Er Hu's Home

Qian Yun, who was walking beside her, gently tapped the back of her hand. Hu Liena shook her head and offered a forced smile, signaling that she was fine.

Seeing this, Qian Yun didn't say anything more. He turned back, waved at the people from Martial Soul Hall behind him, and signaled for them to hurry up.

Along the way, villagers from the original Beast King Village kept recognizing Hu Liena and her group.

Their expressions varied; some greeted them warmly, but most cast cold, indifferent glances at Hu Liena as they brushed past.

Stepping once again onto this long-abandoned village path, the sights and people before her eyes felt both incredibly familiar and deeply strange.

Hu Liena walked indifferently, following Aunt Wu's brisk pace, but a casual glance to the side caused her to freeze in her tracks.

Qian Yun turned to look as well. After a moment of frowning in thought, he immediately realized where they were. Wasn't this small courtyard with the charred, withered tree the home where Hu Liena had lived since she was a child?!

Hu Liena stared blankly, her eyes fixed on the familiar scene. That stone platform was the village chief grandfather's favorite spot; whenever he finished his chores, he loved to sit there to rest and light his pipe, gazing at it. Looking at it now, Hu Liena felt as if she could already smell the pungent scent of old tobacco from her memories.

"Grandpa, it stinks, it's so unpleasant." A young Hu Liena, wearing a small floral dress, would cover her nose and mouth in annoyance, complaining with a muffled voice.

Whenever little Hu Liena complained, the village chief would always laugh and beg for mercy, promising it was the last puff, and she would always retort with, "I'll believe you one last time."

That water well was A-Qiang's exclusive domain; whenever there was laundry to be done or meals to be cooked, he would use his sturdy arms to haul bucket after bucket of water.

"Heh." She didn't know why, but she suddenly laughed. Her feet trembled, and as if bypassing the constraints of thought, Hu Liena strolled forward along the stone path of her memories.

She walked quietly, her hard leather boots making a soft, crisp sound against the turf, like bamboo shoots breaking through the soil.

Qian Yun and Aunt Wu stood outside the gate, watching silently. Neither was willing to speak and disturb her, for this was her time.

"Sigh." Aunt Wu let out a soft sigh and turned her head away, unable to bear watching any longer. "Qian Yun, is it?"

Qian Yun snapped back to reality and nodded. "Yes, please go ahead, Aunt Wu."

Aunt Wu looked up to meet his gaze, her dim eyes filled with gentleness. "You and Xiao Na have known each other for a long time, right? I understand her temperament; if you were just friends, she wouldn't be this close to you. I think you must have a very special meaning to her, don't you?"

"I..."

Aunt Wu raised her hand slightly to interrupt Qian Yun. "You don't need to rush to confirm or deny anything. When two people are together, the feelings between them—can those really be explained in a sentence or two?"

Qian Yun opened his mouth to speak but stopped. Finally, his gaze shifted to Hu Liena's back, and he nodded slowly. "Yes."

Hearing this, Aunt Wu smiled with relief. "Heh, don't think too much about the ramblings of an old woman like me."

She gently raised her rough hand, pressed it against Qian Yun's back, and whispered, "Go."

Qian Yun looked at Hu Liena's back once more, his golden eyes filled with a bit more certainty. He stepped forward to stand side-by-side with her. As if sensing his presence, Hu Liena leaned her slender frame against Qian Yun's shoulder, which was not particularly broad either.

The two stood there for a long time before they finally felt ready to leave the small courtyard, continuing to follow Aunt Wu's lead toward Er Hu's house.

In truth, even without Aunt Wu leading the way, one could easily find Er Hu's house by asking any villager, because their home was truly unique.

On the wide, lush green lawn, columns of water from fountains rose and fell, and the mist created a colorful bridge under the sunlight.

Looking further back, there was a three-story building. It was cream-colored, and its arched roof was covered in an exaggerated, flashy gold.

Around the house, there were no ordinary vegetable patches, but rather row upon row of fruit trellises. Not far from the house, there was even a stable where two sleek, shiny horses were leisurely grazing.

It didn't look like a house in a small village; it looked like a residence that only a wealthy young master could afford.

Qian Yun couldn't help but shake his head as he looked at all of this. Er Hu's house was just too over-the-top; even if they were rich, they didn't have to show it off like this.

