After hearing Hong Xiu's report, Li Mu Yang fell into silence.
After a long while, he spoke. "He suffered because of me, and that led to today's bitter consequences. At the Divine Palace last time, he tried to sever his father-son relationship with Uncle Yan in public to protect me. That was when the hidden trouble was planted. This time, he risked his life to save me and was nearly killed by Song Fuxiao. In this age when everyone wants to slay the dragon, the fact that he was still willing to stand by my side was truly precious—and incredibly difficult for him."
"Your Highness, adversity reveals true friendship, and raging fire refines real gold. To have such a close friend is truly one of life's great blessings. I think that when Young Master Xiangma made this decision, he certainly had no selfish motives. He only wanted to win a thread of life for his friend."
"That is true. If he had not helped me this time, my whereabouts would likely have been exposed. Revenge would have become impossible, and I would have faced an endless stream of pursuit. Worse still, Xiao Xin's situation would have become dangerous. Even if she had luckily survived, the maids around her would probably have been subjected to brutal torture and interrogation. If they could not endure it and revealed my connection with the silk shop, your whereabouts would have been exposed as well. The Song Clan and the Supervision Department would have wiped out every hidden agent the Lu Clan had left in Tiandu City. That loss would have been far too devastating."
Hong Xiu nodded. "Indeed. We owe Young Master Xiangma a favor."
"Do you know where he went?" Li Mu Yang asked.
"After receiving the news, I immediately rushed to the