Crown of Fury, the Most Beautiful MuLan

Big Fool's father's family was fairly well-off. Could it really be that they had no money to cure Big Fool? The treatment simply cost too much, and he could not bear to spend it.

"How many days have you been thrown here?" Shen Lang asked.

Big Fool tried hard to count on his fingers, but he could not even lift his hands anymore.

He had once been so strong. "One hand isn't enough anymore," Big Fool said.

That meant he had been thrown into this Mountain Gully for more than six full days. Every day, he had neither food nor water, only catching rainwater in his mouth.

Without food or water, he had been left to bleed, left with broken bones, left to wait for death.

Shen Lang had already examined Big Fool's injuries. Five ribs were broken, and his liver, stomach, and lungs had all suffered internal injuries.

The injuries were severe, but as long as one was willing to spend money, he could certainly be saved. His father had simply been too reluctant to spend the money, so he had thrown him into the Mountain Gully to await death.

Fortunately, the broken ribs had not pierced any vital areas.

The reason Big Fool was barely clinging to life was entirely because he had been left in the Mountain Gully, battered by wind and rain, and had gone days and nights without food. That was why his fever would not subside and he had become so weak.

"Second Fool, I'm going to die." Big Fool smiled at Shen Lang. "I was worried you would be bullied, but now it's fine. You've become formidable."

Then he slowly closed his eyes, and his breathing gradually weakened.

Big Fool was reluctant to leave this world, but he was not terribly afraid of death. He merely felt somewhat sad inside.

"No, you won't die. And you're not allowed to die. I'll save you. I'll take you away," Shen Lang said.

Then he took sliced ginseng from his robes and placed it in Big Fool's mouth for him to suck on. Why did he carry sliced ginseng with him? Because he felt his body was weak, so he would suck on a slice whenever he had nothing to do.

Yet Big Fool's gaze remained vacant, utterly devoid of any will to live.

There was no sorrow greater than a dead heart.

From the moment his father had abandoned him, he had no longer wanted to live.

Though he had been abused by his parents since childhood and never had enough to eat, though his father had always treated him coldly, Big Fool had firmly believed that his father loved him; he was simply not good at showing it.

Besides, he truly ate too much.

Even though he endured hunger every day, ate no more than two bowls of corn rice at each meal, and worked desperately every day.

He only wanted his father to know that he was useful.

But after he had been badly injured saving his Younger Brother, his father had refused to spend money to treat him and abandoned him in the Mountain Gully. At last, he understood that his father did not love him.

So he no longer feared death.

Shen Lang slapped Big Fool's face and shouted, "Big Fool, I'm being bullied. You need to help me."

As if by reflex, Big Fool suddenly opened his eyes. He even tried to spread his arms and shield Shen Lang in his embrace.

Shen Lang said, "Big Fool, you can't just die like this. You have to let your father see how formidable you are and make him regret it, right?"

Those words struck Big Fool's heart. He stared blankly for a moment, then nodded hard.

"Yes, I have to let Father know that I'm useful. When he grows old, I can support him." Big Fool muttered to himself, "I can't die. I still have to support Father. Younger Brother is mischievous. When he grows up, he definitely won't look after Father."

Even now, Big Fool was still thinking of supporting his father in the future, leaving Shen Lang speechless.

"Carry him onto the carriage," Shen Lang ordered.

The two Earl's Manor warriors froze, then nodded. "Yes!"

The two men carried Big Fool onto the large carriage.

Shen Lang went straight back to Big Fool's home, his face icy.

Big Fool's stepmother smiled awkwardly. "There really wasn't any money at home to treat Big Fool, so we had no choice but to do this. Besides, everyone in the mountains does this. We're not the only family."

"Hmph!" Big Fool's half-brother sneered. "A fool like him is dead when he's dead. What's there to regret? Same goes for you."

This brat was beyond saving.

Without another word, Shen Lang stepped forward and viciously kicked him.

The kick that ended a family line! "Aah..." Big Fool's Younger Brother let out a miserable scream and rolled desperately across the ground, his eyes rolling back and foam spilling from his mouth from the pain.

Big Fool's stepmother shrieked, "Shen Lang, what are you doing? Don't think I'm afraid of you just because you became the Xu Family's Live-in Son-in-Law! I'll report you! I'll report you!"

She still did not know that Shen Lang had become the Earl's Manor's son-in-law.

"I don't hit women," Shen Lang said.

He took a wooden basin and elegantly filled it with water.

"Don't be afraid. I said I don't hit women." Shen Lang smiled.

Then Shen Lang pressed Big Fool's stepmother's head into the water and made her suffocate.

"Urgh, urgh..." That vicious woman struggled desperately, but she could not break free.

The two Earl's Manor warriors' faces twitched slightly at the sight, but neither said anything.

A full two minutes passed.

Big Fool's stepmother felt that she was surely going to die. She could not breathe at all and fainted from sheer terror.

Shen Lang grabbed her by the hair and pulled her head out of the water. Only then did she begin breathing again, coughing frantically and wailing loudly.

"For the past few days, Big Fool waited for Death God to come in that same despair. I'm letting you have a taste of it," Shen Lang said flatly. "When your husband returns, tell him I'm at Xuanwu Earl's Manor. He can come find me anytime."

With that, Shen Lang strode away.

He took Big Fool and returned to Xuanwu Earl's Manor.

By the time the sun set, Shen Lang had returned to the Earl's Manor.

Ordinary people were not permitted to enter Mountain Top Castle within the Earl's Manor, but Shen Lang was the son-in-law, so naturally he passed through without obstruction.

But he was soon stopped.

