Chapter 72 Bathing in the Woods
Under the bright moonlight, the figure huddled outside the wall was clearly visible. Hu Yong's underling was crouching by the wall near the window, his ears perked up.
At first, there were whispers inside, barely audible. He pursed his lips, thinking that perhaps the leader's suspicions were justified. What couple would have such a literary chatter at night? But before long, the whispers changed.
The woman's voice was restrained and suppressed, yet it seemed as if she couldn't bear to let out a little bit, like a hook, scratching at one's heart with unease.
After a short while, the wooden bed began to creak and groan softly, accompanied by the man's heavy breathing.
The petty boss, who also had a wife, felt his throat go dry and his face flush with embarrassment.
The noise inside grew louder and louder; the woman sounded like she was crying and moaning at the same time. He felt extremely uncomfortable, realizing how despicable and shameful it was for him to be doing this in this place.
His face flushed red with embarrassment. He couldn't squat any longer, so he crouched down and quietly backed away, cursing inwardly: If they weren't a real couple, would they have made such a fuss?
The junior leader hurried away, thinking he needed to get back to his wife as soon as possible. He was burning with rage from listening to what was happening in the corner, and he needed to get back to his room to cool off after finishing his business.
Inside the room, Pei Heng continued moving, but his ears keenly caught the fading footsteps outside the window.
He leaned close to Yuezhi's ear, his breath hot, and whispered, "She's gone."
Yuezhi was already in a daze, her mind like a pot of boiling water, the rising steam blurring her entire body, her body feeling as if it were being steamed, permeated with dampness from the inside out.
She couldn't hear what he was saying, but instinctively clung to him, sobbing. Her soft whimpers, however, pleased him, and another storm of passion ensued.
After an unknown amount of time, the wind stopped and the rain ceased.
Pei Heng pulled a thin blanket over Yue Zhi, who was half-conscious and half-asleep, her body sticky and wet, unable to move even a finger. He, on the other hand, was also in a sorry state, but still full of energy, skillfully and efficiently tidying up the messy bed.
He put on his trousers and gently pushed the door open to go out.
The sea breeze at night carried a salty, damp coolness, which slightly dispelled the heat inside the house.
Pei Heng went to the water vat and fetched a bucket of water. He dipped his hand into the water to test the temperature, and the bone-chilling cold made him shiver.
He glanced back at the closed door, then turned and carried the wooden bucket full of water into the kitchen. He lit a fire, filled the pot with water, and sat patiently in front of the stove.
The orange-red firelight illuminated the young man's face, which was even more angular after being soaked in sweat, while the crackling of the burning firewood and the sound of the waves mingled in his ears.
As Pei Heng listened to the faint breathing of Yue Zhi as she slept inside the room, the anxiety of separation in his heart was slowly replaced by a heavy sense of security.
The water in the pot started to steam, it was warm enough, not boiling hot, just not cold.
He prepared a basin of warm water, took a clean cotton cloth, and brought it into the house.
The room still held a lingering, ambiguous atmosphere. Yuezhi was curled up in the thin blanket, only her flushed face visible, her brows slightly furrowed, indicating that she was not sleeping soundly.
Pei Heng placed the basin beside the bed and gently lifted the blanket.
Exposed to the slightly cool air, Yuezhi shivered and drowsily burrowed deeper into the blankets.
Pei Heng's heart softened, so he bent down and picked her up, blanket and all, and let her lean against him. He then dampened a cotton cloth and gently wiped away the remaining marks on her body.
As she moved, Yuezhi half-opened her eyes, her gaze unfocused and misty, looking at him with a blank yet dependent expression, like a cat that had been pampered. Unconsciously, she rubbed her burning cheek against his arm and let out a lazy hum.
Pei Heng felt a sudden surge of happiness in his chest, his heart overflowing with a profound sense of bliss.
He put down the cotton cloth, stroked her cheeks and neck with his dry, warm hands, and couldn't help but lower his head, his eyes filled with tenderness, and kissed her forehead and the tip of her nose.
Yuezhi hummed softly, then buried herself even deeper in his arms and fell into a deep sleep.
Pei Heng cleaned her up, changed her into dry undergarments, and then put her back on the bed, tucking her into the covers. He quickly tidied himself up, got into bed, and pulled her, blanket and all, into his arms.
He found a comfortable position for both of them, rested his chin on the top of her head, closed his eyes, and fell asleep with even breathing.
The sound of waves crashing outside the window, the night wind rustling through the treetops.
That night, nothing seemed to happen on the island, but many things were changing in secret.
