Dao Of The Salted Fish (Salted Fish Cultivator)

Sun Fuyu’s head unconsciously lowered. Although they’ve slept together on their weekly trips, sleeping together on a proper bed was very different. Pink-tinged visions of their life together filled Sun Fuyu’s mind.

Wen Zhihao thought that Sun Fuyu was hesitant about the matter, so he said, “Since we have different schedules, we should use both rooms. But sleeping together is possible if—”

“Yes!” Sun Fuyu agreed before Wen-ge could withdraw the offer.

Wen Zhihao smiled. “Okay.”

Now that Sun Fuyu had shown Wen Zhihao his room, Wen Zhihao urged him to go back and train.

Then, Wen Zhihao unpacked his own things.

Perhaps it was the glow of the new promotion and new bedroom, or perhaps it was Sun Fuyu’s determined expression to go train; regardless, Wen Zhihao became productive. That afternoon, he finished all of his monthly quota of talismans ahead of time. He even had time to read a little more of the talisman cultivation manuals and added more simplified talisman spells to his personal reference, An Idiot’s Guide to Talisman Cultivation.

In the evening, after washing and dressing in a new robe appropriate for sleep, Sun Fuyu quietly knocked on Wen Zhihao’s door.

Wen Zhihao opened it immediately and welcomed him inside.

There were glowing stones scattered over the table, talismans drying, a few brush pens and ink sticks in an open stationery box, a tea set, and a plate of small snacks. The soft blankets that Wen-ge favoured were arranged neatly on the bed.

“Hungry?” Wen Zhihao asked.

Sun Fuyu shook his head. “Wen-ge, the day after tomorrow I’m going on a mission…”

“Will you come back?”

“Yes, of course!”

“Then what are you so worried about?” Wen Zhihao rubbed Sun Fuyu’s head.

“Mmmm.” Sun Fuyu himself wasn’t sure what he was so worried about. Hadn’t he gone on missions before? But it felt like he was entering the bridal chamber and yet running off only a few days later.

“Did you train hard today?”

Sun Fuyu nodded. “Shifu says that I’ll advance soon!”

Wen Zhihao patted Sun Fuyu. “Xiao Yu is such a hardworking cultivator.”

The two of them got into bed, Wen Zhihao on the inside since Sun Fuyu always got up earlier than him. Once they settled in, Wen Zhihao turned off the voice-activated lights by the bed.

Instead of the scent of the greenery, there was the scent of wood and ink and paper and slight sweetness of fruit. With the sound isolation between the rooms, there was only the sound of their breaths and the rustling of clothes and blankets.

Sun Fuyu laid on his back, hugging Wen-ge’s arm. He was still in a slight daze of disbelief. Even though this wasn’t their marriage night, it was still the first time he was sleeping in Wen-ge’s bed...

Wen Zhihao, lying on his side, snuggled closer to Sun Fuyu. A warm feeling tickled his heart, spreading from where Sun Fuyu was holding onto his arm.

While he liked sleeping outside, sleeping indoors was his natural state of being: from the soft bed to the walls where he could stick various talismans to perfect his sleeping environment, to the curtains across the windows that blocked out the early rising sun so that he could sleep longer.

Wen Zhihao absently rubbed Sun Fuyu’s cloth-covered-chest. Breath in, breath out, count little Xiao Yu’s in his head...As he fell asleep, his qi subconsciously spread out, naturally mingling with Sun Fuyu’s.

Feeling their auras mesh, Sun Fuyu’s mind returned to the present. He hugged his ge’s arm, breathed in his scent, and joined him in sleep.

The next morning when Wen Zhihao awoke, the bed next to him was empty. Sun Fuyu was out completing his morning training.

Wen Zhihao yawned and stretched. He had thought about going back to sleep, but then he remembered what they would have for breakfast!

So Wen Zhihao went through his morning routine and put on his new golden inner sect robes. Not only were they flashier, but they also felt nicer and seemed to have some inbuilt protective and enhancement properties.

A light knock at the door signalled Sun Fuyu’s return. Wen Zhihao opened the door for him.

Sun Fuyu’s eyes wandered up Wen Zhihao’s head.

“Wen-ge, can I arrange your hair?” he said seriously.

“En.” Wen Zhihao ushered Sun Fuyu into his room and sat down so that Sun Fuyu could reach.

Wen Zhihao usually just pulled his long hair back and tied it loosely near the base of his neck. Cultivators seemed to have some magic that stopped their super long hair from getting overly tangled. Today, as usual, he had the same hairstyle.

The hair ornaments for the talisman inner sect disciples sat on Wen Zhihao’s table. Now, Sun Fuyu picked them up. He untied Wen Zhihao’s hair and combed through it slowly.

Wen Zhihao’s eyelids lowered at the comfortable sensation of having his hair gently arranged. Sun Fuyu gathered the upper layers and pulled them back into a top knot and inserted the golden hair ornaments. The rest of Wen Zhihao’s hair was left down.¹Today I learnt that this isn't historical, but it looks cool so I'm keeping it~

Sun Fuyu’s eyes brightened. Wen-ge now looked so refined and handsome!²Maybe, finally, a bit like this:

“Let’s walk to the kitchen,” Sun Fuyu suggested. This way, more people could see Wen Zhihao’s elegant image.

Wen Zhihao agreed because walking together would extend their time together.

That morning, one might see two inner sect disciples walking down the footpaths of the Golden Sun Sect, holding hands. One disciple exuded a sunny feeling as he looked at the other, though his movements were clear and strong as a combat cultivator. The other disciple was calm, his eyelids a little lowered in either indulgence or laziness. A closer examiner would see ink stains on his fingers.

There was nothing particularly outstanding about the two of them visually, so many people did not give them another glance. Instead, many more people focused on the gentle qi that ebbed and flowed through the air. Some foreheads unwrinkled due to a feeling of relaxation, while other eyebrows went up wondering which cultivator was so domineering as to carelessly use a heart-soothing magical treasure.

Only a few cultivators—Nascent Soul and above—realised that the aura was coming from a particular disciple. Ah, yes, wasn’t that Elder Liu Ru’s odd disciple?

Sun Fuyu: *sneezes* (｀ε´) Someone must be speaking ill of Wen-ge!

Hmm for other xianxia recs, I actually did finish Mo Dao Zu Shi (aka the first danmei I ever read). Aside from that, I quite like the crafting elements of The White Cat’s Divine Scratching Post and Rebirth of the Supreme Celestial Being...