Mo Li

This night seemed exceptionally long. Unbeknownst to the many citizens immersed in joy, a storm of bloodshed was quietly brewing in the shadows. The Hidden Stakeouts that Mo Jingli had secretly prided himself on and relied upon were being uprooted one by one. By the next day, many would discover that those who had once lived among them had suddenly vanished overnight, leaving no trace behind.

At this moment, Mo Xiaobao naturally had no idea how much his father had already accomplished while he was racking his brains to figure out how to torment Mo Jingli for fun. Currently, Mo Xiaobao was lying on a rooftop with a mischievous grin, peering through the gaps in the tiles to spy on the scene below. The fact that he dared to climb the roof of a heavily guarded place where someone with decent martial skills resided was enough proof that Mo Xiaobao had grown quite confident in his Light Body Skill. The shadow guards following him in secret, allowing him to climb Mo Jingli’s roof, also demonstrated their considerable faith in their young master’s abilities.

Mo Xiaobao was now staring down at the furious man below with a sly smirk. The entire room had been smashed to pieces. Originally intending to humiliate Mo Xiuyao severely—even take his life—Mo Jingli had instead achieved the opposite, becoming the butt of others’ ridicule. How could he not be enraged? After venting his fury, Mo Jingli finally calmed down slightly and growled, “Bring me wine!”

Soon, a guard entered with wine and placed it on the table. Mo Jingli cast an annoyed glance at the guard and snapped, “Get out!” Ever since being injured by Mo Xiuyao in Liyang, Mo Jingli had developed an aversion to human contact. Unless absolutely necessary, he preferred to be alone. This naturally puzzled those around him, as Mo Jingli, though never a notorious womanizer, had never lacked female companions before. However, given their constant state of fleeing, his sudden abstinence from women hadn’t drawn much attention.

Mo Jingli sat at the table, poured himself a cup of wine, and downed it fiercely. The burning sting of the strong liquor made his eyes bloodshot. The crushing defeat of the night and the faint unease gnawing at him drove him to gulp down cup after cup.

On the rooftop, Mo Xiaobao wrinkled his nose at the pungent smell of alcohol. Grinning, he pulled out a tiny medicinal pill from his sleeve, crushed it into powder, and sprinkled it through the gaps in the tiles. The fine powder drifted down—some landing in the wine cup, some on Mo Jingli himself. Mo Xiaobao frowned in disappointment and sighed helplessly. If he had dropped the pill directly into Mo Jingli’s wine, it would have been noticed. Crushing it into powder made it less detectable, but the potency might be insufficient. In truth, had Mo Jingli not been guzzling wine in his agitated state, even this powdered medicine might have been discovered. Faced with reality, Mo Xiaobao had no choice but to accept it. After one last glance at Mo Jingli below, he quietly retreated from the rooftop.Before long, the previously quiet courtyard suddenly became lively. A fire had inexplicably broken out in the backyard. Normally, a fire wouldn’t be a big deal, but at this particularly sensitive moment, even the slightest unusual occurrence could very well attract the shadow guards of Prince Ding's Estate. The entire courtyard was thrown into chaos. Apart from those guarding the entrance, everyone else was busy putting out the fire and searching for any traces.

Mo Jingli, who had been drinking, was even more displeased when he heard the commotion. He flung the door open and stepped out, demanding sharply, “What’s going on?!” A guard hurried forward to report, “Your Highness, a fire has suddenly started in the backyard…”

“A fire in the backyard?” Mo Jingli frowned, then quickly realized what was happening and rushed toward the room where Qin Lie was being held. Kicking the door open, he found the room empty—Qin Lie was nowhere to be seen.

“Fools! Go find him now!” Mo Jingli turned and slapped the guard trailing behind him, roaring furiously. This was Li Cheng, the territory of Prince Ding's Estate. Once they left this courtyard, capturing Mo Yuchen would be as difficult as climbing to the heavens. After a moment’s thought, Mo Jingli decided it was best to leave this place as soon as possible.

Outside the courtyard, Mo Xiaobao and Qin Lie handed the sleeping Nanzhao prince to Leng Junhan and Xu Zhirui, who had been waiting outside, instructing them to take the child back to Prince Ding's Estate. Xu Zhirui grabbed Mo Xiaobao, who was about to slip away, and asked, “Where are you going?”

