TRWSB – Chapter 113 The Business Alliance Makes A Move

At the Inn

Shen Yuan paced back and forth in the room, hands clasped behind his back. “Qi Shao has been gone for so long. When will he return?”

Zhuang Hao frowned, a trace of unease in his expression. “It shouldn’t be much longer.”

“What do you think Qi Shao will ask for if he manages to save Feng Yuan?” Yi Fan speculated.

Shen Yuan furrowed his brows in thought. “Wouldn’t it make sense for him to request Feng Yuan’s help in strengthening Yuan Nation’s power?”

Yi Fan chuckled mockingly. “Our young master isn’t someone who loses sleep over the nation’s welfare. What does the rise or fall of Yuan Nation’s power have to do with him? Why would he bother?”

“But the sovereign—” Shen Yuan exclaimed, his eyes wide.

Yi Fan rolled his eyes. “The sovereign? That stingy old man? Qi Shao’s been fed up with him for a long time.”

“So… Qi Shaorong plans to defy him openly?” Shen Yuan asked in disbelief, his face paling.

Yi Fan glanced at Shen Yuan, clearly annoyed. “Don’t put it so harshly, Shen Shao. It’s just that ‘a general in the field isn’t bound by orders from the sovereign,’ that’s all.”

Shen Yuan was left speechless. If Qi Shaorong really ignored the sovereign’s directives, the sovereign might overlook it for the sake of the Zhuang family’s influence. However, for him…

Blinking nervously, Shen Yuan turned to Yi Fan. “Yi Shao, are you joking or being serious?”

“Of course I’m serious,” Yi Fan replied matter-of-factly.

Shen Yuan slapped his forehead. “It’s over. If Qi Shaorong messes around, I’ll have no way to explain myself when I return.”

Yi Fan smiled slyly. “Shen Shao, if you’re worried about that, I have a suggestion.”

“You… have a suggestion?” Shen Yuan asked, eyeing him warily. Since when was Yi Fan so helpful?

Yi Fan nodded. “Sure. Here’s the plan: I’ll beat you within an inch of your life. When you return, the sovereign will pity you and overlook your failures.”

Shen Yuan’s face froze. Of course! He should’ve known better than to expect a constructive idea from someone like Yi Fan.

Desperately, Shen Yuan nudged Zhuang Hao with his elbow. “Ah Hao, what do you think?”

“Shaorong must have his reasons,” Zhuang Hao said after a pause. “Whatever he requests, I’ll support him.”

Shen Yuan: “…”

At that moment, a servant entered the room.

“Excuse me, are you Young Master Zhuang Hao?”

Zhuang Hao nodded. “Yes, that’s me.”

“Qi Shao has saved my master and is now staying at the Feng residence. Please come with me,” the servant said respectfully.

Zhuang Hao nodded again. “Alright.” Despite the servant’s humble demeanor, Zhuang Hao sensed an aura of power radiating from him and dared not take him lightly.

At the Feng Residence

“Have the guests been brought over?” Feng Yuan asked, addressing a gray-robed elder.

“They’ve been escorted here,” the elder replied in a raspy voice.

“Elder Zeng, what do you think Qi Shaorong’s intentions are?” Feng Yuan asked.

“Young Master Qi is still quite young and acts based on his personal preferences. I suspect his decision has something to do with the veiled subordinate by his side. Master, you’re aware that Qi Shaorong’s subordinate, Mu Tingxuan, bears an uncanny resemblance to Mu Xingzhi’s supposedly deceased son,” the elder explained.

Feng Yuan nodded thoughtfully. “I’ve heard about that too. Qi Shaorong’s subordinate is a wood-element mage, and his age matches that of the late Mu Tingxuan.”

Given Feng Yuan’s business ambitions with Qi Shaorong in cosmetics, he had already conducted some investigations into the people around him.

“I’ve always heard that Qi Shaorong treats his subordinates exceptionally well, but I didn’t expect his loyalty to go this far. I assumed he’d ask for my help in strengthening Yuan Nation’s power. I even prepared several strategies for that. Instead, his request was to suppress the Mu family.”

The Mu family was a notable force in Li Nation, but compared to the Merchant Alliance, it was relatively insignificant.

“Master, isn’t this request easier to fulfill? Eliminating the Mu family is far simpler than bolstering Yuan Nation’s power,” the elder suggested.

Feng Yuan smiled bitterly. “The Mu family put in a lot of effort regarding my illness. Thinking about it, I can’t help but feel guilty.”

The elder narrowed his eyes. “Master, the Mu family’s so-called efforts didn’t yield any results. Besides, that Nine-Leaf Revival Herb they provided might’ve been problematic—your condition worsened after taking it.”

Feng Yuan waved dismissively. “The Nine-Leaf Revival Herb likely wasn’t the issue. It just wasn’t the right remedy.”

Closing his eyes, Feng Yuan reflected. Ever since his illness began, he’d consumed numerous rare spiritual medicines. Yet, the more potent the medicine, the faster his condition seemed to deteriorate. This gave him the distinct sense that his ailment was beyond the reach of conventional remedies.

The Mu Family

Mu Yue Shan slammed a stack of ledgers onto the floor.

“What does the Merchant Alliance mean by this?”

