Chapter Sixty Five Regret

In the liquor shop.

“You’ve come to buy wine again!” Her long hair held up by a wooden hairpin, her body clothed in coarse hemp, aggressively a woman suddenly ran in through the door. She stared at the lazy man in front of her and started yelling, “There’s no good rice at home and you’re lazing around all day, the only thing you know is to make me, this Old Lady, serve you!”

Seeing the woman appearing, the man who had been looking forward to his wine gourd being filled was stunned and slightly embarrassed for a moment. Intending to remedy his loss of face, he straightened his back and wanted to retort. Before he was able to speak, the woman rushed over and pulled him by the ear.

“It hurts, it hurts! Please, be gentle–” The man being dragged out the shop, called out pleadingly, “Shop Owner Yang keep my gourd for now. I’ll come back later–

“You only know how to drink, we’re leaving!”

“Wife, be gentler. I know I’m wrong, I know–”

“If you know you’re wrong, then let’s go.”

“…”

The couple’s voices gradually vanished; the other customers could not help but laugh out loud as they watched.

“Old Luo, that fellow, he’ll be ordered around by his wife for a lifetime. He just wanted a drink but got dragged off at once.”

“Everyone knows he’s an honest fellow. He just had to marry such a fierce tigress.”

“Hahaha. Old Luo’s wife is a fierce one, but she’s able to run the household.”

“This old couple might be noisy, but they’re getting along.”

Several customers were chatting loudly in the shop, once they saw Yang Lianting they greeted him with a smile. “Brother Yang I heard Aunt Chen mention that you’re also married.”

Despite being busy, Yang Lianting could not restrain a smile when he heard someone talking to him about this. Affirming the question, he turned his head and glanced towards the inner room.

The people chatting with him were all regulars, they laughed and continued to inquire, “Brother Yang, is your wife strict with you? We heard Aunt Chen mention that you close up shop early every day just to be with your wife–”

Yang Lianting laughed and shook his head, yet before he was able to respond they suddenly heard a sound from the inner room and he instantly made up an excuse to go and take a look.

Dongfang Bubai sat in the inner room.

Recently Dongfang Bubai had rarely stayed at home. Instead, he always accompanied Yang Lianting to go out, yet because he disliked noisy and crowded places he usually stayed in the back. Once he entered and saw Dongfang Bubai, Yang Lianting’s eyes softened in an instant. He chuckled happily and asked in concern “What’s wrong, are you bored? If so, we’ll close up shop earlier and I’ll take you to–”

Before he finished speaking, Dongfang Bubai raised his head up to look at him. He smiled softly and shook his head, “I’m not bored, I just heard you talk about me in the front so I called you over.”

“This village is awfully small.” Dongfang Bubai lightly said, “Nothing can be kept hidden from these people. Even though the both of us are together, no one else will be able to accept it.”

Yang Lianting took a step forward to hold Dongfang Bubai’s hand tightly, he smiled, “Since when does my dear Cult Master care about others’ eyes and thoughts?”

Dongfang Bubai glanced at him and sighed, “Now we’re both living here in peace. Why should we risk everything to only end up making ourselves unhappy?”

Yang Lianting’s smile softened and he nodded silently, fully aware of his concerns. Only, every time others asked him about his wife, he wanted to chat and tell everyone under the heavens how great Dongfang was.

The two of them talked for some time.

Recalling their earlier conversation, Yang Lianting worried that he would be bored and said a few more words to him, joking a little. Amused, Dongfang Bubai could not restrain laughing out loud happily. Hearing him laugh, Yang Lianting briefly fell into a daze and abruptly recalled his past life.

In the past, he too had liked to drink endlessly.

Back then his hands had tightly grasped the highest authority over the Holy Cult and he had spent his time drinking endlessly, lusting after pleasure and enjoyment, but whenever he had drunk too much wine he would not stay the night in those places filled with deluding smoke and enticing willows, whenever he had felt light-headed he would inevitably run to Dongfang’s courtyard.

He had no longer demanded Dongfang to satisfy that kind of need, he had scarcely, seldomly gone to see him, but every single time he had drunk too much he would definitely wake up in his courtyard the next day.

Reeking heavily of liquor.

Losing control over himself, cursing and vomiting.

Mind muddled, his body’s movements rude and rough.

Back then…

Yang Lianting sighed lightly, after coming back to his senses. He took a step forward, hugged Dongfang Bubai tightly and then tenderly asked, “Dongfang, why aren’t you ever like that woman just now? I don’t seem to have ever seen you get angry at me…” Yang Lianting smiled bitterly, “Among the folk, it’s said one’s wife should be fierce to keep the family together.”

Dongfang Bubai glanced at him, curved up his lips in a clear and shallow smile, and shook his head. “Lian di, you never did anything to make me unhappy.”

Not once.

Yang Lianting pursed his lips slightly, his eyes momentarily caught in a daze. He gently tightened his grip holding Dongfang Bubai’s hand. Yes, in this life I’ve been gentle and considerate, have never broken his heart, yet in our past life…

The two of them did not chat for long, fearing that Dongfang Bubai could be bored on his own, Yang Lianting ended business early and they headed home together.