Mo Xiaobao grinned. “To watch the show. There’s nothing else for us to do here.” He had set the fire to alert Prince Ding's shadow guards of Mo Jingli’s exact location—his mission was complete. His father couldn’t possibly expect a ten-year-old like him to single-handedly defeat Mo Jingli.

“If there’s nothing else, let’s return to Prince Ding's Estate together,” Xu Zhirui said seriously.

No way! Mo Xiaobao was horrified. Before Xu Zhirui could react, he had already leaped several yards away. Smiling awkwardly, he said, “Cousin Zhi Rui, your elder cousin still has things to do. You and Leng Xiaodai take this little one back to Aunt Anxi. That’s an order.” Without waiting for Xu Zhirui’s response, Mo Xiaobao vaulted over the wall and disappeared into the alley once more. Qin Lie, wearing an identical face to Mo Xiaobao, patted Xu Zhirui and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on him.” With that, he too scaled the wall and vanished.

Leng Xiaodai, still pale and tender even in his black night attire, cautiously glanced at the gloomy Xu Zhirui and whispered, “What should we do?” Xu Zhirui sighed, looking at the baby in Leng Junhan’s arms, then called out firmly, “Someone!”

A shadow guard appeared behind Xu Zhirui. “Young Master.”

Xu Zhirui waved his hand. “Escort Junhan and the Nanzhao prince back to Prince Ding's Estate.” Then, he too leaped over the wall. Despite coming from a scholarly family, Xu Zhirui’s Light Body Skill was quite impressive. Left in the alley were only the shadow guard and Leng Junhan, staring at each other in silence. After a long pause, Leng Junhan placed the child in the shadow guard’s hands and said, “That uncle…”

The shadow guard rolled his eyes inwardly. “Understood. Escort the Nanzhao prince back to Prince Ding's Estate.”Leng Junhan nodded in satisfaction and followed by climbing over the wall. The dimly lit alley soon held only the shadow guard cradling the infant swaddle, silently gazing at the now empty walltop. It felt somewhat... desolate.

In the darkness, two tall and handsome figures stood atop a rooftop, watching the scene below with amusement.

Han Mingxi pointed at the shadow guard holding the baby below, laughing so hard he nearly doubled over. "Brother... our Little Prince and these kids are quite amusing." Beside him, Young Master Mingyue leaned against the eaves, the faint moonlight casting a soft glow on his handsome face, revealing a slight smile. He glanced at Han Mingxi and said, "The Little Prince's Light Body Skill is quite impressive. Someone must have put in a lot of effort."

Han Mingxi's laughter froze instantly, and he forced a dry chuckle as he looked at his elder brother. He had no idea how his brother had deduced that he was the one who taught the Little Prince the Light Body Skill. There shouldn’t have been any traces of his influence... True, the Wind and Moon noble’s unique Light Body Skill was unparalleled in the world, but the reputation of the Wind and Moon noble back in the day wasn’t exactly stellar. Though no one mentioned that name anymore these days, Han Mingxi still didn’t want his notoriety to negatively affect Mo Xiaobao. So when Xiao Bao had come seeking guidance, Han Mingxi had deliberately modified his techniques significantly. Unfortunately, Han Mingxi didn’t know that years later, a certain someone’s reputation in the martial world would only be worse than his—never better—rendering the Wind and Moon noble’s careful efforts utterly wasted.

Han Mingyue shook his head with a smile, gazing at the lone shadow guard below. "You’re right. These kids are quite interesting. They’ll undoubtedly become the Little Prince’s most trusted confidants and brothers in the future." The camaraderie among these children easily reminded him of his own youthful friendship with Mo Xiuyao. Though they had met at an older age than these kids, their bond had been stronger than that of blood brothers. It was just a pity...

Han Mingxi also knew what his brother was thinking. He stepped forward and patted Han Mingyue’s shoulder. "Brother, it’s all in the past. Mo Xiuyao doesn’t blame you anymore, does he?" Han Mingyue smiled and nodded, standing up. "Let’s go take a look. They’re still just kids—we shouldn’t let anything happen to them."

"Prince Ding said we don’t need to interfere unless their lives are in danger."

"I know. I just want to see... what exactly the Little Prince has planned for Mo Jingli." That strange smile Mo Xiaobao had worn when leaving made Han Mingyue silently pray for Mo Jingli in his heart.

