"Come in."
Yu Chi Feng was lost in thought. The man before him could be described as a "beauty", but that cold and heartless face emerged in a certain scene in his mind. It was as if it were hidden between the clouds, faintly discernible, as if he had seen it before...
It wasn't until he heard the beauty chuckle that Yu Chi Feng snapped back to reality.
The beauty was holding a white jade pipe, tapping it lightly on the armrest of the chair. The tobacco in the pipe bowl tumbled and vibrated, just like Yu Chi Feng's burning heart.
"Yu Chi Feng." He called Yu Chi Feng's name. His thin lips parted and closed, and although his face was cold, it made one want to taste the tobacco fragrance within.
"That's me." Yu Chi Feng lowered his eyes and bowed in response, afraid that the inexplicable emotions in his eyes would disturb the other person. "I don't know the city lord's name. I would like to repay the favor of saving my life."
"Feng Ting Liu. Remember that."
Feng Ting Liu.
Yu Chi Feng silently repeated this name in his heart, and now he understood why there were so many willow trees outside the house, creating a misty and ethereal scene.
Feng Ting Liu raised the pipe, put the mouthpiece in his mouth, inhaled the rich tobacco aroma, and then exhaled a white smoke that was as cloud-like as a mist. Feng Ting Liu curved the corners of his mouth, lifted his chin slightly, crossed his legs, and rested his chin on his hand as he sized up Yu Chi Feng from top to bottom.
Yu Chi Feng hesitated for a moment and then said, "I feel that the city lord looks familiar. Does the city lord know my identity and can you help me regain my memory?"
"Unfortunately, I don't know you. I only know that you were lying on a battlefield."
Yu Chi Feng showed a look of disappointment and sighed slightly.
Feng Ting Liu's lips parted slightly as if he was about to say something else, but suddenly, a scream from the side interrupted him:
"Ah -! I don't want to write anymore! Please forgive me, Brother Feng! I really know I was wrong!"
Yu Chi Feng looked in the direction of the voice. When he entered the room, he was only focused on Feng Ting Liu and didn't notice a young Taoist boy lying on the desk on the side. The Taoist boy had a crooked Taoist cap on his head, a writing brush in his hand, and his face was smeared with ink, making him look like a messy little cat.
Feng Ting Liu's eyebrows slightly knitted together. Seeing this scene, Yu Chi Feng wished he could smooth out the wrinkles with his own hands, not wanting to see such an expression on the other person.
"Xia Yi, did I assign you the task of sleeping at the door of the room?" Feng Ting Liu gave a casual glance and said calmly.
The Taoist boy, who was called Xia Yi, had a mournful expression. Hearing this, he sat up straight and complained, "It's not my fault that this big guy didn't wake up for so long! I was so bored waiting..."
"Too talkative. If you don't finish copying today, don't have dinner."
After a few exchanges, Yu Chi Feng understood. When he woke up, it was Xia Yi who was guarding outside the door, but Xia Yi fell asleep, which allowed him to escape through the window.
"I'm really sorry. I won't do it again... When I was at Huashan Sect, I never copied books. My senior brothers did it for me..." Xia Yi mumbled and complained.
Feng Ting Liu was annoyed by the noise and changed his position, leaning towards the other armrest. The impatience in his eyebrows gradually grew, and the pipe in his hand collided with the armrest, making a few dull thuds.
"If you don't want to write, then get out. You talk too much." Feng Ting Liu's words were laced with anger as he scolded.
Upon hearing this, Xia Yi threw the brush away, grabbed the hem of his clothes, and ran out happily. In a short time, even his figure disappeared among the willow trees outside the house.
With Xia Yi gone, Feng Ting Liu finally had some peace. The frown on his brow relaxed. Standing aside, Bai Zhong couldn't help but let out a low laugh: "Young Master, Taoist Priest Xia Yi is still young and lively. It's understandable."
"I naturally know. How did Huashan Sect raise such an unrestrained character."
After Xia Yi left, the study once again became quiet. Feng Ting Liu shifted his gaze back to Yu Chi Feng. His tobacco seemed to be almost burned out, with only a few sparks remaining, but the fire in Yu Chi Feng's heart burned even more intensely.
Yu Chi Feng's gaze met Feng Ting Liu's, and he caught a glimpse of several paintings and calligraphy works hanging behind Feng Ting Liu. One of them had the following words written in a clear yet powerful brushstroke: "The willow courtyard is quiet as people sleep during the day, and during the day when people sleep, the wind in the courtyard is still."
