Hot flashes

Zhou Heng held his breath.

The officer cursed something, then turned and left.

The search lasted a long time.

Zhou Heng didn't know how much time had passed. He felt his legs had gone numb.

Finally, the search is over.

The officers and soldiers returned to the courtyard one after another, shaking their heads.

"Sir, no."

"We've searched everywhere, but it's not there."

"The woodshed, kitchen, main hall, and side rooms were all searched."

The officer's face grew increasingly grim.

He turned around and looked at the old man.

The old man remained seated on the steps, motionless, in the same position. The firelight shone on his face, and he had his eyes closed, as if he were asleep.

The officer walked over and stood in front of him.

His face was filled with barely suppressed anger.

He waved.

The officers and soldiers escorted several people over.

They were servants from the manor. Aunt Zhou, and several other servants Zhou Heng recognized. They were forced to kneel on the ground.

The officer walked up to a servant and looked down at him.

He was an old servant in his fifties, surnamed Zhang, who had been working at Fuyun Manor for over twenty years.

"I'm asking you," the officer said, "where did that Xiao family brat go?"

The old servant looked up and glanced at him.

Then he lowered his head and said nothing.

The officer's expression changed.

He drew his knife and held it to the old servant's neck.

"explain!"

The old servant's neck was marked with a bloody gash from the blade, but he didn't even flinch.

"I don't know," he said.

The officer's eyes widened in surprise.

He kicked the old servant to the ground and walked to the next one.

It's Aunt Zhou.

She was being held down by two soldiers, trembling all over. She raised her head, looked at the officer, her lips quivering, but the three words were still squeezed out from between her teeth.

"have no idea."

The officer held a knife to her neck.

Aunt Zhou closed her eyes.

The knife did not fall.

The officer sheathed his knife, turned around, and looked at the old man.

"Mr. Mo," he said, his voice as somber as the sky before a storm, "the people you've trained are truly tough nuts to crack."

The old man opened his eyes.

He looked at the servants kneeling on the ground, at those familiar faces.

His lips trembled.

The officer waited for a while, but when he still didn't speak, he finally lost his patience.

"kill."

The word was squeezed out from between his teeth.

A flash of light appeared.

Aunt Zhou's body collapsed.

Zhou Heng's pupils suddenly contracted.

He heard Xiao Jue jerk violently in the darkness, and Uncle Chen held him down tightly. Zhou Heng reached out and covered Xiao Jue's mouth.

Xiao Jue's body was trembling violently, but he couldn't make a sound; only hot tears dripped onto Zhou Heng's hand.

Those familiar faces fell one after another.

The courtyard reeked of blood.

The old man was still sitting there.

He didn't move, didn't speak, and didn't even close his eyes. The firelight reflected on his face, and his eye sockets were as dry as a dried-up well.

After killing the man, the officer, carrying a blood-dripping knife, walked back to the old man.

He pointed the knife at the old man's throat.

"Mr. Mo," he said, "I'll ask you one last time."

The old man looked up at him.

The tip of the knife pierced the skin, and a drop of blood slid down the blade.

"To tell or not to tell?"

The old man looked at him.

The gaze was as calm as if looking at a stone, a tree, or something insignificant.

Then he spoke.

"You listen to slander, and petty men hold sway in the court." His voice was not loud, but every word was clear, as if carved in stone. "Those who only care about their own interests, disregard the safety of the border, and harm good generals will be punished by heaven."

The officer's expression changed.

The old man stood up.

The blade sliced ​​through his throat, and blood flowed down, but he seemed oblivious, walking step by step toward the knife.

"I am willing to give my blood," he said, his voice rising higher and higher, "to wash away the injustice done to the loyal and virtuous!"

He lunged forward suddenly.

The blade pierced his throat.

Blood gushed out, splattering all over the officer's face.

The officer's eyes widened, and he took a step back. The old man fell, lying beside the servants in a pool of blood. His eyes were still open, staring at the pale moon in the night sky.

Zhou Heng covered Xiao Jue's mouth tightly with his hand.

Xiao Jue's body was convulsing violently. Tears streamed down Zhou Heng's hand, drop by drop, falling into the darkness.

The courtyard was quiet.

The officer stood there, his face covered in blood.

A soldier next to him approached, his voice trembling.

"Sir, what should we do? This old man is quite famous. If word gets out that he died at our hands..."

The officer turned his head sharply and glared at him.

The soldier took a step back after being glared at by him.

"Those scholars," he continued, forcing himself to speak, "their spittle could drown a man. Besides, we haven't even found out Xiao Jue's whereabouts, and now we've caused this trouble. The higher-ups won't let us off the hook..."

The officer's face contorted.

He looked down and kicked the old man hard.

"Old man!"

He finished kicking and stood there, panting heavily. The firelight reflected on his face, casting flickering shadows on his expression.

After a while, he spoke.

"set fire."

The person next to him was stunned for a moment.

"grown ups?"

"Set it on fire!" the officer roared. "Tell them Xiao Jue tried to escape, but was discovered! Burn the manor down! Everyone inside will be burned to death!"

The officers and soldiers looked at each other and began to work.

Torches were thrown in various directions.

Those houses, those corridors, those trees, those places where Xiao Jue and Zhou Heng had stayed, were all set ablaze.

Flames shot into the sky.

Xiao Jue had stopped struggling.

He lay there, motionless. Zhou Heng didn't know if he was still crying; the hand covering his mouth was already soaked with tears.

Uncle Chen's voice rang out in the darkness.

"Young Master, Young Master Zhou, we must leave. The fire has started, and we can't stay in this cellar any longer."

Zhou Heng nodded.

He helped Xiao Jue slowly move deeper into the cellar. There was an old secret passage leading to the back of the mountain.

It hasn't been used for many years, and it may have collapsed, but this is the only way out.

Uncle Chen scouted ahead.

Zhou Heng helped Xiao Jue follow behind.