“Today, how about preparing fish, fried green vegetables and a mushroom soup as well?” Yang Lianting rolled up his sleeves and headed to the kitchen. Quietly, they stood beside each other. Yang Lianting skillfully cleaned the river fish, while Dongfang Bubai rinsed the fresh vegetables. Regarding Dongfang Bubai’s presence in the kitchen, Yang Lianting had not agreed at first but Dongfang had been too insistent, saying that they were a married couple and should obviously cook together blocked all of Yang Lianting’s concerns. However, the more they prepared the meals together, side by side, the more they felt like an ordinary couple.

The food was not ready yet when a guest arrived.

Tong Baixiong walked into the courtyard. Immediately upon seeing Dongfang Bubai, he cupped his fist and knelt on the grass with a thud in salute, “Tong Baixiong greets the Cult Master.”

Seeing Tong Baixiong appear, the soft expression that looked at Yang Lianting vanished and Dongfang Bubai simply nodded. The corners of his mouth raised in a smile, he lifted his hand to signal Tong Baixiong to rise.

Yang Lianting exited the house with a prepared fish in hand, loudly greeting Tong Baixiong “Just in time, Elder Brother Tong have a meal with us.”

Tong Baixiong laughed, scratched the back of his head, and readily agreed, “I just so happen to be hungry–” Pausing, he then nervously turned to Dongfang Bubai, “Cult Master, I–”

How could Dongfang Bubai oppose Yang Lianting’s words? He smiled slightly, nodded and said, “Elder Tong you arrived in time, come have a meal with us.”

Seeing Dongfang Bubai nod in agreement, the smile on Tong Baixiong’s face widened. He did not hesitate and followed them into the bamboo house. During the meal, Tong Baixiong wanted to report on the Holy Cult’s affairs to Dongfang Bubai yet before he could say more Dongfang Bubai shook his head and replied, “Elder Tong, since I handed the authority over the Holy Cult to you in its entirety, there’s no need to report to me.”

“How– How can this be done! I, Old Tong–” Tong Baixiong felt faintly anxious and hastily stared at Yang Lianting, “Brother Yang, since I, Old Tong, follow the Cult Master I must report to him, no?”

Yang Lianting merely smiled, then lifted the chopsticks in his hand to give a piece of fish belly’s meat to Dongfang, before he turned his head to pay attention to Tong Baixiong, “Dongfang is currently recuperating. We both think that Elder Tong is highly respected, with your presence the Holy Cult will be in good hands. The Cult Master trusts in your loyalty and faith. Elder Tong, you usually aren’t such a formal person.”

“Come and eat, eat–” The explanation blocking the old man’s mouth Yang Lianting and Dongfang Bubai glanced at each other and laughed.

After the meal, Tong Baixiong bowed and professed his deep loyalty to Dongfang Bubai several times. Before he left, he again and again requested Dongfang Bubai to return to Blackwood Cliff and preside over the Sun Moon Holy Cult’s affairs once he fully recuperated. As soon as Tong Baixiong left, Yang Lianting and Dongfang Bubai packed up the things on the table together. His hands not halting their movements, Yang Lianting turned his head to glance at Dongfang Bubai’s side profile.

Black hair held up high with a jade hairpin, dressed in simple and rough hemp clothes that were loosely tied with a sash. If he did not possess the looks of a banished immortal and of a beauty that could ruin the country, who would ever think that the person beside him was the world’s first, the Jianghu’s Invincible East? Yang Lianting could not help but to step forward, take Dongfang Bubai’s hands into his own and tightly hug him from behind. He softly asked, “Dongfang, don’t you regret?”

Dongfang Bubai felt faintly puzzled and frowned. Drying the water stains on his hands, he turned his head to look at the person beside him, “Lian di, what do you mean?”

Yang Lianting lowered his head and lightly kissed Dongfang Bubai’s earlobe. His pitch-black eyes in a momentary trance, he bitterly smiled and said, “You, the Holy Cult’s Cult Master, able to call the wind and rain, accompanied me to this humble village in the middle of nowhere.”

Once he asked, in an angle that Yang Lianting could not see, Dongfang Bubai’s eyes darkened for an instant yet the complex and opaque emotions hidden within his eyes disappeared as soon as they appeared. Dongfang Bubai smiled and turned his head to look at Yang Lianting, “Lian di, don’t you regret accompanying me here, as an insignificant liquor shop owner, instead of being the chief steward whom the entire congregation reveres?”

The both of them looked at each other for a moment, only to laugh out loud.

The events during the day made him recall his past life, Yang Lianting had hastily asked the question troubling him yet did not intend to question him further.

The two of them bathed together and their bedchamber filled with spring scenery. Repeatedly tossing and turning, afterwards they were both very tired. Dongfang Bubai closed his eyes half-way, keeping in mind the entire scene that occurred before. The red marks on his skin revealing their madness. Lying motionless, his body without strength.

As usual, Yang Lianting got out of bed, boiled hot water and tenderly helped him clean up. Lying down beside him, he pulled up the blanket, wrapped his arms around Dongfang’s shoulders, and gently kissed his forehead. Gazing at the tired Dongfang, he lightly chuckled and said, “Sleep, sleep. Tomorrow, we’ll get up a bit later, alright?”