“Didn’t you say… you were going to compensate me for everything?”
He brought up those words again amidst the fading glow of the sunset at the Sword Pavilion. Ye Fengjun, who had reverted to his former gentle and obedient self out of nostalgia for their past, surrendered and submitted as he always did.
Jun Wuwang couldn't resist the urge to tease him. He crossed his arms and pulled back, sitting at the far end of the curved balustrade. “Do it yourself,” he commanded.
Unsure of his meaning, Ye Fengjun looked down at himself and asked hesitantly, “Do you mean… the front, or the back?”
Jun Wuwang replied, “Both.”
Ye Fengjun knit his brows in a troubled frown.
Jun Wuwang watched him with a cold, silent gaze.
***
The next day.
The news that the Great Pavilion Master of the Sword Pavilion, Jun Xuanheng, had been seen sprinting through the courtyard while cradling the stark-naked Second Pavilion Master, Ye Tan, spread like wildfire throughout all of Moling.
The real Ye Tan guessed exactly what had happened, and his hostility toward those two individuals of mysterious origin grew even more intense.
At lunch, Ye Tan’s expression was grim. In front of everyone, he made a stern announcement: “The Sword Pavilion does not permit people to run around naked, nor does it permit people to run around while carrying someone who is naked. I hope everyone will conduct themselves with self-respect. If this happens again, there will be no leniency.”
Ye Fengjun said sheepishly, “Pavilion Masters, surely there’s no need to make a specific rule for something like this…”
Ye Tan sneered. “How would I dare to constrain our esteemed guests? This rule is for the members of my own Sword Pavilion.”
Ye Xiao’s face paled in shock. “Boss, you actually saw it?!”
Ye Tan: “???”
Ye Xiao began to explain frantically, “It’s not like I can control it, Boss! I tried to talk him out of it, but Ye Lan just wouldn't listen! Don't blame me, Boss!!”
Ye Tan: “...”
Jun Xuanheng couldn't help but try to soothe him. “Now, now, Ah-Tan, it’s not that big of a deal, is it? As long as they’re happy.”
Ye Tan was left speechless.
Jun Xuanheng turned and asked, “But why run around the courtyard naked? Is it actually fun?”
Ye Xiao said, sounding broken, “It’s not fun. I want to kill myself.”
Jun Wuwang lowered his voice and whispered, “Is it really that bad?”
Ye Fengjun gave a playful smirk. “Next time, you can try it for yourself.”
Jun Wuwang shuddered. He straightened his back and said with solemn gravity, “This matter offends public decency. It truly should be strictly regulated.”
Jun Xuanheng nodded. “Oh, since even you say so, Wuwang, then let’s add it to the rules.”
As the only normal person left in the entire Sword Pavilion, Ye Tan felt the burden on his shoulders grow even heavier today.
.................
Jun Wuwang and his companion moved into the main northern chambers with great fanfare, effectively ousting Ye Tan and Jun Xuanheng.
Fortunately, the Sword Pavilion was not lacking in space, so they simply moved to a detached courtyard on the other side. Ye Tan had chosen this particular courtyard himself; it was a good fifteen-minute walk from the main hall. He had his own selfish reasons for the choice—for some reason, he did not want his master to be too close to those two.
Even so, once night fell and the night watchman had already struck the third watch, Ye Fengjun still came knocking. Jun Xuanheng was leaning against a soft couch flipping through a book, listening to Ye Tan recite a story while the latter polished his sword. When their peace was interrupted by the visitor, Ye Tan was far from welcoming.
Ye Fengjun was draped in a loose, dark cyan robe, tied haphazardly at the waist. Leaning against the doorframe, he asked, "Could I borrow some hot bathwater from the host?"
Ye Tan ignored him completely, turning instead to seek Jun Xuanheng’s instructions.
"Are there no maids at Suoyue Pavilion?" Jun Xuanheng closed his book and sat up straight.
"The maids of the main hall serve the Master. Since you moved here, the maids naturally followed," Ye Tan replied, glossing over the details as if the lack of servants in the main hall was merely an oversight.
