Chapter 17: The Mentality of the Onlooking Crowd
Mu Residence.
After returning to the Mu Residence, Mu Zhi’an sat in the study, holding a booklet in his hand. He lit a candle on the desk and read attentively.
After an unknown amount of time, the candle beside him suddenly flickered unsteadily. A gust of cold wind blew in from the window, and the candlelight finally went out.
In the darkness where one couldn’t see their five fingers, Mu Zhi’an put down the booklet, raised his hand to stretch his waist, and said, “Coming to the Mu Residence late at night doesn’t seem like your style.”
He unhurriedly relit the candle and glanced to the side. A man dressed all in black was standing in the study, his gaze fixed on Mu Zhi’an as he said in a deep voice,
“Young Master Mu, your actions today were too impulsive.”
Killing Gongsun Zan, now the entire city knew about it. The officials would also strengthen their patrols during this period, which might affect the time for Mu Zhi’an to bring out Ye Yu.
And he no longer had much time to continue delaying in Tianxuan City.
Mu Zhi’an sighed and said, “I know, but I just couldn’t stand it at that time… I accidentally made a mistake.”
The black-robed man stared at Mu Zhi’an sinisterly. Seeing the regretful expression on this debaucherous young master’s face, he said coldly, “Now that it has become like this, can that matter still be completed?”
This was what he truly cared about. As for Gongsun Zan humiliating a common woman, Ye Yu killing Gongsun Zan, or whose woman Bai Ruoxi would end up being, he didn’t care.
What was important was whether he could bring out Ye Yu for him.
Mu Zhi’an nodded and said, “It can be done, but I need two or three more days.”
“I need a bit more time to handle this matter,” Mu Zhi’an continued.
“Alright.” The black-robed man nodded and looked at Mu Zhi’an a few more times, saying, “Young Master Mu seems quite confident. Are you so confident that you can calm this storm within three days?”
Mu Zhi’an shook his head with a smile and said, “This is not something you need to worry about.”
The black-robed man coldly snorted, extremely dissatisfied with Mu Zhi’an’s actions this time.
“Then I hope Young Master Mu can smoothly calm this storm and soon embrace the beauty.”
After saying that, the black-robed man turned around, waved his long robe, and disappeared from the study.
Mu Zhi’an remained silent in the study for a while without any movement.
“He’s gone.”
Only when he heard Wei Mengrou’s crisp voice in the darkness did Mu Zhi’an finally let out a sigh of relief.
He glanced to the side. Wei Mengrou, dressed in a yellow long dress, stood quietly in the corner, as if hidden in the darkness.
The candlelight illuminated the dark room and also lit up Wei Mengrou’s expressionless delicate face. Her brows were like distant ink, her lips like cherries, her skin white and smooth. A thin ribbon outlined her slender waist that could be held in one hand and her full bosom. Her snow-white long legs had perfect proportions, and she wore a pair of plain short boots on her feet.
She simply satisfied all kinds of fantasies men had about women.
Unfortunately, she was a Spirit Refinement realm expert. Even if he was Wei Mengrou’s master, he couldn’t do anything to her at the moment.
If only Sister Mengrou wasn’t in the Spirit Refinement realm… Mu Zhi’an couldn’t help but sigh.
Of course, even though he thought about it, Mu Zhi’an was still very grateful to have a maidservant with powerful strength by his side.
As a Spirit Refinement realm cultivator, the black-robed man put too much pressure on him. But it was precisely because Wei Mengrou was also in the Spirit Refinement realm that his pressure wasn’t so great.
After all…
In terms of size, Sister Mengrou was still bigger.
Mu Zhi’an secretly glanced at Wei Mengrou’s enchanting curvy figure from top to bottom, silently thinking in his heart.
“Have you looked enough?” As if sensing Mu Zhi’an’s gaze, Wei Mengrou glanced at him indifferently.
