Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 398 The Death of Song Yi (12,000 words)

A pitch-black cave.

My heart was pounding.

Lying on the ground, Song Jing couldn't sleep; he didn't know where to put his hands.

I'm feeling very upset.

Very messy.

Very agitated.

It's like a fire burning in my chest.

He could clearly feel the rage churning within his consciousness, a urge to wreak havoc, an impulse that grew increasingly uncontrollable. He wanted to tear everything he saw into pieces.

It's best if it's a person.

Then I watched as these people were torn to pieces, their blood flowing freely.

Fresh blood sprayed into his mouth and flowed down his throat, seemingly relieving the burning sensation.

Song Jing knew he was no good person, and many people had died at his hands, but this thirst for blood and life was something he had never experienced before.

Could it be...

Has he truly gone mad with demonic possession?
The thought suddenly popped into Song Jing's mind, and his body trembled uncontrollably. His flushed face turned deathly pale, and a creepy fear surged into his heart.

"Possessing demonic possession" is a familiar term to any martial artist... It can be said without exaggeration that, apart from powerful enemies, possessing demonic possession is definitely the biggest obstacle on a martial artist's path of cultivation. Song Jing has personally witnessed the fate of those martial artists who have possessed demonic possession.

They have completely lost their will, like wild beasts acting purely on instinct. For martial artists who have gone mad, instinct is to destroy, to annihilate, to kill. They are ragged and covered in filth; they have completely abandoned human civilization, eating raw meat and drinking blood only to replenish their physical strength; they are cold and emotionless... At the same time, they are also despair-inducingly powerful.

No, he would never go mad.

The Vajra Arhat Kung Fu is the most authentic Buddhist secret text.

Buddhist and Taoist practices emphasize starting slowly and gradually increasing speed, accumulating knowledge and experience before unleashing it. He has been practicing the Vajra Arhat Technique for many years, so it is normal for his level to advance rapidly. This has nothing to do with going astray or becoming possessed by demons.

Oh, right, it's that letter.

Song Jing's eyes suddenly brightened.

That was a letter his father, Song Hongtao, had sent him. In this letter, he had recorded the Song family's biggest secret and biggest scandal.

It turns out that Song Jingcai was his father's only son.

Song Huai, Song Yi, and Song An were all illegitimate children born from their mother's adultery.

When he first saw the contents of the letter, he was somewhat incredulous... But, just as no woman would joke about her innocence, no man would joke about being cuckolded.

It is said that women tend to have a greater fondness for their lovers' children.

Thinking about it carefully, although he was his mother's child, his mother's attitude towards him was not good. Although she didn't torment him like she did Song Yan and Song Xue, she basically ignored him and let him do as he pleased... Look at them, Song Huai and Song Yi passed the imperial examination, the fourth son is a business prodigy, the sixth son is the unicorn of the Song family, and the seventh and eighth sons are also good students. Only he himself is completely ignorant in poetry, books and literature.

Song Jing had good reason to believe that this was due to his mother's favoritism.

If his mother had given him more guidance and discipline from a young age, he would never have become such a crude and vulgar martial artist.

To be honest, he didn't think his father's judgments were entirely correct. At least, he felt that among the Song brothers, besides himself, there was another person who should also be his father's child: Song Zhen.

After all, Song Zhen is even less capable than him.

In the letter, his father even promised that he would inherit the title of Duke of Song, as long as... he killed his other brothers... It must have been this letter that triggered his murderous intent.

At first, Song Jing was somewhat resistant to his father's arrangement. Even if they weren't blood brothers, they were still half-brothers, and he couldn't bring himself to harm them. But now, looking at Song Yi and Song An lying beside him, and then at Song Huai sitting at the cave entrance, a thought suddenly arose in Song Jing's mind... What kind of brothers were they? They were just bastards born from Yang Miaoqing's affairs with other men. What right did they have to be brothers with him, the true legitimate son of the Duke's mansion?

Their very existence is a great disgrace to the Duke's mansion. Perhaps they should have been thrown into a cesspool and drowned the moment they appeared in this world. Only when they are dead can the Duke's disgrace be kept hidden, and the dignity and honor of the Duke's mansion be preserved.

Gudong.

