Chapter 72: Shen Shuo

Chapter 72: Shen Shuo

When he awoke, he was back in the room where he had been imprisoned for two years.

Unlike the previous utter darkness, the room was now ablaze with light. Dozens of candles burned at once, their light as glaring as the midday sun, stinging his eyes until tears fell unbidden.

His hands and feet were bound, hemp ropes tightly wound around his body, making him resemble a silkworm cocoon.

Directly ahead, Shen Shuo was bound to a wooden frame, his wrists and ankles wrapped layer upon layer with iron chains.

Shen Yuchao struggled to rise, desperately inching forward. "Father!"

Shen Shuo's eyelids fluttered slightly before slowly opening.

He gazed blankly at the scene before him. "Chao'er, what... what is happening?"

Shen Yuchao shook his head, just kept crawling closer to Shen Shuo.

"Weren't you always asking for a reason?"

A soft, alluring female voice pierced the room's silence.

A dark shadow fell upon the pristine floor.

The woman's figure was slender, as beautiful as a blooming hibiscus. Her eyebrows arched slightly at the ends, her eyes like autumn waves, carrying an extreme sense of bewitching charm.

She moved with light steps as she approached Shen Shuo.

Her red lips curved upward as she slowly spoke a few words. "I'll tell you the reason."

Looking at his wife, who seemed like a completely different person, Shen Shuo was utterly bewildered. "Rou'er, why?"

"Why?"

As if hearing a joke, Mu Yurou let out a loud laugh. The sound echoed within the enclosed room, like a flock of spring swallows trapped in a quagmire, unable to extricate themselves.

The laughter abruptly ceased. Mu Yurou grabbed Shen Shuo's collar, a mocking glint in the corner of her eye. "You slaughtered my kin, destroyed my foundation, and you dare ask me why?"

"Rou'er, what are you talking about? When did I ever kill your people?" Shen Shuo's face registered shock.

Seeming to think Mu Yurou was joking, he tried to reach for her hand. The moment he moved, the iron chains clanked loudly.

Shen Shuo gave up helplessly. "After meeting you, I considered you the most important person in my life. How could I possibly do something that would hurt you so deeply?"

"Moreover..." Shen Shuo frowned, carefully recalling. "I have never killed anyone with the surname Mu."

Mu Yurou stared fixedly at him, her expression a mix of resentment, hatred, and a trace of imperceptible melancholy.

The emotions in her eyes shifted constantly, finally solidifying into a resolute light.

She let go and took two steps back. The candlelight shone upon her, as if all the brilliance in the world was focused on her alone.

Her delicate chin lifted slightly, like a proud phoenix.

"I do not bear the surname Mu."

Shen Shuo was stunned.

Mu Yurou said coldly, "Mu was my mother's surname. My original surname is Han."

"Han of the Great Qi Dynasty."

Shen Shuo trembled all over, unable to believe it. "You... you are from the former imperial family...?"

"Correct." Mu Yurou said. "Back then, your father, the renowned General Shen, beheaded Emperor Li in the Golden Luan Hall. He was my father."

"My mother escaped the palace in the chaos and gave birth to me."

"I should have been a precious, revered princess, worshipped by thousands. But because of your Shen family, I was displaced since childhood, living a life worse than a dog. Should I not hate you?"

"And you!"

Mu Yurou pointed at Shen Shuo, her voice filled with hatred. "You took advantage of my injury, brought me back to the Shen Family Army, even married me, and sired this abomination."

"The Shen family aided the wicked, helping the Zhou clan overthrow my Great Qi. With such deep-seated hatred, you actually made me give birth to a vile creature carrying Shen family blood."

"Shen Shuo." Mu Yurou enunciated each word. "You deserve to die."

The woman's eyes held a towering rage, making her features blaze with a dazzling, overwhelming beauty.

Overcome by hatred, she "swished" out a dagger from her waist and stabbed it into Shen Shuo's palm.

Shen Shuo grunted in pain, his forehead beaded with fine, dense sweat.

After the initial shock, he tried to reason with her.

"Rou'er, Emperor Li was tyrannical and cruel. The people of the land had suffered under him for so long..."

"Shut up!"

Mu Yurou's eyes turned bloodshot. She closed her eyes and swung the dagger down with all her might. "Why dress up your rebellion with such high-sounding words!"

"You are all rebels, coveting the Han family's empire."

"Father!"

Shen Yuchao's eyes nearly burst from their sockets.

Two clean, slender fingers lay on the ground, blood dripping onto them like stained jade.

Shen Shuo's right hand trembled. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he gasped, "Rou'er, the Great Qi is in the past. Why can't you let it go?"

"The hatred of a destroyed nation can never be forgotten in a lifetime."

Mu Yurou averted her gaze, coldly lowering her eyelashes.

"Speaking of which, I should thank you." She slowly moved towards Shen Yuchao. Under his terrified gaze, she pulled him in front of Shen Shuo.

