met free Chapter 8: Zou Yun, a true righteous man!
Chapter 8: Zou Yun, a true righteous man!
Zou Yun sneered again, his gaze sweeping over Meng Yi before finally settling on Fu Su's handsome face.
Fusu felt the scrutinizing gaze, met it calmly, and let Zou Yun look him over.
On the contrary, Meng Yi felt a chill run down his spine when he saw those suddenly mysterious eyes, and his hand instinctively gripped the hilt of his sword again.
Do you know what "military disintegration" is?
Instead of answering Fusu's question directly, Zou Yun asked a counter-question in a calm tone, even with a hint of testing.
His voice wasn't loud, but it echoed clearly in the gradually darkening courtyard.
Fusu raised an eyebrow, suppressed the turmoil in his heart, and recounted Zou Yun's eloquent speech on the high platform that day, word for word.
Zou Yun listened quietly, and the strange smile on his face deepened.
"Very good, it seems you have a basic understanding of what physical disintegration is." He nodded slightly, his tone unreadable, neither praising nor otherwise.
Then, Zou Yun took a small step forward. Although the step was small, it carried an invisible sense of pressure.
His gaze was intense, like two sharp arrows aimed at Fusu, as he posed a more leading question.
"Then I would like to ask you, young master, if one were to seek immortality, would it be better to choose self-destruction or to search for a mysterious and ethereal immortal abode?"
Zou Yun's voice was not loud, but every word carried immense weight.
He laid bare two seemingly simple choices, yet each concealing a hidden agenda, before Fusu.
"Of course..."
Fusu almost blurted it out.
However, just as those two words were about to be uttered, he seemed to suddenly realize something.
Zou Yun's insightful gaze, his strange smile, his assertion about the illusory nature of immortality, and the tragic and resolute nature of the "disintegration of the body" theory itself...
Countless fragments of information swirled and collided in his mind. As if struck by an invisible lightning bolt, Fusu suddenly shut his mouth tightly, swallowing back the words he was about to say.
The entire courtyard fell into a deathly silence, with only the rustling of the wind through the bamboo leaves.
As dusk settled and the light quickly dimmed, the three figures became blurred and indistinct.
Zou Yun did not urge him, but stood quietly in the twilight, waiting for Fusu's reply.
Time seemed to stretch out, and a long time passed, so long that Meng Yi's palms, which were resting on his sword, were sweating slightly.
Finally, Fusu raised his head, the confusion in his eyes fading. He spoke slowly, his voice deep and clear.
"Of course... dismemberment is better!"
The moment the words "disintegration of the body" were finally uttered from his mouth, Fusu's expression changed drastically.
It was as if a thunderbolt had cleaved through the fog in his heart, and an unprecedented enlightenment swept over him. He finally understood Zou Yun's good intentions.
That was by no means a deception or a charade, but rather a desperate act of remonstrance, using one's own life to confront the First Emperor, who was obsessed with the illusion of immortality.
Using the lie of "disintegration of the body" to expose all the scams of immortality.
Fusu sighed inwardly, a strong sense of shock and respect welling up within him.
Having understood this, Fusu straightened his clothes and his expression became more solemn and dignified than ever before.
"Thank you for your guidance, sir. Fusu... understands!"
He bowed deeply to the young Taoist priest before him, whose clothes were disheveled but who seemed to possess great wisdom, with his hands clasped together, performing the most solemn long bow.
This gesture comes from the bottom of my heart.
"Dude, what do you know? I haven't even started conning you yet..."
Seeing Fusu suddenly become excited, Zou Yun inwardly cursed. This unexpected gift and the phrase "I understand" had caught him completely off guard.
But upon catching a glimpse of Fusu's sincere and even tearful expression, Zou Yun could only suppress his confusion and urge to complain.
Trying to adopt a profound attitude of "you're teachable" and "it's good that you've figured it out," he nodded slightly, which was considered tacit agreement.
