Volume 1: The Merchant Son-in-law Chapter 62: Purifying Body and Leaving Home

  Xiao Fan thus became the apprentice of Tai Xu Lao Dao, joining the Wudang Sect. Xiao Fan didn't feel anything out of the ordinary about joining this well-known prestigious sect in the martial arts world. Since Tai Xu claimed his senior fellow disciple was Zhang Sanfeng, it was only natural that their school would be the Wudang Sect.

  Tai Xu calmly accepted Xiao Fan's three kneels and nine bows, then Xiao Fan presented a big hoof that was both oily and fat, as a token of apology. Tai Xu ate it with relish, his mouth full of oil, and expressed high praise for Xiao Fan's gift. He thought that a disciple like Xiao Fan who knew how to show gratitude would definitely be a promising talent in the future.

  Xiao Fan's idea was a bit different from Tai Xū, a master who could be dealt with by just one hoof was definitely not a good material, and his skills were probably very ordinary...

  But since they've already paid their respects, let's just hang out for a bit, Xiao Fan thought to himself, not taking this master-disciple relationship too seriously, treating it as a joke between the two of them.

  Xiao Fan thus formally stepped into the martial arts hall...

  Of course, this is a bit of an exaggeration. In fact, what Xiao Fan learned has nothing to do with martial arts. Tai Xu had said it before, the Immortal's Willful Finger (presented as a single finger) can only untie knots and belts, but cannot harm people. It's just a beginner's stage of practicing martial arts, a small isolated air transport secret.

  Fortunately, Xiao Fan did not disappoint him. He only planned to practice until the initial stage and then stop. In the future, he would rely on this move to walk through the world, solve the belly bands of countless women in the world, and before retiring from the Jianghu, strive to solve more than 10,000 belly bands, so as not to waste his life traveling through the world.

  That's Xiao Fan's goal, simple and practical.

  Tragedy is Tai Xiao Lao Dao, when he stared blankly and listened to Xiao Fan's ambition, he didn't say a word for a long time, then squatted on the side of the street, without saying a word, he took out his own ear scraper and started scratching, scratching so hard that tears flowed down his face.

  "I originally thought that taking in a noble as an apprentice would bring glory to our sect and spread the teachings of Tao, but instead I took in a lustful thief. I, a poor Daoist, should sever myself from the ancestral temple and the lineage of my ancestors!"

  Xiao Fan comforted him: "Master, if you really feel sad, I'll accompany you on the road and we can take revenge together. We'll make a name for ourselves in the martial arts world, with you dealing with the young heroes and me dealing with the female heroes. The two of us will stir up a storm of blood and rain, to spread the prestige of our school..."

  "Alright, you're still full of vigor and vitality, but what you've stirred up is a sky full of women's bellybands..."

  "It's all thanks to the sharpness of our school's martial arts..."

  He choked back a sob and continued wailing loudly.

  These days, Xiao Fan has been feeling a bit strange. He can't quite put his finger on why, but he keeps feeling like there are many pairs of eyes staring at him, sometimes making the back of his head feel numb, as if he's being stripped bare. This feeling makes him very uncomfortable.

  Maybe it's because of the recent practice with Tai Xuzi, that so-called Wudang internal power "Pure Yang Wuji Gong", following the old man to practice, he himself has become a bit muddle-headed. Xiao Fan decided that after learning the present milk one finger technique, he would immediately stop, this kind of thing about learning martial arts, it's better to just get a glimpse and then stop, practicing too much doesn't necessarily mean you'll have great prospects. Master Tai Xuzi knows many martial arts, but he's old and has become a beggar, his future is bleak and unclear, Xiao Fan can't learn from him.

  Today, Xiao Fan wore a pale blue long shirt, holding several pieces of meat pie with chicken legs in his hand, strolling around Jiangpu County for two rounds, and then walked out of the south city gate. Not far from the south city gate, there was an abandoned mountain temple that had been deserted for a long time.

  "Are you living here?" Xiao Fan entered the Mountain God Temple, looked around and asked with a frown.

  He asked the little beggar girl.

  These days, the little beggar girl has become more and more familiar with him. After all, she is just an eleven or twelve-year-old child. Xiao Fan treats her well, so she has put down her guard. Today, Xiao Fan bought her a thick and warm little padded jacket, as well as a complete set of warm trousers, shoes, and the little beggar girl was overjoyed when she put them on. Xiao Fan then took the opportunity to ask to see where she lived at night.

