Sheng Rufei took him to a pawnshop in the city, pawned a silver bracelet in exchange for some silver, then took him by the hand to an inn to make do for the night.
They asked for an ordinary room at the inn. They were only staying one night, and now they were practically penniless. Every bit of silver had to be spent carefully.
Lin Shijin had never stayed in an ordinary room before. Back in Fuguang, Feng Rugao had always arranged the best for him. The moment he stepped inside, the room carried a faint dampness; following the wall with his gaze, he spotted several cracks in the corner.
Still, he did not mind very much. As long as he was with Sheng Rufei, the quality of the room became a secondary concern.
“Shixiong, this city looks like an ordinary city. There are no exorcists… does that mean there are no demons or malevolent spirits here?”
“I don’t know yet.” Sheng Rufei shook his head, gathered the remaining silver, and handed part of it to him. “Keep this. If you want to buy something, you can buy it yourself.”
Lin Shijin felt a little embarrassed. He thanked him softly, then, after a moment’s thought, pushed the silver back into Sheng Rufei’s hand.
“Shixiong, you should keep it. If there’s really something I want, I’ll just ask you then.”
He met Sheng Rufei’s gaze. Sheng Rufei looked down at him, his eyes reflecting his image. They were standing very close; under that gaze, Lin Shijin grew a little self-conscious.
“Shixiong?”
He called again. The young man before him gave a quiet “Mm,” took the silver back, and said, “If you’re tired, go and sleep. Tomorrow we may need to deal with the matter of money first.”
They still owed three times the entrance tax. Added together, it was no small sum. They had no idea why the illusion array had selected this city, and for now they could only remain here.
“Alright,” Lin Shijin replied. There was only one bed. He hesitated, then asked, “Shixiong, aren’t you going to rest?”
Sheng Rufei shook his head. “You sleep.”
His voice was low and cool. Hearing it, Lin Shijin did not know why, but drowsiness truly crept over him. He cast a cleansing spell for himself, leaned against the edge of the bed, and drifted off.
Just before sleep claimed him, his eyelids fluttered. He seemed to see Sheng Rufei standing before him, eyes lowered, lost in thought. And then he felt a touch against his cheek.
Cheek, ear, lips, the corner of his eye.
Lin Shijin swatted Sheng Rufei’s hand away, and slowly lost consciousness.
After falling asleep, he dreamt that he had sunk into a soft swamp, his entire body wrapped in something sticky and viscous, as though something were slowly licking over his skin inch by inch. The sensation made him deeply uncomfortable, and he struggled to crawl free.
But he could not escape. Each time he managed to climb out a little, he was dragged back in, left no choice but to remain submerged in the clammy mire, feeling a coldness seep into his body.
Lin Shijin broke out in a cold sweat. Half-awake, half-asleep, he called softly, “Shixiong,” and heard a low, magnetic “Mm?” by his ear. For a fleeting instant, a strange sense of dissonance brushed past him. But before he could grasp it, he was pulled into someone’s arms.
“Xiao Jin. Had a nightmare?”
Sweat beaded on Lin Shijin’s brow. His lips parted slightly; he did not even realise that he was dressed only in snow-white underclothes. His fingers curled faintly into the corner of Sheng Rufei’s robe, his back still chilled.
“I dreamt… I fell into a swamp and couldn’t get out.”
His breath brushed against Sheng Rufei’s ear. Sheng Rufei rested his fingertips against Lin Shijin’s forehead and murmured softly, “Dreams are always the opposite.”
The words did not comfort him. Nestled in Sheng Rufei’s arms, Lin Shijin asked in a small voice, “Weren’t you going to meditate, Shixiong?”
“You kept calling for me.” Sheng Rufei lowered his gaze slightly, his fingertips brushing Lin Shijin’s cheek. “I was worried, so I came.”
There was nothing wrong with what he said. Besides, Lin Shijin had always seen Sheng Rufei through a forgiving lens. He answered quietly, clutching the edge of Sheng Rufei’s sleeve, then seemed to remember something.
“There’s something I’ve never told you before, Shixiong.”
Lin Shijin felt Sheng Rufei’s gaze settle on him. The other waited in silence for him to continue. He had intended to tell him about the times he had seen the Feathered Crane Pattern.
The words rose to his lips. And then, suddenly, he did not want to say them.
Unaware, Sheng Rufei’s fingers combed lightly through his hair, his lips brushing against it as he asked, “What is it?”
“It’s nothing.” Lin Shijin pressed his lips together. “It’s not the right time to say it yet. I’ll tell you once I’m sure.”
Perhaps it really was just a coincidence.
Sheng Rufei had always trusted him. Once, simply because Lin Shijin sensed another presence, Sheng Rufei had taken him to Jinyue Temple. If he mentioned the Feathered Crane Pattern now, Sheng Rufei might investigate it himself.
That pattern felt like it carried an unfathomably deep meaning. It would be safer not to involve Sheng Rufei. It was too dangerous.
After he said this, Sheng Rufei merely looked at him for a long moment, asking no further questions.
Lin Shijin no longer felt sleepy. There was still some time before dawn; he could not sleep, and Sheng Rufei did not need sleep at all, so the two of them discussed matters in the room.
“We should stay in the city for now. Since they’ve already demanded the entrance tax, they’ll certainly be able to find us. And now it’s tripled.” Lin Shijin studied the signed documents on the table. A deadline was written on them. They had less than half a month to gather the silver, or it would double again.
