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With elegant and decisive steps the couple passed among their subordinates, arriving in front of the throne Di Feisheng left his bride's hand and then sat down. The new "lady" of the Jinyuan Alliance offered him a soft smile and then turned towards the crowd, the fine black and blue dress, that demonstrated the high position in command, seemed to shine, highlighting not only his exquisite beauty but also the power of his cultivation which only that of their leader could match.
"Spread this message throughout the Jianghu, Li Xiangyi is dead"
"Yes, Di-furen!" All the subordinates exclaimed, bowing.
Madam Di looked at them with satisfaction and then turned his attention back to his husband. Di Feisheng extended his arm and offered his hand, Madam Di rolled his eyes slightly smiling and then took it. With a quick gesture the leader of the alliance trapped his bride in his arms.
"A-Yi, you're comfortable giving orders" he whispered in his ear making him shiver.
"Di-Mengzhu, is this causing you trouble? You were the one who gave me this right when we sealed the marriage," A-Yi replied, brushing his lips against Di Feisheng's.
“Xiangyi, don't provoke me,” Di Feisheng warned, grabbing his chin.
"I would never dare"
“I'm starting to regret saving you.”
Li Xiangyi released a powerful laugh.
“You would never do that, after all you are madly in love with me”
"You're right," Di Feisheng replied, sealing their lips.
While the couple indulged in passion, in a short time the news of the death of Li Xiangyi, once the leader of the Sigu Sect who had been missing for several months, had invaded the whole of Jianghu. Rumors said that he had died at the hands of Di Feisheng, his known enemy, during a peace negotiation but the truth was quite different.
-------
The Sigu Sect leader must have gone mad. This is the first thought that crossed Di Feisheng's mind when he found himself in front of a messenger from the aforementioned sect with an urgent letter and... a bride.
A bride tied up and covered from head to toe in red, brought there surely against her will.
Apparently they wanted to offer an alliance in exchange for a marriage with a disciple to unite the two clans.
Di Feisheng didn't even open the envelope, he threw it at the messenger's feet, clearly indicating his disinterest in the matter.
Furthermore all this was an insult to his person, using these tricks to get something from him was outrageous and above all he wasn't that kind of person, he might seem ruthless but he had principles.
"I will not involve an innocent woman in your pathetic attempt to bribe me to get what you want"
"Please reconsider the offer, I'm sure that after seeing her you will be ecstatic to accept" replied the messenger grinning, for some time there had been a rumor that the great leader of the Jinyuan alliance was obsessed with a person and he was sure that he would not rejected the bride.
The messenger kicked the soon-to-be Madam Di on the back of the knees causing the bride to kneel in front of Di Feisheng.
With one swift and fluid motion, the messenger pulled away the veil, and Di Feisheng's expression changed in an instant.
Before him, pale and frail, with acupuncture points clearly sealed, was the head of the Sigu Sect himself, Li Xiangyi.
His eyes were covered with a red fabbric and his skin was dotted with droplets of sweat. He appeared not to be totally conscious and could barely keep himself upright.
"I knew that after seeing him..." the messenger didn't finish the sentence as he fell to the ground with a thud, his eyes wide and his throat torn open.
Di Feisheng wiped the blade of his saber on the messenger's lifeless body and then replaced it in the sheath.
He then turned to Li Xiangyi who hadn't moved an inch. He pick him up bridal style and as soon as Li Xiangyi put his head on Di Feisheng shoulder he completely passed out.
"Get rid of the body and let no one talk about what happened" he ordered Di Feisheng as he headed towards his room.
This time they had crossed the line.
------
Bicha poison, Li Xiangyi had been poisoned with Bicha poison, an incurable poison.
Di Feisheng suspected it, no one can beat Li Xiangyi and to be able to take him there they certainly had to poison him.
Medicine Demon had been examining Li Xiangyi for several minutes now, and his expression did not bode well.
"Leader, I don't think he will survive long, it seems he has been in this state for several weeks, it's a miracle he is alive"
Di Feisheng clenched his fists, if Li Xiangyi was alive it was thanks to his extraordinary internal energy but according to Medicin Demon they had kept his acupuncture points sealed for too long not allowing him to repel the poison. And now his body was failing.
"Find a cure, even if temporary, it must not die or the blame will fall on you"
"Yes, leader," Medicin Demon bowed and then left the room
Di Feisheng approached Li Xiangyi and observed him. At that moment he did not seem like the strong and arrogant sect leader that obsessed his mind, the only opponent worthy of fighting with him. He was lying on his bed still wearing his wedding dress and blindfold and immersed in all that red he looked so young and defenseless, at the mercy of the world, at his mercy.
