TRWSB – Chapter 119 Mu Xingzhi’s Visit

There was a knock at the door. Shen Yuan glanced toward the entrance and said, “I just got back, and someone is already visiting. I’ll go see who it is.”

Opening the door, Shen Yuan found himself facing a middle-aged man with a somewhat weathered appearance.

“Sir, what brings you here?” Shen Yuan asked, his eyes narrowing slightly in curiosity.

“I’m looking for Mu Tingxuan,” the man replied.

The man’s voice was deep and gravelly, carrying a tone that hinted at some sadness.

Zhuang Hao walked up to stand beside Shen Yuan and addressed the visitor with a polite but firm tone, “I’m sorry, but there’s no one here by that name. You must have the wrong place. Please leave.”

“Are you sure?” The man frowned deeply, his expression a mix of doubt and despair.

Zhuang Hao smiled and shook his head resolutely. “Yes, I’m sure.”

The middle-aged man stared at Zhuang Hao for a long moment before saying, “Then I’ll come back another time.”

As the man walked away, Shen Yuan watched his retreating figure and turned to Zhuang Hao. “Who was that guy? And why did you lie to him?”

“That man?” Zhuang Hao crossed his arms and replied with a faint smirk. “If Yi Fan is lucky, that man might just become his future father-in-law.”

Shen Yuan’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Yi Fan’s… father-in-law? You mean he’s Mu Tingxuan’s father? Are you sure?”

“Judging by his aura of wood-element magic, his ninth-tier strength, his resemblance to Mu Yue Mountain, and the wood spirit sect emblem on his clothes, he must be Mu Xingzhi, the one who left the Mu family all those years ago,” Zhuang Hao explained.

Shen Yuan gaped. “So, he could be Yi Fan’s future father-in-law? Was it really okay to send him away like that? Yi Fan is not someone to mess with, you know. He’s more ruthless than Qi Shaorong, who only has a sharp tongue—Yi Fan shows no mercy.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Zhuang Hao replied nonchalantly. “I’ve been listening to Shaorong talk about the ‘Three Visits to the Cottage’ story lately. If that man is sincere, he’ll come back.”

“Three Visits to the Cottage? What’s that?” Shen Yuan asked, puzzled.

Zhuang Hao shrugged. “Not entirely sure. From what I heard, it’s about someone named Liu Bei who invited a recluse genius, Zhuge Liang, to leave his cottage and assist him. Liu Bei tried twice but failed to meet him. On the third try, his sincerity moved Zhuge Liang, and he agreed to join him.”

“A genius living in a cottage? That sounds like he wasn’t doing too well,” Shen Yuan remarked, rubbing his chin.

Zhuang Hao chuckled. “According to Shaorong, Zhuge Liang was a master strategist—he could predict the future, plan battles from miles away, and even scare off 150,000 troops just by playing the zither. Living in a cottage was probably his way of staying low-key.”

Shen Yuan nodded thoughtfully. “I see. And Liu Bei? What kind of person was he?”

Zhuang Hao replied, “A cunning leader with dreams of conquest.”

“Did he succeed?” Shen Yuan asked.

“More or less,” Zhuang Hao said with a shrug.

“Was Liu Bei really strong?”

“Not really,” Zhuang Hao replied. “Shaorong said Liu Bei wasn’t very powerful himself, but he was incredibly persuasive. He managed to gather a whole group of strong but simple-minded followers to help him conquer the world.”

Shen Yuan appeared contemplative. “If that’s true, then Liu Bei must’ve been amazing. Still, he couldn’t have been that great—I’ve never heard of him before. Where did Qi Shaorong learn about this guy?”

Qi Shaorong suddenly appeared, arms crossed. “What are you two gossiping about now?”

“We’re talking about Liu Bei,” Shen Yuan replied. “This is the first I’ve heard of him.”

Qi Shaorong gave Shen Yuan a disdainful look. “How can you not know Liu Bei? You’re so ignorant!” Then, as if reconsidering, he added, “Well, I can’t blame you. After all, Liu Bei is from another world entirely.”

Shen Yuan nodded. “Exactly! So you see, it’s not my fault. If anyone’s to blame, it’s Liu Bei for not being famous enough!”

Qi Shaorong: “…”

Qi Shaorong changed the topic. “The door’s open. Has someone been here?”

“Apparently, Yi Fan’s potential father-in-law stopped by, but Zhuang Hao sent him away,” Shen Yuan eagerly supplied.

“Whose father-in-law?” Yi Fan stepped into the room, looking curious.

“Yours!” Shen Yuan replied with a smirk. “Well, it’s too early to call him that. With your skills, winning over Mu Tingxuan will be very, very difficult.”

Yi Fan narrowed his eyes. “Shen Yuan, are you implying that just because you’re the heir of the Shen family, I won’t hit you?”

Shen Yuan: “…”

Zhuang Hao turned to Yi Fan. “Do you want to tell Mu Tingxuan that Mu Xingzhi was here?”

Yi Fan pressed his lips together and said, “I’ll tell him when the time is right.”

Shen Yuan scrutinized Yi Fan carefully and then cautiously said, “I’ve got news about the Yi family. Want to hear it?”

Yi Fan glanced at Shen Yuan. “What is it?”

“Yi Xun divorced Yang Man and married a few concubines. Yang Man, Yi Bing, Yi Huo, and even Yi Chuxue were all kicked out of the Yi family and sent to live in a small mountain village,” Shen Yuan reported.

Yi Fan let out a bitter laugh. “I saw that coming. Yi Xun has always been heartless.”

Shen Yuan crossed his arms. “Well, life isn’t easy for him either. Yi Xun, once the acting patriarch of the Yi family, has now been removed from his position.”

