DPM Chapter 66-Staying
Translated by Snowfall77
Wang Qiang’s smirk was quickly erased, his expression turning angry.
Ye Fan was brazenly deriding Wang Qiang’s authority!
His fierce face twitching, Wang Qiang glared murderously at Ye Fan.
But Ye Fan’s indifferent smile didn’t change.
The two men stood face to face, one about to fall into violent rage, the other calm as could be.
“Well. You young people have guts! I’ve decided to let you remain here, where I can slowly torment you!” Wang Qiang finally spoke out loud, his heart even heavier with intention.
Then he glanced again at Wu Xingyun.
Wang Qiang absolutely wasn’t interested in men. Maybe if the man were exceptionally lovely, Wang Qiang might reconsider. Or if Ye Fan was acting distraught. In order to deeply wound Ye Fan, Wang Qiang could be willing to try fucking a man.
However, it was quite clear Ye Fan didn’t care about the man next to him, having being unashamed to say such hurtful words in front of him. Apparently the small soldier wouldn’t be the easy way for Wang Qiang to achieve his purpose.
Since the last days had arrived, people had been fawning over and trying to ingratiate themselves with Wang Qiang. So Ye Fan’s defiant attitude enraged Wang Qiang, and his first instinct had been to drive Ye Fan out.
However, when he saw Ye Fan’s mockingly deadpan smile, Wang Qiang’s anger was stoked even higher.
But if he beat and kicked out Ye Fan right now, Wang Qiang was afraid he wouldn’t be able to break Ye Fan down completely like desired. It’d be better to let Ye Fan stay, and find a way to slowly torment him. Make Ye Fan taste true pain.
Indulging his nasty thoughts, Wang Qiang waved a hand: “Follow me, come meet my elder brother. I can’t decide on my own whether or not you stay. We’ll have to ask my brother.”
Ye Fan and Wu Xingyun followed Wang Qiang accordingly, through the main hall, through a rear garden, to a glass house.
It was a greenhouse, filled with all manner of flowers, trees, and other flora. Water languidly flowed down from the roof, trickling into a pond. A very small bamboo bridge lifted over the pond, making a way across.
Wang Qiang went over the bridge, coming back to Ye Fan and Wu Xingyun a little while later: “Consider yourselves lucky, my brother will see you.”
Together, Ye Fan and Wu Xingyun walked across the bridge, entering another room.
Earlier, because of the running water and being on the other side, they’d only the caught the shadow of this room. Now that they were in it, the décor could be clearly observed.
Because there was almost nothing in it……
There was one praying mat(futon) and one incense burner.
A Taoist priest with a goatee and deep-set eyes sat on the mat, meditating. Wang Ruoxu.
Ye Fan needed only a glance to tell that Wang Ruoxu was not a mutant. The reason being quite simple. Wang Ruoxu had scars on his body.
Since Ye Fan had become a mutant, he was left without scarring. Even scars from his adolescence had faded away.
All the other mutants Ye Fan had encountered were the same, and in spite of his intimidating visage, that included Wang Qiang.
While Wang Ruoxu had shallow marks down his cheek, looking like fingernail scratches. For a mutant, Ye Fan guessed they’d be gone in about ten minutes.
Inferring by the state of Wang Ruoxu’s healing, Ye Fan decided that the injury had happened at least three days ago.
Sensing Ye Fan and Wu Xingyun’s arrival, Wang Ruoxu lifted his gaze. Not paying much attention to Wu Xingyun, Wang Ruoxu’s two eyes wandered over Ye Fan.
Wang Ruoxu’s attention making him uneasy, Ye Fan moved forward a step. He didn’t know the way to properly greet a Taoist priest, so Ye Fan simply bowed his head in politeness: “Hello, my name is Ye Fan, and this is my friend, Wu Yun.”
The Taoist priest kept his stare glued to Ye Fan’s face. Ye Fan found it rude, but bore with it, not showing his impatience.
Finally rousingly himself after Ye Fan’s self-introduction, Wang Ruoxu hurriedly stood up: “Hello, hello. My name is Wang Ruoxu, and my younger brother out there is Wang Qiang. Since you’ve come here, how can I help you?”
Ye Fan’s first impression was Wang Ruoxu was emphatically not good. The dark circles under those puffy eyes gave the impression of Wang Ruoxu being excessively indulgent and debauched. While the scratches on his face looked like they’d been done by a woman.
Remembering what Wang Qiang had said a little while ago, “If anyone brings women here, that means one of the girls has to spend the night with me,” Ye Fan speculated that the night wasn’t enjoyed just by Wang Qiang.
