Chapter Six: Regret

After all, it was his wedding day, so Qianshou gave it his full attention. The entire compound was festooned with lanterns and decorations, and Qianshou had already sent people to procure the necessary wine and ingredients. Even the wedding robes were made from fabrics and patterns personally chosen by Qianshou, hurriedly finished with the finest craftsmanship.

Qianshou disliked outsiders entering the Qianshou Sect, so only those from within, people who truly knew each other, attended the banquet. The somber and lifeless air that once hung over the sect was swept away, replaced by smiles on every face.

The wedding robes were completed just in time, finished the day before Qianshou's wedding. The red was so bright, almost like blood. Tradition dictated that the couple not see each other in the days before the wedding, but Qianshou cared little for such customs—especially since they were both men. What need was there to follow such conventions? Robe in hand, Qianshou went to find Wan Changxuan, who was standing by the window, gazing absently at the boundless blue sky.

Qianshou crept up behind him and embraced him from behind. "What are you looking at?"

Wan Changxuan smiled. "It's been so long since I've seen such a blue sky. I couldn't help but look a little longer."

Qianshou fell silent for a moment. All these years, he had kept Wan Changxuan locked in windowless rooms, so seeing the blue sky had become little more than a dream. Thinking of this, Qianshou spoke in a low voice, "Senior brother, have you ever blamed me?"

Wan Changxuan's smile was flawless. He answered calmly, "I did, but later I let it go. Little Qian, we're getting married tomorrow. Let's not talk about things that spoil the mood, all right?"

As he spoke, Wan Changxuan turned, embracing Qianshou in return. Qianshou, not wanting to refuse, placed the wedding robe aside and let himself be led to the bed, where they lost themselves in passion once more.

Afterward, Qianshou lay languidly atop Wan Changxuan, his face still flushed, his eyes carrying a hint of seduction. With a graceful flip of his pale, slender hand, he rolled off the bed, sighing helplessly, "Senior brother, I came to you for a reason, but now look—the day has turned to night."

"A reason?" Wan Changxuan sounded puzzled, then teased, "Whenever the esteemed sect master seeks me out, isn't it always for important business?"

Qianshou recalled and realized this was true, so he made no retort, letting Wan Changxuan laugh as he liked. Turning his back to Wan Changxuan, Qianshou touched the exquisite wedding robe with a complicated expression. When he turned, there was a shy smile on his face, but his actions were direct and unhesitating. He quickly put on the robe. "Senior brother, what do you think of the wedding robe I picked?"

When Wan Changxuan looked up and saw him, he could not tear his eyes away. The wedding robe made Qianshou's skin look even whiter, and his already fine figure became all the more striking. The allure that was woven into his very bones could not be hidden. Wan Changxuan could never have imagined Qianshou would look so stunning in red. In his heart, he could not help but marvel—what a breathtaking young lord!

Only then did Wan Changxuan realize he had never really looked closely at Qianshou's face. In his mind, Qianshou had always remained that youthful, innocent boy. Yet now, Qianshou had grown so outstanding, and within his eyes lingered a love so deep, so intense—love that Qianshou had never bothered to conceal.

A flicker of doubt crossed Wan Changxuan's heart. Had he truly made the right choice?

When Wan Changxuan had first entered the Qianshou Sect, it had not yet borne this name. He himself was a scout sent by the Xiao family, from the very beginning tasked with bringing down the sect. He never expected to encounter Qianshou, and so the deadline for his mission was helplessly delayed. Tomorrow, he would finally be free. He ought to be happy…

He ought to be happy.

Qianshou seemed not to notice Wan Changxuan had fallen into deep thought. He stepped in front of him, handed him the wedding robe, and said, "Senior brother, why don't you try it on as well?"

Wan Changxuan snapped out of his reverie, his gaze darkening as he looked at Qianshou. Suddenly, he pulled Qianshou down and kissed those maddening lips hard. Qianshou was caught off guard and let out a muffled sound. The seemingly simple wedding robe was far more troublesome to remove than Wan Changxuan had expected. He was about to tear it off entirely when Qianshou stopped him, frowning. "That's the wedding robe…"

Wan Changxuan, breathing heavily, stared at Qianshou like a beast eyeing its prey, unhappy at having his feast interrupted. Under his gaze, Qianshou blushed an even deeper red and whispered, "I'll do it myself." With a deft tug at some hidden fastening, the robe fell away.

Wan Changxuan's eyes grew darker still as he tossed the robe aside and pounced on Qianshou once more.

That night, Wan Changxuan was uncharacteristically passionate. Even Qianshou, who was usually insatiable, could not keep up; before Wan Changxuan was finished, Qianshou had already drifted into a hazy sleep. Seeing this, Wan Changxuan relented, holding Qianshou close as they slept. For once, he slept soundly and without dreams.

Before dawn, everyone in the sect was already busy. After days of preparation, everything was ready for today.

At the appointed hour, Wan Changxuan and Qianshou emerged, dressed in their wedding robes, ready to perform the ceremony. Both were men, so there was no talk of who was marrying whom, nor was there any need for a red bridal veil. They had no parents, so on the altar they placed the memorial tablet of their master.

Someone called out in a shrill voice, "First, bow to heaven and earth!"

Qianshou and Wan Changxuan each took one end of the red ribbon and knelt outside the hall. There was some distance between them, so Wan Changxuan did not notice Qianshou's body trembling slightly.

"Second, bow to the ancestors!"

Qianshou gritted his teeth and endured it. Before coming, he had applied some powder to his face in another room, so Wan Changxuan did not see how pale he had become, nor the cold sweat soaking his back.

