After a short while, Tang Huan smiled slightly and said, "We can't find anything for now. Let's go."
Mo Xi nodded.
The two left the "broken scroll," boarded a boat, and crossed the river in silence.
They disembarked and went ashore.
Tang Huan suddenly asked, "Can you tell me your real name?"
Mo Xi turned her head to look at her pale green reflection in his eyes. After a moment, she said softly, "My real name is Xi, the Xi of 'bustling'."
In an instant, joy shone in Tang Huan's eyes like a lit flame, gradually brightening, as if even her shadow was illuminated. He said softly, "Your parents must feel the same way I do, hoping you will experience all the joy in the world."
Just as Mo Xi was about to reply, Tang De came galloping over from a distance. Upon arriving, he didn't even bother to bow to Mo Xi, but said to Tang Huan, "Fourth Young Master, Miss Ouyang Jin insists on visiting the place where thunderbolts are being developed. This old servant tried to dissuade her, but the gunpowder there is indiscriminate, and I couldn't stop her. Please go there as soon as possible, Fourth Young Master."
Tang Huan frowned and said apologetically to Mo Xi, "This is a very important matter. I'll be right back."
Mo Xi nodded and replied, "Go ahead."
Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, Mo Xi asked softly, "When did they arrive? Why didn't they show themselves?"
Mu Fengting slowly emerged from a grove of trees not far away, smiling slightly. "I went to tell you a story earlier, but the maid said you weren't here. So I just took a stroll around the neighborhood. I happened to see you chatting happily with Sect Leader Tang, so I didn't want to disturb you." He paused, then added, "You just told me your real name, but you haven't told me your surname yet."
Mo Xi smiled slightly and said, "You heard everything, that's good. One should naturally reveal one's real name to one's savior. The character 'Xi' means light, joy, prosperity, and warmth, and can be said to embody all the good things in the world." She paused, then said softly, "But my surname happens to be Mo."
In her past life, her mother, like countless other lovelorn women, easily believed a man's promise and, holding onto this belief, gave birth to her out of wedlock. But this year-after-year waiting eventually wore her down to despair. Her mother finally faced reality and decided to begin a second life—to find a second man. Thus, Mo Xi became the part of her first failed life that should have been discarded most.
Upon hearing this, Mu Fengting slowly put away his usual smile, but his eyes revealed a warm feeling as he said softly, "How can we tell stories without wine? I'll treat you to drinks tonight."
Tang Huan still hadn't returned by evening.
After Mo Xi and Lü Yunfang had dinner, Mu Fengting arrived with wine sets.
Green Cloud watched the two figures leave and sighed softly, thinking to herself: Fourth Young Master, I can't help you this time.
Mu Fengting asked with a smile, "Where would you like to go for a drink, young lady?"
Mo Xi smiled slightly and said, "Since you're the one inviting me for drinks, I'll naturally follow your lead."
"Alright, I'll take the liberty of doing it myself." No sooner had he spoken than he leaped into the air, heading straight for the golden-winged giant bird on the Chongyao Platform. Mo Xi, knowing his unconventional ways, wasn't surprised and followed closely behind.
The two of them swooped onto the wings of the large bird, found a flat spot, and Mu Fengting brushed the snow off the ground. He let Mo Xi sit down first, and then casually sat down next to her.
It was sunset, and the winter sun, like a dying ember, cast a thin layer of pale gold upon them. It bathed their features in a hazy glow, softening Mu Fengting's otherwise striking features considerably.
He produced a dish of green plums and a pot of brewed wine as if by magic.
The fire in the stove quickly turned bright red.
Once the wine was opened, he carefully filtered out the floating plum wine dregs, poured it into a small white porcelain cup, and handed it to Mo Xi.
The wine is golden and transparent with a slight bluish tinge, exuding a unique, faint medicinal aroma. It is sweet, smooth, and slightly bitter on the palate, with an endless aftertaste.
Mo Xi praised, "This Zhuyeqing tea is so fragrant and mellow, did you brew it yourself?"
Mu Fengting laughed and said, "I knew you had good taste. I wouldn't be willing to give this to an ordinary person." He poured himself a cup, took a slow sip, and continued, "This wine has the function of soothing the stomach and aiding digestion, which is perfect for you since you just finished eating. The medicine, along with the power of the wine, penetrates deep into the bones and tendons, and has a certain therapeutic effect on arthritis."
