Ch106 - Sudden developments

Xie Zhiwei abruptly sat up but didn’t expect the pain in his rear and fell back with a stifled grunt. Mu He was in the middle of warmly sharing his heartfelt feelings, so seeing this turned his eyes red with tears again. He slowly sat up and said with head bowed, “Disciple made shizun unhappy again…that’s right, who would keep talking about their dreams all the time? Shizun must think this disciple’s insane.”

Xie Zhiwei grabbed his wrist. “Don’t think nonsense. Master…just felt that your dream was too miserable.”

Damn! Life’s ups and downs come too fast. At last the System is doing something humane for once!

Five stars was his biggest motivation to steal scenes. He didn’t expect to get them all without doing anything. Xie Zhiwei soon realized that this was Mu He being the protagonist and giving him support.

Irreplaceable. In the original novel, a fleeting character like this could never reach such heights. Even when Tantai Meng left Mu He because of his cruelty, the latter had only said, “That’s fine too, I’ll have no distractions from now on.” Then he turned his back to the sunset and left for the distance without a single look back. It was the final image left in Return of the Immortal Emperor.

Now the hero said he needed him like a fish needed water and would die without him there. What deep, heartfelt, and literary words of confession. Even the original heroine didn’t get such honor. Therefore, it made sense that he could earn three stars at once. Looking at the tears in the corner of Mu He’s eyes, Xie Zhiwei couldn’t help holding his forehead. One might think the hero’s character settings had collapsed, but he was still torturing Mengmeng and Cheese behind his back. He was even more ruthless than the original when killing his enemies.

But if one claimed the hero’s character settings were still intact, his current self didn’t resemble a domineering stallion novel protagonist at all. What kind of male lead would die for the sake of his feelings?

“This dream is indeed unbearable to look back on,” Mu He pulled up the corners of his lips. “In that dream, shizun left disciple with Bai Jianzhu. Then Bai Yu tricked my trust and stole the jade pendant my mother left him to replace my identity. After that…Cheng Daoxiu gave fish soup to disciple to drink…”

“Master knows,” Xie Zhiwei said suddenly.

Mu He lifted his head in a daze. Xie Zhiwei endured the pain to sit up and patted his hand. “In the past, you suffered much and so you have cruel dreams, but that’s all in the past. Now you have a distinguished status and incredible cultivation. Nobody can do anything to you. Mere fish and shrimp aren’t enough to hurt you.”

Mu He bit his lip and said nothing. Xie Zhiwei knew he was still stuck on the ice carp incident, so he asked, “Do you know why Master fed you ice carp that day?”

“Disciple is too dull-witted to know,” Mu He said after a spell of silence.

Xie Zhiwei looked at him. “If I wanted to leave that day, wouldn’t it be more direct if I took back the spiritual energy I gave you?”

Mu He hadn’t thought of that, but considering it in hindsight was frightening. If Xie Zhiwei really wanted to abandon him, he could just leave without coming back to channel him spiritual energy. If Xie Zhiwei had steeled his heart to subdue him completely, he could just take the spiritual energy back. With his current condition then, there’d be no way to make waves, much less have a chance to enter Xie Zhiwei’s dreamscape or chase after him to trap him in an illusion.

“Yes…” Mu He murmured, “Disciple was too foolish.”

“Not foolish,” Xie Zhiwei sighed. “Saving people is like putting out a fire. In the past, Master wouldn’t have hesitated. But this time I did even though I knew you’d be fine.”

Mu He slowly raised his face. True, shizun had always been compassionate. Four years ago on One Step Cliff, he could stand out without any thought for himself to face the Demonic Sect alone for the sake of the righteous factions. Now shizun wanted to rescue Chu Zhishi and Tantai Meng, but still had to consider the consequences and figure out a way to stop him without hurting him.

He was the one who always assumed others had malicious intentions and even assumed shizun wanted to kill him. Mu He’s gaze softened as he said lightly, “Disciple has done shizun wrong. From now on, disciple…will no longer suspect shizun.”

Xie Zhiwei nodded as he broke into a satisfied grin. “Master will trust you too.”

Doesn’t matter even if you suspect me, cause Master’s already at full five stars, all right.

I can’t be any happier today! I have to eat something nice to celebrate. Five stars, that means I can do whatever I want now.