Di Feisheng had to admit that seeing him in that pathetic state fascinated him. Having his fragile life in his own hands had awakened something in him, a strong desire to protect him.
He was awakened from his thoughts by a movement coming from Li Xiangyi. He observed him carefully and noticed that he must have awakened. He was feeling the sheets around him with his hands as if trying to figure out where he was.
"You're in my bedroom"
------
Li Xiangyi jumped in fright as he heard a voice coming from above him. He woke up disoriented and with a throbbing pain in his head, his vision was obscured and his muscles protested with every movement.
He tried to remember what had happened but his mind was clouded, never before had he felt so lost and the thought of not being able to defend himself terrified him.
"Who are you?"
The man didn't answer and felt him sit down next to him. Without giving him time to react he sprung into action, pinning him under him, blocking his wrists.
"Tell me where I am and who the hell you are"
The man laughed and nimbly reversed the positions.
“Li Xiangyi, you are always full of surprises”
He felt his warm breath against his face.
"In this state you wouldn't be able to hurt even a fly"
"Shall we bet?" With all his strength he raised his leg hitting the man right in the genitals.
The man grunted in pain and Li Xiangyi took the opportunity to push both of them to the ground. Once out of his grasp he tried to stand up but the man pulled him by the ankle causing him to slam violently against the floor. As he fell, the piece of cloth covering his eyes came off.
Li Xiangyi opened his eyes but there was only darkness around him.
Disconcerted, he raised a hand to his face.
"I can't see..."
------
Di Feisheng knelt in front of him, cupping his face in his hands. He examined his eyes but outwardly there seemed to be nothing wrong. Was it a consequence of the poison?
Li Xiangyi continued to stare into space and seemed to be genuinely frightened by the revelation. He picked him up and brought him back to the bed and then asked a guard to immediately call Medicin Demon.
“Leader, you are right, the poison hit the eyes,” Medicin Demon confirmed.
“Is there a way to get his sight back?”
Betrayed by the people he considered family, poisoned and now blind, Li Xiangyi must know but above all see the betrayal of his sect and will not let him die without taking revenge.
"I may have a solution but I need to do more research, for now he need to apply an ointment to his eyes twice a day"
"Very good, you can go"
Medicine Demon bowed briefly and then exited the room.
“So my fate is to die blind at the hands of an unknown enemy, and so be it,” Li Xiangyi laughed bitterly.
"I never said I wanted to kill you," Di Feisheng replied, standing with his arms folded.
"I have become useless to you"
"This remains to be seen" the leader of the Jinyuan alliance grabbed him by the chin "And we are not strangers" he whispered and then let him go.
Li Xiangyi frowned as if he had an intuition. He reached out to Di Feisheng, searching for his face. Once he was in contact with it he began to trace his features with his fingertips, then placed both palms of his hands on his cheeks. He tilted his head slightly with a thoughtful expression then locked eyes with Di Feisheng's.
“A-Fei?”
------
He couldn't have been wrong, the man in front of him was definitely A-Fei, the boy he played with as a child.
They had met on one of Li Xiangyi's escapades down the mountain and from that day onwards they continued to meet secretly to challenge each other.
He still remembered how he was the only one with whom he could have a fight that put him to the test, too bad that then he suddenly disappeared.
"You're A-Fei, aren't you?" He asked again continuing to caress his face trying to memorize every detail.
The man didn't answer, and Li Xiangyi finally found what confirmed his hypothesis, the dimple on his chin. As a child he loved running his fingers through it.
“It's definitely you!” He exclaimed with joy lighting up his face.
"How long has it been, I thought you forgot about me"
“I could never,” A-Fei finally spoke.
Li Xiangyi smiled even more and then wrapped his arms around A-Fei.
"Thanks for saving me"
He felt A-Fei hesitate but then hugging him back.
Li Xiangyi could finally breathe a sigh of relief, if he was in the hands of A-Fei there was still a hope to get out of this situation alive.
------
It was the third time he had reread the report. Di Feisheng's mind kept returning to the previous day's events, how Li Xiangyi had recognized him as A-Fei and not Di Feisheng, his arms around his neck, his smile full of joy.
He shook his head to clear those thoughts away again. Only a day had passed since he saved Li Xiangyi and he was already losing control.
