Villain Path

Chapter 19. The Accused Villain (Wow, what a surprise)

It was the deep evening of the day after the night of the riot of spirits. Shian was sorting out the current affairs of the order, shifting another disassembled pile of papers, when Muan burst into his residence at the Golden Dawn Peak with Shen in his arms.

"Hurry, hurry, call healer Zag!" he threw, lowering the owner of the Cursed Peak on the bed in one of the rooms of the league leader's residence.

Turning around, Muan saw that Shian had still not gone anywhere.

"Okay, I'll go get Zag myself," he said, frowning, deciding that Shian was in a stupor.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Maybe I'll explain later?" the owner of the peak of Glory dismissed, heading for the exit.

"Stop," Shian ordered in a calm voice, walking over to the bed where Shen was lying. "What happened?"

"Can't it wait?" the straight-thinking Muan was still perplexed.

"Can not. We will not call Zag."

"Why?"

"Because I cannot allow anyone to find out about my brother's weakness."

Muan remained silent, gradually realizing what Shian meant. But he continued the explanation, putting everything on the shelves for him:

"Maybe for some reason you began to relate to him, but the other lords are just waiting for the opportunity to get even with him. If any of them get the idea that Shen is no longer able to contain the Deep Darkness ... If he's just a reason to doubt his strength... I'm afraid they will seize the opportunity to remove him and never let him recover. Last year, Lord Zag was among those who advocated for Shen's imprisonment at the Black Lotus Peak. I cannot trust him."

Explaining this, Shian sat down next to his brother and took his hand to share his spiritual energy. However, his eyes soon widened in shock.

"What's happening? I cannot infuse spiritual qi into him, the energy seems to flow around him!"

Muan sighed.

"In general... He expended a lot of spiritual energy after helping his disciples to reach the clearing of a thousand spirits. And in the clearing itself, we met a black nine-tailed fox, and she shared with him the demonic energy of a clearing of a thousand spirits. He got this only way to become due to a mental blow, or to die."

Shian closed his eyes, fingers touching his forehead wearily. After sitting like this for a minute, he said:

"The deceitful demon said it. I don't think we have any reason to take her word for it."

"But she was not mistaken about the mental blow, there really is something wrong with his golden core."

Muan looked at Shen's pale face, he seemed detached and indifferent to this world, and it was somehow sad to think that this could remain forever. Lately, Muan got used to the smile on his face, and it would be a real loss to lose such a sight.

Suddenly, Shen flinched and turned slightly without opening his eyes. Shian immediately placed his hand on his forehead.

"No heat," he said. "I think the only thing left for us is to monitor his condition."

Muan said nothing disapprovingly, without arguing.

"I hope you don't need to be warned that what happened must remain a secret from the other lords."

"Of course," he jerked his cheek in irritation.

"Listen, Muan... You always hated Shen. Why has he changed his attitude recently?"