"……"
Chu Yue immediately looked at the side of Ming Changsheng’s neck. It was bare. He glanced at the other side—there was no mark left by Li Lanxiu.
Ming Changsheng touched the side of his neck and explained with a smile, “The young master said that becoming his contracted servant is a serious matter. He asked me to think it over for a day and give him an answer tomorrow.”
“As he should.” Chu Yue’s expression cleared. He looked him over seriously and asked, “May I ask your age, Xiongtai?”
Ming Changsheng replied, “I turned twenty this year.”
Chu Yue nodded and studied him with a thoughtful gaze. “A fine young man like you—why offer yourself as a servant to another?”
Ming Changsheng answered solemnly, “Young Master Li showed me great kindness. That is sentiment. Following him means I can contribute to resisting the Red Sect. That is duty. In the face of sentiment and duty, what does pride count for?”
Chu Yue folded his arms in a seemingly casual motion, but the hands in his sleeves tightened slightly. He let out a soft laugh. “Do you have any family, Xiongtai? You may not care about your pride, but public opinion is ruthless. What will others think of you?”
“My mother died in childbirth. When I was eight, my father passed away from a sudden illness.” Ming Changsheng paused slightly and closed his eyes. “Since then, it’s just been me and my brother, and as you’ve seen—he’s a ghost. I have no family. And besides—”
He looked up at Chu Yue and gave a faintly mocking smile. “Why should I fear public opinion?”
Chu Yue gave a slight nod, then raised his gaze and spoke gravely. “Do you understand what becoming a contracted servant means?”
Ming Changsheng replied without hesitation, “As you said yourself, following the young master means I’ll never be bullied again.”
“……”
Chu Yue fell silent for a few seconds. He stared at Ming Changsheng and said, word by word, “Even so, being a contracted servant means handing your life and death over to another. From this moment on, you must submit to their every word, with no freedom. Have you truly thought it through?”
Ming Changsheng paused briefly, then smiled lightly. “You don’t need to persuade me. I’ve thought it through. The young master has been good to me. I’m willing to do anything for him.”
Chu Yue’s eyes narrowed slightly. This man was hopelessly stubborn. He gave a faint smile. “If that’s the case, then I hope you get what you wish for.”
He nodded at Ming Changsheng in farewell, then turned and walked back into the hall, to see the one person who could decide this matter.
Li Lanxiu sat in his room flipping through the scrolls sent by Lord Xu, which recorded various recent events in Dreamsaint City.
They ranged from major matters, like the Whitetower Temple preparing to host the Feast of All Souls to deliver the spirits of tens of thousands of civilians slain by the Red Sect, for which they had invited an eminent wandering monk; to small oddities, like a neighborhood boy vanishing after going out to buy soy sauce, or the young lady of the Wang family disappearing while her servant looked away as she flew a kite…
There were four or five such disappearances. Li Lanxiu held his brush, dipped it in cinnabar and circled each one, line by line, until he reached the final entry.
His gaze lingered on that last line. It mentioned a strange fragrance spreading through a small alley, after which no one ever passed by again.
“A strange fragrance?”
Li Lanxiu pressed the end of his brush against his chin and fell into thought. This seemingly insignificant message gave him a strange and subtle feeling.
Sevenstar Tower traded in all kinds of intelligence in the cultivation world. Its disciples often roamed the Nine Provinces, and the only overt method of purchasing intel was to visit Sevenstar Tower and pay in spirit stones.
But there was only one Sevenstar Tower in the world, far across the land. Running tens of thousands of miles just to buy a piece of news was both exhausting and inefficient, so it was said that Sevenstar Tower had a covert method of transmission—some kind of code.
He flipped back a few pages. There, he found mention of an old woman selling flower cakes on the street, and the cakes carried a fragrance no one had encountered before.
“Strange fragrance… flower cakes on the street…”
A trace of amusement flickered through Li Lanxiu’s eyes. His brush flew across the scroll, circling each entry that mentioned the strange fragrance and marking a small seven-star sigil beside them.
“Sevenstar Tower’s trail.”
He murmured the words softly. Sevenstar Tower’s information was usually extremely reliable. This strange fragrance must be linked to something hidden in Dreamsaint City.
Sensing someone approach his room, he closed his scroll before Chu Yue could knock and said, “Come in.”
