Arc 5: Chapter 28
Lin Yuan wasn’t really afraid. This was called the ‘retreat to advance’ strategy.
He nestled in Xie Hanzhou’s arms and said with a little sigh to 521: “521, I’ve become so scheming~”
521’s nonexistent face showed a disbelieving expression: “What, when, where? I couldn’t tell at all.”
Lin Yuan smugly explained his thoughts and asked 521 again: “What do you think now? Aren’t I very smart?”
521 had a different perspective: “Say, what if they don’t agree, then wouldn’t we be able to immediately leave this world when the task is completed?!” Its tone became more and more excited, and its dream of being number one began to sprout again.
Lin Yuan was very dissatisfied with 521’s words. How could his husbands not want him anymore? Lin Yuan hummed angrily and said: “No way! They would never leave me!”
To prove he was right, Lin Yuan looked up at Xie Hanzhou with round eyes and said pitifully: “Master, the Dao path is so long, will you suddenly not want me one day?”
Before Xie Hanzhou could reply, Lin Yuan’s red eyes turned to look at Yu Sui’an: “Will Senior Brother not want me either?”
The little liar turned into a living ancestor in a second. Yu Sui’an was helpless, regardless, Lin Yuan was the one he would always cherish and pamper, and he coaxed him happily: “Senior Brother would never not want Sui Sui. Sui Sui is my heart and soul, how could I bear to leave you?”
Yu Sui’an cupped Lin Yuan’s face, and his deep eyes were full of affection. When he smiled, it was like peach blossoms blooming above a spring pond, the scene warming anyone’s heart.
In the next second, his words were piercing and mocking: “But our Master has countless admirers, from beautiful fairies to famous scholars, like Sui Sui said, the Dao path is so long, what he says today might change tomorrow.”
Xie Hanzhou narrow eyes sharpened. He pinched his little disciple’s chin and turned Lin Yuan to face him, and then kissed the cheek that Yu Sui’an had just touched, covering the breath of the other man.
“Don’t listen to your Senior Brother’s nonsense. Master doesn’t like any fairy or scholar, and won’t ever spare them a glance. As long as I have Sui Sui, my life is complete.”
His tone softened: “Good disciple, it’s normal to have this worry at this age. Since we’re at the Red River bank, I have something to tell you.”
Yu Sui’an suddenly had a bad premonition.
Lin Yuan blinked curiously and asked: “What is it?”
Xie Hanzhou deliberately lowered his voice: “Among all of the immortal sects and demon tribes, who doesn’t know about the Demon Lord’s debauchery?”
“I’ve heard that the Demon Realm’s Grand Bright Hall is filled with gold and beauties. Every day and night, the women wear gauze veils, sing and dance, and the air rings with indulgent sounds.”
“Master cultivates the great Dao, even if I have emotions, I wouldn’t indulge without restraint.”
His tone carried a bit of a threat: “Yu Sui’an, Master advises that you don’t go down the same path as the Demon Lord. If you indulge in pleasures, you may never find a Daoist partner to share a mutual bond, am I right?”
Yu Sui’an’s chest felt suffocated. He wanted to curse and hit something. Xie Hanzhou, this despicable dog, was slandering his position of Demon Lord to his face.
Lin Yuan, who knew everything, was amused by how his aloof Master was playing little mind games. Hehe, it was quite cute, he liked it~
But he still pretended to play dumb: “Oh... is that so? But I heard from my senior sisters that the Demon Lord doesn’t like women. When he first ascended the Demon Lord’s throne, the rulers of the sixteen demon cities sent countless beauties to him, but he didn’t even touch them, and told them to clean the Grand Bright Hall instead.”
Yu Sui’an’s anger dissipated with Lin Yuan’s words. His features brightened: “I’ve heard of this too. Master must have heard some wrong information, who is so malicious to slander someone like this? That person deserves to be punished!”
Lin Yuan: “...”
Couldn’t you stop talking earlier?! He didn’t want to get caught in the middle of their fight again!
Xie Hanzhou’s gaze never left Lin Yuan, and he asked calmly: “Which senior sister told you this? Why would she tell you something like this?”
Lin Yuan could only continue to lie: “Mm, I heard it during lunch from the senior sisters sitting at the next table.”
Xie Hanzhou said indifferently: “I see. It seems the Demon Lord also has many admirers in our immortal sects, what a charming man.”
