“This matter today… really isn’t our fault, brothers,”
The man wept bitterly, filled with regret.
“It was all your second aunt’s doing. We originally just wanted the little maid by her side, but your second aunt took the initiative. She said letting you, the eldest miss, come over would count as atonement for the mistakes made by General Ren.”
His voice grew smaller and smaller. Ren Jingshu let out a cold snort, making him shudder as he hurriedly shouted, “It really has nothing to do with us! When she called us over, you were already unconscious on the cart…”
A sudden, inexplicable pain surged in Ren Jingshu’s chest, almost leaving her breathless.
She pressed a hand to her chest, then reached to the back of her head—nearly crying out in pain.
There was a large swollen bump there. Connecting it with what the man had just said, she must have been knocked unconscious by that so-called second aunt. No wonder her head had felt like it was splitting open when she woke up.
“Where are we now? And… where are my second aunt and the others?”
Unsure of the situation, Ren Jingshu could only follow his words and ask.
“They’re at the foot of the mountain we passed earlier, making a fire to cook. We… we’re in a ruined temple not far away…”
The man spoke guiltily, his eyes flickering, his voice growing softer.
This was practically routine. Among the exiled women, few arrived at their destination untainted. Most became playthings of the escorting soldiers.
The women of the Ren family were like delicately raised canaries—soft and fragile. Though they cried in fear, their appearance still stirred the men’s desires.
Sure enough, on the very first day out of the capital, they couldn’t suppress their wicked urges and reached out with sinful hands.
Originally, they had planned to vent their lust on the two maids first, to test the endurance of the Ren women. But unexpectedly, the Second Madam knocked out the legitimate daughter of General Ren with a single blow and delivered her to them on a cart.
It was an unexpected delight. Overjoyed, they immediately pushed the cart away from the group, eager to enjoy themselves during the break.
Who would have thought that this seemingly timid young woman would become so terrifying once she snapped?
Ren Jingshu’s expression remained calm, but a wave of sorrow and anger rose within her.
She knew this was the lingering emotion of the original owner of the body.
That pitiful girl must never have imagined being betrayed by her own kin. Even though her soul had already departed, a trace of her will still struggled within the body.
“Keep talking. Tell me everything you know about the Ren family, exactly as it is.”
With no other information, Ren Jingshu had no choice but to extract it from them.
“What… what does Eldest Miss want to hear…”
The man hesitated, unsure where to begin. Before he could finish, Ren Jingshu lifted her foot and kicked him hard in the chest.
“Pfft—”
He felt a sharp pain and spat out blood, collapsing limply to the ground.
“Tch. Useless thing. If I tell you to talk, then talk. Say everything you know. Why waste time asking questions? Are you looking to die?”
She cursed, then turned with a half-smile toward the remaining two men. Seeing them shrink back in fear, she sneered.
“Fine. Since you’re of no value, I might as well kill you all.”
Her tone was light, as if she were speaking not of killing living men, but something insignificant.
“I—I’ll talk…”
A thin man trembled violently, then blurted out everything he knew.
Under extreme fear, his words came out jumbled, jumping from one thing to another, but he didn’t dare pause for even a moment. Afraid she might kick him as well, he rushed on—his frail body wouldn’t withstand such force; he’d be dead instantly.
Ren Jingshu frowned, sorting through his chaotic account.
The original owner of this body was the legitimate eldest daughter of General Ren Zhonghan, Defender of the North. Her mother had long passed away. She had a twelve-year-old younger sister and two older brothers.
This exile included not only the main branch of the Ren family, but also the second branch and other female relatives, all escorted together by soldiers to the remote Lingnan region.
With no mother, the sisters had followed their second aunt, hoping for protection. Who would have thought the very person they trusted most would be the first to turn against them?
The man’s voice gradually faded, repeating himself. Ren Jingshu understood there was nothing more of value.
Hearing a rustling sound, she let out a cold laugh and kicked a stone on the ground.
The stone shot forward, striking the man who had crawled near the door squarely in the head.
“Ugh!”
He let out a short sound and collapsed, motionless.
Seeing this, the thin man was terrified beyond measure. His lips trembled, but no sound came out.
Ren Jingshu straightened her clothes, brushed a few loose strands of hair behind her ear, and smiled as she looked at him.
“What’s your name?”
“I—I…”
His voice trembled, his tongue tied in panic. Seeing her frown in displeasure, he bit his tongue hard, ignoring the blood flowing from his mouth as he hurriedly answered:
“My name is Zhang Shitou!”
Wiping the blood from his mouth with his sleeve, he was about to beg for mercy when Ren Jingshu asked calmly:
“Zhang Shitou, do you want to live… or die?”
Was that even a question?
Of course he wanted to live!
Zhang Shitou dropped to his knees, kowtowing repeatedly.
“I want to live! I want to live! Please, Eldest Miss, spare my worthless life! From now on, I’ll serve you like an ox or a horse to repay your kindness!”
He looked at her with hope, praying she would spare him.
“Spare you? That depends…”
Ren Jingshu looked at him coldly, her tone meaningful.
“…on whether you obey.”
“I’ll obey! I’ll absolutely obey! If I don’t, may I be struck by lightning and die miserably—”
Zhang Shitou swore frantically, as if he could rip out his heart to prove his sincerity.
“In that case, take this pill.”
With a thought, Ren Jingshu took out a dark pill from her storage space. With a flick of her finger, it shot straight into Zhang Shitou’s throat.
“Cough, cough—”
He felt something slide down into his stomach and began coughing violently.