*
Early the next morning, Pei Heng went to the Eastern Camp to train his private troops.
As the sun rose higher, dust billowed across the training ground. His voice was hoarse, yet possessed a convincing sternness.
Hu Yong suddenly appeared out of nowhere, stood with his arms crossed by the training ground for a while, and waited for Pei Heng to give the order to rest before walking up to him with a big laugh and patting Pei Heng on the shoulder.
"Good lad, you've got some skills! These brats used to be as soft as noodles, but now they're finally showing some humanity!"
Pei Heng wiped his sweat, his expression unchanged: "General, you flatter me. It's my duty."
Hu Yong winked, leaned closer, and lowered his voice, with a hint of lewdness that men unspoken between them: "There are patrols on the island at night, and some gossip reached my ears. Brother, you're really... a dragon/tiger/tiger! I admire you!"
Pei Heng's face showed a hint of embarrassment and displeasure, his brows furrowing slightly: "What does the general mean?"
"Don't take offense!" Hu Yong waved his hand and put his arm around Pei Heng's shoulder. "It's just that it was a bit strange that you and your sister-in-law suddenly went from siblings to husband and wife, so I had to keep an eye on things. Now that you're a real couple, we're real brothers too!"
He changed the subject abruptly, asking casually, "Speaking of your sister-in-law...did she offend anyone in Qingzhou?"
Pei Heng looked enlightened, but his tone revealed a hint of annoyance. "To be honest, General, my wife has always been kind and soft-hearted. Apart from offending her not long ago because she refused to help Madam Yu use the prefect's connections to seek personal gain, she has never had any other enemies."
Hu Yong nodded knowingly, "I don't think my sister-in-law is the type to cause trouble. It's that woman who's really vicious. She sent a letter from afar, asking me to 'take good care' of my sister-in-law."
He observed Pei Heng's expression and saw that he was indignant but did not question or investigate further. Knowing that Pei Heng was a man of principle, he was completely relieved and patted Pei Heng's back forcefully.
"Don't worry! I'm not the kind of person who'll be swayed by women. If you help me train my troops, then you're one of us! Come on, I'll take you to a nice place and show you what I've got!"
After saying that, he pulled Pei Heng around the camp, through a hidden thicket, and arrived at the entrance of a heavily guarded cave in the back mountain.
Inside the cave, a hidden world unfolded, bustling with activity.
Inside the enormous cave, the furnace roared and the clanging of blacksmiths filled the air—it was a sizable weapons workshop! Laborers, whipped by overseers, pulled and smelted iron, while countless craftsmen forged swords, spearheads, and crossbow bolts. Though the craftsmanship wasn't top-notch, the sheer quantity was astonishing.
"How was it?" Hu Yong spread his arms wide, beaming with pride.
Pei Heng bowed and clasped his hands in praise, concealing his inquisitive expression, and said, "General, you have such strength. I admire you."
Hu Yong laughed heartily, as if he had found a kindred spirit, and pulled him into the cave. The firelight from the iron smelting furnace illuminated their figures.
"I survived so many attacks back then, it was all thanks to the will of Heaven! Now, I'm just using the influence of powerful people and their money to support my own people!"
He became complacent, but Pei Heng promptly reminded him, "After all, these nobles hold the reins of wealth and resources. If the general brings out his troops, it might just be to benefit others..."
"Of course I thought of that. They want me to hand over weapons on time, but I always secretly keep a batch of the best ones. When they start their rebellion, they fight each other to the death, hehe..." Hu Yong's eyes gleamed with greedy and fanatical light, "Then I'll leave the island, reap the benefits, and achieve great things!"
He excitedly pointed to several wiry men supervising the workshop: "See them? Those are all promising talents that my brother discovered. They're excellent at their work, and even better at fighting. They're reasonable and loyal!"
Pei Heng looked up and was startled.
Several roughly dressed men also looked over. Their eyes met unexpectedly, and both sides quickly concealed their surprise, leaving only embarrassment and a hint of barely perceptible tension.
Those people reacted very quickly, lowering their heads and pretending to be busy.
Pei Heng suppressed the turmoil in his heart and looked at Hu Yong, his tone probing: "General, your plan is excellent, but... won't the nobleman become suspicious of you?"
Hu Yong, getting carried away, didn't hide anything, "They want to use their sons to control their father, but they don't even look at my age. How many sons could I possibly want? Since coming to the island, I've taken in so many beauties, some of whom are about to give birth. Do I really need another son?"