  This request sounds like taking advantage of the situation and has a taste of ill intentions, similar to bringing little sister to watch goldfish.

  Luckily she was just a naive little girl who didn't understand anything, and Xiao Fan, he was an honest gentleman.

  He was very worried about the little beggar girl, since he had the opportunity to meet her and had saved her from the brink of starvation, so a good deed should be done thoroughly, send Buddha to the Western Pure Land, everything about her, Xiao Fan felt obligated to take on.

  After washing her dirty face and hair full of dry grass clods, changing into new clothes bought by Xiao Fang for her, the little beggar girl transformed completely, becoming delicate and refined, pretty and lively. Although her small face still had a few shades of malnutrition-induced sallowness, she looked much more spirited than when they first met. Under her long eyelashes, her two bright and lively eyes sparkled as they moved, and under her straight little nose, her slightly thin red lips pursed tightly from time to time. From her appearance, it could be seen that in a few years, she would inevitably grow into a stunning beauty.

  Her indifferent expression remained unchanged, and the ripples in her eyes still emitted a chilling glow that made people tremble with fear, as if she were a wild beast ready to pounce at any moment. It was a gaze that disregarded all life, including her own.

  It was only when facing Xiao Fan that she slightly showed the coquettish and lovely expression of a girl of her age, and on her flat face as still as a dead person's, there was some vitality.

  Xiao Fan's heart ached slightly, the little beggar girl didn't like to talk, Xiao Fan also had no way of knowing her origins, and even more didn't know how many years she had been wandering alone outside, suffering how much hardship.

  This is a heart-wrenching girl...

  Xiao Fan increasingly felt that taking care of her had become his inescapable responsibility. Since they were destined to meet, he had the responsibility to take care of this girl as she grew up, letting her have no worries about food and clothing, letting her grow up healthily, and more importantly, letting that cold expression that didn't belong to her age gradually fade away, he wanted to make her happy.

  This is the first responsibility he has been willing to bear since crossing over, this responsibility comes out of nowhere, but it's worth it.

  The mountain temple, where the little beggar girl temporarily stayed, was very dilapidated and had been abandoned for many years. Cobwebs were everywhere, and the broken walls and rubble around it were covered in dust. The cold wind blew in, filling the entire temple with a chill. The roof was broken, the walls were broken, and all in all, it was absolutely not a suitable place for people to live.

  Xiao Fan furrowed his brow: "Where did you sleep last night?"

  The little beggar girl raised her small face and pointed to the offering table in the middle of the temple, where a few withered straws were sparsely laid out.

  Xiao Fang's eyebrows furrowed deeper, it was hard to imagine that the little beggar girl had spent many cold nights huddled on the altar of this broken temple.

  "It won't work, you can't stay here anymore. This isn't a place for humans to sleep." Xiao Fan concluded decisively.

  The little beggar girl looked up, her small face full of puzzlement, very cute.

  Xiao Fang Chao smiled at her: "Want to live with me? I'm very clean, I wash my feet every day and take a bath every three to five days, I don't stink."

  The little beggar girl smiled too, her smile fleeting like a flash of lightning, and then she quickly hid it again, shaking her head afterwards.

  Xiao Fan Qi said: "Why? Don't you want to?"

  The little beggar girl lowered her head, stuttering with her lips, and after a long while, she said intermittently: "...... you, added trouble."

  Xiao Fan's heart ached, and in such a predicament, she was still thinking of him. She seemed like a fallen holy angel.

  Xiao Fan smiled and said: "I'm not afraid of trouble, and I don't think you're trouble either. It's settled then, you can't refuse anymore. You should know that refusing a handsome guy is very impolite."

  The little beggar girl furrowed her brow and thought for a moment like an adult, then burst out laughing. This time the smile lasted a long time, and finally she nodded vigorously.

  On this cold winter afternoon, Xiao Fang and the little beggar girl's fate came together because of this decision, a lifetime of ups and downs, never leaving each other, no regrets.

  There's nothing worth collecting; the little beggar girl was originally all alone anyway.

  Xiao Fan and she left the desolate mountain temple, taking her to the Chen Mansion.

