay down to sleep.

The atmosphere fell silent again.

Pei Yanci moved his hands and feet, turned his back to him, and rubbed his hands together for warmth under the clothing.

Fortunately it wasn’t winter yet, and they were heading south, so it wouldn’t be unbearably cold.

“Um……” After a long while, hesitant words came from behind his back again.

“When you saved me in the river, did you truly have no compassion at all? I mean, when a person is about to die right in front of you, even if you don’t know them, even if you’re not involved with them, wouldn’t you feel some reluctance?”

“No.” Pei Yanci answered without hesitation, most of his face immersed in the dim darkness of night.

“You really are……” Really are what, Wuli hadn’t read many books and didn’t know how to describe it.

He shouldn’t have opened his mouth to ask, only to get a bellyful of anger in return.

Originally he had thought that perhaps this person might save his life so that he wouldn’t feel guilty and regretful for the rest of his life, and he could deceive himself into accepting that.

How could he have imagined that Pei Yanci saved him purely just to use him.

Nothing more.

He sniffled, feeling indescribably sad.

How could there be such a person in the world?

Normally they called each other brothers, spoke more sweetly than they sang, but in reality were cold and heartless, with a heart like a stone that could never be warmed.

But thinking it over, he was just seeking that kind of special treatment that he couldn’t get from Pei Yanci. Aside from the harsh words said at the inn, Pei Yanci had actually treated him quite well.

Promoted him to be the front courtyard manager, removed his low-born status, gave him such a large mansion to live in, with servants and attendants to wait on him, and even helped smooth the way for him to join the Jinwu Guards.

Regardless of how much of this was for the sake of using him, or what purposes he was meant to accomplish, he was slow-witted and couldn’t sort it out, but these benefits he had genuinely enjoyed.

Under heaven, who knows how many people used you, harmed you completely, and even wanted your life in the end, yet you still thought well of them until death.

“Forget it, just consider me cheap. Saving your life can also be considered repayment for the life debt I owed before.” Wuli said sullenly. “You’re usually so eloquent, why aren’t you thinking of deceiving me now? Even if it were fake, I’d feel better.”

If one could be deceived for a lifetime, then where would the lie be? That would be truth.

“You know, if I get angry, I might just stop caring about you, leave you and your crippled lover here to fend for yourselves.”

Now that he was angry, he was angry for just a moment.

Then it was gone.

“Since you already knew at the inn, I didn’t want to deceive you anymore.” Pei Yanci said with his back to him. “After all, you once called me big brother.”

“Big brother.” Wuli pursed his lips aggrievedly, and slowly, reluctantly, hugged him from behind.

There was no one else in the world who treated him this well.

So when Pei Yanci said those words, it was like stabbing a knife into his heart.

Pei Yanci patted his hand but didn’t speak.

He too had felt some warmth and companionship of family from Wuli and Wushu, but he didn’t want such deep bonds.

The more bonds, the more burdensome they became.

Better to just lay it all out plainly, only discuss interests, don’t touch feelings.

This way he could stay clear-headed and see things clearly.

“I’m going to relieve myself.” Wuli’s words carried a hint of choking, and he let go, awkwardly getting up to leave.

Pei Yanci hadn’t felt it before, but as soon as that fat heat source left his back, he immediately felt even colder.

He rubbed his left foot against Tangxi Zhui’s leg, and unsurprisingly kicked the person awake.

Tangxi Zhui groggily shifted his body, eyes still not open, felt around for him, spread his legs, and tucked both his feet between his own legs.

“Very cold?” Because of excessive blood loss, he was rather drowsy.

“Mm.” Pei Yanci said aggrievedly. “Frozen numb.”

The mountain nights were damp and cold.

“Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

“Move away, you coming closer makes me colder.” Pei Yanci said disdainfully, but just after speaking, felt his numb frozen feet transmitting waves of warmth from his body.

“What I taught you before was all wasted.” Tangxi Zhui circulated his cultivation method. “Practice your internal energy cultivation more during this time, it will help the wound heal.”

“Fine, fine, I’ll practice tomorrow, but I’m so cold right now.” Pei Yanci said softly, his voice carrying a hint of coquettishness. Seeing him about to extend his arm to embrace him, he quickly pressed down on him. “Don’t move.”

With that, he propped up his upper body with his right hand, slowly moved closer, and contentedly hugged his waist, resting his cheek and chin on his chest, letting out a satisfied sigh.

“Thank you, Master.”

Tangxi Zhui’s expression had just shown something unusual when he immediately received a light punch.

“What improper thoughts are you having?”

“……None.” Tangxi Zhui pressed his lips together and suppressed the messy indecent thoughts.

But Pei Yanci wouldn’t let him off, his fingers circling on his chest, eyes rippling with autumn waves. “What, want me to call you that in bed too?”

