Bat

The hands moved along his body, showing hidden strength and soothing his muscles and bones.　　

Bai Shaoqing lay down on the bed and slowly opened his bright eyes.

He didn’t need to turn around, he already knew that it wasn’t Feng Long.This hands were too soft and too small, and they didn’t have Feng Long’s frivolous burning passion. And if it wasn’t Feng Long then it had to be Shui Yun’er.

He hadn’t guessed wrong, he heard Shui Yun’er’s sigh coming from above his head.

“The evening is near, the courtyard is frozen, the night is quiet, the clock is leaking and empty. Who cares about the sad individual?1

A gentle verse that was muttered very lightly.

Bai Shaoqing’s lips twitched, he hadn’t imagined that this weird maidservant could unexpectedly also have such worries. He said very gently: “ He who has suffered from his own misery, that can be outside the wall, and pushed this round of bright moon2?”

The hand that was massaging him immediately stopped.

“You’re awake?”

“Where is Feng Long?”

“The Sect Leader has gone out.” Shui Yun’er started to massage him again, starting from his slender shoulders and moving down to the small of his back.

The weak candle flame reflected in his bright eyes as it flickered. Bai Shaoqing pondered deeply and then suddenly asked: “Shui Yun’er, who is it that you are worrying about?” If it was about Feng Long then that would be incredibly useful to him. 　　

Woman would often do stupid things for love. And if the one they loved had fallen for someone else, this would easily make the woman go mad.

Shui Yun’er didn’t answer and instead asked: “Bat gongzi, do you know how many scars you have on your body?”

“Not too little nor too many, exactly sixty-six.” Shui Yun’er said coldly: “In Zhengyi Sect, sixty-six is nothing. If you dare to go against the Sect Leader, you will suffer unspeakable misery, you will beg for death but it will not be granted.” Her tone of voice became cold, but her small hands were still tender and soft, whilst they continued to lightly massage his back.

Bai Shaoqing secretly sighed. He hadn’t expected that there could be such a powerful maidservant by Feng Long’s side. That meant that her sister, Shui Yue’er who was serving his mother wasn’t easy to deal with either.

Meaning that if he wanted to save his mother it would be even more difficult?

Shui Yun’er attentively helped Bai Shaoqing relax his entire body, seeing his naked body, she was not embarrassed in the slightest. Seeing the little bell on his lower body, she even lightly flicked it and laughed and said: “Bianfu gongzi is so fortunate, I have never seen the Sect Leader treat someone with such high regard.”

Bai Shaoqing’s handsome face turned red, inwardly, he was feeling ashamed and angry, and said to himself: I can’t be made fun of by a little maidservant. So I’m going to smile back at her.

As he smiled, it was as if a thousand pear blossoms suddenly bloomed, it was mesmerizingly beautiful. He was completely naked with scars all over his body but he still looked like a pure and holy immortal that had just descended from the heavens completely unsullied.

Shui Yun’er couldn’t help staring blankly and then coldly said “Put more effort into smiling, the more beautiful you are, the less the Sect Leader will tire of you.”

She hit the nail on the head, piercing through his sweet and innocent smile.

“Then, how can I make the Sect Leader grow tired of me?” Bai Shaoqing seeked advice humbly.

Shui Yun’er said: “Whatever he says, you should do. Treat him with a pure heart, that’s enough.”

“Docile and obedient?”

“Totally submissive, respect him, love and adore him.”

“Just like that?”

“If you are docile and completely obedient, in less than three months, the Sect Leader will grow tired of you.”

Bai Shaoqing smiled again, “Have you ever heard the story of the mule? The mule had a strong personality, when the owner asked him to go east, he would go west, when the owner wanted him to go west, he’d go east. After changing many different owners, there was finally one that was able to control him.”

“Why?”

“When the owner wanted to go east, he told the mule to go west and the mule wanting to go against the owner naturally went east, which was exactly what the owner wanted. If the owner wanted to go west, he’d use the same trick.”

Shui Yun’er frowned: “And why’s that?”

