Chen Yuan approached the practitioner who was speaking at the neighboring table, "Excuse me, Brother, how exactly did Mu Xingzhi betray the Mu Family? What happened?"
The long-bearded practitioner smiled and said cheerfully, "This Gongzi is also interested in the Mu Family's affairs?"
Chen Yuan smiled and said somewhat bashfully, "I'm someone who doesn't really have a lot of other interests, I just like listening to gossip."
"I see you're just like me! You're right to ask me about the Mu Family's matters, I know almost everything about them."
"So, Mu Xingzhi! He was like a sharp blade of the Mu Family, a little stubborn and old-fashioned, and the family's interests were his top priority. That year, in order to protect a batch of the Mu Family's goods, the man died as a martyr. Not long after Mu Xingzhi's death, however, the Mu Family ended up killing Mu Xingzhi's only son."
"But who would've thought, Mu Xingzhi wasn't actually dead, he just had some serious injuries and went somewhere to cultivate and recuperate. Three years later, he returned and found out that his son had died and his courtyard had been occupied by someone else. In a fit of rage, Mu Xingzhi killed some of the Mu Family elders and he rebelled from the Mu Family."
Chen Yuan could not help but sigh, "This Mu Family is really too cruel. Mu Xingzhi did so much for the Mu Family, but those people actually killed his son while he was still recovering from his injuries."
"Right? Mu Xingzhi, that guy, is also pretty stupid! He spent decades slaving away for the Mu Family, and it wasn't until his son was killed by them that he finally realized his mistakes."
"So what's the name of Mu Xingzhi's son!" Chen Yuan asked curiously.
"He seems to be called Mu Tingxuan."
Chen Yuan's eyes suddenly widened, and he said, "What? Mu Tingxuan?"
"This Gongzi, what's wrong? Is it really that surprising that Mu Xingzhi's son is called Mu Tingxuan?��
Chen Yuan shook his head and said, "No, I just think that this name is pretty good. For him to die so young, it's really unfortunate."
"Mu Xingzhi, that guy sure is something! Back then, he used to be so loyal to the Mu Family, but after he rebelled from the Mu Family, he joined the Muling Sect, a hostile force opposing the Mu Family, and became one of the key figures within the sect. Now everything has become so much more complicated." The long-bearded man next to him spoke with fervour.
Chen Yuan blinked his eyes. Mu Xingzhi's son and that taciturn guy by Qi Shaorong's side actually share the same name. Was this just a coincidence?
Yi Fan walked into the room and looked at Mu Tingxuan, who was half-lying on the bed, and asked, "Tingxuan, what's wrong?"
"It's nothing." Mu Tingxuan said lightly.
Yi Fan sat down next to Mu Tingxuan and asked, "If you don't mind, do you want to talk to me about it?"
Mu Tingxuan smiled a self-deprecating smile, and leaned against the bed, "I had thought that my heart would be able to remain calm by now, but it looks like I still can't do it."
Mu Tingxuan raised his head, looked at Yi Fan for a while, and said, "Mu Xingzhi, he's… My dad."
Yi Fan didn't say anything. When the neighboring table had brought up the topic of Mu Xingzhi, Mu Tingxuan's reaction at that time had already caused some speculations to form in Yi Fan's mind, but now it was confirmed, Yi Fan still felt a little shocked. Was Mu Tingxuan acting so strangely now because he found out that Mu Xingzhi had betrayed the Mu Family?
"This is the first time I'm hearing you talk about your dad." Yi Fan couldn't help but feel a little nervous now that Mu Tingxuan was talking about his past.
Yi Fan lowered his gaze. Although he and Mu Tingxuan were very close, Yi Fan's always felt that he couldn't ever truly see into Mu Tingxuan's heart. Now, Mu Tingxuan was opening up to him, and Yi Fan had a feeling like his heartbeat was speeding up.
"I've always… Hated him. My father was like a soulless puppet, cultivated by the Mu Family using special techniques, and brainwashed thoroughly. When I was young, I often heard people say that my father was a hero of the family, someone whose only purpose was to live and die for the family's benefits."
"When I was born, the fortune-teller claimed that I would affect the fortune of the family. My father was worried for the future of the Mu Family, and sent me to be raised far away from home without any hesitation."