Mu He pulled Xie Zhiwei into a hug, causing his rear to ache sharply. Xie Zhiwei face twitched in pain as he listened to Mu He say, “Disciple will release youngest martial uncle and treat his arm. I’ll never cause trouble for him again.”

Finally he gets it after all this time. He should’ve done this ages ago.

“What else?” Xie Zhiwei asked.

Mu He’s heart lurched. Although reluctant, he still said, “Disciple will release that white-robed female too.”

Xie Zhiwe nodded. “If you need it, shizun can channel you spiritual energy at any time. No need to rush to get Golden Lotus.”

“Disciple obeys,” Mu He responded as he subconsciously smiled. If shizun was here, he didn’t even mind giving up Golden Lotus. Just thinking of Xie Zhiwei staying by his side and worrying about his outbreak of illusions, then taking his hand to channel spiritual energy, made Mu He wish Tantai Meng could just go as far away as possible. Golden Lotus itself might as well vanish off the face of the Earth.

But Xie Zhiwei said, “The two terms you said just then aren’t enough.”

Mu He gave a start before shaking his head. “Disciple…can’t think of anything else that needs to be done.”

It had to be said that when the hero was being obedient, his shy, soft, and slightly celestially melancholy aura…made him seem like an immortal fairy possessed.

Xie Zhiwei couldn’t help coughing as he said sincerely, “Master is hungry, but Master has no money.”

Of course, right now he had no idea how he looked in Mu He’s eyes, either.

—Marks and scars all over his body, clothes left disheveled and in tatters, but still pleading his poor state with a dignified air. Mu He didn’t know where to love him first and couldn’t resist burrowing over to kiss his face. He was going to stop there, but didn’t manage it and nearly kissed Xie Zhiwei’s face out of shape before reluctantly withdrawing.

“Disciple will go to the ends of the Earth to find the things shizun wants to eat.”

Xie Zhiwei had metaphorical black lines down the side of his head. Just because I gave him some slack, he’s got his nose stuck up in the air! We’re both men. Even if we’ve gotten intimate, what does that prove? Moreover, it wasn’t consensual…forget it. Since he’s being so docile right now, I’ll find a chance to clarify things with him later.

Since they had decided to go out to eat, they couldn’t very well stay naked. Mu He used White Lotus to repair the torn clothing first, then cleaned them up while Xie Zhiwei sat on the bed using his spiritual energy to heal himself and remove all traces from his body. Only then did Mu He dismiss the illusion.

Master and disciple left Fragrant Pavilion before Xie Zhiwei thought it was best to see how the two grave robbers were doing. After all, they might not meet again once they parted this time. It would be best to have a proper ending by saying goodbye. Unexpectedly, they ran into Yin Wushuang coming downstairs as soon as they entered the inn.

What’s the situation? Hasn’t three days gone by? Why is she still here? Doesn’t Yin Cangshan care? Xie Zhiwei had two bad run-ins with this girl and instinctively turned away.

“Mu He gege?” Yin Wushuang’s eyes lit up before she quickly noticed the figure in crow-gray daoist robes next to him. Xie Zhiwei had been wearing the same exact thing the last time they met in the king’s manor.

Even though all she saw was his back, Yin Wushuang still recognized him at a glance. “Huh? Mu He gege, you’ve caught that man?”

Mu He didn’t know the details, but he clearly heard the contempt in Yin Wushuang’s tone. His eyes grew cold. “Wushuang, what are you talking about?”

Yin Wushuang was still clueless as she pointed at Xie Zhiwei. “It’s that ugly monster. Back at the doaist sect, he stole your sugar lobster. And also, you don’t know this, but at the estate he ran into me and father—”

Mu He glanced at Xie Zhiwei before creasing his brows at Yin Wushuang. “How did the two of you…”

Yin Wushuang pouted. “Mu He gege, this ugly monster is so hateful. My father couldn’t beat him in a fight, but you definitely can!”

Mu He’s brows furrowed even further as his gaze turned to ice. Seeing this, Xie Zhiwei hastily turned around and said, “This was all just a misunderstanding.”

Yin Wushuang was still chattering, but abruptly saw Xie Zhiwei’s true face and opened her mouth wide. “This…you…my God, you’re not ugly… You’re actually…” She pointed at Xie Zhiwei and sputtered half a day before finally finishing the sentence. “actually…pretty good-looking.”

