Gu Mang was escorted in by the steward.
There was an iron lock around his neck, making a series of clinking and clanking sounds as he walked barefooted and emerged out of the shadows.
He was unlike the last time Mo Xi saw him. Previously, he appeared calm and unruffled, as if he was not in the least uneasy because he was in his own territory. But now, while Gu Mang was still calm, his muscles were tense, and the penetrating gaze concealed behind those long eyelashes were full of dangerous intent as he swept his glance across the audience.
Mo Xi’s heart stirred slightly when their eyes met in a moment of unpreparedness.
He knew he was in an awkward situation, especially if Gu Mang suddenly mentioned their meeting in Fallen Blossom Court. Although it would not affect him that much, nothing good would still come out of it.
But even though he reasoned it as such, somewhere deep within him was secretly clamoring for attention, hoping that Gu Mang would show him even a tiny bit of reaction that differed from his reaction to the others.
It was a pity Gu Mang disappointed him.
Gu Mang did not show even the slightest bit of interest in him. He seemed to regard Mo Xi as merely another one of those odd guests. His gaze did not even linger on Mo Xi’s face. He simply looked at Mo Xi squarely in the face and shifted his gaze away without a care.
“…...”
With a sullen face, Mo Xi picked up the exquisite jade cup on the table, lowered his eyes and began to fiddle with it in silence.
“Oh, the once famous mythical beast.” With a superficial smile, Murong Lian said, “Gu Mang, why are you so tense? You have served in this residence of mine ever since you were a child. What’s so scary about revisiting your old haunt?”
“Come.” He said and beckoned to Gu Mang. “Come over here.”
Gu Mang slowly took two steps forward, and his gaze fell upon the incense burner in front of Murong Lian. He immediately sneezed as if his nostrils had been assailed by the smell of ‘Adrift in Dreams’ in the incense burner. He suddenly turned around and ran.
Murong Lian did not expect him to revolt all of a sudden. He recovered his senses and snapped, “Grab him!”
Gu Mang’s spiritual core has been disabled, but his movements and actions were still sharp and agile. His long legs swept across and kicked over three or four people. Then, with one hand bracing himself, he leaped into the air like a cheetah, dodging the servants who were trying to grab his arm before landing steadily on the ground.
This set of actions was natural and smooth like floating clouds and flowing water; it was still intimidating even though he did not use any magic skills.
After Gu Mang had sent people flying with his kicks, he looked back at them and scratched his cheek before he turned around and continued to flee.
“…In the end, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse[1], and a broken General Gu is more capable than this motley crew.” Murong Lian said and glanced at Mo Xi, “What do you think? Xihe Jun?”
Mo Xi folded his arms and silently leaned against the chair, ignoring Murong Lian. Instead, he watched as Gu Mang darted all over the hall trying to evade his captors. Gu Mang’s martial arts foundation was too solid. The slaves of Wangshu Residence took a lot of effort before they subdued him; by the end of it, every one of them was drenched in sweat, with a bloodied nose and swollen face.
“Zhushang, he’s all tied up.”
“Look at all of you breathless cows. Those who weren’t in the know would have thought the ones with their spiritual cores maimed were you lot, not him. Fools!”
The slaves immediately lowered their heads, their Adam’s apples bobbing nervously.
Fortunately, Murong Lian did not continue to rebuke them. Instead, he flicked his sleeves and said impatiently, “Bring him back.”
Gu Mang was once again taken to the center of the hall. Because he had kept refusing to obey, they could only bind him firmly with a magic seal and drag him in front of Murong Lian’s seat.
“Kneel!”
Gu Mang refused to kneel, so those people brutally kicked him in the back of his knees, causing him to fall to the ground.
His mouth, nose, neck, abdomen, and knees were tightly bound by the Immortal Restraint Rope. His gaze was confused and furious, and his already loose clothes were wide open now, revealing a large patch of his pale chest.
Murong Lian got off his Xiangfei’s couch[2], his hand still holding on to the silver spoon of incense powder. He bent over and stared at Gu Mang closely. “As big as Chonghua is, it is still all my Murong’s territory... General, where are you running to? Where can you run to?”
When he had finished speaking, he suddenly raised his hand and slapped Gu Mang.
A “smack” sound rang out loud and clear. He had used one hundred percent force, and five streaks of red marks emerged on Gu Mang’s cheek.
Gu Mang was slapped so hard his head snapped to one side. He did not utter a single word.
Instead, it was Mo Xi whose eyelashes fluttered slightly.
