Chapter 78 – You Don’t Want to Live Anymore

Inside the room, aside from Yang Bo and Xu Cheng, everyone’s attention was drawn to Mu Nanjin.

She wasn’t dressed up for the occasion. She simply wore a plain black gown she’d brought from home, her long hair braided neatly by one of the village women. Her face was bare and clean, and the cold, detached air about her made the Second Chief, who was used to painted faces and vulgar charm, lose himself for a moment.

Pushing the woman in his arms aside, the Second Chief crooked a finger at Mu Nanjin.

“Come here.”

Mu Nanjin’s tone was calm and faint.

“You come here.”

Xu Cheng quickly hissed under his breath, “Are you out of your mind? You’re actually ordering the Second Chief around!”

“Haha.” The Second Chief burst out laughing and rose to his feet, swaggering toward her.

Mu Nanjin also began walking, straight past him, then sat down in his chair.

“Presumptuous!” Zhou Kun barked angrily.

“What are you yelling for?” The Second Chief shot him a glare. “Is she someone you can yell at? That seat suits her just fine.”

Everyone fell silent.

Zhou Kun nearly cursed aloud.

Women who tried to curry favor with the Second Chief never met good ends, yet he tolerated this woman’s blatant insolence without a word of reproach.

Mu Nanjin lounged lazily in the chair. “Pour tea.”

The servant standing nearby quickly stepped forward.

Mu Nanjin’s gaze slid to the Second Chief. “You pour it.”

“All right, all right, I’ll pour it myself.”

Shoving the servant aside, the Second Chief picked up the teapot, his leering gaze never leaving her face.

Mu Nanjin glanced at him coolly. He wore his hair in a high ponytail, with several tiny braids woven into it. A thick beard covered his face, the hairs about half an inch long. Though his expression reeked of lust, the savage brutality in his features couldn’t be hidden.

“Here, little lady, have some tea,” he said with a grin, placing the cup before her.

Mu Nanjin replied calmly, “I don’t feel like drinking anymore.”

“Fine, if you don’t want to, you don’t have to.” He set the cup down and reached for her hand. “Tell me, little lady, is there anything else you’d like to eat? I’ll have my men prepare it right away.”

“I heard from Xu Cheng and the others that you had me brought here to make me your concubine?” Mu Nanjin flicked away his grasping hand with a single motion, then pointed to the woman he had been holding earlier. “And what about her? Is she also one of your concubines?”

“With you here, how could I look at anyone else?”

The Second Chief turned to Zhou Kun. “You! Take her away. She’s an eyesore.”

“Yes, sir.” Zhou Kun motioned for the woman to leave.

The Second Chief then looked at Xu Cheng and Yang Bo. “You two, out as well.”

Xu Cheng opened his mouth to speak, but Yang Bo tugged him toward the door.

“Wait.” The Second Chief tossed them two iron tokens. “From today onward, the two of you are Guardians of my mountain.”

“Thank you, Second Chief!”

Delighted, Xu Cheng and Yang Bo caught the tokens. Before leaving, they made sure to close the door behind them.

“From now on, Zhou Kun can’t touch us,” Xu Cheng said gleefully. “And if we don’t like him, we can even kill him.”

Yang Bo exhaled in relief. “Looks like we’ve just saved our necks.”

They had previously fought Zhou Kun over territory and had nearly killed each other.

It was the Second Chief who stopped the feud, saying that whoever could find him a concubine to his liking would be made Guardian.

Guardians had the right to execute anyone beneath them, so if Zhou Kun had won the position, Xu Cheng and Yang Bo would have been doomed.

“We finally don’t have to fear Zhou Kun anymore.” Xu Cheng twirled the token in his hand proudly. “From now on, he’ll have to step aside when he sees us.”

Yang Bo laughed. “You should be grateful that little girl caught the Second Chief’s eye. If she hadn’t, do you think we’d still be standing here?”

Xu Cheng’s expression faltered. “You think she’ll whisper bad things about us to him later?”

Yang Bo snorted. “Now you’re scared? Should’ve thought of that earlier.”

“That girl’s got quite the temper. Only someone as patient as you could handle her,” Xu Cheng muttered, glancing toward the room. “I just hope the Second Chief doesn’t tire of her too soon.”

