Chapter 78: Resistance
Hua Changxi followed Mao Yong to the riverbank. Before they even got close, she saw a large crowd gathered by the river, some whispering to each other, others pointing, and a few even laughing wantonly.
Moving past these people, Hua Changxi’s gaze fell upon a man and a woman on the riverbed, their hands and feet bound.
A Niu was beaten black and blue. In the middle of winter, he was only wearing thin, patched summer clothes. A large part of his emaciated body was submerged in the water. In the bitter cold of winter, his lips were even frozen a shade of blue.
The woman was also in a sorry state, her hair disheveled, her top buttons pulled open, revealing a stretch of fair neck. Her lower body was also submerged in the water.
Despite her disheveled appearance, the woman was truly beautiful. Her figure was graceful, and what was even more striking was that, unlike the delicate nature of ordinary women, she possessed a unique wild beauty.
Even now, compared to A Niu’s blank resignation, the woman’s face was filled with deep humiliation and defiance. She was pushed down, struggled to stand up, was pushed down again, struggled again, repeating this several times until she finally lost her strength and lay in the river mud without further resistance.
“Why doesn’t this woman know how to yield?”
Mao Yong grumbled indignantly, feeling a mix of disappointment and pity. He glanced at Hua Changxi, who stood silently beside him, and whispered:
“This woman is Pu Cao. She’s a pitiable soul. Her mother gave birth to her alone in a patch of reeds. Because there was no one to help her, her mother fell into the water right after giving birth, which led to a chronic illness. She died within three years.”
“After her mother died, her father quickly remarried. With a stepmother, Pu Cao’s life became very difficult. Before she was ten, she was sold to Dong Chi Village and became Li Liulang’s child bride.”
“Pu Cao was capable. After entering Li Liulang’s household, she helped her mother-in-law make and sell tofu. In Dong Chi Village, their family lived quite well.”
“Although Li Laoniang was a bit harsh, Li Liulang treated Pu Cao very well.”
“Before Li Liulang died, Pu Cao’s eyes were always bright, and she smiled so beautifully that it made others want to smile with her.”
“Unfortunately, three years ago, Li Liulang went out to work with some villagers and encountered bandits, who killed him.”
“Pu Cao was beautiful and had a good figure. Some people in the village, seeing that her husband had died, had thoughts of marrying her. Then, a matchmaker approached Li Laoniang.”
“Li Laoniang naturally didn’t want her daughter-in-law to remarry. Coincidentally, Pu Cao herself was unwilling, saying she wanted to fulfill her filial duty to Li Liulang and see Li Laoniang through her old age, thus rejecting all proposals.”
“At first, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law lived peacefully. But after only a few months, rumors suddenly spread in the village that Pu Cao was unchaste. Later, some people also said Pu Cao had a ‘hard fate’ that brought misfortune to her family. After that, Li Laoniang treated Pu Cao worse and worse, often beating and scolding her.”
Hua Changxi suddenly asked, “Why is the adulterer A Niu?”
Mao Yong, who was immersed in Pu Cao’s tragic story, let out a ‘ah,’ then paused. He understood that Hua Changxi’s question implied what he had left unsaid.
“A Niu is even more ‘hard-fated.’ From birth, his parents were trampled to death by a wild boar from the mountains. By the age of five, his grandparents also died. He was the only one left in his family.”
“He’s managed to survive until now because he’s very good at herding cattle. By herding cattle for a few wealthy families in the village, he could barely make a living.”
“A few years ago, when I was transferred to the Medicine Farm as a steward, the farm had many cattle. I saw he was good at taking care of livestock and felt pity for him, so I gave him a job in the stables.”
In short, A Niu had no one to rely on, and no one would speak up for him even if he died.
Hua Changxi listened silently, showing no reaction, her gaze fixed on the few people at the forefront of the crowd by the river, whose clothes were clearly much better than the others.
Mao Yong followed her gaze and introduced her, “That’s the Li Clan Leader and a few clan elders from Dong Chi Village.”
At this moment, several young men from Dong Chi Village began tying stones to A Niu and Pu Cao.
Seeing that Hua Changxi hadn’t made a move, Mao Yong became anxious, “Once the stones are tied, they’ll be drowned.”
