Imperial Husband Chapter 79

Early the next morning, as Li Jin and the others had just gotten up, they heard the sound of cursing outside. Ping'an immediately asked Dongzi, "Dongzi, has something happened outside?"

"Ah, I was just about to tell you." Seeing Ping'an ask first, Dongzi, who hadn't known how to bring it up, couldn't help but sigh in relief. "It's like this, they want to ask if the bad men who were occupying the village well were driven away by you all…"

Yesterday, several villagers went to the well, wanting to exchange for water with the ruffians guarding it. However, when they arrived, they found the ruffians were gone, and they were very surprised.

This situation was happening for the first time. Previously, those ruffians would always leave three or four people guarding the well to prevent villagers without money to exchange from stealing the water.

But due to long-term oppression and threats, the villagers still didn't dare act rashly, afraid the ruffians would suddenly reappear.

This situation didn't last long.

Some villagers who happened to have seen Li Jin and the others clash with the ruffians suddenly recalled the incident. This led to the villagers gathering outside Dongzi's house, wanting to get a clear explanation.

"So that's how it is." Ping'an nodded, showing a suddenly understanding expression, but soon, his expression turned to confusion. "Ah, no, Dongzi, if you knew, why didn't you tell me earlier?"

These villagers had been gathering outside for a while. Ping'an had thought it was odd, but since Dongzi hadn't mentioned it, the matter had slipped his mind.

"I couldn't bring myself to say it."

Dongzi lowered his head.

Their attitude was not good. Many even believed that Li Jin and the others were harming them. The only reason they hadn't charged in to confront them was because they feared Li Jin's group's capabilities and didn't dare act recklessly.

"Uh... I didn't mean you..."

Hearing the dejection in Dongzi's voice, Ping'an immediately felt embarrassed.

"Enough." Li Jin took a step forward and looked at Dongzi. "Dongzi, go tell them I will come out shortly to explain things clearly to them."

"But they..."

"It's fine, go quickly."

Li Jin shook his head, signaling Dongzi not to worry too much.

From Dongzi's hesitant manner when he arrived, combined with what he just said, Li Jin knew these villagers meant no good, or rather, had come to assign blame.

"Alright."

Since Li Jin said so, Dongzi bit his lower lip and ran out.

Ying Yuan said worriedly, "A-Jin, I'll go with you."

"Young master, I'll go too."

Ping'an was also worried something unexpected might happen and shouted that he wanted to go along.

"No need, too many people will just make it worse. A-Yuan, wait here for me. I will go by myself and return soon." Leaving only these words, Li Jin walked straight out.

"Young master, wait for me..."

Ping'an, unwilling to give up, tried to follow.

However, before Ping'an could take more than a few steps, he was blocked by Ying Yuan, who suddenly appeared in front of him. "A-Jin said he wants to handle it himself, we should trust him."

"Uh, Seventh... Seventh Young Master, you can't say that. Just listening to the noise, you can tell there are many people out there. For the young master to go out alone like this, isn't it seeking death? Besides, the young master's health is poor, what if something happens?"

Ping'an was hopping from foot to foot in a state of frantic anxiety.

Ying Yuan stated firmly, "I believe A-Jin can handle it."

Li Jin's health was indeed not great, but Ying Yuan knew that the martial arts Li Jin had displayed before were quite good. Against ordinary villagers, self-defense shouldn't be a problem at all.

"Seventh Young Master..."

"Ping'an, you should have more faith in A-Jin. Besides, I am also here. If they want to harm A-Jin, I will definitely not stand by idly."

Although Ying Yuan was still talking to Ping'an, the moment Li Jin left, Ying Yuan had already secretly focused his hearing on the sounds outside. If anything seemed amiss, he would rush out immediately.

___

"Come out! You outsiders, come out now!"

"Daring to act but not daring to admit it, what kind of people are you? If those people come back for revenge, we will never let you off. Even if we die, we'll drag you down with us."

"Come out! Come out!"

Having waited for two days without seeing any sign of Li Jin and the others, the attitudes of the Liujia Village villagers gradually turned nasty. Some believed Li Jin's group was hiding on purpose because they knew they had done wrong, which made them even angrier.

One villager, looking at the leader Liu Laicai, said anxiously, "Laicai, have they already run away?"

"They're definitely inside." Liu Laicai gritted his teeth. "I saw them with my own eyes returning to Dongzi's place late last night. They must be inside this time."

"If Laicai says so, it must be true. Let's keep shouting. I don't believe they can hide inside forever without coming out."

"Come out, you damned scourges!"

No sooner said than done.

Just as they were about to continue their unpleasant shouts, Li Jin walked out calmly and said indifferently, "I kindly helped you take back the well from those villains, and this is how you thank me?"

Take back the well?

