Mu Yuchengs Abkommen

Kapitel 40

The other nine strange uncles looked troubled: "It's not that we don't want to save you, but we're not good at dealing with this kind of poison. Isn't this the kind of poison that Ninth Brother is best at? Don't you have an antidote?"

The guy who reaped what he sowed had a face full of black lines. If only he had known—if only he had known—

Looking at his pitiful state, even though he was the one who harmed others first, it seems like I was the one who teased him first. So, I'll forgive him. Anyway, it was just a small greeting gift. It's just that he was the unfortunate one I chose to lie outside, because his room is the prettiest.

After thinking it over, I said to my uncles with a sigh, "Uncles, I have researched this kind of poison before. Why don't you give me a few days to try it out?"

Seeing how pitiful I looked, the uncles chuckled and said, "Then we'll leave it to you." Then they disappeared in a flash. This was one of their quirks; they only knew how to poison and play pranks on people, and their greatest fear was saving lives—even their own brothers couldn't do it. Now that I had taken on this important task, they were truly grateful to me.

I strolled back to Uncle Jiu, chuckling mischievously. Even if I were to cure you, I'd have to make you suffer a bit first. I wouldn't tell him that I actually have several Great Rejuvenation Pills that Qingci concocted for me, which can cure all poisons. Hehe.

"Here, eat it." Without waiting for his response, I forced the medicine into his mouth. This had been going on for several days. To be honest, the medicine was mostly for clearing heat and detoxifying; at most, it would lessen his itching. Seeing his miserable state, I couldn't help but feel a little relieved. Heh heh, let's see if you dare to think about disfiguring me again. I'll let him taste what it's like to be disfigured first. Unfortunately for me, I've met my match. After suffering so much, will this guy still dare to harm others?

By the way, the purpose of my trip here is to give the Ten Monsters a complete makeover! Others have "The Great Transformation of Wild Boars," I'm going to give the Ten Monsters a makeover.

So, lying in bed, Jiu Guai was not surprised to hear his brothers screaming in agony. It was a terrible sight. They had all been poisoned by the various poisons that Jiu Guai had invented, which he was most proud of, but he had not yet had time to develop an antidote.

This little devil always appeared as a savior, seemingly taking good care of them, but in reality, he made them suffer the bitter consequences of their actions. "It's worse than death!" lamented the ten men lying immobile in their beds. "Sang Qin, oh Sang Qin, you really made the mistake of associating with bad friends, which led to this disaster!"

This wasn't just a little devil, he was Satan reincarnated. The Ten Monsters were nothing in front of him; he was practically the leader of the Ten Monsters.

Later generations called the mastermind behind taming the Ten Monsters and making them repent and start anew "Satan".

This happened during one of the ten strange illnesses. The little devil, bored, told them many stories, the most memorable of which was about a guy named Satan, the god of darkness. The ten men, who dared not speak out, secretly thought: Isn't this a true reflection of this little devil? Thus, the name Satan came about.

After several days of being a typical housewife, my life has finally returned to normal, sleeping late at night and waking up at noon. A few days ago, my grandparents came to visit, and since my parents were still at work, the responsibility of caring for them fell on my shoulders. Every morning, the first thing I do is go to the small community market near my door to buy groceries. After resting a bit, I start cooking, wait for my parents to come home from work, eat, and then wash the dishes. When my grandmother is sick, I also have to take her to the hospital for her appointment and injections, and then come back to cook again. I'm a model, excellent housewife, rarely leaving the house, managing everything at home. It's a little strange, but these ordinary, simple days are still interesting, peaceful, and fulfilling.

