A drop of dew dripped from the cypress leaf.
Mo Xi's wide sleeves fluttered in the breeze. He stood on the pine and cypress slope of the Heroes' Mausoleum on Warghun Mountain, looking at the small figure in the winding forest of monuments.
It was late at night on the first day, and the stars were everywhere.
After the confrontation with the Murong Lian, Gu Mang really did kowtow to each tomb on Warghun Mountain. Murong Lian had clearly only given him humiliation, but Gu Mang had treated it as a way out. His stubbornness was something that even ten oxen could not pull back, and he wanted to use this to prove his renewed resolve.
"Are you really going to do this?"
"Yes."
"Even if nothing can change?"
"It can change." Gu Mang said, "At least I'll feel better."
The Murong Lian knew that he had succeeded, and Mo Xi knew that Gu Mang had made a choice and would not turn back.
Later, the Murong Lian left, and Mo Xi had to leave too. Gu Mang kowtowed alone in the cemetery, where the birds chirped. Later, the tired birds returned to the forest. The sun set, and the frost frosted. In the silence, only Gu Mang was the sound of movement in this city of the dead.
Later, Mo Xi was worried and returned to Warghun Mountain alone. It was not convenient for him to show his face, so he stood on the pine and cypress slope and looked at the white figure in the distance.
Gu Mang knelt for the whole night, so he also looked under the tree for the whole night. When dawn broke, people came to visit the tombs, so Mo Xi left quietly. He still had a court meeting, so he could not stay at the Heroes' Mausoleum all the time.
It was unknown if the Murong Lian was deliberately fanning the flames, but the news of Gu Mang kowtowing at the Heroes' Mausoleum spread like wildfire. In less than a morning, the news had spread throughout Chong Hua City.
"What is this guy planning now?"
"I heard that he suddenly became enlightened and felt that he had done something wrong in the past, so he wants to apologize."
"Does he really have that kind of heart? Don't be a weasel paying a visit to a chicken. "
"Shall we go and take a look?"
The high-ranking nobles of Chong Hua City did not have the time to go to War Spirit Mountain to cause trouble during the day. However, there were some loose cultivators who usually had nothing better to do. When they heard about this matter, they swarmed to the Tomb of Heroes like mosquitoes that had smelled blood. They said they were going to sweep the tomb, but in reality, they just wanted to see the commotion with their own eyes.
Although these people would not directly make things difficult for Gu Mang for the sake of Lord Xi He's face, there were still many people who mocked him.
So Gu Mang continued to kneel, while they covered their mouths with their sleeves and whispered to each other, "He is really kneeling well. When he was serving guests in the other courtyard of the Lord Wangshu, his attitude was not so good. How did you become so obedient after being taught by Lord Xi He for half a year? "
"The Lord Xi He is good at scheming."
"If you ask me, everyone knows that the Lord Xi He is a person who can be persuaded by reason but not cowed by force. This Gu guy must have understood the Lord Xi He's temperament, so he pretended to be repentant and pretentious. He is lying to everyone."
"I see! What you said makes sense. Oh, yes, if he is really so guilty, why doesn't he just kill himself? "
"He is indeed a liar!"
Gu Mang turned a deaf ear to them and walked up the stairs amidst the pointing and whispering. He bowed and kowtowed, and kept repeating the words that the Murong Lian had taught him.
"Traitor Gu Mang, ten thousand deaths will not be enough to atone for his sins."
He said it so sincerely, as if this sentence was a rebirth curse that could ferry his sinful soul out of the boundless sea of bitterness.
There were too many people who hated him, too many people who despised him. He struggled in the sea of bitterness, but the people on the shore threw stones at him, telling him to go back and drown. This was the only ending he deserved in his life.
Gu Mang kept repeating the action of kneeling and kowtowing in this countercurrent. His forehead hit the hard and cold stone thousands of times. His footsteps were heavy, and his body was dispirited, but his eyes were shining brightly, supporting him as he walked up the stairs.
