What sounded like a grand statement instantly caused Zhao Haicheng to collapse.

They were trivial details in the eyes of those who did great things. Just like Song Xingmu said, how many of those in high positions would consider their lives?

They were mere ants in the eyes of those people, and the only person who cared about their lives…..

Zhao Haicheng rose with sudden violence and pounced on Uncle Hai, who was close to him, and directly bit his throat. Blood-curdling screams and the sound of spurting blood turned the cell into a bloody scene.

It was like Zhao Haicheng had gone insane. No matter how hard the others tried to pull him away, he would not let go until he bit Uncle Hai to death.

In the next second, he looked up toward the sky and roared, then suddenly fell to the ground. Finally, a picture came to his mind.

There was a person standing on the shore. With a beauty that surpassed that of mortals, he gazed calmly at the sea. The warm afterglow of the setting sun could not enter his eyes, which were like the darkness of the deepest seabed where light could not penetrate. He was alone there, seemingly in eternal loneliness and coldness.

Watching secretly, Zhao Haicheng felt at that moment that there should be someone standing next to Liu Zhenqing, holding his hand. He stepped forward impulsively, but in the next second, he saw Liu Zhenqing pick up the jade hanging from his waist. It was a small toy carved from jade, just a two-layered small square. He had seen Liu Zhenqing playing with it often, as if playing with it would make him happier when he was in a bad mood.

This time, Zhao Haicheng had no excuse to step forward, and he never got the chance again.

Unexpectedly, before he died, what he regretted most was this scene…..

When everyone came to their senses and rushed to find a doctor, it was already too late. 

Likely unable to accept the facts in front of him, Zhao Haicheng died of the stimulation.

Huo Fenglie looked silently at Zhao Haicheng’s eyes, which were gradually turning gray, then turned and left.

After he left the cell, his steps grew increasingly fast. He needed to find Qing-ge. When he walked out of the courtyard where the cell was located, Liu Zhenqing appeared in the other courtyard, seemingly about to leave.

Hearing a sound, Liu Zhenqing turned his head just as someone rushed up to embrace him.

Liu Zhenqing was stunned for a moment before he realized that Huo Fenglie had taken the initiative to hug him. This…..situation was a bit strange, ah.

Feeling inexplicably flattered, Liu Zhenqing quickly drew close and hugged him, as if he had gotten a great bargain.

Huo Fenglie hugged him tighter.

Liu Zhenqing finally realized that something was off about his mood and asked in a low voice: “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Why are you here?”

Huo Fenglie said hoarsely: “Qing-ge, I’m fine. I just…..missed you a little.”

In an instant, Liu Zhenqing felt as if his heart had been electrified. Er-gou finally got the idea! That’s right, after having a near-death experience, he finally managed to clear the clouds and see the moonlight!

Liu Zhenqing hugged him happily, and the troubles just now didn’t seem to matter anymore.

And Huo Fenglie couldn’t help but think, why should such a good person bear infamy for eternity? He should be remembered forever. 

Suddenly, Huo Fenglie said: “Qing-ge, shall we find a way to vindicate you?”

Liu Zhenqing stared blankly, a little confused. He had thought Huo Fenglie knew he didn’t care about these things and couldn’t be bothered with them. So before, no matter what Bai Su or He Lan and Qin Yu said, Huo Fenglie didn’t say much and gave Liu Zhenqing’s opinion on it the priority. What had happened today?

Liu Zhenqing said: “I’m perfectly fine. What can be said? I have no objections that need to be rectified. I did what I did, and no matter how others see it, there isn’t much good to say about it.”

Huo Fenglie was silent for a moment, then suddenly said: “I am unwilling to accept it.”

Liu Zhenqing said uncertainly: “Why do you suddenly…..”

Huo Fenglie spoke briefly of Zhao Haicheng, and Liu Zhenqing knew that Song Xingmu just wanted to take this opportunity to let Huo Fenglie know about the truth of that year.

He said with a helpless sigh: “But I did plan to obtain the 30,000 troops, and also injured Yuan Jue. There’s nothing good to say about this, ah.”

Huo Fenglie just repeated: “I am unwilling to accept it.”

