147. That Man Exuded a Murderous Aura

Only a few days later, Mo Yuhua and Gu Wanting were to be married.

Gu Fei sent over a set of nine-seed ink pills as a token gift, merely to offer her congratulations. She had not intended to attend, but on the day itself, Mo Yuhua did not go to fetch the bride. Instead, he personally rode to the peach grove and invited Gu Fei to accompany him. Only then did the matter come to an end.

Unwilling to provide anyone with a spectacle, Gu Fei first let Mo Yuhua go to fetch the bride. She then took Mama Ku and Nightingale to the Little Mo residence.

The Little Mo household was rarely so festive. Red silk adorned the halls, tied into brilliant knots and swaying flowers, making the place dazzlingly enchanting. Even the servants hurrying to and fro were dressed in conspicuously bright colors.

Perhaps Mo Yuhua had given instructions in advance. The moment Gu Fei reached the entrance, a young servant came forward to greet her. Knowing that she disliked noisy crowds, he led her to the secluded courtyard where she had once lived and told her that someone would come for her when the auspicious hour arrived.

Gu Fei offered no objection. In any case, the only reason she had come today was to watch Mo Yuhua complete the wedding rites. If possible, she also wished to see Mo Yan once more.

She had asked Mo Yuhua how Mo Yan was doing, but Mo Yuhua had merely shaken his head without saying a word.

The servant who had shown her the way soon returned to the courtyard with two plates of pastries, gesturing for Gu Fei to eat something first.

Gu Fei picked up a peanut and instructed Mama Ku, “Go find out where Mo Yan is.”

Mama Ku obeyed. She told Nightingale to stay beside their mistress without taking a single step away, then turned and left.

From somewhere in the distance came the melodious sounds of flutes and zithers, drums and pipes. Gu Fei looked out toward the high eaves that rose toward the sky. Red silk wound around the corners of the corridors, tied into hanging floral knots that swayed gracefully in the breeze, washing everything in a warm hue.

A quarter of an hour later, Mama Ku returned.

“I found him, Mistress. Today is the eldest young master’s wedding, but from what this old servant saw, he has no intention whatsoever of inviting Young Master Mo Yan out.”

Gu Fei’s brows drew together slightly. Her expression was unreadable as she said coolly, “Let us go see him.”

Mo Yan had never felt that his life had been such an utter failure.

He lay half-reclined on the bed, his face pale and bloodless. Every breath came with a wheezing rasp from his throat. From time to time, when his breathing grew uneven, he would break into violent coughing, as though he meant to cough up his very heart and lungs.

That was the Mo Yan Gu Fei found when she arrived.

He wore a robe that was far from neat. His hair was loosely bound, with several strands hanging over his face. Against that bloodless complexion, they lent him an even more disheveled appearance. He bent over the edge of the bed, coughing violently. The day was a special one, and as Gu Fei had crossed the courtyard, she had not seen a single servant anywhere within it.

She stood outside the threshold and looked in through the screen. For a long while, she did not move.

Perhaps his breath had finally steadied. He pushed himself upright, and the moment he raised his head, he saw Gu Fei.

Gu Fei entered. “Today is your son’s great wedding day.”

Her tone was light and indifferent, as though she were speaking of something utterly unimportant. Yet Mo Yan could see the deep mockery in her face. It struck with such piercing force that it drove straight into his heart, making his entire body tremble uncontrollably.

“What are you doing here? Have you come to make a spectacle of this old man? Get out!” he roared, unable to restrain himself.

Gu Fei shook her head. There was no hatred in the depths of her eyes, only a profound calm. Mo Yan was no longer worth plotting against. Everything that needed to be repaid had already come back upon him as retribution.

He had lost the support of everyone around him, with enemies on every side.

Gu Fei signaled for Mama Ku to pour Mo Yan a cup of water to soothe his throat, but he showed no appreciation. With a sweep of his hand, he knocked it away. The cup struck the floor with a sharp crack, shattered into fragments, and sent tea splashing everywhere.

“Such shameless hypocrisy.” Mo Yan leaned against the soft pillow and turned his face away, refusing even to look at Gu Fei.

Unmoved, Gu Fei continued in a soft voice. “Ten years ago, you forced my family apart. You made my brother and me suffer ten years of separation, and we did not even know that my parents had died violent deaths. Should I now cut you into a thousand pieces before the hatred in my heart can be appeased?”

