UCTOOT CH83

After eating, Shi Shu went outside and sat on a stool.

Coincidentally, Song Sinan and his group were waiting nearby. Seeing him come out, they immediately walked over.

Shi Shu asked: “Where’s that little girl?”

Du Zihan: “What are you looking for her for?”

Shi Shu: “I can’t stand it. She’s really amazing. In the middle of the night, she ran several miles alone in the Min region, could still recognize the way back, and followed me obediently. She has great potential.”

As they spoke, the little girl’s dazed face appeared from behind the door. She had come to find Shi Shu too. After a moment, she took a handful of things from her pocket and handed them over—fine, broken pits.

Shi Shu: “What’s this?”

The little girl: “Seeds.”

Shi Shu thought: “Do you have many different crops where you’re from?”

The little girl nodded: “These are seeds the Min dogs brought from their ancestors’ pasturelands. It’s said in the vast valleys beyond the world, the vegetables grown from them are very delicious. When we fled, my mother said to bring the seeds too.”

Shi Shu accepted the seeds and handed them to Song Sinan: “Take them and plant them. Let’s see what can grow.”

Song Sinan didn’t quite recognize what they were, but he accepted them. Since he had privately led people across the border to Northern Min—fortunately to save people, but he had left a teammate behind—he was now assigned to farm in the colony for three months before being allowed to return to the Chou Army to continue as a small leader.

Song Sinan, reflecting on his actions, accepted this punishment.

The little girl continued to grab from her pocket, taking out several large handfuls of mixed seeds: “At our hungriest, my mother wouldn’t let us eat them.”

Shi Shu patted her head: “Incredible. This little girl, if you train her, she’ll definitely be a master in the future.”

The little girl swayed a step from his patting, stood firm holding her clothes: “Want to go plant seeds?”

Shi Shu stood up, his shoulders aching: “Sure.”

“I’ll go too, I’ll go too!” Du Zihan said.

Song Sinan went to get hoes. As the few of them prepared to leave, Xie Wuchi came out from the door, watching Shi Shu. Shi Shu thought of him and froze: “Are you going?”

Xie Wuchi took the seeds in his palm to look: “There are grain crops, cucurbitaceae plants, and juglandaceae… It seems there are both staples and vegetables.”

Shi Shu: “Oh.”

“…………”

“This season, it’s best to plant cucurbitaceae plants, which are cucumbers, loofahs, bitter melons, and other such fruits and vegetables. Let’s go.”

The little girl nodded vigorously.

Shi Shu followed behind, thoughtfully looking at Xie Wuchi, thinking—how does he know everything? Du Zihan said: “Compared again.”

“…………”

Shi Shu held a few cucurbitaceae seeds, found a piece of fertile, shady land with decaying plants, soaked the seeds in water, dug a hole and squatted on the ground to bury them, then lowered his head to cover them with soft soil.

The few of them spread out to farm. Xie Wuchi was beside Shi Shu. Seeing him straighten his back with effort, he reached out to help him up: “Refugees migrate, bringing seeds to different regions. This is a form of civilizational progress.”

Shi Shu wiped the mud from his hands: “Huh?”

Xie Wuchi looked at him for a while: “Let’s unify.”

Shi Shu didn’t react at first: “Unify what?”

Xie Wuchi took him to the river ditch to wash his hands, drying his fingers for him: “Having stayed here for a while, Northern Min and Great Jing mutually hate each other, but many living habits have blended together like shadows. Last night, knowing you were terrified on the other side of the river, I had this thought. Perhaps Northern Min and Great Jing need to unify, at least to let people travel freely. No longer like you.”

Shi Shu’s eyes widened.

Xie Wuchi: “Perhaps with unification, there won’t be so many problems.”

Shi Shu noticed the system’s subtle reminder: Xie Wuchi’s merit value was constantly increasing.

—World Co-Lord.

Northern Min had long recognized the imperial system, evolving from initial tribes to a feudal bureaucratic system. They also identified with the concept of “all under heaven.” Therefore, the true World Co-Lord had to unify the north, seal the wolf at the dwelling, carve stones at Yanran.

Shi Shu: “You plan to do so.”

Xie Wuchi: “Yes.”

Amidst his burgeoning admiration for him, Shi Shu thought of the war at Yunzhou and didn’t know what to say. After planting the seeds and returning to their temporary residence, Lin Yan had a day’s worth of military affairs to report and was pacing back and forth, his head on fire!

As soon as they entered, Lin Yan eagerly said: “My lord, King Moyu’s army has broken through Qi County and is heading toward General Tao’s garrison at Hezhou city.”

Shi Shu was still smiling, but hearing “General Tao,” his smile faltered. He found a chair and sat down.

Xie Wuchi said: “Send him a letter. Tell him to cooperate with Feng Chongshan in defense and not to lose the city.”

Shi Shu raised his eyes. Lin Yan also seemed somewhat surprised: “This General Tao has already moved his family out of the city, preparing to devote himself to the lord, to eliminate Feng Chongshan to support the grand cause… Why has the lord changed his mind…”

Xie Wuchi drank his tea and said calmly: “Northern Min has traveled a long way from the upper cities. Their grain supply will surely be long and obstructed. Hezhou is fertile, and Chenbai and Changshou prefectures after breaking through Yunzhou are also very fertile. Northern Min’s military system has not yet transitioned from a plunder-based system to a salary-based one. They won’t carry much grain south, but will rob as they go, burning, killing, and plundering. The plundered goods are their military pay. This kind of army is the most tiger-like and wolf-like, with the strongest combat effectiveness.”

