The Jianghu of Feng Qingcheng and Mo Xibei

Chapter 42

She saw Mu Feinan again the following evening. She hadn't slept well all night and was too lazy to get up in the morning. Since she was the boss, no one would check up on her, so she comfortably remained half asleep. Until Mu Feinan pried open the window and jumped in.

"You really have no sense of vigilance; you didn't even react when I came in. If I wanted to kill you, you'd be in grave danger." Mu Feinan shook his head vigorously at Mo Xibei, who hadn't moved an inch, as soon as he entered.

"That's because I don't need to react." Mo Xibei's eyes were still sleepy, and his voice was hoarse. He slowly began, "You recognized me outside, so you knew you didn't need to be on guard?" Mu Feinan seemed to be in a great mood.

"Is that what you think?" Mo Xibei smiled and lazily waved to him.

Mu Feinan felt that Mo Xibei's posture was as if she were beckoning a puppy, or at least a pet cat. She originally wanted to ignore her with a stern face, but then she thought that she had said that she was a puppy countless times to coax her a few days ago, so she didn't need to care. So she walked over excitedly.

Three steps away, just three steps from Mo Xibei's bed, a large net appeared out of thin air. Even though Mu Feinan reacted quickly, he could not escape the restraints and only managed to draw his longsword.

"Don't cut it, it's very expensive. You'll have to pay me back if you mess it up." Mo Xibei sat up with a smile, looking at the person hanging from the rafters. "I already told you, I don't need to react. Now you believe me, right?"

“It’s good for dealing with petty thieves.” Mu Feinan agreed. Then, with a slight twitch of his fingers, the ropes scattered and the net shattered. He landed gracefully, took out a thousand-tael silver note from his pocket, and handed it to Mo Xibei, saying, “I like to damage it. I’ll compensate you. Even if it’s made of beef tendon, this is enough, you little money-grubber.”

"This net is actually a very ordinary fishing net, worth only five hundred coins. I made a profit, haha..." Mo Xibei laughed triumphantly, laughing loudly. She actually had a large net made of silkworm silk prepared in this room, but she was reluctant to use it on Mu Feinan. Of course, it was precisely because of this that she made a profit today.

"What are you doing here in the middle of the night? Don't tell me it's just to test if my window is easy to pry open." After laughing a few times, Mo Xibei's smile faded, and he asked seriously.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just consider it me testing your window." Mu Feinan shook her head, looking around Mo Xibei's room. From the row of rosewood display cases along the wall, filled with precious antiques, to the Song Dynasty Duan stone inkstone with dragon and cloud motifs on the desk, everything was exquisitely detailed. It wasn't necessarily extravagant, but it exuded a subtle and understated elegance within its comfort. Mu Feinan couldn't help but say, "Woman, you're too extravagant. Anyone who didn't know better would think you planned to live here forever. No wonder you love money so much." "I don't earn money to count in front of my eyes; I earn it to enjoy myself," Mo Xibei replied, then suddenly asked, "Do you remember Hu Zi and A Dong?"

"I remember, the primary school children you took in in that mountain village, what happened?" Mu Feinan's expression remained unchanged, and his tone of voice was as usual.

"But I heard they're all dead. Don't you think that's ridiculous?" Mo Xibei looked at him, but little by little, sadness rose in his expression.

"Damn it!" Mu Feinan's expression hardened, and a menacing killing intent flashed in his eyes. He hadn't shown such an expression since the two fell off the cliff, making Mo Xibei feel both unfamiliar and terrified. "Chu Junfeng said that? Damn it, this kid has a long nose, long eyes, and a big mouth too."

"So you found out too? When did you find out? Why didn't you tell me?" Mo Xibei suddenly jumped forward, grabbed Mu Feinan by the collar, tightened his grip, and raised his voice several times.

"Northwest, if you want to strangle me, just do it. If you want to hear me talk, let go." Mu Feinan reached out and grabbed Mo Northwest's hand, gently pulling it away little by little. Only after the restraint on his neck was completely gone did he calmly say, "I only found out yesterday when I left here. Later, when I was standing outside the window, I was thinking about whether to tell you or not. But then I thought, what's the use of telling you? You can't go anyway. Wouldn't that just add to your troubles?"