Inside the room, the moment the door shut, the Second Chief’s lecherous smile vanished. His eyes turned cold and sharp as they locked on Mu Nanjin.

“You’re no ordinary village girl.”

A girl from a poor village couldn’t possibly carry herself with such poise. And no village girl could remain this calm when facing mountain bandits.

Mu Nanjin took a sip of tea. “And you don’t seem like a bandit.”

He wasn’t as lust-driven as he appeared. Otherwise, he’d never have risen to his position.

The Second Chief’s gaze lingered on her for a few moments before he suddenly laughed. “You’re right. None of us here are true mountain folk. Everyone in this stronghold came from somewhere else, we just settled here. So it’s normal if we don’t act like mountain people.”

Mu Nanjin didn’t bother wasting words. She pulled out her Jinyiwei identity token and tossed it on the table.

The Second Chief’s pupils contracted sharply. His head jerked up in disbelief.

“A Jinyiwei token? You’re one of them? Impossible. There are no women in the Jinyiwei.”

Mu Nanjin set down her cup. “As expected of someone who used to be Jinyiwei. One glance and you recognized it.”

If she hadn’t known who he really was, she’d never have followed Xu Cheng and Yang Bo up the mountain.

The Second Chief’s heart pounded. He’d hidden his past well, how did she find out?

No. He couldn’t admit it.

His expression darkened. “Careful what you say, girl. Words can get you killed.”

“It doesn’t matter if you deny it. Tonight, five thousand Jinyiwei will be coming up this mountain to wipe out the bandits. Whether you cooperate or not is up to you. If you don’t, it’ll just take us a little longer to succeed.”

He barked a laugh. “Succeed? The Jinyiwei have attacked Canglong Mountain many times. When have they ever succeeded?”

“This time, they will.”

“Quite the confidence for a little girl.”

Mu Nanjin countered coolly, “Don’t you want revenge for your family?”

The Second Chief fell silent.

Of course he did.

Years ago, the First Chief had slaughtered his entire family.

He had dreamed of killing that man and offering his head as a sacrifice to his loved ones.

He had joined the Jinyiwei, hoping they could help him take revenge, but every attempt to storm Canglong Mountain had failed.

Disillusioned, he’d left the organization, assumed a new identity, and clawed his way up among the bandits until he became the Second Chief.

But the First Chief’s forces were filled with powerful masters, he’d never had the chance to strike.

Seeing the faint change in his expression, Mu Nanjin pressed on.

“You don’t need to do much. Just invite the other chiefs to your ‘wedding banquet’ and order your men not to interfere with the Jinyiwei tonight.”

The Second Chief was silent for a moment, then asked, “If you’re really Jinyiwei, you should know our secret code.”

There was no such thing, but he wanted to test her.

“There’s no secret code among Jinyiwei,” she said evenly. “Unless a special mission requires it, in which case we make temporary codes to verify identity.”

Her words convinced him.

“Who came with you? Did the Commander come?”

“No.”

“Again.” His mouth twisted in mockery. “Every attack on Canglong Mountain, and he never shows. If he did, maybe things would be different.”

“He has his reasons,” Mu Nanjin said, glancing toward the darkening sky. “It’s almost Shen hour. Make your decision quickly.”

She hadn’t come to persuade him for fun, she just didn’t want unnecessary bloodshed.

“Who exactly came with you?” he pressed.

She answered honestly, “Only those ranked below the Deputy Commander.”

“The Deputy Commander and below?” The Second Chief gave a harsh laugh. “The strongest among them are only Ninth-Rank at best, most not even that. How do you plan to defeat the masters under the First Chief? Are you Jinyiwei so eager to die?”

Mu Nanjin tilted her head. “Perhaps because I’m here.”

He gave her a skeptical look. “You? What can you do?”

“I can make people listen.”

“…”

Maybe she did have something special, that would explain why she’d been recruited.

“Then hurry,” she said coldly. “If you don’t want to see Jinyiwei dying in vain, act now. Time won’t wait.”

After a long pause, the Second Chief nodded.

“I’ll host a wedding banquet to draw the other chiefs and elders here. As for my men, they’ll act according to the situation.”

If the bandits seemed to be winning, his men would side with them. If the Jinyiwei gained the upper hand, they’d switch sides. That way, his brothers wouldn’t die needlessly.

