Chapter 701 : Fan Qi's Death (4)
Fan Jin was brought away and the blood covered office was cleaned up. Peace and tranquility fell back into the empty office. Ah Jing hid in the hidden compartment for three whole days, too scared to come out. It was not till late at night on the third day that he finally came out of his hiding place and escaped.
After he came out into the open, he found that the Zephyr Academy had completely changed!
Ning Rui had assumed the position of the acting Headmaster and Fan Jin was imprisoned, where he might be executed anytime. The youth, Gu Ying, who had murdered Fan Qi had also stirred up a fit of terror to spread throughout the Zephyr Academy.
Ah Jing wanted to run away, and he did not know who else he could turn to to save them.
He thought of hiding away, and waiting for an opportunity to find Fan Zhuo, and to tell Fan Zhuo the entire truth behind the matter.
But, Ah Jing was soon captured by Gu Ying.
Gu Ying did not know where Ah Jing was the day Fan Qi was killed, but Gu Ying was searching for Jun Xie and he had heard about Ah Jing's misdeeds from Ning Rui before. For no more reason than just wanting some respite from his boredom, Gu Ying had cut off Ah Jing's tongue and broken his fingers.
The reason Ah Jing had been able to live till now had been because..... Ah Jing had completely lost his mind.
Killing an incoherent loony, would not be able to give Gu Ying the satisfaction he seeked in slaughter and he deemed it to be dull. Moreover, Wen Xin Han had suddenly returned and that had restricted him from carrying out the senseless slaughter whenever he felt like it, so he had spared Ah Jing his life, to use him to vent his frustrations by giving him a beating when he felt his lust for slaughter overwhelm him.
Ah Jing had just run out from hiding a few days ago. After his escape, he had hid within the little bamboo grove and not dared to roam. He hid there not because he feared to die, but he was hoping he would remain alive long enough to see his Young Master, and to tell Fan Zhuo the truth behind Fan Qi's death.
Ah Jing had not expected that his waiting would lead him to see Jun Xie instead of Fan Zhuo!
When Ah Jing saw Jun Xie, he had wanted to tell Jun Xie everything. But when he thought of Gu Ying's overwhelming power, where even the Headmaster and Fan Jin were not his match, he thought Jun Xie would not survive either if he faced up to Gu Ying.
Hence, he chose to hide the truth.
Till just now, when Ye Sha had suddenly appeared, it had shown Ah Jing a faint ray of hope.
He was such a powerful man, and he might just be able to oppose Gu Ying!
That was when he finally summoned up the courage to reveal everything to Jun Xie!
Jun Wu Xie read all that Ah Jing had written and her face creased up in a frown as she stared at the still kowtowing Ah Jing.
He was begging, for her to save Fan Jin.
He had spoken about his gnawing guilt and deep shame. Ah Jing had also said..... that if she were to save Fan Jin, he would reciprocate the favour by killing himself.
Jun Wu Xie rubbed at her temples. What Ah Jing had told her had cleared up her previous doubts.
Why had Fan Jin not resisted when he was arrested? Wen Xin Han was in the academy, so why did Fan Jin not tell him everything?
With Wen Xin Han present, as long as Fan Jin was able to prove his innocence in the matter, Wen Xin Han would surely ensure his safety, and even get rid of Gu Ying and Ning Rui.
The fact was.....
It wasn't that Fan Jin did not reveal the truth, but that he could not do it and wasn't capable of telling!
Based on Ah Jing description of the events, Jun Wu Xie could very well guess that the two strikes that Gu Ying inflicted upon Fan Jin's head, must have jolted Fan Jin's nerves in his head heavily resulting in a head injury.
Ah Jing had feigned lunacy to protect himself, but Fan Jin.....
Must have really lost his mind, and had turned into an idiot.
The once radiant and candid youth, was now gone. The Fan Jin currently imprisoned in his room, had become a walking empty shell without any consciousness!
"Get up." Jun Wu Xie said to Ah Jing after she drew in a deep breath.
Ah Jing however continued to hit his head upon the ground in plea. The flesh on his forehead had already split and was bleeding profusely, and a small pool of blood had formed before him.
He deserved to die, he was too naive, and his death was overdue!
