Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Parade Ground at Western Mountain-The World in the Palm of Your Hand(Stone Tiger)

“Good morning, young master.”

With dark circles under his eyes, Hu Mo strolled slowly along the winding paths of the Hu manor. Servants and maids passing by all greeted him with utmost respect, then hurried away, stifling their laughter.

“Did you see that? The young master got beaten up again. He really looks like a panda beast, ha ha…”

“I’m not so sure about that. The young master hasn’t left the house for days, and last time he even summoned a mage to exorcise evil spirits. Seems he’s truly been bewitched. I’d wager he’s fallen ill from excess debauchery, draining his vital energy…”

“Nonsense, that’s even more unlikely. He hasn’t set foot outside lately. Do you think he’d set his sights on those gorgeous maids?”

“Idiot, do you eat meat every day? Ever heard of the ‘Five-Fingered Lady’?” A lecherous-looking servant waved his hand, and the others broke into knowing grins—clearly, they were all on the same page.

Hu Mo felt utterly aggrieved and vexed. What had he ever done to provoke them? Whenever he suffered misfortune, they were all too delighted, practically giddy with excitement. It made his blood boil.

Most galling of all, they assumed he couldn’t hear their muttering, beginning their whispers from a dozen meters away. Little did they know, their so-called hushed voices were perfectly clear to Hu Mo, as if they were speaking right into his ear.

Many times, Hu Mo wanted to stop and scold them soundly, or even drive them off. But remembering their pitiable backgrounds, he relented. What could he do? He was soft-hearted and kind by nature.

Yet these weren’t the things troubling him most at the moment. What truly preoccupied him was the presence of Cang Ling at his side. He’d been worried she would be discovered by Hu Yihu and the others, which would make explaining things nearly impossible.

If a stunning beauty emerged from his room, would anyone believe she was his sister? If Hu Yihu found out, he’d probably beat Hu Mo half to death.

But now, those worries could be set aside. According to Cang Ling, unless she chose to reveal herself, no one but Hu Mo in the entire world of Xuan Zhan could see her.

What frustrated him more was that, despite clearly disliking him, this woman continued to follow him everywhere, making him feel constantly uneasy, as though under surveillance. The sensation was deeply unsettling.

But what could he do? He wasn’t her master—he had no control over her.

As he walked on, Hu Mo suddenly sensed something and turned, heading toward a secluded corner with a grave expression.

“What are you up to?” Cang Ling, ever economical with words, immediately asked, instinctively following as he turned.

“I’m off to the latrine—unless you’d like to join me?” Hu Mo flashed a grin of pearly teeth. Cang Ling’s eyes widened in outrage; she wanted to scold him but held her temper, her flushed face making Hu Mo’s heart skip a beat. This girl, at times, was truly a little enchantress.

Relieved after tending to nature’s call, Hu Mo felt much lighter. He first went to the manor’s council hall, then to the little pavilion where Hu Yihu often played chess, but saw no sign of him.

Since Hu Yihu had started thinking along certain lines, it was time to confront him openly—Hu Mo had already made up his mind. But searching in vain along the way left him impatient. Where had that old man gone?

At that moment, several squads of guards hurried past, their faces anxious, as if something serious had happened.

“Why the rush? What’s going on?” Hu Mo called out, stopping the last guard in line.

“Mo—young master, do you need something?” The guard was in a great hurry, not even noticing who had stopped him. Startled, he was about to lash out, but upon seeing Hu Mo’s handsome, smiling face, he swallowed his words, looking both anxious and frightened.

The other guards had long since vanished, leaving him feeling utterly wretched.

Hu Mo smiled warmly at him, his tone gentle. “Where are you rushing off to in such a panic?”

The guard quickly replied, “To answer, young master—the Marshal is in a foul mood today and has called all the guards to the Western Mountain Drill Ground. If we’re late, it’s a hundred lashes. Young master, I—” As he spoke, the urge to flee grew stronger.

“Don’t worry, with me here, you won’t be punished. Tell me—why is the Marshal in such a bad mood?” Hu Mo kept his tone cheerful, trying to soothe the poor soul.

The guard looked at him pitifully. How could he feel reassured by Hu Mo’s words? He knew full well how ruthless Hu Yihu could be when angered—terrifying would be an understatement. He only blamed himself for not avoiding Hu Mo—there was no escaping those lashes now.

“Young master, this is just what I heard. This morning, the Marshal had a run-in with the Situ family at court, and came home furious,” the guard said with a bitter face.

