243 The Richest Man in the World

ven sparing his breath counts as leaving him alive."Both of us know that he can't possibly harm the Defining Prince's Consort at all. Not only is the Defining Prince's Consort herself a formidable opp...243. Richest Man in the World

"May I join you at your table" A scholar wearing a blue brocade robe walked into the inn and took a glance around the crowded dining hall before making his way to where Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li were seated. Ye Li glanced at the crowded hall, noting that there weren't more than seven or eight tables in this small inn's main room. She then looked back at the scholar and said coolly after glancing at Mo Xiuyao, "Please do." The scholar had already decided that these two men wouldn’t be easy to deal with from their looks alone, but he was surprised when the woman readily agreed.

“Thank you,” he hurriedly said in surprise.

The corner of Ye Li’s mouth twitched as she sensed a sudden chill radiating off her husband. She looked up at the scholar and said, “This is my husband.” The scholar was taken aback by this revelation. He had assumed that these two were brother and sister or fellow martial arts students traveling together since they appeared to be around sixteen or seventeen years old. However, he hadn’t expected them to actually be married.

“I’m terribly sorry, Lady… May I ask your husband’s surname”

Mo Xiuyao looked up and frowned slightly before calmly saying, “Ye.” The scholar quickly regained his composure and said warmly as if he were an old acquaintance, “Brother Ye and lady are here to participate in this year’s Martial Arts Conference” Mo Xiuyao replied indifferently, "We’re just passing through."

The scholar clapped his hands together and laughed, “That’s great! I was thinking of joining the fun myself. Why don’t we travel together Oh yes… My name is Ren Qining.”

Ye Li didn't respond this time. She wasn’t familiar with the martial arts world, aside from a few famous masters. But she could tell that this Ren Qining was definitely not an ordinary scholar. Unlike the Chu Kingdom, scholars were not common in Xi Ling, so it was unusual to see one here.

Mo Xiuyao put down his chopsticks and stood up after noticing that Ye Li had finished eating. He pulled her away from the crowd without a word, saying calmly, "No need. We don’t like being disturbed." He didn't care about Ren Qining's expression as he led Ye Li upstairs to rest.

"Xiuyao"

Ye Li was sitting by an open window in the afternoon sun reading a travelogue when she felt arms wrap around her from behind. She put down the book and looked at Mo Xiuyao, who was watching people pass below them on the street.

"Hmm"

Ye Li thought about it for a moment and said, "That Ren Qining isn’t an ordinary person." Mo Xiuyao gently smoothed out her disheveled hair with one hand while his other arm was still around her waist. He replied softly, "He’s indeed a bit odd but there’s no need to worry. There are always strange people in the martial arts world. Just enjoy watching them."

Ye Li asked curiously, "How is Ren Qining’s martial arts" Ye Li could only tell that Ren Qining was not a weak scholar without any martial skills. She couldn’t figure out his depth in martial arts though. This proved at least that he had surpassed her by quite a bit when it came to cultivating inner energy.

Moxiu Yao frowned as he thought for a moment and said, "He could rank in the top ten of the martial world at least. He might even be able to enter the top five, but I can’t tell which sect he belongs to." In reality, Moxiu Yao was not someone from the martial world either. After obtaining his name as one of the four great experts with a sword when he was fourteen years old, most of his time and energy were spent on battles instead. He only knew roughly what was going on in the martial world. Ye Li sighed helplessly and said, "What good luck! Even just walking around here can make me run into such an expert."

Letting Ye Li lean against him, Moxiu Yao leaned down to look at her with a smile and said, "Don’t pay attention to him. If we let something petty ruin our trip, it’s better for us not to watch the martial arts gathering."

"Aren’t you afraid that others will snatch your name as one of the four great experts" Ye Li asked with a smile.

Moxiu Yao snorted in disdain and said, "Even if ten other people snatch my name as one of the top ten experts, it won’t change the fact that my martial arts is better than theirs. Furthermore… How many people need me to personally deal with them Whether someone’s an expert or not is just a matter of youthful pride." Ye Li sighed softly in his arms. She felt both touched and amused. In Moxiu Yao’s eyes, being an expert was merely something he did when he had nothing better to do. It would be interesting to see how the experts in the martial world reacted upon learning about this.