Still, hearing Wang Ruoxu’s genial words, Ye Fan came to an inward resolution. So long as Wang Ruoxu didn’t trouble Ye Fan, Ye Fan wouldn’t poke his nose into Wang Ruoxu’s business.
“Yes,” Ye Fan said, “I’ve heard that you have a way of helping ordinary people survive these last days. That’s why we’re here.”
Quite amicable, Wang Ruoxu hurriedly urged Ye Fan and Wu Xingyun to be seated: “Sit down and let’s talk. Strong brother, let’s have some tea!”
Wang Qiang uttered an “Oh” from outside, before unwillingly walking in and onto the next room to make the tea.
Brewing the tea properly, Wang Qiang brought it out a little later. Readily tasting it, Ye Fan recognized it as aged Biluochun.
In these end times, it wasn’t simple to obtain such fine dwellings and tea.
Although still vigilant, Ye Fan began to believe Wang Ruoxu really could help Wu Xingyun.
Ye Fan detailed his purpose for coming to Xi’an to Wang Ruoxu. For his part, Wang Ruoxu had only heard of the government and military leaving the earth, and he found Ye Fan’s more exact information rousing.
Therefore, Wang Ruoxu expressed his willingness to give Ye Fan his request.
“It’s not complicated. You want him to take off those protective clothes? I can teach him a breathing method. However, there are rules you have to follow if you’re going to stay.”
Thinking that Wang Ruoxu was going to demand his ‘night,’ Ye Fan’s face fell.
“You’re a mutant, right?” Wang Ruoxu asked. “We have a lot of people here in your same situation. I can help your family member, but how will you repay me? I can’t expend my strength for nothing, right? I’ll give your friend in the suit a way to breathe, and he’ll be able to resist the invading Saer fog. That way he won’t suddenly die on the spot. Now, let me be frank, I won’t teach him everything. If he wants to keep living, he’ll have to report to me every day. In the meantime, you work for me. You work well, I’ll reward you. Don’t do well, I’m sorry, I won’t save your friend.”
Ye Fan glanced at Wu Xingyun. Would the two of them be at the mercy of the Wang brothers from here on out?
Shrewdly predicting Ye Fan’s thoughts, Wang Ruoxu smiled: “Rest assured, it’s the same arrangement with everyone. Sometimes I’ll have something particular that I’ll need your help with. You do that well, you earn a merit. So long as you achieve ten merits, I will then give your friend the entirety of what he needs. And he can live comfortably without obstacle, like I do. How about it? Is it a good deal? There are two people in the city who’ve already made their ten merits. If you go inquire about it, you’ll find that I keep my word. That’s why they’re ready to give their utmost for me.”
Weighing Wang Ruoxu’s words, Ye Fan considered that if Wang Ruoxu was speaking the truth, earning ten merits would be feasible.
If Ye Fan worked hard, Wu Xingyun should be able to live well. It was worth it. Though Ye Fan disliked Wang Ruoxu’s use of the word ‘merit.’ It was as if Wang Ruoxu wanted to position himself as a god and Ye Fan as a powerless insect.
Doubtfully muttering to himself, eventually Ye Fan said: “I won’t help you snatch a woman.”
Wang Ruoxu was disconcerted for a moment before recovering himself: “Be at ease, you can decline tasks that I offer you. I try to be fair, and everything is voluntary.”
His misgivings assuaged, Ye Fan nodded: “Good, I accept.”
Quite delighted that Ye Fan choose to stay, Wang Ruoxu had Wang Qiang take Ye Fan out, leaving Wu Xingyun behind to be taught a breathing method.
Wang Qiang gave Ye Fan a number plate code, and Ye Fan checked out his new residence before going back to pick up Wu Xingyun.
After hastening again to the glass room, Ye Fan wasn’t allowed to enter, the guards telling Ye Fan it was secret and he wasn’t allowed to peep.
Wang Qiang had had somewhere else to be, leaving two mutants to keep the door.
Ye Fan didn’t want an unexpected fight. He waited peacefully outside, pricking up his ears while trying to use his sixth sense to feel out the surroundings.
He couldn’t hear any distressed sounds from Wu Xingyun, and there seemed to be nothing menacing.
On the contrary, Ye Fan could hear Wu Xingyun taking deep steady breaths.
A short period later, Wu Xingyun emerged from the glass room, Ye Fan almost shedding tears in his excitement.
Slowly coming through the white fog, Wu Xingyun was still wearing his military uniform, hands down by his legs, pace measured. Although his face had gotten thinner, he seemed energetic. The most important thing was that he wasn’t wearing his protective suit anymore, and he was freely inhaling the Saer fog.
