CHAPTER 40

First Kiss

LUO FAN

The next morning, I woke up early and felt a throbbing pain at the back of my head.

Last night, my uncle had brought my dinner to my room, along with a jar of wine. For hours, he had bragged about his personally-made rice wine that he had fermented in his special cellar for five years.

It did taste good, but it was too strong I had gotten drunk after my third cup. Then he started talking about my father, my other uncles and aunts, my cousins from them, and so on. I had craved a real family for so long so I had listened to him attentively while he kept pouring more wine into my cup. Eventually, I had fallen asleep while he was still talking. When I woke up, I was already in bed and someone had already tidied the mess that we had left on the floor.

After taking a pill for my headache, I looked around the villa to find my uncle, but the place was strangely empty as if no one was living there. Until I found a young man in the kitchen.

“Priest Luo, you’re awake,” he said. “Do you need cold water?”

“Yes, please.” The pill I had taken in had not yet taken effect, and my body was still hot a cup of cold water would really help.

“Here, Priest Luo,” the young man said when he returned, handing me a cup of water.

“Thank you.”

After I drank the water, the young man took the cup from me and lowered his head. “My name is Xiong Juan. Leader Luo has taken me in at a very young age. He said that we once met here when we were both three years old, but we were too young to remember.”

I nodded and smiled. I remembered this man’s face and frame. He was one of the two young men standing at the corner while we sat by the table yesterday. It was easy to tell because he was tall, fair, and lean.

Could this be the missing crown prince Wei Xiaoli using an alias?

If he was, he was very humble considering his status. Having an emperor like him would probably be good for this empire.

I cupped my hands and returned his courtesy. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Since my uncle has adopted you, that makes us cousins then.”

He gasped as if elated by what I said. “Although I’m not worthy, it’s an honor that Priest Luo sees me as his cousin.”

I smiled. “You’re very modest. Despite this group’s reputation, my uncle has done a wonderful job raising you.”

“He did.”

“Have you seen my uncle?”

“Leader Luo is still sleeping. He emptied the whole jar of wine last night I had to carry him back to his room. He might wake up with a hangover later.”

This man was probably the one who had cleaned up the mess on the floor last night and had carried me into bed. The realization made me flush.

I just made a servant out of the former crown prince of Kan.

How shameful of me!

“Is something wrong?” he asked.

I quickly cleared my throat. He probably noticed how stunned I was when I realized that he was the one who cleaned up my mess.

“Here.” I handed him a pill. “Give this to Uncle Boqin when he wakes up. It helps to alleviate headaches.”

He nodded. “I will.”

“I won’t disturb you any further. I’m sure you have things to do.”

We exchanged a few more pleasantries before I walked out of the door.

My cheeks still felt hot.

If the Silverblades succeeded and that young man became the emperor, I didn’t think I’d have the face to stand in front of him.

I tried to get the thoughts off my head and decided to walk around the surroundings instead, hoping I could remember some fragments of my childhood.

But before I could make it out of the front yard, I met someone that I had not expected to see.

It was Liang Yuan, approaching me with a big smile.

I had never expected that he was a member of this group. All along, I thought that he was a loyal subject of the emperor and a top supporter of Crown Prince Jiayi.

“Fan, where are you going?” he asked.

I wasn’t sure what to say because I wasn’t sure why he was even here in the first place. I didn’t think he had any intention of arresting or interrogating my uncle, otherwise, he should have come with a legion of forces.

“You’re one of them,” I concluded.

He forced out a smile and nodded. “I am.”

“Since when?”

“For a while now.”

“So you’ve been a spy in the palace all along?”

He nodded.

“Throughout those years, you’re fortunate you haven’t been caught yet.”

“I managed to gain His Majesty’s and His Highness’ full confidence. They will never doubt my loyalty.”

I sighed. “Then be careful.”

“Fan, do you… want to take a walk around?” he asked.

“Of course. That’s exactly what I’m about to do.”

We both walked out of the gate and leisurely strolled around the open ground. I could see fields stretching for miles. Golden grains swayed in the air as if to remind everyone that their harvest time was drawing near.

From a distance, I saw some people working in the fields. From their clothes, I was certain they were my uncle’s men. They indeed tried to live like laborers on a farm, and the hideout looked like a decent shelter for workers with mills and storage for their produce. The business was legit, but people from the outside had no idea what else was sheltered there.

“Do you remember the time when you were banished from Frost Mountain and a group of men had escorted you to Wun Empire?” Liang Yuan asked.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

“How can I ever forget that? Even if I want to, it will never be erased from my memory.”

