The small river outside Green Willow Fortress had already frozen over, and the desolation of winter shrouded everything. Only the sun could bring scant comfort to the creatures on this earth.
A Ming leaned against a tree by the river, biting on a dry stalk.
Across the small river, Liang Cheng rode by. Seeing A Ming, he reined in his horse.
A Ming closed his eyes, pretending not to see.
Before long, a shadow blocked the sun’s warmth from him. He reluctantly opened his eyes to see Liang Cheng standing before him.
"They tell me you’ve been accompanying My lord in archery practice for the past month?"
"What advice do you have for me?" ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝✦𝘧𝙞𝙧𝙚✦𝕟𝕖𝕥
Liang Cheng shook his head. "None."
Then, Liang Cheng took a bag of raisins from his pocket and handed it to A Ming.
The warm winter sun shone down, and beneath the frozen river lay the restless anticipation of spring.
The cold wind carried a hint of almond, a touch of sweetness amidst the bitter chill.
Raisins. Two men—one sitting, one standing. This scene, as if captured in an oil painting, could stir a myriad of thoughts.
A Ming looked at Liang Cheng and began, "Are you nuts?"
"Fangcao asked me to bring this to you."
A Ming didn’t reach for it. Instead, he said, "Do you know that after raisins are dried, they’re shoveled up with a shovel and swept with a broom? Do you think they wash them afterward?"
Liang Cheng shrugged, grabbed a handful, sat down next to A Ming, and began to chew.
"You don’t find them dirty?" A Ming laughed.
"In this world, there probably aren’t many things dirtier than the two of us."
One was a vampire, the other a Zombie.
Both were sinister, shadowy beings, a kind of ’dirty’ that transcended ordinary filth.
"I didn’t realize you could feel so inferior."
"I admit I feel inferior. I’m terrified of the dark."
"Are you actually nuts today? Trying to make me laugh myself to death?"
"Fangcao said you’ve been in a bad mood recently, so she asked me to come and comfort you."
"Are you fond of her?"
"That figures. The Jiedushi’s daughter actively tries to seduce you, and you remain completely composed. Hey, are you uninterested in women?"
"Usually, when they discuss this topic, you and I are paired together."
"Siniang told me she sees great potential in Fangcao. She said when you have time, you should talk to the girl and clear things up."
"There’s nothing between her and me."
"You killed her father."
"You say that as if you didn’t kill her actual mother."
"Mo Wan was the one who did it."
"Oh, sorry. My mistake. What does Siniang mean then?"
"She’s not asking you to pursue a romance with Fangcao. Even though this is an ancient era, a young girl having unrequited feelings isn’t a huge deal. In later times, confessing love and experiencing rejection would become commonplace."
"Is that what Siniang said verbatim?"
"Yes. Siniang believes you need to help the girl get over her crush. Once everything is out in the open, it won’t be an issue anymore. She wants to mentor Fangcao."
"Alright, I’ll go talk to Fangcao in a few days."
"So, about the raisins, I’m not eating them. If you want them, take them and eat them at your leisure. What are you still sitting here for?"
"I was just curious. What’s it like accompanying My lord’s archery practice every day?"
"Oh, I get it." A Ming suddenly realized. "You’re here to laugh at me, aren’t you?"
"Then I’ll tell My lord to have you accompany him for archery practice tomorrow. Wouldn’t you understand then?"
"What’s different? It’s not like an arrow can easily kill you."
"For an archer, the thrill they get when their arrow hits the target and is either deflected or sinks deep into flesh—it’s a world of difference."
Liang Cheng handed his waterskin to A Ming.
"It’s dry out. You should drink more water."
"You’ve already had your laugh. Why not let me enjoy it even more, eh?"
"Hurry up. I have things to do. I need to go to Nanwang City to collect weapons and provisions."
A Ming reached out and took the waterskin.
He pulled the stopper and took several gulps. GLUG GLUG.
While drinking, A Ming didn’t let any water spill from his lips, but soon after, his clothes began to get wet.
Seeing this, Liang Cheng shook his head and said, "Truly miserable."
"Satisfied?" A Ming put down the waterskin.
Liang Cheng shook his head again. "Next time, I’ll bring you a water jar. I want to see a fountain."
"Even when accompanying My lord for archery practice, hard armor might be unsuitable, but wearing soft armor should be fine, right? At least you wouldn’t get turned into honeycomb coal."
"I wore leather armor."
"And you still ended up ?"
"My lord infuses his arrows with his vital energy."
"That tone of yours is a bit strange. I think I detect some excitement."
"It seems Fangcao really isn’t right for you. You’re not in low spirits at all; you’re getting more thrilled the more My lord shoots you."
"I know we’re both dirty, but don’t say such ambiguous things. It makes me feel unbearably so."
"If I recall correctly, Ding Hao once said that the external release of vital energy is the mark of an Eighth Rank martial artist."
"So, My lord truly is a martial arts prodigy in this world."
"It’s still early, but he’s already getting the hang of it. I feel that in a few more months, he might be able to consistently release his vital energy. By then, he’ll be close to the Eighth Rank. Compared to the typical cultivation speed of people in this world, My lord is indeed a genius."