"Why are you running?" Zu'an stopped him in an annoyed tone.
"I'm so ashamed to face you!" Pei You covered his face with his hands and didn't put them down.
Zuan sighed: "Is it because of Gao Ying?"
"Yes, I killed Brother Gao." Pei You could no longer hold back and burst into tears.
A man doesn't easily shed tears, unless he's truly heartbroken.
Zuan remained silent, allowing him to fully release the emotions he had been holding back.
After a long silence, Zuan said in a deep voice, "I thought you would offer some explanation."
“There’s nothing to explain. Brother Gao was indeed deceived by me and died because of me.” Pei You raised his head. “This matter was done by me alone and has nothing to do with anyone else. Do with him as you please.”
Zu An smiled and said, "Since you are so remorseful, why not end it yourself?"
“I…” Pei You’s face turned bright red, and he seemed to be at a loss for words.
Zuan then asked, "Is it because we need to take care of Brother Gao's remains?"
Pei You's eyes reddened before he slowly nodded. He had been somewhat ashamed to mention this earlier, since the person was dead, and using these things as an explanation would seem hypocritical.
"Take me to see his body first." Zuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief; he hadn't misjudged the person after all.
Pei You hummed in agreement, looking rather forlorn.
He took Zu'an away from the Pei family and led them to a secluded courtyard: "Back then, I retrieved Brother Gao's body after that incident, but he was a member of the Liu family. Those people have been purging the remnants of the Liu family in the capital recently, so I could only hide him secretly."
Zuan nodded and then asked, "What exactly happened these past few days?"
Pei You replied, "Back then, there was a rumor in the capital that the army that went north to support the sealed land was wiped out by the demons, and that they were likely killed in a sneak attack by the demon army. As a result, some officials in the court were very agitated and believed that the Liu family should be held responsible for this."
"However, those were just rumors without any substantial evidence. At that time, the Empress Dowager was in power, and the Liu family controlled various important positions in the court, so the matter was quickly resolved."
"But no one expected that such a change would occur later..."
He then recounted the events of that night, and when he mentioned that he had unintentionally become an accomplice in Gao Ying's death, he couldn't help but choke up again.
“You were kept in the dark about this too, so it’s not your fault,” Zu’an comforted him. Judging from the subsequent reactions, Pei You was indeed not involved.
Of course, more importantly, after years of getting to know each other, he trusted Pei You's character.
Pei You gave a bitter smile: "Even if I wasn't involved, my family was. Brother Gao was so easily harmed because he trusted me. How can I excuse myself by saying I was kept in the dark?"
Zuan knew he had a knot in his heart; on one side were his friends, and on the other was his family. No matter what, he couldn't remain unaffected.
If things continue like this, he will likely make no further progress in his cultivation, and may even regress.
However, Zu'an didn't say anything, but continued to inquire about matters in the capital.
Pei You explained, "All I know is that the King of Wu suddenly launched that operation, and there seems to have been an imperial edict from the palace. I don't know the specifics."
After he managed to retrieve Gao Ying's body, he became completely distraught, drowning his sorrows in alcohol all day long, and paid no attention to the changing political situation.
Zuan did gain quite a bit; although Pei You had only provided a small amount of information, he was able to deduce some clues from it.
The Liu family is completely finished, and the Empress Dowager seems to have disappeared.
At this point, being missing is the best news, since it's not a confirmed death.
On the surface, it was King Wu who initiated the whole affair, but afterwards, the Bi family filled many power vacancies, indicating that Bi Qi was clearly involved.
Moreover, he mentioned that the King of Wu acted on imperial orders, and it is unknown whether Bi Linglong was involved in this matter.
You should know that the imperial seal used to affix the imperial edict was in her possession...
He then arrived at a secluded courtyard. He put aside his thoughts and saw that the courtyard was filled with scattered paper money, incense, and candles.
The entire hall was decorated like a mourning hall, with a coffin visible in the distance.
Pei You explained, "Originally, we wanted to bury Brother Gao as soon as possible, but these days the court is strictly investigating the remnants of the Liu family, so we can only temporarily place him here."
Zuan was initially worried, but now he was completely relieved because he could clearly sense that the entire mourning hall was filled with vital energy, and there was a magic array under the coffin protecting Gao Ying's body from decay: "You are really thoughtful. It's good that you did all this."
This kind of magic array consumes a considerable amount of spirit stones, and it has lasted for such a long time.
Pei You did all this secretly, without telling his family, and probably spent all his savings over the years.
“This is the only thing I can do,” Pei You said, his face full of bitterness. “I can’t let Brother Gao be buried in time, and I can’t let his appearance be damaged in the afterlife.”
“You’ve been a great help,” Zu’an said, opening the coffin lid amidst the other’s bewildered gaze. Gao Ying’s body inside had clearly been carefully prepared.
He had fought a bloody battle before he died, and now there was not a trace of blood on his body.
They even stitched up the severed head, making it whole again.
Zuan placed his finger on the wound on Gao Ying's neck, and the Primordial Qi began to clear the originally atrophied and broken meridians, blood vessels, and so on.
The Primordial Scripture of the Primordial Chaos already possesses powerful healing abilities, but because it is combined with the Golden Phoenix's abilities, it makes the recipients prone to developing desires.
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