Chapter 4 — Silencing the Grievance

A familiar figure rushed forward and threw her arms tightly around me. I breathed in the scent I knew so well—it was my sister-in-law. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed, "How dare you people hit my sister-in-law!" Great Fortune Ge rasped, "Song Tu, stop defending her... she was the one who brought the bandits here."

"Impossible!" My sister-in-law screamed, her voice trembling with white-hot fury. "Do you even know who leads those bandits, Great Fortune Ge?! It is Swallow Cloud Clear!"

The moment that name dropped, a dead silence fell over everyone. Swallow Cloud Clear was no stranger. He was the notorious bandit chief whom my father had once hunted down and defeated. Years ago, my father had worked as an undercover agent deep within his lair, single-handedly tearing apart the empire the criminal had spent years building. Because of my father, Swallow Cloud Clear lost an arm, and his wife and children perished by my father's hands. He had sworn a blood oath back then: "Sooner or later, I will wipe out the entire Ngo family!" Therefore, even if I had wanted to collude with him, the very moment we locked eyes, he would have drawn his gun and executed me without a moment's hesitation.

At that exact second, the chaotic thud of heavy footsteps echoed from behind. The voice of Locked Pine Zhang rang heavily in my ears: "What... what on earth is going on here?" Turning my head to look, all the village men had finally returned. Upon seeing the corpses scattered across the ground, every single one of them turned ashen. Especially upon realizing that their own wives and children had been abducted by the bandits, the men looked as though they had completely lost their minds.

"Locked Pine Zhang! You told us there were no bandits, you told us not to worry. Then how did my father die?! How did he even die?!"

The village chief's eldest son was the most agitated. His eyes bloodshot, he lunged forward and grabbed Locked Pine Zhang by the collar, looking ready to rip him apart with his bare hands. White Snow rushed over from the side, desperately trying to shield him. "Brother Li, this is not Song Tu's fault. The most urgent matter right now is to find out who is still alive!"

The village chief's eldest son wiped away his tears and led a few men toward the county town to report the crime. Since the bandits had dragged so many people away with them, they were bound to leave traces behind. Another group scattered into neighboring villages to inquire if anyone had witnessed anything suspicious. Great Fortune Ge began making funeral arrangements for the village chief and the others who had sacrificed their lives. Meanwhile, Locked Pine Zhang stood frozen in place, his face etched with agonizing remorse.

White Snow comforted him softly, "Song Tu, stop blaming yourself. This catastrophe was brought upon us by ruthless bandits; no one could have foreseen it... but our village is so poor, why on earth would they target us?"

Her words struck a raw nerve, amplifying the dark anxieties churning inside Locked Pine Zhang's heart.

Right then, I was still lying on the cold ground, the cramps in my lower abdomen growing increasingly fierce and unbearable. My sister-in-law noticed my ghostly pale complexion and asked with rising panic, "Sister-in-law, what is wrong?"

Before I could even part my lips to answer, Locked Pine Zhang strode over. With brutal force, he slammed his boot directly onto my chest.

My sister-in-law shrieked in horror, "Brother! Have you lost your mind?! She is already severely injured!"

"She doesn't deserve to be your sister-in-law," Locked Pine Zhang snarled, his eyes bulging with rage. "Moon Orchid Ngo, you have disappointed me beyond redemption! I told Great Fortune Ge to block you, yet you stubbornly led them straight to us anyway!"

"What kind of utter nonsense are you spouting?! The bandits were not summoned by my sister-in-law!"

Great Fortune Ge sprinted over as well, his face a mask of bitter regret. "He is right, Song Tu, this matter definitely has nothing to do with Moon Orchid."

"Enough!" Locked Pine Zhang roared. "Have all of you been bewitched by her?! We are talking about dozens of human lives here!"

White Snow covered her mouth with trembling hands, tears shimmering in her eyes. "Moon Orchid... was it truly you who did this? How could you be so cruel? Could it be because you were jealous of Song Tu and me? But there was truly nothing between us other than being revolutionary comrades..."

"Do not sulk and defame the word comrades!" My sister-in-law snapped back, her voice dripping with venom. "Anyone with eyes can see how much you fancy my husband! You are nothing but a shameless homewrecking vixen!"

"Shut your mouth!" Blinded by fury, Locked Pine Zhang raised his hand and delivered a vicious, earth-shattering slap across his sister's face. "What on earth did Moon Orchid ever give you that makes you dare to talk back like this?! Could it possibly be..."

He narrowed his eyes, his voice turning glacial.

"That entire gang of bandits... are they connected to you as well?"

My sister-in-law was so enraged she nearly lost consciousness. "What are you even babbling about?! Do you even know who the leader of these bandits is..."

"Captain!" Before she could finish, two men came sprinting breathlessly toward them, cutting her off. "People are saying they saw the bandits fleeing toward the west!"

To the west lay a treacherous mountain range, and it was located quite close by. Hauling such a large crowd of captives, the villains must have fled straight into those forbidding mountains. Without a moment's hesitation, Locked Pine Zhang slung his rifle over his shoulder. "Follow me!"

Before he left, he shot me one final, venomous glare. "Moon Orchid Ngo, I will settle this score with you when I get back."

My sister-in-law whispered softly, "Sister-in-law, pay him no mind. Once he runs into Swallow Cloud Clear face-to-face, he will naturally realize you had nothing to do with this."

Yet her words brought me no comfort whatsoever. The government had hunted Swallow Cloud Clear for all these years without ever managing to capture him. If they failed to catch him in the past life, would they truly succeed in this one? The violent, tearing pain in my abdomen abruptly cut off my racing thoughts, and I urged my sister-in-law to help me up.