“Shixiong, where are we supposed to get that much money?” He recalled Sheng Rufei mentioning before that demon bones could be sold. “There doesn’t seem to be any demonic activity in this city. Should we go and look around after dawn?”
“We’ll take a look once it’s light.”
Sheng Rufei continued, “It’s possible there are no demons here. Time flows differently in this place. We may need to stay for a while.”
“Differently how?”
Lin Shijin watched as Sheng Rufei produced a small hourglass. “Two days pass here, but less than a quarter of an hour passes outside.”
“This is only a short-term change. By the time we leave, perhaps only a moment will have passed outside. The discrepancy isn’t fixed.”
“The spiritual energy here interferes with time. Its flow is chaotic, unlike the world beyond.”
Lin Shijin froze for a moment, then understood. “Then is it possible that we spend two days inside, but two or three years pass outside and we would miss Wuxiang Mountain?”
“No.” Sheng Rufei paused slightly. “The fluctuations in spiritual energy here are far slower than outside. Time here moves more slowly, not faster.”
Lin Shijin felt a quiet sense of admiration and asked softly, “How do you know all this, Shixiong?”
“Read more books,” Sheng Rufei replied succinctly.
That made sense. Back in Fuguang, aside from sword practice, the place Sheng Rufei spent the most time was the library. He read classical texts every day. There was little he did not know.
“Oh.” Lin Shijin nodded.
At dawn, they prepared to leave. Before setting out, Sheng Rufei affixed a human-skin mask to Lin Shijin’s face, concealing his original features.
Sheng Rufei had always been taller than him. Whether illusion or not, he now seemed even taller. Lin Shijin had to tilt his head slightly to meet his gaze, only for Sheng Rufei to cover his eyes with one hand.
“Don’t look at people like that.”
Lin Shijin caught his wrist. “Shixiong, let go of me. Can’t I even look at you?”
Warm breath brushed his ear as Sheng Rufei replied in a low voice, “No,” smoothing out the wrinkles in the mask on his face.
Lin Shijin thought the demand unreasonable. He sneaked another look at Sheng Rufei, then glanced at the water mirror. His features were blurred and flattened, his complexion darkened by at least two shades, not even matching his neck. He looked sallow and thin… indescribably ugly.
Utterly incongruous. In short, very ugly.
Somewhat disgruntled, Lin Shijin tugged at Sheng Rufei’s sleeve. “Shixiong, I’ve become so ugly. Why am I the only one wearing a mask?”
Naturally, it was because he did not want others to see.
Lin Shijin looked up and met Sheng Rufei’s eyes. He was scorched by the darkness within them. The suppressed emotion there felt almost tangible, heavy enough to press against him. Instinctively, he shrank back, no longer daring to argue.
“Why don’t you wear one as well?” he asked quietly. “You’re much better-looking than me, Shixiong.”
“You think I’m good-looking?” Sheng Rufei asked.
“Of course.” Lin Shijin nodded. Sheng Rufei’s face aligned perfectly with his tastes. It was as though it had been shaped precisely to them. From the very first time he saw Sheng Rufei, he had thought him handsome. Back then, newly transmigrated and wary, he had kept his distance, dulling that awareness.
Now, the more he looked, the more he liked what he saw. He often found himself staring, momentarily dazed. Who didn’t like beautiful people?
Yet instead of looking pleased, Sheng Rufei’s presence seemed to cool further. Confused, Lin Shijin instinctively tried to placate him, edging closer and secretly squeezing his fingers.
“Shixiong, you’re not just handsome. There are many good-looking people, but in my heart, you’re the best-looking of all.”
If Lin Shijin had a tail, it would have been wagging eagerly by now, all but begging the youth beside him to be happier.
But Sheng Rufei merely cast him an unreadable glance and ignored him.
“Don’t ignore me,” Lin Shijin protested softly. “Didn’t you say so last time?”
He loosely clasped Sheng Rufei’s fingers, applying just enough pressure to slow his steps. “You said you wouldn’t ignore me.”
Lin Shijin looped his arm around him. The youth halted, turning to look at him. Suddenly, Lin Shijin’s chin was caught between Sheng Rufei’s fingers.
It didn’t hurt. Yet his heart began to race for no reason at all. He felt nervous, uncertain what Sheng Rufei intended. Gazing into those dark eyes, he had the unsettling sense that he might be pulled under at any moment.
After a brief moment, Sheng Rufei released him. The oppressive atmosphere dissipated, and he led Lin Shijin out of the inn.
Still unable to grasp Sheng Rufei’s thoughts, Lin Shijin let himself be led, asking from behind, “Shixiong, where are we going now?”
“To earn silver,” Sheng Rufei replied coolly.
“Oh.” Lin Shijin followed up, “Where are we going to earn it?”
Sheng Rufei did not answer. Along the way, many passers-by glanced at them. It was all because of the human-skin mask. Walking together, it looked as though a handsome youth were leading along someone thoroughly unattractive.
The city’s morning market was already open, fresh pastries steaming as they were laid out. Lin Shijin glanced at them a few times, and Sheng Rufei went over to buy some.
He was quietly pleased. Cradling the warm pastries, he blew on them gently, then offered one to Sheng Rufei first.
The young man lowered his head slightly, his gaze deep and unreadable. Lin Shijin lifted the pastry to Sheng Rufei’s lips. All of a sudden, he felt a sting in his fingertip.
Sheng Rufei had bitten it lightly.