"Who did this, the Eastern Depot?" Mo Xibei stared intently at him, pressing for an answer.

"Do the people from the Eastern Depot have 'executioner' written on their faces?" Mu Feinan shook his head. "Northwest, you have a prejudice. Those are just innocent civilians. Although the Eastern Depot is unscrupulous in its operations, it would disdain doing something that is of no benefit to itself. Killing people is also very laborious."

"If it's unreasonable to argue three points, who else but the Eastern Depot would be so cruel?" Mo Xibei retorted, snorting indignantly.

“Huang Jin has already sent people to investigate the scene. I believe that as long as someone did this, they will leave some clues. At the latest, the first batch of information will come back tomorrow. At worst, I will tell you as soon as I know,” Mu Feinan said.

"Maybe Huang Jin has already sent people to destroy the evidence. It would be strange if we could find anything then." Mo Xibei sneered. Although she couldn't figure out whether Huang Jin had ordered it, currently, apart from the Eastern Depot, who else would be so ruthless as to kill them all?

“Northwest, have you ever considered that it might be just one person?” Mu Feinan said, “We fell off the cliff unharmed, so what if Murong Songtao is also alright? We haven’t found him yet, neither alive nor dead. Don’t you find that strange?”

Volume Two: Traces Left by the Wind, Chapter Three: Doubts (Part Two)

For some reason, Mo Xibei suddenly remembered that knife. He had also suspected that the key to the so-called treasure lay within it. Adong had found the knife, and if he hadn't discovered it before leaving and secretly taken it, it should still be on the old tree in the village. The villagers lived a life almost completely isolated from the outside world. How much connection or grudge could they possibly have with the outside world? It seemed the only explanation was that the knife was the key. Everything made sense then. Perhaps Murong Songtao hadn't actually died, but had lost the knife, which was then found by the young Adong and brought back to the village. And if the knife was the key to the treasure, then Murong Songtao would certainly not be willing to accept its loss and would likely search for it nearby, eventually finding the village. The rest was predictable: unable to find his knife in the village, Murong Songtao, driven by malice, slaughtered everyone. Of course, there is another explanation: the people from the Eastern Depot also sensed something. As for how they sensed it, perhaps they captured Murong Songtao, or perhaps they had other means. In any case, they also found the mountain village, and similarly, because they couldn't find what they wanted, they killed all the villagers.

Regardless of the possibility, Mo Xibei thought with a dizzy feeling that he was probably involved in this incident. If he hadn't taken the knife with him, then when forced, A Dong might have been willing to take it out, and then perhaps the villagers wouldn't have died, right?

"Northwest, what's wrong?" Mu Feinan saw Mo Northwest's face turn pale instantly, took two steps forward and bent down, and said softly, "I know you're sad. To be honest, it's a real pity for those children. But it was an accident."

"Yes," Mo Xibei opened his mouth, forced a smile, and said, "It was an accident. I'm tired, why don't you go to the front building to rest? Okay?"

“Something’s not right with you,” Mu Feinan shook his head. “What do you know? Or has something come to mind? Tell me, don’t keep it to yourself. Speak up, and I’ll take responsibility for everything.”

“Your imagination is truly extraordinary,” Mo Xibei pushed Mu Feinan, who was leaning too close, away. “After all, we know each other, and the people living there are all good people. I didn’t believe Chu Junfeng when he told me, but now that you know, it’s probably true. What’s wrong? You’re so cold-blooded, reacting to everything?”

“Dead, dead, dead is dead. What’s the use of regretting it?” Mu Feinan shook his head. “I never waste time on useless people and things. Instead of sighing and lamenting, I’d rather think about how to avenge them.” “You have your thoughts, and I have ours. Since we can’t force each other, why don’t you go find a place to sleep up ahead, and I’ll sleep too, so we can forget all this unpleasantness tomorrow.” Mo Xibei said casually, only wanting to get Mu Feinan to leave.

"I'll stay here with you so you won't cry secretly at night. I won't take your bed or bother you. I'll just sit by the window. Call me if you need anything. Also, don't be afraid I'll hear you talking in your sleep." Mu Feinan ignored what Mo Xibei was saying, picked up the chair he was sitting on, put it by the window, sat down, and really didn't make a sound anymore.

