Chapter 2 (Novel)

Stain is the second chapter of Remnants of Filth.

Summary
A pastry seller in the market loudly advertises his pastries saying there's nothing thicker than them other then Gu Mang's face. A group of cavalry passes by, led by Yue Chenqing, Deputy General of the Garrison Troops. This person had two abilities that made him very different from other people. The first being that he was very agreeable and almost never truly got angry and was the most well-tempered young master of them all. His second ability was making himself as comfortable as he could. When it came to patrolling, he'd have fun first and then patrol.

Yue Chenqing walks around in the market and instructs those following him to buy all sorts of goods from the market and comes across the pastry stall. Yue Chenqing buys one and after hearing the pastry seller's marketing methods and boasts, warns him to change his slogan. He continues by saying that they will be going to war with the Liao Kingdom soon and their armies will be stationed here for a long time and if the pastry seller continues yelling about Gu Mang all day long he should be wary about poking His Excellency right in the eye.

"His Excellency" refers to their Commander Mo Xi, who had been bestowed the title of Xihe-jun by the late emperor and was born into the prestigious Mo Family. The Mo Family had produced four generals: Mo Xi's maternal grandfather, paternal grandfather, and Mo Xi's father. Given such a strong lineage, Mo Xi had extremely awe-inspiring innate spiritual power and after studying in the cultivation academy, he had already become the top general of Chonghua at twenty eight years old.

Due to what happened with his family, Mo Xi's temperament was cold and as sharp as a blade and was always decisive and determined. His father had warned him that "pleasures bury willpower in murk, flirt less with women and do more work", and thus Mo Xi had always been ascetic and well disciplined, free of corruption. It could be said that he had never made a single major mistake in his twenty eight years of living, other than Gu Mang who was a stain on his life.

In the evening on the barracks in the frontier fortress, opera performers are heard singing. A soldier guarding the Deputy General's tent suddenly becomes agitated upon seeing a black figure and in panic lifts the tent flap and tells Yue Chenqing that there is less time and that he should go complete his patrol. Yue Chenqing responds lazily that there will be plenty of time after the opera is done and tells the singers to continue. The bodyguard anxiously pleads to ask the performers to stop singing. He replies that life is too short and they should enjoy it as much as they can. The soldiers point out their concern that if Xihe-jun sees this, he will become angry again. Yue Chenqing reasons that he isn't here and that they shouldn't be worried and then begins complaining about Mo Xi's asceticism and that if he wants to live like a monk, he shouldn't make the rest of them suffer as well. He calls Mo Xi a control freak with mysophobia. The guard's expression worsens and pleads him to stop talking. However, at this Yue Chenqing becomes even more animated and begins talking about how they should go fool around with girls and hold a bonfire. Right then, a voice is heard from outside and a tall, slender man dressed in military robes enters.

Yue Chenqing attempts to act cute and pitiful angering Mo Xi further, who flings a sword made out of spiritual energy towards him, missing his cheek by a hairsbreadth. Mo Xi questions him whether it was him who had invited the singers and performers. Yue Chenqing whines that he only wanted to listen to a song. Mo Xi sends the entertainers out before telling him to get out as well.

Mo Xi sits down alone in his tent, looking very haggard and tired. He begins thinking about the secret letter he had received from Chonghua that was currently stored in his lapels. He had read it thrice to make sure he hadn't misunderstood. Gu Mang was returning to Chonghua. Unable to suppress his anger any longer, Mo Xi kicks and overturns the table in front of him. The bodyguard outside the tent immediately attempts to soothe Mo Xi's anger by saying that Young Mater Yue was still a child. Mo Xi tells him to get out and to not allow anyone inside without his express permission.

Mo Xi begins to wonder how someone who had done so many ruthless things and had betrayed his country could have the nerve to come back. He then pulls outs the letter to read it once again. In it the Emperor asks for Mo Xi's suggestion on how Gu Mang's judgement should be dealt. Mo Xi bursts out in cold laughter,becoming delirious and thinking that the person had committed treason and that he should die the most painful of deaths. Looking up from the half written character for "kill", Mo Xi regains his senses and sends out a long-distance messenger butterfly. The contents of it relay Mo Xi's desire to not be involved in the trial in order to avoid suspicion. Watching the butterfly disappear, he thinks about how his ten year long entanglement with Gu Mang had finally come to an end and that he would not be able to see his execution for himself. Mo Xi is saddened by the fact that he was never able to bring Gu Mang back from that path and that the history books would put them down as incompatible archenemies and no one would ever know the truth that they had actually slept together before.

Events

 * Yue Chenqing is introduced.
 * Mo Xi finds out that Gu Mang is returning to Chonghua.

Characters
In order of appearance:


 * Gu Mang (mentioned)
 * Yue Chenqing
 * Mo Xi
 * Mo Qingchi (mentioned)

Locations

 * Border town