It was only in retrospect that I realized they had likely gone to the Southern Kingdom.
That was when Mu Changxi met Cong Fei!
Looking at the strange Cong Fei before him, Mu Changxi finally spoke, "I remember, back then, you… you looked just like me. How is it that after so many years, you've become like this? Did something happen?"
Recalling the past, a shadow inevitably fell over Mu Changxi's eyes. "Later, I also inquired about you. Everyone said you died at the hands of water bandits. At the time, I didn't know you were the head of the Cong family. Thinking back now, it's indeed strange. What exactly happened to you?"
In truth, Cong Fei shouldn't have told them so much.
But perhaps because of the warmth of meeting an old acquaintance, Cong Fei began to speak.
He was from the Cong family, but he had never wanted to be the head of the family.
The deeds of the Cong family were shameful in the Southern Kingdom. They eliminated dissidents for the royal family and engaged in unsavory activities.
Cong Fei, having grown up in such a family, was utterly weary of it.
It was because he had made a mistake back then, failing to kill the person the King wanted dead, that he was pursued all the way to the border of the Southern Kingdom.
If Mu Changxi hadn't saved him, he would likely have already died at the hands of his enemies.
Unfortunately, while Mu Changxi could save him once, he couldn't save him a second time.
At this point, Cong Fei lowered his head, his voice deepening. "The upheaval in the Cong family occurred about six years ago. When the current Emperor ascended the throne, he began to resent the Cong family. He had used the Cong family before, but now he wanted to erase them from the world. So, he first targeted my elder brother, setting a trap for him."
Cong Fei's elder brother was the head of the Cong family.
He was also the eldest legitimate son of that generation in the Cong family, controlling everything.
Six years ago, Cong Fei was merely someone who wanted to leave the Cong family and escape the Southern Kingdom.
"It's laughable,"
Cong Fei let out a dry laugh. "I was already a collateral descendant of the Cong family. The position of family head would never have fallen to me. Although my elder brother's methods were ruthless, he wasn't a bad person. Even though my status was low, he never mistreated me. When I nervously told my elder brother that I wanted to go to the Great Yue Dynasty to live my own life, he was even happy."
Mentioning his elder brother, a hint of respect entered Cong Fei's tone. "My brother said it would be good if someone from the Cong family could leave. He also gave me a lot of silver, enough to live the rest of my life without worry. I truly, truly respected my elder brother."
Yes, such a family head, who wouldn't respect him?
Cong Fei sighed and slowly said, "Six years ago, the King sent my elder brother to kill someone. He was the foremost swordsman of our Southern Kingdom, and my brother went without hesitation. But when he arrived, he discovered it wasn't just the Southern Kingdom's foremost swordsman. That King, who should have been respected, had actually gathered all the martial artists of the Southern Kingdom and surrounded my brother. My brother fought with all his might, but in the end, he still died under their swords. To this day, I wonder if my brother felt utter despair for the Southern Kingdom when he died."
Anyone, I imagine, would have felt utter despair.
Cong Fei said that at first, the Cong family didn't know how their head had died.
They all thought he had been killed by the swordsman due to inferior skill.
Suddenly, the Cong family was leaderless, but they could still struggle and maintain stability.
However, with the death of the family head, it became much simpler for the King to "break them one by one."
The Cong family members either died or disappeared. In the end, the King, wanting to avoid any grounds for accusation, did not kill all of the Cong family.
He left some of the less capable members of the Cong family to control the Cong family.
At that time, Cong Fei was disheartened, but even so, he only wanted to escape the Cong family and the Southern Kingdom.
He just didn't expect that his desire to leave had already been seen through by the King!
When he reached the border, the King's army also arrived.
To push Cong Fei into a corner, they forced him into a small, dilapidated house at the border and then set a poison in that house—
Everyone thought Cong Fei was dead.
But Cong Fei survived that potent poison!
However, he couldn't reach the Great Yue Dynasty alive and was once again discovered by the King's army.
They were astonished that Cong Fei hadn't been killed by the potent poison and took him back to the royal city of the Southern Kingdom.
In that royal city, Cong Fei endured immense torture—
The King dispatched many people to study Cong Fei's body, to understand why he hadn't been killed by such a potent poison.
It was during these repeated "drug trials" and the "experiments" by doctors that Cong Fei's body became increasingly strange.
He began to develop feminine characteristics, while his male "symbols" slowly withered and disappeared.
Until three years ago, his body had completely developed female symbols. However, his body still retained some male characteristics.
Thinking of this, unconcealable pain still flickered in Cong Fei's eyes. "Those people turned me into this neither male nor female state! But I can't escape them, and I even have to drag this body to continue working for the royal family of the Southern Kingdom! Because only then can I protect the remaining members of the Cong family. Like my elder brother, I can live for the Cong family."
Thus, with this body, Cong Fei became the head of the Cong family.
But because he lacked his elder brother's capabilities, and the current Cong family was far from its former glory, they were gradually being abandoned by the King of the Southern Kingdom.
Cong Fei harbored deep hatred, but for the sake of the Cong family, he had to find another way. "Later, I discovered I seemed to have a peculiar talent for business. So, I led the Cong family to establish a trade caravan, which finally made the King feel that I was still useful, and the Cong family was still useful. Only then did he spare me and the Cong family, to help him make money."
Could such a cruel person truly be fit to be a king?
Song Chaoyu's brow furrowed, and Mu Changxi sighed, patting Cong Fei's shoulder. "So, you came to Qin Prefecture this time for business?"
"No."
Cong Fei knew that Mu Changxi could see through his thoughts. "I came seeking release. This body causes me unbearable pain. I heard that the people of the former Little Qin Kingdom possessed profound medical skills, which is why I came to Qin Prefecture, hoping to find an expert who could alleviate my current suffering of being neither male nor female."
"But…"
He changed his tone and immediately frowned. "Not long after I arrived in Qin Prefecture, I discovered I had been poisoned with a蛊!"
So, Cong Fei actually knew about this!