"Yu Chi Feng." Feng Ting Liu called his name once again. "You should know what I want to ask you."
Yu Chi Feng's expression flickered, recalling what Bai Zhong had said outside the residence about asking him to stay in Liudu City. At this moment, Feng Ting Liu gave him a sense of familiarity. Although Feng Ting Liu said he didn't know him, the scenes in his mind didn't seem like a lie.
Perhaps, he could stay in Liudu City to uncover the mystery of his own identity?
For Yu Chi Feng, wherever he was at the moment, he felt strange and uneasy. Instead, it was Feng Ting Liu, who gave him a sense of familiarity... and an inexplicable attraction.
"I want to stay in Liudu City." Yu Chi Feng's expression was firm as he looked at Feng Ting Liu. "What can I do?"
Feng Ting Liu's pipe tapped slowly as if he was thinking. He closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them again. There was a hint of a smile in his cold eyes.
"I'm lacking a guard to serve me." Feng Ting Liu said slowly. As soon as these words were spoken, it didn't seem like he was asking for Yu Chi Feng's consent, but rather giving an order.
"I'm willing."
Yu Chi Feng answered without hesitation.
Feng Ting Liu wasn't surprised. He simply held the mouthpiece of the pipe in his mouth and extended his other hand to gesture towards Yu Chi Feng. Yu Chi Feng stepped forward, wondering what Feng Ting Liu's instructions were, but suddenly, his thigh was stepped on by a white boot.
The leather boot wrapped around the slender leg inside, pressing slightly on Yu Chi Feng's thigh, as if it were some kind of暗示. (Note: It's not clear what "暗示" means in this context. It could be a hint, a suggestion, or an innuendo. Without further context, it's difficult to translate precisely. For now, I've left it as "implication" but it might need to be adjusted based on the author's intended meaning.)
Yu Chi Feng froze in place, not daring to move. After a moment, he heard a voice in his ear: "Kneel down."
While Yu Chi Feng was still stunned, the hard heel of the white boot suddenly kicked the back of his knee, and with a hook, he stumbled forward under the force of the attack and knelt on one knee at Feng Ting Liu's feet with a thud.
Feng Ting Liu then stepped on his leg again, as if the person under his foot wasn't a living being but a footrest for him.
"I haven't even said what you should do, and you've already agreed. Isn't it a bit too early?"
There was a hint of a smile in Feng Ting Liu's tone. The sole of his boot lightly tapped and rubbed on Yu Chi Feng's leg, as if it were a teasing gesture. He raised his chin slightly, looking at Yu Chi Feng whose neck had turned red, and his smile grew wider. Then he continued:
"I want not just a guard, but an obedient dog."
Dog.
This was a contemptuous yet ambiguous description. But Yu Chi Feng felt that for someone like Feng Ting Liu, there would naturally be thousands of people willing to submit to him. And he, Yu Chi Feng, was naturally one of those thousands.
Yu Chi Feng choked for a moment, looking at those red eyes and getting lost in his thoughts. In a trance, he almost thought that he had been bewitched by Feng Ting Liu, as he felt no anger under such "humiliation" but instead instinctively wanted to obey.
Yu Chi Feng couldn't figure it out, but decided to follow his heart. He raised his head and said firmly:
"Since I've agreed, I will never go back on my word."
Feng Ting Liu narrowed his eyes and sized him up for a moment, then suddenly laughed. "Good, good. From now on, you will be responsible for taking care of my daily life. If you do a good job, I will help you regain your memory."
Feng Ting Liu removed the sole of his boot from Yu Chi Feng's thigh and stood up slowly. He smoothed the wrinkles on his clothes, handed the pipe to Bai Zhong, and turned to say: "Although I don't have any strange hobbies, the dogs by my side naturally have rules to learn. Come with me and let me show you what happened to your predecessors."
Yu Chi Feng stood up, followed with confusion and the faint footprint on his pants.
Feng Ting Liu led Yu Chi Feng out of the Feng Mansion. Along the way, if they encountered servants, the servants would respectfully and fearfully greet Feng Ting Liu. Feng Ting Liu never gave them a glance, but from their eyes, one could read their loyalty to Feng Ting Liu.
Instead, Bai Zhong, who was walking behind, would kindly say a few words to the servants, but without delaying their pace, and they all left the Feng Mansion together.
