Feng Yu Jiu Tian - Volume 13 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

“Reporting to the General, the prisoner is here!”

Chao An, wearing a tattered prison uniform was brought on the execution platform by two guards. An extra chair was then prepared for Xiao Liu to sit next to Le Ting, seemingly becoming the third execution supervisor on the scene...

The show has finally begun!

Le Ting regained his composure and stared at Chao An, who was trembling and coiled up in front of him. Le Ting displayed a demeanor of a General and shouted out imposingly;

“Prisoner, lift your head and address your name!”

“My...name...is....Chao An...”

Kneeling down, Chao An muttered a few words as he continued to shake in fright. What is he supposed to do? Yesterday, Tai Can came to visit him in the prison, secretly informing him of many things and repeatedly reinforcing him to follow through with the plan today. No matter how much Tai Can reassured him that this is planned by the world’s famous, intelligent, Duke Ming­­ the one that would save his life; but honestly, this was the boldest plan he had ever heard of and no one has dared to use it before. If the plan is unsuccessful then he, Chao An, will undoubtedly die today...

Life and death is a huge matter. While thinking about this, wouldn’t anyone’s voice also tremble in fear?

LT: Chao An, you have disrespected the royalty by offering sour wine to His Majesty as a tribute. This crime is worthy of a million deaths. I am here today with an order to execute you. Is there anything you would like to say?

“I....I...”

Chao An’s hands started trembling while grasping tightly onto the wooden block on the platform.

The audience witnessing the scene from below knew that he was innocent. Everyone looked at him with sympathetic eyes.

Then a soft broken mutter was heard from Chao An. “I’m...I’m accused...unjustly....”

“How dare you!” Le Ting shouted out sharply, widening his eyes. “We have conclusive evidence of your crime! The wine you offered to His Majesty was sour and yet, you dare to say you were accused unjustly? You’re a guilty prisoner, why shouldn’t we kill you? I am asking once again. Before you die, are there any last words you would like to say?”

Feng Ming was standing in the crowd listening to their conversation. He was filled with overwhelming emotions as if his hands and feet were dancing delightfully.

So perfect! So perfect!

Tai Can’s performance was already outstanding and worthy of praises. He also couldn’t have imagined that Le Ting’s performance would be very convincing. His shout a while ago was on spot, given how quick the skit was written up.

He had anticipated this for some time now, but suddenly something felt wrong, why did it became quiet? According to the original plan, Chao An should’ve followed behind, and spoke the most important lines within the skit!

Feng Ming looked up onto the stage. He wasn’t the only one looking, in fact, all eyes were trained on Chao An.

“Chao An, do you have anything to say?” Le Ting lifted his eyebrows, slightly feeling that something wasn’t right.

He cleared his throat, “I am currently asking you, why aren’t you answering?”

Please quickly say the following lines of the skit!

Chao An was still kneeling on the stage with his face dropped down that no one could clearly see it. One of the guards went over to him and lifted his head up. After taking a clear look on his face, he suddenly exclaimed, “Ah! He’s gone crazy!”

Chao An stared blankly while foaming at the mouth. A loud commotion was then heard from the audience.

“Crazy! He went crazy!”

“What a pity! He’s scared to death. Becoming crazy is good, better than being completely conscious while being beheaded...”

The situation had changed drastically. A short while ago, Feng Ming was excited and now he was stiff. C razy? Foaming at the mouth, is he having a seizure?

Oh God! This idiot Tai Can, why didn’t he tell me about Chao An’s illness, having a panic attack after being strongly evoked?

They’re finished.

The protagonist suddenly lost all ability to perform, how can this impressive supernatural trick continue?

This time, it’s really the end...

On the sideline, Tai Can was shocked that his brother in law’s illness started again. The deputy supervisor suggested to Le Ting that since the prisoner had became crazy, there was no point in questioning him anymore, so they should just execute him now given the fact that the execution hour has passed and Xiao Liu is present.

Le Ting was silently upset. W hy is it like this? Chao An couldn’t wait until later to start having a seizure and yet chose this very moment to do it. At least finish up your lines and then start having one! Causing me so much effort to rescue you.

LT: This...Let’s wait for a little bit. Before executing someone, we always allow the prisoners to have a few words according to the court law. Um...this...also shows that the law is merciful...

