The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 173 - 172

Chapter 172

After Mu Luofei was brought to the dark dungeon, she was shackled by her arms and legs to the wall. The space around her was about the size of a reception hall, but it was dark and damp since no sunlight could reach the depths below.

"Wake her up."

Shin Wang turned to order his subordinate before rolling his wheelchair to a stop not far from the other party. After receiving the order, the guard took the prepared cold water and splashed it on the young woman’s face to bring her to her senses.

This action was very effective, because Mu Luofei, who had been splashed with cold water, finally woke up. She jolted awake in a panic and let out an inarticulate cry.

"Mm mm mm."

Mu Luofei tried to move her arms and legs but found that they had all been shackled. The more she struggled, the more the chains cut into her skin, leaving red and painful marks. She nervously looked around and found that she was surrounded by walls. A musty and damp smell hung in the air.

It was like a dark prison where the moonlight and sunlight could not be seen...

Mu Luofei’s gaze fell on the figure in the wheelchair in front of her. Shin Wang now had an extremely cold expression. When the light from the torch fell on his face, it made him look like a death god who was preparing to torture her.

"Mm mm mm."

She tried to make a sound, begging him to end her life. She would rather pay with her life than be tortured like this!

If he wanted to get back at her, he could just kill her. Why did he have to torture her like this?!

She didn’t want to be tortured!

She wanted to die!

Shin Wang seemed to be able to guess Mu Luofei’s thoughts and desires. He smiled slightly and said coldly, "Do you want to die? No...death is not enough for you."

"I am living a miserable life, and I will make you live a more miserable life than me!"

Shin Wang’s words were like a heavy hammer that struck Mu Luofei’s heart. Her body suddenly trembled as if she had a fever. She was so scared that she lost her mind. Although she had not been hurt yet, she knew that she would suffer greatly from now on.

No!

She didn’t want to!

She didn’t want to be tortured!

No!

Mu Luofei’s eyes widened as if she had seen a ghost. She frantically tried to pull her arms and legs free from the chains that bound her. Although this action caused her great pain, she no longer cared.

All she had in her mind now was the thought that she had to escape!

If she didn’t escape, her end would be worse than she could ever imagine...

Clang!

Clang!

The sound of iron chains being pulled continued. The young woman’s wrists and ankles were now red from being pulled by the iron chains, but Mu Luofei still did not stop. She continued to pull on the chains like a madwoman.

"Mu Luofei, do you want to know what I’m going to do to you?"

Shin Wang said in a good mood, causing Mu Luofei to pause for a moment. She seemed to want to hear what he would say next, but when she heard what she was going to face, her body was so shocked that she held her breath for a long time. Her body was cold to the bone, and her whole body went numb as if she had been doused with cold water again.

"I’ll have people slowly peel off your flesh and skin, piece by piece, all over your body. I’ve heard that human flesh is a delicacy for wolves and even stray dogs. I’ll give your peeled flesh to them to eat. At least it will be of some use."

"While I’m peeling your flesh, I’ll have people burn it with fire and then peel it again. Then I’ll use fire to seal the wound and then peel it again, repeating the process. I think it will be quite fun."

The more Shin Wang spoke, the more his eyes sparkled as if he had found something fun. The happy smile on his face grew wider and wider, and the blood in his body began to boil with excitement.

"After you become a human blood bag, I’ll have people bring you a poison that was imported from the north for you to try. I heard that this poison feels like thousands of ants biting your internal organs when you eat it. I wonder if it’s true. I think I’ll have you try it out first."

"Oh yes! There’s more. After that, I’ll have people slowly remove your bones, piece by piece. I’d like to see what the bones of a person who has been deboned alive look like...But don’t worry. I’ve prepared a good doctor for you. No matter what you do, you won’t die."

Shin Wang said with a big smile. His face, which had been gloomy and sad, suddenly became cheerful and bright. However, Mu Luofei’s face had changed color several times since she had heard what he had said from the beginning to the end. Now, it was pale.

Just thinking about what he said made Mu Luofei feel cold to the bone. Her heart stopped beating for a moment. If she had to go through all that, she would rather be killed!

"Mm mm mm."

Mu Luofei screamed like a madwoman. She tried to pull the chains on her arms and legs even harder. She was almost out of her mind with fear now. She would never let herself be tortured like that.

She wouldn’t!

No!

While Mu Luofei was struggling, Shin Wang watched her and laughed out loud. His eyes were filled with amusement at the sight of the young woman’s fear.

Go on...struggle more. Be more afraid!

The more she struggled, the more he enjoyed seeing her suffer...

Zhuiping Residence

In the afternoon of the same day, Mu Yingying was standing on the balcony, happily pruning the branches of a potted plant. Her big round eyes were filled with a faint smile. Her small hands held a pair of scissors, and she was slowly trimming the branches of the potted plant in front of her. There was always a slight smile on her face.