In the state in which the former leader of the Sigu Sect now found himself, weak and blind, he would have thrown him onto his mattress, making the marriage agreement official.
Because yes, Di Feisheng wanted to make Li Xiangyi his wife, and would have done so immediately if it weren't for Medicin Demon who absolutely prohibited excessive efforts for Li Xiangyi.
He slammed his fists hard on the table and then jumped up. He needed to make Li Xiangyi his before he could slip out of his hands.
With long strides he reached his bedroom where he had locked Li Xiangyi. He opened the door and entered with determination but then stopped abruptly.
Li Xiangyi was sitting on the edge of the bed, his hair no longer gathered in his usual ponytail but left loose and falling softly around him with the ends still wet from his bath in the tub, he had his gaze fixed straight ahead and with movements slowly and trembling he was trying to close the robes which were large on the shoulders.
He looked so fragile.
"Who's there?" Li Xiangyi asked as he slowly stood up.
Di Feisheng didn't respond, just stared at him, the earlier intention vanished into the air.
“I know someone is there, I can feel you breathing,” Li Xiangyi continued, taking a few steps with his hands sifting through the air.
He continued to advance until he was in front of Di Feisheng who grabbed his arms.
"Careful"
Li Xiangyi rolled his eyes and then punched Di Feisheng's chest.
“A-Fei, you could have announced your presence instead of standing without saying a word.”
"I'd rather see you wander around the room."
"Ha ha very funny"
Di Feisheng curled his lips slightly. Seeing Li Xiangyi joking had a strange effect on him.
"It's good that you're here, I have to tell you something important," Li Xiangyi began, grabbing his forearms.
"I remember what happened to me"
“Speak,” Di Feisheng urged.
The former Sigu Sect leader clutched the sleeves of Di Feisheng robes in his hands trying to contain his anger.
"It was all Shan Gudao's plan"
------
After spending a night writhing in pain in bed with the poison burning every fiber of his body, Li Xiangyi was able to remember.
It seems like an afternoon like any other and as always after training he went to drink tea with his senior.
They were discussing the latest events when he began to feel strange, the room began to spin and objects began to become blurry.
He barely managed to look up and see Shan Gudao's satisfied smile before he fell to the ground unconscious.
When he woke up he found himself in a cell, chains on his wrists and acupuncture points sealed.
He didn't know how much time had passed, he remembered Yun Biqiu taking him out and whispering something, then dressing him like a doll in red, tying him up and sending him away as a gift for an alliance.
"Are you sure?" A-Fei asked after listening carefully.
Li Xiangyi nodded, he was sure.
A-Fei took his shoulders and squeezed them lightly.
“If you want to kill Shan Gudao I will do it for you”
At those words Li Xiangyi was perplexed, it was true that they had met as children but they still didn't have much confidence in each other and letting A-Fei get his hands dirty for him was something he didn't want, he couldn't drag him into the his problems.
"I don't need it" he refused with a slight smile.
“It's not a problem, after all we are married, whoever dares to harm you will perish at my hands”
Again he wouldn't hesitate to kill for him, oh A-Fei.... wait did he say married?!
Li Xiangyi must have heard wrong, the poison had definitely affected his hearing too.
"I think I heard wrong, did you happen to say married?"
A-Fei snorted a laugh.
"Since I took you in I have accepted my role as a husband and my wife's enemies are my enemies"
He never expected this and he said wife?
"Why would I be the wife? What gender roles are we pushing here?" He asked indignantly, pointing his finger at his chest.
“I wasn't the one in the wedding dress,” A-Fei murmured in his ear.
"You!" Li Xiangyi's face caught fire and turned red with embarrassment.
------
Over the next three days, Di Feisheng and Li Xiangyi established a routine.
Di Feisheng would visit Li Xiangyi twice a day to apply ointment to his eyes, and at those times the former Sigu Sect leader would ask what was going on in the world outside.
Strangely, Li Xiangyi did not feel like a prisoner, in fact for the first time he felt he could abandon the pedestal on which they had placed him to protect them and finally be able to rest.
But he knew in his heart that it wouldn't last forever, the moment he regained at least 10% of his strength, even if he was blind, he would have to deal with Shan Gudao, after all, he couldn't abandon his sect.
He was meditating to regulate his internal energy to repel the poison when he heard the door open.
Light footsteps invaded the silence of the room and judging by the breathing it must have been a woman.
