Chapter 149: Explaining on Bended Knee

Mo Han felt it necessary to properly explain what had happened in the dungeon, lest Gu Zhiheng slap him to death the next moment.

He truly had no idea what was going on. That madwoman had clearly lost all her cultivation and had been locked away in the deepest part of the dungeon.

Yet how had she escaped? When had she regained her cultivation? And how did she know that he and Chu Xingran would visit the dungeon today?

Gu Zhiheng stared at Mo Han with a dark expression, his gaze clearly conveying that Mo Han had better give him a flawless explanation.

In a chilling tone, Gu Zhiheng demanded, "You better explain this to me properly. When Aran was in danger, why did you just stand there frozen? What on earth is your relationship with that woman?!"

Mo Han felt completely bewildered himself. That woman was his uncle's daughter, more than a hundred years younger than him, and had once been a powerful spirit entity.

She possessed striking looks and excellent credentials across the board, so people often joked that the two of them should get together when they grew up.

For two such outstanding individuals to be paired together seemed natural enough, but the crux of the matter was that she was his cousin. Mo Han was deeply troubled by this familial tie and therefore felt extreme aversion toward the idea.

Due to Mo Han's persistent refusals, the matter had quieted down for a period. However, his cousin saw no issue with their blood relation and pestered him daily, demanding to marry him.

Upon finding out, Mo Han fled directly, frequently staying away from home. During one of his attempts to evade the woman, he accidentally stumbled into the place where Chu Xingran lived.

That was the first time Mo Han laid eyes on Chu Xingran. At first, he thought nothing of it, but after leaving, he realized with a start that he had fallen for a woman he had only met once.

From then on, Mo Han had eyes only for Chu Xingran. He lost all interest in that woman, feeling nothing but irritation and restlessness whenever he saw her.

Enduring Gu Zhiheng's oppressive aura, Mo Han explained helplessly, "That woman's name is Yun Shuang. She is my uncle's daughter. When we were children, the adults joked that when she grew up, they would have me marry her."

Knowing that Chu Xingran and Gu Zhiheng would surely start pounding him if he continued, he hurriedly blurted out, "I care deeply about propriety and lineage, though she doesn't seem to mind at all. As she grew older, she clung to me day and night. Later, while trying to shake her off, I ran into Aran, and I fell in love with Aran at first sight."

With a helpless sigh, he looked at Chu Xingran with a wronged expression, genuinely clueless about how things had unfolded afterward.

To rid himself of Yun Shuang, he had personally destroyed her cultivation—completely and thoroughly. She should never have had the possibility of recovering it!

Furthermore, regarding her appearance, he had no idea what had happened either. When he left, Yun Shuang still looked as she always had, minus her cultivation, and his uncle's family had ceased making any demands.

"I was the one who destroyed her cultivation, but as for her face, I have no idea. When she appeared today, I truly didn't recognize that it was her, nor did I expect her to strike at Aran." Had he known she would harm Chu Xingran, he wouldn't have waited for Gu Zhiheng to act; he would have killed that madwoman himself.

"Big Brother, I came to talk to you about something!" Not far away, Mo Bai walked toward the three of them.

He looked in utter bewilderment at Mo Han kneeling on the ground. What on earth were the three of them doing?!

His eldest brother and future sister-in-law had only just gotten together; surely his brother hadn't already done something to wrong her, right?

Looking at Mo Han with a mixture of exasperation and disappointment, Mo Bai asked, "What are the three of you doing? Brother, why are you kneeling on the ground? Did you do something to let down my sister-in-law?"

"You're out of your mind! Aren't you just courting death?!" With that, Mo Bai looked at his eldest brother with a pitying gaze. This fellow was a dead man.

Mo Bai slapped his own forehead, almost forgetting the actual reason he had come to find them. "Yun Shuang somehow recovered her cultivation, and she also found out that you and my sister-in-law are together. You really shouldn't go down to the dungeon anytime soon."

"I truly thank you so much. We've already come back from the dungeon, or else why do you think your brother is kneeling instead of sitting?" Mo Han reflected that having an unreliable younger brother was even worse than being unreliable oneself.

Listening to Mo Han's words, the corners of Mo Bai's mouth twitched violently. What their father often said was so true: if you don't uproot the weeds completely, the spring breeze will make them grow again!

Therefore, whenever someone or something posed a threat, one had to completely eliminate the danger while still capable, otherwise it would truly lead to endless future troubles.

"Sigh, who knows what happened to that woman? She suddenly went back to normal, and heaven knows which good-for-nothing down below got sweet-talked by her." Mo Bai expressed sympathy for his brother's plight, but there was little else he could do. Best to scatter!

He cast an awkward glance at the three of them, then turned and fled without looking back, terrified of running too slowly and being killed by Gu Zhiheng's glare.

"You two can handle this yourselves, but if you dare to hurt my sister, you know what the consequences will be." He shot a cold glance at Mo Han and walked away directly.

Since the two of them were together now, they could resolve the rest on their own!

All he needed to do was ensure their safety for the remainder of this period; everything else depended on them!

He also wanted to spend a bit more time with his family and properly plan their next steps, so that when his tribulation arrived, his mind wouldn't be burdened with too many distracting thoughts.

"Aran, I am truly sorry about this. Had I known, I wouldn't have brought you down there. I'm sorry." Mo Han wore a face full of self-reproach, looking at Chu Xingran with eyes brimming with anguish.

Had Gu Zhiheng not appeared in the nick of time, he wouldn't have known what to do, because his mind had genuinely gone blank for a moment.

"Get up. I'm fine. It's just Axiang making a mountain out of a molehill." Chu Xingran stood up, walked over to Mo Han, and helped him to his feet.

As for what had happened, it was entirely unexpected. She had indeed been angry at first that Mo Han failed to protect her immediately.

Yet upon calm reflection afterward, it was no great matter. After all, that person was also Mo Han's family member; his momentary shock and hesitation were forgivable.

Besides, she was unhurt, and Gu Zhiheng had already treated her minor injuries, so Mo Han no longer needed to torture himself with guilt.

"I'm sorry. In the future, I will definitely protect you well. No matter what happens, I will always choose you." He held Chu Xingran tightly in his embrace. Truth be told, he had been terrified as well, especially after seeing Chu Xingran injured.

Well, Yun Shuang got what she deserved, and his uncle's family wouldn't dare raise any further complaints about this matter, especially since the person who struck the fatal blow was none other than the Scarlet Spirit Sovereign himself.

Given Chu Xingran's current status, no one would dare show her disrespect lightly, let alone lay a hand on her.

The Scarlet Spirit Sovereign—the Scarlet Spirit Sovereign at the height of his power. Who in their right mind would dare provoke him carelessly?

"There's no need to bring this up anymore. Since Axiang went out to settle it, no one in the Mo family will dare utter a word of dissatisfaction toward you." What Mo Han really wanted to say was that not only the Mo family, but even he himself wouldn't dare say another word.

After all, Chu Xingran's backer was none other than Gu Zhiheng, the Scarlet Spirit Sovereign, ruler of the Lower Three Realms!