Vol. 1 - Ch. 84 - Defeated, But Not Entirely

Jiang Zhen lifted his trembling body and pointed a shaking finger at Ning Yechen. “You… you’re that woman’s husband!”

He never could have imagined that the one who had easily defeated the Sacred Lotus Sect Leader, Song Yan, the one who had destroyed the Jiang family overnight, would be that woman’s husband!

This person, apart from his refined and handsome appearance, seemed entirely unremarkable…

The first time Jiang Zhen had laid eyes on Ning Yechen, he hadn’t even given him a second glance.

Jiang Li also raised his head to look at Ning Yechen, his face filled with disbelief. The same man he had once ridiculed as a pretty boy was now called the Demon Lord by these people…!

Seeing the Jiang father and son dare to lift their heads and look directly at Ning Yechen, Yue Qingyou immediately frowned and coldly reprimanded, “Do you ants think you can look directly at the Demon Lord! Kneel!”

Jiang Zhen and Jiang Li immediately collapsed to their knees, their heads bowed, completely immobilized. Not even raising their heads was possible.

“If the Demon Lord has not given you permission to speak, you ants have no right to open your mouths.” Yue Qingyou’s tone carried clear dissatisfaction for their insolence. If not for the Demon Lord’s presence, she would have long since made them understand what it truly meant to wish for death.

“It seems you’re quite surprised to see me here.” Ning Yechen smiled coldly, looking down at the kneeling Jiang Zhen and Jiang Li.

He had come personally to ensure they understood exactly who they had offended and also to finish what he hadn’t been able to do while by Luo Ruying and Luo Hongye’s side.

“That day, you disrespected my wife and offended me. It’s time to settle the debt.” Ning Yechen raised his hand and clenched it toward Jiang Li.

Jiang Li’s limbs immediately twisted and compressed, his body folding in on itself until it was nearly spherical.

“Aghhhhhhhh!!! Ahhhhhhh!! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I was wrong!

“Please, have mercy on me! Father, father! Save me! It hurts! It hurts so much…!”

Jiang Li wailed and cried out in agony, desperately begging for forgiveness while pleading with his kneeling father. Jiang Zhen trembled all over, his eyes filled with fear, unable to spare a thought for Jiang Li.

If anything, he hated his incompetent son to the core at this moment! If not for him, the Jiang family might not have ended up like this today! Decades of the Jiang family’s legacy destroyed, all because of this worthless, spoiled son!

After compressing Jiang Li to nearly a ball-like shape, Ning Yechen released his grip, choosing not to crush him further and end his life. He wanted Jiang Li to remain in this state, enduring the excruciating pain of his twisted and broken body.

When Jiang Li had teased Luo Ruying in front of him, Ning Yechen had wanted nothing more than to kill him on the spot. Letting him live a little longer was only so he could watch the Jiang family’s downfall and annihilation with his own eyes. Now, however, Ning Yechen changed his mind. There was no rush to kill him. He would let Jiang Li wail in regret and misery for a while longer.

Ning Yechen turned his gaze to the kneeling Jiang Zhen and smiled faintly. “I heard you specifically contacted the Sacred Lotus Sect to kill my wife? You even declared you wouldn’t spare a single soul?”

Jiang Zhen’s pupils contracted sharply, and his heart sank into utter despair. He knows everything…

Everything he had planned and prepared over the past few days, Ning Yechen knew it all…

Jiang Zhen understood that death was inevitable tonight—likely a gruesome one. The Jiang family of Nanli City would disappear from the world, and he felt an odd sense of peace in the face of it. Opposing someone so terrifying, the Jiang family’s doom had long been sealed.

“Your Excellency, may I ask you a few questions before I die?” Jiang Zhen knelt and pleaded.

“An ant dares to ask the Demon Lord questions?” Yue Qingyou’s brows furrowed coldly.

Her terrifying aura bore down on Jiang Zhen, causing him to cough up a mouthful of blood as if his internal organs had been crushed.

Ning Yechen raised a hand, signaling Yue Qingyou to withdraw her aura. He addressed Jiang Zhen indifferently, “Speak. I’ll let you die with clarity.”

“T-thank you… Your Excellency, I only wish to know—were the Qi family’s Meridian Recovery Medicine and Immortality Pill given to them by you?” Jiang Zhen lay weakly on the ground, his face pale, yet he still forced himself to ask.

Before his death, he had to know the truth behind the Qi family’s sudden acquisition of those two formulas. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to rest in peace…

He prided himself on his business acumen, believing it superior to the Qi family’s. When he had once worked under the Qi family, he had genuinely worked hard, managing a district on their behalf. Thanks to his efforts, the district’s profits had grown several times. Yet instead of being rewarded, he was criticized and reprimanded by the Qi family.

His downfall had come when he identified an opportunity. He realized that a particular rare herb would soon become scarce and began hoarding it, monopolizing the market and driving prices up severalfold. Due to this, he was inundated with complaints and scolded by the Qi family, whose principles favored benefiting the people over maximizing profit.

Their values clashed, and later, when the Sacred Lotus Sect approached the Qi family with an offer to dominate Nanli City, they refused outright. So Jiang Zhen reached out to the Sacred Lotus Sect and used their influence to establish the Jiang family’s current position.

In his mind, he should never have lost to the Qi family. His philosophy wasn’t wrong! Commerce existed to make profit!

Ning Yechen was slightly surprised by Jiang Zhen’s question. The obsession with uncovering the truth was written all over his face.

“Yes, I provided the Meridian Recovery Medicine and Immortality Pill.”

“I see… Hahaha… Then I didn’t lose to the Qi family…” Jiang Zhen’s ghastly face relaxed into a relieved smile.

Finally, he made one last plea to Ning Yechen. “Your Excellency, I know there’s no point in begging for my life. You won’t spare me…

“I only ask that you give my son and me a swift death.”

Having witnessed the gruesome fates of everyone in the estate, Jiang Zhen couldn’t pretend he wasn’t afraid. After all, he was an ordinary man who had only tempered his body. How could he not be terrified?

Even now, just looking at Yue Qingyou made him tremble uncontrollably and struggle to breathe.

Hearing Jiang Zhen’s plea, Jiang Li, writhing in agony, ignored his pain and roared in terror, “Old fool! If you want to die, die alone! I don’t want to die!

“Please, spare me! I’ll give you whatever you want! Kill him and make me the Jiang family head. I’ll give you everything!”

When Jiang Zhen saw his son’s pitiful display, his face turned ashen, his heart filled with a mix of sadness and relief. With a son like this, even if not tonight, the Jiang family would have been doomed eventually...

In the end, the Qi family had truly won after all.

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