Chapter 164: Chapter 117: My Brother Is One of the Ning’an Ten Heroes
"You’re not much of an official, but you sure put on airs, heh..."
The mockery, contempt, and disdain in his words were completely undisguised.
Ever since Xu Shenzhi’s engagement was broken, he had become a laughingstock within the Iron Sword Sect. Li Xuanche had always looked down on him, and now, seeing him act like a worthless upstart, he couldn’t resist a taunt.
"You—!"
Xu Shenzhi flew into a rage. The Cyan Furnace Sword at his waist slid half an inch from its sheath with a CLANG, revealing a flash of cold light. Killing intent flared in his eyes.
"What?"
Li Xuanche finally lifted his eyelids to glance at him, the corners of his mouth curling into a mocking smirk.
"Does Junior Brother Xu really want to fight me? Tsk... Go back and train bitterly for a few more years. Maybe when you get lucky enough to step into the Innate realm, you’ll have the right to stand before me and speak."
"Who do you think you are, daring to challenge the authority of the Jingwu Bureau here!"
A bone-chilling voice, filled with unquestionable authority, suddenly came from outside the hall. It was like a sinister gust of wind in the dead of winter, causing the temperature in the entire hall to plummet instantly.
Everyone’s heart tightened as they turned in unison to look.
They saw a young man in a Junior Sixth Grade Embroidered Official Robe of the Jingwu Bureau walking slowly into the hall, surrounded by several figures. A long saber hung at his waist, his face was cold and stern, and his eyes were as sharp as a falcon’s. No one dared to meet his gaze.
He naturally exuded the oppressive aura of someone long accustomed to a high position. It was none other than the Deputy Captain of G Camp, Chen Sheng.
Flanking him on his left and right were Peacekeeper Envoys Zhao Changqiu and Lu Cheng, their expressions equally solemn and their gazes as sharp as hawks eyeing their prey.
Chen Sheng’s merciless rebuke instantly froze the atmosphere in the hall, as if the very air had stopped flowing.
A flash of anger crossed Li Xuanche’s eyes. ’With my status, when have I ever suffered such a public humiliation?’
But upon sensing the condensed Innate aura emanating from Chen Sheng and remembering the rumors about his backer, Nie Xuanfeng, he forcibly suppressed his anger. He managed to squeeze out a smile and cupped his hands.
"You must be Captain Chen. Forgive my disrespect. I am Li Xuanche, a True Disciple of the Iron Sword Sect and a member of the Li Clan. My earlier words were just a joke with Junior Brother Xu, whom I haven’t seen in a long time. Please don’t take it seriously, Captain. Don’t misunderstand."
However, Chen Sheng didn’t even glance at his cupped hands. He walked straight past everyone to the head seat of the hall. Under Han Jingyi’s astonished gaze, he flicked his robes and sat down without any courtesy, his posture contemptuous.
Only then did he turn his indifferent gaze to Li Xuanche, his tone devoid of any emotion.
"A joke? Who has time to joke with you? Openly challenging the authority of the Jingwu Bureau... according to the law, the punishment is death!"
Then, Chen Sheng paused slightly, looking down at him condescendingly.
"However, I will consider your ignorance as a first-time offender. Apologize to Xu Xiaoqi immediately, and I may spare your life."
Li Xuanche’s face instantly turned ugly, shifting between pale and ashen. His chest heaved violently, and he couldn’t believe his ears. He opened his mouth but was at a loss for words.
’Make me, a direct descendant of the Li Family, a True Disciple of the Iron Sword Sect, an Innate Expert, apologize to a ’waste’ like Xu Shenzhi whom I’ve always despised?’
’This is the ultimate humiliation!’
"What?"
Chen Sheng’s eyes narrowed, a chilling intent subtly locking onto Li Xuanche.
"Did you not understand my words?"
Li Xuanche took a deep breath, suppressing the rage that threatened to erupt, and said in a low voice,
"Captain Chen, it was just a jest. Why must you make a mountain out of a molehill and be so aggressive?"
He truly felt he had miscalculated.
He had thought Chen Sheng’s relationship with Xu Shenzhi was shallow. Given their past enmity, he assumed Chen Sheng was merely using him after recruiting him.
But he never expected Chen Sheng to stand up so forcefully for a mere Small Flag Officer, completely disregarding Li Xuanche’s pride and leaving no room for him or the Li Family to save face.
However, what he didn’t understand was that in Chen Sheng’s eyes, Xu Shenzhi was not just a subordinate. He was one of his own people who had offered a Pledge of Loyalty to show his devotion.
If he couldn’t even protect his own men when they were insulted, who would be willing to risk their lives for him in the future? The way to manage subordinates was through a mix of grace and power. This was the perfect moment to establish his authority and bestow his favor.
