Chapter 108: Slaughter

Hearing the familiar voice, Wen Jing opened her eyes in disbelief. A figure in a white robe appeared not far away.

"Second Uncle, let me take her place."

The man in black removed his mask, grinning as he said, "As expected, no one is sharper than Wang Shiqi. You actually guessed it was me."

Wen Jing looked at Wang Jue, sitting in his wheelchair, and Uncle Wang Qi standing behind him, then shifted her gaze to the savage-looking Wang Sinian. So, it was Wang Sinian who had done all this... Why would he kill so many people?

"To think you managed to find this place! Perfect. The three of you can die together!" A flicker of madness crossed Wang Sinian’s eyes.

Wen Jing looked at Wang Jue in his wheelchair and the terrified Wang Qi behind him. Her despair deepened. She had never expected that Wang Jue would be the first to find her, but even having found her, it only meant two more lives lost.

*Run! Don’t worry about me!* Wen Jing screamed in her heart, but with her mouth gagged, she could not utter a sound.

*You idiot! Couldn't you have brought more men with you?!*

"Since you're here, you aren't leaving!" Wang Sinian strode toward Wang Jue, his expression growing increasingly impatient. Since Wang Jue had found them, there was no telling who else might arrive. He had to complete his purification ritual in the shortest time possible.

Wang Jue whispered a few words to the terrified Wang Qi. The fear on Wang Qi’s face vanished, replaced by fury, and he lunged at Wang Sinian.

Wang Sinian had not expected Wang Qi to suddenly attack. Caught off guard, he was tackled to the ground by the man's raw strength, and the two began to wrestle.

Wang Jue propelled his wheelchair quickly to Wen Jing’s side. He leaned over, removed the cloth from her mouth, and began to untie her ropes. Seeing her bloodied wrists, a flash of pity crossed Wang Jue’s eyes, but his hands did not hesitate; they had no time to lose.

"Ah!" Wang Qi let out a cry of agony.

The rope was tied in a dead knot, so Wang Jue pulled out a small knife and began to saw at it. The rope seemed to have been specially treated, exceptionally tough. Wen Jing’s face twisted in pain as beads of sweat from Wang Jue’s forehead fell onto her arm, ice-cold.

The sounds of the struggle abruptly ceased. Wang Sinian shoved Wang Qi off, kicked him, and pulled a sharp, short blade from his body.

Wang Jue did not stop his work—almost there.

"Bang!"

Wang Sinian kicked Wang Jue’s hand. The knife flew out of his grasp.

"You are of our Wang clan. I had intended to spare you, but you are so ungrateful. Then die together." Wang Sinian kicked the wheelchair, sending it and Wang Jue flying several meters away.

Wang Sinian hoisted Wen Jing up again, placed her in the center of the ritual circle, and raised the short blade.

As the cold steel grazed her neck, Wen Jing felt she might suffocate. If she were to die, she only hoped Wang Jue could escape. At least she would not die in vain; if Ji Changge could bring this murderer Wang Sinian to justice, then perhaps she, those three girls, and the other unknown victims could finally find peace.

"It won't hurt much. You will feel your blood flowing out, drop by drop. Your body will feel lighter and lighter, purer and purer," Wang Sinian smiled, his expression as gentle as if he were coaxing an unruly child to sleep.

"I’m taking you to the grave with me!"

A brilliant smile bloomed on Wen Jing’s lips. She quickly shoved several pills she had been holding into Wang Sinian’s mouth. Earlier, as Wang Jue had nearly finished cutting the ropes, she had secretly palmed the poison she had originally intended for Wang Erlang. She had been waiting for this very moment.

Since she was going to die, Wang Sinian, you shall accompany me!

Wang Sinian gagged, but he couldn't spit the pills out. His expression turned hideously distorted; at the final moment, he had been outwitted by a young girl!

"Go to hell!"

Wang Sinian raised his dagger, slashing viciously toward Wen Jing’s throat.

Wen Jing closed her eyes, a faint smile on her lips.

The expected pain never came. Time seemed to stand still, followed by a dull thud, and then a scream!

Wen Jing opened her eyes, watching in astonishment as Wang Sinian collapsed to the ground, with Wang Jue frantically stabbing him.

Once, twice...

