Ch57 - Fireside Pleasures

Translator: transcendentwings

CW: slight NSFW, hints at explicit content

That night, Xu Xingzhi and the others didn’t want to travel any further in order to avoid encountering any prowling giants again, they simply sought out a concealed shelter at the foot of a cliff to turn in for the night. The sentry schedule was set according to the head count with two on duty at night together with a change in guard every four hours.

There was no way to keep track of the changes in time in the savage wasteland, but after living here for so many years, everyone developed a standard for dawn and dusk, morning and night, as such activity periods like zi, chou, yan, mao had a scale of measurement and they naturally knew when to get up.

Listening to Xu Xingzhi’s arrangements for the night watch, Zhou Wang had an objection: “What about me? When should I get up?”

Xu Xingzhi nudged her forehead: “For a woman to maintain her beauty, rest and bathing are essential. Hurry and just go to sleep.”

Zhou Wang listened to this and felt that it was very new to her: “My uncle never taught me these things.”

Xu Xingzhi replied in an instant: “Don’t listen to him, he hasn’t lived swimmingly his entire life ne.”

As soon as his words fell, Zhou Beinan’s voice came from a distance, traversing all manners of twists and turns: “. . . Xu Xingzhi, f*ck you, don’t speak ill of me behind my back ah.”

Xu Xingzhi answered back in a loud voice: “Since you still haven’t lived comfortably all your life, don’t teach children your nonsense!”

Zhou Beinan stopped responding back, but Xu Xingzhi reacted very swiftly and after a moment, he tilted his head and grasped the empty air to his left and smoothly caught the stone that Zhou Beinan had hurtled at his head from beyond fifty-chi away.

The stone made his hand slightly numb from the impact so he shook it out and then tossed the little rock casually, the sound of a stone rolling echoed all the way until the innermost part of the cave.

“Shixiong, the ground has been tidied up,” Yuan Ruzhou, who just bore her bare bones, ducked out of the interior of the cave.

Reminiscent of the abundant similarities between Wutong and Yuan Ruzhou, Xu Xingzhi still felt a lump in his heart that wouldn’t go away, he only had warmth and tenderness: “Ruzhou, we’ve troubled you.”

Yuan Ruzhou bashfully lowered her head and led Zhou Wang into the cave by hand.

After quarreling with Xu Xingzhi, Zhou Beinan continued to gather dry branches with Qu Chi. When he stepped on the overly long dry wood under his feet to snap them in two, he imagined it as Xu Xingzhi’s head while he was at it and felt quite appeased as a result.

Qu Chi commented softly: “Beinan, you’re angry.”

“I’m not mad at all.” Zhou Beinan didn’t even deign to lift his head, “It’s easy for him to flap his gums, I dare say that he wasn’t the one to guide that child since young.”

Qu Chi refuted truthfully: “Ah-Wang was brought up by Tao Xian and Ruzhou.”

Zhou Beinan: “. . . Qu Chi, you better not follow him in angering me ah. I’m annoyed enough as it is with him alone.”

Qu Chi heeded exceedingly obediently: “. . . En.”

Zhou Beinan petted Qu Chi’s hair like he was a big dog. Even whilst his hands were busy, his mouth was similarly also not idle: “If a boy was born, I would still be able to discipline him quite a bit, but the child had to be a girl. In regards to her daily life as well as necessities, which could I actually have a hand in?” He sighed, “. . . I’m not saying that girls aren’t any good, it’s just that if a girl were sent to this crappy place, she would only suffer.”

“Xuechen likes daughters.” Qu Chi interjected suddenly, “I remember, Xuechen mentioned it to me in the past that he wanted Zhou Xian to give birth to a beautiful little girl, who’d smile as prettily as Xiao-Xian’er.”

Having brought up Wen Xuechen, Zhou Beinan’s face blanched stark white instantly and he didn’t say another word.

Noticing that Zhou Beinan had fallen silent, Qu Chi realized that he might have said something he shouldn’t have and couldn’t help becoming frantic and flustered: “Beinan, at least Xingzhi came back ya.”

Hearing the two words “Xingzhi”, the sorrow frozen in Zhou Beinan’s eyes was diluted by a little vitality: “Him? Forget it, with him here I’ll end up living ten fewer years.”

