Blood dripped down drop by drop.
Murong Lian covered his shoulders, his silk clothing was becoming soaked with scarlet seeping out of his seam that he pointed at. The people nearby saw his face change , as he stammered “Zhu, Zhushang...”
No one had expected that one that was ultimately injured would be Murong Lian. The bystanders in Leisurely Moon Mansion were in a great mess “Quickly take medicine! Quickly direct some healing spiritual energy.”
“Quickly Quickly Quickly! Bandage! Bandages!” Murong Lian’s face was ashen, he had no idea what transpired, just as the dagger was about to cut down, a red lotus seal emerged from Gu Mang’s neck, following which a gush of spiritual energy surrounded him, more than 10 incorporeal daggers rose out, not only blocking his dagger, but also propelling him several meters back. Murong Lian was temporarily rendered speechless, biting his lip hard as his face changed between red and white. He stopped, blue light shone out of his palm, stopping the blood flow passably, before angrily and awkwardly yelling “Gu Mang!!” Gu Mang had already taken advantage of the chaos and ran behind the table, grimacing in an alert yet innocent manner staring at Murong Lian, with those bright daggers bobbing up and down surrounding and protecting him. After some time in silence, a Gongzi in the midst of the crowd that had went looking for Gu Mang in Fallen Blossoms Court in the past suddenly reacted shouting “Aiya! It actually was this spell!” “What spell?” Murong Lian raged, “You know yet still won’t say it quickly?!” “This spell….this spell was something this subordinate inadvertently found out, it is awkward to say….” “Say!!” “To reply Wang Shujun, it is like this!” that Gongzi upon seeing Murong Lian’s agitation hurriedly replied “This spell will not activate if spells or high quality weapons are used to attack him. However if ordinary summoned weapons or punches and kicks hurt him and make him frightened, there will be a lot of bright swords emerging from his body, This is also….” he felt awkward saying it here but he braced himself, “This is also the reason why no one could really do anything to Gu Mang despite him staying in Fallen Blossoms Court for a long time…..” It was hard to dispel Murong Lian’s anger as he peered at Gu Mang that was at the opposite side of the table “What stupid laughable spell is this?!” That Gongzi shook his head “Gu Mang used to be talented at magic, in the beginning he created a number of secret spells, many of them useless other than to amuse young ladies. This might have been something that he made in the early years for fun. ” After he finished, other people remembered. The library pavilion of the cultivation school had still kept some scrolls that Gu Mang had amended, with messy scrolls of little spells, items such as, something that can warm cold dishes, something that can turn someone into a cat for the length of time it takes a stick of incense the burn, and even a fire that placed on one’s could warm one’s body during the winter. One of the most spells that was the most well-known was the “General is always right” spell, legend had it that in the early years in the army Gu Mang enjoyed escaping the long and boring army meetings, specially crafted that spell to keep the commander from discovering, it was able to turn a block of wood to his likeness and sit in his original spot to listen to the general’s superfluous words, while he himself was somewhere else happy and free.
“This hypothesis is quite possible.”
“Yes, to protect against kicks and fist yet not magical spells is really quite absurd, at first glance it can be seen that it is not a serious protective spell” “Gu Mang, this fellow liked to make everything in a mess. However if he didn’t mess with this, that senseless little spell could have protected him.” Someone laughed, “If not he would have died on his bed a long time ago.After all there were many people in Chonghua that wished to bed him, what a pity that there was no one that could have broke this spell.” Yue Chenqing listened at the side, scratched his head muttering “To fuck, what spell? Flowers of the high mountain spell?” “That’s right I presume, Gu Mang’s ‘Flowers of the high mountain’?” Another young Gongzi laughed lowering his voice to joke with Yue Chenqing, “This might as well form a *rhyming couplet.*” “Gu Mang’s Flower’s of high mountain” Yue Chenqing asked in an interested manner “than what would be the second line?” “Commander Mo’s licentious romance” Yue Chenqing laughed loudly while smacking his thigh “Hahahahaha even though it cannot compete, but-----” “What are you laughing at!” suddenly it was broken by Murong Lian as he flew into rage out of embarrassment, “No rules and regulation, watch out if *give your father small shoes to wear*.”
“I did not! How would I dare.” Yue Chenqing answered quickly “I only haphazardly said that hoping to make Wang Shujun happy, don’t say about giving my father small shoes to wear even if you gave him female shoes to wear it would be fine too!” Murong Lian stared at him, thinking that he was unable to exert his might tonight and even gained a scar and lost his dignity, feeling embarrassed he turned his head fiercely saying “Why won’t the servants come faster?!”
