Doted By The Regent King
Chapter 185 Malice

Chapter 185: Chapter 185 Malice

It must have been no small slight for Liu Jin to want to come to blows, but when everyone heard the words he reported, they became furious.

They dared to call their place a den of debauchery, claiming everyone living there was indecent, both men and women earning ill-gotten silver, suggesting that’s why they were so well-off.

Those words were essentially branding every last man and woman in their area as prostitutes.

Slap.

The bamboo stick, as thick as a man’s thumb, that Wufu had been idly playing with in her hand, was suddenly snapped in half by her alone.

The few who noticed were startled and looked towards her, the young lady was unmistakably beside herself with anger.

However, Wufu laughed, yet that laugh did not reach her eyes. She looked at Liu Jin and asked, "Is that really what they said? They’re calling our place a brothel?"

This run-down, dilapidated spot—labeled a haunt for Secret Prostitutes—was it meant to be a compliment or mockery?

The place for pleasure-seekers—if she were to run one, it would surely feature intricate carvings and paintings, boundless romance, not these thatched huts and tiled roofs.

Liu Jin was also seething, his fists clenched tight as he said, "Yes. They even said they saw men leaving our house with their own eyes. Miss, they’re slandering us with malicious intent."

He had gone out to buy fish and happened to run into Baozi and the others. Liu Jin, with a face as handsome as the lady’s, received lewd remarks and was groped by those riffraff, who spoke in extremely vulgar terms.

Liu Jin knew full well that his looks would draw comments but didn’t care, as a few crude remarks weren’t enough to kill him.

But they went too far by involving the ladies, accusing them of selling themselves—that was intolerable.

These days he had been practicing his martial arts skills with Wufu. Although his training was not highly effective, he was much stronger than before. His quick and unexpected slap landed squarely on Baozi.

He was just a child of a few years, with no real martial arts skills. No matter how well he trained, he was no match for many and was soon swarmed and beaten until his face was bruised and swollen.

If not for an adult intervening, he probably would have been beaten to death.

"Could it have been that Uncle Zhong who came to our house for a drink of water and was seen?" Hongyu exclaimed aloud.

Upon hearing this, Madam Zhou’s face changed slightly, and she staggered.

She was aware of how difficult life was for a widow and orphan, so when they moved to this area, they were very cautious about interactions between the sexes. If it wasn’t necessary, they would rarely go out and wouldn’t allow men into their house. Now, with Hongyu, Liu Jin, and the others there, they were less vigilant.

A few days earlier, a hunter passing by had asked for a bowl of water at the door, which Hongyu handed out. Could this have drawn unwanted attention?

"When one wishes to condemn, words are never lacking. Even without this incident, they would have invented lies against us!" Wufu said with a cold sneer.

"Tofu Beauty said that some were jealous of our good life, thinking it was because your father had returned and that’s why we bought servants," Madam Zhou’s voice choked with emotion. "This place is so small, if a stranger comes by, wouldn’t the people in the village know? They’re trying to drive us to our deaths, leaving us no way out."

She truly didn’t understand. They hadn’t done anything wrong, just lived quietly behind closed doors, and yet they still suffered such vicious slander. Those unaware might think they were the vilest of criminals.

Madam Zhou was genuinely heartbroken. How could the very people from the same village they lived in fail to tolerate them, to the point of such defamation?

Hongyu and Liu Jin were also visibly incensed. They hadn’t provoked anyone; a family of weak women and children, and yet they were being so vilely spoken of. These people were truly despicable.

What they did not realize was that the malice of humans is just the darker, negative side that lies hidden. When selfishness is rooted deep within, once stimulated, it can give rise to endless evils.