Hua Changxi looked at him, “You seem very concerned about that woman named Pu Cao?”
Mao Yong choked, mumbling, “Not at all.”
Hua Changxi asked, puzzled, “The Medicine Farm is managed by the Medical Affairs Department and is considered an industry of the Imperial Court. If you truly wanted to save them, the people of Dong Chi Village shouldn’t dare to trouble you, right?”
Mao Yong’s expression turned bitter, “The son of the Dong Chi Village Clan Leader is a Seventh-Rank Martial Artist, serving in Jingzhao Prefecture as a Seventh-Rank Military Advisor.”
He was just a minor steward of the Medicine Farm, while they held official positions. How could he dare to confront them directly?
Hua Changxi’s eyes flickered upon hearing this, and her gaze returned to A Niu and Pu Cao.
She had interacted with A Niu; he was timid, shy, and bashful. She didn’t believe he was the adulterer.
As for Pu Cao, she hadn’t interacted with her. Mao Yong clearly had some ulterior motives towards her, so it was hard to determine if his introduction was true or false.
Hua Changxi couldn’t stand the idea of drowning people. Saving them wasn’t difficult; the difficult part was the subsequent wrangling.
Just as she was hesitating about how to proceed, she suddenly felt a fluctuation of spiritual energy from the river.
Watching the ripples spread across the river surface, Hua Changxi narrowed her eyes.
Demonic Beast?
Hua Changxi looked at the Li Clan Leader and the others standing by the river. She had an idea and decided to wait and see for now.
“Clan Leader, I was wrong.”
“I don’t want to die. Please give me another chance. I’ll never mess around again.”
At this moment, Pu Cao suddenly shouted at the Li Clan Leader.
Hua Changxi looked in the direction of the sound. The people of Dong Chi Village were tying stones to Pu Cao. She seemed terrified and kept begging the Clan Leader for forgiveness and admitting her mistakes.
She clearly saw that as Pu Cao begged for mercy, a glint appeared in the Li Clan Leader’s eyes, the look of a hunter finally about to catch its prey.
Mao Yong fell silent upon hearing Pu Cao beg for mercy, a look of disappointment on his face.
The Li Clan Leader first conversed with a few clan elders, then stepped forward, “Pu Cao, I ask you, did A Niu force himself on you?”
Pu Cao glanced at A Niu, who had already had stones tied to him and was being placed on a bamboo raft. She lowered her head, “Yes, A Niu forced himself on me.”
Hearing this, a flicker of emotion finally appeared on A Niu’s blank face. He seemed incredulous, staring at Pu Cao for a moment before closing his eyes sadly.
Pu Cao didn’t dare to look at him but stared directly at the Li Clan Leader, “Clan Leader, A Niu forced himself on me. I was not unchaste. Please let me go.”
The Li Clan Leader whispered with a few clan elders again. After a while, he said to the villagers by the river, “Considering Pu Cao was forced and is a victim, let’s not drown her. Let’s only drown the instigator, A Niu.”
The villagers murmured amongst themselves, none daring to stand up and oppose the Li Clan Leader.
“Thank you, Clan Leader. Thank you, Clan Leader.”
Pu Cao kowtowed several times in the direction of the Li Clan Leader with immense gratitude, then asked the villagers nearby to untie her.
Enduring the villagers taking liberties with her, once her hands and feet were free, Pu Cao ran towards the Li Clan Leader, appearing like someone who had been scared out of her wits and was seeking protection.
The Li Clan Leader smiled as Pu Cao approached, thinking that women just needed to be disciplined. If she had obediently submitted to him, nothing would have happened, but she had to be taught a lesson by tribal law to be obedient.
Once Pu Cao was behind him, the Li Clan Leader waved to the tribesmen by the river, “Push A Niu into the river.”
Before he could finish speaking, the Li Clan Leader felt a sharp pain in his neck, followed by his neck being held.
“Don’t touch A Niu!”
Pu Cao held the Li Clan Leader’s neck with one hand and fiercely stabbed his neck with a sharp wooden hairpin in the other. Soon, the flowing blood stained the Li Clan Leader’s collar red.
