Chapter 15: Protect Our Female Lead! Kill!

The scumbag father had come once again to demand money.

Seeing her son, Li Father, staring at her with a stiff neck, an indignant and resentful expression, Grandmother Li truly did not know what to say.

Having traveled all day, she was already advanced in years; although she had been healthy in the past, the half-month journey of fleeing the famine had taken a toll on her body.

Not to mention that Li Father, this unfilial scumbag, showed no shred of familial affection, leaving Grandmother Li both physically exhausted and heartbroken.

Li Wangming signaled with his eyes that Grandmother Li did not need to stand up. He stepped forward directly and said to Li Father in a cold voice and tone, "What brings you here again, Eldest Brother?

The divorce papers have been signed, and the belongings have all been divided. Why have you come seeking us again?

We have traveled all day, and Mother is already exhausted. As a son, you ought to show some filial piety; do not come here to pester us further."

Every word Li Wangming spoke sounded perfectly reasonable, yet every sentence was a direct accusation that Li Father was failing in his duties as a son.

Before Li Father could even utter a word, he was rendered speechless by Li Wangming's rebuttal.

At this moment, while Grandmother Li remained seated, Mother Li, Li Shiyue, and Shitou, who was following behind Li Wangming, all stood up.

Even the Zheng mother and daughters, who had already lain down nearby, shuffled over in their shoes. Zheng Meiniang, who was partially blind, was supported on either side by Li Qiutian and Li Xiaotian. Upon reaching them, she called out, "Chunniang!"

Seeing this, Mother Li hurried over to support Zheng Meiniang. "Sister, it's alright. Don't worry."

Li Shiyue looked up at Li Father, only to see that the resentment that had previously filled his face had suddenly turned into a smile.

Smiling, Li Father said to Li Wangming, "Wangming, I am your elder brother. Look at how you speak; I am merely worried about Mother.

I just came to check on her. I haven't been with you all day and couldn't put my mind at rest, so I hurried over as soon as I had the chance."

Li Wangming was Li Father's biological brother; they had grown up sharing the same pot. How could Li Wangming truly not know what kind of person Li Father was?

Furthermore, the things Li Father had done last night were truly heartbreaking. Seeing him beaming with joy now, how could Li Wangming believe him?

"You can see for yourself, Eldest Brother. Mother is simply tired and needs rest.

If you truly have filial piety, you have seen her enough. Now that you have, please go back."

With just two sentences, Li Wangming was trying to drive Li Father away. How could Li Father agree?

He had not yet achieved his goal of extracting benefits tonight; how could he be willing to leave?

Li Father believed in his heart that if he spoke a few more soft words and shed a few tears, Grandmother Li, who had doted on him for most of his life, would surely soften. That way, he could coax more silver out of her hands.

Though Grandmother Li had handed the divided money bags directly to Mother Li at the time, Li Father knew that Grandmother Li still had her private savings.

The amount of those savings was no less than what had been divided to him; they were accumulated since Grandfather Li was still alive, and there might even be gold inside.

But before Li Father could speak, Li Shiyue heard a soft female voice calling out: "Wangguang, Wangguang, are you here?"

Qin Tao had found them!

Li Shiyue saw Li Shigui walking toward their camp holding a torch, with Qin Tao and Li Chunli walking hand-in-hand beside him.

*Is she going to start acting again?*

*Seriously, don't these drama queens ever get tired?*

*After traveling all day, we're exhausted like dogs, yet she still has the energy to come here and put on a performance?*

Thinking this, Li Shiyue walked toward Mother Li and waved to Shitou, who was standing behind Li Wangming.

Shitou was obedient; at Li Shiyue's wave, he turned and walked toward Mother Li.

"Wangguang, I was afraid it would be dark when you returned, so I brought a torch to look for you."

Explaining gently to Li Father, Qin Tao then gestured with her chin toward Li Shigui and Li Chunli. "Brother Gui and Sister Li were worried it would be inconvenient for me to walk alone, so they accompanied me."

Just as Li Father turned around, intending to say something to Qin Tao, a sharp scream suddenly interrupted him.

