Xie Xihai sat blankly in Sheng Lin’s room, waiting for the day to fully brighten.
Half of the bed curtain was drawn, and Sheng Lin was sitting upright on the bed, cultivating his Heart Integration Technique at the critical breakthrough of the ninth layer. If it weren’t for family and master using the thing he least liked to force him, making him escort Xie Xihai to the capital, he would be in seclusion practicing at this moment.
“Sheng Lin,” Xie Xihai didn’t bother with formalities anymore, speaking bluntly, “Can we buy a carriage tomorrow? I’ll pay for it.”
After thinking for a while, he felt that even if he was heading to his death, he couldn’t be too careless on this journey, especially since he, as such a delicate young master, couldn’t endure the hardships of riding a horse.
Sheng Lin happened to open his eyes during a cycle of his technique and immediately rejected Xie Xihai’s wishful thinking, “No, a carriage is too slow.”
“I can’t ride a horse anymore,” Xie Xihai walked over irritably, sat next to Sheng Lin, and tried to reason with him, “My legs hurt, my buttocks hurt, everything hurts. How can I ride a horse tomorrow? If I fall off and die on the way, it won’t be easy for you to explain.”
Sheng Lin looked at Xie Xihai, who was full of grievances, and said casually, “You’ll get used to it after riding for a few more days.”
Xie Xihai almost cried, grabbed Sheng Lin’s arm, and wanted to hug him and cry, “Hero, just let me sit in a carriage for two days!”
Sheng Lin closed his eyes again, and when Xie Xihai was shaken by his protective aura, his hand became numb. Annoyed, he moved it away a bit, staring blankly at Sheng Lin’s profile. He thought that Sheng Lin was truly unapproachable and not a good person.
Deciding to vent his frustration on Sheng Lin, Xie Xihai planned to nullify Sheng Lin’s martial arts, imprison him, starve him for ten days or more, and finally make him willingly kneel and call him little master.
— If he could survive.
As Xie Xihai thought about it, a chill ran down his spine.
Generally, those who knew they were about to die couldn’t accept the fact. They would think about distant things, making their time pass more happily.
The inn lobby rang a few small bells, faintly reaching the ears of the guests upstairs, indicating that breakfast was about to be served.
Sheng Lin returned his true energy to his dantian, got off the bed, picked up his sword, and saw that Xie Xihai had already leaned on the table, dozing off. His hand supported his head, swaying back and forth, and his eyes were about to close, with his long and dense eyelashes touching and separating.
Sheng Lin reached out to wake him up but paused when his hand was about to touch Xie Xihai’s shoulder. He changed his mind and tapped the table.
Xie Xihai jumped up suddenly, “What’s up?”
“Eat breakfast; we still have to hurry on the road after eating,” Sheng Lin said, sheathing his sword behind him, and opened the door. Xie Xihai could only follow him.
“What’s the point of having breakfast?” Xie Xihai had no other distinctive features, just optimistic and talkative. Even if Sheng Lin didn’t talk to him, he could still talk to himself. “I wonder if they have abalone and shark fin congee. I guess not, haha.”
Walking downstairs, the inn lobby had two steamers emitting steam, with a bucket of porridge beside them.
The innkeeper served each of them a portion, and the two silently began to eat.
After finishing the meal, Xie Xihai walked over to the innkeeper and asked where he could buy a carriage. After thinking for a while, the innkeeper pointed him to a post station, saying that they might have some there.
As soon as they left the inn, Xie Xihai wanted to go in the direction of the post station, but Sheng Lin caught him, “Ride a horse.”
Covering his waist, Xie Xihai was thrown onto the horse by Sheng Lin, yelling, “Don’t whip me!”
Sheng Lin’s hand on the reins paused, looking at Xie Xihai. Xie Xihai, in pain, put on a black veil hat and said, “I’ll ride by myself.”
“You ride too slowly,” Sheng Lin said, and in the conversation, he seemed to want to whip him.
“I can ride fast!” Xie Xihai was almost crying. “I can ride fast!”
Seeing Xie Xihai’s desperate look, Sheng Lin found it amusing. He deliberately pulled out half of the whip, asking, “How fast?”
Xie Xihai flicked the reins, rushing out like an arrow, as if there were ghosts chasing him.
When they reached a range of mountains, Xie Xihai stopped the horse. Wanting to dismount despite the pain in his waist, he still fell off.
