Chapter 8 of 10

Chapter 8

16 min read4,041 words

Miao Xiaojing didn't need to do anything himself; he just had to watch from the side. The rent he collected was mainly wheat and sorghum, with some millet and a small amount of rice. There were also soybeans, red beans, and green beans, all very common grains.

Some tenants didn't have enough grain, so they could also pay with coarse cloth they had woven themselves. Other tenants would give additional offerings, mainly things like pickled radishes, salted vegetables, dried chili peppers, and garlic.

The front yard of the village chief's house was bustling with people, and the noisy sounds made Miao Xiaojing very irritable. He was used to being alone, and the sect was a very quiet place. Even when he went up the mountain, it was very quiet, and he rarely encountered such a noisy crowd.

Miao Xiaojing couldn't leave the front yard for the time being. His status was actually quite high. Although the Yan Sect was peaceful, it was also a place with a strict hierarchy. Miao Xiaojing was in the final stage of the Yuanjue period, the highest level in the Yuanjue period.

So among these masters, Miao Xiaojing's status was second only to Master Zengli. Of course, Master Zengli was one level higher than him. Master Zengli was a Yan cultivator in the Guanfa period, equivalent to the Foundation Establishment stage of cultivators. In the Western Yan Sect, he was a genuine expert.

The originally noisy sounds suddenly became even louder. A group of people squeezed through the door. From Miao Xiaojing's perspective, they were a family, with about ten people, including men, women, and children.

He asked the village chief, "Uncle Village Chief, are they a family?"

A flash of sharpness appeared in the village chief's eyes. He wasn't a Yan cultivator, but he practiced martial arts.

"This is the Luo family. They are quite domineering in Maple Forest Village."

The old patriarch of the Luo family had four sons, and after they married, they had twelve children, six of whom were already adults. With the addition of the wives, this large family was quite powerful in the village, and only the village chief could keep them in check.

The whole family came, carrying baskets and pushing wooden carts. The Luo family's leased land was among the best in Maple Forest Village, so their harvest was abundant, and the rent they paid was also substantial.

The Luo family was quite domineering in the village, but they didn't dare to be disrespectful to the masters of the Western Yan Sect. Whether in terms of martial prowess or strength, the Luo family was nothing compared to the masters of the Western Yan Sect, and they were very respectful.

Miao Xiaojing watched from the side. The rent the Luo family paid was all rice. He knew that the Luo family occupied the best land, which could only grow rice because it was irrigated land, usually located near the stream. From this, he could tell that the Luo family was indeed domineering.

In addition to rice, the Luo family also gave a large jar of bean sauce, which was a good thing, and various pickled vegetables, mainly pickled radishes, with four baskets in total. This meant that the Luo family not only paid a lot of rent but also gave many offerings to the Western Yan Sect.

Master Zengli was very satisfied with this. His gentle and pleasant attitude towards the old patriarch of the Luo family showed his approval.

This kind of tenant was the most welcome in the Western Yan Sect. Even if they were a bit domineering, the Western Yan Sect tolerated them, which allowed the Luo family to be more reckless in the village.

Miao Xiaojing had a good feeling about the Luo family. They paid a lot of rent and gave many offerings, clearly showing their importance to the Western Yan Sect. As a master of the Western Yan Sect, Miao Xiaojing, like Master Zengli, was quite satisfied.

Moreover, the old patriarch of the Luo family personally brought the whole family to pay the rent, and their attitude was extremely respectful, which greatly pleased the masters of the Western Yan Sect.

However, the masters soon frowned.

The Luo family entered, busy paying the rent. The old patriarch was talking to Master Zengli when a child, who looked about seven or eight years old, extremely thin, with a large head and a very thin neck, entered from outside. He was wearing extremely tattered clothes that barely covered his body. He was struggling to drag a basket of radishes, slowly moving into the yard. Not far from the entrance, he suddenly stumbled and fell to the ground, and the radishes in the bamboo basket rolled out.

Miao Xiaojing saw this and was about to go forward to help, but the next scene stunned him.

A very ugly man kicked the child, who was kneeling on the ground picking up the radishes, sending him flying. He landed with a thud and then the man followed up, raising his hand to hit him.

Master Zengli roared.

"Stop! Bastard!"

Everyone could hear the anger in Master Zengli's voice.

Miao Xiaojing suspected that the kick might have killed the child, and the man was still going to hit him. He was also angry and ran over in a few steps. He used his shoulder to push the man, and a powerful force erupted, causing the man to stagger backward, almost falling.

The old patriarch of the Luo family shouted, "Second, get out of here!"

The ugly man's face turned purple with anger.

The old patriarch of the Luo family apologized.

"Master, I'm sorry, my son lost his composure."

Master Zengli's face was dark.

"Is this child from your family?"

Miao Xiaojing had already picked up the child and saw a footprint on his shoulder. Combined with the scrapes and blood on his face from hitting the ground, he couldn't help but feel angry.

"How can you be so heartless! He's just a child!"

The old patriarch of the Luo family sighed.

"Little Master, I'm very sorry. This is my grandson. The one who hit him... is his father."

There was a moment of silence. Beating one's own child was a family matter, and outsiders couldn't interfere. What could they say?

Miao Xiaojing was also at a loss, but he still felt uncomfortable.

"Even as a father, you shouldn't hit a child like that!"

The old patriarch of the Luo family didn't argue, knowing that if he did, it might anger the masters.

"Yes, it's my fault."

His straightforward admission left Miao Xiaojing speechless.

The child's face was covered in blood, and the cuts on his face were bleeding. Miao Xiaojing then noticed that the child's body was covered in bruises, with blue and purple marks, and his tattered clothes couldn't hide them.

"Alright, Second, take him home. Don't make a spectacle here!"

The ugly man said, "Yes, Father, I'll take him home." He then walked over to Miao Xiaojing.

The child, in fear, grabbed Miao Xiaojing's patched robe and hid behind him, trembling uncontrollably.

"I, I don't want to go home... don't go home... don't want to go home!"

The ugly man's face was full of anger.

"Come here, follow me!"

The child clung tightly to the back of Miao Xiaojing's robe and wouldn't let go. Miao Xiaojing squatted down and wiped the blood from the child's face.

"Go home."

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