Chapter 512: Chapter 183 Madman_3
Qi Yutai stood in front of the window, looking down scornfully at the family.
"I originally wanted to use five hundred gold to buy your Light-vented," he said, "but now I have changed my mind. I don’t want to give a single copper coin."
"I truly regret making this trip today. People as lowly as you are not worth my attention."
He turned around and gestured to the Guard to take the Light-vented hanging under the eaves.
The bird seemed to sense the sudden change in circumstances, darting about restlessly in its cage and calling out loudly in agitation.
The copper birdcage felt ice cold to the touch. When the Guard handed it over, its coldness sent a chill through him.
The old man finally realized they intended to rob him. His face changed color, and he suddenly rushed forward to snatch it back. However, with his advanced age, and having spent more energy than most taking care of his useless son, he was no match for Qi Yutai. Pushed by Qi, he stumbled backward but, undeterred, staggered forward again.
His aged hand grasped Qi Yutai’s arm, the rough calluses grinding uncomfortably against the skin. His face, which had been amiable before, was now twisted with shock and anger, making him look all the more despicable due to his old age.
Qi Yutai grasped the old man’s hand in return and gave a vicious push—
A "thud" resounded.
The old man was sent tumbling backward, falling silent without a moan, tea cups from the table shattered on the ground, and he lay stiff, breathless.
A pool of bright red blood slowly spread out from behind his head, expanding across the floor.
Qi Yutai hadn’t expected him to be so fragile and was momentarily stunned.
It was the old crone in the house who reacted first, screaming: "Murder, help, murder—"
The shrill scream was ear-piercing and chaotic. Annoyed beyond tolerance, Qi Yutai, holding the birdcage, headed for the door, but someone caught the hem of his robe from behind.
The old woman cried out: "Don’t you leave, you murderer! Help—someone—"
Qi Yutai felt a moment of panic.
Mangming Township was a small place, where each farmer’s dwelling was spaced far apart from the next. Elder Yang’s home was situated on the most barren piece of land, surrounded by emptiness. Qi had thought nothing of it, but the woman’s heartrending cries and the old man’s horrifying open eyes gave him a chill. He kicked the woman aside and gave the Guard a knowing look.
The Guard stepped forward, his sword flashed, and the piercing scream was abruptly silenced.
Only the increasingly strong scent of blood encroached upon them.
Qi Yutai flicked his robe aside and stepped over the woman’s corpse, only to see the stunted son who had been quietly sitting in a corner, fixated on a twig in his hands, seemed to finally understand what had happened and dashed out of the house.
"Dad, mom, mom!"
The simpleton called out in desperation, hurling the limp twig in his hand at him, exclaiming furiously, "Bad, bad man!"
Qi Yutai’s expression changed.
Although "Ah Dai" had the mind of a child, he was tall and sturdy. Elder Yang and his wife had taken good care of him—he was clean and his face flushed with health. The simpleton’s clear, bewildered eyes angrily focused on him as he waved the twig frantically, urgently.
The twig was soft and inflicting no pain when it hit.
It was like a joke.
Qi Yutai chuckled, an expressionless laugh as he walked out of the house.
The Guard closed in behind him, and a muffled sound followed, restoring the quiet that once surrounded them.
The Light-vented in the cage sang tragically. Whether that song was one of joy or grief, it remained the same crisp and clear sound.
In the narrow cottage, three bodies lay scattered together, submerged in a river of blood.
He stood at the doorway, watching the Light-vented flapping its wings in the cage, suddenly finding the situation somewhat dull.
Before he had decided what to do with it, someone else entered through the fence—a tall man carrying a bamboo basket who paused upon seeing the group, and before he could speak, he caught sight of the serpentine river of blood at the door.
"Dad, mom, Ah Dai—"
He cried out miserably.
Qi Yutai cleared his ear.
He knew who this man was.
Elder Yang’s daughter, Yang Yao, had passed away, but her husband didn’t leave the Yang Family. Instead, he continued to live with them, even changing his name to "Yang Dalang."
It was uncommon for a man to live with his in-laws, let alone a widower, unless there was profit to be gained. Yet, Elder Yang’s family was laughably poor, showing nothing worth pining for. It only meant this man was even less capable and destitute than the Yang Family.
The man’s wailing sounded both insincere and ridiculous.
Qi Yutai had the Guard surround Yang Dalang and offered him a sum of silver.
The Yang elder didn’t know his luck, having declined his generous offer. This man, unrelated to the Yang Family, would surely be much smarter, and Qi even doubled the amount of silver.
Not only would he be rid of these burdens, but he could also walk away with a substantial sum of silver. Those silver pieces would be enough for Yang Dalang to buy an entire tea garden, no, enough to purchase a new residence in Shengjing City and marry a young new wife. Qi Yutai couldn’t think of any reason he would refuse.