After leaving the room, the Mountain King discovered that the area outside was packed three layers deep with people. Those in front were craning their necks to peek inside, while those behind shoved the people ahead of them, urging them to hurry up and look so it could be the next group’s turn.
“What are you all doing?”
The moment he stepped outside, the Mountain King’s expression changed completely. Standing there with imposing dignity, he fixed his brothers with a dangerous stare.
“Nothing much, just taking a look. Just looking,” one young bandit replied with a grin.
The Mountain King’s face darkened at once, an unquestionable authority radiating from him.
“When I’m here, you may look like this. But when I’m not, no one is allowed to sneak over and peek at my beauty. If I catch anyone doing it, being boiled alive will be the least of your worries.”
“Yes…” came the scattered replies from the crowd.
The Mountain King frowned in dissatisfaction.
“Have none of you eaten?”
“Yes!” everyone shouted in unison.
His eyebrows shot upward, and his tone became ferocious.
“Who told you to shout so loudly? My beauty is resting inside. If you wake him up, none of you will sleep for a week.”
The crowd exchanged glances. Every one of them looked as though they wanted to laugh but dared not. When had their king ever become so considerate? In the past, when he was enjoying himself with someone, the brothers could shout and cheer outside all they wanted. Some had even cracked open the door to peek inside, and he had never cared. Now a single glance seemed as though it would cost him his life…
Still, it wasn’t entirely bad. If any of them got into trouble in the future, they could probably just ask the future stronghold lady for mercy. No matter how furious the Mountain King became, he likely wouldn’t be able to stay angry.
The Mountain King had intended to stand guard outside the door, but seeing that none of his men were leaving only irritated him further.
“Get back and sleep. What are you all standing around here for?”
“Your Majesty, have you forgotten? We don’t sleep at night.”
The Mountain King froze for a moment, inwardly cursing himself for forgetting such an obvious thing.
Seeing his expression, the brothers immediately realized he had been completely dazzled by love. Laughter and teasing broke out among them. One straightforward bandit poked his head out from the crowd and said, “Your Majesty, we’re not leaving. We’ll help guard stronghold lady. If any nearby bandits come to steal him away, we’ll stew them in a pot.”
“You fool!”
The Mountain King slapped him, nearly knocking him dead on the spot.
“All the mountains around here belong to me. Who would dare come and steal someone from me? If they can even get in here, that would already be an achievement.”
The crowd instantly fell silent.
A bandit standing closest to him leaned over and whispered, “Your Majesty, two people really did break in today. They were trying to take the stronghold lady away.”
“Where?”
The moment he heard someone wanted to steal his beauty, the Mountain King’s face turned black. His eyes seemed ready to spit fire, and the cracking sounds from his clenched fists clearly assaulted the ears of the hundreds present.
Those two people probably wouldn’t survive.
Led by his men, the Mountain King strode toward the place where outsiders were being held. Before long, he saw two similar-looking men tied to separate boulders. Though they lacked Mu Xueshi’s beauty, by the standards of the people here they could still be considered handsome and refined.
When Lu Fei and Lu Fan saw the Mountain King approaching, they silently reminded each other not to anger him. They had long heard that the leader of these mountain bandits was violent and ruthless. A mere frown from him could mean the deaths of dozens.
“Why are you trying to steal my wife?”
Lu Fei and Lu Fan both froze and exchanged a glance, completely unsure what he was talking about.
“Don’t play tricks with me, or you’ll die an ugly death.”
An overwhelming pressure descended upon them. Looking up into the Mountain King’s eyes, Lu Fei and Lu Fan found they were not human eyes at all, but the gaze of a predatory beast.
Having spent years beside the Third Prince, the two were far calmer than ordinary men. Even under that terrifying stare, Lu Fei replied calmly, “We have no intention of stealing your wife. We only came looking for our missing… Judicial Affairs Minister.”
Lu Fei deliberately kept Mu Xueshi’s name hidden. Given the current situation, if people learned that the missing person was the Mu Xueshi whose reputation had spread throughout the land, his danger would only increase.
Judicial Affairs Minister…
The Mountain King pondered the title. Suddenly, he remembered what Mu Xueshi had told him earlier. He had said he was a third-rank official appointed by the imperial court and had fallen from his horse somewhere in these mountains. Could the person they were looking for be his beauty?
Squinting, the Mountain King carefully examined the pair.
“What does the person you’re looking for look like?”
Immediately sensing that Mu Xueshi was probably here, Lu Fei answered seriously, “Our lord is unmatched in beauty, naturally lively and innocent.”
At once, the Mountain King understood.
These two were definitely subordinates of his beauty.
“Your Majesty, enough listening to their nonsense. Let the brothers have a taste first.”
“Exactly. We didn’t get anything to eat tonight, and these two aren’t bad-looking.”
