Chapter 141: Lu Ying, the Meddler with Ruthless Methods

Seeing the pregnant woman advancing step by step upon Madam Yuan, while Madam Yuan stood pale-faced and trembling, forced to retreat before her, Lu Ying frowned.

She turned to one side and said slowly, “Could you come out for a moment?”

As soon as her voice fell, a figure emerged from the darkness.

He was dressed in black. When he wished, he could present himself openly as a respectable Confucian scholar; with a turn of his body, he could become a shadow and melt into the night.

He was the man assigned to protect Lu Ying.

Lu Ying had always known that the noble lord would send someone to guard her, but this was the first time she had actually seen him. After glancing at the black-clad man, she nodded and gestured for him to follow her forward.

At that moment, the woman was still forcing Madam Yuan backward.

Madam Yuan, her face ashen, shouted, “Don’t come any closer! You, Zheng woman, don’t think I truly won’t call for help!”

“Go ahead and call. Call as loudly as you like.” The woman laughed triumphantly. Lowering her head, she stroked her belly and said softly, “Yang has never believed a word you say anyway. If you want to call, then by all means do so.”

She raised her brows, her smile growing even more delighted. “Besides, if anyone is disgraced, it will be your Yang family. Go on, call.”

Madam Yuan’s face grew even paler.

The woman was clearly enjoying her helplessness. After slowly advancing a few more steps, she suddenly lowered her head and charged at Madam Yuan.

Madam Yuan hastily tried to dodge, but halfway through the movement she remembered that if the child in the woman’s belly truly fell, her own husband would certainly blame her. Perhaps it would be better to endure the blow; she might at least soften the impact, and the child might remain unharmed.

Thus, halfway through dodging, she stopped.

Though the woman had not raised her head, she seemed fully aware of every one of Madam Yuan’s movements. Laughing gleefully, she rammed into her and shrieked, “My baby—”

She had clearly planned everything in advance. The cry was sudden and piercing. Unfortunately for her, she had uttered only the first word when something was thrust into her mouth. At the same time, an iron arm seized both her hands and pinned them firmly in place.

The woman struggled several times and made a few muffled sounds, but when she realized that no voice could escape her, her eyes widened in shock.

Just as she lifted her head to see who had interfered, a palm suddenly struck her. With a sharp crack, her left cheek was hit hard.

The blow was vicious and precise. Pain made her eyes roll upward, and within moments her left cheek had swollen grotesquely.

But it did not end there. When she opened her eyes wide and finally saw the handsome young man standing before her, she watched as he raised his left hand and delivered another brutal slap to her right cheek.

With another resounding crack, the woman’s head snapped to the side. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, and her entire face swelled until it resembled a pig’s head.

Then a cool, androgynous voice rang out.

“Put her down.”

“Yes.”

The woman felt her feet finally touch the ground. She struggled to lift her head. With tears streaming from her swollen eyes, she stared at the beautiful, refined young man before her and rasped, “So it was you, Madam Yuan! You dared to take a lover behind Yang’s back?”

If he was not her lover, why would this young man, who had never even known her, intervene on Madam Yuan’s behalf?

The woman failed to realize that her face was so badly swollen that her words came out thick and distorted, making them nearly impossible to understand.

Madam Yuan therefore did not become angry. She stared blankly at Lu Ying and, after a long while, murmured, “You... why?”

Lu Ying frowned. She shot Madam Yuan an exasperated glance and said coldly, “A lowly creature like that drove you into such a state? Tell me, Madam Yuan, do you have no people or no money? Don’t you even know how to throw your weight around?”

Madam Yuan was stunned by the reprimand. Then she understood. This young man, whom she had met only once before, had deliberately come forward to avenge her.

Though she had no idea how he knew of her quarrel with this woman, Madam Yuan had never before been defended so fiercely. Her eyes reddened, and she stammered, “I... I didn’t...”

“Didn’t what?” In the night wind, Lu Ying’s white robe was as pure as snow. With her hands clasped behind her back, she appeared the very picture of elegance.

After glaring at Madam Yuan as though she were hopelessly beyond saving, Lu Ying turned toward the woman with the surname Zheng, who was being held by the black-clad man and struggling soundlessly in his grasp. She flicked her hand, stepped forward, and slapped the woman once more before raising her brows at Madam Yuan.

“You don’t even know how to strike someone? If you don’t, then your maids and old servants should. And if not one of them knows how, you could toss out a few ounces of gold and have any number of beggars or wastrels deal with a harlot for you. Such a simple matter, and you still couldn’t manage it. Madam Yuan, you truly are an utter fool!”

Lu Ying’s words were direct and cutting. Madam Yuan’s face flushed red, and she stammered for a long while before finally saying blankly, “That would be wrong.”

“So she may bully you, humiliate you, steal your husband, and smear your name, and that is right?” Lu Ying’s voice dripped with mockery.

With her hands behind her back, she looked down at Madam Yuan from above, her arrogance almost unbearable.

Madam Yuan stared at her for a moment, then finally fell silent.

Seeing that she had quieted down, Lu Ying turned to the black-clad man. “Take this woman away.”

Madam Yuan cried out in alarm. “What... what are you going to do?”

Lu Ying could not be bothered to look at her. “I’m in a bad mood and want to deal with her for you. What, is that not allowed?”

