The Blood Crown - Chapter 44

Feng Ye’s hair was disheveled, his entire body wet, and his strong chest was covered in clear water stains. The muscular structure extended downward from his ripped-open pants, while his youthful face carried a wild and mischievous smirk. He resembled a small beast, young yet sharp.

Yan Sikong felt a bit uneasy but didn’t show any sign of weakness. He merely glanced at Feng Ye and said, “If you want to undress, do you need my permission?”

Feng Ye smiled and calmly removed his pants, tossing them by Yan Sikong’s feet. He was left with just his undergarments.

Yan Sikong didn’t respond to him. The mountain was already cool in the evening, and being drenched only made it colder. He struggled to keep his teeth from chattering, which was a difficult task.

Feng Ye rubbed his arms and said, “It’s really cold. You should take off your clothes; you’ll catch a cold.”

“Start the fire,” Yan Sikong replied with a slight bluish tinge to his face.

Feng Ye gathered some dry hay and found two stones, trying to spark a fire for a while. Finally, he ignited the hay with a spark, creating a small fire.

“Come and warm up,” Feng Ye urged.

Yan Sikong moved closer to the fire, holding his hands close to it, finally feeling a trace of warmth. His blood circulation improved a bit.

Feng Ye smirked, “Still not taking off your clothes? Do you really want to get sick?”

“You should start the fire,” Yan Sikong responded. “I’ll take off my clothes when I want to.”

Feng Ye let out a low “hmph” and his voice became husky. Suddenly, his earlier playfulness disappeared.

After they had hung their clothes to dry, they sat around the fire and watched the rain outside the cave. There was silence for a while.

Feng Ling kept licking his fur repeatedly, as if it was his whole life. Yan Sikong, for the first time, wished that Feng Ling would come over and break the suffocating silence.

After a while, Feng Ye said, “You must be very cold.”

“I’m not cold,” Yan Sikong replied. “With the fire, it’s warm.”

“Your voice is trembling.”

“…”

Feng Ye suddenly got up, walked over to Yan Sikong, and crouched down to his level.

Yan Sikong felt a strange tingling on his scalp, and his entire body tensed. He said in a deep voice, “Feng Ye, I don’t…”

Before he could finish his sentence, a pair of strong arms came from behind and embraced him. His back pressed against a hot, solid chest, and for a moment, he felt his frozen blood start flowing again. But he quickly struggled and said, “Feng Ye, don’t…”

“Don’t move,” Feng Ye whispered close to his ear, his voice low and dangerous. “I’m just holding you. If you dare move, it won’t end with just this.”

Yan Sikong froze.

Feng Ye tightened his arms, and his soft lips gently brushed against Yan Sikong’s earlobe. He murmured softly, “Feeling warm?”

Yan Sikong trembled, and while it was indeed no longer cold with the fire, the intimacy of their situation was more uncomfortable.

“You look just like before,” Feng Ye said in a hushed tone. “Even better.”

Yan Sikong pondered for a moment. “If you like a good-looking appearance so much, there’s a private villa in the capital, and inside…”

“Shut up,” Feng Ye interrupted. “If you say more, I might have to punish you.”

Yan Sikong fell silent.

“I just want you,” Feng Ye said with conviction.

“Why?” Yan Sikong couldn’t understand where Feng Ye’s thoughts were coming from.

“Because you are Sikong.”

“You and I only spent a short month together during childhood.”

“What of it? You were my only friend back then, but you…” Feng Ye muttered, “had to go through all that…”

Yan Sikong smiled faintly, “Are you pitying me? The way you’re pitying me is truly extraordinary.”

“I feel for you,” Feng Ye said softly. “From the moment I saw you again, I wanted to shield you from harm, to make sure no one hurts you.”

The phrase “I feel for you” made Yan Sikong’s chest tremble, and a hint of confusion showed in his eyes. In this world, no one had treated him this way anymore, and although he was as solid as a rock, he couldn’t help but be moved.

His lips moved several times, but he didn’t know what to say. After a long silence, he whispered, “Thank you.”

The two of them remained embraced, absorbing each other’s body warmth through their bare bodies. In this comforting warmth, Yan Sikong fell asleep, something he could only do without his guard up when he was with Feng Ye. And often, he would sleep soundly until dawn, free from nightmares.

As the sky began to lighten, they heard voices outside the cave. Startled, they woke up. Feng Ling was even more alert than they were and had already stood up, looking out of the cave.

Yan Sikong opened his eyes, and his gaze met Feng Ye’s exposed collarbone. He quickly woke up, struggling to sit up.

“It’s the people from the villa,” Feng Ye had already awakened and listened carefully. He also held Yan Sikong firmly in his arms.

When Yan Sikong heard this, he struggled even more. “Then, let’s get up!”

Feng Ye taunted, “Why should we get up? I’m not afraid if they see.”

“Feng Ye!” Yan Sikong grabbed Feng Ye’s wrist, using all his strength to force it away. He was worried that Feng Ye, who was quite stubborn, would expose them in this indecent state. His reputation was at stake.

