Chapter 51: Inner Hell
If they had been more careful, they might not have lost Mingzhu.
Officer Zhou had arrested many criminals and asked around, but there was no news related to his daughter.
Because of that, he couldn’t sleep at night and had to drink himself into oblivion.
He wished that Mingzhu would be fine and happy.
He prayed that he would be able to see his daughter again in his lifetime. For this to happen, he would do anything.
Liu Sanniang let go and opened her eyes. She looked at Officer Zhou with a complicated expression.
No one would have thought that Hong Ying was actually Officer Zhou’s lost daughter. This black aura was the sin Hong Ying had committed. Officer Zhou loved his daughter dearly and prayed to the heavens that he was willing to bear all the bad things for his daughter.
Therefore, the karma of sin fell on Officer Zhou.
“Miss Liu, what did you see?”
Officer Zhou said in a trembling voice. He felt that he was very close to his daughter. This was the first time he felt that his daughter was still alive since she was lost more than ten years ago. Looking at Liu Sanniang’s sympathetic expression, his heart tightened, afraid that he would receive bad news.
Liu Sanniang said slowly, “Your daughter is called Hong Ying.”
Wei Shilai frowned. Wasn’t Hong Ying that imposter from the Zhou Mansion?
Officer Zhou did not know that the fake Li Yazhi was Hong Ying, so he quickly asked her. “Where is she? Miss Liu, please tell me.”
Before Liu Sanniang could speak, Wei Shilai spoke first. “Miss Liu, let’s talk about this after the matter at the Zhou Mansion is solved.”
Although Officer Zhou would find out sooner or later, the later he found out, the less pain he would feel.
Wei Shilai did not know how many bad things Hong Ying had done, but he was sure that there were a lot.
Officer Zhou was an upright person. If he knew that his daughter had become such a sinful person, how heartbroken would he be?
If Hong Ying was convicted, she was certain to receive capital punishment. Officer Zhou had just found her daughter and was about to lose her again. Could he bear such pain? In order to prevent Officer Zhou from doing something stupid after knowing the truth, Wei Shilai stopped Liu Sanniang from telling the truth. After the matter in the Zhou Mansion was resolved, Officer Zhou would naturally know.
Liu Sanniang smiled apologetically at Officer Zhou. “Uncle Zhou, I’m not capable enough to accurately pinpoint where she is, but I feel that you will reunite with her soon.”
Officer Zhou smiled. “I’ve been waiting for more than ten years. As long as we can reunite, I can afford to wait.”
Wei Shilai heaved a sigh of relief. He was really afraid that Liu Sanniang would not understand his worries. He smiled at Liu Sanniang gratefully.
“Miss Liu, please enlighten me as well!”
Lin Zheng witnessed everything. Officer Zhou was immersed in the joy of wanting to reunite with his daughter, but as a spectator, he could clearly see the sorrow on Liu Sanniang’s face.
Lin Zheng did not have time to care about Officer Zhou, because he himself was also in hell.
Before seeing Liu Sanniang, he felt that he would live in a dark hell for the rest of his life, but now he had hope.
With hope, the pain he felt every day seemed to have multiplied. He was too eager to be freed and to know why.
Wei Shilai said, “Let’s go somewhere else. I’ll grant you a day of leave.”
Lin Zheng looked at Liu Sanniang sincirely. “Please.”
He was too anxious.
Liu Sanniang smiled. She understood his anxiety.
After returning to the inner hall, Wei Shilai went to deal with his paperwork.
Officer Zhou also went to work.
Liu Sanniang asked Lin Zheng to sit down and reached out his hand. She placed her hand on Lin Zheng’s wrist and closed her eyes.
The last time she tried to read Lin Zheng, she did not see it clearly. She only saw Lin Zheng being trapped in a dream, feeling hopeless.
This time, there was enough time, and Lin Zheng completely trusted her and opened his heart to Liu Sanniang.
This was also the first time Lin Zheng faced the thing he was most afraid of.
Liu Sanniang felt as if she had walked into darkness. In this darkness, deep laughter came from all directions.
In the darkness, there was a rapid breathing filled with fear.
There seemed to be no end to the darkness. After a long time, Liu Sanniang still could only hear laughter and breathing.
She knew that the person who was breathing rapidly was Lin Zheng, and that deep laughter was what Lin Zheng was afraid of.
Liu Sanniang exerted her power and tore through the darkness.
She slowly walked towards the source of the laughter.
Lin Zheng looked completely different from when he was young.
He was weak and helpless. He hid in a corner and did not even dare to cry.
Lin Zheng’s greatest fear was the endless violence inflicted on him.
The man’s eyes were red. The excitement of violence made his breathing heavy. With a low laugh, he beat Lin Zheng up. He smiled like a demon from hell. “My son, don’t even think about getting rid of me for the rest of your life.”
These words were like a curse which was deeply engraved in Lin Zheng’s mind.
It had become the worst nightmare of his life, even after he grew up and became a constable at the government office.
However, every time it was late at night, he would be pulled into the nightmare. In the horrifying dream, there would be the person Lin Zheng was most terrified of. He was weak and helpless, unable to fight back. He became a fish on the chopping board, letting that demon crush him.
The man died of a cerebral hemorrhage.
After getting drunk, the man’s eyes were bloodshot. He smiled wickedly and punched Lin Zheng again and again.
However, suddenly, blood oozed out of the man’s eyes and he fell to the ground, dead.
Though the man was dead, Lin Zheng was still not relieved, still living in the infinitely terrifying hell.
Liu Sanniang could feel the resentment coming from Lin Zheng. It was the resentment that belonged to Lin Zheng’s father. His father was indignant that he couldn’t beat his son into death before dying.