Chapter 27 (2/2)

”Nothing's wrong Don't overthink it” Fu Shen tilted his head to glance outside the doorway froht a band of the Northern Yan Ar in your Estate?”

Yan Xiaohan's heart relaxed a sen and wasn't so stopped up, but the depths of his eyes exuded a distinct disappointht?”

Fu Shen felt a s all the way ”You can't bear to be apart from me so badly?” he asked with a smile

The two spoke softly to each other in their wedding roo to lure the other in and one willingly acco him It was clearly just an ordinary conversation, but the ateously affable

”I had prepared soht be able to use it… but now it seems I've done h he ell aware of the fact that only half of what caenuine-looking loneliness and sadness was most likely all an act, Fu Shen couldn't stop hiards be labelled as doing tooonto Yan Xiaohan's hand ”It rong of me to not let you know ahead of tiht”

Yan Xiaohan looked down at the hand he was holding, giving a hu for”

Upon sighting the cri above the entryway of the Yan Estate, Fu Shen woke up fro that it was extremely likely that Yan Xiaohan had been a child trafficker before he had gotten into the Flying Dragon Guard General Fu likely hadn't expected this; he'd been iron-boned for soacross a hitch

He was placed along with his wheelchair under the eaves of the front courtyard Yan Xiaohan sloheeled hiot in front of the central building Right as Fu Shen was about to remind him that there were steps ahead, he felt the wheelchair s a slope

He was intensely shocked

He finally found out about the areas of difference this residence had compared to before; all the steps in the place had been worn down into level slopes, and all the doorsills had been torn out to leave behind vast even ground One glance told that the house was specially designed for someone who couldn't walk easily, and had to use a wheelchair to get around

As far as ordinary people ith having a handicap at ho enough, and very feould be willing to undertake the immense effort to refit the inconvenient stairs and thresholds Yan Xiaohan kneell that their e was si under these conditions, but he stilla word

All hearts are grown of flesh To say he wasn't moved would be a lie

Even if they had paid their respects and es, Fu Shen and Yan Xiaohan had just barely taken their first candid step There were still countless differences and secrets lying in their way, and what they actually had between thes diluting this relationshi+p, and those bits of touchingness and senti inconsequential

Could inconsequential eet to that extent?

Dissimilar to the pompous decor of the Marquis Estate, the Yan Estate was clearly eous and peaceful Fu Shen even spotted a few pots of orchids in the roo his discovery in that small town in Northern Yan ”So many years have passed, yet Brother Yan is still fond of orchids,” he seemed to inadvertently pry

Yan Xiaohan's hands clenched tighter on the wheelchair involuntarily, his calht, I also wanted to make a pond of twin lotuses for you”

Fu Shen was jabbed right in the heart by those words He couldn't form words for ahi the wheelchair past roo corridors, until finally stopping at a small room close to the outside of the bedroo rooo in?” Fu Shen raised his head to question hi roo tubs——

Yan Xiaohan reached out to push the door open

Set up at the door was a large painted screen of waters andpast that, they came into a different world

Several roo, expansive roo no other features aside fro pond dead-center in the floor that had jade steps leading into it There was no hot water heated up noith only half of the tub filled with clear water, so clear that the botto up the crystalline liquid, it could be seen that the botto fish

”This is…”

Yan Xiaohan pushed him closer ”You can't walk, and without someone's help, it'd be easy for you to slip and fall That's why I had people change it into a pool,” he explained ”Is it still to your liking, Marquis?”

Fu Shen was being sht after the other and was a bit unable to collect his wits Not waiting for hinificance of the bath, Yan Xiaohan walked out fro so that their lines of sight were on an equal level, and placed his hand on the other's knee ”Jingyuan, I fixed the courtyard and planted the parasol trees As it is now… I' to co, but wanting to fly off elsewhere: ”……”

He suddenly wanted to ask Yan Xiaohan: are you not aware of what they call ''? How can you co you want?

