Xie Xihai woke up next to Sheng Lin in the morning, his head still resting on Sheng Lin’s chest. He glared at Sheng Lin for a while before Sheng Lin opened his eyes.
“Why are you in my bed?” Xie Xihai stared at him angrily, disheveled as he sat up and looked at Sheng Lin with reproach.
Sheng Lin got up, noticing Xie Xihai’s tousled appearance. He reached out, pulled a strand of hair, and Xie Xihai winced as he bumped his head into Sheng Lin’s chest, causing considerable pain.
Pushing him away, Xie Xihai, holding his head, asked with a tearful face, “Couldn’t you have said something?”
Sheng Lin got off the bed, turning to face him, “Qingchi Town is over three hundred miles away. If we don’t hurry, you’ll have to endure the night in the carriage, Your Highness.”
“What—”
“—Your Highness,” Sheng Lin looked down at Xie Xihai. Xie Xihai shuddered, realizing, and raised a hand to his mouth with his index and middle fingers, shaking his head to signal not to speak.
They hardly stopped to rest that day.
The carriage Sheng Lin prepared for Xie Xihai was small, not allowing him to lie down comfortably. Bored, Xie Xihai couldn’t initiate a conversation with Sheng Lin, so he whimpered behind him.
As dusk approached, Xie Xihai lifted the curtain but saw no signs of human activity.
Crawling out and half-kneeling beside Sheng Lin, Xie Xihai could only hear the sound of hooves and his own breathing. He nudged Sheng Lin, who glanced at him from the corner of his eye, “Anything, Your Highness?”
Xie Xihai pointed to his mouth, and Sheng Lin, looking at the sky, said, “Didn’t we agree on twenty-four hours? Your Highness needs to stay silent for about eleven more hours.”
“Mmm, mmm,” Xie Xihai had to make strange sounds to convey his message to Sheng Lin.
Sheng Lin said, “Your Highness, sit back; you’re blocking me.”
“I just have one question,” Xie Xihai couldn’t resist speaking, emphasizing, “Just one question.”
“Go ahead,” Sheng Lin replied after keeping him waiting.
“When will we arrive?” Xie Xihai asked each word carefully, cherishing every moment he could speak.
This time, Sheng Lin answered quickly, “Soon.”
“What do you mean by ‘soon’?” Xie Xihai jumped up, but Sheng Lin pushed him back.
Sheng Lin stopped the carriage, pressed Xie Xihai’s shoulder to push him back in. With no light inside, Xie Xihai could only see a tall dark figure facing him. In a sinister tone, Sheng Lin asked, “Just one question?”
Xie Xihai covered his mouth in distress, hugging the blanket and rolling to the side.
Seeing that Xie Xihai had stopped talking, Sheng Lin closed the curtain and continued on the journey.
Initially, Xie Xihai would occasionally come out to check for any signs of light. After several disappointments, he eventually fell asleep in the carriage.
Upon reaching the small town, it was already close to midnight, and the inn’s door was only partially open, revealing dim candlelight inside.
Sheng Lin halted the carriage, lifted the curtain, and saw Xie Xihai curled up inside, embracing the blanket, breathing sweetly and deeply. Sheng Lin’s hand on the curtain loosened, and he got off the carriage, knocking on the wooden door of the inn. Luckily, the inn’s servant who managed the night shift was still awake and came to remove the wooden board. Sheng Lin then returned to the carriage to call Xie Xihai.
Xie Xihai was in a deep sleep, and Sheng Lin shook him, making his head spin. Xie Xihai reluctantly opened his eyes, and Sheng Lin grabbed his hand to pull him out. Xie Xihai, limp like a boneless body, reached out to Sheng Lin.
“Walk on your own,” Sheng Lin tried to pull him down, but Xie Xihai refused to step down, keeping his feet off the ground and insisting on clinging to Sheng Lin.
The inn servant watched the two strange guests, not daring to speak.
Xie Xihai, half-asleep and disoriented, leaned left and right, and Sheng Lin struggled to support him. Seeing that Xie Xihai still refused to walk on his own, he lifted his hand and circled it around Sheng Lin’s neck, his breath brushing against Sheng Lin’s face.
The inn servant, observing the tall guest with a sword on his back, stood still for a moment before gently picking up the seemingly young master-like guest and carrying him inside.
