Capítulo 5: Slander
Under the scrutinizing eyes of thousands and the oppressive malevolence of Li Fosui, Li Yang, remarkably composed, locked his gaze on Li Fosui and asked icily, "You claim my father borrowed money from you in the 37th year of the Tianqi era, correct?"
"Of course! It's written on the promissory note. Why even ask?" Li Fosui snapped back, his tone as fierce as ever.
**Li Yang nodded, turned to the gathered townsfolk, and proclaimed loudly, "Dear elders and villagers, in the 37th year of Tianqi, we had not yet been raided by mountain bandits. In my youth, my mother often told me stories about my father. I remember them vividly! My late father, Li Focheng, was a successful merchant. Our family wasn't the wealthiest in Li Town, but we had several thousand taels of silver. Surely, you elders remember this?"**
At Li Yang's words, the crowd began to recall that Li Focheng's family indeed had a good fortune. **With such wealth, why would he borrow a mere hundred taels? Doubts arose among the people, who started murmuring among themselves.**
**Li Fosui's face darkened. He sneered, "You're right; your family was wealthy back then. But that has nothing to do with your father borrowing money from me. Some people, even when they have money, prefer to borrow from others to scam them. Your father was such a person—a scoundrel!"**
**Li Yang, burning with anger, retorted loudly, "Li Fosui, you shameless old dog! Everyone in town knows you as stingy and miserly. If you weren't a fool, you'd never have lent my father a hundred taels. Let me ask you, if someone as wealthy as my father asked to borrow a hundred taels from you today, would you lend it?"**
The crowd burst into laughter. Someone shouted, "Of course not! He's a miser!" Encouraged by the numbers, the speaker had no fear of Li Fosui.
**Enraged by the public insult, Li Fosui trembled with anger. He laughed coldly, "You sharp-tongued brat. Let me tell you, your father knelt and begged me back then, so I pitied him and lent him the money."**
**At this, Li Yang wanted to kill the vile man on the spot, but he had to clear his father's name. Suppressing his rage, he asked, "Li Fosui, my father has been dead for over ten years. In all that time, you never mentioned this debt. Why bring it up today? Anyone wanting to collect a debt would do so as soon as possible. Isn't that normal?"**
Li Fosui arrogantly replied, "It's my debt, and I can collect it whenever I please. Do I need to explain myself to you?" **Now at a loss for words, he resorted to shamelessness.**
**Grinding his teeth, Li Yang declared, "If you won't explain, I will! My father is dead, and you are fabricating this debt to exploit an orphan and widow. Today is the Immortal Ascension Ceremony, and it just so happens that your family doesn't have a spot. You, Li Fosui, with your immense wealth and power, can't stand to see a poor person like me have a chance to become an immortal. So, you're trying to defame my father and steal our spot. Am I right, Li Fosui?"**
Just then, a youth leaped onto the stage, his face icy cold. **It was Li Fosui's son, Li De, notorious for his arrogance. Seeing Li Yang so boldly insult his father, he immediately moved to teach him a lesson. In his eyes, Li Yang was a worthless nobody, daring to defy him, which filled him with murderous rage.**
**Li Yang, undaunted, sneered, "Li De, are you going to kill me in front of everyone? Do you know your father's despicable acts and want to silence me?"**
The crowd stirred, sensing the tension rising.
**The clan leader, seeing the danger, knew that if Li De attacked, he might kill Li Yang, causing a scandal that would damage his own reputation. Therefore, he shouted, "Li De, stand down!"**
With a sinister smile, Li De glared at Li Yang, then reluctantly stepped down from the stage.
**Li Fosui, furious, slammed the table and shouted, "You bastard! No matter what you say, your dead father owes me a hundred taels. The debt is in black and white, undeniable. Either repay it or have your mother, Li Cailian, marry my servant to settle it!"**
**Now completely shedding his façade, Li Fosui used his power to bully Li Yang and his mother. Despite Li Yang's righteous stance, he knew that the clan leader and Li Fosui together could control any matter in Li Town.**
**At this moment, despair filled Li Yang's heart. He finally understood Li Fosui's true intention. If his mother, Li Cailian, married Li Fosui's servant, Li Yang would be forced to adopt the servant's surname. Thus, their family would be absorbed into Li Fosui's, securing the coveted spot for immortality. Li Fosui had schemed relentlessly, even at the cost of slandering Li Yang's father.**
**Suddenly, Li Yang burst into bitter laughter, pointing at the clan leader and Li Fosui, "You, the clan leader, and you, the wealthiest man here, want my spot for immortality? Just take it! Why show such ugly behavior and pretend to be virtuous? No one is fooled by your actions!" Then, he fixed his gaze on Li Fosui, "My family owes you nothing! If you want my spot, you'll have to kill me first!"**
**Li Fosui, enraged by the public accusation, snarled, "You want to die? I'll kill you right now!" He advanced towards Li Yang, ready to strike.**
**With his cultivation at the second level of Blood Refining, Li Fosui could kill the untrained Li Yang as easily as swatting a fly.**
**At that moment, Li Cailian's calm voice broke the tension, "Li Fosui, don't touch my son."**
**Li Fosui halted, frowning, "Li Cailian, are you agreeing to my terms?"**
**With a sorrowful smile, Li Cailian replied, "You say we owe you a hundred taels? Fine, I'll repay it with my life." She suddenly drew a hairpin and plunged it into her heart. Blood spurted as she staggered.**
**Li Yang, eyes wide with horror, screamed and rushed to catch her, "Mother... Why?"**
**With a sigh, Li Cailian weakly touched Li Yang's tear-streaked face, "Yang'er, I couldn't bear to see them disgrace your father and torment us. Forgive me, my son. Live well... Grow up strong. You'll become someone great... Live well..."**
**Her hand fell lifelessly as she took her last breath.**
**Li Yang's agonized scream echoed as he pounded the ground, oblivious to the blood and bones of his fists. The townsfolk were filled with sorrow, but no one dared to speak against Li Fosui's power.**
**Li Fosui's expression was conflicted. He hadn't expected Li Cailian's defiance. Meanwhile, the clan leader looked grim, knowing his bias was now evident to all, damaging his reputation.**
**Li Yang's cries abruptly ceased. He gently lifted his mother's body, straightened his back, and walked down the steps. His gaze swept over Li Fosui, the clan leader, and Li De, filled with icy hatred. They all felt a chill under his stare.**
**Li Fosui moved to stop him, but the clan leader held him back, whispering, "Enough. We've gone too far already. We can't face the clan if we push further."**
**Li Fosui sneered but relented, thinking, "With only this weakling left, everything else will be easy."**
**Though usually frail, unable even to lift a bucket, Li Yang carried his mother's body steadily home. The Immortal Ascension Ceremony continued, and the clan leader awarded the spot to Li Fosui's family without opposition.**
**The day ended with the other two clans holding a martial competition to decide their representatives for immortality. By the afternoon, the ceremony concluded, and Li Town seemed to return to its usual calm.
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