Jun Xuanheng, suspecting nothing, said, "Ah-Tan, go pick a few people and make the arrangements."
Having received the order, Ye Tan had to go out to give instructions. However, Ye Fengjun remained leaning against the doorframe, his head tilted as he gazed at Jun Xuanheng with no intention of leaving. Ye Tan absolutely did not want to leave him alone with his master.
Just as he was about to see the guest out, he heard Ye Fengjun say, "Look at your master."
Ye Tan turned at the sound. The night was clear and the moon bright; half the room was bathed in a dim amber glow, with only a few flickering lamps burning beside Jun Xuanheng. It was as if the starlight and candlelight converged upon him. On one side, the cold, lingering glow of moonlight filtered through the lattice windows; on the other, the soft, warm radiance of the candles felt like a fading sunset. The cinnabar mark between his brows was hidden in the interplay of warmth and cold, possessing both brilliance and loneliness. Because he had just pushed himself up from a reclining position to sit on his heels, his loosened collar had slipped to one side, revealing a stretch of collarbone and shoulder that looked like suet-white jade.
He was in his usual unguarded, leisurely state, watching Ye Tan with a look of confusion.
Ye Tan’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.
"Look at your master. Isn't he beautiful?" Ye Fengjun’s voice was low, like a phantom in an empty valley. "If you can restrain yourself even now, are you even a man?"
Ye Fengjun laughed and quickly turned to slip away. Ye Tan stood there in a daze, replaying Ye Fengjun’s words in his mind several times. Once he understood the implication, his face darkened, and the veins on his forehead throbbed.
Unable to endure it any longer, Ye Tan finally overstepped his bounds and asked, "Master, who exactly are those two? I originally guessed that Jun Wuwang might be your elder brother, but who is Ye Fengjun?"
Jun Xuanheng had long wanted to ask this himself, but Jun Wuwang had warned him that speaking recklessly would cause trouble. They had only told outsiders that the two were brothers to himself and Ye Tan. Recently, he hadn't had a chance to ask Jun Wuwang in private, so he tried to change the subject awkwardly. "I’m not entirely sure either. Why do you ask..."
Ye Tan said coldly, "I want to kill him."
Jun Xuanheng hurriedly stopped him. "Oh, you mustn't. They are friends; they mean no harm."
Ye Tan could sense that Jun Xuanheng didn't know much about them, yet he trusted them unconditionally, which made the situation feel even more dangerous. He sat back down by the couch gloomily, pulling his master’s loose collar tight and rearranging it, even undoing the belt to tie it again.
Jun Xuanheng felt quite frustrated.
He knew that he and Jun Wuwang shared the same root and origin, and he could probably guess that Ye Fengjun was connected to Ye Tan. They were essentially the same people, so why was Ye Tan’s attitude toward them so vastly different?
Despite his extreme aversion, Ye Tan still followed orders and went out to arrange for maids and guards to be dispatched to Suoyue Pavilion. When he returned from handling the matter, his expression had not softened. He served his master, helping him undress and lie back in bed, then closed his own eyes without a word.
"Ah-Tan..." Jun Xuanheng sighed, gently squeezing Ye Tan’s slender fingers as he made a soft request. "Be a bit kinder to Jun Wuwang. He is a very pitiable person..."
"Jun Wuwang is arrogant and rude, and Ye Fengjun is frivolous and contemptuous. These two have insulted my Master; I find it difficult to tolerate," Ye Tan refused coldly. "Aside from my Master, no one else concerns me."
He was usually mild and submissive, but the moment Jun Wuwang was mentioned, he became as resolute as a different person. Although Jun Xuanheng had not experienced those cycles of reincarnation himself, the mere thought of them made him feel wretched. He couldn't help but say, "What if I told you... that Jun Wuwang and I are actually the same person?"
Ye Tan turned his head in confusion to look at him.
Jun Xuanheng thought for a moment, trying to explain in terms Ye Tan could understand. "The Buddha spoke of billions of Mount Sumerus and billions of suns and moons, which constitute the Three Thousand Great Chiliocosms. With so many worlds... naturally, there are many Jun Xuanhengs and many Ye Tans. You and I, Ye Fengjun and Jun Wuwang—we are but one of them."