He sighed. “I learned then that they had brought you there to be executed as an unknown criminal. The royal court did not want a world-renowned Divine Mage to be executed in their territory. The backlash would be catastrophic. Many people, even those from other empires, and most especially the world of cultivators, would have definitely condemned the execution of the world’s greatest alchemist. So they wanted the dirty job done outside instead, where people have no idea of your identity.”

Now, I understood that the banishment was just an excuse to have a reason to get me out of the empire.

At that time, when I was taken away in a carriage, I had just lost my cultivation and had been tortured to near death. I had been vaguely aware of my surroundings. All I remembered was the intense pain that tormented me every time I woke up.

“Why didn’t they?” I asked. “Why did they let me go instead?”

“They did not let you go,” he replied. “I had sent some people to kill your escorts and take you away, but I did not expect that one of your escorts was a level six cultivator and had killed most of the men I sent. Only Qi Sha survived unharmed and he said he managed to take you all the way to the City of Nan.”

“Qi Sha?” I turned to him. “Is that the name of the man who put me inside a merchant’s wagon?”

“Yes, he’s the one,” he returned. “He told me that was the last time he’d seen you. He’s done that to lure the enemies away. After that, he no longer has any idea where you ended up. I had people searching for you for weeks, but no one had expected that you had made it all the way to Xianru.”

“It was probably fate,” I replied as I thought about Li Yao and Jinjing, those two people who had played a big role in my survival. “And where is Qi Sha now? I still have not thanked him for what he has done for me.”

“Right now, he’s in the capital for a spy mission. As much as I’d like to pull him over so he could see you, he’s in the middle of a breakthrough so it’s not a good time for him to leave.”

I nodded. “Maybe there will be some other time when I could thank him properly. I believe I also owe you gratitude. I apologize that I had doubted you initially. I thought you wanted to take me away and deliver me to the palace.”

He chuckled. “I would not do something like that to you. We’re friends, remember? Brothers even.”

I stared at him.

I never thought he still thought that way.

I did see him as a friend. We practically grew up together. Liang Yuan, Crown Prince Jiayi, and I were all disciples of Sect Master Wei Yusheng.

Liang Yuan and I were of the same age while Prince Jiayi was two years older, and that was why Liang Yuan and I were closer. Prince Jiayi, as the crown prince, had always been proud and did not like hanging out with me much, but he considered Liang Yuan his bestfriend. He only tolerated me because of Liang Yuan.

Until we were teenagers, our relationship was good. Things changed, however, when I rose to level four at the age of nineteen, tying with Prince Wei Jiayi as Frost Mountain’s top disciples.

Being older than I was and being the crown prince, his ego could not handle being on equal footing with me. He had begun a silent war against me and had alienated Liang Yuan from me.

Between me and the crown prince, Liang Yuan had naturally chosen the bigger goose.

I forced out a smile. “Used to be… yes. It’s not true anymore, is it?”

“A-Fan, why should I risk my life saving you if I no longer see you as a friend?”

“We have barely spoken ever since His Highness and I had parted ways.”

He sighed. “I was just recruited as a spy then. So of course I had to go with His Highness. Otherwise, I would not be able to do my job.”

“You sacrificed our friendship for that?”

“A-Fan, I did it for you.”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

He smiled. “Leader Luo will tell you later.”

I nodded and did not attempt to pursue the matter.

“Do you like this place?” he asked.

“It’s beautiful… aside from the flies, that is.”

He laughed. “I have a place not too far away. If you want, you can sleep there tonight.”

“Thank you for the offer, but… I don’t think my uncle will be pleased.”

He nodded. “Of course. Pardon my insensitivity.”

“No need to apologize. I know you mean well.”

He smiled at me as we continued our leisurely pace. “A-Fan, are you considering settling down here?”

“I don’t know.”

“Your uncle is here, the only family you have left. Why not consider it?”

I looked at my surroundings. Aside from the flies, the wind was fresh and the temperature was just right. Most of all, it was peaceful. However, I had been involved with some things already. My contract with Ruan Yanjun was one thing, but the most important thing was that I was already engaged. “I’ve given my word to Sect Leader Ruan. I have a contract with him.”

“A-Fan, I don’t trust Ruan Yanjun. I think he’s only using you.”

“Whether he is or not, he is protecting me. That’s why Master has entrusted my safety to him.”

“I also think that Ruan Yanjun has threatened Master Wei that was why he’d done that.”

“I was there and I saw how Master had interacted with Sect Leader Ruan. He was not afraid at all, so I don’t think he had done that under duress.”

“If it’s protection that you want, I can give you that. I just made it to level six. It’s not at par with your former level but I think I should be able to protect you enough.”

