Chapter 122 – The Mu Family’s Predicament

Mu Family.

Several elders were gathered together, and Mu Yueshan was sitting at the center in the main hall with a gloomy expression.

"Patriarch [1], we can't go on like this anymore. The family's business already hadn't been doing too well, and now that we're being suppressed by the Commercial League, it's only a matter of time until the Mu Family goes bankrupt."

"That's right, Patriarch! During this period of time, many businesses have come to us asking to terminate their contracts. There's also a problem with the medicinal herbs and elixirs that we're cultivating, and now the previous agreements that we had signed with some other businesses can't be fulfilled anymore. We have to pay a huge fine for violating these agreements, but we don't have enough money."

"Patriarch, Mu Xingzhi has recently started acting up again, who knows what that guy's trying to do. How should we deal with him?"

"Patriarch, originally, the Zhou Family had already transferred their mines in the south over to the Mu Family, but when they found out about the Mu Family's current situation, they immediately tore up our agreement. They really went too far this time. Patriarch, what do you think we should do? How about we go and fight it out with the Zhou Family?"

"Our family hasn't been doing too well lately, how can we still take the initiative to go looking for trouble? For now, I'm afraid that we can only grit our teeth and bear this injustice."

"If we let it slide like this, then that's tantamount to just letting people walk all over the Mu Family."

"Well what do you want to do then? Do you really think that the family can spare any manpower right now?"

Mu Yueshan couldn't help feeling irritated as he listened to all these people talking over each other.

"I've already talked to the people over at the Business Alliance. Feng He-qianbei is willing to help us, but Feng Yuan-qianbei won't budge and refuses to let us go." Mu Yueshan said.

Feng He was the second-in-command at the Business Alliance, while Feng Yuan was the head of the group. Although Feng He's strength was much weaker than that of Feng Yuan, he also had a considerable influence over the Business Alliance.

Originally, if Feng Yuan hadn't recovered and had died, then Feng He most likely would've been given Feng Yuan's position. Unfortunately, Feng Yuan was cured by Qi Shaorong. Feng He has been Feng Yuan's assistant for almost a hundred years, and has probably long wanted to take over as head of the Business Alliance. It's just that Feng Yuan has already made a full recovery, so that won't be happening anytime soon.

"Patriarch, it's useless to ask the people from the Business Alliance for help. After all, the Business Alliance was asked by someone else to do this to us. For this matter, you'll have to talk to Qi Shaorong about it, but that might not work either. You have to go look for Mu Tingxuan."

"What's the use in looking for Mu Tingxuan? He's a star of calamity, are you really counting on someone like him to save the Mu Family?" Mu Yueshan said unhappily.

"You can't say that for certain, Kuang Yi's prediction might not be accurate. I don't think that this Kuang Yi person is that remarkable anyway, he's just someone who gained fame by deceiving the public. Maybe he was wrong about Mu Tingxuan."

"The reason why the Mu Family has been facing all these problems lately is all because of Mu Tingxuan, and you still think that Kuang Yi's prediction was wrong?"

"Patriarch, now that the family has already gotten to this point, we have to at least try it out and see, right?"

"Actually, Mu Tingxuan was sent out of the family when he was very young, and his wood-spirit core was also stolen from him. It makes sense for him to harbour some resentment in his heart." Mu Yuehong said.

Mu Yueshan said agitatedly, "Third Brother, what do you mean? Do you also believe in the rumors from outside?"

"Eldest Brother, it's already too late now. There's no use in keeping up with this farce anymore. How can someone have two wood-spirit cores?" Mu Yuehong said.

Mu Yueshan stood up abruptly and said, "You…"

"Eldest Brother, everyone outside is saying that the two wood-spirit cores in Mu Huai's body were taken from other people. One was from Mu Tingxuan, so what about the other one?" Mu Yuehong said.

Mu Yueshan suddenly picked up a teacup that was next to him, and smashed it to the ground, "Presumptuous."

