The Doctor’s Three-Time Marriage - Chapter 220
Chapter 220: 220. Twisted neck
Translator: 549690339
It had rained the entire night, and Su Liang had been watching over Asi without sleep.
Only when the wind and rain outside the window had subsided, and the sky gradually brightened, she confirmed that Asi had no fever and his pulse was stable before she let out a long sigh of relief.
Asi’s mother came over and persuaded Su Liang to get some sleep. She didn’t insist any longer and left after reminding her of some things to pay attention to.
The morning breeze after the rain was cool, and Su Liang sneezed. Rubbing her tired brow, she slowly headed to her residence.
A bowl of cold chicken soup on the table in the room had a layer of grease on top.
Su Liang went straight to the bed, and without changing her clothes, took off her shoes and lay down. She pulled over the quilt, closed her eyes, and fell asleep quickly as the feeling of drowsiness overwhelmed her.
She slept deeply, and in her dreams, she traveled back to her previous world, realizing that everything here was just a dream…
Approaching noon, Su Liang woke up and sat on the bed, looking around, with a sigh in her heart. It was not a dream, and she couldn’t go back.
Before this, Su Liang had never dreamed of returning to her original world, because there were no DeoDle she cared about there, and she had no worries.
However, yesterday’s events had given Su Liang an inexplicable fear deep in her heart, and for the first time, she felt the greatest difference between the two worlds.
In her previous life, the society was built on law and order. Most people, as long as they abided by the law and were not extremely unlucky, would never have anything to do with “murder.”
But it was different here. Although there were laws, they served the rulers and did not have a complete system in place. Ordinary people who killed other ordinary people would pay with their lives, while the powerful often avoided consequences for killing ordinary people. In other words, it was simply the survival of the fittest.
Su Liang understood this. Even after crossing worlds, she had killed people herself and could now cut off a person’s hand without changing her expression, which was unimaginable in her previous life.
What frightened Su Liang was the realization that she was being assimilated by the rules of this world and was striving to become a strong person in this brutal hierarchy. And after yesterday’s near-death experience and almost harming those close to her, she realized that though she had been working on improving her skills, it was far from enough. The frightening thing was that even if she improved her martial arts skills more, she might not be able to avoid what happened yesterday completely.
Because strength and weakness were relative, people were mortals with flesh and blood. They didn’t have extra limbs and could die when killed. And no amount of martial arts could make a person invulnerable.
Of course, she might have avoided yesterday’s incident if she had been a little more cautious, or if she had not practiced medicine. However, it is meaningless to make these assumptions afterward. Enemies can always find the most effective means to deal with you.
Last night, Su Liang thought maybe she should go back to Su Village or some other place to live an ordinary life, far away from power struggles.
But after waking up refreshed, she soberly realized that avoiding problems wouldn’t solve anything. She was already involved in them, and it wouldn’t be easy to escape.
Feeling somewhat lost, Su Liang wanted to talk to Gu Ling, but he was not around.
After washing and eating something simple, Su Liang went to see Asi.
He was out of danger but still unconscious. Facing his worried family, Su Liang assured them that he would recover.
The old housekeeper had been scared yesterday and was still pale. Initially, he wanted his granddaughter to serve Su Liang as a maid, but Su Liang had refused. Seeing that Su Liang got along well with Asi, he thought of suggesting that she keep him by her side if she needed help.
After the incident, the old housekeeper dismissed this idea. But even if he had proposed it, Su Liang would not have accepted.
After seeing Asi, Su Liang went to give Peng Qian acupuncture.
Peng Fan saw that her complexion was still good, but she was quieter than yesterday, so he didn’t dare to ask anything.
“In another five or six days, you will be able to start your journey home,” Su Liang said.
The father and son from the Peng Family thanked her again. With their sensitive identities, they could not stay here for long.
After Su Liang left, Peng Fan said to Peng Qian, “Actually, I really wanted to suggest to her to hire a master to protect herself, or at least have a servant by her side, rather than always being alone.”