" "Ye Fan rushed up to Wu Xingyun and spreading his arms open wide, pulled the soldier into an embrace.
“It works,” Wu Xingyun stated. “The teaching isn’t complicated and I feel fine.”
Ye Fan had a heartfelt burst of tender emotion.
As long as he could have Wu Xingyun standing by his side like this, even something ten times tougher would be worth it.
At that moment, to Wang Ruoxu in his glass room, Ye Fan issued a utterly sincere: “Thank you, thank you!”
Then Ye Fan took Wu Xingyun to the small room that they’d been assigned.
There was only one bed in the room. But for two people in a relationship, a single bed was more suitable.
After finishing the half-bowls of dark sticky food they’d been allotted, Wu Xingyun and Ye Fan decided to visit the ordinary people Wang Ruoxu had claimed were completely free and independent.
It was simple to ask around, almost everyone in the city knew. Ye Fan inquired at random, easily getting responses.
When the mutants spoke, they brimmed with hope and longing. Some saying they’d be able to completely free their family soon, some saying they planned to work even harder.
However, they also warned about how earning a so-called ‘merit’ from Wang Ruoxu was no easy task.
He didn’t lightly assign matters, and if he did open his mouth, you could be sure it was a very troublesome, very dangerous business.
Ye Fan was reassured in one aspect. Wang Ruoxu did in fact honor his word. As Wang Ruoxu had promised Ye Fan, earning a ‘merit’ was voluntary, not enforced.
Finally putting his worries rest, Ye Fan pulled at Wu Xingyun’s hand, heading back to their room.
Ye Fan had trekked through that deep forest for how many days? He hadn’t eaten meat for more than a month!
Now they finally have a private place, a small residence. Didn’t that mean Ye Fan could have a proper meal?
Ye Fan turned his head to look at Wu Xingyun, and immediately felt himself start to harden below.
But what Ye Fan was utterly unaware of was that, while Ye Fan was anticipating eating meat, Wu Xingyun was intensely depressed.
It was those words: “I don’t mind him spending one night with you.”
碧螺春 bìluóchūn
biluochun or pi lo chun, a type of green tea grown in the Dongting Mountain region near Lake Tai 太湖, Jiangsu
DPM Chapter 66-Staying
Translated by Snowfall77
Wang Qiang’s smirk was quickly erased, his expression turning angry.
Ye Fan was brazenly deriding Wang Qiang’s authority!
His fierce face twitching, Wang Qiang glared murderously at Ye Fan.
But Ye Fan’s indifferent smile didn’t change.
The two men stood face to face, one about to fall into violent rage, the other calm as could be.
“Well. You young people have guts! I’ve decided to let you remain here, where I can slowly torment you!” Wang Qiang finally spoke out loud, his heart even heavier with intention.
Then he glanced again at Wu Xingyun.
Wang Qiang absolutely wasn’t interested in men. Maybe if the man were exceptionally lovely, Wang Qiang might reconsider. Or if Ye Fan was acting distraught. In order to deeply wound Ye Fan, Wang Qiang could be willing to try fucking a man.
However, it was quite clear Ye Fan didn’t care about the man next to him, having being unashamed to say such hurtful words in front of him. Apparently the small soldier wouldn’t be the easy way for Wang Qiang to achieve his purpose.
Since the last days had arrived, people had been fawning over and trying to ingratiate themselves with Wang Qiang. So Ye Fan’s defiant attitude enraged Wang Qiang, and his first instinct had been to drive Ye Fan out.
However, when he saw Ye Fan’s mockingly deadpan smile, Wang Qiang’s anger was stoked even higher.
But if he beat and kicked out Ye Fan right now, Wang Qiang was afraid he wouldn’t be able to break Ye Fan down completely like desired. It’d be better to let Ye Fan stay, and find a way to slowly torment him. Make Ye Fan taste true pain.
Indulging his nasty thoughts, Wang Qiang waved a hand: “Follow me, come meet my elder brother. I can’t decide on my own whether or not you stay. We’ll have to ask my brother.”
Ye Fan and Wu Xingyun followed Wang Qiang accordingly, through the main hall, through a rear garden, to a glass house.
It was a greenhouse, filled with all manner of flowers, trees, and other flora. Water languidly flowed down from the roof, trickling into a pond. A very small bamboo bridge lifted over the pond, making a way across.
Wang Qiang went over the bridge, coming back to Ye Fan and Wu Xingyun a little while later: “Consider yourselves lucky, my brother will see you.”