"The Shen family deserves death, but their natural talents are indeed remarkable." Mu Yurou pinched the back of Shen Yuchao's neck, lifting his chin with her other hand. "This child has already been refined by me into a Medicine Person. From now on, he will become my sharp weapon for revenge."

"Mu Yurou!" Shen Shuo roared, his voice filled with disappointment and sorrow. "He is your own flesh and blood!"

"The path to restoring our nation is arduous. For that, I can sacrifice even my own son, even myself." Mu Yurou's gaze suddenly turned fierce, her voice rising as if to vent all her hatred.

"The Shen family helped the Zhou family destroy my Han clan. I will make sure a descendant of the Shen family seizes the Zhou family's empire."

As if recalling the day the imperial city was seized, Mu Yurou smiled a brilliant, radiant smile.

"Let me go! I don't want this! Let me go!"

Shen Yuchao struggled desperately.

Mu Yurou gripped his chin tightly. "Your willingness is not an option."

Her slender, jade-like fingers caressed Shen Yuchao's young face as she said softly, "Chao'er, you were originally the noblest bloodline in all the land. Alas, you've been tainted."

"Come, Mother will teach you how to cleanse the filth from your blood step by step."

Mu Yurou grasped Shen Yuchao's hand and, ignoring his struggles, shoved the dagger firmly into his palm.

Under her guidance, the dagger gradually approached Shen Shuo.

Shen Yuchao screamed, "Get away, get away! You're not my mother, give my mother back to me!"

"If I'm not your mother, then who is?"

Mu Yurou's face darkened as she shoved his hand forward.

"Shhk—"

The sound of the blade piercing flesh.

Shen Yuchao shuddered violently.

The dagger plunged into Shen Shuo's chest, and bright red blood quickly stained his blue robe.

His father's face was pale, yet his gaze remained bright and gentle.

"No—Father!"

Shen Yuchao shattered.

He wanted to drop the dagger, but the force covering the back of his hand was like an insurmountable mountain.

He could only writhe desperately in resistance, his screams growing hoarse with despair.

He wanted to pull out the dagger, to cover the wound on his father's chest, to make all that blood disappear.

But he could do nothing.

Shen Yuchao wept himself into unconsciousness.

Just before his consciousness faded, he saw his father part his lips with effort and silently say to him:

Chao'er, don't be afraid.

...

Shen Shuo did not die.

That thrust had not hit his vital points.

But from that day on, Mu Yurou made him watch, day after day, as she tortured Shen Shuo.

Shen Yuchao knelt on the ground, crying and begging Mu Yurou to stop.

Yet he could only watch helplessly as Mu Yurou sliced off two more fingers from Shen Shuo's other hand.

With that dagger, she carved countless cuts on Shen Shuo's arm.

A dense network of scars covered the entire arm, dripping with blood.

Shen Yuchao cursed her loudly, only to receive a slap.

He was knocked to the ground by that slap, his head buzzing, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

In his stunned state, someone sighed softly and gently helped him up.

His eyes lit up with desperate hope as he grabbed the newcomer, begging through his tears, "Uncle Liu, save Father, please, I'm begging you, save Father."

Liu Songqing wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his thumb but did not reply, instead standing up respectfully behind Mu Yurou.

"Princess, allow your servant."

Shen Yuchao stood frozen.

Mu Yurou stepped aside.

Then, Shen Yuchao saw his respected Uncle Liu, holding a long blade with both hands, blank-faced as he swung it toward Shen Shuo's legs.

"Aaaagh—"

His father.

His tall, majestic father, who had achieved countless military merits, defended the country, and protected the people.

Even when suffering the most severe injuries, he had never shed a tear, yet now he let out a long, agonized cry.

Blood splattered, and everything before his eyes turned crimson.

Shen Yuchao reached out in a daze, the blood staining his fingertips nearly making him faint.

The torture continued.

They cut off Shen Shuo's hands and feet and crammed him into a jar.

Shen Yuchao felt as if he had already died.

His body remained motionless in place, but his soul was screaming desperately.

How could they, how could they do this to him!

An unprecedented hatred swept through his entire being, his blood boiling all over.

He wanted... he wanted to...

"Kill him."

Mu Yurou's soft, seductive voice, like a demonic whisper, echoed around him.

"Chao'er, only when you kill him can you leave this room and become my true son."

After dropping the dagger, the two swept past him like a gentle breeze.

The sound of the door closing pulled Shen Yuchao's soul back.

He lunged forward in a frenzy, throwing his arms around Shen Shuo and crying out, "Father, don't go to sleep, I beg you, don't go to sleep, wake up!"

Shen Shuo's hair was stained with blood, strands of it matted together, a pitiful sight.

He struggled to open his eyes, wanting to reach out and wipe away Shen Yuchao's tears. With that movement, intense pain surged through his entire body.

Suppressing the painful groan in his throat, Shen Shuo gasped, forcing the words out through the pain: "Chao'er... don't... be... afraid... Father... is... fine."

