Chapter 14 – Tyrant VS National Teacher (14)
Even though Mo Yi’s heart was in great turmoil, he still managed to ask.
However, upon hearing the question, Mu Jin was the one who became confused.
He stared at his child in bewilderment and asked, “Afraid of what?”
Mo Yi opened his mouth in response and lowered his gaze, saying, “I killed so many people. Brother Jin, don’t you think I’m cruel?”
Unexpectedly, Mu Jin, upon hearing this, couldn’t help but curl the corner of his mouth and then playfully flick Mo Yi’s forehead with his fingers.
Hearing the muffled sound from Mo Yi, Mu Jin looked somewhat speechless and said, “If you don’t kill them, are you just going to let them kill you?”
Mo Yi blinked at Mu Jin’s response, then nervously asked, “But Brother Jin, haven’t you always told me to benefit the people and accumulate merits?”
Mu Jin saw the earnest look on his child’s face and couldn’t help but rub his forehead, saying helplessly, “But that doesn’t mean you should let others take advantage of you! Didn’t I also teach you to retaliate in kind?”
He tightly held Mo Yi’s hand and said earnestly, “Yi Er, do you know what I was thinking on my way to find you?”
Seeing Mo Yi shaking his head, Mu Jin lowered his eyes. “I was thinking that if those people dared to harm you even a little, I would make them pay tenfold or a hundredfold.”
“If anyone hurts my Yi Er, I’ll make sure they die without a whole body!”
“Fortunately, my Yi Er is so capable. Do you know how afraid I was for you?”
At this point, Mu Jin couldn’t help but choke up.
Although he wanted to hug Mo Yi, he refrained due to concerns about touching the wounds. Instead, he tightened their held hands to express his emotions.
Seeing Mu Jin’s evident fear and pain in his eyes, Mo Yi’s heart softened. He felt that in this world, besides the Empress Grandmother, only Brother Jin cared wholeheartedly about him.
However, soon he thought about Mu Jin running all the way to find him.
Now, with only the two of them here, it was evident that Mu Jin had immediately come alone upon hearing about his situation.
Feeling touched but also somewhat worried, fearing that there might be some stragglers on the road who could conflict with Mu Jin, Mo Yi quickly grabbed Mu Jin’s shoulder and looked him up and down, trying to check for any injuries.
But when Mu Jin noticed Mo Yi examining him, he was concerned that Mo Yi might notice the wound on his wrist.
So, he quickly broke free from Mo Yi’s restraint, quickly smiled, and assured him that he was fine, encountering no danger on the way.
Hearing Mu Jin’s words, Mo Yi finally eased his mind.
Recalling the unbearable pain and itching all over his body before he passed out, the young man knew that the poison in his body had flared up again. Fortunately, Brother Jin arrived in time and gave him the medicine.
Otherwise, even if he had killed all those black-clothed individuals, he might not have been able to save his own life.
Thinking of Mu Jin saving him once again, Mo Yi looked at him with gratitude.
But he noticed that Mu Jin had taken out a small bag of snacks he usually carried with him from somewhere in his arms.
Opening it, Mu Jin picked up a piece and fed it to Mo Yi. Mo Yi instinctively opened his mouth, and the taste of the soft, sweet cake, familiar as the taste of milk cake, entered his mouth.
This made him recall the first time he met Mu Jin, that day when Mu Jin gave him a bag of milk cake.
Since then, Mo Yi fell in love with this kind of snack and would always eat a few pieces when he had nothing to do.
Even though it didn’t have the complex sweetness of other pastries, it always reminded him of the warmth of that day.
The special meaning made him feel sweetness deep in his heart.
While savoring the pastry in his mouth and looking at Mu Jin in front of him, Mo Yi felt that Brother Jin was still as fond of snacks as before.
After so many years, he still seemed like an immature child, always carrying various candies and snacks with him.
Especially with those shallow dimples and the round face, sometimes Mo Yi even felt an illusion that Mu Jin was younger than him.
Clearly just an ordinary milk cake, but Mu Jin, with his eyes narrowed, was chewing it with a happy expression.
This made the taste of the pastry in Mo Yi’s mouth even more delightful.
However, when Mu Jin lifted his arm again to feed Mo Yi a snack, Mo Yi suddenly noticed something unnatural on his wrist.
Seeing this, Mo Yi quickly grabbed Mu Jin’s hand and pulled his sleeve down, revealing a bandage on Mu Jin’s wrist, stained red with fresh blood.
Mo Yi’s pupils constricted at the sight, and he nervously said to Mu Jin, “Didn’t you say you encountered no danger? Why are you injured? Did those people hurt you?”
Thinking that his important Brother Jin had been harmed by those detestable assassins, Mo Yi couldn’t help but clench his fists, anger and resentment evident in his tightened jaw.