Song Jing swallowed hard.

His eyes were wide open.

His breathing became more rapid.

That's right, he wasn't after the title of Duke.

He did it to atone for his mother's sins.

Thinking about it this way, everything seems to make perfect sense.

In the dim light, no one could see that Song Jing's mouth was being forcefully torn open, almost stretching to his ears; that exaggerated smile was utterly chilling.

He slowly sat up straight.

Breathing heavily.

Although a campfire was burning at the entrance of the cave, the temperature inside was still rather cold, and the breath exhaled from the mouth quickly turned into white mist.

Huff, huff, huff...

Song Jing didn't even notice that almost greedy saliva was dripping from the corner of his mouth.

His wide eyes were fixed on Song Yi on his left, his greed and desire growing stronger and stronger, becoming increasingly uncontrollable. The next second, Song Jing acted like a madman, letting out a strange cry and pouncing on Song Yi. His gaping maw opened wide, and his once normal, neat teeth seemed to have all turned into sharp fangs, biting down on Song Yi's neck.

"Ah ah ah ah..."

Song Yi, who was fast asleep, was instantly awakened by this sudden attack. Before he could even figure out what had happened, he instinctively pushed Song Jing's head with both hands.

With a forceful tug, Song Jing tore off a large piece of skin and flesh.

In a daze, I seemed to see a blood vessel being ripped off, and blood gushing out as if it didn't care about its life.

The strong smell of blood instantly filled the cave.

He licked the blood that clung to his lips with the tip of his tongue. The smell of blood seemed to stimulate a nerve in Song Jing that was out of control, and he became more and more excited.

Just then, Song Yi covered the wound on his neck with one hand, and finally saw Song Jing clearly in front of him: "Third brother, what are you doing? Are you crazy?" His other hand was still moving around wildly, trying to push Song Jing away.

Song Yi's voice, and this hand, both made Song Jing extremely irritated.

A mad glint flashed deep in his eyes, and his gaping maw opened again, biting down on Song Yi's right hand. With a snap, a finger was bitten off.

Another piercing scream rang out.

Song An and Song Huai had already been awakened by the commotion. They stared blankly at the scene, unable to react for a moment, not understanding what was going on. Song Yi's second scream finally woke them up. Instinctively, Song Huai rushed towards Song Jing: "Third brother, let go of second brother... Do you want to kill him?"

Meanwhile, Song An rolled over and got up from the ground.

Instead of rescuing his second brother who was right in front of him, he darted out like a nimble mouse and grabbed Song Huai's wrist: "Let's go, let's get out of here."

Song Huai looked at Song An incredulously.

They're brothers! The second brother is in grave danger, and the fourth brother is actually going to stand by and watch him die?
"Damn it, get out of here!" Song An's face was extremely gloomy. He forcibly dragged Song Huai's body out of the cave and shouted in a harsh voice, "Third brother has gone mad, he's gone mad. Second brother is beyond saving, and third brother is an eighth-rank martial artist. Do you want to stay here and wait to die with him?"

Song Huai trembled and his face turned pale.

He had clearly considered the difference in strength between himself, a weak scholar, and an eighth-rank martial artist.

He glanced again at Song Yi, who was struggling desperately, and Song Jing, who was clinging to Song Yi like a wild beast tearing at him. He gritted his teeth, stopped struggling this time, and turned to run.

Only after leaving the cave and feeling the night wind on their faces did they feel as if they had come back to life. Even so, the two dared not linger for even a moment, and headed straight for the border town by the moonlight.

Behind him, Song Yi's cries for help grew weaker and weaker.

No one knows whether it's because the distance is growing further, or because Song Yi... is about to die.

Song Huai and Song An were even more confused. How could their third brother, who seemed perfectly fine, suddenly go mad?
……

Song Yan was unaware that while he was a guest at the Duke's mansion, another enemy had died.

The reason was simply because he had casually modified a few... maybe a few dozen words in the "Vajra Arhat Kung Fu"... Well, Song Hongtao also made some changes.

A perfectly good manual must be completely unrecognizable by now.

