Seeing Wang Gouzi's demeanor, Liu Mou sneered and said, "You haven't been polite to me, just like how you treated Sister Sang Xiuli—today, I'm going to seek justice for her and let you all know that engaging in feudal superstition and deceiving people's hearts will bring retribution."
Hearing Liu Mou's words, Wang Gouzi's countenance turned grim as he said, "You refuse the toast only to drink the penalty; today I'll let you know the consequences of disrupting the witch's exorcism rites." He then lunged at Liu Mou.
Liu Laquan saw this scene and instantly wanted to help his son. Wang Gouzi was notoriously a thug who loved to fight when he wasn't occupied, and although his own son was also mischievous, he had never actually fought before. This time he was sure to be at a disadvantage, but with so many people crowding around to watch the excitement, he just couldn't get through; Chen Shuhua was driven to anxiety, urging Liu Laquan on one hand while pushing through the crowd with her eyes set on the commotion.
But their actions stopped in the next second, for they heard a series of screams coming from the raised platform. People raised their heads to look and were immediately stunned because the one screaming was Wang Gouzi. Liu Mou stood still, coldly watching Wang Gouzi. He hadn't dodged Wang Gouzi's punch at all; instead, he had fiercely countered with a punch of his own. It was this punch that suddenly had Wang Gouzi rolling on the ground, clutching his arm.
Wang Gouzi's arm appeared as if it were broken, the pain causing him to howl without any desire to fight. Liu Mou glanced at Wang Gouzi, then kicked him, sending him down from the high platform. Wang Gouzi's body appeared to almost fall apart from the pain.
Old Lady Qi, seeing this unfold, was also stunned, as were the surrounding onlookers, who were shocked by Liu Mou's display of strength.
Facing the murderous presence of Liu Mou, Old Lady Qi trembled as she pointed at him and said, "How dare you defy the gods, you will receive divine punishment, the gods will not forgive you."
Liu Mou snorted. Were it not for Old Lady Qi's age, he would have knocked her to the ground begging for mercy. He feared he couldn't control his strength and might kill her, so he hadn't struck her. He walked over to Sang Xiuli, quickly untied her ropes, and embraced her. At this moment, Sang Xiuli's face was deathly pale and she looked dreadful. Liu Mou knew that Sang Xiuli was in danger and that there could be no delay; she needed urgent treatment, and he made to take her away.
But at this moment, several foolish women who followed Old Lady Qi hurriedly blocked Liu Mou's path, not allowing him to take Sang Xiuli with him.
Looking at these people, although Liu Mou was anxious, he had no choice, for he couldn't hit women. If they were three men, he would have acted long ago.
Seeing this, Liu Mou addressed the villagers who had come to watch the spectacle, "Everyone knows Old Lady Qi and Wang Gouzi have ill intentions. It's because Brother Chun Sheng and Wang Gouzi had a grudge, and Wang Gouzi is settling personal scores under the guise of this opportunity, wanting to defile Sister Sang Xiuli. Are all of you really willing to watch this happen? We're all from the same village—there's no reason for us to let these charlatans who play at being gods and deceive hearts create havoc in our village. We should rid the people of these menaces."
Perhaps it was because the strength I had just displayed gave everyone confidence in me, no longer fearing the delinquent Wang Gouzi. Several people soon echoed the sentiment, "What era are we living in nowadays, that people still fall for feudal superstitions? We must crush them and not allow them to continue harming others."
"Right, we cannot allow them to act so recklessly anymore. We should eradicate these social tumors, make them leave our village."
A commotion quickly rose around us as people started to support Liu Mou and drive Old Lady Qi and Wang Gouzi away. Seeing this, Liu Mou knew it was all because he had managed to intimidate them earlier. Otherwise, they wouldn't be so cooperative, as no one wanted to offend Wang Gouzi.
Hearing the clamor below, Old Lady Qi's face turned deathly pale. Glancing at Wang Gouzi, who lay on the ground groaning, her expression grew even uglier. She had intended to use some tricks to intimidate some of the villagers, but now, it was clearly impossible.
Liu Mou then gave a cold snort to the three women in front of him and left with Sang Xiuli. After walking a few steps, he turned back to look at Old Lady Qi and Wang Gouzi and said, "If anything happens to sister-in-law Sang Xiuli, you two better brace yourselves for my reckoning." He then turned and walked away, and with Chen Shuhua's help, they took Sang Xiuli back to her home.
In the end, Sang Xiuli managed to get home with the help of Chen Shuhua and Liu Mou. Since Chun Sheng was working away from home and had not returned or sent any message, Chen Shuhua had no choice but to ask Liu Mou to take care of Sang Xiuli while she hurriedly went back to cook some porridge for Sang Xiuli, to prevent her from becoming too weak and fainting.
After briefing Liu Mou, Chen Shuhua rushed back home. Seeing Sang Xiuli lying on the bed, frail and haggard, pain gripped Liu Mou's heart. Sang Xiuli was a good person, just a bit pitiable. Chun Sheng's whereabouts were unknown; he used to send money home, but there had been no contact with the family for the past year, let alone any money sent home. Liu Mou knew this. Sang Xiuli toiled alone in the fields and at home. She had been very kind to him since he was young, and now it was his turn to protect his sister-in-law.
Looking at Sang Xiuli's frail body, Liu Mou whispered in her ear, "Sister, rest assured, I will definitely cure you." After saying that, he slowly placed his hand on her pulse. Although he was uncertain if he could detect anything, relying on his consciousness, since he could identify herbs, he surely could treat illnesses. If that person truly was the Medicine King, he must possess superior medical skills, and Liu Mou undoubtedly had received his true teachings.
As Liu Mou touched her pulse, he could clearly feel a rhythm of life pulsing through it, which was not his but Sang Xiuli's.
Following the rhythm of life, a faint sensation emerged in Liu Mou's heart and before long, a strange feeling surfaced in his mind. For some reason, a thought occurred to him: "The imbalance of vital energy, greatly agitated by external stimuli, the body and mind exhausted. With the right medication and rest, recovery should follow."
Liu Mou then slowly withdrew his hand, thinking about adjusting Sang Xiuli's herbal treatment. But where could he gather these herbs at that moment? Even if he went up the mountain, he might not find them. It would be somewhat far to buy them in town. Just as Liu Mou was at a loss, a peculiar thought suddenly echoed in his mind.