He bent his spine and lowered his head.
"Traitor Gu Mang."
He clasped his hands together devoutly, from the golden light of heaven and earth to the boundless night.
"Ten thousand deaths will not be enough to atone for his sins …"
On the third day, the sky was overcast, and the spring rain fell in Chong Hua City. Gu Mang's clothes were thin, and after kneeling for a long time in the chilly spring wind and rain, his body could not take it anymore. He used his hands and feet to climb up another stone step, and knelt in front of the first jade tablet. His lips moved, and he wanted to speak, but he could not make a sound. The rain fell miserably from his face.
He raised his head and looked at the majestic and solemn Memorial Tablet of Martyrs.
"The seventh generation Lord Wangshu, Murong Xuan, the heroic spirit sleeps forever."
It turned out that he had already knocked on the Murong Lian's father …
Gu Mang looked at the line of majestic golden words. The inscription on the tablet was so clear and solemn, and he was like a pile of mud, a pile of dust, curled up in front of the gods. His lips trembled, and his throat, which was almost unable to make a sound, moved. He tried hard to mutter, "Traitor Gu Mang …"
The spring thunder was startled, and it was as if the sky had turned into a giant drum that was being beaten.
Gu Mang raised his trembling palms, which seemed to be filled with lead, and clasped his hands in front of his forehead. Then he closed his eyes and bent down to kneel.
"Ten thousand deaths … will not be enough to atone for his sins …"
The thunder broke through the sky.
As if it was shattered by the power of the thunder, Gu Mang did not get up again after kneeling down. After three days and three nights of kowtowing, without sleep or rest, he finally could not hold on and fainted.
Seeing him fall in the rain in a sorry state, curled up in front of the Murong Xuan's tomb, those who originally came to watch the fun were like vultures that smelled a dead thing, and immediately came closer to take a look. They glanced at the wet and thin body. They knew that Gu Mang had gone berserk, so when Gu Mang was awake, they did not dare to be too presumptuous, and their words were mostly vague. But Gu Mang was unconscious at this time, and he was extremely tired, so some people became bolder.
"This dog of a slave, he said that he was sincerely apologizing, but he fell down weakly before he finished kowtowing. Did he really faint or was he faking it?"
"We'll know after we kick him."
So someone went forward and kicked Gu Mang's pale cheeks. After waiting for a while, there was still no movement from Gu Mang. "He really fainted!"
Suddenly, there was a commotion, as if a hole had been torn in the dam.
"We asked him to come to War Spirit Mountain to kowtow, not to sleep!"
"He deserves a beating!"
It was interesting to say that most of the people who gathered at War Spirit Mountain were not the sons of generals or descendants of heroes. Those who really had a direct blood feud with Gu Mang would not deliberately climb the mountain for such a long time. They only wanted to see Gu Mang be punished. If he could not be punished, they would rather not see this person. Looking at him made them feel disgusted.
As for the group of people who really had the ability and power, such as Princess Meng Ze, Jiang Fuli, and Yue Juntian Murong Chuyi, these nobles and capable officials, it was even more impossible for them to get involved in this mess.
So it was said that birds of a feather flocked together. Those who deliberately gathered at the top of the mountain to see Gu Mang make a fool of themselves were flies with similar characters. Most of them did not have any ability, and they were also very bored. Obviously, Gu Mang did not directly owe them a debt of life, but this group of people was more emotional than the descendants of heroes, and wanted to fight for justice.
And in this world, there were generally two kinds of people who fought for justice:
First, it was really difficult to calm down, and they said what they had to say.
Second, it was really nothing to do, and they looked for trouble.
At this moment, the people gathered around War Spirit Mountain belonged to the second kind. But other than these people who had nothing to do, there were also a few passers-by who really came to War Spirit Mountain to pay their respects and sweep the tombs. Thus, in the midst of the chaos, a child's soft voice suddenly rang out. It was a crisp and childish voice, and it sounded like he was about to cry. Unable to hold it in any longer, he sobbed, "Uncle, Aunt, can you … can you stop hitting him …"
Before she could finish, she was covered by a large hand.
