12dz Chapter 2150 He owes me two lives!
Chapter 2150 He owes me two lives!
Yan Ruyu shook her head slightly, her sneer deepening.
She raised her hand and gestured for the Taoist priest to continue asking questions.
The Taoist priest understood, his peach wood sword still burning with a ghostly blue flame, pointed at Governor Ding, and asked sternly, "What else? You think this is the end of it?"
"Your spirit lingers, surely there are still grievances unresolved! If you dare to conceal even a single word, don't blame my peach wood sword for being merciless!"
Governor Ding lay sprawled on the ground, while the Taoist priest opposite him held a peach wood sword, its tip pointing diagonally at the ground, the blade gleaming coldly in the candlelight.
“Ding Hengshou,” the Taoist’s voice was low and hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing against wood, “Do you really think you can deceive heaven and earth and the gods? On the altar, lies will surely backfire. Think carefully again, what other harmful things have you not confessed?”
Governor Ding shrank back, his shoulders trembling like withered leaves in the autumn wind.
He raised his bloodshot eyes and said, "Master, I really have nothing left!"
His voice was choked with sobs, mixed with barely concealed fear: "I admit it, I'm the one who harmed Madam... I was bewitched, but I only did this one thing. As for the Liu family's corrupt and illegal activities, I've already confessed to them. There's really nothing else!"
He braced himself on the ground with both hands, took two steps forward on his knees, ignoring the pain in his knees: "I know I deserve to die, but I really haven't harmed anyone else! Please, Taoist priest, spare my life! Please, all the gods, spare my life!"
Yan Ruyu's gaze swept over Governor Ding's disheveled figure, past the flickering candlelight, and landed on the outside of the courtyard wall, a hint of vigilance flashing in her eyes.
Huo Changhe paid attention to Yan Ruyu's expression and saw that her gaze was fixed on the outside of the courtyard, so he looked over as well.
Yan Ruyu tilted her head slightly and glanced at his face. Huo Changhe immediately understood and nodded in acknowledgment.
Then, the two turned and walked out of the courtyard.
Outside the courtyard wall, the old locust tree's branches are gnarled and twisted, like countless withered hands reaching towards the night sky.
The night wind swept through the treetops, carrying ash-like fragments of paper money. The dark green leaves rustled against each other.
The shadow was pressed against the thickest branch of the old locust tree, almost blending into the dark trunk. If it weren't for the occasional moonlight filtering through the clouds, revealing a faint outline, one would not have noticed anyone there.
Her gaze was fixed on Governor Ding's figure in the courtyard, her breathing slightly rapid, her chest rising and falling gently.
Yan Ruyu raised her hand and made a gesture. Huo Changhe immediately slowed down. The two of them, one on the left and one on the right, like hunters, silently circled around to the shadow.
She only realized it when Huo Changhe's hand was about to touch her shoulder.
Her body stiffened abruptly, and she instinctively tried to dodge to the side, but Yan Ruyu had already stepped forward and reached out to press down on her shoulder.
Huo Changhe squatted down, grabbed the edge of her mask, and ripped it off.
A strange woman's face appeared, around fifty years old, with fine wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, slightly high cheekbones, and thin lips that were now pressed into a straight line, exuding a stubbornness.
Yan Ruyu's gaze fell on that face, and her brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
She had seen this face before.
Su Shengsheng had introduced her to the new soup-making lady in the mansion, who was quick and efficient and made particularly rich and delicious soups, which Su Shengsheng had praised.
"Do you have a grudge against Governor Ding?" Yan Ruyu asked.
The woman's teeth were clenched so tightly they were grinding together, and her eyes held a fierce glint.
"Deep-seated hatred!" The three words were squeezed out from between her teeth, with a force of gritted teeth, "I wish I could eat his flesh and drink his blood!"
Yan Ruyu nodded slightly, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment, and then asked, "In the past few days, many people have come to file complaints, and every single one of them is a crime committed by Prefect Ding."
Since you harbor such deep hatred, why don't you write a complaint and submit it? The government will surely take care of it for you.
The woman suddenly let out a short laugh, a laugh filled with sorrow and mockery that sent chills down one's spine.
Her tears fell even harder, and when she raised her hand to wipe them away, they only made her wetter.
"Write a complaint?" she repeated the three words, her voice hoarse. "His crimes are too numerous to count; how could a single complaint possibly explain them all?"
Hearing the commotion outside the courtyard, Su Zhenhai rushed over.
The moonlight shone on his official robes, reflecting his solemn expression.
"If one sheet isn't enough, write three; if three sheets aren't enough, write ten or a hundred."
He walked up to the woman and said sincerely, "As long as the evidence is conclusive, Ding Hengshou will surely not escape the law, and your injustice will be redressed."
The woman looked up at him, and after seeing his face clearly, she let out another short laugh, even colder than before.
“Su Zhenhai?” she uttered his name, her eyes full of mockery. “You make it sound so easy.”
You knew back then that Ding Hengshou was no good person, and that he was committing all sorts of evil deeds in the area, yet you were powerless to do anything about it. And what have you done in return?
Su Zhenhai's face instantly changed from white to red, and then from red to green.
His lips moved, and it took him a long time to squeeze out a sentence, his voice tinged with embarrassment and guilt: "Yes, it was my fault before."
He took a deep breath, his tone becoming firm: "Ding Hengshou colluded with the Liu family to withhold our military rations, and my son has been poisoned. I am afraid to act rashly, so I can only endure it for the time being."
The time has come, and I will not let him escape justice again. If you trust me, tell me your grievances, and I will surely seek justice for you.
The woman pursed her lips and remained silent for a long time before letting out a very soft sigh, filled with endless weariness.
Yan Ruyu stared at her silently: "Who exactly are you?"
The woman seemed to smile, a very faint curve appearing at the corners of her lips.
She lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes concealing the emotions within them: "Who it is doesn't matter anymore."
She raised her head, her gaze sharpening once more, like a poisoned needle, fixed on the direction of Prefect Ding in the courtyard.
"All I need to remember is that Ding Hengshou owes me two lives. I want to see him ruined and make him pay the most painful price for what he did!"
Another candle went out in the courtyard, and the remaining few flames flickered violently, casting Ding Cishi's shadow crookedly onto the courtyard wall, making him look like a menacing monster.
The cries of Prefect Ding continued intermittently, mingled with the low chanting of the Taoist priest, sounding particularly eerie and terrifying in the silent night.
Yan Ruyu looked back at the direction of Governor Ding, then at the woman.
Hatred etched itself into her face like a knife, carving wrinkles that turned the silver hairs at her temples white.
Yan Ruyu stepped forward, leaned slightly, and whispered something in the woman's ear.
The woman's face changed drastically, her expression one of astonishment, and she stared wide-eyed at Yan Ruyu.
"You...how did you know?"
"Who are you?"
Yan Ruyu smiled faintly: "You don't need to know who I am. You just need to know that if you give me your grievances, I will definitely seek justice for you."
"In addition, I can help you fulfill your greatest wish."