"During my childhood, all the other children grew up by their father's side, while I was all alone, living in a dilapidated thatched shed with a servant who never even wanted to take care of me in the first place."
"I'd often think to myself, I'd rather my father be a lying, thieving, criminal who'd stop at nothing to do evil, as long as he loved me enough, rather than be such a blindly devoted, loyal person."
"What happened later?" Yi Fan asked.
"Later, he died. When he was transporting a batch of goods, he encountered a group of bandits. In order to protect the goods, my father died doing his job." Mu Tingxuan said coldly.
Mu Tingxuan looked into the distance with a blank gaze and said, "I always thought he was dead."
Mu Tingxuan closed his eyes. Although Mu Xingzhi never loved him, it's not like he would've just stood by coldly and let Mu Tingxuan die either. If the news of Mu Xingzhi's death hadn't reached the Mu Family in that year, then that uncle of his never would've made a move to harm him so unscrupulously.
"But… Just now."
"Just now that man said that my father betrayed the family eight years ago, I guess he actually might not have died back then." Mu Tingxuan took a deep breath and said, "Not long after we heard the news of my father's death, my face was carved up and I was thrown out of the Mu Family. I didn't expect for him to actually be alive, if he was alive that entire time, why didn't he reveal himself? Or maybe he was waiting for the Mu Family to kill me first, then when I died, he decided to reveal himself."
"Maybe it was for you, that your father betrayed…" Yi Fan said.
"That's impossible," Mu Tingxuan interrupted Yi Fan's words, "You don't know what kind of person he is. When I was born, because of my fate, I was sent away from the Mu Family. In those years, he never visited me, not even once. In his heart, there's only ever been the Mu Family, there never was a spot for me. He was never even willing to see me at all, why would he ever betray the Mu Family for me."
Yi Fan: "…"
"A-Fan, do you know? I hate him, very, very much." Mu Tingxuan said gravely.
Chen Yuan was walking back and forth around the room. Zhuang Hao looked at Chen Yuan and said, "Chen Yuan, what are you doing?"
Chen Yuan looked at Zhuang Hao and said, "Zhuang Hao, what do you think, is that Mu Tingxuan guy by Qi Shaorong's side, actually Mu Xingzhi's son! Could he be someone from the Mu Family?!"
[T/n: Ok I know it might seem obvious because of their last names, but to be fair in China a lot of people share the same last names without being related to each other at all.]
Zhuang Hao looked at Chen Yuan and said a little helplessly, "You're asking me? How would I know? Besides, it's not like Mu Xingzhi is your father."
Chen Yuan: "…"
"Didn't you go and made some inquiries about the Mu Family's Mu Tingxuan? How'd that go!" Zhuang Hao asked.
Chen Yuan shrugged and said, "I heard that the Mu Family's Mu Tingxuan didn't have a very good fate, he was born to bring disaster to the family. After being born, he was sent away from the family to be raised outside. I heard that the guy died of illness later on."
"Died of illness?" Zhuang Hao said doubtfully.
Chen Yuan nodded and said, "Yes! Outsiders say that the cause of death was illness, if there are any secrets surrounding that matter, only the people from the Mu Family would know."
Zhuang Hao frowned and said, "Mu Tingxuan probably is related to the Mu Family."
Chen Yuan nodded and said, "He should be, he even has the same name as that Mu Tingxuan who supposedly died."
Qi Shaorong opened the door and walked in, saying, "So, what private conversation are you two having [1]?"
Chen Yuan quickly waved his hands and said, "No, no, we weren't talking about anything, Young Master Qi, Young Master Zhuang and I are innocent ."
Qi Shaorong: "…Don't worry, even if you said that you and Zhuang Hao aren't innocent, I wouldn't believe that."
Chen Yuan: "…" Just what was Qi Shaorong implying!
Chen Yuan looked behind Qi Shaorong and said, "Young Master Qi, where's Yi Fan and Mu Tingxuan?"
Qi Shaorong shrugged and said, "The two of them went out to have fun. Li Country is a lot more prosperous than Yuan Country and it's rare for us to get the chance to visit, there's no point staying inside the entire time."
