Chapter 64 Grudges "Your Highness, your father was the demon of yesteryear..."
Lou Qingshuang's residence was extremely simple, a small square courtyard with little inside, and everything she used looked somewhat dilapidated.
Upon entering, one is immediately struck by the strong stench of decay. The place is dilapidated and crumbling, as if a gust of wind could reduce it to ruins. The courtyard is like a person on their deathbed, devoid of any vitality.
Mu Meng and his group followed Lou Qingshuang here. Feng Xixue and Sheng Yuanting remained silent throughout, as they always were; they never questioned or said anything about Mu Meng's decisions.
Originally, Zhe Qing was someone who wouldn't cause trouble, and Mu Meng hadn't even thought he would go with them. But unexpectedly, not only did he follow them, but he also walked beside her, whispering in her ear:
“Your Highness, why bother with Lou Qingshuang’s words? You were going to execute her anyway. She’s very cunning; she’s probably just spouting nonsense to buy time…”
Mu Meng glanced at him: "How will you know if you don't listen?"
Others might not know, but she did. Neither her father nor Mu Qingheng were as simple as they appeared on the surface—Lou Qingshuang could assert so firmly that Mu Qingheng was someone else's child, and regardless of whether she would ramble on later, she definitely had some truth to her name.
She can live her life in peace without actively investigating anything, but if the truth is presented to her in a veiled manner, she cannot help but uncover it.
Zhe Qing could tell that Mu Meng's mind was not going to change. She glanced at Lou Qingshuang's back without making a sound, her eyes revealing two murderous intents. In the end, she had no choice but to close her eyes helplessly—if she killed someone now, anyone would see that there was something fishy going on.
Zhe Qing's expression revealed a hint of worry. He frowned and advised again, "Your Highness..."
“Hey,” Mu Meng raised her hand to interrupt him, “call me Mengmeng.”
Zhe Qing was clearly taken aback. His reaction was so direct that he almost immediately stiffened up, and you could feel his tension just by standing next to him.
He licked his lips quickly, hesitated for a long time, but ultimately didn't utter a single word.
Although he didn't dare call her that.
But he finally stopped nagging in her ear.
Mu Meng was satisfied, but also felt something was off.
Zhe Qing's reaction was indeed somewhat different from usual. If you disregarded his worries, he was clearly trying to stop him from hearing what Lou Qingshuang and her father were about to say. He would almost never do something so purposefully, except to eliminate evil people.
Moreover, this matter has nothing to do with him. Does he think Lou Qingshuang deserves to die and that her words are not even worth listening to? Isn't this a bit too much of a righteous indignation?
Mu Meng suppressed her doubts and followed Lou Qingshuang into her house, intending to probe Zhe Qing's questions later.
Upon entering, one is greeted by four bare walls. Inside the hall, there is only a dilapidated table and two long benches, a peeling cabinet in the corner, and a painting hanging on the wall. Apart from these, there is nothing else.
However, Mu Meng's attention was drawn to the painting.
She slowly walked forward, stopped in front of the wall, and stared silently at the painting—
This is a painting of a mountain tour.
Green mountains, clear waters, and fellow travelers.
There is also an inscription inside: "In the seventh year of Tianjia, I traveled to Luoxiang Mountain with my two elder brothers. We came in high spirits and did not return until late at night. I made three paintings to commemorate this occasion."
Third Brother's Return Journey (pen name)
This painter is clearly a man of great vision and profound understanding. His brushstrokes are unrestrained and free, and his brushwork is divine. His paintings of mountains, rivers, and people are all unique and incredibly lifelike.
But it wasn't the lifelike painting technique that attracted Mu Meng; rather, it was a person in the painting whom she knew all too well.
The man was exceptionally handsome, with long, ink-black eyebrows and red lips like touches of vermilion. His dashing appearance and unparalleled good looks almost captivated all beings, making the surrounding scenery pale in comparison.
That was her father's face.
However, Mu Meng was momentarily stunned—it turned out that her father looked so much like Mu Qingheng when he was young; the two of them were almost like they were made from the same mold.
But... how could this be?
Mu Qingheng is not her father's child at all, so why does he look like her father?
And who is this person next to her father? They seem so close, they must be very good friends, so why has she never seen this person before?
Zhe Qing stood not far behind Mu Meng, his gaze casually falling on the painting. He had excellent eyesight, and after quickly scanning the two people in the painting, a ripple appeared in his eyes before he focused on the inscription.