Hu Liena wore a cold expression, nodding while sneering. Although she had long anticipated the character of Er Hu's family, she hadn't expected such blatant flaunting—it was as if they had "preying on the villagers" written all over their faces!

"Aunt Wu, is no one dissatisfied with Er Hu being this arrogant?" Hu Liena managed to stay calm, knowing she needed to understand the situation before holding them accountable.

Aunt Wu sighed again. "Sigh, Xiao Na, you know the situation in our village. Back then, after the funds from Martial Soul Hall were allocated, they were indeed put to good use."

"But letting their family serve as village chiefs was actually a move of desperation. After all, they are the only family in the village now that has a Spirit Master."

Hu Liena and Qian Yun listened quietly.

"When the village was still being rebuilt, Er Hu's family had already become the village chiefs. The first thing they did after taking office was to unite with several surrounding villages to carry out so-called 'unified management.' It meant that from then on, whether it was from hunting or farming, nothing could be sold privately; it all had to be handed over to them to sell, and then they would distribute the money."

Although Aunt Wu didn't say it explicitly, looking at the current results, this "unified management" was entirely to the benefit of Er Hu's family! As for the other villagers, they likely only received a few scraps.

"Does no one care?" Qian Yun asked with a frown. Since Martial Soul Hall was responsible for rebuilding Beast King Village, there was no reason they shouldn't be aware of the situation.

Aunt Wu replied helplessly, "People have reported it, but after all, this is still within the territory of the Heaven Dou Empire, and Martial Soul Hall can only do so much. Besides, after that great fire, the village's population dwindled, and over time, everyone just adopted a 'just get by' attitude."

"...Alright. Aunt Wu, you should go back and rest first. The rest is our business." Qian Yun said to Aunt Wu. Since Er Hu's family held absolute power in the village, Aunt Wu should avoid being involved.

Aunt Wu pondered for a moment, then finally nodded and cautioned, "I know you have great abilities now, but don't push yourselves too hard."

Qian Yun nodded, and only then did Aunt Wu turn and leave, shaking her head. Perhaps even she, who had long ignored the affairs of the world, knew that the sky over Beast King Village was about to change again.

Hu Liena was already walking ahead with a dark expression, and Qian Yun shook his head and followed.

Stepping onto the smooth, solid floor tiles, the anger in Hu Liena's heart grew ever stronger.

Back when the village chief grandfather was still alive, the village had been united, and neighbors were kind to one another. It was nothing like this lifeless, demoralized state it was in now.

Not to mention that they were colluding with other villages to exploit ordinary people, and as village chiefs, they were lining their own pockets.

She walked with a brisk, powerful stride, quickly climbed the steps, grabbed a chair from the side, and threw it with all her might. The iron chair smashed heavily into the lavishly decorated hall.

Accompanied by a loud crash, Hu Liena's angry roar echoed through the hall.

"Er Gou and that old bastard, get out here right now!!"

The angry roar echoed in the hall for a long time. After a brief silence, a head poked out from the second floor. When he saw who was downstairs, his angry expression instantly froze, then turned into visible surprise. However, the moment he opened his mouth, he nearly sent Hu Liena into a complete frenzy.

"W-Wife?!"

Hu Liena watched the idiotic expression on his lecherous face, and feeling a surge of blood rush to her head, she blurted out, "Er Gou, screw you! Who the hell is your wife? I'm your daddy!"

Despite being insulted, Er Hu was overjoyed, drool hanging from the corner of his mouth.

There was no mistake; only Hu Liena had the guts to call him Er Gou.

"What's going on? Who's the blind fool daring to curse me? Drag them out and feed them to the dogs!" A stout, pot-bellied middle-aged man walked out with a dark expression.

Er Hu didn't even turn his head, his eyes still fixed in a daze upon the beautiful figure downstairs. "Dad, don't say that. It's Xiao Na who's back!"

Before his father could react, he rushed out in a hurry.

His father, Da Hu, frowned and pondered for a moment. "Xiao Na...? What Xiao Na?"

He used his beady eyes, hidden in the folds of his bloated, fat face, to look carefully for a long while. Finally, he remembered something.

Oh, that Xiao Na! So she was still alive, but why was she back?

In the blink of an eye, Er Hu had leaped down the stairs, his foot catching on the edge, nearly face-planting. He hurriedly grabbed the railing, steadied himself in a disheveled state, and continued to stare blankly at Hu Liena. This was the person he had been dreaming of day and night.