  Xiao Fan decided to let her temporarily live in the Chen residence. There was no other way, he himself was now also living under someone else's roof, fortunately the Chen residence was not small, and it was not difficult to arrange a room for her that could provide shelter from wind and rain.

  On the road, Xiao Fan naturally took the little beggar girl's hand. The little beggar girl was surprised and subconsciously pulled her hand back a bit, then stopped, finally letting him hold it. A sweet smile suddenly appeared on her small face, looking shy and happy, but as usual, it flashed by quickly and soon returned to calmness.

  The sky is gray and overcast, with a faintly oppressive feeling of an impending mountain rain.

  Xiao Fan and the little beggar girl held hands, like a pair of emotionally intimate siblings, more like a pair of partners who had been through thick and thin together for many years. Their faces were filled with a kind of smile called happiness.

  The Chen residence was as usual, with people coming and going busily in the house, lively yet cold and clear, like a workplace, without a hint of warmth that belonged to home.

  At least Xiao Fan had never taken Chen's house as home. He couldn't find a sense of belonging here, and for him, the Chen house was at most a place to sleep.

  The people below bowed their heads and asked Xiao Fan politely, everyone knew that the Chen family had a remarkable son-in-law, he was talented and didn't show off, without being arrogant like some people who had just succeeded, he still lived his own life in a low-key and down-to-earth way as before.

  Through the garden in front of the courtyard, and around the elegant layered corridor on the side of the courtyard, Xiao Fang and the little beggar girl soon arrived at the front hall.

  All along the way, people cast curious and surprised glances at Xiao Fan, most of which were focused on the tightly held hands of Xiao Fan and the little beggar girl.

  It's not surprising that the uncle returned to the mansion, what's surprising is that he brought back a small and thin little girl today, and their attitude towards each other was so intimate. Who is this little girl to the uncle?

  Under this confusion, people are naturally not qualified to ask questions, and only the master of the Chen family, Chen Six, is qualified.

  Chen Siliu has been very annoyed lately, he is annoyed by many things. The family business has grown big, as the head of the household, it's unavoidable to worry about many things.

  However, what annoyed him the most was Xiao Fan and his daughter's marriage.

  As a successful businessman, Chen Siliu keenly sensed from Xiao Fan's attitude that he did not want to marry into the Chen family.

  In the past, Chen Siliu would have breathed a sigh of relief and unceremoniously kicked Xiao Fan out of the Chen household, casting him a look of utter disdain. If he had enough lung capacity, he would have spat a thick wad of saliva in his direction to express his contempt and anger, and then, with a clear conscience, searched for another suitable son-in-law for his daughter...

  What a pity, such a wonderful idea can only be indulged in his mind now. When facing Xiao Fan, he even had to put on a flattering smile.

  Nowadays Xiao Fan is no longer someone who can be driven away by this small businessman.

  What was placed in front of him was an extremely cruel fact. In just over two months, Xiao Fan did not show his skills, but he controlled the situation with his own abilities, dominating the upper and lower reaches of the river. He secretly manipulated the situation, directing the play of County Magistrate seizing power from the new Cao County Magistrate, and formed a close relationship with him. This was not enough, but unexpectedly, he also got to know the current Crown Prince, and it is said that his relationship with the Crown Prince was also extraordinary...

  Chen Siliu sometimes really wanted to bang his fat head against the wall a couple of times to see if he was dreaming.

  Why, why did a good-for-nothing who could be bullied by anyone just two months ago become the hottest celebrity in Jiangpu County today? What's wrong with this world? Did God take the wrong medicine or did Xiao Fan take the wrong medicine?

  Chen Siliu felt very ashamed, businessmen have always used their sharp eyes and experience to make a profit, but never thought that they would misjudge their own son-in-law, clearly he was a dragon soaring through the clouds, yet he had treated him as a frog at the bottom of a well, his daughter was indeed unfortunate!

  Chen Si Liu let out a deep sigh.

  When Xiao Fan and Xiao Qi walked into the front hall hand in hand, Chen Si Liu's reaction was no different from that of the people outside.

  "What... what kind of person is this?" Chen Si Liu stared at the little beggar girl with wide eyes.

  The little beggar girl turned her face away in an unaccustomed manner, quietly retreated two steps back and hid behind Xiao Fan's body, but her hand never left his.

