Chapter 30: Clearing Up Misunderstandings
Atop Tianshu Tower, the wind wailed, as if weeping softly for the brutal battle and the lives lost. In the shattered control room, the blueprints depicting the core components of the "Evil-Suppressing Seal" and the token inscribed with the character "Shadow" lay quietly on the ground, emitting an ominous and eerie aura. Chu Yun, Li Ge, and Mo Li were all silent. The groundbreaking deduction just made was like a boulder hitting everyone's heart, sending a tidal wave of devastating consequences. Those seemingly unrelated threads—the tragic massacre of the entire clan of the Evil-Suppressing Division, the decline of the Ghost Doctor lineage, the silence of the Mo family's Mechanical City—were now inextricably linked by a single dark thread called "Shadow Pavilion" and a terrifying conspiracy called the "Evil-Suppressing Seal." "Heh..." A faint, self-deprecating laugh broke the silence. It was Mo Li. She slowly stood up and walked over to Chu Yun. Her face remained pale, and the armor she wore, made of a special material, had become tattered in battle, but her eyes were unusually complex. Those eyes, always filled with pride and confidence, were now filled with guilt, struggle, and a sense of bewilderment, as if she had just woken from a dream. "I'm sorry." These three words came out of her mouth, her voice was very soft, even with a barely perceptible tremor, but it was like a heavy hammer, hammering down on Chu Yun's heart. Chu Yun raised his head and looked at her in some surprise. He had never imagined that these three words would come from the mouth of this Mo family descendant, who was so proud to the core. "I apologize for all my previous rudeness and prejudice." Mo Li took a deep breath, as if using all his strength to make his voice sound a little steady. She didn't avoid Chu Yun's gaze, looking him straight in the eye, and spoke word by word, "I was wrong, utterly wrong." She extended her finger and gently tapped the torn blueprint. Those eyes that once could discern the most complex mechanisms now seemed to lose focus. "I always believed that our Mohist tragedy was caused by your Suppression of Evils Division. My upbringing, all the family records I've read, tell me it was your Suppression of Evils Division that betrayed us. To appease the imperial court and maintain the so-called 'heavenly orthodoxy,' you framed us, the Mohist sect, branding us, artisans who believed in 'man conquering nature,' as heretics with 'tricky and cunning skills.'" Her voice was thick with deep sorrow. "So, when I first saw you in the City of Machinery, and sensed the power of the Suppression of Evils Division within you, all my hatred was ignited. I believed you were the same as those who destroyed my family: corrupt, incompetent, and only aware of...
Atop Tianshu Tower, the wind wailed, as if weeping for the tragic battle and the lives lost. In the shattered control room, the blueprints depicting the core components of the "Evil-Suppressing Seal" and the token inscribed with the word "Shadow" lay quietly on the ground, emitting an ominous and eerie aura.
Chu Yun, Li Ge, and Mo Li were all silent. The groundbreaking conclusion had just been revealed, like a huge rock crashing down on everyone's heart, sending a tidal wave of devastating consequences. Those seemingly unrelated threads—the tragic extermination of the Evil Suppression Division, the decline of the Ghost Doctor lineage, the silence of the Mo Clan's Mechanical City—were now firmly connected by a single, dark thread called the Shadow Pavilion and a terrifying conspiracy called the Evil Suppression Seal.
"Heh..." A very light, self-deprecating laugh broke the silence. It was Mo Li.
She slowly stood up and walked over to Chu Yun. Her face was still pale, and the special material she wore had become tattered in the battle, but her eyes were unusually complex. Those eyes, always filled with pride and confidence, were now filled with guilt, struggle, and a sense of bewilderment, as if she had just woken from a dream.
"sorry."
These three words came out of her mouth, her voice was very soft, even with a barely perceptible tremor, but it was like a heavy hammer, hammering down on Chu Yun's heart. Chu Yun looked up at her with some surprise. He had never imagined that these three words would come from the mouth of this Mohist descendant who was so proud to the core.
"I apologize for all my previous rudeness and prejudice." Mo Li took a deep breath, seemingly using all her strength to make her voice sound steady. She didn't avoid Chu Yun's gaze, but looked him straight in the eyes and said word by word, "I was wrong. I was so wrong."
She extended a finger and gently tapped the torn blueprint. Her eyes, once capable of piercing the most complex mechanisms, now seemed to lose focus. "I always believed that our Mohist tragedy was caused by your Evil Suppression Division. My upbringing, and all the family records I've read, tell me it was your Evil Suppression Division that betrayed us. To curry favor with the imperial court and maintain the so-called 'heavenly orthodoxy,' you framed us, the Mohist school, and labeled us, artisans who believe in 'man conquering nature,' as heretics practicing 'strange and cunning techniques.'"
Her voice was filled with deep sorrow. "So, when I first saw you in the Mechanical City and sensed the power of the Evil Suppression Division within you, all my hatred was ignited. I believed you were the same as those who destroyed my family—corrupt, incompetent, and cowards who only knew how to follow the will of Heaven. I even considered using my most proud mechanical skills to completely bury you and everything you represented here."
