A peek into the past…
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Ch. 30 | Sobering up
Feng Chulian brought a drunk Bi An back to Crescent Moon Ridge. Whatever wine they had ordered had a strong after-effect for Bi An was already dead to the world when he was brought back to his bedroom. Feeling quite annoyed, Feng Chulian pinched the cheeks of a certain soundly sleeping someone a few times before neatly and quickly¹ stripping Bi An’s coat off and wrapping him up in a blanket.
His Excellency rarely had to wait upon anyone, it was usually the other way around. After thinking for a while, he was still at a loss as to how to sober him up. When he looked out the window again, it was still dark and chilly so he tucked the blanket in more firmly until Bi An resembled a rice dumpling before finally turning away satisfied and prepared to return to his room.
He was about to walk out when he suddenly felt something tugging at his clothes and although he tried to pull free, he was not able to take even half a step forward. He had no choice but to turn round and saw that Bi An had reached out and curled a fist around his robe.
‘Outrageous.’ His Excellency summoned his usual dignity and barked quietly, ‘Let go of me.’
A certain sleeping someone was unrepentant and even tightened his hold.
His Excellency was awkwardly nonplussed for a while before electing to sit down on the bed.
Bi An then shifted closer to where he was and murmured, ‘Cheecher…’
Feng Chulian leaned closer doubtfully and studied that flushed face, muttering to himself, ‘Are you asleep or awake?’
After a while, a dreaming Bi An said, ‘Cheecher, take me home…’
Feng Chulian stiffened and his eyelashes quivered.
He had encountered Bi An in a plague-stricken village. The imperial court had pretended to send aid when in fact, it had already decided that the entire village had to go. When the government troops arrived, the dying villagers thought they had managed to wait for their own salvation, little dreaming that they had waited for death instead. The government soldiers had piled the living and the dead together indiscriminately and proceeded to set fire to them. When Feng Chulian happened to pass by the village, the scene was already too awful to look at, what with bodies everywhere and ashy remains flying in the air.
¹ 三下五除二 sān xià wǔ chú èr. If you’re not reading this chapter at hiding in plain sight, it has been stolen and reproduced by novelscraping sites.
Only Bi An was left, barely alive.
The child lay among the ruins, face blackened, gazing at him despairingly.
Covering his mouth and nose, Feng Chulian disgustedly rolled a body off him using a wooden staff while saying to the little sooty thing, ‘You’re not dead?’
Bi An widened his eyes with much effort, gazing upon that man with a face so beautiful it couldn’t have belonged to any of the local villagers. He clutched at the wooden staff with a paw and pleaded, ‘Pretty sister… save me…’
The corners of the haughty High Priest’s mouth pulled downwards. ‘I’m not your sister!’
Then he turned to leave, but the little sooty thing clutched a corner of his robe and implored feebly, ‘Take me home…’
Feng Chulian was rather annoyed. ‘What good would it do me to take you back home?’
Unfortunately, the little sooty thing was unable to talk to him after that as his hand slipped noiselessly down and even the movement of his chest stilled.
Feng Chulian poked at his cheek with the wooden staff and wondered, ‘Dead?’
After some examination, he found signs of life. As a result, the sharp-tongued but soft-hearted² High Priest bent down and lifted the little boy out from the ruins, grumbling, ‘All right, all right…’
For the longest time after he was brought to Crescent Moon Ridge, Bi An just couldn’t wrap his head around the idea that this pretty sister with beautiful flower-like features was actually a man, moreover, a man who was already a hundred years old. The ‘Pretty Sister’ sobriquet stuck for a very long time. Finally, to stop Bi An from calling him ‘sister’, Feng Chulian very grudgingly made him his disciple and bade him call him Teacher from then on.
² 刀子嘴豆腐心 dāozi zuǐ, dòufu xīn. Translation belongs to theresanother(DOT)wordpress(DOT)com.
Oh, it might be worth mentioning that Feng Chulian had a heartless and ungrateful³ friend by the name of Yu Huan who was an itinerant Guardian. After learning that he had rescued the child, Yu Huan had teased him about it for half a month. ‘Bwa ha ha, who would have thought you would be into charity work?’
‘Shut up!’
‘Want to save me as well? I’m almost broke.’
‘Go to hell.’
