Sesshomaru watched as Li Xiangyi hugged the jar of wine tightly and didn't even pour him a cup. He stood up, picked up another jar, and before Li Xiangyi could stop him, could only watch as Brother Sha poured and drank by himself...
After a few cups, Li Xiangyi secretly glanced at Brother Sha. Seeing that his gaze remained clear and completely normal, he quietly breathed a sigh of relief. With his mind at ease, he began to talk about his upcoming plan: "Brother Sha, let's go take on some bounty notices! That way we can uphold justice and earn some silver at the same time—it's killing two birds with one stone..."
Sesshomaru looked at his glowing eyes, took a sip of wine, and nodded slightly. "Alright."
By the time they finished their food and wine, it was almost the Shen hour. Li Xiangyi called over the waiter waiting outside to settle the bill, turned around to tell Brother Sha it was time to leave, and then watched in shock as Sesshomaru stood up abruptly with a calm expression, looking nothing like his usual cold self...
Sesshomaru stared intently at Li Xiangyi, still maintaining his noble and aloof demeanor on the surface, but the steps he took toward Li Xiangyi were completely wobbly...
Li Xiangyi's heart gave a start. His slight tipsiness vanished instantly, and he woke up completely. He hurried forward, carefully steadying Sesshomaru, and asked, "Brother Sha, are... are you alright?"
Sesshomaru grabbed Li Xiangyi's hand, his voice a bit drifting. "Why would anything be wrong with me? This wine tastes exceptional!"
With that, he swayed as if ready to walk right out. A shock went through Li Xiangyi's heart—this was definitely being drunk again! He hurriedly grabbed him back. "Brother Sha, where are you going?"
Sesshomaru stared at him, a rare hint of bewilderment showing on his face. After thinking deeply for a moment, he replied, "To sleep!" Having eaten and drunk his fill, sleeping was naturally the next step. A Great Yokai had transcended beastly nature to take human form, but some instincts could never be changed!
Thinking this, Sesshomaru felt his consciousness blur just a bit. He shook his head, narrowed his eyes slightly at the hand Li Xiangyi was using to hold him, exerted a tiny bit of force, and pulled Li Xiangyi out through the window...
Li Xiangyi stumbled as he landed with Brother Sha. Feeling the blazing sun overhead and seeing the irritation filling the Great Yokai's brows, he let go of the hand holding him and reached out to pull open his own clothes...
Li Xiangyi hurriedly pinned down his attempt to undress right there on the spot. Sesshomaru furrowed his brows deeply and broke free with a yank. Looking at the passersby staring at them, Li Xiangyi flusteredly pulled the garments back together, forced a smile, and soothingly coaxed, "Brother Sha, wait... I'll take you back to sleep, just come with me..."
Without waiting for Sesshomaru to react, he hoisted Brother Sha onto his back, channeled his inner energy to the max, deployed the Samsara Pace, and reached the inn in mere seconds.
Amidst the astonished gazes of the onlookers, Li Xiangyi carried Brother Sha into the room and finally set him down...
As soon as Li Xiangyi closed the door and turned around, he saw that Brother Sha had already kicked off both his shoes and socks, ripped off his silver hair crown and tossed it aside. With his dark hair cascading loose and standing barefoot on the floor, he was irritably tugging at his clothes...
The daylight outside was bright. Li Xiangyi gave a start and hurried over to close the window as well...
Sunlight filtered through the paper window into the room. Unable to peel off his clothes with the front of his robe torn open, the Great Yokai raised a hand and ripped the rest of his garments to shreds. Tenseiga clattered to the floor. Having finally broken free from his restraints, the Great Yokai let out a long breath and was just about to follow his instincts and cast off the very last piece of restriction around his waist, when his hand was firmly grabbed by a blushing Li Xiangyi.
For some reason, Li Xiangyi felt somewhat like a guilty thief as he stammered, "Br... Brother Sha, since you can't transform back into your yokai form right now, just... just sleep like this..."Sesshomaru pondered his words for a moment, his consciousness too murky and unfocused to grasp their meaning. Yet, trusting and feeling close to the person before him, he obediently stopped his hand from removing the very last layer of his garments, despite his lingering discomfort...
