Chapter 72

Chapter 72

Xie Zhigui had no choice but to agree to Ming Feiyu.

Fortunately, Ming Feiyu did not give him a hard time but set a few rules for him.

"First, be obedient.

Second, do not leave the stronghold without my permission.

Third, do not lie; I detest deceit."

"Can you do that?"

Ming Feiyu's tone was not inquisitive but issued an order that brooked no resistance.

Xie Zhigui was acutely aware that he was a bird who had willingly entered a golden cage, with no possibility of flight.

"I understand."

As the night deepened, Ming Feiyu stood up to leave, pausing at the threshold before turning to ask him, "You can heal, right?"

Xie Zhigui hesitated before replying, "A little."

Ming Feiyu's gaze lingered on him for a moment longer, "Tomorrow, you will accompany me to a place."

"Where?"

Ming Feiyu left without a word.

Little did Xie Zhigui know that from the moment he had conceded, he was about to meet a "boss" who was even more bloodsucking than a vampire.

He rested at Ming Feiyu's place for the night, and the next day, he was led to a house at the back of the stronghold.

Before even entering, Xie Zhigui was greeted by waves of groans and cries of "It hurts," "I'm dying," the smell of blood so thick it almost had form. Covering his nose, he hesitated at the doorway, but ultimately followed Ming Feiyu inside.

Inside, the scene was as gruesome as Xie Zhigui had imagined, with many wounded. There was a clear shortage of hands for treatment, just a few elderly individuals busily shuttling through the crowd, administering medicine.

The mixture of medicinal odors with the stench of blood, the moans and screams of pain, people struggling on the ground, and those sweating profusely while treating the wounded, all merged into chaos.

Xie Zhigui glanced at Ming Feiyu beside him and understood why he had been brought here.

It was highly likely to be a free labor as a doctor.

After Ming Feiyu nodded to the elders, he turned back and took the initiative to brief Xie Zhigui on the situation, "They have all been injured by a Taoist master."

Xie Zhigui had already noticed a child not far from his feet whose leg burns were not ordinary wounds, but the result of Taoist fiery spells.

Seeing him staring blankly at the child, Ming Feiyu thought he was scared silly again, "Don't be afraid, you'll follow Ah Liu Ye. He'll teach you how to handle these special wounds."

"I can do it," Xie Zhigui regained his composure and said.

"What?"

"I know what to do. You need to draw out the residual spell fire from the flesh before treating the surface wound. Otherwise, while it might look healed on the outside, the fire will continue to burn the bones and flesh inside, until nothing but a shell remains, and they will die in great pain."

To gain Ming Feiyu's trust, Xie Zhigui crouched next to the child and probed for a spot on his leg, then swiftly pulled out a dagger from his clothing and stabbed into the child’s leg bone. Before the child could cry out in pain, he pulled it out, and indeed, a small flame followed the dagger out.

His actions startled the elders who rushed over, chastising loudly, "What are you doing!"

The child’s face turned pale, and he opened his mouth full of sharp teeth just as he was about to scream in pain.

Xie Zhigui quickly grabbed some hemostatic medicine and applied it, asking, "Does it still hurt?"

The child touched his thigh, sniffled, and in a broken human language said, "It seems not to hurt as much."

Standing up and turning back, Xie Zhigui said to Ming Feiyu, "It was my sister who taught me, fearing one day I'd be hurt by accident and wouldn't know how to save myself."

Xie Qingyuan tended to see red in a fight, not distinguishing friend from foe, and often drew the innocent Xie Zhigui into the fray, leaving him battered. Afterward, she would hold her pitiful brother, crying bitterly out of guilt. Later on, just in case, she taught him some self-defense and lifesaving skills.

Xie Zhigui never thought he would use them, yet now he found himself in this place.

By confessing proactively, he hoped to gain Ming Feiyu's trust more quickly.

Indeed, that searing gaze carrying a scrutinizing intent soon vanished from him.

Ming Feiyu walked over and spoke with the elders about something, their gazes frequently drifting in his direction, curious yet wary, as if recognizing him from somewhere.

Where indeed?

He couldn't quite recall.

Afterwards, Ming Feiyu left him there and disappeared, his whereabouts unknown.

Xie Zhigui wasn't particularly keen on saving these creatures; they bore human forms but lacked a heartbeat, were cold to the touch, and their long, sharp nails posed a constant risk of injury.

Yet, if he wished to remain, he had to prove his worth.

So far, Ming Feiyu's trust in him was far from sufficient; he couldn't afford to let any opportunity slip by.

He worked late into the night, returning bathed in the cold moonlight, dragging his heavy legs up the wooden steps. Pushing the door open, he saw Ming Feiyu holding a black jar adorned with strange runes, dripping blood from a cut finger into it.

