Hearing the voice, Yu Jin instinctively wanted to turn her head to look, but a hand pressed down on her head.
“Don’t look!”
Yu Li’s voice rang out. Yu Jin’s body stiffened, and a sudden wave of panic rose in her heart.
Yu Li’s reaction made her realize that the voice might be calling out to them.
Before she could think further, Yu Jin noticed that her sister was already pulling her forward, walking quickly. She stumbled to keep up, her steps unsteady, nearly tripping over herself. Fortunately, her sister’s hand held her firmly, preventing her from falling.
“The two young ladies up front, stop where you are!” The arrogant voice was displeased. “Go and stop them!”
As the voice resounded, hurried footsteps followed behind them.
Hearing the relentless footsteps chasing after them, Yu Jin finally confirmed that the “two young ladies” referred to them.
Her panic grew; she couldn’t understand what they had done or why someone was trying to capture them.
Yu Li walked so fast that, by the end, she was already running.
Yu Jin was pulled along tightly, feeling as though her body was flying as her sister dragged her forward. She ran so hard that she was out of breath, her chest burning with pain.
Perhaps noticing her poor condition, the next moment, an arm wrapped around her waist, lifting her up.
Yu Jin: “…”
Yu Jin realized that her entire body seemed to be hanging off her sister’s arm. The posture was incredibly awkward, but Yu Li carried her as if it was effortless, not at all like carrying a person, more like carrying a bundle.
With a stiff expression, Yu Jin quickly accepted the situation, gasping for air to make herself feel better.
Yu Li carried her younger sister out of the dock and ran toward a nearby alley.
She didn’t run too fast, maintaining a steady pace, allowing the people behind to follow.
When they reached a narrow and cramped alley, a quiet place with few people around, she finally stopped. At the same time, she put her younger sister down from her arm.
As soon as Yu Jin touched the ground, her legs felt weak, and she almost fell, but Yu Li caught her just in time.
“Second Sister, are you alright?” Yu Li looked at her with a slight frown, thinking she must have been frightened, which made her very displeased.
Yu Jin was about to say something when she saw two yamen officers appear at the entrance of the alley.
The two yamen officers were also out of breath from running, terrified of losing track of the two and facing trouble from Steward Cui.
Now, seeing the two finally stop, they couldn’t help but feel a bit angry.
“Why—why were you running?” One of the slightly chubby yamen officers was very unhappy. “You two little girls can really run.”
The other one said, “Let’s see where you can run to now!”
Seeing the two stop, they assumed the girls had run out of energy. It was a natural assumption—if even they were nearly out of breath, how could two young women keep going?
After making sure Yu Jin was steady, Yu Li turned around to wait for them to approach.
The two yamen officers, panting heavily, walked over. When they saw Yu Li’s face clearly, they suddenly understood why Steward Cui had ordered them to stop the girls.
This young woman was extraordinarily beautiful. Although she was dressed in plain blue clothing and wore no ornaments, she possessed a natural beauty that needed no embellishment.
She was slender, the kind of frail thinness that seemed as if it couldn’t withstand the wind. Yet, she didn’t give off a delicate impression. Instead, there was an indescribable charm about her, like a pine tree on a mountain, unafraid of the wind and rain, growing stubbornly and tenaciously.
The two yamen officers couldn’t quite put their finger on it, but they thought to themselves that no wonder Steward Cui had spotted her in the crowd at first glance.
Steward Cui was notorious for his love of beauty, and it was no surprise that he would take a liking to such a beautiful young woman.
Once the yamen officers understood Steward Cui’s intentions, they knew there was no escaping the task of bringing these two to him today. Otherwise, they would be the ones facing consequences.
The slightly chubby yamen officer said, “Why were you running? Steward Cui wants to see you—that’s your good fortune!”
As he spoke, they reached out to grab Yu Li, who was standing in front.
Yu Jin was terrified. She hadn’t expected such a situation, especially involving yamen officers coming to seize them.
Since ancient times, commoners had not dared to fight against officials. People were inherently afraid of dealing with the authorities, and when encountering patrolling yamen officers on the streets, they would keep their distance, avoiding any conflict.
If yamen officers wanted to arrest someone, the only choice was to submit and be taken away.
Fear gripped Yu Jin’s heart. Were they really going to be taken to Steward Cui? Steward Cui was the brother-in-law of the county magistrate. If he wanted to arrest them, there was no way they could resist…
The next moment, she saw the two yamen officers sent flying backward.
