The male supporting character was actually myself.

Hearing their leader say that, the blond-haired gang immediately deflated.

Liao Yuzhou was also filled with remorse, "I was so scared at the time that I didn't know how to call for help. I just blurted out 'Stop thief!' Who could have thought of all this..."

“You’re right to shout ‘Stop thief!’” Jiang Chen couldn’t help but smile and comfort him. “A clean reputation is still very important. Besides, I think it’s more advantageous for us to deal with He Yongqiang in the village now than to hand him over to the police station.”

Let's wait and see what the village chief and the village party secretary have to say; this matter isn't going to be easily resolved.

He had barely finished speaking when a loud "bang" of a firecracker was heard from the neighboring village. Jiang Chen frowned before he could react, "Why are there firecrackers going off at this hour?"

"Setting off firecrackers on holidays or not, someone must have died of an old man in the family." Green-eyed man casually replied, "If you ask me, if Big Yellow had bitten harder last night, or if the village chief and the others had arrived a little later, He Yongqiang would have bled to death. The neighbors would have set off firecrackers last night."

The blond-haired man leaned closer to the window, took a closer look, and shook his head. "He Yongqiang is really lucky to have survived so much blood loss."

Look at those shards of glass, you can tell how deep they've gone!

No wonder he was stuck in the window, not moving or running. If Big Yellow hadn't bitten off his genitals and was in so much pain that he didn't care about anything and pulled it out, he probably would have been protecting his arm and wouldn't dare to move.

"You guys don't need to go to the fields today. Help me tidy up the house again." Jiang Chen pushed open the door and frowned. His wife had gone to great lengths. The blood on the awl lying on the windowsill had dried thickly, which showed how badly she had stabbed him.

The walls and curtains were covered with splattered blood and bloody handprints left by He Yongqiang in his panic, making it look like a crime scene.

"Oh my god, this is so creepy!" The four thugs couldn't help but grimac when they came in and took a look.

The bloodstains everywhere show just how ruthless Liao Yuzhou's counterattack was in those short ten minutes last night; she must have been terrified.

"I'm sorry, I've made you suffer." Jiang Chen looked apologetically at his beautiful wife.

Her face flushed slightly as she shook her head, revealing a faint smile. She leaned against his shoulder and said in a very soft voice that only the two of them could hear, "It's a blessing in disguise. If it weren't for this sudden change, I don't know how long we would have had to wait to break through the barrier."

As the group was discussing how to tidy up the room again, a series of chaotic footsteps suddenly came from the courtyard gate.

The village chief, the village party secretary, and several elderly village leaders entered the courtyard with their hands behind their backs. "Jiang Chen, have you eaten?"

"I've already eaten!" he replied immediately, gesturing for his wife to rest in the west room first, and then leading the four thugs out to greet them.

The village chief frowned as he looked at the bloody mess at the foot of the window. He coughed twice to clear his throat and sighed, "If there had been anyone in the family, this wouldn't have happened."

Jiang Chen casually agreed, but in his heart he was thinking that if anyone blocked Da Huang's scene, it would be impossible to guarantee a successful completion.

After all, with the protagonist's halo protecting him, He Yongqiang would definitely not be killed. If the scene was chaotic, he would be hesitant to operate the Soul Weapon. With so many people around and so many people talking, and it being the middle of the night when he wasn't home, wouldn't there be gossip going around?

Between the two options of being beaten and being castrated, He Yongqiang was obviously more gratifying to accept.

“This matter is very serious. I discussed it with the village elders for most of the night and wanted to ask you what you really think,” the village secretary said bluntly.

Let's briefly talk about character design...

As I was writing, it suddenly reached 2.5 million words (I really didn't expect it to be this many...).

I've also posted quite a few thoughts at the end of each chapter, including my initial intentions and ideas for writing this book, and those of you who have been following the story should be quite familiar with them.

However, due to the nature of the transmigration genre, the main storyline is destined not to be so obvious and detailed, and is always interspersed in some dungeons, which makes it difficult for many readers who skipped subscribes to understand.

In addition, given the recent surge in reactions, I'd like to discuss the issue of public persona with everyone.

When I first planned to write this book, I boasted quite a bit—I created a very detailed background setting, and I personally thought it was quite profound (maybe not, haha~). But because it's a quick transmigration story, the final answer won't be fully revealed until the very last volume.

I can reveal a little bit first.

First, the main character, Jiang Chen, is a homophone for "Jiang Chen" (将臣), which some viewers noticed right away.

Yes, my protagonist's character design is based on part of the Zombie King Jiang Chen's character design—he is different from any other creature, he has no primordial spirit or true spirit, in other words, he has no soul at all, so the Great Dao that controls the souls of living beings cannot control him.

Jiang Chen is also completely uncontrolled; it could be said that he is the freest and most invincible character in the entire book.