“Here at Masters command!” Murong Lian brushed away his shirt sleeve and pointed at Gu Mang “Take this stupid pig away. I do not wish to see him. Furthermore bring some bright ones from Fallen Blossom’s Court over. As for the punishment----” He ground his teeth glancing at Mo Xi’s face. For some reason, Mo Xi’s expression was somewhat strange after witnessing that spell and he kept glancing at Gu Mang’s neck. “Commander Mo... Do you have any words to day?” “.....” Mo Xi’s expression returned to normal, he stopped glancing at Gu Mang, crossing his arms he coldly answered “Wasn’t Wang Shujun virtuously planning to part with cherished Gu Mang? ”
Murong Lian was startled before shamelessly saying “I did not mean it, the emperor gave an imperial edict for me to deal with him, how can I allow him to change owners so easily?”
Mo Xi already knew that for his words were not trustworthy, the phrase *“after a gentleman gave his word a team of four horses could not chase after it”* was meaningless to Murong Lian
Thus his eyes met Murong Lian’s menacingly saying “If it is as such, Wang Shujun himself should deal with it as he sees fit, and yet why would he ask me.”
“Since you say it this way” Murong Lian sneered, turning his head to command “Bring him down and give him 80 lashes of the whip and dock his meal rations for a month.” after he paused he maliciously added more.
“He deserves it if he starves to death.”
“……”
“.....”
As Gu Mang was escorted down, Leisurely Moon’s servants came over to clear messy table and place new dishes and the banquet restarted.
After a round of discussion and sighs, only Mo Xi remained silent, when the reast started drinking and gambling, his heard rose and he stared at where Gu Mang was dragged away to with complicated emotions, his fingers clenching tightly where no one could see
Mo Xi did not like to drink and he disliked getting a hangover even more. However that day after he had returned from Leisurely Moon Palace, he sat alone in his courtyard and opened an excellent aged wine, drinking cup by cup until the bottom of the wine container was visible. Looking at the sky clearing up overhead suddenly he turned and asked the housekeeper standing in attendance “Li Wei. How many years have you been with me? ”
“Replying Zhushang, 7 years”
Mo Xi mumbled “7 years...”
7 years ago, he pursued Gu Mang deep into the enemy camps and was stabbed by him in the chest and left with his life hanging by a line. As he laid in bed in a coma, Li Wei had received orders to come to Xihe mansion to look after him.
So it had been so long ago? Mo Xi unhappily thought, that he could not let go of the incident nor forget it. When this much beer had been imbibed there would unavoidably be some intoxicated behavior. He was not willing to loose his reasoning so when Li Wei moved to pour more for him he shook his head to voice his refusal. Li Wei complied,----Mo Xi was special as he could restrain his desires, he did not fool around with beauties nor did he get drunk with exquisite wine. “How do you feel about me and Gu Mang?” Mo Xi asked suddenly Li Wei was shocked, hesitantly answering “.....Not….a good match?” “....what do you mean by whether two men are a good match, I think you drank too much.” Mo Xi stared at him, “Say it again.” Li Wei finally reacted at that smiling “Oh, the relationship between you two? If people knew it won’t be good” “Than what about before” “Before…..” Li Wei mulled over for a while “I formerly did not have the fortune to serve beside Zhushang, however I heard that Zhushang and Gu Mang were martial brothers, army comrades and twin imperial commanders, and still..aah, I don’t know, I can’t think of others. There were people that said you and Gu Mang were quite close,there were also some that said that Gu Mang was drenched in sunlight and can be warm with anyone, thus it could be why he might not have been as close to *you*, it was more or less like this.” Mo Xi nodded his head, not adding any opinions.
Martial brothers, army comrades and twin imperial commanders.
That was the impression that the majority of the people had towards their relationship, it was like that wasn’t so different.
Li Wei curiously asked “Than how was is actually like?”
“Him and I?” Mo Xi suddenly laughed shallowly, his eyelashes drooped and within his smile there were traces of agony “It is not good to say, saying is not good.”
After a pause, he slowly answered “It should not be said.”
No one in Chonghua would have believed that Gu Mang once was like a clear spring to a parched traveler to Mo Xi.
