Chapter 176
Chapter 176
Zhu Wenhua, his courage failing him, desperately tried to shove Shen Lang away.
“Don’t touch me, don’t touch me!”
Zhu Wenhua shrieked, scrambling to get away as fast as his legs would carry him. Shen Lang shouted after him.
“Don’t go. Don’t go, come and get me. I said, come and get me…”
Suddenly, Mulan wrapped her arms around Shen Lang’s waist from behind, pressing her face against his back. She burst into tears, and soon, Shen Lang’s back was soaked.
Although this wound had successfully scared off Zhu Wenhua, Wang Jilie, and the others, Mulan’s heart ached for him. Her husband had always lived a life of comfort and couldn't stand even the slightest pain.
The wound he had just inflicted on himself must be searing like a brand. How much it must hurt.
Shen Lang spoke to her in a gentle voice.
“For the sake of taking Raging Tide City, for the eternal peace of our family, and for the hundred-year legacy of our Jin clan to reach even greater heights, all of this is well worth it. Father-in-law is still confined to his bed, taking the medicine I prepare for him every day, and he has lost over ten pounds. Compared to what he’s enduring, what is this little bit of pain?”
Liu Chengyan, Zhu Wenhua, and even Wang Jilie were all insignificant in Shen Lang's eyes. He could have killed Zhu Wenhua at any moment, but he was letting him live a few more days for the sake of capturing Raging Tide City.
“Today’s events were merely laying the groundwork. In the future, when Wang Jilie of the Grand Court of Revision falls gravely ill and dies, no one will be too surprised or suspicious. Once we successfully take Raging Tide City, I will kill Zhu Wenhua's entire family. Everyone who came to our estate to cause trouble today will die. Even if they came and said nothing, they must die!”
Everything was for the sake of taking Raging Tide City. The city and the islands of Leizhou comprised a territory of nearly ten thousand square kilometers. If the Jin clan could acquire that land, they would not only overcome their current crisis but would also transcend mere stability and enter the greatest golden age in their history.
*Xu Qianqian, how are things progressing on your end? Once this game is in motion, it cannot be stopped. Is capturing that she-devil Qiu Yao’er really that difficult?*
If things went wrong on Xu Qianqian’s side, the entire plan would have a fatal flaw. Unfortunately, she had no interest in men; if Shen Lang had gone himself, he guaranteed he would have been killed in minutes.
***
Inside Lin Mo’s residence.
It had been well over two months since Lin Mo had fled his home. The grand estate, spanning dozens of acres, was now overgrown with weeds. The dozens of servants and maids had all run away, leaving only Lin Mo, his two sons, and his wife. Lord Lin from the Weaving Department was also staying with them temporarily.
How prosperous and bustling the Lin clan had once been. Lin Zhuo had become the son-in-law of the Count of Jing'an's Estate and had been appointed Chiliarch of the Yanshan Chiliarchy. The Lin family was on the verge of rising to become a new noble power… but alas, it had all turned to dust. Shen Lang had ruined everything. That beast had reduced their family to this desolate state.
As soon as news of Lin Zhuo’s death had arrived, the cautious and timid Lin Mo had fled with his family. The two months they had spent in hiding were a living nightmare, filled with constant fear. But now, everything was back to normal. No, it was even better. The Lin family had been saved. With the help of the Count of Jing'an's Estate, the Brocade Pavilion had become a Royal Merchant, collaborating with the Weaving Department. The rise of the Lin clan was imminent, while the Count of Xuanwu's Estate was doomed. As for Shen Lang, he would soon die without even a place for his burial. The heavens were not blind after all.
Over the past two months, Lin Mo’s family of four had cursed Shen Lang countless times. They had drawn his portrait to stomp on every day, splattering it with filth and blood. They had made a cursed effigy of him, stabbing it and cursing it hundreds of times a day. It seemed their curses had worked, for Shen Lang was finally on the brink of ruin.
With no maids in the mansion, Lin Mo’s wife went to the kitchen herself to prepare a meal for her husband and their guest, Lord Lin of the Weaving Department. There weren't many dishes, but they were made with fine wine and food, and the aroma was exquisite. As he drank, Lin Mo shed his previous caution and timidity, and his words began to flow freely.
“Today was magnificent, truly exhilarating… That Shen Lang used to be so arrogant, but today he was as meek as a dog. I was clearly making unreasonable demands and extorting him, yet he just grit his teeth and took it, even giving me thirteen hundred gold coins. Not only that, but he also acknowledged a debt of three thousand gold coins that I completely fabricated and promised to pay it.
This is all thanks to Lord Lin’s prestige. Our family of four would like to offer you a toast!”
Lin Mo’s family of four raised their cups to Lord Lin of the Weaving Department. Citing their shared surname, Lin Mo had eagerly curried favor with him. Lord Lin smiled faintly, a picture of restraint, and said:
“Shen Lang comes from a lowly background. Even if he became the son-in-law of a count, he could never change his inherently servile, weed-like nature. Before, he acted high and mighty, relying on his family’s power to cause a stir, but now that the end of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate is near, his true cowardly nature is showing. In the end, he’s nothing but a worthless man.”
Lin Mo’s wife spoke up.
“I heard that the Count of Xuanwu is gravely ill, with no hope of recovery, and will soon die.”
“That is what the royal physician explicitly stated.”
Lin Mo’s wife continued, “In my opinion, Shen Lang is a harbinger of disaster. After the Count of Xuanwu's Estate took him in as a son-in-law, they ended up on the path to ruin. He must be a bringer of great calamity.”
