Chapter 586: You Can Only Get Justice for Yourself
Sang Yan also saw what was happening on the summit. His gaze fell upon Ye Qianning, and his pupils contracted. ’Ye Qianning... she...’
’No wonder Qian Fanji has gone berserk. No wonder... But for an official to start a bloodbath in the Grand Council’s military camp is a direct challenge to imperial authority. It’s a crime that could get his entire clan exterminated.’
"All of you, stand down! Any who defy this order will be executed!" Sang Yan roared at the soldiers who were fending off the attack. He strode forward to face the nearly frenzied Qian Fanji. "Qian Fanji, get ahold of yourself! Qian Fanji!"
SWISH!
The longsword stopped, its tip a mere finger’s breadth from Sang Yan.
Sang Yan stood his ground before the blade, not retreating an inch. "Snap out of it. The dead can’t be brought back to life. Do you really want the entire Qian family to be punished along with you?"
"Yuan Yintang killed her. I only want him dead. But these people insist on aiding a villain. They all deserve to die!" Qian Fanji’s usually impassive face was twisted in a savage snarl, his bloodshot eyes like those of a rabid beast.
Sang Yan’s heart lurched in shock at his words. ’Yuan Yintang killed Ye Qianning?’
"Get out of my way," Qian Fanji snarled, his voice lethally cold.
Snapping back to his senses, Sang Yan continued to block him. "I don’t know the full story yet. If Yuan Yintang truly did kill her, I swear the imperial court will not shield him. Just calm down for now."
"The imperial court? Hah." The scorn in his voice was palpable. It was utterly laughable.
"Fanji, stop this," Qian Fu said, his face grim as he clutched his Buddha Beads.
"Father, she’s... she’s..." At the sight of Qian Fu, tears streamed from Qian Fanji’s bloodshot eyes.
No matter how strong-willed a person might be, the sight of a loved one can unleash a flood of emotions that can’t be suppressed—grief, indignation, regret...
"Put your sword away," Qian Fu said, his voice trembling slightly.
Qian Fanji’s grip on his longsword only tightened.
"Pointing your sword at a member of the royal family is an act of high treason! Do you want to drag the entire Qian family down with you?" Qian Fu’s voice grew stern.
Qian Fanji’s face was deathly pale. In the end, he lowered his longsword. He looked at Sang Yan, his gaze filled with bitter irony.
"Qian Fanji, I give you my word. I will make sure the one who killed her pays the price. Trust me." Sang Yan gripped Qian Fanji’s shoulders with both hands.
Qian Fanji stared at him coldly. ’The price? Justice?’
He had learned long ago that true justice was something you had to take for yourself. The "justice" others gave you... was merely what *they* considered just.
"How could this have happened... M-my... my granddaughter..." Zhan Yi broke down, his cries choked with grief.
「A light drizzle began to fall from the sky.」
Gu Shuo held her body close. ’It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t let go, she wouldn’t have died. It’s all my fault for failing to protect her.’
’What am I going to do...?’
Gu Shuo gently pressed his face against her pale, cold cheek. ’My daughter... I never even got the chance to be a proper father to you. I never even earned your forgiveness.’
’I never even heard you call me ’Daddy’...’
’This is all my fault. All my fault.’
Yuan Yintang lurked in the background. While it wasn’t his arrow that had killed her, the result was excellent.
’With Ye Qianning dead, her engagement to the Crown Prince is now void.’
After a long climb, Gu Chi finally helped Old Man Gu reach the summit. The scene on the mountaintop had fallen eerily silent, and all eyes were fixed on Gu Shuo and those around him.
Zhan Yi, a man in his fifties, was sitting on the ground and sobbing uncontrollably. Gu Shuo was still clutching the small figure tightly.
Zhan Chi was holding his head in his hands, weeping in agony. Sang Zhi had collapsed to the ground, staring at the person in Gu Shuo’s arms as he cried.
"Qian Fu, what’s all this...? Young Qian?" Old Man Gu’s face lit up when he saw Qian Fanji, and he hurried over. "Young Qian, you came up the mountain with Gu Shuo. Have you seen Pangtuan? Huh?"
Qian Fanji’s lips tightened into a thin line, his entire body trembling.
Old Man Gu grew anxious. Only after asking his question did he notice that something was terribly wrong with Qian Fanji’s state.