Liu Zhenqing realized in an instant that Huo Fenglie had always been unwilling. After all, Er-gou had been in love with him for many years, so how could he be willing to let his sweetheart be slandered by the world? It was reasonable for him to want others to have a clear understanding of his sweetheart. He didn’t take action or say anything in the past, because he was abiding by Liu Zhenqing’s wishes.

And now he finally couldn’t help but speak out, even though he knew that rehabilitating his image meant standing on the opposite side from Yuan Jue. It was equivalent to telling all the people in the world that they were wrong, and that the emperor was wrong. Needless to say, this sort of thing would be very difficult, but Huo Fenglie really wanted to do it.

It seemed like Er-gou had a hard time enduring it, ah.

Liu Zhenqing smiled and couldn’t help but pat Huo Fenglie’s butt. The smacking sound broke the solemn atmosphere, and Huo Fenglie released Liu Zhenqing to look at him speechlessly.

“But I cherish this hard-won happiness even more. The person in front of me is more important than my name. Why waste your time worrying about it?” Liu Zhenqing spoke with a relaxed expression and a raised eyebrow. How could he be willing to let Er-gou get into trouble? It was unnecessary to drag him down just for the sake of reputation.

What he was more concerned about was that Huo Fenglie’s actions just now were intended to comfort him, rather than the beginning of a new sweetness between them. It really made a person depressed.

“Qing-ge, you…..”

Liu Zhenqing suddenly raised an eyebrow and said with a smile: “It’s just right that we met, I have something to ask of you.”

Huo Fenglie stared blankly and could only ask: “What is it?”

Liu Zhenqing’s eyes narrowed slightly and he gave an evil smile.

Soon, there was the sound of splashing water in the room where Liu Zhenqing was temporarily staying. There was a screen between the compartments, and the slender silhouette of a person bathing could be seen.

Huo Fenglie sat stiffly outside, seemingly unable to react.

“Er-gou?”

Huo Fenglie instantly felt uneasy and said: “I’ll go out and wait for you.”

“Go out?” Liu Zhenqing’s voice seemed to carry a bit of disbelief, and he said directly, “What are you going out for? Come in.”

Huo Fenglie’s expression stiffened, and he heard Liu Zhenqing say: “You just said you would help me scrub my back. When I went to the cells, it was so cold and damp that I felt uncomfortable all over.”

Huo Fenglie didn’t know how to refuse. His footsteps were rigid.

“What’s wrong? There’s no part of my body that you haven’t touched, ah. I asked you to rub my back, but why are you resisting and giving me the cold shoulder?” Liu Zhenqing said deliberately.

This voice was as hazy as water vapor, but when it sounded, it burned Huo Fenglie’s face red like a flame.

Huo Fenglie now felt that it was difficult to breathe, and wanted to rush out the door.

Liu Zhenqing said impatiently: “Come in, you’re not a girl!”

It was clear that Liu Zhenqing was unhappy. Huo Fenglie dared not continue to be stubborn, and could only brace himself and walk inside.

He walked cautiously with his head lowered, not even daring to glance inside the tub. Only wafts of steam could be seen.

Suddenly, a jade-white arm covered in water droplets reached out and handed over a small wash cloth. There was a splashing movement, and it seemed that the person in the tub had changed position. 

“Come on, scrub my shoulders first.”

Now Huo Fenglie had to look over. The thin steam didn’t cover anything at all, and the bath towel that should have been covering his body was placed next to the tub. The water was crystal clear, the view unobstructed. His skin was like jade, with beautiful contours. Although he had seen it several times, Huo Fenglie’s blood still surged every time. He could only avert his gaze as much as possible. After determining the position, he was about to take action when he saw his own teeth marks right there. His hand instantly shook, and they began to move with an almost delicate level of force.

“Er-gou, I like it a little harder. How can it be comfortable when it’s that light?”

Huo Fenglie didn’t know if it was just him, but he felt that the final notes of Qing-ge’s words rose at the end, like he was deliberately teasing him.

Huo Fenglie gradually increased his strength. He was accompanied by sighs and calls for him to go harder or softer, or that it felt good.

After his shoulders and arms were scrubbed, Liu Zhenqing deliberately raised a hand to hook Fenglie’s chin, just like teasing a puppy.

“It feels so good, ah. Er-gou, you went to the cells too. Are you really not going to come in and soak together?” Liu Zhenqing extended the invitation again.

Huo Fenglie still refused decisively. “I….I need to take a medicated bath tonight.”

