Болезненный юноша, путешествующий во времена династии Сун

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Volume Two: Traces Left by the Wind, Chapter Five: The Fog (Part 1)

"Do you know who did it?" Mo Xibei asked, somewhat surprised.

"We don't have any leads yet," Chu Junfeng shook his head.

"It's hard to say who they're after. Anyway, since they're here, let's just make the best of it." Mo Xibei waved her hand, stopping Chu Junfeng from saying anything more. She glanced at Murong Lianyun and frowned. She wasn't worried about her own safety, but she was concerned about Lianyun. So she said to Chu Junfeng, "Today's events are probably just the beginning. I'm afraid I won't have time to take care of Lianyun for the next few days. Brother Chu, could you stay at my house for a while and look after him for me?"

"Of course," Chu Junfeng answered readily, though his delicate brows furrowed slightly, as if concealing great worry.

This time, Murong Lianyun didn't speak, but just lowered her head helplessly. Her injuries had healed, but her body was still weak, and she looked even more frail in the wind, as if a gust of wind could blow her away.

"The Chunfeng Ruyi Tower has such a large business, and its patrons are all wealthy and powerful. What are your plans?" Chu Junfeng asked.

“If it were before, I would have said that I would keep the shop open and see what he could do to me,” Mo Xibei said with a wry smile. “But this time, I have a feeling that it might really be troublesome, so I have to close the shop for a while. I feel like I’ve become more timid. I don’t even dare to make money anymore. I guess I’m getting old.”

“I think this is a good idea. The enemy is in the dark, while we are in the light. Chunfeng Ruyi Tower is too conspicuous. If the other party is determined to do something, they might make a little move and we could end up in legal trouble, which would only cause more trouble.” Chu Junfeng mentioned Chunfeng Ruyi Tower because he hoped that Mo Xibei could suspend business. On this point, the two of them were of the same mind.

"That's all we can do for now." Mo Xibei tugged at his collar, turned and walked out. Before he even reached the front yard, a waiter came running up, sweating profusely, his face still showing signs of fear.

"What happened again?" Mo Xibei asked, pressing his temples.

"Little Cui from the cleaning department hanged herself in her room." The waiter wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve, unsure whether he had run away or been frightened.

"Who does she live with? What about the others?" Mo Xibei paused, then turned and walked towards the dormitory provided for the staff and young girls from various departments.

"The others were just scared, nothing serious, it's just..." the waiter stammered.

"So what?" Mo Xibei turned his head, his gaze sharp, startling the waiter so much that he involuntarily jumped.

"Miss Xiao Cui hanged herself from the roof beam, but there was nothing beneath her feet. The roof beam was at least two or three people high off the ground. I don't know how she got up there..." The waiter's voice grew softer and softer until it was almost inaudible.

Xiao Cui hanged herself in an ordinary dormitory room where girls who performed but did not sell their bodies lived together. Six people shared a room, and everyone had to sleep on a shared bed. Xiao Cui's room was the second one on the left. Before going to sleep that night, everything was normal. The young girls even chatted and laughed for a while. Although they were all terrified, they still told Mo Xibei through intermittent tears that before going to sleep, Xiao Cui said that once she earned money to pay off her father's gambling debts, she would marry Er Mao from the neighboring village.

The constables who rushed to the scene found two strings of cash that Xiao Cui had saved in a small jar under her pillow. No signs of tampering were found in the doors and windows of the room. Xiao Cui had no injuries and her face was peaceful. The girl in the room did not provide any valuable clues. By the afternoon, the yamen ruled that Xiao Cui had committed suicide.

Mo Xibei didn't intervene in the aftermath; the manager of Chunfeng Ruyi Tower handled the matter. Mo Xibei's original intention was to give Xiao Cui's parents more money, but the manager said that giving too much would, firstly, make people think Xiao Cui's death was suspicious, giving those with ulterior motives an excuse; secondly, Xiao Cui's father was a gambling addict, and no matter how much money was given, it would just be money going to the casino. Therefore, giving only a token amount according to the rules was enough. Mo Xibei didn't ask exactly how much was the "rules," because she feared she couldn't bear the burden of such a life being treated so lightly.

"Northwest, are you scared?" Mo Northwest returned to his private room, where Mu Feinan was waiting.

“It’s not fear, it’s just anger.” Mo Xibei sneered, his eyes unusually sharp as swords, radiating cold light. “I’m clear about right and wrong, and to do this to innocent people is too despicable.”

“The murderer must have something to do after doing so many things. Let’s wait and see. A fox will eventually show its tail.” Mu Feinan patted her shoulder. “No matter what you do, I’ll stand by your side.”

