Another swing from his sword, and the rope tied around the opening was cut. He opened the bag, and there was indeed someone inside. What’s more, it was a young child!
Xie Lian ripped open the entire sack. The child within was curled in a ball, hugging his head tightly. His filthy clothes were covered both in giant footprints and fresh blood. Even his hair was matted with blood. He was a mess, and it was obvious he had been severely beaten, so badly that he didn’t even look human anymore. Judging by his size, he was only seven or eight, and a tiny creature. He was shaking like a layer of his skin had been forcibly peeled off. Truly incredible that he was still alive after such a violent beating and being dragged through the streets!
Xie Lian reached out a hand to feel his neck and found that his pulse wasn’t too weak. He sighed a breath of relief. He immediately picked up that small body, then turned around and barked a furious order.
“Feng Xin! Arrest Qi Rong!”
He could not believe that something like this could happen in the Kingdom of Xianle. Under the light of day, on the main street, a member of the nobility stuffed a live human in a sack to be dragged behind a horse carriage! If he hadn’t seen and stopped it, this small child would’ve been dragged to death this day!
From some distance away came the sounds of whinnying and the angry roars of Qi Rong, and soon after, Feng Xin yelled back, “He’s been stopped!”
Xie Lian rushed toward them just in time to hear Qi Rong howl in rage.
“YOU DAMNED AUDACIOUS LOWLY SERVANT, YOU DARE HURT ME?! WHO GAVE YOU THE BALLS?!”
Turned out, Feng Xin couldn’t stop the horse, so he tried to snatch the reins instead. Of course, Qi Rong wouldn’t let him, so the two pulled back and forth, and in a moment of carelessness, Feng Xin bumped him and pushed him off the carriage. Qi Rong fell to the ground and rolled a few times, scraping his knees. Seeing that he was surrounded by onlookers, he felt nothing but rage and embarrassment.
However, Xie Lian cut in. “I did!”
Qi Rong opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before finally crying, “Cousin Crown Prince!”
Xie Lian said angrily, “Look at what you’ve done! Qi Rong, I really…”
Just then, he felt the child in his arms jerk. He had loosened the hands hugging his head and was peeking up at Xie Lian from the gap between his elbows.
Xie Lian immediately restrained his anger and lowered his head to soothe him in a gentle voice. “How do you feel? Do you feel pain anywhere especially?”
The child was amazingly still alert, not unconscious from pain, nor frozen in shock. He shook his head. Xie Lian noticed that what little of his face was visible was bleeding, and he was about to check for other head injuries, but the child firmly clutched half of his face with his hands, stubbornly refusing to show him.
Xie Lian coaxed, “Don’t be afraid, everything’s fine. I only want to check your injuries.”
The child, however, pressed his hands down harder, revealing only one large obsidian eye, looking panicked. But this panic didn’t seem like it stemmed from a fear that he would get beaten but rather that something would be discovered.
Looking at this little face, half-covered with only one eye to be seen, Xie Lian suddenly realized he might’ve seen this child somewhere. He squinted as he thought.
Qi Rong saw his upset face and explained, “Cousin Crown Prince, that little non-croaker ruined your grand ceremony yesterday, so I avenged you. Don’t worry, I was careful, he won’t die.”
Sure enough, the child held in his arms was the one who fell from the city wall during the Shangyuan Heavenly Ceremonial Procession the day before!
No wonder Xie Lian thought he looked familiar. This little child hadn’t even changed; he was still wearing the same outfit as the day before, but because of all the beating and dragging, he was filthier and the clothes looked nothing like they had yesterday. He didn’t even look like the same person.
Xie Lian couldn’t hold back his anger anymore. “Who told you to avenge me?! It has nothing to do with this child—it wasn’t his fault!”
Qi Rong justified, “Of course it’s his fault. If not for him, you wouldn’t have been scolded by the State Preceptor!”
This ruckus was getting out of hand, and the crowd watching was growing, the onlookers whispering to each other. Just then, Mu Qing approached, and Qi Rong pointed his whip at him, expression laced with hostility.
“And you! You lowly servant. I can tell this one doesn’t know his place just from the look of him. If you don’t discipline him, sooner or later he’s going to overthrow you and step on you, his master. I helped you discipline him, but you turned around and defended him instead, and told on me too. Now Yifu and Yimu are not only ignoring that I did it for you, they’re even gonna confiscate my golden carriage! Cousin, that was my birthday gift! I’ve wanted it for over two years!!”