Of all Chu Wanning's disciples, Shi Mei was the one whose specialization strayed from his master's specialties. By right, Shi Mei should have learned from Tanlang Elder instead, but he insisted to have Chu Wanning as his master. Therefore, Chu Wanning arranged for him to learn from a lot of external resources. The good thing was that Shi Mei was really focused on healing, and very hardworking at it too. While his healing skills improved greatly, the same could not be said about his spiritual core.
Chu Wanning knew about it before he even checked, but then he discovered something strange. Shi Mei's souls were not intact. At least one of his souls was impaired. It would not hinder him in leading a normal life, but it meant that Shi Mei might be short-lived, or prone to sickness. Chu Wanning's heart lurched. Could it be the reason for his untimely death back at the Heavenly Rift disaster? Was Shi Mei destined to die early? Nothing could be done? But then… that only meant that the world was destined to be thrown into chaos. Mo Ran was the tool to do it, and someone wicked was clever enough to read the situation and make the best use of it for his own benefit…
"…Shizun…?"
"Hmm?"
"Is… Is something wrong?"
"No."
Chu Wanning put both hands on Shi Mei's shoulders awkwardly. He meant to comfort, but he was not used to comforting anyone. Also, no one ever came to him for comfort.
"Shizun, I am here!"
Mo Ran entered rudely without knocking. What he saw when he came in was Chu Wanning with his hands on Shi Mei's shoulders, both of them gazing at each other's eyes in a loving manner. Mo Ran was close to losing it.
"What are you doing???"
Chu Wanning took his hands off and frowned at Mo Ran, a little irritated. Shi Mei smiled at Mo Ran and walked toward him.
"A-Ran. Done with the dishes? Thanks for the hard work."
Mo Ran made a pouty face at Shi Mei. He knew that nothing was going on. It is normal for a shizun, even someone as cold as Chu Wanning, to occasionally touch his disciples. But it was Shi Mei! Shi Mei who he treasured so much that he did not even dare to go beyond holding hands! To have Chu Wanning touch him so casually, Mo Ran was really unhappy.
"Shi Mei, you can go."
"Umm, Shizun, how is my spiritual core…?"
"It is stable, but not much progress from last time."
Shi Mei sheepishly smiled.
"I do not want to trouble Shizun and Young Master. Maybe it's best if I do not go. I will practice a bit more and then can Shizun take me the next time?"
Mo Ran asked, "Take where?"
Chu Wanning answered, "To Jincheng Lake, to collect a spiritual weapon."
Mo Ran's heart skipped a beat. Bugui! He could finally collect his holy weapon!
Shi Mei smiled at Mo Ran's reaction.
"Look at you, as happy as the Young Master. You two have fun, I hope you manage to get really good weapons."
Mo Ran pinched Shi Mei's hand, making the latter wince at him.
"Shi Mei, what are you talking about? Let's go together!"
"I… My aptitude level is below yours and the Young Master's. My coming along will just be a disgrace."
"Nonsense!"
Every second spent with Shi Mei was worth a bag of gold in Mo Ran's eyes.
"You should come along too! Even if you cannot get any holy weapon, count on me to protect you in the future!"
Shi Mei gaped at him, but then his expression broke into a smile.
"Really? Then I will have to bother you a lot in the future."
"No problem!!!"
Watching how Mo Ran and Shi Mei got along so well with each other, Chu Wanning suddenly did not mind that much anymore. Mo Ran and Shi Mei liked each other. Shi Mei did not have long to live. Mo Ran should really cherish every second they had left together. Meanwhile, Chu Wanning planned to find some ways to prolong Shi Mei's lifespan.
Shi Mei soon left, leaving Mo Ran and Chu Wanning alone.
"Mo Ran, come here."
