Bloodstained Kill

☆, Miss Yun

The silver moon hung high in the sky, the night wind seemed to weep, and Yun Ran followed Song San with her head down, walking silently through the Jizhou government office.

The two passed through the back hall and entered the side courtyard garden. Song San glanced back at Yun Ran. This girl was in the prime of her youth, with a beautiful face, and was originally someone whom Lord Yun would cherish like a princess. But now...

Yun Ran remained calm, her eyes fixed straight ahead, intently watching her step as if afraid of making a wrong move. In her heart, she thought: "This crabapple grove is in full bloom."

A month ago, her father also had a large number of famous crabapple trees transplanted to her courtyard to celebrate her birthday...

Song San's deep voice rang out: "Third Miss, the room with the light on up ahead is Lord Wang's residence."

Yun Ran responded softly and saw a light shining from a room not far ahead, with a faint silhouette reflected on the window paper. She was familiar with that figure; in the past, that person would come to Yun Family Fort to visit her father several times a month, and when they met, she would respectfully yet warmly address him as Uncle Wang.

Lord Wang Renyuan of Jizhou Prefecture was my father's sworn brother.

Song San glanced at Yun Ran again, noticing that she had stopped and was gazing northeast with a slightly dazed expression. He knew that the northeast was where Yun Family Fortress was located, and feeling a pang of pity, he whispered, "Third Miss, perhaps..."

Yun Ran had already looked away and said calmly, "Steward Song, let's go."

As the two approached the house, two guards emerged from the shadows. Song San nodded to them and then respectfully reported from outside the door, "Sir, Miss Yun Ran is requesting an audience."

A moment later, a clear, melodious voice came from inside the room: "Come in."

Song Sanqing pushed open the door, let Yun Ran into the room, then bowed his head and withdrew, gently closing the door behind him.

Under the lamplight, a middle-aged man in his thirties with a handsome face stood facing the door with his hands behind his back. When he saw Yun Ran enter, his gaze lingered on her for a moment before he sighed softly, "Ran'er, this disaster at Yun Family Fortress has caused you a lot of suffering. It's only been a few days since I last saw you, how come you've become so thin?"

Yun Ran lowered her eyelashes and remained silent for a long while before softly calling out, "Uncle Wang."

Wang Renyuan frowned slightly, moved to Yun Ran's side, reached out and took her hand, and said softly, "Why are you being so distant with me?"

Yun Ran looked up at him, then lowered her head again and said in a low voice, "My father and brothers are both under investigation now. Aren't you afraid of being implicated?"

Wang Renyuan put his arm around her slender waist, gently kissed her cheek, and whispered, "Should I marry you right now to prove that my feelings for you have never changed?"

A blush crept across Yun Ran's pale face, and she gently shook her head.

Wang Renyuan smiled slightly. Of course he wouldn't marry her. Yun Jiutian had committed a serious crime. Although Yun Ran was beautiful and gentle, and extremely devoted to him, how could he, a man from the prestigious Jizhou Prefecture, marry the daughter of a criminal? Besides...

His eyes flickered slightly, but he sighed and said, "I'll think of something about your father and brothers, but this matter has already alarmed the capital. The higher-ups have sent people to investigate this matter personally. Although I want to protect them, I am powerless to do anything about it."

Yun Ran bit her lip, then suddenly raised her head and pleaded in a mournful voice, "For my sake, could you possibly make an exception? As long as their lives can be saved, I..."

Her voice choked with sobs, her body trembled slightly, and she leaned against Wang Renyuan's chest, appearing so frail and helpless that it evoked pity in one's heart.

Wang Renyuan felt a delicate fragrance wafting into his nostrils. With the beautiful woman in his arms, he could hardly control himself. Although he had a secret affair with Yun Ran, he had never dared to overstep his bounds with Yun Jiutian's beloved daughter in the past due to the power of the Yun family. But things were different now. Yun Jiutian, that powerful tree, had fallen, and he could have the beauty in his arms whenever he wanted.

Thinking of this, his heart warmed, and he pulled Yun Ran into a tight embrace, saying in a hoarse voice, "Okay, I promise you, I will do my best for you... Ran'er, I've missed you so much these days..." As he spoke, he lowered his head and kissed Yun Ran's neck.

Yun Ran nestled softly in his arms, letting him do as he pleased. Only when she realized he was reaching to undress her did she blush and push his hand away, whispering, "There are people outside...they'll hear us..."

Seeing her shy expression and soft voice, Wang Renyuan noticed that although she was young and inexperienced, she possessed a captivating charm that made him even more impatient. He chuckled and released her, then strode to the door, opened it, and ordered, "You all go and guard outside the courtyard. No one is allowed to disturb us without my summons."

