Mo Li

"Prince Ding, Zhennan Wang, how do you two plan to claim the Murong family's assets?"

Faced with this sudden turn of events, the crowd exchanged uneasy glances. Zhennan Wang pushed Lei Tengfeng's hand away and glared coldly at Ren Qining. "What does Young Master Ren intend to do?" The cost and effort he had expended for the Murong family far exceeded that of Mo Xiuyao and Xu Qingchen, making it all the more intolerable for him to let his hard-earned prize slip away.

Mo Xiuyao, still lying on the ground and unable to get up, rested his head against Ye Li's chest and lazily looked at Ren Qining. "This prince said I was just here to watch the show, and that’s truly all I came for. The matter of the Murong family's assets isn’t mine to decide. Ah… that old fox Murong Xiong was truly formidable. A Li, your husband is gravely injured…" Seeing his pale face yet the same carefree smile he always wore, Ye Li’s heart ached. "Does it hurt badly? We’ll return immediately and summon a physician."

Though Mo Xiuyao claimed to be severely injured, no one present—except for Ling Tiehan—actually believed him. Instead, their wariness only deepened as they watched the man reclining on the ground.

Hearing Mo Xiuyao’s words, Ren Qining raised an eyebrow and turned to Xu Qingchen with a smile. "Then what does Qingchen Gongzi have to say?"

Xu Qingchen lowered his gaze and replied indifferently, "The Murong family’s wealth was never Prince Ding's Estate’s to begin with—at most, it would have been an unexpected windfall." Despite the bloodshed of this battle, the truth was that Prince Ding's Estate had suffered no real losses apart from Mo Xiuyao’s uncertain injuries. Those who had fought were either Zhennan Wang’s men, King of Hell Pavilion’s forces, or Mo Jingli’s followers. Prince Ding's Estate had brought very few people, so their casualties were naturally minimal. Moreover, even if they gained nothing else, they had already secured all of the Murong family’s assets in the northwest and half of their holdings in Great Chu. Even if they walked away with nothing more, Prince Ding's Estate would still come out ahead.

At this, Ren Qining’s expression darkened slightly, though he maintained a faint smile. "If I recall correctly, I have never offended Qingchen Gongzi or Prince Ding's Estate. Can’t we part on good terms?" His greatest bargaining chip was the Murong family’s wealth, but if Prince Ding's Estate had no interest in it, his chances of escaping unscathed…

"Furthermore… even if Qingchen Gongzi isn’t interested, I wonder if Zhennan Wang, Ling Gezhu, Emperor Chu, and Prince Li feel the same?" Ren Qining’s gaze shifted to the others as he smiled meaningfully. "What a coincidence—you all arrived just a step too late. The Murong family truly lived up to their reputation as a century-old dynasty of wealth. The fortune they’ve amassed likely surpasses the combined treasuries of Western Liang and Great Chu, wouldn’t you say?" The expressions of the others indeed turned subtle. Ling Tiehan, leaning on Leng Liuyue and Sick Scholar for support, stood up and glanced at Xu Qingchen. "This lord shares Qingchen Gongzi’s sentiments."

"Zhennan Wang, what do you say?" Xu Qingchen asked.

After a brief hesitation, Zhennan Wang replied, "To be frank, Young Master Ren has no ties to Western Liang." His implication was clear.

Mo Jingqi’s gaze slowly swept over Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li before he suddenly laughed. "Zhennan Wang speaks the truth. Besides, Young Master Ren hasn’t done anything wrong. If something were to happen to him in Western Liang, who would dare come here in the future? This emperor feels an instant kinship with Young Master Ren—why don’t we share a drink later?"In fact, the person who could speak most freely at the moment was Mo Jingqi. The others had all gone through a fierce battle to some extent, while Mo Jingqi's hundreds of elite guards had not even lifted a finger. Watching Mo Xiuyao leaning against Ye Li, Mo Jingqi's eyes were filled with resentment, fear, and unwillingness. He couldn't determine how severely Mo Xiuyao was injured, nor did he dare to gamble whether his subordinates could kill him, so he didn’t dare to act rashly.

If it were someone else, Mo Jingqi might have taken the risk. But since it was Mo Xiuyao who was injured, he didn’t dare. Back then, countless imperial physicians had diagnosed Mo Xiuyao’s injuries and declared he wouldn’t live past a month, yet he had stubbornly survived. Many had said he would never recover, but less than ten years later, he stood before him again, completely unharmed, with martial arts even stronger than before. Gradually, a strange thought had taken root in Mo Jingqi’s mind: Mo Xiuyao was unkillable.

