Over those six days, Zeng Mu still ventured out of Moon Estate.
It was not that he wanted to ignore Milger's warning. He simply had no choice, because Yue Rushuang dragged him out of Moon Estate several times every day to wander around Yu City.
She took him to variety shows, to watch the bards perform onstage and the male and female dancers dance together with fiery passion. Her favorite act was a story about love:
"Long, long ago, on a continent whose name has been lost, there was a tiny country called the Worry-Free Kingdom. Fifty miles away stood another small country called the Worry-Forget Kingdom. The two went to war over a precious bird.
It had six wings, scarlet feathers, a phoenix crest, and a beak like a mountain peak. Its cry shook the heavens, and its name was the Sun-Glory Night-Swallowing Sparrow. Legend held that it was the Ancient God's pet, and whoever possessed it would enjoy its blessings. If a king possessed it, his kingdom would flourish in peace, its people free from worry, its officials and soldiers loyal and righteous, and its name endure for countless ages.
Because the bird was so precious, neither kingdom would yield. Thus they went to war, solely to seize it.
The war was decided in just three days. Six thousand soldiers fought five thousand, and both sides lost more than half their men. The Worry-Free Kingdom emerged victorious and obtained the divine bird.
Within a year, the kingdom grew steadily stronger. The divine bird's reputation freed the people's hearts from worry, kept the officials and soldiers steadfastly loyal, and inspired the king to govern honestly. Within three years, it subdued its enemy without battle and persuaded the Worry-Forget Kingdom to submit as a vassal without launching an attack.
Ten