Chapter 100

The Count of Xuanwu stepped forward, took the royal edict, and read it. His expression grew even more contorted.

‘A Scholar of the Imperial Academy? And a purchased title at that? Isn’t this just another way of calling Shen Lang trash to his face?’

The most outstanding scholars would take the imperial examinations, pass as provincial and then metropolitan graduates, and be appointed to official posts. But what about those who failed to pass yet still craved a title? They would enroll in the Imperial Academy. In its early days, the academy was a respectable institution.

At first, the Imperial Academy only accepted the sons of nobles and high-ranking officials, but later, it began to admit the children of wealthy merchants as well. These merchants, eager to build connections, would send their sons to the academy to acquire a prestigious name. Naturally, the noble students who attended were displeased.

‘Who do you commoners think you are? You think a little money lets you attend the same school as me?’

However, the court, not wanting to lose this source of revenue, established a separate National University where all children of nobles and high officials would study. In time, the Imperial Academy became a place for the sons of the wealthy to buy their diplomas, and it descended into utter chaos. To put it bluntly, eighty percent of the students attending the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Imperial Academy were talentless wastes of space.

It even became a common street insult.

"You go to the Imperial Academy, don't you? I hear your whole family studies there."

And now, Shen Lang had become a member of the Imperial Academy. The key ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠issue was that the King had deliberately sent someone to deliver an edict for such a trivial matter. This was a very bad sign. It was tantamount to the King giving the Count of Xuanwu's Estate a fierce slap across the face.

Shen Lang and the Count of Xuanwu had rendered great service in this incident. Not only had they saved Princess Ning Luo's life, but they had also exposed Prince Ning Zheng's conspiracy beforehand. Although the estate had bruised the King's ego by submitting a memorial, they were undeniably meritorious subjects. Yet, the King had immediately followed up with a slap, telling them to be grateful for the reward.

Shen Lang said with a smile, "Our King is quite a petty man. Father-in-law, it's time to abandon any illusions of a peaceful resolution and prepare for a fight."

The Count of Xuanwu nodded with a solemn expression.

Shen Lang continued, "We have about five or six days of peace. Let's enjoy this quiet and leisurely time, and then prepare for battle. I will have to harm, kill, and disgrace others once more. I am truly a kind person who despises hurting people and seeks to live in harmony with others, but this world simply won't let me be. All my acts of revenge are forced upon me by this world."

His father-in-law and wife both left. As if by some unspoken agreement, they would quietly depart whenever Shen Lang started spouting such unlucky words. When Shen Lang returned to his room, Mulan followed him in. Shen Lang stared blankly at the list of enemies written on the wall, the brush in his hand itching to add another name.

"My lord, don't do anything foolish."

Mulan said in a soft voice. As they say, no one knows a husband better than his wife; she knew Shen Lang wanted to write the King's name on the wall.

"No, I'm going to write the King's name up there."

Mulan hastily tried to stop him.

"My lord, you really mustn't. If anyone sees it, it will bring disaster upon us."

"No, I must write it. I have never been bullied like this in my entire life, from childhood until now. Anyone who crosses me will have their name written on this wall."

Then, with a murderous aura, Shen Lang wrote two characters on the wall.

Guo Jing! (The male protagonist from Jin Yong's novel *The Legend of the Condor Heroes*)

In another dimension, the great hero Guo looked on, bewildered.

‘Why did he write my name?’

* * *

Just as Shen Lang had said, the next five days were a rare period of peace and leisure. He decided to enjoy this time, as he would soon have to embark on a journey into a battlefield where the attacks were sharper than any blade.

On the second night, Shen Lang once again climbed the wall to read his book. Coincidentally, Mulan was again bathing with her window open. On the third night, Mulan appeared in her room right on schedule. As Shen Lang prepared to climb the ladder to the wall, his legs trembled ever so slightly. By the fourth night, Shen Lang had dark circles under his eyes, and his arms and back ached. ‘Wife, are you bathing again today? I can't take it anymore,’ he cried inwardly.

