Chapter Thirty Three Holding Hands

“Lian di, why won’t you let me kill them all?” Dongfang Bubai pursed his lips, looked at Yang Lianting, and asked, “I just have to raise my hand–”

Yang Lianting shook his head and smiled at Dongfang Bubai, “No need, killing these people’ll only get your hands dirty.” He persuaded him but in his heart he sighed silently. Initially, he too had intended to kill these scumbags, who didn’t value their lives, but the man who had insulted Dongfang Bubai mentioned that if he continued to kill excessively, his hands would be stained with blood and one day he would die a horrendous death, die without a burial place. Yang Lianting slowly clenched his hands into fists. He had never believed in gods nor ghosts, but against all reason, he had been reborn. The scene of Dongfang Bubai’s tragic death was still vivid in his mind. Yang Lianting pursed his lips, tightly held onto Dongfang Bubai’s hand beneath the wooden table. He had never been pious nor merciful but he absolutely did not want to risk Dongfang Bubai suffering severe karmic retribution for killing these few people.

“But now our relationship is known throughout the Jianghu.” Dongfang Bubai lowered his eyelids, his voice sounding light as the winds. “You know, a man and a man being in love with each other deviates from traditional kinship and these people even say that you’re my kept man–”

“I don’t care, but I won’t allow others to insult you.”

“Lian di, if you don’t like it, I can kill them all.”

Dongfang Bubai raised his head and looked at Yang Lianting. He clearly looked soft and supple but his determined words were paired with matchless killing intent. Looking at his contradictory yet harmonious gaze, Yang Lianting felt his heart sourly soften.

He shook his head, then said in a teasing tone, “They’ve said that the news has spread throughout the Wulin, everyone already knows that the Holy Cult’s Master keeps a male favorite.”

“Does the Cult Master intend to kill every person beneath the heavens for this Subordinate?”

Dongfang Bubai nodded without even thinking.

Yang Lianting laughed.

“Dongfang, I really don’t care.”

“I may as well be your kept man and accompany you. I don’t care how outsiders see me or speak of me. I, Yang Lianting, have poor martial arts skills and am not ambitious.”

“I don’t care about the world, I only care about you.”

“I only hope that you can stay by my side forever.”

Dongfang Bubai’s body suddenly shook violently, never had he expected that Yang Lianting could say such things to him this straightforwardly. Staring at him he was nearly unable to restrain his turbulent emotions.

Before he could reply, a woman’s voice interjected, “You–”

“Are you two alright?”

The girl looked very beautiful, a pair of moving eyes and shy reddened cheeks could vaguely be seen under her veil. Standing in place she twisted her handkerchief nervously, after some time she slowly stated, “Just now, I saw you fight with those people. They are outer disciples[10] from Southern Mount Heng[11] and do evil around here a lot, now that you killed one of their disciples–”

This girl was attended to by a familiar maid. Yang Lianting’s brows moved, he coughed and glanced at Dongfang Bubai. She obviously was the maid who had gifted a fan in place of her lady. Dongfang Bubai recognized her as well but he merely pursed his lips, feeling a little unhappy. He threw a glance at Yang Lianting then stood up without saying a word, intending to leave.

The girl anxiously called, “Young Master, Young Master–”

Her cheeks under the veil were deep red as she stood before them “Young Master, this Girl… this Girl is called Tang Ying… Now that you’ve offended the disciples of Southern Mount Heng Sect, they will definitely take revenge! My father is part of the wealthy local gentry, if you don’t dislike…” Her tone shyly quieted down as she spoke.

Yang Lianting looked at this scene and felt happy. So, the girl was interested in Dongfang, she had likely told her maid to come over and speak to him instead so he could help out, she had likely left the fan not for him but for Dongfang.

Dongfang Bubai had also realized the girl’s current thoughts. He turned his head to look at Yang Lianting’s smirking eyes and felt embarrassed for his unwarranted jealousy. He pursed his lips and his earlobes reddened faintly.

Dongfang Bubai’s red ears let the girl mistakenly assume that he was interested in her, her eyes lit up in delight. “May this Girl ask for Young Master’s surname– We must be destined for each other, this Girl–”

“Thank you for your kindness but your offer is unnecessary.” Yang Lianting stepped forward and stood beside Dongfang, then stretched out his hand to hold Dongfang’s hand, as if he had done so a thousand times.

