Ruan Zhu coldly looked towards the man she extremely loathed that was in her vision. Passing over a silver banknote to the jailer, she asked for a sealed area where she could speak to Zhao Hai.
Having received a silver banknote, the jailer fawningly obliged. In a short while, Zhao Hai was trussed up and led into a cell where the jailer tied him to the chair as he was afraid the prisoner would not behave.
Ruan Zhu waited for the jailer to leave before instructing Nuan Chun to walk a little distance away and closed the door securely.
The prison was quite strict and she was not worried about being overheard by others.
“There is no reason for you to know who I am. You also do not deserve it.” Ruan Zhu’s eyes were like frigid water as she stared at the crippled man several meters away from her, the corner of her mouth twisting with disdain: “I have come to tell you that you are finished and it won’t be long before your vulgar thoughts, along with your filthy flesh, will soon become nourishment for the plains outside the city.”
Zhao Hai had been tied to the chair and was unable to move a step. He glared at her with wide eyes: “I got it–you’re the transmigrator who had been secretly helping the Prince of Qi. Manufacturing glass, establishing a spy agency, and even helping Yun Shi Wei set up special forces. It’s you. You’re the one who’s been helping in the dark.”
Everything that he knew regarding the Prince of Qi came from the Crown Prince. Zhao Hai had been under the impression that in the country of Tian Chu, Steward Wang of Lu Yin Ge had been the only transmigrator. Unexpectedly, not long after he had disposed of him, another one sprouted up. But he could not find the other, even after he had utilized all of the strength and men in his hands to investigate.
“Unfortunately, you found out too late.” Contempt brimmed in Ruan Zhu’s eyes.
Zhao Hai struggled like he wanted to jump up from the chair, but since he used so much strength, the person along with the chair both fell onto the ground. He had fallen so that his entire face became bloody and he turned his head: “Why did you only appear now and what have you done to me before? I’ve fallen into such tragedy but you haven’t, so what tricks have you played?!”
An ice-cold smile formed on Ruan Zhu’s lips, like a blossoming poppy: “I directed your fate. You can only blame yourself. Your fault–crossing into the wrong era.”
A female-dominated society was unsuitable for the existence of a stallion man, whose delusion was to hold a beauty in his left arm while embracing another with his right and whose ending would be even more tragic.
Zhao Hai’s despairing and apathetic eyes suddenly turned a bloody red, similar to the ones of a starving wolf, as he fiercely glared at the luxuriously dressed woman. His entire heart coursed with a hatred that could not be put into words and he only repeated a sentence: “I will kill you, I will surely kill you……”
“I am completely clear on all of your wicked thoughts. For your own selfish desire, you killed the innocent Steward Wang. It would be an anomaly if you were a good person. However you should also not be so resentful……” Ruan Zhu indifferently pursed her lips and lightly threw out some words: “With two transmigrators, it’s enough for there to only be one that knows the advanced technology of the future; the second person is unnecessary.“
“You saw it.” Zhao Hai’s eyes widened. She had seen him killing Steward Wang. All of a sudden, he deeply regretted he had not noticed there was another person present. If he had, he would have surely eliminated the hidden danger.
“Qin Hai Dong, the grudges between us were predestined from the past life, and the Heavens allowed me to transmigrate to Tian Chu for the purpose of exacting revenge. You have absolutely not been treated unjustly as everything was all because of the sins of you and your mother. You are guilty, and the punishment is just.”
A cold and raw voice, like pearls and jade falling onto the ground, without any hint of the speaker’s mood.
In their past life, Qin Hai Dong’s mother had robbed Ruan Zhu’s mother of someone she cherished, resulting in the latter becoming ill and dying an early death. Ruan Zhu had a lonely and bitter childhood and only survived because of her relatives’ help, but after entering college, she refused to accept charity any longer. She worked while attending classes and had originally believed she could pass her days tranquilly. But the influence of the mother and son pair lingered and against all reason, they came to trouble her. Since they were unsuccessful in forcing her into marriage, they kidnapped her and threw her into their car, where she died tragically from the collapsed overpass while they were still on the road.
All of tragedy that befell her was bestowed by the Qin Hai Dong mother and son duo, so how could she not return it all?
“Qin Zhu!” Zhao Hai spat out a name as his complexion turned ashen in a split second.