Two updates a day seems alright, haha. I'm a hardworking little bee, votes, votes, come on over...

Volume Two: Traces Left by the Wind, Chapter Five: The Mist (Part Two)

"You have extensive experience in the martial world. What should you usually do in this situation?" Mo Xibei smiled, his heart still pounding, but his mood was no longer so fiery and gloomy.

"Waiting for the rabbit to run into the tree stump, or actively defending against it—most people would choose that, right?" Mu Feinan tapped his fingers lightly on the table a few times and winked at Mo Xibei.

"And what about you? What do you choose?" Mo Xibei stared at his fingers. Mu Feinan's fingers, like him, were beautiful and flawless, not at all like someone who spent his days wielding swords.

“Me?” Mu Feinan laughed, tilting his head slightly, “I don’t like being manipulated or controlled by others; I prefer to be proactive.”

“But the enemy is in the dark while we are in the light. How can we take the initiative?” Mo Xibei’s eyes lit up, and he unconsciously took two steps closer.

"Is this considered asking me for advice?" Mu Feinan's eyes flickered, his previous arrogance quickly disappearing, replaced by a childlike smugness.

"Someone just said they wanted to stand next to me, and now they're putting on airs. If you don't want to talk, fine, I don't want to listen anyway." Mo Xibei rolled his eyes, turned around and walked away, instructing the waiter in the corridor, "Go and tell everyone to gather in the lobby immediately, I have something to say to them."

Mu Feinan didn't expect Mo Xibei to get angry. He really didn't ask him what to do anymore. Instead, he summoned everyone to the hall. Unwilling to be ignored, he could only follow Mo Xibei downstairs in a daze.

Mo Xibei's announcement was simple: because of Xiao Cui's death, she wanted to invite a high-ranking monk to perform a religious ceremony. To show her piety, she would suspend business operations, give everyone a paid leave, and advance a month's wages.

"I thought you'd just confront that guy hiding in the shadows, too afraid to show his face, but you're being so passive," Mu Feinan whispered in Mo Xibei's ear. "I was planning to close for a few days anyway. Xiao Cui's incident was just a pretext. Since someone died here, it'll give customers a psychological suggestion that they're uncomfortable coming here. I might as well close for a few days and wait until everyone forgets, which will save us from causing more trouble." Mo Xibei didn't move his mouth, his smile faltered, and he only leaned slightly closer to Mu Feinan, his voice muffled and connected.

“You can say whatever you want,” Mu Feinan said softly as he watched the workers line up at the manager’s office to collect their wages and go home. “I’m afraid that the great land you’ve worked so hard to win will be swallowed up by your rivals in the next few days, and they’ll think you’ve quit.”

"Where there's life, there's hope. I do business with a long-term perspective." As the number of people in the hall dwindled, Mo Xibei gradually raised his voice.

Finally, almost everyone at Chunfeng Ruyi Tower was temporarily sent home by Mo Xibei. When the manager finished settling the accounts and came to say goodbye, only Xiuwen, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, remained in the hall.

"Why doesn't Mr. Xiu take this opportunity to go home and visit his family?" Mo Xibei asked.

"Don't ask if you have no home to visit."

“You can also visit friends.” Mo Xibei paced back and forth in the hall.

"Don't ask where I am, there are no friends to visit."

"Then why don't you go on a trip?" Mo Xibei felt he had given the suggestion very well, but Xiu Wen replied, "Xiu Wen has nowhere to go."

"Then let me tell you straight, this place is very dangerous. You could be the next Xiao Cui at any time. Aren't you leaving?" Mo Xibei's good temper had been worn down.

"A scholar will die for one who understands him; he will have no regrets."

"But the problem is, there's no one here who understands you!" Mo Xibei stamped his foot, getting annoyed. "The day you heard me sing a song and were willing to pay an exorbitant price to invite me without asking why, you're already my confidant," Xiu Wen replied seriously, unhurriedly.

"Alright, then it's up to you whether you stay or leave, sir. Let me make this clear from the start: life and death are in the hands of fate." Mu Feinan stopped Mo Xibei, who was pacing back and forth, left these words behind, and then dragged her away.

“Don’t ask, he’s someone important.” Once they reached the second floor, Mu Feinan said in a very low voice, “If he wants to stay, let him stay. Don’t underestimate this person.”

Volume Two: Traces Left by the Wind, Chapter Five: The Fog (Part Two)

"Are you planning to stay in the building tonight, or go back to your own place?" After taking a few steps, Mo Xibei remembered what he needed to do and quickly stopped.

"Aren't you going to make any arrangements? Why are you going to bed so early?" Mu Feinan asked in surprise.