Although the disturbance caused by Li Qingqian could temporarily be considered over, Mo Xi knew in his heart that this matter was far from finished.
Not to mention the question everyone throughout the city was speculating about—what exactly had Madam Jiang said to Li Qingqian? Even the other small details gave Mo Xi an instinctive feeling that this incident was merely the tip of the iceberg.
However, just as he had said, everyone had their own secrets.
He was the same.
Putting himself in another person’s place, he did not want to unnecessarily dig into Madam Jiang’s past and investigate every hidden detail.
Besides, he still had Gu Mang’s situation to arrange.
Previously, His Majesty had said that whoever captured the true culprit first would be given the authority to monitor Gu Mang.
But in the end, Li Qingqian’s obsession had been dispersed by the mysterious few words spoken by Madam Jiang, and neither Xihe nor Wangshu had played any role in it.
His Majesty was deeply troubled.
“Could it be that we have to hand Gu Mang over to the Jiang residence?”
The wealthy Jiang residence, whose fortune rivaled an entire nation, sent back a reply:
“We can’t afford to raise him. Even the landlord’s family has no surplus grain left. No.”
His Majesty then thought again.
Madam Jiang had been invited out by Murong Chuyi, so perhaps Gu Mang should be handed over to Murong Chuyi instead.
Murong Chuyi’s reply contained only one word:
“Poor.”
His Majesty was so angry that he nearly fell backward.
These two families—one dealt in medicine, the other refined weapons—were among the richest in all of Chonghua.
Yet now neither side was willing to accept Gu Mang.
Clearly, they did not want to become involved in the conflict between Wangshu and Xihe.
In the end, the unpleasant task of offending people still had to fall upon His Majesty himself.
After carefully considering the matter, His Majesty finally issued an imperial decree, allowing Mo Xi to bring Gu Mang back to his own residence.
The “ferocious beast of the divine altar” had finally been moved to a new den.
Thus, Mo Xi went to the Yue residence to retrieve him.
When he arrived at the Yue residence, he saw Murong Chuyi standing beside the well railing with his hands behind his back, watching falling flowers.
Dressed entirely in white, he seemed like moonlight itself. His bearing was refined and elegant, yet his brows and eyes carried an air of indifference.
When he saw Mo Xi arrive, he only glanced over and showed no particular emotion.
He simply said briefly:
“He is in the eastern wing’s bedroom.”
Mo Xi nodded in thanks and was about to head there when Murong Chuyi suddenly called out:
“Lord Xihe, wait.”
“What is it?”
Murong Chuyi pondered for a moment before asking:
“Lord Xihe, have you ever suspected that Gu Mang truly lost his memories?”
“…”
“Why are you suddenly asking this?”
Murong Chuyi said:
“Last night, when I went to check on him in the side room, I heard him speaking in his sleep.”
This was not the first time something like this had happened.
Back in the underground prison, when Gu Mang had been delirious, he had also murmured:
“I want to have a home.”
Yet even so, Mo Xi’s heart still moved.
Forcing himself to remain calm, he asked:
“Is that so? What did he say?”
Murong Chuyi replied:
“A name. Lu Zhanxing.”
“…………”
Mo Xi’s fingers clenched into fists.
The veins on the back of his hand became prominent.
Lu Zhanxing was Gu Mang’s old friend and also one of the direct triggers behind Gu Mang’s betrayal.
Although Mo Xi knew that Lu Zhanxing had always only loved beautiful women, because his relationship with Gu Mang had once been incredibly close, Mo Xi had never had any favorable impression of this man.
Now, hearing that Gu Mang had actually called his name while asleep, Mo Xi suddenly felt his chest tighten, and even his vision blurred slightly.
But Mo Xi had always been proud and strong.
Even though his blood had turned cold, he still nodded and said in his usual distant tone:
“It is indeed suspicious.”
“Although it may only be fragments of remaining memories,” Murong Chuyi said, “since you intend to bring him back to your residence, you should still remain cautious.”
“After all, he once aided the Liao Kingdom. If he is truly pretending to be foolish while secretly plotting something…”
“Then the trouble he creates may be far more difficult to resolve than Li Qingqian’s.”
Murong Chuyi did not need to say this.
Mo Xi himself cared deeply about this matter.
Whether for Chonghua’s sake or because of his own personal feelings, he wanted to uncover the truth as soon as possible.
Mo Xi, accompanied by Murong Chuyi, arrived at the eastern wing and pushed open the door.
However, the room was empty.