Liu Zhenqing raised his eyes and glanced to the side. Caught off guard, Huo Fenglie met those damp eyes. His movements froze for an instant, and he immediately lowered his head. Changing the topic, he said: “Qing-ge, why did you go to the cells?”

Liu Zhenqing’s eyes narrowed in displeasure, but he didn’t conceal anything, saying to Huo Fenglie: “I went to see the rebels in secret to ask some questions.”

“What questions?” Huo Fenglie asked.

“Who is the martial arts master who rescued He Lan and Qin Yu? And…..if their rebellion was successful, who did they want to be the emperor? Apart from those who were caught, was there anyone else behind them?” Liu Zhenqing said: “It’s a pity that I couldn’t get anything from them.”

“They won’t speak.” Huo Fenglie said directly: “If they don’t speak, they can bet on a chance of survival, but if they speak, they will certainly die. But Qing-ge also feels that there is someone behind them.”

“Of course. Weren’t there killers arranged to assassinate us? Regarding the people we’ve caught so far, I don’t think they have the ability to exploit the tax money and disaster relief funds for their own use. They don’t have such sharp brains, so they must have a leader.” Liu Zhenqing raised his body to allow Huo Fenlgie to continue to scrub downward.

“It’s a pity, they seem to have been used as well. So maybe it’s not that they don’t want to speak, and they are unaware that they’ve become a knife in the hands of others.” Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but sigh after analyzing this. The rebel case was over on the surface, but the story behind it was growing deeper and deeper, and there were more and more suspicions.

He was even more worried that the situation before him may actually be his fault.

Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but let out a downcast sigh. Suddenly, he heard Huo Fenglie say: “Qing-ge can reach the rest.”

Liu Zhenqing’s attention was diverted. When he took the small wash cloth and saw Huo Fenglie turn around to leave almost immediately, his heart felt itchy. “I’m too lazy to move, I’ll leave it all to you.”

Having said this, he dipped the wash cloth in his hand into the water, wrung it out, and tossed it to Huo Fenglie again.

Huo Fenglie had just caught it when he heard a splash. Looking up, he saw that Liu Zhenqing had stood up with his back to him. Water droplets slid down the back of his fair neck, passing down the flexible contours of his back that were shaded by candlelight. They passed over curves, some dripping while others merged into the water in the tub along his legs, as if experiencing a beautiful journey.

Huo Fenglie gritted his teeth, telling himself that he was just going to help scrub his back.

But in the next second, as if to help facilitate Huo Fenglie’s movements, Liu Zhenqing sat directly on the edge of the tub.

In an instant, the impact of the scene caused Huo Fenglie to suck in a deep breath. He could see a wet beauty sitting on the edge of the tub, as well as the indentation of flesh where he sat. The beautiful shape of his back was perfectly highlighted as his hands supported him at his sides, and the indent of his back revealed beautiful butterfly bones, as if he was about to fly away.

Huo Fenglie felt that his nose was hot, as if something was about to flow out. He quickly held his breath and rubbed it sporadically. Before Liu Zhenqing could stimulate him with his rambling, Huo Fenglie said: “Finish scrubbing, Qing-ge. It’s too hot in here, I’ll go out and get some fresh air first.”

Before Liu Zhenqing could reply, he had already thrown down the wash cloth and run out like the wind.

Liu Zhenqing was left speechless for a while. He showed off his body like this, but Huo Fenglie was still unmoved. Was it really because he wasn’t attractive enough?

When Huo Fenglie went out, he sat in the hall and adjusted his breathing for a long time before it steadied and the nosebleed finally stopped. He was inwardly vexed for a time, and then remembered that Qing-ge hadn’t brought a change of clothes when he went in. After some thought, he went to the room to find clothes for him.

As a result, he found a somewhat damaged scroll.

Huo Fenglie was taken aback, and opened it to take a look. The wedding portrait was still beautiful, but the scroll surrounding it was slightly damaged. It seemed that someone would need to be found to repair it.

Looking at the two moles under Liu Zhenqing’s eye in the portrait, he was inexplicably lost in thought.

“Do you like it that much?”