Hearing the noise from behind, Sheng Lin pulled the reins, turned around, and stopped not far away, watching Xie Xihai, who couldn’t move, lying on the ground.
Xie Xihai crawled to the grass. The grass rubbed against his face, and his nose even had the smell of soil. Xie Xihai didn’t care; he crawled to a patch of grass, lay down, and didn’t move. When he looked up and saw Sheng Lin looking at him with indescribable eyes, he couldn’t help but say in a resentful tone, “What? My butt hurts too much. Let me rest after getting off the horse for a while.”
Sheng Lin looked at the sun, got off his horse, tied both horses to a tree, walked to Xie Xihai, and saw him adjusting his posture for a while before saying, “If I knew… I would never have agreed to send you to the capital.”
Xie Xihai rolled his eyes, “Who asked you to send the eldest son? If I stayed in the escort team, I would definitely be living a comfortable life now, at least without a sore butt.”
Although Xie Xihai was the eldest son, he was accustomed to being spoiled in the royal mansion due to Shang Ling’s excessive favoritism. He spoke casually, even mentioning his sore butt without feeling awkward.
Sheng Lin took some dry rations, threw a piece of bread to Xie Xihai, and said, “If you stayed in the escort team, you wouldn’t survive tonight.”
Holding the bread, Xie Xihai almost choked on it. He then acted spoiled, rolled on the ground, and asked Sheng Lin for water. After eating a piece of bread, he threw the water bottle to Sheng Lin and asked after a while, “What’s the difference between dying early and late?”
Sheng Lin leaned against the tree, closing his eyes to rest. After hearing Xie Xihai’s question, he pondered for a moment before saying, “There’s no difference.”
“You…” Xie Xihai was infuriated, feeling dizzy. He sat aside, sulking.
Sheng Lin resumed his cultivation, exuding a murderous aura. Xie Xihai rolled away a bit, watching him thoughtfully.
When Sheng Lin opened his eyes again, Xie Xihai seized the opportunity to ask, “Hero Sheng, how much longer until we reach the capital?”
“More than two months,” replied Sheng Lin.
Xie Xihai’s vision darkened, and he slumped on the ground, unable to get up for a while. He thought this wouldn’t do, but what could he do?
After finishing his ration, Xie Xihai’s hands were covered in crumbs. He shook them for a while, but they wouldn’t come off. Hearing the sound of a flowing stream behind him, he stood up, supported himself with a tree, and walked slowly. Passing through the trees, Xie Xihai saw a shallow stream. He walked unsteadily towards it, crouched on a stone by the stream, and began to wash his hands.
It was late spring afternoon. The stream was cool, and the breeze carried the delightful scents of flowers and grass from the forest. Xie Xihai, while enjoying the refreshing wash, couldn’t help but continue for a while.
If he were in the royal residence, he would have surely invited others to join him in washing by the stream.
As Xie Xihai was thoroughly enjoying the wash, suddenly his buttocks itched, as if something had squeezed past from underneath. Startled, he impulsively moved forward and fell into the stream with a splash.
The stream was shallow, and he only got water up to his calves, but he was completely soaked.
“What are you doing?” Sheng Lin’s voice came from behind.
Xie Xihai turned to look. Water flowed into his eyes from his forehead, and he could vaguely see a figure. However, just from Sheng Lin’s tone, he knew the ice-cold man considered him a fool.
“It felt like someone touched my buttocks!” Xie Xihai looked around to find the thing that had squeezed past. His vision gradually cleared, but there was nothing nearby except Sheng Lin, who was holding a large gray rabbit.
“It grabbed you from behind,” Sheng Lin said.
“Let me see!” Xie Xihai lifted his wet clothes, ignoring the pain, and rushed to Sheng Lin to inspect the rabbit.
Holding one leg of the rabbit, he found the fur on the paw was wet and stuck together. He immediately declared, “It’s this rabbit!”
Sheng Lin didn’t say anything, just carried the rabbit and walked back. Xie Xihai walked alongside, saying, “I almost thought it was you touching my buttocks.”
Sheng Lin stopped, turned around, looked him up and down, then continued walking.
From Sheng Lin’s eyes, Xie Xihai sensed a very insulting meaning. He calmly noted it in his revenge notebook, where the last three pages were filled with Sheng Lin’s name.
