Feng Ye used a strong crossbow and tamed a fierce horse in the spring hunt. He was in the limelight and got a rare horse, which made people very jealous. The name "little wolf king" immediately resounded through the capital. Even if one disdained him, one also had to admit that he was "distinguished just like his father".
However, Feng Ye was still his former self and didn’t associate with people. He was even like a daughter in the boudoir and barely left his house. He was so arrogant and eccentric that matchmakers avoided him like the plague.
After that day, Yan Sikong dismissed the idea of meeting Feng Ye.
This little wolf king was a beast with a mindset that was difficult to handle.
He thought about every step he took carefully. If he was too close to a person who
was full of variables, he would inevitably make a fool of himself in trying to
be smart.
Moreover, Feng Ye was the last thought left in his heart, which he
would rather exist only in his memory.
----
After one month, Emperor Zhaowu could not stand the admonition of all the officials and held another jingyan. In this way, under a mutual compromise, there was a tacit understanding between the emperor and his subjects.
Yan Zilian replaced the two lecturers at the jingyan. Both were new to Hanlin, and their performances were remarkable. However, when compared with Shen Hexuan and Yan Sikong, it was easy to distinguish who was better. Even Emperor Zhaowu asked where Yan Sikong was, who could talk about unofficial histories and interesting anecdotes.
The two seemed to have a bright future. They stood out among the scholars and editors in Hanlin Academy. In addition, Yan Sikong was easier to get close to, so there were wine gatherings from time to time. However, he pondered clearly on which wine gatherings he should go to or decline with an excuse depending on who invited him.
There were two major factions in the court. One was the eunuch faction
led by Xie Zhongren, and the other was the aristocratic family led by Yan
Zilian. They had been fighting openly and secretly for more than ten years.
Under the invisible glint and flash of swords, they sprinkled the fresh blood
and ideals of countless people. In the end, it was the defenseless people who
suffered, and this was far from the end.
Although he is Yan Zilian's student, his words do not carry much weight due to his humble position, so it’s not his turn to stand in line, and no one pays attention to him. But when he is likely to become the royal tutor of the emperor or crown prince, it will be different. He must carefully choose who to make friends with, which can neither make Yan Zilian worry, nor make the eunuch party feel an obvious threat. In these few days, he even had to think twice about what he said in the Hanlin Academy because many people there are eunuchs, and there are eyes and ears everywhere.
Recently, under the leadership of Huo Li, the Grand Academician of
Longtu Pavilion, they edited a new Sheng history. In order to finish it before
the emperor's birthday, they stayed up late at night every day and were extremely
drowsy.
After finishing editing a volume, Yan Sikong bid farewell to his
colleagues and planned to go home and sleep.
His salary was so low that he couldn't afford to hire a cart driver, so he had to go home on foot. Fortunately, the house he rented was not far from the imperial city. If he walked fast, he could get home in an hour.
The capital was enveloped in a curtain of darkness, and there were
almost no pedestrians in the streets. Sometimes, there were imperial guards
patrolling from time to time.
Yan Sikong walked across the street and walked into an alley.
Before he walked deeper into it, he felt that someone was following him.
He remained calm and continued walking quietly. It had just rained in the city, and there were many puddles on the road. He glanced casually on the water surface. There was a waning moon hanging high, and a dark shadow flashed behind him.
Yan Sikong frowned, suddenly stopped in his tracks, and said in a loud voice, "Who are you? What evil intentions are you harboring by hiding here and there?"
Before his voice had faded away, he only felt a tremor in the air
behind him. Without thinking, he suddenly turned around, swung an oil lamp, and
smashed the person behind him. At the same time, he stepped forward and punched
the person in the chest.
That person was covered in black. In the dark, he couldn't distinguish between a man or a woman, but based on this person’s physique, he should be a man. They exchanged blows silently in the dark alley.