“Ah~”
The sudden turn of events shocked everyone.
“Pu Cao, quickly release the Clan Leader.”
Seeing the Li Clan Leader try to struggle, Pu Cao tightened her grip, “I advise you not to move, or the hairpin in my hand will definitely pierce your neck.”
The Li Clan Leader dared not move, but he was furious, “Pu Cao, I was kind enough to spare you…”
“You spared me?”
“Pah!”
“You beast-like thing, how dare you be a Clan Leader? Liulang was your nephew within five generations! After his death, you actually wanted to take his wife. Are you even human?”
Pu Cao’s expression became agitated. She looked at the villagers of Dong Chi Village, “The day before yesterday, the Clan Leader called me to his house. Without saying much, he started touching me. A Niu came to return a cow and heard my cries for help. He came to my rescue, and then this old geezer held a grudge. Yesterday, he designed this scene of catching an adulterer to force me to comply and to kill A Niu.”
“What kind of person is A Niu? Don’t you all know?”
“Although I am a widow whose husband has died, I don’t lack young men proposing marriage. I don’t fancy so many young and strong men, yet I fancy this old man who’s falling apart. Are you blind, or am I blind?”
“You people can just watch the show. It’s best to pray you don’t marry a beautiful wife, otherwise, if this old man takes a liking to her, your fate will be the same as A Niu and mine today.”
Listening to Pu Cao’s outcry, the villagers of Dong Chi Village were unusually silent.
“Everyone, don’t listen to Pu Cao’s nonsense. She’s just an unchaste, ‘hard-fated’ slut who brings misfortune.”
A clan elder stepped forward, indignantly pointing at Pu Cao.
Seeing everyone remain silent, Pu Cao gave a desolate smile, tears welling up in her eyes. She tilted her head up, preventing the tears from falling, and continued, “I know I can’t live, but A Niu is innocent. He is also from Dong Chi Village, and you all watched him grow up. Let him go.”
A Niu, lying on the bamboo raft, looked at Pu Cao, who was fighting for his chance to live. His expression was no longer blank; he was moved.
Seeing that no one moved, Pu Cao increased the force in her hands and looked at the Li Clan Leader, “Old geezer, if you want to live, order A Niu to be released. Otherwise, even if I die, I’ll drag you, this beast-like thing, down to hell with me.”
The Li Clan Leader was truly both angry and furious at this moment. He shouted at someone in the crowd, “What are you waiting for? Kill this slut for me.”
As soon as the words fell, everyone saw a dagger fly out, heading straight for Pu Cao.
The dagger was too fast. Just as everyone thought Pu Cao was doomed, with a “snap,” the dagger was struck by something, deflected, and coincidentally lodged itself in the Li Clan Leader’s shoulder.
“Ah~”
The Li Clan Leader was wounded. This was unexpected by everyone, and even Pu Cao was stunned for a moment. Then she laughed, “Old geezer, even heaven dislikes you.”
Mao Yong looked around, then at Hua Changxi, a look of confusion on his face. This girl hadn’t moved. Who deflected the dagger?
Just then, a sharp-eyed villager pointed at the river and shouted, “Look quickly, the bamboo raft is drifting away.”
The plan was for villagers to paddle the bamboo raft to the middle of the river and throw A Niu, who was tied with stones, into the river. But now, the raft was drifting away on its own.
Then, a strange scene occurred. Waves churned on the river surface, and a whirlpool appeared in the center of the river.
The force of the waves was quite strong, hitting the bamboo raft and directly overturning it. A Niu, who was on it, fell into the water.
“A Niu!”
Seeing A Niu fall into the water, Pu Cao forgot about the Li Clan Leader and quickly ran to the riverbank. With a “plop,” she jumped into the water and quickly swam towards the bamboo raft.
“Heavens, what is that thing?”
In the center of the river, a fin larger than a door appeared.
The fin was rapidly heading towards where A Niu had fallen.
“It’s a Fierce Beast!”
Because they were near the mountains, the villagers of Dong Chi Village were not unfamiliar with fierce beasts. However, they never expected there to be fierce beasts in the river, and they were all greatly frightened.
After all, many village women came to the river to wash clothes daily.