Volume 3, Chapter 75: The City Lord Changes

Under my coercion and enticement, I completely transformed the appearance of the Ten Freaks, making them presentable enough to at least not frighten normal people. First, I cleaned the horrible beard and hair of the first freak. His tangled, filthy hair was truly repulsive, infested with lice and fleas. I couldn't stand his filth any longer. Next was the second freak, who had grown a thick, sharp beard after taking the wrong medicine during an experiment. Apparently, he tried to shave it at first, but it grew faster and became so thick and prickly that even he couldn't bear it. Eventually, he simply stopped shaving and let it grow. Now it completely covers his face, and others can no longer recognize him. His other brothers have long forgotten what he looks like. With the help of a potion and scissors, after several hours of forgetting, I finally saw the second freak's true face. As for the third freak, I don't even want to talk about his natural stench; it was simply disgusting. I found him a bottle of permanent deodorant perfume to carry with him 24/7, so he wouldn't suffocate from breathing difficulties. The fourth one is a classic autistic monster. I used every joke, skit, and crosstalk I knew over the decades, even a little bit of dirty jokes, and finally, after a few days, he was like a ray of sunshine after the storm, laughing and talking to me. Ah, what a great undertaking! The fifth one, I don't even want to talk about him anymore. That effeminate manner, that narcissism, I, I… I can't go on. The sixth one is a little better. On the surface, he seems normal, but he's someone who gets excessively sad from time to time. Medically speaking, he has mild depression. He often wallows in self-pity, sighing all day long at the sight of falling flowers and flowing water, at the sunrise and sunset, at the air itself, shedding a few tears that belong to his manly sweat. While a melancholic handsome man can be somewhat charming in principle, I think any normal person would find it unbearable to be around someone who cries and spouts flowery, literary phrases all the time. I won't go into the rest; it would be a waste of my time.

But it's alright, I have plenty of patience. And after their bad experience, they'll have no choice but to obey me; they don't want to go through my methods again. I've learned a lot of the Ten Great Tortures of the Qing Dynasty, but since they're all friends of the old man, practically my uncles, I won't be so cruel as to try them all on them. Just hearing my sweet smile as I described them while taking care of them terrified them beyond belief.

The Ten Oddities enjoy torturing and teasing people, not being the ones being tortured or teased.

Of the ten oddballs, Uncle Jiu hated me the most, so much so that he wanted to tear me to pieces and devour me piece by piece. After he was poisoned, I deliberately tormented him by refusing to give him the antidote, leaving ugly scars on his handsome face and fair body. Actually, I wasn't really cruel to them; I just hoped that in their suffering they could understand that what they had inflicted on them was also this kind of pain, or even more.

However, I suspect the effort was minimal. On the way to Jianxian Manor to visit the old man, since it was their first time out in years, they were incredibly curious about everything, causing a lot of commotion. The number of people they played pranks on was countless. These big kids are truly a headache. However, I know they've become much gentler and don't easily resort to violence. Aside from that rich young master who once swore at me and tried to grope me in a restaurant, that guy really had a rough time, managing to offend a bunch of old rascals.

Finally, he was given a poison that caused his entire body to swell continuously over several hours, piling up layers of fat until he looked like a pig. I couldn't bear to look at his horrific appearance as he died screaming. The layers of fat piled up on his face, uneven and rugged, truly gave him a face full of bulging flesh and deep grooves. It was easy to imagine how terrible it was. It is said that this condition would last for a month before he would slowly return to normal.

Looking at the ten oddballs standing beside me, angrily cursing that arrogant fool, I couldn't help but smile slightly. Although they all said how much they hated me and that they would make me pay in the future, I knew that these guys, who were cold on the outside but warm on the inside and had a sharp tongue but a soft heart, actually cared about me quite a bit.

Anyway, the journey was noisy and bumpy, but I finally arrived at my destination smoothly.

Jianxian Manor is known as the number one manor in the martial arts world.

Night. Inside a room at Jianxian Manor.

"How's it going? Did you find anything?"

The round-faced boy smiled slightly: "I found it. Just as Young Master predicted. The city of Saluo is located on the border, and the surrounding area is extremely desolate. The entire city is built around the Fengfei River, and the city's water supply and rice cultivation are all supplied by this river. Although Saluo is a small trading city, it has always been self-sufficient in food because the surrounding countries are short of food, and sometimes it has to import from other cities. Although Jun Jin is not involved in the business here much, because Young Master instructed me to pay more attention to the trading ports and borders of Jin State in the early years, the windows and post stations connecting with other cities and countries here are all Jun Jin's properties."

“Good,” I laughed happily, “I knew it. A small town like this, so reliant on trade, would inevitably have a fatal weakness. Xiao Qi, thank you for your hard work.” I had originally sent him to Cyathea City to find out about the situation there, and specifically to inquire about any fatal weaknesses. Of course, the more important reason was that he was very familiar with the place—

"Xiao Qi, come here." After he leaned closer, I whispered a few words in his ear. Xiao Qi's face gradually darkened, from initial shock to admiration, to understanding, to composure, to calm and undisturbed expression.

Do you understand now?

Xiaoqi gave me a deep look and said in a deep voice, "Xiaoqi understands."

