UCTOOT CH106

In the vast land of August, willows swayed gently. The carriage moved swiftly. Shi Shu sat on the carriage, traveling. Occasionally, when they stopped, he could get off and look around.

“Out of water? I’ll go down and get some.” Shi Shu got off the carriage, a vast grassland before him.

The horses in the frontier were of excellent breeds. The places they passed through were all mixed-ethnic regions. The grass was withered and yellow. Horses were gnawing on grass roots. Min commoners sat at their doorways twisting wool, hanging skins of cattle and sheep, whistling—full of exotic charm.

Walking further, there were scenes resembling Jing people—farming fields and vegetables, feeding chickens and ducks, planting melons and beans. “Children and grandchildren have not yet learned to plough and weave, but also learn to plant melons near the mulberry shade.”

Although these people had their own separate town and village gathering areas, they lived mixed together and could be said to be harmonious.

Shi Shu fetched water and returned to the carriage. Traveling further forward, they passed other areas, said to be the estates of a certain Min noble lord. That scene was more oppressive: commoners worked naked in the fields, while the noble beside them sat in the shade of a tree holding a long whip, whipping and cursing madly whenever displeased.

—No different from when Shi Shu worked at Zhou Family Village.

Speeding all the way into the city.

Stopping, Shi Shu said: “We’re here, we’re here! Traveled all day!”

Sweating profusely, he lifted the greasy and dirty curtain. It was a remote small town with a few tables in the room.

Xin Bin went to find accommodation. Xie Wuchi and Shi Shu entered the door together. In the center of the table was a barbecue rack with plates beside it. Before long, another column of disguised guards also settled in the small town; some stayed, some set up hammocks in the wild grassland, pretending not to know each other.

Shi Shu understood that this safe journey was all due to Xie Wuchi’s arrangements.

Shi Shu: “Xie Wuchi, thanks to you, turning fear and trepidation into exotic tourism.”

Xie Wuchi leaned sideways against the intricately decorated felt, eyes lowered, spirits average. A moment later, the host brought milk tea and asked them to order dishes. Besides barbecue, pancakes, rice cakes, stewed mushrooms, etc., there were also many Jing dishes.

“Take a sip.” Shi Shu sipped the milk tea, which had many grass seeds added, the taste very substantial. “Xie Wuchi, I feel like I’ve been punched by the milk tea; the milky smell is so strong.”

Shi Shu passed the milk over: “Is this cow’s milk or goat’s milk?”

Xie Wuchi: “I’d rather drink human milk.”

“…”

Shi Shu looked at him: “No, what are you doing.” Perhaps due to the ongoing inflammation, Xie Wuchi’s brow and eyes didn’t look good. Hearing Shi Shu’s words, he still made no movement.

Shi Shu knew Xie Wuchi needed coaxing when in a bad mood, so he held it out: “Take a sip, taste it. Maybe we won’t come here again in the future.”

Xie Wuchi: “In the future, I’ll appoint a Milk Tea Commissioner specifically for you, delivering it exclusively to the court.”

“Real or fake? Brother, you spoil me too much.” Shi Shu grinned.

Xie Wuchi looked up, eyes cold: “Don’t use your boys’ dorm attitude on me.”

“…Even this you saw through?”

Shi Shu held the milk tea: “Do me the honor of taking a sip.”

Xie Wuchi leaned in and sipped the milk tea. Shi Shu smiled at his face, unable to help but recall the events of the night again. Xie Wuchi, this complete male, born with broad shoulders and long legs, noble temperament, a man of great texture and sexual tension, without any compromise or softness.

Obtaining pleasure in sexual experiences through kissing, touching, and hugging, and establishing intimate relationships is everyone’s right. Sex is almost a human instinct. Many deformed and twisted mental illnesses are related to sexual psychology, only some people aren’t aware of it.

Even not just last night, but long before that.

Xie Wuchi actively hugged Shi Shu, kissed him, without stepping out of line. Their boundaries had always existed.

And after reuniting, Shi Shu took the initiative, having many borderline sexual encounters with Xie Wuchi, but never developing to this extent.

However, for some psychologically twisted people, performative humiliation during intercourse, completely dominating the other party, showing desire for control and coercion can stimulate the psyche.

But for the other party, it might be hard to say. Looking at it this way, perhaps before, the love Xie Wuchi perceived wasn’t much, so he didn’t act rashly.

But last night, this behavior happened, carrying Xie Wuchi’s toughness.

The sex education Xie Wuchi received was very open, his thoughts more liberated. Such people want more, have heavy desires, and many tricks. At the same time, due to long-term repression and distortion in sexuality, his distortion couldn’t be measured normally.

At least, Shi Shu felt, people should have a tiny bit of shame, right? Even just pretending on the surface.

But Xie Wuchi in bed, in front of Shi Shu, had almost no concealment—within a safe range, without hurting Shi Shu, maximizing sexual stimulation, fueling it with words, body, and emotions.

Shi Shu only had to think of Xie Wuchi in bed, and his whole body’s blood burned, head starting to spin.

My God, is this still a man?

What’s good about men? Why is it that when other men, like his roommate, put their arms around his shoulders, Shi Shu feels nothing, like a log, but every inch of Xie Wuchi’s skin, voice, and scent radiates the smell of strong sexual ability?

Is this a man? What drug did he take?

“………………”

While Shi Shu was spacing out, Xie Wuchi said: “What are you thinking?”

Shi Shu looked away: “Uh… ah, eating. This dish looks quite handsome.”

“…”

Shi Shu awkwardly cleared his thoughts and focused on eating.

Before long, the dishes arrived. To avoid attracting too much attention, they ordered lamb ribs like ordinary travelers. A kind of mixed grain steamed cake was also served on the side; Shi Shu ate several bites.

