Chapter 27

Besides Yin Wuji and Shadow Twelve, the roster included Shadow One, Shadow Eleven, the physician — and Mu Yusheng, returning by way of Peach Seclusion Pavilion.

That was Yin Wuji’s final list.

Shadow Twelve shared Yin Wuji’s carriage. Before departure, Mu Yusheng lifted the curtain, peeked about furtively, found Yin Wuji had not yet boarded — and sat down brazenly in his place.

Shadow Twelve’s brow twitched; before he could speak, Mu Yusheng said, “I know, I know — this is Yin Wuji’s seat. I’ll sit a moment and go.”

This shadow guard was as petty as Yin Wuji.

Having said his piece, Mu Yusheng noticed the belly. Shadow Twelve curled himself around it, asking stiffly, “Does Young Master Mu need something?”

Mu Yusheng suddenly realized that staring at a man’s belly was, frankly, rather rude, and apologized over and over…

Then he seized the chance to lean close, his folding fan shielding their faces, head lowered to probe: “What did Yin Wuji tell you?”

Without context, Shadow Twelve didn’t follow. “Wh… what?”

“About going to Qingzhou.”

“Master told me he is going to Qingzhou too.” At this, a smile finally touched the pale face.

Utterly, thoroughly lovesick. Mu Yusheng closed his fan and said bluntly, “Little Twelve, this is where you’re wrong. Even if you like someone, you can’t defend them without any principle.”

He refused to believe Yin Wuji could spout such nonsense.

At the word “like,” Shadow Twelve flushed, the crimson spreading to the roots of his neck, hidden by his collar. “Young Master Mu, I… don’t quite understand what you mean.”

Mu Yusheng swayed the fan lazily and hummed, “He never said anything like — he doesn’t want you anymore, he’s banishing you to Qingzhou?”

The shy shadow guard looked up blankly, asking softly, “So it’s…”

He still couldn’t quite bring himself to believe Yin Wuji. Going to Qingzhou with Master was like a beautiful dream — liable to shatter the moment one looked away.

Knuckles white from clenching, his heart churning far beneath his calm surface.

Wanting to speak and stopping — but from the shadow guard’s face alone, one could read what he wanted to say. Mu Yusheng tapped his head with the fan. “I knew he’d talk nonsense.”

Catching the key word, Shadow Twelve asked urgently, “So it was nonsense?”

“Of course it was nonsense. Why else would Yin Wuji take you to Qingzhou? Because my father has returned.”

Shadow Twelve had once heard that Mu Yusheng’s father was the Jianghu’s famed Divine Doctor. Touching his belly — Master meant to take him along to seek treatment?

Master was taking him out specially?

The curtain was lifted, and a sinister voice drifted in —

“Quite comfortable sitting there, aren’t you.”

Meeting his friend’s gaze, Mu Yusheng shuddered on the spot. Yin Wuji’s look could eat people alive; better to flee this den of trouble at once.

Mu Yusheng’s martial arts were mediocre, but his Lightness Skill was excellent. Glancing at the seat Mu had occupied, Yin Wuji pressed his lips together in displeasure and sat down beside Shadow Twelve.

Seeing this, Shadow Twelve moved to retreat, leaving Master more room — but his waist was seized, and Master’s other hand settled on his belly. Startled, Shadow Twelve called out, “Master.”

“Mm.” Stroking the belly absently, Yin Wuji asked, “What did Mu Yusheng say to you?”

He had better not discover that Mu Yusheng came poaching again. If Mu dared poach, Yin Wuji would dismantle his Peach Seclusion Pavilion.

Shadow Twelve relayed Mu Yusheng’s words, then pressed anxiously, “Master, is it true?”

Palms sweaty, unable to stop the tension. These days he had asked for so much — even now, he was impatient for an answer.

Yin Wuji was in no hurry. “Want to know?”

“I do.”

Shadow Twelve looked up, and that expectant expression crashed straight into Yin Wuji’s eyes — less repulsive than he had imagined. His gaze traveled further down, finding the fading trace of crimson at the shadow guard’s neck.

Intuition said it had something to do with Mu Yusheng.

Yin Wuji’s hand went to it, displeased. “What’s this?”

