From slave trader to the Immortal Lord of Ten Thousand Laws

"Go and call them in."

Xu Qingyue blinked her almond-shaped eyes and glanced at the tightly closed hanging flower gate in front of the courtyard.

Today is the agreed-upon day of the competition, and Jiang She, Li Nian, and the others have been waiting outside for quite some time.

Admission to the hospital here was just a matter of a word from Xu Qingyue.

"Yes, Miss."

Qiao'er bowed slightly, gave a graceful curtsy, and then strode towards the hanging flower gate.

"Squeak!"

The door hinges moved in response, opening a crack.

...

The door opened.

Outside the hanging flower gate.

Li Nian, Jiang She, and the others stood on either side. Someone called out, drawing everyone's attention.

Jiang She raised his eyes and focused his gaze on the crack in the door, where he could see the pavilions and waterside terraces behind it.

He glanced at the crowd out of the corner of his eye and noticed that among them, only Xiao Sun had his head down and looked gloomy.

"Little Sun, you..."

"Oh! Brother Jiang, I'm fine."

Seeing that Jiang She wanted to ask him a question, Xiao Suntou quickly raised his head, patted his cheeks hard, and forced a smile.

But his smile... was more like a grimace.

"Tap tap tap!"

The hurried footsteps interrupted their conversation.

Looking in the direction of the sound, one could see a beautiful and charming figure faintly visible behind the screen.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Xu Qingyue glanced at the people below her and said:

"Today's competition is merely a friendly exchange; let's stop here and not harm our colleagues."

"Yes."

Liu Shun clasped his hands in a respectful bow, his eyes glancing sideways at Jiang She's side. He then said coldly:

"Little Sun, you must remember to stop when you've reached your limit. If you lose, just admit defeat. After all, fists and feet don't discriminate!"

Xiao Sun didn't say anything, only stared at him coldly.

He was silent for a moment, then suddenly turned to look at Jiang She. Although his eyes were dry and red from tears, he spoke firmly and in a deep voice:

"Brother Jiang, I will definitely help you become an instructor."

Before he finished speaking, he strode forward, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to the left and right, then placed his right hand behind his back and slightly angled his left palm.

"please!"

"Oh...."

Seeing this, Liu Shun snorted coldly, only slightly raising his chin, standing with his hands behind his back, his weasel-like eyes flashing with a hint of disdain, as if the competition before him was already destined to be his victory.

He chuckled softly, cupped his hands in a respectful bow to Xu Qingyue behind the screen, and said:

"Miss, since this is a competition, we should set some stakes. I wonder if you would agree?"

"Oh?"

Xu Qingyue looked at him and asked, "What do you intend to wager?"

The servants and maids were all unfortunate people, and all they wanted was to have enough to eat and wear, find a wife, and have a healthy baby boy.

If one becomes even more greedy, one will simply die for wealth.

Xu Qingyue was able to bestow all of these upon him.

So... when Liu Shun asked this question, Xu Qingyue's pretty face remained calm, as if she was confident and at ease.

Unexpectedly, he sneered and said:

"Please, Miss, decide this matter. If I win, I will betroth Miss Yun to my brother Niu."

What? What?

Upon hearing this, Xiao Sun was first stunned, then his eyes widened in fury, becoming bloodshot.

He clenched his teeth, his facial muscles trembling violently with extreme anger and pain. He was jolted as if struck by lightning, and cursed under his breath:

What a despicable tactic!

...

"Liu Shun, don't push your luck!"

Xiao Sun's neck was red, and his beard and hair were full of anger. He was just about to rush up and wrestle with him.

Xu Qingyue was slightly taken aback.

With her eyebrows arched in a puzzled expression, she asked:

"Who is Yunniang?"

Liu Shun cupped his hands in greeting and said with a smile, "So that Miss Yun may know, that young lady Yun is a servant in the kitchen of this household."

"So it was one of my servants."

"What's wrong with that...?"

Xu Qingyue was about to say "Why not?", but in her haste, she saw that Xiao Sun's face was flushed red, as if he wanted to get angry, but he was struggling to suppress it.

He hurriedly swallowed the word "okay" that was on his lips, and frowned, saying:

"This matter is probably not appropriate."

Ok?

"Miss, is there something wrong?" Liu Shun asked, puzzled.

Xu Qingyue blinked her almond-shaped eyes slightly, and the silhouette seen through the screen paused for a moment.

Although she lived a secluded life, she was not entirely ignorant of human affairs. She had seen the sudden loss of composure and the bloodshot look in Xiao Sun's eyes, as well as the fleeting smugness and malice in Liu Shun's eyes.

This isn't a marriage proposal for Niu Da; it's clearly exploiting someone's sore spot, deliberately provoking them before the competition to unsettle their minds.

"I never imagined that my family would have such an incompetent person."

