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墨書 Inktalez
In the realm of heroes and deities that Jufeng was familiar with, there seemed to be very few who sat in wheelchairs. In the northwest, there was only one—Mu Zhongde, the once-glorious architect of the Unification Alliance, now its fallen ruler.
Zhao Yani, seeing her man and Jufeng seemingly already acquainted, couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Zhongde, did you know Liu Feng before?"
Mu Zhongde lifted his head, nodding slightly, his gaze deep as he replied, "Brother Jufeng and I go way back. I never expected to run into him here."
He then patted Zhao Yani's delicate hand and said gently, "Yani, why don't you go prepare a nice meal? Tonight, we should have a good feast."
Zhao Yani thought Mu Zhongde wanted to host a dinner for his old acquaintance Liu Feng, so she happily left to prepare a grand meal, secretly pleased that she had introduced Jufeng to her husband.
However, she failed to notice that Mu Zhongde's words carried a sense of farewell.
Ikeda Masahiro saw Zhao Yani get up and quickly stood to follow Sister Zhao into the kitchen. She sensed that the relationship between Jufeng and the man in the wheelchair was likely more complex than mere old acquaintances. Even if they had known each other before, was their past filled with joy or sorrow?
Thus, she wisely decided to leave them alone in the living room to give them ample opportunity to talk.
Mu Zhongde appeared much cleaner and more spirited than during those days of isolation; color had returned to his face. His gaze shifted from Ikeda Masahiro back to Jufeng as he smiled and said, "When I was young like you, I was also quite the romantic. But now I've come to realize that only one person is truly right for you."
Jufeng shook his head dismissively and retorted, "Are you trying to give me advice, Mr. Mu? Are you suggesting I'll follow in your footsteps? Don't worry; I believe that won't happen. My daughter shouldn't be as strong-willed as Mu Shu."
Mentioning Mu Shu caused Mu Zhongde's expression to darken. His face grew cold as he said, "Jufeng, I don't care what your purpose is for being here, but you'd better not involve Yani in any of your affairs. Otherwise, even in death, I won't let you off easily."
Mu Zhongde's gentle smile instantly transformed into a fierce scowl. However, his threat held no weight for Jufeng. He merely smiled faintly and struck at Mu Zhongde's heart with his words.
"It seems that the once-mighty Mu Alliance Leader, who was so passionate about slaughtering in the Underworld, has now turned soft. But tell me—what kind of intimidation can a dying man like you still exert?"
"I truly pity you; it will be your own daughter who defeats you. How does it feel to have blood turn against blood?"
Jufeng leaned slightly forward, allowing his words to resonate more clearly with Mu Zhongde, the weight of his presence penetrating deeply into Mu Zhongde's ears.
Mu Zhongde no longer had the strength to feel anger. After experiencing the greatest failure of his life, much of his sharpness had been dulled.
He stared directly at Jufeng, and after a long moment, he let out a long sigh, as if exhaling the melancholy and sorrow of half a lifetime.
"To be defeated by my own daughter—could this not be considered a twist of fate? Perhaps only in this way can I leave without regrets."
Jufeng could guess at the regrets that lingered in Mu Zhongde's heart. It seemed to be a very clichéd story, with clichéd characters, a clichéd background, and a clichéd ending.
A powerful figure in the Underworld abandoned his original wife after achieving success, seeking out new love. The fate of the original wife was tragic—either madness or death; in any case, it would not end well.
However, the story did not conclude with her departure or descent into madness. Instead, it sowed the seeds of hatred, embodied in the child of that Underworld figure.
The child witnessed the tragic fate of their mother and thus harbored deep resentment toward their father, who indulged in a life of debauchery. This negative emotion brewed and took root as the child grew older, eventually bearing fruit.
Hatred often nurtures growth, and this child exhibited extraordinary energy, allowing their roots to expand and strengthen. Then came an opportunity when that hated man stumbled; at that moment, the child rose to power.
The outcome was simple: the father would fall to his own child. As for what failure entailed—it varied from person to person.
Yet Mu Zhongde would no longer have a chance to live.
Because Jufeng had already given him one opportunity.
"You are not preparing to resist. If you were to take action now, perhaps you could salvage something."
Jufeng looked at Mu Zhongde, who had a relieved expression, and threw out a temptation, ready to stir his heartstrings.
At that moment, Mu Zhongde's phone, which was placed beside the wheelchair, suddenly rang.
"See, the opportunity has arrived," Romain continued to tease.
Mu Zhongde stared at the phone for a long while, until the ringtone was about to fade away. Slowly, he picked up the phone.
Romain's expression turned cold, and a chilling aura instantly enveloped Mu Zhongde.
With less than three meters between them, even a normal person would find it impossible to escape Romain's lethal strike, let alone Mu Zhongde, who was sitting in a wheelchair.
He couldn't help but smile. Instead of answering the call, he hung up and turned off the phone.
Placing the phone back where it belonged, Mu Zhongde looked at Romain and said with a smile, "Are you so confident that you can seize the opportunity to defeat me?"
Seeing that Mu Zhongde did not answer the call, Romain's killing intent diminished significantly. He replied slowly, "Originally, I only had a seventy percent chance of winning. But now that I've seen your attitude towards Zhao Yani, I am one hundred percent certain."
