Chapter 118

Chapter 118

Huang Yong, knocked unconscious by Chen Guang, was stuffed into a burlap sack and hauled to the Porter Guild.

In the Guild's backyard, an empty room awaited, where Wang Ying and his companions were already gathered.

"Brother Chen's back!" Cao Kun called out, rushing from the front yard.

"Did you get Huang Yong?"

"Yes, he's still out cold. What should we do with him?"

Wang Ying instructed, "Quickly, get him inside and out of sight."

Soon after, Chen Guang arrived, effortlessly carrying the sack. A martial artist, he moved with surprising lightness despite the hundred-plus pounds of human cargo.

"Where should I put him, sir?"

"In the room. How long until he wakes?"

"If left undisturbed, about an hour. A splash of water would rouse him now."

"Can you keep him unconscious a bit longer? Ideally, not until after dark."

Chen Guang nodded, a simple task for him. He struck Huang Yong's back a few times, and the man went limp, slumping to the ground. This was the martial art of acupoint striking—nothing like television portrayals, yet equally effective in blocking meridians and causing significant harm.

But such a person deserved no pity. Once inside, they bound his hands and feet for good measure and gagged him to prevent any mid-sleep outbursts. With the door locked, everyone returned home, acting as if nothing had transpired.

Meanwhile, Ma Shi, accompanied by her eldest son, reported the incident to the authorities. The official clerk was Huang Yong's uncle, and this connection ensured a swift response; he immediately dispatched several constables to search.

Ma Shi's initial suspicion fell on Cao Kun, believing only he possessed the cunning to abduct her son without a trace. Given past events, Lin Qiu wouldn't let this go unchallenged—her son, she was certain, had been taken by them!

Ma Shi and the constables headed straight for the Cao residence, pounding loudly on the door.

Uncle Chen opened it, asking, "Whom do you seek?"

"Where is Cao Kun? Hand over my son!" Without waiting for a reply, Ma Shi shoved Uncle Chen aside, storming into the courtyard with the constables.

"Hey, what's the meaning of this?" Uncle Chen stumbled, quickly calling for help.

Soon, Cao Kun, Chen Qingyan, Chen Qinghuai, and Wang Ying emerged, blocking Ma Shi's path.

Seeing so many unfamiliar faces at the Cao house, Ma Shi felt a flicker of apprehension, unsure of their identities.

Yet, emboldened by the constables at her back, she declared, "No matter what methods you've used, hand over my son at once!"

As Cao Kun began to speak, Wang Ying restrained him, stepping forward herself. "Are you Huang Yong's mother?"

"Yes, and who are you?"

Wang Ying's hand shot out, delivering a sudden slap across Ma Shi's face. The blow caught her completely off guard, landing squarely.

"Ah! What was that for!" Ma Shi saw stars, clutching her face as she scurried behind the constables.

Two constables drew their swords. "That's uncalled for!"

Chen Qingyan and Chen Qinghuai stepped in front of Wang Ying, glaring fiercely at the opposing party.

Wang Ying showed no fear, pointing at Ma Shi and scolding, "You've arrived at a most opportune moment! We hadn't even sought you out, yet here you are, delivering yourself to our doorstep! Our Lin Sui married into your family honorably—she neither committed evil nor engaged in deceit. Why did you inflict such cruelty, beating her so severely that she miscarried?!"

Ma Shi averted her gaze. "She miscarried from a fall due to her own carelessness. What has that to do with us?"

"If it has nothing to do with you, why did you hide away? We haven't seen a trace of you for six or seven days!"

Hearing this new detail, the constables sheathed their swords, stepping aside to listen to the unfolding drama.

Sensing Wang Ying was not to be trifled with, Ma Shi softened her tone. "Couples argue—it's part of married life. They need to work through their differences to last. Lin Sui said something offensive that angered Yong'er, and he gave her a gentle push. Who could have imagined she'd fall and miscarry so unfortunately?"

Ma Shi produced a handkerchief, feigning tears. "We are heartbroken by what happened. After all, it was my own grandchild. Losing the baby left Huang Yong distraught for days, so I took him to the estate to clear his head."

"Bah! Listen to yourself—is that even human talk? Our Lin Sui was beaten until she miscarried, and instead of caring for her, you take the culprit out to relax? Are you even human? You're worse than pigs or dogs!"

"And as for a 'gentle push,' how did Lin Sui end up covered in bruises? Do you dare swear before Heaven that if you speak a single lie, your Huang family line will end, and your entire family will perish?"

"You!" Ma Shi certainly didn't dare. Had her son not gone missing, she wouldn't have dared to show her face.

"Call Chen-shi out! I don't know you. I want to speak with her!"

Wang Ying would never call Third Aunt out. Her health was already delicate, and facing Ma Shi's provocations might worsen her condition.

"I am Lin Sui's sister-in-law. Whatever you have to say, say it to me. If your family wishes to take this to court, we will go to the magistrate and let him decide which family is truly shameless!"

The commotion in the courtyard soon drew neighbors, and a crowd gathered at the Cao family's gate to gawk at the drama.

Ma Shi's anger flared. She wasn't afraid of a court battle, but she didn't want the matter blown out of proportion. If her and her son's scandal came to light, it would be disastrous.

"Since you refuse our mercy, don't blame me for showing none! After my son married Lin Sui… they never even shared a bed. Whose child was she carrying in her belly?"

"Bullshit!" Lin Qiu was furious upon hearing this, grabbing a nearby shovel to swing at her.

The constables intervened, but Ma Shi grew bolder, shouting, "Your husband protects Lin Sui so fiercely—who would believe there's nothing going on? Perhaps they're sharing a husband! My son beating her until she miscarried was actually sparing her face! Such a disreputable man deserves to be beaten to death!"