Suddenly, the curtain was lifted. A group of people speaking Min language, shepherd bells on their bodies jingling crisply, young Min nobles from nearby wearing curved blades, swaggered in.

They were obviously much more at ease, laughing loudly. Several people sat around a table, shouting “Order, order!”

Shi Shu peeked: “These young masters are no different from our Jing Dynasty young masters.”

Some wore Min attire, but at the same time wore Han-style straight robes, long gowns, and crane cloaks with elegant patterns. Beside them, many accompanying the Northern Min noble young masters had Jing faces. Their speech was a mix of both languages; Shi Shu could understand most of it.

“Eat a stewed sheep head, brothers! This skin and meat are already soft and rotten. The lip skin is the most tender, sprinkle with spicy dipping sauce!”

“This knife shaves skin and meat most cleanly. Big chunks, soft and rotten. Come come come.”

Besides eating sheep heads, they also ate cow heads. It seemed to be a recent festival; a huge yellow cow head was placed on the grill.

Shi Shu and Xie Wuchi’s appearances were too eye-catching. The other party looked over from time to time, laughed twice, their words seemingly carrying other meanings.

Someone deliberately raised his voice: “Young Master, those two handsome guests over there look unfamiliar. Dare I ask if they are guests from afar? Shall we invite them for a drink?”

“This? Wouldn’t it be too abrupt?”

“Pretending what.” Shi Shu looked at this Min noble young master, who looked rather refined and slender. “He didn’t take a fancy to you, did he? His taste is okay.”

Xie Wuchi’s face was emotionless: “I’m done eating.”

“Go go go, ignore them.”

The two walked out the door together. They had to leave this medium-sized town tonight. However, there were many travelers on this road. Walking further, quite a few people gathered, finding shacks built by former travelers, lighting fires to guard against wolves.

Among them were real travelers, and also Xie Wuchi’s guards.

Darkness fell. A desolate, withered wilderness. Round boulders weathered by wind and sun formed mountain ranges, growing low vegetation. Shi Shu and Xie Wuchi sat before the fire. Shi Shu lifted his pant leg to look again. Xin Bin handed over a small pot with anti-inflammatory medicine boiling inside, adding wood to the fire.

Shi Shu pondered: “When Zhang Qian was sent as an envoy to the Western Regions, did he live this kind of life?”

Xie Wuchi said: “Mm. For a mission, suffering for thirteen years, a long, long road, communicating information and civilization between two regions. People generally don’t want to suffer, coveting a leisurely and comfortable life; this is also an instinct. But there are still people walking the path of asceticism—’I will search high and low.'”

Shi Shu: “Truly amazing.”

Seeing the stove boiling, Shi Shu poured out the medicinal soup, blew it cool, and handed it to Xie Wuchi. In the dark night, the medicine emitted a rich bitter smell. Shi Shu took out a bag of rock sugar from his pocket, giving it to Xie Wuchi if needed.

Deep in the night, Shi Shu blew in the grassland wind, feeling he had turned into that kind of deep, cold, handsome man wearing Seven Wolves on his waist.

But he wasn’t. There were wolf packs on the grassland at night. Xin Bin stood on high ground alert for wolves, his gaze sharp—he looked more like it.

Shi Shu waited beside Xie Wuchi until he fell asleep, then got up to find him: “I want to stand guard too.”

Xin Bin couldn’t help laughing: “Second Young Master, go sleep.”

Shi Shu wasn’t happy. He stood on the hilltop watching the lingering wolf packs in the distance, patrolled a round, and returned to the shack built by travelers. Going to Xie Wuchi’s side, he reached out to tuck in his quilt, then looked at Xie Wuchi’s face in the dim light.

Shi Shu reached out, gently stroking his face. He originally just wanted to secretly admire him, but Xie Wuchi lifted his eyelids, meeting Shi Shu’s gaze.

In the narrow corner, everyone else slept in their clothes. Shi Shu lowered his voice: “I’m just looking at you. I just went to see the wolves; there are many. I’ll sleep carefully tonight, will get up if there’s a situation.”

Xie Wuchi reached out, held his hand, and kissed his fingertips gently.

Shi Shu felt like he’d been injected with chicken blood. Say no more; I’m standing this guard all night.

The next morning, they mounted horses and hurried on.

For three consecutive days, finally, a continuous dark green mountain range appeared before their eyes, forming a huge natural moat, almost cutting off heaven and earth. Surging river water rolled majestically within it. “Clouds in the morning, rain in the evening,” thunder crushed. The forest blotting out the sky rose with mist. Occasionally, suspension bridges and cloud ladders could be seen in the deep mountains—simply the uncanny workmanship of nature.

Columns of troops passed through the foot of the mountain, covered in moisture. When Shi Shu poked his head out of the carriage and saw it, he was completely stunned, a shock beyond words.

Dongping Ridge.

Sealing the Wolf Mount Juxu.

Shi Shu stepped off the carriage. At the foot of the mountain were worn stone carvings. This creation of nature, a mountain range spanning several prefectures, once had the ownership written in Great Jing characters to record the unworldly merit of power occupying it. But it had been smeared out and changed to Min characters.

Shi Shu looked at these stone carvings; they once bore the name of Emperor Gaozu of the Jing Dynasty.

Behind him, Xie Wuchi got off the carriage, robes brushing the emerald green grass, also looking at this huge stone wall.

“Under the whole heaven, every spot is the sovereign’s ground; to the borders of the land, every individual is the sovereign’s minister.”

Xie Wuchi looked thoughtful, taking the endless mountains into his eyes, and said: “I like this mountain.”

Shi Shu turned to look at him.

In Xie Wuchi’s eyes, that fanatical control, the gloomy air of occupying all the land appeared again. He said: “Writing a name on this stone looks good.”

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