Sesshomaru's hazy mind drifted for a second. He reached out, grabbed Li Xiangyi's hand, and pushed him down onto the edge of the bed.
Caught off guard, Li Xiangyi was shoved backward onto the mattress, leaning back and saving himself from falling flat only by propping his arms up behind him.
Among demons, this upward-gazing posture of a human exposed their vulnerable spots and signified complete trust. The drunken great dog's head was heavy and dizzy, yet he was deeply pleased by this display of human intimacy...
He leaned in closer, studying the human carefully, and instinctively inhaled the scent of the creature beneath him...
Startled by the gesture, Li Xiangyi froze in place. The rich aroma of alcohol radiating from Sesshomaru made Li Xiangyi feel a little lightheaded himself. Catching the crisp fragrance mixed with wine on Brother Sha, his neck flushed entirely red, and he stammered, "B-Brother Sha, what are you doing?"
Sesshomaru tilted his head slightly. Hearing the question, he seemed to finally remember that he had come here to sleep. With a single heave, he hoisted Li Xiangyi and moved him to the inner side of the bed, then climbed in and lay down on the outside. Stretching out his right arm immediately afterward, he pulled Li Xiangyi straight against his abdomen!
This was the White Dog Clan's protective stance toward those they acknowledged and sheltered...
Recovering his wits in an instant, Li Xiangyi hurriedly pressed his hands against Sesshomaru's chest, trying to stop the great yokai's movement, but the moment his fingers brushed against Brother Sha's solid pectoral muscles, he pulled his hands back as if scalded.
With no room for resistance, the human was pulled into the great yokai's embrace. His burning red face pressed against the yokai's slightly cool body, and he instantly froze right where he was...
Sesshomaru felt the human in his arms grow quiet. Unable to help himself, he patted the head of the human in his arms with satisfaction and closed his eyes...
The great yokai's steady heartbeat sounded right beside his ear, slower and stronger than a human's. Listening to the great yokai's gradually even breathing, Li Xiangyi found his mind in a whirl, utterly unable to calm down as his heart pounded like a beating drum...
Li Xiangyi knew that among great yokai, there were no cumbersome human conventions. This was simply a great yokai placing him within his circle of protection, his most straightforward way of expressing closeness. Among human sworn brothers, sharing a bed and sleeping pillow-to-pillow was nothing out of the ordinary, and he had never been one to care much for tedious formalities; there had even been times when he and other men had stood bare before one another...
Yet being this way with the great yokai left his heart in absolute turmoil...
Li Xiangyi figured it was probably because he had found the great yokai far too breathtaking when they first met in his youth, and after seven years of companionship, he felt as though acting like this was somehow profaning a yokai deity...
Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Li Xiangyi figured it out and slowly calmed down. He wriggled free from Sesshomaru's confinement, leaped off the bed, and let out a long sigh of relief, resolving once again that he must never let Brother Sha touch alcohol ever again!
Sesshomaru slept extremely contentedly this time. With his Demonic Power suppressed and his consciousness numbed by alcohol, he had no need to remain constantly on guard against his surroundings, and he did not wake until the Dragon hour the next morning, just as Li Xiangyi approached the door...
Once he had bathed and changed his clothes, Li Xiangyi routinely helped Sesshomaru dry his hair and tie it up. Having observed him for a good while, Li Xiangyi noticed that, just like last time, Brother Sha had no recollection whatsoever of his drunken episode. While letting out a sigh of relief, he also found himself torn over how to persuade Brother Sha to stay away from alcohol, turning the matter over and over in his mind without finding a single clue...
Seeing the various changes crossing Li Xiangyi's face as he walked in, along with his repeated hesitation to speak, Sesshomaru wondered what was on this human's mind this time. Seeing him continue to hold his tongue, he finally asked, "Is there something you wish to tell me?"Seeing Brother Sha ask, Li Xiangyi stopped pondering, put his hair crown back on, sat down, and looked directly at Sesshomaru to ask, "Brother Sha, do you still remember anything from after we finished drinking yesterday?"