A young officer was leading several dozen warriors on patrol. When he saw Shen Lang enter, he immediately shouted for him to halt.

"Stop!"

Shen Lang did not recognize this man.

His name was Jin Cheng. He was the head of the Earl's Manor's internal guards, holding the rank of deputy thousand-household officer while serving as Hundred-Household Officer.

Of course, he had once held another identity as well: one of the five candidates to become the Earl's Manor's Live-in Son-in-Law. He had grown up in the Earl's Manor, and his Martial Arts were extremely formidable. With his skill, he could easily have passed the Martial Examination, but he had said that he would never leave the Earl's Manor for the rest of his life.

Jin Cheng's gaze toward Shen Lang was exceedingly complicated.

As a young prodigy raised in the Earl's Manor, he naturally revered Jin MuLan like a Goddess and was infatuated with her from the depths of his soul and marrow.

Thus, his eyes were filled with complicated chill as he looked at Shen Lang.

If he had lost to Wang Lian or Mo Ye, he would have had nothing to say.

If he had lost to Jin Shiying, then although his heart would have been sour, he could only offer blessings. Jin Shiying was his idol, his elder brother, his example.

But he had lost to Shen Lang of all people.

MuLan was a Goddess, his mistress. Jin Cheng did not dare feel resentment toward her.

But toward Shen Lang, he was filled with utter contempt and disdain.

What the hell are you, Shen Lang?

You were unlearned and unskilled, too weak to truss a chicken, and a ruined country bumpkin.

Those things aside, the key was that Shen Lang was greedy for vanity. He had just been kicked out of the Xu Family for stealing money and molesting maids, yet less than three days later, he had come to marry into the Earl's Manor.

Was there any man under heaven more shameless and vain than you? Therefore, even though Shen Lang had now become the Earl's Manor's son-in-law, Jin Cheng could not suppress the hostility and contempt in his heart.

Seeing Shen Lang enter the Earl's Manor as though no one else existed, he immediately stepped forward to block him.

Shen Lang said, "Who are you? Why are you stopping me?"

Seeing Shen Lang acting like a master, Jin Cheng grew even angrier and said coldly, "You may enter, but what is that in your carriage? I need to inspect it!"

Big Fool was too heavy. Jin Cheng could tell at a glance that the carriage was carrying something weighty.

Jin Cheng stepped forward and lifted the carriage curtain, revealing a blood-covered man on the verge of death.

"Shen Lang, you've got quite the nerve," Jin Cheng said coldly. "It's true that you married into the Earl's Manor, but what right do you have to casually bring someone into the Earl's Manor? Do you take this place for your own backyard?"

In a sense, Jin Cheng was not wrong. A Live-in Son-in-Law's status was only slightly higher than a servant's; at most, he counted as half a master.

Therefore, Shen Lang absolutely had no authority to casually bring outsiders into the Earl's Manor.

"Men, throw this person of unknown origin out. He is not to enter," Jin Cheng directly ordered.

At once, two warriors under his command stepped forward, intending to throw the barely alive Big Fool out.

Big Fool was barely hanging on, his breath as thin as a thread. He needed treatment immediately and could not afford any delay. Nor could he be jostled about, or his life could be lost at any moment.

"Who dares?" Shen Lang suddenly drew his blade. "Whoever dares touch this wounded man, I'll chop him down."

At once, no one dared move.

Then Shen Lang ordered the two Earl's Manor warriors behind him, "Carry this wounded man inside."

The two Earl's Manor warriors who had followed Shen Lang home exchanged glances but did not move. They did not know whom to obey. Jin Cheng was their commanding officer.

Jin Cheng said coldly, "Shen Lang, you are not yet a master of the Earl's Manor. It is not your turn to give orders. I have the final say over the Earl's Manor patrols. What are you waiting for? Throw this outsider of unknown origin out!"

Shen Lang stared at Jin Cheng for a long while, then nodded. "Fine. I'll take my brother to Xuanwu City to treat his injuries."

Then he sat directly in the driver's seat, turned the carriage around, and prepared to leave for Xuanwu City.

At that moment, the Earl and Jin MuLan hurried over.

Jin Cheng stepped forward and said, "Master, Miss, the son-in-law wanted to bring a stranger into the Earl's Manor. This subordinate stopped him. It does not conform to the rules."

Xuanwu Earl frowned and said, "Shen Lang, what is going on?"

Shen Lang did not lodge a complaint; that would have been beneath him. He merely said, "The person lying in the carriage is my only friend. His life is in grave danger. If he cannot enter the Earl's Manor to be treated, then I will take him into the city for treatment."

Healing Big Fool required a great deal of medicinal herbs, and only the Earl's Manor had the most complete supply.

After hearing Shen Lang's words, the Earl immediately ordered, "Quickly, fetch Doctor An. Saving him is the priority."

"I'll do it..." MuLan stepped forward and, together with Shen Lang, lifted Big Fool's makeshift stretcher and headed toward the castle inside the manor.

At that moment, Shen Lang was truly moved. MuLan was at her most beautiful then.

MuLan was using her actions to apologize to Shen Lang. He could even read it in her eyes.

I'm sorry, Husband. I've made you suffer.

At that moment, Jin Cheng said from the side, "Miss, what he did did break the rules. How can he casually bring outsiders into the Earl's Manor? It could endanger the Earl's Manor's security. And he even drew his blade to threaten us. Such conduct is extremely vile."

After hearing his words, MuLan put Big Fool down.

Without saying a word, she walked over to Jin Cheng, took out her whip, and lashed it fiercely.

All right, at that moment, MuLan—his darling wife—was even more beautiful!