Heading North

When Yue Xun was fifteen, winter plum blossoms were crushed into mud beneath the imperial avenue. His father was defeated in battle in Liaodong, and overnight became a traitor to the nation. As the last surviving member of the Yue family, Yue Xun was personally seized by Wen Yao, the regent who held power over the court, and imprisoned in the depths of his manor. Everyone said Wen Yao was the executioner’s blade hanging over his head, his sworn enemy. But the way the man gripped his chin was like someone admiring a jade pendant, even as he said: “Yue Xun, do you really think I can’t bring myself to kill you?” To avenge his father, Yue Xun forces himself to play along with Wen Yao. But Wen Yao treats him far too well He always lowers his voice when he speaks, though an invisible authority underlies every word. He personally oversees everything behind the scenes, even quietly reopening the case against Yue Xun’s father. After careful deduction, Yue Xun finally understands: The regent must have a taste for men. He wants to humiliate me! Yue Xun: “How devious. I’ll never fall for it!” Though he swears he’ll never fall for it, Yue Xun finds himself dissatisfied with Wen Yao no matter what he does. Wen Yao treats him like a child, and he’s dissatisfied; Wen Yao keeps reminiscing about the past, and he’s dissatisfied with that too. Until one night, the face he resents day and night, the one he believes should never be touched, appears in a sensual dream and makes love to him until they’re both spent. The face in a boy’s nightmares and his erotic dreams is, in the end, one and the same. As Wen Yao sees it, Yue Xun is merely the son of an old friend and must be kept firmly in line, with rewards and punishments as needed. At times, he must be frightened into applying himself. He believes he has fulfilled his duty as an “elder” to perfection, right up until Yue Xun pins him amid the embroidered bedcovers and bites his earlobe, his voice low and hoarse as he demands: “Uncle, you reopened my father’s case, paved my way, and cleared away my political enemies, yet you won’t admit you did all this for me?” Wen Yao is stunned. “???” If Yue Xun’s father knew what was happening from beyond the grave, how would Wen Yao ever explain himself? The dynasty teeters on the brink. The Huai River marks the border; to the north, cavalry stands ready to invade, and at home, the emperor grows suspicious. In the eyes of the world, they are political enemies who will fight to the death in the Golden Throne Hall. No one knows that in hidden corners, in cramped rooms down narrow alleys, and after endless stacks of official documents, they do every intimate thing two people can do. Yue Xun × Wen Yao A younger top, a broke-to-the-bone civil official with an odd way of thinking and a talent for wisecracks × A powerful minister, an older, fatherly type who teases without realizing it and pretends to be a villain. 【Reader’s Guide】 ★ The main couple is a male-male pairing, one-on-one with a happy ending. Other characters’ orientations include, but aren’t limited to, same-sex attraction, different-sex attraction, unrequited love, and love triangles. ★ Both are powerful. One grows stronger later on, while the other has always been strong. The uncle is a strong bottom who willingly takes the bottom role for love. ★ This is not a conventional wish-fulfillment story, mostly because this fish has unusual tastes. The political plot needs some painful, serious turns. 【New Book Coming Soon】Xianxia Rebirth “What Do I Do Now That My Disciple Has Become My Master?” A hundred years after the Sword Venerable Jiang Zongyue died, he inexplicably comes back reborn as an utterly unremarkable cultivator. Once the most accomplished cultivator in the Sword Pavilion, he was as bright and noble as the moon. Now the immortal alliance is “flourishing,” with everyone driven to compete in cultivation so they can achieve the glory of “ascending” as soon as possible. And his most obedient, well-behaved young disciple, Xi Yuzhou, has become a great demon feared throughout the cultivation world, one who delights in “stripping people of their immortal bones and carving out their spiritual roots.” Then Jiang Zongyue is presented as “expendable material” before the great demon Seated high above him, Xi Yuzhou lifts his chin. His eyes roil with an unfamiliar darkness, though his smile is as playful as ever. “New here? Let me hear you call me Master.” Jiang Zongyue: “…???” You wicked disciple. You’d better really not recognize me. After being reborn, he and his wicked disciple somehow become each other’s masters. This ridiculous reversal of their seniority leaves Jiang Zongyue speechless. Even worse, his rebellious disciple has inherited his legacy, silently taking up the banner of resisting the entire immortal alliance. When the immortal alliance’s army bears down on them, Xi Yuzhou’s white robes are stained with blood, but he shields Jiang Zongyue behind him, his voice shaking the land: “Do you think killing my master will hide the fact that this Heavenly Way devours people?!” At last, Jiang Zongyue sighs and steps out from the crowd, wiping the blood from his disciple’s face. “Have you had enough?” His tone is calm, but he takes Xi Yuzhou’s sword. “This time, stand behind me.” No matter how insane his wicked disciple gets, he’s the only one allowed to discipline him. Later, when everything has settled, Xi Yuzhou pins him against a wall. His eyes are bloodshot, but his voice is petulant: “You taught me back then. Now it’s my turn to teach you. What’s wrong with that?” Jiang Zongyue: “…Is that why you made me call you Master?” Xi Yuzhou lowers his head and rubs his face against Jiang Zongyue’s neck, utterly brazen: “Mm. A master should be dignified and respectable, but I can be an old lecher.” Jiang Zongyue × Xi Yuzhou A seemingly gentle, somewhat unreliable master who pretends to be mild-mannered, top × A hot-tempered, proud disciple who panics the moment he’s flirted with, bottom Theme: The fate of the world rests on every individual