Peng Qian shook his head, “That’s crossing the line. Just because you can’t see someone by her side doesn’t mean there isn’t anyone. Even if there isn’t, it’s her own choice, not because she can’t think of what you said. What you should see is that she has only taken over the Ning Family for few days, yet she already has loyal servants who would sacrifice themselves for her, this is also her ability, not just luck.”
Peng Fan looked slightly startled, “Father’s lesson is correct. I was too self-righteous.”
Peng Qian sighed deeply, “It was only after going through the Wei Family incident did I realize how naive I was. People’s hearts are the most difficult thing to fathom in this world. That’s why I admire Su Liang, although she’s just a young girl at the moment, she has the resources to rely on others and there are people who want to win her over, she hasn’t stopped improving her own strength. Remember, at any time, entrusting your safety to others carries risks. Even for us, father and son, there’s no risk of trust, but now that I have to rely on you for protection, it’s a burden for you, which is not what I want.”
Su Liang didn’t know that Peng Fan and his son were talking about her, she went to the place where the assassin from last night was being held, and the assassin’s grandson was still alive.
As soon as the old man saw Su Liang, he struggled to his feet, and with his injured leg, he knelt down, continuously kowtowing, begging Su Liang to spare his grandson’s life.
“Who sent you?” Su Liang asked coldly.
The old man grimaced, “It was… someone from the Eldest Prince…”
Su Liang wasn’t surprised, “Why you?”
“I had done some things for the Eldest Prince before. This time he sent someone to find me, saying that the plan was to assassinate you. But I never expected that someone secretly captured my grandson, brought him along to Xunyang City, severely wounded him, and forced me to use this method to get close to you and gain your trust…” The old man cried out, “I didn’t want to do this, it really wasn’t my idea! How could I disregard my own grandson’s life?” Su Liang expressionless, “How much money did he give you?”
The old man’s face stiffened, and he said in a low voice, “Five thousand taels of silver.”
Su Liang’s eyes were ice-cold, “You are just a mercenary who has done undercover work for Duanmu Cheng before, and this time you came to kill me for five thousand taels. Duanmu Cheng has tried to kill me on multiple occasions, even using Death Soldiers, but all those attempts failed. This time he chose you, the plan was meticulous. After all, how could I have expected an assassin to come to me in broad daylight, carrying his dying grandson and seeking medical help?”
The old man continued to kowtow, “I was forced, I really was forced! If I didn’t do as they said, not only my grandson, but my whole family would die!”
Su Liang coldly retorted, “So, am I indebted to you? I saved your grandson, but instead of being grateful, you try to take advantage of my exhaustion and take my life to save your family. You were forced? Did I dig up your ancestral grave in my previous life so that I deserve this treatment now?”
“I was wrong… I was really wrong… General Su, have mercy and spare me, I won’t dare to do it again, and my grandson, he’s innocent, he didn’t know anything!” The old man’s head was bleeding from kowtowing.
Su Liang took a deep breath, “I can’t bear to see death and not save someone, but I didn’t expect this to become my biggest weakness in your eyes. I admit, this move was indeed very clever. This time, I am defeated.”
The old man looked at Su Liang with earnest eyes, “As long as you spare me, I
will serve you like a horse in the future! I swear!”
“Although the law can’t stop you from trying to kill me, now that you’re in my hands, whatever grievances and difficulties you have, take them to the Government Office.” Su Liang finished and called for a guard to come in.
The old man turned pale; he had thought that Su Liang might kill him, but he never expected Su Liang would hand him over to the Government Office! If he didn’t expose the mastermind, he would definitely die! If he did, he would just die faster!
“Take him and his grandson to the Government Office. Be honest and tell the governor the whole story about yesterday’s incident. If I need to testify, just let me know.” Su Liang finished speaking and turned to leave.
“General Su! Have mercy and let my grandson go! He didn’t do anything wrong!” The old man shouted desperately.
Su Liane’s face was cold. “MV servant. Asi. did nothing wrong either. I don’t
think I have an obligation to protect a tool that tried to kill me. You are a beast, yet you still expect me to be a Bodhisattva? How ridiculous!”