The girl was taken aback.

Dongfang Bubai was stunned still as well. After a moment, he pursed his lips and stared fixatedly at Yang Lianting’s profile, his eyes filled with indescribable feelings. Because of their prior argument, the entire restaurant was focusing on them right now. But Yang Lianting did not care at all and had ambiguously taken his hand before the guests’ eyes. Lian di truly doesn’t care about the world’s traditional kinship, doesn’t care about the criticizing eyes of others, he only wholeheartedly likes me.

Guessing Dongfang Bubai’s thoughts Yang Lianting glanced at him and their eyes met.

“You–” Staring at the both of them, the girl made a guess she did not dare to voice nor believe.

“Indeed, it’s as you see.” Yang Lianting smiled, “This young master’s heart is already taken and he has failed your kind intent. Miss, please forgive him.” After speaking, he placed a pouch of silver on the table and pulled Dongfang out of the restaurant.

Entering a nearby inn, they asked the waiter for a room. Yang Lianting held onto Dongfang Bubai’s hand and refused to let go, Dongfang Bubai didn’t speak a word and let Yang Lianting hold onto his hand. They walked upstairs and entered their room.

“Dongfang–” Yang Lianting had not spoken when Dongfang Bubai hugged him. For the first time, Dongfang Bubai took the initiative to embrace him. Yang Lianting felt the light actions of the person hugging him and his heart softened. Gently patting his shoulders, he warmly asked, “Dongfang, what’s wrong?”

“Yang Lianting, you really don’t care about being pointed at by a thousand fingers, don’t care about going down in history for your infamy?” Dongfang Bubai let go of Yang Lianting, pursed his lips, and asked him with scorching eyes.

Yang Lianting sighed.

Lowering his head, he kissed the hand he held in his own and nodded, “The world’s first, the Invincible East doesn’t care, why should I, Yang Lianting, care?”

“What’s more–” Yang Lianting could not help but grin, “If I can be favored by you, Dongfang, I’m more than willing to be a kept man for life.”

In an instant, Dongfang Bubai’s heartbeat quickened and his cheeks flushed faint red. He never heard him make this kind of explicit and undisguised remark. Turning his red face aside in embarrassment, the corners of his lips lightly rising. The unease and uncertainty from before disappeared due to Yang Lianting’s straightforward and shameless remark.

Yang Lianting looked at Dongfang Bubai, who smiled softly, not noticing that he had fallen into a daze.

Dongfang had always been so easily content.

In his past life, not long after he had gotten together with him, an Elder’s beloved daughter had married atop Blackwood Cliff. Dongfang Bubai had been politely invited to attend the wedding and oversee the proceedings. Yang Lianting had initially expected that Dongfang, who preferred peace and quiet, would never want to attend such a crowded ceremony. He had been about to refuse for him yet Dongfang Bubai himself agreed to attend.

The wedding had been very lively.

That evening, the always awfully dreary Blackwood Cliff, had been bursting with joy. Dongfang Bubai even drunk a few more cups of wine on the couple’s behalf.

Yang Lianting still remembered Dongfang’s black eyes as he glanced at him during the ceremony.

“One bow to worship heaven and earth, one bow to worship the ancestors, one bow to worship the husband and wife–”

The words had resounded in the wedding hall.

In that instant, Dongfang Bubai’s black eyes had been stained by the deep red candlelight, his gaze had passed through the loud and lively crowd and quietly fallen upon Yang Lianting.

Yang Lianting had not known the kind of gaze it was, he had only felt his eyes scathing him, throwing his heart and mind into chaos. Uneasy and confused, unwilling to even think about it, he had silently turned his eyes away and pretended to drink with the other guests as if nothing had happened.

Dongfang Bubai had taken the chance and had Yang Lianting stay behind due to his light tipsiness after the wedding ceremony had concluded. They both seemed to have drunk too much wine.

He had asked him, “Lian di, do you think it’s lively today?”

Staring at Yang Lianting with a supple smile on his lips, he had expectantly asked him a question.

“Lian di, if… if I were–”

“Would you let me marry you?”[12]

In that instant, Yang Lianting had not been able to clearly tell the feelings in his heart, he had only felt unusually impatient and vexed. Not knowing how to respond, he had not replied anything and simply turned his head aside.

“I’m the one who’s delusional.”