A wide grin spread across Qu Chi’s face: “You wouldn’t. You’ve missed him dearly.”

Zhou Beinan: “When the hell did I. . .”

Qu Chi: “I heard you call out his name in tears in your dreams, begging him not to die.”

Zhou Beinan: “. . .”

Qu Chi: “When Ah-Wang was practicing sword swings you commented that if Xingzhi was here, he could’ve taught her another move or two.”

Zhou Beinan: “. . .”

Qu Chi: “You also. . .”

“F*ck!!” Zhou Beinan’s face was so red that it was radiating heat as he chased after Qu Chi in an attempt to kick the other, “Qu Chi, if you dare blab to him, I’ll silence you!”

Qu Chi laughed as he accompanied the other in this game of cat and mouse for a while until they became tired, only then did they return to where they were originally to pick up the firewood that had been scattered into a mess..

While tying up the firewood into bundles, Qu Chi beamed broadly, causing Zhou Beinan to break out in goosebumps all over his body: “What are you smiling at ah.”

“Xingzhi’s spiritual power has recovered.” Qu Chi stated happily, “It’s wonderful.”

“This matter?” Zhou Beinan didn’t display much surprise, “Actually. . . the last time when we ran into Nan Li and he wanted to take him away, I already had some suspicions. . . . He hadn’t been stripped of his root, it was only that someone had sealed his spiritual energy within his meridians and layered it with several seals which made him seem like an ordinary mortal on the surface.”

Qu Chi wondered: “If that was the case, why didn’t he just tell us?”

“Hai, to save face bei.” Zhou Beinan declared assuredly, “If it were me whose spiritual power was sealed by a junior and then locked up for many years, I also wouldn’t want others to pursue this matter. Thus I’ve never asked him about it since then.”

This time in the close-quarters battle with the giant, not a single person wasn’t stimulated, but the ensuing exhaustion was like the howling of the mountains and the seismic waves of the sea. As soon as they laid onto the bed roll, one by one, they all fell asleep very soundly.

Xu Xingzhi and Meng Chongguang were in charge of the first shift.

In order to prevent the flames from attracting the giants, the fire for warmth was lit inside the cave and spiritual power was used in addition to block the glowing embers from escaping. The two stood guard at the entrance of the cave and only felt as if the flames were assailing them.

The scorching heat enticed people to sleep due to its waves of warmth and steaminess thus in order to maintain an alert consciousness, Xu Xingzhi began to play with “Xianbi”, combining his spirit, qi energy, and essence into one allowing “Xianbi” to fluidly flip through its various ever-changing forms.

Just as Xu Xingzhi was having fun, Meng Chongguang slowly shuffled over, wrapped his arms around him and stuck to him in a shameless manner, kissing the corner of his lips.

“What are you doing?”

“Shixiong, watching you fight with that giant today, I was unbearably anxious, my heart is still beating rapidly even now.” Meng Chongguang pulled open his robes and under the dark sky of the wasteland which seemed to be soaked in tung oil, he could still feel the soft and smooth texture of his chest, “Shixiong, you touch it.”

Xu Xingzhi was thoroughly amused: “Why are you acting like a maiden in the brothel.”

Meng Chongguang was visibly agitated and grumbled in displeasure: “. . . Shixiong has visited brothels before?”

Xu Xingzhi cursed under his breath wordlessly: “Only five or six times.”

And his intent was only to experience something new, listen to some qin notes, but when it came to the practical things, first of all his interest in it was very lacking and second of all, it was because of the request from his “father”, he often left immediately after and dare not stay for long.

Just by hearing this middling number, tears were about to fall from Meng Chongguang’s eyes: “Shixiong. . .”

Xu Xingzhi sighed: “. . . My hand is cold.”

Meng Chongguang glared at him, half indignant, half resentful.

Xu Xingzhi had no choice but to put down “Xianbi” and slip his cold palm into Meng Chongguang’s open neckline. After holding his palm on the other’s chest, within a few seconds the small point hardened causing his face to darken: “Even just from this you can get f*cking. . .”