Even without an investigation, Mo Yi was clear about who sent those black-clothed individuals.
It’s just a pity that he currently lacks power and authority, and now even Brother Jin has been implicated.
However, Mo Yi took note of this account; daring to harm his most important person, he was determined to one day reclaim everything from them, principal and interest.
However, unbeknownst to him, Mo Yi nearly went crazy over Mu Jin’s wound, and the injured party hastily withdrew his hand.
Later, deliberately putting on an indifferent appearance, he smiled and said, “It’s okay, it’s not a serious injury. Yi Er, don’t worry about it.”
Noticing the avoidance in the other person’s eyes while speaking, Mo Yi instinctively sensed that something was amiss.
If this wound was truly caused by those black-clothed people, Brother Jin wouldn’t act like this. Could there be some hidden facts in this?
Thinking about this, Mo Yi furrowed his brow, and suddenly, a familiar scent entered his nostrils.
Although the scent was faint, it caught the young man’s attention.
Suddenly, he remembered that before completely losing consciousness, Brother Jin had given him medicine to suppress the toxicity.
However, upon careful consideration, even if the taste of that medicine was similar to what he usually took, there were obvious differences.
The slightly bitter and sweet fragrance of lotus leaves became more pronounced, and there was also a strong taste of sweetness and blood.
Thinking back, that sweet and bloody taste seemed somewhat like human blood.
Suddenly, Mo Yi felt that he might have caught onto some important information.
Quickly following that scent, he lowered his head and, upon realizing the source of the fragrance, the young man couldn’t help but feel his heart tighten.
Ignoring Mu Jin’s objections, he tightly held the other’s hand and simply pressed his face against the wound.
Taking a deep breath, the taste was indeed almost identical to the detoxifying medicine he usually consumed.
Could it be that the detoxifying agent he had been taking for so many years was actually Brother Jin’s blood?
Considering that he had been sick since the age of ten, it had already been five years.
So, for these five years, had he really survived by relying on Brother Jin’s blood?
Pulling down the robe sleeve completely, Mo Yi carefully examined it and discovered that Mu Jin’s forearm was covered in various scars.
Obviously, they were directly cut by blades, and Mo Yi could think of no other reason except for blood extraction.
At this moment, he felt his throat tighten, and the scars on those arms seemed like knives cutting into his heart, making it hard for him to breathe.
The young man just stared blankly at Mu Jin, momentarily unsure of how to react.
After a while, Mu Jin seemed to sense that he had discovered the truth and let out a soft sigh.
Then, he showed a gentle smile to Mo Yi, extending his hand to gently stroke his cheek.
In those clear eyes, there was only helplessness and indulgence.
As if it were a signal, looking at Mu Jin’s smiling face, Mo Yi finally couldn’t restrain the tears in his eyes.
For so many years, he hadn’t cried when he was abused or when he was bullied and hungry.
But when he learned that his closest and most important person had been preserving him in this way, he couldn’t control the tears welling up in his eyes.
Why did this person treat him so well?
Clearly, it was just a chance encounter in the deep palace, and he merely pointed the way for him.
Yet, in return, he had received the continuous protection and warmth from the other every day.
It seemed that since the first encounter with Mu Jin, this person had always been by his side.
Like a guardian spirit.
Mo Yi knew that everything he currently possessed was inseparable from Mu Jin.
Although he understood that others might think he was daydreaming if they knew his thoughts.
After years of being together, Mo Yi had long sensed Mu Jin’s uniqueness.
He had witnessed the interaction between Mu Jin and Master Chong Ming, even though the two pretended to be master and disciple in front of others.
However, in the details, no mentor would be so kind and respectful to his disciple.
He believed that it was precisely because of Mu Jin’s appearance that he was able to receive the Empress’s protection initially.
This person’s appearance saved him, preventing him from being bullied.
He gave him everything he wanted, including the most sincere affection.
But what did he bring to Brother Jin?
It seemed like only endless troubles.
For so many years, he had been unilaterally accepting the other’s efforts.
And today, he learned an even deeper truth.
How could he, with what virtue or ability, make Brother Jin feed him with his blood and extend his life?
A heart was fiercely gripped, and Mo Yi felt that he had never been so miserable before.
If it were someone else who had harmed Mu Jin, perhaps he could think about seeking revenge for his most important Brother Jin one day.
But unexpectedly, the person who hurt the most was himself.
Seeing his grown-up child full of pain, Mu Jin felt a bit distressed.
How could he not understand how much he cherished his child?
Knowing that Mo Yi was momentarily unable to accept this revelation and had gotten caught up in his own thoughts, Mu Jin quickly leaned over and gently hugged him against his will.