Chapter 141: The Mouthy Brat

Chapter 141

The Mouthy Brat

While everyone was trying to voice their opinions, the middle-aged woman, with a red handprint on her cheek, smiled and shook her head at them. Her eyes clearly reflected the light of despair.

“Thank you, everyone, for trying to warn me, but...because I have a husband and children waiting for me, so I can’t just give in to Big Brother like this. I’m really sorry I can’t meet your expectations.”

“Today, I need the money to pay for my husband’s medicine. If these cabbages don’t sell at retail price, I can still take them to a restaurant. Even if I get a little less money, it’s not a total loss.”

“I...I can’t lose that money. Without it...my husband will die! Sob. None of you understand what that means. How can I let the man who has tried so hard for us die!!”

The vendor pounded the ground as tears flowed like rain. The pain and resentment in her heart were clearly overflowed. It seemed that...this middle-aged woman was truly willing to die.

It wasn’t that 9 silver coins were of immense value, but they were the last straw for her to keep moving forward. If she lost her husband along the way, wouldn’t she also lose her children someday? And what about further future...If not for the lives depending on her, she might have already taken her own life.

The life of the poor was unbearably painful!!

"You wretched woman! What are you whining about? Your husband is your problem, and your kids are your problem. We didn’t ask you to have them! Now you’re demanding what from us? Do you want us to take care of your husband and kids too, to satisfy you!?"

"Tsk tsk. Seems like talking nicely won’t work anymore. The more we speak kindly, the more you think we’re toothless tigers, right? Fine! We haven’t had the chance to act in a while. People have become too brave lately...Let’s put on a good show. We’ll call this scene “Killing the Monkey to Scare the Chickens” Haha."

The burly man spat out his purple saliva then smirked, revealing his dark purple teeth, a result of chewing Rillo regularly. His scarred, menacing face made him even more frightening. His eyes clearly conveyed that his words weren’t just threats but a real intention to "kill."

The middle-aged woman, filled with despair, was ready to die if she couldn’t get the money today. Unexpectedly, she lunged forward with her rather plump body, wielding a small vegetable knife.

"Leave me alone! Please!!"

Her loud shout, accompanied by her sudden rush towards the thugs, caused the crowd to scream. Ellie, who had been watching quietly and intended not to interfere with the path of the defeated, now had her eyes shining brighter.

It couldn’t be helped. Initially, she planned to observe the situation and then talk to the Setter family later. If she said it...Ellie didn’t believe that the head of the Setter family would ignore her words.

She didn’t expect them to take care of everyone as they did the merchants who paid large protection fees, but at the very least, she hoped the Setter family would act as a force to prevent violence. After all, their duty as city rulers was to ensure the safety of the people. If disputes led to killing each other over such benefits, it was unacceptable. As for the living conditions of the people, it depended on their own willingness to fight for it.

Ellie knew that, with her limited power, it was impossible to make every human live happily. Even in the modern world, with all its advanced technology, there were still people who froze to death because they lacked clothing. Not to mention the poor who was sick, how could they receive proper care? The same was true in this world. The harsh reality, as depicted by the author, was that even in a fantasy world, there were people blessed by the gods and those abandoned by fate.

In truth, if the middle-aged woman had accepted her fate, Ellie would have let it be. If she wasn’t willing to fight for her own rights, like the other vendors who urged her to give in, what good would it do for Ellie to intervene? In the end, she might be seen as meddling unnecessarily.

Intervening now might save the woman from the current attack, but there was no guarantee these thugs wouldn’t seek revenge later, right?

However...if the woman was willing to fight, wasn’t that reason enough for Ellie to step in and help?

Wham!! Clang!!

"How dare you! Trying to hurt Big Brother, are you? Good. Very good!! If that’s the case...this knife, you want me to use it to kill you, don’t you? Haha." The large man yanked the plump vendor up and motioned for his henchmen to pick up the knife that had been knocked out of her hand to give it to him.

His thick hand was raised high, causing even those watching to close their eyes in fear.

"Die!! Ah ... Aah ..."

Pwoosh!

Thud......Clang.....

However, before the knife could pierce the bold vendor’s chest, the hand holding the knife suddenly disappeared. All that could be seen was the bright red blood spurting all over the unlucky vendor’s face. Both the attacker and the victim looked at each other in bewilderment.

"W-What happened, Big Brother?!"

"Why is Big Brother’s hand cut off like that? What...what the hell is going on?!"

If it weren’t for his henchmen’s panicked cries, even the Big Brother might not have snapped back to reality.

"Aaagh!! Aaagh!! Hand. My hand!! What’s going on?! Who! Who dared to attack me!?! Aaagh! It hurts, it hurts! Somebody, help!!"

In the past, he had only ever hurt others. This was the first time he had suffered such a severe injury. The scar on his face was just a result of bad luck, having fallen onto a wood-cutting axe. But after acquiring that scar, it made everyone fearful of him, so he exaggerated the story. With his large build and the scar, people were scared of him wherever he went. It was rare for anyone to dare oppose him like this.

Moreover...he had the backing of a powerful family in Set City. He had committed many evil deeds without facing any punishment. Using his master’s influence, he was like a big, intimidating dog.

This was the first time he had been injured so severely. The intense pain made the rough-faced man cry out for help, as if he were about to die. Previously, he bullied others with his gang, causing many deaths, but he never understood why those people screamed so much. Once they died, they wouldn’t feel anything anymore, right? But now he understood...the pain was unbearable!