“If you do that, you’ll be fighting with the crown prince’s men. You’ll be exposed and I’m sure Prince Jiayi will not stop until he gets your head. I’m not worth the risk.”

“Of course, you are,” he retorted. “And I don’t care if I’m exposed. I’m willing to take the risk.”

I turned away. “Don’t even think about it.”

“Fan, listen to me.” He pulled my hand, whirling me back to him, and then he held me in both arms. “I will protect you. I offer you my life to keep you safe. Stay here and nothing can harm you ever again. I’ll find a cure for your condition. I’ll do all that for you.”

I stared at him in puzzlement.

“I mean it,” he whispered as he gently touched my face. “As long as you stay here, you’ll be safe.”

I stiffened, unable to utter a word.

“Trying to steal someone else’s property while the owner is away?” A voice interrupted us.

I turned to look and I found Ruan Yanjun slowly approaching us, his gaze hard, his posture a menacing threat.

Liang Yuan dropped his hands and I quickly stepped away from him. He was becoming just like Ruan Yanjun, and it gave me the familiar chills that I had always felt in the presence of that devil.

Ruan Yanjun approached me and pulled me towards him, then he also touched my face. “You think you’re worthy to touch this face?” he asked Liang Yuan.

I quickly tapped his hand away.

“He is my friend and we’re cousins,” Liang Yuan returned defiantly. “Between you and me, I have more right over him.”

“Then why were you touching his face like you were seducing him to kiss you?”

“My intention was pure.”

“Why don’t you just admit that you have been secretly obsessed over your own cousin but you simply did not have the guts to confess?”

Liang Yuan flushed. “You are speaking nonsense.”

Ruan Yanjun smirked and wrapped a possessive arm around my waist. “The problem is… he belongs to me.”

I was about to push him away and confront him for spouting nonsense when Liang Yuan’s loud voice interrupted me.

“You can never have him!”

Liang Yuan’s stance was firm. Although his martial arts was far inferior to Ruan Yanjun’s, he did not show any hint of fear.

“Oh, you still don’t believe that he’s mine?” Yanjun taunted, and to my utter surprise, he suddenly held my chin and tilted my head up, followed by his mouth descending on mine.

I froze in shock the moment his lips touched mine.

No one has ever done such a thing to me before!

No one had dared to steal a kiss from me. Not even a woman. Not especially a man.

Just as I recovered from shock and was about to punch his face, he stopped and held my hands down, as if he knew that if I recovered, I’d retaliate and he did not want to let Liang Yuan see that I simply dejected his action.

He smirked at my helplessness and glared at Liang Yuan. “What are you still standing there for? Do you want to watch some more?”

Liang Yuan stormed away furiously.

“Oh, he’s extremely jealous,” he said.

“Unhand me!” I grunted.

He held me closer instead and smiled. “Did you not enjoy your first kiss? If you ask me, I find the feel and taste of your lips rather soft and sweet for a man.”

“That’s not my first kiss.”

“Oh, are you saying you’ve been kissed before? So tell me. Who has taken your first kiss?”

“That matter is personal! Let go of me!”

He laughed. “How amusing it is to see A-Fan who has been calm and reserved no matter the circumstance finally lose his temper over a petty kiss.”

“Ruan Yanjun, kissing a man against his will is not a petty thing. That’s just despicable, completely perverse, and such thing is only done by a person without self-respect.”

“How sweet it is to hear you say my name finally.” He laughed louder. “A-Fan, you’re just in denial, because the truth is… you enjoyed it too.”

With an angry growl, I pushed him with all my might, but he refused to let me go.

“If I released you, will you not run away?” he asked.

“I will definitely run away from you and never want to see you again.”

“And how are you going to return to your wife?”

“I’ll walk if I have to.”

He chuckled and then sighed. “Alright, I just wanted to get back at your cousin for insulting you back in Qushan. I know he likes you, so I decided to hit his most sensitive button.”

“Why do you insist that he likes me?”

“Because I can see how he reacts every time he sees you, you can’t. If you’ve only seen the look on his face earlier.”

“Full of disgust, I suppose.”

“No, A-Fan, his heart is breaking. He was almost in tears when he turned away.”

“Stop speaking nonsense.”

“Alright, take a deep breath and I’ll let you go.”

I took a deep breath, and then I felt his arms loosening around me. I quickly took the opportunity to untangle myself from him and hurriedly took two steps back. I then turned away from him.

“A-Fan, if I ever catch you alone with that man again, I’ll kiss you right in front of him once again.”

I stopped. Somehow, I had known this man for a while already and he meant everything he said.