abcnovels
Chapter 26: No Longer a Slave
Chapter 26: No Longer a Slave
Chapter 26: No Longer a Slave
After listening to Zhang Xuan's analysis, everything that had previously confused Mo Yanxue suddenly became clear.
No wonder the dignified steward went to such lengths to frame a mere groom. She couldn't understand it before, but now that there was such a precious treasure like the Mo Yun Jade as bait, it made perfect sense!
She turned to Yu Longqing and bowed respectfully, "City Lord, may I trouble you to send for a coroner to help inspect this matter?"
"Of course!"
Yu Longqing waved his hand, and soon a coroner arrived. After receiving instructions, he carefully examined the horse's body before bowing again to report.
"City Lord, there is no Mo Yun Jade inside this horse, and even many of its internal organs are missing..."
"This means they dissected the horse looking for the Mo Yun Jade, cutting out its organs in the process. Killing the horse wasn't enough; they didn't even leave its body intact. You... you..." Zhang Xuan's vision went black with anger, and he breathed heavily as if he might faint at any moment.
"Very good, Great! As expected of the Mo family's chief steward. What audacity and skill!" Mo Yanxue was also furious, her pale face like the cold autumn. "Feng Jin, do you have anything to say?"
Feng Jin shook his head desperately, "Miss, I swear I didn't take it... And even if I wanted to, I couldn't withstand the killing aura within the Mo Yun Jade... I truly don't know how the jade went missing!""If it’s not you, then who took it?" Zhang Xuan, filled with grief and anger, turned to the coroner, "Sir, based on your experience, were these organs removed from the horse after it died, or while it was still alive?"
The coroner replied, "There are no signs of fresh blood in the horse's body, which indicates the organs were removed post-mortem. The same goes for the incisions on the belly; the blood had already coagulated when they were made, indicating they were made after the horse died."
"When the young lady and I left, the horse was still alive... No one here would believe that the horse could have had its belly cut open, organs removed, and still be energetic enough to deliver Miss Yu to the academy! With the wounds confirmed to have been inflicted post-mortem, the culprit is obvious!"
Zhang Xuan shouted, clenching his fists, and then bowed to Mo Yanxue, "If not for being in the City Lord's Mansion today, with a coachman and coroner to testify for me, I might have been falsely accused and left to face an uncertain fate. Such a grave injustice, I implore you, miss, to seek justice for me."
"Rest assured, I will make sure you get justice!"
Mo Yanxue coldly glared at Feng Jin, "Feng Jin, as the Mo family's chief steward, not only did you fail to alleviate your master's worries, but you also colluded with others to oppress the innocent. All your assets will be confiscated, you will receive 100 lashes, your position as steward is revoked, and you are expelled from the Mo family, never to be employed again!"
"Miss, please, no, don't..." Feng Jin's body trembled, and he collapsed to the ground, crying out in despair.
The lashes were a method used by large families to discipline their servants, and every strike cut deep. With 100 lashes, even those without cultivation would likely die on the spot. Moreover, with his assets confiscated and being expelled from the Mo family, it was essentially a death sentence.
All this for framing a groom? He couldn't believe it.
"Wu Xiang, as a servant, instead of upholding justice, you assisted Feng Jin in framing Zhang Xuan. You will receive 50 lashes and be expelled from the Mo family, never to be employed again!" Mo Yanxue continued.
"Miss..." Wu Xiang's body wavered.
Originally, they thought that by currying favor with the chief steward, they could rise through the ranks and make their lives easier. They never dreamed that in just one day, they would be reduced to not even being able to remain as servants...
All because they offended this groom, Zhang Xuan!
Soon, amidst their miserable cries, the two were taken away. It was clear that after leaving here, they would likely never meet again.
"Zhang Xuan!"
After dealing with the two, Mo Yanxue looked at the young man before her, "Not only can you tame source beasts, but you also remain calm in critical moments, handle matters logically. It all shows that you are smart and capable. Since... Feng Jin's position as chief steward has been revoked, from now on, you will temporarily take over his duties and manage the Mo family..."
Hearing that she intended to appoint him as chief steward, Zhang Xuan hurriedly stepped forward, "I'm still young. I might find it difficult to command respect if I were the steward. I fear I might disappoint your great kindness!"
"Are you refusing?" Mo Yanxue was taken aback.
The Mo family was one of the three major families in White Rock City. Regardless of status or power, it was a force to be reckoned with. As the chief steward, even without cultivation, one held immense power.
With this position, one could practically walk sideways in White Rock City. The jump from groom to this level was enormous, like reaching the sky in a single bound, yet he refused...
"Yes!" Zhang Xuan nodded, "As I said earlier, the horse indeed died because of me, and I am willing to serve you loyally for life. Now that my innocence has been proven, I have a different request. I want to have city residency status, to leave the Mo family, and no longer to be a slave!"
Without an official status, he was still a drifter. The title of chief steward or any other position was meaningless to him.
From the moment he accidentally killed the horse, he had been setting things in motion step by step with one goal in mind: to gain residency status in the Source World and fully integrate into this place. Otherwise, his identity could not withstand scrutiny.
Although he didn't know the Source World's attitude toward ascenders, the control over drifters and their identities suggested it was not friendly.
As the ruler of a world, once his injuries fully healed, dominating White Rock City shouldn't be a problem, but he couldn't fend off a mob.
"Leave the Mo family?"
This time, not only Mo Yanxue was stunned, but even Yu Xiaoyu widened her eyes, "Large families may have many rules, but they also provide rapid advancement. Not to mention other things, but for cultivation, the resources and techniques you need can only be provided by such families..."
Being under a big tree is beneficial. While being a servant didn't sound prestigious, the benefits were many.
This was why many chose to be subordinates in big cities rather than being lords in rural areas—for the sake of prospects and development opportunities.
"Thank you for the reminder, Miss Yu, but my mind is made up!" Zhang Xuan clasped his hands and looked at Mo Yanxue, "I hope you can grant my request, Miss."
Mo Yanxue pondered for a moment and stared at him intently, "Xiaoyu is right. Leaving the Mo family, you will face countless difficulties. Are you sure you want to go?"
Zhang Xuan nodded firmly.
Seeing his determination, Mo Yanxue scrutinized the young man before her, her eyes narrowing unconsciously.
She had already seen him in a new light after the beast-taming incident, but now it seemed she had still underestimated him!
Revoking a servant's status wasn't too difficult, but for a large family, setting such a precedent would complicate future management.
It was like trying to leave a criminal organization—if you could leave, others would want to leave too, making it hard to maintain order.
Frankly speaking, if not for being in the City Lord's mansion today, not for his success in taming the beast, not for Feng Jin's framing, and not for owing him justice, she would hardly agree to his request.
And with so many conditions piled together, with Yu Xiaoyu and the City Lord watching, she had no choice but to agree...
Could it be that all these so-called coincidences were orchestrated by this groom? Otherwise, how could everything align so perfectly?
If so, this guy was far from simple!