Chapter 27: Fire Under the Night Moon

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The boat drifted slowly onward, while the splendor of the capital hurried away with the flowing water. Autumn had brought a slight chill, yet the breeze today was just right. As far as the eye could see, the river stretched without end, while pale gold layered the banks on either side, unbroken all the way to the distant clouds.

The sky hung low, and the evening glow was faint and delicate. Sparse lamplight flickered along both shores. Looking back toward the capital, it seemed as though a river of stars flowed between heaven and water.

Other boats passed from time to time, carrying laughter and chatter, their clamor swept away by the river wind.

It had been a long while since either of them had felt so at ease. Watching the sunset over the river, they tacitly remained silent, simply enjoying this rare moment of comfort.

The little boat swayed gently, however, and the motion made Yan Kuang somewhat dizzy and drowsy. Leaning against the mast, he soon fell asleep without realizing it.

Cheng Ruyi had been tilting his head back to let the wind blow over him. Seeing Yan Kuang beside him with his arms folded and his head lolling against the mast, he assumed the man was merely resting with his eyes closed and teased him, “Ah, Lord Yan, you were just making fun of me, yet aren’t you enjoying the breeze as well?”

Naturally, no one answered. Cheng Ruyi was accustomed to being ignored by Yan Kuang and paid it no mind. He continued rambling, “Great Lord, we aren’t going to travel by water the whole way, are we? Where will we change to horses? Do we have to take the mountain roads?”

Yan Kuang still did not move. Cheng Ruyi patted his robes, rose to his feet, and came over to stand in front of him.

“Lord Yan?”

Yan Kuang did not respond.

In disbelief, Cheng Ruyi waved a hand before his eyes. Still there was no reaction. He could not help exclaiming, “Impressive… You can even fall asleep standing up.”

“Don’t tell me you’re pretending to sleep… Lord Yan? King Yama?”

Seeing Yan Kuang standing before him, utterly defenseless against whatever he might say or do, Cheng Ruyi’s mischievous spirit awoke. A wicked smile crept into his eyes as he called again, “Jade-faced Yama? Lord Yan… beauty?”

Yan Kuang’s brows were tightly drawn, yet his eyes remained shut and he showed no reaction whatsoever. Cheng Ruyi found the sight inexplicably amusing and struggled to contain his laughter.

“Yan… Little Yan Hound?”

Whether among the martial world or the common people, who could hear Yan Kuang’s name without calling him a fine hound of the imperial court?

Cheng Ruyi did think he was a hound, but not a lackey. Nor could he be called an old hound, for he was not old enough. Therefore… a little hound?

Cheng Ruyi was immensely pleased with the title. As he basked in his own cleverness, he carefully studied the Jade-faced Yama’s peerless features.

“No wonder…” he murmured to himself.

He had meant to say that it was no wonder Yan Kuang could wear that grim, deathly expression every day and act with such merciless cruelty, yet still earn the title of Jade-faced Yama.

What a handsome face. What a fortunate way to have been made… His nose, brows, and lips were all so perfectly formed. Was there truly not a single feature out of place? Cheng Ruyi wondered privately.

Then he murmured, “Such a pity. If only his mind weren’t so peculiar—how many young ladies would be after him…”

“What a pity?”

Yan Kuang spoke.

Good heavens…

Cheng Ruyi instinctively sprang backward, only to have Yan Kuang slowly open his eyes and seize him by the wrist.

“After looking for so long, all you came up with was ‘what a pity’?” Yan Kuang said meaningfully.

Cheng Ruyi lamented inwardly, but he could not afford to lose face aloud.

Feigning composure, he said, “What are you saying, Lord Yan? Naturally, it was more than two words.”

Yan Kuang regarded him without changing expression.

Cheng Ruyi swallowed, then arched a brow. “More than two words. I observe that Lord Yan’s—

“Brows are neatly shaped, two distant mountains softened by mist; his nose is neither too long nor too short, perfectly suited to the bearing of a gentleman.”

“His lips…”

Cheng Ruyi did not dare look directly at Yan Kuang, but though he might lose the battle, he would not lose the courage to fight. He wrenched his wrist free and ground out, “His lips are like fire, like the maple mountains beneath a deep autumn sky…”

Yan Kuang was utterly torn between laughter and exasperation. In all his twenty-seven years, it was the first time anyone had described him in such a fashion.

“You’ve begun composing flowery verse as well,” he said.