Li Shiyue looked toward the source of the sound. At their current campsite, most of the villagers from Li Family Village had long since extinguished their torches and gone to sleep. In the pitch-black night, with only a sliver of moonlight, it was impossible to see clearly what was happening where the scream had come from.

"Ah! Help! Help! Hubby! Hubby!"

"Goudan! Goudan!"

"Mother! Mother!"

Amidst the wailing and crying, someone suddenly roared, "Refugees are coming! Grab your weapons!"

Li Shiyue recognized the voice; it was Li Shiyang. After a moment of stunned silence, Li Shiyue turned and ran toward the donkey cart. Li Wangming reacted at the same time; seeing Li Shiyue's expression, he knew what she was looking for. "Shiyue, it's down below. I put it in the basket after I used it this morning."

With Li Wangming's words, Li Shiyue immediately pulled a wood-cutting knife from the wooden crate on the donkey cart.

Only after seeing the knife in Li Shiyue's hand did the rest of the Li family react to the current situation.

Grandmother Li anxiously tried to stand up, but the more anxious she became, the harder it was for her to move. Li Wangming rushed forward to help her, but Grandmother Li shouted at him, "The kitchen knife! The kitchen knife is in the wicker basket up there!"

"Second Uncle, go get the kitchen knife! I'll help Mother!"

Mother Li grabbed Li Qiutian's hand, took her sister Zheng Meiniang's hand, and placed it down before turning to support Grandmother Li.

Seeing that Grandmother Li was being cared for, Li Wangming climbed onto the donkey cart to get the knife. Fortunately, he was quite tall; with a single easy leap, he gripped the frame of the cart, grabbed the kitchen knife from the wicker basket, and jumped straight down.

By now, Mother Li had already gathered Grandmother Li and the three women from the Zheng family together, and Zheng Meiniang had once again gripped a butcher knife in her hand.

Seeing that Li Qiutian and Li Xiaotian had no weapons, Li Shiyue pulled two thick branches she had picked up on the road from the donkey cart. "Sister, take this for self-defense. Everyone, stand behind me. If someone comes, I'll use the blade and Sister will use the staff. When sisters work together, they can break even gold!"

The Li family members were already prepared to face the refugees, but Li Father and Qin Tao's family of three were stunned. At this moment, Li Shigui was still standing there like a target, holding the torch.

"Are you stupid?! Put out the fire, quickly!"

Startled by Li Shiyue's shout, the bewildered Li Shigui quickly lowered the torch to the ground. Li Chunli was quick-witted; she grabbed some dirt from the ground and threw it onto the torch.

But the fire was being extinguished too slowly, and refugees were already rushing toward the light.

"Haha, there's a group here! There's even a young lady! Come on, brothers, let's all join in and have some fun!"

In a matter of seconds, without giving anyone time to react, several shirtless refugees came running toward them. The leader, who spoke first, was even wielding a long saber!

The person closest to the refugees was Li Father, who was on the outermost edge. Li Father's immediate reaction was to grab Qin Tao beside him and shove her toward the refugees.

Seeing that it was a delicate woman, the refugee sheathed his saber and instead grabbed Qin Tao from behind in an embrace.

"Mother!"

Desperate to save her mother, Li Chunli ran toward Qin Tao, despite being physically weak and having no weapon.

Seeing this scene, Li Shiyue felt a wave of exasperation. She finally understood why the system's mission was to protect the female lead, Li Chunli.

*Why do I have to clean up the mess caused by this scumbag father?*

But her actions were faster than her complaints. Li Shiyue lunged forward and hurled the wood-cutting knife she had just retrieved toward the refugee.

Then, under the incredulous gazes of everyone present, the wood-cutting knife—which was about the length of an adult man's forearm—plunged perfectly into the forehead of the saber-wielding refugee.

As Qin Tao turned around, she stared in shock at the refugee's bulging, bloodshot eyes. A spray of blood splashed directly onto her face, and the thick scent of blood filled her nostrils. Qin Tao froze for a moment before suddenly using all her strength to push the refugee away, letting out a scream that echoed through the heavens and earth.