Although Song Hongtao and Song Yan were not biologically related, it must be said that they used remarkably similar methods in this matter. Having visited the Duke's mansion several times before, they were quite familiar with it. Before long, Song Yan arrived at the guest hall. It was still a bit chilly at night. Outside the guest hall, Song Hongtao was pacing back and forth, rubbing his hands so much his fingers were almost raw. Finally seeing Song Yan, Song Hongtao's eyes lit up, and he hurried over: "Yan'er, you're finally back!"

He immediately grabbed Song Yan's hand and showered her with concern.

His eyes were a little red.

If we hadn't known what kind of person Song Hongtao was beforehand, this scene would truly have been a picture of filial piety between father and son.

"Yan'er has been named Marquis of Champion this time, good, good, good, it's really great! Our Song State Duke's Mansion has finally produced someone outstanding again. If the ancestors of the Song family were alive, they would surely be happy for Yan'er's achievement." Song Hongtao's face was full of joy. He pulled Song Yan and walked into the house: "You must be exhausted from the journey. Come inside quickly. Your Aunt Xiang Wan has already sent someone to prepare dinner. Tonight, the two of us must have a good drink."

Although the weather was no longer as cold as before, the charcoal stove was still burning in the guest hall of the Duke's mansion.

A warm wave swept over us, completely dispelling any slight chill.

Upon arriving at the guest hall, the host and guests sat down, and Ziyu quietly served Song Yan from the side.

Song Hongtao glanced at Song Yan and couldn't help but sigh in his heart... "Champion Marquis," meaning "the bravest among the three armies."

Since the unification of the Central Plains, this is the first time someone has been given the title of champion, and this alone is enough to make him famous in history.

He was also the son-in-law of the current emperor and the governor of Pingyang, who governed a prefecture.

Who would have thought that the most neglected and bullied illegitimate son would actually be the most successful of all his brothers... If only he were really his own son.

Song Hongtao's gaze swept over Ziyu, somewhat amazed. He seemed surprised that there could be such a beautiful woman in the world. As expected of a demoness from the Hehuan Sect, she was indeed a bewitching beauty who could topple kingdoms and captivate the soul.

"Father, how have you been these days?" After sitting down, Song Yan smiled and asked with concern.

Song Hongtao shook his head: "So-so. Hey, Song Zhe is dead, and Song Huai and the other three are wanted. I took the opportunity to expel them from the family register, which is a good thing. It's just that your Aunt Xiang Wan gave birth to a boy, and he's been very fussy. I haven't had much rest these days. My old bones have been worn out."

That's what it says.

But the joy deep in Song Hongtao's eyes still showed that he was extremely happy.

After all, in Song Hongtao's heart, Song Qi was... his own son!!!

A biological son is naturally loved and cherished.

Although there were old maids in the mansion who could take care of children, Song Hongtao still had to watch over them every day, and he had to do things like changing diapers himself. Even if he accidentally sprayed them all over himself, he didn't get angry at all. At most, he would just smile and flick Song Qi's little bird and scold him for being naughty.

Having a child late in life

Then came the scandal involving Yang Miaoqing being cuckolded.

Song Hongtao's attitude towards his biological son was completely different.

That was truly the height of pampering; even Yang Miaoqing couldn't compare to how she treated Song Zhen in the past.

Seeing the smugness and happiness on Song Hongtao's face, Song Yan couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him... She wondered if she should be a little more tactful when telling Song Hongtao the truth, otherwise the impact would be too great and she was really afraid that Song Hongtao would not be able to handle it and would have a stroke on the spot.

He's a pro at being tactful.

Song Yan's smile grew even warmer: "Father is getting old, so he doesn't need to do everything himself. His body won't be able to handle it."

Song Hongtao shook his head: "I don't trust those servants with this."

Song Yan stopped trying to persuade him: "Alright, as long as Father is happy. Have my elder brothers come back yet?"

"Who knows where they've gone? Ningping County... at least the Duke's Mansion hasn't returned. I suspect they might have seen the wanted poster and left Ningguo... most likely they went to Zhaoguo, where Song An has business." Song Hongtao said with some regret. He actually thought it would be good if Song Jing and Song Huai came back, then he could capture them and hand them over to the authorities, at least earning a reputation for upholding justice even against family ties.

This can be considered the last bit of value these bastards possess.

