Saying the words “fiancé” brought with it a rather inexplicable sense of shame. He quickly shook his head. Although he would certainly never say it aloud, it made for a useful threat against Sheng Rufei. If anyone was meant to mind, surely it ought to be Sheng Rufei.
After all, on Lin Shijin’s very first day at Fuguang, Sheng Rufei had threatened him, forbidding him from mentioning their relationship to outsiders.
Sheng Rufei studied him for a moment and gave a soft hum of agreement. “If it happens again, then go and tell everyone I’m your fiancé.”
It was clearly meant as a threat, yet seeing how off-hand Sheng Rufei looked, it felt entirely ineffective. Lin Shijin was faintly displeased, but there was nothing he could do about it.
“You’d better not let it happen again,” he insisted.
Sheng Rufei said nothing, simply lowering his head to continue fastening his robes.
Once he had straightened his clothes, Sheng Rufei let go of his wrist. He had been half-kneeling before him, but now stood. Being the taller of the two, he placed the bowl of medicinal paste to one side.
“Rest properly these next few days. You needn’t rise early for the Sword Pavilion. And if Shizun insists on putting you in the medicinal pool again, speak to him properly.”
Sheng Rufei brushed his fingertips lightly across the skin at his wrist. “Show him your injury.”
He lingered a while after speaking, looking at him in silence. Only when Lin Shijin gave a small hum of assent did Sheng Rufei say, “I’m heading back.”
So if he didn’t answer, would Sheng Rufei simply continue standing there? Lin Shijin watched the young man leave… his figure cool and remote. The door closed; in an instant the person was gone.
His wrist and body were still covered in dark, cool medicinal juice; the chill was wonderfully soothing, and the paste had already been absorbed. After all that fuss, as soon as the room quietened, he grew sleepy again and quickly dozed off.
Just before drifting off, he was still thinking about how to undo the soul-bond.
…
For the next few days, he was unnervingly tense after every class, constantly afraid that Feng Rugao would call him to Changming Hall for bone-refinement.
But Feng Rugao never summoned him again. He did not go on the first day, and Feng Rugao didn’t come looking. So afterwards, unless summoned, he simply did not go.
Feng Rugao seemed to turn a blind eye. Lin Shijin took it as leniency, though he remained uneasy. In the previous days, Feng Rugao had shown no intention of letting him off.
The end of each class became his most anxious moment. As long as Feng Qing wasn’t standing at the door, he was safe.
And so several days passed without news from Feng Rugao. Lin Shijin began waking early every day to practise swordsmanship with Sheng Rufei.
“Lin Shijin—”
Jing Qiuhong arrived early as well, and was slightly surprised to see him. The two had not met in days. After the incident in Rakshasa City, the disciples of Luoyun Peak had been made to stay behind to settle matters. It was said they had only returned two days ago.
He hadn’t seen Jing Qiuhong in days and had missed him terribly, but he didn’t rush over. He finished a little more sword practice with Sheng Rufei, and only went over when the time felt right.
Lin Shijin was not the type to inform others before heading somewhere. He simply picked up his sword and went, leaving Sheng Rufei behind and happily dashing towards Jing Qiuhong.
“You came back the day before yesterday? You hadn’t returned for days. I was about to ask Su Lian-shixiong about you.”
“We returned the night before last. I only came today because I was slightly injured,” Jing Qiuhong replied. “I was worried about you in Rakshasa City and planned to come see you, but Su Lian-shixiong said you’d already returned early.”
“I’m fine.”
As they walked, Lin Shijin caught the key point. “Why were you injured? Did things not go smoothly afterwards?”
His eyelid twitched for reasons unknown. He touched it lightly, reassuring himself that nothing catastrophic could have happened. Surely Jun Yewu hadn’t escaped prison.
“Jun Yewu didn’t escape… did he?” he blurted.
He hardly believed it himself, yet seeing Jing Qiuhong’s hesitation filled him with disbelief.
