ALTHOUGH THE IMMEDIATE CRISIS with Li Qingqian was over, Mo Xi knew in his heart that this matter was far from resolved. While everyone on the streets was busy trying to guess what exactly Madam Jiang had said to the sword demon, Mo Xi had realized, from all the other details, that this was only the tip of the iceberg.
However, he had said it himself—everyone had their own secrets, Mo Xi included. He could easily imagine himself in Madam Jiang's shoes, and thus had no desire to make trouble for no reason and dig up her past.
Besides, there was the matter of Gu Mang. The emperor had said that whoever dealt with the real culprit of those heinous crimes would become Gu Mang's rightful handler. However, Li Qingqian's obsession had ultimately been dispelled by Madam Jiang's mysterious words—neither Xihe nor Wangshu had anything to do with it. The emperor was deeply vexed. "Do we have to give Gu Mang to Jiang Manor?"
"We can't afford to keep him," said the representative sent by the unimaginably wealthy Jiang Manor. "We don't have any food to spare. We don't want him."
And so the emperor thought—it was Murong Chuyi who had summoned Madam Jiang, so why not give Gu Mang to Murong Chuyi?
Murong Chuyi's response was only two words: "I'm broke."
The emperor was so angry he collapsed back onto his throne in a huff. These two families, one selling medicine and one crafting magical implements, were the two wealthiest clans in Chonghua. But now neither was willing to take Gu Mang, obviously because they were reluctant to insert themselves into the conflict between Wangshu and Xihe.
In the end, the emperor couldn't avoid making a decision that was bound to offend at least one party. After careful consideration, he at last decreed that Mo Xi could take the man back to his manor. The Beast of the Altar would be moving to a new den after all.
So it was that Mo Xi returned to Yue Manor to retrieve Gu Mang. Upon his arrival, he saw Murong Chuyi standing by the well with his hands clasped behind his back, watching the flowers falling. His white clothes shone like moonlight and his silhouette was graceful, but his expression was indifferent. His gaze swept over Mo Xi without any perceptible emotion. He simply said, "He's in the bedroom on the east side."
Mo Xi nodded in thanks. As he was taking his leave, Murong Chuyi called out to stop him. "Xihe-jun, wait."
"What is It?"
Murong Chuyi considered briefly before responding. "Has Xihe-jun ever doubted whether Gu Mang has truly lost his memories?"
A pause. "Why do you ask?"
"Last night, when I went to the room to check on him, I heard him talking in his sleep," Murong Chuyi replied.
This wasn't the first time such a thing had happened. In the prison, when Gu Mang had been unconscious, he had mumbled "I want a home" as he lay unconscious. But Mo Xi's heart still stuttered. He forced himself to remain composed as he asked, "Is that so? What did he say?"
"A name. Lu Zhanxing," Murong Chuyi said.
Mo Xi was silent, but his hands curled into fists and his knuckles went white. Lu Zhanxing was an old friend of Gu Mang's and one of the direct causes of Gu Mang's treasonous defection. Even though Mo Xi had known that Lu Zhanxing only liked pretty women, he and Gu Mang had been so inseparable that Mo Xi had never warmed up to him. Now, hearing that Gu Mang had called Lu Zhanxing's name in his sleep, his chest inevitably grew tight with frustration. He even felt a little dizzy.
But he would never let his discomfort show on his face. So even though his blood ran cold, he only nodded his head and said gravely, "Quite suspicious."
"These are likely just a few scraps of memory," Murong Chuyi said, "but you should keep your guard up if you're taking him into your manor. After all, he was an agent of the Liao Kingdom. If his memory loss is actually cover for some scheme...I fear that the disaster he would bring will be far more serious than Li Qingqian's."
There was really no need for Murong Chuyi to tell him this. Mo Xi was already deeply concerned. He wanted to get to the bottom of it as soon as possible, both for the sake of Chonghua and his own selfish reasons.
Accompanied by Murong Chuyi, Mo Xi entered the eastern bedroom. He pushed open the door, only to discover that the room was empty. Its only occupant was a bamboo warrior standing stupidly by the bed.
