It’s Not Easy Being a Master, Chapter 79: Year After Year

The number of times Shen Zhixian came to the wasteland was actually very few.

At the beginning, Yan Jin didn’t want him to come because of the demons in the wasteland. So, he always took the initiative to go to Qingyun Sect. Later, after Yan Jin had completely conquered the wasteland, he would only allow Shen Zhixian to visit a few times, but his stay would be very short.

The last time Shen Zhixian came to the wasteland was half a year ago. His impression at that time was that the wasteland was still a land of boundless darkness.

But this time, when he opened his eyes, he was stunned.

The person who brought him had disappeared, and Shen Zhixian stood alone. When he opened his eyes, he saw the endless, countless stars in the night sky. A breeze was blowing, creating a scene that was like fine starlight.

Shen Zhixian stared blankly for a moment, then his lips curved into a soft smile.

The breeze blew something against his cheek. Shen Zhixian lifted his hand and pulled it away. A soft, lightly fragrant petal was held between his fingers. He shifted his gaze to the side and saw a tall peach tree.

This peach tree was like the peach blossom branch that Shen Zhixian had given Yan Jin in the secret realm. Yan Jin must have planted it here, and Xiao Caoya must have grown it. At the moment, the peach tree was bursting with peach blossoms, the branches swaying and seducing people’s eyes.

A swing was attached to a branch that stretched out horizontally and was overflowing with peach blossoms.

The swing looked very unusual. Between the two long ropes was a seat that looked like it was neither made out of wood nor jade. It was white and looked soft…as if it was a puffy cloud.

Shen Zhixian walked over and reached out to squeeze it. It was indeed very soft. His eyes brightened and he felt that this swing must be very comfortable to sit on. He sat down on the soft seat and swung for a while. But, he quickly grew bored swinging alone.

Yan Jin, that big pig trotter, brought him over and disappeared again.

Shen Zhixian reluctantly left the swing and moved away in the direction guided by the contract.

The stars in the sky illuminate the path ahead of him. As he walked, a familiar scene came into view. This looked like that place he’d seen in Yan Jin’s memory.

It was the place in the last life where they had lived and where Yan Jin had helped condensed his soul for him.

The only difference was that, in the last life, Yan Jin had built this house in a beautifully scenic place. But, in this life, this house was built in the wasteland.

Shen Zhixian slowed his steps.

In front of the house was a large open space. The layout here was similar to that of their Fifth Peak in Qingyun Sect. There was a small pavilion and underneath laid a jade table and a warm jade bed, all arranged according to Shen Zhixian’s preference.

The door of the house was half-opened. Yan Jin stood by the door, his posture straight and steady, his face…as expressionless as usual. But, when Shen Zhixian saw him, he was somewhat reminded of a scene that was described in a book he’d once read. Yan Jin looked as if he was a husband waiting for his small wife to return.

Shen Zhixian walked toward him with a smile. After only taking two steps, he saw at once that Yan Jin’s sleeve had a little blood stain. He smiled slightly, “You haven’t treated your wound yet?”

Knowing that it was a wound made by the carving knife, Shen Zhixian want them to go into the house so he could take a look at it.

As he neared, he heard a low sound coming from a corner of the house.

A fluffy little paw came out from the side of the house, followed by a head with floppy, pointed ears and big dark eyes that blinked carefully and timidly at Shen Zhixian.

Shen Zhixian looked at his slightly trembling ears and wondered, “What is this?”

He beckoned to the little hairball. The little hairball hesitated and ran out.

It was a fluffy little wolf cub.

Shen Zhixian loosened his hold on Yan Jin’s arm and bent down to hug the little fluffy ball. “Ah, a little pet.”

Yan Jin froze when he saw this little guy. He stared at it coldly, unexpectedly scaring it straight into Shen Zhixian’s arms.

The little pet’s spiritual force was very pure, indicating that its origin wasn’t simple. It was very small with long, soft fur. Even its soft cry was very milky.

