Chapter 18: Who's Spreading Rumors? Step Forward and Face the Truth!
Page (1/3)
Xu Feng, sensing the moment was ripe, stepped forward and raised his voice a few notches to ensure everyone could hear clearly:
“I’m not afraid to tell the truth to all of you! Why did Wang Erhu frame me? Because he had his eyes on my wife, tried to make a move on her, but ended up getting beaten with a firewood stick by my wife!”
“He’s a grown man; after being hit by a woman, he lost face and now wants to slander her!”
He pointed to the prey on the ground and continued: “And another thing! Early this morning, he blocked my path and demanded twenty rabbits from me as ‘rent’ because I used his shabby old bow!”
“Tell me, does anyone here think that’s reasonable? I ignored him and even gave him a good beating!”
“Since he couldn’t win by fighting or arguing, he resorted to this low, dirty trick—trying to sow discord and pressure me through you all!”
Xu Feng’s words were clear and well-reasoned, exposing Wang Erhu’s motives plainly.
The villagers were no fools. They knew about the fight from yesterday, and Wang Erhu’s new injuries were visible to many.
Coupled with Wang Erhu’s usual character, Xu Feng’s words suddenly gained credibility.
“So that’s what’s going on!”
“I always said, how could anyone trust Wang Erhu’s words? Pigs might fly before he’d tell the truth!”
“That guy’s rotten to the core! He lost face and now wants to muddy the waters!”
The crowd’s attitude shifted instantly.
Suspicion toward Xu Feng turned into disdain for Wang Erhu.
The widow Li, blending into the crowd, noticed the change in mood. She cursed Wang Erhu silently as good-for-nothing troublemaker and quietly shrank back, afraid of drawing Xu Feng’s attention.
“If you all don’t believe me, fine!” Xu Feng said decisively, laying it all out: “Let’s bring out that coward Wang Erhu right now! I’ll confront him in front of the entire village, young and old!”
“We’ll see who’s lying and who’s full of nonsense! If he can produce even a shred of evidence that my wife is a spy, I won’t hesitate—I'll cut off my head and give it to him as a chamber pot!”
His words were ruthless, absolute.
The villagers were completely taken aback by Xu Feng’s fierce resolve. This was no mere confrontation—it was a life-or-death wager.
“Yes! Bring Wang Erhu here!”
“Let him come face the truth! This matter must be settled!”
“If he dares to lie, we’re breaking his legs for sure!”
The villagers’ emotions flared again, this time all directed squarely at Wang Erhu.
Old Zhang nodded and struck his cane heavily on the ground: “Fengzi is right! We can’t just believe one side! Go fetch Erhu!”
Several young men, furious with righteous anger, immediately ran into the village. Their demeanor was more like going to seize than to invite.
Page (2/3)
Watching this scene, a cold smile curled at the corner of Xu Feng’s mouth.
He hoisted the heavy prey and bowed slightly to Old Zhang and the surrounding villagers: “Uncles and elders, I’m going inside first. My wife’s timid—don’t scare her anymore. When Wang Erhu arrives, we’ll talk it through properly.”
With that, he ignored the crowd and carried the hefty haul straight back to his rundown courtyard, under the villagers’ mixed gaze of awe and respect.
His silhouette stood tall and firm like a pine, exuding an undeniable strength.
The villagers looked at Xu Feng’s dilapidated gate, then at the bloodstains he left behind, whispering among themselves.
“This Xu Feng is no ordinary man.”
“Of course not. Who else would dare to enter Black Bear Gorge alone as if strolling in their own garden?”
“I think Wang Erhu has hit a stone wall this time—there’s a good show coming!”
Before long, the young men who went after Wang Erhu returned, followed by a crowd of onlookers. In the center, surrounded and reluctant, stood Wang Erhu, clearly wanting to leave but afraid to do so.
Wang Erhu hadn’t expected things to escalate like this. He had planned to stoke trouble from behind the scenes and let the villagers make a fuss so he could benefit quietly.
He never imagined Xu Feng would turn the heat directly on him and demand a public confrontation.
“Erhu, what’s really going on? Is Fengzi’s wife really a spy?”
“Don’t lie! If you wrong an innocent woman, you’ll pay dearly!”
Surrounded and bombarded by questions, Wang Erhu’s heart pounded nervously.
He glanced toward Xu Feng’s house, as if he could see Xu Feng’s cold eyes staring back, and instinctively shrank his neck.
At that moment, Widow Li’s eyes flickered as she pushed forward, speaking in a tone of feigned pity:
“Ah, Erhu’s just trying to protect the village. These days, you can’t be too careful. What if… what if that woman really is a spy? Everyone here, young and old, would be in danger.”
“A confrontation is good. If she’s innocent, wouldn’t that clear her name?”
Her words seemed fair but were actually backing Wang Erhu and stirring the crowd.
Hearing this, Wang Erhu straightened up as if gaining courage: “Right! Sister Li’s right! I, Wang Erhu, am doing this for everyone’s good!”
“I heard it with my own ears—how could it be false? Let’s go confront him! I don’t believe Xu Feng would protect a spy in front of the whole village!”
He raised his arm, and with Widow Li fanning the flames, some troublemakers and a few gullible folks quickly joined the uproar.
“Let’s go! Confront him!”
“To Xu Feng’s house!”
Old Zhang frowned at the chaotic scene, wanting to stop it, but with so many voices, no one heeded him.
Page (3/3)
He sighed and could only lean on his cane, following behind the crowd, feeling that the matter was more complicated than it seemed.
So, a large group, led by Wang Erhu and Widow Li, marched toward Xu Feng’s home in a grand procession.
Their demeanor was less like seeking the truth and more like preparing to ransack the place.
The entire Old River Gorge Village was boiling over because of a mysterious woman.
…
Pushing open the gate, Xu Feng dropped the heavy prey onto the ground with a dull thud that made those inside startle.
Lin Xue hurried out, her face shadowed with barely concealed worry.
Though she hadn’t caught every word of the noise outside, the hostile voices and Wang Erhu’s sharp shouts drifted in clearly enough.
Seeing Xu Feng was like finding an anchor. She hurried forward, lowering her voice, forgetting to change her formality: “Xu Feng, I heard… they’re saying… I’m…”
She didn’t finish, but the meaning was clear. Her clear eyes were full of fear and unease.
Her worst fear was coming true.
“You heard?” Xu Feng glanced at her, his expression calm and deep like still water: “Good. That means I don’t have to say it again.”
He walked to the water jar, scooped up a dipper of cool water, drank more than half in big gulps, wiped his mouth, then said slowly:
“The clowns causing trouble won’t last long. Just remember, from now on, you’re a frightened mute—hear nothing, say nothing. If the sky falls, I’ll hold it up for you.”
His words carried an unshakable strength, like a talisman, calming the turmoil in Lin Xue’s heart.
She looked at Xu Feng, this man who rarely spoke, sometimes with a roguish edge, but always gave her an inexplicable sense of security when it mattered most.
She nodded silently, saying nothing more, and quietly began helping Xu Feng gather the prey.
Xu Feng sat on the wooden bench in the courtyard, lit a cigarette, squinting as he watched Lin Xue busy herself.
Outwardly serene, his mind raced with calculations.
Wang Erhu was a nuisance, easy to handle.
Beat him up, ruin his reputation, and he would be powerless.
The real trouble was Lin Xue’s identity.