Chapter 6

"Ah! Brother! What is this!" Under the glow of the firelight, Shiling saw the mess behind Shifeng, and a large pit. The little one let out a loud exclamation.

Shifeng also turned around to look behind him, then turned back to Shiling with a bitter smile.

Seeing Shifeng's bitter smile, Shiling's small body trembled, and two clear tears rolled down from her big, black eyes. "Wah, brother... you lied to me, you said Mother would be fine, wah... Mother... Mother..." Shiling's voice trembled, becoming choked, as she squatted down and buried her face in her knees, continuing to sob.

Seeing this, Shifeng felt a wave of sweat. He knew the little one had misunderstood. He turned around and carefully looked at the pit he had dug, which did indeed look like a grave.

This was a huge misunderstanding.

Shifeng quickly patted Shiling's head to comfort her, saying, "Little one, don't jump to conclusions. Mother is fine. If you don't believe me, let's go see."

Shifeng said this as he picked up Shiling and carried her to Bai Yue'e.

Placing Shiling in front of the bed, under the glow of the firelight, Shifeng said, "See, Mother is fine."

Then Shifeng saw that the little one actually extended her delicate hand to check her mother's breathing. Shifeng smiled bitterly; this little one was quite smart.

After confirming that Bai Yue'e was still breathing, Shiling, looking like a little adult, let out a deep breath. She looked incredibly cute, and Shifeng couldn't help but pinch her little face.

"Brother, I noticed Mother's complexion seems to be getting better," Shiling said. Bai Yue'e's originally pale, sickly face now had a hint of redness.

"Yes, Mother's illness will get better soon. You, little one, shouldn't jump to conclusions anymore," Shifeng said, patting her little head.

"Come out, Bai Yue'e, come out quickly!" At this moment, a shout came from outside the house, with a rather unfriendly tone.

Shifeng frowned, remembering that Shiling had just mentioned that many people had come outside.

"Who are they?" Shifeng asked Shiling.

"Oh, they are people from the village. The village chief seems to be here too," Shiling replied.

Putting Shiling back on the ground, Shifeng said, "Stay inside and be good. I'll go see what's happening."

After saying this, Shifeng took a few steps towards the door. Then he remembered something and turned back to the pit, making hand seals at the entrance. Soon, an invisible barrier was set up.

Shifeng set up this barrier to prevent the strong yin energy from escaping and harming Shiling and Mother Bai Yue'e. As long as he was there, his body continuously absorbed the yin energy, so there was no problem. But if he left without the barrier, the yin energy would spread throughout the house.

"Shiling, remember not to go near this pit," Shifeng instructed.

"Okay, brother, I understand," Shiling nodded obediently. She was usually very well-behaved, and hearing her agreement, Shifeng felt reassured as he walked out of the house.

The shouting continued: "Bai Yue'e, come out! The village chief is here, and you still dare not come out? If you don't come out, we will break in."

"Come out, Bai Yue'e, hand over your son Shifeng. We need to take him to the authorities."

The door opened with a "click," and a young figure stepped out. "Who is barking at my door in the middle of the night? Go bark at your own house," Shifeng shouted as he came out. He saw that the fence outside was filled with people, about thirty or so, many of them holding torches, lighting up the night like daylight.

At the front was an old man with a slightly hunched back, leaning on a cane, with white hair and wearing a blue robe. This was the village chief of Xiuling Village, Yang Dexian.

"Chief, he is the boy from the Shi family. What should we do? Should I go and tie him up and take him to the authorities?" a burly man beside Yang Dexian asked.

Yang Dexian waved his hand, signaling the man to wait, and walked a few steps forward, stopping just before the fence. He looked at Shifeng and said slowly, "Shifeng, right?" His voice was old and deep.

Although Shifeng was from Xiuling Village, his family rarely interacted with the villagers, especially after Bai Yue'e fell ill and could hardly get out of bed. They had almost no contact with the villagers.

If Yang Dexian hadn't heard about Shifeng today, he might have forgotten that there was such a family in the village.

"What's the matter?" Shifeng half-closed his eyes and looked at Yang Dexian, coldly asking.

"Rude! How dare you speak to the village chief like that!" The burly man, seeing Shifeng's indifferent attitude, angrily shouted.

"Exactly, this boy is too disrespectful."

"For his attitude towards the village chief, according to village rules, his legs should be broken."

"Exactly, exactly."

Many people chimed in.

Yang Dexian raised his hand and waved it again, signaling them to be quiet. The villagers fell silent upon seeing his gesture.

Yang Dexian looked at Shifeng again, but because Shifeng still had a cold expression despite his gentle tone, Yang Dexian's face turned cold, and he took on an authoritative stance, pointing at the black horse in the yard and raising his voice, "I ask you, where did you get this horse?"

"Why should I tell you!" Shifeng's face was tense, as if everyone owed him money, and he coldly responded to Yang Dexian.

Yang Dexian, hearing Shifeng's words, was about to lose his temper, but then Shifeng's next words made him even angrier: "Old man, you must be full and bored, coming to look at a horse in the middle of the night. You're getting stupider the older you get."

"You! Rude!" Yang Dexian, red with anger, slammed his cane on the ground. In the village, he was highly respected, and the villagers always treated him with respect. No one dared to speak to him like this.

Yang Dexian's old face was flushed, and he pointed at Shifeng, shouting, "You! You, you stole someone's horse, which is a serious crime. According to village rules, your hands and legs should be broken, and you should be taken to the authorities."

"Old man, you can talk nonsense, but you can't say anything you want. Which of your dog eyes saw me steal someone's horse? According to your logic, you are slandering me, so shouldn't you have your tongue cut out first?" Shifeng asked with a cold laugh.

"Rude!"

"Bold!"

"Unforgivable!"

At this moment, the people behind Yang Dexian could no longer bear it. This boy dared to insult the village chief, calling him "old man," which was a great disrespect. Just for insulting the village chief, he could be arrested and put in a pig cage in the village.

Six burly men immediately rushed out from the crowd, full of anger, heading towards Shifeng.

One of them shouted, "Your family is so poor that you can't even afford food. If this horse isn't stolen, did you buy it?"

"Hmph, whether I bought it or stole it, what's it to you!" Shifeng looked at the six men rushing towards him with disdain. He wasn't worried; even if there were sixty men, he could take them down in a minute.