Chapter 78: Resistance

Hua Changxi followed Mao Yong to the riverbank. Before they even got close, she could see from a distance that many people had gathered by the river, some whispering to each other, some pointing, and a few laughing openly.

Stepping past these people, Hua Changxi's gaze fell on a man and a woman on the riverbank who had their hands and feet bound.

A Niu had been beaten black and blue. In the deep winter, he was only wearing thin summer clothes and trousers that were patched over and over, and most of his frail body was submerged in the water. In the bitter cold of the twelfth lunar month, his lips had turned blue from the cold.

The woman was also in a terrible state—her hair was disheveled, the buttons of her top had been torn open, revealing a stretch of fair neck, and her lower body was also soaked in the water.

Miserable as she was, the woman was truly beautiful, with a graceful figure, and what was even more eye-catching was that, unlike the delicate softness of ordinary women, she carried a kind of untamed wildness.

Even at this moment, unlike A Niu's numbness and resignation, the woman's face was full of deep humiliation and defiance. She was pushed down, struggled to get up, was pushed down again, and struggled again—this repeated several times until she had no strength left, and only then did she lie in the river mud and stop struggling.

"This woman… why doesn't she know how to soften?"

Mao Yong muttered angrily, frustrated at her stubbornness yet also feeling a pang of pity. He glanced at the silent Hua Changxi beside him and said softly,

"This woman is called Pu Cao. She's a pitiful soul. Her mother gave birth to her alone in a thicket of reeds. With no one around to help, her mother fell into the water right after giving birth, which left her with a chronic illness, and she passed away within three years."

"After her mother died, her father quickly remarried, and once she had a stepmother, Pu Cao's life became very hard. Before she was ten, she was sold to Dongchi Village to become Li Liulang's child bride."

"Pu Cao was capable. After she entered Li Liulang's household, she helped her mother-in-law make and sell tofu, and their family's life in Dongchi Village was fairly decent."

"Although Old Lady Li was somewhat harsh, Li Liulang treated Pu Cao very well."

"Before Li Liulang died, Pu Cao's eyes were always bright, and when she smiled she was especially beautiful, making others want to smile along with her."

"What a pity—three years ago, Li Liulang went out to work with some fellow villagers, ran into bandits, and was beaten to death by them."

"Pu Cao is good-looking with a fine figure. When some people in the village saw that she had lost her husband, they wanted to marry her, and then matchmakers started visiting Old Lady Li."

"Old Lady Li naturally didn't want her daughter-in-law to remarry, and Pu Cao herself wasn't willing either. She said she wanted to fulfill her filial duty for Li Liulang and take care of Old Lady Li for the rest of her life, so she refused all the families that came to propose."

"At first, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law got along fairly peacefully, but after a few months, rumors suddenly spread in the village that Pu Cao was unfaithful, and later people said she had a hard fate that killed off her relatives. After that, Old Lady Li treated Pu Cao worse and worse, often beating and scolding her."

Hua Changxi suddenly asked, "Why is A Niu the adulterer?"

Mao Yong, who had been immersed in Pu Cao's tragic story, let out an "Ah," paused, and then understood that Hua Changxi's question meant she had grasped the unspoken meaning in his words.

"A Niu's fate is even harder. Right after he was born, his parents were trampled to death by wild boars from the mountains. By the time he was five, his grandparents also died, leaving him as the only one left in the family."

"He's managed to survive until now because he's very good at herding cattle. By herding cattle for a few well-off families in the village, he barely scraped together a meal."

"A few years ago, I was transferred here to be the steward of the medicinal herb estate. The estate had a lot of cattle, and I saw that he knew how to look after livestock and also felt sorry for him, so I gave him a job in the livestock shed."

In short, A Niu had no one to rely on, and if he died, no one would speak up for him.

Hua Changxi listened silently without any reaction, but her gaze shifted to a few people standing at the very front of the crowd by the river, whose clothes were noticeably better than the others.

Mao Yong followed her gaze and introduced them, "That's the Li clan chief of Dongchi Village and a few clan elders."