Chen Yuan, "…Young Master Qi, that subordinate of yours called Mu Tingxuan, is he related in any way to the Tianhu Mu Family!"
Qi Shaorong glanced at Chen Yuan and asked, "You're asking me?"
Chen Yuan nodded hurriedly and said, "Yes!"
Qi Shaorong shrugged and said, "You're asking me? Well then who am I supposed to ask!"
Yi Fan was walking beside Mu Tingxuan and said, "There's a handicrafts shop over here, let's go in and take a look, maybe they'll have some suitable spiritual tools and stuff that you can use."
Mu Tingxuan wasn't very interested in it, but he saw how Yi Fan was full of excitement and didn't want to disappoint him, so he nodded and said, "Then let's go check it out."
As soon as Mu Tingxuan entered the door, he saw a handsome man and beautiful woman standing in front of the counter, and a salesperson was currently doing their best to promote a hairpin to the two.
"Young Master Mu Huai, you have a really good eye! This hairpin is inlaid with the nucleus of a level six wood-based monster beast, the Tuanrong beast [2], and it's very well-suited for your fiancée."
The young woman standing beside Mu Huai had a happy expression on her face, "A-Huai, will you please put it on me?"
Mu Tingxuan frowned and didn't speak.
Yi Fan narrowed his eyes. He had asked around about the Mu Family and was pretty familiar with the entire situation now. Mu Huai was the son of Mu Yueshan, the head of the Mu Family, and Mu Yueshan was the person who had hurt Mu Tingxuan.
"What a blessed beauty!" Mu Tingxuan said.
The Tuanrong beasts were very small, and it wasn't easy to increase their levels. Most Tuanrong beasts peaked at the fourth level, yet this Tuanrong beast had actually reached the sixth level. The Tuanrong beast's nucleus was very small, but the spiritual power contained within one of them wasn't little. Also, an ordinary level six monster nucleus was usually too large to be suitable for incorporating in jewelry, but the nucleus of the Tuanrong beast was just the right size.
"Let's go somewhere else." Yi Fan said to Mu Tingxuan.
Mu Tingxuan nodded and said, "Sure!"
Mu Tingxuan left with Yi Fan. Mu Tingxuan's face sank, and he thought to himself: Reincarnation sure is a technical job [3]. In fact, his aptitude wasn't that much different from Mu Huai's, but because Mu Huai had a good father, his life growing up has always gone smoothly, while he, from an early age, has always lived from mouth to hand [4], and had wandered on the edge of life and death many times growing up.
Yi Fan pulled Mu Tingxuan and walked upstairs. Mu Tingxuan couldn't help but look back once at Mu Huai. Coincidentally, the moment Mu Tingxuan looked at Mu Huai, Mu Huai also glanced in Mu Tingxuan's direction.
"A-Huai, what's the matter?" Lan Qinghua, who was standing beside Mu Huai, asked.
"That man just now, he seemed to know me." Mu Huai said.
Lan Qinghua smiled and said, "Mu Huai, you're a celebrity in these parts! Many people know who you are."
Mu Huai ground his teeth and said, "This is different, his gaze was complicated."
"How was it complicated?" Lan Qinghua asked.
"He looked like he really hates, but also envies me." Mu Huai said.
Lan Qinghua smiled and said, "What's so strange about that, A-Huai, you're someone who people can't help but hate and envy!"
Mu Huai frowned and said, "I suppose."
Footnotes:
Private conversation: In this case it means like a private conversation between lovers, sweet nothings, etc.
Tuanrong: "Tuan" means "something shaped like a ball", and "rong" means like fine fur/hair, down, or cotton, wool, etc.
Reincarnation sure is a technical job: No idea what the heck this is supposed to mean. I think a lot of people in ancient times used to believe in reincarnation, and I think it's also a belief in Buddhism, but yeah I don't know lol. Maybe MTX is just saying that he was really unlucky when he reincarnated into this life, because he ended up with a horrible father and a horrible life, and whoever was in charge of his reincarnation didn't do a good job of choosing a good life for him?
Lived from mouth to hand: "To not know at dawn what may happen by dusk"― To live in a precarious state, facing imminent crisis, etc.