"Master Zhou, I beg you to have mercy and grant me some more time!"
In front of a newly built thatched hut, a thin farmer knelt on the ground, pleading with the obese landlord in front of him.
"Give me a grace period? Zhu Daniu, don't say that Master Zhou is heartless."
The landlord, Zhou, whose bulky flesh stretched his robes bulging, admired the new gold and jade ring on his finger before looking up at the wailing peasant in front of him.
“You don’t have anything left to pay off your debts. Your health is already like this. If you work for a few more years, you’ll probably pass away. Why don’t you just give me your daughter? I’ll pay off all your debts, and then you’ll be free of any worries and can live a few years in peace.”
"No, Mr. Zhou, don't let my condition fool you, I can still work, I can pay back the money."
Upon hearing the landlord's words, the thin peasant trembled and was about to throw himself at the landlord's feet, wanting to hug his legs and wail, but the landlord impatiently kicked him away.
"You peasant, get out of here, don't get my clothes dirty."
Master Zhou completely lost his patience. In his eyes, Zhu Daniu had been squeezed dry and there was no more profit to be made from him.
This guy was already a penniless man. A few months ago, his wife fell ill, and the family had no money to buy medicine. He tried to borrow from relatives, but because of his long-term poverty, he couldn't borrow even a few coins.
Desperate, he sought help at Master Zhou's residence. Master Zhou, a kind-hearted man, was surprised to learn that the man's daughter was quite beautiful, so he generously lent him the money, albeit at a slightly high interest rate of nine out of thirteen.
Now that his wife couldn't be saved, he's burdened with a mountain of debt. The interest has snowballed so much that even if he used all the land he had, it wouldn't be enough to pay it off. Now he's practically penniless.
Now that this guy has reached the end of his rope, Master Zhou feels it's time to reap the benefits, so he brought his men here to take this guy's daughter.
This is a typical example of a landlord abusing his wealth to bully men and women, a behavior that is utterly repulsive. However, there's little that can be done about it, because he hasn't violated any major laws, and the government won't interfere.
The buying and selling of people is a serious crime under the Great Law. However, the landlord Zhou did not buy or sell people. As long as the peasant's daughter entered the Zhou household, she would receive a monthly salary. This was an employment relationship and did not constitute the buying and selling of people.
"Zhu Daniu, don't be ungrateful!"
Behind the landlord Zhou, a burly lackey with a fierce face stepped forward, kicked the mud-covered, sallow-faced peasant, and spat on him.
"If your daughter could marry Master Zhou, she would never have to worry about food or drink. But if she marries you, what can you give her? To live in this drafty, dilapidated hut and go hungry every day?"
"Pah! Don't think I don't know anything!"
Having knelt for so long and cried enough, the peasant's anger finally reached its limit. He suddenly stood up, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the landlord, who was dressed in fine silks and satins.
"You fat bastard, aren't you just lusting after my daughter's body? Do you think my daughter will eat well and be warmly dressed with you? You're kidding me. My daughter will be used by you for a few copper coins a month, and she won't even get a proper title."
Now is a time of peace and prosperity. Even farmers are no longer content with just having enough to eat. They have much to look forward to in life. Why would he let his innocent young wife become someone else's bed warmer?
Little did he know that Master Zhou's face had become even more wicked this week. The little money he had lent him was gone after a few medical treatments, but the interest kept piling up, eventually costing him all his land. Even so, the money was still there, and he still hadn't paid it back.
"Damn it, a peasant like you has such high aspirations, wanting a title and status. It's your good fortune that Master Zhou has taken a liking to your daughter, yet you still don't know what's good for you."
Several servants who had come with the landlord saw the peasant's angry expression, grinned maliciously, stretched their fists and feet, and stepped forward, ready to teach him a lesson.
Master Zhou seemed unable to bear witnessing this scene, and turned slightly to the side. A short while later, several angry roars came from behind him, followed by the sounds of flesh colliding and painful cries of pain from clenched teeth.
"Zhu Daniu, pay me back, or let your daughter come to my house as a maid. You have to choose one. You're not trying to renege on your debt, are you? There's no such thing as a free lunch!"
Feeling that it was about time, the landlord Huang turned around, stopped the lackey, his fat face squeezing his eyes into slits, and he had a fierce, half-smiling expression.
"Zhou Dahai, you're so heartless! You even took the land deed from my house, what more do you want?"
The farmer, beaten to the ground and unable to stand, clenched his fists, blood seeping from his clenched teeth.
