The early bird gets the worm, and since there was someone ahead, those in front were not afraid. What was there for her, at the back, to fear?
Feng Jin no longer hid, following directly behind Ling Mohan and walking in grandly. Besides, this manor had long been hers. Returning to her own territory, she had even less to fear.
After meeting Gu Beichen, she would accuse him of trespassing on private property. Suddenly, Feng Jin adopted the imposing demeanor of a master catching a thief.
“Why are you only getting back now? You’re so slow. And where are all the people in the manor? The last time I was here, there were still servants attending to things. Now there’s not a soul in sight. I don’t even have hot water. This young lord is about to die of thirst.”
Gu Beichen, who had arrived much earlier, saw Ling Mohan and Feng Jin arrive. He immediately began to complain incessantly, turning his uninvited presence into an accusation.
Feng Jin rolled her eyes and said unhappily, “Young Lord Gu, your ability to come uninvited and trespass on private property is truly second to none.”
Ling Mohan stood by silently, watching their interaction, and had no intention of intervening.
“I was passing by and came in to visit. Who knew there wouldn’t be a soul here!” Gu Beichen explained righteously. Was this place truly a forbidden imperial palace, where he wasn’t even allowed to enter? It was clearly Feng Jin, that wicked girl, who had ill intentions and was deliberately making things difficult for him.
“You’re clearly quibbling. You did this on purpose. You trespassed on private property, and we caught you red-handed. Now that you’ve been caught, you’re trying to find excuses. Since it’s come to this, I want to see what else you can say. Today, I’m taking you to see the officials!”
Feng Jin’s tone was very firm. She had finally found fault with Gu Beichen, so naturally, she had to make good use of it. No matter what, she had to make Gu Beichen suffer today for her own satisfaction.
As soon as she finished speaking, Feng Jin, without any explanation, grabbed Gu Beichen and prepared to drag him out.
Gu Beichen clearly hadn’t realized that Feng Jin was serious. He was immediately startled and shouted uncontrollably, “Ling Mohan… you old bastard… you’re just watching her bully me like this? You value women over friends, you forget loyalty for beauty…”
“You can scream your lungs out today, but it won’t do any good. Haven’t you heard that brothers are like limbs and women are like clothes? Have you ever seen someone go out without clothes? Some people can live even with severed limbs. Your limbs, which have rotted, festered, and oozed pus, should be chopped off with a single stroke and thrown into the sewer!”
Feng Jin’s tone was extremely arrogant, her words like needles piercing Gu Beichen’s heart. He was so angry that he almost couldn’t breathe. He quickly pressed his chest, and only then felt a little better. Pointing at Feng Jin, although his heart was full of rage, he didn’t know what to say.
He stammered for a long time, only managing to squeeze a few words from his throat: “You… you…”
How could there be such a venomous woman in this world? Feng Jin was truly the calamity of his life. If he could choose, he would rather never see Feng Jin again in his life.
“What ‘you’? Come with me to the yamen and explain clearly why you trespassed on private property!”
As soon as she finished speaking, Feng Jin, without any further ado, pulled Gu Beichen’s hand and used all her strength to drag him. Gu Beichen, on the other hand, held onto a pillar tightly, refusing to let go. The two thus engaged in a tug-of-war, making it difficult to determine a winner.
Ling Mohan, like an outsider, sat there and leisurely watched the show. Finally, unable to watch any longer, he said, “Alright, let’s stop here. If you continue to make a scene, won’t you get tired?”
When Gu Beichen heard Ling Mohan finally speak, he immediately shouted at Feng Jin, “Did you hear that? Your man spoke, why aren’t you letting go quickly!”
If Gu Beichen hadn’t spoken like that, she might have considered showing him mercy and letting him go. But the more he acted like this, the more she was determined not to grant his wish today.
She glanced around and finally focused on the hemp rope that had been lying aside for a long time. She hooked it with her foot and brought it to her feet. Taking advantage of Gu Beichen’s momentary distraction,
Feng Jin subtly reversed her hand within her sleeve. A silver light flashed, and in just a moment, Gu Beichen felt a sharp pain in his neck and shoulders, followed by a tingling sensation that filled his entire body. He could no longer move.
“You… what did you do to me? Why… why can’t I move?”
The sudden sensation was like being struck on the head. His whole body felt weak, but his legs were already out of his control, standing rigidly in place, unable to move at all. He was like fish on a chopping block, at her mercy.
Feng Jin looked at Gu Beichen’s current state with satisfaction, a triumphant smile on her lips. If she allowed Gu Beichen to move, wouldn’t that ruin her reputation?
Holding a two-centimeter-thick hemp rope, Feng Jin gestured with it on Gu Beichen. Finally, she unceremoniously tied the rope around the man. Feng Jin looked at her handiwork with satisfaction, a pleased smile on her lips.
“Let me go… I am the Young Lord of the Zhennan King. How dare you tie me up? I am… *muffled*… *muffled*…”
Gu Beichen’s mouth was wide open, and a piece of cloth, like a rag, was stuffed into it. His eyes were filled with disbelief and anger.
Feng Jin clapped her hands, dusting off the dirt. It felt so comfortable to have Gu Beichen’s noisy chatter gone from the air.
“Muffled… muffled… muffled…”
With his mouth stuffed, Gu Beichen couldn’t utter a single word, only making muffled sounds.
As the numbing sensation wore off, his limbs began to stir restlessly, trying to break free from the rope. But the rope was too thick, and his strength was no match for it. Instead, the more he struggled, the tighter the rope became, constricting him so tightly that he could barely breathe.
“Stop wasting your energy. I used a knot specifically for tying pigs. The more you struggle, the tighter the rope will become. To save yourself some trouble, just stay put and be quiet. Maybe if I’m in a good mood, I’ll let you go directly.”
Hearing this, Gu Beichen felt a surge of humiliation, indignity, and anger throughout his body. He struggled with all his might, but after a brief struggle, he gave up. The rope was simply too tight, and he was already struggling to breathe.