"To what do I owe the pleasure of a maiden's visit?"
The girl laughed.
“Oh, Li Xiangyi, you really live up to your fame.”
The girl approached him and caressed his cheek gently.
"But you're also too naive"
Li Xiangyi tilted his head, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. Naive? Only one person in his life had called him that and then betrayed him.
"And why would I be?"
"You don't know who your savior really is, but don't worry, once you're gone his attention will be mine again" said the girl and then released that laugh of hers again.
Fantastic thought Li Xiangyi sighing an A-Fei fanatic thinks we are competing for his attention
He closed his eyes as he took a deep breath, he was starting to feel a slight headache forming at the base of his skull, not to mention the pain that had started to creep into his bones again.
"I think you misunderstood the situation," he informed her.
"You're the one who didn't understand" the girl replied grabbing his hair forcing him to look up at her "He's mine"
Li Xiangyi wanted to answer her but couldn't open his mouth. The pain in his head had suddenly increased, his limbs felt heavy and with every breath his chest tightened painfully. He could no longer hold back the lump of blood in his throat and began coughing.
The girl yelped and backed away.
“Jiao Liqiao, what have you done?” a voice thundered behind her.
------
Di Feisheng immediately ran to Li Xiangyi who was still coughing blood, his face pale and his breathing labored.
"Call Medicin Demon, NOW" he ordered Jiao Liqiao as he supported Li Xiangyi who collapsed exhausted in his arms.
The woman hurriedly obeyed and left the room.
Li Xiangyi released a wet laugh.
"It seems...I won't...live...long..."
"Shut up, you won't die," Di Feisheng scolded.
It had only been a few days, how could it have gotten worse in such a short time?
"A-Fei..." Li Xiangyi called him gasping with tears in his eyes.
Di Feisheng looked down at him.
"XieXie..." he whispered, smiling and then lost consciousness.
Di Feisheng took him into his arms cupping his cheek.
“Li Xiangyi!” he tried to wake him by shaking his face.
"LI XIANGYI"
Something wet fell onto Li Xiangyi's face, drop after drop. Di Feisheng couldn't stop his tears. He felt Li Xiangyi's inner strength diminishing, felt him fading in his arms.
No, he couldn't die, not like this.
He forcefully slammed his lips onto Li Xiangyi's while with one hand resting on his chest he infused his spiritual energy into him.
He continued to push the energy until he felt a balance inside Li Xiangyi.
Shortly after, Li Xiangyi joilted spitting blood again, and then his breathing became more regular.
Just then Medicin Demon entered the room.
Di Feisheng glanced at him.
Medicin Demon nodded and immediately got to work.
------
It took Li Xiangyi seven days to regain consciousness.
Days in which Di Feisheng stood by him, applying ointment to his eyes.
"You're awake"
He slowly turned his head towards where A-Fei's voice came from.
"I'm alive" he whispered in a hoarse voice, his throat was dry and his mouth was sticky.
"I told you I wouldn't let you die"
A-Fei helped him sit down and felt the rim of a glass against his dry lips. He gladly accepted the liquid which cooled his throat.
“I found a way to expel the poison,” A-Fei informed him, helping him lie down again.
"At this point I don't think it's possible anymore"
"You must destroy your meridians"
Had he heard correctly? Destroy your meridians? It seemed like suicide, not a solution.
A-Fei noticing his puzzled expression continued with the explanation.
"Once you destroy them you can reach the next level of Yangzhouman and completely detoxify the poison"
It made sense but with his body so weak he wouldn't be able to do it.
"I don't think I can, not in this state."
“We'll fix you,” A-Fei assured him.
"You seem to have great confidence in your small group of subordinates," Li Xiangyi noted.
He had guessed that in the years in which they had not seen each other A-Fei had become almost as strong as Di Feisheng, the leader of the Jinyuan alliance, and had founded a sort of clan, small but efficient.
A-Fei chuckled.
“My resources are wider than you think”
------
It had been a month since Li Xiangyi had settled in the Jinyuan Alliance, and everyone had become accustomed to his presence by now.
Thanks to the Medicin Demon's care he had managed to get his body back on track even though on several occasions he still suffered from some pain, after all he still hadn't detoxified himself of the poison.
In the last period he had felt much better and was often at Di Feisheng's side, this had generated several rumors such as the one in which they would soon make the marriage official and because of which they had started calling Li Xiangyi as Madam Di.
Li Xiangyi always laughed about it, amused that they had mistaken them for a couple.
