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These few days, the entire demonic cult was in high spirits, considering that two happy events have come at the same time[1]. The first happy thing was as Xie Zhi An said- the leader’s sickness could be cured by the end of the month; the second happy thing is that they decided to hold a marriage ceremony, allowing Xie Zhi An and Fu Yuan formally be married.

They could finally have the mealy-mouthed and savage leader married out- who wouldn’t be excited?

Xie Zhi An only thought of marrying only because every night, Fu Yuan would hold onto his hand- although the other person didn’t say anything, he would feel the other person’s unease. One day, it was as though he was hit with a sudden impulse, “Demon Head, what do you think about getting married some time?”

Fu Yuan had yet to react to it, they didn’t know who it was that was secretly listened in that spread it out either- but word had gotten around how the leader would marry to Xie Zhi An. The whole group of people picked out the earliest lucky hour and day[2], and promptly made it the appointed day. On the contrary, Fu Yuan that was the party concerned was still as ignorant as before.

“You’re going to marry me?”

When Xie Zhi An who originally was a bit embarrassed saw Fu Yuan also a bit embarrassed, he could not help but tease him, “What is it? You’re regretting it?”

“I haven’t.” Fu Yuan pursed his lips, and tightened his hold on Xie Zhi An’s hand, looking a bit dejected, “I am only afraid you would regret it afterwards.”

After a moment of silence, Xie Zhi An pulled at both Fu Yuan’s cheeks, “Fu xiao(little) Yuan, what are you blindly thinking of- I’m the one who brought up marriage, how could I regret it?”

The two people’s foreheads lightly made contact, and Xie Zhi An lightly pecked Fu Yuan, “Did we not already say we would go together to see the realm’s mountains and rivers, far and wide, and the smoke and fire of humans[3]? Since we’ve already decided to be together, even if it’s not that important whether we get married or not, then why can’t I just happily establish a status[4] with you?”

“Fu Yuan, I want to get married with you. I want to see the look of you and I getting married. I also want to be able to share the same amount of joy with you and your family before we go.”

Since Xie Zhi An didn’t have any problems, Fu Yuan naturally could not be any more happier[5]. With the leader’s great support, the people within the cult more enthusiastically fixed up the red silk for the ceremony.

The earliest lucky day was at the first day of the next month. When Xie Zhi An knew of this, his features had some concern that would not go away. Seeing Fu Yuan look at himself, he smiled, “I am only afraid if people of the right sect come, our happy event would be interrupted.”

Although marriage was a bit late, the marriage garments was long already made. On the day arranged to try out the garments, when Xie Zhi An got dressed, Fu Yuan had also finished getting dressed- his body was dressed in a big red robe with gold-trimmed embroidery. His waist was fastened with a jade belt with gold threaded borders, and at the hem, golden threaded leaves and hollowed out kaffir lilies[6] were embroidered, making the other person to be extremely spirited in contrast.

On the little roads between the fields, one would think of the other person’s face as refined as jade, the gentleman who could not be compared to another in this world[7].

Xie Zhi An concealed the dejection on his face, smiled and praised him, “It looks really good.”

“You also look good.”

Xie Zhi An carried a jar of alcohol, and asked, “Demon Head, can you drink?”

“I can.”

Wearing the bridal garments, Xie Zhi An and Fu Yuan sat on the demonic cult’s highest ease. The two people sat shoulder to shoulder gazing at the river of stars filling the sky, drinking Xie Zhi An’s plum wine he brewed himself. When he finally got tipsy, Fu Yuan would hold his hand tightly with unease as before, fixing his gaze on him, as though looking into his heart, “Xie Zhi An, you won’t leave me, right? We’ve promised to wait until you’ve cured me, we would get married, and then go together to see the scenery you wanted to see.”

After a moment of silence, Xie Zhi An spoke in a muffled voice, “Okay.”

Fu Yuan was already drunk. Xie Zhi An held up his hand, and drank a cup of alcohol passed off as cross-cupped wine[8], and smiled, “Fu Yuan, do you think this counts as getting married, bowing to heavens[9]?”

At the end of the month, Xie Zhi An went to find Chang Ge- he looked at the man who had never once changed, his forehead dyed in gloom, “I’ve already cleared Fu Yuan of the residual poison, when can we start?”

“If you are prepared, we can do it any time.”

Xie Zhi An told Fu Yuan, his body was just about recuperated, and can already start to cure his illness for him. He performed acupuncture on him, and hit the vital point for numbing.

He flipped over all the medical books- naturally, he would be able to resolve the poison in Fu Yuan’s body. The only method was to change out blood, and exchange the medicine human’s blood for another healthy person’s blood.

In carrying out the process, both people must be kept awake. And the only person who could do this was only Chang Ge.

When he saw Chang Ge inside the room, Fu Yuan whose vital point had been sealed carried doubt and disbelief in his eyes, “Xie Zhi An, your supposed way of saving me, is to join with this man together?”

Chang Ge was someone that was a person by his father’s side. Although he did not do anything to him, he never trusted him.