“What I mean is I am not that mule.” Bai Shaoqing smiled and said: “Maidservant Shui Yun’er how many people have you tricked into obedience for your Sect Leader Feng?”

He’d hit the nail on the head, she suddenly jabbed him on the shoulder.

He hadn’t imagined that Shui Yun’er, who looked too weak to stand up to the wind, actually had an incomparably strong internal strength. Bai Shaoqing actually cried out loud in pain.

“I don’t want to be hard on you. The Sect Leader said that when you wake up if you are still being disobedient, I should teach you a lesson.” She lifted up Bai Shaoqing’s chin, and laughed heartily before saying: “Let me tell you now, He Yang, the master of the torture chamber of Zhengyi Sect, is my disciple.”

The night sky was getting darker, there was utter silence.

Feng Long leisurely picked up the hanging screen to enter.

He was a little tired, but as soon as his line of sight fell upon Bai Shaoqing, he immediately smiled.

“Did you offend Shui Yun’er?”

Bai Shaoqing had already put on his black silk robes, making his fair skin even more snow-white. He didn’t lie down on the bed but instead was leaning against the reclined chair as if he needed to lean against the back of it to be able to hold himself upright.

“She said that she is He Yang’s shifu.” Bai Shaoqing sneered, “So turns out it’s true.”

His translucent and sparkling skin was covered with a thin layer of sweat.

Shui Yun’er had not used any special torture technique, all she had used was a basic move that was used across Wulin to teach Bai Shaoqing a lesson. It was even a common technique that was used in government offices —— Hand bone and joint separation method.　

But the most simple punishment in the hands of Shui Yun’er had turned into the most painful punishment. Bai Shaoqing had discovered for the first time the hand bone and joint separation method could also make someone feel so much pain.

The bones in his hand were not broken but it was more painful than if they had been broken. He thought that the pain would gradually subside, or would come and go, but the pain was more like blatant tidal waves, becoming stronger each time it hit.

The most unbearable thing was that there were no signs that he was about to faint at all from this, as if this kind of pain was inherent and did not harm the body, it is just pure pain.

Throughout the day, Shui Yun’er had filled him up with thirteen bowls of ginseng soup and changed him into seven different sets of clean clothes. The thirteen bowls of ginseng soup had all turned into cold sweat and flowed out of his body, and all seven sets of clothes had been soaked thoroughly.

Feng Long picked up Bai Shaoqing.

　　 He was soaked from head to toe, as if he had just been fished out of the water. His slender body, which was becoming even weaker, trembled slightly, it was soft as if he had no bones.

“Suffered the whole day?” Feng Long smiled lightly and laid Bai Shaoqing flat on the bed and undid Shui Yun’er’s hand bone and joint separation method.

Bai Shaoqing exhaled in relief, and his entire body relaxed. As soon as the pain disappeared, his eyes suddenly became blurred, as if it was in this moment that he finally couldn’t bear it any longer, and he had to sink into the darkness to restore his vitality.

As he was about to lose consciousness, he felt his chin being squeezed and with a force that almost crushed his bones, and he was brought back to consciousness again.

Bai Shaoqing opened his eyes and looked at the charming smile that was incredibly close to his face.

“We haven’t seen each other for a day, did you miss me?”

If it wasn’t for the fact that he didn’t have a trace of extra strength, Bai Shaoqing would have sneered back; but at this moment, he just glanced at Feng Long coldly and closed his eyes.

In times of excessive physical exhaustion, no one would beg for trouble.

He felt a hot air approaching, soft lips left kisses all over his face, bit his ear, biting his lips and even biting the skin of his pointed chin and then greedily sucking. “It’s your mother’s birthday today, why didn’t you tell me?”

Bai Shaoqing was a little shocked, his bright eyes opened wider and glanced over at Feng Long.

Feng Long laughed and said: “I’ll give you a gift.”

He put a bundle dripping with blood in front of him.

He frowned slightly, and he immediately discovered the answer: “Song Xiangli?”

“Do you like it?”

Very few people would offer up someone’s head as a gift, and very few people would ask that question whilst holding someone’s head with such sincerity.

