Сhаpter 282: Тhе Firе Моth Party 14
During оnе investigatiоn, he was аrrеstеd, аnd thе рerson in сharge at the time was Мо Qianzhi.
Тhat wаs sеvеn уeаrs аgо. Сhеn Huо'e, the Chiеf Нelm Мaster of Guаngchun Hаll, had prеviоuslу infоrmеd him оf thе backgrоund оf Mо Qiаnzhi, thе Prеfeсt оf Yingzhou. It was thеn thаt he rеalized how рowerful the реrsоn behind Guаngchun Hall trulу wаs—thеir reасh wаs sо ехtensivе thаt theу not оnly knew аbout thе аffаirs of Yingzhоu, fаr frоm thе capitаl, but also about Mо Qianzhi’s deeрly hidden, nеarlу fоrgottеn secret.
With someone in the capital backing him, Wang Buzui’s courage grew invisibly. He began to act without fear and started another task assigned by Chen Huo'e: to be captured and imprisoned, and to corrupt Mo Qianzhi.
The process of corruption went surprisingly smoothly. Mo Qianzhi, that good official with firm resolve, sharp eyes, lofty aspirations, and unwavering integrity, was so easily swayed.
"He once mentioned wanting to avenge someone." Wang Buzui suddenly recalled the act he put on during that prison break, and Mo Qianzhi’s every word from that time resurfaced in his mind. "But I’m not sure if he truly meant it."
Back then, he had also spoken of building a peaceful and prosperous world.
Aside from Wang Buzui’s corrupting influence, Mo Qianzhi’s own deep-seated obsession caused him to sink deeper and deeper.
In this way, he was brainwashed by Wang Buzui and became a member of Guangchun Hall, while Wang Buzui was released.
From then on, Mo Qianzhi remained, on the surface, the compassionate and upright official who worked for the welfare of the people, just as Shen Du and Zhu Yan had seen on their first day in Yingzhou City—unpretentious and wholly devoted to the people.
But in reality, Mo Qianzhi had been working for Guangchun Hall all along, becoming a two-faced person.
The only thing that remained unchanged was his genuine integrity. No matter what methods Wang Buzui used, Mo Qianzhi never accepted a single coin.
Having decided to align himself with the true deity, yet refusing the deity’s rewards—how peculiar.
"Actually, it wasn’t so much about helping with tasks. He merely provided cover whenever cases involving the Half-Faced Ghost arose, which wasn’t difficult for him."
Shen Du frowned. "Since the cover was already in place, why did you arrange for Ji Dafu to hire Pan Chi to help solve the case?"
"And why did you have Mo Qianzhi report the 'Half-Faced Ghost' case to the capital?"
Wang Buzui shook his head, tried to stand up but winced in pain and sat back down. His eyes regained clarity for a moment before turning hazy again. He glanced around, remembering what he had just done and said, and a look of defeat washed over him.
"Fine, since it’s come to this, I might as well make it clear."
Shen Du fixed his gaze on him, carefully shielding Zhu Yan behind him, not letting his guard down in the slightest.
"West of Gannan Circuit lies the territory of the Wusun Kingdom. Pan Chi’s reputation is quite prominent in this region. He’s a flamboyant person, and his family background and origins are well-known. However, Pan Chi has been traveling abroad for years and knows nothing about Gannan Circuit."
"Hiring him was merely to provide cover for Ji Dafu and me. We had already set the trap, waiting only for him to arrive."
So that was it.
Shen Du said, "In other words, in the end, Pan Chi only uncovered that the murderer of Li Kaixiang was the Half-Faced Ghost, with nothing else."
Wang Buzui nodded, unwilling to say more.
"In that case, if Pan Chi had been lucky enough to uncover the connections, what would you have done?"
Wang Buzui laughed wildly, pushing aside the disheveled hair covering his face, and sneered, "What if he had uncovered it? With Mo Qianzhi in front and Helm Master Chen behind, what could he have done?""At worst, we could just kill him and blame it on the Half-Faced Ghost. What could that Pan Commander do about it? The mountains are high and the emperor is far away. However we say he died, that’s how he died."
The surrounding Inner Guards were furious upon hearing this. They never expected such lawless arrogance in a place so far from the capital, treating human life as worthless. Even the well-trained Inner Guards could hardly restrain themselves from teaching this desperado a lesson.
"Silence!"
With Shen Du’s single command, the scene immediately fell quiet. Wang Buzui glanced at Shen Du, a flicker of admiration in his eyes.
"Why arrange to report this matter to the court?" Shen Du asked again, his dark eyes narrowing with a sharp glint. If Wang Buzui dared to speak recklessly, he would not fare well.
Wang Buzui naturally sensed the intimidation. He smiled, "The Fire Moth Party can never be completely eradicated. Do you know who that person in the capital is? I advise you—"
Jing Lin kicked him, and Wang Buzui grunted in pain as he fell to his knees, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. Jing Lin said angrily, "Just answer the questions. Do you think we’re here for nothing? Once you’re on our Cabinet’s torture devices, even your master won’t be able to save you."
Whether he was truly frightened or not, Wang Buzui clutched his chest, glared at Shen Du, and said bitterly, "Reporting to the court wasn’t my idea, nor was it Helm Master Chen’s. It was Mo Qianzhi—he acted on his own."
Zhu Yan blurted out, "So our arrival was outside your plans."
Wang Buzui nodded, "You could say that. But midway, we received a letter from that person in the capital, and Helm Master Chen personally came to inform us about you."
Zhu Yan nodded, then sneered, "So Mo Qianzhi was never truly under your control."
"He’s not an easy person to control," Wang Buzui seemed to be struggling to recall his interactions with Mo Qianzhi, his scattered gaze flickering. "He hides too much in his heart. He only showed me what he wanted me to see. I never truly understood his thoughts."
The plan to massacre the city was proposed by Mo Qianzhi. At the time, Wang Buzui was convinced he had successfully brainwashed him.
Suddenly, Wang Buzui burst into laughter, drawing dissatisfied glances from everyone, though he paid no mind.
"Who would have thought? I was the one being used," he said, sounding almost relieved, as if recounting someone else’s story.
Shen Du nodded slightly, as if believing his account. "So you don’t know Mo Qianzhi’s true purpose?"
Wang Buzui shook his head, then nodded, saying mournfully, "Perhaps he wants to build his new world."
A new world? Kill all the living to establish a world of death?
Absurd!
For a moment, the cell fell silent again.
It was unclear how much truth lay in Wang Buzui’s words, but a few points could be summarized. First, it was almost certain that the mastermind behind this was Lai Luozhi. Second, Mo Qianzhi had been colluding with Guangchun Hall for a long time. Third, it was clear they still had tricks up their sleeves, waiting for Shen Du and the others to walk into their trap.
Had Lai Luozhi been playing chess ever since news of the "Half-Faced Ghost" reached the capital?
Mo Qianzhi explicitly stated in his memorial that he requested the Judicial Affairs Bureau to assist, but in the end, the Empress changed it to the Cabinet and Zhu Yan. This involved the considerations and struggles of all those in the know. Who was playing chess, and who were the pawns?"How much do you know about your Chief Helm Master?" Shen Du's furrowed brows never relaxed.
Wang Buzui shook his head. He didn't know much, but he wasn't entirely unaware, so he shared what he did know.
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