Li Cheng wasn’t particularly large, but it wasn’t small either. Finding a group of people might be easy, but locating a single individual—especially at night without alerting ordinary citizens—was no simple task. Mo Jingli quickly realized something was amiss with the fire in the courtyard, and coupled with the disappearance of Mo Xiaobao and the Nanzhao Little Prince, he understood their hideout had been compromised. Without further delay, he took only his two most trusted subordinates and slipped away amidst the chaos, abandoning the temporary residence.However, they soon discovered something alarming—within less than an hour, all of Great Chu's hidden stakeouts in Li Cheng had been completely uprooted. Whether they were originally planted by the Great Chu imperial family, later inserted by Mo Jingqi after the Mo Family Army declared independence, or even Mo Jingli's own, every single one had already fallen under Prince Ding's Estate's control. Moreover, Mo Xiuyao seemed unconcerned about Mo Jingli knowing this fact. Everywhere they went, they were met with the heavily armed forces of Prince Ding's Estate, glaring at them menacingly. Left with no choice, they fled in panic once again. After nearly an hour of frantic running across the entire city, they still couldn't find a place to rest, only ending up exhausted and breathless. By then, the night was approaching the third watch.

In the end, driven to desperation, Mo Jingli decided to throw caution to the wind and head straight for Prince Ding's Estate.

Meanwhile, Mo Xiaobao, Qin Lie, and the others were also panting heavily as they dashed through the streets of Li Cheng. The fact that they had accidentally lost track of Mo Jingli made the little prince furious. "He's going to die anyway! Why run so fast? What do we do now? Where do we even look for him?"

Leng Junhan, tired from playing around all night, was somewhat disinterested. "If I were Mo Jingli and knew I was going to die, I'd run fast too—just to avoid being laughed at by you before the end."

Mo Xiaobao rolled his eyes and turned to Qin Lie, who shrugged, indicating he had no idea where Mo Jingli had gone. Mo Xiaobao sighed gloomily. If he couldn't make Mo Jingli suffer, he’d be the one in for a world of pain.

"Well, well, Little Prince, what are you still doing out so late?" A cheerful voice called down from atop a wall. The four of them looked up to see Han Mingxi lounging leisurely on the wall, smiling at them. Mo Xiaobao's eyes lit up. "Uncle Han! Do you know where Mo Jingli ran off to?"

Han Mingxi tilted his head playfully. "Uncle Han? Is the Little Prince addressing me? I’m truly flattered."

Mo Xiaobao had no qualms about acting spoiled. He leaped onto the wall and sat beside Han Mingxi, grinning. "Uncle Han, you're the best. Why are you out here so late? You must have seen where Mo Jingli went, right?"

Han Mingxi smirked. "What if I did?"

Mo Xiaobao stared at him with wide, pleading eyes, silently begging for an answer. Han Mingyue sighed and reached out to ruffle the boy's hair. "He went in the direction of Prince Ding's Estate."

"Prince Ding's Estate?" Mo Xiaobao frowned. "Isn’t he just asking for death by going there now?"

Han Mingyue appeared on the wall beside them and said calmly, "It’s still nighttime, so he might manage. But in another hour or so, dawn will break. Either way, he’s doomed." He glanced at Mo Xiaobao and added, "Since he’s dead regardless, why not take a gamble?"

Mo Xiaobao tilted his little head in thought before nodding. "Alright. I’ll head back now." He could only hope Mo Jingli would last long enough to break into Prince Ding's Estate again. With a nimble jump off the wall, Mo Xiaobao grabbed his friends and sprinted toward the estate, afraid that if they were too late, Mo Jingli would already be dead at his father’s hands. As he ran, he found a moment to wonder—had the drug he’d administered even worked? Had it lost potency over time, or was the dose simply too small to affect Mo Jingli?Although it was already the third watch of the night, Prince Ding's Estate remained brightly lit. In the grand hall, guests from various nations were still enjoying dances and wine, the atmosphere lively with music and revelry. After all, Prince Ding's intentions were clear—there would likely be many incidents in Li Cheng tonight, and if anyone encountered trouble, they could only blame their own misfortune. Given that, why not simply stay in Prince Ding's Estate, indulging in wine and merriment without a care? The estate would surely be responsible for their safety.

Thus, apart from those too old, too young, or female family members, envoys from various countries continued to toast and drink with great enthusiasm.