Shen Zhixian particularly liked furry creatures. He rubbed at the little pet until it began to cry in its soft baby voice. Finally, he put it back on the ground, stood up, and once again tried to get Yan Jin into the house. With a smiling face, he said, “You’re actually secretly raising a little wolf cub”.

Yan Jin pursed his lips and replied calmly, “I’m not raising it. It was just picked up by the rabbit demon.”

Of course, Yan Jin didn’t bother with personally managing the demons and monsters in the wasteland on a daily basis. It was usually the rabbit demon who carried out his various commands.

Although the rabbit demon looked weak, it was very clever. The fact that it could live safely in the wasteland for so long amidst many stronger enemies was enough to accurately reflect its ability. As a result, it’d become the communication link between Yan Jin and the wasteland demons.

Despite being a cunning rabbit demon, its weakness was its propensity to pick up all kinds of strange things, only to throw them away later.

For example, it had picked up this little wolf cub from who knew where but didn’t look after it well.

The little wolf cub liked to come to Yan Jin’s residence very much. Fortunately, it was honest, and hadn’t wreaked havoc in Yan Jin’s place. As a result, Yan Jin kept one eye opened and one eye closed.

But it actually attracted Shen Zhixian’s attention in this way…

Yan Jin shot the little wolf club a cold look and silently made a note to talk to the rabbit demon before finally allowing Shen Zhixian to push him inside.

The little wolf cub followed, squatting cleverly not far from Shen Zhixian.

Shen Zhixian pushed the man down onto the edge of the bed. He heard the little wolf cub’s movements and turned his head to look at it.

The little guy cocked its head.

Shen Zhixian thought it was so cute. With a smile on his face, he couldn’t help teasing it with a few more soft words.

Yan Jin was left unattended in this way. His face grew cold. Finally, gritting his teeth, he stood up, strode over, picked up the little hairball, and walked a few steps to the door. He promptly deposited it outside and closed the door behind him.

The lock was drawn and, thinking that it wasn’t enough, he also added a restriction to prevent the little wolf cub…and others from entering.

Shen Zhixian raised his eyebrows and turned to silently look at Yan Jin as he shut out the little hairball. He only said “Why are you bullying the little guy?”, and then he patted the bed and motioned for Yan Jin to sit back down.

Shen Zhixian’s expression was normal and his smile was gentle and calm as usual. It seemed no different from any other days. But, somehow, Yan Jin’s heart was uneasy. He had an unknown feeling.

Yan Jin didn’t know if he was imagining it, but he sensed that Shen Zhixian seemed a little … unhappy.

Was Shen Zhixian not happy because he suddenly exposed his identity and brought him into the wasteland?

Yan Jin pushed down the restlessness in his heart and sat down obediently. He looked solemnly at Shen Zhixian, not showing the slightest expression on his face.

Shen Zhixian ignored him and took out his storage bag. He pulled out a lot of medicines and set them aside, then he simply went ahead and undid Yan Jin’s clothes.

Yan Jin was very obedient and didn’t resist. He didn’t need Shen Zhixian to tell him what to do. He took the initiative and raised his hand to allow Shen Zhixian to slide the sleeve of his shirt down.

Since a bit of time had already passed, the blood on the wound had already coagulated.  Shen Zhixian performed a cleansing spell and began to treat it. This wound wasn’t too serious. For Yan Jin, it was a minor injury. Once medicine was applied, it would quickly heal.

Shen Zhixian crushed a medicinal pellet and carefully packed the powder onto the wound. Yan Jin wanted to move, but Shen Zhixian patted his shoulder and calmly said, “Don’t move.”

Yan Jin didn’t dare to move again. He hesitated for a moment, and asked in a low voice, “Is Master angry?”

Shen Zhixian asked back, “Why should I be angry?”

“You were angry because I brought you here without telling you…”

Shen Zhixian rubbed the rest of the medicine onto Yan Jin’s wound. Then, he smiled and lightly rubbed Yan Jin’s face, much in the same way that he did with the little wolf cub. He said, “I’m not angry. Turn around. Let me see if you’ve hurt your back.”

