Chapter 14: 14 Evils, Blooming into Flowers

Song Cheng's five fingers tightened abruptly on the hilt of his blade.

The veins on the back of his hand bulged.

He gave the blade a flick, sending it swinging, and then he continued to throw punches.

At this moment, the soreness and numbness throughout his body suddenly faded.

Perhaps a long time had passed, or perhaps it had been very short.

More and more people had gathered around Huichun Hall.

And before he knew it, the sounds of "Drown her in the pig cage, drown her in the pig cage," "Seducing men, causing the death of the old woman," and "Drown her in the pig cage" intertwined, continuous and unending.

The sounds echoed, forming chaotic and twisted sketches of pale human figures within the little blind man's field of vision.

Suddenly, he saw a sketch of a human figure, not very tall, outside the crowd, beginning to retreat in the opposite direction. Song Cheng recalled for a moment; that figure should be the third of the Ding family, Ding Sigu.

And just at the moment he retreated, Ding Sigu's favorability plummeted from "60" to "0."

"Drown her in the pig cage!"

"Drown her in the pig cage!"

"Vixen, damn her! Damn her!"

Amidst the waves of sound, Ding Sigu retreated rapidly.

Song Cheng narrowed his eyes, watching the third of the Ding family quickly distance himself, his thoughts moving like lightning. Suddenly, he understood what this third Ding was going to do.

The plan to collude with the bandits had been moved up!

Should he call it out?

He had no evidence.

If the third of the Ding family turned the tables on him, wouldn't he end up just like Chen Quezi? Even if it were dropped, he would become a target for the Ding brothers, and afterwards, they would play dirty tricks to drive him and Tong Jia to their deaths.

The villagers did not care about the real truth; they only cared about the "truth" they believed in. No one was upholding justice; it was merely the thrill of judgment, merely a carnival of venting anger.

A haze rose in the depths of Song Cheng's heart: he also hated these villagers, hated the village head, so let the Ding brothers, whom the village head trusted, bring in the bandits and let the village head taste the bitter fruit he had planted himself!! And he would not need to worry about the "travel permit." He could completely take Tong Niangzi and flee to a nearby county as a refugee. But how to flee? Take it one step at a time. As for Yun E, he wanted to save her.

On the other side, Ding Sigu was expressionless. After walking out of the crowd and looking left and right to see no one, he suddenly accelerated and started running. He ran into his own house and saw the eldest of the Ding family leaning against the head of the bed, saying, "Big Brother, that cheap woman is definitely going to be drowned in the pig cage."

"The village head believed us; he must hate that cheap woman to the bone now."

"Seducing a paramour, seducing Big Brother, even having the paramour come to kill Big Brother, embezzling the family property herself, and then killing Shi Popo."

Ding Siyu gritted his teeth and suddenly said, "The village head has been quite good to us."

Ding Sigu frowned, looking at the eldest of the Ding family.

Ding Siyu took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and said, "Go quickly."

"Drowning in a pig cage is no small matter; I reckon every household in the village will be attracted to come and watch."

"Taking this opportunity, you can just go out and find the king of the mountains."

Ding Sigu let out a breath and said, "Good! A man must be ruthless; this is the Big Brother I know!"

He also squeezed his little fist and said, "This goddamn world won't let us live, so we won't let this world have it easy either!"

"Instead of growing up here as a young man, only to be dragged to the battlefield and die for nothing, it's better to be an outlaw and live freely!"

Ding Siyu laughed and said, "Well said!"

Immediately after, he clenched his fist and said, "Why should we just take it lying down?"

"Why can't we eat meat? Play with women? Why is it that only the masters get to enjoy themselves, while we mud-legged folks deserve to go die?"

"Third Brother, go. By this time next year, we shall eat meat in big mouthfuls and play with beautiful women together!"

Ding Sigu nodded, then prepared to head out the door.

Ding Siyu said, "Wait."

"What is it?"

"Third, the crossbow was confiscated by the village head."

"You take my dagger."

"That thing is useful."

Ding Sigu hesitated for a moment, said "Good," then took the dagger and tucked it into his waistband, then walked to the door, with a voice coming from behind him.

"Third, don't be nervous, you can do it!"

Ding Sigu looked back and smiled, saying softly, "Don't worry, Big Brother!"

The brothers looked at each other from a distance.

The next instant, the fourteen-year-old youth turned his head abruptly and ran frantically toward the outside of the village.

