CH 155

Chapter 155: Treason

From time to time, the people roaming up and down E's safe zone turns to look at the tall, lean individual hunkering down next to the flower bed. Said individual is A City's famous Lord Captain Long, who is currently cupping a swollen cheek as he squats there, cutting a rather pitiful figure.

"Why are you squatting there?" A clear voice rings out as Cheng Mingcheng appears next to him. The youngster squats down beside Long Zhanye, a pair of dark eyes looking up at the other man questioningly.

"Ah, it's you… What are you doing here?" Long Zhanye blinks, staring back at Cheng Mingcheng.

"Hai…" Cheng Mingcheng hangs his head, both hands clenched tightly together. "I…whenever I lie in the bed to rest, I will always recall my fellow companions who stuck with me after escaping from those gangsters… If it wasn't for helping me flee from that place, they wouldn't have…"

"Don't think too much. They protected you because they wanted you to continue living. Being so restless and stuck in the past now would be spitting on their sacrifice," Clapping Cheng Mingcheng on the back of his head, Long Zhanye states bluntly. Getting to his feet, he glances up at the sky. Who knows when, but dark clouds have started to gather again, bringing with it a light drizzle. "It's raining, quickly return to your assigned room. Or else you will fall ill."

"Ah…" Cheng Mingcheng's heart skips a beat at the warm sensation coming from the hand on his head. As soon as it withdraws, he looks up, only to see the lean back already walking far away. A faint, gentle smile surfaces, but turns plastic a split-second later.

"Zhanye!" Rushing out from the entrance of a building, Huo Zaiyuan's face is full of worry that disperses the moment he catches sight the approaching figure. Quickly coming forward, he drapes the coat clutched in his hands over Long Zhanye's shoulders. After fastening all the buttons, he kicks the taller man's shin. "Idiot! Running all over the place in this cold weather without wearing a coat. What will I do if you catch a cold…"

"Heheh…I know little Yuan likes me best." A dazzling smile appears on Long Zhanye's face as he embraces Huo Zaiyuan. "I'm sore and exhausted…sleep with me today, all right?"

"Come on, let's go back." No answering Long Zhanye's question, Huo Zaiyuan intertwines their fingers and pulls him into the building.

A deep frown furrows Cheng Mingcheng's brow as he stares at the two men until they disappear behind the doors. A demonic scarlet glint flickers through his eyes, carrying with it jealousy and discontent.

"Heehee…" Coming to a stop beside Cheng Mingcheng, a slim figure clad in pure white attire snickers lowly. A brilliant smile on his face, Xu Mingyi appears as angelic as humanly possible.

"It's you ah." Cheng Mingcheng face darkens as he glares icily at Xu Mingyi.

"Leader[1], you are so cold. What's wrong? Does my presence make you so unhappy?" Xu Mingyi pouts as he throws himself on the other guy's back, acting like a spoiled child.

"The Huo Zaiyuan who went missing for a year has appeared again. It's about time you make your move," Cheng Mingcheng says blandly.

"Leader, I really don't get it. What's so good about that Long Zhanye? I admit his ability is on a different level than other humans, but compared to Taoists with a high cultivation like Huo Zaiyuan, he is an ordinary person…"

"Hmph, what do you know? Long Zhanye's true capabilities aren't as shallow as it appears on the outside. My intuition tells me…" A red tongue slowly moistens his lips as Cheng Mingcheng continues. "…he will be the most formidable zombie on this earth!"

~~~

"I can finally hug you to sleep again…really missed you." Long Zhanye sighs in contentment as he draws the slender youth into his arms.

Leaning on Long Zhanye's chest, the corners of Huo Zaiyuan's lips curl upwards. "It's been a month since I came out of my space, also…can you not project an old man vibe when you say things like this?"

"Little Yuan, I'm being sincere," Long Zhanye states as he drops a light kiss on Huo Zaiyuan's head.

"About?"

"When you've reached the topmost level in your cultivation, I really wish to embrace you fully…" Flipping his body around, Long Zhanye covers Huo Zaiyuan's slim figure entirely as he buries his nose in the juncture between neck and shoulder.

Huo Zaiyuan is not so ignorant that he doesn't understand the implication behind the older man's words. While his calm personality and non-existent sex drive are all by-products of cultivation, Long Zhanye is the sole person who he can't keep calm around. It is as though there's a strange force attracting him to this man…

"I…" Blushing furiously, he burrows deep into the warm embrace before mumbling, "I…know…but that will still be quite a while…"

It took him a year just to break through the fifth level into the sixth. Who knows how long is needed to break through to the seventh level…

Nonetheless, the implication of his words are very clear: If you want to wait until I have reached the highest level, you will be a monk for a very long time.

"I know."

"Umm…how did you know that…before I reach the highest level, I can't…"

Within the various notes his ancestor left behind, Huo Tianji also wrote that one must not lose their chastity before reaching the highest level. In order words, this "Mysterious Nine Dragon's Heaven" art requires a pure body up to the very end. If a practitioner loses their virginity before reaching the top, their cultivation will shatter due to an immense drain. Although he has never told Zhanye this, his lover unexpectedly knows about it.

"Intuition."

Huo Zaiyuan's heart can only express "囧".

Heavens ah, exactly what kind of intuition is this ah!!