Confronted with an old enemy, Ruan Zhu’s eyes were as chilly as a knife: “Your father-in-law, the magistrate of Shun Tian Hall, has already issued an order for you to ride the wooden donkey early tomorrow morning and parade through the streets. Qin Hai Dong, the fruits of today are all because of the actions of yesterday. If it were not for your mother being completely crazy and ridiculous, causing my family to be bankrupt and the people dead,[a] how could today exist?”
Zhao Hai became extremely scared and he yelled: “Don’t make me ride the wooden donkey, don’t……”
Ruan Zhu snorted: “Do you have any other alternative?”
‘Riding a wooden donkey’ was not something aimed at any particular person; it was one type of criminal punishment directed towards men that had committed ** crimes. At noon today, the magistrate of Shun Tian Hall had sent down an order, sentencing his son-in-law to ride the wooden donkey, parade through the streets, and be the object of public criticism.
Zhao Hai went crazy: “I won’t compromise. I won’t let you have an easy time. I’ll tell them all you’re unclean and have stooped over for evil spirits. I will tell everyone……”
“Do you still have any opportunity?” Ruan Zhu took out a handkerchief from within her sleeve. Moving forwards while gently shaking it, she then immediately held her breath.
White smoke drifted out of the handkerchief. When Zhao Hai smelled it, his eyes rolled back and his body flopped backwards as he fainted.
Ruan Zhu waited until the incapacitating agent’s effectiveness had disappeared before walking towards him: “It’s not over yet, hmm!”
Inside the handkerchief was a knockout drug that would cause someone to rapidly sink into sleep after they had smelled it. She had requested Imperial Physician Zhang to make it, and because the drug was hard to come by, she could only ask him to make a very small amount; however, it was sufficient to deal with Zhao Hai. Yet, this was not enough. She could not leave the root untouched.
From her sleeve, Ruan Zhu took out another drug that was also made by Imperial Physician Zhang. This one was a muting agent and also burned the victim’s vocal cords.
Pushing back her disgust towards Zhao Hai, she pried open his mouth and slipped the mute drug inside……
Done with this, she then took out a clean handkerchief and wiped her hands before slowly getting up. Her expression a sheet of ice, she pushed aside the sturdy door, and left……A perfect smile emerged on her face.
From today on, Zhao Hai could no longer cause her any harm.
Ruan Zhu found Nuan Chun and led him down the long, long corridor to leave the prison of Shun Tian Hall.
She believed her secret would never be known by anyone else, but she was wrong.
At this time, in a room adjacent to the one that Zhao Hai was currently being held captive, a noble man pushed the door aside, and with a turn of his body, entered Zhao Hai’s cell.
The man who had had the mute drug poured down his throat had woken at who-knows-what time and the jailer was currently undoing his fastens, planning to take him away from the prison. Zhao Hai was currently under extreme pain. Pushing aside the jailer, he stretched his finger inside his mouth–“eh eh……” Bloodcurdling shrieks continuously sounded and his finger forcefully slid across his throat as he desperately tried to find the source of fire inside and pull it out. It was as if he did not even see the lofty figure that had entered.
“How painful is this, ah! Ze ze……Would you like me to help you dispose of the pain?” The noble man seemed to say this out of pity but his eyes were frosty.
Zhou Hai could not speak, but after he heard the other’s words, he hastily kowtowed before the noble man.
“Open your mouth for me to have a look.” The man lazily spoke.
Zhao Hai was in so much pain his mouth basically couldn’t close. After he heard the other, he opened his mouth wide for the other to see……yet saw the noble man raise an arm, letting a sharp sword fly. The tip of the sword pierced inside Zhao Hai’s mouth and a cold light flashed……
Hiss!
Zhao Hai’s tongue flew out from its base in his mouth and blood immediately gushed out.
With a swipe of the man’s eyes, the sword flashed again, and the jailer collapsed on the ground with a clear hole in his chest over where his heart was.
The noble man sheathed his sword. Never giving the two another glance, he turned and strolled out of the prison while his sword-like eyebrows lightly lifted and a leisurely and content arc formed at his mouth as he whistled a clear and lively tune. He insipidly murmured: “The Eldest Miss of the Ruan clan, it won’t do to be softhearted.”
[a] 家破人亡, idiom meaning destitute and homeless; ruined and orphaned