Chapter Forty-One: The Scheme of Division (Part One)
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At the break of dawn, within the demon camp, Mu Shijin was uncharacteristically excited. The morning breeze drifted past, as soft as silk caressing his face and sending a refreshing coolness through the air. Before him, a light mist floated, with the boundless demon encampment looming in and out of view, casting an eerie, mysterious aura.
All around, the chattering and squabbling of demon tongues filled his ears, while the pungent stench of demon musk assaulted his nose. Mu Shijin knew that venturing deep into this den of evil was fraught with peril and he would need to proceed with utmost caution.
No sooner had this thought crossed his mind than a heavy slap landed on his shoulder from behind.
“Lah! Dai li la ta Xiao, gulu si moxi!”
A demon soldier had given him a shove, the meaning behind those guttural words being: Hurry up, the Vanguard Xiao’s orders—assemble at once!
Mu Shijin quickly replied in the demon tongue, “Ji li gua la xi ya!”
Which meant: Understood, brother, lead the way!
So, effortlessly blending in with the other lesser demons, he mingled his way into Xiao Ling’s quarters and lay in wait.
That night, he assassinated one of Xiao Ling’s personal guards, dragged the corpse to a deserted place and buried it, then shapeshifted into the likeness of the guard, standing sentry outside the tent.
From then on, he drew closer to Xiao Ling’s daily life, gradually growing familiar with the general’s habits and routines. His diligence and meticulousness soon won Xiao Ling’s trust.
Within a few days, Mu Shijin noticed an old maidservant in Xiao Ling’s retinue whose appearance and mannerisms closely resembled Xiao Ling’s own.
Through careful investigation, he discovered that this woman was named Lady Wei, Xiao Ling’s wet nurse, who had cared for him since childhood and was as close to him as family.
The very fact that, within such a vast demon camp, a human could live unscathed among demon soldiers was already a bizarre occurrence. Coupled with her uncanny resemblance to Xiao Ling, Mu Shijin’s suspicions only deepened.
From that day, he began secretly following Lady Wei, determined to uncover the truth.
One day, in Xiao Ling’s absence, Mu Shijin heard the faint sounds of a woman weeping inside the tent.
He crouched low, pressing close to the tent’s edge, and listened intently.
The sobs were heartrending, almost unbearable to the ear.
“Father, mother, your daughter is unfilial. I cannot follow you. When Ling’er returns to his homeland, then I will join you in the underworld!”
Mu Shijin’s heart leapt—wasn’t that Lady Wei’s voice? And hearing her mention Ling’er, could there be a connection between Lady Wei and Xiao Ling?
He strained his ears further.
“It’s been eighteen years since you were slain by the demon soldiers. Not only have I failed to avenge you, I am now trapped in this hellish place, tainted and unclean. If I hadn’t discovered I was with child, I would have long since joined you!”
Another bout of sobbing followed.
Mu Shijin now understood: as he suspected, Lady Wei was none other than Xiao Ling’s birth mother! This was a breakthrough—if he could secure Lady Wei’s aid, Xiao Ling would surely be swayed.
At that moment, he shouted in demon tongue, “Sha la gen!”
Which meant: How dare you!
Lady Wei, familiar with the demon tongue, was startled by the sudden shout and froze in shock.
“Gu gua xi ma ya, dong dong si le ta!”
Mu Shijin drew his curved blade from his belt, threatening Lady Wei.
His words in demon tongue demanded: Speak honestly—what are you trying to make Xiao Ling do?
Lady Wei’s heart pounded with fear—not for herself, but for Xiao Ling. If anything happened to him, she would have no will to live.
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Thus, she shouted back, “Wen shi le de ba, xi ya gu shi li, gua gua shang wu shi, ha la xi le!”
Meaning: This is all my doing and has nothing to do with Xiao Ling. If you insist on forcing me, I’d rather fight you to the death!
With that, she hurled herself at Mu Shijin.
He dodged aside, furious, and cursed, “Xi li, hen shi wen wang xi la gua?!”
Which meant: Nonsense! Do you think you alone can bear this blame?
Lady Wei crashed into a weapon rack, knocking down a long sword. Realizing her secret was out, she steeled herself, seized the sword, and pressed it to her own throat.
“Na ha, ku de li gen, zai gu hen Xiao Ling ha la?!”
Meaning: Demon scum, if I die today, what more can you do to Xiao Ling?
She pressed hard, about to end her own life.
Mu Shijin saw this and realized he could no longer toy with her—she was truly prepared to die.
He rushed forward, grabbing her hands tightly. “Madam, please put down the sword! I was only testing you—don’t act recklessly!”
Lady Wei, desperate and distraught, struggled until, overwhelmed, she fainted.
Only then did Mu Shijin breathe a sigh of relief.
Noting his own disguise, he realized it had terrified the old woman. He quickly reverted to his true form, then revived Lady Wei.
