At the slightest disturbance, they would bark incessantly.
But a problem that was extremely troublesome for others was nothing to Zhao Ya.
Zhao Ya casually crushed a piece of poison bait, and the scent wafted into the courtyard with the wind.
This poison bait could completely nullify the sense of smell in canines, while plunging them into a state of extreme fear.
Sure enough.
As the scent of the poison bait spread, even though it was beyond the high courtyard walls, the whimpers of terrified guard dogs could still be heard.
Then Zhao Ya soared up and, like a ghost, silently slipped into the estate.
The courtyard wasn’t very large, only having three sections, but there were quite a few night patrols.
They were primarily the ones who followed Lian Hao to the Mi Family Inn during the day.
For these people, Zhao Ya didn’t even need to actively hide; he could easily evade them using the Spirit Turtle Hibernation Technique.
Soon, Zhao Ya arrived at the innermost courtyard.
Just as he landed on the roof tiles, he heard a faint sound of crying.
The crying was peculiar, neither sobbing nor bawling.
Instead, it resembled the wailing of a wounded beast.
Following the sound, Zhao Ya approached the room from which it emanated, and then heard a man’s sinister laughter inside.
"Cry, cry harder, I just love it when you deaf and mute fools cry."
With his words, the sound of a whip cracked, followed by a painful moan, and the crying became even more despairing.
Zhao Ya frowned, reached to the eaves, and gently lifted the window paper to peek inside.
Inside the room, a small woman with a bare upper body knelt on the ground, her back covered with countless whip marks, old and new, layered upon each other, making the sight ghastly.
Beside her stood a one-armed man holding a water-soaked horsewhip, his face flushed red, reeking of alcohol, and his features distorted with excessive excitement.
It was precisely the same Lian Hao seen during the day.
And the woman kneeling on the floor, Zhao Ya recognized her too.
Wasn’t this the young maid who served him tea back then?
At that time, Yang Bin mentioned she was born deaf and mute, leaving a deep impression on Zhao Ya.
He didn’t expect this young maid to be abused into such a state by Lian Hao.
A flame of anger rose in Zhao Ya’s eyes.
Meanwhile, Lian Hao seemed tired of beating her, casually dropped the whip, picked up a rag from the table, soaked it in salt water, and walked over with a grin.
"Today I’m feeling good, so just a few lashes. Come, let Master Hao clean the blood off your back."
Seeing Lian Hao approaching, the woman’s face filled with boundless fear.
She retreated with all her might.
"Damn it, truly a bitch, after all this time of beating, you still dare to hide?"
Lian Hao spat thick phlegm and reached to grab the woman’s hair.
The woman let out a terrified scream that echoed far into the silent night.
The patrolling men ahead exchanged knowing smiles.
"Master Hao is having fun again today."
"Tsk, this little bitch can really take a beating, after so long and she’s still not dead."
"Honestly, I want to try what it’s like with such a mute woman too. When Master Hao gets tired of her, I’d like to have a taste."
"Damn, count me in."
Their words grew increasingly vulgar and obscene, punctuated by smug laughter, completely unaware that the usually arrogant guard dogs were now trembling in fear in their lairs.
Meanwhile, in the room, as Lian Hao was about to grab the woman’s hair, he unexpectedly grasped at thin air.
Not only that, he suddenly felt a lightness in his wrist, followed by an awareness of something falling.
Looking down, Lian Hao saw his wrist severed cleanly, his hand on the floor, with fresh blood spurting continuously from the wound.
Lian Hao was stunned.
He even thought it was a hallucination from drinking too much.
But the acute pain dispelled such doubts quickly.
Lian Hao collapsed to his knees, mouth agape, ready to scream in agony.
Just then, a bright knife tip pressed against his forehead.
"Don’t scream, utter a sound and your head won’t be yours anymore."
Lian Hao immediately clamped his mouth shut.
Despite the agony of losing his arm, the mental and physical anguish were nothing compared to the threat to his life.
Lian Hao had no doubt about these words, sensing the tangible chill of impending death emanating from the knife tip.
He stammeringly promised, "I won’t yell, I swear I won’t yell, please don’t kill me."
He raised his trembling head, hesitated for a moment, then forced a sycophantic smile.
"I... I beg you, sir, as long as you don’t kill me, I’ll do anything."
At this moment, Zhao Ya was still in a disguised state, so Lian Hao didn’t recognize him.
Zhao Ya paid him no mind, instead turning to look at the woman cowering in the corner.
Blood dripped down her back, dyeing the floor red.
Yet even so, she dared not make a sound, not even weep, just gazed blankly at Zhao Ya, seemingly unable to understand what was happening before her.