"Who cares who they are! They're all my ladder to heaven! Brother, I see you're a talent. Follow me, and you'll be rich and powerful in the future! Let's swear a blood oath today, shall we?"
Pei Heng was more than happy to oblige: "I am willing to serve the general!"
The men quickly brought over wine bowls and daggers. In front of the blazing iron furnace, the two men each slashed their palms and dripped their blood into the two bowls of wine.
Hu Yong picked up the wine bowl and drank it all in one gulp. As soon as the wine went down his throat, he felt a surge of heat rush to his head, and his blood seemed to boil. He was extremely excited, as if he could already see himself wearing the imperial robe.
He excitedly grabbed Pei Heng's shoulder and arm, his voice booming, almost roaring: "Good! Good! With a brother like this, our great cause is sure to succeed! I'm so happy today!"
Pei Heng watched his flushed face, then calmly drank his own bowl. The sensation of his blood boiling upon tasting it confirmed to him that the poison of the Thousand Silk Inducing was still flowing through his body.
Having fought against this poison for so many years, he had long since become indifferent. Now that Hu Yong had also drunk the poisoned blood, it was unknown how long he could last.
Inside the cave, the furnace roared, and the clanging of weapons being forged echoed, drowning out the newly formed alliance, which was tainted with deadly poison.
While Hu Yong was still excited about the alliance and the imminent success of the project, and went to inspect the weapons, Pei Heng made a hand gesture and walked calmly to the iron ore pile, pretending to examine it.
The foremen understood immediately, and one of them slowly approached.
The two men stood with their backs to the noisy workshop, their voices lowered and drowned out by the clanging of the hammer.
"How is it?" Pei Heng asked in a low voice.
"Reporting to Young Master," Cheng Yuan's lips barely moved, "We left port last night and have already made contact with our people stationed in Qingzhou Port. They also brought back news that the Prefect of Qingzhou has confirmed that the Yu family is secretly colluding with the Sixth Prince to supply this island. The evidence is conclusive, and we are just waiting for the signal from here to take action and arrest the Yu family."
Pei Heng nodded slightly, as expected. "The current difficulty is how the troops sent to quell the rebellion can find the location of this island without alerting Lizhou."
Cheng Yuan paused for a moment; it was indeed a difficult problem.
The nameless island is hidden in a secluded location with complex sea routes. Without accurate guidance, the army could easily lose its way, not only failing to find the target but also alerting the enemy.
While I was pondering this, the blast furnace next to me produced a batch of slag. The red-hot molten iron was poured onto the wet sand, making a piercing "sizzle" sound and stirring up large swaths of white steam that instantly spread out, scorching hot.
Pei Heng glanced at the red-hot, unbearably hot iron furnace, and a thought popped into his mind.
"There is a way."
Cheng Yuan followed his gaze and immediately understood what he was thinking. "Young Master is wise!"
“This matter requires careful planning and cannot be rushed.” Pei Heng suppressed this thought and added, “Once chaos breaks out on the island, war will have no eyes, and Yuezhi… must not suffer any accidents.”
Cheng Yuan understood perfectly well that his weaknesses and concerns should be protected behind him, and he must not give the enemy any chance to get close.
He paused, then added, "My subordinates have been investigating the island these past few days and have discovered a secluded cave on the cliff to the west of the cave. The cliff is extremely steep, and only those with high martial arts skills can find it or go down into it. Perhaps we can take refuge there for now."
Pei Heng kept it in mind, his sharp gaze sweeping over the precipitous cliff outside the cave. "I understand. I will find an opportunity to investigate. You all remain as usual and wait for the right moment."
"yes."
After a brief exchange, the guard turned and walked away.
Pei Heng walked around the workshop, praising Hu Yong's achievements. He then strolled back to Hu Yong's side to discuss important matters, flattering him until he was beaming. He listened to Hu Yong's endless boasting.
*
As night falls, the island sheds the daytime heat and gains a refreshing coolness.
Inside the thatched hut, Pei Heng and Yue Zhi lay side by side on the bed, listening to the sounds coming from their neighbor's house as usual. But today, with something on their minds, neither of them paid any attention to the noise.
Pei Heng turned over to face Yue Zhi, his arm naturally resting on her waist, stroking her soft belly, and whispered, "I checked the cliffs behind the mountain during the day, the patrols of private soldiers are too dense, it's not easy to get close."
Yuezhi blinked in the darkness: "The back mountain... there's a stream nearby where women often go to wash clothes in groups. That could be a good excuse. Maybe I should try it tomorrow?"
