Footsteps drew nearer, the scent of alcohol wafting into the wood room with the wind, followed by a slightly drunken voice: “Old Li, don’t worry… I’ll watch over our village from now on… Mph… Mph…”
A wooden hairpin plunged deep into the throat. Li Jinu curled her lips, fairly satisfied with her skills.
Instant kill—this was the fundamental skill of a Shadow Guard.
The hatred in her heart hadn’t dissipated; instead, it was magnified infinitely by the bloody scene before her.
The grudges from her past life couldn’t be resolved by killing just two people.
The selfish and cruel adoptive mother, the cunning Ye Jintang, the vicious elder brother, the extremely biased Marchioness, and that final cup of poisoned wine…
All of these people deserved to die!
In her previous life, her reputation was utterly destroyed. In this life, she would return to the manor in glory, making these villains taste the flavor of despair!
After that, she planned to wander the world and live a life truly for herself.
Dragging the two bodies together, she prepared to set the wood room ablaze. While searching for flint, her peripheral glance swept over the bedroom.
An idea burst in her mind like fireworks, making her chuckle involuntarily.
She would give Nian Cuilan a more exquisite death.
The intermittent cries of cats outside the window added an eerie touch to the originally silent night.
Li Jinu took a green bellyband and a silver hairpin from Nian Cuilan’s wardrobe and tucked them into the village bully’s inner garment.
Without pausing to rest, she knew Nian Cuilan would bring people to catch her in the act. She had to clear herself before that happened, and incidentally, finish off Nian Cuilan!
Changing clothes and washing her hands and face, she hurried toward the village chief’s house.
Not long after, Nian Cuilan arrived with a group of gossiping women in tow.
These were the notorious troublemakers in the village, especially Wang Matchmaker with the black mole at the corner of her mouth, who was known for twisting black into white.
Nian Cuilan was thrilled, thinking to herself:
How spectacular it would be if these women saw Li Jinu in bed with two men, one of them being her adoptive father! These gossips could curse someone to death!
Heh, so what if she crawled out of the Marchioness’s womb? Once her purity was lost, what use was she?
Having served as a wet nurse in noble households, she knew well that marriages among the elite were all about interests.
Besides, the nobles were picky—who would tolerate a daughter-in-law who had lost her virtue?
When the time came, wouldn’t the Marquis’s household have to use her own daughter to forge alliances with the powerful?
The thought made her even more smug, and she could hardly wait to get home.
Little did she expect that as soon as she turned the corner, she would see the village chief standing at her doorstep with a crowd, and someone cursing loudly:
“Nian Cuilan is having an affair?! I’ll strangle that little tramp!”
Was that her aunt’s voice?
Her heart sank. Though she didn’t know what had happened, in this conservative countryside, once accused of adultery, she wouldn’t be able to clear her name even with a hundred mouths!
Her mind racing, she couldn’t afford to hesitate. Feigning a stomach ache, she quickly slipped away.
By the time the women reached the Li family’s door, they saw Li Jinu kneeling outside the wood room, weeping bitterly.
The village chief looked at the matchmaker, his gaze scrutinizing. “Where is Nian Cuilan?”
The matchmaker, utterly bewildered, told the truth.
Hearing this, Li Jinu continued to sob, but her mind was already calculating.
Nian Cuilan valued her life above all and cared most about Ye Jintang. In her past life, it was this vicious woman’s idea to sell her into a brothel, not to mention the branding iron pressed firmly against her chest…
The torment of her past life seemed to carry over into the present, sending a sharp pain through her body.
As she collected herself, she almost instantly concluded that the woman hadn’t gone far.
Where could she be hiding?
Soon, she had a guess. Kneeling before the village chief, she kowtowed and spoke with sincere earnestness:
“Father loves turnip buns most. I want to make some for his journey.”
The child’s grief-stricken voice moved the village chief deeply.
“Good child, you’re filial. Go ahead.”
Following her memory, she went to the backyard of the house.
Fetching turnips was just an excuse – capturing someone in the cellar was the real goal.
The cellar was only blocked by a wooden board, allowing outside sounds to be clearly heard.
Nian Cuilan could hear the weeping from the front yard, grinding her teeth in fury.
Old Li was dead, so why was that little bitch unharmed!
Anxiously plotting new ways to frame her adopted daughter, she was startled when moonlight suddenly streamed in, followed by a scream.
“Ah!!!”
The village chief hurried over upon hearing the noise. “What happened, girl?”
Li Jinu acted swiftly, knocking out Nian Cuilan before clutching her body and wailing loudly:
“Mother, mother! What’s wrong with you? Wake up!”
Discovering it was Nian Cuilan attempting escape, the villagers dragged her to the front yard and splashed several basins of cold water on her.
Shivering upon regaining consciousness but unaware of the situation, she could only challenge the village chief: “What crime have I committed? Why arrest me?”
The village chief was visibly livid. “How dare you ask?”
At his signal, someone seized and dragged her into the courtyard.
Though Nian Cuilan vaguely recalled seeing Li Jinu in the cellar, she clung to denial –
That little slut must have been defiled and hidden herself away crying! She must have imagined it!
When the door was kicked open, torchlight revealed the scene inside:
Two men lay stiffly in pools of blood. A breeze carried the metallic scent into the room, making Nian Cuilan shudder uncontrollably.
She couldn’t comprehend how Butcher Li – who had the girl under control when she left – ended up dead alongside the village bully.
Her heart sank as she realized: the bully who habitually preyed on women must have stumbled upon the scene, causing a fatal conflict that allowed the girl to escape!
Spotting Li Jinu kneeling nearby, she couldn’t tell if the plan had succeeded.
No – if it failed, she’d have betrayed her daughter’s trust!
Even at the cost of her life, she’d ruin that wench’s reputation!
Decision made, she erupted in curses:
“Li Jinu, you cursed star! Your own depravity is one thing, but why seduce outsiders to kill your father! He raised you after all – he died wronged!”
As her adoptive mother charged at her, Li Jinu didn’t flinch but curled into a ball, crying brokenly:
“Mother I was wrong, don’t hit me! I didn’t see anything!”
Before the slap landed, the village chief restrained Nian Cuilan and addressed Li Jinu:
“Don’t be afraid, child. Tell us what you saw – Uncle will ensure justice.”
Everyone knew how Li Jinu’s adoptive parents mistreated her, and villagers had often shared food with her.
The girl had conscience – for every potato received, she’d feed the donor’s chickens; for old clothes given, she’d repair their walls during breaks.
Through these daily interactions, everyone had grown fond of the pitiful child.
Seemingly encouraged, though still trembling, Li Jinu spoke: “Father… Father saw that man lying with Mother… that’s why they fought…”
Her tears flowed harder. “Father told me to fetch the village chief… to report their adultery.”
The villagers listened stunned, their gazes toward Nian Cuilan turning dark.
Several women spat in her direction.
The matchmaker snorted coldly. “Adulteress trying to frame your daughter? Rotting-hearted creature!”
The village chief stared coldly at Nian Cuilan. “Still stubborn?”
Nian Cuilan was not only sharp-tongued but even fiercer with her fists. Breaking free from restraint, she charged at Li Jinu, spewing vulgar insults:
“You worthless scum! How dare you disrespect me? Don’t make me beat you to death!”
Li Jinu seemed terrified, curling into a ball and pleading for mercy repeatedly.
Seeing the child’s pitiful state, the village chief grew furious and punched the woman to the ground.
Just then, a man suddenly exclaimed in surprise, spotting a corner of an object peeking out from the village bully’s embrace.
He hurried over, pulled the item out, and upon recognizing what he held, flung it away as if it had burned his hand.