Xie Xihai vaguely felt that Sheng Lin had been a bit nicer to him, but it was only a slight improvement, almost imperceptible. It might have been his imagination, and the only tangible evidence was the slightly slower pace of recording in the small account book.
Although Xie Xihai seemed to have become numb and no longer startled by Sheng Lin’s indifference, there was a possibility that he had grown accustomed to it.
They arrived in Li Cheng on the eighth day of Xie Xihai riding the carriage.
Li Cheng was a large city with bustling streets and a continuous flow of people.
Being with the silent Sheng Lin every day, Xie Xihai suddenly found himself in a lively place, getting excited and forgetting everything.
Not to mention, Sheng Lin even took him to stay in a large inn at the bustling market, making Xie Xihai extremely happy, walking around the clean and spacious room, exploring every nook and cranny.
They arrived in Li Cheng in the afternoon, settled their luggage, took a short rest, and Xie Xihai insisted on going to Yingchun Lane.
Yingchun Lane was a brothel located along the Cai River that ran through Li Cheng. It was built like a large pleasure boat, half on the shore and half leaning against the water. The girls in Yingchun Lane were knowledgeable and refined, proficient in arts such as music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Some could even compose poetry.
For many travelers visiting Li Cheng, observing the morning dew, enjoying the rosy glow, and listening to the girls playing musical instruments by the Cai River in Yingchun Lane were among their primary objectives. It was also a topic frequently discussed by storytellers in various teahouses.
Now that they were in Li Cheng, Xie Xihai couldn’t resist the urge to visit Yingchun Lane.
Normally, at Xie Xihai’s age, he should have been married with several concubines in his household. However, for some unknown reason, Prince Ning hadn’t assigned him any concubines. On the contrary, Xie Xihai’s elder brother, Xie Xilin, had two beautiful concubines in his courtyard.
After making a fuss, Sheng Lin, annoyed by his clamor, grabbed him and prevented him from making any more noise. This infuriated Xie Xihai, and he declared, “If you don’t want to go, I’ll go by myself.”
Sheng Lin glanced at him, his usually stoic expression turning unpleasant. “You want to go to a brothel looking like this?”
“What’s wrong with the way I look?” Xie Xihai’s face turned red, and he grabbed Sheng Lin, intending to get a clear answer.
Not wanting to argue further, Sheng Lin said coldly, “If you insist on going, go ahead.”
Xie Xihai knocked over Sheng Lin’s teacup and ran off by himself.
He ran through the streets alone, skipping dinner with an empty stomach. Grabbing a passerby, he asked for directions to Yingchun Lane.
Yingchun Lane wasn’t far from where they were staying. The passerby pointed in the direction where the masts of ships could be seen, and Xie Xihai followed the tall masts.
After walking for a while, it got dark, and the candlelights dotted the sky. Wanting to reach the riverside, Xie Xihai didn’t dare take the small paths. As he continued walking, he accidentally entered a night market street, with various stalls lining both sides, their owners energetically waving and calling out to attract customers.
Xie Xihai had visited similar small shops in Hancheng before. He walked slowly, looking down at each one. Eventually, he came across an antique stall and saw two sets of Go pieces placed beautifully in a mortar.
“What are these made of?” Xie Xihai picked up a white piece.
The stall owner immediately smiled and replied, “The guest has a keen eye. These Xuanhe-Tai Bai Go pieces are my private collection. The white pieces are made from the cores of Bai Mu shell, and the black pieces are made from the smart black stones brought from Yingzhou. This Go set…”
The stall owner suddenly lowered his voice, glanced around, and gestured for Xie Xihai to come closer, asking him to listen.
Xie Xihai couldn’t resist and immediately lent an ear, moving closer. “What about this Go set?”
“Since the guest and I share a connection, I won’t hide it. This Go set is spiritual. As long as it recognizes its owner, it can ensure the owner’s safety in a hundred battles,” the stall owner whispered mysteriously.
Xie Xihai was astonished, “Oh? How does one recognize the owner?”
“Take a drop of blood from your fingertip and drip it on this white piece,” the stall owner explained, tapping his left index finger with his right hand.
