Chapter 14: Xihe-jun the Liar

THE HOUSEKEEPER escorted Gu Mang forward. The iron chain around his neck clanked with each barefoot step he took out of the shadows.

Gu Mang had seemed exceptionally calm the last time they met, as if he didn't feel the slightest unease within his own territory. But now, even though Gu Mang's face was impassive, his muscles were tense, and the keen gaze hidden behind those long lashes was full of wariness as it swept across each face in the crowd.

By chance, those eyes met Mo Xi's. Something shifted in Mo Xi's heart.

He knew his current circumstances were incredibly delicate. If Gu Mang happened to mention their previous meeting at Luomei Pavilion, though Mo Xi wouldn't face any dire consequences, nothing good could come of it.

But although he knew better, some hidden place in his heart secretly howled, hoping Gu Mang would react to him differently than he did to the others, if only by the tiniest bit.

Too bad—Gu Mang disappointed him again.

Gu Mang had no interest in Mo Xi whatsoever; he doubtless saw him as simply another one of his strange clients. His gaze didn't linger on Mo Xi's face for even an instant—he glanced at him swiftly and directly, then carelessly looked away.

Mo Xi stared stormily into his exquisite jade cup on the table and began to fiddle with it, eyes downcast.

"Oh, the illustrious former Beast of the Altar," Murong Lian said with an insincere smile. "Why so anxious, Gu Mang? You've served my family ever since you were young—you're merely visiting an old haunt. What's there to be afraid of? Come." He waved Gu Mang over. "Come here."

Gu Mang slowly stepped forward, eyes falling upon the incense burner in front of Murong Lian. He sneezed, seemingly irritated by the ephemera fumes coming from the censer, and quickly turned to bolt.

Murong Lian hadn't expected him to act out. Once he came to his senses, he shouted sternly, "Grab him!"

Gu Mang's spiritual core had been destroyed, but his martial strength was still formidable. His legs whirled, violently striking a few people nearby. Then, with a push of his hand off the floor, he leapt up like a panther, dodging the servants trying to grab him and landing steadily on the ground.

His movements were as smooth as flowing water; even without the aid of magic, they were breathtakingly powerful.

Gu Mang sent his opponents flying with a kick. Glancing backward, he scratched his cheek, then turned to keep running.

"Well, a starving camel is still larger than a horse. Likewise, the ruined General Gu is still stronger than these sorts…" As Murong Lian spoke, he shot a glance at Mo Xi. "Don't you agree, Xihe-jun?"

Mo Xi's arms were crossed as he leaned against the edge of his chair and ignored Murong Lian. Instead, he watched Gu Mang dodging and ducking in the hall. Gu Mang's martial foundation was absurdly good; it took the slaves of Wangshu Manor a great deal of effort to subdue him. By the end, they were all covered in sweat, their noses bruised and faces swollen.

"My lord, we've bound him."

"Look at all of you, panting like oxen. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were the ones whose spiritual cores had been broken, not him. Idiots!"

The servants hung their heads, swallowing anxiously.

Fortunately, Murong Lian didn't continue to berate them. Instead, he swept his sleeves and said impatiently, "Bring him back."

Gu Mang was once more led to the center of the hall. Because he still refused to obey, they were compelled to bind him tightly with spells as they escorted him to the front of the dais.

"Kneel!"

Gu Mang didn't want to kneel, so someone in the group brutally kicked the back of his knees, and he crumpled to the ground.

His face, neck, abdomen, and knees were tightly bound with black immortal-binding ropes. His expression was confused yet furious, and his originally baggy robes were now gaping open, exposing a broad swath of his pale chest.

Murong Lian stepped down from the bamboo daybed, holding the silver spoon he used to poke the fragrant ash. Bending down, he stared fixedly at Gu Mang. "All of Chonghua falls under the dominion of the Murong name… General, where will you run? Where can you run?"

With that, he slapped Gu Mang across the face.

