Everyone leaves

Mo Lu returned to his room.

He did not know why he had been so angry just now.

Nor did he want to know.

Weisheng Tou had defied him so many times and repeatedly deceived him.

He had been more than tolerant enough.

He did not need to force himself to put up with Weisheng Tou just because of a Curse Seal he had never seen.

Leaving that Curse Seal intact would have no effect on him.

The only one it would affect was Weisheng Tou.

Weisheng Tou alone.

Mo Lu sat by the window, growing increasingly irritated.

He rose to light some incense, only to catch sight of that rose-colored incense cone.

Only a third of it had burned away.

It stood there, pink and dainty.

The image of Weisheng Tou nibbling at his lips like a puppy that night resurfaced in his mind.

Mo Lu clanged the lid straight onto the incense burner.

Sandalwood was good too.

Sandalwood calmed the mind.

Mo Lu took out a stick of incense, lit it, and set it in place.

Whatever Weisheng Tou did from now on had nothing to do with him.

His own Curse Seal had already been broken. Whether Weisheng Tou lived or died was no concern of his.

Mo Lu sat on the cushioned couch, trying to cast aside his tangled thoughts, then slowly closed his eyes and began replenishing his witch power.

Around noon, Mo Yan arrived at Lan Mountain Residence.

Someone from the Empire came with him.

The Empire had sent a General. He stood before the hall, his posture straight, his uniform immaculate and without a single crease.

Mo Lu swept his gaze around the Front Hall but did not see the familiar, towering figure.

He really had left.

That realization left Mo Lu in a foul mood.

He sat expressionlessly in the round-backed chair, his slender fingers braced against his forehead. His index fingertip tapped lightly against his temple, and the emerald-green pendant beside his ear swayed gently.

He looked coldly at the people in the hall.

Mo Yan bowed slightly.

Within the Mo Family, Old Master Mo and Mo Lu held the highest standing. Mo Lu usually bowed to them out of respect for his elders, but under these circumstances, even an elder of his had to observe the rules.

The Empire's General also bowed slightly. "Young Master Mo."

Mo Lu looked first at the man from the Empire and asked with a frown, "What is it?"

The General answered at once, "A fire broke out at the Lu Family estate, killing dozens. The suspect, Weisheng Tou, is with the Mo Family."

Mo Lu chuckled. "So you've come to demand that our Mo Family hand him over?"

Unable to gauge Mo Lu's intentions, the General simply stayed silent.

Mo Lu continued, "But as I recall, Weisheng Tou belongs to your Empire, doesn't he? Shouldn't you be asking yourselves where he is?"

At that, the General replied without either servility or arrogance, "I'm sorry, I don't understand what you mean, Young Master Mo. Weisheng Tou is yours. The entire Empire knows that."

Mo Lu said expressionlessly, "Not anymore."

The General's eyes widened slightly.

"Show our guest out." Mo Lu did not look at the General again.

A servant immediately came in from outside and gestured politely toward the exit.

Though puzzled, the General ultimately did not dare linger at the Mo Family estate. He turned and left at once.

Mo Lu looked at Mo Yan. "Uncle Yan, could you tell who injured Weisheng Tou?"

Mo Yan glanced at Ye Liang beside him, then finally sighed and said:

"I could only make out the broad outlines. Raging flames, corpses, two people. A ginger-yellow figure held a gun against a rose-colored figure. Both had powerful energy, but the rose-colored one was more intense.

"The lingering pheromones at the scene were indeed ginger and Rose Liquor. There were traces of others mixed in, but they were negligible."

Ye Liang stood beside him with his head lowered, cold sweat pouring from his forehead.

Mo Lu's brows drew together slightly.

Raging flames. Corpses.

In other words, Weisheng Tou had been injured after burning down the Lu Family estate.

Mo Lu looked at Ye Liang. "Ye Liang, if I remember correctly, Ye Ling of the Ye Family has ginger pheromones, doesn't he?"

Ye Liang immediately said, "Young Master, Uncle Ling couldn't possibly hurt Weisheng Tou! Uncle Yan said it himself-Weisheng Tou's pheromones were more intense. Uncle Ling couldn't have hurt him!"

Mo Lu straightened in his seat and looked at Ye Liang, his voice icy:

"What does whether Ye Ling could hurt him have to do with the Ye Family sending someone to hurt him?"

The hall felt as cold as the depths of a bitter winter.

Ye Liang gritted his teeth. "Young Master, why must you protect him like this?"

"Ye Liang, why did you try to kill Weisheng Tou?"

Mo Lu did not answer Ye Liang's question. His piercing gaze fixed on Ye Liang as he slowly asked his own.

Ye Liang's breath caught, and a flicker of bitterness crossed his eyes.

Why?

What could he say?

That it was because he was jealous?

Ye Liang remained silent for a long while before asking with difficulty:

"Young Master, then why is he allowed, but I'm not? Why can he stay by your side, but I can't?"

"Because I have no feelings for you."

Mo Lu's tone was calm and indifferent.

Yet to Ye Liang, those words were like a sharp sword plunged straight into his heart, hurting so much that even breathing became difficult.

Standing beside them, Mo Yan looked at Mo Lu, then at Ye Liang, and sighed.

He had learned rather too much today.

He had never imagined that Ye Liang would try to kill Weisheng Tou.

Much less that this would be his reason for doing it.

Mo Lu looked at the devastated Ye Liang and softened his voice slightly.

"You had those feelings for me, and I failed to notice. That was partly my fault. But Ye Liang, have your Curse Seal removed and return to the Ye Family. If you hurt Weisheng Tou again, don't blame me for showing no mercy."

"Young Master!"

Ye Liang's face was filled with disbelief.

Mo Lu raised his hand and dissolved the Curse Seal imprinted on Ye Liang's left arm.

Ye Liang froze, then immediately rolled up his sleeve to look.

The instant he saw his bare arm, Ye Liang's eyes reddened slightly.

The Young Master truly didn't want him anymore.

"Young Master, I was wrong. Could you give me one more chance?" Ye Liang's voice trembled.

Mo Lu felt a little weary and ignored him.

If not for the fact that Ye Liang had followed him since childhood, he would never have merely sent him away.

Knowing so many of the Mo Family's secrets, anyone who no longer belonged to the family would face only death.

Mo Lu looked at Mo Yan. "Sorry you had to witness this, Uncle Yan."

"Oh, it's fine, it's fine. I'm just glad I could help you, Young Master."

"Mm."

Without looking at either of them again, Mo Lu rose and left.

"Let's go." Mo Yan looked at Ye Liang.

"I'm not leaving!" Ye Liang was close to breaking down.

Mo Yan sighed. "That's Mo Lu we're talking about. When have you ever seen Young Master Mo Lu go back on a decision?"

Ye Liang bit down hard on his lip.

"I watched both of you grow up. Ye Liang, go. Staying here won't make the Young Master take you back. It'll only make him think you can't keep your composure when something happens. Better to leave and look for another chance."

Mo Yan looked at him.

"Uncle Yan, can I ever return to the Young Master's side?"

Ye Liang looked rather pitiful.

Mo Yan sighed softly.

He was not sure just how much Weisheng Tou meant to Mo Lu, but the mere fact that Ye Liang had feelings for Mo Lu would probably make it very difficult for him to return.

Seeing Mo Yan's silence, Ye Liang immediately understood what he meant.

He clenched his fists tightly, a flash of resentment crossing his reddened eyes, then turned and followed Mo Yan out of Lan Mountain Residence.