One day, Bi An got into a fight with another child and had his clothes torn. On the surface, Feng Chulian punished him by having him face the wall and think about his mistakes while he himself suppressed his outrage and began mending Bi An’s clothes.
Yu Huan suddenly called on him then and His Excellency, ever anxious to keep up appearances, hurriedly threw his heap of sewing onto the floor and kicked it under the table. He then asked impassively, ‘What are you doing here?’
Yu Huan sat down beside him, snatched the cup of good tea which was sitting on the table, drank some and then announced to him, ‘I’m thinking of taking part in the Guardians’ Tournament.’
Feng Chulian did not even look up as he asked, ‘Why?’
‘I just find life a little boring as it is now.’
‘… Are you sure? The world outside is a lot more dangerous than this place.’
‘I’m sure.’
‘Then you need a spirit beast.’
Yu Huan scratched his chin. ‘Any recommendations?’
Feng Chulian rose, took out a map which he spread on the table and began pointing with a fair, slender hand. ‘These are some of Ridge City’s most powerful spirit beasts. Among them, the Vampire Beast of the Marsh of Death. Its original form is a bat and it has a savage and treacherous nature.’
Chin on one hand, Yu Huan asked, ‘Umm… is there one… with slightly fairer skin?’
Feng Chulian moved his finger and tapped another spot. ‘The Field of Thorns and Thistles, home to the Ghostly-eyed Red Fox. It possesses nine tails and enjoys human flesh.’
Yu Huan: ‘Er… is there one… with white fur? I like those with white fur.’
Feng Chulian rolled his eyes. ‘The Jade Rabbit of Dragon Ridge, whereabouts uncertain. Has never been spotted by anyone. Legend has it that it exterminated an entire tribe by itself once.’
Yu Huan: ‘… White?’
Feng Chulian: ‘White.’
Yu Huan: ‘… Furry?’
Feng Chulian: ‘Furry.’
A satisfied Yu Huan rolled up the map and slipped it into his sleeve, saying, ‘Many thanks.’
‘Don’t mention it. Now get lost.’
Yu Huan turned and waved as he walked out. His voice floated over: ‘Your needlework is quite good, just like a virtuous woman’s!’
Clutching the sewing he had just retrieved from under the table, Feng Chulian hollered after him, ‘Shut up!’
³ 狼心狗肺 lángxīn-gǒufèi. Please consider reading from hiding in plain sight rather than from novelscraping sites.
At the same time, the rabbit which had been brought back to the Song Manor was less lucky than Bi An for he was not getting any tender loving care.
Song Lin took Dandan into the bathroom and told Styx to fetch a tub of water over.
Dandan had been sleeping heavily in Song Lin’s arms when he suddenly felt himself hanging in the air for a moment before falling straight into cold water with a splash. He spluttered out several mouthfuls and woke up thoroughly.
Song Lin bent down and patted his wet face before asking smilingly, ‘Awake?’
Dandan looked down at his own soaked clothes blankly for a few seconds before roaring, ‘Song Lin!! I’m going to kill you!!!’
Unfazed, Song Lin shushed him. ‘Not so loud, everyone’s already asleep.’
‘Are you trying to bloody murder me?’
‘I’m being kind by helping you to sober up otherwise you’ll feel worse tomorrow morning with a hangover.’
Dandan pointed a shaking finger at his nose but beyond stammering ‘y-y-you’, had no answer. Finally, simmering with indignant resentment, he turned his back on him and angrily blew bubbles into the water.
Song Lin caught him under the arms and lifted him out of the tub, set him on the floor and then began to towel him dry.
A mutinous Dandan began to struggle wildly, causing water droplets to land on Song Lin.
Song Lin then simply wrapped him in the towel and sat down on a stool, placing Dandan on his lap. He embraced him from behind, his two arms preventing Dandan from struggling and said, ‘Be good and stop giving trouble. This is the fastest way to sober up.’
Dandan ducked under the towel, feeling very sulky and sorry for himself.
(Approx. 1444 words)
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Translated and edited by 12
hiding in plain sight 
😦 Poor Bi An. I really like how Feng Chulian is so sweet to Bi An while being a sour face HAHA. I also liked how the author was all “Dandan didn’t get any tender care” except here comes Song Lin with a towel, drying Dandan himself. 8)
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Haha, yes, Feng Chulian is a softie. Song Lin is finally getting a chance to look after his pet hehe!
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