Chapter 2
Bach Tung
A scrawny, short-statured middle-aged man, his gaunt face sharp as a rat's, descended from the hill, followed by a band of servants wielding staffs and weapons. Lan lowered her gaze to the ground, unable to muster the courage to face her tormentor, trembling as she clung to Nam's back. The old man sneered and stepped close to Nam face:
- Ah, I had nearly forgotten, thou art but a ragged wretch devoid of shame!
Lan feared her father more than the devil; the cruel man had punished her with whippings many times, the pain of both body and soul haunting her every night. She was forced to regard the man who bore her as the Almighty; to defy her father was to defy the Almighty.
Tonight, even if she were to be beaten to death upon returning home, she defied the Almighty to protect the dignity of her beloved.
- Father, do not oppress one excessively!
The malicious elder glared, waving his hand to command the servants to seize her. Nam shielded her, his piercing gaze sweeping over each one, causing them to retreat in fear. The malicious elder sneered and spat:
- All this time, I thought the one hovering around my daughter was truly capable, but it turns out you can only intimidate mere servants. A toad lusting after a swan!
The servants laughed smugly. The townsfolk murmured and pointed, many feeling pity for the ill-fated lovers. Lan, consumed by indignation, stared directly at her father:
- Father, if you continue to insult, the one disgraced will be you!
- Shut your mouth! - The malicious elder bellowed, his face contorted with rage as he pointed straight at Nam - This bastard kneels before the wealthy. Wake up! He is about to become someone else's son-in-law!
He could no longer recall how many times he had been humiliated. Each insult he endured, he suppressed his anger. Yet the words 'bastard child' drove him to fury, his bloodshot eyes boring into Lan's father:
- I do not care if you insult me, but I forbid you from insulting my parents! You were once a child before you became a father!
The malicious elder let out a mocking laugh:
- Such flowery words, indeed! You bend the knee as a hunting dog for the nobility, yet you dare to speak of protecting the dignity of your parents!
The malicious elder jerked his chin toward Lan:
- Do you see clearly now? If he had true ability, he would fight with his own strength, yet he willingly plays the role of a hunting dog. From the very beginning, I knew he was nothing but a scoundrel. If you follow him, you will suffer for a lifetime!
Arguing was pointless, Nam sought to corner the malicious elder instead:
- Do you truly believe they entrusted me with power merely to flaunt authority? Even a mere child knows better!
Lan understood Nam's provocation immediately. She feigned sorrow, lowering her head to wipe away nonexistent tears, all the while concealing a secret smile, waiting for her father to fall into the trap. The malicious elder scoffed and spat on the ground:
- Do you think a few moves as pathetic as those of a limping cat can intimidate the world? Laughable!
Nam's heart swelled with quiet delight:
- Your face was flushed red a moment ago, why has it suddenly turned pale? Ah, perhaps you fear that my words will become reality, don't you?
The malicious elder cursed even more furiously, while Thiet Nam provoked him further. Losing his temper, the malicious elder screamed like a madman:
- The Emperor is about to hold a martial arts tournament at Mau Son! If you truly have the skills, then go and dominate the tournament! When that time comes, I, Bach Tung, will stand before the entire Hoa Ban village and admit that I am nothing more than a child disguised in the guise of an old man!
Nam smirked, treating Bach Tung as nothing more than a three-year-old child:
- I'm not interested in that. All I want is for you to marry Lan to me. If you're afraid of losing your daughter and exposing your true nature, just pretend I never said anything. I won't hold it against you.
Bach Tung knew he had fallen into a trap but was determined to maintain his face.
- I'll wait for you to become the champion as a bride price.
This familiar challenge trick made Nam and Lan recall the first time they met him. Seeing his strength and resourcefulness, Bach Tung devised a plan to take advantage of him. The malicious elder acted friendly and treated him well.
One year later, during the Hoa Ban village festival, Bach Tung announced that he had been observing Thiet Nam over time and saw that he was upright and upheld moral restraint in matters of intimacy with Lan. Bach Tung then declared that if Nam worked for his household for three years, he would allow him to marry Lan.
