Family Destroyed

Azure Creek Village lay beneath the desolate mountains at the border of the Great Flame Dynasty. The village was dilapidated, with only sparse wisps of cooking smoke rising.

In this age of Demons running rampant, merely struggling to stay alive was the villagers' greatest hope.

Outside a low, shabby adobe house at the eastern end of the village, villagers had gathered to watch the spectacle. Fear showed on every face. None dared step forward, yet they couldn't help lingering to watch.

Inside the courtyard, cries and desperate pleas intertwined with harsh rebukes, laying bare the despair of the common folk at the bottom of this chaotic age.

"Master Qian, please, grant us a few more days!"

Li Dahai's body was bent with age, his weathered face lined with deep wrinkles. With a thud, he dropped to his knees and clutched the fat landlord's leg before him, tears streaming down his face.

"The two taels of silver we borrowed from you back then were to survive the famine and avoid starving to death. This past year, we've scrimped and saved, repaying all we could, but we truly can't gather the five taels of silver after all that interest upon interest!"

Mother Li had also collapsed to the ground, tightly shielding her two daughters behind her as she wept heartbrokenly.

The eldest sister, Li Xiu, was pale as a sheet. She bit her lip hard, trembling all over.

Only twelve years old, the younger sister Li Ling'er huddled in her mother's arms in terror. Her little body shook without stop, her eyes brimming with tears, yet she didn't dare make a sound.

The man whose leg was being clutched was none other than the renowned Qian the Tycoon, famous throughout the surrounding villages.

He owned a thousand mu of fertile land and loaned money at usurious rates all year round.

In this troubled age, he lived exceedingly well by squeezing the villagers dry. He even kept several fierce household guards under his command, leaving ordinary villagers angry but afraid to speak out.

Qian the Tycoon thrust out his round belly, his fleshy face filled with impatience, and kicked Father Li away.

"More time? When you borrowed the money, it was written in black and white: interest upon interest, repayment when due. In Azure Creek Village, I've never had a rule of granting anyone more time."

"You're a household of old, weak, sick, and crippled people. Your harvest can't even cover the taxes. Don't even dream of repaying this debt in your lifetime."

His triangular eyes fixed on the young and delicate Li Ling'er behind Mother Li. A flash of greed and malice passed through his gaze. With a sweep of his large hand, he bellowed at the household guards behind him.

"Since they have no money to repay it, then they'll pay with a person. Take this little girl away and sell her to a wealthy household in the city as a maid. That'll settle the debt."

Having received their orders, several vicious-looking household guards immediately swarmed forward to seize her by force.

Li Ling'er's little face turned deathly pale with fright, and her whole body trembled.

"No! Let go of my daughter!"

Mother Li lunged forward like a madwoman, trying to protect Li Ling'er.

She knew that once Li Ling'er fell into Qian the Tycoon's hands, her fate would be unimaginably miserable.

"Ah... the Li Family is finished."

"The Li Family's only son was taken away for military service two years ago. There hasn't been any news since. He might've died out there long ago. Without a pillar of support at home, they can only let others bully them."

"Another family destroyed by Qian the Tycoon."

"..."

Seeing the Li Family's plight, the villagers couldn't bear it, but they didn't dare step forward either.

They could barely protect themselves. How could they dare offend Qian the Tycoon?

"Get lost."

Father Li and Mother Li were shoved to the ground by several household guards. Their foreheads struck the bluestone slabs, and blood immediately seeped out.

The eldest sister, Li Xiu, rushed forward to stop them, only to be roughly shoved aside by a guard and sent tumbling to the ground.

"Father, Mother, Big Sister!"

Li Ling'er burst into tears in terror. Her tiny body was tightly gripped by the household guards. She struggled desperately, but couldn't break free at all.

"Please, let my daughter go! I'll work for you like an ox or a horse! Please!"

Father Li crawled forward, trying to reach her, but a household guard planted a foot on his back, leaving him unable to move. His face was covered in dirt and tears.

In this age of Demons running rampant, common people were as cheap as grass. Before rural tyrants like Qian the Tycoon, powerless mortals like them didn't even have the right to resist. They could only be slaughtered at others' whim.

The surrounding villagers shook their heads and sighed, their faces full of sympathy, but none dared stand out to say another word, afraid of drawing fire upon themselves.

Everyone knew Qian the Tycoon was ruthless and vicious. Offending him meant they wouldn't be able to survive in this chaotic age.

"Take her away!"

A lecherous gleam appeared in Qian the Tycoon's eyes. His turtle-sized eyes roamed over Li Ling'er's body again and again, his face openly full of lust.

A debt had to be repaid—it was only natural. The Li Family couldn't repay the silver, so he was taking Li Ling'er away. Even if the Li Family reported him to the authorities, he had every reason on his side.

"Ling'er..."

Father Li and the others let out heart-rending cries, struggling to rise, but several household guards held them down tightly. They could only watch helplessly as Li Ling'er was taken away.

Just then, a set of orderly footsteps came from the direction of the village entrance.

Several men dressed in blue official constable uniforms approached quickly, clubs in hand and imposing in bearing.

The constable captain at their head wore a cold expression and carried himself with great authority.

"Stop! In broad daylight, you seize an innocent girl by force and oppress decent people. Who gave you the nerve?"

The constable captain's fierce shout rang out loud and clear, instantly startling everyone into stillness.

Qian the Tycoon and his household guards froze. When they turned and saw the officials, their expressions changed slightly, but they remained undaunted.

He had greased palms throughout Azure County. Normally, the authorities turned a blind eye to what he did.

"What is this? Why have the constables come?"

Both Qian the Tycoon and the villagers were surprised, unable to understand why the constables had suddenly arrived.

Everyone hurriedly cleared a path, afraid of angering the constables.

Since ancient times, commoners didn't fight officials. Even if the constables beat them to death, they would die for nothing.

When commoners encountered constables, they were like mice seeing cats—they avoided them whenever possible.

A fawning smile piled onto Qian the Tycoon's greasy, fat face as he walked toward the constables, utterly different from his earlier arrogance.

Though he was wealthy in these parts, he was ultimately still a commoner. Before official constables, he had to lower his head.

"Sir Constable, this is a private matter between the Li Family and me. They owe me silver and won't repay it, so I'm taking a person to settle the debt. It's only natural."

Qian the Tycoon cupped his hands and explained to the constables.

"A private matter?"

The constable captain sneered. His gaze swept over the bedraggled, desperate, helpless Li Family, then turned to Qian the Tycoon as he barked sharply.

"In the Great Flame Dynasty, with the law standing before us, how can you be permitted to act so recklessly? Besides, do you know who this family is?"

Qian the Tycoon frowned, sensing that something was wrong.

He had done this sort of thing plenty of times. In the past, the officials had only turned a blind eye. Why were they making such an issue of it this time?

Though puzzled, he didn't think much of it. His gaze swept over the Li Family members still on the ground, and his face filled with contempt.

"They're nothing but a pack of lowly commoners. What background could they possibly have?"

"Lowly commoners?" The constable captain spoke loudly, his voice carrying throughout the courtyard so every surrounding villager could hear him clearly.

"I am a constable under the Azure County magistrate's assistant. Today, I have come especially to Azure Creek Village to deliver an order from the county yamen."

"The Li Family's son, Li Xuancang, enlisted to guard the border two years ago. He now fights bloodily at the frontier and has slain Barbarians. He has officially been entered into the Great Flame Dynasty's regular military rolls, becoming a Battle Soldier registered by the imperial court."