Even if Jun Wu Xie asked for his life, he more than deserved it.
But, the Elder Young Master must be saved!
Who can save the Elder Young Master!?
Please save him!
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Chapter 702 : Prepping for the Counter (1)
Ah Jing would not stop hitting his head on the floor. He knew, the only person that could save Fan Jin now was only Jun Xie and Ah Jing had pinning all his hopes on Jun Xie as he begged and pleaded, deeply ashamed of his own impotence, as the dull thuds made by his head striking the floor reverberated in Jun Wu Xie's ears.
"I will save Fan Jin." Jun Wu Xie finally said.
Ah Jing raised his head, and the blood flowed down his face. But a wide smile split Ah Jing's face. He looked at Jun Wu Xie for a moment, his heart filled with gratitude and was about to continue to kowtow when Jun Wu Xie grabbed him by the shoulder.
"If you continue kneeling there, I will not save him anymore." Jun Wu Xie said threateningly to Ah Jing.
Ah Jing was greatly shocked. He was silent a long while before he finally decided to stand up and he still gave Jun Wu Xie a deep bow. His fully bent and apologetic back fully exemplified Ah Jing's unreserved shame at that moment.
[Jun Xie did not want his life, and neither did he expect an apology.] That made Ah Jing's heart almost explode at the regret and remorse that filled him.
[If only he had not believed what he heard that easily and vilified Jun Xie's character in the first place, would things have turned out different now?]
[With Jun Xie's capabilities and his skills, if he had remained within the Zephyr Academy and not left, would those things not have happened to Fan Qi and Fan Jin?]
When all those thoughts went through his head, Ah Jing's tears flowed endless down his face. He did not know what he could do to bring everything back to the way it was.
"Ye Sha." Jun Wu Xie said suddenly.
Ye Sha who had left just moments ago reappeared once again. Jun Wu Xie pointed at Ah Jing and said to Ye Sha: "Bring him down to Chan Lin Town and don't let Fan Zhuo see him."
Ye Sha nodded, and Ah Jing stared at Jun Wu Xie in shock. He had just heard his Little Young Master's name mentioned!
"Fan Zhuo does not know of the things that happened here. If you wish to redeem yourself for your past misdeeds, then live on, and use the rest of your life to make up for it. Not to me..... but to Fan Jin." Jun Wu Xie threw a few bottles of medicine to Ah Jing. Ah Jing's injuries were not grave and there was no way of making his tongue grow back.
Saving Ah Jing was not because she was that benign or forgiving. But it was because Jun Wu Xie felt that, no matter whether it was Fan Zhuo or Fan Jin, both of them would be glad that she made such a choice.
Ah Jing cradled the bottles of medicine Jun Wu Xie had thrown to him, his tears still flowing. He understood what Jun Xie was telling him. He must have been delirious when he had doubted Fan Jin at that time, causing a rumour that Fan Jin wished for Fan Zhuo to come to harm to sweep through the Zephyr Academy's hallowed halls for a time. Although Ah Jing had not intended for it to happen, but that had caused Fan Jin's stellar reputation to take a big hit. And this time, the fact that Ning Rui was able to heap the crime of murdering Fan Qi onto Fan Jin so easily could very well have been influenced by the previous rumour.
People always liked to believe that things always had a hidden dark side to them, below the sunny side presented to everyone. When those unfounded speculations were spoken often enough, it would be perceived to be fact and no one would bother to consider the real truth behind it.
"Ah..... Ah....." Ah Jing was looking at Jun Wu Xie, his hoarse voice breaking into unintelligible sounds coming out from his throat.
He wanted to say he's sorry, he wanted to say thank you. But he was even too ashamed to say it properly.
Now that he had lost his speech, it might be his punishment from the Heavens. For his ignorance, and for his naivety, that had brought harm to so many people.
Ah Jing cast another long silent gaze at Jun Xie, before he left with Ye Sha.
In his heart he prayed fervently, that everything would turn out fine.
For Fan Jin, for Fan Zhuo, and for Jun Xie.
When Gu Ying got back to the little dwelling in the bamboo grove, Ah Jing had already left a long while ago. He did not seem to have noticed Ah Jing's disappearance but Jun Wu Xie could detect a strong pungent stench of blood emanating off Gu Ying.