Xu Qingchen sighed helplessly and cast a faint glance at Mo Jingqi, who was looking at him with a hint of provocation. A ruler of a nation taking pride in provoking a mere strategist from Li Cheng—how impressive.

"I understand the intentions of Zhennan Wang and Emperor Chu. In that case... Young Master Ren, hand over the location of the Murong family’s treasure. Before you leave Western Liang, Prince Ding's Estate will not trouble you." In other words, once he left Western Liang, all bets were off.

Ren Qining secretly breathed a sigh of relief and nodded with a smile. "In that case, I thank Qingchen Gongzi for your leniency." As long as he left Western Liang—no, as long as he left Ancheng—there would be people waiting to assist him. By then, he might not necessarily fear Prince Ding's Estate. It was just a pity that the wealth he had worked so hard to obtain seemed beyond his grasp now. Fortunately, he wasn’t entirely unprepared.

Those present were all formidable figures who dominated their own territories, so they naturally wouldn’t stoop to reneging on their word. Ren Qining readily handed over the location and ledger of the Murong family’s treasure. The gold and silver accumulated over generations by the Murong family patriarchs were indeed staggering. Once it was confirmed to be the Murong family’s treasure, Ren Qining didn’t bother with how they planned to divide it and simply took his leave—after all, none of it would fall into his hands anyway. Before leaving, Ren Qining also took with him Murong Mingyan, the last surviving descendant of the Murong family.

According to the original agreement with Zhennan Wang, Prince Ding's Estate would take 30% of the Murong family’s assets, King of Hell Pavilion 10%, and the rest would go to Zhennan Wang. Mo Jingqi only received a portion gifted to him by Ren Qining. Though he eyed Mo Xiuyao and Zhennan Wang with envy, he still remembered he was under someone else’s roof and didn’t dare say much. As for Mo Jingli, he had a separate agreement with Prince Ding's Estate, which naturally had nothing to do with the Murong family’s assets.

When Ye Li and her group returned to Qingyuan Inn, the entire place was already deserted. From the manager down to the cleaning staff, everyone had vanished without a trace. Knowing beforehand that Qingyuan Inn was connected to Ren Qining, they weren’t overly surprised. For safety’s sake, they all moved to the inn where Xu Qingchen was temporarily staying. Meanwhile, Zhennan Wang left Lei Tengfeng to handle the aftermath and hurried back to Western Mausoleum Imperial City that very day.Mo Xiuyao was indeed severely injured and was confined to bed rest by Ye Li, forbidden from moving about. For Mo Xiuyao, lying in bed recuperating was more torturous than death itself. However, Ye Li had been genuinely frightened by his injuries this time and sternly ordered him to stay in bed. As a result, Prince Ding became even more relentless in demanding his Wang Fei accompany him during his recovery, causing Qingchen Gongzi's expression to grow increasingly grim as he handled affairs outside.

"Your Highness, Wang Fei, Emperor Chu and Prince Li have arrived," a guard announced from outside the door.

Mo Xiuyao, who had been lazily reclining on the bed with his head tilted back as Ye Li fed him fruit, frowned and asked impatiently, "What do they want?" The guard outside was taken aback—how would he know why those two had come to see the prince? Nevertheless, he quickly picked up on his master's displeased tone and asked, "Shall I send them away?" After a brief silence, Ye Li's voice came from inside, "Please invite Emperor Chu and Prince Li in."

The door opened, and Mo Jingqi and Mo Jingli entered together. The screen separating the inner and outer chambers had been removed, so the moment they stepped inside, they saw Mo Xiuyao half-reclining on the bed, his silver-white hair spread carelessly across the sheets. Dressed entirely in white, he exuded an air of cold detachment.

Ye Li sat by the bedside, setting down the freshly peeled apple in her hand as she nodded and smiled at the two men. "Emperor Chu, Prince Li, please have a seat." The two sat down in silence. The guards remained outside, and with Ye Li held firmly in place by Mo Xiuyao, there was no one to serve tea—not that the visitors had come for refreshments anyway.

Mo Xiuyao glanced at them and asked, "What brings you here at this time?"

To Mo Jingli, the casual tone was nothing unusual, but to Mo Jingqi, it was entirely different. Back when Mo Xiuyao was still in Chu Jing, no matter the circumstances, he would never have spoken to him in such an offhand, dismissive manner. Even if the courtesy and deference had been feigned before, at least there had been a pretense. Now, however, Mo Xiuyao's tone suggested he was addressing not an emperor but some random stray on the street—someone he might engage with if in the mood, or ignore otherwise.