But when the lights on the highest floor of the embroidered tower brightened and steam began to rise, the lecherous demon in Shen Lang's heart stirred once more. It seemed he had become addicted to peeping on his wife. For less than a second, Shen Lang resolved not to peek again, but then he clutched his aching back and started climbing the ladder. His legs were shaking uncontrollably, but once he was on the wall, he could see the incomparably beautiful Mulan through the window. She was completely different from how she was during the day. Once again, he found himself utterly captivated by her.

Just then, a delicate figure burst out of a door in a daze. It was Xiao Bing. That evening, Xiao Bing had deliberately worn thin clothes and swayed alluringly in front of Shen Lang, wanting her own revenge for his previous critique of her posterior. However, she soon realized that Shen Lang wasn't even looking at her with his usual lewd gaze. She was deeply hurt by this, and her subsequent anger led her to drink too much sweetened water, causing her to wake up in the middle of the night to relieve herself.

Alas, it wasn't that Shen Lang didn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠want to look at her; he simply didn't have the energy. Xiao Bing groggily got up to go to the latrine, but the path was quite long, and the darkness between her and her destination frightened her. After a moment's hesitation, she decided to squat under a large tree in the garden to do her business. It was then that she noticed someone peeping from the top of the wall.

"Aah!"

She screamed in shock but quickly realized the figure was Shen Lang. Even though he was wearing a black mask and night attire, she would have recognized him even if he were a burnt corpse. There was no other shadow in the world so handsome. Even while shamelessly peeping, Shen Lang was dashing. Xiao Bing, having just screamed, immediately covered her mouth, but her brief cry had already startled several people.

Shen Lang was also startled by the sound and lost his footing, sending several roof tiles clattering down with a piercing noise. Mulan, hearing the commotion, instinctively covered her chest and quickly looked outside. Following that, many lanterns lit up in her tower, and a dozen or so maids opened their windows to look out.

"Meow, meow."

Shen Lang quickly crouched down from the wall, hid himself, and let out a few cat-like cries. The sound was so realistic it sounded like an unneutered tomcat. The dozen or so maids looked toward the wall.

"What are you looking at? It's just a stray cat that startled me."

Xiao Bing said, deliberately putting on an air of authority. At that, the maids all closed their windows and extinguished their lamps. Xiao Bing shot a fierce glare at Shen Lang and grumbled under her breath.

"Master, I really hate you. Peeping on people in the middle of the night. I'm never acknowledging you again."

Then she covered her face and ran off. Watching her retreating figure, Shen Lang wanted to point out, ‘I’ve already seen your butt, what’s the use in covering your face now?’

* * *

The fifth night.

Shen Lang lay in bed, clutching his lower back and screaming internally.

‘Wife, please, don't be so meticulous about cleanliness. Can't you skip your bath tonight? Or if you must bathe, please close the window. I really can't take it anymore. A handsome man like me is naturally frail; my stamina and vigor have their limits.’

‘I swear, I will go to bed early tonight. Even if my wife gives me another chance, I will absolutely not climb the wall to read. If I, Shen Lang, climb that wall again, may I be Jin Mulan's grandson.’

To break his peeping addiction, Shen Lang went to bed early. But no matter how much he tossed and turned, he couldn't fall asleep. He felt as if he had failed to complete an important mission. Around eleven o'clock, the lights on the top floor of his wife's tower lit up again, and Shen Lang could hear the sound of water from a distance.

‘Is my wife bathing again?’

Shen Lang's lecherous demon was resurrected once more. This was harder than quitting smoking. Shen Lang unconsciously rose from his bed.

‘I'm definitely not going to peep. I'm just going out for a walk. It's too stuffy in the room, I need some fresh air.’

