Wang Ding was called a "scoundrel" by Mo Xidao, but he wasn't angry at all. In his understanding, a "scoundrel" referred to someone who was brave but reckless, and Mo Xidao clearly belonged to this category. In fact, tricking Mo Xidao and Zhang Kuang into the private room enshrining the calligraphy of the founding emperor was nothing special; even if the Ministry of War found out, they wouldn't cause too much trouble. Mo Xidao only needed to insist that he didn't know anything special about the room, and the officials of the Ministry of War would at most give him a severe reprimand.
He was waiting for Mo Xidao to get angry, waiting for Mo Xidao to burst out of the room.
Trespassing and vandalism are two different concepts.
When Zhang Kuang couldn't hold Mo Xidao back and Mo Xidao smashed the door with his fist, Zhang Kuang knew things were bad. And when Mo Xidao burst out of the room and heard the shouts of those people, he instantly understood what had happened. He felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head; after regaining his senses, cold sweat broke out on his back.
"Despicable!"
He pointed at Wang Wei and cursed.
Wang Wei shrugged, smiled, and stepped back behind Wang Ding and the others. Wang Ding had already sent men to wait at the entrance of Keshengju. As soon as Mo Xidao burst out, the servant rushed out and headed straight for the Chang'an government office. The border soldiers in the main hall on the first floor didn't even have time to react; they all stood up and looked upstairs.
They didn't understand, but Fang Jie immediately grasped what had happened. Just a short while ago, Zhang Kuang had told him about how Emperor Taizu had dined at Keshengju several times during his incognito inspections of Chang'an. He just hadn't expected Wang Ding to be so treacherous, actually inducing Mo Xidao to destroy the room where Emperor Taizu's relics were enshrined—a crime that, at its most serious, constituted treason! Wang Ding, standing upstairs, couldn't help but laugh. He pointed at Mo Xidao, who was being held back by Zhang Kuang, and said with a smile, "I told you all you idiots! Today I learned you're not just idiots, you actually harbor rebellious and treacherous intentions. This can't be hidden any longer. As citizens of the Great Sui Dynasty, we can't just stand by and watch someone destroy the relics of the founding emperor. I've already sent someone to report this to the authorities in Chang'an. You traitor, just wait to go to jail... Even if I don't chop off your head, you'll never get out of prison for the rest of your life... And you want to enter the Martial Arts Academy? Hahahaha!"
"I'll kill you first!"
Mo Xidao, already prone to impulsiveness from drinking too much, was enraged by Wang Ding's words. He suddenly stepped forward, ready to kill Wang Ding.
Zhang Kuang quickly grabbed him from behind, urgently urging, "Brother Mo, don't fall for his trick again! He just wants to provoke you into attacking him, so your crime will be confirmed! They can say you deliberately disrespected the Emperor Taizu, and when they tried to stop you, you attempted to kill them to silence them! If you attack again, you'll have no way to defend yourself!"
"There's another smart one."
Wang Ding chuckled, pointing at Mo Xidao's nose, "You scoundrel, even if you don't attack, what can you do? You've already committed disrespect against the Emperor Taizu; who can help you now? Anyone who helps you will only bring trouble upon themselves! If I were you, I'd either kneel down and beg for mercy, or..." "We're only doing this because you're from the Sui Dynasty's border army and have rendered some service to the country. We'll put in a good word for you with the officials. Or... you can come and kill us all now. You can try. If we're all dead, no one will testify against you... those below are all your border army men; you can say whatever you want. But... if these people help you today, who can guarantee they won't die later?"
Mo Xidao's shoulders trembled violently. His eyes were fixed on Wang Ding, his anger rising and falling, almost overflowing. As Wang Ding's words became more and more sarcastic, his eyes grew increasingly red.
"Brother Mo, don't listen to him! Let's go down and confess to the officials ourselves!"
Zhang Kuang grabbed Mo Xidao's waist and started to lead him down.
Wang Ding snorted coldly and waved his hand, ordering, "Stop them!"
"Trying to run now? Don't dream. I already said, unless you kill all of us, you won't be leaving this second floor of Keshengju today. We need to protect the evidence of your destruction of the Taizu's relics, and we can't let you, the ringleader, go!"
The young masters from prestigious families immediately stepped forward, blocking the entire stairwell. Wang Ding's servants also stepped forward, tightly surrounding Zhang Kuang and Mo Xidao.
"Brother, this is my fault!"