Dongfang Bubai had truly drunk too much alcohol. His slow steps toward the doors had been slightly shaky, he had stumbled and staggered onward till he nearly fell to the floor.

Staring at him, Yang Lianting’s heart had suddenly skipped a beat. He pursed his lips, then promptly opened his mouth.

“Willing, Cult Master! Of course, I’m willing.”

Yang Lianting had only thought of his unstable foundation in the cult. Afraid of offending Dongfang Bubai at this moment, he had avoided Dongfang’s black eyes that instantly lit up brightly, and suppressed his difficult to express complexity. He had told himself, I only said this for my future position in the cult, for the sake of stabilizing Dongfang–

However, he never expected that this one sentence would make Dongfang Bubai so overjoyed.

Dongfang Bubai had suddenly taken hold of him, then flown down the cliffside with his qinggong. He had taken advantage of their tipsiness to pull him along, hand in hand.

Pale face blushing bright red.

Back then, the town under the cliffside was holding a lantern festival. On the streets there had been countless people, men and women alike. Dongfang Bubai had firmly held onto his hand, his beautiful side profile revealed one peaceful, content and childish smile, a smile Yang Lianting had never seen him reveal when he was sober. He had said, “Lian di, I’m glad.”

But, Yang Lianting had only felt flustered.

Walking intimately with Dongfang among the crowd the two people’s joint pair of hands had felt hot, felt so warm that he was unwilling to let go, yet felt so scalding that he could not restrain himself from wanting to flee.

These conflicting and frightening feelings of his, had kept his heart distracted and thrown his thoughts in turmoil.

Until he had seen someone pointing at them.

In an instant he had broken away, had shaken off Dongfang Bubai’s hand.

Throat dry and tone rough, he had said, “Cult Master, you’ve drunk too much.”

“There’s so many people, if they see– I, Yang Lianting, am a seven-chi tall man, if people point at me–”

Dongfang Bubai had sobered up in an instant.

Yang Lianting still remembered the look in his eyes.

Standing in place like a lost child, distressed and helpless.

He was clearly the most powerful person beneath the heavens and possessed absolute authority over all, he, the Invincible East, had stood still in place with reddened eyes, at a loss he clumsily apologized to Yang Lianting.

“Lian di… I’m sorry, I…”

Dongfang Bubai had smiled bitterly at Yang Lianting.

“Lian di, I’m not sober, let’s return.”

Looking at his figure from afar, at his frail and forlorn figure, amongst the countless people coming and going, Yang Lianting, who had followed behind, felt the irritability in his chest heavily increase. He didn’t know what was wrong with himself.

“Cult Master.”

“This Subordinate–” Yang Lianting had run forward, looked at Dongfang Bubai’s face, forced a smile and hastily said, “This Subordinate merely feels a little uncomfortable.”

“This Subordinate–”

“This Subordinate is sincerely willing to be together with the Cult Master–”

Before he finished speaking he had seen Dongfang’s dim pair of eyes slowly light up again. Dongfang had smiled at him, as if all the bitterness and all the grievances from a moment ago no longer existed. He had softly smiled such a humble and easily content smile.

“I won’t be so reckless again.” Dongfang Bubai had hesitated and lightly lowered his eyes. “Originally, a man and a man being in love with each other isn’t allowed by the world, let alone I–”

“Lian di, I’m glad you’re not angry.”

Time flowed like water.

The memories flooding his mind, gradually flowed past until they dissipated. Yang Lianting felt that his breath was heavy and unstable. In the past, he had feared his reputation being dragged through the mud, he had hurt the person facing him until he was covered in cuts and bruises, yet he had not cared in the slightest and apologized to him instead.

He had said, ‘I was wrong.’

Luckily, he had the chance to atone for all he had done in the past. At present, why would he care about how others looked at him, how others thought of him, why would he care about the hurtful accusations of everyone beneath the heavens?

Yang Lianting breathed out a slight sigh and stepped forward to take Dongfang Bubai into his arms. In this life I can’t wait for everyone beneath the heavens to know of our relationship. Only in this way can I prove to myself that this moment is truly real.

Dongfang Bubai was hugged by Yang Lianting, while he felt a little awkward he still felt happy in his heart. Once they arrived he simply thought with a flustered heart, My Lian di treats me so well! Only after he opened the door to their room, did he realize that this was not like his residence atop Blackwood Cliff, where an embroidered screen separated him from Yang Lianting when they slept.