“An enemy should be killed personally.” Bai Shaoqing lazily moved his head and then leaned against the pillow.

Today was his mother’s birthday.

His mother always spent her birthday all alone. During the last few years, Bai Shaoqing had secretly been sneaking back into Bai Manor to spend his mother’s birthday with her, by secretly standing guard all night on her roof.

But now the only one who could keep her company was Shui Yun’er’s sister?”

Yangzhou, beside West Lake, the home beyond the willows.

“Do you want to see your mother?”

“Yes,” Hope flashed across his eyes. But in this world, there was no free lunch, Bai Shaoqing laughed softly, “What do you want in return?”

“What do you want to use to thank me?” Feng Long’s face suddenly darkened.

Bai Shaoqing astutely shut up, restrained a slight smile and coldly stared at Feng Long.

Seeing the stubbornness appearing on Bai Shaoqing’s face again, Feng Long slowly raised his lips: “You can go.” After a gentle kiss, he took out a pill from his robes, and fed it to him mouth to mouth making him swallow it whole.

“This tonic pill can restore your strength temporarily.” Feng Long picked up Bai Shaoqing and pressed him against his chest: “You are the bat, your qinggong should be good. Using qinggong, you can jump on top of the moon to catch a glimpse of your mother.”

The strength that had disappeared from his body gradually came back to him, Bai Shaoqing was surprised. There were always many precious and odd things coming from Feng Long.

Feng Long smiled softly, and released him like he was releasing a bird from a cage.

“Off you go but remember to come back.”

Shaoqing jumped off the bed, circulated his energy, the tonic pill had indeed unlocked the internal strength in his dantian, with a flick of his hand he had already travelled a few feet across the air.

“Da-ge, I’m going.” When he was so excited, it was unexpected that he could call out ‘da-ge’ in such a natural way.

He’d barely spoken but he’d already travelled far away.

Feng Long was standing in the middle of the room, watching him silently as he left with a slight smile on his face.

With Bai Shaoqing’s personality, once he was set free, he would never return. If he returned, it meant that he had already figured out a way to deal with Feng Long, that he had found a weapon that could put him in an invincible position. He would at least take advantage of the moment of freedom to get rid of Shui Yue’er, who was guarding his mother, and hide his mother where no one can find her.

But the next day, during the break of dawn, Bai Shaoqing had already returned.

The timing completely matched up to Feng Long’s expectations.

He hadn’t thought of a way to deal with Feng Long, nor had he found any invincible weapon. He hadn’t been able to deal with Shui Yue’er, and he definitely wasn’t able to take his mother away to hide in a safe place.

In reality, as soon as he set foot in his home, he had just had the chance to catch a glimpse of his mother who was sleeping soundly in her bedroom through the window, and then he fell down.

The rapidity of him falling down was quicker than the time it took for the tonic pill to restore his strength, so fast that he wasn’t even able to gently call out to his mother.

Bai Shaoqing was lying in the corridor unable to speak, when a pleasant voice was heard softly behind him: “The Sect Leader is truly powerful, he was able to calculate it to such a degree.”

Shui Yue’er.

At that moment, Bai Shaoqing felt the hatred boil up inside of him. 　　

In the next moment, he was laying on the bamboo carrier completely devoid of strength, and was carried back to Feng Long.

Feng Long saw the hatred in his eyes.

“Are you displeased?”

“Why must you toy with me?”

“You hate Song Xiangli, I presented her head to you. You missed your mother, I let you see her.” Feng Long asked: “Aren’t I treating you well?”

Bai Shaoqing gritted his teeth.

“Unless you didn’t hate Song Xiangli?”

“Unless you didn’t see your mother?”

“So why are you still displeased?”

Bai Shaoqing did not answer, his teeth were clenched more and more strongly.

Feng Long sighed: “I’m being this way to let you know that you can never escape. There’s no need to run, you’re not allowed to run, you can’t run…….”

He lifted up Bai Shaoqing’s chin and lightly planted a kiss.