Mo Xi thought to herself: I didn't realize he was so thoughtful; he even knew about the aftereffects of my left shoulder injury from a mission.
As the red glow of the western sunset slowly faded, Mu Fengting began to tell his story.
And the female protagonist of this story happens to be named Tang Xin.
"If I'm not mistaken, Tang Yi's mother was none other than the once-famous Tang Xin. Legend has it that Tang Xin was not a direct descendant of the Tang Clan, but because she had an extraordinary talent for making poisons from a young age, she gradually gained the attention of the entire Tang Clan. After her death, her memorial tablet was actually moved into the ancestral hall, which only highly respected figures of the Tang Clan were qualified to enter, and was worshipped by the Tang Clan's descendants for generations. Moreover, because she was a rare beauty in the martial arts world, and was often dressed in fine clothes and riding a spirited horse, she relied on her superb poison skills to roam the martial arts world alone, and over time she earned the title of 'Poison Fairy'."
Mo Xi was so engrossed in listening that she didn't even realize her wine had gone cold from being left untouched for so long. Just as she was about to raise the glass to her lips, Mu Fengting snatched it away with a strange move, saying, "Drinking cold wine on a snowy day is bad for your stomach."
Seeing his strange moves, Mo Xi, on a whim, deftly flicked her left wrist downwards, barely dodging the attack. The two exchanged blows, each using only one hand to counter, their bodies remaining perfectly still. After ten rounds, Mo Xi stopped, laughing, "I lost."
Mu Fengting laughed and said, "The cup is still in your hand, why are you admitting defeat?"
Mo Xi said, "The wine is spilled, so we can't drink it anyway. Isn't that a loss?"
Seeing her smiling face, Mu Fengting praised, "It's rare to find a girl as carefree and open-minded as you."
To everyone's surprise, Mo Xi stretched out her left hand and said, "Who said that? I'm the most petty person. You spilled my wine, so hurry up and refill it."
Mu Fengting laughed and said, "Yes, I'll make it up to you right away. These days, it's always the weak who treat others to meals."
Mo Xi chuckled as she took the cup, drank about half of it, and felt much warmer in her stomach. She then urged Mu Fengting to continue.
"When Tang Xin was eighteen, she met Meng Tao, a disciple of Mount Shu, and left the Tang Clan to follow him and wander the world together. It is said that she never returned to the Tang Clan. However, the couple's love was short-lived. Tang Xin passed away at the young age of twenty-eight, and Meng Tao followed her to the underworld less than two years later due to excessive grief."
Mo Xi asked, "Is it over?" He thought to himself: This matter is getting stranger and stranger. Since Tang Xin never returned to Tang Clan in her entire life, why does Tang Yi have the surname Tang and was buried in Tang Clan?
Mu Fengting spread his hands, feigning innocence, and said, "It's over."
Mo Xi looked at his mischievous smile with suspicion and said, "I don't believe you. Tell me quickly." She thought to herself: I don't believe this guy has switched to a minimalist style.
Mu Fengting stopped teasing her and continued, "'Poison Fairy' Tang Xin disappeared from the martial world, and people couldn't help but sigh that beauties, like wild horses, no matter how untamed, will always find a hero they are willing to follow. Who knew that not long after, another beauty would become the talk of the martial world. It is said that this beauty's every move was three-tenths similar to Tang Xin's, and she was equally skilled in using poison. The only difference was that she was extremely flirtatious, had countless male lovers, but no one knew her origins or name, so the martial world gave her the nickname 'Pink Rakshasa'." After a pause, Mu Fengting continued, "As the saying goes, 'Kings don't meet kings, and beauties despise each other.' Later, this 'Pink Rakshasa' tried every means to find Tang Xin to compete with her. She actually found her. However, after marrying Meng Tao, Tang Xin learned the martial arts of the Shu Mountain Sect, and was naturally much stronger than 'Pink Rakshasa'. After being injured by Tang Xin, 'Pink Rakshasa' never recovered and disappeared from the martial world."
After Mu Fengting finished telling Tang Xin's story, he began to talk about other beauties in the martial arts world, which Mo Xi found quite interesting.
And so they went, one speaking and the other listening, occasionally clinking glasses. As the moonlight deepened, the two had finished an entire pot of wine, quite content.
Mu Fengting said, "It's getting chilly. I'll take you home."
Mo Xi nodded and helped tidy up the wine glasses.