Sesshomaru saw his serious expression, narrowed his eyes slightly in thought, and asked, "What did I do yesterday?"
Li Xiangyi rubbed his nose, looked at Brother Sha's cold and stunning face, and for a moment didn't know how to begin.
Seeing him like this, Sesshomaru's aura grew slightly colder. He carefully recalled the events of the previous day, remembering only that he had tugged Li Xiangyi away from the tavern back to their room to sleep, with nothing else happening. He looked at the hesitant human and said, "Just speak your mind!"
Li Xiangyi gave a light cough, hardened his heart, and blurted out how Brother Sha had wanted to strip off his clothes on the street yesterday.
After hearing this, Sesshomaru merely let out a single scoff. "Is this matter worth you making such a fuss over covering it up? Humans are truly troublesome! It's just that this liquor of you humans is indeed quite bizarre; I actually have no memory of this at all!"
Seeing Brother Sha's reaction, Li Xiangyi suddenly felt that his own reaction yesterday had been entirely making a mountain out of a molehill, and the slight awkwardness in his heart completely vanished.
Once he figured it out, Li Xiangyi stopped dwelling on it. With a grin, he made a gesture of raising a cup, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Then in the future, Brother Sha, will you drink this wine or not?"
Seeing him make this bizarre gesture, Sesshomaru stood up, lowered his gaze, and leaned close to Li Xiangyi, who was looking up slightly. Amidst Li Xiangyi's puzzled expression, Sesshomaru's lips curved upward slightly, and he indeed caught the startled look in this human's eyes...
The smile on Sesshomaru's lips deepened. He raised his right hand and delivered a crisp knock to the head of this increasingly bold human, then leisurely stepped out of the room...
From behind came the human's cry of pain, while the Great Yokai's expression was softer than ever before. It was high time to teach this audacious human a lesson...
Amidst the human's voiced grievances, Sesshomaru pleasurably finished his breakfast, feeling that today's "scalded flour dumplings" tasted genuinely good...
Because Brother Sha had been drunk yesterday, they hadn't thoroughly explored Luoyang City. Today, after finishing breakfast, the two of them went out to stroll through the bustling city of Luoyang.
The young hero's right cheek was puffed out, and both hands were full of various pastries and snacks. He ate and shopped all the way, while also taking the opportunity to ask around about the major events related to Young Hero Li's rise to fame...
At this moment, Shan Gudao walked into an inn in the west of Luoyang City wearing a mask. He headed straight for Heaven-class Room Number One, raised his hand to knock out a signal of two quick and two slow raps, and the door opened. Shan Gudao stepped inside...
The door closed behind him once more. Shan Gudao walked over to the table and sat down, raising a hand to stop the young man from bowing, his voice somewhat hurried. "Feng Qing, that person named Sesshomaru by Li Xiangyi's side that I had you investigate—have you found out his origins?"
The man called Feng Qing shook his head, his words filled with utter incomprehension. "This person seems to have appeared out of thin air. Spies sent to the places Li Xiangyi previously visited when going down the mountain with your master reported that no such person had ever appeared by Li Xiangyi's side before. The first time he ever showed up was when he accompanied Li Xiangyi to meet up with you at Qingfeng Town."
Shan Gudao furrowed his brow in thought. "This person's origins are a mystery, and his methods are bizarre. The very first time I saw him, he exchanged a glance with me, and my heart fluttered violently, as if I had encountered a beast waiting to devour people. That day, after he pointed at that He Family brat, when I looked at the He Family brat again, my heart was filled with extraordinary vigilance. Such methods are unheard of in the martial arts world!"
Hearing this, Feng Qing looked thoughtful. "There are no shortage of unfathomable and ghostly methods in the pugilist world, and our Nanyin supreme treasure is just like that. Since you previously guessed that he is the disciple of a reclusive expert, Master, I imagine he must hold some extraordinary treasure in his hands. Do you require your subordinates to go and test him out?"
