UCTOOT CH68

Shi Shu rubbed the snow in his hands, stood up, and said with a smile, “Xie Wuchi, you’ve come to join the fun too.”

Xie Wuchi approached, his hair flying in the wind and snow, a faint halo of light seeming to surround him. He held a horsewhip in one hand and walked right up to him.

“Getting you to be obedient seems to be a luxury.”

Seeing him, Shi Shu remembered the matter of the hairpin, and the smile on his face vanished. But with so many people around and Song Sinan watching, he changed the subject. “You haven’t been back for a few days, so I didn’t know what you were doing. Zihan and I came out to have a look, is that okay?”

“Mm.”

Xie Wuchi took a waist token from his belt and handed it to Shi Shu. The wind and snow were heavy. He took Shi Shu’s hand, his touch warm, and said, “The logistics team is safe. You can follow them. It’s just that tonight is too cold—”

He lowered his voice. “Come sleep with me.”

Shi Shu paused, took the waist token, and as he looked down, Xie Wuchi’s fingertips brushed against his face. What is he doing? Who is he inviting? I’m a straight man.

Shi Shu was still a little uncomfortable. Xie Wuchi turned, mounted his horse, and rode away with the men who were inspecting the grain. Shi Shu stared blankly at the cold waist token in his hand. Du Zihan said, “Yo, what’s with the hesitation? Did Brother Xie leave you his token?”

Shi Shu turned back, got on the cart, and waved the whip. “Leave his token? What for? You make it sound like he’s ordering a male model.”

Du Zihan replied, “If anyone’s ordering a male model, it’s you ordering him, not him ordering you. Look at him, exuding his charm again.”

Shi Shu said, “You’re still talking? If you say one more word, I’ll speed up and jostle you off this cart. The snow on the ground is very cold, just the thing to cool you down.”

Du Zihan laughed three times and then shut up, leaving only Song Sinan scratching his head with a bewildered expression, muttering, “What’s ‘ordering a male model’?” “What does ‘male model’ mean?” “What ‘speed up’?”

The logistics team finally arrived at the camp. The first team had already set up camp, so the second team began to move and place their things. The north wind cut their faces. As the sky grew darker, the group braved the harsh wind and snow to properly move the supplies and set up their own camp.

When it was time to rest, the group headed towards the logistics team’s tents. Shi Shu ate and washed up with them until it was time to assign sleeping spots. Du Zihan asked, “You’re not sleeping with us, are you?”

Shi Shu asked, “What do you mean?”

Du Zihan gave a sly laugh and turned to find Song Sinan. “He’s going to find his brother. I’ll spend the night with you guys, so as not to interrupt their brotherly reunion.”

Hearing this, Song Sinan immediately burst out laughing. “Hahaha, how old are you?”

Shi Shu said, “…”

The back of Shi Shu’s ears turned shamefully red. He wanted to throw the waist token ten thousand li away, but he held back. “I’ll just go see him for a bit and come back. Save me a spot.”

“Hey, don’t forget your things!” Du Zihan called out. Shi Shu caught a lotus leaf packet. “It’s filled with crispy sweets. Take them for your brother to try.”

Shi Shu was about to refuse. “What a waste… Xie Wuchi is a rich boy from a noble family, his standards are sky-high. He looks down on everything. He might not even eat it if I give it to him.” He might just throw it away like trash.

But Shi Shu took it anyway and walked towards the vanguard camp. With the waist token, his journey was unimpeded. It was evening, just as the sun was setting. Dense clouds flew by, and mist and snow intertwined, making it almost impossible to see the road. Shi Shu asked for directions as he walked, feeling chilled to the bone, until he reached the strategist’s tent.

Shi Shu entered. In the tent was a large copper basin with red-hot charcoal burning inside. The furnishings were simple. Xie Wuchi was sitting at a long desk writing something, wearing loose, clean robes, giving off an air of simple elegance. As soon as Shi Shu arrived, he stood up and walked over to him.

Shi Shu was about to say, “Xie Wuchi, they asked me to bring you some sweets…”

Before he could finish, warm lips pressed down on his. The chill on Shi Shu’s body was instantly driven away. His face was held, and his lips were pecked. Xie Wuchi’s dark pupils watched him quietly.

