Burning with rage, Qin Ke suddenly caught a whiff of fragrance. In the next instant, a soft, delicate hand grasped the fist he had raised high.
"That's enough, Qin Ke. Stop hitting him."
The voice was gentle and light, like a breeze brushing past his face, instantly soothing the fury in his heart.
Lu Youqing barely used any strength at all to pull him up, even though moments earlier he had been like a raging beast. Those who had rushed over to break up the fight couldn't help but marvel at the sight.
She's not wearing any perfume—how can she smell so good?
Qin Ke obediently stood up along with her, his head spinning as his thoughts drifted to who knew where.
"My son! What happened to you? Who did this to you?!"
The Song family rushed over in a panic the moment they heard the news. Seeing Song Yaozu sprawled on the ground, his face covered in blood, they were immediately flustered.
Helped up by his mother, Song Yaozu glanced fearfully at Qin Ke. Just moments ago, Qin Ke had looked like a murderous fiend—an image that had clearly left him shaken.
"What exactly is going on here?"
The village head, who had arrived with the Song family, surveyed the scene and tapped his walking stick sharply against the ground as he demanded an explanation.
The villagers beside him hurriedly recounted everything that had just happened, step by step.
Having gained a general understanding, the village head first turned his gaze to Song Yaozu, who was clutching his nose.
"Yaozu, is that how it happened?"
Bruised and swollen, Song Yaozu nodded from behind his family.
"Qin Ke, what about you?"
Only then did the village head look toward Qin Ke standing in the center of the crowd—and the woman whose hand he was gripping tightly.
Qin Ke's gaze was cold and dangerous. Song Yaozu shrank back instantly, darting behind his father.
"I hit him because he deserved it. Why don't you ask first why I hit him?"
"You're nothing but a gambling thug—what reason do you need to hit someone? My Yaozu is a scholar! If you hurt him and he can't continue the imperial exams, what then?"
Song Yaozu's mother spoke without regard for right or wrong, convinced her son could do no wrong.
"That's enough!"
The village head stomped his staff again. His authority in the village was obvious. Seeing his expression darken, Song Yaozu's mother fell silent, though she continued glaring fiercely at Qin Ke.
"Qin Ke, continue."
From this brief exchange alone, Qin Ke could tell that despite his age, the village head was a wise and fair-minded man.
"My family has never had dealings with yours. Why did you stop my wife today? And why did you lay hands on her?"
Qin Ke's words rang out clearly and firmly.
"I… I was just curious! I wanted to see why she always covers her face. I didn't do anything else!"
Song Yaozu poked his head out as he spoke, his tone lacking confidence.
By now, anyone with eyes could see what had really happened, yet no one spoke, leaving the air heavy with silence.
Finally, Song Yaozu's father coughed lightly and looked at Qin Ke with a hint of reproach.
"My son was only acting out of momentary curiosity. In the end, all he did was pull off your wife's veil. You resorted to violence over that—isn't that excessive?"
"That's right. And you hit him so hard! Look at him—how is he supposed to return to the academy and continue studying?"
Qin Ke let out a cold chuckle. His deep gaze swept across everyone present as he spoke icily:
"By your logic, if I were curious about what undergarments Auntie here is wearing and pulled them off to look, that would be fine too, right? After all, I'd only be acting on momentary curiosity—nothing serious."
The crowd erupted in shock.
"You—y-you scoundrel!"
Song Yaozu's mother's chest heaved violently as she pointed at Qin Ke, her finger trembling with rage.
"How is that scoundrelly? I'm simply following your logic and using your son's actions as an example. If I'm a scoundrel, then what does that make your son?"
Qin Ke had spent years sparring online—verbal battles like this were nothing to him.
Song Yaozu's father could no longer maintain his composure. At his age, villagers always treated him with respect; no one ever dared to embarrass him. Yet here he was, humiliated by a younger man.
Unlike the grim-faced Song family, the surrounding villagers struggled to hold back laughter, covering their mouths as they snickered quietly.
"Song Li, in the end, Yaozu was the one who made the first mistake."
The village head looked at Qin Ke standing tall and resolute in the center of the crowd, shielding the woman behind him like a beast protecting its young.
For some reason, he was reminded of Qin Ke's father—the man who had died fighting off a wild beast to protect the village. With both parents gone, others who made mistakes still had family to back them up. Qin Ke had only himself.
Before the village head could continue, Song Yaozu's mother cut in angrily:
"He beat Yaozu like this and expects it to be over?! Yaozu is taking the imperial exams this year! What if this delays his studies? What if he fails?"
The interruption made the village head frown, clearly displeased.
Blind to the situation, Song Yaozu's mother insisted that Qin Ke pay the price.
At that moment, members of the Qin family arrived belatedly. The moment they appeared, they pointed at Qin Ke and scolded him loudly:
"Qin Ke, look at the mess you've made! Hurry up and apologize to the Song family!"
Qin Ke narrowed his eyes. This was the first time he had seen the original owner's family since arriving in this world. As expected, their favoritism knew no bounds—without asking a single question, they demanded he apologize.
"I remember clearly—you already divided me out of the Qin family. No—you kicked me out. The only ones who ever had the right to discipline me were my dead, ill-fated parents. You have no right!"
Qin Ke was overcome with anger, his whole body trembling.
What was happening?
This wasn't Qin Ke's reaction—it was the original body's response. The original owner harbored deep resentment and hatred toward the Qin family.
"You ungrateful bastard! Even if the family split, I'm still your grandfather! I'll be your grandfather until the day I die!"
Qin Ke steadied the emotions surging from the body, ignored them entirely, and turned back toward the Song family. A crooked smile spread across his lips.
"I'm all alone. I have nothing to fear. If someone pushes me too far, I may be worthless—but before I die, I'll be sure to drag a few people down with me. I wonder whether you'll be able to sleep soundly at night after this. Or if your homes might… accidentally catch fire. What do you think?"
He spoke with a smile, never once explicitly mentioning revenge—yet every word dripped with threat. A chill crept through the crowd, cold seeping into their backs.
Those without weaknesses are the most fearless. The same applies to fighting—bullies fear the bold, and the bold fear those with nothing to lose.
"That's enough. This matter ends here. No one is to stir it up again."
The village head raised his voice, bringing the chaos to a close.
"Song Li, take Yaozu home and tend to his injuries. Since he's educated, he should know what is appropriate and what is not. Qin Ke, you too—if there's an issue in the future, talk it out. Don't resort to violence immediately."
With that, the village head mediated both sides, offering reprimands and reassurance alike, and finally put an end to the farce.
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Currently at chapter 72 for advance chapters
https:// ko-fi.com/rabi08