The Jianghu of Feng Qingcheng and Mo Xibei

Chapter 96

"Of the thirty-six stratagems, running away is the best." This was the first thought that came to Mo Xibei's mind. Taking advantage of the force of that palm strike, she spun around and leaped away, her feet barely touching the ground, escaping as if flying.

It was early morning when the fog was rising. The fog was thick and the visibility was extremely poor. Mo Xibei could only vaguely see figures moving around, but she couldn't even make out her opponent's height or weight. The only thing that made her feel fortunate was that because of the thick fog, her opponent couldn't see her either. In fact, because of the thick fog, he didn't chase after her.

Just to be on the safe side, she made a roundabout trip around the capital before quietly returning to Plum Blossom Manor. By then, the fog had gradually lifted, and the view had become much clearer. Chu Junfeng was standing outside her courtyard, and in the distant mist, only his white robe could be seen fluttering in the wind.

"What happened?" Upon seeing Mo Xibei, Chu Junfeng hesitated slightly before asking.

"You ate too much tonight and walked for a long time. Why are you up so early?" Mo Xibei hadn't expected to see him here at this hour. He was slightly surprised, and also felt a little guilty. "It's nothing. I've probably been bored lately. I sleep all day, so my sleep schedule is a bit reversed. I can't sleep much at night." Seeing Mo Xibei's calm expression and steady breathing, Chu Junfeng felt relieved. He then noticed that the fog was unusually heavy today. His clothes were damp and felt sticky and uncomfortable against his skin. So he said, "You've been running all night. Get some sleep. It's almost dawn," and turned to leave. "Brother Chu," Mo Xibei called out to him.

"What's wrong?" Chu Junfeng stopped in his tracks. Not hearing Mo Xibei's follow-up question, he turned around, somewhat puzzled, and asked with a frown, "What happened?"

"Does my face scream 'Something's wrong?'" Mo Xibei smiled slyly, though she herself was somewhat puzzled. Why had she stopped him just now? Did she really want him to help her deal with that enemy who hadn't yet truly shown himself? No. No, she was certain of that. So why? She decided to stop thinking about it. Perhaps it was because she hadn't slept all night, making her mind more restless. "I was thinking, since I'll be sleeping all day anyway, how about we have a drink?"

Drinking? Chu Junfeng lightly patted his forehead, not refusing. Lately, he didn't know what was wrong with him; he always had a bad feeling, as if something was pressing on his chest. Taking a deep breath would cause a throbbing pain in his chest, not severe, just a lingering, unsettling sensation. He couldn't quite explain what this feeling meant, but he felt uneasy if he didn't see Mo Xibei for even a moment. No matter how tired or sleepy he was, he couldn't close his eyes and drift off to sleep peacefully, as if once he fell asleep, he would never see her again.

This reminded him of a time when his master, drunk, told him that some people are destined to be another person's calamity. If they don't meet that person, there's always an empty corner in their heart, as if something is missing. Even after meeting them, the heart remains incomplete, and only then does one understand that the missing piece can never be filled. At the time, he was confused, but when his master asked if he understood, he widened his eyes and nodded blankly. Only now could he truly understand his master's feelings. But in all these years, apart from that one time, he hadn't heard his master speak of his past again. He wondered where the woman who left a permanent void in his master's heart was now, and whether she too was sighing under the moon in the quiet of the night.

In Moxi Northwest, there is never a shortage of fine wine; at least, she can always find it immediately.

Like many royal and noble villas, Plum Blossom Manor also has a large wine cellar, but it doesn't store other wines, only a kind of plum blossom wine. Every year, fresh plum blossoms are used to make wine, and the vintages are different. Mo Xibei casually picked up two small jars, tossed one to Chu Junfeng, and held the other in his arms. He sat down on the ground, broke the clay seal, and a cool, refreshing fragrance wafted out.

"No wonder it's called Plum Blossom Manor, it truly lives up to its name." Chu Junfeng followed Mo Xibei's example and sat down beside her. "Others drink, either to meet a kindred spirit or to drown their sorrows. What do you drink for?"

"Drinking is just drinking. What's the point of drinking?" Mo Xibei glared at him, chuckled to herself, and took a big gulp of wine. The plum blossom wine smelled sweet, but it was spicy when it tasted. A stream of cold liquid flowed down her throat and into her stomach. A moment later, a burning, spicy sensation surged up. She tried her best to hold it in, but in the end, she couldn't help but cough twice.

"Slow down, no one's going to take it from you. It's so early in the morning, you'll upset your stomach." Chu Junfeng gently patted Mo Xibei's back, thinking she had drunk too fast and choked. The wine in his hand smelled very good, so he couldn't help but take a big gulp himself, and then suddenly coughed.

"Hehe..." Mo Xibei's laughter was particularly crisp in the wine cellar.

"It's so spicy, and you didn't even tell me." Chu Junfeng put the wine jar aside, put on a half-serious, half-serious face, but after a moment he couldn't help coughing again.

