Chapter 214: Whose Back Was That?

The old madam stumbled underfoot and tumbled down the stairs.

Ignoring the pain in her body, she scrambled up, limped out the door on one bad leg, and ran.

How could she be this unlucky! Whatever had she gone and picked up and brought back!

Holy crap! There was no way she could stay in Jingcheng any longer. If she didn't run now, she'd probably lose her life too.

Inside the Spring Fragrance Pavilion, the crowd heard the old madam's howl and instantly chaos erupted—screaming here, running there, a total mess, everyone afraid that moving too slowly would drag them into it. Seeing Jun Jun Zijin and her companions slipped out amid the confusion.

Quan Quan Qiming heard the old madam's howl, glanced back, and the fury in his heart burned even fiercer.

He took one look at Jun Jun Zhidie's unclosed-eyed corpse and tossed the body aside carelessly.

He turned and searched the room for anything flammable, ripped down the curtains in one pull, knocked over the candle, and the flame instantly caught the curtains—the fire spread rapidly.

He watched the burning room, a savage grin spreading across his face, muttering to himself:

"Good for you, Xiang Xiang Junzheng, Jun residence—bury yourselves with me!"

Then, Quan Quan Qiming, ablaze with fury, turned and stormed out of the Spring Fragrance Pavilion.

Before long, flames from the Spring Fragrance Pavilion shot into the sky, lighting up the entire night.

Quan Quan Qiming swung onto his fine steed and galloped wildly toward the Jun residence.

At this moment, the Jun residence was utterly silent, like the eerie calm before a storm.

Quan Quan Qiming vaulted off his horse, kicked open the Jun residence's main gate—"Boom!"—a thunderous crash, like a bomb exploding in the courtyard.

He strode into the courtyard, every step carrying an earth-shattering momentum.

Xiang Xiang Junzheng heard the commotion, hurried out of the house, and saw Quan Quan Qiming, raging as if an Asura had descended upon the world.

His heart gave a sudden lurch. Cursing inwardly, this is bad—Jun Jun Zhidie, that wretched girl, must have caused some disaster.

This girl had been sneaking out at night these past two evenings. It wasn't that he didn't know—he just turned a blind eye, never intending to bother with it.

Now it seemed his son was in for more misfortune than fortune; he could only rely on this daughter.

If his daughter could win the heart of the Qiwangdian lord, that would be a good thing too.

He forced himself to appear calm, but couldn't hide the panic in his eyes, and asked weakly:

"Lord Qi, this... this, why such fury? Jun Zhidie... isn't Jun Zhidie with you?"

It would have been better if Xiang Xiang Junzheng hadn't mentioned Jun Jun Zhidie. The moment he did, Quan Quan Qiming's eyes bulged, wishing he could bite Xiang Xiang Junzheng to death on the spot.

"Xiang Xiang Junzheng, what nerve—daring to shove any old trash into my Wang Fu! Let me tell you, your precious daughter committed the crime of lewdness! And she has already been executed by my own hand."

Li Shi, hiding behind a pillar, heard that Jun Jun Zhidie was dead—her only support was gone.

Her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed with a heavy "thud."

Xiang Xiang Junzheng was dumbfounded too:

"Wh... what?"

Could it be that the matter between Jun Zhidie and Jun Zhihao had been discovered by Lord Qi?

Xiang Xiang Junzheng's mind went "boom"—a blank. His mouth moved faster than his brain, and the thought burst out of him:

"My lord, the matter between Jun Zhidie and Jun Zhihao was a frame-up! They are full siblings—if they hadn't been set up, the two of them would never, under any circumstances, have done such a filthy thing!"

At these words, Quan Quan Qiming gagged, nearly vomiting.

He hadn't known about this matter—disgusting! Absolutely fucking disgusting, full siblings!

Xiang Xiang Junzheng, you knew about this and still shoved that beast-in-human-skin bitch into his residence. This time, dying ten thousand deaths wouldn't be enough for you.