Seeing Mo Jingqi about to lose his temper, Mo Jingli subtly cleared his throat and said, "Imperial Brother, didn't you have something to ask Prince Ding?" Though he also disliked Mo Xiuyao, he couldn't help but feel a certain satisfaction at seeing his elder brother's face darken with rage.

Mo Jingqi took a deep breath, swallowing his anger, and fixed his gaze on Mo Xiuyao. "Where is Princess Changle?"

Mo Xiuyao looked at him in confusion before letting out a soft scoff. "Princess Changle is your daughter. How would I know where she's gone?"

Mo Jingqi sneered. "She disappeared from the Nanzhao royal palace. Who else could it be but you?" Mo Xiuyao curled his lips in mockery. "Ah yes, Princess Changle vanished from the Nanzhao palace. How would I know why she went there? How would I know when she even went? Mo Jingqi, if your daughter is missing, you come demanding her from me—does that mean if your throne goes missing one day, you'll come demanding that from me too?""You!" Mo Jingqi's face turned green then white, finally unable to restrain himself as he slammed the table and stood up, glaring furiously at Mo Xiuyao. But Mo Xiuyao couldn't care less about his anger. He reclined back onto the soft pillow, gazing pitifully at Ye Li. "A Li, I'm hungry..." Ye Li had no choice but to pick up the apple placed beside her, cutting it into small pieces to feed him. Mo Xiuyao happily ate while not forgetting to share with Ye Li. "A Li, have some too. The things Lei Tengfeng sent over aren't bad."

Watching the two of them act as if no one else was present, Mo Jingqi was so furious his hair practically stood on end, yet there was nothing he could do. He could only storm off in a huff. Seeing him about to leave, Mo Xiuyao finally spared him a glance and said, "Wait."

Mo Jingqi gritted his teeth. "What else do you want to say?"

Mo Xiuyao looked at him with a mocking smile, then after some thought said, "Since you went out of your way to visit this prince, I'll give you a free piece of good news. That Mr. Ren you hit it off with the other day... happens to be the current Northern Territory commander and the last descendant of the previous dynasty, Lin Yuan."

This news struck Mo Jingqi like a thunderbolt, leaving him dazed for a long while. Meanwhile, Mo Jingli frowned and asked, "If Ren Qining is Lin Yuan, then who is Tan Jizhi?" Mo Xiuyao shrugged, indicating he didn't know. Mo Jingqi sneered, "Do you think I'd believe your nonsense?"

Though he said this, Mo Jingqi couldn't help but feel some doubt in his heart. Because he knew Mo Xiuyao wouldn't joke about something like this. Seeing Mo Xiuyao's teasing and scornful expression, Mo Jingqi wished he could crawl into a hole. The Tan Jizhi he trusted so much was a remnant of the previous dynasty, and the Ren Qining he'd casually helped just days ago was also a remnant of the previous dynasty. If this got out, where would his dignity as emperor go? No longer in the mood to bicker with Mo Xiuyao, Mo Jingqi left with a dark expression.

Mo Jingli was a step slower, lingering behind. He hesitated before turning back to ask Mo Xiuyao, "Is Ren Qining really..."

Mo Xiuyao scoffed. "Would I gain anything by lying to you? That useless Mo Jingqi hasn't even heard a whisper while others are making moves on Great Chu's territory. Over these years, Ren Qining has taken control of the entire Northern Territory and is already reaching into Great Chu—what has that fool been doing? Fine by me, lest I get fed up one day and finish him off first. Tell Mo Jingqi that when he becomes the ruler of ten thousand nations, I'll send him a sword on behalf of Emperor Taizu to help him die for his country."

Mo Jingli fell silent, then turned and left. Outside the door, Mo Jingqi had clearly heard Mo Xiuyao's words and was trembling with rage, yet no matter how angry he was, he couldn't turn back to confront him.

Mo Jingli's eyes darkened as he stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, we should return to the capital." Mo Jingqi snorted coldly and stormed off.

Mo Xiuyao spent nearly half a month recovering from his injuries before leisurely setting off with Ye Li toward the northwest. As for the ever-capable Qingchen Gongzi, he had already returned ahead of them.