  Xiao Fan's polite smile said: "Father-in-law, this little girl is very pitiful, lonely and alone in the outside world begging for food. You know that Xiao Er is a kind, progressive and passionate young man who is upright, so..."

  Chen Siliu's eyes widened, and he stupidly said: "...... So?"

  "So the young son-in-law brought her back, as one family, entering the same gate. The father-in-law is kind and generous, and the Chen residence has many empty rooms. I wonder if it would be possible to arrange a small room for her, just enough to provide shelter from the wind and rain..."

  Chen Si Liu looked at the two hands tightly clasped together, and no matter how he looked at it, it was piercing to his eyes. — You Xiao Fan, what do you take my Chen family for? A temple that shelters beggars or a charity hall that accumulates good karma?

  He thought so, but Chen Sisi dared not say it out loud.

  "Haha, since it's a good deed for the son-in-law, of course there's no problem. I'll have someone arrange it right away." Chen Si Liu forced out a laugh.

  Xiao Fan was deeply moved and said with a sincere expression: "Father-in-law, I just realized today that you are actually a good person..."

  Chen Siliu's laughter was abruptly cut off, as if someone had grabbed his throat. His fat, old face turned bright red, and he instinctively covered his chest...

  The sound of rapid footsteps came from afar, and the mountain water screen in the front hall flickered, Chen Ying'er's face full of sorrow and grievance appeared before Xiao Fan.

  The nominal fiancé actually brought a beautiful little girl into the Chen family's door, how could she not know about such a big thing? How could she not come to see for herself?

  Her beautiful eyes lingered on Xiao Fanjun's face for a long time, her gaze was melancholic and resentful, yet lingering like spring rain.

  It was this handsome face that made her cry all night, soaking the pillow with tears, and gnash her silver teeth in resentment. It also made her struggle and scream in her dreams, begging for mercy, but she couldn't grasp his heart that was slowly drifting away. In an era where husbands were considered heaven, a woman who couldn't keep her husband was a shameful woman.

  The engagement arranged by their parents is no longer reliable, what else in this world is worth believing? Chen Ying'er hated him while also hating herself. Living under the same roof for four years, why didn't she discover his preciousness earlier? Why did she have to wait until now when he's shining brightly to suddenly realize the dazzling part of this treasure? Why was her father so selfish towards him all these years?

  The east wind is cruel, and love is thin. A heart full of sorrow, several years of parting. Wrong, wrong, wrong!

  Her sorrowful gaze slowly shifted down, falling onto the hands of him and the little girl tightly holding each other, Chen Ying'er's sorrowful eyes instantly vanished without a trace, replaced by a deep, deep jealousy.

  He should be holding himself, not this thin and small girl! For a woman, a man holding another girl in front of her own face, - even if it's just an eleven or twelve year old little girl, that is the most serious provocation to her! After all, she is his nominal fiancée!

  In the front hall, four people stood in four corners, facing each other without a word. But Chen Ying'er's chest was filled with resentment that rose to the sky, filling the entire front hall with an ominous and cold atmosphere.

  Outside the main hall, more and more people from the Chen family's residence gathered to watch with curiosity. The crowd surrounded them from a distance, but everyone looked at Xiao Fan with either admiration or jealousy. Chen 46 had a helpless expression on his face, looking at Xiao Fan, then at his daughter, before stomping his foot anxiously and sighing heavily again.

  The little beggar girl seemed to have noticed nothing, still holding Xiao Fang's hand, curiously looking around. Xiao Fang, however, seemed not to have seen Chen Ying'er, but instead turned his head and smiled warmly at the little beggar girl, his smile full of comfort.

  Silence is like a dull knife that repeatedly cuts at the heart of resentment, making it unbearable and hard to endure.

  After a long time, Chen Ying'er spoke up, her tone as cold as ice in the freezing sky, and as gloomy as being in hell, making people tremble. The accumulated contradictions were like a small spark that splashed onto the gunpowder barrel, finally exploding.

  "Xiao Fan! You... are good! Even if you refuse to marry, why must you use such methods to humiliate me? What do you take me, Chen Ying'er, for? What do you take my Chen family for?" Chen Ying'er stared at Xiao Fan, her slender body trembling slightly.

  Xiao Fan was taken aback and said: "Miss Chen, what are you talking about? How did I humiliate you?"

  Pointing vigorously at the little beggar girl, Chen Ying'er's crystal tears fell slowly, but the resentment in her eyes grew stronger.

