Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

Yun Ying nodded, then asked hesitantly, "Juhua, do you think those two government officers were murdered? If so, I wonder if the person who did it should be considered a hero or a criminal who broke the law and deserves to be thrown in jail."

Juhua saw the flicker in her eyes and her heart skipped a beat. After a moment’s thought, she feigned nonchalance and said, "However they died, they got what they deserved. The Lord County Magistrate may be corrupt, but if those men had shown even a little restraint, they wouldn’t have ruined so many families. Every time they pilfered something, it never seemed like much, but how could poor farming families withstand that kind of extortion? After a few visits, their homes were left empty. Who would bother murdering them? I think they just did so many evil deeds that ghosts started following them, and they naturally fell into the water."

Yun Ying let out a breath of relief and smiled. "I think so too. With those two dead, other people will get to live for many more years. Otherwise, they would have surely killed many more."

Juhua smiled. "That’s true. But you all need to be careful. Those men may have deserved to die, but it would be a terrible loss if you got implicated because of them, wouldn’t it?"

Yun Ying nodded, said her goodbyes, and left for Qingbei Village.

Because of this, Juhua grew worried about her. In the end, Zhang Dashuan had to escort the two of them across the Little Qing River before she was at ease.

As she traveled, Yun Ying kept turning things over in her mind. ’I didn’t give those two much of the drug that day. How did they end up in the river? Could Senior Brother have made a move too? But he’s the one who cherishes human life the most. That can’t be right!’

Here’s what had happened. The day before, two government officials had gone to Qingbei Village and thoroughly ransacked Liu Heizi’s home. Qin Feng and Yun Ying had stepped out to stop them. The moment the two officials saw Yun Ying, lecherous thoughts stirred within them. They declared that if the Liu Family couldn’t pay the full tax amount, they would take the woman as payment—they had rashly assumed Yun Ying was part of the Liu Family without a second thought. As they spoke, their eyes roamed up and down her body, practically boring holes into her. If Liu Heizi and Qin Feng hadn’t been there, they would have likely abducted her on the spot. They didn’t act then, but the scheming looks they gave her as they left made it clear they wouldn’t let her go.

In a fit of anger, she had planted a drug on them. The drug was normally harmless, but if they drank alcohol or were even exposed to its fumes, it would cause severe dizziness and disorientation. ’Those two must have drunk a lot at the tavern,’ she thought. ’But even if they were dizzy, they should have collapsed on the street. How did they end up in the river?’

She wondered if her Senior Brother had also taken action, but then dismissed the idea, feeling he wouldn’t do such a thing.

Before she could figure it out, government officers returned to Qingbei Village. This time, they arrested several villagers, claiming they were connected to yesterday’s murders. They were to be taken to the Qinghui County Government for questioning by the Lord County Magistrate. Liu Heizi was among them.

The villagers were infuriated but didn’t dare to fight back. Instead, they followed them to Xiatang Market and surrounded the temporary government office the county had set up for tax collection, refusing to leave.

The standoff yielded no results. But that night, another bizarre incident occurred: two more government officials drowned. An eyewitness claimed to have seen them jump into the water to commit suicide.

Wasn’t that strange?

Xiatang Market instantly erupted. Everyone said it was retribution. The surviving government officials were pale with fright, hiding indoors and not daring to show their faces, while all the arrested villagers escaped.

Then, a man who had been lured into a casino and foolishly gambled away his fields, wife, and children heard the news. The day after the casino’s vicious thugs had taken his family and his land deed, he was in despair. But upon hearing that four government officials had died, he seemed to take courage. His eyes turned red. It’s unknown where he got the silver—perhaps he stole it—but he bought a large quantity of oil, poured it on firewood, and under the cover of night, lit it and threw it into the casino.

He couldn’t have succeeded on his own, and the people from the casino naturally rushed out to fight the fire. But the townspeople harbored an intense hatred for the casino, the brothel, and the loan sharks practicing usury. It’s unclear who started it, but while those inside were trying to extinguish the flames, people outside began relentlessly throwing more firewood and splashing oil in. First, it was the beggars who had been ruined by these establishments. Then came the struggling merchants and nearby villagers. Soon, everyone was shouting, "Burn them! Burn them to death!"

Every face in the crowd was a mask of terrifying madness. They threw in anything that would burn—firewood, straw, tree branches. They even stormed the oil mill, stealing all kinds of oil to hurl at the casino and brothel—the mill’s shopkeeper wailed and cried to the heavens, but no one paid him any mind. Meanwhile, the main entrance was blocked, trapping everyone inside.

All hell broke loose. Even though the buildings were made of brick and tile, they couldn’t withstand such a fuel-fed inferno. Besides, the interiors were full of flammable things. Aside from pots, bowls, and jars, wasn’t every piece of furniture made of wood? The casino and brothel were soon engulfed in a roaring blaze. The towering flames lit up half the sky, a dazzling and colorful spectacle against the night.

The temporary government office was connected to them and quickly caught fire as well.

The government officials all fled for their lives. They wouldn’t have dared try to fight the fire, and besides, it was beyond saving. The temporary government office had been set up to collect taxes, and its rear warehouse was filled with a large amount of grain that hadn’t been transported yet. Once the fire reached it, how could it possibly be spared? Thus, in a chain reaction, many shops and private homes were also swallowed by the sea of flames.

As the casino and brothel burned, the crowd roared with savage glee. They ignored the horrific screams coming from inside, feeling a thrill of vengeful satisfaction instead. When the temporary government office caught fire, the government officials who fled in a miserable state were viciously grabbed by the beggars and shoved back into the inferno, unmoved by their screams and pleas for mercy. More people began clamoring to loot the grain, and the scene descended into utter chaos. Only when the shops and private homes also began to burn did the mob finally confront the ferocious, rampaging dragon of fire. A chilling horror washed over them, and they scattered in fear.

Although several of the Fang family’s workshops were not on the main street, the fire would still be detrimental to them if it damaged the foundation of Xiatang Market. Therefore, Manager Song quickly gathered the workshop workers, along with residents from the street, to urgently create a firebreak by tearing down buildings at both ends of the street to stop the fire’s spread. As for the section in the middle that was already burning, they could only look on with helpless resignation.