Chapter 61: One’s Specialty
Chapter 61: Chapter 61: One’s Specialty
The newcomer staggered forward. His tied-up hair was in complete disarray, and his face was utterly devoid of color. Most terrifying of all, crimson liquid continuously seeped through the fingers clutching his chest, soaking a large patch of his robes.
Seeing Cui Hao sustain such severe injuries within the Liang Mansion, the onlookers were thoroughly shocked.
The person who had arrived with Cui Hao rushed straight forward to support him; it was likely his colleague.
Yet, despite his pathetic state, Liang Wan still managed to read a flicker of smugness in his eyes.
He had every right to be smug. Not only had he deceived Mrs. Zhang, but he had also fooled Liang Wan herself.
Liang Wan watched him coldly. She truly had underestimated him.
Qiuxi quietly tugged at Liang Wan’s sleeve, her furrowed brows brimming with worry. Hiding in the corner, she had seen it clearly—the person who entered the rockery was indeed Cui Hao. She wondered why he hadn’t been knocked unconscious by the drug, and how he knew about the Fourth Lady’s situation.
Liang Wan shot her a discreet look. Until they figured out Cui Hao’s true intentions, all they could do was wait and see how things unfolded.
Clearly, Cui Hao’s blood-soaked appearance had the desired effect. The crowd had already begun to whisper among themselves. After all, if an assassin clad in black hadn’t truly broken in, who would have inflicted such ruthless injuries?
Seeing the situation take a sudden turn for the worse, Liang Cheng grew furious. He pointed at Cui Hao and roared, "You’ll testify? What gives you the right to testify?"
Mrs. Zhang sneered as well, thoroughly unimpressed. "Cui Xiaolang, it is only out of respect for Lord Lin that we reluctantly treat you as a guest. Yet, a lowly Assistant Teacher like you has the gall to recklessly slander me in my own home?"
When she first approached Cui Hao, she had capitalized on his relentless pestering of Liang Wan. She had merely promised to help him succeed; as long as he exposed his illicit affair with Liang Wan in front of all the guests, Liang Wan would have no choice but to marry him.
Who could have known he was playing a double game? On the surface, he played the fool, seemingly allowing himself to be used. In reality, he had long colluded with Liang Wan in secret, digging a massive trap for Mrs. Zhang to fall right into.
Not only had he failed to harm Liang Wan, but he had also driven Mrs. Zhang into a dead end!
Liang Wan slowly furrowed her brows, coldly watching them tear at each other’s throats.
Unfazed by Liang Cheng’s fierce tone and Mrs. Zhang’s icy sarcasm, Cui Hao steadied himself. Then, unhurriedly, he retrieved a piece of paper from his sleeve and unfurled it for all to see.
"My testimony isn’t just empty words. The wounds on my body and this contract to sell the Third Lady Liang are the proof. It’s written here clearly in black and white. I snatched it straight from the assassin!"
A slave contract...
Liang Wan felt a strong urge to laugh. She knew he was shameless, but she never imagined he could sink to such depths!
As he spoke, he handed the contract to his colleague beside him. "If any of you doubt me, you are welcome to inspect this slave contract yourselves!"
Filled with skepticism, the crowd passed the contract around, murmuring in astonishment as they read it. Liang Jing simply gave a look to her attendant, who promptly retrieved the paper from the guests and handed it to her.
The woman of the He Family and Liang Jing examined it together with furrowed brows, while Liang Cheng glared fiercely at Mrs. Zhang.
"It’s a fake! What slave contract? This is entirely fabricated—"
Mrs. Zhang found it impossible to defend herself. Aside from vehemently denying it, she didn’t know how else to explain. It was true that she had intended to sell Liang Wan, but how could she possibly be stupid enough to sign some ridiculous slave contract? Wouldn’t that just be handing them leverage against her on a silver platter?
She kept shouting, but her feeble defenses were drowned out by the chaotic murmurs of the crowd, vanishing without a trace.
"Family Head—"
A guard came sprinting over, looking frantic.
"What is it now?!" Liang Cheng roared, his breathing heavy and his temples throbbing violently. He had been simmering with nowhere to vent his rage, and the guard had run right into it.