He was just an honest man who lived a simple life, never imagining that borrowing money would involve so many complicated procedures. If that were the case, he would have simply sold his land back then.
"Paying back debts is a matter of course."
"You've done so many terrible things, aren't you afraid of being struck by lightning?"
The peasant stared intently at the hypocritical Master Zhou before him, feeling utterly powerless and left with no choice but to place his hopes in the gods.
"Hahaha, a peasant is a peasant. Zhu Daniu, I followed the government to relocate back then and unfortunately contracted the plague. I was on the verge of death back then, and even though I had money, I had nowhere to turn. But who knew that I was blessed by the heavens? The Medicine King descended to earth and gave me a bowl of medicine. Look at me now, I'm still alive and kicking."
Upon hearing this, Old Master Zhou couldn't help but boast proudly. He had truly thought he was going to die that year, but unexpectedly, he was saved by a legendary deity.
Although tens of thousands of people were saved that year, he still regarded it as something to boast about. He even built a small temple in his home to express his gratitude to the Medicine King God and offered incense and prayers there from time to time.
"Heavens! You are blind..."
Hearing this, Zhuang Jiahan was utterly desperate. He looked up and shouted at the cloudless sky, and then...
Boom—
On a bright, sunny day, a bolt of lightning struck down, hitting the smug landlord with pinpoint accuracy.
ah!
A bloodcurdling scream rang out, and the once arrogant Master Zhou collapsed, his body billowing with blue smoke. The few lackeys he brought with him were instantly terrified at the sight and dared not move an inch.
"What are you idiots still standing there for? Hurry up and help me up!"
Master Zhou, whose body was half-numbed by the blows, lay on the ground, feeling intense pain and fear. He shouted at his lackeys.
These lackeys, who hadn't even had time to react, instinctively rushed over and hurriedly helped him up. Before he could say anything, another bolt of lightning struck from the sky, hitting Master Zhou precisely, and the lackeys were also caught in the crossfire.
"ah!"
Several screams rang out at the same time, and the gang that bullied men and women all lay motionless on the ground.
The farmer, who had suffered considerable physical pain, stared at the scene in stunned silence for a long while. Suddenly, he snapped to his senses, staggered to his feet, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed in worship.
"Thank God!"
thunderbolt--
Another bolt of lightning struck, landing on Master Zhou once more. The already smoking master convulsed again, looking even more miserable.
Seeing this scene that defied common sense, the farmer who had been kneeling straightened up and looked at the landlord who was barely breathing. After pondering for a moment, he knelt down again.
"Thank God!"
This time, no lightning struck, but some people, alerted by the lightning, were already rushing over. When these villagers saw the landlord and his henchmen, burned by the lightning and their fate unknown, they were all shocked.
Suddenly, a group of villagers appeared in the lightning-struck area, kowtowing repeatedly. However, they were worshipping the upright and just Lord. After they finished worshiping and saw that there was no more movement, these villagers went to call for help and notify the government. No one dared to handle such matters involving ghosts and gods on their own.
And so the news spread, causing a great sensation in the surrounding villages. Countless people applauded, while Master Zhou, whose reputation was already bad, became even more infamous—this was a testament to divine intervention.
However, when the news spread further afield, reaching county towns and prefectural cities, people in these well-informed areas were shocked to realize that there had been a significant increase in lightning strikes in Yunze Prefecture recently.
What is most awe-inspiring is that these lightning strikes specifically target those who are tyrannical and wicked in the countryside.
Those struck by lightning were left charred black and in pain, while those struck more severely were left partially paralyzed. The worst were struck dead—it all depended on the words and deeds of those struck by lightning in their daily lives.
This situation naturally made many people applaud, and even rumors spread among the people that a celestial god in charge of divine punishment had come to Yunze Continent to punish evildoers.
Such a thing naturally attracted the attention of the government, or rather, the government noticed it the moment the lightning struck. However, to the surprise of many, the government seemed to ignore it, remaining silent and letting the lightning continue to fall.
This displeased the powerful families of Yunze Prefecture. They were not ignorant common people; they naturally knew that ghosts and gods existed in this world, and such a precise lightning strike must be manipulated by a god.
A god of divine punishment who obeys the will of the people and punishes evil deeds will naturally be hated by some people. After all, they don't want to be struck by lightning one day while walking on the street, or even be struck to death.
When this group of people unite, they become a formidable force. They are even able to reach the ears of the emperor, so much so that the government has to send people to inquire about their situation.
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