61: This wave is coming at me.

Qian Shi fell to his knees before Liu Chunsheng with a 'thud', tears streaming down his face.

"Brother Chunsheng, I know in my heart that I'm the one who implicated everyone, but Ruyue and the child are innocent! I beg you, your mind is sharp and you have many ideas. As long as you can save them, I'll do anything, even if it means being a beast of burden."

Liu Chunsheng's brows were tightly furrowed, his heart caught in a dilemma.

On one hand, the Wang family was numerous and powerful; openly opposing them might bring disaster upon the entire village.

But on the other hand, Qian Shi and Lian Ruyue truly loved each other and even had a child; he truly couldn't bear to stand by and do nothing.

"How exactly did you and Lian Ruyue get together?"

Liu Chunsheng gritted his teeth, glaring at Qian Shi with a look of exasperation.

"Everyone used to envy Lian Ruyue for being able to become a concubine for a wealthy family, thinking she would live a good life in the future. But now that the village has the protection of Lord Chuping, life has become much more stable. How could you be so foolish as to be completely controlled by a woman who was a concubine?"

Qian Shi buried his head low, wishing he could just disappear into the ground.

"Brother Chunsheng, at first, I just felt sorry for her and wanted to help if I could. And then, one thing led to another..."

His voice grew softer and softer. This matter was already disgraceful, and now that it was exposed, he felt even more ashamed.

"Alright, you, you!"

"I just feel like something isn't quite right about this whole situation."

Liu Chunsheng helped Qian Shi up, his gaze firm.

"Don't worry for now, let me think."

He paced back and forth in the room, constantly pondering countermeasures in his mind. Under the operation of the Faith Cultivation Art, his thoughts became increasingly clear.

"You stay here for now, don't show your face. I'll go talk to the village chief. He's experienced and knowledgeable; perhaps he'll have a solution."

After saying this, Liu Chunsheng hurried towards Village Chief Li Fu's house.

Liu Chunsheng rushed to Li Fu's house and recounted the entire story in detail.

Li Fu couldn't sit still after hearing it.

He took a few puffs of his dry tobacco, his brows furrowed into a 'Sichuan' character.

"This is a tricky situation. The Wang family is numerous and powerful, and they have Martial Artists backing them. If we confront them head-on, it'll be like an egg hitting a rock."

Liu Chunsheng anxiously said, "But we can't just watch them die, can we?"

Li Fu tapped his tobacco pipe and said after a moment of contemplation.

"Now, the only strategy is to delay. Didn't you say that Lord Chuping's dream indicated that it's not suitable to shed blood before the new temple is built? We'll use that as an excuse to drag this out as much as possible. Once the new temple is completed, we might be able to use Lord Chuping's prestige to suppress the Wang family. Also, these next few days, you need to find a way to get the rest of the villagers to stand with us. With a united heart, we'll have a chance of winning."

Liu Chunsheng nodded in agreement. After discussing some details, he and Li Fu hurried to the ancestral hall together.

As soon as they arrived at the ancestral hall, the sound of arguing came from inside.

"Did you hear? That business with Qian Shi and Lian Ruyue, it's spread all over our village. Tsk, it's truly scandalous!"

"Exactly! A married concubine dares to seduce the men in our village, doesn't she feel ashamed? The rules of our village, passed down for generations, are all here; how can we tolerate such a thing?"

"I thought that child Qian Shi wasn't the type to do outrageous things before, how could he..."

"You can know a person's face but not their heart, Grandma Zhang!"

"Maybe they've been secretly together for a long time, and now that they've been caught, it's just come to light."

"Actually, I heard Lian Ruyue is quite pitiful. Being a concubine, her life is worse than a pig's or a dog's. Qian Shi occasionally helped her out; maybe he didn't have any bad intentions."

"Keep your voice down, don't let those old fogies up front hear you, or they'll start gossiping about you again. But I also feel like they're having a really hard time. This matter, sigh, it's hard to say."

"..."

With a 'creak', Liu Chunsheng pushed the door open, and the scene immediately fell silent.

Liu Chunsheng stood on the steps in front of the ancestral hall and said loudly,

"Fellow villagers, although Qian Shi and Lian Ruyue violated the clan rules, there were reasons for their actions. Lord Chuping protects our village and has always advocated benevolence. We cannot, out of a moment of anger, take two lives. The new temple is about to be completed; this is a major event for our Chang Sheng Village. If lives are lost at this time, angering the deities, everyone's good days in the future will be gone."

The people below whispered when they heard this.

"The deities even care about this?"

"Of course! The deities are everywhere. Whatever you say or do now, Lord Chuping knows."

"Ah, this..."

Liu Chunsheng struck while the iron was hot: "I know everyone is worried about the Wang family, but we are all fellow villagers and should help each other. These next few days, let's all guard the ancestral hall together and not let the Wang family cause trouble."