If it’s not enough, can you let me continue looking… Mu Zhi’an inwardly joked, then coughed lightly and changed the topic, “What about Gongsun Xiong?”
“Old Ren accompanied him to drink tea in the side hall next door. He should have returned by now,” Wei Mengrou said.
The black-robed man had made a fatal mistake from the very beginning.
The intelligence was wrong. He didn’t know that the Mu family had two Spirit Refinement realm cultivators.
From the moment he rashly went to the Mu residence that day, the black-robed man’s subsequent actions were like walking naked on the street. Mu Zhi’an saw everything and could toy with him at will.
“Gongsun Xiong shouldn’t have heard our conversation just now, right?” Mu Zhi’an asked.
“Naturally, arranging a formation in advance can block the sound in the study,” Wei Mengrou nodded.
After a pause, she continued, “However, he has already noticed the existence of that black-robed man.”
Mu Zhi’an lightly “mm”ed, “That’s enough.”
Spirit Refinement realm experts numbered no more than ten in Tianxuan City, and these ten were all known to the three major families.
An outsider Spirit Refinement realm expert secretly lurking in Tianxuan City was already enough to make the various families feel a sense of crisis.
From this moment on, it was no longer important who killed Gongsun Zan.
Driving the black-robed man out of Tianxuan City was the most important thing.
“The Gongsun family may temporarily put aside the matter of Gongsun Zan because of the black-robed man… but what about the commoners of Tianxuan City?” Wei Mengrou suddenly asked.
“As long as the Gongsun family doesn’t care, it’s fine.”
Mu Zhi’an put down the teacup, smiled, and said, “As for public opinion… it doesn’t matter.”
“Leaving it alone?” Wei Mengrou frowned slightly and asked.
Now, rumors and gossip were everywhere in Tianxuan City. There were those cursing Gongsun Zan for being scum, those greatly praising Mu Zhi’an, those questioning Mu Zhi’an’s motive for killing Gongsun Zan, and those hoping for both of them to die together.
If these rumors and gossip were allowed to ferment, in the end, Mu Zhi’an would probably also be labeled as “not a good person”.
But this time, Mu Zhi’an didn’t do anything wrong… At least that was what Wei Mengrou thought.
“Public opinion, it still needs to be managed, but we don’t need to do too much. Anyway, the wind direction will change quickly,” Mu Zhi’an said.
Wei Mengrou understood the implied meaning in his words and said, “You want to change the direction of public opinion…? The commoners of Tianxuan City are not that foolish. They won’t fall for it.”
Mu Zhi’an understandably nodded and smiled, “Of course I know. Everyone is not stupid.”
“However, it’s the same whether they’re stupid or not. They simply won’t care about the truth of this matter.”
Wei Mengrou clearly didn’t believe it and questioned, “You’re so sure?”
“Of course.”
Mu Zhi’an played with a paper crane on the table and said,
“What they care about is whether this news is sensational enough, whether they can watch the drama, whether they can entertain themselves. As for the truth and the feelings of the people involved, not many people will care. In the end, this is human nature.”
Wei Mengrou was stunned upon hearing this.
After a long time, she looked at Mu Zhi’an’s side profile and said softly, “You really understand the human heart.”
Actually, compared to the public, I want to understand Sister Mengrou’s heart more… Looking at Wei Mengrou, whose looks could topple cities and figure was enchantingly voluptuous, Mu Zhi’an inwardly joked.
“Is there anything else you need me to do?” Wei Mengrou asked.
Mu Zhi’an shook his head and said, “Sister Mengrou just needs to sit down, drink some tea, and chat with me.”
“As for Gongsun Zan’s matter… the wind direction will quickly reverse,” Mu Zhi’an said with certainty.
“How will it reverse?” Wei Mengrou subconsciously asked.
Under Wei Mengrou’s doubtful gaze, Mu Zhi’an deliberately kept her in suspense and smiled, “However exciting it is, that’s how it will reverse.”
