NOVEL NEXT Chapter 13
Chapter 13: The Misery of the Lowly
Thinking of this, the middle-aged man crushed the transmission jade slip and sought assistance from the family’s stronger members.
“Ansheng, come with me.”
Li Zhengyang saw the other party’s silence and called Chen Ansheng while preparing to leave with him.
Just as Chen Ansheng was about to move, Wang Bo, still dizzy from being slapped, lunged over.
“You little brat, how dare you steal my Wang family’s purple crystal! You won’t get off easy!”
Wang Bo’s intention was not just to keep Chen Ansheng there; he aimed to kill him on the spot.
In the absence of witnesses, all responsibility would fall on Chen Ansheng.
Wang Bo was at the peak of the fifth level of the Immortal realm and had learned some family combat techniques, making him much stronger than Chen Ansheng.
He formed a claw with his palm and aimed for Chen Ansheng’s throat.
Wang Bo’s speed was incredibly fast, leaving Chen Ansheng no way to evade.
But Li Zhengyang was too experienced; he had encountered many ambushes before, and his vigilance had become instinctual.
Slash!
With a flash of his sword, a bloody arm fell to the ground.
Wang Bo collapsed, his face twisted in pain as he screamed.
Not wanting to hesitate, Li Zhengyang was not the kind of person to back down; having started to kill, he intended to end it swiftly.
He darted forward, thrusting the Flame Sword directly at Wang Bo’s throat.
“Stop!”
At that moment, an old man appeared in an instant, clamping Li Zhengyang’s sword with two fingers.
“Hmph, eighth level of the Immortal realm? You think I’m afraid of you?”
Li Zhengyang was fired up; even at the eighth level of the Immortal realm, he would kill!
Boom!
He trembled as a burst of red Immortal light erupted from him.
The Flame Sword rang out continuously, and a tremendous force pushed the old man’s fingers apart.
Taking advantage of the momentum, Li Zhengyang thrust his sword into the old man’s chest.
The old man felt shocked.
This person was indeed a ascendant, with ruthless and decisive techniques, his power exceptional; although he was only at the sixth level of the Immortal realm, he was capable of threatening the eighth level.
Fortunately, the old man’s clothing contained armor for protection; after being pushed back for a distance, he stabilized his form, or he would have been severely injured by now.
“Stop! Let’s settle this clearly.”
The old man wasn’t genuinely afraid of Li Zhengyang; after all, this was the Wang family’s territory, and his mere sixth level of the Immortal realm couldn’t take on the entire Wang family!
His actions were primarily due to the concerns over his connection with Li Zhengyang.
“Fourth Elder, this man colluded with that thief and stole our one thousand pounds of purple crystal!” The middle-aged man rushed forward to salute, explaining the situation.
“Oh? Do you have any solid evidence for capturing the thief and the spoils?” the old man asked sternly.
“The evidence is in that thief’s storage bag, and he won’t let me inspect it,” the middle-aged man replied resentfully.
Chen Ansheng raised his head and said, “Wang Bo framed me! Honestly, how could I have the ability to steal so much purple crystal?”
The middle-aged man coldly retorted, “Don’t try to quibble. If it wasn’t you, why wouldn’t you let me check the storage bag?”
Chen Ansheng stopped arguing, but Li Zhengyang sneered, “I suspect your mother is hiding my lost treasure; call her over for me to check!”
The middle-aged man turned red with rage. “You! Thief! How dare you insult my mother; I will kill you!”
Li Zhengyang remained unconcerned, casually saying, “You can frame my little brother, but I can’t say anything about you?”
The middle-aged man was furious. “You say I’m framing him? Then prove his innocence!”
“With that pig’s brain of yours, it wouldn’t be surprising if all the purple crystals vanished,” Li Zhengyang replied dismissively. “The storage room is protected by formations; if that brat had the ability to break the formation without alerting anyone, would he need to work like a dog here?”
“Then who do you say stole the purple crystals? Unless they were eaten?”
Li Zhengyang sheathed the Flame Sword and said, “Fool, have you ever heard of a ‘Soul Devouring Beast’? You should hurry and catch it; the purple crystals were consumed by it.”