"Spouses, bow to each other!"

Wan Changxuan turned to face Qianshou and saw the faint smile he offered in return.

"Send them to the bridal chamber!"

As soon as the master of ceremonies finished, the crowd was about to start teasing, when the sect leader's cold gaze swept over them. Instantly, all fell silent. Wan Changxuan stepped forward and took Qianshou's hand—it was icy cold. Strange, Wan Changxuan thought. To everyone, he said, "Go on, enjoy your wine and your meal!"

The sect members dispersed, laughing. Normally, Wan Changxuan and Qianshou would have gone to offer toasts together, but seeing how uneasy everyone was, they let it be. Instead, they returned to their room to eat. After all the activity, neither had eaten all day. By the time they finished, night was falling. Qianshou said he was tired and leaned against the bed to rest.

Wan Changxuan changed out of his wedding robe and stepped outside. There, he found the sect members all drunk and unconscious, which put his mind at ease.

As dusk settled, Ye Min set out for several locations, but upon arriving at the first, he sensed something was wrong. There was not a single guard where there should have been tight security. He checked several more places; the situation was the same. Realizing it was no use wasting time, Ye Min decided it was time to settle debts from years before and made his way in a few swift strides to the courtyard where Jiumian lived.

After making his rounds, Wan Changxuan set off a flare in a distant courtyard. Xiao Muran, lying in ambush nearby, watched silently. Xiao Qi, seeing Xiao Muran unmoving, asked, "Young master, aren't we going to act?"

Xiao Muran replied solemnly, "Wait for one more incense stick. If there's still no word from Ye Min, we'll proceed regardless."

Having finished his preparations, Wan Changxuan returned to the room. Qianshou was fast asleep against the bed. Wan Changxuan approached cautiously. "Little Qian?"

There was no response. Wan Changxuan reached out to touch him, and to his shock, Qianshou suddenly collapsed. Alarmed, Wan Changxuan caught him and drew him into his arms. As his hand moved across Qianshou's body, he felt a dampness—he looked down to find blood.

Only then did Wan Changxuan notice a strange discoloration on Qianshou's chest. He tore open the robe to find a wound, slowly bleeding. No wonder Qianshou's hands were so cold—why hadn't he noticed sooner?

Wan Changxuan shredded the wedding robe and pressed it to the wound, desperate to staunch the bleeding, but it was useless. Tears welled in his eyes, his voice hoarse and trembling. "Qianshou… Little Qian…"

Qianshou's fingers trembled as he replied softly, "What's all the noise?" He looked up at Wan Changxuan, whose eyes were red and helpless. In all these years, he had never seen his senior brother so lost. Qianshou smiled. "Regretting it now?" He knew well that the fifteenth was always strange for him. A strange day meant Qianshou and the Qianshou Sect would reveal their weakness…

Wan Changxuan whispered, "How could this happen? How could this happen?"

Qianshou laughed, and laughed again. "Changxuan, I withdrew all the guards. I'm so tired. Let me sleep, just for a while, all right?" With that, he closed his eyes in Wan Changxuan's embrace. So warm—this was all he ever wanted. He did not regret, only felt it was a pity that happiness came so late.

Wan Changxuan held Qianshou tightly, unable to let go. Listening to his words, tears streamed down his face. His voice was raw, "You knew? You actually knew!"

Qianshou sighed quietly. "Do you remember that night, when we went on a mission together and you were poisoned?"

Wan Changxuan recalled—he had blacked out after being poisoned, and by the time he awoke, he was back at the sect, but Qianshou had been absent for a while. Was it that time…?

He was right. Qianshou continued, "The one who injured you was Ye Min's father, the former top assassin. I later learned that it was Master who hired him to kill you. The wound I carry was also dealt by Ye Min's father. Those struck by him—the wound appears every fifteenth, the body turns cold, and they bleed to death…"

Wan Changxuan was stunned. Qianshou went on, "Master told me early on that you were a spy from the Xiao family. You shouldn't have treated me so well…"

He shouldn't have been so good to him, shouldn't have given him everything. Among their peers, if anyone bullied him, Wan Changxuan would stand up for him. In the end, he was only a talented orphan their master had taken in out of pity.

Master had sent Ye Min's father to assassinate Wan Changxuan, never expecting Qianshou would sneak out to join him on that mission. Wan Changxuan was poisoned, Qianshou nearly died—something Master could not bear to see.

It had been so hard to save Qianshou; since then, every month on the fifteenth, he had to spend time in a special ice cellar. For Wan Changxuan to insist on marrying him on the fifteenth was tantamount to killing him…

Suddenly, Wan Changxuan scooped Qianshou into his arms and rushed outside. Xiao Muran and the Xiao family had already arrived. When their eyes met, Xiao Muran was startled by the despair in Wan Changxuan's eyes. "Senior brother…" he called. In the Xiao family, Wan Changxuan and Xiao Muran had apprenticed under the same master, and Wan Changxuan was the senior.

Wan Changxuan, tears streaming down his face as he cradled the unconscious Qianshou, knelt and cried, "Young master! Please, save him! Save him!" He regretted it all, truly regretted. He would even trade everything to return to those days when Qianshou kept him captive…

At least then, he would never have realized that he had already lost, while Qianshou had won, clean and decisive, leaving him no chance to make amends.

Xiao Muran was silent. He had never seen his senior brother so panicked and disheveled. After a long pause, he relented. "Beneath the Qianshou Hall is an ice cellar. On the fifteenth, he always goes there."

Hearing this, Wan Changxuan turned and hurried away.

Xiao Muran sighed inwardly—his brother had truly fallen, and fallen hard this time.