Chu Yun listened quietly, not saying a word. He understood her hatred, just as he himself felt for the murderers who had wiped out his family. It was etched in their bones, the only motivation that had kept them both alive for thirteen years.
"But..." Mo Li changed the subject, the confusion in his eyes gradually replaced by a sobering pain, "It wasn't until now that I realized that we were all deceived. We were deceived for thirteen years by a common enemy hidden in the deepest depths."
Her gaze moved from the blueprint to the black jade pendant in Chu Yun's hand, and then to the quietly floating "Heart of Heavenly Craftsmanship".
"Two completely opposite Mohist mechanical techniques..." she muttered to herself, as if speaking to Chu Yun, or perhaps to herself, "One represents destruction, the other represents protection. This isn't a battle of ideologies at all; it's... a battle of usurpation and protection!"
"The Shadow Pavilion, or rather the mastermind hidden behind it, not only covets the 'Evil-Suppressing Seal' of your Evil-Suppressing Division, but also covets the core inheritance of our Mohist School! He used that mechanical technique representing 'destruction' to frame our entire Mohist School, causing us and our former ally, the Evil-Suppressing Division, to become enemies and kill each other. Meanwhile, they, in secret, reap the benefits, stealing what rightfully belongs to us step by step!"
Mo Li's body trembled slightly with excitement. This conclusion chilled her to the bone. A century of family injustice, countless ancestors' deaths filled with hatred, yet in the end, it was just one piece in a vast conspiracy, a discarded pawn on someone else's chessboard. This truth was far more cruel than a simple frame-up.
"So, I'm sorry." She looked at Chu Yun again. This time, there was no longer any guilt or struggle in her eyes, but an unprecedented clarity, as if relieved. "I shouldn't have simply imposed the hatred of our family on you alone. Your father, my family... We are not enemies, we are... victims of the same conspiracy."
"I understand," Chu Yun finally spoke, his voice a little hoarse, yet unusually gentle. He looked at the girl before him, her defenses and pride gone. He remembered her resolve when she'd blocked a fatal blow for him, and her words, "I don't owe you anything." The last trace of resistance in his heart vanished. He reached out, gently patted her shoulder, and said, "It's all over."
Yes, it's all in the past. All the misunderstandings, all the prejudices, after experiencing life and death together, in the face of the cruel truth, seem so insignificant.
Li Ge watched all this silently, silent. But a subtle warmth flickered in her icy eyes. She thought of her missing master, and the fate the Ghost Doctor lineage bore. In that moment, she felt no longer alone. The two people before her, each burdened by a heavy past, brought a touch of the warmth of companionship to her long-frozen heart.
Mo Li nodded. She seemed to want to smile, but in the end, she only pulled the corners of her mouth. She turned around, carefully holding up the "Heart of Heaven" that was still emitting a soft light, and solemnly handed it to Chu Yun.
"This is for you." Her voice regained the pride and determination of a Mohist descendant. "Perhaps this was left to you, the first descendant of the Evil Suppression Division, by the first generation Mohist master. It doesn't belong to me, it belongs to... the true guardian."
Chu Yun looked at the "Heavenly Heart" before him. It resonated with the power within him and the "key" in his hand with an unprecedented intensity. Without refusing, he reached out and accepted this heavy responsibility.
"My family was wronged for protecting it, and countless ancestors paid the price with their lives." Mo Li looked at Chu Yun, and a fire rekindled in his bright eyes. It was no longer the flame of hatred, but the flame of the pursuit of truth and justice.
"Now, I will go with you." She spoke clearly, each word emphasizing the importance of clarity. "Not only to clear the name of the Mohist School and wash away the dirty water that has been thrown at us for thirteen years, but also to... uncover the ultimate truth that has been hidden by lies for thirteen years!"
"Count me in." Li Ge had walked up to them without them noticing. His voice was not loud, but equally firm. "The debt that Shadow Pavilion owes to our Ghost Doctor lineage is about to be settled."
Chu Yun looked at his two companions, one with clear, resolute eyes, the other with a cold, determined expression. He glanced down at the "key" (jade pendant) in his left hand, then at the "pivot" (Heavenly Heart) in his right hand. An unprecedented sense of responsibility and mission surged through him. The road to revenge was still long, but now he was no longer alone.
He nodded heavily.
There were no grand speeches, no passionate vows. Three young men from different heritages, carrying different destinies, struck an unbreakable alliance atop the crumbling Tianshu Tower with a single glance and a single nod.
"Let's go." Chu Yun turned around and walked towards the exit of the control room. "Let's go to that 'Nightmare Village' and get back the third thing that belongs to us."
Li Ge and Mo Li followed closely behind, the three of them walking side by side. Their steps were still a little unsteady, their bodies still stained with pain and fatigue, but their backs appeared incomparably upright and resolute in the dim morning light filtering through the ruins.
A new journey has begun. The road ahead is filled with endless darkness and danger, but they know that as long as the three of them work together, they can ignite a fire and illuminate this long night.
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