I smiled wickedly. "I simply don't believe that their entire city will have a complete crop failure this year. Moreover, with Junjin closing all the ports, how long can they possibly struggle? At that point, don't you think it would be interesting if the price Junjin pays for helping the entire city is to replace the city lord?"

Seeing his silent expression, my heart softened: "Xiao Qi, do you think I'm being too cruel?"

Xiao Qi composed herself, then suddenly said with a resolute expression, "Those who have ever hurt the young master should all be punished."

I smiled, touched: "I'm glad Xiao Qi doesn't blame me. I promise, no one in the people of Cyathea City will be harmed."

Xiao Qi smiled, and then suddenly said, "Young Master, actually, Xiao Qi's hometown is Cyathea City."

My eyes darkened, and I whispered, "I know." Did he finally tell me today? Does this mean he completely trusts me?

"Young Master knows?" He opened his eyes wide in surprise.

“Go on,” I encouraged him.

“That,” he said, somewhat reluctantly, “that city lord is Xiao Qi’s uncle. My real name isn’t Mai Qi, but Ji Yu. Because my father suddenly passed away, and under his protection, I only knew how to study poetry and books, becoming engrossed in the sea of books. My uncle saw that I was young and ignorant, and had no power in the court, so he took away my right to inherit the city of Shueluo, and banished me from the city, making it impossible for me to return there forever. He also imprisoned my mother. When I was desperate in the capital, it was you, young master, who took me in and rescued my mother. I have no way to repay you for your kindness.” As he spoke, he suddenly knelt heavily on the ground and kowtowed to me.

I quickly got up and helped him up. Years ago, when I instructed Uncle Fu to bring Xiao Qi's mother to the manor, I learned that she was imprisoned in the city of Cyathea, and that the situation was quite troublesome. So I knew a little about it, but because he hadn't told me, I didn't ask. I always thought that one day he would completely trust me, or perhaps he would want to confide in someone, and then he would tell me. Although I waited a long time, that day has finally come.

"Xiao Qi, what I did wasn't much. It was you who became stronger."

He choked up slightly, "Young Master, you don't know, when I was banished by my uncle, I didn't actually hate him. Because I was spoiled by my father, indulging in my own desires and never caring about the people of Saluo City. I begged my way through life, arriving in the capital in a daze. I didn't really care where I ended up; I had long lost any purpose or desire to live. I thought, someone as useless as me, no one would care if I died on the roadside. I wandered around with that mindset. But things changed after I met you, Young Master. Since you saved me, I suddenly had the motivation and courage to repay your kindness. So I started to seriously work on something: managing Junjin for you, expanding your business, and winning you the reputation of being the best merchant in the world. This is what you deserve, and what Xiao Qi hopes to see. I'm doing it willingly. Meeting you, Young Master, is Ji Yu's disappearance, and also Mai Qi's rebirth."

I was touched, went over and hugged him, saying with heartache, "Xiao Qi, Xiao Qi, you won't be alone anymore."

I stared coldly at the candlelight on the table and said softly, "Xiao Qi has grown up. She's not useless anymore. Now, Xiao Qi has enough power to take back and manage her own things." My tone was full of meaning.

Actually, what I want to do is not just to reclaim Cyathea City and give Xiaoqi a gift. Letting him do it is also to let him have the self-awareness to take everything back with his own hands. I don't want him to lose confidence because of the shadows of his childhood. More importantly, I want to accomplish the purpose of this trip.

Volume 3, Chapter 76, Feng Fei

"Alliance Leader, it's been a long time—"

"Master Hong, welcome, welcome."

Another hearty laugh rang out: "Alliance Leader, do you still remember this old man?"

Sang Qin smiled gently and said, "So you're the head of Qingcheng. My apologies for not recognizing you."

...

I bit into my apple, looking disdainfully at these hypocritical fellows. The old man really had a good temperament. He stood in one position for so long, and smiled for so long, yet there was no trace of forced or hypocritical intention. It was as if it came from the heart. His enthusiasm and sincerity were genuine welcome and joy from the bottom of his heart.

"Hmph," I chuckled dismissively, taking a big bite with a loud, unrestrained smacking sound. This old guy is either a master actor, a cunning old fox, or a mild-mannered, easy-going man!

But sensing my disdainful gaze, he, who had been greeting guests, suddenly turned around and smiled at me gently, with an air of undisguised affection.

Sigh, I'm the kind of person who responds better to gentleness than force. The moment I meet that warm, refreshing gaze, like a gentle spring day, I immediately become obedient.