Lin Mo’s two sons chimed in.
“That’s right, he must be. He used to be just a stupid oaf, but now he’s a bringer of disaster.”
Lin Mo asked Lord Lin, “My lord, when do you think the Count of Xuanwu's Estate will finally collapse?”
“Within a month! The Hidden Yuan Society has formally demanded that the Jin clan repay their debts. They have to pay a staggering seven hundred thousand gold coins. Where is Count Jin Zhuo going to find that kind of money? Right now, he wouldn’t be able to borrow seventy thousand gold coins, let alone seven hundred thousand.”
“Isn’t that the truth? Just a moment ago, after Shen Lang gave me thirteen hundred gold coins, he couldn’t produce the remaining three thousand and had to write me an IOU.”
“If the Jin clan cannot repay the seven hundred thousand gold coins, the King himself will intervene and rule that Wang'ai Island be given to the Hidden Yuan Society. That will be the day the Count of Xuanwu's Estate is destroyed. And that day is coming very soon.”
Lin Mo, flushed with wine, said, “To watch that scoundrel meet his end right before my eyes brings me immense satisfaction, immense satisfaction…”
Lin Mo’s son asked Lord Lin, “Lord Lin, what will happen to Jin Mulan then? Will she be sent to the government pleasure house? If so, I’d be willing to pay any price to spend a night with her.”
“Dream on. Jin Mulan is a rare, peerless beauty. An exalted personage has had his eyes on her for some time. Once the Count of Xuanwu's Estate falls, Jin Mulan will have no choice but to obediently offer herself to him to save her mother and brother. As for how miserably Shen Lang will die then, only the heavens know.”
Lin Mo laughed loudly.
“Utterly gratifying… Then let us wait here for the good show to begin. We cannot miss the spectacle of the Jin clan being annihilated and Shen Lang being torn to pieces.”
Just then, Lin Mo suddenly felt a sharp pain in his stomach. Lord Lin also frowned and clutched his abdomen.
“Wife, did you not wash the meat for today’s meal properly?”
“That’s impossible.”
Then she, too, clutched her stomach and said, “Perhaps the kitchen wasn’t clean. It’s been so long since I’ve cooked in there.”
Lin Mo’s two sons had been fine, but upon hearing the others complain of stomachaches, they began to feel pains of their own. The laxative Shen Lang had prepared was incredibly potent. Once the urge came, it was impossible to stop. It started faintly, but as time passed, the symptoms grew more severe until, eventually, diarrhea would gush out even if they stood still. Soon, all of them were clutching their stomachs and heading for the chamber pots in their respective rooms. But the chamber pots in the rooms were too filthy to even sit on. Desperately pulling up their trousers, they rushed towards the latrine.
The Lin family originally had dozens of servants, so their latrine was quite large. It had seven or eight pits dug into the ground and was used by both men and women. As the five of them ran into the latrine together, the stench was overwhelming. It hadn’t been cleaned in over two months, and the smell of fermented excrement filled the air. But they had no time to worry about the smell. Lin Mo found a spot over a pit, pulled down his trousers, and squatted.
*Crack.*
The footboard over the pit broke, and with a sharp scream of “Agh!”, Lin Mo plunged into the cesspit. The waste in the pit had been accumulating for over a year. He was instantly submerged in filth. He tried desperately to scream… but his mouth was filled. The sensation was a hundred times more wretched than being in hell.
Lord Lin, Lin Mo’s wife, and his two sons were lighter, so their footboards didn’t break. But the stench inside the latrine was so overpowering it was suffocating; they felt dizzy. How could they not suffocate? The concentration of methane and hydrogen sulfide was extremely high.
“Help me, help me…”
Lin Mo thrashed wildly in the cesspit. A moment later, a torch was suddenly thrown into the latrine from a window outside.
*BOOM!* With a deafening roar, the entire latrine exploded violently.
“Agh, agh…”
The footboards over the other pits were shattered by the explosion, and Lin Mo’s wife, his two sons, and Lord Lin of the Weaving Department all fell into the cesspits. In an instant, raging flames engulfed them. They screamed in agony, their bodies covered in severe burns, before they were all submerged in the immense volume of excrement.
At the same time.
An uninvited guest arrived at the Count of Xuanwu's Estate. No, to be precise, he was an ally! And a powerful ally with a formidable background at that.
“I… I… I greet my aunt!”
A young man bowed to Su Peipei. He had sharp and handsome features, but his skin was exceptionally dark, giving him a peculiar look. It wasn't just his unusually dark complexion; a distinct, star-shaped birthmark under his chin made his face seem even stranger. Furthermore, he was short, standing at only five feet three inches, and he stuttered. He did not seem like a person of noble birth, but he was no ordinary man. He was Ning Zheng, the fifth son of the King.
By status alone, he was a major figure. He had no direct ties to the Count of Xuanwu's Estate, but he was a distant relative of Su Peipei. His mother, Consort Su, was the legitimate daughter of Marquis Su Nan, from the Marquisate of Zhenyuan. It was normal for the King to marry the daughter of a marquis. The Queen herself was the legitimate daughter of the Zhu Clan, a prestigious noble family in the Great Yan Dynasty whose influence was not limited to the State of Yue.
Therefore, besides the Queen, the King had four consorts, three of whom were daughters of old, established noble families. Consort Bian was the younger sister of Duke Bian Wu of Wei. Consort Zhong was from the Zhong Clan of the Marquisate of Zhenxi. And Consort Su was from the Su Clan of the Marquisate of Zhenyuan. However, Consort Bian had not borne a son, so she could not participate in the struggle for succession.