The Jianghu of Feng Qingcheng and Mo Xibei

Chapter 54

"You shouldn't have the heart to harm others, but you can't be without the heart to guard against others. Have you forgotten how she treated you? If she hadn't let the wolf into the house, I would have been injured, and you would have been unconscious for three days until now..." Mu Feinan glanced coldly at Chu Junfeng and Murong Lianyun, and whispered in Mo Xibei's ear, "Beibei, listen to me. I won't stop you from doing whatever you want, but you can't take in this woman."

"You promised me you'd trust me for life, so why don't you believe I can handle this?" Mo Xibei turned to the side, gesturing for Mu Feinan to look down, and whispered in his ear. They were so close. Mo Xibei's breath tickled Mu Feinan's ear as she spoke, like something gently scratching at his heart. Mu Feinan glanced at Chu Junfeng and Murong Lianyun, noticing their faces change color almost simultaneously. His mood instantly improved; the coldness and aloofness in his eyes melted away, leaving only a captivating tenderness. He was already breathtakingly handsome, and this smile was like a spring flower in full bloom. He parted his lips slightly and said softly, "Alright, whatever you say." Mo Xibei, on the other hand, was stunned for a moment. Only when Mu Feinan, supporting her shoulders, forcefully turned her towards Chu Junfeng and Murong Lianyun did she realize with slight annoyance that she was becoming increasingly powerless against beautiful people and things.

"It seems we've come at a really bad time. We shouldn't disturb you any longer." This time, it was Chu Junfeng who spoke first, seeing Mo Xibei and Mu Feinan whispering to each other as if no one else was around. He could barely contain the surging jealousy within him. Yes, jealousy. He was jealous because only now did he truly understand that he had been wrong all along, terribly wrong. His secret lineage, his status as a martial arts overlord—none of it mattered as being by Mo Xibei's side, seeing her lively smile, her eyes that held joy or annoyance. What could be more painful and despairing than suddenly discovering that all that he had painstakingly pursued wasn't what he truly wanted? But… now, he had no choice. Chu Junfeng knew he should leave immediately, because if he didn't, he couldn't guarantee that his supposedly perfect willpower wouldn't collapse at any moment. No, he couldn't collapse. Since there was no other choice, since fate was unkind, then at least he could choose to continue—not choose, but he had to.

"What are you saying, Master Chu? It's not a matter of timing. Since you are friends of the Northwest, you are also my friends. Northwest, when friends come, how can we let them stand at the door like this? Quickly invite them to sit down." Mu Feinan smiled, while instructing the waiter to serve tea and urging Mo Northwest to quickly order people to prepare wine and dishes.

Murong Lianyun had long since stopped crying. She glanced at Chu Junfeng, who was usually so gentle and handsome, but now his lips were tightly pressed together. Although he tried his best to maintain a relaxed expression, Murong Lianyun knew from their interactions over the past few days that he was definitely not as relaxed and at ease as she appeared. No, he was neither relaxed nor at ease, so he put his arms behind his back, his clothes trembling slightly, clearly trying to suppress his emotions. Seeing this, Murong Lianyun lowered her head even further. No one in the hall noticed the strange, cold look that flashed in the eyes of the stunningly beautiful woman half-hidden behind Chu Junfeng.

Mo Xibei naturally tried to persuade him to stay. Chu Junfeng wanted to leave, but Murong Lianyun gently tugged at his sleeve and called out in a low, almost inaudible voice, "Brother Chu," her eyes quickly glancing at Mo Xibei, as if she longed for him but was also afraid.

“Brother Chu, you’ve taken good care of Lianyun, why are you in such a hurry to leave? Please sit here for a while,” Mo Xibei said.

Chu Junfeng didn't want to appear too eager to leave and leave something for Mu Feinan to see, so he kept quiet and followed Murong Lianyun to his seat.

The food and wine on Mo Xibei's table were always exquisitely beautiful, like a meticulous painting. From the selection of ingredients to the processing and the utensils used, everything was refined to the extreme. However, the four people eating today were not in the mood. They tasted each dish briefly and then put down their chopsticks one after another.

"Lianyun, what are your plans for the future?" Mo Xibei disliked the dull atmosphere at the dinner table, but seeing Mu Feinan constantly chuckling to himself, Chu Junfeng's eyes always fixed on the dishes, and Murong Lianyun looking so awkward that he didn't even dare to pick up his chopsticks, he didn't know what to say for a moment, so he could only ask Lianyun about his future plans.

"Murong Manor is destroyed, and besides, it was never my home to begin with. I think I'll just wander the world from now on. This world is so big, surely there's somewhere I can find a place to stay." Murong Lianyun's eyes were slightly red. This time, she just raised her head slightly, blinked hard, and held back the tears that were about to burst forth.