Yi Fan smiled faintly. “Is that so?”

The Merchant Alliance wielded significant influence, and due to Mu Yueshan’s actions against Qi Shaorong, their suppression of the Mu family intensified further.

The Mu family’s businesses were in shambles, leaving Mu Yueshan increasingly overwhelmed. Knowing Qi Shaorong’s actions stemmed from his concern for Mu Tingxuan, many members of the Mu family turned their attention to him. However, anyone attempting to approach Mu Tingxuan mysteriously ended up being beaten by an unknown expert.

“Father,” Mu Huai approached Mu Yueshan.

Mu Yueshan frowned at him. “What are you doing here?”

“Father,” Mu Huai said, “I’ll go see Mu Tingxuan and return what we owe him.”

Mu Yueshan’s eyes widened in agitation. “What nonsense are you spouting? You owe him nothing!”

“Father, if this continues, the entire Mu family will be destroyed,” Mu Huai argued.

“This is a matter for us adults. Stay out of it,” Mu Yueshan snapped dismissively.

“Father, isn’t that what the elders are thinking as well?”

Years ago, Mu Yueshan had extracted the Wood Spirit Heart from Mu Tingxuan’s body and transplanted it into Mu Huai. While the matter was kept under wraps, many in the Mu family were aware of it. Now, with Qi Shaorong’s relentless retaliation on Mu Tingxuan’s behalf, some proposed that Mu Huai return the Wood Spirit Heart to its rightful owner.

Mu Huai had once been a role model for the younger generation of the Mu family. They both envied and admired him. However, the revelation that his Wood Spirit Heart had been stolen tarnished his reputation. The younger members now looked at him with disdain, and his standing suffered greatly.

Meanwhile, Zhuang Hao sat beside Qi Shaorong’s bed as the latter slept peacefully. Qi Shaorong turned over, opened his eyes groggily, and was startled to find Zhuang Hao sitting at the bedside.

“Why are you here?” Qi Shaorong asked, rubbing his head and sitting up partially.

“I have something to tell you, but you were asleep, so I didn’t wake you. I waited here instead,” Zhuang Hao explained.

“Why didn’t you wait outside?” Qi Shaorong grumbled.

“I stayed here to tell you as soon as you woke up,” Zhuang Hao said matter-of-factly.

Qi Shaorong frowned. “What could possibly be so important that you needed to tell me immediately?”

“Mu Tingxuan’s father came by,” Zhuang Hao replied.

“Really? That’s not exactly a big deal,” Qi Shaorong said indifferently.

“Exactly. That’s why I didn’t wake you and just waited,” Zhuang Hao said.

“…” Qi Shaorong sighed.

“Oh, by the way, did you know that you snore when you sleep? It’s like hrrrk hrrrk hrrrk,” Zhuang Hao teased.

Qi Shaorong’s expression twisted in irritation. “Thanks for the info. I didn’t know that.”

“It’s cute, like a little piglet,” Zhuang Hao said, laughing.

Qi Shaorong clenched the bedsheet in his hands, glaring at Zhuang Hao. “Thanks for the compliment,” he said sarcastically.

Zhuang Hao leaned closer with a mischievous smile. “You even pout in your sleep. It makes me want to kiss you…”

Before Qi Shaorong could react, Zhuang Hao suddenly leaned in and kissed him. Caught off guard in his half-awake state, Qi Shaorong found himself stunned by Zhuang Hao’s audacity.

Qi Shaorong slapped Zhuang Hao’s face. “What the hell are you doing?”

“You looked like you were asking for a kiss,” Zhuang Hao said innocently.

Qi Shaorong took a deep breath to calm himself. “Who was asking for a kiss? Are you blind?”

“If you think you’re at a loss, you can kiss me back,” Zhuang Hao suggested, leaning closer with puckered lips.

Qi Shaorong’s face contorted in disbelief. He couldn’t help but think Zhuang Hao might have been possessed by something.

Just then, Yi Fan entered the room and happened to catch a glimpse of the two. Although Zhuang Hao and Qi Shaorong weren’t actually kissing, from Yi Fan’s perspective, it certainly looked like they were.

Qi Shaorong shoved Zhuang Hao away. “Get off me!”

Zhuang Hao reluctantly moved aside, looking somewhat aggrieved.

“Ah Fan, what is it?” Qi Shaorong asked, trying to compose himself.

“It’s time to eat,” Yi Fan replied, glancing at Zhuang Hao’s face, which still bore a handprint.

Qi Shaorong nodded. “Got it. I’ll be there in a minute.”

Zhuang Hao started to say something but was cut off by Qi Shaorong. “You, get out.”

Zhuang Hao looked at him with a pitiful expression but eventually left the room alongside Yi Fan.

Outside, Yi Fan couldn’t help but comment on the handprint on Zhuang Hao’s face. “Young Master Zhuang, that mark on your face is quite noticeable. It might damage your image.”

Zhuang Hao rubbed his face, causing the mark to quickly fade. “Everything comes at a price. I doubt you’d get the chance to be slapped, even if you wanted to.”

Yi Fan sighed. “Young Master Zhuang, you’re nothing like the aloof and reserved person everyone believes you to be.”

“Don’t fall in love with me. I’m not interested,” Zhuang Hao said seriously.

Yi Fan took a deep breath. “Rest assured, even if I lost my eyesight, I wouldn’t fall for you.”

“Good,” Zhuang Hao said with a faint smile.

“Young Master Zhuang, your thick skin never ceases to amaze me,” Yi Fan said sarcastically.

Zhuang Hao touched his face and said nonchalantly, “It’s not that bad.”

Yi Fan: “…”