Chapter 1054

Zhou Mo said: "Good!"

Wei Sa held a jade flute, a melodious and graceful flute sound rang out in the quiet night. This "Great Desert Autumn Longing Melody" is a tune recorded in the Soul Capturing Treasure Classic; it is one of the eight Soul Capturing Demonic Sounds. The flute sound entered his ears, and Zhou Mo's eyes seemed to see an endless vast desert, seeing a huge full moon rising from the edge of the desert, in his mind's picture a lone traveler walking in the desert, viewed from high above, the traveler's figure was so lonely and tiny.

Even though Hu Xiaotian had practiced the Soul Stabilizing Technique from the Soul Capturing Treasure Classic, he still dared not be careless. Wei Sa, playing the demonic sound at close range, theoretically should affect him and Zhou Mo the same way; the only difference is that he had prepared beforehand. Earlier, Hu Xiaotian had strictly ordered the household servants not to approach the garden at will, also to prevent them from being disturbed by the demonic sound.

Although Hu Xiaotian had made full preparations, he remained cautious, lifted his spirit and embraced the primordial one, his internal breath quietly circulating according to the Bodhi No-Mind Zen Method.

Zhou Mo had become utterly absorbed, holding that cup of wine, motionless for a long time yet unaware, his whole person immersed in the melody; the flute sound at times bleak and distant, at times soft and tender, sometimes like a lone traveler recounting his vicissitudes, sometimes like a resentful maiden pouring out her heart.

Zhou Mo finally drank that cup of wine, his gaze became dazed, as if his spirit had wandered off with the flute sound outside his **.

Wei Sa saw the moment had come; after two gentle modulations, he stopped the flute, his pair of ice-blue eyes fixed on Zhou Mo's gaze, and softly asked: "Are you tired?"

Zhou Mo stared blankly at Wei Sa, his gaze dull and expression indifferent, saying: "Tired."

Wei Sa said: "Why burden yourself with too many things? What's on your mind that you don't want to share with us?"

Zhou Mo murmured: "Some things cannot be said." He clenched his fists, feeling the scene before him blur, as if he might fall asleep at any moment; a latent voice reminded him over and over: must not sleep, must not sleep.

Wei Sa said: "Don't worry, there are no outsiders here; these are your friends, your brothers."

Zhou Mo shook his head vigorously: "I'm sorry to him, I'm sorry to him..."

Hu Xiaotian's heart sank. He gave Wei Sa a glance, and taking this opportunity, he intended to ask Zhou Mo for his secret.

"Who are you sorry to?"

Zhou Mo difficulty said: "I'm sorry to my third brother..." Just then, a boom! sounded from the night sky, a five-colored firework burst in the night sky; the sound of the firework was tremendous, shaking the earth.

Zhou Mo's sturdy body visibly trembled; in an instant he regained some consciousness, suddenly reaching out to grab the wine jar on the table, he tipped his head back and gulped it down with glug-glug sounds, a warm current rose in his abdomen; Zhou Mo was born to love alcohol. At the critical moment, the explosion of the fireworks pulled his dazed consciousness back. The remaining consciousness let him see this jar of wine, as if a drowning man clutching a lifeline; precisely because wine was important to him, he gradually regained himself by relying on it. Zhou Mo felt his blood warm from the alcohol, his previously numb consciousness slowly beginning to recover.

Opposite, Hu Xiaotian's facial outline also began to become clear again; Zhou Mo struggled to recall what had just happened, but couldn't remember clearly; he forced a faint unnatural smile at the corner of his mouth: "Third brother. What just happened?"

Hu Xiaotian secretly regretted, but at this moment someone set off fireworks, causing the effort to fall short; otherwise Zhou Mo would have already confessed the truth now. Hu Xiaotian calmly said: "Just now you said you're sorry to me!"

Zhou Mo's heart shuddered, his smile growing stiff: "Yes, this matter has always weighed on my elder brother's heart; if it weren't for my negligence back then, Princess Anping would not have left."

Hu Xiaotian nodded: "People's hearts are hidden behind their bellies; how can we know what others think?"

Zhou Mo let out a long sigh, yawned, and said: "Sleepy, I should go back; third brother, you should rest early too."

Hu Xiaotian nodded, but did not speak to detain him.

Zhou Mo rose, clasped his fist, and strode out; Hu Xiaotian watched his receding back, his eyes flashing with unprecedented unfamiliarity and coldness. He almost could conclude that Long Xi Yue's silent departure from Hai Zhou was a trap set by Zhou Mo; Hu Xiaotian secretly hated himself, wondering why he had trusted Zhou Mo instead of Long Xi Yue, and had even doubted Xi Yue's feelings; a hitherto unknown sorrow and guilt clenched his heart like an invisible hand, Hu Xiaotian felt chest pain, almost unable to breathe.

Wei Sa noticed his expression change, hurriedly rubbed his back gently, and apologetically said: "Master, it's all my fault for being unskilled; I failed to help you with even this simple matter."

Hu Xiaotian shook his head: "It's not your fault; it's mine! All my fault!"

At that moment, Huo Shengnan returned, seeing Hu Xiaotian's pale face, thinking something serious had happened, she hurried over to ask.