Chu Yue pushed the door open and entered. He walked to Li Lanxiu’s seat, lifted a corner of his robe and knelt on one knee with practiced ease. He looked up at him. “Young Master, I just heard from Ming Changsheng that you’re going to give him a slave mark?”
Li Lanxiu glanced at him, toying with a small wolf-hair brush in his hand. “Yes. From now on, he’ll be mine, just like you.”
The words “just like you” made Chu Yue’s gaze abruptly darken. He smiled faintly and said, “He belongs to Young Master even without the slave mark.”
Li Lanxiu turned to look at him and spoke slowly. “That boy is too insecure. If I don’t give him a slave mark, he won’t settle.”
Chu Yue paused slightly, then straightened his expression and said seriously, “Young Master, Ming Changsheng’s background is unclear. He won’t be obedient like me. He won’t think of you in all things. Please reconsider.”
Li Lanxiu picked up the wolf-hair brush. The tip fell carelessly onto Chu Yue’s cheek, leaving a bright streak of cinnabar. “If he won’t, can’t you teach him? You’re my confidant. You can’t even handle this?”
Chu Yue grabbed his wrist to stop him and leaned closer. “I’m thinking of you, Young Master. I don’t want anyone unreliable by your side.”
Li Lanxiu looked down at him and applied a bit of strength to his wrist. Chu Yue’s grip loosened. He held Li Lanxiu’s wrist lightly, letting him draw on his face at will with the brush.
“I’ll judge whether he’s reliable. You just need to do your part.” The cinnabar brush roamed freely over Chu Yue’s handsome face. Li Lanxiu seemed thoroughly entertained.
Chu Yue stared into his smiling eyes. The skin on his wrist was delicate and warm, the slender wrist bone protruding. His fingertips unintentionally stroked it. The dark light in his eyes was deep and suppressed. He closed them and suddenly said, “Young Master is so clever. You must have guessed my connection to Lord Xu, haven’t you?”
Li Lanxiu raised an eyebrow, unsure why he brought that up. He tapped his chin lightly with the brush and asked knowingly, “What’s your relationship?”
Chu Yue looked up at him and said solemnly, “I am the son of the former emperor of Dongyue.”
He paused briefly, lips tightening. He spoke each word with deliberate care. “My father and mother, brothers and sisters, were all killed by traitors in a coup. I was dealing with disaster relief north of the river at the time and survived only by chance.”
“…Mr. Zhou was actually Grand Tutor Zhou.” His voice gradually sank. He took a deep breath, as if trying to suppress pain. “He was the crown prince’s tutor. Because of me, his entire clan was implicated and executed.”
Li Lanxiu’s brush halted. His gaze carried a hint of curiosity.
Chu Yue slowly grasped his wrist again and shuffled closer on his knees until his chest almost touched Li Lanxiu’s legs. His dark eyes fixed intently on him. His voice trembled slightly. “When I met you, Young Master, I was at the end of my rope. You reached out and saved me from danger. I was grateful to you, so I willingly became your contracted slave.”
At this point, his eyes grew faintly red. His throat bobbed visibly, as if swallowing a sob, unwilling to show his weakness to Li Lanxiu. “But Ming Changsheng is different. You say he’s the same as me, but has he been through what I have? How could he be loyal to you without reservation?”
Li Lanxiu looked at him with a trace of pity and touched his cheek with his other hand. “Alright, I understand you’re doing this for me.”
Chu Yue stared into his eyes and asked softly, “Does Young Master still intend to take Ming Changsheng as a contracted slave?”
“My mind is made.”
Li Lanxiu gently caressed his cheek. When his fingers brushed his tensed jaw, as tight as if Chu Yue might pounce and bite him to death, he coaxed him in a soft voice. “But you’re still the one I trust most. No one can replace you.”
Chu Yue stared at him in silence. The hand gripping his wrist tightened uncontrollably. He knew perfectly well Ming Changsheng couldn’t replace him—he wasn’t as useful, didn’t look as good, and couldn’t be teased in bed the same way.
But the thought of Li Lanxiu’s name appearing on someone else’s neck was unbearable.
“Ow!”
Li Lanxiu furrowed his brows and let out a low cry. He immediately let go of Chu Yue’s wrist and, without a word, kicked his thigh.
Chu Yue clamped his knees together. His strong thighs caught the incoming foot right against a delicate spot. He looked up at him and said casually, “Young Master, you mustn’t kick here. If you’re angry, just slap me instead.”
