Valle del Hombre Salvaje de Qingshan

Capítulo 13

"Brother Mo's swordsmanship is divine; I, Chu, am willing to admit defeat." With the outcome decided, Chu Junfeng had already retreated several feet, his expression seemingly slightly regretful. However, Mo Xibei knew that beneath this regret lay pride. Everything was under his control. It was not just an ordinary competition, but even involved the most subtle changes in people's hearts. Everything was within his grasp.

With the outcome of this battle decided, no one else came forward to challenge him. Without even a chance to refuse, Murong Songtao immediately grabbed Mo Xibei and announced that the new leader of the martial arts alliance would be chosen in three days, and a wedding would be held for his daughter.

Volume One: Ten Years in the Jianghu, Chapter Twenty-Six

"Brother Mo's swordsmanship is divine; I, Chu, am willing to admit defeat." With the outcome decided, Chu Junfeng had already retreated several feet, his expression seemingly slightly regretful. However, Mo Xibei knew that beneath this regret lay pride. Everything was under his control. It was not just an ordinary competition, but even involved the most subtle changes in people's hearts. Everything was within his grasp.

With the outcome of this battle decided, no one else came forward to challenge him. Without even a chance to refuse, Murong Songtao immediately grabbed Mo Xibei and announced that the new leader of the martial arts alliance would be chosen in three days, and a wedding would be held for his daughter.

"Senior Murong, marriage is a major event that parents decide. I also need to go home to inform my elders, prepare betrothal gifts, and choose an auspicious date, so as not to wrong Miss Murong." Mo Xibei was covered in cold sweat, knowing he had caused trouble, and racked his brains for a way to excuse himself.

"People of the martial world don't care about formalities. All these formalities like the three letters and six rites, the three matchmakers and six betrothal gifts, are just ways for those bookish scholars to make things difficult for people. I don't care about them at all. Besides, I've already prepared my daughter's dowry and everything over the years, so you don't need to worry about my daughter being wronged." Murong Songtao waved his hand, interrupting Mo Xibei.

“But…” Mo Xibei thought for a moment, “But…”

"Have you already married?" Murong Songtao's eyes widened.

"No." Mo Xibei sighed.

"So, are you engaged?" Murong Songtao asked.

"Not yet." Mo Xibei shook his head.

"I know that Young Master Mo is a prominent figure in Jiangnan, and his fourth floor is frequented by famous scholars every day. I suppose our Murong family is too meager to be worthy of Young Master Mo's family background and status?" Murong Songtao's tone sharpened.

"How dare I? It is I who am above my station." Mo Xibei could only wipe his sweat frantically. He originally wanted to say that it would be bad not to have a betrothal gift, but seeing Murong Songtao's attitude, he figured that if he mentioned a betrothal gift, the other party would say something like, "You have many properties in Jiangnan, just take one out as a betrothal gift." That would be a huge loss. So, he swallowed the idea of a betrothal gift.

"Then that settles it. You didn't look down on us because we're from the martial arts world, and we're not engaged or married. You came to the arena to marry my daughter. Now that things have come to this, why are you still making excuses? Do you think our Murong family's daughter is easy to bully?" Fortunately, Murong Songtao didn't say anything more. He just took out a huge hat and easily pressed it down on Murong Songtao.

"This junior wouldn't dare." Mo Xibei was speechless and could only curse Chu Junfeng for scheming against him. Of course, he also cursed himself for being too reckless and finally getting himself into trouble.

"Then why do you still call yourself a junior? It doesn't sound right to me." Murong Songtao stroked his beard, his tone finally becoming more even.

"Yes, son greets father-in-law." Mo Xibei thought for a long time before finally coming up with a sentence.

"Haha—" Murong Songtao laughed, helped Mo Xibei up and said, "From now on, you are like half a son to me. You must take good care of Yun'er." He was speaking to Mo Xibei, but also to the crowd below the stage. For a moment, congratulations were heard continuously, and the crowd below the stage was in chaos again. Mo Xibei followed Murong Songtao to toast for a while, and her steps became unsteady. Soon, her family members came and led her to the courtyard that had been prepared for her to rest.

"Young Master Mo, did you really win the ring?" Mo Xibei feigned drunkenness, collapsing onto the bed as soon as she entered the room. When the Murong family members came to help her take off her boots, she pretended to be drunk and shooed them away. Actually, if possible, she'd love to die of drunkenness, escaping this mess. However, reality is always the opposite of hope. Perhaps a good night's sleep would help, she comforted herself, thankfully she was always thick-skinned. But, to her dismay, she'd barely drifted off to sleep when someone started banging loudly on the door.

"Sister Honglu, thank goodness you still knew to come back." Honglu's voice was penetrating. Mo Xibei covered his head with the blanket for a while and suddenly woke up. Honglu had really been released.

"Hehe!" The door opened, but the red and green smiles were a bit strange. They didn't seem like the unnatural attempt to hide the fear of someone who had been kidnapped. Instead, they were more like the unnatural attempt to hide something that came from a child who had gone too far.

