Book 2 Chapter 61
AN:Apologies for the late chapter - having laptop issues!
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General Lou Ma Gong turned out to be exactly as Tang Huwei had described him: grim and utterly devoid of warmth.
In truth, the last general of the Imperial Army (in order of Mo Jian meeting them) looked little different from an ordinary man. He was tall, but not exceptionally so; broad-shouldered, but not imposing enough to command notice by physique alone. Whatever handsomeness he might once have possessed had long since been eroded by a face carved into permanent austerity. His hair had retreated from the crown, leaving a smooth, gleaming bald patch, while the black remaining at his temples and above his ears had been cut to a stubble and thoroughly infiltrated by gray. Deep-set eyes lurked beneath heavy brows, almost swallowed by their sockets, and his thin, bloodless lips looked as though they had forgotten how to smile decades ago.
Looking at him, only one image came to Mo Jian's mind: a stern patriarch seated before a dying fire, silent and unyielding, a man who would sooner break than bend.
Yet he did not receive them like such a patriarch. Instead of occupying the only chair in the room, Lou Ma Gong stood beside it with his hands clasped behind his back. The chamber itself was almost monastic in its simplicity, furnished with nothing more than a sturdy desk and that solitary chair.
The chair, however, was already occupied.
The man seated there appeared considerably younger than the general, perhaps in his early forties, though the quiet confidence with which he carried himself – and his peak Core Formation cultivation – hinted at a far greater age. He wore no military uniform, but finely tailored robes of deep blue, understated in color yet unmistakably expensive. His features were refined rather than striking, his expression calm, almost genial, but his eyes were keen and quietly appraising. They settled upon the newcomers with the effortless assurance of a man entirely accustomed to being obeyed.
Muxue met his gaze without hesitation, her golden eyes gleaming. "Commander Hong. General Lou. Well met."
The two men inclined their heads in unison. "Your Celestial Highness."
Commander Hong spoke again once the formalities were concluded. "We have received the full reports from the capital, Your Highness, so the Wall is fully apprised of the situation. Rest assured, you will be in no danger here. General Lou's forces hold the Wall, and the Yuan will be driven back before they manage to set so much as a single hoof within the Empire. As for the political situation..." A wry smile briefly touched his lips before vanishing. "...that is better left to the General."
"I don't care for politics." Lou Ma Gong's voice crashed through the room like a thunderclap. The words struck with such force that the walls themselves seemed to shudder. Mo Jian instinctively circulated qi to shield his ears. Around him, nearly everyone flinched.
Li Kang lurched sideways, driving his elbow squarely into Chen Zhuhe's stomach and earning a muffled grunt, while the elderly Minister Shi Pao nearly leaped a full foot into the air, his frail frame jolting so violently it looked as though his bones might rattle loose.
The general continued without lowering his voice in the slightest. "It's a disgrace that His Celestial Majesty chooses to play court games while enemies stand at our gates." His deep-set eyes shifted to Muxue. "That said, I care just as little for factions. While you remain at the Wall, you are under my protection. No one will lay a hand on you here. Follow the arrangements I make, stay out of trouble, and when the time comes, you will return safely to the capital."
Silence settled over the room. Muxue neither nodded nor answered. She simply held the old general's gaze for the span of a heartbeat before a faint, almost rueful smile curved her lips. "Before we discuss anything further, perhaps introductions are in order. General, Commander, allow me to present my entourage. This is Minister Shi Pao of the Ministry of External Affairs. He carries an imperial edict empowering him to resolve the situation on the Steppes in accordance with certain proposals I have made. And these are Lords Mo Jian and Wei Shentong-"
"I already know." The interruption landed like another thunderclap. For the briefest instant, something flickered across Lou Ma Gong's weathered face, like a spark too swift to decipher before it vanished. "Especially him." A thick finger rose, pointing directly at Mo Jian.
Mo Jian felt his pulse skip. His heart slammed once against his ribs, and for an instant he had to fight the urge to widen his eyes. He forced himself still. Ever since arriving at the Wall, he had noticed Horse Army soldiers watching him from the corners of their eyes, whispering whenever they thought he was out of earshot. He had expected to attract attention. Just... not like this.
Nor was he alone in his surprise. Heads turned throughout the room, following the line of the general's finger to see whether he truly meant the person standing among them. Even Muxue blinked, genuine surprise flickering across her features before her composure returned.
General Lou did not pause. "Though I hold no love for the Crown Prince," he boomed, "his report concerning your assassin reached the Wall before you did. To bring such a man here... are you looking down on this General so much, Princess?"
The accusation hung in the air. Mo Jian remained perfectly still. He was not blind – this display was leading somewhere. The others had realized it as well. A few shifted uneasily, but not one of them spoke. Even Bai Ning, her brow knitted in anger, held her tongue.
