Chaрtеr 344: Тhе Еnd of the Hаlf-Fаced Ghоst 10
Finally, thе quеstiоn wаs аskеd. Zhu Yan knew Shеn Du would not let this oppоrtunitу slip.
Sеeing Lаi Luоfu rеmаin silent, Shеn Du оrdеrеd, "Jing Lin, dеstroу one of thе аntidotеs."
"Yes." In an instant, Jing Lin сrushed an аntidote intо роwdеr with his hаnd, lеtting it fаll to the grоund bеforе stоmрing on it sеverаl timеs until it comрlеtelу vanished.
"Ah!" Lаi Luofu’s eyеs widеnеd in fury, his еxpressiоn frеnziеd. Unablе tо mоvе оr rеtrievе thе antidоte, his еyes turnеd bloоdshоt аs he gаsреd hеavily. Knоwing he had no choiсe but to spеak, he finаlly sаid,
"Вaсk then, Shen Shijie refused to take sides and openly sympathized with Crown Prince Li Chong, opposing the Empress’s decision to remove Li Chong from the throne and ascend herself. However, after the Empress took the throne, she showed compassion to the old ministers and even appointed Shen Shijie as the Crown Prince’s tutor to instruct him. As a result, Shen Shijie later praised the Empress highly. But the problem was—this Shen Shijie—"
Lai Luofu glanced at Shen Du, his gaze flickering,
"He wanted to maintain a good reputation in everything. How was that possible? He supported both the Crown Prince and the Empress. That aside, at the time, Lai Luozhi was strictly investigating those who wrote denunciations against the Empress. Yet, Shen Shijie secretly helped those scholars evade punishment, obstructed the Judicial Affairs Bureau, and sympathized with the officials being tried by the bureau, frequently submitting memorials to plead for their innocence."
"Naturally, Lai Luozhi would not let Shen Shijie off. Moreover, he was always decisive in his actions. Once he made a decision, he wouldn’t settle for just a warning—he wanted the Shen residence to disappear from the Great Zhou Kingdom."
The word "disappear" sounded so simple coming from Lai Luofu’s mouth. Zhu Yan tightly gripped Shen Du’s hand, noticing that while his expression remained calm, turmoil churned in his eyes.
Having overseen the Grand Cabinet for years, Shen Du knew exactly how to interrogate prisoners to make them tell the truth. He didn’t need Lai Luofu to describe the fate of the Shen residence—he already knew. But that wasn’t what he wanted to know now. He glanced sideways at Jing Lin, who immediately grabbed another antidote, crushed it in his palm, and let it trickle to the ground bit by bit.
Lai Luofu went mad: "I’m telling the truth, every word of it! Don’t destroy any more antidotes, please!"
"Good," Shen Du said coldly. "Then tell me, how did you do it? And who else was involved?"
Lai Luofu flinched, his petty thoughts seen through by Shen Du. Not daring to lie, he stiffened his back:
"Originally, Lai Luozhi planned to use the Shen residence to fabricate false charges against the Li faction, including the Crown Prince, and wipe them all out. But for some reason, the Li faction abandoned Shen Shijie, pushing him out as a scapegoat."
"After gathering evidence against the Shen residence, Lai Luozhi consulted the Empress on the final sentencing. The Empress handed everything over to Lai Luozhi and stayed behind the scenes."
"Is what you’re saying true?" Shen Du’s expression was dark and inscrutable, his deep eyes unreadable.
Lai Luofu sneered, "Of course it’s true. Do you think the Empress couldn’t see the truth and actually believed the charges Lai Luozhi fabricated? And that bunch from the Li faction—they’re nothing but a den of cowards. At the critical moment, they abandoned the entire Shen residence, hundreds of people, all to support a deposed crown prince."
"Enough!" Shen Du’s chest heaved, his eyes tinged with crimson as he struggled to control his emotions. Seeing the mockery in Lai Luofu’s words, Shen Du curled his lips into a faint, cold smile. He patted Zhu Yan’s hand gently, regaining his composure, and demanded icily,
"Who provided the evidence?"
Lai Luofu let out a short, sharp laugh before his face contorted in pain. Unable to wait, he blurted out, "It was the Fire Moth Party! The Fire Moth Party provided it, without anyone knowing."Shen Du could no longer suppress the fury in his eyes. His fists clenched slightly as he stared fixedly at Lai Luofu. Before anyone could react, he grabbed her by the collar and slammed her to the ground. With a thud, a mouthful of foul blood sprayed from Lai Luofu’s lips, shimmering under the lamplight.
“Heh heh heh… People laugh at moths flying into flames, yet they fail to realize that as mayflies born at dawn and dead by dusk, they never even enter the cycle of rebirth. Moths, tempered by fire, do not perish—they are reborn.”
