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Chapter 59: The Widow and the Madman
Chapter 59: The Widow and the Madman
On the outskirts of the fishing village, there was a dilapidated bamboo courtyard.
A man in a gray short robe, with his arms bare, had a mocking expression on his face. Like an eagle pouncing on a chick, he spread his arms wide, blocking the path of a young widow in a floral blue robe.
"Even a widow can give birth, truly embarrassing for my brother Yang."
"Go to hell! Who's your brother Yang? You and that village elder are cut from the same cloth, you filthy beasts! Take your dirty hands off me!"
The young widow, holding a child not yet two years old, gritted her teeth like a lioness.
"Hey!" The man, far from being angered by the insult, became even more excited. "What's the matter? Can others sleep with her, but not me, Meng Xian? Let me tell you, even if you strip naked, I'm not interested. You filthy thing, hand over the child!"
As he spoke, Meng Xian reached out to snatch the child from the widow's arms.
The widow's face twisted in rage, and without a moment's hesitation, she bit down.
As the two struggled, outside the bamboo courtyard, a mud-covered young man sat on the ground. His tattered clothes were full of holes, and his straw shoes, worn down to the point of disintegration, had only one remaining. His fingernails were caked with dirt, and even his calves were covered in a layer of disgusting black grime.
"Hehe... they're fighting..."
His expression was vacant as he watched the struggle, but he vigorously slapped the muddy ground, opening his mouth in a wide grin, clearly showing signs of mental instability.
"Hiss!"
Meng Xian's face twitched slightly, and he pulled back his arm, noticing the deep teeth marks on his wrist, oozing a crimson liquid.
He immediately flew into a rage, no longer in the mood for teasing, and slapped the widow, causing her to stagger back a few steps and fall to the ground, her eyes now unfocused.
"Good! Hit her!"
The dirty young man clapped his hands in delight.
"Shut up, you filthy fool."
Meng Xian glared at him and took two steps forward, grabbing the crying child and holding him tightly in his hand. With a cold smile, he said, "You ungrateful filth, after your wild child is thrown into the river, he will come back riding the river waves to take you to enjoy the afterlife."
"Your mother should be the one thrown into the river..."
The disheveled widow, with her hair loose, headbutted Meng Xian, causing his eyes to twitch. Just as he was about to kick her over, someone grabbed his arm.
He turned around angrily, and a look of surprise flashed across his eyes. "Father?"
The village elder's face was dark and stern, and without saying a word, he slapped Meng Xian hard. He then snatched the child from his grasp and placed him back in the widow's arms. Only then did he speak, "Quickly, let's go home."
Meng Xian covered his face, feeling ashamed and annoyed. He wanted to say something, but as he turned his head, he saw someone and his entire body trembled. He cursed and ran away, disappearing around the corner: "Damn these dog-skinned bastards."
Around the corner, a dark figure approached, guided by the sound of their voice. With a hand resting on the hilt of a waist-bound blade, a handsome face with clear eyes revealed a faint hint of killing intent.
Shen Yi circled around several fishing houses and located the source of the sound.
He soon stood in front of the bamboo courtyard's gate, gazing into the empty space ahead, closing his eyes to listen for any movement before taking another step forward.
The young widow, having soothed her son, emerged from the courtyard. She smoothed her hair, revealing a bruised face and a torn lip as she spoke, "I was wondering why this old dog suddenly became so restrained. It turns out it's because the Captain has arrived. Please come in."
As she spoke, she casually blocked Shen Yi's path.
"..."
Shen Yi silently observed her, his voice calm as he asked, "Doesn't it hurt?"
If it hurt, if she was angry, then why block him? Was the River God more important than her own son?
The young widow was slightly startled, seemingly not expecting such a question. She lowered her eyes, and after a long while, a faint smile appeared, "You must have just joined the Demon Suppressing Bureau, right?"
"What do you mean by that?" Shen Yi glanced at her.
"Please come in and sit down.
The widow carried her son into the courtyard, dragging a bamboo stool with one hand. "Everyone in Linjiang Prefecture knows that the Demon Suppression Bureau slays monsters and protects the people. They are the best among the good."
Shen Yi hesitated for a moment before sitting down at the widow's invitation.
The widow lifted her head, her eyes glimmering, "But the majority of them are the common folk."
She gave a self-deprecating smile, "My late husband and I... we were the villains."
Upon hearing the words "late husband," Shen Yi instinctively glanced at the child in her arms, then felt something was amiss and was about to look away.
Unexpectedly, the widow didn't seem to mind. She spat, "I'm like a dog giving birth."
She put the child down, went to the well to twist a cloth, then walked out of the courtyard and kicked the madman. Looking at the crimson wounds covered in mud on his arms and calves, she crouched down to wipe them for him.
As she wiped, she scolded, "You useless thing, when I need you, you disappear without a trace for seven or eight days. How come you didn't starve to death outside? I wonder what you're capable of, acting like a fool."
"Go wash your hands and get ready to eat."
Hearing this, Shen Yi looked over thoughtfully.
The widow casually explained, "He used to be a commoner too. When he was fifteen or sixteen, he married a wife, and it happened to be his family's turn to send a child into the river. They had no choice but to force his wife to give birth. Later, because of her young age, the child was born with difficulty. His wife was lucky to survive, barely hanging onto her life."
"The village elder took her away. Since she was no longer a maiden, they sent her to the Spring River as a child bride. That's when he went mad."
The widow scowled and kicked him again.
Then, with a hint of desolation, she explained, "No one wants to do it, but since someone has to, you can't just take advantage of it. It's been passed down for generations. It's less about offering sacrifices and more about taking revenge on those who drown their children in the river."
"Like my late husband, who didn't want a child, was swept away by the waves and never found. It's a fitting punishment for his evil deeds."
"Why doesn't the Demon Suppression Bureau do anything? Because they are all pitiful people doing despicable things. Even after four hundred years of grudges, they still insist on the Great Sacrifice, even without the River God."
"Great Sacrifice! Kill! Kill! Kill!" The madman opened his eyes wide, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets, and roared hoarsely, his lips foaming with saliva, looking like a crazed demon.
Shen Yi watched calmly as the madman reached for the black-sheathed saber at the youth's waist with his dirty hands, leaving stains on the shiny black sheath.
Shen Yi reached out, his long fingers running through the madman's tangled hair, and then gently grabbed him.
The widow was about to turn and bring out the fish soup from the house, but seeing this, her face changed slightly, and her eyes showed a hint of fear. "Sir, he... he's already gone mad... he can't be a commoner or a villain... please spare his life and let him be a mad dog..."
"Kill!" The madman stared, his eyes bulging, and roared hoarsely, his lips foaming with saliva, looking like a crazed demon.
Shen Yi quietly watched his face, his grip gradually softening as he gently stroked the madman's head, as if soothing a rabid dog.
The madman's body trembled, gradually calming down.
Then, he heard a calm voice, and his entire body felt like it had been struck by lightning.
"Thank you for the reminder."
Shen Yi's thin lips curled slightly, and a murderous aura emerged from his fair face, but his eyes remained clear. His voice was calm as he said, "I will not fail your trust."
The madman had disappeared for seven or eight days.
The blood-stained identity token mysteriously arrived in Linjiang Prefecture, and the madman only wanted to deliver one message to Qingzhou.
There's a monster, a powerful one, in the village!
(End of Chapter)
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