She pondered silently, her voice cool and detached as she spoke, her words unhurried and deliberate:

"Liu Shun, when it comes to a contest of skill and sparring, the stakes should be gold and silver, one's future, or whether one stays or leaves. That is the proper thing to do. But you used a woman who is also a servant of the Xu family as your stake. Regardless of whether she was willing or not, this act treats others as commodities, which is improper and not the behavior of a gentleman. This is the first problem."

"Secondly, judging from Xiao Sun's agitated expression just now, he clearly cares a lot about Yunniang. Your actions are not about seeking a reward, but rather seem more like a premeditated provocation to disrupt his concentration during the competition. Since I am here, I should seek fairness, how can I tolerate your unreasonable and disruptive behavior?"

"Miss, I wouldn't dare!"

Liu Shun apologized, bowed again towards the screen reflecting Xu Qingyue's beautiful figure, and said sadly:

"Miss, you are wise. How could I dare to plot against you? There were reasons for this, so I had no choice but to speak out."

He turned to the side, pointed vaguely in the direction of the rear building outside the courtyard, and called out:

"Miss, you can see that Xiao Suntou cares about Yunniang, and so can I. But...Miss, you don't know that Yunniang has already been intimate with my brother Niu Da. That night, there was quite a bit of activity near the west courtyard of the rear house...In my opinion, Yunniang and Niu Da are truly in love and it's mutual. If you side with him, wouldn't you be the villain who breaks up the lovers?"

Ha, now I've become the villain...

Xu Qingyue sneered, her eyebrows furrowed, and was about to speak when she heard Liu Shun start talking again.

He spoke in a low, menacing tone, raising his voice as if to ensure everyone in the courtyard could hear him clearly. He said, "The guards in the manor all know that Niu Da is honest and straightforward and not good at lying. If Miss does not believe me, you can summon him to confront me face to face."

"You're talking nonsense!!"

Xiao Sun's eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging on his forehead. His neck was red as he took a step forward and pointed at Liu Shun, roaring, "You're talking nonsense! Yunniang and I are already engaged. We are in love and just waiting to choose a date to get married. How could she possibly be with Niu Da..."

"hehe...."

Liu Shun chuckled and raised his voice:

"Little Sun, you still won't give up? I wasn't the only one who heard the commotion in the west courtyard that night. Several other brothers who were there also went to 'eavesdrop' that night. Don't you agree?"

His gaze swept over the guards; some lowered their heads, others chuckled, but none of them uttered a word of denial, clearly acknowledging Liu Shun's statement.

Liu Shun smiled, slightly raised his chin, and glanced sideways at Xiao Suntou with an attitude of "what can you do to me?"

Then, he added:

"The two of them were already deeply in love, otherwise... why would they have engaged in sexual activity at the clinic last night?"

"Bang—!"

These words struck like a thunderbolt, making Xiao Sun's heart tremble.

He swayed, almost collapsing, but then a surge of violent rage rushed to the top of his head, making him unable to restrain himself any longer, and he almost roared:

"This can't be real! This can't be real!"

"It was Niu Da...it was that beast Niu Da! He defiled Yunniang! He defiled Yunniang!!"

He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, and the scene of the three Niu brothers taking turns raping and humiliating Yunniang seemed to reappear before his eyes.

Liu Shun, however, remained calm and composed.

He patted his sleeves and said lightly:

"Oh? Defiled? Little Sun, your claim is untenable. If Niu Da really did defile her, why hasn't Yunniang reported it to the authorities or the head maid all this time?"

"She works in the kitchen. If she really wanted to make a big fuss, wouldn't she have had plenty of opportunities? In my opinion, this is clearly consensual. It's just that she's afraid you'll find out when things get out, which is why she's been trying so hard to keep it from you."

"Now that the truth has been revealed, why are you still distorting the facts and refusing to accept reality?"

Sizzle—!

Two streams of tears rolled down Xiao Sun's cheeks, as hot as fire and blood, and fell to the ground, burning holes in them.

He made a hoarse sound in his throat, but couldn't utter a single word. He felt a huge surge of grief and indignation stuck in his chest.

For a moment, they were speechless.

He recalled Yunniang holding him in the west courtyard, weeping bitterly, and said:

"Brother Sun, please don't marry me, I'm not pure anymore..."

This was originally an agreement between him and Yunniang that they would never tell anyone about this matter, and even less that they would mention it to Jiang Ge'er at this critical juncture. But unexpectedly... this vow of forbearance and self-preservation has now become a sword stabbing Liu Shun in the back!

"hehe!"

Seeing Xiao Suntou's grief-stricken yet speechless expression, Liu Shun secretly sneered.

Although he fainted last night after being struck by a palm while sparring with Wang Dao, he was unable to personally go to the clinic to "witness" the "good deeds" the three Niu brothers did to Yunniang.