“Your Majesty has a wife now, but we have nothing. Are we supposed to just keep watching?”
“Your Majesty? Your Majesty?”
“…”
“Shut up!”
The Mountain King’s roar instantly silenced everyone.
After pacing around a few times, he stopped beside Lu Fei and Lu Fan. In the sudden stillness, even breathing could be heard clearly.
Looking down at them from above, he slowly said to the bandits behind him, “Don’t touch these two for now. Tomorrow, when my beauty wakes up, I’ll ask for his opinion.”
Hundreds of people answered in voices barely louder than mosquitoes.
“Yes…”
Having said that, the Mountain King turned and headed back toward his house.
“What a disappointment.”
“Yeah. Our king really has fallen hard this time. Looks like all of us brothers will be living like monks from now on.”
“Especially with someone that beautiful right in front of us. Being allowed to look but not touch is torture.”
“Sigh…”
After the crowd dispersed amid endless complaints, Lu Fan finally turned toward Lu Fei and asked anxiously, “Brother, I think the beauty they’re talking about is probably Young Master Xue.”
Lu Fei wore the same worried expression.
“Not probably. It’s definitely Young Master Xue. This is a disaster. We should have stopped him halfway there. Who would have thought he’d be carried off?”
“I already saw it happen,” Lu Fan said bitterly. “But that bandit chief rode like the wind. He shook me off almost immediately. That forest belongs to them, so I had to move cautiously while pursuing him, afraid of an ambush. Instead, I got lost on the mountain myself, stumbled into one of their poison formations, and ended up captured.”
“I had the same experience. I intended to return and notify the Third Prince, but I couldn’t find my way out of that forest. I’ve heard that once outsiders enter the Mist Forest, getting back out is extremely difficult. Even if we wanted to escape now, we couldn’t get past their watch.”
Lu Fan sighed and glanced toward the direction the Mountain King had gone.
“Brother, what should we do? If anything happens to Young Master Xue, how are we supposed to answer to the Third Prince?”
“It probably won’t,” Lu Fei comforted him. “Didn’t you hear what those people were saying? This Mountain King treats the people he captures extremely well. Young Master Xue probably won’t suffer much. I’m only worried that…”
“The problem is precisely that he won’t suffer. If the Third Prince finds out he’s being showered with affection here, he’ll probably flatten these mountains.”
“That’s true. Even His Highness probably never imagined something like this would happen. Normally there’d be nothing wrong with Young Master Xue riding out alone—at worst he might fall from his horse. Who would have thought he’d end up here? I can’t imagine how anxious His Highness must be, not hearing from us.”
“It’s our fault. We were too careless…”
Silver moonlight spilled down, illuminating the broad figure standing before the bamboo house. Dawn was drawing near. No one knew where the Mountain King had been, but he returned drenched in sweat from head to toe. Instead of entering immediately, he peered through a gap in the bamboo wall. A smile slowly appeared on his lips.
The little figure on the bed seemed to be sleeping peacefully. The blanket was in even worse condition than when he had left, making him seem obedient and adorable. The Mountain King praised him silently in his heart. What he didn’t know was that Mu Xueshi’s sleeping habits were unusual—only when he had thoroughly turned the entire bed upside down could it truly be said that he had fallen asleep.
Lying on the bed, Mu Xueshi had spent the entire night half-awake. He simply couldn’t lower his guard. He knew that a single moment of carelessness might ruin any chance he had afterward.
How did I end up in a bandit stronghold right after becoming an official?
Is this a dream or is it real?
Mu Xueshi desperately wished he could fall asleep. Maybe if he woke up, the person beside him would be the Third Prince again.
After holding it in all night, Mu Xueshi finally couldn’t endure it any longer. He quietly climbed out of bed and headed outside. The moment he opened the door and saw the Mountain King leaning against the bamboo wall, he froze and nearly stumbled to the ground.
Seeing Mu Xueshi standing in the doorway, the Mountain King hurried over and asked, “Why aren’t you sleeping?”
Pointing at his stomach, Mu Xueshi whispered, “I need to pee…”
The Mountain King burst into laughter. Stroking Mu Xueshi’s hair, he said dotingly, “So you got up in the middle of the night. I’ll accompany my beauty.”
“N-No…” Mu Xueshi shook his head frantically.
Seeing that Mu Xueshi was unwilling, the Mountain King pointed toward a bamboo hut not far away. “You can go there. Or I can have someone bring a chamber pot in for you.”
“I’ll go there. Don’t follow me!” Mu Xueshi practically fled toward the bamboo hut.
When he reached the entrance, he still turned back for a glance. The Mountain King was standing exactly where he had been and had not followed. Only then did Mu Xueshi dare go inside. After finishing, he felt an overwhelming sense of relief.
