Chapter 195: Chapter 16: The Trial of Liu Yue Rong (Guaranteed Merge of Two Chapters)
After the elders took away the cultivation techniques, Li Tian Gang sent everyone out of the courtyard, then returned to his study to pick up the interrogation report he had been reading earlier.
This was his second time reading it; he just wanted to check for any oversights.
Soon, he finished reading it for the second time.
Li Tian Gang fell silent, standing in place as he gazed at a martial training ground in the courtyard.
There stood a target made of Dragon Tendon Grass, but it was tattered and covered with snow.
Whiz!
An arrow fiercely struck the center of the Dragon Tendon Grass target, its tail quivering slightly.
“How about that, I told you I could hit it!”
The child jumped up and down on the spot, shouting excitedly.
“Haha, not bad, with more practice you might even surpass your second brother from back then,.” a tall, sword-wearing youth said with a smile.
“You’ve already surpassed him, little seventh’s talent in archery is far greater than mine.”
Another slim-faced young man chuckled, reaching out to tousle the head of the child, who was beaming with joy.
“Don’t flatter me, your arrow exploded the head of a Great Demon thirty li away, the entire army saw it.” The sword-wearing youth looked on admiringly.
The slim-faced young man smiled without a word, turning to the child and saying, “Last time you said you wanted a saber of your own, what is this?”
He brought out something from behind his back, holding in his palm a curved blade the length of a dagger.
The child’s eyes shone brightly, taking it over with excitement: “Second brother, did you buy this?”
“It’s made from the fangs and scales of a giant serpent your second brother hunted. He had it forged especially for you,.” the sword-wearing youth said enviously.
“Thank you, second brother!”
The child was overjoyed, holding the curved blade in his hand, fondling it lovingly.
In another part of the courtyard, the wail of a child suddenly rose, powerful and vigorous.
Both young men turned to look, laughing:
“Little ninth has wet the bed again.”
They walked towards that direction, and the child quickly followed, fading into the distance until their figures disappeared.
The memories of the past once again fell silent before his eyes; the warm sunlight of those spring days was gone, leaving only the courtyard blanketed in Falling Snow.
The once-new Dragon Tendon Grass target had become old and worn.
The sounds of laughter were long gone, the target remained, but the one who shot at it never returned…
Li Tian Gang’s palm clenched slightly, he took a deep breath, then turned and walked out of Mountain and River Courtyard with a stern face.
Yu Xuan and Li Fu wanted to follow, but he raised his hand to stop them.
Without a word, he walked away, his figure disappearing outside the courtyard among the falling snowflakes.
Before long, Li Tian Gang arrived at Shuihua Courtyard.
As he pushed open the door, the trusted aide at the entrance was taken aback upon seeing Li Tian Gang, showing a hint of trepidation, and quickly saluted.
Li Tian Gang entered the courtyard with his hands clasped behind his back, and soon saw a young figure practicing swordsmanship amidst the whistling sound of the sword wind.
He glanced over, and the youth also noticed him, stopping his sword to look over, though his gaze was cold, with a hint of anger.
Without saying a word, Li Tian Gang withdrew his gaze and headed directly to a pavilion nearby.
There, a beautiful woman with a graceful figure, dressed in a green crossed-collar long dress, was leaning against the railing, gazing at the young man practicing his sword in the courtyard.
Li Tian Gang approached the pavilion from the side, but the expression of the beautiful woman remained largely unchanged, still looking at the young man, not turning around, though her lips tightened slightly, revealing her inner unrest.
The pavilion was silent for a moment.
After a while, Li Tian Gang spoke first, “Second sister-in-law, the interrogation results have been delivered to my hands, and you’ve confirmed them with your personal seal. Do you have anything else to say?”
Liu Yue Rong remained motionless for a bit, then slowly said:
“What do you expect me to say, Li Tian Gang? Should I kneel before you to apologize? Or should I kneel before your son and let him kill me and my child?”
As she spoke, she slowly turned around, her dark eyes fixed on Li Tian Gang.
Li Tian Gang was silent for a moment before saying, “Since the second sister-in-law admits to the interrogation results without denial, then I must act according to the law.”
“Such righteousness in acting according to the law…”
Liu Yue Rong’s eyes suddenly filled with passionate emotion, full of resentment and bitterness:
“You used the Thousand-Spindle Soul Gu Skill to coerce a confession, if I hadn’t spoken, I might have died in that prison. Li Tian Gang, oh, Li Tian Gang, you are truly ruthless—ruthless to your own son, and to us, a widow and orphan. How can you face your deceased elder brother?!”
Li Tian Gang watched the anger and hatred on her face, falling silent once more.
Once upon a time, when she and his second brother were always seen together, every time she saw him, she would smile gently like a well-bred lady, bringing him little treats, and when she went to the market, she never forget to bring him a gift.
They were all young then, with carefree faces full of youthful exuberance, as if their hearts were unable to conceal any worries.
But now, as they looked into each other’s eyes, they were unable to peer into the depths of each other’s hearts.
Times have changed, and nothing remains the same.
“Second sister-in-law, according to national law, you will be stripped of your first-class ladyship and demoted to the status of a commoner.”
Li Tian Gang took a deep breath and continued in a low voice: “According to family law, since you tried to harm a legitimate heir of the family, you should be exiled or executed. But in consideration of my second brother’s past merits, from now on you will stay in Shuihua Courtyard indefinitely. With the Li Family’s support, you can still ensure a life of wealth and honor.”
“What wealth and honor!”
Liu Yue Rong glared at him with eyes full of resentment: “Why was Feng Ping so foolish and naive? His talent was no less than yours, Li Tian Gang, and Qianfeng had Divine Blood in his veins. When he married me, he had already reached the Immortal level!”
“Yet, he foolishly, foolishly did such a stupid thing, taking a sword for you, going to war with grievous wounds, and ending up with no remains to be found…”