Chapter 23 I'll Be Your Shadow

When Deming was lying on the bed the next night, he heard thunder in the sky and drizzle rain on the ceramic tiles on the roof. He quickly grabbed his clothes, grabbed the umbrella and walked towards the back door.

He ran towards the training ground. Standing at the door, he saw Guozhao Zhiqiang, who was soaked, still standing in the same position he saw two days ago. He walked quickly to Guozhao Zhiqiang and stood beside Guozhao Zhiqiang with an umbrella.

Guozhao Zhiqiang sighed, "Why are you here? You will get sick." A loud thunder resounded across the night sky.

Deming said, "You have been here for two days without food and water. I can't..."

Guozhao Zhiqiang demanded, "Go back!"

Deming shook his head and said, "No."

Guozhao Zhiqiang shouted, "Go back!" He left the safety of the umbrella. "I am being punished, reflecting on my mistakes, and you are going back now. Don't bring that umbrella closer."

Deming stood in front of him immediately, "This is too cruel, I don't like it."

Guozhao Zhiqiang sighed and explained, "Listen, I don't think this is cruel. As hunters, we have to protect lives. I understand why Uncle Lim punishes me. I really violated the rules that I swear to protect."

Deming said softly, "You said you want me to be your companion, are you serious?

Guozhao Zhiqiang looked at Deming and said, "I do."

Deming, "That's it"

Guozhao Zhiqiang looked at Deming and said, "I want you to be my soul mate. A person who will always stand by my side."

Deming looked up and said, "Then I will be your shadow. No matter where you go, I will stay with you until the day you no longer need me."

Guozhao Zhiqiang, "If you can't keep your words, don't make a promise."

Deming, "I don't guarantee to be with you forever. As long as you need me, I will be your shadow."

Guozhao Zhiqiang smiled and closed his eyes, "It's a promise. Now, you can leave." His lips were shaking fiercely, but he felt his heart was full of warmth.

Deming felt heartache. This is a strange feeling. He had never felt this way for anyone before. Guozhao Zhiqiang once promised him that he would take him far away and live in a city in the clouds. The only person who really cares about him and loses control because of him. A week ago, Guozhao Zhiqiang carried him back in the heavy rain to treat his wounds. He felt a pain in his heart when he saw Guozhao Zhigiang's trembling lips.

Deming knew why Guozhao Zhiqiang was willing to go through these troubles for him. Guozhao Zhiqiang must have felt wrong that he left Deming in the dungeon for nine years, which is why he lost control. He wanted someone to love him, when he was locked in the dungeon, he dreamed of this person every night. Now his dream came true. Guozhao Zhiqiang loves him, and all Guozhao Zhiqiang wants is love. Love is Guozhao Zhigiang's only requirement, so he can at least do that much for the only one who never leaves him under any circumstances.

Deming's umbrella fell to the ground. He approached Guozhao Zhiqiang, stood on tiptoe and kissed Guozhao Zhigiang's trembling lips lightly. Then put his arms around Guozhao Zhigiang's waist and buried his face on Guozhao Zhigiang's chest. He said softly, "Do you feel a little warmer?"

Guozhao Zhiqiang said, "Don't be like this. If you enter my life and then decide to leave, I would rather we not start this ambiguous relationship."

Deming said, "I will never leave you until you no longer need me." He held Guozhao Zhiqiang tighter. "From now on, I will leave my happiness in the palm of your hands. So, don't let me slip away."

Guozhao Zhiqiang held Deming in his arms, and patted Deming's head with his left hand. He waited for nine years for a moment like this. Such moment that filled his heart with warmth. He remembered what his shimu had said to him when he returned home from a broken heart nine years ago. Her words are, 'if you found that person who truly love you for who you are then no mountain is too high for that person to climb, no ocean is too wide for that person to swim across, or no path is too dangerous for that person to walk to reach you. Only that special person will be worthy to shed your tears for'. He kissed Deming's left temple and said, "It's much warmer. Thank you."

Deming cried softly, "Thank you, Zhiqiang."

Guozhao Zhiqiang kissed him again on the left temple. This was the first time Deming called him by name, and he was so happy that he wanted to roll on the ground to express his happiness. He whispered, "We both have an ugly past, but from now on, let us only build good memories." Deming nodded in the arms of Guozhao Zhiqiang.

Guozhao Zhiqiang lowered his head and leaned to Deming's lips. Deming raised his head to look at Guozhao Zhiqiang, who bowed his head and kissed Deming. He put his tongue into Deming's mouth. His tongue twisted with Deming's. When the rain was pouring down, the two men sucked each other's lips and tongues. After the kiss, Guozhao Zhiqiang hugged Deming tightly in his arms, and the rain continued to pour down. The dark night sky is full of lightning and thunder, but the hearts of the young couples are filled with warmth.