Mo Xi's expression darkened at once. "Where'd he go?"
The bamboo warrior pointed to the floor beneath the bed.
They looked and found that Gu Mang was indeed crouched under the bed, fully alert and wary, his blue eyes glinting as he watched them. When he caught sight of Mo Xi and Murong Chuyi, he snarled, "Whatcha lookin' at?"
Mo Xi blinked.
"Get him out of there," Murong Chuyi commanded the bamboo warrior. The construct moved its creaky joints, rattling as it got to the floor and squirmed beneath the bed. But why would Gu Mang sit there waiting to be caught? As the bamboo warrior tried to grab him, he kicked its hand aside and scuttled out, launching himself off of the floor with one arm to sprint for the door. But less than two steps in, he thumped into a solid chest.
"Come back with me," Mo Xi said, glowering.
Gu Mang had initially had a decent impression of this person. But the last few times they'd met, this man had either hit him or tied him up. Gu Mang had been completely helpless against him; even the sigil on his neck was of no use. Of course he didn't want to listen to Mo Xi. Gu Mang shot him a glare and aimed a vicious kick at him.
Mo Xi grabbed Gu Mang's ankle without even looking. His face grew stormier yet. "You've already tried this kick. You're sure you want to do it again?"
"Move," said Gu Mang. His other foot arced through the air as he tried to pivot off Mo Xi and kick him over. But how could he know that Mo Xi would be so familiar with his moves, even when he switched his second strike? The moment Gu Mang leapt up, Mo Xi dodged to the side and elbowed Gu Mang in the knee, killing his momentum. With a single swift movement, he had Gu Mang slung over his shoulder.
Gu Mang was unable to escape, but still refused to concede. "Let me go!" he shouted.
Mo Xi had much on his mind, what with the specter of Lu Zhanxing and the possibility that this was an elaborate plot on Gu Mang's part. Gu Mang's attempts at resistance only stoked his fury. All that held him back was the fact that they were within Yue Manor; he restrained his feelings with an expression of displeasure.
He asked Murong Chuyi, "Do you have any rope?"
"It's no good for tying him up."
"I don't mean to tie him up."
"Then what do you mean to do?"
"Shut him up."
Murong Chuyi made no comment. Of course, he would never perform such a task himself, and Mo Xi didn't have a hand free, so they could only prevail upon the bamboo warrior for assistance. The warrior blankly raised its hands and stopped in front of Gu Mang. The next time Gu Mang opened his mouth, the cloth strip was neatly shoved between his teeth and tied at the back of his head.
This kind of gag looked extremely suggestive, but Murong Chuyi had no relevant experience and thus saw nothing inappropriate about it. He calmly said, "Xihe-jun, take care."
So Mo Xi carried Gu Mang out over his shoulder, completely unaware of the bamboo warrior's masterpiece. Only when he tossed Gu Mang into the carriage did he discover that he had been tied up like that. He could only stare, blank-eyed, and murmur unthinkingly, "You..."
Gu Mang could neither speak nor fully close his mouth. The coarse cloth was caught between his teeth, and his hands had been bound behind him. His eyes glared daggers at Mo Xi, but he could neither curse nor move. He could only pant as he lay on the mat within the carriage's curtains, clothes in disarray.
Mo Xi's eyes darkened. It wasn't his fault that this sight called to mind some improper events. His Gu-shixiong had always been tough—he was never one to easily shed tears from sadness or pain. But it was a different story in bed. Gu Mang had always been sensitive, so he would cry reflexively from strong stimulation. He had helplessly explained this to Mo Xi before. Don't think I'm crying because I'm unhappy—I honestly can't control it...
What he meant was, You haven't really fucked your gege to tears—it's just that I thought this body was made of sterner stuff.
At the time, Mo Xi hid his smile and said, Yes, I understand. In reality, Mo Xi loved to watch Gu Mang cry in bed, especially when he stubbornly and desperately tried to hold back his tears but still ended up sobbing. He loved to watch Gu Mang's eyes, delicately slender at the ends, and his lips, soft and warm, as tears streamed down his flushed cheeks and into the hair at his temples. In these moments Mo Xi knew for sure that in actuality, this fierce and dauntless beast—his invincible Gu Mang-gege— also had weaknesses that made him flinch when touched.
