Bai Sheng ignored the wailing women for now. Despite how pitiful some of them looked crying, they wouldn't hesitate to cause trouble when the opportunity arose.
Bai Sheng intended to make an example of Madam Pang and her daughter, to serve as a warning to the other women. Anyone who dared to stir up trouble in the future would face the same fate!
Seeing Bai Sheng's icy expression, Madam Pang trembled uncontrollably, kowtowing and begging for mercy, "My lady, spare us, spare us! My daughter and I... we were abducted by these bandits."
"Abducted? Perhaps it's true," Bai Sheng sneered. "But was it your idea, yours and your daughter's, to have these bandits rob us at Hongshu Slope, kill us all, and then seize our territory?"
Madam Pang's body stiffened. She exchanged a look with Wang Donghua and immediately shook her head and waved her hands, "No, no, it wasn't us. It was... these bandits discovered this place long ago... they wanted to come themselves!"
"You're spewing nonsense!" the Bandit Leader, bound like a mummy, couldn't help but roar from behind. "It was clearly Wang... Wang Donghua, you slut, who said there was a well, houses, and grain here, and that the owner was just a simple farmer. She said if we killed everyone here, all these things would be ours! You damn woman, you've screwed us over!"
Another bandit chimed in, "That's right, it was this damned woman surnamed Wang who incited us to kill you all and then seize your land! She also said we should ravish the ladies here! That we should cut open the ladies' bellies and dig out their unborn children!"
Madam Pang collapsed onto the ground in fear, and Wang Donghua also cowered. She had schemed and schemed, only to be defeated by this female slave twice. Heaven, it was truly unjust.
Lu Ye's face darkened, killing intent surging in his eyes.
The people of Hongshu Slope were furious. Tian Guihua rushed forward, grabbed Wang Donghua by her hair, and slapped her several times, "You slut, you're truly wicked! You wanted to kill all of us! You even wanted to harm our lady and the young master! Haven't you peed to see your own foul, dirty, ugly face?!"
After Tian Guihua tired herself out, Liu Shi also went forward and kicked her a few times.
A few more women wanted to charge forward, but Bai Sheng stopped them. Killing was not as effective as breaking one's spirit, and Bai Sheng hadn't had a chance to truly break Wang Donghua's spirit, so she couldn't let her be beaten to death so easily.
Wang Donghua knew that this woman wouldn't let her go today, and having been slapped in public, her resentment finally exploded. She spat out a knocked-out tooth onto the ground, her eyes bloodshot as she glared at Bai Sheng, "I was merely pursuing what I wanted. What wrong did I do?! Heaven allowed you, a low-born female slave, to have everything, while I have nothing. I just wanted to be your husband's bed warmer, not to contend for the position of his wife. If you can't even tolerate that, what kind of virtuous and good woman are you?!"
"Bah, you shameless slut! How dare you say such things!" Granny Zhong couldn't help but spit a mouthful of old phlegm onto her face.
Bai Sheng smiled calmly, "You're right, I've never been a virtuous or good woman. I am extremely jealous. In this life, my husband's heart and mind can only have me, one woman. As for bed warmers, concubines, lowly concubines, noble concubines, or equal wives, none of them will exist, because I have the ability and the capital. Do you?"
"Bah! You, a lowly female slave, what capital do you have? You're just basking in your man's glory!" Wang Donghua sneered.
Lu Ye's voice boomed, "You're mistaken. It is I who basks in my wife's glory. Everything in this household is earned by my wife. I am a kept man."
Ji Chenghe pressed his forehead, feeling that he was already quite indifferent to a man's reputation, but he never expected Brother Lu to be even more so. He felt utterly inferior.
Bai Sheng also pressed her forehead. This man, really... why was he speaking such blunt truths in such a situation?
The people of Hongshu Slope covered their mouths and chuckled.
The bandits were extremely shocked. In all the world, only this person could say he was a kept man in public with a straight face and a sense of pride.
No wonder this man was so handsome; it turned out he was a pretty boy who lived off his wife. However... it didn't seem to be entirely the case. His martial arts were so... unfathomable.
Ahem, it seemed that being a kept man also required capital.
Lu Ye continued, "Do you see the houses, the granary, the trees, and the newly built roads? The expenses for these were all earned by my wife's money. You, you probably don't have this capability, do you? You said you wanted to be my bed warmer. Is it simply wanting it that gives you the qualification? Do others have to cooperate with you because you want something? Satisfy you? Otherwise, it's others who have wronged you? Who do you think you are! Who gave you the face! To tell you the truth, you are not even as good as a single strand of my wife's hair."
Wang Donghua's face contorted extremely, and hatred churned in her eyes.
Madam Pang repeatedly kowtowed and cried, "My lord, my lady, we know we were wrong. Please spare us."
"Don't beg them! Why are you begging them?!" Wang Donghua shoved Madam Pang violently to the ground, her entire being becoming hysterical like a madwoman.
Bai Sheng said sternly, "Wang Donghua, pursuing the life you desire, even clinging to power and wealth, is not wrong at all.
The mistake is yours for greatly overestimating your charm and underestimating others' judgment! The mistake is yours for having a wicked heart, being lazy and loving ease! The mistake is yours for being selfish and self-serving, willing to kill and set fires for your own benefit!
You, truly, are steeped in selfishness and malice from the depths of your bones! As a human being, you are unworthy!"
"I'm unworthy, and you are worthy? You lowly, cheap slave! Bitch! Whore! Bitch!" Wang Donghua spat at Bai Sheng, screaming madly.
Lu Ye suddenly stood up, picked up the three-foot broadsword beside him, and walked to Wang Donghua with a cold face. He pressed the tip of the sword against her face. A string of blood beads quickly emerged from the contact point between the blade tip and her skin.
"Dare to insult my wife again, and I will use this knife to peel the flesh from your face piece by piece and feed it to the dogs!"
Lu Ye's eyes were like cold blades, and his voice was as cold as if it came from hell.
Wang Donghua shut her mouth, her body trembling uncontrollably.
Lightning and Blizzard also stepped forward, baring their fangs and showing them under Wang Donghua's eyelids.
Bai Sheng took the tea poured by Du Min and said with a gentle smile, "Wang Donghua, the angrier you get, the happier I become.
Do you know that because of your stupidity and arrogance, you've completely ruined a hand of good cards?
If you had honestly worked at Hongshu Slope and behaved yourself, I, Bai Sheng, would never have treated you unfairly. Not to say you'd live in luxury, but at least you'd have a place to live, food and clothing.
Open your eyes and look. Ask all the new residents of Hongshu Slope if they are living well now."
Immediately, many people shouted loudly, "Good! We're doing great! This is the life I've always dreamed of!"
"I never dared to imagine such a life before! It's all thanks to Master and Mistress for taking care of us!"
"Living in new houses, eating three meals a day, always full, having water to drink, being able to bathe every day, wearing new clothes, and having over ten taels of savings at home!"
Speaking of their current happy lives, the people of Hongshu Slope couldn't stop talking about it.