Shan Gudao thought for a moment and nodded. "Our forces must not be exposed. Send word to the Three Dongling Gangs, telling them that the He Family's Yuntie is with Li Xiangyi, but for now do not reveal that He Sanlang is still alive, lest they suspect me!"
On the fourth day, around nine in the morning, "Zhuifeng" and "Taxue" had two increasingly bulky parcels hanging from them as they followed their two masters out of the city. With Sesshomaru around, there was no need to lead them by reins.
As soon as Li Xiangyi left the city, he spotted Shan Gudao waiting at the city gates, and he hurriedly unstrapped a parcel from his horse and stepped forward.
Shan Gudao wore his usual amiable and gentle expression. "Xiangyi, did you and Brother Sha have a good time exploring these past few days?"
Li Xiangyi handed the parcel in his hand to Shan Gudao. "The food and drinks inside Luoyang City are quite different from those at Yunyin Mountain. Senior Brother, these are some specialty snacks, and there are also two jars of Dukang wine; I brought a portion for you as well!"
Shan Gudao took it without looking closely, casually hanging it on his horse, his voice full of delight. "It's a good thing Junior Brother still remembered to bring me a share, I didn't even have time to buy any!"
Li Xiangyi took hold of "Zhuifeng" as it walked up beside him, vaulted into the saddle, and asked with a curious smile upon hearing this, "Senior Brother, before entering the city, I never heard you mention that you had friends here. Was your visit with your friend this time going smoothly?"
Upon hearing this, Shan Gudao glanced at Sesshomaru, who was already riding ahead, before saying, "This friend of mine and I met in our early years, only..." Here he paused slightly, and continued with a somewhat embarrassed air, "Only he was injured in a fight with someone in his early years and also lost a limb. Ever since then, he has always felt inferior, uneasy, and has spent his days in low spirits. I was afraid of offending Brother Sha, and also worried that Brother Sha might overthink it, which is why I didn't tell you."
With that, Shan Gudao cast a sidelong glance at Sesshomaru ahead, seeing that his expression was calm with no emotional fluctuations.
Li Xiangyi simply felt that these words sounded very strange. "Senior Brother, what do you mean by this? Since Brother Sha has never concealed his severed hand, there is no need for us to deliberately avoid it either. Senior Brother visiting a friend privately should simply be a matter of Senior Brother caring for a friend, rather than making such surmises."
Shan Gudao's expression darkened instantly. "Junior Brother, what do you mean by this? When all is said and done, Brother Sha and I are not close. I show care and consideration in everything, and yet this turns into groundless guessing?"
Hearing this, Li Xiangyi shook his head and said, "Senior Brother, I meant no other thing, it's just that Brother Sha..."
Shan Gudao raised a hand to stop him from continuing. "I understand what you mean, but after all, I am somewhat older than you two. In human interactions, while one should be utterly sincere and genuine, one should also show more consideration. Acting as you do, how can you know what others are thinking? In conduct and affairs, one should always think and ponder more!"
Without waiting for Li Xiangyi's reply, he spurred his horse onward and rode away. As Li Xiangyi pondered these words from his Senior Brother and watched his receding back, he let out a long breath and rode up beside Brother Sha.
He looked at Sesshomaru, who was gazing ahead, and asked, "Brother Sha, did you hear all of that just now?"
Sesshomaru looked at Li Xiangyi, whose brow carried a trace of puzzlement, and said in a proud tone, "The words of the weak are never worth my attention." Seeing his furrowed brows in thought, he added, "Why must the strong align their thoughts with others? Li Xiangyi, let's go..."
Hearing Brother Sha's words, Li Xiangyi's heart instantly cleared, and his resolve grew even firmer.
Since true sincerity means interacting with frankness, then staying true to oneself is the way of the strong...
Yet, Senior Brother's words—could it be that my past actions were something Senior Brother harbored misgivings about?