Lu Xian’s scream shattered the filthy intimacy inside the stone chamber.
“Which blind idiot dares interrupt my pleasure?”
Jiang Jinyu was still immersed in the thrill of control when he was abruptly interrupted. A flash of viciousness crossed his face.
He let go of Liu Meier, who was writhing in his arms, grabbed the bloodstained iron whip, and prepared to see which reckless servant had dared to offend him.
But the moment he saw the faces at the entrance of the secret passage, he froze completely.
Father? Mother?
And… Lu Xian?
Jiang Jinyu’s heart tightened violently.
How?
Only he and his trusted confidants knew about this secret passage!
His facial muscles twitched stiffly as he tried to force out his usual gentle smile.
“Father… Mother… listen to my explana—”
Boom!
He wasn’t given any chance to defend himself.
A pale figure, carrying the madness of mutual destruction, shot forward like a cannonball and slammed into him!
It was Lu Xian.
She was no longer the soft, gentle, and proper young madam of the Jiang family who wouldn’t even speak loudly.
Her hair was disheveled, her eyes blood-red like blood itself. She was a mother who had lost six children—now a wolf driven into a corner, desperate only to tear her enemy apart!
She opened her mouth and, with all her strength, bit down hard on Jiang Jinyu’s wrist—the hand still holding the iron whip!
Teeth pierced flesh and scraped bone.
Blood stained Lu Xian’s pale lips.
“Aaah—!”
Jiang Jinyu let out a pig-like scream. The pain instantly shattered his refined façade, twisting his features into something monstrous beneath.
“Crazy woman! Let go! Let go!!”
He shook his arm violently, but Lu Xian clung to him like she had fused with his flesh, refusing to release her bite. Her eyes carried a terrifying death wish.
In pain and panic, Jiang Jinyu snapped. Instinctively, he raised his right foot.
It was a full-force kick from an adult man—aimed directly at Lu Xian’s swollen belly!
If this hit landed, it would almost certainly kill both mother and child!
【Beast! How dare you attack a pregnant woman?!】
Feng Zeyuan’s anger flared, and she was about to act.
But someone moved faster.
A green shadow flashed beside her, carrying a sharp, chilling wind.
Feng Zekai moved.
No fancy technique—just a simple, direct, violent side kick!
His leg cut through the air.
Bang—!
Before Jiang Jinyu’s kick could even land, a searing pain exploded at his ankle.
The immense force sent him flying off balance. He crashed heavily onto the ground covered in filthy blood and beast dung.
The iron whip flew from his hand and clattered onto the floor.
【That was insane, brother!】
【That kick was national-team level! That’s the spirit of a true man of Great Xia! You basically gave that scum a facial reconstruction!】
Feng Zeyuan cheered wildly in her mind.
Feng Zekai, hearing his sister’s unrestrained praise, felt his ears heat up slightly despite the grim situation.
He retracted his leg and straightened his slightly disordered Taoist robe, standing like an ice statue in front of Lu Xian.
During these past months, following his sister’s advice, he had eaten spirit-stream watered vegetables daily and practiced the simple but extremely effective self-defense techniques she taught him.
Now, he was no longer the powerless scholar he used to be.
He was full of energy—his body brimming with strength.
Jiang Jinyu rolled on the ground in pain, still trying to crawl up and shout:
“Rebel… rebels! Guards! Tear these intruders apart and feed them to the tigers!”
“You unfilial brat!”
A thunderous roar exploded through the chamber.
The county magistrate, usually stern and impartial, was now trembling with rage, pointing at his son.
His finger nearly stabbed Jiang Jinyu’s nose.
“You… you’re still human?!”
“I, the Jiang family, have been upright for generations… how did we raise a monster like you?!”
“Father…”
Jiang Jinyu still tried to act, still tried to appear innocent.
But Liu Meier, who had been clinging to him earlier, was already terrified out of her mind.
Seeing the murderous atmosphere in the room—and especially Lu Xian, who looked like she wanted to eat someone alive—she screamed and stumbled backward.
“Aaah! Don’t kill me! It has nothing to do with me!”
