Chapter 17 - Asura: The God of War

In the winter, the nights were always dark and thick.

Just before falling asleep, Rong Xi still felt that her throat was very uncomfortable. Adding onto the cries and moans from just now, it also burned a little, making it slightly painful.

When she begged Mu Huai to let her drink some water, he personally passed it to her with his lips. But Rong Xi felt that it wasn’t enough, and enduring the thirst and pain, she waited until late at night when the man had fallen asleep to quietly find a cup of tea to drink.

Rong Xi felt sour in her heart.

Mu Huai was a big bully tonight.

Rong Xi lit one of the candles on the mahogany candlestick. A warm light lit up the room.

After Rong Xi swallowed down countless cups of water, she turned back to see her scattered hair and swollen eyes reflecting back at her. She slowly walked towards the mirror and used a hand to cover the red marks on her neck. She had clearly begged him to not leave behind any marks in this area.

But Mu Huai would often lose his rationality and put her requests in the back of his mind.

Rong Xi took out the ointment Ye Yunlan had specially prepared for her and gently rubbed it into the red and purple spots. Thinking of the torture Mu Huai put her through today, she had a fleeting wish for this person to never come back, it would be best if he just died in Jin Kingdom.

Rong Xi was shocked by her own thoughts.

If Mu Huai really died…

Rong Xi didn’t dare to continue this train of thought. She told herself to let this matter go.

He was also someone who had to go to battle. His head was hanging by his waist, and adding on that he was a prince with the rank of a general, the moment he entered the army barracks, his life would become much more difficult.

Rong Xi slowly calmed down. Every time she tumbled with Mu Huai, she always secretly ate contraceptive medicine afterward. However, tonight her throat was really too uncomfortable. When she recalled that extremely bitter medicine going down her throat, she felt even more disdainful.

She decided to not drink the contraceptive medicine tonight.

It shouldn’t be a big deal to miss it just this one time.

She tiptoed back to the bed and just as she was carefully crossing over Mu Huai, she discovered that he was already awake from her disturbance. Rong Xi was afraid that Mu Huai would be angry at her for disrupting his sleep and didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly.

Mu Huai didn’t bother to get up. His voice was hoarse and still carried some sleepiness as he asked, “What did you do just now?”

Rong Xi held her throat and spoke with much difficulty, “This slave…slave…”

Hearing her stutter and how her usually sweet and tender voice was a little hoarse, Mu Huai recalled the events from tonight. His heart felt like it had been gouged, it was a little difficult to express.

Clearly, the person next to him was a soft and beautiful, warm and tender young woman. Just like a small flower swaying in the wind, she was dlicate and fragile. He should feel pity for her.

But reality showed that he treated her quite roughly. Evil and malicious thoughts would often sprout from within him.

Mu Huai wanted to suppress these desires, but even when he suppressed this, Rong Xi was still bullied by him to this state.

—“Sleep, if your throat is uncomfortable, you don’t have to reply.”

Mu Huai’s voice was laced with helplessness. He cuddled the slightly startled lady in his arms, taking a deep whiff of her body’s natural fragrance. In a voice so low it was barely audible, he murmured, “I won’t treat you like this again…”

******

The winter wind was biting. When the worst part of winter was over, the army of Qi came back victorious.

Zhuang Emperor’s son, Longxiang General Mu Huai, was originally leading the support troops to transport food and grains. But no one thought that Mu Huai would execute a risky strategy and the dangerous move he played actually became the key to Qi’s victory.

Li Rui was aware that Jin Kingdom had natural defenses that were difficult to attack yet easy to defend. He had originally estimated that with Great Qi’s firepower, there was only a 70% chance of taking down Jin Kingdom’s capital city, and that required at least six months. That’s why there must be enough support troops and food supplies.

But the risky move that Mu Huai made had greatly reduced the amount of time the army of Qi needed to take the city.

It turns out that while General Li’s army had arrived at the borders of Qi and set up camp, as he was still improving the soldiers’ morale and observing Jin army’s movements; Mu Huai had promoted two of his lieutenants into commanders and moved a majority of the food supplies towards the Qi’s main army camp. Out of the twenty thousand soldiers he brought, he took five hundred elite troops and braved the dangers to cross into Jin’s borders and past the treacherous Ji Mountain.

Mu Huai had already memorized the map of Jin kingdom. Even though it was his first time leading troops into battle, due to his natural domineering aura, the soldiers under his command sincerely submitted and obeyed his commands.

The few hundreds of soldiers he brought were all hot-blooded youths. Mu Huai also didn’t put on the airs of a prince with them and had eaten and lived the same as they did, becoming one of them. Thus, the soldiers that followed him had extremely high morale.

Unbelievably, they only used three days to force their way through Ji Mountain. Moreover, under Mu Huai’s leadership, they had not lost a single soldier.

After entering Jin Kingdom’s borders, Mu Huai led the troops to regroup and came up with a plan to disguise themselves as part of a merchant caravan. They ended up staying in the capital for a few days.

