Chapter 55 — Searching for Their Sons Through the Night — Part 1
“Ka-Pah!”
In the night, an ox cart sped faster than a horse-drawn carriage, carrying three silent figures. Under the moonlight, the eyes of all three glinted with a repressed fury. From the moment they learned that the little buns had gone missing, smiles had left their faces, especially Ling Jingxuan, whose every movement radiated an unprecedented killing intent.
“Stop! Who goes there?”
As they neared the town, a group of soldiers blocked their way. The rushing ox cart came to an abrupt halt. Ling Jingxuan swept his gaze across them coldly, forcing down the boiling anger and impatience, before raising a smile and pulling out a silver ingot from his robes, quietly pressing it into the hands of the leading soldier.
“Officer, we have an appointment with Master Zhang at the Xinyuan Restaurant in town. Please, help us pass.”
It was rare to hear of any restriction on entering the town at night. Ling Jingxuan suspected it was the aftermath of the plague that had caused this. Concerned for the child, he had no intention of getting into a drawn-out argument. It was a small loss to avoid greater misfortune.
“The town is under quarantine due to a plague. The magistrate has ordered that no one be allowed through at night. If it’s not an urgent matter, please return at dawn.”
The soldier shook the silver ingot in his hand, and his tone softened slightly, but he still refused to allow them through. After all, the county magistrate was overseeing matters here, and if something went wrong, they would be the ones held accountable. Ling Jingxuan’s eyes flickered, and he took out another ingot, slipping it into the soldier’s palm.
“This is a matter of life and death, Officer. Please, make an exception.”
“Fine, just this once. Go on.”
After pocketing the extra silver, the soldier finally nodded. Ling Jingxuan thanked him repeatedly and turned to climb back into the cart. Zhao Dalong, without a word, cracked his whip, and the ox cart headed straight into the town, towards Ling Jingwei’s maternal grandparents’ home and Zhao Family’s general store.
The Zhao family’s compound had three courtyards, along with side wings, a small shop in the front, and a central garden courtyard. It wasn’t large, but in this town, owning a property like this was no small feat.
“Bang! Bang!”
The ox cart stopped in front of the general store. The three of them exchanged glances before they knocked on the door. They weren’t martial artists, nor could they leap over rooftops; the quickest way in was to simply knock.
“Who’s there? It’s late. Can’t you let me rest?”
A man’s impatient voice came from within. Ling Jingpeng was about to speak when Ling Jingxuan stopped him. With a cold look, he kicked the door open and drew a sharp dagger from his side. It was the one he had bought at the market yesterday, and he hadn’t expected to use it so soon.
“Coming, coming! Don’t keep knocking!”
“Don’t move! Or I’ll slit your throat!”
The man who opened the door didn’t have time to see what was going on before he was grabbed, and a cold, sharp dagger was pressed to his throat. Terrified, his legs went weak, and he stammered, “Good sir, spare my life! Spare my life!”
“Go inside!”
Ignoring his pleas, Ling Jingxuan twisted the man’s left hand behind his back with precise force while holding the dagger against his neck. Once inside, Ling Jingpeng and Zhao Dalong silently closed the door behind them, and everything returned to an eerie calm.
“Ah! Who are you? What do you want?”
Hearing the commotion, Ling Jingwei and a woman dressed in silk robes, appearing to be in her early twenties, came out. She was Ling Jingwei’s wife, Ling Zhao-shi. Upon seeing Ling Jingxuan and the others, Ling Jingwei’s eyes momentarily flashed with an unnatural look, but it quickly disappeared. Ling Zhao-shim screamed in fear, her wide eyes locking onto the dagger Ling Jingxuan was holding as he threatened the man.
“Jingxuan? What… how… What’s going on?”
Ling Jingwei, holding his frightened wife, feigned surprise, his face filled with confusion.
“Where is Xiao Wen and the others?”
Ling Jingxuan cut straight to the point, uninterested in any circular talk. He had noticed the brief unnatural glance in Ling Jingwei’s eyes earlier. If he had been 80% sure before, now he was 100% certain: his little buns were here!
“Xiao Wen? Jingxuan, what are you talking about? How could I know where Xiao Wen is?”
“You can keep lying if you want. But if you don’t care about him dying right here, go ahead!”
Before he could finish, Ling Jingxuan applied more pressure to the dagger’s edge. The sharp blade instantly cut through the man’s skin, and fresh blood oozed out, staining the air with the scent of iron.
