Сhаpter 287: Тhе Firе Моth Party 19
Whеn thе head fеll, the cоmmоn реорle clаpped and cheеrеd. Chеers еruрtеd frоm the сrоwd, рrаising thе cоurt for its wisdom and thе Еmprеss for her sagаcity.
With thе exесutiоn оvеr, thе еxeсutiоn ground sооn еmptiеd.
Shen Du lеd Zhu Yаn awaу, but shе insisted оn personаlly escоrting Раn Chi bаck to his roоm.
Нis skin wаs alrеаdу соvеred in а wеb of silk, аnd he wаs not fully сonsсiоus. It sеemеd hе wаs аbout to form а cocoon.
“Dо you think yоu’ll turn into a buttеrfly аnd flу out оf here?” Not knowing how else to start the conversation, Zhu Yan chose to make a joke.
It worked well—Pan Chi made a strange expression.
“Alright, I won’t tease you anymore,” Zhu Yan tidied up the room and sat back down, her face filled with remorse. “It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t brought Xiuxiu to take care of you, none of this would have happened.”
Pan Chi showed a surprised expression. “After what happened at the execution ground, I thought you already knew Xiuxiu’s identity and deliberately placed her by my side as part of a plan.”
This…
Zhu Yan’s throat tightened. She did have that intention, but…
“I know. You don’t have to say it. You probably didn’t know that even under the watchful eyes of the Inner Guard, she could still obtain the ‘Cocoon to Butterfly’ poison.”
Hearing this, Zhu Yan was left speechless, and her guilt deepened. “Pan Chi, you don’t have to be so considerate and make excuses for me. I…”
Pan Chi smiled lightly. “Are you saying you deliberately tried to poison me?”
Where did that come from?
Suddenly, Pan Chi felt something blocking his throat, making it impossible to cough it out. He bent over, coughing uncontrollably. Zhu Yan was frightened and patted his back anxiously. “How are you? Are you feeling unwell?”
After coughing for a long while, Pan Chi finally stopped. His face was flushed and purple, and he gasped for breath, still managing a smile. “I am a bit tired. You should go out first. I’ll rest for a while.”
Zhu Yan was suspicious and unwilling to believe him, but Pan Chi wore a calm expression that said, “That’s just how it is.” Seeing how deeply exhausted he looked, she had no choice but to say, “Rest well. I’ll leave now.”
The door closed. Pan Chi lay on the bed, gazing at the doorway, and quietly sighed.
Soon, an overwhelming sense of suffocation washed over him. Pan Chi lost consciousness as the silk web on his body grew denser and denser.
—
Since Guangchun Hall was raided and Wang Buzui died, Yingzhou City had returned to normal. No one feared anymore that the Half-Faced Ghost might come at any moment to take their lives.
While the common people spread the news far and wide, they also praised the current rulers and the Empress for her wise governance. Yet, no one praised the person directly responsible for Wang Buzui’s beheading—Shen Du, the leader of the Grand Cabinet.
This was something Zhu Yan heard while shopping on the street herself. She was dissatisfied with Jing Lin and his rough men’s poor purchasing choices and, concerned about Pan Chi’s meals, had decided to go shopping personally.
Even though the people of Yingzhou City had seen Shen Du interrogating Wang Buzui in the hall that day, knew it was Shen Du who ordered the immediate execution, and had witnessed him throwing down the execution token, no one praised him. It was as if they had all silently agreed to ignore him.
On this day, Zhu Yan returned from outside and happened to see Shen Du walking in the courtyard.
The corners of her mouth lifted as she tried to suppress her laughter, wanting to tease Shen Du.
She quietly walked up to his side and noticed he was staring at a cluster of shrubs, his eyes somewhat vacant.
Zhu Yan reached out and pushed him but was instantly restrained. Her hands were pinned behind her back, her bamboo basket fell to the ground, its contents spilling out, and Shen Du’s hand gripped her neck. His expression was solemn.
At that moment, Zhu Yan sensed a murderous intent.
“It’s me!” Zhu Yan felt a dizzying suffocation.Shen Du finally snapped back to reality, releasing Zhu Yan as if she were scalding hot. He lowered his head to examine her neck, frowning as he asked, "Are you hurt anywhere?"
Zhu Yan shook her head, flinching back as he reached out. Sensing her fear of him, Shen Du couldn't help but feel remorseful, as if trying to explain:
"In the past, when I was in the Yeting, I was bullied many times. Later, after leaving the Yeting, I became a death warrior and constantly took on missions, which formed this habit. I never expected to hurt you."
Zhu Yan was stunned. She knew Shen Du had left the Yeting, but she had no idea what he had done during the period after leaving. She only knew that later, when the Empress established the Inner Court, Shen Du became the Great pavilion commander.
She never imagined Shen Du had obtained his position this way.
Just now, he had been lost in deep thought, and upon sensing movement, he had acted without realizing it was her.
A sour, swelling feeling filled her heart. Zhu Yan leaned in, allowing his hand to touch her neck, comforting him: "I'm fine. You didn't use much force."