"Father, Mother, Xiao Bao is back!" In the inner courtyard of Prince Ding's Estate, Mo Xiaobao cheerfully bounded into the flower hall and threw himself into Ye Li's arms. Sitting nearby, Mo Xiuyao frowned in displeasure and lifted Mo Xiaobao out of Ye Li's embrace. "Look how big you are now, still throwing yourself into A Li's arms. What if you hurt your mother?"

Mo Xiaobao struggled indignantly. "I would never hurt Mother! Xiao Bao loves Mother the most!"

Seeing her son return safely, Ye Li also sighed in relief. She quickly rescued him from Mo Xiuyao's grip and patted his little face. "Where have you been running wild all day? Are you hurt?" Mo Xiaobao pouted disdainfully. "That idiot Mo Jingli didn’t even get to see my face. How could I be hurt? But he managed to escape. Han Mingxi said he fled to Prince Ding's Estate. Mother, has he already been dealt with by you and Father?"

Ye Li sighed softly. "He hasn’t arrived yet. You did very well. Leave the rest to your mother and father, and just behave yourself." Mo Xiaobao shook his head vigorously. "No, I have to see Mo Jingli." He needed to confirm whether the medicine he had used was effective.

Mo Xiuyao sat to the side, scrutinizing his son critically as he said to Ye Li, "A Li, don’t comfort him. What did he do well? He let Mo Jingli slip away right under his nose. If I’d known this would happen, I would’ve just killed Mo Jingli earlier in the estate. Then we could all be resting peacefully by now."

Mo Xiaobao flared up in anger. "It was your shadow guards who were too slow! Do you really think I could take on Mo Jingli and all his guards by myself?" He gestured to his own height and then mockingly raised his hand higher, glaring at Mo Xiuyao. Mo Xiuyao scoffed disdainfully. "If you couldn’t overpower him, couldn’t you have outsmarted him? When I was fourteen and went to the battlefield, I wasn’t much taller than you." This wasn’t a lie—Mo Xiaobao had shot up like a sprout over the past six months, losing even the roundness of his once-chubby face. Though only eleven, he was already as tall as an average thirteen or fourteen-year-old.

"Outsmart him?" Mo Xiaobao frowned, considering the possibility. In truth, he hadn’t been incapable of outmaneuvering Mo Jingli—he had simply been too caught up in the fun to think of an easier method. Glancing cautiously at Mo Xiuyao, he blinked his large eyes and said sheepishly, "But… Father, wouldn’t that have been less fun?"Mo Xiuyao shot Mo Xiaobao a look of exasperation, as if frustrated by his son's lack of progress. "You fool! Why don't you just..." Prince Ding rarely whispered conspiratorially into his son's ear. The more Mo Xiaobao listened, the brighter his eyes grew, while Ye Li beside them felt her eyelids twitch uncontrollably. Just from the unbearably wicked grin on Mo Xiaobao's face, it was clear Mo Xiuyao wasn't teaching him anything wholesome.

Unable to watch any longer, Ye Li let out a light humph. The father-son duo immediately straightened up obediently, gazing at her with pleading eyes. Ye Li sighed and said to Mo Xiuyao, "Don't teach him nonsense. He's still a child." Mo Xiuyao smiled at her, "I know, A Li. I didn't teach him anything improper."

In rare unity, father and son stood their ground. Mo Xiaobao nodded vigorously, "Mhm! Father was teaching me how to deal with bad people! Bad people!" Mo Xiuyao subtly waved at Mo Xiaobao behind Ye Li's back, and the boy immediately caught on. "Mother, I'm tired and going to bed now. Goodnight, Mother!" With that, Mo Xiaobao dashed out like a whirlwind.

Mo Xiuyao looked at Ye Li with an especially innocent smile, "Xiao Bao's Light Body Skill is quite good, A Li. That one wasn't taught by me."

Seeing his angelic expression, Ye Li sighed helplessly, "I heard what you told him." Calling it 'nonsense' was being polite—what kind of father would teach his son such underhanded methods to deal with enemies?

Mo Xiuyao beamed cheerfully, "Methods are only divided into useful and useless, not noble and ignoble. At Mo Xiaobao's age, he's no match for Mo Jingli. If he can't outwit Jing Li, the noblest methods would be useless." The future heir of Prince Ding's Estate could never afford to be some virtuous gentleman of high moral character.