Hu Dingxiang, who was hiding on the other side of the training ground, felt a pain in his heart. He liked Guozhao Zhiqiang the first time he saw him. Guozhao Zhiqiang is his first kiss. Guozhao Zhiqiang should have belonged to him. If Guozhao Zhiqiang were his hunter, he would conquer all the obstacles thrown at him. He clenched his fists. He was furious, "My only mistake was to let him sleep with you."

Weici stood in the rain watching the two men kissing, her heart was pounding, her heart was about to burst. Weici cried and whimpered softly, "Brother Deming, why him and not me?"

Early the next morning, the sun had just begun to rise. The ground is wet, and the many puddles of water and mud can still be seen from the rain last night. The Tam brothers and Weici came to the gate of the training ground and met the four disciples Hu Dingxiang, Zhou Caihong, Yi Guozhi, Lu He, and Sien Ye.

Standing in the center of the training ground was Guozhao Zhiqiang still standing motionless, while Deming leaned on Guozhao Zhiqiang's right leg and fell asleep on the ground.

Yi Guozhi, Sien Ye, and Lu He expressed their dissatisfaction, because Guozhao Zhiqiang's expression was exactly the same as when he was punished on the first day. Guozhao Zhiqiang's health has not declined as much as they hoped.

Weici walked to Deming and patted Deming's right shoulder lightly, "Brother Deming, good morning."

Deming woke up and saw Weici. He stretched out his arms and said, "Weici." He slowly got up with the help of Weici.

Weici said, "Your pants are dirty and muddy."

Yi Guozhi mocked, "Black Hunter' you deserve your title 'The Black Hunter'. You were punished for three days without eating or drinking, and you were still standing. If it was other people, their knees will probably be weak now."

Tam Kun sarcastically said, "Because we have no pathetic disciples in our clan." He smirked at Yi Guozhi.

Yi Guozhi also heard this sentence in Tam Village when he was fighting Yang Bao. He pointed at Tam Kun, "Tam Kun! You loser, do you dare to duel me?"

Tam Kun stepped forward, "Bring it on, and I'm happy to accept it. If General Lim punished us, I'm ready to stand for three days, thanks to the strictness of my third master. Can you hold on for three days?" He challenged Yi Guozhi with a smile. "I'm sure that on the third day of our punishment, I'll walk out of this training ground, but on the other hand, the young master of the Golden Gate Sector probably crawled out of here at a loss."

As Yi Guozhi was about to lunge his attack at Tam Kun, but Hu Dingxiang stopped him, "Brother Yi, no…"

Yi Guozhi continued to criticize Guozhao Zhiqiang, "As the most distinguished senior brother of your sector, you have decided to be a cutsleeve." He noticed that Guozhao Zhiqiang rolled his eyes at him. He knew that if he continued to verbally attack Guozhao Zhiqiang, Guozhao Zhiqiang might lose control and be punished more. "You like Brother Hu, but since Brother Hu is different from you, you deliberately picked someone who looks like Brother Hu."

Tam Kun angrily shouted, "Yi Guozhi…be careful of your dirty mouth!"

Tian Xiang walked in from a distance, "Childe Yi, my first master has warned you, if you still want your front teeth, you'd better pay attention to your words."

Zheng Tingfeng smiled handsomely, "Find someone who can exchange poetry lines with you. Our senior brother is illiterate and knows nothing about poetry."

Zheng Yaozu scoffed, "You should choose someone like me or brother Xiang to exchange poetry lines with you. Do you think it's easy for people to provoke our senior brother?" He smirked at Yi Guozhi. "Our senior brother never cares too much about the words of people like you."

Tian Xiang stepped in, "Oh, you haven't heard...? Our senior brother never denies that he likes men."

Zheng Yaozu smiled and challenged, "Childe Yi, don't tell me, you fell in love with our senior brother, so that's why you always bite him whenever you have a chance." He laughed. He shook his head. "Tsk…Tsk…tsk… unrequited love is so pitiful." The four young hunters burst out laughing at Yi Guozhi.

Zhou Caihong looked at the four laughing hunters and said, "Guozhao Hunters should be polite. Seeing that you are all colluding with my cousin, I have to change my view of your sector."

Tian Xiang scoffed, "Lady Zhou, there is a saying in our Guozhao Principle that matched this situation, that is 'treat other people the way you want to be treated'." He smiled at Zhou Caihong.

Guozhao Zhiqiang coldly looked at his younger brothers and said, "Enough." He turned to Yi Guozhi. "Deming might look like Childe Hu, but he is not him. Their faces are very similar, I might mistake Childe Hu for Deming. Deming was never a replacement to begin with." He turned around and smiled at Deming. "Let's go back to the Inn."

The hunters and the two friends walked out of the training ground, leaving behind the disciples of Snow Sector and Golden Gate Sector.

Tian Xiang whispered, "Do you see that? Senior brother smiled."

Zheng Yaozu agreed, "I have never seen senior brother smile."

Tian Xiang, "He is such a lady killer."

Zheng Yaozu corrected Tian Xiang, "Man killer." He giggled.

Zheng Tingfeng looked at Tian Xian and Zheng Yaozu and shook his head.