"I have never seen a martial arts gathering before. Let’s go take a look" Ye Li turned around and asked.

“Good, wherever A’li wants to go is where we will go.” Moxiu Yao replied.

The martial arts gathering would not be held in this unknown little city but the location was not too far away either. It was at the outskirts of Ancheng City, which was the fourth largest city in Xi Ling and was about two hundred li from the small city where they were currently staying. The next morning, Ye Li and Moxiu Yao set off for Ancheng City. When they came down the stairs, they saw Ren Qining who was also ready to check out. Unlike Moxiu Yao’s coldness, Ren Qining looked extremely delighted when he saw them, “Sir Ye and Madam Ye, what a coincidence! Are you two about to leave”

Moxiu Yao pulled Ye Li as they checked out and left without further ado. Despite his polished demeanor, Ren Qining could not help but stiffen up at being so openly ignored like this. He hurriedly caught up with them, “Sir Ye, Madam Ye…” Before he finished speaking, Moxiu Yao turned around to appraise him for a while before saying, “Mr. Ren, my wife and I are on a rare vacation. If we disturb other couples’ privacy, they might kick us off their horses.” Thus, the stunned Ren Qining could only watch as Moxiu Yao hugged Ye Li onto his horse and rode away. He was unable to come back to himself for quite some time.

After leaving the small city, Ye Li couldn’t help but laugh at the look on Ren Qining’s face who had been left behind— it looked like he had swallowed a fly. Moxiu Yao leaned against Ye Li as they rode along, controlling their horse and direction casually while smiling softly to her, “Why are you so happy, A’li” Shaking her head repeatedly, Ye Li knew that Moxiu Yao understood why she was laughing but didn’t mind it either. He said calmly, “That Ren Qining must have some ulterior motive for wanting to travel with us despite his reason. It’s not comfortable having him around.” Ye Li nodded in agreement since she wasn’t keen on traveling together with others as well. "What is the Muyu Manor A martial sect" The Muyu Manor was indeed a place that often appeared in wuxia novels, such as being part of one of the eight major martial clans every time. If she had known that she would be involved in the martial world back then, she should have read all the memorials about it from the Dark Department too.

Moxiu Yao said, "The Muyu Manor… isn’t a martial sect. It is… the richest family in the entire land."

“Eh” Ye Li was surprised, “Richest family in the entire land” She had seen wealthy families before, such as the Feng family which was one of the four wealthiest families in Chu. However, no one would dare to call themselves the wealthiest family in the land. How rich was this Muyu Family "How does it compare with the Feng Family" Moxiu Yao said, "Five times richer than the Feng Family."

Even though she had been mentally prepared for it, Ye Li was still quite shocked by that statement. Moxiu Yao explained calmly, “The Muyu family and the Xu family are both famous clans with a history of hundreds of years. However, unlike the Xu family, which is a scholarly clan, the Muyu Family has always been a trading family. That’s why their reputation and status have never matched that of the Xu family. Back then when Xi Ling and Chu were still united, the Muyu Family was already the richest family in the land. It was rumored that they held three mysterious gold veins, which both Xi Ling as well as Nan Zhao and Bei Rong from Chu had wanted to obtain over the years, but no one succeeded.”

"Rich enough to rival a country… Such a wealthy Muyu Family must have some support for them to have been able to stand firm in Xi Ling so long" Ye Li said. Although merchants were at the bottom of the social hierarchy above farmers, scholars, and artisans, they were involved in every aspect of life such as eating, drinking, clothing, shelter, finances, oil, and salt. Historically speaking, there had not been many people who became wealthy enough to rival a country but ended up with a good ending.

Moxuyao said, "When Xiling was established, the Murong family had provided significant assistance. Naturally, after the establishment of Xiling, the Murong family also benefited greatly. The commercial sector in Xiling has never been as prosperous as that of Dachu; one reason for this is that it's rumored that the Murong family controls nearly 60% of the shops in Xiling."