  "You dare to bring this woman into the Chen family's door in front of so many people, isn't this a humiliation? Xiao Fan, even if you don't want to form an alliance with the Chen family, do you have to slap the Chen family in the face like this? You should be grateful that the Chen family has raised you for several years, is this how you repay their kindness?"

  Xiao Fan was taken aback by her words, then smiled wryly and said: "Miss Chen, you've misunderstood. The Chen family has treated me well, how could I possibly humiliate them? It's just that..."

  Before she could finish speaking, Chen Ying'er abruptly interrupted her, her face covered in tears as she shouted in a shrill voice: "Xiao Fan, I've finally seen your true colors today! You're an ungrateful and disloyal scoundrel who becomes arrogant the moment you achieve success! You're a wicked person who repays kindness with enmity and forgets past relationships once you've risen to a high position! Xiao Fan! Xiao Fan! You heartless, ruthless bastard, one day you'll have your comeuppance!"

  Xiao Fan continued patiently: "Miss Chen, can you calm down and listen to me?"

  "You don't need to explain! I only believe what my eyes see, Xiao Fan. If you think I'm old and ugly, just say it straight out. There's no need to bring a 11 or 12 year old girl here to show off! For ten years, the spring has changed its tongue, three times I've been replaced because of my age and ugliness. You, Xiao Fan, have humiliated me, Chen Ying Er, today. Why not follow the example of Bai Letian, take me away and exchange me for a new, younger beauty? This way, you can also complete your reputation as a romantic and elegant gentleman, and be famous for all eternity!"

  Chen Ying'er's emotions became more and more agitated, her words also becoming increasingly unpleasant. Xiao Fan finally lost his patience, his handsome face darkening, his tone icy cold as he said: "Miss Chen, you've gone too far!"

  Chen Siliu, seeing the situation, knew it wasn't good and hastily stood up to mediate: "Son-in-law, don't get angry, things can be explained. How about this? Son-in-law, if you're not ashamed of my humble Chen family, why don't we set a auspicious date today and have you marry Yan'er? This way, it will dispel Yan'er's misunderstanding, fulfill the promise I made with your father many years ago, and add another joyful event. Your marriage has been arranged for over ten years, it's about time you got married..."

  He turned to look at the timid and slightly wary little beggar girl, Chen Si Liu carefully glanced at his daughter's face again and said: "Son-in-law, there are too many pitiful people in this world, we can't take care of them one by one. How about this? You marry Ying Er, and I'll give this little girl ten taels of silver to make a living on her own. Ten taels of silver is not a small amount, it's enough to justify your kindness. Let's just let today's matter pass like this, what do you think?"

  Chen Ying'er's sobbing suddenly stopped, and she held her breath, wanting to hear Xiao Fan's answer with her own ears.

  The little beggar girl's eyes dimmed upon hearing this, she knew that she had still brought trouble to Xiao Fang. Her small hand slightly struggled, wanting to break free from Xiao Fang's grasp. A faint glimmer of tears appeared in her eyes, but she tightly pursed her lips, stubbornly refusing to let the tears fall.

  No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't break free from Xiao Fan's grasp. She looked up at him and saw that he was smiling warmly at her, his smile warmer than the sun and more solid than a rock.

  The little beggar girl smiled back at him, she now knew that Xiao Fang would not abandon her, and that was enough.

  He lifted his head, and with a calm expression, he met the expectant gazes of Chen Siliu and Chen Ying'er. A faint smile appeared on his face as he said, "Uncle Chen, you don't have to worry about it anymore. From now on, this little girl is my responsibility. Wherever I am, she will be there too!"

  Soft words, yet like a heavy drumbeat, fiercely pounding in the hearts of Chen's father and daughter.

  Chen Si Liu tightly closed his mouth, with a helpless expression on his face.

  Chen Ying's delicate body swayed, her pretty face gradually turned pale, and a desperate mood spread throughout her body. She felt something etched in her bones, quietly leaving her body, hollowing out her soul, and she seemed to have become an empty shell.

  Straining to prop up her nearly collapsing body, Chen Ying'er maintained the last shred of dignity: "Father, there's no need to say anything more about marriage. I, Chen Ying'er... am not worthy of marrying this promising young Master Xiao. The Chen family cannot keep Master Xiao, nor can it hold him back. Xiao Fan, your future is bright and prosperous, with wealth and glory waiting for you to pursue. Don't waste any more time at the Chen household, please leave!"