“After two years of discipline, you still haven’t learned a single thing.”
Murong Lian straightened up and sniffed the lingering fragrance on the tip of the spoon. He suddenly turned his eyes to look at Mo Xi.
“Xihe Jun, I heard that you have a good command of the army. When you took over the Bastard Army left behind by Gu Mang, many veterans wanted to rebel, but they were all convinced by the oath you made in front of them. Since you are so capable, why don’t you teach the former Commander-in-chief of the Bastard Army a lesson on my behalf? Let him see the error of his ways.”
He then waved and motioned for the servant to drag Gu Mang to Mo Xi.
“Speaking of which, he stabbed Commander-in-chief Mo in the chest before. So this belated apology and atonement should somewhat make it up to Commander-in-chief Mo.”
Murong Lian drawled on. “Today you are the butcher’s knife and the chopping block, and he is a slab of fish meat.[3] You can torture him however you want. Please go ahead.”
The number of complicated sentences Gu Mang could understand was not much, so he did not know what they meant by butcher’s knife or chopping block or a slab of fish. But the effect of the word ‘torture’ to Gu Mang was the same as a terrified dog that had been beaten so much it feared even the sound of the movement of a stick. He gave a start and abruptly widened his eyes. He was lying prone on the ground, and his field of vision was limited, so he could not see Mo Xi, who was standing behind him at a side. When two servants who were flanking him moved him, he tried hard to turn his head back, but he was bound even tighter by the Immortal Restraint Rope that had been holding him in place. The chain that was lodged between his lips and teeth dug even deeper into his flesh, so much that he could scarcely breathe.
For a time, almost all of the eyes in the hall were focused on Mo Xi and Gu Mang.
Yue Chenqing covered his eyes and peeked out between his fingers. He said, “Commander-in-chief Mo, there may be unresolved enmity and grudge between you and him. But please don’t kill him in front of me. I’m still a child.”
“……”
Mo Xi did not utter a word as he slowly bent over on one knee, with one elbow on his knee.
His other hand that had a black leather glove on pinched Gu Mang’s chin and lifted it.
Gu Mang’s mouth was bounded by iron chains, and he could not curse Mo Xi; he could only glare at him while struggling against the chains.
At that moment, an inexplicable shudder arose in Mo Xi’s heart. He did not know why, but when he saw Gu Mang all bounded up with his attire in disarray, a layer of goosebumps excitedly rose on his back.
Was it the thrill of finally catching hold of his prey and watching it being led by its neck to slaughter? Or was it undeniable indignation? Or perhaps there were some other emotions?
He did not know. He was not that keen to know either.
He lowered his black, cold eyes and disdainfully glanced sideways at him. Amidst the flickering light, his entire vision was filled with Gu Mang’s savage yet pitiful and wretched appearance.
“…” After a while, Mo Xi closed his eyes and stood up. “Take him away.”
“Huh? What does Xihe Jun mean by this?”
Mo Xi turned his face away. “I’m not interested in him.”
Murong Lian smiled. “So I see. I was wondering if I had touched Xihe Jun’s sore spot and made Xihe Jun unhappy.” He said as he added a pinch of powder to the pipe in his hand. He narrowed his eyes and took a puff, then fluidly cast a sidelong glance at Mo Xi.
“But Xihe Jun, you really impressed me. You have been busily engaged in warfare for so many years, yet you have remained as untainted and lofty as before. Men and women, foes and beauties, all of them could not catch your eyes. Out of curiosity, I’d like to ask, exactly what kind of peerless beauty will get your attention?”
Mo Xi kept his silence as his face sank.
Yue Chenqing saw that the atmosphere between the two men had turned tense. Scratching his head, he could not help but walked over and tried to get a word in.
Mo Xi did not even look back at him when he said, “Stand further away.”
“……Uh……”
Murong Lian took several puffs and scoffed, “Xihe Jun, did you think Yue Xiao Gongzi can become addicted just by sniffing this small amount of smoke? Don’t worry, It is absolutely impossible for that to happen.”
“That’d be best.” Mo Xi’s eyes were like curved blades[4] in the chilly night, staring at
Murong Lian’s face through the spiral of smoky mist.
Perhaps because of their clans’ struggle for power, Murong Lian could not bear the sight of the Mo Clan. From his youth, he had been trying to create trouble for Mo Xi, always wanting to crack Mo Xi’s shell and get a handle on him. This was not the first time he had beat around the bush trying to sound him out.