Suddenly, Xie Xihai remembered that after Sheng Lin sent him to the capital, and he was about to return to Hancheng to play chess with his brother, he hesitated as he looked at this set of Xuanhe-Tai Bai Go pieces. Curious, he asked, “How much is it?”
“Guest, I can see you have a connection,” the stall owner approached him and said, “just one or two silver coins.”
Xie Xihai exclaimed, realizing the loose silver he had in his waist didn’t add up to half a tael. He wanted to have tea in Yingchun Lane, so he shook his head at the stall owner, saying, “Too expensive.”
Seeing that Xie Xihai was about to leave, the stall owner quickly stopped him, “Meeting is fate, and the price can be negotiated! How about this, guest, name your price!”
After some consideration, Xie Xihai took out a small piece of silver and handed it to the stall owner, saying, “This is all I have.”
“Alright, alright, alright,” the stall owner reluctantly took Xie Xihai’s silver and said, “I’ll sell it to you then.”
Finishing his words, he stacked the two mortars together and handed them to Xie Xihai.
Xie Xihai hugged the Go set and walked away. Passing through the night market street, he headed towards Yingchun Lane.
The entrance of Yingchun Lane was at the bow of the ship. Approaching it, Xie Xihai saw two charming girls with protruding fronts and raised rears, holding round fans, standing to greet customers.
One of the girls brightened her eyes when she saw Xie Xihai, “This young master, care to come inside? Just call me Xiaoliu.”
Carrying something in his arms and finding it inconvenient, Xie Xihai almost forgot what the storyteller had said before. He replied to Xiaoliu, “Please lead the way.”
Xiaoliu guided him inside, and a fragrant powder scent enveloped them. Xiaoliu’s room was upstairs, filled with red curtains and a vibrant atmosphere.
Xie Xihai foolishly sat at the table and, when he raised his head, saw Xiaoliu’s semi-transparent outer garment already removed, wearing only a bellyband as she approached him.
“Miss, Miss…” Xie Xihai jumped up in alarm, holding his Go set and retreating to the door. “I…I’m here just for tea.”
Xiaoliu burst into laughter, “The young master is joking. In a place like this, who comes just for tea?”
Xie Xihai shook his hands repeatedly, ignoring Xiaoliu’s retention, and rushed out, holding his set of Go pieces awkwardly. This time, he didn’t get lost and ran all the way back to the inn.
Breathless, he pushed open the door to their room. Sheng Lin had just finished bathing, draped in a white robe with the collar open. Upon hearing the door, he looked up and saw Xie Xihai holding two mysterious jars, gasping for breath.
“So fast?” Sheng Lin unfastened his belt and loosely tied up his robe, looking at Xie Xihai. “What are you holding?”
Xie Xihai closed the door, placed the jars on the table, drank two cups of tea first, and then said, “This is called Xuanhe-Tai Bai Go Set.”
Sheng Lin took a look, picked up a piece, and examined it in the candlelight, saying, “Just ordinary Yunzi.”
“No,” Xie Xihai, having caught his breath, corrected seriously, “The white pieces are made of white mother-of-pearl, and the black pieces are made of Zhihei stone.”
“Oh?” Sheng Lin tossed the white piece back, showing some interest.
“Xuanhe-Tai Bai Go Set has spirituality,” Xie Xihai proudly shared the information the innkeeper had given him with Sheng Lin. “You take a drop of blood from your fingertip and drip it on the white piece. Once it recognizes the owner, it can withstand a hundred battles.”
Having said that, he grabbed Sheng Lin’s hand, brought Sheng Lin’s index finger into his mouth, suddenly remembered something, spat the finger out, and comforted Sheng Lin, “Don’t be afraid; it doesn’t hurt.”
Sheng Lin deeply looked at him, neither moving nor speaking.
Following that, Xie Xihai put Sheng Lin’s index finger back into his mouth, bit it with his teeth, and a bloody taste spread in his mouth. He grabbed Sheng Lin’s hand, squeezed a drop of blood into the jar with the white piece, and said to Sheng Lin, “It’s recognized now. Take this chess set and play against Xie Shilin. Kill him without mercy.”
He took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the blood off Sheng Lin’s finger. The bite on Sheng Lin’s hand was not deep, and soon it stopped bleeding. Xie Xihai looked at Sheng Lin, feeling Sheng Lin’s gaze. He raised his head and asked, “What, do you want to thank this future prince?”