At that moment, several young men from Dongchi Village began tying stones to A Niu and Pu Cao.

Seeing that Hua Changxi still hadn't made a move, Mao Yong grew anxious, "Once the stones are tied on, they'll be thrown into the river to drown."

Hua Changxi looked at him, "You seem very concerned about that woman named Pu Cao?"

Mao Yong choked and said sheepishly, "Not at all."

Hua Changxi was puzzled, "The medicinal herb estate is under the Medical Bureau and counts as government property. If you really wanted to save someone, the people of Dongchi Village shouldn't dare to make things difficult for you, right?"

Mao Yong's expression turned bitter, "The son of the Dongchi Village clan chief is a seventh-rank martial artist and serves in the Jingzhao Prefecture as a seventh-rank military affairs staff officer."

He was just a minor steward of a medicinal herb estate, while the other man was an official with a legitimate government post—how could he dare to confront them directly?

Hua Changxi's eyes flickered as she listened, then turned her gaze back to A Niu and Pu Cao.

She had interacted with A Niu; he was timid, shy, and bashful—she didn't believe he could be an adulterer.

As for Pu Cao, she had never met her. Mao Yong certainly had some special feelings for her, so it was hard to say whether his account of her was true or false.

Hua Changxi disapproved of drowning people alive. Saving them wasn't difficult; the hard part was the endless arguments afterward.

Just as she was hesitating over what to do, she suddenly sensed a fluctuation of spiritual energy coming from the river.

Watching the ripples spreading on the river's surface, Hua Changxi narrowed her eyes.

A demon beast?

Looking at the Li clan chief and the others standing by the river, Hua Changxi formed an idea and decided to hold her position for now.

"Clan chief, I was wrong."

"I don't want to die. Please give me another chance. I won't dare to act recklessly again."

Just then, Pu Cao suddenly shouted at Clan Chief Li.

Hua Changxi followed the sound and saw that the people of Dongchi Village were tying stones to Pu Cao. She seemed frightened and kept begging the clan chief for mercy and admitting her faults.

She clearly saw that as Pu Cao begged for mercy, Clan Chief Li's eyes gleamed with a light—the look of a hunter whose prey was finally in sight.

Mao Yong watched Pu Cao beg for mercy, remaining silent with a hint of disappointment on his face.

Clan Chief Li first exchanged a few words with several clan elders before stepping forward. "Pu Cao, I ask you: did A Niu force you?"

Pu Cao glanced at A Niu, who was already tied with stones and lifted onto a bamboo raft, then lowered her head. "Yes, A Niu forced me."

Upon hearing this, A Niu's expressionless face finally showed some emotion. With disbelief, he stared at Pu Cao for a while, then closed his eyes in sorrow.

Pu Cao didn't dare look at him; instead, she stared straight at Clan Chief Li. "Clan chief, A Niu forced me. I did not violate female virtues. Please spare me."

Clan Chief Li whispered with the clan elders again. After a moment, he said to the villagers by the river, "Considering that Pu Cao was forced and is a victim, we will not drown her. We will only drown the instigator, A Niu."

The villagers whispered among themselves, but no one dared to oppose Clan Chief Li.

"Thank you, clan chief. Thank you, clan chief."

Pu Cao kowtowed several times toward Clan Chief Li with immense gratitude, then asked the nearby villagers to untie her.

Enduring the villagers taking advantage of her while untying, Pu Cao trotted toward Clan Chief Li once her hands and feet were free, looking exactly like someone frightened out of her wits seeking protection.

Clan Chief Li watched Pu Cao approach with a smile, thinking to himself that women just needed to be disciplined; if she had obediently submitted to him, nothing would have happened, but she had to wait for him to resort to clan law before she listened.

Once Pu Cao was standing behind him, Clan Chief Li waved at the clansmen by the river. "Push A Niu into the river..."

Before he could finish, Clan Chief Li felt a sharp pain in his neck, and then his neck was locked in a hold.

"Don't you dare touch A Niu!"