Attentive readers may have noticed a rule that isn't explicitly stated: no matter where he is, Jiang Chen always follows the social rules of that world and tries his best not to kill innocent people indiscriminately.

When someone becomes completely invincible, their selfish desires may swell, leading them to abuse their abilities and become a mere shell exploited by those desires. Jiang Chen's ability to control his abilities for his own use, maintaining the smooth development of the mission world, is, in my opinion, a shining example, and also carries a metaphor—Jiang Chen represents a certain order and rules.

No matter how distorted the script or how absurd the mission world is, he will find his own way to set things right.

When Jiang Chen's true identity is finally revealed, readers who have subscribed to the entire series will probably feel a sense of relief. Consider this a little surprise left out to wow everyone...

Furthermore, I am certain of one thing—there are no minotaurs, and there is only one female protagonist from beginning to end.

I'll elaborate on her part later (although I haven't figured out how to tell the female lead's story in more detail yet, since not being able to write a romance plot is a major weakness...).

Finally, both Xiaobai and its compressed file are very useful. Please be patient, I will work hard to polish the whole story and present it to everyone!

Thank you all for your continued support. Thank you for all the opinions and suggestions you've given. I wish you all the best, peace, and joy.

(づ￣3￣)づ╭?～

Chapter Fifty-Five: Punishment

The group sat on the stools brought by the observant Huang Mao and his companions, and gathered in the courtyard, all looking at He Jiangchen and waiting for his opinion.

He naturally wouldn't mince words and angrily said, "Although nothing really happened last night, He Yongqiang jumped off the roof while I wasn't home and smashed the window to try and unlock it. Anyone with a brain knows what he was thinking."

My wife has only been married for a few days, and this woman was so scared that she cried all night!

Dear uncles, elders, and grandfathers, I have no parents to take care of me, so you must make this decision for me!

If you ask me, this must be handled officially. You guys should testify and take him to the police station to be charged with hooliganism. His whole family has bullied me time and time again before, and I've tolerated it all out of respect for my uncle. But what happened last night is absolutely unacceptable!

“Yes, no man could tolerate that.” The village secretary first expressed his affirmation, then paused and considered the matter before saying, “Normally, I would have taken the initiative to stamp his name and convict him of hooliganism and sent him to the police station for punishment without you even having to say it.”

But now…

He straightened his blue hat, took the cigarette offered by the blond-haired man, and sighed, "Yesterday afternoon, a notice was issued saying that the county is going to select advanced villages. Our Qilizhuang has had a good harvest this year, and everything is going smoothly. We've also registered your household, so we're considered an advanced model. If we expose He Yongqiang's affair, we'll lose our competitiveness."

From a broader perspective, being recognized as an advanced collective not only brings honor but also secures numerous benefits for the villagers.

Look... here's what we've been thinking, can we put this matter on hold for now?

It's not that we won't deal with it, we'll just postpone it for a while. Once we've taken control of the village and stabilized things, and the busy farming season is over, we can just dig a hole for him, spread some rumors, and the village will issue a certificate to hand him over to the police station and convict him of hooliganism. You'll have gotten your revenge, and we won't delay the village's affairs.

What do you think?

Seeing that he remained silent, the village chief also spoke up: "We're discussing it. On the surface, we'll tell He Gousheng's family that we won't report them to the police station because they're his uncle, and we'll settle this privately according to the village rules."

This way, it looks good on the surface, and He Gousheng can't complain about you.

Secondly, He Yongqiang's manhood is gone; he's lying there half-dead, practically dead. If things go too far, he'll be immediately sent to the police station and executed. Then He Gousheng and his wife will have no hope left, and it'll only cause them more trouble!

Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow. Since the script had already updated the subsequent plot, there was no need to create any further complications if it was easy to dig a hole for the protagonist and kill him.

As long as He Yongqiang has the protagonist's halo, even if he is sent to the police station, there will be other changes. He might meet some influential people and climb the social ladder to escape from his control.

What's more, there's an innocent girl who was abducted and is waiting to be rescued...

"Well, I'd like to hear your opinions on how to handle this," he said weakly, feigning reluctance.

The village secretary explained earnestly, “He Yongqiang has done such a despicable thing and cannot be let off lightly! The village will stand up for you and seek compensation first. We figure that his family doesn’t have much left besides this yard now, so it’s safer for you two to stay away from them.”

In this way, we'll make them compensate you with this courtyard house, and their whole family will have to move to a dugout at the east end of the village and publicly apologize at a village meeting.

He Gousheng and his wife were punished for failing to raise their son properly, and each of them received forty lashes.

What do you think about chopping off two of He Yongqiang's fingers to leave a mark?

"Uncle, isn't it only after catching a thief that you chop off their fingers?" Huang Mao asked, puzzled, as he poured them tea. "He Yongqiang isn't a thief. We should tattoo the word 'hooligan' on his face!"

The village secretary, holding an enamel teacup, kicked him, yelling, "What do you know, you brat? Go play with your eggs somewhere else!"

