"You ran off earlier and missed the commotion, didn't you? Jiang Dani and Zhao Shi have returned from the brink of death completely changed. Just look at all the injured lying around the Jiang family—you'll see how fierce these two have become."
"All these… were beaten by Jiang Dani and Zhao Shi?" Another villager looked utterly shocked.
"Exactly!" The villager who'd witnessed the scene lowered his voice. "That Jiang Dani girl strikes viciously—she took down Jiang Qianshi with a single blow from a stick. And Zhao Shi was even more extreme—she went straight for the kitchen knife!"
"Is that true?" Another villager asked in disbelief.
It was common knowledge among all Xiaoshitou Village residents that the second branch of the Jiang family was meek and timid.
Now, seeing how the second branch had beaten the rest of the Jiang family to a pulp was more unbelievable than the sun rising from the west.
"Why would I lie to you? The second branch of the Jiang family has truly been pushed to the edge! As the old saying goes, even a rabbit will bite when cornered!"
"Jiang Dani was nearly sacrificed alive, Jiang Yinbao was beaten unconscious by the Jiang family, and Xu Shi, Dabiao's wife, is having a difficult childbirth. When Zhao Shi returned to ask Jiang Qianshi for money to save lives, that wicked old woman not only refused but cursed Yinbao and Zhao Shi to die soon! Zhao Shi has always been so tolerant, but this time she truly couldn't take it anymore—that's why she fought back! Who wouldn't fight for their life in such a situation?"
After the villager finished explaining, everyone began to feel that Zhao Shi and Jiang Dani's rebellion was somewhat justified.
Meanwhile, the dozen or so men following Liu Lizheng had surrounded Jiang Liuli.
Seeing this, Zhao Shi rushed forward like a mother wolf protecting her cub, the kitchen knife glinting coldly in the firelight.
Trembling all over yet standing her ground, she shouted hoarsely, "Anyone who dares touch my daughter will have to go through me first!"
However, the dozen men remained unmoved, still slowly closing in on Jiang Liuli.
Jiang Liuli narrowed her eyes, scanning the approaching burly men, her fingers tightening slightly as she gripped the wooden stick in her hand.
Although her lightning Abilities had disappeared, the combat skills she'd honed over more than a decade in the apocalyptic world remained.
Despite being outnumbered, these men were no match for her.
But since she planned to continue living in Xiaoshitou Village, she didn't want to fight these villagers who were kept in the dark. So she raised her voice:
"Everyone, according to Da Feng law, forcing a respectable woman to be sacrificed is treated as murder! Are you really going to capture me for sacrifice?"
"If you don't die, the River God will surely be enraged! When the floodwaters submerge Xiaoshitou Village, even more people will die. Da Ni, my daughter was sacrificed too—I didn't want it either! But the River God chose her, so we had to accept fate! The same goes for you. No matter how unwilling you are, you must die! Consider it for your family's sake! After all, if the flood drowns Xiaoshitou Village, your family won't have any chance of survival either…"
One of the men shouted with red-rimmed eyes, gripping his club tighter.
Jiang Liuli sneered, "Uncle Wei, do you truly believe your daughter was chosen by the River God?"
"What do you mean by that?" Wei Laogen asked, puzzled.
Hearing this, Liu Lizheng panicked, realizing Jiang Dani was about to reveal their secret.
"Jiang Dani, stop wasting your breath here! No matter what pretty words you say, you must be sacrificed today. Otherwise, when the River God's wrath falls upon us, the flood from five years ago will drown our village again."
"What are you all standing around for? Tie her up and gag her!"
Liu Lizheng shouted sharply, a flicker of panic in his eyes.
The men moved closer again at his words.
But Wei Laogen stepped in front of them. "Brothers, wait a moment. I want to hear what Da Ni has to say. If she's just spinning tales to save her own skin, we can grab her then!"
Hearing this, the men exchanged glances and halted their steps.
Liu Lizheng grew anxious. "Wei Laogen, Jiang Dani is only making up these lies because she doesn't want to die! Don't fall for it! Hurry up and seize her before it's too late. If the River God gets angry, it'll mean disaster for the whole village!"
"Liu Lizheng, just let her speak. It won't take long!" Uncle Wei's daughter had been the first to be formally sacrificed.
Back then, he'd had his doubts, feeling something wasn't right about the whole affair.
But he couldn't withstand the village elders and youngsters alike treating the Zhang Witch's words as divine decree, all utterly convinced.
Alone and powerless, he simply couldn't stop it.
What was even stranger was that just a few days after his daughter was sunk in the river, the flood that had submerged the village really did recede.
After that, no one in the village dared question it anymore, all saying it was truly the River God showing his power.
The doubts in Uncle Wei's heart were suppressed by this "proof," and he gradually came to believe in the story of the River God taking a bride.
But today, hearing the implied meaning in Jiang Dani's words, those suspicions sprouted again in his heart, growing wildly like weeds—what if there really was some shady business hidden in all this?
"Let her speak," Uncle Wei blocked the men who were about to take action, his voice stubborn. "Even if it's nonsense, we should let her explain clearly before we tie her up."
"No! Do it now! Not a moment's delay!" Seeing the crowd hesitate, the Zhang Witch's triangular eyes widened, her bony finger pointing straight at Jiang Liuli as she shrieked, "If we delay any longer and the River God truly gets angry, not just your village, but all the surrounding hamlets for miles will be flooded! It'll be utter catastrophe, and I won't be able to save you then!"
"Liu Lizheng, Zhang Witch."
Jiang Liuli stood under the moonlight, half her birthmarked face flickering in the shadows, but her voice was like ice.
"You're in such a hurry to take my life—could it be you're afraid I'll expose how you've been using the River God's name to kill the village girls while pocketing the sacrificial silver yourselves?"
Her words struck the crowd like a thunderbolt. Several villagers who had previously offered their daughters as sacrifices immediately changed expressions.
"Don't you dare slander us!" Liu Lizheng's temples bulged with veins. Seeing the men blocked by Wei Laogen, he simply rolled up his sleeves and charged forward himself. "To save your own skin, you'd spread such lies about your elders? I'll tear your mouth shut!"
He rushed up to Jiang Liuli in just a few steps, reaching out to grab her arm.
But before his hand could touch her, it was caught in a vise-like grip.
"Lizheng," Wei Laogen stood like an iron tower between them, his bow-calloused hand squeezing until Liu Lizheng's bones creaked, "I said, let her finish speaking."
Wei Laogen was a hunter, his years of tracking game having built a powerful physique. Liu Lizheng grimaced in pain but strained his neck to shout, "Wei Laogen, have you gone mad? How can you believe this witch's words? When the River God punishes us, you'll be the first to drown!"
"Then I'll drown with clarity." Wei Laogen's eyes were dark and heavy. "My daughter died without explanation. Today, I will hear the truth."
Behind him, several villagers whose daughters had also been sacrificed stepped forward, their eyes burning as they stared at Liu Lizheng and Zhang Witch.
"Jiang Dani, speak what you wish to say. We will discern the truth ourselves."
Uncle Wei said solemnly, his gaze firm as he looked at Jiang Liuli.
Jiang Liuli nodded to Uncle Wei, then turned to the surrounding villagers and declared loudly:
"Have any of you ever wondered why all the brides sacrificed in previous years were pretty young girls, but this year, the River God chose someone as ugly as a yaksha like me?"