“Xie Xihai,” Sheng Lin took back his hand, looked at the slightly bleeding small wound on his fingertip, and asked Xie Xihai, “Why are you so foolish?”
Xie Xihai was stunned for a moment, pushed Sheng Lin, and said, “Good intentions are wasted on a donkey liver and lungs!”
He pounced over, wanting to snatch back the Xuanhe-Tai Bai Go Set. However, Sheng Lin was one step ahead, taking the chess pieces and placing them on the cabinet in the room, out of Xie Xihai’s reach even when he tiptoed.
“Give it back to me, or I won’t send you anymore!” Xie Xihai was determined to snatch back the chess set he had bought with half of his savings, even if the pieces had already recognized Sheng Lin as the owner. He didn’t want to let Sheng Lin benefit without any conscience.
Despite being led by Sheng Lin to his death in the capital, he still wanted to play a game of chess with Sheng Lin’s brother.
In fact, it had nothing to do with him. By then, he might not even be there, but Sheng Lin would return to Hancheng, sit in the small pavilion in the plum blossom forest behind the royal palace with Xie Shilin, and play chess — using the chess set he bought. When Sheng Lin won a game, Xie Shilin wouldn’t accept defeat and would insist on another round. They would play until late at night, enjoying small dishes and talking over wine, becoming best friends. Who would remember Xie Xihai!
The more Xie Xihai thought about it, the more annoyed he became. He grabbed Sheng Lin’s shoulder and pestered him, saying, “Give it to me!”
“Once given to me, it’s mine,” Sheng Lin coldly pressed Xie Xihai down, using his tall stature to put the chess pieces on the cabinet. Xie Xihai couldn’t reach even if he tiptoed.
Helpless, Xie Xihai stared at Sheng Lin. Suddenly, Sheng Lin grabbed Xie Xihai’s hand, pulled it behind him, and pushed him towards the bed, asking, “What are you causing trouble for again?”
“How am I causing troble?” Xie Xihai, pressed by Sheng Lin, retorted with a hint of grievance.
Sheng Lin released Xie Xihai. Xie Xihai turned around to look at him, but he heard Sheng Lin chuckle softly. Xie Xihai tried to lift his head to look at Sheng Lin, but Sheng Lin used his hand to keep Xie Xihai’s head down.
Xie Xihai’s anger suddenly dissipated. He noticed that Sheng Lin’s voice was deep and steady, just like the legendary martial arts storytellers. Somehow, being held down by Sheng Lin, Xie Xihai felt his face heating up.
“You should apologize to this prince, or the Xuanhe-Tai Bai Go Set won’t be yours anymore,” Xie Xihai felt that it was not a good idea to continue the confrontation and quickly found a way to compromise.
Sheng Lin moved his hand away, held Xie Xihai’s chin, and looked at him. Xie Xihai blushed even more and turned his eyes to the ground, not daring to look at Sheng Lin. He could only hear Sheng Lin asking him from very close, “Do you want me to apologize? Where did you get the money to buy the chess set?”
“You…” Xie Xihai felt the two small pieces of skin on his chin touched by Sheng Lin, making him blush even more. He looked up and met Sheng Lin’s eyes, which seemed watery. At that moment, Xie Xihai felt Sheng Lin’s grip on his chin tighten slightly. He knew he lacked intimidation, so he threw Sheng Lin’s words back at him, “Once given to me, it’s mine.”
Sheng Lin’s gaze confused him, and his words were ambiguous. “So be it, give me the chess set, and I’ll give you the money. We owe each other nothing.”
Xie Xihai always felt that something was wrong with that statement but couldn’t figure out how to refute Sheng Lin. He sat on the edge of the bed, pondering.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. The waiter said that hot water was ready. Only then did Xie Xihai realize that Sheng Lin had also arranged for hot water for him. Out of habit, he applied a gold leaf to his face. “This prince accepts your apology.”
After the waiter placed the bath barrel, Sheng Lin went to the side to practice his cultivation. Sheng Lin’s true qi had been increasingly unstable in recent days. Based on his previous experience of breaking through the eighth level, breaking through the ninth level using the Qianhe Heart Method was imminent.