Hot lips began to ravage Bai Shaoqing’s lips, a weak moan escaped, feeling that Bai Shaoqing’s body was starting to tremble, Feng Long lightly flicked his fingers hitting his acupoint.

Seeing the little bat close his eyes and drift off to sleep, a tender smile appeared upon his lips.

Shui Yun’er entered from the outside.

“Have you prepared everything?”

“Yes.”

“He took the tonic pill yesterday, and then used his full strength to circulate the medicinal properties. After sleeping, Shaoqing’s vitality will be fully restored.” Feng Long laughed and said, “With the aid of a thousand year ice bed, he should be able to attain the first level of Horizontal Heaven Opposing Sun.”　　

“Sect Leader has put in strenuous thought3, making me feel deeply moved.”

“Put in strenuous thought?” Staring deeply at the beautiful sleeping face, Feng Long smiled bitterly: “He can’t wait to cut me up into a thousand pieces, I merely seek not to fall into his hands one day.”

The effect of the tonic pill was very obvious, and when those bright eyes opened again, the colour had returned to his pale handsome face. Bai Shaoqing’s eyes slowly surveyed the room, and finally settled on Feng Long’s face, which seemed to be forever smiling.

“Has my strength returned?”

Feng Long said gently: “Your strength won’t come back, how have you been practising? Don’t forget, I said that I would teach you Horizontal Heaven Opposing Sun technique on the fourth day.”

Bai Shaoqing sighed gently: “You have always kept your word to anything you have said.”

He got out of bed.

The feeling of having his feet firmly on the ground and not floating felt a little strange. Bai Shaoqing coldly glanced at the black robes on his body. Under Feng Long’s ambiguous gaze, he fixed his lapel.

His smooth pale skin was fully covered by black robes, making Feng Long sighed regretfully.　　

“Follow me.”

One after the other, they left the bedroom, turning the corner, heading behind the magnificent loft; they were greeted with an imposing and steep roof.

Feng Long opened the contraption, and the stone door exhibited a heavy groan. 　　

“Go in then!” He entered with Bai Shaoqing.

The corridor was lined up with different odd as well as precious items, including yellowing martial arts manuals, half a human skeleton, a scorched plank of wood that had been struck by lightning and blades that exuded a cold light. There was also a blood-stained kasaya, a treasure chest that was full of gold, silver and precious gems, there was also a stick of candied hawthorns which were found everywhere in along the Heaven Bridge of Beijing, there were even the embroidered shoes of some unnamed ladies of Jiangnan, and an old and broken baby’s crib.

These were things that shouldn’t be placed together, but they all appeared here in a disorderly manner, exuding a gloomy musty smell, which makes people feel fear and trepidation.

“This is the forbidden place in Zhengyi Sect, each Sect Leader and protector will choose one important item to leave here.

Bai Shaoqing glanced at the dried candied hawthorn, and couldn’t resist sighing out loud, “And what has the great Sect Leader Feng decided to leave here?”

Feng Long suddenly stopped walking, Bai Shaoqing didn’t notice immediately and almost bumped into him from behind.

“I originally didn’t know what to put in here.” Feng Long turned around to look at Bai Shaoqing, and suddenly smiled “But now you mention it, I’ve thought of something.”

He bent down and grabbed Bai Shaoqing’s foot and gently took off his black cloth shoe. When he had the black shoe in his hand, he looked at it for a moment, and then put the black shoe down gently, placing it with the dried candied hawthorns.

Bai Shaoqing murmured: “I didn’t know that the black cloth shoes of Zhengyi Sect were so precious.”

When they reached the end, there was another stone door, they entered and Bai Shaoqing discovered that aside from a large jade stone that looked like a bed that one could sleep on, and nothing else.

“To learn Horizontal Heaven Opposing Sun, one must sit and meditate upon this.”

Bai Shaoqing walked closer, the cold air enveloping him and he immediately shivered.

He turned around, “Thousand year ice bed?”

“That’s right,when the cold air enters the heart, it makes you use your utmost effort to exhibit your internal strength.” Feng Long asked: “Are you afraid?”