"Alright, I don't believe the Wang family would dare to cause trouble in our village!"

"Listen to Temple Official."

Under Liu Chunsheng's persuasion, many villagers expressed their willingness to help.

In the following days, the villagers spontaneously took turns guarding the ancestral hall, forming a standoff with the Wang family.

During this time, although the Wang family sent people to provoke them multiple times, attempting to forcibly take away Qian Shi and Lian Ruyue, they were all blocked by the villagers.

Meanwhile, Liu Chunsheng secretly Cultivated the Faith Cultivation Art under the cover of night.

With each Cultivation, he felt his connection with Lord Chuping grow stronger, and a mysterious power gradually gathered within his body.

He vaguely sensed that if the Wang family resorted to force, this power might become the key for him to save Qian Shi and Lian Ruyue and resist the Wang family.

Just as anxious as the villagers of Chang Sheng Village was Shopkeeper Jin of the Wanbao Merchant Guild.

"These beasts from the Wang family, don't think I don't know what they're up to."

"This wave is aimed at Liu Chunsheng. When the new temple is built, a new Temple Official will naturally be needed. These people jumping out now must be related to that."

"Wang Desheng is an idiot. Liu Chunsheng is young and inexperienced, so he can't see his motives, but he thinks others can't see them either."

Jin Zihua paced back and forth in the elegant room on the second floor of the Wanbao Merchant Guild, the purple clay teapot in his hand creaking as he squeezed it.

"Shopkeeper, Young Master Wang Tu of the Wang family requests an audience." The young attendant reported softly from outside the door.

Jin Zihua suddenly stopped, and the teapot lid made a crisp 'clack' sound.

"Tell the one surnamed Wang that I, Jin San, am feeling a bit under the weather today, and I'm afraid I might infect a distinguished guest."

"Shopkeeper, are you sick? Should I call a physician?"

Jin Zihua snorted coldly: "No need. This illness of mine, it just doesn't get better when I see certain people."

He put down the teapot, a glint flashing in his eyes.

"You personally go and invite Liu Chunsheng to the Wanbao Merchant Guild for a talk. Just say... just say that the guild has a batch of goods that needs his help to appraise, and ask him to come quickly."

Just as Jin San left with the order, a sudden commotion erupted outside the ancestral hall of Chang Sheng Village.

"Move aside! Master Wang Desheng has returned!"

A group of house servants surrounded a middle-aged man in brocade robes, who strode forward.

It was Wang Hu's father, Wang Desheng.

He came with ill intentions.

Liu Chunsheng's heart sank: "Steward Wang, how have you been recently...?"

"Temple Official Liu, I won't waste words."

Wang Desheng's expression was stern, "The country has its laws, and a family has its rules. This pair of adulterous lovers, my Wang family must deal with them!"

"Steward Wang."

Liu Chunsheng's voice was surprisingly calm, "Qian Shi and Miss Lian indeed made a mistake, but it's not a capital crime. Moreover, the new temple is about to be completed; shedding blood at this time might offend the deities..."

"Liu Chunsheng!"

Wang Desheng interrupted sharply: "One thing is one thing, the deities will naturally discern right from wrong. However, my Wang family has been operating for many years, and our clan rules are strict. If this matter is lightly dismissed today, how will we command respect in the future?"

A mere steward, and talking about clan rules, I'll go to your place too!

Liu Chunsheng thought to himself.

But at this moment, he couldn't show weakness. Behind him, the lives of Qian Shi and Lian Ruyue depended on him, and a crowd of fellow villagers looked on expectantly, hoping he could stabilize the situation.

"Steward Wang, please calm your anger."

Liu Chunsheng cupped his fists slightly, neither humble nor arrogant, "As the Temple Official, I am entrusted by Lord Chuping to protect the peace of the village. Now this matter has caused such a stir, known throughout the village. If we deal with it rashly, causing panic among the people, I'm afraid it's not the result you want to see either. Furthermore, although Qian Shi and Miss Lian made a mistake, they truly love each other, and Miss Lian is now pregnant. Can you bear to see two lives lost?"

Upon hearing the words "pregnant," Wang Desheng's brow furrowed slightly, and a hint of hesitation flashed in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared, and he still said forcefully: "Hmph, scandalous people are only ascourge! My Wang family cannot afford to lose face."

Just as the two sides were at a stalemate, the young attendant rushed over and whispered into Liu Chunsheng's ear: "Master Liu, Shopkeeper Jin of the Wanbao Merchant Guild asks you to come over quickly; he says there's an urgent matter to discuss."

Liu Chunsheng's heart stirred. Shopkeeper Jin chose this critical moment to seek him out, neither too early nor too late, so he must have some important plan.

Wang Desheng noticed the hint and snorted coldly: "What, Temple Official Liu, are you trying to flee the battlefield?"