Before he met Gu Mang, Mo Xi had ambitions, assumed that his willpower was resolute, that he was unafraid of suffering but actually the most dominant thing he felt in his heart was hatred.
In his youth he once treated everyone sincerely, however what did he gain? His father dead in battle, his mother’s betrayal, his *Bofu’s* chaos, none of the servants regarded him, they paid him lip service calling him Shaozhu, however they aided his Bofu. There was no one he could trust around him.
At that time he had no idea what he did wrong to suffer such misfortune from destiny. At that time he met Gu Mang. At that time with how kind and honest Gu Mang was, who would mind that he was a slave and had a deplorably low status, he had never resented or criticized anything, at the beginning when Mo Xi went out to exorcise spirits and demons with him, he had a poor temper and provoked him often, yet Gu Mang accepted everything with a smile---constantly empathizing with people’s difficulties, even when he himself was suffering.
He constantly worked hard in absorbing every tiny strand of good will to desperately produce a small flower. Such as acting as Murong Lian to obtain medicine, he obviously knew that he would be punished and even lose his right to study cultivation at the school but he still insisted on doing it. After the matter transpired and he was kneeling at the Sin Repenting Platform, Gu Mang did not bother defending himself, only saying mischievously and shamelessly that he found it fun.
Which slave would bury his opportunity to stand out for a moment of fun.
Clearly it was because he saw how the villagers were ravaged by malaria leaving their sickly bodies in pain
He found it unbearable.
However because he was too lowly and the lowest of the low, even with his softest voice whispering that “I wanted to save someone” would bring him merciless mockery. Even if he dug open his scorching chest and let them see his heart that was about to die from pain, they would only laugh at his passion, be suspicious of his kindness,ridicule him for not knowing his limits and jeer at his shuddering passion
He knew. Which was why he did not explain. People said to look after yourself first when you were in dire straits and only to care about other when you have better circumstances, in the circumstances he was in, a slave of Leisurely Moon Mansion, if he didn’t worry about what he was going to eat for the next meal, he should worry about how to make his Zhushang happy, however he still wanted to save the sick and injured---what a buffoon that did not know his limits. However it was his ignorance about his limits and his scorching hot blooded sincerity back than that pulled Mo Xi back to the right path “Zhushang.” In his moment of inattention, Li Wei stood by his side advising “*It is getting late, you* should rest” Mo Xi did not answer immediately,his hand still staying at his brows and covering his eyes listening to his house keeper’s voice, he leaned past his face, his fingers trembling as though he was trying to wipe something clean. After a while his voice low and unhurried as he softly said “Li Wei.” “在。” “Present.” “....You say” he muttered to himself “Did Gu Mang really lose his memories? Or is he faking?”
Author’s Notes: Murong Lian “Laugh ah Laugh! *I’m your father* help to attack still get injured! Don’t want to do anymore! What are you laughing at Yue Chenqing! Laugh some more I give your father little shoes to wear!”
Yue Chenqing “As long as it makes older brother Murong happy, giving my father females shoes is also fine.”
Yue Juntian: I raised an unfilial son!!
Murong Lian: FIne, enough shamelessness, than what if I gave your older brother female shoes?
Yue Chenqing: As long as Older Brother Murong is happy it is even fine to give my older brother children’s shoes to wear!
Jiang Yexue: ..You are finally willing to call me older brother?
Murong Lian: Fuck! Than if I your father gave your fourth maternal uncle children’s shoes to wear?!
Yue Chenqing: As long as older brother Murong is happy--Wait wait? What?! You want to give my fourth maternal uncle children shoes to wear!!!!! I don’t allow you to go near my fourth maternal uncle.
Mysterious fourth maternal uncle:.............
Lazy’s Notes:
Rhyming Couplet: 对联 you can look at this article for more info https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/culture/chinese-couplets.htm
Give your father small shoes to wear:
After a gentleman gave his word a team of four horses could not chase after it: 君子一诺驷马难追 It means that a gentleman’s word can be trusted
You: 您 respectable way of saying you
Bofu: 伯父 father’s elder brother
I’m your father:老子 usually used in anger or contempt
Dante’s Notes:
Lazy translated this chapter, thanks Lazy! I’ve started school again so forgive me if translations become sporadic. Twitter should have the most up to date info about this novel’s status as I go. On a better note, RoF is finished on JJWXC! There are side stories and extras which I’ll look into translating later but yes! RoF is finished at about 196 chapters. Please make sure to support the author by buying the novel there!