Bai Shaoqing shook his head, he touched the ice bed, the cold that had penetrated his fingertips made his body shiver slightly. He sighed: “One cannot achieve glory and wealth without having been through trials and tribulations4. Did you also once sit upon this and meditate to practise your martial arts?”

“That’s correct.” Feng Long said: “One must be completely naked, when you first start, you can meditate for three shichen and then rest and try again. After a year, you can meditate for three days straight.”

Bai Shaoqing nodded, and stayed silent for a moment and then began taking off his robes. Exposing his fair translucent skin. Feng Long watched silently as he peeled off all his clothes, his eyes exuded admiration and appreciation. The delicate bell was still hanging on his lower body, bringing out the full beauty of the thing between his legs, making Feng Long’s heart skip a beat.

Feng Long instructed: “Silently ruminate on the Horizontal Heaven Opposing Sun technique. Don’t think about anything else, merely guard your heart meridian, the colder your body gets, the more your heart will feel like a smelting furnace.”

His warm skin and bone-chilling ice came into contact. Within a few breaths, Bai Shaoqing’s entire body became rigid and his teeth were chattering. He must circulate the energy from his dantian and guard his heart meridians with utmost effect. In case the cold enters, perhaps he will not die but he will be severely injured and there would be no hope of becoming an expert in martial arts. The Zhengyi Sect was worthy of its name as an unorthodox sect, because even their method of practicing martial arts was overly unorthodox.

If I don’t succeed, I’ll at least die trying. 　　

He closed his eyes and focused, every second was unbearably long. Even though Bai Shaoqing was utterly naked, he was able to bear it.

Feng Long was standing next to him the whole time with his hands clasped behind his back. Bai Shaoqing’s body was rigid from the cold, but the palms of Feng Long’s hands were sweaty.

The little bat was hovering at a critical juncture between life and death. If something went wrong, he must immediately intervene to save him. Horizontal Heaven Opposing Sun can attack the three truncal cavities passing through the lungs, the spleen and the heart.

He was secretly circulating energy the whole time, watching over Bai Shaoqing, taking the utmost precautions, not daring to relax at all, so how could his palms not be sweaty?

“Shaoqing, it’s already been one shichen, do you need to rest for a bit?”

Bai Shaoqing had his eyes closed, his crystal-like skin began to emit traces of cold air, as if he was an ice carved jade statue.

“Shaoqing, it’s been two shichen, do you need to rest?”

Those bright eyes had still not opened but the cold air had entered even more deeply.

When those magnificent gleaming eyes opened once more, Bai Shaoqing was already lying on a comfortable bed.

A light breeze blew past, it was splendid and bright outside.

“How long was I meditating there?”

Feng Long sighed: “Do you think that everyone can sit there for three shichen their first time?” If he hadn’t been guarding over him the whole time, how could he be there in time to save this reckless bat?

Feng Long asked: “If you couldn’t take it, why didn’t you get off?”

“If I don’t reach the end, how do I know I can’t take it?”

Feng Long stood up and looked down at him, he suddenly reached out with his hand and gave him a slap across the face.

*Slap!* A red handprint appeared on his fair tender face.

Bai Shaoqing lifted his head and stared at Feng Long.

“You are reckless.” He said very seriously, the two of them stared at each other as if sparks were flying, he said through gritted teeth: “You are really reckless.”

A mature masculine scent entered directly into his nasal cavity.

Bai Shaoqing felt dizzy.

“Shaoqing, why do you act so recklessly? If you forcefully practice you will only enter qi deviation.”

“But I want to master it quicker.” And then I can go back to the lakeside in Yangzhou, to play the zither, to paint, to recite poetry and ro keep my mother company. I don’t want to see you again, I don’t want to be distraught with anxiety.

“Why is martial arts so important?”

Bai Shaoqing turned his head over and pursed his lips. His eyes, which were as clear as water, but emitted a complicated radiance.

Feng Long sighed.

In the next few days, Bai Shaoqing continued to practise upon the thousand year ice bed.

To achieve Horizontal Heaven Opposing Sun, one must defy the icy coldness.