Mo Xibei was most afraid of Mu Feinan acting like a rogue. Besides, he was ultimately one of the Eastern Depot's people. Since the matter of the small village had come up today, his sudden insistence on not leaving might mean he suspected Mo Xibei. If Mo Xibei insisted on driving him away, it would be even worse if he revealed his intentions. Anyway, Mo Xibei didn't have the habit of talking in his sleep, so there shouldn't be any problem.

Mo Xibei's room was meticulously designed. Mu Feinan sat by the window, and Mo Xibei moved a screen over to block the view in his half of the room, which was just as solid. The two of them thus spent the night peacefully.

The next morning, Mo Xibei was still lazing in bed when two soft knocks sounded at the door. He suddenly remembered that Murong Lianyun had been unusually attentive and gentle these past few days, bringing him a pot of delicious soup every morning to whet his appetite and nourish his body. Murong Lianyun harbored deep resentment towards Mu Feinan, believing he had ruined his once peaceful home. Mo Xibei dared not imagine what a scene would unfold if the two of them were face-to-face in his own room.

When the door opened, Murong Lianyun was startled by Mo Xibei, who was so flustered that he had even put his crown on backwards. After a moment of confusion, he looked into the room and asked softly, "Brother, what's wrong?" "Nothing, what could be wrong with me?" Mo Xibei reached out to straighten his crown and asked Murong Lianyun with a smile, "What kind of soup is it today?"

“Every day, you can always distinguish the ingredients yourself without me having to say anything. What’s wrong with you today?” Murong Lianyun frowned, looking at the half-closed door behind Mo Xibei with a puzzled expression.

“It’s no fun to always list out the ingredients. Sometimes I have to be a little confused, so that your daily reminders to the chef to make different soups won’t be in vain, right?” Mo Xibei had already seen that Murong Lianyun was suspicious, so he could only make excuses.

"Is that so?" Murong Lianyun nodded, handed the soup pot to Mo Xibei, and said, "Today's soup is your least favorite crucian carp and tofu soup. Although you don't like it, this soup is very nourishing. You should drink a little."

"No wonder I couldn't smell it, it turns out it's something I hate to eat the most." Mo Xibei smiled. "I'll drink it when I get back, you go ahead and do your work."

"Okay!" Murong Lianyun nodded, but just as Mo Xibei turned to go back to his room and was about to close the door with one hand, he suddenly pushed the door open and entered.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" Mu Feinan made no attempt to hide, standing right in the center of Mo Xibei's room, his clothes in disarray. Murong Lianyun saw a man so beautiful that even she felt ashamed of her own appearance, a man whose clothes were disheveled yet whose allure was irresistible, standing in Mo Xibei's room. For a moment, she felt as if struck by lightning, and her vision went black.

Mo Xibei hadn't considered the complexities in Murong Lianyun's mind. She was only focused on how to conceal Mu Feinan's identity. However, she suddenly realized that Mu Feinan didn't wear a mask in front of her, but he always did when he appeared in front of others. The difference was significant. Just as she was about to relax, she was startled by Murong Lianyun's words. Naturally, when she saw Mu Feinan's disheveled appearance, with his chest partially exposed, she immediately felt furious.

"How did you get into this state? What kind of behavior is this?" she shouted, desperately trying to signal Mu Feinan with her eyes, urging him to quickly straighten his clothes.

"You're so mean. You didn't talk to people like that last night." Mu Feinan didn't back down at all. Instead, she turned around coquettishly and pointed at Murong Lianyun, saying, "Who is this ugly girl?"

"You two are so kind!" Murong Lianyun snapped out of her shock, gently pointing at the two people in the room. "No wonder you treated me like this, so that's why you..." She couldn't finish her sentence, and suddenly covered her face and rushed out of the room.

"Mu Feinan, you'd better disappear right now, or you'll be sorry." Mo Xibei was both amused and exasperated.

"Isn't it better to make her give up?" Mu Feinan calmly pulled up his clothes. "It doesn't expose your identity, and it solves your troubles. Instead of thanking me, why are you blaming me?"

"Are you sure you're helping me, and not sent by my nemesis to mess with me?" Mo Xibei admired herself for being able to think of a witty remark that was popular before she came to this era, even on such a hot morning.

Volume Two: Traces Left by the Wind, Chapter Three: Doubts (Part Two)

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