Return of the Mystic Ancestor: The Prince’s Savior - Chapter 3

Shen Mingshu’s exquisite phoenix eyes were icy as she said coldly, “Perfect timing.”

Yunniang anxiously replied, “What’s so perfect about it? That Fan Fangfang is not someone to be trifled with! She married into the village from town, her family has money to spare, and no one in the entire village dares to provoke her!”

Shen Mingshu patted the back of her hand soothingly and gently reassured her, “Mother, just stay behind me. I’ll handle this.”

Yunniang gazed into those pitch-black phoenix eyes, feeling as though the girl before her was a stranger.

Yet her appearance and obedient nature were unmistakably those of her Shengsheng.

Perhaps opening the Heavenly Eye had changed her temperament?

Yunniang could only comfort herself this way and whispered, “I’ll listen to you, child.”

Outside the courtyard, chaotic footsteps approached, followed by loud banging on the door.

“You shameless wretch! Open the door!”

“If you dare seduce another woman’s man, don’t hide inside like a coward!”

“If you don’t come out, I’ll tear down this shabby yard of yours!”

The commotion roused several neighboring households from their beds, peering out their doors to watch the spectacle.

Shen Mingshu opened the courtyard gate, her deathly pale face startling the group outside into stumbling back.

Fan Fangfang shrieked in fright, “A ghost!”

Shen Mingshu replied coolly, “I’m human.”

“Oh, so it’s you, you little hussy!” Fan Fangfang spotted Yunniang behind her and immediately shouted, “You old harlot! Get over here!”

She barged through the gate, reaching out to grab Yunniang, but Shen Mingshu seized her wrist. “Aunt Fan, speak if you must, but raising a hand may ruin any chance of civility.”

“Spare me your nonsense! What civility could there possibly be with you two shameless sluts seducing my husband?” Fan Fangfang scoffed, her plump face twisting with fury. “If I don’t teach you a lesson today, you’ll never learn that I’m not to be messed with!”

She tried to yank her hand free to slap Yunniang but found Shen Mingshu’s grip unyielding. “Let go of me!”

Shen Mingshu pressed her thumb slightly, sending a thread of fire into Fan Fangfang’s wrist before forcefully flinging her away.

Fan Fangfang, broad and heavy, was hurled straight into Liu Xingde, nearly crushing him.

Her son, Liu Cheng, rushed to help her up. “Mother, are you hurt?”

Fan Fangfang sat on the ground, noticing the growing crowd of onlookers, and slapped her thighs dramatically, wailing, “Everyone, come see this! This mother and daughter are bullying honest folk!”

More and more villagers gathered, all pointing and murmuring at Shen Mingshu and Yunniang.

Yunniang shielded Shen Mingshu behind her and declared loudly, “You’re slandering us! I’ve never seduced that Liu scoundrel! My daughter is only sixteen—don’t you dare smear her with your filth!”

A few voices rose in Yunniang’s defense. Old Zhang from next door wrung her hands and said, “Surely there’s been a misunderstanding. Yunniang is a good woman, gentle and kind—nothing like what you’re accusing her of…”

Fan Fangfang cut her off. “Shut your mouth! Whether it’s a misunderstanding or the truth, let my husband speak for himself!”

She dragged Liu Xingde by the ear and shoved him toward Shen Mingshu. “Liu, tell them what really happened!”

Liu Xingde, tall and gaunt, was utterly terrified of Fan Fangfang.

Trembling, he pointed at Yunniang and stammered, “It was her… it was her…”

Before he could finish, a shadowy figure lunged into his body.

Fan Fangfang, standing nearby, suddenly felt a chilling gust of wind that made her shiver. She muttered angrily, “What kind of cursed place is this? So cold and eerie! No wonder your face is as pale as a ghost’s!”

‘Liu Xingde’ raised his voice and declared, “It was her! She begged me to come and treat her drowned daughter. I gave in to lust and tried to take advantage of them, but they fought me off! When I got home, my wife grabbed me by the ear and demanded to know where I’d been sneaking around in the dead of night. In my anger, I lied and accused them of seducing me!”

As soon as Liu Xingde finished speaking, Fan Fangfang planted her hands on her hips and snapped, “Did you all hear that? It was these two sluts who seduced my husband! Probably after our family’s money—”

Before she could finish, she realized what Liu Xingde had just admitted.

The villagers gathered at the door to watch the spectacle all looked at her with disdain. Some muttered under their breath, “Disgusting!” “Worse than an animal!”

Fan Fangfang slapped Liu Xingde hard on the back of his head. “Is what you said true?”

‘Liu Xingde’ nodded frantically. “Every word! I swear I’ll never lie to you again!”

“Liu Xingde—” Fan Fangfang was so furious that she started swinging her fists at him, chasing him around the yard as he covered his head and fled.

Liu Cheng quickly stepped in to restrain her, whispering, “Mother, let’s go home. Don’t give the neighbors more to laugh at…”

But Fan Fangfang refused to listen and shoved him away. “If you stop me, I’ll hit you too!”

She pinned Liu Xingde to the ground, punching and kicking him until his face was bruised and swollen, and likely two of his ribs were broken.

Shen Mingshu watched the enraged Fan Fangfang, a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips.

Just a trace of the Crimson Sun Golden Flame was enough to drive someone into a frenzied rage.

Whether she had vented her anger or simply exhausted herself, Fan Fangfang suddenly stopped. Staring at the unconscious Liu Xingde, she gasped, “Did I… did I kill him?”

Liu Cheng hurried over to check his father’s pulse. “He’s still breathing.”

Fan Fangfang sneered and gave Liu Xingde a final kick in the rear before announcing loudly, “Drag him away!”

They had brought along a man dressed in coarse hemp clothing—likely an assistant from the clinic. The assistant and Liu Cheng carried Liu Xingde out, but just then, Shen Mingshu’s clear voice rang out leisurely, “Wait.”

“You think you can just walk away after slandering us like that? Since when is the world so forgiving?”

Fan Fangfang turned to face her, forcing a stiff smile. “I was wrong today. Let me apologize. We’re neighbors, after all—no need to ruin the peace.”

Shen Mingshu scoffed lightly. “Empty words mean nothing.”

“Girl, you can make demands, but don’t push your luck,” Fan Fangfang retorted, likely worried that the villagers would avoid her clinic in the future.

Under the moonlight, Shen Mingshu’s pale, delicate face lost some of its ghostly pallor. She smiled faintly. “Aunt Fan, let’s talk in private.”

Fan Fangfang strode into the yard with her nose in the air, following Shen Mingshu to a secluded corner.

After a hushed exchange, Fan Fangfang’s face paled in shock, and she immediately glanced toward Liu Cheng and the others.

The two whispered back and forth for a while longer before Fan Fangfang asked skeptically, “You actually know about these things?”

“Aunt Fan, I’ve been talking about this kind of thing for years, but no one ever believed me. If you trust me now, I’ll help you. If not, I won’t say another word.”

Fan Fangfang, thinking of the recent strange occurrences at home, said softly, “Come to the clinic tomorrow, and I’ll take you into the house.”

Shen Mingshu nodded slightly, “Take care on your way back, Aunt Fan.”

After everyone had left, the villagers dispersed as well.

Old Mrs. Zhang remained behind and asked with concern, “Mingshu, dear, are you feeling any better?”