His fingers caressed the teacup, gently turning it so that ripples appeared on its surface. Song Yan glanced out the window and saw several guards: "Speaking of which, it seems there are a few unfamiliar faces in the Duke's mansion?"

Song Hongtao's expression stiffened slightly, but he was an old fox, not particularly clever, but he managed his facial expressions quite well. The stiffness only lasted for a moment before he smiled wryly: "With a new member in the family, I was always worried that someone would cause trouble, so I recruited a few more martial artists..."

“Speaking of which, Aunt Shen Qi… well, I shouldn’t call her Aunt anymore.” Song Yan carefully chose her words: “Shen Qi must have sent someone to look for you, right? She seemed to know about Song Jincheng and Yang Miaoqing’s affair, and she came to see me alone… I didn’t say anything, I just told her to come and find my father…”

Song Hongtao pursed his lips: "Her people came looking for me, and I gave her the diary written by the abbot of Suhua Temple..."

How much did she give?

"It's not about the money, it's just that I can't bear to see a woman as pitiful as me, constantly trapped in a pit of fire."

"So, how much?"

Song Hongtao's lips twitched: "Three hundred thousand."

He really didn't want others to know that he had been cuckolded, but there was nothing he could do; Shen Qi had given him just too much.

Three hundred thousand.

Does the Duke's mansion currently have 300,000?

This large sum of money is enough to keep the increasingly dilapidated Duke's Mansion running for another ten years.

Gritting his teeth, Song Hongtao looked pained, but he still took out ten silver notes from his sleeve and handed them to Song Yan: "Your father has mistreated you a lot over the years. If I have the ability, I will naturally give you some compensation."

Song Yan accepted the silver note without any hesitation.

The conversation between father and son was almost entirely in the form of a question-and-answer session, which was quite awkward.

Just when the awkward atmosphere was about to reach its peak, Lin Xiangwan's appearance broke the strange atmosphere: "Ninth Young Master." She first curtsied and said, "I don't know what the Ninth Young Master's tastes are, so I can only ask the chef to make a few of his signature dishes. Please don't find them unpalatable."

As she spoke, a maid brought up plate after plate of dishes that looked and smelled delicious.

From Dongling to Ningping, although I traveled by horse-drawn carriage the whole way, my body was indeed shaken so badly it felt like it was about to fall apart.

"Ziyu must be tired too. Sit down and have something to eat," Song Yan said, then picked up his chopsticks and took a piece of beef, which was probably from a diseased animal.

Ziyu sat smiling beside Song Yan, which made Song Hongtao frown slightly, seemingly somewhat displeased. After all, she was just a maid; how could she dine at the same table as her master? However, it was unclear what Song Hongtao was thinking, as he ultimately remained silent.

They ate while chatting casually.

Lin Xiangwan stood to the side holding a wine pot, occasionally pouring a cup of wine for Song Yan and Song Hongtao.

It is a famous wine from Songzhou Prefecture, called Pear Blossom Wine.

The wine had a pear-like sweetness, supposedly because pear blossoms were added during the brewing process... Song Yan didn't have much doubt about it, after all, this era didn't have that much technology or ruthless skills.

A meal can easily pass by in the blink of an eye, with people eating and drinking.

By calculation, almost two hours had passed since Song Yan arrived at the Duke's mansion.

It was completely dark by then.

The night wind is howling.

The candlelight burned, casting shifting shadows in the room.

There seemed to be a new atmosphere around the living room, and occasionally, when you looked up, there seemed to be more shadows outside the window.

Song Hongtao's throat moved.

For some reason, the longer time passed, the more unnatural Song Hongtao's expression became.

Perhaps because the charcoal fire was burning too brightly and the temperature in the living room was too high, beads of sweat appeared on Song Hongtao's forehead.

His gaze kept drifting towards the doorway.

He didn't know how much time had passed when a familiar figure suddenly appeared in the depths of Song Hongtao's eyes.

It's Ji Peng.

Song Hongtao's eyes suddenly brightened.

Then, he saw Ji Peng nod slightly at him.

The meaning was clear: the masters of the Five Tigers Soul-Severing Sect had all arrived.

Song Yan said that whether to kill or not was up to Song Hongtao's decision.

(End of this chapter)