Volume 3, Chapter 178 – So What If It’s an Official? Cripple Him!

The moment Qi Huang’s words fell, the surroundings plunged into deathly silence once more. The villagers exchanged glances, each trying to confirm whether they had misheard. What filled their hearts now was sheer disbelief—and fear.

“Pfft—! Are you sure you’re in your right mind?”

Huang Tian, the doppelgänger, couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Unlike these villagers, he knew exactly what the main body’s situation was. If she were truly a “wealthy madam”, why would she have dragged things out until now?

“Whether I’m in my right mind or not, I don’t know. But my mental state has always been like this.”

Qi Huang answered vaguely.

“Fairy! Are you serious? Did I hear right? You’ll buy a house for every household? Including mine?”

“If you’re truly willing to buy my family a house in the county town, I’ll serve you like an ox or horse for the rest of my life!”

“W-Waaah… If we can move to the county town, we won’t have to live in fear anymore! Ever since the Wang family was killed by those wraiths, I haven’t slept a wink!”

The villagers finally snapped out of their daze, yet most still couldn’t believe it. After all, the majority of them hadn’t treated Huang Qi particularly well—at best, they’d been indifferent neighbors.

“Fairy… No, no—daughter-in-law! You’re not joking with everyone, are you? Do you know how many households are in our village? A house for each family—do you have any idea how much money that would cost?”

Li Fen asked worriedly. She didn’t want her daughter-in-law to embarrass herself by making empty boasts. Being a powerful cultivator didn’t necessarily mean one was wise.

“Let me do the math for her! Our village still has twenty-one households. Even if we assume a house in the county town costs three hundred taels, that’s over six thousand taels in total!”

Qu Zhen, seizing the chance to strike back, eagerly counted on her fingers.

“What twenty-one? It’s twenty! Your family is about to be kicked out of Huatian Village—did you really think my brother would buy you a house?”

He Chao corrected with disgust.

“Fine, twenty households then! That’s still six thousand taels—equivalent to a whole year’s tax revenue for Ping’an County’s government office. Can she really produce that much? What a joke!”

Qu Zhen curled her lips in disdain.

“Whether I can or not isn’t your concern. I’m buying houses for the other villagers—they’re the ones who need to believe me.”

Qi Huang cut her off coldly. Since this family insisted on being her enemy—and given their history of malice—she no longer felt any obligation to spare them for the sake of blood ties.

“We believe you! For a fairy, what’s a mere few thousand taels?”

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“Exactly! Every time she’s returned to Huatian Village, she’s spent money like water. Would someone without means dare do that?”

“I’ve heard that cultivators can sell a single pill for thousands of taels. That pill Old Man Huang took before must have been refined by her. Six thousand taels? Just a few pills’ worth!”

The villagers voiced their support one after another.

‘Hey, hey! Don’t oversell it! Especially that guy who claimed a single pill sells for thousands—where did you even hear that? Pills that valuable are rare even in the cultivation world! And I’m not an alchemist!’

Qi Huang was both amused and exasperated, but she was still touched by their faith in her.

“Fine! I’ll wait and see you buy them those houses. Remember what you said—‘a person without credibility cannot stand’. Don’t end up slapping your own face.”

Qu Zhen still refused to believe it.

“Your concern is so unnecessary. Let me answer you with your own words: With my looks, even if I didn’t show my face, the alms I’d get from begging in a single day would surpass what you earn in a lifetime. Next time you reincarnate, open your eyes wider—don’t pick such an ugly skin again.”

Qi Huang’s retort was merciless.

“Who are you calling ugly, you veiled freak?! How long have you been in Huatian Village and you still refuse to take off that veil? And you have the nerve to call others ugly? For all we know, your face is oozing pus!”

Qu Zhen, barely three feet tall, flew into a rage when her sore spot was jabbed.

“What if I don’t take off the veil? Should I ask everyone here who’s uglier—you or me?”

Qi Huang shook her head pityingly.

“Obviously Qu Zhen’s uglier! Is that even a question? Sister-in-law, your figure alone outclasses hers.”

“You’re not just ugly—you’re stupid too! Ask anyone here: Who’s ever heard of a fairy from an immortal sect with a face full of pus?”

He Chao and Liu Keqian shot back.

“That’s right! I’ve only heard that fairies are peerless beauties—never an ugly one, let alone one with a skin disease!”

“She’s a cultivator—how could she possibly have some gross affliction? No one would believe that!”

“This woman’s stupidity is beyond cure. She knows the other party’s a fairy, yet she still dares to argue?”

