The sky on the summer’s night was a layer of pleasant dark blue.
The moon tonight was extremely bright and clear, making all the scenery around the mountain all clear and distinguishable. The warm water in the pond in the depths of a grand mountain which was inhabited by human was raising its natural mist in spirals, floating and fluttering under the moonlight, seemingly it was trying to seduce and lure the heavenly fairy to come and visit the scenic beautiful place in the human realm.
From far away, the strong wind like horse’s hoofs sound could be heard. The continuous gallops broke the deep remote mountain’s tranquility. The hooves galloping sound gradually came closer and closer. Finally, it made its stop by the pond.
“Cong Yun, I will go and soak in the water for a while. You go and find a place to rest by yourself. Don’t go too far away.” The deep and low voice of the male had a warm tone to it. The partner he was talking to was a lively fine black steed.
That black steed was nodding its head, as if could understand the human language. Then turned around, with a light gallop it entered the forest, leaving the man on his own by the pond side.
The man squatted down his body, stretching out his hand to touch the limpid and clear water of the pond. The water’s mild temperature made a threadlike smile appeared on his face. He gently lifted up a handful of water and sprinkled it on his face, thereupon, he lifted his head with a completely satisfied expression on his face.
Going to the battle ground with the army had already taken more than a month. The troops advanced and entered the battlefield this basically didn’t let him have much leisure in bathing, however, his love of cleanliness nature made him conscious about his outward appearance, so, upon noticing a place with a hot spring, when the night fell, he couldn’t restrain himself from quickly rushing to this place to immerse himself in a comfortable bath.
The distant from this place to Pingnan’s troops’ camping ground was about two Li[1]. Across from this place, on the base of Mount Pan Long*, was where the enemy’s troops were stationed. But because he had been enduring for almost a month this kind of dirty lifestyle, even if he had to face the danger of being captured alive by the enemy troops, this threat also couldn’t obstruct his determination.
He took off his clothing and other personal items then tossed them on a rock by the shore, the man was certain that this place was surely without another person’s existence. Freely untied his scarf headband, he jumped into the middle of the pond. In an instant, the feeling of being surrounded by the warm water of the pond made him unable to restrain a mouthful of chaotic air escaping from his chest.
This era was when the Datong Dynasty had been ruling for almost five hundred years. The glorious and flourishing golden age from four hundred years of this Imperial Dynasty was already hard to keep up. The fatuousness of the current power holder immediately brought about the lie waste of livelihood of the people. The heroes in times of disorder, one after another, were starting their rebellious uprising, fighting to vie for supremacy and to take over the vast length and breadth of the Central Mainland.
The Pingnan troops, among these many voluntary armies, were the latest to be established. Yet, because of the leader, Ouyang Fa De, the Provincial Governor of Jiangnan, at the right time and in the right place, for less than three years, he already gloriously occupied a large area within Jiangnan’s border. Also, recently he had taken a place of strategic importance into this area, making him even more the focus of people’s attention.
The man who was bathing in the middle of the pond was called Duan Shun Jie. His master, the Lord of Zhongnan, Guo Yue and Ouyang Fa De were brothers who learnt from the same master. Living in seclusion for many years, upon receiving a letter that requested him out from the mountain by his junior, Guo Yue decreed an order, to let his most favorite subordinate and disciple, Duan Shun Jie, to enlist in Pingnan’s battalion. Since then, more than a year had passed.
Ouyang Fa De towards this wise and resourceful as well as brave and fiercely skillful in battle Duan Shun Jie appropriately put him in an important position. Duan Shun Jie also didn’t waste his expectation, again and again he showed him his outstanding merit. Recently, he forced the famous General of Datong who attacked Jin Ling, the Duke of Zheng, Huo Yan, to retreat. Once again he exhibited his rare talent in military.
As the proverb says, ‘Persons with mediocre ability wouldn’t attract jealousy’. Duan Shun Jie, continuously established his military merit, inviting both envy and jealousy, thus he had been pushed aside from Ouyang Fa De inner circle. More than once he had been humiliated in the presence of all. Although Duan Shun Jie had no intention to reach wealth and rank, eventually, to be provoked by the vile characters, he also would be troubled.
Tonight, using the bathing in the warm water as his pretext, he also conveniently let himself relax for a while from this kind of situation.
In such nights when the clouds were light and the air was clear, the reflection of the moon was scattered on the pond, Duan Shun Jie was swimming alone in the mountain’s water. His heart and mind were delightedly satisfied, definitely couldn’t be described by all words or writings.
