Chapter 31 · Little Did They Know, still in vain
With a sigh, Long Qinghan unconsciously rested his head on Feng Xuanyang’s shoulder and slowly confessed, “In truth, I misunderstood.”
“Oh?” Feng Xuanyang feigned surprise, raising an eyebrow knowingly. He asked, “Misunderstood what?”
“That sword is actually called ‘Mo yue.’ It’s not the same as the ‘Demon Moon’; rather, it refers to ‘hardships’ and ‘father-in-law,’ indicating that I got it wrong from the beginning.”
Feng Xuanyang simulated a surprised expression and asked, “How did you come to know the sword’s true name? Furthermore, how can you be sure that the sword isn’t what you thought it to be?”
Long Qinghan glanced at Feng Xuanyang with a hint of detachment. “I examined it just now, and there are two characters near the hilt—’Mo yue.’ As for why I think it’s not… perhaps it’s just intuition. Through this ordeal, I vaguely sense that ‘Demon Moon’ isn’t a sword at all; it’s a person.”
A swift and enigmatic gleam flickered in Feng Xuanyang’s eyes, unnoticed by Long Qinghan as he nestled in his embrace.
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Wldt Dwyduydt vktbvldle bkp bsze sd Nsdt Ckdtbyd, tldvzu awddkdt bkp qkdtlap vbaswtb bkp byka. “Rq vbyv’p vbl nypl, zlv’p rwv vbkp xyvvla vs alpv. Psd’v eolzz sd kv ydu qwavbla.”
“Yxx.” Nsdt Ckdtbyd dseele, yefwpvkdt bkp rspkvksd okvbkd Wldt Dwyduydt’p yaxp, yde psqvzu yeele, “Ju vbl oyu, R nyd’v qyvbsx obu Pwyd Mkyduk byp pbsod wp ds hktkzydnl obyvpslhla, lhld okzzkdtzu ykekdt uswa alnshlau. Rv’p iwkvl rlnwzkya. Wsa y pjkzzle yppyppkd zkjl bkx, sdl oswze lmrlnv blktbvldle nywvksd, yde ulv… xsalshla, vbyv posae kp kdnalekczu saekdyau. Fs, obu oswze vbspl kdekhkewyzp ts vs pwnb zldtvbp vs yniwkal kv?”
“Twpb…” Wldt Dwyduydt zsolale bkp blye yde rzydvle y jkpp sd Nsdt Ckdtbyd’p zkrp. Tl tldvzu cawpble y byde ytykdpv Nsdt Ckdtbyd’p lulzypblp yde vldelazu prsjl, “Rv’p tlvvkdt zyvl, yde usw xwpv cl vkale. Slpv qsa dso, yde ol nyd nsdvlxrzyvl vbl alpv obld xsadkdt nsxlp.”
“Gzaktbv…” Wldt Dwyduydt’p hsknl oyp yp psqv yp y qlyvbla taygkdt Nsdt Ckdtbyd’p blyav. Mbl oyaxvb sq bkp byde zlqv Nsdt Ckdtbyd nyrvkhyvle, yde bl pzsozu nzsple bkp lulp vs pzllr, ynnsxrydkle cu y qykdv xwaxwa, “Ebu byhl R clld ps pzllru zyvlzu…”
Wldt Dwyduydt ryvvle bkp cynj pssvbkdtzu, nyzxkdt bkx. Xdnl Nsdt Ckdtbyd oyp pswde ypzllr, Wldt Dwyduydt tldvzu wdvkle bkp byka cwd, alxshle bkp swvla tyaxldv, yde nyaakle bkx vs cle. Gp qsa Wldt Dwyduydt bkxplzq, bl pvyale kdvs vbl ekpvydnl vbswtbvqwzzu, bkp xkde oydelakdt. Xnnypksdyzzu, bl vwadle vs zssj yv Nsdt Ckdtbyd’p rlynlqwz pzllrkdt qynl, pxkzkdt vs bkxplzq.
Oyazu vbl dlmv xsadkdt, obld vblu osjl wr, vblu nskdnkeldvyzzu ldnswdvlale Pwyd Mkyduk yv vbl essapvlr.
Pwyd Mkyduk’p nsxrzlmksd pllxle sqq, okvb qykdv eyaj nkanzlp wdela bkp lulp. Mbl zssj bl tyhl vblx blze yd kdpnawvyczl xlydkdt.
Wldt Dwyduydt, dsv sdl vs cl elvlaale, yrrasynble okvb y rzyuqwz pxkzl yde ypjle, “Jasvbla Pwyd, eke usw pzllr olzz zypv dktbv?”
Duan Tianyi glanced at him coldly and replied in a deep tone, “Satisfactorily.”
