CHAPTER 48: CHAPTER 48: AN EYE FOR AN EYE

Chen Muxue listened to Mrs. Zhao’s pig-like wails, only feeling noise.

Usually, such shrews are the least willing to die. This Mrs. Zhao just happened to act out once, tasted the sweetness, and began to use this trick repeatedly.

"If that’s the case, you might as well die." Chen Muxue ignored Mrs. Zhao and walked straight into the yard.

Mrs. Zhao didn’t expect this from her, tightened her hand slightly and blood slightly oozed out: "If you go, I’ll show you my death!"

The villagers saw the bleeding neck and thought it was bad, exclaiming in horror, but Chen Muxue could see clearly that this was just a skin cut, well away from the main artery. The degree of the wound was like a mosquito bite on the neck, itching so badly that it was scratched open.

Chen Muxue strode to Mrs. Zhao, looked her in the eyes, filled with mockery: "Want me to take a look?"

Mrs. Zhao’s face turned dead white. She dared not press further, but then what should she do? Put down the kitchen knife?

She couldn’t move forward or back, stunned at the doorway.

"These cultivators are terrifying; we mere mortals are nothing in their eyes!"

"You don’t know, my aunt’s second uncle’s third cousin’s fourth grandpa’s fifth son is a cultivator. He joined a sect, and those people fight and kill as part of daily life. Who doesn’t have a few lives on their hands? The people they kill are also cultivators! Mrs. Zhao’s cheap life compared to them is nothing!"

The villagers were discussing.

Mrs. Zhao’s face grew paler upon hearing the talk. A cultivator! This woman carrying a pot and dressed so frugally, how could she be a cultivator?

Could she really have killed someone? Does she intend to kill me?

If it were me, it’d indeed be more convenient to kill right away...

Thinking of this, Mrs. Zhao shivered in spite of herself, quickly hid to the side, hiding the kitchen knife behind her, and couldn’t help glancing at Chen Changfu, inwardly cursing Zhao Er Gou. A boy with a spirit root dared to be sold!

Shortly after Chen Muxue went inside, a few men rushed over.

"Heard Zhao Er Gou owes money to some serious guys?"

The casino wasn’t known for being reasonable, but every time Zhao Er Gou owed a couple of taels of silver, he could repay next time. It hadn’t reached the point of taking lives yet.

This time, hearing he messed with serious guys, they hurried over. After all, Zhao Er Gou still owed two taels of silver; they weren’t sure if he could repay after this. Besides, this situation was best to profit from.

Zhao Er Gou saw the casino folks and cursed them inwardly. These lapdogs, smelling meat, came running pretty quick!

Don’t mention it, but Zhao Er Gou’s place looked much better than Cui Hua’s — things and furniture were much better.

If struggling to keep the pot boiling at home, selling a nephew could make some sense. Now it seemed Zhao Er Gou sold Dafug just to gamble a bit.

After understanding, Chen Muxue walked out and spoke directly to Mrs. Zhao: "I don’t suppose you have eighty taels?"

Mrs. Zhao shook her head violently, not daring to breathe a word.

Chen Muxue keenly focused on the few men behind the crowd, nodding to them: "Are you from the casino?"

The few men were stunned, hurriedly stepped forward, nodding and bowing.

They had properly listened to the situation before, unlike Mrs. Zhao who came and caused a blind fuss.

"You guys usually collect debts; there should be quite a bit prepared?" Chen Muxue asked spiritedly.

The men exchanged glances, although somewhat confused, they nodded: "Owing a little, we teach a lesson; owing a lot, then..."

For some reason, facing this woman, they felt an inexplicable fear, afraid to expose those filthy deeds themselves.

Chen Muxue extended her hand to them: "Hand it over."

The men looked at each other.

"Should have prepared sale contracts, right?"

One of the men suddenly realized, hurriedly pulled out a stack of black-on-white papers from his chest, sealed with the government’s red stamp.

Beside them, Zhao Er Gou’s pupils shrunk sharply, seemingly understanding what Chen Muxue intended, but he had no solution, only knelt on the spot begging: "Spare me! I realize my mistake!"

Actually, when he started gambling, he learned the casino’s rules; only by doing that did he remain safe long term, ensuring his home wouldn’t be greatly affected. Even at his worst, he wouldn’t owe the casino beyond the limit!

Unexpectedly, such meticulous calculation for so long, with one impulsive mistake stirred trouble!

Damn, why did Dafug come back for nothing! Being sold he should just obediently go serve as a slave at someone’s house, shouldn’t he? Does being sold mean he’s miserable? If he entered a wealthy family, he’d live far better than living as an orphan! Additionally, now due to being sold, entering Qian Ding Sect and becoming a cultivator, isn’t that a chance made by him?

That’s what Zhao Er Gou thought inside, yet couldn’t remember why, facing the sale contract signing, he was kneeling begging for mercy.

If being sold were truly as great as he imagined, then what was he afraid of?

If Chen Muxue knew his thoughts, she’d probably laugh her head off.

According to the original book’s plot, Dafug even in Qian Ding Sect struggled to eat enough and not soon got inexplicably killed by Liuyun Sect people.

Not to mention, encountering the original owner, if the original owner hadn’t kindly rescued, Dafug likely would’ve been beaten half dead long ago, maybe with broken limbs, begging on the streets, or undergoing inhumane training, becoming a deformed performer for wealthy families to watch and amuse.

"Sign it, I’m not struggling with you, just returning what you did initially, or you can pay me eighty taels instead." After checking the sale contract, Chen Muxue handed it to Zhao Er Gou, looking quite negotiable.

If Zhao Er Gou signed it, he’d become servile, his family’s head, Mrs. Zhao, and his children would also become servile, that was just this world’s unreasonable nature in this era.

Mrs. Zhao’s face went dead white nearly trying to avoid saying anything against Chen Muxue, only cursing Zhao Er Gou constantly, implying outright not to sign.

Chen Muxue disdainfully pinched her earlobe, and Chen Changfu very perceptively used soil to seal Mrs. Zhao’s mouth.

Seeing Changfu using spiritual power, Zhao Er Gou shrank his neck: "Uh... I can’t write..."

Chen Muxue promptly kicked his trailing hand, pinky swiped, and Zhao Er Gou’s palm bled profusely, precisely falling onto the sale contract.

"Alright, they’re yours now." Chen Muxue simply handed the sale contract to the casino men, turned without a trace of nostalgia, and walked away.

As she turned and walked a few steps, the villagers’ discussions surged, some clapped, some criticized her insensibility. Shortly, the sound of ransacking, along with Mrs. Zhao wailing about living or dying, presumably the casino men had entered the house to snatch things.

"Sect Leader..." Chen Changfu caught up, words slightly hesitant.

"Best sever these matters early. Take these nine taels to repay your aunt later."

Chen Muxue’s sarcasm faded, smiled brightly at Changfu, handed him nine taels of silver—Mrs. Zhao really couldn’t hide money, carried it in her chest, for someone recently advanced to Foundation Establishment Ninth Rank like her, wasn’t it perfectly accurate to find?

Cen Lizhui was speechless, watching Chen Muxue, a dignified cultivator, use spiritual power just to extract money from a village woman longer he followed, more he felt Qian Ding Sect was doomed!