Suddenly, Liu Zhenqing’s voice sounded with unclear meaning. Huo Fenglie returned to his senses and looked back, only to see Liu Zhenqing wearing a thin inner layer. It was tied loosely, and the simplicity of how he wore it made it seem like it could slip off his shoulders at any time. Leaning against the door like this, with his head tilted and an unclear expression on his face, he looked a bit dangerous.

“Uh…..” Huo Fenglie momentarily didn’t know how to answer.

In a bad mood, Liu Zhenqing stepped forward and approached Huo Fenglie. Passing by the table, he moved his hand and rolled up the scroll. Out of sight and out of mind.

Huo Fenglie was a bit nervous due to Liu Zhenqing’s sudden approach. Just as he was about to retreat, Liu Zhenqing grabbed his collar and pressed him against the table. Liu Zhenqing leaned closer and asked: “Was my appearance in the past so much better than it is now?”

You would rather come out and look at a dead thing instead of the live thing that is readily at your fingertips. Tell me, wouldn’t this make a person angry? Liu Zhenqing now began to wonder if Huo Fenglie solely loved the appearance he used to have.

“They are both Qing-ge,” Huo Fenglie was somewhat discerning, and said quickly, “They are the same.”

Liu Zhenqing narrowed his eyes slightly and said: “I don’t believe you. Prove it to me.”

“How do I prove it?” Huo Fenglie asked.

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth lifted, and he raised his hand to grasp Huo Fenglie’s chin. Just as he was about to tease him, he heard movement outside the door.

“Ya, you two! Why didn’t you close the door? I’ve been looking for you for half a day, and it turns out you’re here! He still isn’t healed!”

Liu Zhenqing was displeased when his little apprentice interrupted his good deeds, but Huo Fenglie left readily, as if he had been saved.

This caused Han Ye to look at Liu Zhenqing the wrong way, and even wondered if his master was forcing Huo Fenglie into something.

Liu Zhenqing was wronged, ah.

A few days later, people from the Imperial Court finally arrived. Once the prisoners were handed over, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. He Lan found some good wine who knows where and invited everyone to relax together, except Huo Fenglie, who was taking a medicinal bath and couldn’t participate. Even Han Ye was called over to drink.

Seeing Han Ye not looking very poised when holding the wine cup, Liu Zhenqing said with a smile: “People from Medical Valley are not good at drinking. If you can’t drink, don’t force yourself.”

The obstinate bones in Han Ye’s body had probably grown against Liu Zhenqing, and whatever Liu Zhenqing said, he would do the opposite.

As a result, after three cups of wine, Han Ye had already passed out on the table with a thud while the others were just getting started. Everyone laughed extremely hard.

On the side, He Lan kept urging Qin Yu to drink, and Song Xingmu also asked Liu Zhenqing to drink with him. After all, he recalled that Liu Zhenqing wouldn’t get drunk after a thousand cups. But Liu Zhenqing didn’t have this ability now, and refused to fight to the death.

“You should drink less,” Yi Chuan suddenly said to Song Xingmu, gesturing toward his hand.

Recently, Song Xingmu had been receiving treatment from Han Ye. He was originally supposed to go with them to find the master, but the medical skills of the King of Hell many years later were incomparable compared to those of the past, and what he couldn’t treat before, he could treat now. Therefore, he simply used his time here to stabilize Huo Fenglie and treat Song Xingmu’s hand.

The treatment process was still very difficult and painful, and the hand would be completely unusable for a short period of time. Song Xingmu had become one-armed, so Yi Chuan could only follow along to help him. Song Xingmu enjoyed it quite a lot, but it was rather painful to have his food and drink strictly managed by others. 

“Okay, okay, I’ll drink less. Such a housewife.” Song Xingmu deliberately teased him, but only received a glare from Yi Chuan. However, Yi Chuan still helped him warm the wine so that he wouldn’t drink it cold.

Song Xingmu looked at the rear view of Yi Chuan and smiled.

“Stop looking, you’re about to drool like a pervert,” Liu Zhenqing said.

“You have some nerve saying this to me. I heard that you asked a certain someone to wash your back not long ago, but looking at your expression now, you don’t seem happy. Sure enough, you achieved nothing? He didn’t want what was delivered to his door? Does he dislike this cut of meat because it doesn’t taste good, or is there some other reason? Why not take advantage of this beautiful night? Gege will help you…..”

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Chapter Ninety-Six << Table of Contents >> Chapter Ninety-Eight