The guards escorted the assassins, the grandfather, and the grandson, to the Xunyang City Government Office to file a complaint, and the governor took the matter very seriously when he learned that someone had tried to kill Su Liang.
When the story spread, everyone in Xunyang City despised the shameless and despicable grandfather and grandson.
Su Liang had saved the governor’s daughter-in-law and his grandson, and she was now the head of Xunyang City’s largest merchant of the Ning Family, as well as a court-appointed official and a favored person in front of the emperor. With all these factors combined, the governor held court and tried the case on the same day.
The old man clenched his teeth and said that he had a feud with Su Liang’s grandfather, not daring to tell the truth. He thought by doing so, he could at least save the other members of his family. Little did he know, before he and his grandson set foot in Xunyang City, his entire family had already been killed by Duanmu Cheng’s people to silence them. As for his grandson, whether or not Su Liang would spare him, there was only death in store. Unless Su Liang took him in and protected him personally, but she could not find a reason to do so.
The master went to Ning Mansion specifically to inform Su Liang of the outcome of the case. Both the grandfather and grandson had committed murder and would be executed at an appointed date.
Su Liang also didn’t mention the mastermind behind the scenes to the government office. The Royal Family wanted to save face, and she wouldn’t make a fuss about it, as it wouldn’t benefit her. But as long as Duanmu Yi learned of this matter, he should be able to deduce that it was the work of one of his good sons.
At night, Su Liang sat alone in the study room eating dinner, with rain falling outside the window, adding a sense of desolation.
Thinking about the time, she figured that Gu Ling should have almost reached the capital city.
Capital city of Qian Country.
It was the end of summer, and thunderstorms had been frequent lately.
Gu Ling entered the city at dusk and secretly returned to Su Mansion, where there was no one inside.
Both Xing Yusheng and Lin Xueqing had been eagerly looking forward to moving in next door to Su Liang and Ning Jing after their wedding. But since Ning Jing had an accident, and Su Liang was not in the capital, they were now living in Marquis Zhong Xin’s Mansion accompanying Lady Xing, planning to move after Su Liang returned to the capital.
Gu Ling went to Su Liang’s room, picked up a couple of books she hadn’t read yet, and went to the back garden to check on the pomegranate tree he and Su Liang had planted before they left.
Though no one had watered it, it had survived since it was planted near the lake, and there had been recent rains. It had lost many leaves and looked sparse, but new leaves had grown, with red pomegranate flowers scattered among them.
It was impossible to enjoy pomegranates from the newly planted tree this year; they would have to wait until next year.
On the way to the Imperial Palace, Gu Ling passed by the Wan Family’s residence, secretly entered, saw that Wan Hui and Zhengzheng hadn’t returned to the capital yet, and quietly left.
The sound of wind and rain provided good cover for Gu Ling as he sneaked into the Imperial Palace, only to find that Duanmu Cheng, who had previously been imprisoned in the cold palace, was not there.
So he left the palace and went to the Eldest Prince’s Mansion.
Not long after “Ning Jing” died, Duanmu Cheng, who had been imprisoned in the cold palace for some time, left the palace and returned to his Eldest
Prince’s Mansion. Although he kept a low profile, his life behind closed doors was full of feasting and merry-making.
That night, Duanmu Cheng rested in his favorite concubine’s room, and after a round of drinking and revelry, he had fallen asleep.
The tightly closed window suddenly opened, swaying and colliding in the wind and rain.
The maid hurried to close the window but couldn’t close it because of the strong wind.
The noise woke Duanmu Cheng from his sleep. He sat up straight on the bed, eyes wide open, covered in cold sweat, “Who? Who’s there? Come here! Quick, somebody come!”
Seeing Duanmu Cheng like a frightened bird, the concubine also shrank in fear and dared not move.
The guard outside rushed in and reported to Duanmu Cheng that it was just the window blown open by the wind, and there was no abnormal situation.
Duanmu Cheng, his face ashen, got out of bed, hastily put on his clothes, and walked out. The guard quickly held up an umbrella and accompanied him to the outer study room.