This statement caused a huge stir. As these words came out, many villagers who had been misled were instantly stunned.

They had been told these outsiders deliberately provoked the ruffians, causing them to take their anger out on the villagers. How did it become taking back the well?

"Don't listen to his nonsense." Liu Laicai quickly stepped forward and said sharply, "He's lying. Otherwise, why did those people suddenly disappear? Also, they came back in the middle of the night."

"You damned fool, why are you trying to frame us?"

Compared to Li Jin, whom they had barely seen, they naturally trusted Liu Laicai's words more. For a moment, the crowd was agitated, and some even threw things at Li Jin.

Suddenly.

Liu Laicai, hidden in the crowd, picked up a stone with a face full of malice and threw it at Li Jin with all his might.

Slap.

Li Jin caught the stone with one hand, and his gaze fell upon Liu Laicai.

He... he caught it... He actually caught it...

The villagers were dumbfounded watching Li Jin so easily catch the stone Liu Laicai had thrown.

It was clear to anyone with eyes that the stone Liu Laicai used to throw at Li Jin was quite large and heavy. If it had hit, it would definitely have caused bleeding and injury.

Li Jin withdrew his gaze, then casually threw away the stone in his hand. "Just go and fetch water. I am staying at Dongzi's house. If anyone causes trouble for you, just tell them to come find me."

"Uh... are we... are we being too harsh?"

Even Liu Laicai hadn't expected that the stone not only failed to injure Li Jin but also made some villagers regret their actions, feeling they shouldn't have attacked without first clarifying the situation.

Liu Laicai gritted his teeth. "I don't believe it, and the people behind me won't believe it either."

"I noticed something was off earlier," Li Jin remarked, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Everyone else's eyes were full of confusion, so why are your eyes full of anger? Could it be... you've been conspiring with those scoundrels, betraying your own neighbors in Liujia Village?"

"Nonsense! It's you who are in cahoots with them!"

Struck directly in his guilty conscience by Li Jin's accusation, Liu Laicai blurted out a denial before he could stop himself.

Damn it.

Liu Laicai seemed to remember something and immediately thought: This is bad.

"Oh?" Li Jin raised an eyebrow slightly in surprise. "I'm in cahoots with them? I am a distant relative of Dongzi's father. I've only been here a few days and confronted them the other day. How does that make me in cahoots?"

"Exactly, Laicai! What are you implying? We only came to ask about the missing troublemakers. And look at their fine clothing—people of their status would have no reason to conspire with those people."

"Laicai, is what he just said true? Did you collude with those villains to harm us?"

"Laicai, explain yourself quickly."

"Laicai..."

Li Jin had inadvertently ignited the questions everyone had been hiding in their hearts, causing them to unknowingly doubt Liu Laicai.

The villagers' suspicion was hardly surprising. Liu Laicai had always been a selfish man who liked to take advantage of others. He shrank from trouble and even pushed his own wife forward to take the blame. So, in this matter, for Liu Laicai to take the initiative to get involved and incite them to question Li Jin, no matter how one thought about it, it seemed suspicious.

"I... I was just..."

Liu Laicai was already guilty, and under this series of questions, he simply didn't know how to respond.

Suddenly, a familiar male voice suddenly rang out from behind the crowd, "Young Master Li and the others are the benefactors of our Liujia Village. How can you repay kindness with enmity like this?"

This voice is... the village chief?

The villagers turned around in unison, looking at the man in his forties standing behind them, their eyes wide with disbelief.

"This... what's going on?" One villager, frightened by the village chief's appearance, sat down on the ground. "Didn't Laicai say the village chief was killed by those villains, and his body was thrown to the back mountain to feed the tiger?"

"A ghost... could it be a ghost..."

"Ghost what? It's broad daylight!"

"But, the village chief... he..."

"I'm not dead. I was locked up and tortured by Liu Laicai in his house." The village chief's gaze towards Liu Laicai was filled with deep resentment. "Liu Laicai was bought off by those villains long ago. The deaths of those people in the village are also connected to Liu Laicai."

From the moment those ruffians appeared, the village chief had persistently argued reason on behalf of the villagers, wanting to take back the well. Unfortunately, he was no match for the villains and was beaten black and blue every time.

The village chief was no fool. When direct confrontation failed, he immediately changed tactics, making the villains think he was afraid, while in reality, he was secretly investigating to find a way to deal with them.

Unexpectedly, during his investigation, he actually discovered that those villains were brought here by Liu Laicai. The village chief was furious on the spot and confronted Liu Laicai, demanding an explanation.

Liu Laicai was ruthless.

Discovering that the village chief knew the truth, he took advantage of the village chief's lack of preparedness, and decided to silence him for good. He knocked the village chief unconscious and imprisoned him in his own house. At the same time, he deliberately created rumors that the village chief had been killed, making the villagers even more afraid.