Shen Zhixian only said “not angry” but it was difficult to determine what else was wrong… As Yan Jin was thinking this over, he didn’t pay attention and absentmindedly allowed Shen Zhixian to turn him around. He didn’t react until he suddenly felt a hand gently brushed down his back.

“No other injuries…”

Yan Jin shifted in discomfort. He wanted to turn around but was held back by Shen Zhixian. He had no choice but to resist his longing and stand upright to allow Shen Zhixian to do as he pleased.

He couldn’t see him so Shen Zhixian’s touch was all the more pronounced.

Yan Jin could clearly feel Shen Zhixian’s fingers slowly tracing the lines of his back.

After the heart injury had healed, Shen Zhixian was no longer as affected by the cold, but his body temperature was still somewhat low and his fingertips were always slightly cold.

At this moment, Yan Jin felt as if Shen Zhixian’s fingertips were on fire, heating his skin and making beads of sweat dot his forehead.

Yan Jin’s throat moved, and his voice was a little husky. “Sui Xian.”

“Mmn.” Shen Zhixian seemed to have no idea of the heat he was stirring and said with some regret, “There are some scars on your back. I told you before to put medicine on it, but you guarded me like I was a bandit.”

“I…”

Shen Zhixian didn’t give him a chance to answer. He interrupted softly, “But it’s not too late. It can still be treated.”

Yan Jin wanted to say no, but the moment he opened his mouth, his rejection dissipated. A warm softness gently pressed against the scars on his back. The heat was light as a feather, making him tremble for no reason.

Immediately afterward, those soft, warm lips moved up, tracing his old scars.

Occasionally, there would be a hint of moisture.

Yan Jin was completely frozen.

Then, he turned abruptly and easily pressed the person on the bed.

In the last life, after Shen Zhixian’s scattered soul was condensed, he was very weak. Even a small bump would result in a bruise on his fair skin. Yan Jin was worried and covered the house with all kinds of cushions. The bed, in particular, had a thick layer of it.

In this life, he also continued this habit and placed a soft and thick layer of cushion in the bed. When Shen Zhixian was suddenly overwhelmed, he found himself lying on a cotton pile with a heavy weight pressing him down. Yan Jin suppressed him with little effort, not allowing him to get up at all.

Yan Jin’s eyes had turned red and his breathing was heavy. Shen Zhixian was pressed close to him so naturally, he immediately felt his arousal.

Shen Zhixian smiled slightly and wrapped one arm around Yan Jin’s neck while the other hand touched Yan Jin’s face. He resisted slightly and said softly, “I’m sleepy.”

With Yan Jin’s hot breath on his face, Shen Zhixian repeated the words seriously and innocently, as if he was completely oblivious. “A’jin, I’m really sleepy.”

He deliberately softened his voice, his long eyelashes trembling, and vaguely revealed a bit of tiredness. Seeing Yan Jin staring at him, he blinked slowly, and the corners of his eyes immediately glowed with water, shining.

Having been with Yan Jin for so long, he knew clearly where Yan Jin’s weakness lay, and what gesture will make Yan Jin yield.

Shen Zhixian slightly raised his head and accurately and quickly pressed a kiss to Yan Jin’s mouth. He complained, “It took a lot of effort to break that knife….”

Softly, he whispered, “I’m so sleepy. Shall we rest? I haven’t slept with you for a long time.”

Every sentence was a huge temptation.

But the man who gave birth to the temptation only smiled softly and tenderly, filled with innocent tiredness, making it so that Yan Jin could only relent.

Yan Jin took a deep breath and held it for a moment before slowly letting it out.

Then he tilted his head in frustration and mumbled, “Okay.”

Shen Zhixian kissed him again with his eyebrows lifted up before pushing him off. Turning under the comforter,  he revealed a gentle smile “Isn’t A’Jin coming?”

