Ashes to Crown

Chapter 110: Chapter 68: On the Street (Part 2)

Of course, Liang Qiang held no real resentment for the Wei Family. He wasn’t insane. He didn’t even blame Third Young Master Xie.

”Third Young Master Xie is a true son of a noble house,” he said. ”He knows what must be done!”

With that, he hurled the wine cup in his hand onto the street below and shouted at the top of his lungs.

”Well struck!”

The wine cup landed on the street and shattered with a crash.

The middle-aged man behind Xie Yanlai raised his whip once more, bringing it down viciously across Xie Yanlai’s back.

”Mr. Xie, Xie Yanlai, your conduct is improper, your character is flawed, and you have cost people their lives!”

The blow made the bare-backed youth, who carried thorn branches, stumble. But he quickly regained his footing, stepping over the shattered cup on the road as he marched forward, leaving a trail of blood drops in his wake.

At the same time, the crowd on the street began to chant along, their voices growing louder and louder.

”Well struck!”

”Well struck!”

...

...

The clamor of shouts rose from the street like a whirlwind, swirling around the windows of the tall, street-facing buildings.

However, the young ladies weren’t looking outside just then. They were listening to their maids’ accounts.

”And that’s how it happened. Eldest Young Master Wei of Han County placated the villagers, which is what allowed that Xie... what’s-his-name... to get away safely.”

Eldest Young Master Wei of Han County was no match for Third Young Master Xie, and the young ladies couldn’t have cared less about him. They only asked about Third Young Master Xie. ”What will Third Young Master Xie do?” ”Won’t he be dragged down by this?” ”Third Young Master Xie must be terribly worried, right?”

The maids, of course, knew who their mistresses cared about and had made sure to get all the details.

”Don’t you worry, my ladies,” they said. ”Third Young Master Xie did no less than Eldest Young Master Wei.”

Third Young Master Xie learned of the incident as quickly as possible and immediately sent a large sum of money to the villagers. He entrusted Eldest Young Master Wei with using it to buy a new place for the survivors to settle down.

Once he secured the forgiveness of the surviving villagers, and with Eldest Young Master Wei handling things so thoroughly, the matter would have simply vanished within Han County. It would never have spread, and the Xie family’s reputation would have remained completely unscathed.

But—

”Third Young Master Xie didn’t do that. Third Young Master Xie said that so many lives were lost, it could not be ignored. He had the man bound and brought back to be paraded through the streets as a public spectacle—a penance for himself and a warning to all the other sons of the Xie family.”

Hearing this, the young ladies’ faces filled with sympathy. ”Third Young Master Xie is so strict with himself.” ”Sigh, he must be so distraught.” ”It’s really not necessary. He had already done more than enough.”

Qi Leyun turned her head to look at Chu Zhao, who hadn’t said a word the entire time.

”Chu Zhao, what do you think?” she asked.

Everyone else now wanted to hear her opinion as well, and all the girls turned to look at her.

Chu Zhao thought for a moment before saying, ”This is indeed something Third Young Master Xie would do.”

’In her past life, the Xie family had been able to rally supporters with a single call to arms, all thanks to the reputation they had built up over time. When a son of the Xie family committed a wicked act, Third Young Master Xie didn’t try to hide it. It might have looked like the Xie family was losing face, but in reality, it only burnished their good name.’

Qi Leyun said, displeased, ”Who asked you to say that? You don’t care about Third Young Master Xie at all!”

Chu Zhao immediately pressed a hand to her chest. ”I do care! Of course I do. I wish I could see him face-to-face right now to express my concern.”

The girls erupted in laughter. ”Who doesn’t!”

”But no matter how wonderful Third Young Master Xie is, he can’t help it if his own relatives are no good,” one girl lamented, turning to look out the window. ”What this Xie Yanlai did is truly monstrous.”

”That Xie Yanlai!” another girl exclaimed, finally thinking of someone besides Third Young Master Xie. ”He’s the one who said Liang Qin was ugly and unworthy of him.”

The girls grew even more surprised. ”That was him?” ”So it really was him!” ”That’s right! I heard that too! That’s why Third Young Master Xie punished him by sending him away to work instead of letting him live in comfort at home.” ”Who would’ve thought? The man is a menace at home, and even more of one when he’s out!”

”He’s absolutely despicable,” Qi Leyun said with venom in her voice.

Chu Zhao nodded. Someone who could do such a thing was indeed despicable.

’The sons of the Xie family were truly no saints. After the rebellion in her past life, every last one of them had become as savage as wolves and tigers.’

’Even the gentle and humble Third Young Master Xie had become the fearsome Yan Lang.’

’Unlike these girls, she had seen the other side of the Xie family, so this display didn’t affect her much.’

The uproar on the street below grew louder. The son of the Xie family being paraded and flogged was now approaching their building.

”Well struck!”

”Beat him!”

The crowd’s shouts came one after another. The girls by the window looked back down, and a few of them even joined in, crying, ”Beat him!”

It was their way of getting retribution for Third Young Master Xie.

Chu Zhao looked over as well and immediately spotted the approaching figure. The street was crowded, but everyone gave him a wide berth, as if he were carrying the plague.

He stood out like a lone island in the middle of a river.

His upper body was bare, his shoulders and back dripping with fresh blood. Amid the roar of the crowd, people started throwing vegetable leaves at him—

He neither dodged nor resisted the lashes from the whip behind him, but when the vegetable leaves came flying, he sidestepped them and shot a look in their direction.

A single glance was all it took to frighten the person into stillness.

The young man’s expression was impassive, but his eyes were as fierce as a predator’s. Though the glare wasn’t aimed at him, the new recruit was so frightened that he stumbled back a step, nearly colliding with someone and falling over. Fortunately, Zhang Gu grabbed him just in time.

”Stay still,” Zhang Gu chided.

The new recruit muttered, ”He’s so vicious.”

’He’s being punished for his crimes, yet he’s still this vicious. He doesn’t show the slightest bit of shame or remorse.’

”Of course he’s vicious. People like him—” Zhang Gu began to say from behind, but his words died in his throat, as if he’d suddenly choked.

’What’s wrong?’ The new recruit turned to look. He saw Zhang Gu staring past him, dumbfounded, at the passing young man. His expression was a mixture of terror and disbelief, as if he were looking at a ghost.

”Ah Jiu—” he murmured.

...

...

By the window, Chu Zhao’s hand shot out to grip the railing, her eyes fixed on the young man in the street in utter disbelief.

He’d shaken off the vegetable leaves, forced back the surrounding crowd with a fierce look, and then raised his head, scanning the people around him and then looking up.

Up above, there were countless more jeers, countless more eyes on him.

But when they saw his face, both the gazes and the jeers faltered for a second. From their high vantage point, they hadn’t been able to clearly see the young man’s features before.

’This young man is so handsome.’

His face was as fair as jade, his phoenix eyes as bright as stars. Now, with his bare torso, the thorns, and the glistening blood, he radiated a strange, dazzling kind of beauty.

Men and women, young and old, all stared, their expressions a mix of surprise, pity, and contempt—

’What a waste of such a handsome face.’

Xie Yanlai also saw the onlookers high up in the street-facing buildings. He saw their expressions, which were no different from those of the crowd below.

However, one face among them stood out.

A girl whose eyes were wide, as if she had just seen a ghost—

He saw her lips form a single word.

Ah Jiu.