Lai Luofu’s entire body felt as if it were being scorched by fire, every inch of her skin burning fiercely. Yet at the same time, it was as if she were submerged in icy water, a bone-chilling cold piercing through her. She curled up even tighter, wrapping her arms around herself. The silken threads had already enveloped her; in less than half an incense stick’s time, she would completely form a cocoon.
Watching her agonized state, Su Guang’s eyes grew imperceptibly moist. She quickly raised a hand to wipe away her tears and turned her gaze toward Shen Du.
Shen Du moved to advance again but was intercepted by Pan Chi, who wrapped his arms around Shen Du’s waist and refused to let go. Zhu Yan stepped forward and delivered a sharp slap across Shen Du’s face.
The crisp sound echoed through the air, leaving the Inner Guards stunned.
On the brink of collapse, Shen Du regained his senses and stared in shock at Zhu Yan, whose face was flushed with rage. He murmured, “My lady…”
A faint mist seemed to veil his eyes.
Heart aching, Zhu Yan cupped his face. “The great vengeance remains unfulfilled—do not forget.”
Shen Du, never one to openly display his emotions, instantly regained his composure. He pried Pan Chi’s hands away and walked over to where Lai Luofu lay.
“Please save Daisy,” Su Guang pleaded with Shen Du. She knew everyone here listened to Shen Du—he was their leader.
Shen Du gazed silently at the struggling Lai Luofu.
“What did she say?” Zhu Yan asked Pan Chi.
Pan Chi glanced at Shen Du, whose aura was thick with killing intent, and softly translated the words.
Zhu Yan, too, was at a loss for words.
Su Guang grew anxious. That body clearly belonged to Daisy—why should she endure such suffering?
In desperation, she cast a pleading look toward Zhu Yan. Reluctantly, Zhu Yan agreed.
“We should still give her the antidote,” Zhu Yan said with a heavy sigh, not daring to meet Shen Du’s eyes. “She can serve as a witness.”
Shen Du nodded. That had been his original thought as well, but the hatred in his heart ran too deep. He had wanted Lai Luofu to suffer a little longer.
This act also made Su Guang realize that Shen Du treated Zhu Yan differently from others. Despite Su Guang’s own striking beauty, Shen Du never spared her a second glance—his eyes held only Zhu Yan.
Approaching Lai Luofu, she was now in such agony that even opening her eyes to see who stood before her seemed an impossible luxury.
Finally recognizing Zhu Yan holding the antidote before her, Lai Luofu grew intensely excited. She watched as the person before her poured the antidote into her palm, leaned down, and brought it to her lips.
Lai Luofu eagerly opened her mouth, but in an instant, her expression shifted. In the blink of an eye, Daisy seized control of the body, reclaiming her consciousness.
Just as the teachings of the Fire Worship Cult proclaimed: light will always triumph over darkness, and justice will forever defeat evil.
Enduring the pain, Daisy raised her hand and knocked the antidote to the ground.
“I would rather die than let that person emerge again to commit evil.”
Perhaps driven by an overwhelming will to survive, Lai Luofu fought desperately to reclaim the body but was consistently suppressed. Daisy’s resolve, in that moment, became unshakably powerful.
Zhu Yan looked at the porcelain bottle. “That was the last antidote.” She wanted to pick it up and feed it to Lai Luofu—after all, she was a crucial witness, and keeping her alive would be greatly beneficial.
But Daisy stopped her, her gaze clear yet resolute. “Let me perish together with this evil.”
Zhu Yan’s hand trembled slightly. She was deeply shaken by such a determined willingness to face death.Daisy once again covered her head, gritting her teeth in resistance, unwilling to let Lai Luofu emerge. Yet Lai Luofu remained relentless, struggling to break free from the shackles of Daisy's consciousness.
After a long while, Daisy's shoulders and back relaxed. She hugged her knees, curling into a cocoon-like posture, her expression calm as she awaited death.
Seeing this, tears welled up in Su Guang's eyes as she stared blankly at Daisy.
Beside her, Zhu Yan turned away, unable to witness this moment, her heart filled with a tumult of emotions.
In the final moment of cocooning, Daisy's lips suddenly relaxed, blooming into a faint smile—a final release of acceptance for the injustices she had endured in this life.
Daisy was dead, and Lai Luofu was dead as well.
This body would never again be manipulated into doing what she had never wished to do. She was free.
Su Guang stepped forward, crouched down, and gestured with her hands in the familiar motions of the Sacrificial Ritual. She reached out and touched Daisy's cocoon, murmuring, "May the True God bless you, and may your soul find redemption."
Gradually, the white silk before them consumed the body, reducing it to ashes in an instant.
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