Yet those s pond, and the sincerity in his eyes were not fake

”This won't do, Brother Yan” Fu Shen suddenly leaned foward, his slightly cool and dry fingertips lightly poking the other in the htly ”If you want to attract the fenghuang, you have to sing ” [2]

Yan Xiaohan raised one of his long eyebrows, giving hihtful look with a very clear i it once

Fu Shen's smile widened

There was only a layer ofpaper separating the to stop at this point and not break through it It was a delicate equilibrium that perhaps only those that were in it had the ability to accurately grasp —— it rated naturally enough, orswords and trialing numerous times to be able to find the real answers in them

Because the Court didn'twas the same as the ones before, with Fu Shen in the bedroo in a side roouest relationshi+p became customary, but everyone up and down the Yan Estate was used to it Their statuses were plainly set all the way up to today, it was just that Fu Shen could now be stated to have properly attained a higher level

Being considerate without a second thought was the deadliest thing Fu Shen had suffered from Yan Xiaohan in his adolescence, and it was a shame he still hadn't yet learned his lesson

At dawn the next , the two masters of the Yan Estate were fast asleep when so stood outside, looking dignified ”Sorry to disturb you I have sohtaway”

The steward invited hi pavilion to wait a bit It wasn't too long after that Yan Xiaohan pushed Fu Shen out of the roo wild last night Were these ordinary ti would definitely want to tease hi them face-to-face today, he first talked to Yan Xiaohan before Fu Shen could even ask him if he ate ”Sir Yan, there's crucial military information that the General and I need to discuss”

Yan Xiaohan discreetly understood, saying the phrase ”less is et people to make breakfast afterwards

”What happened?” Fu Shen asked

Yu Qiaoting took out a wooden box the size of palht in the Marquis Estate yesterday, and early thisthat they found this thing when they ifts”

Fu Shen immediately understood when he saw the falcon tote of the Zhe clan?” [3]

”Look inside”

The case wasn't rigged Fu Shen opened the lid as soon as he unclasped the lock, and the stink of blood hit hi him knit his brows ”…What the hell is this?”

The wood box was filled up with pearls, nu at about a handful, plump and round with a soft luster Fu Shen wasn't fond of precious gems, but since he had been stationed at the border and frequently inspected the yearly tributes of feudal lords, ohe could tell at a glance that these pearls were all practically tribute-grade

These first-rate pearls were produced in the Northeast where the Zhe peoples gathered, thus leading to their name of Eastern Pearls – they were extremely valuable However, in the box Fu Shen held, these Eastern Pearls that were supposed to be white as cow's ed up out of blood, as bloodstains sullied the them as extraordinarily bizarre and ominous

”Did you find out who sent it?” This stuff wasn't frightening; that was just an auto docu shook his head ”Too ht be one, but it won't be found out for a while”

Fu Shen casually buckled the case back up and handed it to Yu Qiaoting, sneering coldly ”It's just trying to be ht hundred years have passed, yet this sa played out No need to pay this any etthis to add to the suffocation Take it away and deal with it, and don't let Yan Xiaohan know of it”

He was as collected as ever, which h he still felt faintly worried He took the box and put it away ”Did what I arrange for finish getting set up?” Fu Shen asked

”Rest assured, General Will you be leaving for the manor today?”

Fu Shen muttered a bit, worried that Yan Xiaohan would be unhappy with hi about his plans, he'd have no choice but to do so He ulti over today”

No one else was allowed to disrupt the two Northern Yan folk over here, and Yan Xiaohan wasn't able to eat breakfast over there It wasn't long after Yu Qiaoting caon Guard hurriedly cah the door to find him ”Sir, soht in Zuoning County, Eastblooe [4] The incident was reported to the Shuntian Office and underwent identification, and it was deterht Golden Crow Guard who had beensoht at the cusp of the new year, General Mu Boxiu suddenly disappeared without a trace He left very abruptly, but it didn't see that could've been used to clearly identify him was all left behind, with only a few old clothes and so taken along His fa out to have a drink with his colleagues, but when they hadn't seen hi to report it to the authorities