Shen Zhixian was actually a very forgiving person. He was usually not too concerned about trivial things.

But this didn’t mean that Shen Zhixian won’t have a small book of secret revenge.

At this time, the first page of this small book was opened, and Yan Jin’s name was written on it.

Last time, Yan Jin toed the line but escaped without fully extinguishing the fire. Shen Zhixian had said that he wouldn’t allow him to touch so easily and that he would retaliate.

In order to prevent Yan Jin from recklessly messing around next time, he wanted to make Yan Jin regret it a bit. He embraced Yan Jin in a relaxed manner and rubbed against him in a natural, inadvertent manner until he found a satisfactory position. Finally, he closed his eyes comfortably.

Shen Zhixian didn’t lie. In fact, he’d been very tense when they were in the secret realm. He’d also performed such a big move. He was indeed a little tired. Feeling Yan Jin’s stiffness, he secretly rejoiced for a while, and then finally fell asleep.

Shen Zhixian slept deeply because Yan Jin was by his side. He didn’t need to guard against anything and just needed to sleep peacefully. When he woke up, he looked around in a trance, feeling for a moment as if he was in a different world.

Perhaps, the instinct of his previous life was still embedded in his bones. When She Zhixian woke up, feeling groggy, he subconsciously mumbled, “Still tired. I want to bath in the hot spring.”

It seemed as if, in some distant memories, he liked to soak in the hot spring after waking up. Because his soul hadn’t fully healed, he was always tired and found it frustrating to always be sleeping all the time. So he liked to bath to soothe away his fatigue.

As soon as he said this, Shen Zhixian’s mind cleared and he shook his head. With a smile, he said, “Still tired. Let’s lie down for a while.”

He was about to go back to sleep, but Yan Jin said, “There’s a hot spring in the back. The water came from a mountain with strong spiritual outside the wasteland. If you want to, you can try it.”

Shen Zhixian hummed with some interest. “Okay, let’s see it.”

……

The hot spring water was indeed full of spiritual power. Shen Zhixian didn’t know how much effort Jin Yan put into filling it from such a distant mountain.

Shen Zhixian kicked his shoes to the side. He stood beside the hot spring and dipped in his toes to sense the water temperature.

It happened to be his favorite temperature.

Shen Zhixian was happy. He came here without a coat and wore only his inner robe, which was very convenient for idling. He loosely fastened the sash and walked down the steps that were built into the hot spring pool.

His clothes soon became wet with water. The fabric floated up toward the water’s surface and faintly revealed a slender body. After getting into the water, Shen Zhixian found a slightly elevated stone platform and sat down, feeling quite comfortable.

“Will A’jin come in?” he asked casually.

When he was using the hot spring in Qingyun Sect, he’d asked Yan Jin to join him a few times but Yan Jin always refused. He’d become used to Yan Jin’s refusal. Today, he only asked at random, thinking that Yan Jin would shake his head. Unexpectedly, Yan Jin walked into the water and made his way toward him.

In the rising steam, the look in Yan Jin’s eyes was somewhat indecipherable.

Not thinking too much, Shen Zhixian moved aside to make room for him and said, “A’jin, rub my shoulders for me.”

The hot spring water was full of spiritual qi. The lingering strand of qi, along with Yan Jin’s massage, soaked through his skin and settled into his veins. It made him feel relaxed and drowsy. Shen Zhixian was like a big cat that had eaten its fill. He lazily nestled in Yan Jin’s arms, as if he was about to fall asleep again.

However, Yan Jin’s hands soon became unbridled. He quietly untied Shen Zhixian’s sash and pressed his hand against Shen Zhixian’s bare waist.

Shen Zhixian was suddenly wide awake. When he opened his eyes, he saw the heat in Yan Jin’s gradually deepening eyes. He immediately realized that things weren’t good and tried to slip away. But this time, Yan Jin was determined not to let him go. He gently but firmly pressed him against the stone platform.

