Ink Blade

 CHAPTER 17.1 Responsibility (part 1)

"Shut up...you shut up for this Master..." Chu Yan's heart contracted fiercely, and such a hoarse voice must be the result of excessive shouting due to the pain.

Seeing that Mo Ren was about to struggle again with pretense fearlessness, Chu Yan wanted to hug him tightly to comfort him earnestly, but he was afraid that the strength would make him suffer even more, thus he could only hollowly encircle the person with his arms, and shouted, "Don't move!"

As expected, Mo Ren didn't dare to move or speak, and held onto Chu Yan with a look of forbearance. Yang Yifang was not empty-headed either. Looking at the posture of the palace master, he knew that there must have been a big mistake in this punishment. Disregarding calming down the thunderous vibrations in his heart, he sent someone to get the medicine and deliver it first, and then dismissed several waiting executioners.

Chu Yan ignored his movements, and carefully placed the medicine one by one into the mouth of the person in his arms, and said anxiously, "Be obedient, open your mouth and swallow."

Mo Ren was already in a daze from the pain, and in this daze, he let Chu Yan's fingers stick between his lips and tongue, and when he sobered up belatedly, he had already swallowed the medicine, "Master!"

"Don't move, don't move..." Chu Yan was in so much pain that his heart was trembling, he hugged Mo Ren in his arms, and used his internal force to stimulate the medicine all the way down.

It wasn't until Mo Ren calmed down slowly, nestled in his arms while gasping lightly, did Chu Yan breathed a sigh of relief, gradually calmed down, and turned his gaze to the kneeling hall master. "Speak up, what exactly…..how did this happen!" 

Yang Yifang became startled by Chu Yan's cold eyes with murderous intent. He didn't know what's going on. As the hall master of the Punishment Hall, he was one in the Jiuzhong Palace who was most aware of the change of the palace master’s attitude towards Mo Ren and Bai Hua, naturally there would be speculations and considerations in his heart.

But today's incident...I really couldn't understand! I only vaguely guessed that Mo Ren had acted against the intention of the Palace Master, so I couldn't help but scold him. Guard Mo, you really have caused trouble to Yang!

Feeling the mountain-like power of Chu Yan coming down heavily, Hall Master Yang simply pushed the whole thing to the man in the palace master's arms. "Palace Master, please forgive this subordinate! This subordinate only thinks that Guard Mo is acting on the Palace Master’s order. Therefore everything went according to his idea, and the rest…..this subordinate really doesn't know anything about it."

"What a good fate for this Palace Master!" Chu Yan sneered, turned his cold eyes back into his arms, and silently asked for an explanation, "Hm?" 

Mo Ren knew he was wrong and dared not to look at Chu Yan. Tilting his head slightly, he still struggled and said, "Master has allowed the matter of Bai Hua to be dealt with by this subordinate... this subordinate..." he resigned to his fate and closed his eyes, "this subordinate is stupid, thought of using this method……to let Bai Hua let go of his guard..."

"This Master wanted you to deal with Bai Hua, but you made yourself like this for this Master! What does this Master mean by that sentence? You clearly know it very well in your heart, but you instead played this Master with such careful thinking!!"

Chu Yan was extremely angry that his voice rose in vain. He squinted at Mo Ren, his chest heaved violently, and wanted to scold him severely, but at the end, thousands of words were stuck in his throat and he didn't know how to say them.

Seeing that he was agitated, Mo Ren persuaded him in a low voice, "Master, please calm down. The pills chosen by this subordinate are all for the punishment and training purposes. It only hurts at the time, but it will be fine after the effect passes. It won't harm the body, let alone delay tomorrow's trip."

"You don't think this Master will take you out, do you?"

Chu Yan gritted his teeth even tighter. Of course, generally for this person, as long as it doesn't delay the task, what kind of pain and humiliation does matter?

He was both heartbroken and angry, although he was angry, the anxiety and worry that was burning in his heart had indeed been soothed a little, and he really couldn't bear to scold Mo Ren too much while he looked like this. It's just that he still didn’t understand one thing, why was the cold and capable Hall Master Yang so gullible and careless?

"Yang Yifang! It's nothing more than Ah Ren's messing around. You are the majestic hall master of the house, but you are obedient to a mere guard, you can’t even distinguish between black and white. What crime should you deserve!?"

Hall Master Yang Yifang’s face changed suddenly. As early as when Chu Yan mentioned how to deal with Bai Hua, he only heard of something extraordinary until the end. Unexpectedly, Chu Yan suddenly turned around at this moment and directed the conversation to him.

He had unspeakable bitterness in the heart. 

What a mere bodyguard, who doesn't know that the Palace Master of the Jiuzhong Palace has a strange hobby, and the person who is next to him is the most beloved. For example, Qiu Jin and Mo Ren, the two personal servants, seemingly of low status, but in fact, the weight of one’s sentence is more important than ten sentences of any shadow guardian.

But he naturally didn't dare to say that, and just replied blankly, "The Guard Mo holds the Jiuyun Jade Plaque, and this subordinate dared not disobey.”

"What!?" Chu Yan's expression changed suddenly, and the anger that had just extinguished a little bit went up again, "Good...So that is what it is, Mo Ren, you are so bold. What this Master gave you alone, you use it like this!"

He really didn't expect that Mo Ren, who had always been docile in front of him, was uncharacteristically tough this time, and was still tough until the end. He actually used his true force to struggle to sit up from Chu Yan's arms, and looked at Chu Yan steadfastly, "Master, please listen to the next sentence, Bai Hua…..can't be rid off!"

Chu Yan laughed back angrily, "The spy in Jiuzhong Palace can't be eliminated? Since when is it up to you to decide?”

The blood on Mo Ren's face faded, but he still did not give up. "Master! Now that the enemy is in the dark, while we are in the clear, Bai Hua is our only chance. If Bai Hua is eliminated, the people behind him will definitely be extremely vigilant. Those who successively murdered the three elders of Shuijing Tower and blamed them on the Jiuzhong Palace will definitely not be easy people. If there is no gain from going to Changqing City, and without Bai Hua, the clues will be completely cut off!"

Chu Yan became silent. The fingers that were holding the guard in his arms with great care just now were empty, and he clenched them a bit tighter and tighter.

"This subordinate knows that the Master doesn't like to hear such words, but Bai Hua is not only a clue to pursue, but also..." Mo Ren's tone gradually carried a sadness that he didn't realize. He knew that If he couldn't persuade Chu Yan, it would be difficult to investigate the forces behind Bai Hua in the future.

However, Chu Yan's anger exceeded his expectations. At this time, he was so anxious that he’s unable to help it. He forgot his position, tugged at Chu Yan's sleeve and begged, "It's also a way out in case of an unexpected situation! Mo Ren deceives the superior to gain trust and know the severity of the crime, whether the Master beats or scolds, it is something this subordinate should bear, and the matter of Bai Hua, this subordinate is still asking the Master to think twice.......”