SOL Chapter 13

Balcony Towards Evening (Middle)

Shi En walked forward with a grin, reaching out to pat Li Huai Su on the shoulder in a gesture so intimate it was as if they were close friends. Li Huai Su slightly sidestepped, avoiding the irritating touch, and only watched him warily.

Shi En withdrew his hand, not feeling embarrassed, “Don’t be so tense, little monk is just here to see if you’re lost in a gentle embrace, unable to find your way.”

Shi En had real business in Peach Blossom Village, but having learned that the two Lis were there, he came to Liuyuan to see.

Seeing his gaze drift towards the small cottage behind him, Li Huai Su warned coldly, “You’d best not get any ideas about him.”

Shi En’s smile faded slightly, and he sighed softly, as if feeling quite helpless, “Patron Li, your words are a bit too harsh. All this little monk wants to do is lead Young Master Li to paradise and enjoy the pleasures of the world, unlike the Demonic Lord who doesn’t understand how to cherish beauties and treat people so badly.”

Li Huai Su was silent for two breaths, then the long sword at his waist was drawn, a cold light slicing through the night, heading straight for Shi En.

Seeing that Li Huai Su was serious, Shi En lightly dodged the attack, the eastern pearls on his crown jingling as he moved, and landed lightly on the courtyard wall.

He gave Li Huai Su a distant Buddhist salute, “Little monk won’t accept this Enraged Sea Rising Tide, let’s discuss it next time.”

…

Those who cling to the powerful are always present, and one can’t escape even by fleeing to this remote place. Liuyuan was lively, but Li Shan’s small courtyard was as quiet as a sanctuary outside of worldly concerns.

But not today. Two or three shafts of summer sunlight slanted into the courtyard through the carved window, and a noisy announcement came from outside.

Just as Li Shan was feeling strange, he saw Li Huai Su walk into the courtyard, carrying something in his hand. It turned out that the ladies from the Zhou residence in the east of Peach Blossom Village and the Zhao residence in the west had heard from their children that the Li family’s lady was much better, so they were busy sending invitations.

The gold-sprinkled stationery was exquisitely made, scented with the rouge that these gentry ladies favored, a very bustling fragrance.

Li Shan had never seen such a spectacle, and was immediately at a loss, looking at Li Huai Su for help. Li Huai Su pushed the invitation towards Li Shan, saying calmly, “It’s good to go out and relax.”

The lecture was held in a quiet temple in Peach Blossom Village. Moss grew on the ancient temple’s eaves, and the weathered prayer flags fluttered in the breeze, full of Zen meaning. Li Shan wore a satin robe and jade belt, exuding nobility in its simplicity, and his long hair was smoothly combed and gathered to hang over his shoulder. Although he was just recovering from a serious illness, he couldn’t hide the beauty between his brows.

Li Huai Su’s illusion was really powerful. When the ladies saw Li Shan, they didn’t feel that there was anything wrong with the young man in front of them. Their eyes lit up, and they gathered around him.

The Zhou lady teased, “Is this Lady Li? Lady Li is really beautiful. No wonder Young Master Li loves his lady so much, keeping her hidden away for so long, only willing to let her out today so we have a chance to see her.”

The others echoed in agreement, and Li Shan only knew to thank them softly, with a hint of awkwardness in his expression.

Seeing how demure he was, the Zhao lady thought that he had just become a wife from a young girl and was thin-skinned, so she greeted him briskly, “Peach Blossom Village has good mountains and good water, Lady Li should come out and socialize with us more. Anyway, we’re idle, so we can entertain you. Staying in the house all day will make you sick even if you’re not.”

The ladies flocked around Li Shan to the lecture. Sitting on the stage was a handsome monk wearing a golden-red kasaya, who actually had long hair, his dark hair like a waterfall. Believers knelt and kowtowed under the stage, incense filled the air, and the sound of chanting echoed.

Although the ladies did not believe in this Pure World Lotus Sect, they nodded repeatedly as they listened. During the break, several people couldn’t help but discuss with laughter, “This Dharma master speaks clearly and looks so handsome, could he be a reincarnated Buddha?”

Li Shan sat silently on the side. He didn’t like to talk in the first place, and the ladies were chatting about rouge and powder, so he couldn’t get a word in edgewise. For some reason, the face of the Dharma master he had glimpsed earlier suddenly appeared in his mind. He felt like he had seen it somewhere, but he couldn’t remember, and his chest felt like it was pressed down by a stone.

It was noon, and the sun outside was very poisonous, but his back was breaking out in cold sweat, and even his fingertips were cold. Unable to bear it, he used a headache as an excuse to leave early.

The ladies looked at Li Shan’s departing figure and couldn’t help but sigh, “She really is a frail beauty. Although she looks beautiful, her body is too weak.”

