Chapter Fifty-Three: Heartbreak If I were to die by your hand, I…
Countless images flashed through Shen Yebai's mind; they were Shen Mo's memories.
In a moment, Shen Yebai seemed to understand Shen Mo's persistence.
Shen Mo's unexpected support allowed Shen Yebai to hold out for a quarter of an hour, at which point Zuo Shu finally managed to contact the Demon Lord.
The situation was urgent; even with the fifteen minutes that Shen Yebai had fought so hard to buy, Zuo Shu could only convey a short sentence:
Senior Xia, do you want to know the truth behind your partner's death?
But just that one sentence stopped the relentless lightning strikes for a second, before unleashing an even more rampant frenzy.
Shen Yebai managed to recover in that brief moment, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't recall any of Shen Mo's memories.
How many more backup plans has Shen Mo arranged?
Shen Yebai recalled Shen Mo's sudden appearance and became very wary. He had previously been certain that Shen Mo could not be forcibly integrated, but now it seemed that was not the case.
Looking again at the center of Duxin Lake, the pavilion was no longer occupied.
But before Zuo Shu appeared an elegant woman with a beautiful face and a frosty expression.
She wore a black dress, like silent ice in the scorching summer sun. Every gesture revealed the majesty of someone who had long held a high position, but there was still a faint sorrow between her brows.
She immediately recognized Shen Yebai's familiar face. Her eyes flickered slightly, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she turned to Zuo Shu and slowly asked, "Do you know what you're saying?"
Zuo Shu bowed deeply and said in a deep voice, "This junior understands."
“Alright.” The Demon Lord nodded, glancing at Shen Yebai, and said, “Since that’s the case, you stay here and explain things to me, as for him…”
It wasn't that the Demon Lord couldn't protect the two of them, but rather that she noticed Shen Yebai kept looking back, seemingly in a hurry to leave.
"This junior will take his leave first." Shen Yebai clasped his hands in apology to her. The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became. Now that he had gone to the Demon Lord according to the terms of the deal, whether he could persuade her to come out of seclusion depended on Zuo Shu. He was still worried about Qin Moyu outside.
The Demon Lord waved his hand, and Shen Yebai clearly felt a spiritual energy protecting him from the lightning strike. Knowing that this was the Demon Lord's doing, he thanked him and hurriedly left.
After Shen Yebai left, the Demon Lord stared at his disappearing figure thoughtfully and said, "He's not Shen Mo, is he?"
"Yes and no." Zuo Shu simply told the Demon Lord about Shen Mo's split soul.
This was something Shen Mo had instructed her to do beforehand: if the Demon Lord had any questions, she should tell her everything she wanted to know.
Shen Mo seemed to have an inexplicable trust in the Demon Lord.
“So that’s how it is…” The Demon Lord sighed softly, seemingly lost in memories. “I remember when I first met him, Shen Mo was just a child who was less than his father’s waist. Now he has broken through to the Tribulation Transcending stage. It can be said that like father, like son.”
She stood with her hands behind her back, her eyes filled with only deathly stillness: "I don't know what his purpose is. He wants to become emperor and he wants to split his soul. Although I owe the Southern Kingdom's royal family a favor, I don't want to get involved in these matters. You should go back."
"Don't you care..." Zuo Shu hesitated, unable to finish her sentence.
She was talking about her Daoist partner, which had just led to the Demon Lord's revelation. How could the Demon Lord, whose meditation had been broken by this one sentence, suddenly become indifferent again?
Unexpectedly, the Demon Lord chuckled and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "I was confused. I sensed the bloodline of the Southern Continent royal family just now and thought he was still alive... but it turns out to be just a fragment of Shen Mo's soul. How could he know about those old stories? I know you said that just now to attract my attention. The situation is urgent. Fine, I won't pursue it anymore. You can leave."
"No." Zuo Shu carefully took out a letter from her bosom, presented it with both hands, and said firmly, "I guarantee with my life that the Emperor's letter will change your mind!"
The Demon Lord's slender fingers twirled the letter. Upon hearing this, she raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, "You've read the letter?"
"No."
"Aren't you afraid that not only will your letter fail to persuade me, but it will also enrage me?"
"...This junior does not know."
Zuo Shu answered without hesitation.
The Demon Lord looked at her, and Zuo Shu met her gaze without fear, even smiling slightly as she said, "But the Emperor said that he must ask you to come out of seclusion no matter what."
Her eyes were fearless, filled only with absolute trust and respect for Shen Mo.
There was someone who looked at me like that once...
The Demon Lord turned her face away, concealing all emotion, just as she had experienced countless joys and sorrows, leaving only a stagnant stillness after all the trials and tribulations.
Shen Mo's letter was short, and it was read in no time.
But this letter became the most crucial part of Shen Mo's plan.
…………
After leaving Duxin Lake, Shen Yebai immediately spotted Qin Moyu standing not far away with his back to him.
He quickened his pace toward Qin Moyu, and was about to speak when he saw Qin Moyu turn around as if sensing something.
Mo Jin was nowhere to be found, and Qin Moyu stood silently in place with empty eyes.
A sense of danger made Shen Yebai slow down instinctively. He stopped not far from Qin Moyu and tentatively asked, "Moyu?"
The lightning in the sky had subsided considerably, and the thunder had also diminished, but the dark clouds still weighed heavily on people's heads and hearts.
Where Shen Yebai couldn't see, the faceless man gritted his teeth and used his last bit of strength.
The boos had quieted down considerably when suddenly a white lightning bolt ripped the sky apart, illuminating the surroundings as if it were daytime.
Shen Yebai watched helplessly as the lightning bolt hurtled straight toward Qin Moyu. Qin Moyu neither dodged nor avoided it. His intense panic made him forget what had just happened, and his mind was filled with only the thought of saving Qin Moyu.
Time seemed to rewind to that night, to the unexpected explosion, when Shen Yebai almost instinctively wanted to protect Qin Moyu.