Yu Li stepped forward, grabbing each yamen officer by the head, as if holding two large watermelons, and slammed their heads together with a loud bang. The two yamen officers collapsed to the ground, unconscious, with large lumps swelling on their foreheads.
Yu Jin, who had been trembling in fear: “…”
She stared at her sister with wide eyes, horrified, only to find that her sister’s expression remained calm and indifferent, as if she had done something utterly ordinary—something as simple as drinking water or eating food.
Yu Li’s gaze swept over the two fallen yamen officers, lingering on their bodies.
They weren’t carrying any weapons.
In these times, not all yamen officers were equipped with weapons. The weapons in the county office had to be registered and were limited in number. They were typically only issued for apprehending murderers or bandits.
Yamen officers on routine street patrols were rarely armed.
“Elder Sister…”
Yu Jin called out shakily.
Yu Li turned to look at her, noticing her pale face, and comforted her gently, “Don’t be afraid, Jin.”
Yu Jin hesitated, then stammered, “They’re yamen officers… Isn’t this a bit… inappropriate?”
Her sister had just openly attacked officers of the law!
If someone found out… The thought made her scalp tingle, and she quickly glanced around, terrified that someone might have witnessed the scene.
“Yes,” Yu Li replied matter-of-factly.
“What… what should we do?” Yu Jin looked distraught. “What if someone finds out…”
“No one will,” Yu Li reassured her panicked sister. “There’s no one here. No one will see this.”
She had deliberately chosen this secluded spot, away from the crowds, so she could act without being noticed.
Yu Jin’s face froze. It was the first time she truly understood how daring her sister could be.
Forcing Uncle to kneel and compelling Grandfather to split the family assets—what was that? Now she even dared to hit yamen officers!
Yu Jin’s mind was a chaotic mess, but she knew one thing: once these two yamen officers regained consciousness, they would definitely retaliate against her sister.
They were just ordinary commoners. What would her sister do then?
Soon, Yu Jin steeled herself and said, “Elder Sister, let’s leave quickly. We won’t come back to the county town anymore!”
After all, these people didn’t know where they lived. They could hide back in their village, and if that didn’t work, they could escape into the mountains.
If they were pursued to that point, she would lure them up the mountain, and then…
A ferocious glint flashed in Yu Jin’s eyes as she imagined the worst possible outcome.
Yu Li, unaware of the violent “kill and dispose of the bodies” thoughts brewing in her simple younger sister’s mind, nudged the two unconscious yamen officers on the ground with her foot.
The yamen officers were jolted awake by her kick, groaning in pain. Their heads were spinning, and it took them a moment to realize what was happening.
They were only further awakened when she kicked them again, the sharp pain forcing clarity. They looked up to see a bright, beautiful face staring at them expressionlessly.
The two yamen officers: “!!!!!!!”
Yu Li said coldly, “Get up.”
The yamen officers shivered as they stood, gingerly touching their foreheads, now sporting large, swollen lumps.
They looked at her with terror in their eyes. The moment she grabbed their heads, they had realized how terrifying her strength was. She had beaten them as effortlessly as swatting flies.
Using the same methods she had employed against others like Gao Sheng, Yu Li separated the two yamen officers and interrogated them, asking for their names, home addresses, and details about their families.
The yamen officers had no idea what she intended but, fearful of being beaten again, didn’t dare to play any tricks and answered truthfully.
Their thoughts were unanimous: they were yamen officers from the yamen. What could a commoner possibly do, even if she knew where they lived?
Just as these thoughts crossed their minds, they heard Yu Li say, “Go bring Steward Cui here, or I’ll visit your homes tonight and castrate you!”
The yamen officers: “…”
Did she mean that kind of castration?
As they were pondering, Yu Jin piped up from behind, “Elder Sister, what does ‘castrate’ mean?”
“Castrate pigs,” Yu Li replied casually. “I’ve been thinking about learning how to castrate pigs lately. I can use them for practice—it’s all the same anyway.”
“…”
How is that the same?!
The two yamen officers were on the verge of screaming. Castrating pigs and castrating men—how could those be the same?! Absolutely not!
They had never encountered such a terrifyingly ruthless woman before. Their faces were frozen with fear, completely forgetting how to react.
Seeing their lack of response, Yu Li frowned slightly. “Forget it. I can do it now.”
As she spoke, she kicked them to the ground. With a ripping sound, she tore apart one yamen officer’s clothing with ease.
The yamen officers: “…”
“Wait, wait, wait—” The yamen officer whose clothes were being torn apart screamed until his voice broke. “We’ll go bring Steward Cui right now!”