"Your smile is rather unusual. Tell me, what did you do to offend me?" Mo Xibei, troubled, had sharp intuition and little patience, especially when she glanced at Hong Lü.

"No, I didn't do anything. Wasn't I kidnapped and used as a hostage?" Honglu shook her head hurriedly, looking completely innocent. However, when it came to actually doing something, it took her a long time to slowly and awkwardly enter the room. Before closing the door, she looked left and right repeatedly before turning back to ask Mo Xibei, "Young Master Mo, are you really going to marry Murong Lianyun? I'm sure I didn't hear that wrong?"

"No." Mo Xibei crossed his arms, stepped aside a little, and looked quite pleased, without any worries.

"Crazy!" Honglu jumped up, but before she could finish speaking, she thought of the current situation and hurriedly lowered her voice, saying, "How could you win the arena? On your wedding night, you—you—I—Oh my god, how can you have your wedding night? We'll definitely be killed by Alliance Leader Murong, it's all over—it's all over!"

"So you're going to tell me how I won the arena?" Mo Xibei said calmly. "Actually, I don't know how I won either. I think Lian Yun Meiren, although gentle, is also proud. She wouldn't do something as stupid as kidnapping my people to threaten me into marrying her. Tell me, what exactly happened that night?"

"I—I've been kidnapped." Honglu stamped her foot. Seeing Mo Xibei raise an eyebrow, she could only smile apologetically and say, "Well—I had no choice. That Rongrong said I was a vixen, that you were ignoring that Lianyun beauty because of me, and that she even said she would slash my face. What am I supposed to do? Especially with her sharpened sword, I can't bear this false reputation and be tortured, can I? I'm not even married yet."

"So, you came up with a terrible idea, and decided to go with them as a hostage, forcing me to go to the ring?" Mo Xibei narrowed his eyes, feeling a burning itch in his hands.

“I thought there were many experts on the stage, and you definitely wouldn’t be able to win. This way, you can both put an end to their ideas and avoid offending them. We business people value tact and compromise, don’t you always say that?” Honglu naturally knew that this was a prelude to Mo Xibei’s anger. Although she hadn’t had the habit of hitting her own people before, she couldn’t guarantee that she wouldn’t do so now or in the future.

"Can't you just tell the truth and explain why I can't marry her?" Mo Xibei sighed. She sensed something was wrong, but concern clouded her judgment. It wasn't until Honglu appeared so quickly that she finally understood where the problem lay. Murong Lianyun was a proud young lady. Even if she was attracted to her disguised as a man, her suggestion that she fight in the arena that day stemmed from her belief that she possessed such charm. It was just that things happened too coincidentally, and she hadn't considered things carefully enough. As for Honglu, what could Mo Xibei say?

“To be honest, if she understood your identity, she wouldn’t be so devoted to you. You know that girl, if I told her the truth, she’d definitely think I was lying to her. And you were somewhere else back then, you—you—” Honglu’s voice trailed off. She didn’t dare say everything. Her suggestion did have an element of teasing Mo Xibei, because Mo Xibei often teased her too. Besides, she disliked the way Murong Lianyun and her two maids spoke and acted. But at the time, she was too sure that Mo Xibei wouldn’t win. Unexpectedly, Mo Xibei actually won… “So what should we do now?” Offending Murong Songtao wasn’t something that could be resolved with a simple apology. Honglu understood that this time, she had really messed up big time.

Volume One: Ten Years of Wandering the Jianghu, Chapter Twenty-Seven

“To be honest, if she understood your identity, she wouldn’t be so devoted to you. You know that girl, if I told her the truth, she’d definitely think I was lying to her. And you were somewhere else back then, you—you—” Honglu’s voice trailed off. She didn’t dare say everything. Her suggestion did have an element of teasing Mo Xibei, because Mo Xibei often teased her too. Besides, she disliked the way Murong Lianyun and her two maids spoke and acted. But at the time, she was too sure that Mo Xibei wouldn’t win. Unexpectedly, Mo Xibei actually won… “So what should we do now?” Offending Murong Songtao wasn’t something that could be resolved with a simple apology. Honglu understood that this time, she had really messed up big time.

"I haven't thought about it yet. I'll just have to take it one step at a time. Anyway, I can't ruin Lianyun's life. Hmm! When the time is right, I'll confess and try to get leniency." Mo Xibei sighed, feeling that he must have been living too leisurely and comfortably, to the point that even the heavens couldn't help but play a joke on him. Seeing Honglu restless, the thought of blaming her dissipated. In the end, it was he who had played with fire, and it was he who had given Murong Lianyun the wrong hint. Honglu was just going with the flow; at most, she could be blamed for pushing too hard, but once the boat was pushed, it veered off course, which was ultimately the fault of the helmsman. Originally, she could have lost, losing to Chu Junfeng would have been a good choice. However, in this world, plans are no match for changes. Who would have thought that Chu Junfeng would go to the arena just to lose? Oh well, everything that shouldn't have happened has already happened, so there's no need to say anything more. At this crucial moment, Mo Xibei's Ah Q spirit kicked in, and he comforted himself for a while, and then, weariness washed over him.