Mo Xi had once been so adoringly infatuated with the shixiong in his bed. Even all these years later, the mere thought of that Gu Mang of the past was enough to convince Mo Xi that he'd experienced the pinnacle of pleasure. From that point on, he had never been able to appreciate the sight of another's face. And right now, Gu Mang looked exactly the way he did in those days when they had been passionately in love: tightly restrained by the cloth rope, his mouth wet and his eyes teary, those glossy blue eyes damp as a storm cloud... Surely trouble lay ahead. Old habits die hard.
As if scalded by this haze of steam, Mo Xi turned sharply away. His terrifying desire stunned and shamed him—how could he feel such ravenous hunger and tenacious yearning for a traitor ? Everything he had done with regard to Gu Mang thus far had certainly stemmed not from desire, but from a need to settle their old debts of passion and hatred. How could he long for, and succumb to, Gu Mang's body once again?
But a certain part of Mo Xi had stiffened against his will, growing so hot it seemed to burn. He had remained unmoved by carnal pleasures all these years; this hadn't happened since Gu Mang left...
He was involuntarily reminded of their past trysts, when they were tucked inseparably close, skin against skin. When he used to have Gu Mang pinned beneath him, biting his ear and bullying him relentlessly. Gu Mang would always huffily say, Your Gu Mang-gege isn't so fragile. You can go deeper. Yet Gu Mang always collapsed in the end, sobbing as he cried, Enough, Shidi, that's too much—you're too big, I can't take it anymore. But it wasn't that Gu Mang couldn't take it anymore. It was that neither of them could endure any more of this mutual torment, this raging inferno of love and lust.
Even now, the memory of that pleasure yet lingered.
Mo Xi cursed under his breath and tossed one of the carriage cushions over Gu Mang's face. He turned to look out the window, and the journey passed in silence.
The carriage came to a stop at his manor. "My lord, we're here," said the coachman from outside.
Mo Xi had originally planned to tote Gu Mang outside just like this, but upon removing the cushion and getting another eyeful of Gu Mang's face, he quickly threw the cushion down again. He didn't want anyone else to see Gu Mang the way he looked right now, not even the coachman. Mo Xi tapped Gu Mang's acupoints to render him unconscious and loosened the rope. With a stormy expression, he hauled him out of the carriage.
A chilly voice came unexpectedly from behind him. "Ooh, Xihe-jun, that was fast."
Mo Xi unconsciously drew Gu Mang deeper into his arms, then realized this was inappropriate and pushed him away again. Murong Lian, pipe in hand, shot him a fluid glance. Mo Xi suppressed his rage and took a breath. "What are you doing at my manor?" he said coldly.
"Just passing by."
"Then keep moving. I won't see you off."
"You—!" Murong Lian's peach-blossom eyes narrowed, and he gritted his teeth. "You asshole, just you wait! You wanted to shelter this evil beast, but you're sure to regret it!"
It was hard to say if Mo Xi would regret it or not, but it was going to be troublesome, certainly. From the moment he'd walked out of the palace, Mo Xi had been thinking about how to deal with Gu Mang. Letting him live in luxury was out of the question, but consigning him to wait upon others like Murong Lian had done wasn't an option either. Mo Xi still hadn't thought of a suitable resolution by the time he returned to his manor.
Once he was back in his own study, Mo Xi closed his eyes to rest. His attendant came to change the candles, but Mo Xi stalled him as he turned to leave. "Li Wei, don't go yet. There's a matter I'd like to speak you about."
Although Li Wei was a long-winded and gossipy chatterbox, he had an ironclad sense of loyalty and a formidable boldness. He was always quick with new ideas and never failed to handle matters with utmost care. But sometimes—like right now, for example—he was Mo Xi's clueless enabler.
"My lord." The enabler replaced the lampshade and bowed. "Please ask away, my lord. This one is all ears."
