The Apothecary Diaries: Volume 11

A high wall, however, appeared in front of Maomao. Thoom. Jinshi had risen from his seat and was standing smack in front of her.

“Yes, sir?” she asked. Jinshi continued to look less than pleased.

“It has come to my attention that this man with whom you claim not to be especially close recently proposed marriage to you.”

At least he was to the point.

How could it turn out like this?” the man asked. He was plump; Rikuson remembered seeing a soft smile on his face.

It was Gyokuen.

Rikuson pitched forward, crawling toward Gyokuen and grabbing onto his feet. Normally, he might have been able to deal with things more rationally. The tears in Gyokuen’s eyes were of pity and regret; this was not a man on whom Rikuson needed to take revenge.

Yet at the same time, he was the father of the man Rikuson hated more than any other.

Gyokuen said nothing, only comforted Rikuson as the boy bit at him.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. It’s my fault. It’s all my fault.”

He didn’t care that Rikuson’s teeth sank into his leg; he didn’t care that the blood flowed. Gyokuen only kept trying to offer Rikuson comfort

He knew that face. A member of the “new You” family he’d seen just once, on a visit to their household.

Gyokuen’s eldest son.

The front teeth glistening with saliva. The tanned skin. The bony hands. The shape of his ears and the quality of his hair. His voice, which carried like an actor’s. Rikuson didn’t just remember his face. He used all five senses to drink in as much information as he could, packing it into his brain. So that he would never forget...

As this man did his violence, there was righteousness in his eyes. An egoistic, worthless justice prepared to do anything, even evil, if it was necessary.

But also, a justice that would do anything to protect what mattered to him.

The Yi clan was about to be destroyed on a twisted pretext