Your passage is well-written overall, but I’ve made a few minor adjustments for clarity and flow:
From the grassy thicket to the muddy ground, Xie Xihai dragged a long trail of water stains along the way. He felt uncomfortable with his wet and cold clothes. Seeing his luggage not far away, he walked while loosening his belt, taking off his outer robe, and preparing to remove his inner clothes.
Sheng Lin pulled out a dagger hidden beside the saddle, placed the rabbit on the ground, and skillfully began processing it. After skinning it, he turned around to see Xie Xihai, who was now left with only a pair of underpants, staring blankly at the elaborate and fancy robes spread out on the ground.
“What are you doing?” Sheng Lin asked.
Xie Xihai turned his head, and, seeing Sheng Lin holding a bloody thing, also paused. Upon noticing the fur and skin nearby, he realized it was the rabbit from earlier. He hesitated for a moment and said, “I don’t know how to wear these clothes. Usually, it’s the maids who help me put them on.”
These clothes had five or six layers, each needing to be threaded through different places to achieve the effect of a graceful and ethereal appearance. Xie Xihai would find it challenging to put them on.
Sheng Lin walked past him, went to the firewood stack, and Xie Xihai looked at his makeshift grill, rubbing his hands, and asked, “Hero, roasting rabbit?”
“Yeah,” Sheng Lin replied briefly.
A gust of wind blew through the forest, causing Xie Xihai to sneeze. Seizing the opportunity, he asked again, “Can you help me roast my wet clothes?”
Sheng Lin nodded indifferently. Xie Xihai then brought over his wet clothes and set them aside.
As the fire blazed, the heat enveloped them. Xie Xihai, half-naked and shivering from the cold, couldn’t help but move closer to the bonfire.
Xie Xihai stared at the grill, looking at the rabbit meat still dripping with blood. Suddenly, he asked Sheng Lin, “Hey, Hero Sheng, what did you use to kill the rabbit?”
Sheng Lin turned his head, and only then did Xie Xihai realize that he was sitting too close to Sheng Lin. Neither of them was wearing clothes, and being this close to someone seemed a bit inappropriate.
Xie Xihai’s hair was all wet, spread over his back and chest like ink. Amidst the dark, long hair, glimpses of porcelain-like skin could be faintly seen, and his features looked lively, as if soaked in water.
Up close, one could see Xie Xihai’s appearance clearly. He was good-looking in an ordinary way, yet full of vitality, appearing fragile but within reach.
Sheng Lin paused for a moment before answering, “A dagger.”
“I thought it was the Lifesaving Sword,” Xie Xihai said as he sat farther away, roasting by the fire, and laughed, “The Lifesaving Sword is so big; it can’t catch a small rabbit.”
Xie Xihai was talkative and always feared awkward silences. Since meeting Sheng Lin, he eagerly used his warm face to stick to Sheng Lin’s cold butt. After a while, when Sheng Lin didn’t respond, Xie Xihai continued, “I wonder what it feels like to roast a rabbit with the Lifesaving Sword.”
The rabbit meat gradually cooked, and oil sizzled out, filling the air with a rich aroma. Xie Xihai swallowed his saliva and then asked, “Did you clean out the organs?”
He was really freezing, his words trembling, and his head aching from the cold.
Sheng Lin didn’t respond. He stood up and walked towards Xie Xihai. Thinking that Sheng Lin was about to hit him, Xie Xihai quickly raised his hands, saying, “I won’t talk anymore, is that not enough? Whether you clean out the organs or not, I’ll eat it!”
To his surprise, Sheng Lin walked to the horse instead, first glancing at Xie Xihai’s peculiar clothes, then taking out a large robe from his own belongings. He approached Xie Xihai and threw the robe at him, saying, “Put it on.”
Xie Xihai quickly thanked the hero and wrapped the clothes around himself. The robe was large and thick, instantly warming Xie Xihai. Enveloped in the large garment, he blinked his big eyes at Sheng Lin, taking advantage of the situation, “Hero Sheng is truly cold-faced but warm-hearted, with a sharp tongue but a tender heart.”
“Shut up,” Sheng Lin didn’t even lift his eyes, flipping the rabbit on the grill and continuing to roast it.
Feeling wronged, Xie Xihai obediently shut up. After a while, he spoke in a very soft voice, “One more thing.”
“Speak,” Sheng Lin turned the rabbit skewer in his hand without looking.
