Chapter 107: The Cut, Nan Jinping’s Reaction

Chapter 107: The Execution

Nan Jinping's Reaction

Zhao Weihai provocatively glowered at Bing Wengu, his expression silently challenging, *What can you do to me?*

A murderous glint flashed in Bing Wengu's eyes as he turned slightly, his wide official sleeve sweeping aside. In one swift motion, he drew Cong Lin's blade from behind.

The sharp blade gleamed ominously under the harsh light, and in the next instant, that cold edge pressed against Zhao Weihai's neck.

A head thudded to the ground, warm blood splattering like a belated downpour onto the earth and the surrounding crowd.

Bing Wengu stood there, the bloodied sword in his hand, resembling a wrathful deity (asura) risen from hell.

Screams erupted. Children wailed amidst the chaos, only to be muffled by parents clamping hands over their mouths—as if afraid they might awaken some monstrous horror.

Bing Wengu turned, half his face stained with blood, his gaze piercing through the crowd to lock onto one person.

Their eyes met. In Nan Jinping's gaze, there was no fear, no disgust—not even at his brutality.

All Bing Wengu saw was anguish, and Nan Jinping lifting a handkerchief as if to wipe the blood from his face.

In that moment, every sacrifice and all the boundless love he had given felt repaid—worth more than a thousand words.

"As long as you're not afraid of me," Bing Wengu mouthed soundlessly, the corners of his lips curling into a genuine, heartfelt smile.

That smile sent chills down the spines of those around him. How could someone who had just taken a life wear an expression of unsettling contentment?

Was this not a monster from the underworld?

Bing Wengu's smile was fleeting—blooming and vanishing in an instant.

He turned to the yamen officers behind him and commanded, "Arrest them all!"

The officers moved with the precision of well-drilled soldiers, swiftly apprehending the merchants as if any delay would cost them their heads like Zhao Weihai.

Cong Lin's blade had been requisitioned by Bing Wengu, and he dared not ask for it back. Instead, he rushed forward empty-handed to assist in the arrests, unwilling to stand idle.

The merchants who had moments ago been defiant now trembled in terror.

Proprietor Zou barely remained standing, while Proprietor Han's legs gave way entirely, collapsing beneath him. Proprietor Cheng, hauled up by the officers, voided his bladder in terror.

Though Proprietor Zou still stood, his legs shook uncontrollably, forcing two officers to drag him roughly toward the yamen.

To him, the path no longer led to the county office but to the Yellow Springs. His neck felt unnervingly cold, as though his head were already gone.

"My lord, Lord Bing!" Proprietor Zou begged. "I'll lower the prices—spare my life! Set the price, and my rice will sell for whatever you say!"

Proprietor Han, likewise being dragged, wailed, "My lord, I'll give all my grain freely—just don't take my head!"

"M-me too," Proprietor Cheng tried to shout, but only a choked gurgle escaped his throat before he collapsed unconscious.

Amidst the merchants' desperate pleas, they were all hauled away. Bing Wengu lingered last, casting one final deep look at Nan Jinping. When Nan Jinping gave an almost imperceptible nod, Bing Wengu strode off after the officers.

The crowd slowly dispersed, leaving only a stain of blood behind—even Zhao Weihai's body had been removed. It was as if nothing had happened, yet the event was branded permanently into everyone's memory.

The Nan and Bing families began to leave, only to realize Nan Jinping hadn't moved. Turning back, they saw him rooted to the spot, face wet with tears—not from fear or pretense, but from something deeper.

In that moment, the blurred lines between reality and dreams sharpened into clarity. It was as though Nan Jinping had lived through it all before. Suddenly, he understood Bing Wengu's warped emotions—the pent-up violence beneath his composed exterior, his twisted yet fervent devotion, the way his love blazed so fiercely that nothing else existed in his world.

Liang Shi watched Little Jin standing silently in place, tears streaming down her face, not grasping the intense and conflicting emotions raging within her. She thought Little Jin was frightened by Bing Wengu's sudden ferocity.

Liang Shi hurriedly comforted her, "Little Jin, don’t cry, don’t be afraid of Eldest Son. You know how he treats you! He would never do such a thing to you!"

Miao Shi pulled Little Jin into a tight embrace, holding her close, while Nan Fu wrapped his arms around both mother and child from behind, wordlessly supporting them.

Miao Shi looked at her child with heartache and softly reassured, "Little Jin, don’t be afraid."

Old Master Bing couldn’t stay silent either and spoke up in defense of his son, "Little Jin, Eldest Son was driven mad with anger—that’s why he acted so rashly in the heat of the moment. He truly wants to be a good official. For the sake of the people, he was even willing to set aside the dignity of his position and humble himself before merchants, whom officials usually scorn. That alone shows how much he cares for the common folk. That’s why he was so furious that he... But he would never act that way toward you."

Nan Fu insisted firmly, "In-law, don’t say any more. Let my daughter calm down first. Though Little Jin was born in the countryside and raised roughly, it’s only natural for her to be distraught and unable to accept such a violent act right away. Let her come back with us to the Nan family first to settle her mind before anything else."

Bing Silang scratched his head anxiously. "Brother-in-law, you know how my eldest brother has always treated you. From our village to Bianjing, then to Ji County, we’ve endured hardships side by side. Even the lucrative novelty trade—he entrusted it entirely to you. He’s given you his heart and soul. In my eyes, the only thing he hasn’t done is literally give you the shirt off his back. This was just an accident."

Nan Dalang spoke up then, "I remember, before marrying Little Jin, your husband, my brother, once had an outburst—against you, his own blood brother. It almost ended in bloodshed too."

Bing Silang opened and closed his mouth several times, unsure how to explain, as it was indeed something that had truly happened.