Mo Ran obediently came over and Chu Wanning pressed his palm against Mo Ran's chest, just like what he did with the other two. As expected, Mo Ran's spiritual core was robust. It was no wonder that even the beasts at Jincheng Lake took a liking at him. To think that this was achieved in only one year…
Chu Wanning stared at Mo Ran, not saying anything. Mo Ran stared back, a little confused.
Chu Wanning still felt some qualm about helping Mo Ran to get that saber. What if this was the moment that could change everything? If Mo Ran failed to get a holy weapon, then he would be easier to subdue in the future. Less people would die. How much did he believe in his ability as a teacher to steer Mo Ran off the blood-stained path, back to the path of righteousness?
His hand slowly moved to Mo Ran's shoulder, gently squeezing it.
Mo Ran's heart beat a little faster.
What the hell? Why am I feeling so weird? Chu Wanning, what are you planning to do???
"Hold still," Chu Wanning said, before pressing their foreheads together.
Mo Ran's cheeks immediately turned pink.
"Shizun???"
"Hold still." he repeated.
Mo Ran obediently froze like a statue, although his head was spinning from images in his head. Chu Wanning's eyes were closed, his eyelashes fluttering slightly, tickling Mo Ran's innermost heart. Just like at the time when he inserted half of his soul into Mo Ran and peeked into his heart, this time he intended to check the progress of his effort. The Eight-Sufferings-Long-Hatred Flower was still inside Mo Ran's heart, feeding off him like a parasite, but it had not taken over Mo Ran's heart yet. Chu Wanning could not take it out, but it seemed that the shred of his soul managed to keep the flower in check still. Chu Wanning himself had not noticed anything awry going on with Mo Ran. This guy was still the same rowdy simpleton from the past.
Right, they have not passed the point of no return. At this point, things could go bad or good. There was still some hope.
Chu Wanning released the red-faced Mo Ran, told him his spiritual core was fine, and to get ready to leave in a few days. Mo Ran nodded and stuttered a thank you before leaving, not without throwing one last curious glance at Chu Wanning. That night, he could barely sleep. Since he was resurrected, Mo Ran and Chu Wanning had had a few close physical contacts, enough to rouse the beast in Mo Ran, but none of them was voluntary. This was the first time Chu Wanning initiated something intimate. It was only their foreheads touching, far beneath what they had done in previous life or even in current life, but Chu Wanning started it. For the first time, Mo Ran did not feel like he forced something upon his Shizun. Mo Ran did not understand why, despite all his obsession for Shi Mei, the slightest contact with Chu Wanning could trigger the greatest reaction from him. It almost felt as if he was cheating on Shi Mei.
Mo Ran buried his head into the pillow.
It did not matter how many years they had not slept together. Mo Ran would never forget the taste of Chu Wanning's lips, how his waist felt like when Mo Ran held onto it while pounding inside the man, or how Chu Wanning's smell was like, when he pressed his nose against his neck after a heated lovemaking session. All he had with Chu Wanning was physical relationship, but he craved the man with every cell of his body. His desire for Chu Wanning ran deep, coursing through his blood and embedded into his bones.
Mo Ran sighed.
After Chu Wanning finished serving his period of confinement, most of which he used to get Mo Ran and Shi Mei to help him do tasks all around SiSheng Peak together, they finally left for Jincheng Lake. Since Chu Wanning was still injured, they traveled by carriage. As usual, he kept his golden disciple Xue Meng in the carriage, while Shi Mei and Mo Ran had to ride horses. If not for getting the opportunity to ride alongside Shi Mei, Mo Ran would have protested loudly.
From inside the carriage, Chu Wanning watched Mo Ran chatting with Shi Mei happily. He watched for some time, and then he lowered the curtain and closed his eyes.
The more he thought about it, the more pitiful these star-crossed lovers were. His own feelings for Mo Ran could not compare to the depth of the feelings he had for Shi Mei. In both lifetimes, he could not win. It was really high time to give up already.