Ye Tan nodded. "I see."
He believed his master was a celestial being who had lost his way; any supernatural occurrence, no matter how world-shaking, was only to be expected. Jun Xuanheng had never lied to him. While this might sound preposterous to others, he didn't have a single shred of doubt.
"I met Ah-Tan, so I stayed here. But in every world, I wasn't always so lucky... to be loved by you, and then to live a peaceful and stable life." Jun Xuanheng’s casual smile held a hint of loneliness as he whispered, "Don't forget... when I was captured and tortured by the Second Young Master, it was he who saved me."
Ye Tan had always felt a lingering fear regarding that incident. Hearing it mentioned now, he couldn't help but be moved.
"You think he is acerbic, arrogant, sinister, and perverse... but that is because he was tortured until he warped through every cycle of reincarnation." Jun Xuanheng felt a sharp ache in his chest. He stood up and walked barefoot to the window, leaning against the frame. "If I had died in Zhongli Court that day, separated from Ah-Tan by life and death... I would have eventually gone mad too. I would have crossed countless worlds to find you, becoming as ruthless and cold-hearted as Jun Wuwang."
It was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over Ye Tan; his mind was shaken to its core. He had always felt he was naturally lucky to have met his master, and that though the road was bumpy, he always managed to turn danger into safety.
It turned out that none of this was ever due to luck.
In the dead of night, with the past vivid in his mind, Jun Xuanheng looked at the moonlight and suddenly began to wonder. "Ah-Tan... Jun Wuwang and I are clearly the same person. You love me so much, yet you avoid him. If my personality changes in a few years, will you stop loving me? Ah-Tan... what is it about me that you actually love?"
Ye Tan gently embraced him from behind, gritting his teeth. "I do not accept that."
Jun Xuanheng asked blankly, "What?"
"Jun Wuwang and you may indeed be the same person, but I do not accept it," Ye Tan said, his voice muffled against Jun Xuanheng’s neck. "Master is the one who rescued me when I was a broken man and took meticulous care of me. You are the one who gave me a name, the way of the sword, and a place to belong. You are the one who spent the years I know with me. No matter what Master becomes, I will love you... Regardless of what Jun Wuwang has done for me, I am grateful to him, but it ends at gratitude. Only you are my Master. I only love you."
In truth, ever since Jun Xuanheng learned that either he or Jun Wuwang was a duplicate, he began to understand why this was a taboo. He had started to wonder about the meaning of his own existence, questioning what he deserved and what he was unworthy of.
He had even considered whether he should step aside and give everything to Jun Wuwang, since the other had paid such a heavy price.
Ye Tan was never a man of many words, but he had likely sensed these thoughts.
"I was merely troubling myself with imaginary fears." Jun Xuanheng gave an apologetic smile and turned to gaze at him. "I didn't know Ah-Tan was so good at sweet talk."
Ye Tan had been so overcome with emotion that he forgot his humble forms of address. He was already regretting it and said bashfully, "Every word I spoke was sincere, not a jest."
Fearing the floor was too cold, and seeing his master’s expression soften, he quickly carried him back to bed. He then added apologetically, "I have been neglectful toward the guests these past two days, making things difficult for you. I am sorry."
Jun Xuanheng smiled faintly. "If you are a bit gentler to Jun Wuwang, he will be very happy."
Ye Tan nodded. "I will be mindful of that. As for Ye Fengjun..." The thought of that man still brought him great displeasure. Ye Tan was a serious person who never feigned politeness, so he spoke plainly. "If he is disrespectful to Master again, I will teach him how to behave."
Jun Xuanheng felt uneasy hearing this. Jun Wuwang was far more powerful than himself, and Ye Fengjun’s strength was likely superior to Ye Tan’s as well. He hurriedly said, "You must not get into a conflict with him. You might... not be able to beat him."
Ye Tan remained unmoved. "Win or lose, as long as I have a breath left, I will never allow that man to take liberties with my Master."
Jun Xuanheng couldn't talk sense into him either way, and eventually fell asleep, full of worry.
***