Mu Yingying’s unusually good mood surprised Su Su, who was serving her. Although her young miss had always been cheerful, she had never been so happy, as if she had received good news.

Curious, Su Su decided to ask her mistress, "You seem to be in a good mood today, Miss. I’ve never seen you so happy before." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Hmm...really?"

Mu Yingying chuckled softly and smiled even wider. She was indeed in a very good mood. How could she not be happy when her sworn enemy from her previous life was finally suffering the consequences of what she had done to them!?

Yesterday, her people who had been sent to keep an eye on things confirmed Bai Lijun’s death. After she was captured by the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager had been quite cruel; she tortured Bai Lijun until she was in a horrible state, and even sent her body to Mu Luofei to see.

Not long ago, her people also reported back about what had happened to Mu Luofei. It seemed that Mu Luofei would never see the light of day again...

This long-standing grudge had finally come to an end!

But it wasn’t over yet, because there were still many people who needed to be held accountable for their actions, including Mu Qin Shuang, Mu Cui Ming, Shin Wang, and the Empress Dowager. Those people might not have suffered the consequences yet, but it wouldn’t be long.

Once the wheels of retribution started turning, no one could stop them!

Mu Manor

After Bai Lijun was arrested, Mu Cui Ming had taken a leave of absence to seclude himself in the residence. He also ordered those who had been present at the incident not to talk about Bai Lijun’s arrest, so no one in the Mu family manor knew what had happened, including Mu Qin Shuang, his daughter.

When Bai Lijun had been missing from the Mu family manor for three days, Mu Qin Shuang decided to go and ask her father about her mother in his study the next morning. However, her father refused to see her several times, so she had to go back to her quarters in a huff.

After the fourth night passed, Bai Lijun still hadn’t returned. Mu Qin Shuang, who was anxious and couldn’t bear it any longer, decided to barge into her father’s study without waiting for his permission. This made Mu Cui Ming very displeased and he ordered the Sixth Young Miss to be confined to her quarters indefinitely.

Mu Qin Shuang, who was confined to her quarters, could only vent her anger by destroying things, hoping that this would get her father’s attention. However, after she had been confined to her quarters for three days, she realized that no matter what she did, her father would not lift this order.

Under the shroud of the night that enveloped the entire capital, Mu Qin Shuang found herself unable to close her eyes. It had been over seven days since she last heard any news of her mother, and an ominous premonition began to gnaw at her heart, coupled with an inexplicable anxiety.

No matter where her mother had business, she had never left Mu Qin Shuang alone like this before. Despite her efforts to stay strong, she was still just a twelve-year-old girl who had never been separated from her mother...

"Xian Zhu, secretly go and gather news about my mother at Shin Wang Palace. I believe my elder sister might have news of her. Perhaps...Mother might have had some urgent matter that kept her by my sister’s side,"

Mu Qin Shuang instructed her maid, trying to console herself. Since she couldn’t ask her father about her mother, she had to send her maid to investigate.

"Yes, Miss. Tomorrow, I will sneak out and try to get news about the Furen from the servants of Shin Wang Palace at the market," the maid promised.

Hearing this, Mu Qin Shuang nodded in agreement before lying back down on her bed, attempting to force herself to sleep. By tomorrow, she would have news of her mother...

The next morning, as the Mu family members were having breakfast, the figure of Butler Tao hurried in, half-running, to report something to Mu Cui Ming’s ear. As Mu Cui Ming listened to the report, his face turned pale instantly.

"Are you sure?"

Mu Cui Ming asked Butler Tao with a stunned expression, his face tight with worry. Butler Tao, equally grave, nodded rapidly in response.

Amid the puzzled gazes of the Mu family members, a group of strangers entered the hall abruptly. The three at the front were dressed in official robes similar to those Mu Cui Ming often wore, while the ten others behind them were clad in imposing soldier uniforms.

“This...”

Lan Yi quickly set down her chopsticks and grasped her daughter’s hand tightly, fear evident in her eyes as she looked between the newcomers and her husband at the head of the table.

Mu Cui Ming, caught off guard, could only stare at the intruders with a changing expression. Just moments ago, Butler Tao had reported that a group of soldiers had stormed into his manor, and now they were here in the hall.

"Master Yang, may I ask why you have brought so many soldiers into my manor?"

Mu Cui Ming inquired with a composed expression, though he looked calm, internally he was in turmoil, his mind racing to figure out why Master Yang, the head of the Court of Justice, responsible for investigating corrupt officials, was here.

