A wounded beast on the verge of death would let out a strange growl because it wanted to keep as much sound in its throat as possible, not wanting its weakness to be heard by anyone. But when his thigh muscles were severed and he fell into the snow in front of the Xue Estate, Zhou Tong could no longer hold back and let out a scream tinged with pain.
This scream was drowned out by the Xue clan's young lady's cry of alarm, but it was still so clear that everyone present could hear it.
The Xue clan's young lady felt even more delighted, and the Xue clan's steward was so excited that his entire body began to tremble.
Logically speaking, Madam Xue, who should have had the greatest reaction, was able to maintain her composure. She quietly gazed at Zhou Tong lying in the snow.
It was very quiet in front of the Xue Estate. Only Zhou Tong's heavy breathing could be heard.
After an unknown period of time, Zhou Tong crawled up from the snow and continued to stagger along the west side of the street, leaving behind a trail of blood.
Mo Yu walked to the stone steps, turned to Madam Xue, and nodded her head in greeting.
A few years ago, Xue Xingchuan and she had both been the most popular personages of the Tianhai Dynasty, so the two naturally interacted.
Madam Xue very seriously returned her greeting, saying, "Thank you."
Mo Yu said nothing. Nodding her head again, she followed Zhou Tong.
Madam Xue gazed at the warm yet gloomy sky and thought of that day. She silently said her thanks to Chen Changsheng.
With the end of the Tianhai Dynasty, her husband had gone from a loyal subject of the Great Zhou Dynasty to a traitor, and Zhou Tong had clearly been a traitor, but he had become an important minister of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
This was naturally unfair, but in this world where no one dared to pay homage to traitors, just who would seek justice for a traitor?
That day in the Orthodox Academy, she had said that she hated that Zhou Tong did not die. This was a true hatred, a hatred tinged with despair, a hatred that seeped into her bones.
At the time, Chen Changsheng had said nothing, had not comforted her, only calmly gazed at her.
When sending her off from the Orthodox Academy, he had requested that she not leave the capital.
This was a promise.
He would kill Zhou Tong and let her see it.
So Madam Xue did not return to her hometown, but remained in the capital.
She wanted to see this scene with her own eyes.
It was at this moment that she finally saw it.
From the moment that Xue Xingchuan was poisoned to death to his corpse to being exposed to the public, she had rarely wept.
But at this time, two lines of hot and somewhat scalding tears flowed from her eyes.
She took one last look at the scene of Zhou Tong struggling for his life in the snow, then ordered the steward, "Close the door."
Miss Xue was a little surprised. She held her mother's arm and said, "Mother, I want to see more. I haven't seen enough."
Everyone wanted to see their most powerful and invincible enemy reduced to a wounded wild dog. Who wouldn't be able to get enough of that?
"Enough."
It was hard to tell if Madam Xue was talking about this matter or her daughter, but she turned and entered the estate.
The gate slowly closed, blocking many things and memories outside.
…
…
There was snow everywhere on the Road of Peace, and blood was everywhere on the snow.
More and more blood flowed out of Zhou Tong's body, so much so that the poison became much fainter, and the blood gradually regained some of its red color.
More and more bloody wounds appeared on his body. They were densely packed, and he looked incomparably miserable.
These wounds were very particular. Their depth and position were enough to make him feel excruciating pain, but they were not enough to immediately end his life.
When she attacked, Mo Yu's beautiful face was devoid of emotion, her face indifferent to the extreme. Coupled with her blood-stained palace gown, she looked like the maid of the god of death.
Occasionally, sword glows would illuminate the gloomy street.
Zhou Tong arduously advanced through the snow. He had long since found it impossible to stand firm, and often had to use both his hands and feet to move forward. It seemed like he might collapse at any moment, never to stand again. He could no longer suppress his pain and fear and maintain the silence of an old wolf. Every time a sword glow lit up, a wretched howl could be heard.
This was the most thorough form of humiliation and torture to the body and mind, a torture that would seemingly never end.
This had always been the death of a thousand cuts.
If it were anyone else, no matter how strong their will was, they would have crumbled at this moment. Even if they did not kneel and beg for mercy from their enemies, they would probably do everything in their power to commit suicide. But Zhou Tong did not, because he had tortured and humiliated far too many people in his life, had inflicted far too many tortures on the innocent. He had seen the darkest and most painful scenes of the world, had experienced the true hell. His heart was like a stone that had been soaked in poisonous water for seventy thousand years, every patch of moss growing on it the embodiment of evil. Even though Mo Yu's cruel methods made his body and soul tremble, it was still impossible for him to surrender, whether to her or to fate. Before death arrived, he would never willingly accept it. On the contrary, he was still like a beggar, thirsting for the final victory.
As long as he could crawl through this long street of blood, he would win.
He screamed, and then he said to himself in his heart.
The twilight grew thicker and thicker, turning into night. The white snow on the Road of Peace reflected the starlight, but it was not enough to illuminate this world.