His sudden appearance caught Ming Feiyu off guard.

Ming Feiyu looked at him unexpectedly, asking, "What are you doing here?"

Xie Zhigui's voice was heavy with fatigue, "To sleep."

"You..."

Before he could finish, Ming Feiyu realized he hadn't arranged separate lodging for Xie Zhigui. Seeing him nearly unable to keep his eyes open from exhaustion after a day of tireless labor, turning him out now would seem callous and unfeeling.

Ming Feiyu relented, "Come in."

Only upon receiving permission did Xie Zhigui step over the threshold, too drained to even take notice of the jar's contents.

His steps unsteady, he moved towards the bed, peeled back the covers, and was about to lie down to rest when he glanced at Ming Feiyu, still intently dripping blood. The lure of sleep beckoned, the bed seductively inviting, yet he hesitated.

There was only one bed in the room... The bed was large enough for two, space wasn't the issue, but rather the person he would share it with.

Imagine, waking up groggily in the middle of the night, turning to find Ming Feiyu's eerie eyes in the darkness—it would scare the soul out of anyone. Besides, as a guest in someone else's home, how could he presume to occupy the host's bed?

It was both ill-mannered and extremely risky.

"Excuse me, is there an extra blanket somewhere?" Xie Zhigui inquired politely, in a soft voice.

Without even turning her head, Ming Fei Yu pointed indifferently toward the cabinet by the wall.

Xie Zhi Gui courteously said, "Thank you."

Then, within a second, he dropped the pleasantries, seeking out the thickest quilt to make a bed on the floor.

The stockade became bitterly cold at night, with the very air seeming to freeze into icy shards; each breath felt like a dull knife slowly carving through one’s airways.

He was without recourse; here, unlike the outside world, there was no central heating, no electric blankets, nor was there anyone to hold him as in his childhood days. He could only wrap himself tightly in a blanket, enduring until dawn.

The sound of breathing gradually became steady and calm. Ming Fei Yu's peripheral vision nonchalantly swept over the “cocoon” on the floor, tightly bundled and shivering in the corner.

It looked rather pitiful.

But, it had nothing to do with him.

He was not the type to be overwhelmed by sympathy. As long as the person wasn't dying, he continued to fiddle with the jar in his hands.

The night was eerily silent, with the shadows of tree branches swaying on the wall; moonlight filtered through the window, casting a ripple-like effect that drew a celestial “Milky Way” between the two distant individuals.

They were far apart, with not a single meeting of eyes, no exchange of emotions.

Silence dominated most of their interactions.

The following ten days passed in the same manner.

Growing accustomed to the environment of the stronghold, Xie Zhi Gui's nerves were not as taut as upon his arrival, no longer feeling like they could snap at any moment.

The villagers were wary but not hostile toward him, the outsider. Xie Zhi Gui couldn’t understand their language and could only guess fragments of their conversations—most guesses were inaccurate, but he knew they were discussing him.

Their gazes upon him were like those of an audience engrossed in a captivating play, reminding Xie Zhi Gui of the aunties from his old neighborhood who sat on stools, cracking sunflower seeds and gossiping.

Xie Zhi Gui didn’t dare interact too much with the adults; the inability to communicate was one thing, but he was mainly concerned about unexpected attacks from monsters, so he resorted to asking children who could speak human languages.

The young creatures, immature in both mind and age, stared at the chocolate Xie Zhi Gui presented with such intensity, their eyes nearly popped out, and they swallowed several times.

Seeing the child's hesitation, Xie Zhi Gui pulled out another handful from his bag, grasped little Man's hand, and pressed the chocolates into it.

"Take it."

Little Man resisted with his imperfect Mandarin, "No, no, I don’t want something from an outsider," while his eyes darted around, making sure the adults weren’t watching.

A few pieces had fallen to the ground; he swiftly picked them up, unwrapped the candy, popped it into his mouth, and carefully folded the wrapper to tuck away like a treasured possession.

Savoring the sweet taste in his mouth, he patted his bulging pouch and involuntarily flashed a pair of sharp little canines, lost in ecstasy. At this moment, he probably felt like the happiest little creature in the world.

No, the happiest little monster.

Noticing Xie Zhi Gui's gaze, Little Man’s expression shifted instantly, his eyes sly with cunning as he sighed like an old man, "Ah, you're impossible. I suppose I'll just have to reluctantly accept it."

Xie Zhi Gui watched as his little cheeks reddened, finding him somewhat adorable, and chuckled softly, "Since you've taken my things, can you tell me what they're saying about me?"

"Mmm, okay." Little Man spoke through a mouthful of candy, muffled, "They say you’re the bride that the chieftain snatched."

Xie Zhi Gui nearly leapt up on the spot, "...What did you say?!"