In her panic, her foot caught on a chain.
She fell backward.
Splat—!
A sticky, wet thud.
By sheer coincidence, she landed headfirst into the giant feeding trough for tigers.
Inside were rotting flesh, unknown filth, and a stench so foul it made one’s stomach turn.
She pulled her head out and immediately began vomiting.
【Well, that’s where you belong.】
Feng Zeyuan’s voice carried a mocking tone.
【That feeding trough is exactly where someone like you should be. Fits perfectly with all those blood-stained buns you’ve eaten.】
County Magistrate Jiang felt as if he had been slapped twice across the face. His cheeks burned.
“Sir Magistrate,” Feng Zeyuan said coldly, putting on a refined, otherworldly demeanor again.
“Your son’s crimes are beyond redemption. For the peace of the Jiang ancestors—and for your six innocent grandchildren—it is best to bring him back to court immediately for proper judgment.”
“Master, no!”
Yun Wanshu finally snapped out of her shock and instinctively grabbed her husband’s sleeve.
“Family disgrace should not be made public! If this spreads, how will our Jiang family survive in Qingxi County?”
“You still care about reputation?”
The magistrate gave a bitter laugh.
“A family that raised such a beast has long lost any reputation to speak of!”
Feng Zeyuan pulled down two iron chains used to restrain beasts.
Amid the screams of Jiang Jinyu and Liu Meier, she bound them tightly in a few swift motions.
“You dare—!”
Jiang Jinyu tried to argue again, but Feng Zekai quickly stuffed two dirty cloths into both their mouths.
【Hahaha! Well done! My brother’s so efficient!】
【Dealing with scum like this, you don’t even give them a chance to speak! Hearing them talk is already pollution!】
County Magistrate Jiang turned and went to summon guards, his back suddenly looking ten years older.
Yun Wanshu could only cry as she helped the devastated Lu Xian up and followed them out.
The stone chamber was left with only the siblings and a cage full of beasts.
Feng Zeyuan waved her hand lightly, sending the dying lions, tigers, and wolves into her storage space.
【With spirit spring water, they should recover quickly.】
【We’ll release them in some deep mountain forest later—it’ll count as good karma.】
…
Qingxi County, courthouse.
The gavel struck like thunder.
“ORDER IN THE COURT—!”
The officials’ voices echoed solemnly.
Outside, a dense crowd of villagers had already gathered.
“I heard the Jiang family’s great benefactor has been arrested!”
“Nonsense! Young Master Jiang is practically a living Bodhisattva! They must have arrested the wrong person!”
“If he’s bad, then there are no good people left in this world!”
The murmurs surged like a tide.
Jiang Jinyu knelt in the hall.
Though disheveled, his spine remained straight.
Listening to the public opinion outside, a trace of smugness flickered in his lowered eyes.
As long as he denied everything… as long as he used these ignorant fools…
“Criminal Jiang Jinyu! Do you plead guilty?!”
County Magistrate Jiang sat at the high seat, his voice hoarse.
“For raising those beasts, what do you have to say?!”
Jiang Jinyu suddenly raised his head.
Tears immediately welled in his eyes and rolled down just right.
“Father! I am wronged!”
He cried loudly, his voice full of grief, echoing through the entire courtroom.
“I raised those beasts only to prevent them from harming villagers! I was foolish—I thought killing evil with evil was the right way!”
“As for those children who passed away…”
He turned toward Lu Xian, who looked ashen, his eyes full of sorrow.
“Xian’er was weak in health. Every time I lost a child, it felt like my heart was pierced by a thousand arrows!”
“Father, how can you believe outsiders and accuse your own son of the heinous crime of feeding children to tigers?!”
“This is not only killing me—it is breaking your own heart!”
His words were full of emotion and sincerity.
The crowd outside instantly erupted.
“Great Magistrate! Young Master Jiang is innocent!”
“Tigers don’t eat their own cubs—how could a father kill his own children?”
“It must be those two Taoists spreading lies!”
Public opinion—instantly turned back in Jiang Jinyu’s favor.
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