Su Ruhan, who would not show even a trace of timidity when facing the Third Prince, now felt a hint of unease under Li Qian’s gaze. If he told the truth, Li Qian would surely feel even worse. If he lied or said nothing, Li Qian was too clever—he would see through it instantly.
Mu Xueshi was also thinking things through in the adjacent room. When he and Su Ruhan had passed through that street, they hadn’t done anything at all. But Su Ruhan had mentioned that they had a resting point on that street—yet in the end, he never stopped. And when Mu Xueshi had wanted to relieve himself, Su Ruhan had said they would arrive “soon,” but that “soon” turned into an entire afternoon before they reached the Ice Fire Cave. Clearly, the place Su Ruhan originally referred to was not the cave.
Li Qian continued pressing Su Ruhan with his gaze. Then suddenly, he noticed Su Ruhan’s hand resting against his clothes. Without hesitation, Li Qian grabbed it. When he slipped his hand into the sleeve and felt the palm-sized piece of jade, his heart trembled.
It was a thousand-year warm jade. Back when Su Ruhan had followed the Third Prince in battle at the border and saved his life, the Emperor had rewarded him with it. Such jade was rare—a true treasure. After leaving the palace, Su Ruhan had given it to Li Qian.
Knowing he could no longer hide it, Su Ruhan said honestly, “Although the Ice Fire Cave is warm, stone is still inherently cold. Too much contact will worsen the cold in your body. You’ve always had cold hands and feet, and you rely on this to warm them. Now that you’re here, you’ll need it even more. I saw you left it behind at Changxin Courtyard, so I went to retrieve it for you…”
“So for something like this, you ignored the danger to both of you and insisted on going through that street?”
“This isn’t something small. This time, you don’t know how long you’ll be staying here.” There was unmistakable tenderness in Su Ruhan’s voice.
But Li Qian retorted, “But I’m not cold at all. And yet you were injured this badly, and…” He couldn’t finish his sentence. He let out a bitter sigh, his eyes instantly reddening.
Su Ruhan took Li Qian’s hand and pressed it to his own face. “Not cold? Your hands are freezing like this.”
Li Qian suppressed his worry and began tending to Su Ruhan’s wounds. As he worked, he asked, “Did you see my sister? Did she give it to you?”
“No. When we passed through that street, we ran into elite soldiers. The place was in chaos, very loud. I think Li Gui realized I had come here. After Xueshi and I barely escaped danger, we happened to pass by Changxin Courtyard. Li Gui hung the things important to you along the second-floor eaves. I took the jade and came straight to find you.”
So that’s what happened… Mu Xueshi sighed, his body finally relaxing. He now understood why Su Ruhan hadn’t gone to retrieve the antidote—he had spent that time getting the jade instead. At the time, Mu Xueshi had been so dazed he hadn’t noticed what Su Ruhan had taken.
Now everything made sense. Even though he felt a bit relieved knowing Su Ruhan hadn’t suffered so much because of him, another emotion rose up, leaving his heart aching.
My master treats Li Qian far too well… it’s enough to make others choke with jealousy…
If someone treated me like that, even if I were chopped into minced meat and fed to them, I’d accept it willingly… Mu Xueshi thought to himself. His darkened face carried a trace of melancholy and unwillingness before he buried his head into the stone bed, listening to the sounds next door.
After bandaging Su Ruhan’s wounds, Li Qian allowed himself to be pulled into Su Ruhan’s embrace as Su Ruhan kissed his lips and cheeks. But as Su Ruhan’s breathing grew heavier and he began trying to undo Li Qian’s clothes, Li Qian, having no such mood, pressed down his hand, wanting him to rest.
“That won’t do. Do you know how many days I’ve missed you? How can you be so heartless?” Su Ruhan’s expression brooked no refusal.
Then Mu Xueshi heard a faint, almost indistinct moan. His mind tightened, and he listened more carefully—even the sounds of kissing were crystal clear.
As expected… I guessed right… Mu Xueshi thought to himself. Li Qian, that hypocrite—talking about brotherhood. What kind of brothers do this?
“Wait!”
“Can’t wait.” Su Ruhan flipped over, pressing Li Qian beneath him.
But Li Qian looked at him resolutely and said, “Brother, I remember you said that if the Bloodthirst Sword is used before being fully mastered, it shortens your lifespan. But if you consume human blood, you can replenish the lost inner energy, correct?”
Su Ruhan paused and replied, “Yes. But to fully restore it, you’d need to consume the blood of one person per day. That’s 365 days a year—ten years would be equivalent to 3,650 people.”
Li Qian’s expression shifted slightly, but he quickly steadied himself and said, “Brother, if you encounter evildoers—those who deserve death—do not show mercy.”