Just thinking of this scene made Tangxi Zhui’s eyes redden and heart heat up, unable to completely suppress the smile at the corners of his mouth. “You’re the one who brought it up— hiss……”

Pei Yanci pinched hard through the fabric at that raised point on his chest. “Always thinking such improper thoughts all day long, when we get back I’m going to burn all your spring palace pictures.”

“They’re all treasures though.”

“What’s a eunuch like you looking at them for? Confiscate them all.”

“Just say you want to look at them.” Tangxi Zhui pouted.

“Yes, I want to look at them now, get all hot and bothered, better than freezing.”

Tangxi Zhui said tenderly, “The people from the Elu Bureau will arrive soon, just endure a few more days.”

“Mm. This time it wasn’t Huo Cun who sent people to kill you, was it? Was your body double in the capital discovered?” With his ear against his chest, Pei Yanci could clearly hear the strong, steady heartbeat through the clean clothing, very reassuring.

“I don’t know about the body double situation, but Huo Cun wouldn’t come to kill me.” Tangxi Zhui thought about it and added, “If the Elu Bureau wanted to kill someone, they wouldn’t need to borrow the bandits’ hands, they could do it directly without leaving any trace.”

“Those people’s methods for dealing with you were professional, but their martial arts and organizational ability were truly amateurish.”

“There were professional assassins among those bandits, just not many. You’re also lucky, showing off those three-legged cat skills is embarrassing— hiss……”

He was hit again.

“Tangxi Zhui, was your mouth fed bamboo shoots growing up?”

“Xiao Pei’er, I’m still injured.” Tangxi Zhui’s eyes were unfocused, the corners drooping. “Before, you used to be respectful and polite to me.”

“Now who still cares if you’re Nine-Thousand-Years or not.” Though he said this, it still stirred up guilt in Pei Yanci’s heart. When changing his clothes in the afternoon, aside from the few bloody holes in his shoulder and arm, Tangxi Zhui had many small injuries all over his body, all left from protecting him. Quite a few pebbles were still deeply embedded in his flesh.

This person had a calm expression, didn’t even furrow his brow, as if he were just leisurely lying in the sun, not complaining of pain at all.

Pei Yanci scolded him thoroughly, but also knew this person didn’t want him to worry.

“I’ll massage it for you, don’t move around.” He instructed worriedly.

Tangxi Zhui was speechless. “I only injured my arm, I’m not paralyzed…… Fine, I’ll listen to you.”

Though his eyes couldn’t see, his heart was clear as a mirror, keenly sensing Pei Yanci’s displeasure.

Pei Yanci’s uninjured hand slowly kneaded him, relaxing the muscles that had gone numb, yawning as he muttered, “I feel like they might be people sent by Gu Wanchong. This person has grudges against both you and me.”

“Not to mention me, how did you make an enemy of him?”

“Well…… you know, I used to be emperor…… He was once a Grand General who tried to usurp power and seize the throne……” He rarely admitted it.

Grand General……

Tangxi Zhui suddenly remembered when Pei Yanci was drunk last time, this person had said with their own mouth that there was an untold past with their former Grand General.

That so-called Grand General, couldn’t it be Gu Wanchong?

His devastatingly beautiful face slowly turned cold, and conversely, his blood-red lips formed a sinister smile.

Pei Yanci didn’t want to say much about his soul transmigration, and changed the subject. “This time when you were imprisoned, he also poached your people, turned the Minister of Justice, Cui Ya and Huo Cun. They’re all the people closest to you, how could they not know your weak points?”

With that, he sighed. “From now on hide your tracks better, it’s really worrying.”

Tangxi Zhui was stunned. “I thought you’d say, don’t let me kill people anymore, it’s too evil, it will bring retribution.”

“A poisonous snake with its fangs pulled, how is that different from a rope?” Pei Yanci sighed. “If you kill them, you must have your reasons. It must be that they were wrong.”

“Many times there isn’t.” Tangxi Zhui rarely felt somewhat ashamed.

Cruel by nature, this was the real him.

Before meeting Pei Yanci, he had never believed in karmic retribution, doing whatever he pleased.

Now, he feared that the evil he’d committed in the first half of his life would backfire on them.

“Then it’s the fault of those people from the past who wronged you.” Pei Yanci lazily yawned. “They’re the ones who made you into the person you are.”

He waited, but hearing no response, drowsily forced his eyes open. “What’s wrong, did I say something wrong?”

“Mm.”

This was the first time he’d heard someone say he wasn’t wrong, that those who made him into what he is now were wrong.

He couldn’t help but smile, somewhat moved. “Having a thick face is one thing, but your ass is also crooked beyond measure.”

Just this one sentence supporting him was enough.

Let the whole world hate him, curse him, spit on him, revile him, and fear him.

What did it matter?

He had Pei Yanci, worth more than a thousand troops and ten thousand horses, better than all the worldly goodness others possessed.