"Well... we'll just have to leave it at that for now... anyway, we're not entirely without a reason. After all, it was her maid who threatened me first. Whether she knew it or not, she's still a little bit in the wrong, right?" Honglu could tell from Mo Xibei's expression that there wouldn't be any solution today, because Mo Xibei was sleepy, very sleepy. If she was disturbed from sleeping now, anything terrible could happen.

The next day, the Murong family was bustling with activity as usual. Unlike yesterday, Mo Xibei was greeted early by family members who warmly brought toiletries, a change of clothes, and even a sumptuous breakfast to wait at the door. Honglu greeted one group of people on her behalf, and soon another group came over, this time bringing fragrant tea for rinsing the mouth after the meal and warm water for washing hands.

"Young Master Mo, we've finally found a family that's more refined than us." Finally, the tea that was supposed to be served after the meal was brought out, and then everyone went out. Hong Lü, who had been pacing around the house countless times all morning, finally stopped and straightened his back.

“It’s different.” Mo Xibei swirled the teacup in his hand and sighed. “Our emphasis on presentation is for the guests, to enhance the overall taste of the Four Great Buildings and create economic benefits. That’s the selling point for making money. But the emphasis here is specifically designed to torture me. From the moment I woke up this morning until now, I’ve washed my hands and rinsed my mouth countless times. I’ve spent so much time on this. I’d rather sleep a little longer.”

However, Mo Xibei did not get to sleep again. His family had already come over and said that Alliance Leader Murong had invited his son-in-law to the martial arts arena to watch the martial arts tournament to elect the leader of the martial arts alliance.

The venue was the same as yesterday, but Mo Xibei could no longer hide behind others. As soon as he entered the courtyard, people came over to greet him.

He said politely, "Young Master Mo's skills are superb. This time, it's a perfect match of a hero and a beauty. We didn't drink enough yesterday, so we must drink to our hearts' content at the wedding banquet another day."

Some were less polite, saying bluntly, "I didn't realize Mr. Mo was so capable; I misjudged him. I hope to have the opportunity to learn from him in the future."

No matter who it was or what they said, Mo Xibei always greeted them with a humble smile, cupped her hands, and bowed, replying, "You're too kind." In truth, only she knew that at that moment, she hadn't heard a word anyone said.

"Brother Mo..." After finally managing to break free from the crowd and take a few steps, a figure suddenly blocked her path. Mo Xibei took a small step back and looked up. It was Chu Junfeng standing in front of her, still wearing a neat and new long robe, with an outstanding demeanor. Whenever an acquaintance came by, he would greet them with a humble smile and a few words. Even if a stranger passed by, his expression was absolutely flawless and polite. Naturally, she couldn't find the slightest bit of guilt on Chu Junfeng's face. For a moment, she couldn't help but maliciously wonder what would have happened if she had insisted on not going to the arena yesterday? What would Chu Junfeng's expression be today? But searching through all the images of Chu Junfeng in her mind, apart from when her ship exploded and he stood by the water looking lost for a while, it seemed that this guy had always been like this, damnably elegant, and even if Mount Tai collapsed in front of him, he probably wouldn't change his expression.

"Who do we have here? It's you, Master Chu! Long time no see." Mo Xibei grinned and made a smiling face, but she knew that her smile was at best a forced one. She was not a gentleman; she was just a woman, so she was clear about her grudges and didn't bother to hide them. Yesterday's events had made her very annoyed. She just thought that going onto the stage was a mistake, and whether she or Chu Junfeng was wrong first was hard to say, so she couldn't lash out and could only sulk.

"Brother Mo, actually..." Seeing that Mo Xibei looked ready to turn and leave at any moment, Chu Junfeng sighed and said softly, "Regarding what happened yesterday, I know that Brother Mo may not be willing to forgive me, but I really have my own reasons. Tonight at midnight, at the foot of Mangshan outside the city, I will wait for you, and we will talk things out then."

Mo Xibei remained noncommittal. She was timid and never liked going out at night, let alone to Mangshan. However, she didn't say anything and just turned around and walked away without hesitation.

The first day's martial arts competition wasn't particularly exciting. Top fighters wouldn't step up so early, and all the major sects were testing each other's strengths and weaknesses, so the disciples they sent were mostly second- or third-rate. Compared to the previous day's martial arts contest for marriage, it was far less exciting.

Mo Xibei stood behind Murong Songtao, listening to one of the leaders of the six major sects say, "Alliance Leader, in my opinion, among the younger generation, your son-in-law is truly a first-rate figure, a thousand times better than us worthless disciples. Wouldn't it be a pity if he missed the battle for the title of Martial Arts Alliance Leader?"