Lin Qiu saw black and nearly fainted. Cao Kun quickly supported him. "Don't listen to her nonsense. We have clear consciences. Let her spin her tales however she wishes!"

Wang Ying hadn't expected this woman to be so shameless, turning black into white.

Since their family showed no remorse, it made things simpler. Whether Huang Yong lived or went mad was entirely up to him now.

Lin Qiu yelled, "Get out! Get out of here! Huang Yong isn't in our house. If you don't believe it, have the constables search! If Ma Shi dares set foot in our home again, I'll surely cut her down where she stands!"

Ma Shi clutched her chest, feigning injury. "Everyone heard that! He threatened to kill me! I've never met a family like this!"

The constables, intimidated by the family's murderous expressions, quickly ushered Ma Shi out, not wanting to be held responsible if things escalated.

They searched the courtyard thoroughly and, finding no one, departed.

But the crowd at the gate didn't disperse. People gathered in small groups, discussing the incident.

"Who would have thought the Lin family's man was like this? He always seemed honest, but he ended up having an affair with his brother-in-law…"

"Indeed, appearances can be deceiving. No wonder he was beaten until he miscarried. No one could tolerate being cuckolded like that."

Hearing this, Lin Qiu nearly blacked out again. The Huang family had done the worst possible thing, leaving Lin Sui with no way out!

For women and men, reputation was everything. Now that Ma Shi was spreading rumors that Lin Sui had been involved with her own husband, she was pushing him toward utter ruin.

Wang Ying was also seething. "Uncle Chen, Er Shun, quickly, shut the gate!"

"Right." The two closed the gate on the onlookers.

Wang Ying pulled Lin Qiu aside and said, "Not a single word of what happened today must reach Third Aunt or Lin Sui. Cousin Qiu, you must stay strong; leave the rest to us."

"Mm." Lin Qiu burst into tears, grateful that his cousin and sister-in-law were there—otherwise, he truly wouldn't have known what to do.

After everyone calmed down, they entered the house. Chen Rong asked, "What was all that noise outside? I thought I heard Ma Shi's voice."

Lin Qiu quickly replied, "You must have misheard. Ma Shi wouldn't dare show up at our house after what they did. If she showed her face, we'd have chased her off with a big stick long ago."

Chen Rong nodded, "I thought it couldn't be her. If she had the nerve, she wouldn't have hidden away with the whole family."

Lin Qiu breathed a sigh of relief, glad his mother hadn't suspected anything. Lin Sui, however, was harder to deceive. Familiar with her mother-in-law's voice, she had recognized it as soon as Ma Shi arrived.

She had developed an instinctive fear of her mother-in-law, trembling at the sound of her voice. Fortunately, Chen Qingyun was by her side, covering her with a quilt so she couldn't clearly hear the commotion outside.

Lin Qiu lied to her, saying Ma Shi had come to take her back.

"I won't go back! I don't want to go back!" Lin Sui trembled in fear.

Lin Qiu held her tenderly and said, "I already chased her away. Don't be afraid."

After searching everywhere without finding her son, Ma Shi refused to give up and planned to go to the Cao Family Porter Guild to look for him. But as it was already late, the constables needed to rest and put her off till tomorrow, promising to continue helping with the search.

Without the constables' support, Ma Shi didn't dare to search on her own and had to return home to wait.

Meanwhile, Wang Ying and the others acted as if nothing had happened, staying at the Cao residence until afternoon as usual before returning to the inn for a meal.

Only when it was completely dark did they slip over the wall to Cao Kun's porter guild.

To avoid alerting anyone, Cao Kun was kept out of this. If harm came to Huang Yong, his family would suspect Cao Kun first.

So that night, only Wang Ying, Chen Qingyan, Chen Guang, and Uncle Chen were present.

Wang Ying changed into clothes prepared in advance—Lin Sui's clothes. He was taller than Lin Sui, so they were a bit tight, but it didn't matter much. The room was dimly lit, and Huang Yong wouldn't notice.

Uncle Chen glued on a white beard, blackened his eye sockets with ink, wore a wooden imitation of an imperial crown, and draped a thick cloth over his shoulders as a makeshift cloak.

Wang Ying whispered, "Do you remember your lines?"

Uncle Chen nodded, "Yes, three sentences in total: 'Impudent commoner, how dare you not kneel before this official? Do you admit your guilt? If you refuse to confess, you shall be condemned to the tongue-ripping hell!'"

"Exactly. When I light the candle, you begin."

"Alright, alright."

Chen Guang glanced at them, unsure what the young master was planning, but he simply followed orders, hanging pre-prepared white cloths around the room and scattering joss paper all over the floor.

Chen Qingyan changed into black clothes and was responsible for lighting the lamps and pretending to be Ox-Head and Horse-Face, the underworld guards.

Once everything was ready, Chen Guang untied the ropes binding the man on the floor and tapped his back a few times. After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Huang Yong woke up.

He opened his eyes, disoriented, and felt something on his face. Reaching out, he grabbed a handful of joss paper, let out a terrified scream, and sat up abruptly.

He was horrified by the scene before him: the entire room was draped with white cloths swaying back and forth in a ghostly breeze.

"Where is this? Let me out! Let me out now!"

"Yonglang, where are you going?" A delicate voice came from the darkness—Wang Ying imitating Lin Sui's voice.

If listened to carefully, one could tell their voices were different: Wang Ying's tone was brighter, while Lin Sui's was softer. Unfortunately, Huang Yong was too terrified to notice.

He turned around and saw a figure moving in the shadows. Suddenly, "Lin Sui" appeared behind him with disheveled hair, holding an empty swaddling cloth.

"Yonglang, where is our child?"