Yu Li said nothing, tearing off the yamen officer’s upper garment and ripping it into several strips. Then, she used the strips to tie him up securely.
After tying up the first yamen officer, Yu Li turned to look at the other one.
The second yamen officer, terrified out of his wits, quickly understood the situation and said with great compliance, “Don’t worry, I’ll bring Steward Cui over immediately!”
Yu Li stared at him fixedly, her gaze so intense that it made his scalp tingle and sweat pour like rain. After a long moment, she said, “Don’t try anything funny. I already know where your family lives. I can sneak in anytime and castrate you and every man in your household.”
Was she planning to end their family line?!
This was too vicious!
The two yamen officers were overwhelmed with fear. This was the most terrifying situation they had ever encountered in their careers as yamen officers. In their eyes, Yu Li was no longer just a beautiful young woman but a terrifying demon.
Finally, the second yamen officer stumbled out of the alley, leaving the slightly chubby one behind as a hostage.
The yamen officer who left was named Peng, while the one left behind was named Ge. Both of them were married, with parents, siblings, wives, and children at home.
Their yamen officer positions had been inherited from their fathers, part of a generational lineage of service. In truth, they were less like law enforcers and more like street thugs. Yamen officers like them often used their official status to bully and oppress others. Ordinary people who encountered them could only resign themselves to bad luck.
However, Yu Li wasn’t from this world. She didn’t harbor the deeply ingrained fear of government authorities that others did.
If they didn’t provoke her, she was willing to let things slide. But if they dared to come after her, she would beat them into submission and fear.
After all, she had plenty of ways to extricate herself and ensure they wouldn’t dare retaliate against her.
When she saw what had happened earlier at the dock, she became uneasy about Yu Jin coming to the county town to earn a living. What if some bully harassed her because of her beauty?
Even if there were no bullies, the exorbitant extortion fees at the dock would take away seven or eight-tenths of her hard-earned money.
She had originally considered suggesting that Yu Jin find a different line of work. But now that trouble had come knocking, she decided to deal with it all at once.
With a serious expression, Yu Li asked Officer Ge, “Why were you trying to arrest us?”
Earlier, when she realized Steward Cui was shouting in their direction, Yu Li decided to take her sister away, worried that it would scare Yu Jin. She hadn’t expected Steward Cui to send two yamen officers after them.
She couldn’t understand why Steward Cui would do such a thing.
Could it be that Steward Cui knew Yu Laoda and his family and had recognized her, intending to avenge the eldest branch of the family?
Or perhaps the information from Gao Sheng was wrong, and the Chen family wasn’t connected to some Zhu yamen officer but rather the county magistrate’s concubine’s brother?
Officer Ge looked at her as if she were a demon, too frightened not to answer. He stammered, “Steward Cui… probably took a liking to you. He… he has many beautiful concubines at home…”
His words weren’t exactly subtle, and it was easy to discern the meaning.
Yu Jin, who had been preoccupied with thoughts of how to deal with the yamen officers’ retaliation, immediately flared up upon hearing this. Her delicate eyebrows arched sharply, and her gaze turned murderous, as if she wanted to devour someone.
How dare he! How dare he have designs on her sister!
Yu Li blinked in surprise. So this wasn’t about the eldest branch sending someone to retaliate against her?
Not fully understanding, she asked humbly, “He took a liking to me and wants me to become his concubine?” A concubine was like a secondary wife, right?
As a genetic warrior from the apocalypse, she had no concept of such things.
“Yes… yes…” Officer Ge stuttered.
“What if I’m unwilling?”
Officer Ge hesitated, his mouth moving slightly as he cautiously replied, “He usually has people approach you first. If you agree, you go with them. If you refuse… they take you by force…”
But Steward Cui only ever set his sights on powerless commoners. If a woman had any status or background, he wouldn’t dare make a move.
As a result, no matter how many women he forcibly took, it never caused much trouble.
After all, his sister was the county magistrate’s favored concubine. When people learned that he was the magistrate’s brother-in-law, they didn’t dare make a fuss. In the end, they could only cry and accept their fate. If their families were compensated with some silver, they wouldn’t stir up any further trouble.
Yu Li asked, “What if he takes a liking to a married woman?”
“This…” Officer Ge was at a loss. “I don’t think Steward Cui has ever taken a liking to a married woman.”
So he wasn’t sure what would happen in that case.
Yu Li asked a few more questions, gradually piecing together the situation, before falling silent.
Officer Ge, terrified, also remained silent. He sat there quietly, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, not daring to move recklessly.