“He really escaped?”
Jing Qiuhong shook his head. “Not quite… The city lord’s men were escorting Jun Yewu to Luoxiao City. We went with them.”
“They never reached Luoxiao City… Jun Yewu’s subordinates ambushed the escort outside the city… and rescued him.”
Lin Shijin: “…”
He suddenly recalled what Jun Yewu had said before being captured. A cold shiver ran up his spine.
He was doomed.
Jun Yewu was notoriously vindictive. If captured again, the consequences would be far worse than having his ear pulled, being made to sleep on the floor, or getting his leg broken.
Lin Shijin’s expression was far too telling. He stood like a petrified statue, frozen to the spot and liable to shatter at a touch.
“Don’t worry too much,” Jing Qiuhong comforted him. “Jun Yewu was already severely injured. Escaping is practically the same as dying. He won’t be able to stir up trouble for a while.”
“And you’ve got your shixiong and shizun with you. Jun Yewu won’t dare touch you.”
Pure consolation. Because even with Sheng Rufei last time, he had still been captured. And Feng Rugao certainly wouldn’t be joining him down the mountain.
“Oh, and one more thing…” Jing Qiuhong glanced behind Lin Shijin and noticed Sheng Rufei watching them from afar, his gaze cold. No wonder his back had felt icy.
Lin Shijin leaned in eagerly. What news could be even more shocking? The two bent their heads together, whispering.
“You wanted to know how to undo the soul-bond, didn’t you? I made some inquiries in Rakshasa City.”
The Scripture Inquiry Pavilion dealt in information; Jing Qiuhong prided himself on knowing things. If he didn’t know, he would make a habit of asking.
“Really?” Lin Shijin lit up at once. It truly excellent news.
“Seeing as we’re friends, I’ll charge you fifty spirit stones.”
Jing Qiuhong held out his hand. Lin Shijin found the price reasonable and reached for his pouch. The moment his fingers touched the stones, the red thread at his wrist twitched.
Someone tugged it, pulling him away from Jing Qiuhong.
Lin Shijin turned and saw Sheng Rufei in the distance. He suddenly realised he’d forgotten to tell Sheng Rufei he was leaving.
“Wait here, I’ll go speak to my shixiong.”
He trotted back to Sheng Rufei. “Shixiong, I have something to discuss with Jing Qiuhong. It won’t take long.”
“You’re buying information from him?” Sheng Rufei asked.
Lin Shijin nodded.
Sheng Rufei glanced towards Jing Qiuhong and asked, “How much is he charging you?”
“Fifty.”
The moment those three words came out, Jing Qiuhong felt a chill down his spine. Sheng Rufei’s icy gaze was unmistakable. Meanwhile, Lin Shijin seemed delighted, telling his shixiong he thought it was quite cheap.
Lin Shijin was always extravagant and naturally did not realise the price of information from the Pavilion varied depending on weight and depth.
“Don’t give him that much,” Sheng Rufei said. “Anything he can find out can be discovered with a bit of effort in the mortal world.”
So it wouldn’t be anything precious.
“Oh.” Lin Shijin naturally believed Sheng Rufei and realised he’d almost been fleeced. He returned to Jing Qiuhong and gave him a look.
Jing Qiuhong was slightly embarrassed. “It was hard to find… but forget it, I won’t take your money this time. Just don’t go tattling to your shixiong.”
With Sheng Rufei watching like that, he wouldn’t dare take the youth’s money. Better to cast a long line for a bigger catch.
Lin Shijin hadn’t tattled in the first place, so he didn’t argue. Delighted that he didn’t need to pay, he instinctively praised Jing Qiuhong.
“You’re so kind.”
Just as he said this, Sheng Rufei happened to walk past. He needed to go ahead and organise the elders’ texts.
Sheng Rufei paused for the briefest moment, then continued on, soon disappearing from sight.
