Heaven's Sea 天涯海国 (BxB)

Episode 40

Washed ashore, ZiShu awoke to find Lao Wen next to him. That's right, he did find a piece of rope in the temple and tied his ankle to Lao Wen's before jumping down the cliff.

ZiShu carried Lao Wen to a large rock and laid him down. His white hair was tangled up with water grass and sand. His clothes were wet and still had blood stains from last night's murder spree.

He took the time to clean Lao Wen's hair and took off his outer robe, and washed it until there was no more blood on it. Then he let it dry in the sun. He looked around and did not recognize where they were.

It felt strange. The trees surrounding the shore did not look like any kind of trees he had seen before. The leaves were round, very unusual. Their green was not the normal green he knew. The air smelled fresh and pure, not like sea-water. When he was washing Lao Wen's clothes, he noticed water was very clear, almost translucent, but he did not immediately think much about it. Now, he realized that was not normal sea water.

He went to taste it, it was not salty. He convinced himself that his sense of taste probably never recovered after the 7-nails torture he inflicted himself with.

But that sun... it felt warm, but not burning hot. And the surrounding was so quiet. Too quiet. To the point he could hear the sea waves, and the birds flap their wings. He could even hear a gentle breathing sound, perhaps his own breathing.

Holding his breath for a second to confirm his suspicion, he still could hear the subtle breathing sound. That was when he realized it was not himself breathing that he heard, it was... it was Lao Wen's breathing.

"Lao Wen" He shook him.

The man did not respond.

He put his ears near Lao Wen's nose, and he could hear the very faint breathing. He went to reach for a pulse on his wrist, and there was one. It was extremely weak, but it was there. And though it was weak, it was stronger than he had ever felt the pulse on Lao Wen for the last 20 plus years.

Totally in shock, but with renewed hope, he quickly sat behind Lao Wen and began to transfer his qi into him.

Despite half a day of effort, Lao Wen still did not wake up. And his breathing seemed to have slowed down significantly. He was slowly dying.

ZiShu then thought, maybe it was the sea water that helped Lao Wen, since they were in the waters all night. Now that Lao Wen was dry, he was getting weaker. So he moved Lao Wen to the water, and then continued transferring his qi.

A moment later, he heard what he couldn't believe hearing.

Those words that used to give him chills at first, but later he learned to love and enjoy hearing. Those words that he missed so much for the last 20 years...

He heard a faint whisper call out "... Ah... Xu..."

Unable to hold his tears, ZiShu cried out in pain and in joy, holding his dearest love in his arms.

"Lao Wen! Lao Wen! You're alive! Lao Wen!" He embraced the man and hugged him so hard it could have crushed his bones and internal organs.

"Aiyah... Ah Xu... you're ... hurting me. You're too strong, I'm still very weak..."

At the realization that he was hurting Lao Wen, he quickly softened the embrace, and apologized. He then helped Lao Wen get off the shore and sit by the rock.

It was getting dark, but the full moon brightened the night, and the skies were clear. So clear they could see stars. It was a beautiful night.

"Ah Xu..." Lao Wen called with a faint voice.

"I'm right here, what do you need?" ZiShu was ready to give this man the whole world, all he had to do was ask.