Born a Bad Seed

Just as Er Gouzi waved his wrist around to show off, the high-cheekboned woman saw that Village Chief Li was still frowning and grew even more impatient.

In a shrill voice, she berated him:

"Look at how spineless you are! A washed-up nobody scared you this badly? Wait for him? Wait for what!

Once Heizi gets an opportunity, Fang Yuan will have a hard time of it! By then, whether he'll even be left with an intact corpse is hard to say!"

Her eyes rolled, a more vicious glint flashing through them. She lowered her voice, but every word brimmed with cruelty:

"I say waiting alone won't do! Hurry and have someone send word to my brother in the city. Doesn't he know people at the yamen?

Have him pull some strings in town and get in touch with a few capable human traffickers!"

The more she spoke, the more brilliant she found her idea. A cruel smile spread across her face:

"Once Master Heizi deals with Fang Yuan, that Liu Wanwan will be without a man to protect her. Won't she be ours to knead and pinch as we please?

That little slut may be a jinx, but her looks and figure are still worth something... Sell her straight to those shady places in the city!

It'll get rid of future trouble and earn us a tidy sum besides! Just right for saving up for our Doggie's future wife!"

Village Chief Li's eyelids twitched as he listened. He found the idea far too vicious and hesitated.

"This... this doesn't seem quite right, does it? We're all fellow villagers..."

"Pah!" The woman immediately spat, planting her hands on her hips. Her spittle nearly sprayed Village Chief Li's face.

"What fellow villagers? You're still softhearted at a time like this? I don't think you're softhearted—I think you've taken a fancy to that little slut!

Huh? You think that young wife's fair, tender skin is better than this sallow-faced old woman?!"

Her voice suddenly rose, filled with jealousy and suspicion, shrill enough to grate on the ears.

As if his secret thoughts had been exposed, Village Chief Li's old face reddened. Furious and embarrassed, he was just about to rebuke her.

BANG!!!

A thunderous explosion rang out!

The Li Family's fairly sturdy courtyard gate, as though struck by a massive hammer, suddenly burst inward!

Splintered wood flew everywhere. The broken door bolt shot straight out and smashed into the table in the main hall with a deafening clatter!

The immense crash and tremor seemed to make the entire house shake!

The three people inside were scared out of their wits by this sudden upheaval!

Village Chief Li's pipe fell from his hand with a clatter.

The arrogant woman let out a terrified shriek. The Gold bracelet flew from her hand, and only because she instinctively snatched at it did it avoid hitting the ground.

Amid the swirling dust and wood chips, a figure like a god of slaughter appeared in the shattered doorway.

The blood-red afterglow of the setting sun streamed in from behind him, stretching his tall, straight shadow long

across the floor of the Li Family's main hall, carrying an almost tangible pressure!

Outside the courtyard gate, villagers who had rushed over at the sound had already packed the area so tightly that not even water could trickle through.

"Village Chief Li, I've come to take back my sister's things."

Fang Yuan's calm voice carried over. It was not loud, yet it bore immense pressure!

Li Wangshi had initially been frightened half to death by Fang Yuan crashing through the gate, but once she recovered somewhat from the shock,

she saw the dark mass of villagers behind Fang Yuan, all pointing and whispering. A surge of spite and shrewish boldness immediately flared up within her again!

She was certain Fang Yuan would not dare truly strike in full view of everyone. She also felt this was a perfect opportunity to cement the Fang Family's theft and utterly ruin their reputation!

Before Village Chief Li could speak, Li Wangshi clenched the Gold bracelet in her fist as if she had seized irrefutable proof.

In a shrill voice, she launched the first attack, her finger nearly poking Fang Yuan in the face:

"What bracelet? Well, well, Fang Yuan! You poor, sour washed-up wretch! You stole my Doggie's Gold bracelet, and you still dare come pounding on our door?

Do you really think the Old Li Family is so easy to bully? Everyone, come look! A scholar has stolen something! Caught red-handed, and he still wants to snatch it by force!"

She turned black into white, her voice sharp and piercing as it instantly spread through the entire courtyard.

Liu Wanwan trembled with rage. She stepped forward, her voice quivering but exceptionally resolute.

"You're lying! That bracelet is clearly mine! It was brought from my natal family! Your child snatched it from Douding's hand!"

"Yours?" Li Wangshi laughed as though she had heard the greatest joke in the world, her exaggerated laughter brimming with contempt.

"Hahaha! I'm dying of laughter! Your family is so poor you can't even uncover the pot, and mice would cry as they crawled out of your house!

You think you could produce a Gold bracelet of such quality? At least make your lies sound believable!

This was clearly part of my dowry from my natal family, which I saved for Doggie's future wife! How did it become yours? Call out to it and see if it answers you!"

The surrounding villagers immediately broke into murmurs, whispering among themselves.

"Yeah, the Fang Family is so poor. Where would they get a Gold bracelet?"

"The headman's family is well-off. Having a Gold bracelet isn't strange..."

"Could it really have been stolen?"

"Tsk, tsk, who would've thought..."

As these whispers reached Li Wangshi's ears, she grew even more smug and cast Fang Yuan a provocative look!

Seeing his mother so imposing, the fat Er Gouzi forgot his fear as well. He poked his head out from behind the woman.

Imitating an adult's tone, he viciously cursed at Little Bean Sprout, whom Fang Yuan held in his arms:

"You little bastard! Thief! I'll sell you to human traffickers!"

After cursing, he glared at Fang Yuan with smug arrogance. What could you do to me?

Little Bean Sprout was so frightened that she shrank farther behind Fang Yuan.

Liu Wanwan trembled all over with fury at Village Chief Li's family's shameless conduct—turning black into white and throwing their weight around.

She had read some books since childhood and understood reason and propriety. When had she ever seen such shameless, unruly behavior?

For a moment, she was choked speechless. She only felt a mass of stifling anger lodged in her chest, and her eyes reddened again.

Fang Yuan sensed her trembling. Turning his head, he said quietly, "Don't be angry. You can't reason with people like this. Leave it to me."

He first handed Little Bean Sprout in his arms to Liu Wanwan, gently rubbing his sister's hair to signal that she need not be afraid.

Only then did he turn his gaze toward Er Gouzi, who was still glaring at him arrogantly.

There was not a trace of the innocence a child ought to have in that boy's eyes—only the overindulgent insolence and fearless impunity of one who had been spoiled, even a malice that did not match his age.

The last trace of hesitation in Fang Yuan's heart vanished. He was certain that some people were born bad seeds, and being young was absolutely no excuse for doing evil.

Fang Yuan spoke calmly, his voice carrying clearly into every ear:

"Just now, I never said that what I came to take back was a Gold bracelet."

As his words fell, Li Wangshi felt her face burn!

That was right! From the moment Fang Yuan entered until now, he had only said he was "taking back my sister's things." He had never specifically said what it was!

In her panic, she had immediately displayed the Gold bracelet and spent all that time arguing about it. Wasn't that... practically confessing without being asked?

But she regained her composure in an instant. So what?

Before she could think of an excuse, Fang Yuan's gaze had already locked coldly onto Er Gouzi as he continued:

"What I've come to take back is this!"

Before the words had finished falling, everyone saw a blur before their eyes!

Fang Yuan moved as fast as lightning. He stepped forward and shot out a hand, like an eagle snatching a chick,

effortlessly hauling the plump Er Gouzi out from behind the woman and lifting him high into the air!