Pu Cao locked Clan Chief Li's neck with one hand, while with the other she pressed a sharp wooden hairpin fiercely against his neck. Soon, the flowing blood stained Clan Chief Li's collar red.

"Ah~"

This sudden scene shocked everyone.

"Pu Cao, release the clan chief immediately!"

Seeing Clan Chief Li try to struggle, Pu Cao increased the force in her hand. "I advise you not to move recklessly, or the hairpin in my hand will definitely pierce through your neck."

Clan Chief Li dared not move, but he was very angry. "Pu Cao, I kindly let you off..."

"You let me off?"

"Bah! I spit on that!"

"You beast who is worse than an animal—you are not fit to be clan chief. Liulang was your nephew within five generations! After his death, you tried to take his wife. Are you even human?"

Pu Cao looked agitated as she addressed the villagers of Dongchi Village. "The day before yesterday, the clan chief called me to his house. Before he even said a few words, he started groping me. A Niu came to return an ox, heard my cries for help, and came to rescue me. Then this old bastard bore a grudge. Yesterday, he staged an adulterer-catching act to force me to submit and kill A Niu."

"Don't you all know what kind of person A Niu is?"

"Even though I am a widow whose husband died, I am not lacking young men coming to propose. With so many strong young men I don't fancy, why would I take a liking to this decrepit old thing? Are you all blind, or am I blind?"

"You people can just watch the show. You'd better pray that you don't marry a beautiful wife, because if this old thing sets his eyes on her, what happened to me and A Niu today will be your fate too."

Hearing Pu Cao's outcry, the villagers of Dongchi Village were unusually silent.

"Everyone, don't listen to Pu Cao's nonsense. She is a lewd woman who does not follow female virtues and whose fate is strong enough to harm her relatives."

A clan elder stepped forward, pointing at Pu Cao with righteous indignation.

Pu Cao saw that everyone remained silent. She smiled bitterly, tears glistening in her eyes. She tilted her head back to keep the tears from falling, then continued, "I know I can't survive, but A Niu is innocent. He is also from Dongchi Village, someone you all watched grow up. Please free him."

A Niu, lying on the bamboo raft, watched Pu Cao fighting for his chance to live. His expression was no longer wooden; he was visibly moved.

Seeing that no one moved, Pu Cao increased the pressure in her hand and glared at Clan Chief Li. "Old thing, if you want to live, order them to release A Niu. Otherwise, even if I die, I will drag you, this beast, down to hell with me."

Clan Chief Li was both angry and furious. He shouted at someone in the crowd, "What are you waiting for? Kill this bitch for me now!"

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone saw a dagger fly out, shooting straight toward Pu Cao.

The dagger was too fast; just as everyone thought Pucao was as good as dead, with a "smack," the dagger was struck by something, deflected, and by an unlucky coincidence, embedded itself in Clan Chief Li's shoulder.

"Ah~"

The clan chief being stabbed caught everyone off guard. Even Pucao was stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter: "Old thing, even the heavens are displeased with you."

Mao Yong glanced around, then looked at Hua Changxi, his expression somewhat puzzled. This girl hadn't moved—who had deflected the dagger?

Just then, a sharp-eyed villager pointed at the river and shouted: "Look, the bamboo raft is drifting away."

The villagers were supposed to paddle the raft to the middle of the river, then throw A'niu, tied with stones, into the water. But now the raft was drifting away on its own.

Next, a bizarre sight appeared: layers of waves rose on the river's surface, and a whirlpool formed in the center of the river.

The waves struck with considerable force, slamming into the bamboo raft and flipping it over, sending A'niu on top into the water.

"A'niu!"

Seeing A'niu fall into the water, Pucao forgot even Clan Chief Li. She sprinted to the riverbank, jumped into the water with a "plop," and quickly swam toward the raft.

"Heavens, what is that thing?"

In the middle of the river, a fish fin wider than a door emerged.

The fin was rapidly rushing toward the spot where A'niu had fallen.

"It's a ferocious beast!"

Living near the mountains, the villagers of Dongchi Village were no strangers to ferocious beasts, but they never expected one to be in the river. They were all terrified.