Could the shadow guard blush and harbor fondness for Mu Yusheng too?

His hand stopped at Shadow Twelve’s Adam’s apple, which bobbed uncontrollably. Clutching his clothes, nervous, Shadow Twelve said, “N-nothing.”

He didn’t even know what Master was asking about, assuming Master had simply had a whim and wanted him again.

Did Master hope he would serve him with his mouth? But last time, Master hadn’t seemed willing… His head swimming, Shadow Twelve couldn’t work it out.

Still denying, hm? Time to punish the shadow guard again. Excitement flashed through Yin Wuji’s eyes; the sound of swallowing was distinct in the carriage. Yin Wuji pressed the shadow guard’s Adam’s apple. “Liking it again?”

The shadow guard’s repertoire of “liking” was truly endless — no doubt every variety would eventually be used on him, inexhaustibly.

The days ahead looked interesting. Rarely, Yin Wuji felt a flicker of longing for the future.

Anticipation — something he had not felt since his father’s death.

Cradling Yin Wuji’s hand, face flushed like a dew-laden peach blossom, trembling, whispering, “I like it.”

Whatever Master gave him, he liked.

He might not know what storms such words invited — or perhaps he knew, and because it was Yin Wuji, he was willing regardless.

Either way, it pleased Yin Wuji.

One bite, and the shadow guard went limp, sagging into Yin Wuji’s arms. Watching the fresh crimson cover the old, Yin Wuji was finally satisfied.

Nibbling delicately at the shadow guard’s earlobe, he threatened, “Next time won’t be this simple.”

Such a fine reward — and there would be a next time. Shadow Twelve nodded. “Good.”

He would remember it perfectly, awaiting Master’s next “punishment.”

“And,” Yin Wuji bit him again, viciously, “keep your distance from Mu Yusheng.”

“Yes.”

His earlier question still unanswered, Shadow Twelve remained stubbornly hopeful, gazing up at Yin Wuji.

The hand traveled up the shadow guard’s spine vertebra by vertebra, savoring the interesting reactions, then slid back down. Only then did Yin Wuji say, “Not entirely.”

An ambiguous answer — the affirmation within it negligible. Yet Shadow Twelve leapt at that sliver of affirmation, his eyes brightening noticeably.

“Happy?” Yin Wuji asked.

“Mm.”

Head lowered, earlobes scarlet, his joy impossible to hide. Too vivid — vivid enough that Yin Wuji wanted to claim it for himself alone.

Stroking the belly again, it nudged once more, as if greeting its other father. Fortunately, this vivid shadow guard was his.

The carriage prepared for Shadow Twelve had taken some effort — lined entirely with soft cushions; worried about how Shadow Twelve might fare en route, Yin Wuji had even brought the physician along. Thorough indeed.

“So,” Shadow Eleven, driving, cut in, “Master does have feelings for Twelve, right?”

Fingers on the hard boards, Mu Yusheng said sourly, “Perhaps.”

His resentment was so great it nearly overflowed the carriage. The physician seated across from him, however, was pondering an entirely different matter: “If the Manor Master likes Lord Shadow Guard… they’ll be even less restrained.”

Mu Yusheng eyed the physician — white hair, white beard, a face like a bitter melon — yet thinking such explosive thoughts. Humbled, he sidled close. “Physician, why not teach me a thing or two.”

The physician stared at him blankly. “Even if I taught you, you’d have no use for it.”

Choked by the answer, Mu Yusheng retorted hotly, “You never know when I might!”

He was the dignified Young Pavilion Master of Peach Seclusion Pavilion — one wave of his hand and countless beautiful men flocked to him. But not this.

Mu Yusheng and the whip-holding Shadow One stared each other down. He asked bluntly, “Why you? Give me back my Little Eleven.”

“Master reassigned Shadow Eleven.”

Looking at that rigid face irritated Mu Yusheng to no end. He muttered, “Not a bit as cute as Little Eleven.”

Shadow One admitted frankly, “Correct.”

Shadow One was Yin Wuji’s pick, stationed specifically to suppress Mu Yusheng’s poaching of Shadow Twelve — but Shadow Eleven’s mouth was truly grating.