At some point, a dim yellow light suddenly descended and fell on Zhou Tong's body. Through the terrifying wounds, one could clearly see his bones.
The distant light did not have any warmth, but Zhou Tong suddenly felt his body grow warm. In the small courtyard, his eyesight had already suffered severe damage. It was a blur, and he could only make out a rough outline. However, he was very sure that the light was to his right, which was to the north of the Road of Peace.
This was the estate that Grand Preceptor Cheng had left in the capital before he retired. Recently, it had been seized by a prince with overwhelming power and had become a prince's estate.
He used a quarter of an hour, enduring the pain of a thousand cuts, to crawl a distance of some 60 zhang. Finally, he left the boundaries of the Xue Estate and arrived here.
He could endure it because there was hope. From the very beginning, his hope had been here.
His vision was still blurry, but his eyes lit up as if some kind of flame had been ignited by that light.
He still had a bit of true essence left, hidden in the deepest parts of his meridians. No matter how sharp Mo Yu's sword was or how callous her methods were, it was useless, because it was not enough for him to escape this desperate situation.
At this time, the dew-like true essence began to burn, bringing his body up from the snowy ground, swiftly rushing towards that light!
He rushed to the prince's estate, but he no longer had any strength left. He fell to the bottom of the stone steps.
"I am Zhou Tong! Prince of Zhongshan, save me! "
He used the last of his strength to yell out these words.
He had never felt despair. Over the countless years, he had played with the thoughts of countless people in the palm of his hand. He was keenly aware that neither Mo Yu nor Zhexiu would allow him to die immediately, especially when they were in complete control of the situation. This was because they would not be able to vent the tyrannical emotions and desire for vengeance that existed in the depths of their hearts.
This was his chance, and he had to seize it.
He angrily and derisively thought, even if you princes want to pretend that you can't hear my screams, can you say that you can't hear my cries for help? Right now, it was difficult for him to say a single word, but he did not directly yell for help, but for a prince to save him. He did not even forget to yell for that prince's name, all so that the prince would appear.
I am a minister of the Great Zhou Dynasty, Zhou Tong!
I am in danger!
Prince of Zhongshan, save me!
… …
… …
At some point, the clouds in the sky had gathered together, obscuring the starlight and causing the snow to fall once more.
The gate of the Prince of Zhongshan's estate opened, as did many other gates on both sides of the Road of Peace. Many lanterns appeared in the darkness, so bright that they were somewhat dazzling.
The long street in the darkness transformed into a silver river.
In the river, Zhou Tong could no longer suppress his emotions. An intoxicated expression appeared on his face as he gave a neurotic laugh.
With several dozen whooshes, the experts of the prince's estate arrived on the street.
Mo Yu walked out of the snow, several zhang away from Zhou Tong.
Zhou Tong looked at her, his blood-stained face revealing a fierce expression.
How will you kill me now? It's time for someone else to kill you.
His eyes expressed his meaning very clearly.
Mo Yu did not even glance at him.
The night wind gently ruffled her palace dress, causing snow to fall on her temples.
She gazed at the brightly lit Road of Peace, at the ten-some princely estates, and said, "The Empress has treated all of you badly, but there is at least one benefit."
These words were spoken to those princes who had yet to show themselves.
"The sons of Emperor Xian are all still alive."
The lantern light illuminated her face, making it even more beautiful and moving.
But her expression was still cold and indifferent, her face brimming with toughness, faintly similar to that of the deceased.
"Not a single one is left, and all of you are still alive.
"It was the Empress who allowed all of you to live until tonight.
"Tonight, I want all of you to return this benefit.
"I want him dead."
The light snow fell without a sound, just like the silence of the long street at this moment.
After some time, someone in the lantern light waved their hand.
Zhou Tong's vision was blurry, so he could not clearly make out this person's appearance. He could only see that this person was wearing a bright yellow robe.
The Prince of Zhongshan's estate had not closed its gates, but those who had walked out had all retreated.
What was going on here?
Zhou Tong felt this to be absurd, thinking, is Your Highness not afraid of angering the venerable Daoist?
Mo Yu walked up behind him.
Fear once more enveloped his body.
Gasping for breath, he crawled forward.
There were ten-some princely estates on the Road of Peace, the Tianhai clan, and the ministers. The Prince of Zhongshan was a madman, but was everyone else a madman?
He crawled and crawled, crawled and crawled, wanting to crawl to the next place where the lights were fading.
But when he was still very far away, the lights there were extinguished.
It was to the extent that the prince's estate had even closed its gates.
Soon after, the heavy gates began to slowly close, and the lights on the street began to go out one by one.
The darkness grew deeper and deeper.
Zhou Tong grew colder and colder.
He crawled through the cold and wet snow, through the long blood-stained street. All his silence and perseverance had begun with hope, but had ended in … despair.
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