Nam's labor would serve as the dowry. Bach Tung urged him to live in his house for convenience. The malicious elder schemed to have Nam stay as a live-in son-in-law, making it easier to control him and prevent any improper advances before marriage. Bach Tung showed great kindness, inquiring about Nam's well-being every day and instructing his household members to take good care of him.
In gratitude to his future father-in-law, Nam worked tirelessly from dawn to late at night. As the three-year deadline drew near, Bach Tung revealed his true nature of excessive concern for face. But he constantly sought excuses to shift blame and devised schemes to break a promise.
Bach Tung bribed a woman, who was pregnant out of wedlock, to spread rumors that Nam had made her pregnant. One rumor turned into ten, and ten into a hundred, forcing people to doubt and ostracize the man who had always been willing to help them.
After discovering the biological father of the fetus, Thiet Nam filled with rage, contemplated destroying everything he had built. He could never have imagined that as the three-year mark approached, Bach Tung secretly mixed his family's ancestral poison into Lan's food. As the poison neared its effect, the malicious elder secretly detoxified her, only to continue poisoning his own daughter.
Just as Nam was about to set everything ablaze, the poison ferociously gnawed at Lan, causing her immense suffering. Bach Tung locked his daughter in the livestock pen. Nam was forced to swear before the villagers that he would neither elope with Lan nor harm the malicious elder or his property. Bach Tung partially detoxified her and released her back to her room.
Lan failed to find the antidote. Fearing that she might fall into despair and take her own life, Bach Tung confined her in a cell with iron bars, assigning servants to guard her day and night. He threatened that if she dared to disobey again, he would devise a scheme to harm Nam to the point of death.
Anger plunged Thiet Nam into a dilemma; he couldn't run away with her. He feared that Lan would be judged by the public as a disgraceful woman who had left her family to follow a man. Should the two try to escape, she would suffer the torment of the parasite venom gnawing at her, living a fate worse than death. From that moment on, she was placed under house arrest.
This afternoon, Bach Tung had to go to the West village. Holding authority in the East village, he was sought by both sides to help resolve their affairs. The matters in the West village were significant and would not be completed until tomorrow.
Back in the days before Thiet Nam appeared in the village, there were frequent unexpected incidents between the two villages. If he stirred up trouble, it could be suspected that Bach Tung had fabricated a trap.
For months, there had been no disturbances, and Bach Tung had no reason to cause conflict. Thiet Nam understood his fate, and the old man was not foolish enough to confront him. Taking this opportunity, Lan's mother and a maid named Thu planned to free Lan. The mother hesitated, fearing the young lovers might refuse the opportunity. Thu assured her, saying she had a way to make them agree.
- I'll explain to you later.
As she stepped out with a basket in hand, Thu encountered several servants. Whenever Bach Tung was home, they were always cautious about every detail. However, with the old man absent, they simply sat cross-legged on the ground, gambling freely, even the guards assigned to watch over Lan's cell had joined the game.
Thu used the excuse of buying food, briefly informing them before leaving. They merely grunted in response, too engrossed in their heated gambling session to pay much attention.
She walked a long distance before finally returning to Thiet Nam's house, revealing everything to him. Upon hearing her words, Thiet Nam was deeply troubled, fearing that if the plan were exposed, Bach Tung might lash out at innocent people in his wrath.
Seeing his hesitation, Thu resorted to drastic measures. She threatened to take her own life if he refused and forced him to go to the place where he once met Lan.
- Sister Lan is withering, close to madness because she misses you! She's already at the meeting place. If you don't go, Sister Lan will be assaulted by bad people, and you'll regret it for the rest of your life!
Thu said before leaving immediately. She returned home with a basket of food and spoke to Lan's mother about forcing Nam. Lan's mother hesitated, unsure of what to decide. Thu knelt down, begging with tearful sincerity:
- If Sister Lan had not saved me, I would have died long ago. I am nothing but a lowly servant, but one must know gratitude to those who have shown kindness! I fear I'll never have another chance to repay this debt. Please allow me to fulfill my wish!
Bach Tung's treachery tore apart the bond between father and daughter. The mother felt agonizing pain as her husband tortured their child. A father by blood, yet his 'heart' toward his child is not even equal to that of a beast. Unworthy of being a father, and even his dignity as a human kneels beneath the hem of a self-proclaimed lowly servant.