Yu Sui’an: “...” Xie Hanzhou, did he have it too easy?! Why did he love to stir up trouble all the time?! What a pristine immortal face with a dirty and black core.
Lin Yuan didn’t dare to continue the conversation and tried to change the topic: “Master, Senior Brother, let’s stop talking about the Demon Lord. Why are we here in the Northern Region?”
Xie Hanzhou nodded: “Sui Sui is right, there’s no need to talk about unimportant people. There’s something important to do here.”
Lin Yuan held his breath. Unimportant people? He didn't mean Yu Sui’an, right?
Yu Sui’an snorted, and said coldly: “Actually, we’re not doing much. We’re here to make up for your Master’s big mistake.”
Lin Yuan was about to have a headache. He wanted them both to stop talking!
Lin Yuan asked weakly: “How about... we leave the Red River first?”
Xie Hanzhou patted his back gently, and said softly: “Alright, we’ll listen to Sui Sui.”
As they walked, Yu Sui'an’s eyes traced from Lin Yuan’s neck to his thin, flexible waist, and finally to his long, slender legs.
Even the Daoist robe couldn’t block his gaze. At this moment, his mind was filled with the image of the boy stripped bare, and his pale, tender skin seemed incredibly tempting.
Xie Hanzhou noticed this and spoke through their soul bond: Hold yourself back. Even flower thieves aren’t this eager.
Yu Sui’an: Oh, Master is pure, Master is clean, Master definitely isn’t eager for the little disciple’s body. Then when we form our Dao bond, our pure Master can let me cultivate with the little disciple first. I’m eager, I want to devour him immediately!
Xie Hanzhou: …
There were a few thousand miles between Red River to Frost City, but for experts like Xie Hanzhou and Yu Sui’an, traveling at their fastest speed would only take a few breaths.
However, they traveled like ordinary mortals, eating meal to meal and sleeping under the sky.
One night, when they stayed at a farmer’s house, Lin Yuan lay in Xie Hanzhou’s arms, facing Yu Sui'an, and his hands were tightly gripped by the red robed man.
This dilemma of having a wolf in front and a tiger behind made Lin Yuan flustered. He pushed down his nerves and asked: “Master, Senior Brother, we’ve been traveling for thirteen days. Where exactly are we going?”
Neither of them responded for a while, and it was Xie Hanzhou who finally spoke: “Frost City. We’re going to Frost City.”
Lin Yuan pretended not to know and said softly: “Frost City? Its characters sound the same as Master’s name. What a coincidence.”
Yu Sui’an’s grip on Lin Yuan’s warm fingers tightened, and he looked at him silently in the darkness. “It’s not a coincidence. It’s a karmic debt.”
Xie Hanzhou’s arms also tensed. His cool lips brushed against Lin Yuan’s neck, like a beast ready to strike. His voice was deep, as if inseparable from the darkness: “Yes, it’s not a coincidence. I was the sole survivor from Frost City. Pure Jade Sect’s ancestors said that I should be grateful to Frost City for giving me life, so they named me Xie Hanzhou.”
These details were not written in the plot. Lin Yuan tried to turn around and hug Xie Hanzhou to comfort him, when a second voice sounded.
Yu Sui’an’s voice was quiet, strangely like the calm before a storm.
“That's similar for me. Life was boring, dull, and hopeless, so I told myself to go with the flow, to accept things as they come. I’ll live until the end of today, then live to tomorrow.”
“Go with the flowーSo I named myself, Yu Sui’an.”
Lin Yuan suddenly didn’t know what to say. After a long silence, he hugged Yu Sui’an’s hands into his chest, and nestled further back into Xie Hanzhou’s embrace, like he was trying his best to warm both of them.
He whispered firmly: “We’ll live for a very long time. Not just today, and not just tomorrow. We’ll be together for a very long time.”
“Even if Frost City was destroyed, it doesn’t matter now. If Master likes Frost City, then we can rebuild it.”
The youth’s voice in the dark seemed to carry the morning light, bringing warmth, spring, and the world all together.
For the first time, Xie Hanzhou could feel that his body, his path, and his soul, had united with Yu Sui’an. They became one again, and countless emotions overlapped, but they only spoke two words.
— Lin Yuan.
It was time. Time to go back to Frost City, back to the past.
Then, walk out again.
Live and walk out.