Xie Zhiwei was secretly smug. Of course. How else would I have acted as the lead role in so many costume dramas in my last life? I could just rely on my looks to make a living, but my acting is top-tier too.

Mu He only said indifferently, “We’ll be going first.” Then he took Xie Zhiwei’s hand and prepared to go upstairs.

A few days ago, Mu He would still smile gently at Yin Wushuang, so the difference in attitude came too suddenly. She couldn’t accept it at all and rubbed the silk flower in her hands before stomping her feet. “Mu He gege, aren’t you even going to ask me why I’m here?”

Xie Zhiwei felt that this scene was indescribable. The hero was taking his hand to lead him away while abandoning a girl in the dust. But when he tried to retract his fingers, Mu He held them even tighter. He could only cough before suddenly switching to stare at the silk flower in Yin Wushuang’s hand.

Sensing his gaze, Yin Wushuang cooed, “This is a gift from the big brother in the third room of the business suite.“

Xie Zhiwei jerked. “The third room business suite?” Isn’t that the room that I was living in with Maozi and Old Du? Looks like Maozi really was the winner that day.

Yin Wushuang replied, “That’s right. Father had someone send over the silver today so I came with him as well.”

Mu He didn’t even look at her, but simply said to Xie Zhiwei in a tender voice, “Shizun, let’s go.”

Yin Wushuang was stunned. Mu He had been courteous to others in the past, smiling when he spoke. But that was just being polite. She had never seen him so devoted to a single person. Moreover, the man by his side was elegantly handsome and graceful, a completely different style from Mu He’s usual air. Yet she had been calling him an ugly monster this entire time.

Abruptly, another voice entered the scene. “Wushuang, father’s come to pick you up.”

Yin Wushuang didn’t look back before pouting her lips. “Father, I’m not a child who needs to be picked up.”

“Father just cares about you,” Yin Cangshan entered with a face full of smiles before glancing up the stairs with some surprise. “Nephew Mu He, so you’re here too.”

Once again, Mu He creased his brows. This time he stopped to turn and nod. “King Yin, what a coincidence.”

“Indeed a coincidence, ah,” Yin Cangshan was cheery, but flinched briefly upon spotting Xie Zhiwei next to him.

They had been bedfellows under the same bed, so there was no need for introductions. Xie Zhiwei tacitly looked away while Yin Cangshan pretended not to know him and kept smiling at Mu He. “Nephew please hold, I have something to tell you, it’ll only take a moment.”

“This…” Mu He looked at Xie Zhiwei.

“Stay here,” Xie Zhiwei said, “I’ll be right back.”

After all, Mu He had once tormented the two grave robbers, so it’d be awkward if they met face-to-face. There was no need to leave Yin Cangshan in the cold because of them, either. Xie Zhiwei felt that he was very considerate of the overall situation. Once everything was settled, he left Mu He alone and went upstairs until he reached the door of the number three business suite. It was closed but not locked, so he opened it with a push.

Xie Zhiwei saw Maozi and Old Du lying like dead pigs on the bed at a glance.

They’re sleeping in broad daylight without even shutting the door properly? No wait, Yin Wushuang just dropped by. Why did they fall asleep as soon as she left? Sensing something wrong, Xie Zhiwei took a step forward.

Then he saw that there was enough blood beneath Maozi and Old Du’s bodies to stain the bed red. He subconsciously backed away and stared at the two corpses in shock.

What the freaking hell! How did this become a murder scene?

Maozi and Old Du are dead…who did it???

“Oh, you’re here too, ah.” Yin Wushuang walked in with her silk flower, surprised to see Xie Zhiwei at the door. “Why did they fall asleep?”

Before Xie Zhiwei could stop her, Yin Wushuang had already seen the scene on the beds and let out a terrified shriek.

“AhhHHHHHHhhh! Father, Mu He gege, there’s been a murder—!”

—

Translator’s Note: Who said life after resolving misunderstandings would be easy? Hahah. At least you have pretty pictures to tide you over? ;3

These Mu He and Xie Zhiwei sketches are by the artist -怀倥偬- on Weibo! <3 Lemme tell you, it’s really hard tracking down fanart for this series, so I treasure every discovery I find. Maybe I should make an imgur gallery of them or something…?

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