Those people turned around. At first, they did not know which family's daughter dared to directly stop them. They were a little flustered, thinking that it could not be some noble family's daughter, right? But when they saw the person who spoke, their flustered hearts were swept away faster than ripples. In an instant, their faces were fierce, "Lord Changfeng? What is your daughter up to? "
It turned out that the child who spoke just now was Xiao Lan 'er.
Xiao Lan 'er also came to pay respects to her father at the cemetery today, but she did not expect to encounter such a situation.
Ever since she fell ill, she had been looked down upon everywhere. No one dared to play with her, and no one was willing to listen to her. Other than her father, no one had ever smiled with her.
Although she had only spoken a few words with Gu Mang when they met at the Apothecary's Residence, those few words and the dragonfly that had stopped at her temple were the first time she had seen such innocence in so many years. Now that she saw her big brother being humiliated like this, her tears could not help but roll down.
Lord Changfeng hurriedly said, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
But those people did not let it go. They mocked, "It's not wrong to say that your daughter is a mad dog. She's actually pleading for this disgusting thing."
"Watch your daughter's rotten mouth. She can still attend classes in the academy now because we pitied you and gave you a chance. If you don't know what's good for you, we'll dig out her spirit core sooner or later!"
There were even people who said sarcastically, "Lord Changfeng, don't tell me your daughter is already lustful at such a young age. Has she taken a fancy to this dog?"
No normal father in the world would be able to tolerate such filthy remarks. But Lord Changfeng did not belong to the "normal" category. He was a deer that had been forced into a desperate situation. What could he do in the face of a tiger and a wolf that was gnashing its teeth and sucking its blood? No matter how angry he was, to the point of tearing his heart and trembling with anger, he could only forcefully suppress his anger.
Even though the meridians on his neck were about to explode, he could only smile and comply.
They were right. Xiao Lan 'er could not tolerate any small mistakes. She could have her spirit core dug out at any time and be expelled from the academy.
Lord Changfeng bowed and apologized as he carried his daughter in a panic and brought her away from this troublesome place. After leaving the cemetery, he let go of Lan 'er's hand and the little girl cried.
She leaned on his back and sobbed, "Father, what did that big brother do wrong …"
Lord Changfeng stroked her hair. "It's a capital offense. A capital offense for treason. Lan 'er, don't say anymore. "
"Is there no way to forgive him?"
"His crimes are unforgivable. There's no way to forgive him."
Lan 'er's tears fell like pearls from a broken necklace. "But … but …"
She was carried down the mountain path by her father. She leaned on her father's shoulder and watched as Gu Mang and the group of people became further and further away in her field of vision. The child did not understand the affairs of the world and did not know that Gu Mang had long lost his parents. She sobbed, "But he's like this … if his parents see him like this … how painful would it be …"
If his parents see him like this.
How painful would it be …
But Xiao Lan 'er did not understand. Gu Mang did not have parents. He had lost his family very early on. Then, he lost his brothers, lost his army, lost his glory and reputation. Now, other than the mud on his body, he had nothing to rely on. No one would feel pain for him. Only people would clap their hands in joy because of his pain.
No one would care about him.
And the only person who could accompany him was also bound by the shackles of fate and status. She had long lost her freedom.
— —
"Lord Xi He."
In the Ming Hall of the Military Department, Mo Xi, who had finished his official duties, was preparing to leave Yuncheng and go to War Spirit Mountain. During the time that Gu Mang was in the cemetery, Mo Xi dealt with military affairs at the fastest speed every day. Then, he went to the pine and cypress slope to guard Gu Mang from afar.
But today, he was stopped by an attendant.
"What's the matter?"
"Urgent report from the Eastern Region. His Majesty invites you to the Throne Room for a night discussion."