Not long after, footsteps echoed from the entrance of the alley.
The previously departed Officer Peng had indeed brought Steward Cui over.
In truth, Peng hadn’t wanted to do this. Steward Cui was the brother of the county magistrate’s favored concubine. If they offended him, there would be consequences. With just a word from the concubine in the magistrate’s ear, their jobs as yamen officers could be over.
He had even considered gathering more yamen officers to capture Yu Li.
But then he recalled her terrifying strength. If they failed to catch her and she escaped, she might really sneak into his house at night and…
His thoughts grew increasingly chaotic. When he finally saw Steward Cui and heard him asking whether the two young ladies had been caught, Peng didn’t even know what he was thinking. On impulse, he blurted out that they had been caught but that something had happened and suggested Cui come take a look.
“What happened?” Steward Cui snapped angrily. “You couldn’t even catch two people? Useless!”
Peng laughed obsequiously, trying to placate him. “The two young ladies didn’t run far; they’re just in that alley. One of them accidentally fell and sprained her ankle, so she couldn’t run anymore. We thought it would be a great opportunity for you to come and be the hero who rescues the beauty—maybe she’d fall for you…”
This flattery did indeed stir Steward Cui’s interest.
That girl was truly beautiful. Even from a distance, just one look had ensnared his heart, making him itch with desire.
While taming a spirited beauty had its own appeal, it was even better if she willingly submitted to him.
Steward Cui never imagined that these sycophantic yamen officers would dare deceive him, so he confidently made his way to the alley.
When he arrived and saw Yu Li standing there, he was momentarily puzzled. Wasn’t she supposed to have a sprained ankle?
Just as he was wondering, a belt lashed toward him, striking him squarely and sending him flying.
Officer Peng, who had brought him over, instinctively shrank back. He recognized the belt as belonging to Officer Ge.
Watching Steward Cui being whipped until he screamed and wailed, Peng suddenly felt relieved that he had obeyed orders and refrained from doing anything unnecessary. Otherwise, that belt might have been aimed at him.
“Help! Help—”
Steward Cui shrieked repeatedly, but in the next moment, his mouth was whipped swollen.
Terrified and desperate, he tried to turn and flee, but a lash to his calf sent him sprawling face-first to the ground. His head struck hard, instantly bleeding and covering his face in blood.
Now, he looked almost identical to the dockworker from earlier.
The only difference was that the dockworker had fainted on the spot, while Steward Cui remained conscious, groaning incoherently and rolling around on the ground.
Yu Li, her face expressionless, wielded the belt as if it had a life of its own, lashing him into continuous rolls of pain.
The two yamen officers huddled to the side, too terrified to utter a single sound.
The belt looked completely ordinary—something they used frequently in daily life. Yet, they had never realized it could be used to whip someone like this.
Seeing Steward Cui’s miserable state, the two yamen officers felt increasingly grateful that they had chosen to comply earlier.
The commotion in the alley drew the attention of a few passersby, but they quickly fled after just a glance.
Especially when they noticed yamen officers in the alley, no one dared to get involved or meddle.
With no one coming to rescue him, Steward Cui was beaten half to death.
He wept bitterly, transitioning from arrogance to frenzied curses, and finally to tearful pleas for mercy.
By the time Yu Li finally stopped, Steward Cui was barely alive. Both his legs had been stomped and broken, leaving him unconscious.
When the sound of bones cracking echoed through the alley, the two yamen officers shivered uncontrollably with fear.
Yu Li tossed the belt back to Officer Ge and said, “Alright, you can take him away now.”
Yamen officers Ge and Peng hesitated, their faces showing reluctance. When Yu Li glanced at them, they hurriedly stammered, “Ju-just let him go like that?”
What kind of question was that?
Yu Jin couldn’t help but feel these two yamen officers almost seemed eager for her sister to kill Steward Cui.
What they were really thinking, however, was that they had already completely offended Steward Cui. If he was released and eventually regained consciousness, he would definitely retaliate against them first before going after Yu Li.
Yu Li said flatly, “What else? Kill him?”
The two yamen officers exchanged a look before shrinking back.
Despite their usual arrogance under the protection of their official titles, they didn’t have the courage to actually commit murder.
“He’s your responsibility now,” Yu Li said, her expression indifferent. “Do with him as you please. If you can’t handle it, come find me.”
Officer Ge cautiously asked, “How… how can we find you?”
“Go to Luoyu Alley and look for Gao Sheng and Skinny Wu,” she replied.