Le Premier ministre stupéfiant

Chapitre 52

"No, that's not it. As the saying goes, 'Those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts.' Killing them is fine, especially since you can't imagine how much I hate the Japanese." Mo Xibei shrugged. She wasn't a bloodthirsty person, except for the Japanese. Because Japan was a country hundreds of years in the future, and every Chinese person had studied modern history in school—aggression, massacres, every stroke of blood and tears. Mo Xibei often lamented that she was born a few decades too late, unable to take a gun and go to the battlefield. But then she transmigrated to the Ming Dynasty. The coast was constantly harassed by Japanese pirates. Every year, Mo Xibei would secretly take out a sum of money to donate to the coastal militias to buy firearms, but it still wasn't enough to quell her hatred.

"Northwest, your words and actions always surprise people." Chu Junfeng was quite surprised by Mo Northwest's answer. Based on his understanding of Mo Northwest, even if she didn't suspect anything, she would probably think he was ruthless for killing the blood man. He didn't expect that Mo Northwest's standard for judging good and bad had changed so much this time.

"And there's something even more unexpected." Mo Xibei nodded, turned and went out, heading towards the Spring Breeze Pavilion.

The hall had been cleaned up, and all the broken tables and chairs had been replaced. However, the double happiness character in the center of the hall and the broken main seat remained as they were, and the half-burnt dragon and phoenix flower pillars were still stuck on the candlesticks. At this moment, it looked particularly desolate.

Mo Xibei stood alone in front of the "double happiness" character for a while before saying to Chu Junfeng, "The person I feel most sorry for about what happened that day is Lian Yun. I don't know where she went. I've completely forgotten about her these past few days."

"Northwest, Murong Lianyun has always been in contact with Murong Songtao. On the day of the wedding, she even tried to kill you. Although she changed her mind at the last minute, her feelings for you were never as sincere as yours. Why should you feel guilty?" Chu Junfeng said dismissively, comforting Mo Northwest in a calm tone.

“But you don’t understand how important a wedding is to a woman. You’re not a woman, so you don’t know. I lied to her for so long, it’s understandable that she hates me. If we were in different places, I’m confident I wouldn’t be as forgiving as she is.” Mo Xibei sighed deeply. “This time, I stumbled into the martial arts world by accident, and I’ve found that one wrong step led to another. Looking back on the past six months, I just feel it was all utterly absurd. I don’t even know what I’ve done or why I did it.” As she spoke, she squatted down and activated a mechanism. After a while, a creaking sound rang out, and an iron box rose from under the main seat. She ran her fingertip across the box, and it popped open with a creak, revealing a rusty short sword inside.

“You’ve always said that finding the key to the treasure will solve your doubts. Since Murong Songtao was willing to venture into my den of dragons and tigers for this knife, I reckon the key to the treasure is most likely this short knife. Now that the knife is here, take it if you need it.” Mo Xibei took out the short knife, and the box sprang back, instantly disappearing under the blue bricks.

"Northwest, do you know that besides wealth beyond measure, the treasure also contains the Imperial Seal of the State? Since you know that the dagger might be the key to the treasure, why did you hand it to me?" Chu Junfeng seemed stunned for a moment, and when Mo Northwest handed over the dagger, he unconsciously took two steps back.

"In your eyes, treasure is treasure, so the dagger is the key. But in my eyes, treasure is nothing but an illusion that doesn't belong to me, so the dagger is just a dagger. It's rusty, and besides, I don't like used things, so it's useless to me." Mo Xibei shook his head and smiled, handing over the dagger again. "Make the most of it. Since you want it so much, take it. But too much gold and silver is useless. You might as well return it to the people; that would be a good thing."

Volume Two: Traces Left by the Wind, Chapter Ten: Dispute (Part 1)

Chu Junfeng remained silent for a long time, his eyes filled with complex and sorrow as he stared at Mo Xibei, looking her up, down, left, and right, as if trying to imprint her current appearance deeply into his mind. For the first time ever, Mo Xibei showed neither anger nor impatience, but simply maintained her original posture, standing in front of him with a calm expression, looking at him in return, until, after a long while, Chu Junfeng let out a long sigh and took the dagger from her hand.

"Northwest, is there anything in this world that you absolutely must have?" Chu Junfeng drew his short sword from its sheath, and a bright white light suddenly shot out, causing both of them to glance at each other slightly.

"It seems not. Most things in this world can be replaced. Why be so attached to things when you're alive?" Mo Xibei's heart trembled slightly, but she didn't think twice and answered quickly.

"I like your composure,"...and I also hate your composure. Chu Junfeng wasn't surprised by Mo Xibei's answer. The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he left them unsaid. Yes, he liked it, and he hated it—both were now expressions of her composure. He didn't need to recall; he always knew that from the moment they first met on the boat, Mo Xibei's understated ease and freedom had left a deep imprint on his heart. It was something he could never achieve, even with all his might—truly coming and going like the wind, without any hindrance. To spend half a lifetime with her, carefree and unburdened, was his dream. Yet, now it seemed so unattainable.