She awoke slowly, and upon seeing Mu Shijin, asked, “Sir, where am I?”
Mu Shijin bowed deeply. “Madam, I frightened you just now—please do not take offense.”
Lady Wei, hearing his voice, realized it matched that of the demon soldier from before, yet now he appeared entirely different.
Could this be another ploy by the demons to extract information from her?
She leapt up, sword at the ready, and demanded, “Who are you?”
Mu Shijin hurried to explain. “Madam, do not misunderstand. I am Mu Shijin, a captain of the Black Earth City resistance, sent by Ye Feng to rescue you and your son!”
Lady Wei was skeptical. “Why should I trust you?”
Mu Shijin produced his resistance medallion, presenting it respectfully. “Please see if this can prove my identity.”
Lady Wei accepted it, noting it was carved of sandalwood, with the character for “Righteousness” on the front and two lines on the back: Drive out foreign invaders; destroy demons and evil.
At the sight of this token, tears streamed down her face. “Kinfolk!”
She embraced Mu Shijin, sobbing uncontrollably.
Mu Shijin, too, felt a pang of sorrow—he could not bear to see women, especially the elderly, weep.
But in such a perilous place, how could they indulge in grief?
He quickly composed himself, gently soothing her. “Madam, please don’t cry. If the demon soldiers outside hear you, we’ll be in danger.”
At this, Lady Wei stifled her sobs and whispered, “General, you must save my Ling’er.”
Mu Shijin reassured her. “Do not worry! Commander Ye sent me to rescue General Xiao Ling. We must not let him serve the enemy any longer!”
The old woman nodded, “Yes, yes.”
They then lowered their voices and conferred in secret.
But no matter the plan Mu Shijin proposed, Lady Wei rejected them all.
She knew too well the dangers lurking in the demon camp—one wrong move and both mother and son would perish without a trace.
A few nights later, Xiao Ling returned to the tent, simmering with anger.
Lady Wei hurried to serve him water and tea, speaking gentle words of comfort.
Only then did Xiao Ling’s demeanor soften. “Nurse, it’s late. Don’t worry about me—please, go rest.”
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Lady Wei replied, “Young master, I am old and need little sleep. If you don’t mind my nagging, let’s have a heart-to-heart.”
Xiao Ling answered, “Why would I mind? I lost my mother at a young age—it was you who raised me. You are as dear to me as a real mother.”
Lady Wei was comforted by these words. She took Xiao Ling’s hands and asked kindly, “Tell me, what has angered you today?”
Hearing this, Xiao Ling’s heart softened, and he poured out his troubles.
That day, Marshal Meng Keshu had held court and sent troops to collect grain. Xiao Ling volunteered to escort the supplies. But the Left Army’s commander, Jin Lanni, vied for credit, and the two quarreled. Jin Lanni insulted him, calling him a “half-breed.”
Rage consumed Xiao Ling, and he drew his sword to fight Jin Lanni, but Marshal Meng Keshu stopped him.
Meng Keshu did not punish Jin Lanni, but instead gave him the escort mission.
“Nurse, why have I always been called a half-breed? Am I truly different from the others?”
With that, Xiao Ling buried his face in Lady Wei’s arms.
His questions left her speechless. She held him tightly, tears streaming down her face.
For as long as he could remember, Xiao Ling’s appearance had set him apart from the demon tribe, subjecting him to endless humiliation.
Whenever he returned home and pressed her for answers, Lady Wei dared not reveal the truth, only soothing him with kind words.
So, as always, she dried her tears and comforted him, “My good Ling’er, pay them no mind. If you train hard and master your skills, no one will dare to bully you.”
Because of this, Xiao Ling trained harder than anyone since childhood, and now possessed exceptional abilities.
Unbeknownst to them, Mu Shijin had witnessed this scene from outside the tent. He lifted the flap and called out, “Madam!”
He stepped closer and urged quietly, “I have checked—the area is clear of demons. We should tell Xiao Ling the truth about his origins!”
He pointed at Xiao Ling. “Do you know, Xiao Ling, that for eighteen years you have served your enemies and brought suffering to your own mother?”
Xiao Ling, startled by Mu Shijin’s appearance and fluent command of the Great Xia tongue, drew his sword and aimed it at him.
Lady Wei quickly stepped between them, desperate, nearly in tears. “Ling’er, put down your sword and speak calmly.”
Xiao Ling, now even more suspicious, demanded, “Who are you really? Speak at once!”
Mu Shijin laughed heartily. “If you won’t believe me, let your own mother tell you!”
He gestured to Lady Wei. “Madam, you must not hesitate any longer. If you don’t speak the truth, Xiao Ling may never find his way back!”
These words left Xiao Ling bewildered. He turned to his mother.
Lady Wei, seeing herself cornered, could only confess through tears.
How Xiao Ling responded to this revelation—look to the next chapter.
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