Yun Manman steadied herself, her purple eyes sweeping sharply over Old Woman Wang and the villagers.
"I have a bad temper. I don't want to hear any gossip about me, or else... After all, I do kill people!"
Looking at the terror in the villagers' eyes, Yun Manman's gaze remained indifferent and unruffled. These villagers had witnessed her killing people today.
There would likely be no shortage of gossip in the future. She had no desire to manage relations with her neighbors, so she might as well make them fear her.
The village chief was also stunned by what Yun Manman had done. Seeing the girl turn to leave, he spoke with a measure of caution.
"Lass Yun, what should we..."
Hearing the village chief's voice, Yun Manman turned to look at him.
The respect and caution in his eyes raised him a few notches in Yun Manman's estimation.
"Village chief, staying alive matters more than anything. Since you can't resist the people of Beilin, hide!"
"Well..."
The village chief wanted to say more.
But Yun Manman had already walked over to the corpses and begun searching them on her own.
Seeing his daughter rummaging through them, Old Father Yun hurried over and caught her arm.
"Manman, what are you looking for?"
Yun Manman answered in all seriousness, "I'm looking for silver!"
"Silv..."
Old Father Yun was stunned by his daughter's words, but then he thought about it. That was right!
Wouldn't these corpses have silver on them?
He nudged Yun Manman back and spoke solemnly.
"Manman, just let your father handle this rough work. You're tired. Go rest on that rock!"
Yun Manman raised her eyebrows, the corners of her mouth lifting, and held out a hand to indicate that Old Father Yun could do as he pleased.
"Suit yourself!"
Excitement in his eyes, Old Father Yun began searching the corpses while the villagers stood watching from a short distance away.
Envy and jealousy filled many of their eyes, yet not one dared step forward to fight for this chance to pick up silver.
After all, that girl could kill!
Yun Manman wiped all six blades clean. Looking at the gleaming blades, her head was filled with one thought.
Where's my blade?
Retracing her steps, she saw the large saber lying on the ground, and the corners of her mouth twitched.
"Where was my brain? I had a blade in my hand, but instead of using it, I threw it away and went to snatch someone else's. I nearly got disfigured, too!"
The resentment let out a satisfied belch. "It's fine. As long as you can beat people up and kill them, having a brain doesn't matter!"
Yun Manman rolled her eyes and snapped,
"Shut up, you!"
Holding the gleaming blades, Yun Manman had just caught up with Old Father Yun.
Then the sight before her stunned her. Was she sure these weren't ancient ruins left behind?
The earthen courtyard walls were pitted all over and looked ready to collapse at any moment.
The wall on the right leaned to one side, propped up by a large timber.
And this little wooden gate had been patched and mended for who knew how many years...
Yun Manman pressed her lips together, astonishment in her purple eyes, and kept reassuring herself.
It's fine. I can kill people, I can beat people up, I can curse people out, and I can earn silver to build a villa!
Old Father Yun unlocked the wooden gate and pushed it open, revealing Madam Zhou beside the stone table, her long hair tied with a strip of cloth.
Hearing the gate open, she rushed over, anxiety written across her delicate face.
Old Father Yun hurried forward to steady Madam Zhou, his voice filled with concern and tenderness.
"Slow down, Xiuniang. Manman and I are both fine. Your health is poor; you mustn't get agitated."
Worry filled Madam Zhou's eyes. She first looked Old Father Yun over, only relaxing once she saw he was uninjured, then glared at him.
"You're thick-skinned and tough, so of course you're fine. Our Manman is a delicate darling. What if she got bumped or hurt?"
Yun Manman surveyed the courtyard: damaged walls riddled with pits and cracks, a mud floor, and thatched roofs. All four sides of the courtyard seemed on the verge of collapse.
Her gaze shifted to the clothes Madam Zhou and Old Father Yun wore. Patches covered still more patches, and even the toes of their shoes bore several layers of patches.
Yun Manman pressed her lips together, feeling that her horizons had been broadened this time. She had never seen such an impoverished household.
Madam Zhou came forward and took Yun Manman's hand, first checking her front and back, her eyes full of tenderness and concern.
"I heard all that shouting outside, but the gate was locked, and I couldn't get out. Why did you run outside instead of staying put, you silly girl? All you do is make me worry."
Yun Man looked at the woman before her. She was in her thirties, pale and thin, clearly someone who had spent years bedridden. The worry in her eyes was genuine and anxious.
"I'm fine. See, I'm back, aren't I? Don't worry."
"Ah, good, that's good. You..."
Madam Zhou had only just relaxed when she noticed Yun Manman's eyes, and even her voice trembled slightly.
"Man... Man, your, your eyes... Do you have a fever again?"
Yun Manman's gaze gradually deepened. She had thought Old Father Yun was lying, but now it seemed things weren't so simple.
"I'm sorry. My eyes won't change back. I don't feel unwell now, and I don't have a fever."
Tender concern filled Madam Zhou's eyes. She stepped forward and gathered Yun Manman into her arms, and Yun Manman's body went rigid.
This was a feeling she had never experienced before. Though she was deeply unused to it and her whole body resisted, she did not push Madam Zhou away.
Madam Zhou seemed not to notice anything unusual and gently patted Yun Manman's back to comfort her.
"Manman, don't be sad. I think my Manman looks even prettier with purple eyes!"
Yun Manman sighed softly. Since she had chosen to stay, the matter of the old Yun family had to be settled. It was time to tell them the truth.
"Father, Mother, Grandfather, Grandmother, and Second Uncle wanted to ruin my chastity. I nearly died in the back hills today and almost didn't make it home."
Old Father Yun jolted in shock. "Manman, you, what did you say?"
Madam Zhou also looked at Yun Manman in panic, her lips trembling for a long time without a sound. She was clearly terrified.
"Today, Grandmother drove me out to the back hills to dig wild vegetables. Three men suddenly appeared and tried to rape me. I fought them desperately, and they nearly strangled me to death.
"My consciousness gradually blurred, and I thought I was going to die. Suddenly, I felt strength enter my body. Then my eyes turned purple, and somehow I knew martial arts."
Panic and unease filled Madam Zhou's and Old Father Yun's eyes. They did not care at all why their daughter's personality had changed or why she knew martial arts. They only wanted to know whether she was hurt.
Seeing that neither of them questioned her eyes or martial arts, Yun Man continued.
"Only after I interrogated those men did I learn that Grandfather, Grandmother, and Second Uncle had told them to defile me. Then they would bring the villagers to the back hills to catch them in the act.
"That way, once I'd lost my chastity and the villagers spurned me, they could sell me to the woodcutter next door without a hitch."
"Fuck! (•́へ•́╬)"
Old Father Yun swore, then, his fury soaring to the heavens, grabbed the woodcutting axe and roared,
"I'm going to kill them! They're not human! Beasts! He doesn't deserve to be your grandfather!"
Madam Zhou's face grew even paler. She crumpled to the ground, sobbing too hard to speak, regretting that she had been powerless to protect her daughter and had let her lose her chastity.