Neither of them noticed. Jing Qiuhong, familiar with Lin Shijin’s tendency to spout sweet words when happy, paid it no mind.
“Of course. We’re friends, after all.”
Lin Shijin: “Quickly. How do I break the soul-bond?”
They reached the Sword Pavilion. After hearing Jing Qiuhong’s explanation, Lin Shijin felt dazed, unable to fully process it.
The elder soon arrived, and Lin Shijin gathered himself to listen. Only after class did he have the leisure to daydream again, recalling Jing Qiuhong’s words.
“A soul-bond inscribed on a marriage scroll means the pair are destined. Once they genuinely love each other, the bond dissolves naturally.”
“The most straightforward method is the wedding night.”
“Ancient folk were conservative. Unless they truly cared, they would not willingly be intimate. The soul-bond has no consciousness; it judges solely by intimacy.”
“You can try intimate contact with the one you’re bound to. But it must be the kind only spouses would share. A hug or holding hands won’t do. Brothers may hug, elders may hold hands out of concern.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means doing things only husband and wife would do… Start with a kiss. If it works, trick your soul-bond partner. Sleep with him, and the bond will break.”
Trick his soul-bond partner… Sleep with him… and the bond would break.
Trick Sheng Rufei… Sleep with Sheng Rufei…
Lin Shijin, who used to skip classes, now attended diligently and listened earnestly. The elders grew fond of him, praising him more and more.
It seemed in many people’s eyes that turning over a new leaf was far more admirable than having always behaved well.
“Lin Shijin,” the elder called. Class had ended. Lin Shijin snapped out of his thoughts and went to him.
“I heard from Sheng Liuguang that you’ve been rising early to practise sword these past two days?”
Lin Shijin nodded. Was the elder going to quiz him on the classics? He wasn’t worried. He’d listened carefully and remembered everything.
His swordsmanship, however, remained thoroughly mediocre.
“Good. You’ve improved,” the elder said, clearing his throat. He placed something into Lin Shijin’s palm and ruffled his hair.
“Keep it up.”
Elder Song of Falling Cloud Peak was known to favour obedient, well-behaved disciples… especially those with pleasing looks. He often treated them as though they were his own children.
Lin Shijin, still dazed from the head-rub, looked down once the elder left. In his palm was a sweet wrapped in oil-paper.
“Shixiong, Elder Song gave me a sweet.” He opened his palm to show Sheng Rufei, speaking absent-mindedly, gaze fixed on Sheng Rufei’s features.
Only spouses… It starts with a kiss…
His eyes drifted from Sheng Rufei’s brows, down the tall bridge of his nose, and finally landed on the youth’s full, beautiful red lips.
…
Rakshasa City. In a small alley…
The city was once again under martial law after the demonic incident; the streets were far emptier.
Beside a shop selling Rakshasa pastries, in an inconspicuous little alley, stood a banner with the scrawled characters: “All-Knowing.” The edges were frayed—exactly the sort of thing a back-alley charlatan would use.
The youth guarding it wore an extremely worn moon-white robe, the golden embroidery at the cuffs long rubbed off. He yawned. He was, indeed, a charlatan.
Shen Buyu counted his silver. He still had some left. Business had been terrible these past days; it seemed he would not be staying in Rakshasa City much longer.
If only a few more fools like the boy from a few days ago would show up. He had spoken absolute nonsense, yet the youngster had paid generously, believing every word.
Breaking a soul-bond was nowhere near that simple. He had been making things up entirely… much less a soul-bond attached to a marriage contract; that was unheard of.
Shen Buyu exhaled, the long wind lifting the banner. Beyond, mist-shrouded mountain peaks faded in and out of sight.
He’d heard that Shizun had taken in a new disciple. He wondered when he would return. He rather wanted to meet him.
*
Author’s Note:
Jun Yewu: Looking forward to meeting Mianmian again.
Lin Mianmian: I’m done for.