Zhang Kuang tightly hugged Mo Xidao, pleading, "If I hadn't tried to maintain harmony, we wouldn't have fallen for these despicable people's scheme. We can't avoid this today, but we can't hurt anyone else. If we do, they'll give us even more blame!"
"Yes... we can't avoid it no matter what."
Hearing Zhang Kuang's words, Mo Xidao's tense body suddenly relaxed. He glanced back at Zhang Kuang and said, "Let me go, I'll listen to you. We won't fight them, so at worst we'll spend the rest of our lives in prison."
Zhang Kuang hesitated, then released Mo Xidao and said, "Brother Mo is right. We're upright and honest, what are we afraid of? Does the court only listen to their side of the story? They tricked us into coming here. As long as we explain ourselves, the court won't wrong us!"
"Yes… the court won't wrong us…"
Mo Xidao suddenly smiled, turned to Zhang Kuang, and said, "Actually, ever since I returned alive from Dongchu, I've been wondering… is the court truly fair?"
He suddenly grabbed Zhang Kuang's belt and threw him off the second floor. "I have been loyal to the emperor and fulfilled my duty. In my lifetime, I have killed over 150 enemies for the Sui Dynasty. The blood on my hands is that of the Sui's enemies; it has never been stained with the blood of my own people. But today, I fear I must break this vow of killing. Since things have come to this, I have nothing more to say. It would be a miracle if the court believed I was wronged. Can't you see through this court? I, Mo Xidao, am an upright and honorable man; how could I go to jail? Since I have been wronged, then today I will turn this injustice into an innocence!"
"I am an upright and honorable man; how could I go to jail?"
In an instant, murderous intent filled the air!
This intense, suffocatingly cold aura spread across the second floor, startling Wang Ding and the others, who involuntarily retreated. None of them had expected that the enraged Mo Xidao would possess such chilling murderous intent. These young nobles could never comprehend how strong the stench of blood on the border soldiers was! ...
...
"Brother Mo, don't do anything foolish!"
Zhang Kuang, landing mid-air, shouted urgently upstairs, his eyes pleading. Although most of them were meeting for the first time, their shared background as border soldiers created a natural rapport. He knew that if Mo Xidao made another move, it would be irreversible.
Zhang Kuang turned to Fang Jie: "Brother Fang, quickly persuade Brother Mo! We've been tricked into the room where the Emperor's relics are kept! You all need to persuade Brother Mo not to act rashly!"
The border soldiers had gathered downstairs, some already preparing to rush up and snatch Mo Xidao back. It was only when Zhang Kuang turned and shouted that people realized the young man who had been sitting with Mo Xidao and Zhang Kuang earlier was gone. No one noticed when he had run out of Keshengju.
"Coward!"
Someone couldn't help but curse, "He ran away in the face of danger, what kind of brother is he!"
"How could the border army have such scum!"
Just as the border soldiers began to rage, a figure flashed outside the Keshengju restaurant. With a thud, a hunched and curled-up figure was thrown in from outside. The figure crashed into a table, spilling wine and food all over him, looking utterly disheveled.
All eyes turned to Fang Jie, who slowly walked in through the door. The man who had been thrown into the hall was none other than Wang Ding's servant, who had been waiting at the door to report to the authorities.
Zhang Kuang looked ashamed and nodded slightly to Fang Jie.
Fang Jie nodded, ignoring the surprised or apologetic looks from the border soldiers, and walked straight downstairs to Mo Xidao, saying, "Brother Mo, regardless of whether we've been wronged or not, we can't run away from the mistake we've made today. But... Brother Mo is right, we are the upright and honorable border soldiers of the Great Sui Dynasty. Even if we admit our mistakes, we must go to the yamen ourselves and explain ourselves. If anyone tries to stop you from going to Chang'an Prefecture to report your crimes, none of us border soldiers here today will agree to that!"
"That's right!"
Zhang Kuang's eyes lit up; he immediately understood Fang Jie's intention. He immediately raised his arms and shouted, "Brother Mo and I will go to Chang'an Prefecture to confess to the Ministry of War. We'll go ourselves. If anyone tries to stop us from turning ourselves in, they probably have ulterior motives!"
The hundred or so border soldiers downstairs immediately echoed, "Let's see who dares to stop us!"
"If anyone makes a move, they'll see if we allow it!"
Hou Wenji, watching the chaos outside from the window, couldn't help but glance at Fang Jie again, nodding slightly, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.