Mu Cui Ming’s palms under his sleeves began to sweat from his anxiety. He had no idea what was happening. Could it be that he was implicated in the trouble caused by Bai Lijun and her daughter?

"Master Mu, today I must arrest you and take you to the Court of Justice for an investigation regarding the embezzlement of state funds!"

Bang!

"Impossible!"

Mu Cui Ming shot to his feet, causing the chair behind him to topple over with a loud bang. He exclaimed in shock, for embezzlement of state funds was a serious crime punishable by death and the extermination of nine generations of the family.

How could he have dared to involve himself in such a thing?!

"Master Yang, there must be some misunderstanding. I have always performed my duties with integrity. How could I possibly be involved in embezzling state funds?"

Mu Cui Ming tried to explain urgently, his face drenched in sweat. However, the more he spoke, the more it sounded like the desperate excuses of a guilty man.

"Whether there is a misunderstanding or not, I must take you for questioning according to the procedures of the court. I hope you will cooperate; otherwise, I will have no choice but to use force,"

Master Yang responded sternly, before signaling the guards behind him to surround everyone in the hall. The sudden action caused panic and fear among the women and young girls present, including Lan Yi, Mu An Yue, Mu Jie, and Su Ming.

"W...wait a moment!"

Mu Cui Ming quickly interjected. He was confident in his innocence regarding the charges and believed he could clear his name in court. However, if they used force to arrest him, he would certainly get hurt.

"I will go with you willingly. However, I must insist that this must be a misunderstanding. If I can prove my innocence, I expect you, Master Yang, to take full responsibility for this unwarranted intrusion into my manor today,"

Mu Cui Ming reluctantly agreed, but not without leaving a threatening note. Master Yang did not respond, merely signaling for his men to flank Mu Cui Ming and escort him out of the manor.

As Master Yang turned to leave, he cast a disdainful glance at Mu Cui Ming and allowed a slight mocking smile to curl his lips.

Even if Mu Cui Ming was indeed innocent, he wouldn’t be able to prove his innocence.

That was because the Empress Dowager had decreed that Mu Cui Ming must be held accountable for embezzling state funds!

Meanwhile, after Mu Cui Ming was taken away, the remaining members of the Mu family quickly dispersed back to their respective quarters. Lan Yi and her daughter began to devise plans for survival. Though they were merely women confined to their chambers, they were acutely aware of the grave consequences of embezzling state funds.

If the Mu family was indeed found guilty, they would not escape the punishment of execution!

Not only these two mother and daughter, but this alarming news also spread like wildfire throughout the manor, causing a great panic among the servants. By nightfall, many of the disloyal and fearful servants had fled the Mu Manor, abandoning their posts.

Mu Qin Shuang, who had not received any news about her mother, was now further distressed by the predicament of her father. With her mother absent, her elder sister unreachable, and her father seemingly on the brink of being declared a criminal, the future of the Mu family seemed bleak.

Mu Qin Shuang tried to think of a way out, but she had no idea what to do. In the end, she could only wait for news of her mother, hoping that once her mother returned, she would be able to resolve the current crisis...

Despite the chaos engulfing the entire Mu Manor, Mu Jie’s quarters remained remarkably calm. Both Mu Jie and Su Ming exhibited a composed demeanor like usual, as they had been forewarned of potential trouble within the Mu family ever since Bai Lijun’s disappearance.

Several days before Bai Lijun vanished, Mu Yingying had sent a letter to Mu Jie, warning her of the impending crisis. When Mu Jie first received the letter, she was deeply shocked. However, given that all previous messages from the Zhuiping Residence had proven accurate, she believed the contents of this letter as well.

After receiving the advance warning from Zhuiping Residence, Mu Jie decided to inform her close confidants, including her personal maid, Nanny Fang, and Su Ming, who had been looking after her since her grandmother’s death. Although Mu Jie anticipated that something bad was about to happen to the Mu family, whether it was what, she chose not to inform or warn her father.

She remembered well how the Mu family did not genuinely mourn her grandmother’s death. So why should she warn this corrupt Mu family?

She would be pleased to see them finally fall into ruin!

After Mu Jie shared everything with her confidants, none of them objected to her decision. Even Su Ming agreed. They all resolved to follow Mu Yingying’s advice in the letter, which was to find a way out for themselves before they were dragged into the Mu family’s punishment of nine generations execution.

That same night, the already chaotic Mu Manor plunged into further disarray as a sudden fire broke out in the fifth young miss’s quarters. In the darkness of the night, the bright flames fiercely consumed the entire building. Despite the Mu family’s servants’ best efforts to extinguish the fire, it showed no signs of being quelled.

By the time the fire was finally put out, the large quarters had been reduced to ashes. Four charred bodies were found inside, presumed to be the fifth young miss and her attendants, who had died a painful death in the flames...

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