After all, many village women usually came to the river to wash clothes.

The villagers quickly fled from the riverbank, while Pucao swam desperately toward where A'niu had fallen.

She was a strong swimmer and soon reached the spot. She plunged headfirst into the river, and before long, surfaced dragging A'niu.

By then, the fish fin was only a few meters away from the two.

Pucao felt a hint of despair. Gritting her teeth, she swam with all her might. Despite her overwhelming fear, she refused to abandon the unconscious A'niu.

Feeling the powerful push of the water behind her, Pucao knew the ferocious beast would arrive any moment. Clutching A'niu tightly, she prepared to die—when suddenly her arm tightened, and she found herself flying.

By the time she came to her senses, she and A'niu were safely on the shore.

Pucao looked up and saw a somewhat delicate figure.

It was a young woman who had saved them!

Hua Changxi walked over to A'niu, pressed on his chest a few times, and he spat out some water, then slowly regained consciousness. Seeing Hua Changxi, he was startled: "Miss Hua..."

Just then, the ferocious beast in the river surfaced. It was a giant fish several meters long, its gaping mouth like a black hole that could swallow a person whole.

The fish demon, failing to eat anyone, became agitated. It kept slapping the water with its tail, causing the river surface to boom and thunder.

Watching the fish demon circle in the river, Hua Changxi turned to Clan Chief Li, who was so frightened he needed support: "I can help you deal with this beast, but these two have to come with me."

Before the clan chief could react, several clan elders spoke up: "We'll sell A'niu and Pucao to you. Hurry up and kill this beast, miss!"

Worried about future trouble, Hua Changxi added: "I want their deeds of sale."

The clan elders: "Kill the beast, and we'll write them for you right away."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi wasn't afraid they'd renege. She kicked a stone on the riverbank, imbuing it with spiritual energy. It shot through the air, struck the fish's head, and blew it apart.

"Boom~"

The fish demon sank into the river, and soon the water there turned red.

The beast had been dealt with too easily; the people of Dongchi Village hadn't even registered it.

Hua Changxi looked at the clan elders: "Now you can write the deeds for me."

The clan elders immediately ordered someone to fetch brush and ink.

"Wait—"

Clan Chief Li suddenly spoke, stopping the villager.

Hua Changxi narrowed her eyes: "Are you going back on your word?"

Clan Leader Li was about to say something when the martial artist who had thrown the dagger earlier tugged at his sleeve and shook his head at him.

Mao Yong also quickly walked over and said in a low voice, "Clan Leader Li, this young lady is one of Old Man You's people."

After hearing this, Clan Leader Li's expression darkened. The sharp pain in his neck and shoulders reminded him that he had nearly been done in by that bitch Pucao.

"Pucao is a daughter-in-law of the Li family..."

"She is not anymore."

An old woman with a face full of hardship stepped out from the crowd.

The old woman looked at Pucao expressionlessly and said, "Today, in front of the whole village, on behalf of my dead son, I am divorcing Pucao."

With that, she pulled out a prepared divorce document from her bosom, walked up to Pucao, and threw it at her.

"Mother~"

Pucao looked at the old woman, her face filled with grief.

The newcomer was none other than Pucao's mother-in-law, Old Madam Li.

Old Madam Li stared coldly at Pucao: "You are no longer a daughter-in-law of the Li family. Get out of Dongchi Village right now and never show your face here again."

After speaking, the old woman turned to leave.

"Mother~"

Pucao called out again, her voice laced with reluctance and pain.

Upon hearing this, the old woman's body trembled slightly, but she did not look back and left without a word.

Pucao's eyes reddened as she kowtowed three times to the old woman's retreating figure.

Hua Changxi looked at the clan elders. The elders had already grown somewhat dissatisfied with Clan Leader Li because of Pucao's exposure of him, so they paid him no mind and had someone fetch paper and brush, quickly writing up the two slave contracts.

"From now on, the Li Clan will no longer have Li A'niu or Li Miaoshi as members."