Shen Yuchao wept uncontrollably.

"If... you... cry... you're... not... a... brave boy... anymore."

"I don't care about being brave. I just want Father to get better."

Shen Yuchao held Shen Shuo's head, burying his face in his neck, helpless as a wounded little beast.

Tears mixed with blood, thoroughly drenching both of their clothes.

Shen Yuchao was once again confined to that room.

Every day, someone would bring them meals.

Shen Yuchao would take the chopsticks and feed Shen Shuo bite by bite.

He tore off his inner garment to wipe away the bloodstains on Shen Shuo's body.

Seeing his wounds, tears sprang to his eyes. Afraid that Shen Shuo would notice, Shen Yuchao quickly lowered his head, letting the tears fall.

At night, they would huddle close together, sleeping snuggled together as they had on the estate.

But no matter how hard he tried, Shen Shuo grew increasingly frail, like a fish out of water.

The light in his eyes gradually faded into loneliness.

One day, as Shen Yuchao was feeding Shen Shuo as usual, he refused to eat, saying only, "Chao'er, kill me."

Shen Yuchao's hands trembled, and the bowl and chopsticks clattered to the floor.

"Father, what nonsense are you saying?"

"This living death is worse than dying!" Shen Shuo roared. "Chao'er, I've been a soldier all my life. Can you bear to see me live on like this?"

"No, Father, I don't want to." Shen Yuchao cried, shaking his head desperately.

"Chao'er, be good. After you kill me, you can leave. This mansion has long been compromised and is no longer safe. Do you remember that time you were mischievous and sneaked out through the dog hole?"

"I remember." Shen Yuchao nodded, tears streaming down his face. "Father beat me and sealed the dog hole."

Shen Shuo smiled. "Father didn't seal it. The dog hole is still there. Go out through it and find Uncle Lin. Remember to run fast and never look back."

"I don't want to, I don't want to!"

Shen Yuchao clutched his head, turned his back to Shen Shuo, curled up, and broke down sobbing.

Shen Shuo let out a long sigh and didn't press him further.

The two remained in a cold war for a long time. Shen Shuo's vitality grew weaker day by day.

Looking at his gaunt face, Shen Yuchao couldn't help but tear up.

His father was an eagle soaring through the sky, a hero galloping across the battlefield, a war god revered by the world.

He shouldn't live in such a wretched and sorrowful state.

This was Mu Yurou's humiliation of him, and it was his disgrace as well.

Shen Yuchao asked in a trembling voice, "Father, will you be happy?"

Shen Shuo understood the implication behind his words. A long-lost light flared in his eyes, and the corners of his lips lifted into a light, cheerful smile.

Like someone trudging alone in the darkness finally seeing the dawn.

"Yes."

He said gently, "Chao'er, don't be afraid. Your father is proud of you."

"I will always be with you."

Shen Yuchao finally picked up that forgotten dagger.

Tears streamed down his face in an instant.

In Shen Shuo's smiling eyes, he plunged the dagger into his father's neck.

The moment those bright, brilliant eyes closed, Shen Yuchao's heart seemed to die as well.

"What happened next?"

Tears had unknowingly streaked Qiu Shuiyi's face. She paid them no mind, asking through choked sobs.

"What happened next?"

Shen Yuchao murmured.

He didn't follow his father's advice to find Uncle Lin. Instead, he entered the imperial palace.

He knelt before Emperor Tianhong, narrating everything that had happened like a walking corpse, indifferent and detached.

Emperor Tianhong was furious and issued an edict to execute Mu Yurou and other remnants of the previous dynasty.

Afterward, he announced the news of Prince Duansu's assassination.

The entire city mourned in white, commemorating the fall of a generation's war god.

After Shen Shuo's funeral rites were complete, Shen Yuchao was taken into the palace by Emperor Tianhong.

Every day, he was haunted by nightmares of killing his own father, living in agony day after day.

He attempted suicide countless times, his frail body shedding endless blood, yet he could never die.

He drifted through life in a daze for a long time until Emperor Tianhong appeared before him.

He said, "Mu Yurou is not dead."

Shen Yuchao was stunned for a long time, waves of pain surging in his chest.

Father was gone. How could she not be dead? How could she still be alive?!

An unprecedented hatred gave Shen Yuchao a will to live.

Two years ago, his mother had already died.

That woman named Mu Yurou was the chief culprit who ruined his family and caused their deaths.

He vowed that in this life, he would take Mu Yurou's head to honor his father's spirit in heaven.

From then on, Shen Yuchao devoted himself desperately to studying and martial arts, becoming a dagger in the shadows for Emperor Tianhong, handling countless dirty tasks for him while secretly searching for Mu Yurou's whereabouts.

With his vengeance complete, it was time to join his father.

Gazing at the sky, Shen Yuchao softly asked, "Do you see now?"

He was destined to be a father-killer and mother-slayer, an outcast from this world.

A beast.

He owed them this life.

Now, he was giving it back.