“We agreed to settle this privately, but we still have to put on a show.” Another elderly person said in a hoarse voice, blowing out a smoke ring. “Everyone knows what He Yongqiang wants, but your reputation is important.”

If word gets out in the surrounding villages that He Yongqiang jumped into your house at night and did this or that, even if we all know we didn't do anything, there are always gossipy women spreading rumors and making things up. Who knows what kind of stories they'll tell us?

We might as well just chop off his fingers and make him a thief. At the village meeting, we'll just say he was after your bicycle and came to steal it, and that's it.

Once things calm down, we'll find some excuse to charge him with hooliganism and send him to the police station. There's still a record of him groping that silly girl; if he does it again, no one will suspect anything.

"Doesn't this absolve you two of your responsibilities? Even if He Yongqiang is executed later, He Gousheng and his wife won't bother you, right?"

The fluffy ball of fluff squatted on the wall, sticking out its tongue and making a "hehehe" sound. Then it meowed and said, "Host, no matter what they say, just ignore them. Do whatever you have to do and don't let them get away with it!"

Jiang Chen remained silent as he drank his water for a long time without making a sound.

The village chief and others took turns reasoning with him, presenting the facts, and guaranteeing that He Yongqiang would receive the punishment he deserved.

As the sun slowly climbed higher and the courtyard gradually warmed up, he still hadn't made a statement, and the village secretary and others felt heavy-hearted.

They couldn't stand He Yongqiang's family causing trouble every now and then, but what could they do when it was a special time? The selection of advanced individuals was a very important matter, and no one wanted to let this scoundrel He Yongqiang ruin the important things.

Time ticked by, and Jiang Chen, who had remained expressionless and silent throughout, finally received a notification from the main system.

[Task: Agree to the suggestions made by the village party secretary and others, and no longer pursue the matter. Reward: One-time A-grade item.]

"Oh wow? The main system is suddenly being so generous?" The little white cat, who was licking its paws, perked up its ears and said excitedly, "Host, did my report work before? Giving me an A-level without pursuing the matter is pretty good!"

Having achieved his goal, Jiang Chen sighed, feigning difficulty, "Since everyone has gone to such lengths, I am, after all, a member of Qilizhuang, and I must consider the bigger picture. Let's do as you say, and wait a while..."

"Don't worry about what happens from now on. We old guys guarantee we won't let him get away with this!"

With everyone's assurances, the mission was successfully completed. However, in order not to affect the overall situation, a village-wide meeting was held that afternoon, and He Gousheng's family was dealt with swiftly.

The neighboring courtyard put a written agreement under He Jiangchen's name, and Qian Shuandi and He Gousheng, who had broken their legs, were whipped and cried for their parents; He Yongqiang suffered the most. Not only did the injury to his lower body cause him great physical and mental torment, but after the meeting, he was also chopped off two of his right fingers according to the procedure for dealing with thieves.

As evening fell, the village chief sent people to clear the courtyard and have He Gousheng and his family of three dragged to a dugout at the east end of the village on a simple flatbed cart, leaving them to fend for themselves.

The little dumpling took the opportunity to reap a lot of the protagonist's halo, but the fact that the script hasn't been updated means that his family still has a chance to make a comeback.

Sure enough, a few days later an inspection team came to the village. For the sake of collective honor, the village chief temporarily relocated He Gousheng's family, who were hiding in a dugout, to two dilapidated houses at the north entrance of the village. Relying on their protagonist status, the family shamelessly stayed and refused to move away.

Jiang Chen watched coldly, enjoying her happy and fulfilling life while waiting for the best opportunity.

About half a month later, the matchmaker that the little white cat had been keeping a close eye on finally made a move!

Chapter Fifty-Six: The Final Chapter (Can Be Slaughtered)

“Host, that matchmaker is running around trying to find a match for people. Today she went to a very poor little village in the mountains and happened to run into two people. They were discussing having her help them ‘sell goods’!”

Just after dinner, Jiang Chen and Liao Yuzhou were sitting under a big tree in the yard, chatting and enjoying the cool air, when the little white cat came bounding over and cried out, "I followed those two all the way, but I didn't find any clues. We still can't figure out where the abducted girl is being held. What should we do?"

The past two weeks seemed peaceful, with the villagers each doing their part in the busy farming season; Jiang Chen and his wife would occasionally go to the fields to check on things; the four hooligans took good care of their nine acres of land; and the county's review was over, with Qilizhuang finally winning the title of advanced collective thanks to its advantages in all aspects.

However, the white cat and the Horcrux remained vigilant.

A young woman, whose whereabouts were unknown and who had been trafficked, was on the verge of a breakdown and needed to be rescued in time.

A women trafficking organization whose activities are currently unclear needs to be dismantled as soon as possible. It may be related to a major event involving the rescue of other trafficked women, so it is definitely better to find out as soon as possible.