Seeing that things were getting a little tense, an elder stepped forward and tried to mediate, "Everyone's gathered here to solve the Mu Family's problems, we should get back to the topic at hand and think about what we're going to do."

"If we can't do anything about Mu Tingxuan's side, then maybe we can try talking to Mu Xingzhi. After all, Mu Xingzhi was cultivated by the Mu Family, and he should still have some feelings left over for the family."

Mu Yueshan lowered his head. He used to think that Mu Xingzhi would continue being brainless for a lifetime, but he didn't think that finding out about Mu Tingxuan's death would actually cause Mu Xingzhi to go crazy. Back then, before Mu Xingzhi left the Mu Family, he had tried to kill Mu Yueshan. If it weren't for the Mu Family's elders who had stopped him at the time, then it's hard to say what could've happened to Mu Yueshan.

In the streets of Li Country.

Hua Jinyue, Qi Shaorong and the others spent half the day strolling around the streets.

Hua Jinyue looked at Zhuang Hao and said a little shyly, "Gongzi, last time I left too hurriedly and I didn't get the chance to ask you for your name, can you tell me?"

Zhuang Hao frowned and said, "My name isn't really important, knowing it won't make a difference."

Hua Jinyue frowned and said somewhat disappointedly, "Gongzi isn't willing to tell me?"

Zhuang Hao frowned and didn't say anything.

Yi Fan wrapped an arm around Zhuang Hao's shoulders and said, "A-Hao! This girl really wants to know your name, why don't you just tell her! What are you acting this shy for?"

Zhuang Hao glared at Yi Fan and said, "Why are you so meddlesome!"

Yi Fan looked at Hua Jinyue and said, "If he won't tell you, I'll tell you! He's called Haozi, you can call him a Haozi."

[T/n: The "hao" in "Haozi" is different from the "hao" in "Zhuang Hao", but they have a similar pronunciation. "Haozi" means rat/mouse.]

Zhuang Hao: "… "

Chen Yuan: "…"

"What do you mean by that!" Zhuang Hao glared at Yi Fan, feeling annoyed.

Yi Fan shrugged and said, "Why are you looking at me like that? Your old man was the one who gave you this name, don't blame me!"

Zhuang Hao: "…"

Qi Shaorong, Hua Jinyue, and the others were wandering around when Mu Huai walked over and stopped in front of them.

Hua Jinyue frowned when she saw who it was and said puzzledly, "Young Master Mu Huai, what are you doing!"

Mu Tingxuan looked at Mu Huai and said, "Cousin, I don't think we have anything to talk about."

Mu Huai grabbed Mu Tingxuan's arm and said, "Cousin! I really do have something important to tell you."

Mu Tingxuan looked at Mu Huai and said, "If you want to talk, then talk, but I don't think you'll get the results that you're hoping for."

Mu Huai looked at Mu Tingxuan and said, "Many people from the Mu Family have gone to find you before."

"Really?" Mu Ting Xuan had also thought that the Mu Family would send many people to look for him, but apart from Mu Xingzhi, he hasn't received any other visitors.

Mu Huai looked at Mu Tingxuan's face and said, "Looking at your expression, you probably didn't know about this. All the people from the Mu Family who went to talk to you were stopped by Second Uncle."

Mu Tingxuan lowered his head and clenched his fists. Maybe Mu Xingzhi really has changed, but what about it? It���s already too late. All those misfortunes from his childhood have already happened, and his past can't be changed.

"I found out about all the things that my father did."

Mu Tingxuan looked at Mu Huai and said, "So what do you know now?"

"I know that my father dug out your wood-spirit core, I… can give the wood-spirit core back to you. I hope that you can be magnanimous."

"That's all you know? When I was born, your father found a fortune-teller and asked him to lie about my fate. The only reason why I was allowed to live was because he wanted to wait until the wood-spirit core in my body became mature. After he heard the news of Mu Xingzhi's death, he wanted to kill me to avoid any future troubles."