“I’ve heard that after Qi Shaorong healed Feng Yuan, he made a request for the Merchant Alliance to fully suppress the Mu family’s business.”

Mu Yue Shan clenched his fists tightly. “That brat Qi Shaorong! Our Mu family has no grievances or grudges with him, yet he’s going to such extremes to crush us?”

Was it really just because of the words he said while at the Feng family? Just because he looked down on that guy a bit, Qi Shaorong was willing to waste a precious opportunity to target the Mu family’s business? This brat really holds a grudge over the smallest things.

The Feng Yuan situation—we, the Mu family, put a lot of effort into trying to help with his illness! Even if we didn’t contribute much, we certainly suffered for it. And now…

“Master, I’ve learned something.”

Mu Yue Shan turned to look at the visitor. “What news?”

“There’s a wood mage named Mu Tingxuan by Qi Shaorong’s side. I heard his appearance was ruined.”

Mu Yue Shan staggered back a few steps upon hearing this. “What do you mean?”

“I find it strange too, but it’s possible Mu Tingxuan didn’t actually die. Back then, he was so young, and even if he’s alive, he probably wouldn’t remember much.”

Mu Yue Shan clenched his fists again. Not remember? How could he not remember? That boy was a little wolf cub, and he held grudges deeply. If you weren’t careful, he’d bite you.

Mu Yue Shan took a deep breath. “Go investigate Mu Tingxuan’s identity thoroughly. If he really is that child from back then, we need to be prepared.”

Mu Tingxuan was no Mu Xingzhi! Even if Mu Xingzhi had left the Mu family, he wouldn’t resort to complete annihilation. But Mu Tingxuan was different. He hated the Mu family to the core, and he would likely leave no room for mercy.

At the Inn

Shen Yuan looked at Qi Shaorong. “Qi Shao, why did you make such a request to Feng Yuan?”

Qi Shaorong glanced at him and casually replied, “I just made the request.”

Shen Yuan scratched his head. “Qi Shao, have you heard the saying ‘don’t use a sledgehammer to kill a fly’? The Mu family is a small family. Why use the Merchant Alliance to target them? Isn’t that like having a high-level expert fight a three-year-old? It’s such a waste.”

Qi Shaorong smiled nonchalantly. “What’s wrong with using a sledgehammer to kill a fly? It’ll be clean and efficient.”

Shen Yuan: “Qi Shao, do you realize you’re wasting a golden opportunity here? Don’t you know that?”

Qi Shaorong rested his chin on his hand. “I originally wanted Feng Yuan to give me a few million, but then I thought, asking for money is so vulgar. I’m such a refined person, and it would be beneath me.”

“Qi Shao, have you forgotten? You came with a mission. The sovereign has great expectations for you!” Shen Yuan reminded him.

Qi Shaorong tilted his head. “That old guy? He’s not even handsome. What’s the point of caring what he thinks?”

Shen Yuan: “…”

“You can’t judge a person by their appearance, Qi Shao!” Shen Yuan looked at him sternly.

Yi Fan entered the room. “Shen Shao, why are you yelling like that?”

Seeing Yi Fan, Shen Yuan felt uneasy. Yi Fan was clearly on Mu Tingxuan’s side. Qi Shaorong was making such a fuss over Mu Tingxuan, so Yi Fan must know and support it. “Nothing,” Shen Yuan said timidly.

“You’ve got dark circles under your eyes. Haven’t been sleeping well? You should go to bed,” Yi Fan advised.

Shen Yuan: “…”

Zhuang Hao, sitting on the side, sighed.

Qi Shaorong tilted his head, looking at Zhuang Hao. “Young Master Zhuang, why the sigh? You think I wasted a good opportunity too?”

Zhuang Hao looked at Qi Shaorong. “No, I just think you have a talent for offending people. You’ve already made enemies with the Qi and Yi families in Yuan Nation. I thought since we came to Li Nation, you might lay low for a while and avoid trouble, but now you’ve offended the Mu family too.”

Qi Shaorong looked at him. “What’s there to fear? As they say, too many debts can’t weigh you down. I’ve already offended so many people, what’s one more Mu family?”

The news of Qi Shaorong healing Feng Yuan spread rapidly.

At the same time, the rumor about his request to suppress the Mu family also spread like wildfire.

Good news never leaves the house, but bad news travels far. The Mu family’s business was already struggling, and many merchants who had dealings with the Mu family severed ties as soon as they heard that the Merchant Alliance was targeting them.

“Young Master, are you alright?” Mu Huai’s servant looked timidly at the enraged Mu Huai.

“What’s going on with Qi Shaorong? What kind of grudge or feud do we have with him that he’s going out of his way to target the Mu family?” Mu Huai fumed.

“Young Master, don’t be so angry. Qi Shaorong, he’s just a small-minded person who got ahead of himself. This brat is so arrogant, he’ll get his comeuppance sooner or later,” the servant tried to placate him.

Mu Huai grabbed the sword on the wall, seething. “I’m going to confront him and get to the bottom of this!”

Originally, the Mu family had already arranged a marriage with the Lan family, but once the news about the Merchant Alliance targeting the Mu family spread, the Lan family immediately canceled the engagement. Mu Huai went to the Lan family only to be shut out, and his heart burned with anger.