The moment he wanted to remove his hand, he suddenly heard Meng Chongguang whisper next to his ear: “Shixiong, don’t move, there’s a bug.”

Merely by hearing this word, Xu Xingzhi broke out in a cold sweat and his neck became stiff: “Where. . . Where is it?”

“Shixiong, close your eyes.” Meng Chongguang murmured, hot air washed over Xu Xingzhi’s cheeks making him have the illusion that there really were thread-like worms squirming slowly over his cheeks.

Xu Xingzhi complied until those silky thread-like things climbed up to his waist and his eyes abruptly snapped open in response: “Meng! . . . Wu~”

Meng Chongguang held him firmly in his grasp, making his exclamation get caught in his throat from the shock: “Shixiong, I’ve missed you.”

Both of Xu Xingzhi’s arms were secured behind his back, he couldn’t break free even if he pushed spiritual energy into his movements, in fact, the more he struggled, the tighter his fetters were.

. . . He knew this damnable hooligan couldn’t be trusted.

Xu Xingzhi gritted his teeth: “What is this stuff?”

Meng Chongguang replied: “Spider silk.”

Xu Xingzhi instantly revealed a horrified expression as if there were a hundred spiders crawling all over his body.

Seeing that Xu Xingzhi’s face turned pale, Meng Chongguang hurriedly coaxed and apologized: “No, it isn’t, I was just joking with you Shixiong. Relax, as long as I’m here, nothing dirty can get close to you.”

Xu Xingzhi bucked: “F*ck you! Get rid of this thing, I. . .”

He suddenly fell silent.

A warm vine winded its way up his calf.

“This is. . .” Xu Xingzhi had experienced it three times before, so how could he not have figured out what this was by now as he couldn’t help but widen his eyes, “It was you? In my dreams. . .”

“It was me ah.” Meng Chongguang admitted it so readily that Xu Xingzhi ended up having the illusion that he had hit a wad of cotton with his fist.

Not only that, but Meng Chongguang even had the gall to put on an aggrieved expression: “What’s the matter, did Shixiong hope that it was someone else?”

Xu Xingzhi was slowly pulled off the ground by the vine and forced into an extremely embarrassing posture, positioned in front of Meng Chongguang directly.

Without waiting for Xu Xingzhi to speak again, Meng Chongguang clamped the other’s waist sash with his mouth, slowly pulling it out, then he held the other’s lapel between his lips and removed Xu Xingzhi’s robe with gentle movements.

Following his few teasing movements, Xu Xingzhi’s body had already started to heat up and the breaths he hissed through his teeth also had changing variations in tone: “They, They’re sleeping ne. After two hours, the shift will be changed. . . Switch to a different place! Where is the propriety in blocking the entrance of the cave like this!”

“Don’t bother with them, I don’t care. . .” Meng Chongguang’s voice overflowed with joy as he supported the base of Xu Xingzhi’s thigh: “Shixiong, Shixiong. . . You don’t know how happy I am to see that you’ve recovered your spiritual power. . .”

Xu Xingzhi was stimulated by his delicate kisses as if his whole body was burning with a fever. He opened his eyes and swallowed the whimpers that were about to be released: “What if other giants appear. . .”

Meng Chongguang asserted in a firm tone that sounded somewhat strange: “They won’t come.”

The heat scorched his back as if he were embraced by the sun.

For a few moments, Xu Xingzhi thought he would just melt away into oblivion.

After more than two hours, Xu Xingzhi’s simple robe and shirt were completely stained by the grass.

He had also been gently placed on the ground by the vines in the same way one would treat a fragile object.

Although Xu Xingzhi didn’t care too much about his image, he still didn’t want to be encountered by others while he was butt naked. Furthermore, there were no obstacles here at all, thus as long as someone awakened at night and walked out of the cave, they would be directly exposed to Xu Xingzhi’s bare back. Therefore, he only dared to let out quiet moans between the gaps of his teeth and endured it for this two-hour period, refusing to utter any noises through sheer will.

Meng Chongguang was also dissatisfied as he pulled over and hugged Xu Xingzhi, whose limbs were weak, acting coquettishly: “It was only for such a short amount of time, I still haven’t had enough fun with Shixiong ne.”