Sure enough, seeing Chen Sheng back him up without hesitation, Xu Shenzhi trembled with emotion. His fingers, clenched around his sword hilt, turned white from the force. His gaze toward Chen Sheng was filled with inexpressible gratitude and the resolve to serve him to the death.
"Do you think I look like I’m joking with you right now?"
Chen Sheng leaned forward slightly, his gaze like two cold sword points stabbing straight at Li Xuanche. An invisible pressure washed over him like a tide.
The air around them seemed to thicken. Seeing this, Han Jingyi broke out in a cold sweat. Steeling himself, he tried to step forward and smooth things over.
"Captain Chen, please calm your anger. Young Master Li is just young and hot-headed, he only..."
"Insolent!"
Peacekeeper Envoy Zhao Changqiu suddenly stepped forward and shouted fiercely, "The Captain is speaking! What right do you have to interrupt?! Stand down!"
As he spoke, a ferocious light appeared in Zhao Changqiu’s eyes. It was clear he held no respect for Patriarch Han.
’So what if the Li Family is powerful?’
’Captain Chen is backed by Envoy Nie!’
’He’s the kind of person who can make the entire Ning’an Prefecture tremble with a stomp of his foot.’
Li Xuanche’s face was ashen. Feeling Chen Sheng’s undisguised killing intent and the predatory gazes of Zhao Changqiu, Lu Cheng, and the others, he knew that if he didn’t yield today, he might not be able to walk away.
An ordinary person might be wary of the Li Family’s power, but this Chen Sheng was clearly an exception. His background was formidable, and his backer was rumored to be a Governor of the Jingwu Bureau—far beyond what the Li Family could compare to.
At this thought, Li Xuanche took a deep breath and squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth,
"Captain Chen, my elder brother is Li Xuance, one of the Ning’an Ten Heroes!"
He deliberately emphasized the words "Ning’an Ten Heroes," hoping the other party would show him some face.
However, Chen Sheng’s reaction made his heart sink.
"I said, apologize to Xu Xiaoqi."
Chen Sheng repeated himself. His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a cold, unquestionable finality.
The moment his words fell, an even more formidable and intense pressure erupted from him, enveloping the entire hall.
Zhao Changqiu and Lu Cheng simultaneously took a step forward, their hands on their saber hilts, their gazes electric as they locked onto Li Xuanche, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.
The veins on Li Xuanche’s forehead throbbed. He glanced around, feeling the very real threat of death. In the end, all his pride and anger were crushed by cold reality.
He took another deep breath, struggling to suppress the churning qi and blood in his chest. He turned to Xu Shenzhi, whose expression was complicated, and forced a dry voice from his throat.
"Junior... Junior Brother Xu. I was... reckless with my words just now. I’ve given you great offense. I hope... you can forgive me."
Every word seemed to be painfully ground out from between Li Xuanche’s teeth, each one an immense humiliation for him.
Xu Shenzhi remained expressionless, merely giving a slight nod without saying a word.
He felt little pleasure in this; instead, his mind grew clearer.
He understood that this submission was not born of respect, but of Captain Chen’s intimidation. To truly win dignity, he had to possess the strength and status that others could not ignore.
There was another reason. He knew the Li Family’s foundation was profound and that Li Xuanche’s brother was no ordinary person. He didn’t want Captain Chen to make an unnecessary enemy of him because of this.
Seeing the storm subside, Han Jingyi had just let out half a sigh of relief and hadn’t yet had a chance to feel fortunate, when Chen Sheng’s cold voice rang out again, this time aimed directly at the Han Family.
"Patriarch Han."
Han Jingyi’s heart clenched, and he quickly bowed. "Captain Chen, I was not aware you would be gracing us with your presence today. For what reason have you come? If there is any way the Han Family can be of service, we will certainly do our utmost to cooperate."
Chen Sheng beckoned with his hand. A Jingwu Guard at his side immediately presented a tray holding more than ten scrolls. Chen Sheng casually picked one up and tossed it to Patriarch Han.
"The Han Family’s accumulated crimes over the years, every single one of them, are detailed in here. I have come today to investigate these matters thoroughly. Furthermore, I am under orders to pursue a Demon Dao thief.
"This thief stole a precious Hundred-Year Earth Heart Lotus from the Government Office’s secret vault. I have received reliable information that this item was hidden by the Demon Dao thief within the Han Family’s residence.
"Clan Leader Han, will you hand over the thief’s stolen goods to prove your innocence, or must I... personally conduct a search?"
Upon hearing these words, the atmosphere in the hall instantly grew tense.
Patriarch Han Jingyi’s expression changed drastically. His body swayed uncontrollably as a feeling of utter absurdity washed over him.
’Regarding the Hundred-Year Earth Heart Lotus, no more than five people in the entire Han Family know about it. How... how does it seem like everyone on the outside knows more about it than the last?!’
’Besides, since when did our Han Family’s ancestral heirloom suddenly become stolen goods?’
’This is clearly a trumped-up charge!’
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