Murong Lian smiled. As expected, he pressed on through clenched teeth. “You haven’t answered my question yet. There are hundreds of beautiful men and women in my Fallen Blossom Court, each of whom is attractive in his or her own way. Isn’t there a single one that caught your eyes?”
“…...There’s no need to bother yourself about my personal affairs.”
Murong Lian lightly took another puff of the pipe, his fair-as-jade fingertips tapping on the pipe as he blew out clouds of smoke. “Hehe, Xihe Jun, there’s no need for you to hold back. I know you value your reputation, but in my opinion, it’s better to make merry in life. All those insignificant moral integrity and character are as transient as fleeting clouds…”
As he said so, he exhaled a hazy puff of smoke and revealed a vague smile amidst the fog.
Blowing away the mist, he continued to speak slowly.
“You see, it’s gone in an instant.”
Mo Xi said icily, “Reputation?”
“Xihe Jun keeps his distance from both men and women. If not because of reputation, then
what?”
Mo Xi replied in an indifferent tone, “Because of contamination.”
Murong Lian remained silent for a moment, squinting his eyes and blowing out thin wisps of smoke between his mouth.
After their exchange of words, Murong Lian turned his head and sneered as he reclined back onto the Xiangfei couch, “Uncontaminated people are so boring.” Having said so, he waved
his hand and turned his attention to the other guests.
“Come, come. Enjoy yourself and play however you want. There’s no need to stand on ceremony.”
“After today’s banquet, whoever can still embrace the ladies and remain sober and invigorated, I will treat him as a person with kidney deficiency. From then on, Fallen Blossom Court can no longer afford to entertain you.”
The slaves moved in and asked, nonplused, “Zhushang, so… do we drag this Gu Mang back, or leave him here?”
“Leave him. What’s the point of taking him back?” Murong Lian said smilingly. “Although Xihe Jun has no interest in him, surely it doesn’t mean that the others don’t want to play?”
Saying so, he glanced at Mo Xi. “Xihe Jun, you really don’t want him, do you?”
“If that’s the case, then I’ll let the other buddies enjoy to their hearts’ content.”
“……”
Murong Lian laughed when he saw Mo Xi ignoring him. The light that flashed in his eyes was like the scales of a snake: “Fine.” He nodded his head and raised his hand to point at Gu Mang. “This man is so ugly that Xihe Jun looks down on him and rejects him. Drag him down
and let the other Gongzi have their fun with him.”
The others were naturally happy to oblige. They might have felt somewhat awkward humiliating a songstress in public, but when it came to humiliating Gu Mang, they all cheered and applauded in approval.
Who asked Gu Mang to be a traitor of Chonghua?
For a moment, the drunken cultivators surrounded him and made of him as they thought of demeaning ways to humiliate him.
Someone saw that he was hungry and threw a piece of spare ribs in front of him. “Eat if you want.”
Gu Mang’s beast nature took precedence, and he circled several times around the spare rib. Unable to bear the hunger, he picked it up, placed it near the tip of his nose and took a careful sniff at it. Feeling nothing wrong with it, he took a small bite and chewed on it as he stared at the bunch of young masters in front of him with focus and caution.
Mo Xi caught a glimpse of this scene out of the corners of his eyes. He felt smothered, and he had to turn his head away. However, even if he looked away, he could not avoid their voices; the din they made rang sharply in his ears.
“Hahaha, General Gu, we said you’re a beast, and you really went and pick bones up to eat?
All the young masters erupted in laughter.
“Aren’t you obsessed about hygiene in the past? Why do you still want food that has been dropped on the floor?”
“General Gu, where’s your sense of shame?”
The contempt of the whole room was enough to overturn the tiles of the roof, but Gu Mang ignored it all and simply gnawed silently on that rare piece of spare rib. It did not take him long to eat it clean.
He licked his lips and raised his head again. His eyes swept past the malicious, mocking faces and stopped on the tray on the banquet table. There was a pile of braised spare ribs that were evenly cut in large cubes and arranged in the shape of a small pagoda. Each piece of braised meat was dripping with rich gravy, red oil, and fragrant spices. Gu Mang stared at it in silence for a moment, then abruptly said, “Give me.”
This was the first time he spoke like a normal person after entering the room. All of them were excited as if they had seen a cat that had always been silent giving a sudden yowl.
“Give you what?”
Looking like a wild beast begging for food, Gu Mang unceremoniously replied, “Give me meat.”