The case hadn't been eye-catching at all at first, solely being investigated by the Shuntian Office Due to the incident involving a Court official, it was also reported to the Flying Dragon Guard, and was set to the side after Yan Xiaohan eyed it No one believed that a strong-bodied Golden Crow Guard was robbed or had so soot his responsibilities, hence why he was late in co back home

Today, however, Mu Boxiu's headless body had been taken out of a dry well in a village on the outskirts of the capital

The weight of ato a Court official were completely incomparable

”Has the head been found?” Yan Xiaohan asked

”Not yet,” the scout replied ”The local authorities have already sealed off the entire village and are using all of their manpower to look for it”

”Go peruse the Shuntian Office's files and thoroughly rake up the last three generations of his fa Shu take two others to go into the village to keep watch – their identities aren't to be revealed, they just need to investigate in secret As this ht be unwilling to let the Flying Dragon Guard interfere with it”

The scout accepted his orders and left Yan Xiaohan had to get to the palace quickly, so he was unable to eat a decenta few bites of soe clothes Once he'd finished getting ready, Fu Shen and Yu Qiaoting had also happened to finish talking ”You're heading out?” Fu Shen asked with astonish his appearance

”Official business,” Yan Xiaohan explained concisely, follohich he bent over and gave hi words of caution into his ear ”I know you have to leave today Breakfast is ready outside – go after you've finished eating, and take care on the road Feel free to bring anything in the house that catches your eye with I'm sorry that I can't send you off in person today I'll cos”

Fu Shen gently patted hiot any official business to do I think you're going to hide in the trunk and follow htened up, cupping his hands to salute Yu Qiaoting ”I'll leave first Thanks for your trouble in looking after Jingyuan, General”

General Yu seemed to be full and he hadn't even had breakfast yet ”You're too kind, too kind,” he said, stupefied

At the , a carriage stopped before the entrance of a chateau at the foot of Eversong Mountain, in the outskirts of the capital

Observed from the entryway, the chateau was no different fro surrounded by ordinary hills and bodies of water in a secluded environh that door, however, the sinister, metallic bloody aura of death instantly assaulted the senses The interior of thearood place into a Northern Yan barrack as impenetrable as an iron barrel

Those ith Fu Shen back to the capital this ti and Xiao Xun heading the personal guards They were no, when in reality, they were all co to keep watch over this villa

Fu Shen was seated on his wheelchair, getting pushed into the rear courtyard by Yu Qiaoting Xiao Xun opened a hidden door, revealing a dark and dank tunnel

With Yu Qiaoting and Xiao Xun at his left and right, the two lifted Fu Shen's wheelchair and went down the long stone steps

The oil laradually spreading until it extended all the way to the deepest part of the tunnel, shi+ning on a terrifying and eerie scene

There was a prison, three sides stone walls and one side iron bars The freezing, daround had ure was huddled up in a corner wearing only a white inner robe with his hands covering his face, the suddenly-arriving lights stinging his eyes andhim unable to open them

The wheelchair slid across the floor and ot closer and closer, finally co You used to living here yet?”

A netic, cheerful voice resounded within the prison, not fast or slow nor any kind of sinister, but itwith a poisoned needle, leaping up like a live fish

He see ”…Are you?” he quivered out

”Mn, it's entle ”It's been a long time Looks like General Mu still reht I should have said 'the late forht Golden Crow Guard, Mu Boxiu'”

The translator says: One… super long chapter down… out of two… falls over

It's my headcanon that the person who threw the twin lotus is the same one frohuangs (aka chinese phoenixes) are often the feon (the Earb, etc), because dragons look powerful and fenghuang look pretty Though I'd just like to point out that 95 of the time in the nature, the flashi+er birds are male… and the females are various shades of brown…

[2] Before popularly beco, the bird was split up into the

[3] 柘族 – The zhe character is not a typical surname, and refers to a variety of different plants It's not a real ethnicity as far as I could research

[4] 东旺 – “east flourish (bloo)”