“The world is vast, but it’s always inconvenient for a young girl like you. Besides, I’m afraid that if Murong Songtao escaped last time, he might still be looking for you. Now is not a good time to travel around.” Mo Xibei frowned. She tried to tell herself that she could no longer concern herself with Murong Lianyun’s affairs, but when the time came, looking at her face, which was almost exactly the same as Nan Li’s, she couldn’t help but soften her heart a little.

"Sister Mo, I've always been a burden to you in the past. You've been good to me, but I haven't appreciated it. Do you blame me?" A flame flickered in Murong Lianyun's lifeless eyes as she looked at Mo Xibei with hope.

"Oh, never mind, you didn't drag me down in any way. It was my fault for disguising myself as a man and deceiving you. Should I ask you if you blame me?" Mo Xibei felt a little embarrassed as he recalled the absurdity of the past.

"In the end, it was because I was young and ignorant. If I hadn't captured Honglu to threaten you, you would never have stepped onto the stage. It was all because of my willfulness and capriciousness that I made such a fool of myself..." Murong Lianyun finished speaking quickly, then looked up and blinked hard.

“What’s past is past, Lianyun, don’t think too much about it,” Mo Xibei comforted her.

"Brother Mo, I know my request might be unreasonable, but could you please grant it?" Murong Lianyun hesitated for a moment before speaking in a small voice.

"Tell me what you want to do, and if I can help, I definitely won't refuse," Mo Xibei agreed.

"Let me stay by your side, just like Sister Honglv, to serve you and repay you. Although I don't know how to do anything, I'm willing to learn," Murong Lianyun said, expressing her wish.

"You...how could you..." Mo Xibei and Mu Feinan were both startled by Murong Lianyun's words. Seeing that Murong Lianyun knelt heavily on the ground after speaking, the two exchanged a glance. Mo Xibei reached out and forcefully helped Murong Lianyun up.

Volume Two: The Wind Leaves a Mark, Chapter Eleven: Return (Part Two)

"Sister, you've agreed to my request?" Murong Lianyun's eyes were red, and she was clearly trying very hard to hold back her tears, making her look even more pitiful and touching.

"Lianyun, you know I don't lack servants here. I haven't done anything for you, so naturally I don't want your repayment." Mo Xibei took out a handkerchief from his pocket and carefully wiped away the tear stains from the corners of Murong Lianyun's eyes.

"Sister, are you afraid I'll do something to betray you again?" Murong Lianyun's eyes dimmed little by little, like a flame about to be extinguished, but after a moment, the flame reignited. "If you don't believe me, then I'll swear it. Heaven and earth, if I, Murong Lianyun, ever do anything to betray you, Sister Mo, may I be struck by lightning and suffer a terrible fate..."

She spoke this long string of words so quickly that by the time Mo Xibei covered her mouth, she had already finished.

“Lianyun, you’re always so impatient,” Mo Xibei smiled and withdrew his hand. “Look, I don’t have much else in my mansion, but I have plenty of empty rooms. If you like it, you can stay here for now. Everything will be the same as before. You can leave when you have a place to go in the future, or when you find a good person to entrust your life to.”

“Sister, you…” Murong Lianyun could no longer hold back her tears and cried. After a long while, she said, “Sister’s great kindness is something I could never repay, even if I were to repay it with my own teeth.”

Now that the matter was settled, Mo Xibei summoned Honglu and instructed her to make proper arrangements for Murong Lianyun. Of course, there was nothing particularly special to do. Murong Lianyun's previous room and servants were still there, and everything was the same as usual.

After Mo Xibei agreed to take in Murong Lianyun, Chu Junfeng got up to say goodbye. Mo Xibei did not try to stop him, but politely saw him off to the entrance of Chunfeng Ruyi Tower.

"Will you marry Young Master Mu?" Chu Junfeng stopped as he walked out of the Spring Breeze Pavilion, a hint of regret in his eyes.

"I don't think I should answer that question," Mo Xibei smiled. He countered, "Did you see anything in the knife?"

"Yes." Chu Junfeng's answer was ambiguous, leaving Mo Xibei unsure of what he meant.

"Oh, then take care. I won't see you off any further." Mo Xibei nodded and prepared to go back. It was getting late; it was good to go to bed early for beauty and health.

"Northwest!" Chu Junfeng called out to her, then remained silent for a while before saying, "Go back to Jiangnan as soon as possible. The climate in the North is too changeable, and it may not be suitable for you."

"Thank you, I'll consider it." Mo Xibei smiled, cupped his hands in greeting, and turned to leave.