After they ascertained the details of Jin Palace’s layout, he had the soldiers regroup the rest of the army, and attacked the palace during night curfew.

For one, the patrolling guards in Jin Palace were not very vigilant; and two, the monarch of Jin Kingdom still assumed that the Qi army was still by the borders; and thought that without at least a month, they would not be able to lead a hundred thousand soldiers through the dangerous mountain pass of Ji Mountain.

Who would’ve thought that the green-horned Mu Huai would actually lead his elite troops first and cross the border.

There were about three thousand guards in the palace. Normally, they were only equipped with spears as it wasn’t appropriate to be in full army attire in front of the king. The guards in Jin Kingdom all wore cloth armors which obviously could not withstand the might of a cold, unfeeling blade.

Mu Huai originally looked like a refined young gentleman, but such a noble-looking young man was ruthless and savage when cutting down his enemies. Standing in the flames of Jin Palace, he looked like the Asura, the God of War, that had walked out from the depths of hell.

His unfathomable eyes elicited fear from Jin Palace’s patrol guards. Their dozens of people surrounded him alone, but none were his match. Before they could hold out for the supporting archers, Mu Huai had already led his troops and broken into the resting palace of Jin Kingdom’s monarch, forcing him out of his bed and taken as a hostage.

All of Jin Kingdom’s troops were guarding the border. Mu Huai threatened Jin’s monarch, under the eyes of his frightened beloved consort, he personally wrote the letter of surrender to Qi.

After Li Rui found out about this, he was taken aback.

The fact that Mu Huai used only five hundred troops to make Jin Kingdom admit defeat was a truth he could not deny, however. During the journey marching into Jin Kingdom’s borders and occupying their capital city, Li Rui’s thoughts were still in disarray.

The day the Qi army came back in victory, although Zhuang Emperor coughed up blood, he was still extremely jubilant.

In Quyun Palace, Rong Xi had also heard about Mu Huai’s success. Thinking about how he would return today, her heart thumped uncontrollably.

On this day, snow was falling in Bianjing and clung to the windowsill outside. The air felt fresh and chilly.

Mu Huai’s glistening armor had traces of blood. When he saw the woman in the palace, he suppressed the desire to hug her and just smiled at her, “Why are you in a daze, have you turned silly? Go prepare water and serve me in bathing.”

Rong Xi suddenly felt her eyes were a little sour. Holding back the urge to cry, she nodded her head.

Rong Xi cleaned the man with familiar ease. In her heart, she felt very joyful and thankful that when he had returned, she did not conceal her appearance and looked beautiful.

Mu Huai had begun to grow a small beard, and Rong Xi carefully helped him shave. After resting for a small period of time in Quyun Palace, he needed to go to Zirui Hall to participate in the celebration banquet.

She helped him change into a moon-white banquet uniform, and after situating the jade coronet in his hair, he no longer looked like the brave and ruthless war god in the rumors but rather the admirable noble prince in her memories instead.

Clear and righteous, lonely and handsome.

Rong Xi thought that Mu Huai was a top-class handsome man.

Even though he was usually very overbearing towards her, after interacting with him so intimately every day and night, she still developed forbidden feelings towards him.

Especially after not seeing him for so long, those feelings became even stronger.

Tonight’s sunset was very beautiful, orange and warm. She didn’t know if it was because there was an abundance of charcoal in the brazier, but Rong Xi felt her heart was also full of warmth.

Mu Huai carried her to sit on the bed.

Rong Xi felt a flash of white pass by her eyes, and her messy mind burst into fireworks. After the sound of tearing was an unextinguishable pleasure.

Mu Huai’s clothes were as neat as always, but she had collapsed into a puddle behind him, just like a kitten who ate fresh fish, feeling satisfied and soft.

When he saw her appearance, Mu Huai couldn’t help but smile. She couldn’t handle even this bit of pleasure, then later at night what even more pitiful appearance would she have.

He whispered to her in a slightly playful manner, “Eat some more for dinner. Wait for me to return to the palace after the banquet, I will feed you again.”

Rong Xi felt her ears were very itchy. She had no more energy left, and she had been feeling easily tired recently as well. Her cheeks could not be any redder.

Mu Huai’s voice was a little warm. Rong Xi thought that tonight, she would treat Mu Huai as her lover for one last time, and then she will become the runaway girl who did not care for the aftermath.

It was good for just this one day. For just this one day, she will allow herself to sink into these feelings.

Tomorrow she will once again become that calm and clear-headed Rong gugu, carrying only the feelings of a servant’s loyalty and devotion towards her master, no longer carrying the feelings of an innocent maiden.

Just one day was good.

Rong Xi gave a small smile and her voice was even sweeter than normal as she leaned into Mu Huai’s arms, “En, this slave will wait for Your Highness to return.”

Author’s Notes: Dog Mu’s named can be changed to Sweetie Mu for today