The sound of the strike echoed crisply. Murong Lian hadn't held back in the least, and five marks immediately flushed across Gu Mang's cheek.

His head was smacked to the side. Gu Mang didn't make a sound— but Mo Xi's lashes fluttered slightly.

"I've spent two years teaching you the rules, but you still haven't learned." Murong Lian stood up straight, taking a sniff of the remaining fragrance on the spoon. Then he abruptly turned to look at Mo Xi.

"Ah, Xihe-jun, I heard you handled your army well. When you first took over the Wangba Army that Gu Mang left behind, there were quite a few old soldiers who wanted to rebel, but they were swayed by the oath you swore in front of the troops. Seeing as you're such an expert, why don't you instruct the Wangba Army's former general for me as well? Let him learn obedience too."

Murong Lian waved a hand as he spoke, gesturing for the servants to drag Gu Mang in front of Mo Xi. "Speaking of, he once stabbed General Mo in the chest. An apology…must be offered to General Mo, sooner or later. Now you're the executioner, and he's on your chopping block," Murong Lian said unhurriedly. "You can choose to torture him however you like. Go ahead."

Gu Mang didn't know many complex words. Executioner, chopping block—he didn't understand them. But to him, the word torture sounded like a stick to a dog terrified of further beatings. He shuddered, eyes widening. From where he lay on the ground, his field of view was limited; he couldn't see Mo Xi standing at an angle behind him. When the two servants at Gu Mang's side moved him, he strove to turn around, but the immortal-binding ropes tightened around his head. The iron chains gagging his mouth were about to dig into his flesh, forcing the breath out of him.

For a moment, all eyes in the room were on Mo Xi and Gu Mang.

Yue Chenqing covered his eyes with his hands and peeked out from behind his fingers. "General Mo, despite the hatred and resentment you share, you can't kill him in front of me. I'm just a kid."

Mo Xi said nothing. Slowly, he bent down on one knee, his elbow resting on his kneecap. With his other black-gloved hand, he took hold of Gu Mang's jaw and tilted his face upward.

Gu Mang had been gagged with a chain, and couldn't swear at him. He could only struggle, making the iron clink as he glared.

An inexplicable tremor shook Mo Xi's heart. He didn't understand why a layer of gooseflesh ran down his back at the sight of Gu Mang bound in chains, his clothes in disarray.

Was it the thrill of finally trampling his prey underfoot, of watching it stick out its neck for execution? Fury at his disappointing passivity? Or was it some other emotion?

Mo Xi didn't know, nor did he want to.

His cold black pupils looked down disdainfully. In the flickering light, his field of view was filled with Gu Mang's wretchedness, fierce yet pitiful.

After several long seconds, Mo Xi closed his eyes and got to his feet. "Take him away."

"Hm? What does Xihe-jun mean by this?"

Mo Xi turned his face away. "I'm not interested in him."

Murong Lian smiled. "So that's how it is. And here I thought something had poked Xihe-jun's sore spot, making Xihe-jun upset." As he spoke, he added some powder into the pipe in his hand. He narrowed his eyes and took a deep puff, his fluid gaze darted sidelong again.

"But Xihe-jun is truly admirable. Even after busying yourself with military affairs all these years, you're still as aloof as ever. Of all these men and women, these ill-fated beauties, none of them are worthy of your attention. Let me ask, out of curiosity: what type of divine beauty would it take to catch your eye?"

Mo Xi made no sound, his face darkening.

Realizing that the atmosphere between them was growing more and more strained, Yue Chenqing scratched his head and found himself taking a step in their direction, wanting to interject.

Mo Xi didn't even look at him as he said, "Keep away from it."

A beat. "Oh…"

The drugs had gone to Murong Lian's head. He scoffed. "Does Xihejun think a whiff of smoke will make the young Yue-gongzi an addict? Never fear, that is entirely impossible."

"It had better be." Mo Xi's gaze was like a hooked blade on a cold night, piercing through curls of smoky mist to stare at Murong Lian's face.