"You told me to trust you could handle this. And the result? You've put that viper in your house again?" In the private room on the second floor, Mu Feinan was waiting for Mo Xibei. Seeing her return, he was somewhat furious.

"What else can I do? She made such a solemn oath. If I still remain unmoved, wouldn't that be too heartless?" Mo Xibei shrugged, his face full of innocence.

"You believe in oaths? She could stab her in the back even after raising her for so many years. How could an oath possibly work on her?" Mu Feinan scoffed at Mo Xibei's words.

“Yes, Lian Yun’s actions towards Murong Songtao really surprised me, so I had to keep her here. You know, I firmly believe in the saying, ‘It’s easy to dodge a knife in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark.’” Mo Xibei sighed, walked closer to Mu Feinan, and said with a hint of complaint, “The martial world is truly a place that makes one restless. I’ve only just realized that there are too many things that are simply beyond my control. So, since I’m here, I might as well make the best of it.” “Easy for you to say.” Mu Feinan was still a little angry, but Mo Xibei, standing in front of him now, looking up at him slightly, had a gentle beauty that was different from usual. He couldn’t help but reach out and gently tap the tip of her nose with his finger, “You, don’t cry when you suffer a great loss later.”

"With you here, how could I suffer a great loss?" Mo Xibei smiled like a little fox, winking slyly.

"So this is where you were waiting for me." Mu Feinan couldn't help but smile, gently pulling her into his arms. After a long while, he said, "Northwest, I can't always help you." For example… Mu Feinan didn't finish his sentence. Within Mo Northwest's body, there was a faint, chilling poisonous aura, but no one could say for sure what kind of poison it was. The only person who could possibly explain it had vanished the moment he regained consciousness, as if he had never existed. All of this made him uneasy, very uneasy. "Beside me, but I'm not a helpless little woman. I can protect myself, no problem." Mo Northwest laughed heartily, breaking free from his embrace and jumping to the side, tilting her head slightly, looking quite imposing.

"Okay, you can protect yourself. So, let me ask you, how do you plan to protect yourself now?" Mu Feinan rested his chin on his fingers, pretending to be deep in thought. "Stillness will prevail. If she... if she doesn't move, I won't move. If she really wants to do something, don't blame me for being ruthless." Mo Xibei suddenly deflated, hanging his head and saying, "Sometimes I feel useless. No matter what I face, I just think, if I can get through it, I'll just get through it. Why take it so seriously? But this world is too treacherous, so many times, I wish I were an ostrich, burying my head in the sand when danger comes, not thinking about anything. But when the time comes, I can't help but feel unwilling. Aren't I contradictory?"

“Yes,” Mu Feinan nodded, feeling a pang of heartache as he pulled her to his side, letting her lie down with her head on his lap. He then gently stroked her head. “Don’t think too much. Just do what you originally wanted to do. I’ll always be by your side, always.”

"I prefer to think that Lian Yun is a good girl who is not bad at heart. She was just temporarily blinded by her obsession with her kind nature." With his head resting on Mu Feinan's lap, Mo Xibei felt sleepy after lying there for a while. Before falling asleep, he thought of what he wanted to say but did not say earlier, and quickly said it.

“I think so too, because that would make you happier.” Mu Feinan patted her, as if coaxing a child.

Murong Lianyun settled down there, but she didn't often appear before Mo Xibei. Instead, she frequently pestered Honglu, always asking to learn this and that. When Honglu was patient, she would occasionally give her some pointers, but Honglu wasn't very patient. Every few days, she would come to Mo Xibei to complain, "I don't know what's wrong with this Miss Murong. She follows me around all day long, wanting to learn this and that. Young Master Mo, do you think it's because she was traumatized when she failed to get married last time?"

“The sage said that one should never tire of teaching. If she wants to learn, then you should teach her.” Mo Xibei replied without looking up, flipping through the account book. “But you didn’t say that when you taught me bookkeeping last time. What did you say?” Honglu slapped her head, thought hard for a long time, and then remembered, “You said, ‘Teach your apprentice and you’ll starve yourself.’ Unless the master wants to change his ways, he shouldn’t teach his apprentice.”

"Did I say that?" Mo Xibei denied it, glanced at Hong Lüyi, and then started working on his abacus again.

"You said, I remember, that after you taught me, you dumped the bookkeeping on me and never cared about it again." Seeing that Mo Xibei wouldn't admit it, Honglu deliberately glared at him fiercely. "Tell me honestly, what do you mean by having me teach her? Are you planning to promote me or fire me?"

"Promotion? Fired?" Mo Xibei laughed this time. "I've discovered that Sister Honglv is a really eager learner. I only have a few modern words, and you've learned them all. You can even apply them in different contexts. That's rare. I should be the one promoting you."