Then, Shen Lang once again donned his black night attire and a black mask. Why did he need a mask to get fresh air? That wasn't important. Fully geared up, Shen Lang left his room.

‘I just happened to find myself at the foot of the wall, and I just happened to start climbing it.’

But when Shen Lang climbed the wall again, he saw nothing. His wife had closed the window on the second floor of her tower to bathe.

‘It's closed! It's closed. It's closed.’

Shen Lang was instantly furious.

‘Jin Mulan, what is the meaning of this? You closed the window?’

That night, Shen Lang couldn't sleep a wink, the fire of indignation in his chest refusing to die down.

‘Jin Mulan, how could you? This is too much!’

* * *

The next morning at breakfast.

Shen Lang knew he had to start preparing for battle, so this was likely his last day of leisure. Yet, he wore a gloomy expression, as if someone owed him ten thousand gold coins. While eating, he even threw down his chopsticks and slammed his bowl on the table. Xiao Bing watched him, wondering what was wrong.

"Hmph!"

After eating about half a bowl of rice, Shen Lang slammed his chopsticks on the table and said petulantly, "I'm done eating."

Mulan waved her hand to dismiss Xiao Bing, then asked gently, "My lord, what's wrong?"

"Are you looking down on me because of my humble origins?"

Mulan was startled and shook her head.

"Of course not. I have never done that."

"Then are you looking down on me because you think I'm just a freeloader in your house, coveting wealth and glory?"

Mulan grew anxious, her voice trembling slightly as she replied, "Of course not! My lord, please don't think such things."

"Then are you looking down on me because I can't even wring a chicken's neck, have no martial arts skills, no official title, and am otherwise worthless?"

Mulan's eyes reddened, tears welling up as she spoke with a desperate sincerity, as if baring her soul.

"My lord, how could you think that? I have never, ever thought that way. My lord, I... I really like you, so please don't think such things. Did I do something wrong to make you misunderstand?"

Shen Lang said, full of grief and indignation, "If you don't look down on me, then why did you close the window when you were bathing? Did you think I would peep on you? Do you think I'm that despicable a person? Jin Mulan, shouldn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠there be at least a little trust between us as husband and wife?"

If special effects could be added, a massive ball of fire would have erupted behind Mulan at that moment. And that fire would be blazing hot enough to incinerate a person.

‘Shen Lang, you've gone too far. I was about to cry just now.’

Jin Mulan's beautiful eyes shot daggers as she clenched her fists. Seeing this, Shen Lang immediately moved forward, pressing himself against her back and wrapping his arms tightly around her slender waist.

‘My god! Such elasticity. This is driving me crazy. Wait, now is not the time to add fuel to the fire.’

Taking the opportunity of the embrace, Shen Lang kissed the nape of his wife's neck and begged for forgiveness.

"Wife, I was wrong. I was wrong! I was truly wrong. So incredibly, earth-shatteringly wrong. My darling Mulan, you have such a magnificent chest, can't you find it in your heart to forgive me just this once?"

Mulan's heart softened at his pleading words, but... was this really the attitude of someone begging for forgiveness?

‘You say you're sorry, but where are you rubbing? What are you grinding against? What are you pressing against me?’

Mulan desperately held back. She muttered under her breath, "Jin family precepts: a wife does not strike her husband, a wife does not strike her husband, a wife does not strike her husband!" But Shen Lang's next words made it impossible for Mulan to continue her training in patience.

"Ah... Ah... Wife, no. It's going to break, it's really going to break. It's not just my back anymore, something else is going to break too."

Shen Lang's miserable screams echoed through their courtyard. Instantly, all the maids residing there shut their doors firmly and pressed their ears to the walls, listening to what was happening.

‘Never get close when the Young Master is suffering a miserable fate. Otherwise, you'll suffer a miserable fate too. Don't think he won't retaliate just because you're a woman. I can still feel the sensation of that caterpillar on my backside. But... listening to the Young Master's screams is incredibly satisfying.’