“Normally I control my sugar intake, but since you brought it, I can have a taste.”

“…………”

As expected of Mr. Self-Discipline.

Shi Shu lowered his head, unwrapped the lotus leaf packet, and properly handed it to him. “Eat.”

Unexpectedly, Xie Wuchi kissed him again, bumping Shi Shu’s chin painfully and causing him to step back against the cold tent wall. Just as Shi Shu was about to speak, an arm wrapped around his waist, and his vision went dark. In the darkness, the sensation on his lips became particularly clear. Xie Wuchi’s tongue slipped in, licked the tip of his, and then moved endlessly inside his mouth until Shi Shu was out of breath. The handsome, cold face of the youth turned red from the heat, the corners of his eyes reddening as well. He panted as he looked at Xie Wuchi, his free hand unable to resist resting on his shoulder.

Perhaps it was because they hadn’t seen each other for a day or two. Shi Shu panted, his brow furrowed, a sense of unfamiliarity between them.

Xie Wuchi asked, “Does it feel good?”

Shi Shu replied, “N… no.”

The moment he finished speaking, his lips were kissed again. Shi Shu slowly felt his center of gravity shift as Xie Wuchi scooped him up by the legs, carrying and kissing him at the same time. He was finally seated on something warm, very close to the brazier, placed on Xie Wuchi’s lap.

Shi Shu could barely breathe, clutching the crispy sweet packet tightly in his hand. Xie Wuchi pried his fingers open one by one with a smile until Shi Shu’s hand was free.

“Have you been good these past few days? Did you miss me?”

Shi Shu felt the topic was crossing a line and said with a red face, “I don’t know what you’re talking about—but you’re doing so well now, living in your own tent. On my side, at least ten people are squeezed together.”

Xie Wuchi turned his face to face him. “From now on, come sleep with your brother.”

“…………”

Damn it, who is he trying to seduce?

The righteous, handsome face of a straight man turned beet red. If I had known Xie Wuchi was like this, I would regret running away with him from Xiangnan Temple every day, hmph.

Shi Shu tried to get off his lap, but he was held too tightly and couldn’t move. He changed the subject. “The pastry, want a piece?”

“Baby, feed me.” Xie Wuchi insisted on being fed. Shi Shu had to mentally prepare himself to feed him a piece. As Xie Wuchi ate, he pulled Shi Shu into his arms and held him.

“I missed you.”

“…” Hearing this, Shi Shu’s face immediately turned red again. He held his breath, not daring to make a sound. No matter how many times Xie Wuchi confessed his love, he never got used to it. Looking at Xie Wuchi just made him want to compete for dominance. Shi Shu sat in his lap, not knowing where to put his hands, so he let them hang by his sides.

“Is your birthday in five days?”

Shi Shu replied, “Mm.”

“So good.”

“…” Shi Shu’s hackles rose, not knowing what was so “good” about him.

Xie Wuchi only ate one piece of the crispy sweet, then rinsed his mouth with water and spat it into a teacup. He then adjusted his embrace, placing a hand on Shi Shu’s back and shifting his legs forward a bit. Then, their eyes met, and they kissed again.

“Brother’s kiss.”

Ahhh, stop using those cutesy repeated words!

With a look of heroic sacrifice, Shi Shu let Xie Wuchi hold his face and lightly suck on his lips, pressing repeatedly. Shi Shu’s fair face turned crimson. To be honest, if Xie Wuchi was direct and lewd, he could remain blank-faced, but this gentleness made him feel shy.

Xie Wuchi gently parted his lips. “Open your mouth.”

Shi Shu stubbornly clenched his teeth until his fingers stroked them open, and his tongue once again licked into his mouth. The candlelight was very warm. Shi Shu was held on his lap and kissed. When they separated again, Shi Shu’s entire spine felt weak. He met Xie Wuchi’s gaze, the hot air from their mouths tangling together. For a moment, Shi Shu’s scalp tingled. A silver thread connected their lips. Xie Wuchi looked at him and spoke slowly, his voice low and hoarse.

“Мне ты нравишься.”

Shi Shu was confused. “What? You’re not cursing me, are you?”