Madam Yuan froze. Then her eyes turned crimson. She lowered her head and quietly began to weep. Only after Lu Ying and the other two had gone far away did she choke out, “Thank you.”

Of course, no one heard her.

Others had noticed the commotion as well. After casting a glance at those watching, Lu Ying asked the black-clad man, “Do you know how to beat a confession out of someone?”

The corner of his mouth twitched. His expression remained wooden as he replied, “I do.”

“Good. Then beat a confession out of her.”

Lu Ying explained her plan. “That woman has lust in her eyes, and she is selfish by nature. She enjoys turning people around her finger. I’d wager there is another lover of hers somewhere on this boat. Pick one. Strip them both naked, and while they are rolling around together on the bed, make the woman confess every filthy thing she has done. Of course, if you want her to speak honestly, you’ll need to employ a few methods.”

After a pause, Lu Ying added, “You people must have plenty of ways to handle something like this. If you have a better method, you need not follow mine.”

The black-clad man understood her meaning. Without changing expression, he asked, “Shall I call for the one surnamed Yang?”

“Of course. Have him listen clearly from outside.”

Once everything had been arranged, Lu Ying clapped her hands and suddenly laughed. “Actually, following the Lord makes things rather satisfying.”

At least whenever she wanted to bully someone, she never had to do the work herself. Throwing her weight around required nothing more than a single word.

Seeing that she had remembered the advantages of serving the Lord, the black-clad man’s impassive face twitched. Turning his back on Lu Ying, he carried the woman down into the lower cabin.

As soon as he left, Madam Yuan’s hesitant voice came from behind Lu Ying.

“But... what about Yang?”

“Be quiet!” Lu Ying cut her off before she could finish. “Where is your cabin? Take me there.”

“Oh. All right.”

Still dazed by the succession of events, Madam Yuan obediently led Lu Ying to her cabin.

The room was small but tastefully furnished. From its arrangement, it was clear that Madam Yuan lived there alone.

Seeing Lu Ying survey the interior, Madam Yuan lowered her head and said quietly, “Yang did not want me to bring any maids.”

Lu Ying could not be bothered to comment. “Go inside.”

“Oh. All right.”

Madam Yuan obediently entered.

The moment she stepped into the cabin, the door slammed shut behind her. At the same time, she heard Lu Ying order from outside, “Lock the door.”

“What?” Madam Yuan cried in surprise. “But... but I need to go out.”

“There is no need for you to come out,” Lu Ying said coldly. “There is a chamber pot inside. You will not starve in a single night. Sleep well. By tomorrow morning, everything will have been settled.”

“But... but—”

“No more buts. You are weak-willed and foolishly devoted. You would only spoil my enjoyment of teaching people a lesson.”

With that, Lu Ying brushed her sleeve and turned away.

Madam Yuan stared blankly at the door. She said nothing more, but retreated to the bed and obediently lay down.

Early the next morning, Madam Yuan awoke and hurried to push open the cabin door.

As expected, it could now be opened. She quickly stepped outside.

Only then did she discover that, although dawn had barely broken, a great many people had gathered outside. They were all pointing toward something ahead and discussing it animatedly.

Madam Yuan hurried over.

It was then that she realized everyone was looking upward. In the dim morning light, she clearly saw a naked woman hanging upside down from the mast, her hands bound behind her back.

A gust of wind blew, turning the woman’s face toward them.

The moment Madam Yuan saw her, she thought, Just as I suspected.

Then pity softened her heart. But she is still carrying a child. That handsome young lord is far too cruel.

The naked woman, gagged and hanging from the mast, was spun around and around by the morning wind. Among the crowd came a steady murmur.

“That harlot is unbelievably bold. She even dared to seduce the young man beloved by Fifth Master Wu. I hear she was carrying his child, too. When Fifth Master Wu caught them, she turned around and claimed that the young man had seduced her. Who is Fifth Master Wu? He is the most notorious killer in all of Wuhan, and fiercely protective of his own. Even if his people are wrong a hundred times over, he will not permit anyone else to criticize them. He had the harlot stripped naked on the spot and said he would leave her hanging for a full hour. Fortunately, the boat is still on the river. Otherwise, after something like this, even the Fragrant Splendor Pavilion would lose face.”

Madam Yuan was completely stunned.

How had this matter become entangled with Fifth Master Wu? And what of Yang?

At the thought of Yang, she turned around in a panic.

After searching the crowd for some time without finding him, Madam Yuan hurried toward Yang’s cabin.

Before long, she heard the faint sound of restrained sobbing from inside. She quickly pushed open the cabin door and saw her beloved Yang sitting with both hands over his face, tears running between his fingers.

She approached cautiously, slowly knelt before him, and called softly, “Yang.”

At the sound of her voice, Yang stiffened. Then, in a hoarse voice, he said, “Wife... tell me, was I blind? The person I protected and loved all these years turned out to be a shameless whore whom anyone could have! Do you know? There are five men on this very boat who have slept with her. Five men!”

He was consumed by fury, hatred, and regret. His entire body trembled as he rasped, “For the past year, I came running to the Fragrant Splendor Pavilion every day. Who knows how often people laughed at me behind my back! I actually treated such a filthy whore like a treasure. I hate it! Wife, I hate it so much!”