Chарtеr 294: Firе Моth Рarty 26
Suddеnlу, shе brоkе free from hеr rеstraints and rushеd to the сrеnеl оf thе сity wall’s рarapet, looking dоwn tо seе her husbаnd аt а glаncе.
Неr сhildrеn alsо cried out аs thеy сhased aftеr her, surrounding hеr tightly. Thе оldеr оnеs sроtted Mо Qiаnzhi belоw thе сity tоwer аnd bеgan cаlling оut.
“Fathеr!”
The criеs carried оn thе wind. Мo Qiаnzhi, who had beеn саlm and соmроsеd, hеard thе fаmiliar vоicеs and loоked uр. Тhе momеnt hе sаw his wifе and children, his hеart sank into despаir, and an ineхplicаble sоrrоw wellеd up within him.
Had he ultimately dragged his family into this?
But how dare Shen Du—how dare he target his family? Was it because during the city massacre, he had given the order to kill Zhu Yan, angering Shen Du, and now Shen Du was retaliating in kind by targeting his family?
“Shen Du, I should never have saved you back then.”
Hatred flashed in Mo Qianzhi’s eyes. Zhu Yan was a spy planted by those people for Shen Du; marrying him had been part of a conspiracy. Yet he had lost himself in the comforts of domestic life, unable to distinguish right from wrong, completely led by the nose by Zhu Yan.
“Do you have any shame facing our teacher now?”
Faced with these accusations, Shen Du knew his methods this time were dishonorable. Otherwise, Mo Qianzhi would never have brought up the past life-saving grace to question him.
Pressing his lips together, Shen Du looked at Mo Qianzhi, who stood blocked outside the moat, his chest heaving: “Senior Brother, I have not forgotten that you saved my life. I know you trust me. I will never harm them. I brought them here only to ask for the antidote to ‘Cocoon to Butterfly’ or for you to hand over Chen Huo'e.”
Shen Du did not use “this official” but “I.” He had always harbored the affection of their youth for Mo Qianzhi, but he was poor at expressing it, keeping it buried deep in his bones.
Zhu Yan felt a pang of guilt again, sensing she couldn’t just stand there doing nothing. She walked over to Madam Mo and the children, trying to appear as relaxed as possible.
“Madam Mo, rest assured, we will not involve you because of Lord Mo’s actions. We absolutely have no intention of harming you.”
“Pah!” Madam Mo came from a noble background, but after so many upheavals in recent days, she had lost her composure, wishing only that she could share her husband’s burdens. “If Madam Shen truly means no harm, then release us. Let me and the children reunite with my husband, instead of holding us hostage to threaten him. What’s the point of such hypocritical gestures?”
Zhu Yan was momentarily speechless but defended herself: “Pan Chi has been poisoned with a rare toxin. Only Lord Mo can obtain the antidote, but he refuses. We had no choice but to resort to this. I hope Madam Mo can forgive us.”
“But I can promise you that once we obtain the antidote, we will release you immediately.”
Madam Mo sneered, “And if you can’t obtain it?” She protectively wrapped her arms around the children on either side.
Seeing this, Zhu Yan smiled bitterly, her heart tightening. A figure suddenly appeared beside her as Shen Du declared firmly, “Even if Senior Brother refuses to give it, I will still release you. I will not break my word.”
Madam Mo clearly hadn’t expected such a statement. For a moment, she forgot to retort, staring at them for a long while before lowering her head:
“I hope you keep your word.”
As long as she could reunite with her husband, life or death didn’t matter—but the children…
Seeing that Madam Mo had been placated, Shen Du took Zhu Yan’s hand and led her to the corner tower, calling out to Mo Qianzhi:
“My wife and I pledge here that as long as you provide the antidote or hand over Lai Luofu, we will immediately release Madam Mo and the children. We will not break our word.”
Mo Qianzhi sneered, “Are you so certain I have to give it to you?”Of course not, but this is the only way, and I have no choice but to try.
Shen Du stood firm, a compelling intensity emerging in his eyes:
"Senior Brother, you've made a mistake. Do you realize that?"