Perhaps due to the power struggles between aristocratic families, Murong Lian didn't care for the Mo Clan in the least, and he had made things difficult for Mo Xi since they were young. He was constantly trying to ferret out Mo Xi's likes and dislikes, and to gather information that could be used against him. This was far from the first time he had attempted to probe his thoughts by making such insinuations.

Murong Lian laughed and continued doggedly to interrogate Mo Xi in his usual way. "You still haven't answered my question. There are all manner of beauties in my Luomei Pavilion, men and women alike, and more than a hundred in total. Does Xihe-jun truly not care for a single one?"

"You needn't trouble yourself worrying about my personal matters."

Murong Lian took another airy drag, tapping the pitch-black pipe with jade-pale hands as he exhaled a fine cloud of smoke. "Heh, Xihe-jun, why do you restrain yourself so? I know you value your reputation, but as I see it, it's better to enjoy yourself while you can. Those insignificant things, like righteousness and character, are akin to drifting smoke…" He breathed out a dense plume, and an indistinct smile cut through the gray haze. He blew apart those tendrils of fog, his voice languid. "Look, it disperses in an instant."

"Reputation?" Mo Xi asked coldly.

"Xihe-jun keeps his distance from men and women. Why else, if not for your reputation?"

"I'm a clean freak," Mo Xi replied blandly.

Murong Lian didn't respond at once, lowering his lashes and exhaling a thin stream of smoke from between his lips.

They stood facing off for a long while before Murong Lian turned away with a sneer and sunk back down onto his xiangfei daybed. "Prudes… are so boring." As he spoke, he waved a hand, calling for his guests. "Come, everyone, enjoy yourselves to the fullest. Have all the fun you like; don't be modest. If there's a single maiden who's not dead-drunk in someone's arms after tonight's feast, then I'll have to consider you frail and impotent. From now on, Luomei Pavilion will be unable to afford to entertain you."

A family slave approached Murong Lian to ask, somewhat helplessly, "My lord, do…do we take Gu Mang back or keep him here?"

"Keep him here. Why take him away?" Murong Lian smiled. "So Xihe-jun isn't interested; does that mean no one else will play?" As he spoke, he shot a glance at Mo Xi. "Xihe-jun, you truly don't care about him, do you? If you're sure you don't want him, I'm going to let the brothers have their fun."

Seeing that Mo Xi had ignored him once again, Murong Lian grinned, a faint light flashing in his eyes, like shimmering snake scales. "All right." He nodded, pointing at Gu Mang. "This one's too ugly for Xihejun's tastes; he doesn't want him. Drag him down and let everyone else enjoy themselves."

The crowd was naturally delighted. The public frowned on degrading ordinary courtesans, but disgracing Gu Mang would be met with praise and applause.

After all, it wasn't their fault Gu Mang had decided to be a traitor to Chonghua.

Those intoxicated cultivators surrounded him in an instant, jeering as they imagined the humiliations they'd soon inflict upon him.

Someone noticed Gu Mang seemed to be hungry. He tossed a braised pork hock in front of him. "If you want to eat, then eat."

Gu Mang's bestial instincts were strong. After circling the hock a few times, he was unable to resist his hunger and scooped it up, bringing it to his nose. He first carefully sniffed it, then, finding nothing wrong, opened his mouth to take a tiny bite. As he chewed, he stared at the young masters in front of him, his eyes cautious, yet unwaveringly focused.

Mo Xi watched this scene out of the corner of his eye. His heart felt tight, and he couldn't help turning his face even further away. But no matter which direction he faced, the sounds were inescapable, piercing sharp and shrill through his ears.

"Ha ha ha! General Gu, they said you were a fierce beast, but you actually eat bones from the floor?"

The young masters roared with laughter.

"Didn't you used to be obsessed with cleanliness back in the day? How can you want something that's already been on the floor?"