~~~

A rare moment of direct sunlight shines down from sky, allowing the chilly winter air to ebb a little.

"Tsk, tsk. A fine weather ah!!" Standing on the roof of the Hummer, Long Zhanye grins as he raises his head to the sky, eyes squinting a little.

"I say, no matter how good the weather is, there is no need to climb up onto the roof, you rascal." Huo Zaiyuan sighs in mock exasperation as he sweeps a glance over his surroundings, gaze finally landing on the man standing majestically on the car's roof.

"I seldom experience such good feeling." Bracing a hand on the roof, Long Zhanye jumps down and immediately wraps his arms around Huo Zaiyuan. "After we return to A City, let's stealthily leave on a date, shall we?"

"You are a senior officer, can you afford to goof off?" Huo Zaiyuan pats Long Zhanye's chest before gently shoving the man away. Pulling open the driver side door, he pushes the man into the vehicle before walking around to enter the passenger seat.

"A senior officer is still human. They can tire too," Long Zhanye grumbles with a pathetic look even as he starts the car's engine.

"But I never see you display exhaustion. Instead, I always feel like you take pleasure in completing your daily affairs." Waving his left hand, a book appears and Huo Zaiyuan flips open to a bookmarked page, continuing to read where he left off.

"Beloved, don't say things so frankly and honestly. You're making me feel shy." Poking Huo Zaiyuan's cheek lightly, he finally shifts the gear away from 'Park' and heads towards A City.

However, Lord Captain Long who wishes to 'goof off' so badly promptly forgets all about it when they return to A City, for something major happened. J City's commander, He Lianming, defected. Not only did he injure Commander-in-chief Long Haotian, he also brought away more than a few Ability Users.

"Grandfather, are you all right?!" Kicking the ward's door off its hinges, Long Zhanye bursts into the room, full of frantic worry.

Sitting up on the edge of the bed, Grandfather Long raises his head, a faint smile on his wrinkled face.  "Grandfather is completely fine. I simply twisted my ankle."

"Scared me to death. What happened, exactly? What is that bastard He Lianming up to?" Eyebrows drawing together in agitation, it is clear Long Zhanye never thought the arrogant man will actually do something so out of character like defecting.

"Even I still can't believe it, let alone you. If it wasn't for little Qing's quick reaction, your grandfather would have more than just a twisted ankle." Long Haotian heaves a heavy sigh. "Grandfather has indeed gotten old. I will need to rely on you youngsters in the future."

"Grandfather…that's old man words. It's not like you to say things like this," Long Zhanye remarks as he pulls up a chair next to the bed.

At this moment, Huo Zaiyuan walks into the room. Glancing between Long Zhanye and the plank of wood lying on the ground, a slender eyebrow raises. However, he refrains from commenting, instead smiling at the pair of grandfather and grandson.

"Grandfather, are you really all right?"

"Oh, it's little Yuan ah. Grandfather is fine. Come here, come here." Long Haotian's smile brightens as soon as his gaze lands on Huo Zaiyuan.

"Is your sprained ankle painful?" Huo Zaiyuan asks, staring at the red and swollen ankle.

"Eh…it's tolerable. Elderlies, right? Knocking and bumping into things and acquiring bruises from it is normal. That youngster Qin Jun has already massaged it for me. He says to rest for a few days and it will be okay."

"That's good, then. Only, it's winter right now. Having a swollen foot is not good for your body," Huo Zaiyuan says. Stretching out a hand, faint silver light flashes from his open palm before drifting down to rest on Long Haotian's injury.

~~~

"Are you certain it doesn't matter? Just now when you did that for grandfather…you used a lot of spiritual power." Gazing at the ashen-faced Huo Zaiyuan, Long Zhanye can't help inquiring in concern.

This person really treats his grandfather as family, not hesitating one bit to spend a large amount of energy to treat the elderly's sprain.

"It's all right. I will be fine once I meditate for a while."

Helping Long Haotian to clear the clotted blood beneath his skin before treating the torn tendons and muscles did use a lot of energy, but in regards to the size of his current reserves, that amount is nothing more than a small token.

"Is that so? But in order to show you my gratitude, let me…"

"Ahh - what are you going? Put me down!!"

Ignoring Huo Zaiyuan's cry of alarm and consequent protests, Long Zhanye carries him from the medical bay all the way to the dormitory building.

Footnotes:

[1] Organisation leader, but since it sounds choppy, I simply left it as ‘Leader’