Before their departure, Ling Tiehan came to bid farewell with his sworn siblings. The leader of the Ling Pavilion, having fought consecutive battles against top-tier experts Mo Xiuyao and Murong Xiong, seemed to have gained some insight and decided to return to secluded training. The once bustling and lively Ancheng had gradually quieted down.When Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao departed, only Lei Tengfeng came to see them off. He still had to stay in Ancheng to clean up the mess left behind by the Murong family's downfall. In comparison, although Prince Ding's Estate hadn't fully achieved its intended goals, they had still gained the most advantage. They had given nothing and gained everything—pure profit without even needing to deal with the aftermath.

The two traveled slowly, arriving back in the northwest by the end of September, nearly October.

As soon as they returned to Li Cheng, before they could even step through the grand gates of Prince Ding's Estate, a fair-skinned little dumpling dressed in dark brocade clothes came rushing out. Mo Xiaobao clung to Ye Li, wailing as if the sky were falling. "Waaah... Mommy, you lied... Waaah... You said you'd come see Xiao Bao the next day. Waaah... Mommy doesn’t want Xiao Bao anymore, Xiao Bao is an unwanted child. Waaah..."

Ye Li couldn’t help but feel exasperated. Who had taught this child such nonsense? But seeing the little dumpling crying so hard that his face was streaked with tears—even resorting to the nickname "Xiao Bao," which he usually hated being called—it was clear he was genuinely heartbroken. She had kept Mo Xiaobao by her side ever since his birth, and this was the first time she had been away for so long. Watching her son cry so hard he was hiccuping, Ye Li quickly bent down to kiss his tear-streaked little face and said softly, "I’m sorry, Mommy was wrong. How could Mommy ever not want Xiao Bao? Xiao Bao is Mommy’s precious darling."

Being kissed by his mother in front of so many people, Mo Xiaobao felt a tiny bit of embarrassment, his little face turning as red as an apple. But he had missed his mother so much! In the end, unable to bear parting from her, he buried his face in her shoulder, his small arms tightly wrapped around her neck, refusing to let go. "Mommy, Xiao Bao missed you."

Ye Li gazed at Mo Xiaobao’s soft, fair, and slightly damp cheeks, his big eyes glistening with tears, and her heart melted like cotton. "Mommy missed Xiao Bao too."

"Then Mommy won’t abandon Xiao Bao?" Mo Xiaobao looked up at her with hopeful eyes, and Ye Li was instantly defenseless. "Mommy will never abandon Xiao Bao."

"Mommy is the best, Xiao Bao loves Mommy!" With a happy smack , Mo Xiaobao planted several kisses on Ye Li, expressing his longing.

The welcoming crowd watched as their Little Prince and Wang Fei exchanged words of reunion and affection—while also noticing their Wang Ye standing to the side, his handsome face darkening. After a long while, with Mo Xiaobao still clinging to his mother and pouring out his grievances, Mo Xiuyao finally couldn’t take it anymore. His lips twitched as he bent down and unceremoniously lifted Mo Xiaobao out of Ye Li’s arms by the collar.

"Mommy—!" Dangling by his collar in Mo Xiuyao’s grip, Mo Xiaobao kicked his little legs in protest, looking to his mother for rescue.

"Xiu Yao..." Ye Li gave him a disapproving look. Grabbing a child by the collar all the time wasn’t good—what if he hurt Xiao Bao?Mo Xiuyao quickly adjusted to a hold that Ye Li could accept, cradling Mo Xiaobao in his arms. With a smile, he looked at his son, whose eyes were darting around mischievously, and said, "Son, your father missed you dearly. Did you not miss your father at all when you saw me?" Mo Xiaobao bared his teeth at him where Ye Li couldn't see. He didn’t miss his annoying father at all—it would be better if Father never came back so no one would steal Mother away from him. But in front of Ye Li, Mo Xiaobao could only nod obediently and say, "I missed Father too." Then he leaned forward and planted a loud, sloppy kiss on Mo Xiuyao’s cheek.

Mo Xiuyao froze, his face now smeared with saliva. Glancing down at the little troublemaker in his arms, who was grinning mischievously, he barely suppressed the urge to toss him aside. Forcing a stiff smile, he said, "What a good son you are. Since Xiao Bao is so well-behaved, you must have finished all the assignments Father left for you before leaving, right?"

Mo Xiaobao’s expression stiffened, his eyes darting everywhere except at Mo Xiuyao. Taking one look at his guilty face, Mo Xiuyao understood immediately. Smiling warmly, he said, "Xiao Bao, it seems you’ll need to explain to Father and Mother just how much you missed us these past few months—so much that you forgot to do your homework."

Mo Xiaobao instantly deflated like a punctured balloon. Fathers were the worst!