Together, Ye Fan and Wu Xingyun walked across the bridge, entering another room.
Earlier, because of the running water and being on the other side, they’d only the caught the shadow of this room. Now that they were in it, the décor could be clearly observed.
Because there was almost nothing in it……
There was one praying mat(futon) and one incense burner.
A Taoist priest with a goatee and deep-set eyes sat on the mat, meditating. Wang Ruoxu.
Ye Fan needed only a glance to tell that Wang Ruoxu was not a mutant. The reason being quite simple. Wang Ruoxu had scars on his body.
Since Ye Fan had become a mutant, he was left without scarring. Even scars from his adolescence had faded away.
All the other mutants Ye Fan had encountered were the same, and in spite of his intimidating visage, that included Wang Qiang.
While Wang Ruoxu had shallow marks down his cheek, looking like fingernail scratches. For a mutant, Ye Fan guessed they’d be gone in about ten minutes.
Inferring by the state of Wang Ruoxu’s healing, Ye Fan decided that the injury had happened at least three days ago.
Sensing Ye Fan and Wu Xingyun’s arrival, Wang Ruoxu lifted his gaze. Not paying much attention to Wu Xingyun, Wang Ruoxu’s two eyes wandered over Ye Fan.
Wang Ruoxu’s attention making him uneasy, Ye Fan moved forward a step. He didn’t know the way to properly greet a Taoist priest, so Ye Fan simply bowed his head in politeness: “Hello, my name is Ye Fan, and this is my friend, Wu Yun.”
The Taoist priest kept his stare glued to Ye Fan’s face. Ye Fan found it rude, but bore with it, not showing his impatience.
Finally rousingly himself after Ye Fan’s self-introduction, Wang Ruoxu hurriedly stood up: “Hello, hello. My name is Wang Ruoxu, and my younger brother out there is Wang Qiang. Since you’ve come here, how can I help you?”
Ye Fan’s first impression was Wang Ruoxu was emphatically not good. The dark circles under those puffy eyes gave the impression of Wang Ruoxu being excessively indulgent and debauched. While the scratches on his face looked like they’d been done by a woman.
Remembering what Wang Qiang had said a little while ago, “If anyone brings women here, that means one of the girls has to spend the night with me,” Ye Fan speculated that the night wasn’t enjoyed just by Wang Qiang.
Still, hearing Wang Ruoxu’s genial words, Ye Fan came to an inward resolution. So long as Wang Ruoxu didn’t trouble Ye Fan, Ye Fan wouldn’t poke his nose into Wang Ruoxu’s business.
“Yes,” Ye Fan said, “I’ve heard that you have a way of helping ordinary people survive these last days. That’s why we’re here.”
Quite amicable, Wang Ruoxu hurriedly urged Ye Fan and Wu Xingyun to be seated: “Sit down and let’s talk. Strong brother, let’s have some tea!”
Wang Qiang uttered an “Oh” from outside, before unwillingly walking in and onto the next room to make the tea.
Brewing the tea properly, Wang Qiang brought it out a little later. Readily tasting it, Ye Fan recognized it as aged Biluochun.
In these end times, it wasn’t simple to obtain such fine dwellings and tea.
Although still vigilant, Ye Fan began to believe Wang Ruoxu really could help Wu Xingyun.
Ye Fan detailed his purpose for coming to Xi’an to Wang Ruoxu. For his part, Wang Ruoxu had only heard of the government and military leaving the earth, and he found Ye Fan’s more exact information rousing.
Therefore, Wang Ruoxu expressed his willingness to give Ye Fan his request.
“It’s not complicated. You want him to take off those protective clothes? I can teach him a breathing method. However, there are rules you have to follow if you’re going to stay.”
Thinking that Wang Ruoxu was going to demand his ‘night,’ Ye Fan’s face fell.
“You’re a mutant, right?” Wang Ruoxu asked. “We have a lot of people here in your same situation. I can help your family member, but how will you repay me? I can’t expend my strength for nothing, right? I’ll give your friend in the suit a way to breathe, and he’ll be able to resist the invading Saer fog. That way he won’t suddenly die on the spot. Now, let me be frank, I won’t teach him everything. If he wants to keep living, he’ll have to report to me every day. In the meantime, you work for me. You work well, I’ll reward you. Don’t do well, I’m sorry, I won’t save your friend.”
Ye Fan glanced at Wu Xingyun. Would the two of them be at the mercy of the Wang brothers from here on out?
