Chapter 56
Chapter 56
Shen Lang's body was folded mercilessly, his head tucked between his legs. The pain was so intense that he forgot all about his dignity and tried to flee, but Jin Mulan's delicate, beautiful hands held his shoulders, preventing any escape. He was filled with regret.
‘So much regret. If I hadn't married into the Count's estate, I wouldn't be in this much pain today. If I hadn't time-traveled, I wouldn't have become the Count's live-in son-in-law. If I hadn't gone to Africa, I wouldn't have been hit by a bomb and time-traveled. If I hadn't gone to the lab that night, my face wouldn't have been disfigured by sulfuric acid, and I wouldn't have gone to Africa.
If that fat roommate of mine hadn't borrowed the adult video I just bought, I wouldn't have gone to the lab. That damn fatty, this is all your fault. Why did you have to borrow my video? No wonder I feel like I'm looking at an enemy every time I see Jin Mucong.’
Shen Lang trembled.
"W-Wife. Didn't you say we were playing a game that involved crashing into each other like primitive animals?"
"That's right. This game is called the Six Animal Frolics. It's a game that imitates the movements of primitive animals. Your body is too weak, Husband, so you need to train more. Since I happen to have some time, I'll help you train well."
Shen Lang was drenched in sweat.
"Th-Thank you, Wife."
"A husband and wife are one body, so there's no need to be so polite. Husband, we should do this at least ten more times, shouldn't we...?"
*Ten times?* Shen Lang wailed internally.
‘Wife, you might as well just kill me.’
"Wife, I was wrong. I was truly wrong. Whatever it is, it's all my fault."
Mulan asked seriously.
"What did you do wrong, Husband? You've done nothing wrong. I'm merely helping you with your physical training."
"Whatever happened, it's all my fault. You are forever right, just, and great. If we ever have a disagreement, always refer back to this statement."
"Do you really think you were wrong?"
"I was wrong. Utterly, disastrously wrong."
Shen Lang had no idea what he'd done wrong, but that didn't matter at all. As long as he admitted fault, that was enough. Then, Mulan's face turned completely red as she asked.
"Then tell me. How did you find out that secret?"
"Find out what? What secret?"
He quickly racked his brain. Only then did he realize why his wife was angry. It was because of what he'd said to tease Xiao Bing: "Time is like gold."
‘But you paired Xiao Bing with me, so why are you making such a big deal about me teasing her? No, there must be a hidden reason, a secret. Why is her reaction so strong? Let's recall what Mulan said.’
"How did you find out that secret?"
*What secret?* In a matter of seconds, Shen Lang understood.
‘It can't be, can it? Are the heavens looking out for me this much? Is my wife really that pure and innocent?’
Shen Lang instinctively looked at Mulan. He couldn't see anything, but he could imagine. He then felt a nosebleed about to gush out. Seeing her husband's expression, Mulan wished the ground would swallow her whole. She, too, realized it. Her shameless husband had only said that by chance to tease Xiao Bing. But her overreaction had exposed her own secret—that she was a virgin.
Mulan had thought Shen Lang was teasing her, telling her they needed to consummate their marriage soon because he knew she was a virgin.
Shen Lang put on a serious face and said in a gentle voice.
"Wife, don't worry. I will never look down on you for that reason."
Shen Lang immediately regretted it and slapped a hand over his mouth. He had been so overjoyed by the unexpected news that he'd forgotten his current predicament and gotten carried away. Now he was in big trouble. Sure enough, Mulan said calmly.
"Husband, let's do twenty more."
From that moment on, a sound like a pig being slaughtered echoed from the garden. The fatty Jin Mucong, who had come for a visit, heard the sound from two hundred meters away and turned back in shock.
***
Half a *shichen* later. It was finally over. Shen Lang felt as if his whole body wasn't his own. It was as if his head and limbs had been torn from his torso. He was in too much pain to even muster the energy to scream.
Thanks to that, when it was time to eat, Shen Lang's hands and feet trembled uncontrollably.
"Husband, you don't resent me, do you?"
"How could I? I would never blame you, Wife. Any problem that arises is because there's a problem with me. You are like the sun in the sky, eternally brilliant, great, and just."
Mulan tenderly placed some side dishes into Shen Lang's bowl and said in a soft voice.
"Your body is a bit weak, Husband. You must replenish your strength."
Perhaps it was a hallucination, but Shen Lang could have sworn he saw horns sprouting from Mulan's head. After the meal, Mulan prepared a tub of medicinal bathwater for Shen Lang. Shen Lang stripped down and soaked in the medicinal bath, nearly moaning from the instantly refreshing and invigorating sensation.
After soaking in the bath, Shen Lang felt his body become lighter and his fatigue melt away. His hands no longer trembled, and his legs no longer wobbled. Although he had been thoroughly tormented by the devilish Mulan, feeling so refreshed afterward left him with no room to blame her in his heart.
***
As night fell, Shen Lang lay in bed, trying to sleep. He instinctively curled up, a habit formed in his previous life. Only by curling into a ball could he feel a sense of security and escape the loneliness and misery.
Just then, Mulan, worried her husband might be in pain, entered the room without a sound. Seeing Shen Lang curled up asleep on the bed, she noticed that the laziness and cheerfulness she had seen on his handsome face during the day were gone. In their place was an expression of either loneliness or sorrow.
Mulan's heart ached. She leaned down and placed a light kiss on Shen Lang's hair. The movement was so quick it was almost imperceptible. Then, she quietly left the room.