"Looking down on you?" Muxue said softly. She let out a short, disbelieving laugh. "What a joke." Her voice gathered strength with every word until the last rang taut with anger. "You say Chengxuan's report reached you, and you simply believed it? Are you blind, or merely willfully ignorant, General? Of course he would paint me in the worst light imaginable." Her eyes hardened. "And seeing this little performance you've arranged for me... are you trying to pressure me into following his wishes? Is this your legendary hatred of politics? Why not simply declare yourself my cousin's lapdog instead of going through all this trouble?"
General Lou's face darkened, every line deepening with anger. "Princess, I afforded you respect, and this is how you repay it? However much Prince Chengxuan may have twisted his account, did he lie when he reported that the man at your side was responsible for the deaths of numerous innocents within the Palace? If it were false, would the Ministry have released such a report at all?"
His gaze swept toward Mo Jian. "The situation at the Wall is precarious enough already. Do you understand what a wanton killer could do to send the boiling pot overflowing?"
Wanton killer? Responsible for numerous innocent deaths? Mo Jian felt as though he were watching a terrible play about someone else. What sort of absurd accusation was this?
"So that is your concern," Muxue said, understanding dawning. It lasted only an instant before frost reclaimed her expression. "Then it is a pity that, despite all your professed disdain for Chengxuan, you remain under his thumb. Did it never occur to you that he might be trying to strip away my protection? That by branding Mo Jian a danger, he hopes to leave me vulnerable so his assassins can finally finish what they started?"
If anything, her words only hardened the general further. His jaw clenched until the muscles stood out beneath weathered skin. Commander Hong, still seated, suddenly looked uncomfortable, stealing cautious glances toward Lou Ma Gong.
"Here at the Wall," the general thundered, "you are under the Horse Army's protection." His voice shook the room once more. "Whatever schemes he may have, or whatever intentions you harbor, none of them will come to pass. Princess, heed my orders and your safety is guaranteed. In this Empire, who dares claim the name of Lou Ma Gong can be trampled underfoot?"
He jabbed a finger toward Mo Jian. "If you insist on keeping your assassin, then so be it. Keep him, but keep him under control. Once the war is over, you will return to the capital, and this matter will end there."
"I have no such intention," Muxue replied without hesitation. "I-" She stopped herself. Turning halfway, she looked back at the companions standing silently behind her before facing the two men once more. "No. We will pass beyond the Wall and negotiate directly with the Khans. That is what I promised the Court, and that is exactly what we will do. We will not remain here."
Her gaze flicked briefly toward Mo Jian. "And since you find Mo Jian such an eyesore, that should suit you perfectly. We will depart, and you will be rid of us."
Commander Hong, who had been watching the exchange with his eyes darting from the Princess to the General, visibly started. "Your Celestial Highness, surely not." He drew a slow breath, tempering his reaction, and when he spoke again his tone lay somewhere between firm and pleading. "Tempers have run high, and I apologize for my part in that, but some words cannot simply be spoken and forgotten. We are at war. The declaration has already been made. Apart from merchants protected by the Fatwa of Trade, any cultivator of the Empire who enters the Steppes is little more than a lamb awaiting slaughter."
He shook his head. "Whatever promises were made in court, whatever grand strategies were proposed, they mean little once armies are marching. I cannot permit such recklessness."
General Lou gave a curt nod. "Hong is right." His voice remained as thunderous as ever. "How many soldiers do you think stand at the Wall today? Commander Hong commands barely a hundred thousand permanent troops. I have brought five Hundred Thousand Commanders and their armies with me. The rest remain guarding the western seas and the eastern forests. Those frontiers cannot be stripped bare simply because a princess wishes to wander the Steppes."
His eyes bored into Muxue. "And between those forces, where do you suppose I will find soldiers to escort and protect you? Every man I can spare belongs on these walls, not playing guide beyond them. If you refuse to listen, then you will go nowhere."
Commander Hong nodded, though far less confidently than the general had spoken. A faint grimace crossed his face, as though even he found Lou Ma Gong's bluntness excessive. It was obvious enough what they intended. Keep Muxue safely behind the Wall, deny her every opportunity to pursue her negotiations, and ensure nothing disrupted their own positions.
Mo Jian, however, knew they had misjudged her. He did not even need to see her face to know it. Would they truly have come all this way if their resolve could be broken by a refusal? If anything, it simplified matters. They had hoped for guides; they had never truly needed them. Even Wei Shentong, standing silently at the rear of the room, seemed faintly amused. Mo Jian caught the briefest flicker of a smile on his face before it disappeared so quickly that he almost doubted it had ever existed. It was as though the world itself had remembered that Wei Shentong smiling was a sign of the apocalypse and hastily corrected the mistake.
Sure enough, Muxue looked entirely untroubled. In fact, after enduring the General's accusations and the Commander's objections, she appeared more relaxed than before. "I see," she said calmly. "Then there is no problem." She folded her hands behind her back. "I require neither guides nor an escort. Nor, for that matter, can either of you prevent me from leaving."
Her golden eyes rested on Commander Hong. "It is true that passage through the Wall falls under your authority in ordinary times. These, however, are not ordinary times." With deliberate slowness, she produced a rolled scroll from her storage pouch. "I carry an imperial edict bearing my uncle's seal. By the Emperor's command, I am granted unrestricted passage through the Wall, together with whomever I choose to bring." She smiled faintly. "So deny me your assistance if you wish." Her gaze swept across both men. "It changes nothing."