Ye Li nodded. It was no wonder business wasn't thriving in Xiling given a single family held such a monopoly on their commercial sector, and naturally, the development of commerce would also be hindered as a result. After some thought, Ye Li smiled and said, "So are the royal families of Xiling already displeased with the Murong family"

Moxuyao agreed and said with a smile, "Indeed. However, despite this, the royal household of Xiling dares not recklessly take action against the Murong family. For one, the Murong family are merchants, unlike the Ding王府 (Ding Estate), so if they were pushed too far, no matter which country they sided with, it would certainly be a fatal blow to Xiling. Additionally, it's rumored that the Murong family has an extremely formidable expert. Oddly enough, this expert hasn't been seen by anyone; if one provokes them and they resort to desperate measures… both Emperor Xiling and Duke Zhen'nan (Southern Pacification) have only one life."

"Even Prince Zhen'nan isn't their match" Ye Li was surprised.

Moxuyao looked down at her with a smile, "Although in the martial world there are four great experts by reputation, true experts keep themselves out of the limelight. There are many old-generation experts who have retired to the mountains and forests; when it comes to actual combat, even if one doesn't consider their martial arts cultivation, just based on experience and understanding, how can they be compared with these youngsters now The Murong family is rich beyond compare, yet for so many years no one has dared to cause trouble or steal from them. Therefore, the claim that there's a powerful expert guarding them does have some credibility."

"Is your highness particularly interested in this mysterious expert" Ye Li asked when she noticed his eyes had brightened.

Moxuyao shook his head and said, "I can't say I'm interested; if I face off against him naturally I'll give it my all. If I don't meet him, there's no regret."

Had this been the young Moxuyao, knowing about such a mysterious expert he would definitely have gone to challenge them one or two times. But now that he was in charge of Northwest and responsible for the safety of over 100,000 troops from his family and tens of thousands of civilians, as well as being the husband of Ye Li and the father of Moxiaobao whom he must protect, there's no time to be interested in such matters. If he were truly forced to face this kind of mysterious expert, he would naturally give it his all; if not, he wouldn't seek trouble for himself like Ling Tihan.

"Who else is left in the Murong family I haven't heard about any particularly famous Murong people from Xiling." Although Ye Li wasn't familiar with the martial world, she had some understanding of Northwest. Considering the fame of the Murong family, it was strange that she hadn't come across them.

Moxuyao smiled calmly and said, "The peak will inevitably lead to decline. The Murong family has prospered for several hundred years without hiding their light like the Xu family, so naturally they must pay a price for it. In the previous generation, the head of the Murong family originally had three sons and four daughters. One son and one daughter died young in adulthood; the two surviving sons were rather talented, but only one was named Murong Qi. He died mysteriously at the age of 23. The other son fell ill from a young age and passed away before reaching thirty years old. They left behind one son and one daughter, unfortunately… that son turned out to be an idiot since birth. Afraid that his branch's brothers would snatch his grandson’s property and status, the head of the family took drastic measures and eliminated all his relatives. Who could have thought that the idiot child died at the age of nine by falling into a pond. As a result, the head of the family was greatly weakened; it has been said for many years he hasn't seen anyone from outside. It's natural that Li doesn't know about this."

Ye Li's heart moved as she asked, "Doesn't that mean that all the Murong family's assets will eventually go to their remaining daughter How old is that Miss Murong now"

Moxuyao was taken aback and thought for a moment before saying, "Legend has it that the head of the family’s granddaughter is three years younger than her deceased idiot son. She should be around 17 or 18 this year."

Ye Li smiled slightly, turning to look at Moxuyao and said, "I wonder why… I feel like this martial arts meeting might have something to do with Miss Murong"

Moxuyao lowered his head, leaning against Ye Li's forehead and chuckled softly, "Even if it has something to do with her, it doesn't concern us. What do you think, Li"

Ye Li blinked and asked, "The Murong family is rich enough to rival a country; are your highness really not tempted

Mosieur Mouxiaoyao sighed helplessly, saying, "There's nothing to be done. Who would have thought that this king has already married a consort who is even more precious than gold and silver mountains and rivers, though she doesn't come from an extremely wealthy family Therefore, I don’t think it’s my fate to benefit from the Manchu family's vast wealth."