Seeing how Le Ting was stuttering, the deputy supervisor was greatly puzzled. Why is General Le Ting acting like this today? He almost missed the execution time after disappearing. Then he arrived here disheveled with two hand prints on his face, and now he is speaking incoherently. He wasn’t injured badly that his brain became screwed, did he? He has been in the sun for a long time now and didn’t want to continue. This prisoner will die sooner or later, so why should they waste time?

The deputy supervisor tried to persuade Xiao Liu to side with him, but Xiao Liu just replied that he’s only here to watch from the sidelines and General Le Ting is the one making the decision.

After a short while, Chao An finally stopped convulsing and recovered his consciousness; however, his body became weak and needed the guards to support him up.

Le Ting asked Chao An again if he had any words to say. Chao An only gasped heavily the words “I...I” and went silent again.

Feng Ming pushed his way to the front, just enough to see Chao An’s face, but even though his seizure stopped, his eyes stared blankly as if he forgotten his lines.

Le Ting tried hard to ask one last time, wiping the sweat off his forehead. If he asked once more, even a fool would know that something weird was going on.

“General, the prisoner doesn’t have anything else to say. It’s clear that he’s admitted his crime. I think, it is best if we...”

“He’s innocent! He’s innocent! I have something to say!” A shrill voice of a female interrupted him. Everyone looked towards the direction of the sound, in which, Chao An’s wife who have been crying endlessly on the side, stood up and rushed towards the execution platform. She kneeled down beside her husband and cried out, “General, my husband is innocent, I request the General to seek the truth behind this! He was wrongly accused, he was wrongly accused!”

Although she was six months pregnant, her hair unkempt and in ragged clothes, her eyes were boiling red with a surge of anger when she lifted her head. The guards on both sides wanted to drag her down, but her ferocious stare kept them from doing so.

“General, if you kill my innocent husband today, then God will have mercy and will most definitely make you repay with your life!”

“What audacity! Ignorant woman!” Earlier, Le Ting didn’t know how to continue, but luckily Chao An’s wife had resolved this matter. “This person has committed a grave crime and needs to be punished! How is he wrongly accused? You, you, you...you even dared to curse me? If it wasn’t because you’re pregnant, I would have strictly punished you. Guards! Drag this woman off the platform for me!”

The guards followed through with the order. As for Feng Ming, he thought that the plan failed, but didn’t expect that Chao An’s wife would jump out and speak on her husband’s behalf.

“Le Ting! If you kill an innocent person, you will not be able to die peacefully! If my husband dies wrongfully today, and his blood spilled on the very grounds of Fan Cheng city, grievances will be heard throughout heaven, then one day, you will have to pay in blood!”

Once the words were spoken, everyone in the audience were startled. Executing prisoners is common, but not being afraid of death and cursing the execution supervisors were something unheard of.

Feng Ming almost jumped in joy because that was the most important key lines within the skit, and now Chao An’s wife had finally said them.

Le Ting waited for a long time to hear these lines, he was so moved that tears almost fell out, however this isn’t the time to cry, but to immediately put on an extremely shocked and yet massive rage.

“How dare you! You...you dare to make a vicious curse like this? Do you think that just because of your death threat I would be intimidated and would not execute Chao An?” Le Ting paused for a bit, displaying a hesitant expression. Looking over at the deputy supervisor in an uneasy manner and whispered, “This...how should we deal with this?” Le Ting hopes that his action will not cause any suspicion towards his official.

The deputy supervisor was even more uneasy so how can he even have the thought of wondering whether Le Ting was tricking him or not. This woman is terribly frightening to use the death of a prisoner to curse the execution supervisors. The most frightening thing is that this case is unjust, so if Chao An dies, then...

The majority of the people in this world believes that a blood curse involving the blood of the dead is the most vicious curse ever. This type of curse, even Kings who are blessed by God would be afraid, not to mention ordinary people. Thinking that he too is an execution supervisor, cold sweat started running down his body, “This....this...this...”

He hesitated for a long time before answering, “General, do you think... that we should postpone this execution?”

LT: No. the prisoner should be put to death according to the law. We are Yong Yin officials, how can we spare him for the fear of a curse? If we do this, then the loved ones of every prisoner will start cursing and we’ll just spare them too?

