Foster Son, Don’t Be So Crazy (23)

After being cajoled and threatened, Nian Shou finally agreed to go through the trial.

Song Jia made him apply the fire retardant gel twice all over his body, just to make sure that nothing untoward would happen. She was certain about the effectiveness of the 23rd century's medicine that she brought, but after seeing Nian Shou's nervousness, she couldn't help but feel nervous too.

Between the three of them, it was only Xiang Feng who remained calm.

At last, the Magistrate called them back into the courtroom. Since the trial by ordeal couldn't be held there, they followed her outside. The priest had already been called and stood next to the Magistrate, while the rest of them had to observe a short distance away.

The merchant madam put on a smug expression. She couldn't help but shoot Song Jia a gloating look.

If this young lady hadn't suggested a trial by ordeal for her husband, he would only be sentenced to spend ten years in prison. But because of her intervention, even the life of her husband wouldn't be spared.

She lifted a rock only to drop it on her own foot. Ai, how pitiful.

Song Jia ignored the provocative gaze that was directed at her. She was fully focused on what was happening out front.

Under the priest's orders, Nian Shou began to solemnly swear an oath that offered his own life as insurance, expecting divine retribution if he did not tell the truth. Then, the priest began reciting prayers that pleaded God to watch over the trial and righteously judge the guilty.

After he was done, the trial of ordeal by fire finally began.

Blazing olive branches that were piled together were placed on either side of Nian Shou, who kept swallowing dry saliva in terror. He looked up and met Song Jia's gaze.

Song Jia silently nodded at him.

Nian Shou's courage came back at the sight of her small encouragement. Closing his eyes, he began to walk neither slowly nor quickly into the path of fire.

Under his breath, he was cursing himself for having fallen into Xiang Feng's trap.

When the small boy was smiling at him before, Nian Shou interpreted it almost like a challenge. It was as if Xiang Feng was silently telling him, his feelings towards Song Jia only amounted to this much. He couldn't even walk through a path of fire for her.

He knew about Xiang Feng's less than familial love towards Song Jia. But Nian Shou did not take it seriously. Except for the obvious fact that Song Jia did not look at Xiang Feng that way, there was also the overwhelming age difference between them.

No matter how you think about it, there was no way that the two of them would end up together.

In between thinking about various things, Nian Shou did not realize that he already came out of the path filled with flames. And just like what Song Jia promised, he was completely unscathed. Not even a single burn mark was found on his body.

"Impossible!"

The merchant madam's shriek rang in the air. She stumbled backwards, her face pale with disbelief. She pointed a shaking finger at Nian Shou.

"How could he be...impossible..."

A coat was thrown to Nian Shou by one of the court attendants to cover the holes in his clothes. They, too, couldn't close their gaping mouths. It was the first time they saw a suspect having survived the trial by ordeal of walking through fire. All of the past suspects had been burned alive, without exception. In fact, they had secretly prepared a wagon cart to haul this man's corpse away.

But, what is with this situation...all of them were at a loss on what to do. Contrary to their expectations, a totally unexpected situation had happened.

The priest hastily crossed himself and prayed.

"A miracle, it is a miracle! This man, I proclaim that he is innocent! God has truly protected him!"

Even the Magistrate herself couldn't quickly recover from the surprise. Her voice was like the hum of a mosquito as she weakly proclaimed, "The defendant...is cleared of all charges."

Nian Shou blinked. He looked at the Magistrate disbelievingly.

"I'm...free?"

But it wasn't the Magistrate who answered him.

"You're free."

Song Jia's voice that had a hint of a smile broke Nian Shou out of his stupor. He watched her approach him. He reacted instinctively and did not think it over. His hands grabbed Song Jia's waist, and lifted her up.

Nian Shou spun her around, laughing.

"Thank you! Jia, thank you!"

Song Jia's heart nearly jumped inside her chest. Quickly putting her hands on his shoulder, she was a bit flustered as she demanded, "Put me down!"

"Just one more twirl!"

"You idiot, put me down!"

In the midst of his celebration, Nian Shou did not notice that there was one person whose face had turned cold the instant he touched Song Jia.

Xiang Feng stared at the two of them, his eyes dark and dull. A cold chill seemed to be surrounding his body, emitting low pressure.

What he said when Song Jia first adopted him was true.

He only wanted her.

Nobody else, but her.

When he woke up that night and found Song Jia not sleeping beside him, he went out of the bedroom only to hear Nian Shou's voice asking her.

—"Jia, why don't you marry me as one of your husbands?"

The rage that quickly spiked up when he heard him ask her this question.

The amount of control he exerted to restrain himself and not charge forward to kill Nian Shou.

Xiang Feng could still feel the taste of blood that came from biting his lips too hard. At that moment, he desperately wanted to see it.

Nian Shou's blood.

He wanted to spill it out of his veins. But because he was worried about Song Jia's reaction, he did not dare to do it. He could not stand her feeling repulsed about him.

But that didn't mean there weren't other ways to secretly do it.

He only wanted Jia to stay by his side, was it wrong?

To punish those village boys by poisoning them with arsenic, it was their own fault for hurting her. How could his actions be wrong?

Arsenic was a poison he learned from Song Jia. She said it was near-perfect murder weapon, which had killed hundreds of people. A harmless-looking powder, which resembled flour or sugar at a quick glance and fatal even in small doses. And its clinical signs, vomiting and diarrhea, could be easily mistaken for other common diseases. It could be bought from the local apothecary too, because it was used to kill rats.

Xiang Feng knew that Song Jia wouldn't remember it, because she only mentioned it in passing. But he had a very good memory.

All things related to her, directly or indirectly, he remembered all of them.

And for Nian Shou to try and take her away from him, how could he be at fault for framing him?

Xiang Feng slowly clenched his fists.

He only wanted Song Jia to be his, and his only.

Eliminating all of the variables that could make her leave him, Xiang Feng didn't think there was anything wrong with it.