Blissful Days After Widowhood - Chapter 374

After Gu Yin and the others departed, Mrs. Qin no longer felt the need to maintain her dignity and vented her anger by smashing objects in the main hall.

Feng Yuan sat beside her in despair, paying little attention to the destruction around him.

The servants dared not approach or try to pacify her; instead, they summoned Zheng Mama.

Hastily arriving, Zheng Mama attempted to console Mrs. Qin, saying, “Why are you so angry? It’s just a trivial matter that should not have been…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Mrs. Qin slapped her in the face.

“It’s you who is clueless! Why did you entrust such an unreliable person with this task?!” Mrs. Qin pointed at the “butler” who remained slouched in the corner. “Your precious son dared to claim that he was acting on my behalf and pleaded for my help right in front of me! If Duke Ying’s house had truly handed him over to the authorities, would you want to make me a laughing stock throughout the capital?”

Wincing in pain from the blow, Zheng Mama had a bleeding mouth but remained determined. She said bitterly, “Old Madam, my godson is not strong but very clever. Would he really do something like this?”

Mrs. Qin angrily waved her away, saying, “I was present; can I deceive you while you say it in front of me?”

Despite being pushed away, Zheng Mama crawled over to help the “butler” up, and said desperately, “How could my godson repay me like this? Spare me, Madam!”

The situation became increasingly unsightly, with Mrs. Qin typically having a volatile temper. In her fury, she might have taken one or two lives.

Unable to bear witnessing the scene any longer, Zheng Mama reached a decision. She removed the hood from his head and began speaking, “My son, Godmother can’t save you. Please surrender to the Old Lady…” She paused when she saw his face.

“Who are you?!”

Simultaneously with Mama Zheng’s exclamation, the “butler” had already freed himself from the ropes, pushed Mama Zheng into a seat next to Feng Yuan, and dashed out without looking back.

Mama Zheng fell onto Feng Yuan and yelled, “Old Lady, that’s not my godson; he’s an imposter!”

Mrs. Qin screamed and called for someone to chase the fake butler. Feng Yuan had already risen to pursue him.

The butler, disguised as a servant, executed his role proficiently, swiftly escaping the encircling pursuers. As he neared the mansion’s exit, Feng Yuan managed to catch up to him and blocked his path.

It was at that moment that Wu Qingyi leaped onto the wall of Duke Lu’s mansion, hurling a rope downward.

The guard grabbed the rope, and in the blink of an eye, both the butler and Wu Qingyi disappeared together.

“Unbelievable!” Feng Yuan seethed as he returned alone.

Wu Qingyi had sent the guard back and stayed behind to detain him. The two grappled on the street outside the Duke Lu mansion.

Furious and disorganized due to his anger, Feng Yuan launched a series of erratic attacks. Wu Qingyi adeptly deflected each strike and inquired, “I was merely passing by your mansion; why is Duke Lu so incensed?”

Feng Yuan’s agitation grew when he realized that Wu Qingyi was well aware of the circumstances. He responded with exasperation, “Despite being colleagues, you devised such a devious plan to destroy my family?! Breaking up a marriage is far worse than demolishing ten temples; don’t you comprehend that wisdom?!”

With all his might, Feng Yuan delivered a punch aimed at Wu Qingyi’s face. The punch was exceedingly fierce, capable of causing severe injury or even death upon impact.

No longer taunting or provoking him, Wu Qingyi matched Feng Yuan’s force with resistance. Eventually, due to Feng Yuan’s age and a lack of martial focus provoked by his anger, he was overpowered.

With a powerful palm strike, Wu Qingyi sent Feng Yuan tumbling to the ground. He gazed down at him and spoke seriously, “I do understand the concept, but was it caused by me, my wife, or your mother? Don’t you truly grasp that?”

Embarrassed and disheveled, Feng Yuan reluctantly admitted, “I had affection for her. My mother had convinced me for so long. I confess that I wavered and agonized over it. However, I never considered parting from her.”

Wu Qingyi posed a penetrating question, “What is the nature of your love? Is it about breaking her wings, confining her to the mire, or witnessing her struggle and suffering?”

Feng Yuan was embarrassed by Wu Qingyi’s probing question, and his gaze faltered. He retorted, “What could you possibly understand? What do you know? My mother bore me and is growing old; her temperament is difficult. What daughter-in-law in the world can’t tolerate her mother-in-law’s temperament? Isn’t this the way things work in your family?”

Frustrated by the futility of engaging with such an individual, Wu Qingyi snorted, turned away, and departed, leaving Feng Yuan behind.

Outside the mansion’s entrance, a crowd of onlookers had gathered for some time, forming a circle to observe the altercation.

However, knowing that fists and kicks had no specific targets, they refrained from intervening, choosing instead to observe from a distance. Consequently, they couldn’t hear the private conversation between the two men.

“Duke Lu rushed out to assault someone in broad daylight? What was he thinking?”

Another person commented, “Who knows? He appears disheveled and mad. Could he be mentally unstable?”

“He does look quite unhinged. Fortunately, his opponent was a martial arts expert; otherwise, his madness could have led to fatalities.”

“You are unaware that the individual he fought was none other than the Devil General! Though the general didn’t wear a mask, I have seen him during a triumphant parade, and he’s the world’s only figure with such a robust and powerful physique!”

“Doesn’t that mean Duke Lu truly lost his mind? When you confront someone, you ought to know your opponent. Fiercely assaulting a formidable general, isn’t that a disgrace to himself?”