The three of them walked westward after leaving the mansion, precisely in the opposite direction of the two chimneys. They passed through the willow-shaded avenue and came to a secluded and dark place. There was a building made of rocks, and the guards at the entrance opened the tightly closed door for the three of them.
Yu Chi Feng looked carefully and was shocked. Behind the door was a deep flight of steps leading to an underground room with dim oil lamps. As the door opened, a damp and bloody smell rushed towards them, followed by the continuous screams and cries coming from the underground room. This door seemed to lead to hell, with countless evil spirits surging.
But Feng Ting Liu's expression remained unchanged as he walked into the underground room first. Bai Zhong received an oil lamp from the guard and illuminated the way for Feng Ting Liu.
Yu Chi Feng sighed inwardly at Bai Zhong's thoughtfulness and made a mental note that perhaps next time, it would be him who needed to do these things.
The deeper the three of them went, the clearer those terrifying sounds became. When they reached the end of the steps, Yu Chi Feng finally saw the entire underground room - it was actually a dungeon where countless tortured people were imprisoned.
The people imprisoned in the dungeon were like evil spirits, with emaciated bodies. When they saw Feng Ting Liu's arrival, some broke down and screamed, while others shouted dirty insults, but none of this seemed to affect Feng Ting Liu's steps.
Feng Ting Liu led the two to a prison cell. Inside the cell, there was a thin and weak man. No, perhaps his form could no longer be called a human. His limbs were twisted, his teeth were all gone, and his mouth was empty, not even his tongue remained. He could only emit a series of hoarse and weak roars, and even his body couldn't move.
Just as Yu Chi Feng was shocked by what he saw, Feng Ting Liu suddenly asked, "Do you know what mistake he made?"
Yu Chi Feng shook his head.
"He sought refuge in Liudu City, saying that his relatives were killed and he had nowhere to go. Seeing that he was young and strong, I arranged for him to take care of the flowers in the courtyard." Feng Ting Liu said slowly.
As he spoke, the person in the cell showed a look of terror. His deformed body trembled non-stop, and his mouth, which couldn't speak, made an unpleasant "uh uh" sound. His cloudy eyes looked at Feng Ting Liu as if he were looking at a monster.
Feng Ting Liu was unfazed and instead curved the corners of his mouth and continued: "I thought he was a loyal subordinate, but for money, he sold the information of the merchant caravan to someone with ulterior motives. Out of the ten people in the caravan, only two returned seriously injured. Do you think this punishment is too lenient?"
Upon hearing this, the person in the cell panicked and knelt down. He crawled on his knees in a distorted manner to the iron bars, bowed down, and heavily knocked his head on the ground towards Feng Ting Liu. He hit the ground with such force that blood could be seen, but he didn't stop. He seemed to want to express his regret and loyalty, to save his own life, or to die a quick death.
But Feng Ting Liu didn't even give a glance to the person who was like a lump of mud. Instead, he indifferently glanced at Yu Chi Feng.
"Although I've allowed you to stay, Liudu City doesn't accept just anyone. Listen carefully:
First, those who are useless to Liudu City are not accepted.
Second, those who cannot survive in Liudu City are not accepted.
Third, any traitors are not accepted."
The word "traitor" echoed heavily in the dungeon cells,激起一片片如同野兽般痛苦的嘶吼. (Note: The meaning of this phrase is unclear. It might be a descriptive phrase indicating the intense reactions of the prisoners, but without more context, it's difficult to translate precisely. For now, I've left it as "arousing waves of beast-like agonized roars", but it might need to be revised based on the author's intended meaning.)
Yu Chi Feng immediately understood Feng Ting Liu's meaning. He solemnly knelt on one knee in front of Feng Ting Liu, and what he saw was the pair of white long boots. He clenched one fist against his chest and said in a deep voice:
"I, Yu Chi Feng, will never betray Young Master."
Feng Ting Liu looked down at the person kneeling at his feet. He saw that Yu Chi Feng's pants were dirtied by the bloody ground, but Yu Chi Feng didn't move an inch. Feng Ting Liu suddenly laughed.
"You'd better not. But you're so dirty now that you're not fit to enter the Feng Mansion. Uncle Zhong."
Bai Zhong nodded and replied, "Young Master."
"Take Yu Chi Feng to change his clothes. Teach him well and send him to my room."
Feng Ting Liu's words sounded ambiguous, but Yu Chi Feng could tell that there was no other meaning. Still, he couldn't control his rapidly beating heart and lowered his eyes in response.