A Pixelated Chapter

Jiang Pengji laughed coldly as she looked at all the servants. "Stay here and keep watch until he dies. Meanwhile, look nowhere else. And anyone who dares to say a word about what happened shall be beaten to death in the same way as this man.

"I will not point out those of you who were absent without permission yesterday, but they should ask for punishment later from the housekeeper."

If they thought that having no adult man in the house gave them the freedom to disobey orders, they had better change their minds now after witnessing what had happened to the servant.

The housekeeper sighed and reminded her in a low voice, "Second Langjun, would this not be too…"

An educated family like the Lius emphasized manners, forgiveness, and non-violence. The Langjun should leave the bloody punishment to the servants and avoid the scene.

But as he thought of Liu Lanting's mother, Lanting's decision appeared more reasonable than he had originally thought. Perhaps the deceased lady had bequeathed her decisiveness to her daughter.

Playing with her fan, Jiang Pengji replied slowly, "By doing so, we can save the girl. Our maids are not forlorn orphans on the street. They are girls who have the right to condemn those who have mistreated them. I know you have spared no effort in running our household, but one is prone to make mistakes as he ages and his energy fades, especially when the Master is seldom present. How can we make sure the servants are all as loyal as you? Actions must be taken to intimidate them and also to remind them that the inner yard is strictly a private area."

The head servant's son liked to boast about himself. It was highly possible that he, while drunk, would someday tell others about how he had abused a maid in the inner yard. Bad news traveled fast. If the whole province knew about the incident, it would ruin all the females' reputations in the house.

Therefore, the man had to die.

Still, the housekeeper was worried about her. People in Hejian would hear that the Second Langjun in the Liu family was a cruel teenager.

The sun was mild, and it was a cool day. Yet the chill that the servants felt while watching the beating had nothing to do with the weather. The maid, so meager and tiny, raised the stick with all her power and hit the man again and again. When the servant tried to escape, she chased after him and beat him in his weakest parts. The repeated wham resonated in everyone's hearts.

There were also viewers behind the screen who could not bear the sight. Some who had a lower tolerance for bloodshed almost vomited. But the number of viewers continued to rise until it hit 3,000, and there were still quite a lot of people who were waiting to enter the channel.

A level one host like Jiang Pengji could admit no more than 3,000 viewers. To expand the quota, she would have to ask the System to raise her host level by using her points of popularity. Proceeding to Level Two cost 100,000 points, however, and she only had 1,532 at the moment.

The housekeeper felt ashamed. "I must have disappointed my master. Second Langjun, your reputation…"

If he had noticed the servants' behavior earlier and taken preventative measures, his Langjun would not have needed to solve the problem in such an extreme way.

Jiang Pengji was not worried at all. "It does not matter. Instead of criticizing me, people may even approve of my resolution to correct the servants."

In fact, the noble families would be more concerned if she had not handled the situation in such a manner. If Lanting failed to intimidate his own servants or was affected by their unreasonable demands and claims, the noble families would doubt whether their daughters had actually been protected during the kidnapping.

"…"

It took more than an hour for the head servant's son to die. Those in the room and those behind the screen watched the entire process.

The floor was tinted with blood and was scattered with the white remains of his brain, pieces of broken bones, and bits of muscle. No one uttered a sound. Then a few servants felt warmth running down their thighs. They had urinated out of fear.

They had all made mistakes and were afraid of dying in the same way.

The audience felt that their moral values were different from those of the host.

Jiang Pengji leisurely walked in her wooden sandals and took the stick from the maid.

Jiang Pengji held her hands as if nothing had happened and comforted her. "Bathe later with the medicine prepared for you, or you will be unable to move your hands tomorrow. Look at these hands! They are slim and weak, yet they can take revenge for their master, can they not? Remember what happened just now, and do the same to those who mistreat you in the future. You must live to release your hate... not die to hide the harm that others have done to you. Maids in our house should have the power to fight back."

All this time, the girl had been running on her anger and agitation, but her feelings vanished as soon as she heard Jiang Pengji's words. She fell on the ground and cried silently as her shoulders trembled.

Sighing gently, Jiang Pengji had the corpse cleared away and investigated the other servants one by one.

In the western inner yard, Madam Hu, who had just woken up from a nap, was surprised by her attendant's report.

"Second Langjun had the servant beaten to death?" As she sat up straight, the attendant swiftly moved a table near her so that she could lean on it comfortably. "And she allowed the maid to do it?"

Recalling the scene, the attendant shivered. "Yes. The girl took the stick from our Langjun."

It was unbelievable that a girl who was shorter than the stick could kill a man with it.

Madam Hu did not feel the same. "It was predictable. Women will do anything to avenge themselves and their loved ones. Submissiveness is not all we have. We can also be fueled by extreme hate…"

She also added, "Our Langjun's temperament is more similar to her mother's than her father's."

When Master Liu was young, he was the most handsome boy. He had a mild temper and a pleasing manner that lifted everyone's spirits. However, his heart was sometimes dark and cunning like ink, though outwardly he looked as white as snow. He tended to resolve problems with words because he was reluctant to make any unnecessary physical moves.

Liu Lanting's mother, however, did not hide her arrogance. Unlike the other noble ladies, she could be fiery, though she always maintained the elegance of nobility. Additionally, no one ever understood the peculiar items she loved to make during her leisure times.

The daughter seemed to have both of her parents' qualities. She had a face that resembled her father and a violent temperament like her mother.

"And she is cleverer than her mother." Madam Hu sipped her tea.

Without Master Liu to clean up her messes, Liu Lanting had become more independent than her mother.

The attendant remained confused. "Madam, will the incident not affect Langjun's name?"

Madam Hu smiled coolly. "As a legitimate son of our house, she can deviate from the rules set for ordinary girls. As the saying goes, 'Shrewdness and courage make a man.' It disgusts me to see timid langjuns who wear makeup and flowers and take drugs all day. "