Feng Long seemed unexpectedly carefree, standing at the side everyday, silently watching Bai Shaoqing meditate. When Bai Shaoqing slept, he held him in his arms. When Bai Shaoqing was practising martial arts, he watched over him. When Bai Shaoqing ate, he occasionally picked up some good food and put it into Bai Shaoqing’s mouth. 　　

In one month, Bai Shaoqing had already achieved the first level of Horizontal Heaven Opposing Sun technique.

“Did you know that there have only been two people in the last hundred years who have been able to master Horizontal Heaven Opposing Sun in a month.”

“I hope that the other one wasn’t you.”

Feng Long’s lips twitched, and revealed a crafty smile, “It was me.”

Bai Shaoqing coldly stared at him and then suddenly asked: “Why do you treat me this way?”

“What does that mean?”

“You’ve been secretly using Horizontal Heaven Opposing Sun to assist me, why?”

Feng Long looked at him deeply in a special way, he broke off a piece of the weeping willow and tossed it into the middle of the lake

“Don’t you understand?”

“No.”

“You are my xiongdi.”

“Only in oath.”

“You’re my disciple.”

“I was tricked into it.”

“I told you before that I would never let anyone harm you. Feng Long said in a deep voice: “

Bai Shaoqing stood under the tree, staring at the piece of weeping willow that was floating in the middle of the lake for a while, and finally spat out the words “More like harbouring unfathomable motives.”

Feng Long’s facial expression changed slightly, he resisted getting angry and instead turned around to head back to the bedroom before suddenly stopping his footsteps.

“Tomorrow you can leave the main base.”

“I don’t have to practice?”

“Horizontal Heaven Opposing Sun is different from other techniques, once you have achieved one level, you need to rest for a while.” Feng Long said: “You should go and relieve your boredom.”

“Go where?”

“You’re the disciple of the Sect Leader, so you naturally need to help your shifu to shoulder some responsibility. Feng Long took out a gold badge and a human skin-like mask, “You can go and inspect each branch of the sect in my place, if there is something out of place, you must immediately report back. If you want to go out and play as the bat you must wear the mask. Also, don’t go looking for trouble.”

Bai Shaoqing looked suspiciously at the gold badge and the face mask, and didn’t not accept it until after a long while.

“Are you letting me go?”

“Anyway you will come back.”

“And if I don’t?”

Feng Long laughed lightly, a coldness streaked across his eyes. “Even if it’s to the ends of the Earth, I will catch you and bring you back.”

Bai Shaoqing also laughed. “If it’s that much trouble, why let me leave? Just go and find a cage and put me in, that’d be much simpler.”

Feng Long asked: “Have you seen a cage that keeps bats?”

Bai Shaoqing was speechless. Those who wanted to keep him locked up were numerous, there were men and women, old and young, it was just that they didn’t have the power to do so, and instead they had lost their lives in his hands.

But Feng Long clearly had the power to do so, but he chose not to. He was clearly letting him go but he was also not letting him go completely.　　

“Aside from going back to your mother’s, you can go wherever you wish.” Feng Long said unhurriedly: “If you dare to approach your mother, Shui Yue’er will immediately deal a deadly blow.”

“Got it.”

“You don’t know the people from the other branches of the sect, Shui Yun’er will set off with you.”

“Okay.”

“Shaoqing” Feng Long looked deep into his eyes and sighed before pulling him into his arms and whispering: “My bat should be free and unfettered right?”

Intimate, gentle, making one’s heart flutter.

Bai Shaoqing suddenly clenched his teeth and swallowed up the word ‘yes’.

He sneered: “Wherever I am, I’ll still be within grasp of the great Sect Leader Feng, how could I ever be free and unfettered?”

He raised his head to look up at the colour of the sky, unknowingly, the sky had already turned a shade of blood red.

Translator Note:

Ok, I’ve decided to go with Chapter 11 but its technically Volume 2 Chapter 1 – this volume has 9 chapters.

Seems like this novel has a small following so I’ll keep translating it. I preferred this chapter – gave us a break from all the grim stuff ~