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And stared at Zong Yue.

She stared at the Zong Yue, who had been standing frozen at the door frame ever since she had dug out Xu Wan's bones.

Her gaze was like an icy dagger, stabbing through Zong Yue.

Enunciating every word clearly, she questioned, ”Did you kill Xu Wan?”

Zong Yue stood there quietly in the darkness. The breath of the three was quiet yet uneasy.

After a while, as if afraid of breaking this tense silence, he whispered, ”Yes.”

Meng Fuyao let out a long exasperated breath.

It was, by no means, a sigh of relief. Rather, it seemed as though it was Meng Fuyao's attempt to get rid of everything that was weighing on her heart.

”You saved me?”

”Yes,” Zong Yue replied after a while.

”Very well.” Meng Fuyao quietly carried Xu Wan's bones in her arms and looked up in the sky. In that silence, a strong scent of Rosa Rubus lingered in the air. After a long while, she said, ”Write off the gratitude and grudges.”

With that, she hugged the bag of bones and walked away without turning back.

The silent Zong Yue suddenly said, ”The Xuanji Empress was my distant relative. The type that we barely keep in touch.”

Meng Fuyao stopped and stood there, back-facing him without a word.

”Back then, after my family was massacred, I was forced to escape. Even though I have relatives in the Five Regions Continent, with many of them of high ranking positions, none of them was willing to take me, this trouble, in. It was her, the distant aunt that even I had forgotten I had, that had sent someone to fetch me. She had told me that with her protecting me, there would be no one that would dare to lay a finger on me.”

Zong Yue heaved a sigh. In that dark night, that breath actually turned white, as if they were in the dead of winter. However, it was the night of spring, the season filled with warmth and hope. Yet, his eyes were filled with bleakness and pain.

”Perhaps, it wasn't that she pitied with my encounter, but more so to show off the power and honor she had as an Empress. But even so, in the hardest times of my life, she took care of me. My ”Virtuous Guild” had started off in Xuanji, and without her help, I would not have been able to grow it. In fact, I would have long died in the hands of assassins and not have the chance to take my revenge.”

”You know? I would do anything to take revenge, much less follow her orders.” Zong Yue laughed bitterly. ”She is the villain, and I am the villain's accomplice. With Epsilon's position, there were some deeds that he was unwilling to commit. It was then that I was tasked to do it.”

”Including, murdering Xu Wan? To put her through the torture of grooming?” Meng Fuyao's question was by no means a question. Rather, it was a rock with sharp edges, waiting to crush him.

”You… can say so.” Zong Yue closed his eyes. ”After she was found out, she attempted to escape. Not towards the palace, but back into the house. She probably wanted to let you escape first. It was me… that stopped her. I could not… not stop her since the Empress had ordered me to. But back then, I did not know she wanted to let you… escape.”

Meng Fuyao stood there, silently.

”When she was in my hands, she begged me to let her daughter off. Looking into her eyes, I was reminded of my own mother. That night when my family was massacred, my mother begged our family's knight to escort me out safely… her gaze… was like this too.

”And so, I asked her if she was willing to die. She looked at me in surprise and nodded her head. She was really smart. Without any explanation from me, she had made her choice. I caught her and sealed her meridians using the golden needle. It could stop her from feeling any pain, it's just that with that, she would definitely die.”

Meng Fuyao froze.

”What happened afterward, you know it too. Grooming… I never thought that it would be so cruel to this point. The golden needle was not able to completely stop her from feeling pain. Furthermore, I was young back then and was not able to properly execute it. Xu Wan… still suffered.

”But she died quickly.” Zong Yue sighed. ”Once the golden needle had pierced through the acupuncture point, she would not have been able to survive past an hour. She… did not suffer as much as you thought.

”So I do not think that I owe her anything. I was the one that caught her, but even if I didn't, she would have definitely not be able to escape. Furthermore, she did not even think of escaping from the palace. And back then, I did not think I had any reason to save her,” Zong Yue explained. ”Fuyao… I only felt like I owed you. Back then, if I had allowed her to let you go first… then, at the very least… at the very least… you would not be forced to witness that scene… that… was my fault.”

”And so, you sealed my memories?” Meng Fuyao asked, emotionless.

”I regretted… letting you witness that. And so, I brought you out of the palace and sealed your memories after much hesitation. Perhaps this decision was unfair but… back then… you… I was afraid that you would go mad…”

Zong Yue kept quiet. He recalled that night when he had carried that tiny, skinny child in his arms. She had not said a word but struggled vigorously. Even though she had not had any strength and he had been trained, every step trying to drag her away had taken so much effort. She had grabbed onto everything that she could. Her eyes had been filled with hatred and distrust towards him. He had been afraid that someone would find out, and when he had quickly carried her away, she had actually bit down on the bed frame. If he had not realized that something had been amiss, her mouthful of teeth would have probably been pulled out.

With hatred… anger… frantically trying to hold it in… From the start, she had not shed a tear nor uttered a word.

He could only seal her acupuncture point and rush out of the city. He had been afraid that having such memory would cause harm to the child and could only choose to seal her memories after much hesitation.

Rosa Rubus typically blooms at the end of spring. Its majestic beauty at the end of a season gives it the flower language of 'the final beauty.'