At present, his true qi was surging, and if he wanted to return it to its origin, attempting to break through the ninth level would take at least ten hours. However, Sheng Lin still had Xie Xihai to take care of.
Sheng Lin focused on calming the restless true qi. Suddenly, someone called him again, “Sheng Lin.”
It turned out that Xie Xihai had taken off his clothes and run to Sheng Lin again, wanting him to be lifted into the water.
“Hurry up, it’s cold.” Xie Xihai’s hair hung on Sheng Lin’s knees. Seeing that Sheng Lin had no response, he pushed him while bending over. Sheng Lin, who hadn’t moved, finally grabbed Xie Xihai’s wrist, lifted him up, and threw him into the bath barrel.
The next day, Xie Xihai woke up early.
He suddenly remembered that Sheng Lin seemed to have only agreed to provide him with a horse carriage for eight days. Calculating this way, today he would have to return to traveling on horseback to make a living.
Thinking about this, Xie Xihai felt almost helpless. He looked at Sheng Lin, who still seemed to be sleeping beside him, and slowly moved his hand over. Trying to please him, Xie Xihai held Sheng Lin’s hand, as if trying to make friends with him.
Sheng Lin immediately opened his eyes and looked at him. Xie Xihai, feeling guilty, closed his eyes again to avoid the troubles of the day, saying, “I haven’t woken up yet.”
Xie Xihai felt his hair being pulled. Despite that, he kept his eyes closed, furrowing his brows and gathering his loose hair behind him.
Sheng Lin got up first and said, “It’s good that Your Highness is still sleeping. I’ll go sell the carriage.”
“What?” Xie Xihai immediately sat up, “No!”
“We agreed on eight days,” Sheng Lin said, crossing his arms, “selling it now can still fetch some money.”
Xie Xihai quickly dressed and grabbed Sheng Lin, saying, “Let me sit in it for a while.”
They went downstairs, had some breakfast, and Xie Xihai hastily drank half a bowl of porridge. As he was about to occupy the carriage, he turned back to ask Sheng Lin, “Where is the carriage parked?”
“It’s by the stable in the backyard,” a passing waiter informed Xie Xihai.
Xie Xihai turned back, but Sheng Lin’s long legs allowed him to walk faster. Xie Xihai had to jog to catch up and tried to get closer to Sheng Lin, asking, “Why is Hero Sheng walking so fast?”
“Selling the carriage,” Sheng Lin glanced down at him and continued walking.
“Sell it to me!” Xie Xihai held Sheng Lin’s arm and dragged him, saying, “I’ll buy it, I’ll buy it!”
Sheng Lin looked down at him and said, “Do you still have half a tael of broken silver?”
“Can I put it on credit?” Xie Xihai asked anxiously, “My uncle is a merchant, and you won’t lose out!”
Just as they arrived at the carriage, Xie Xihai regretfully felt it was too small. Now, it felt like a warm home, and he didn’t want to leave.
“How about I pay you a deposit first?” Reluctantly, Xie Xihai handed the remaining bit of broken silver to Sheng Lin. “I don’t want to ride horses anymore.”
After saying this, he tried to climb onto the carriage. Without horses pulling it, the front end of the carriage rose upward. Xie Xihai struggled to climb but couldn’t. Suddenly, someone lifted him by the waist.
Sheng Lin’s arms, like iron, pressed against Xie Xihai’s legs and waist. He effortlessly lifted Xie Xihai onto the carriage, supporting himself with his hands on Xie Xihai’s legs, watching him. The oppressive feeling was strong.
Xie Xihai scooted backward, distancing himself from Sheng Lin, and asked, “So, did you agree?”
“It depends on Your Highness’s performance,” Sheng Lin said.
Sheng Lin went to the side, took out the horse, and tied the reins to the carriage. Xie Xihai still didn’t know how he was supposed to perform, but as long as it didn’t involve riding horses, he was willing to massage Sheng Lin’s legs or shoulders.
The carriage started moving, and Xie Xihai proactively crawled out of the curtain, lying on Sheng Lin’s shoulder, asking, “How should I perform?”
“Speak and act cautiously,” Sheng Lin turned to glance at him, “be a bit obedient.”
“Oh,” Xie Xihai crawled back inside, behaving quietly.