Mu Nanjin inclined her head.

The Second Chief straightened his face, plastered on his usual lecherous grin, and called toward the door.

“Tonight I’m taking a concubine! Go spread the word, decorate my house for a wedding feast. And tell the other chiefs and elders they’re invited to drink my wedding wine!”

“Yes, sir!”

The guards hurried off.

Within half an hour, word had spread across every mountain stronghold.

The Third Chief clicked his tongue. “That Second Chief grows more outrageous by the day, snatching a village girl and throwing a grand banquet over it.”

The Fourth Chief laughed. “A feast’s a feast. Who cares how he got her? Let’s go drink his wine.”

When the Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Chiefs arrived at his mountain, the entire courtyard was decked out in red lanterns and festive ribbons.

The First Chief already sat at the head seat. They immediately stepped forward to pay respects.

“Greetings, Big Brother.”

The First Chief gestured for them to rise. “No need for formalities. Sit.”

After bowing to the elders, the four took their seats.

The Sixth Chief, ever observant, quickly noticed that the First Chief looked troubled.

“Big Brother, what’s the matter?”

Everyone turned to him.

The First Chief frowned. “My falcon hasn’t returned yet. I fear something’s happened to it.”

“This isn’t the first time it’s come back late,” said the Sixth Chief. “Don’t worry, it’s too clever to get into trouble.”

The Grand Elder chuckled. “I told him the same thing, but he still sent people to look for it.”

“Who are you looking for?” The Second Chief had just entered, curiosity in his tone.

“The falcon hasn’t returned, so Big Brother sent men to find it.”

The Second Chief’s eyes flickered briefly before he smiled. “Don’t worry, Big Brother. It’s probably just playing around.”

The First Chief nodded distractedly.

The Fourth Chief hooked an arm around his neck. “Old Second, what kind of fairy bewitched you this time? You’ve never even taken a wife, yet you’re suddenly marrying a concubine!”

“I planned to marry her properly,” the Second Chief said. “But I don’t trust outsiders easily. I’ll make her my concubine first, and if she proves trustworthy, I’ll wed her as my main wife later.”

The Sixth Chief chuckled. “I thought lust made you lose your senses.”

The Second Chief tapped his temple. “I may be lustful, but I’m not stupid.”

“Good to hear.” The Fourth Chief glanced toward the door. “So where’s your new concubine? Why isn’t she here yet?”

“The auspicious hour hasn’t come.” The Second Chief poured them each a drink. “Let’s have a few cups first. She’ll come in to toast you later.”

“Fine by me.” The Fourth Chief raised his cup. “I’ll drink first as congratulations!”

After several rounds, the Second Chief finally signaled his men to bring Mu Nanjin up.

Since it was only a concubine ceremony, she didn’t wear full bridal attire, just a red veil covering her head.

Her face was hidden, but the air around her was enough to make everyone realize she wasn’t an ordinary woman. She carried herself with a quiet dignity no commoner could have.

The chiefs and elders exchanged wary looks.

If she wasn’t a mere village girl, then who was she, and why would she agree to marry the Second Chief?

Still, her steps were light and graceful. She didn’t seem to be a martial artist.

“Here she is, my bride,” the Second Chief said proudly, helping Mu Nanjin to stand before the First Chief. “Big Brother, this is my concubine. Her surname is Mu, given name Nanjin.”

“Mu Nanjin?” The First Chief repeated the name thoughtfully. “Such a refined name. Only a noble lady or a wealthy family’s daughter would have one so poetic. Old Second, you didn’t kidnap some official’s daughter, did you?”

The Fourth Chief burst out laughing. “Trust you to snatch a rich man’s daughter. That’s bold, even for you.”

The Second Chief scratched his head awkwardly. “My men brought her up the mountain. The moment I saw her, I wanted to make her mine. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have rushed the ceremony.”

The Sixth Chief narrowed his eyes. “She hasn’t spoken yet. Did you seal her voice?”

“How could I? I can’t bear to hurt her. She’s probably just shy.”

A vague unease crept across the First Chief’s face. “Old Second, mind if you lift her veil now? Let’s all have a look.”

“Of course not. That’s the plan anyway.”

The Second Chief reached out to lift the red veil.

Just then, someone burst in, panting.

“First Chief, something’s wrong!”