Even though they both clearly knew this concept completely contradicted mainstream secular values, was so twisted and unreasonable.

Those painful pasts he had suffered, one day, he could actually recall them with calm detachment.

His heart, riddled with holes and festering with pus, was slowly healing.

Actually, when Pei Yanci and Wuli were talking, he had already been awake.

Would he become the exception in Pei Yanci’s heart?

“Mind your own business about how I’m crooked. What I say, you’re not allowed to refute.” Pei Yanci glared at him. “Did you hear me?”

“Good.” Tangxi Zhui couldn’t stop the smile on his face, completely devoid of his former sinister and hostile air. “I’ll listen to everything you say.”

“Your smile is so ugly, covered in dust and dirt, and giving off a foolish air.” Pei Yanci reached out to brush his hair, wiped off a bit of mud on his face, and kissed him on the cheek.

So experiencing life and death upheavals really could make one’s heart move for someone.

“Sleep.” Pei Yanci half-lay on him, avoiding the wound as he held him.

Tangxi Zhui circulated his internal energy to warm him, and he served as a human blanket to shield him from wind and dew.

When Wuli walked back, seeing the two nestled together sleeping, he curled his lips in disdain.

Simply couldn’t bear to look.

****

The dry rations ran out by the evening of the second day.

Pei Yanci and Tangxi Zhui’s feet weren’t too injured, but he had a waist injury, and walking too much or too fast inevitably pulled at the wound. Seeing that he alone was slowing down everyone’s progress, he had Tangxi Zhui carry Wushu on his back and use lightness skills to scout ahead first.

Sure enough, before long, the two brought back good news—at the foot of the mountain on the other side was a small village, and cooking smoke could be faintly seen.

The four of them had endured a day of hunger and rushed along, finally knocking on the door of a household at dusk.

The door was opened by a woman in her forties. Before she could see who it was, only seeing a stranger, she said, “Officer sirs, our family really has no surplus grain.”

Wushu poked his head out from behind Wuli. “Grandma, we’re not officers.”

The child immediately reduced the aggressiveness of their group.

The middle-aged woman finally saw their faces clearly. “By the looks of it, you encountered bandits, didn’t you?”

“Yes, could we impose on you for one night’s lodging?” Pei Yanci said kindly. “We’ll leave first thing tomorrow morning.”

The woman’s expression showed some difficulty. After struggling, she finally relented for the child’s sake, opened the door wide, and let them into the house.

The sky had already darkened. The courtyard wasn’t large and had a smell of livestock droppings, but the dirt ground was very clean with no livestock in sight. Under the eaves were piled a sparse dozen or so pieces of firewood. The roof was made of thatch, below it mud walls, the walls already mottled and dilapidated, the three or four layers of stone bricks at the foundation also worn with missing edges and corners.

This was the house they had selected after looking around the village, choosing one that seemed relatively decent.

The woman opened the creaking, crooked wooden door. Inside, no lamps were lit. Borrowing the moonlight, they could vaguely see three or four rooms close together inside.

“Damu, they’re not officers, come out quickly.”

As she spoke, she went to the kitchen, and before long, came out with four black bowls with chipped edges, smiling sheepishly. “You look like you’re from wealthy families. We don’t have much here, please make do with it.”

Only when Wuli took it in hand did he see clearly what was in the bowl—it was a bowl of soup with vegetable leaves floating in it. Only when the spoon stirred could he see a few grains of rice settled at the bottom of the bowl.

A middle-aged man coughing climbed in through the window from behind the house. Seeing Pei Yanci’s group, he pulled the woman over, his eyes full of wariness.

Especially after seeing Wuli’s large build.

Three young, strong men were enough to commit any violent act against them without their being able to resist.

Pei Yanci pushed Wushu forward. Wushu immediately called out sweetly, “Grandpa, Grandma, please take us in for one night. We’re very pitiful, we were attacked by bandits in the mountains and got badly injured. If you don’t let us stay, we’ll have nowhere to go.”

The scent of blood floated in the air, seeming genuine.

Damu’s face was full of difficulty, but in the end it turned into a sigh. “Wife, clean out the two rooms next door.”

The people were already inside. If conflict arose, the couple would be the ones to suffer.

Only then did the four feel at ease to sit down, thank them, and begin eating the food in the bowls. Even though they hadn’t eaten well these past few days, Pei Yanci still found this bowl of wild vegetable porridge somewhat hard to swallow.

Not only bitter, but it scratched the throat.

After hurriedly finishing, when the woman enthusiastically asked if they wanted a second bowl, they declined.

The others had the same thought.

Having traveled all day, they were all tired.

Wuli brought two basins of water for Pei Yanci and the other, then returned to his room.

Pei Yanci held the cloth, looking at Tangxi Zhui with a wicked smile.

“Little beauty, obediently take off your clothes, let this lord have a look at your body.”

Tangxi Zhui: “……”