“But Young Master Li is quite concerned about her, otherwise he wouldn’t have moved to our Peach Blossom Village for her sake.”

The path to the side hall was a quiet path, with flowers and trees planted on both sides. The flowers were in full bloom, and a breeze blew a refreshing fragrance. Li Shan was still preoccupied with the matter of Shi En, and was walking absentmindedly with his eyes downcast when a monk suddenly turned out in front of him.

The monk was tall, wearing a moon-white monk’s robe with a red and gold-embroidered kasaya over it. He looked more like a prince or grandson than a monk.

As the two passed each other, Li Shan heard a light clatter as a hard object fell to the ground. Turning his head, he saw a round eastern pearl rolling twice on the bluestone path, finally stopping at his feet.

Seeing this, Li Shan subconsciously bent down to pick it up. The pearl had a soft luster and felt warm to the touch, obviously not an ordinary item.

At this moment, the monk also turned around. Li Shan slowly raised his head and met the monk’s eyes, his body suddenly stiffening. This monk was none other than the Dharma Master Shi En who had just lectured in the temple.

Seeing this, Shi En smiled at Li Shan, his eyes as gentle as water, but making Li Shan feel a chill running down his spine. He only heard Shi En say with a smile, “Thank you, Patron.”

Li Shan lowered his head and handed the eastern pearl to Shi En, avoiding the other’s eyes, but his fingertips trembled unconsciously.

Shi En looked at him frankly, took the eastern pearl from Li Shan’s hand unhurriedly, and his fingertips seemed to brush against Li Shan’s palm unintentionally. Li Shan quickly retracted his hand as if he had been electrocuted.

Shi En looked at Li Shan with a smile that was not a smile, and asked with feigned incomprehension, “Little monk thinks Patron looks familiar, I wonder if we have met somewhere before?”

Hearing this, Li Shan’s heart suddenly sank, as if the thing he had been worried about had come true. He couldn’t speak for a moment, only shook his head in a panic.

Seeing his dull and clumsy appearance, Shi En became more and more intent on teasing him, lightly stepping forward, approaching Li Shan step by step. He tilted his head and smiled, the gold-embroidered kasaya sleeves brushing against the back of his hand, the sandalwood fragrance clinging to him like a spider web.

Shi En asked in a flirtatious tone, “Could it be that little monk is mistaken? But when little monk saw Patron, he felt very happy in his heart, could this be the legendary karma?”

Li Shan immediately turned around as if he had been scorched by flames, his steps so fast that he almost tripped over the threshold. It wasn’t until he hid in the shadow of the side hall that he felt his back was wet with sweat.

Shi En’s smiling face could not be waved away no matter what, and the sandalwood fragrance in his nose was so strong that it was almost nauseating.

As night deepened, Li Huai Su had not yet returned home. The cold inkstone held the black ink that Li Huai Su had used to write during the day, which had long since dried and solidified.

Li Shan originally wanted to stay up and wait, but because of the panic and worry during the day, he had exhausted most of his energy. He fell asleep at his desk without realizing it.

In a daze, Li Shan felt someone gently stroking his cheek with their hand. He thought it was Li Huai Su, and his body made a subconscious reaction, obediently and affectionately leaning forward.

Seeing this, the person only took Li Shan’s behavior as acquiescence, and their hand became restless, their fingertips reaching into his collar. Li Shan was still a little drowsy, but when he felt the hand start to pull at his clothes, he suddenly woke up.

The tall candles burned in the night, but no one trimmed the candle wicks, making the room even darker.

The person used his arm to imprison Li Shan on the desk, almost making it difficult for him to turn around.

Li Shan tried his best to turn his head away, but saw the person standing against the light, almost unable to see his face clearly. But from the figure, he knew that it was definitely not Li Huai Su.

Li Shan was surprised and uncertain, “Who is it?”

Shi En raised a finger, and the candlelight in the room suddenly brightened, the flame almost leaping out of the candlestick, immediately illuminating the unclear appearance of the two people in the room. He only heard him ask with a smile, “Picking up the eastern pearl and returning it to little monk during the day, wasn’t it just wanting little monk to come find you at night? You and I are both in love, wouldn’t it be great to share this good night?”

Hearing such far-fetched and random words, Li Shan didn’t know how to respond. The firelight made the fair cheeks burn with large patches of red, and he couldn’t help but raise his voice, “I absolutely did not invite you, please leave here immediately!”

Shi En didn’t seem to care, slightly leaning over and approaching Li Shan. The two were very close, the warm breath from their noses almost intertwined. Shi En’s tone became more and more ambiguous, “A-Shan is really heartless, you were flirtatious at first, disliking your husband’s coldness and boredom, that’s why you often had illicit pleasure with me, but now you’ve completely forgotten? It’s really heartbreaking.”

