A Gentleman Drew His Sword, Blood Spattered Three Feet!

Sure enough, after hearing those words, Wei Mingde's face darkened completely.

"Good, good, good!!!"

"I never imagined it! You unfilial wretch, you really did harbor such filthy 'intentions'!"

With that, he slammed the table, rose, and walked to one side of the Central Hall, taking a sword down from the wall.

He walked up to Wei Nisheng and kicked him, as he habitually did.

Caught off guard, Wei Nisheng was kicked to the floor.

Then, with a clang, the sword was thrown down before Wei Nisheng.

The entire hall fell deathly silent.

Cui Shi covered her mouth.

Wei Shouzheng's eyes lit up.

Wang Rong almost laughed aloud.

Wei Mingde stood over Wei Nisheng, looking down at him with disgust written all over his face.

"Can't you behave yourself for once?"

"Weren't you obedient enough in the Side Courtyard these past few years? You stayed put, caused no trouble, brought no shame. I could afford to keep feeding you."

"But why did you have to cause trouble? Why did you have to say those things?"

"Your elder brother has always treated you generously. How dare you entertain thoughts of usurping his place as heir?!"

"You ill-born wretch who brings ruin upon his kin, do you truly mean to disgrace me?

"Will you only be satisfied once you've destroyed your elder brother's future?!"

As he spoke, Wei Mingde pointed straight at the sword on the floor.

"If I were you, I would pick up that sword right now and take my own life."

"And I would consider this son of mine never born."

"From now on, I, Wei Mingde, will have only two sons: Shouzheng and Shoucheng!"

As Wei Nisheng rose, he stared at the sword before him, stunned.

Wei Mingde had already turned away, no longer looking at him.

Returning to the seat of honor, he said to Wei Shouzheng, "Wang Rong is your man. Tell me, how should this be handled?"

Wei Shouzheng froze at first, then was seized by wild delight. Suppressing his smile, he pretended to ponder.

"Father, although this wretch... ahem, my second brother has done wrong,

"he is still my younger brother, after all. Too severe a punishment... I couldn't bear it."

Then he looked at Wang Rong. "How about this? Wang Rong was beaten, and he's angry.

"Let him go over, slap my second brother twice, and spit on him three times. Then we can put this matter behind us. What do you think?"

Wang Rong was overjoyed, but he still feigned hesitation and looked toward Wei Mingde.

"You servant, why are you looking at me? Didn't you hear your master? Go!"

With the head of the household's permission, Wang Rong sprang to his feet. His back to the others and his face smug, he strode toward Wei Nisheng.

The corners of Wei Shouzheng's mouth rose.

Cui Shi watched the spectacle.

Wei Mingde lifted his teacup and stopped looking their way.

Meanwhile, Wei Nisheng remained kneeling on the floor, gazing at the sword before him.

Wang Rong's footsteps drew closer and closer.

But Wei Nisheng seemed not to hear them. He only stared at the sword and murmured to himself:

"Obedient..."

He remembered those ten years.

Ten years, more than three thousand days and nights.

Never crying, never making a fuss, never troubling anyone.

Never competing, never fighting for anything, simply staying obediently in the Side Courtyard.

When winter grew cold, he wrapped himself tightly in his quilt; when summer grew hot, he fanned himself.

When hungry, he ate the thin rice porridge Wei An brought him.

When sick, he endured it.

He had not avoided trouble because he did not want to cause any.

It was because he had been far too young, powerless to resist.

But now, things were no longer as they had been!

A gentleman in the vigor of youth would not suffer humiliation!!

"So much for being obedient..."

Wei Nisheng laughed.

Wang Rong stopped in his tracks, stunned.

Wei Shouzheng frowned. "What are you laughing at?"

Wei Mingde set down his teacup and looked at him.

Wei Nisheng stopped laughing, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.

His father, his stepmother, his elder brother born of the principal wife, Wang Rong.

Then he lowered his head and looked at the sword on the floor.

His hand reached out.

He gripped the hilt, drew the sword, and rose!!

"I'm laughing at myself."

"Laughing because I thought that if I caused no trouble, I could survive."

"Laughing because I actually still held a shred of hope for any of you."

At the sight of Wei Nisheng drawing the sword, Wang Rong instinctively took a step back.

"Second Young Master, you..."

"Shut up!!" Wei Nisheng stared at him. "You. Come here."

Wang Rong dared not move.

Sword in hand, Wei Nisheng walked toward him, one step at a time.

"I belong to the Wei Family's legitimate line."

"I told you, you have no right to humiliate me!"

Wei Nisheng spoke as he walked, his voice quiet, but every word clear.