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Chapter 703 : Prepping for the Counter (2)
The scent of fresh blood seemed to be blatantly telling Jun Wu Xie that in the time that Gu Ying had been gone while he went to the Spirit Healer faculty, he had once more stirred up a storm of blood in the Zephyr Academy.
"The things that Senior taught to me, even Gu Li Sheng wasn't entirely clear about it." Gu Ying said with a laugh, looking straight at Jun Wu Xie.
Jun Wu Xie did not say a single word, but just went on to demonstrate transforming spirit power once more.
Just like Li Zi Mu had been in the past, even with Gu Li Sheng's personal instruction in the art, if one did not possess the gift, they would not be able to pick up the skill even if they knew everything there was to know about the Spirit Healing Technique.
It was the same for Gu Ying. Jun Wu Xie had naturally not been too concerned about it.
It wasn't till dinnertime that Gu Ying finally took notice of Ah Jing's absence. But he just laughed it off, grumbled a little, and did not harp anymore on the matter.
But.....
With no Ah Jing, there was no one in the little bamboo grove that knew how to cook.
Gu Ying "invited" Jun Wu Xie to go with him to go "share a meal". And when they got to the place, Jun Wu Xie's eyes turned chilly.
Gu Ying had brought Jun Wu Xie to come to the Headmaster's courtyard. It had previously been Fan Qi's residence, but everything there had now become Ning Rui's.
Seeing Ning Rui once again, Jun Wu Xie's face was completely expressionless, while Ning Rui still his graceful and scholarly self, affable and approachable. However, that was all just the pretense that Ning Rui put forth.
Ning Rui looked at Jun Wu Xie, his face smiling brightly, but in his heart, he could not bring himself to feel any joy. Jun Wu Xie was friendly with the Fan brothers and Jun Wu Xie had also played a part in causing Ning Xin her death. But in order to arouse the interest of Gu Ying and the others, Ning Rui had had no choice but to lure them with the fact that Jun Xie knew the Spirit Healing Technique, but he knew that would also mean he wouldn't be able to harm a hair on Jun Xie from then on.
When he thought back to the pitiable and wretched state Ning Xin had been in when she died, the amicable smile he had struggled so hard to maintain cracked a little. Just when dinner was about to start, Ning Rui suddenly put down his chopsticks and said to Jun Wu Xie: "It has been quite awhile since you have been away from the Zephyr Academy. Even when you were studying here in the beginning you often did not even turn up and I had not managed to see you much. And when you are here at this moment, you are still not saying a word. Are you uncomfortable or ill at ease in any way? You aren't on too familiar terms with me and Gu Ying and I'm afraid you won't be able to enjoy the meal. Why don't we do this?"
Ning Rui's eyes flashed with an evil glint. He turned around and said to Gongcheng Lei at the side: "Go 'invite' Fan Jin over for dinner."
Jun Wu Xie's eyes were calm and not a ripple of emotion showed. She did not even bother to glance in Ning Rui's direction.
Gongcheng Lei was dumbfounded and it was only moments later that he acknowledged and left.
Gu Ying turned the chopsticks in his hand and he looked at Jun Wu Xie smilingly.
"I heard that you are on rather good terms with Fan Jin?"
He could roughly guess at Ning Rui's intentions but Gu Ying did not intend to stop him. Gu Ying was rather interested to see for himself how such a cold and expressionless little brat would react when he sees the state Fan Jin had been reduced to.
[Will a crack finally show upon that expressionless mask?]
Jun Wu Xie pecked at the dishes slowly, not showing the slightest sign of striking up a conversation with Gu Ying.
However, Ning Rui on the other hand, was relating with a big smile on his face: "When Jun Xie had just been admitted into the Zephyr Academy, Fan Jin had been his mentor. In the beginning, there were many rumours about Jun Xie in the Zephyr Academy, and those rumours were extremely vicious. But Fan Jin had still continued to protect him and even brought him to stay at the quaint little dwelling in the bamboo grove. Staying there finally gave Jun Xie some peaceful days."
As Ning Rui spoke, the malicious glint in his eyes shone brightly.