“Mo Yan, your body is ruined, and you no longer possess the strength to do anything. Even your proud son has abandoned you. He has locked you away here and refuses to let you appear even on this joyous wedding day. What, exactly, is there left for me to scheme against?”

“You have already lost. More than that, you have been defeated utterly. Do you know that your son, Mo Yuhua, entered into an alliance with me long ago? He intends to replace the Mo family of the Great Capital…”

“And the support you relied upon, Mo Geye, was sold by me to a male brothel. Who knows which man’s embrace he is enjoying now? He is only trying to scrape together enough travel money to return to the Great Capital. With an eldest young master of the Mo family reduced to such a state, who would dare keep him?”

“Think carefully. You are now utterly without recourse. The Little Mo household still exists only because I have been generous enough to spare it.”

“If you know which way the wind is blowing, perhaps you might tell me something about the truth behind my parents’ deaths. I may yet allow you to live in a little comfort. If not, then wait here and watch others enjoy endless glory while you live like a dead dog.”

Mo Yan’s eyes widened. He stared at Gu Fei, his lips moving. But the instant he opened his mouth, an even more violent fit of coughing seized him.

Gu Fei looked down at him from above. Her gaze was that of a lofty queen, disdaining the lowliness of an insignificant insect.

After a long while, Mo Yan slowly began to laugh. With one hand clenched into a fist, he repeatedly struck the edge of the bed. His forehead sank almost to the dust, and an air of sorrow clung to him, as though he had reached the final dusk of his life.

His laughter grew louder and louder until, in the end, it carried the unmistakable sound of a sob.

Gu Fei said nothing. She lowered her eyelids as though she had not seen his humiliation.

At length, Mo Yan raised his head. He wiped his face and brushed the loose strands of hair from his forehead back behind his head. His eyes had cleared somewhat, and the venom that had filled his face moments earlier was gone. It was almost as though, in that brief instant, he had become an entirely different person.

“The deaths of your parents were not my doing. I tried to dissuade your father, but he was determined to go to the Great Capital to bring you back. In the end, something truly did happen. By the time I reached the outskirts, there was nothing left but corpses and blood—and one man.”

Gu Fei’s expression sharpened. She remembered that Mo Yan had seemed to speak only this far the last time as well, and then had refused to continue.

This time, Mo Yan looked deeply at her and went on.

“That man was filled with murderous intent. In his hand he held a broken saber nearly the length of a forearm. His hair hung loose, obscuring his features so completely that I could not make out what he looked like. But I have always remembered the scar on his face. It began at his right brow, crossed the bridge of his nose, and extended all the way to his left cheekbone. He was the one who killed them.”

“That man…” Gu Fei gripped the arms of her wheelchair and drew a deep breath. “Who was he? Where is he now?”

Mo Yan shook his head. A mocking glint rose in his eyes, mixed with a trace of pity.

“I do not know. I was busy trying to save your father. By the time I turned back, the man had already disappeared.”

“Tsk.” He gave a low laugh. “He killed them with a single stroke. Your parents did not suffer much.”

A chill surged through Gu Fei. A savage light rose in her eyes, like a beast preparing to tear someone apart.

“But you should never have forged my parents’ handwriting and deceived me for eight years!”

Mo Yan shook his head again. “That was the order of the old madam of the Mo family in the Great Capital. It was not my choice.”

At those words, Gu Fei nearly bit her gums until they bled. Each word came from her like the edge of a blade.

“Was that man connected to the Mo family of the Great Capital?”

“I do not know,” Mo Yan replied quickly.

He had said all he intended to say. He adjusted the soft pillow, retreated beneath the covers, and pulled the quilt over himself, no longer sparing Gu Fei a glance.

Having obtained the information she wanted, and seeing that the hour was approaching, Gu Fei left Mo Yan’s room and headed toward the front courtyard.

What she did not know was that the instant she turned away, in a place beyond her sight, Mo Yan narrowed his eyes. A strange, faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips, and he even hummed a few notes in a distinctly pleasant mood.

***

Author’s note: This chapter was rather short, so I will return with another one at ten tonight. Also, the four-chapter release will be on September 12. I remembered the date incorrectly before, so everyone, hurry and send your votes into Ah Gui’s bowl!