Outside the thatched cottage lay a muddy space littered with foul-smelling pig manure.
Surrounded by several people, Su Yuexi stood at the center, with a beautifully dressed woman leading the group, her eyes and eyebrows filled with harshness and her face radiating arrogance.
Trembling slightly, Su Yuexi said in a mix of fear and indignation, "Su Yun, it was Aunt Dou who falsely accused me of stealing pigs from the pig farm first. She hit me and scolded me, so I fought back."
Sikong Jing's steps halted, and he was momentarily stunned.
It was he who had chopped off the limbs of that shrew, yet Su Yuexi was claiming she had done it herself?
Aunt Dou was the very shrew who was now unconscious on the ground, receiving first aid and treatment to stop her bleeding.
"Oh, so it really was you."
With her features contorted in anger, Su Yun across from Su Yuexi shouted, "You abomination, always an embarrassment to the Su Family, how dare you attack my servant so viciously?"
"Come here, slap her face ten times for me, then drag her to the Su Family Law Enforcement Hall to be punished!"
Following Su Yun's command, a maid by her side stepped forward boldly.
She raised her hand and struck fiercely at Su Yuexi's face.
Su Yuexi tried to dodge but seemed to think of something, then abruptly closed her eyes and let it happen.
Slap!
Suddenly, there was a crisp sound by her ear, Su Yuexi felt no pain on her face, in addition to hearing a scream—the source of which was Su Yun's maid.
Opening her eyes, she saw an imposing figure standing before her without knowing when it had appeared; naturally, it was Sikong Jing.
Her expression changed drastically – how could her husband come out like this, and even strike Su Yun's maid?
When Su Yun saw Sikong Jing appear suddenly, she too was momentarily dumbfounded, then upon seeing her own maid struck, she was furious, shouting, "Who are you? How dare you hit my person?"
Sikong Jing's gaze was icy as he replied softly, "I am Su Yuexi's husband, Sikong Jing."
"Hmm?"
Su Yun gave a start, looked Sikong Jing up and down, and sneered, "Are you the sickly criminal turned husband that the Lord of Yunzhou personally promised to Su Yuexi five days ago?"
His brow furrowed—in fact, he was personally wed by the Emperor of Great Shang, Yang Tianmo, to marry the ugliest woman in Yunzhou, likely at the suggestion of the Ninth Princess, Yan Ruyu.
The intent was obviously to deeply humiliate him.
Since when had the minor Lord of Yunzhou had the authority to arrange a marriage?
However, Sikong Jing did not care about these trivial matters. He said coldly, "That's right, I was the one who chopped off the limbs of that shrew. If you have a problem with that, come at me."
No sooner had he spoken, Su Yuexi hastily pulled at Sikong Jing, saying, "No, it was I who chopped off Aunt Dou's limbs, not him."
Despite her concealed face, her anxiety was palpable, and she kept giving Sikong Jing meaningful glances.
Sikong Jing immediately understood that Su Yuexi was trying to take the blame for him. His heart warmed, he shook his head and said to her, "There's no need for that, what I chopped was indeed chopped by me."
"You..."
Seeing Sikong Jing persist in his confession, Su Yuexi was so agitated she couldn't find the words.
Just then, Su Yun shouted angrily, "Shut up, are you flaunting your love in front of me? A banished sickling and a freak, truly a match made by heaven."
"Regardless of who did it, since you are husband and wife, both of you cannot escape guilt!"
"Especially you, the sickling, how dare you hit my maid... Get him, teach him a harsh lesson."
The thugs around her, upon hearing the order, showed ferocious smiles and without another word pounced toward Sikong Jing.
Su Yun's maid, clutching her slapped face, spoke viciously, "Beat this dog couple to death for me."
Having said this, the maid also launched an attack on Su Yuexi.
As everyone charged at them in an instant, Sikong Jing's eyes flared as he declared, "Common as dogs and chickens."
With that, his massive fist flew outward. Although he was only at the Bright Realm Second Layer at the moment, he had been cultivating the "Emperor Beheading Technique," and he was once known as the Invincible God General.
His presence soared, and he threw several punches that did not even require any martial skill.
Bang, bang, bang, bang...
The few lackeys brought by Su Yun were all struck by his fists and sent flying with screams.
Sikong Jing then instantly moved in front of Su Yuexi, and as Su Yun's maid approached, he struck out with another slap.
Slap!
Once more, the maid was hit, letting out a frightful yowl as she twisted in mid-air and crashed to the ground, coated in pig manure.
The scene froze at the moment Sikong Jing withdrew his hand.
Supposedly a sickly figure, Sikong Jing stood before Su Yuexi, his stance sharp as a blade, like an insurmountable barrier.