"General Gu, where's your pride?"

Scorn filled the room to bursting, but Gu Mang didn't notice. He only gnawed intently on that hard-won pork hock. Within seconds, he had picked the bone clean.

He licked his lips and looked up once more, his gaze sweeping across those malevolent, mocking faces and landing on the feast table, laden with plates. It was piled with little towers of braised pork hocks, big and neat and square, the lean meat evenly matched with fat. Each piece of braised pork was covered in thick sauce, rich and aromatic. For a while, Gu Mang stared without making a sound. "Give," he said suddenly.

This was the first word he had spoken since entering the room. The crowd looked at him as if they had witnessed a habitually silent cat meow, and every one of them began to grow excited.

"Give you what?"

Gu Mang didn't hold back. He looked like a wild beast begging for food. "Give me meat."

The crowd roared with laughter. "Look, he knows how to ask for meat!"

"He can't understand anything else, but he sure knows meat. One hell of a Beast of the Altar, ha ha!"

"You want to eat?" asked one of the young masters sitting on the dais.

Gu Mang nodded.

The young master selected a morsel with jade chopsticks and passed it to him. Gu Mang took it, but just as he was about to bite down, the young master roared with laughter. "A traitorous dog like you wants to eat meat? Keep dreaming!"

As he spoke, spiritual energy flickered at his fingertips, and the piece of braised pork Gu Mang was holding vanished in a cloud of blue-green smoke.

This seemed to startle Gu Mang. For a while, he stared stupidly at his hands, then for another while, he looked back and forth. In the end, he lowered his head to search the floor. Once he had finally made sure, he cocked his head in confusion. "The meat's gone."

At once, the crowd of people in the room began vying to outdo each other to mock him.

"Isn't it easy to get food?"

Someone mixed wine with vinegar, sauce, and grease in a wine cup and passed it to him, snickering. "Come, try some of this. It's a splendid vintage."

Gu Mang had been starved and parched for so long that, even though he didn't trust these people, he still took the wine cup and sniffed it. Finding the smell a little odd, he gave it a cautious lick.

After a moment of stillness, he spat it straight onto that person's face.

The onlookers slapped their thighs as they guffawed, and in their excitement, some started thinking of other ways to disgrace Gu Mang.

The young master who had been sprayed was infuriated by this indignity. He accepted a handkerchief and wiped his face, then grabbed Gu Mang's lapels to slap him hatefully. "Beggars can't be choosers. Go beg in fucking hell."

As soon as Gu Mang was hit, he wanted to fight back. But along with his mind, the Liao Kingdom had destroyed his valiant spiritual energy; he was no match for this cultivator. Those chains restrained him nigh instantly, clanking as he struggled vainly against them. He could do nothing but glare daggers at his opponent.

His eyes really did resemble a wolf's.

"Teach him a lesson! Beat him!"

"Yes! Beat him!"

Who didn't hate Gu Mang? Both Mo Xi and Murong Lian were present tonight, and all these young masters sought to curry favor with the two noble lords. Not a one of them held back a mote with their magic. Offensive spells pelted Gu Mang like rain—as vicious as they could manage without killing him outright.

Gu Mang was soon breathless under the onslaught. He didn't understand why these people hated him so. He wanted to speak, but his mouth was full of blood.

Still unsatisfied, some of the young masters retrieved the wine cup from before, which wasn't fully emptied, and spat into it a few times. Then they grabbed Gu Mang's chin and shouted, "Open up! You better swallow!"

"Drink! If you don't drink it all, you're not leaving tonight!"

This crowd of rich and powerful nobles had surrounded Gu Mang to debase him. Because they wanted to impress Xihe-jun, they strove all the harder to torment him.

Suddenly, they heard a muffled bang from the corner.

The whole group whipped around, only to see that Mo Xi had shot to his feet and tossed his jade cup onto the table. He had been playing with his wine cup in silence all this time, but now he finally looked up, his expression dark as night.