Ink Blade

Meet Again (part 1)

Chu Yan couldn't help being startled after exploring his internal force. He had guessed that Mo Ren's condition must be bad, but he didn't expect it to be so serious. In fact, he himself had not yet completely calmed down the internal breathing due to the retrograde, but at this moment, he didn't care about it, and hurriedly sent internal force into Mo Ren slowly, protecting the lungs and meridians that were already showing signs of exhaustion.

The night breeze was blowing, and the two sat opposite each other in the messy pear grove. A moment later, Mo Ren frowned, and there was an abnormal flush on his face. Chu Yan's expression sank and he said, "Spit it out."

Mo Ren suddenly opened his eyes and glanced at the palace master, but refused to move. Chu Yan was distressed, and slapped his chest with a palm. Mo Ren grunted, his upper body leaned forward involuntarily, and he opened his mouth to spit out a mouthful of dark blood, which splashed all over Chu Yan's lapel.

"Cough cough cough..."

Mo Ren covered his lips and coughed repeatedly, but looked up in panic. The glaring blood on the palace master's robe was still soaking around, and even under the dark of the night, it was terribly clear.

It’s so dirty…..

How could he have made the Master's clothes so dirty!?

But before he could apologize, his limp body was embraced by a pair of arms. Chu Yan placed Mo Ren half in his arms and patted him on the back, helping him cough out the residual blood, then he said softly, "Okay, okay...you'll be fine this way, don't be afraid."

Mo Ren froze again. His struggle to get free was nonexistent, he didn't move, he could only turn his head and stare at his master in disbelief.

Why did the Master hug him again?

How could it be such an act of intimacy again?

He doesn't understand...

"It's all right," Chu Yan couldn't bear to look at Mo Ren, took off his coat and wrapped it around his thin shoulders, "This Master will take you back to the palace, and will explain the rest to you after we go back.”

Unexpectedly, Mo Ren became even more terrified this time. Chu Yan was wearing unusual clothes today, it was clearly the palace master's robe embellished with the Jiuzhong’s dark gold flowing clouds, and only the palace master could wear it on his body. If other people dared to act without authorization, it’d be a big crime of disrespect...

"Master’s judgment, this subordinate absolutely dare not!" In an instant, Mo Ren's face turned white, he shrank back in panic, and his back hit the tree trunk firmly, "This is impossible..."

Chu Yan insisted, "Put it on! Your internal organs are already damaged, and it's no joke to catch the cold again…..You are obedient, this Master won't blame you.”

But this time Mo Ren refused to say anything. He didn't dare to speak out against his master, he just simply shook his head in panic indicating his refusal, and his body was taut as a bow.

"You......" Chu Yan's distressed heart was almost broken, and seeing him so frightened, he couldn't bear to force him like this. The master of the Jiuzhong Palace, who had always kept his word had no choice but to yield, "Alright, alright, if you don't want to wear it then don't wear it. Then…”

Chu Yan put the robe back on himself helplessly, and stretched out his hands towards Mo Ren, "It's okay for this Master to hold you, right?"

“...?”

Mo Ren raised his eyes blankly.

This timeline's bodyguard was still very young, he hadn't been pushed to the point of being haggard, and his delicate features were really good-looking. The chilling and icy aura around him disappeared at once, and it turned into somewhat of a touching color.

Chu Yan didn't know why his heartstrings twitched, but he slowed down, and leisurely hugged him into his arms again. It didn't contain any charming meaning, but just silently sending internal force to his four limbs, holding him and warming him up.

Mo Ren's mind was blank, he was forced to be pressed up against Chu Yan's chest, he dared not move, and only felt light headed, oppressed and gasping for breath. Why, why...he really doesn’t understand.

The temperature Chu Yan gave him was so warm, that his hands and feet, which were a little numb from the cold, softened a little bit, and even his internal organs felt comfortable.

Then there in the mind, that layer of hard ice supporting the coldness was melting into drops of water, dripping. Mo Ren began to feel a little sleepy, as if he was sinking in a pool of soft spring water, smelling the fragrance of pear blossoms, he fell heavily...

He bit his tongue with his sharp fangs, and the tingling brought back a little sobriety—sure enough, it’s not enough to be too comfortable, he almost lost his composure in front of his master.

Mo Ren pulled himself together and was about to speak to Chu Yan, but suddenly a shadow fell in front of him. He trembled, it was the master who raised his palm to cover his eyes, and said in a low voice, "Ah Ren is tired, take a rest at ease, this Master will take you back.”

He choked on his throat, however, Mo Ren no longer spoke.

Is this... a dream?

The sockets of Mo Ren's eyes were moistened quietly, and he began to wonder whether these few days were just a dream, whether there was no unimaginable rebirth at all, and whether there was no master who cherished him so much.