That line was something Feng Ming had pondered word per word to write out, so that Chao An can be rescued in a mysterious way in which no one knows. Words that would make everyone believe that Le Ting had no sympathy for Chao An.

“But...but...that woman’s curse, I’m afraid...this case is really...”

“General.” One of Le Ting’s bodyguards who was standing behind, suddenly stepped forward and whispered, “Your subordinate has a method that can execute the prisoner while not being afraid of the curse.”

“Oh? What method?”

“That curse only says that the prisoner has to spill blood onto the grounds of Fan Cheng so that his grievances can be heard by heaven.” This guard was also part of Feng Ming’s plan. He had already memorized his lines, but because of the sudden change in the situation, he almost thought he wouldn’t have the chance to perform his act. However, since it’s his turn to perform, he revealed an eerie smile and said, “General, you just need to prevent the prisoner’s blood from splattering the earth, then you can escape the curse.”

Before Le Ting could answer, the frightened deputy supervisor quickly ran forward and nodded his head, “That’s great, this is a great idea. Which is...” He frowned, “But what is the method in which the prisoner’s blood won’t splatter the earth?”

Le Ting was so elated, that he secretly applauded. The lines that he needed to say was spoken for him by another person. Having an unwitty assistant like this deputy supervisor made the effect more realistic.

“This is quite easy.” The guard thought for a moment before replying, “We’ll put him inside the box, place the box up. That way his feet won’t touch the ground, his head won’t face the sky.”

“But wouldn’t his blood be dripping onto the ground? Or do we need to pick up all his blood? When we behead him, wouldn’t his blood spill, unless there’s no blood...”

“Ha ha, this is even more simple. We won’t behead him, we’ll just burn him alive.”

The deputy supervisor’s eyes lit up, “That’s right! Burn him alive! Ha ha, this method is wonderful!” Thinking that he was the one responsible in completing the execution and didn’t have to worry about the curse, he got carried away for a long while before remembering that he was only the deputy supervisor and there was the main supervisor on the side. He quickly converged his delighted expression and carefully consulted with Le Ting, “What does General think...”

“Ah, this method is not bad.” Le Ting gave his opinion and then tilted his head, looking over at Xiao Liu, “How about Master Liu...”

Xiao Liu gave Le Ting and his bodyguard a cold glance regarding their dirty trick that left this poor deputy supervisor confused. He was silently laughing inside as he said, “It’s the same thing I said earlier, General is the one making the decision here, I will not intervene.”

“That’s great.” Le Ting raised his voice and ordered, “Guards!” “Yes!”

“Prepare the woods immediately and build a wooden box that can fit a person. Remember to drench the inside and outside with oil, so that burning it up will be of great pleasure!”

The guards went and built a wooden box, then drenched it in oil in front of all the viewers. There were several clever people who have guessed what the box was used for. They gasped in a cold breath of air. General Le actually wants to burn the prisoner alive?

Once the wooden box was prepared, Le Ting ordered the guards to pour oil onto the prisoner’s body given the reason that his blood will burn quicker. He also told them to cover the prisoner’s mouth so that he won’t be able to make any more curses.

The deputy supervisor tells Le Ting that the prisoner is frightened to the point that he can’t speak, so if they should cover someone’s mouth, it should be the wife’s mouth instead.

Le Ting ordered the guards to cover both Chao An and his wife’s mouths. The original plan was to cover Chao An’s mouth because he made the curse. The reason for this was because, if there was no sound emitted from the box while it was ignited, wouldn’t that provoke suspicion?

In order for the plan to be implemented successfully, Le Ting had to follow along so nothing appeared suspicious. Once the wooden box was completed, Chao An was placed inside.

The deputy supervisor hoped that the curse will be lifted soon, so he whispered, “General, we need to quickly hang this box up and burn it.”

“No hurry.” Le Ting lightly replied, “Tell them to nail down the box tightly.”

In fact, the box cannot be hung immediately. The plan had proceeded to the most critical step, whether the person is alive or dead depends on this moment.

Thanks to the sound of the hammering of nails, it was able to cover up the noise of their henchmen who were hiding beneath the platform, opening the box from below and rescuing Chao An from the inside, and then stuff a similar physique and same clothed body as Chao An inside the box. After that, the bottom of the wooden box will then have to be nailed back in place. Otherwise, when the wooden box is hung up, there will be a large hole, then wouldn’t it become the biggest joke?