“If Tao Liangrui is allowed to surrender the pass, it will just let them eat and become fat after entering. Scorched earth would leave the common people displaced; letting them go would fatten Northern Min’s army. If Chenbai and Changshou are captured again, the suffering commoners may reach millions, who will then become refugees and cause trouble everywhere. Feng Chongshan must be eliminated, but there are other ways. At least we cannot let Northern Min grow bigger and boost their morale.”

Lin Yan, upon hearing this: “So that’s how it is. This subordinate was too hasty.”

Xie Wuchi: “You have Tao Liangrui guard the city well. Upon receiving the imperial edict, I will also send people to assist him.”

Lin Yan’s report was roughly this, and he went out. By this time, it was close to evening, and candles were lit in the room. The dim light shone under Xie Wuchi’s eyelashes.

Shi Shu went to the table and poured a glass of plain water to drink: “You’ve given up that idea.”

Xie Wuchi said: “People’s concepts are hard to change. Many people live according to the inertia of their thinking, lacking empathy for others, even myself included. Last night, seeing you run back from the riverbank, I realized this even more. Perhaps adjusting the direction, unifying all of Northern Min and Great Jing—this path is more valuable.”

Shi Shu: “Did I scare you last night?”

Xie Wuchi was quiet for a moment, then said: “Shi Shu, do you know? Your choices often carry the risk of your death.”

Shi Shu: “The situation was too urgent then. If I had more time, maybe I could have thought of more ways, but at that time I could only think of that.”

Xie Wuchi lowered his eyes and said nothing.

Shi Shu realized the atmosphere was heavy and scratched his nose: “I’ve been wandering around the village recently and found an excellent viewing spot. Not only is the scenery great, but there are also fireflies. Want to go?”

Shi Shu said this as casually as he would have a year ago when they often traveled together. After saying it, he felt a sense of things not being the same. Fortunately, Xie Wuchi stood up.

Shi Shu quickly ran out. The entire village was surrounded by walls. Not far away was a mountain god temple, and beside the temple was an abandoned watchtower. Shi Shu walked into that tower. The night was light. The residents in that area were few. The building’s wooden planks were rotten, the roof collapsed, and it was quite gloomy and terrifying.

Shi Shu’s legs still hurt a little. He had no strength going up the stairs, and the handrail was very dirty. Unexpectedly, a hand stretched out before him. He grabbed Xie Wuchi; his hand was as hot as ever.

Reaching the top of the tower, Shi Shu thought—what am I doing? Sneaking out with a man to see the scenery in the middle of the night, like on a date.

In the past, Shi Shu might have simply thought the scenery was great, barking “Xie Wuchi! Look at that mountain!” “This moon is so round!” “The wind is so strong!” Now, Shi Shu’s attention was focused on the person beside him.

Xie Wuchi’s clothes were of refined style and simple fabric. His attention, however, was on the scenery.

For a moment, Shi Shu thought, what are we both pretending for?

…Was Xie Wuchi expecting him to do something to him?

Although he said he would change, sex addiction is something that shouldn’t be controlled by will, right?

After reuniting, Xie Wuchi also said “I love you.”

Suddenly, Shi Shu remembered something very important! He turned abruptly. Xie Wuchi asked: “What’s wrong?”

Shi Shu: “Give me your hand.”

Xie Wuchi handed over his wrist. Shi Shu saw the white gauze wrapped around it, unwrapped it layer by layer, and looked at the mottled wounds against the moonlight. There were both torn scabs and knife-cut scars. But fortunately, there were no new wounds. The previous ones had healed, forming darker-colored lines.

Shi Shu sighed: “Even if you stop hurting yourself, your wrist is too suggestive. Perhaps you’ll have to cover it with white gauze forever to avoid being seen with every gesture. Xie Wuchi…”

Shi Shu gently stroked his wounds.

In an instant, Xie Wuchi’s brow shot up. The fine, electric-like pain, and Shi Shu’s fingers, made his breathing heavier.

Shi Shu hadn’t noticed yet, stroking with his fingertip again. Xie Wuchi began to pull his wrist back, turning his face away. But from his rolling Adam’s apple and the abnormality in his eyes, Shi Shu suddenly saw something—

Xie Wuchi… is turned on?

“………………”

Did the pain stimulate your desire?

Shi Shu hesitated for a moment, his brain starting to heat up. He walked before Xie Wuchi, who was wrapping the gauze back around his wrist. As Shi Shu tucked in the end of the narrow band, Xie Wuchi’s breathing quickened. He lowered his eyelashes, and under that straight nose bridge, his body exuded a restless scent.

Even now, Shi Shu was occasionally amazed at how quickly Xie Wuchi could get aroused.

Shi Shu pursed his lips, looked left and right. This abandoned tower—no one would see.

Shi Shu scratched his hair: “Xie Wuchi, what’s wrong?”

Xie Wuchi was quiet, saying nothing.

Shi Shu coughed, the roots of his ears turning red: “Is it very uncomfortable?”

Xie Wuchi: “Sometimes, I seem unable to control myself.”

Shi Shu remembered a long time ago, Xie Wuchi had calmly said: A person must know himself and control himself.

Shi Shu’s mind went blank: “Otherwise, let me help you?”

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