"So, is he Fusu?"
Taking advantage of the moment when the other person bowed again, Zou Yun discreetly observed the handsome and gentle young man before him.
'Hmm, this demeanor does match the historical records' description of this kind and benevolent eldest son,' he muttered to himself.
At that moment, Fusu did not stop speaking; he maintained his bowing posture and said with shame.
"Fusu almost caused an irreparable tragedy this time; please forgive him, sir!"
"A huge mistake? What the hell? What did you do wrong? I don't understand at all."
These words left Zou Yunyun completely bewildered.
Seeing Fusu's solemn demeanor, Zou Yun had no choice but to steel himself and say in a deep voice, "To know one's mistakes and correct them is the greatest virtue!"
His feigned composure and calmness, however, appeared to Fusu as a sign of composure in the face of a life-or-death threat.
"This is a true national hero! A righteous man!"
Fusu was filled with admiration and looked at Zou Yun with great respect. Even Meng Yi, who was standing next to him, was moved.
"To be honest, sir..." Fusu straightened up, but he paused before speaking, a hint of unease crossing his face, as if he was reluctant to say what he was going to say next.
But in the end, he chose to be honest, looking directly at Zou Yundao with clear eyes.
"This time, I came to rid the country of a scourge, intending to kill you, sir."
Fusu uttered those cold words clearly without any hesitation, and continued speaking when Zou Yun remained silent.
"As a result... he almost harmed a true hero, but the master did not hold a grudge and instead enlightened Fusu."
"Your noble character shines like the bright moon in the sky!"
"Fusu...is extremely ashamed and has nowhere to hide his shame."
At this point, Fusu bowed deeply once again, giving a solemn salute.
As for Zou Yun, he hadn't been able to get a word in edgewise since just now.
To Fusu, that stiff expression appeared as one of unwavering composure, like Mount Tai collapsing before one's eyes.
This instantly elevated Fusu's opinion of him to its peak, further solidifying his resolve.
After the ceremony, Fusu raised his head and solemnly made a promise to Zou Yun.
"Rest assured, sir. On the day of the military's dissolution, Fusu will surely protect your life with his life and will never let the blood of loyalty be shed in vain."
"Sir...please take good care of yourself!!"
After saying this, Fusu did not linger. He gave Meng Yi a wink and then turned and left.
The two men looked resolute, as if they had made up their minds, leaving Zou Yun alone, bewildered in the wind!
"No? Wait! What do you mean by 'killing me for the country'? What do you mean by 'saving my life'? Explain yourself clearly!!!"
Zou Yun's mind went blank; he couldn't keep up with the rapidly changing plot. He hadn't understood a single word of Fu Su's long speech.
What on earth is this guy talking about?!
Zou Yun hates riddle tellers!
After a long while, a roar finally came from the courtyard!
"Get out of Xianyang, riddle teller!!!"
Fortunately, this confusion did not bother Zou Yun for long, as one after another, a series of daunting problems were presented to him.
The matter concerned life and death, leaving him no time to dwell on this little incident.
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Outside the Immortal Temple, as the sun sets, Meng Yi and Fusu walk side by side.
After a moment of silence, even this resolute imperial minister couldn't help but express his heartfelt admiration.
"Young master, this man... is truly a righteous man!"
"He even attempted to use his death as a form of remonstrance to dissuade His Majesty from pursuing the illusory path of immortality! There are good people among the alchemists, after all."
Upon hearing this, Fusu stopped and turned around to look back.
As dusk fell, the outline of the Immortal Temple became blurred.
But he seemed to have pierced through time and space, clearly seeing the resolute figure of a patriot attempting to "prove his principles with his death".
"Yes, what you say is absolutely right."
"For our great Qin Dynasty to have such men willing to sacrifice their lives for righteousness is truly...a great fortune for the nation! How fortunate indeed!"
Their eyes met, and without needing to say more, they both saw in each other's eyes the determination to protect Zou Yun.