“Not at all, not at all. I was merely moved by the moment and expressing my feelings…”

When Cheng Ruyi saw Yan Kuang frown and clench his fist, his heart gave a sudden lurch. He immediately put on a smile.

“Clenched fists mean you want to eat steamed buns, am I right?”

“I want to hit someone,” Yan Kuang replied.

Cheng Ruyi gave an awkward laugh. “There’s barely any room on this boat. It would be rather difficult to land a proper blow.”

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Yan Kuang shook his head and said with absolute certainty, “Not if you refrain from jumping into the river.”

“It seems that whether in life or death, Lord Yan remains worthy of his reputation as Yama…”

Cheng Ruyi spread his hands. “You’ve already resigned from office, so perhaps you could stop thinking about killing and fighting all day… Or perhaps you’d rather have a steamed bun?”

Yan Kuang watched as Cheng Ruyi returned to the cabin to fetch some dry provisions. At that moment, the setting sun shone upon the river, answering its reflection below. The afterglow stretched endlessly, a wash of rosy light rippling before their eyes and shimmering upon the water.

“Beautiful scenery, beautiful man… How sublime.”

Cheng Ruyi returned with a steamed bun, still determined not to abandon his flippant remarks.

Yan Kuang accepted it, then looked toward Cheng Ruyi’s eyes, which were filled with reflected river shadows and sunset radiance. He, too, slowly opened his mouth.

“One yearns for the view, one yearns for the man—

“To yearn is beautiful.”

Cheng Ruyi froze with the steamed bun in his mouth. For once, he had no idea what to say.

Should he say, Thank you, thank you—my eyes are indeed quite beautiful…?

Or perhaps, Not at all, not at all. Compared with your beauty, I am nothing?

What sort of nonsense was that…?

Cheng Ruyi silently condemned himself, turned away, and continued chewing. The bun was surprisingly sweet and fragrant, though it seemed to stick in his throat.

Yan Kuang thoughtfully handed him a waterskin. Cheng Ruyi took a drink, and the two stood side by side at the bow, their silhouettes reflected in the water.

Cheng Ruyi smiled. “Lord Yan, though you may once again say that knowing too much will do me no good, there is still something I want to ask you.”

“Ask.”

Cheng Ruyi glanced at the boatman, who was concentrating on rowing behind them, then turned back and lowered his voice.

“Why did you resign? Or rather, why did you choose to resign at this particular time?”

Yan Kuang paused. He still did not wish to tell the truth, yet for a moment he could not think of a suitable excuse. He knew how to frighten people, intimidate them, and deceive them with lies, but for some inexplicable reason, he no longer seemed to know how to mislead them.

When Cheng Ruyi saw that he remained silent, he tilted his head. “Could it be…”

“Yes.” Yan Kuang, at a loss, hurriedly agreed.

“Yes to what? I haven’t even said anything yet.”

Though Cheng Ruyi said this aloud, he could not help being moved. If Yan Kuang’s resignation had anything to do with him, then surely it touched him in some way.

“I, Cheng, do not consider myself a particularly virtuous man… But Lord Yan has treated me as a confidant and shown me such kindness. That alone makes this life worthwhile.”

Cheng Ruyi’s expression turned solemn.

“If one day you should ask me to repay you with my life—

“I would be willing.”

Yan Kuang was visibly startled. After a brief pause, he said coldly, “As I recall, you have said those exact words to more than a dozen people. Among those verified by the Bureau alone were Councillor He, Censor Yuan, Deputy Minister Du, the courier at the county seat in your hometown, and the proprietor of the tavern in Qiongzhou…”

Cheng Ruyi: “…”

Without another word, Cheng Ruyi tucked the steamed bun into his robes, turned around, and walked away.

Watching his back, Yan Kuang quietly let out a breath of relief.

…

Once night fell, the air inevitably grew colder and damper. Yan Kuang looked at Cheng Ruyi, curled into a ball with his back turned toward him, picked up his own blanket, and went over to cover him with it.

He himself did not have many nights left to enjoy. Cheng Ruyi was different, however, and Yan Kuang sincerely hoped that he would sleep well.

In any case, sleep would not come. Yan Kuang left the cabin. The boatman, seeing that he was still awake, seemed about to strike up a conversation, but the forbidding look on Yan Kuang’s face made him swallow the words.

Almost no light could be seen in the night. Only the moon’s clear radiance spilled across the entire river.