Shen Zhixian lightly pushed him but he was immovable. His hands under the water only grew more wanton beneath Shen Zhixian’s waist. Shen Zhixian felt ticklish. He bit back a smile and continued to push him. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and husky, lined with a trace of pleasure. “Master won’t run away.”

Bad guy.

Shen Zhixian’s mind was becoming hazy. He didn’t know if he’d scolded Yan Jin out loud.

The water’s surface rippled delicately. Shen Zhixian’s whole body felt as if he was a boat in the ocean, floating and swaying non-stop.

As they reached the edge of bliss, Yan Jin slowed down. He lowered his head and lightly caught Shen Zhixian’s earlobe between his teeth. He murmured, “Does Master still remember what he promised me?”

Shen Zhixian opened his watery eyes. His gaze shifted slightly to the person in front of him. His mind was caught in a haze. How could he remember what he promised? He just wanted to urge Yan Jin to hurry up and continue.

But Yan Jin didn’t move. His eyes held a hint of a smile. “Master promised that he’ll read that book to me…”

His words helped Shen Zhixian remember. Some time ago, before they found out that it was Yan Shen who’d laid a trap for Yan Jin, they were traveling with that group of careless youths. That was when Shen Zhixian had promised him.

At that time, Yan Jin was being target by that those stupid people. Shen Zhixian was very upset so he had no choice but to think of something worthwhile to coax him with.

Shen Zhixian thought in a daze that there was indeed such a thing. He stared at Yan Jin regretfully.

Why did Yan Jin want him to read it out loud now….?

This scoundrel!

That book had too many sugary words. Under normal circumstances, reading it to Yan Jin would be bad enough. But, in this situation, wouldn’t it just be pouring oil in fire?

Shen Zhixian opened his mouth to refuse, only to find that his voice had turned soft and saccharine, like a cross between a piece of sweet cake and a kitten’s purr. His usual calmness was gone. Taken aback, he silenced himself and then settled on just shaking his head.

His earlobe was lightly pinched between Yan Jin’s teeth, and he couldn’t shake his head much. In fact, even if his earlobe wasn’t bitten, he still had no energy. At this moment, he felt as if he would melt into the hot spring water.

Yan Jin let go of his earlobe and turned to kiss him gently on his lips. Yan Jin whispered in a low voice, “Sui Xian’s words can’t be trusted…”

Then, Yan Jin proceeded to deliberately tortured him so that he could only cling tightly to Yan Jin’s shoulders. Every movement made his entire body felt as if he would go crazy. He trembled all over. If Yan Jin wasn’t holding on to him, he would probably fall limply into the water.

“If Sui Xian doesn’t want to read, then how about Sui Xian sing a song?”

Yan Jin’s mischief was simply too hard to hold down.

Shen Zhixian slightly tilted his head, panting in hot breaths. On his long eyelashes were drops of crystal beads, though it was unknown whether these were spring water or sweat. He clenched his teeth, his mind a desire-filled haze as he lost himself in his body’s instinct. When he spoke in a whisper, his voice trembled like a spring breeze blowing over branches of flowers. “Festivity in Spring, with a cup of green wine and a song… I bow down to profess three wishes…”

Festivity in Spring, with a cup of green wine and a song, I bow down to profess three wishes.

The first wish is for my love to live long, the second wish is for good health, and the third wish is for us to be like a pair of swallows resting on a beam…

His voice was uneven, the tone trembling. Shen Zhixian gained a bit of clarity. He opened his watery eyes and his mouth brushed against Yan Jin’s ear as he said the words clearly and succinctly.

“Together, year after year…”

“A’jin, let’s stay together, year after year…”

———————–
Xixi: What a sweet ending. Sigh. Well, at least there are still 3 extras left.

The poem is called “Longevity Girl” by Feng Yansi, composed for her husband. I took liberty with translating the word “love.” In the original poem, she’d said lord or lord husband. But, thinking about the context of this poem, love (as in lover) still seemed accurate enough.