"Mu Zhongde is no longer the one who suddenly rose up and nearly swallowed Hua Gang. Since a bloodthirsty general who has fought on the battlefield for years has taken off his battle gear, donned his wife's brown clothes, and picked up a hoe, the outcome is already determined."
"As for Mu Shu, your hatred has not diminished in the slightest, while you have long since thrown your ambitions into the kitchen. After such a comparison, how could you have even the slightest chance of winning?"
"You shouldn't indulge Zhao Yani so much; or rather, you shouldn't be so permissive of her freedom."
Zhao Yani was the general manager of Youzucheng, yet almost no one knew that she was backed by Mu Zhongde. This city was built specifically for her by Mu Zhongde, who wanted to give her enough space. However, little did he know that this would become a gap for Jufeng to approach him.
"I can't help it; I've owed many people in my life and only wish to make amends with the time I have left."
Zhao Yani had followed Mu Zhongde from a young age, pouring all her youth into this man. Moreover, his brother had passed away at a young age while working for Mu Zhongde. Thus, Mu Zhongde felt he owed her a great deal.
Once, the Jin Alliance Leader, Zhao Zhen, was her brother.
He had ultimately died at the hands of Yu Jianyuan.
Mu Zhongde fell silent, and neither Jufeng nor Mu Zhongde had any more words to exchange; past grievances had grown stale, and actions spoke louder than words.
As the two remained silent, suddenly the door to the third-floor room was pushed open, and a figure appeared before the two men.
The newcomer was young but exuded an overwhelming aura of menace. Upon seeing Mu Zhongde in his wheelchair and Jufeng on the sofa, he immediately radiated hostility and seemed ready to charge into the room.
However, he was halted by a gesture from Mu Zhongde.
"Shh!"
Mu Zhongde placed his index finger over his lips in a silencing motion and cautiously glanced toward the kitchen. Seeing that Zhao Yani was still busy cooking without being disturbed, he slowly let out a sigh of relief.
The young man observed his master’s demeanor and seemed to understand his intent. Yet understanding did not equate to acceptance; he could not accept that his long-serving master would fail in such a manner. This time was different from before; he would fail more completely, with no chance of rising again.
Thus, he felt anxious and uneasy, whispering urgently, "Leader, you..."
"Perhaps what lies behind you is your own confusion, or perhaps it is a description of the current situation outside, but there is no way to verify it now."
Because Mu Zhongde interrupted his words.
Mu Zhongde looked at the young man he admired. All along, he had been his loyal supporter, dedicated and diligent, and on several occasions, he had nearly lost his life—truly a capable assistant.
He smiled slowly and said, "Zhuzi, do not worry. Let me finish my words."
"Failure is not frightening; what is frightening is losing the courage to continue fighting. This is what I told you when I first met you. You must hold onto it; this saying applies for a lifetime unless you find something more worthwhile than the struggle."
"Now, I have found it. For me, fighting has become as inconsequential as life itself. You should be happy for me because I have finally confirmed what I want after a lifetime of searching and recognized what I have been missing. This is a good conclusion; my life will have no regrets."
"Remember, let them handle the matters outside. You must tell them that ultimately we are all part of the Unification Alliance. Continuing this internal strife brings no benefit. I have already given up; why should you persist and only increase casualties? Like me, let go. Detachment is kind and will lead to a good outcome for you."
"One last thing you must remember: do not harbor hatred in your heart for my sake. That will only narrow your mind and shorten your vision. Your stage is still vast, and your space is still wide, so forget today's events and pursue your own value."
"Now go, do this last thing for me, and your career in the Unification Alliance will come to a perfect conclusion."
The young man named Zhuzi felt increasingly overwhelmed as he listened to Mu Zhongde's words. How could he not realize that this was his master's final message? He had always been Mu Zhongde's personal bodyguard, only not shadowing him on the third floor of Youzucheng—that was Mu Zhongde's rule.
Just moments ago, several bigwigs from the Unification Alliance had called him, aware of Mu Shu's fierce attacks against them; the situation had become very unclear and precarious.
He had tried calling Mu Zhongde, but after a long wait with no answer, the call was eventually disconnected. He immediately sensed that something was wrong and disregarded the previous rules to rush up to the third floor. Upon opening the door, he never expected to find such a conversation taking place.
However, having followed Mu Zhongde for so long, how could he not know his temperament? Ever since being freed from Hua Gang's imprisonment, Mu Zhongde had become much more optimistic, often wearing a smile on his face and frequently visiting Zhao Yani.
He understood that Mu Zhongde had changed, and the outcome today was something he had already imagined deep down.
Yet, he felt powerless to change anything. As Mu Zhongde said, he should be happy for Mu Zhongde.
So, he forced back his tears and suddenly knelt on the ground, respectfully bowing to Mu Zhongde before resolutely turning to leave.
He hated himself, hated that he lacked the strength to surpass the young man sitting on the sofa, hated that he could not save Mu Zhongde from coercion.
Thus, he could only fulfill Mu Zhongde's final wish, doing his best to leave the Unification Alliance with complete strength.
Mu Zhongde watched the door slowly close and murmured, "In fact, the current me is truly invincible."
(To be continued)
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