"You didn't even ask me why I should say it. That would be too shallow." Mo Xibei looked innocent, but stopped drinking the wine in his hand. Such a spicy wine needs a few side dishes, or even a roast chicken, and it needs to be piping hot to taste the flavor.

"Now I'm asking you, how are you going to answer me?" Chu Junfeng smiled, his eyes fixed on Mo Xibei. The effects of the wine had already flushed her cheeks. In the candlelight, her cheeks were faintly rosy, and her eyes sparkled with a captivating charm. She wasn't a stunning beauty that could topple kingdoms, but she was enough to win hearts.

"This wine is not suitable for drinking in large gulps. If you want the best wine, you have to go to my home in Jiangnan to find it." Mo Xibei did not avoid his gaze, but just looked at him for a long time.

"So?" Chu Junfeng finally looked away, ignoring the turmoil in his chest, and asked simply.

"No matter how the political situation in the capital changes, I still need to make money. However, I'm worried that if there's a major upheaval, the Fourth Floor will be affected. You know, I've painstakingly built it up over many years. Its scale is incomparable to the Spring Breeze Pavilion in the capital. Too many people rely on the Fourth Floor for their livelihood. I don't want the events of the capital to repeat themselves there." Mo Xibei said, taking out a pile of land deeds and documents from his pocket. "We are born to be indebted to our parents. Although I don't want to get involved in those matters and can't, it seems I won't be able to leave the capital for a while. The Fourth Floor is the culmination of half my life's work, and I can't entrust it to anyone else. So, I'd like Brother Chu to make a trip to Jiangnan for me. I've already created a new identity for myself. Please help me complete the other procedures. In the future, no matter what the situation in the court is, I will use this opportunity to fake my death and live a life of wealth and leisure, no longer meddling in any other affairs."

"This matter isn't urgent, and besides, it's not like I have to do it. If you really want to prevent problems before they arise, why don't you send a message to Xiu Wen? He should be able to take care of it for you immediately." Chu Junfeng didn't accept these suggestions and just shook his head. "Northwest, you're hiding something from me. You need to know that what Mu Fei Nan did for you, I can do as well. Besides, at this time, with danger lurking everywhere, how could I leave you here alone?"

"You saw right through me." Mo Xibei chuckled self-deprecatingly, putting the things back into his pocket. "Brother Chu, you're a smart man. I don't want to beat around the bush anymore. Last night, you waited outside my courtyard, which made me realize that some things need to be made clear. I'm not used to owing people money. Money is easy to repay, but feelings are different. Apart from Mu Feinan, I can't love anyone else in this life. I know how good you are to me, but I have no way to repay you. So, the better you are to me, the more pressure I feel, to the point that I feel like I can't breathe. Call me selfish or cold-blooded, but I really feel that I can't continue to face you. If you were someone else, I might have just told you to get lost, but you're just too good to me, and I can't bring myself to say it. You're a smart man, can you help me think of what I should do?"

"Northwest?" Chu Junfeng closed his eyes slightly. Mo Northwest's words were barbed, piercing his very flesh. Yes, he admitted that the understanding between her and Mu Feinan was something he lacked; the way she looked at Mu Feinan was different from how she looked at him. But he still couldn't help deceiving himself. That day, that day, Mo Northwest wasn't entirely heartless towards him. In fact, if it weren't for his persistence, he would be the one standing beside her now. He understood the principle that spilled water cannot be gathered up again, but Mo Northwest was like a sapling, deeply rooted in his heart. By the time he felt the pain, it was already deeply embedded and impossible to uproot. So, he preferred to deceive himself, hoping to stay by her side a little longer. Was this just wishful thinking on his part?

"Am I that annoying to you? So much so that even seeing you makes me feel so uncomfortable?" The words left my mouth, and my heart turned to ashes.

Volume 3, Chapter 29: The Wine Cellar

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For a moment, Mo Xibei felt speechless. She had often heard people say that one should make a decisive decision, but the difficulty of doing it was obviously much higher than saying it. She could only turn her head away from Chu Junfeng and encourage herself in her heart to just persevere.

"Why don't you dare look at me, Northwest? You're lying to me, aren't you?" After a while, Chu Junfeng's voice sounded softly, "You're suddenly like this because something happened, isn't it? What are you planning to shoulder alone?"

"What could possibly happen?" Mo Xibei smiled bitterly. Having mentally prepared himself, he could calmly look at Chu Junfeng even as he turned his head. "Don't talk to me like I'm some kind of savior. I've never had that ambition, nor that kind of magnanimity or breadth of vision, and of course, I don't have that ability either. I really don't want to care about anything anymore. I just want to leave here. Everyone has their own destiny, and you can't force it. I'm not telling you this to hurt you; I just hope you understand that you shouldn't waste any more time with me. Actually, the outside world is vast, and you'll meet someone more suitable for you. I've thought carefully about what happened in the capital. If I faked my death and went into hiding, I wouldn't be able to escape it. Since that's the case, it's better to avoid trouble. I plan to leave in the next day or two. As for you, where you go, whether you stay or leave, is up to you."