Indulging himself in a good swim for more than an hour, even though he still wished to continue, yet, the distant from this place to the enemy camp was extremely near after all, it was hard to avoid that he would have a shred of worry in his heart. So, he turned his body to swim back to the shore, to get ready to put on his clothes and go back to his camp.
Upon turning his body, he was terribly shocked to realize that on the shore, since he didn’t know when, there stood someone in white clothes. Looking from a far distance, that person had jet black hair and skin the color of the snow. The figure was elegant. That was actually a woman of an unexceptional beauty.
That beautiful woman’s expression was rigid, her pair of winter night like pupils were staring at his body without blinking. Who knew how long she had been staring for.
The first thought in Duan Shun Jie’s mind was a ghost of a beautiful woman appeared. But that woman’s feet were evidently showing her tall and graceful figure. He pulled himself together, looks like that person was the same as himself, in the midnight coming to this uninhabited warm pond to have a bath.
After looking back at her in a daze for quite some time, only then did Duan Shun Jie realized his still bare naked body. He couldn’t help but be embarrassed. In an instant, a crimson color rose up on his face. Pulling himself back into the water, only his head was showing on the water’s surface. Seeing that that woman was still standing there silently, without the slightest means of leaving yet, he finally couldn’t hold it: “Miss, can you face the other side, after I put on my clothes, I will leave.”
That woman was obviously astonished and dumbstruck. Duan Shun Jie was worried that she couldn’t clearly hear his words, so he shouted again: “Miss…..”
“What did you call me?” That person in white raised one of the brows, looking at him with a whole face filled with an astonishment look, “What Miss?! Who did you call Miss?!” The clear voice was deep and low, completely without any trace of the gentle and demure voice of a woman, obviously it belonged to a man.
Duan Shun Jie almost wanted to dig a hole and bury himself in there out of embarrassment. Dumfounded for quite some time, he finally regained his senses and apologized: “Brother, I am truly sorry, I didn’t have a clear look, I thought you were a girl, I am very sorry. Please forgive me!”
He had an outspoken and straightforward nature, once he realized he was in the wrong, he would apologize at once. Definitely he would not because of treasuring his prestige refuse to admit his mistake.
The person in white laughed, “Your eyes are no good. But you are humble and unpretentious.” The rigid expression on his face was softened. Under the moonlight, his face appeared all the more like a dawn on the spring, elegant as if unworldly.
This person’s face was good looking in such a way, it’s a pity that he was a man, if he was a woman, truly he wouldn’t know how many men would go crazy and topple.
The Lord of Zhongnan had many disciples, each and every one of them were men. The Lord of Pingnan also wouldn’t have woman at their campsite. Duan Shun Jie grew up in his twenty-four years of life, meeting many men, even he himself had lost count, yet, there was not even a single one who had the same beauty as the man in white in front of his eyes now. He even suspected that he had met a celestial being who presented himself in this world.
“Isn’t the water supposed to be very cold?”
The man in white squatted on his heel, stretching out his hand into the water. ---Even though this was merely a simple motion to feel out the warm water, still, what he had done was extremely graceful and pleasant to the eyes.
Since he had known that the person in front of him was of the same gender, Duan Shun Jie of course wouldn’t have the same amount of nervousness. Looking at the man in whites’ eager to have a try expression, he had this joyous feeling that he had come across a kindred spirit who shared the same interest with him.
“Brother, do you also want to come into the water? The water has a mild warmness, come and have fun by swimming comfortably in this summer night.” His manner of speaking carried a tone of unconscious sense of pride. It was as if this pond was owned by his family.
The man in white was smiling while nodding his head, untying his outer garment and threw it on the rock. Duan Shun Jie could see that the outer garment of his clothing was made of an excellent material. On the corner of the clothes, there was a vivid and lifelike embroidery of a unicorn pattern. Obviously, he was born in a powerful and wealthy household. Absolutely not even near to a farmer or woodman’s class.
The man was taking off his clothing and in a quick pace he tossed it, then slowly he walked to the water. His skin was pure white as the snow, however, contrary to his outward slender and delicate looking appearance, his body was considerably masculine with muscle to certain extent. --- To think that just now he actually took him as a woman, Duan Shun Jie couldn’t help but laugh at himself for having such poor sight.
“Brother, what is your name?” Duan Shun Jie was born with this frank and open personality, for two strangers to remain silent while sharing a bath was not exactly the thing he would like to have, of course he would try to find some topics to hold a conversation.
