Chapter 240

Chapter 240: Courting Death

As Sheng Zhi Wan finished speaking, a simple medical cart was slowly pushed out of the clinic.

Its wooden wheels made a dull sound on the brick road.

Qi Fei Rui did not understand what Sheng Zhi Wan was about to do, but she instinctively felt that what came next should not be seen by the people around them.

But it was already too late.

Voices burst out at once: “Hiss-” “Heavens!” “What is going on?” “This- this is too cruel!”

When Qi Fei Rui finally saw the person on the cart, fear and disgust flashed across her usually pure, moonlike face. She stumbled back two steps.

“This- what is that?” Qi Fei Rui turned her head away.

In the next moment, Sheng Zhi Wan snapped, “Liu Shang! Let Second Miss Qi take a good look!”

A hand that looked small but held terrifying strength pressed down on Qi Fei Rui and forced her to look at the victim’s mangled back.

“Aaah!” Qi Fei Rui jerked, trying to lean away in panic.

But Liu Shang locked her in place from behind. Qi Fei Rui could not dodge or escape, and only after the shock hit did she finally remember to squeeze her eyes shut.

“Y-you let go of Rui’er!” Duke Qi was even worse than Qi Fei Rui.

He had frozen the moment the cart came out, and only Qi Fei Rui’s scream snapped him back. Duke Qi rushed forward and tried to pull Liu Shang away.

Sheng Zhi Wan stepped forward and kicked Qi Shu Lang, who lay on the ground like a dead dog.

“Ah!” Qi Shu Lang cried out in pain.

“So Second Young Master Qi was not unconscious after all.” Sheng Zhi Wan looked down at him from above. “Then why don’t you tell Duke Qi and Second Miss Qi what this is?”

Qi Shu Lang’s lips trembled. His eyes were full of poison as he clenched his teeth, but he refused to say a single word.

Sheng Zhi Wan let out a cold laugh. “If Second Young Master Qi will not speak, then this princess will have Second Young Master Qi reenact it for the commoner.”

Sheng Zhi Wan continued, “By Sheng Kingdom law, those who commit violence are punished the same way they harmed others. Even if Imperial Father heard of it, he would not blame this princess.”

Then Sheng Zhi Wan turned to Ting Lan, who was burning with anger at the side. “Ting Lan, prepare a carriage and a fierce horse!”

“Yes!” Ting Lan answered without hesitation.

“No! Don’t!” Qi Shu Lang’s pupils shrank.

He could not even endure a dozen lashes. If it was- if it was that-

“I’ll talk! I’ll say it-” Qi Shu Lang shouted as if forcing the words out of his throat. “It was me. I had people drag him behind a carriage pulled by a fierce horse.”

The moment the confession left Qi Shu Lang’s mouth, everyone around them sucked in a sharp breath.

The commoner who had just accused Sheng Zhi Wan stared at Qi Shu Lang in shock.

How old was Qi Shu Lang? Dragging someone behind a horse-drawn carriage?

That was torture. That was killing someone slowly.

No wonder the victim’s back had been scraped raw, a whole layer of skin and flesh ground away. Blood-soaked meat showed through, and even small stones were embedded in it.

Compared to that, what did Qi Shu Lang’s suffering even count as?

“Why?” a commoner asked, unable to understand.

It was hard to imagine a ten-year-old child using such a vicious method.

A ten-year-old younger brother at home was probably still waiting for someone to bring him meat buns.

And the Duke Residence’s second young master was already- already killing people.

The person on the medical cart twitched.

“I think- I think I recognize him,” someone said. “Isn’t he the fool who knelt outside the Duke Residence yesterday with his old mother on his back?”

“Yesterday he was dragged into the Duke Residence, and his mother smashed her head to death.”

“I didn’t expect him to end up like this today…”

“Is the Duke Residence trying to silence him and treat human life like grass?”

“What do you mean silence him?” an official’s servant cut in. “At court this morning, His Majesty already punished what happened yesterday. I heard he only fined the Duke Residence three months of salary.”

Everyone froze.

Three months of salary for a human life?

“Then if they were already punished, why did they still do this to him?” another person demanded. “He was just a fool!”

“What else could it be?” Ting Lan said coldly. “To vent their anger. Look at his eyes…”

At that reminder, the commoner all looked at Qi Shu Lang.

He was only ten, yet he wore a hatred that did not belong on a child’s face.

“Th-this…” someone whispered. “Maybe we shouldn’t stay here. What if the Duke Residence decides to hate us too?”

“Yes, yes…” People quickly backed away.

Qi Shu Lang’s vicious stare frightened more than a few of them.

Qi Fei Rui felt dizzy. She stared at Qi Shu Lang in disbelief, searching his face for even a trace of coercion.

There was none. Not even a little.

How could it be like this?

Qi Fei Rui yanked herself free of Liu Shang. At this point, Liu Shang had no reason to hold her down anymore.

Qi Fei Rui raised her hand and slapped Qi Shu Lang hard across the face.

“Second Sister!” Qi Shu Lang glared at Qi Fei Rui.

“Rui’er…” Duke Qi could not help speaking too.

Qi Fei Rui acted like she had not heard him. She slapped Qi Shu Lang again, hard, across the other side of his face.

Only then did Qi Fei Rui turn away without looking at Qi Shu Lang and face Sheng Zhi Wan’s mocking gaze.

Qi Fei Rui drew a deep breath and said through clenched teeth, “What happened today was Shu Lang’s own fault! The Duke Residence thanks Princess for punishing him in our place, and we also thank Princess for stopping Shu Lang before he made an even greater mistake.”

“And then?” Sheng Zhi Wan looked at Qi Fei Rui.

Qi Fei Rui met Sheng Zhi Wan’s eyes. “What does Princess want?”

“What do I want?” Sheng Zhi Wan pressed her lips together, her dark jade eyes studying the girl with clear interest. “Second Miss Qi means that whatever this princess wants, this princess gets?”

Qi Fei Rui tightened her grip. “As long as what Princess says is reasonable-”

“Life for life. Debt for debt.” Sheng Zhi Wan’s voice softened. “Since Second Young Master Qi meant to kill someone to vent his anger, then let him die the same way.”