Chapter 15: The Exposed Scheme

  The ancestral hall of Shimǎ Village, also known as Shimǎ Temple, is actually a three-room earth-walled house with black tiles on the roof. In the middle room, there is an ancestral tablet of Liu's ancestors from Shimǎ Village.

  Liu was a person of the Qing Dynasty during the Kangxi period. He fled to Shimavillage and became the first villager of Shimavillage. At that time, Shimavillage was a desolate mountain without a name. When Liu built his own house, he dug out a stone horse.

  According to legend, after the stone horse appeared, Liu's luck changed and he became rich. Originally a beggar, he suddenly married eight beautiful wives in one breath.

  Liu believed that the stone horse unearthed was a good omen, so he named this place Shimavillage. At the same time, Liu also built a stone horse temple and enshrined the stone horse inside.

  Unfortunately, when the Qing Dynasty was destroyed, the Shi Ma Temple was destroyed, and the stone horse inside was also lost. As for the current ancestral hall, the three-tile houses were rebuilt by the descendants of Shimavillage on the original site. The Liu family's memorial tablet was also placed there by later generations.

  At that time, when rebuilding the Stone Horse Temple, people found some torture instruments at the original site. Those torture instruments were used to deal with villagers who violated village rules. To show respect for their ancestors, people put those torture instruments in a side room of the Stone Horse Temple, only for viewing, and never used them again.

  Originally, the villagers brought Li Tianzhen to the ancestral hall to use family law on her. But Li Tianzhen's proactive attitude of confessing her guilt made the villagers' hearts, which had already been steeled, immediately soften.

  After arriving at the ancestral temple, the villagers did not immediately punish him, but instead let Li Tianzhen confess his crimes in front of his ancestors.

  It is said that when one is under another's roof, he must lower his head. Li Tianzhen's previous confession was just to delay time, now she is willing to plead guilty in order to delay time again.

  "It's all my fault, I'm willing to confess my sins to the ancestors of Shimaying Village." Li Tianzhen said, and immediately knelt down on the ground. After kneeling down, Li Tianzhen crawled step by step into the ancestral hall. After entering the ancestral hall, Li Tianzhen immediately kowtowed in front of the Liu family ancestors' plaques.

  After knocking her head, Li Tianzhen then placed the palms of her hands on the ground, touched her forehead to the ground, and muttered softly in repentance. As for what Li Tianzhen was reciting, because her voice was too small, no one present could hear clearly.

  However, everyone could still see that Li Tianzhen was truly sincere in her repentance. Since Li Tianzhen was indeed sincere in her repentance, the villagers couldn't say anything and could only watch from the side.

  The villagers had to wait for Li Tianzhen to finish his confession before proceeding with their next plan.

  Li Tianzhen was able to kneel down in front of the villagers and confess so actively because she wanted to avoid her own physical suffering. She knew that most of the villagers were kind-hearted, and as long as she showed enough sincerity, they might forgive her. Even if the villagers didn't forgive her, this could still drag things out.

  As long as Li Tianzhen can continue to kneel in front of her ancestors' memorial tablets, the villagers will not be able to move her until she gets up on her own initiative. Therefore, Li Tianzhen can continue to kneel and wait for the arrival of her mother-in-law who wants to destroy her family.

  Just as Li Tianzhen was making a wishful calculation and pretending to confess, a piercing cry suddenly came from among the villagers.

  "Oh no, oh no! That idiot Liu Da-kui has gone to call the exterminator!" shouted Chen Widow.

  Before, at Zhang San's home, when Li Tianzhen drove away Liu Da Kui, Chen widow felt something was wrong. Because in her heart, Li Tianzhen is not the kind of person who can truly repent. If she could truly repent, she would not have been occupying Chen widow's five mu of land all along.

  Li Tianzhen's ghostly tricks were many, Chen Widow knew that at the time she felt something was fishy, so she followed Liu Daogui out.

  After following him out, Chen widow saw that Liu Da-kui was heading in the direction of Songpo Village, so she felt that Li Tianzhen might have asked Liu Da-kui to go and get reinforcements. Therefore, she followed behind Liu Da-kui for a while.