Hu Xiaotian said: "I'm fine!" He told Wei Sa to go back first.

Huo Shengnan looked at the bowls and chopsticks on the table and whispered: "Did Elder Brother Zhou leave so quickly?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Yes, besides leaving, perhaps he had no other choice."

Huo Shengnan looked at him, somewhat bewildered: "What exactly happened?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "You'll find out soon."

After Zhou Mo returned to the Divine Strategy Manor residence, he immediately began packing; when he went out, he unexpectedly met Xiong Tianba, who, seeing Zhou Mo's appearance, couldn't help but be curious: "Master, you're back so late? Weren't you supposed to go drink at Third Uncle's residence?"

Zhou Mo pursed his lips: "Your third uncle has some urgent matters for me to handle; I must set off now."

Xiong Tianba laughed: "Going out on business, why not bring me along? Staying in Kangdu I'm about to die of boredom; Master, would you take me?"

Zhou Mo looked at Xiong Tianba's simple smile, suddenly feeling endless emotion; he reached out and patted Xiong Tianba's shoulder, saying: "Bear Kid, you cannot come; after I leave, remember to obey your third uncle's words and protect him well." Saying this, he felt a surge of sadness, unable to continue, and walked away.

Xiong Tianba said: "Master, where are you going? Even if you're leaving, you don't need to rush; couldn't you wait until tomorrow morning?"

Zhou Mo hurried toward his mount, but before he reached it, he saw a person walk in from the gate: dressed in black, tall and upright, under the moonlight his handsome face was somewhat pale, his expression full of disappointment and regret—who else could it be but Hu Xiaotian?

Zhou Mo stopped, silently gazing at Hu Xiaotian, his smile full of bitterness: "Third brother has come!"

Hu Xiaotian said: "The wine isn't finished yet; why are you in such a hurry to leave, elder brother?"

Zhou Mo sighed: "What must go will go, what must come will come." His gaze fell on Hu Xiaotian's left shoulder, where a black sword hilt protruded—that was Hu Xiaotian's great sword, Hidden Edge Sword.

Xiong Tianba also sensed the atmosphere was off, stammering: "Third uncle… Master… you two…"

Zhou Mo cut him off: "I have no need for your input when speaking with your third uncle!"

Hu Xiaotian smiled and nodded: "Yeah, yeah, Bear Kid, wait outside; I have some private matters to discuss with your master."

Xiong Tianba blinked his eyes; although he felt something was off, he still dared not defy the two's intentions, he walked out, and even as he left he kept glancing back from time to time.

After Xiong Tianba left, Hu Xiaotian glanced at Zhou Mo's mount and said, "Big brother, where are you headed?"

Zhou Mo said, "I have some private matters to attend to urgently."

Hu Xiaotian smiled and said, "Something that makes you leave in the middle of the night must be urgent."

Zhou Mo looked at Hu Xiaotian, suddenly sighed, and said, "When did you start doubting me?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "I thought even if my relatives could betray me and my lover could abandon me, my sworn brother would never betray me, but reality gave me a resounding slap, humiliating me utterly."

Zhou Mo said, "Wei Sa is actually a Soul Captor; you used Soul Capturing Technique against me." His voice was calm, showing no anger.

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said, "If not for this method, how could I have learned your secret?" Although Zhou Mo regained consciousness in time, just now his consciousness had been briefly controlled by Wei Sa, and he himself was not clear about what he had said during that period of lost consciousness. Hu Xiaotian intended to exploit this, making Zhou Mo mistakenly believe that he had already revealed his secret.

Zhou Mo sighed and said, "I'm sorry."

"Since you clearly know you owe me an apology, why do you still do this? It's clearly you who harmed Xi Yue, yet why fabricate such a lie to deceive me?" Hu Xiaotian felt a sharp pang in his heart—not only because of Zhou Mo's betrayal, but also because he misunderstood Long Xi Yue; not knowing whether she is dead or alive, she has been missing for so long, yet he believed Zhou Mo's words and gave up searching for her. If Long Xi Yue suffers any mishap, he will surely regret it for the rest of his life.

Zhou Mo said, "When did you start doubting me?"

Hu Xiaotian said, "I never thought I would doubt my sworn elder brother. On this trip to Xichuan I had several encounters with the bandits of Heavenly Wolf Mountain, and suddenly realized that Heavenly Wolf Mountain's strength is nothing special; with your martial prowess leading two hundred elite troops of the Tiger Head Battalion, you should not have suffered such a crushing defeat."

Zhou Mo nodded.

Hu Xiaotian added, "Now looking back, our meeting was far too coincidental; you and my second brother know everything about me, while I know almost nothing about you. Xiao Tianmu voluntarily volunteered to accompany my father to Luosong to open up a maritime grain transport route; it seems that from that time onward you had already prepared to withdraw. I had thought you came all the way from Xichuan here to rescue and help me, but now I finally understand that your true aim is none other than the Sir Minister."

Zhou Mo said nothing, silently gazing at Hu Xiaotian, his eyes showing neither sorrow nor guilt distinctly.

Yesterday I drank too much, had a headache all day, and barely managed to write a chapter; I feel ashamed and will try to avoid this in the future. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome.)