"What about Mu Feinan? Will he come with you too?" Chu Junfeng's voice echoed lightly in the air. "Yes, we said we'd wander together to the ends of the earth," Mo Xibei answered confidently.

"Okay, I promise you. If he's willing to leave with you, I'll leave on my own and never appear before you again in my lifetime." Chu Junfeng suddenly smiled. "But what if he refuses to leave with you?"

"I'll find a beautiful place with clear waters and lush mountains to wait for him," Mo Xibei replied without hesitation.

"Okay, I'll wait with you then," Chu Junfeng said. Without giving Mo Xibei a chance to refuse, he quickly turned and left the wine cellar.

By now, it was already broad daylight outside. Although Plum Blossom Manor was heavily fortified, after her nighttime exploration, Mo Xibei was no longer confident in its safety and had no choice but to stay in the wine cellar until dark. Her only regret was that although the air was filled with the aroma of fine wine, there were no side dishes to accompany it. Just thinking about the pungent spiciness of the wine made her afraid to try it. Bored, she could only squat on the ground, examining the vintages of the plum blossom wines one by one.

It was late autumn of the fifth year of the Jiajing reign. If Plum Blossom Villa was built as Empress Dowager Jiang's villa after she moved to Beijing, then the plum blossom wine stored there must have been brewed at least five years ago. However, Mo Xibei squatted on the ground and examined it carefully for a while, only to discover that there was actually wine stored there that was over ten years old, although the quantity was not large. But looking at the mud seals on the outside, and smelling the aroma after breaking the seals, the brewing methods were exactly the same.

Plum blossom wine is very easy to brew. It's not expensive either, so no one would bother to transport it from afar. Besides, these wine jars all come from a private kiln near the capital. These days, sophisticated families only like Jingdezhen porcelain, but Mo Xibei really likes the porcelain made by this private kiln. It may not be expensive, but its style is simple and the pieces are very translucent. This makes Mo Xibei somewhat suspicious. This Plum Blossom Manor should have been built at least ten years ago. Even in the imperial court, there's a saying of "a new emperor, a new court." Could it be that in such a secluded manor, all the old people have been replaced?

Thinking this, she kept moving the wine jars one by one until her fingers touched a jar of plum blossom wine from three years ago. She tried to move it with the same amount of force as before, but the jar did not budge.

Three on the left, two on the right, Mo Xibei thought for a moment, then gently turned the jar. Then, he heard something click in the dark, like an old-fashioned mechanism unlocking. Immediately afterwards, deep in the wine cellar, a stone wall suddenly creaked and groaned. A moment later, a dark hole appeared.

Chu Junfeng returned to his room, repeatedly pondering Mo Xibei's words and her expression as she spoke. The unease that had begun last night inexplicably spread and amplified in his heart. He felt he should harbor hatred; from childhood to adulthood, there was nothing he couldn't obtain, yet now there was someone before him whom he couldn't have, someone he couldn't even resent, and couldn't even bring himself to resent. "What is love in this world?" he thought of this old poem with a touch of self-mockery, his heart filled with vexation and bitterness. He couldn't help but walk to the table, pick up a pen, and sketch casually, his thoughts wandering until dusk. Then he suddenly stared at the drawing paper. The boy on the paper stood in a boat, suddenly turning his head, his spirit soaring. It was still that morning on the canal, the boats moored and resting were in chaos because of inexplicable bloody handprints, and in that chaos, in his eyes, there was only a quiet, even indifferent boy. Indifference was on the outside, but if you looked into his eyes, you would see a radiant spirit and a calm composure.

Why Mo Xibei? Chu Junfeng hesitated for a long time before finally writing in a corner of the drawing paper:

What is love in this world that makes people willing to die for it?

Flying across the north and south, their old wings have weathered many winters and summers.

Joyful moments, bitter partings, and among them, foolish lovers.

You should have words to say, across ten thousand miles of layered clouds, amidst a thousand mountains covered in evening snow, a lone figure, to whom does it turn?

He didn't like the second half of the poem after all, so he put it down. He checked the time, went to the kitchen, packed up some of Mo Xibei's favorite foods, and carried them to the secret room where she was temporarily hiding.

The door to the secret room was closed, and the snacks, fruits, and even a roast chicken in the outer room remained untouched. Chu Junfeng knew, of course, that he had personally delivered these at noon; Mo Xibei loved to eat and never left anything untouched. Thinking this, he felt a cold sweat break out. He hurriedly opened the door to the secret room, and sure enough, it was empty. For a moment, he truly felt a void. Mo Xibei had left without saying goodbye; where had she gone?

The wine cellar... the last place he saw her, and the first place Chu Junfeng thought of. The wine cellar had no traps or guards, and was not even hidden. As soon as the door opened, he rushed down the steps. The candlelight here was still as bright as when he left in the morning. In fact, Mo Xibei was still sitting on the ground in the same position as in the morning.

Volume 3, Chapter 30: Disguise

"Northwest!" Chu Junfeng rushed over in three strides, almost lifting Mo Northwest directly off the ground. The force in his fingertips was somewhat out of control, landing on Mo Northwest's shoulder, causing Mo Northwest to frown slightly.