Xie Wuchi smiled and kissed him again. The snowstorm was raging. Being held by him brought back warmth, and this intimate atmosphere felt like being in a relationship. But Shi Shu’s thoughts shifted, and remembering the hairpin, he said, “Xie Wuchi, in Du Zihan’s luggage, I saw a hairpin exactly like yours.”

Xie Wuchi’s expression showed no surprise. He lowered his head, his features shadowed. “Oh, is that so.”

A sudden chill went down Shi Shu’s back. “You knew all along?”

Xie Wuchi stood up, went to the desk, and shuffled through some papers. After a moment of silence, he looked up and said lightly, “You and Du Zihan are together day and night, yet you only discovered Zhang Tong’s belongings these past few days. That’s a bit surprising to me.”

The wind howled. Shi Shu was bewildered, frozen in place. “So his name was Zhang Tong. You’ve met him? But you told me before that I was the first transmigrator you met.”

Xie Wuchi said, “Sit down. I’ll tell you slowly.”

Shi Shu did not sit down. Xie Wuchi’s fingertips flicked the papers, scattering them, as if he was searching for the right words. After a moment, he said, “He was hostile towards me the moment he saw me, even before I showed any aggression. It wasn’t until I saw Du Zihan recently that I understood. It turns out another reason he committed suicide was to save his life.”

Shi Shu said, “Speak clearly.”

Xie Wuchi looked up at Shi Shu. “Don’t be so nervous. I admit, I had bad intentions towards you at first. I need to apologize to you first.”

Shi Shu said, “I don’t understand. Explain it in detail.”

But before they could finish, a horn blast that seemed to rip the sky apart suddenly sounded from outside the tent. It was a dull, heavy sound that vibrated through the snowy night, entering everyone’s nerves. Shi Shu had never heard this horn sound before and immediately turned to look outside the tent.

After the horn blast, the sound of neat, synchronized footsteps on the ground came from outside. A large number of troops were passing by quickly.

Xie Wuchi’s brows shot up. “The battle has begun!”

A guard’s report came from outside the door. “Censor Xie! General Zhao requests your presence! Please proceed to the observation post!”

Shi Shu glanced at Xie Wuchi, his eyes saying nothing more. He turned and ran out of the military camp. He seemed to hear someone shouting from behind but paid it no mind. As expected, it was the assembled army, in neat formations, wearing heavy, dark, cold armor, spreading like a black mist out of the camp. The sharp contrast between the white snow and the black armor was like a river rushing into the sea.

Shi Shu ran out into the snowy night. When he ran back to the logistics unit, Song Sinan was waiting for him anxiously. “Quick, quick!”

Shi Shu asked, “What happened?”

Song Sinan beckoned with his finger. “I’ll take you to a good spot to watch the battle!”

Shi Shu called Du Zihan. The moment he saw him, Xie Wuchi’s words came back to his mind. The group of young men ran along the flat, sandy snow. Snowflakes pelted their faces. Shi Shu’s hands and feet were ice-cold as he ran all the way to a crescent-shaped hill.

Song Sinan pointed excitedly. “Look, it’s right ahead!”

“Get down! Get down and watch!”

Shi Shu threw himself onto the snow and stared at the section of the Cha River where the battle was taking place. Torches waved, figures moved chaotically, and the enemy camp on the opposite side was on fire. Raging flames soared into the sky, mixed with the roars, shouts, and screams of men. On the other side, war drums thundered. It was clearly a silent night, but the entire world echoed with a soul-shaking atmosphere.

Song Sinan was ecstatic. “It must be my brother’s vanguard that has achieved victory. They’ve finally started the battle to provide support!”

Shi Shu was speechless. Du Zihan lay beside him, rubbing his tired eyes. “Is this a war?”

It should have been hard to see in the dark, but the enemy’s watchtowers and camp were burning, and dark figures could be seen twisting and falling in the flames, or being cut down from the high towers by long spears or sabers. Shi Shu stared intently at one particular spot, which seemed to be the focus of the fight. A constant stream of people rushed towards it, only to be consumed by the flames and fall to the ground. But more people would surge forward, carrying siege equipment, and charge ahead. One could imagine the blisters and bloodstains from the fire on people’s skin.

Figures flashed before Shi Shu’s eyes. Suddenly, he called out to Du Zihan, “Is your teammate’s name Zhang Tong?”

Du Zihan asked, “Yes, how did you know? Did I tell you?”

