Chapter 50: Qin Zhi’s Encounter
“During the three years I was tricked into that place, I occasionally heard those men mention other women who were tricked in.”
Wei Jiao’s voice was as soft as her name suggested, yet at this moment, it offered the young men unprecedented peace:
“The most frequent mention was of ‘Zhang Yaozong’s wife,’ that immortal monster.
“But she wasn’t tricked in, she was picked up.”
In countless dark times, she was beaten and cursed by the pair of brothers on her body. She had also, with immense calm, heard from those brothers about the village’s situation and the condition of the women who were tricked in.
“Thirty years ago, there was a great wind and thunderclouds gathered, striking thunder towards Shuangyu Mountain. Initially, the lightning was striking on the other side of Shuangyu Mountain, but it gradually moved closer to Shuangyu Village, making the villagers extremely frightened and dare not go out.
“Zhang Yaozong was the only one chopping wood on the mountain that day, so after the weather improved, he was able to find that ‘immortal monster.’ The monster’s back was scorched black, and its limbs were so torn by wild beasts that bones were visible, yet it was extremely beautiful. Zhang Yaozong was already over forty at the time and still hadn’t saved enough money to buy tools, so he wickedly brought the monster home and confined it to his bed.
“When the monster woke up, it was quite fierce, scolding Zhang Yaozong intensely and even breaking his left leg. However, there were plenty of herbal medicines in Shuangyu Mountain, and after Zhang Yaozong administered a few doses to the monster, it became weak and helpless against him, forced to endure his abuse.
Speaking of this, Wei Jiao shivered, but quickly continued:
“This continued for ten years, and the monster still hadn’t surrendered, and even gave birth to a… a son for Zhang Yaozong. By then, Zhang Yaozong was gradually getting old and his demands decreased significantly, so he let other men in the village go to his room for ten coins a session, with extra for the night, costing two…”
Wei Jiao trembled violently, her slender arms supporting her gaunt legs, unable to stop herself from vomiting.
The undigested roasted meat splattered on the ground, slowly flowing.
Ming Zhaoshuang held Wei Jiao with one hand and patted her back with the other, helping her feel better.
He Qingqing gently wiped Wei Jiao’s corner of the mouth with a handkerchief, while Shen Liqian held a cup of water and brought it to Wei Jiao’s lips.
Ming Zhaoshuang comforted her, “You don’t have to say it if you’re feeling unwell.”
“No, these things must be said, the truth must be revealed.”
Although Wei Jiao’s voice was quiet, it held an unbreakable conviction:
“They should all die… they should all die for these things!”
“During the day, ten coins a session, and at night, twenty coins a session. It’s strange to say, but although that demon had been subjected to inhuman abuse for a long time, she was different from the other girls who were tricked in.
“Ten years passed, yet she remained beautiful, her skin still fair, her hair still black, and not a single wrinkle appeared on her youthful face. Therefore, the men in the village were quite willing to spend money to have a moment of pleasure with her.
“She was unwilling, yet had no way to resist, and Zhang Yaozong thus earned a fortune, becoming the richest man in the village.
Ming Zhaoshuang, Shen Liqian, and He Qingqing immediately felt unwell, their stomachs spasming several times.
At this moment, Wei Jiao recalled the most frequent phrase uttered by that pair of brothers:
“F*** your mother! Why aren’t you like Zhang Yaozong’s wife, unchanged after thirty years! You can endure how many people a day! You’re a complete waste! Trash! How could I have bought such a thing!”
Each time, she was met with sticks, stones, and fists.
What she thought was that she was quite lucky to age, to die, and to one day end such a life.
But the woman they called a monster, Zhang Yaozong’s wife, had to continue to endure this living hell, with no end in sight.
Wei Jiao vomited again, but after she finished, she continued to slowly recount everything she knew in her gentle yet firm voice:
“Twelve years passed like this, and the monster became pregnant again. However, this time, she was carrying a female fetus, and as soon as it was born, it was abandoned north of Shuangyu Mountain to be fed to wolves.
“Upon receiving this news, the monster spat out a mouthful of blood and her hair turned white overnight. When she woke up again, she had gone completely mad, spending her days grabbing men in the house and asking, ‘Where is my child? Where has my child gone?'”
As soon as these words were spoken, the three young women could no longer hold back and, like Wei Jiao, began to gag.
How could such men exist, who even after becoming wealthy, were unwilling to raise their own daughters.
“Gradually, the men in the village stopped going to her place, all calling her a monster.”
“Zhang Yaozong and his son relied on her for those years, but his mother remained young and beautiful. However, with a head of white hair, she appeared terrifying, so few people visited her.
“This father and son had grown accustomed to relying on the monster, idly spending their days until their previous fortune was squandered within a few years. But a problem arose—his son was twenty years old and still without a wife.
Wei Jiao vomited again, but this time, only stomach acid came out, reeking of foulness. She rinsed her mouth with the water Shen Liqian offered and continued speaking:
“So, her own son then set his sights on her. He entered Zhang Yaozong’s room and didn’t come out for a night.
This time, not only the young women, but even the remaining young men, clutching their stomachs, vomited.
Son… Mother… Could such a thing truly exist in the world!
Wei Jiao continued, “In this village where humanity was extinct, no one naturally cared. However, three months ago, when the old lady of the Li family was on her deathbed, she suddenly released a woman whom she and her son had kept imprisoned, and used her own life to delay the woman’s escape, allowing her to get away.
“Originally, no one paid attention to this matter, as Shuangyu Mountain was a cage, and besides the men who grew up in Shuangyu Village, no one could escape. Therefore, these men didn’t take it to heart.
“But just a few days ago, that mad monster suddenly said to her son by his ear, ‘You are going to die, all of you are going to die! Someone has taken it out! Someone has taken it out!’ Since she had gone mad, she had never spoken a word unrelated to her daughter. So, the moment her son clearly heard this, he was so terrified that he fell directly from the bed, breaking his arm.
“After that, I heard others say they were going to deal with this monster and throw her to the north to be fed to wolves as well.
If that monster was indeed Qin Zhi, then her life was truly regrettable.
For the first twenty years, she was glorious and ambitious, slaying demons and exterminating devils, determined to become the Number One Person in the Lower Cultivation World.
For the next thirty years, she toiled endlessly, meeting a tragic end. Even death became a luxury. She was endlessly exploited by a father and son worse than beasts. Even after her blood ran dry, she was treated thus by her own son.
How pitiable, how tragic.