- Daughter, you are more noble than anyone! - The mother held the "lowborn" girl in her arms, crying in anguish - From now on, you are a daughter in my heart!
In her heart, she had already regarded the girl as her own, but she dared not openly acknowledge it. She feared that this adopted daughter would suffer the same tragic fate as her biological child. The orphan had long wished for a kind and virtuous mother, and at this moment, her eyes welled up with tears of happiness. She sobbed and softly choked out a call:
- Mother!
The woman wiped away Thu's tears. The two selected a few items from the food basket, crushed them, and mixed them into a sleeping potion. When Bai Song was young, his jealousy was overwhelming, forcing his wife to conceal her ability to craft such remedies. Now, she quietly approached the counter and discreetly poured the potion into several bottles of wine.
The servants were too engrossed in their gambling to notice. After drinking, they took more bottles, nearly finishing them before gradually falling into slumber.
The mother managed to free Lan, intending for Thu to temporarily take her place. However, Lan stubbornly refused the plan. The mother was willing to sacrifice her own life in exchange for a moment of freedom for Lan. Ultimately, Thu resorted to threatening suicide, forcing Lan to comply.
Unexpectedly, Bach Tung returned home earlier than expected. The servants woke up before the malicious elder returned, but the deception was exposed, and Bach Tung immediately launched a seek for Lan.
The humiliation robbed all trust in Bach Tung. The entire village already knew that the malicious elder was as cunning as a catfish slipping through a pipe. Yet, the two lovers still firmly believed that Thiet Nam was the grand champion. They were convinced that Bai Song would eventually arrange their marriage—not only to bring himself joy, but more importantly, to flaunt to the world that Thiet Nam was his prized son-in-law. The malicious elder sneered, mocking that hope:
- Let me warn you first: if you miss the chance to fight for the highest position, I will marry Lan off to the village chief. When you fail, you are not to cause any chaos!
The malicious elder's smile turned even more venomous:
- Oh, I almost forgot, the poison is still in her body. Don't even think about escaping. If you dare to take your own life, I will force my younger daughter to marry the village chief in place of her elder sister. As for your mother, it's unbelievable that wretched woman dared to let you go. I've already imprisoned her and your maid separately.
Pointing at the two of them, the malicious elder uttered with icy disdain:
- Be careful. If you dare to pull any more tricks, I will kill those two women immediately!
The village chief was a ninety-year-old man, the wealthiest and most powerful person in the region. He had nine official wives and countless scheming concubines who constantly plotted against one another. Yet, even after subjecting his daughter to misery and humiliation, this father was still not satisfied with his cruelty—he even tormented her mother and fourteen-year-old sister to death. Lan's mind descended into hell as she stared at her father in horror. The father-daughter bond had long been fractured… and now, in her heart, it was completely shattered.
Arguing further with Bach Tung would only bring disgrace upon his beloved. Thiet Nam growled in a low voice, issuing a warning:
- In my absence, you must take good care of Lan! If she suffers any harm, the consequences will be devastating!
The icy tone in his voice forced Bach Tung to curse aloud, masking the trembling fear within. The malicious elder roughly grabbed Lan, but she violently yanked her hand away, shouting:
- Don't touch me! Fathers cherish their daughters as their own lives, yet you heartlessly cast me into the mud. You are no human!
Bach Tung flew into a rage, attempting to use force to "teach" his child a lesson. Thiet Nam gripped the malicious elder's hand tightly, pressing his face—lined with bulging veins—close to Bach Tung. The elder's face twisted in panic, forcing a strained, mocking smile:
- The lives of the mother and her two daughters, all of them are in my hands!
The threat forced Thiet Nam to release the malicious father.
- I will take Lan home.
Bach Tung bellowed, ordering the servants to rush forward. Thiet Nam lifted his heel and kicked a knife up from the ground. The blade whirled through the air, striking the flagpole with such force that it sank deep, leaving only the handle exposed. The terrified servants scattered in all directions. Bach Tung helplessly watched his 'unfilial' daughter walk away with the man he despised the most.