Was he, at this moment, still being left in the desolate snow field outside the Jiuzhong Palace, shivering and convulsing, until his breathing gradually became difficult, until his consciousness gradually became hazy, and until his body gradually stiffened...

Could it be that he was really too cold, so cold that he really couldn't bear it, that he imagined such a treacherous dream for himself.

If not, why is it so warm?

Could it be that deep down in his heart, he longed to be so loved by the Master?

What a dirty mind......

He was just a lowly bodyguard, ordinary and nothing special, living a worthless life, how could he be worthy of a god-like and honorable Master who was leaning over to warm himself...

He sure is... not a good sword...

Mo Ren was really exhausted, his mind turned upside down just thinking about it so wildly, and gradually became confused, allowing his consciousness to fall into the depths of darkness little by little.

Seeing that the person in his arms gradually calmed down, Chu Yan stood up holding Mo Ren in both hands. He started to walk back in the direction of the Jiuzhong Palace, stepping on the long grass, rustling it under his feet.

"Paying respects to the Palace Master." A few dark shadows fell behind Chu Yan, they were the secret guards of the Jiuzhong Palace "Guard Mo…..should come down, he is.....…”

When Chu Yan saw the secret guards, he had already guessed all about it. Although Mo Ren was nominally only the personal bodyguard of the palace master, he still had a special status in the Jiuzhong Palace. Chu Yan once gave him the power to act on behalf of the master at critical times. It was probably Mo Ren's idea to mobilize the secret guards this time.

"No need," Chu Yan refused in a low voice, his person should be held by himself, "you should hurry back to the palace and inform your hall master, this Palace Master had not met an accident."

….but he thought in his heart, Ah Ren was still willing to let himself do things like being obedient, probably because he still thinks in his heart that he was the young and innocent Chu Yan who was in his twenties.

And when he’ll know that he also came from the previous life, and when his heart completely turns cold, maybe he can no longer hug this person......

The silence lasted for a while, Chu Yan looked at the moon in the sky with a complicated expression, tightened his arms and murmured, "Ah Ren, listen, I have something to say..."

There was a pause in the voice, and Chu Yan moved his eyes down consciously. However he saw that Mo Ren was still leaning on his shoulder, his face was icy white, his eyes were closed tiredly, and he had already fallen asleep.

“......”

Chu Yan's face darkened, and he suddenly thought that when he lost control of his mind just now, it was Mo Ren who stepped forward to stop him regardless of the danger.

But the sharp long sword had never been drawn out of its sheath. Ah Ren would rather get himself hurt than draw his sword against him……How stupid.

Chu Yan shook his head, swallowed the words that had reached his mouth, and said to himself, "Forget it, forget it... It's not that this Master kept silent on purpose, it's because you didn't want to listen."

That being the case, then allow this Master to hug you for the last journey. When the morning light comes up tomorrow, this Master will confess everything, and he will never be bound by his own selfishness…

Chu Yan looked deeply at the guard in his arms, but suddenly there was a strange feeling in his heart—as if he saw through the world when one was on his last breath—it was a sense of relief.

The night was very dark, and the cool wind blew past with a few broken flowers. He smiled to himself, and walked back with Mo Ren in his arms, following the swaying shadow trees and the bright moonlight.

After returning to the Jiuzhong Palace, everyone surrounded them with lanterns, and naturally, it was another trouble.

In fact, Chu Yan was already physically and mentally exhausted at this time. If it had been in the past, he would not have bothered to explain seriously. However, after his rebirth, his mood seemed to have changed a lot, and he had a lot more tolerance and patience with the subordinates of Jiuzhong Palace.

He comforted and instructed them one by one, and only said that his foundation was unstable when he was cultivating, and his internal breath was distracted for a while before he went into a state of madness. It took a little more time to go to his own sleeping chamber with Mo Ren in his arms.

Qiu Jin cautiously followed with a lantern, looked at Chu Yan's face and asked, "Master, brother Mo...do you want this servant to ask someone to send him back to his own room?"

She also didn't know what happened between Mo Ren and the palace master, but the master had held him all the way...

"There’s no harm, tonight, he’ll sleep in this Master’s sleeping chamber." Chu Yan made up his mind to have a "showdown" with Ah Ren tomorrow, he was not willing to let go. "Send someone to ask from the Medicine Hall, do not hesitate on what is needed, only use the best medicine.”

"Yes." Qiu Jin lowered her head, and said hesitantly, "Young Master Bai Hua is still in the Punishment Hall, should this servant...go to pick up the Young Master?"

Chu Yan already knew what Mo Ren did from the secret guard, and now, as he thought for a while, he shook his head and said, "It's too late today, you should go and rest yourself, and we'll talk about the rest tomorrow. First, tell Hua’er in the Punishment Hall to…..stay.”