Shi Shu didn’t answer but asked instead, “In the days before he committed suicide, did he constantly avoid seeing you, pushing you out and not letting you stay with him?”

Du Zihan nodded. “Yes, he said he had a contagious disease and was sure to die, and that it was unsafe to be near him. Is there something suspicious about that?”

Shi Shu suddenly grabbed a handful of cold snow and squeezed it into a ball, freezing his palm. He said, “I’m thinking about some things.”

The battle in front of them continued, but the hellish, swaying fire left an afterimage in his pupils. The heat was transmitted to his skin from far away. Through this fiery image, another scene appeared in Shi Shu’s mind—

In the civilian reclamation village of Xingu Prefecture, Zhang Tong’s handmade crafts were given to others. So, in the fields of early spring, as farmers tilled the land, a tall, upright figure stopped among the paths and asked about the source of the crafts. The farmers all pointed to the abandoned temple where Zhang Tong lived. Xie Wuchi stayed in the village, visiting the bedridden Zhang Tong’s eaves every day, while Du Zihan and others went out to work, just missing his line of sight.

At that time, Xie Wuchi was still alone and did not know that someone had already found a friend. He assumed Zhang Tong was alone, and Zhang Tong was also conveying this message, constantly sending Du Zihan away, so that Xie Wuchi failed to notice him. What happened between them that would, in a few days, lead Zhang Tong to commit suicide, leaving behind an ambiguous suicide note?

Did Zhang Tong already want to commit suicide? Or did he have to commit suicide to protect Du Zihan from being targeted by Xie Wuchi, since he didn’t have much time left anyway? The relationship between transmigrators was not one of friends, but enemies? Did Xie Wuchi know all along? Or had he been observing and spying all along, and he himself had never suspected a thing? What was all this about?

Shi Shu’s mind was a mess, his hands cold. He lay on the snow until he was numb. The battle before him continued. Whenever someone from the enemy side fell from the flames, a new person would quickly take their place, holding the line of defense. At first, there were even several fierce generals from Beimin who rode tall horses towards the other side of the Cha River, moving the center of the battle vortex to Great Jing’s border, but they were quickly forced back by Great Jing’s soldiers.

It was too cold at night, and people couldn’t bear it. There seemed to have been a few short breaks in between, but when the war drums sounded, they would be at each other’s throats again. In the cold snow, Shi Shu finally saw faint signs of a retreat on the opposite side. He didn’t know what intelligence they had received, but the tide had broken through this dam.

When Shi Shu returned to the logistics unit, a few people were warming their frozen bodies by the fire. The sky finally brightened. He couldn’t see clearly last night, but when he walked to the Cha River during the day, Shi Shu stopped in his tracks, his pupils dilating.

“What kind of hell on earth is this?”

“Hell? What hell? We won the battle.”

Song Sinan and the other members of the logistics team were dragging the bodies blocking the road. A group of them shouted, “Hurry up, hurry up!” “You go left, he goes right!” “There was such a big fire yesterday, the ice on the Cha River almost melted. A lot of people froze to death in it.” “These people are all frozen solid!” “Search their bodies for weapons and valuables!” “Go, go, the bodies are stuck to the ice and snow.”

Song Sinan turned back and saw Shi Shu. “You two, get to work too. There are still troops that need to pass!”

Shi Shu stared blankly at the bodies before him. After exchanging a look with Du Zihan, their expressions were extremely strange. The bodies on the ground were either red or charred black from the fire. The extreme cold had coagulated the blood, so it no longer flowed. They lay scattered all over the place.

Shi Shu knelt down to search the bodies for valuables, stripping off armor and clothes, and pulling out the swords stuck in them. After a while, Du Zihan disappeared, running to the side to vomit.

Shi Shu identified the faces one by one. Besides the faces of the Beimin, there were also faces from Great Jing. Their faces had turned a sculptural ice-gray, which was terrifying. Shi Shu observed the other people. Everyone’s expression was normal, some even laughing and cheering. Only he and Du Zihan were the odd ones out.

Shi Shu moved the bodies. At first, he didn’t hear what he was saying, but slowly the chanting grew louder. “Why? Why? Why? Why…” Why? Why? Why?