“Ah? No! Master, save me, Miss!”
The man, Zhao Xiaosi, trembled in pain and fear. His legs shook uncontrollably, and he looked desperately at Ling Jingwei and his wife, pleading for help. Ling Jingpeng and Zhao Dalong exchanged glances but didn’t interfere. They trusted Ling Jingxuan to know his limits—he wouldn’t actually kill anyone.
Clearly caught off guard by Ling Jingxuan’s decisiveness, Ling Jingwei froze. The words from his parents earlier that day echoed in his mind. It was because of those words that he had decided to forcibly take Ling Jingxuan’s children. He had been certain that Ling Jingxuan would never find out. Even if he did, he could always deny it, and with the way Ling Jingxuan was perceived in the village, he wouldn’t dare make a scene. But now… Had Ling Jingxuan really become the man he had grown up with?
“You are Ling Jingxuan? What exactly are you talking about? What Xiao Wen? We’ve never seen him.”
The man being held, Zhao Xiaosi, was one of their family’s employees. Ling Zhao-shi, being a woman, couldn’t help but tremble at the bloody scene. She had heard of Ling Jingxuan, but had never actually met him. When she had married Ling Jingwei, he had already been cast out of the Lin family, and after their marriage, they had lived in town, rarely visiting the Ling ancestral home. The only thing she remembered clearly was that a few months ago, Ling Jingwei had mentioned adopting Ling Jingxuan’s child, but that had been firmly rejected by the second uncle and aunt. She hadn’t thought much of it… but now? What was really going on here?
“You haven’t seen them doesn’t mean no one else has. Ling Jingwei, my patience is running out. Hand over Xiao Wen and Xiao Wu, and I’ll pretend nothing happened today. Otherwise, don’t blame me for spilling blood right here!”
Ling Jingxuan’s narrow phoenix eyes gleamed with an icy coldness. His gaze, sharp and pointed, locked onto the frozen Ling Jingwei. He wasn’t interested in the relationship between the couple or whether Ling Zhao-shi knew anything. His only concern was his little buns.
The knife edge pressed closer to Zhao Xiaosi’s throat, and he trembled uncontrollably. Ling Zhao-shi, not a fool, followed Ling Jingxuan’s cold, pointed gaze and looked at her husband with suspicion.
“Jingwei, what is going on here?”
Her woman’s intuition told her that Ling Jingwei was hiding something.
“It’s nothing.”
Snapping out of his daze, Ling Jingwei forced a reassuring smile at his wife, wrapping his arm around her. He turned to Ling Jingxuan.
“I don’t understand what you’re saying. Xiao Wen and Xiao Wu are not here with me. Jingxuan, we are cousins; how could I take the children without your consent? Let go of Xiao Si. This matter won’t be spoken of again.”
His words sounded more like coaxing a child than an earnest plea, and not only did they fail to convince Ling Jingxuan, but even Ling Jingpeng and Zhao Dalong didn’t buy it.
“Humph, looks like this hostage isn’t enough.”
“Bang!”
Ling Jingxuan’s eyes darkened, and with a cold grunt, he shoved Zhao Xiaosi, who almost collapsed into his arms. His left hand rose with a delicate flick, and a nearly invisible powder wafted towards the couple, who were still clinging to each other.
“Bang!”
“Hmm? What… what is happening?”
The next second, Ling Jingwei and his wife fell to their knees, clutching their throats in agony. Their previously normal faces turned crimson, as they struggled to breathe. Ignoring their panic and the bewildered looks of Ling Jingpeng and Zhao Dalong, Ling Jingxuan calmly walked over and crouched before them. With his slender fingers, he gently lifted Ling Jingwei’s chin.
“Don’t be afraid. It’s just a bit of slow-acting poison. Since you want to play, I’ll indulge you. Once you’re tortured to death by this poison, I’ll have plenty of time to slowly search for Xiao Wen and the others. Ling Jingwei, has anyone ever told you that before doing something evil, you should understand who your opponent is first? ‘Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never lose a battle.’ You dared to harm my child. I trust you’ve prepared yourself for the consequences, haven’t you?”
His words were soft, slow, yet they carried a chilling detachment, the kind of coldness that wasn’t feigned, but a raw disregard for life.