Feng Ye was somewhat surprised. “Oh, you’re quite strong, aren’t you?” He let go of Yan Sikong’s hand, stretched his waist with satisfaction, and couldn’t resist teasing, “I used to find it uncomfortable to sleep on the ground. It’s probably because I wasn’t hugging you.”

Yan Sikong ignored him and quickly checked his clothes. After a night of drying by the fire, they were indeed completely dry. He grabbed Feng Ye’s clothes and threw them to him, then quickly put on his own.

Feng Ye, on the other hand, didn’t hurry to get dressed. He stared at Yan Sikong’s naked, fair back, where a head of disheveled black hair cascaded down. The lines of his spine faintly showed beneath the skin, and it was irresistibly alluring.

Feng Ye licked his lips, and his eyes openly showed a predatory desire.

It wasn’t until Yan Sikong had dressed that Feng Ye followed suit, arranging his appearance.

The two of them extinguished the fire and walked out of the cave. They saw the people from the villa carrying lanterns searching for them all over the mountain.

Feng Ye touched Feng Ling, “Go, Feng Ling. We’re returning to the villa.”

Feng Ling nuzzled him with his cheek and then ran off.

When the people from the villa saw them, they knelt on the ground, shivering and continuously apologizing to Feng Ye.

Feng Ye was indifferent and said, “It’s not your fault. Get up. Just lead us back.”

“Thank you, Sir, for your great generosity!”

Yan Sikong not only remembered the scene where Feng Jianping had forgiven him years ago, but he also recognized that the father and son had always been fair in their treatment of their subordinates. The loyalty of the Feng family’s soldiers wasn’t without reason.

A group of people carried lanterns to guide Feng Ye and Yan Sikong. It was just dawn, and the ground was muddy and slippery, making the journey difficult.

Suddenly, Feng Ye stopped. Before the others could react, he snatched a lantern from one of the attendants and threw it into the distant woods.

Before the lantern even hit the ground, a dark figure flashed through the woods.

Feng Ye leaped forward like an arrow, chasing after the figure.

As the others finally realized what was happening, Feng Ye had already disappeared into the forest.

Yan Sikong felt a sudden jolt of fear. Feng Ye’s martial skills were likely even deeper than he had imagined. Without any delay, he followed suit.

“Sir, Lord Yan!” The group of people had no choice but to follow them.

After a short pursuit, Yan Sikong saw Feng Ye. He was in a fight with a dark-clothed figure, and by the time Yan Sikong reached them, Feng Ye had already pinned the person to the ground. The man had sharp, deep features and didn’t look like a Central Plains native.

Yan Sikong hadn’t even had a chance to ask when Feng Ye suddenly locked the man’s chin, exerting force, and there was a crisp cracking sound. The man’s chin was dislocated.

He couldn’t close his mouth anymore, and a faint yellow saliva dribbled out.

Yan Sikong couldn’t help but think how close it had been. If Feng Ye had squeezed his chin a moment later, the poison would have flowed into his throat, and the man would have successfully committed suicide.

“He’s not from the Central Plains,” Yan Sikong said.

Feng Ye responded with a sound of agreement, “He’s a Khitan scout.”

Yan Sikong couldn’t see Feng Ye’s face clearly, but that voice was filled with a chilling, spine-tingling coldness.

The Khitan man glared fiercely at Feng Ye and spat forcefully on the ground.

Feng Ye lifted him off the ground and said, “Take him to the main camp for interrogation.”

However, the man suddenly threw a punch at Feng Ye. Feng Ye dodged by tilting his head, then swiftly grabbed the man’s arm, wrapped it around his back, and seized his other arm. With one foot on the man’s back, he twisted the man’s arms in opposite directions and gave a forceful kick.

There were two distinct cracking sounds, accompanied by the man’s piercing and agonizing screams, echoing through the dark forest and startling numerous birds into flight.

Yan Sikong watched Feng Ye attentively, his breathing becoming cautious. Feng Ye’s expression was icy, exuding a menacing aura, and his eyes seemed to shine with a greenish, cold light. He held the two broken arms without the slightest change in his expression, chilling to the bone.

The fearless and carefree Feng Ye from the spring hunting grounds, the normally childish yet gentle Feng Ye, and the current sinister Feng Ye were like three distinct individuals. Which one was the real him? Or perhaps, all of these were facets of him, and it depended on who could trigger which aspect.

Yan Sikong’s hair stood on end.

Feng Ye instructed the attendants who had caught up, “Take this Khitan scout to the Jingshan Camp and hand him over to General Zhao for further action.”

“Yes!”

Feng Ye wiped the dirt off his hands onto a tree, then turned back to Yan Sikong, back to his usual self. “The Khitan occasionally sends spies into the Central Plains to gather intelligence. This one had the misfortune of running into us.”

Yan Sikong nodded. “We’ve captured Jin scouts before as well.”

Feng Ye’s gaze darkened, and he said with determination, “With my Feng family, no one will ever touch the Central Plains.”

Yan Sikong felt a sense of sorrow. In his eyes, as cruel as foreign invaders might be, they were not as destructive to this beautiful land as a tyrant and his corrupt courtiers.