Yan Sikong found that this person was not a robber and didn't want his life. His every move was not lethal, so he couldn't figure out the background of the other party. He just wanted to tear off that mask to find out who he was. However, he avoided all the moves. This person's kung fu was not shallow, and he probably was not his opponent.
Suddenly, they heard a group of footsteps across the street at the
same time. They Yan Sikong opened his mouth and was about to shout, but the other party suddenly spread out his arm and threw a lump of something which smelled strange onto his mouth and nose without warning.
Yan Sikong opened the lump fiercely, but it was too late. He had
taken in a big breath. Suddenly, his tongue was tingling, and he felt dizzy. His
whole body began to turn around in place. Finally, his legs weakened, and he
fell to the ground.
----
A ray of sunlight fell and happened to hit Yan Sikong's face. His eyelids trembled, his eyes were stimulated, and he opened his eyes with some difficulty.
He unconsciously covered his eyes with his hands and turned over.
After a moment of silence, he suddenly turned over in horror and looked around
vigilantly.
This was a spacious and elegant bedroom. From the expensive wood alone can one see that the owner was wealthy. Needless to say, the washbasin casually placed by the bed was made of thick red copper.
Where is this place?
Yan Sikong really couldn't figure out what was going on. Could it be that his identity was discovered? That's impossible. He spent a lot of money to forge his identity. He even went to learn an unfamiliar dialect and changed his accent. Even if he sent someone to check, there would not be any trace. Besides, what is the value of being investigated now?
Yan Sikong got out of bed, picked up a jeweled dagger on the table, unsheathed it, and saw that it was not sharpened, but it was better than nothing. He pushed the door open with the dagger in his hand and planned to go and find out.
As soon as he opened the door, he retreated in fear.
Outside the door, in the courtyard, there was a huge beast lying
flat on the ground!
When he focused his gaze, it was a gray-black wolf. Yan Sikong had seen wolves before, but a wolf should not be this huge. Its fur was thick, its body was strong like a tiger, and it seemed like it’s napping under a tree. It’s even bigger than the stone table beside it!
Yan Sikong only felt that his heart was about to jump out of his
throat. He stepped back quietly and wanted to close the door silently.
But as soon as the door was half-closed, the wolf suddenly raised its
head. It was a one-eyed wolf. One of its eyes was covered with a gold eye patch.
In the next instant, it stood up.
Yan Sikong didn't dare to move.
The wolf shook its fur. One eye was pale blue and was overflowing with killing intention. After it got up, it looked even more majestic. It was probably as tall as an adult at the chest level, and its intimidating aura was like a demon from hell.
Yan Sikong was really afraid. He had not been afraid of anything
for a long time. He was not afraid of death, but he really didn't want to try
the taste of being torn up by sharp teeth. He didn't dare to close the door,
let alone this distance, he couldn't close it. Even if he could close it, how
could he stop such a beast with a thin door made with firewood?
The man and wolf looked at each other for a moment. That wolf
shook its claws and walked slowly towards Yan Sikong.
Yan Sikong didn't dare to run out of fear of angering it. He could only retreat into the house step by step.
The wolf followed him into the house.
Yan Sikong kept retreating until his back was hopelessly against
the wall, but that wolf stopped just 3.33 meters away from him and looked at him
quietly with that terrifying eye.
Yan Sikong closed his eyes and clenched the dagger, thinking that
if it pounced over, he would kill himself first.
Damn it, this dagger wasn’t sharpened!
That wolf looked at its prey that had nowhere to escape, but it
didn't seem to have the intention of coming forward. It just stared at him
creepily.
The man and wolf continued to stare at each other in consternation
in the house. The atmosphere was strange and difficult to explain.
----
PS: reunion in the next chapter ♥
PS from Emzie: See what you need to do is anger is so that it burns its energy, then climb onto its back and hug its neck right underneath the elbows. Next you use your bare feet to kick its ribs-- Wait no that's for a horse
Edited 2 Aug. 21 (Emzie)
Thank you for the chapter!!🥰😍
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