Chapter 141 — Terror
Purple Streets of Chang'an · Page 3 of 4
As the two of them quarreled, Second Aunt Mo had retreated a few steps, and now she shot a glance at the man beside her, who had kept silent all this while.
As though he had not seen it, the man suddenly stepped forward and drew close to Yu Er. Without a word, he pulled out a dagger and drove it into Yu Er's chest.
Yu Er did not even manage a grunt.
He stared at the man in disbelief, then slowly turned his head, his gaze coming to rest on Second Aunt Mo.
Only then did Dou Ming understand.
She let out a shrill scream.
But before the sound could escape her throat, Second Aunt Mo clamped a hand over her mouth.
Dou Ming struggled with all her might.
But Second Aunt Mo's hand was like a pair of iron pincers; struggle as she might, she could not break free.
"Yu Er, if there's anyone to blame, blame your own bad luck." Her voice was sinister as she flung his own words about Dou Ming back in his face. "We're after money, not trouble. A young lady of such high station is more than we can swallow. So I'm afraid you two will have to be a pair of star-crossed lovers who eloped together."
Yu Er stared fixedly at Second Aunt Mo. Unwillingness, fury, despair... all welled up in his eyes... but in the end that look could not stand against the dagger in the burly man's hand, and the light in them slowly faded...
Second Aunt Mo instructed the man: "There's another one called Shang'er. He should be somewhere nearby. Have the brothers find him quickly. We can't leave a living soul." With that, she pulled out a handkerchief and stuffed it into Dou Ming's mouth, who no longer had the strength to struggle, then flung her to the ground. "Carry Yu Er onto the kang. Find someone to violate this woman and leave her beside Yu Er. Make it look as though she was forced, then murdered."
"No!" Dou Ming sobbed, her voice tearing at her throat, yet what came out was like the mewling of a kitten. For the first time she felt terror. Watching the burly man, his face placid as still water, calmly answer "Yes," and stride briskly toward the door, she could bear it no longer. She tore the handkerchief from her mouth and crawled on her knees to clutch at Second Aunt Mo's skirt: "Kill me, I beg you, kill me..."
She would not suffer such violation before she died!
Second Aunt Mo stepped back and pulled her skirt from Dou Ming's grasp.
"Miss Dou, this is your fate!" she sighed, her voice brimming with compassion, which only made it more horrifying. "Who told you to announce your family name? If you had been nothing but the daughter of some ordinary wealthy household, would it have come to this? And to tell the truth, I'm the one who's losing out badly this time! Once you're dealt with, we'll have to lie low for three to five years, dodging from place to place, unable to do any business, living off our savings..."
She prattled on like any market woman gossiping about household matters, until the burly man came back in: "Second Aunt, that boy was hiding in the haystack. He said Yu Er had posted him there to keep watch. I've already thrown him down the well out back."
"Idiot!" Second Aunt Mo cursed, beside herself with rage. "What if someone finds him? Have you ever heard of eloping lovers bringing a servant along, only for the master to end up dead in the house and the servant in the well? Go fish the body out this instant!" Then she added, "It'll be light soon. Hurry and call someone in to get it done."
The burly man took the scolding like a son from his mother, yet showed not the least temper, meekly answering "Yes": "I'll see to it at once!"
Second Aunt Mo's expression softened slightly.
Suddenly a clatter of hooves sounded outside.
Both of them started.
A man's voice rang out from outside, loud and rough: "Second Aunt Mo, is the girl still in your hands? If you're willing to talk, we talk. If not, you can wait to go to the execution ground together with that lover of yours, Old Seventh Wang!"
It was Duan Bing!
It was Duan Bing's voice!