Chapter 311: If you don't hand him over every quarter of an hour, I'll cut off one of your sons!

The leading private soldier bowed, a flash of chilling coldness in his eyes: "Marquis, rest assured, this subordinate will go search! Whether he is studying in the study or hiding in the bedroom, within a moment, I will definitely make them kneel before you one by one!"

After speaking, he waved his hand, and more than ten private soldiers immediately drew the sabers at their waists, the blades flashing with cold light under the reflection of the torches.

They stepped heavily across the blue stone slabs, surging toward the inner courtyard, the sound of boots crushing fallen leaves sounding particularly harsh in the quiet night.

Immediately, chaotic cries and scolding came from the inner courtyard.

In less than a moment, those ten or so private soldiers brought back several figures.

The leader was a boy of twenty-one or twenty-two, his arms twisted behind his back by two private soldiers, blood still at the corner of his mouth; he was You Wangzhi's eldest son by a concubine.

Following behind were several boys of sixteen or seventeen, trembling with fear, their faces covered in tears and snot.

Further back were two small children being roughly held by the back of their collars by soldiers. One was still clutching a cloth tiger tightly, and the other was only four or five years old, already crying until he couldn't catch his breath, so scared he forgot to struggle.

With a few muffled "thuds," the private soldiers mercilessly pressed the children to the ground.

The boy stubbornly wanted to struggle to get up, but was kicked hard in the knee bend by someone, forcing him to kneel down again.

"Dad! Save me!"

"Child is so scared!"

Several younger ones couldn't even stand steady and were pushed to the ground. The cries for help to You Wangzhi instantly filled the entire courtyard.

You Wangzhi was held tightly by the arms by two private soldiers.

He struggled, his voice hoarse from fear: "Chen De!"

"What do you want to do!"

"Do not harm innocent people!"

You Wangzhi struggled hard, his gray hair at his temples disheveled, sticking to his sweat-drenched forehead.

Chen De didn't even lift his eyelids, only squeezing a cold sneer from his nasal cavity: "You Wangzhi, I have always been clear about right and wrong, and I believe that grievances have their heads and debts have their owners!"

He paused and continued: "One last chance, hand over You Cheng Huai, I only want him to pay for A-Wei's life, and will never harm others!"

As he spoke, he held up a finger.

Chen De was not a person who killed innocent people indiscriminately.

From beginning to end, he only wanted You Cheng Huai's dog life!

You Wangzhi knelt on the ground, his knees hitting the cold blue stone slabs, trembling all over, but staring fixedly at the row of sons crying into tears.

He turned his head abruptly to look at Chen De, a flash of desperate wavering in his bloodshot eyes, his voice hoarse as if ground by sandpaper: "But Cheng Huai has never returned since he left the mansion for the Imperial Academy this morning!"

"I don't know where he is right now either!"

You Wangzhi was not incapable of weighing pros and cons, nor was he unwilling to hand over the person...

Giving up You Cheng Huai alone for a while could save the remaining sons; even a fool would make this choice!

But he couldn't produce the person!

Chen De twitched the corner of his mouth, the sarcasm in his tone almost overflowing: "It seems you are going to be stubborn to the end and protect You Cheng Huai to the death..."

"Good, very good!"

"I really don't know!" You Wangzhi repeated, his voice full of helplessness.

You Wangzhi really didn't understand why every word he said was the truth, yet this martial man in front of him just wouldn't believe it!

Chen De sneered, the ferocity in his eyes almost overflowing. He pulled a saber from the waist of a private soldier, threw the scabbard to the ground, and the cold-flashing blade pointed directly at You Wangzhi's sons: "Surname You, since you insist on harboring him and not handing him over, then I will also let you taste the pain of losing a son..."

He paused and added: "And I don't have much patience. If you don't hand him over every quarter of an hour, I'll cut off one of your sons!"

It was obvious that Chen De was forcing You Wangzhi, this father, to make a choice...

If he continued to be stubborn, then he would treat him the way he treated others.

Let him taste the same pain he had!

You Wangzhi watched the blade get closer and closer to his son, his eye sockets almost splitting: "You dare!"

"See if I dare!"

Chen De laughed, stuck out his neck, a flash of ferocity in his eyes, and asked with a smile: "You Wangzhi, this is your eldest son by a concubine, right?"

As he spoke, he pointed the saber directly at the oldest one in the crowd.

You Xiling's blood seemed to freeze instantly.

His lips trembled, unable to say a complete sentence, only the "clattering" sound of his teeth chattering was particularly clear in the quiet night.

"Dad... Dad! Save me!" He turned his head abruptly, his gaze passing through the swaying firelight, sticking fixedly to You Wangzhi, the sob in his voice almost tearing his throat apart, "Dad save me! Dad! Child doesn't want to die!"

"Woooooo... ah!"

Before the crying stopped, a flash of ferocity appeared in Chen De's eyes, and he didn't even have half a moment of hesitation.

He sneered, his wrist suddenly exerting force; the raised saber carried a sharp, air-piercing whistle as it descended like a bolt of cold-tempered lightning!

"No—!" You Wangzhi's heart-wrenching roar pierced the night sky, but he was ultimately a step too slow.

Only a muffled "puchi" sound was heard, blood instantly gushed out, splashing red on the blue stone slabs, and splashing on the face of the younger brother beside him in horror.

This eldest son of the You family didn't even have time to let out another scream before his body fell softly.

The wound on his neck was still gurgling with blood bubbles, his eyes wide open, as if he couldn't believe this scene even until his death.

The air instantly solidified.