“I want to eat a rabbit leg,” Xie Xihai said, then moved closer. Trying to cut a piece too hastily, he tripped over his robe, knelt on the ground, and fell onto Sheng Lin’s legs.
Xie Xihai quickly sat up, holding Sheng Lin’s thigh in a chaotic manner, then turned to see Sheng Lin looking at him.
Sheng Lin reached for a rabbit leg and handed it to him, indifferently saying, “You don’t need to be so polite, Your Highness.”
Thanking Sheng Lin, Xie Xihai took the rabbit leg and took a hearty bite.
The two shared a fat wild rabbit. The meat was flavorful and chewy, though lacking in seasoning. Roasting a rabbit in the wilderness had its own unique charm.
“Hero Sheng,” Xie Xihai tossed the bones aside, his mouth greasy, “Has no living person ever seen you unsheathe your sword?”
Sheng Lin handed him another piece of rabbit meat. Xie Xihai waved it away, saying, “Can’t eat more. But seriously, have people never seen you draw your sword?”
“Do you want to see?” Sheng Lin asked.
Xie Xihai thought for a moment and said, “I want to see, but I don’t want to die.”
With that, Sheng Lin picked up the Lifesaving Sword leaning beside him. The sword sheath hit the ground, and with a slight movement of his hand, the sword emerged halfway with a radiant edge. Startled, Xie Xihai quickly raised his hand to block and yelled, “Forget it, forget it, I don’t want to see anymore!”
“Oh?” Sheng Lin retracted the sword and put it aside.
“There were plenty of opportunities along the way,” Xie Xihai retracted his hand, trying to sound calm, “No, there’s no need to rush.”
Sheng Lin looked at him with a half-smile. Xie Xihai continued, “Since we’re traveling together, can you be a bit more courteous to this prince? After all, I am Xie Xilin’s brother.”
He tightly held the robe given by Sheng Lin, his hands smeared with oil, and then added cheekily, “Even princes from noble families like mine get their hands oily. What’s wrong with using your clothes to wipe them?”
Walking over, Sheng Lin pinched the oil-stained part of the robe and asked in a low voice, “What should we do about this?”
“No inn servants for laundry?” Xie Xihai’s voice lowered even more when Sheng Lin got closer. “I don’t have the strength. I might even fall into the stream trying to wash my hands.”
Xie Xihai lacked resilience. Whenever something happened, he would resort to the habit of acting spoiled to his mother. Playing the role of a pest towards Sheng Lin, he didn’t harbor any useful expectations. It was just a desperate attempt to gain an advantage in words. Unexpectedly, Sheng Lin glanced at him, loosened the sleeves of the robe, and walked back to look at Xie Xihai’s clothes.
“What are you doing?” Xie Xihai asked.
Sheng Lin took several pieces of clothing and handed them to Xie Xihai. “Doing something.”
Xie Xihai put on the somewhat damp clothes. His hair was still partially wet, and his throat felt a bit dry. Before mounting the horse, Xie Xihai said to Sheng Lin, “I’m afraid I might catch a cold.”
Sheng Lin frowned, placed his hand on Xie Xihai’s head, and said, “It’s not hot now. Let’s go first.”
Although he didn’t whip Reyun again, Sheng Lin still rode at a fast pace. Xie Xihai had to exert a lot of effort to catch up because he knew that falling behind Sheng Lin would lead to more than just catching a cold.
They arrived in Yicheng by evening. Yicheng was a small town, and there were no good inns around. When Sheng Lin brought Xie Xihai to a relatively large inn, Xie Xihai’s expression had already turned unpleasant. Two unnatural red flushes adorned his face. Sheng Lin touched his forehead, and indeed, he had a fever.
Xie Xihai complained about the cold and said, “Are we there yet?”
“We’re here,” Sheng Lin dismounted, and when Xie Xihai tried to do the same, he fell, but Sheng Lin caught him before he hit the ground.
Dizzy and disoriented, Xie Xihai felt the hand supporting him pause and then suddenly lift him up. Sheng Lin carried him into the inn.
As long as he didn’t have to walk, Xie Xihai didn’t care about the posture. However, hanging upside down was uncomfortable. He used his legs to wrap around Sheng Lin’s waist and pushed his shoulders, saying, “Put me down a bit, I’m dizzy.”
In response to Xie Xihai’s struggle, Sheng Lin adjusted to carrying him like a child. They walked into the inn facing each other. Xie Xihai held onto Sheng Lin’s neck tightly, his hot skin pressing against Sheng Lin.