Li Shan knew that his memory was incomplete, and he had no way to judge the truth of what Shi En said. He could only subconsciously argue, “You’re full of lies, I’ve never seen you before.”

Although the words came out, he felt a faint emptiness in his heart. Since the other party could speak so confidently, could it be that he really had something to do with this Shi En Dharma Master?

Shi En stepped forward, directly pressing Li Shan’s upper body on the desk. With a “clang”, he knocked over the pen holder, and the brushes fell to the ground with a crash.

Li Shan tried in vain to use his hands to resist Shi En’s chest, trying to push him away, but it was useless.

Seeing his reaction, Shi En only felt it was novel. He seemed to have become a villainous lecher forcing a good person into prostitution, and he acted with more and more relish, raising his hand and pinching Li Shan’s waist.

Li Shan’s body suddenly stiffened, and he looked at Shi En in horror.

Shi En narrowed his eyes and smiled, his lips and teeth sticking to the back of Li Shan’s ear and breathing, his words even more ambiguous, “You’re still as sensitive here as before, does A-Shan need me to continue? You also have a small mole on your lower back, I remember it clearly.”

Li Shan was both ashamed and angry, almost struggling so hard that his belt came loose. His lower back was tightly held by Shi En’s forearm, making him unable to move. The two chests were close together, and Shi En’s body temperature was scalding through the fabric. The familiar sandalwood fragrance almost drilled into Li Shan’s skull.

Shi En ignored Li Shan’s weak struggle, opened his belt with one hand, and continued to coax, “Why did Li Huai Su suddenly want to move here on the pretext of recuperating? Because—he previously caught you and me in adultery, the scandal became known to everyone, and he had to take you away. Do you know why he doesn’t allow you when you ask him for pleasure? He always cares about the matter between you and me, and has a grudge in his heart.”

Shi En made up lies at will, only looking at his expression and words, sincere and honest, unable to see the truth or falsehood at all.

Li Shan was clumsy, and facing Shi En’s glib tongue, he didn’t know how to refute him for a moment, and was directly led in by Shi En. He only said, “Please leave quickly, my husband will be back soon!”

Shi En stared into Li Shan’s eyes and suddenly lowered his tone, “I’m afraid I can’t fulfill your wish, Patron Li probably won’t be back for a while.”

Hearing this, Li Shan’s body suddenly stiffened, “What did you do to my husband?”

Seeing that he was frightened, Shi En smiled more and more happily, his fingertips caressing Li Shan’s delicate jaw, his other hand reaching down, “Of course I wouldn’t dare to do anything to him. It’s just that Patron Li encountered some dregs on the road, and he needs to spend more time dealing with them. Why the long face, isn’t this just the right time to leave time and space for the two of us?”

While Li Shan was silent, his fingertips had quietly grabbed the inkstone on the desk.

Shi En glanced lightly and noticed his thoughts, persuading him nicely, “A-Shan, just give in, today little monk just wants to renew our relationship, even if you are so heartless, wanting to break up completely from now on, you still have to give little monk this thing, little monk will guarantee not to pester you again in the future.”

He also said, “What’s the use of your struggle and resistance? It’s just drilling into little monk’s arms. It’s better to be more straightforward. If you really drag it out until your Li husband returns and sees the scene of the Vajra pounding the meat lotus, you won’t be able to explain it even if you have a mouth all over your body. Your Li husband will probably be completely disappointed in you, will he still want you?”

Hearing these dirty words, Li Shan was almost too ashamed and angry to speak, and his whole body was trembling.

Shi En, however, pulled off his robe while talking and laughing, his movements not as gentle as he said, and knocked out the cold inkstone that Li Shan was holding in his hand. The ink marks were dry, but they looked like ink splashed, such a beautiful picture.

Shi En was quite skilled in this kind of thing, and he also knew how to grasp the measure. When it came to the important part, Li Shan only felt his whole body soften, and he was completely out of his control, biting his lower lip hard to hold back his voice. Seeing his stubborn appearance, Shi En refused to let him have his way, putting his index finger into his lips and tongue, forcibly prying open his lips and teeth, and saliva dripped down his fingertips.

Shi En smiled and induced, “Is it more comfortable than your Li husband does it? There’s no one else around anyway, if you feel good, what’s wrong with calling out a few times?”

Li Shan, however, kept his head buried low, almost unable to support his body, occasionally letting out a few muffled groans.

Shi En was lying on Li Shan’s body, about to go further, but felt a gust of cold wind suddenly blowing through the three-layered cottage.

He was full of food and satisfied, his peach blossom eyes gleaming with waves, and when he raised his eyes, he was met with a furious sword light.