The only thing inside was a wooden warrior standing blankly beside the bed.
Mo Xi’s expression changed.
“Where is he?”
The wooden warrior raised its hand and pointed beneath the bed.
The two of them looked over.
Sure enough, Gu Mang was curled beneath the bed in a highly defensive posture, a pair of blue eyes staring at them from the darkness.
When he saw them lowering their heads to find him, he coldly questioned:
“What are you looking at?”
Mo Xi:
“…”
Murong Chuyi ordered the wooden warrior:
“Pull him out.”
The warrior received the command.
Its joints creaked as they moved.
With a snap, it tilted sideways and crawled beneath the bed.
Gu Mang naturally had no intention of waiting helplessly.
He kicked away the wooden warrior’s hand that was reaching for him, then quickly shot out from beneath the bed.
Using one hand against the ground, he was about to run outside.
But before he had taken two steps—
Bang!
He crashed directly into a solid chest.
Mo Xi said with a dark expression:
“Come back with me.”
Gu Mang originally had not had a bad impression of this person.
But recently, every encounter had ended with either being beaten by him or being tied up by him.
Whenever he met Mo Xi, he had no ability to resist.
Even the curse mark on his neck was useless.
Naturally, he refused to let Mo Xi control him.
He stared at Mo Xi, lifted his foot, and kicked.
Mo Xi did not even move his eyes.
With one hand, he firmly grabbed Gu Mang’s ankle.
The dark expression on his face grew heavier.
“You already kicked me like this once. You’re doing it again?”
Gu Mang said:
“Move.”
He raised his other leg and launched himself upward, intending to use the momentum to kick Mo Xi sideways and knock him down.
But even after changing his movements, Mo Xi was still far too familiar with his actions.
The instant Gu Mang leapt into the air, Mo Xi had already shifted aside.
Immediately afterward, he struck the side of Gu Mang’s knee with his elbow, removing most of his force.
Then, with a swift and decisive movement—
In the blink of an eye, Gu Mang was already thrown over his shoulder.
Gu Mang was restrained and unable to break free, but he refused to submit. He lowered his voice and shouted:
“Let go of me—”
Mo Xi’s thoughts were already in chaos.
Lu Zhanxing.
Whether Gu Mang was truly insane or only pretending.
Now that Gu Mang was resisting again, his anger burned even hotter.
However, because they were still in the Yue residence, he could only suppress it, keeping his face cold.
But he still turned to Murong Chuyi and asked:
“Do you have any restraints?”
Murong Chuyi replied:
“They won’t be able to hold him.”
“I’m not tying him up.”
“Then what do you want to do?”
“Seal his mouth.”
Murong Chuyi:
“…………”
Naturally, Murong Chuyi would never do such a thing himself.
Mo Xi also could not spare a hand.
Therefore, he could only trouble the wooden warrior.
The wooden warrior blankly raised its hand and stood before Gu Mang.
The moment Gu Mang opened his mouth—
A strip of cloth was pulled over.
It landed perfectly between Gu Mang’s teeth.
This method of tying someone was extremely suggestive.
However, Murong Chuyi had no experience whatsoever in matters between the sheets, so he did not notice anything unusual.
He merely said calmly:
“Lord Xihe, travel safely.”
Thus, when Mo Xi carried Gu Mang away, he remained completely unaware of the wooden warrior’s masterpiece.
It was not until he tossed the person into his own carriage that he realized Gu Mang had been bound in such a strange manner.
Mo Xi froze slightly.
Instinctively, he said:
“You…”
Gu Mang could not speak at all, nor could he fully close his mouth.
The rough cloth was wedged between his pearly teeth, and his hands were tied behind him.
His eyes were filled with anger.
He looked as though he was furious beyond words.
Yet at this moment, he could neither curse nor move.
All he could do was lie inside the carriage, clothes disheveled, on the bamboo matting, breathing heavily as he glared at Mo Xi.
Mo Xi’s eyes suddenly darkened.
Unfortunately, he could not help having some inappropriate associations.
The reason was because his Gu-shixiong had always been an extremely strong person.
He would not easily shed tears even when hurt or upset.
But in bed, it was a completely different matter.
Gu Mang’s constitution had always been unusually sensitive.
When subjected to intense stimulation, his body would instinctively shed tears.
In the past, because of this, he had helplessly explained to Mo Xi:
“Don’t think that I cry because I’m unhappy. I just can’t control it…”
The implication was:
Brother, I’m not crying because you made me cry. My body is simply useless.