“What kind of inn is this?” Xie Xihai looked around, barely making out the surroundings, and complained again, “Why do you always stay in such small places?”
“A single-room inn,” Sheng Lin didn’t talk to him and directly asked the innkeeper for a room, still carrying Xie Xihai.
The room in this inn was even smaller than the one in Qu Ling. Sheng Lin laid Xie Xihai on the bed and told the innkeeper to find a doctor.
Xie Xihai took off his clothes, sat on the bed, and hoarsely said, “This prince won’t last until we reach the capital. I trouble Hero Sheng to convey a message to my mother.”
Sheng Lin covered Xie Xihai with a blanket. “Shut up.”
“Not even allowed to leave a last word,” Xie Xihai sighed, “Hero Sheng, I have one last request.”
Sheng Lin looked at Xie Xihai, his expression as if suppressing impatience. Before Sheng Lin’s sympathy completely faded, Xie Xihai eagerly said, “I want to take a bath.”
“Didn’t you wash in the creek?” Sheng Lin asked.
Xie Xihai was dumbfounded for a moment before answering, “Hot water.”
“See the doctor first,” Sheng Lin decided, and then he started practicing his martial arts on the side.
Xie Xihai nestled in the bed and soon fell asleep.
Shortly after, the doctor arrived. He tried to check Xie Xihai’s pulse, but Xie Xihai was deeply asleep, so he had to loosen the blanket covering him and pull out one hand for the examination.
After listening for a while, the doctor went to the table, picked up a pen, and wrote a prescription. He told Sheng Lin, “This young master caught a cold, coupled with some deficiency in vital energy, causing the fever. In reality, there is no major problem. Proper rest and care will suffice.”
Sheng Lin nodded, paid the doctor, who was about to leave. However, when Xie Xihai woke up, the doctor was stopped. Xie Xihai, weakly, asked, “Doctor, can I take a bath?”
“Bathing in warm water is naturally allowed,” the doctor replied.
Xie Xihai proudly glanced at Sheng Lin, “I knew you’d forget.”
Sheng Lin opened the door for the doctor, politely saw him off, and then stopped a passing waiter. He gave him a tip and asked him to fetch medicine and bring a bucket of hot water.
Turning back, Xie Xihai sat up, a part of his long hair hanging down from the bed. His fair face had a touch of blush, and he said, “What did the doctor say? Do I have a serious illness that requires a carriage?”
Sheng Lin glanced at him and said, “No.”
Xie Xihai pouted, lay back down, and Sheng Lin sat silently beside him. Xie Xihai yawned and said, “Why isn’t the water here yet?”
At that moment, two waiters brought up a large bucket of steaming water from downstairs. A bucket of hot water was placed in the room. Xie Xihai slowly got up, circled the tub, and asked Sheng Lin, “How do I get in?”
He was used to bathing in the royal bathhouse with its intricate facilities, and this wooden tub was unfamiliar to him.
Sheng Lin looked at him, his expression seemingly asking if Xie Xihai understood human language. Unaware of his lack of self-awareness, Xie Xihai looked down at himself and exclaimed, “Ah,” then took off his underpants and threw them on a stool. He then extended his arms toward Sheng Lin, saying, “Take it all off.”
With nothing on, and his ink-black hair just barely covering what was soft between his legs, Xie Xihai insisted that Sheng Lin should carry him in.
Walking over, Sheng Lin lifted Xie Xihai, whose delicate skin made contact wherever Sheng Lin touched. Xie Xihai felt Sheng Lin’s movements were slow and stiff. He raised his arm around Sheng Lin’s neck, cautiously putting his feet into the water, and commented, “It’s a bit hot.”
Sheng Lin lowered him a bit, but Xie Xihai’s lower legs were still submerged. He raised him again, and Xie Xihai complained, “It’s really hot.”
“Burning off the sweat,” Sheng Lin’s voice was close to Xie Xihai’s ear. Before Xie Xihai could object, he was fully immersed in the hot water, and Xie Xihai, scorched, broke into a sweat instantly.
He was sweating so much that his hair clung to his forehead, and steam rose from his eyes. He complained to Sheng Lin, “It’s too hot, I’m going to get cooked.”
Xie Xihai, accustomed to being served by others, treated Sheng Lin without any reservation. Sheng Lin lifted him into the tub and was about to leave.