He beckoned to me, and I obediently walked over with my head down. He pulled me and pushed me in front of him, introducing me to this person I didn't recognize: "This is my apprentice, An—"

I interrupted him, "Hello, Uncle, I'm Xiaojin. Please take care of me." I adopted a well-behaved and humble demeanor.

The man looked me over with satisfaction and said to the old man, "Brother Sang, not bad, not bad. Your apprentice is sure to be a promising young man."

I rolled my eyes inwardly. Seeing my strange expression, the old man smiled awkwardly at the man and said, "Brother Xiao, please come in and have a seat. Please."

After the man left, he said to me helplessly, "Hey girl, can't you give your master some face? What kind of shit-eating expression did you have? What will the guests think if they see that?"

I glared at him, my expression one of utter disgust, and said through gritted teeth, "Master, you're really funny, as charming as ever. Ten uncles are getting impatient waiting in the back room. They asked me to come and ask if you could go to the market down the mountain."

He hesitated for a moment, looked at the guests in the room, and finally said, "Alright, you must keep an eye on my elder brothers and not cause any trouble, understand?"

"Got it." Alright, I can finally go out. I've been holed up in my room for the past few days, and the old man has been busy entertaining guests. After visiting the palace and Junjin Manor, I really have no interest in exploring this bland Jianxian Manor. I'm so bored.

Carrying Little White and a few old rascals out, we naturally went down the mountain through the back gate. Sigh, if people saw the Ten Eccentrics reappear in the martial world, they'd be scared to death. If that happened, they'd launch a righteous campaign to hunt down the Ten Eccentrics, causing some bloodshed, and I'd become the instigator.

Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, we arrived at Wuran City, the most prosperous city in the region and the wealthiest place in the southwest. The market was overflowing with countless rare and exotic treasures from various southwestern countries, a sight that truly made everyone envious. I was somewhat better off; having lived for so many years, I had seen a wide variety of things. But the ten strange creatures were like newborn infants, curiously looking at this and that, touching and weighing everything.

Like a child.

"Come here, come here, kid, look, what's this red stuff?" I was looking at an old-fashioned oriental bracelet when Jiu Guai dragged me to a strange stall. It was beautiful! There were even crystal-clear glass-like stones there. And everything at this stall was red. How unique! I glanced at what Jiu Guai was so excited about and said indifferently, "That's red coral. What's the fuss?" Then I continued to intently examine these red treasures. I've loved red since I was a child, and seeing so many beautiful red things at once was truly breathtaking.

"Does the young master like this 'Feng Fei'?" I looked up and saw that he was the owner of the stall. Like other Arabs, he was dressed in a long robe, with only one eye exposed. However, his pupil was a striking sapphire blue. It looked like the ocean was rippling with light, yet it was radiant and beautiful. I couldn't help but glance at him again.

I looked at him, raised the red glass bracelet I loved so much to my hand, and said to him, "It's called 'Feng Fei'? What a strange name, but it sounds quite nice."

He looked at me intently for a moment, then said softly, "Not a phoenix, but a phoenix."

I gave a puzzled "Oh," and it turned out to be something else entirely. "How much does this cost? I'd like to buy it."

He chuckled lightly, "You are her master, no money needed, young master, take her away."

"How can this be?" I was about to say something to him when Uncle Jiu, who had been watching our conversation strangely, became impatient. He grabbed me by the collar and said impatiently, "Since he gave it to you, just leave." By the time I groaned a few times, he had already dragged me far away.

In the dim light, they heard the strange foreign man say, "My name is Murong Han, and we will meet again."

Murong Han, why is that a Chinese name, and it sounds so familiar?

Before I could think much of it, the ten people, all in high spirits, dragged me along, wandering around and around. Just as everyone was getting hungry and preparing to look for food, Uncle Jiu suddenly leaned close to my ear and said, "Someone's been following us for a long time. They've been following us since we left the village. Be careful."

I waved my hand and laughed a few times, "How could that be? You're overthinking it." After saying that, I ignored his furrowed brow and ran off to chat and laugh with the other uncles.

Nine Monsters hesitated for a moment, looking at me carefree and laughing happily, and thought that maybe I was just being paranoid. With that thought, his brows relaxed a lot.

I patted my chest, thank goodness. Of course, he didn't suspect anything. It was when I told Jianxian Manor that I wanted to leave the manor that Qingci insisted on following me to protect me. I refused, so they hid in the shadows and followed me all the way.

