Chapter 23: Wang Er’s Wife, The Apex Predator

However, in this blockbuster movie, Li Chaosheng gained a preliminary understanding of the White Lotus Sect. As expected, this organization that shared the same name as in history still harbored the same lofty ideal: rebellion.

From the few so-called doctrines they indoctrinated Bai Chunfeng with, it was almost as if they had written “rebellion” on their faces. They even bluntly wrote slogans about eradicating traitors and eliminating evil, and building a new world. What did “new world” mean to them? It meant a world ruled by the White Lotus Sect. From that perspective, the so-called eradication of traitors and evil naturally meant whoever stood in the way of the White Lotus’ domination was evil. Who stood in the way? The court!

“It really is a single-minded organization. Since ancient times it has harbored this great goal: rebellion. Whoever holds power, they rise up against them,” Li Chaosheng mumbled.

He did not know everything, but in the history of the world he once came from there was a clear introduction to this rebellion-specialist organization. It seemed this group was tied to rebellion from its birth, starting rebellions as early as the Yuan era, and by the end of the Yuan they succeeded, forming the prototype of the Red Turban Army that Zhu Yuanzhang joined.

Then they succeeded, but Zhu seemed to not give them enough benefits, so they stopped cooperating and rebelled again. A famous instance was Tang Saier’s rebellion during Emperor Yongle’s reign. Later in the Zhengde years there were rebellions by Li Fuda and Zhang Yin, and it continued into the Qing dynasty. The White Lotus Sect caused even more trouble under the Qing government, with slogans of overthrowing the Qing and restoring the Ming. There were multiple uprisings and organized groups. A notable large-scale one was late in the Ten Complete Elder’s era. In the Jiaqing years there was a large Sichuan-Hubei uprising, and later, when the Eight-Nation Alliance entered Beijing and stirred up foreigners, there was also a White Lotus disturbance.

In short, this was an organization with a thousand-year history of rebellion and a very high enthusiasm for uprising. Unexpectedly, in this other world the White Lotus Sect also developed vigorously. Coupled with the various bizarre magic powers of this world, the organization became even more raging and harder to deal with.

Although Bai Chunfeng was too low-ranking and had little contact with the White Lotus Sect, Li Chaosheng could still discern from some minor details how huge the organization was. People like Bai Chunfeng were probably just foot soldiers in the White Lotus Sect.

Li Chaosheng savored it for a while and slowly nodded. He couldn’t help but think the life function of this Killing Scripture was quite nice. This world had no television, no Tiktok, and no audio materials. It was very boring.

With this function of the Killing Scripture, he could satisfy the entertainment need of watching a blockbuster movie every few days, and it was a 360-degree no-dead-angle 3D immersive experience. This was even more interesting than going to the cinema. He could experience another life while sitting at home.

Li Chaosheng thought this was a good pastime and he could also gain some knowledge of this world. He decided to open the second page. The second page was Pockmark Chen’s. After opening and reading for a while, Li Chaosheng automatically retreated. The protagonist was too ugly, he couldn’t relate to this character at all, and the man’s values were too warped. He could not keep watching.

But Li Chaosheng understood the main story: Pockmark Chen was born ugly, but was strong as a child. He was not bullied but liked to bully others instead. Later his father had a good relationship with an old paper-cutter craftsman in the village, and wanted Pockmark Chen to learn a skill, so he sent him to the old craftsman.

The old craftsman was a good man and, because of his good relation with Chen’s father, he took him in and taught him diligently. But in the end, Chen developed a gambling addiction, frequently gambled, and nearly lost his father’s savings. So, he began stealing the old man’s money. Once, while stealing, the old man discovered him and began to admonish him earnestly.

But as the old man kept lecturing, Pockmark Chen grew angry. He thought, “I’m all grown up and I have to endure being scolded by an old beast like you?” He saw a big pair of scissors nearby, gritted his teeth and decided to stab him. He seized the scissors and stabbed the old man in the chest. The old man was still scolding, “You ought to learn how to live properly…”

Before he finished, the body collapsed. Seeing the old man was dead, Pockmark Chen thought, “Me? I’m off!”