Li Lanxiu tried to pull his leg back a few times but only got squeezed tighter. He gave up and leaned in, looking at him with a sneer. “You little beast. Are you trying to rebel? Hm?”
“Never.”
Chu Yue answered in a low voice. His tense thighs slowly loosened, but not completely, leaving Li Lanxiu stuck. He spoke softly. “I just don’t want Young Master to take Ming Changsheng as a contracted slave. If Young Master could grant me this one thing, I’ll take whatever punishment you wish.”
Li Lanxiu stared at him for a few seconds, his cheek nearly brushing Chu Yue’s nose. He asked, word by word, “Are you threatening me?”
This was a subtle threat. If he insisted on taking Ming Changsheng as a slave, then Chu Yue wouldn’t be as obedient as before—just like now, daring to clamp his foot and press against him with that thing.
Chu Yue inhaled the fragrant scent coming from so close. His Adam’s apple shifted slightly. He shook his head and denied it. “No.”
Li Lanxiu didn’t need his admission. He straightened and looked down at him from above, his voice cold. “Let go. Take off your robe. Kneel.”
Chu Yue’s expression tightened. He stood and walked into the room, fluidly undoing his outer robe and inner garment, revealing a body full of strength.
His shoulders were broad and upright, his waist narrow and powerful. The lines of his muscles were smooth and well-defined, radiating youthful vigor in every inch.
He knelt on one knee with practiced ease, looked up at Li Lanxiu and held out a hand, his voice steady and calm. “Young Master, please punish me.”
Li Lanxiu took out the Coldiron Fan and held it by both ends, idly toying with it. “You dared to defy your superior. How many strikes would be appropriate?”
Chu Yue looked at how he held the fan. Heat spread through his chest. He licked his lips. “Whatever pleases Young Master.”
Li Lanxiu squinted at his indifferent expression and, after a moment’s thought, decided to play a different game. He took a hair ribbon from his storage ring and tossed it into Chu Yue’s hand. “Cover your eyes.”
Chu Yue paused briefly, then obediently picked up the hair ribbon and draped it over his eyes. He tied a light knot at the back of his head. In the darkness, his sense of smell sharpened. The fragrance from the ribbon seeped into his nose. When he lifted his hand again, his fingers trembled slightly.
Li Lanxiu gripped the fan in one hand. The cold tip trailed across Chu Yue’s chest.
Chu Yue’s chest tensed immediately. His back straightened and he let out a faint breath.
A quiet laugh slipped from Li Lanxiu’s throat. He gently patted Chu Yue’s cheek with the fan. “Do you remember what I told you?”
"What?" Chu Yue instinctively turned toward the voice. His voice came out strangely hoarse.
Li Lanxiu lifted his chin with the end of the fan and spoke slowly. "I said, if you made another mistake, I would use the heart-guarding mirror to show everyone in the sect how you were being punished. It's midday now. There should be quite a few people in the sect plaza, right?"
Chu Yue abruptly pressed his lips together. He shifted forward on his knees and said in a low voice, "Young Master, please don’t."
"Too late." Li Lanxiu raised his foot and stomped hard on his thigh. He chuckled lightly. "You're the sect’s chief disciple. Why don’t you explain to everyone why you’re kneeling here being punished?"
Chu Yue clenched his fists on his knees. His lips trembled slightly. He forced down the urge to pull off the blindfold and asked again in a low voice, "Would Young Master really let others see me like this?"
Li Lanxiu gave a soft laugh. The fan struck down on his palm without warning. Chu Yue's entire body tensed in an instant. He trembled faintly like a drawn bowstring. "Young Master..."
"Chief disciple of the sect, aren’t you going to explain yourself to everyone?" Li Lanxiu dropped his smile and issued the command with icy clarity.
Chu Yue suspected he wouldn’t be that cruel. This was just another form of teasing. But he couldn’t be entirely sure. That lingering uncertainty made his body tighten even more. His breathing quickened. His heart pounded like a drum. His voice turned rough. "Because I made a mistake, so I’m being punished here."
"What mistake?" Li Lanxiu slowly traced his fan along his cheek, coaxing him gently.
Chu Yue closed his eyes for a few seconds, suppressing the heat of his breath. He opened them and looked toward him. "Because I couldn't bear for someone else to become Young Master’s boy."
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