From what Gu Ying had said earlier, Ning Rui already gathered that Gu Ying did not mind him antagonizing Jun Xie. And if that was the case, there was nothing else holding him back anymore.
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Chapter 704 : Prepping for the Counter (3)
After a while, Jun Wu Xie had just finished eating her bowl of rice. She had just put down her chopsticks and was sitting there quietly when a familiar figure was seen being dragged in by Gongcheng Lei through the door.
When Jun Wu Xie's gaze fell upon that person, her heart trembled a little. But that unusual reaction did not show on the outside and her eyes still remained chilly.
Fan Jin had been forcibly dragged all the way to this place by Gongcheng Lei!
The once handsome and suave youth, in the prime of his life, was now a wreck, his face sallow and sunken, his body reduced to skin and bones. His blood stained clothes were so completely covered in sordid filth, that its original colour was no longer distinguishable. The face that had always been overflowing with joyous laughter now held no expression. That pair of eyes that once sparkled brightly were now unfocused and dull, staring blankly straight ahead before himself.
Fan Jin dry cracked lips were slightly open, severe dehydration had caused his lips to become so dry they were filled with wounds that had split in many places. A fine thin line of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth down his jaw and dripped from his chin, his filthy clothes covering from his tall and now skinny frame. His body no longer has the flesh and muscle to fill up the loose clothes as the oversized clothes hung loosely from his body. The present Fan Jin was even skinnier than Fan Zhuo when he was still gravely ill! His hair was in a tangled mess like dry grass and dirt and filth covered his face.
Both his hands and feet were shackled and Gongcheng Lei was holding the chain between his hands and dragging the dull and unresponsive Fan Jin forcefully behind him with every step to come before Jun Wu Xie!
Every step that he took, the thick chain around his ankles struck the ground, and the sharp and crisp clanks rang in their ears.
Who would ever link this link this lunatic who looked every inch a filthy beggar with the Fan family's Eldest Young Master who once took the entire Zephyr Academy by storm?
If it wasn't for the fact that Fan Jin's prominent features on his face had not changed, Jun Wu Xie really would not be able to recognise him.
She had already known that Fan Jin would be in very bad shape judging from what he had gone through, but she still had not expected that it would be as bad as what she was seeing now!
And this was with Wen Xin Han shielding him. If Wen Xin Han had not come, Fan Jin would undoubtedly have died, an incomplete corpse!
Ning Rui had because of Ning Xin's death, developed an intense hatred towards Fan Jin and the Jun Family. He did not have the means to move against the Lin Palace at the moment and Fan Qi had been killed. Hence, he had directed all his hatred and viciousness onto Fan Jin alone.
Fan Jin was still alive, no doubt.
But..... living like this, was more torturing than death.
In this instance, it was good that Fan Jin had lost his mind. Or he might not have lasted till now.
Jun Wu Xie burned the image of the way Fan Jin looked at that moment into her mind, her eyes as calm as before, her mind already analysing the various conditions that his body had been and could be afflicted with.
Dehydration, inflammation, high fever.....
The fact that Fan Jin had lived till this day was already a miracle.
"Fan Jin, you're here. Come sit down." Ning Rui's face was a mask of gentleness as he smiled, acting just like a close and gentle, neighbourly elder.
But Fan Jin no longer possessed consciousness. He was unable to register what Ning Rui was saying. In contrast to Ning Rui's 'gentle' tone and demeanor, Gongcheng Lei's face was dark as he continued to drag the hobbling Fan Jin towards the table. His harsh and abrasive actions even made Fan Jin trip over his own feet, and fall right into the ground!
Being forced to witness the once straight backed and tall youth falling so helplessly like a tottering child, and not even crying out once, Jun Wu Xie suddenly felt her heart sink a notch.
Fan Jin shouldn't be in this state.
He did not deserve this one bit!
"How did you come to fall? Somebody help him up quick." Ning Rui said, with a malicious laugh.
Gongcheng Lei grabbed Fan Jin on both his shoulders, and just threw him onto a chair. Fan Jin was covered in the dust and dirt from the ground and the expression on his face was vacant as his unseeing eyes stared blankly forward.
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Chapter 705 : Prepping for the Counter (4)
"Looks like he isn't capable of eating on his own. Come, Gongcheng Lei, you feed him." Ning Rui said, his eyes almost dripping with malice.