Mo Xi, who was about to loosen the collar of his military robe, paused.
The attendant was very smart and immediately sensed something strange. "Lord Xi He, do you have something else to say?"
"What's the situation in the Eastern Region?"
"The Yun Country has turned to the Liao Country and cultivated the way of the Black Demon. They have secretly accumulated a large number of Yin soldiers. The people in the three small towns in the Eastern Region have been slaughtered and killed …"
Mo Xi's slender and white fingers rearranged the Military Department's robe that he had just loosened a little. He said, "Report to His Majesty. After I tidied up the files of the Yin soldiers, I will immediately go to the Throne Room for a discussion."
"Then I will wait for Lord Xi He."
Thus, the person in the Throne Room did not sleep for the whole night. He held a candlelight and talked through the night.
And the person in the War Spirit Mountain was unconscious for the whole night. No one cared about him.
On the morning of the fourth day.
Gu Mang woke up from his coma.
He opened his eyes in a daze. The sky had already cleared up. He lay in the puddle of water. The distant and clear blue sky seemed to be able to touch it if he raised his hand. Gu Mang moved. He felt that there were a few inexplicable wounds on his body, but he did not care.
"Ugh …" He rubbed the swollen bump on his head.
Did he fall when he fainted?
Or did he knock his head so much that it became swollen …
He could not understand, so he stopped thinking about it.
There were only a dozen rows of stone tablets left. He slowly got up and scooped up some of the puddle of water in front of the Murong Xuan tombstone. He did not mind that it was dirty and slowly drank it into his stomach. Then, he got up on all fours and continued to knock his head forward.
Just like the clear sky after the rain, the clouds were clear and bright. He felt that his sins could finally be reduced by an inch. He did not stop. He was kowtowing to the ghosts and ghosts in his dreams. He was kowtowing to the past and the future.
One jade step at a time.
One stone tablet, one dead person.
Mo Xi came an hour later. He had stayed up all night in the Military Council. He had not slept for more than forty hours. His eyes were red. Other people would rush home to rest after staying up all night to finish their military work. However, he carried the breakfast prepared by the Military Council and came to the War Spirit Mountain alone, as if he was in a nightmare.
It was already the fourth day. Gu Mang had prayed here for four days. Four days and four nights without sleep might not have been a big deal to the Gu Shuai of the past. Gu Shuai had the most powerful spiritual nucleus. It was enough to support him like a torch that burned with light and heat for a long time.
But what was Gu Mang left now? All that was left was a broken body and a shattered soul.
But he still had to hold on.
Mo Xi silently looked at Gu Mang from afar.
Nine thousand one hundred and sixty-first tablet … nine thousand one hundred and sixty-second tablet …
Gu Mang was still kneeling. He was counting for Gu Mang.
Almost there.
He was almost done kneeling.
At noon, Gu Mang finally crawled back to Mo Xi's father's memorial tablet. He looked like a little beggar who had rolled in a quagmire. His whole body was covered in mud. His face was dirty, his forehead was broken, and his knees were badly mutilated. But his eyes were unusually bright. Anyone who saw those eyes would not doubt his sincerity and crush his hope.
Gu Mang kowtowed three times carefully.
It was over.
He heaved a sigh of relief. He staggered and tried to stand up straight. But because he had been kneeling for too long, he fell to the ground as soon as he stood up.
But the pain he expected did not come.
Suddenly, there was a gust of wind. Someone supported him and brought his muddy body into an embrace. The person's smell was very faint, but it was the gardenia honey that Gu Mang was familiar with. Although that person tried to control his hands, they were trembling slightly.
Gu Mang turned his head and saw Mo Xi's face.
Mo Xi had been enduring in the dark. He was suffering, waiting with Gu Mang for the end of this apology. And he had been waiting for a long time for the support after all this was over.