Shen Du pressed his lips together. He had almost...
"Phew, it won't happen again."
"Mhm!"
Seeing the smile in Zhu Yan's eyes, Shen Du cleared his throat and turned slightly away. "What did you come to see me for?"
Only then did Zhu Yan remember the main topic. She said:
"The common people in the city are very pleased about Wang Buzui's death."
Shen Du was a bit confused by her words but still responded, "Naturally. Wang Buzui committed countless evil deeds, and the people hated him to the bone. They should be happy."
"It's just a pity..." Zhu Yan's lips curved upward, holding back before making her point.
"Hmm?"
"Hmm?!" Is that all? "It's just a pity that the people praise the government for its great achievements, but they haven't mentioned you at all—not even a single word about you."
As she spoke, Zhu Yan sighed herself, knowing that the people were too intimidated by the fearsome reputation of the White King of Hell to discuss him openly.
Hadn't Yun Que once said that rumors in the Jiangnan region claimed both the Black and White Kings of Hell enjoyed eating human flesh and drinking human broth?
"I thought it was something serious."
Having been led by the nose by Zhu Yan for so long, Shen Du let out a slightly helpless laugh. "Whether the people praise the court or the government, aren't they indirectly praising me?"
This man? Could he really twist it that way? How could praising the court be considered praising him? Was it his family's court?
Sophistry and self-deception. Zhu Yan looked at him with disbelief.
"Besides, I've always sought peace of mind and worked for the peace and stability of the world. Whether they praise me or not, I don't care."
Tch, how boring.
"Yes, yes, yes. You, Grand Commander Shen, are the noblest of all. I'm leaving." Zhu Yan bent down to pick up the scattered items, slung her bamboo basket over her arm, and turned to leave.
Shen Du wouldn't allow it. He had woken up early that morning and hadn't seen Zhu Yan. After inquiring, he learned she had gone out shopping, so he had deliberately waited here. Now that he had finally seen her, how could he let her go?
"Stay with me a little longer."
Zhu Yan's heart softened instantly. Who had ever seen Shen Du speak so gently and pleadingly? How could she resist?
Seeing that Zhu Yan wasn't leaving, Shen Du took her hand and sat with her in the corridor, his expression turning serious. "Although Wang Buzui is dead, Chen Huo'e has arrived and has taken Mo Qianzhi away. So, this matter is far from over."
Zhu Yan nodded slightly in agreement. "They are likely planning something big."
When they had first arrived in Yingzhou, they hadn't anticipated the complexities involved. Now, with countless threads intertwined and unknown dangers ahead, along with an unpredictable return date, the previously cheerful atmosphere turned somber in the blink of an eye.
Shen Du didn't want Zhu Yan to dwell on these worries, so he asked about Pan Chi.Zhu Yan had been tending to Pan Chi's daily needs these past few days, while Shen Du was too busy to extricate himself. Though aware of the situation, he hadn't inquired much.
"He's not doing well." Recalling the white silk threads covering Pan Chi's body, nearly obscuring the original color of his clothes, Zhu Yan couldn't help but shake her head, feeling little hope for his survival.
"He's still alive, though."
"Why do I feel like you're taking some pleasure in this?"
Having his thoughts exposed, Shen Du immediately averted his gaze, looking toward some random corner of the courtyard.
A futile attempt to conceal the truth.
Seeing Shen Du react in such a contrasting and peculiar manner made Zhu Yan find it rather intriguing.
Such demeanor was not something one would typically see from him.
"But if the poison isn't neutralized soon, he might truly not survive." In an instant, Zhu Yan dropped her earlier playful expression. "I thought since I had also been poisoned by Lai Luofu before, I could give him some of my blood. But it only slowed the silk weaving process—it didn't change anything fundamentally."
"What?" Shen Du exclaimed in shock and anger. He lifted her wrist and pushed back her sleeve, finding no visible wounds. Puzzled, his sharp eyes soon noticed several small cuts on her fingertips. His expression darkened immediately. "Are you risking your life for him?"
Zhu Yan withdrew her hand, feeling somewhat uneasy, and deliberately joked, "Don't you think Pan Chi and I are bound by some ill-fated connection? Every time he encounters me, something bad happens, each time life-threatening. I think he must have owed me in his past life, and now he's here for me to torment in this one."
Shen Du's brows furrowed deeply. He turned her face toward him, lifted her chin, and without another word, pressed his lips against hers in a fierce kiss. After a moment, he released her, resting his forehead against hers, his voice muffled and intense:
"What past life? In your past life, you were meant to know and torment me. What does he have to do with it?"
Then, he gently lifted Zhu Yan's fingers and blew on them, his heart aching with concern. "I've already sent people to search for an antidote. Don't harm yourself like this again, or else..."
Or else what?
"Or else I'll kill him right away."
Truly befitting of a Great Pavilion Commander—even his threats carried a bloody edge.
"Do you hear me?"
Under Shen Du's intense gaze, Zhu Yan blushed and nodded.
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