117 Donst Hide (1/2)

The monarch had ordered a mud caricature of a human silhouette to be made and right now, the human clay figure was hanging from a tight rope entwined between two poles that were erected a few feet apart from each other.

The entire setup was done according to His Majesty's wishes because when they had asked the monarch if he would like to practice his shooting on the circular bullseye, he had vehemently refused.

It was a bit peculiar how the monarch had given very precise and specific instructions to make and set up the target but Ning Fu doesn't pay much heed to it.

However, what he paid particular attention to was when the monarch looked at the target with a distant gaze that harboured deep-seated resentment.

It was a look Ning Fu was intimately familiar with.

It was the bloodthirsty look he supported on the battlefield when he vying for an enemy's blood and felt his bloodlust rising in waves and bellows.

It seems that the monarch harboured many secrets.

Still, what surprised him, even more, was how Zhou Sheng watched the monarch's expression with a pensive look on his face intermingled with self-loathing and guilt.

His brother stepped forward and placed his hand on His Majesty's shoulder and a wave of bitter churlishness arose in Ning Fu's heart when he noticed that the monarch didn't shrug off Zhou Sheng's hand as he had done to him.

The monarch blinked his eyes and his face was wiped clean off all emotions and he gave a mirthless smile to Zhou Sheng.

Nonetheless, that doesn't seem to placate the younger boy because his expression changed and he whispered in a very soft voice that he no doubt, thought that only the two of them could hear.

”I don't mind it so you don't need to hide your emotions from me. Especially me, because that makes me feel like we have drifted apart.”

It was at this point, Ning Fu wondered if the two realised that he and the Head Commander can still hear their barely audible words due to their inner martial arts but he doesn't point it out and let those two have some semblance of secrecy – even if there was none to be found.

When Zhou Sheng placed the gun in her hands, Su Li cannot help but be reminded of a time when that person had painstakingly taught her how to use guns in a shooting range when she had been staying outside the country.

The present scene brought a bittersweet well of emotions in her heart but she tries to curb her sentiments and concentrate on what was in front of her than reminiscence about the past.