"My grandfather, Wei Zheng, rose to Grand Secretary of the Hall of Martial Valor and received the posthumous title Wduan-Wenduan."

Wang Rong's face turned deathly pale, and he backed away repeatedly.

"My mother was a chaste widow honored by the imperial court!!"

"And you, a mere servant..."

Wei Nisheng had reached Wang Rong. He looked into his terrified eyes.

"How dare you humiliate me?!!"

A gentleman drew his sword, and blood spattered three feet!

Wang Rong's eyes widened. He clutched his neck, choking sounds rattling in his throat.

He had never imagined Wei Nisheng would truly dare to kill him. Blood poured between his fingers.

It splashed onto the floor and spread, flowing to Wei Nisheng's feet and staining his shoes red.

For a moment, everyone in the hall was stunned, and deathly silence reigned.

"M-murder!!" Cui Shi screamed.

Wei Shouzheng was so frightened that his legs went weak and he collapsed onto the floor, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.

Wei Mingde's face was deathly pale, his lips quivering.

He wanted to call for help, wanted to rage, but his throat felt as though it had been gripped shut. He could not make a sound.

Only Wei Nisheng stood in the pool of blood, holding the dripping sword, breathing hard as he wiped the blood spatter from his face with the back of his hand.

Then he turned and looked at Wei Mingde.

"Father, you just said you no longer had me as a son."

"Fine!!"

"Starting today, I no longer have you as a father, either."

Sword in hand, Wei Nisheng walked toward the doorway, one step at a time.

No one dared stop him.

At the doorway, he stopped, turned back, and sneered at the three people in the hall.

"What a household of pure nobility."

"What fine traditions the Wei Family has."

"Wei Mingde, you let a servant humiliate your son, and you drove your legitimate son to his death!!"

"You have far more to answer for before Grandfather and my mother than I do."

"Didn't you tell me to take my own life?"

"Fine!! I'll do as you ask!!"

"I'll go to the Ancestral Hall right now, kneel before Grandfather's and Mother's spirit tablets, and take my own life to atone for my sins."

"I'd like to see, after tomorrow, in the court of this Great Zhou Dynasty..."

"Who would dare employ you, Wei Ming Virtue, the man who 'let a servant humiliate his son and drove his own child to death'!"

With that, Wei Nisheng turned and strode toward the Ancestral Hall.

Wei Mingde froze for an instant, then realized what this meant. His expression changed drastically!

If Wei Nisheng truly took his own life before the Wei Family's ancestors...

A legitimate son driven to death, his blood spattered across the Ancestral Hall-the news would spread throughout the Capital by tomorrow!

Those censors, those upright officials...

He dared not imagine any further!!

Wei Mingde rushed out like a madman, shouting as he ran.

"Quick! Stop him!"

"Stop him! Don't let him reach the Ancestral Hall!"

Only then did the servants react, rushing out in pursuit.

But Wei Nisheng was carrying a sword. Who truly dared block his path?

They could only follow at a distance, none daring to approach.

Wei Mingde caught up and ran in front of Wei Nisheng, spreading his arms, his face frantic.

"Ni Sheng! Ni Sheng, listen to me..."

Wei Nisheng stopped and looked at him, his eyes terrifyingly calm.

Looking at the blood-dripping sword, Wei Mingde dared not approach. He could only retreat as he shouted.

"Wang Rong deserved it! He deserved to die! You were right to kill him!"

"This... this was my fault for wrongly blaming you! I shouldn't have believed that servant!"

"Put the sword down first. We're father and son; we can talk this through!"

After speaking, he saw Wei Shouzheng and Cui Shi still standing stupidly at the Central Hall's doorway, their faces pale, utterly motionless.

He immediately rushed over and slapped Wei Shouzheng across the face.

Smack!

"You worthless fool! What are you still standing there for?! Go talk your younger brother out of it!"

"Otherwise, our Wei Family really will be finished!!"

Wei Shouzheng clutched his face, dazed.

Cui Shi finally came to her senses and stumbled over, her voice distorted:

"N-Ni Sheng... good boy, please don't act rashly... Whatever it is, we can talk it over..."

Wei Shouzheng ran over too, stammering:

"Y-yes... I was wrong... I shouldn't have believed that servant..."

And so the three of them surrounded Wei Nisheng, neither daring to approach nor daring to let him leave.

Wei Nisheng stood in the courtyard, sword in hand, looking at the three of them.

He did not lower his sword.

Nor did he go to the Ancestral Hall.

He simply stood there, watching their panic, their terror, their pleading.

As though watching a play.