Xu Xingzhi had clenched his teeth until they were sore and was currently licking his gums: “I’ve had my fill though.”

Meng Chongguang was sprawled on the floor as he reached his arms out: “Shixiong. . . it hurts, I can’t walk anymore.”

Xu Xingzhi: “. . . Where are you hurting ah.”

Meng Chongguang bit his lip and mumbled pathetically: “Shixiong always clamps. . .”

Before he could finish, the latter half of his complaint was swallowed by Xu Xingzhi’s lips.

If Xu Xingzhi really wanted to learn something with all his heart, he would definitely be able to just reach out his hands and grab hold of it. Xu Xingzhi read quite a hefty amount of books in the real world and was quite knowledgeable in a number of tricks as a result. Now he only utilized one or two of them and was able to stir Meng Chongguang emotionally even more. Just as the other was about to overwhelm Xu Xingzhi and press down upon him, Xu Xingzhi actually lifted him up instead and strode toward the interior of the cave.

Meng Chongguang instantly expressed a look of disbelief: “Shixiong, you—”

At this moment, Lu Yujiu walked out with Zhou Beinan, who was rubbing his eyes and yawning, in tow.

Xu Xingzhi smiled brightly: “Then we’ll be going to bed.”

Lu Yujiu nodded obediently, while Meng Chongguang, who was nestled in his arms swiftly picked up on his intentions. The moment Xu Xingzhi, whose waist was sore and legs throbbed, settled Meng Chongguang on the grass bed that still retained some residual heat and then laid down on his side atop of it as well, Meng Chongguang embraced his waist tightly from behind. Unsatisfied in his heart, he nibbled at the cartilage of Xu Xingzhi’s ear like a puppy: “Shixiong is really too wicked.”

Xu Xingzhi chuckled softly, then coughed lightly and murmured in a low voice: “Sleep.”

However Meng Chongguang didn’t stop fussing anymore and just shifted his hand from Xu Xingzhi’s waist to his back,  drawing shallow circles. Even if his back was facing him, Xu Xingzhi could still imagine his sly, ambiguous smile as he declared the following: “Shixiong, I hold onto grudges very strongly. We shall see.”

After being warned by Meng Chongguang, Xu Xingzhi instantly felt a chill on the back of his head and his originally weary body immediately was rid of all drowsiness.

He was extremely scared that Meng Chongguang would dive into his dreams and mess around with him while he was asleep as he had done multiple times before, thus he pretended to have already fallen deeply asleep so that this bastard would just come away empty handed.

Unexpectedly, about two hours later, Meng Chongguang moved first.

The arm wrapped around Xu Xingzhi’s back contracted and convulsed in fear and his fingertips kept trembling.

Xu Xingzhi touched the other’s arm and found that the other’s body was damp and warm, his forehead and cheeks were pale and covered in cold sweat, even the line of his lip was bitten multiple times to the extent that blood was already oozing out.

Xu Xingzhi immediately flipped over and sat up.

Was this a prank to make him feel heartache? Or was it. . .

Xu Xingzhi caressed the other’s lips lightly, attempting to free the bloody lower lip from his tightly clenched teeth: “Meng Chongguang? . . . Chongguang?”

Xu Xingzhi had a growing feeling that something was terribly wrong.

This didn’t seem like an act, but rather. . . a nightmare?

However, before Xu Xingzhi could wake him up, Meng Chongguang opened his mouth and muttered: “I’m going to kill you. . .”

His voice was so soft that he wouldn’t even wake up Qu Chi, who was meditating, but the hostility and grief in his words made Xu Xingzhi’s heart skip a beat: “—Just wait, you caused Shixiong to die, I want you to beg for your life, but be unable to obtain it, and plead for death, but be unable to achieve it! Even if I have to use the Tongming talisman on you and share my life with a filthy thing like you, I will make you be unable to rest in peace for the rest of your life!”

Author’s Chapter Summary:

Taking a break, night watch, somniloquy

The translator has something to say: best wingman ZBN, always comes up with some reason to excuse XXZ, but that only means he trusts the other to a fault that he wouldn’t believe that XXZ had any nefarious intentions. Also that tidbit with QC exposing ZBN was so amusing~