Lin Anniang's bright orange outfit stood out in the crowd.
Those with a discerning eye among the disaster victims knew that it was the sign of the person in charge of the barren mountain.
Upon seeing this, a hint of smugness immediately flashed in Zhou Wencai's eyes.
He immediately put on a heartbroken and aggrieved expression.
She preemptively started crying and complaining to Lin Anniang.
"My lord! You must do me justice!"
He pointed at Meng Xuan and her son, his voice shrill and mournful, as if he had suffered a great injustice.
"These two unruly women and their unfilial children not only cut in line for me, but also verbally abused me, and this wicked son even tried to injure me with a knife!"
Zhou Wencai embellished the story and distorted the truth.
"I only wish to see the Mountain Goddess as soon as possible, to pray for her protection and to cure my illness, so that I can continue my studies and serve the court in the future!"
He portrayed himself as a diligent and studious but pitiful scholar who was innocently bullied.
Lin Anniang was tall and had sharp eyes.
Upon hearing this, she simply listened quietly to Zhou Wencai's tearful account, her face expressionless.
Her all-seeing eyes glanced indifferently at Zhou Wencai.
They did not immediately believe his one-sided account.
Then, she turned to Meng Xuan, her voice steady.
"You explain it."
Meng Xuan was already heartbroken, thinking that she could not escape this calamity today, and that her son might even be branded as a patricide.
Upon hearing that the steward had actually allowed her to speak, a glimmer of hope suddenly shone in her eyes.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm her trembling body, and recounted the whole story.
From how Zhou Wencai abandoned his wife and children and absconded with his family property when the plague broke out.
She just mentioned how he cut in line, verbally abused her, and even slandered her son as a bastard.
Her voice was choked with emotion, yet her thoughts were clear and coherent.
Meng An, who was in his arms, nodded repeatedly and added in a hoarse voice, "He... he even pushed my mother toward the monster!"
A deep-seated hatred burned in the boy's eyes.
Listening to Meng Xuan's tearful account and seeing Zhou Wencai's guilty look, the surrounding disaster victims began to have some reservations.
Many people pointed and whispered about Zhou Wencai.
After hearing this, Lin Anniang's lips curled into a cold, sharp smile.
She turned to look at Zhou Wencai, and her smile made him inexplicably uneasy.
"You say everything you said is true?" Lin Anniang asked calmly.
"Of course! Heaven can bear witness to what I have said!" Zhou Wencai said, stiffening his neck and trying to remain calm.
“Very good.” Lin Anniang nodded, but her tone suddenly turned stern.
"Then do you dare to swear to the Mountain Goddess that every word you just said is true?"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Wencai's heart skipped a beat.
But then he thought, no matter how powerful the mountain goddess is, can she really tell the truth from falsehood in mortal oaths?
He urgently needs medical treatment and wants to climb this big tree on the barren mountain. How can he back down here?
“Why wouldn’t I dare!” Zhou Wencai raised three fingers without a second’s delay and said loudly.
"I, Zhou Wencai, swear to the Mountain Goddess! Everything I just said is true. If there is even a single lie, I am willing to accept any punishment!"
He swore quickly and loudly, as if afraid that others wouldn't believe him.
Even the group of disaster victims began to have doubts. Could it be that the scholar was right, and the woman from before was wrong?
Meng Xuan's heart sank to the bottom in an instant, and the flame of hope that had just been ignited in her eyes was extinguished by this ruthless vow.
She closed her eyes in despair.
I thought to myself, "It's over. Everything is over."
The surrounding people shook their heads and sighed, feeling that the woman and child were likely to suffer.
After all, these days, people who dare to make such a solemn oath to the gods are usually quite confident.
However, the next second...
A golden bolt of lightning descended from the sky, striking Zhou Wencai's location with tremendous force, instantly sending sand and stones flying!
Upon seeing this, Lin Anniang suddenly laughed, her laughter carrying a hint of cold mockery.
"What a perfect truth!"
Before she finished speaking, she reached out and grabbed Zhou Wencai, whose hair was standing on end after being split.
They lifted him off the ground like a chick!
Caught off guard, Zhou Wencai's feet left the ground, terrified: "What are you doing! I swore an oath!"
With a flick of her arm, Lin Anniang effortlessly tossed Zhou Wencai's over 100-pound body high into the air!
"Ah!" Zhou Wencai screamed in terror.
Immediately afterward, before he could land, Lin Anniang seized the opportunity.
Just as he was falling, he was punched hard in the stomach!
"Bang!"
With a muffled thud, Zhou Wencai slammed heavily onto the hard official road like a tattered sack, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Ugh!" He opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood, mixed with the filth in his stomach.
"How dare you deceive the Mountain Goddess!" Lin Anniang's voice boomed, her eyes blazing with fury.
"The Mountain Goddess has already told me through divine decree that everything you've said is a lie!"
"You scoundrel who twists the truth, abandons your wife and children, and dares to spout nonsense in front of the Mountain Goddess!"
Those who deceive the mountain god deserve to die!
Lin Anniang shouted angrily and picked up Zhou Wencai, who was already limp as mud, again.
Bang!
With another blow, he was slammed hard to the ground.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
She grabbed Zhou Wencai and slammed him down, as if he were a dirty rag doll.
Each impact was accompanied by Zhou Wencai's piercing screams and the cracking sound of bones breaking.
Zhou Wencai was beaten until he bled from all seven orifices and was on the verge of death.
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