But before fleeing he needed to take the old man’s money. Fortunately, Pockmark Chen had always noticed where the old man hid his cash, otherwise he would not have found it. He felt around and found twenty taels of silver and a manual of the Paper-Cutting Technique.

Pockmark Chen immediately packed a bundle and fled overnight. He drifted outside for more than ten years and mastered the Paper-Cutting Technique manual. He began committing crimes. Two years ago he met the corpse-driver Liu Wu, and the two, sharing the same tastes, started the human trafficking business.

Later they encountered a person from the White Lotus Sect who invited them to join. They promised to split the gold and silver evenly, and if they succeeded in the future they could claim founding merits. The pair were tempted. They agreed to do a few more jobs and then join the White Lotus Sect. In the end they were rounded up by Li Chaosheng and the old temple keeper.

After reviewing Pockmark Chen’s life, Li Chaosheng could only offer a one-line comment: He really deserved to die.

Knock knock knock……

Li Chaosheng had originally planned to keep his good mood and watch three in a row, but suddenly a knock at the door outside startled him.

“Who is it?”

“Brother Li, it’s Wang Er.”

“Oh, has business come knocking on my door?”

Li Chaosheng thought that as he stood to open the door. He thought that Old Zhang had been sentenced to death for killing the butcher Zheng and were waiting for him to execute the man.

Li Chaosheng moved to open the door. When it opened, Wang Er came in, his face a mottled blue and purple. Seeing Li Chaosheng staring at his face, he even used his sleeve to hide it.

“What happened to you, Brother Er?” Li Chaosheng asked with amusement.

Wang Er scowled and said, “It’s nothing but a fierce wife, fierce as a tiger, fierce as a tiger!”

Li Chaosheng snorted and laughed. As fierce as a tiger? Who was this formidable woman? There was no need to ask, it was Wang Er’s wife!

Sister-in-law Er was Wang Er’s wife, a broad-shouldered, stout, almost man-like heroine. Her family butchered pigs. She was her father’s only daughter. As a child, when her father slaughtered pigs she helped hold them down and over time developed a strong body. Later she married Wang Er, and from then on Wang Er’s life was one of constant hardship.

She would give him some domestic beatings for no reason. Wang Er wanted to resist, but he really could not win. He had tried to fight back but was beaten worse, bedridden for a week. Li Chaosheng helped watch his shift at work.

Because Sister-in-law Er was so fierce, Brother Er privately gave her a nickname: Apex Predator!

“Why were you beaten again today?”

Li Chaosheng looked at the bruised Wang Er and asked. Wang Er rubbed his nose and said aggrievedly, “I hid some private savings!”

“You hid private savings? That alone wouldn’t warrant such a beating. Did you spend it on drink and women?”

“No. Your sister-in-law discovered it.”

“If she discovered it, fine, give it to her. Why beat you so badly?”

Li Chaosheng thought this was where the Apex Predator was wrong. She shouldn’t have been so vicious over such a small matter.

“Exactly. I only talked back a couple of times. Was it necessary to beat me nearly to death?”

Wang Er was extremely aggrieved. Li Chaosheng heard a twist here: he wondered why Wang Er had talked back at all.

“How did you talk back? Tell me.”

“At the time, your sister-in-law found the two taels of silver I hid and pressed me. I had to make up a lie. I said, ‘I calculated the dates. My old father-in-law’s birthday is coming. These two taels are my modest filial gift.’”

“That lie was not bad. Saying it’s for your father-in-law makes sense. How did your wife respond?”

“She said, ‘My father just had his birthday last month.’”

“Oh…what did you reply?”

“I smelled trouble. I had forgotten that detail, but I’m crafty. I immediately said, ‘Next year, as a show of filial piety.’”

“What did your sister-in-law say?”

“She questioned me, ‘Preparing this early?’

“I heard that as a slight and replied, ‘My good wife, please do not doubt my father-in-law’s vitality. He will surely make it to next year.’ Then she beat me up!”

Wang Er was nearly in tears from the grievance, but Li Chaosheng could not help bursting into loud laughter. “What a thing to say! Why didn’t she beat you to death? Hahaha~”