Gongcheng Lei immediately lifted a bowl and used the soup spoon to scoop up the still slightly scalding hot soup and pushed it into Fan Jin's mouth one after another.
However, Fan Jin did not react in the slightest. He sat there staring blankly ahead, while Gongcheng Lei continued to stuff big mouthfuls of rice and other dishes into his mouth. His mouth remained open and he did not move. The forcibly fed food filled his mouth and was overflowing, and much of it just dropped over his chin and onto his clothes, making them even more filthy than they had been before.
Soup and water was soaked up into his clothes and Fan Jin now looked every inch worse than the beggars on the streets, just a marionette that anyone could manipulate.
Gongcheng Lei's rough and brutal actions showed not an ounce of mercy. Fan Jin's mouth was obviously completely filled with food but he continued to push the sturdy porcelain spoon to stuff more in. The wounds on his cracked lips split open and and blood flowed down mixed together with the food falling out of his mouth.
Jun Wu Xie stared unblinkingly at Fan Jin being put under such torture. She did not waver in the slightest, seemingly wanting to remember every single thing that was happening, and remember it all in her heart.
She would remember the humiliation these people served today.
Ning Rui was laughing, and Gu Ying was laughing. They seemed to find it great joy and think it was very amusing to toy with a completely defenceless Fan Jin in this manner.
Jun Wu Xie watched it all without a word. She came to notice that it wasn't that Fan Jin did not feel pain, and it wasn't that he did not retaliate. She saw that Fan Jin's lower jaw had been forcibly dislocated and he was just unable to close his mouth.....
A frosty chilling light rose in Jun Wu Xie's placid eyes. She quickly hid it and remained quiet just as she had done and sat there continuing to watch.
Watching the once proud son of the Heavens, watching the once friendly and amicable youth, toyed and tortured like a lowly beast by the very enemies who murdered his father in cold blood. Jun Wu Xie sat through it all, not giving them the slightest reaction.
Gu Ying observed Jun Wu Xie secretly but he could not detect the slightest trace of any crack on Jun Wu Xie's mask of placid calm he had so eagerly anticipated to see. The smile on his face faded as the corners of his mouth straightened out, and impatience began to show within his eyes.
Ning Rui was beside himself with joy when he saw Fan Jin being tormented like a dog, which helped soothe the burning hatred that gripped at his heart. His laughter grated jarringly on the ears as he watched the inhumane scene play out before him.
Fan Jin suddenly retched violently from the harsh torment that blocked up Fan Jin's airway. He fell to the ground with a loud thump as his gut turned and his body threw up everything reflexively, and all the food stuffed in his mouth came tumbling out together. His spent body started trembling violently, completely wrecked, an intolerable sight.
"What's wrong? You ate so little and you are full already? Don't you know how difficult it was to prepare all these food? Our high and mighty Young Master Fan really doesn't know the sufferings of the common people. How can you be so wasteful?" A smirk appeared on Ning Rui's mouth and he gave Gongcheng Lei a meaningful glance. Gongcheng Lei immediately stepped forth and squatted down beside Fan Jin. He then grabbed Fan Jin by the hair and pushed his face into his vomit, like he expected Fan Jin eat up the disgusting vomit he had just spewed out.
"Are you done eating?" Jun Wu Xie suddenly asked Gu Ying sitting beside her.
Gu Ying was surprised, and the mirth reappeared in his eyes once more.
[He finally can't take it anymore?]
"Still not completely full. Why? Senior, you've had your fill? Why don't you give me a little while longer?" Gu Ying said.
However, Jun Wu Xie stood up quickly.
"It smells. If you enjoy this smell, you just go ahead." With those words, Jun Wu Xie gave a deep frown and walked away covering her nose.
Gu Ying was at a loss for words for a moment. He had not thought that Jun Wu Xie would say that.
Even Ning Rui was dumbfounded. He clearly remembered that Jun Xie and Fan Jin had been rather close. So, when seeing Fan Jin treated so harshly, how could he remain so unaffected!? Not only that, he had even displayed an expression of utter disgust before he left throwing out his sleeves in abhorrence!
[Isn't he going to say anything to try to save Fan Jin?]