“The Situ family again, eh? Looks like the old man suffered a loss this time. I should go pay him a visit.” Hu Mo muttered to himself. When he looked up, the guard had already vanished—he really could run.

With a wry smile, Hu Mo turned to Cang Ling. “Let’s go see for ourselves.”

“Do as you please. Why ask me?” Cang Ling shot him a glare and snorted, striding off in the direction the guard had gone.

“Still as prickly as ever.” Hu Mo shook his head and followed.

The Western Mountain Drill Ground lay on the outskirts west of Flame City.

The Fire God Army, the empire’s most elite force, was personally trained by Hu Yihu; this was their usual training ground.

From afar, Hu Mo gazed at the vast drill ground, nearly a thousand acres wide. The thunderous shouts of the soldiers stirred something within him. He longed to carve out a place for himself in this world—and perhaps, here, he would find his chance.

“Kill—!”

Within the field, soldiers fought one-on-one or in groups. Though it was called training, their blows held nothing back. Many left the grounds on stretchers each day.

Such severity was necessary. There was no mercy on the battlefield. The more blood and sweat they shed now, the better their chances of survival in war.

“You little bastards, fight! Give it all you’ve got! Whichever squad loses goes without dinner tonight!”

“Get up! Don’t lie there playing dead! The empire needs warriors, not cowards!”

“Good! Well struck!”

Drawing nearer, Hu Mo clearly saw Hu Yihu, full of vigor and fighting spirit—a sight that made Hu Mo secretly apprehensive. The old man’s belligerence was truly a headache. He hardly resembled a stately marshal.

The guard who had rushed ahead of Hu Mo was seized by several others as soon as he entered the grounds.

Hu Yihu narrowed his eyes, fixing the guard with a glance that made him tremble.

“What did I tell you all? Take him away—same old rule: a hundred lashes!” Hu Yihu waved his hand, signaling them to drag the guard off.

“Wait! Spare him!” A loud voice rang out abruptly. Moments later, Hu Mo appeared before Hu Yihu, ambling toward him with a sunny smile.

“Mo’er… you little rascal! What are you doing here? This is no place for you!” Hu Yihu’s brows shot up, his tone fierce.

Hu Mo caught the shift in his gaze and quickly responded, “Nothing much. Just bored after being cooped up at home. Old man, what’s so strange about me being here? Isn’t this the Hu family’s drill ground? I’m your own grandson—can’t I come and have a look?”

How arrogant! That was the unanimous thought of all present. Rumors proved true—this wastrel really was possessed. Now, he seemed even madder.

“Scoundrel! Get yourself home at once—stop disgracing us here!” Hu Yihu roared, his face livid, nearly choking with rage.

Butler Fu hurried over to pat his back, his expression tense.

By Hu Mo’s side, Cang Ling, who had been silent, suddenly snorted with laughter. “What an act,” she sneered.

Hu Mo ignored her, smiling faintly. “Well, old man, anything else you want to say? That guard was late because he ran an errand for me at the Fragrant Courtyard. I’ll take his punishment. If you want to beat someone, beat me.”

He moved to shield the guard, standing with a bold, fearless air.

The veteran soldiers shook their heads, lamenting the Hu family’s fate. Hu Mo’s actions certainly earned him the title of rebellious grandson.

The guard was nearly in tears. Talking nonsense could cost lives. He’d only answered Hu Mo’s questions—nothing more. The Fragrant Courtyard was a notorious brothel in Flame City, strictly forbidden by Hu Yihu’s orders. Now he faced far worse than a hundred lashes. But with Hu Mo shielding him so gallantly, what could he do?

“Scoundrel! Fu, seize him and take him to the command tent. I’ll deal with him myself!” Hu Yihu thundered, stalking off without a backward glance.

Butler Fu shook his head, binding the still-defiant Hu Mo. The soldiers fell silent; the marshal was truly enraged this time.

As soon as Hu Yihu entered the tent, he smashed a cup to pieces and drove the others out. None dared utter a word—they fled as if for their lives, their speed astonishing.

Cang Ling followed Hu Mo into the tent. Watching Hu Yihu fume, she had to stifle a laugh. These two could put on quite a show. Probably only she and Butler Fu saw through it.

When all had been expelled, Butler Fu stood by the entrance, his senses alert, monitoring the surroundings.

Hu Mo sat down leisurely, smiling at Hu Yihu. “Grandfather, your acting is truly superb!”