The Eldest Prince and Second Prince immediately fell silent. They just lay limply on the ground, slowly processing the news.
They had done too many terrible things. So many, in fact, that they felt dazed, as if it had all happened a lifetime ago, done by someone else.
When they committed those acts, they hadn’t thought much of them. They only felt a thrill, devoid of any humanity. But now, with their deeds proclaimed for all to hear, they felt the eyes of the crowd on them and wished they could bury themselves in the dirt.
’But they still clung to a sliver of fantasy in their hearts. After all, they were the Eldest and Second Princes of the Guiping Beast Country. Even if their cultivation was gone, their father would surely think of them and send someone to rescue them. And what’s more, there was their doting Mother. She would never abandon them.’
’At worst, they would lose their chance at the Beast King’s throne, but they could still live as carefree, happy Princes!’
With this thought, their hearts settled. Their only worry now was the hard labor they’d have to endure for the next few days...
Si Shuo wasn’t worried about them running away. The area was surrounded by Warriors who had sworn an oath. She, along with Bai Xiao, Xiao Cheng, Witch Doctor, and a few other males, began to tour the area.
With their arrival, the guards in the mine didn’t dare to be too outrageous. For the first time, the whips in their hands felt scorching hot.
Whenever Si Shuo’s eyes narrowed at someone, Zhi Zhan’s lightning would lash out with unerring accuracy. For a moment, the mine fell so silent you couldn’t even hear a bird chirp.
The Beastmen, exhausted beyond recognition, collapsed onto the ground, looking pitifully at Si Shuo’s group.
But none of them dared to speak, afraid they had just gotten out of the frying pan and into the fire.
There was a young boy whose face was caked in filth. As sweat dripped down, it carved clean white streaks through the grime.
He looked at Si Shuo and Bai Xiao, Xiao Cheng, Witch Doctor, thought of his dying Father in their hovel and his grandfather with a bad back and a lame leg, then gritted his teeth, scrambled out, and knelt far in front of Si Shuo, thumping his head on the ground.
"My Lady, please grant us justice! My grandfather and Father were both Warriors who guarded Pingjing City! Just because the Second Prince took a liking to our family’s Hundred Ginseng Fruit, he casually framed us with a crime..."
If it had been anyone else, they would have had to investigate his claims. But Si Shuo had Little Hong as her cheat, allowing her to hear his thoughts, so she naturally knew he was telling the truth.
Si Shuo nodded. "The Eldest Prince and Second Prince no longer have their cultivation. They are the same as you now..."
Joy flashed across the young boy’s face, and he was secretly ecstatic. He had suffered too much and had seen too many terrible things in this prison. Having to choose between health and freedom was a cruel thing.
"My Lady is wise and mighty!" The boy kowtowed forcefully again. ’He hadn’t held out much hope just now. His life was worthless, anyway. But what if the gamble paid off?’
Heaven had blessed him; he had truly received this lady’s help.
Si Shuo touched the tip of her nose. ’It was really just a small effort on her part. She had acted on a whim, calling the males to action because she couldn’t stand the injustice, but it could very well change this young boy’s entire life.’
"My name is Si Shuo. You can call me Sister Shuo," Si Shuo said with a smile. "I am a Divine Servant, and this is my friend, Bai Xiao, Xiao Cheng, Witch Doctor. He knows much more than I do."
Hearing her name and that of Bai Xiao, Xiao Cheng, Witch Doctor, even the ill-informed among them knew that the higher-ups placed great importance on these two.
"Thank you, Sister Shuo Shuo," the boy nodded forcefully but didn’t dare say more. ’Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from asking for a Crystal Stone to pay for medical treatment.’
’But she was a stranger to him. How could she possibly lend him a Crystal Stone? He just took her words as a polite courtesy.’
After the initial relief, his brow furrowed again. Even without others making things difficult, he didn’t know how much longer his father and grandfather could hold on.
It was Si Shuo who raised an eyebrow and looked toward a nearby hovel. It was pitch-black inside, and nothing was visible.
Sensing the boy’s filial piety and sincerity, Si Shuo sighed softly and looked at Wei Ce. The latter stepped forward, took the boy’s hand, and patted his shoulder. "One cannot become the greatest of Knights without enduring hardship."
"Trust me, your better days are not far off."
The young boy froze, his hand held loosely, not daring to squeeze or let go. He noticed the gazes of the surrounding Beastmen and didn’t dare show too much emotion. He could only fall silently to his knees and kowtow earnestly again.
He turned and walked back. The hovels here were all built by the Beastmen themselves from scavenged dry grass and branches. Inside, it was dim, cold, and filled with all sorts of foul smells that couldn’t dissipate. Now that the weather was warming, insects and ants were beginning to swarm.
His family’s hovel had been built by his Father back when he was still healthy. The boy walked back with a blank expression. He didn’t take out the elixir immediately but tucked it into his clothes and continued to bring water to feed his Father.
After a long while, when everyone’s attention had shifted, he quickly slipped one elixir into his Father’s mouth and the other into his grandfather’s.
Meeting his grandfather’s confused gaze, he grinned and made a gesture for him to keep it a secret.
The old male felt both amused and heartbroken. But then his whole body trembled violently as he felt the vigorous Spiritual Energy contained within the elixir, bit by bit cleansing and repairing his body. All the discomfort, old ailments, and hidden injuries in his body were seventy to eighty percent purged. Although he hadn’t fully recovered, his body was already mostly healed. He felt revitalized; living another thirty to fifty years would be no problem at all!
Thrilled and overjoyed, he turned his head to look at his son lying on the worn-out Beast Skins. Sure enough, his son’s eyes were open, staring blankly at the hovel’s ceiling.
"You... you foolish child," the old male now regretted taking the elixir. ’He had lived long enough; he should have left this opportunity to his son and grandson.’
The young boy smiled and shook his head, leaning in to whisper, "Grandfather, I’m still young. I’ll work hard at my Cultivation in the future and strive to become a powerful Guardian!"
Si Shuo and her group made a full circuit. They hadn’t expected that in a medium-sized mine, there were over eight thousand Guardians tasked solely with suppressing the miners.
The miners numbered over a hundred thousand. Every one of them had had their cultivation crippled. They were emaciated, their eyes dull and lifeless. Even with such a major event happening in the mine, they just sat down where they were, with no light in their eyes.
’The mine is so large, it needs a lot of miners. The biggest thing that could happen is just a change of ownership.’
’Who would ever treat a Beast Slave like a person? From the moment they arrived here, their lives were on a countdown. They wouldn’t survive the winter.’
Si Shuo stopped walking. She found a rock and sat down, pondering the situation.
The males didn’t say a word, just stood guard silently around her, glancing over at her from time to time.
’The little female’s brow was furrowed, her expression shifting between delight and worry. Her mind was clearly buzzing with activity, and they were just waiting for her to call a meeting and assign tasks.’
Sure enough, after about one Beast Hour, Si Shuo finally sorted things out and had a general plan.
She chuckled, clapped her hands, and said, "Let’s go. We’ll go home and come back tomorrow!"
Before leaving, she casually pointed to a guard’s Little Captain. "For the next two days, you’re the acting Steward. Let everyone rest for a bit. I’m not asking for them to eat well, but at least make sure they’re fed."