Meanwhile, after Bai Jing was done eating, he prepared hot water to take a bath. Standing naked, in the open space to take a bath, he felt exposed and embarrassed. Even though no one else was around, his nakedness was still visible from the sky. It made him feel very uncomfortable. There's no bath in the yard, he had no idea how the people here bathe, whether they bathe in the night or have bathrooms.
"Just do it" He murmured to himself.
There's nothing else he could do about the situation, besides, it was already dark so he bit the bullet and began to shower. Luckily, their house was located at the end of the village and villagers hardly come this way.
He unknotted his sash, folded his clothes, and placed them on the bamboo racks before setting the bucket down. The cold wind raised gooseflesh on his skin as he turned his back to the fence and stepped into the tub. He settled into the steaming hot water, taking his time to enjoy the enveloping heat. The warmth replaced the external chill, bringing a sense of relaxation.
When he was done, he dried himself as quickly as he could, tugged his clothes into place, and packed the tub back toward the kitchen. The small fire in the stove had gone weak. He added another twig, watched the flame increase, and shut the door softly.
He saw that Ye Cheng had already gone back into his room and sighed. The road to becoming close with Ye Cheng is still far. It was already late and he was also tired and sleepy.
As for Lan Zhu, he will wait till tomorrow to ask him about the mushrooms.
That night, Bai Jing had a cold and dreamless night, he didn't even get the chance to worry about his predicament.
🪷🪷🪷
Ye Cheng woke up a few hours before the first rays of sunlight. He stretched his tired limbs and yawned, feeling the weight of another day ahead. Meditation at night was just to fill up space, up till now, his meridians were blocked and there was nothing he could do about it. With his meridian block, every time he tries to absorb energy, a painful circle continues.
"You are up again before sunrise. There's no need to wake up so early everyday." A voice yawned in his head.
Ye Cheng didn't respond. The sword spirit liked to talk a lot; it found its own voice amusing. Even if he ignored it, it could still entertain itself.
He pushed the door open. The sky was still dark. He grabs a bucket and a clean set of robes before heading to the side.
"Do you know," the spirit said lazily: "That one can be so quiet it becomes another kind of noise?"
"I know," Ye Cheng murmured.
"Ah," the spirit replied. "Of course… you do."
As he walked along the river, the cool breeze brushed against his cold face, invigorating his senses. The water was crystal clear, reflecting the vibrant colors of the surrounding nature. He immersed himself in the river, feeling the water wash away his worries and doubts.
"Considering your gentle handling of the water, I wouldn't have guessed you possessed such a fierce temper." A deep voice echoed from above. Ye Cheng didn't bother to look up; he already recognized the speaker.
"You think I have a bad temper?" Ye Cheng frowned. It wasn't like he was proud to be known for being temperamental; he just got used to not expressing his emotions. "It has nothing to do with you."
"Of course not," said the sword spirit, floating downwards gracefully. It skillfully changes the subject: "Don't you have any shame? Taking a bath in the open like this with a figure that makes people doubt their life." The sword spirit said while checking Ye Cheng out. He really has a nice figure.
"No one is forcing you to look."
"Why won't I feast my eyes when the meal is delivered right in front of me. Besides, I'm an old man, you don't have to feel embarrassed."
You must have been a perverted old man. Ye Cheng murmured and decided to ignore the sword spirit.
The sword spirit smiled as it looked down at Ye Cheng. His eyes were closed, but his lips were curved upwards, as if he was enjoying his time on earth. "Although you don't look like it, I can sense that you're relieved to finally get out of the Ye family."
Ye Cheng didn't respond, the sword spirit didn't bother him and asked again: "So what's your plan today? Are you going to the refinement guild?"
Ye Cheng nodded. He is still training in the refinement guild and while he hadn't gained anything, his life at the guild was far from what others would envision for a young master from the Ye family.
It was widely known in Qingzhou city and the surrounding towns that he lacked the Ye family support. Without the backing of the Ye family, he was frequently bullied. He decided to become a craftsman after discovering a sword spirit imprisoned within a broken sword. However, due to his lack of skills and funds, no guild in Qingzhou city was willing to hire him. He was barely accepted as an apprentice at a small guild in Liyu town, which is a four-hour walk from Qingzhou.
For the past two years, he would arrive at the guild early everyday, ready to work hard and improve his craft. But without proper instructions, he was still lacking a lot.
Although he hadn't learned much at the refinement guild, it was his only hope of being a craftsman. The sword spirit was also relying on him for a physical body, so how could he give up?
It was all thanks to the sword spirit that he's alive, otherwise, he wouldn't know how he'd die under the Ye family's continuous poisoning.
Ye Cheng suddenly thought about something, and after taking a quick swim, he changed into his robes and went into the nearby forest.
"Hey, where are you going? Wait for me." The sword spirit shouted and chased after him.
The forest entrance has lots of small beasts roaming around and most of them haven't been enlightened yet and don't have spiritual energy.
Ye Cheng loaded his bow and was about to shoot the rabbit but suddenly paused. Hold on, Gers are typically delicate. Would Bai Jing truly want to eat such an adorable creature?
He shook his head, dismissing the thought. It wasn't likely. His ger half-brother was a handful, who couldn't even stand to look at his own bleeding wound.
The forest was teeming with rabbits, and it felt like a waste to leave them untouched.
"Are you hesitating because of your little wife?" The sword spirit saw through Ye Cheng's thoughts and playfully teased him.
"You're overthinking it," Ye Cheng scoffed.
The first rabbit saw Ye Cheng and ran away. Another one hopped into view, twitching its nose as it sniffed the air. Ye Cheng raised his bow, drew the string back slowly, and released. The arrow flew straight and fast, with a slight thud the rabbit was pierced through and let out a loud cry, followed by stillness.
He didn't rush to collect it. Instead, he scanned the surroundings. The rabbit's cry startled the others and they all ran away. Ye Cheng patiently waited for them to calm down.
After ten minutes, a second one appeared cautiously , it was a bit smaller. It sniffed at the fallen one and began to retreat. Ye Cheng had been paying attention to it, as soon as it turned around, he pulled the string and another arrow cut through the morning air.
When both were down, he walked over. He knelt beside the rabbits, and tied them together with a strip of cloth.
Ye Cheng killed the rabbits by the river so the water would wash away the smell. He quickly and cleanly cut open their bellies with three small cuts. White steam rose from them. He saved the livers and hearts because Boss Yao paid extra for them. He steadily pulled off their fur, turning it inside out. The knife never stops moving. When he finished, two clean, pale bodies lay on the rock, and the river had already carried away the blood and smell.
He cut one rabbit into pieces, front legs, back legs, and middle section. Then he wrapped them in a clean cloth to take home. He left the other animal whole to sell. He washed his hands, shook off the water, and looked east. The sky there was a dark color, about to turn golden.
He hurriedly went home, put half of the cut meat into the bowl and left with the rest to Liyu town.