Eternal Night - Chapter 15
He stopped, yawned, and slowly walked to the waterfall.
He looked up at the iron chains atop the cliff not far ahead, and soon felt the pair of eyes stuck to his back pricking him like needles. Xinghun sighed and leaped onto the bluestone beside the waterfall pool.
The pond is abundant with a type of white fish that is scaleless, has few bones, and has thick, meaty flesh; it is especially delicious in winter. He plans to grill a fish to treat himself.
He stared at the fish swimming around his feet, then picked up a sharpened twig to see which fish was the biggest.
With a splash, Xinghun cheered and jumped ashore, holding a tree branch. A large, fat white fish was pitifully pierced through the skin.
He gathered firewood and started a fire. With his well-fired steel dagger, he made seventeen or eighteen cuts on the fish, carefully applying the seasonings and spices he had obtained from the spirit medium. While his hands were focused on the task at hand, his ears and senses were alert to the gaze he was being watched.
"He's really patient!" he cursed inwardly. He placed the fish over the fire and began to turn it over to roast.
Xinghun recalled a time when he went to work and the target was eating at a seafood restaurant. He was cold and hungry, lying on the upper floor not far away. The other person ate for a full three hours, and he waited for three hours. He didn't dare to relax for a moment, afraid of missing the moment the target left the restaurant.
He smiled as he smelled the smoky aroma of the fish, wondering how long the person behind him could stand there and endure it.
The sun shone warmly down, and Xinghun felt sleepy. He wished he had a pair of sunglasses so he could better feel the daytime.
But he couldn't move, couldn't show that he had noticed something was wrong. A trace of sadness flashed across Xinghun's face. His master in green had sent him here to practice alone, without giving him even the slightest hint. This was what hurt Xinghun the most.
Having spent two years with the man in blue, Xinghun had developed some feelings for him. He hoped this warm feeling could last forever, even if it was just a dream, and he never wanted to wake up. He even felt that if he didn't think about the cruelty of entering the valley, or its mysteries, this would be good enough. However, the taciturn and honest man in blue still didn't tell him the truth. He smiled and thought, "Assassins really don't need emotions."
As Xinghun ate the fish, he felt it didn't taste as good as usual, and it was a little hard to swallow. However, he still had to finish it with relish. If the eyes behind him were still glued to him, he planned to grill another one. After all, the seasoning Huihun had prepared with Chinese herbs was very fragrant and tempting.
When the delicious aroma of food reaches our noses, hunger is automatically triggered in the brain, causing various reactions. For example, the stomach rumbles, saliva is secreted, and willpower relaxes.
Xinghun squinted and looked up at the sun. It was high in the sky; lunchtime. He was grilling fish while the other person watched on an empty stomach—he wasn't losing out. Thinking this way, he felt a little better.
He slowly finished eating the fish, yawned, picked a few leaves to cover his face to block the glaring light, and lay down to sleep.
His consciousness and breathing gradually merged with the surrounding scenery. Based on his experience in his previous life, and the more than two years he spent in the stone chamber in this life, Xinghun's endurance was beyond that of ordinary people.
After dozing for a while, he sensed the person not far away shift their feet a few times. Were they tired of standing? Xinghun was delighted with this discovery. Even though the newcomer possessed extraordinary composure and high skill, there were times when he couldn't resist.
Let's just wait and see who can't take it anymore.
The person was walking towards him. Xinghun waited until the person got closer before brushing the leaves off his face and seeing Li Yannian.
He rolled over and got up, looking at Li Yannian in surprise, momentarily forgetting how to greet him.
"You're good, but he won't fish out of the pond and roast them in the wild," Li Yannian said calmly.
He seemed to look exactly the same as he did two years ago, wearing a robe with silver fur, exuding nobility and imposing presence.
Xinghun smiled brightly: "Want some? I can grill one for Steward Li." He was thinking to himself, could this trip out of the valley be related to Li Yannian?
"Thank you," Li Yannian politely declined, staring at Xinghun's face for a long time before smiling. "Go kill that child, we'll leave the valley tomorrow."
Xinghun was a little surprised. He killed that frail child in purple robes in the bamboo forest? So quickly?
After Li Yannian finished speaking, he turned and left, decisively leaving Xinghun no time or opportunity to ask questions.
How ruthless! They wouldn't even spare a child! But if he didn't kill him, it was obvious he would die himself. Xinghun felt a pang of sadness. He silently grilled two more fish, lost in thought.
That night, he went to find Yuepo.
Moon Soul was delighted to see Star Soul and handed him a small bottle, saying with a smile, "If you apply this to your skin, it will cover up your skin tone."
"Is Master Huihun not here?" Xinghun took the medicine bottle and felt a surge of warmth in his heart.
Moon Soul shook his head, and Star Soul felt a little lost. He had accepted Li Yannian's mission, but then all three of his masters disappeared. Were they off writing their graduation evaluations?
"Xinghun, what's wrong with you today? You seem distracted," Yuepo complained.
Xinghun smiled and said casually, "I was wondering how long your medicine would last. Is there any medicine that can make someone fall asleep and never wake up again?"
Yuepo's body trembled, and the room suddenly fell into a deathly silence.
"Yes," Yuepo finally answered, not needing to ask what the medicine was for. Here, their fates were already sealed. He didn't care about falling into hell himself, but he was saddened that the person he cared about most was also unable to escape, just like him.
"If you don't wash it off with this powder, it can stay for a month."
"Have you taken any medicine that makes you immune to all poisons?"
Yuepo rolled her eyes at him: "There are people who are immune to all poisons."
"Is that so?"
"dead!"
Xinghun paused, then hugged Yuepo and laughed. Even the way the disciples from the Huihun Sect spoke was exactly the same. He pulled a grilled fish from his pocket: "Here you go."
"It smells delicious!" Yuepo's appetite was whetted.
"Fool, it still smells good when it's cold?"
"Everything you bake smells delicious."
He gazed quietly at Yuepo and suddenly asked, "If we separate in the future, will we still be able to recognize each other?"
Yuepo paused, then lowered his head after thinking about it. After a moment, he raised his head and pinched Xinghun's face: "Yes, I will. I will definitely recognize you." He looked at Xinghun firmly.
"Will we become enemies in the future?"
Yuepo's face hardened, displeased: "No, of course not. Even if someone is an assassin, they still kill others."
"What if the people in the valley ask you to kill me?" Xinghun looked at Yuechang very seriously. He had vowed to have no friends in this life, but he still couldn't bring himself to treat Yuepo as a stranger.