The current Hu Liena was far more beautiful than when she was a child. Not only was she prettier, but her face and figure had begun to take on the shape of a mature woman. Paired with the look of disgust on her face—as if she were looking at trash—it was too beautiful, simply too beautiful!!

He wiped the drool from his mouth, finally managed to pull his gaze away, glanced down at his own robe, and hurriedly put on an apologetic smile before turning his head to tidy his appearance.

Hu Liena took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to strike him immediately, and snapped, "Er Gou! I didn't come here today to reminisce with you. If you know what's good for you, abolish that bullsh*t unified management of yours immediately! Don't force me to take action and make things awkward for everyone."

Before Er Hu could speak, Da Hu, who had been watching coldly from the sidelines, wouldn't have it. He snorted, "Hmph! Xiao Na, you keep saying 'daddy' and 'Er Gou'... Is 'Er Gou' something you can call him? You should call him Big Brother Er Hu, and you should address me as Village Chief."

"Pfft, you old thing. When my grandfather was alive, you were as obedient as my son. Do you really think you're qualified to act like an elder?"

"You!" Being pointed at and scolded by a junior in front of his own son was more than he could take! He rolled up his sleeves, ready to go up and give her a piece of his mind.

Seeing this, Er Hu hurriedly pulled him back and smiled apologetically. "Dad, don't lower yourself to a child's level. You're the Village Chief now; you can't go around fighting people like you used to. Leave it to me."

Hearing this, Da Hu shook off Er Hu's grip and snorted coldly.

That was right; he was the Village Chief now. He had to be mindful of his status and shouldn't act like a street thug, getting into fights with people.

He sneered, "You cursed me, but I am a magnanimous man and won't hold it against you. Regardless, I am of your uncle's generation; I watched you grow up. Are you really going to raise a hand against me?"

Hu Liena thought to herself, I absolutely would!

At this moment, a clear, resonant voice drifted in from outside. "It is indeed inconvenient for her to lay a hand on you, but I can do it on her behalf!"

Da Hu and Er Hu looked toward the sound and saw a handsome young man with black hair and golden eyes walking in against the light. Looking at him, both were confused. Who was this?

But the next moment, the sharp-eyed Da Hu widened his already small eyes, because he saw the group of people behind Qian Yun—specifically, the emblem of the Martial Soul Hall on their chests.

He dared not be negligent and hurriedly stepped forward, bending his fat body to bow. "Greetings, esteemed lords of the Martial Soul Hall."

"..."

What followed was a silence so profound you could hear a pin drop, broken only by a disdainful laugh from Hu Liena. "Heh, no need for such grand gestures. Get up."

Da Hu's heart skipped a beat as he stood up stiffly. He saw that the people from the Martial Soul Hall were standing behind Qian Yun and the girl like machines, completely motionless.

Seeing this scene, even as dull as he was, he knew things were going south. This young boy and Hu Liena were actually high-ranking members of the Martial Soul Hall?

Qian Yun shook his head and turned to look at the only Spirit Master currently in Beast King Village: Er Hu.

He saw a man with large hands and feet, a stubbly beard, and wearing a rather flashy moon-white robe.

However, his appearance was truly hard to compliment: sallow hair, protruding buck teeth, and somewhat unrefined features. Paired with a rather scrawny build, that flashy robe looked downright lecherous on him.

Hu Liena said coldly, "Er Hu, I don't want to repeat myself a third time. I only came back for five things."

Er Hu nodded blankly. Although the girl in front of him was still the one from his memories, she was already someone he couldn't afford to provoke.

Hu Liena held up her first finger. "First, the mistakes my grandfather made will be repaid by me, Hu Liena! I will provide fifty thousand gold coins. Every household in Beast King Village, regardless of size, will be compensated with four hundred gold coins. If it's not enough, you are responsible for making up the difference."

Da Hu gasped. There were one hundred and thirty households in Beast King Village now. Fifty thousand gold coins was a massive sum; even divided among households, it was over three hundred and eighty gold coins each. But Hu Liena wanted to compensate them four hundred gold coins at once... The difference would clearly force them to empty their entire family fortune!

"You're making unreasonable demands... No, this is clearly robbery!" Da Hu shouted, his voice trembling with feigned bravado.

Hu Liena narrowed her eyes, a biting chill radiating from her entire body. "I didn't ask for your opinion. I said it, and you will do it!"