Jincheng Lake was located at Dawning Peak. At the bottom of Dawning Peak was Dai City. Dai City belonged to Rufeng Sect, the largest sect in the Upper Realm. Dai City was thus bustling with people, not only the visitors to Jincheng Lake but also people from Rufeng Sect. Thinking of Rufeng Sect and Jincheng Lake, Chu Wanning's face immediately darkened.
When they finally arrived at Dai City, the sun was just about to set. The little group thus decided to rest for a night in an inn. The busy innkeeper repeatedly apologized and said that only two rooms were left. Chu Wanning agreed to take both rooms. He did not take long to decide the room arrangement. Of course, Mo Ran should stay with Shi Mei, no question asked. That left Xue Meng and him to be roommates for the night. Chu Wanning went inside their room and opened the window to look at the bustling crowd outside. Xue Meng stood awkwardly at the door.
"What's wrong? Come in."
"Umm… S-Shizun. How is your wound?"
"Healing."
"Ummm…"
"…"
Xue Meng did not continue. He just took out the tiny jars of medicine that Xue ZhengYong gave him prior to their departure.
"Father said that, uhhh, that…"
"Said what?" Chu Wanning frowned in irritation.
Xue ZhengYong sure took him as a child. Did Sect Leader think that he was not capable of taking care of himself?
"That… Shizun does not know how to take care of himself so… I should make sure to re-dress Shizun's wounds…"
"…"
-Sect Leader, you…
Chu Wanning hmph-ed and started to undo his clothes.
Xue Meng cringed when he saw the mess on Chu Wanning's back. His father was not wrong when he said that this Shizun of his did not know how to take care of himself. Look at that festering wound… did he even apply medicine thoroughly? Three months had passed, should it not start to heal already???
Xue Meng, "Shizun, some spots are badly infected, I will have to cut some dead skin…"
Chu Wanning, "Go ahead."
Chu Wanning did not even wince once as Xue Meng got to work, but the latter felt pain in his stead. He tried to be more gentle but he ended up extending the treatment instead, adding more pain to Chu Wanning's back.
"You can go harder," Chu Wanning remarked, feeling half dizzy half furious at Xue Meng's half-assed efforts. "I can take it."
"But, Shizun… I don't want to hurt you…"
"Do it or don't," Chu Wanning snapped from impatience.
Xue Meng finally steeled himself and did the job properly, not without apologizing for every cut. After he was done, he was happier than Chu Wanning. While Xue Meng was bandaging Chu Wanning's wound, someone knocked loudly at the door with such urgency.
Xue Meng, "…"
Chu Wanning nodded toward the door. Xue Meng meekly nodded in return and went to take a look.
Outside, Mo Ran was fuming for no reason and picked up a fight with Xue Meng. Chu Wanning tidied up his clothes before coming to the door to see what the ruckus was all about. When Mo Ran saw him, for some reason he reddened. Chu Wanning frowned. The boy was blabbing about some noise he heard from the other room and he was worried so he came over. Worried for what? He should spend more time with Shi Mei. Chu Wanning painfully arranged for them to have some alone time, and he was wasting it for nothing? Chu Wanning could have vomited up some blood.
When Shi Mei came to chime in the conversation, he brought some bath tokens for each of them. After Mo Ran and Shi Mei left, Chu Wanning told Xue Meng to go ahead. He would come later. The reason was very simple. He did not want Mo Ran to see him naked. Or to compare him to Shi Mei. Yes, let him feast his eyes on Shi Mei, that lecherous idiot. Chu Wanning threw his towel on the bed angrily. In this lifetime, Mo Ran would never again get a chance to see him with even one layer of clothing less than usual. Chu Wanning caught a glimpse of his reflection on a bronze mirror on the dressing table. Such sharp expression, completely unfriendly and unlikeable. The eyebrows seemed to always be drawn to the center of his forehead. His eyes were neither gentle nor warm.
"So ugly," he mocked himself.
-How can you compare with Shi Mei.