General Lou's face darkened, and his aura erupted. A vast pressure descended upon the chamber. It fell like a mountain, driving the air from everyone's lungs. Even Core Formation cultivators felt their knees tremble beneath the weight. Behind the old general's head, golden light gathered into a radiant halo, bathing the room in a solemn glow.
When he spoke again, his voice was quieter than before. That only made it more terrifying. Each word echoed upon itself, layered atop the last, as though a dozen voices spoke in perfect unison. "Insolence." The single word reverberated through the chamber. "If you are so eager to die, then throw yourself from the Wall. It would spare us all the trouble. I am trying to save your life, foolish girl, yet you slap away the hand offered to you."
His eyes narrowed. "Your father was no different. He would heed neither reason nor counsel until he found his end at this very edge of the world."
Qi surged throughout the room. Mo Jian stepped forward instinctively, his expression hardening. This had gone too far. He was not alone. Commander Hong's eyes widened, his own cultivation flaring as he turned toward the general in alarm. Around the room, half their companions summoned their natal artifacts in an instant. Liu Rushi's needle appeared in her hand, Duan Cheng's die flashed into existence, and beside Mo Jian, Bai Ning released Miantiao. The spectral dragon, no larger than a scarf, coiled protectively around her shoulders, its translucent scales shimmering with restrained menace.
Muxue had gone utterly still. The color had drained from her face, while her golden eyes blazed like twin stars. At last, she raised a hand, the gesture the only thing stopping her companions from advancing.
"My father," she said, each word edged with ice, "died because of Chengxuan's schemes." Her gaze never left Lou Ma Gong. "And I remember very well that it was the Horse Army that failed to protect him. By what right do you speak of him before me, when it was your duty to keep him alive?"
For the first time, genuine fury broke through her composure. "General Tang suffered. My father's retainers suffered. I suffered." She took a single step forward. "But you? You, who stood by while one of the Empire's brightest lights was extinguished – what price did you pay?"
Silence fell.
"Or is this the truth of it? That then, as now, you were Chengxuan's man all along? That your vaunted neutrality was nothing more than a mask while you helped him bring about my father's death?" Her voice dropped to barely above a whisper. "And to think... Uncle Tiger once called you an honorable man."
Surprisingly enough, Duan Cheng was the first to move. "Your Celestial Highness." His voice was firm enough to cut through the suffocating silence. "The Wall is no place for quarrels among allies," he said simply. "The Yuan would celebrate such a sight."
Liu Rushi followed a heartbeat later, her icy needle dissolving into mist as she stepped up to Muxue's side. "He is right, Princess. This is neither the time nor the place."
Across the room, Commander Hong had already risen from his chair. "General." His tone was noticeably sharper than before. "Enough."
Lou Ma Gong did not answer immediately. The golden halo behind his head still blazed, the crushing pressure lingering over the chamber like the weight of an approaching storm. Commander Hong met the old general's eyes without flinching. "She is the Emperor's niece… and our guest."
For a long moment, no one spoke. Then, with a visible effort, Lou Ma Gong exhaled through his nose. The halo dissolved into scattered motes of golden light. The mountain pressing upon the room vanished with it. One by one, shoulders relaxed. Natal artifacts faded back into their owners' dantians. Bai Ning stroked Miantiao's translucent head once before the little dragon unraveled into wisps of spiritual mist and disappeared.
Only then did Commander Hong allow himself a quiet breath. He inclined his head first toward the General, then toward Muxue. "We have all spoken more harshly than we ought."
Neither of them replied.
He continued anyway. "The journey here was long. The situation at the Wall is... less than forgiving. Emotions are high, and we have begun this meeting on entirely the wrong foot." A faint, weary smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "There is little to be gained by continuing while tempers are aflame."
His gaze settled on Muxue. "Your Celestial Highness, accommodations have already been prepared for your entourage. I would ask that you accept our hospitality for the evening." Then he looked to Lou Ma Gong. "And General... tomorrow, after everyone has had a chance to rest, we can discuss the Princess's mission with cooler heads."
Silence lingered. Lou Ma Gong was the first to relent. "...Very well." The words sounded more like a concession wrestled from him than agreement. "So long as no one attempts to leave the Wall before then."
Muxue held his gaze for another long heartbeat. Finally, she inclined her head by the barest fraction. "We will remain until tomorrow."
It was merely an acknowledgment instead of an agreement, but Commander Hong seized upon the opening before either of them could change their minds. "Then it is settled." He clapped his hands once, the sharp sound breaking the oppressive stillness. "I will have attendants escort everyone to their quarters. Dinner will be sent shortly. Tomorrow morning, we will reconvene."
No one objected and the meeting dissolved without another word. Yet as Mo Jian followed the others from the chamber and the cool air of the corridor settled over him, he could not shake the feeling that nothing had truly been resolved.
The argument had not ended.
It had merely been postponed.
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