174: Chapter 174 Rescuing Lance

Just as Lance was looking at the moonlight on the ground with a wry smile, a sinkhole suddenly appeared on the moonlit ground. This sudden sight made Lance think he was seeing things.

A figure covered in mud jumped out of the hole. As he landed, the dirt fell off his body, revealing a young yet resolute face.

"Who are you? Cough, cough, why are you here?" Lance asked weakly yet cautiously.

"My name is Huang Yichen, and I'm here to help you. Your current situation is very dangerous; Spike could take your life at any moment. Look at you now; you can no longer work for him, and he certainly won't accept you back!" Huang Yichen said with utmost sincerity.

"You, how do you know all this? And why do you want to help me? We've never even met!" Lance became agitated, causing more blood to spill from his mouth as he struggled to ask.

"Heh heh, does that matter? Just tell me if you want to die. If you want to die for that short-sighted Spike, if you want to die so pathetically in a dungeon, then keep pressing me about why I'm here to help you!" Huang Yichen looked at Lance with icy eyes and spoke with utter disdain.

"Uh, yes, you're right. Spike is a waste, a short-sighted, blind, narrow-minded failure. I shouldn't waste my time for someone like him. Great hero, I beg you, please save me! I don't want to die, I don't want to die so aggrieved. I still have dreams; there are so many things I haven't done. I beg you, save me!" Thinking of his experiences these past few days, tears streamed down Lance's face. That fool Spike—if he hadn't been born into the King's family, a failure like him would have starved to death long ago.

"Fine, I promise to save you, but I want all the money you have, including all those heavenly materials and earthly treasures. Everything must be handed over to me, understood?" Seeing Lance desperately pleading, Huang Yichen thoroughly enjoyed the moment, his lips curling up uncontrollably into a smug smile.

"Okay, I promise! I'll give you everything! As long as you can save me, wealth is just external stuff; I don't care about it. Right now, I only want to live. Please, save me!" Upon hearing Huang Yichen's words, Lance agreed without a second thought. After this ordeal, he had seen through everything; fame, fortune, glory, and wealth were all fleeting clouds, mere smoke passing before his eyes.

Hearing Lance's words, Huang Yichen smiled slightly. He gripped the iron chain fastened around Lance, used a bit of force with both hands, and with a 'crack,' the chain broke instantly. By the time he had pulled off all the chains binding Lance, the 'crack, crack' sounds had already alerted the Deer-headed Beastman guards outside.

Two Deer-headed Beastman pushed open the dungeon door and walked in to investigate. They saw Huang Yichen supporting Lance, heading toward the sinkhole in the middle of the dungeon.

"Who are you? Why are you causing trouble here?" One Stag-headed Beastman raised the steel saber in his hand and shouted loudly.

"When did this sinkhole appear? I remember it wasn't here just a moment ago. You managed to dig it so fast—are you a tomb robber?" The other Stag-headed Beastman looked at the hole in the ground, speaking with utter disbelief.

"Hmph, tomb robbers? I think you two should go guard graves instead!" Huang Yichen laughed heartily. In just the span of a glance, the two Deer-headed Beastman instantly sank into the earth.

Lance watched clearly as the two Deer-headed Beastman first had their legs swallowed by the ground. Before they could react, their waists and abdomens were already submerged. Next came their chests, then their necks, until only their heads remained, which slowly sank into the earth as well. The ground returned to its initial smooth appearance, as if nothing had ever happened.

Lance's eyes widened, and he looked at Huang Yichen in shock, asking with great confusion, "Where did they go? What did you do to them?"

"Didn't you see? I buried them underground, and they will never be able to come up again, hahahaha!" Huang Yichen's hearty laughter sounded terrifying, eerie, and dreadful to Lance's ears.

Lance had always considered himself an Ability User, usually arrogant, believing himself to be extremely capable and amazing. Looking at Huang Yichen's ability just now—killing people invisibly with a mere glance—he knew he was far from capable of such a feat.

Huang Yichen threw Lance into the sinkhole and then jumped in himself. The hole disappeared, and the entire dungeon returned to how it was before, except Lance and the two Deer-headed Beastman were gone.

In Blant's backyard, Lance lay on the ground, gasping for breath. He couldn't understand why someone as powerful as Huang Yichen would save him. Was it merely for his pitiful little bit of wealth? Someone so powerful surely wouldn't lack wealth, right?

Lance looked at the surroundings, feeling only brightness and comfort. In the center of the backyard, there was a large pond with clear water, floating lotus leaves, and occasionally a few red fish swimming slowly.

Just as he was about to question Huang Yichen, two familiar figures appeared within his sight: Blant and Wei He slowly walked over from the small bridge spanning the pond.

"Wei He, why is it you? What do you want? Why did you go to such great lengths to bring me here? What exactly are you trying to do?" Lance's eyes widened larger than bronze bells when he saw Wei He. Since he had made things difficult for Wei He before, he now believed Wei He must be here for revenge.

"Heh heh, why did I bring you here? Of course, it was to save you. If I wanted revenge, I could have just waited quietly, and the First Prince Spike would have beaten you to death. Why bother going through the trouble of dragging you here? Don't you think so?" Wei He looked at Lance with interest, his lips curving up slightly into a strange smile.

"Maybe you want to take revenge on me personally. Otherwise, you have no reason to save me. With such a powerful helper like him, you don't need my help at all!" Lance pointed at Huang Yichen and guessed doubtfully.

"Hahahaha! Although your current strength is low, I really appreciate your ability to create clones. Are you willing to work for me? I can not only guarantee your safety but also make you even stronger. How about it?" Wei He squatted down, looked at the injured Lance, and spoke sincerely.

"Can I choose to refuse? After going through this ordeal, I've seen through this world. I just want to live a simple, ordinary life and no longer get involved in any disputes!" Lance looked at Wei He with determination.

"Fine, of course, you can. After you recover from your injuries, you can leave here. However, I have two miraculous elixirs here. One can instantly restore your health, and the other will take a bit longer—maybe you'll need to stay here for a month or so to fully recover. Which one do you choose?" Wei He asked Lance with a smile.

"There are such magical elixirs? Then I definitely choose the first one! I certainly want to recover immediately! Heh heh heh, thank you, Wei He!" Lance's eyes lit up instantly when he heard Wei He's words.