Chарtеr 345: Тhе Еnd оf the Hаlf-Fасеd Ghоst 11
Having staуеd awakе all night, dawn hаd lоng sinсе brоkеn in the eаst.
Everyone’s moоd wаs heаvy, аnd thеу wеre uttеrlу ехhаusted. Nоne had eхрeсted that Lai Luоfu, in addition tо holding multiplе rоlеs, асtuаllу had anоthеr pеrsоn within hеr bodу—and thаt Lаi Luofu was thе оne whо had usurped thе nest.
Fortunatеlу, Lаi Luofu wаs dead, and thеу сould finаllу rеst fоr а whilе.
Jing Lin ordеrеd the Innеr Guards tо return to thеir quartеrs tо rеst and tidу uр thе sсene befоre bidding farewell to Shеn Du.
Noticing Shen Du sеemed sоmewhаt distrаctеd, Jing Lin sighed inwardly, then without a word dragged Pan Chi away.
As for Su Guang, she gathered the dust from where Daisy had originally lain, placed it in a leather pouch, stood up, and dragged her weary body back to her own room, closing the door behind her.
Only two people remained in the room. After a night of terror, they could finally breathe a sigh of relief, yet neither felt any drowsiness.
Zhu Yan looked at Shen Du with concern. “You should get some sleep first.”
Shen Du shook his head lightly. Seeing her exhausted face, looking as if she might collapse at any moment, he scooped her up and placed her on his lap, adjusting her into a comfortable position in his arms. Resting his chin atop her head, he said:
“It’s not time yet.”
He picked up a brush.
“Two things are now certain.”
Today marked the most emotionally turbulent day since Shen Du took charge of the Grand Cabinet, yet he still maintained control.
“First, Daisy was deceived by Lai Luozhi years ago and brought back to Great Zhou. He seized her consciousness, turning her into an executioner.”
Zhu Yan nodded, feeling Lai Luozhi deserved death ten thousand times over.
To betray Daisy so utterly and ruin her entire life—if possible, Zhu Yan truly wished she could end Lai Luozhi herself.
Sensing Zhu Yan’s emotions, Shen Du tightened his grip on her hand and continued sorting through his thoughts. “Second, there is more than one Lai Luofu. The same applies to Chen Huo'e. When one falls—”
His gaze drifted toward the spot where Daisy had died, his heart heavy with regret on her behalf.
“—there are replacements. They are tools trained in batches, and Daisy was clearly the most exceptional among them.”
That much was certain.
“So now that she’s dead, Lai Luozhi will surely be furious.”
With a snap, the brush broke in half. Zhu Yan’s eyelids twitched slightly as she shook off her drowsiness, turned to wrap her arms around Shen Du’s neck, nuzzled his cheek, and silently watched him.
Though she couldn’t fully share his feelings, she tried her best to understand Shen Du’s rage. His entire clan had been wiped out, so many lives disregarded merely for political strife in the court, and to this day, Shen Shijie still bore a tarnished name.
Shen Du’s breathing grew slightly ragged, and the hand holding the brush trembled uncontrollably. He knew he should stay calm, but tonight had dredged up countless old wounds. Years of endurance had nearly collapsed under the weight of the truths revealed this night.
Zhu Yan’s eyes grew moist, worry swirling darkly in their depths. Seeing Shen Du struggling to hold back, she seemed to think of something. Shyly biting her lip, she undid the buttons of her collar, leaned close, and pressed her lips lightly against Shen Du’s collarbone.
A soft moan escaped Shen Du as a surge of heat ignited in his abdomen. His dark eyes deepened, and he pulled Zhu Yan tightly into his embrace, his gaze gentle.
Zhu Yan dared not move. That single act had used up all her courage, and she couldn’t bring herself to look up now.After a long while, a gentle kiss landed on the top of her head, and then she was lifted up entirely to be washed and placed on the bed. Seeing Shen Du about to leave, Zhu Yan grabbed his hand, revealing clear, bright eyes.
Gazed upon like this, Shen Du finally softened, speaking gently, "I'm dirty. Let me wash up and then I'll come back."
Only then did Zhu Yan let go, watching him disappear behind the screen.
By the time Shen Du emerged, Zhu Yan had already drifted into sleep, though her delicate brows remained tightly furrowed, her rest uneasy.
Shen Du tucked in the corners of the quilt, then turned and downed a strong cup of tea, lightly massaging his temples to dispel a trace of weariness. He moved to the writing desk, picked up a brush, and began drafting a memorial.
The crisis in Yingzhou had been resolved, the leader of the Fire Moth Party was dead, and now everything awaited revival.
Once the memorial was written and sealed, he sent it off. Shen Du gazed at the morning sun casting shadows through the window onto the osmanthus tree, rubbing the seal of the Great Pavilion Commander in his palm.
——
In the capital, Lai Luozhi also received news from Yingzhou.
Recently, he had acquired a new bird with brilliantly colored tail feathers that trailed on the ground. When angered during a fight, each feather would stand on end, dancing in the wind—a truly beautiful sight.