When she saw the last line, "Third Brother's Return Journey," Zhe Qing frowned slightly, slowly twisted her hands together, and gently rubbed her intact hand against the two missing fingers of her left hand.
Feng Xixue was also staring at the painting, his gaze deep, before suddenly looking away after a long while.
Just then, a noise came from behind, and Lou Qingshuang helped her father out.
"Is Your Highness looking at this painting? Do you find the person in the painting very familiar?" The old man's voice was weathered and hoarse, and he coughed violently after speaking.
Mu Meng turned around and saw the old man calmly bow to her: "Lou Wangjin greets Your Highness the Princess."
Whether it was due to his old age or his lingering illness, his bow was not standard and could even be considered somewhat perfunctory, but Mu Meng did not mind and said, "No need for formalities."
"I have failed in my duty to discipline my daughter, who is a criminal and has run away and caused trouble. I trouble Your Highness to come and discipline her. Please forgive my failure in disciplining her," Lou Wangjin said calmly.
Mu Meng glanced at Lou Wangjin, whose attitude was lukewarm, thought for a moment, and crossed his arms: "Mr. Lou, you can deal with me with your true feelings. I don't care. But don't say such hypocritical things. It's uncomfortable for you to say and tiring for me to listen to."
“Alright, alright,” Lou Wangjin nodded, the superficial smile on his face disappearing, a quiet hatred even appearing in his eyes. “Your Highness speaks frankly, so I will not waste any more time.”
After he finished speaking, he stretched out his old, wrinkled hands and pointed tremblingly at the painting on the wall: "Your Highness, do you recognize who the two people in this painting are?"
Mu Meng had already looked at it, so he didn't turn back to look again: "One is my father, the current Emperor Mu Ciyue, and I don't recognize the other one."
"No, no, no, Your Highness, you clearly don't recognize either of them."
"The current Heavenly Emperor, your father, is not named Mu Ciyue. His name is Mu Gechuan, the one on the left in the painting—"
The one on the left?
Mu Meng pondered silently: the two people in the painting looked very different, and the man on the left looked much more plain than her father's handsome appearance.
“I know you won’t believe me if I say this suddenly, but once I tell you the truth slowly, you’ll understand what’s going on.”
Lou Qingshuang glanced at her father, reached out to help him to the side of the long bench, patted the dust off it, and slowly helped Lou Wangjin sit down.
After Lou Wangjin settled down, he coughed uncontrollably for a while, then slowly raised his head, a mocking smile appearing on his lips: "Your Highness, this story isn't very pleasant to listen to. Shall we dismiss these three?"
"No need, all three of them will listen to any story." Mu Meng quickly glanced back at the people who came with her.
This clearly shows that he has extreme trust in all three of them.
Zhe Qing's long eyebrows were tightly furrowed. He rubbed the bamboo stick for a long time before slowly raising his eyes to look at the father and daughter in front of him. A very faint but quick killing intent flashed in his eyes once again.
But it was only a fleeting moment. He shook his head as if denying himself, then his gaze fell on Mu Meng, revealing a hint of pity.
Seeing that Mu Meng was so agreeable, Lou Wangjin stopped being coy and looked at the painting, saying:
"As everyone knows, the late emperor had no sons. The two people in this painting were his two beloved disciples and adopted sons. The one on the left is the eldest brother, Mu Gechuan, and the one on the right is the second brother, Mu Ciyue."
"Back then, both of them were exceptionally talented individuals, but compared to the others, the second brother, Mu Ciyue, was more outstanding. He was unparalleled in appearance, possessed high spiritual power, and was upright and humble. Both of them were highly sought-after candidates for the crown prince position, but in the end, Mu Ciyue was more popular and the position of crown prince fell to him."
"Originally, this wouldn't have been a problem. The two brothers had a deep bond, and whoever became the crown prince would remain a loyal subject to the other. However, before the investiture ceremony, Mu Gechuan suddenly disappeared. No one knew where he went; it was as if he had vanished into thin air. The Celestial Clan searched for him for many years without success. Later, Mu Ciyue rose from crown prince to become the Celestial Emperor. He worked diligently and conscientiously, bringing peace and tranquility to the Celestial Realm. But even while dealing with clan affairs, he continued to search for his sworn brother and never gave up."
"Later..." Lou Wangjin coughed violently a few times, took a breath, and continued, "Later, a new Demon Lord was born in the Demon Realm. He was cunning and ruthless, and he attacked the human world from the desolate edge of the Demon Realm, causing chaos in the world. At that time, the Demon Clan was at the height of its power and unstoppable. No one dared to care about this catastrophe. When Mu Ciyue found out, she personally led the heavenly army to support the human world, and the great war between the heavens and the demons was launched."
