Chapter 257
Chapter 257
But Mulan wasn't listening to him at all; she didn't even have the mental space to worry about Shen Lang cheating. The mere thought of him leaving her side was enough to make her feel like she was dying of sorrow. They say love is fiery in youth. For some time, the two had been enjoying a blissful newlywed life, eating and sleeping together every day as if they were joined at the hip, their only regret being that they couldn't even go relieve themselves together. How could they possibly bear to be apart for even a single day?
The thought of her husband not being by her side, of not hearing his vulgar words, of not smelling his scent, filled Mulan with an unbearable anxiety. She had wanted to say she would follow him to the capital several times, but she too had a heavy responsibility and couldn't leave her post. With her father and Jin Shiying having to remain in Raging Tide City, the defense of the Count of Xuanwu's estate rested entirely on her.
For the first time, Mulan felt a murderous urge toward Jin Mucong.
*You useless oaf. If you were just a little more competent, I could be with my husband always.*
Shen Lang asked tenderly.
"My love, do you happen to have any incredible internal energy manuals that could make one a grandmaster after just a year and a half of practice?"
Mulan had no desire to hear such words; she only wanted to merge into one with Shen Lang.
"No."
"Nothing like the *Nine Yin Manual*, the *Nine Yang Divine Art*, the *Star-Sucking Great Skill*, or the *Northern Darkness Divine Art*?"
"No!"
"How can that be? Then what's the point of learning martial arts in this world? If it takes over a decade of training for every art to become a grandmaster, who has that kind of time? Society is accelerating so quickly these days. Everyone wants a technique that makes them a master in one shot. Slowly leveling up is just no fun. No one wants to play a game with slow EXP gain."
Mulan said nothing. She was beginning to understand her husband's nonsensical ramblings. She still remembered his previous request: a martial art that required only half a watch-hour of practice a day, wasn't too strenuous, and could make one a top master within a year. There was simply no having a proper conversation with an ignoramus who knew nothing about martial arts.
"No such internal art? One that gives you ten years' worth of internal energy for one year of practice?"
"No."
"What about one that gives you five years' worth?"
Mulan bit Shen Lang's chest and pouted beautifully.
"No! I hate you! Can't you stop talking about martial arts? I'm trying to hold you for a little longer, so stop being so noisy."
Shen Lang fell silent for a moment, then asked again.
"Then how about one that gives you three years' worth of internal energy for one year of practice?"
Mulan quietly lifted her head.
"Husband, are you saying you dislike me because my martial arts are weak? You saw how amazing Qiu Yao'er is, and now you're tired of me, aren't you?"
Shen Lang's hair stood on end as he quickly shook his head.
"No, no. Of course not! How could a weakling like me look down on my wife's martial arts?"
In truth, Shen Lang was just getting a little impatient. He still held the goal of making his wife the greatest master in the world, but he was now seeing how difficult that would be. Although there were people like Big Dummy and Qiu Yao'er who could become the best without anyone's help.
*But I'm waiting for that day. The day I can take Mulan to put Qiu Yao'er in her place. Let's see if you can still be so smug then, Qiu Yao'er.*
Shen Lang said quietly.
"When will you become the best in the world, my wife? There's a scene I desperately want to see, even in my dreams. One day, I'll take you to Qiu Yao'er, point at her, and say, 'Get her.' And you'll leap forward and take her down in one blow."
Mulan shot up to a sitting position.
*I have that dream too! In my dreams, I, Jin Mulan, want to kill that she-devil Qiu Yao'er in one blow. How dare she take my husband's first time. And I'm sure his initial... performance issues... were because of you. You trampled on him, leaving a shadow in his heart that made him fail all those times before.*
Mulan finally grew serious.
"My master said there's an incredibly powerful internal energy manual from ancient times that allows one to achieve great results with little effort."
"Tell me, how many years of normal training does one year of practicing that art equate to?"
Mulan felt a pang of regret. Martial arts were profound and sacred; did her husband have to use such a simpleton's way of putting things?
"Probably one year of practice would be equivalent to two years' worth of internal energy."
"Is it that useless?"
Mulan was speechless.
*Useless? That's an incredibly powerful manual. And it's so legendary that even Master Zhong Chuke and Li Qianqiu have never seen it.*
"Wife, what's the name of that manual? I'll get it for you. Is it at the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion?"
Mulan said quietly.
"Why? Are you planning to use your handsome face to trick it out of Shu Tingyu?"
"H-how could that be possible? Even if I were to use my charms, I guarantee my true virtue would remain intact."
"It's not at the Ends of the Earth Sea Pavilion."
"What's its name?"
"It's called *Hell's Dowry*."
"Got it. I'll remember that. When I get my hands on it, I'll give it to you as your twenty-second birthday present."
"I hate you, shut up. Don't you ever mention my age again. I will forever be the same age as you."
