Chapter 542

The scene changed, it was a stormy night, thunder boomed and heavy rain poured down, as if even the heavens were weeping for Leon’s plight, the villagers had long since closed their doors and windows, enjoying the warmth of their homes, Leon, however, could only huddle in that leaky, drafty hut, using his frail body to fend off the invading cold.

Suddenly, urgent knocking broke the tranquility of the night, Leon was startled, so late, who could it be?

He carefully opened the door, only to see several figures standing outside, it was the strong young men from the village who frequently bullied him.

"Oh, Rolan, you’re not asleep yet at this hour?" The one leading the group smiled insincerely, eyes full of malice, "We just happened to be passing by, so we came to take shelter from the rain, you don’t mind, do you?"

Leon’s heart tightened, he instinctively tried to close the door, but they shoved it open, not caring whether he agreed, the figures swarmed in, packing the small hut to the brim.

"I heard you’ve been studying quite hard lately? Hoping to strike it rich and leave our crappy village?" one of them said in a mocking tone, looking around as if trying to find something valuable.

Leon said nothing, he just clenched his fists, nails almost digging into his palms, he knew these people were here to pick a fight.

"Hmph, don’t think we don’t know your little schemes," another young man sneered, he pulled a handful of mud from his pocket and viciously smashed it onto Leon’s desk, mud splattered everywhere, making a complete mess of the books and notes Leon had painstakingly organized.

"This is a lesson for you, don’t think reading a few books will change anything, in our village, you will always be an orphan, a piece of trash that everyone looks down on," the leader spoke viciously, then gave Leon a heavy shove on the shoulder, knocking him to the ground.

...

Leon was stunned, he had never imagined the villagers would treat him this way, those clods of dirt not only soiled his books but felt like sharp blades cutting into his heart.

An unprecedented wave of despair and fury surged within him, his eyes grew red, yet he forced himself to hold back his tears.

"You... you guys are going too far," Leon finally could not help but roar, his voice trembling with unwillingness and defiance.

However, his resistance only provoked even more mockery, the young men seemed to have found their amusement and began recklessly destroying everything inside the hut, they knocked over chairs, smashed bowls and dishes, and even flipped Leon’s only bed upside down onto the dirt floor, they tore off the roof, allowing rain to pour down unceasingly, the small hut was thrown into absolute chaos, looking as though it had just been ravaged by a catastrophe.

Leon curled up in a corner, letting the raindrops pelt his body through the broken roof, his heart was as cold as the night itself, these people had completely destroyed his world.

Why? Leon’s inner self was like a sea ravaged by a tempest, churning violently and impossible to calm, he gritted his teeth, tears and rain blurring his vision yet sharpening the unyielding defiance burning in his heart, he would no longer remain silent, he let this power boil within his chest, transforming into soul-shaking roars of anger.

"Why?! What did I do wrong to deserve this?!" Leon’s voice echoed through the wind and rain, carrying boundless sorrow and indignation, he stood up abruptly, even though his body trembled from prolonged hunger and cold, his gaze was exceptionally firm, as if a flame were burning within it.

"Do you think you can crush me with this? You’re wrong, even if I am born in the dust, I will still bloom with my own light," every syllable carried immense weight, striking the hearts of those who bullied him like a heavy hammer.

"I study hard not to escape this village, but to prove that an orphan can also make something of himself and change his own destiny!" Leon clenched his fists so hard that his veins bulged, at this moment, he seemed to have found his true direction, that thirst for knowledge and yearning for the future were stronger than ever.

"You can trample my dignity and destroy my material world, but you can never extinguish the flame in my heart, I will use my actions to tell you that Leon is no piece of trash," his voice grew increasingly impassioned, as if transforming all humiliation into momentum to move forward.

Awesome, Adam let out a long breath, facing injustice, this was exactly how one should act, brave enough to speak out.

The young men were momentarily startled, not expecting Leon to react so fiercely.

"Hahaha," then they all burst into laughter.

"Oh, looks like our Lord Orphan finally has a temper? Haha, what a rare sight," the leader laughed exaggeratedly, his tone full of mockery, he closed in on Leon, and the others joined the jeering, their laughter laced with contempt and provocation.

Leon’s heart sank to the bottom, but he did not retreat, he puffed out his chest, gaze burning like a torch, although his body was weak from prolonged hunger and cold, his willpower was resolute, he understood that retreating now would only make them more arrogant.

"Do you think violence can make me submit? You’re wrong, true strong people are those who never give up, even in adversity," Leon’s voice trembled, but it was filled with power, he tried to fend off the impending attack with words, but obviously, these people would not show mercy.

Sure enough, the leader sneered and threw a vicious punch at Leon’s face, a wave of pain spread across it instantly, yet Leon did not fall, he planted his feet firmly, the determination to fight back burning brighter in his eyes.

The others joined in, the cramped space left Leon unable to dodge effectively, forcing him to endure attack after attack, his clothes were torn, his face and body covered in wounds, but he never let out a single plea for mercy.

"Stop it, you bastards," at that moment, an angry shout came from outside the door, an elderly man in the village had heard the commotion and hurried over, he pushed the door open forcefully and, seeing the scene before him, rushed forward angrily, pushing those bullies away one by one.

A/N:

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