Today, change fate! "Drown her in the pig cage!"

"Drown her in the pig cage!" The shouting grew more and more agitated.

Shi Popo had not even been buried yet, and Yun E was already being dragged by her hair.

"The pig cage is here!" someone shouted.

The village head said coldly, "Stuff her in! Today we must rectify the morals of our village!"

The villagers, having received the order, began to shove Yun E inside.

Yun E did not know what was happening; at this moment, she actually stopped begging for mercy, and even stopped being agitated, her eyes merely numb like the coldest ice in the darkness.

Song Cheng, leaning on a thin iron rod, suddenly walked toward the direction of the village head.

The village head was surrounded by people.

Song Cheng pushed them aside.

"What are you doing, Brother Cheng?" someone shouted.

The village head heard the commotion, turned his head to look at Song Cheng, and said, "Looking for me?"

Song Cheng performed a salute and said, "Village head, I have something to say."

He wanted to save Yun E; since his combat value was not yet enough, he would try another method.

The Village Chief said, "Then speak quickly."

Song Cheng took a deep breath and said rapidly, "Since Yun E embezzled her family's property, now that she is being drowned in a pig cage, she will surely think of using that silver to save her life. The Village Chief only needs to have someone go and trick her, saying that as long as she gives the money, they are willing to secretly let her run away. She will definitely agree."

Having said that, Song Cheng changed the subject and added, "But if even then she cannot provide the money, then it can only be said that she did not embezzle the property. If she did not embezzle it, then the matter of seducing a lover for the sake of property and then killing her mother-in-law also cannot be established."

As his voice fell, the surroundings went silent for a moment.

Song Cheng chuckled and said, "Everyone can try it; it won't take much time, right?"

However, absolutely no one paid him any mind.

He was like a clown.

Suddenly, a woman's sneer broke the stillness.

"Oh, a vixen is a vixen; she only stayed at Huichun Hall for one night, and she's already hooked the Soul of Brother Cheng!"

Immediately after, someone else said, "Brother Cheng, she didn't secretly give you the money, did she?"

People outside joined in the clamor, and some were shouting.

"Tong Dafu, has your man been with you all night? He didn't commit adultery with that vixen, did he?"

"Have you no shame!?"

Following that, the things being said became increasingly nasty.

"I heard the vixen doesn't just seduce one man; this Brother Cheng couldn't be the vixen's lover too, could he?"

"I think that's possible."

"Yes, yes, yes, if he isn't her lover, why would he stick his neck out?"

Song Cheng:... He scanned the surroundings; in this instant, he saw dots of red mist emerging in the black world. These red mists were centering on Yun E, turning into a faint, rotating vortex that enveloped all the villagers in this area, except for him... and Tong Jia.

He understood.

The villagers were being influenced by a "Taboo about to form."

This land of the "Avici Hell" was experiencing a strange palpitation.

And what he was opposing was not just the villagers, the Ding brothers, but also this destiny that felt like a natural disaster. "When the time comes, heaven and earth exert their power together; when luck departs, the hero is not free"—this was the change of heaven and earth. Yun E had summoned the Taboo, and the Taboo had chosen Yun E... Song Cheng suddenly and quickly glanced at the "【Taboo: Unlocked】" on his panel.

The gray color on the surface of those characters was more shattered than before, as if about to break out completely, and the "blood-red Taboo characters" inside were already looming.

The bone-chilling, terrifying emotion caused fine goosebumps to rise all over Song Cheng's body.

Just as he was thinking this, he was already roughly pushed aside by the villagers.

He did not go up to argue again, but instead went to the empty courtyard to continue practicing his punches, practicing against the clock.

If the civil way wouldn't work, then the martial way would! On the other side, the bamboo pig cage had already been locked; Yun E was shut inside and dragged out. When she reached the vicinity of Song Cheng, the numb and desperate woman suddenly raised her head, looked at Song Cheng, and said, "Thank you."

Song Cheng clenched his five fingers tight, continued to throw punches, and threw punches again.

Only by becoming stronger could he change things! The pig cage gradually moved further and further away; a moment later, his panel suddenly jumped.

【Name: Song Cheng】

【Add Points: 20 points】

【Realm: Not Yet Initiated】

【Technique: None】

White Snake Blade (Yellow Grade, Ding Rank) (Not Yet Initiated) (0/2)

(End of this chapter)