"Mu Huai, I can't stop now, and I won't stop. Do you really think that if you return the wood-spirit core to me, I should be grateful to you? In any case, that thing originally belonged to me, even if you weren't willing to return it, I would've eventually cut open your body and gotten it back sooner or later. It's mine and it rightfully belongs to me. You've had it in your possession for over ten years now, even if you do return it to me, you'd still owe me for all those lost years."

Mu Huai closed his eyes and said, "I… I'm sorry."

Mu Tingxuan looked at Mu Huai and said, "The Young Master once said that the only way to gain respect in this world is to improve your own strength. Only by having enough strength will you be able to gain other people's awe and veneration, as well as regret for all the things they did to you before. Mu Huai, if today, I were just a beggar on the streets, would you still feel sorry? At most, you'd only think that I'm pitiful, perhaps, you'd feel that I deserve it, that all powerless people will eventually be eliminated by this world no matter what."

Yi Fan walked to Mu Tingxuan's side and asked, "Tingxuan, are you okay?"

Mu Tingxuan shook his head and said, "I'm fine."

Hua Jinyue looked at Mu Tingxuan and said, confused, "You're from the Mu Family? I thought you weren't a native of Li Country. Why did Mu Huai call you his cousin?"

Mu Tingxuan looked at Hua Jinyue and said, "He mistook me for someone else, I'm not his cousin."

Hua Jinyue looked at Mu Tingxuan and said, "He mistook you for someone else? But your face is covered up."

Mu Tingxuan nodded and said, "Exactly! It's because of this that he got my identity wrong."

Hua Jinyue: "… …"

"Young Master Qi, I see that you're having fun out here!" Feng Li, an elder from the Business Alliance, stepped forward and greeted.

Those who were more powerful were naturally more afraid of death. No one knows for certain when they'd encounter an accident, but befriending a doctor like Qi Shaorong can help guard against the unexpected.

Qi Shaorong nodded and said, "Yes!"

"Young Master Qi is still young, you're at the age when you should be playing around and having fun. You should travel more and visit more places." Feng Li smiled.

Hua Jinyue looked at Feng Li, with her mind buzzing.

The Hua Family has worked with the Business Alliance before, but they only had a cooperative relationship with some of the Business Alliance's external forces. The higher-ups of the Hua Family have always wanted to join the Business Alliance, but there's never been a suitable opportunity for them to do so. Hua Jinyue stared at Feng Li in a daze. In front of the Feng Family, the Hua Family was just a small family. Even if it were someone from one of the Feng Clan's side families, they'd still have to show respect when they met them, let alone someone from the main family.

Hua Jinyue never would've expected that her love rival was actually in Feng Li's good graces.

Young Master Qi! Hua Jinyue recited these two words silently in her heart, her eyes moved around, and she suddenly realized. The matter involving Qi Shaorong had made huge waves, and naturally Hua Jinyue had heard about it. She wasn't able to put two and two together before, but she was completely clear-headed now.

Hua Jinyue looked over at Mu Tingxuan. If Young Master Qi really was Qi Shaorong, then Mu Huai calling this masked person his cousin made a lot more sense. The news about the Mu Family offending the Business Alliance and being down on their luck had spread like wildfire, and Mu Tingxuan's identity had long been exposed.

Hua Jinyue looked at Qi Shaorong, her heart pounding.

If her love rival was Qi Shaorong, then the one who had saved her before should be Zhuang Hao.

Hua Jinyue blinked. She knew it! How could someone as handsome as Zhuang Hao be a nobody? So it turned out to be Zhuang Hao!

Feng Li smiled at Qi Shaorong and said, "I won't disturb you any longer, I'll go now."

Qi Shaorong nodded and said, "Okay!"

Footnotes:

Patriarch: I previously translated this as "Family Head", but I'll probably switch back and forth between the two, so just know that they mean the same thing.