After clearing the bodies from the ice, the group once again set out on their journey deep into Beimin territory. Shi Shu lay on the cart, not moving at all.

Du Zihan lay beside him. “Are we too soft?”

Shi Shu felt weak all over. “Maybe. I want to go home now.”

Du Zihan said, “We’re standing too low. People like General Zhao and Censor Xie can watch from the city walls without having to participate in these things.”

Shi Shu repeated, “Stra—te—gist—Xie—”

Du Zihan asked him, “Are you scared?”

Shi Shu said, “I’m a little scared.”

Du Zihan said, “I’m scared too. I washed my hands desperately just now, but they still smell of dead bodies.”

Shi Shu said, “This kind of topic, I guess I can only talk about it with you.”

Shi Shu sat up straight, staring at his hands, which were raw from washing. “I really want to go home. I’m a useless person.”

Along the way, this logistics team followed behind the vanguard, cleaning up the bodies after battles and collecting any reusable spoils of war. The further Shi Shu went, the colder and harder his heart became.

The snow was thick. On the evening of the second day after entering Beimin territory, the logistics team arrived at another place where bodies were piled up from a recent fierce battle. Shi Shu stood on a cliff and looked down. This place had been ravaged by the fires of war. The mature smell of burnt grain lingered in the valley, a fragrant aroma mixed with the biting winter snow, and among it, the ambiguous smell of cooked meat.

Again, bodies in two different types of military uniforms were piled together, scattered everywhere. They seemed to have been dead for more than two or three days, frozen in the ice and snow.

Someone commanded, “Clear the bodies quickly! Collect the spoils of war!”

Shi Shu exchanged a look with Du Zihan. “Let’s get to work too.”

Song Sinan said excitedly, “Another victory! This seems to be Beimin’s grain depot. The grain has all been burned, and the supply route has been destroyed. It’s already difficult to transport supplies in winter. Now, the Beimin army is going to have a hard time!”

Shi Shu said, “So that’s how it is. This army has sacrificed so much.”

Song Sinan turned away with a grin. “Yeah, I don’t know where my brother and the others have gone. I haven’t seen them. Let’s get to work first.”

Shi Shu lowered his head and dragged a body, tidying the person’s hair and sighing. “Who are you, and who did you die for?” After speaking, he threw him into the body pit.

Suddenly, Shi Shu heard a miserable scream. It was Song Sinan’s voice. When he turned his head, he saw him hugging a charred corpse. “Brother! Brother! How could it be you! How could it be you guys? Why are you the ones who died here? Brother! You’re lying to me, right? Why did you have to die!”

Shi Shu’s heart lurched, his mind feeling as if it had been punched, sinking into an immense dullness. Du Zihan was also shocked and looked back at Shi Shu. But Shi Shu was both surprised and not surprised. His footing wavered. “General Song is dead.”

Many people in this unit were relatives of the Vengeance Army squad. Hearing Song Sinan’s cries, they could no longer be bothered with clearing the bodies and began searching among the corpses. “It can’t be my son, can it?” Some called out the names of their family members, walking back and forth as if the other person could still answer. Some even sat down on the ground, crawling and digging.

Shi Shu understood in his heart. “The vanguard, deep in enemy territory. This was actually a suicide squad, wasn’t it…”

His hands were ice-cold. He staggered to Song Sinan’s side, looked at the charred corpse, and patted his shoulder. “Song Sinan, are you okay…”

Song Sinan recognized the wound on his brother’s ear and the jade talisman on his wrist. He was crying too hard to speak in complete sentences, saying intermittently, “I’ll kill them all… to avenge you… Brother… didn’t you say you were just going to scout… why… why was the vanguard almost completely wiped out… didn’t the scouts say there were only a few troops stationed here… but how could they be the Min dogs’ elite ‘Lion Armor Army’…”

“Brother, I’m begging you… don’t die… what will I do in the future? You’re the only family I have left… Mom and Dad were killed by the Min dogs, and now you’re dead too… I won’t forgive them, I’ll tear them to pieces…”

Shi Shu saw the beads of blood spilling from between Song Sinan’s teeth. Before he could stop him, Song Sinan took out a knife and, stroke by stroke, carved the character for “Hate” into his arm.

Shi Shu was stunned for a moment, then withdrew his hand and looked up at the snowy, windy forest.

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