Chapter 136 Rising to Fame

"He just went off mysteriously towards Turtleback Mountain, without saying what he was doing. He just said he'd be back in a bit," Yan Shu replied casually.

Mu Xi knew that Mu Xun must have gone to prepare for the memorial service for Jin Fangjun, but she couldn't help but worry: "Mu Xun must have slept in your room last night, did he rest well?"

“He didn’t sleep in my room…” Yan Shu didn’t care much, but seeing Mu Xi’s concerned expression, she said, “Your Highness is really a brother. Don’t worry, Cheng Feng has always been healthy and knows martial arts. Even if he didn’t sleep all night, it’s fine.”

Mu Xi seemed to realize something, but had to ask vaguely, "Brother Yan, do you also know that we came here overnight?"

"Oh dear, how could I not know? I heard everything when I arrived at the city gate this morning." Yan Shu had already launched into her boastful mode. "In one night... in one night, the whole of Moyang City was abuzz with news. First, it was about your 'rebirth from the ashes,' then it was about the Marquis's critical illness, and then it was about you receiving 'divine revelation' and praying for your father at Qifeng Terrace. Now our Qifeng Terrace is famous. Everyone says it's a good name, all because of you, Your Highness. Tell me, Your Highness, when you 'seek divine intervention,' besides Qifeng Terrace being able to avert disasters and resolve difficulties, are there any other divine revelations?"

Mu Xi had no idea what the rumors were going on outside, and as the person involved, she hadn't thought of a response yet.

Yan Shu kept talking: "I didn't expect that this job at Qifengtai would bring me so much prestige. I guess the Imperial Advisor will come over in a few days."

"What is she doing here?" Everything was still unresolved, and Mu Xi wanted to take advantage of the next couple of days to calm down before making any further plans.

Yan Shu exuded an air of pride: "The Crown Prince has 'sent down his spirit' twice already. As the Imperial Preceptor, shouldn't she come and pay him a visit? Many people are saying that when our Qifeng Terrace is completed, they all want to attend the opening ceremony and catch a glimpse of the Crown Prince. Perhaps then, a phoenix will soar into the sky, a truly auspicious sign..."

Mu Xi was surprised to find that the people of Yan Sheng had a much stronger belief in witchcraft than she had originally expected, which was a pleasant surprise.

Then I remembered that I had asked Yan Shu for help before.

Now that we've come this far, we must continue.

So he took the opportunity to probe further: "Lord Yan, what do you think of the 'divine revelation'?"

“Most of them are fake, but surely one or two out of ten must be real?” Yan Shu answered without hesitation, then asked again, “Yes, Your Highness hasn’t said yet what exactly the ‘divine revelation’ you saw was like?”

"Ah... well... at the time, I was in the fire, and there were flames everywhere..." Mu Xi had to make up an excuse, "At the time, I couldn't tell if it was firelight or divine light. My body was just leaping and dancing uncontrollably... I was terrified at first because my whole body was on fire, but gradually I stopped feeling hot..."

Last night, Mu Zhen fainted due to excessive stimulation and was sent back to the internal hospital for treatment.

Mu Xi took the opportunity to change out of her "fire-resistant clothes" and burn them with oil. Her body was actually burning hot, but it wasn't a burn; it was just from the heat.

Looking back now, that "fire-washed garment" was truly a valuable item; it's a pity I only received one from Marquis Shen Lun of Yong State.

If one wanted to use this trick again, it would be impossible.

Yan Shu followed up with, "And then? And then? I was watching from the sidelines, and I was so worried. I wanted to rush up and save the young master, but unexpectedly, he was able to leap out of the fire. But at that time, the young master didn't say a word, and his eyes... his eyes were... and..."

"What's wrong with your eyes?" Mu Xi was so focused on staring at Mu Zhen that she didn't notice the reactions of others.

Yan Shu scratched his head, unable to find the right words: "I can't describe it either. It's like a ball of fire wrapped in ice, or like... like... oh dear... perhaps it's like what those shamans who performed the Nuo dance said back then, that's the phoenix rebirth, that's the look in the eyes of the phoenix during its rebirth."

Mu Xi was assessing the possibility of turning Yan Shu into a "die-hard fan".

Yan Shu added mysteriously, "Your Highness, do you know how rare that was last night? It won't be long before you become famous throughout Yan Sheng."

It seems that he has indeed gained fame, so his efforts have not been in vain.

Mu Xi had already planned it this way, and she thought it would be a good opportunity to learn from Yan Shu: "Fame? How do I become famous?"

Yan Shu was just speaking offhand, but he didn't expect Mu Xi to take it seriously. He thought hard for a moment and said, "Well... you know, shamans... a shaman is inferior to a sorcerer, just like a man is inferior to a woman. But Yan Sheng has produced several famous shamans, such as Jiu Yi, Wen Guan, and Xing Yu... Take Jiu Yi for example, he was promoted by Zhu Ming Ge. Or rather, Zhu Ming Ge also relied on him. If the young master were to establish something similar to Zhu Ming Ge, you know, ever since Zhu Ming Ge got involved with the Imperial Observatory, it has made a fortune. If the young master has the momentum he has now, plus his status, he will surpass the Imperial Observatory and the Ministry of Revenue. It's all business, after all, and it's not impossible that he could stand on equal footing with the Ministry of Works."

Mu Xi only understood part of what he heard and wanted to ask more questions.

Not far away, a troop of horses galloped back.

Mu Xi, preoccupied with Mu Xun's matter, looked over.

Yan Shu recognized him first: "Oh my, Chengfeng is back."

As everyone believed that Jin Fangjun Muzhen was still alive, the matter of the memorial service should not be known to outsiders.

From a certain perspective, Mu Xi also hoped to maintain this situation for the time being.

If Jin Fangjun were to die, she would be left without anyone to rely on. Even if she were to succeed him, she would have to go to the Western Region.

In the Western Territory, she might not be able to hold her own, and she would also face a confrontation with the Gao family.

Now that Kim Bang-jun is only "seriously ill," she can rightfully continue to be the Crown Prince of Kim Bang without actually having to take on any responsibilities. This allows her to buy some time and move forward with her original plans.

Not wanting outsiders to know, Mu Xi kept quiet for the time being.

After Mu Xun dismounted, he only asked, "You worked hard last night, why did you go out so early in the morning? You should rest more."

Mu Xun had already prepared his explanation: "Yesterday you mentioned that you seemed to see Turtle Back Mountain in the divine revelation, and I went to take a look out of curiosity."

"Oh, did you see anything?" Mu Xi asked, following up on the conversation.

Mu Xun replied, "On Turtleback Mountain, birds gather and fish roam, birds sing and flowers bloom, it is truly like a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix."

"Oh? If that's the case, I'll go take a look too." Although there was no prior agreement, Mu Xi still had this much in common.

“Okay, I’ll go too, I’ll go too,” Yan Shu chimed in.

Mu Xun said, "Brother Yan, don't be in a hurry. Let's keep an eye on the young master's temporary house first. It needs to be completed today."

"Today?" Yan Shu had just predicted tomorrow.

Mu Xun replied matter-of-factly, "Do you expect the young master to stay in this thatched hut?"

“This…this is true…” Yan Shu still wanted to go with them.

Mu Xi said, "Brother Yan, why rush this time? There will be other opportunities next time."

Yan Shu had no choice but to watch helplessly as Mu Xi boarded the carriage and went with Mu Xun to the turtle's back.