Chapter 123

Chapter 123: Murong Huang With the Crown Prince holding down the capital, things remained peaceful enough. After Feng Yan obtained a bottle of poison powder from the Crown Prince, he secretly added it to Mu Yuyang’s food. As he watched Mu Yuyang grow increasingly deranged, Feng Yan no longer knew whether what he was doing was right. Ever since the poison powder had been administered, Mu Yuyang often contradicted the emperor in the imperial court, causing Mu Yuye to grow more and more disgusted with him. And because Mu Yuyang was becoming increasingly unhinged, the court officials gradually turned against him as well. Before anyone realized it, Mu Yuyang had become utterly isolated, yet he himself remained unaware. At the border frontier in the Northwest, Ling Jiayue and Mu Yuheng drilled the soldiers day after day, preventing the Sheyu Kingdom from making another comeback. Ling Jiayue had dealt them a painful blow last time, so they would surely retaliate with even greater force. Following Ling Jiayue’s orders, Cheese Lord had quietly infiltrated the Sheyu Kingdom and was waiting for an opportunity to act. As Cheese Lord made his way toward the Sheyu Kingdom, he spotted a man with an imposing bearing despite his ragged clothes. Cheese Lord’s heart stirred, and he walked over to the man before asking, “I can see that you have an extraordinary bearing, Brother. Why have you fallen into such a sorry state? Have you encountered some sort of difficulty?” Hearing this, the man turned to look at Cheese Lord. Their eyes met, and only then did Cheese Lord marvel inwardly: This man’s features clearly speak of great wealth and honor. His eyes are bright and piercing, and even his ragged clothing cannot conceal his extraordinary presence. The man studied Cheese Lord for a while before finally saying flatly: “I am a merchant from the Sheyu Kingdom. When the Sheyu Kingdom went to war with Dayi, I brought supplies here to make a fortune from the conflict. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned. A flood some days ago not only drowned the Sheyu army but also swept away all the supplies I had brought with me. That is how I ended up like this.” “Oh? Then are you planning to return to the Sheyu Kingdom?” Cheese Lord asked. “Yes. I have been reduced to having nothing at all, so I must return to my country.” A sharp glint flashed through the man’s eyes as he spoke. Looking at the man, Cheese Lord knew he was far more than a mere merchant. He continued ingratiating himself, saying, “What a coincidence. I’m going to the Sheyu Kingdom as well. I wonder if I might accompany you. My name is Old Hai. May I ask your honored name?” The man sized Cheese Lord up as though considering something. His face was filled with hesitation and distrust. Seeing how guarded he was, Cheese Lord smiled and said, “If it is inconvenient for you to say, then forget I asked. I merely wanted to form a little good karma with you.” “My name is Murong Huang. You may call me Murong Huang,” the man finally replied. “Then I’ll call you Brother Murong. We should get on the road early as well. These are troubled times, with war and chaos everywhere. It will be safer once we reach the Sheyu Kingdom. Brother Murong, let us be on our way,” Cheese Lord said. Murong Huang said nothing. He merely nodded and followed Cheese Lord on the journey. The two of them walked along in silence. As they traveled, Cheese Lord found the name Murong Huang increasingly familiar, but he could not recall where he had heard it before. Suddenly, a wild dog burst out from the side and charged toward them. Before Cheese Lord could react, Murong Huang reached out and seized the animal by the throat. A murderous chill shone in his eyes. With a squeeze of his hand, he crushed the wild dog’s throat and killed it outright. Seeing this, Cheese Lord immediately realized that the man was definitely no merchant. Only someone skilled in martial arts or experienced in military affairs could possess such killing intent and ability. This Murong Huang might very well be the general of the Sheyu Kingdom who had escaped! Once he realized this, Cheese Lord said, “Brother Murong, you certainly have impressive skills. If you had not intervened today, who knows whether we would have met with fortune or disaster? Thank you for your help.” At these words, Murong Huang abruptly released the wild dog’s neck. As though startled, he said, “No, no. I am often away from home, and my family was worried about me, so they had me learn a few techniques for emergencies. I hope I have not made a fool of myself in front of you.” Cheese Lord narrowed his eyes like an old fox and said, “What are you saying? If you had not been here today, I fear I truly would have ended up in that wild dog’s belly. We should not waste any more time on the road. Let us set off.” “Mm, that sounds good,” Murong Huang replied, and the two resumed walking toward the Sheyu Kingdom. Along the way, Cheese Lord kept sizing Murong Huang up. Every move Murong Huang made resembled that of a man accustomed to marching and fighting. His stride and bearing were things a merchant’s household could never have cultivated. Cheese Lord looked at Murong Huang and made up his mind. If he took Murong Huang back and had his master interrogate him, or simply kept him as a hostage, that would be even better. With that thought, a smile blossomed across his face like a spring breeze. He took the initiative to walk up and sling an arm around Murong Huang’s shoulders. “Brother Murong, the moment I saw your bearing today, I thought to myself that a true man ought to be just like you. May I ask whether you are married? I have a younger sister of marriageable age at home. If she were matched with you, it could not be more perfect.” Murong Huang suddenly found himself being embraced by Cheese Lord and felt uncomfortable all over. He was used to coming and going alone—or rather, no one had ever dared treat him this way. Though every inch of him was ill at ease, he still did his best to restrain himself. Murong Huang declined, saying, “I have spent many years traveling far and wide. If you were to marry your sister to me, she would only suffer. You should find her another suitable husband.” Traveling far and wide? Hmph. Clearly, he was no ordinary man. The moment Cheese Lord heard this, he became even more determined to bundle Murong Huang up and take him back. Yet he merely said aloud, “I see. What a pity.” Neither of them spoke again. Cheese Lord continued walking close beside Murong Huang, acting as warmly as ever, while Murong Huang remained uncomfortable from head to toe. By evening, the two arrived at an inn where they could spend the night. “Brother Murong, we have been walking all day. We should rest for a while. After we have recovered, we can continue tomorrow,” Cheese Lord said. Although Murong Huang had also walked for an entire day, he was still full of energy; there was no sign that he had traveled at all. Seeing how exhausted Cheese Lord was, he said, “All right. We can stay for the night. It would be good to eat something before we set out again.” The two entered the inn, ordered several small dishes and a pot of wine, and began eating and drinking heartily. During the meal, Murong Huang went to relieve himself. Taking advantage of his absence, Cheese Lord quietly added the knockout drug he carried with him to Murong Huang’s wine cup. He had only just finished when Murong Huang returned. Seeing him come back, Cheese Lord raised his cup and said, “Come, Brother Murong. Let us have a drink.” Murong Huang suspected nothing. He lifted his cup and drank with Cheese Lord. After finishing the drink, Murong Huang felt his vision grow hazy and his head become heavy. Before long, he collapsed unconscious over the table. Seeing that the drug had worked, Cheese Lord smiled and bundled Murong Huang up before taking him back to the Northwest Fortress-City. When Murong Huang opened his eyes again, he was already in the basement of the Northwest Fortress-City. He had been bound hand and foot. Looking at the ropes around him, Murong Huang asked in a low voice, “Where is this?” “This is the Northwest Fortress-City—the Northwest Fortress-City that your forces besieged for so long but could never capture,” a woman’s voice replied.