Zhao Dahu’s gaze moved like greasy, filthy hands, brazenly sweeping back and forth across the three women.
Li Xiuzhi, slung over his shoulder, looked delicate and frail, like a little white flower battered by a storm, stirring pity.
But the three before him were even more exceptional.
The one with the most voluptuous figure and the gentlest temperament looked like someone who knew how to care for others. That soft, watery charm could melt a man’s bones.
The youngest one had a youthful face and was incredibly beautiful, lively and adorable. Her large eyes sparkled with innocence, making one want to pull her into their arms and bully her.
Most eye-catching was the woman holding the cloth, her face icy. Tall and proud, her chest full, even in worn clothes she exuded a heroic sharpness and arrogance that ordinary village women did not possess. A woman like this was like a wild horse. Conquering her would be the most satisfying.
Zhao Dahu swallowed hard, a wicked heat surging from his lower abdomen to his head.
His younger brother Zhao Erhu had bragged yesterday that Xu Lang, that useless trash, had stumbled into luck and gotten three wives as beautiful as immortals. Zhao Dahu had not believed it then, but now, damn it, Zhao Erhu had been too modest.
As for Xu Lang, Zhao Dahu did not take him seriously at all.
Everyone in Dahe Village knew Xu Lang was a weak, sickly man, someone who would collapse in the wind, without even the strength to farm.
“Xu Lang, you really are blessed!” Zhao Dahu sneered, tossing Li Xiuzhi from his shoulder like a sack onto the ground. Then he pointed at Hua Yourong and Murong Yanran. “I’m in a good mood today. Lend me these two wives of yours for a few days, and I’ll spare you!”
His lackeys behind him joined in the mockery.
“Exactly! Brother Hu taking a liking to your women is giving you face!”
“Xu Lang, with that skinny body of yours, can you even handle three? Don’t hold the sisters-in-law back, hahaha!”
Xu Lang had been hesitating at first.
Saving Li Xiuzhi was a matter of sentiment. After all, she had been the original Xu Lang’s white moonlight, not his. It was not worth offending the village tyrant for someone unrelated to him.
But now, this was no longer something he could ignore.
They dared to target his wives.
This was no longer a question of worth or not.
This was suicide.
“Brother Hu, you’re really lucky today!” one lackey flattered. “Li Xiuzhi plus these three makes four beauties at once!”
Zhao Dahu puffed out his chest proudly and laughed loudly. “That’s right! Today I’ll marry four wives at once! Xu Lang, take out your three marriage contract documents and press your handprint on them for me!”
He already regarded Hua Yourong and the others as his possessions.
Hua Yourong and Xia Zhiruo turned pale, hiding behind Xu Lang.
Murong Yanran trembled with anger, her chest rising and falling sharply.
At that moment, Li Xiuzhi, who had been thrown to the ground, struggled to her feet. She did not cry. Instead, she stepped forward and stood in front of Xu Lang. This story is hosted at novelping(.)com.
She glanced at him, her beautiful eyes filled with urgency and determination. “Brother Xu Lang, leave quickly! Don’t worry about me! This has nothing to do with you!”
After saying that, she turned and knelt before Zhao Dahu, knocking her head heavily against the ground.
“Master Zhao, I’ll go with you… I’ll do whatever you say. Please, spare Brother Xu Lang. He… his body is weak, he can’t endure this…”
This scene stunned everyone.
The surrounding villagers looked at Li Xiuzhi with sympathy and helplessness.
Zhao Dahu was momentarily stunned, then laughed even more arrogantly. “Little beauty, quite loyal, aren’t you? Don’t worry. After I deal with this useless trash, I’ll take good care of you!”
Xu Lang was also taken aback.
Looking at the girl kneeling on the ground, trying to protect him with her frail shoulders, something inside him was gently stirred.
Very well.
Originally, he had only planned to break Zhao Dahu’s legs. Now it seemed he would have to send him to join his brother instead.
Xu Lang stepped forward, pulled Li Xiuzhi up, and placed her behind him.
Then he looked at Zhao Dahu and smiled.
“You want to play with my women?”
“And you want my marriage contracts?”
Seeing that Xu Lang was not afraid and even dared to question him, Zhao Dahu felt his authority challenged. “What? You useless trash think you can resist?”
Xu Lang’s smile grew even brighter. He raised three fingers.
“I’ll give you three seconds. Kneel down and apologize to my three wives. Otherwise, you’ll bear the consequences.”
The moment these words were spoken, the entire place fell silent.
Everyone looked at Xu Lang as if he were insane.
After a brief silence, Zhao Dahu and his lackeys burst into roaring laughter.
“Hahaha! Did I hear that right? He wants Brother Hu to kneel?”
“This guy must be starving to madness, talking nonsense!”
“Brother Hu, stop wasting time. Kill him!”
Zhao Dahu laughed until tears almost came out. He wiped his face and stepped toward Xu Lang, his knuckles cracking loudly.
“You little bastard, today I’ll teach you how the word ‘death’ is written!”
His massive fist shot forward, carrying a vicious gust straight toward Xu Lang’s face.
Just as Zhao Dahu’s fist was about to land, a green figure moved even faster.
It was Murong Yanran.
She could not hold back any longer.
With a light step, her body flickered like a phantom, circling to the side of a lackey who was about to charge forward. The man only saw a blur before his elbow went numb, his entire body losing strength instantly.
Murong Yanran struck with a clean elbow to the back of his neck.
Thump.
The man did not even make a sound before rolling his eyes and collapsing.
Without pause, she spun gracefully, her long right leg cutting through the air with precision and force, striking another lackey’s knee.
Crack.
A sharp sound rang out as the man screamed and dropped to his knees, unable to stand again.
Her movements were swift and ruthless, yet carried a certain rhythm. There were no killing blows, only precise attacks on joints and weak points, disabling opponents instantly.
In the blink of an eye, two of the three lackeys were down.
The last one stood frozen, clutching a wooden stick, too terrified to move forward or retreat.
Murong Yanran did not even spare them a glance. She only said coldly to Xu Lang, “The big one is yours.”
It was not a request.
It was a statement.
She believed this man could handle it.
Zhao Dahu’s fist stopped less than a centimeter from Xu Lang’s nose.
It was not that he did not want to strike, but Murong Yanran’s display had shaken him.
This… this woman knew martial arts.
Xu Lang looked at Murong Yanran standing before him, heroic and imposing, and felt a surge of heat in his chest.
Yanran, my wife, you’re incredible.
Though she usually acted cold and disdainful toward him, she protected him more fiercely than anyone, always the first to act.
He turned his head and looked again at Zhao Dahu, whose face was now filled with uncertainty. The smile on Xu Lang’s face slowly faded, replaced by a chilling calm.
“Your brother Zhao Erhu… he misses you.”