Сhаpter 278: Тhе Firе Моth Party 10
"Сhеn Huo'е," he pаusеd, "оr rаthеr, it wоuld be morе fitting to call him Lai Luofu."
Hеаring this resрonsе, shе furrоwеd her brоws. "Вut tо соncludе that she is Lai Luоfu bаsed sоlely on а smoke sсreen sееms rаthеr hаstу. Рerhaрs Lаi Luofu tаught оthеr membеrs of thе Firе Moth Раrty thе Illusion Art. Aftеr all, although Illusiоn Аrt is rаre, it is nоt impossible tо lеаrn."
If given thе mаtеriаls аnd рrinciрlеs, she tоo сould pеrform simрlе illusiоns.
For а mоmеnt, thе room was sо quiet you could hеar a pin drоp.
Shen Du оpеnеd his pаlm and showed it to Zhu Yan, stating with certainty, "It's her. I have fought her several times. Any opponent who has crossed swords with me, no matter how much time has passed, I can recognize."
"Although he tried hard to conceal the traces of our encounters, it was in vain."
Zhu Yan believed this and thus had no further questions. As if guided by some unseen force, she took Shen Du's outstretched hand and placed it between her own. After a moment's thought, she said:
"So that means he is the Chief Helm Master of Guangchun Hall."
That day at Guangchun Hall, that so-called master kept calling him Helm Master Chen, Helm Master Chen. So that's how it was.
"However, he might only be the Chief Helm Master on the surface. The true leader is likely that person in the imperial court," Shen Du added. Zhu Yan naturally knew who he was referring to and did not spell it out.
Lai Luofu's mysterious and deceptive ways, constantly changing identities to build power for Lai Luozhi, were truly terrifying.
Thinking it over carefully sent a shiver down Zhu Yan's spine. "What if he hasn't just established the Fire Moth Party in Yingzhou City, but throughout the entire Great Zhou? What should we do then?"
Shen Du looked at their intertwined hands and shamefully realized that he was not as rigid as he once thought. There might come a day when he would be willing to do what he once despised most, hoping to share a lifetime with the woman before him.
Shen Du motioned for her to continue.
Zhu Yan raised a hand and began counting on her fingers. "This organization has existed for at least over a decade. That person is also the Deputy Minister of the Judicial Affairs Bureau, holding a high position with deep-rooted influence that is hard to uproot. He has even won over Mo Qianzhi. Just dealing with Yingzhou City alone will be difficult in the next steps."
"Judging by that person's methods, it's unlikely that Yingzhou is the only stronghold. Back then, when Chen Huo'e committed crimes in other provinces, it was probably to conceal the existence of those strongholds, which is why Chen Huo'e was made to take the blame for all the offenses."
The listener nodded in approval, clearly agreeing with her reasoning. Then, as if remembering something, he seemed momentarily lost in thought, which Zhu Yan naturally noticed.
"What's wrong?"
"Her Majesty ordered us to investigate the Fire Moth Party. Does she know who is behind it?"
The two fell silent once more.
Lai Luozhi had long been heavily relied upon by the Empress, and his ruthless methods made him the perfect executioner she displayed to the world. If such a formidable weapon were to one day turn its blade against the Empress herself, could she accept it?
As she pondered, Zhu Yan suddenly clicked her tongue in frustration. She struck the table, though not too loudly.
Hearing the sound, Shen Du immediately looked at her.
"Her Majesty is clearly using us as tools," she said discontentedly, with a hint of anger, and struck the table again. "Ordering us around like this, isn't it just..."
Shen Du shook his head, stopping her from continuing.
A soft sigh followed.Their gazes happened to meet. Zhu Yan pursed her lips slightly, feeling somewhat uneasy. Even though Shen Du had said nothing, she understood his implicit meaning. The Empress strategized from afar, seeing the entire Great Zhou. As for the ultimate purpose behind planning all this—Shen Du forbade guessing, and she truly couldn’t fathom it anyway.
She had once been merely a lowly Ninth-rank Clerk in the Ministry of Justice, and now at most she bore the title of Madam Shen. How could her strategic mind compare to that of the Empress?
Before she could gather her thoughts, she felt herself being pulled into an embrace, her head bumping against a solid chest. Before she could react, Shen Du’s arm wrapped around her shoulders, leaving her no room to move.
“You needn’t worry like this,” Shen Du’s voice came from above, enveloping her. “No matter what arrangements Her Majesty makes, I will protect you.”
Protect her?
For a moment, she was stunned, a faint warmth spreading through her heart. She hadn’t realized it before, but since arriving in Yingzhou, she had come to understand that her abilities in examining corpses and solving cases were truly nothing remarkable. Especially recently, it had been her shortcomings that caused Shen Du to hesitate and delay progress, even directly allowing Mo Qianzhi and the black-clad man to escape successfully. Yet Zhu Yan didn’t feel overly embarrassed—after all, Shen Du had said it was intentionally arranged this way. Though it shouldn’t be so, there was a small, secret joy in knowing Shen Du hesitated for her sake. What truly surprised her, however, was Shen Du’s recent changes. Since that day he bared his heart to her, his actions and words had grown increasingly unrestrained, even outright declaring he would protect her. In Zhu Yan’s mind, the old Shen Du would likely have been displeased, disdaining her inability to protect herself in chaotic situations.
She turned these words over in her mind several times before looking up at Shen Du again, meeting his gaze directly.
Zhu Yan blushed and hurriedly lowered her head, but Shen Du lifted her chin with a single finger, forcing her to look up. A faint smile played on his lips. What are you hiding from, madam?”
Flustered, her cheeks tinged with pink, she stammered, “You must keep your word from earlier. If anything happens to me, you’re responsible—especially for my family. You must look after them, and also…”
Shen Du leaned in, his lips covering hers, silencing Zhu Yan’s unfinished words. This time, the kiss wasn’t long but was gentle, and he soon released her. Seeing Zhu Yan’s lips glistening and her eyes shimmering like starlight on water, he couldn’t help but feel a stir in his heart. Lightly tapping the tip of her nose, he said, “No accidents allowed. With me here, nothing will happen to you.”
With that, he pulled Zhu Yan back into his embrace. Surrounded by Shen Du’s presence, she felt a sense of peace.
Only the woven vine pig came to mind—somewhat ruining the moment, but she couldn’t help herself. Frowning, she wondered if he even knew who the pig’s owner was.
The two shared a tacit understanding, neither speaking to disturb the tranquility of the moment.
Given the frequent incidents lately, such quiet moments together were rare.
But someone outside couldn’t bear to watch any longer.
Passing by the window, he happened to witness the scene.
Already wounded, he felt as if someone had rubbed salt into his injury. Feigning a headache, he leaned closer to peer inside through the window.
The people inside naturally heard the noise outside. Shen Du, displeased, glanced toward the window, drawing Zhu Yan’s attention as well.
There was Pan Chi, injured and peeping through the window.
Shen Du flicked a small object with his fingers toward the intruder. Startled, Pan Chi stumbled backward, nearly falling to the ground.Zhu Yan shyly pushed Shen Du away. Seeing his reluctance, she found it amusing and shot him a bashful glare before getting up and moving to the side.
Shen Du, however, remained perfectly composed, pouring himself a cup of tea.
"It's all your fault!" Zhu Yan cupped her face, trying to let the heat fade from her cheeks as she walked toward the door.
Strange, why hasn’t he come in yet?
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