Mulan was two years older than Shen Lang, a fact she was always conscious of. But Shen Lang liked older women. A girl like Xiao Bing might look incredibly voluptuous on the outside, but in reality, she was all for show. A woman like Mulan, however, was like a treasure hidden at the bottom of the sea—no matter how much you explored, there was always more, and you never grew tired of it. And that girl Bing'er? She was already a defeated general on the battlefield, hardly worth another campaign. Not like Mulan, where every battle was a close match that Shen Lang could only just endure until the end. And that was only because Mulan went easy on him. If she hadn't...
* * *
That evening.
Shen Lang was having dinner with his parents. When they heard he was going to the capital, they greeted him with worried expressions but ultimately said nothing. His younger brother, Shen Jian, had a handprint on his face.
"Who hit you?"
Shen Jian couldn't bring himself to speak, only glancing up at his mother. It was clearly her.
"Why did you hit him?"
At Shen Lang's question, his mother answered.
"Your good-for-nothing brother does nothing but act foolishly all day. I was always worried he'd never find a bride. Then, your mother-in-law introduced us to a young lady from a good family, a girl from our town. She's sensible and well-mannered, and her father is a scholar who teaches at the Count's estate. Her grandfather is an advisor to the Count. Have you heard of Old Master Lin?"
How could he not know Old Master Lin? Shen Lang often consulted with him on important matters. Old Master Lin was one of the Count's most loyal retainers and the previous Count's adopted son, so his position was quite high. For his mother-in-law to introduce Old Master Lin's granddaughter to his brother, Shen Jian... Shen Lang had a vague memory of the girl; she was cultured and seemed very timid.
"And?"
His mother continued.
"Old Master Lin also consented to the marriage, so the young lady met your brother. Surprisingly, she agreed to the match as well. I really don't know what she was thinking."
Shen Jian remained silent.
*Am I really their biological son? I knew I wasn't the favorite, but to say the girl who likes me must have poor judgment? Am I less than scum? Can't a girl like me?*
"To have such a precious and fine young lady agree to become our family's daughter-in-law, I was overjoyed and hurried to finalize the arrangements between our families and prepare for the wedding. But do you know what this wretched son of mine, Shen Jian, said? He said he has no intention of marrying that young lady and wants to marry the widow, Mrs. Liu, from Fengye Village instead."
Shen Lang was stunned.
*What?! Little brother, you were that devoted? You're still hung up on the widow, Mrs. Liu? No, even if you are devoted, isn't this a bit much? The widow Liu is a full eight years older than you. Not every woman stays eternally young like Qiu Yao'er.*
"We were about to get engaged, but this wretched boy firmly declared he would never marry Miss Lin and would marry the widow, Mrs. Liu. How could I not be furious? I slapped him a few times, and then you came home, so I stopped. Otherwise, he would have been half-dead by my hand today! And your father would have probably finished the other half!"
At that moment, Mulan was meticulously deboning a fish for Shen Lang. After she finished, she placed the fresh, thick piece of fish in his mouth. Finding his mother-in-law's words amusing, she couldn't help but let out a "Pfft," and in that instant, his mother looked at Mulan with a gaze so warm it could melt steel.
*Sigh! What a blessing from the heavens to have such a wonderful daughter-in-law. A noble lady, dressing our Shen Lang when he stretches out his hands and feeding him when he opens his mouth, loving him like royalty.*
"Shen Jian, your sister-in-law is here, so I'll make this clear. This marriage was arranged by your mother-in-law. If you dare to refuse, I will beat you to death. I have my eldest son, so I can do without a son like you."
At his father's terrifying threat, Shen Jian shrank back, trembling as he said.
"But... I promised the widow, Mrs. Liu, before. That I would marry her after I made something of myself."
Shen Lang asked his brother.
"And did the widow, Mrs. Liu, agree to marry you back then?"
Shen Jian trembled even more.
"No..."
Shen Lang could say no more. To think his brother harbored such a one-sided affection for an older woman like the widow, Mrs. Liu.
* * *
After dinner, Mulan joined her mother-in-law, sewing and chatting amiably. Although not infrequent, Shen Lang and Mulan had spent about half their nights at the Count's estate over the past month or two, and the other half at Shen Lang's family home. The Shen family was no longer the dilapidated, humble household of the past but had transformed into a jaw-droppingly magnificent estate. Shen Lang had money and loved to show it off, so he immediately had a mansion built on dozens of acres of land. It had everything: pavilions, gazebos, gardens, and ponds. Even though only a fifth of it was complete, it could already house dozens of people. Shen Lang brought his brother to the unfinished garden.
"Little brother, tell me honestly what you're thinking. I've seen that widow, Mrs. Liu. She's decent-looking, but she's a bit fleshy, her waist isn't slim, her skin isn't very fair, and while her rear is large, it's not well-shaped."