"Actually, at the time, we didn't want him to go. He already had his own child. The young master was very young then and lost his mother at a young age. The battlefield was dangerous, and who knew what changes might occur? He was the emperor of the clan, whom everyone expected. Several of us ministers tried our best to persuade him not to go in person, but he wouldn't listen and went anyway."
Lou Wangjin paused for a moment, then clapped his hands lightly in a sinister manner:
"Fortunately, he won the battle, annihilating all the demons and returning in triumph. The hearts of everyone in the Celestial Clan were finally at ease, and they celebrated the Heavenly Emperor's great achievement together."
Lou Wangjin slowly raised his cloudy eyes, his lips curving into a sarcastic and eerie smile: "This should have been a great joyous occasion, worthy of being recorded in the annals of the Celestial Clan, leaving an everlasting legacy for the Heavenly Emperor. But who could have known that the person who returned was not the former Mu Ciyue, but the Demon Lord who had changed his appearance and donned Mu Ciyue's skin—Mu Gechuan."
Mu Meng did not react immediately.
Neither Zheqing nor Fengxue made a sound.
The first to speak was Sheng Yuanting. His handsome face was filled with confusion, and he asked incredulously, "You mean to say that after the late emperor's eldest son, Mu Gechuan, disappeared, he went to the Demon Realm and became the Demon Lord? He killed Mu Ciyue and then transformed into his appearance to return... How is that possible? Since Mu Gechuan was a member of the Celestial Clan, how could he become a demon?"
“General, you’re too young.” Lou Wangjin smiled faintly and shook his head. “There are countless sinister and bizarre methods in this world that you don’t know about. It’s just a matter of becoming a demon. Any race can do this if they want to.”
For a moment, everyone fell silent.
This matter is bizarre and convoluted, and has a huge impact.
It almost overturned all conventional wisdom.
The person sitting on the throne of the Heavenly Emperor now has changed his name to Mu Ciyue, used Mu Ciyue's appearance, and occupied Mu Ciyue's position. In reality, he is a complete demon—and he is even Mu Ciyue's former sworn brother, Mu Gechuan.
Finally, Mu Meng broke the silence: "Mr. Lou, you were executed by my father. I would like to ask, what was your crime?"
Lou Wangjin smiled: "Your Highness is so intelligent, you already had the answer in your heart when you asked this question, didn't you?"
“I accidentally discovered Mu Gechuan’s secret. How could he tolerate me? But I have never done anything heinous. Even if he wanted to frame me, it wouldn’t be so easy. He couldn’t kill me, but I was eventually sentenced to exile. I’ve fallen to this state. Now, only my father and I are left to eke out a living in this world.”
"Your Highness, may I ask you a question?"
He said a lot, but finally posed a question. Mu Meng slowly raised her eyes and said, "Ask away."
“I heard from Qing Shuang that His Highness the Crown Prince died two hundred years ago. His soul was shattered and his spirit was torn apart, falling into the Endless Cliff… This punishment is undeniably cruel. He must have committed a heinous crime, one that would incur the wrath of both gods and men, deserving of divine punishment, otherwise, how could he have suffered such a fate? Therefore, I want to know what wrong he committed to deserve such a tragic end?”
Mu Meng did not speak immediately. Her gaze was somewhat melancholy, as if she was pondering Lou Wangjin's question, or as if she was lost in memories and could not pull herself out of them.
Lou Wangjin sighed deeply, his expression shifting several times before finally revealing a bitter smile: "Back then, the young master was still very young. Overnight, his family underwent a drastic change. His former father became a devil in disguise, clearly his enemy, yet he stole everything from his father. He had to watch helplessly as all the Celestial Clan members worshipped that person, praising his achievements and extolling his bravery. No one discovered the truth, and no one could understand the desolation in his heart. Back then, he witnessed all of this; what must he have felt... If he really made a mistake, Mu Gechuan knows his feelings best. Can't he even show some leniency for this sake...?"
After hearing his words, Mu Meng didn't even change her posture; in fact, she had been almost completely still from the beginning. She didn't answer, but instead asked, "Did you tell him the truth?"
Lou Wangjin curled the corners of his lips and shook his head: "Young master is precocious; there's no need for others to tell him. Besides, is there anyone who wouldn't recognize their own father?"