Did he really stand out there guarding all night? Mu Xueshi couldn’t help wondering. Thinking of the tenderness in the Mountain King’s eyes when he had come out earlier, and the way he had faithfully remained there all night, his heart unexpectedly softened a little. In truth, the Mountain King wasn’t as bad as he had imagined. After all, Mu Xueshi had been the one who crashed into the tree and injured himself. The man had rescued him and brought him back—he hadn’t forcibly captured him.
Maybe if I find a chance to explain everything clearly, he’ll understand and let me go…
With a sigh, Mu Xueshi trudged back in a daze. Soon he felt a pair of large hands lift him up again. This time he didn’t resist. Resisting would only make the man hold him tighter. He might as well be carried obediently.
Once he was back in bed, Mu Xueshi finally relaxed somewhat. He drifted into a light sleep, only to be awakened by the crackling sound of firecrackers.
Startled awake, he sat up and hurried toward the door, pulling on the clothes he had worn before. Someone had apparently washed them for him. Even if it killed him, he was not putting those leaves back on.
The moment Mu Xueshi emerged, the bandits all stared blankly for a second before erupting into cheers as if waking from a dream. They looked like devoted fans meeting their idol, excited to the point of frenzy.
The injuries on Mu Xueshi’s face had healed considerably. Standing beneath the sunlight, he resembled a glowing spirit, so beautiful that he seemed unreal. When he had arrived the previous evening, it had already been dusk and he hadn’t been able to see how many people occupied the mountain. Now, with a single glance, he realized he could see nothing but people.
Standing at the very front was the Mountain King. Today he wore a fur outfit and carried a gleaming silver bow across his back. He looked heroic and imposing. The moment he saw Mu Xueshi, he strode over, pulled him into his arms, and gazed at him with obvious affection.
The other bandits were both jealous and excited. In unison, they shouted:
“Stronghold lady! Stronghold lady! Stronghold lady!”
Mu Xueshi stood frozen in place. Suddenly remembering the firecrackers from earlier, his mind went completely blank.
Don’t tell me that means we’re already married?
The Mountain King failed to notice Mu Xueshi’s concern. Instead, he took Mu Xueshi by the hand and led him toward a bamboo grove in the distance. A shaded path wound through the grove, narrow enough for only two people to walk side by side. After leading Mu Xueshi onto the path, the Mountain King shot a warning glance over his shoulder, signaling everyone else not to follow.
The bandits could only crowd around the entrance, stretching their necks to peer inside.
After walking for a while, a delicate little bamboo house appeared before Mu Xueshi. It was only a fraction of the size of the other bamboo buildings, yet its construction was exquisite. Under the sunlight, it gleamed brilliantly. Inside were only a bamboo bed, two bamboo chairs, and a collection of strange little decorations.
Looking up, Mu Xueshi inhaled sharply. Hundreds upon hundreds of jeweled ornaments hung from the ceiling, glittering so brightly they dazzled the eyes. They differed slightly from those in the imperial palace, appearing even more delicate and translucent. At last, Mu Xueshi understood where all the shining lights he had seen from outside had come from—it was the reflection cast by the ornaments hanging in this room.
Suddenly interested, he examined the little decorations more closely. Every one of them was unique. Though all were made of bamboo, they came in all kinds of unusual shapes and looked incredibly charming.
“Well? What do you think, Beauty?” the Mountain King asked.
Mu Xueshi blinked in confusion. After a long pause, he replied, “It’s a very beautiful bamboo house, but… why are you showing it to me?”
The Mountain King laughed heartily. Unable to resist, he pinched Mu Xueshi’s cheek again.
“Of course it’s for you. I worked hard all night building this bamboo house. It’s a wedding gift for us, a gift for my beauty.”
With that, he lifted Mu Xueshi into the air and spun him around several times.
Even after being set back on the ground, Mu Xueshi still looked thoroughly alarmed.
“You’ve already built our wedding house?”
“How could that be?” the Mountain King replied. “This is only a model. The real house won’t be ready until the men finish building it. Do you like it?”
What?
This bamboo house was only a model?
Mu Xueshi suddenly felt it wasn’t small at all.
Looking at the Mountain King’s eager expression, Mu Xueshi simply couldn’t bring himself to disappoint him. Against his conscience, he nodded, while inwardly lamenting his fate.
This is way too fast. What am I supposed to do? At this rate, by the time I explain everything clearly, they’ll probably have already finished the real house.
Fortunately, those firecrackers had only been set off for this little house. Otherwise, waking up to discover he had somehow become someone’s wife overnight would have been utterly absurd.
The Mountain King continued chatting happily with Mu Xueshi, but none of it really entered his ears. Mu Xueshi spent the entire time calculating how he could get back home. If this continued, not only would he ruin his own future happiness, he would also be wasting all of the Mountain King’s sincere effort.
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