Chapter 1 (Novel)

**Stain** is the first chapter of novel, *Remnants of Filth* and was written by Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou (Meatbun Doesn't Eat Meat). It was published on January 3, 2019.

## Summary

A pastry seller in the market loudly advertises his pastries, saying that there's nothing thicker than them other then Gu Mang's face. A group of cavalry passes by, led by Yue Chenqing, the Deputy General of the Northern Frontier Army. He 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, and comes across the pastry stall. Yue Chenqing buys one and after hearing the pastry seller's marketing methods and boasts, he 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 *"jabbing a certain dignitary right where it hurts."*

The "dignitary" 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-seven years old.

Due to family circumstances, Mo Xi's temperament was cold and as sharp as a blade and was always decisive and determined. His father had warned him that "overindulgence will blunt your blades, so do your work and ignore the maids", and thus Mo Xi had always been ascetic, self-disciplined, and free of corruption. It could be said that he had never made a single major mistake in his twenty-seven 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 an obsessive clean freak with no hobbies or interests. The guard's expression worsens and pleads him to stop talking. However, at this Yue Chenqing becomes even more animated and begins talking about he should host a beauty contest and crown the prettiest girl in the nearby villages. Right then, a voice is heard from outside and a tall, man dressed in silver armor 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 mistakenly believing that he was still angry at Yue Chenqing and tells Mo Xi 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 "execute", 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 decade 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, 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)