At that time, Mo Xi had held back his laughter and said:
“Alright. I know.”
In truth, Mo Xi really liked seeing Gu Mang cry in bed.
Especially when Gu Mang was so stubborn and desperately tried to endure it, yet still ended up choking back sobs.
The corners of his eyes would become long and delicate.
His lips would be warm and soft.
His tears would slide down his flushed cheeks and disappear into his temples.
Only at those moments would Mo Xi truly realize—
The fierce beast who was so powerful that no one could defeat him…
His unstoppable Gu Mang-gege…
Also had a fragile place that could not be touched and could not endure everything.
Mo Xi had once been so tender toward and obsessed with his senior brother in bed.
Obsessed to the point that even after so much time had passed, whenever he thought of Gu Mang from those days, he would feel as though he had already experienced the most extreme intimacy in the mortal world. From then on, no other person’s face could ever enter his eyes.
And now, Gu Mang was just like he had been back when the two of them were deeply in love.
He was bound tightly with cloth, his lips damp, his eyes slightly hazy. Those blue, glossy eyes had turned into a rain cloud heavy with moisture…
A storm was about to arrive.
Old desires were difficult to extinguish.
As if burned by that moisture, Mo Xi suddenly turned his face away.
He was shocked by his own terrifying desire, and felt ashamed—
How could he still crave a traitor, still remain unable to forget him?
Everything he was doing now was not because of desire.
It was only to bring an end to old grudges and unresolved hatred.
How could he still desire this body?
How could he allow himself to fall into temptation again?
Yet somewhere in his body, he could not control the intense heat and hardness that surged through him, almost burning him alive.
For so many years, he had faced countless beauties without losing control.
Since Gu Mang left, this had never happened even once…
He could not stop himself from recalling those moments when their bodies had intertwined, when they had whispered against each other’s ears.
Back then, Gu Mang had been beneath him.
Mo Xi had bitten his earlobe and teased him until he was completely overwhelmed, yet Gu Mang had stubbornly refused to admit defeat.
He would say:
“Your Gu Mang-gege doesn’t lose his strength at the waist so easily. You can go deeper.”
But in the end, he would always break down, choking out:
“No more… Junior Brother, you’re too deep… You’re too much… I can’t take it…”
It was not only him who could not endure it.
It was that both of them had been tortured by each other, consumed by burning passion and unbearable longing.
Even now…
The lingering aftertaste still refused to disappear.
Mo Xi cursed inwardly.
Then, without hesitation, he picked up a soft pillow from the carriage and threw it over Gu Mang’s face, covering it.
He turned his own head toward the window.
The entire journey passed in silence.
When they returned to his residence, the carriage came to a stop.
The coachman called from outside:
“Master, we have arrived.”
Mo Xi originally intended to simply carry Gu Mang down like this.
However, when he lifted the pillow and glanced at him, he immediately threw the pillow back down.
He did not want anyone else to see Gu Mang in his current state.
Not even the coachman.
Thus, he tapped Gu Mang’s sleeping acupoint, loosened the bindings, and only then, with a dark expression, carried him down from the carriage.
Unexpectedly, a cold voice suddenly came from behind him.
“Oh? Lord Xihe, you brought him back so quickly?”
Mo Xi instinctively pulled Gu Mang closer into his arms.
But immediately realizing something was wrong, he pushed him slightly away again.
Murong Lian stood there holding a smoking pipe in his hand, his delicate eyes looking toward them.
“…”
Mo Xi suppressed the anger and strange feelings rising in his heart, took a breath, and said coldly:
“What are you doing in front of my residence?”
“I happened to be passing by.”
“Then continue passing by. You are not welcome to stay.”
“You—!”
Murong Lian narrowed his beautiful eyes and gritted his teeth.
“Surname Mo, we’ll see about this! If you insist on hiding this beast, there will come a day when you regret it!”
Whether he would regret it or not was difficult to say.
But trouble was certain.
From the moment he left the palace gates, Mo Xi had already been thinking about how to arrange Gu Mang.
Letting him live comfortably was absolutely impossible.
But throwing him out like Murong Lian and making him serve others was also outside his consideration.
Therefore, even after returning home, Mo Xi still had not found a suitable solution.
Inside the study, Mo Xi closed his eyes and rested.
Just then, a subordinate entered to replace the candles.
Mo Xi called out:
“Li Wei, don’t leave yet. I want to ask you something.”