Song San and the two guards retreated in response. Wang Renyuan turned around and saw Yun Ran pour a bowl of tea from the table and hand it to him. He was thirsty, so he took it and drank it down in one gulp. He then hurriedly put the tea bowl down and reached out to hug Yun Ran.

Yun Ran did not dodge, letting him pull her into his arms, and slowly said, "I received news that my father and two elder brothers were secretly executed in prison last night."

Wang Renyuan was shocked. His hands stopped moving and he looked down at Yun Ran.

Yun Ran's face remained expressionless, her tone calm and unflappable: "After Father's accident, you came to Yun Family Fortress to offer my elder brother a plan, using the list of important court officials that Father had befriended over the years to blackmail them. You had a deep relationship with Father, so my elder brother naturally didn't suspect anything and took you to the secret vault to see the list. But the very next day, imperial guards came and arrested my two elder brothers, taking the list with them. Uncle Wang, you can't escape responsibility for this, can you?"

Wang Renyuan's expression changed drastically. He never expected that Yun Ran, such a delicate young girl, would know so much about these matters.

But then he thought again, Yun Jiutian and his two sons had been executed, and the power of Yun Family Fortress no longer existed. Yun Ran had been protected by Yun Jiutian since childhood and had never learned any martial arts. She was so delicate that she could be knocked down with a single finger. Even if he knew the inside story, what was there to fear?

He sneered and said in a deep voice, "Your Yun Family Fortress is a powerful force, and its influence has grown stronger in recent years, attracting the court's suspicion. You have no one to blame but yourself. That list was specifically requested by Lord Wen, who was sent from the capital. Your father's attempt to use it as a life-saving measure is utterly foolish. Although I have sworn brotherhood with him, do I really intend to die with him? Ran'er, if you submit to me tonight, out of consideration for our past relationship, I will protect you from now on. Otherwise..."

As he was speaking, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. Startled, he saw Yun Ran looking at him coldly with a hint of sarcasm on her lips. He turned his gaze to the teacup on the table, and as if he had realized something, he reached out and firmly grasped Yun Ran's wrist, and opened his mouth to call for someone to come over.

But he felt Yun Ran flip her wrist, easily breaking free from his grip. In an instant, she moved her fingers like the wind and struck his speech-impairing acupoint.

Wang Renyuan was speechless for a moment. He was terrified and full of doubt: How could Yun Ran possess martial arts skills?

Yun Ran watched him struggle in pain on the ground, her voice icy: "Uncle Wang, although my father forbade me to practice martial arts, I have never been an obedient daughter since childhood. Otherwise, why would I have secretly been intimate with you?" She bent down and lifted Wang Renyuan onto the bed, her gaze lingering on his handsome face for a moment, her eyes filled with hatred and contempt. She reached for the dagger hanging by the bedside and said coldly: "You disregarded our sworn brotherhood and betrayed me. My Yun Family Fortress has always been clear about right and wrong. Today, I will rip out your heart and liver to comfort the spirits of my father and brothers in heaven."

After a long while, Yun Ran walked out of the room with her head down and carefully closed the door. The lights in the room were out, so no one would have guessed that Lord Wang, who seemed to be sleeping peacefully, had already passed away.

Her hands were covered in cold sweat, and she felt nauseous. She had secretly seen the Yun family's ruthless treatment of traitors before, and she had secretly witnessed such methods of torture and punishment. But to do it herself was a different story.

The two guards standing outside the courtyard exchanged a knowing glance as she slowly emerged. One of them stepped forward and asked, "Has the master retired for the night?" Yun Ran seemed somewhat embarrassed and gave a soft "hmm," but remained silent. The other guard asked, "Why did you come out, young lady?" Yun Ran looked up and smiled slightly at him. The guard saw a glint of cold light flash in her clear, watery eyes, and a slight shock ran through him. He felt a chill on his neck, blood gushing from his throat, and he died without uttering a sound. Yun Ran's soft sword had already sliced through the throat of the other guard, and both of them fell silently to the ground.

Just then, a person quietly approached from outside the courtyard and said in a low voice, "We can't stay here any longer. Come with me quickly."

Yun Ran wrapped the soft sword back around her waist and nodded slightly to Song San.

She pulled some strings and during her last meeting with her father in prison, he quietly told her, "If you encounter any problems, find Song San, the chief steward of Wang Renyuan. He is a trustworthy man."

As it turned out, this person was indeed trustworthy. Unfortunately, it still couldn't save his father and brother's lives. They were handed over to Lord Wen, who was appointed from the capital, for personal interrogation, and then disappeared without a trace.

This morning, Song San came to Yunjiabao to inform them of their deaths and also brought an invitation from Wang Renyuan. She then made up her mind to kill Wang Renyuan to avenge her father and brothers.

Yun Ran followed Song San out of the back gate of the Jizhou government office and said softly, "Steward Song, thank you."

Song San smile

……