Seeing Wang Jue’s white robes soaked in blood, Wen Jing’s mouth hung slightly open. She could clearly see Wang Jue was kneeling on one leg—how had he crawled over?

She watched Wang Sinian, who was nearly perforated like a sieve, and then looked at Wang Jue, who could not stop.

"He’s dead..." Wen Jing whispered.

Wang Jue finally stopped, gasping for air, and then stood up...

Looking at the blood-drenched Wang Jue standing proudly, she had a fleeting illusion of seeing a half-god, half-demon. Two lines of clear tears slid down Wang Jue’s closed eyes.

Wen Jing cut the ropes on her feet and stood up.

"You idiot! Why didn't you bring more people?!" Wen Jing roared suddenly.

"You’re the bigger idiot! You knew the Wang manor was dangerous! Why take such a risk? Do you know?! You almost died!" Wang Jue shouted back.

The two glared at each other.

After a long moment, Wen Jing suddenly laughed, her body shaking with it.

Wang Jue laughed too, stepping forward to pull her into a tight embrace.

"Congratulations, your legs are finally healed."

"Thank you, Qiniang."

Wen Jing walked over to Uncle Wang Qi to check on him, but he was already dead.

"I did not kill Bo Ren, yet Bo Ren died because of me. It is all my fault; if it weren't for me, he wouldn't have died," Wang Jue said, filled with guilt.

"Then the blame should be on me," Wen Jing replied.

"Let’s get out of here first. They must be searching for us everywhere."

...

When Ji Changge saw Wang Jue and Wen Jing emerge together, both covered in blood and supporting each other, his expression shifted and his heart sank. He had been one step too late. Yet, he was fortunate that Wang Jue had arrived earlier; otherwise, he might have found only a corpse. At that thought, he felt a measure of relief. Regardless of who Wen Jing was with, as long as she was alive, it was enough.

Wang Jue’s legs suddenly gave way, and he collapsed to the ground, fainting. His legs had not fully recovered, but the dormant potential sparked by his desperation had pushed him to charge forward, plunging a blade into Wang Sinian’s neck. The death of Sixi and the injuries to Wen Jing—he had to protect the one he loved. He could not let Wen Jing die before his eyes. The pent-up rage had finally erupted, and his hands had moved beyond his control.

Ji Changge looked at the unrecognizable remains of Wang Sinian on the ground. He had wronged Wang Erlang; no one had expected that the murderer was actually Wang Sinian. Why would he kill so many people?

On the ground, Uncle Wang Qi had stopped breathing, a large pool of blood beneath him. His throat had been slit by Wang Sinian, but perhaps for him, death was a release. He could finally see his mother again, without having to live alone in a world that rejected him.

Wen Qiran looked at the bloodied Wen Jing, his eyes moistening as he stepped forward to embrace his daughter tightly. "Qiniang, as long as you are alive. Your father was so afraid that what I would see was..."

Wen Jing smiled. "Father, your daughter is fine. I’ve made you worry."

Wen Qiran looked slightly embarrassed. "From now on, I will listen to you. Whoever you want to marry, you marry. I will absolutely not interfere."

As he finished, Wen Qiran glanced unintentionally at Ji Changge.

"Actually, it was Wang Jue who saved Qiniang. Magistrate Wen, he is the one you should thank most," Ji Changge said.

Wen Qiran looked at Wang Jue, who was being carried away, his eyes filled with gratitude. If not for this man, Qiniang would not be standing before him now. Once he woke up, he would certainly thank him properly.

"Dig up these kapok flowers!" Ji Changge ordered the guards nearby.

"Yes." Several guards brought over hoes and began to dig.

The kapok flowers were soon cleared away, and two skeletons gradually appeared before them.

"Whose bodies are these?" Wen Qiran asked, stepping forward.

"They should be the remains of Wang Erlang’s mother," Ji Changge said.

Wen Jing was shocked. She remembered Wang Erlang saying his mother had been killed by bandits, while Wang Sinian had claimed she died falling off a cliff. It turned out that neither had been telling the truth.

"What are you doing?!"

The missing Wang Erlang suddenly appeared before them. He threw himself onto the skeletons, tears streaming uncontrollably down his face.

Wen Jing looked at Wang Erlang and suddenly felt a sense of pity. Everyone had mistaken him for the murderer.