Right now, it’s best to drag out the time as long as possible. “Ah...General, is the nailing almost done?”

“Let’s nail it down for a bit more, it still looks loose.”

“.....”

“General, look...it should be done now, right? They’ve nailed it for quite a long time...”

“If we do not nail it down tightly, the prisoner might struggle, breaking it and fall out of the box. If the blood splattered onto the ground, wouldn’t you be afraid of the curse?”

“This...this...”

“Be patient, once it’s nailed down securely, it would be for the sake of both of us.”

After nailing for nearly half an hour, the guards soaked in sweat finally received the order by Le Ting to hang the box up.

Once the box was hanged up for everyone to see clearly, the box was lit up, and then engulfed by a large fireball. There was also a loud sound coming from inside the box as if someone was struggling inside.

Witnessing the raging fire above the execution ground, a few faint­hearted people already fainted. In fact, they were the relatives of the prisoner; Tai Can, his sister, and the mother of Chao An nonetheless. From the moment the box was ignited, they “fainted in grief.”

Originally, Xiao Liu leisurely watched the play, but after hearing movements from inside the box, he was shocked. Could it be that he was burned alive? If not, then why would there be movement inside the box? He glanced over at Le Ting, but Le Ting didn’t have a change in expression, nor horror on his face.

Soon, the box was burned about 80%. The bottom of the box couldn’t continue supporting itself and cracked opened a big hole, a large black dusky object fell straight through, hitting the execution stage as sparks flew in all directions. Needless to say, that was the prisoner’s body, burnt to the point of unrecognition. The audience screamed, some hid in fright. Even the officials on the platform couldn’t bear to watch as they quickly covered themselves with their sleeves.

Le Ting looked at the corpse, the tension in his mind can finally be relaxed. He stood up, facing the pale looking faces of the official and smiled, “The prisoner is finally executed, the curse is also lifted, hurry back home, bathe and have a nice dinner.” Le Ting laughed, clapped his hands, strutted down the steps, mounted his horse and rode off with his bodyguards.

The audience who had watched the horrible death, shook their heads and dispersed. Luo Yun and Rong Hu, one left and one right, with Feng Ming tucked in the middle, carried him away from the execution ground. Behind them, twenty highly skilled henchmen disguised as commoners distributed themselves around the three. They immediately headed to a remote location where their small boats were, rowing back to the large ship.

Chiu Lan was so anxious, after seeing them, she rushed to greet them on deck and kept asking, “So how was it? Was he rescued? Was the magic trick a success?”

“Duke Ming, how come you’re not saying anything?” “Was it a failure?”

“Aiya, Duke Ming, what is with that face? Duke Ming, don’t scare us, hurry and say something!”

“Duke Ming, you have done everything you could, if Chao An couldn’t be rescued, you shouldn’t keep it inside.”

“If you have come back safely, that’s already a good thing...”

Feng Ming stood foolishly for a long time, his hands slowly forming a fist, glancing at the three maids at once, he whispered, “I realized something.”

“Duke Ming, what is it that you realized?”

“I realized,” Feng Ming whispered once more and glanced at each of them, his mouth widened forming an extremely bright smile, and excitedly roared, “That I have an amazing potential of a Great Magician! Not just that, but the most Amazing Talented Magician in the entire world! Ha ha ha, I am the Greatest Magician ever!”

He was so carried away that he gave Chiu Lan a passionate hug and continued laughing, “I have never saw any magic trick as exciting as this. Chiu Lan, it’s a pity that the three of you didn’t get to see it. Chiu Yue and Chiu Xing, don’t be too sad, let Duke Ming, I, give you all a kiss to comfort you...”

Chiu Yue and Chiu Xing screamed out as they started running, blushing in embarrassment and scolded Feng Ming, “Duke Ming is so ecstatic that he has gone mad. Chaotically hugging people, aren’t you afraid that His Majesty will punish you?”

“Heaven blessed.” Chiu Lan was praying while reciting a few lines, thanking the heaven above, “Duke Ming has save an innocent man, God, please remember the good deeds our Duke Ming has done and bless him with good fortune, not encountering disaster along the way....”