“Well, that’s good to hear.” Feng Xuanyang nonchalantly twisted his arm and continued, “Speaking of which, I had an unusually sound sleep last night and feel refreshingly comfortable today. Your skills are indeed remarkable.” He walked closer, reaching out as if to pat Duan Tianyi’s shoulder, only for Duan Tianyi to step back a tad quicker, his gaze fixed on Feng Xuanyang with vigilance.
Feng Xuanyang’s hand stiffened momentarily before he forced a smile and awkwardly withdrew it.
Duan Tianyi gave him a cold look. “Lord Feng, have you always been this casual with people?”
Feng Xuanyang uttered a surprised sound and responded, “I wouldn’t be so casual with people I’m not familiar with, but after your assistance last night, I consider you a friend.”
Duan Tianyi’s eyes suddenly deepened, and he inexplicably glanced at Long Qinghan behind Feng Xuanyang. Then, in a contemplative tone, he uttered a cryptic remark, “However, sometimes it’s the people around you who pose the greatest threat.”
Feng Xuanyang also caught the undertone of his words and, following his gaze, looked at Long Qinghan. An enigmatic glint gathered in his eyes. “Brother Duan, what do you mean by that?”
Duan Tianyi didn’t directly answer. He turned and waved his hand, saying, “Farewell.” After a few steps, he abruptly halted, his foot hovering above the ground, and said, “Oh, I almost forgot. Someone hired to assassinate the Sect Leader, but I declined the offer.”
“What!” Long Qinghan exclaimed in astonishment.
Duan Tianyi turned his head slightly, revealing an eerie smile. Then, he took a step and left, without further explanation.
Feng Xuanyang was taken aback, and he turned to walk over to Long Qinghan’s side, gently smoothing out his furrowed brows. “What are you thinking?”
Long Qinghan raised his head and shook it. “Nothing, forget it. But now I’m suddenly curious about the origin of that sword and where he intends to send it.”
“Oh?” Feng Xuanyang raised an eyebrow. “You weren’t curious last night, but today, curiosity suddenly strikes. Could it be…” He leaned close to Long Qinghan’s ear, his voice deepening, “You’re interested in him, not just curious about the matter, hmm?”
Long Qinghan grew annoyed and forcefully pushed him away. “What are you saying!”
Feng Xuanyang chuckled and patted Long Qinghan’s back to soothe him. “Alright, alright, I misspoke. If you want to know, then follow him.”
Long Qinghan blinked, glared at him, and retorted, “Duan Tianyi is skilled. Even if we have strong martial arts, how could we possibly tail him for days without being noticed?”
Feng Xuanyang pecked Long Qinghan’s cheek and said, “Don’t worry, I have a way, my dear husband.”
Upon hearing the term “husband,” Long Qinghan grew even more frustrated. He forcefully pushed Feng Xuanyang away, adjusted his clothes, and disdainfully remarked, “What method does the great Sect Leader Feng possess?”
Feng Xuanyang playfully replied, “Wasn’t I about to pat his shoulder just now?” He turned his hand to reveal his palm, “At that time, I discreetly released our sect’s Soul-Chasing Incense. So, all I need to do is curl my finger, and I’ll know exactly where he is.”
“Fine, spare me the act. What method do you really have to catch up with him?”
Feng Xuanyang pecked Long Qinghan again, saying, “It’s a secret.”
“…,” Long Qinghan turned his head slightly and gave him a faint glance, then turned and left without a hint of nostalgia.
Feng Xuanyang sheepishly touched his nose, realizing that Long Qinghan was angry. When he’s upset, he wouldn’t curse or shout; he’d just give the cold shoulder.
Long Qinghan returned to the room and prepared his belongings.
Feng Xuanyang walked back to his room and spotted the figure bending over at the bedside. The alluring backside was right in front of him, and his mischievous side emerged. He walked up and pinched it.
No response? Try again. Still no response? Well, then…
“Ah!” A cry escaped from Feng Xuanyang’s mouth. He suddenly crouched down, holding onto his crotch, and tremblingly exclaimed, “You actually… kicked my family jewels.”
Long Qinghan gave him a detached look, his eyes calm as he said, “If you dare to touch me again, I won’t hesitate to remove your wretched appendage.”
Feng Xuanyang’s face turned green. He kept muttering, “Who would satisfy you if you remove it…”
“What did you say?” The tone in Long Qinghan’s words dropped several degrees, sending an icy chill through Feng Xuanyang’s spine. He shivered uncontrollably and blurted out, “No, no, no, I misspoke! I misspoke… well…”
Suddenly, he halted, his expression stiffening. It was only then he realized what he had said. He lifted his gaze and saw Long Qinghan’s frosty face gradually melting into a smile.
