Chapter 61: My Lord, Who Could Commit Such a Deed?

Thirteen Spice bit off more than he could chew. Intent on leaving no one out, he ended up flustered and chaotic, drenched in sweat, and accomplished nothing at all—a futile effort from start to finish.

It was hard to tell whether he truly cherished beauty and could not bring himself to be ruthless, or if he simply feared the fact that these two women were close to Lord Shen and dared not cross the line. A strong, able man—if only he were willing to be harsh—could have subdued them both with ease. But a woman's strength cannot compare to a man's; after a long bout of struggling, Ma Lihong and Zhu Xiaoying were utterly spent.

They lay side by side, gasping for breath. Thirteen Spice twisted their arms behind their backs and straddled them, locking them down firmly. Now neither could move. Elated, Thirteen Spice burst into laughter, intoxicated by his little triumph.

But before celebrating, he needed a drink. He always treated Madam Chicken Essence like a slave, barking at her now to bring over the wine gourd. She hesitated, wanting to resist but lacking the courage. After a long pause, she crawled off the bed and obediently fetched the gourd from the table, handing it to him.

Thirteen Spice, annoyed by her slowness, slapped her across the face to vent his anger before snatching the gourd away. He tilted his head back and gulped down the liquor in one go, like a thirsty mule, draining it dry. With a contented belch, he tossed the gourd aside and lowered his head to inspect his prey.

He cursed his own limitations—just one spear, unable to pierce two at once. Zhu Xiaoying, sly and mischievous by nature, would be dealt with first. With a rip, he tore open her shirt. Two snowy peaks stood proudly exposed, and Thirteen Spice was so greedy his drool fell onto them as he reached for her trousers.

Panicked, Zhu Xiaoying struggled with all her might, wrenching her hands free to clutch desperately at her waistband. As she thrashed, her flesh quivered, drawing the wide-eyed, salivating gaze of Madam Chicken Essence, who stood off to the side, clutching her face—so soft, so big, so pale. “I want that too…” she thought.

Seeing Zhu Xiaoying break free, Ma Lihong rallied, wrenching her own hands loose and clawing frantically at Thirteen Spice’s face. His hands were occupied wrestling with Zhu Xiaoying, so when Ma Lihong grabbed his face and dug in, he didn’t care much about the pain—until her nails hooked his eyes.

Blinded, Thirteen Spice howled, ordering Madam Chicken Essence to help. She hesitated, but when Thirteen Spice, fearing for his vision, promised her a turn at the hotpot if she helped, she snapped. She’d endured his bullying, even tolerated eating his leftovers, but to make her clean up after his pleasure too—enough was enough.

“If you’d just share, I’d back you up. But since you’re so heartless, don’t blame me for being ruthless.” With that, she charged in to join the fray.

Ma Lihong and Zhu Xiaoying kicked and thrashed, but their feet couldn’t reach Thirteen Spice, who was sitting atop them. Madam Chicken Essence, meanwhile, caught a few stray kicks, but gritted her teeth and grabbed Thirteen Spice by the collar, hauling him backward. Thirteen Spice, desperate not to lose his spoils, pulled forward with all his might. Suddenly, Madam Chicken Essence found unexpected strength, bracing her feet and, using Thirteen Spice’s momentum, leapt onto his back, toppling him right between Ma Lihong and Zhu Xiaoying.

Now Madam Chicken Essence was sprawled on top of Thirteen Spice, who in turn lay frog-like atop the two women. Thirteen Spice’s and Zhu Xiaoying’s arms were pinned beneath their bodies, useless. Ma Lihong’s hands, meanwhile, were trapped under Thirteen Spice, powerless to scratch. Only Madam Chicken Essence had her arms free, but she was gentle by nature and had never fought before. Fearing Thirteen Spice might retaliate if he got loose, all she could do was press down on him with all her weight.

The four of them, tangled together, reached a stalemate—no one able to move. Suddenly, there was a quiet “pfft.”

Thirteen Spice’s digestion was always quick; he was notorious for dashing out mid-meal to clear his bowels before returning to eat more. Now, preoccupied with the struggle, he was suddenly overtaken by an urgent need. At first, he managed to hold it, but with Madam Chicken Essence pinning him down so long, he finally gave in, losing all self-control.

A foul stench quickly spread. At first, Madam Chicken Essence was mortified, thinking she herself had lost control—how humiliating, especially in front of the women! She reached behind to check, but found nothing amiss. Thirteen Spice, pressed even harder, couldn’t be bothered with dignity anymore and simply let go, venting his bowels with abandon. The stench grew thicker, nearly enough to make one retch.

With his barrage of foulness, the other three finally realized what had happened. He wasn’t a child—what adult soils themselves just like that? Only a shameless rogue like Thirteen Spice could do such a thing.

Ma Lihong, pinned on one side, was desperate to escape the danger zone. With a surge of effort, she managed to wriggle free, leaping onto the bed and blindly kicking at Thirteen Spice’s head. His hands were pinned, entangled with Zhu Xiaoying’s, so all he could do was endure the blows as his skull rang from the assault.

Ma Lihong took the opportunity for some personal revenge, landing several glancing kicks on Zhu Xiaoying, whose head was pressed close to Thirteen Spice’s. The blows left both their heads buzzing.

Madam Chicken Essence was nearly suffocated by the stench, but didn’t dare flee, knowing full well how dangerous Thirteen Spice could be—if he wanted, he could flip a boat or swat a fly with equal ease. All she could do was press down and not let him up.

Ma Lihong, having freed herself, was the only one at ease. She would rest a bit when tired, then resume kicking Thirteen Spice when refreshed. It wasn’t until she heard noises outside—realizing it was Lu Hu and the others returning—that she jumped off the bed and rushed out to meet them.

Most of the scene played out in Lu Hu’s imagination as they approached the kitchen tent. If Thirteen Spice had soiled himself, the tent would undoubtedly reek.

“Pearl, go change your clothes in your tent first,” Lu Hu gently coaxed the little one in his arms.

Quan Zhenzhu nodded, scooping up Little White and hurrying off. Ma Lihong slipped ahead to lift the tent flap for Lord Shen.

Inside, a strange aroma—part fragrance, part stench—hung in the air. On the bed in the corner, three people were still locked in exhaustion and stalemate.

“Lord Shen is here!” Ma Lihong announced in a loud, commanding voice.

Madam Chicken Essence, relieved, rolled off Thirteen Spice in one swift motion. Thirteen Spice remained sprawled atop Zhu Xiaoying, both so numb they dared not move.

“Get up already!” Yakexi shouted, eyes blazing, but he kept his distance, unwilling to get involved—the stain on Thirteen Spice’s trousers gave him pause.

“Waaah…”