Let Me Explain, Fairy
Chapter 921 - 573: Unexpected News

Chapter 921: Chapter 573: Unexpected News

Thinking of these messy things in his mind, Xu Yuan slowly sat up from the soft couch of the inn.

Tonight, insomnia struck—he couldn’t sleep.

Although he had already become an Integration Body cultivator, Xu Yuan still maintained the good habit of sleeping, but being accustomed to the fatigue of travel, suddenly staying in this luxurious inn was a bit hard to adapt to.

The bright moonlight spilled into the room through the window lattice, and the inn’s decor was quite luxurious, yet unlike the taverns in the heartland of Dayan, the furnishings here bore a dash of Western Region aesthetics.

Donning a black robe, he stepped off the bed and walked to the pavilion outside the curtain of his room, casting his eyes into the distance.

The moon shone bright and stars sparse, geese flying westward, a majestic gorge of a hundred miles suddenly came into view.

The night wind, carrying a hint of sand and dryness, brushed against his cheeks; Yan Valley Inn was built on the edge of the giant gorge at the northernmost end of Zhenxi Prefecture, designed specifically for cultivators. Staying one night in three separate rooms cost Xu Yuan and his companions a hundred taels of broken silver.

However, the silver this night was not offered by Xu Yuan himself; instead, it was a treat from a young man he had befriended during the journey...

"With such moonlight, Brother Zhou, since you are also awake, why not have a small drink with me?"

Standing for a long while on the suspended pavilion perched upon the cliff, a slightly hoarse male voice suddenly reached Xu Yuan’s ears.

Turning his head towards the voice, Xu Yuan saw a young man standing there, smiling at him.

The young man was dressed in a sleeping robe, his complexion pale and somewhat haggard, making him appear somewhat sickly.

The other party’s surname was Mu, given name Li, styled Xing Yi.

He was the leader of a trade caravan that Xu Yuan had helped along the road.

While traversing a desert area, Mu’s caravan was attacked by a wave of over a thousand small desert wolves. Acting out of instinct to assist and learning that both were headed to Zhenxi Prefecture, they naturally ended up traveling together.

Having traveled together for half a month, Xu Yuan found their conversation quite enjoyable.

However, no feast under heaven goes unparted, Mu Xing Yi’s destination was the Southern Desert Metropolitan Mansion, and Xu Yuan was bound tomorrow to lead the treasure-seeking Ji to Qianji Gorge to search for the remains of the Little Dragon Girl’s brother.

After today, they were to officially part ways.

Pondering for a moment, Xu Yuan directly leaped from the balcony of his own room to Mu Xing Yi’s side.

This action was very impolite, even offensive.

Even if invited, one should enter through the main door, only after obtaining permission.

However, seeing Xu Yuan’s actions, Mu Xing Yi’s eyes held little emotional fluctuation, and his face maintained that unchanged smile.

It seemed he had grown accustomed to this unrestrained behavior of the person before him.

But Xu Yuan knew that Mu Xing Yi’s attitude was not out of habit, but rather because he did not care.

Mu Xing Yi nodded slightly towards Xu Yuan, while walking towards the interior, spoke in an unhurried and calm tone:

"Zhenxi Prefecture enforces a strict curfew, it may be inconvenient to go out, I’ll ask for some fine wines and snacks to be sent up from the tavern below to set up here, please wait for a moment, Brother Zhou."

"There’s no need for that."

Xu Yuan called out to him with a light laugh, slightly lifting his fingertips and directly took out from the Sumeru Ring a small table and two short chairs, placing them on the balcony.

He sat down on one of the chairs, his long hair stirred by the sandy night wind, smiled gently at Mu Xing Yi:

"After having been your host for half a month, tonight let me be the one to treat you, Xing Yi."

Mu Xing Yi slowly turned back, staring at the suddenly appearing table and chairs for a moment, and said:

"I had no idea Brother Zhou possessed such a divine item as the Sumeru Ring."

While talking, he too smiled and sat down opposite Xu Yuan, his sickly cheeks still maintaining that calm smile:

"Then I shall respectfully accept."

Xu Yuan looked at his calm demeanor, laughed lightly, and asked:

"You don’t seem surprised at all?"

Mu Xing Yi shook his head, his voice calm and natural:

"Given that both ladies by Brother Zhou’s side are young yet possess Grandmaster level cultivation, your family background must indeed be extraordinary."

"...."

Xu Yuan looked deeply at him.

From the moment they met until now, he had never seen any expressions other than a smile on the pale face of this young man.

Even when they were attacked by the wolf pack, and their caravan’s defensive line was nearly about<> to collapse, his face still maintained that same smile.

