“Su Changlin, let me go, or I will never forgive you for the rest of my life.”
The carriage swayed slowly through the outskirts, and in the vast, silent night, the sound of hooves was particularly conspicuous.
“Yunxia, I…”
“Erlang, we’ve already taken her out, it’s no use sending her back now. The palace banquet is over, and everyone already knows she’s missing. It’s better to stick to the original plan and hide at the manor for a while.”
“Who exactly are you?”
Jiang Yunxia yanked open the carriage curtain: “Why are you constantly encouraging your master to do bad things?”
A normal guard would follow their master’s orders, but this guard of Su Erlang’s oversteps his authority at every turn, making decisions for his master. He doesn’t seem like someone raised by the Su family.
He seems more like someone planted by others to guide Su Erlang into making mistakes.
The guard pulled the reins to stop the carriage and glared back at Jiang Yunxia. The killing intent in his eyes made Jiang Yunxia shrink back.
“Ada, what’s wrong?”
Su Changlin was still in the dark and poked his head out.
Suddenly, the guard grabbed Su Changlin’s arm, yanked hard, and threw him out of the carriage, landing heavily on the ground.
Su Changlin’s entire body was numb from the fall, but when he saw Ada dragging Jiang Yunxia’s clothes to pull her out, he forced himself to get up despite the excruciating pain and rushed over to hold her: “Ada, what are you doing?”
Ada didn’t speak, kicking Su Erlang in the chest with another forceful kick, making him bend over in pain.
“Changlin!”
Jiang Yunxia clung tightly to Su Changlin’s hand, not wanting to be taken away by Ada, not knowing what he intended to do.
Ada didn’t waste any words, drawing the long sword from his waist and slashing down at the fingers intertwined between the two.
Jiang Yunxia screamed and quickly let go of her hand, but Su Changlin refused to let go. At the moment the blade fell, he pulled Jiang Yunxia into his embrace, using his back to block Ada’s sword.
The long sword pierced Su Changlin, and the pungent smell of blood filled the air. Jiang Yunxia’s eyes widened: “Brother Changlin!”
Ada, however, didn’t give the couple a chance for a “farewell.” He grabbed Jiang Yunxia’s hair and threw her onto the withered grass, then pounced on her, intending to violate her.
“Ahhh…”
Jiang Yunxia screamed and struggled: “Su Ruyue! Is it Su Ruyue who sent you? You’re Su Ruyue’s man!”
In her moment of crisis, she suddenly remembered a small incident.
Back when Su Erlang had invited her for a boat ride, he had also brought along Su Ruyue. At the time, Su Erlang had joked that his sister was his shadow, insisting on coming along to see his future sister-in-law.
Su Ruyue had been upset by him calling her a shadow, and to ease the tension between the siblings, she had chided Su Erlang a few times, to which he immediately apologized.
She remembered Su Ruyue saying at the time: “Second Brother is indeed a big romantic. When it comes to Sister Jiang, you don’t hit back or argue, just do whatever she says. Even I, who have grown up with you, have to step aside and be called a shadow.”
Now, looking back, the resentment in her words was clearly aimed at her.
But she hadn’t paid it any mind, nor had she thought deeply about it.
What Su Ruyue truly couldn’t accept was that her beloved older brother had his heart and mind completely occupied by his fiancée.
“Sister?”
“How… could this be?”
Ada's eyes gleamed with murderous intent: "Since you already know, I can't let you live. Let me make you a clear-headed ghost—it was indeed my lady who ordered me to trick Second Master into running away with you."
The lady also said to wound Second Master, letting him watch Jiang Yunxia’s innocence be destroyed, to see if he would still dote on a tainted woman without hesitation.
“You treat human life so lightly. Aren’t you afraid that once it’s discovered, the authorities will come to arrest you?”
Ada sneered: “You, a shameless woman who ran away with a man, were attacked by bandits during your elopement. Those bandits defiled your body, killed you, and stole all of Second Master’s wealth. Second Master was severely injured and fell into a coma. What does that have to do with me, or with our lady?”
“Everyone will blame… your lack of self-respect, and curse you for deserving it!”
Jiang Yunxia bit her lip, her chest feeling icy cold as Ada tore open her outer garments.
“Let her go!”
Su Changlin's veins bulged on his forehead. The intense pain in his back made him feel even more sober, and suddenly, he understood the hidden meanings behind every word Su Ruyue had said.
No wonder she didn’t like calling Yunxia “sister-in-law” and called him a big fool for wanting to ruin Yunxia’s innocence before marriage.
She always complained in front of him about not getting along with the Jiang sisters, saying that Jiang Yunxia and Jiang Yuncai, relying on being the sisters of the Imperial Noble Consort, were arrogant and didn’t consider her feelings.
She said the Jiang family, being merchants, weren’t worthy of the Su family, but since her brother liked them, there was nothing she could do.
It turned out she held such a grudge.
Just because he had shared his love with Yunxia, she…
“Bang!”
“Ugh!”
Jiang Yunxia felt a sudden lightness as she opened her eyes to see a cold, stern face: “Ma… Magistrate Ma?”
Ma Yiyang took off his cloak and quickly draped it over her, his fierce eyes turning to the bleeding Ada on the ground.
“Clang!”
The long sword left its sheath, and without much movement, he half-held the trembling girl in his arms while his sword danced in a swift, precise arc, flying straight into Ada’s chest.
Su Changlin was so terrified he could barely stand, not daring to utter a word.
Magistrate Ma Yiyang of the Ministry of Justice, known as this merciless killing god, was infamous for his ruthless efficiency. Even his own father, upon encountering this man, had sought to curry favor, though to no avail.
Ma Yiyang’s deadpan eyes fell on Su Changlin: “If you can’t protect her, don’t put her in danger. If there’s a next time, I’ll kill you too.”
A simple “mistakenly thought you were in league with the bandits” would suffice.
Ma Yiyang, having trained in martial arts for years, was tall and powerfully built. When he picked Jiang Yunxia up in his arms, she felt tiny, nestled against his broad chest.
His chest was wide, and the lines from his shoulders to his arms were slightly raised, as if about to burst through his clothes, exuding a wild, untamed beauty.
In the Great Yan Dynasty, men were admired for their delicate, refined beauty, and someone like Magistrate Ma, with his rugged appearance, wasn’t particularly appealing to young ladies.
But as Jiang Yunxia gazed at Ma Yiyang’s face under the moonlight, her cheeks grew redder.
Contrary to his imposing physique, Ma Yiyang’s features were actually quite cold and sharp, with a fierce, unyielding beauty.
Having not paid close attention before, she found him quite handsome up close tonight.
“Have you had enough of looking, Miss?”
Ma Yiyang stared straight ahead: “Do you know how worried everyone in the Jiang family has been since you disappeared?”