Shi En tapped his tin staff and came into close contact with Enraged Sea Rising Tide, bursting out a sharp explosion.

He turned over and wrapped his coat around himself, landed on the window lattice, and the sword energy cut off a strand of dark hair in front of his forehead.

Shi En belatedly noticed a sting on his face, and when he raised the back of his hand to wipe his face, he saw a bloodstain.

Enraged Sea Rising Tide was not an ordinary weapon, but a celestial magic weapon of Cuiwei Sword Pavilion. Even though Shi En was a demon with profound cultivation, the wound was unable to heal temporarily.

Li Huai Su stood tall and straight, his snow-white clothes stained with blood and frost, and the long sword in his hand was still dripping blood down the snow-white blade, as if he had just experienced a fierce battle.

His delicate eyebrows were furrowed tightly, and half of his handsome face was splattered with blood, like a jade-faced Yama.

The two looked at each other, and when Shi En saw that Li Huai Su was indeed angry, he didn’t intend to provoke him any further. He forcibly reached out and pinched Li Shan’s cheek and kissed him, turned over and left through the window, only leisurely leaving a sentence: “Since Patron Li doesn’t want to keep me, then little monk will take his leave first.”

The entire cottage was in a mess, exuding a strong smell of pleasure. The screen and the porcelain vases in the room were all damaged, either smashed or broken by the two’s attack.

Li Shan’s body was even more messed up by Shi En. His clothes were torn to pieces, and he only had time to barely pull them up to cover himself after Shi En let go of him.

His hair was disheveled and drooping like clouds, and his skin was covered with a thin layer of sweat and stained with rouge due to pleasure. He knelt and sat with his legs wide open, and his snow-white and slender thighs were exposed, reflecting a glistening light in the candlelight.

The dull stone beauty of the day seemed to have come to life at this moment. The statue that had been on display for thousands of years on the cliff sighed, and the cracks revealed the lively and fragrant honey inside.

Li Huai Su seemed to be pricked by this scene, took a deep breath, silently shifted his gaze, and took the silk cloth from the shelf to wipe off the blood on his sword.

Seeing Li Huai Su wiping his sword silently, Li Shan felt even more uneasy. This kind of silence was better than stabbing him to death with a sword. He timidly lowered his head and dared not speak.

Seeing his shrinking appearance, Li Huai Su felt even more angry, and his tone became a little heavier, “What are you doing sitting there? The dew is so heavy at night, don’t you know to put on your clothes? Do you want me to help you put them on?”

Li Shan was startled by his tone and hurriedly pulled up the clothes on his body, wanting to cover up his unbearable appearance. He explained tremblingly, but the words were also incoherent, “He forced me, I’m sorry, I don’t know who he is, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be with him…”

Seeing that Li Huai Su’s eyebrows were still tightly furrowed, as if he was extremely impatient, a fear of being abandoned suddenly arose in his heart, this fear far outweighing the other respect and fear in his heart.

Li Shan almost crawled forward on his knees, reached out and hugged Li Huai Su’s thigh, pressed the side of his face against the hem of his clothes, and asked in an almost pleading voice, “I know I was wrong, don’t don’t want me.”

Li Huai Su was almost stunned by his sudden action, and then realized that Shi En must have said some nonsense in front of Li Shan.

He also knew that his annoyance had made the already frightened Li Shan even more uneasy, so he suppressed his emotions and comforted him, “Don’t listen to that person’s nonsense, I didn’t don’t want you, get up first!”

Li Shan, however, stubbornly knelt, hugging Li Huai Su tightly. He seemed to have mustered all his courage to ask, “Do youDislike

me dirty, so you rejected me before.”

The anger that Li Huai Su had originally suppressed suddenly came up again, and he almost wanted to immediately kill him and beat Shi En. He asked back decisively, “How could that be?”

Yes, there has never been such a thing. They were originally a fake couple, and it had nothing to do with him who Li Shan was entangled with and who he had children with. This was the truth of the matter, this was the right track between them. But looking at Li Shan’s extremely dependent, extremely weak, and extremely obedient appearance, Li Huai Su could hardly suppress his complicated emotions.

Li Huai Su had no choice, he knelt down on one knee, took off his clothes and draped them over Li Shan’s shoulders. The clothes were stained with the blood of the dregs that Shi En had brought, and the bloody smell was strong.

Li Shan didn’t care, just raised his head dully and met his gaze, as if he had received final forgiveness. His still trembling arms supported the cold floor, slowly and reverently approaching Li Huai Su’s face.

His eyelashes trembled, flickering like butterflies on his cheeks, kissing Li Huai Su’s lips, which were carrying the cold dew from outside.