Gu Mang looked at Mo Xi and then looked at Mo Xi's hand that was holding his arm. Slowly, his dirty face showed an almost relaxed smile. But his eyes suddenly curved and hot tears rolled down his cheeks.
Gu Mang knew that it was embarrassing. He wiped his face carelessly. He wanted to say something, but after repeating "Traitor Gu Mang, nothing can atone for his sins" tens of thousands of times, his Adam's apple bobbed. For a moment, he could not say anything else. He just looked at him, crying and laughing.
He was too stupid. His damaged brain could not work, but he was anxious to express himself. In a fluster, Gu Mang raised his hand and poked his chest.
"Do you understand … my heart? I didn't lie to you. "
Gu Mang enunciated each word clumsily. He tried his best to grin, but his tears couldn't help rolling down his cheeks.
"I didn't lie."
"…"
"It's true … this time … it's all true …"
Mo Xi's soul was about to be torn in half by his selfishness and hatred for his country. He could not say anything. In the end, he could only silently support Gu Mang to the resting stone bench at the peak of the mountain.
Gu Mang looked at the jade tablets on the mountain steps. He muttered, "This is great. I've already finished kneeling …"
A cool breeze blew gently on the mountain peak.
"You can start again …"
At this moment, every word Gu Mang said was like a knife cutting Mo Xi's heart. He lowered his head. He put a bamboo rice pot on the stone bench. This pot was taken directly from the Military Department's cafeteria. It had been imbued with spiritual power, so the taste and warmth of the dishes could be preserved well in the pot. He took out the food from the pot.
He did not look at Gu Mang. He said in a low voice, "Let's eat first."
There was porridge with straw mushroom and lean meat, rice cakes, Dongpo stewed meat with rich sauce that melted in the mouth, cucumber with sweet sauce, and a few soft steamed buns.
Mo Xi handed him a pair of chopsticks.
Gu Mang did not take them. He awkwardly stretched out his dirty hands and tried to wipe them on his clothes. He found that he could not wipe them clean, so he sat in the distance, lost in thought.
Mo Xi sighed. He took out his clean handkerchief and poured some water on it with a water-guiding talisman. Then he said to Gu Mang, "Give me your hand."
"It's dirty …"
Mo Xi did not say a second time. He only pulled Gu Mang's hand over. When their fingertips touched, he clearly felt Gu Mang's hand tremble in his palm.
Mo Xi lowered his eyes and used the wet handkerchief to slowly and carefully wipe Gu Mang's hand.
In the end, the hand was clean, but his clean handkerchief was dirty.
Mo Xi said, "Let's eat."
Gu Mang looked at the steamed buns and meat. He was really hungry. He swallowed and said, "Can I not use chopsticks to eat meat and steamed buns?" He raised his hand that he had just wiped and showed it to Mo Xi. "Look, it's clean."
"…" Mo Xi glanced at it. The fine scars on the clean hand were even more glaring. He looked away and said, "Just today."
Gu Mang immediately nodded. He grabbed the steamed bun and took a big bite out of it.
Mo Xi had not eaten or drunk anything all night, but he still looked at him and tried to say in a casual tone, "No one is fighting with you."
Gu Mang's response was a miserable look on his face. He could not stop eating, and a whimper came out of his mouth full of steamed buns.
Mo Xi's tone softened. He said softly, "… Eat slowly."
Another whimper came out of Gu Mang's mouth, which was stuck in the steamed bun and roasted meat. Come to think of it, it had been far too long since they had been alone peacefully. For a moment, Mo Que really wanted to rub his head like in the past, but in the end, he only raised his hand. Without touching him, his hand fell.
But even this subtle movement was noticed by Gu Mang. Gu Mang misunderstood his intentions and froze for a moment. His mouth was stuffed with steamed buns, but he still used his trembling hands to pry open the remaining half.
Steam rose.
Gu Mang kept the small one for himself and handed the big one to him. His cheeks were puffed up and his blue eyes were clear.
"Are you hungry too?"
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