Although Li Wei was long-winded, fussy, and loved to meddle in trivial matters, he possessed unwavering loyalty and astonishing courage.
He was also always able to come up with unusual ideas and handled things carefully.
And at certain times—such as now—
he was still Mo Xi’s strategist.
“The master strategist” placed the lampshade back into position and bowed.
“Master, please ask. This subordinate will listen carefully.”
Mo Xi pondered.
“Tell me… if someone were pretending to have lost their sanity, under what circumstances would they be most likely to reveal themselves?”
Li Wei:
“…”
Master, couldn’t you just say you still haven’t given up on finding out whether Gu Mang is pretending? Isn’t this question a little too obvious?
However, everyone knew Mo Xi was extremely proud.
If his little thoughts were exposed, this young commander probably would not speak for several days.
So Li Wei pretended not to understand and replied:
“If someone is deliberately pretending, they would definitely remain cautious at all times.”
“Mm.”
“Such a person cannot be tested by deliberately setting traps. They would be like an extremely careful beast, smelling danger with every step. It would be almost impossible to make them fall into a trap.”
Mo Xi nodded.
“Continue.”
Li Wei offered his suggestion:
“Since he is constantly on guard, why doesn’t Master simply follow nature and test him constantly as well?”
“…What do you mean?”
“Give him more things to do.”
Li Wei’s little scheme for avoiding work was already spinning rapidly in his mind.
“Washing clothes, cooking, cleaning floors, chopping firewood, sleeping, eating, bathing, practicing martial arts—in short, give him tasks.”
“The more things he does, the more details he will reveal to Master. If he is pretending, the easier it will be for him to expose himself.”
“It is like setting countless traps. A beast may avoid one trap, but when every step is filled with traps, there will always be a moment when it becomes careless and falls into one.”
Mo Xi silently looked at him.
After several moments of deathly silence, Li Wei began feeling uneasy.
Could it be that Master discovered I’m actually trying to cultivate a useful assistant so I don’t have to work?
But at that moment, Mo Xi turned away.
Standing by the window with his back facing him, he said:
“Alright. We will do that.”
“However, this person irritates me just by looking at him. You arrange it.”
If this had been someone foolish, they would have immediately answered:
“Yes, Lord Xihe. This subordinate will arrange it right away.”
But strategist Li Wei was clearly not foolish.
He continued pretending ignorance.
“Huh? Who is Lord Xihe talking about? Who should I arrange?”
Mo Xi came back to his senses.
He coughed lightly before saying:
“Oh. I forgot to tell you.”
Li Wei immediately adopted an expression of humble curiosity.
Mo Xi said:
“It is Gu Mang.”
“I have already brought him back. I sealed his sleeping acupoint. Right now, he is still… sleeping in my room. I have not dealt with him yet.”
“You find him a place to stay and find him some work to do.”
Li Wei was first shocked.
The master’s bedroom actually has a second person sleeping inside?
Isn’t he extremely obsessed with cleanliness?
But after thinking about it, he quickly understood.
The master and Gu Mang had once fought battles together.
At that time, neither of them had been famous figures.
Their living conditions were probably poor.
Perhaps they had even shared a tent before.
So letting Gu Mang sleep in Master’s bed again did not seem too strange.
After figuring this out, Li Wei relaxed.
He secretly rolled his eyes and thought:
You and Lord Wangshu fought until you broke apart, then brought the divine altar beast back into your own nest. Everyone knew before you even entered the door.
And you’re still pretending to act casual here.
But outwardly, he put on an expression of horror.
“Ah, is it… is it that Gu… Gu… Gu…”
Mo Xi impatiently said:
“Yes, Gu Mang. Since when did you start stuttering?”
“Yes, yes! Gu Mang!”
Li Wei’s acting skills were extraordinary.
“Good heavens, it’s actually him! Everyone in Chonghua knows how powerful he is! This is practically asking for my life!”
“…”
Mo Xi said:
“I have already placed the Roaring Curse Seal on him. If his spiritual power fluctuates, I will immediately know.”
“You do not need to worry. Go.”
Li Wei repeatedly confirmed everything, thanked him countless times, and dragged out the conversation until Mo Xi’s brows twitched and his fingers clenched into fists.
Only then did he finally say obediently:
“Yes. This subordinate will boldly handle the arrangements.”
Mo Xi had completely lost his patience.
He waved his hand, dismissing him.
“Leave.”
Li Wei immediately slipped away and began arranging the life Gu Mang would soon live in the Xihe residence.