"Say..." Mo Xi muttered. "If someone were to feign mental impairment, under what conditions might they most easily be exposed?"
Li Wei was momentarily stumped. Why can't you just say you haven't given up, that you still want to see if Gu Mang is pretending? He thought to himself. Isn't this question a little too obvious?
But everyone knew that Mo Xi was proud and haughty. If Li Wei exposed his little scheme, this young general would sulk in silence for days. Li Wei had no choice but to pretend to be completely oblivious. "If they were deliberately faking it, they would surely have their guard up at all times."
"Mn."
"It would be hard to catch someone like that in a lie. Like a wild and wary beast, they would sniff for danger before each step they took. It would be practically impossible for them to fall into a trap."
Mo Xi nodded. "Continue."
"My lord should let nature take its course—since they'll naturally be constantly be on guard, you must constantly test them," Li Wei suggested.
"What do you mean?" Mo Xi asked after a brief pause.
"Put him to work." An abacus of laziness began to tick away in Li Wei's heart. "Make him do the laundry and chop the firewood, cook and clean—have him sleep, eat, bathe, practice martial arts—in short, find things for him to do. The more tasks he must complete, the more details he might expose to you, my lord. If you only set a single trap, a wild beast might manage to avoid it, but if you set traps everywhere, he'Il eventually stumble and fall in."
Mo Xi looked at him without replying. In this grave silence, Li Wei began to doubt himself. Did Xihe-jun realize that Li Wei wanted to train a competent helper and thus slack off...?
But at that moment, Mo Xi turned away from Li Wei to face the window. "All right, we'll do as you suggested. But the sight of this person irritates me. You handle it."
If Li Wei were stupider than he was, he would agree and say, Okay, Xihe-jun, this one will immediately go handle it, but the enabler Li Wei was clearly not stupid. He continued to feign ignorance and blankly asked, "Ah? Of whom does Xihe-jun speak? Handle whom?"
Mo Xi came back to his senses with an awkward cough. "Oh, I forgot to tell you."
Li Wei humbly awaited Mo Xi's instruction. "It's Gu Mang," Mo Xi said. "I've already brought him back and knocked him unconscious. He's still...asleep inside my room right now—I've left him alone for the time being. See about finding him a place to sleep and some tasks for him to do.
Li Wei was stunned at first. Someone else was allowed to sleep in the lords bedroom? he thought. Wasn't he a major clean freak? But after turning it over in his head a few times, he quickly understood. His lord had once marched and fought alongside Gu Mang. Back then, neither of them had made a name for themselves, and they must have lived in humble accommodations. They likely had to make do and sleep in the same tent— so it wasn't so improper for Gu Mang to sleep in his lord's bed now.
After coming around to this idea, Li Wei sighed. He inwardly rolled his eyes and thought, disgruntled, Before you even walked through the door, everyone had already heard that you fought with Wangshu-jun and dragged the Beast of the Altar back to your den. Who do you think you're fooling? But he adopted an expression of alarm. "Ah, it's—it's that G-G-Gu, Gu..."
"Yes, Gu Mang," Mo Xi impatiently replied. "When did you become a stutterer?"
"Yes, yes, yes! Gu Mang!" In another lifetime, Li Wei was surely destined for the stage. "Oh my goodness, not him! Who in Chonghua doesn't know he's a fighter? Wouldn't this be a death sentence upon this subordinate?"
Mo Xi paused. "I have already placed an alarm sigil on him," he said. "If there is any aberration in his spiritual energy, I'll know at once. There's no need to worry. Go on."
Li Wei confirmed his instructions and thanked Mo Xi in every possible way, until the fingers with which Mo Xi was massaging his forehead gradually balled into a fist. Only at this point did Li Wei say obsequiously, "Yes, then this subordinate will bravely go forth."
Mo Xi had already lost all patience. He dismissed Li Wei with a wave of his hand. "Hurry up and get out."
Li Wei gladly slipped away. Wasting no time, he flagged down the other attendants and began to arrange Gu Mang's new life at Xihe Manor.