“For a blind man who was poisoned you are quite cheerful,” A-Fei said as he applied the ointment to his eyes. They were the only thing that still hadn't improved.
Li Xiangyi gasped in mock surprise.
"This is how you hurt your wife"
"So now you're my wife"
"According to rumors we are about to officially tied the knot"
A-Fei chuckled before grabbing his wrists and pinning him to the mattress.
"Shall we drink the wine and move on to the consummation of the marriage?"
Suddenly the bravado left Li Xiangyi's body. A light blush spread across his cheeks and his heart began to beat wildly. When had he started feeling this way about A-Fei? In the last month they had become very close and something had been born between them but he hadn't yet understood what. When he was with him, her plan to face Shan Gudao and take back the sect vanished into thin air.
"Leader," a woman's voice interrupted them.
It was Jiao Liqiao who was doing nothing but trying to separate them all the time.
A-Fei released his grip and then stood up, pulling Li Xiangyi with him.
"There's news in Jianghu" the woman continued, even though he couldn't see Li Xiangyi could hear the disgust in her voice, finding them in that position must have made her angry.
"Speak"
“They announced that the leader of Sigu Sect is missing and that Shan Gudao will take his place until he is found.”
Disappeared? Li Xiangyi felt like laughing, if anything he had been sold. Apparently Shan Gudao wanted to arouse the pity of the people to set himself up as a savior, in this way he would gain their trust and once Li Xiangyi was killed he would be officially accepted as leader without problems.
You will have to pass over my corpse
------
Li Xiangyi couldn't wait any longer, he had to detoxify himself from the poison as soon as possible and return to Jianghu to put an end to the matter once and for all.
With A-Fei's help he sat down in the center of the room with his legs crossed, he regulated his breathing and then proceeded to destroy his meridians. In doing so he felt the Yangzhouman grow beyond measure.
Then A-Fei used his internal energy to help him expel the poison, a process that proved slow and painful.
Fatigued by the effort Li Xiangyi fell to the ground exhausted with sweat soaking his forehead.
A-Fei picked him up and then laid him on the bed.
"Rest, the poison has been expelled, soon you will have all your strength again"
Tired Li Xiangyi nodded, falling into a sweet sleep.
------
When he woke up a few hours later he immediately felt that something had changed. He opened his eyes and was hit by a blinding light that made him close them suddenly.
He tried to reopen them again, trying to adjust to the light. He could see the faint outlines of the ceiling and slowly brought the room around him into focus.
Just as he sat down a man entered the room.
He wore blue robes that showed off his broad shoulders and had long brown hair.
He blinked several times trying to get a better look at his face.
"How do you feel?" The man asked as he approached.
He knew that voice, it had kept him company for a whole month.
When the man reached him, Li Xiangyi noticed the dimple on his chin and looked up, locking his eyes with his.
The one in front of him was not A-Fei, it was Di Feisheng, the great leader of the Jinyuan alliance. But why did he have A-Fei's voice? That he was...
"Di Feisheng"
The man seemed surprised to be called in that way.
"All this time it was you"
------
His sight had returned. Di Feisheng had to expect it, once the poison left his body he would recover completely but he had hoped it would take at least a few days.
“Does this change things?” He asked, returning to a stoic expression on his face.
“No,” Li Xiangyi replied without hesitation.
He hadn't expected that reaction, he had been lying to him the whole time.
"You are A-Fei aren't you? Di Feisheng you have always been A-Fei"
Di Feisheng looked at him intensely and then pulled him towards him and closed him in his arms.
"Everything I said is the truth, I will kill anyone who hurts you"
It was a promise he intended to keep.
There was silence for a moment then Li Xiangyi released a chuckle.
“You know, I suspected you were Di Feisheng,” the former Sigu Sect leader confessed to him.
The atmosphere that had become heavy suddenly became light.
Di Feisheng looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"It is not true"
"It's the truth, I never lie"
The leader of Jinyuan alleance hitted lightly his forehead.
"Aio! Be careful I'm still recovering"
Di Feisheng shook his head with a half-smile on his lips. Over the past month, Li Xiangyi had let himself go, slowly showing his true nature.
"Liar"
Li Xiangyi punched his chest, and this time it was hard. Di Feisheng stepped back, rubbing the affected area.
"Give respect to your wife"
Di Feisheng grinned.
"Yes, Di-furen" he replied, then he lifted him and carried him to the bed.
"DI FEISHENG!"