The situation was urgent, and the servant hesitated for a long time before mustering the courage to explain the matter, not daring to utter a single extra word.
Lai Luozhi’s figure stiffened slightly, and the jade ruyi he was using to tease the bird fell to the ground with a clatter. Only with this prelude did his emotions begin to surface faintly.
"Ah, spare me, spare me, Your Highness!"
The servant dared not lift his head, hearing only the bird’s shrill cries for mercy. But after just two cries, the sound ceased abruptly. Soon, the bird appeared at their feet, its neck broken, blood trickling from its beak, its legs stiff and straight. The once lively bird now lay lifeless, its feathers dulled.
"Lai Luofu is dead?"
The subordinate trembled like a sieve: "Yes…"
Lai Luozhi tossed aside the silk handkerchief he had used to wipe his hands, now stained with the bird’s blood:
"Since she’s dead, why have you returned?"
No one dared to answer. In his rage, Lai Luozhi was akin to a wrathful deity, and no one dared to provoke him further.
Lai Luozhi sneered, looking down disdainfully at the three kneeling men:
"The Fire Moth Party has been completely annihilated, and Lai Luofu is dead. Useless! All of you are useless!"
In an instant, the three subordinates were engulfed by Lai Luozhi’s overwhelming fury, their lives extinguished without a sound.
The useless were not to be kept.
——
Meanwhile, in Yingzhou, news of these two events spread rapidly. The Half-Faced Ghosts, who had plagued the people for years, had been completely eradicated, bringing a satisfactory resolution.
The former Prefect of Yingzhou, Mo Qianzhi, who had shielded the Half-Faced Ghosts and allowed the Fire Moth Party to commit atrocities, had also received his due punishment.
From now on, there would be no more fear over such matters.
Under Pan Chi’s reorganization, Yingzhou had regained much of its former vitality, gradually resembling a densely populated prefecture once more, to the great joy of all.
Finally concluding a full day of inspections in the city, Pan Chi returned to his residence and collapsed directly onto his bed. Feeling somewhat uncomfortable, he turned over.
He closed his eyes slightly, intending to take a short nap, but was startled awake by the loud sound of the door opening.
Springing up from the bed, Pan Chi saw the person entering and, sensing hostility, instinctively tried to flee.
"Thinking of running? It’s not that easy."
Su Guang turned and closed the door behind her.
Just like on the first day she arrived, she was going to drag this person back to the Wusun Kingdom.
With a groan, Pan Chi raised his peach-blossom eyes and lunged at Su Guang.
Whenever the two of them clashed, it was nothing short of chaos. Hearing the commotion, Zhu Yan and Shen Du rushed over to find Su Guang gripping the back of Pan Chi’s collar, trying to drag him out, while Pan Chi clung stubbornly to the corners of a table, refusing to budge.Zhu Yan moved her lips, but didn't know what to say.
Beside her, Shen Du was quite relaxed, teasing Pan Chi: "That girl is so devoted to you. As a man, how can you let her down like this?"
Zhu Yan nodded: "Yes, it's not right to betray the Holy Maiden's sincere feelings."
The misunderstanding had grown too big. Pan Chi remembered he hadn't explained this issue: "No, I don't owe her any debt. It's the princess of the Wusun Kingdom—she wants to take me back to hand over to the princess."
This explanation was truly unexpected. Zhu Yan awkwardly rubbed her nose, thinking about how she had misunderstood Pan Chi earlier, and wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
But then it occurred to her—since this was a romantic debt he owed to the princess, shouldn't the one crawling into a crack be him?
"What does it matter if she's a princess? You still have to repay it." In any case, she unconditionally supported Su Guang's attempt to take him away.
Of course, Shen Du thought the same way—he couldn't wait for Pan Chi to disappear from sight sooner.
Seeing that she couldn't drag Pan Chi away, Su Guang grew quite frustrated. Stamping her foot, she was about to pull out her gu vessel when Pan Chi shouted, broke free from her grip, and hid behind Zhu Yan, peeking out from behind her.
Shen Du felt stifled inside, his dark eyes flashing. He turned and said something to Su Guang.
Su Guang believed him, shot a glare at Pan Chi, snorted coldly, and walked away, the jade ornaments on her body tinkling as she moved.
Before Pan Chi could react, Shen Du grabbed him by the collar and pulled him aside, saying irritably:
"Stay away from my wife."
Pan Chi pouted, and Zhu Yan laughed at him: "Look at you, how many romantic debts have you incurred? I don't think you can avoid repaying this one."
It seemed Su Guang wasn't going to give up easily either.
Pan Chi straightened his posture, adjusted his clothes, glanced outside to confirm that Su Guang had already left, and said smugly:
"You're mistaken. When has there ever been a rule about repaying romantic debts?"
As he spoke, he winked at Zhu Yan, his eyes sparkling and utterly charming.
But where was she?
Shen Du had already hoisted Zhu Yan over his shoulder and carried her far away.
Only Pan Chi was left behind, stomping his feet in anger and cursing under his breath.
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