Chapter 54

Chapter 54

Yan Zhengchu’s words instantly left Gentleman Wang looking utterly humiliated.

He shot Simeng a quick glance and frowned. “Why didn’t you tell me in advance before bringing just anyone into the house? Can’t you see we have honored guests here?”

Wang Rui seemed not to understand the implication in his father’s words at all. He actually stepped forward, took Simeng’s hand, and said with great emotion, “Father, Simeng and I love each other. I don’t care that she’s a courtesan!”

“I want to divorce that madwoman inside. I want to marry Simeng as my wife!”

The moment those words left his mouth, Gentleman Wang’s expression changed drastically. Even Ren Fengjue frowned deeply at what he heard.

“Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!”

Gentleman Wang was so furious that he kept thumping his chest.

The Wang family had few descendants, and he had only had this one son after turning forty.

He had thought that once he watched his son take a wife, then gained a grandson, his life would be complete.

But…

How could something like this have happened so suddenly?

Ren Fengjue could not help taking a step forward. With a solemn expression, he said, “According to the laws of Great Qi, a wife who was properly married with the three letters and six rites, through a lawful matchmaker, cannot be cast aside by her husband’s family unless she has violated one of the seven grounds for repudiation.”

“You and Madam Cui have been married for barely a month, and you dare say such a thing? Are you showing contempt for the law? Do you think marriage is child’s play?”

His words were firm and forceful, his presence overwhelming.

Wang Rui’s confidence faltered even more, but he still pointed toward Madam Cui inside the room and argued, “That woman went mad as soon as she married into our family. She not only attacked me, she even hit my father…”

“And for that… I still can’t divorce her?”

Yan Zhengchu gave a cold laugh. “You should know very well why she hit you, shouldn’t you?”

At that, Wang Rui felt even guiltier, but he forced himself to stay calm. “How would I know? She clearly had some old illness and deliberately hid it. My Wang family hasn’t even held her accountable for it yet.”

“Heh.”

Yan Zhengchu continued mocking him coldly. “No need to keep acting tough. Why don’t we have Miss Cui come out and confront you face-to-face in a moment?”

“…”

Only then did Wang Rui realize something.

Why was there no sound from Madam Cui?

Madam Cui’s “madness” had clearly been getting worse by the day. Whenever anyone so much as approached, she would scream without end.

But now, the room was strangely silent.

He instinctively glanced inside, and nearly had his soul scared out of his body.

A woman with disheveled hair was standing right by the door, staring at him with cold eyes.

If not Madam Cui, who else could it be?

“You madwoman!”

Guilty as a thief, Wang Rui was so frightened that he stumbled backward again and again, then shouted at the servants on both sides, “What are you all standing around for? Hurry up and tie her up with rope!”

The servants did not dare move. One after another, they looked toward Madam Cui inside the room, their gazes complicated.

At that moment, Madam Cui spoke as well. “The person who should be tied up isn’t me. It’s you.”

Her voice was hoarse, as if her heart had turned to ashes, yet her tone was extraordinarily calm.

Wang Rui snapped, “What nonsense are you spouting, you madwoman? You were the one who went mad first. We only tied you up because we were afraid you would hurt someone!”

Madam Cui’s hand braced against the door, her knuckles faintly white. She was clearly holding back hatred, yet she turned to the side and said, “Xiaoxing, you tell them. What exactly happened that night seven days ago?”

The maidservant called Xiaoxing trembled all over. She looked at Madam Cui, then at Wang Rui, before throwing herself at Ren Fengjue’s feet.

“My lord, this servant is a maid of the Wang family. Ever since the young madam married into this household, this servant has been the one attending to her.”

The maid was both clever and perceptive. As soon as she spoke, she first made her identity as a “maid of the Wang family” clear.

That way, her words would not be suspected of bias.

Ren Fengjue nodded to signal for her to continue. “Tell me truthfully everything you saw and heard. This official will judge for himself.”

Only then did Xiaoxing say in a trembling voice, “That night, the young master returned drunk and suddenly had an argument with the young madam.”
“This servant saw it with her own eyes. Young Master forced a pearl the size of a pigeon egg into the young madam’s mouth.”

“After that, Madam fainted dead away. When she woke again, she could no longer speak, and only then did she gradually become deranged…”

After hearing Xiaoxing’s words, Wang Rui’s eyes went wide with fury. He even looked ready to charge forward and slap her, but Ren Fengjue stepped in front of him and blocked his way.

“So you really did force that pearl into her mouth?”

“She’s spouting nonsense!” Wang Rui naturally refused to admit it. “There was never any pearl. It’s all a maid’s wild lies!”

Ren Fengjue smiled faintly, then drew a pearl from his sleeve and held it out before him. “The pearl looked just like this. Are you saying it’s framing you?”

With that one feint, Wang Rui fell for it at once.

His expression changed drastically. “How is it with you? I clearly already…”

Realizing he had misspoken, his legs gave out on the spot, and he collapsed to the floor.

At the sight, Gentleman Wang was even more grief-stricken.

How could he ever have imagined that this entire matter had actually been caused by his own son?

He grabbed Wang Rui by the clothes and raised his hand to deliver a slap, cursing, “You unfilial wretch! How dare you do such a thing!”

“I’ll beat you to death!”

Even after hitting and scolding him, his anger still had not abated. He even raised his walking stick to strike him, only for an icy hand to suddenly stop him.

He turned back and saw it was that woman from the brothel.

“You… you dare!”

Simeng smiled coldly and said with open provocation, “Old thing, I was the one who told him to do it. What use is there in hitting him?”

“You Sorceress!”

Gentleman Wang’s rage surged to his head. Showing no mercy, he raised his walking stick again to strike her, but Wang Rui, who had suddenly risen to his feet, shoved him hard.

That shove used nearly all his strength. How could the elderly Gentleman Wang withstand it?

Just as he was about to fall backward, Ren Fengjue caught and steadied him in time.

After this, Gentleman Wang, though he had not fallen, was so furious he nearly fainted on the spot.

The chaotic scene left everyone watching inwardly clicking their tongues in disbelief.

Only Simeng suddenly lifted her chin and let out a long, smug laugh.

She sauntered up to Ren Fengjue, gave him a deep look, then glanced back at Xia Ximo, who stood not far away beneath the doorway.

No longer bothering to hide anything, she said bluntly, “You two really do have some ability. You went to that Temple and still managed to come back alive?”

Ren Fengjue asked just as directly, “Did you kill Ruyan?”

Simeng showed not the slightest remorse. In fact, she looked as if it were only natural.

“That’s right. It was Master who borrowed my hand to strip her soul from her body while she was still alive. She must have died in such despair, don’t you think?”

“A good life was clearly almost within her reach. She had seen the hope of living, yet she would never again have the chance to go on.”

As she spoke, she laughed wildly and brazenly, her eyes filled with self-satisfaction.

Yan Zhengchu could not bear to listen any longer. “You could have remained a decent human being, yet you willingly became a servant of the Evil Spirit? You’re beyond saving!”

Simeng still could not have cared less.

“The Evil Spirit has already been subdued by this Daoist Master.”

Ren Fengjue asked, “So in the end, what did you gain?”

Simeng glanced at Wang Rui beside her, then said softly, “At the very least, I know what it feels like to be loved by someone, protected by someone-to have someone stay with me no matter right or wrong, heedless of worldly judgment, no matter what…”

“Stop lying to yourself.”

A voice rang out from behind the crowd. Under the night sky, Xia Ximo slowly walked over.

Simeng turned back and saw a pitying gaze fixed upon her. “Sister Simeng, what has always been precious is sincerity, not false affection.”