Yan Kuang was gazing into the distance when a point of light, oddly abrupt, entered his field of vision.

A boat was approaching from ahead and to one side.

It was only a boat, and Yan Kuang did not raise the alarm. But as it drew closer, he gradually began to make out a few details.

Cheng Ruyi was shaken mercilessly awake from his dreams. The moment he opened his eyes, he saw Yan Kuang’s tightly furrowed brow.

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“What…”

Before Cheng Ruyi could finish, Yan Kuang swept aside the curtain and pointed outside the boat.

“Hmm… A boat?” Cheng Ruyi followed the direction of his hand.

In a voice only the two of them could hear, Yan Kuang said, “We’re going to Longquan Prefecture, and we should disembark at Daming Prefecture. Ordinary boats departing from the capital for Daming are either merchant vessels, official vessels, or boats carrying officials’ families and wealthy travelers returning home to visit their relatives.”

“But look at that boat. It carries no cargo and flies no official banner. There are no female servants, nurses, or women of a noble household—only several strong young men. It is neither a passenger vessel nor a merchant ship, and it cannot be an official family returning home for a visit or banquet.”

Those words brought Cheng Ruyi fully awake. Rubbing his eyes, he peered carefully into the distance, and his heart immediately lurched.

Everything was exactly as Yan Kuang had said.

In a low voice, Cheng Ruyi asked, “Are they after you, or after the boat?”

“Besides people, is there anything else on the boat?”

Cheng Ruyi nodded in agreement, then studied the vessel again. “According to you, there aren’t many people aboard. But from this distance, it seems to sit deep in the water. That really is unusual.”

“Great Lord Yan, would your enemies truly pursue you this far?”

“Perhaps they came for you. A heartless bastard, hm?”

“Commander Yan, please. Don’t pin this on me. If they were after me, they would have had to follow us the entire way. Yet neither of us noticed them earlier, which suggests they were lying in wait.”

As he spoke, Cheng Ruyi began gathering their belongings. Yan Kuang stopped trading barbs with him and tucked the important items securely against his body, while the rest went into a bundle tied around his waist.

While packing, Cheng Ruyi remembered the twin-fish jade pendant. He hurriedly retrieved it from beneath his pillow and slipped it inside his robes.

The boat drew ever closer. Yan Kuang took all the bundles from Cheng Ruyi and carried them himself, then said, “Remember: whatever happens, your first priority is to keep yourself safe.”

Cheng Ruyi frowned slightly, but still nodded.

“Careful…!”

A streak of silver tore through the boundless darkness. Quick as lightning, Yan Kuang swept an arm around Cheng Ruyi and forced him to the ground.

Fortunately, the cabin provided cover. A hidden arrow drove halfway into the deck, leaving Cheng Ruyi’s heart pounding.

At the same time, a splash came from the side of the boat. Yet there was no cry of alarm from the boatman, nor any call for help. Yan Kuang immediately sensed that something was wrong.

“Great Lord Yan… have we boarded a pirate ship?” Cheng Ruyi muttered from the floor.

Both of them knew that the boatman was one of their own people. This boat could no longer be trusted.

Without hesitation, Yan Kuang pulled Cheng Ruyi out of the cabin. In an instant, hidden arrows came flying from every direction, and Yan Kuang kicked Cheng Ruyi aside.

A long sword flashed from its sheath. Sword and arrow shadows collided with shrill, grating cries.

Cheng Ruyi heard one muffled impact after another as arrows struck the wooden boards, and he did not dare to rise. Finding a brief opening, Yan Kuang hurried over and forced him to duck again.

“If we die today, don’t blame me,” Yan Kuang said.

“Worry about keeping yourself alive first…”

Forced to keep his head down, Cheng Ruyi noticed several irregular, snow-like particles through a crack in the floorboards.

“Lord Yan… look. What is that?”

The instant Yan Kuang lowered his gaze, he seized Cheng Ruyi by the collar and hauled him upright.

In a deep voice, he demanded, “Cheng Ruyi, can you swim or not?”

“At a time like this, of course I can…”

Before Cheng Ruyi could finish speaking, fire streaked toward them from the side.

The arrows had been wrapped in oil-soaked cloth. Flaming arrows came raining down!

Yan Kuang reached out, seized Cheng Ruyi, and immediately lifted him sideways in his arms before throwing him into the river. Then he shouted—