Chaosheng said, “You’re going to impersonate Kun-ge? Aren’t you afraid of giving yourself away?”
Wu Yingzong: “Li Er Man has never seen him, but it’s hard to say. I’m thinking of making myself look younger.”
Chaosheng: “This is fine as it is. I like this appearance of yours.”
Wu Yingzong’s human form was that of a majestic and steady thirty-year-old man. Back when he had still been an ape, his entire family had only him who gained a fortuitous encounter and achieved cultivation success. Besides him, his elderly ape parents remained, along with many younger brothers and sisters who needed supporting. Wu Yingzong had bustled about tirelessly, presenting the image of a big brother, and had maintained it for many years.
“Do you like that kid?” Wu Yingzong suddenly asked.
“Huh?” Chaosheng had been scanning their surroundings and had not expected Wu Yingzong to suddenly raise a topic unrelated to the mission.
Chaosheng said, “What’s wrong? I think he’s a good person.”
Wu Yingzong said, “I haven’t even said who it is yet.”
Chaosheng said, “You mean Hulü Guang, right?”
Wu Yingzong replied, “I can tell you like him a lot. Master said that when you first saw him and Lord Xiao, you were the same way.”
Chaosheng said a little embarrassedly, “I like good-looking people. I can’t help wanting to get close to them.”
“Mm.” Wu Yingzong nodded and said no more.
Chaosheng observed Wu Yingzong’s expression. “If you don’t like it, I just won’t talk to him.”
Wu Yingzong: “Master gave me to you. I’m your servant—how could I control you? You can speak to whomever you like; I have no right to interfere.”
Chaosheng thought it over and over, but he still felt that Wu Yingzong had changed recently. He was no longer as willing to hold and cuddle him as before, and even his tone had become different.
“Are you unwilling to leave Big Brother?” Chaosheng said.
Wu Yingzong said nothing. Of course, he understood Xiang Xian’s original intent: for him to stay by Chaosheng’s side. After Xiang Xian died, he could head to Kunlun to cultivate, and perhaps within his lifetime, he could advance further, glimpse the Heavenly Dao, and cultivate into the body of a spirit beast.
“I’m just not used to it.” Wu Yingzong always felt that it was not quite like that, but he could not sort it out or put it into words. He muttered to himself, “Sometimes I’m stubborn. Just ignore me; I’ll be fine in a bit.”
“Or should I give you back?” The more Chaosheng thought about it, the worse he felt. Ever since Wu Yingzong had been “given” to him, things had clearly changed. He said, “I don’t want Hulü Guang either. I don’t like passing people around like objects—you’re people, not things. Let Big Brother remain your master.”
Wu Yingzong’s expression turned a little sorrowful.
“You can do whatever you want.” Wu Yingzong thought for a moment and said.
Chaosheng did not know why things had turned out this way either. The two sat in silence for a while until guards arrived.
Wu Yingzong handed over the document. The Gumo guard at the gate took it with a puzzled expression. Inside was a letter sealed with the firepaint of the Great Liao imperial clan. Even if the guard did not understand Han characters, he knew that someone sought an audience, so he went inside to report it. Wu Yingzong signaled for Chaosheng to sit by the flower bed outside the City Lord’s Mansion while he sat beside him.
At that moment, the guard brought over a middle-aged Han official, who said, “Please come in, both of you. You’ve come a long way from the Liao Kingdom; the journey must have been arduous.”
Wu Yingzong’s mood was truly terrible, but he constantly reminded himself not to delay the main business. Wu Yingzong signaled for the guard to wait a moment, then hurried to one side and found a water basin. He splashed cold water on his face and fully calmed himself.
When he returned, Wu Yingzong said to the guard, “Lead the way.”
They entered the City Lord’s Mansion, which had been remodeled from the Kucha Royal Palace. Chaosheng did his best to restrain himself from looking left and right. The Han official said again, “Your Highness came from south of Gaochang, descending the Tianshan Mountains?”
“Correct,” Wu Yingzong replied. “Your Highness is a bit tired.”
The Han official bowed to Chaosheng once more. “I handle local trade matters here. My Han name is Naoerzi Gemu Wen. Grand Vizier Li Er Man understands the Han language but does not speak it well. He also rarely meets Han people. No one in the mansion has learned the Liao language, so please bear with us.”
Gemu Wen’s Han language was spoken with perfect clarity and round tones. Wu Yingzong merely grunted in acknowledgment.
“Have you brought gifts?” Gemu Wen said.
“What?” Wu Yingzong countered.
Gemu Wen said, “The lord is an expert in appraising treasures. If you have items to present, there’s no need to bring out gifts you’re uncertain about.”
Gemu Wen spoke tactfully, but Wu Yingzong understood his meaning clearly and replied, “That saves me a lot of trouble.”
At that moment, music arose from within the mansion. Gemu Wen led them into the spacious main hall of the City Lord’s Mansion, where musicians played tunes of the Western Regions and Hu Dancing Girls danced gracefully.
Seated in the central position was a man whose frame was fully three Chaoshengs wide. The man’s face was covered in a thick beard, and his eyebrows, beard, and hair resembled tangled weeds. His chest was half-exposed, revealing dense chest hair. He leaned against a white jade armrest, drowsily half-asleep with narrowed eyes. His enormous head lolled downward several times.
It was clearly City Lord Li Er Man.
Chaosheng: “Ah…”
Wu Yingzong had not expected him to let out an “ah,” and his heart skipped a beat as he thought, Not this one too—you find him attractive?
“He has so much beard,” Chaosheng whispered as he turned his head, asking Wu Yingzong in disbelief. “How does he have so much beard?”
Wu Yingzong whispered, “It’s natural. Don’t comment on him—someone here understands Han language.”