I know that after what happened last time, he and Xiaoqi couldn't get over it and felt guilty, thinking they hadn't protected me well. So, since that day, they've been secretly protecting me all the time. No matter what I said, it was no use.

After walking for a while, I saw a bustling restaurant. I looked closely and saw the sign read "Hua Po Zi" (花破子). What a strange name. I'd heard that the more people there were, the better the food, so I grabbed a few uncles and eagerly rushed inside. We finally managed to find two tables in the dense crowd to sit down.

I asked the waiter to order a few of the restaurant's specialties, and only then did I learn that "Hua Pozi" was the owner's name. What an interesting name! Like the title of a ci poem, wasn't there a later example, "Hou Ting Hua Pozi"?

We were enjoying the meal, chatting and laughing happily, when an incredibly alluring and beautiful woman carried a plate of pastries to us. My eyes always light up when I see a beautiful woman, especially since she had a slightly spicy and seductive air about her, reminiscent of the proprietress played by Maggie Cheung in *Dragon Inn*. Her overall presence was even more captivating; it was truly a feast for the eyes. Lost in reverie…

"You're practically drooling." Uncle Nine's annoying voice rang in my ears, completely ruining any sense of beauty. I reflexively wiped my chin—nothing there—before a soft chuckle reached my ears. Damn it, he tricked me again! I clenched my fist.

The proprietress covered her mouth and chuckled, swaying gracefully to remind me of a "drifting hip." She walked to an empty seat in front of me, sat down, and looked at me with a flirtatious gaze, saying sweetly, "Distinguished guests, this is a complimentary gift from our shop. Welcome to our Wuran City for the first time." If I weren't a woman, and if I hadn't been used to seeing the stunning beauty, Sister Danyi, by my side, I would definitely have been captivated by her flirtatious glances.

What a charming woman! Is she the one described in the poem with a thousand kinds of allure?

But the woman who had been smiling and flirting with me suddenly changed her expression when she inadvertently noticed the red bracelet on my wrist. She became panicked and almost deathly pale. I had never seen anything like it before. She picked up my hand and stared at the bracelet for a long time, then said in a daze, "How could this be? How could he give you the bracelet?"

I looked at her with a puzzled expression: "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

Volume 3, Chapter 77: Fusion

"Are you a woman?"

Upon arriving at the private room, she poured tea and spoke with certainty, getting straight to the point without any beating around the bush.

Before I could even ask my question, Uncle Jiu Guai asked, "How did you figure it out?" Yes, I consider my disguise skills to be quite good; until now, no one who didn't know beforehand could tell.

She shook her head, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the chain on my wrist and said, "I didn't figure it out, it's because of 'Feng Fei'."

I raised my hand and shook it. "Because of it?" Although this bracelet is indeed very pretty, and I bought it because I really liked it (although I never paid for it), it doesn't look particularly special.

“‘Feng Fei’ is no ordinary bracelet,” you don’t need to emphasize that again. “‘Feng Fei’ is a sacred object of our Mayan people. It is said to have a spirit and will choose its own master, and that master is the one it selects to wield power over the world.” Hearing the phrase “wield power over the world,” my heart skipped a beat, but before I could recover, she continued, “I never understood what ‘Feng Fei’ meant before. What does ‘not a phoenix’ mean? But seeing you today, I finally understand. You don’t seem like a woman, but you are truly a woman, a phoenix.” I drank my tea to hide my disdain, not wanting to see the contemptuous look she gave me. She looked at me for a while, and finally got to the point: “The ancients all spoke of dragons and phoenixes. They are both supreme beings of power. And as a woman, the phoenix is the highest emperor. Since you are the master chosen by Feng Fei, although I am extremely unwilling, I still have to protect you, you brat, no, you little brat, for the rest of my life.”

I coughed a few times, choked by the reluctance in her voice. Finally managing to stop, I said to her with utmost sincerity, "Actually, you don't need to pay any attention to that legend, nor do you need to protect me. I'm fine now." There's absolutely no need for unnecessary trouble.

“That won’t do,” she said, displaying her fiery nature. “It must have been ‘Fengfei’ who brought you here to find your servants. From now on, the entire Mayan people will be your servants. Besides, I don’t want our high priest to blame us.”

"High Priest?" For some reason, those beautiful, large, sapphire-blue eyes suddenly flashed into my mind.

She remained silent, then suddenly knelt down with utmost devotion, saying respectfully, "Your esteemed master, your servant will serve you for life and ensure your safety."