Chapter 59

Chapter 59: What Use Were Your Two Legs?

“Is that so?” Sheng Zhi Wan did not get angry at all. Sheng Zhi Wan even smiled more sharply, more mockingly.

Sheng Zhi Wan said, “Then I’ll give you a chance. You can go and ask for yourself, shop by shop. Ask every medicine shop, even every street doctor’s stall.”

Sheng Zhi Wan said, “Ask them whether anyone with even basic medical knowledge always carried an antidote for Qian Ji Powder.”

Sheng Zhi Wan said, “Or you can go ask your good brother Jiang Mang in the army. Tell Jiang Mang to ask the Military Physician now whether Qian Ji Powder had a cure.”

Zhang Da Hu’s face twitched. “N-no… how could it be like this?”

It could not be like this.

The veins on Zhang Da Hu’s forehead jumped. Zhang Da Hu knew Zhang Da Hu should not believe her, but Sheng Zhi Wan looked too calm, too certain, too full of ridicule.

Zhang Da Hu could not help believing.

Zhang Da Hu finally spat out, “Fine… I-I’ll go ask. I’ll ask for myself!”

Sheng Zhi Wan’s lips tugged. “By the way, you thought Meng Yang saved you because Meng Yang could stitch you up and stop the bleeding after you lost an arm?”

Sheng Zhi Wan’s voice stayed light. “Everything had a price. You kidnapped me, and I never claimed to be kind.”

Sheng Zhi Wan’s gaze turned colder. “Besides, you cut off an arm yourself, yet you enjoyed doing the same thing to other women.”

Sheng Zhi Wan had seen several girls in the cellar with their arms chopped off, dead from blood loss.

Sheng Zhi Wan stepped closer and pointed at Zhang Da Hu’s legs with slender fingers. “Now that you’re in my hands…” Sheng Zhi Wan smiled. “What about these two legs?”

Sheng Zhi Wan’s smile never left. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep you alive.”

Zhang Da Hu stared in horror, thinking Zhang Da Hu had misheard.

How could someone live after losing both legs? Even if Zhang Da Hu lived, Zhang Da Hu would only be like a maggot.

No. No!

Zhang Da Hu shook his head violently and tried to beg, but Sheng Zhi Wan turned to the guard who stood beside her, equally stunned, swallowing hard in fear.

Sheng Zhi Wan ordered, “Put the iron ball back in his mouth. Cutting off both legs hurt a bit, and if he bit his tongue and killed himself, that would be troublesome.”

A guard answered, voice shaking, “Y-yes…”

Heaven.

Everyone said this Princess Qing Ning only cared about love and was soft-hearted. Even if Princess Qing Ning really donated grain and medicine to the Frontier, people said it was only because Sheng Kingdom’s commoner offered devotion and worship, and she simply did what she should.

But the woman in front of them, who could whip a man until he bled while smiling, and who now spoke as if it were nothing to chop off someone’s legs…

Was this really the Princess Qing Ning from the rumors?

Soon, the iron ball was stuffed back into Zhang Da Hu’s mouth.

Sheng Zhi Wan took a long blade from the rack beside her.

The moment Sheng Zhi Wan’s fingers touched the hilt, Sheng Zhi Wan’s arm trembled, so slightly it was almost impossible to see. Yet Sheng Zhi Wan’s face showed not a trace of fear.

Sheng Zhi Wan lifted the blade.

Then, in the instant before it fell, a large hand seized it and held it fast.

Sheng Zhi Wan’s slender arm froze.

Zhang Da Hu’s thick, terrified breathing made the air in the dungeon feel heavy and sticky.

Sheng Zhi Wan lifted her eyes to the man who stopped her.

With the Ghost Mask between them, Sheng Zhi Wan could not see Shang Xing Yu’s expression. Yet for no reason, Sheng Zhi Wan remembered a scene from her previous life, almost exactly the same.

It was the third day after Ruan Ruan died.

The gold pendant Qi Fei Yan claimed Ruan Ruan stole appeared in the hands of a brothel woman, who took it to a pawnshop and traded it for silver. But a brothel woman would never have Qi Fei Yan’s belongings.

Shopkeeper Lin only sent someone to ask around once, and the truth came out. It had been given away by Qi Fei Yan’s husband, Lian Wen Hui.

The moment Sheng Zhi Wan heard the news, Sheng Zhi Wan felt as if her heart had been seared.

Sheng Zhi Wan forced her broken body up, threw away all dignity, and dragged Qi Fei Yan in front of her with every last bit of strength. Sheng Zhi Wan raised her hand high, wishing she could drive a knife straight into Qi Fei Yan’s chest.

But every movement was caught by a pair of large hands.

Qi Shu Xian looked at Sheng Zhi Wan with impatience and disgust. Qi Shu Xian said, “She was only a picked-up orphan.”

Qi Shu Xian’s eyes were cold as Qi Shu Xian added, “Eldest Sister was like a mother. How could you strike her? Sheng Zhi Wan, I truly never expected you to be so vicious!”

Heh-

A thin layer of ice seemed to settle over Sheng Zhi Wan’s eyes. Sheng Zhi Wan looked at the man in front of her, and her voice turned cold without her noticing. “What? Do you think my methods are vicious?”

Shang Xing Yu’s gaze paused.

Shang Xing Yu’s other hand closed over the blade in Sheng Zhi Wan’s grip. “What was vicious about it?” Shang Xing Yu’s voice stayed calm. “You already spared his life. That is mercy enough.”

Shang Xing Yu said, “I only meant that Princess didn’t have to do everything yourself.”

Shang Xing Yu’s smile was light. “Since I’m here, bloody work like cutting off legs should be done by a man. Someone as noble as Princess should stand aside and give orders.”

Shang Xing Yu said, almost as casually as if he were discussing flowers, “Where did Princess want the cut? I would not cut an inch more, and I would not cut an inch less.”

Sheng Zhi Wan’s long lashes trembled once.

Sheng Zhi Wan pointed at Zhang Da Hu’s legs.

Shang Xing Yu said, “Good.”

The blade rose.

The blade fell.

Sheng Zhi Wan only saw a blur of steel. Before Sheng Zhi Wan could see anything clearly, the hem of Shang Xing Yu’s robe, scented with agarwood, blocked Sheng Zhi Wan’s view.

When the cloth finally dropped away, Sheng Zhi Wan only saw two legs lying on the ground, severed clean at the root.