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“That’s what happens when you’re a frog at the bottom of a well! She thinks being a woman lets her do whatever she wants. Little does she know, the other party isn’t just a woman—she’s a cultivator, with ten times her prestige!”

The villagers murmured among themselves.

Qu Zhen gnashed her teeth in hatred, but there was no way she could take on the whole crowd. She could only turn to Huang Bo and whimper, “Husband! Husband, say something!”

The Huang Kaiyou family exchanged glances, but none spoke up. After all, few in this world had thicker skin than Qu Zhen—to argue shamelessly even when knowing you were in the wrong was a rare talent.

“Say what? We didn’t come here to bicker! We’re here to give the Wang family a proper burial. Whether you leave or stay, get lost!”

Seeing how imposing the main body was, Huang Tian finally spoke up. In everyone’s eyes, he wasn’t a doppelgänger—he was Huang Qi, the eldest son of the Huang family. Staying silent would be improper.

“Big Brother’s right—ignore them! Let’s focus on the matter at hand!”

He Chao agreed.

Just as the villagers were about to act, another unexpected disturbance arose—the clear sound of hoofbeats approached from a distance. Everyone stepped outside in confusion, and soon, four or five government officers arrived at the courtyard gate.

“I’m Constable Cao from the county office. What’s this gathering for?”

The lead officer, a middle-aged man in a constable’s uniform, sat tall on his horse, looking down at them with authority.

“Did Ping’an County change constables again? Seems like a high-risk job!”

Qi Huang mused inwardly.

“Reporting to Constable Cao! Someone in our village passed away, so we’re preparing their burial!”

Huang Kaiyou hurriedly explained, his expression obsequious—completely forgetting he’d been ostracized from the village.

“When did they die?”

Constable Cao frowned.

“About five or six days ago.”

Huang Kaiyou answered.

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“Was this reported to the county office?”

Constable Cao pressed.

“N-No!”

Huang Kaiyou stammered.

“Why not? Don’t you know that any death must be reported to the authorities within three days?”

Constable Cao’s face darkened as he dismounted. His four subordinates followed suit—clearly, they weren’t planning to let this go easily.

“I-I know, b-but it wasn’t my responsibility!”

Huang Kaiyou replied fearfully. He never imagined his attempt to suck up would backfire so spectacularly.

WHAM!

Without warning, Constable Cao lashed out, kicking Huang Kaiyou to the ground. “Then who is responsible? Where’s your village chief? Your headman?”

‘Serves you right for brown-nosing!’

Qi Huang sneered inwardly, feeling a twisted sense of satisfaction.

“Spare me, sir! Our village only has about twenty households left! The chief and headman died long ago! Right now, my nephew Huang Qi is in charge!”

Huang Kaiyou kowtowed frantically. His family stood by, watching—not a single one stepped forward to plead for him.

“Who’s Huang Qi?”

Constable Cao scanned the crowd.

“I’m Huang Qi.”

Huang Tian stepped forward fearlessly.

“You’re the one in charge? Why wasn’t the death reported for four or five days? Do you know this violates the law?”

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Constable Cao’s aged face was thunderous.

“My apologies, sir! The village needed my protection—I couldn’t leave!”

The saying went, “Commoners don’t fight officials”. Huang Tian intended to try reasoning first.

“I don’t care what your reason is! Break the law, and you’ll be punished!”

Constable Cao raised his foot and aimed another kick at Huang Tian.

But Huang Tian was no weakling like Huang Kaiyou. He dodged nimbly—though the attack itself was harmless, the insult was another matter. A flicker of anger crossed his face, but without the main body’s permission, he didn’t dare act recklessly.

“You dare dodge, you lowly peasant?!”

Humiliated, Constable Cao drew his saber and began hacking at Huang Tian.

The anger on Huang Tian’s face slowly morphed into killing intent—but he still waited for Qi Huang’s order.

“Sir, please don’t be rash! Let’s talk this through!”

Li Fen paled and moved to intervene, but Qi Huang held her back.

“Mother, don’t worry! Have you forgotten he’s a cultivator? How could an ordinary person hurt him?”

Qi Huang reassured her.

Li Fen relaxed slightly—but then a new fear surfaced. “But what if he hurts them? They’re government officers!”

“Hurt them? Then he’ll just sit in jail! Looks like today’s banquet is off—even the heavens won’t let you hold it!”

Qu Zhen crowed triumphantly, showing no concern for her father-in-law’s plight.

“Oh? Did you forget? In the cultivation world, cultivators transcend all. So what if they’re officers?”

Qi Huang smirked, then sent a mental command to Huang Tian:

“Stop dodging. Cripple him.”