Mu Meng lowered her eyes, seemingly deep in thought. She had been thinking for so long that Lou Wangjin couldn't help but interrupt her: "You haven't answered my question yet. Why did he die so tragically? Let me hear it too. Has your demon father acted with any bias?"
Mu Meng listened to his sarcasm, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly smiled slightly.
He took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, and finally licked his lips, looking up at the old man opposite him:
"I'm sorry, I can't answer your question. Mr. Lou, don't think that just because you're sitting here telling me this story, I'll feel guilty and let you manipulate me. What do you take me for? A naive little girl who's easily led by the nose? We've only known each other for less than half an hour, and just from what you said, I've already believed you without a doubt and started to suspect that my father, who has loved me for so many years, is a heinous demon. Mr. Lou, no one would be that stupid."
Lou Wangjin was taken aback by Mu Meng's words. His eyes narrowed, his face flushed red, and several veins bulged on his neck: "What I said is true!!"
“What you’re saying is true, but I’ve also witnessed my father’s character firsthand. I can’t just believe everything you say without even verifying it, can I?”
Lou Wangjin gritted his teeth and stood up shakily, Lou Qingshuang quickly supporting him. His eyes trembled, and he pointed a finger at Mu Meng, "There's no need for these excuses! Your Highness, I should have known. You are Mu Gechuan's daughter, and like father, like daughter. You've fulfilled your father's cruel heart. In the first place, I shouldn't have had any illusions about you... I know that Qingshuang has caused a great disaster, and you've already decided to implicate us, father and daughter, to death. Just now, I was willing to reveal the truth, but it was only to gamble on whether you still had any conscience. As it turns out, it was all in vain. Go ahead and kill to silence your meritorious father. After we are dead, his secret will never be exposed."
Mu Meng said coldly, "Want to die? Just wait."
After Mu Meng finished speaking, he stopped looking at Lou Wangjin and turned his back to the two of them.
Finally, the composure she had been maintaining as she faced Lou Wangjin gradually crumbled, and she lost all her composure, becoming completely somber.
Mu Meng pursed his lips, his gaze first sweeping over Zhe Qing and Sheng Yuanting: "Please keep an eye on this father and daughter for me."
Sheng Yuanting immediately agreed, raising his head with a hint of concern in his eyes; Zhe Qing, though silent, nodded slowly, standing in a dimly lit corner, his expression obscured. But Mu Meng knew he was watching her the whole time.
However, at this moment, she no longer cared about their feelings.
Then, her heavy gaze slowly fell on Feng Xixue's face, meeting his gaze: "Feng Xixue, come out, I have something to ask you."
...
The area is barren and desolate. Although surrounded by mountains, the vegetation is not lush and green, but rather reveals desolate and barren yellow earth, giving it a desolate feel reminiscent of a desolate tomb on the edge of the desert.
Mu Meng and Feng Xixue left the courtyard one after the other and walked forward several dozen steps.
Finally, Mu Meng stopped and, without turning back to look at Feng Xixue, said bluntly, "Actually, when I came in just now, although I was looking at that painting, I also noticed that you were looking at it the whole time."
She slowly turned around, her probing gaze fixed on Feng Xixue's expression: "And you've been looking for quite a while. Can you tell me why? I trust you more than Lou Wangjin."
Feng Xixue slightly parted her lips, and after a long while, she only let out a soft sigh.
He hesitated, but Mu Meng saw it clearly. "Alright, then I'll ask another question. Feng Xixue, you were once the First Demon Envoy under the former Demon Lord. Surely you can recognize the face of the person you revered as your Lord?"
For the first time, she broke with Feng Xixue's rules and slowly took one step, two steps, until she stopped three steps away from him. "Even if he changed his face later, he is still your kin. When you stand in front of him, wouldn't you recognize him? In other words, you were once his subordinate, and your appearance hasn't changed much. Surely he wouldn't not recognize who you are."
If Feng Xixue had seemed hesitant to speak just now, as if she intended to say something, she was now completely silent.
Mu Meng felt a void in her heart. The silent wind brushed against her face, and the stray hairs on her forehead brought a tingling, itchy sensation.
She didn't want to beat around the bush anymore: "Is everything Lou Wangjin said true?"
Finally, Feng Xixue nodded quietly: "Yes."
"That man named Mu Gechuan, he was once the Demon Lord of the Demon Clan. During the war between the Heavenly Demons, he killed the real Heavenly Emperor, transformed into his appearance, and took his place. Now, he sits on the Heavenly Emperor's throne. Is that right?"
Feng Xixue sighed, "Yes."
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