"Oh, thank you. Actually, I wouldn't mind if you called me heartless." Mo Xibei was touched by the sadness in Chu Junfeng's eyes, and a sense of melancholy washed over him. In this world, the beauty of flowers blooming forever, the moon shining brightly forever, and the enduring beauty of people are ultimately no match for the hardships of life, the rising and setting of the sun and moon, and the somewhat cruel reality. Whether it's liking or loving, all one can ultimately hope for is that they can stay together until the end without harboring resentment towards each other.

"Northwest, I know. By giving me the knife, you're preparing to treat me like a stranger. I want to say, 'Mo Northwest, you're so cruel,' but I can't bring myself to say it. Because I could have chosen another way: not to take your knife. And to stay by your side. I'm destined to regret it in the future, letting go of the hand I should have held tightest. But for now, I'll still choose this path. Northwest, take care." Chu Junfeng sheathed the knife, glanced at Mo Northwest one last time, and then turned and left. By the time he said "take care," he had vanished without a trace.

In the evening, Honglu ran to Mo Xibei's room and asked, "Young Master Mo, we don't know where Young Master Chu and Tian Xin have gone. Should we wait for them to have dinner together?"

“No need to wait. They’re just guests, not family.” Mo Xibei shook his head.

"But I heard they've been living at home for a long time, and then suddenly went out today. Aren't you surprised?" Honglu frowned, dissatisfied with Mo Xibei's answer.

“Even a long shed can only last a thousand miles; all good things must come to an end. Since they are guests, there’s no reason for them to stay. We run restaurants and pleasure boats, welcoming and seeing off guests. Why should we care so much about any one person?” Mo Xibei’s reply became increasingly indifferent.

"You chased them away?" Hong Lvdi's voice changed slightly, and after a long while, she said, "You don't like Young Master Chu anymore. I'm so stupid. You were so intimate with that Young Master Mu. If you had Young Master Chu in your heart, how could you... But Young Master Mo, can't you see how Young Master Chu treats you?"

Mo Xibei was taken aback. When she looked at Honglu, Honglu turned around and turned her back to her. Her shoulders twitched slightly, as if she was trying to suppress something. Just as Mo Xibei was about to say something, Mu Feinan rushed in like a gust of wind. When she saw it was him, Honglu stomped her foot and ran out.

"I heard Chu Junfeng left?" Mu Feinan glanced at Honglu with a puzzled look, watched her leave, then turned to look at Mo Xibei and asked softly.

"Hmm, you seem to know quite a bit about things in my household." Mo Xibei held the teapot in his right hand and poured half a cup of Jiannan Jade Leaf Everlasting Spring Tea into the green jade cup in front of him. "This tea is quite good. It's made with dew collected from lotus leaves in the summer. Would you like to try some?"

"Why did he have to leave now of all times?" Mu Feinan pushed away the glass cup that Mo Xibei had placed in front of him, raised his eyebrows slightly, and his eyes were a little cold.

"What, you can't bear to part with him? Who are you trying to scare with that long face?" Mo Xibei had never seen Mu Feinan so angry before, and his face darkened as well.

“Chu Junfeng is a very goal-oriented person. When he goes to a place to do something, he will never leave until he achieves his goal. Now that he has left, can’t I be curious?” Mu Feinan sat opposite Mo Xibei and suddenly smiled, just like a spring flower in bloom. Taking advantage of Mo Xibei’s confusion, he grabbed Mo Xibei’s green jade cup. Mo Xibei took a sip of the tea in the cup, but he didn’t even look at it and drank it down.

Even Mo Xibei, who was known for his thick skin, blushed at his ambiguous posture and could only frown and ask, "Don't you know anything about hygiene?"

"This Jade Leaf Everlasting Spring tea isn't particularly rare; I've had it before. But strangely, drinking it here today has a unique flavor." Mu Feinan clicked his tongue, seemingly savoring the taste of the tea.

"Drinking half a cup of tea in one gulp is like a cow chewing on a peony, and you're still pretending to be something you're not. What's so special about my tea?" Mo Xibei chuckled and rolled her eyes at him.

"Sweet, really sweet," Mu Feinan replied earnestly.

"How could it be sweet?" Mo Xibei blurted out, but when he saw Mu Feinan's smug look as if he had stolen something, he realized what he had done, put down the teapot, and turned away from him.

"Northwest, you still haven't said that you didn't see Chu Junfeng when he left?" Mu Feinan brought up the topic that had already been digressed.

"I've seen you. What do you want to ask? Just get straight to the point." Mo Xibei nodded, a sudden irritation rising in his heart.

