One Gold Crystal Coin Buys Your Lives

At these words, the entire crowd widened their eyes in sudden realization.

"Su Yuexi is that woman from the Su Clan who is the ugliest in all of Yun Province, and that man just now is her criminal husband."

With this explanation, everyone understood.

One had to know that the marriage bestowed upon Su Yuexi by the Lord of Yun Province had brought such shame to the Su Clan that it had become the talk of all Yunye City.

There was no one in the entire city who did not know of it.

"Damn it, to actually call Su Yuexi the greatest beauty in the world—how disgusting."

After the crowd reacted, they couldn't help but twitch their lips. Was that criminal specifically trying to nauseate people?

Meanwhile, Lu Zhao had quietly retreated back into the Heaven Martial Pavilion. He drew a sharp breath and muttered, "An exiled criminal, a marriage bestowed by the Lord of Yun Province, and the ability to carve Martial Intent into a Green Jade Slate—a feat only a transcendent martial artist could achieve..."

"This man is certainly extraordinary and must not be offended. Perhaps he is on some special mission."

Lu Zhao recalled Sikong Jing's warning: do not ask too much about certain things, lest you invite a fatal disaster...

Shuddering violently, Lu Zhao tightened his grip on the Green Jade Slate.

He made up his mind to keep his mouth shut. This Green Jade Slate, a windfall from the heavens, would stay buried in his stomach; he would just enjoy the secret thrill!

On the other side, Sikong Jing, with one hundred Gold Crystal Coins tucked away, returned to the Su Mansion by the same path.

As he approached the mansion, he saw his mother-in-law, Mei Xiaofang, pacing anxiously in front of the gate of an ordinary courtyard, seemingly waiting for someone.

Just as Sikong Jing was about to step forward to greet her, a middle-aged woman dressed in flashy, gaudy clothes stepped out from the courtyard.

Mei Xiaofang hurried to stop her, her face full of smiles. "Oh, Madam Liu, why have you only just come out?"

As she spoke, her face was filled with a fawning expression.

The Madam Liu opposite her, however, looked arrogant. She suddenly pulled a small pouch from her bosom and said, "I already know about the Su family's situation. Take this money; you don't need to pay it back."

With that, she tossed the small pouch over.

After catching it, Mei Xiaofang looked at Madam Liu with excitement. "Thank you, thank you so much. I've asked many of my old sisters, and only you, Madam Liu, were willing to help me."

After saying this, she took her leave and carefully opened the small money pouch...

The next instant, her excited expression stiffened.

Mei Xiaofang turned back in disbelief, staring blankly at Madam Liu. "Ten, ten Copper Crystal Plates?"

She had come to borrow money, just as she had told Madam Liu moments ago.

Over the past two days, she had sought out many of her so-called "good sisters," only to be chased away or met with excuses. Only Madam Liu had been willing to help, and she had even said the money didn't need to be repaid.

Yet, the small pouch contained only ten Copper Crystal Plates—not even enough to cover Aunt Li's daily wages.

Madam Liu narrowed her eyes and sneered, "Think it's too little?"

Mei Xiaofang's face flushed red. "Madam Liu, I am not a beggar."

"Ha? You're not a beggar? If running around begging for money doesn't make you a beggar, what does?" Madam Liu let out a strange laugh before adding, "It was a bodhisattva's heart that made me give you ten Copper Crystal Plates. Take the money and get lost."

With that, Madam Liu turned to head back inside.

In the distance, Sikong Jing's eyes turned red, and anger burned in his heart. This Madam Liu was going too far.

Just as he prepared to step forward to confront her, Mei Xiaofang suddenly cried out, "Madam Liu, please, I beg you to lend me a little more money, otherwise my son-in-law will be forced to his death tomorrow."

In an instant, Sikong Jing's footsteps halted, and he felt as if he had been struck by lightning.

The reason his mother-in-law, Mei Xiaofang, was begging Madam Liu for money was that she feared he would be forced to his death?

If he couldn't pay the wages of Aunt Li and the other servants within three days, he would have to pay with his life, and his mother-in-law had previously made it clear in her words that she hoped he would commit suicide as soon as possible.

Yet now, she was humbling herself to beg for money for his sake, enduring being treated like a beggar.

Sikong Jing's heart felt as if it were being twisted together.

At the gate, Madam Liu sneered repeatedly. "Whether your son-in-law lives or dies, what does that have to do with me?"

Madam Liu remained as heartless as ever.

"If he dies, Yuexi probably won't be able to live either."

Mei Xiaofang cried out miserably, lunging toward the gate. "Madam Liu, you watched Yuexi grow up. Please, lend me some money; I will definitely pay you back."

Bang!

The gate slammed shut in response, and Madam Liu's voice drifted from within: "Don't use that ugly freak to disgust me."

Bang, bang, bang...

Mei Xiaofang pounded heavily on the gate. "Madam Liu, the wealth and glory your Liu family enjoys today were helped along by my Su Zhenglong. You cannot be so ungrateful!"

Alas, the gate of the Liu Family Courtyard remained silent, offering no response.

Collapsing to the ground, Mei Xiaofang looked at the ten Copper Crystal Plates in her hand, her heart aching to the extreme. When Su Zhenglong was in his prime, everyone had come to fawn over him and reap the benefits.

The master of the Liu family had originally been nothing but a lowly blacksmith; it was Su Zhenglong who had helped him develop step by step to where he was today.

Yet now, all she got in return was being called a beggar, ten Copper Crystal Plates, and the sound of a heartless door slamming shut.

After a long while, Mei Xiaofang left, looking utterly soul-broken.

It was only after she had walked far away that the Liu family's gate opened once more. Madam Liu emerged, clutching the arm of a middle-aged man, and sneered, "Husband, we finally sent that beggar woman packing."

"But won't giving her ten Copper Crystal Plates upset Second Master Su, Su Zhengtao?"

The middle-aged man was her husband, Liu Neng, and he let out a hearty laugh.

"How could it?"

"Second Master Su will be nothing but pleased. Using ten Copper Crystal Plates to humiliate his sister-in-law might even anger his older brother, Su Zhenglong, to death. It's a bargain!"

At this, Liu Neng sighed, "It's a pity Su Yuexi is so ugly now. If she still looked like she did ten years ago... tsk tsk, I would have made her my concubine no matter what."

Madam Liu giggled and scolded, "You lecher. If she still looked like that, would it ever have been your turn?"

If Su Yuexi hadn't become disfigured and had grown up smoothly, she would have been snatched up by someone long ago.

"That's true. Still, with that veil on, her figure isn't half bad. It wouldn't be a bad idea to take her for myself once Su Zhenglong is dead."

"Haha, let's hurry up and get dressed so we can go find Second Master Su to collect our reward."

After Liu Neng finished speaking, he closed the gate again.

However, the moment they turned around, they saw a young man already standing in the courtyard. Liu Neng instinctively cried out in shock, "Who are you? What are you doing in my house?"

The young man had appeared too abruptly, standing in the courtyard with an eerie, terrifying presence, like a god of death.

"I am Su Yuexi's husband, Sikong Jing."

Sikong Jing's straight figure carried gusts of chilling wind, his eyes boiling with murderous intent. Suddenly, with a ding, a Gold Crystal Coin hit the ground.

"One Gold Crystal Coin to repay your ten Copper Crystal Plates; the rest is to buy your lives."

As the words fell, Sikong Jing flashed forward, grabbed both of their necks, and snapped them with a crisp crack.

Liu Neng and his wife died with their eyes wide open, unable to rest in peace.