A subtle smile touched the corners of Liang Wan’s lips.
Stunned by the sudden outburst of anger, the guard pointed behind him, slightly out of breath. "Reporting to the Family Head! We found a few suspicious individuals lurking by the back door!"
"Where are they?!" Liang Cheng snapped, shooting a ruthless glare at Mrs. Zhang. When he turned around, he saw other guards dragging in several heavily bound figures.
The bound men were cursing loudly and incessantly. They yelled about how Mrs. Liang had broken her promise by promising one girl to two different buyers. As if that wasn’t bad enough, what was the meaning of tying them up?
The crowd watched, entirely dumbfounded. Was selling her to one family not enough? Did she have to sell her to two? When they looked at Liang Wan again, their eyes were filled with pity.
Cui Hao gasped for air. "You’ve all seen it now. I wasn’t lying. I saw the men in black abducting the Fourth Lady and tried to step in to help. Unfortunately, I was outnumbered and severely beaten. I couldn’t save her... I truly blame myself."
He furrowed his brows tightly, his pale face accentuating the unbearable pain of his wounds. With such an expression of guilt, he truly looked the part of a righteous hero who drew his sword to help those in need.
As expected, his words won him the admiration and comforting remarks of many in the crowd.
Liang Wan felt nauseated just watching him. He was utterly shameless!
The woman of the He Family pointed at Mrs. Zhang, choking back tears. "Ever since I married into the Liang family, I have never fought with you. I’ve yielded time and time again. Even when you wanted to send Awan away to be a concubine, I painfully agreed. I did it out of respect for my late father-in-law and my deceased husband, unwilling to watch the Liang Family decline. Yet, you went behind my back and tried to secretly sell her! Zhang Yulian, you are so vicious!"
Liang Jing’s face grew cold. "Aunt Yulian, how could you do such a thing?"
The maid from earlier collapsed onto the ground, tears streaming down her face. "There really were men in black! I wasn’t lying!"
Qiuxi walked over and helped her up. "Didn’t the men in black tell you to lead the way to the Third Lady? Why did they abduct the Fourth Lady instead?"
The maid wiped her tears. "They forced me to take them to the Third Lady, but I refused. So, they knocked me unconscious. By the time I woke up, the Fourth Lady was already gone. They must have mistaken the Fourth Lady for the Third Lady and snatched her away. Mrs. Liang, things have already come to this. Please tell us who you sold her to. Otherwise, I’m afraid it will be too late!"
Both witnesses and material evidence were present. Mrs. Zhang had no way to defend herself, entirely confirming her attempt to secretly sell her niece. The onlookers shook their heads. Evil truly begot evil. She had plotted to sell someone else’s daughter, only to end up implicating her own. Those who harmed others ultimately harmed themselves!
Boiling with immense rage, Liang Cheng charged forward and kicked Mrs. Zhang. "You venomous woman! Are you still not going to speak? Where exactly did you sell Ajiao?!"
Caught off guard, Mrs. Zhang was kicked to the ground. She clutched her chest, unable to get up for quite some time. The maid beside her wanted to help her, but was too intimidated by Liang Cheng’s furious expression to do so. She stood there, completely at a loss, caught in a dilemma.
"It wasn’t me! It really wasn’t me! I don’t know either—" Mrs. Zhang shook her head incessantly.
In the heavy darkness of the night, Liang Wan lowered her head. The corners of her lips slowly curled upward. Her initially cold and indifferent face instantly transformed, resembling an Udumbara flower blooming in the night, unfurling in a forgotten corner.
She raised her head and let out a soft sigh. Stepping forward with feigned pity, she crouched down and spoke to Mrs. Zhang with utmost obedience. "Aunt Yulian, it’s already come to this. Don’t hold back anymore. As long as you tell us who took Ajiao, I... I won’t blame you." As she spoke, her eyes reddened with tears.
Mrs. Zhang’s eyes were bloodshot. She violently shoved her to the ground, her face twisted in rage. "You bitch! Drop the act! You orchestrated this entire trap! This is all your doing!"