Xie Zhi An lowly smiled, and used his hand to cover Fu Yuan’s eyes, and lightly pecked his lips, “Fu xiao Yuan, trust me- just trust me this once, I will cure you.”

But from the inside the other person’s eyes, did not look to have any trust any more.

He was a bit upset, and turned his face not wanting to see Fu Yuan’s defensive gaze. He laid down beside the other person, and said, “You can start.”

When the sharp knife cut open the two people’s arms, he tightly held onto Fu Yuan’s arm. He did not know what method Chang Ge used- Xie Zhi An clearly felt his own blood slowly flowing out, and also a unfamiliar sticky fluid from outside the wound slowly entering in the veins in exchange.

So it turned out that a medicine human’s blood was like this- did Fu xiao Yuan carry a body of this kind of blood out of the Doctors’ Valley that year as well?

The skill of changing blood was something Chang Ge told him that year. He looked over all the medical books, and the only way he found was exactly as he mentioned. As a doctor, he could not complete this, but Chang Ge could.

When he searched for Chang Ge, the other person seemed to smile yet not, and looked at him, “Do you not know the consequences of changing blood? Are you not afraid?”

By exchanging his own body’s blood for the other person’s blood that carried poison, the toxicity would be stronger than it would be in the original body. After changing to a medicine human’s blood, that person would have a harder time enduring the torment of the toxicity inside the body, and would even more clearly feel that toxicity erode his own body bit by bit until they were dead.

More importantly, after the person exchanged it once, they would no longer by able to endure it a second time- that is, after changing out to a medicine human’s blood, there would be no medicine to cure the person.

As a doctor, Xie Zhi An had no way of turning away from his own good heart, and find an innocent person to change blood with; furthermore, the case of exchanging blood was not one that could accept any sloppiness- the other person’s body also needed to go through recuperation.

There was no other person that was more suitable than him; furthermore, it was his father who owed Fu Yuan, the son repaying the father’s debt originally was a natural principle.

As Fu Yuan could not move any part of his body, his reddened eyes stared at Xie Zhi An, and ground his teeth, “Xie Zhi An, what exactly are you doing? If you want to die, don’t drag me with you too!”

Oh, how hard of a time he had- but out of habit, he subconsciously tore out a smile that was even harder to look at than a crying face, “You won’t. You won’t die.”

The medical skills of his originally existed for Fu Yuan. He promised him he would cure him, and let him go cross mountains and rivers, and see the thousands of miles of flowing water.

In this lifetime, his originally studied medicine for the sake of the other person. Endlessly, for all his life time, learning all that he could study, he had wanted the other person to healthily live out a life time.

No matter what kind of price he had to pay.

[1] 双喜临门 can also be said as- good things come in pairs. Alternately, 双喜 can written as 囍 (literally two happiness written together). In modern day, this phrase is more commonly used in marriage setting (where the double happiness refers to both parties of the marriage being happy).

[2]良辰吉日- A common practice in marriage where a ‘good’ date is chosen. How a good date is determined to be good can rely on several factors that I will absolutely not dive into (because it’s hella long wrought with too much explaining to do). It’s easier to just search up which dates are good for marriage. Apparently, old people are really good at determining a good date too.

[3] 山河远阔，人间烟火- the second half of the phrase refers to the ups and downs experienced in human life. This is a segment off from a longer phrase- 山河远阔，人间烟火，无一是你，无一不是你 which means that while living, in any place and any time, one would experience ups and downs; there would be times of noise and excitement, but also times of loneliness- but if there was someone with them, everything that they experience would be wonderful. It’s entirely possible to take Xie Zhi An’s words as more literally in travelling the lands, but from where the phrase was derived from, it could also mean to live their lives together through the ups and downs.

[4] 名分- In establishing a relationship, or to make clear one’s relationship/status (e.g. formally adopting a son, marrying someone) as a responsibility.

[5] As one would wish for, or is very welcome to the fact.

[6] Kaffir lily- (https://www.guide-to-houseplants.com/images/kaffir-lily2.jpg) in Chinese, 君子兰. 君子 also happens to mean a noble gentleman. Call it a gentleman’s orchid.

[7] 陌上人如玉，公子世无双。 A line originating from a poem by lyucharle, used to describe a man who was gentle (or literally, mild and moist) and refined (like a jade). Later, it has been rearranged as 君子世无双, 陌上人如玉 for clarity. The line after this reads out as 不能同世生，但求同归土- although unable to be together in this lifetime, one hopes to enter the earth (die) together. The entire poem writes that due to each other’s backgrounds, the two are unable to be together- a poem expressing the lady’s woes.

[8] Image for reference: http://imgtu.lishiquwen.com/20170426/1493185763752592.jpg

[9] Another phrase that means, getting married. In the traditional ceremony, the couple would first bow to the heavens, and then bow to the elders/man’s parents to essentially receive their blessings, then bow to each other. By only bowing to their heavens, it typically means the couple is unable to receive the parent’s blessing (e.g. elopement).

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