It was the forty-eighth day since Yin Shiniang had left.
Chentang Pass, the Li Residence.
Only when the first ray of morning sunlight shone into the room did Li Jing slowly awaken, only to discover that he had once again spent the night on the floor.
His head felt ready to split, and even his lower back ached terribly.
After some time passed and Li Jing fully came to his senses, fury consumed him.
The seventeenth time!
As the master of the Li Residence, he had already slept on the floor seventeen times this month.
How could Li Jing not be furious?
"A Bao, get your ass in here! A-" Li Jing's first instinct was to call for his personal manservant.
But after calling twice, he remembered that his concubine, Pipa Fox Spirit, had ordered that servant beaten to death with staves yesterday.
That was precisely why he had been drinking last night.
He sighed.
At that thought, Li Jing was overwhelmed with distress.
He himself could not understand why his life had become such a wretched mess, neither human nor ghost.
It seemed to have started when Yin Shiniang left.
When Yin Shiniang had been around, she had kept the inner household in perfect order every day.
Whether he was dressing, eating, washing, or going out, Yin Shiniang had arranged everything beautifully for him. All he had needed to do was enjoy it.
But ever since Yin Shiniang left, the entire household had descended into chaos.
Pipa Fox Spirit paid no attention to any of these things. She cared only about enjoying herself-how could she spare a thought for household affairs?
Besides, she did not know how!
Coaxing Li Jing and whispering a few sweet nothings was no problem for her.
But when it came to all the practical details of daily life, her true colors were laid bare.
Now Li Jing truly regretted it!
Sometimes, that was how things went: only after losing something did one learn to treasure it.
If Heaven gave Li Jing another chance, he would never treat Yin Shiniang that way again.
After all, a wife who knew how to manage their lives, could keep his household in order, and could give him considerable help when he went to war was someone he could not find even with a lantern.
Having a little fun with a woman like Pipa Fox Spirit was all well and good, but making her mistress of the household was another matter entirely.
She truly was not cut out for it.
One could even say that she was unwilling to make any effort in that direction.
What could he do?
Thinking of this, Li Jing, whose regret could grow no greater, could not help downing another large jar of fine wine.
As Li Jing drank, his heart grew increasingly uneasy. The more he thought, the more aggrieved he felt; the more he thought, the fiercer his anger became.
Crash!
He smashed the wine jar in his hand, then stormed straight into the inner quarters, his face blazing with anger.
There, he witnessed a scene that sent his fury soaring to the heavens.
Pipa Fox Spirit was fornicating in bed with a manservant from the residence, while a large crowd of maids and manservants stood watching in the room.
Two other manservants were even wielding wooden clubs, pounding another servant's backside with all their might.
That servant had been beaten into a bloody pulp. He was barely breathing now, with half his life already gone.
At the sight, Li Jing nearly fainted with rage.
Heavens above!
He, Li Jing, had actually been made to wear a cuckold's green hat-and a whole crowd was watching!
Li Jing immediately began shaking all over with rage, trembling so badly that he could not even get a complete sentence out.
Humiliating! Shameful! Damn them!
"What are you bastards doing? You damned scoundrels! I'll beat you all to death!"
His face twisted with fury, Li Jing drew the precious sword at his waist, murderous intent radiating from him.
Everyone in the room turned deathly pale with fright, then dropped to their knees and begged incessantly for mercy.
They felt wronged too.
Master, do you think we want to watch this sordid business?
But we have no choice. Your concubine insists on keeping us beside her. Show the slightest reluctance, and we'll be beaten to death on the spot.
Don't you see that half-dead servant? He only showed a little reluctance, and they beat him into this state!
Yet although Li Jing was furious, Pipa Fox Spirit did not take it to heart in the slightest.
She waved a hand casually and said indifferently, "All of you, leave for now. And beat that fellow to death and feed him to the dogs while you're at it."
Hearing those words, everyone in the room felt as though they had received a grand pardon.
As they withdrew, they hauled the fellow on the floor out as though dragging a dead dog.
Only after everyone had left did Pipa Fox Spirit wind herself around Li Jing with a radiant smile and say softly, "Brother Jing, why did you wake up so early today? Are you still upset that I didn't keep you company?"
"But you can't blame me for that. After all, you've been thinking about that vile woman Yin Shiniang every day lately. What could I do?"
"Brother Jing, don't be so angry. How about I keep you company and have some fun with you today?"
Li Jing stared in utter bewilderment.
You fucking put such an enormous cuckold's green hat on my head, right in front of me.
And now you're talking to me like this, as though nothing happened at all.
How can you be so shameless?
"You wretch! You were just carrying on with that servant. Don't you have anything to say for yourself?" Li Jing asked coldly, furious, his face a terrifying shade of livid gray.
Pipa Fox Spirit replied disdainfully, "Brother Jing, didn't you already know I was a fox spirit?"
"This sort of thing is perfectly normal among us Foxfolk. All our people do it."
"We simply choose whoever catches our fancy. It's your humans' pompous rules that I still can't understand."
"Why should a woman belong to only one man, while a man can have countless women? It makes no sense at all."
"We Foxfolk are different. Men can sleep with any woman they please, and women can choose any man who catches their fancy. It's perfectly fair to everyone."
"Brother Jing, since you married me, shouldn't you learn a little more about our Foxfolk customs?"
Li Jing's mind went blank. Was that really how things were?
Seeing how utterly natural Pipa Fox Spirit thought all this was, Li Jing felt as though thunderbolts were crashing down around him.
He was completely stupefied, unable to utter a single word.
But Pipa Fox Spirit did not notice this at all. Instead, she said outright, "I have three sisters here, all very beautiful. Why don't you marry all three of them too, Brother Jing?"
"You can sleep with all four of us together. Honestly, I promise it'll feel wonderful!"
"I also have two brothers among the Foxfolk. Brother Jing, I think you should make them your deputy commanders."
"When appointing people, our own family is still the better choice, don't you think?"
Li Jing: "..."
He could not say a single word now. His face alternated between ashen and livid, his eyes brimming with murderous intent and rage.
Then, with a splutter, he sprayed out a great mouthful of blood and promptly fainted.
Just then, a streak of rainbow light swept across the sky, and Yu Ding Zhenren landed in the Li Residence.
"Brother Li Jing, I've come with good news for you!"
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