Bride?!

Incredulously pointing at himself, Xie Zhi Gui asked, "Me?"

Little Man nodded, continuing to drop bombshells, "They’re also discussing what the chieftain likes about you, how you'll be made to cry by him, how far you two have progressed, and more..."

Xie Zhi Gui pressed his forehead, "Enough! Stop talking."

If this continued, his ears would suffer.

What on earth was all this? Indeed, regardless of species, gender, or age, idle chatter always seemed to revolve around someone else's private matters.

How could he, a man, become the chieftain's bride?! Aside from his preference for men, with Ming Fei Yu's attitude towards him, the term 'bride'... it would probably be easier for her to squash him than a mere ant.

Little Man was naive and didn’t understand the deeper implications in adult conversations, tilting his head while tugging at Xie Zhi Gui’s sleeve, "I'm not wrong, am I? Aren’t you the chieftain’s bride?"

Xie Zhi Gui asked helplessly, "What makes you all think that?"

Little Man said in surprise, "There are lots of reasons, don’t you know?"

"…Huh?"

Counting on his fingers, Little Man started listing, "First of all, you're the first outsider the chieftain has allowed in here. And you were carried back by him all the way, held into the house. It scared all of us."

“……”

That was purely an accident; he had fainted from the shock of the gruesome scene.

Little Man continued, "You get to live with the chieftain, share a bed, while we can't even go near that courtyard. And since you're human and can't eat our food, your meals are specially prepared by the chieftain himself. The chieftain has always been a loner, but since you arrived, you're often by his side. He even warned us not to bully you, mentioning that you are extremely timid and that we must not carelessly frighten you..."

“……”

"Stop right there!"

Xie Zhi Gui made a 'pause' gesture, setting the child straight, "You're all thinking too much. Ming Fei Yu and I do not share a bed. He sleeps on the bed; I sleep on the floor, without disturbing each other. Moreover, he barely speaks three words to me in a day and has never shown me any kindness. Who would let their bride sleep on the cold floor? Would your father dare to have your mother sleep on the ground?"

It was a pointed question, and after pondering seriously for a moment, Little Man, with a hint of fear, said, "You're right. My dad wouldn't dare; he’d be beaten to death."

"Exactly."

Xie Zhi Gui was relieved at the child's quick understanding.

But then the child hit him with, "But you were snatched up by the chieftain because he took a fancy to you. It's normal to have no affection now. Once you've been together longer, you'll be like my parents, full of love. Then you can kick him to the ground, deny him a blanket, freeze him to death, and you'll have your revenge, hee hee."

He laughed with innocent mischief.

“……”

Little Man was sincerely offering wicked suggestions, but Xie Zhi Gui found it impossible to be touched by them.

Discussing such matters with a child seemed somewhat foolish.

Realizing this, he stood up to leave, but Little Man hurriedly tugged at him.

"Hey, hey, don’t go. You might think the chieftain is cold, but no one else has ever been in his room. He's easy to seduce. Brother, you're handsome too, maybe you'll succeed in just one try. Then he'll be the one begging you to sleep with him."

Xie Zhi Gui's thoughts halted for a second.

What kind of wild talk was this?!!

Xie Zhi Gui felt his face heat up, and his ears turned red. Ming Fei Yu had never been in love, yet he spoke as if he were an expert. What kind of things was this child saying?!

"You don't know how?"

"...I don't!" Where would he know how to seduce someone? He wasn't a fox turned into a temptress!

"Eh?" Little Man was skeptical, leaning in to inspect him, looking him over from left to right, seriously commenting, "But looking at your face, it seems prone to stir amorous troubles. Yet, your thin lips suggest you're more likely to be the unfaithful one."

"Do you really not know how to seduce?"

"I don't!" Xie Zhi Gui protested loudly, drawing the attention of others. Embarrassed at being seen in such a state, he quickly turned his head away.

Little Man thought his embarrassment stemmed from having a secret exposed and, clutching his hand reassuringly, said, "It's okay if you don't know how to seduce; I can teach you."

A hair-shy child blinked at him suggestively.

"Whom are you planning to seduce?"

A familiar voice suddenly echoed from behind. Xie Zhi Gui froze, the words of refusal lodged in his throat.

Turning around, he saw Ming Fei Yu leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest, the backdrop of a fiery sunset and howling winds framing his figure clad in red like unruly blood, his demonic features deepened, aggressive, those half-smiling eyes staring at him as if a venomous snake in the deep woods had caught a pretty and interesting prey.

He didn't want to devour him just yet, only to toy with him to his heart's content.

Xie Zhi Gui had no idea when Ming Fei Yu had arrived or how much of their conversation he had overheard.

His heart sank, thinking it was all over.