“My surname is Yan, Yan Xi Cheng.” The man in white’s deep and low voice had a kind of ambiguous tone. His face didn’t show a unhappy expression.
Knowing that the man in front of him didn’t really loath him, Duan Shun Jie had even more desire to make him as his friend. “My surname is Duan, given name is Shun Jie. Brother Yan, is your house nearby or you by chance passing by this place?”
As if taken by surprise by this Duan Shun Jie who had a heroic spirit appearance, yet actually could be counted as a busybody, Yan Xi Cheng paused for a while before answering: “My house is nearby. However, it was not until yesterday I accidentally found out that this place has a pond. Tonight is unbearably hot, so I came here to give it a try.”
“I also just found out about this pond today. In this very hot weather, without a place to have a bath, really will make people stink to death. It is very good that I can find this place.” Duan Shun Jie had been pushed aside by Ouyang Fa De’s inner circle, naturally the other Generals from the Pingnan’s army wouldn’t dare to form a deep friendship with him; his subordinates and soldiers were respecting him like worshiping a God, all the more unwilling to accompany him to have an idle chat. The straight and lively Duan Shun Jie almost died from boredom in the military camp. For him to be able to find someone to hold a conversation with, he immediately dispelled his initial idea to quickly return to his camp. Determined to stay and soak in the pond for some more time.
Too bad, Yan Xi Cheng wasn’t like him who loved to talk at all. Most of the time, he only smiled while listening to Duan Shun Jie’s babble to him, once in a while, he would say a word or two to reply. --- Although it was like this, Duan Shun Jie felt it was considerably satisfying enough.
“Brother Yan, have you ever been to Tong’an? They said that the girls in the brothel, compared to the girls in the Imperial Palace, are much more beautiful, is that true?” After boasting about the beautiful scenery in the Zhongnan’s mountain, Duan Shun Jie started to make a discreet inquiry about the beautiful prostitutes in the Capital.
Yan Xi Cheng probably had never run into such an overly familiar person, he seemed to be a little awkward coping with this person.
“I have been to Tong’an. Regarding the brothel, I have only ever seen the girls from Tonghua House… yet, I don’t feel that they are especially beautiful.” He loosened down his hat, scooping up the water to rinse his pitch black as the dark night long hair on his head. The beautiful face was revealing a slightly perplexed expression. --- If one overlooked his flat chest, truly he was like a beautiful woman painted on the spring festival’s picture.
“Is that so? But I heard that Tonghua House is Tong’an’s number one brothel.” Duan Shun Jie and his fellow apprentices were strictly prohibited by their Master to step foot in the red light district, therefore, they only could rely on the secret rumor to satisfy their craving. So, whenever they heard the other brothers brag about how beautiful the girls in Tong’an were, he and the rest of the brothers would crave for more as if drooling. Now, hearing Yan Xi Cheng say that the girls in Tonghua House were not that extraordinary, how could he not lose all of his hope?!
Yan Xi Cheng saw that Duan Shun Jie was obviously disappointed, he couldn’t help but laugh involuntarily: “Brother Duan hasn’t married yet?” He almost added “no wonder, your whole face was filled with unsatisfied desire” in his words.
“Brother Yan already has a beloved wife?” The Lord of Zhongnan himself had vowed a life of solitary, wouldn’t take a wife for all his life, of course he wouldn’t let him nor his brothers to find a wife. Also after arriving at Ouyang Fa De’s place, there was no one who was concerned about this kind of matter until today, Duan Shun Jie was still an unmarried man. Every time he thought about it, this matter caused him to have a distressed heart.
Yan Xi Cheng quietly shook his head.
Duan Shun Jien immediately beamed with happiness and went to him: “Brother Yan actually is a fellow suffer regarding love misery. Don’t worry! Don’t worry! To think a real man like you and me would be troubled over this wifeless thing. Deal with this some other time, after we have succeeded and gained recognition, no more worry of not having a beloved wife in our arms.” He was saying this while disorderly patting the shoulder of Yan Xi Cheng. His whole face’s gesture was like a man who had come down from the end of the world.
In Duan Shun Jie’s opinion, after he said this kind of talk, Yan Xi Cheng should be showing the same feeling as him. So he lightly wished for him with the wishes that he would meet a pretty girl soon, and so on and so on. However, Yan Xi Cheng only used his pair of pitch black gentle pupils to look at him, whole face was of a smile, yet not a smile expression.
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