A Poor Old Man

Jiang Ying Yue cried silently on the rock. After she had calmed down, she got up to go back to the restaurant.

But who knew that right after getting up, she heard a faint sound coming from the forest. It was the sound of people shouting at something or someone.

She wanted to ignore it as it was not her business anyways but she suddenly heard someone shouting saying "Old man! You better pay for that wine! If not, we will beat you up till even your mother can't recognize you!"

Hearing the word 'old man', it reminded her of her grandfather. Her heart shook and she turn and walked towards the source of the sound.

She tried to not make as much sound as she could, and upon arriving there, she hid herself behind a huge tree. She could see four men circling an old man. The old man was hugging a bottle of wine. She could see that he had drank a bit but wasn't drunk.

Jiang Ying Yue then heard the old man say "No. This bottle of wine is mine. I did not steal it from your restaurant."

One of the men surrounding the old man snorted and said "With you wearing this, you can't even afford a meal at our restaurant. And you are saying this now? You think we would believe you?"

Pointing at one of the men there, he continued saying "He said that he saw you sneaking behind the restaurant and stole the wine! Show me the proof that the wine is yours then!"

The old man was exasperated. He really did not steal it ah!

Looking at the man that the store manager was pointing at, the old man immediately recognized him!

This man was the nobleman that he met in the forest the other day when he was collecting herbs. At that time, the man saw him collecting a precious 100 year-old 'Blue Medeor' herb and asked him for it.

When the old man refused, the nobleman then asked his subordinates to attain it by force. The old men then fought them and managed to beat his subordinates.

Out of fear, the nobleman then left with his remaining subordinates.

But the old man did not expect him to be so shameless and frame him today!

It really was his unlucky day ah! Today, he was refining a celestial level pill when his furnace blew up leaving him in this state. As per usual, to recover his state of mind, he went to the lake while forgetting to change his clothes.

Upon arriving near the Orbis Building, he then took out his wine from his space ring, not knowing that a pair of malicious eyes was staring intently at him.

The nobleman, known as Wu Liang was a young master of the Wu family. His father was a head of the Board of Punishment, making him a troublemaker due his status.

Seeing that old man again, he planned on framing him on the offense of stealing from the Orbis Building. He knew that the owner of the building was a big shot and by doing this, he would satisfy his anger towards the old man but also making himself known to the owner. Killing two birds with one stone!

He did not know who that old man was but, seeing on his clothes back in the forest and today, he must be just a normal old man without any status.

Wu Liang was truly the definition of an idiot! He did not even think of how that old man could recognize the precious herb back in the forest nor did he think of if the old man could own a space ring, he must've been someone with status. This was because, space rings were expensive and only nobles and rich merchants can own them.

Back to the current situation, the old man could not prove his innocence as he did not bring any money out at all nor his alchemist badge to show his status.

Thus, he resulted to showing his space ring. "Store manager, look I own a space ring. Unfortunately, I only have herbs inside thus I could not prove my innocence to you. How about I bring you my badge tomorrow?"

The store manager did not even care what the old man said. He only wanted to fawn over Wu Liang.

He hurriedly said "If you can't even prove yourself innocent, then pay up for the wine! That wine is 200 taels! If not, we will bring you over to the board of punishment."

The old man honestly did not care about the board of punishment shit. In this country, even the emperor had to give him some face. What a mere board of punishment could do to him? Plus, his patience was running low. He really wanted to beat them up!

But before he could even do anything, a girl's voice was heard and a person emerged from behind the huge tree.

"Why are you guys bullying an old man?! I'll pay for his wine to you."

Jiang Ying Yue had had enough listening from listening behind the tree. Thus, she came out to help the poor old man.

If the old man could hear her thoughts, he would vomit blood! Me? Poor?! Hah what a joke!

Unfortunately, he couldn't hear her thoughts.

Wu Liang was displeased with the sudden interference of this girl. Where did she come from?!

He put on an arrogant look with his chin held high and asked her "Hey girl, where did you come from? Don't you dare to interfere. Shooo shoo go away!"

Jiang Ying Yue was enraged. This bloody motherfucker dared to be rude to her? Shit she wouldn't be called Xi Ying Yue if she did not put down a fight for this alright? Oh wait, she's Jiang Ying Yue now.

Her eyes suddenly turned cold and her aura changed. If you paid a close attention, you would see that the wind blew slightly faster around her at this time.

Suddenly, she moved and pinned Wu Liang's body on the ground. Her hand right rested on the back of his head while her left hand was on his left hand that was on his back.

Wu Liang did not see her movement at all. He had just seen her eyes turned cold and the next thing he knew, he was on the ground. He, a level 4 Qi Refiner was taken down by this little girl! How humiliating! He heard her sighing and saying:

"Bro, we could have settled this peacefully but you decided to be rude instead. Now, should we settle this peacefully or not?"

Wu Liang tried moving but could not. But he wasn't scared. He sneered "Little girl, do you know who I am? You better let me go or else, I will pin you on the crime of hurting and attempting to assassinate an official's son. My father is the head of Board of Punishment."

He thought the girl would be scared but hearing her next words, it was him who almost peed in his pants.

"Oh bro, you really are dumb. You wanna pin that crime on my head? Go ahead! But will your father be able to answer to my father,the general when he came knocking on your door? Plus, I am just small girl with no cultivation. So how could I hurt you? You'll just embarrass yourself for being too weak."

The general... wait is she talking about general Jiang Rong? Panic filled his eyes.

"Who are you?!" he asked.

"I am Jiang Ying Yue, my father is general Jiang Rong."

WHAT?! She is the daughter of general?! He had heard just now that the daughter of the general came to Orbis Building to eat with his brothers but he did not expect for this girl to be her!

I am dead! I am really dead!

'Her father is the friend of the emperor, her mother is the best friend of the empress and even her brother is the close friend of the crown prince! He is also a blue innate talent! I am dead!'