Ye Li squinted at him, wanting to look angry but couldn’t help laughing instead. "Is Your Highness Regretful" Mosieur Mouxiaoyao shook his head and said, "Ally and gold cannot be both obtained, so this king chose Ally over the gold. According to what Ally said, if it’s true like this, this year's martial arts conference will be quite lively. Let’s hurry up and go see the spectacle. However… If the Manchu family really wants to select a husband for their granddaughter, why would they choose the time of the martial arts conference Most nobles and scholars wouldn’t attend such an event, right Does this mean that the Manchu family only wants someone who is skilled in martial arts"

“Who knows Let’s go take a look.”

The wild horses captured from Nanzhao were no less impressive than thousand-jin steeds. It took them just half a day to cover two hundred miles with two people on board. Mosieur Mouxiaoyao and Ye Li directly entered Ancheng, the fourth largest city in Western Ling. Naturally, they didn’t have to settle for anything less than the best inn in town. This year's martial arts conference was indeed very different from previous ones; although it wasn't yet time for the event, all the guesthouses in the city were already full of people. Not only were there figures from the江湖 (martial world), but also many wealthy merchants and nobles. The best rooms at the inn where Ye Li and Mosieur Mouxiaoyao stayed were fully occupied, so they ended up staying in secondary-grade rooms.

Originally, with his status, Mosieur Mouxiaoyao didn't have to share an inn with others. During their more than a month-long journey through scenic spots and remote paths, Ye Li and Mosieur Mouxiaoyao hadn’t known that the Manchu family had already sent out invitations months ago for all heroes of the land to attend this martial arts conference. As the Prince Ding, Mosieur Mouxiaoyao was naturally also invited but the invitation was delivered to Northwest Li City instead. Everyone who received an invitation was accommodated by the Manchu family, and a separate courtyard had been specially set up for these distinguished guests to stay temporarily. Since Mosieur Mouxiaoyao didn’t intend to attend this martial arts conference, he wouldn't reveal his identity and ended up staying at the inn with Ye Li.

Ancheng’s Qingyuan Inn was one of the best inns in Ancheng; anyone who could afford to stay here had either great wealth or noble status, including some outstanding disciples from renowned martial arts sects.

Ye Li curiously watched the well-dressed travelers coming and going, turning her head to ask Mosieur Mouxiaoyao, who was leisurely drinking tea by her side, "Is every martial arts conference this formal"

Mosieur Mouxiaoyao pursed his lips and said, "How could it be Most of the time, a few high-ranking martial artists from the previous conference would agree on a place to have a competition. News about such events naturally attracts people to come watch. The one I went to was an exception; Ling Tiehan went there to challenge Prince Zhennan while I happened to pass by and got involved in the commotion. To be honest, only Mu Qingcang really attended that martial arts conference."

The so-called martial arts conference turned out to be quite casual, which somewhat disappointed Ye Li. However, this also proved from another angle how much appeal the Manchu family held for people.

Downstairs, a few handsome young men started fighting over something trivial. Instantly, chaos erupted downstairs. Ye Li watched indifferently as they fought fiercely without any desire to intervene. Soon enough, one side was declared victorious and the loser had his tendons severed in his arm, rendering him unable to practice swordsmanship ever again. The victor naturally felt proud and disdainfully said, "Look at yourself; how dare you fancy Miss Manchu"

This statement clearly indicated that these people weren’t there for the martial arts conference but rather for Miss Manchu or the Manchu family.

Before he could revel in his victory, an unknown object hit him in the chest, and the young man who was just boasting fell to the ground immediately.

"Who's home letting such fools out to harm others" Ye Li frowned and said softly. The fight downstairs had been started by that young man who was later wounded; he disabled someone else’s hand but ended up losing his own life.

“The one over there is Sun Jian, a famous sword master of the Great Chu Kingdom,” a refined voice with a smile sounded from behind. Ye Li turned around to see Ren Qining smiling and standing at the stairwell, looking at the two people by the window.et the prescription, for my husband’s life. Can it possibly be that I’m trying to set up a match between Third Pavilion Master and someone That would be absurd. With the prescription, if our lord surv...