  As soon as the words fell, Chen Ying'er had already cried to the point of being unable to speak.

  When Xiao Fang heard Chen Ying's words, he smiled faintly. At this moment, his heart was extremely calm and his mind was clear. This feeling was as if he had removed a heavy burden that had been weighing on his head for many years, making him feel so relaxed that all he wanted to do was lie down and take a good nap, dispelling the heavy feeling of oppression that had been in his heart for so long.

  Xiao Qiu let go of the little girl's hand, Xiao Fan solemnly adjusted his clothes, then bowed deeply to Chen Si Liu and said: "Thank you, Uncle Chen, for raising me with food and clothing for four years. I, Xiao Fan, sincerely thank you. It's not easy for the Chen family to guard their business, but I helped the Chen family resolve a crisis once, revived the Drunken Immortal Building, and fought for the interests of the Chen family during the dispute between the county magistrate and the county lieutenant. I don't dare to take credit for these things, but I use these three things to repay the kindness you have shown me, Uncle Chen. I came clean and left clean, let's call it even with our gratitude and resentment. The marriage between the Xiao and Chen families is hereby called off, in the future we will not be related by marriage, each going their separate ways. Farewell, Uncle Chen, take care!"

  His words were sonorous and powerful, ringing out loud and clear. The people inside and outside the main hall were deeply shocked by his extraordinary demeanor, and for a long time no one spoke up.

  Xiao Fan flashed a final smile at Chen's father and daughter, then took the little beggar girl's hand and turned to walk out of the Chen mansion gates, his footsteps firm and his demeanor calm.

  Chen Ying'er's tears fell like rain, she bit her lower lip tightly, a bright red blood flowed down from the corner of her mouth, her eyes flashed with sorrow and despair, the spring-like tears blurred her beautiful eyes, her heart was broken as she stared at Xiao Fan's gradually disappearing back, her gaze finally turned into extreme resentment and hatred.

  She clenched her fists tightly, the sharp fingernails scratched through her palm, but still couldn't alleviate the pain in her heart. What if she lost him? Would she lose him forever then? The words "men marry and women wed, each to their own" still echoed in her ears, like a sharp thorn, piercing her bleeding heart again and again.

  Xiao Fan's figure disappeared in front of the gate, Chen Ying'er cried and suddenly shouted at his back: "Xiao Fan, you will regret it! You will regret it!"

  A flash of light at the gate, and Xiao Fan's figure had disappeared. From afar, a hearty laughter floated over: "Laughing loudly as I leave, we are not ordinary people..."

  All restraints are gone, the sky is high and the sea is wide, the magnificent brocade painting scroll of the Great Ming Dynasty unfolds slowly before Xiao Fan's eyes today!

  The man is gone, his voice is gone, in front of the Chen's mansion, the crowd still stands there, silent for a long time.

  "After a long silence, Chen 46 asked in confusion: 'What were his last words?'"

  Chen Ying'er's gaze was still venomously fixed on the gate, but her tone was eerily calm: "In the first year of the Tianbao era of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong issued an edict summoning the Poet Immortal Li Bai to the capital. With his spirit and inspiration in full bloom, Li Bai composed this poem to express his aspirations."

  Chen Siliu nodded suddenly, but his expression was melancholy and lost. He then looked up with a deep sorrow, Xiao Fan left, what would happen to the Chen family?

  Behind the screen of mountains and rivers, a delicate figure with a soft and weak waist timidly poked out her head, gazing longingly at the gate, with tears of sorrow welling up in her beautiful eyes.

  Chen Ying'er bit her teeth, fiercely wiping away tears, and a strong color floated onto her delicate face. She faced the Chen family's servants and said in a sorrowful and stern voice: "You all saw it, today is Xiao Fan wronging me, not me wronging him! Today I suffered this great humiliation, the pain in my heart is like being cut by thousands of knives. This life will never dare to forget! I, Chen Ying'er, swear to heaven that this life must avenge this humiliation and eliminate the hatred on my head!"

  A resentful and venomous voice, like a curse from the nine layers of hell, echoed in the silent front hall where even crows and sparrows did not make a sound.

  Division

  The first volume ends.

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