Chapter 697 - The truth behind the incident

"...."

Lu Jin was stunned at Gunan's words.

"Always promising things that he can't do right. Always pitying others before himself. Lu Jin, when will you change?"

"What are you--"

"Can you really get me out of here? Can you really help me get back what I lost? Univ One, the Guan Empire, the surname Gunan. Can you get them all back for me?" Gunan's eyes were red.

"...." 

Lu Jin fell quiet.

He could not tell Gunan about Xiong Zhi and Linfeng's involvement. 

With the involvement of those two people, Gunan could never get back all those things. 

Lu Jin knew that if he told Gunan about this, his friend would surely take revenge on those people. 

If not for the current situation, Lu Jin had no qualms about his friend taking revenge. He was also selfish, he would have supported his friend without hesitation. 

He might be keeping the couple's interference from his father, but that was because of his own reason. 

However, under the current scenario, if Gunan tried to take revenge, Gunan would just destroy himself even more. 

Lu Jin did not want to see that. He did not want Gunan to continue heading on this path of destruction anymore. 

He decided to convince Gunan today to come with him and hide Gunan from his father, to make it appear in everyone's eyes that Gunan had died in an accident or struggle on the way to the trial.

Yet based on what he was seeing, Gunan's heart was still set on those 'unreachable' goals.

Lu Jin paused. He suddenly remembered their last fight.

Gunan was right after all. 

Lu Jin himself never trusted that Gunan would achieve those things from the very start.

"Hah. Your silence always means 'no'. You can't get it back for me." 

Gunan gripped his hair and stared at the walls. 

If even Lu Jin gave up, then who could help him?

"Tell me, Ah Jin. Is there really no other way?"

Lu Jin sighed. "Gunan, those things will only hold you down. I have a plan. I can take you out of here and bring you to some place away from father. I know that you are afraid of the consequences if father discovers, but--"

"Father already knows."

"...!"

Lu Jin was stunned. Then he narrowed his eyes. His whole aura became colder. 

So this was the reason why Gunan was like this.

"How did he get hold of you?"

"It doesn't matter how. Father does not want me as Gao Huan anymore. I'll be forever Gunan. Do you know what that means?"

Lu Jin was silent. 

Of course, he knew. 

The slaves that were brought down from their position had a fate worse than a stray dog.

"I'll be useless and become dispensable. I can't live that way anymore. I can't go back to that place."

"You are not going back there. I promise you."

"No. You can't. You never won against father, Ah Jin. And worst of all, I'll just drag you like an oil bottle once more." 

Lu Jin felt his heart become heavier. He held Gunan's hand and tried to pull him back up. 

"Then come with me. Tomorrow, I'll bring you out of here for sure."

"It's too late."

"It's not too late yet!"

Gunan laughed hoarsely and supported his body half up. His face leaned closer towards Lu Jin while he held the man's face. 

His eyes were dark as he uttered the words that he did not dare to say before.

"Ah Jin, you have been asking me about what happened more than fifteen years ago. About the incident with your mother, remember? Who really killed her? You always thought that it is your father, but--"

"Stop! Don't speak." Lu Jin stood up abruptly and pressed his palm over Gunan's lips.

If his father got hold of Gunan without his knowledge, then it meant that Ming Zhi Yi had his people here. 

Perhaps his father's people were monitoring them right now. If Ming Zhi Yi knew that Gunan got his secret leaked out in this public place, with Gunan's mistakes added, Ming Zhi Yi might really kill Gunan!

However, Gunan only pushed away the hand covering his mouth. He stubbornly continued the story which he always hid in his heart. There was even insanity seeping through his eyes.

The story of that day that haunted him every night. 

His very first kill.

"Your mother is poisoned by your father. The poison that you are currently researching is that very poison. At that time, it was still a slow-acting one despite the relatively large dose. It is not as strong as what we have now, so it can't fully kill your mother yet in a way that no one would detect. Your father's experiment was a failure. However, your mother suddenly learned of your father's plan. She found out about his secret dealings."

"Stop it, Gunan. Why are you even suddenly telling me this!" Lu Jin grabbed Gunan's collar.

He knew that much! He knew that his father poisoned his mother. 

Or else, why would his father kill everyone in that mansion that night and only spared Lu Yin Ze?

"I was there." 

Lu Jin trembled at Gunan's words.

"Your father brought me to that mansion to introduce me to Lu Yin Ze and to your mother while you are away, being rebellious." Gunan's eyes were blank. "Lu Yin Ze did not see me. But the people in that mansion and your mother saw me. She was really shocked when she saw how much I looked like Guan Gao Huan. However, she knew that I am not him. There were many differences between me and Gao Huan at that time."

Lu Jin felt his back chill. 

He began to sense how this story would go on.

The hands gripping Gunan's collar tightened and trembled slightly.

"Then your father handed me a pillow. He said… 'Kill that woman in the room. She can't move well and is bedridden. Just put a little strength in your hands and suffocate her. That will do the job.' That's what he said." Gunan could never forget that day nor those words.

Lu Jin let go of Gunan's collar and staggered back. He felt his blood run cold. His dark eyes were wide with disbelief, staring at Gunan.