…
After that, Mu Xueshi didn’t hear a single word of what the two of them said. Li Qian’s earlier words kept replaying in his mind, leaving him with a strange feeling he couldn’t quite describe. At first, he felt a bit disappointed—he had always thought Li Qian wouldn’t say something like that. After all, what Su Ruhan would be taking was the blood of living people; it felt far too cruel.
But after thinking it over, it didn’t seem entirely unreasonable. He realized that he didn’t truly understand Li Qian—he had only idealized him based on surface impressions. Everyone is selfish to some degree, and it was only natural for Li Qian to prioritize Su Ruhan. Besides, Li Qian hadn’t told Su Ruhan to feed on just anyone—he had specifically said evildoers or those who deserved death.
After struggling with his thoughts for a while, Mu Xueshi began to feel sleepy. He rested his head on the stone pillow, only to find it too hard, so he simply removed it and lay directly on the stone bed.
But then, the sounds from the next room reached his ears again, clearly this time. There was no conversation now—only rhythmic impacts, along with intimate, breathy sounds that made one’s face heat up. The more Mu Xueshi tried not to listen, the more those sounds seemed to drill into his ears.
And every time he heard them, he couldn’t help but think of someone he absolutely did not want to think about.
Ah!!! Mu Xueshi screamed inwardly, suddenly turning over and covering his ears.
Yet the sounds continued intermittently throughout the night. By the time dawn was approaching, when Mu Xueshi wanted to relieve himself, he could still hear the familiar noises from next door. He couldn’t help but feel exasperated—his master really had no restraint. Even with such serious injuries, he was still going at it like this.
The next day, Su Ruhan and Mu Xueshi stayed in the Ice Fire Cave. Su Ruhan showed no signs of discomfort; in just one day, more than half of his injuries had already recovered. They originally planned to set out on the third day, but Mu Xueshi stubbornly refused, insisting that Su Ruhan rest one more day. In the end, they decided to depart on the fourth day.
On the night of the third day, Mu Xueshi barely slept. His mind was a tangled mess—he couldn’t sort anything out, yet he kept forcing himself to think. He didn’t even know what was troubling him, only that there were things he hadn’t fully understood.
On the morning of the fourth day, Mu Xueshi forced himself to look energetic as he packed up and went to find Su Ruhan. Su Ruhan had already prepared his things, which were now in Li Qian’s hands. The two of them stood together, looking at Mu Xueshi.
“Have you really decided? To leave here? Once we go, it may be three or five years before we return—or perhaps we never will.”
“I know…” Mu Xueshi forced a smile. “I’ve already thought it through. Master, don’t ask anymore—let’s just set off.”
Li Qian and Su Ruhan exchanged a smile. Li Qian handed the bundle to Su Ruhan and said, “Brother, take care on the road.”
Mu Xueshi widened his eyes at Li Qian and asked, “You’re not coming with us?”
Su Ruhan explained, “I can’t look after two people at the same time on the road. Once I get you to a friend’s place and make sure you’re properly settled, I’ll come back to pick Li Qian up.”
Mu Xueshi understood what Su Ruhan meant and felt a bit apologetic. He cast Li Qian a guilty look.
Li Qian only smiled faintly and said nothing, simply urging Su Ruhan, “Brother, it’s still early. You should set out soon.”
Su Ruhan looked at Li Qian with lingering reluctance before helping Mu Xueshi onto the horse. The two of them rode off together.
Mu Xueshi felt a tightness in his chest. He thought for a while, wanting to say something to Su Ruhan, but didn’t know how to begin. He hesitated again and again, and even after they had left the mountain path, he still hadn’t managed to say a single word.
“You can still regret it now,” Su Ruhan suddenly said, his tone carrying a hint of teasing.
Mu Xueshi quickly shook his head. “No regrets. Master, just ride.”
Su Ruhan followed his words and flicked the whip, urging the horse to go even faster.
Mu Xueshi’s expression darkened slightly…
Only after they had left the small path they came from and stepped onto a road Mu Xueshi had never traveled before did Su Ruhan speak again, “Now say it—you don’t have a chance to regret it anymore.”
Mu Xueshi’s tense body finally relaxed. Whether it was relief or complete resignation, he wasn’t sure. Hearing Su Ruhan’s words, he no longer held back and asked, “Master, is there something you haven’t told me?”
“What thing?”
“I don’t know… I just feel like you’re hiding something from me. Now that I can’t regret it anyway—and I wouldn’t—I want you to tell me.”
Su Ruhan smiled. “Do you really want to hear it?”
Mu Xueshi nodded. “Yes!”
“You won’t regret it?”
“I absolutely won’t.” Mu Xueshi spoke as if convincing himself. “If I regret it, then I’m not human.”
Su Ruhan couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright. Since you insist you won’t regret it, I have nothing to worry about. I’ll tell you here, on the road…”
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