Ling Jingwei’s eyes finally showed fear. His tall frame trembled uncontrollably. The Ling Jingxuan before him felt like a terrifying ghost, and he could no longer sense any humanity in the man standing before him.
“Stop! The children are here!”
Suddenly, a strong voice rang out. Then, a man in his thirties, followed by several assistants, stepped forward. Two of the assistants were holding unconscious children in their arms—none other than Ling Jingxuan’s little buns!
“Xiao Wen, Xiao Wu!” Without waiting for Ling Jingxuan to react, Ling Jingpeng and Zhao Dalong rushed forward in excitement. But before they could reach the children, several of the assistants blocked their way. Ling Jingxuan raised his hand, motioning for them to stand back, and slowly stood up.
“Can I have my children back now?”
Relieved that the children were safe, Ling Jingxuan walked up to the shopkeeper, Zhao, who was standing behind the assistants. Ling Jingwei and his wife, however, were still gasping in pain on the ground, clutching their throats.
“Hand over the antidote.”
Looking at his daughter and son-in-law with worry, Zhao, the shopkeeper, spoke as calmly as he could, though his heart was boiling with anger at Ling Jingwei. Just before dusk, he had suddenly brought two children, claiming they were adopted from the second branch of the Ling family. Despite their faint unconsciousness, the children seemed charming, and since his daughter had not been pregnant, he didn’t question it. But now… the children had been taken by force? Who gave Ling Jingwei the nerve to kidnap children?
“You don’t have the right to negotiate with me!” Ling Jingxuan’s voice rose sharply, his icy phoenix eyes locking onto Zhao’s angry gaze. He had no patience left for delays. He needed to ensure the children were safe and healthy.
“You—” Zhao, the shopkeeper, was furious, his hand trembling as he pointed at Ling Jingxuan. Ling Jingxuan cut him off with a cold, commanding tone.
“Shopkeeper Zhao, don’t make me warn you again. They can only last another fifteen minutes. After that, their seven orifices will bleed, and they’ll suffocate to death. If you want to continue dragging this out, I have no objections. I’ll just wait until you’re all dead and then take back my children.”
The poison was something he had personally concocted. He knew its effects better than anyone. This was also why he had returned home before heading out. Just for the children—if it meant poisoning them all, including Ling Jingwei’s entire family, he was willing to do it.
“Give him the children, and hurry up and save my daughter and son-in-law!”
Hearing this and seeing the murderous intent on Ling Jingxuan’s face, Zhao didn’t dare delay any longer. He hastily ordered his assistants to hand over the children, though he reminded Ling Jingxuan to bring the antidote.
Ling Jingpeng and Zhao Dalong stepped forward and took the children from the assistants. Ling Jingxuan didn’t respond to Zhao’s reminder. He checked their pulses, confirming they had only been drugged into unconsciousness, not poisoned. His heart, which had been tight with worry all evening, finally eased. His cold eyes warmed just slightly.
“Brother, how are they?” Unable to wait any longer, Ling Jingpeng anxiously asked.
“It’s nothing. They just need a couple of days to recover,” Ling Jingxuan replied, offering a reassuring smile. He gently patted the children’s faces, though guilt still lingered in his heart. If he had been more careful, they wouldn’t have suffered.
“Father, save me…”
“Father…” On the ground, Ling Jingwei and his wife were writhing in pain, blood faintly visible at the corners of their mouths. Zhao, the shopkeeper, ran over, heartbroken, and scooped up his daughter, crying out.
“Antidote! Where is the antidote?”
“Heh… as expected, no one loves their own children more than a parent. Shopkeeper Zhao, since you were the first to bring my children out, I assume you knew what was going on, didn’t you? When you planned to kidnap my children, did you ever consider how frantic I must have been when they went missing?”
Now, it was Zhao’s turn to panic. Ling Jingxuan, smirking coldly, gestured for Ling Jingpeng and Zhao Dalong to step back with the children. He leaned lazily against the shelf, watching the couple’s suffering with mocking detachment, as if he were savoring their agony. His cruelty was unmatched.
Kya! I’m finally seeing Ruthless!LJX… Is it bad that I kinda find that hot? (˶>⩊<˶)
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Translator: LazyHermitGal
Author: LazyHermitGal
A Lazy Hermit Gal. A little support goes a long way! If you’d like to help me keep creating, you can do so at https://ko-fi.com/lazyhermitgal