Fortunately, the brothers were numerous and their stories spread quickly. They had already told him in detail, with some embellishment, how the three Niu brothers had taken turns humiliating Yunniang in the clinic, how Yunniang had cried, and how Xiao Suntou had been tied up and witnessed the whole thing.

Now, after he said it,

This filth... can never be washed away.

"That's exactly what I want to do—to throw you into complete disarray!"

Thinking of this, Liu Shun's cold smile deepened.

...

Jiang She frowned.

After hearing these words, he condensed his divine sense into a single line, exited through the hanging flower gate, and drifted towards the kitchen.

But before they even arrived, there was already a commotion in the distance.

Jiang She's cultivation was too shallow; he had only condensed a wisp of magical power, so he couldn't hear what the commotion was saying.

But then she saw a group of women surrounding Yunniang, pointing and whispering.

But you can still guess what they're talking about.

"Bah! You shameless slut, you have no sense of decency!"

"Would you be willing to spread your legs if given a man?"

"Ha! How utterly shameless!"

People had all sorts of opinions, but they were all cursing Yunniang.

"You're talking nonsense! I'm not! I'm not!"

Yunniang cried and tried her best to argue.

She pointed to the three Niu brothers watching the play in the crowd and said sadly:

"It was him...it was them! The three Niu brothers, who pushed open the door in the middle of the night and defiled my innocence..."

Waaah.....

She couldn't continue, and tears streamed down her face.

His eyes were brimming with tears, their color obscured, filled only with endless humiliation and terror, to which he had no one to confide.

"Did I defile you?"

Upon hearing this, Niu Da's dark face first showed a simple-minded look of surprise, then he scratched his head and chuckled:

"I defiled you? Miss Yun, don't talk nonsense. It was clearly you who opened the door for me in the middle of the night so that Little Sun wouldn't see us. If I really defiled you, then who opened the door to the west courtyard of the main house for me?"

"How can I come in if you don't open the door?"

"Does everyone agree or disagree?"

He spoke these words with remarkable fluency, as if he had secretly recited them a hundred or eighty times.

"yes!"

Niu Wenxian stepped forward and chimed in with a sinister tone, "Everyone knows that my eldest brother is the most honest and straightforward person. He never lies, and this is something that everyone in the house can see!"

Since he said so, it must be the truth. If Lady Yun hadn't willingly opened the door, how could my honest brother have done such a thing?

"Yes! Miss Yun, you and my elder brother have been exchanging glances for quite some time now, why are you denying it now? Could it be that you've been caught by Little Sun, and now you're trying to turn the tables and bully my elder brother?"

The second son of the Niu family also spoke.

Yunniang said, "You're talking nonsense! You're talking nonsense!"

Her hair was disheveled, and her face was covered in tears.

Surrounded by onlookers, she was completely disoriented, her eyes filled with tears, and the thought of suicide took hold of her.

As for why the door to the back room was open, she didn't know. All she knew was that no one present believed her anymore.

She suffered humiliation twice, but today she has been turned around and attacked.

Among the crowd, an old woman was coldly watching all of this.

This old woman was the head cook in the kitchen.

The head maid's face was ashen, her cheekbones high, and her sharp eyes swept over Yunniang from head to toe before she coldly said:

"Yunniang, explain yourself clearly. Niu Da, Niu Er, Niu San, weren't they all raised by me from the bottom of the mountains? Although they may not be well-educated, they know best how to work hard and are honest and hardworking for the Xu family. How bad could such people be? Tell me, why and how could they possibly defile you?"

Snapped--

Upon hearing these words from the head maid, Yunniang was stunned into silence.

Her hands and feet were ice cold, and then she remembered that the head maid... and the three Niu brothers were blood relatives.

"It's you...it's you..."

She spoke hurriedly, but choked up and could not form a coherent sentence.

Niu Wenxian's eyes darted around, and he suddenly laughed, "Gentlemen and sisters, this young lady Yun looks to be in her early twenties, yet she's still stubbornly refusing to get married. Isn't a vixen with ulterior motives at this age? Not getting married is the best way to be carefree and flirt with men everywhere."

"Yes! The third son of the Niu family is right!"

As soon as Niu Wenxian said this, many young women immediately started making a fuss.

Ever since Yunniang, a pretty and slender young woman, came to work in the kitchen, the group of women have disliked her. When they occasionally catch a glimpse of their husbands or the guards in the courtyard, they steal glances at Yunniang's slender waist and rounded hips, and in their hearts they think Yunniang is a vixen.

Niu Wenxian's words hit the nail on the head.

So they all put their hands on their hips.

"The third son of the Niu family is right."

"If you don't seduce men, why would they want to sleep with you?"

"Niu Da is an honest man. If you hadn't said you were willing to sleep with him, why would he have gone to sleep with you? It's all your fault, you vixen!"

"Yes! It's all your fault, you vixen!"

"You vixen! You vixen!"