CHAPTER 100: "I’M I A BASTARD?"

Mo Zen knelt on the cold floor, his forehead damp with sweat, voice shaking as he spoke. "Aunt, I truly tried my best. I hired the assassin you told me to. Mo Ying went missing for two months, everyone thought he was dead. But he came back... injured, yes, but alive. I even tampered with his medicines while he was being treated, yet he still survived. There was nothing else I could do."

Madame Mo sat back in her chair, eyes narrowing dangerously. "Nothing else you could do?" Her voice dripped with venom. "You useless brat! You couldn’t even get rid of one man who was already half-dead! Do you even know how much silver and effort I wasted on your stupidity?"

Mo Lan, seated beside her, let out a cold laugh. "Brother Zen, maybe you should stop calling yourself a man if you can’t even finish a simple task. No wonder Grandmother never looks your way."

"Enough, Lan," Uncle Mo said flatly, his tone low but not soft. He adjusted his robe and glanced at his son. "Zen failed, yes but screaming won’t change that. What’s done is done."

Madame Mo snapped her gaze toward him, eyes flashing. "Of course you’d defend him—like father, like son. No backbone, no brains! If I had left things to either of you, this house would’ve been in ashes long ago."

Uncle Mo’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t rise to her insult. "Say what you will," he said calmly. "But I won’t have you calling my son a fool when he risked his neck doing your dirty work."

Madame Mo slammed her hand on the table, the teacup rattling violently. "Dirty work? Hah! Everything I do is for this family’s standing! If Mo Ying returns and wins more favor from the Emperor, do you know what that means for us? We’ll be trampled under his feet!"

Mo Lan smirked. "Maybe next time, we should send someone competent instead of a coward."

Mo Zen’s fists clenched, his eyes burning with humiliation, but he didn’t speak. Uncle Mo gave his son a brief, hard look, one that said endure it for now. Madame Mo leaned back, her cold smile returning.

"Listen well," she said, her tone like a blade. "If Mo Ying thinks he can return and rule this house again, then I’ll personally make sure he regrets ever setting foot in the capital."

"What are we going to do now, Mother?" Mo Lan asked, playing with her nails.

Thinking a little, Madame Mo replied, "For now we wait and stay vigilant. Mo Ying must have caught on to something, he would try to dig more, and if he finds out we had something to do with whatever happened to him... he would pull all his guards to get rid of us... we’ll wait until we have a chance and then we will strike."

Standing up, she adjusted her robe, ready to leave. Mo Lan also stood, following behind her mother.

Before she left, she stood beside the still kneeling Zen, her tone twisting to a fake one, "I don’t hate you, Zen, but if you don’t prove useful to me... then your brother might just take your place."

With that, the mother and daughter duo exited the room, leaving Mo Ren and his son alone.

After they had disappeared from sight, Mo Ren quickly helped his son up, dragging him towards the chair she had sat in.

"F-father... I really did try my bes—"

"Enough!" Mo Ren cut him off. "I know you did... that wench just wanted to have someone who has a reasonable reason to kill Mo Ying, so she sent you instead."

Frowning, Mo Ren’s fist tightened. "For years she has walked over me... from making me her ally to slowly turning me into her dog. I even betrayed my own brother for her, and common respect she can’t show me. I’ll teach her a lesson, one that she would forever regret."

---

Meanwhile,

Inside Mo Ying’s huge room, the lights were lit everywhere as he sat on the edge of the bed, slowly removing the bandage on his waist.

Walking in, Fuhan had his stoic face as usual. Now he looked leaner, with beards already forming on his face.

"Master, I’ve done some research on Chu Ming."

"Let me hear it!"

Inhaling slightly, Fuhan started, "She is quite a feisty one... she’s known for being loud, hot-tempered, and a bully. Though the Emperor spoils and dotes on her a lot because she is his only niece... the rest of her siblings are males, making her the only daughter."

"The Emperor marrying you to someone he loves dearly... it’s just his way of keeping you close," Fuhan said quietly, his tone steady. "He doesn’t trust you, Master. Not after what happened at the border."

Mo Ying paused, his hand stopping mid-air as he unwrapped the bandage around his waist. A bitter smile crossed his lips. "So this marriage is just a leash," he muttered.

Fuhan nodded. "Chu Ming isn’t an easy woman either. Loud, short-tempered, and spoiled. The Emperor dotes on her because she’s his only niece, the only daughter among her brothers. She’s used to getting whatever she wants."

Mo Ying gave a low laugh, but there was no humor in it. "Then he must think I’m the only man crazy enough to handle her."

He winced a little as he pulled off the last of the bandage, revealing a faint scar.

After a long silence, Mo Ying asked, "Has the report on Lin Xu arrived yet?"

Fuhan shook his head. "Not yet, Master, it will arrive by tomorrow. Due to the heavy rain that is currently falling in the East, they won’t be making it."

Mo Ying nodded slowly, hiding the slight disappointment in his eyes.

Fuhan hesitated for a moment, his gaze lingering on Mo Ying longer than usual. Mo Ying noticed and raised a brow. "Speak," he said simply. "Whatever it is, just ask."

Fuhan bowed his head. "Master... what do you think about the child?"

Mo Ying went quiet. For a long while, the only sound was the crackling of the candles nearby. Then, in a low voice, he said, "The child is mine."

Fuhan’s eyes widened slightly, but he didn’t interrupt.

Mo Ying continued, his tone firm but soft. "I don’t need proof. I can feel it... he’s mine."

Fuhan nodded once. He turned slightly to leave, but before he could step away, Mo Ying spoke again.

"Fuhan," he called.

Fuhan stopped and looked back. "Yes, Master?"

Mo Ying’s gaze was calm. "Tell me... do you think I’m a bastard? For getting San Na pregnant... and still wanting Lin Xu?"

Fuhan hesitated. His lips parted, but no words came out at first. Finally, he lowered his eyes and replied quietly, "Lin Xu was the only reason you won that war and returned alive... I remembered finding you after searching for 64 days... you were injured, half-dead... your entire body drenched in blood... unconscious yet you held on to something like your life depended on it. It was an earring... I presume it belonged to her."

Saying that, Fuhan turned and left as Mo Ying just sat still, his thoughts scattered.

Soon the sound of rain droplets hitting the roof was heard as it immediately started raining.

Slowly standing up, he walked out of the room as he stood in front of the small balcony staring as the rain poured down like it was fighting.

Staring at it, he stood still as he said softly, "Do you still remember that night, Lin Xu?"