"Ah!" cried Overseer Huang, falling onto the ground and daring not to move.
For at that moment, Baoyu had his neck firmly in its jaws. Baoyu was large and had a big mouth, completely engulfing Overseer Huang's neck. With a slight squeeze, Overseer Huang's neck would snap, severing his head from his body.
The other guards were greatly startled and immediately drew their sabers to hack at Baoyu. However, just as they raised their swords, something struck the back of their heads with a loud "bang." The force was so great that their eyeballs nearly popped out.
The guards with sabers turned to see a large silver snake, as thick as a bowl, its tail flicking nimbly. With a half-swing, it knocked down several guards.
This large silver snake had a triangular head and a bright red tongue, likely a viper among vipers.
One of the guards exclaimed, "What a huge venomous snake!"
The guards, already weak-kneed from the lightning, grew even more fearful upon hearing it was venomous. They stumbled backward. A wolf bite might still leave one alive, but a bite from this venomous snake would surely be fatal.
"How dare you! In broad daylight, you bully the children of Hongshu Slope without cause and vandalize our property! Do you not respect Prince Yu, nor the laws of Great Xia?" a sharp female voice rang out.
Everyone turned to see a beautiful, heavily pregnant woman being supported by two older women as she walked over. The pregnant woman was the one speaking.
Behind her followed dozens of people holding weapons, men and women, old and young. Every face was filled with anger, even fiercer than their own.
Xiao Chibao and Wang Zhugan immediately ran over and stood beside them.
Overseer Huang, his neck caught in Baoyu's jaws, couldn't speak. The other guards dared not speak freely. Only the smaller overseer surnamed Wang stammered, "Quickly, quickly, tell your dog to release our leader, or if anything happens, you won't be able to handle the consequences!"
Overseer Wang had heard that his beloved Wang Donghua had been tortured by this madam until she was no longer human, and then sent to the border, leading him to harbor thoughts of revenge against Hongshu Slope. Thus, he had followed Overseer Huang here today. He hadn't expected to be on the receiving end of revenge instead.
Baoyu was furious. Despite its imposing presence, it had been mistaken for a dog. Rage flared within it, and it increased the pressure of its bite. Fine streams of blood began to ooze from Overseer Huang's neck.
Bai Sheng chuckled, "Oh, you water imp, how dare you threaten this madam? This madam refuses to release him, unless you apologize to the people of Hongshu Slope. Otherwise, this shoehorn face will become Baoyu's meal today."
"Who... who is a water imp?!" Overseer Wang hated being called ugly the most. Wasn't a water imp the epitome of ugliness?
"It's you! You're so dark, thin, and short, you really look like a water imp," Lu Yun said, pulling down his lower eyelid, sticking out his tongue, and shaking his head as he made a funny face.
The people of Hongshu Slope were amused and burst into laughter.
Overseer Wang's face turned ashen with anger, yet he dared not act rashly. He pointed at Lu Yun and said, "You... you little bastard, I—"
Before he could finish his indignant "I—", the tip of Shandia's tail struck his mouth with a loud "snap."
Overseer Wang's lips instantly swelled like sausages. The pain brought tears to his eyes. He looked at Shandia, then at the people of Hongshu Slope, his face filled with resentment, but he dared not utter another sound.
Bai Sheng raised her voice and addressed Overseer Huang, who was pinned down by Baoyu, "You shoehorn face, I'll count to three. If you agree to apologize to us, blink your eyes. If not, close your eyes.
However, this madam warns you, don't think just because I'm a woman I'm easy to bully. Haven't you heard, 'The most venomous heart is a woman's'?
If you don't apologize today, it's a dead end! My Shandia and Baoyu have been hungry for days. They'll quietly eat all of you into their bellies, and even the immortals couldn't find out. One, two—"
Thus, before she could utter "three," everyone saw Overseer Huang's eyes blinking so rapidly they could fan the wind.
Seeing that their leader had agreed to apologize, the guards and the few overseers exchanged glances and mumbled, "Sorry... sorry."
"What was wrong?" Bai Sheng raised an eyebrow.
The words "sorry" were already difficult enough for the guards and overseers to utter. To then dissect their own mistakes publicly would be to grind their faces into the dirt. But there was no choice; their leader's neck was still in the wolf's jaws!
"We... we shouldn't have hit people casually..."
"We shouldn't have smashed... smashed things casually."
After stammering these two points, they fell silent.
Bai Sheng's gaze swept coldly over their faces, "Anything else?"
The guards exchanged bewildered glances, unsure what they had missed.
Seeing their silence, Baoyu let out a growl and tightened its bite.
Damn it, has this wolf become a spirit!
Overseer Huang made a guttural sound and shakily raised a hand.
This guy actually knows how to raise a hand to speak. Bai Sheng couldn't help but smile. "Baoyu, let go of his neck!"
Baoyu obeyed, releasing Overseer Huang's neck. It lifted its blood-stained muzzle and glared fiercely at him.
After a bout of coughing, Overseer Huang clutched his bleeding neck. Looking up and seeing everyone staring at him, especially the large white wolf in front of him, drool began to string from the corners of his mouth.
Good heavens, how much did it crave his flesh? He hadn't bathed in days. Was his meat that fragrant?
"Quickly, tell me, what else was wrong!" Bai Sheng said sternly.
Thus, Overseer Huang, the shoehorn face, immediately whispered in a voice as small as a mosquito, "We... we shouldn't have come to trouble you... trouble you without sufficient evidence."
"Mm," Bai Sheng nodded with satisfaction. "You're sensible. What's your name?"
Overseer Huang gasped and replied, "Huang... Huang Xiaoyan."
Bai Sheng glanced at him. His eyes were indeed very small. If one didn't look closely, one would think he hadn't opened them.
The people of Hongshu Slope couldn't help but laugh upon hearing the name. Xiao Chibao and Wang Guizi giggled heartily.
Bai Sheng walked a few steps closer, and Du Min and Tian Guihua also followed, staying close to her sides.
"Huang Xiaoyan, you are truly foolish. Do you think you can scare this madam by bringing a few people along?" Bai Sheng gradually suppressed her smile, a hint of mockery curling her lips. "You haven't even figured out what kind of ore your mine is digging, nor what ore my Shandia picked up, yet you so readily believed slander and rushed here to frame this madam. You've been used by others, and you don't even know it!"
"Used... used by whom?" Huang Xiaoyan's eyes widened. Damn it, who dared to use him?
"Whoever told you my family was stealing precious ore is using you. They have grudges against me, and because Prince Yu is behind them, they dare not act openly. They can only use you to come forward," Bai Sheng said with a smile.
Huang Xiaoyan suddenly realized, "Damn it, Zhang Jiawang!"
The people of Hongshu Slope stifled their laughter and exchanged glances. This Huang Xiaoyan was truly... innocent and naive?