“No way,” Pei Heng immediately objected. “It would be too deliberate for a woman like you to go to such a dangerous place. Besides, you should go at night so you won’t be easily discovered.”
"Tonight..." Yuezhi repeated softly, turning to face him, her voice tinged with shyness, "Who does the laundry at night? Taking a bath... is that alright?"
The air fell silent instantly.
In the darkness, they could both hear each other's suddenly quickened breathing and heartbeat. The suggestion was bold and ambiguous, and just saying it made Yuezhi's face burn.
Pei Heng swallowed hard. This method, though risky, seemed feasible. Using it as an excuse, he was no longer afraid of people.
He suppressed the ripples in his heart stirred by her playful words and said in a hoarse voice, "...Okay."
Let's get right to it.
The two tacitly began "preparing".
Pei Heng lowered his head and kissed her. Unlike his previous gentle probing, this kiss was purposeful, urgent, and deep. It quickly aroused both of them, making them breathless and covered in a thin layer of sweat.
Feeling that the time was right, Pei Heng picked up the limp Yue Zhi upright, half-carried her on his shoulder, hastily wrapped her in an outer robe, pushed open the door, and quickly walked towards the stream behind the mountain.
A night breeze blew, and Yuezhi became a little more awake. She pressed her cheek and shoulders against his back, her cheek pressed tightly against his burning shoulder blades, too shy to make a sound.
Occasionally, private soldiers on night patrol would pass by, and upon seeing this, they would exchange knowing, ambiguous smiles but would not come over to disturb them.
Pei Heng was quick on his feet and soon reached the stream. The air was filled with the chirping of insects, and the moonlight, like water, shimmered on the gently flowing stream, breaking into pieces of pearly light.
With no one around for the time being, Pei Heng put Yue Zhi down and whispered, "Go on, I'll stay right here."
He also told her, "The water is cold at night, just pretend, don't get cold."
Yuezhi nodded, took off her clothes and placed them on a stone by the stream. The cool air touched her burning skin, causing a slight shiver to run through her.
Wearing only a close-fitting garment, she stepped barefoot into the slightly cool stream. Having gotten used to the nighttime temperature on her way out, she didn't feel very cold. With her back to Pei Heng, she scooped up stream water and poured it over herself.
The moonlight outlined the slender, graceful curves of her back and her slightly trembling shoulders. Water droplets rolled down her smooth skin and disappeared into the stream.
She dared not turn around, feeling the gaze behind her fall on her back like a touch, making her even more uneasy than the moonlight.
Every inch of her skin was taut, and she was so shy that she almost curled up. She could only squat down and wet her handkerchief with the stream water to slowly wipe away the traces of hot sweat, trying to buy him some time. The breeze brushed against her body, constantly reminding her that she was outside, sitting on the ground in the open, both tormented and exciting.
Pei Heng was indeed looking at her, his expression focused.
Under the moonlight, she resembled a warm, white jade statue, breathtakingly beautiful. He couldn't take his eyes off her, even forgetting the purpose of his visit, only wanting to embrace her.
He shook his head, forcing himself to look away, his sharp gaze sweeping like a hawk towards the nearby cliff.
He took a few steps away and leaned against a tree, seemingly watching over Yuezhi as she bathed, but in reality, his gaze was fixed on the cliff face, searching for gaps and shadowy spots to step into, silently planning a hidden route to get there.
The soft sound of flowing water filled his ears, and he could almost smell her faint fragrance emanating from her. Intertwined with his current calmness, it was both torment and comforting companionship.
A few steps away, Yuezhi washed herself while her eyes kept glancing in the direction where Pei Heng had just stood, where there was only a dark patch of tree shadows.
Feeling flustered, she couldn't help but lower her voice and softly ask, "Aheng, are you still there?"
"Here." His deep voice immediately came from the shadows of the trees, mature and steady, carrying a reassuring power.
Yuezhi breathed a slight sigh of relief, but before she could catch her breath, she heard rustling footsteps and a man's gruff voice coming from the other side of the woods, heading this way!
She tensed up instantly, staggered to grab the clothes on the rock, but her foot slipped on the slippery pebbles, and she fell forward, about to fall into the stream.
The next second, the young man under the tree quickly darted out, stepped over the stones by the stream, caught her as she was about to fall, and held her tightly in his arms.
He turned his back to the woods, using his broad back to completely cover her almost naked body.
The two had barely steadied themselves when several patrolling private soldiers parted the dense foliage, shouting, "I think we just heard some noise over here."
Before he could finish speaking, he saw two people bathed in moonlight by the stream, embracing each other, and he was immediately speechless.
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