After all the wounds on the three of them were bandaged, Hu Fengye impatiently asked Ji Youming for the details of what had happened.
Stealing a glance at Song Jinzhao, who was washing her sword in the courtyard, Ji Youming lowered his voice and carefully recounted everything that had occurred after Hu Fengye ran off to get help.
"You didn't see how incredible Song Qiming's older sister is! Six guys were taken down in less time than it takes to drink half a cup of tea. Song Qiming's martial arts were taught by her."
Hu Fengye coughed. How could he not know that Song Jinzhao possessed true martial arts skills? Just from her lifting him up and putting him down with a single hand, he knew exactly how much strength she had.
Song Qiming picked up his teacup, stood up, and respectfully cupped his hands to the two of them. "Thank you both, Brother Ji and Brother Hu, for your righteous assistance today. I will never forget your kindness."
At the academy, he rarely spoke with Ji Youming and Hu Fengye. He had never expected them to risk their lives and rush forward to help, nearly getting themselves killed.
Ji Youming and Hu Fengye quickly stood up and supported Song Qiming's arms.
Enduring the pain all over his body, Ji Youming said straightforwardly, "We are classmates. It was just a small effort, nothing worth mentioning."
Hu Fengye took the teacup. "Since we saw it happening, how could we just sit back and do nothing? Besides, I didn't actually help much. In terms of skills, I'm far worse than you."
Song Shixue and Qingshuang entered the room carrying bowls of medicine and placed them on the table.
Song Shixue said, "Let it cool for just a moment, then drink it while it's still hot. It will promote blood circulation, remove stasis, reduce swelling, and relieve pain. This way, you won't be too swollen when you go to the academy tomorrow."
They absolutely could not miss the annual examination. There were no make-up exams, so they had to go even with their injuries.
Hu Fengye had always cared deeply about his face. He didn't want to go to the academy with a swollen face and be laughed at, especially with bruised, purple eyes.
He picked up the medicine bowl and was about to drink from it.
The moment his fingertips touched the side of the bowl, the scorching heat caused him to let go, and he jumped up from his chair.
"Hot, hot, hot!!!"
Qingshuang, who was waiting nearby, quickly reached out and caught the medicine bowl. The liquid sloshed around in mid-air before settling back into the bowl.
Some of the medicine splashed onto her hand, but Qingshuang remained completely still, as if she couldn't feel the heat at all.
Song Qiming asked anxiously, "Are you burned?"
Standing on his chair, Hu Fengye shook his hand and shook his head. "No, my fingers just feel a bit of a burning sting."
Ji Youming reached out and touched the rim of the bowl; it was indeed quite hot.
Just now, Song Shixue and the Song family's servant had carried the medicine over just like this. Were they not afraid of the heat?
Moreover, this maid's reaction speed was a bit too fast. She managed to catch the bowl without spilling the soup medicine. Could it be that even the servants in the Song family knew martial arts?
Song Shixue instructed Qingshuang, "Go outside and get some crushed snow to apply a cold compress for Young Master Hu. He has to hold a pen tomorrow; his hand cannot get blisters."
Song Jinzhao put her cleanly wiped sword back into the inner room and said to the two of them, "Dinner will be ready soon in the kitchen. After you eat, I'll have the servants take you back in a carriage."
Ji Youming cupped his hands and replied with a smile, "I'll listen to you, Sis—no, I mean, I'll listen to you, Miss Song."
After Qingshuang wiped the medicine bowl clean and placed it back on the table next to Hu Fengye, and once only Song Qiming and the other two were left in the room, Ji Youming asked curiously, "Song Qiming, does your maid know martial arts too?"
Song Qiming nodded. "Not only does Qingshuang know it, but my younger sister does too. They were both taught by my older sister."
Hu Fengye and Ji Youming exchanged a glance. Although the Song family wasn't extremely wealthy, they clearly weren't simple either.
With the eldest sister running the household, the women in the family were stronger than the men. Not a single one of them could be underestimated.
After a rigorous interrogation, the lead thug didn't say a single word. The other five didn't know who the mastermind was, but they confessed the hideout of the other five who hadn't been caught.
Meng Hechuan ordered the bailiffs to capture them overnight. One of them had a frozen face, looking like a zombie.
Another had half of his body paralyzed and was half-carried back by two bailiffs.
The other three either had busted heads or broken arms and legs. They looked even more severely injured than Song Qiming and the other two victims.
Eleven against three, and they still lost. With skills like that, daring to work in this line of business was practically courting death.
"Coroner, what's wrong with these two?"
Twirling his beard, the coroner examined them and concluded, "They must have been hit with a paralyzing drug, and a heavy dose at that."
One of the thugs spoke with a crooked mouth: "It was Song Qiming. He stabbed us with poisoned needles."
"Your Honor, we never intended to kill anyone. Song Qiming was the one who truly showed no mercy. He used excessive self-defense! Your Honor, you must seek justice for us."
Meng Hechuan sneered. "Masked, armed with clubs, and carrying knives—and you say you didn't intend to kill anyone? Who are you trying to fool?"
"Song Qiming and the others hold academic degrees. Assaulting scholars is an aggravated crime, not to mention that you drew knives. Once your masks were pulled off, you tried to silence them by killing them. And you want me to seek justice for you? You have some nerve saying that!"
A red-hot branding iron was held right in front of the man's face as Meng Hechuan interrogated him, "Speak! Who ordered you to ambush Song Qiming on the road and attack him?"
The man kept his mouth shut tight and shook his head, hot sweat streaming down his face.
"I don't know! Our boss takes all the jobs. We never saw the person who hired us."
Meng Hechuan handed the branding iron to a bailiff.
The next second, the branding iron was pressed against the man's bare chest. The scorching hot iron burned his skin, making a sizzling sound.
Agonizing screams echoed through the prison cell. The captured thugs huddled in the corners, not daring to peek out, terrified that they would be next.