The remaining children were scared out of their wits, but were pressed tightly by the private soldiers, only able to make gasping sounds.

Chen De shook the blood beads off the saber, the cold light on the blade reflecting his cold side face: "You Wangzhi, do you know if I dare now?"

"Take this corpse to the Junior Marshal, take a good look!"

Did he really think he was bluffing?

Immediately, two private soldiers responded and dragged You Xiling's corpse in front of You Wangzhi, grieving: "Xiling!"

"Chen De, my son Xiling didn't participate, how can you be so cruel!"

"Killing innocent people indiscriminately!"

You Wangzhi's heart was dripping blood.

He roared, his voice cracking from extreme anger.

"Hahahaha!"

Hearing this angry rebuke, Chen De suddenly looked up and laughed.

The laughter was particularly harsh in the quiet night, carrying a kind of near-manic pleasure, making people's eardrums ache.

He laughed for a long time before slowly stopping, wiping the tears he had laughed out with his sleeve, but his eyes were as cold as ice: "The cruel one is not me, it's you, You Wangzhi!"

"It was you who killed your own eldest son!"

"If you had said where you hid You Cheng Huai, would he have died?"

"Chen De, how many times do I have to say it! Cheng Huai never returned to the mansion!" You Wangzhi's eyes were bloodshot, his voice was a sobbing breakdown, "And I never harbored him, I don't even know where he is at all!"

But Chen De just looked at him coldly, as if watching a clumsy one-man show: "This mouth is really hard!"

"But it doesn't matter..."

"I have plenty of time to play with you!"

"Until you are willing to speak!"

Chen De also wanted to see whether his saber was harder, or You Wangzhi's mouth was harder...

And he didn't know if the number of his sons was enough to cut!

"Chen De, what do I have to do for you to believe that I didn't harbor Cheng Huai!"

You Wangzhi's chest heaved violently, his throat blocked by a hot soldering iron, every breath carrying burning pain, using his last bit of strength to roar: "Didn't you already search the mansion?"

Chen De's voice suddenly rose, carrying thunderous anger: "Chang'an is so big, there are plenty of places where you can hide people!"

No matter how much You Wangzhi said, Chen De was convinced.

"Marquis, a quarter of an hour is up!" A private soldier stepped forward and said.

"Junior Marshal You has a heart of stone, it seems that killing a mere concubine-born son cannot make him change his mind..." Hearing this, Chen De swept over those You family children who were scared out of their wits, smiling meaningfully.

Between the lines, it was full of profound meaning.

"Chen De, what do you want to do!"

"Dingxiang Marquis, don't mess around!"

Hearing this, You Wangzhi felt that something was very wrong, cold sweat dripping, and he shouted hysterically.

The private soldier understood, grinned, grabbed the back of You Qifeng's collar, and dragged him to Chen De, respectfully: "Marquis, Junior Marshal, the eldest son is brought!"

Chen De kicked You Qifeng's knees hard with his boot tip, forcing him to kneel, then slowly turned to You Wangzhi, a cruel smile on his mouth: "You Wangzhi, I am not a person who likes to kill..."

"I'll give you two choices, do you want the eldest son who is both civil and martial, or do you want to protect that mediocre second son!"

As he spoke, he weighed the saber in his hand, the blood on the blade not yet dry.

"How many times do I have to say it for you to believe!" You Wangzhi said hoarsely, "I really don't know!"

"Stubborn!"

The last trace of warmth on Chen De's face instantly faded.

He looked at You Wangzhi, no longer having half a hesitation in his eyes.

"Dad—!" You Qifeng let out a heart-wrenching cry, which was the last sound he left in the world.

Chen De seemed to have killed until his eyes were red, and he didn't mean to stop at all, carrying the dripping saber, walking toward the next concubine-born son.

One, and another...

Chen De was like a god of slaughter without emotion, the saber in his hand rose and fell, blood staining the blue stone slabs of the courtyard red, the air filled with a heavy smell of blood.

Those once-vibrant You family children now turned into cold corpses one after another, lying scattered on the ground.

"No!" You Wangzhi finally woke up from his numbness, let out a desperate roar, but was pressed to the spot by the private soldiers, only able to watch the blade fall.

Another muffled sound, warm blood splashed on his clothes, burning his heart with sharp pain.

"Chen De, I, You Wangzhi, will not share the sky with you!"

Low laughter rolled out of his throat, getting louder and louder, more and more manic, like a night owl crying in a graveyard.

"Do you really think I was bluffing?"

"My patience is almost exhausted..."

Chen De held the dripping saber and said in a deep voice: "If you don't speak again, I'll make you have no descendants!"

"Even if Cheng Huai was really hidden by me..."

You Wangzhi's eyes were full of hatred, his voice suddenly rose, carrying the determination to burn together: "It is absolutely impossible to hand him over to you!"

"Chen De, you will never find him in your life!"

You Wangzhi completely broke down, and was also completely crazy.

"Good, you bastard, you're really something!"

Chen De was so provoked that his eyes were about to split, the anger in his chest almost burning through his internal organs, carrying the saber and preparing to walk toward You Wangzhi's last two remaining concubine-born sons.

At this critical moment, a rush of horse hooves suddenly came from outside the courtyard, from far to near, shattering the dead silence of the night.

"Marquis! Marquis!" A private soldier guarding the door crawled in, his face deathly pale, his voice shaking uncontrollably, "Ming... Mingjing Si people are here! And the Imperial Guard! They... they have surrounded the entire Junior Marshal's mansion!" ===== CHAPTER 312 =====