Liang Shi, Old Master Nan, and Bing Silang all fell silent, not knowing what else to say.

Bing Erlang, clumsy with words and new to the family business, didn’t know how to smooth things over with pretty explanations. He could only mumble, "It won’t happen. Eldest Brother adores Little Jin too much. No matter how angry he gets, he’d never lay a hand on her."

Miao Shi said, "Little Jin is shaken. Let her stay at her parents’ home for a few days first. We can discuss the rest later."

Just as the Bing family was at a loss for how to persuade her, Little Jin suddenly wriggled free from Miao Shi and Nan Fu’s embrace.

"Father, Mother, I’m fine—not frightened at all. There’s no need for me to go home. Right now, I must return to the Bing residence. Wen Gu needs me most at this moment. If I go back to the Nan family now, I’m afraid he’ll dwell on it and lose focus."

In that instant, Miao Shi deeply understood what the "lovestruck fool" described in Little Jin’s storybooks looked like—exactly like her daughter right now.

Little Jin’s eyes were filled with worry. "No matter what, Zhao Weihai was an official personally appointed by the Emperor. Even if he was at fault, Wen Gu only had the authority to detain him temporarily. The final judgment would require petitioning the Emperor for instructions. But now, Wen Gu has killed him outright. Who knows how the Emperor will punish him for this? I must go back and discuss a solution with Wen Gu."

Both the Bing and Nan families fell silent.

Miao Shi said, "Then let your mother stay with you at the Bing private residence for a few nights. Since your marriage, we haven’t had a chance to stay together."

Little Jin had no reason to refuse this request. Nan Fu, still uneasy, wanted to follow, but Miao Shi shook her head to stop him.

Miao Shi accompanied the Bing family back to the private residence of the government office. At this time, Madam Bing was leading the children in the courtyard at play. Bing Wulang and Bing Sanniang still didn’t know what had happened, only sensing the oppressive atmosphere in the air.

Bing Wulang cluelessly asked, "What’s going on? Why do you all look so grim, like someone died?"

Liang Shi snapped as if her tail had been stepped on, "Have you finished the homework your teacher assigned? Instead of studying, you’re fooling around here? Get to your studies! Back when your eldest brother was studying, the conditions were so much harder—nothing like the privileges you have now. If you still can’t pass the civil service exams with all this, just wait till I tan your hide alive!"

Scolded harshly by Liang Shi, Bing Wulang and Bing Sanniang scurried off to their rooms to study.

On the way, Bing Wulang whispered, baffled, "What’s gotten into Mother? Why is she so angry all of a sudden?"

Bing Sanniang shook her little head, speaking wise beyond her years, "Something must have happened—probably related to Eldest Brother. Otherwise, Brother-in-law, Auntie, and the rest of our family wouldn’t look like that."

She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "As for what exactly... You just mentioned Mother snapping—something about death? It definitely can’t be trouble in the Nan household, or else Brother-in-law and Auntie wouldn’t be here."

Bing Wulang listened to her analysis, only half-understanding.

"Could it be... Eldest Brother killed someone?" Bing Sanniang suddenly blurted out, shocking even herself.

Bing Wulang trembled. "No way... Eldest Brother wouldn’t, right?"

Bing Sanniang shook her head. "I don’t know. But he does have a history of lashing out. Don’t you remember when Fourth Brother tried to stop him from marrying Brother-in-law? Eldest Brother nearly killed him in his rage then."

Bing Wulang gulped nervously.

Bing Sanniang said, "Wanna know what's really going on? Easy—let's go listen in."

Bing Wulang immediately refused, "No way."

Bing Sanniang tilted her head and asked, "You really think you can concentrate without knowing what happened?"

Bing Wulang replied, "Yes."

Bing Sanniang pouted, "Chicken. Stay here—I'll go myself. But if I find out the truth, I won’t tell you."

Bing Wulang said, "I don’t want to know the truth."

Bing Sanniang pursed her lips and ran off to eavesdrop by herself.

Nan Jinping took Miao Shi back to his place, with Liang Shi following closely behind.

Miao Shi said, "Mother Liang, I need to talk privately with Jin Geer. You don’t need to follow."

"Alright, alright," Liang Shi replied awkwardly.

Nan Jinping took Miao Shi back to his room, and Miao Shi promptly kicked Ping'an out.

Seeing Miao Shi’s serious expression, Nan Jinping said, "Mom, I wasn’t crying out of fear earlier. It was just that my heart broke for Wengu all of a sudden. I know exactly how he treats me—you’ve all seen it. If anyone's hurting someone, it's me hurting him."

"Jin Geer..." Miao Shi tried to say more, but Nan Jinping interrupted her.

"Mom, enough said. I understand," Nan Jinping said firmly. "What's eating at me is what comes next."

Miao Shi held her tongue but her heart was filled with emotion.

At this moment, Miao Shi realized crystal clear just how much Nan Jinping had grown.

She sighed deeply. "Jin Geer, sure, he's got a cold streak and sometimes gets violent, but your husband is a damn good husband."

"We should've raised you right, but we taught you nothing. But now, your husband has raised you well. Even in the face of such a major incident, you kept your cool and looked for answers."

Miao Shi felt gratified. "What makes me happy isn’t just your growth, but more so that you’ve grown strong without getting battered."

Nan Jinping smiled. "Mom, Wengu is truly a wonderful husband. Not even Prince Charming in those tales is half as good as him. The best thing that ever happened to me is marrying him and not missing out on him."

Miao Shi saw the real joy and shyness on Nan Jinping’s face as he spoke of Wengu.

"This really doesn't bother you?"

"Mom, why should it?" Nan Jinping replied. "Wengu's a magistrate, and magistrates must pass judgments. Which magistrate hasn’t sentenced criminals to death? The only difference is that this time, he did the deed himself—big deal."