Dong Changtian and the others hadn’t drunk so much in a long time, and as they left, their faces were flushed red, and they staggered as they walked.
“Take it slow on the road.”
“Second Ox, wait for me.”
Ke Mo and Ying Bing stood at the door to see them off.
Hearing the familiar address, Dong Changtian’s steps faltered.
He turned his head blankly, squinting his eyes, looking at the two figures with indistinct faces standing backlit by the lanterns in front of the door.
The lantern light shone into his eyes, illuminating his murky eyes, and also lit up his face, making every wrinkle overflow with light.
“I know, Xiao Ke.”
The wind and snow grew stronger, blowing so fiercely that people could barely open their eyes.
The empty street only left behind a trail of footprints leading far away, which remained unfilled by the snow for a long time.
At the same time, Ke Mo returned to the small courtyard, tidying up the leftover food as usual. He didn’t know why he had suddenly called out that name to Dong Changtian just now.
The rustic name “Second Ox,” so different from the Sword Sect, felt oddly natural to him, without any sense of incongruity.
This sense of appropriateness made him feel uneasy.
He could even toss a copper coin and make it stand upright; he couldn’t let it be found out, right?
After a while, Ke Mo went back into the room.
Since he was about to leave, he wanted to take a bath before he left. He spent some time heating water and then got in.
“Ke Mo? Where are you?”
“Are you inside?”
Ying Bing’s voice came from outside the door.
Perhaps she had just come back from outside and not finding him, she had come all the way to the bathroom.
Little Ke, submerged in the water, hesitated for three and a third seconds before burying his head in the water, instantly unable to hear anything from outside.
“See, I like to fully immerse myself in the bath, not even leaving my head out.”
“It’s reasonable that I can’t hear anything outside.”
Creak—
Only when Ying Bing came in did he, with a puzzled look, emerge from the water.
“You… You’re here to bathe too?”
“Mm-hmm, wait… until you finish.”
Ying Bing actually knew he was inside, but if she didn’t go in herself, he might stay there soaking indefinitely.
“Since you’re here already.”
Ke Mo looked like an upright gentleman.
“Mm, I still have something to do.”
Ying Bing put down the wooden basin in her arms, which contained clothes she had just collected from outside. She lifted them and shook off the snowflakes, preparing to wash them again and hang them indoors.
“What does the Otherworld look like?”
“It’s a place where mortals fall seriously ill, martial artists’ qi and bl**d weaken, and celestial beings find it hard to communicate with heaven.”
“No wonder you think there’s little chance of winning.”
“But why did you deliberately set the copper coin upright?”
Ying Bing looked at him with a deep gaze.
Ke Mo felt a bit guilty under her stare; he had decided this on the spot without telling her beforehand.
“After Po Jun arrived, I realized how determined the Celestial Race was to send an envoy from Ink City.”
“Somebody has to go. Old Dong and Old Qi have been around for decades.”
“…”
Ying Bing didn’t smile, pursing her lips and not looking at him, focusing intently on washing the clothes in the basin, completely ignoring their almost drowned cries.
Ke Mo said earnestly,
“I decided this on the spur of the moment. We originally planned to bluff our way through together, but now we can’t bluff anymore, and I didn’t intentionally avoid discussing it with you.”
“I’m not angry.”
“The clothes are almost ruined… So, give me a hug, just one hug, and I’ll believe you’re not angry.”
“But you’re soaking in the bath.”
“So what if I am? It’s not like…”
Ke Mo froze after saying it.
Why did it feel like he had done this before?
Could Fairy Sister just be casually bathed?
—
But he didn’t expect Ying Bing to think for a moment and ask, lowering her eyes, “How long will you soak?”
Ke Mo glanced out the window at the wind and snow, unable to calculate the time.
He planned to leave early and wouldn’t wait until the sun was high or dawn appeared before setting off.
“All night.”
“?”
“The water won’t get cold. I’ll keep it warm.”
“Really? I don’t quite believe it.”
“Just try it.”
Ke Mo was smiling when suddenly his vision went black, and his face was covered by a fragrant dress.
Whoosh—
His arms now held a chilly body, and he immediately understood what softness felt like—soft yet elastic…
Ying Bing sat in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder, her blush spreading up from her neck.
She could see those familiar red marks from the corner of her eye, and as her gaze drifted, it seemed like something was about to spill from her eyes.
“This is because you’re leaving,” Ying Bing’s voice trembled slightly, feeling somewhat guilty.
Ke Mo took a breath of icy air, his mind in a jumble, as if bubbles were exploding inside his head: “Then this isn’t a loss, it’s a big win.”
“Are you trying to say the battery is full?”
“No.”
Ke Mo’s mouth was as firm as the soft part that had just been.
As he hugged her tighter, he quietly felt her breathing and every inch of her warmth, gradually calming down.
Ke Mo suddenly felt that time passed quickly.
Happy moments were always fleeting, and after about an hour and a half, he finally got up from the bathtub.
He carried Ying Bing to the bed and covered her with a quilt.
Ke Mo took a deep breath, holding a heart-set-to-d*e expression, and stepped out the door.
The snow stopped falling by morning, and a faint white appeared in the east.
Entering Po Jun’s quarters, he saw the tall man sitting there fully dressed, ready to depart at any moment.
Seeing it was just himself, Ke Mo breathed a sigh of relief.
On the contrary, Po Jun was taken aback:
“Why are you here?”
“It’s a bit early, but it’s good to be early. Before Old Dong wakes up, we can set off ahead of time. That kid Dong is very crafty.”
Ke Mo smiled easily.
“Afraid he might come early?”
Po Jun frowned.
He didn’t understand why everyone had been reluctant yesterday, afraid of life and d*ath, yet now feared being left behind.
And… wasn’t Ke Mo supposed to be a spy?
“No, I just don’t like farewell scenes.”
“Sword Master Dong said the same thing. You two must have thought alike.”
“Right, I said… Wait, what do you mean?” Ke Mo was confused.
Po Jun looked at him strangely:
“Sword Master Dong reported last night that he should already be at the Yema camp.”
“He didn’t tell you?”
“?”
Ke Mo was stunned, his mind flashing back to Old Dong’s weather-beaten face turning back in the wind and snow last night.
“When he left, he left you a letter, which should contain his final instructions.”
Po Jun seemed to have realized something and smiled: “You did well. Even predicting his early departure. No wonder you have the trust of the people of Ink City. If you continue like this, taking the top seat of Ink City is just around the corner.”
Hmm…
He thought this was Ke Mo’s covert strategy.
Still marveling at how naturally this young man seemed to act!
“Praise too much…”
Ke Mo’s expression returned to its usual calm, not letting Po Jun see his surprise.
“Oh, and the letter?”
—
—