Two little maids knelt on the floor, wiping the rainwater that had splashed in, whispering to each other.
“I wonder what’s wrong with His Highness?”
“My mother overheard the head chef, Old Madam Qian, saying that His Highness has been having nightmares lately, shouting ‘Su Liang, don’t kill me’.”
“Su Liang? That Martial Arts Champion… how would she dare to kill His Highness?”
When Duanmu Cheng arrived at the outer study room, he quickly called two trusted subordinates, both middle-aged men, one tall and one short.
The tall one cautiously asked, “Your Highness, did you have another nightmare?”
Upon hearing this, Duanmu Cheng gnashed his teeth and said angrily, “As long as that bitch is alive, I won’t have peace for a day!”
“This subordinate still believes that Su Liang wouldn’t dare to lay a hand on His Highness, unless she no longer wants to live. The Emperor is protecting you.” The short one said.
Duanmu Cheng snapped, “I don’t care! I want her dead! I don’t want to see her again! She’s here to harm me! I lost my position as crown prince, my second brother’s death, and the Wan Family lost their military power, all because of that bitch! Have you made any progress on what I asked you to do?”
The expression on the tall one’s face stiffened. “Reporting to Your Highness, I just received the news tonight that all the Death Soldiers sent to assassinate Su Liang in Xunyang City have failed.”
Duanmu Cheng grabbed a paperweight and hurled it at him, “Useless!”
The tall one didn’t dare to dodge and took the hit to his chest with a muffled grunt. He bent down to pick up the paperweight and respectfully placed it back on the table.
The short one was quickly questioned as well. He appeared much calmer and more confident. “Your Highness, the person this subordinate sent was late, and there has been no news yet, but I have planned meticulously this time, and Su Liang won’t be able to escape!”
Gu Ling, who was under the rear window, narrowed his eyes when he heard this!
“Hurry up! Otherwise, once she returns to the capital, there will be no chance to act!” Duanmu Cheng ordered sharply.
The short one respectfully nodded, “This subordinate understands. According to the plan, my people took action yesterday. Perhaps Su Liang is already dead, but the news has not arrived yet.”
Duanmu Cheng sneered upon hearing this, “If it’s as you say, that would be great!”
Just then, the rear window suddenly opened, startling Duanmu Cheng. His body trembled, and he yelled for his subordinates to close the window properly. The tall one ran over immediately.
Hearing a thud behind him, Duanmu Cheng turned his head to see the tall one on the ground, his face changing drastically. Before he could make any sound, a white silk scarf wrapped around his neck!
The short one saw Gu Ling, who appeared like a ghost behind Duanmu Cheng, and was about to call for help when he saw Gu Ling holding up a finger, signaling him to be quiet, or he would kill Duanmu Cheng immediately.
The short one’s face changed constantly, not daring to breathe.
“What is the plan you mentioned?” Gu Ling asked the short one. He wore a mask and a straw cloak, his voice low.
After hesitating for a moment, the short one saw Duanmu Cheng’s eyes rolling back in his head due to the tight strangulation and had no choice but to disclose that he had hired a master to go to Xunyang City with a carefully planned assassination of Su Liang.
After listening to the short one’s plan, Gu Ling’s eyes became icy cold. Not waiting for the short one to plead for mercy or giving Duanmu Cheng a chance to speak another word, he twisted Duanmu Cheng’s neck!
Seeing Duanmu Cheng’s head twisted to one side, the short man’s face showed horror, “Who… who are you?” Regaining his wits, he tried to escape out of the door.
As soon as the short one stepped over, he was grabbed by the neck and yanked back. With a cracking sound, his neck twisted, and he stopped breathing.
In the heavy wind and rain, the window of the outer study room of the Eldest Prince’s Mansion was open, and the corpses of two men with twisted necks lay inside, Duanmu Cheng nowhere to be seen.
Gu Ling carried Duanmu Cheng’s body out of the city, throwing it into the torrential river, and then rushed in the direction of Xunyang City as quickly as he could….
