He was originally a refined and talented man, slender and tall, exuding an air of scholarly elegance when he held a pen. The sight of him sharpening a knife with a whetstone seemed out of place to everyone.
Xu Mo was completely oblivious, focused solely on sharpening the knife to make it easier to sever Zhu Zhi's tendons and then take his life.
Zheng Ruqian, Wen Zhiyun, Chang Yan, and Jiang Sheng stood on either side, their faces filled with worry.
"Brother, you're so thin, can you beat Zhu Zhi? Won't you get killed?" Zheng Lao Er looked worried; he hadn't even been in the mood to do business these past few days.
"How about I go instead?" Wen Xiaosi said shakily, as he pulled out two packets of newly developed poison.
Xu Mo paused in his sharpening motion, before he could even speak.
Changyan spoke up for him, "Nobody's going, not even my eldest brother."
The whole family turned around, astonished and puzzled.
In order to get revenge, Xu Mo has gone to great lengths. A few days ago, he visited An Jun and brought him ten catties of roasted chestnuts. With victory in sight, how could he just not go?
The Zhu family has already abandoned Zhu Zhi, and all his elder brothers and sisters can offer him is gold and silver. Now is the best time to kill him. As long as they are clean enough, Fengtian Prefecture will not be able to find any trace of him.
“But what if they find out?” Changyan said quietly. “My elder brother is going to take the imperial examination and become the top scholar. His past must be clean and free of bloodshed.”
Revenge is important, but it should not interfere with a bright future.
Moreover, how could such fair and slender hands, used for holding a pen, possibly kill someone?
"Brother, would Magistrate Xu and his wife be willing to see you sacrifice your original path for revenge?" Changyan's words pierced the heart. "Wouldn't killing someone with your own hands shake your original beliefs and affect the knowledge you've acquired through ten years of hard study?"
How could someone who grew up studying Confucianism and loves the people and the country at heart be willing to personally take away a life?
Xu Mo paused in his sharpening motion, nearly losing his grip on the handle.
But he was too unwilling to watch Zhu Zhixiao.
Chang Yan had anticipated this, and smiled lightly, "Brother, you're not the only one who hates Zhu Zhi."
Besides An Jun, there was another family in the distant Anshui County who also hated Zhu Zhi.
Their daughter was murdered, their son was killed, and their son-in-law was going to live a carefree life and remarry. They had no way to seek justice and could only suffer in silence.
Jiang San, who left in a hurry on the first day of the Lunar New Year, rushed back to Anshui County to secretly inform the Gao family about Zhu Zhi's whereabouts, and then followed them all the way to Fengjing.
On the 20th of that month, Zhu Zhi, who was out seeking pleasure, was hacked to death, ending his worthless life and completely dispelling Xu Mo's obsession.
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