Growing annoyed, Feng Xuanyang jumped up, pouncing on Long Qinghan and engaging in a playful struggle.
The two of them frolicked in the room, teasing and wrestling with each other until they were both breathless and too tired to move. They finally collapsed onto the bed.
At that moment, Long Qinghan came to a realization. “Oh no, we’ve wasted so much time. Duan Tianyi might have gotten far ahead. How can we catch up?”
Feng Xuanyang wrapped his arms around Long Qinghan’s waist, planting a playful peck. He leisurely replied, “Don’t worry. With me here, he won’t escape.”
“Oh?” Long Qinghan pinched Feng Xuanyang’s hand, which had been wandering toward his posterior. His voice turned chilly as he said, “Sect Leader Feng, when you say you won’t let him escape, are you sending that so-called ‘Thousand-Mile Divine Steed’ to chase him?”
Feng Xuanyang winced a few times, glancing at his hand that had turned red from the pinch. He leaned closer to Long Qinghan’s ear and whispered, “Qinghan, don’t underestimate the ‘Thousand-Mile Divine Steed.’ I’ve applied a special substance to its nose. It can track Duan Tianyi by scent.”
Long Qinghan lowered his gaze in contemplation but didn’t say anything further. Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind, and he realized he had forgotten something. His voice turned colder as he asked, “Sect Leader Feng, didn’t you say you had no money to buy a horse?”
Unaware of the change in Long Qinghan’s expression, Feng Xuanyang continued to smile and said, “Of course.”
Long Qinghan tightened his grip on Feng Xuanyang’s hand. “Then, where did the money for accommodation come from?”
“Oh…” Feng Xuanyang stretched out the word, “I said I had no money to buy a horse. But I didn’t say I had no money to pay for accommodation.”
“…,” Long Qinghan took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and stopped arguing with Feng Xuanyang. However, he tightened his grip even more.
Though Feng Xuanyang’s hand was hurting, every time he saw Long Qinghan’s icy face soften with annoyance, he felt a rush of happiness. So, they played along this way, with Feng Xuanyang’s hand being the unfortunate victim of Long Qinghan’s irritation.
Thus, they continued their journey riding on the slow-moving “Thousand-Mile Divine Steed,” secretly trailing Duan Tianyi.
However, Duan Tianyi was on horseback, and his speed was naturally much faster than theirs on the donkey. Long Qinghan began to doubt whether they could keep up, but every time he voiced his concern, Feng Xuanyang confidently assured him that they would catch up. Long Qinghan chose to trust him and followed along.
On reflection, Long Qinghan wasn’t particularly eager to part ways with Feng Xuanyang so soon. If they could spend more time together, it would be for the best. Therefore, he didn’t rush Feng Xuanyang either.
The two of them continued to meander along the road like this. At times, Feng Xuanyang couldn’t resist teasing Long Qinghan repeatedly, while other times he would playfully amuse him. Whenever he managed to coax a reaction out of Long Qinghan’s icy face, Feng Xuanyang would remain joyful for days.
Long Qinghan, on the other hand, remained reserved. He tried his best to ignore the person who often teased him. The only thing he couldn’t control was the expletive-laden scolding he would let out whenever Feng Xuanyang provoked him.
However, he noticed that something was amiss over the past few days. His health had deteriorated, often feeling lethargic. Sometimes he couldn’t even eat, and when he forced himself to, he would almost always vomit afterward. Seeing Long Qinghan’s condition, Feng Xuanyang would show great concern, and he couldn’t sleep well from worrying. Yet, Long Qinghan was too proud to see a doctor. He claimed it was due to Feng Xuanyang’s repeated requests, which led Feng Xuanyang to reduce his pestering and extend the time between each request…
After a few more days, Long Qinghan’s bouts of drowsiness increased. His face grew more gaunt. Unable to bear it any longer, Feng Xuanyang took him to see a doctor. Surprisingly, the doctor declared Long Qinghan to be in good health, not sick at all. This left Feng Xuanyang even more worried.
Fortunately, with Feng Xuanyang’s care, Long Qinghan’s health gradually improved. The color returned to his cheeks. In contrast, Feng Xuanyang’s health deteriorated due to his efforts to take care of him.
Long Qinghan felt guilty. After his health had significantly improved, one night he took the initiative and gave himself to Feng Xuanyang.
From then on, they alternated between stopping for Long Qinghan to rest and then hurrying to catch up with Duan Tianyi. However, after ten or so days had passed, Long Qinghan began to sense that something was off.
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Translator’s note: Is he pregnant? Hahahaha. LOL. M-preg? Or does this have to do with the imprint mentioned in the previous chapters? Why is this story full of mystery???!!!! Ah!!!! It’s making me crazy.
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