The crowd laughed. “Hahaha, look, he knows how to beg for meat!”
“He knows nothing, but he knows what meat is. This mythical beast, hehe.”
One of the young masters on the seat asked, “Do you want to eat?”
Gu Mang nodded his head.
That young master clamped a piece of meat and handed it over to him with a jab of the jade chopsticks. Gu Mang took it and was about to eat it when the young master suddenly burst out laughing, “You are a dog that has betrayed your country and your sovereign, and you still want to eat meat? Dream on!” Having said so, the spiritual energy on his fingertip moved slightly, and the piece of braised meat that Gu Mang was holding was instantly obliterated into a mass of smoke.
Gu Mang looked as if he was startled. For a moment, he confusedly stared at his hand for a while, then flipped his hand repeatedly, until he eventually lowered his head and searched the ground. When he was sure of it, he tilted his head in confusion and said, “The meat is gone.”
In the wing, the crowd fell over one another to make fun of him.
“Isn’t it simple if you want to eat something?”
Someone mixed vinegar, wine, sauce, and oil into a wine bottle and brought it to him. “Here. Try this. It’s top-quality wine, hahahaha.”
Gu Mang had probably been thirsty and hungry for a long time. Although he did not believe them, he took the bottle and smelled it. He thought it smelled strange, so he cautiously licked it.
There was a moment of silence, then he spat it out right onto that person’s face.
“……”
Some people were so amused they clapped their legs, while others excitedly thought of other ways to humiliate him. The young master that had been spat at was extremely embarrassed and indignant. He took the handkerchief that was passed to him and wiped his face. Then he grabbed Gu Mang by the front of his shirt and gave him a vicious slap. He swore, “I gave you a drink, and you still want to be picky. Go pick your ancestors.”
Gu Mang took the beating and immediately thought of fighting back. But when Liao Country destroyed his sanity, they had also purged his spiritual power. He was no match for the cultivator at all. It did not take long before his neck was bound by chains. He could not break free no matter how he struggled, and could only stare vehemently at the other party.
Those eyes were truly the same as that of a wolf.
“Give it to him! Beat him up!”
“That’s right! Beat him up!”
Who did not hate Gu Mang? This was even more so today when both Mo Xi and Murong Lian were present, and these young masters had been wanting to curry favor with the two esteemed nobles. Thus, every single one of them threw out spells without mercy, and attack spells rained down on Gu Mang’s body–they would choose the most ruthless spells as long as they did not kill him.
Gu Mang was soon besieged until he had no breathing space, but he did not know why these people hated him so much. He wanted to say something, but his mouth was full of blood.
Several people still did not feel satisfied, so they simply picked up the bottle that had just been empty and spat a few mouthfuls of saliva in it. They then forced up Gu Mang’s chin and barked, “Open your mouth! Swallow it!”
“Drink it all! Don’t think of leaving this place if you don’t finish it!”
This group of descendants from influential clans surrounded him as they humiliated him, sparing no effort to torment him hoping to please Xihe Jun. Suddenly, they heard a muffled
‘bang’ from the innermost corner.
All at once, the crowd turned their heads, only to see Mo Xi, who had been silently fiddling with the wine cup, standing up suddenly. He flung the jade cup onto the table and raised his eyes, an extremely dour expression on his face.
Author’s Notes:
Ah Lian: Hehehehe, there is a price for saying what you don’t really mean. Didn’t you say you don’t care? Then why are you smashing the teacup?
Mo Xi: A slip of the hand.
Gongzi A, B, C: Here, here, here, Gu Mang, have another piece of meat~
Mo Xi: ......
Ah Lian (looking askance at Mo Xi): Commander-in-chief Mo, do I need to give you an anti-slip cup?
Translator's Notes:
[1] 瘦死的骆驼比马大 literally a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Even when the mighty fall, they are still better than the average man.
[2] 湘妃榻 Xiangfei couch, a kind of long, narrow couch with no fences on the sides, only a backrest and a pillow on one side, something like the below picture. Xiangfei couches are made of mottled/spotted bamboo.
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[3] 你为刀俎， 他为鱼肉 literally you are the butcher’s knife and chopping block, he is a slab of fish meat. i.e., Mo Xi is the persecutor, and Gu Mang is at his mercy.
[4] Well, actually it said 吴钩 Wu Gou, a kind of curved blade that was popular in the Spring and Autumn period. Basically meaning Mo Xi narrowed his eyes and looked at Murong Lian frostily.
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Thank you Lianyin for TL!