"What is that short knife that Murong Songtao was willing to risk his life for?" Mu Feinan's casual smile vanished, replaced by a serious expression. "It's related to the treasure, isn't it? How did it end up in your hands, and where is it now?"

"Is this considered an interrogation?" Mo Xibei glanced at Mu Feinan sideways. "It's probably related to the treasure. I found it by chance when I was in a small mountain village, but it's not with me anymore, okay?"

"You gave it to him?" Mu Feinan's face was ashen, his charming eyes filled with frost as he stared at Mo Xibei with the coldness of a sword.

"If I said he stole it, would you believe me? Of course you wouldn't," Mo Xibei retorted irritably.

"Of course I don't believe you! I trusted you too much, you ungrateful woman..." Mu Feinan flew into a rage. With a "crack," the green jade cup was crushed in his hand, breaking in two. But he didn't feel relieved. Instead, he slammed the jade shards heavily onto the table, got up irritably, took a few steps away, then circled back and stood in front of Mo Xibei. "You like him that much? You dared to hand over something so important to him? Aren't you afraid of dying?"

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Volume Two: Traces Left by the Wind, Chapter Ten: Dispute (Part Two)

"What does a knife have to do with life and death?" Mo Xibei's heart tightened, but his face remained calm.

"In the Northwest, Huang Jin is determined to obtain the treasure. For this, he is willing to confront the martial arts world and the entire martial arts community head-on. Have you ever thought about who you are? In terms of martial arts and status, can you be compared with Murong Songtao back then? No, right? The reason why Huang Jin has been lenient with you time and time again is mainly because you haven't really gotten involved. But now, you hold the secret of the treasure and are easily handing it over to someone else. Do you think the Eastern Depot will let you off? Don't you think about yourself, or about the people around you? Don't you think about the people around you, or about..." Mu Feinan stood in front of Mo Xibei, so angry that he wanted to slap this muddle-headed woman awake, or at least knock off the calm and composure on her face. "You have no heart. A woman with a heart wouldn't act like this."

"Fine, then pretend I have no heart." Mo Xibei, watching Mu Feinan, usually so elegant and only capable of a frivolous grin, her face alternating between pale and flushed, her finger trembling slightly as she pointed at him, suddenly felt a surge of joy. He laughed, "If Huang Jinzhen comes later and demands the treasure, I'll have him take me to behead him. I remember hearing people say when I was little that a beheading only leaves a small scar, and twenty years later you're a hero again. I'm not even twenty yet, so in that case, it won't be that long before I'm a hero again." "You—" Mu Feinan was so angry with Mo Xibei that he felt dizzy. He couldn't help but drag Mo Xibei up from the chair, grabbing her throat with one hand, wishing he could strangle this ungrateful woman and save himself the trouble. But his skin was like jade, and beneath his palm, he could clearly feel the vibrant pulse of her veins. After a moment of this stalemate, he finally sighed, released his grip, and pulled Mo Xibei into his arms. He tightened his grip on her arm until he heard Mo Xibei's suppressed cry of pain. Then he said, "Xibei, I must have done a lot of things to wrong you in my past life, so I deserve to be tormented by you in this life. Consider it my way of repaying you. You can love him if you want, or you can not love me if you don't, I will never let you go. Huang Jin can mess with Murong Songtao, but he may not be able to mess with me. Do whatever you want."

“Previously, to protect Lianyun, I promised Huang Jin I would help him capture Murong Songtao alive, but now Murong Songtao's fate is unknown; I also gave away the dagger that might be closely related to the treasure. Huang Jin could find out at any time and could come looking for trouble. Aren't you afraid of being implicated by me?” Mo Xibei moved his neck slightly, finding a relatively comfortable position in Mu Feinan's arms. He asked softly.

"I'm afraid. I'm afraid I won't be able to protect you properly. Northwest. We still have many days to go together. I want to watch the sunrise and sunset with you. To see the ends of the earth, to watch our child grow up little by little. I want to do so many things with you." Mu Feinan's emotions had quickly calmed down. He gently stroked Mo Northwest's hair with his chin, one stroke after another, extremely gentle.

"So you don't want the treasure anymore? Chu Junfeng just left. Actually, he still needs time to unravel the secret of the treasure's location. If you chase after him now, you might not be able to find him." Mo Xibei blinked and buried her face in Mu Feinan's clothes, not letting him see the smile on her lips.

"The treasure is useful to Huang Jin, useful to the Emperor, and useful to Chu Junfeng, but to me, it's nothing but a pile of trash. Huang Jin did my father a great favor back then. If it weren't for that, do you think I would have gotten involved in this mess? Luckily, I met you, or I would have suffered a huge loss." Mu Feinan was unconvinced. He found his action amusing and repeated it over and over again.

“Really, you won’t regret it. I heard that’s a huge sum of money,” Mo Xibei said. “It’s said that there are martial arts manuals inside, and they were passed down through the imperial seal.”