  To determine where Liu Da-kui was going, Chen Widow actively chased after him. Since Liu Da-kui was an idiot, Chen Widow was able to figure out in just a few words that he was going to find his grandmother. After getting this news, Chen Widow immediately ran back.

  Chen widow is a person who never tells lies. Therefore, the villagers will never doubt what she says.

  It can be said that Chen's widow's words undoubtedly tore off Li Tianzhen's last veil, letting her reveal her ugly face completely. After the villagers knew that Li Tianzhen was pretending to repent in order to delay time, the villagers were thoroughly enraged.

  "We people of Shimawan Village are not afraid of Mie Menpo!" Just as the villagers were about to erupt in anger, Liu Cui let out this loud shout at the most opportune moment.

  Liu Quezi let out a loud roar, and the villagers immediately became agitated. Just as the villagers were getting worked up, Qian Yongfu stepped forward.

  "Everyone be quiet, everyone be quiet." Qian Yongfu said as he stepped onto the large stone beside him.

  That big rock was about half a meter high, and when Qian Yongfu stood on it, he appeared to be a head taller than everyone else. By doing so, not only could he attract everyone's attention, but also make his voice carry further, allowing everyone to hear him.

  Qian Yongfu's shout calmed everyone down. After everyone quieted down, Qian Yongfu began to discuss the matter at hand. "What exactly happened, we still need to ask Li Tianzhen. Before we get a clear answer, please don't make any noise."

  Even if it's the government reviewing a case, they still have to get the offender's signature and fingerprint! Therefore, Qian Yongfu's suggestion to ask Li Tianzhen first was still widely approved by the villagers.

  As soon as Qian Yongfu finished speaking, Liu began questioning Li Tianzhen.

  "Be honest with me, did you let your son Liu Da Kui go and call your mother-in-law to exterminate the family?" asked Liu Cripple.

  Li Tianzhen certainly knew that she absolutely could not admit to this matter, if she admitted it, the villagers would definitely tear her apart.

  "No, I didn't." Li Tianzhen replied categorically.

  Although Li Tianzhen pretended to be very similar and answered with such sincerity, because she had lied to the villagers before, the villagers did not quite believe her words.

  "She's not honest, put her on the tiger bench and see if she still doesn't admit it?" Liu Quezi had been nursing a deep hatred for Liu Renqing, and now that he finally had an opportunity to deal with Liu Renqing's wife Li Tianzhen, he certainly wouldn't let it slip away.

  "Tiger stool! Tiger stool!" As soon as Liu Cripple finished speaking, the villagers also echoed in agreement.

  Everyone has a savage side. Now, the villagers' savagery is fully mobilized. In fact, this can't be blamed entirely on the villagers, after all, Li Tianzhen was the first to make a ruthless move.

  What kind of person is the exterminator, the villagers are all clear in their hearts. Li Tianzhen asked Liu Da-kui to call the exterminator, that motive, Li Tianzhen doesn't need to say it, everyone understands. Moreover, in daily life, those two couples, Li Tianzhen and Liu Renqing, have done nothing but evil deeds in the village, never doing a single good deed.

  Now, Li Tianzhen lets Liu Da-kui go find the exterminator, obviously to deal with the villagers! Can the villagers spare her?

  Just as everyone was getting agitated, Qian Yongfu spoke calmly.

  "To prevent accidents, let's invite Old Dao of Bamboo Mountain first! In this area, only he is a match for the Exterminating Grandma. Although Old Dao of Bamboo Mountain is greedy for wealth, he is also a man with a conscience and will definitely help Stone Horse Village." Qian Yongfu said, then pulled over Wang Wu and told him: "Wang Wu, your legs are fast, so you go run an errand!"

  "Alright! I'll go invite Master Zhangshan. You all stay here and interrogate this wicked woman Li Tianzhen!" Wang Wu said, then ran off quickly.

  The skills of the old Taoist from Bamboo Mountain are not inferior to those of the Exterminating Witch. Therefore, as long as they can invite the old Taoist from Bamboo Mountain, the villagers will no longer be afraid of the Exterminating Witch and they can boldly deal with Li Tianzhen.

  To be honest, without Liu Renqing and Li Tianzhen's couple, Shimavillage would have been a very peaceful, quiet, although poor, but very happy small village. Therefore, Shimavillage became what it is today, all thanks to the Liu family!