Shen Lang opened his eyes and uncurled his body. A faint smile played on his incredibly handsome face.
***
In the middle of the night, both Mulan and Xiao Bing were sound asleep. Don't ask how Shen Lang knew; he just did. In any case, he was still awake. Wearing gloves and a mask, Shen Lang was working on something with the cautious attitude of one facing a formidable enemy.
He was extracting a medicinal compound. After several sleepless nights and using hundreds of pounds of moldy black barley, he had finally managed to obtain a small amount of the substance.
The conditions for extracting compounds in this world were extremely poor, so the resulting substance was full of impurities and not very pure. However, it was still potent enough to destroy a person's central nervous system. This was the secret weapon Shen Lang planned to use.
‘Now that He Wensuo is dead, Tian Heng and the lord of Raging Tide City must be itching to kill me. Knowing them, they'll try to strike me down in some brutal or cowardly way. I can't let you have your way. I've already made my preparations and am just waiting for you to come.’
Shen Lang had been planning and preparing this even before he pressured Tian Heng to break his own subordinate's arm. He carefully sealed and stored the substance, then removed his gloves.
‘Tian Heng, did you think I'd forgive you and let things go after humiliating you? Did you think I'd just sit back and wait for you to harm me? Don't be ridiculous! Once we became enemies, this feud won't end until one of us is dead. I'll be coming for your life soon, Tian Heng!’
Beneath the candlelight, Shen Lang smiled like a villain, but thanks to his handsome features, he looked less like a wicked scoundrel and more like a cold, aloof protagonist from a comic book.
***
Inside a secret room in Xuanwu City, Tian Heng spoke.
"He Wensuo is dead. That damn bastard killed him."
The city lord's confidant replied.
"I know."
"We need to execute the plan immediately. That bastard Shen Lang is too cunning. Any delay could jeopardize it."
"No. The fire hasn't been lit yet. Now is not the time."
"It doesn't matter if the fire isn't burning. We have a fatal move. The longer the night, the more dreams one has. The sooner that bastard Shen Lang dies, the sooner our grudge will be settled, and only then can we rest easy."
"The Governor-General's messenger has already set out and will arrive in Xuanwu City tomorrow. You will make your move tomorrow night!"
Tian Heng replied.
"Understood!"
***
The next day, Mulan woke up early to practice her martial arts. After practicing for about half a *shichen*, she bathed, changed her clothes, and asked Xiao Bing, who was by her side.
"Xiao Bing, have you seen my blue cotton skirt?"
Mulan sometimes wore clothes made of cotton instead of silk. As the eldest daughter of the Count's estate, she helped the farmers with planting and harvesting every spring and autumn.
"I haven't. I washed it a few days ago and put it away properly. Is it missing?"
"Yes. Isn't it strange? I'm sure I put it in the drawer, but I can't find it."
After saying that, Mulan's beautiful face suddenly turned red, and she secretly clicked her tongue.
"My lady, should I ask the other maids and search for it?"
"Don't bother. I probably left it at the military barracks."
***
After breakfast, Shen Lang approached Mulan and spoke in a warm, sincere voice.
"Wife, you must be exhausted after being so busy outside for two days and nights."
"I'm fine."
She hesitated slightly, as if debating whether to say something.
But in the end, she couldn't bring herself to say a single word. After all, not everyone was as shameless and thick-skinned as her husband, impervious to both swords and spears. So, she decided to continue reading her book.
Of course, she was misunderstanding Shen Lang. He hadn't taken her skirt for his own purposes. On the contrary, he had taken it to do something that might earn him an even greater scolding if Mulan ever found out.
"Wife, aren't your back and neck sore? My heart aches for you. How about I give you a massage? It would be good to relax your muscles."
"You know how to do that, Husband?"
"I do. I know how to do more things than you think."
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Husband."
As Mulan sat up straight, the sight of her long, alluring neck and the sensual curve of her side nearly made Shen Lang lose his mind for a moment. But Shen Lang did his best to control his breathing and calm his thoughts.
‘Form is emptiness, emptiness is form. It's a massage, just a simple massage. Let's just do the massage.’
After calming his mind, Shen Lang placed his right hand on the back of Mulan's neck and applied gentle pressure.
"Mmm..."
Mulan let out a sound of utter comfort.
‘This feels really good.’
Shen Lang's touch was as skilled as a seasoned professional's, and she couldn't help but feel a shiver run through her body.
Shen Lang located every pressure point with precision and massaged them with flawless technique. Mulan felt all her tense muscles loosening, and it was incredibly refreshing.
"Wife, you're so tight!"
With her beautiful eyes closed, Mulan said.
"Husband, I don't know what you mean, but I know you're saying something vulgar."
"No, no. I was saying your skin is tight."
Mulan instinctively pressed her legs together. Thanks to Shen Lang's "explanation" of a word that needed no explaining, she now understood his meaning as well.
"Husband, if you say another vulgar thing, our physical training session will be coming again soon."
Mulan threatened calmly. Fearing a disastrous outcome, Masseur Shen Lang quickly shut his mouth and continued his diligent service. Under his expert hands, Mulan felt even better than before and nearly dozed off, but it would have been a shame to miss out on this refreshing feeling by falling asleep.
"Wife, can't you work a little less hard from now on? My heart aches for you."
Shen Lang said with an ardent gaze. He continued the massage without pause as he spoke, his focused expression filled with concern for her. Mulan was touched by his demeanor, but then she seemed to realize something and spoke.
"Husband, you have a favor to ask of me, don't you?"