My hand touched Zheng Da, and he fell to the ground.
But the surroundings changed in that instant, too.
Several men surrounded Zheng Da, kicking and punching him. Others nearby held up wooden clubs and brought them down hard.
Zheng Da screamed again and again.
I turned around and saw several strangers.
Of all the people there, I recognized only the girl.
She wore a bright red bellyband and had been thrown to the ground, dark blood spilling from her mouth.
A middle-aged couple who looked like husband and wife stood together.
The woman wore a false smile and covered her mouth as she said, "My lord, I told you this woman was no good. You wouldn't believe me. But now we've caught her in the act. Tsk, tsk... Her lover's heartless, isn't he? He sent his own little sister to her death for her."
The middle-aged man said nothing. His face darkened as he glared at the girl on the ground.
"Enough. Just beat them to death. Don't make such a mess." The woman called out, "My lord, stop watching. Have them thrown out."
The middle-aged man snorted and stalked away, flinging his sleeve.
Zheng Da's eyes had swollen shut. He stretched his neck as far as he could, trying to see what lay ahead.
The girl was already dead, yet she was still looking in Zheng Da's direction.
There was no lingering affection in her eyes, no tenderness. Only hatred. Even as she lay dying, she glared furiously at Zheng Da.
Zheng Da's mind went blank.
"She could've been a proper concubine, but instead she went with some dirt farmer."
"Some people are just born cheap."
"If we'd known it'd turn out like this, we brothers could've had some fun with her too..."
The men joked as they