Shrewdly predicting Ye Fan’s thoughts, Wang Ruoxu smiled: “Rest assured, it’s the same arrangement with everyone. Sometimes I’ll have something particular that I’ll need your help with. You do that well, you earn a merit. So long as you achieve ten merits, I will then give your friend the entirety of what he needs. And he can live comfortably without obstacle, like I do. How about it? Is it a good deal? There are two people in the city who’ve already made their ten merits. If you go inquire about it, you’ll find that I keep my word. That’s why they’re ready to give their utmost for me.”
Weighing Wang Ruoxu’s words, Ye Fan considered that if Wang Ruoxu was speaking the truth, earning ten merits would be feasible.
If Ye Fan worked hard, Wu Xingyun should be able to live well. It was worth it. Though Ye Fan disliked Wang Ruoxu’s use of the word ‘merit.’ It was as if Wang Ruoxu wanted to position himself as a god and Ye Fan as a powerless insect.
Doubtfully muttering to himself, eventually Ye Fan said: “I won’t help you snatch a woman.”
Wang Ruoxu was disconcerted for a moment before recovering himself: “Be at ease, you can decline tasks that I offer you. I try to be fair, and everything is voluntary.”
His misgivings assuaged, Ye Fan nodded: “Good, I accept.”
Quite delighted that Ye Fan choose to stay, Wang Ruoxu had Wang Qiang take Ye Fan out, leaving Wu Xingyun behind to be taught a breathing method.
Wang Qiang gave Ye Fan a number plate code, and Ye Fan checked out his new residence before going back to pick up Wu Xingyun.
After hastening again to the glass room, Ye Fan wasn’t allowed to enter, the guards telling Ye Fan it was secret and he wasn’t allowed to peep.
Wang Qiang had had somewhere else to be, leaving two mutants to keep the door.
Ye Fan didn’t want an unexpected fight. He waited peacefully outside, pricking up his ears while trying to use his sixth sense to feel out the surroundings.
He couldn’t hear any distressed sounds from Wu Xingyun, and there seemed to be nothing menacing.
On the contrary, Ye Fan could hear Wu Xingyun taking deep steady breaths.
A short period later, Wu Xingyun emerged from the glass room, Ye Fan almost shedding tears in his excitement.
Slowly coming through the white fog, Wu Xingyun was still wearing his military uniform, hands down by his legs, pace measured. Although his face had gotten thinner, he seemed energetic. The most important thing was that he wasn’t wearing his protective suit anymore, and he was freely inhaling the Saer fog.
" "Ye Fan rushed up to Wu Xingyun and spreading his arms open wide, pulled the soldier into an embrace.
“It works,” Wu Xingyun stated. “The teaching isn’t complicated and I feel fine.”
Ye Fan had a heartfelt burst of tender emotion.
As long as he could have Wu Xingyun standing by his side like this, even something ten times tougher would be worth it.
At that moment, to Wang Ruoxu in his glass room, Ye Fan issued a utterly sincere: “Thank you, thank you!”
Then Ye Fan took Wu Xingyun to the small room that they’d been assigned.
There was only one bed in the room. But for two people in a relationship, a single bed was more suitable.
After finishing the half-bowls of dark sticky food they’d been allotted, Wu Xingyun and Ye Fan decided to visit the ordinary people Wang Ruoxu had claimed were completely free and independent.
It was simple to ask around, almost everyone in the city knew. Ye Fan inquired at random, easily getting responses.
When the mutants spoke, they brimmed with hope and longing. Some saying they’d be able to completely free their family soon, some saying they planned to work even harder.
However, they also warned about how earning a so-called ‘merit’ from Wang Ruoxu was no easy task.
He didn’t lightly assign matters, and if he did open his mouth, you could be sure it was a very troublesome, very dangerous business.
Ye Fan was reassured in one aspect. Wang Ruoxu did in fact honor his word. As Wang Ruoxu had promised Ye Fan, earning a ‘merit’ was voluntary, not enforced.
Finally putting his worries rest, Ye Fan pulled at Wu Xingyun’s hand, heading back to their room.
Ye Fan had trekked through that deep forest for how many days? He hadn’t eaten meat for more than a month!
Now they finally have a private place, a small residence. Didn’t that mean Ye Fan could have a proper meal?
Ye Fan turned his head to look at Wu Xingyun, and immediately felt himself start to harden below.
But what Ye Fan was utterly unaware of was that, while Ye Fan was anticipating eating meat, Wu Xingyun was intensely depressed.
It was those words: “I don’t mind him spending one night with you.”
碧螺春 bìluóchūn
biluochun or pi lo chun, a type of green tea grown in the Dongting Mountain region near Lake Tai 太湖, Jiangsu
