Chapter 14: Lin Xiu’s Repayment
Translated by algoo | Proofread by algoo
For the latest updates, visit: ProNovels.com
Join our Discord for release updates: https://discord.gg/Eh2ayfR4FB
Lin Xiu was about to head home, but hearing the Magistrate was reopening the Wang Shi murder case, he turned back.
While unfamiliar with Great Xia’s laws, he knew a common thief, guilty of robbery, rape, and murder, would likely be sentenced to death, possibly immediate execution.
However, he was shocked to hear the Magistrate’s sentence: death by a thousand cuts.
This was one of the most brutal forms of execution, the condemned sliced slowly to death while kept conscious. The mere thought was horrifying.
Moreover, this punishment was usually reserved for the most heinous criminals. It was unlikely the court would approve it for an ordinary murderer.
But the prisoner kneeling in the hall clearly didn’t know this.
His face was pale, his body trembling. He wasn’t afraid of death. Afflicted with a terminal illness, he didn’t have long to live. Dying in someone else’s place, providing his family with a handsome reward, was a good deal.
But there were different kinds of death.
Beheading was instantaneous, supposedly painless. He’d heard it said, “A head’s just a bowl-sized scar. You’ll be a hero again in eighteen years…”
It was these words that convinced him to be a scapegoat.
But death by a thousand cuts… it was said to take three days, one thousand two hundred slices of flesh carved from his body each day, kept alive throughout the ordeal. Hearing the sentence, the thief’s pants instantly soaked through.
The Magistrate, his gaze cold, said, “Kang Ba, you are guilty of robbery, rape, and murder, and of framing the son of a First Rank Baron. Your crimes are threefold. I sentence you to death by a thousand cuts. Do you have anything to say?”
Kang Ba’s face was ashen. He was terrified.
He didn’t want to die like this, watching as the executioner carved three thousand six hundred cuts into his body. He banged his head on the floor, shouting, “Your Honor, I’m wrongly accused! I confess! I’ll confess everything! Just grant me a swift death!”
The Magistrate looked at him. “Haven’t you confessed everything already? What more is there to confess?”
Kang Ba pleaded, “Your Honor, I didn’t kill her! I was paid to take the blame! Please, Your Honor, have mercy!”
…
The situation in the court took a sharp turn.
Facing death by a thousand cuts, Kang Ba recanted his confession, admitting he was a scapegoat. Who he was covering for was obvious.
Wang Shi’s death was undoubtedly connected to Qin Cong.
He must have raped her, then, fearing she would report him, murdered her, staged it as a suicide, and found a scapegoat. He hadn’t picked a reliable one, though.
“So that’s how it is…”
“Wang Shi likely didn’t go willingly.”
“That beast, not only did he violate her, he took her life and tarnished her reputation…”
“I heard he’s been killed. Retribution! True retribution!”
Outside the hall, Lin Xiu watched the impassive Magistrate. He realized he didn’t know this man at all…
Though Qin Cong was dead, Wang Shi’s case wasn’t over.
The thief’s sudden confession implicated the Qin family again.
An hour later, in the back chambers of the Ministry of Records.
Qin Wu, First Rank Baron Zhongyong, frowned at the Magistrate. “That case was closed. Why has it been reopened?”
The Magistrate glanced at him indifferently. “You should ask your own people. Why did you pick such a coward as a scapegoat? I didn’t even ask, and he confessed everything. Even if I wanted to help, it was too late.”
Baron Zhongyong’s face contorted in rage. “My son is dead! And these insignificant people still won’t let it go! That old man, and that fool’s family, they all deserve to die!”
“Baron Zhongyong!”
The Magistrate’s gaze sharpened. He slammed his hand on the table. “Do you think the censors are all dead? Or do you think that assassin who dared kill your son wouldn’t dare touch you? You need them alive, and well. I don’t want to hear news of your assassination next.”
The Magistrate’s words were like a bucket of cold water, bringing Baron Zhongyong to his senses.
He wasn’t afraid of the censors, but he couldn’t ignore the elusive assassin.
His son’s death, coupled with this new trouble, had left him distraught. “Then what do you suggest I do?”
The Magistrate considered. “This case is beyond my control now. The dead are gone. If you want to escape unscathed, blame everything on your son. Say it was all his doing, that you knew nothing.”
Enjoying the translation? Stay updated with the latest chapters at ProNovels.com.
Baron Zhongyong roared, “What? My son is dead, and you still want me to…?”
The Magistrate interrupted, “Precisely because he’s dead, he can’t be held accountable. Or do you want to find another scapegoat?”
Having learned his lesson, Baron Zhongyong knew another scapegoat would be risky. The Magistrate was right; blaming everything on his dead son was the best option.
After a long silence, he looked up, cupping his hands towards the Magistrate. “Thank you for your assistance, Magistrate Liu. I won’t forget this favor.”
The Magistrate waved his hand. “You’re welcome.”
Baron Zhongyong left through the back door, his face heavy with worry. The Magistrate smiled as he saw him out. The moment the door closed, his smile vanished.
“Pah!”
He spat on the ground, his face filled with disgust.
Lin Xiu didn’t know what happened afterwards. With Qin Cong dead, the Ministry of Records cleared Wang Shi’s name. For her family, this was the best outcome.
Nearing the Lin residence, Lin Xiu passed the street corner where the attack had happened.
It was midday, the streets bustling with activity. Beside a pile of garbage, a yellow stray dog pawed at the ground.
It hadn’t had much luck today. Not even half a bun all morning. Smelling the aroma from a nearby butcher shop, it swallowed, slowly approaching, hoping for a better sniff. The butcher’s apprentice raised his stick.
“Get out of here, you mutt! Don’t bother our customers!”
It didn’t understand the words, but it understood the stick. Knowing it would hurt, it tucked its tail and ran back to the corner.
The yellow dog lay listlessly beside the garbage, whimpering occasionally.
“If only I had a chicken leg…”
“And a pork knuckle…”
“Even a bone would be nice…”
After a while, it sniffed the air, then suddenly opened its eyes.
It smelled chicken and pork. Its throat worked as it looked around, then saw a human approaching, unwrapping a package, and placing it before it.
Two chicken legs and a pork knuckle, their aroma intoxicating.
Lin Xiu crouched before the dog, pointing at the food. “Eat.”
The dog didn’t understand the words, but it understood the gesture. The food was for it. It didn’t hesitate, devouring it, crunching even the smallest bones. Finally, it licked the oily paper clean, three times over.
It circled Lin Xiu, wagging its tail. This was its way of saying thank you.
If not for this dog, he would be dead. He owed it his life.
Lin Xiu patted its head. “If you want, you can follow me. As long as I have food, you won’t go hungry…”
For the latest updates, visit ProNovels.com. Join our Discord for release updates: https://discord.gg/Eh2ayfR4FB.