This sudden turn of events caused Wang Ding upstairs to change his expression. He hadn't expected his servant, whom he had placed at the door, to be brought back. If Mo Xidao had gone to the Ministry of War instead of Chang'an Prefecture, things wouldn't have been so easy. The Ministry of War would investigate, and the local government couldn't intervene. This Keshengju was now full of border soldiers; if they colluded and turned against him, it would be troublesome. People of his rank didn't know that the Ministry of War was now without a leader, so naturally he worried that his attempt to gain an advantage would backfire. Prefect Cui of Chang'an Prefecture was an old friend of Mo Xidao's father, so things were easier to discuss. As long as this man was imprisoned in Chang'an Prefecture, the Ministry of War would have to go through Prefect Cui before conducting any investigation. The martial arts academy exam was the day after tomorrow, and Mo Xidao had no chance at all. Besides, he didn't really trust Wang Wei. If Wang Wei couldn't withstand the pressure from the Ministry of War and revealed the truth, he would also be out of the running for the martial arts academy!
"We can't let him go! Liu Huan, you go report to the authorities! Everyone else, follow me and capture this traitor! Anyone who dares to try and take him away is a traitor!"
A young man from a prominent family who had come with him immediately responded and turned to go downstairs, but the border troops blocked the stairs, preventing him from going down. He considered jumping from the second floor, but seeing so many menacing border soldiers below, he didn't dare.
"It's alright!"
Wang Ding sneered, "As long as we keep this man trapped, the officials will arrive in no time!"
Mo Xidao had calmed down considerably by now, his expression shifting as if he were hesitating about something. Fang Jie and Zhang Kuang pleaded with him downstairs, but he remained unresponsive.
The other guests at Keshengju also rushed out, some fleeing for their lives. Fang Jie wanted to stop them, but dared not harm anyone rashly.
Just then, Mo Xidao suddenly burst into arrogant laughter! "Brother Fang! Brother Zhang! Fellow border soldiers!"
Mo Xidao clasped his hands in a fist salute to the crowd below and said loudly, "I will remember all the kindness shown to me today. But if my actions have implicated you all and jeopardized your futures, my conscience will not be at peace. That's just how the world is; how can we lowly border soldiers expect justice?"
"Today's events are ultimately my fault, and have nothing to do with you. I will never forget the brotherhood of the border soldiers. If we have the chance to meet again in the next life, we will drink until we drop! Brothers, step back and don't interfere! Life is at most a hundred years, and death is inevitable."
He turned to Wang Ding and the others and said slowly, "But before I die, how can those who harmed me continue to live? When I walk the Yellow Springs… you will all be my slaves!"
Having said this, he suddenly took a step forward, facing Wang Ding and the others.
In an instant, a violent gust of wind swept up from his body. With a tearing sound, his military uniform shattered instantly, scattering like a flurry of broken butterflies. Bare-chested, Mo Xidao's long hair danced wildly, as if he were a demon in a frenzy.
Amidst the raging wind, he advanced step by step.
His bronze skin was covered in crisscrossing scars. The density of these scars was so striking, it looked as if his body was covered in a spiderweb. Each scar, like the gaping maw of a demon, grinned grotesquely.
Wang Ding and the others were terrified, their faces drained of color. Although his cultivation was considerable, the violent killing intent emanating from Mo Xidao made him utterly incapable of resisting. That aura was simply beyond his ability to withstand. He retreated, his voice trembling as he cried out, "Wang Wei, Wang Wei! Kill him! Kill him!"
But then he realized that Wang Wei had already retreated to the very back of the group! In the instant he turned his head, Mo Xidao suddenly raised his hand, his body blurring into a blur. With a loud thud, his powerful right hand gripped Wang Ding's throat. His muscular right arm slowly rose, lifting Wang Ding's body with a single arm!
Fang Jie, Zhang Kuang, and the others immediately rushed upstairs, trying to stop Mo Xidao from killing. The crowd surged up the stairs like a dam breaking, but it was clearly too late.
Just as Mo Xidao's fingers were about to crush Wang Ding's neck, everyone in Keshengju seemed to faintly hear a sigh-like whisper.
Very soft.
Very short.
Only four words.
"Draw a circle on the ground and imprison yourself."
The moment these four words reached everyone's ears, the air in Keshengju froze! The entire restaurant seemed to be stripped of the world, frozen in another dimension. As if the scene had been frozen in time, the people in the building remained in their original poses, running, shouting, waving their arms, or climbing the stairs... But they had all lost their freedom and could not move, like a sculpture covering the entire floor.