“The Soul Devouring Beast! The one that specifically devours purple crystals!”
The old man nearby suddenly realized this possibility was not without merit.
That little creature could ignore formation restrictions and sneakily devour the purple crystals, making it almost impossible to guard against.
However, it hadn’t appeared in nearby mining areas for centuries, and even the younger generation of the Wang family had never heard of such a thing, making it hard to prepare against.
Thinking of this, the old man’s figure flashed into the mining area, his Immortal sense expanding to search.
About a quarter of an hour later, the old man emerged holding a dead purple-furred giant rat, its belly round and as large as a bucket.
Since it could conceal itself, generally, no one could detect its presence. The old man had learned capturing techniques from an experienced predecessor during his years working in the mining area, making it easy for him to catch it.
Li Zhengyang snapped his fingers, sending out a blade of sword energy that sliced open the giant rat’s belly.
A mound of purple crystals tumbled to the ground.
“So it was really it that stole the purple crystals! Chen Ansheng was wronged!”
“Thanks to Big Man Li, otherwise, Ansheng would have been in big trouble.”
“I said it all along, Ansheng is of good character and would never engage in such thievery.”
The truth was revealed.
Chen Ansheng quietly sighed in relief and felt immense gratitude for Li Zhengyang’s righteousness.
The middle-aged man from the Wang family was so embarrassed that he was nearly wearing out his shoes with his toes.
“Beast! It’s all your doing, randomly wronging someone and making me lose my wits for a moment!”
To cover his embarrassment, the middle-aged man kicked Wang Bo on the ground, who was still howling in pain.
“Enough, Seventh, this is all a misunderstanding. No one is to blame. Take him back to heal, and let everyone else leave,” the old man declared.
“Yes, Fourth Elder.”
The middle-aged man ordered people to carry Wang Bo away and then wanted to leave with the old man.
“Stop.”
Li Zhengyang spoke up, stopping the two.
“Brother Li, the matter is already clear. I suffered no loss, so why not just let it go?”
This chapter’s continuation can be found on the next page for more excitement!
Chen Ansheng felt aggrieved.
But what could he do?
The Wang family was too powerful for him and Li Zhengyang to provoke.
Li Zhengyang, however, signaled Chen Ansheng not to speak, stepping forward to say, “Return the work contract for the two of us; we’re not working anymore.”
In the mining area, work was generally done under a century-long labor contract, and leaving without permission was a severe crime.
“Haha, Brother Li, it’s just a small matter. My Wang family would never be so petty as to take revenge on you two; you can rest assured and continue to work.”
The old man spoke as if nothing had happened, and after finishing, he ignored Li Zhengyang and flew away.
Thus ended the farce.
“I was clearly wronged, yet it seems like the Wang family is the one embarrassed. What kind of world is this? Sigh.”
Chen Ansheng felt deeply discontented, but his strength did not allow him to seek justice.
…
Outside the mining area, at a small tavern.
Chen Ansheng ordered a table of fine wine and dishes to thank Li Zhengyang.
“What are your plans for the future?” Li Zhengyang asked while drinking.
“What?” Chen Ansheng was perplexed.
“You fool, you don’t actually want to stay in the mining area working, do you?” Li Zhengyang looked at him incredulously.
“Could it be that the Wang family truly would take revenge on us?”
“Haha.” Li Zhengyang smiled ruefully. “What do you think? After making such a big joke, do you believe the Wang family would let you—an ant—escape?”
“But I didn’t do anything wrong!”
Chen Ansheng felt extremely aggrieved, having been wronged, nearly getting his hands chopped off, and still being blamed for it!
“You really don’t understand the tyranny of the aristocratic families, but it’s no wonder, since you’re just an inexperienced chick,” Li Zhengyang continued, “Do you believe that next month the Wang family will transfer you elsewhere, and you’ll disappear forever?”
Disappear forever…
A deep sense of anger and helplessness surged within Chen Ansheng.
Is this the misery of being a lowly commoner?
To be bullied at will, to be made to vanish at will, while no matter how you struggle, you raise not a single ripple.