Wei Lou had a sharp tongue, too. He let out a scornful laugh. "In the presence of Shen Sovereign, I'm nothing but a common mortal. How could I possibly be accused of 'spreading lies to mislead the masses'? Whether you believe me or not is up to you."
It was as though heavy thunderclouds blotted out the sky, greedily swallowing the last trace of ease from Shen Tang's face until only an overwhelming force remained.
"Since ancient times, how many have returned from war?" Wei Lou was unmoved. He even answered her with a sidelong sneer, prodding at her self-control. Then he said softly, "Whether young or old, civil or military, it's perfectly normal to die on the road to war. From the time I was a child, the old and young in my family fell one by one along that road. Either they killed, or they were killed. They lost fathers and mothers, wives and children, even their entire clan. They wept, then had to keep living. Compared to those buried underground, at least they're still alive."
"What are you trying to say?"
"You should learn to accept it."
"Bullshit!"
Wei Lou didn't care about her fury. "Shen Sovereign, you've come this far. How many soldiers have died for your great cause along the way? Could you care this deeply every time one of them fell? By that measure, in your eyes, human lives have different values. You can accept the deaths of dozens, hundreds, even thousands of soldiers you've never met. Why can't you accept an aide dying for you?"
Wei Cheng instinctively stepped between Wei Lou and Shen Tang.
This was the first time since meeting Wei Lou that Shen Tang had felt killing intent. Before, she'd only entertained the thought in her mind. Now she wasn't