Quan Quan Qiming's eyes went blood-red, and the sword in his hand slid out in one motion, pointing straight at Xiang Xiang Junzheng's throat.

"Let me tell you, your precious daughter died in a private room at the Spring Fragrance Pavilion."

"Spr... Spring Fragrance Pavilion?"

Xiang Xiang Junzheng's face went deathly pale, his legs gave way, and he slumped to the ground.

"My lord, this must be a misunderstanding. Jun Zhidie, she... how could she possibly go to the Spring Fragrance Pavilion?"

Quan Quan Qiming let out a cold laugh, filled with contempt and disgust, too lazy to waste another word on the Xiang Xiang Junzheng before him.

He ordered the guards to execute Xiang Xiang Junzheng, his wife, and Qingyu on the spot, on charges of harboring lewdness and deceiving the royal house.

Quan Quan Qiming's voice was ice-cold, like a frost-blade in a wintry night, slicing through the air. The guards immediately swarmed forward like wolves and tigers, hauling up the ashen-faced Xiang Xiang Junzheng and the unconscious Li Shi.

Qingyu, who had been hiding inside the house, was also dragged out without mercy.

Qingyu's face was ghastly pale, and she cried out in terror.

"My lord, this concubine had nothing to do with it! This concubine knows nothing at all!"

Quan Quan Qiming didn't even glance at Qingyu. In his heart, only the flames of vengeance burned.

He wanted these people to watch with their own eyes as the Jun residence was burned to ashes, and then have their heads fall, to vent the hatred in his heart.

He was just about to order men to splash fire oil everywhere, intending to burn the Jun residence down with a single blaze.

A cool, clear voice sounded from behind:

"Second brother, wait!"

Quan Quan Qiming turned his head—it was Jun Jun Zijin speaking.

"This residence originally belonged to the Jun estate. Back then I took pity on them and let them borrow it. Now the Jun estate is taking it back. Besides, second brother, if you set this fire, my Jun estate is right next door—it would inevitably be caught up in it too."

Jun Jun Zijin's voice was not loud, but every word was clear.

The moment Qingyu saw Jun Jun Zijin, it was like grabbing a life-saving straw. She broke free from the hands of the men escorting her and rushed to Jun Jun Zijin.

With a "thud," she dropped to her knees.

"Young Lady, please save this servant! This servant truly is innocent!"

A cold smile curled at the corner of Jun Jun Zijin's lips. She bent down and whispered in her ear:

"Innocent? The time Jun Jun Zhihao set fire to burn me—wasn't it you who gave him the layout map of my courtyard?"

Without that layout map, Jun Jun Zhihao could never have moved through her courtyard so freely.

Her courtyard was a place even Jun Jun Zhidie had never entered; if not Qingyu, then who else could it be?

Hearing Jun Jun Zijin's words, Qingyu's body trembled violently, and her face turned ashen.

Jun Jun Zijin stopped looking at her, straightened his posture, and said to Quan Quan Qiming:

"Second Brother, the people of the Jun residence, ever since they split from the Jun Manor, have had no connection to the Jun Manor. The Jun Manor, out of consideration for the fact that they also bear the surname Jun, allowed them to borrow this courtyard; that was already the utmost in benevolence and righteousness. Though I do not know what crimes they committed, every single person here is at Second Brother's disposal. Only this mansion, I beg Second Brother to show mercy."

No one would wish for such sordid matters to become known; regardless of whether Quan Quan Qiming believed it or not, Jun Jun Zijin had to make his stance clear and wash his hands of the affair.

Indeed, Quan Quan Qiming's expression softened slightly. He frowned slightly, but in the end said nothing more, waved his hand, and ordered the guards to drag the three of them out.

On this night, the Second Branch of the Jun family came to a complete end.

"Thank you, Second Brother, for your kindness."

Jun Jun Zijin bowed again.

Jun Jun Zijin slept in for once; when he awoke, the sun was already high in the sky.

Feiyan, who had been carrying out a mission outside, returned; while he was secretly tracking that mysterious person, he saw another familiar back.