"Big Brother, why are you screaming like a slaughtered cow? It’s just one hand gone, isn’t it?" Amid the thugs’ uproar, the victimized vendor quickly retreated, while the clear voice of a young girl suddenly rang out.

Everyone’s eyes turned to the small figure that had been there all along, but no one had paid her any attention. If the clueless girl hadn’t suddenly spoken out, they would have continued ignoring her.

Now, even Big Brother and the thugs looked at Ellie. The girl’s words felt like a huge insult to them. As all eyes focused on her, no one noticed that Big Brother’s severed hand was slowly disappearing. And yes! That was Ellie’s doing. She had commanded the spores to decompose the hand, eliminating any chance of reattachment.

"You little brat! What nonsense are you spouting, huh!? Can’t you see how badly our Big Brother is hurt? Do you want to die?" One of the thugs reached Ellie first, intending to grab her and toss her to Big Brother. In this situation, harming the girl to save face seemed like the best option. Besides, she had brought this upon herself. If she had kept her mouth shut, things would have been better. But she had to stick her nose in where it didn’t belong, and now she needed to be taught a lesson, so that she wouldn’t speak any nonsense again!

"Step back!" However, before the thug could grab Ellie, Big Brother barked out, his face dark with anger. Ellie’s words had made him grit his teeth and swallow his pain, not wanting to display any more humiliating demeanor. As for his severed hand, he still believed there was a chance to reattach it. He would have to beg his master for healing potion. Given his past contributions, he was confident his master would grant him that chance.

"Big Brother! Stop, please. Don’t hurt the child. She has no parents to teach her and is just a kid. Please don’t harm her, Big Brother." The vendor woman’s face pale. Seeing the new target as an unfortunate young girl, she thought of her own children, who might one day be without parents to protect and guide them, facing such misfortune. Her mother’s heart was shaken deeply.

People had come to grudgingly accept Big Brother’s bullying of vendors and merchants, not because they wanted to, but because they had no choice. However, seeing him now targeting a small girl, many of the onlookers began to feel uneasy and disapproving.

They didn’t try to convince Ellie to give in like they did with the vendor. Instead, they tried to persuade Big Brother.

"Big Brother, the child speaks nonsense because she has no parents to teach her. Please forgive her just this once."

"That’s right, Big Brother. She’s just a child who can’t fight back, and she looks so frail. Who knows how long she’ll survive? She doesn’t need your hand to die; she might not make it much longer anyway."

"Big Brother, you wouldn’t take issue with a clueless child, right? Think about it, if people hear that you bullied a child, they might talk."

Despite their efforts, Big Brother ignored them. To him...this child had dared to mock him, and she had to die for that!

"Anyone else who dares speak up for this kid, I’ll kill you along with her!" Faced with Big Brother’s brutal threat, many fell silent out of fear, though they still harbored resistance in their hearts.

"Big Brother is truly formidable. No wonder you only show off your strength to ordinary folks. If you were really that powerful, you’d be hunting beasts in the tower by now. Instead...you can only bully weak women, old men, or children like me, right?"

While everyone else was terrified, Ellie crossed her arms and smiled confidently. Her attitude only infuriated Big Brother further. Initially, he intended to kill her with a single blow, but now, seeing her brazenly mock him, he feared others might follow suit if he made it quick. Thus...he decided to have some fun by cutting her slowly piece by piece, making her scream so that others would be terrified.

His duty was to rob for his master. If he lacked decisiveness and terror, how could he continue his role?

"Haha. Remember those brave words of yours. Soon...you’ll be begging for mercy!"

He looked at the girl with contempt before signaling his men to surround her. It wasn’t that he feared her fighting skills; he just didn’t want her small size allowing her to escape.

Who could have predicted that soon his arrogant face would transform into one of sheer terror, as if he had seen a ghost!?

"Catch her. I’ll make her understand what it means to challenge us."

"Got it, Big Brother."

"Yeah, Big Brother, take care of this mouthy brat! Haha." The henchmen responded, laughing as they closed in from all directions. However, as one of them approached Ellie, his arm, reaching out and lifting just slightly, suddenly bore a deep slash nearly an inch deep.

"Ah!" Before he could warn the others, 3 more thugs suffered similar attacks.

Some had their legs severed because they didn’t hold back. Stepping into the Empress’s Thread trap, their legs were cut clean off. It didn’t stop there...one was losing his balance, so he fell forward, and unfortunately for him, his face landed directly into Ellie’s Empress’s Thread.

"Th-That, that!!"

"His neck’s been cut off!! Scream!!"

"Ah!! What’s happening? Why is this happening all of a sudden!?! This is crazy, absolutely crazy!!"

Not only were the thugs shocked, but the vendors and customers around the shop also cried out in alarm because people were being killed. This was an open killing! But who could have done this!? Who would dare kill someone so openly!?! Even the thugs didn’t have the audacity to kill in public. They would hurt people as long as no one died and no complaints reached the Setter family, the city’s governor. They wouldn’t face any consequences.

If they truly wanted to kill someone, they would drag them to the edge of the forest of the outskirts and do it discreetly, leaving the body for beasts to devour and erase the evidence.

But a murder witnessed by so many was a crime that the Setter family would undoubtedly have to address!