The man was Ji Ming Shao. Dragging his injured body, he had followed Ruan Ning for a day and night, wanting to clean up the remaining mess for her.
He had investigated and learned that the four runners he killed were framed by County Magistrate Li to force Ruan Ning to marry him. Unable to bear this, he tied Li up and placed him on a horse, then rode quickly towards Dengzhou County.
Although he hadn’t rested, he remained focused on the journey. The next afternoon, he arrived at the county office with the poisoned County Magistrate Li.
The bailiffs had already escaped from prison, but without leadership, they were running around like headless flies. When they saw County Magistrate Li, they shouted, “Quickly release our master!”
“Listen up,” Ji Ming Shao said, grabbing Li’s collar and forcing his ashen face towards them, “Surnamed Li has abandoned Ruan Qing after taking advantage of her. Today, I’ll make him die!”
He threw the unconscious County Magistrate Li to the bailiffs, who scrambled to catch him. Ji Ming Shao then disappeared.
The poison in Li was slow-acting; Ji Ming Shao calculated that Li would wake up in an hour. When he heard the bailiffs’ account, he would surely not let Ruan Qing’s father and daughter escape.
That night, Ruan Shi Ming and Ruan Qing were arrested and tortured. County Magistrate Li demanded they reveal the person who poisoned him and provide the antidote. The two, knowing nothing, could only cry out their innocence. The poison in Li was fatal, and not wanting to die, he continued the torture desperately.
Ruan Shi Ming now experienced the suffering his second brother had endured, compounded by the bailiffs’ lack of mercy.
Ji Ming Shao was uncertain whether to return to Sishui to investigate his own capture or visit Ruan Ning at Erlongshan. After a day of contemplation, he decided to return to Sishui. Upon arriving at the Luo family home, he found Luo Jie was not there, which made him restless.
Luo Jie’s absence suggested he was at Erlongshan. Why would a wealthy young master go there if not for Ruan Ning? Ji Ming Shao’s thoughts replayed their previous moments, her beautiful body pressing against him and the taste of her soft lips…