Mu Xingyi exuded an air of indifference, as though nothing really mattered to him.

This was probably one of the reasons why Xu Yuan got along well with him.

Thinking to himself, Xu Yuan casually placed several bottles of Spiritual Wine, worth a hundred taels each, on the desk and took out some nuts bought along the way. While pouring drinks, he engaged in a casual chat:

"Speaking of ancestry, with your surname Xing Yi and the scale of your merchant group, you must be from the Mu Clan Commerce Guild, right?"

Upon hearing this, Mu Xingyi did not deny it but slightly nodded:

"Mu Shanhai is indeed my father."

Xu Yuan slightly raised his eyebrows upon hearing this, handed over the filled wine glass with a bit of surprise:

"Xing Yi, you are actually the legitimate son of the Mu Family? But why does your merchant group not even have a Grandmaster for worship?"

"Not really a legitimate son; my mother is the third consort of the Family Head. She made some mistakes more than a decade ago and isn’t very favored by the Family Head."

Mu Xingyi took the wine glass and explained calmly, "As for the Grandmaster in the merchant group... There was one, but he died in battle not long before I met you, Brother Zhou."

"Demonic Beast?"

"Um."

"Condolences."

Xu Yuan murmured, raised his glass, and both drank it in one go.

Savoring the sweet aftertaste of the wine on his taste buds, Xu Yuan softly asked:

"Since you, Xing Yi, are a member of the Mu Clan Commerce Guild, does that mean the dozens of carts of supplies are meant for the Zhenxi Army?"

The Mu Clan Commerce Guild is the largest commerce guild in Xize State.

After the Prime Minister’s Mansion tapped into Xize State using the "war indemnities" from the Myriad Manifestation Sect and extended the reach of Tian’an Commerce Assembly, it faced many conflicts with the Mu Clan Commerce Guild.

Despite various tactics, Tian’an Commerce Assembly gained no advantages and directly blocked Tian’an’s rapid expansion in Xize State.

There are many reasons for this, and one of the most thorny issues is the deep binding between the Mu Clan Commerce Guild and the Marquis of Zhenxi’s Mansion.

The Marquis of Zhenxi holds high prestige in Xize State, but compared to the Marquis Wucheng’s Mansion, the old man of Zhenxi lacks a wise helper like the National Supporting Madam, so the management of his own estate could not be described as clueless but is a mess.

If it were not for holding significant military power, by business logic, the family assets of his good brother Li Junwu would probably have been devoured by other large commerce guilds.

The Marquis of Zhenxi is very aware of his own limitations, thus he hired professionals to manage these responsibilities.

And his partner is this Mu Clan Commerce Guild.

Marquis of Zhenxi’s Mansion provides various raw materials and governmental support, while the Mu Clan Commerce Guild provides industrial management and supplies food, grain, and various war materials.

According to investigations by the Black Scale Guards,

In arms demand for the Marquis of Zhenxi’s Mansion, the Mu Clan Commerce Guild’s supply accounted for a full fifty percent, thirty percent came from the Imperial Court, and the remaining twenty percent were self-provided by the Marquis of Zhenxi’s Mansion.

A misshapen massive war machine, but it is this distortion that has secured the "Imperial Power Licensing" for Mu Clan Commerce Guild in Xize State.

Mu Xingyi hesitated slightly after hearing Xu Yuan’s question, and after a pause, said softly:

"Due to my mother, I’m not very favored. This trip, I’m only responsible for overseeing the delivery of these goods to the Southern Desert Metropolitan Mansion; I’m unaware of the other transaction details. However, it’s most likely meant for the Zhenxi Army, as the Tartar People have recently pressed their forces close to the borders again, and Marquis of Zhenxi is preparing to confront them head-on."

Hearing this, Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow.

Due to his journey, devoid of the intelligence sources from the Prime Minister’s inner courtyard, he was relatively uninformed about the latest major events in the world.

After a brief contemplation, Xu Yuan sipped his wine, his voice carrying a strange tone:

"But I heard that the Tartar People suffered heavy losses last year; how dare they press such a vast army this year?"

Mu Xingyi glanced at Xu Yuan and said:

"Brother Zhou, don’t you know?

"The Tartar People’s Goddess was captured by Princess Jun Wu leading a thousand cavalry at the turn of the year."

As he spoke,

Mu Xingyi gently shook his head under Xu Yuan’s increasingly astonished gaze:

"However, this is not necessarily a good thing.

"After capturing the Goddess, Princess Jun Wu only managed to send a message back to the metropolitan mansion before she and her thousand cavalry guards vanished altogether.

"Now, the Dachao Royal Court and Marquis of Zhenxi are mustering troops over this."