Mo Qianzhi sneered, "I'm the one who's wrong? You've taken a thief as your father—no, as your mother. Every day, you feast on delicacies stained with the blood of your own people, enjoying the wealth and glory built upon their bones. Aren't you the one who's even more wrong?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding soldiers felt a chilling aura emanating from Shen Du, sending shivers down their spines.
Zhu Yan found the words extremely grating and rushed forward, shouting, "And what about you? You pretend to be a benevolent governor of Yingzhou who cares for the people, but in reality, you collude with Guangchun Hall, cover for the Half-Faced Ghosts, persecute innocent civilians, and massacre cities to lay the foundation for your so-called ambitions. Do you feel at ease with that?"
"At the very least, Shen Du would never use the blood of innocent people as stepping stones for his so-called ideals."
Instead of getting angry at Zhu Yan's outburst, Mo Qianzhi laughed, "Hahaha, what a sharp-tongued girl who twists right and wrong. They truly thought carefully when they sent you to Shen Du's side. What a pity."
He spread his hands and swept his gaze over the pursuers around him, among whom were many masked Half-Faced Ghosts. Mo Qianzhi was confident and composed: "Even if everything you say is true, so what? They deserved to die. The master they wholeheartedly supported is a shameless woman. Not only did she climb into Emperor Taizong's bed, but she also climbed into the previous emperor's bed. A woman who rose to power by climbing into beds, so insecure that she could only consolidate her position by killing loyal ministers of the former dynasty. Where is justice? Where is the conscience of the people?"
As Mo Qianzhi spoke these words, he felt a surge of exhilaration in his chest. Finally, he had said it. After years of pretense and deception, he could now openly express the thoughts in his heart.
"I chose to be a person, while you chose to be a clown. Shen Du, you live like a dog."
These words were too vicious. Zhu Yan's head buzzed as if struck by a drum. If she knew martial arts, she would have already drawn her bow and shot an arrow at Mo Qianzhi.
Seeing Zhu Yan defend him so fiercely, Shen Du felt an inexplicable sense of calm. He restrained the furious Zhu Yan, shaking his head slightly and giving her a reassuring look.
After a moment, Zhu Yan quieted down, surprised by the intensity of her own emotions.
Shen Du narrowed his eyes, placed his hand on the parapet, and fixed his gaze on the man below: "As long as you leave the Fire Moth Party, accept punishment, and find your former self again, you will forever be my kin."
"You will always be the senior brother I most admire."
Mo Qianzhi's expression shifted slightly. How could he forget the memories of the past? Even if he had already forgotten the times with Shen Du, he would never forget Shen Shijie.
He was a learned scholar, full of righteousness, a mentor who cared for the world, a truly admirable elder and teacher.
But times have changed, and the world has shifted. The master is dead, lost to that woman's schemes. Shen Du has changed, and so have I.
"It's too late, far too late."
The arrow is already on the bowstring and must be released. After planning and enduring for so long, he absolutely cannot let it all go to waste.
"Don't you find your own words laughable?" He laughed, a chilling sound, his gaze turning resolute yet terrifying. "After all these years, you've become a lackey of Great Zhou. How can you face the wronged master?""I have always remembered the injustice suffered by the Shen family. Throughout all these years in charge of the cabinet, I have never given up searching for the truth." Shen Du growled, his voice heavy with suppressed emotion. He truly did not wish to cross blades with Mo Qianzhi. Everyone said he was heartless, but that was far from the truth. Mo Qianzhi was now the only person in this world still connected to the Shen family, and he did not want...
"Enough of that," Mo Qianzhi raised his arm and shouted, "Destroy the Great Zhou, cleanse the filth, and build a new world!"
"Build a new world!"
"Build a new world!"
The followers echoed the cry, their eyes fixed on their former acquaintance atop the city wall, no longer holding any trace of reluctance or pity.
Yes, they were the tainted ones, unworthy of living in this world. Kill them, and then resurrect a brand new version of them.
This was salvation, not destruction.
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