The villagers quickly retreated from the riverbank, while Pu Cao desperately swam towards where A Niu had fallen.
Her swimming skills were excellent. She quickly reached the spot where A Niu had fallen and dove into the river. Not long after, she emerged from the water, dragging A Niu.
At this moment, the fin was only a few meters away from the two of them.
Pu Cao felt a sense of despair. Gritting her teeth, she swam with all her might. Despite her immense fear, she didn’t abandon A Niu, who had already choked and fainted.
Feeling a powerful push from the water behind her, Pu Cao knew the fierce beast was about to arrive. She held onto A Niu tightly, preparing to face death, when suddenly her arm tightened, and then she found herself flying.
By the time she came to her senses, she and A Niu were safely on shore.
Pu Cao looked up and saw a rather petite figure.
It was a Young Woman who had saved them!
Hua Changxi walked to A Niu’s side and pressed on his chest a few times. A Niu coughed up a few mouthfuls of water and slowly woke up. Seeing Hua Changxi, he was stunned, “Young Woman Hua…”
At this moment, the fierce beast in the river revealed itself. It was a giant fish several meters long, its gaping mouth like a black hole that could swallow a person whole.
The fish demon, having failed to catch a person, was very agitated, constantly slapping the water with its tail, causing the river surface to roar.
Hua Changxi looked at the fish demon circling in the river and then at the Li Clan Leader, who was so scared he needed someone to support him, “I can help you deal with this fierce beast, but these two must come with me.”
Before the Li Clan Leader could react, several clan elders spoke up first, “A Niu and Pu Cao are sold to you. Young Woman, quickly kill this fierce beast.”
Hua Changxi, worried about future trouble, added, “I want their deeds of sale.”
The clan elders replied, “After you kill the fierce beast, we’ll write them for you immediately.”
Hua Changxi, hearing this, was not afraid of them going back on their word. She kicked a stone from the riverbank. The stone, imbued with spiritual energy, flew through the air and struck the fish’s head, directly blowing it up.
“Boom~”
The fish demon sank into the river. In a short while, that section of the river water turned red.
The fierce beast was killed so easily that the people of Dong Chi Village hadn’t even reacted.
Hua Changxi looked at the clan elders, “You can write the deeds of sale for me now.”
The clan elders immediately ordered someone to fetch paper and brush.
“Wait a moment~”
The Li Clan Leader suddenly spoke, stopping the villager.
Hua Changxi narrowed her eyes, “Are you trying to go back on your word?”
Just as the Li Clan Leader was about to say something, the martial artist who had thrown the dagger earlier tugged at his sleeve and shook his head at him.
Mao Yong also walked over quickly and whispered, “Li Clan Leader, this Young Woman is someone Elder You knows.”
Upon hearing this, the Li Clan Leader’s expression turned grim. The pain in his neck and shoulder reminded him that he had almost been harmed by that slut Pu Cao.
“Pu Cao is a wife of the Li family.”
“She is no longer.”
An old woman with a weathered face walked out from the crowd.
The old woman looked at Pu Cao expressionlessly and said, “Today, in front of the entire village, I, on behalf of my deceased son, divorce Pu Cao.”
Saying this, she took out a pre-written divorce document from her bosom and walked up to Pu Cao, throwing it at her.
“Mother~”
Pu Cao looked at the old woman, her face filled with sorrow.
The person was none other than Pu Cao’s mother-in-law, Li Laoniang.
Li Laoniang looked at Pu Cao coldly, “You are no longer a wife of my Li family. Get out of Dong Chi Village quickly and never appear here again.”
After speaking, the old woman turned to leave.
“Mother~”
Pu Cao called out again, her voice filled with reluctance and pain.
Hearing this, the old woman’s body trembled slightly, but she did not turn back. She left without a word.
Pu Cao’s eyes turned red, and she kowtowed three times towards the old woman’s retreating back.
Hua Changxi looked at the clan elders. The clan elders were already displeased with the Li Clan Leader due to Pu Cao’s revelations. They ignored the Li Clan Leader and ordered someone to fetch paper and brush, quickly writing out the deeds of sale for the two.
“From this day forward, the Li clan will have no such people as Li A Niu and Li Miao Shi.”
